The world champion, who has won seven times, achieved a modest fourth place in the last F1 race before the summer break. Although he couldn’t stop Max Verstappen from winning, he managed to stay ahead of his competitors and earned an extra point for setting the fastest lap by making a late pitstop to change tires.
However, Mercedes has cause for concern as Hamilton expressed experiencing consistent bouncing in the F1 car throughout the entire race. This issue had previously troubled the team when they first transitioned to ground-effect cars in the previous season.
Mercedes was one of the teams worst impacted by porpoising at the start of last season and was still hurt by bouncing as it attempted to extract performance from its ‘zero-pod’ concept.
Having drastically altered its F1 car design midway through this season, Hamilton sparked concerns when he feared Mercedes is “back to the bouncing like we had last year”.
Hamilton expressed that the race was rather uneventful and lacked any significant action. He admitted to struggling to keep up with the cars in front of him.
“I faced difficulties initially, our main problem lies in the rear end. However, this weekend we experienced significant rebounding, bringing us back to the bouncing we encountered last year.”
“At the conclusion, I managed to maintain a small time difference with the Ferrari, but I couldn’t narrow the gap any further. However, it was satisfying to secure the fastest lap towards the end, especially with a comfortable lead over the trailing car. The weather conditions were challenging today, with strong gusts making it tough to stay on course.”
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG, in Parc Ferme
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Hamilton, who later mentioned that the bouncing problem was present throughout the entire Spa lap, stated that Mercedes would thoroughly examine the issue and strive to discover a resolution prior to the upcoming race following the summer break.
“I am concerned about the bouncing issue with the Mercedes car, but we will analyze the data and find a solution before the next race,” he stated.
“I don’t have many additional responses for you. I have a clear understanding of my desires and I am fervently praying for them, patiently anticipating the day when they are fulfilled.”
Hamilton’s fourth-place finish, along with earning the bonus point for the fastest lap, has brought him within striking distance of Fernando Alonso in the fight for third place in the F1 world drivers’ championship. This places him behind both Red Bull drivers.
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