Lewis Hamilton was looking unbeatable in the qualifying session at the Russian Grand Prix. The Mercedes driver had topped the Q1 and Q2 sessions and was leading the Q3 as well before his final run. While coming into the pits to change his tires, he hit the wall and damaged his front wing.
The damage meant that he had to change his wing and had just one lap on the softer tires. It did not work out as he eventually finished P4 and went into the wall on his final run as well. The mistake could prove costly for the 7-time world champion as he starts behind three other cars. Despite having a faster car, Hamilton will start from the dirty side of the grid. Lewis expressed his disappointment after the session and blamed himself for the crash.
“Ultimately, I’m incredibly disappointed in myself,” said Lewis. “Up until then, I was in a groove. I was really in the zone. I’m really sorry for all the team that are here and back at the factory because obviously, that’s not what you expect from a champion. It is what it is, and I’ll do my best tomorrow to try to rectify it.” said Hamilton.
Lewis Hamilton mentioned that the grip was horrible on the track as he was struggling to generate temperature in the tires. He stated it won’t be easy to pass the cars in front of him today. “I was losing temperature in the lap, and then twice in the wall. That’s very rare for me,” said Lewis.
“The guys up front have got good pace, and it definitely won’t be easy. I’m just going to say my prayers and hope that the car can be fixed, and it’s hopefully OK for tomorrow.”
“These things are sent to try us, and I feel terrible right now. But I’ll turn it into a positive and try to do the best. But you’ve got a Brit on pole, which is great, so congrats to Lando.” said Hamilton. The result will be more painful for the Brit as he failed to capitalize on Max‘s P20 finish. He will hope to pass the cars in front as soon as possible to lead the race.
