Srec at the time of taking stock

The kinetic energy recovery system, which provides extra power for a few seconds per lap, continues to divide the paddock. Perceived at the start of the season as the main asset for the success of single-seaters, the Srec has become for certain teams like a ball and chain to drag around, due to its weight. So much so that this system does not equip all single-seaters, and not in every race. However, Lewis Hamilton does not regret the contribution of these 80 additional horses. “ Without Srec, we would have been further behind. Mercedes-Benz did a wonderful job. Ours is very efficient, in all races, without concern for reliability »

For its part, Fernando Alonso does not share the same positivism as his former teammate. “ On some races it helps, on others less. But we are satisfied with it. We did not experience any reliability issues, except in Malaysia due to rain. However, it remains difficult to say what it really brings us. And it's impossible to calculate how much time it saves us on a lap. »

As for Nick Heidfeld, he is almost resistant to Srec. Not very successful this season, the BMW driver does not see it as a performance booster. “ This is not a big advantage, contrary to what one might think. Some teams use it, others don’t. It is sometimes widely used on certain circuits, but not on others. Maybe it could have been advantageous in Barcelona, ​​because there is a long straight. But in terms of lap time savings, we cannot conclude anything from this. » It is therefore once again without any certainty that the drivers will set off, on the Barcelona route, with or without a kinetic energy recovery system. An expensive system that has not finished making headlines.