If anyone is wondering why Lewis Hamilton seemed particularly down in Austria, according to Toto Wolff it's because the team has let him down in recent races.

While the clash with Sebastian Vettel in Baku was totally outside Mercedes control, the errant headrest wasn't, nor was the gearbox issue which left him heading to Austria with a five-place grid penalty.

Speaking ahead of this weekend's British Grand Prix, a race Hamilton has won for the last three years, Wolff admitted to letting the Briton down in recent races; Baku and Spielberg representing the first successive events in which he has not been on the podium since March 2014.

"We come to Silverstone with a feeling of unfinished business and needing to put things right," he said, "even though we took the win in Austria.

"In both Baku and Spielberg, we left points on the table that were there for the taking because of car problems that had nothing to do with our drivers. We are determined to make sure that doesn't happen in Silverstone.

"The determination for Lewis to fight back with a strong performance this weekend needs no more explanation," admits the Austrian. "Things could have been a lot worse at the last two races, but his performance and pace deserved a lot better.

"He has handled the setbacks with the calmness and maturity we have come to expect from him. Lewis is doing the job in a pretty perfect way right now and if he keeps doing that, the results will follow.

"It's clear that as a team, we need to give the drivers the right platform to express their talents, and that means delivering on our own high standards of performance and reliability. We are absolutely capable of both and we need to turn that capability into points this weekend."

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by equator180, 14/07/2017 5:45

"Stroke, stroke, stroke...Toto, who would ever guessed, your talents are only now surfacing, F1's champion stroker.."

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2. Posted by Kkiirmki, 13/07/2017 2:40

"Whilst I believe Hamilton has to take some responsibility for his 'indifferent' form, it's good to see the team support their driver; as opposed to Ferrari (more to the point Marchionne), trying to throw Kimi under the bus. It seems that Kimi has had to deal with numerous car issues (per his recent radio transmissions) and poor strategy calls, e.g. Monaco. Maybe getting behind their driver, rather than running him down, would help."

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3. Posted by Trixi, 13/07/2017 1:04

"Why? Hamilton is such a cry baby and he says he can do this and that...he should have been able to drive his way to first if he is so great. THEN, to hear Toto make excuses as to why he didn't go to the London drive and fun night in town because he needed the time off...and to see him partying in Greece? That is total disrespect for the sport...and for him to make comments about how respect for the sport with kids watching when referencing Vettel; whilst he partying and drinking. He is such a hypocrite. He is bad for the sport."

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Wolff: Lewis deserved better

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