Neither done nor to be done: Hamilton criticizes the new coating at Silverstone

As in Barcelona and Paul Ricard, the English track has a new coating this season, which has also pushed Pirelli to bring its tires with a tread reduced by 0,4 mm.

The pilot Mercedes concluded the opening day of the British Grand Prix with the absolute benchmark, set in 1'27"487 during Free Practice 1. If the Briton admits to having had a lot of fun on a circuit that has become even faster than before, however, he was very critical of his new tarmac.

« The track has never been so fast, we are at full speed in Copse then, also in Turn 1 and 2 with the DRS, was initially enthusiastic Hamilton. It’s clearly the best circuit in the world, the faster you go, the better. It’s crazy how far things are coming. It’s like flying a fighter plane, incredible!

Afterwards, I find that we waste money changing the surface, he added. We could have used the money much better. And the guys they hired did the worst job possible.

This is the bumpiest track I have ever driven on. It is even more so than the Nordschleife! Your eyes want to come out of their sockets because it shakes so much. I told myself that I wasn't going to speak on the radio because people would think I was on drugs or messing around. I don't know how you can mess up like that.

I was almost happy that the session was over. It's like getting off a roller coaster. I expect it to be the most physical race of the season ».

His teammate Valtteri Bottas evoked a similar feeling, but in the more measured style that characterizes him.

« The track is very different; it offers a lot of grip but it also has a lot of bumps, it's bumpy everywhere, reported the Finn, who is running with his 3rd engine of the season this weekend. It moves so much that I had a bit of a headache. It's the bumpiest track on the calendar now, but that doesn't impact performance ».