Hamilton "just wanted clean air" despite tow advantage
Lewis Hamilton was determined he "just wanted clean air" to blitz Formula 1 qualifying at the Belgian Grand Prix, despite acknowledging a "small gain" from getting a tow at Spa.
Hamilton ran at the head of the pack on both of the Q3 flying efforts, setting a new lap record each time as he stormed to his sixth pole at the track, with Valtteri Bottas second ahead of Max Verstappen.
Other teams opted to position their cars in the pack of try and gain the advantage of a tow – Verstappen said "For us it was all about trying to get a little bit of a tow to have a bit of top speed" – which led to drivers backing up heavily before starting their timed laps.
Hamilton explained that avoiding that chaos, which had an impact on tyre temperature at the start of the next lap, was an important consideration ahead of his run to a 93rd career pole.
"From weekend to weekend, Valtteri and I have a choice – one weekend it's his choice to go first or second and others it's mine – and this weekend it was my choice," he said, when asked about his decision to run clear of the pack by Motorsport.com.
"I decided to go first and I just wanted to be out in the clear and not have to back up behind people in the last corner. And I just wanted clean air in front of me – I think it worked.
"There's a potentially a small gain from being in the tow, but then there's equally a potential danger of being caught behind someone, someone making a mistake and causing a yellow flag ahead of you – all sorts.
"I just made sure I was clear of that so I could pull out the best lap I could do."
Hamilton told the TV cameras after he climbed from his W11 after qualifying that he had "studied" the option of getting a tow but decided against trying to get one.
"I wanted to be out in clean air, not having to worry about people up ahead of me giving the gap in the last corner, wondering where there's more than eight seconds," he said.
"Because you are still getting a tow from someone at seven seconds behind and I didn't want anything coming in my way so it worked out."
Hamilton also said his efforts against the clock on Saturday led resulted in "one of the cleanest qualifying sessions I think I've ever had".
"Just every lap was bang on the dot and no mistakes, no real issues," he added. "Q3 is always a hard on because you want to get the first lap, and the first lap was great.
"I thought it was pretty much a perfect lap and the I managed to go out and find a little bit more in a couple of other areas.
"It was nice to have that gap – six tenths I think [over Bottas, who lost time at the exit of La Source] – in the first laps [as] then I could really explore in that next run to try and take even more of a risk.
"[A] phenomenal feeling driving round this track because it's incredible how fast it's become."
Related video
Verstappen thinks running out of energy didn't cost him P2
Albon welcomes "more predictable" Red Bull F1 car
The inevitable consequence of the Liberty F1 popularity boom
Sell out crowds at Formula 1 races are the norm rather than the exception these days, as grand prix racing is enjoying a massive boom under Liberty Media. But the Spanish Grand Prix highlighted numerous issues some circuits may face as demand for F1 soars
The danger for Red Bull in its Barcelona F1 team orders choice
OPINION: Red Bull walked into a team orders saga on its way to taking a Spanish Grand Prix 1-2 last weekend, where it took the lead of the 2022 Formula 1 world championships for the first time. But its decisions have added an element of risk to later races.
Why Mercedes' Spanish GP gains aren't as grand as they seemed
Mercedes' strong showing in last weekend's Spanish Grand Prix prompted team boss Toto Wolff to say it had halved its deficit to the leaders and its Formula 1 title chances were back on after a rocky start to the 2022 campaign. But a closer inspection of the team's performance suggests its gains aren't as grand as they first appeared
What's next for the Green Red Bull controversy?
From the 'pink Mercedes' to the 'Green Red Bull', the Silverstone-based team has received suspicious glares from up and down the Formula 1 paddock over its car design exploits. But after being cleared by the FIA over its Spanish Grand Prix updates amid a backdrop of cries of foul play, what's next in this saga?
Spanish Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2022
In an unusually hectic Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc was denied a dominant performance by his Ferrari engine letting go which allowed Max Verstappen to pick up the pieces. But numerous flashpoints kept the race twisting and turning throughout, with one perfect score from an emerging contender
How Verstappen overcame his and Red Bull’s errors to win in Spain
Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari engine disaster offered an open goal for Max Verstappen and Red Bull to strike, but the reigning Formula 1 world champion still had to solve multiple errors and profit from a begrudged assist from team-mate Sergio Perez, which created an unexpectedly eventful Spanish Grand Prix
Why Red Bull can win a Spanish GP that looked perfect for Ferrari
Formula 1's return to Spain on Friday ended with Ferrari leading the way from Mercedes, while Red Bull could only manage third fastest overall courtesy of Max Verstappen. But its chances of victory are far from remote with a deeper dig into the times despite Ferrari's strong start...
The key aspects of Porsche and Audi's planned F1 entries
The VW Group’s German superpowers of sportscar racing have all but confirmed they are coming to F1 when the next set of engine rules come into force in 2026. Here's why both manufacturers are all set to take the plunge, and crucially how it might work