Lewis Hamilton explains why "finesse" will maximise new F1 car potential

Mercedes

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Hamilton explains why "finesse" will maximise new F1 car potential

The latest machinery requires thinking outside of the box with set-up

Ewan Gale

Tuesday 1 March 2022 09:15

Lewis Hamilton expects F1's new cars will need "finesse" in order to find the right set-up windows at race weekends.

The new era for the sport kicked off in Barcelona for the first three-day pre-season test last week, with Hamilton completing 184 laps overall and finishing the session with the quickest lap time.

Almost no part of the car has been carried over from the 2021 iteration, with F1 aiming to promote a more exciting racing product by allowing cars to run closer to each other by virtue of cleaner aerodynamic structures.

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The handling of cars is also different given the change in aerodynamic philosophy and the introduction of 18-inch tyres.

The seven-time champion said: "The car is so much different. It is different to any other car I have driven in the past.

"The aero balance and how it shifts, the mechanical balance and how it shifts, the low rear, it is a much different machine to drive and is going to require a lot of finesse and a lot of work to find how to set it up with the different tools that we have."

Hamilton jokes about 'whoopie cushion' to solve visibility issues

Pirelli has introduced new 18-inch tyres to work in tandem with the new regulations, with drivers' feedback suggesting visibility has been impaired more significantly than the previous generation of cars.

Also intruding into a driver's eye-line is a new aerodynamic fin above the front tyre to control wake from the wheel.

Asked for his take on visibility, Hamilton responded: "I think [it] is similar.

"I am probably sitting too low, I am seeing a lot of sky at the moment. But I will get a whoopie cushion or something and sit higher."