Hamilton is feeling the heat as Mercedes grid penalty hits him hard
HIS mechanics have worked tirelessly during this weekend, repeatedly changing engine components and racking up grid penalties totalling 55 places in the process.
And for what? Lewis Hamilton admitted yesterday Mercedes’ calculated decision could be a catastrophic error of judgment.
It was supposed to be like ripping off a plaster — a sharp pain, but a short one nevertheless.
By making so many changes, the damage would be limited to one race with Hamilton having enough spare parts to see him to the end of the season.
The penalty — for exceeding his allocation of power unit elements — relegated him to last.
But, so extensive are Spa’s overtaking opportunities, that Hamilton would make light work of the also-rans and collect sufficient points to retain his world championship lead. Foolproof? Not quite. The problem is the weather. Regulars at this infamous old circuit are used to bringing along raincoats and umbrellas.
But ever since the teams arrived in the Ardennes earlier this week, those in the paddock have been looking to escape the stifling heat.
It has played havoc with the teams’ strategies, with the quickest tyres barely lasting a lap. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff admitted before qualifying yesterday that his team ‘were not feeling comfortable’ in the ‘bizarre’ conditions.
Hamilton spent the fourweek summer break sunning himself in the Caribbean and the United States but is desperate for some respite now. ‘We are not easily the quickest here and, with the temperatures, it is probably the worst time to take the penalties,’ he admitted after qualifying.
Wolff echoed his driver’s sentiments. ‘It will be very difficult for him to recover to a sensible position,’ he said. ‘In hindsight Monza (the next race) would have been better.’
Hamilton fears he may fail to score any points at all. If that is the case, team-mate Nico Rosberg would overhaul his 19-point deficit with victory.
‘It’s going to be a very, very hard race,’ said Hamilton.
‘If I had a choice of tracks to start dead last and overtake this is definitely not in the top three.
‘We are all struggling to look after our tyres so it is not going to be an easy, breezy day where I’m just picking them off one by one.
‘Being this hot it’s going to be hard to follow and hard to even get into the top 10 with the tyres the way they are. I hope I prove myself wrong.’
Hamilton completed just one lap of qualifying in order to comply with the rule of posting a time within 107 per cent of the quickest to be able to start the race.
With his penalty already confirmed, he then exited the stage, watching the climax of the session ‘in my bedroom, in my shorts’.
He looked on as Rosberg claimed his sixth pole position of the season. The German took top spot by less than two tenths of a second from Max Verstappen.
It was the latest record in Verstappen’s extraordinary rise. At 18 years and 331 days, he became the youngest driver in the sport’s history to line up on the front row.
Verstappen was born just 50 miles from the circuit and has been cheered on vociferously all weekend.
Tentative starter Rosberg may well have a tough job containing the Red Bull on the run to turn one today. The pair have recent history too, having gone wheel-to-wheel at Silverstone and Hockenheim.
‘I know how he races,’ said Rosberg. ‘I know what to do to keep him behind.’ He will need to.