Lewis Hamilton

Luck needed to fight for seven or eight title – Verstappen

Published

1 year ago

January 25, 2022

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Luck has been massively helped Max Verstappen more than his talent in the 2021 F1 finale at Abu Dhabi to secure his first F1 world championship. The final stint safety car incident has been helped him to overtook Lewis Hamilton in the last lap, this dramatic incident still making lots of speculations over the Formula 1 world championship integrity.

Reigning Formula One world champion Verstappen is not certainly expecting to win again.

When asked about Hamilton’s tally of seven F1 world titles, the Max told CarNext: “You need a bit of luck to fight for that.

“You need a very dominant team as well. You don’t always have that luck or you’re not in that era. Sometimes it doesn’t happen.

“For me, I always wanted to win one and see where you go from there. Everything that comes now is a bonus but that doesn’t mean that if I lose a race… I will still be upset, but maybe a few minutes after I will say ‘it’s ok’.” Dutchman added.

Red Bull F1 team Principal Christian Horner responded to suggestions that the way last year’s extreme championship fight ended in Abu Dhabi had brought into question whether the Max fully deserves to be called world champion.

“Dietrich (Mateschitz) felt Max was very deserving,” Horner insisted. “He was very proud of what he’d done and what the team had achieved.”

“There was so much controversy but also so much bad luck that these things tend to balance themselves out,” Horner said.

“Yes, we got a little bit lucky with the safety car at the end of the race, but so much bad luck had gone against us throughout the season.

“I think Max led more than 50 percent of the laps, more than every other driver combined. He had more pole positions, more race wins, and for me he was totally deserving.”

Hamilton versus Verstappen, Mercedes versus Red Bull battle is expected to resume with the brand-new technical rules this year. Simultaneously, however, the tension between Wolff and Horner is likely to shortly resume.

“When we fought Fernando Alonso for the world championship, Stefano Domenicali was Ferrari team boss and at that time, the competition was on a – shall we say – gentleman’s level,” said Horner.

“But Toto plays it differently. He’s a different kind of animal.” Horner added.’

Also, certain worries that Red Bull spent too much time focusing on their 2021 car with last year’s test driver Alex Albon saying at one point they “stopped” working on the 2022 F1 car.

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko insists that never happened.

“Albon’s statements were misinterpreted,” Marko told F1Insider.

“All I can say is that we want to defend Max Verstappen’s title and are very well positioned to do so. We had two different development programs running in 2021. Both worked.”

2022 F1

Vettel names Hamilton as biggest F1 rival

Published

5 months ago

October 17, 2022

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Four-time F1 world champion Sebastian Vettel has named seven-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton as the biggest rival in his last 15 years of F1 career, the German ace will be retired from the F1 at the end of season.

During his Ferrari era in 2015 to 2020, Vettel fought with Mercedes speedy Hamilton. Also, there was also some heated rivalry for the 2017 World Title. The duo battled for Pole and race victory in the many Grand Prix’s.

In an interview for F1 official website, he was asked to name who he thought was the biggest opponent of his F1 career. He said: “Lewis, especially when I was at Ferrari. Lewis has always been right up there. Before that, it was probably Fernando Alonso, when he was at Ferrari.”

“Fernando doesn’t need any advice. I’m not sure he’s taking any advice, but he doesn’t need it anyway. He’s been around for so long and seen so much – he’ll be fine,” added Vettel, who also pondered whether a better car would have kept him racing alongside Alonso (41) and Hamilton (37) for longer.

Asked if more aggressive car might have tempted him to extend his Formula 1 career, he said: “I don’t know. Would I be retiring if I had been very competitive over the last three or four years: winning races, fighting for championships – maybe winning another one?

“I might have come to the same decision. Equally, I might not have. It’s impossible to say, but it has crossed my mind.

“Finishing 10th doesn’t give me a buzz because I know how it feels to finish first. If you’ve never finished first, the first time you finish 10th you get a real buzz. But I’m happy that I don’t get a buzz from finishing 10th.”

The German added: “I still love the sport. I still love racing. The decision to retire was a tough one, but I’ve been thinking about it for a while. I know how much commitment this sport requires, and I feel like it’s a good time to do other things.”

2022 F1

Toto playing that mental game – Rosberg

Published

11 months ago

April 24, 2022

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Former F1 world champion and Former Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg has rejected Toto Wolff’s claims to Lewis Hamilton that the Mercedes car is ‘undriveable’, pointing to George Russell’s remarkable performance, because different story for Hamilton’s teammate Russell, who managed to climb from 11th to fourth.

Hamilton finished outside the points for the first time this season at the Emilia Romagna GP. The Brit was made only 14th position in the qualifying and unable to lift his race position, he struggled too much behind the midfield field drivers.

“Lewis, sorry for what you needed to drive today. I know this is undriveable and not what we deserved to score as a result. We will move on from there, but this was a terrible race,” Wolff said on team radio after the chequered flag.

Hamilton replied: “No worries, Toto. Let’s keep working hard,” to which the Mercedes chief added: “We will.”

Rosberg has highlighted Russell’s performance, having climbed from 12th on the grid to finish 4th. “Toto is playing that mental game, which is very smart from him, taking the blame themselves and really trying to support Lewis mentally, lifting him up and saying ‘Lewis, it’s really on us’. Rosberg said.

“That’s very smart because it’s not quite the truth. Remember, Russell is fourth with the same car, so Lewis definitely had a big role to play in that poor weekend. Russell still managed to get fourth out of it, so there was more in that car. The Germen added.

2022 F1

Wolff apologizes to Hamilton for ‘undrivable’ Mercedes

Published

11 months ago

April 24, 2022

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Reigning constructors F1 champion Mercedes’ team principal Toto Wolff apologizes for a “terrible race” and an “undrivable” car as Lewis Hamilton finishes P14 at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

Hamilton start race from 14th position on the grid for Imola race, he was unable to lift the position and unlucky pit-stop incidents also demote him better position in the Sunday race. The Brit encountering a disappointing afternoon and finding himself at the back of a DRS line, unable to make the move on those ahead of them.

“Lewis, sorry for what you needed to drive today. I know this is undriveable and not what we deserved to score as a result. We will move on from there but this was a terrible race,” Wolff said on team radio after the chequered flag.

Hamilton replied: “No worries Toto. Let’s keep working hard,” to which the Mercedes chief added: “We will.”

Totally different story for Hamilton’s teammate George Russell, who managed to climb from 11th to fourth. Hamilton started 14th before finding himself stuck in the lower midfield and unable to find a way out.

When the media asked if pitting earlier could have helped, a dejected Hamilton wonder about: “I really don’t know to be honest. I don’t think it would have made much of a difference. A weekend to forget, that’s for sure.”

“I am out of the championship, for sure, there’s no question about that, but I will still keep working as hard as I can and try and somehow put it back together.” Hamilton added