Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes AMG F1 holds his back in parc ferme at the end of the race. Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Sunday 12th June 2022. Baku City Circuit, Azerbaijan.
Lewis Hamilton finished fourth in Baku but looked in severe pain after the race
Lewis Hamilton‘s participation in this weekend’s Canadian GP is in serious doubt. The seven-time world champion suffered back pain from severe porpoising and bottoming out in his Mercedes car during Sunday’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix and described the race as the “most painful” he had ever experienced.
Hamilton was seen holding his lower back as he struggled out of his car and hobbled away after completing the race in Baku. “I was just biting down on my teeth in pain. Adrenaline was the only thing that got me through 51 laps“, he later said.
The Brit admitted that he had concerns about reaching the chequered flag. “There were a lot of moments when I didn’t know whether I was going to make it and if I was going to be able to keep the car on the track.”
He further added, “The battle with the car was intense. The thing was bouncing so much that I was nearly going into the wall. There is a safety concern about bashing into a wall at 180mph, and I don’t think I’ve ever had to think about that too much as a racing driver. It is a very strange experience.”
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has declared Lewis Hamilton doubtful to race in Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix. Stoffel Vandoorne, the Belgian who spent two seasons at McLaren, and Formula E champion Nyck de Vries, are Mercedes’ two options if Hamilton is not fit.
‘Yes, definitely’, said Wolff, when asked if there is a danger Hamilton, 37, will not be able to compete in Montreal.
Wolff further clarified, “He is really bad. You can see this is not muscular anymore. It goes properly into the spine and it can have some consequences. The solution could be to have someone on reserve, which we anyway have at every race.”
However, Hamilton himself seems to insist that he will not miss next week’s F1 Canadian Grand Prix. “Even when it’s painful, still we rise. Thanks for the love, see you all next week“, he wrote on social media.
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