Lewis Hamilton seems more downbeat than ever at the Qatar Grand Prix this weekend. If he was searching for a solution to his qualifying woes, he may now have given up.
George Russell has continued to ruthlessly dominate the seven-time world champion over a single lap. In Friday’s Sprint qualifying session, he qualified on the front row, while Hamilton was only seventh.
Speaking afterwards, the resigned veteran said he was ‘just slow’. Though he managed to gain a place in the Sprint as Max Verstappen struggled, it didn’t improve his mood whatsoever.
Under the regulations, drivers are allowed to change their setups between the Sprint and Grand Prix qualifying. But Hamilton couldn’t make a meaningful improvement.
He’ll start the race from sixth position between the two Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. Russell challenged for pole once again and ended up within half a tenth of Verstappen.
The four-tenth deficit to his teammate will leave Hamilton feeling numb. Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur will have to rebuild his confidence before he takes to the track for his new team next year.
These F1 fans think ‘it’s over’ for Lewis Hamilton after George Russell’s Qatar Grand Prix message
Russell was immediately quick in Q1 and his early pace made him comfortable for the rest of the session. By contrast, his teammate was in the mid-pack after the early runs.
In a radio message to his team, Russell offered to give Hamilton a tow. Multiple teams have attempted this trick at the Qatar GP, with the slipstream especially effective out of the fast final corner onto the pit straight.
Mercedes took him up on the proposal and Hamilton benefitted, jumping up the order. But many fans on Twitter saw it as a sign of the 39-year-old’s decline.
@Houdini791 and @holdenasecond both dubbed Hamilton an ‘old man’ in need of assistance. @ElliotDB_ fears ‘it’s so over’ for the 105-time race-winner.
@h2oproofteabag said Hamilton really needed ‘a new set up into sector 2’, rather than a tow, as he wrestled with his W15. @classchristian declared him ‘cooked’ because he still couldn’t match his teammate even with the external help into turn one.
Lewis Hamilton’s surprising comments about Lando Norris at the Qatar Grand Prix
Former McLaren teammate Jenson Button says it’s ‘sad’ listening to Hamilton this weekend. His Mercedes farewell has become increasingly painful.
In his defence, he did mount a rousing recovery drive from 10th to second in Las Vegas this weekend. But that partly summed up his season – so often on the backfoot heading into Sunday after failing to maximise the car’s potential in qualifying.
During an appearance on the fan zone stage, Hamilton mocked McLaren’s Lando Norris. It was one of his few light-hearted moments at the event.
He backed Russell to win the Sprint because he couldn’t recall Norris ‘ever’ holding the lead off the line. It was surprising to hear him make fun of another driver given his own predicament, though the crowd seemed to enjoy it.
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