31/07/2022
NEWS STORY
Not for the first time this season, Lewis Hamilton admits to being baffled by the W13's performance.
Time and time again over the thirteen race weekends we have seen the Mercedes' performance swing, pendulum-like, often session-to-session.
Certainly, on Friday the W13 was well off the pace, Hamilton incredulous at being 1.9s off Charles Leclerc's pace whilst on the same tyre.
Yet today it was the Ferraris that were struggling, while the seven-time world champion cruised to second, and had it not been for a DRS issue in qualifying might well have made it to the top step of the podium for the first time this year.
"With a bit of a better qualifying, if the DRS had been okay yesterday, we would have been in the run for the win," he told reporters. "But either way, two second places in a row, I'm really, really happy.
For us to get both cars on the podium twice is pretty special for us," he continued, referring to the successive double podium finishes today and last week in France.
Asked, in the wake of Friday's struggles, where today's pace had come from, he admitted: "I honestly don't know. I was definitely struggling at the beginning of the race and wasn't sure whether I'd be able to catch the guys up.
"But bit-by-bit I got a bit more comfortable with the balance, and had a really good start as well.
"I definitely think being a little bit cooler seemed to work a bit better for us," he admitted. "I can't tell you exactly why, but I'm grateful for it.
"I was hoping it would rain at the end so I could challenge Max," he laughed, "but we ran out of laps.
"The other guys still have a bit of an edge," he admitted. "But we're clearly closing the gap, and this is just an amazing way to go into the break, knowing that we have this performance. Hopefully we'll bring some more into the second part of the season and start fighting with the guys in front."
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