12/06/2024
NEWS STORY
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has branded the Canadian Grand Prix one of the worst races he has ever driven.
The Briton started the race in seventh, but was unable to make a move on his old foe Fernando Alonso who was running ahead.
When the Safety Car was deployed following Logan Sargeant's crash, Hamilton managed to undercut his Spanish rival to claim fifth where he remained for much of the remainder of the afternoon.
In the final laps, Hamilton, who was on hards, was clearly quicker than his medium-shod teammate and Oscar Piastri, and having passed Russell on Lap 63, subsequently passed the Australian also to claim third with just three laps remaining.
However in the few remaining laps Russell's mediums came back into the zone and the youngster was able to retake the position from his teammate.
A strong performance in final practice and the early stages of qualifying, was followed by a tough Q3 in which the seven-time champ was unable to get his working on his final run.
Asked after the race if his mood had improved, Hamilton replied: "Not really much different...
"Over the weekend, it was a really poor performance from myself," he continued. "Yesterday, some other things came into it but it was mostly myself and then today, just one of the worst races I have driven... lots of mistakes.
"Of course, if I had qualified better, I would have been in a much better position," he admitted. "So it is what it is, I will go back to the drawing board."
Nonetheless, with his teammate having claimed pole, and the pair finishing the race third and fourth, Canada had been better than some of the other recent performances.
"Thanks to everyone back at the factory it is becoming a car we can fight with," said Hamilton. "That is the real positive going into the next part of the season. I know we have some more upgrades, hopefully, coming along the way. So it is going to be a close battle and if I get my head on right, I will get better results at some stage.
"I think this weekend, the car was capable of winning. That's why it is not such a great feeling. But we will take the points and keep trying.
"I could have just driven better with less mistakes," he insisted. "I was stuck behind Fernando so there was nothing I could really do there.
"Lots of mistakes over the weekend as a whole, but lots of positives to take in terms of performance, so I'll try and improve for the next race."