---
title: "Hamilton admits ‘each weekend is a rescue’ after Mercedes double Q2 exit"
canonical: "https://readmotorsport.com/2022/04/22/hamilton-admits-each-weekend-is-a-rescue-after-mercedes-double-q2-exit/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Hamilton Lyndon-Griffiths"
section: "F1 News"
published: "2022-04-22T17:33:22Z"
modified: "2022-04-22T17:33:24Z"
---

# Hamilton admits ‘each weekend is a rescue’ after Mercedes double Q2 exit

Lewis Hamilton believes “each weekend is a rescue” for Mercedes right now after it failed to get either of its cars out of Q2 in Formula 1 qualifying at Imola.

Hamilton struggled for pace throughout the session, only managing to scrap through to the second segment by just 0.004s before being unable to advance to the top-10 shootout.

His initial run in Q2 was only good enough for 13th place when a red flag stoppage and a rain shower lost him the chance to improve his lap time, with Mercedes team-mate George Russell also knocked out.

The result isn’t Hamilton’s first failure to reach Q3 this season after his shock Q1 exit in Saudi Arabia, and it marked the first time since Japan 2012 Mercedes didn’t have a car take part in the final stage of qualifying.

“It wasn’t a great session, naturally it’s disappointing,” Hamilton said.

“\[You\] come here with optimism and you know everyone is working really hard at the factory, and things just don’t come together.

“It’s disappointing. I think we underperformed as a team today. There are things that we should have done that we didn’t do.

“Anyways. We’ll work as hard as we can to move up in the sprint race. It’s going to be a difficult race, but hopefully tomorrow is better weather-wise, and who knows, maybe we’ll move our way forwards.”

This weekend sees the first sprint race of the year, giving Hamilton an extra opportunity to move up the field with the 21-lap event setting the grid for the main grand prix on Sunday.

Asked if the sprint was a chance for Mercedes to turn around its weekend, Hamilton replied: “We’ll just keep working hard. Each weekend is a rescue.”

After dropping out of Q2, Hamilton was seen talking to Mercedes boss Toto Wolff at the back of the garage, but remind tight-lipped on what the exchange was about.

“It’s all internal stuff,” Hamilton said. “So I’d rather not share that.”