Lewis Hamilton says the upgrades Ferrari have brought for their engine are keeping them ahead of Mercedes in the development fight.
Ferrari headed the Friday practice times for the second race weekend in a row at Monza and Hamilton said straight-line speed is one of several areas where Mercedes are losing out to their rivals.
“It’s a combination of everything,” he explained. “There’s areas, for example in the last races it was slow, slow corners where we were losing out. Here for example maybe the middle sector, the two Lesmos, seemed to lose out a little bit there. But that’s just set-up, I’m sure we can fix that. And there’s a little bit on straights.”Both teams introduced the third version of their 2018 power units at the previous race but Hamilton says the gain Ferrari made with their second engine is the key to their progress this year.
“It’s not with this engine, it came in after they’d already introduced the second phase engine. They’d already done three races with the engine and then all of a sudden they got a big boost from somewhere around Austria.
“Ever since then they’ve maintained that. Even if we bring more they bring more than that. But that’s the technical battle that we have in Formula 1. We’re pushing Mercedes as hard as we can.”
Following the Belgian Grand Prix Hamilton referred to some of the improvements Ferrari had made as “trick”, but alter denied he was suggesting the team had broken the rules.
Ferrari’s technical director Mattia Binotto said there was no doubt the team’s car is legal.
“[The] FIA is fully aware of our components and it is our duty as well each time FIA is not fully, let me say, convinced that there is something right or wrong for them to inspect, to understand better.
“I think it’s simply what happens at the time there is some questions: we answer, we explain and I think that’s what happens. That’s it. FIA certainly is happy, declaring our car legal at every single race, and on our side, honestly, fully happy at seeing the point is completely closed by them.”
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Kingshark (@kingshark)
31st August 2018, 22:23
In an interview on sky, Binotto said that there is nothing to split the two engines.
But Hamilton is more interested in pushing the “Vettel has much better machinery than me” narrative. For obvious reasons, he has a valid excuse if he loses, and he looks better if he wins.
I don’t recall Vettel moaning about Mercedes power last season, where inferior engine power cost him victory in Belgium.
SuperSenna
31st August 2018, 22:30
+1
Mark
31st August 2018, 22:32
From 2014 to 2017 Hamilton had the best engine by a country mile and had no issue soaking up the British press’s crowning of him as the greatest ever to walk the face of the earth. Now he wants sympathy and keeps reminding us that the ferrari is faster… thats a win win for him… he loses the championship then Vettel had the faster car… he wins the championship then look at me! i’m the bestest ever because i won with a slower car….Hamilton fanboys are eating this stuff up.
Tom
31st August 2018, 23:05
That’s some very, very selective memory you have there @kingshark
Esploratore (@esploratore)
1st September 2018, 1:06
Yes, not only in spa, but also in spain, then in canada, monza, abu dhabi there wasn’t competition and big part was the engine for example.
Otto
1st September 2018, 1:21
It’s amazing to see how much he complains.
He complained he had a difficult time as a child. I never had money to buy even toy cars as a kid and there are people that had a far harder time.
And i’ve heard Ham complain many time that daddy wasn’t rich enough to buy him fancy carts and stuff .
MG1982 (@mg1982)
1st September 2018, 9:52
+1
hyoko
31st August 2018, 23:12
Want to see the limits of the Merc? Get rid of the chauffeurs and hire some real drivers.
NoName (@noname)
1st September 2018, 10:23
@hyoko Ain’t no more real driver than Hamilton.
Hyoko
1st September 2018, 14:07
True enough, when it comes to German cranes or the Mexican turf
Tom
31st August 2018, 23:24
“No chance, like a train”
It is probably true that at the last couple of races Mercedes have been stronger,” Vettel said.
“I think the real game changer is qualifying, they are able to turn up the engine between three and six tenths to us on the straights – it was seven tenths in Austria”
“It was clear they were quicker than us today,” said Vettel
Vettel pushed the “Mercedes are the better car” narrative most of last year. This year Hamilton is only saying what we can all see. The Ferrari is the better car so Hamilton would be daft to say Mercedes are quicker.
Esploratore (@esploratore)
1st September 2018, 1:07
Yes, agree, ferrari proved to be overall slightly quicker so far on average (surely the spain performance recovers quite a lot of the gap mercedes stockpiled in other races).
Otto
1st September 2018, 1:28
Vettel whines too.But hamilton whines way more about how it’s the team’s fault for the strategy choice .About how it’s the team’s fault he lost Monaco 2015 .And how poor he was as a kid when in fact he had enough money to go karting.
Ed
1st September 2018, 5:22
You must really hate the guy to care so much about things he said about his childhood.
If he said it, it was cuz someone asked about it.
I don’t waste a second of my life trying to save face for these guys.
They all complain when their equipment is not up there. That proven with the examples above, Hamilton is still has to be worse because he “complained of his childhood”. Give us a break.
Vettel even said F1 wasn’t fun anymore when he was on his dry spell on the first year of the hybrid era. So what? Nothing.
MG1982 (@mg1982)
1st September 2018, 9:46
Dude, cut the BS! VET mentioned it as an overall better car, which is 120% true. Last year Mercedes was faster and more reliable than Ferrari. Plus, you came up with just 4 example, why not dig up those 40 examples from the last 3-4 races of HAM and Wolff mentioning how good Ferraris engine is now and the car faster in general. Thing is, Mercedes suddenly makes too much noise about how good Ferrari is now, especially the engine. Plus, we don’t know for sure if it’s really the engine, could be something else too. My “wild” guess it’s more than the engine, because at Silverstone, for example, Ferrari was visibly (to the naked eye) slower than Merecedes coming out of corner4 (to Arena and Brooklands). That’s a slowe corner and HAM keeps saying they’re slower everywhere. Not in that slow corner, obviously. Just 1 example…..
Tom
1st September 2018, 14:55
@mg1982
Firstly, you can’t get 120% true. 100% is the maximum.
Ok, you’ve quoted 40 examples so please list all of those as a reply.
I don’t understand what is “bs” about Ferrari having the better engine ? It’s true. Not complaining, I’m just stating a fact. The Mercedes was the better engine from 14-17 but it’s not the case anymore.
My point with the quotes was the fact Vettel has complained about Mercedes just like Hamilton has done, so what’s the difference ?
John
1st September 2018, 0:42
We all saw last year that the Mercedes was the better car on the majority of the tracks, even getting to within 0.045 of pole at Monaco so last year Vettel was only saying what we could all see that the Mercedes was the better overall car, except for high downforce tracks in which Vettel admitted that Ferrari had the edge
Ed
1st September 2018, 15:11
The same is happening now yet Vettel’s supporters insist there is a difference.
His complaints are better. Something like that.
Completely pointless discussion.
Todfod (@todfod)
1st September 2018, 5:20
I think it will only be next season where Mercedes will implement Ferrari style ‘tricks’ in their engine as well. For now, Lewis will just have to suck it up and pray for rain.
papaya
1st September 2018, 7:45
It would take a few years for Mercedes and others to catch-up with the Ferrari PU. Same as how Ferrari took until last year slight deficit and now overtake Mercedes.
Meanwhile, i’m waiting crybaby Hamilton shouting GP2 engine… GP2 engine when Ferrari overtaking him in straights.
MG1982 (@mg1982)
1st September 2018, 9:47
In case it’s the engine and they’ll found out what are those “tricks”.
Stephen Crowsen (@drycrust)
1st September 2018, 5:52
I’m pleased that Ferrari have finally caught Mercedes. Now we need Renault and Honda to do the same thing.
Wayne
1st September 2018, 7:50
Lewis is just giving his view or opinion. Why would that be deemed as whining? If u cant see that ferrari have the upper hand then sone people need glasses.
MG1982 (@mg1982)
1st September 2018, 9:51
Cause he keeps mentioning the same thing 3-4 times per race! ALO calmed down, there’s some sort of serenity when he talks about the gap to the front runners or even midfield, but now we have HAM as a tremendous replacement of 2015-2016 ALO.
tony
1st September 2018, 8:40
Why Ferrari are faster you should know what happen in garage with big smoke , so there are new fuel may be jet etc…..check out