Wolff is still in the dark: "It says that you can do a practice start"

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27 September 2020 at 15:16
Last update 27 September 2020 at 15:35

At Mercedes, they don't think it was right that Lewis Hamilton received a total penalty of ten seconds during the Grand Prix of Russia. Team boss Toto Wolff believes there is room for interpretation and argues that the stewards' penalty is too heavy.

"It's a great result," Wolff tells Sky Sports. He says he is happy with the fact that Mercedes has still managed to win every time in Sochi since 2014. "Valtteri drove a brilliant race today. He made no mistakes and well managed in terms of the tyres."

Mercedes don't know what went wrong

A one-two finish wasn't an option for Mercedes this time, because Hamilton was given a ten-second time penalty by the stewards. The Mercedes team boss doesn't entirely agree with that decision. "They said it's not where you normally do a practice start and I agree with that. But in the director's notes it says you make a practice start after the lines on the righthand side. That's what he did."

In any case, the last word on the punishment has not yet been spoken. "There is room for interpretation. We have to analyse why we all made the mistake together. Lewis has faced a lot of adversity in his life and we all find the punishment too harsh."

Wolff just happy with the win

"As we have always done in the past; we win and lose together. We analyse what we could have done better and how we can improve," said the Austrian. "Still, as a team we have to be satisifed with a first and third place. I'm happy for Valtteri ... a victory is a victory."