Mercedes F1 chief now responds to Lewis Hamilton regretting ‘frustrating’ issue

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Mercedes trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin has responded after Lewis Hamilton bemoaned the team’s ‘frustrating’ issue the F1 Saudi Arabian GP exposed.

The Silver Arrows would only secure sixth place with George Russell and P9 with Hamilton in Jeddah last weekend. It denoted limited progress from seventh on the grid for Russell. While Mercedes’ strategy saw Hamilton fall behind Ferrari rookie Oliver Bearman from his P8 start.

An early safety car after Lance Stroll buried his Aston Martin in the wall tempted most of the field to pit for new tyres. But Mercedes could not double-stack their drivers as Hamilton was too close to Russell. So, the Brackley outfit left the 39-year-old to run long on his initial tyres.

Lewis Hamilton lamented Mercedes’ frustrating’ Saudi Arabian GP speed disadvantage

McLaren also only pitted Oscar Piastri on Lap 7 under the safety car and left Lando Norris to go long before stopping. But the alternative strategy did not pay off for the British pair once they eventually pitted. Hamilton stopped on Lap 36, while Norris boxed on the following lap.

Yet it was not Mercedes’ strategy that Hamilton deemed ‘frustrating’ straight after the Saudi Arabian GP. Instead, the seven-time F1 champion lamented the Silver Arrows’ lack of pace in the high-speed corners compared to McLaren. Norris ofted pulled clear in the first sector.

Hamilton told Sky Sports after the race: “The car is relatively good in the low speed and not so bad in the medium. But in the high speed, we are miles off. It was like I was in a different category when I was going through the high speed between the other guys around me.

“It is frustrating, for sure, for three years in a row to almost be in the same position. It’s tough. But we will get our heads down and keep working away. We definitely have got to make some big changes. We haven’t made big enough changes, perhaps.”

Andrew Shovlin reveals Mercedes are working on ‘some experiments’ to fix the W15

Norris took full advantage of McLaren’s stronger pace in the first sector to put Hamilton out of striking distance when the Mercedes driver got DRS. Piastri also gained from the MCL38’s advantage over the W15 to stick with Hamilton after pitting and not stress his tyres as much.

Hamilton also bemoaned Mercedes’ pace disadvantage when he cried, “They’re killing us in the high speed [corners],” over the team’s radio while Piastri followed him. Shovlin has now responded to Hamilton’s sorrow, stating that Mercedes are working on some potential fixes.

“There is a lot of work going on in the aerodynamics department and the vehicle dynamics department,” Shovlin told Mercedes’ team YouTube channel. “We’re trying to develop some experiments there that will hopefully give us a direction that will improve our performance.”

Only Haas were slower than Mercedes in high-speed corners at the Saudi Arabian GP

While Shovlin states that Mercedes are working on some potential fixes, they are unlikely to come in time to ease Hamilton’s sorrow at the Australian GP on March 24. The Silver Arrows may struggle in Melbourne as the Albert Park circuit boasts a number of high-speed corners.

Such was the extent of their problems in Saudi Arabia that Mercedes were 12km/h (7.5mph) slower than Red Bull in the high-speed section. Formu1a.uno reports they were also 10km/h (6mph) down on Ferrari, McLaren and Aston Martin. Only Haas were slower than Mercedes.