Brazil holds a special place in Lewis Hamilton’s heart, but last weekend, things didn’t go as planned for the seven-time world champion.
Over the Sprint and the Grand Prix, Hamilton managed to score just a single point, and he struggled with multiple off-track moments.
Mercedes’ trackside engineering director, Andrew Shovlin, explained what went wrong during the race weekend.
After being eliminated in SQ2 on Saturday, Hamilton was unable to score any points in the Sprint.
Sunday didn’t bring much improvement either, as he was knocked out in Q1 and finished in P10 in the Grand Prix.
Meanwhile, George Russell had a better weekend, starting from the first row on Sunday and finishing in P4, despite being caught out by a red flag after already making his pit stop.
Shovlin explained that the team allows its drivers to tailor their setups individually, which can sometimes lead to one car performing better.
“When one driver finds a setup that works well, we often try to transfer elements of that setup to the other car,” he said.
Shovlin further explained Hamilton’s issues, highlighting that the Briton was primarily struggling with a lack of rear grip.
“In the Sprint, with less grip, you’re more prone to oversteer on exit, which generates extra tire temperature and exacerbates the problem,” he said.
The conditions were also a factor. The Sprint and Qualifying sessions were dry and hot, while the Grand Prix was held in wet conditions, making it difficult to adjust the setup over the course of the weekend.
The change in conditions made it harder for Hamilton to find the right balance for the race,” Shovlin added.
Looking ahead, Hamilton will enter the final tripleheader of the season after a two-week break, as he prepares to leave Mercedes for Ferrari next year.
Team principal Toto Wolff has expressed the desire to part ways with Hamilton on a positive note, aiming for a strong result.
As always, the team will analyze the data from the weekend, and Hamilton’s engineering team will work closely with him to address the issues before the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
