The seven-time world champion retired within the early phases of the race at Albert Park after his Mercedes engine shut down following sensors detecting an unspecified downside.
The facility unit was flown again to Mercedes’ engine facility at Brixworth for post-race evaluation to get an understanding of what occurred, with no apparent clarification obtainable instantly and the staff unclear about whether or not or not it might be used once more.
However, forward of the Japanese Grand Prix, Mercedes found that the problem was a terminal one, which implies the engine can’t be introduced again into the allocation pool that Hamilton has obtainable.
Mercedes concluded that the retirement was brought on by a backside finish failure, which has been traced again to a top quality course of situation quite than any particular design downside.
The lack of one of many 4 engines Hamilton has for the season at such an early stage makes it probably that he might want to take an additional energy unit, and due to this fact a grid drop, sooner or later later within the marketing campaign.
It seems that the underside finish failure was a one-off, with evaluation of the opposite engines inside the present pool for Hamilton and George Russell displaying no issues of there being the chance of a repeat.
Hamilton’s retirement from the Australian GP has heaped additional distress on a troubled begin to the season for Mercedes, which has not delivered the step ahead hoped for from its 2024 automobile.
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15, kicks up grass and filth forward of Yuki Tsunoda, VCARB 01, after a short lower
Picture by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Photographs
The brand new W15 has proven a specific weak spot in high-speed corners, and the staff is attempting to enhance its tyre temperature administration to higher extract extra efficiency from the automobile.
Regardless of the troubled first few races, Hamilton remained optimistic concerning the capabilities Mercedes needed to flip issues round.
“I feel it is all about perspective,” he mentioned. “I feel for us, after all, we have not began the season the place we needed to be however we have got a protracted option to go.
“You have seen previously, final yr, for instance, simply how issues can change in sure groups – wanting like Aston, [and] McLaren final yr, who began on the again foot. Something can occur within the sport.
“I feel we have simply bought to be taught as a lot as we are able to, take as a lot as we are able to from the info, stay constructive, proceed to work exhausting. And I might say it isn’t the way you fall, it is the way you stand up.
“We’re simply going to proceed to chase and combat and hopefully we could be preventing on the entrance at some stage.”
