Hamilton endures eye-popping effort

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain prepares for Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix on Friday in Monte Carlo. Hamilton, who has three victories at Monaco, says the course is one of the toughest. “It feels like my eyeballs are coming out of my sockets,” Hamilton said. “It’s the bumpiest roller-coaster ride ever.”
(AP/Daniel Cole)
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain prepares for Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix on Friday in Monte Carlo. Hamilton, who has three victories at Monaco, says the course is one of the toughest. “It feels like my eyeballs are coming out of my sockets,” Hamilton said. “It’s the bumpiest roller-coaster ride ever.” (AP/Daniel Cole)

MONACO -- Lewis Hamilton can still race with his jewelry intact. The bigger problem for the Mercedes star Friday: The rough and tumble track at the Monaco Grand Prix.

"It feels like my eyeballs are coming out of their sockets," Hamilton said after a pair of practice sessions around Monaco's downtown streets.

"There's like 100 bumps on one straight. It's the bumpiest roller-coaster ride ever."

At least he got to drive.

Hamilton has been at odds with Formula One's governing body since the FIA ruled drivers cannot compete while wearing jewelry. The seven-time F1 champion has complained he has piercings that can only be surgically removed, so the FIA granted him a waiver that gave him until Monaco to remove all his studs.

But he arrived in Monaco with a nose piercing still visible, and the FIA has since extended the waiver through the end of June.

"It definitely is positive that we're working with (the FIA) and I think they're accommodating (us)," Hamilton said.

But the mood soon soured once practice began and the new Mercedes for 2022 bounced all over the circuit. The car has been troublesome since its debut and has experienced an aerodynamic issue called "porpoising" in which it hops around on the track.

"Man it's so bouncy here, I'm losing my mind," Hamilton radioed the Mercedes camp. "Need elbow pads in this cockpit. Bouncing like mad."

Hamilton has won three times at Monaco but this weekend is dealing with one of F1's crown jewel venues like never before.

"It's just fighting the car, to put a lap together is 'Wow, holy crap,' " he said. "I don't remember experiencing it like that."

The Mercedes duo of newcomer George Russell and Hamilton were eighth and 10th in Friday's first practice, while Russell was sixth and Hamilton 12th -- and a whopping 1.61-seconds behind Charles Leclerc. The Ferrari driver led both practices.

Mercedes had arrived in Monaco full of hope following promising results last weekend at the Spanish Grand Prix, and after Friday's first practice, Russell remained optimistic.

"I think we've definitely turned a corner," Russell said after first practice. "We can get cracking now and that's pretty inspiring."

Russell's tune had changed after second practice.

"The car's just constantly smashing all over the floor. There's sections where both tires are off the ground," Russell said. "At some points you're almost doing a Wheelie."

Mercedes has been working nonstop to get its new car up to speed and Hamilton is on the verge of stretching his winless streak to eight consecutive races dating to last season's finale. It would equal his longest drought with Mercedes, set between the end of the 2015 season and the start of 2016.

  photo  Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain steers his car during the first free practice at the Monaco racetrack, in Monaco, Friday, May 27, 2022. The Formula one race will be held on Sunday. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
 
 
  photo  Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco steers his car during the second free practice at the Monaco racetrack, in Monaco, Friday, May 27, 2022. The Formula one race will be held on Sunday. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
 
 
  photo  Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco steers his car during the second free practice at the Monaco racetrack, in Monaco, Friday, May 27, 2022. The Formula one race will be held on Sunday. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
 
 
  photo  AlphaTauri driver Yuki Tsunoda of Japan steers his car during the second free practice at the Monaco racetrack, in Monaco, Friday, May 27, 2022. The Formula one race will be held on Sunday. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
 
 
  photo  Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco steers his car during the second free practice at the Monaco racetrack, in Monaco, Friday, May 27, 2022. The Formula one race will be held on Sunday. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
 
 
  photo  Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz of Spain steers his car during the first free practice at the Monaco racetrack, in Monaco, Friday, May 27, 2022. The Formula one race will be held on Sunday. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
 
 
  photo  Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz of Spain steers his car during the first free practice at the Monaco racetrack, in Monaco, Friday, May 27, 2022. The Formula one race will be held on Sunday. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
 
 

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