According to former Formula One driver John Watson, Lewis Hamilton should spend “more time in the gym” in order to address the acute back discomfort he sustained at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
On Sunday, Hamilton struggled to exit his car after a race in Baku that he described as the “most agonising” of his career. The Mercedes driver should be able to compete in this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix.
On the other hand, Mercedes faces difficulty in attempting to correct their ‘porpoising,’ which is the source of Hamilton’s back agony as he rattles about the car as a result of ‘bouncing.’
Mercedes’ team principal Toto Wolff apologised to Hamilton after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and vowed that the team will work to resolve the issue, which has also affected teammate George Russell. However, Watson believes Hamilton would need to be stronger to drive the porpoising Mercedes car.
“Lewis needs to be careful not to act like a pantomime dame,” he told the Daily Mail. “It is a very difficult car to drive but at 37 the bones are not as forgiving of an uncomfortable ride.”
“This is a whole new world to Lewis. He has had seven or so years when Mercedes have been dominant and it’s perhaps like a seven-year itch. George looked pretty fresh afterwards and finished third to Lewis’s fourth.”
“Lewis maybe needs to recalibrate and spend less time in the air and more in the gym.”
After Hamilton’s ‘porpoising’ troubles, Wolff stated he’ll push the FIA to change the rules.
“We need to do something on the regulations because he can’t move,” Wolff said after the race.
“The cars are bouncing so much, most of the cars too, that’s not good. I haven’t spoken to him about it, but it doesn’t look nice.”
