Lewis Hamilton

[LeoSayer]

eccles said:

Strange that,I seem to remember when he joined F1 that he just seemed to go like a bat out of hell and wear his tyres out and have to do more pit stops than his team mate or rivals.The fact that he's now probably the best of the leading drivers when it comes to tyre wear shows how much he's learnt and evolved over the years.

I remember the same. I think he learned a bit on tyre management when he was team mates with Button.

[Gary29]

velocgee said:

Re: Vettel congratulating Hamilton.....

Come on guys, those two have been quite chummy for years now. No surprises there. Actually, Vettel is the only driver I have ever seen Hamilton warm to (except the time when he gushed over Leclerc....)

https://youtu.be/Oqv_zlzkrzM

[entropy]

mattikake said:

Big Robbo said:

His tyre management this season has been exceptionally good,gaining results better than he should have, Silverstone being a perfect example of forcing Bottas to go harder on his tyres whilst saving his tyres enough to make a one stop strategy work

Indeed. Monaco - where you could see him adjust his driving style on the fly, first using up the fronts, then when they were gone switching to steering from the rear until the rears were gone. Stringing out the tyres longer than be had any right to. (Watch the race and see the wear on the fronts, then wear appear on the rears, and then the blisters on the rears as his spinning them up to turn a car with dead fronts, overheats them). Very clever and yet I suspect, completely automatic to him.

Hungary too when using tyre knowledge against his rivals. It seems to be something he's maximised pretty fast when such a tactic is required.

Brundle seemed to create a misnomer (from his own a$$?) that Lewis could only drive flat out in his earlier f1 days but he used tyres management to great effect in his f3 euro series title. He'd often put in some blistering early laps, sometimes even just lap 1, when the tyres were at their most effective, then spend the rest of the race managing them in cruise mode while everyone else seemed to steadily run out of tyres executing slower lap times.

Even from an early age he seemed to know how much he could push and when.

Edited by mattikake on Thursday 7th November 00:17

Tyre management was never in doubt eg. he was better at it than Button when in theory the Pirelli's favoured JB. That is one thing and dictating strategy is another. It's only in the last couple of years he's so confident calling the shots when only a few years ago he was questioning why he's on such a strategy, why can't do something different.

Also, I think the radio excerpts when he suggests certain strategies' aren't possible eg. Monaco this year are Lewis airing his anxities rather some kind of mind games against his rivals. It might also suggests Lewis's own confidence with strategy.

[Gary C]

glazbagun said:

velocgee said:

Re: Vettel congratulating Hamilton.....

Come on guys, those two have been quite chummy for years now. No surprises there. Actually, Vettel is the only driver I have ever seen Hamilton warm to (except the time when he gushed over Leclerc....)

He seems to like Kimi too, but I'm not sure if it's reciprocated.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v56BHSVnKK4

WIth Kimi how would anyone ever be able to tell.

[mat205125]

Big Robbo said:

His tyre management this season has been exceptionally good,gaining results better than he should have, Silverstone being a perfect example of forcing Bottas to go harder on his tyres whilst saving his tyres enough to make a one stop strategy work

Absolutely.

His tyre management at Silverstone, Mexico, Texas, and even against Verstappen in Hungary too.

I've a lot of respect for Hamilton's ability to do this, however it saddens me that the tyre manufacturer and the sport force the teams and the drivers down this route.

Races are won by going effectively as slow as possible to preserve the tyres, whilst as smoothly and as swiftly as the teams and drivers dare to avoid the tyres disintegrating ..... rather than being a Usain Bolt power house sprint of the fastest men and machines, it's closer to that stupid wiggly bum walking race, where the competitors risk disaster if their feet leave the ground at the same time.

Not a fault of Hamilton, and I'm sure that he'd be right up there with the fastest if the machinery were more closely matched, with tyres that let the teams race ....... just praying that 2021 gives us that sport.

[vdn]

mat205125 said:

Big Robbo said:

His tyre management this season has been exceptionally good,gaining results better than he should have, Silverstone being a perfect example of forcing Bottas to go harder on his tyres whilst saving his tyres enough to make a one stop strategy work

Absolutely.

His tyre management at Silverstone, Mexico, Texas, and even against Verstappen in Hungary too.

I've a lot of respect for Hamilton's ability to do this, however it saddens me that the tyre manufacturer and the sport force the teams and the drivers down this route.

Races are won by going effectively as slow as possible to preserve the tyres, whilst as smoothly and as swiftly as the teams and drivers dare to avoid the tyres disintegrating ..... rather than being a Usain Bolt power house sprint of the fastest men and machines, it's closer to that stupid wiggly bum walking race, where the competitors risk disaster if their feet leave the ground at the same time.

Not a fault of Hamilton, and I'm sure that he'd be right up there with the fastest if the machinery were more closely matched, with tyres that let the teams race ....... just praying that 2021 gives us that sport.

I agree. I think they’d all like to go foot to the floor and the tyre situ’ has ruined that spectacle somewhat. It was worse a few years back, mind.

Going hell for vegan leather is what Hamilton is most suited to, I would say; and so whilst he’s adapted well to the current ways; it’d be a return to his natural state if we go that route. Would love to see it.

[swisstoni]

If I recall, he generally uses less fuel than his teammate too!

[HustleRussell]

mat205125 said:

I've a lot of respect for Hamilton's ability to do this, however it saddens me that the tyre manufacturer and the sport force the teams and the drivers down this route.

Races are won by going effectively as slow as possible to preserve the tyres, whilst as smoothly and as swiftly as the teams and drivers dare to avoid the tyres disintegrating ..... rather than being a Usain Bolt power house sprint of the fastest men and machines, it's closer to that stupid wiggly bum walking race, where the competitors risk disaster if their feet leave the ground at the same time.

Historically that is what a Grand Prix is

[mattikake]

HustleRussell said:

mat205125 said:

I've a lot of respect for Hamilton's ability to do this, however it saddens me that the tyre manufacturer and the sport force the teams and the drivers down this route.

Races are won by going effectively as slow as possible to preserve the tyres, whilst as smoothly and as swiftly as the teams and drivers dare to avoid the tyres disintegrating ..... rather than being a Usain Bolt power house sprint of the fastest men and machines, it's closer to that stupid wiggly bum walking race, where the competitors risk disaster if their feet leave the ground at the same time.

Historically that is what a Grand Prix is

Yup. GP racing is endurance racing - for the driver, the car... and the tyres. Most historical f1 races are about this. Iirc the only 100% sprint races were during the schumi refuelling era and it was crap to watch.

[anonymous-user]

Hat tip to Lewis for Number 6.

Winning 6 WDC's clean.

Edited by anonymous-user on Saturday 9th November 05:30

[Wills2]

mattikake said:

HustleRussell said:

mat205125 said:

I've a lot of respect for Hamilton's ability to do this, however it saddens me that the tyre manufacturer and the sport force the teams and the drivers down this route.

Races are won by going effectively as slow as possible to preserve the tyres, whilst as smoothly and as swiftly as the teams and drivers dare to avoid the tyres disintegrating ..... rather than being a Usain Bolt power house sprint of the fastest men and machines, it's closer to that stupid wiggly bum walking race, where the competitors risk disaster if their feet leave the ground at the same time.

Historically that is what a Grand Prix is

Yup. GP racing is endurance racing - for the driver, the car... and the tyres. Most historical f1 races are about this. Iirc the only 100% sprint races were during the schumi refuelling era and it was crap to watch.

Didn't one Champion once say "The goal is to win at as slow a rate as possible"

[Exige77]

Wills2 said:

mattikake said:

HustleRussell said:

mat205125 said:

I've a lot of respect for Hamilton's ability to do this, however it saddens me that the tyre manufacturer and the sport force the teams and the drivers down this route.

Races are won by going effectively as slow as possible to preserve the tyres, whilst as smoothly and as swiftly as the teams and drivers dare to avoid the tyres disintegrating ..... rather than being a Usain Bolt power house sprint of the fastest men and machines, it's closer to that stupid wiggly bum walking race, where the competitors risk disaster if their feet leave the ground at the same time.

Historically that is what a Grand Prix is

Yup. GP racing is endurance racing - for the driver, the car... and the tyres. Most historical f1 races are about this. Iirc the only 100% sprint races were during the schumi refuelling era and it was crap to watch.

Didn't one Champion once say "The goal is to win at as slow a rate as possible"

From the driver’s perspective, they just wants to win.

From our point of view, we want to be entertained and dazzled by their skill in driving their machines to the absolute limit.

[DOCG]

mattikake said:

Yup. GP racing is endurance racing - for the driver, the car... and the tyres. Most historical f1 races are about this. Iirc the only 100% sprint races were during the schumi refuelling era and it was crap to watch.

I don't agree, modern F1 is too much about conservation compared to speed.

There has always been an element of conservation and taking care of the car but the current balance puts too much emphasis on conservation of fuels, tyres, battery, limited number of parts for a season and not enough on pure speed.

[anonymous-user]

Make the tyres perform best at full tilt lap after lap, then drop off a cliff with no return, and we'll see the cars racing flat out. As it is, there's too much tippy toes trying to keep them in a small operating window.

[Exige77]

Make them carry the full fuel load whether they use it or not.

Let’s put an end to this lift and coast malarky.

[Kraken]

Why? Saving fuel is just as an important skill as being able to do a flat out lap. If you don't like it then watch a form of racing where it's not part of the formula. Fuel saving (even when refuelling was allowed) has always been part of F1.

[Teddy Lop]

Exige77 said:

Make them carry the full fuel load whether they use it or not.

Let’s put an end to this lift and coast malarky.

and they'd just use a special engine mode to burn off 10kg or whatever they didn't want in one lap. Possibly even the sighting lap.

[anonymous-user]

Get rid of the fuel flow meter and just allow a set fuel capacity, you would then see some interesting tactical racing and qualifying.

[sparta6]

jsf said:

Get rid of the fuel flow meter and just allow a set fuel capacity, you would then see some interesting tactical racing and qualifying.

Agree with that.
When we were at Paul Ricard the "race" was cringeworthy.
Not to mention the Brackley cars were on rails - Scalextrix.

Thankfully the Minuty enclosure brightened up proceedings.

A single compound of dry tyres would also reward driver ability

[anonymous-user]

jsf said:

Get rid of the fuel flow meter and just allow a set fuel capacity, you would then see some interesting tactical racing and qualifying.

This. They could guide power by capacity as well.