Mercedes: Hot environment and tough race exhausted Hamilton

Mercedes says Lewis Hamilton's physical exhaustion at the end of the Hungarian Grand Prix was mostly due to the sheer heat that depleted the Briton's energy level during the tough race.

After running last in the early stages of the race following an untimely pitstop, Hamilton was on a charge all afternoon at the Hungaroring and eventually battled his way to third at the checkered flag.

But on the podium, the seven-time world champion appeared exhausted and barely capable of holding himself up.

After a quick check up with the FIA doctors, the Mercedes driver swiftly recovered, but Mercedes technical director Mike Eliott said that Hamilton's fatigue was indeed extreme and caused by a tough environment and difficult race.

"I guess you saw him on the podium struggling," explained Eliott in Mercedes post-race debrief on YouTube.

"I saw him about an hour after that and he was definitely a chunk better and I know he has recovered since then," Elliott explained in the team's post-Hungary debrief.

"I think if you have never been near these cars, it is really difficult to understand the environment the drivers are in.

"The air that is going by the car, actually because the car is so close to the ground, it is actually closer to the ground temperature than it is to the air temperature," added Eliott.

"So, during that race I suspect that was sort of 40, 50-degree air, it was humid, the drivers are also sitting in an environment where there are electrical boxes around him, hydraulics with power steering, a hot environment and that was one tough race.

"Lewis was really pushing on that two stop, some of the overtakes he was doing were absolutely brilliant. That takes a lot of energy out of you in that really hot environment."

• Read also: Hamilton reveals Long COVID concern after dizzy spell

Eloitt reckoned that F1's summer break will offer Hamilton a timely respite and an opportunity to recharge his batteries.

"The average person like you and me, we wouldn’t survive five minutes in there, let alone a whole race," continued the Mercedes tech boss.

"So, it was unsurprising that Lewis was tired at the end of that, but as he said to the media, I think he also wonders whether that is some of the feeling of having had COVID.

"So, hopefully he will make a good recovery. He is now going to have a break over the shutdown, and I am sure he will come back really strong for the second half of the season."