Hamilton was one of the standout drivers during a wet final qualifying segment on Friday afternoon, taking second place behind McLaren’s Lando Norris.
The seven-time world champion said his car “comes to life” in the wet, but he is realistic about its potential if Saturday morning’s sprint takes place in the dry.
“It was quite difficult conditions. Not much grip for everyone, but so happy,” he told F1 TV.
“As soon as I saw the rain coming I was very happy because in the dry we are not fast enough.
“So when the rain came I thought I would have a better opportunity and that’s when it all came to life.”
“If it’s like that [in the sprint race], then we have a chance to be somewhere up there. If it’s dry, then naturally the Ferraris and Red Bulls will pass. Maybe we can remember some of the others. »
Team boss Toto Wolff was more optimistic about Mercedes’ chances on Saturday, but warned that due to the sprint format’s only free practice session, available data on the hierarchy of the China were limited.
“We should have the pace in the dry,” he told Sky Sports F1. “I don’t think we have the pace against the Red Bulls, but we have it, I think, against the McLarens.
“That said, we don’t know either. Because we don’t have any data on FP1, it could be that they are also much faster, or the other way around.”
Mercedes struggled to find pace both in the dry section of SQ1 and amid a late drizzle in SQ2, which saw George Russell eliminated in 11th place.
George Russell, Mercedes F1 W15
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
“We know our car; in terms of generating grip, it’s not an easy task,” Wolff said. “We failed in the first and second quarter, and then we succeeded in the third quarter.
“Obviously the handling is most important in the wet. But I think it shows it’s about tire preparation.”
“We did the right things in the last run; the tires were in the right place, combined with great driving. It saved time.”
Russell said his final lap was compromised by being at the back of the line exiting the pit lane, which meant it was difficult to get his tire to the correct temperature.
“It wasn’t easy at all, that lap in Q2,” he explained.
“We tried to get it out as early as possible and then obviously we got stuck. I think 12 cars were in front of us, they were left in the pit lane, so we had a loss of tire temperature.”
“And then it was tight, a tenth more and you’re four or five positions higher. It’s just a shame to be at the bottom of the ladder, but we have a chance to get back into the sprint race. “
Hamilton was one of the standout drivers during a wet final qualifying segment on Friday afternoon, taking second place behind McLaren’s Lando Norris.
The seven-time world champion said his car “comes to life” in the wet, but he is realistic about its potential if Saturday morning’s sprint takes place in the dry.
“It was quite difficult conditions. Not much grip for everyone, but so happy,” he told F1 TV.
“As soon as I saw the rain coming I was very happy because in the dry we are not fast enough.
“So when the rain came I thought I would have a better opportunity and that’s when it all came to life.”
“If it’s like that [in the sprint race], then we have a chance to be somewhere up there. If it’s dry, then naturally the Ferraris and Red Bulls will pass. Maybe we can remember some of the others. »
Team boss Toto Wolff was more optimistic about Mercedes’ chances on Saturday, but warned that due to the sprint format’s only free practice session, available data on the hierarchy of the China were limited.
“We should have the pace in the dry,” he told Sky Sports F1. “I don’t think we have the pace against the Red Bulls, but we have it, I think, against the McLarens.
“That said, we don’t know either. Because we don’t have any data on FP1, it could be that they are also much faster, or the other way around.”
Mercedes struggled to find pace both in the dry section of SQ1 and amid a late drizzle in SQ2, which saw George Russell eliminated in 11th place.
George Russell, Mercedes F1 W15
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
“We know our car; in terms of generating grip, it’s not an easy task,” Wolff said. “We failed in the first and second quarter, and then we succeeded in the third quarter.
“Obviously the handling is most important in the wet. But I think it shows it’s about tire preparation.”
“We did the right things in the last run; the tires were in the right place, combined with great driving. It saved time.”
Russell said his final lap was compromised by being at the back of the line exiting the pit lane, which meant it was difficult to get his tire to the correct temperature.
“It wasn’t easy at all, that lap in Q2,” he explained.
“We tried to get it out as early as possible and then obviously we got stuck. I think 12 cars were in front of us, they were left in the pit lane, so we had a loss of tire temperature.”
“And then it was tight, a tenth more and you’re four or five positions higher. It’s just a shame to be at the bottom of the ladder, but we have a chance to get back into the sprint race. “