Tuesday, December 24, 2024

How Hamilton endured a slog to sixth in Singapore · RaceFans

Lewis Hamilton’s frustration together with his technique within the Singapore Grand Prix turned clear shortly after he was overtaken by his staff mate George Russell.

The pair shared the second row of the grid at first. However Mercedes opted to place Hamilton on tender tyres, which led him to pit sooner than most of his rivals, three of whom handed him earlier than the top of the race. He later mentioned he was “so indignant” with the choice.

Right here’s how his race unfolded on his radio.

Hamilton’s Singapore Grand Prix radio

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, Singapore, 2024
Towards his needs, Hamilton began the race on tender tyres

Soar to:

“It’s going to be a tricky afternoon”
“It’s best to each be managing”
“You’ve taken an excessive amount of out”
“It’ll be shut with Gasly”
“We simply had a little bit of a steep drop”
“Have I ended earlier than everybody?”
“George is coming by as a result of I’ve received no grip”
“Generally I’m wondering why I do that”
“I can see him”
“Simply up the lift-and-coast”
“Does everybody else have deg like that?”
“Sorry we gave you a automotive that was not ok”

“It’s going to be a tricky afternoon”

Hamilton was disillusioned to find that, whereas his staff had determined he ought to begin the race on the tender tyre compound, each different driver within the high 13 lined up on the medium rubber. When he was unable to cross both of the drivers forward of him at first, he knew he confronted a tough race.

Lap: 1/62 HAM: 1’42.702
Hamilton Traction metrics look good there.
Hamilton It’s going to be a tricky afternoon…
Bonnington As Hamilton rounds flip three on formation lap
Clutch was shallow: 2%.
Bonnington Okay, Lewis, so two burn-outs.
Bonnington And final automotive approaching the grid.
Bonnington So it’s nonetheless George, the automotive behind.
Bonnington So 1.4 forward, 1.1 behind.
Bonnington So 1.3 forward, 1.1 behind. DRS has been enabled.

“It’s best to each be managing”

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, Singapore, 2024
Russell put Hamilton beneath stress early within the race

Hamilton’s staff mate George Russell, who began on mediums, briefly closed in, however the staff informed each they wanted to save lots of their tyres at this stage.

Lap: 2/62 HAM: 1’38.853
Bonnington Let’s not give attention to chasing these guys down, let’s give attention to the administration. It’s a protracted day. Traction metrics wanting good in the mean time: 1.6 forward, 0.6 behind.
Hamilton Russell is inside seven tenths
George is pushing…
Bonnington Yeah, copy. He’s pushing his traction metrics. It’s best to each be managing.
Bonnington So Verstappen: a 38.9. Piastri, P5, additionally 38.9. George was 38.5, that final lap.
Lap: 3/62 HAM: 1’39.254
Bonnington Hamilton makes changes on his steering wheel
So we’re glad along with your swap modifications. Traction metrics nonetheless wanting good.
Lap: 5/62 HAM: 1’38.294
Hamilton Rears are beginning to get heat. Already.
Bonnington Copy. So hole: 2.7 forward, 1.6 behind. Traction metrics are presently low, so that you’re doing job.

“You’ve taken an excessive amount of out”

Compounding his issues, Hamilton reported his entrance wing angle was set too low.

Lap: 7/62 HAM: 1’38.380
Bonnington So Verstappen: 37.8. George: 38.4.
Lap: 8/62 HAM: 1’38.246
Hamilton I can’t match their occasions.
Bonnington And B-bal [brake balance] presently 1% extra forwards than George. That’s simply information.
Lap: 11/62 HAM: 1’37.916
Hamilton Getting an excessive amount of understeer.
Bonnington So a bit an excessive amount of understeer. We’ll add [front wing angle] for the following tyre. Take into consideration Diff Entry ‘3’ and advocate Exit ’12’.
Lap: 13/62 HAM: 1’38.102
Bonnington Among the midfield automobiles are pitting now. It’ll all begin taking place quickly.
Lap: 14/62 HAM: 1’38.174
Bonnington At present goal minus three.
Hamilton …what?
Bonnington So that you’re presently goal minus three in your cease lap. Goal minus three.
Hamilton About two holes [of front wing angle] too little in the mean time.
Bonnington Copy.

“It’ll be shut with Gasly”

Lewis Hamilton, Kevin Magnussen, Singapore, 2024
Hamilton’s early pit cease dropped him a good distance again

Hamilton pitted sooner than a lot of the entrance runners, which dropped him into site visitors.

Lap: 16/62 HAM: 1’39.044
Hamilton Yeah, you’ve taken an excessive amount of [front wing angle] out. And the rears are getting sizzling.
Bonnington Okay, copy.
Hamilton Tyres are falling off.
Bonnington Okay Lewis, for those who’ve received any tempo left, then we must always begin to use it.
Lap: 17/62 HAM: 1’46.862
Bonnington Okay so field, field.
Bonnington Hamilton pits and leaves the field
Will probably be out lap ‘regular’, so reset your switches. It’ll be shut with Gasly. And keep in mind white line on exit.

“We simply had a little bit of a steep drop”

Bonnington remarked to Hamilton that his tender tyres started to go off notably shortly on the finish of his first stint.

Lap: 18/62 HAM: 1’58.708
Bonnington Hamilton rejoins on hards in thirteenth, lower than a second forward of Gasly
Gasly, automotive behind.
Hamilton Am I bringing them in sluggish?
Bonnington Yeah, copy. Clearly not too sluggish. Most likely focusing on excessive 37s to start out.
Hamilton Are different individuals deg’ing?.
Bonnington Yeah, copy. Others appear to be they’re deg’ing. We simply had a little bit of a steep drop on that ultimate lap.
Bonnington So George a ‘38.4, final lap. At present 1.5 seconds secure to him.
Lap: 19/62 HAM: 1’38.202
Bonnington Hamilton has caught Magnussen
And we’ve no DRS trains forward till Leclerc.
Bonnington Hamilton passes Magnussen
And subsequent automotive: Ocon, a ‘39.9. Nonetheless 1.8 secure to George.
Hamilton I believe I clipped the wall on the way in which in to the pit lane. Simply verify the left.
Bonnington We’ll take a look.

“Have I ended earlier than everybody?”

Going through a 45-lap stint on his exhausting tyres, Hamilton warned his staff it could be tough for him to maintain others behind within the second half of the race.

Lap: 20/62 HAM: 1’38.745
Hamilton Rears are getting sizzling already…
Hamilton Have I ended earlier than everybody?
Bonnington We’re one of many earlier stoppers, however not the earliest.
Hamilton Yeah, we’ll be in hassle later. Manner too quick…
Lap: 21/62 HAM: 1’38.916
Bonnington So Lewis, yeah, we’re versatile on all the things. We’re taking a look at all choices.
Bonnington And one second secure to George.
Lap: 22/62 HAM: 1’38.194
Hamilton I’m already struggling on this tyre.
Hamilton Really feel like I’ve misplaced rear downforce.
Bonnington Copy. We’ll take a look. Nothing we will see with the automotive. We expect which will simply be rear floor temps.

“George is coming by as a result of I’ve received no grip”

Inside lower than 10 laps of his pit cease, Hamilton had misplaced sufficient time to his staff mate that Russell may now pit and rejoin the monitor forward of him, which he did on lap 27.

Lap: 23/62 HAM: 1’38.396
Bonnington George a ‘38.4, for information.
Hamilton The place am I sluggish?
Bonnington We’re struggling to seek out any areas of loss. It’s tough with site visitors.
Lap: 24/62 HAM: 1’38.352
Hamilton Am I in danger?
Bonnington So presently 1.5 secure to George.
Bonnington Hamilton is catching Tsunoda
There’s a good free air hole forward of Tsunoda.
Hamilton Yeah, you’re killing me with this offset, mate.
Bonnington Plenty of choices open to us nonetheless, Lewis.
Lap: 25/62 HAM: 1’40.158
Hamilton Hamilton makes an attempt to cross Tsunoda at flip 16, however runs extensive
One thing’s positively improper with the automotive, mate…
Hamilton Hamilton slides by way of turns one and three
Tyres are already dropping off.
Bonnington Yeah, that’s all floor temp pushed.
Lap: 26/62 HAM: 1’40.171
Bonnington And we’re now zero to George with that at flip 17.
Hamilton Yeah, effectively, George is coming by as a result of I’ve received no grip, mate.
Bonnington So now unsafe to George and Piastri.

“Generally I’m wondering why I do that”

Lewis Hamilton, Yuki Tsunoda, Singapore, 2024
Hamilton handed Tsunoda on lap 28 however was dismayed to see Russell soar forward of him

Hamilton was particularly displeased to see his staff mate soar forward of him.

Lap: 27/62 HAM: 1’39.999
Bonnington Russell pits
So George in pit lane now.
Lap: 28/62 HAM: 1’38.455
Hamilton Generally I’m wondering why I do that.
Lap: 29/62 HAM: 1’38.026
Hamilton The place have I fallen all the way down to?
Bonnington At present P8 however three automobiles but to cease.
Lap: 30/62 HAM: 1’37.833
Hamilton That is the tempo of the tyres now.
Bonnington Copy.
Lap: 31/62 HAM: 1’38.440
Bonnington You’re steadily clearing out your Security Automotive window behind.
Lap: 32/62 HAM: 1’37.696
Bonnington Lewis solely areas of loss are braking flip one, braking flip seven.
Lap: 34/62 HAM: 1’37.413
Bonnington George about to work together with Leclerc who’s but to cease. And we’re pulling Piastri again into our window very slowly. At present one second unsafe.
Bonnington So losses: Braking, one, 5, seven, 16.

“I can see him”

McLaren thought of bringing Oscar Piastri in early in order that he wouldn’t drop behind Hamilton. Regardless of their driver’s issues he wouldn’t be capable to cross Hamilton if he fell behind the him, McLaren left him out, and he emerged behind the Mercedes.

Lap: 37/62 HAM: 1’37.938
Hamilton Surfaces nonetheless excessive?
Bonnington Floor temp nonetheless sizzling, however they’re higher than they had been starting of stint.
Lap: 38/62 HAM: 1’37.765
Bonnington So pulled Piastri again into our window. At present one second secure to him.
Bonnington Piastri on this lap, forecast one-and-a-half behind.
Lap: 39/62 HAM: 1’37.971
Bonnington Piastri pit exit.
Bonnington So Piastri 1.4 behind.
Bonnington I can see him, mate.
Bonnington And largest losses to George, mid-speed 5, braking seven.

“Simply up the lift-and-coast”

Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Singapore, 2024
Piastri dropped behind Hamilton however simply handed him

Nevertheless Piastri picked Hamilton off with ease at flip seven, which means he now needed to fear in regards to the Ferraris closing on him.

Lap: 43/62 HAM: 1’37.393
Bonnington Piastri passes Hamilton at flip seven
Okay, so we’ve received George 37.3. Leclerc’s swapped positions with Sainz so Leclerc automotive behind, 15 seconds, final lap. So Leclerc within the mid-36s.
Lap: 45/62 HAM: 1’37.801
Bonnington So Leclerc pushing very exhausting. Purple sectors. Hole at 12.1.
Hamilton What number of laps left?
Lap: 46/62 HAM: 1’37.797
Bonnington 17 laps remaining.
Lap: 47/62 HAM: 1’37.922
Bonnington Simply up the lift-and-coast by 100 metres at 4 and 16.
Lap: 49/62 HAM: 1’38.331
Bonnington Hole to Leclerc at 2.8.
Hamilton Are we in danger from Sainz as effectively?
Bonnington No, not in a straight race.
Bonnington So Leclerc behind, 1.1.

“Does everybody else have deg like that?”

Leclerc handed Hamilton on lap 49. He didn’t lose any extra positions from then on, however drew his staff’s consideration to his excessive ranges of tyre degradation.

Lap: 50/62 HAM: 1’40.411
Bonnington Leclerc passes Hamilton at flip seven
Magnussen has a puncture, presently between 12 and 13.
Lap: 53/62 HAM: 1’38.669
Hamilton Does everybody else have deg like that?
Bonnington So Sainz related age tyres however two laps extra on them, related deg.
Lap: 54/62 HAM: 1’38.352
Bonnington Sainz 38.2, hole 14.3.
Lap: 57/62 HAM: 1’39.034
Bonnington So we’re in P6, 13 seconds now behind to Sainz.
Hamilton Instances of individuals forward?
Bonnington So George 37.4 Piastri and Verstappen mid-to-low-36.
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, Singapore, 2024
The final time he began third, Hamilton received; this time he was sixth

“Sorry we gave you a automotive that was not ok”

Not for the primary time this 12 months, Mercedes staff principal Toto Wolff apologised for the efficiency of their automotive.

Chequered flag
Bonnington Okay effectively finished Lewis mate, that’s P6. That tyre gamble actually shot us within the foot there. If you happen to simply decide up rubber please, mate, it’ll be strat 14 after which HPP1 place 12.
Hamilton Yeah positively exhausting to remain constructive after that weekend. However nonetheless grateful to all of you guys for the pit stops and clearly exhibiting up.
Bonnington Thanks, Lewis.
Wolff Yeah Lewis sorry we gave the 2 of you a automotive that was simply not ok for you. And clearly we learn the race improper however I don’t assume it could have made a distinction, we had been simply too sluggish at present.
Hamilton What was the ending order?
Bonnington So Norris received the race at a carter. And we’ve received Verstappen P2, Piastri P3, George managed to carry off Leclerc on the finish so it was George P4, Leclerc P5.
Hamilton How far was I?
Bonnington It’s 85 seconds to Norris.
Hamilton To the automotive forward?
Bonnington 22.8.

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