Mercedes in trouble with tire temperature in Hungary

Absent from the virtual podium during the first two free practice sessions of the Hungarian Grand Prix on Friday, the Mercedes de Lewis Hamilton et Valtteri Bottas must be adjusted more precisely to regain the status of favorite stable.

In any case, this is what emerges from the statements made to the press by the two pilots. Lewis Hamilton, subscribed to fifth place after his victorious German Grand Prix, tried the soft and ultra-soft tires, leaving the responsibility of evaluating the mediums to his Finnish teammate. “It’s a difficult circuit to negotiate because the tires overheat; caring for the rubber at the rear is the biggest problem », recognized the Briton.

Sliding into the weekend like… #HungarianGP @LewisHamilton pic.twitter.com/VuXkAjlY8M

—Mercedes-AMG F1 (@MercedesAMGF1) July 27, 2018

Usually, the last meeting before the Formula 1 summer break takes place in significant heat, causing advanced degradation of the Pirelli tires. “The temperatures during the sessions and the nature of the track – turn after turn – allow no respite for the tires. They don't have time to cool down. »

The leader of the general classification obviously hoped " find something " during the debriefing to get closer to the Ferrari as well as Red Bull, “slightly faster, as expected. »

As is the case for most of the free practices this season, his partner Valtteri Bottas encountered more difficulties and even speaks of “not an easy day”, nice circumlocution! “The car was difficult to drive, I had difficulty stringing together laps, especially in FP1. We managed to improve the settings for the afternoon, but there is still work to do. »

Friday

A bit tricky day. We need to find some performance overnight to be in the pole fight tomorrow. We'll keep pushing @MercedesAMGF1 !

Read about our day: https://t.co/krBoYe9MCf# VB77 #F1 #HungarianGP
@JanErikOlin pic.twitter.com/diOFnXZlBO

- Valtteri Bottas (@ValtteriBottas) July 27, 2018

The wearer of number 77 had no luck with the ultra-soft tires, which quickly overheated. A point that will need to be refined between now and the race. “It’s difficult to overtake here, so track position will be crucial. Additionally, the fewer pit stops you make, the better placed you will be. » Engineer James Allison agreed. “There is still a lot to find if we want to come out of this weekend with a good result. »