P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Lewis Hamilton was bemused by the sudden grip loss he experienced from FP3 to qualifying with an unchanged Mercedes Formula 1 car at the Canadian Grand Prix. Mercedes emerged as the standout team in drier conditions in final practice and it was Hamilton who led the charge with a sizeable 0.374s gap over Max Verstappen. […]
In the final practice session, Mercedes stood out as the top team in dry conditions, with Hamilton leading the way by a significant 0.374s margin over Verstappen. However, Hamilton struggled in qualifying (Q3) and ended up in seventh place, while his teammate, George Russell, secured pole position. Hamilton’s difficulties in translating practice pace to key moments have been a recurring issue in 2024, with his speed seemingly disappearing when it mattered most. Despite the setbacks, Hamilton congratulated Russell and the team for their hard work and upgrades, which provided a significant morale boost. Hamilton attributed his struggles to tire grip issues, specifically pointing out the Soft compound not working as expected, leading to a lack of performance. Team boss Toto Wolff and the Mercedes team were puzzled by the sudden loss of pace in qualifying, unable to pinpoint the exact reason for the shift in performance dynamics.
