Why Lewis Hamilton hates driving F1's current cars

[@Dante_8183]

It's hard to change the way you have driven for the last 20 years, if he tried it would be a Riccardo situation. Its like telling a left handed person "no, you are right handed now". Sure you adapt to make it work but it is just not the same.

[@Nemoticon]

Yes and no. One thing that seperates F1 drivers from the rest of motorsport is their ability to adapt because F1 is a development series, their cars change from race to race. They are more like test pilots, changing their driving style with the cars as they develop. In most other motorsports, the car remains pretty much the same throughout the season and they set the car up to suit their driving style. In F1, there is less room to set up for driving style because most of the set up goes to outright performance. But the fundamental change in F1 in recent years is something that has negatively affected drivers who have been in the game a long time. In Schumacher's last season, he has a big crash because he simply forgot what all the controls on the wheel does. It's not an easy gig, even for the best.

[@belvinananda]

In that 20 years how many times do you think f1 has change in regulation?

[@karthikpenumetch9300]

@@belvinanandaif I’m not mistaken Hamilton has experienced 5 different rules changes

[@rvfharrier]

@@belvinananda So that's hard to answer since technically regulations are changing between practically every season, and often within seasons (2011 for example the off-throttle blown diffuser was banned for Silverstone but the ban was lifted later that same season). People when they say "regulation changes" though tend to refer to particularly massive overhauls, but it's still a fairly subjective term. General consensus though: 2009, 2014, and 2022. So 3. Though 2010 was a big one with refuelling being banned, 2011 introduced DRS, 2021 infamously was a last minute ad hoc regulation change that just so happened to be detrimental to low-rake car design (which only 2 teams on the grid used, one of them being Mercedes).

[@MrSkeleton131]

@@belvinananda literally every year if you want to get technical. But if we're talking big rule changes - 2009, 2014, 2017, 2022. 2010/11 maybe too if you consider refuelling ban and DRS

[@mondodimotori]

Ground effects cars require a whole different driving style. The same thing happened when they were first introduced back in the late 70s.

[@DAGATHire]

doesn't help that merc have been crap at ground effect car design and understanding.

[@HootMaRoot]

​@@DAGATHire worst thing is merc bought the team that had a good understanding of ground effect, brawn. Then red bull mastered the double diffuser for a few years till the rules change when merc ruled. Guess merc just threw away all the info they inherited from brawn and started from a clean sheet for this rule set

[@DAGATHire]

@@HootMaRoot the double defuser was banned tho. mercs dominance was with the hybrid engine. once rb caught up and then ground effect was brough back in, newey was the deciding factor. frankly newey is the only man in f1 who has been there for the previous ground effect days. but hey thats the cycles of F1 it has been ever thus. eras of dominance come and go, its why i stopped supporting drivers or teams. i just enjoy the sport and the fighting on track. and i love the whacky engineering solutions or workarounds or indeed cheats the engineers come up with to gain an advantage. f1 of course is first and foremost a battle of engineers

[@samuelvanlane]

Wich is hilarious considering brawn came up with these regulations 😅​@HootMaRoot

[@mha2263]

​@DAGATHire couldn't have said it better, indeed this sport is as much of a batte between the engineers and aerodymanicists as it is the drivers and teams

[@Fail84-nv7qh]

Hamilton may suck in quali in this era but his race pace is still one of the best (if not the best) in the current grid.

[@Reaz399]

Imagine still living in that fantasy world, you Hamilton fans are actually insanely delusional. The guy has been getting matched by fucking Woody Russell for 3 seasons IN A ROW and you people still act like Hamilton has some insane race pace when their actual average race pace this season is basically equal (even slightly in Russells‘s favour) and has been close to being equal since 2022. Hamilton is nowhere near the best driver on the grid anymore and hasn‘t been since atleast 2019.

[@mclarenfan2]

⁠@@Reaz399buddy he’s won two races this season, plus the only driver to have more than one win besides verstappen😂. He’s pushing 40 and still better than 75% of the grid

[@footballnerd277]

No it ain't Russell's quicker than him on pure pace. But the team have screwed Russell over a couple of times and he himself has made numerous mistakes.

[@PapaOfGags]

@@footballnerd277 Over a lap George is mega quick, over a race Lewis is clearly the quicker.

[@soundscape26]

It's a very relative "suck" I'd say. Very fine margins.

[@just4justincase]

Dude is going on 40, driving in an era that doesn’t suit his driving style at all in a car that is barely the third fastest on the grid, and is STILL winning races. I don’t wanna hear anyone question the man’s talent again.

[@andymf150]

Idea for a podcast could be what are the drivers(current and past) favourite cars to drive. What era, engine and aero.

[@redspecial4102]

They always end up saying whatever cars they got their best results in.

[@aarongreen121]

Seb will 1000% say those blown diffuser cars. Much like Danny Ric being a specialist with those 17-21 reg cars.

[@franciscoovarela]

@@redspecial4102 But the explanations of "why" would still be interesting, regarding their driving styles

[@SiVlog1989]

If we rewind back to 2013, people questioned whether Hamilton could win races in something other than a McLaren. After all, due to not being used to the brakes Mercedes used, it meant that he was lacking the trademark confidence to brake later than most into corners, costing lap time to his then new team mate, Nico Rosberg. Worse still, the 2013 Mercedes tended to have tyre chewing tendencies, meaning that both drivers plummeted down the order as they needed to change tyres sooner than most, for example, Hamilton qualified alongside Rosberg on the front row in Spain 2013, but really struggled with the tyres, dropping down to 12th place

[@jonb4248]

Well remembered 👍. Spot on.

[@classicsportclassictiyl8547]

The w04 was a tire monster the vf-23s spirit animal

[@terenceortigoza4505]

@@classicsportclassictiyl8547I was there that day aswell as Alonso last victory time flies fast 😅

[@Jesus_H._Tap-DancingChrist]

It's easier to adapt when you're relatively young

[@classicsportclassictiyl8547]

On the brakes Hamilton had always used Carbon Industrie prior to his switch to Mercedes at the time they were using Brembo brakes and the W04 had Brembo brakes. Rosberg had been using Bremno but Hamilton just couldn't get comfortable with the Brembo systems in his first season at Mercedes thus he persuaded Mercedes to switch to Carbon Industrie on his car thus Mercedes were running the W04 with 2 different braking setups Rosberg with Brembo and Hamilton with CI.

[@travisfubu9053]

Verstappen also complained about the cars being too big and heavy. These cars are the worst cars for the past 2 decades. If anyone saw how small the cars were in the 2000s there was a lot of racing

[@bobthegoat7090]

Have you seen the last couple of races? These cars have done something not seen in many years. Yes they have problems but to say they are the worst in two decades is a big stretch. Think your nostalgia is playing with you.

[@FormulaTurismo]

@@bobthegoat7090 Agreed. These cars may have their problems but I am rather fond of them. The worst F1 cars in my opinion were 2014-2016. They looked bad, sounded terrible, were as slow as GP2 and were very difficult to drive.

[@bobbymoto1675]

​@@bobthegoat7090the current cars are pretty rough man. Haven't heard any drivers saying they enjoy a big, heavy, temperamental aero platform with tires that are constantly on the edge of falling out of their narrow operating range. The changes they made to improve the following performance really haven't materialized either Pretty much everyone would like to see them return to lighter, less finnicky cars.

[@kanolightracer5]

@@bobthegoat7090 you have to differentiate critic and LH fans, who believes these cars feels worser than a SF1000 or SF14-T

[@Bilalx1905]

​@@kanolightracer5SF1000 doesn't belong in that category because the car itself was really good but was let down heavily by the engine. it basically had no straight line speed so both drivers had to use extreme setups to balance that out.

[@joshd171294]

Definitely a driving style issue in qualy which unfortunately becomes much harder to rewire for an older driver

[@F1Guy-Guy]

@@joshd171294 Hamilton an Old driver yeah? How about when he was a young rookie yeah he wasn't meant to be that fast and guess what years past people are still saying the same stuff about Hamilton

[@krissavagelive]

​@@F1Guy-Guy Stand down comrade... dude's comment wasn't an insult lol. Calm the emotions and you'll see there's actually truth to what he's saying

[@F1Guy-Guy]

@@krissavagelive No because the percentages change in favour for Hamilton for instances like if it rains

[@joshd171294]

@@F1Guy-Guyyeah wasn’t an insult at all Jesus Christ lol. I rate Hamilton as highly as any past/present driver it’s just the circle of life and this sport

[@krissavagelive]

@@F1Guy-Guy Ok, but how does that disprove dude's comment exactly? I'm most probably the biggest Hamilton stan here (lol) and even I can acknowledge that there's truth to what dude said. Furthermore, Hamilton himself has essentially said the same. Respectfully, were you not listening to the video? Rewatch from 08:16 🤷🏾‍♂

[@Boetbar]

Hamilton will finish ahead of at least three drivers currently ahead of him in the WDC and Russell won't catch him from here.

[@clansome]

I'd go with that prediction.

[@masilomoshesh1475]

He'll catch Carlos and Charles. I think McLaren will maintain their race pace and Oscar will catch Lando. Question is can Lewis catch Lando as well?

[@clansome]

@@masilomoshesh1475 I could live with that prediction too. Where will Checo finish though ?

[@masilomoshesh1475]

@@clansome He could have a resurgence in form since his seat is on the line, however I can't see him finishing above 5th.

[@F1ll1nTh3Blanks]

Idk about that, the development race can swing around again.

[@diogosilva27]

Hamilton fan here - I think this trend will continue and I fully expect Charles to out qualify him most of the time. Sundays will be another story , hopefully

[@antoniohagopian213]

mercedes has been sabotaging him quite a lot, don't forget that. They dialed it down because georgie boi keeps crashing and being sub-par in races.

[@gingerbeard2121]

It makes no sense tactfully.​@@antoniohagopian213

[@o0oStillWeRiseo0o]

@@antoniohagopian213exactly

[@soundscape26]

@@antoniohagopian213 Again with the sabotaging crap?

[@Bl3ster]

when It starts with "Hamilton fan" you know the comment is going against Hamilton, you aint a fan dude anyway Jesus loves you

[@folu12]

Dude, i love these 10-15 min vids on F1. Genuinely wait for your uploads weekly - keep up the good work guys

[@garrettbeckermusic204]

Never thought about it before, but I feel like his racing style combined with his skills would lead him to decimate the IndyCar field

[@ClinicalDecisionYikesYT]

Yeah he’ll decimate the barriers and blame racism.

[@garrettbeckermusic204]

@@ClinicalDecisionYikesYT you know he's a 7 time champion and has been winning championships since he was 6 right?..

[@HabitualLine-Stepper]

To be fair, Hamilton has won a race in every generation of F1 car that he's raced. As he's 'slowed' over one lap, he's (ducks for cover) becoming Alonso-esque in each grand prix.

[@sametkucuk7305]

because he always in good cars why if he cant win he take podiums because less or much he always in good cars.

[@ConstantinArg]

​@@sametkucuk7305oof, google translate mate

[@Tony_Sab]

@@sametkucuk7305good drivers get the good cars, groundbreaking discovery

[@sametkucuk7305]

@@Tony_Sab gilles and lauda not always drive fast cars ?

[@krissavagelive]

@@sametkucuk7305 Gilles and Lauda. Ok, got it. Please continue 📝

[@slicklace]

This shows just how good Lewis is still. Despite the fact he’s struggling with the car he’s still there grinding. For that alone you have to take your hat off to him because he’s showing what champions are made off.

[@sar4806]

Hamilton’s complaints about not being able to brake later than he wants sums up exactly why Ricciardo declined so badly. They can’t throw the car around the way they prefer anymore.

[@aravindhdeivag111]

Yeah smooth braking and steering inputs are the way to go for ground effect cars, hence why Verstappen is very dominant

[@tracymorgansbelly3322]

​@@aravindhdeivag111 And illegal brakes

[@aravindhdeivag111]

@@tracymorgansbelly3322 bro, where did you get this info from, many are saying that across the community

[@PurpleT-Rex]

@@aravindhdeivag111 It was because the FIA added that to the rulebook around the Miami GP, that's when the RB's stopped being dominant. So, people have just assumed that Redbull was doing it and that's the reason for their current form.

[@NicotineRosberg]

@@tracymorgansbelly3322nah

[@Dragonson575]

Hamilton fan here, just want to say thanks for this video, going through all that footage and telemetry would have been a slog. Just want to let y'all know the effort is appreciated.

[@F1Guy-Guy]

Everyone knows that Hamilton is still that same guy who started back in 2007 as a rookie peaking then and still peaking now

[@fiveromannumerals]

Cope more

[@DrBees-ms2vt]

Lay off the pot

[@sametkucuk7305]

really then why he not get championships ? come on dude be real he is nothing without good car oh i dont forgot lobying by the way.

[@Jayxclusive44]

@@sametkucuk7305Name one person that has won a championship in a bad car…I’m waiting???

[@F1Guy-Guy]

@@Jayxclusive44 Hamilton

[@random-person1]

2 things of note here. vettel had the same problem coming into 2014 when he just couldnt get to grips with the new engine/pu. rbr gave him all the help he needed but he still struggled because of the way HE used to brake. and you talk about how lewis is struggling, and thats fine, though to be fair both drivers are struggling since the new cars came out in 22. and remember, lewis took on the role of tester during much of the first half of 22 and was still only 35 points behind. so far, russell and hamilton have one each for finishing higher up the standings.

[@Hamilton8timeChampion]

george still deserves praise for his first season in a top team

[@random-person1]

why, because he beat someone he wasn't racing? George can drive for sure, but giving him praise when he hasn't fully earned it is the same as saying Max actually beat lewis in the last race of 21! I'm not a huge fan of George, either, as he wants something he hasn't earned. See, lewis has been with Mercedes since 2013 and hasn't once asked for the number one driver slot. That's not to say he hasn't been given preferential treatment from time to time, but only when it's been obvious that there really is only one winner. He doesn't have 7 titles because he got lucky. But George wants everything his way NOW, and that just isn't the way to go. Even if the younger driver hadn't been DQ'd at spa, he would have still been behind lewis, and this is in a car he's still uncomfortable with, according to the video. So just imagine if the car was like his favourite pair of shoes. How much further up the leader board do you think he'd be? Being uncomfortable in your car yet still beating your teammate, who is very happy with his car. If I were George right now, I wouldn't be proud of what is happening. Just imagine if whoever joins next year makes George look like a rookie......

[@dane458]

As a Lewis fan I agree. Just the fact that he can beat Lewis at anything shows that he's a force to be reckoned with, and arguably a future champion. ​@@Hamilton8timeChampion

[@Hamilton8timeChampion]

@@random-person1 because he put in some brilliant drives like: fighting with max in Spain, his win in Brazil, and his drive to third in France. Obviously he hasn't been perfect in 2023 or 2024 but he was pretty decent alongside Lewis in 2022 and deserves some praise

[@F1Guy-Guy]

@@random-person1 The main problem for Vettle and the rest of the other ordinary drivers was is and always will be that hamilton

[@simon9548]

Verstappen also doesn't like these cars since they basically have understeer built in. Crazy that both of the most successful drivers on the grid dislike these regulations, despite having completely different driving styles

[@atomixaprillix3510]

Biggest difference between max and lewis driving styles though is the braking - max breaks very lightly on the car and breaks early lewis is the polar opposite- which is why lewis has gone backwards while max has been dominant

[@TB7530]

SLH has won races in three different eras of F1 race cars.

[@compactcasette]

5

[@ClinicalDecisionYikesYT]

He has lost races in all eras he has raced in. And has no championships.

[@TB7530]

@@ClinicalDecisionYikesYT player-hater 8X

[@rockyripvon3279]

2007-08, 2010-‘13, 2014-’16, 2017-‘21 and 2022-‘24. So it’s more like 5 era’s

[@zippo5294]

A lot of Prius drivers in the comments judging a 7 times world champion is hilarious 😂

[@Funkybassuk]

I like that George admits that in quali, he often looks at Lewis’ telemetry for tips when he is struggling or behind him. One thing to add is that Lewis’s confidence generally took a huge knock at the end of 2021 - and it is still not back to its previous levels. Some of that will be because of the car but some of that will be separate from that.

[@DonLee1980]

He may be losing out in qualifying, but Lewis is still the best wheel to wheel racer, imo. He's had a couple of run-ins with eyebrow man, but most of the time, Lewis has the right balance of aggression and patience.

[@jkbzz]

It's him and Alonso for wheel to wheel racing. They will race you hard but always fair.

[@TheDevnul]

I think after Silverstone he got some of his confidence back. He’s been driving much better. The last race at Spa saw the tension coming back between him and the team. The tension at the end of the race was palpable. A top performing Hamilton makes races so much better!

[@emp.splash]

These regulations don’t suit him yet he’s had 3 monster races in Silverstone, Hungary and Spa. Impressive! He seems to be getting a grip of things, but quali will probably keep being a problem.

[@NJTRAF]

I’m not surprised. Ground Effect Era cars seem to be more suited to a less aggressive, smoother style

[@Vettel_Ronaldo]

All things considered Hamilton has done pretty decent so far.

[@aravindhdeivag111]

Lol 100% true 😂😂😂. After all the slow start and washed bs, he is set to catch both ferraris and one mclaren lol

[@Roxas-ph3te]

​@aravindhdeivag111 He won't catch either Mclaren unless some DNFs occur, but the Ferraris are definitely possible

[@aravindhdeivag111]

@@Roxas-ph3te yeah true

[@MrZotteltier]

Small tip: if you show telemetry, show us which color is which driver.

[@madjayax731]

It is not about the age, but about the performance supports e.g., energy, movement capacity, spatial awareness, reaction time, mental capacity, etc. required for a driver to show his absolute best in any given ages. If the performance supports required are available for a driver to show his absolute best = he is in his prime no matter the age.

[@adityapandey1329]

This is a really great video. Good job!

[@NiclasHorn]

imo we should turn back the F1 clock to 2009-2010 regarding size and weight of the F1 car´s. they are like Oil tankers or Ice break ships today.

[@Moretto5]

This is excellent content. Would love to see more similar stuff.

[@saraltewari2157]

I love how you’ve managed to put footage from the F124 game.

[@ashitkotian2396]

Mercedes might become fastest car by the end of the year or atleast close to Mclaren's pace.

[@35pen61]

Ironically i love these new car feels, Feels okay to me a bit more grippy but yeah a new kind of driving style needed

[@technograph9127]

the same thing can be said for ricciardo and why he is struggling in the ground effect era

[@valerierodger]

Ricciardo was struggling before the ground affect era

[@blue04mx53]

Imagine having youtubers critique your driving or micro noticing everything you could do better at your job. If I was a celebrity I would never go on line.

[@paulsterling2610]

Many of the older drivers currently on this years grid struggle with this formula of car except for hulkenberg and alonso which imo is due to them having raced in other series

[@tpayne3047]

This is one of your best videos, thank you for the thorough analysis 🙏🏿

[@JeLifeCoach]

Incredible video and analysis.

[@f.kieranfinney457]

Both Ricciardo and Perez are suffering the same problems. It’s Lewis’ significantly higher overall ability that is keeping him on the top tier. And Mercedes has done better at modifying their car to help him because, well, they’re Mercedes.

[@lukeskywalker-gl6or]

I saw a old excellent video (poor quality) that explains every q2 exit from Hamilton and the ground effect era on a small channel F1 Hub

[@RehanX44]

how did you forget the fact how russell heavily sets the car up for quali and almost every single race goes backwards in the race while hamilton almost never sets the car up for quali and goes ahead every single race its almost as if his quali performances have 0 impact over his race pace bar the fastest car he is always the favourite to finish ahead in the race in equal cars

[@atomixaprillix3510]

The issue is qualy starting position matters -

[@RehanX44]

@@atomixaprillix3510 if you have a car capable of winning it doesn't really matter if you qualify behind and have a better race car

[@MrOrtmeier]

What makes a driver really great is that he can adapt to whatever car you give him to drive and win in that car. It's very concerning that Riccardo could not adapt to the McLaren every car is different. You can't always just use your style

[@realamerican5016]

Hamilton crushes George on sundays. Qualifying doesn't mean jack if you don't back it up on Sunday.

[@forresttm]

I admit i dont watch the races. But i love this analysis stuff about the cornering.

[@ltitus8900]

It is not just about the V-shaped corner technique to his late-breaking. It is so much more than that. There is so much more that you missed from Lewis statement as well. I called it from race two that there must have been a major fundamental change to the balance of the car that suits George's style more. And I mean a lot more. The V-shaped cornering and late braking are examples to explain the affects Lewis is dealing with because of the unpredictable balance of the car. Braking earlier is less aggressive on the balance and allows you to focus more on any adjustments that need to be made. He does not need to change the balance from front to rear or anything else like that. Lewis just needs a more stable platform that allows his skills to make the difference. You even said it yourselves that now that the balance is more predictable, Lewis can not brake later, V-shape the corner if need be and make the difference if he needs to because (and this you missed completely as well) Lewis and Senna's main magic sauce is that they are obsessive over every detail and they sacrifice as much time as necessary to make sure they thought of everything. This is the main difference between these two and literally everyone else. Brundle, Bottas, Button, and may others have confessed the same thing. Even alonso. The only way to game plan around unpredictability is to pull back till you can predict. This is exactly why Lewis crushes George in the race but fail in quali. Because in quali, if it is to make any sense, you have to try and go faster if someone else beats yours. If not, you are going to start behind anyway.

[@Andybarney555]

Shows how amazing racing is!!... at higheat level there is comes down to such fine inputs and technique. I find this playing ACC. Mu style kills front tyres.. but im quick!. Something i cant change just how i drive

[@IzakiAkanami]

Hamilton is closing into his 40s and still showing us why he's a 7 time champion is simply admirable

[@danwormell9661]

Excellent work

[@EZ1000K]

Great video

[@douglawrence188]

This video has some insightful comments from Hamilton that I hadn’t heard before - thanks for that. One angle that isn’t discussed is the compromise the regulations force on quali vs race setup and any differences between the approach between George and Lewis’ sides of the garage?

[@bulldazoo]

Hi The Race, good video. Thanks! Can we have the same analysis between Max and Perez

[@iulian2548]

I think it is much harder to adapt and change driving style when you are not young anymore. It even happened with Schumacher at Mercedes, and he was one of the most versatile drivers of his generation.

[@bobbymoto1675]

Well yeah but when the whole grid thinks the current regs are stinkers, maybe it isn't JUST an old dog that can't learn new tricks

[@iulian2548]

@@bobbymoto1675 The current cars lack DF at low speeds compared to the pre 22 ones, and this makes trail braking very tricky because. So basically the discrepancy between low speed and high speed DF can be very challenging for late trail brakers.

[@tan9640]

All this shows is how good Hamilton is. We know how good Russel is in qualifying and in the 3 seasons they’ve been together (considering everything LH has been dealing with) he beat him in Qualifying in the first yr, drew the 2nd yr and is probably going to lose this yr. But taking into consideration his age, leaving the team, Russell’s own speed all it shows is how good Hamilton is

[@mouseinthehouse_]

These are the worst cars Hamilton has ever driven. They are also the best cars Russell has ever driven.

[@sebulbathx]

This just shows a great driver just working and making the best of the material he is given. Sorry to bring Ricciardo up but he is in comparison a bad driver who can't make changes to his driving style and needs a particular type of setup or behavior from the car to even look somewhat good. No excuses from Hamilton but only explanations. Also the fact that he have better overall place finish than Russell despite qualifying worse than Russell shows a lot, imo. Just hope Ferrari can start showing signs of greatness!

[@nate7245]

WTH are you on about? Daniel has driven for 5 teams all with different setups He’s only visibly struggled to adapt to the McLaren, which is known to be difficult Can’t just gloss over his whole career calling him a bad driver because of his performance in one team

[@grospipo20]

11:05 that graph is so revealing! After Monaco everything changed

[@anoopbains1257]

11:20 is what matters . When its unpredictable and you have to drive purely on feel . Lewis is miles ahead of

[@kevingeorge9727]

This channel has shown consistently that they have no love for Hamilton but they're always making videos about him because they know those are consistently their most viewed videos.

[@marucsmiller9537]

Sucks for the qualification pace, but since Mercedes are no longer designing cars to run up front, his race pace make up for his poor qualifying.

[@Shifftee]

All good but why did you mention Russell’s mechanical DNF in Silverstone as if it had him at a disadvantage to Hamilton? Lewis also had a mechanical DNF in Australia so they are on equal terms in this regard. Not his fault Russell did his signature move of crashing on the last lap

[@samuelvanlane]

This whole videos applies to Daniel Riccardo to

[@stevenst6337]

Cars are heavier, creating more understeer, and tyres are larger requiring different warm up strategies. Considering Max is someone who supposedly relies on “super oversteery setups” he sure has mastered the transition from 2021 cars to 2022. Those 2022 cars were like 4-5 seconds slower than 2021 I’m sure it was a huge adjustment for all drivers. I think these new gen of cars have caught most of the drivers and everyone had to make adjustments. High speed cornering these cars are monsters and I’m sure the drivers have no problems there, it’s the low-medium speed corners where drivers have been complaining of massive amounts of understeer and saying how the car “feels like a boat”. Even Max in the best car in 2023 season said his car felt like a boat through low speed.

[@RACECAR]

Its worth noting that unlike Hamilton or Alonso, he has had less of a transition make with the kind of car he's driving due to experience. Both Alonso and Hamilton had whole decades driving cars primarily using upper body aero so this sudden transition to a car with Underbody aero is a massive shock to their experience (and probably Daniel too, though it was also masked by a Mclaren that still hadn't figured out how to make a fast car).

[@stevenst6337]

@@RACECAR he still drove those cars for the better part of 6 seasons. Won championship in 2021 in a car that had unbelievable balance to go to the 2022 cars was a huge adjustment for all the drivers not just the old ones.

[@bbbenj]

Thanks 👍 👌

[@ramaanomuravha8575]

u guys are the bst,RSA approves

[@CX0909]

I was really down on Hamilton going to "we are checking?". However it occurs to me that LeClerc is one of the best qualifiers on the grid. That means the car can deliver. So it comes down to Lewis keeping Ferrari out of his way. He needs to start stategizing his own race. But more importantly he needs, by any means necessary, to kidnap Bono and bring him to the Scuderia. There CANNOT ever be a "plan D, E, F, G" etc, and his race engineer must already know the answer to absolutely ever single question without having to look it up.

[@BonesMccoy-X]

My concern is that Ferrari has seemed to struggle with race pace (and meaningful upgrades) for quite awhile now. Since 2022 Leclerc has secured 15 Poles and only been able to convert 4 of those into wins. 3 retirements 3 2nd places 4 3rd places 1 4th place

[@CX0909]

@@BonesMccoy-X while there is a lot to be concerned about Vasseur has been poaching a lot of talent from other teams. One can only hope he's making the right hires to reinforce the teams competence.

[@Rozie369]

it’s not just ground effects, I’d say the largest problem is the weight… these are the longest and heaviest cars Hamilton and F1 has raced ever or in a long time… they’re basically Open-wheel gt cars morso than formula cars these days

[@benurwin6271]

The U and V cornering issue is a problem for spectators too. It’s far less dynamic to watch.

[@94nolo]

it happens. Jimmie Johnson (7x Nascar champion) couldn't adapt to low power 550hp stock cars + ground effect current gen cars. and he adapted to a LOT of precious iterations of rulesets.

[@joshdubovsky5409]

For Lewis, it's about championships...not beating a teammate with one win in qualifying.

[@norabiddogz8673]

Reminds me of Niki Lauda's struggles with turbo engines in the 80s

[@Milkydrummer]

Racing driver doesn’t enjoy driving heavy, cumbersome, EV… Shocker. Give that man a light, agile racing car and watch him go.

[@outlawrob316]

I mean it’s not totally dissimilar to how Michael didn’t get on with the 2010-12 cars he came back to. They were just totally different than the 2006 cars he left and the things he was best at didn’t translate. Despite the three years away (so not getting the chance to adapt over time like the others) he eventually got the hang of it (was genuinely faster than Nico in 2012) but it was never his thing and it gets harder when you’re 40+ (also like Lewis). Some parallels between the seven time champs, for sure.

[@richardspooner991]

2026 should ground effect that we had in the 1980s with sliding skirts. These would be more predictable and gets rid of these complicated aero to give ground effect. Wake up F1

[@jmhofmeyr]

Too complex, too expensive, too big, too heavy. 4 things F1 cars HAVE to change.

[@jarretoshea3560]

In the future, could you label which driver is which color on the graphs? Those of us who can't immediately understand those things could use some more explicit contextual help.

[@dave.vega.]

A good driver will exploit the cars characteristics in their favor. A great driver will adapt to any car and extract 100% of its potential.

[@timquerengesser1561]

Giving the comments on this one a miss. He's not washed but I'm sure lots will say he is.

[@tlreclipse1126]

It's like going from Flying combat aircraft to flying passenger aircraft. the weight is killing the nimbleness of the cars...

[@BonoImFaded]

Im really interested for the 26 regs as well and how Hamilton will do at Ferrari. There's a reported 30% less downforce, and I think I heard a couple of times that its because of changes they're making to the floor (unbelievably crucial in this era). If the new regulations doesn't punish skilled late-brakers, Hamilton might look even better then he does now.

[@MexicanBagpiper96]

I'm not a Hamilton fan, but he's driven pretty well for someone who "sucks."

[@rustyturner431]

Current F1 cars are WAY too heavy and complicated and do not always bring out the best in the drivers. You want purity, you need something much simpler. Ergo: 600kg minimum weight with oil, water and fuel, single element fixed rear wing (no DRS), two-element front wing, flat bottom with NO ground effects, no bargeboards, no engine limitations, and three sets of tires per weekend per car (qualifying not to count - but no gumballs - you start on a fresh set of your Q tires). those 3 sets of tires could be of any compound the driver wants, no nonsense of "having" to use specific compounds. These cars would be simple, stunningly fast and HARD to drive quickly. F1 should demand only the best. Think 600kg, 1000bhp and top speeds that would humble Indycars...bring back balls!

[@WillStopka]

You have to work in the aero more than ever and with that your car changes it's personality as the lap goes on. I would hate that as well

[@siddarthjay3787]

Dude this is literally the same as MotoGP where "point and shoot" riding styles favored by the Ducati are more effective than smooth cornering styles from yesteryear's Yamahas and Hondas

[@patlalla148]

It's the cars that are not set up well, the stops must be perfect every time. Give him the car and look out. It would be the same for Fernando. Give him the best car in the field and he'll win.

[@Our_Sole_Pusch]

Age isn't a strong barometer for judging racing ability. Have a look at how old Juan Fangio was when he won his first title.

[@valerierodger]

Wrong. Have a look at Fangio in context. A lot of the drivers were middle-aged back then. Formula 1 has changed a hell of a lot, the cars have changed a hell of a lot, and the demands on the drivers are completely incomparable. Modern cars are much faster, way more powerful, and insanely complicated (just look at the modern steering wheels). The driver must deal with higher g-forces, have faster reaction times, and be constantly adjusting settings on each lap. Modern Formula One drivers can’t just be great drivers, they need to be great athletes. Athletic ability absolutely diminishes as you mostly starting in your early 30s. The reason why you see Hamilton and Alonso still being able to put in impressive performances at their age is because their driving skills are great enough to counterbalance the effects of ageing - they aren’t as good as they once were, but even when less than their best, they are still better than others

[@MrAlex-]

Get in there, Luis

[@mrschlaffe]

Rene Arnoux, who says, the reason why I am going so slow these days is that I am used to turbo cars, and these normally aspirated engine cars are a very different kettle of fish to drive, he says." “And all I can say that is Bullshit."

[@k1k2k37]

…… it seems you are failing to consider the fact that he is still one of (if not the) best over a season if the machinery is equal.

[@dazuk1969]

It's no secret Hamilton doesn't like these regs, and particularly the car Merc has given him. Why do you think he is going to Ferrari ?. He has seen the blueprint of the 2026 reg change car that Adrien Newey will be designing, or already has....slam dunk.

[@SilentKaliSmoker]

It's going to be like starting over for Lewis. He's not going to be winning races early next or maybe at all. He first has to learn the Ferrari, how it handles and what to do to get the most from it. Whereas Charles already knows and is helping evolve the car for next year. Maybe in 2026 Lewis might have a better chance. If Mercedes starts winning next year or they win one of the championships, he's going to be kicking himself.

[@brooksy2622]

Good analysis and ground effect cars suck…even Toto has said as much. Wish they would go back to simpler design philosophies and lighter cars. These cars are hopeless in slow speed and can barely function in the wet…which is no surprise

[@legvalmont]

For the record, Russell is known as Mr Saturday*

[@aravindhdeivag111]

People talk as if Ham is washed. More so Geroge is really good and he is beating a 40 yo Ham.

[@legvalmont]

@@aravindhdeivag111 it's a case of point of view choosing, no? Like instead of celebrating Russell for beating Hamilton on Saturdays, some choose to diminish Hamilton's abilities or say mean things about him.

[@aravindhdeivag111]

@@legvalmontalso it's also due to people's narrow minded thinking and lack of realization that even a guy like Zhou is insanely talented and everyone should be appreciated

[@skyadsAu]

I think Daniel Ricardo suffers the same problem

[@14bc17]

Surprised that people aren’t highlighting that some of the reasons for the rule changes was to “bring closer racing and try to avoid domination by a single team or driver”. I have taken this to mean creating an environment where Hamilton would have to change his driving style to be able to compete.

[@krdelli989]

GOAT

[@lovelehstuff]

If he tries to much to change his driving he might end up in a Danny ric at McLaren situation so it's best he just keeps driving his way and make the best of it

[@jasonpamatmat3797]

Seb: YES THATS HOW IT FEELS!

[@vycanismelodis]

we'll never know really, but i do wonder what the state of russell v hamilton would have been had the cars stayed in 2021-spec

[@ogTryhard21]

That's honestly discussion worthy. Both of them were nothing short of fantastic in 21. Its hard to see Lewis being beaten by George tho since there's be nothing to adjust to on Lewis' side and everything to adjust to on George's side