Lewis Hamilton had a dreadful qualification on Saturday ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix. The Mercedes star got knocked out in Q2 in P13 and as per F1TV, he knows why. Compared to him, his teammate George Russell had an impressive run all the way to Q3. He will start the race in Zandvoort from P3 on Sunday.
While the 25-year-old will be fighting for a podium place from the very get-go, Hamilton will have to fight hard to get himself close to the top three. Considering how fast Mercedes’ rivals look this weekend, finishing in the top three would take somewhat of a miracle for the seven-time world champion.
Reunited and ready for the weekend ahead. Let’s go. 🇳🇱 pic.twitter.com/o4RLINobgq
— George Russell (@GeorgeRussell63) August 24, 2023
Talking about this in the post-qualification interview, Hamilton seemed unhappy with his car. Russell managed to qualify in P3 in the W14, but Hamilton mustered up a spot 10 places behind him. Hamilton, who was criticized lately, knows why the car worked for his teammate but not for him.
Hamilton reveals why he had a dreadful qualification
During the interview, F1TV’s Lawrence Barretto asked Hamilton if the overnight changes made in the car worked right for him. Answering this, the seven-time world champion said that the changes went exactly opposite to what he would have wanted.
Talking about this, he said, “Just struggled with the balance of the car. The car was very unstable. There’s [a] lack of grip.” However, he also mentioned that the changes made to Russell’s car worked for the young Briton, as he went in a opposite direction.
Mega lap at the end of qualifying sees George take P3! Solid second row start for GR. 👏 pic.twitter.com/ilbdPYKtHs
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) August 26, 2023
Admittedly, apart from the issue with the balance and grip of the W14, there were other factors at play as well, such as the timing of the run and the dryness of the track.
What other factors played an important part against Hamilton?
The qualification for the Dutch GP started under wet conditions. However, with time the track began to dry up as rain stopped. Therefore, a lot depended on the time of the running.
Talking about this, F1 expert Will Buxton shared that the timing of Hamilton’s Q2 run did not go in his favor. The drivers who started their flying lap behind him benefitted since the track dried up significantly. Therefore, they got much better grip.
As things stand, Lewis Hamilton will need to make a good recovery and grab as many as points possible. Its vital for him to do so, not just because of his own place in the standings, but for Mercedes to maintain its lead over Aston Martin, Ferrari and McLaren.
