British driver Lando Norris of McLaren and Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes AMG F1 W15 were seen at the beginning of the Sprint event during the Formula 1 World Championship round 5, the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai, China on April 20, 2024. Hamilton, who had been struggling in the previous races, expressed his satisfaction at being in the lead for the first half of the race, but acknowledged that the circumstances played a significant role in his second-place finish. Mercedes has been facing issues with their W15 challenger, resulting in a poor start to the season for Hamilton. However, his skill was evident when the wet weather conditions allowed him to secure a front-row start for the Sprint Qualifying on Saturday. Hamilton managed to overtake Norris at the start and maintained his lead until lap nine, when Max Verstappen of Red Bull took the lead and secured a 13-second victory. Despite this, Hamilton found positives in his runner-up position, stating that he had forgotten what it felt like to be ahead and was grateful for the opportunity. He acknowledged the fortunate circumstances of the rain, which allowed him to capitalize on the situation. Hamilton also mentioned that he learned a lot about the car during the race, although it did not provide a solution to their issues. He expressed his intention to make some changes to improve the car before the qualifying session. Hamilton admitted that Mercedes is struggling in the low and medium speed corners of the Shanghai International Circuit, with Red Bull and Fernando Alonso posing a challenge in those areas. He stated that they need to work on the car’s characteristics throughout the year. Reflecting on Mercedes’ struggles in 2024, Hamilton attributed his P2 result in the Sprint to the rain scenario from the previous day. Looking ahead, Hamilton’s goal is to secure a top-10 qualifying position and make the most of the extra tires available to him.
Max Verstappen has surpassed Lewis Hamilton once again following his victory at the Emilia Romagna GP. These two drivers have been the most prominent figures in Formula 1...
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