Lewis Hamilton expressed his disappointment with his performance during the Sprint Qualifying at the Austrian Grand Prix. He admitted to making mistakes and delivering laps below expectations, which ultimately resulted in a disastrous session for him. Despite showing promising pace in practice, Hamilton was unable to replicate it when it mattered most.
During the first stage of Sprint Qualifying, Hamilton had to abandon his lap due to a slip at Turn 1 and a run through the gravel. His second attempt also did not go as planned, leaving him in a precarious position. Although he managed to advance to the final phase, his sole effort for pole position was only enough for sixth place, two positions and two tenths of a second behind his teammate George Russell.
Reflecting on his performance, Hamilton described the session as a disaster from his perspective. While he acknowledged that they did not have the pace to be on pole position, he attributed his poor result to his own mistakes. He referred to his laps as “very bad” and expressed his disappointment at not being able to compete at the front.
Looking ahead to the race, Hamilton was uncertain about his chances of making up ground. He acknowledged that overtaking is difficult on this circuit and emphasized the importance of securing a better starting position for the main grand prix. He remained hopeful but realistic about his prospects.
On the other hand, George Russell, who had been the closest challenger to pole-sitter Max Verstappen in the second stage of Sprint Qualifying, was puzzled by his loss of pace. He wondered if pushing too hard on his preparation lap had affected his performance, as he ended up over three tenths of a second behind the leader.
Despite the disappointment, Russell felt positive about his overall performance. He believed he had a strong lap and was surprised by the gap to the front. He speculated that his tires may have suffered excessive wear during the warm-up lap, which could have affected his grip. However, he was satisfied with his fourth place and eagerly awaited the fight in the main race.
Russell remained optimistic about his chances in the truncated race and saw himself as a contender for a podium finish. He acknowledged the importance of focusing on the main race but also took pride in Mercedes’ progress as they are now consistently competing at the front. He believed they were ahead of Ferrari and slightly behind McLaren in terms of performance.
