“The computer was right but not 100 per cent”– Valtteri Bottas reveals Lewis Hamilton’s fight with Mercedes’ tech

Tanish Chachra | 22/09/2022
"The computer was right but not 100 per cent"– Valtteri Bottas reveals Lewis Hamilton's fight with Mercedes' tech

Valtteri Bottas reveals how Lewis Hamilton often had conflicts with engineers regarding his ideas against computers’ data suggestions.

Formula 1 is a sport which intensively involves technology. The hectic three days include a massive amount of data which every team needs to compete for the best result possible.

However, there are times when drivers tend to pitch in their own ideas. Thus, several times, the strategy team and drivers have two different opinions.

Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton have dominated the entire F1 for almost eight years, yet even they are prone to such conflicts. Valtteri Bottas reveals how Hamilton regularly struggled to convince his engineers about what Mercedes’ computers suggested.

“It is just how a top team works,” said Bottas. “I feel like Lewis felt the same as well. He sometimes wanted to go in his direction, but the engineers would be like, ‘No, the computer says this’.”

“So it was sometimes a bit of a battle but it is good to discuss those things, and it’s just the way it is. They have pretty advanced technology and simulation tools that allow it and quite often the computer was right but not 100 per cent.”

Also read: Toto Wolff claims teams will blast $10.5 Million worth engines every race if no effective deterrent is found

Lewis Hamilton always got the top-notch strategy

The 2022 season is a testament that having a fast car is not enough to win the championship. Ferrari has been at par with Red Bull this year, at least until the first half of the season.

However, their predicament this season is not limited to Red Bull’s excellence. The questionable decisions and strategy formed by Ferrari have resulted in them dropping massive amounts of points.

Moreover, car reliability has also been a concern for Ferrari this year. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz have been victims of having to retire due to technical issues.

Therefore, it’s fair to say that Mercedes have been fortunate on both fronts, explaining how Mercedes helped Hamilton win six championships with them.

Though there have been times this season and in the previous years where Hamilton has been dissatisfied with Mercedes’ strategies, overall, Hamilton has been privileged with efficient personnel at Mercedes.

Also read: Valtteri Bottas presents Lewis Hamilton with most ridiculous piece of information he knows

Post Edited By: Tanish Chachra
Lewis Hamilton Mercedes Valtteri Bottas

About the author

Tanish Chachra

Tanish Chachra is the Motorsport editor at The SportsRush. He saw his first race when F1 visited India in 2011, and since then, his romance with the sport has been seasonal until he took up this role in 2020. Reigniting F1's coverage on this site, Tanish has fallen in love with the sport all over again. He loves Kimi Raikkonen and sees a future world champion in Oscar Piastri. Away from us, he loves to snuggle inside his books.

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