Lewis Hamilton finding two thousand seventeen Mercedes F1 car difficult to drive
Lewis Hamilton has admitted that his Mercedes Formula one car is difficult to drive, and that finding its sweet spot is challenging both him and his engineers.
Albeit Hamilton has won two of the year’s very first five F1 races, Mercedes has faced been challenged by Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, who leads the world championship.
Mercedes predominated the very first three seasons of the turbo-hybrid era, and Hamilton says getting speed out of the W08 is requiring hard work.
“I fairly like that the car is difficult to drive,” the Briton said.
“It’s like you see people hop on the bull and attempt to tame the bull, attempt to tame a pony.
“It’s the same kind of feeling you get in this car, when it’s not effortless, when it’s a challenge.
“There are cars I’ve had in the past which have been beautiful to drive and very effortless, a lot lighter to set up.
“I like that this is a challenge, it truly puts myself and my engineers on the edge.
“And it indeed makes us have to be a lot more meticulous with the decisions we make, the direction in which we go, and how I also have to work a lot tighter to balance the car.
“As we understand it more and more, understand the tyres and understand the instruments that we have, we’ll refine them and the car will get lighter to drive for sure.”
While Mercedes is having to work hard to find a good balance with its two thousand seventeen challenger, Ferrari has found its SF70H to be quick in all conditions.
But Vettel, who has also won two races this year, played down the influence of the different characteristics when told about Hamilton’s comparison of his car to a bucking bronco.
“I don’t know. Maybe I don’t find flowery words just to describe his car,” he said.
“I think we have a good car. We are blessed both the way it treats, and obviously you are always attempting to do your best.
“If you are quick it doesn’t matter how you manage to string it together.
“The end [result], that is what matters, that is what we are here to do.
“Sometimes it feels lighter, sometimes it feels stiffer, it is always pleasant if you can string it together and get a good lap out of it, or a lot of laps in the race.
“I haven’t driven any other cars this year and I am not planning to, so I am blessed with what we have. But we want to improve it.
“We are not blessed where it stands now, we want to make sure it is better for the next race.”