Mar.24 - Lewis Hamilton is "done" with his Mercedes, according to former Red Bull driver Robert Doornbos.
After full two years of struggling in the new ground-effect regulations era, the seven time world champion is not only still grappling with his Mercedes - he has been out-qualified by teammate George Russell 0-3 so far in 2024.
"I can't really comment on that," Russell said in Melbourne.
Indeed, Russell may not be on the pace with the all-new silver car, but he says the handling is manageable. Hamilton, on the other hand, is grappling at the wheel.
"I can't say I'm surprised. I'm disappointed, yes," the 39-year-old Briton said.
"I wouldn't say this is one of the most difficult moments," he said after failing to get through to Q3 in Melbourne. "It's exactly like the last two years."
As for how he's coping with being consistently beaten by his teammate, Hamilton added: "I don't know if I'm dealing with it that great. I mean, three qualifyings in a row that he's out-qualified me.
"It's all difficult to understand."
Mercedes had confidence that, having dispensed with the problematic 2022-2023 car concept, the new car was at least a stable platform to develop - and mainly slow in the fast corners so far.
"We are too slow everywhere here," admits team boss Toto Wolff in Melbourne.
"It's annoying how long I've been talking about it but we just need to keep working," he added. "It's not because we're not trying hard enough, but we are where we are.
"It's an illusion that we can get closer to Red Bull anytime soon," Wolff admitted. "But I also have to keep believing that there's more in this car."
Mercedes won every title between 2014 and 2020 - with Hamilton lifting the world championship in every season except one during that period.
Has the team lost its way?
"The processes are the same as in previous years," an unnamed Mercedes engineer told Auto Motor und Sport. "They can't be that wrong, unless the others are suddenly doing everything differently."
The difference with Red Bull, however, is stark.
"At Red Bull, they know exactly which parameters they need to change in order to be in the car's sweet spot," former F1 driver Timo Glock told Sky Deutschland. "That's the big advantage."
Another factor is that Hamilton's loss of faith with Mercedes, demonstrated with his early decision to switch to Ferrari for 2025, might now have resulted in a loss of motivation to turn things around.
"They've been messing around with that car for two years," Doornbos told Ziggo Sport. "I can understand if Lewis is done with it."
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its not a bad car King G was finishing 6th , and fast enough to keep up with AM but Lucy just can't do it, im fed up of Merc saying this weve got to give both drivers a better car, and as for her excuses , if its that bad how can King George be up there, Soon the media will jump on it and it will be very bad for for Hannahs final season, and as for Ferrari, what if Sainz keeps beating Charlie which he could easily do, Hamilton to Ferrari will look like a bit of a joke then, Mercedes shareholders will be baying for blood if Merc finish 3rd at the end of the season
You do come out with some anti LH rubbish shoddypost. GR didn't finish in 6th, end of. Haven't you got a KKK meeting to go to.
Read Shroppfly's post correctly.He said GR was finishing in P6 not that he finished P6.Finishing in P6 before the crash .which was caused by ALO slowing dramatically well before the usual braking point at a high speed part of the circuit. These cars don't have brake lights to show braking to react to, have to react to the car slowing with a high closing speed.
Stewards were right to penalise ALO for that driving at that particular place on the circuit. May have been ok at a slower part of the circuit.
I thought Georgie Boi was doing well until he crashed-out. My expectation of Mercedes these days is pretty low. Sadly, they have returned to the lower third of the pack, much like their first couple of years. As for Lulu, I think his move to Ferrari is likely his last shot at an eighth WDC title - but I wouldn't count on Ferrari keeping their current pace. In the meantime, my money is on Alonso filling The Dame's vacant seat. Wouldn't that drip with irony if he were to get his third WDC at Mercedes?
If Merc offered him a cast iron 2yr deal yes he would, but im not confident they would, AM on the other hand might offer him a guaranteed 2yrs who knows though, and Yes it would be full of irony lol
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Russell may not be on the pace with the all-new silver car, but he says the handling is manageable. Hamilton, on the other hand, is grappling at the wheel."
Yep sure looked like it Melbourne.
I am quite enjoying the Daimler AG, INEOS and Torger Christian Wolff entry in self destruct mode.
The only good nothing they did was to dump the Guru. Bad from Fred to pick him up instead of leaving him on a mountain top pontificating to the faithful gathered below and on a mission to convert humankind to his ideals.
That only leaves Torger Christian to berate and intimidate.Sad.... nahhhh
Hammy's proving week by week when put in an average car, proven by GR to be a mid to upper mid pack car, that he's just a little bit less than an average driver. If it wasn't for a dominate car for 10 years and the team dictating his team mate to let him by 10's of times and sending his team mate out to give him a tow in qualifying he probably wouldn't even have a ride today.
Bạn có công việc tại Ferrari hay Merc không ? Người ta không trả nhiều tiền cho sự vô dụng .