Mercedes had its first double ‘Did Not Finish’ at a Formula 1 event in over five years during the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, adding to their early season woes. Seven-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton retired after completing 15 laps due to a power unit failure, while George Russell crashed into a barrier towards the end of the race after sliding into the gravel at turn six. This is the first time since the 2018 Austrian Grand Prix that both Hamilton and Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas had to retire due to technical issues. With Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz taking the win in the race, Mercedes failed to score points and now find themselves in fifth place in the F1 Constructors’ Championship, behind Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren, and Aston Martin.
Team boss Toto Wolff expressed his disappointment, stating: “It’s hard to accept, really hard. I can’t say I feel positive or optimistic about the situation, but we need to overcome the negative thoughts and believe we can turn things around. However, today it seems incredibly difficult.” The 52-year-old Austrian acknowledged the challenging circumstances.
Hamilton, who has won six of his F1 world titles with Mercedes, will join Ferrari in 2025 and may be eager for his departure. With only eight points in the first three races, this is Hamilton’s worst start to a season in F1. Hamilton’s setback on Sunday followed a disappointing qualifying session, where he finished 11th, his worst performance at Albert Park since 2010. Despite trying to maintain a positive outlook, he acknowledged the difficulties posed by the issues with the Mercedes W15 car. He said, “For everyone in the team, after so much work during the winter, you go into the season excited, motivated and determined, believing you will be competing for wins. But that has not been the case. It has been a cascade of disappointments. It’s challenging.”
Throughout the weekend, Mercedes cars faced inconsistent performance, encountering handling issues, jumps, and difficulties in high-speed corners. Wolff expressed his confusion regarding the problems, stating, “We need to thoroughly investigate the performance issues we are facing.”
In a post-race press conference, Wolff emphasized that the team is not feeling positive about their current situation but remains focused on turning things around. He stressed the need to stay calm and composed, citing examples of other teams that quickly reversed their fortunes. “That’s what we are aiming to do,” he concluded. (Reporting by Ian Ransom, Additional reporting by GrandPrix247)
