David Croft shares striking reaction from US Grand Prix crowd after Lewis Hamilton Q1 exit

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Lewis Hamilton was knocked out in Q1 at the United States Grand Prix on Saturday. Hamilton was the second-slowest driver in the session after a costly mistake.

The two Mercedes drivers set their first laps on used tyres and both found themselves in the bottom five heading into the final moments. George Russell, who’s already sealed the intra-team qualifying battle, comfortably cleared the bar.

But Hamilton locked up and ran deep into turn 10, losing around half a second. He knew he was out from the moment he crossed the line, with the timing charts showing him 16th.

There was still time left in the session but he wasn’t in a position to push. The seven-time world champion wouldn’t have had the battery power, tyre life or fuel for another run.

Hamilton would drop to 19th, suffering the embarrassment of being outqualified by former teammate Valtteri Bottas. Bottas’ Sauber team haven’t scored a single point this year.

He’ll start Sunday’s race from 18th due to Liam Lawson’s engine penalties. For the second time in three races, he’ll have to fight his way through from the back of the pack after a pitlane start in Azerbaijan.

Lewis Hamilton’s Q1 exit at US Grand Prix stuns the crowd

Hamilton is the most decorated driver on the F1 grid and one of the most popular. At many of the 24 races, the grandstands will be dominated by his supporters.

To underline his following in the US, presidential candidate Kamala Harris said she cheers for Hamilton. But if the Democratic VP found time to tune in on Saturday, she would have been stunned.

Speaking live on Sky Sports F1, commentator David Croft observed that a ‘hush’ fell on the Circuit of the Americas after Hamilton’s elimination. He was in the pole conversation before the session started.

Hamilton was only seventh in Sprint qualifying and finished sixth. But he’d shown contending pace on Friday before a yellow flag disrupted him in SQ3.

“There’s a bit of a hush around the track as the fans take in that particular effort from Lewis Hamilton,” Croft said. “You would have expected more from Lewis Hamilton and from Mercedes.”

Lewis Hamilton’s unbroadcast radio message highlights Mercedes frustration

Qualifying has been a source of pain for Hamilton all season. He’s only beaten Russell five times in Grand Prix qualifying sessions and he’s now failed to reach Q3 on four occasions in a frontrunning car.

Whatever the explanation, this doesn’t bode well for his matchup with Charles Leclerc at Ferrari next year. With 26 poles in his first 141 races, Leclerc is one of the fastest qualifiers in F1’s recent history.

Jarno Trulli expects Leclerc to beat Hamilton in 2025. He believes the Monegasque will be motivated by the chance to compete against an all-time great.

During the Sprint, a frustrated Hamilton complained that Mercedes were ‘so slow’ and questioned where he was losing time. He later revealed that a front suspension issue was compromising his handling.