Mercedes Admits Set-Up Change Backfired for Hamilton in Friday Practice

Mercedes faced a setback during Friday’s second practice session for the Australian Grand Prix as a drastic set-up change on Lewis Hamilton’s car “backfired,” according to the team.

Hamilton ended the session with the second-slowest time, trailing behind pace-setter Charles Leclerc by one-and-a-half seconds. He was also eight-tenths of a second slower than his teammate George Russell in the other Mercedes, with his lap time only bettering Kevin Magnussen’s Haas.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff revealed that they had experimented with different set-ups on their cars, but the changes made to Hamilton’s car had unintended consequences.

“In the second session, we’ve gone through a really quite dramatic set-up change on Lewis’ [car] and that has massively backfired,” Wolff explained. “But this is why we’re having those sessions.”

Wolff acknowledged that while there was some improvement on the other car, overall, the team was lacking performance. He expressed dissatisfaction with their progress so far in the season, especially considering their current position in the constructors’ championship.

Mercedes has been grappling with the new technical regulations introduced in 2022, and despite occasional glimpses of promise, they have struggled to maintain consistent performance over a race weekend.

Wolff emphasized the team’s determination to overcome their challenges, stating that they have the necessary resources to succeed. He stressed the importance of perseverance and continuous improvement, expressing confidence that Mercedes will eventually find the right direction to maximize their performance.

While acknowledging frustrations, Wolff remains optimistic about Mercedes’ ability to unlock the full potential of their car and compete at the highest level in the upcoming races.