Hamilton overtakes Russell for the second time in 10 stages at the Barcelona circuit.
Lewis Hamilton has revealed that careful analysis of tire behavior helped him resolve his previous difficulties during qualifying sessions for the 2024 Formula 1 season in Spain.
Hamilton holds the record for most pole positions in the sport, with 104, but he was struggling to have clean sessions this season before the race in Barcelona.
His struggles even led him to suggest to Monaco that he would not be able to outperform teammate George Russell for the rest of the season, as he was losing 7–1 in their head-to-head battles.
The statement prompted an anonymous email alleging Mercedes was using unfair tactics to sabotage Hamilton in his final season with the team.
However, Mercedes rejected the accusation and Hamilton produced his best performance of the season in Spain, turning his third grid position into a podium place.
Asked how he overcame his problems, Hamilton pointed to tire temperature as the main factor and he remains optimistic that this will mark a turning point for him.
“I conducted a thorough analysis and asked a lot of information from the team on how we can improve, especially regarding the tires,” explained Hamilton.
“We continually work to improve our processes from session to session.
Qualifying brings some changes, as the car becomes lighter and we rely more on DRS.
Only time will tell, but I believe we have made a discovery and now we need to build on it.”
Hamilton is confident his previous difficulties were mainly caused by the delicate nature of Pirelli’s current tire compounds, and not an inherent defect in his Mercedes W15 car.
Asked if the problem was in the tyres or the car itself, Hamilton replied: “I think it’s a combination of both.”
The aerodynamics of the car are more sensitive and require a delicate balance between mechanical and aerodynamic aspects, especially when transitioning from high to low speeds.
However, tire temperature and how you drive your warm-up laps are also crucial.
Each team tries to find the right balance. Just look at the Ferraris in Montreal, who failed to advance to Q2.
This can only be attributed to the tyre temperature, even though they have a fast car and have won a race before this.
This just goes to show how easy it is to have tire performance issues and how easy it is to over stress the tires.
I think the tires are more sensitive this season compared to any other season I’ve been to. »
