LEW: ONLY RAIN WILL SPARE ME
LEWIS HAMILTON said only a wet race could spare him from more misery at today’s Monaco Grand Prix.
As home favourite Charles Leclerc romped to his third pole in as many races, Hamilton slumped to eighth, two places behind Mercedes pal George Russell.
Hamilton’s brilliant comeback drive to fifth at the Spanish Grand Prix a week ago provided him with some hope that he can haul himself back into the title mix.
But Hamilton, (right) already 64 points behind championship leader Max Verstappen heading into the seventh round of 22, is poised to lose further ground on Monte Carlo’s impossibleto-overtake streets.
While the principality has bathed in sizzling sun so far this weekend, there is a strong chance rain could hit today’s race.
“I am not doing any dancing but I do want it to rain, so I am not just driving around in the dry in eighth,” said Hamilton.
“You cannot overtake so I am hoping that the weather plays up and maybe we can do a different strategy.
“We were not very good in the low-speed corners at the last race so I anticipated it would be difficult, but it is worse than we anticipated because it is superbouncy. It would be nice to have some luck for once. I have been having bad luck all year so it is bound to stop at some stage.”
Hamilton’s final comment was in reference to a dramatic conclusion to qualifying which saw the session red-flagged with just halfa-minute left on the clock.
Sergio Perez slid into the wall on the tunnel entrance, and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz then went into the Mexican’s stricken Red Bull. Neither driver was injured but, with their cars blocking the track, the session was halted.
Hamilton was on a speedier lap at the time, but it is unlikely he would have had enough in the tank to gazump Russell, who qualified four 10ths faster than his more illustrious team-mate.
Leclerc delighted his home crowd by securing pole. The Ferrari driver, born and raised on Monte Carlo’s famous streets, held his nerve to deliver an almighty lap under pressure as Sainz joined him on the front row.
“It is very special,” said Leclerc. “I am so incredibly happy. It has been a very smooth weekend. I knew the pace was in the car and I just had to do the job.”
Sainz, who finished 0.225 seconds behind Leclerc, said: “Perez crashed in front of me. I was on my flying lap, I saw the yellow flag, I hit the brakes and tried to
avoid him the best I could.”