In Australia, Mercedes faced their worst qualifying session of the season at the Australian Grand Prix, leaving seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton devastated and team boss Toto Wolff feeling pessimistic about catching up to Red Bull in the near future.
Hamilton, who had not qualified so poorly at Albert Park since 2010, was eliminated in Q2 to place 11th, while George Russell managed to secure seventh place for Sunday’s race, but hopes for a strong comeback in Melbourne were dashed.
Russell’s best lap time in Q3 fell short by eight-tenths of a second compared to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who secured his third pole position of the season and fourth in a row.
Hamilton described a multitude of issues with his car, while Wolff expressed a bleak outlook on their current situation.
“I believe we have a car that’s challenging and can easily fall in and out of the expected performance window,” stated Wolff.
“It’s a combination of aerodynamics, mechanics, and tire management. It’s a complex problem that cannot be attributed to a single factor.”
“We will continue to work hard and push through this challenging period. While I don’t see us catching up to Red Bull in the immediate future, I still hold onto the belief that there is more potential in this car.”
The day began positively for Mercedes, with Hamilton posting the fourth quickest time in the final practice session (P3), just a tenth of a second behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
However, their fortunes took a turn for the worse during qualifying.
Hamilton expressed frustration with the inconsistent performance of his car, mentioning that it was unsettling for the driver.
“Our car seems to be on a fine line,” Hamilton remarked.
“The conditions were favorable this morning with less wind, but as the wind picked up, the car became less stable.”
“I’m not sure why, but it felt different during qualifying even though we had less fuel. It felt better in P3, so it’s a bit disheartening.”
Russell, on the other hand, felt more satisfied with his car but offered a somber outlook on Mercedes’ prospects for the upcoming race.
“We anticipate a better performance tomorrow when the car is heavier with fuel and the pace slows down for everyone,” Russell explained.
“However, this circuit does not play to our strengths.”
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
