P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Lewis Hamilton said his Mercedes 2024 Formula 1 car “came alive” once the rain arrived as he secured second on
Mercedes faced a difficult start at the Shanghai International Circuit, but Hamilton surprisingly secured a front row spot in wet conditions after a challenging qualifying session. Despite struggling with tire temperatures and making an unintended pit stop, Hamilton, a wet weather specialist, initially claimed provisional pole. However, Lando Norris ultimately set a faster lap time to take pole position. Hamilton acknowledged the challenging conditions but expressed excitement for the rainy weather, where Mercedes showed better performance. Hamilton will start ahead of Red Bull and Ferrari drivers in the race, but he expects a tough battle to maintain his position unless the weather changes. In the Sprint race, Hamilton hopes for a competitive position depending on the weather conditions, with the expectation that dry conditions may favor Ferrari and Red Bull.
