Lewis Hamilton plays down expectations: “Nothing has changed”

No driver in the history of the Formula 1 World Championship has won the Grand Prix at the Silverstone Circuit more often than Lewis Hamilton. The record-holding Grand Prix winner has already crossed the finish line first on nine occasions, sending the home crowd into raptures. The seven-time champion is also in fine form ahead of this year’s race at the historic circuit.

He proved this straight away by securing Sprint Pole on Friday afternoon. However, on Sunday morning, he was beaten by championship leader Kimi Antonelli in the mini-race. The young Italian was also the fastest in the subsequent Grand Prix qualifying session. And Hamilton had to settle for the third-fastest lap this time, as his team-mate Charles Leclerc was also quicker.

The 106-time GP winner said after the qualifying session: “I don’t think much more would have been possible. My second Q3 attempt was pretty decent. We had a problem with energy management, which cost me three tenths on the back straight alone. But we got that under control towards the end. I simply struggled more with the car, which was understeering badly. That’s why I’m happy to have finished so far up the order.”

And the local hero complained: “I also had trouble braking in the third corner; that was down to the set-up we’d chosen.” Looking ahead to the race, he made it clear: “We didn’t manage to make any headway against Mercedes and Kimi in the sprint, and I don’t think that’s going to change. After all, he was faster than me in yesterday’s sprint qualifying. And nothing has changed, so I don’t expect it to by the time the race starts either. We’ll do our best to keep up. But I reckon if he’s given a clear run, he’ll pull away.”