Hamilton has 'roll the dice' approach to qualifying after recent struggles

F1 News

F1 Lewis Hamilton qualifying lap performance Singapore GP
Today at 07:50
  • Kada Sarkozi
  • Editor

Lewis Hamilton has been not happy with his recent qualifying performances in 2024. The Briton last set a pole position at the Hungaroring in 2023, and early this season declared that he will not outqualify his teammate George Russell this year. At a track where the Briton has put together one of his most famous qualifying laps of all time, the Briton revisited the topic of doing well on Saturdays in Singapore.

Back in 2018, Lewis Hamilton outqualified the grid easily in Singapore. Only Max Verstappen could come close to the Briton, who finished three tenths behind him on the Sunday. "[I anticipate it to be] similar to the past races probably. It's not been great for some time, so I don't know. I'm just going to roll the dice and see how it goes," the Briton said about qualifying this season at the same track.

Going back to his lap six years ago, the Briton began to explain where he is struggling at the moment. "I've been thinking about it a lot, and honestly, I don't think it's necessarily about not being able to access it. It's just the cars and the envelope that we have is much more on a knife edge. You'd be in a braking zone and the rear is out of the window, and then all of a sudden mid-corner or before the apex, it's in the window, and then it's out of the window again. I think it's the air characteristics are shifting every week, so from having a bigger wing to a small beam wing, to having a bigger beam wing, to having front wings that are flexing, rear wings that are flexing."

Could find that window in Spa

He continued by explaining the challenges of the current regulations: "It's such a competitive and really challenging time, I think, for the aerodynamicists and for simulations to have them make sure they correlate each weekend. I think it's been probably one of the most challenging times for, at least I know for my engineers. It's been a very, very challenging time to try and get this car in the proper window."

"When we were in Spa, we had no understanding of why, all of a sudden, it was quickest, and they probably still don't. But we're hoping that that comes back to us at some stage," the Briton pointed to the Belgian GP, where he did outqualify his teammate and eventually won the Grand Prix after Russell's disqualification.


Want more Formula 1? Then follow GPblog on our various social media channels!

X | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube