Breaking News: What Hamilton hates about driving F1’s current… Read More👇

What Hamilton hates about driving F1’s current… Read More👇

Lewis Hamilton, the most successful driver in Formula 1 history, is facing a unique challenge in the current era of ground-effect cars—a challenge that has made him feel increasingly uncomfortable behind the wheel. Despite his strong performances leading up to the summer break, including a victory at the British Grand Prix and a controversial win in Belgium, Hamilton has openly expressed his frustration with the demands of this generation of F1 cars, especially in qualifying.

Hamilton’s discomfort stems from the characteristics of the current F1 cars, which are the largest and heaviest in the sport’s history. These cars require a driving style that is at odds with what Hamilton has relied on throughout his illustrious career. The ground-effect aerodynamics, combined with the weight and mechanical platform, have introduced a driving dynamic that Hamilton finds difficult to adapt to, particularly in single-lap qualifying sessions.

In his most candid moments, Hamilton has admitted to struggling with this new driving challenge, going so far as to describe his qualifying performances as subpar. He finds this generation of F1 cars “really frustrating” to drive, as they do not suit his preferred driving style. The cars’ tendency to balance on a knife-edge between understeer and sudden instability has made it difficult for Hamilton to exploit his usual strengths, particularly in slow corners where he has traditionally excelled.

In the current ground-effect era, the most effective way to navigate corners is by braking earlier and carrying speed through the turn in a smooth, U-shaped path. However, Hamilton’s natural instinct is to brake later, make a sharp turn into the corner, and rotate the car quickly—a style commonly referred to as “V-ing” the corner. This approach, which has served him well in the past, is now working against him, as these cars respond better to a more gradual and controlled cornering technique.

Hamilton himself has acknowledged this clash between his driving style and the demands of the current cars, stating that the new approach is something he “hates” and finds fundamentally incompatible with his driving instincts. He’s been particularly vocal about his struggles in qualifying, where his traditional aggressive style has often led to difficulties with oversteer, causing him to lose precious time and, in some cases, even suffer early exits from qualifying sessions.

Mercedes’ trackside engineering director, Andrew Shovlin, who has worked closely with Hamilton throughout his time with the team, has also highlighted the challenges Hamilton faces. Shovlin explained that the team has been working tirelessly to adjust the car’s setup to better suit Hamilton’s style, but the inherent characteristics of the current generation of cars make it difficult to accommodate his preferences fully. The cars’ tendency to snap into oversteer when driven aggressively has forced Hamilton to adapt his approach, but this adaptation has not been easy.

When comparing the driving styles of Hamilton and his teammate George Russell, the differences are stark. Russell tends to brake slightly earlier but starts turning into the corner later, carrying more speed through the corner and on exit. This method aligns better with the characteristics of the current cars, allowing Russell to maintain a more consistent and competitive pace, particularly in qualifying. In contrast, Hamilton’s approach of braking later and turning in earlier results in a tighter entry to the corner, but with a slower minimum speed and a delayed exit due to the increased steering lock.

This season, the difference in qualifying performances between the two Mercedes drivers has been noticeable. Russell has outqualified Hamilton in 10 of the 14 races so far, often by exploiting his smoother, more consistent cornering approach. In several races, including Bahrain, Australia, China, Imola, and Canada, Hamilton has lost significant time in individual corners during qualifying, sometimes by over a tenth of a second. These small margins have, on occasion, widened the gap to Russell and even contributed to Hamilton being knocked out of qualifying earlier than expected.

Despite these challenges, Hamilton’s race-day performances have been strong, with four podium finishes in the last five races. His ability to adapt during races, combined with Russell’s occasional misfortunes, has allowed Hamilton to leapfrog his teammate in the championship standings and remain in contention for a top-three finish—a feat that seemed unlikely earlier in the season. However, the ongoing struggle with the car’s demands in qualifying continues to be a source of frustration for Hamilton as he navigates this challenging era in his storied career.

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Chris Harvey Jr.

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