Mercedes driver George Russell had the legs on his seven-time world champion teammate, Lewis Hamilton, throughout the Qualifying session for the Monaco GP as he was the faster of the two during all three sessions. After failing to outqualify his teammate for the seventh time this season, Hamilton revealed why he was lacking the pace on the streets of Monte Carlo.
Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Hamilton revealed, “The team have worked really hard back at the factory to bring an upgrade to the last two races and also an upgrade this weekend but we only have one, which George has.” Hamilton then added that he had anticipated that it would be a difficult task to out-qualify Russell, owing to the lack of upgrades on his W15.
In addition to an older-spec W15, Hamilton was left baffled once again by the inconsistency of the Mercedes car. Speaking about the car’s handling from the Free Practice sessions into Qualifying, he said, “That’s definitely frustrating and something I don’t have an answer for.”
Merci Monaco
pic.twitter.com/0Mq0iuJzzK
— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) May 28, 2023
Unpredictability and an inability to drive through the issues of the car have defined Lewis Hamilton’s season so far. On the contrary, his teammate seems to have coped better with the often frustrating Mercedes package.
Going into the Grand Prix on Sunday, Russell has out-qualified Hamilton 7-1 this season and also is the leading Mercedes driver in the driver’s championship. Naturally, Russell is highly optimistic about his chances on the streets of the Principality on Sunday.
George Russell predicts Mercedes turnaround at Monaco despite Lewis Hamilton’s complaints
The mood seems to be divisive within the Mercedes camp. On the one hand, Lewis Hamilton has been left frustrated by how difficult the car has been to drive. However, Russell, on the other hand, is predicting a turnaround for the Silver Arrows, starting with Sunday’s race.
After qualifying in fifth for the Grand Prix, Russell gave his feedback about the team’s upgrades. Crash.net quoted the #63 driver as saying, “We are making huge progress at the moment. We’ve brought new bits to the car this weekend and it’s been great. I am hoping it is a turning point. Monaco has never been a strength for our car.”
“I really enjoyed driving today”
Lewis Hamilton and George Russell react to Mercedes’ new upgrades and their Friday in Monaco pic.twitter.com/i3TG7PilDa
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) May 26, 2023
Hamilton may not have the upgrades on his car yet but he may be getting them at the next round of the F1 championship. The general norm within the paddock is to alternate the race weekends when they bring a major upgrade package to their car. Hence, the 2024 Canadian GP seems like the race for Hamilton to reap the benefit of a reworked W15.
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