Lewis Hamilton Considers Strategic Pit-Lane Start After ‘Nightmare’ Qualifying at US Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton is considering starting from the pit lane for the F1 United States Grand Prix after encountering difficulties he described as a "nightmare" during qualifying. The Mercedes driver was eliminated in the first qualifying session, Q1.

Lewis Hamilton described his Mercedes Formula 1 vehicle as "a nightmare" following an unexpected exit during Q1 at the United States Grand Prix.

The seven-time world champion faced a challenging day on a circuit where he typically performs well, managing only to secure 19th place, which marks his poorest qualifying result at COTA.

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Hamilton experienced a braking lock-up and overshot Turn 12, an error that cost him half a second and resulted in his poorest qualifying performance of the 2024 season.

Following the session, Hamilton disclosed that he experienced "some kind of malfunction" during the sprint race on Saturday afternoon, prompting Mercedes to adjust the configuration of his W15.

During the sprint, we experienced a malfunction with the front suspension starting from the formation lap, and this issue persisted throughout the entire sprint race, he stated.

"The situation made it quite challenging to maintain balance. We ended up modifying a few aspects. This shift led us towards the approach we might have taken the previous day. During the qualifying session, the car was extremely difficult to handle."

Hamilton is scheduled to begin the race from the 18th position, while RB's Liam Lawson will face a penalty that places him at the very end of the starting grid due to the installation of an entirely new power unit.

Nonetheless, Hamilton expressed his interest in beginning the race from the pit lane to allow for additional adjustments to his car's setup.

Hamilton remarked that he ought to begin from the pit lane; otherwise, he wouldn't make any progress.

When questioned about his difficulties, Hamilton responded that he was dealing with an unstable balance and a lack of traction.

For the first time in 12 tries, Hamilton did not manage to secure a spot within the top five during the standard grand prix qualifying in Austin. He has previously achieved pole position three times at this track.

Hamilton secured the seventh spot in the qualifiers for the Austin sprint and crossed the finish line in sixth place.

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