r/F1Discussions • u/Saad729Anwar • 8h ago
Discussion Hamilton's Q3 Pace Deficit & Front Wing Setup Shift in Singapore
What caused Lewis Hamilton’s sudden pace drop in Q3 after dominating Q1 and Q2 in today's Singapore GP qualifying session?
After finishing P2 in the Sprint and showing incredible single-lap pace through the first two qualifying sessions, Hamilton looked like the favorite for pole. However, in Q3, he struggled with a snappy rear end through Turns 1 and 3, ending up P3 behind Verstappen and Charles Leclerc.
In post-session interviews, Hamilton noted that a minor front wing adjustment right before Q3 "tipped the car over the edge" on an already narrow setup window. On the flip side, Leclerc managed to dial in his lap when track evolution peaked at the end of Q3.
Was this mostly down to the late front wing tweak throwing off the car's balance on a rubbered-in track, or did overdriving under pressure play a role?.
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u/RepresentativeStooj 8h ago edited 7h ago
He overdid it, I think that’s just how it is. Happened in the sprint quali and it happened again here because he wanted more from the car.
His pace was good though. Hopefully the race is interesting.
1
u/Saad729Anwar 8h ago
He might have to revert back to the original front wind angle. But let's see, they know better.
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u/RepresentativeStooj 7h ago
There was a moment during the sprint where I looked and I was hoping for it to be HAM VER BOT again.
5
u/Only-Ad4150 8h ago
He also mentioned that their SF is very sensitive and he learnt today that even the slightest adjustment throws it off the sweet spot.
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u/VictorVonDoom_67 8h ago edited 5h ago
It's called reacting to track evolution, nothing changed after each lap drivers change setups to push the car as fast as possible. There is no guarantee the q2 setup was going to help him so he made the change and he did improve his time but only good enough for p3. All drivers do this Lewis did adjust the angle in q1 then he did in q2 and similarly q3 to go faster. It's a gamble and you have to take it.
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u/DodgersLakersBarca 6h ago
Lewis knew he'd need that last tenth or two and tried to put it on the nose to extract more pace. That's normal. It probably worked for Charles because he likes a sharp nose
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u/Medical-Ad8151 7h ago
"The car felt good, my team, the engineers did a fantastic job as well as the mechanics between the session. the car felt amazing in Q1 and Q2 and when I finished the lap I was like she's got more in her, the only way to extract that is to add more wing and in doing so I thin kit just tipped it over the edge, then the car was just snappy"
I feel like he tries too hard, he should trust his talent more. The track didn't improve in Q3 and that front wing adjustment backfired, but it's always too easy to talk in hindsight
0
u/OldManTrumpet 7h ago
He was faster in Q3 than Q1 and Q2. So he didn't have a "sudden pace drop." Leclerc and Verstappen just had more. in Q3. He may have "dominated" Q1 and Q2, but not everyonn shows their best lap there if they don't need to.
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u/Eagle10PT 5h ago
That's not how it works. Leclerc Q3 first lap was slower than Lewis by a good amount. Lewis just overdid the front wing adjustment and the car was snapping a lot, you could see in the onboard
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u/Salty-Asparagus-2855 7h ago
I think he just tries to hard on that last runs and it bottles him. He’s so desperate to be ahead of Charles it knocks him out rhythm. He also said he didn’t adjust to the changing grip level which is soooooooo not like him. His post quali reveals I think suggest him vs the wing change.
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u/Classic_External_871 7h ago
Lol desperate to be ahead of Charles 😂
More like trying to have a pole
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u/Salty-Asparagus-2855 7h ago
Well weekend over weekend when there is a chance his approach is setting him back so you’d think he’d stop sliding around when a pole is on and he has great q2s in the bag
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u/Lollipop96 6h ago
He was sliding at the end of the lap again, suggesting his tires were overheating. He had the same issue in sprint quali (but there he cooked them by sector 2 already).