Motor racing – We underperformed as a team, says Hamilton at end of Mercedes race | The mighty 790 KFGO

IMOLA, Italy (Reuters) – Mercedes was excluded from the final round of Formula One qualifying for the first time since 2012 on Friday and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton said the failure was collective.

“I think we underperformed as a team today,” said the Briton after qualifying 13th for Saturday’s sprint race in a messy session at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix with teammate George Russell slightly better in 11th.

“There are things we should have done that we didn’t,” he added.

Hamilton said Mercedes arrived with optimism and acknowledged the hard work being done at the factory, but “things just don’t go together”.

“We will work as hard as possible to progress in the sprint race, it will be tough, but maybe the weather will improve and we can do better,” he added after a punctuated rainy session. scraps and red. -flags.

“Every weekend is a rescue.”

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said the car, which has suffered “porpoising” since the start of the season, was bouncing more than ever at high speed on the straight.

“You can’t drive, you have to lift on the straight,” the Austrian said after the day’s only free practice session. “I’ve never seen a bounce like that in my life, but it’s clearly not drivable.”

Hamilton is fifth overall in the championship, 43 points behind Ferrari leader Charles Leclerc, and his hopes of a record eighth title are dwindling with each race even though he has not given up hope.

“There’s still time for us to turn things around, there’s still time for us to fix this car and extract its full potential and that’s what I know the whole team is working hard to achieve. trying to achieve,” he said earlier on Friday.

(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Christian Radnedge)