Lewis Hamilton Explains ‘Something Happened’ During Cursed Canada GP Qualifying

Lewis Hamilton Admits "Something Happened" During Cursed Canada GP Qualifying

Lewis Hamilton was left perplexed after qualifying for the 2024 Canadian GP. The #44 driver was happy with how the upgraded W15 was feeling during the practice sessions. However, come qualifying, the Briton suddenly lost confidence and performance. Now, the seven-time world champion has revealed that he has understood why.

After the session on Saturday, Hamilton was left without any explanation as to why he could only manage P7 while his teammate, George Russell took pole position. According to Hamilton, he now understands that it was an issue on Mercedes’ side.

Formula Passion quoted Hamilton as saying, “Each set was 2 or 3 degrees lower than it should have been. I imagine something happened with the tire-warmers.” Formula 1 tires are very heat-sensitive, and warmup is crucial to get them running at their best operating window. “We need to be more careful,” concluded the #44 driver.

Hamilton has been very critical in the past about how sensitive the Pirelli tires are. However, this time around, he has the Silver Arrows to blame for his on-track miseries. Despite driving a stunning recovery drive from P7, the Briton just missed out on the final podium place to his teammate.

Undertones of disarray within the Silver Arrows have started to creep into the open. After the race on Sunday, Hamilton chose to snub Toto Wolff over the radio comms. A consolatory message from the Mercedes boss was met with radio silence on the other end by Hamilton.

Does Lewis Hamilton feel Mercedes is boycotting him?

Cracks seem to be developing between the seven-time world champion and his team. Hamilton announced earlier this year that he would be leaving the team to join Ferrari from 2025 onwards. This may have prompted the team to shift their priority to Russell – something Hamilton is not very happy about.

The #44 driver publicly addressed this for the first time at the Monaco GP when Russell’s was the only car fitted with the upgraded front wing. The very next race weekend, Hamilton once again feels that the team let him down in favor of the #63 driver.

After the second Safety Car at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, the Mercedes duo of Russell and Hamilton pitted for fresh rubber. Russell was given the Mediums but surprisingly, Hamilton was offered the Hards. The Briton feels this is what cost him the podium.

“Am I penalized by tire choice? Yes, if I had known that I would have been fitted with Hard tires, I would have stayed out. I thought I would have the same tires as George,” remarked Hamilton. With 15 more rounds still left in the championship, is Hamilton’s cold war with Mercedes about to take a bitter turn?

Post Edited By: Shreya Sanjeev
Canadian GP George Russell Lewis Hamilton Mercedes

About the author

Anirban Aly Mandal

Anirban Aly Mandal is an F1 writer at The SportsRush, with over 1000 articles under his belt, Anirban's love for F1 started when he discovered a copy of F1 2014 on his computer. With over half a decade's worth of time spent religiously following the sport, he’s dived deep into the world of motorsports. However, Anirban's expertise goes beyond just writing - he has also written several academic papers focused on the domain of motorsports and the law. His passion for the sport is so immense that he aspires to work as a legal advisor in the most prestigious racing series in the world someday. When it comes to Formula 1, Anirban finds great pleasure in re-watching classic races and idolizes the likes of Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell, and Sebastian Vettel. His top picks include Brazil '91, Silverstone '92, and Germany '19. Outside of the sport, Anirban is an avid sim racer, often found racing on titles like Assetto Corsa, F1 22, and Automobilista. Apart from his interests in gaming, Anirban has a keen interest in philosophy, literature and music.

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