Lewis Hamilton has said he won’t rein in his emotions while racing after he delivered several angry messages to his Mercedes team, riddled with expletives at the Dutch Grand Prix.
The British driver was frustrated at the team’s strategy decision that cost him the chance to challenge for victory and certainly a podium place. He let fly at them over the team radio as he was left on old tyres for the closing stages and swiftly fell from first to fourth place in a race won by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
Hamilton insisted strong feelings were intrinsic to his character. “I can’t, I don’t want to apologise for my passion because that’s just how I am made and I don’t always get it right,” he said.
He did acknowledge he had gone too far and expressed regret. “I was just on the edge of breaking point with emotions and my apologies to the team because I don’t even remember what I said. I just lost it for a second. But I think they know that there is just so much passion.”
Hamilton is winless this season and had been close to having a shot at victory in Zandvoort only for a late safety car to derail what had been a successful Mercedes strategy until that point. However when they failed to pit him for fresh tyres, he was left helpless on track and was swiftly passed.
The seven-time champion was unequivocal afterwards, however, that he maintained full confidence in his Mercedes colleagues. “The team are a group of young, determined individuals,” he said. “I 1000% believe we have the right team in place. Today wasn’t an easy call. Of course we could always look back and see where we could have made a different choice. But that’s not life. You just learn from it.”
