Lewis Hamilton reveals: This is how he plans to tackle Max Verstappen in Singapore

Lewis Hamilton was visibly disappointed after the final practice session in Singapore. And with good reason – after all, he had set the pace in the first two qualifying segments. But when it really mattered, things didn’t go so well. Hamilton ultimately had to settle for third place behind Red Bull Racing pole-sitter Max Verstappen and his Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc.

Tight Ferrari performance window

The record-holding Grand Prix winner was 0.123 seconds off the Dutchman’s fastest time. After getting out of the car, he sighed: “That was another difficult Q3. Congratulations to Max, he did a great job. We made a few changes before qualifying, and the car felt much better. I really felt there was more in it. Q1 and Q2 went excellently.”

“But in the third qualifying session, the rear end kept breaking away, and that cost me about two tenths. So the lap itself was actually quite good. But on the final attempt, I had the same problem with the rear end breaking away again, which is why I think there’s a very fine line we need to find with our car to get the best out of it. And finding that narrow window is very, very tricky,” explained the 41-year-old Briton.

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc: Teaming up against Max Verstappen

Hamilton is hoping to work alongside his team-mate for the race. Speaking about the competition, he said: “In my opinion, Red Bull Racing have done a fantastic job. They’ve done a great job with the engine and also with the car. They’re obviously a brilliant team, and I think they’ve managed to close the gap to the front with the upgrade from Baku.”

“But it’s still a good result for us to have both Ferraris at the front. I hope that tomorrow we’ll work as a team to keep up with Max and put him under pressure,” added the driver with 106 Grand Prix wins to his name. “I think that will be our only chance. I’m sure he’ll be quick. But as a team, hopefully we have the potential to stand up to him.”

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