Lewis Hamilton ‘doesn’t know what to say’ after really ‘bad’ Friday outing at Belgian GP

Lewis Hamilton admitted that he had a difficult time in the first two free practice sessions during the Belgian GP.

Lewis Hamilton ‘doesn’t know what to say’ after really ‘bad’ Friday outing at Belgian GP

Lewis Hamilton (Via: Imago)

The seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton struggled in free practice during the first day of the Belgian GP. After a series of strong performances including three podiums in his last four races and a big win at Silverstone, Hamilton faced a setback. Mercedes lacked performance during the FP1 and 2 behind the leaders McLaren which had put them in a disadvantage.

Lewis Hamilton expressed disappointment after a bad day at the Belgian GP practice sessions. He expressed frustration because, in recent races, his car had been performing very well and felt great on track. However, during the practice sessions, the car felt completely different from how it had been feeling, and he was unsure why there had been such a change. This uncertainty about the car’s performance left him at a loss for words. Hamilton struggled to explain just how challenging and disappointing the session was for him.

It was a pretty bad day, I don’t really know what to say. [The car] has been feeling great in the past couple of races, and it just felt completely different today.
Lewis Hamilton said.
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Hamilton also mentioned that he faced several balancing problems with his W15 throughout the lap. However, the situation improved a bit in the second practice session. Despite this improvement, other drivers were able to perform even better and showed better results than him. The Briton managed to finish both the practice sessions as high as 5 and 10 positions overall. Hence, while the car’s balance got somewhat better, the competition was still ahead in terms of performance.

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There’s a bunch of balance issues we had through the lap, but it was better in this [FP2] session. But everyone else went even better.
Lewis Hamilton added.
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Lewis Hamilton is optimistic that Mercedes can make overnight changes to perform better

Lewis Hamilton mentioned that being 1.2 seconds slower than the top drivers was not a good result. He acknowledged that this gap was more disappointing than what he performed in the last races. However, he believed that with some adjustments and improvements, which could be made overnight, there is still a chance to close the gap and improve performance.

To be 1.2 seconds behind is not great. Overnight we can make some changes for sure.
Lewis Hamilton stated.
Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton (Via IMAGO)

Hamilton thought that Mercedes might be in an advantage if it rains on Saturday during Qualifying. This might create a better opportunity for the team to start the race in a better position. The Briton hoped that they would be able to perform better under wet conditions. He believed that the car would handle more effectively in the rain compared to dry conditions as it did in Silverstone. Therefore, the seven-time-world champion hoped that it would rain so that it would be easy for them to compete against the leader McLaren.

I think, if it rains, that opens up a little bit and hopefully we can do a better job. I think the car should be better in the wet than it is in the dry.
Lewis Hamilton added.

Certainly, Lewis Hamilton expressed his optimism that if the weather conditions fall in their favor they have a high chance of succeeding. Fans expect the 39-year-old to end the first half of the season on a good note ahead of the summer break.

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