mercedes
The Mercedes was another car that actually appeared to be in the minority, with both Hamilton and Russell spinning on different parts of the track. But they found a better setup for sprint qualifying, with Hamilton in particular looking fast. He was the choice of two drivers until SQ3, when the team sent them out ahead of the rest. It was a masterstroke, as they appeared to have the better conditions, and while Russell sat on top with a lap – despite being beaten late by a great effort from Verstappen – Hamilton had to take off for the yellow flag when Colapinto spun in front of him. . That cost him a chance to make the play today.
Lewis Hamilton, 7th, 1:33.378
“I was unlucky today with the yellow flag, which was a real bummer. I was 4/10 above a lap and it looked good for P1, but that was it. The good thing is that I think we’ve taken a step forward.” The updates we’ve brought here have worked well and although the last few races haven’t been easy, everyone has done a great job to bring these upgrades. .
“We have also done some strong work to improve the car for Sprint Qualifying since FP1. The Sprint weekend had an added level of risk due to the second Parc Fermé, but as soon as we got on the track we knew we had made some good choices. “I know that despite my disappointment today, I can try again tomorrow and I will do my best.”
George Russell, 2nd, 1:32.845
“I’m really happy with how today went. It’s been a while since we’ve been in the front row, so I’m happy with the progress we’ve made. The updated kit we’ve brought here, although it’s old, seems to be working well. I’m a little surprised at how competitive we are today. The sprint qualifying was a tricky session, but we were able to lap it, especially in the last section, and that’s why we took P2.
“Lewis was very fast today and was unlucky to get caught by the yellow flag. We should both have been there, but it’s good to be back in the mix today as a team. It’s also obviously very close. Red Bull, Ferrari ), along with McLaren and a number of other teams, we look forward to continuing this form and fighting from the front into the weekend.”
READ MORE: ‘Why Formula 1 excites me’ – Russell aims for sprint win after narrowly missing pole
Andrew Shovlin, Director of Trackside Engineering
“We can take a lot of positives, but ultimately we end the day a bit frustrated. Lewis managed to get a lap good enough for P1. We decided to go early so we wouldn’t be interrupted by a yellow during a busy time. Unfortunately and ironically, Lewis caught the yellow flag following a spin by Williams of Colapinto at turn 12, which left him in contention for the front row.
“George wasn’t as familiar with the car as Lewis today, but the fact that he can still use the P2 is a clear sign of progress. We brought in the update kit this weekend and the introduction was brief. Of course, it’s only one, but we “It looks like we are seeing the results we hoped for and we will continue that momentum into the remainder of the weekend.”
