Lewis Hamilton Meets Stefano Domenicali
A handshake, a hug, and many smiles. This is how Lewis Hamilton welcomed Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali just moments after the decision to postpone the qualifying session for the Brazilian Grand Prix to Sunday morning due to the downpour in Interlagos. While the former Ferrari team principal was giving an interview to F1TV in front of the Mercedes garage, the seven-time Formula 1 world champion took the opportunity for a quick greeting—and a joke about what happens—or rather, what doesn’t happen—in the circus when the track conditions are wet.
Lewis Hamilton’s Joke About Wet Tires
Lewis Hamilton jokingly told Stefano Domenicali, “I wanted to get on track! Give us better wet tires and with blankets, and then we will be able to drive in these conditions.” This was a clear reference to the fact that the Pirelli Full Wet tires from 2023 are specifically designed to reach temperature without the use of tire blankets. Beyond the choice to develop a new extreme wet compound—linked to environmental and energy-saving issues—the Cinturato tires, characterized by a blue band on the shoulder, are almost never used on track, not so much for temperature-related reasons…
Why Don’t F1 Cars Drive When It Rains?
The biggest issue that current Formula 1 cars face in the rain is not related to grip on wet asphalt and aquaplaning but rather visibility. According to data provided by the Milan-based manufacturer, the Full Wet tires evacuate between 80 and 85 liters of water per second at a speed of 300 km/h, which paradoxically means that the tires are so effective in terms of grip that they almost completely compromise visibility for those following closely.
This problem is further exacerbated by the ground-effect cars that debuted in 2022, which spray misted water not only from the tires but also from the floor. This is primarily why F1 cars struggle to drive on track when rainy conditions would require teams to mount Full Wet tires instead of the simple intermediate tires used when the asphalt is just damp. It should be noted that, with such an intense downpour as the one that struck the Interlagos circuit, the conditions appeared prohibitive from the outset, regardless of the tires and the characteristics of the cars…
Lewis: "You should've sent us out! This is ridiculous, we should go out! I wanna go out! If you give us better wet tyres or blankets we'd be able to run in this! I'm putting you on the spot!"
— Ky (@FiftyBucksVT) November 2, 2024
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