2024 Mercedes-AMG | Petronas F1 Team

[KimiRai]

Here we go with the setup excuses once again. Lewis has lost one-lap pace since 2021; it's understandable as he's becoming older, but the constant rationalisation regarding setup changes or setup being biased towards the race is tiring and insulting towards George IMO. I still think he's the dogs bollocks in the race but come on man lol.

Alonso has lost too a little bit on one lap with age as well. Not too much, just a little but sometimes you see it. It does seem like age penalises one lap pace first and foremost. Perhaps it's more noticeable in Lewis than Alonso, because Lewis is a bit stronger in one lap than Alonso while Alonso has always been a Sunday beast.

But older drivers are lucky today because there's DRS and that means it's easier to recover from a bad qualy than previously. Also from 2026 these new regs will have even less outwash (dirty air), so even easier overtakes.

[Hammerfist]

Here we go with the setup excuses once again. Lewis has lost one-lap pace since 2021; it's understandable as he's becoming older, but the constant rationalisation regarding setup changes or setup being biased towards the race is tiring and insulting towards George IMO. I still think he's the dogs bollocks in the race but come on man lol.

George, Shovlin, Lewis and Toto have all said they were on different set ups and you could see lewis losing the rear of the car yet thats not enough for people to believe them

Further proof that Hamilton can't handle an oversteery setup with a loose rear and like his pal Alonso prefers understeer balance. Lucky he did not become Max's team mate, imagine getting exposed like Checo.

I guess you didnt follow lewis at mclaren. Always very oversteery cars and cars jenson button would complain about while lewis was winning races and putting them on pole with regularity. But there is bad oversteer, when it’s unpredictable theres nothing anyone can do, not even the flying dutchman. See 2019-2020 for reference….

[PlatinumZealot]

I am now convinced that Mercedes is sabotaging Lewis's car or tyres. It's a statement that he's washed up and they don't need him anymore.

He WILL lose to George by over 100 points this year.

[zeroday]

I am now convinced that Mercedes is sabotaging Lewis's car or tyres. It's a statement that he's washed up and they don't need him anymore.

He WILL lose to George by over 100 points this year.

"Cutting off one's nose to spite one's face" is the saying that comes to mind if that were true. And it isn't.

The only thing a team cares about is winning the WCC and to do that you need both drivers.

Hamilton single-handedly carried MER in 2023 and likely would have also done the same in 2022 if he hadnt spent half the season being MER's official guinea pig in tests...interestingly he became a force of nature when he finally stopped testing that year. Meanwhile, let's not forget MER gave up a sizeable gap to FER last year thanks specifically to RUS. Yes, RUS came thru in the last race, but MER should not have been in that situation at all -- and it was all due to him. So MER putting all their eggs on RUS is tbh, a bit dangerous. The wise thing is to ensure that both drivers are confident in the car and get things moving.

Remember, it's only Free Practice. Teams test different setups, there are still 23 races for the season, and MER is the only team on the grid with a complete re-write in the form of a new car concept, the W15. So its unsurprising they are still working out the bugs.

Way too early to make anything out of this about HAM. If that were the case we can also start to bring in conspiracies of FER now preferring SAI over LEC, or PIA over NOR based on recent results too.

Historically, HAM, like every driver, needs to feel confident in the car. He needs to ensure its predictable. He tends to like to push it and experiment to gain that confidence early in the season and once it does become predictable its when he begins showing his true self which is quite the force of nature. Just ask RB and Max between 2014-2021 and Alonso in 2007. Sadly, these past few years have produced quite unpredictable cars in the W13 + W14.

HAM's car today was definitely sliding around a lot which probably indicates they were testing different setups to see which works best. And historically, HAM doesnt care much for this Saudi track, with the exception of 2021 where he dominated that race despite the shenanigans by Max -- a fun show for the ages. Most people forget that race also had the photo finish across the line of Bottas vs Ocon for P3. Crazy night. If i'm not mistaken yet another of Lewis Hamilton's f1 records includes having the most inaugural track wins....that Saudi 2021 win became yet another for his sizable records list. Mindboggling.

[mendis]

I am now convinced that Mercedes is sabotaging Lewis's car or tyres. It's a statement that he's washed up and they don't need him anymore.

He WILL lose to George by over 100 points this year.

Imagine if the statement was used in 2007 context. Lewis has generally struggled in Saudi with new generation cars. He has been slow to get to grips with these cars , every year. Last year there was an entire package Shovlin said was brought to help Lewis. This year, the seating is also moved a bit backwards to help him. Yet, he is taking time to learn the car. Sabotage claims are naive. Mercedes wants to finish second at the minimum in WCC and sabotaging isn't an option for that goal and neither for the reputation of the team.

[Hammerfist]

Zealot cant possibly believe what he wrote. But it is expected that lewis will be gradually phased out of the development of the car the more the season progresses. He is a departing driver ffs. Remember vettels last year at ferrari. He started questioning if he had the same car as The clerk.

[CHT]

I am now convinced that Mercedes is sabotaging Lewis's car or tyres. It's a statement that he's washed up and they don't need him anymore.

He WILL lose to George by over 100 points this year.

that's because GR is quicker

[Jdn1327]

I am now convinced that Mercedes is sabotaging Lewis's car or tyres. It's a statement that he's washed up and they don't need him anymore.

He WILL lose to George by over 100 points this year.

PZ I would like to think nothing more that LH's tough time of it is due to sabotage. But I would assume the team will now rally around GR, its only logical for them now. LH feedback will be useful for the most part but I think the development of the car will drift more towards GR style of driving. Merc would not sabotage him with risk of losing valuable money in the WCC.

[Jdn1327]

Lewis about to get blanked in Jeddah by Georges. . Georges has outperformed him in both years handily and it ain’t looking any different this year. Really doesn’t like this track at all. George p2 looking very competitive in one lap but verstappens long runs looking untouchable once again.

They were on two completely different setups to see which one was better, Shovlin, Lewis and Toto said this, George's car was stable and Lewis' rear end was all over the place and he didnt have confidence in the car. Also George has not outperformed him in both years, Lewis scored the majority of the points last season, got the most podiums of the two and Merc's only pole position, they were also even on the quali head to head at the end of the season

Outta curiosity what setup changes would be different at a street circuit? Wouldn't the optimal setup window be a lot narrower at a street circuit?

[SparkyAMG]

Lewis has definitely lost qualifying performance over the years, however to suggest that he's being sabotaged is laughable but expected by the poster.

I haven't checked the stats but I feel as if Lewis has generally struggled in qualifying relative to George on the street circuits... Jeddah, Monaco, Singapore all spring to mind from the past couple of years and I wondered if that's partially due to being more risk aware as you get older.

Going balls out on a circuit like Jeddah when you're not 100% at one with the car is maybe a risk too far for Lewis. Of course that's no use to him or the team when he's got a teammate who can do it.

[Vanja #66]

I am now convinced that Mercedes is sabotaging Lewis's car or tyres. It's a statement that he's washed up and they don't need him anymore.

He WILL lose to George by over 100 points this year.

Do we know what was the PU issue in FP2?

[Unc1eM0nty]

Outta curiosity what setup changes would be different at a street circuit? Wouldn't the optimal setup window be a lot narrower at a street circuit?

Still learning about the new car so my guess is they're throwing the net pretty wide in terms of set up to find the right way forward.

I don't think a street circuit as such would make any difference in their approach. Monaco is nothing like this place, all tracks a different, and they only have set up experience from one other track right now.

[Unc1eM0nty]

Pls delete

[Jdn1327]

I am now convinced that Mercedes is sabotaging Lewis's car or tyres. It's a statement that he's washed up and they don't need him anymore.

He WILL lose to George by over 100 points this year.

Do we know what was the PU issue in FP2?

Apparently when he was correcting his oversteer he accidentally hit the pit limiter button. It wasn't an engine issue.

Hamilton returned to the pits in the closing minutes after an off-track moment after which he complained that he was down on power – Mercedes has confirmed the British driver inadvertently hit the pit limiter button while catching a snap, allowing Hamilton to resume the circuit for the final minutes of the session. From planetf1.

[Vanja #66]

Apparently when he was correcting his oversteer he accidentally hit the pit limiter button. It wasn't an engine issue.

Hamilton returned to the pits in the closing minutes after an off-track moment after which he complained that he was down on power – Mercedes has confirmed the British driver inadvertently hit the pit limiter button while catching a snap, allowing Hamilton to resume the circuit for the final minutes of the session. From planetf1.

Ok, thanks!