Lewis Hamilton has expressed his satisfaction after qualifying in fifth place for the Dutch Grand Prix. The seven-time world champion commented that he feels ‘much happier’ with his Ferrari, a significant improvement after the complicated Friday session, where he only achieved the seventh-best time during the sprint race qualifying.
Recalling the previous day, Hamilton stated that he was frustrated with his performance, recording a time of 0.624 seconds slower than the pole position of the sprint race. Instead, he explained that the team made adjustments to the configuration of his vehicle between sessions, which contributed to better performance during Saturday’s qualifying.
Despite the evident progress, the British driver confessed that the change in direction taken with the car has required effort to regain his confidence. ‘It’s like I am building a wall, with every stone you place to build confidence. After Friday, I had to start over,’ he commented, referring to his return to speed after a difficult day.
The weekend results present a mixed picture for Ferrari. Charles Leclerc, who had shone on Friday with a third place, fell to sixth position in the overall standings. Leclerc indicated that the variations in engine modes during qualifying influenced his performance at the wheel, although he admitted that the possibility of fighting for pole was not within reach.
Both Ferrari drivers have pointed out that the car’s race setup could be more competitive, as demonstrated by Leclerc in the sprint race. Hamilton, in particular, was optimistic about his chances for Sunday’s race. ‘I think tomorrow we will have a better opportunity to stay in the fight with those at the front, especially if our strategy is right,’ he concluded.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
