July 19th 2024.
Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, two of the top drivers in Formula 1, were facing a tough challenge during their Hungarian Grand Prix weekend. Both drivers, who had recently won races in Austria and Silverstone, were feeling confident heading into the race, but things did not go according to plan during Friday practice at the Hungaroring.
The Mercedes team, known for their dominance on the track, seemed to be struggling against their rivals from Red Bull, McLaren, and Ferrari. In fact, both Russell and Hamilton were over half a second slower than the pace setter, Lando Norris, during the second practice session. Even during the first session, Carlos Sainz had topped the leaderboard, leaving the two British drivers lagging behind.
This was a surprising turn of events, as the Mercedes team had been showing improvement in their recent races. However, both drivers had a theory for their lack of speed – the intense heat in Hungary. Hamilton, in an interview with Sky Sports, mentioned that the temperature had reached 34°C at the circuit and that it was a factor in their performance. He also added that the weather was beautiful in Budapest as always.
Despite the challenging conditions, Russell managed to finish the second session in fifth place, while Hamilton came in seventh. However, they were both half a second off the pace, which was not a usual occurrence for the Mercedes team. Hamilton admitted that their car's setup was not feeling good, and they had an idea of what was causing the issue. He also mentioned that they would work overnight to try and improve their performance.
Russell, on the other hand, noted that there was a particular change they had made to their car for this race, which they might need to go back on. He also pointed out that the temperature was affecting everyone, with the garage reaching up to 40 degrees. These hot conditions were not ideal for their car, as they had struggled in similar weather during previous races in Austria and Barcelona.
The Mercedes team had shown that their car performed better in cooler conditions, as seen in Canada and Silverstone, where they had both taken pole positions and podium finishes. However, in Hungary, they were struggling to keep up with their rivals, particularly McLaren, whose driver Lando Norris had been the quickest in Practice 2.
Russell also mentioned that he believed there was a power difference between Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Norris during their qualifying laps. Despite the challenging conditions, both drivers were determined to work on their car's performance and bounce back in the next session. As Hamilton put it, "it's all relatively close," and they were confident that they could improve their long run pace.
In the end, the Mercedes team would need to analyze their car's performance in the heat and make adjustments to be competitive in the race. This was something they had successfully done in the past, and they were determined to do it again in Hungary. As Russell summed it up, "That's something we need to work on."
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