In a surprising turn of events, Lewis Hamilton, the Formula 1 record holder with 104 pole positions, found himself stuck in Q1 and will start his 336th Formula 1 race from 18th position on the grid. On the other hand, George Russell managed to reach Q3, but was 0.773s behind Max Verstappen’s pole time at Red Bull.
Timing sheets revealed that Mercedes customers, including Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri from McLaren, as well as Fernando Alonso from Aston Martin, will start ahead of Russell. Meanwhile, Hamilton was only slower than Logan Sargeant, who belongs to the Mercedes-powered team.
After the session in Shanghai, where he was half a second slower than Russell in the early part of Qualifying, Hamilton took responsibility for his performance, admitting: “It was my mistake. I’m struggling to control the car at Turn 14. It keeps locking up, and I needed one more lap.”
Despite finishing second during the Sprint Race earlier in the day, Hamilton explained why he couldn’t replicate that pace in Qualifying for the Grand Prix. “The car is significantly different; we made a lot of changes. But I’m hopeful that tomorrow will be better. In fact, I hope it rains because I need the rain and I will do a rain dance if necessary.”
Later, in Mercedes’ report on Qualifying, Hamilton summed up his first Sprint Race weekend of the season, saying: “Being on the front row for the Sprint Race was an incredible feeling. Going into Turn 1 and taking the lead reminded me why I love this sport so much! It was a challenging race, but finishing second was great.”
He acknowledged that Qualifying would be much harder in the afternoon and mentioned making significant changes to the car setup after the Sprint Race to improve the car’s performance in low-speed corners. Although he felt the car was good in some corners, he struggled in others.
Hamilton found it difficult to stop the rear tires at turn 14, causing him to lock up on his final lap. He believed that, if not for this mistake, he would have made it to Q2. Despite starting from 18th position, Hamilton remained optimistic, stating: “I will give my best tomorrow. Even though we are starting from P18, we can still have some fun.”
Russell also shared his thoughts on the session, saying: “Qualifying was tricky. My first lap in Q2 was very strong, but the red flag forced us to abort. We had to use another set of new tires to advance to Q3. Without that, we would have had two new sets for the final part of Qualifying, and the result could have been different, but who knows.”
“We find ourselves in a tight battle for positions between third and eighth place, but unfortunately we have consistently been at the bottom of that battle in the last few races during qualifying sessions. Even small differences can have a significant impact on our performance.”
“With the cars around us, there is still a chance to progress and move forward,” Russell expressed optimistically. It is worth noting that Russell has only competed at this circuit once before, in 2019, finishing in 16th place for Williams. On that day, Hamilton emerged victorious with the Silver Arrows.
One of the ongoing problems faced by the Mercedes team in recent seasons is the lack of understanding regarding their own package. Every race weekend, there is uncertainty as they are not sure about the performance of the car when they leave the garage. Furthermore, their attempts to improve the car often result in setbacks during practice and qualifying sessions.
Toto Wolff, the head of the Mercedes team, indirectly acknowledged this issue in the post-qualifying analysis in Shanghai. He stated: “In an attempt to improve the car’s performance at low speed, we made significant changes to the setup between the sprint and qualifying sessions. The drivers took different approaches to support our learning process, but unfortunately this did not yield positive results for us on a single lap.”
Wolff continued: “Lewis would have easily made it to Q1 if it wasn’t for a lock-up at Turn 14, costing him over half a second. George, on the other hand, managed to solidly reach Q3 but had only one set of new tires available. He set his fastest lap of the session, but, similar to the situation in Suzuka two weeks ago, he found himself at the back of a tightly contested group where tenths of a second equate to several positions on the grid.”
Concluding his comments, Wolff emphasized the need for the team to shift their focus to the race and make a strong recovery by moving forward with both cars. So far, their best result in the first four stages of the Grand Prix was fifth place. Considering their current performance, it is difficult to imagine a better result in the upcoming 18th Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday.
The Mercedes team principal, Andrew Shovlin, hinted at their strategy in his briefing, saying: “We are currently positioned at the back of a very close group, and small improvements can quickly change the situation. However, at the moment, we are not fast enough. We will do our usual simulations tonight to determine the best course of action for the race. We may have to explore alternative strategies compared to our competitors.”
© 2024
The biggest sports event of the year is approaching and fans are eager to see the stars shine. With fierce competition, athletes are preparing to give their best and achieve victory. It will be an epic battle among the world’s best.
In football, national teams are getting ready to showcase their talent and skill on the field. Players are training intensely to ensure they are in their best physical and mental shape. Tactics are discussed, strategies are planned, and players are ready to fight for the title.
In basketball, teams are ready to face fierce competition. Players are focused on showcasing their skills and leading their teams to victory. Dribbles, shots, and incredible plays will fill the courts and amaze the fans.
In tennis, the world’s best players are ready to showcase their talent in each match. The precision of serves, agility on the courts, and determination in every point will be the highlights of the tournament. Tennis fans are eager to see their idols in action.
Furthermore, other sports such as swimming, athletics, and gymnastics will also have their moments in the spotlight. Athletes are training hard to push their limits and achieve impressive results. It will be a true sports spectacle that will thrill everyone.
Don’t miss the opportunity to follow this incredible event. Get ready to cheer, celebrate, and be moved by the best athletes in the world. Sports is about to show all its greatness and you can’t miss out. Be prepared to witness unforgettable and historic moments. The show is about to begin!
