Hamilton admits to “strange experience” of fearing Azerbaijan GP accident

Lewis Hamilton admits he had a “strange experience” in the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix after fearing he would lose control of his porpoising Mercedes and hit the wall.

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W13

At times the bouncing was so bad that Hamilton had to lift in the series of sweeping kinks at the start of the pitstraight.

Hamilton confirmed he was suffering more than team-mate George Russell because of a difference in specification between the two W13s, as revealed by Mercedes boss Toto Wolff after qualifying.

He also had to battle intense pain in his back caused by the car bottoming on the straights.

Despite his problems, Hamilton moved up from seventh on the grid to fourth at the flag - albeit aided by both Ferraris failing to finish.

"There were a lot of moments where I didn't know if I was going to make it," he said. "Just whether I was going to keep the car on track, because I don't know if you saw it, I nearly lost it in the high speed several times.

"So the battle with the car was intense. And then at the end, the last 10 laps to the flag, I was just having to go internal, like ‘You can do this, you've got this. Just bear with it.’"

Hamilton confirmed that at times he had to lift on the straight because he thought he might lose control.

"Yeah, because the thing was bouncing so much sometimes,” he said. “There were so many times I was nearly going into the wall. So that was a concern, safety-wise at 180 miles an hour, smashing into the wall, I don't think I've really ever had to think about that too much as a racing driver.

"You don't really ever think about keeping it out of the wall at that high speed. A very, very, very strange experience."

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W13

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W13

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

Hamilton admitted that the spec chosen for his car as the team pursues parallel development directions hadn’t worked out.

"I’m happy it's over. That was the most painful race I've experienced, the toughest race I've experienced. But, honestly, George didn't have the same bounces that I had, he had a lot less bouncing.

"Yesterday, I lost three and a half tenths to him just on the on the straights. I had an experimental part on my car, and a different rear suspension. So ultimately, it's the wrong one."

Despite his frustration Hamilton conceded that it had been a good race for the team: "Yeah, really, really great points. There is so much potential in this car. We just can't unlock it at all until we stop this bouncing.

"But we have a much different looking car to everybody else. I need to have a look and see whether that's the right or wrong."

Read Also:

Hamilton confirmed that he had to work with his physio Angela Cullen to minimise his back issues over the weekend.

"I've been doing like cryotherapy," he explained. "And when you go in there for four minutes, it's bloody cold, and you just have to go internal, and say you can, it's the same sort of thing, you know, just kind of quieten down and just grinning with it.

“I have to think of all the people that rely on me to get those points. So that's really what I was focused on. But this is definitely the worst. For me, I haven't had it this bad [as] this year.

"George doesn't have any back problems today. But his is like a 10 years younger back than mine!"

shares
comments

Ferrari lacking answers over F1 Azerbaijan GP engine problems

Red Bull: Verstappen/Perez lead swap in Azerbaijan GP not team orders

The factors for and against a Red Bull upset in F1’s Monaco GP

The factors for and against a Red Bull upset in F1’s Monaco GP

Plus
Plus
Formula 1
Monaco GP
Alex Kalinauckas

The factors for and against a Red Bull upset in F1’s Monaco GP The factors for and against a Red Bull upset in F1’s Monaco GP

What Aston Martin's Honda deal reveals about its true F1 mindset

What Aston Martin's Honda deal reveals about its true F1 mindset

Plus
Plus
Formula 1
Jonathan Noble

What Aston Martin's Honda deal reveals about its true F1 mindset What Aston Martin's Honda deal reveals about its true F1 mindset

Would Hamilton really be a worthwhile F1 investment for Ferrari?

Would Hamilton really be a worthwhile F1 investment for Ferrari?

Plus
Plus
Formula 1
Monaco GP
Matt Kew

Would Hamilton really be a worthwhile F1 investment for Ferrari? Would Hamilton really be a worthwhile F1 investment for Ferrari?

Why the growing pains of F1’s cost-cap era require patience

Why the growing pains of F1’s cost-cap era require patience

Plus
Plus
Formula 1
Jake Boxall-Legge

Why the growing pains of F1’s cost-cap era require patience Why the growing pains of F1’s cost-cap era require patience

Has F1 gone too far with its sprint race format tweaks?

Has F1 gone too far with its sprint race format tweaks?

Plus
Plus
Formula 1
GP Racing

Has F1 gone too far with its sprint race format tweaks? Has F1 gone too far with its sprint race format tweaks?

The crucial next steps for McLaren on its path to F1 recovery

The crucial next steps for McLaren on its path to F1 recovery

Plus
Plus
Formula 1
Alex Kalinuackas

The crucial next steps for McLaren on its path to F1 recovery The crucial next steps for McLaren on its path to F1 recovery

The bigger answer Mercedes needs from its now delayed F1 upgrades

The bigger answer Mercedes needs from its now delayed F1 upgrades

Plus
Plus
Formula 1
Jonathan Noble

The bigger answer Mercedes needs from its now delayed F1 upgrades The bigger answer Mercedes needs from its now delayed F1 upgrades

What the lessons of 2013’s mid-year tyre change mean for F1 2023's dominant team

What the lessons of 2013’s mid-year tyre change mean for F1 2023's dominant team

Plus
Plus
Formula 1
Emilia Romagna GP
Alex Kalinuackas

What the lessons of 2013’s mid-year tyre change mean for F1 2023's dominant team What the lessons of 2013’s mid-year tyre change mean for F1 2023's dominant team

Subscribe