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Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff claimed that he saw Lando Norris go off the track as his pole lap denied Lewis Hamilton the top spot in the Sprint Qualifying at the Chinese GP.
The seven-time world champion displayed his vintage skills behind the wheel in wet and slippery conditions at the Shanghai International Circuit in the SQ3 session on Friday. Hamilton was the fastest driver in the conditions but found himself in second after Lando Norris's deleted lap was reinstated by the FIA.
Speaking with Sky Sports, Toto Wolff gave his take on the controversial call and said:
"I haven't seen the detail, I've just seen 'four tires off track' but honestly he was probably slower, so would have gone even faster anyway."
While speaking about Lewis Hamilton's lap in the SQ3 that saw him finish P2, the Austrian added:
"It shows it's about tire preparation. We did the right thing on the final run. The tires were in the sweet spot, combined with great driving and that made the time."
Lewis Hamilton chimes in on his front-row start for the Sprint race
Lewis Hamilton stated that the conditions were 'tricky' for everyone as the track was slippery due to organizers painting it before the weekend and the wet weather.
As quoted by the aforementioned source, the seven-time world champion said:
"It was very tricky. Not a lot of grip for everyone but I'm so happy. As soon as I saw the rain coming I got excited because in the dry we were not quick enough, so when the rain came I thought we would have a better opportunity and that's when it came alive."
While speaking about his chances in the Sprint race, Lewis Hamilton mentioned that his result might depend on the conditions on Saturday, adding:
"It really depends on what the conditions will be. If it's like that, we will have a chance of being somewhere up there. If it's dry, the Ferraris and Red Bulls will come by but maybe we can hold off some of the others."
The Mercedes driver finished over a second behind Lando Norris in the SQ3 session but would fancy his chances against the McLaren driver in the Sprint race despite starting from the dirty side of the grid.
However, he would have to be wary of the threat from Fernando Alonso and Max Verstappen, who will start right behind him.
