Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, Singapore, 2019

Hamilton’s car ‘feels better than it has for a while’

2019 Singapore Grand Prix

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Lewis Hamilton said his car felt “much better” in Singapore but his team mate was unhappy with his balance after lapping over a second slower than him.

Hamilton’s lap of 1’38.773 stood as the best time of the day. “I felt much better in the car today than I have for a while,” he said, “so I hope that stays over the weekend.

“I think they re-did a few patches of Tarmac on the circuit. I managed to get the tyres working well. If you can get into a groove and into a rhythm here it’s such a beautiful lap, so I’ve really been enjoying it.”

However Hamilton believes he can lower his lap time further. “We’ve definitely got some areas that we can improve which is always good. Nothing’s ever perfect so I’ve got to go and kind of study areas we can improve on the car but also areas I can improve: braking, turning points et cetera.”

Valtteri Bottas had a less happy day after crashing in first practice and lapping well off Hamilton’s best in the second session.

“I’m not sure really what was going on,” he admitted. “I was lacking pace every single run, every tyre compound. I’m not quite sure if everything was right in the car and need to take a look. It just felt like I couldn’t go any quicker but I was one second off the pace.”

“The only thing I could really feel was quite a bit of friction in the steering system,” he added. “Just couldn’t feel the car properly.

“We’ll get everything for sure, I doubt everything was on hundred percent but obviously we need to have a look at what I can do better as well.”

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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17 comments on “Hamilton’s car ‘feels better than it has for a while’”

  1. If Hamilton reiterates his lap from last year and Max manages to have a go at him, it should be a wonderful q3.

    1. And an interesting race too @tango, with both of them looking fast, determined and largely free of errors.

  2. Hamilton is like Marc Marquez (of MotoGP). Always up there fighting for the top positions. Others are more up and down but he is THE Mr Consistent of Formula 1 and that is why the most valuable driver on the grid. Last few weekends he was fighting tooth and nail with the Ferrari and before that with Max. Now again looks like it will be Lewis vs Max.

    1. Couldn’t agree more, I’ve been thinking about this for a while.

      He’s always up there making the race interesting, you know no matter what the circuit is, and what team eventually wins, you’ll have Hamilton up there making things interesting. A real credit to the sport

    2. I guess you forgot Germany but for the last paragraph i agree.

      1. @erikje At Germany, initially no one was touching Lewis. Not even Max and Lewis built up a 8+ second gap at the front and still pulling away. It was later in the race with all the mess created by the the safety cars, bad pit stops, team strategic errors and luck which ruined his race. Mainly team error of putting him onto the wrong tyre at the wrong time.

        1. @amg44
          For once it didn’t all go Lewis’s way you mean. He is the king of a free pit stop under a safety for as long as I remember.
          Lewis is also the most notable driver for disagreeing with the computer servers that churn out the data and predictions. Shame we cant see them race on their own terms with their own decisions.
          This is where engineers say Alonso excelled more than others. They claimed he had more spare capacity.

      2. Sometimes Marquez crashes too, so the comparison is legit.

    3. That’s why he had won five championships titles and about to win more.

    4. @amg44

      Max is in a 3rd rate team please don’t get too carried away.
      Max and Charles have been picking up more ‘drivers of the day’ with Max driver of the season so far. Put those 3 in equal cars and it’s anyone’s title. IMO Max would come out on top. It was a better Karter than Lewis for starters.

      1. DOTD is a poll. You know that, right? Kubica won in Germany. So what?
        You must be joking if you’re using this to prove your point.

        1. Max did win DOTD seems a technical glitch was the corput but i understand your view.

    5. @amg44
      Lewis claimed himself that 2017 and 2007 where his most consistent seasons. He knows himself he has had those blips in every other season and you should accept that too.
      Alonso and Schumacher were more consistent and relentless over a season. They just didnt’t let up, even in 3rd rate teams slower cars (which Lewis has never had yet in his career)
      Mansell’s still did a better job in 92 than lewis has done, which is why Lewis can only ever appear in the top 5 British drivers.

      1. Behave yourself! Top 5 BRITISH drivers? You’re just making yourself look foolish.
        You may not like it young man but on his record ALONE Lewis is guaranteed a place amongst the true greats of the sport and Alonso isn’t one of those. Unfortunate for you but there it is.

        1. Mansell better than Hamilton. LOL.

          Who are the other four? Clarke, sure. Stewart, no.

          Who is the other one? Graham Hill?!

  3. Love seeing littlejoe twisting himself up like a pretzel every time Ham has a good day. :)

    1. Hahahaha, same. He barely comments on any other topic. But once Lewis is mentioned, the keyboard warrior shows face.

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