P1racenews AI automatic summary:
The team have offered their reflections of Lewis Hamilton’s Shanghai performance, where he finished second in the sprint and ninth in the race.
Mercedes’ James Allison acknowledged that he was surprised by Lewis Hamilton’s ability to maintain second place in the Chinese Grand Prix sprint, considering the team’s car performance limitations. Despite a challenging start, Hamilton secured second place, marking his best sprint race result since the 2021 British Grand Prix. Allison praised Hamilton’s performance in difficult conditions during the sprint race, where several cars struggled to stay on track. Max Verstappen eventually won the sprint race and the subsequent grand prix, passing both Hamilton and Fernando Alonso. Allison credited Hamilton’s second-place finish to strategic driving and a bit of luck due to other competitors’ issues on the track. He emphasized the importance of Hamilton’s exceptional driving skills in maximizing the car’s performance that day. The circumstances of the race, including Alonso acting as a buffer between Mercedes and faster competitors, played a role in securing the favorable outcome for Hamilton.