Wolff emphasises ‘most critical’ Hamilton ‘characteristic’ in Mercedes legacy

Toto Wolff has cast a spotlight on the “great characteristic” Lewis Hamilton has that Mercedes will be using as a reference point in the future.

The seven-time drivers’ champion will leave the Brackley-based squad for Ferrari at the end of the F1 season, but his current team principal believes one particular area of his legacy will be passed on to George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

Over the Italian Grand Prix weekend, Hamilton was particularly self-critical of his performance, especially after qualifying sixth on the grid.

The 39-year-old branded the result “completely unacceptable” and “ridiculous”, whilst also underlining qualifying as a weakness of his.

When these remarks were put to Wolff after Hamilton’s drive to fifth in the grand prix, the Austrian said it was the mark of a “champion”. 

“I think the great characteristic of a champion is to first look at himself and say: ‘What did I do wrong’, before looking elsewhere,” the 52-year-old told media including RacingNew365. 

“And I think that’s what he’s doing, trying to analyse where he can improve, what he could have done better, and only then think where else was their performance left on the table from the team side.”

Hamilton is a ‘role model’ for Russell and Antonelli

He went on to describe the benefit this has, and will continue to have, at Mercedes – and on Russell and Antonelli.

To Wolff, that “role model” behaviour is something the team will be “referring to” long after Hamilton has left.

“He’s been very strong with that, and also as a role model for George [Russell] or even for Kimi [Antonelli],” he said.

“It’s something that is important for the team, because we will be referring to that in the future, that the greatest of all time was the most critical when it came to analysing deficits or lack of pace.”