Lewis Hamilton, a British driver for Mercedes AMG, participated in the Formula 1 World Championship at the Miami Grand Prix on May 3rd, 2024. The Mercedes team had hoped that an updated floor on the W15 car would improve their performance, but both George Russell and Hamilton faced disappointment during Friday’s Sprint Qualifying at the Miami International Autodrome. Russell finished 11th fastest in the session, while Hamilton brushed against the wall and ended up in 12th place. The team’s struggles were evident as Team Principal Toto Wolff displayed his frustration in the garage.
Despite the setbacks, Russell remained optimistic about the team’s prospects, while Hamilton seemed more despondent. Russell mentioned that the soft tire felt good during practice and expressed confidence in making improvements for the main qualifying session. On the other hand, Hamilton believed that Mercedes was performing at its expected pace and acknowledged that they were 7 tenths off the leading cars.
Looking ahead to Saturday’s Sprint, Russell expressed confidence in progressing and scoring points. Hamilton, however, had a more pessimistic view and considered it to be a tough challenge. He acknowledged the difficulty of overtaking and following other cars on the Miami circuit and didn’t expect a significant improvement starting from 12th place. Despite the challenges, both drivers acknowledged the updates brought by other teams and the need for Mercedes to address their qualifying issues.