The technical directive on flexible wings changes nothing in F1: this is Lewis Hamilton’s verdict after the Barcelona qualifying. The British champion, fifth behind George Russell, regains confidence after an uneven Friday. Ferrari’s choice is to focus on the race, still having to sacrifice some performance on Saturday: “My goal is to finish on the podium.”
Qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix concludes. Pole position is exclusively McLaren’s: Oscar Piastri is fastest, beating Lando Norris by just over two tenths. Behind them is a dissatisfied Max Verstappen, aware of the performance gap with the MCL39. The second row closes with George Russell, who takes fourth place at the expense of Lewis Hamilton.
The two Ferraris must settle for fifth and seventh positions. The goal is clear: focus everything on the race, having already shown a positive pace during Friday. Anyone expecting a turnaround, favored by the technical directive on flexible wings, is certainly disappointed. The seven-time world champion goes even further: “All a huge waste of money, the cars just get worse.”
Lewis Hamilton blunt: a directive only harmful
Speaking to journalists present in Barcelona, the Brit is clear: “The balance, after this technical directive, is certainly not as good as what we had before… It was just a huge waste of money. [The technical directive] only served to waste everyone’s money. Nothing has changed: everyone’s wings still flex, even if only by half.” – the seven-time Formula 1 world champion pointed out.
“I didn’t expect any change: I drove in the simulator and everything was exactly the same, just a bit more oversteer at high speeds.” Regarding race possibilities, the target is set: “I haven’t been on the podium for a long time, that’s my goal. There’s a long straight before Turn 1, I’ll try to get off the line well and then we’ll see. It will be about managing the tires well.”
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