Hamilton’s Sao Paulo Pain: Interlagos Resurfacing Compared to Bumpy Baku
Lewis Hamilton likened the resurfaced Interlagos track to the infamous 2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix after suffering discomfort during practice for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
A Return to the "Bowling Ball" Experience
The 2022 season was marred by "porpoising" – a bouncing phenomenon caused by cars hitting the track surface and disrupting airflow. Baku’s long straightaways were particularly problematic, with teams, including Mercedes, pushing for regulation changes to protect their drivers.
Fast forward to 2024, and while porpoising has been largely eradicated through design improvements, Hamilton experienced a resurging reminder of those turbulent times.
"FP1 was like Baku 2022 for us"
Hamilton, speaking to F1TV, described the resurfaced Sao Paulo track as "pretty bad".
"The ride is pretty bad on the track, I think for everyone," the seven-time F1 world champion said. "The track has been resurfaced, and they’ve not done a particularly great job, so it’s bumpy for everyone. FP1 was like Baku 2022 for us. Down the straight [it] was hitting so hard… It was a little bit better in qualifying in terms of [it] wasn’t hitting the deck so badly… but through the corners, the thing is hopping through the corners, so the thing is very hard to drive."
A Difficult Qualifying for Hamilton
Hamilton’s echoes of Baku weren’t just about the track conditions. He also struggled during qualifying, failing to reach Q3 and starting 11th for the sprint race.
"Pretty bad," declared Hamilton when asked about his session. "Same as every qualifying session for me. Not that I’m happy about it, but I just don’t have any confidence in the car, so a big struggle for me."
Team-mate Outpaces Hamilton
While Hamilton struggled, team-mate George Russell secured a respectable sixth-place starting position for the sprint race.
The Struggle Continues
After struggling in the Montreal and Mexico City races, Hamilton’s performance in Brazil has added more fuel to the fire of his current disappointment. Will he be able to overcome his challenges and find some strong performance in the upcoming races?
Stay tuned to the latest Formula 1 racing updates and analysis!
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