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Lewis Hamilton has labeled his Australian GP campaign an arduous affair, culminating in an untimely retirement on Lap 17 at Albert Park. The seven-time champion pulled over at turn 10, disembarked from his ailing W15, and returned to the paddock. Meanwhile, in an unexpected twist, a fresh perspective on the race emerges from an unlikely source – Lando Norris’ YouTube friend, AngryGinge.
Mercedes found themselves trailing in Saturday’s qualifying with Hamilton facing an early exit in Q2. As the race unfolded, just 17 laps in, Hamilton radioed an “engine failure.”
AngryGinge, a burgeoning spectator of the sport, shared his take on the entire situation, at least what he could make of it. Reacting to the race’s highlights, he expressed dismay over Hamilton’s DNF, juxtaposing it with a hint of satisfaction over Max Verstappen’s similar fate. “Anyone dealing with their cars should be sacked!” he declared, incredulous at the notion of an engine failure in F1.
“7-time world champion, someone’s not checking his engine. D’you know what I mean? Lift the bonnet up. Bang, done. How hard is it?”
Mercedes’ woes compounded when George Russell joined Lewis Hamilton in the ranks of retirees, suffering a crash on the final lap. Observing Russell’s pursuit of Alonso before the incident, AngryGinge couldn’t help but lament the unfortunate turn of events. “Oh dear, he’s crashed on the last lap? Oh, he shouldn’t have done that. Why’s he done that in the last lap?”
Testing times for Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes
Marking the first double retirement for Mercedes since the 2018 Austrian GP, the team found themselves grappling with a dire outcome at Albert Park. Securing zero points in a race where Carlos Sainz stole the show leading a 1-2 finish for Ferrari, Mercedes now finds themselves languishing in fourth place in the constructors’ championship.
Expressing the weight of disappointment, Toto Wolff somberly addressed reporters, acknowledging the challenges ahead (as reported by ESPN). “[It’s] tough to take, super tough,” downcast team boss Toto Wolff told reporters. And I would be lying if I could say I feel positive about the situation and optimistic but you just need to overcome the nagging, negative thoughts and say, ‘we will turn this around.’”
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With a mere eight points garnered from the initial trio of races, Hamilton finds himself in the thick of his worst start to an F1 season. Despite attempting to maintain a brave front, Hamilton conceded that the struggles encountered with the Mercedes W15 car had taken a toll on morale. “When so much work is going on throughout the winter for everybody, you come in excited, motivated, and driven, and then you’re with the mindset that you’re going to be fighting for wins,” he reflected, as quoted by F1’s official website.
“And then obviously that’s not the case. And then you’re like, ‘OK, maybe second, third’. No, it’s not the case, and it cascades a bit further down. And you just go through the motions. It’s challenging.”
In the wake of Mercedes’ tumultuous performance at the 2024 Australian GP, Lewis Hamilton and the team face an uphill battle to regain their competitive edge. With challenges abound, the season unfolds as a test of resilience and adaptability for the former champions, as they strive to overcome the setbacks and reclaim their position at the forefront of F1.
