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Hamilton 'just trying to get in top 10' in Saudi Arabia qualifying

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5 daysMotorsport

After struggling in Friday's practice sessions, Lewis Hamilton has set himself a modest target of "trying to get in the top 10" in qualifying for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Hamilton finished 13th in the second session, over a second behind pacesetter Lando Norris, and six tenths behind Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc, who was fourth-fastest.

Aside from a pole and victory in the Chinese Grand Prix sprint, Hamilton, who has the fastest lap time in Jeddah set in 2021, has struggled to match Leclerc since his blockbuster move from Mercedes to Ferrari.

His struggles in qualifying have been well documented this season, with his highest start on the grid fifth in China.

Hamilton finished eighth in qualifying in both Australia and Japan, while he placed ninth last weekend in Bahrain.

"Not the greatest. I think getting the tyres working today was the issue from my side," Hamilton said of Friday's practice.

"It's nothing to do with the team. We were just struggling to get the tyres working.

"Normally, Saturday goes backwards, but there's not a lot backwards for me to go. There were a few bits through the session that felt good. Just once we got to the soft tyre, it's not there."

Though Hamilton said he hoped to come back strong after Ferrari made overnight changes, he did not remain overly optimistic about his chances in qualifying.

Asked what position he felt he could achieve, he responded: "I don't know. For me, I'm just trying to see if I can get into the top 10."