Lewis Hamilton wants to maintain distance from Bottas
F1 Update: That’s the message from the three-time F1 world champion as he prepares for another tilt at the title in 2017, this time with a new teammate.
The Mercedes garage will be without Nico Rosberg this year after the German retired following his maiden championship win ahead of Hamilton last season. In his place is Valtteri Bottas, who made the move to the Silver Arrows after spending the past four years with Williams.
Hamilton and Rosberg, once good friends as kids, had a notoriously frosty relationship. Although teammates, they were each other’s biggest threats in the title race, and a determination to be the best meant they didn’t always get along.
How Hamilton interacts with Bottas will be one of the biggest talking points in 2017, but based on the veteran’s recent comments, he doesn’t want to work too closely with the Finn. In a Q&A with Mercedes sponsor UBS, Hamilton said he wants to end data-sharing between teammates so drivers can’t gain any tips on, for example, when to brake and what lines to drive.
He doesn’t feel it’s fair drivers should be able to spy on their rivals, saying those behind the wheel need to figure things out for themselves.
“I go out, do my laps, do all my homework — the other guy can see everything,” Hamilton said. “I don’t think they should do that. I have asked my team, I don’t want to see my teammate’s (data).
“I don’t feel it’s fair that he brings his A game and I should be able to study his A game on a computer.
“For example, when we’re driving we’re picking out braking points, bumps, tyre rubber marks on the track, all these different things to help get you through the corner quickest. And the other driver probably naturally may be able to do more or less than you are.
“But because of this data they can just copy you. ‘Oh, he’s braking five metres later there, I’ll go out and I’ll try braking five metres later’. So that’s what I really dislike, because it enables them to get closer.”
Hamilton believes drivers need to take ownership of their own performances rather than rely on gaining information from their teammates. In such an environment, those that are skilful enough will survive, and those aren’t don’t deserve to be on an F1 grid.
“I think it should be, ‘You hired me because I am the best, you hired me because I’ve studied, because I’ve won every class that I’ve been in, I’ve not missed one in terms of winning’ and you’re hiring whoever the next person is because they’ve hopefully won some things along the way as well and you’re hiring them for their ultimate skill all round,” Hamilton said.
“They should be able to go out there on their own and find it all themselves, without you.
“You’ve got to find the limit yourself, that’s the whole challenge of being a racing driver. When I get in this new car it’s seeing what the limit of it is and if I can’t do it on my own then I’m not good enough and I don’t deserve to be there — and there are some drivers that don’t.”
Category: Formula One
