Former F1 champion Damon Hill thinks Mercedes fears embarrassment going into the Bahrain Grand Prix race after underwhelming qualifying.
Nobody ever had an idea that Mercedes would be suffering to be at the top of the grid, only three months after winning the championship. But in 2022, it’s a reality, as Mercedes will not start the first race of the season above the third row.
The Brackley-based team is having huge issues with the porpoising, making them lose pace against Ferrari and Red Bull on the straights.
After the qualifying, they are certainly not favourites to win the race. But Former F1 champion Damon Hill thinks Mercedes are in more deep waters than thought. He further claims that the F1 champions are entering the Bahrain GP race with a fear of embarrassment.
“Yeah, this will be different, though. It’s a whole new complexion to what they have been used to. “He [Wolff] said something which is also echoed by Lewis – what happens in qualifying and the gap they have in qualifying.”
“When it comes to the race they are, I think, concerned they might be slightly embarrassed. There’s not much you can do when you can’t actually keep up in the race.”
Also read: Valtteri Bottas shares his thoughts after a blistering Qualifying debut with Alfa Romeo
Mercedes lucky to get P5
Meanwhile, Hamilton has been open about Mercedes’ struggles. After qualifying, he said they were lucky to get a P5 spot for the race. His teammate George Russell finished P9. So, certainly, there are issues to be addressed.
“I’m genuinely really happy with today. Given where we’ve been the last two weeks, it’s been a nightmare to drive but we’ve kept our heads down,” said Hamilton.
‘You’re damn right, Lewis.’ 👊
Couldn’t have said it any better, Bono. 🙏pic.twitter.com/Gf94GXBpQp
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) March 19, 2022
Lewis Hamilton claims there are no short fixes
Earlier, Mercedes have been quick in getting immediate fixes to their shortcomings. But this time, the issue is in the fundamentals of the car.
Thus, Hamilton claims that currently, there aren’t any short term fixes for Mercedes to win in Bahrain and Saud Arabia before they come back with better adjustments in the car.
So, as of now Mercedes is surprisingly not seen as a favourite for the race on Sunday in Bahrain. On the other hand, rivals Red Bull and Ferrari have the upper hand, which might see them having an edge early in the season.
Also read: Former World Champion says Mercedes is out of control with the porpoising problem
