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Wolff is disappointed: We were a tenth up on Verstappen and Leclerc

Wolff is disappointed: "We were a tenth up on Verstappen and Leclerc"

03-09-2022 16:51
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GPblog.com

After a disappointing start on Friday, Max Verstappen took pole for the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort. It led to great frustration for Toto Wolff, who is convinced that the pole position should have gone to Lewis Hamilton.

The Mercedes drivers were unable to complete their final run because Sergio Perez 's stranded Red Bull caused a yellow flag in the final sector. This to the great frustration of Wolff, who claims Hamilton was much faster on the road than Verstappen. "It's very frustrating. We were a tenth up on Verstappen and Leclerc, so Lewis played for the pole here," Wolff complained to Sky Sports.

Wolff bitter about missed opportunity

However, the Mercedes team boss cannot blame Perez for making a mistake. "Yes, we were ahead. It's not the case at the end. I think he [Perez] pushed it a lot and lost it. It's not his fault." Wolff stressed that Mercedes would have missed out on pole even if the team had sent Hamilton out earlier, thus getting ahead of the whole flag. "You lose the pole because of a yellow but you lose the pole by a few hundredths if you run first," he said.

Wolff is positive about Mercedes' chances in the race, in which Hamilton and Russell will start from P4 and P6 respectively. "Everything is possible. We have a strong race car. Starting second row. So, let's see where that can get us tomorrow," concludes the Mercedes team boss.