Mercedes is addressing a complex issue, but Lewis Hamilton’s primary F1 issue has not been solved.
This season, Hamilton has been consistently strong on Sundays, but Mercedes is still having trouble with his inconsistent qualifying results.
The team’s “fiddly” car, according to Mercedes team manager Andrew Shovlin, is to blame for Lewis Hamilton’s erratic qualifying results.
Hamilton has produced a remarkable amount of work, especially considering the Silver Arrows’ continued lack of competitiveness.
With only 33 points separating him and Sergio Perez, whose car has been significantly better, in the standings, he is the top non-Red Bull driver.
The seven-time world champion’s Sunday performance has given him that advantage.
On race day, he has rarely made a mistake, consistently maximizing the speed of his car to secure outcomes that were likely the best he could have hoped for at the time.
However, Hamilton’s qualifying performance this year has occasionally let him down. It has been inconsistent, especially since the summer break, and frequently sounds dissatisfied with the one-lap pace of his car.
When questioned about the trend, Mercedes trackside engineering director Shovlin laid some of the blame at the feet of recent increases in qualifying’s level of competition.
Additionally, the Mercedes’ car’s infamously unpredictable nature is a major factor.
“Hamilton has always given a Sunday performance,” he said.
He has consistently been able to score respectable points for us, so that’s been brilliant. The car can be a little challenging at times.
The session might become difficult if you don’t get it right in the window.
The fact that passing Q1, Q2 these days is so challenging is another obstacle. And a few years ago, we would simply complete one lap in the middle of the session to ensure your safety.
We occasionally used one set of tires for two sessions. And if you don’t strike the right balance, run into some traffic, or can’t execute the proper out lap, all of those things can really cost you.
“So it’s a mix of various factors.
But, as you may be aware, the race has been moving along nicely. It states that the car is generally where you need it to be, but it is difficult to understand the tyres when you’re under pressure and need to ensure that you complete the lap in the first session.
This presents a challenge for any driver who is not entirely at ease when they roll out in Q1.
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No matter how well the car is tuned, it simply lacks the speed to keep up with the Red Bulls’ unstoppable pace.
Hamilton is aware that his team will need to take a historic leap forward in performance during the upcoming off-season in order to change that for the upcoming season.
I don’t know where the car will be in a year, but we are a very long way off. The upcoming six months must be the best development period we’ve ever experienced in order to close that gap and start pounding on doors.
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