Mercedes has acknowledged its responsibility in Lewis Hamilton’s disappointing qualifying performance at the Chinese Grand Prix, where he was eliminated in Q1 for the first time since the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Technical director James Allison admitted that the team should have pushed Hamilton towards a setup similar to his teammate George Russell, who had a stronger weekend in China. Hamilton’s error at the hairpin, which cost him around 0.7 seconds, was attributed to the car’s tricky handling. Allison highlighted the need for the team to make the car less challenging to drive, as even experienced drivers like Hamilton are prone to mistakes under the current circumstances. Despite a recovery drive to ninth place in the race, Hamilton continues to trail Russell in the standings, having finished ninth in three of the last four races. The 39-year-old has yet to secure a top-six finish this season and currently sits ninth in the Drivers’ Championship, 14 points behind Russell.
Chinese GP: Mercedes Admits Blame for Lewis Hamilton’s Q1 Exit
