IndyCar icon turned F1 pundit Danica Patrick has called out Lewis Hamilton after the Mercedes driver suggested that the skid blocks are not a performance-adding component of the car.
The seven-time world champion finished second on the road at the United States Grand Prix last time out but was disqualified following a post-race inspection that found both the No.44 car and Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc to have exceeded the maximum wear on their skid blocks.
With two of the four cars checked proving to be in breach of the technical regulations, this has sparked a heated debate within the paddock with Hamilton calling to either allow teams to change their skid blocks on sprint weekends or for the FIA to investigate more cars.
Speaking ahead of the Mexican Grand Prix, Hamilton told Sky Sports F1: “The skid is not a performance element. Of course, if you have a flat surface everyone is going to be pushing their car to be as low as possible.
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“But it’s mostly some cars handle the bumps better than others and you know we have had a very stiff and bumpy car for the last two years. But ultimately it failed the regulation and that needs to change.”
However, Patrick disagreed with Hamilton’s comments, suggesting that the 38-year-old was attempting to ‘build a case’ against the FIA. Leclerc, who was also disqualified as a result of his car’s illegality, was more prepared to accept the ruling and move past it in his interview.
“I think Charles probably handled it appropriately,” Patrick replied when asked about the pair’s comments. ”Because there’s nothing you can really do about making a change at this point in time. You were illegal and you’re out of the race.
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“It felt like Lewis was trying to sort of build a case and save a little bit of face in it. But at the end of the day, he said it doesn’t make a difference, but it does. That’s why the rule is in place because lowering the car generally always makes it faster. It’s one of the most powerful tools to give the car more grip so I think it does make a difference.
“And maybe it was a little bit to do with the weekend. There was only one practice session and a lot of parc ferme so they weren’t able to change the car and maybe they gambled, maybe they didn’t know. I’m not sure there were.”
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