At the Azerbaijan Grand Prix qualifying session, Charles Leclerc took his second consecutive pole position. The fact that he achieved it due to a red flag was a completely different story. However, second-placed Lewis Hamilton confessed that without the red flag, he probably would not have stood a chance.
Speaking in the press conference he said, “I think there was a little bit more to come, so I was excited for the last run. I think it would have been close but I can’t say that I would have been quicker than Charles but I definitely think there was time left on the table. I think I was a little bit too close to Valtteri on that first lap. So, I struggled.”
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Although the lap itself was decent, Hamilton confessed that he was slow in the middle sector. According to his testimony, he was a little too close to the car ahead. Now all he can do is rue what could have been, put his head down and focus on the race. Lewis Hamilton noted that the Azerbaijan Grand Prix is very difficult race.
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Lewis Hamilton is determined to get his championship lead back
Despite this, the 7-time world champion is incredibly proud of his team. The Briton thanked his crew for all the hard work that they put in all weekend. He revealed that the Mercedes team made a lot of changes to his car that they made overnight at the factory. That work continued all throughout the weekend and he is glad that he is reaping the rewards.
Nevertheless, he cautioned that the Azerbaijan Grand Prix is long. So there is a lot of time for things to go right or to go wrong. For now, Hamilton will keep his eyes trained on pole man Charles Leclerc, as well as championship rival Max Verstappen.
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READ MORE: Azerbaijan GP: Valtteri Bottas Explains Why Mercedes F1 Are So Slow