Toto Wolff Reveals Why Lewis Hamilton Did Not Retire Despite ‘Park the Car’ Request

In the wake of a challenging race at the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix, Toto Wolff has explained why Lewis Hamilton was not allowed to retire […]

Dec 2, 2024 - 17:00
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In the wake of a challenging race at the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix, Toto Wolff has explained why Lewis Hamilton was not allowed to retire the car, despite his request to “park the car” following a series of penalties. Wolff confirmed that Mercedes intervened to ensure Hamilton completed the race, as retiring would have resulted in his penalties carrying over into the next race in Abu Dhabi.

Hamilton’s Struggles in Qatar

Hamilton’s penultimate race as a Mercedes driver at Losail Circuit got off to a difficult start. He lined up in sixth place on the grid but was soon pushed back to ninth after a poor start. To make matters worse, Hamilton was slapped with a five-second time penalty for a false start when he moved just before the lights went out.

But the situation took a further downturn when the Briton received a drive-through penalty for speeding in the pit lane. Despite this setback, Hamilton’s race engineer, Peter Bonnington, refused to let him retire the car, much to Hamilton’s frustration.

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Why Mercedes Refused to Let Hamilton Retire

In an exchange with Bonnington, Hamilton expressed his desire to retire the car, saying, “Park the car, mate. Retire the car,” after serving the five-second penalty. Bonnington, however, had other plans, replying, “Negative.” When Hamilton threatened to switch off the car, Bonnington warned, “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.”

Despite the seemingly meaningless nature of continuing the race, Toto Wolff clarified the reasoning behind Mercedes’ decision. “The false start and the pit lane speeding, and it came to a point where it almost didn’t make any sense to continue,” Wolff explained. “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.”

The Importance of Completing the Race

Although Hamilton’s position in the race became increasingly untenable, Wolff emphasized the significance of completing the laps. By finishing the race, Hamilton avoided the penalty carryover, which would have affected his starting position in Abu Dhabi. Wolff acknowledged the difficulties of the race for both Hamilton and his teammate, George Russell, saying, “The car was super difficult for both of them to drive… there’s unbearable understeer.”

Hamilton’s Reflections on the Race

Reflecting on his race, Hamilton admitted that the mistakes leading to the penalties were his own. “It was a pretty bad race for me overall, but these things happen,” he said. “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.”

Looking Ahead to Abu Dhabi

While the Qatar Grand Prix ended on a sour note, Hamilton remains hopeful for Abu Dhabi, where he will say goodbye to Mercedes after 12 years with the team. However, he tempered his expectations, saying, “I don’t think we’re going to end up in a high… It will end, and I think what’s important is how we turn up, we give it our best shot.”

Hamilton isn’t expecting a dramatic turnaround, adding, “I don’t anticipate a particularly much better weekend than we’ve had in the past weekends, but naturally, I’ll try. Go in with low hopes and maybe come out with a better result – it doesn’t really make a big difference either way.”

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Hamilton’s Career Reflection

Hamilton reflected on his career, saying, “It’s been a rollercoaster ride of emotions, and I’m just grateful I’m still standing and I’m still OK. I’ve had great races in my life, and I’ve had bad races in my life. Not too many bad ones.” As Hamilton prepares to leave Mercedes, his career and final moments with the team will remain a topic of intense focus in the Formula 1 world.

Conclusion

Lewis Hamilton’s challenging race in Qatar was marked by penalties and difficulties, but Toto Wolff’s reasoning for not letting him retire the car was clear: finishing the race was crucial to avoid carrying penalties into Abu Dhabi. With his final race for Mercedes ahead, Hamilton is determined to give it his all, despite the emotional rollercoaster of his 12-year journey with the team.