Lewis Hamilton exposed Formula 1 with a single sentence in front of the camera. Because once again the premier class confirmed the cliché it is often accused of not driving in the rain – and the seven-time world champion completely took Formula 1 boss Stefano Domenicali for granted.
Because on Saturday nothing went well in Sao Paulo. Too heavy rain prevented Formula 1 from holding its qualifying session. The fans in the stands were repeatedly put off for 15 minutes, only to end up canceling qualifying for today and postponing it to Sunday.
The conditions on the route were certainly borderline, so driving would have been difficult, and yet it was again grist for the critics’ mill. And Lewis Hamilton made it turn even harder with a statement on live television.
Formula 1 boss Stefano Domenicali just explained on the “Sky” microphone that it is not safe to drive and that the light will eventually become too bad to drive at a later time of day. Tenor: “It’s a shame, but we can’t help the weather.”
Suddenly he was surprised by Hamilton, who said to him with a laugh: “You should have sent us out! This is ridiculous, we should go out. I want to drive!”
Formula 1: Hamilton demands better tires
And then the seven-time world champion added: “If you give us better rain tires or blankets, then we should be able to drive here.”
With his sentence “I’ll embarrass you now” the Mercedes driver indicated that he wanted to annoy Domenicali in front of the camera, but of course the sentence went out into the world and Pirelli probably didn’t necessarily like it – and there’s certainly something in it also a part of truth.
Because the tire manufacturer has repeatedly been criticized for rain tires. People kept saying that it wasn’t good enough to drive in heavy rain. But: Poor visibility was usually the reason for cancellations and waiting times. The cars whirl up too much spray through the diffusers to ensure safe travel in the crowd.
Attempts by the FIA to get the problem under control with wheel covers or other devices were initially put aside after initial tests.
Hamilton had criticized tire manufacturer Pirelli more than once in the past, and not just because of the rain tires. Only in the summer did the seven-time world champion criticize the narrow working window of the slicks and said: “These tires are not my favorites.”
And now the next peak towards Pirelli in front of the camera.
Exciting detail on the side: Domenicali’s original sound was also distributed to journalists via Formula 1’s official WhatsApp media group after the cancellation. However, Hamilton’s critical comment was quickly cut out of the version distributed on this channel.
Source: www.sport.de
