Hamilton Thinks Upgraded Mercedes Might Be Slower: 'It S***s The Bed'

Sunday, 27 October 2024 at 12:31

Lewis Hamilton shared his immediate thoughts after qualifying in P6 for the 2024 Mexico City Grand Prix, suggesting Mercedes's new upgrades might not be working.

Lewis Hamilton came to the weekend in Mexico City seeking improvement after a disappointing sprint race weekend in Austin, where he finished sixth in the Sprint race and retired from the Grand Prix race after just two laps.

The seven-time World Champion didn't participate in FP1 as he let Kimi Antonelli have a go in his car. In FP2 (which was combined with Pirelli tire testing from 2025), he finished P7, and in FP3, he scored P5.

Although his best lap time in FP3 was half a second slower than the fastest lap set by Oscar Piastri, Hamilton said his car felt much better than in qualifying, where he ultimately scored P6 - 0,705 seconds slower than the pole sitter Carlos Sainz.

"P3 felt decent. It felt like we were on the right track. I decided not to make any changes. All we did was put the wing on, and I was like, 'Okay, let's leave it there'."

"There was not a lot we could do in set-up changes to progress the car forwards. The performance is where it is."

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"Then we got into qualifying, and I had no rear. It was like it flipped on its head. It's a very strange thing with the car."

Lewis Hamilton's teammate George Russell is running the old-spec Mercedes car this weekend, which means the German F1 team should get a clear comparison between their old and new package.

"It will be interesting to get a reading because I'm obviously on the upgraded car, which should be quicker. But I don't think it is."

"We have three-wheeling, and the ride height is moving 15mm up and down, and when it does that, it s***s the bed, basically."

The 39-year-old F1 driver doesn't have high expectations going into the Grand Prix as he doesn't think Mercedes currently has the pace to match Ferrari, McLaren, and Red Bull. He added:

"I don't think we can compete with the guys ahead. They are just too far. So, just see how it goes. I just want to get to the end of the race this time, at least."