Credits: Imago

The Chinese GP weekend brought a rare moment of delight within the Mercedes camp when Lewis Hamilton clinched a podium finish in the first Sprint race of the season. Thanks to a chaotic rain-hit SQ3, Hamilton was able to secure a front-row start, helping him achieve this feat. However, team principal Toto Wolff downplayed the seven-time world champion’s achievement.

Wolff spoke to the media about Hamilton’s P2 result in Shanghai but didn’t credit him much. He felt that Hamilton got the podium as a result of what happened behind him throughout the race.

“I’m not happy. Of course, we had a good car today. However, Hamilton also benefited a lot from the fight behind us.”

Wolff’s post-race reaction was grim and not well received. Mercedes’ season so far has been dismal and the P2 finish was their best moment. Still, Wolff chose to laud external factors instead of his own driver who needs confidence to get his season back on track.

Additionally, Wolff and Hamilton are known to be great friends even away from F1 which is why the F1 community questions if they fell apart after the latter’s move to Ferrari got confirmed.

Fans question if everything is right between Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff

Just a few hours after the Sprint race, Hamilton suffered a disastrous qualifying session, getting knocked out of Q1. As a result, he started the Chinese GP from P18, making thongs tricky. This further highlighted the lack of one-lap pace in the W-15, and Wolff was on the receiving end of immense slander.

One fan was shocked to see Wolff downplay Hamilton’s drive while Rosberg appreciated his former teammate and arch-rival.

Meanwhile, others couldn’t believe Wolff referred to the 39-year-old as ‘Hamilton’ instead of the usual ‘Lewis.’

Hamilton will leave Mercedes for Ferrari in 2025, so there could be internal tensions within the Brackley-based outfit owing to the same. The Briton has complained about Mercedes’ set-up on several occasions, and things don’t seem to be improving. On a track like Shanghai, making places up from P18 on the grid will be an extremely difficult affair for Lewis Hamilton.