When Max Verstappen’s RB20 suffered a failure early within the Australian Grand Prix, it opened the door for considered one of Purple Bull’s rivals to safe an amazing end result. When the checkered flag flew it was Ferrari who had taken benefit, because the Scuderia notched a one-two end with Carlos Sainz Jr. and Charles Leclerc up entrance.
In the meantime Mercedes was nonetheless standing within the doorway.
A bruising and irritating week got here to a bitter finish for the Silver Arrows, with Lewis Hamilton struggling a failure of his personal within the early phases that noticed the seven-time champion retire earlier than 20 laps had been accomplished. Teammate George Russell remained within the struggle and was difficult Fernando Alonso for P6 within the closing phases, however a transfer by the Aston Martin driver at difficult Flip 6 stage Russell in some soiled air. The Mercedes driver then skidded into the gravel earlier than discovering his W15 flipped onto its facet.
The crash knocked Russell out of the factors, and whereas Alonso was later penalized for his “erratic” driving by the stewards it was of little solace to Mercedes. Because the grid departs Melbourne the Silver Arrows discover themselves sitting fourth within the Constructors’ Championship, 29 factors behind third-place McLaren, 67 factors behind second-place Ferrari, and 71 factors behind Purple Bull.
And with a big quantity of harm to restore — and solutions to search out — earlier than the Japanese Grand Prix.
“That was a really disappointing finish to a troublesome weekend, with a big quantity of accident injury to treatment forward of Japan in two weeks’ time,” mentioned Andrew Shovlin, the staff’s Trackside Engineering Director, in Mercedes’ post-race report.
Hamilton, who appeared pissed off all week with the W15, remained optimistic that the staff might flip their fortunes round. Nevertheless, the previous champion cautioned that outcomes will not be quick.
“We will even enhance the automobile because the season goes on. We now have finished so in earlier years, and I’m assured we’ll achieve this once more. It’s robust that we aren’t as aggressive as we wish in the intervening time, however we’ll hold working onerous. I’m centered on doing that with the staff,” mentioned Hamilton. “Within the quick time period, I count on we’ll nonetheless discover it tough to problem additional up however we’ll see what we will do within the medium time period.”
Russell famous that his end was maybe in step with the tempo the staff confirmed all week in Melbourne.
“It was a disappointing finish to a tough race. Our tempo wasn’t the place we needed it to be. We confirmed spells of fine lap occasions however in the end we’ve bought work to do to catch these forward,” mentioned Russell. “We shall be centered on how we will make enhancements forward of Japan in two weeks’ time.”
Workforce Principal Toto Wolff, who expressed some frustrations of his personal forward of qualifying, echoed the optimism from Hamilton. “No one feels optimistic about the place we discover ourselves proper now, however we’re centered on turning this round,” outlined Wolff. “It’s robust to take however we’ll stay calm and composed. We now have seen others who’ve proven that while you get it proper, issues can flip round shortly. That’s what we’re aiming to do.”
Nonetheless, Sunday’s points-less end was a bitter capsule for the staff to swallow. And the easy fact? Mercedes was on the again foot all week lengthy, and that might proceed till they discover solutions with the W15.
“It has been a bruising weekend for us, throughout which we have been unable to compete on a single lap or the lengthy runs, and we shall be persevering with to trawl via the info within the coming days, to see what isn’t working and why we’re solely at present capable of ship flashes of efficiency from the automobile,” added Shovlin. “It’s clear that we have now a lot to work on, to present each drivers a greater instrument to work with on the race weekends. We now have to get our heads down, work via the challenges one after the other, and intention to ship a stronger displaying subsequent time in Suzuka.”
They’ve two weeks to search out these solutions.
