Lewis Hamilton reveals sim secret to emotional British Grand Prix qualifying success

Hamilton, Mercedes, Britain — Photo: © LAT Images

British Grand Prix

Hamilton reveals sim secret to emotional British Grand Prix qualifying success

Hamilton beat Verstappen by the narrowest of margins at Silverstone

Ewan Gale

Friday 16 July 2021 20:42

Lewis Hamilton has revealed taking part in a special sim session on Friday morning helped him secure an emotional British Grand Prix qualifying success.

The seven-time F1 champion turned around a seven-tenths of a second deficit to Max Verstappen from the sole practice session to qualify first for the inaugural 100km sprint at Silverstone by just 0.075secs.

Hamilton is not credited with pole, however, as that is reserved for the winner of the sprint event, but addressing the home support he said: "We have missed you for a whole year.

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"So to come to Silverstone and have a full crowd like this, you see the energy and coming into it, I was hopeful that the great work we have done together in the team and the energy of the fans would get us there. This is down to the fans."

On overcoming the Red Bull deficit and a final corner slide on his second flying lap, Hamilton revealed the lengths he had gone to to end Verstappen's run of finishing quickest in the last three qualifying sessions.

"I don't know what they were doing in there, they were very quick in that practice session," said Hamilton of Verstappen's pace in the Red Bull.

"We were staying focused on our job and trying to layer up... I was in the sim this morning and use it as a practice session.

"It was the first time we had the morning free and I was just trying to give absolutely everything and leave no stone unturned so that first lap was great.

"The second lap was looking even better but I just lost the back-end in the last corner so my heart was in my mouth as I came across the line.

"I couldn't have done it without these guys here so a big big thank you."

Mercedes "squeezing every ounce" from W12

Hamilton's lap time gave Mercedes some much-needed respite after losing out to Red Bull in each of the last five races.

With practice not beginning until the afternoon at Silverstone, Hamilton explained why he decided to use the time to complete simulator work at the Mercedes factory.

"I was in the sim at the factory on Tuesday and we had this morning free so I was like 'I am not going to sit around and waste time. Let's get to it'," explained Hamilton.

"We did a practice session in there this morning, also just trying to develop it and give as much information to the guys.

"We are squeezing every ounce of performance from this thing but it was holding together today so I am over the moon."