P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Lewis Hamilton put his Lap 2 spin during Formula 1’s United States Grand Prix down to his upgraded Mercedes W15, rather than pure driver error.
Lewis Hamilton had a challenging start in the US GP after exiting Q1 in qualifying and starting 17th on the grid. Despite a promising surge to 12th place during the opening lap, his race came to an unfortunate end with a spin on Lap 2 at Turn 19. Hamilton expressed disappointment, mentioning that he was not even pushing the car at that point but trying to warm up the tires. He highlighted issues with the upgrades Mercedes introduced at the Circuit of the Americas, which seemed to make the car unstable throughout the weekend. Despite teammate George Russell’s similar experience, Russell believed the spins were more related to setup changes than the new parts. Looking ahead to the Mexico City GP, Hamilton is determined to put the COTA mistake behind him and focus on a better performance in the upcoming race.