Hamilton: “I can’t stand these jolts anymore”

Rare occurrence for the seven-time world champion, it’s the 6th consecutive time he is beaten in a race by his teammate George Russell. Only Nico Rosberg has done better by defeating the British driver 7 times in a row. With an unstable and challenging-to-drive W13 car, Mercedes is far from the level of Ferrari and Red Bull, but stuck in a “No Man’s Land” ahead of the rest of the pack.

After a positive weekend in Barcelona where the chronic porpoising of the Mercedes appeared to have greatly reduced, the Monaco race proved to be very challenging for the W13, with frequent bounces, without the German team being able to find the cause. This porpoising can come from both aerodynamic phenomena and road deformations.

The observation remains the same, it’s a new race outside the top 6 for Hamilton, with a similar scenario to previous races, getting stuck behind Alonso’s car for a big part of the race. The British driver finishes in the same position as at the start. When asked if the current situation bothers him, he explains: “Yes, but what good does it do to let it bother me? That’s just how it is, and I can’t do much about it. We will go back to the factory and double our efforts for the next race. I am extremely focused on getting this car to overcome the mess we are in.”

Hamilton adds that he hopes to have a more peaceful weekend in Baku: “I pray that the sensation in the car is not like it is here. It has never been so bad, even with the bumps. I can’t wait to get rid of it. Just my teeth, my jaw constantly moving… I can’t take these shakes anymore! With a high-speed track layout in Azerbaijan, it will be difficult to go through the weekend without the bouncing.”