Lewis Hamilton’s qualifying session for the 2020 French Grand Prix ended in frustration as he made a mistake that cost him a chance at pole position. The McLaren driver was on course for the top spot when he lost control of his car and spun off the track.
The five-time world champion was visibly frustrated as he got out of the car, and afterwards admitted that he had made a mistake he should not have.
“I just made a mistake. I think it was a combination of things, I just should not have made that mistake and it cost us dearly,” Hamilton said. “It was a difficult qualifying session, with a lot of pressure and high stakes. I just wasn’t able to take advantage of the lap.”
Hamilton’s error meant he was unable to take full advantage of the changes McLaren had made to the car. The team had made technical modifications to the vehicle in an effort to increase its pace, but Hamilton’s error meant they were rendered redundant.
The Briton will now start the race on Sunday from fourth place on the grid, behind the two Mercedes and Red Bull drivers. His teammate Lando Norris will line up sixth, having also made a mistake in the final minutes of the session.
Despite the disappointment, Hamilton remains confident of a strong showing on race day.
“It’s a long race, and it’s all to play for,” he said. “We have a good car and I’m confident we can make up some ground tomorrow.”
Lewis Hamilton’s aspirations for pole position in the 2020 French Grand Prix were thwarted due to an ill-timed mistake that cost him dearly. The five-time world champion lamented the misstep, claiming it was a combination of pressure and high stakes that took him off track. As a result, McLaren’s technical modifications to the car proved fruitless. Hamilton will start fourth on the grid on Sunday, while teammate Lando Norris will line up sixth after also making a mistake in the final minutes of the session. Despite the disappointment, Hamilton is optimistic that he can make up ground in the race.
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