What Sets Hamilton Apart 'Both Positively And Negatively' Revealed By Former Engineer
F1
Lewis Hamilton's former aerodynamics engineer, Philipp Brandle, shared his observations on what sets the seven-time World Champion apart from everyone else.
Lewis Hamilton, in his career, accomplished more than anyone else before him in terms of Championship titles, race victories, and all the other records combined.
In order to do that, he, of course, had to have a car that would allow him to do so (that's just the nature of F1, as Valtteri Bottas would say), but he also had to have the skill to earn the position within the best teams and to deliver the final results.
What precisely does the seven-time World Champion have that others don't? What sets him apart from the remaining 19 drivers on the grid? His former aerodynamics engineer, Philipp Brandle, told Motorsport Total:
"What I think always sets him apart a little bit, both positively and negatively, is that when he knows he has the slightest chance of doing something."
"Then he can drive at 200 percent. But when he has the feeling that the car isn't running well, that he somehow has no chance of winning the race, then he unfortunately lets himself down a little, which is a real shame."
The 2024 season reflects Brandle's words pretty accurately. When Mercedes didn't have a competitive car at the start of the season, Hamilton performed worse than his teammate—to the point where some started questioning whether he had lost his mojo.
However, as soon as Silver Arrows introduced an upgrade that made their car competitive (in Canada), the 39-year-old's performance picked up.
In fact, he has not finished worse than fourth in a single Grand Prix race since then. In this six-race-long period, he also collected four podiums and two victories. Brandle continued:
"What sets Lewis apart is simply his incredible feel for the car. I would say that in terms of data and 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 there's a screw that feels loose somewhere at 320 kilometers per hour, he can feel it right from the start."
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