Lewis Hamilton Reveals Mercedes’ Formula 1 Car Struggle with Tyre Performance in Qualifying
In an exclusive interview with Autosport, seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton has shed light on the inherent weakness in Mercedes’ W15 2024 car, citing tyre performance as the key issue when pushing to the limit in qualifying.
After securing his best qualifying result of the 2024 season, finishing third on the grid for Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix at Barcelona, Hamilton confessed that the Mercedes car struggles to handle the rubber when drivers are forced to lean on it excessively.
“I still feel like I lost performance going into quali,” Hamilton admitted. “It’s all about perspective [though]. Maybe they just moved forwards, but I definitely feel like there was a little bit more [to extract].”
Hamilton’s third-place finish was a significant improvement from his previous non-sprint qualifying results, where he failed to break into the top seven. The British driver led FP2 at Barcelona, but was unsure if Mercedes could maintain the pace in qualifying, citing concerns about keeping up with the Red Bulls, Ferraris, and McLarens.
When asked about the difference in performance between practice and qualifying, Hamilton pointed to the tyre issue, stating, “But it’s when you start to really lean on it to try and get that extra bit of lap time out where we really struggle. And I think it’s all in the tyres.”
The tyre problem has been a subject of discussion within the Mercedes team, with drivers experiencing difficulties when braking deeper and pushing the limits to find every available tenth in the final laps. Hamilton acknowledged that the team has noted this issue and is working to address it.
Despite the challenge, Hamilton was pleased with his qualifying result, saying, “I’m really happy to be P3. It’s a pretty good spot to be in for the start with that long straight down to Turn 1 [for the race start behind the two drivers on the front row].”
The revelation about Mercedes’ tyre performance weakness comes as Formula 1 qualifying continues to be a crucial aspect of the sport, with teams relying heavily on their drivers to extract every last bit of speed from their cars. As the 2024 season unfolds, it will be interesting to see how Mercedes addresses this issue and how it affects their performance in the Formula 1 standings.
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