Lewis Hamilton’s opening race in the final stretch of his last six races with Mercedes turned into a complete disaster. Known for his dominance on American soil, where he’s claimed the joint most victories, the seven-time world champion found himself in a situation far from ideal. This year has already been an emotional rollercoaster for Hamilton, and after the summer break, things seem to be heading further downhill as he struggles to find his form.
The United States Grand Prix was a race where Hamilton had hoped for a strong return. Mercedes had introduced significant upgrades to the underperforming W15, hoping it would finally click. But qualifying delivered a harsh blow, with Hamilton shockingly exiting in Q1, leaving him to start 17th on the grid. Despite this, the 39-year-old launched into the race with fierce determination, rapidly climbing to 12th place. However, his surge was abruptly halted after he made an error, oversteering and sliding off into the gravel, cutting short what could have been a remarkable recovery. The Briton suspected the new update to be the reason behind the car’s weird behavior. However, his team has clarified it had nothing to do with the upgrade.
Toto Wolff Claims The Latest Austin Upgrade Didn’t Have Any Fundamental Down Point
Reflecting on Mercedes’ challenging weekend, team boss Toto Wolff explained that the issues encountered during the race were not related to the team’s recent upgrade but rather stemmed from the car’s ride on the bumpy track. Wolff expressed confidence in the upgrade package, believing the struggles were due to the interaction between aerodynamic and mechanical factors. As a result, Mercedes plans to continue with the upgrade, as abandoning it would leave significant potential untapped.
Despite this commitment, Mercedes faces logistical challenges, particularly with spare parts following George Russell’s qualifying crash. Only one newly upgraded floor remained undamaged, meaning the team will likely split the package for the upcoming Mexican Grand Prix. Wolff confirmed that the damaged floor would be returned to the UK for repairs in time for Brazil, while the team will run with a spare specification in Mexico. Although Hamilton would generally receive all the updated components, Wolff hinted that the driver might not be eager to use them, leaving the decision for the Mexico weekend open.
Mercedes To Analyze Performance Drop From Friday Practice To Saturday Qualifying
Toto Wolff highlighted the need for Mercedes to understand why the car was so competitive during Friday’s practice session. Hamilton was on pace to challenge for the sprint pole but then significantly lost performance over the rest of the weekend. He noted that Hamilton led the time sheets by four-tenths during Friday’s session before a yellow flag disrupted his lap. However, by Saturday, the car’s performance had declined, and even after fixing a suspension issue for qualifying, Mercedes struggled to find any pace.
In Sunday’s race, Hamilton’s performance was further marred by an unexpected incident in one of the corners, which Wolff clarified was not due to driver error. According to Wolff, Hamilton was not pushing at the time of the incident and reiterated that the fault did not lie with the seven-time world champion.