Mercedes drivers complain about lack of feeling despite comprehensive upgrade package
Following a strong showing in sprint qualifying, Mercedes drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton endured different fortunes in the main qualifying for the United States Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton complained about strange feeling and noises in the Austin F1 Sprint, and the issue returned in qualifying. It meant that he had a scruffy middle sector on his only flying lap on the new set of softs, and as a result of it, he endured a shock exit at the end of Q1.
The seven-time world champion labelled his day in Austin as "tough", but he vows to give his best to move himself up the grid.
"That was a tough day. The Sprint was a difficult session for us with the car not feeling as strong as it did yesterday. The temperature was warmer than on Friday and that didn’t seem to suit us.
"We made some changes ahead of Qualifying to counteract that and try to push us in a direction that could get the car closer to how it felt on Friday, but we continued to struggle.
"Tomorrow will be difficult for us starting P19. It will be hard to come across opportunities, but I will be giving it my all to move forward. The car today suffered from an inconsistent balance and a lack of grip so hopefully it will be in a better place on Sunday," he concluded.
His team-mate George Russell managed to fight his way into the last qualifying segment, but he never looked to be in contention for top places.
He then pushed extremely hard into Turn 19 and lost control of the back of his W15, crashing heavily into the barriers. He was okay, but the resultant yellow flags meant no one else was able to complete their second flying laps out there.
"Yesterday we were in the fight for P1 in Sprint Qualifying but today we were really struggling. It is confusing how our fortunes have changed so drastically from one day to another. It is clear that when we find the sweet spot of this car, we are capable of fighting for pole positions and race wins. When we don’t, we are at the back of the front pack.
"In the Sprint, I lost a position off the start and was pushing hard early on to regain that. Unfortunately, we then started to struggle with the tyres, and I went backwards. It was difficult to understand as our pace on Friday, particularly on the long run, was strong.
"We continued to struggle in Qualifying, although my final lap was looking strong before I locked up into turn 12. I was perhaps over-pushing into turn 19 to make up for that time and I lost the rear of the car. I am disappointed in the damage I caused to the car and the work that will have to go on overnight now to repair it."
