Following a disappointing qualification on the streets of Las Vegas, Lewis Hamilton is in a state of despair. The British driver could do no better than the very last place on the starting grid during the rain-soaked session. This marks another unwanted record for Hamilton. The seven-time world champion, who has never before started a race from the last position, is speechless: ‘I thought it was going to be a great day, but it’s the worst day ever.’
The qualifying session on the Las Vegas street circuit turned into a nightmare for Lewis Hamilton. After clocking the fifth fastest time during the final practice session on Friday in Vegas, the Brit started the decisive session for the race with high hopes. However, he ended up in the very last place on the starting grid. The rainy conditions, coupled with a collision with a loose pole, prevented Hamilton from reaching his desired pace.
“I just have no words,” Hamilton said after his elimination in Q1, to F1TV. “It’s clearly not good enough. I just couldn’t get any heat into the tires. I had a lot of understeer, and I think one of my front brakes stopped working, so I really struggled to stop in the corners.” With his twentieth starting position in Las Vegas, Hamilton adds another unwanted record to his name. The Brit is the first Ferrari driver since Giancarlo Fisichella at the 2009 Abu Dhabi GP to start a race from the last spot on the grid.
‘Worst Day Ever’
Hamilton is particularly disappointed with his qualifying result, as he was able to maintain a good pace during the third free practice – under drier conditions. “Of course, it’s very frustrating, because I felt that the car was performing wonderfully in the third practice session. Honestly, I thought it was going to be a great day, but it turned out to be the worst day ever. Clearly, it can’t get much worse than this.”
