Wolff clear: 'Hamilton should have had an eighth world title last year'

Lewis Hamilton lost the world title to Max Verstappen in the final race in Abu Dhabi last season. Team boss Toto Wolff believes this was unjustified and that the Briton should have taken the top prize, he tells Square Mile.

It took Wolff and Hamilton several months to come to terms with the loss of 2021. After falling well behind Verstappen, the seven-time world champion managed to fight back and looked set to grab the world title in Abu Dhabi, until a Nicholas Latifi crash changed things and the Dutchman seized his chance.

"I think Hamilton should have had an eighth world title last year, everybody knows that," stated Wolff. "But now we need to make a car that puts him in the position of going for that eighth title and that is fundamentally my responsibility."

However, things have not been easy for Mercedes this season. The new regulations have left the team well behind Ferrari and Red Bull Racing, forcing the German team to fight back. As a result, Wolff cannot always keep his emotions under control.

"Sometimes I feel like a football coach: there's a point where there's nothing more you can do and you have to leave it to the players on the pitch to get the job done. That's why when you're there you have those reactions," he explains.