F1: Lewis Hamilton admits he wasn’t expecting podium finish at Austrian GP after crash in qualifying

The Mercedes driver finished third for the third successive race after a solid showing at the Red Bull Ring

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Lewis Hamilton was again satisfied with another podium finish at the Austrian Grand Prix particularly after a heavy crash in qualifying on Friday.

The Mercedes star drove a solid race as he moved up the field from eighth at the beginning of the Grand Prix to third, securing another podium when Carlos Sainz retired due to an engine problem 14 laps from the end.

It was the seven-time world champion’s third successive third-place finish and after a big shunt on Friday, Hamilton paid tribute to his team for giving him a car capable of securing more important points at the Red Bull Ring.

“I definitely wasn’t expecting that - it was a rough weekend but it’s good to get points for the team,” Hamilton said in an interview prior to the podium.

“A big thank you to the men and women in the garage. We made some improvements this weekend so we just have to keep chipping away at it.”

The 37-year-old - who is still sixth in the Championship Standings at the half-way mark this season - also believes Mercedes are slowly but surely gaining ground on Red Bull and Ferrari ahead of them.

“Especially after a difficult Friday with the crash, I was not expecting it [the podium]. I’m so proud of everyone for working so hard on the car. Hopefully we have some new better bits to come,” Hamilton added in the interview pen.

“We’re slowly eating into the guys ahead but they’re still very quick! I do feel like our qualifying pace is in the top-three now and again. Completely new car, new chassis, change of gearbox, everything, naturally you don’t want to damage the car again. It got better as I got more dialled in with it.”