Hamilton's Bleak Assessment After Tough Brazil Qualifying

Lewis Hamilton offered a stark assessment of his performance following a disappointing Brazil Grand Prix qualifying session, stating, “It just continues to go bad every weekend.” The Ferrari driver, who faced a Q2 exit, expressed frustration with his ongoing struggles and low expectations for a turnaround in the race, dismissing the possibility of a safety car intervention to salvage his weekend.

Why it matters:

Hamilton's candid remarks underscore a season-long battle with car performance and consistency. As a seven-time world champion and one of F1's most decorated drivers, his inability to extract consistent pace, particularly in qualifying, highlights the competitive pressures within Ferrari and the broader F1 grid. This struggle affects not only his personal championship hopes but also Ferrari's constructor ambitions, signaling a deeper challenge for the team to provide a car capable of regularly competing at the front.

The details:

• Hamilton was eliminated in Q2 at the Sao Paulo circuit, marking his second consecutive year failing to reach the final stages of qualifying at this event.
• He stated, "I've been trying it all year, but it just continues to go bad every weekend, so I'll try again," when asked about his resilience and ability to improve during the race.
• Regarding his feelings after another Q2 elimination, Hamilton simply replied, "Not great."
• On team radio during qualifying, Hamilton voiced concerns about the car's setup and rear tire temperatures, though he couldn't recall if the issue was identical to an earlier Sprint qualifying session.
• When asked about a safety car potentially improving his race fortunes, Hamilton was dismissive, stating, "I'm not expecting it. It's not going to happen."
• Hamilton's time was only quick enough for 13th place, a significant underperformance for a driver of his caliber.

The big picture:

Hamilton's qualifying struggles were not isolated, as Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen also faced an unexpected early exit. Verstappen, a four-time Drivers' Champion, failed to advance past Q1, qualifying 16th, with his teammate Yuki Tsunoda in 19th. This unusual situation with two front-running drivers eliminated early suggests a highly unpredictable and challenging track condition or car setup issues that affected even the top teams. It highlights how quickly fortunes can change in F1, where minor setup discrepancies or track evolution can have major consequences on qualifying results.

What's next:

Despite the bleak qualifying performance, Hamilton will aim to make progress through the field during the Brazil Grand Prix. His focus will be on maximizing race pace and strategy to recover positions, a challenge he has often relished. The team will undoubtedly be analyzing data to understand the qualifying issues and prevent recurrence, especially as they look towards future races and the development of next season's car. The Brazil GP will be a test of both Hamilton's racecraft and Ferrari's strategic capabilities under pressure.