Lewis Hamilton Grapples with Adaptation to F1’s Latest Cars: A Deep Dive into His Struggles and the Pursuit of Performance

"Lewis Hamilton Speaks Out on Discontent with Modern F1 Vehicles"

Lewis Hamilton has shared his challenges in adjusting to the latest F1 vehicles.

Lewis Hamilton has shared the challenges he's faced in adjusting to the latest F1 car models.

Before the upcoming Hungarian Grand Prix, Mercedes acknowledged that Hamilton has struggled to reach his top form due to the new set of rules implemented in 2022.

The seven-time world champion currently possesses the F1 record for the highest number of pole positions, standing at 104, yet has managed to secure the top spot in qualifying just once in the past two and a half years. Additionally, his recent triumph at the British Grand Prix marked the end of a 945-day drought without a win.

On Friday, Mercedes' trackside engineering director, Andrew Shovlin, mentioned that the latest car models aren't compatible with Hamilton's driving technique and disclosed that Hamilton has been adapting his driving style accordingly.

"Regarding Shovlin's remarks, Hamilton explained, 'The issue lies with these tyres. Somehow, they're not suited to my driving style during a solo lap."

"I've been struggling with qualifying for quite some time and I'm continuously striving to get better. Eventually, it will happen; I just need to keep pushing forward."

Hamilton expresses his frustration that the optimal method for operating F1's newest vehicles contradicts his inherent driving technique.

"In my experience throughout my career, adapting to different tyres has generally not posed significant issues for me. However, I believe the challenge may not lie with the tyres themselves, but rather with the characteristics of the car," he further explained.

The vehicle is quite… It's increasingly precarious and disfavors abrupt, deep braking followed by a sharp turn.

"One must decelerate sooner and gradually accelerate, which I detest. It simply doesn't align with my style. That approach to driving irritates me greatly."

In Hungary, Hamilton secured the fifth position in the qualifying round for Mercedes, surpassing his teammate George Russell, who unexpectedly was eliminated in Q1, marking only the third occasion this season where he outperformed Russell.

"This weekend has been challenging for me with the vehicle, especially due to the heat. It's been extremely tough to achieve a stable balance where the car doesn't react unpredictably," he expressed.

Observing both the Red Bull and the McLaren, it's evident that they lack any oversteer issues. Their performance is incredibly stable, as if the cars are seamlessly gliding on tracks. In our case, the elevated temperatures only compound the problem.

"At the beginning of the qualifying round, when the temperatures were lower, we found ourselves in a more advantageous position. However, as conditions became drier and the heat increased, we faced difficulties."

He mentioned, "For instance, if we had chosen to go out later, I believe we might have improved our time by a tenth or two."

"The track consistently escalated in intensity, yet we surely couldn't achieve what those individuals accomplished."

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