Hamilton: You need a team that doesn’t mess up pitstops
20 September, 2012
McLaren pitstops; When they’re good they are brilliant, when they’re bad they are costly
Sep.20 (Reuters) McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton is keen to take a leaf out of Formula One Championship leader Fernando Alonso’s book by improving his consistency in the final seven races of the season to bolster his title chances.
The 2008 world champion sits 37 points behind the Spaniard in second place in the drivers’ standings and although both men have won three races apiece, it is the Ferrari’s ability to pick up points in the other races that has helped Alonso to forge ahead.
The 20-race calendar takes the series to Singapore this weekend, where the floodlit, 23-turn Marina Bay Street Circuit represents a welcome stop for both drivers, having won three of the previous four Singapore Grands Prix between them.
“Fernando has been incredibly consistent throughout the year, he’s had a lot less problems than others have but that’s the name of the game,” a relaxed and fit-looking Hamilton told Reuters on Wednesday.
“You need a team that doesn’t mess up in the pitstops, a car that’s reliable and then you need to do your job.
“Unfortunately, I have come out [retired] a couple of times – or been taken out – and we have had a lot of pitstop problems but no reliability problems.
“So if we can continue the rest of the season by having the fastest pitstops, the fastest car and the most consistent driver then we should be able to win the title.”
The second half of the season has been encouraging for Hamilton, who sandwiched being taken out in Belgium by Romain Grosjean with victories in Hungary and Italy.
“The least I can hope for from this week is just to remain in the fight. We have a good car so I hope that the performance we had in the last race is reflected here,” the Briton added.
“I feel I am in a good head space. I am fit and ready. Let’s keep fighting.”
Hamilton will need to draw on all his strength and fitness to vie for top honours in Singapore, a race the majority of drivers regard as the toughest of the season both physically and mentally.
“The temperature is pretty intense. For example, today, just getting in my suit and driving in the car, sweating like crazy,” the 27-year-old said.
“In the race, it will be just the same. You have thermal underwear on, you have a suit, you have a balaclava, gloves, and a helmet, and you’re in a cockpit and the humidity, so there’s no cold air coming into the cockpit, and then just the focus, driving a car is massively physical.”
Then comes the recovery period.
“It takes a couple of days to wind down from a race. For us, because we train so much, some races are physically easy. Monza [Italy] wasn’t really a stress for me, so the next day I was able to train,” he added.
“But here, your liquid levels and natural vitamin levels are low and you need at least a day of relaxing to get them back up.”
Hamilton displayed little emotion on the podium after his Monza victory two weeks ago, fuelling speculation in the paddock that a rumoured switch to Mercedes next season was becoming more likely.
However, the Briton explained his lack of joy was more to do with a personal matter than anything concerning his future driving plans.
“We buried my aunt that week, so she was constantly on my mind, she had been on my mind for particularly the last three weeks or so, so it has been a tough time for the family, and just had a lot on my mind,” he said.
“It was nothing to do with being unhappy. Trust me, I was happy. I just won a grand prix I had never won before.”
Subbed by AJN.
Related posts:
- Singapore Grand Prix: McLaren previews Marina Bay
- Hamilton and McLaren contract talks eminent after Monza win
- Monza Practice 2: Hamilton tops as McLaren dominates and Ferrari chases
- Melbourne Qualifying: Hamilton leads McLaren charge as Ferrari mess up
- 2012 F1 Preview: Team-by-team season quick guide
@ Emaaduddin: There is no direct attack on his team. It is the way the media puts it. Never did Lewis complain about the pit crew when confronted by the media after any of those races. He never let them down. On the contrary he has praised them when he has done well. Lewis has had far more and worse pit stops than Button which has affected his points tally including a penalty for under fuelling P1 to P24. Did he complain – NO. Button on the other hand has been moaning about his car which reflects on his race engineer and the pit crew. After all they are both identical cars and the pit crew sets it up according to the drivers wishes. McLaren is where they are today is because of Lewis. Alonso and Lewis are the only 2 drivers who can driver a bad car or a good car and Alonso has confirmed this. Lewis’ only blemish that idiotic tweet.
I am a Ferrari die hard fan! But bashing Lewis is not a good thing for the sport. Every driver has made a few comments about their team regarding pace and reliability. Even Fernando was complaining this season about how slow Ferrari was in front of the media…
So to conclude that Lewis was attacking his team is such rubbish. I don’t like Lewis because he is not a Ferrari driver but I like him being a racer!
Yeah that’s to bad the media bashes Hamilton after his aunts death assuming he wasn’t happy or his gesture like wasn’t how people wanted. he admits his aunt died and any loss is tough to cope with and he still won the race. by a large amount i must say through out the race. in short i wish the media would stop trying to bash him. let the man race. he won with a death in the family. that’s mental and physical strength.
@Emaaduddin How on Earth can this be construed as (twisted into) an ‘attack’ on his team. Anyone who has followed this F1 season knows that Mclaren were habitually making a mess of their pit-stops/strategy in the first half of this season? Whitmarsh admitted that they needed to improve in that area. Hamilton is just stating fact. Without the litany of mistakes made by the team this year, he would be much closer to, if not ahead of Alonso. If the errors return, he will have no chance of winning the WDC. The same applies to every driver in every team with a shout at the titles. It’s pretty simple really.
@Samantha.. I am least bothered about where Lewis ends up next year.. I am a die hard Alonso fan.. And hope that Alonso wins the WDC this year.
I agree that McLaren have not been great this year and Lewis has been very unlucky. But Jenson has also suffered coz of the mistakes made by the team. But he never complained.
I read recently that many people within McLaren wanted him to go after he tweeted the telemetry data. And now with these comments, he has not done himself any favour! That is why I said that, may be, McLaren are already looking at someone else.
@Emaaduddin Lewis is correct – rubbish pit stops cost victories and he has had plenty of them this year, whereas Alonso has had excellent support. He is right to say so, and the pit stops have improved as they should. Leave him alone – he is the best driver in F1 and is poorly served by his team. You Hamilton-haters read such rubbish into every look, comment, pose of Lewis, it is pathetic. So many journalist hours wasted on his demeanour in Monza when his fans knew he was still mourning his dear departed aunt.
LoL!!! Now this is for sure reference to McLaren!!
Initially he resorted to indirect attacks.. Now this is the 1st direct attack on his team!! I guess the team have also had enough of this shit.. They may sign someone else instead before Lewis himself decides part ways with them..