Nicole MulderManaging Editor
Nicole Mulder is Managing Editor at GPblog and a specialist in Formula 1 and MotoGP. With years of experience and permanent FIA accreditation at Grands Prix worldwide, she delivers reliable coverage and insights based on direct access to drivers and the F1 paddock.
Lewis Hamilton insists he would've beaten Max Verstappen for pole position in sprint qualifying had he not been "unlucky" with Franco Colapinto's spin. The Williams driver caused a yellow flag, and Hamilton says he lost time in that section as a result.
Why does Hamilton think he could've been on pole?
Verstappen was twelve thousandths of a second faster than George Russell, who had held provisional pole until that point. Hamilton, however, could not improve his lap time due to a mistake in turn twelve, where his braking point had changed after Williams driver Franco Colapinto spun, causing a yellow flag.
Instead, Hamilton will start the sprint from seventh place. In a conversation with F1TV, he stressed how he was unlucky. "I was just got unlucky with the yellow flag. It is what it is. I was four-tenths up," the Brit said. However, he is not getting downbeat about the situation. "The good thing is that the team has made a step with the car," he said.
"The upgrade has clearly worked and I am really grateful to everyone in the factory for all the hard work over the last period of time. It's been a tough slog for everyone to get the updates and make sure that they are working," Hamilton added. "It's not the end of the day. Tomorrow we have another shot."
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This article has been created in collaboration with Ben Stevens
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