With an eighth fastest time, Lewis Hamilton clearly had to admit his superior in qualifying to teammate George Russell who set the fourth fastest time. However, they both gain a place on the starting grid due to the grid penalty for Leclerc. Hamilton says he does not have enough confidence in the car to perform better.
“Obviously George did a great job,” said Hamilton when asked if Russell’s performance was an encouraging sign for Mercedes. “So great, a great result for him, he managed to get the car in a different place to me.”
“I struggled to get the performance out of the car. It’s mostly up to me. And yes, at high speed the car is a bit unstable, my setup of the car.”
Hamilton made it clear that the setup of his car and Russell’s are slightly different.
“Yeah, it’s a little different,” said Hamilton. “It’s just one specific thing I did differently but maybe it’s ok for the race, let’s hope.”
“It is what it is. George did a great job, I’m glad he’s up there on the second row. The car clearly has performance. I just don’t feel connected to the car. No matter what I do, no matter what I change, I don’t get confidence in the car. Yes, I am somewhat on the wrong track.”