Lewis Hamilton “extremely grateful to be back in the top three” in qualifying
Lewis Hamilton finished an impressive third in qualifying at the Spanish Grand Prix. Mercedes' British driver looks back on his performance, the improvements made to the car over the weekend and his expectations for Sunday's race.
It is, unsurprisingly, a particularly satisfied Lewis Hamilton who appeared for the post-qualifying interviews, after obtaining a third place for the start of the Spanish Grand Prix. “I am really happy. “I am so happy to be here and extremely grateful to be in the top three,” said the seven-time world champion.
This year has been challenging for Mercedes, but Hamilton has noted significant progress thanks to his team’s efforts. « It has been quite a difficult year, so a huge amount of work from everyone at the factory, and finally, we are starting to see these advances bring us closer to the guys in front », he explained. Although he didn’t expect to fight for pole position, he is grateful to be in third place.
Mercedes is back at the front.
When asked about the team’s progress, Hamilton confirmed that Mercedes has made great strides. “We have made huge progress. And this is really thanks to every individual at the factory who pushes in the design, who pushes to manufacture the new parts that we bring to these races as soon as possible,” he said. He hopes that these improvements will allow Mercedes to compete against the race leaders.
The third place in qualifying is particularly encouraging for Hamilton, who noted that it shows the team is heading in the right direction. “It’s good to be back here. I missed being on this couch, even if it’s not from IKEA,” joked Hamilton. “Really, you’ve seen over the past few races that we are slowly getting closer to the guys ahead.”
The British driver also emphasized the importance of race strategy and tire management for Sunday’s race. “I think it will be very difficult. I think these two will be very fast,” he said, referring to his main rivals, Max Verstappen and Lando Norris. He hopes that the team’s strategy will allow Mercedes to put pressure on the leading cars.
Improvements expected in the upcoming races.
In terms of pace, Hamilton says he is impressed by the car’s performance, despite some necessary adjustments. “We need to make improvements in the upcoming races to really match these guys,” he admitted. He also expressed concerns about the Ferraris, which showed an impressive race pace during the tests.
Hamilton remains optimistic about his podium chances. « If we have more pace available and we can keep up with these guys, then we’re off. »
