X (Twitter)X (Twitter)
FacebookFacebook
WhatsappWhatsapp

Lewis Hamilton says he was so confident he would beat Nico Rosberg to pole position for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix he saved his engine during qualifying.

The defending champion outqualified his team-mate by 0.3s on Saturday to take a crucial pole position as he looks to overturn a 12-point deficit to Rosberg in the title decider. Hamilton was quickest in all three parts of qualifying and says his pace early on led to him not using a more aggressive engine setting in order to look after his power unit following a number of reliability issues this year.

“That’s the same in every session, you want to get pole and that speaks for itself,” Hamilton said. “There was a moment when I would normally go to a certain engine setting, but from my pace in the first run I was so comfortable that I knew I didn’t have to go the setting Nico went to and I was quicker again in Q2. That’s a positive thing, but otherwise it was about going out there and being as quick as possible without wasting energy. So I saved a lap.”

Referencing Rosberg’s mindset ahead of the race, Hamilton says mental strength could play a factor in today’s grand prix.

“It depends. I think Nico is really trying to focus on approaching it the same as he has approached every single race, which is telling of his thought process.

“For me, I’ve not been thinking about the championship. Obviously I know what I’ve got to do, but I’ve been solely focusing on trying to do my best every time I have been in a car. Somehow I’ve really managed to get a really good click and managed to back to that good spot that I’ve been in after all the engine issues.

“In terms of the race, I’m just going to drive my heart out as I do every single race.”

And Hamilton says he didn’t contemplate anything other than securing pole position, having been preparing to line up at the front of the grid throughout the weekend.

“Yeah, all my starts I did from pole. I was planning on getting there, so there was no preparation in case I got second and had to start from second place. I was determined like you couldn’t imagine. We got a lot of good information, so we are as well prepared as we can be.”

Jenson Button's F1 career: 17 seasons, 15 wins

Silbermann says ... Parting gifts galore

Chris Medland's 2016 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix preview

FEATURE: Hamilton v Rosberg: 2016 F1 drivers' title permutations

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Andrew Lewin

Andrew first became a fan of Formula 1 during the time when Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were stepping into the limelight after the era of Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Aryton Senna. He's been addicted ever since, and has been writing about the sport now for nearly a quarter of a century for a number of online news sites. He's also written professionally about GP2 (now Formula 2), GP3, IndyCar, World Rally Championship, MotoGP and NASCAR. In his other professional life, Andrew is a freelance writer, social media consultant, web developer/programmer, and digital specialist in the fields of accessibility, usability, IA, online communities and public sector procurement. He worked for many years in magazine production at Bauer Media, and for over a decade he was part of the digital media team at the UK government's communications department. Born and raised in Essex, Andrew currently lives and works in south-west London.

Recent Posts

Melbourne Speed Trap: Who is the fastest of them all?

Saturday’s qualifying session at the Australian Grand Prix delivered a fascinating glimpse into the aerodynamic…

5 hours ago

Australian GP: Saturday's action in pictures

McLaren emerged as a dominant force in Saturday's Australian GP qualifying, with Lando Norris and…

9 hours ago

Antonelli F1 debut derailed by floor damage in Melbourne

Mercedes has revealed that damage to Kimi Antonelli’s car floor significantly impacted his performance during…

10 hours ago

Tsunoda says ‘magic’ P5 lap ‘came out of nowhere’

Racing Bulls’ Yuki Tsunoda delivered a stunning performance in Saturday’s Australian Grand Prix qualifying, dialing…

11 hours ago

Russell stunned by McLaren lead: ‘They can focus on ’26 now’

Mercedes’ George Russell faced a stark reality after Saturday’s Australian Grand Prix qualifying: McLaren’s dominance,…

13 hours ago

Norris admits pole comes at a price in 'faster but trickier' MCL39

McLaren delivered a commanding performance in qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix, but poleman Lando…

14 hours ago