"Killer" Spanish heat tough on tyres, says Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton says the "killer" temperatures through practice for the Spanish Grand Prix proved tough on his tyres amid fears of a repeat of Mercedes' Silverstone blistering issues.

Hamilton topped the second Formula 1 practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona on Friday ahead of teammate Valtteri Bottas as Mercedes enjoyed a buffer of eight tenths of a second to the rest of the field.
But the team remains concerned about its tyre management after hot track conditions led to extreme blistering at last weekend's 70th Anniversary Grand Prix, where it suffered its first defeat of the season to Red Bull.
The track temperature neared 50ºC through second practice on Friday afternoon, making for tough conditions in the cockpit for Hamilton.
"It's definitely quite tough out there," Hamilton said.
"It's the hottest that it's been. I don't think I've been to Spain when it's this hot. We're there in February and March normally, or early May.
"It's beautiful weather, but it's a killer in the car, and it's tough on tyres as well.
"But it's been an OK day. It's been a good day. Particularly the second session was better for me, and the long runs, we look very close with the Red Bull, so I think it's going to be a really close race."
Read Also:
Hamilton said the high temperatures would hide some oft the steps made in the development of the Mercedes W11 car since its last running at the track during pre-season testing.
"I think the temperature definitely will mask a lot of those things," Hamilton said.
"The tyres are not happy in these conditions, so you're just sliding around with overheating tyres."
Pirelli has brought a harder set of tyres to Spain than those used at Silverstone last weekend, but teams are still anticipating a difficult race of tyre management due to the heat.
While Hamilton did not encounter any blistering on his tyres through Friday's running, he noted how the issue also failed to emerge in practice at Silverstone last week.
"I didn't see any blistering, but we didn't see blistering last Friday either," Hamilton said.
"I really can't say too much. It felt OK. We're just about to do a debrief, so I'll find out where we stand in that respect.
"The long run didn't look too bad. I don't know how much further we could go as opposed to how much further Red Bull compared to us. That will define whether or not it's one or two stop this weekend."
Related video

Previous article
Wolff still weighing up future Mercedes F1 role
Next article
Chassis change hasn't solved Sainz's cooling issues

About this article
Series | Formula 1 |
Event | Spanish GP |
Drivers | Lewis Hamilton |
Teams | Mercedes |
Author | Luke Smith |
"Killer" Spanish heat tough on tyres, says Hamilton
Trending
F1 Fast Facts: Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
F1 Fast Facts: Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
Onboard Lap - Imola
Why Mercedes isn't confident it's really ahead of Red Bull at Imola
While Mercedes struck back against Red Bull by topping the times at Imola on Friday ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, the overall picture remains incredibly close. Despite having a possible edge this weekend, the reigning Formula 1 world champion squad is not taking anything for granted...
What Mercedes must do to keep its F1 title challenge on track
Mercedes may find itself leading the drivers' and constructors' standings after Lewis Hamilton's victory in the Bahrain Grand Prix, but it is well aware that it came against the odds, with Red Bull clearly ahead. Here's what the Brackley team must do to avoid its crown slipping .
The double whammy that is defining Vettel’s F1 fate
It's been a tough start to Sebastian Vettel's Aston Martin F1 career, with a lack of pre-season testing mileage followed by an incident-packed Bahrain GP. But two key underlying factors mean a turnaround is no guarantee.
The themes to watch in F1's Imola return
Three weeks is a long time in Formula 1, but in the reshaped start to the 2021 season the teams head to Imola to pick things up after the frenetic Bahrain opener. Here's what to look out for and the developments to follow at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
The 'new' F1 drivers who need to improve at Imola
After a pandemic-hit winter of seat-swapping, F1 kicked off its season with several new faces in town, other drivers adapting to new environments, and one making a much-anticipated comeback. Ben Anderson looks at who made the most of their opportunity and who needs to try harder…
The delay that quashed Aston Martin’s last F1 venture
Aston Martin’s only previous foray into Formula 1 in the late 1950s was a short-lived and unsuccessful affair. But it could have been so different, says Nigel Roebuck.
Verstappen exclusive: Why lack of titles won't hurt Red Bull's ace
Max Verstappen’s star quality in Formula 1 is clear. Now equipped with a Red Bull car that is, right now, the world title favourite and the experience to support his talent, could 2021 be the Dutchman’s year to topple the dominant force of Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes?
Is Formula 1 as good as it has ever been now?
For many, many years Formula 1 has strived to do and to be better on all fronts. With close competition, a growing fanbase, a stable political landscape and rules in place to encourage sustainability, 2021 is on course to provide an unexpected peak