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Lewis Hamilton’s “Awful Feeling” in the Mercedes Car Explained by F1 Expert

Somin Bhattacharjee
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Lewis Hamilton’s “Awful Feeling” in the Mercedes Car Explained by F1 Expert

Misery continues for Lewis Hamilton in his last season for Mercedes, after the Briton exited qualifying in Australia in Q2. Hamilton hasn’t looked happy driving the W15 and had several complaints heading into Saturday. F1 expert and former driver Karun Chandhok analyzes Hamilton’s feelings in the car and why he struggles so much.

Chandhok feels that Hamilton looks like he has things under control in some corners, but just as soon as he gets comfortable, the car gives up. He loses control, the confident feeling goes away, and that according to his analysis on Sky Sports, is “an awful feeling as a driver”. 

“If you’ve got any hesitation in terms of predicting how that movement is going to go, immediately you back off a bit and brake earlier or carry a bit less speed, then you start to bleed lap time,” the Indian expert said.

Hamilton struggled comprehensively during qualifying on Saturday. The seven-time world champion was just about to scrape through to Q3, but Yuki Tsunoda and Lance Stroll put in blistering laps to knock the Mercedes driver out. Chandhok feels that Hamilton is unable to decipher what is going to happen with the car, which is limiting his performance.

Hamilton’s teammate George Russell on the other hand, got into Q3 and will start from P7 on the grid.

Lewis Hamilton used to poor results after Melbourne Q2 exit

After the qualifying exit in Melbourne, Hamilton admitted that it did not shock him much. His performances over the last two years have been underwhelming as a whole, which has him mentally prepared for Qualifying disappointments like the one he endured in Melbourne.

In the post-race interview (as shared on X by user Deni), Hamilton said, “I’m a bit used to it now, getting knocked out of Q2 so… Kind of just a flat feeling.”

Hamilton will now look to rely on race pace to get him well into the points on Sunday. Russell, who starts P7 has better chances of fighting at the front. But Hamilton will be using all of his experience to get a strong result for the Brackley-based outfit, in what will be his last Australian GP as a Mercedes driver.

Post Edited By:Aishwary Gaonkar

About the author

Somin Bhattacharjee

Somin Bhattacharjee

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Basketball Editor Somin Bhattacharjee first discovered the game during the 2014 FIBA World Cup. Not long after, he turned to the NBA and found himself drawn to the Golden State Warriors — right at the start of Stephen Curry’s rise. Over time, the admiration turned into full-blown support for the team, one that continues even as the Curry era approaches its twilight. A true hoophead, Somin also follows EuroLeague basketball closely and enjoys exploring the game beyond the NBA. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. Since 2021, he has penned over 3,000 articles for TheSportsRush, covering everything from breaking news to sharp opinion pieces and detailed exclusives. He thrives on writing about in-game moments and the reactions that make basketball a uniquely emotional sport. Beyond basketball, Somin plays different sports including soccer and remains a passionate fan of Spanish football giants Real Madrid

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