Hamilton all smiles after qualifying fourth

Twenty-four hours after lambasting his car as “un-driveable” and the worst of his Formula One career, Lewis Hamilton smiled with joy after qualifying fourth for Mercedes at the Canadian Grand Prix.

The seven-time world champion and record seven-time winner at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, where he claimed his maiden F1 success in 2007, said he felt “amazing.”

“I am so happy, to have P4 is so good—I never felt so good to be P4 or at least not for a long time since my early days in 2007 or 2008,” Hamilton said. “It feels like that—so good, to be honest.”

Heavy rain and a wet track worked out well for Hamilton and Mercedes in an unpredictable session that produced some unexpected results with 40-year-old two-time champion Spaniard Fernando Alonso grabbing second on the grid for Alpine alongside world champion Max Verstappen’s Red Bull.

“It feels so great,” added Hamilton. “It’s been such a difficult year and it was so tough out there today in those conditions so I am happy for everyone in the team – they are working so hard.”

He said the roller-coaster switch in his form and fortunes came after much overnight effort to revise the set-up of his car after he and team-mate George Russell had gone in different directions on Friday.

“I am hoping it all works again tomorrow and we can at least hold position in the race – but with this car we need everything and more to come together!”