Hamilton Hints Mercedes Have Something In Their Pocket After First Two Practice Sessions

Friday, 19 July 2024 at 22:00

Following the first two practice sessions at Hungaroring, Lewis Hamilton admitted it wasn't the best day for his team but hinted things might still change.

The seven-time World Champion finished 10th in the first and 7th in the second practice session ahead of the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix (George Russell finished 4th and 5th).

While it is only a practice session, and everyone runs different programs, engine modes, and fuel loads, the 39-year-old would like to be closer to the front. Speaking to the media at Hungaroring after the second session, he said:

"Today's not been a good day, really. The weather's been good. It's been nice to be here. We've not been on form today."

While it has been a tough day for the German team, Hamilton suggested they already had an idea of what might be the problem. With one more practice ahead of tomorrow's qualifying, a lot can still change.

Read also

Horner Reveals Details Of Private Conversation With Perez

"The car hasn't felt good setup wise. I think we have an idea why. We'll just work overnight. Not the best prep so far."

Mercedes was the team that almost always started their weekend strong in the opening practice sessions in 2024. While it wasn't the case in Hungary, Hamilton further hinted (mysteriously) that there is one specific component that his team took out from the car, which might make a difference.

"Little tweaks, but the car was pretty much the same [between the sessions]. There's a particular thing that we had left that was changed for this weekend that we need to go back on. It's all relatively close otherwise."

The 39-year-old Mercedes driver also found some hope in the long-run pace of his W15, as he added: "We couldn't do the laps of the other guys today, but the long-run pace was decent at the end."