Portimao poses numerous problems for the Formula 1 teams and drivers.
In 2020, the new track surface was bitumen-rich and generally oily, which, when combined with cool conditions, resulted in riders fighting massively over tire temperature. That meant a lot of mistakes and ultimately decided in favor of the race result. Lewis Hamilton was able to keep his tires critically hotter after the wet early laps ended, which meant he passed teammate Valtteri Bottas and took the win.
In 2021 the track will be more grippy overall, the surface is no longer so saturated with bitumen, but it is still very difficult – thanks in part to the rain at the venue in recent days, when the temperatures are still cool. In practice, there were noticeably fewer crashes on Friday than six months ago, but the challenges remain great and other factors also affect performance.
The post The dates that make both Red Bull and Mercedes uncertain about the domination in Portimao first appeared on monter-une-startup.
