Lewis Hamilton endured a challenging weekend at the Dutch Grand Prix, but despite being knocked out in Q2 and starting further back on the grid, the seven-time world champion managed to claw his way up to finish in eighth place. However, Hamilton is convinced that had he started from fourth place, as his teammate George Russell did, he could have secured a higher finish.
Hamilton described his Dutch GP experience as a tale of two halves, with the car’s performance improving significantly after a difficult first stint. He admitted to struggling with understeer early in the race but found the car much more manageable after adjustments were made during his second stint. Reflecting on his performance, Hamilton expressed satisfaction with his progress during the race but couldn’t help but wonder what might have been had he started closer to the front.
“I was much happier today,” Hamilton said after the race. “I was moving forward. Had understeer in P1, it was better in P2 after we backed off some wing. I think if I had qualified where George was, I could have moved up.”
Meanwhile, George Russell’s race was marked by frustration. Starting from a promising P4, Russell was ultimately left disappointed after finishing seventh. His race was hampered by a two-stop strategy that didn’t pay off and left him struggling on all three tire compounds. The 26-year-old driver was perplexed by the drop in performance and openly questioned what went wrong with the car, noting that it even lagged behind Ferrari—a team Mercedes typically outpaces.
“Don’t really understand what happened,” Russell remarked. “We were slow on all three tires. We don’t understand how we could be so close to the three cars ahead in qualifying, but today we were behind the Ferrari. We definitely got something wrong somewhere.”
Both Mercedes drivers were left dissatisfied with their performances at Zandvoort, and it’s clear that the team will need to dive deep into their data to identify the root cause of their struggles. As the season progresses, Mercedes will need to address these issues quickly to remain competitive and stay in the fight at the front of the grid. The upcoming races will be crucial for the Silver Arrows as they look to regain momentum and challenge their rivals.
Photo from Lewis Hamilton Instagram
