Hamilton: “I won’t think about the championship”

It's been a long time since Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) did not find himself in difficulty during qualifying. All the same author of third best time on the Hermanos Rodriguez route from Mexico City (Mexico), the Briton could only congratulate Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) and Max Verstappen (Red Bull: “They did an exemplary job and were very prompt. I gave it my all, I could have gone a few tenths faster on my last lap, but that wouldn't have changed the result.", he estimated at a press conference on Saturday.

In agreement with Max Verstappen's speech, Lewis Hamilton pointed out a lack of grip during testing. “It’s very slippery, which tends to highlight the car’s faults. It may not be as bad as in Singapore, but still. Fortunately, I think our pace in race conditions will be better than in a flying lap.”, analyzes the Mercedes driver.

By starting from the second row of the starting grid, Lewis Hamilton will have an ideal view of the duel between Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen towards the first braking. “There’s a long straight going towards the first corner. This should be nice to start with.”, underlines, mischievously, the leader of the Drivers' ranking. Thereafter, overtaking opportunities will be rare according to him. “You have to have a big difference in pace with the car you are following if you want to overtake. You have to have more than a second difference per lap, certainly a second and three tenths, otherwise you can't overtake. Placement will be crucial. »

The strategy should not move away from a single pit stop during the race, which would force drivers to monitor tire degradation. “With a single stop, we will focus on tire management, even if in reality the wear is minimal. The event is likely to be difficult, I hope to stay in contact with the lead, because winning here would be incredible. The audience is so passionate! » Even if he remains in an excellent position to win the world title this evening (fifth place would be sufficient if Sebastian Vettel wins), Lewis Hamilton avoids polluting his mind with this data. “I won’t think about the championship or how to celebrate the title until I’m champion.”he says.