Lewis Hamilton Gives Downcast Verdict After Latest Sprint Qualifying Defeat in Qatar
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Lewis Hamilton expresses frustration over his latest qualifying performance in Qatar, admitting he feels 'slow' compared to his teammate George Russell. Analyzing Hamilton's struggles and Mercedes' performance in F1 2024.
Lewis Hamilton admitted to feeling "definitely not fast" after his performance in Sprint qualifying for the Qatar Grand Prix at Lusail. Despite his Mercedes car feeling "relatively decent," the seven-time World Champion struggled to keep pace with his teammate, George Russell, who was less than a tenth of a second behind polesitter Lando Norris. Hamilton will start from seventh place in the Sprint race, with Russell positioned closer to the front, reaffirming a significant gap in qualifying performance between the two Mercedes drivers.
Hamilton's Qualifying Struggles Continue
Hamilton, who is tied with Russell on race victories this season and trails him by just nine points in the Drivers' standings, has faced a challenging year in qualifying. The latest result from Qatar marks yet another qualifying defeat for Hamilton, who now sits 17-5 behind Russell in their head-to-head qualifying battle in the 2024 season. This also means that Russell has won the Sprint qualifying battle 5-1 against Hamilton this year, adding to the growing frustration surrounding the seven-time champion’s qualifying form.
Mercedes W15: No Issues, but Not Fast Enough
After the Sprint qualifying session, Hamilton gave a somber assessment of his performance, stating that while the Mercedes W15 "felt relatively decent," he simply lacked the pace to challenge for a higher grid position. “Same as every other qualifying, not that great,” Hamilton commented. “I’m just slow, same every weekend. The car felt relatively decent, no issues, and not really much more to say.” Despite the W15 performing well in terms of overall car handling, Hamilton’s lack of speed was a key factor in his disappointing result.
Hamilton acknowledged that the long run in the session did not feel too bad, but admitted that starting from his position made it nearly impossible to compete for a race win. “When you’re always back where I am, it makes it very hard to be competing – well, almost impossible, pretty much – to be competing for wins from there,” Hamilton said. "But that’s the Sprint, I’ll do what I can tomorrow." Despite his downbeat comments, Hamilton remains committed to making the best of his situation and giving his best performance in the Sprint race.
No Positives to Take Away
When asked if there were any positives he could take from the session, Hamilton was frank in his response: “Not particularly, no. I mean, the positive is that the car is fast, and George should be able to shoot for pole tomorrow.” This further emphasized Hamilton's struggle to find the pace required to challenge for the front positions, while acknowledging that his teammate, George Russell, had the potential to fight for pole position, as he had demonstrated in previous sessions.
Hamilton's Qualifying Weaknesses and 2024 Challenges
Hamilton's admission of feeling "slow" follows his earlier comments during the 2024 season, where he identified qualifying as his “weakness.” After failing to secure pole position at the Italian Grand Prix, Hamilton acknowledged that his qualifying performance had not been up to his usual standard. This struggle in qualifying has been a consistent issue for Hamilton in recent seasons, and it continues to hinder his ability to fight for higher grid positions on race day.
Looking Ahead to Ferrari and F1 2025
Despite these ongoing challenges, Hamilton’s future in F1 remains secure, with the seven-time World Champion heading to Ferrari in the 2025 season to partner Charles Leclerc. As it stands, Leclerc leads teammate Carlos Sainz 13-8 in their 2024 qualifying head-to-head, and the addition of Hamilton to Ferrari’s lineup promises to further intensify the team’s competitive dynamic. However, Hamilton’s struggles with qualifying will need to be addressed if he is to succeed at Ferrari and continue to compete at the highest level in F1.
Conclusion: Hamilton's Struggles Persist
Lewis Hamilton’s Sprint qualifying result in Qatar is just the latest in a series of frustrating performances for the seven-time World Champion in 2024. While Mercedes remains a competitive team with strong car performance, Hamilton has struggled to match the pace of his teammate, George Russell, in qualifying. With the final two races of the season ahead, Hamilton will need to find a way to improve his qualifying performance to stay in the fight for podium finishes. However, his candid reflections on his struggles and his determination to keep pushing forward suggest that Hamilton will continue to give his all as he heads toward the conclusion of the season and his future at Ferrari.
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