"If it was dry, we would struggle to be in the top 10": Lewis Hamilton reflects on the F1 Belgian GP qualifying result

Lewis Hamilton shared his thoughts on the 2024 Belgian GP qualifying session on Saturday. The seven-time world champion secured P4 despite poor Friday practice sessions.

Saturday's qualifying session at Spa was quite a tricky one due to variable weather conditions. The track was covered in mist with occasional showers on certain parts. That forced the teams and drivers to pit at the right moment and fit the right tyres for a fast lap around the 7 km circuit.

Lewis Hamilton narrowly made it out of Q1 by finishing P13, but Q2 was much better for the Mercedes driver, as he secured P2. In the final Q3 session, Hamilton clocked in a 1:53.835 and secured P4. As polesitter Max Verstappen has a 10-place grid penalty for power unit part changes, Hamilton will move up to P3 for the Belgian GP.

Speaking about the session with Sky Sports, he explained how Mercedes were lucky that it rained during qualifying, particularly because he felt the car wasn't quick enough in dry conditions. He added that he prefers driving on wet tracks.

Lewis Hamilton went on to explain how important it is to leave the pits at the right moment to clock in a faster lap. He feels that if he had left the pit a bit late, he could have challenged the top drivers in qualifying.

"When it rained, then I knew that we would have a chance of being at the front because those are my preferred conditions. I think if it was dry, we would have been struggling to be in the top 10, I imagine - it would have been tough," Hamilton said.

"Timing was everything, getting out on track at the right point. I think we were a little bit too early at the end, we were first out, and that's when we used our new tires, and then we didn't have any new tires until the end and the three guys ahead did. So a little bit unfortunate in that respect but that's the way it is. But I'm grateful to be up there," he added.

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Lewis Hamilton's prediction and plan for the 2024 Belgian GP

After the qualifying session, Lewis Hamilton talked about how Sunday's race could pan out.

Speaking to F1.com, he said that Max Verstappen, despite his 10-place grid penalty for power unit changes, could plow through the field early in the race. He added that Red Bull and McLaren's cars are tied in terms of performance.

"Ah, Max will make his way through pretty quick. I think their car is the fastest here this weekend, or at least tied with McLaren," Hamilton said.

As for his race, Lewis Hamilton said that he will look to hold his position, try to challenge to top drivers and hope for a change in weather conditions that could benefit Mercedes.

"For us, we just have to keep our head down and try and hold position. I’ve got to try and see if I can keep up with the guys ahead of me, but I’ll give it everything and I’m hoping the changes we made will make things better for tomorrow," the Mercedes driver added.

Lewis Hamilton is sixth in the standings with 125 points, while Max Verstappen with 265 points leads the pack.