Lewis Hamilton backs "awesome" sprint weekend format despite missing out on pole

Hamilton, Mercedes, Britain — Photo: © LAT Images

British Grand Prix

Hamilton backs "awesome" sprint weekend format despite missing out on pole

Hamilton finished second to Verstappen in the inaugural sprint

Ewan Gale

Saturday 17 July 2021 18:45

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Lewis Hamilton has hailed the sprint weekend format as "awesome" and called for F1 to 'do more like it' in the future despite missing out on pole for the British Grand Prix.

After qualifying fastest on Friday evening at Silverstone, the Mercedes driver was jumped by championship rival Max Verstappen off the line before finishing second to the Dutchman in the 17-lap Sprint to cement second on the grid for the grand prix.

"I wish we could redo the start again but luckily, we have it again tomorrow," a clearly dejected Hamilton said.

"I don't know how it was to watch for the fans. I think this weekend has been awesome.

"It was such a fun day to have qualifying on a Friday, it was way more enjoyable. I don't know if that was the most exciting race or not but we should do more like that, maybe a different version of it because it makes the weekend more enjoyable I think.

"I need everyone to bring their energy tomorrow and I will bring my A-game."

"I gave it everything today. I want to give a lot of love to the fans, I can't tell you the energy that I am getting from everyone.

"I am sorry I wasn't able to get the win in Sprint but tomorrow we fight again. I hit target on my start, it is just not good when you lose from P1 but we try to turn a negative into a positive tomorrow."

Hamilton urges work on Mercedes race starts

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Verstappen broke the DRS activation gap after stealing the march at the start stopped Mercedes from taking a 10th British Grand Prix pole in a row.

With Hamilton losing a point in the championship with three handed to the winner of the Sprint and two for second, when asked if he saw the small points difference as a negative he replied: "Every point counts man so I wouldn't say that.

"I am grateful to have finished. Tomorrow, we fight again but they were just so strong.

"In the race, they were just pulling away and there was nothing I could do to hold onto him so we have got to try and be in front somehow.

"They have done a great job on the engine, the starts are really great this year, we have lost a bit of performance on our starts so we have got to work a bit harder to try to improve that. Losing positions is never a great thing."