Lewis Hamilton has dismissed the Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix as a “dull” and restrictive affair, citing that several factors left drivers with little to race for.
Ferrari lacked pace throughout the weekend, and Hamilton cut a frustrated figure as he described the race as one of the least rewarding of the season.
The Briton, who started down in 17th, gained three spots at the start, but he lost places when he had to double stack behind team-mate Charles Leclerc.
With overtaking proving tough at the Lusail International Circuit, Hamilton couldn’t recover to the points as he had done in Las Vegas, coming home 12th.
“I had a good first lap, and after that it was pretty dull,” he told media including Motorsport Week.
Hamilton broadened his criticism to the overall event. Qatar’s mandated 25-lap tyre maximum created locked-in strategies, leaving little scope for variation.
“I’m sure there’s been other bad races here,” he acknowledged.
“But definitely one of the worst Grands Prix in that respect, because everyone just stopped the same time. There’s no flexibility, and then on top of that, you can’t overtake.”
The seven-time F1 champion argued that track, though thrilling to drive alone over a single lap, isn’t conducive to good racing.
“I think it was probably the same for everyone, you know, it’s just a track,” he added.
Hamilton brought issues to FIA’s attention pre-race
Hamilton said that the issues the drivers encountered were foreseeable and should have been solved, citing that he brought them up in the weekly drivers’ briefing.
“I mean, I think, being critical, like if you look, when I was in the drivers’ briefing, for example, I asked them the question, ‘Like, why have you seen last year there was no overtaking? Why have you not, for example, increased the DRS?’ And they’re like, ‘Oh, hmm, hadn’t thought of that.’ I’m like, ‘What are you doing?’”
He added that even the pit lane layout contributes to a constrained race.
“And the pit lane is 26 seconds. If you go to the end of the pit lane, there’s a long space that’s just unnecessary to be in a pit lane, so you can pull that earlier,” he continued.
“The start, it starts super early, so you could squeeze it down to be shorter.”
With tyre life fixed and overtaking scarce, Hamilton said the event offered little spectacle.
“We’ve got these 25 lap maximum on these tyres, so, I mean, it’s one of the worst races. It’s probably the worst race for us to go to when you can’t overtake,” he reiterated.
“And so, [it’s a] beautiful place, and really well-hosted.
“But they’ve got to come up with some other solution, because that, I don’t know, hopefully you write how bad that race was probably to watch. I imagine it’s pretty bad to watch.”
“And it’s so fast that track, you know, it’s a phenomenal track to drive, and it’s very, very fast, it’s just, unfortunately, like Monaco.”
READ MORE – Why George Russell wants FIA to alter DRS zone at F1 Qatar GP
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