'Same Saturday As Always': Says Hamilton After Qualifying In P7

Saturday, 14 September 2024 at 21:00

Lewis Hamilton stated he encountered the same problems in Azerbaijan qualifying as he did every Saturday in 2024.

Mercedes F1 driver Lewis Hamilton was quite positive after two free practice sessions on Friday at Baku City Circuit. He seemed to be on pace with all the drivers from top teams like Ferrari, Red Bull, and McLaren.

However, the seven-time World Champion also said on Friday that he didn't want to jump ahead of himself before the qualifying on Saturday, as that is the point where it usually goes wrong for Mercedes.

Unfortunately, Hamilton was right. He struggled throughout the whole qualifying session, and ultimately, his fastest lap was only good enough for P7.

The 39-year-old was 0.415 seconds slower than his teammate George Russell and 0.924 seconds slower than Charles Leclerc, who put in the fastest time of anyone. When Sky Sports asked Hamilton after the qualifying session how it was for him, he replied:

“"Same Saturday as always. The same thing as every Saturday. Yesterday, the car was amazing, felt great."”

Lewis Hamilton on a flying lap with soft tires, exiting a corner and running over the red and white curb at Baku City Circuit, with track barriers and city buildings in the background.

Lewis Hamilton on a flying lap around the Baku City Circuit

“"I honestly think it could have been at least a second row today. But we came today, and all of a sudden, the tires don't work all day."”

The seven-time World Champion could be heard complaining on his team radio during the live broadcast. He hinted that the team had a problem getting the tires up to the right temperature. In terms of what can be done for Sunday, told F1:

“"It's a long race tomorrow, and anything can happen. I think looking after tires, maximizing the tire, and performance is going to be key tomorrow. Long run, minimizing deg if possible. We'll see. I'll be giving it everything tomorrow for sure."”

Lewis Hamilton's strength tends to be tire management and race pace. With no driver from the top 4 teams right behind, the Briton will most likely only be looking to move up the grid on Sunday.