Lewis Hamilton says he needed to “yank” the steering wheel to beat crippling stability points along with his Mercedes in Components 1’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Hamilton certified seventh on Saturday after a troublesome qualifying session, explaining Mercedes had discovered one among its automobile elements was “not accurately constructed” and led him up the incorrect set-up route.
His lowly qualifying place prompted Mercedes’ choice to suit him with a brand new energy unit for the race. Following a suspension set-up change, Hamilton began from the pitlane and managed to climb to ninth on the end, however solely after a late conflict between Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz and a late transfer on Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg.
Regardless of the comeback, the seven-time world champion endured a irritating afternoon by which he was seen combating the Mercedes to get across the Baku avenue circuit’s tight 90-degree bends.
On the group radio Hamilton talked about his unorthodox driving fashion, saying: “Do you see how I am driving this factor?”
It was a reference to his big dealing with points, which appeared regardless of solely making small automobile adjustments after a extra optimistic Friday.
“It was in all probability the worst stability I’ve ever had,” Hamilton mentioned. “I had a lot entrance finish and no rear.

Sir Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15
Photograph by: Andrew Ferraro
“I needed to yank the steering to interrupt the traction on the entrance and slide it by means of each nook. It was the weirdest technique to drive.
“I knew we’d not have the ability to overtake as we speak. It’s a kind of tracks. I don’t know why our tempo was so dangerous from our facet from Saturday.”
After shedding an engine in Australia, Hamilton was due an engine penalty at some stage this season, and Mercedes chief Toto Wolff explains that the group determined to take it in Baku as a result of it’s much more troublesome to move in Singapore, and the group has excessive hopes for the next spherical in Austin.
“We determined to do the engine change right here and we knew that it was going to be a race of distress, as a result of it is so troublesome to overhaul in Baku,” Wolff mentioned.
“And that is what it was. The second you come nearer, you overheat the tyres and then you definately go backwards.
“There have been two totally different philosophies and we mentioned it at size. You simply swallow the capsule right here, as a result of ranging from P7 we did not know the place that may have gone, otherwise you do it in Austin. However we really feel that Austin is a chance, in order that was the choice. Proper or incorrect I do not know. It was a detailed name.”
Mercedes is pinning its Austin hopes on a brand new flooring it’s planning to introduce, though its choice to revert to an older flooring mannequin in Azerbaijan hasn’t produced conclusive outcomes simply but.

Toto Wolff, Staff Principal and CEO, Mercedes-AMG F1 Staff
Photograph by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Photographs
“The observe is an outlier, however however, it is not like this was night time and day. We nonetheless suffered from the identical stability efficiency that we had on the brand new flooring. So in Singapore, we’ve got the identical one which’s going to shift over and we have to race that. However from Austin onwards, we’ll in all probability go to a brand new specification.”
Mercedes’ puzzling, knife-edge efficiency window was additionally highlighted by George Russell, who struggled within the first stint on mediums however delivered a way more aggressive hard-tyre stint that noticed him earn a podium.
“A troublesome drive at the start, I believe it is difficult whenever you’re in a practice and also you’re combating for place, however clearly our automobile is just not ok,” Wolff defined. “The stability was not ok to be actually in a position to sustain, and we suffered from that.
“And the second stint was really wonderful. Tough at the start, however as soon as the automobile discovered its stability, as a result of George drove it in the way in which it should be pushed, then we had been at occasions the quickest automobile.”
He added: “As a matter of reality that is about who’s getting the stability pretty much as good as attainable, who’s having the tyres in the correct window and how much aero idea works properly at a given observe.”