Ever since the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP, Lewis Hamilton has been asking Mercedes for a chance to compete with Max Verstappen. However, the Dutchman’s dominance in the rocketship of an RB19 is unparalleled. Only Sergio Perez has been able to snatch a couple of victories out of Verstappen’s hand, that too only at street circuits. Yet, Hamilton was able to overcome this dominance and deliver us with the biggest shock of the current F1 season. But what was the strategy behind this shock?

The Dutchman’s competitiveness is out of this world. Remember how he pitted at the very end of the Austrian GP just to get the fastest lap? Verstappen doesn’t want any slip-ups at all. Recall the Belgium GP sprint qualifying rant with his engineer. However, Lewis Hamilton did pull off a miracle at the Hungarian GP and did one better than the unbeatable Max Verstappen when he got the pole position and along with that, the record of most poles at a single circuit. 

Hamilton beating Verstappen for pole in an inferior Mercedes, how? During The Race F1 podcast, the hosts advised how Lewis Hamilton does something during qualifying similar to what fighter pilots do. According to the podcast, the host said, “You do hear drivers, particularly Lewis Hamilton sometimes talk of holding their breath during intense concentration on a particular corner on [a] qualifying lap.”

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This intense concentration might be the reason why Hamilton was able to snatch the pole away from Verstappen and send the Orange army a huge shock. Even Hamilton’s post-qualifying comments advise the intensity inside the cockpit during that miracle lap.

Lewis Hamilton on beating Max Verstappen to the Hungarian GP pole

Just like it was suggested in the podcast, Lewis Hamilton seemed to be running out of breath in the radio call after getting the pole in Hungary. During the post-race interviews, Hamilton expressed his joy and advised that he lost his voice from all the screaming. Just goes on to show how much it meant to him, beating Max Verstappen on sheer pace for the first time after the 2021 season. 

According to Skysports.com, Lewis Hamilton said “It’s been a crazy year and a half. I’ve lost my voice from shouting so much in the car! It’s amazing that feeling. I feel so grateful to be up here because the team have worked so hard. We have been pushing so hard over this time to get pole. It feels like the first time.”

What do you think about Lewis Hamilton’s technique of holding his breath?

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