Lewis Hamilton complains of pain early in Azerbaijan Formula 1 GP. “My back is killing me,” he radioed toward the command post. In Baku, all Formula 1 teams had problems tossing cars over the street circuit’s uneven road surface. In particular, the 2.2-kilometer full-throttle section made the cars really swell.
It was the toughest 306.049 km of Lewis Hamilton’s career. “It was the worst and most painful race I’ve ever had,” the Formula 1 record winner explained.
“It was the hardest fight I’ve ever had with a car, I’m glad it’s over,” said Hamilton, who had even thought about giving up several times: “But then I fought against all those people. Thought about those who trust me. Those points.”
Wolff warns: Hamilton’s Canada debut not set
“He is doing really badly,” said Mercedes Motorsport director Toto Wolff. “We have to find a solution. All the drivers say something has to be done, but he is probably the most hit.”
“I haven’t seen or talked to him yet, but you can see that it’s no longer muscular, but it’s already going into the spine. There could be consequences,” is the honorary doctor’s remote diagnosis.
In a matter of days, the Formula 1 crew will travel to the next street circuit. Wolff also fears that his star pilot will not be able to launch in Canada: “Yes, of course.” This is why Mercedes reserve drivers Stoffel Vandoorne and Nyck de Vries are on high alert. Hamilton himself was convinced of the classic on Ile Notre-Dame: “I’ve always wanted to get back in the car, but I’ll do everything I can to avoid bouncing.”
But it wasn’t just his back that brought the most successful Formula 1 driver in history to the brink of despair. “The car jumped so hard that I almost hit a wall. Those are safety concerns, I would have hit the wall at 300km/h. I don’t have that experience as a racing driver to think about it , just not to ride the wall.”
Teammate George Russell had no problem. “He’s a good ten years younger too,” joked Hamilton. Actually, there is a technical reason for this as well. The current vice world champion revealed, “I had experimental parts on the car and a different rear axle. Maybe it was the wrong decision. So I lost 3.5 tenths to qualify on the straights alone.”
