Lewis Hamilton looks served after the Formula 1 qualifying at Silverstone. After all, he was only seventh, 0.491 seconds down on pole position.
Even more: Hamilton was 0.056 seconds behind his Mercedes team-mate, who equalized the team duel to 5:5. And then another Brit stole the show from his compatriots: Lando Norris in the McLaren.
Norris was around two and a half tenths faster than Hamilton over the one flying lap, and that gives Hamilton food for thought. He says: “This is not a setback, but a wake-up call for our team. Because others have overtaken us. We have to do more,” said Hamilton.
In fact, the McLaren MCL36 is proving to be a strong car at Silverstone. But for half the lap, the vehicle is on par with the Mercedes W14, which only loses ground significantly in the fast corners before the Hangar straight and then again at the exit of the Stowe curve. In other words: in fast corners and at top speed.
Why Lewis Hamilton isn’t surprised
For Hamilton, this is “not surprising”, as he explains after qualifying. “If you look at the car, it makes sense. Because you have to put the car next to the Red Bull. It looks very, very similar on the sides and it works.”
With these statements, Hamilton refers to the latest update from McLaren, which extensively modified its car for the Austrian Grand Prix in Spielberg last week. It was “better than us” right away, says Hamilton. “I assume that will be the case again on Sunday.”
All because McLaren based its new parts on Max Verstappen’s Red Bull RB19? Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff does not want to accept this as the sole reason.
Formula 1: This is how Toto Wolff stands on the McLaren update
He says: “From the outside, the McLaren looks like a Red Bull. But that’s just one side of the coin. And actually it doesn’t really matter because it’s all about the stopwatch. I guess that’s what Lewis thought related that this design represents a good direction.”
So would Mercedes also have to replicate the Red Bull? “That’s easier said than done,” says Wolff. Mercedes and the competition would of course explore this: “All teams had aero parts in the wind tunnel that look like Red Bull, but [in unserem Fall] the performance has not increased.”
Still, the recent rebound at McLaren could prompt a re-rating. “We turn every stone and maybe look at the matter again,” says Wolff. Rationale: “Another team just found a second of power.”
Lewis Hamilton begrudges McLaren the success
But if there is one team that Hamilton begrudges this success, it is McLaren. The seven-time world champion started his Formula 1 career there and won his first world title in 2008.
“I’m really happy for McLaren,” said Hamilton. “The team has had such a bad run for so long. It’s really nice to see them back up there. That’s great. And now there’s another team in the draw. That’s what we want to see in Formula 1 .”
On the other hand, McLaren’s form makes it difficult for Mercedes to shine in front of British fans. Hamilton is “realistically not so sure” what will be in the race given this starting position from P7. “I try to be optimistic and we will do our best.” Everything else will be “found out” in the Grand Prix, Hamilton said.
He just says: “It’s going to be a tough race.” Because on the way to the podium he not only had to pass two Ferraris, but also two McLarens.
“Terrific support” from the Formula 1 fans
That dampens Hamilton’s euphoria at the home race. He raves about the “great feeling” of being able to drive in front of his fans and describes his “hope to be able to show the British spectators a great performance”. “But it’s obviously disappointing that we [im Qualifying] couldn’t do it anymore.” After all, he could see the fans from the cockpit and felt their “terrific support”.
This support has not carried Hamilton to success this weekend: once he even spun on a damp track and ended up in the gravel trap at the Stowe curve. “That wasn’t planned. But it was wet and we drove on slicks,” explains Hamilton. “I put the pressure on and shot over the limit.”
Overall, qualifying went “okay” from his point of view, he even had “a lot of fun” in the mixed conditions. The bottom line, however, was that P7 was “the best” that he could have done. “It was a good qualifying session,” said Hamilton.