Despite DRS issues in Q3 which robbed him of his own chance of a lap for pole position, Lewis Hamilton was happy that the Mercedes F1 team had been rewarded for all their hard work.
George Russell reaped the rewards today, with a pole in Hungary right under Ferrari’s nose.
« I tried to open the DRS in Q3 and it wasn’t opening so that was a bit of a shame. I felt good with the car, pole or the front row was definitely there for sure. »
« It would have been great to have a front row for the team, but these things happen. Congratulations to George, he did an amazing job and it’s a great result for the team. »
« Considering everything we’ve been through, it’s huge, so I’m really happy for everyone. It’s a huge step forward and we certainly didn’t expect that here. »
Toto Wolff has apologized to Hamilton after his DRS breakdown.
« Sorry for the mess with the DRS, » Wolff told Hamilton over the radio after qualifying.
« We have both Verstappen and Perez behind you. You just have Norris, Ocon and Alonso you should be able to pass. You can do it tomorrow, I’m sure! Sorry again! »
Asked if he’s still in the title hunt after Russell’s pole, Wolff admits « It’s so hard to say, we have a very big points gap behind Max, like everyone else. »
« But then you can see how it’s going today when they’re out of the fight up front. We’ll never give up. We’re in doubt all the time. We swing between depression and exuberance. »
« That’s what makes the sport so difficult and, on the other hand, so exciting. I wouldn’t rule anything out if we are able to win tomorrow. It would be a great summer vacation! »
« We were always one lap behind, now we’re on pole. Let’s see what we can do with it tomorrow in the race. If we’re able to get the pace there, I believe we’ll be in the top tier again. games up front. »
« I think if we can hold the position on lap one and out of lap one, if George has a solid run, some good stops, why not? We can win. »
