Seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton comfortably beat teammate George Russell this season. In nine races so far, Hamilton has passed Russell only once. The 103-time Grand Prix winner said earlier this year that he didn’t expect to beat Russell at all this season.
Mercedes technical director explain why Hamilton has been outqualified in 2024
At the Canadian GP, Russell even took pole position. The technical director of Mercedes James Allison explained why Hamilton struggled to enter the W15 in qualifying. He believes the Mercedes W15 is a “restless beast” that has been pushed hard to the limit this season.
Mercedes’ “problem animal” is difficult to manage in the points, says Allison.
On the F1 Beyond the Grid podcast, the team’s technical director explained why Hamilton could be healthy this season. In addition, he defended the results of the British world champion. “The car was quite a troublesome beast for part of the year. In the last two or three races it has become a much, much better car. Lewis was the best qualifier in the history of the sport. This is no accident. I think he was the best driver in the sport. He’s fighting to keep it going this year,” said Allison, Ferrari’s former technical director.
“The current type of car, not just for us but across the pit lane, doesn’t like to be. harassed . It’s almost like you only get the best lap times if you don’t try and every weekend you see someone skip a lap in free practice or qualifying in some practice or another and you wonder where that came from. ? It kind of fades into the fog right away and I think it’s quite difficult to get the best out of the car in qualifying.
It’s not fair to say that Hamilton is at a disadvantage in qualifying
Rumor has it that Mercedes favored Russell since Hamilton announced that he will drive for Ferrari in 2025.
Allison dismissed these rumours, stating that Mercedes is working hard to make both cars identical and the engine performance is the same. If the cars have a different setup, it’s because the driver or engineering team on both sides of the garage have copied it, but they have the option of getting the same stuff if they want,” Allison noted.
Hamilton will be. hoping to improve his performance in qualifying when the W15 improves during the season.
