Hamilton ‘bemused’ by loss of race pace
Massa blames own Ferrari team for Abu Dhabi error.
Hamilton is now 172 points adrift of quadruple world champion Sebastian Vettel. PHOTO: FILE
ABU DHABI:
Lewis Hamilton admitted that he is bemused by his own disappointing recent race form after finishing seventh in Sunday’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
His Mercedes teammate German Nico Rosberg came home third.
Hamilton said, “Even if I was ahead, I would have been overtaken, I just wasn’t good overall.
“It was like I had another 50kg in the car, I was just too slow. There was just no pace.
“Ultimately I am not particularly happy with my performance, but I am very happy with the team’s performance.
“The development and hard work that has gone in has been remarkable. For whatever reasons, maybe being a new car, I have not got on well with it.
“When I get to the race I don’t know what happens. I really struggle. For a lot of races it’s been like that.”
Meanwhile, Felipe Massa claimed Ferrari’s tactical error cost him a top-five finish in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The Brazilian said he was amazed when the Italian team switched him to a new set of medium compound tyres for the final 17 laps, instead of fitting soft tyres.
“We made a mistake,” he said. “I didn’t expect to use the medium in the last stint.
“I didn’t discuss it [with the team beforehand] because for me it was clear. We were going to go on the softs. It’s better, at the beginning I was the best car on the soft tyre.
“I expected to see the soft tyres on the car and I saw the other. Without this problem I would have finished easy in the top five.”
Published in The Express Tribune, November 5th, 2013.
Lewis Hamilton admitted that he is bemused by his own disappointing recent race form after finishing seventh in Sunday’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
His Mercedes teammate German Nico Rosberg came home third.
Hamilton said, “Even if I was ahead, I would have been overtaken, I just wasn’t good overall.
“It was like I had another 50kg in the car, I was just too slow. There was just no pace.
“Ultimately I am not particularly happy with my performance, but I am very happy with the team’s performance.
“The development and hard work that has gone in has been remarkable. For whatever reasons, maybe being a new car, I have not got on well with it.
“When I get to the race I don’t know what happens. I really struggle. For a lot of races it’s been like that.”
Meanwhile, Felipe Massa claimed Ferrari’s tactical error cost him a top-five finish in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The Brazilian said he was amazed when the Italian team switched him to a new set of medium compound tyres for the final 17 laps, instead of fitting soft tyres.
“We made a mistake,” he said. “I didn’t expect to use the medium in the last stint.
“I didn’t discuss it [with the team beforehand] because for me it was clear. We were going to go on the softs. It’s better, at the beginning I was the best car on the soft tyre.
“I expected to see the soft tyres on the car and I saw the other. Without this problem I would have finished easy in the top five.”
Published in The Express Tribune, November 5th, 2013.