Lewis Hamilton third, the message to Mercedes is clear

Third on the grid, but extremely happy.

Lewis Hamilton returned to prominence in Saturday’s qualifying for the Mexican Grand Prix, fighting for pole position but then having to settle for third place behind Max Verstappen and his teammate in Mercedes, George Russell. The seven-time world champion, however, commented with great satisfaction on his day, spending words of high praise for his team.

“Unfortunately, the first lap, which maybe could have been enough for second place, was cancelled,” Hamilton recalled. “Then the last one was not up to the Red Bulls, which are very fast. But it was a fantastic performance, I am proud of my team. This is the best qualifying all year for us, and it shows that perseverance and never giving up in the face of difficulties leads you to grow.”

So a suggestion ahead of the race. “In general, my laps were pretty good. The last one was not enough to get Verstappen in trouble, so there is still room for growth. We have to keep pushing, but I’m happy with my grid position. Also because the road before Turn 1 is long. And hopefully that will play a role for the race strategy,” Hamilton explained.