Hamilton reveals biggest challenge in 2019 season

Lewis Hamilton says the biggest challenge for him and Mercedes this year has been getting to grips with the new Pirelli tyres and how to work out strategies around the compounds.

The Brit is on the cusp of his sixth world championship, which he could potentially claim this weekend at the Mexican Grand Prix.

Looking back over the 2019 campaign, which he has dominated for the majority of the year, he doesn’t mention any other drivers as major obstacles to his ascent to the top of the championship.

“I think every season you’re looking at it… obviously we got to the beginning of the year and people thought we were talking ourselves down and not showing our true performance. In actual fact it was reality,” he said ahead of the race in Mexico.

“Ferrari had a good car at the beginning, perhaps it just wasn’t working that great earlier on in the season.

“I think our focus is just always trying to… the biggest challenges are always trying to understand these tyres.

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“I think everyone has been on that case each year and there’s quite a different dynamic to them this season. So if you look at qualifying, for example, I think that’s an area which has probably been my weakest, even though I feel like I’ve been doing good laps but they’ve not been as good as others.”

Hamilton does believe that races have got more competitive from last season to this, however.

“I think the races have obviously been stronger and continued, I guess, on from last year but been very, very strong this season,” he continued.

“But then I guess it’s also just been the balance of everything you’re doing outside of the sport, the obstacles you come across in the build-up to the races and just remaining consistent.”

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