The seven-time world champion took a low-key fourth place within the final F1 race before the summer time break, unable to halt Max Verstappen’s cost by the sphere to victory, however saved away from rivals behind him whereas additionally selecting up the bonus level for quickest lap with a late pitstop for contemporary tyres.
However worryingly for Mercedes, Hamilton reported he suffered with F1 automobile bouncing all through the race, an issue that plagued the crew in the course of the first season switching to floor impact automobiles.
Mercedes was one of many groups worst impacted by porpoising initially of final season and was nonetheless harm by bouncing because it tried to extract efficiency from its ‘zero-pod’ idea.
Having drastically altered its F1 automobile design halfway by this season, Hamilton sparked issues when he feared Mercedes is “again to the bouncing like we had final yr”.
“I feel it was form of a non-eventful race, there wasn’t a lot actually happening, I wasn’t capable of sustain with the automobiles forward of me,” Hamilton instructed Sky Sports activities F1.
“I struggled originally, rear finish is our greatest concern. Then we had massive bouncing this weekend, so we’re again to the bouncing like we had final yr.
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG, in Parc Ferme
Picture by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
“So on the finish I used to be conserving the Ferrari inside a couple of seconds however I couldn’t get any nearer to that battle. Then to get the quickest lap on the finish, it was good to have the hole to the automobile behind, it was first rate. But it surely was gusty as we speak and it was very tough on the market and tough to maintain it on observe.”
Hamilton, who later said the bouncing concern was “in all places” across the Spa lap, added that Mercedes would examine the difficulty and goal to discover a resolution earlier than the subsequent race after the summer time break.
“They [Mercedes] don’t know [what caused the bouncing] and to me it’s a concern, however we are going to work by the info this week and check out to determine what we do earlier than the subsequent race,” he mentioned.
“However I don’t actually have way more solutions for you. I do know what I would like and I’m praying for it, I’m simply ready for the day that we get it.”
Hamilton’s fourth place and bonus level for quickest lap has moved him to a degree off Fernando Alonso within the battle for third place, behind each Purple Bull drivers, within the F1 world drivers’ championship.