Lewis Hamilton cited a DRS problem as the reason he fell so far behind Mercedes team-mate George Russell during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix on Saturday. Russell defied the odds with an impressive lap to take the first pole position of his career, with Hamilton finishing seventh.
Qualifying offered a handful of surprises on Saturday, with Red Bull star Sergio Perez failing to make Q2 and a mechanical issue preventing championship leader Max Verstappen from finishing higher than 10th.
Many would have assumed then that Ferrari would close the front row, and that appeared to be the case when Carlos Sainz posted a blistering time that put a glove on the rest of the field. Russell then flew under the radar, beating the Spaniard by quarter-hundredths of a second to claim his first career pole.
Hamilton was left struggling with an arm tied behind his back due to a DRS problem on his final qualifying lap and while Mercedes’ celebrations were joyous, he was far less enthusiastic about the your individual situation.
DON’T MISS: George Russell refuses to commit to Mercedes issue after Hungarian GP pole
“I tried to open the DRS and it didn’t open, which is unfortunate,” Hamilton told Sky Sports. “It felt great, the front row was definitely there, so it would have been great to get one for the team.
“But these things happen. Congratulations to George, because it’s a great result for the team given everything we’ve been through. We definitely didn’t expect this.” Indeed, Mercedes appear to be finding their groove just ahead of the summer break with almost a month to go until the Belgian Grand Prix after this Sunday’s race.
The Silver Arrows claimed their first double podium of the season last time out at Circuit Paul Ricard, with Hamilton taking second and Russell third behind Grand Prix winner Verstappen. It was another sign that the team has made significant progress since a poor run sequence to start the season, with porpoise issues putting them well off the pace.
Despite moving in the right direction, Mercedes are still without a win in 2022. Russell has never won a Grand Prix in his career, and this season marks the longest stretch of a campaign in which Hamilton has not taken a win , but with Red. Bull pretty much out of the equation could fancy his chances in Hungary.
Russell’s pole position and Hamilton’s frustrating P7 were described as “bittersweet” by team principal Toto Wolff, who refused to rule anything out when asked if the Championship races are still alive.
“It’s very difficult to say because there’s a big points gap behind Max, like everyone else,” he told Sky Sports. “But you can see how fast we can go today. We’ll never give up. We hesitate all the time, we swing and that’s what makes the sport so tough but exciting. I wouldn’t discount anything if we win tomorrow.”