"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."
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 |
How Ferrari plans to recover from its 2020 F1 nightmare
The 2020 Formula 1 season was Ferrari's worst for 40 years as it slumped to sixth in the standings. A repeat performance will not be acceptable for the proud Italian team, which has adopted a notably pragmatic approach to forging its path back to the top
Why Aston Martin’s arrival is more than just new green livery
In the most eagerly anticipated Formula 1 team launch of the season, the rebranded Aston Martin squad’s changes go much further than the striking paint job. But rather than a restart, the team hopes to build on top of solid foundations.
The car Aston Martin begins its new F1 journey with
The team formerly known as Racing Point gambled successfully on a Mercedes look-alike in 2020 as it mounted a strong challenge for third in the constructors' race and won the Sakhir GP. Now clothed in British racing green, Aston Martin's first Formula 1 challenger since 1960 provides the clearest indicator yet of what to expect from the new-for-2021 regulations
The tricky driver conundrums facing Mercedes in F1 2021
Ahead of the new Formula 1 season, reigning world champions Mercedes will take on challenges both old and new. This also can be said for its driver conundrum which could become key to sustaining its ongoing success...
How Alpine's cure to 2021 F1 rules starts at the front
A new name, new faces and new colours pulls the rebranded Alpine Formula 1 team into a new era while carrying over core elements of its 2020 car. But under the surface there's more than meets the eye with the A521 which hints at how the team will tackle 2021...
Can Mercedes' W12 retain the team's crown?
Replacing Formula 1's fastest car was never going to be an easy feat for Mercedes. Amid the technical rule tweaks to peg back the W12 and its 2021 rivals, the new Mercedes challenger will remain the target to beat
The pointed note that starts Ferrari's Leclerc vs Sainz era
Ferrari is starting its post-Sebastian Vettel age by welcoming Carlos Sainz in alongside Charles Leclerc. But while Sainz has a tough challenge to match his new teammate, Ferrari is also sending a message that previous intra-team spats must end
The mantra Ocon must follow to challenge Alonso at Alpine
OPINION: It's been an uneasy ride for Esteban Ocon since his F1 comeback - and fresh challenges lie in wait as he's joined by double world champion Fernando Alonso in the newly rebranded Alpine team. STUART CODLING sets out a roadmap to success…
