Lewis Hamilton bemoans Q2 elimination at Australian GP on a ‘knife edge’ Mercedes W15

Lewis Hamilton failed to make it to the top 10 in Qualifying for the Australian GP due to persistent issues with the W15.

Lewis Hamilton bemoans Q2 elimination at Australian GP on a ‘knife edge’ Mercedes W15

Lewis Hamilton (via: Imago)

Lewis Hamilton had an underwhelming start to the 2024 season. The Mercedes W15 challenger was once again not on par with the likes of Red Bull and Ferrari. During the Australian GP, Hamilton faced an early elimination from the Q2. Hence, the seven-time world champion shared his feelings after a disappointing session.

Lewis Hamilton had major issues during FP2 on Friday which continued to Qualifying. Hamilton qualified P13 for the race on Sunday and would need to push himself to get a decent result. The 39-year-old asserted that the car felt ‘great’ during the third practice session. However, the Briton mentioned that inconsistencies with the challenger messed up his brain and hence he couldn’t score good results.

It felt great in P3. We were right there with those guys, and then in qualifying, the inconsistencies with the car really messes with your mind. George did a good job. There is a long list [of things to fix].
Hamilton told in the post qualifying interview (H&T: @JunaidSamodien_/X).
YouTube video

Additionally, the W15 challenger was found to be highly inconsistent during high speed. Hamilton didn’t hesitate to claim that the car was on a ‘knife edge’ in terms of performance. The 39-year-old explained how the car was unstable during high winds. Although the W15 was comparatively better during FP3, the issues were prominent during Qualifying according to Lewis Hamilton.

FS Video
Our car is on a knife edge. When the wind picks up the car becomes unstable. It didn't feel the same in qulaiyfing, it felt better in P3, but we will keep working away.
Hamilton noted

Toto Wolff still believes there’s ‘more in the car’

The early struggles for Mercedes have fans questioning the potential of the German manufacturer. However, team principal Toto Wolff is resilient to backlash and showered confidence in Mercedes. Wolff mentioned that the car was difficult and worked in a narrow performance window. The reason for this was the interaction between the aerodynamics, mechanical, and tires of the challenger.

We have a car that is difficult, and works in a narrow performance window. I think it's the whole interaction of aerodynamics, mechanical and the tyres.
Wolff told Sky Sports F1 (H&T: @JunaidSamodien_/X).
Toto Wolff and Lewis Hamilton.
Toto Wolff and Lewis Hamilton (via IMAGO)

Regardless of the struggles, Wolff believes that there is more potential to be unlocked in the W15 challenger. The team principal recalled Lewis Hamilton’s FP3 run and how the chassis started performing better. However, for now, the team would have to struggle to find the right balance for the car to start scoring better results.

I still have the belief that there is more in this car. You could see the pace in the car in FP3.
Wolff stated

Mercedes seems to be losing out on the battle against McLaren in the constructor as well. This was evident as both the McLaren drivers outqualifed the Silver Arrows. As a result, Hamilton need to pull a good recovery in the race. The 39-year-old could trail desperately from the competition for the world championship.

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