Formula 1 Spanish GP
Hamilton feared set-up "gamble" backfired before taking pole
Lewis Hamilton feared his decision to take a "bit of a gamble" on car set-up backfired before scoring his 100th Formula 1 pole position in Spanish Grand Prix qualifying.
Luke Smith
Edited: May 9, 2021, 9:19 AM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Hamilton was able to edge out Red Bull rival Max Verstappen by 0.036 seconds in Q3 to clinch his second pole position of the season, and continue his perfect record of front row starts this year for Mercedes.
Read Also:
- Spanish GP: Hamilton secures 100th F1 pole position
- Hamilton: 100th F1 pole "feels like one of the first"
But the seven-time world champion initially feared that some changes he requested on his car between final practice and qualifying would leave him worse off in the fight for pole.
"FP3 was looking really good, I think we've been strong all weekend," Hamilton said. "I made some changes, and I had a bit of anxiety about the changes that we were potentially going to make for qualifying. We always try to make the car better, but it's a bit of a gamble because you've also got to keep the race in mind also.
"Anyway, we made the change and as soon as I got out I was like, 'this is the wrong one'.
"It was my call in the end, but it was really hard, so that's why I was behind the whole way through qualifying, and I was making small tweaks here and there to try and elevate pace-wise.
"But the first lap [in Q3] was the best lap that I got through the whole session, which is great. I tried to improve the next lap, I think I was a tenth-and-a-half up, but then I couldn't keep it."
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes is interviewed by Pedro de la Rosa after securing his 100th pole in F1
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Hamilton explained that the set-up he opted for left the Mercedes W12 car understeering into corners and feeling "very lazy".
"[It] wouldn't turn around the corner the way that I wanted," Hamilton said. "So you're waiting and waiting and waiting.
"I was making small adjustments to try, within what we are able to change in order to get the car to turn."
Neither Hamilton nor Verstappen were able to improve on their final Q3 laps, ensuring the Mercedes driver maintained pole position.
The result saw Hamilton become the first driver in F1 history to reach 100 pole positions, and is the first driver to reach a triple-figure landmark for poles, fastest laps, or wins.
"I can't believe that we're at 100," Hamilton said. "It is down to the men and women that are back to the factory who are continuously raising the bar and just never giving up, the support that I have.
"It's been a dream for me to work with these guys and the journey that we've been on, it's been immense.
"Who would have thought at the end of 2012 when we made the decision to partner, we would be qualifying at 100?
"I feel very humble, very grateful. And I'm ecstatic, like it's my first."
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Shoulder issue hampered Perez in Barcelona F1 qualifying
Next article Norris: Q1 traffic "cost me" later in Spanish GP qualifying
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Luke Smith
1998 Belgian GP: When the Schumachers went to war
Formula 1
Formula 1
1998 Belgian GP: When the Schumachers went to war
The race that transformed perceptions of Red Bull
Formula 1
Formula 1
The race that transformed perceptions of Red Bull
Hamilton in the process of selecting Brad Pitt’s co-star for F1 movie
Formula 1
Formula 1
Hamilton in the process of selecting Brad Pitt’s co-star for F1 movie
More from
Lewis Hamilton
Max Verstappen on Ferrari clashes: "I would never sign two number-one drivers"
Formula 1
Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
23 h
Max Verstappen on Ferrari clashes: "I would never sign two number-one drivers"
What the Brazilian GP revealed about F1's ability to cope with rain
Formula 1
Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
What the Brazilian GP revealed about F1's ability to cope with rain
Latest news
IndyCar 2026 season review: ECR
IndyCar
Indy IndyCar 15 h
IndyCar 2026 season review: ECR
Toto Wolff reflects on Mercedes’ non-title years: ‘We weren’t complete losers’
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
15 h
Toto Wolff reflects on Mercedes’ non-title years: ‘We weren’t complete losers’
Renger van der Zande moves to IMSA’s LMP2 class full-time with Tower Motorsports
IMSA
IMSA IMSA 16 h
Renger van der Zande moves to IMSA’s LMP2 class full-time with Tower Motorsports
Nick Sanchez will compete for 2027 NASCAR Truck title with McAnally-Hilgemann
NASCAR Truck
NSTR NASCAR Truck
Homestead
16 h
Nick Sanchez will compete for 2027 NASCAR Truck title with McAnally-Hilgemann
Feature
Discover prime content
Top 10 F1 cars of the 1970s
Formula 1
By Kevin Turner
Top 10 F1 cars of the 1970s
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe