Hamilton "absolutely gave it everything" in qualifying
Lewis Hamilton said he gave everything he could in Formula 1 qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix, but Red Bull was simply too quick.
The world champion ended up snatching second spot on the grid for the F1 season opener, but was powerless to prevent Max Verstappen earning pole position by 0.388 seconds.
And while Mercedes has made good progress since its troubled pre-season testing weekend, Hamilton reckoned there was nothing else he could have done to overhaul Red Bull.
"Congratulations to Max. He did such a great job, so fast on that last lap," said Hamilton. "I absolutely gave it everything I had, but unfortunately it wasn't good enough."
Hamilton praised the steps forward that Mercedes had made since testing, but was aware of the task that his team now faced to find more speed.
"There is always more, but that was the best that I could do, that is for sure," he said. "I got absolutely everything I could from the car.
"I think we did a really good job from testing to come here. The lads back of the factory they've really done such an amazing job.
"And our aero analyst, Kim, she's been giving such great information for us to be able to prove and get the car where we needed it to be closer to Red Bull.
"I think to be that close, considering I think in testing we were quite a bit behind, [was good]."
Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas said wasting a set of softs in Q1 put him on the backfoot for the final qualifying runs, as he had only a single set of new tyres for Q3 where he ended up third.
However, he thinks there is still everything to play for in the race, especially if he and Hamilton work together against Verstappen.
"It wasn't too bad, but obviously not where we want to be," he explained. "But at least starting third, and from there, anything is possible and obviously the aim is only for tomorrow.
"Of course now we have two cars in the mix at the front against Max, so I'm sure we can cooperate and do something good."
Related video
Previous article
Vettel "upset and angry" after Bahrain Q1 exit
Next article
Grand Prix qualifying results: Verstappen takes pole in Bahrain F1
About this article
| Series | Formula 1 |
| Event | Bahrain GP |
| Drivers | Lewis Hamilton |
| Author | Jonathan Noble |
How Brabham’s one-hit wonder was boxed into a corner
The Brabham BT46B raced once, won once, then vanished – or did it? STUART CODLING reveals the story of the car which was never actually banned…
The changes Barcelona needs to provide a modern-day F1 spectacle
Formula 1’s visits to Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya over recent years have been met with familiar criticisms despite tweaks here and there to the track to improve racing. With the 2021 Spanish Grand Prix largely going the same way, proper solutions need to be followed to achieve F1’s wider targets
Spanish Grand Prix Driver Ratings
Often described as Formula 1's laboratory, the Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona gave the clearest demonstration yet of the pecking order in 2021. And it's the key discrepancies from that order which illuminate who is excelling, and who needs to hit the reset button.
How Red Bull's deja vu set Hamilton on the winning path in Spain
An aggressive first corner move from Max Verstappen appeared to have set the Red Bull driver on course for victory in the Spanish Grand Prix. But canny strategy from Mercedes - combined with the absence of Red Bull's number two from the lead group - allowed Lewis Hamilton to pull off a demoralising reversal
The Barcelona practice times that prove Red Bull has hidden pace
Lewis Hamilton led the way in Friday practice for the 2021 Spanish Grand Prix, but there was one major encouraging sign for Red Bull. However, making good on that gain will require Max Verstappen to avoid repeating a mistake that left him well down the FP2 order...
Why McLaren doesn’t doubt Ricciardo can escape his ‘dark’ place
Three points finishes from as many starts represents a decent opening innings on paper, but Daniel Ricciardo has endured a tough start to his McLaren career - only magnified his teammate's excellent form. Yet both he and the team have good reason to expect a turnaround soon.
What needs to “change” for Red Bull is ending Verstappen’s errors
OPINION: Going up against the dominant force of Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton was always going to demand the best from Red Bull and Max Verstappen. But after making a couple more errors during the Portuguese Grand Prix, the Dutch driver showed there's a small gap he still needs to close in the 2021 Formula 1 title fight.
The "subtle" Red Bull upgrades that kept it in the Portugal F1 mix
Red Bull's Portuguese Grand Prix fortunes were decidedly second best to Mercedes', but the result skews the potential that the team had at Portimao. With a new set of updates, the team looks good going forward into the rest of 2021's spicy F1 competition
