Toto Wolff has questioned new System 1 race boss Niels Wittich’s jewellery ban by asking: “Is that a fight he needs to have?”
Lewis Hamilton defied the FIA’s clampdown as he competed with piercings in the two ears and a nose stud at the Australian Grand Prix – and mentioned afterwards that he has no strategies to remove them in long term outings.
Wittich was employed by the FIA following Michael Masi’s dismissal for breaking the procedures at very last season’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – an party which denied Hamilton a record eighth championship.
“How he has run the very first number of races has been respectful, solid and he hasn’t put a one foot improper,” Mercedes crew principal Wolff mentioned of Wittich in an job interview with the PA information company.
“But is that [jewellery ban] a struggle he requirements to have at this stage?
“However, if it turns out to be the most important unlucky misstep of a race director, I would acquire it a thousand situations around.”
On Tuesday, it will be 4 months considering that Max Verstappen beat Hamilton to the title. But Masi’s incorrect handling of the affair continues to be a sore subject matter for Wolff.
The Austrian’s brain turns to the days in advance of the most contentious finale in F1 heritage.
He ongoing: “It is really appealing because I experienced lunch with him [Masi] on the Wednesday prior to the race, and I reported to him that ‘I genuinely want to notify you, without having patronising you, that you require to just take criticism on board and build from there. Lewis does it each day, but you are dude who normally looks to know better’.
“It wasn’t about influencing him but genuinely giving my truthful feed-back that he shouldn’t block exterior belief as just getting incorrect.
“You hear from the drivers and how the drivers’ briefings ended up carried out [by Masi] and some of the fellas stated it was nearly disrespectful how he dealt with some of them.
“There is a promoter of one particular of the races in the Center East who stated he was so relieved he had long gone because he bought so a lot abuse from him.
“He was just immune to any responses and even nowadays he has not thoroughly mirrored that he did anything incorrect.
“He was a legal responsibility for the sport mainly because every person retained conversing about Abu Dhabi and the race director, and the race director should not be somebody that people converse about, but an individual who does the occupation and helps make guaranteed the race is operate according to the laws.”
Hamilton, who concluded fourth in Melbourne, is expected to be at Mercedes’ Brackley manufacturing facility amongst now and the up coming race in Imola on April 24 as the Silver Arrows enjoy capture-up with rivals’ Ferrari and Red Bull.
Hamilton is fifth in the standings, 43 points behind runaway leader Charles Leclerc, and nine points adrift of new staff-mate George Russell.
The 24-calendar year-outdated has completed in advance of Hamilton at two of the opening a few races and is next in the standings.
Hamilton and Russell look to be bonding and went surfing with each other ahead of the Australian Grand Prix.
Requested if he was surprised how well the two Britons are getting on, Wolff replied: “Yes because they are both of those so competitive although even now currently being capable to function jointly.
“The effort they are placing into showing respect – from the younger child to the greatest at any time and from Lewis in appreciating the potential talent that is in George – is spectacular.”