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SPIELBERG, Austria — Lewis Hamilton believes he might have certified among the many prime three drivers on Friday on the Austrian Grand Prix had he not made a uncommon error and crashed within the last session.
Hamilton misplaced the rear of his automobile in the midst of Flip 7 earlier than skating throughout the gravel and making heavy contact with the barrier.
The crash means he’ll begin tenth in Saturday’s dash race — the results of which is able to set the grid for Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix.
“I am OK,” Hamilton mentioned after the session. “It was a giant hit, however I am OK.
“I am extremely upset in myself, finally. I am so sorry to the staff, everybody labored so arduous to place this automobile collectively and I by no means like to wreck it or carry it again broken.
“We had been preventing for a prime three I believe, and I haven’t got a solution for what occurred. I simply misplaced the again finish in Flip 7 and that was that.”
After displaying promising tempo on the British Grand Prix final weekend, Hamilton is assured he can transfer up the order in Saturday’s dash.
“I am inspired, for certain,” he mentioned. “I’m inspired after all to see our efficiency, we weren’t anticipating to be as shut as that as we speak in order that’s an enormous constructive from the staff.
“However I am actually fairly far again, so I do not know what’s potential from there however now we have a dash race as properly so I hope that tomorrow I could make up some misplaced time.”
Teammate George Russell additionally crashed out of qualifying, however will begin fifth after setting a lap time in Q3 earlier than his accident.
Requested if he’d had a fortunate escape by securing fifth on the grid in a session by which he crashed out, Russell mentioned: “I would not say a fortunate escape, we have to evaluate the crash harm and there is nothing fortunate or lucky about making a mistake like that.
“It might have been P4 — I used to be a tenth up on my lap and completely went for it as a result of I assumed there was a chance for third. Because it turned out, most likely not.
“We simply must see how a lot harm is finished so sorry to the staff and the fellows within the storage.”
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