Mercedes chief reveals how Hamilton and Russell issues will be dealt with
Mercedes chief reveals how Hamilton and Russell issues will be dealt with
Mercedes team-mates Lewis Hamilton and George Russell raised eyebrows when they found themselves entangled in a tense on-track battle during the Japanese Grand Prix.
However, Bradley Lord, Mercedes' chief communications officer, has moved swiftly to downplay the incident, categorising it as a momentary flare-up of emotions that will be addressed in a composed post-race debrief.
Throughout their partnership, Hamilton and Russell have, for the most part, maintained a harmonious working relationship since Russell's arrival at Mercedes at the beginning of 2022.
Yet, the high-pressure atmosphere of the race in Suzuka led to a brief but intense confrontation between the two drivers, which at times risked contact and the duo leaving the race without points.
Lord acknowledged the incident but remained confident in the team's ability to address and resolve any conflicts.
READ MORE: Hamilton takes SLY dig at Russell after Japanese GP battle
Mercedes to iron out any driver issues
"Anything that needs tidying up or discussing afterwards, we'll be able to do away from that pressure cooker and nice and calmly in the debrief," he said.
Early in the race, Russell tried to pass Hamilton at the final chicane, but Hamilton defended successfully. Later, Hamilton's rare mistake allowed Russell to close in, but Hamilton forcefully defended by pushing both cars outside the track's limits, prompting Russell to question their rivalry.
As the race progressed, Russell's one-stop strategy faltered, and he proposed a plan to hold back Sainz with DRS, agreeing to let Hamilton pass later. After a lengthy process, Russell was instructed to switch positions. Mercedes then told Hamilton to slow down to keep Russell within DRS range, but this strategy didn't go as planned, and Hamilton narrowly kept his position ahead of Sainz at the finish line.
LAP 6/53
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 24, 2023
Hamilton and Russell going wheel-to-wheel! š®#F1 #JapaneseGP pic.twitter.com/smQCQZViKo
Hamilton: Russell's tactical plea didn't make sense
Both drivers have since acknowledged that the on-track tensions stemmed from the intensity of competition and circumstantial frustrations.
"When they suggested it to me, I knew they were obviously thinking about it because of the previous race, but it didn't make sense," Hamilton explained.
"I was about two seconds ahead, and they then asked me to give George DRS. So I had to let off the gas on the straight to leave him 0.8 seconds behind, then he had DRS but was still overtaken. That had to happen because he was on one stop and we on a two."
READ MORE: Hamilton imperious as F1 overtaking KING in sensational Suzuka show
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
F1 News Today: Hamilton dealt major Newey blow as Red Bull chief makes BRUTAL admission
- 28 minutes ago
Schumacher reveals how Mercedes could snare Verstappen
- 50 minutes ago
Red Bull chief in BRUTAL putdown of key F1 feature
- 1 hour ago
Cullen relationship blossoms with new star after moving on from Hamilton
- 2 hours ago
Hamilton dealt major Newey blow as shock COMPLICATION revealed
- 3 hours ago
Horner outlines Ricciardo target to save F1 dream as major Newey announcement made - GPFans F1 Recap
- Yesterday 23:57
Related news
Mercedes reveal shock RED livery to celebrate historic milestone
Verstappen 'to meet Mercedes over SHOCK 2025 move as Red Bull exit clause revealed'
BLOW for former F1 champion as Mercedes preferences revealed
Mercedes star tipped to replace struggling driver THIS season
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio PĆ©rez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico HĆ¼lkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de EspaƱa 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande PrĆŖmio de SĆ£o Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860