McLaren needs to find more grip according to Hamilton
In an interview with Sky Sports, Lewis Hamilton reflected on his first outing of the season in Jerez and his feelings after several dozen laps in the cockpit of the MP4-27.
After two days spent grinding the fresh asphalt of the Jerez de la Frontera circuit during the first private tests of the season, Lewis Hamilton reflected on his first impressions and tried to predict somewhat based on the few hints revealed by this Iberian start.
Asked about these four days of testing, the Briton downplayed their significance while delivering his first analysis: “You must keep in mind that everyone was focused on their own program, so it’s not about who is the fastest for now. We’re just trying to accumulate a lot of mileage and test different components. The coming weeks will give more indications about everyone’s positioning. Ferrari hasn’t really shown much yet but, obviously, the Red Bull seems fast – as usual – and we are there.”
The impression of Lewis Hamilton is reinforced by the fact that many observers have noticed that the RB8 was far from its potential, particularly in terms of pure speed. Concealing its form is a logical strategy at this very beginning of the season, where teams are closely watching each other, seeking out any interesting innovations.
Regarding his own equipment, the 2008 World Champion believes he has an interesting starting point: « It feels good to get back out for the first time, to return to the track after a long winter, and my first impressions were very good. Every year, you arrive and you never know what to expect, but you always hope to have a good work base to rely on and that the team can build on. I’m quite positive about the car at this stage and I’m sure the guys can take it further. »
« There are two or three little things about the car, but they’re not really issues – it’s just different to drive with the tires and everything else. I tested it in the simulator and it’s a bit different from what I expected, so we’ll need to adjust the simulator to reality. » Differences with the simulator but also with the 2011 car:
« Last year, we had a lot of downforce and stability, especially in fast corners, but today we need to find that grip. We will try to move the grip from the front to the rear, but I think the base we have will really allow us to work well on it.
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Last year, the Woking team worked on an exhaust system that was very difficult to develop, and whose initial results were far below expectations, especially during the tests in Barcelona. A design error forced McLaren to drastically revise its approach just weeks before the start of the season in Melbourne, where they reverted to a simpler and more effective system.
Find in detail the figures and the first analyses of the four days of testing in Jerez by the Motors Inside editorial team.
