Mercedes F1 ends the American circuit disheartened, facing missed podiums and missed opportunities amid rain-soaked challenges in Brazil’s bittersweet finale.
Mercedes F1 concluded the American triple-header with a fourth place for George Russell and a tenth for Lewis Hamilton. Trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin admits the three races were disappointing for the Brackley team.
“It was a tough triple-header for the team, and the final day of competition continued in the same way,” said Shovlin. “Qualifying and the race itself were bittersweet in Brazil.”
“Lewis struggled to gain confidence in the car and didn’t get past Q1 in a session where several cars ended up out of position; George managed to build confidence, especially in the rear end, and secured a solid 2nd on the grid.”
“The aborted start led to unusual circumstances, but once the race properly started, George ran strongly at the front until the VSC came out, accompanied by a heavy rain shower.”
“We wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to change his worn intermediate tires, and Norris, in second, followed us into the pits – while Verstappen and the Alpine drivers stayed out, gambling on a safety car or red flag, which then happened. This likely cost us the win.”
“When the race resumed, with everyone on new tires, George managed to pass Leclerc to move into 4th, but then – as we saw – he got stuck behind a slower car and couldn’t overtake, with no DRS available.”
“It was the same story for Lewis further back, who climbed into the points but couldn’t pass Lawson despite several attempts,” continued Shovlin, explaining the consequences Mercedes needs to draw from this result.
“Fourth and tenth may seem like a meager reward after leading the first part of the race, but we have a lot to learn from this weekend and the last three races. We’ll focus on this work in the coming days to give us the best foundation for the season’s final triple-header.”
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Mercedes F1 Falls Short in Final U.S. Triple-Header Mercedes F1 Falls Short in Final U.S. Triple-Header
