Lewis Hamilton achieved great success at the Shanghai International Circuit.
The Chinese Grand Prix weekend for Lewis Hamilton was a series of ups and downs. The British driver had an early exit in the qualifying session, starting in 18th place for the Grand Prix. He then took a gamble by using a set of soft tires, but unfortunately, that bet didn’t pay off and he expressed his frustration about the unconventional strategy over the radio.
At the beginning of the weekend, Lewis Hamilton had a fantastic start by securing a position on the front row for the qualifying race. Despite the inferior equipment he had, he managed to finish as the runner-up in the qualifying race, receiving praise from fans and experts. However, his weekend took a turn for the worse when he was eliminated in the first qualifying session and had to start in 18th on the grid.
During the race, the former champion was heard complaining about his tire strategy.
Lewis Hamilton enters the pit area. He receives a new set of medium tires and rejoins the race in 19th place. 📻 | Lewis Hamilton: “That [soft tire] was the worst tire. Damn…” https://t.co/dKIEkvbEPu
Hamilton’s below-par performance in qualifying led the team to take a risk by using a set of soft tires at the start of the race. However, to his disappointment, this tire choice did not improve his performance as he fell behind in the pack early in the race.
As a result, the 39-year-old driver had to make a pit stop seven laps earlier than planned. He expressed his frustration with the tires, stating that they did not provide him with enough grip during his previous stint and called them the worst soft tires he has ever used.
Hamilton was not satisfied with the soft tires he started the race with and unfortunately his race continued to decline. After making a pit stop for a new set of tires, he found himself stuck behind Ocon’s A524, which made him feel that the W15 car was too slow and brought back unpleasant memories of the W14 car.
The 39-year-old driver was tired of constantly being behind Ocon’s car.
“I can’t even catch [Esteban Ocon], man. This car is so slow.”
📻 | Lewis Hamilton: “I can’t even catch [Ocon], man. This car is so slow.” 😀🔫 https://t.co/zOaUluacbR
Hamilton was frustrated to be stuck behind the French driver. Meanwhile, a safety car was deployed to remove a stalled car from the track, further increasing the difficulties for his former teammate and preventing him from making a pass.
Despite his earlier complaints, Hamilton is determined to overcome the challenges. Furthermore, after the end of the safety car period, the British driver was seen making passes left and right. The race is still ongoing and Hamilton is striving to secure eighth place.
