Formula 1: Lewis Hamilton reacts to sabotage rumors at Mercedes

After wild speculation about sabotage at Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton has defended his teammate George Russell and called on his Formula 1 fans to exercise restraint. It’s easy to get emotional, said Hamilton before the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona on Sunday. “We need support, not negativity. I wasn’t aware that George had had any negative experiences. George gives his best every weekend and he’s developing with the team. So you can’t blame him at all.”

Hamilton is leaving Mercedes after this season and is moving to Ferrari. The record world champion has mostly lost out to Russell this year. Rumours arose that Hamilton’s team-mate was being preferred. There was even talk of sabotage on the seven-time champion’s car. “We are all in the same boat, we all work hard and want to end the year on a high note. We owe that to our long-term relationship,” said Hamilton, referring to the relationship with Mercedes.

Lewis Hamilton: Also behind Russell in the drivers’ championship

Russell himself said that he had not come across any negative comments on social media. But of course it was “not nice to hear something like that, but unfortunately that is the world we live in.” Every person in the public eye is confronted with something like that.

Hamilton is eighth in the drivers’ championship, 14 points behind Russell. In the grid races this season, the 39-year-old has regularly finished behind the 26-year-old. After a frustrating qualifying session in Monaco at the end of May, Hamilton said with disappointment: “I don’t expect to be ahead of George in qualifying this year.” After that, rumors arose that Mercedes preferred Russell because he would be driving for the team for a longer period of time.