Hamilton fights back in sprint race: "Can't give up, got to keep pushing"

Lewis Hamilton produced a stunning drive in the sprint qualifying race. The seven-time World Champion made some very impressive overtakes as he worked his way through the field. He gained 15 places, and will start the 2021 Sao Paulo Grand Prix from P10. 

Mercedes' had an illegal DRS system and Hamilton was therefore disqualified from Friday's qualifying session. This but the Brit at the back of the grid. He reveals he didn't set a target until the start of the formation lap as he looks to recover the damage. 

"I had no idea what was possible. I didn't set a limit or a maximum. When I was at the back ahead of the formation lap, I could maybe see 10th and thought that's my goal. All of a sudden, I was chipping away at it much faster," Hamilton said in an interview on Sky Sports.

Fighting back

Mercedes opted to install a fifth internal combustion engine to Hamilton's car. This means that he picks up a five-place grid penalty and therefore he starts from P10 rather than the P5 he achieved in the 100km dash. Hamilton expresses how he felt when the decisions were made earlier today. 

"I can't give up, got to keep pushing. It was tough. Whilst the team was working with the stewards, I was focused on my work with my engineers. Keeping the morale high and just focusing on the job at hand. Not thinking about it. I can't let it hold me back, got to keep my head down. Got my mind focused on what I could do," Hamilton added.