Lewis Hamilton’s tactics during the first laps in Q3 drew complaints from his teammate George Russell. After completing his first run, Russell questioned his race engineer about Hamilton’s actions, to which the engineer responded by advising Russell to stay focused. Hamilton’s slower pace ahead of Russell during their out-lap might have compromised Russell’s preparation, as they were being approached by faster drivers behind them. Hamilton, needing to avoid a penalty, had to move aside.
Drivers were trying to exploit the slipstream effect, gaining speed by following closely behind another car. Max Verstappen successfully used this tactic by following his teammate Sergio Perez. For Mercedes, Hamilton led Russell out of the garage and through their out-lap. Esteban Ocon caught up with Russell, who allowed Ocon to pass, while Hamilton, nearing the end of his lap, chose to use Ocon’s slipstream, slowing down significantly before accelerating behind Ocon.
As Russell approached, he saw Ocon and Hamilton ahead and had to slow down, with Carlos Sainz Jr. not far behind. Russell mirrored Hamilton’s actions, using the Ferrari’s slipstream. This disrupted their tire warm-up but provided some compensation through the slipstreams.
Tensions between Hamilton and Russell have been under scrutiny, especially after allegations of sabotage against Hamilton. Mercedes’ team principal, Toto Wolff, addressed these claims, stating that the police were involved to identify the source of the anonymous emails.
Despite the complications, both Mercedes drivers ended Q3 just behind Lando Norris and Verstappen. Wolff considered third and fourth on the grid a solid result, though the car’s balance wasn’t optimal compared to Friday. He noted the gap to pole position was larger than expected but was pleased to be ahead of the Ferraris.
