Post here all non technical related topics about Formula One. This includes race results, discussions, testing analysis etc. TV coverage and other personal questions should be in Off topic chat.
Just_a_fan wrote:
One important thing to remember is that Button had an "easier" race than Hamilton because he spent a lot of time in the lead in clear air. Hamilton was continually having to set up and execute overtakes etc. That takes life out of the tyres much more quickly than following ideal lines in relatively clean air does.
But Hamilton didn't need to fight his way through the field on that set of tires. He stopped around 1 lap before Button and came out in clear air in front of Rosberg. So any differences on that tire were simply due to the way they treated them in clear air on that stint.
Hmm didn't Hamilton pit before Rosberg? And then Ham had to put in a few ultra fast laps so that when Rosberg did pit he came out behind Hamilton. I think even with those fast laps and generally catching up to Button and pitting earlier than Button, he (Ham) had pretty decent tire-wear by the end compared to Button who probably panicked and --- himself in the last laps
komninosm wrote:Hmm didn't Hamilton pit before Rosberg? And then Ham had to put in a few ultra fast laps so that when Rosberg did pit he came out behind Hamilton. I think even with those fast laps and generally catching up to Button and pitting earlier than Button, he (Ham) had pretty decent tire-wear by the end compared to Button who probably panicked and --- himself in the last laps
Button was pulling away until he had his off and lost tyre temperature. The gap was up to over 9 seconds from about 3 at the pitstops. I wouldn't be surprised if the extra damage to Button's tyres was caused by during the period after his off. But it's academic anyway now!
Button was pulling away because Lewis was dropping up to 1 second in the third sector. Even when Lewis left front was gone, he was still quicker in the first sector than Button and equally quick in the second.
Before that period, Hamilton was cutting away at the lead, i think from 5 to 2.5s? Then things went wrong with Lewis' tyres.
So yeah, the third is where he suffered the most. Jenson's tyres were gone but were probably more evenly worn out. He may have also been playing around the diffs again to get him a good enough exit off the turn at the straight and at the end of it.
The tyres are a resource, what's left of them is the only measure of how the drivers uses them. Button slid off because they were finished to begin with.
