F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Hamilton frustrated by Mercedes' limited supply of hypersoft tyres

Lewis Hamilton says Mercedes' decision to take on only a limited set of hypersoft tyres for the Canadian Grand Prix weekend was perhaps not ideal in hindsight.

The German squad's drivers refrained from using Pirelli's pink-rimmed softest compound on Friday in order to preserve its inventory. But Hamilton rued the lack of running.

"Ultimately we don’t have as many hypersofts as everyone else," said the four-time world champion.

"I don’t know if people watching know, but they [the teams] have to select quite far ahead and from the [pre-season] test when the tyres didn’t last, that was the information we got then.

"We planned for a different strategy from what everyone else got."

Indeed, pre-season testing in Barcelona revealed the hypersoft's high degradation level, which in turn enticed Mercedes to play it safe when choosing its sets for Canada fourteen weeks in advance of the event..

"Hindsight is a great thing and naturally it would have been great to be able to try the hyper. Others have.

"We’ve seen some that have degraded a lot and some that haven’t, but [in] P3 we will take it for a spin and look for it."

The hypersoft tyre was raced for the very first time this season in Monaco, and it wasn't an optimal experience according to Hamilton.

The team has since understood how to better exploit the rubber and adapt it W09 to the tyre's characteristics, including degradation.

"I think we have learned from Monaco," chimed in Valtteri Bottas.

"If we could go there again, we would get more out of the hypers. For a single lap it shouldn’t be an issue to get them to work, but we will find out."

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

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.

Recent Posts

Las Vegas GP: Thursday's action in pictures

The opening day of running at the Las Vegas GP was a smooth but chilly…

2 hours ago

Williams' headaches persist into Vegas practice

Williams is continuing to fight uphill battles this weekend in Las Vegas as a knock-on…

3 hours ago

Ferrari's Sainz 'not satisfied with where we are' in Vegas

It was a solid start to the Las Vegas weekend for Ferrari with Carlos Sainz…

4 hours ago

Norris labels McLaren long-run pace ‘shocking’ in chilly Vegas

Lando Norris didn’t hold back in his assessment of McLaren’s performance on the opening day…

5 hours ago

Hamilton delighted with ‘consistently strong day’ in Vegas

Lewis Hamilton was particularly happy with his opening day of running at the Las Vegas…

7 hours ago

Verstappen stuck with 'draggy' rear wing for Vegas

Red Bull fears that its prospects for this weekend's Las Vegas Grand Prix - which…

8 hours ago