Lewis Hamilton says Ferrari’s car set-up worked best in China but the team hasn’t been able to recreate the same balance since.
He took pole position for the sprint race in Shanghai and won, but struggled to sixth place in the grand prix behind team mate Charles Leclerc. Both Ferraris were then disqualified for different technical infringements: Leclerc’s was underweight while Hamilton’s plank was excessively worn.
Sprint races are run to shorter distances than grands prix, which means cars require less fuel, therefore carry less weight and can run lower ride heights. Ferrari’s inability to run a ride height which suited the car on the smooth, recently resurfaced Shanghai track may therefore explain the team’s slump in performance since the start of the season.
Hamilton admitted the team was not able to recreate the set-up which delivered his Shanghai sprint race win. “The direction that I pushed the car and the set-up worked well in China,” he told Sky ahead of last week’s race, “and then we had to pull back on some things and we’ve not been able to get there since.
“It’s always the same thing. If you go down there the pit lane probably everyone wants more rear [grip]. The more rear you have, the faster you go.
“All the years that I won, if you look all the years of all the successful drivers, they have a stable rear end and that’s what we need to work towards.”
However Hamilton remains confident the team’s car has the potential to become competitive. “The fact is, I think we do have a good car when everything comes together,” he said.
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“That’s tyre temperatures, when we’re getting the best out of the tyres, getting the best out the floor, front wing and out of the engine and of the drivers and we’re comfortable and we feel confident. I think we you’ve seen moments [like] China, you’ve seen Charles getting onto the podium.
“So clearly there is potential there. But tapping into it each weekend is really, really difficult.
“Consistency is key. Processes are really key. And there’s areas that would just not great in at the moment and we’ve got on all areas. Everything needs to improve across the whole board. I need to improve, everybody needs to improve and that’s what we’re working on.”
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