Lewis Hamilton's Azerbaijan Grand Prix Disaster

Lewis Hamilton's performance at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix was riddled with challenges. After qualifying seventh in Baku, Hamilton was forced to start the race from the pit lane due to power unit changes and an engine penalty. He struggled to recover from this setback and was hampered by a faulty component that affected his car's balance, making it difficult to overtake. Hamilton finished the race in ninth place, expressing disappointment with his performance but maintaining optimism for the upcoming Singapore Grand Prix. The Azerbaijan Grand Prix also witnessed a crash between Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz, and a penalty for Esteban Ocon, impacting the overall dynamics of the race.

Lewis Hamilton started the Azerbaijan Grand Prix from the pit lane

Hamilton qualified for the race in seventh place but had to make changes to his car due to a faulty component discovered by Mercedes. This component, which Hamilton did not reveal, had led the team astray in their preparations for qualifying, resulting in a less-than-optimal car setup. Despite the fresh engine and suspension changes, Hamilton struggled to recover from the pit lane start and could not make an attack on the top ten.

Running outside the points for much of the race, Hamilton faced difficulties overtaking and was stuck behind rookie driver Oliver Bearman for several laps. He eventually overtook Bearman and moved just outside the points positions. A late crash involving Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez elevated Hamilton to ninth place, but he finished a minute down from his teammate, George Russell, who claimed third place.

Hamilton expressed his disappointment with the race, stating that he knew it would be disastrous as soon as the decision was made to change power units. He also mentioned that while they had a great car on Friday, some tiny changes on Saturday led them astray. Despite the challenges, Hamilton remained positive and looked ahead to the Singapore Grand Prix, hoping for better results.

Hamilton's performance was hindered by a component that wasn't correctly built

Lewis Hamilton's performance at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix was hindered by a component that "wasn't correctly built", which led to issues with his car's balance. The faulty component was discovered on Saturday, after Mercedes had made tweaks to the car, and it resulted in Hamilton qualifying in ninth place.

Hamilton described the issue as "the worst balance I've probably ever had", explaining that he had "so much front end but no rears". This meant he had to yank the steering to break the traction from the front and slide through each corner, which he described as "the weirdest way to drive".

As a result of the component issue, Mercedes decided to fit Hamilton's car with a new power unit, which meant he had to start the race from the pit lane. Despite his skills and efforts, Hamilton was unable to make up for the lost time and finished the race in ninth place, a minute down on his teammate George Russell.

Hamilton expressed his disappointment with the outcome, stating that he knew it was going to be a "disastrous race" as soon as the decision was made to change the power units. He also acknowledged that their competitors may have made developments while Mercedes had not, but he remained hopeful that they would improve in the upcoming races.

Hamilton finished ninth, despite an opportunity to take advantage of a crash between Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz

Lewis Hamilton had a disappointing performance at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, finishing in ninth place despite starting the race in seventh. The Mercedes driver incurred penalties due to power unit changes, forcing him to start the race from the pit lane, which put him at a significant disadvantage from the outset.

Hamilton struggled to recover from this setback and later revealed that he was hampered by a component that "wasn't correctly built," which led his team in the wrong direction with car adjustments. This balance issue made it difficult for him to overtake, and he found himself running outside the points for much of the race, stuck behind rookie driver Oliver Bearman.

However, Hamilton's fortunes took a turn when a crash occurred between Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz. This incident elevated him to ninth place, minimizing the damage to his overall standing. Nonetheless, he finished a full minute behind his teammate, George Russell, who secured third place.

Hamilton acknowledged the challenges of the race, expressing disappointment with his performance but maintaining optimism for the upcoming Singapore Grand Prix. He also attributed his struggles to the decision to change power units before the race, which hindered his ability to overtake on the Azerbaijan circuit.

Hamilton admitted he had a disastrous and rough race

Lewis Hamilton has admitted he had a disastrous and rough race at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The seven-time world champion had started the race from the pit lane after an engine penalty, putting him at an immediate disadvantage. Despite an excellent opportunity to take advantage of a crash between Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz, Hamilton was only able to finish in ninth place.

Hamilton took to social media after the race, posting: “Tough weekend, but we move. Good battles, and good effort from the team. Singapore soon, send good vibes.” He further reflected on the weekend, saying: “The weekend started with a lot of positives but by the end it was a tough one for all of us. Still, we recognize what went well and will learn from what didn’t.”

Hamilton's struggles were due in part to a component that "wasn't correctly built", which led his team, Mercedes, down the wrong path in terms of car setup. This balance issue made it difficult for him to overtake, and he found himself stuck in 14th place for several laps.

The poor result also meant that Hamilton squandered a golden opportunity to reclaim the lead in the championship. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff shared his disappointment, saying: "Both of us are destroyed, to be honest...It's been far from a competitive package."

Hamilton's rival, Max Verstappen, crashed out of the lead with a tyre failure

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix saw Hamilton's rival, Max Verstappen, crash out of the lead with a tyre failure. Verstappen's late tyre failure on lap 49 caused a high-speed crash into the wall on the straight. The incident led to a red flag, allowing teams to change their tyres before the restart. This proved costly for Hamilton, who made an unusual error, dropping from second to 15th on the penultimate lap.

Verstappen's crash and subsequent race restart presented Hamilton with an opportunity to reclaim the lead in the championship. However, Hamilton's mistake was linked to inadvertently touching the incorrect button on his steering wheel, affecting his brakes. As a result, Hamilton finished 16th, squandering the chance to gain valuable points in the title fight.

The race was won by Red Bull's Sergio Perez, his second F1 victory, with Sebastian Vettel in second for Aston Martin, and Pierre Gasly in third for AlphaTauri. The drama-filled race highlighted the fine margins in the title race and increased the pressure on both Hamilton and Verstappen.

Hamilton's struggles in Baku were compounded by issues with his car's balance and a component that "wasn't correctly built," hindering his performance and leaving him unable to attack the top ten. Despite the challenges, Hamilton remained positive, focusing on the positives and aiming to learn from the negatives.

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