A frustrated Toto Wolff acknowledged that his Mercedes team is grappling with significant “issues” following a tough day at the United States Grand Prix, where seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton crashed out on just the fifth lap. Wolff attributed Hamilton’s early exit to car problems, stating, “It was one hundred percent the car… he was not even pushing at that stage, and Lewis Hamilton doesn’t lose a car on lap five like this.”
Wolff also addressed the inconsistencies in stewards’ decisions, notably the five-second penalty handed to George Russell, who managed to finish a commendable sixth after starting from the pit lane. Referring to a controversial penalty given to McLaren’s Lando Norris for gaining an advantage after being forced off track while passing Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, Wolff remarked, “It’s inconsistent. Yesterday, we saw a few incidents that were exactly the same but weren’t penalized. Racing for positions, actually real positions, and receiving that penalty is just completely odd and bizarre.”
He further hinted at the underlying complexities of the decision-making process, saying, “I think we know, but obviously you can’t say that on television… some of that decision-making at the end. Sometimes, there’s correlations between when there is decision-making that is a bit interesting.”
