‘It’s not going well from my side’ – Hamilton aiming to ‘just have fun’ from P11 in Sao Paulo Sprint

Lewis Hamilton was left to rue a difficult Sprint Qualifying at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix that saw him exit SQ2 in 11th place, with the seven-time World Champion stating afterwards that “it’s not going well from my side”.

With Ferrari seemingly struggling for pace during the session, Hamilton found himself at risk of elimination entering into the dying minutes of SQ2, while several drivers then had to abort their final laps when a spin for Charles Leclerc at Turn 10 briefly triggered double yellow flags.

Amidst this, Hamilton did not reach the line in time to start another run, meaning that he could not improve on P11.

It was then announced that the Briton would be investigated after the session for a potential yellow flag infringement. Following a hearing, Hamilton was issued with a reprimand for failing to slow under the double yellow flags.

When asked after the session about how much the yellow flags had impacted his final run, the Ferrari driver answered: “Yeah, that definitely didn’t help but… ay ay ay! It’s not for the lack of trying.

“The team thought we were a lot faster than we are. I gave it everything and that’s ultimately what matters most. We just weren’t quick enough.”

Having seemingly built momentum across the past few events as he continues to adapt to the SF-25, Hamilton was quizzed on whether he still feels that things are moving in the right direction.

“It’s hard to say that when you’re out in SQ2, but I do feel like… We’re working hard, so there’s not really much more I can do,” he responded. “It is what it is.”

Interlagos has previously been the scene of some impressive drives from Hamilton, including his memorable climb from the back of the field to fifth in the Sprint back in 2021.

Looking ahead to Saturday’s event – with the weather forecast potentially suggesting that rain could fall – Hamilton is focused on enjoying the experience.

“I’m 11th now, so I just have to have some fun from there,” the 40-year-old conceded. “I think at this point it’s literally just about having fun. It’s not going well from my side, my year, and I just have to enjoy it wherever I am. That’s all I can do.”

It was also a tricky day for Leclerc, who recovered from his spin to progress into SQ3 but had to settle for eighth in the top-10 shootout.

“The car was very slow today,” the Monegasque said of his Sprint Qualifying session. “It didn’t feel that bad but we are slow, so we’ve got something to work on and try and improve for tomorrow.

“Unfortunately my lap in SQ3, the first one was pretty good – I had a rejected upshift in the last straight, so it cost like a tenth and a half. It wouldn’t have been much better, I think maybe P7, but a tough weekend so far.”

In terms of whether there are any clear ideas for potential changes to the car between the Sprint and Qualifying on Saturday, Leclerc reflected: “Nothing makes me think we are out of place in terms of set-up, so I’ll try something – whether it’s going to be better or worse, I’m not sure."