Lewis Hamilton endured a challenging qualifying at the 2024 US Grand Prix, placing 19th, his worst performance in seven years.
Knocked out in the first round (Q1), Hamilton struggled with an inconsistent car setup, and one of his laps was nullified due to exceeding track limits.
A lock-up at Turn 12 on his final attempt also compromised his run. Frustrated by the car’s handling, Hamilton described it as extremely difficult to drive, lacking balance and grip.
Unfortunately for the 7-time World Champion, his far-from-ideal weekend continued after Friday’s struggles which were especially apparent during, FP1 in which he spun and had a few ‘off-track’ exits while on his flying lap.
Hamilton suspected a front suspension issue as the main reason for the shocking Q1 exit.
“Something failed in the front suspension, literally as we pulled away from the line for the formation lap, and I had that through the race.”
“They figured that out, they changed the corner, but it felt like a mess throughout quali.”
The British driver suggested his team a drastic switch of the setup regarding front suspension because ‘current setup won’t give us any places up on the rest of the field.’