Lewis Hamilton, a British driver for Mercedes AMG F1, celebrated his second-place finish in the Sprint qualifying parc ferme at the Chinese Grand Prix. He expressed that his Mercedes 2024 Formula 1 car performed exceptionally well once it started raining, allowing him to secure a spot on the front row for the race.
During the earlier segments of the qualifying session, Mercedes struggled at the Shanghai International Circuit. Hamilton found himself in ninth place in SQ2, while his teammate Russell shockingly failed to make it past 11th place. However, the unpredictable W15 car proved to be more competitive in wet conditions, enabling Hamilton, a renowned expert in wet weather driving, to secure a surprise front row position.
At the beginning of SQ3, Hamilton had not yet set a lap time due to difficulties in generating temperature in his tires. He had to make an unplanned pit stop to change to Intermediates. Nevertheless, Hamilton showcased his skills in wet conditions and initially claimed pole position until Lando Norris set a lap time 1.2 seconds faster.
Reflecting on the challenging conditions, Hamilton expressed his happiness with his performance. He mentioned that the lack of grip affected all drivers but was excited when he saw the rain coming. He also acknowledged that in dry conditions, his car is not as fast as the Ferraris and Red Bulls, but the rain provided him with a better opportunity to showcase his abilities.
While starting in front of the Red Bull and Ferrari drivers is a positive outcome, Hamilton admitted that maintaining that position in the race will be difficult unless the weather conditions change. He emphasized that his chances of success in the Sprint race will greatly depend on the weather. If it remains wet, he believes there is a possibility of achieving a competitive position. However, in dry conditions, he expects the Ferraris and Red Bulls to overtake him, although he hopes to fend off other competitors.