Lewis Hamilton has had his hopes of securing an eighth world title shot down by team principal Toto Wolff after a poor first practice session in Imola. Wolff claimed a title push for the team looks “totally unrealistic” based on the gaps between the cars so far this season.
He particularly focussed on today, the first wet weather session of the 2022 season. Usually a chance to equalise the field, Mercedes still looked wayward with Hamilton complaining of grip throughout and only quick enough for 17th.
Cutting a dejected figure after the session, Wolff told Sky Sports F1: “I think when you’re optimistic… If we are able to unlock the potential in the car I think we can fight for this championship. But when you see the gaps particularly today it looks totally unrealistic endeavour.
“We just keep continuing, trying to understand.” After Australia, Wolff claimed Mercedes only had around a 20 percent chance of securing the title at the end of the season.
READ MORE: Lewis Hamilton vows Mercedes will ‘extract potential’
He addressed his title chances head on after he was asked to react to Wolff’s comments on his 20 percent chance of winning this season. Despite claiming it was a ‘tall order’, the seven-time champion confirmed an eighth crown was still something that was still in his sights.
He said “I’m not a mathematician so I don’t really know what the percentage chances are. But it’s definitely tough, it’s a tall order that’s for sure.
“There’s a long way to go. You’ve seen in the previous year how much happens in a season. Still so many races to go, there’s still time for us to turn this around, there’s still time for us to fix this car and extract the full potential.”
For all the latest Sports News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.
