![](https://cdn-3.motorsport.com/images/amp/6VRp9Bn6/s6/lewis-hamilton-mercedes.jpg)
Lewis Hamilton insists that he has "still got it", despite the current struggles he is having in extracting pace from his Mercedes F1 car.
The seven-time world champion continues to face frustrations in getting the most out of himself in qualifying, as he again finished adrift of his team-mate George Russell in qualifying for the Qatar Grand Prix.
While Russell put his car on the front row, Hamilton ended up sixth on the grid, 0.436 seconds back.
This was a bigger gap than the 0.399 deficit in sprint qualifying that had left him confessing that "I'm definitely not fast anymore."
But while not hiding from the fact that he has had a difficult season and things were definitely not gelling as he was hoping, Hamilton said on Saturday that deep down he felt he still had all the potential he needed to deliver in F1.
"Yeah, I know I've still got it," he said. "Just the car won't go any faster, I definitely know I've got it still. It's not a question in my mind. [But I'm] looking forward to the end."
While Hamilton again said that his Mercedes car was feeling "decent" in qualifying, he still believed there was no hiding from the fact that the deficit to Russell was still quite big.
"I'm slow," he said. "I'm half a second off my team-mate in the same car."
Asked if the remarks about his pace were a broader thing beyond just this weekend, he said: "No, it's been all year."
Hamilton offered no answers as to what was not working for him right now, as he also suggested that there would be no immediate solution that would unlock something before the end of the season.
![](https://cdn.motorsport.com/images/mgl/6b7GMNp0/s1000/lewis-hamilton-mercedes-f1-w15.jpg)
"It's not possible to change it. Right now," he admitted.
Hamilton finished sixth in the earlier sprint race, after showing some strong speed – and getting involved in a battle with future Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc.
And after slightly regretting not having driven more robustly, he vowed to play things a bit tougher if there were repeat circumstances on Sunday.
"Yeah, it was alright," he said. "It was fair. Nice and close. I mean, I didn't defend: I should have defended, but I didn't.
"He was a bit quicker than me and he was probably going to come by anyway. So if I'm in the same position again tomorrow, I'll put more of a fight out for sure."
Photos from Qatar GP Sprint Race & Qualifying
![Oscar Piastri, McLaren F1 Team, 1st position, Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing, and Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team, 2nd position, celebrate after the Sprint](https://cdn-2.motorsport.com/images/mgl/01WmX45Y/s700/1020465302-lat-20241130-gp2423.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team](https://cdn-4.motorsport.com/images/mgl/68yGMj80/s700/lewis-hamilton-mercedes-amg-f1.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![Carlos Sainz, Ferrari](https://cdn-4.motorsport.com/images/mgl/2jXPyxN6/s700/carlos-sainz-ferrari.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![Fans of Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing](https://cdn-5.motorsport.com/images/mgl/2y3jrkv6/s700/fans-of-max-verstappen-red-bul.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![Alex Albon, Williams Racing](https://cdn-2.motorsport.com/images/mgl/YMd9MKG2/s700/alex-albon-williams-racing.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![Susie Wolff, Managing Director, F1 Academy, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team](https://cdn-7.motorsport.com/images/mgl/0qX81ly6/s700/susie-wolff-managing-director-.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![George Russell, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team](https://cdn-5.motorsport.com/images/mgl/63vdOp4Y/s700/george-russell-mercedes-amg-f1.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![Oscar Piastri, McLaren F1 Team](https://cdn-5.motorsport.com/images/mgl/YW7xRbDY/s700/oscar-piastri-mclaren-f1-team.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![Pierre Gasly, Alpine F1 Team](https://cdn-6.motorsport.com/images/mgl/0JBZpMB0/s700/pierre-gasly-alpine-f1-team.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team](https://cdn-5.motorsport.com/images/mgl/YN1RzpJ2/s700/lando-norris-mclaren-f1-team.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team, with Doriane Pin, PREMA Racing](https://cdn-1.motorsport.com/images/mgl/24vwbDN6/s700/lewis-hamilton-mercedes-amg-f1.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![Valtteri Bottas, KICK Sauber](https://cdn-9.motorsport.com/images/mgl/6n9J5qAY/s700/valtteri-bottas-kick-sauber.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![Liam Lawson, RB F1 Team VCARB 01](https://cdn-2.motorsport.com/images/mgl/27vk3RO0/s700/liam-lawson-rb-f1-team-vcarb-0.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![Charles Leclerc, Ferrari](https://cdn-9.motorsport.com/images/mgl/0RrXEMA0/s700/charles-leclerc-ferrari.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB20](https://cdn-1.motorsport.com/images/mgl/01WmXBxY/s700/sergio-perez-red-bull-racing-r.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing](https://cdn-7.motorsport.com/images/mgl/YpNrXdJ0/s700/sergio-perez-red-bull-racing.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes](https://cdn-3.motorsport.com/images/mgl/6VRp9Bn6/s700/lewis-hamilton-mercedes.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20](https://cdn-6.motorsport.com/images/mgl/6VRp9el6/s700/max-verstappen-red-bull-racing.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![Pierre Gasly, Alpine F1 Team](https://cdn-7.motorsport.com/images/mgl/Yv8y3dj0/s700/pierre-gasly-alpine-f1-team.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing](https://cdn-5.motorsport.com/images/mgl/YKEDx4O0/s700/sergio-perez-red-bull-racing.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![George Russell, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team](https://cdn-6.motorsport.com/images/mgl/0qX81dy6/s700/george-russell-mercedes-amg-f1.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![Lance Stroll, Aston Martin AMR24](https://cdn-6.motorsport.com/images/mgl/2eAo8OP2/s700/lance-stroll-aston-martin-amr2.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20](https://cdn-6.motorsport.com/images/mgl/2d1vrbnY/s700/max-verstappen-red-bull-racing.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![A DJ performs on the grid](https://cdn-8.motorsport.com/images/mgl/6AEW9D16/s700/a-dj-performs-on-the-grid.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![Lance Stroll, Aston Martin F1 Team](https://cdn-5.motorsport.com/images/mgl/0oOzVeb0/s700/lance-stroll-aston-martin-f1-t.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24](https://cdn-1.motorsport.com/images/mgl/YP358E42/s700/carlos-sainz-ferrari-sf-24.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![Kevin Magnussen, Haas F1 Team, Mark Slade, Race Engineer, Haas F1 Team](https://cdn-4.motorsport.com/images/mgl/0rGBOw72/s700/kevin-magnussen-haas-f1-team-m.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![Lance Stroll, Aston Martin AMR24](https://cdn-1.motorsport.com/images/mgl/6n9J5pAY/s700/lance-stroll-aston-martin-amr2.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![Oscar Piastri, McLaren F1 Team, Tom Stallard, Race Engineer, McLaren F1 Team](https://cdn-3.motorsport.com/images/mgl/6gpgEXj0/s700/oscar-piastri-mclaren-f1-team-.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![Valtteri Bottas, KICK Sauber](https://cdn-3.motorsport.com/images/mgl/68yGM9B0/s700/valtteri-bottas-kick-sauber.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing](https://cdn-7.motorsport.com/images/mgl/Y99KzRGY/s700/zak-brown-ceo-mclaren-racing.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38, George Russell, Mercedes F1 W15, Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38](https://cdn-4.motorsport.com/images/mgl/YN1Rz8e2/s700/lando-norris-mclaren-mcl38-geo.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38, George Russell, Mercedes F1 W15, Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38](https://cdn-9.motorsport.com/images/mgl/0k7W9Gy0/s700/lando-norris-mclaren-mcl38-geo.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38, Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38](https://cdn-4.motorsport.com/images/mgl/6xERz8m0/s700/lando-norris-mclaren-mcl38-osc.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15, battle as sparks fly](https://cdn-9.motorsport.com/images/mgl/0JBZpvA0/s700/charles-leclerc-ferrari-sf-24-.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![Esteban Ocon, Alpine A524](https://cdn-8.motorsport.com/images/mgl/6zQ58vjY/s700/esteban-ocon-alpine-a524.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![George Russell, Mercedes F1 W15](https://cdn-7.motorsport.com/images/mgl/YEQzVNDY/s700/george-russell-mercedes-f1-w15.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![George Russell, Mercedes F1 W15, trails sparks as he battles with Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38](https://cdn-9.motorsport.com/images/mgl/0JBZpqA0/s700/1020465549-lat-20241130-gp2423.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38, leads Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38](https://cdn-7.motorsport.com/images/mgl/YBeLRE82/s700/1020465107-lat-20241130-gp2423.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team, 2nd position, Oscar Piastri, McLaren F1 Team, 1st position, congratulate each other in Parc Ferme](https://cdn-9.motorsport.com/images/mgl/0k7W9oy0/s700/lando-norris-mclaren-f1-team-2.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![George Russell, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team](https://cdn-1.motorsport.com/images/mgl/Yv8y3wG0/s700/george-russell-mercedes-amg-f1.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![George Russell, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team, 3rd position, Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team, 2nd position](https://cdn-8.motorsport.com/images/mgl/YP358qe2/s700/george-russell-mercedes-amg-f1.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team](https://cdn-1.motorsport.com/images/mgl/YKEDxq10/s700/lando-norris-mclaren-f1-team.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![George Russell, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team](https://cdn-2.motorsport.com/images/mgl/6b7GMoL0/s700/george-russell-mercedes-amg-f1.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![George Russell, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team](https://cdn-6.motorsport.com/images/mgl/0ZR7VyN0/s700/george-russell-mercedes-amg-f1.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![Khaby Lame, Oscar Piastri, McLaren F1 Team, 1st position, Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team, 2nd position, George Russell, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team, 3rd position](https://cdn-2.motorsport.com/images/mgl/0L1y3Kg2/s700/khaby-lame-oscar-piastri-mclar.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![Oscar Piastri, McLaren F1 Team](https://cdn-6.motorsport.com/images/mgl/63vdOo8Y/s700/oscar-piastri-mclaren-f1-team.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38, is returned to the garage](https://cdn-6.motorsport.com/images/mgl/0JBZpAo0/s700/oscar-piastri-mclaren-mcl38-is.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24](https://cdn-1.motorsport.com/images/mgl/6gpgEd70/s700/charles-leclerc-ferrari-sf-24.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![Yuki Tsunoda, RB F1 Team VCARB 01](https://cdn-1.motorsport.com/images/mgl/01WmXoqY/s700/yuki-tsunoda-rb-f1-team-vcarb-.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB20](https://cdn-9.motorsport.com/images/mgl/27vk3930/s700/sergio-perez-red-bull-racing-r.jpg)
2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Saturday
![Pole man Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, George Russell, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team, Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team, pose for pictures in Parc Ferme](https://cdn-2.motorsport.com/images/mgl/24vwbo56/s700/pole-man-max-verstappen-red-bu.jpg)