“Fix This Tractor Man”: Lewis Hamilton Fans Left Annoyed on Bahrain Performance as Toto Wolff Teases Mercedes’ Change of Plans

The season changed, the pole sitter changed, and the top team changed, but what did not change is Mercedes’ performance in Bahrain. In back-to-back seasons, the Silver Arrows failed to make a mark in the opening race of the season. As Max Verstappen took the pole with Sergio Perez beside him, the Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell ended up in a lowly P6 and P7, respectively. While the team boss Toto Wolff is looking for a change of plans, the LH44 fans are not happy.

Much like in 2022, Mercedes finished the 2023 Bahrain qualification behind Red Bull and Ferrari. While Red Bull locked the front row, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz of Ferrari locked the second row. Moreover, Hamilton and Russell are further behind the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso.

Talking about the catastrophe, Wolff shared after the event, “The gap is big, unfortunately, even if we’re looking at it through rose-tinted glasses. One tire against one tire is 4-tenths, and if we look at the scoreboard is 6-tenths. And this is where we were last year. That is not satisfying and not where our objectives are.”

Disappointed fans react angrily as Mercedes failed to improve

Despite having the winter to improve, the Silver Arrows are still behind Red Bull and Ferrari. This not only takes away Lewis Hamilton’s chances of fighting for his eighth world championship but also makes constructors’ championship chances vulnerable for the Brackley-based team. Fans reacted to this disaster as soon as the qualification ended.

READ MORE: “El Plan”: Fernando Alonso Edges Out Lewis Hamilton & Co. as Fans Enjoy Aston Martin’s Steps Toward Glory in Bahrain

Given below are some of the reactions taken on this from Twitter:

Mercedes, who was believed to be sandbagging, has come out to be slow in real. The Silver Arrows fans earlier thought it might be the usual tactic to give a surprise in the qualifying session, however, it was not as the results proved.

As things stand, Hamilton and Russell will have to make a massive move and utilize Wolff’s change of plans to overtake the ever-stronger Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin to pick up points.

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Do you think Lewis Hamilton and George Russell can give Mercedes a bright start to the season on Sunday in Bahrain? Let us know.