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Hamilton: Struggles with ultra-soft tyres still an unknown

Lewis Hamilton has conceded Mercedes still doesn't understand why at certain race tracks he is struggling to extract the maximum performance from the softest available compound from Pirelli's range in the new tyre rules.

The three-time Formula 1 world champion and team-mate Valtteri Bottas had been off the pace using the purple-banded ultra-softs compared to Ferrari during the free practice sessions in Monaco, which duly came into play for qualifying as the Italian manufacturer secured a second front row lockout in three races.

While Hamilton was also handicapped after failing to make to through to Q3 due to Stoffel Vandoorne's crash during his final flying lap, the Mercedes driver admitted he couldn't find consistent and competitive pace on his opening stint on the ultra-softs in the race.

"This issue with the tyres is a bit of an unknown. It's only the ultra-soft that's been an issue," Hamilton said. "That's really what got I have got to try and understand with the team this week.

"There's so many things we have got to look into to try and understand why one car could make it work and the other couldn't. Whether it's multiple laps, whether it's backing off, utilising the fronts more than the rears, whether it's making a more understeering car, an oversteering car, all these different things, brake balance, all these different things, we need to start looking into."

With the ultra-soft Pirelli tyre being made available for two out of the next three races, Canada and Austria, Hamilton has stressed the importance of finding solutions to its performance problems using the compound.

"It's definitely going to be a difficult one," he said. "I really, really hope we get on top of that as soon as we get on top of that ultra-soft then I think that it puts us in a much better position to attack, an undercut and that's what we really need.

"Montreal has been a great hunting ground for me in the past and I plan for it to continue. We are going to work very, very hard in the next two weeks to make sure the car is in a place to make sure we are ahead of those Ferraris."

Sebastian Vettel extended his F1 championship lead to 25 points over Hamilton with victory in Monaco, handing the Scuderia its first F1 win at the principality since 2001.

Zdroj: crash.net