2024 Mercedes-AMG | Petronas F1 Team

[Luscion]

Lewis Hamilton post-qualifying:

“I don’t have any hopes for the race, just going to do what I can do. With the car I have right now, it’s the worst that i've ever driven so probably wont be going very far with it. Maybe I’ll start from the pitlane, I don't know, we’ll see.”

[Luscion]

Great lap from GR. Did he avoid any penalty for blatantly swerving into Albon in SQ1?

I didnt see the incident but doesnt seem like the stewards thought much of it, wasnt even noted

[Lasssept]

"Russel , atleast the blankets are working at his side of the garage"

[mkay]

Sad how Hamilton has regressed. Car looked perfectly fine in Russell's hands. He should gamble on a different setting and start from the pitlane.

[SKYnRacing24]

GR take a bow, great lap. As for Lewis..... This was the guy to maximise these conditions throughout his career . What ever they have done to blunt his confidence and poise in the wet. Its quite frankly a disgrace. Bono has checked out along with Lewis, the upgrades, setup decisions have moved away from Lewis and towards Russell's. Hamilton knows he has no power and respect in this team anymore. These last few races he will be phoning it in. This will be the toughest races of his career in terms of professionalism and resentment. The fact GR got p2 in that shopping cart will piss him off even more.

[venkyhere]

Yes, Hamilton won't be involved in car-related detailed team meetings as much as Russel would. That is fine. That doesn't mean Hamilton will get a car very different from what Russel gets, in terms of capability. Yes, they would both setup the car in terms of grip balance in the way they prefer for themselves, but that doesn't mean one car is "undriveable" (his own words) and the other goes and grabs P2.

In Q1, Russel was 1.7s faster in S2 (that usually takes ~35/36s in the dry), it can't be because Hamilton has forgotten how to drive or doesn't know how to drive in the wet. It most probably is because Hamilton today, unlike the younger Hamilton, is unable to 'adapt his mind-body coordination' to suit the 'given car' underneath him. He's fine in the race (as we have seen so many times), because it's only in Q that the 'mind-body coordination' is pushed to the absolute limit. I am not surprised, this is nature. How many times in various sports have we seen absolute legends decline in their twilight years ? And Hamilton has had a really long career. A supremely successful one.

[OverheatedTurbo]

Mega lap from George, the car looked good on his hands. Did Lewis have a different setup or something? The car looked terrible on his end…did Merc change anything pre qualy? Or are they running the same setup as in Sprint?

[Luscion]

Mega lap from George, the car looked good on his hands. Did Lewis have a different setup or something? The car looked terrible on his end…did Merc change anything pre qualy? Or are they running the same setup as in Sprint?

Most likely Lewis is running a different setup, he said the mechanics were going to flip his car on its head after the sprint race

[Darth-Piekus]

GR take a bow, great lap. As for Lewis..... This was the guy to maximise these conditions throughout his career . What ever they have done to blunt his confidence and poise in the wet. Its quite frankly a disgrace. Bono has checked out along with Lewis, the upgrades, setup decisions have moved away from Lewis and towards Russell's. Hamilton knows he has no power and respect in this team anymore. These last few races he will be phoning it in. This will be the toughest races of his career in terms of professionalism and resentment. The fact GR got p2 in that shopping cart will piss him off even more.

Do you think that Mercedes deliberately are trying to damage his races so Rusell can pass him?

[Hammerfist]

Yes, Hamilton won't be involved in car-related detailed team meetings as much as Russel would. That is fine. That doesn't mean Hamilton will get a car very different from what Russel gets, in terms of capability. Yes, they would both setup the car in terms of grip balance in the way they prefer for themselves, but that doesn't mean one car is "undriveable" (his own words) and the other goes and grabs P2.

In Q1, Russel was 1.7s faster in S2 (that usually takes ~35/36s in the dry), it can't be because Hamilton has forgotten how to drive or doesn't know how to drive in the wet. It most probably is because Hamilton today, unlike the younger Hamilton, is unable to 'adapt his mind-body coordination' to suit the 'given car' underneath him. He's fine in the race (as we have seen so many times), because it's only in Q that the 'mind-body coordination' is pushed to the absolute limit. I am not surprised, this is nature. How many times in various sports have we seen absolute legends decline in their twilight years ? And Hamilton has had a really long career. A supremely successful one.

Next year we will get the real answers. I too have strong suspicions he is not getting all the support he needs to maximize the package. But if next year he gets destroyed by leclerc in quali then we will know he has lost quite a bit of speed.

[Luscion]

Yes, Hamilton won't be involved in car-related detailed team meetings as much as Russel would. That is fine. That doesn't mean Hamilton will get a car very different from what Russel gets, in terms of capability. Yes, they would both setup the car in terms of grip balance in the way they prefer for themselves, but that doesn't mean one car is "undriveable" (his own words) and the other goes and grabs P2.

In Q1, Russel was 1.7s faster in S2 (that usually takes ~35/36s in the dry), it can't be because Hamilton has forgotten how to drive or doesn't know how to drive in the wet. It most probably is because Hamilton today, unlike the younger Hamilton, is unable to 'adapt his mind-body coordination' to suit the 'given car' underneath him. He's fine in the race (as we have seen so many times), because it's only in Q that the 'mind-body coordination' is pushed to the absolute limit. I am not surprised, this is nature. How many times in various sports have we seen absolute legends decline in their twilight years ? And Hamilton has had a really long career. A supremely successful one.

Next year we will get the real answers. I too have strong suspicions he is not getting all the support he needs to maximize the package. But if next year he gets destroyed by leclerc in quali then we will know he has lost quite a bit of speed.

Yea same, a think a lot of it has to do with the W15 with even Allison and Shov saying its a car that doesnt suit him, i'll wait until next year in Ferrari to see if its him or the car, he's shown glimpses of his old quali speed this year when hes happy with the car, in silverstone and Austin sprint quali before the yellow flag.

[Dunlay]

Yes, Hamilton won't be involved in car-related detailed team meetings as much as Russel would. That is fine. That doesn't mean Hamilton will get a car very different from what Russel gets, in terms of capability. Yes, they would both setup the car in terms of grip balance in the way they prefer for themselves, but that doesn't mean one car is "undriveable" (his own words) and the other goes and grabs P2.

In Q1, Russel was 1.7s faster in S2 (that usually takes ~35/36s in the dry), it can't be because Hamilton has forgotten how to drive or doesn't know how to drive in the wet. It most probably is because Hamilton today, unlike the younger Hamilton, is unable to 'adapt his mind-body coordination' to suit the 'given car' underneath him. He's fine in the race (as we have seen so many times), because it's only in Q that the 'mind-body coordination' is pushed to the absolute limit. I am not surprised, this is nature. How many times in various sports have we seen absolute legends decline in their twilight years ? And Hamilton has had a really long career. A supremely successful one.

Next year we will get the real answers. I too have strong suspicions he is not getting all the support he needs to maximize the package. But if next year he gets destroyed by leclerc in quali then we will know he has lost quite a bit of speed.

It's simple science. Lewis would be 40 next year and Charles would be 27. There is no way on their normal days, Lewis can beat Charles. But Charles usually has his off days when his side of the garage doesn't nail the setups. That's the day if Lewis gets it right, he can beat. Otherwise, it's probably going to be a miserable time in quali. Races could yet be similar story to what it is currently at Mercedes. By starting ahead, Charles should finish ahead barring unusuaul circumstances while Lewis trying to make most out of starting behind. Charles can still get better for another 3 years, honing some of his skills whereas Lewis is only going to biologically regress. If that happens, I don't see how Ferrari and Lewis can complete their tenure. There may be some young hot gun on the radar that Ferrari wants and might let Lewis go, especially if Max becomes available for 2027.

[Luscion]

I dont know why people just say "its cause hes old" when in 2022 and just last season he beat Russell in the quali h2h, got their only pole and scored the majority of Merc's points. Shovlin and Allison have also said its a car that just doesnt suit him and it was something they were working on giving him, the car is also notorious for swings in performance for no reason and having an unstable rear end, something Lewis needs. Look at what Alonso could do when they gave him a competitive car in the first half of the season last year at the age of 42

[GrizzleBoy]

Once again guys, it was literally just months ago that Lewis used his skills in the rain to not just beat his team mate, but to win two races.

It was just a year ago that he basically got the team the WCC position they got mostly on his own and was challenging for P2 in the WDC, with George falling over himself all over the place and finishing in P8.

Lewis is having his absolute worst season in F1 in his entire career, yet he is leading George in the WDC and will likely only JUST lose to George by the end of the year. And this is supposed to mean George is doing a good job?

I fully understand the age thing, but i dont understand people thinking he just forgot how to be a good driver since last year or even forgot how to drive in the wet despite using the rain to win two races just months ago.

The maths arent really adding up to the story being told.

He just doesnt have the support from the team anymore, he is the number two driver, he is not privy to the technical details of the workings of their car. Remember Japan this year, he asked if he should move over for his team mate. When has that ever happened?

Its just weird to see people discount all of that to make arguments like: "driver who won races on two wet weekends THIS YEAR isnt capable of driving in changeable conditions anymore".

[Dunlay]

I dont know why people just say "its cause hes old" when in 2022 and just last season he outscored Russell in the h2h, got their only pole and scored the majority of Merc's points. Shovlin and Allison have also said its a car that just doesnt suit him and it was something they were working on giving him, the car is also notorious for swings in performance for no reason and having an unstable rear end, something Lewis needs. Look at what Alonso could do when they gave him a competitive car in the first half of the season last year at the age of 42

Did we watch different series' in 2022 where Lewis beat George?