Mercedes found “broken part” on Lewis Hamilton’s car as key weakness pinpointed

Mercedes found a “broken part” on Lewis Hamilton’s front suspension on Saturday at the F1 United States Grand Prix.

The discovery was made after the sprint race and before qualifying.

Hamilton endured a forgettable day in Texas, qualifying miserably in 19th, his worst qualifying result in seven years.

Hamilton had previously finished sixth in the sprint race, one place behind George Russell.

Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes’ Trackside Engineering Director, said: "After a promising Friday, this was a tough Saturday. It became apparent early in the sprint that we didn't have the speed of our competitors.

“We were pushing hard to keep up with those ahead and that put extra energy through the tyres.

“That overheating bit us hard in the second half of the race and we could only manage P5 and P6.

“We also found a broken part on Lewis' front suspension post sprint and that definitely impacted the overall balance.

"In an effort to get the car back to the sweet spot we had on Friday, we made some set-up adjustments ahead of qualifying. Sadly these didn't have the desired effect.

“A consistent balance continued to elude Lewis although he was unfortunate to be knocked out in Q1 having been impacted by traffic in sector one.”

Russell crashed in qualifying, meaning he will start the grand prix from sixth but more significantly giving Mercedes a headache about what to do with the damaged upgrades on his car.

Shovlin said: “George fared slightly better and was on a strong lap in Q3 but came unstuck at turn 12 with a lock up and then finally Turn 19 with his off.

"We have a lot of work to do to get George's car ready for the race.

The team will be working hard through the evening in order to do that.

“We know [Sunday] will likely be a tough fight but we will continue to work diligently and hard, looking to take advantage of any opportunities that come our way."

Mercedes key weakness identified

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said: "A disappointing and frustrating day. After a strong Friday, we were hopeful of a good showing and it quickly became clear in the sprint that we didn’t have the pace of our nearest competitors, falling back to finish a distant P5 and P6.

“Added to that, the handling balance both drivers had enjoyed the day before was missing and they were struggling with tyre overheating - Lewis on the rear axle, George on the front.

“We made some set-up changes to tackle this ahead of qualifying, but we continued to struggle and couldn’t unlock the same level of performance we had seen on Friday, with Lewis finishing P19 and George P6 but unable to complete his final flying lap.

"[Sunday’s] race will therefore be an uphill battle: there is a major repair job ahead for George after the Q3 crash.

“With Lewis starting P19, it will be a case of damage limitation in the race: fighting for meaningful points will be tough and we need things to fall in our favour to do so."

Hamilton said: "That was a tough day. The sprint was a difficult session for us with the car not feeling as strong as it did [on Friday].

“The temperature was warmer than on Friday and that didn’t seem to suit us.

“We made some changes ahead of qualifying to counteract that and try to push us in a direction that could get the car closer to how it felt on Friday, but we continued to struggle.

"[Sunday] will be difficult for us starting P19. It will be hard to come across opportunities, but I will be giving it my all to move forward.

“The car [on Saturday] suffered from an inconsistent balance and a lack of grip so hopefully it will be in a better place on Sunday."

Russell added: "[On Friday] we were in the fight for P1 in Sprint Qualifying but [on Saturday] we were really struggling.

“It is confusing how our fortunes have changed so drastically from one day to another.

“It is clear that when we find the sweet spot of this car, we are capable of fighting for pole positions and race wins. When we don’t, we are at the back of the front pack.

"In the sprint, I lost a position off the start and was pushing hard early on to regain that.

“Unfortunately, we then started to struggle with the tyres, and I went backwards.

“It was difficult to understand as our pace on Friday, particularly on the long run, was strong. We continued to struggle in qualifying, although my final lap was looking strong before I locked up into turn 12.

“I was perhaps over-pushing into turn 19 to make up for that time and I lost the rear of the car. I am disappointed in the damage I caused to the car and the work that will have to go on overnight now to repair it."