Mercedes thinks a double whammy of sensitivity to brake locking and snaps of oversteer throughout qualifying runs was the set off for the difficulties Lewis Hamilton had in 2024.
Hamilton endured a difficult season with the W15 as he particularly discovered himself unable to get as a lot out of his automobile in qualifying as team-mate George Russell.
Over the 24-race season, which included six dash occasions, Russell outqualified him 24-6, with the tally 19-5 for those who exclude the sprints.
That deficit to Russell was solely a few tenths at instances however, with the F1 grid being so aggressive final season, that was sufficient to drop Hamilton a number of locations down the grid – which made his recoveries on Sundays tougher.
Mercedes head of trackside engineering Andrew Shovlin mentioned that Hamilton was in the end hampered battling a automobile that wasn’t quick sufficient and had a slender set-up window.
However there have been some specifics to the seven-time world champion’s driving that meant he was not as snug extracting every thing that was potential on new tyres.
“The automobile hasn’t been fast sufficient, and that is been the factor that we have been attempting to unravel,” mentioned Shovlin, reflecting on what the problems at play for Hamilton have been.
“The automobile hasn’t been simple to get into a pleasant steadiness window, and significantly when you get there, maintaining it there was a problem.
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15
Picture by: Lubomir Asenov / Motorsport Photographs
“Past all of that, I believe you already know Lewis has struggled on a single lap. His race tempo has been there all through the weekend. Nevertheless it’s simply with a detailed grid, you usually begin a number of locations behind your team-mate, and you then’re held up and you may’t present what you are able to do.
“However the learn on Lewis’s race tempo has been superb. He confirmed in Las Vegas that if he has a automobile that works the way in which he needs, he can struggle proper again to the entrance. And we very a lot noticed the previous Lewis.”
Shovlin detailed that there have been some specifics on these qualifying runs that Hamilton was not particularly snug with.
“The difficulty actually for him has simply been if you end up attempting to extract that final tenth or two,” he mentioned.
“It has been troublesome by way of attempting to keep away from brake locking, attempting to keep away from snaps on exit. It is simply these points.
“However the way in which the crew seems to be at that’s that we would have liked to present Lewis a automobile extra just like the one we had in Vegas, the place it does swimsuit his type, and he can do his finest work with it.”
Whereas there appears to be a pattern of drivers who’re good on brakes – like Hamilton, Daniel Ricciardo and Kevin Magnussen – all having confronted challenges with this technology of ground-effect automobile, Shovlin shouldn’t be satisfied that’s the most important issue.
He thinks that maybe extra essential has been the problem of rotating vehicles on the throttle, however with out overheating the rears.
“I believe today, plenty of it’s maintaining warmth out of the rear tyres,” he mentioned. “In case you method a nook in a method that that implies that they’re scorching, or for those who’re having to show the automobile on the throttle, then you’ll wrestle with that.
“[Braking style] could also be a consider amongst all of it, however I do not actually know sufficient about Magnussen and Ricciardo to know whether or not that was their problem.
“However actually maintaining the warmth out of the rear tyres on a single lap is an important factor at about half to 2 thirds of the circuits.”
That Russell was in a position to constantly get extra out of the W15 instructed that there could possibly be one thing to do with differing types between him and Hamilton.
However Shovlin didn’t suppose that there was an apparent rationalization as to why Russell acquired on prime of the qualifying points higher.
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15
Picture by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Photographs
Requested if there was a proof that could possibly be noticed on the info, Shovlin mentioned: “I imply, probably not within the type or method, as a result of Lewis is sensible sufficient to know that if one thing is working for George, he can adapt his driving to go in that path.
“There are issues you can see that in the end, after they actually begin pushing, then that is while you begin to get the snaps of oversteer on exit.
“And that, from time to time, is an space that Lewis may endure extra from than George. However, as I mentioned, the main focus for our yr has been, how can we get the automobile in a method that Lewis wants to permit him to drive it on the restrict and never endure these issues.”
Learn Additionally:
On this article
Jonathan Noble
Components 1
Lewis Hamilton
Mercedes
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