SAKHIR, Bahrain, CMC – Seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton said he hopes a strategic set-up error during the final practice run on Friday will prove beneficial during the Bahrain Grand Prix on Saturday.
The 39-year-old British race car driver with Grenadian heritage will start ninth on the grid for the feature race after making a mistake with a change of set-up direction following practice on Thursday. However, his Mercedes teammate and fellow Briton, George Russell, qualified in third.
Russell was 0.078 seconds away from a spot on the front row of the starting grid, claimed by Red Bull driver and reigning world champion Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of France.
Hamilton was optimistic about his chances with the improved performance of the Silver Arrows, believing they now have a competitive car despite the one-lap setback that ruined his bid for a higher starting position.
“It was not great,” he told Sky Sports F1 about his qualifying run. “But I was genuinely excited to be here.
“I think George’s position and pace highlight and are a real testament to the team, how hard everyone has worked over winter. It’s amazing to have a car we can fight with.”
He added: “It unites the fire and flame within us drivers. For me, Bono (race engineer Peter Bonnington) and everyone did a great job, and I struggled to qualify.
“[Thursday] was good. George and I were on the same set-up, but he went left, and I went right. Right was not good for a single lap, but I felt more comfortable with more fuel, so I hope that reflects [on Saturday].
“I’ve sacrificed more than I hoped to, and I hope it pays off. It’s a lot of work to get past all those quick cars ahead of me, but it will be fun.”
The most successful F1 driver of all time, with a record 103 wins and 104 pole positions in a career that started 17 years ago, Hamilton has yet to win a race since December 2021 as Mercedes has struggled to match Red Bull Racing.
Hamilton announced last month that he would leave Mercedes at the end of the season to fulfill a childhood dream to drive for rival Ferrari.
He has been driving for Mercedes for the past 11 years, but his current contract is set to expire at the end of the season, and he will replace Carlos Sainz of Spain at Ferrari.
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