While he seemed able to seize pole position, Lewis Hamilton crashed at the worst time during qualifying for the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton had all the cards in hand to secure an excellent position on the grid for the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Fast throughout the weekend, the Mercedes driver was however unable to capitalize in Q3, seeing his hopes of pole collapse after two failed laps. His initial time was canceled for violating track limits, and a mistake on his second run sealed his fate.
“I should have been on pole todayadmitted the seven-time world champion with a touch of bitterness. But nothing worked when it needed to. At least the car had pace, which is encouraging. However, winning the race now seems out of reach.”
A complicated battle ahead
Starting from a less favorable position than hoped, Hamilton anticipates a difficult race. The Briton warns of the challenges presented by this demanding circuit: “I'm really far behind, so we'll have to see what I can do from there. Tire management will be crucial, and we've seen how chaotic the races can be here, like last year.”
Despite this disappointment, Hamilton remains positive about the performance of the Mercedes W15, which showed great capabilities on this atypical urban track.
George Russell glasses in pole position
Hamilton did not fail to congratulate his teammate George Russell, who took an impressive pole position:
“Well done to George, he did a fantastic job. The conditions were ideal all weekend, with nice cool weather. We clearly have a strong car.”
While Russell is in an ideal position to aim for victory, Hamilton will have to rely on his experience and race management to try to climb back into the peloton. With the challenges of the Las Vegas circuit and the tire issue, the spectacle promises to be there.
See you tomorrow for a race that promises to be thrilling!
