Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton is “happy” to secure a third-placed start for the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix.
Hamilton finished 12th fastest in Practice largely disrupted by periods of heavy rainfall but bounced back in a wet-to-dry Qualifying to qualify fourth, but wil start third for the Grand Prix once Max Verstappen’s five-place grid penalty is applied following a gearbox change.
The seven-time champion post-Qualifying was “happy” to take a third-placed start in a “hectic session”, as he explained: “It was very slippery at the beginning and visibility was a challenge. You know that every lap you are going to be improving as it dries up, so you need to maximise it.
“That’s why we were waiting at the end of the pitlane each session and the Team did a great job of getting us out there and finding clear track. I kept my head down and focused on maximising as much as I could. At the end, we were a good chunk off Max and his lap was pretty impressive. We’re pleased with where we are starting though.”
On the exciting prospect of having Verstappen start behind him for the second consecutive race, Hamilton added: “I’ll now have Max behind me on Sunday, but the aim is definitely to fight for a podium and chase down the guys ahead.”
Hamilton also was happy with his car’s performance as he continued: “The car felt pretty decent, but we lost a lot of time in the middle sector. We’ll go away, study it, and see where there is time to be found.
“We will work on making any improvements we can, and we’ll be giving it everything we’ve got for the rest of the weekend.”
All cars however are now in parc ferme conditions which makes the Grand Prix a trip into the unknown after nobody managed a race simultation in Practice, with Hamilton hopeful of having “decent long run pace.”
F1 now switches focus tomorrow (29 July) to Sprint Saturday with a Sprint Shootout at 12pm CEST, followed by the Sprint Race at 4:30pm CEST.
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