Mercedes frustrated after qualifying: 'Hamilton could've beaten Verstappen'
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Mercedes looked like they could struggle this weekend after the weekend's only practice session, with both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell having big spins. However, their car looked better in sprint qualifying, with Russell beaten to pole position by Max Verstappen by just 12 thousandths. Hamilton, however, starts P7 despite being more comfortable in his car.
Shovlin 'slightly frustrated' after sprint qualifying
"We can take many positives but ultimately, we end the day slightly frustrated." Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes Trackside Engineering Director, began. "Lewis was on for a lap that would have been more than enough for P1. We had opted to go on the early side to avoid any interruptions with yellows on a busy track at the end of the session." This however did not pay off for Hamilton as he caught a yellow flag on his lap after the spin of Franco Colapinto in the Williams at Turn 12.
The session went better for George Russell, who was on provisional pole until Verstappen beat his lap by just 12 thousandths of a second. "George wasn't as comfortable with the car today as Lewis but it's a clear sign of progress that he was still able to take P2. We have brought an update kit this weekend and its introduction has been straightforward," Shovlin stated.
However, Shovlin admitted that it is only one day of running and only one practice session, but he has hope that they can take the momentum into the rest of the weekend and close the 112-point gap to Ferrari who are third in the constructors standings. "It is of course only one day of running but it does look like we are seeing the gains we hoped for. We will look to continue that momentum into the rest of the weekend." Shovlin concluded.
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