Mercedes expressed disappointment over their “pretty bad day” during practice at the Belgian Grand Prix, attributing their struggles to a 0.9-second deficit on the straights compared to McLaren.
Both George Russell and Lewis Hamilton struggled to make an impact on the first day of running at Spa-Francorchamps, with McLaren finishing FP2 in a commanding 1-2 formation.
After experiencing difficulties with low downforce in the morning session, which hampered their performance in the second sector, Mercedes opted to increase wing settings to enhance the car’s balance for the later session.
While this adjustment improved the car’s overall feel, it did not translate into better performance against their rivals, with Russell wrapping up the second practice in sixth and Hamilton in tenth.
Mercedes was particularly concerned about data indicating that their main shortcoming was in straight-line speed, with preliminary analyses suggesting a gap of up to 0.9 seconds on the straights alone.
After the session, Hamilton commented on the need to find positives given Mercedes’ previous strong performances. “It was a pretty bad day,” he said, reflecting on how his initial attempts on soft tires in FP2 did not go as planned. “It’s been feeling great in the last few races, but today felt completely different.”
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
“We made some adjustments. The first session wasn’t great, but the changes helped in the second session, and things started off well. However, when I switched to the soft tire, I couldn’t improve my times,” Hamilton continued.
“There are several balance issues that we need to address. While it was better in this session, others improved even more, so being 1.2 seconds behind is disappointing.”
Russell echoed the sentiment, stating: “We have quite a bit of work to do tonight. McLaren has clearly outpaced us at the moment, along with Red Bull. We need to keep analyzing our performance and address the issues.”
Russell also suggested that the competitive dynamics of the weekend are still unfolding and speculated that McLaren may have utilized a higher engine mode. “I believe the McLarens were at full power, which can account for a couple of tenths here,” he mentioned.
“Tomorrow will definitely present new opportunities, and I’m confident we can find some improvements tonight. We’ve had strong Fridays before, with others catching up on Saturday, so hopefully, that will be the case for us this weekend.”
