"What a shame; P4 is the new pole position for Mercedes"- Fans express disappointment as Mercedes look no way near Red Bull or Ferrari at 2022 F1 French GP qualifying

Mercedes had another average outing with the team being nowhere close to the frontrunners. There were expectations that the Brackley-based outfit would be closer to the front than in the previous races, especially as the track layout and its surface were supposed to favor the car. As it turns out, however, this was not the case.

Neither Lewis Hamilton nor George Russell was even a factor when it came to the battle for pole position, with the pair mustering only P4 and P6 for the race. Fans were expectantly disappointed with their performance, with some on Twitter posting:

“Thought we was suppost to be in contention this weekend”

“I swear the upgrades aren’t even upgrades”

“so disappointed man i really thought this was gonna be THE week”

“Keeping my Nan locked up until the car is fixed”

“Unbelievable, more than 0.8 seconds behind the leaders, how is it going to continue like this and what a shame a McLaren pushed between the two , not a positive day!”

“Hopefully race pace is better. At least what we know is we have better tyre degredation than red bull and especially Ferrari”

“Data showed the Ferraris having much more tyre wear. They won’t keep that pace for a long time. They will most probably struggle with traction on that hot track tomorrow. Stay calm, Mercedes will be more than alright on long distance”

“No wonder Mercedes is lobbying for a regulations change, they just can’t compete in this iteration”

“Great job @LewisHamilton dragging @MercedesAMGF1 to P4 for Sunday’s race this car is so frustrating it’s a second off the pace and isn’t working,there has to be a major correlation issue between simulations and on track performance that needs sorting #TeamLH #FrenchGP #SkyF1”

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Mercedes could still be a factor in the race tomorrow

Although Saturday was a disappointment for the German team, it still displayed a very competitive race pace on Friday. If the team can carry that through to the race on Sunday then it could become a factor for the podium.

Could the speed of the car bring the team into contention for the win? This entirely depends on the conditions that would be in play for the race. In a straight fight with Ferrari and Red Bull, it's hard to see Lewis Hamilton or George Russell putting up much of a challenge. A late-race safety car or a strategic gamble, however, could play into the hands of the team.