Damon Hill in the tire factor and team tactics

In Melbourne, Lewis Hamilton managed to climb the podium – on the Australian circuit, the seven-time world champion finished second, and his partner, George Russell, even led the first leg of the race. But Damon Hill, analyzing Mercedes’ unstable results in the first three stages of the season, believes that they partly depend on the “tire factor”, and that it manifests itself differently on different circuits.

“Bahrain has a very abrasive asphalt surface and there are very high loads on the rubber,” the former Formula 1 driver, now a Sky Sports pundit, argued while taking part in the F1 Nation podcast. – There this creates great difficulties, since the tires can overheat.

In Saudi Arabia the asphalt is less abrasive and the race takes place in the evening, so the temperature of the rubber and the wear resistance are at a slightly different level there, which I would even call a bit unusual. But if we return to Europe, where the races take place during the day, it will be interesting to see how the high temperatures of the tarmac will affect the work of teams with tires.

In addition, Pirelli is preparing softer compounds for the upcoming races, which provide slightly more effective grip, but wear out faster. This will also have an impact and I suspect that when the races are back on tracks with high tire loads, Red Bull will again have a noticeable advantage.

Moreover, if you remember Melbourne, they were a little less comfortable working there, because Mercedes had both drivers up front, and both could threaten Max Verstappen, while he was only defending, as Sergio Perez started from deep in the pack.

But when Sergio returns to the group of leaders, events can once again unfold according to a more interesting scenario. In addition, don’t forget Ferrari: Maranello must finally find out what exactly they are doing wrong. Scuderia drivers shouldn’t be in the positions they’re in now, this team isn’t that bad. It is likely that Ferrari will be able to gradually bounce back.

We are waiting for the race, when the teams can choose different tactics for their racers, and it will be very interesting. There is a kind of contradiction in Formula 1, as there are two championships running at the same time: the drivers compete against each other, but so do the teams. It is the teams that play the decisive role and the riders have little influence on the situation.

That’s why Max Verstappen’s position at Red Bull is so strong, but I’ve also heard that George Russell’s influence at Mercedes is growing. The same can in part even be said about Carlos Sainz at Ferrari and Fernando Alonso at Aston Martin. These riders guide their teams from the cockpit of their car. And if the team is happy with that, then these riders have a chance to get what they want.”