P1racenews AI automatic summary:
We break down the fastest Mercedes laps of Q2 to analyse where Lewis Hamilton is losing 0.346s to George Russell, and hear the team’s drivers and Toto Wolff’s take on the session
Neither of the Mercedes drivers were happy with the performance of the troubled W14 during their final qualifying session. However, one driver, George Russell, fared better than his teammate Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton struggled more due to a lack of confidence in the car. This resulted in a 0.346s gap between them in Q2, causing Hamilton to be knocked out of qualifying and starting 11th on the grid, while Russell advanced to Q3 and set the fourth-fastest time. Hamilton described the session as challenging and admitted that Russell had done a better job in getting the most out of the car. The car’s unpredictable nature and inconsistent balance made it difficult for Hamilton to extract its potential, affecting his confidence in the rear end of the car. This lack of confidence was evident in their onboard footage, particularly in Turn 1 and Turn 6 where Hamilton was more tentative compared to Russell.
