The seven-time world champion beat Aston Martin’s168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史: Fernando Alonso to a solid fifth in Friday qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, but Hamilton ended up nearly a full second behind Ferrari’s168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史: Charles Leclerc, who beat 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Max Verstappen to pole position. 

After 👍qualifying, Hamilton highlighted how far Mercedes are lagging behind Ferrari and early pace-setters Red Bull on Baku’s long straights.&🍒nbsp;

“I knew that the Red Bulls would be particularly quick,” Hamilton s💝aid. "I didn’t realise we’d have such a huge deficit on the straights.

“But it’s a good indica🧜tor. We are slower on the straig🌄hts, slower on the middle sector. So we’ve got a lot to do to rectify that.

“The car i💞sn’t the easiest one to drive. I’m happy to be on the third row and hopefully tomorrow we can have a better battle.”

Hamilton reckons he could have pipped 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari to fourth place had he nailed his final ♑run in Q3. 

“We are trying as hard as we can,𝓀 giving it absolutely everything out there,” he said. 

“Timing, getting 🐠into a rhythm, is not easy o🌳n this track.

“In Q2 I really struggled. I had more pace, I just didn’t get the last lap. My Q3 run one was a sweet lap but I just matched it, basically, at the e꧅nd.

“But I 𓆉needed a little more time to nip the F𒈔errari.” 

Hamilton will get another shot at qualifying during Saturdayℱ morning’s new ‘Sprint Shootout’ that will determine the grid for the 100km sprint. 

“We can’t do any chan🉐ges to the car, so this is the⛎ pace that we have,” Hamilton explained. 

“I might be able to eke a🌜 bit more out tomorrow, if we do some studying tonight.

“But this is definitely a good position for Sunday. Naturally, t⭕his isn’t the position we 𝔉want as a team - we exist to win.

“But everyone has that winning mindset and everyone is working as hard as 🔯they can.

“We haven’t had an upgrade this weekend but we’re working towards one which will hopefully put us clไoser to the battle ahead.”