After an incredibly eventful qualifying at the 2023 Brazilian GP, Lewis Hamilton was looking to improve on the decent fifth position by gaining the upper hand in the sprint shootout. However, the competition in the shoot-out was beyond what anyone had expected! It was as if the teams were forced to reveal their true colors because the weather gods had not been so dramatic this time around.

This meant that Aston Martin’s second-row lockout in qualifying was a poor indicator of what was to come. Alonso and Stroll tumbled down the order, whilst Max Verstappen and Lando Norris had an intense battle on the timing sheet for pole, with the Brit clinging on to P1 by hundredths of a second! The Ferrari duo were also struggling, failing to repeat their Mexican GP qualifying shenanigans. But Lewis Hamilton saw an opportunity and wanted to make the most of it.

Mercedes walks into Hamilton’s line of fire after Brazilian GP sprint-shootout

Ever since his US GP disqualification disaster, Lewis Hamilton has been steadily on the rise on track, scoring a well-deserved podium in Mexico. While many have credited the new developments Mercedes brought during the US Grand Prix to make the W14 a formidable force, the results have fallen short of their race-winning ambitions.

After only being able to match his qualifying result of fifth in the sprint shootout, Lewis Hamilton was disappointed in the car’s ability to match his level. While speaking to SkySportsF1, Hamilton expressed, “Yeah I mean it’s generally the pace our car has been for quite some time so. It’s our normal, average-scoring position.” The Mercedes W14 has come a long way since the start of the season, allowing both drivers to continually challenge the front-runners. But the car lacks the finishing touches that would make it capable of what Hamilton desires.

However, the seven-time champion admitted to a lackluster outing during the sprint shootout. He added, “Always pushing for more, my last lap wasn’t really that spectacular. I think I probably could have been one or two places further forwards but I gave it my best”

It did not help Hamilton either that he was on a tire compound disadvantage to Verstappen and Norris, who both had two sets of fresh soft tires. When asked about the challenge this put up, Hamilton pointed the finger toward the car’s shortcomings instead, “It’s normal for us we do it a lot. The challenge isn’t really that. Maximizing the time on each of the tires is always a challenge you know, getting the right temperatures etc. I think I did. Just had a bit of a snap out (of) the last corner and lost a tenth and a half. So, yeah, the car needs to be easier to drive, which it’s not.”

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This has cost Hamilton a place on the sprint race grid as his rival for P2 in the drivers’ championship – Sergio Perez starts just ahead of him in 3rd relative to his fifth.

George Russell gets sandwiched in the intense battle for a second

While Max Verstappen sealed the driver’s championship prematurely, fans find their attention panning towards the consolation battle between Sergio Perez and Lewis Hamilton for the second spot in the driver’s standings. The stakes are higher for Perez, who is already under immense pressure from Daniel Ricciardo and the Red Bull bosses. On the other hand, Lewis Hamilton is itching to set his revenge plot against Verstappen’s 2021 title in motion.

However, it looks like Hamilton’s plan has been delayed not only by the W14 but also by Sergio Perez’s brilliant recovery drive during the sprint shootout. When the timer struck zero in SQ3, the Mexican minister of Defense put in a blinder of a lap to secure the third spot on the grid, only about a tenth behind Verstappen and Norris. Hamilton was hopeful he could upset the second-row settler, but unfortunately, a steering snap in turn 12 cost the seven-time champion not just third, but also fourth.

Making things worse was the fact that it was Mercedes man – George Russell, who had upset Hamilton’s charge. In a session where the top ten were separated by only half a second, one wrong move resulted in the seven-time champion losing out on two positions!

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However, it might be George Russell who shows the most concern when the lights go out at the sprint race. After all, the last time Hamilton was in a feisty mood and was behind Russell, things didn’t go down so well! Will the Brazilian GP sprint shootout be a remake of Qatar, or will Hamilton continue his newfound form? Stay tuned to find out!