When inspecting the car after the Australian Grand Prix, Mercedes discovered some floor damage on Lewis Hamilton’s car. Hamilton spent much of the race struggling for grip and pace, giving Valtteri Bottas a commanding victory.
Mercedes claims that Hamilton’s car had some damage to the floor in front of the left-rear tyre, saying that “there is a chunk of floor missing”. The team is not sure what caused the damage.
Following a great start off the grid, Bottas took the lead into the first corner, with his teammate slotting in behind. Bottas dominated the race with a gap of more than 20 seconds to his teammate. Hamilton was able to help secure the team’s first 1-2 finish of 2019, despite some late-race pressure from Max Verstappen.
After the race, Hamilton hinted that he may have a good idea about what was wrong with the car, but didn’t clarify further. He appeared to struggle greatly after his pit stop for new tyres, complaining about a lack of rear traction.
