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Lewis Hamilton experienced a surprising early exit during the first qualifying session (Q1) at the 2024 United States Grand Prix, marking one of the most challenging weekends in his Formula 1 career. The seven-time world champion, who has historically performed well at the Circuit of The Americas, was eliminated in Q1, qualifying 19th—his worst qualifying result at this venue and his poorest since the 2017 Brazilian Grand Prix.
The issues began during the Sprint race, where Hamilton reported a front suspension failure on the formation lap. This mechanical problem persisted throughout the Sprint, affecting the car’s balance and handling. Despite the Mercedes team replacing the affected suspension component before the main qualifying session, Hamilton described the car’s setup as “a nightmare,” citing inconsistent balance and lack of grip.
In Q1, Hamilton’s final flying lap was compromised by a mistake at Turn 12, where he locked up under braking and ran wide, resulting in significant time loss. Telemetry analysis revealed that he lost over half a second in the second sector alone compared to his teammate George Russell, who managed to advance to Q3.
Considering his position at the back of the grid, Hamilton contemplated starting the race from the pit lane to allow for further setup changes that could improve the car’s performance. He expressed that, without such changes, progressing through the field would be unlikely.
This qualifying result adds to a series of challenges Hamilton has faced during the 2024 season, including a Q1 elimination at the Chinese Grand Prix and a disappointing 11th-place qualifying in Australia. As he prepares to join Ferrari in 2025, Hamilton remains focused on extracting the maximum performance from his current Mercedes car in the remaining races of the season.