Lewis Hamilton’s recovery to ninth in Formula 1’s Mexican Grand Prix was made more difficult by damage to the diffuser sustained in a first-lap clash with Sebastian Vettel.
This latest 3D animation from Motorsport.tv’s The Flying Lap reveals the nature of the damage and explains why it cost Hamilton performance.
The diffuser is a crucial component in creating the overall downforce produced by the car and even though the damage to the outer edge might look superficial, it had a big impact.
“Almost half of his right diffuser was ripped off. He lost a lot of performance, the car was badly damaged,” said Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff after the race.
Hamilton ran 20th and last, 23 seconds off 19th place, after the first lap as a result of his slow in-lap with a right-rear puncture, but recovered to salvage two points after passing Fernando Alonso late on.