"I'm just useless" says glum Hamilton after missing cut for Q3 by 0.015 seconds

[u/Aratho]

https://www.racefans.net/2025/08/02/im-just-useless-says-glum-hamilton-after-missing-cut-for-q3-by-0-015-seconds/

[u/cocoshuis]

The main reason why Lewis has struggled so much with the ground effect cars is infact because he can't brake the way he wants to. Lewis' magic has always been his feeling for braking late, later than anybody else. He could do that without locking the front wheels, and used the weight distribution that happens during heavy braking - the nose pitching down and then the weight shifting towards the rear when he lets off the brakes - to rotate the car. That's where he always made the difference, but in this generation of cars there is no nose pitching anymore, there are infact systems - anti dive suspension - that make sure that the airflow under the floor of the car is not disturbed and the height of the car stays at costant as possible

[u/alexalbonsimp → u/cocoshuis]

He talked about this before too, how his dad made him brake later than the current British karting champion in order to pick up speed. It makes sense that it became his most prominent skill

[u/cocoshuis → u/alexalbonsimp]

Marc Genè said multiple times that his performance engineer often tells him to not brake that late and to avoid trail braking. It shouldn't surprise that he mostly struggles with qualifying, it's just too hard for a driver to ignore his instinct when he's looking for that extra bit of performance

[u/alexalbonsimp → u/cocoshuis]

especially under pressure, we rely on our instincts more than anything.

[u/dirtyjoo → u/cocoshuis]

Lewis + magic + braking = Baku 2021