Mechanical Mishap: Hamilton Reveals Faulty Component Behind Mercedes’ Baku Struggles

Lewis Hamilton disclosed that a part of the Mercedes F1 car "wasn’t constructed properly."

"A component had a construction error, which misled us on Saturday."

Lewis Hamilton disclosed that a part of his Mercedes F1 vehicle was "improperly constructed," which resulted in his underperformance during the qualifying session at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Hamilton had a tough time in Baku, ending up in ninth place after beginning the race from the pit lane.

The seven-time world champion decided to begin the race from the pit lane following the installation of a new power unit.

The choice was made following Hamilton's qualification in seventh place, trailing his teammate George Russell by four-tenths of a second.

Hamilton struggled to make a comeback from the rear of the grid and ended up in ninth place, taking advantage of a collision between Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz.

In an interview with media outlets like Crash.net following the Baku race, Hamilton commented, "On Friday, our car performed excellently. We made some very minor adjustments for Saturday, but one of the parts wasn't assembled properly. This mistake caused us to go in the wrong direction on Saturday."

"We only learned about it at the end of the day. They mentioned that this race was the ideal one to implement the change."

"We require an engine because I lost one before. We anticipated that today would be challenging."

Crash.net inquired about the specific component from Hamilton, but he declined to provide any information.

Although the car was repaired after being removed from parc ferme conditions, Hamilton faced difficulties maintaining competitive speed during the race.

In-car video revealed Hamilton maneuvering in an unusual manner, making abrupt turns – a departure from his typical driving style.

The 39-year-old admitted that the handling of his Mercedes was “one of the worst” he has ever experienced in Formula 1.

"It was likely the most unbalanced setup I've ever experienced," he said. "One of the most unbalanced for sure. Essentially, the front end had too much grip while the rear had almost none, forcing me to turn the wheel sharply. It's not the proper way to drive. I had to jerk the steering to lose traction at the front, sliding through each corner. It was the strangest driving technique I've ever had to use."

"I realized that overtaking wouldn't be possible. It's challenging to stay close in the middle of the race, especially near the end. I'm not sure why our speed was lacking on our end. These things happen."

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