Lewis Hamilton admitted that his strategy and Mercedes’ changes “backfired” after a disappointing FP2 session saw him finish 18th.
The Brit demanded fundamental changes to his W15 after a ninth-placed finish in Saudi Arabia, which Mercedes made in response.
However, they did not work as intended and Hamilton faces a battle in tomorrow’s Qualifying in Sunday’s Grand Prix.
“We have achieved to experiment, but we haven’t unlocked performance,” Hamilton told Sky Sports.
“In the second session we have gone through quite a dramatic set-up change on Lewis and that has dramatically backfired, but this is why we are are having those sessions.”
