Mercedes experienced their first dual ‘Did Not Finish’ at a Formula 1 event in over five years during the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, adding to their early season woes. Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time F1 World Champion, retired after completing 15 laps due to a power unit failure, while George Russell crashed into a barrier towards the end of the race after skidding into gravel at turn six. This marks the first time since the 2018 Austrian Grand Prix that both Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, also from Mercedes, had to retire due to technical issues. With Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz winning the race, Mercedes failed to earn any points and now find themselves in fifth place in the F1 Constructors’ Championship, trailing behind Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren, and Aston Martin.
Team boss Toto Wolff expressed his disappointment, stating, “It’s difficult to accept, really difficult. I can’t say I feel positive or optimistic about the situation, but we need to overcome the negative thoughts and believe that we can turn things around. However, today feels incredibly harsh.” The 52-year-old Austrian admitted to the challenging circumstances.
Hamilton, who has won six of his F1 World Titles with Mercedes, will be joining Ferrari in 2025 and may be eagerly awaiting his departure. With only eight points from the first three races, this is his worst start to an F1 season. Hamilton’s setback on Sunday followed a disappointing qualifying session where he placed 11th, his worst performance at Albert Park since 2010. Despite trying to maintain a positive outlook, he acknowledged the difficulties posed by the struggles of the Mercedes W15 car. He said, “For everyone in the team, after putting in so much work over the winter, you come into the season excited, motivated, and driven, believing that you’ll be competing for victories. But that hasn’t been the case. It’s been a cascade of disappointment. It’s challenging.”
Throughout the weekend, the Mercedes cars faced inconsistent performance, encountering handling issues, bouncing, and difficulties in high-speed corners. Wolff expressed his confusion regarding the problems, stating, “We need to thoroughly investigate the performance issues we faced.”
In a post-race media briefing, Wolff emphasized that the team is not feeling positive about their current situation but remains focused on turning things around. He expressed the need to remain calm and composed, citing examples of other teams who have quickly reversed their fortunes. “That is what we are aiming to do,” he concluded. (Reporting by Ian Ransom, Additional reporting by GrandPrix247)