Lewis Hamilton is hopeful Mercedes are “in the mix” on the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as he admitted the beginning of his remaining weekend for the Silver Arrows felt “very surreal”.
Hamilton completed fifth-fastest in Friday’s consultant second observe session beneath the Yas Marina floodlights, fractionally behind Carlos Sainz within the lead Ferrari though six tenths away from pacesetter Lando Norris amid McLaren’s commanding begin to the occasion.
The seven-time champion is racing as a Mercedes driver for the ultimate time after 12 years forward of his winter change to Ferrari because the 2024 season attracts to a detailed and, having skilled some troubled race weekends just lately, was happy to get his swansong off to a optimistic begin.
“It felt better today. It’s not been such a bad day,” stated an inspired Hamilton.
“Very surreal and I’ve simply tried to be as current as I could be right this moment and simply be having fun with each second from arriving to seeing the engineers and simply actually like taking moments and capturing them as a lot as I can.
“Then to preparing and getting within the automotive… and I’ve actually loved the day. I’ve actually loved driving the automotive right this moment, working with the blokes within the storage and the engineers.
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Highlights from Friday’s observe classes on the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
“We have some work to do. The McLaren remains to be so quick, as is Ferrari. We’re within the combine, form of, however we have got to seek out a while.
“It’s never that easy to determine, but I think our long run pace didn’t look too bad today, so that’s I would say the big positive from today – I was a lot closer to the McLarens. On a single lap I think we’ve got some work to do.”
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Lewis Hamilton admitted he underestimated how tough his remaining Mercedes yr can be and that he hasn’t dealt with his feelings very nicely, forward of his remaining race for the crew on the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
In a frank admission on Thursday, the Briton admitted that he had not all the time managed his feelings in one of the simplest ways throughout his remaining season on the Silver Arrows having introduced his shock Ferrari change earlier than the marketing campaign even began.
Requested how he was managing his emotions on his remaining weekend at Mercedes, Hamilton stated: “There is not any trick to it, I am attempting to maintain my feelings beneath management as a lot as I can.
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Catch a Sky Sports activities particular two-part characteristic this weekend celebrating 7-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton’s unbelievable journey with Mercedes!
“I said [on Thursday], I’ve not been great at it this year, I’ve definitely been very up and down – that’s human emotion, that’s normal – but I’m just really trying to channel it into the car, into the squad, the team. I’ve so much love for the team and I’ve been wanting to do well for them for ages, but one last go at it.
“I will not change an excessive amount of within the automotive tonight and hopefully [in qualifying] we’ll be there or thereabouts.”
Russell: McLaren in a league of their very own to this point
Group-mate George Russell has actually been ending the yr in additional constantly sturdy type than Hamilton, however on Friday completed three tenths of a second behind his team-mate in thirteenth place on the Follow Two timesheet.
Russell – whose weekend began with a livid response to Max Verstappen’s essential feedback about him in Qatar – stated he had been working experimental set-ups on the W15 on Friday.
“Today we struggled a bit but it’s only Friday,” he stated.
“We’re attempting lots of issues in preparation for subsequent yr. Clearly, that is our final alternative and we needed to go, as an example, a bit bit extra radical with a number of the set-up choices to see if there may be something extra we will study.
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George Russell hit again at ‘bully’ Max Verstappen after their Qatar penalty fallout, saying somebody wants to face as much as the Crimson Bull driver.
“So hoping [Saturday] will be a bit more of a normal day and go from there.”
Whereas praising his team-mate’s efforts, Russell was extra pessimistic about the place the crew ended up on the Friday timesheet relative to the main two groups.
“To be honest, Lewis did some great laps out there and I think still, as a team, we’re a long way off McLaren and Ferrari,” he stated.
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Craig Slater took a better have a look at how the Qatar penalty fallout escalated between George Russell and Max Verstappen after George labelled the Crimson Bull driver as a ‘bully’.
“McLaren especially seem to be in a league of their own at the moment.
“As I stated, Lewis did an awesome job however we’re nonetheless 4 tenths behind the McLarens in order that’s larger than we normally anticipate.
“So I expect Ferrari to probably get back in the mix, Max probably to get back in the mix, but I hope we can make some improvements for tomorrow.”
Sky Sports activities F1’s stay Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Saturday December 7
8.10am: F1 Academy Race One
10.15am: Abu Dhabi GP Follow Three (session begins at 10.30am)
12.10pm: F2 Dash Race
1.15pm: Abu Dhabi GP Qualifying build-up
2pm: ABU DHABI GP QUALIFYING*
4pm: F1 Academy: Race Two
5pm: Ted’s Qualifying Pocket book
Sunday December 8
7.10am: F1 Academy Race Three
9.20am: F2 Characteristic Race
11.30am: Grand Prix Sunday: Abu Dhabi GP build-up
1pm: The ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX
3pm: Chequered Flag: Abu Dhabi GP response
4pm: Ted’s Pocket book
*additionally stay on Sky Sports activities Essential Occasion
Watch the ultimate race of the 2024 Formulation 1 season – the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – stay on Sky Sports activities F1, with Sunday’s race at 1pm. Get Sky Sports activities F1 or stream with NOW
