REVIEW BY BEN STEVENS
Hamilton Struggling Again?
Another low-grip surface, another disconcerting
Friday for Lewis Hamilton.
Only having to go back to Sochi for the last
time Hamilton struggled on a similar circuit, the
three-time world champion once again finds himself
trailing well behind teammate Valtteri Bottas by the
close of Friday, finishing over a second off the Finn
with a best of only 1.44.525s.
With matters made worse by the frequent
yellow-flag interruptions, Hamilton seemed to have
significant difficulty getting heat into his tyres
and could only manage P10 in FP2 after finishing
P5 and 0.240s ahead of Bottas in FP1.
If Hamilton wants to continue the run of form
he started in Canada, he’ll have to do something he
hasn’t been able to yet this season and make some
major changes from his Friday setup, lest he end up
off the pace as he did in Russia.
Quick Hits
• If you thought Hamilton v Vettel was a close
matchup, Alonso v Grosjean is quickly
catching up in their battle for the title of
“Who’s more miserable?” Another engine
failure for the Spaniard, more brake problems
for the Frenchman – two very unhappy fellas.
• Is Sergio Perez right to request they lower
the kerb after his shunt at turn 8, or was he
simply too aggressive? You could make cases
either way.
• Deny it all you want, Renault, but at this
point the only person who doesn’t want Robert
Kubica at Renault is Mr. and Mrs. Palmer.