“I’m just a bit gobsmacked, honestly,” said Hamilton after securing his shock P1. “I’m a bit taken aback by it. I didn’t know when we would get to this position.
“After last weekend, it was a difficult start to the week and I came here with aggression and just wanted to go into the weekend and get the car into a really great place.
“I started out straightaway with a better feeling in the car and I can’t believe that we’re at the front, ahead of a McLaren which has been so fast throughout winter testing, the first race, and even today.”
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Assessing his lap, he added: “My first sector was really, really strong, I think that’s where I made most of my improvement on that lap, but just little increments through the whole place.
“There’s still time to find, for sure, which I’ll try and make sure that I apply to the next Qualifying session we go out in. It’s amazing to see the number one as you stop and to be in the red car, it’s pretty incredible.”
