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MONTE CARLO, MONACO – MAY 23: Lewis Hamilton (R) of Great Britain and McLaren listens as Michael Schumacher (L) of Germany and Mercedes GP talks at the drivers press conference during previews to the Monaco Formula One Grand Prix at the Monte Carlo Circuit on May 23, 2012 in Monte Carlo, Monaco. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
via Getty
MONTE CARLO, MONACO – MAY 23: Lewis Hamilton (R) of Great Britain and McLaren listens as Michael Schumacher (L) of Germany and Mercedes GP talks at the drivers press conference during previews to the Monaco Formula One Grand Prix at the Monte Carlo Circuit on May 23, 2012 in Monte Carlo, Monaco. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
Lewis Hamilton in 2022 has had bad luck. His recent outing in Monaco didn’t prove to be good at all. A red flag in Q3 meant he couldn’t improve his position, and for the rest of the race, he was stuck behind Fernando Alonso. However, a former Mercedes engineer believes that Lewis needs a car that he can trust.
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Ex-Mercedes engineer explains the difference between the two 7-time world champions
Philipp Brändle, who worked with Mercedes on trackside-aero, recently talked about Lewis’s problems with the car. He analyzed the Monaco GP and made a very interesting comment.
He said that Hamilton needs extreme confidence in his car. So if he goes into a platform that works well and he has confidence in, he will be able to turn the tide. He further added that Hamilton “doesn’t have the technical background that Schumacher or Nico Rosberg had. He simply needs to trust the car. But that’s why he really feels the car.” (translated via Google translate)
via Reuters
Formula One F1 – Monaco Grand Prix – Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo, Monaco – May 29, 2022 Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton during the formation lap REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
He also mentioned, “Leclerc was already more than 40 points ahead at the beginning of the year. It’s still a long season.”
READ MORE: Ex Mercedes Confidante Replaces FIA Executive Director Peter Bayer After Strange Step Down
Despite the odds, Brändle believes that Lewis Hamilton shouldn’t be written off. Philipp suspects that Hamilton needs “extreme confidence” in the W13 and can definitely bounce back if he gets a platform that works well; one in which he has confidence.
A frantic weekend for Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton
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Mercedes failed to impress in Monaco as they looked nowhere near as competitive as they did in Barcelona. Although Mercedes boss Toto Wolff maintained it wasn’t the porpoising, it was quite evident that the team had to raise the car height. Speaking to The Race, Lewis said, “it felt like we improved the car in terms of bouncing, but we were slower”.
via Reuters
Formula One F1 – Monaco Grand Prix – Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo, Monaco – May 29, 2022 Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton in action during the race REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
Toto Wolff offered a further explanation that the Brackley team’s struggles weren’t just track specific; but rather down to the characteristic of the W13. “You can say what are the lessons that we learned in Barcelona and how do they apply to Monaco and the answer is there’s just nothing because it’s so different,” said Wolff.
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Watch This Story: When F1 Drivers Had a Blast on Top Gear Featuring Hamilton, Vettel & Ricciardo
As Formula 1 goes racing in Baku next time round; it will be interesting to see if Mercedes has found a solution to their problems in the slow-speed corners.
