Mercedes’ seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton says car damage cost him second place and precious points in Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix.
The Briton had been running in second place but finished fourth, with Mercedes giving the go-ahead for teammate Valtteri Bottas to overtake, in a race won by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
The Dutch youngster, who has now won three races in a row and five in total this season, is 32 points clear in the championship.
And Hamilton says: “I had already said before the race that it would be very hard to beat Max, of course.
“It’s frustrating to lose so much downforce in the rear of the car and not be able to hold on to second place. So a lot of points lost.”
He adds: “I would have been second. I was in second when all of a sudden it obviously broke. It would have been an easy second, generally. But obviously not able to catch those guys ahead.”
Alan Baldwin | [email protected]