The Formula 1 race in Baku has not only become a very painful experience for Lewis Hamilton. Now there is a risk of a driver uprising against the Hoppel cars.
In great pain tormented himself Lewis Hamilton from his silver arrow. The back, the head, almost everything hurt the Formula 1 superstar after the Baku torture in the wildly hopping Mercedes. Team boss Toto Wolff immediately worried whether the 37-year-old would be able to compete in the next race in Canada this weekend. “Definitive” be a forced break for Hamilton possible. But now he wants to start.
The constant blows in the cockpit, from which many pilots in the new cars suffer, are probably the biggest problem for the Brit. “It goes really deep on the spine and that has consequences”said Wolff, who believes it is possible for the drivers to revolt against the technical regulations. “The drivers put their heads together and all but one said it was a problem”said the Mercedes boss.
Only Alonso has no problems
Veterans only Fernando Alonso therefore does not care about the violent shaking of the new cars. Hamilton, on the other hand, let it be known that he only made it to the finish in Baku because he “grit your teeth” and the adrenaline helped him. He could hardly explain his pain. “In the end you just pray that it’s over,” he said.
teammate George Russell spokesman for the drivers’ union already warned: “It’s only a matter of time before we see a serious incident.” Many drivers struggle to keep their cars in a straight line on rough roads. Hamilton said: “I almost drove into the wall so many times.”
vehicles have changed significantly
The technical problem of hopping is caused by the vehicles that have changed significantly this season. At high speed, the cars on the straights are pressed onto the ground until they briefly touch the asphalt and are then pushed up again. The drivers are repeatedly shaken violently. “I need someone to give me a massage tonight. My back really hurts”said Alpha Tauri pilot Pierre Gasly after riding through Baku. Also McLaren-Driver Daniel Ricciardo warned: “We really need to address this, this problem, because it’s really painful.”
Stronger performance more important
The debate about hopping has been raging since the test drives before the start of the season. According to a report in the specialist magazine “Autosport”, the teams could not agree on technical countermeasures such as a minimum ground clearance last year. And even now the racing teams are putting their cars as low as possible, although this promotes hopping, because otherwise they would lose a lot of performance.
“Of course it’s a challenge for the drivers. But I think the cars are still pretty comfortable to drive.”said Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto. Scuderia pilot Carlos Sainz meanwhile worries about his health. “We should think about the price a driver has to pay in his career”said the Spaniard.
“My back is killing me
That Sainz and teammate Charles Leclerc had to finish work early in Baku because of their technical breakdowns, at least spared the backs of the two Ferrari drivers. Mercedes pilot Hamilton however, suffered for 51 laps and begged on the pit radio: “My back is killing me. Let’s change something, please, okay?”