Lewis Hamilton’s participation in the Australian Grand Prix was cut short after completing only 17 laps due to a mechanical problem that forced him to retire.
Hamilton voiced his disappointment at having to retire early from the Australian Grand Prix due to a power unit failure. His time at Melbourne’s Albert Park was abruptly halted after just 17 laps when his engine unexpectedly seized while approaching turn nine.
This early exit marked Hamilton as the second retirement of the race, following Max Verstappen of Red Bull, who retired due to a brake issue in the initial laps.
Expressing his frustration, Hamilton revealed that he received no prior indication that his engine was on the verge of malfunctioning.
“It just appeared out of nowhere. It was like a split-second thing,” said Hamilton. “I didn’t feel it coming, it just went in one go.
“It was definitely frustrating so early in the race, I was hoping to be able to progress forward on a different strategy to everyone. These things happen.”
Before his retirement, Hamilton found himself in a competitive battle with Sergio Perez and expressed his disappointment with the pace of the Red Bull team.
“There’s a massive gap,” Hamilton stated. “I think they have a second on us. He was on fresh tires, but the way he pulled away down the straight, it’s the same as last year.”
Hamilton’s failure to finish the race marked the end of a challenging weekend for the British driver, who grappled with the balance of his car throughout.
“Nothing more than what I didn’t know before,” Hamilton responded when questioned about whether he had gained any insights during the race.
“We didn’t look terrible in the high speed but we were slow in the low speed.
“In the last race [in Saudi Arabia], we were bad in the high speed and good in the low. A real struggle this weekend.”
