Mercedes-AMG Petronas eager to show why Hamilton is the best

KUALA LUMPUR – Formula One (F1) 2021 constructors champion Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team will throw everything that they can to help Lewis Hamilton reclaim his world title next season.

Its team principal, Toto Wolff said the devastating race in Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in Yas Marina Circuit, had certainly fuelled them to prove that why Hamilton is the best driver on the planet.

“We will provide Lewis with a kind of power unit (F1 engine) that is just amazing and mindboggling, and we all have energy in us that is the ultimate motivation to show everyone that he’s the best driver on the planet.

“He was in 2021 and he’ll be in 2022. He’ll to prove that to the world,” he told a virtual media conference with Malaysian media today.

Last Sunday, Hamilton lost to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen after the Dutch driver overtook him on the last lap, benefitting from a sudden change to the safety car procedure that allowed racing to resume.

In one of the most enthralling seasons in F1 history, Hamilton had led comfortably until a late-race safety car period wiped his lead out and allowed Verstappen to pit for a new set of soft compound tyres

The dramatic end in Abu Dhabi ended the 36-year-old British driver’s hope of securing his seventh world title, since his first win in 2008.

Commenting on the 2021 season, Toto described it as crazy following a few hiccups including a bad start that they suffered in the earlier stage this year before that dramatic season ending in the United Arab Emirates, which saw Lewis was robbed of the world championship.

Toto admitted that they were on the back foot in the first half of the season including the regulation changes before they started to find momentum and eventually managed to defend their constructors’ championships for eighth consecutive times.

“It has been a crazy season because the regulation change that was introduced since beginning 2021 had hit us badly and we came out to a much worst start than we anticipated.

“We were just lacking performance in every area as such as the charge was not quick enough, the power was not big enough, but we slowly regained the grip and in the end, it was a decisive moment for us,” he added.Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team ended the 2021 season with 613.5 points to retain their constructors’ championships since 2014. – Bernama, December 18, 2021