Mercedes has acknowledged that it’s “not obvious” what caused Lewis Hamilton’s struggles during the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
Hamilton faced challenges with rear grip at Interlagos, struggling to handle his W15 throughout the weekend. The seven-time world champion finished in a disappointing 10th place and missed out on Q3 in both qualifying sessions. Typically, Hamilton excels in wet conditions, but this weekend proved to be an exception.
In contrast, his teammate George Russell secured a spot on the front row and led the initial stages of the race. Some speculated that had Mercedes followed Russell’s strategic recommendations, he may have had a shot at victory.
Speaking on Mercedes’ YouTube channel, the team’s trackside engineering chief Andrew Shovlin detailed Hamilton’s difficulties in Brazil.
“Normally, you can set up both cars independently,” Shovlin explained. “The drivers are allowed to deviate in their setups. When one setup works well, elements of it—or sometimes the entire setup—can be transferred to the other car.
“It’s fair to say that Lewis was mainly struggling with rear grip. But looking at his setup, it’s unclear what exactly caused it. During the Sprint race, less grip and oversteer on exit ramps up the temperature, which can worsen the problem.
“As always, we’re examining the data closely. Lewis’ engineering team is working hard on this to find a solution before Vegas.”
Shovlin noted that the unpredictable weather in Brazil may have compounded Hamilton’s difficulties.
“Conditions were all over the place,” he added. “Sprint qualifying and the Sprint race were dry and hot, but the main qualifying and Grand Prix were wet. This variability made it harder to refine the setup and get the car performing at its peak. While it’s not the root of the issue, it did make it tougher for him to find an ideal setup for the race.”