A tire heating system behind Hamilton's victory in Canada

McLaren has invented an innovative system that allows Lewis Hamilton to be the fastest driver currently in F1. The German German magazine Auto Motor und Sport revealed the mystery, explaining how this device works.

With the collaboration of the famous illustrator Giorgio Piola, the magazine revealed that the English team is using a system that controls the flow of heat from the Pirelli tires. Thus, in a season where one or two degrees of temperature can take a tire outside its small operating window, McLaren's trick was described as "brilliant" by German journalist Tobias Gruner. The mechanics of the Woking team are able to adjust the rear braking system in the pits with a screwdriver: the system is located close to the cockpit. The adjustment affects the rear braking system, and the heat generated during braking is used to heat the tires. This easy and immediate mechanism to adjust would be the key to Hamilton's performance in qualifying in Spain and in the race in Montreal.

But all that glitters is not gold. If at McLaren they chose to benefit Hamilton's driving style, the device has put Jenson Button in crisis, who is suffering perhaps the worst moment in his F1 career. It all started after the Chinese GP, when the FIA ​​prohibited McLaren from using the natural margin of flexibility of the wings to aid aerodynamics. The FIA's tolerance was not sufficient to allow the English team to exploit this flexibility and the replacement of the spoilers, a seemingly minor change, had major implications for Button's performance. The team's subsequent technical changes, including the high nose and modified geometry of the rear suspension, have again helped Hamilton, because combined with the tire heating system they seem to excessively degrade the tires when Button drives. “The problem is very complex”, said technical director Paddy Lowe. “Our machine is good, it just needs to be set up perfectly. The key to everything is the mysterious Pirellis: I'd say we've understood 30 percent of how they work", admitted the McLaren crew chief.

Lorena Bianchi