Lewis Hamilton has declared that he needs to apologise to his team after another disappointing qualifying, which he branded as “totally unacceptable”.
After a spin in Sprint Qualifying that left him starting in 18th, Hamilton had been hoping for an improved performance in qualifying for the Grand Prix on Sunday.
Initially, all seemed well as he set a lap that left him comfortably in the top 10 and progressing into Q2, but as the session came to a close, Hamilton’s weekend came crashing down all over again as it was revealed he had crossed over track limits which saw his lap time removed.
The mistake has left the Briton in 16th with another poor performance in red, whilst teammate Charles Leclerc managed to get his Ferrari onto the second row in third place.
REUTERS
|Lewis Hamilton has said he needs to apologise to his team after a shocking weekend so far
After the session, Hamilton didn’t have much to say in his defence, however he took full accountability for his mistakes this weekend.
"I have got to apologise to my team because it's just unacceptable to be out in both Q1s," he said.
"It's a very, very poor performance from myself."
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There had been concerns that the issues had been caused by a new rear suspension that Ferrari had brought to Belgium, but the seven-time world champion clarified they were not the problem.
"We made some changes [for qualifying]. The car didn't feel terrible. It was even tough for us because we had to put a second set [of tyres on] to get through Q1," he said.
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Reuters
|Lewis Hamilton has had a poor weekend in Belgium
Hamilton won around the Spa circuit last season, but his fortune on Sunday remains bleak.
"I don't think there's really much we can do [with the car]," Hamilton said.
"I will just try and start where I am and see where I can get from there."
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Hamilton has endured a difficult season; many expected him to be on pace with his teammate Leclerc from the outset, however, that has not been the case. The Ferrari has not been the fastest car on the grid, but there is over a 20-point gap between the teammates, and that appears likely to grow with the Grand Prix on Sunday.
With the tricky season taking a break following the Belgian Grand Prix, Hamilton will take time to relax and reset ahead of the second half of the season. But, the Briton doesn’t think the season will turn around any time soon for him.
REUTERS
|Lewis Hamilton will now start the Belgian Grand Prix from 16th
"We have had upgrades but that's probably it for the rest of the year, then I think the focus back at the factory at least is to focus on next year's car," he said.
"This season has been a tricky one."
Hamilton will aim to move forward and get a good result for his Ferrari crew on Sunday, as well as trying to regain confidence after a tricky weekend.