Lewis Hamilton suffered from “aquaplaning everywhere” on the Spa circuit
Lewis Hamilton failed at the foot of the podium after starting in third position. The British driver notably suffered from bottlenose dolphin-ing during this Belgian Grand Prix.
He gave it his all, but it wasn’t enough. Lewis Hamilton fought with all his might during the Belgian Grand Prix to hold onto his third position and secure another podium for Mercedes, but he couldn’t do anything against the Red Bull rockets and Charles Leclerc, who finished more than six seconds ahead of him.
“They had the advantage this weekend,” he declared to the journalists after the race, referring to his predecessors.
“I mean, I tried, I pushed a lot, I had a lot of wear, mainly in the central sector, but we were still going fast at the end,” he admits nonetheless with a touch of optimism.
The British driver, however, admitted to having “felt a bit of porpoising everywhere” on the track. This had not happened yet this season, but let’s remember that the Mercedes struggled with porpoising last year, which gave the seven-time world champion back pain. Something to keep an eye on in the upcoming races after the summer break.
“Great progress”
Overall, Lewis Hamilton is satisfied with the pace of his car, despite a setback on Saturday when he received a five-place penalty for a collision with Sergio Perez. Without that, he would have also secured fourth place in the Sprint race. But that doesn’t dampen the British driver’s smile. “Since the beginning of the year until now, we have made great progress. We understand the car’s behavior better. There have been more podiums and top 5 finishes.”
The champion doesn’t plan to rest on his laurels during the comeback. “There are many positive points, but we are still working on balance and also on aerodynamic support. We are fully focused on securing second place for the team in the constructors’ standings, and I will try to achieve third place,” he said.
“I think there will be changes in the second part of the season. I am confident that McLaren will be strong in the second phase, as well as Ferrari… It will depend on the track, but I believe there will be changes in position. I hope we can be a bit better,” he concluded.
