Hamilton Insinuates Trouble With Mercedes’ F1 Start Procedure After Verstappen Beats Him off the Line Yet Again

Although Lewis Hamilton ended Friday on a good note at Silverstone, his Saturday didn’t have a perfect ending. Despite starting the first-ever sprint race on pole at his home race, he finished second behind title rival Max Verstappen.

While Verstappen controlled proceedings from Lap 1, his exceptional launch off the line took him right past Hamilton. After the session, the defending world champion admitted the team need to work on race starts.

Lewis Hamilton believes Max Verstappen made better race starts than him this season

Hamilton secured pole for today’s sprint race by narrowly edging Verstappen out. Despite Red Bull showing tremendous pace on Friday, Mercedes showed they may have brought something extra with them.

While many expected a close battle between Verstappen and Hamilton, the Dutchman sped off the line to take the lead before Turn 1 itself. Despite his flaming brakes before the lights went out, Verstappen‘s powerful launch sent him straight past Hamilton.

After the sprint race, both drivers and Valtteri Bottas, who finished P3, took part in a victory lap parade around Silverstone. While the 36-year-old waved to his fans, he admitted he needs to work with the team to improve on their starts off the line. In addition, he admitted Red Bull did a good job in getting better in that aspect of the race.

The Briton said, “They’ve done a great job with their engine. Their starts are really great this year. We’ve lost a bit of performance on our starts. So, we’ve got to work a bit harder to try and improve that because losing positions is never a great thing.”

READ MORE: British GP Report: Verstappen Beats Hamilton Off the Line to Take ‘Pole’ as Sprint Race Format Makes a Glorious F1 Debut

Can Hamilton upset the odds to win at Silverstone?

While the Briton has made winning a habit at Silverstone, the odds seem heavily stacked against him this time. With Verstappen showing exquisite pace and Mercedes slightly short of answers, Hamilton needs a monumental effort to turn the tide.

However, with a capacity crowd cheering for him and seven race wins at this track, the Briton might have something up his sleeve for Sunday. Despite Red Bull‘s dominance, no one can count Hamilton out until all 71 laps are complete.

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