Seven-time world champion Hamilton was nearly seven tenths behind polesitter Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari, and six tenths behind the Red Bull of 2021 title rival Max Verstappen, admitting that both cars are “in another league”.
But despite qualifying off the front two rows, something which happened to him only once in 2021, Hamilton says he was pleased with how the team had mitigated the handling problems that appear to plague the new Mercedes W13.
After beating new teammate George Russell by nearly a second as the former Williams driver struggled to ninth, Hamilton said: “I’m not gonna say I’m relieved.
“I’m generally really happy with today given where we’ve been in the last two last few weeks, the struggles that we’ve had, the problems we’ve had with the car.
“It’s been a bit of a nightmare to drive but we’ve just kept our heads down and kept working away, so I’m proud of everyone for just staying positive.
“To get fifth in qualifying, those guys ahead of us are in another league…
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