Hamilton's Q1: seven-time champion struggles to 19th in Austin
AUSTIN – Lewis Hamilton experienced a significant setback during the qualifying session for Sunday's U.S. Grand Prix, ending up 19th on the grid. The seven-time world champion expressed his frustration, describing his Mercedes as "pretty terrible" to drive following some enforced vehicle changes.
Hamilton managed a sixth-place finish in the sprint race on Saturday but faced difficulties from the onset of the first qualifying session for Sunday's main event.
"It's been pretty terrible," Hamilton remarked. "The car felt great yesterday, so obviously came really optimistic for today. Something failed on the front suspension literally as we pulled away from the line for the formation lap, and I had that through the race."
The issues persisted through qualifying despite the team addressing the problem. "So they figured that out, they changed the corner. And it felt like a mess, obviously, through qualifying," he added.
Despite the challenges, Hamilton remains determined to draw on his past experiences to make a strong comeback. "There's not going to be a lot going on. I started in karts with a pretty bad go-kart and used to come through the field, so I'll see if I can do that tomorrow," he said, showing a hint of optimism.
He continued, "Yesterday all of a sudden we were looking really quick. I don't know where that went. But we'll keep pushing."
In the aftermath of qualifying, Hamilton indicated a strategic shift, suggesting he might prefer starting from the pit lane. This would allow his team to make crucial adjustments to his setup before the race.
Adding to Mercedes' woes, teammate George Russell's session ended prematurely following a crash during qualifying.
The U.S. Grand Prix is poised for an exciting race day as fans watch to see how Hamilton and Mercedes navigate these challenges.
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