Among those disappointed at the Japanese GP weekend, Mercedes stands out and continues to show negative signs, race after race. Even in Suzuka, there were no encouraging notes, with the Mercedes W15 anonymous in both qualifying and the race. Only a late overtake from George Russell to take 7th place can be classed as a highlight.
LEWIS HAMILTON: “THE PACE ON THE HARD TIRE COMPROMISED OUR RACE”
“The plan to start on the hard tyre after the red flag was to give us the flexibility to try one or two stops,” explained George Russell.
“It was nice to have this freedom, and in the end, we opted for the two-stop strategy because the one-stop strategy wasn’t working.” Mercedes were hopeful that starting on the hard tyres would provide them with flexibility. Ultimately, their performance deficit to Ferrari and McLaren was detrimental.
“The situation is tight between the four teams behind Red Bull, and qualifying will be crucial in every race. Whoever starts in front will likely end up at the front of the pack. We know there is work to be done, and we will continue to push. We hope that a track like China will suit us better.”
Although Russell managed to pass Piastri on the last lap, the same cannot be said of Lewis Hamilton. The 7-time World Champion struggled even more significantly to start the race:
“Unfortunately, at the moment the car is at this point. I didn’t feel good on the Hard tyre, and I suffered some damage on the restart.
“I had a lot of understeer, particularly during the first stint, which is why I decided to let George pass. With middle school the sensations started to be better. The last stint was the first time in the race where I felt I had good grip.”
Although there was still something to be nibbled on, Hamilton explained how the potential of the W15 in Japan would not have allowed us to obtain significant results:
“Today, our pace was probably only enough for sixth place. If we want to move up the rankings, we will have to increase the performance of the car.”
ANDREW SHOVLIN: “THE GOAL IS TO IMPROVE UNDERSTANDING OF THE CAR”
Trackside Director Andrew Shovlin underlined how the decision to use hard tyres was made. In short, the Silver Arrows felt there were no significant threats behind:
“It was the best solution to try something different. Towards the end of the stint, we had big problems with low grip. But we couldn’t stop early because we would have ended up in traffic.”
Like Hamilton, Shovlin also explained how the later stints produced stronger pace, but it was too little too late. Regardless, it is clear that Mercedes were once again underwhelming in Japan.
The team’s objective is to transform their data collection into performance:
“Despite the complicated result, it was a useful weekend for learning more about our car and developing our understanding of the W15.”
