2019 British GP - Silverstone

[Bagwan]

Shifter , you can add in the fact that the track surface is as rubbered in as it could get by the end of the race , but there's no doubt it was an impressive lap on past their prime tires .

Just how much , though , do you have to turn it up to do that ?
Bottas was on softs .

[airshifter]

Shifter , you can add in the fact that the track surface is as rubbered in as it could get by the end of the race , but there's no doubt it was an impressive lap on past their prime tires .

Just how much , though , do you have to turn it up to do that ?
Bottas was on softs .

Hard to say how much they can turn up party mode for such things. I'd imagine they have engine mapping all the way from conservative save fuel and the engine modes, up to "this is the last laps of the last race this power unit has to do" modes, and everything in between.

Several drivers set their fastest laps on the hard tires towards race end. Since everyone lagged Mercedes fast laps it's hard to say how much the tires vs engine modes came into the picture. Bottas did a fast lap only 4 hundredths slower, but had 5 laps more fuel and a battery issue to offset his supposed better tires. But I'm fairly certain that most individual fastest laps were actually set on the medium and hard compounds, with only a couple cars going it on the softs.

[Bagwan]

Hard to say how much they can turn up party mode for such things. I'd imagine they have engine mapping all the way from conservative save fuel and the engine modes, up to "this is the last laps of the last race this power unit has to do" modes, and everything in between.

Several drivers set their fastest laps on the hard tires towards race end. Since everyone lagged Mercedes fast laps it's hard to say how much the tires vs engine modes came into the picture. Bottas did a fast lap only 4 hundredths slower, but had 5 laps more fuel and a battery issue to offset his supposed better tires. But I'm fairly certain that most individual fastest laps were actually set on the medium and hard compounds, with only a couple cars going it on the softs.

It's the "humiliate mode" that I think they showed here .

[Duncan]

However if the intent of the team is to allow the drivers decide the title on the track, he's gone against the grain. It could be the case that defying calls to pit may backfire later on if Bottas and his engineer is onto it. There may be further stipulations of conduct during the following races.

It could be the case now that qualifying 2nd in the MB will become advantageous?

I can't see that it will ever be regarded as a negative mark for Hamilton and his race engineer to react to the circumstances and do whatever they judge to be optimum at the time. What was he supposed to do, slow down to make it more interesting? If they decided not pitting a few laps to the end was the right call, they're always going to do what they think will get the best result.

[The Black Knight]

I can't see that it will ever be regarded as a negative mark for Hamilton and his race engineer to react to the circumstances and do whatever they judge to be optimum at the time. What was he supposed to do, slow down to make it more interesting? If they decided not pitting a few laps to the end was the right call, they're always going to do what they think will get the best result.

I saw an interview with Hamilton after the race where he said he was always going to do one stop and a second stop was never on the table for him. Basically, in the strategy meeting they had on the Sunday morning the information they had suggested Bottas strategy was the optimal one but, to spice up the show, they allowed Hamilton to try another strategy which could allow him to do a one stop which all the simulations said was much slower. Hamilton said it was at that point he knew he was going to be doing a one stop as he knew he could manage the tires to the end on one stop and stay ahead.

If you look at all the races to date, there is overwhelming evidence that Hamilton has vastly superior race pace and tire management to Bottas. Bottas, while lagging behind in head to head qualifying, has surprised me with his qualifying pace all the same but in the race he has had nowhere near the pace Hamilton has.

In Paul Ricard he ended up some 20 seconds down the road by the end of the race. In Silverstone, Hamilton went much quicker setting fastest lap immediately when Bottas pitted for fresh rubber. There are many other examples throughout the course of the season where he has been shown to have superior tire management. I’ve also heard that in Monaco he was actually relatively happy with his tires despite his infuriating radio messages. Apparently the real purpose behind the messages was to lure RBR into a false sense of security that an opportunity would come towards the end of the race, thus keeping Max from attacking him allowing him to nurse his tires even more throughout the race and extend their life. Lewis’s tire management appears to be, probably, the best in F1 right now.

But back to Silverstone, Hamilton’s decision to one stop was taken before the race in his head, and Mercedes rules of engagement that weekend allowed him to do that.

[journeyman racer]

You heard no such thing. You've made it up. I have read this though.

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12...with-sixth-win

"He was on the inside but when we pulled out of the corner I couldn't really see where he was," said Hamilton.
"He was in my blind spot. He wasn't in my mirror but I couldn't see him next to me either, so I couldn't close the door just in case he was there.
"He drove sensationally well out of there so I was like 'ok, I'm going to back off, wait until he stops and then nail lap after lap'. I was going to do a few more laps I think but the Safety Car came out, and it was perfect timing."

[journeyman racer]

I can't see that it will ever be regarded as a negative mark for Hamilton and his race engineer to react to the circumstances and do whatever they judge to be optimum at the time. What was he supposed to do, slow down to make it more interesting? If they decided not pitting a few laps to the end was the right call, they're always going to do what they think will get the best result.

No, not at all. Hamilton had the experience and nous to play the game best. Good luck to him.

The World Champion is going to be driving an MB. Everybody, including the MB team, know it's the best car. You can't counter all the unknown variables that occur during a race. Under the current circumstances though, MB seem to want to give both their drivers a fair opportunity to win the championship. Splitting strategies where one was particularly advantageous goes against what they'd adhered to so far this season.

Never mind what TBK says. They were two stopping Hamilton til the safety car came out. They've have stuck to a process this season with strategies this that let's the drivers decide it on the track. If more "deviations from the original plan" continues to occur in favour of Hamilton, the more likely it's to cause friction and even diminish Hamilton's achievements (If it gets leaked out to the press).

[The Black Knight]

Not makng it up. It was also, iirc, mentioned on Sky’s FP1/2s during the Canadian GP that it was thought he was intentionally throwing the toys out of the pram to mislead the opposition. Feel free to have a listen to them. I had heard this before it was mentioned on Sky but I’m pretty sure you’ll find it there, don’t worry.

[journeyman racer]

I don't mind grasshoppers too much, but crickets sorta creep me out.

Actually, I was traveling on the day of the race. You'll seldom find me watching any stick & ball games.

What???

Well, if we have to go back 27 years for a comparison...

Well, when you put it that way...

How about this for an example? 1979 Bathurst 1000. Peter Brock is driving the last lap to the race in the lead in his Holden Torana, and is leading by 6 laps. He set the fastest lap of the race in that last lap! 161 laps, not sure how long the stint was?

Plus, the ongoing situation (mystery, if you will) with these Pirelli tires does make this something of a biggish deal.

I recall a Frank Dernie interview on YT. Frank being a top engineering talent and great interviewer giving tremendous insight. fwiw, He has said that the two hardest factor to make work in racing cars is the aero and tyres.

[Nitrodaze]

Hamilton's ability to extract a fastest lap from a 30 lap old hard Pirelli tyres is sorcery and simply magical. When you take a closer look at the Haas cars which really should be a car that should be leading the midfield, it becomes clear that the key to the 2019 season is taming the 2019 thin treaded tyres which was designed to eliminate the cliff [sudden drop of grip] that was felt so dramatically last season. While the Haas chassis can deliver best of the rest type performances; especially at qualifying, its race pace suffers due to its inability to maintain a consistent temperature in its tyres during the race, hence falls out of the top ten most of the time.

One suggestion is that good downforce has something to do with taming the 2019 tyres. In that case Ferrari and Redbull should not be having tyres issues but they do. Another suggestion is that driving style has something to do with it. A driving style that loads the tyres gradually until the tyre reaches its optimum temperature would get more tyre life out of the thin treaded Pirelli tyres. Could that be the difference between Hamilton's driving to Bottas for instance? Or Leclerc to Vettel?

Obviously there are other factors such as track temperature, ambient temperatures, downforce levels and dynamic loading particularly through the corners etc. It is a very special art to bring the tyres to a wholesome temperature throughout the layers of the tyre carcass. And to also maintain the carcass temperature throughout the life of the tyre which is shorter for those that cannot achieve this feat. Hamilton demonstrated how to get the most out of the 2019 tyres superbly at Silverstone.

The Hamilton Fastest lap at Silverstone was simply one of the wonders of the 2019 season. It was simply a feat worthy of a master sorcerer; simply magical.