Hamilton had a tough Chinese GP after a Sprint qualifying and a successful race where he secured second place. He faced setbacks during Q1 of qualifying and started the race in 18th position. Despite finishing ninth and scoring points, it was not a positive experience for him as he continuously expressed dissatisfaction with the poor performance of his W15 car. In a post-race interview with Mercedes, Hamilton admitted that a poorly made setup change the day before negatively impacted his race. He acknowledged the need to avoid such mistakes in the future and expressed hope for a better race in Miami.
On the other hand, George Russell had a slightly better but unremarkable race, finishing in sixth place. He managed to stay ahead of Fernando Alonso from Aston Martin, who was pushing towards the end of the race. Russell acknowledged that starting in P8 and gaining a few positions was expected. He believed the result accurately reflected his car’s current performance. He mentioned the interesting weekend with the Sprint format, which led to different car setups throughout the weekend. Russell expressed the team’s determination to improve their performance and finish higher on the grid.
The head of the Mercedes team, Toto Wolff, summed up another disappointing weekend for the team. He acknowledged that the team’s current package is not fast enough and emphasized the importance of focusing on the basics and maximizing existing resources. Wolff admitted that the car was not in ideal conditions during the race due to extreme changes made after the Sprint. He recognized the need for improvements and mentioned future developments that are expected to enhance the car’s performance. Wolff emphasized the importance of small details in determining the final positions, considering the competitiveness of the pack behind Red Bull. He concluded by expressing the team’s commitment to progress and bring improvements in the upcoming races.
