Things are going from bad to worse for Mercedes, which in the qualifying session of the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix could not get past Q2. Something that had not happened since the 2012 Japanese Grand Prix.
On October 6, 2012, neither Michael Schumacher nor Nico Rosberg were able to get through to Q3 at Suzuka, leaving the Mercedes in a few discreet 13th and 15th position grid for the Japanese Grand Prix.
Almost 10 years later, the Anglo-German team has suffered a similar fate, seeing how none of its drivers entered Q3 of the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.
In this case, George Russell has been eleventh and Lewis Hamilton 13thstaging the serious problems that Mercedes is finding at this start of a new regulatory era.
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A red flag and the rain
It is true that the Mercedes have been affected by the accident of Carlos Sainz, which has caused a red flag with 10 minutes to go in Q2.
This has meant that the rain that fell during the break prevented the riders from improving their times. But, it is also true that Russell and Hamilton were 12th and 15th in Q1 and at no time did they give the feeling of being able to get through to Q3.
“It wasn’t a great session,” admitted Lewis Hamilton after qualifying. “Naturally, it’s disappointing. We came here with optimism and everyone is working very hard in the factory. But things just don’t work out. It’s disappointing”.
“I think we underperformed as a team today. There are things we should have done that we didn’t do.”he stated, holding all the members of Mercedes responsible for this disappointing result.
“We will work as hard as we can to advance in the sprint race. It’s going to be a tough race, but I hope that tomorrow the weather will improve and, who knows, maybe we can move forward»has expanded, already thinking about Saturday.
At the end of Q2, Hamilton could be seen talking to Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, who was visibly upset. Hamilton did not elaborate on his conversation. “It’s all internal things, I’m not going to share that. But we will keep working. It is what it is”.
Photos: Mercedes-AMG F1