Mercedes have identified the reason behind Lewis’ floor damage at 2019 Australian GP

It’s not always that Lewis Hamilton misses out on the top step of the podium. And when that happens, it’s often owing to Sebastian Vettel, Max Verstappen, and a few others on the grid putting up a superior show.

One such occasion was the recently concluded 2019 Australian GP.

What one might say is that the 2019 Australian GP wasn’t the most memorable race for Lewis Hamilton. Isn’t it?

After all, this was the fourth time in a row that the Briton ended up runners up at the season-opening event at Melbourne.

The race belonged to Hamilton’s teammate, Valtteri Bottas, who finally ended a winless drought that lasted for 21 straight races. In winning the Australian GP, Bottas put his Mercedes on top, while Hamilton struggled with his.

This was owing to some serious floor damage that Lewis’ W10 2019 F1 car.

One wondered and there were a lot of speculations as to how and why did Hamilton lag behind the race-leader and eventual winner and why did he sustain damage to his car, having begun from a promising second.

The answer to the puzzle has now been identified by Mercedes. So what had exactly happened?

The post-race analysis conducted by Mercedes reveals that a kerb happened to be the culprit behind compromising much of Lewis’ race. Did you know?

An element of the car’s floor may have gone missing owing to the car making contact with one of the kerbs, it is being said. This deterioration most likely upset the aero balance of the 2019 Silver Arrows machinery and in the end, led to Hamilton missing the top spot of the podium.

This is, after all, a place he’s often made his own having led the sport with iron-willed dominance and class.

Isn’t it?

So what lies ahead?

One would want to know whether Hamilton can bounce back and upset his teammate’s rhythm in the contests that lie ahead? How about winning at Bahrain, Lewis? It’s Hammertime Bottas! Watch out.