Lewis Hamilton says he “should have been on pole position” after he only qualified 10th for the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Hamilton topped both of Friday’s practice sessions and was quickest in Q2 as Mercedes showed their best form since the summer break in August in the cold Vegas conditions.
But, in Q3, Hamilton locked up on his first run in the middle sector and had a snap of oversteer at Turn Three with his second effort, running wide and had his lap time deleted. Even without the track limits violation, he would still have been 10th.
His Mercedes team-mate George Russell took pole position from Carlos Sainz, so Hamilton was left frustrated.
“I should have been on pole but I’m not, so it is what it is. C’est la vie, you live to fight another day,” he told Sky Sports.
“It is what it is. It’s been a good weekend so far so I’ll give it my best shot tomorrow. Congrats to George.”
Hamilton has struggled in qualifying throughout this season and is 17-5 down to Russell in the qualifying head-to-head at Mercedes.
The seven-time world champion, who is joining Ferrari at the start of next year, says the handling of his Mercedes was not the same in Q3 compared to the other parts of qualifying.
“The car felt different in Q3, and the stability was not there for some reason. But I had it in all the other sessions,” he said to the written media.
“But ultimately I didn’t put the laps together.”
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Catch the Las Vegas GP live on Sky Sports, with coverage beginning at 4.30am for a 6am race start
Hamilton: I’ll see what I can do on Sunday
Hamilton admitted coming into Las Vegas that he wanted to leave Mercedes early after a torrid weekend last time out at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
He made comments over team radio at the end of the race that suggested it could be his “last time” driving for the Silver Arrows, before telling Sky Sports he “could happily go and take a holiday”.
Despite another difficult qualifying which puts him on the backfoot for Sunday’s Las Vegas Grand Prix at 6am, live on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event, Hamilton is taking solace that he had strong pace.
“I’m really quite far back so I’ll just see what I can do from there,” he said.
“Degradation is going to be key. We had an eventful race here last year.”
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Ten years after winning his second World Championship, his first with Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton reflects on his incredible 2014 season
Why are Mercedes quick again?
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George Russell says the team need to dig deep and understand how the Mercedes driver took an ‘unexpected’ pole
Mercedes won the Austrian, British and Belgian Grand Prix in the summer before a drop off in performance, which has seen them fall behind McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull.
Russell had strong pace in the rain in Sao Paulo though, so there is a clear trend that the Silver Arrows enjoys the cooler or wet conditions.
Team principal Toto Wolff said: “We just need winter times!
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Toto Wolff believes their Mercedes ‘come alive’ in colder conditions in Las Vegas after George Russell took pole
“We need Silverstone and Spa in the rain and cold, then Las Vegas at midnight. Our car comes alive when there’s a lack of grip and it’s cold.
“The feedback we get from the drivers is that it feels OK and you hear a much more complaints from other cars about a lack of grip.”
Sky Sports F1’s live Las Vegas GP schedule
Sunday November 24
4.30am: Grand Prix Sunday: Las Vegas GP build-up*
6am: THE LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX*
8am: Chequered Flag: Las Vegas GP reaction*
9am: Ted’s Notebook*
*also live on Sky Sports Main Event
Watch the Las Vegas Grand Prix live on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event at 6am on Sunday, where Max Verstappen could seal the championship. Stream the final three F1 races and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership – No contract, cancel anytime