"It was just me," world champion admits after costly errors
Monday 20 June 2016 13:26, UK
World champion Lewis Hamilton says he has no excuses for his disappointing qualifying performance in Baku.
Hamilton will start Sunday's inaugural European Grand Prix in Baku from 10th place after an error-strewn session ended with him crashing into a wall in Q3.
The Brit had been fastest in all three practice sessions but his championship-leading team mate Nico Rosberg will be on pole for the race itself.
Hamilton damaged his front-right tyre when he clipped the wall in the track's narrowest section during Q3 and the session had to be halted while marshals cleared the debris.
And a downbeat Hamilton said afterwards that there was only one person to blame for the below-par showing.
"I had a fantastic rhythm yesterday but zero today," he said. "Sometimes it happens. Obviously, I have to try and get up as high as possible tomorrow. It is damage limitation from here and I will do what I can.
"The team did make a change to something but I was just not on it today. It was a rough session, just one of those sessions that you don't need. These kind of days come and go, and you have to take the rough with the smooth.
"The car was generally good, I just was not able to get into a rhythm today."
The sun was shining on the track at an awkward angle but Hamilton poured scorn on the idea that it had hampered him.
"No, it was just me," he said. "I wasn't in it, wasn't hitting the apexes, the right braking zones, none of it was in the right place today."
Hamilton had been clocking quickest sectors before both his mistakes in Q3 and said: "I was four tenths up on both laps, so there was no question whether I was quick or not. I just didn't do the laps.
"The car was a little bit different yesterday, not as good today, and I wasn't able to brake in the same places I was yesterday. And I didn't adjust correctly, so my mistakes."
WATCH: Sky F1's Hamilton crash analysis
However, despite not feeling as comfortable with the W07, Hamilton added his pace was "still good enough for pole".
A very exciting race is now in prospect on Sunday as Hamilton looks to work his way through the field.
However, the 31-year-old thinks that preventing Rosberg from extending his championship lead will be difficult.
"I highly doubt that I can win the race but I will do my best to try and gain as many points as I can," he said.
"Nico has got a pretty easy run at the front. We have got more pace than most I think, so, as long as he gets a good start, he will be gone into the distance.
"My job is just to get through the tangle of guys I have in front of me."
