© F1i
A WEAKNESS ON THE SILVER ARROW?
It was a hydraulic leak that disqualified Lewis Hamilton during the first part of qualifying for the German Grand Prix. The shock from passing over a kerb broke a hydraulic seal on the power steering pump. The resulting leak made the steering of the #44 Mercedes extremely heavy, resulting in a too wide exit and a second shock on the next kerb.
It is noted that the Briton hit the kerb at a slightly different angle. Be that as it may, this part of the steering seems to be a weakness on this year's Silver Arrows in that its failure had already caused Valtteri Bottas to retire in Austria.
“Clearly, this is a vulnerability we have under the high loads you see when running the kerbs, and something we must get on top of,” Toto Wolff confirmed.
Unlike other controls (such as the throttle), steering wheel movements are transmitted to the wheels by a physical mechanism, as required by the regulation. The power-assistance is operated by a purely hydraulic system (not electronic).
