Hamilton still missing ‘confidence’ in Mercedes car

Lewis Hamilton's struggles with Mercedes’ W15 continued in Sao Paulo, where the seven-time world champion failed to make the top-ten shootout in Friday's sprint qualifying.

The bumpy nature of the resurfaced Interlagos track did little to improve Hamilton’s already undermined confidence in the Brackley squad’s troubled silver arrow.

The Briton, who has consistently struggled in qualifying trim this season, was ultimately forced to settle for P11 at the end of the session, well behind his teammate George Russell who will launch his sprint from sixth on the grid.

In the post-session debrief with the media, a visibly disappointed Hamilton gave a candid assessment of his difficulties.

“Pretty bad, it’s the same as every qualifying for me,” Hamilton said. “Not happy about it but I just don’t have any confidence in the car. A big struggle for me.”

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Hamilton’s frustration underscores a persistent issue with Mercedes W15 – a car that, despite incremental improvements, has yet to provide the stability or predictability needed for its drivers to feel at ease behind the wheel

Interlagos’ recent resurfacing has also been a point of criticism among drivers, and Hamilton, like several of his colleagues, admitted that the new tarmac had introduced a fresh set of bumps across the track.

“The ride was pretty bad on the track for everyone,” he explained. “The track has been resurfaced and they’ve not done a particularly great job. It’s bumpy for everyone.

“P1 was like Baku 2022 for us down the straight. It was hitting so hard. So we did lift the car, it was a little bit better in terms of it wasn’t hitting the deck so badly.

“So I wasn’t in pain or anything like that but through corners the thing is hopping. The thing is very hard to drive.”

Reflecting on his prospects for the rest of the weekend, Hamilton’s outlook remained uncertain.

“It is what it is, it will be what it will be. I’m not massively bothered if I’m honest,” he said.

“If I can move forwards in the sprint, great. I’ll try again in qualifying too. Make some changes to the car and see what we can do.”

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