F1 News
Hamilton in good spirits after painful P10 in Las Vegas: 'I've got pace'
Lewis Hamilton has reflected on finishing in 10th place after making a mistake in the last session of qualifying at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. All weekend, the Mercedes has been the car to beat in Sin City. It performs well in colder conditions, which is what we have in these Nevada nights. George Russell was able to put his car on pole position for the race, with teammate Lewis Hamilton also looking good. Errors prevented him from a better result, but the seven-time world champion isn't feeling too downbeat as he hopes for a good result tomorrow.
Hamilton first explained in the paddock what went wrong in Q3. "Didn't do the job. The car felt different in Q3 and stability was not there for some reason but I'd had it in all the sessions. But ultimately I didn't fit the laps together. Yes, I mean the tyres were difficult, that's why we did a prep lap and I think that was the wrong call to do a prep lap on my side. And then it kind of domino effected," the 105-time Grand Prix winner began.
The Brit has been in a similar situation before this year. Mercedes tends to have positive Fridays before their true performance unravels in qualifying. "Well, I think we think it's tyres, but I mean, we don't know why we're as fast as we can be. It must have something to do with temperatures." Still, Hamilton noticed that the track continued to improve throughout qualifying. "It just gets grippier and faster and more enjoyable to drive."
Hamilton still hoping to hit the jackpot in Las Vegas:
Clearly, Hamilton's qualifying wasn't entirely flawless, but in general, Hamilton is still satisfied with the prospect of a good result tomorrow. "I feel great, to be honest. I wish I was on pole. George is on pole. It's great for the team. It's not a stinger. I'm going forward. I've got three shots, three pops at it. Two more pops in the next races and see how it goes. The good thing is I've got pace." He concluded.
Hamilton has just three races left with Mercedes before he heads to Ferrari for the 2025 season. He will be hoping to end his 12-season tenure on a high, and cutting through the field in Las Vegas would certainly be a great last hurrah.
This article was written in collaboration with Esteban den Toom
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