Mercedes reveals the reason for Lewis Hamilton’s struggles in Qualifying

Lewis Hamilton is one of the finest drivers to have ever raced in Formula 1. Yet, the seven-time world champion has faced some difficulty in Qualifying this season. The British driver even admitted that this has been an issue for him this year. Now, Mercedes Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Sholvin cited the reason for Hamilton’s woes.

The Mercedes Director insisted that Lewis Hamilton had brought in decent results for Mercedes in races. Sholvin claimed that the seven-time world champion had delivered some stellar drivers throughout the year to bring some crucial points back home.

Sholvin reckoned that the Mercedes W14 is a tricky car that needs to be in the right window to get the most pace. However, the bigger reason for Lewis Hamilton’s Qualifying struggles is the more competitive pecking order. Andrew Sholvin recalled that things were a lot easier for Mercedes during their domination days when Hamilton would even use the same set for two sessions on some occasions.

Sholvin said, as reported by SilverArrows.net, “The car is a bit fiddly at times If you don’t get it right in the window. The other thing that makes it difficult is that it is so hard to get through Q1, and Q2 these days… A few years ago, we would just do one lap, in the middle of the session, it would put you completely safe. Sometimes we’d go through two sessions on one set of tires.”

Also Read: Lewis Hamilton rules out any chances of a Mercedes victory at the Japanese GP

A closer 2023 grid has made Qualifying more difficult for Lewis Hamilton

The new ground-effect regulations in F1 have led to a more tightly packed grid apart from Red Bull’s huge pace advantage. This has made things difficult for the front runners as drivers can lose by the smallest of margins. Sholvin shed light on a variety of troubles that might’ve posed a challenge to Lewis Hamilton’s runs throughout this year.

Andrew Sholvin noted that a bad car setup or traffic could kick Hamilton out of Qualifying. Yet, the Mercedes Director felt the car was improving, with Hamilton and George Russell achieving good results in 2023.

But, Mercedes hasn’t won a race this year. At the Singapore GP, Russell crashed from P3 on the last lap, missing a great chance. In the Japanese GP, both Mercedes drivers hope for better results, despite Hamilton’s practice struggles.

In case you missed it:

• FIA acknowledges mistake, admits Max Verstappen warranted penalty for impeding at Singapore GP
• Lewis Hamilton brands Sebastian Vettel as the ‘most outspoken’ driver in F1 history 

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