Lewis Hamilton has sent a warning to the rest of the grid, saying he will be charging for them from the get-go.
Hamilton will be taking a ten-place penalty for the race due to an ICE change. However, he threw the gauntlet down during qualifying itself, taking pole position ahead of the rest of the pack.
He will start the race from P11 on the grid, but given Mercedes’ pace, a Hamilton podium or even a win isn’t the worst shout in the world.
Hamilton sent a warning to the rest of the grid, saying he will be going all guns blazing from lights out.
“My eyes are still solely set on winning the race,” Hamilton told Sky Sports, as quoted by Racingnews365.
“It’s gonna be very hard from 11th, but not impossible. I don’t know what the weather’s gonna do, so (I’m) just staying on my toes, and making sure that we deliver maximum attack.”
Calculated approach
Despite suggesting an attacking style, Hamilton explained that the nature of the race and his position could draw out a cautious approach until the coast is clear to pass other cars.
“It’s a long race,” the seven-time world champion continued.
“If I can be higher up early on, then great, but I’ve got to stay out of trouble, and that will be probably my priority, initially. Then (I’ll) see if it’s possible to pick them off one by one.”
Hamilton is currently leading the Drivers’ Championship, two points clear of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. Verstappen will be starting the race in P2, and he will look for any opportunity to take the lead and pull away.
Hamilton, meanwhile, must deal with a very competitive midfield to get to the front. Some of the drivers in there will be sure to give him a hard time, including Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez.
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