F1 | Hamilton has “no interest” in using simulators and considers track walk “wasting energy”
Reigning champion Lewis Hamilton estimates he spends just 20 laps a year in the Mercedes’ Brackley-based sim set-up, while declaring himself not a fan of track walks, calling them a “pointless exercise”.
Even though Formula 1 teams have invested millions in simulation technology in recent years, not every driver is on board with them. Seven-time Formula 1 champion, Lewis Hamilton, spoke to Martin Brundle, former F1 racer, in an interview for Sky Sports F1 and revealed the role simulators had played in his path to getting his 100th pole position, a milestone he achieved at the Spanish Grand Prix last weekend.
“I hardly ever drive on the simulator,” he declared. “I maybe do 20 laps a year, maybe. I have no interest in the simulator.”
The Brit later added that he was not really a fan of the famous track walk either, which many drivers do with their engineering team on the Thursday before a Grand Prix weekend.
“I used to walk the track when I was younger,” Lewis said.
“But what I’ve discovered is that for me, it was pointless exercise. It’s a lot different when you approach it at high speed. So, what I found was that it was just wasting energy; my weekend’s all about keeping energy and maintaining it so I can do the job.”
It is known that Hamilton has some of the most iconic qualifying laps inn Formula 1 en route to getting his 100th pole position. The driver also exposed in the interview that his process towards getting a pole position starts at the very moment he sets foot inside the paddock at the start of a race weekend.
“You’re working towards it all the way through Thursday and Friday,” said Hamilton, “and on Friday and Saturday morning [in practice], you’re trying all these things and basically finding the pieces to the puzzle, but you haven’t yet quite put them all together. And then qualifying comes and you have no choice; whether you have all the pieces or not, you have to build the puzzle.
“So you’re looking at previous years’ laps, you’re looking at the laps you’ve done in the past, the laps some of your competitors have done. It’s just making sure you haven’t left anything on the table.”
With his victory at the Spanish Grand Prix being his 98th in the sport, Lewis Hamilton’s next milestone will be his 100th Grand Prix win.
