Mercedes, on a quest to bounce back after a horrendous couple of seasons, did well during the practice sessions of the Bahrain Grand Prix. While their pre-season testing pace was average, Lewis Hamilton came alive during the FP2. He topped the timesheets of FP2, whilst George Russell also had a clinical run.
However, during the qualifying round, the Mercedes lineup encountered contrasting fates. While George Russell bagged a P3 finish, Lewis Hamilton could only finish P9 as he lacked race pace. Amid significant debate, Hamilton answered fans’ concerns about why his W15 lagged behind Russell’s during a pivotal qualifying session of the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton Setup Gamble Backfired During Bahrain Qualifying
The F1 2024 season finally kicked off with the Bahrain Grand Prix earlier this week. After dominating practice sessions, Mercedes star Lewis Hamilton was set for a strong finish during the qualifying session. However, in a moment of shock for Mercedes fans, Lewis’ W15 had no pace whatsoever. He struggled throughout the qualifying session and barely made it through Q3. Interestingly, on the flip side, George Russell was flying in his W15. He finished P3 and will start the race in the front row. Needless to say, the contrasting tale of two Mercedes drivers left the fans confused. Meanwhile, the seven-time world champion explained events that led to his struggle during the post-qualifying media round.
Hamilton confessed that he and Russell went on different setups as he wasn’t happy with his race pace. “[In practice], George and I were on identical setups, and the car was feeling great. Then we veered off. He went one way, and I went the other,” said Lewis Hamilton. He added that he wanted to try out something different as he wasn’t comfortable with his race pace. Apparently, the Bahrain track is constantly evolving, and the tyre degradation is massive. Thus, the race pace is the key to success, and that’s what Lewis chose to emphasize. Hamilton added that he put something on his setup that the team hadn’t tried in the past couple of years. “I was hoping that it would be ok. I just stuck with it, and it wasn’t nice necessarily to drive,” added Lewis. Regardless, the veteran driver is happy with the car’s performance and is hopeful of a better result during the main race on Saturday.
Hamilton Elated With George Russell’s Quali Success
Despite his personal setback, Lewis Hamilton couldn’t help but adore George Russell‘s qualifying pace as he finished only three-tenths behind Max Verstappen. The W15’s pace posed a glimmer of hope for Lewis, who saw tons of potential in the new machinery. “For George to be three-tenths off Max, it’s incredible,” said Hamilton.
Furthermore, Lewis Hamilton shed light on his driving experience with W15. He said that the car is much more stable and fun to drive. If it hadn’t been for the setup miscue, Lewis believes he would have finished much higher in qualifying. Regardless, the Briton is much more confident of having better results in the main race.
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