Although Lewis Hamilton ended Friday well at Silverstone, his Saturday didn’t end perfectly. Although he started the first sprint race from pole position in his home race, he finished second behind title rival Max Verstappen.
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While Verstappen controlled the action from lap 1, his extraordinary start from the line led him right past Hamilton. After the session, the reigning world champion admitted that the team had to work on the race starts.
Lewis Hamilton believes Max Verstappen has had better starts than him this season
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Hamilton secured pole for today’s sprint race by narrowly displacing Verstappen. Although Red Bull showed a tremendous pace on Friday, Mercedes showed that they may have brought something special with them.
While many expected a close battle between Verstappen and Hamilton, the Dutchman raced off the line to take the lead himself before Turn 1. Despite his blazing brakes before the lights went out, Verstappen’s powerful start sent him right past Hamilton.
After the sprint race, both drivers and Valtteri Bottas, who finished third, took part in a victory lap parade around Silverstone. While waving at his fans, the 36-year-old admitted that he needs to work with the team to improve their starts from the line. He also admitted that Red Bull did a good job getting better at this aspect of the race.
Formula 1 F1 – Great Britain Grand Prix – Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone, Great Britain – July 17, 2021 Mercedes’s Lewis Hamilton reacts after the Sprint Qualifying REUTERS / Peter Cziborra
The Brit said: “You did a great job with your engine. Your starts this year are really great. We lost a bit of performance at our starts. So we have to work a little harder to improve that, because losing positions is never a great thing. “
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Can Hamilton mess up the odds at Silverstone?
While the Brit made it a habit of winning at Silverstone, the odds seem strong against him this time around. Since Verstappen is showing an exquisite pace and Mercedes is falling short, Hamilton needs a tremendous effort to turn the tide.
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But with a cheering crowd and seven wins on this track, the Brit could have something up his sleeve for Sunday. Despite Red Bull’s dominance, no one can count Hamilton out until all 71 laps are completed.
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WATCH HISTORY: Lewis Hamilton’s biggest F1 crashes
The post Hamilton suggests problems with Mercedes’ F1 start procedure after Verstappen knocked him off the line again first appeared on monter-une-startup.
