Uphill task for Hamilton after horror smash
LEWIS HAMILTON’S voice came over the radio in a panting rasp as he sat inside the cockpit of his crippled Mercedes after a 165mph crash that bruised not only knees, ankles and back but his world championship dream.
‘I put my foot on the pedal and something failed,’ he wheezed, seemingly winded by the impact during qualifying for today’s German Grand Prix.
After a puff of smoke signifying a broken disk in his front right wheel, his car careered sideways into the tyre wall at Sachs Kurve — the 13th corner at Hockenheim.
He had completed just five laps, condemning him to 16th place, and possibly to starting in the pitlane once his car has been restored, when he should have contested pole.
His only true rival for the prime front-row position was Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg, who ended up setting the fastest time of the day by sixth-tenths of a second, or an age in Formula One. Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa, both of Williams, will start second and third.
Hamilton was taken to the medical centre for tests. His hopes of narrowing his four-point deficit to Rosberg at the top of the drivers’ standings badly damaged.
Having returned to the paddock, Hamilton said: ‘Nico has basically got another gift, but we will see what we can do.’
This was Hamilton’s second technical misfortune of the season after an engine failure in Melbourne. Rosberg has suffered one, a gearbox problem at Silverstone a fortnight ago. The German was happy to have taken pole in front of his home fans, but added: ‘I would have preferred it if it was an open fight with Lewis.’
Hamilton was understandably frustrated, but no less determined. ‘You just have to take your hands off the wheel and brace for the impact. I have felt better, but thankfully I’m OK,’ he said.
‘I’m not sure where we’ll start in the race because that will depend on the damage to the car. But we’ll give it everything, hope for a slice of luck and aim for a recovery like I made at Silverstone. I won’t be giving up.’
Elsewhere Jenson Button (11th) was outgunned by his McLaren team-mate Kevin Magnussen (fourth) while Daniel Ricciardo (fifth) beat Red Bull team-mate Sebastian Vettel for the seventh time in qualifying.