Lewis Hamilton claims he ‘needs to get past’ Carlos Sainz ‘as quick as possible’ after P5 in Austrian GP Qualifying

Lewis Hamilton can potentially score the podium finish only if he gains on Carlos Sainz quickly after the start of the race.

Lewis Hamilton claims he ‘needs to get past’ Carlos Sainz ‘as quick as possible’ after P5 in Austrian GP Qualifying

Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz (via IMAGO)

Mercedes has scored a great comeback from their disappointing start to the 2024 season. Lewis Hamilton even scored a podium at the recent Spanish GP, further showcasing the improvements. However, the Austrian GP was unexpected as Hamilton could only manage a P5 start for the main race.

Lewis Hamilton headed into the Austrian GP with hopes of scoring great results over the weekend. The Briton noted that the team made some good progress with the balance of the chassis at the Austrian circuit. However, the middle sector wasn’t the best for the German carmaker’s performance as pointed out by the seven-time world champion.

We made some progress with the balance. I should have probably started the weekend with this balance. The middle sector was down.
Lewis Hamilton said during the post-session interview.
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Apart from this, the 39-year-old recalled that his pace during the sprint race wasn’t the best possible. Mercedes still improved on the performance since morning with the chassis. Regardless, Hamilton mentioned that he will have to get past Carlos Sainz as soon as possible during the main race at the Red Bull Ring.

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My pace this morning wasn't good, but we've improved the car. I need to get past the Ferrari (Sainz) as quick as possible.
Lewis Hamilton added.

Lewis Hamilton claims it is ‘crazy’ to have a gap of 0.5 seconds at the Red Bull Ring

The Red Bull Ring is a short track with high speed and three DRS zones. This ensures great racing action at all the sectors of the circuit. Hence, Lewis Hamilton wouldn’t face a lot of difficulties in overtaking as long as he didn’t commit mistakes. The 39-year-old opened up about the very small gap between Carlos Sainz and himself during Qualifying.

Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton (via IMAGO)

Lewis Hamilton noted that it was a ‘crazy’ happening to witness such a small gap between the two results. Sainz was ahead of the Briton by just 0.589s during the Austrian GP qualifying. Hence, the 39-year-old further noted that such a small difference at such a short circuit wasn’t ordinary.

It's crazy to have a difference of 0.5 seconds on a circuit as small as this!
Lewis Hamilton said during post-session interivew.

Mercedes will continue to implement further in-season upgrades to close in on the rivals. The 2024 season is promising to put forth great competition for the championship towards the end. Brackley has lost out on major points against the rivals in the constructors’ championship.

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