Lewis Hamilton F1 News: Mercedes star DISTRAUGHT after horror show

Lewis Hamilton looks bemused as he looks into a camera — Photo: © IMAGO

Australian Grand Prix

Hamilton left DISTRAUGHT after Mercedes horror show

Lewis Hamilton disappointed with Mercedes progress in Melbourne

Shay Rogers

Friday 22 March 2024 10:27

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Lewis Hamilton was left frustrated with his Mercedes after a lack of progress during Friday's running for the Australian Grand Prix.

The seven-time champion battled with his W15 all day, running off the track and struggling to find a setup that suited him.

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It matches the problems he suffered throughout the first two grands prix of the season, which have left him in ninth place in the drivers’ championship.

After witnessing Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc top the timesheets by nearly four-tenths of a second, Hamilton is probably itching to get a taste of the Italian machinery even sooner, having agreed to join the Maranello outfit in 2025 ahead of this campaign.

Lewis Hamilton will join Ferrari in 2025

Hamilton's confidence fading fast

But for now, he has a long night ahead of him with the Mercedes engineering team, as they fight to find a fix for their frustrating car woes.

“[It] don't feel great [that] we had one of the worst sessions I've probably had for a long time,” Hamilton told the media.

“FP1 generally felt quite good. The car in FP1 run-one felt the best it's ever felt but it got just worse and worse and then we made some changes, big changes into FP2 and that was that.

“I mean after that session I feel the least confident I've ever felt with this car but we have positives from that FP1 run we did.”

His only hope may be a small chance of rain for Saturday’s qualifying session which rests at 30 per cent.

Without a miracle, Mercedes could be facing an embarrassing Q2 exit – and that’s without any external factors affecting them.

Lewis Hamilton Mercedes Charles Leclerc Australian Grand Prix