Disastrous Qatar F1 race “may have been worse”

Lewis Hamilton endured a torrid run to twelfth place within the Qatar Grand Prix in an understeering Mercedes, though a few of the injury was self-inflicted owing to a false begin and a pitlane rushing penalty.

Hamilton additionally picked up a puncture mid-race and, within the last laps, requested the group if he may ‘field’ the automobile and retire – solely to alter his thoughts when he bought the go-ahead.

“It may have been worse, however I completed and it is over,” he stated. “That was me initially. After which the puncture was actually unlucky. And the pitlane, that was me as effectively.

“I will do my finest, however I will get again up tomorrow and provides it one other shot.”  

Hamilton began sixth, together with his Mercedes team-mate George Russell on pole. Regardless of leaping the beginning, Hamilton misplaced positions to Carlos Sainz, Sergio Perez and Fernando Alonso on the opening lap.

Each Mercedes drivers started to complain about what group boss Toto Wolff later known as “horrendous understeer” and, though Hamilton handed Alonso to run eighth after the primary Security Automotive restart, he slipped again from the main pack and was unable to problem Perez.

On lap 34 he picked up a front-left puncture concurrently Ferrari’s Sainz, resulting in hypothesis that each have been brought on by a particles discipline left on the primary straight when Valtteri Bottas ran over a wing mirror which had fallen off Alex Albon’s Williams.

Nevertheless, each Hamilton and Sainz have recommended that different objects, similar to gravel and kerbs, may have performed an element for the reason that front-left tyres – closely burdened on this circuit – have been on the restrict of damage at this level within the race.

Hamilton served his five-second penalty at his pitstop however was then handed a drive-through penalty for rushing when the security automobile led the sphere by means of the pitlane. This dropped him to the penultimate place, from the place he ultimately recovered to twelfth place, regardless of placing in a request to the pitwall to retire the automobile.

“We did not get the wing setting proper,” he stated. “It is occurred many occasions. Yeah, simply principally not having sufficient entrance wing within the automobile, and the automobile simply would not flip.

“So I used to be simply understeering massively for a protracted time frame. And truthfully, for me, it felt like that is what led to the tyre failing. Perhaps it was particles. I did not see any particles, to be trustworthy, nevertheless it’s not perfect. It occurred simply as I bought to the pitlane entry.”

Hamilton doesn’t anticipate any change in end result at this weekend’s last grand prix of the season, in Abu Dhabi, the place he can be leaving the group with which he has gained six world championships.

“I do not assume we will find yourself in a excessive,” he stated. “It can finish and I feel what’s essential is how we flip up, we give it our greatest shot.

“I do not anticipate a very a lot better weekend than we have had prior to now weekends, however naturally I will attempt. Go in with low hopes and possibly come out with a greater consequence – it would not actually make an enormous distinction both manner.

“It has been a rollercoaster experience of feelings and I am simply grateful I am nonetheless standing and I am nonetheless OK. I’ve had nice races in my life and I’ve had dangerous races in my life. Not too many dangerous ones.”