Hamilton has showed 'class act' in 2018 - Wolff
- Published on 16 Oct 2018 11:18
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- By: Fergal Walsh
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has praised his driver Lewis Hamilton following the Briton's successful run of form in the second half of the 2018 season. Hamilton has taken victory at the last five races, extending his championship lead to 67 points.
The Mercedes driver heads Sebastian Vettel in the driver's standings and is likely to take his fifth world championship before the end of the year. He can wrap it up this weekend in Austin if he wins and Vettel fails to finish in second place.
Wolff has commended Hamilton's driving which is also aiding Mercedes towards a fifth consecutive world constructor's championship: “While we didn’t have the fastest car in the summer, we’ve seen the performance swing in our favour recently; however, it is closer than it looked in recent races,” he said.
"Ferrari have a strong car and they will keep on pushing until the very last corner in Abu Dhabi. They have been worthy opponents in the past 17 races and we have no reason to believe that this will change in the next four; just like us, they will fight fiercely for every point and position.
“Two 1-2s in a row also show how well both drivers are performing. With six race victories in the last seven races, Lewis has shown what a class act he is. Both on and off the track he is more complete than ever before, showing commanding performance in the car and challenging the entire team to perform to higher levels at the same time.”
Despite the big gap in both championships, Wolff is a firm believer of it not being over until it is mathematically impossible for the competition to catch overtake.
“The battle is far from over, so we approach Austin the same way as every other race: take it one step at a time, focus on our job and make sure we bring performance and reliability to the track,” he said.
“The Circuit of the Americas has been a good track for us ever since it was introduced in the F1 calendar, but past results have no impact on the current championship. Everyone in the team knows that we cannot take anything for granted, so we will be as diligent as ever, keep our heads down and work hard to get a good result in Texas.”
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Replies (10)
Login to replycalle.itw
Posts: 8,527
Meanwhile, this was the season in which I lost a significant amount of respect for Toto Wolff. I used to be pretty fond of the fella before, figured he seemed like a nice sportsman. And he might be a nice bloke, but turns out he was but another corporate android out there just to win no matter what. I get it, winning is nice, and I really like winning myself, but I personally dont want a win if it means cheating... Which he did in Monaco BTW, he openly cheated (IMO) by uttering team orders over Ocon...
ajpennypacker
Posts: 2,475
Distasteful? Absolutely. Cheating? lol come on Calle. We've seen Red Bull regularly utter similar orders over Toro Rosso, and this season Ferrari on Sauber. The difference is that it wasn't in Monaco where an overtake is more visible, and that you're Ferrari fan? ;)
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
Mm, but nothing as blatant. And bear in mind: have I ever said I fancy horner, my dear currency loading AJ? I had little to like about him from the get go, I didnt hold him to any standards. I did with 50 Shades of Wolff. Same with Ferrari: expect that shit from them, its their bread and butter. And even Ferrari, while their juniors didnt really fight them, were never as blatant about it, as uttering the orders over radio to another team. I mean props to Merc' for being so straight forward with the greed, but its greed nevertheless. I admit I like Ferrari more (though Im not really a fan of um, got a Japser rep to keep up, ya know! Wouldnt wanna soil my already nippon-soiled hands with Tifoso-grease ;), but the raw blatancy and not a single regret afterwards did disturb me.
Ram Samartha
Posts: 1,172
C'mon Calle, put yourself in the good corporate soldier and driver agent shoes and you might not have done things differently. Accusations of cheating seem to be a bit harsh. I think he is really doing a good job and setting a good example for others in the sport. Imagine what it might be like to manage Hamilton as your team's driver without his innovative approach to driver management. Most teams probably wouldn't let Ham have half the freedom Mercedes gives him.
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
Im not really sure, but then again I'd probably never put meself in corporate shoes to begin with, they have horrible taste in shoes, and I'd dare you to find some fitting my weird duckfeet. ;) As for setting a good example for others... Zack Brown is setting a good example, by pretty quickly identifying an issue and trying to amend it. Toto Wolff issued team orders over another team's driver. I dont think its okay to issue them as is, imagine what I think about him doing it over Ocon, a Force India driver. Would be kinda weird if I were not okay with one, but cool with the far worse option, would it? You may like it, but I wont.
This isnt me saying I hate Wolff now (read lost significant amount of respect), Im just disappointed in a fella I had decent amount of respect for.
mcbhargav
Posts: 1,332
Its annoying to see the role of a team principal being toned down to a cheer girl/boy on the side lines. I dont remember Ron Dennis, Jean Todt, Ross Brawn ever doing this silly PR talk.
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
Uhmm *flashbacks of Dennis' latest stint*...
ajpennypacker
Posts: 2,475
Yeah he's doing such a poor job... Meanwhile they're getting ready to seal their 5th consecutive constructor's and driver's championships. Toto is media friendly people call him a pansy. If he gets angry, people call him an ogre. If he congratulates drivers, it's preferential treatment, if he doesn't he's not being supportive. You don't have to like him, but some of the criticism is ridiculous.
Frankly, the results tell the whole story. He's not the first team boss to have lots of cash and top talent at his disposal, but how many have won this much? Ironically, only Ross Brown.
Rindtchamp
Posts: 304
Easy to be a class act when your car is the most dominant in F1 history and your teammate is a "wingman" who'll let you past all the time.
ajpennypacker
Posts: 2,475
You must not have been watching F1 between 2000 and 2005, or from 2010 to 2013.