P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Lewis Hamilton pondered whether he missed out on a possible pole position for Sunday’s Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix, which the Mercedes driver reckoned he could have challenged for had he had a spare intermediate tyre available. Mercedes didn’t have the ultimate pace in Friday’s dry practice running, but a wet qualifying session coupled with […]
Although Mercedes did not show the ultimate pace in Friday’s dry practice, a wet qualifying session and Max Verstappen’s 10-place grid penalty presented an opportunity in Saturday’s qualifying. Charles Leclerc took advantage and claimed the number one starting position alongside Sergio Perez, with Lewis Hamilton starting fourth. Hamilton expressed comfort in the conditions but acknowledged the missed timing opportunities and the lack of an extra set of tires at the end of qualifying. The Sunday race is predicted to be dry, returning the pecking order to its natural state, where Hamilton will aim to challenge Leclerc and Perez while fending off the McLarens and a charging Verstappen. Hamilton sees a tough race ahead with podium aspirations, contingent on the car setup changes and his driving performance on race day.
