Wolff: Rivals blocking 'disaster' for Hamilton | Calls for more penalties

Lewis Hamilton suffered from 'disaster' impeding after early Dutch GP qualifying exit says Toto Wolff Mercedes chief Toto Wolff says Yuki Tsunoda cost Lewis Hamilton a place in Q3, while other drivers were at fault for blocking in Q1; Hamilton to start 13th for Sunday's race, which is live at 2pm on Sky Sports F1 Last Updated: 26/08/23 5:40pm Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Was Lewis Hamilton was impeded by Yuki Tsunoda? Toto Wolff claimed he was which cost the Mercedes driver a place in Q3 Was Lewis Hamilton was impeded by Yuki Tsunoda? Toto Wolff claimed he was which cost the Mercedes driver a place in Q3 Mercedes boss Toto Wolff described the impeding from rival drivers suffered by Lewis Hamilton as a "disaster" after the Briton suffered an early exit in Dutch Grand Prix qualifying to leave him 13th on Sunday's grid. Aston Martin's Lance Stroll and Yuki Tsunoda were both summoned to the stewards in the wake of the rain-hit Zandvoort qualifying to explain separate incidents of alleged blocking against Hamilton's Mercedes in Q1 and Q2 respectively.Stewards had also 'noted' another incident involving Fernando Alonso in Q1 but decided no investigation in that case was warranted. Although Hamilton made it through the first knockout stage, he missed out in the second by 0.084s as other drivers improved more on their final laps.Wolff felt that Tsunoda in particular had cost the seven-time champion a place in the top 10."It's a shame for Lewis because the pace was there all weekend and we would have had two cars competing right at the front," Wolff told Sky Sports F1. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Toto Wolff says Yuki Tsunoda's 'impeding' on Lewis Hamilton is what cost him his position in Q2 of the Dutch Grand Prix Toto Wolff says Yuki Tsunoda's 'impeding' on Lewis Hamilton is what cost him his position in Q2 of the Dutch Grand Prix "Overall, the session was maybe a mixture of being too close to Norris… but that's not the main thing: the impeding is just a disaster in Q2. On his quickest lap, he was impeded by Tsunoda going into the final straight and that cost him the position."He was too close to Norris and then he was out of sync. But the main thing was impeding. You need to have one lap at the end and he didn't have it."While Hamilton dropped out, team-mate George Russell went on to qualify third behind polesitter Max Verstappen and McLaren's Lando Norris.Speaking to reporters later on, Wolff added: "Lewis had really good pace all weekend and it's really painful to see that because of traffic, you're not making yourself go into Q3, which he would have deserved."I think also the impeding is pretty ugly to look at. I don't know whether it's become a bit of a pattern because people seemingly don't care, or are not getting penalised."If you see the impeding from Alonso in Q1, it's clear impeding and there was no further investigation."That cost him Q3." Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Lewis Hamilton says his tyres overheating resulted in the Mercedes driver being knocked out of Q2 during qualifying for the Dutch GP Lewis Hamilton says his tyres overheating resulted in the Mercedes driver being knocked out of Q2 during qualifying for the Dutch GP 'Penalise, penalise' urges Wolff on drivers who block othersThe Mercedes team principal said there should be more of a deterrent for drivers who disrupt other driver's qualifying sessions."I think the answer is penalise. Penalise, penalise," he said. "If you know you don't go prison when you cheat a tax, you cheat a tax."So I don't understand why these things are not penalised. It was a clear impeding with some drivers in Q1."And Tsunoda, he's a nice guy, but he impeded Lewis on his quick lap. He didn't move from the dry line."He dived on the inside and it didn't look like it cost much, but going from a dry line into wet line and back to dry line costs. "I think a tenth would have put him into Q3. So we need to be harsh on penalties, then people will again look in their mirrors."More to follow...