Lewis Hamilton’s acknowledgment that he mistakenly made significant changes to his car’s set-up at the Chinese Grand Prix is part of the Mercedes Formula 1 team recognizing the need to focus on the fundamentals. Over the past couple of years, both Hamilton and George Russell have attributed volatile performance swings to various “set-up experiments,” whether at the team’s request or the drivers’ own direction. While Hamilton was initially praised for helping the team explore the set-up windows of their troubled cars, this year he has encountered his own troubles and admitted his mistakes. After qualifying and finishing second in the sprint race in Shanghai, Hamilton started the main race in 18th place due to a qualifying error. He struggled throughout the grand prix but managed to score points with a late surge. Hamilton jokingly admitted his error on the cooldown lap, stating that they would not make that set-up change again. This was not the only time Hamilton took responsibility for his actions during the weekend. He had already mentioned driving significant set-up changes after the sprint race and acknowledged that he paid the price for it. Senior Mercedes figures Toto Wolff and Andrew Shovlin supported the notion that extensive changes were made, which did not yield positive results. Wolff emphasized the need to avoid searching for a quick fix every weekend and acknowledged that the team made too many extreme changes after the sprint race, making the rest of the weekend more challenging. Overall, this weekend’s performance from Mercedes was in line with expectations, with both drivers achieving as much as possible. Hamilton exceeded expectations in the sprint qualifying, showcasing his skills and determination. However, when it comes to qualifying and the race, Russell was the one who extracted the most from the car. Mercedes currently ranks fourth at best, which has led them to experiment with set-ups and struggle to catch up throughout the weekend. The lesson learned is to accept the current state of the car and make the best of it until improvements can be made. Adding performance and focusing on the basics, such as increasing downforce, is crucial for Mercedes. Both Hamilton and the team need to manage their expectations and rein in their enthusiasm when it comes to chasing the perfect set-up. Hamilton has proven to be effective when he has a better base and a cleaner weekend, but it is important to recognize the limitations of the current generation of cars and the Mercedes specifically. Upgrades are on the horizon for Miami, but it will take more than one development item or package to significantly improve the car’s performance. Despite feeling optimistic about making progress in high-speed corners, Wolff admitted that the car is as difficult to handle as its predecessors, and improvements are needed in low-speed performance. The team is aware of the areas that need tweaking and is focused on overall improvement.
Attending the 14th edition of this event was a stroke of luck for me. With exclusive access as a trackside photographer, I was disheartened to witness numerous damaged...
Read more