Lewis Hamilton Trait Revealed By Ex-Mercedes Engineer- 'Both Positive And Negative'

Saajan Jogia | Aug 22, 2024

2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Thursday / LAT Images

Former Mercedes engineer Philipp Brändle has revealed special qualities of the seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton that have contributed to his 'F1 legend' status so far. Among many,
Brändle hinted that Hamilton's feel for the F1 car remains unmatched by any driver except Michael Schumacher.

It seems like Hamilton is back to his winning ways after Mercedes found the key to unlocking its car's performance in the ground effect era, as witnessed recently with George Russell's victory at the Austrian Grand Prix, followed by Hamilton taking the wins at Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps.

Before Mercedes gave him a car capable of putting him at the front of the grid, Hamilton endured two winless seasons. While the Brackley outfit's difficulties with the current regulations played a role, Brändle pointed out that Hamilton only pushes the car to its limits when he believes it can win. Speaking to Motorsport-Total.com, he said:

“What I think always sets him apart a little, both positively and negatively, is that when he knows he has a chance of winning something, he can drive at 200 per cent.

“But if he has the feeling that the car isn’t running well, that he somehow has no chance of winning the race, then unfortunately he lets himself go a bit, which is a shame.

“If he sees even the slightest chance, then he drives as well as ever, I think, like no other.”

Brändle also called Hamilton a "tire whisperer" for his excellent tire sensing and management skills, recalling an episode from the 2019 Hungarian Grand Prix where he overtook Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who was on a one-stop strategy against Hamilton's two-stop. He added:

“[Hamilton] can simply judge things brutally well.

“He is also a tire whisperer, he feels the tires like no other and can also manage them sensationally well. There are countless examples of this, [one of which was] in Hungary a few years ago, where Red Bull led with Max.

"[Red Bull] decided to make only [one] pit stop. Mercedes had to do something else because otherwise they wouldn’t have got past.

"He was really chasing Verstappen for the whole race, but then he overtook him in the first corner in the end. That was exactly where he showed his class again.”

Adding to the British driver's incredible sense of feel, he praised Hamilton for even being able to sense a loose screw at high speeds, likening him to F1's other seven-time world champion, Schumacher. He said:

“What characterizes Lewis is simply his incredible feel for the car.

“I would say that in terms of the data and the technology, he is perhaps not as mature as other drivers, such as Nico Rosberg or now perhaps George Russell.

"But he has an incredible feel for the car, just like Michael Schumacher was said to have back then.

“He feels the car like no other, so if it feels like a screw is loose somewhere at 320 kilometers per hour, he can feel it right from the start.”