F1 News: Lewis Hamilton Identifies Area To Improve At Qatar- "I've got Race Craft On Lock"
Lewis Hamilton, despite a challenging start at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix Sprint, managed to skillfully navigate from P12 to a commendable P5, while openly pinpointing qualifying as a pivotal area for improvement. The seasoned driver, while demonstrating his adept race craft, emphasized the necessity of refining his starting position in future races, linking back to his strategic prowess on the track.
Key Takeaways
- Resilient Climb: Hamilton, despite initial struggles, strategically navigated from P12 to P5, showcasing his renowned race craft.
- Tyre and Team Strategy: The team’s split tyre strategy saw Russell and Hamilton on Soft and Medium compounds respectively, influencing their race trajectories.
- Upcoming Challenges: Hamilton and Russell, starting P3 and P2 respectively in the Grand Prix, anticipate a strategic battle, especially against the McLarens.
"I was quite slow at the beginning on the Medium tyre. I knew that the degradation would be high though and that the race would come back to us.
"Did I know that I was going to be able to get back up to fifth? No, but I was hoping I could the whole time. I tried to position my car the best I could, stay out of trouble and progress one step at a time.
"The car is still tricky to drive but our pace overall was good. I know I've got the race craft on lock. I just need to work on my qualifying!" Hamilton shared.
Mercedes Press Image
Continuing, he added:
"That said, tomorrow we start third. That is obviously a much better place to be lining up than we were today. We should be looking to fight to hold that position. We know it will be difficult to hold the McLarens behind.
"They are a little further back though, so we will be doing our best to do that. We will be giving it everything we've got as always.
"Congratulations to Max too on his third world championship, he has driven a great season and it is a well-deserved achievement. It would be great if we could be in a fight with him tomorrow."
The Sprint on Saturday saw Mercedes drivers, George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, finishing in P4 and P5 respectively, thereby adding nine crucial points to the team's tally and securing advantageous grid positions for Sunday’s Grand Prix. Amidst concerns about track preferences affecting tyres and subsequent amendments to track limits at turns 12 and 13, the team adeptly navigated through the challenges.
Mercedes Press Image
As the racers gear up for the Grand Prix at the Lusail International Circuit, the air is thick with anticipation and strategy. Hamilton will be looking to capitalise fully on his P3 start, but will the McLarens be fast enough to take down the Brackley Arrows.