Lewis Hamilton mentioned he was stunned the efficiency of his Mercedes deteriorated in Chinese language Grand Prix Qualifying, having thought it could not “get any worse” earlier than making a shock early exit.
The seven-time world champion had loved an encouraging begin to Saturday as he completed second to Max Verstappen within the Dash, however then solely managed to qualify 18th for Sunday’s race as team-mate George Russell took eighth.
Hamilton was heading in the right direction to comfortably advance to Q2 earlier than he ran vast at Flip 14 hairpin, dropping a major chunk of time.
Mercedes have endured their worst ever begin to a System 1 season, taking simply 34 factors from the opening 4 rounds to path leaders Crimson Bull by 107 factors.
“I simply struggled,” Hamilton advised Sky Sports activities F1.
“I made large modifications into qualifying. It wasn’t too dangerous in some locations however I could not get it actually to cease in Flip 14. It’s what it’s. I will have enjoyable from again there.
“This morning George and I had very related automobiles however this afternoon we’re attempting to experiment nonetheless with the automobile so I went a method, a great distance and he went the opposite method simply to see if we might discover something, and that is what we have to do for the time being.
“But it surely did not work. I will give it my greatest shot…18th is fairly dangerous.
“After I was making the set-up modifications I used to be like, ‘it could possibly’t get any worse, absolutely.’ And it did.”
Please use Chrome browser for a extra accessible video participant
Lewis Hamilton and George Russell replicate on a troublesome Mercedes qualifying session as they begin the Chinese language Grand Prix in P18 and P8 respectively.
Hamilton, who remained ninth within the drivers’ standings regardless of claiming seven factors within the Dash, later took some private accountability for his qualifying exit.
“I do not blame something on the crew,” he added. “It wasn’t one in all my greatest qualifying laps.
“I am very robust mentally. It is not nice.
“Typically you get it proper, typically you get it unsuitable. This automobile is on a knife edge as you already know so it could possibly simply do what we had.”
Russell: Set-ups weren’t too dissimilar
Russell appeared to dispute Hamilton’s account of the Mercedes set-ups, suggesting that there wasn’t a major distinction between the automobiles.
“We weren’t too dissimilar, to be sincere,” he advised Sky Sports activities F1. “We each went in an analogous route. Clearly there are all the time small variations between the automobiles.
Please use Chrome browser for a extra accessible video participant
Sky F1’s Ted Kravitz displays on all the massive speaking factors from Dash and Qualifying on the Chinese language Grand Prix.
“We nonetheless must be taught as a lot as we will and whenever you arrive at a Dash race you haven’t any observe, no time to check. If we had been to have maximised the whole lot this weekend, perhaps we might have been P3 or 4 on the grid, however we’re not right here to struggle for P3 or 4 or 5.
“We need to struggle for victories and we need to struggle for championships, and we’ve got rather a lot to do earlier than we discover ourselves in that place. Typically we could must sacrifice a race or two and check out some bolder issues to get a greater and higher understanding. As troublesome as it’s within the second, it is what’s crucial for the long term.”
Sky Sports activities F1 pundit Nico Rosberg, who drove alongside Hamilton at Mercedes from 2013 to 2016, says the completely different views coming from the Silver Arrows are “attention-grabbing”.
Please use Chrome browser for a extra accessible video participant
One of the best of the motion from a dramatic Dash on the Chinese language Grand Prix.
Whereas Hamilton obtained the higher of Russell in Friday’s moist Dash Qualifying session, the youthful Brit now holds a 4-1 head-to-head benefit on this full qualifying this season.
Rosberg mentioned: “It is attention-grabbing how this yr, as a result of George has more often than not been in entrance of Lewis – 4-1 now in qualifying – and Lewis all the time tends to say, ‘yeah, however we’ve got such completely different set-ups and such an enormous automobile distinction,’ and that is type of his excuse to this point this yr so.
“Every time he says that, George is like, ‘final time I checked, the automobiles had been fairly related.’ And he is gone once more for that, so it is fairly attention-grabbing.”
Sky Sports activities F1’s dwell Chinese language GP schedule
Sunday April 21
7am: Grand Prix Sunday: Chinese language GP build-up*
8am: The CHINESE GRAND PRIX*
10am: Chequered Flag: Chinese language GP response*
11am: Ted’s Pocket book*
*additionally dwell on Sky Sports activities Essential Occasion
You possibly can watch each session of the Chinese language Grand Prix dwell on Sky Sports activities F1 and steam every F1 race and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership – No contract, cancel anytime
Ad content | Stream Sky Sports on NOW
Stream Sky Sports activities dwell with no contract on a Month or Day membership on NOW. Immediate entry to dwell motion from the Premier League, EFL, F1, England Cricket, Tennis and a lot extra.