Lewis Hamilton’s Struggles at Ferrari: A Driving Trait Hindered by Ill-Fitting Style
According to a report by Crash.net, a particular driving trait that Lewis Hamilton has exhibited throughout his illustrious career is proving to be ill-suited to his current Ferrari. The seven-time F1 champion made a monumental move from Mercedes to Ferrari this season, but it has yet to translate into the kind of grand prix results that would suggest a record-breaking eighth drivers’ title is on the cards.
Alex Brundle, a well-known F1 commentator, has analysed Hamilton’s data and identified a driving trait that is causing him problems with his SF-25. “He has talked about moving the car towards him,” Brundle told the F1 Nation podcast, as reported by Crash.net. “And he’s talked about moving himself towards the car. I look at the data from Lewis every weekend. The trait is the same. He goes into high-speed corners and hits a little bit more brake pressure than Charles Leclerc.” This trait, according to Brundle, is upsetting the Ferrari and hindering Hamilton’s performance.
As noted by Crash.net, Brundle’s analysis reveals that Hamilton’s braking style is not well-suited to the Ferrari. “You can draw a line directly up the wheel-speed graph, to the steering trace, and the brake aligns perfectly with a tiny bit of movement,” he explained. “It just upsets the Ferrari everywhere. Leclerc is just Mr. Measured on the brakes.” This highlights a significant difference in driving style between Hamilton and his teammate Leclerc, with Leclerc’s more measured approach seemingly better suited to the Ferrari.
The issue is not unique to Hamilton’s current team, however. As Crash.net reported, Brundle notes that Hamilton had similar problems with his braking style at Mercedes. “We know that Lewis had a problem with the same thing, I saw the data, at Mercedes,” Brundle said. “Can he coach himself out of a lifetime’s worth of driving technique to move towards the car? We will find out.” This raises questions about whether Hamilton can adapt his driving style to suit the Ferrari, or if he will continue to struggle.
McLaren’s Andrea Stella recently commented that this generation of F1 cars is so fast that drivers do not have time to think, they must essentially drive their fastest laps on instinct, as per Crash.net. This would make Hamilton’s learning process even trickier, as he attempts to adapt his driving style to suit the Ferrari. As Brundle noted, “It’s a killer trait to have in a car, especially if you’re behind. Because you look for the time, and it punishes you again. It gets worse and worse.”
Hamilton’s struggles at Ferrari have been well-documented, with the seven-time champion yet to better his teammate Leclerc’s result in a grand prix in five attempts this year, according to Crash.net. His post-session interviews have become increasingly despondent in recent rounds, with Hamilton admitting that he doesn’t know when his “painful” form will improve. He has also made it clear that he cannot blame his Ferrari for his difficulties, with the problems with qualifying pace also extending to Leclerc. As Crash.net reported, Leclerc conceded that their Saturday struggles are prohibiting better results on a Sunday. With Hamilton’s contract with Ferrari set to run for several years, it remains to be seen whether he can adapt his driving style to suit the team and return to his winning ways.
The news raises concerns for Hamilton and Ferrari, who will be eager to see an improvement in performance from the seven-time champion. With the competition in F1 fiercer than ever, Hamilton will need to adapt quickly to his new team and car if he is to have any chance of securing a record-breaking eighth drivers’ title. As reported by Crash.net, Hamilton’s situation will be closely watched by fans and pundits alike, as he attempts to turn his season around and prove himself as a top driver for Ferrari.
Source: Crash.net – Revealed: Ill-fitting Lewis Hamilton trait which upsets his Ferrari
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