Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes would love nothing greater than to finish their 12 years collectively on a excessive. Nonetheless, primarily based on current type, there’s a very actual threat that their time could end not with a bang, however with a whimper.
If issues proceed like they did in Brazil final weekend, the place Hamilton certified 14th and completed tenth whereas team-mate George Russell began on the entrance row and fought for the win, then there won’t be a lot to smile about when the curtain comes down in Abu Dhabi.
Hamilton’s personal verdict after the Brazilian Grand Prix was fairly damning, as he labelled the race as “crap” on Sunday night time.
He added: “Yesterday [Saturday] was horrible. At present [Sunday] was horrible. Yesterday was unhealthy. Qualifying was unhealthy. Dash race was unhealthy. The automobile’s simply been unhealthy all weekend.”
He additional fuelled intrigue concerning the scale of the struggles enveloping him as he delivered a cryptic message over the radio straight after the chequered flag.
“That was a catastrophe of a weekend, guys,” he stated on the cooldown lap. “That’s the worst the automobile has ever been. However thanks for contributing to strive, and nice job to all the fellows on the pitstop.
“If that is the final time I get to carry out it was a disgrace it wasn’t nice – however grateful for you.”
Some interpreted these feedback as a revelation that Brazil was going to be Hamilton’s final race, though that’s actually vast of the mark.
And, though it’s not clear precisely what he was referring to, his comment concerning the pit crew on a day once they weren’t truly known as into motion, was extra possible a reference to the truth that some personnel had been having their final race look of 2024 in Brazil because of the shuffling round of workers to deal with the extreme schedule for triple headers.
The foundation of the issue
Whereas the present performances on the monitor usually are not nice, what is probably the most important subject proper now could be that neither Mercedes nor Hamilton had a direct reply after Brazil for what had gone mistaken, regardless of there being some clear signs.
What’s at play is a repeat of what he has been battling because the summer season break, when his type took a giant dip from that spell in July when he took two wins from three races.
Primarily, the issue seems to be about Hamilton having a insecurity within the automobile, particularly its rear finish.
Because the above graph evaluating the telemetry traces of Hamilton (blue) and Russell (crimson) in Q1 on Sunday morning reveals clearly, there’s a exceptional distinction in the best way the drivers had been feeding within the throttle – primarily within the decrease velocity corners.
As the underside hint reveals, Russell might enhance the accelerator persistently, whereas Hamilton’s insecurity is crystal clear. The free rear finish means he’s always having to again off and that leaves him bleeding velocity and lap time.
The present technology of floor impact equipment are fairly brutal machines – working tremendous stiff and tremendous near the bottom – and they aren’t very forgiving when driving on the sting.
Some drivers are higher suited to beat an unpredictable steadiness, however Hamilton is discovering himself put a bit extra on the again foot by it.
And sometimes, when a driver loses religion within the rear finish, it slides extra – and that then compounds tyre temperature points.
So what begins out as a small subject can shortly present itself into one thing larger and might make two almost equivalent automobiles vastly completely different in how they develop over a race stint.
As Mercedes head of trackside engineering Andrew Shovlin defined this week: “It’s honest to say Lewis was struggling predominantly with an absence of rear grip.
“If we have a look at how he had arrange his automobile, it’s not apparent the place that was coming from.
“However within the dash race, as quickly as you’ve got much less grip and you’re getting the snaps of oversteer on exit, you generate extra temperature. That in itself will lengthen the issue.
“As with every race, we spend numerous time digging into the information, making an attempt to know it, and Lewis’ engineering crew might be working with him on this subject, making an attempt to verify we unravel it earlier than Vegas.”
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG F1 Staff
Photograph by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Photos
Hamilton’s struggles find a set-up he feels comfy with have additionally not been helped a lot by Mercedes’ newest improve that arrived at america Grand Prix.
Whereas it seems to have ticked all of the bins in terms of ship additional efficiency on monitor, there are some questions on it additionally including some behavioural instability as effectively – as was witnessed by Hamilton’s race exit in Austin a day after George Russell’s qualifying crash.
And a selected weak spot the automobile has, in coping with successive low-speed corners, is one thing that has not been improved with the newest modifications.
Shovlin added: “We now have not had such good efficiency within the dry, however the points that we’re combating with this replace are the identical as those we had been combating earlier than.
“The place we are usually weak, it’s within the sluggish velocity corners, notably those the place you’ve got one nook following into one other. There may be numerous turning of the automobile, and that may be a weak spot that we have to work on.”
With sector two of Interlagos being just about all about interconnected sluggish corners, it was apparent that the Brazil occasion was going to doubtlessly be harder than regular for the crew.
Engaged on an answer
The one constructive for Hamilton proper now could be that not less than Russell’s performances present what is feasible with the automobile.
And a few forthcoming high-speed venues, particularly Qatar, might assist higher expose the strengths of the W15 bundle relatively than its weaknesses.
Hamilton has admitted that issues usually are not simple proper now, however there was no different possibility than to dig deeper together with his crew to attempt to discover a approach out of it earlier than Abu Dhabi.
“Clearly, it is devastating to have these unhealthy races within the second half of the season,” he stated. “However all I can say is, we’re making an attempt.
“Nevertheless it’s undoubtedly not acceptable. It is undoubtedly not adequate. And now we have to take accountability. I’ve to take accountability. However I’m driving.; I’m doing the very best with what I’ve obtained.
“The automobile has been the worst this weekend, and I do not know what it’s. We will have to search out out what it’s.”
That work started for Hamilton this week with some intense work on the manufacturing unit to take a seat down with the engineers, and spend time within the simulator yesterday, to attempt to get some solutions as to what’s occurring.
Las Vegas will inform us simply how a lot these efforts have paid off.
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15
Photograph by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Photos
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