F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Hamilton Q1 effort thwarted by 'undriveable' Mercedes car

Lewis Hamilton says set-up issues that made his Mercedes car "undriveable" thwarted his efforts in Saturday's qualifying session in Jeddah.

The seven-time world champion was pushed down to P16 by Aston Martin's Lance Stroll in the closing stages of Q1, forcing his elimination from the first segment of qualifying for the first time since 2017.

Speaking to F1 TV, Hamilton pointed to a lack of balance of his W13 Silver Arrow as the root cause of his elimination.

"Just struggled with the balance of the car, and not where I want to be," he said.

"It's something in the set-up. It was looking good in FP3 and we tried to progress in a similar direction.

"Maybe we went too far and then the car was undriveable. It's so nervous."

The Briton was bracing for a difficult Sunday.

"I've got the same car as I had in qualifying, so I don't anticipate moving that far forwards," he said. "But I'll give it everything."

However, in a bid to improve Hamilton's fortunes for tomorrow's race, Mercedes could opt to start the Briton from the pitlane to circumvent Parc Fermé rules to allow its crews to make wholesale changes to the #44 car's set-up.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.

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