P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Lewis Hamilton was confused by how much quicker Mercedes’ rivals were between Friday and Saturday.
Lewis Hamilton expressed doubts about the practice performances of Mercedes’ main competitors following another challenging F1 Saturday. The 39-year-old driver qualified in seventh place for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, making him the slowest among the top drivers who reached Q3. Qualifying has been a source of concern for the seven-time F1 champion this season as he struggled to match George Russell’s one-lap pace and faced difficulties in putting together a competitive lap. The handling differences between Friday practice sessions and Saturday qualifying sessions have added to Hamilton’s frustrations with his W15. In Baku, Hamilton even speculated whether teams like Ferrari, McLaren, and Red Bull hide their true pace during FP1 and FP2 sessions. The lack of consistency and grip issues with the tyres further contributed to Hamilton’s challenges during the weekend.
