Lewis Hamilton’s Tone Shifts as Mercedes Star Chuckles Following Japanese GP Qualifying

Lewis Hamilton Finds Positivity Despite P7 Qualifying at Japanese Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton exhibited a more positive outlook following his qualifying performance at the Japanese Grand Prix, where he secured the fourth row of the grid for Mercedes. Despite starting from seventh place, the seven-time world champion found humor in the considerable gap to Red Bull’s dominance on the Suzuka circuit.

Max Verstappen’s impressive lead, accompanied by teammate Sergio Perez’s strong performance, secured a front-row lockout for Red Bull, showcasing their unstoppable form. However, Hamilton remained optimistic about his own display, crediting his team for making significant adjustments to the car’s setup throughout the week.

“I was giving it everything,” he told Sky Sports F1. “The team did a really great job this past week making adjustments to our set-up.”

Expressing his satisfaction with the weekend’s setup approach, Hamilton noted a return to a more standard routine, allowing him to focus on driving without extensive testing. Despite the marginal gap to Red Bull, Hamilton recognized the improvements made, indicating a better understanding of the car’s performance areas that require enhancement.

“This is actually the first weekend I’ve not gone crazy with set-up and am not testing a bunch of things, so I’m back to a bit more normal. I think we’ve got the car into a much nicer working window and so it’s been really enjoyable driving, it’s just the guys are just a little bit faster.”

“We were a second or just over a second off last year to the Red Bull and seven-tenths is better. Maybe if we had done something a little bit different maybe we could have been another tenth faster, maybe, but other than that that was everything.”

As he gears up for the race, Hamilton is determined to capitalize on his insights from qualifying, aiming for a stronger performance on race day. The 39-year-old seeks to revitalize his 2024 season after encountering setbacks in the opening races, including a mechanical DNF in Melbourne.

“I think what it’s giving us is I know exactly where the car is not strong enough, I can feel it in the car, and I know now to be telling them to ‘push in this particular area’. But I’m hoping the race will be stronger tomorrow.”

With just eight points to his name and a significant gap in the Constructors’ Championship battle, Hamilton remains determined to climb the ranks and contribute to Mercedes’ pursuit of success in Japan and beyond.