Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell Face...

Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell Face Challenge in… Read More

Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were left perplexed after an unexpectedly challenging Dutch Grand Prix, where their car’s pace significantly dropped compared to their recent performances. Despite a strong run leading up to the event, including three wins in the last four races before the summer break, Mercedes struggled to compete at the front at Zandvoort. This surprising dip in form left both drivers and the team searching for answers.

Lewis Hamilton’s weekend began with disappointment as he was eliminated in Q2 during Saturday’s qualifying session, setting him up for a difficult race. Starting from a lower grid position, Hamilton managed to fight his way through the field with a series of impressive overtakes, ultimately finishing in eighth place. However, it was a far cry from the team’s usual ambitions.

Reflecting on his race, Hamilton expressed both satisfaction with his overtakes and frustration with the overall result. “We knew today was about damage limitation,” he said. “We worked our way back into the points, but we just didn’t have the pace to fight for much more. If we had qualified better, the race might have been different.” Hamilton’s initial stint on soft tires allowed him to move up the order, but as the race progressed, he struggled with tire management.

Hamilton was originally on a one-stop strategy but was forced to switch to a two-stop due to a lock-up on his hard tires, which further impacted his race. “It was a shame to lose the point for the fastest lap at the end, but I should have put in a quicker effort earlier on,” he admitted. Despite his efforts, Mercedes couldn’t match the pace of Red Bull, McLaren, and Ferrari.

George Russell, who started the race from a stronger position in fourth place, had hoped to contend for a podium finish. However, like Hamilton, he was hampered by high tire degradation throughout the race. “Today’s race was an odd one,” Russell remarked. “We didn’t have the pace on any of the three tire compounds. I felt like I was sliding around a lot, suffering from high degradation, and slowly went backwards.”

Russell had to fend off the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz but was ultimately unable to keep them behind. The unexpected tire issues prevented him from fighting for higher positions, leaving him disappointed with the outcome. “We need to understand why we were slower than our competitors today,” Russell added. “Performance does vary from circuit to circuit, but we’ve been strong in the last six races. I’m confident that this race is just an outlier.”

Both drivers and the Mercedes team acknowledged that their performance at Zandvoort was well below their recent form, but they remain optimistic about bouncing back. With another race on the horizon at Monza, they are keen to understand the reasons for their sudden lack of pace and address any underlying issues.

Russell, in particular, expressed confidence that Mercedes’ performance struggles at Zandvoort were not indicative of a broader problem. “We will get to work immediately to analyze what went wrong, and we will aim to put in a much better showing at Monza next weekend,” he said.

The Dutch Grand Prix proved to be a frustrating weekend for Mercedes, especially after showing promise in practice sessions. However, the team is determined to learn from this setback and come back stronger. As the championship continues, Mercedes remains focused on closing the gap to their rivals and returning to the front of the pack.