It wasn’t to be, however, with Hamilton exiting in Q1 for the first time since the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix – with a misjudged Turn 14 the main culprit, as Hamilton claimed P18 on the grid.
“I woulda, shoulda got through easy,” admitted Hamilton. “It was my mistake. I just struggled I think to stop the car in Turn 14, it just kept locking. Maybe I needed one more lap.”