Lewis Hamilton’s recent disqualification from the Chinese Grand Prix has sparked various analyses within the Formula 1 community. Sky Sports commentator Martin Brundle has offered a perspective suggesting that Hamilton’s aggressive driving style may have contributed to the excessive wear of the car’s skid blocks, leading to the disqualification.
In the race, Hamilton employed a two-stop strategy, aiming to utilize fresher tires for a late-race surge. This approach placed him behind Max Verstappen after his pit stop. Brundle observed that Verstappen’s performance improved in the latter half of the race, enabling him to close in on the Ferrari drivers. Hamilton’s subsequent push to overtake Verstappen could have resulted in increased wear on the car’s underfloor plank. This component, known as the skid block, was found to have worn down to 8.5mm, slightly below the minimum thickness of 9mm specified in the technical regulations, leading to Hamilton’s disqualification.
Brundle noted that while pushing hard to the end of the race, Hamilton’s car was “thrown out for running too close to the ground and overly wearing away the legality skid block underneath by half a millimetre.” He suggested that this rule is enforced to prevent teams from running their cars too low, which could enhance performance but lead to excessive floor wear.
This incident has led Brundle to question the FIA’s post-race inspection process. He pointed out that with four out of eight tested cars failing the plank wear check, it raises the question of whether all finishers should have been inspected to maintain fairness and consistency.
Furthermore, former Aston Martin strategist Bernie Collins has speculated that Ferrari might be struggling with a “peaky” ride height in their SF-25 car. This issue could force drivers to run the car in a compromised state, potentially affecting performance and contributing to plank wear.
In summary, Martin Brundle’s analysis suggests that Lewis Hamilton’s aggressive driving style, particularly his efforts to overtake Verstappen in the race’s final stages, may have led to increased wear on the car’s skid block. This wear resulted in a violation of the technical regulations, culminating in Hamilton’s disqualification from the Chinese Grand Prix.Martin Brundle Expresses Concerns Over Lewis Hamilton’s Performance
