Hamilton in trouble because Mercedes had to close the holes in the rims?
Although the FIA declared Mercedes' rear wheels legal and fully compliant with the rules, something happened before the race in Austin that could explain why Lewis Hamilton was left without an answer to Kimi Raikkonen's pace in the silver car and more. worse, Max Verstappn in a Red Bull race car. The FIA asked Mercedes to plug the holes in the rims, which are intended to make it easier to control tire temperatures, with silicone putty, which was most likely responsible for the overheating and consequent bubbling of tires on Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas cars. Mercedes used perforated rims for the first time in Belgium to solve rear tire problems, which proved to be decisive in the battle for victory