Seven times world champion Lewis Hamilton was ecstatic after a fourth place in the Canadian Grand Prix qualifying raised the Mercedes driver’s hopes of returning to the Formula One podium.
The Briton has struggled all year with a fiery car that he described on Friday as a disaster, but in wet conditions he had his best Saturday performance in nine races. race.
Hamilton told reporters: “I can’t tell you how happy I am. “Me and Ange (physically Angela Cullen) had the biggest hug in the back of the garage because we both worked so hard.
“In terms of pure speed in dry conditions, we still have a long way to go but to be in the top four in qualifying in those conditions is fantastic.
“It feels very similar to my first qualifying round in Australia 2007 in terms of excitement.”
Mercedes, which has dominated for the past eight years, has trailed rivals Red Bull and Ferrari with a car they have yet to tame.
The FIA regulator issued a technical directive on Thursday aimed at easing, for safety reasons, the price spike that caused particular concern in Azerbaijan last weekend.
Mercedes tried the modification on Friday but said the hard hold was ineffective and would not be used again.
Rivals were getting ready for a fight, with Alpine boss Otmar Szafnauer hinting that Mercedes might be countered and asking how they could produce the part so quickly while everyone else can not.
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff took part in what he described as a “frenetic” meeting of fellow principals with explosive temper.
He told Sky Sports: “It’s all fair that we’re having a political fight over achievement, but I think some of them are taking that lightly when you consider the health of the players. driver,” he told Sky Sports television.
“I think in Baku it’s definitely too dangerous to ride these cars. Each one crashes and you can see that bottoming in a straight line is quite dangerous. Yesterday we saw it here as well. .”
Hamilton’s qualifying was in stark contrast to Friday’s when he spotted no progress.
“It seems like a lot of the things we try on this car have to struggle to work,” he said afterward.
“It’s not the Montreal that I’ve been in and I’ve driven all my career, it’s the worst thing I’ve felt having any car here.”
