Lewis Hamilton qualifies 18th for Qatar sprint race, extends podium drought to 22 races in disastrous Ferrari debut season.
DOHA: Lewis Hamilton’s difficult debut season with Ferrari reached a new low during Friday’s sprint qualifying for the Qatar Grand Prix.
The seven-time world champion qualified a disappointing 18th for Saturday’s sprint race at Lusail International Circuit.
Hamilton offered only nine words during a terse post-session interview with Sky Sports F1.
When asked what made his car so difficult to drive, he replied “Same as always.”
Questioned whether setup changes had improved performance, Hamilton responded “No, clearly not.”
His final comment about the session was “The weather’s nice.”
The 40-year-old was eliminated after the first qualifying segment and returned to the Ferrari pits without removing his helmet.
This marked his second consecutive Q1 exit following last-place qualification in Las Vegas two weeks earlier.
Hamilton has now gone 22 races without a podium finish in his first Ferrari season.
He reported via team radio that his car “couldn’t go any quicker” despite setup modifications.
Ferrari had installed a high-downforce rear wing seeking better performance at the high-grip circuit.
Teammate Charles Leclerc also struggled, qualifying ninth for the sprint race. – AFP
