The seven-time world champion 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:could only qualify sevent🃏h at Spa-Francorchamps after posting a time that was nearly two seconds adrift ofℱ pacesetter Max Verstappen, while he also end♉ed up behind both Alpines. 

Howev🗹er, Hamilton will move up three positions for Sunday’s grand prix and start fourth due to engine-related grid penalties for s🔥even drivers including Verstappen, Charles Leclerc and Esteban Ocon. 

Hamilton described the session as a “real kick in the teeth” for Mercedes, who arrived in Belgium optimistic about their ♑chances after cutting the gap to rivals Red Bull and Ferrari before the summer break. 

“Everyone’s working for improve✨ments,” Hamilton told S꧑ky. 

“We came here very, very optimistic we would be ab🌃le to be close - half a second, who knows. To be 1.8 seconds bꩵehind, it's a real kick in the teeth. But it is what it is. 

“It's a car that we continue to struggle with and I definitely won’t miss it at the end of the year. For me, it’s just about focussing on how we build and design 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:next year’s car. 

“The other two teams ahead of us are in another league and our car loo𒁃ks so much different to🅘 theirs. 

“We have a lot of work to do, we will do the best we can for the rest oဣf the season.”

Russell ‘struggling to comprehend’ Merc woes 

Georg💟e Russell, who qualified on pole last time out in Hungary, was just behind his Mercedes teammate in eighth. 

The Briton said he was “struggling to comprehend” how Mercedes’ fortunes hav🌟e changed so dramatically in the space of two races. 

“It’s not just to Max, butไ we were six tenths ♎behind the Alpines,” said Russell. 

“Always when the temperatures are cold, we struggle. We saw that in Imola this year and many other Fridays when it’s been a cool Friday. We just can’t ܫseem to get thඣe tyres working. 

“I’m confident we’ll have a lot more pace ꧃tomorrow compared to the Alpines and the McLarens and the Williams as well. But we’ll still probably half a second to a second behind Red Bull and Ferrari.” 

Russell believes Verstappen has the pace 🅰to win from 15th and conceded that Mercedes’ streak of consecutive podium finishes is likely to come to an end. 

“I think Max will probably still win the race,” he added. “I don’t know where he’s going to𓂃 be starting, but the pace he’s got he’ll probably still win the race. 

“And Charles will come through, so I think it’s unlikely we’ll be on the podium tomorrow in♏ all honesꦗty. 

"We’ve still got Carlos and Checo th💛ere and Max is going to slice through the field pℱretty quickly. 

“We need to look overnight and try to understand it - qualifying is out of the way and that is our weak poi♛nt - and try to be faster tomorrow.🍨” 

Asked how the mood is withi𒁏n the team, Russell ꦍreplied: “Not great because we want more than this. 

“Mercedes qualifying P7 and P8 is not where we want to be and we know that’s not wherꦫe the car is. 

“We kn꧒ow we don’t have the fastest car, or the second fastest car, but we definitely have a car that is capable of more than P8 and P7. We’v𝓡e got work to do.”