(Motorsport-Total.com) – There were many questioning looks in the Mercedes pit at the 2024 USA Grand Prix in Austin. Because little went as the star brand expected. And then there were accidents for both drivers. Almost a week later, Mercedes can at least come up with some answers.
Lewis Hamilton after his departure at the 2024 USA Grand Prix in Austin” title=”Lewis Hamilton after his departure at the 2024 USA Grand Prix in Austin” width=”620″ height=”500″ loading=”eager” decoding=”async”/>
Lewis Hamilton after his departure at the 2024 USA Grand Prix in Austin Zoom
Lewis Hamilton, for example, describes how the W15 has changed as a result of the Austin updates: “George and I felt really comfortable throwing the car into the corners. We could feel it.”
“Then we went into the weekend and I had a spin in Turn 3, where nobody else spins because it’s the easiest corner ever. Then George crashed in qualifying and I lost the rear in the race.”
These many incidents were “really unexpected” for both drivers, says Hamilton. He describes it as “frustrating,” but there’s nothing that can be done about it.
George Russell, in turn, admits that Mercedes may have wanted too much. “You can definitely say: We sailed a little too close to the wind when it came to our set-up. We had the car set up really aggressively, close to the road. That tripped up Lewis and me on Saturday and Sunday, but Once we got around the circle, there were signs of really strong performance.”
How Hamilton explains his Austin accident
Hamilton goes into a little more detail in his remarks and speaks of a lot of movement in the car when he takes off in the Grand Prix. Specifically: At the rear right, the wheel moved up and down “by twelve to 15 millimeters” at the beginning of the curve. This in turn was triggered by movement on the left side of the car. “There was also a tailwind of 40 km/h,” says Hamilton.
“You have to imagine: There is only a small window in which there is perfect downforce. The power drops to the left and right of it. So it’s a combination of different factors. If the left wheel starts to hop, you lose downforce. And perhaps the new subfloor is a little more sensitive than the previous version.”
Mercedes wants to check this at the Mexican Grand Prix, and the omens are good: Because Russell demolished his update parts in Austin, he will have to drive with the older version of the W15 in Mexico. Hamilton, on the other hand, can use the update and Mercedes gets a direct comparison. “That makes things interesting,” says Russell.
Hamilton also expects less extreme impacts, saying: “Mexico is less bumpy. We also need the data. I hope so [neue] Package is better, but we’ll see. We just have to make the most of it.”
Hamilton: No concerns about using Antonelli
But Hamilton can’t play right from the start in Mexico: he hands over his car to his Mercedes successor Andrea Kimi Antonelli in the first free practice session, which means the star brand has its own Mandatory for the use of young drivers fulfilled.
Does Hamilton have any concerns about this? Antonelli finally threw Russell’s car into the tire pile in Monza a few weeks ago. But “I don’t see it that way at all,” asserts Hamilton.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli crashes during training for the Formula 1 race in Monza 2024 Zoom
“Kimi is young and he has learned from his first outing in Monza. The important thing is that he doesn’t have to drive everything into the ground on the first lap. I told him that the track is really dirty at the beginning,” says Hamilton .
He also had no problem sitting out the first free practice session. And he is just as happy to invest time and effort in further development at Mercedes, even though he is moving to Ferrari in 2025. (Overview of drivers and teams in the 2025 Formula 1 season!)
Reason: “The bottom line is that I’m here to help the team as best I can. This feels strange, but every little bit can contribute to future development. That’s what I’m paid for. And I don’t hold anything back. I “I’ve had a lot of success with this team over many years and I want the team to continue to have success.”
