24.1 C
Manchester
Sunday, July 13, 2025
Other SportsLewis Hamilton: Ex-F1 champion 'not great' after taking 11th in Australian Grand...

Lewis Hamilton: Ex-F1 champion ‘not great’ after taking 11th in Australian Grand Prix qualifying

Lewis Hamilton said he was feeling “flat” and “not great” after an 11th-placed finish in Australian Grand Prix qualifying which has ensured his lowest grid position of the 2024 Formula One season so far.

Seven-time champion Hamilton followed up being fourth-fastest in the final practice session by failing to make the top 10 for the first time in his campaign, later acknowledging that he has been “less consistent” than Mercedes team-mate George Russell, who will start from seventh.

“He is doing a better job with the car,” said Hamilton. “Three qualifyings in a row he has out-qualified me. He just seems to get on a lot better than I do. I’m just trying to keep my head above water and continue to realise it could be way worse.”

Read our other sports news stories here:
Australian Grand Prix qualifying results
Stones wants Southgate to stay with England
Southgate addresses Man United rumours

Mercedes had been targeting progress after two seasons of technical struggles but have experienced multiple problems including the downforce of the car and its capacity at high-speed corners.

“I don’t know if it’s the wind picking up – it picked up quite a bit, same as yesterday – and then the car is just so much more on a knife edge,” said Hamilton.

“It’s just a flat feeling. It’s not great. It’s been a similar feeling for three years in a row. Then there are these spikes of ‘it could be good’, like this morning. Then it disappears.

“If we can find a way of [keeping] that goodness in the car, making it more consistent and holding onto that, maybe we can be more competitive. There’s lots of work we need to do but everyone’s working as hard as they can.”

Mercedes F1 results: ‘Difficult car’

While Hamilton has previously qualified in ninth and eighth this season, Russell’s second successive seventh place came after he started third in Bahrain.

Hamilton finished ninth in Saudi Arabia and seventh in Bahrain, more than 50 seconds behind winner Max Verstappen in the first race of the season and more than 47 seconds short of the championship’s dominant driver in the second.

“We know where we need to improve the car and that is in the high-speed corners,” said Russell. “Unfortunately, there are a decent number of those here in Melbourne, so this circuit is definitely not playing to our strengths.

“I do think we’ll be in a better place tomorrow, though, when everyone has the fuel in their car.”

Team principal Toto Wolff did not swerve the issue. “We have a car that is difficult and small changes can cause it to be outside of the working window,” he said.

“There is no simple solution as it is about the complex interaction between all the constituent elements of the car. It is frustrating that we are still saying this but we will continue to keep working on it.”

Latest

Your Help Hub Extends Handyman Services Nationwide Amid Surging UK Demand

Your Help Hub, a fast-growing name in home maintenance and improvement, has launched its handyman services nationwide to better serve the needs of customers...

Reliable auto locksmith services in Manchester: Everything you need to know

Car keys are essential to our daily lives, yet they are more vulnerable than we might think. In the lively city of Manchester, where...

Hillbrush Debuts Tornado Broom Range for Tough Outdoor Cleaning Environments

Hillbrush has launched its innovative Hillbrush Tornado Range — a robust, modular broom system designed to raise the bar for strength, reliability, and outdoor...

Blaugranagram Partners with 101 Great Goals to Deliver Deeper Fan-Focused Football Content

101 Great Goals has officially entered into a strategic content partnership with Blaugranagram, aiming to enrich the football experience for fans by combining their...
Subscribe to our newsletter
Business Manchester will use the information you provide on this form to be in touch with you and to provide updates and marketing.
Don't miss

Hillbrush Debuts Tornado Broom Range for Tough Outdoor Cleaning Environments

Hillbrush has launched its innovative Hillbrush Tornado Range — a robust, modular broom system designed to raise the bar for strength, reliability, and outdoor...

Your Help Hub Extends Handyman Services Nationwide Amid Surging UK Demand

Your Help Hub, a fast-growing name in home maintenance and improvement, has launched its handyman services nationwide to better serve the needs of customers...

Reliable auto locksmith services in Manchester: Everything you need to know

Car keys are essential to our daily lives, yet they are more vulnerable than we might think. In the lively city of Manchester, where...

More News

F1 Australian Grand Prix 2025: Report, result, highlights as Norris savours ‘stressful’ win

Lando Norris praised McLaren's "amazing car" after overcoming unpredictable conditions to beat reigning champion Max Verstappen and win the F1 Australian Grand Prix 2025...

India vs Australia: Preview, expected lineups, how to watch on TV and prediction for ICC Champions Trophy 2025

India vs Australia: The State of Play India will be targeting a third consecutive appearance in the final when they face Australia in the first...

New Zealand vs India: Preview, expected lineups, how to watch on TV and prediction for ICC Champions Trophy 2025

New Zealand vs India: The State of Play Two teams in excellent form meet on Sunday when New Zealand and India collide in their final...