Starting from the front row, Lewis Hamilton endured a difficult opening phase after Ferrari opted for slick tyres on a damp track. As drivers on intermediate tyres gained a significant advantage, Hamilton dropped down the order and found himself almost a minute behind the leaders. However, the seven-time World Champion remained composed, and a strong recovery drive eventually brought him back into podium contention, with Hamilton finishing third.
“First of all, congratulations to Max on the victory. It was a very challenging race for me, particularly because of the decision we made at the beginning. Clearly, we made the wrong tyre choice, which was extremely frustrating at the time.When I saw the drivers around me removing their tyre blankets and going out on intermediate tyres while we stayed on slicks, I immediately thought that our race was effectively over. I watched the cars around me pull away, and at one point I saw on the timing screens that I was already around a minute behind the leaders.The team asked me whether I wanted to pit and change our strategy, but I told them that we had already made our decision and would have to commit to it. We decided to stay out and wait for the track to dry sufficiently for the slick tyres to become effective again.I never wanted to give up, though. We kept fighting, and the team did an excellent job throughout the race, particularly during the pit stops. There were so many pit stops, overtakes and changes in position that it became a very intense race from start to finish.To come back from where we were and finish on the podium is something I am very pleased with. Given how the race began, third place feels like a particularly rewarding result.Looking back at all the races I have competed in here over the years, this was certainly one of the best. There was so much action on track, but the atmosphere created by the fans made it even more special. A huge thank you to everyone who came out and supported us.”
