Hamilton: “The conditions were terrible”

Lewis Hamilton will have the opportunity to increase his Championship lead at the Belgian GP after scoring the 5th pole of his career at Spa-Francorchamps. THE Ferrari seemed able to monopolize the front row, but the Briton was quickest when the rain hit in the final session.

“It was one of the toughest qualifying sessions. It seems more and more difficult as the season goes on, admitted Lewis Hamilton at a press conference. We knew after Q2 that the fight for pole was going to be very close because we were separated by less than a tenth and (the Ferraris) were very fast in a straight line, but the rain came to redistribute the cards. We hadn't driven in the rain here yet and we were heading into the unknown. The conditions were really difficult because even the portions that looked dry were actually soggy. »

After a wet and wild Q3, @LewisHamilton saved his best for last

Go onboard for the lap that gave him a FIFTH pole position at Spa – more than any other #F1 driver #BelgianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/oY5QHPYBeU

— Formula 1 (@F1) August 25, 2018

Lewis Hamilton secured pole in his last attempt, the Briton having previously made a mistake.

“I only had one chance after going off the track at turn 1 and 12. If I had missed it, I would have finished much lower in the rankings. I knew I had the speed, but I had to find the right compromise by not attacking too much while not being extra careful.”, he explained.

“Rain has always been my friend, although I am clearly not unbeatable in these conditions. I love riding on a wet track, but I didn't want it to rain because I thought I would already be on pace in the dry. The conditions were terrible for all of us. We don't know if we're going to lock the front wheels, and when we do, it feels like the car is picking up speed. We just pray that it doesn't happen.", added the four-time world champion.

Lewis Hamilton prefers, as usual, to put pressure on Scuderia Ferrari by presenting it as favorite for victory. The poleman of the Belgian GP particularly fears the performance of the SF71Hs on the straights.

“Scuderia Ferrari were the favorites today and they will be again tomorrow, but that doesn't mean they will win. The race will be very difficult. Sebastian's long stint was well ahead of the rest of the field yesterday and I don't know if I'll be able to build up a big enough lead tomorrow." he added.

The second pilot Mercedes Valtteri Bottas will have more difficulty standing out since the Finn will start from the back of the grid.