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So, four of the eight Mercedes power cars didn’t make it out of Q1:
Williams:Latifi
Aston Martin: Stroll
McLaren: Ricciardo
Aston Martin: Hulkenberg
And two didn’t make it out of Q2:
Williams: Albon
McLaren: Norris
The only driver with a legitimate excuse for slow performance is Hulkenberg, who got the call on Thursday, and had not driven the cars T all this year (other than the simulator).
Has Mercedes been affected that much more by the new E10 fuel? Or are the slower teams just struggling more with getting the cars dialed in?
Also, watching Ricciardo understeering in the slower corners, I think he has to re-learn driving a car with less aero downforce in the slow areas.
And I think that some teams are struggling to understand the new tires and related suspension changes.
It’s going to be interesting to watch the race, the first time all twenty cars are on track together, fighting for position. So we will see if the aero changes really allow closer racing and more passing.
-rb
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