Lewis Hamilton feels frustrated that sharing data between teammates has become commonplace in Formula 1, saying it is unfair to gain an advantage by studying someone else’s homework.
Most F1 teams operate an open garage policy that sees their drivers help each other find areas for improvement by studying data from both cars following sessions.
Hamilton revealed in a Q&A for UBS that he found this frustrating, and has asked his Mercedes team not to show him data from across the garage.
“I go out, do my laps, do all my homework – the other guy can see everything,” Hamilton said.
“I have asked my team: ‘I don’t want to see my teammate’s [data]’. I don’t feel it’s fair that he brings his A-game and I should be able to study his A-game on a computer.
“The other driver naturally may be able to do more or less than you are. But because of this data they can just copy you.
“He’s braking five metres later there, I’ll go out and I’ll try braking five metres later.”
Hamilton said that he missed the rawness of go-karting at times, with talent being the main difference between drivers instead of data analysis.
“That’s what I loved about go-karting. You weren’t able to do that and that was where just your raw talent is able to shine,” Hamilton said.
“I think it should be: ‘You hired me because I am the best, because I’ve studied, because I’ve won every class that I’ve been in, I’ve not missed one in terms of winning’.
“And you’re hiring whoever the next person is because they’ve hopefully won some things along the way as well and you’re hiring them for their ultimate skill all round.
“They should be able to go out there on their own and find it all themselves without you.
“If I can’t do it on my own then I’m not good enough and I don’t deserve to be there. And there are some drivers that don’t.”
