Lewis Hamiltons difficult position comment explained by Mercedes engineer

Lewis Hamilton shares epic skydiving footage from Dubai

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info

Mercedes chief engineer James Allison has explained why Lewis Hamilton complained about the ‘difficult situation’ the Silver Arrows had placed him in during the last race in Melbourne. Hamilton eventually secured a P4 finish, while teammate George Russell secured his first podium since switching to the reigning constructors’ champions.

Hamilton was ahead of Russell until a late Safety Car allowed the 24-year-old to pit without losing as much time as usual. It meant the former Williams star overtook the seven-time world champion, and it translated to a podium as Max Verstappen’s Red Bull broke down.

In the final stages of the Australian Grand Prix, a rather blunt message from Hamilton was broadcast across television channels. The 37-year-old said: “You guys have really put me in a difficult position.”

While the message seemed curious and alarming at the time, both Hamilton and now Mercedes F1 chief technical officer Allison have shed light on the meaning behind the comments. Hamilton said it was to do with overheating, and Allison went into more depth when conducting a Q&A video on the Mercedes YouTube channel.

When Twitter user Soph (@SophieTalksF1) asked what Hamilton meant when he said he had been put in a ‘difficult situation’ in Australia, Allison answered assuredly. 

“That was all about engine cooling – keeping the PU (power unit) cool during the course of the race,” said Allison. “We push everything to the limit as you would imagine and one of those is engine cooling. 

“We do that by closing up the bodywork or changing the groove design at the back of the car. That decision is made on Saturday, but obviously we are racing on Sunday – 24 hours later. 

DON’T MISS
Red Bull’s Helmut Marko admits fears of losing Max Verstappen to rival
Max Verstappen has no belief he can beat Charles Leclerc to F1 title
Mercedes and Red Bull title odds rated by ex-boss after early setbacks

“And in this particular circumstance, the ambient was one, maybe two, degrees warmer than we had expected. As a result of that, ourselves – and not just ourselves, you would have heard it from other teams up and down the grid – were right on the limit of what the engine and the PU can take in terms of cooling requirements. 

“And during the course of the race when you’re following a car, it meant that Lewis had to compromise what he was doing. He had to move out of the dirty air of the car in front of him and make sure we got cool, clean air through the radiators to drop the PU temperatures down. 

“But doing that makes racing the car in front incredibly difficult – and that’s why the message came out.”

Mercedes will have another week to debrief before they turn their attentions to a return to Imola. The 22-race 2022 campaign – which is expected to return to 23 races in the near future once a Russian Grand Prix replacement is found – continues with the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on April 24.

Source: Read Full Article