Last Updated on November 22 2024, 6:23 pm
‘The first time I had a day like this’: Mercedes’ sensational pace leaves Hamilton speechless as Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes shine under the Las Vegas lights – On Thursday night in Las Vegas, Lewis Hamilton was nothing short of ecstatic.
The Formula One veteran, known for his sharp criticism and relentless focus, looked unusually at ease after a stellar day of practice ahead of the weekend’s race. For the first time in a tumultuous season, Hamilton enjoyed a day when everything seemed to click.
“It’s the first time this year I’ve had a day like this,” he said, visibly pleased after setting the fastest times in both free practice sessions.
The night’s performance was a welcome surprise for Hamilton and Mercedes, a team that has struggled to find consistent pace against dominant rivals such as Red Bull. But with Las Vegas offering unique challenges – temperatures dipping as low as 11 degrees Celsius and a slippery track – the Mercedes W14 seemed to thrive. But, as always in F1, the question remains: Can they maintain the momentum?
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A slippery start on a cool night
The first free practice (FP1) began at 18:30 local time under the glittering lights of the Las Vegas Strip. Despite the glamour, conditions were far from ideal. With temperatures hovering around 14 degrees Celsius and the track lacking grip, the drivers found it difficult to keep their cars under control. By the time the second practice session (FP2) started at 22:00, the temperatures had dropped even further, making the already tricky conditions even worse.
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff, braving the cold in a white winter jacket reminiscent of the Michelin Man, summed up the strange day.
“We’ve had a couple of good Fridays where there wasn’t much grip and the car was sliding around,” Wolff told Austrian broadcaster ORF.
“That’s why it’s difficult to judge. Don’t count your chickens before they hatch!”
Wolff’s cautious optimism stems from Mercedes’ ongoing struggle with grip-dependent performance. When the car slips, Mercedes seem to gain speed. But as grip improves, the team faces a peculiar phenomenon known as “three-wheeling”, where one wheel lifts off the track, causing a significant loss of lap time.
Warmer temperatures often exacerbate this problem by overheating the rear axle, a problem they managed to avoid on the cold Las Vegas night.
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While Wolff preached caution, George Russell offered a more optimistic outlook, directly contradicting his team principal’s theory. Russell, who was third fastest in FP2, just 0.190s behind Hamilton, believes Mercedes’ struggles on Friday are often misinterpreted.
“The perception that we are losing performance is not correct in my opinion,” Russell explained.
“It’s more about our direct rivals not running at full power. Maybe they have more fuel in the tank than we did on Friday. They just have a bit more fuel in the tank than we do, and when they run out of fuel, the pecking order normalises.”
Russell admitted that the team’s rivals were likely to close the gap as the weekend progressed, but remained optimistic about their chances.
“Our lead in the first session was quite big,” he noted.
“I’m sure the others will close the gap. But I’m pleasantly surprised. To be honest, we’re scratching our heads at the moment because we don’t quite understand why the sessions have gone so well.”
However, Russell tempered his excitement by acknowledging the unpredictable nature of Formula One weekends.
“It was just a practice session,” he pointed out. “The track will probably gain three seconds tomorrow and the dynamics could change completely.”
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Hamilton warns of Mercedes’ race trim weakness
Despite the celebrations, Hamilton had a warning: Mercedes’ race pace remains a concern. While the seven-time world champion excelled at setting single lap times, long-run simulations revealed weaknesses against rivals, particularly McLaren.
“In the first free practice the feeling was really good. Less so in the second,” admitted Hamilton.
“We’ve got a lot to work on overnight. It’s difficult to say exactly where we are. But what I can say is that I really enjoyed driving our car on this track today. I hope it feels the same tomorrow.”
Hamilton was quick to point out that warmer conditions – which are likely throughout the weekend – could spell trouble for Mercedes.
“Warmer conditions are certainly worse for us and our race pace is not very convincing,” he explained.
“There’s a lot of work to be done to see how we can improve our race trim without losing pace on a fast lap.”
Despite these concerns, Hamilton couldn’t hide his delight at the car’s performance on the slippery Las Vegas circuit.
“It was a nice feeling to be able to string together fast sections without the car throwing me off immediately,” he said, clearly relishing the rare opportunity to push the car to its limits.
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A momentous weekend in more ways than one
For Hamilton, the Las Vegas Grand Prix marks the start of his final triple-header as a Mercedes driver before his expected move to Ferrari next season. After a disheartening weekend in Brazil, where he seemed to want to fast-forward to the off-season, Thursday’s positive practice sessions provided a much-needed mental boost.
Toto Wolff was also cautiously optimistic, although he warned against reading too much into Thursday’s results.
“Hopefully the conditions will stay like this,” he said. “Then we’ll definitely be in a good position.”
Wolff played down concerns about tyre graining, noting that it was a challenge shared by the entire grid.
The broader question remains: Can Mercedes capitalise on their unexpected advantage, or will their rivals – especially Red Bull and McLaren – catch up as conditions improve and strategies evolve?
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A weekend of uncertainty
The unpredictability of the Las Vegas weekend has left fans, pundits and teams alike in suspense. Mercedes’ unexpected dominance on Thursday raises hopes of a thrilling race, but caution remains the watchword.
As temperatures rise and the track evolves, the dynamics could change dramatically. For now, Hamilton and Mercedes can savour a rare moment of glory in a challenging season. But with qualifying and the race still to come, the battle is far from over.
Whatever happens next, Thursday’s performance will stand out as a reminder of Mercedes’ resilience – and of Hamilton’s enduring brilliance as he prepares to close the chapter on his historic tenure with the team.
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With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
