The trophy cabinet at Brackley has remained untouched for quite some time now. Unfortunately, the Mercedes team hasn’t tasted victory since 2022. Lewis Hamilton, the star racer, is enduring a terrible season. Hamilton once reigned in the racing circuit, but now he fails to enter the front row. Moreover, after slight adjustments and positives, the German outfit hoped for a good outing in Canada.
Subsequently, the team performed well on a wet, rain-ridden race day. While George Russell got the team’s first podium, Hamilton was not much behind. However, the seven-time world champion was not elated by the performance. The racer was rather dull, criticizing his mistakes.
Lewis Hamilton Nears Podium Finish As His ‘Racing Spark’ Takes A Hit
The German Marque landed on Canadian soil with hope and belief. The team desperately needed a strong finish, as recent turbulence left them disheartened. Moreover, the team principal, Toto Wolff, was sure they would gather momentum. Also, the circuit-specific tweaks aligned with the new front wings aided the pursuit of the top spots. The start of the week was with heavy rain, and despite the adverse weather conditions, Mercedes did a reasonably decent job. The free practice helped the technical team collect the data for Saturday’s qualifying. Moreover, for the first time since 2022, George Russell won the pole position. On the other hand, Hamilton only managed to get the seventh spot.
The Briton was going perfectly till Q2; however, he lost the momentum in Q3, pushing back his starting point to P7. On the much-awaited Sunday race, the 39-year-old showcased his excellence and bagged P4. He was in contention to finish on the podium, but teammate Russell was a touch quicker as he finished at P3. The 26-year-old driver has been statistically ahead of Hamilton this season. However, P4 was the best result for the Brit after a rough few weeks. Over the weekend, Lewis Hamilton expressed deep disappointment with his performance, describing it as one of the poorest he has ever driven. Speaking to Sky Sports F1 during the post-race media interview, Hamilton admitted that he had performed poorly. He noted that some other things came into play the previous day, primarily due to his own actions, and that the race was one of the worst he has driven. Reflecting on the numerous mistakes he made, Hamilton acknowledged that had he qualified better, he would have been in a much stronger position. Despite the setbacks, Hamilton resignedly concluded it ‘is what it is.’
George Russell’s Minor Mistakes Shatter Mercedes’ Silverware Dreams
Although George Russell scored the team’s first podium for the season, it could have been better. He committed to mistakes. Firstly, when Max Verstappen was leading with the hard tires, Russell tried to overtake. However, in the process, he allowed Lando Norris to pass by.
Later, in the turn 13, the Mercedes driver challenged McLaren’s. However, his tires brushed with Norris, sending him towards the escape road. George Russell reflected on his mistake, stating that the pass on Piastri was overly ambitious and never likely to succeed in that corner. He acknowledged that while taking risks and driving hard often make for good overtakes, this attempt cost him a position, though he managed to regain it later.