Vegas’ F1 win would have been “a breeze” without the qualifying misstep

Lewis Hamilton says a Formula One victory at the Las Vegas Grand Prix would have been “a breeze” if he had been able to muster a lap in qualifying on Friday.

The Brit made mistakes on both flying laps in Q3, after locking up on his first attempt at Turn 14 and then having a slide at Turn 4 on his second – ultimately leading to that time’s deletion.

Hamilton’s fastest lap from Q2 would have been good enough for third on the grid, but he instead started from 10th and had ground to make up; early passes on Nico Hulkenberg, Oscar Piastri and Yuki Tsunoda helped bring him into contention.

He then showed stronger pace than the other front-runners as Mercedes looked to be at home on the cooler, low-grip track, although an attempt to close in on his winning team-mate George Russell eventually stalled.

“It was great,” Hamilton noted. “Firstly I have to say a big congratulations to Max for winning the championship, still with several races to go.

“And if I had done my job yesterday, it would have been a breeze today. But that’s okay. I had fun coming from behind, from 10th, and the team did a great job.

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

“We don’t know why we were so quick this weekend, but it’s the best the car has ever felt. So I’m grateful to have helped get it to that point.

“Maybe the reason we did so well is because it’s cold. If we’re in a warm climate, that’s where we struggle the most.

“If the car runs like this in the next couple of races, I think we’re in a good place to challenge the guys in front. The championship is done, so now it’s just an all-out battle for the best possible positions. .”

Russell described his win in Las Vegas as a “dream weekend” and, like Hamilton, was surprised Mercedes could keep up the pace throughout the weekend.

He admitted that he expected chaos to emerge behind him and was pleasantly surprised that he was able to take the lead with very little to derail him from his path to victory.

“I was planning to fly in a couple of hours, but I’m definitely not going to get on that plane and I’m going to enjoy this evening with my whole team,” Russell said.

“It’s been a dream of a weekend. I don’t know how we were supposed to be so fast, but I’m just riding this wave right now. I can’t even describe this place.

“To get the win here, pole position, dominant weekend, one-two with Lewis as well, you know, we couldn’t have picked a better place to make it happen.

“I was just waiting for something to happen. The two races I’ve been on pole before, it’s always been chaos.

“Rain, dry and something always happens. Last race in Brazil with the red flag. I thought ‘I feel safe here. I have a good gap but I’m just waiting for something to happen’. And it did it ‘t. So I think my luck has turned!”

Pictures from the Las Vegas GP Race