Formula 1: Hamilton’s back pain, Mercedes confession and promise for Canada

The image of Lewis Hamilton at the end of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix left everyone stunned: that seven-time Formula 1 champion who just got up from his Mercedes last year and celebrated every victory in his car, has now fallen with difficulty from the W13 e he kept touching his lower back. The rebound that the car was seen on the streets of Baku was something he had to deal with, who also finished fourth, and George Russell, who once again finished in a better position (third on the podium) than his experienced equipment teammate.

Hours before the Canadian Grand Prix, which begins Friday in Montreal at 1pm with the first free practice, Mercedes strategy director James Vowles admitted that the team had taken its setup to the extreme in Baku, pushing “the whole team and our drivers too far” in search of performance.

Lewis Hamilton was overheard complaining of back problems on the team radio throughout the course of the race, with the former world champion driving in pain to finish fourth. Vowles, speaking to the Mercedes YouTube channel, confirmed that the Englishman is now cured and “I’ll drive back to Montreal”before admitting that Mercedes can’t afford to repeat that kind of performance in the future.

“(Lewis) is an elite athlete who will push the limits of his endurance and that of the machineVowles noted. “This is what Formula 1 drivers do, this is what makes them exceptional. On this occasion, however, we pushed the aerodynamic package and our drivers too far. “

According to the engineer, Mercedes is putting Hamilton and Russell “in considerable discomfort”. “And we can’t do it again. Our drivers aren’t the only ones suffering, you will see a series of comments in the media from various drivers who are equally uncomfortable and in pain. And now we have a responsibility to make sure this doesn’t continue.” plot.

Looking towards Montreal, meanwhile, Vowles said he hoped the Mercedes duo were closer to the championship-leading cars of Red Bull and Ferrari.

“We may not have expected to go back like in Baku, but this provided a platform for learning.. Montreal will not be substantially different from the last two races (Monaco and Baku). I think we will still have a package that is not at the top of the merit. Red Bull and Ferrari will continue to be the reference point to compare ourselves with, “she explained.

“However,” he asserted confidently, I think the big gap we saw in qualifying in Baku might not be that big in Montreal.; he will go back to where he was and from that moment on we will face every race, I’m pretty sure we will find small steps and developments that push us forward ”.

Mercedes is third in the Constructors’ ChampionshipDespite his problems and having neither a pole nor a win so far this year, he is only 38 points behind Ferrari but 118 away from the leader, Red Bull. Will they finally lose the leadership after 8 consecutive titles?

Leclerc forced to react before the Red Bull escape

After last Sunday’s Ferrari debacle, with the retirements of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, the Monegasque arrives in Montreal – late, after having missed the plane – with the intention of relaunches its candidacy for the Formula 1 World Championshipeven if for this he will have to overtake on the track Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez, his Red Bull rivals who dominate the standings.

At the Montreal circuit Gilles Villeneuve, who is back on the calendar after a three-year absence, much of the attention will be on Leclerc’s ability to withstand the pressure and put an end to his recent run of misfortunes.

The 24-year-old had to retire on Sunday in Azerbaijan and has not been on the top step of the podium since 10 April in Australia, despite having started from pole position in the last four races.

Engine failures and strategy errors have resulted in their opening lead in the World Cup becoming 34 points behind defending Netherlands champion Verstappen and 13 against Checo Pérez.

Verstappen, who has 150 points and five wins, and Pérez, with 129 and a win in Monaco, struck the blow on Sunday by taking the top two places in Baku, with George Russell third.

“It’s good to be back in Canada. It’s a track I love to drive on and bringing such a competitive car to race on this track will be fun,” said Perez. He added: “This car is really performing on street circuits, so we are confident we can do another good performance this weekend and keep up the momentum.”

Red Bull boss Christian Horner has decided to avoid any overconfidence and focus on the fight against Ferrari, who dominated the start of the season thanks to Leclerc’s wins in Bahrain and Australia. “They have a very fast car. On Sunday this year we were at their peak, in most of the races. But they will solve their problems, I have no doubts,” he recalled.

“There is a long way to go and we’ve seen big points changes in the last four or five races. This shows how quickly things can change. “