It was a traumatic start to the race Qatar GP for Hamilton and Russell. At the start, Russell engaged in the attack on Verstappen, was surprised by his teammate, Lewis Hamilton looking for a double overtaking on the outside. The two touch each other as they careen towards the gravel which swallows up Hamilton's W14, who is forced to retire. A scenario that immediately brought back to fans' memories the contact between Rosberg and Hamilton in 2016 in Spain. And that certainly won't have pleased the team principal, Toto Wolff, who was connected remotely for the Grand Prix. The race therefore ends early for Hamilton, Russell being luckier, managing to get away with a very early pit stop under Safety regime.
Russell gets away, Hamilton out in the Qatar GP
Mercedes, it's strange to say, but they threw away a real golden opportunity. The star team should have taken advantage of Ferrari's withdrawal, without Sainz, stopped by a fuel leak before the Grand Prix and with Leclerc further behind Hamilton and Russell, to recover important points from a championship perspective. Mercedes had shown impressive pace throughout the weekend and with Leclerc's McLarens and Ferrari behind, there were high hopes of a podium finish in Qatar. The two didn't handle the pressure well, and they didn't play the team game that would have given them a chance to catch up or at least stay close to Verstappen.
The accident, as we said in the dynamics, was reminiscent of the historic one in 2016 even if the dynamics are perhaps more controversial. The two Englishmen were both trying to overtake Max Verstappen but there was no room for all three at the first corner. Russell touched Hamilton, causing him to end up in the gravel while George, who had suffered damage, had to return to the pits at the end of the lap. It's difficult to assign too much blame in an accident at the first corner, but the approach of both seemed a little too imprudent.
“It's difficult to say who is wrong and who is right but I take responsibility for what happened, being also the oldest – says Hamilton to the microphones of Sky Sport F1. George had no room and I tried to overtake both of us. I had the worst tire, and I took too big a risk.”
It is also not the only case of the season. Already in Suzuka the two almost came into contact. And this had raised some controversy in the garage because ok, your teammate is your first enemy, but in the case of 2016 a world championship was at stake. The two should have thought more about the team result. We'll see if good Toto Wolff will give both of them a scolding or just one of them.
