Lewis Hamilton has revealed he was “experimenting” with his Mercedes W10 through qualifying in China as he tried to get a better understanding of his car’s balance.
Hamilton struggled throughout practice at Shanghai and trailed team-mate Valtteri Bottas by eight-tenths of a second during Saturday morning’s session.
But in qualifying he challenged Bottas for pole position and the pair were split by just 0.023s at the conclusion of the three-part session, with the Finn taking top spot.
“I was experimenting throughout the session,” said Hamilton
“I finally figured it out but it was too late. It’s not really about tyre temperature but more about the balance.
“As I said, I’ve been struggling with the car so I’m just battling the thing.
“It’s a great car…the first few races are always tricky with a new car. It shifts later in the season when you get a better understanding.”
Hamilton added that he was “proud” of his improvements but conceded that team-mate Bottas was fully deserving of pole position.
“The car hasn’t improved, I was struggling with the car through the weekend, even into Q2,” he said.
“But I made a couple of changes with settings on the wheel and some changes to the line and managed to bridge the gap.
“I’m quite proud of job I’ve done considering how far I was off. Valtteri has been quick all weekend. He deserves it.”
Hamilton currently trails Bottas in the standings by a single point.
