– I can not describe the pain you experience. You just ask for it to end, Hamilton told the organizer in Baku. For Lewis Hamilton and his teammate in Mercedes, George Russell, have been critical of this season’s car for a long time. And now the problems may be about to reach the pain threshold – literally. Tough: Lewis Hamilton has had a demanding season. Photo: Sergei Grits / AP – It is not justifiable, says Viaplay’s Atle Gulbrandsen to news. Alfa Romeo driver Valtteri Bottas is also worried about the Mercedes drivers. – I have seen what some of the drivers look like after the race. This is definitely a topic we need to address and it is starting to get quite serious, says the Finn according to the BBC. – Something must change When the Formula 1 race in Baku last weekend was over, the TV pictures showed that Hamilton was clearly in pain, and stuck to his lower back. The pictures have become a big talking point on social media in the last week. Gulbrandsen explains why he thinks what Mercedes lets its drivers go through is not justifiable. – When it shakes as much as we see it does, there is a danger that the cars will break down. We have seen several examples of this this year. The drivers also complain that they are in pain simply. They struggle with their backs and necks. It is problematic, says Gulbrandsen to news. The reason for the shaking is how the new cars are constructed. There are new rules around aerodynamics, which has, among other things, made overtaking easier. But it has also led to more shaking in the car at high speeds, and then the car hits the ground and bounces back up. FRUSTRATING: Lewis Hamilton finished fourth in Baku, but was over a minute behind winner Max Verstappen. Photo: Sergei Grits / AP The Briton seemed to struggle to get out of the car at all. But Hamilton said after the race that it was never appropriate to give up, despite the pain in his back. – No, I did not want to break the race, but I had to keep track of the car. It was a fight against the car, and it was the biggest fight, Hamilton said. – The team did a good job with the strategy. I’m grateful for that. But we need to do a better job with the car. It has been like that since the start of the season, so something has to change, said a frustrated Hamilton. FIA takes action Just before this weekend’s race in Montreal, however, came the news that the FIA, the international motorsport federation, has taken action to prevent violent shaking in the car. Among other things, a more accurate measurement will be made of the condition of the plank under the car – both in terms of design and wear. There are also some details about the car that the teams themselves will agree on together with the FIA. The association writes in a press release that the measures follow medical advice. – It is promising that they have taken action immediately. It has not taken weeks and months of political decisions to change this. “I’m surprised it’s happening so fast, but it’s good for everyone,” Russel told Sky Sports. Should put this year’s season away Gulbrandsen believes Mercedes must already shelve this year’s season and start the process of building a car that looks more traditional. – They do well to just focus on next season now. They should build a completely new car with a completely different philosophy, he says. RESPONDS: Atle Gulbrandsen thinks Mercedes should focus on next year’s car now. Photo: Lise Åserud / NTB The Formula 1 commentator says that a simple solution would have been to make a rule that the cars had to be raised. The problem is that it will be difficult to change a set of rules when teams like Red Bull make it happen. Then there will be protests. Viaplay colleague Henning Isdal also points out that Ferrari and Red Bull do not struggle as much as Mercedes with the shaking. But he thinks it’s very uncomfortable for Hamilton along the way. – In Baku, it was obvious that it was extremely uncomfortable to complete all the rounds. He has probably had to grit his teeth, Isdal tells news. He also believes that this year’s season has been run for Mercedes ‘part – both in the driver’s and constructors’ championships. – It becomes very difficult when they have come so far in the season. It has been speculated that they will return to the side pods they used in the first test in Bahrain. When they came to Barcelona, they had a completely different design that was very radical. But it is impossible to say whether it solves the problem. There are probably around 100 engineers scratching their heads now, Isdal thinks. – Do not know what can be done Team manager in Mercedes, Toto Wolff, says that it is still the car that goes up and down that is the problem. – It’s the bounce. It is 6g he runs in. It is not a muscular problem anymore, it damages the legs in his body, says the Austrian. He could not give a clear answer as to what happens next with the car. A PRESSED MAN: Team manager at Mercedes, Toto Wolff. Photo: CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP – The drivers agreed that something must be done with the car, but I do not know what can be done, Wolff said. The next race is in Canada on Sunday. George Russel is in fourth place in the summary, 51 points behind leader Max Verstappen. Lewis Hamilton is in sixth place. – I think it will be difficult. It is a course that has a very long straight. Then the shaking begins, says Gulbrandsen. Isdal points out that there are also some fast parties on the field in Canada that can aggravate Hamilton’s back problems. – The last stretch on the track has a long long side with high speed. There you can get a similar effect. It will probably also be a topic at Silverstone, says the Viaplay expert.
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