Mercedes' British driver Lewis Hamilton races during the sprint qualifying at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace racetrack, also known as Interlagos, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on November 4, 2023, ahead of the Formula One Brazil Grand Prix. — AFP picSAO PAULO, Nov 5 — Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes said poor set-up decisions were to blame on Saturday as their hopes melted in the sun as Max Verstappen dashed to victory in the sprint at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
But after a sharp start, Hamilton fell from fourth to seventh while team-mate George Russell battled to hang on in fourth place, both struggling on worn tyres as Verstappen cruised home ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris and Red Bull-team-mate Sergio Perez. Wolff, in a testy mood, said: “We had a great start and pushed hard, but after that it was clear the car was not balanced right. We were sliding and that killed the tyres.
Russell said he felt the race, run in temperatures of 28 degrees Celsius and 46 degrees on the track, was “confusing and disappointing”.