Lewis Hamilton admitted he threw away pole position for the Las Vegas Grand Prix as team-mate George Russell stormed to the top of the timing screens at the end of Qualifying on Friday night on The Strip.
Hamilton will start only 10th in Las Vegas on Saturday night after he made mistakes on each of his flying laps during Qualifying Q3. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz qualified second, with Pierre Gasly a surprise third for Alpine.
Mercedes have looked quick all weekend with the cold conditions suiting their machinery. And while Russell landed a fourth pole of his career, and third of the season, Hamilton – three weeks after the horror show in Brazil which left him close to calling a premature end to his Mercedes career – was unable to deliver.
Hamilton made a mistake at Turn 12 on his first attempt in Q3 and he was forced to abandon the lap. The 39-year-old returned for his final assault but he ran wide and did not trouble the scorers with a competitive time.
“I should have been on pole but I am not,” said a pained Hamilton, who was fastest in two of the three practice sessions, and in the second phase of qualifying. “C’est la vie. You live to fight another day. But I didn’t do the job. I didn’t put the laps together. It’s not a stinger. I feel great. The good thing is I have pace.”
Pole was kept in the Mercedes family, with Hamilton's teammate George Russell claiming the top spot start for the fourth time in his F1 career. The younger Briton will be seeking his third GP win on Saturday night, while Hamilton has his sights on an incredible 106th victory in the top flight.
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