Sprint Qualifying at the 2024 Sao Paulo Grand Prix was not kind to Mercedes. Lewis Hamilton bowed out in SQ2, while George Russell couldn’t keep pace with those ahead at Interlagos. The German team had a lot to say about their performance.
Both drivers have fond memories of Brazil: Russell’s first F1 win and Hamilton’s first championship. Yet, this Friday didn’t add to those happy moments.
Hamilton shared his thoughts, “It has been a difficult day for me. I think the ride on the bumpy surface has been pretty bad for everyone, and it made FP1 very challenging inside the cockpit.” Earlier, he mentioned feeling ‘in pain’ over team radio during FP1. In SQ2, he only managed eleventh place.
He continued, “We lifted the car during the break and improved the situation, but the pace simply wasn’t there when it came to the timed laps – the balance is on a knife edge, and the car just so tricky to drive and I couldn’t attack any of the corners as I wanted to.” Hamilton hopes to climb from P11 in the Sprint and find better balance for qualifying tomorrow.
Russell Faces Similar Hurdles
Russell echoed similar concerns after his session. “That was a challenging session as the track cooled through Sprint Qualifying. Finishing P6 is reflective of where we are right now, at the back of the front pack of teams, and with a pace delta to the next group behind us,” he said.
He enjoys Sprint weekends despite their challenges and plans to use it as a learning opportunity for Sunday’s Grand Prix. Fans might wonder if Mercedes can turn things around in time.
Shovlin’s Take on Mercedes’ Struggles
Trackside engineering director Shovlin explained that warm conditions in FP1 revealed how bumpy the resurfaced track was, posing setup challenges. Both drivers had decent long runs but faced issues during Sprint Qualifying. “This cost Lewis confidence and lap time,” Shovlin noted, as Hamilton missed SQ3 by less than 0.1s. Russell reached SQ3 but lagged significantly behind Piastri on pole.
Despite these setbacks, Shovlin remains hopeful for Saturday afternoon’s Sprint. He believes it’s a good chance to learn about long-run balance before qualifying later in the day. Overtaking opportunities abound if they find their pace!
What do you think? Can Mercedes bounce back?
