‘I lost it for a moment’ – Hamilton rows back on radio rant during Dutch Grand Prix after Mercedes blunder

Lewis Hamilton issued an apology to his Mercedes team at the end of a thrilling Dutch GP after he had delivered a radio rant questioning their strategy.

At stages in Sunday’s race at the Zandvoort Circuit, Hamilton was challenging for the top step on the podium, but his team’s decision to keep him out on medium tyres following a full safety car deployment on lap 57 left him a sitting duck, and he was left to come home in fourth.

“I can’t believe you guys ******* me, I can’t tell you how ****** I am,” had been Hamilton’s radio message to his team towards the end of the race.

But the Brit had changed his position by the time the post-race interviews began, instead looking to focus on the positives of a day that finally saw Mercedes properly mixing it with Red Bull and Ferrari.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Hamilton said: “I really was hopeful that we could get a one-two together as a team, especially as we’ve not had a great year, an up-and-down year, we’ve not had a win since Brazil.

“So it was finally there within our grasp, but then of course the safety car really didn’t help and I was on the edge of breaking point with emotions.

“My apologies to the team because I don’t even remember what I said – I just lost it for a second.

“But I think they know that it’s just so much passion and I want to look at it as a glass half-full.

“We came here, struggling from the last race, we were fighting against the Red Bulls today. We were quicker than most [teams] at many points.

“Without the safety car I think we would have been challenging them for the win at the end on the one stop, which I don’t think the others could do.

“So there are so many great things to take from it. The car was finally working.

“If this can be the same in future races we’re going to continue to breathe down their necks and we’re going to get that win.”

There’s not much by way of rest for the F1 paddock, with the next GP of the season taking place at Monza next weekend.

Hamilton remains sixth in the drivers’ standings, with Russell fourth as Mercedes continue their quest for a first win of the year.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff sympathised with Hamilton but said it was a high-risk strategy from the team rather than an error.

“It is highly emotional for the driver, you are that close to be racing for the win and then you’ve been eaten up, so it is clear that every emotion comes out,” Wolff said on Sky Sports.

“You, as the driver in the cockpit, you are alone and you don’t see what is happening. We discussed at the moment, are we taking risks for the race win? Yes, we are taking risks.

“He had a tyre that was five laps old, the medium, holding position was the right thing to do. At the end it didn’t work out for him but I’d rather take the risk to win the race with Lewis rather than finish second and third.

“Lewis was ahead, so you always have a little bit longer with the call [for those behind]. You can do two things; you can either pit Lewis and lose track position against Verstappen and leave George out screwed, or you can pit both, screwed. So it was worth taking the risk.”