Hamilton after qualifying: “That was the best we could get”

Lewis Hamilton expressed his satisfaction after recording the fourth best time during the qualifying session for the Belgian Grand Prix, stating that it was the best we could achieve in a session marked by rain.

Hamilton was only beaten by the Red Bull duo, as well as Charles Leclerc during the final phase of Q3. His teammate George Russell finished in seventh place. However, both Mercedes drivers will gain a position on the starting grid on Sunday, thanks to Verstappen’s 10-place penalty for an engine change.

« P3 tomorrow? Ah yes, I hadn’t thought about his penalty! » commented Hamilton when he was informed of his starting position. He added: « Hmm, yeah, usually a good session. I think we tried to predict the weather as best as we could and tried to be on track at the right times.

Hamilton noted that some decisions, such as coming out too early for the final lap and not having another set of tires, limited their performance. « Ultimately, you will look at that and say that there are certain areas where we… For example, during the final run, we were the first ones to go out, we came out too early (which he also pointed out to his race engineer on the radio, Editor’s note). And also, we didn’t have another set [of tires] like [some] others », he explained. He concluded by saying: « Otherwise, I’m pretty happy with that. I think we worked as hard as possible and it was the best we could get. »

The Max Verstappen danger on Sunday

With dry weather conditions forecasted for Sunday, Hamilton was asked about the potential of Mercedes in the race and how quickly he expects to see Verstappen climb up from P11. “Oh, Max is going to climb up very quickly,” declared the seven-time world champion, adding: “I think their car is the fastest here this weekend or at least equal to McLaren.”

Hamilton indicated that the team needed to stay focused and try to maintain their positions. « As for us, we just have to keep our heads down and try to maintain our position. I have to try to see if I can keep up with the guys in front of me, but I will give it my all and hopefully the changes we have made will improve things for tomorrow. »

On his side, George Russell, who finished 0.349 seconds behind Hamilton in Q3, said that his seventh place was a fair result. « We were not the fastest this weekend, it’s not… It’s definitely not easy to predict what the weather will do and find that optimal point with the tires,” he explained. He acknowledged: « Yes, ultimately, we were not as fast as our competitors, and I think that was probably the right result. »

Looking ahead to the race, Russell added: « I think the McLarens will be really fast, I think Max will be really quick. » He noted that tire degradation would be a key factor, stating: « But tire degradation seems quite significant here at the moment, so you know, they may have the fastest car, but if you can manage these tires well, I think there are still plenty of opportunities. »

Russell concluded by saying: « I expect it to be difficult to fight for the podium, but there will be opportunities, so let’s wait and see. »