Lewis Hamilton feared tyre blowout in France

Lewis Hamilton

Hamilton feared tyre blowout in France

It happened to Stroll last year.

Martin Macdonald

Sunday 23 June 2019 17:01

Lewis Hamilton says he was worried that his French Grand Prix could have been prematurely ended by a tyre blowout during the race on Sunday, as the sizeable blisters on his tyres were similar to the ones on Lance Stroll’s Force India last year, which caused a blowout.

The Brit led every single lap of the race at the Circuit Paul Ricard from pole to flag, and didn’t have much to contend with in terms of competitors in behind, with second-placed Valtter Bottas not laying a glove on his team-mate.

What Hamilton did have to manage, however, with increasingly troublesome blisters on his front tyres, which he feared could cost him the win.

“It wasn't easy at all,” he said when asked if the car issues made his day harder.

“There's always things happening, always on the edge. These cars, as you know, everything is running to a temperature; reliability is everything.

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“I had two big blisters on the tyres, so I was a little bit worried. I remember last year, Force India, Lance [Stroll], had a tyre blow out, so I was a bit worried about that.”

The championship leader went on to praise the efforts of his Mercedes team, who secured another one-two finish through Hamilton and Bottas.

Hamilton destroys rivals for French GP winRead more

“It's definitely been a really good weekend,” he admitted.

“I've been racing a long, long time, but it just never gets old.

“It's always such a challenge out there and I just love trying to find the edge, bridging that gap, but I couldn't do it without this incredible team.

“These guys, and all the guys back at the factory, we're creating history together, and I'm so proud of everyone and to be a part of this team.

“It's a beautiful day here in the south of France, I'm still sweating a huge amount out there. It's still so warm out there, in the car.

“It's actually an awesome track to drive within the race and there's some real technical areas where you can gain an advantage on others.”