I'm not sure Hamilton is as magic at tire preservation as the commentators would have him. I wonder if Bottas' camp tends to set his car up with an eye to qualification -- a little more aggressive, a little pointier, and a little harder on tires -- than Hamilton.
Wow. Hamilton is flying. Halfway through the race and he has lapped half the field (he's lapping the 11th car now)
And he’s the only one who’s had private tests on this track earlier this year with his dad’s other team money well spent
Is Max on a 2-stopper? Will be interesting to see if Charles gets to him towards the end. then again, Ham is still on meds after 37 laps...I believe 41 total laps on the set.
I think we’ve seen Bottas foiled by tire management in most races he’s led Hamilton. I think he tries to gap Ham when ahead and over-drives the car. When he had the 2.5 sec lead early, I knew it was only a matter of time.
If anyone ever needed more evidence that bottas is there purely to occupy the 2nd seat, Mercedes again ignores his call for a tyre compound.
Congratulations to Vettel. Being first or last is easy. Just go faster or slower than anybody else. But always just outside the points is a skill.
I don’t think so. He qualifies well and gets a win or 2. I think his teammate just outclasses him in race craft (specifically, seems better able to manage a race versus trying to ‘get out in open air and just go’. Maybe it’s just the case he’s against Hamilton at his peak.