A case of friendly fire saw Lewis Hamilton let rip at his Mercedes team-mates following a disappointing slip to fourth in the 2022 Dutch Grand Prix.
The F1 campaign resumed at Zandvoort on Sunday with Max Verstappen holding a comfortable lead at the top of the standings. However, it was after ceding last year's race to the Dutchman in the Netherlands that Hamilton blew his top, falling from first to fourth after some shaky tactics during a full safety car.
While his peers took the safety car as an opportunity to change to softs during the Lap 57 interruption, Mercedes kept Hamilton out on mediums before he was promptly overtaken.
"I can't believe you guys f*****g screwed me," the Briton could be heard saying to his team after finishing in P4 despite his advantageous position. "I can't tell you how p***** I am."
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In typical fashion, the seven-time world champion backed up those comments by thanking the engineer team for their work in the build-up to the race. But he was less than pleased with those making the decisions in the garage.
Silver Arrows chief Toto Wolff would have undoubtedly been one of those Hamilton had in mind while voicing his disdain for the final result. The late disappointment was particularly displeasing when one considers Mercedes' constant technical issues in 2022 meant such sights at victory were few and far between
What's the wildest thing you've heard said over an F1 team radio? Let us know in the comments section below.
"I really was hopeful that we could get a one-two together as a team, especially as we’ve not had a great year, an up-and-down year, we’ve not had a win since Brazil," said the Silver Arrows veteran in a post-race interview with Sky Sports. "So it was finally there within our grasp, but then of course the safety car really didn’t help and I was on the edge of breaking point with emotions.
"My apologies to the team because I don’t even remember what I said – I just lost it for a second. But I think they know that it’s just so much passion and I want to look at it as a glass half-full.
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A third straight F1 world title looks all but inevitable for Verstappen entering this home stretch in 2022. The 25-year-old is well clear at the top of the standings with nine races to go.
Hamilton, 38, has seen some improvement compared to last year and boasted two second-place finishes before Sunday's race – in Melbourne and Barcelona – in fourth place. He and Fernando Alonso in third each have less than half of Verstappen's point count at this stage in the year, with a Red Bull one-two come the end of the campaign looking very likely.
There is some cause for optimism given Hamilton took pole in Hungary last month before clocking the fastest lap in Belgium shortly after.
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