If there’s one driver who needs a wet weather race at the Austrian Grand Prix the most, it’s Lewis Hamilton. The Briton endured one of the most difficult qualifying sessions since joining Mercedes in 2013, qualifying P4 for today’s race.
In addition, his title rival Max Verstappen took pole position with a flawless lap in Q3. With hours left for the race, Hamilton put out a hopeful tweet on Twitter.
Lewis Hamilton arrives for race day in a rain suit at the Austrian Grand Prix
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Red Bull couldn’t have made their prowess any clearer than they did in qualifying yesterday. The Austrian outfit got both their drivers well ahead of both Mercedes drivers, with Verstappen on pole and Sergio Perez in P3.
However, Lando Norris caused the biggest upset of the afternoon, putting his McLaren on the front row after an impressive second lap in Q3. While a dry race might make the race straightforward, rain could make a significant impact on proceedings.
READ MORE: Austrian GP F1 Main Race: Where to Watch, Timings, Live Stream & Weather Forecast
And this is what Hamilton hopes will ensue at the Red Bull Ring in terms of the weather.
“Came in my rain suit and wellies hoping for rain but it’s still hot af (laughing emoji)”
Came in my rain suit and wellies hoping for rain but it’s still hot af 🤣 pic.twitter.com/PYHBwCaEy4
— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) July 4, 2021
Can Hamilton break Verstappen’s winning streak in the Red Bull Ring?
With Hamilton’s future at Mercedes now secured till 2023, the Briton believes he can fully focus on competing in the current season. However, the last couple of races have shown a much more fierce and competitive Verstappen upstaging the Briton to take more wins than him this season.
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However, the Briton is no stranger to winning a race from outside the top 3. In fact, he won last season’s Turkish Grand Prix after qualifying P6 on the grid to clinch his record-equalling seventh world championship.
With the odds stacked against Hamilton, the possibility of facing that same fate seems less likely. In order to compete with Verstappen, he needs to get past Perez and Norris as soon as he can to make any sort of impact.
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Will the rain gods be on the defending champion’s side today? Or is another lights-to-flag race for Verstappen on the cards at the Austrian Grand Prix?
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