According to F1 statistics, Hamilton has started in pole position at the Melbourne Grand Prix on eight occasions. However, this Sunday, he will start from 11th position, with his teammate George Russell in 7th. Last Saturday, the difficulties that Mercedes is facing in the third year of the current F1 regulations were revealed.
During the weekend in Melbourne, there were moments of promising speed, with Russell in 3rd place and Hamilton in 9th. However, during FP2, Hamilton made an aggressive setup change in an attempt to improve his times. Unfortunately, this change resulted in a 1.5-second difference compared to the leading time in FP2.
During qualifying, Hamilton and Russell managed to secure 4th and 5th positions, respectively, with just a tenth of a second difference from the fastest time. However, this pace did not translate into the actual session, with Hamilton only managing 11th position. He was seven tenths of a second slower than the fastest time set by Carlos Sainz in the Ferrari.
As a result, Russell was the only Mercedes driver to reach Q3, securing 7th position on the grid. However, he was eight tenths of a second behind Max Verstappen’s pole position time in the Red Bull.
After the qualifying session at Albert Park, Hamilton expressed his disappointment, stating that he is getting used to being eliminated in Q2. He described the feeling as disheartening and acknowledged that it was a challenging weekend.
When asked about how he is dealing with the challenges of this season, the last one with Mercedes, Hamilton admitted that he is not handling it as well as his teammate Russell. He acknowledged Russell’s consistent performance and admitted that he is trying to stay positive and remind himself that things could be worse.
After a tough Friday, where the team struggled with the setup of the #44 Mercedes car, they seem to have made progress during the final practice session. Hamilton finished in 4th place, just a tenth of a second behind the fastest time.
However, this progress proved to be deceptive, as Hamilton explained that inconsistency within the car is causing mental challenges. Despite feeling confident during FP3, the issues resurfaced during qualifying, leading to more frustration and confusion.
In contrast, Russell secured a place in the top 10 qualifying session and will start from 7th on the grid, while Hamilton will start from 11th. The seven-time F1 world champion acknowledged his teammate’s impressive performance: “George did an admirable job. It is what it is. I just need to aim for a better performance on Sunday.
“I believe our car is quite sensitive. In the afternoon, the wind picks up, just like in the second practice session. The first practice session was a bit better, but when the wind intensifies, the car becomes less stable. However, this morning was nice, with calmer wind, and as soon as the wind picked up, the car became slightly less stable.
“But the other teams improved their pace during qualifying. I’m not sure why, but the grid didn’t look the same during qualifying. Despite having less fuel, it felt better in the third practice session. So, it’s not a great feeling for everyone in the team, but we will keep working hard,” Hamilton added.
The Mercedes team boss, Toto Wolff, in his post-qualifying statements in Melbourne, practically admitted defeat with a euphemism: “I think we have a challenging car.”
“You can be on the edge of being inside or outside the ideal performance range. It’s a combination of aerodynamics, mechanics, and tires. It’s not just a single factor. But we will stay focused and overcome this. It may be an illusion to expect to close the gap to Red Bull in the short term, but I still believe there is more potential in this car,” Wolff ventured.
With Hamilton set to join Ferrari at the end of the year, Russell needs to prove to Mercedes that he is the natural successor to the “number one” position. By outperforming the best qualifier in F1 history, he has a perfect record of three wins in three sessions this year. He is meeting all the necessary criteria.
Russell expressed his thoughts after Saturday’s session: “It wasn’t the qualifying session we expected today. It was challenging to find the right window for the tires, and the competition is incredibly fierce out there, where a few tenths can make a significant difference. The car felt strong in the third practice session, but unfortunately, that feeling didn’t translate in the afternoon.
“We know where we need to improve the car, especially in high-speed corners. Unfortunately, there are several of them here in Melbourne, so this track doesn’t play to our favor.
“However, I believe we will be in a better position in the race when everyone has their fuel tank. There are also many uncertainties regarding the race. Nobody has used the hard tire yet, and that will be the main compound in use throughout the race.
“We may also see some tire wear. I think this race will be more exciting than usual. In the end, it’s the Grand Prix where points are earned,” Russell concluded.
The Mercedes engineers are still struggling to understand the performance of their W15 car, even after three years under the new regulations. A recent change in Hamilton’s car setup only added to their confusion, as he had difficulties in the second practice session. The team’s trackside boss, Andrew Shovlin, admitted to the lack of understanding, stating that the car performed well in one session but was difficult to control in the next. Despite long-term improvements, Mercedes recognizes the challenge of managing the tires and the need to be realistic about their starting positions. Shovlin concluded by expressing hope for a decent number of points and the need to stay alert due to the unpredictable nature of the race.
Mercedes finds themselves relying on luck and hope as they head into the Australian race. Starting from P11, Hamilton will need to navigate through the midfield, a position he rarely finds himself in. Starting from P7 is also risky, as it increases the chances of a DNF in turn 1. The once dominant Silver Arrows now find themselves in the middle of the pack and are expected to remain there for some time. Currently, they are behind Red Bull and Ferrari, and even their customer team McLaren. Their performance is on par with the Aston Martins.
The head of the Mercedes team, Toto Wolff, acknowledges the team’s difficulties and emphasizes the need to continue working on improving the car. Despite the potential shown in FP3, consistently achieving that level of performance remains a challenge. Wolff expresses frustration, but ensures that the team is not lacking in effort and will continue to seek improvements. Hamilton’s next race in Australia will be his 335th in F1, while Russell will make his 107th start in the elite category.
© 2024
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