Lewis Hamilton, British driver for Mercedes AMG F1, celebrated his second place in the parc ferme of the Sprint qualifying at the Chinese Grand Prix. He expressed that his 2024 Mercedes Formula 1 car had an exceptional performance, especially when it started raining, allowing him to secure a spot on the front row for the race.
During the early stages of the qualifying session, Mercedes struggled at the Shanghai International Circuit. Hamilton found himself in ninth place in Q2, while his teammate Russell shockingly failed to advance from 11th place. However, the unpredictable W15 car proved to be more competitive in wet conditions, allowing Hamilton, a renowned expert in rainy weather driving, to secure a surprising front row position.
At the start of Q3, Hamilton had not yet set a lap time due to difficulties in generating heat in his tires. He had to make an unplanned pit stop to switch to intermediate tires. However, Hamilton showcased his skills in wet conditions and initially secured pole position until Lando Norris set a lap time 1.2 seconds faster.
Reflecting on the challenging conditions, Hamilton expressed his satisfaction with his performance. He mentioned that the lack of grip affected all drivers, but he was excited to see the rain coming. He also acknowledged that in dry conditions, his car is not as fast as the Ferraris and Red Bulls, but the rain provided him with a better opportunity to showcase his skills.
Although starting ahead of the Red Bull and Ferrari drivers is a positive result, Hamilton admitted that maintaining that position in the race will be difficult unless the weather conditions change. He emphasized that his chances of success in the Sprint race will depend a lot on the weather. If it keeps raining, he believes there is a possibility of achieving a competitive position. However, in dry conditions, he expects the Ferraris and Red Bulls to overtake him, although he hopes to resist the other competitors.
