Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has offered praise to Lewis Hamilton for his admirable display of sportsmanship in acknowledging his mistake during a battle with Oscar Piastri at Monza.
Hamilton, who was employing an unconventional hard-to-medium tire strategy rather than the preferred medium-to-hard, utilised the softer rubber to challenge Piastri for the eighth position on Lap 41.
He executed a manoeuvre down the inside at the second chicane, but the encounter took a dramatic turn as their wheels made contact while approaching the braking zone.
Piastri, the Australian rookie, promptly communicated over the radio, expressing that Hamilton had “just turned across me.”
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Following the incident, race officials imposed a five-second time penalty on Hamilton for his actions.
In a demonstration of accountability, Hamilton sought out Piastri after the race concluded to offer his apologies.
Toto Wolff, reflecting on Hamilton’s willingness to admit his mistake, highlighted the British driver’s exceptional sportsmanship in comparison to his peers.
Wolff stated, “He’s very sportsmanlike with these things.
“He is the only one that I see out there admitting, saying, he got this wrong.
“We just had a chat, he [said he] didn’t see him on the right, and it goes on [him].
“And I think that kind of sportsmanship is what you need to admire with him.
“Pretty much everyone [else] is always complaining and moaning just to try to not get a penalty.”
Wolff made it clear that he had no qualms about Hamilton’s penalty, asserting that it was a result of Hamilton’s mistake.
“That was Lewis’ mistake,” he acknowledged.
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“I think a five-second penalty for that is what the menu says.
“These things happen, it’s hard racing.
“You’ve got to overtake here, and I’ve seen a few of these. So it’s justifiable.”