Lewis Hamilton

Hamilton: Mercedes need rain in Germany

Will it arrive?

Matthew Scott

Friday 26 July 2019 10:31

Lewis Hamilton says Mercedes are unlikely to fix their cooling issues for the German Grand Prix, with the championship leader hoping rain can assist at Hockenheim for a second year in succession.

Hamilton won in Germany last year with a masterful drive in the wet to win from 14th after Sebastian Vettel crashed out of the lead.

With Europe gripped by a heatwave similar to the one that arrived around the Austrian GP, Mercedes are concerned that there could be a repeat of their disappointing performance at the Red Bull Ring, although a new cooling system has been put on the W10 for the weekend.

"It's definitely a good thing if it rains, Hamilton said. "There's not really much we can do because it's a much bigger design issue we have when it gets hot, so it's not so easy to change it.

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"We are working towards changing it, but it's very small steps, small increments which are not making a massive difference.

"Hopefully this weekend should be okay in that sense, and if it stays hot we're going to struggle and be in trouble.

"If the next race is this hot, we're going to struggle and be in trouble, on the edge like Austria. But fingers crossed it doesn't come to that."

Hamilton's team-mate Valtteri Bottas hopes the upgrades brought to Hockenheim will help Mercedes counter their issues even if the weather does not assist.

He said: "The new parts, in terms of the cooling, should make our life easier. But I'm ready, as always, for any weather. We know our car is maybe not the most efficient in hot conditions.

"We have some new bits for the cooling, but also a really nice new aero package which should give general performance to the car."