Lewis Hamilton says driving a Mercedes underperforming Formula Car at the moment is like trying to tame a rattlesnake.
After failing to qualify for the first round in Saudi Arabia two weeks ago, Hamilton put in a better display against the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, where he will start from fifth.
Mercedes is still grappling with a tendency for cars to bounce when driving in a straight line, a phenomenon known as vaporization.
Hamilton has come a long way against the Ferraris and Red Bulls, teams that seem to be battling between them for the championship.
Although qualifying results have improved, Hamilton said the car is still a handful.
“I feel like mine [qualifying] Hamilton told Sky Sports.
“But I also naturally felt sick, I couldn’t deal with it a little bit but the point is, when you push that cart a little bit more, she’s pretty stingy.
“She’s like a viper or a rattlesnake, you never know…”
After qualifying, Mercedes coach Toto Wolff gave his team a poignant assessment of his team’s championship chances, saying that he thinks the team has only a 20% chance of recovering from its current state.
Hamilton’s teammate George Russell said the bounce was so strong that it prevented them from driving at the limit.
“The biggest thing for me right now is still the bounce. I tried everything to stay at the limit of the bounce and then it cost me a lot of speed through high-speed corners, that’s it. is where I lose all my running time.
“I don’t have the confidence to attack with bounces – it’s a unique feeling from inside the car, and when the car is up and down and up and down, you can’t throw it into these high-speed corners. So it’s hard to find the right compromise.”
