The Sao Paulo Grand Prix is characterized by the Sprint Race format, the implications of which include the presence of only one free practice session before the entry into force of the parc fermé regime with qualifying on Friday evening. The work to correct the set-up was therefore particularly intense during FP1, especially at Mercedes, where for the entire session Lewis Hamilton complained of front end problems. The front axle was also one of the reasons that prevented Max Verstappen to print the fastest lap in qualifying, although in the Dutchman’s case the problems had different origins.
The free practice session on Friday opened with a close dialogue between Hamilton and his track engineer, with the multiple British champion who immediately after the first two timed laps opened via radio: “The front is poor, it bounces a lot”. The engineer informs Hamilton that much of the delay accumulated by Verstappen is concentrated in the second sector, in particular in curves 4 and 6, the two fastest of the entire track, thus suggesting that the problem at the front may be a deficiency. of downforce. The Englishman then returned to the pits, asking for an increase in the incidence of the front wing by two points. However, the adjustment does not seem to bear fruit, as after the next timed lap Hamilton still complains via radio of a lack of front grip: “I still have a lot of understeer”. The Mercedes driver returns to the pit lane again, where the mechanics make a further adjustment on the front wing.
In the following laps on the track it begins to emerge that the problem is not of an aerodynamic nature alone: “I think we need to think of another solution for the front suspension”, says Hamilton, who adds: “The front is bouncing along the track”. The British driver’s observations suggest a problem of frequencies in the combined response of tires and suspension in absorbing the roughness of the asphalt, resulting in an excessive oscillation of the contact pressure of the tire on the ground and resulting in a loss of grip. The Mercedes technicians then intervene on the front suspension and, after Lewis requests a further click in more incidence on the front wing, the balance of the W12 finally appears improved. The sensation is supported by the television images, but also by Hamilton’s radio comments, which suggest that the interventions have improved the grip of the front end, to the point of making the car limited by the stability of the rear: “The rear moves a little in turn 8”, communicates English at the end of the session.
The problems at the front for Max Verstappen instead emerge in qualifying and in particular in Q3. Already after the first attempt, the Dutchman reports via radio a temperature problem on the roofs: “The front tires overheat in turn 8”. The curve indicated by Max is the third curve to the right in succession after the double bend 6-7 tackled at high speed, which is why the left front tire works in support almost continuously for a long period of time. Once overheated, the tires on Verstappen’s Red Bull went beyond the optimal window of use, losing performance and compromising the rest of the lap.
However, Friday was characterized by particularly low temperatures, with the environment at 15 ° C and the track at 24 ° C, while for the rest of the weekend temperatures are expected to be almost 10 ° C higher. The current cars have already demonstrated their great sensitivity to weather and track conditions, with Mercedes favoring low temperatures while Red Bull is more comfortable in the heat. The climatic evolution could therefore greatly influence the outcome of the San Paolo Grand Prix, on which the penalties on the grid also hang, both those already confirmed and those that could still be imposed.
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