APRIL 25, 2019

Hamilton - We always struggle

Mercedes may have won the first three races this season, but the team is grappling to get maximum performance out of 2019 car.

Lewis Hamilton, Chinese GP 2019
© RV Press

By Dan Knutson

Mercedes may have won the first three races this season, but the team is grappling to get maximum performance out of 2019 car.

"It's a combination of things," Lewis Hamilton explained. "The tire this year seems to be a little bit more complex from last year for understanding it. But at the beginning of every season we always struggle. Everyone is trying to understand the different tire windows you're in. The window of these tires is even more narrower than it has been in the past which was pretty small before and it's even smaller now. They (Pirelli) keep putting up the (tire air) pressure every weekend or every year. So, it gets harder and harder."

Another challenge is designing and developing a car that works well on as many of the 21 tracks on calendar.

"Trying to find the balance is very, very difficult because there's never a perfect balance," Hamilton said. "On each one there's kind of an average balance that might work everywhere. But when the tires then come into it and also the engine, it gets harder and harder.

"As we get through the season we'll have learned more and more and more. I think we've definitely lucked out at least on one race, as you know which was in Bahrain. But we looked pretty good in the race at least and the last race (in China) was obviously spectacular for us."