Lewis Hamilton and his fate with Mercedes have been in limbo ever since 2022. And we don’t even mean his contractual situation that has transpired this year. In 2023, the Silver Arrows have seemingly made quite a few steps forward in terms of catching the mighty Red Bull. But ever so often, they fall back. This time around, during the Dutch GP Qualifying session, the Brit and the Brackley-based team faced their worst nightmare.

The man who would essentially deal in pole positions and wins, now, can’t even be guaranteed a Q3 appearance at every race weekend. In today’s Quali session, that demon called ‘Q2 exit’ came lurking again and dragged Hamilton into the abyss. But was it a poor lap from the 7x champion, or does the blame lie elsewhere?

Lewis Hamilton explains Dutch GP gaffe

Hamilton, in the past, has been pretty critical of the team. However, after a horrid session this afternoon that left him a mere 13th on the grid for tomorrow’s race at Zandvoort, the 38-year-old came out with a ciphered critique of the troubles plaguing the woeful W14.

In a post-Quali interview with Sky Sports F1, Hamilton said, “I did two fast laps at the end, and the tires overheated. The same car as we qualified on [after being asked if he will have a better car tomorrow] Hopefully, when the car is heavier we can move forward. I will give it my best tomorrow.”

It seems as though the low-fuel runs don’t suit the W14 particularly. Or is it just a matter of Hamilton losing his finesse?

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George Russell rubbishes Hamilton’s complaints

In a perfect world, all things are equal. While the situation at Mercedes is far from perfect, the team can boast of at least having equal machinery bestowed upon both their drivers. Such is the nature of our sport. But while Hamilton struggled in Q2 and blamed the inherent characteristics of the W14 for his dismal exit, his teammate, George Russell left him red-faced later on.

If you analyze Hamilton’s comments, he seems to have been limited by the car. However, on the flip side, Russell in the exact same machinery actually proved the Brit’s complaints as moot. When the chequered flag fell on Q3, Russell qualified a brilliant P3 with a relatively solid time of 1.11.294.

So, was Hamilton just passing the buck? Or is the W14 really so tricky that only Russell could manage a decent lap out of it?

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