Lewis Hamilton expressed a bleak outlook for the Dutch Grand Prix following his early exit from qualifying at Zandvoort. Despite consistently being in the top five during practice sessions, the Mercedes driver faced a challenging qualifying session in changing weather conditions, resulting in a starting position no higher than 13th at the seaside circuit.
Hamilton’s qualifying session was marred by traffic incidents that affected his performance. He was impeded by drivers such as Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso from Aston Martin, as well as Yuki Tsunoda. These incidents led to investigations into potential impeding by the aforementioned drivers during both Q1 and Q2.
The qualifying disappointment marks another instance where a Mercedes car has failed to advance to Q3 in the 2023 season. Out of the 16 qualifying sessions, including sprint shootouts, that have taken place so far, a Mercedes car has been unable to reach Q3 on eight occasions.
In contrast to Hamilton’s struggles, his teammate George Russell managed to secure the third spot on the grid, narrowly missing out on a front-row start by a margin of less than two tenths.
When asked about his confidence for the upcoming race, Hamilton candidly replied that he had none. He cited the challenging behavior of his car, which he had found difficult to handle since the second practice session. Despite feeling positive during the first practice session, he expressed uncertainty about the change in performance since then.
Given the limited overtaking opportunities on the compact and twisty Zandvoort circuit, Hamilton dismissed the possibility of achieving a fifth podium finish of the season during the Dutch Grand Prix. The combination of challenging track conditions and his starting position contributed to his pessimistic outlook for the race.
As Hamilton prepares for the race, he aims to channel the negative aspects of his qualifying experience into a positive performance, acknowledging the difficulties he has faced throughout the weekend.
