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Veteran Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton aired frustration over the mysterious dip in qualifying performances this season, following another underwhelming performance in the Azerbaijan GP weekend. He clocked the seventh-fastest time, 0.415 seconds slower than his teammate George Russell.
Hamilton kicked off his weekend in Baku on a strong note, setting the second and third fastest times in Friday's practice sessions and feeling confident with the car's balance. However, on Saturday he lost the edge to his teammate, almost half a second slower in the Q2 and the Q3 sessions.
Having voiced his frustrations with qualifying performances at Monza, Hamilton found himself similarly perplexed in Baku. The 104-time pole sitter was baffled by the change in tire behavior, stating that despite trying everything, he couldn't get the tires into the optimal working window.
"Same Saturday as always," he told Sky Sports F1 in a dejected tone. "The same thing that happens every Saturday. Yesterday the car was amazing, felt great. I honestly think it could have been at least second row today. Came today, all of a sudden tires don't work at all, all day."
The 39-year-old Briton emphasized that his drop in performance could be entirely attributed to the tires. He explained that, despite experimenting with different methods, he was unable to get the tires into their optimal working window.
"It's only the tires... I'm doing everything that I normally do and more. Trying everything absolutely with the tires. And we go out most often the tires are below the window, you can't get them up...Every single Saturday, I've lost at least half a second to a second. Today I lost a second, compared to yesterday," he added.
This season, the qualifying head-to-head at Mercedes heavily favors Russell, who has outqualified Hamilton on 13 of the 17 weekends. This marks a stark contrast to their 2023 season, where both drivers were evenly matched, finishing with an 11-11 draw in qualifying sessions.
Lewis Hamilton's qualifying woes continue following Monza disappointment
Seven-time F1 champion, Lewis Hamilton, was openly critical of his qualifying struggles after a scrappy effort during the Italian GP session. After qualifying sixth, three positions behind his teammate George Russell, he admitted that his single-lap pace has been his weakness in recent times.
"I am furious, absolutely furious. I could have been on pole, at least on the front row. I just didn't do the job at the end... No one to blame but myself. Qualifying has been my weakness for a minute now and I can't figure it out," he told Sky Sports F1.
However, Hamilton has shown better race pace and has finished higher than his starting position in the previous eight races. He will be looking to continue that trend and secure a solid result in the 51-lap race this Sunday.
Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri share the front row for the Azerbaijan GP, ahead of Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez. George Russell starts fifth, with Hamilton in seventh position, sandwiched by old rivals Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso.
