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Veteran Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton seemed rejuvenated in the Spanish GP qualifying session and was back to his old form. Hamilton set the third-fastest lap time, qualifying ahead of his teammate George Russell.
Amidst the off-track drama surrounding Mercedes during F1's return to Barcelona, Hamilton and the team got off to a strong start to the weekend. Despite his qualifying struggles this season, he was able to replicate his pace from the practice sessions and qualified ahead of his teammate Russell.
Lewis Hamilton was satisfied with his efforts in the qualifying session, having achieved his best starting position for the 2024 season. He attributed the improvement to the team members' diligent work on the upgrades.
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"I am really happy. I am super grateful to be in the top three. It has been quite a difficult year, there has been hard work from everyone back in the factory, and we are starting to see those incremental steps." he said in the post-qualifying interview.
Although Lewis Hamilton topped the FP2 session and was looking to be in the mix for the pole, he admitted he wasn't anticipating the same. He ultimately lacked 0.3 seconds to pole-sitter Lando Norris and Max Verstappen.
"I didn't expect to be in for pole necessarily but every now and then there looked to be bits that had us close. So to be there I am just grateful." he added.
The Ferrari and Mercedes drivers were separated by a mere 0.03 seconds. Lewis Hamilton starts the Spanish GP on the second row, alongside his teammate George Russell. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr. share the third row.
Lewis Hamilton comments on Mercedes' upgrades paying dividends
The upgrades for the Mercedes W15 appear to have helped the team close the gap to the front runners. There has been a recent upswing in performance, with George Russell claiming the pole position in Montreal and both drivers outqualifying the Ferrari duo two weeks later in Barcelona.
Lewis Hamilton commented on the significant strides made by the team after a lackluster start to their season. He commended the efforts of the team members at the factory and expressed his desire to challenge the front runners consistently.
"We have made huge steps forward and it is really down to every single individual back at the factory who is working on design, pushing in making the new parts we get to bring to these races. Slowly the car is crafting into a racing machine with which we can hopefully fight the guys in front," Hamilton stated.
The seven-time world champion also complimented his teammate's efforts and aims to fight Lando Norris and Max Verstappen for the win on Sunday, June 23.
"George did a great job as well so hopefully tomorrow we can apply the pressure on the guys in front," he said.
Having achieved a double podium finish at Barcelona last season, Mercedes has a strong chance of repeating the feat this weekend. The Spanish GP will be contested over 66 laps, with the green flag dropping at 3:00 PM track time.
