Because of issues with his Mercedes vehicle in Friday practice, Lewis Hamilton stated Monaco this year is the “bumpiest” circuit he has ever driven.
After a challenging day, Hamilton was only 12th quickest, lamenting that he couldn’t pull a lap together. George Russell, a teammate, finished sixth.
“On just one straight, there are like 100 bumps,” Hamilton added. “I’m not sure if others are having the same problems as us. It is, however, the most bumpy roller-coaster ride.”
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc set the fastest in both sessions, and towards the end of the day, he and teammate Carlos Sainz were more than 0.3 seconds faster than championship rivals Red Bull’s Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen.
Russell was 0.7 seconds slower than Hamilton, who finished 0.9 seconds slower.
Hamilton complained about “bouncing,” but said it was not the same as the high-frequency aerodynamic issue that plagued Mercedes until last weekend’s update in Spain.
“It’s the most choppy the track has ever been. It’s certainly the most bumpy road I’ve ever driven on “‘I’m a seven-time champion,’ remarked the seven-time champion.
“That makes it harder, but our automobile bounces a lot in general. It bounces differently than we’ve seen before since it’s in low-speed [corners] as well, but it’s not aero. The bumps are exacerbating the problem.
“Putting together a lap is a whole different ballgame. That has never happened to me before.
“The grip isn’t bad, but the eyeballs are bursting from their sockets. I didn’t believe we’d be as quick as the Ferraris and Red Bulls, as I expected. The goal for us is to keep ahead of the McLarens.”
“We want to be the best of the competition. That is a respectable finish this weekend behind Ferrari and Red Bull, but we want to make sure Lando doesn’t sneak in there as well.”
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