Lewis Hamilton Laments 'Shocking' Dutch GP Qualifying As He Faces Steward Scrutiny

Lewis Hamilton expresses frustration with multiple incidents during Dutch Grand Prix qualifying.

Nov 15, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Mercedes AMG Petronas driver Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain during media availabilities at Las Vegas Strip Circuit. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Lewis Hamilton's Dutch Grand Prix Qualifying was nothing short of tumultuous. The seven-time World Champion described the session as "pretty frustrating," with multiple incidents compounding his struggles on the track.

Whilst speaking during the Sky Sports F1 broadcast following the session, in which he Qualified in twelfth position, the British driver commented:

"It was a pretty shocking session. These things happen and it's done now but it doesn't feel good.

"It all went badly from the moment with Perez happened. I did my best to get out of the way, I was far to the left as possible, but timing was bad.

"It was a domino effect, it went from bad to worse."

Speaking to other media, Hamilton commented, as quoted by Motorsport Week:

“[It was] not ideal.

“We made changes overnight and we couldn’t see [what impact that had] in P3, but it’s the same for everybody. We changed the car quite a lot and it was a nightmare today.

“The car was massively snappy today. Yesterday was a lot of understeer and then we tried to dial that out and went more the other way.”

Hamilton has been summoned to the Stewards for potentially impeding Red Bull driver Sergio Perez during Q1. The outcome of this investigation is yet to be revealed but he could face a grid penalty for the race in Zandvoort tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Lando Norris seized pole position. The starting grid saw Max Verstappen in second place, followed by Oscar Piastri in third.

Hamilton's Mercedes teammate George Russell has also reflected on the session after Qualifying in fourth position:

"I am pretty happy. I think it's a fair result - but it swung so much during the session. 

"I went out and hand no grip, was really struggling, and then I was the same pace as the McLarens before it went away from me in Q3.

"The balance of the car is totally dictated by the conditions. A shift in wind direction can transform the balance. You have to be so adaptable."

Hamilton is currently running in the sixth position in the Drivers' Standings with 150 points behind Ferrari's Carlos Sainz in fifth with 162 points. Russell runs in eighth position with 116 position. Mercedes is in the fourth position in the Constructors' Standings with 266 points. Red Bull continues to lead the championship with 408 points followed by McLaren with 366 and Ferrari with 345 points.

2024 Dutch GP Qualifying Results

1. Lando Norris
2. Max Verstappen
3. Oscar Piastri
4. George Russell
5. Sergio Perez
6. Charles Leclerc
7. Fernando Alonso
8. Alex Albon
9. Lance Stroll
10. Pierre Gasly
11. Carlos Sainz
12. Lewis Hamilton
13. Yuki Tsunoda
14. Nico Hulkenberg
15. Kevin Magnussen
16. Daniel Ricciardo
17. Esteban Ocon
18. Valtteri Bottas
19. Zhou Guanyu
20. Logan Sargeant - No time