Lewis Hamilton takes brutal snipe at Red Bull ahead of F1 Hungarian Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton has taken a snipe at Red Bull ahead of this Sunday's F1 Hungarian Grand Prix
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Lewis Hamilton has taken aim at Red Bull for their sacking of Nyck de Vries just 10 races into the F1 season.
Last week, De Vries was ruthlessly axed with Christian Horner then saying the Dutchman was always going to be a 'stopgap' for the team.
Red Bull have never been afraid to stamp their authority, with the likes of Christian Klien, Sebastien Bourdais, Scott Speed, Daniil Kvyat and Pierre Gasly learning that first-hand over the years.
And Hamilton, speaking ahead of Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix, has now made his feelings on the matter clear with a brutal snipe.
Lewis Hamilton feels for Nyck De Vries after ruthless Red Bull sacking
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“I was definitely surprised to see the decision they took with poor Nyck," he said.
“He’s such a talented young man and such a nice guy as well.
“I think his future is still bright for him and he’ll have lots of great options, I’m sure.”
When asked if brutal decision-making was how F1 works, he then added: “I’d say that’s how Red Bull works.”
Hamilton is also worried that Formula One teams have breached the 2022 cost cap, too.
There have been suggestions that at least two F1 teams have failed to stay in line, with the FIA then proceeding to dismiss those claims.
Hamilton, however, has revealed he's 'concerned'. He said: "It's definitely a concern.
"I mean, there wasn't really a big punishment last time (when Red Bull were fined in 2021), so there's no real...
"There will be people that will probably go for it again and know they're just going to get a slap on the wrist."
Hamilton isn't alone in his stance, with fellow Mercedes star George Russell calling for bigger punishments for teams found guilty of breaking rules for a second time.
"If anyone has breached any regulation, you want the punishment to represent the crime," said the youngster.
"And I think there were breaches last year and clearly the punishment didn't fit the crime.
"We don't want to see that happen again. If it's a second time offender, the punishment should be even greater than what is perhaps a fair punishment, if it happens two years in a row.
"I trust in the FIA, I think Mohammed (Ben Sulayem) is a great force there as well.
"They won't let anyone get away with anything that shouldn't have happened under their watch, so I've got faith in them."
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Meanwhile, regarding De Vries, Red Bull star Sergio Perez admitted it was 'quite brutal' from his side.
“I feel sorry for Nyck, he had a very short experience,” Perez said. “It was quite brutal in that regard.
“It was a very short experience in F1 but you never know what the future will hold for him.
"It’s just how it is, you know? This is Formula One.
On Daniel Ricciardo returning to the sport with AlphaTauri, he continued: “On the other hand, I’m happy for Daniel. He’s very motivated to be back, so well done to him. It’s a great opportunity for him."