End of the weekend to forget for Hamilton, as Mercedes’ struggles with their 2024 Formula 1 car, the W15, continue to hamper his performance this season.
Mercedes seems to be struggling to understand what makes their car fast and what doesn’t. Team boss Toto Wolff even admitted that they went in the wrong direction with Hamilton’s car setup at one point.
Despite a slight improvement in the final practice session, Hamilton failed to qualify for Q3, while his teammate George Russell, who seems to have a better understanding of the W15, qualified in seventh place.
In the race, Hamilton showed some initial progress by starting on soft tires instead of the more common mediums. However, his race came to an end on lap 17 due to a power unit failure.
In a statement released by Mercedes after the race, Hamilton expressed his disappointment: “My race was going well until we suffered the power unit failure. It’s hard to overtake here, but we had gained some positions early on with the soft tires. It’s unfortunate to have to retire because there was still a lot ahead. I was starting to push, but the power unit just stopped. These things happen, and I know we will bounce back.”
Despite the challenges with his car this season, Hamilton remains optimistic that the situation will improve: “We will also make improvements to the car as the season progresses. We have done it in the past, and I am confident we will do it again. It’s tough not to be as competitive as we would like at the moment, but we will keep working hard. I am focused on doing this with the team. In the short term, I expect it to still be difficult to challenge higher up the grid, but we will see what we can do in the medium term.”
The boss of Mercedes, Toto Wolff, described the race as disappointing: “After making the bold decision to start on soft tires, Lewis made good progress initially. Unfortunately, his race came to an end shortly after. We will send the power unit for investigation. Nobody feels positive about our current situation, but we are determined to turn things around. It’s hard to accept, but we will remain calm and composed. We have seen other teams quickly recover when they get things right, and that’s what we are aiming for.”
Mercedes currently sits in fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship, with 26 points, as they head to the next grand prix in Japan.
