That Mercedes missed the ball became painfully clear on Saturday evening. Lewis Hamilton’s car did not burn forward.
With a 16th qualifying chrono as the result for the 7-time world champion. In the race Hamilton squeezed out another 10th place. His new teammate George Russell was 5th, that’s all there is to it for Mercedes.
“It was great fun for eight years,” says Mercedes boss Toto Wolff. “Now the fun is over and that is very painful.”
“We get a lesson in humility, but that makes us stronger. We will keep working hard until we play again.”
The new Mercedes bounces around the track. Wolff: “The question is how much faster he will be if we get him lower to the ground, but that’s not the only flaw. We don’t have the car we want at the moment.”
So work to do for the sports department with the star on the nose.
