Is Lewis Hamilton losing his speed? Hamilton himself has already come to this painful conclusion after yet another disappointing qualification in Qatar. The Brit had to watch his teammate George Russell finish ahead of him seventeen times during this year’s qualifications. The world champion, therefore, expects his compatriot to have a better chance of pole position during Saturday’s session.
Lewis Hamilton is set to leave Mercedes for Ferrari at the end of the season. The Brit had undoubtedly hoped for a better end to his time with the German racing team than he is currently experiencing. Hamilton qualified seventh for the sprint race in Qatar, the latest in a series of disappointing qualifications for the Mercedes driver.
“The same as every other qualification: not so great,” Hamilton responds after the session when Viaplay asks about his sprint qualification. “I’m just slow. The same as every weekend. The car felt relatively good. You know, no problems. I don’t really have much more to say.
Slower than Russell
The soon-to-be Ferrari driver had to watch seventeen times during the current season as teammate George Russell was faster in the qualifiers for the main races. Before Russell became Hamilton’s teammate, the Mercedes driver had never been defeated in such a way by a teammate.
“Who knows? At least I’m not fast anymore,” continues the seven-time world champion. “If you’re always at the back, where I am, it’s almost impossible to compete for victories from there. But that’s the sprint. I’ll do what I can tomorrow.” Hamilton sees more opportunities for his teammate than for himself during the rest of the weekend. “The positive is that the car is fast and George (during the qualifier for the main race) should be able to go for the pole.”
