F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Hamilton once again nails F1's 'ultimate flaw'

Lewis Hamilton enjoyed his day of racing at Interlagos on Sunday although the Mercedes driver did not feel particularly challenged by any overtaking maneuvers.

After his botched qualifying on Saturday which saw the world champion crash unexpectedly in Q1, Hamilton was left to conduct a charge through the field after starting from the pitlane.

Chasing from behind, he ticked off his opponents one by one, ultimately finishing fourth, but executing passes wasn't particularly difficult and he explains why.

"Honestly, they didn’t really feel like any one of them was particularly special to me," Hamilton said.

"I’m not a big fan of DRS. While I think DRS enables overtaking, it’s like a band-aid for the ultimate flaw in the whole concept of a Formula 1 car: that you can’t follow.

"They were just about getting up close and using the DRS, which is not like go-karting when you have to get close and then manoeuvre."

Hamilton did single out however his pass on Sergio Perezn when he passed the Force India driver on the outside of Turn 1.

"I was quite happy about that but there wasn’t any other highlighted overtaking manoeuvre that I wished that I could have done.

"This is a race track where it’s difficult to get past, but the delta is actually smaller than in other places.

"If you look at most of the circuits we go to, the delta to overtake the car in front is usually a second and a half or something like that.

"You have to be a second and a half faster and that’s a whole tyre compound and a bit.

"That just shows there is obviously a weakness and a flaw in the cars’ design, and while the cars are fantastic this year, that’s an area we can improve on for the future."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.

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