P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Lewis Hamilton feels significantly more was possible at Zandvoort had it not been for his poor qualifying – which was made worse with an added penalty.
Lewis Hamilton expressed his belief that he could have contended for a podium finish at the Dutch Grand Prix if not for a challenging qualifying session at Zandvoort. Despite starting from P13, he implemented an aggressive two-stop strategy, ultimately securing an eighth-place finish and earning four points. Hamilton managed to finish just one place and less than five seconds behind his teammate, George Russell, who began the race from fourth position. His qualifying troubles stemmed from being eliminated in Q2, with a subsequent grid penalty for impeding Sergio Perez further complicating matters. Hamilton noted that despite his strong race pace, his Mercedes W15 wasn’t performing at its peak level post-summer break, where he secured victories in two out of three races. Reflecting on his performance, Hamilton acknowledged the challenges faced in finding a competitive balance with his car setup, expressing optimism for his progress but lamenting his starting position’s impact on his overall race result.
