Formula 1 Azerbaijan GP
Hamilton wouldn’t miss Canada "for the world" despite back struggles
Lewis Hamilton has dismissed concerns about his participation in the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix after his back pain struggles in Baku, saying he “wouldn’t miss it for the world”.
Luke Smith
Edited: Jun 15, 2022, 3:42 AM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Mercedes driver Hamilton was one of the worst-hit drivers by the porpoising issue throughout the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend, struggling with the bouncing that blighted his car at the end of the long straight.
Hamilton reported during the race that his back was in pain due to the issue, and said afterwards that he was “holding and biting down on my teeth” to get through the race as he ultimately finished fourth.
Mercedes F1 chief Toto Wolff called on the FIA to intervene and find a solution for the issue, saying that “something needs to happen” given the physical concerns being raised by a number of drivers.
When asked if he feared the pain could force Hamilton to miss the next race in Canada, Wolff replied: “Yeah, definitely. I haven't seen him and I haven't spoken to him afterwards, but you can see this is not muscular anymore.”
Read Also:
- No "holy cows" on Mercedes F1 car as it ponders 2023 concept revamp
- Wolff concerned Hamilton’s back pain could put him out of Canadian GP
- Hamilton "cannot express the pain" experienced in Baku F1 race
Writing on Instagram on Monday, Hamilton provided an update on his condition, saying that while he found the Baku race “tough” and he had struggled to sleep last night, he had no thoughts of missing the Canadian Grand Prix this weekend.
“[My] back is a little sore and bruised but nothing serious thankfully,” Hamilton said.
“I’ve had acupuncture and physio with Ang [Angela Cullen, his physio] and am on the way to my team to work with them on improving.
“We have to keep fighting. No time like the present to pull together and we will.
“I’ll be there this weekend, wouldn’t miss it for the world. Wishing everybody an amazing day and week.”
Mercedes has been one of the teams to struggle the most with the porpoising issue this season, which emerged in pre-season testing following the return of ground effect under the new generation of cars.
The bumpy Baku street circuit combined with the high-speed main straight left a number of drivers struggling physically, reigniting the safety debate surrounding porpoising.
Hamilton admitted after the race in Azerbaijan that there were "a lot of moments where I didn’t know if I was going to make it” because of the pain and amid his fight to stay in control of the car when it bounced.
“I nearly lost it in the high speed several times,” Hamilton said. "So the battle with the car was intense. And then at the end, the last 10 laps to the flag, I was just having to go internal, like, ‘you can do this, you've got this. Just bear with it.’”
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article South Africa in contention for 2023 F1 calendar slot
Next article F1 drivers back penalties for triggering flags in qualifying
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Luke Smith
1998 Belgian GP: When the Schumachers went to war
Formula 1
Formula 1
1998 Belgian GP: When the Schumachers went to war
The race that transformed perceptions of Red Bull
Formula 1
Formula 1
The race that transformed perceptions of Red Bull
Hamilton in the process of selecting Brad Pitt’s co-star for F1 movie
Formula 1
Formula 1
Hamilton in the process of selecting Brad Pitt’s co-star for F1 movie
Latest news
Why NASCAR is not penalizing Stenhouse, McDowell for post-race theatrics
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Charlotte II
32 min
Why NASCAR is not penalizing Stenhouse, McDowell for post-race theatrics
Dale Jr. explains why he doesn't use 'Earnhardt' in his signature
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup 1 h
Dale Jr. explains why he doesn't use 'Earnhardt' in his signature
NASCAR to allow brake rotor and pad changes after Phoenix qualifying
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Charlotte II
2 h
NASCAR to allow brake rotor and pad changes after Phoenix qualifying
Why Christian Horner banned Mercedes' name as Red Bull built its own F1 engine
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Singapore GP
2 h
Why Christian Horner banned Mercedes' name as Red Bull built its own F1 engine
Feature
Discover prime content
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe