Behind polesitter Max Verstappen, who will land his third title if he scores three factors within the Saturday dash race at Losail, Mercedes drivers George Russell and Hamilton snared second and third place in Friday evening qualifying for the Qatar GP.
However the duo have been solely bumped up after quicker McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri each belatedly had their final Q3 lap times deleted for track-limit violations.
Talking within the post-qualifying press convention, Hamilton reckoned Norris ought to have taken his place in entrance of the media in third.
He additionally mentioned the Qatari kerbs that instantly punish drivers for operating large supplied a mannequin in order that the FIA may take a look at ditching monitor limits at different venues.
This is able to theoretically keep away from any confusion in the course of the window that the FIA requires to delete lap instances and regulate the leaderboard accordingly.
“I believe these new kerbs are nice,” mentioned the seven-time champion. “Once I went around the monitor yesterday on the scooter, I assumed the kerbs seemed fairly huge.
“However I believe they’re really actually good. While you transcend the very best level of the kerb you lose time, so I do not really feel like at this monitor we have to have monitor limits.
“It is one thing that the brand new stewards introduced in a few years in the past. Lando ought to be up right here.
“I believe we are able to take these kerbs as a very good studying. We will take these kerbs to a bunch of different tracks.”
Lando Norris, McLaren MCL60
Picture by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
In the course of the Austrian GP earlier this season, the FIA needed to sift by means of over 1200 attainable monitor restrict infringements, discovered 83 {cases} and utilized 15 time penalties.
Hamilton reckoned the Qatari structure, whereby drivers lose time anyway for operating large, could be usable at different circuits to keep away from any comparable eventualities unfolding.
He mentioned: “Clearly, MotoGP [which races at Losail] are superb with these kerbs and we are able to have these in like Austria, for instance.
“While you transcend them, it’s best to be capable of utilise as a lot as attainable however whenever you transcend them you lose time. So, it should not be the white line [that is] obligatory, however anyway, it isn’t for me to resolve.”
Verstappen added: “I do assume these kerbs are slightly bit higher. I do not assume folks now who really went large really achieve time.
“It is only a bit annoying as a result of if you happen to go slightly bit wider, you backside out and also you injury your ground doubtlessly and also you undoubtedly lose time.
“I believe that has been already a giant Positive already in comparison with final time we have been right here.”