After ten qualifying sessions in the 2024 F1 season (including two sprint sessions and eight traditional ones), Hamilton is significantly trailing behind his Mercedes teammate, Russell, who once again secured the best grid position in Monaco.
Speaking to the media at the Monte Carlo street circuit, the seven-time world champion hinted with a light-hearted tone and a half-smile that he might never qualify ahead of George Russell this season.
“I don’t foresee being ahead of George, especially in qualifying this year. But yes, we just keep pushing, and the races are stronger,” Lewis Hamilton commented. This statement surprised the journalists, and when they asked him why he believed he wouldn’t surpass Russell all year, he smiled, shook his head, and simply said, “We’ll see.”
Hamilton expressed his frustration, noting that by the time the qualifying session arrives, he already knows he will lose pace compared to his rivals. However, his remarks and particularly his smile seem more directed at how Mercedes, with his impending move to Ferrari, is focusing all its efforts on Russell.
The Qualifying Head-to-Head Between Hamilton and Russell in F1 2024
While Hamilton is partly correct in saying that the races are going better, he is still losing out to Russell in the 2024 championship.
Both drivers have scored points in the same Grand Prix events, and neither scored in Australia. However, Russell has outperformed Hamilton in six of the other seven main races (only losing out in Miami). Despite this, Hamilton has secured the best result for the team, finishing second in the sprint race in China.