01 March 2024 , 18:35
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Lewis Hamilton believes Mercedes finally have a car "we can fight with" despite qualifying ninth for the Bahrain Grand Prix.
The Silver Arrows had shown real potential in practice as they look to become a major player in the sport again, having won just one race over the past two years. George Russell stuck his car on third to underline the pace in the Mercedes, ahead of a Ferrari and a Red Bull.
Hamilton concedes his qualifying result was due to his own error, citing a set-up mistake as crucial. Despite his lack of one lap pace the seven-time world champion hopes his decision will pay off come Sunday having praised the effort of everyone behind the scenes.
He told Sky Sports after qualifying: "It was not great. But I was genuinely really excited to be here. I think George's position and pace really highlights, and is a real testament to the team, how hard everyone has worked over winter. It's amazing to have a car we can fight with. It really unites the fire and flame within us drivers. For me, Bono and everyone did a great job, and I struggled in qualifying today.
"Yesterday, was really good. Me and George were on the same setups but he went left and I went right. Right was definitely not good for a single lap but I felt more comfortable with more fuel, so I hope that reflects tomorrow. I've definitely sacrificed more than I hoped to and I hope it pays off tomorrow. It's a lot of work to do to get past all those quick cars ahead of me but it will be fun."
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Hamilton has tasted victory several times in Bahrain, most recently in 2021, when he held off a charging Max Verstappen. The Red Bull man remains the class of the field having stuck his career on pole position with a fourth straight world championship on his radar.
Russell believes that Verstappen could be beyond the two Mercedes drivers despite running him close in qualifying. There are still questions to be asked over every team's race pace but the Brit seemed resigned to competing for second spot.
The Mercedes star qualified in ninthHe said: "Everybody at the factory has done an amazing job to give Lewis and I a car that we feel much happier with and a base we can build upon. Ultimately, Max is still out there in front and we still have a lot of catching up to do.
"When we look at our qualifying performances in the last two years in Bahrain, and the race pace, starting in P3 for tomorrow is a great place. There's been a huge amount of work. We have obviously made a big step forward in one lap pace and we hope we haven't compromised the race pace."