F1 Australian Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes in desperate race to solve ‘bouncing’ riddle
While Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes are expected to introduce new equipment at the Australian Grand Prix, they realise a key issue plaguing their car may not be fixed in Melbourne.
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Lewis Hamilton’s hopes of winning a third Australian Grand Prix were handed a reality check by Mercedes boss Toto Wolff Thursday, who warned there was “no magic fix” to the problems plaguing his car.
The once-dominant Silver Arrows have fallen well short of Red Bull and Ferrari in the opening two races of the season following a series of design changes to comply with new regulations for the 2022 season.
Watch Every Practice, Qualifying & Race of The 2022 Formula 1® Australian Grand Prix. Live & Ad-Break Free During Racing on Kayo. New to Kayo? Try 14-Days Free Now >
A key problem has been porpoising — bouncing at high speed — and Mercedes have been working round the clock to remedy the issue at their British base since the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix two weeks ago.
But while Mercedes, who have won the last eight constructors’ world championships, are tipped to introduce a new rear wing in Melbourne, Wolff warned they still had a lot to do.
“We are in a learning race and the first two weekends have shown we still have plenty to learn,” he said.
“At the moment, our track performance is not meeting our own expectations, but everyone at Brackley and Brixworth is focused on understanding the problems and finding the right solutions.
“There won’t be a magic fix for the next race weekend, but we’re pushing to steadily bring gains over the upcoming races, to hopefully move us closer to the front of the pack.
“Until then, we need to maximise each opportunity and make the most of the package we have.”
At the opener in Bahrain, seven-time world champion Hamilton finished third behind the Ferrari pair of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, but only after Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez retired in the closing stages. Hamilton’s teammate George Russell was fourth.
In Saudi Arabia, Hamilton managed only 10th, while Russell fared a little better in fifth, but still considerably off the pace of the Ferraris and Red Bulls who filled the top four.
Despite the frustrations, Wolff praised his drivers’ patience.
“There are various challenges ahead of us, but that’s something we relish and is when a team really shows its true spirit,” he said.
“Lewis and George are making an important contribution to the overall effort, providing feedback, spending time in the simulator and working together to help push us forward.”
The early-season problems have left Mercedes trailing Ferrari by 40 points in the constructors’ championship after two grands prix, with Hamilton in fifth place in the drivers’ standings, 29 adrift of leader Leclerc.
Hamilton has claimed pole position eight times in Melbourne, including the last six. He won in 2008 and 2015.
F1 star channels Siddle in Tigers visit
A sure sign that Formula One fever has well and truly taken over Melbourne; drivers playing Aussie Rules.
Valtteri Bottas has made his allegiance clear after spending Wednesday afternoon training at Punt Road with Richmond.
Pictured with Tigers spearhead Tom Lynch, Bottas was put through some drills in a Richmond guernsey, sporting shades that Australian cricketer Peter Siddle would be proud of.
Welcome to Tigerland, @ValtteriBottas! ðŸ#AusGP#F1pic.twitter.com/EOP5sep3gq
— Richmond FC 🯠(@Richmond_FC) April 6, 2022
But the Tigers didn’t do the 173cm Alfa Romeo star many favours with the picture placement, with Lynch (199cm) and Soldo (204cm) towering over him in the photo they shared on social media.
However, Bottas did manage to take a hanger over Soldo in a flick the Finnish driver posted — although he may have got a helping hand from Liam Baker.
Kicking goals ðŸˆ
— Valtteri Bottas (@ValtteriBottas) April 6, 2022
Thanks for having me today and teaching a few things @Richmond_FC@AFL 🇦🇺#VB77#F1#AFL#AusGPpic.twitter.com/xt8ILPWpj3
Reigning @ausgrandprix champion @ValtteriBottas stopped by for a kick of the footy, ahead of this weekend's big race ðŸ#AusGP#F1pic.twitter.com/eZ8wDzmM8O
— Richmond FC 🯠(@Richmond_FC) April 6, 2022
How you can own Ricciardo’s Aussie GP race helmet
— Rebecca Williams
Daniel Ricciardo has unveiled his vivid new helmet for the Australian Grand Prix which will be auctioned off to raise money for flood relief.
The Australian star showed off his new ‘lid’ in Melbourne on Wednesday ahead of an online auction where F1 fans can bid to secure a slice of priceless motorsport memorabilia.
The helmet has been designed by Melbourne artist Reko Rennie, featuring artwork inspired by the Yarra River.
The signed helmet will be auctioned off to raise money for the Australian Red Cross so it can provide relief for those impacted by the 2022 floods in Queensland and New South Wales.
Ricciard was a big fan of the brightly-coloured design.
“First impression was I honestly felt connected (with it) because the last few years I have tried to create a helmet that is not just a race helmet but is a piece of art and is quite out there and wacky,” Ricciardo said.
“I immediately saw some of the pink and I was like, ‘Yep, I have been using a bit of pink so this is cool’. Definitely a bit of me in this but it is 100 per cent Reko.
“It will all go to the Red Cross for flood relief so just trying to rebuild communities that have been affected.
“Reko has put this together really nicely.”
Rennie said Melbourne’s famous Yarra River had been an inspiration for the helmet.
“Heineken reached out and asked me to commission a work that paid homage to Melbourne and, more importantly, the F1 as well,” Rennie said.
“So I came up with the idea of using the design of urban camouflage and the Yarra River, which is also known as Birrarung.
“Then combined that with this geometric urban camouflage which represents the diversity of Aborginal Australia and the blue and green pays homage to the river as well.”
F1 fans can bid on the online auction now until it closes on April 20.
RICCIARDO’S FAN SHOEY ‘DREAM’ AS HOPES REMAIN LOW
Australian star Daniel Ricciardo is dreaming of a “collaborative shoey” at his home Grand Prix but he concedes McLaren is still some way off climbing its way onto the podium after a challenging start to the Formula One season.
But the eight-time Grand Prix winner remains confident McLaren can develop the new-spec car throughout the year to put the team in “much better shape” as he prepares to line up on the grid for the first time in Australia for three years.
Ricciardo and McLaren have endured a rough start to their 2022 F1 campaign in the first two Grand Prix in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
The Australian and his teammate Lando Norris finished 14th and 15th in the season-opening race in Bahrain and Ricciardo was then forced to retire due to an engine failure at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Watch Every Practice, Qualifying & Race of The 2022 Formula 1® Australian Grand Prix. Live & Ad-Break Free During Racing on Kayo. New to Kayo? Try 14-Days Free Now >
Ricciardo said his aim for the Australian Grand Prix – the first race held at Albert Park since 2019 due to the pandemic – was simply to finish in the points.
“Honestly, as simple as it sounds, I don’t have any points yet,” Ricciardo said.
“So to get in the points is, let’s say, a start. It’s like a bare minimum.
“But realistically the only thing that is going to make everyone happy is a podium and that’s what I would love but truthfully we are still a bit off that.”
Ricciardo said it would be a “dream” if he could complete one of his famous celebratory ‘shoeys’ on the podium at his home Grand Prix.
“Don’t get me wrong, I want it so bad,” Ricciardo said.
“I feel it’s probably the first shoey that I would do that wouldn’t be alone. I’m pretty sure I’d look down at the crowd and there would be others doing it with me.
“A collaborative shoey would be a dream.”
Despite failing to finish the race, Ricciardo felt McLaren had shown more promise at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix where both cars were on track to finish in the points before his mechanical failure as Norris secured seventh place.
He hoped the upgraded Albert Park lay-out would be more like the Saudi Arabian track and better suit the McLarens.
“We looked at Bahrain the first race of the year, we were definitely struggling, quite a twisty technical track,” Ricciardo said.
“Then we went to Saudi Arabia, (which was) a lot more flowing, I think a little bit more like Melbourne is going to be like this weekend and we were a step more competitive.
“Hopefully that means good things.
“I think we showed more promise in Saudi, I think that is more the higher speed, flowing corners. It was a little bit that way last year as well, we felt like that’s where we were a stronger car and I think it’s similar at the moment.
“That’s why I’m looking at the track layout here at Albert Park this year … we are not the best in those corners but we are more competitive so hopefully that will help us out.”
Ricciardo said there was still plenty to learn with the new cars this year.
“The first race we were not on the pace, being polite, and I was still upbeat and everyone was like surely you are disappointed,” Ricciardo said.
“Because (there are) new regulations there is still so much to learn with the car.
“I am still very optimistic and confident that we can still develop the car throughout the year pretty well … there is still a lot to learn in these new cars and I think at some point we will hopefully get onto something and be in much better shape.”
Ricciardo said he was excited to attack the new track lay-out at Albert Park after $20m worth of upgrades to the circuit over the past two years.
“I was a little bit involved in the talks a few years ago when they had the first idea of what to do to try and make the racing a bit better,” he said.
“It has always been a fun track but on Sundays it has been a little bit tricky for overtaking just through the lay-out and the nature of it.
“Really the idea was to try and open it up and just to make Sunday a bit more exciting and try and have more overtakes.
“I think as a race now you are going to see a totally different Sunday here in Melbourne.”
The Australian Grand Prix has lost its customary starting position on the F1 calendar this year but Ricciardo said he didn’t care where it was – he was just happy to be back.
“Honestly, now that we have missed it for a couple of years I am just thankful that it’s on the calendar,” he said.
“Right now it doesn’t bother me where it is as long as we have got an Aussie Grand Prix, then I’m happy.
“I’m honestly not fussed if it is first, third, tenth. As long as it stays on and we get to come back I will take that.”
Hamilton’s insane Aus Grand Prix prep
Mercedes star Lewis Hamilton has revealed his daredevil preparation for the Australian Formula One Grand Prix, skydiving in Dubai to help him “recanter and refocus” ahead of racing’s return to Albert Park.
The seven-time world champion shared a video on his social media of himself launching from a plane and drifting and turning in the air high above the desert.
Hamilton said he had been skydiving for a couple of years but had been unable to do much of it through the pandemic.
The champion British driver described it as a great way to help “clear his mind” before the intensity of race week.
“Had the best day yesterday,” Hamilton wrote on Instagram.
“A very ideal way to spend a Sunday. I’ve been skydiving for a couple of years now but naturally through the pandemic I didn’t get to go.
“Got 10 jumps in, learned something new each time.
“It’s such a great way to clear the mind, recanter and refocus on the week ahead.”
Hamilton revealed last week he had been “struggling mentally and emotionally” after a tough start to the Formula One season.
“It has been such a tough year already with everything that is happening around us,” Hamilton said in an Instagram post. “Hard some days to stay positive.
“I have struggled mentally and emotionally for a long time, to keep going is a constant effort but we have to keep fighting. We have so much to do and achieve.”
The 37-year-old Mercedes ace finished third in the season-opening race in Bahrain and 10th at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, having been opposed to racing at Jeddah, following a nearby missile strike during Friday’s practice.
He said after the Saudi Arabian race “I just want to go home”.
After the opening two races, Hamilton sits fifth in the F1 drivers’ standings, 29 points behind leader, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
RICCIARDO’S $700 MEMENTO
Daniel Ricciardo has entered the world of wine.
A few years after making his brewing debut, the Aussie F1 star has had his signature shoey turned into a decanter.
An awesome memento for any F1 fan – if you’re willing to part with $700 that is.
The website sells it with the tag line: “To mark the second year of DR3 x St Hugo, discover the special edition hand-blown glass Ricciardo Decanter inspired by Daniel’s podium celebration ritual and modelled on his own racing shoe.”
Describing the blend of red wines Ricciardo has added his name to, the 32-year-old said: “We have put our hearts into creating wines to be enjoyed and the process has been just as fun and enjoyable as sharing the end-product.
“This is really something that makes you smile and appreciate the journey it takes to get there.”
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