The United States Grand Prix qualifying session turned out to be a disappointing affair for the Mercedes team, particularly for George Russell, who lamented the situation as the “story of the season.” Despite a promising sprint qualifying that saw Russell secure a second-place start and Lewis Hamilton begin from seventh, the actual qualifying proved disastrous. Hamilton was unable to progress past Q1, ending up in the last row of the grid, while Russell crashed heavily into the barriers at Turn 19 during the final moments of Q3, compounding the team’s struggles.
Leading up to the event, Mercedes had introduced a series of upgrades to their W15 car, which included modifications to the front wing, front suspension, sidepod inlet, and floor edge. The team’s hope was that these enhancements would mark a significant improvement, enabling them to compete for a race win in Austin. The optimism surrounding these changes was bolstered by the performance in sprint qualifying, suggesting that Mercedes might finally be on the right track.
However, the reality during the main qualifying session sharply contrasted those expectations. Russell’s crash and Hamilton’s early exit underscored the ongoing challenges the team faces in terms of car performance and consistency. Russell expressed his confusion regarding the car’s behavior, indicating that he felt a significant disparity between the car’s performance in the sprint race and qualifying, which ultimately affected his confidence and strategy.
In his reflections post-qualifying, Russell highlighted the unpredictable nature of the car’s performance, attributing the issues to factors like tire interaction, temperature, and wind conditions. He pointed out that this season had been marked by a continuous struggle with performance inconsistencies, regardless of whether they were using old or new upgrades. Russell emphasized that the team often found themselves either competitive or lagging significantly behind, making it difficult to establish a reliable baseline for their performance.
As a result of the qualifying session, Russell will start the race from seventh position, while Hamilton will begin from 19th. The contrasting outcomes from sprint qualifying to the main event raise questions about the effectiveness of the recent upgrades and the team’s strategy moving forward. Despite the setbacks, Russell maintained a sense of determination, acknowledging the hard work put in by the team and the need to analyze and address the issues to improve their performance in future races.
