P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Wolff wants to ‘punch himself on the nose’ after Mercedes F1 Australian GP DNFs
Lewis Hamilton retired from the race due to a power unit failure on lap 15, while Carlos Sainz claimed victory in a race where Max Verstappen had to retire early because of brake issues. George Russell’s race ended two laps from the finish after a collision involving Fernando Alonso, who received a 20-second penalty for driving style changes. Hamilton and Russell struggled with their cars throughout the weekend, with Hamilton failing to advance from Q2 and starting the race in seventh, while Russell started from 11th. Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff expressed disappointment in the team’s performance, acknowledging the lack of pace compared to McLaren and Ferrari and the challenges they faced during the Australian Grand Prix weekend. Despite the difficult weekend, Wolff emphasized the need to stay positive and work towards improvement, even though the current situation was tough and discouraging.
