Lewis Hamilton ‘can’t explain’ George Russell’s gap but insists ‘I still have it’

Lewis Hamilton admitted he “can’t explain” his half-second deficit to his Mercedes teammate George Russell in the classification F1 Qatar Grand Prix.

The seven-time world champion qualified sixth for Sunday’s penultimate race of the season in Qatar, four places and more than half a second slower than Russell, who was snatched from pole position by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.

Hamilton, who is in his final season with Mercedes before joining Ferrari, has now been beaten by Russell in 18 of the 23 regular qualifying sessions that have taken place this year.

In all qualifying sessions, including all six speed tests, Hamilton has only beaten Russell six times in 23 races.

“I can’t explain why I’m half a second behind my teammate. It has never happened in my career,” Hamilton told Sky Sports F1.

“I can’t explain that. What I can say is that the car seemed good to me overall. There really isn’t much more I can add.

“I’ve given it my absolute all and the laps generally feel good, but I cross the line and it’s slow.”

Hamilton’s U-turn after “he’s not fast anymore” comment

After a disappointing result in qualifying for the sprint race, Hamilton, who holds the record for all-time pole positions in F1 with 104, admitted he is “definitely not fast anymore.”

However, after qualifying for the main grand prix, the 39-year-old Briton insisted: “I know I still have it. The car simply won’t go faster.

“I definitely know I still have it. It’s not a question on my mind. Looking forward to the end (of the season).”

When asked if he knows why he struggles to match Russell, Hamilton admitted: “I don’t know. I don’t know.”

When asked how it is possible to change things, he replied: “It is not possible to change it now.”

Hamilton came second in a battle with future Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc, en route to finishing sixth in the sprint race on Saturday.

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