Lewis Hamilton to start 3rd in Spanish GP after electrifying qualifier

22nd June 2024

Fellow Brit Lando Norris secured his second career pole ahead of tomorrow’s championship race

Sir Lewis Hamilton treated fans to an electrifying performance at the Spanish Grand Prix today (June 22) securing 3rd place in the qualifiers behind Red Bull’s Max Versappen and McClaren’s Lando Norris in pole, reports Damian Hall.

The seven-time world champion, who has struggled with a non-competitive Mercedes car since the season began, finally seemed to have found improvements since the Canadian Grand Prix, delivering a spectacular show landing him 0.318 seconds off the pace during the final part of qualifying.

In a post-race interview, he said:  “[I’m] super grateful to be in the top three.” He also credited the team back at the factory and acknowledged his teammate George Russell: “[He] did a good job. Hopefully, we can provide pressure on the two cars ahead.” Russell will start 4th in tomorrow’s race.

McLaren’s Lando Norris, who has been in excellent form since the Miami GP, took pole position for tomorrow’s race with a time of 1:11.383, marking his second career pole.

Speaking after the race, he said: “We’ve been close all weekend, but really this was about a perfect lap, and that’s what we did today.”

His teammate, Oscar Piastri, will start 10th as a result of exceeding track limits, which subsequently invalidated his times.

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ed Bull’s Max Verstappen will start 2nd, just 0.020 seconds off the pace, while his teammate Sergio Perez holds the 8th position.

The race promises to be incredibly exciting with three Brits making up the first two rows of the grid.

Hamilton and Russell will be staring down the back of Norris and Verstappen due to the staggered grid setup. The 3rd and 4th positions provide advantageous spots, as a draft from the cars ahead can make for an aggressive attack on the long run down to Turn 1.

Adding to the excitement is the potential of rain for the race, which can significantly impact strategies.

The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is known for rewarding bold strategy calls. In 2021, Mercedes put on a strategic masterclass when they made a last-minute decision on lap 44 of 66 laps to commit to a two-stop strategy, while the rest of the front runners committed to a one-stop.

Hamilton emerged from the pits 22 seconds off the lead but, with fresher tyres, was able to catch and pass leader Verstappen with only six laps to go.

Hamilton went on to win that race, making it his sixth win at the circuit. He will be hunting for a 7th win here. Fans are definitely in for a treat as teams navigate the challenges ahead.

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