Lewis Hamilton (GBR) McLaren is taken by helicopter to hospital. Dr. Aki Hintsa (FIN) McLaren team Doctor looks on. Formula One World Championship, Rd 10, European Grand Prix, Qualifying Day, Nurburgring, Germany, Saturday 21 July 2007.
Lewis Hamilton Discusses Back Injury; Mercedes Star’s Status for Canadian GP TBD
Lewis Hamilton could miss time after dealing with a back injury in Sunday’s Azerbaijan GP.
The seven-time Formula One champion finished fourth in the latest race, but it didn’t come easy.
“I was just holding and biting down on my teeth due to the pain, and the adrenaline [helped]. I cannot express the pain that you experience, particularly on the straight here,” Hamilton told Sky Sports after the race (h/t Haydn Cobb of Motorsport).
“At the end, you are just praying for it to end,” he added.
The superstar was in clear pain getting out of his car.
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said after the race that the injury could “definitely” cause Hamilton to miss next week’s event in Canada (h/t Jonathan Noble of Motorsport).
“He’s really bad,” Wolff said of Hamilton. “We have just got to find a solution. At this stage, I think he is maybe the worst affected of all drivers. But pretty much everyone, as far as I understood from the drivers, said that something needs to happen.”
The bouncing was an issue for several drivers, with a helmet cam from Charles Leclerc showing the extent of the problem.
Mercedes drivers Hamilton and Russell took the brunt of it, with Hamilton suggesting the team lost over a second per lap because of the bouncing. Max Verstappen cruised to an easy win in Azerbaijan, ahead of Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez in second.
Hamilton is now in sixth place after the latest race, 88 points behind Verstappen for first.
