Toto Wolff Explains Why Lewis Hamilton Didn't Retire in Qatar Despite Penalties
Read next: Formula 1 World Champions — A legacy of racing legends
Toto Wolff explains why Mercedes did not allow Lewis Hamilton to retire during the Qatar Grand Prix despite his desire to 'park the car.' Learn about Hamilton's penalties and his resolve to bounce back in Abu Dhabi.
Toto Wolff Reveals Why Lewis Hamilton Did Not Retire Despite 'Park the Car' Request
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has explained why Lewis Hamilton was not allowed to retire from the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix despite the driver’s request to "park the car." Wolff confirmed that Mercedes had to make the tough decision to keep Hamilton on track to avoid carrying over penalties to the final race in Abu Dhabi.
Lewis Hamilton’s Challenging Qatar Grand Prix
Hamilton, who started the penultimate race of the season in sixth place on the Losail grid, had a difficult start, losing positions and slipping down to ninth place. His race soon spiraled as he was handed a five-second time penalty for a false start after moving before the lights went out.
The situation worsened when Hamilton was issued a drive-through penalty for speeding in the pit lane. Despite the mounting challenges, Hamilton requested to retire the car. However, his race engineer, Peter Bonnington, denied the request, explaining the importance of completing the penalty to avoid further repercussions in the following race.
Hamilton told Bonnington: “Park the car mate. Retire the car.”
Bonnington responded: “Negative. If you want a 5-second penalty in the next race, then it’s fine. We only have to do one more lap, but we will drive through the pit lane.”
Toto Wolff Explains the Decision to Continue the Race
Toto Wolff later revealed that despite the race becoming almost impossible to salvage, Mercedes had to ensure Hamilton served his penalty to prevent carrying it over into the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Wolff explained to the media, including racesundays.com, that the team’s hands were tied: “The false start and the pit lane speeding, and it came to a point where it almost didn’t make any sense to continue, but if you park the car, you’re carrying this five-second penalty into Abu Dhabi, and that’s why we had to take it.”
Wolff also acknowledged that both Hamilton and teammate George Russell struggled with the car’s handling, noting: “The race was bad, and I think the car was super difficult for both of them to drive. It just didn’t turn, when the grip kicks in the understeer, there’s unbearable understeer. And both of them suffered from that.”
Lewis Hamilton Takes Responsibility for Penalties
Lewis Hamilton, who finished the Qatar Grand Prix in 12th place, admitted that both penalties were his mistakes. Despite the difficult race, he remained focused on bouncing back in the upcoming Abu Dhabi GP.
Hamilton said: “It was a pretty bad race for me overall, but these things happen. It started off badly with my false start which was my fault and resulted in a penalty which I served during my stop. I then had the puncture which was just unfortunate followed by the pit lane speeding which was on me, too.”
Despite the setbacks, Hamilton remained positive about his ability to recover: “I’m still standing, it’s not how you fall, it’s how you get back up, so I’ll get back up tomorrow and give it another shot next week. I think what’s important is that we turn up and give it our best shot.”
Looking Ahead: Abu Dhabi GP
As the 2024 Formula 1 season nears its conclusion, all eyes will be on Lewis Hamilton as he heads into the final race in Abu Dhabi. Despite the challenges in Qatar, Hamilton’s determination to recover and give his best effort in Abu Dhabi has kept his spirits high. Mercedes and Hamilton will look to end the season on a strong note, with hopes of securing a better result and moving past the struggles of the Qatar Grand Prix.
Stay tuned for more updates as the season finale approaches, with plenty of excitement left in the 2024 Formula 1 championship battle.
Up Next
