After a double unrelated failures in the Austrian GP, Mercedes is already ready with the fixes for this weekend’s 2018 Formula 1 British GP as per Lewis Hamilton.
The reigning champion suffered a fuel pump issue on Lap 62 to retire, while Valtteri Bottas retired on Lap 13 with a loss of hydraulic pressure on the steering wheel. The former was an engine related trouble which Mercedes had to change for all its teams.
Talking to the press at Silverstone earlier on Thursday, Hamilton revealed that Mercedes already found the issues and have a remedy in place for this weekend’s race. The team had ruled out that the problems arose due to the upgrades brought in France.
“We know it was a difficult weekend and of course we have all wished it wasn’t the way it was but what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger,” said Hamilton. “Honestly, the spirit within the team is stronger than it’s ever been.
“These experiences we’ve been having and how we’ve been handling them, have really united us more than any other year. There’s a great energy within team. So, while it was a painful experience, it actually brought us closer. I think it made us stronger.
“I think coming here there’s been some fixes already, immediately after the race, as soon as they got the car back, I think that evening there was a fix that was designed and put into test mode.
“So, the team was super on it and I’m confident we’ve done everything we can to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Hamilton was relatively upbeat despite the DNF and losing the championship lead to Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel.
The British driver, in fact, was ‘mind-blown’ to see Mercedes react to a situation so quickly despite the on-going triple header and pressure from its rivals. “From experiences like we had yesterday, the team are very, very reactive,” he started.
“We’re trying to be proactive, but it’s great to be able to be reactive as well. We have been making a lot of improvements in the car, my feeling for the car, my understanding – that just naturally grows for a driver throughout the year and for a team as you become more aware of the tyres, the strengths and weaknesses of the package you have.
“I think everyone is going to continue to shift and get a bit better, but ultimately we want to be improving faster than the others if possible. There are fixes for everything and the guys have worked really hard over these past days and what’s mind-blowing for me is how quick people can react and produce things.
“[Yes] it has been an up and down season and I can’t really explain it. Part of it is tyres, part of it is that it is a much more competitive year than last year, that we’re fighting two teams. It’s a lot closer, there is a lot more pressure on.
“[But then] it’s how the sport should be, in the sense that you’re squeezing more out of the cars and out of the drivers as well. I think it’s not a bad thing,” he explained.
Post the double retirements in Austria, Mercedes were unsure if it would end up with penalties in the future – especially for the British GP – but for now it seems unlikely if they are to be given a penalty, at least this weekend in Silverstone.