Mercedes Explains Why Hamilton Was Not Started from the Pit Lane in Austin

Technical director James Allison revealed Mercedes’ decision not to change Lewis Hamilton’s car setup for the U.S. Grand Prix. The team expressed concerns about Hamilton’s potential difficulties in making progress after he raised issues regarding his performance.

Hamilton described his experience as a “nightmare” after adjustments made post-sprint race led to a 19th place finish in qualifying. Starting from 17th, he managed to climb to 12th before losing control of his W15 and ending up in the gravel on lap three. He had experienced similar issues in practice and blamed the new updates brought for the race, although teammate George Russell noted the situation was more complex.

Initially, it was thought that Mercedes would start Hamilton from the pit lane due to Russell’s qualifying crash and Hamilton’s setup troubles. However, the team ultimately decided against making changes to Hamilton’s car. This decision was partly influenced by budget cap constraints.

In a Strategy Briefing video, Allison explained that changing engine components or settings in parc ferme would have required Hamilton to start from the pit lane, and despite discussions with Hamilton, the team was reluctant to make any adjustments.

Allison stated, “The answer is not simple. It was an option to change the car’s setup between qualifying and the race, like George did, and start from the pit lane.”

Allison Discusses Hamilton’s Setup and Engine Decisions

“However, we didn’t think there was an issue with Lewis’s setup. He had the best parts and a grid position that was more advantageous than starting from the pit lane. So why not start from where you qualified?”

“If you put a different engine in the car, you would drop to the back due to a grid penalty and start from the pit lane, which could be acceptable. But more importantly, you can’t just say, ‘I want another engine,’ because there’s a cost associated with that.”

“If there’s a problem with your engine and you replace it, according to the rules, that change doesn’t impact the budget cap. However, if you just want a new engine, you have to pay for it.”

“This wouldn’t be a good trade-off. The freshness of a new power unit could slightly improve your lap times, but the costs of exceeding the budget cap wouldn’t be worth it.”