Hamilton reveals 2mm mistake that destroyed sprint chances

Lewis Hamilton has revealed a two-millimetre clutch error was to blame for his woeful sprint start at the Italian Grand Prix.

Hamilton started alongside his pole-sitting Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas for the 18-lap sprint on Saturday but had dropped to sixth by the first chicane.

Unable to recover positions after being trapped behind Lando Norris' McLaren for the duration, Hamilton will start Sunday's grand prix fourth, moving up two places by virtue of Pierre Gasly's lap one crash and Bottas' grid penalties.

“I was being as aggressive as I could be," said Hamilton.

"The McLarens are the quickest on the straights and I just couldn’t get close enough to then capitalise in a straight line. They were just as fast on straights if not faster.

“The start was just breakaway traction, a subtle, like two millimetres too deep with the clutch paddle and wheelspin. That is it.”

For the fourth race in succession, Hamilton has a chance to secure his 100th F1 victory but the seven-time champion conceded this to now be unlikely given the pace of those starting ahead.

Asked if he felt a curse had been placed on his, he said: “I don’t believe in curses.

"[On] Sunday it is highly unlikely but not impossible that we could get the win.

“It’s damage limitation at the moment so it generally should be a relatively easy race for Max unless I can get past the two McLarens early on and then challenge.”

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