Championship leader Lewis Hamilton said his McLaren team were “incredible” after he posted the seventh fastest lap time during Friday’s second practice for Sunday’s German Grand Prix.
The 25-year-old, who has a 12-point lead at the head of the championship, spun into a wall at the exit of turn three during the morning session, heavily damaging his car.
It looked likely that he would have to sit out the afternoon practice but an impressive repair job from his team meant he was able to drive for the final 13 minutes of the session and that proved enough time for the 2008 champion to post the seventh fastest time.
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“The guys have done an incredible job,” he said. “Obviously I damaged the car a lot this morning.”
“It’s good to get back out and overcome the difficulty you had in the morning,” he said. “At least I’ve got something to work on now.” AFP
The back end of the Herts-born Formula 1 driver’s McLaren Mercedes snapped away and he was powerless to stop the car from bouncing over the grass and into the tyre wall at turn three.
Before Hamilton’s crash, heavy rain had ruined McLaren’s hopes of properly testing their revised blown diffuser.
Puddles of water were on the track this morning as McLaren Mercedes drivers Hamilton and reigning F1 world champion Jenson Button took to the circuit for the first time.
Both drivers are running identical upgrades today (Friday) and McLaren engineers were hoping to further evaluate the team’s new blown diffuser, which has been developed since Silverstone.
However, lots of standing water and spray made conditions treacherous in the opening minutes of the session, with cars skating off the track, making it much harder than normal to get an accurate read on the upgrade’s performance. Times 24
Over the team radio Hamilton succinctly summed it up as he said: “The car’s in the wall and is damaged - heavily.”
As a result, the 2008 World Champion missed 78 minutes of the next session as he mechanics worked furiously to repair the damage.
“It was very slippery and I hit the limiter coming out of Turn Three, shifted gear, which spun the wheels, and had an oversteer moment. I tried to correct it and that put me onto the grass, where I was just a passenger.
“The accident took all four corners off the car, so I was a little bit upset with myself. The guys work so hard during the week to get the car ready, and then you get to the track, do a few laps, and total the car, which isn’t great.
“It was a huge amount of work for the guys, too, but they’ve just been phenomenal.
“It was positive to get back out there and overcome the difficulties I had in the morning. We missed the afternoon’s rain too, which was good. Now I have a decent idea of where the car is, so hopefully we can make some positive set-up changes overnight.” SkySports
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