Mercedes explains how Hamilton lost time under VSC

What if the outcome of the 2019 Azerbaijan Grand Prix had been decided during the Virtual Safety Car (VSC) phase? The supporters of Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) have in any case not missed out on the loss of two seconds of their favorite during this neutralization. At the finish of the race, the Englishman had been beaten by a second and a half. 

James Vowles, chief strategist of the Silver Arrows, explains this waste of time in his debrief. « When the VSC clears, the driver receives a notification on the steering wheel screen. We can control what is displayed on the screen. We asked Lewis to change the settings to put the car in a more efficient mode, explains the 39-year-old Briton

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But by changing the settings (displayed on the screen. Editor’s note), Lewis lost sight of the gap to be respected. The other factor that contributed to widening the gap was track position. If you are in a straight line and the VSC disappears, all you have to do is manage the throttle and go straight. But Lewis was in a braking zone at that moment, it is one of the most difficult situations because modulating his speed according to the delta and the restart is very complicated. 

Lewis did not do anything wrong, it was this combination of facts that was to blame. We can work to improve the screen display and we will do so before Barcelona (Spain). As for your position when the VSC ends, unfortunately this will always be unpredictable. » The VSC has again claimed victims: Lewis Hamilton and potentially the spectacle at the end of the race. 

Discover the full report and analysis of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, produced by our special correspondents in Baku, in issue 2214 of AUTOhebdo, available now in digital version and from this Thursday on newsstands.