Fernando Alonso, McLaren, Silverstone, 2018

Hamilton and Alonso differ on Silverstone’s bumps and new DRS zone

2018 British Grand Prix

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Fernando Alonso said Silverstone’s new surface is no worse than last year after Lewis Hamilton said whoever laid it had done the “worst job ever”.

Hamilton, who also criticised the new surface which was laid at the Circuit de Catalunya this year, said Silverstone’s new surface reminded him of the Nurburgring Nordschleife.

“I feel like countries seem to waste money when they resurface tracks,” said Hamilton. “They’ve wasted money which could have gone to much better use. And secondly the people they hired did the worst job ever. It’s the bumpiest track I’ve ever experienced.”

Other drivers echoed Hamilton’s comments, but Alonso struck a different chord, claiming the surface has improved since last year’s British Grand Prix.

“They don’t remember the race last year?” said Alonso. “It was very bumpy the last two or three years. There’s still some bumps because I think it’s the nature of the circuit here or the ground. But it’s definitely much better than last year.”

“The track is in good condition,” he added. “The new asphalt is better, less bumpy, more grip. The third DRS zone probably gives us an opportunity in the race as well.”

However Hamilton isn’t happy with the new DRS zone either. “It’s kind of a pointless exercise and kind of just dangerous,” he said.

Hamilton questioned why a zone had been added at that corner when F1 drivers were stopped from using DRS freely several years earlier on safety grounds. “We used to have DRS everywhere and we had to engage it, take it off,” he said. “They stopped us from doing that because people were spinning off.

“It’s just kind of not necessary really to have it through there, but we’re all managing,” he added. “But if someone sticks in qualifying they’re going to crash so that’s why it’s kind of an unnecessary danger.”

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Keith Collantine
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7 comments on “Hamilton and Alonso differ on Silverstone’s bumps and new DRS zone”

  1. Expect Hamilton to do poorly again this weekend, started off with his moaning and whining already.

    1. YellowSubmarine
      7th July 2018, 13:54

      Too blinkered to have noted this, then, eh? Clearly.

      Other drivers echoed Hamilton’s comments

    2. Doesn’t look like that so far this weekend though

  2. Finally. This is the F1 I remember – Hamilton and Alonso arguing on the internet.

    Although to be fair, the new surface probably feels smoother when you’re 2 seconds slower.

  3. I agree with Hamilton on the addition of a 3rd DRS activation zone, but otherwise, I agree more with Alonso on things here than the former especially on the resurfaced tarmac.

  4. Bumps …. the real test will be to see what the Moto GP riders say about the new surface.
    From the on-board shots in qualifying, it certainly looked rough. Should make sparks fly in the race.
    Seems that I recall some complaints earlier in the year about a resurfaced track being too smooth. Spain I think.
    Always a tough go to make all of the …. drivers, happy.

    1. @rekibsn, if Sainz Jr’s comments are anything to go by, it sounds like the MotoGP rider will be pretty angry as he has said that the bumps are, at best, no better than they were last year, and in some areas they might have made the problem even worse than it was last year.

      Vettel has also commented about the bumps becoming worse in some ways than they were last year, saying that he was experiencing a lot of problems with suspension chatter throughout the lap – to him, it felt as if the resurfacing has introduced a lot of smaller bumps around the circuit instead of clusters of larger bumps. https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/sainz-sorry-for-motogp-riders-silverstone-repave-1056768/

      Given their comments, not to mention Magnussen saying that the resurfacing works haven’t improved things as well, it sounds as if there could be quite a lot of discontent when the MotoGP riders visit the circuit.

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