The race car woes for Mercedes F1 are carried over to the qualifying of the 2023 Miami Grand Prix this Saturday. Drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton struggled to find their pace during the qualifying rounds in Miami.
Mercedes F1 Drivers’ Thoughts
Russell expressed disappointment in his team’s car, saying that the balance was off and the performance just wasn’t coming to them. Despite qualifying at P6, he felt that they were capable of more and needed to do better.
Meanwhile, Hamilton had a similarly difficult time on the track, stating that they weren’t quick enough and struggled with the balance of the car. He also noted that he got backed up by a lot of traffic in the final corner, which prevented him from getting into Q3. The seven-time world champ qualified at P13 going for the race this Sunday.
Both drivers acknowledged that the Miami circuit was a bit of an outlier and that other cars were performing better. However, they remained determined to come back stronger in the following day’s race.
The Lead
Leading the pack in the upcoming Miami GP is Red Bull’s Sergio Perez in the pole position. He is followed by Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. in the P2 and P3, respectively.
Meanwhile, the defending champion, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen will be starting things off from the ninth place of the grid between Russell and Hamilton.
Final Thoughts
Although the Mercedes F1 team is known for its dominance in Formula 1, it seems that they will need to put in extra effort to come out on top in Miami. With the drivers’ spirits still seemingly high, it will be interesting to see how they fare in the main race.