Mercedes had Intermediate tyre turned into slick on purpose

Lewis Hamilton claimed his seventh world title at Istanbul Park in Turkey. In a tough rain race, the Brit started from the sixth spot. He went on to win after a very long stint on the Intermediate tyre. Mercedes chief James Vowles looks back.

Hockenheim GP 2019 still valuable for Mercedes

On youtube, Vowles answers questions from F1 fans. One of those questions is about the tyres used in wet conditions. How much data is available on Intermediate and Wet tyres?

"We don't have the luxury of an abundance of data with those tyres. We need continuous and complete practice to understand those wet weather tyre. What makes the difference is that the Intermediates and the Wet have not changed that much in recent years".

That's why the teams can still use some data from rain racing in recent years. In retrospect, for example, the team will be able to take advantage of the dramatic Hockenheim GP weekend in 2019. "We can use that data and understand what the tyres are doing here.

Mercedes turned Intermediate into a slick

The fact that Lewis Hamilton won the difficult race in Turkey was largely due to his long stint on the Intermediate tyre. The team turned that tyre into a smooth slick tyre by the end of the race. "When the track gets drier and you drive on inters, the rubber wears out on the surface. There's also less and less water that needs to be processed".

"You continue driving until it becomes a smooth tyre and that tire is actually a soft tyre with low temperature. It's a rubber tyre with a lot of grip that just works well. That's why it's not such a problem to wear out the Inters".

That's why the team wasn't worried at all about Lewis' tyres. The team were confident the green marked tyres would hold up to the finish line.