(Motorsport-Complete.com) – No, with free observe on Friday in Hungary (Formula 1 2023 live in the ticker) Lewis Hamilton was not glad. The seven-time world champion says his Mercedes felt the worst it is ever been in observe on the Hungaroring.
Hamilton completed the second observe session in Budapest in dry circumstances as sixteenth (+1.060 seconds), his teammate George Russell solely as final (+1.489), as each had been solely on one set of medium tyres.
Though Hamilton knew that the crew drove a distinct program than everybody else, the sensation in his W14 was quite detrimental: “It did not really feel good,” he says. “It felt prefer it was the worst automotive we had in the present day.”
“However we will work on the set-up tonight and hopefully that may change tomorrow, like final yr when it felt terrible originally. We’re engaged on that tonight. Hopefully tomorrow will probably be higher,” mentioned Hamilton, who was eleventh on Friday and seventh in qualifying in 2022, however shared the rostrum with Russell within the race.
Russell: At all times dangerous on Fridays
Russell is a bit more optimistic about Mercedes’ present state of affairs, figuring out his crew usually has tough Fridays earlier than steadily enhancing because the weekend progresses.
“To be sincere, it did not really feel that dangerous,” he says. “We clearly had a very completely different program than everybody else as a result of we solely used one set of tyres. And people had been used tires from the primary observe session.”
“So the lap occasions aren’t actually significant and I am certain tomorrow will probably be higher. However we stay targeted on enhancing,” mentioned the Briton, conscious Mercedes by no means look robust on Friday.
“We all the time know that we enhance because the weekend progresses and that is an excellent factor,” he says. “We additionally discovered some fascinating issues on this session, so let’s have a look at what we are able to do tonight.”
The tires are nonetheless an issue
In response to Russell, enhancements should give attention to higher tire administration, each throughout warm-up in qualifying and within the race: “We’re having grip points,” he notes. “I do not assume the tires are in the precise window, both with low or excessive gas consumption.”
That was additionally noticeable to Hamilton, who complained over the radio that he had no grip. His race engineer Peter Bonnington then needed to get him again on monitor: “Lewis, this future knowledge may be very helpful. Others appear to have related issues,” he mentioned.
“We simply have to seek out out why that’s,” says Russell. “Whether or not we have to do a quicker or slower outlap in qualifying, and whether or not we have to push more durable or handle extra within the race,” mentioned Russell.
“These issues are typically a bit tough once you’re within the cockpit with out with the ability to take a look at the information to know if the tires are on the cooler aspect or the warmer aspect and what precisely they must be slightly quicker.”
“Like I mentioned, it actually wasn’t our greatest day. But it surely’s not the primary time I’ve mentioned that on a Friday night time. And Saturday and Sunday are sometimes higher.”
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Revealed : 2023-07-21 18:18:28
