Lewis Hamilton Gangs Up With Charles Leclerc as They Deal Brutal 6-Word Blow to Toto Wolff & Fred Vesseur “Where’s That Half a Second Man”

Lewis Hamilton has not been performing as everyone might expect. The 7-time world champion is currently struggling in the midfield because of his W15 not performing how he would like. The frustration was clear back in 2023 itself and in 2024 he decided to sign with Ferrari for the next season. But it looks like Ferrari is in the same boat.

In 2025, Lewis Hamilton will be driving with Charles Leclerc and during the Suzuka qualifiers, both of the drivers faced a similar issue, finishing about half a second behind Max Verstappen who will be starting at the pole. Right now the two drivers are driving in different teams, however, it looks like Ferrari and Mercedes have the same problem.

Lewis Hamilton’s distressed radio message

During the Qualifiers, Red Bull had no problem getting the fastest times to start 1-2 Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez. To everyone’s surprise, starting at third is Lando Norris from McLaren who pushed through this year leaving behind Ferrari, Aston Martin, and Mercedes. Lewis Hamilton came in 7th and his future teammate 8th. Frustrated with being half a second behind Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton voiced his issue on the radio during the qualifiers.

Lewis Hamilton asked his engineer Bono the crucial question stating, “Where’s that half a second man?” This showed his frustration with driving the underperforming W15 which has compromised his chances at the title this year. His future teammate Charles Leclerc who finished one position slower than Hamilton, had similar complaints with Ferrari.

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After the qualis, Leclerc stood 8th and to this, he said, “That‘s the best I can do. Honestly. I don‘t get it.”  Leclerc’s engineer told him, “At the moment you did purple S2.” and Charles’ reply to that was, “Yeah yeah. Over the lap, I’ll offset.” This shows that the RB20 is much faster than the W15 and the SF24 and although Hamilton will be making a move next year, there are chances that he faces difficulties with the car. The W15 had a problem with the engine in Melbourne and hopefully Japanese Grand Prix will go better.

Lewis Hamilton and the W15 at the Japanese Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton’s race in Melbourne ended abruptly due to a power unit issue, forcing him to retire after just 17 laps. The engine was transported back to Mercedes’ Brixworth facility for assessment. Mercedes discovered that the engine could not be salvaged. Hamilton is already down to his second power unit of the season, and so far there have been only 3 out of the 24 races that are planned this year.

This means Mercedes will have to be careful with their engines if they want them to last through the season. Formula 1 drivers are allowed only four internal combustion engines over the 24-race season, with each engine expected to last approximately six full race weekends. F1 drivers are limited to four engines per season, each expected to last six races. Losing one engine early increases the risk of needing a fifth, incurring grid penalties.

Hamilton faces a grid penalty if he needs a fifth engine, putting pressure on Mercedes to manage engine use carefully. Mercedes found the engine failure was due to a quality control issue, not design, suggesting it won’t persist. Hamilton’s engine failure hurt his and Mercedes’ standings, marking their worst start since 2012. Despite setbacks, Hamilton remains hopeful, showing his determination to perform well.

Do you think Mercedes will be able to recover from the setbacks so far? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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