Sakhir GP qualifying was definitely unusual, to say the least, without seeing a certain Lewis Hamilton on the grid. Despite that, Mercedes managed to seal a lock in the front row, with Valtteri Bottas taking pole position for the race.
However, in the absence of Hamilton, there wasn’t much to choose from among the top five F1 drivers. This is arguably the biggest compliment that can be paid to Hamilton, in terms of the lap time difference it creates in dizzying one-lap shootouts.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was asked if Mercedes needs a ‘superstar’ like Lewis Hamilton for the front row blocks and race wins. His response, speaking at the pre-race press conference, is nothing short of brilliant.
Lewis Hamilton makes a difference in the ‘most crucial moments’, says Verstappen
The Red Bull driver stated: “Of course he does, because he will make a difference in the most crucial moments. That is why he is seven times world champion ”.
Without question, in a sport where milliseconds can decide positions on the track, Hamilton’s skill doesn’t get enough credit. Much of the debate often revolves around the 35-year-old always having the best machinery to get results.
What’s interesting is that Hamilton may not always get to practice sessions well enough. However, in the poignant moments of Q3 qualifying, he always makes sure to put on his best laps.
This is possibly why Hamilton and Mercedes have combined so well to deliver title after title to the team. In a situation where F1 drivers are doing their best to improve their lap times, Hamilton always manages to go one better than the rest.
Mercedes made sure everything continued as usual even in Hamilton’s absence
It was fascinating to see Lewis’s replacement George Russell fit incredibly well in the Mercedes W11. There were concerns about whether the 22-year-old would quickly adapt to a new car to get results in qualifying.
In his first attempt to fight for pole position in a race, Russell fell behind Bottas by just 0.02 seconds. It showed that the team is a bit powerful, even without its star driver in the ranks.
While Mercedes are definitely happy with the display, they will still miss Hamilton very much, as the difference and the dominant gap that the seven-time F1 champion creates in racing is absolutely unmatched and unmatched.
