Mercedes say they pushed Hamilton’s Baku setup too far

Mercedes pushed Lewis Hamilton’s car setup too far in Azerbaijan last weekend and cannot cause him such pain again, the Formula One team’s head of strategy said on Wednesday.

Britain’s seven times world champion suffered severe back pain wrestling with his bouncing car in Baku and said it had been his most painful race.

Team boss Toto Wolff raised some concern about Hamilton being able to race in Canada this weekend but strategy boss James Vowles confirmed in a debrief that the driver would compete in Montreal.

“He is an elite athlete that will push the bounds of endurance of himself and the car and that’s what Formula One drivers do, that’s what makes them exceptional,” said Vowles.

“On this occasion though, we pushed the package and our drivers too far, we are putting them into significant discomfort and we simply can’t do that again.

“We have a responsibility now to make sure that this doesn’t carry on,” he added, pointing out other drivers were also suffering.

Hamilton finished fourth in Baku, with Russell third after both Ferrari drivers retired.

via Reuters