Lewis Hamilton Bounces Back, but Red Bull & Ferrari Hover in a League of Their Own
At Le Castellet, France, Spoiler Alert: it’s not just a car race, it’s an emotional rollercoaster for 37‑year‑old Lewis Hamilton. After a season of near‑misses, the former seven‑time world champion rattles off some candid thoughts while he’s tying his laces and getting ready to mount the start line.
Conquering the Qualifying Scruff
- Hamilton clocked in fourth place – slick, but almost a second shy of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, the pole‑winner who seemed to have a secret turbo‑boost.
- Thanks to a friendly slipstream from his teammate Carlos Sainz, the Monegasque hit a fifth‑finishing time that still left the German team looking a tad ‘lazy’.
- George Russell? Starting sixth behind McLaren’s swagger‑full Lando Norris, but the two Mercedes brothers aren’t exactly tearing down tracks together.
“I’m Really Happy With My Qualifying Session”
When the podium interviews rolled in, Hamilton launched straight into a mix of pride and frustration:
“My last lap was great – I finished it feeling like, ‘Ah, it’s an awesome lap.’ Still, I was nine‑tenths behind the leaders. I don’t reckon why this gap’s gotten bigger since the last race. They’re basically in the same league – performance‑wise,” he said.
He added that the upgrades Mercedes rolled into the pit lane might have only shaved off half a tenth of a second. For context, last race, the German team was three‑four tenths down; this weekend they’re looking like a full second away.
The Longest Drought
In the last three races, Hamilton popped up as third place—three times in a row—and that’s been the longest time he’s gone without a win in his career. 12 races, or 300 starts… speaking of starts…
On Sunday, he hit a 300th start milestone. And hey, no driver has ever clinched a win after hitting that hat‑size milestone, so if Lewis steps up, the pressure’s off, or is it?!
Next Stop Hungary: The Hall of Fame
“If we can just shave off a couple of tenths at the next race, then we’ll be back in the fight in Budapest,” Hamilton said with a grin. “But if it stays like this, it’s going to be a while. For now, it’s not impossible. Think of it as a therapy session on wheels—just waiting for a breakthrough.”
Quick Takeaways
- Red Bull & Ferrari are the speed kings right now.
- Mercedes’ gap is widening: from ~3‑4 tenths to almost a full second.
- Lewis Hamilton’s 300th start is a milestone before any kind of win, which is a cool bit of trivia.
- The next race, Hungary, is a huge Lever: Hamilton’s best‑ever win-track.
Brace yourself – the showdown’s about to get turbo‑charged. Buckle up, folks, because Red Bull, Ferrari, and Mercedes are about to put the pedal to the metal, and Hamilton’s on his way to flex those renowned engineering muscles. Good luck, Lewis!
