• Bahrain Grand Prix Qualifying

McLaren lacking downforce - Hamilton

ESPNF1 Staff
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Lewis Hamilton was happy just to qualify fourth © Sutton Images
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Lewis Hamilton has admitted the McLaren is lacking downforce compared to his competitors and said he was "surprised" to take fourth place on the grid.

McLaren was one of the favourites heading into qualifying but Hamilton finished behind the Red Bull of Sebastian Vettel and the two Ferraris, while his team-mate Jenson Button struggled to eighth. Hamilton conceded the car was lacking aerodynamically compared to its main rivals.

"I think it is downforce," he said when asked what the problem was by the BBC. "We are generally quite weak in the middle sector [in Bahrain], I think we lose almost a second there. We have got a lot of downforce to find, but I know the guys back at the factory are pushing very hard, and this is much better position to start from than we did last year so I can only be grateful and just keep working with the guys to push us forward."

Given the problems he said he was "absolutely overwhelmed" to have qualified as high as he did.

"I was actually surprised with that result," Hamilton said. "We generally don't have the same pace as the Red Bulls and the Ferraris so I was really surprised when I came through. I am absolutely overwhelmed with that position, I think that's great for us, a great starting point and I hope tomorrow we can just either keep that position or take one more tomorrow."

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