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Mercedes has to make drastic improvements to its straight-line speed over the coming before the Italian Grand Prix if it wishes to be competitive, says Lewis Hamilton.
Ferrari took its first win of the 2019 season on Sunday at Spa-Francorchamps, a circuit that traditionally favours straight-line speed.
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With Monza next on the calendar, Hamilton firmly believes that the Scuderia outfit are favourites heading into the weekend due to the long straights that make up the circuit, which plays into Ferrari's strengths.
"It’s all straights," Hamilton said. "It’s going to be a happy weekend for Ferrari, most likely in that respect. I mean, this weekend, I think just in qualifying we’re losing over a second a lap.
"So, there’s not much me and Valtteri can do in that instance and there’s not a lot of corners there to catch that up. So, it’ll be interesting. In the next few days we’ve got to make some drastic improvements to our straight speed, somehow."
If anyone can do it, it's Mercedes
Hamilton believes that if anyone can make the improvements necessary, it is the Mercedes team, who have won eight out of the 13 races so far this season.
The Briton is also taking encouragement from Mercedes advantage over race trim, as the W10 appears to be kinder on its tyres than Ferrari's challenger.
"I don’t know if that’s possible, but if anyone can do it, it’s our team," Hamilton affirmed. "So, we’ll do our best, but position is also everything.
"We’ve got slightly better degradation than them, so maybe, And it’s a longer race, isn’t it, so hopefully we can have another close race like we’ve had this weekend."
Ferrari last won its home race in 2020, when Fernando Alonso took the chequered flag in what was his first year for the Italian squad.
Grand Prix of Belgium
G. Zhou
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Replies (11)
Login to replycalle.itw
Posts: 8,527
Please don't, you are fine just the way you are.
JuJuHound
Posts: 352
Haha, exactly. We need more races like this in SPA. However last Italian race in 2018 was great. I don't think so Mercedes is able to keep with Scuderia and I hope Charles for another victory. I hope foor a great fight between Seb and Charles but I doubt Seb will be able to do it. There is sth wrong with his feeling of this car.
abhidbgt
Posts: 283
I am quite inclined to say that things may pan out quite like this race barring a penalty or reliability issues. For a change I would like Sebastian to win this time around.
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
Maybe it will, maybe it won't. Time is sparse for Merc', but they are efficient, and are great at learning from their mistakes.
As for Vettel's feeling with this car: it is basically the downright opposite of what he is used to. Ever since Red Bull, and with Ferrari now too, he has been used to cars which might be a bit lower on power but compensated with being good at cornering. It's like going from Ballet to boxing overnight, the way I see it.
abhidbgt
Posts: 283
Yes, I meant to say that Ferrari instead of having a 1-2 would rely on one of their driver being the shield to protect the other from Mercedes and in the process would probably win but the other driver would lose.
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
That could very well be, and I'd be fine with that. But I wonder if it'll work as well for them that time.
f1ski
Posts: 726
Give him what he wants and they will be like the ferrari. Lewis has forgotten that in real racing the same team doesn't win every race. As an experiment i would be curious to see ho fast the ferrari would be with a mb engine
abhidbgt
Posts: 283
Wouldn't we all want that to satiate that curiosity! :D
Ram Samartha
Posts: 1,172
Write drunk, edit sober. Would like to get a seat on the time machine they used to watch Alonso win in a Ferrari in 2020. Forza Ferrari! Lots of errors in the articles lately. My editor would have my head if I ever published without proofing.
Pistonhead
Posts: 556
Ha!!
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
In their defense, the writers generally proof-read their stuff themselves on this site, or at least used to, and you can be blind to your own writing. Looking at that report on heartfailure I published a few years ago, that thing had to be proofread over and over again, ahah!