After Mercedes‘ strong showing in Thursday’s practice session, Sky F1 analyst Damon Hill emphasizes that the team’s engineers ought to follow Hamilton’s guidance for the car’s development closely.
Damon Hill states that while Mercedes’ engineers have taken action based on Lewis Hamilton’s feedback, they must keep meeting his requirements.
Hamilton led the pack during Thursday’s F1 Bahrain Grand Prix second practice session, surprising many with his pace and leading a one-two finish for Mercedes, with George Russell coming in as the second quickest.
Following his impressive performance, Hamilton lauded the new W15 car, specifically mentioning improvements to the seat position, an aspect he frequently criticized in the previous year’s model.
“They have responded to what he has been asking for. This is important,” ex-F1 champion Hill said on Sky Sports.
“A driver like Lewis… he’s not an engineer but when he is saying something to the engineers, they don’t have any basis for what he is saying.
“They can’t see it in the engineering. Yet, give him what he wants, and he feels better in the car. It underlines the importance.
“These things are tools. They are not abstract things. Engineers look at the numbers and say ‘Everything about this car is amazing’ but nobody can drive it! So that’s no good!
“It’s a tool. It has to marry up with the person and the way that they drive. This has been a bug-bear for racing drivers and for myself.
“It’s something I’ve seen happening in this sport increasingly over time – engineers are getting drivers to drive the car in the way that they want it driven.
“In Formula 3 and Formula 2, over the past few years, this is a trend. But not everybody drives the same. Everyone has their own different style.
“Give the driver what they want. That’s where Adrian Newey is brilliant because he listens to the driver.”
Naomi, sharing similar sentiments with Damon Hill added: “When you have a car that is not working for you – as he has described the past two cars – then you can’t connect the dots as a driver.
“You try everything you can, but it’s not coming together. To have a car which finally feels like a racing car must be such a relief.
“Now, they can both make their magic happen. “Which they couldn’t for the past two years. Just that sensation of being able to drive the car in the way that you want to is a great feeling.”
