According to Motorsport.com Italia, Lewis Hamilton ignored a direct command from the Ferrari pit wall for the second time, choosing to stay out on track despite worsening weather conditions at Interlagos. The decision resulted in a spin on the in-lap where he lightly tagged the barriers, costing him two positions and compounding an already difficult afternoon.
"Sì, è stato davvero frustrante," Hamilton explained regarding the incident. He was chasing Lawson and had just activated his overtake button, noting that he was gaining about a second per lap in the slippery conditions. "Proprio nel giro precedente mi avevano detto che le condizioni sarebbero rimaste stabili. Così ho pensato: ‘Ok, posso continuare’. Ma proprio prima dell'ingresso ai box, mi hanno dato l'ordine di rientrare."
Beh, dobbiamo impegnarci per difendere il secondo posto nel campionato Costruttori. È un risultato importante per tutte le persone che lavorano in fabbrica; se lo meritano davvero.
Opting to stay out because he believed the weather would hold, the seven-time world champion was caught out completely. "Poi, arrivato alla curva 1, ho trovato la pista completamente allagata. Non avevo ricevuto quell'informazione," he said, adding that he managed to bring the machine back without heavy wall damage while apologizing to the squad.
Before the late-race drama, the day actually started with a stunning charge through the field. Starting from 20th on the grid, Hamilton rocketed up to ninth by the end of the very first lap. Unfortunately, the brilliant launch could not be sustained. "Purtroppo, però abbiamo avuto problemi con gli pneumatici; oggi abbiamo faticato a mantenerli nella giusta finestra di temperatura," he detailed, pointing to a severe rear tire degradation that triggered heavy oversteer and halted any further progress.
The struggles with tire temperatures plagued the Ferrari outfit all weekend long according to the driver, who noted that things only improved slightly once slick tires were fitted as the track dried out. Later in the race, a clean wheel-to-wheel duel also took place between teammates, with Hamilton confirming they raced each other respectfully.
Looking ahead at the championship battle and the factory's focus, Hamilton emphasized the importance of the immediate future: "Beh, dobbiamo impegnarci per difendere il secondo posto nel campionato Costruttori. È un risultato importante per tutte le persone che lavorano in fabbrica; se lo meritano davvero."
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