Is Lewis Hamilton in danger of a qualifying knockout?

Lewis Hamilton steps into the cockpit of his Mercedes in Azerbaijan — Photo: © LAT Images

Azerbaijan Grand Prix

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Is Hamilton in danger of a qualifying knockout?

Mercedes boss Wolff expecting "one of the most difficult" qualifying sessions ever in Baku

Will Gray

Saturday 5 June 2021 08:30 Updated: 11:49

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Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is expecting his team to endure “one of the most difficult” qualifying sessions he has experienced in today’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Reigning champion Lewis Hamilton looks under serious pressure to make it into the final top-10 shoot out after struggling in practice and finishing 11th fastest, more than a second off Sergio Perez’s pace-setting Red Bull in FP2.

Wolff, who believes trends seen in the team’s poor Monaco performance have followed them to Baku, said: “Qualifying could be a very difficult session for us, probably one of the most difficult I’ve ever seen.

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“We continue to see the issues that we have a strong race car but we are struggling to really nail it for a single lap. [Friday practice] was a day of data collection and analysis.

“What we have seen in Monaco is a little bit of a prolongation into Baku that there are certain parts of the track where we simply don’t perform. So we just need to take it on the chin here and try to give it the best performance.”

Mercedes must limit damage

Mercedes had a strong start to the season, despite starting as second-favourites to Red Bull, but its rival took the lead of the constructors’ championship at the last race in Monaco, with Verstappen also jumping Hamilton in the drivers’ table.

The positions remain tight and Mercedes cannot afford to haemorrhage mass points again this weekend, but Wolff is concerned his rivals have too much of an advantage to claw back.

Part of the difference, Wolff claims, comes from the controversial flexible rear wing that Red Bull is currently running, which passes the FIA’s tests but will need to be strengthened in time for the French Grand Prix after a technical directive was issued and the loads in the tests increased.

Wolff added: “[Red Bull] were very good in those twisty parts in Monaco so they are very good here too and Ferrari also and then on the straights if you have a wing that gives you this additional speed you have the optimum combination.”