Hamilton Admits Mistake After Qualifying In Las Vegas: 'I Didn't Do The Job'

Saturday, 23 November 2024 at 15:00

Lewis Hamilton took the blame for scoring only P10 in qualifying for the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix, while George Russell finished on the pole.

Mercedes surprisingly found lots of pace after coming to the Las Vegas Strip Circuit, and the team that is usually fourth fastest suddenly became the quickest of all.

Silver Arrows drivers topped the timing sheets in all of the practice sessions; Lewis Hamilton won FP1 with FP2, and George Russell finished first in FP3.

Both drivers then looked super fast during the qualifying session and traded the fastest laps. However, when it mattered, only one of them went without a mistake, and it was Russell.

Hamilton could have been at least on the front row, but during his first run in Q3, he outbraked himself into turn number 12, and on his second run, he lost his rear in turn number three.

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Ultimately, the seven-time World Champion will have to start the Grand Prix from P10, and he took the blame for the situation when speaking to the media after the qualifying:

"I just didn't do the job. The car felt different in Q3, and the stability was not there for some reason. But I'd had it all in the other sessions but, ultimately, I didn't put the laps together."

"I feel great, to be honest. I wish I was on pole. George is on pole. It's great for the team. It's not a stinger."

"We move forwards, I got three pops at it, two more pops in the next races and see how that goes. The good thing is, I've got pace."

While he still has a fast car and good prospects of moving up the grid once the race begins, the seven-time World Champion suggested it's done for him and that there is no chance of competing for the victory anymore. He told F1 channel: