Lewis Hamilton says he would have been nearer to the highest two within the Spanish Grand Prix if he had not had a poor begin that left him preventing again onto the rostrum.
George Russell took the lead from fourth on the grid in the beginning of Sunday’s race, with Hamilton initially slipping again from third to be behind the 2 Ferrari drivers. Whereas he rapidly cleared each on the opening lap, he was behind his teammate till the ultimate stint when a distinction in technique helped Hamilton cross Russell and end just below 18s behind race winner Max Verstappen.
“I’ve to say an enormous thanks to the workforce, as a result of they’ve been coaching so exhausting within the pit stops,” Hamilton mentioned. “The technique within the pit stops was actually on level. Sadly, a bit like Lando [Norris], I obtained a extremely dangerous begin and clearly misplaced floor to the Ferraris, so it was a little bit of a battle to get again to the place I’m now.
“I feel finally, with a greater begin, we might have… I don’t know if we may have actually held on to the blokes forward, however I don’t suppose we might have been as far behind as we’re right now.”
Hamilton’s technique additionally noticed him having to overhaul Carlos Sainz at one stage and the shut battle led to the Ferrari driver complaining he’d been compelled off monitor at Flip 1. The stewards opted towards an investigation, and Hamilton says he understands Sainz’s complaints however that he’d left sufficient room for him to nonetheless make the subsequent nook.
“It’s by no means a superb feeling while you do get overtaken,” he mentioned. “I feel we had a pleasant tight battle into Flip 1. I left him some room, so I feel he was nonetheless on the monitor. Finally, he left the door open on the within, didn’t totally shut it, and so I went for the within and tried to make the nook. I feel he got here round. I feel we touched wheels equally and nothing main. It was like a small scrub and I gave him some room on the exit.”
Third place marks Hamilton’s first podium of the season, and he says it’s the product of ongoing enhancements each from the Mercedes automobile but in addition within the execution of his personal weekend.
“We positively are [building momentum],” he mentioned. “We’re positively getting extra constant, and if I can simply get my qualifying to be like this weekend, then it makes the Sunday a lot simpler. Additionally, in the event you get a superb begin…
“My Saturdays have been so dangerous for the final, like, 15 races, so it’s good to have a clear weekend. Hopefully this places us in a superb place to problem within the subsequent few races.”
