Tag: fernando alonso

F1 2021: End-of-season Predictions

Formula 1 is likely one of the most difficult sports to predict accurately. There will be those who scoff at this and point to Mercedes’s six consecutive title-winning seasons as the perfect example of how predictable it is. But while championship glory is the ultimate prize there are so many more stories that combine to make Formula 1 the greatest sport in the world.

After a brutal half-season at Red Bull who would’ve predicted that Pierre Gasly so brilliantly rise to the occasion and end 2020 as a race winner? And who would’ve thought that Sergio Perez would win in Bahrain much less be signed up to Red Bull for 2021? And even fewer would’ve expected Ferrari not to keep Seb Vettel in their stable. The point here is that as much predictability as there can be in F1 there can be equally if not more unpredictability too. And on that note let’s set some of our own predictions for 2021. Now, these may well not pan out the way we expect heck they probably won’t, it is F1 after all. But if they do we’ll be happy to take credit and equally as happy to admit that we were wrong after a lengthy steward’s enquiry has been conducted.

We return to some predictions made all the way back in February this year to gauge how right or wrong we were.

Most improved driver

Natalie:

Seb Vettel has endured two and a half miserable seasons at Ferrari. Up to the mid-point of 2018, Vettel looked strong and very much on course to push Lewis Hamilton all the way to the ragged edge for the title. But it spectacularly unravelled and Ferrari fell dramatically by the wayside in succeeding years.

Some would say that Vettel has lost his edge but it might well be a case of Ferrari simply sucking the life out of him. He simply hasn’t looked like the jovial driver we have come to know. With Aston Martin, he may not be challenging for the title but Vettel has a great chance to re-ignite his passion for the sport and to re-discover what has made him one of the greats. The prediction is for Vettel to be on the podium in 2021 and to remind everyone of just how good he is.

End-of-season result: While Seb Vettel did, technically, stand on the podium in Hungary he didn’t quite fulfil the lofty expectations set for him before the start of the season. Though he did get to keep his Baku podium finish.

Final Opinion: Most improved driver – Carlos Sainz. The Spanish driver took like a duck to water in the Ferrari and not only underlined his inherent speed but also beat his highly-rated teammate, Charles Leclerc, to fifth in the driver’s standings.

Our tech writer:

I’m not one to agree with Natalie very quickly and this is no exception. There are quite a few that could be seen as most improved for the year. Sergio Perez is one of the names that come to mind. The Mexican is more mature, he’s measured in his approach and he has a new team to get settled in. Being at Red Bull won’t be very easy. The team is built around Max Verstappen after all. There will be a huge expectation on Perez to beat or just get close to Verstappen. It’s a long shot but my money is on Perez. Honourable mention here for Ricciardo and Stroll.

End-of-season result: I was wildly off with the Ricciardo prediction. Perez didn’t do too bad but not great either. Perez blew hot and cold throughout the season. He delivered when it counted.

Final Opinion: Have to go with Sainz. He did well with McLaren the previous season and then got to Ferrari and was classified every race this season leading to his P5 position in the driver’s championship. Mr Consistency this season.

Driver of the year

Natalie:

For some time Sergio Perez has been steadily plugging away, scoring points, and holding Racing Point together. He’d had a chance in 2013 at McLaren but it came to early on in the Mexican’s career and he never found his groove. Perez stepped up to a new level in 2020 and is very likely to build on this. In 2021 he will have a car capable of winning races. His experience, consistency, and speed will combine to catapult Checo Perez into the upper echelon of the grid.

End-of-season result: Checo had some real struggles matching teammate Verstappen, but who can blame him really.

Final Opinion: 10 race wins and 10 pole positions combine to make Max Verstappen not only the 2021 champion but also the best driver of the year. His drives in France and Texas stand out the most.

Our tech writer:

The best driver of the turbo-hybrid era has to be Lewis Hamilton. He’s in the best car and his performances have just been on another level to his peers. If he takes his 8th world title there’s no doubt he takes driver of the year.

Final Opinion: I’d still put Hamilton as the driver of the year. His ability to focus and put in performance after performance to narrow the championship gap down to zero coming into the final race of the season is what a 7-time world champion would do. He fought with everything till the chequered flag in the last race.

Most improved team

Natalie:

McLaren is already on a solid upwards trajectory and it will continue in 2021. Not only is the Mercedes engine being installed in the back of the McLaren chassis but they have also welcomed Daniel Ricciardo to the team. The Aussie will find his feet quickly and when he does he is a proven superstar that will deliver for McLaren.

End-of-season result: McLaren faded a bit towards the end of the season but they delivered a stellar racing year including a brilliant one-two finish at Monza.

Final Opinion: Sticking with McLaren.

Our tech writer:

Ferrari has a low base to work from. 2020 was abysmal for the Scuderia. Some restructuring went on at the office and no doubt some shiny new toys in the factory to improve the car. There are some positive noises coming out of Maranello pre-testing regarding the power unit. Aerodynamically they’ve been making some strides throughout 2020 and seem to be on some sort of pathway. And with Charles Leclerc who’s now the de-facto leader in the team, will be chomping at the bit to get going this season.

End-of-season result: Ferrari started there about, a slight slump in the midseason saw them drop below McLaren in the constructor’s championship. They kept at it and improved the car and ended up securing third in the championship. Finishing best of the rest is the consolation prize when you’re well and truly beaten every weekend. Special mention to Williams who finished ahead of Alfa Romeo in the standings. Another special mention to Alphatauri and their battle with Alpine. Franz Tost was aiming for P5. They were just beaten to it at the end by Alpine.

Final Opinion: Ferrari.

Constructor’s title

Natalie:

This is the type of predication that could very well not come to fruition but we’re going to make it anyway. The combination of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez is one that can deliver big points race-in-and-race-out. Red Bull unlocked some of their potential towards the end of 2020 and with a point-scoring machine like Perez in the car, they have a great opportunity of snatching this trophy.

End-of-season result: Checo Perez’s struggle to get comfortable in the Red Bull were slightly underestimated. But he certainly did the job in Abu Dhabi, didn’t he?

Final Opinion: Mercedes definitely deserved an 8th constructor’s title. There’s no doubt they were nerfed a bit by the new regs, as it customary in F1. There was no doubt a monumental effort to get the car into shape and it showed.

Our tech writer:

Constructors title No. 8 for Mercedes. I just don’t see any other team that’s able to challenge the Silver Arrows this year.

End-of-season result: Red Bull got close. A couple of unlucky races for them together with some poor showings from Perez cost them the constructors title at the end.

Final Opinion: Well deserved by Mercedes.

Driver’s title

Natalie:

When he eventually puts pen to paper on his contract Lewis Hamilton is the likely shoo-in for the driver’s title. A couple of early wins in the season to build his own momentum and to see if the short-term ‘threat’ of Valtteri Bottas and he should be well on his way to title number eight.

End-of-season result: Who would’ve thought that 2021 would finally see the end of Hamilton’s domination. He gave it all he had though in a season that will be remembered for all of time.

Final Opinion: Max Verstappen’s triumph as driver’s champion comes after an unforgettable season and it is richly deserved. Super Max!

Our tech writer:

I see I’m going to have to agree with Natalie on something! Bottas 4.0 or whatever version we’re on, it just seemed like beta testing all this time. It’s going to be Hamilton unless something drastic happens and we have Verstappen sneaking past at the end. That will be a coup for the bookies. Worth a fiver on Verstappen for the title then?

Final Opinion: Did anyone place their bets on Verstappen? People were ready to tear them up by lap 1 of the Abu Dhabi GP race. Something drastic did happen a few laps from the end and Verstappen snatched his first world title at the end.

2021 has been a season of anxiety, entertainment, controversy, penalties, and most of all – unpredictability. It is likely to be remembered as certainly the best season of the Hybrid era and definitely as one of the greatest of all time.

February 24, 2021
F1 2020: Who Will Renault Sign for 2021?

Some years the driver changes in F1 are downright predictable. But every now and then drivers and teams drop some bombshells that catch everyone by surprise. Seb Vettel’s departure from Ferrari is such a bombshell.

All expectations were for the four-time champ to resign with Ferrari and continue on his quest of winning the title in the red like his childhood hero Michael Schumacher. While Vettel still has one more chance in 2020 to claim that elusive fifth crown his time with Ferrari is guaranteed to be over after the final race of the season.

His decision caused significant reaction in the driver market. Ferrari has already announced the signing of Carlos Sainz Jr. while McLaren snatched Daniel Ricciardo from Renault to fill their vacant seat in 2021. As it stands the seat at Renault, alongside Esteban Ocon, remains empty. Unsurprisingly, the speculation as to who will join the French team continues to simmer.

The good news is that Renault has re-affirmed its commitment to remaining in F1 as a full works team. This put to bed any rumours of the team closing up shop and making an ungraceful exit any time soon. Importantly, it also assures any potential driver that Renault is serious about F1.

A few drivers’ names have been floating around for the Renault seat.

Most likely

Guanyu Zhou. At 21-years old the Chinese racing driver is easily one of the most in the Formula 2 championship. Massively quick and seemingly consistent Zhou is already part of the Renault Sport Academy and is currently retained as Renault’s reserve driver. In addition to his inherent speed Zhou also comes complete with serious sponsorship from China. If he were signed up Zhou would be the first Chinese driver in Formula 1.

Valtteri Bottas. At the end of 2020 Bottas will be out of contract at Mercedes. It is a pretty safe assumption that he will want to remain with the team. But there is, allegedly, interest from Daimler in the services of one Seb Vettel. This would mean Bottas needs to find a new seat and Renault could be a good fit.

Bottas’ performance at Mercedes has, at times, been fairly poor. For example, in 2018 he didn’t win a single race in easily the most dominant car on the grid and finished a lowly fifth in the championship. But his performances have also been good at times. Good enough to ensure the constructor’s title. But the tantalising though of Vettel and Hamilton in the same team may be one that Daimler simply cannot pass up.

He’ll probably do well at Renault too. There will be less pressure than at Mercedes. His only job will be to score solid and consistent points for the mid-field team something he has already proven capable of with his time at Williams. There are credible reports that Renault has initiated discussion with Bottas’ management.

Out-of-the-box

George Russell. The young Brit is a must on any team’s list of potential signings. Russell is a Mercedes Academy driver, and could well be in line for the Merc seat himself. From pre-season testing Williams appear to have put together a much-improved car for 2020. But sooner than later Russell will need to move up the grid and if Merc doesn’t take up the option of moving him into the works team he could be off to new pastures. Renault would do well sign up Russell.

Alex Albon. F1 chain reactions are real and this move is somewhat dependent on the speculation that Bottas could end up at Red Bull if Vettel takes his Merc seat. From his brief time as a Red Bull driver Albon has shown tremendous promise. The Thai driver is undeniably a star in the making and would boost any team he joins. But he’s comfortable at Red Bull and it is unlikely that Helmut Marko and Christian Horner would let him go. But stranger things have happened.

What box?

Sebastian Vettel. In the statement announcing the end of his relationship with Ferrari there was no mention of what Vettel’s future would be. He could well hang up the gloves at the end of the season. He could head off to Merc. Or he could join Renault.

He brings massive star power, presence, and a treasure trove of experience. It will boost morale at Renault and perhaps just be the shot in the arm the French manufacturer needs. But does Vettel want to putter around in the mid-field? Is his love of racing still deep enough to, potentially, give up winning?

Romain Grosjean. Frenchman in a French team is always the best-case scenario for a French team. Lets not forget that Grosjean signed for Haas just before Renault announced their full-time return to the sport. Chances are they would’ve retained his services if the uncertainty at the time didn’t force him to make the move to the American team.

Yes, he’s had several issues and even more crashes. But Grosjean has the potential to be very good. His time at Lotus proved his capability. All he needs is a bit of belief and consistency.

Special mentions

Nico Hulkenberg. The German driver finds himself outside of F1 after being dropped by Renault for Esteban Ocon. The question is whether Renault would want to dip into the Hulkenberg-well for second time? They know what he is capable of and if all other options fail to come to fruition he may be in with a shot of returning to the sport with Renault.

Fernando Alonso. The Spaniard has made no secret of his desire to return to F1 and his management will push hard to get the Renault seat. He won two titles with Renault in ’05 and ’06 and more than likely hasn’t lost any speed since his last stint in the sport. BUT. Signing Alonso doesn’t mean getting a prodigiously quick racing driver. It also means getting Alonso and all of his baggage.

June 9, 2020
Season Wrap: The Year that was F1 2018

The 2018 Formula 1 season is in the history books and with a number of impressive and standout performances will be revered and talked about for some time to come.

Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton

Comparing different eras of the sport is usually discouraged but it is difficult to remember a more dominant team in the sport’s history than Mercedes Benz. Of the 100 grand prix in the turbo-hybrid era, which started in 2014, Merc have won a staggering 74 races. It is a nearly unbelievable statistic until you factor in the Mercedes F1 organisation. From the management structure to the drivers to the irrefutably flawless execution of all processes they leave no stone unturned and nothing to chance. They were pushed in the first half of 2018 and responded in emphatic fashion. Even with the aero changes for next season this team is going to be incredibly difficult to beat.

Of the 74 victories Lewis Hamilton has taken an astounding 51 and with that four world titles. Somehow, despite the car and team at his disposal, he seems able to continually improve from one season to the next and will undoubtedly by a contender in 2019. There will be those who point to his car as the reason for his success but they will do well to recognize that a racing car is only as good as its driver. If you’re still not convinced by this argument consider the fact that Valtteri Bottas, in the same car, finished fifth in the driver’s standings.

Ferrari, Sebastian Vettel

The 2018 season couldn’t have started much better for Ferrari. Evident from the first day of pre-season testing it was clear that Maranello had delivered a car that could fight for, and potentially, win the title. Sebastian Vettel hit the ground running too and for the better part of the first half of the season landed blow after blow on Mercedes and Hamilton. It was the Vettel of years gone by. The unyielding driver who racked up four titles in a row with Red Bull was seemingly on his way to a fifth crown.

But the cardinal rule of Formula 1 is its unpredictability. Before the summer break Ferrari’s chairman Sergio Marchionne passed away. The effect of this shouldn’t be underestimated. Marchionne almost single-handedly turned around Ferrari and that includes the F1 team. He arrived to a team in near ruin and not only righted the ship but made reignited the sense of pride and passion that seemed to be missing in previous years. He was a colossal presence and his sudden death left a gaping hole in the organization. Perhaps this increased the pressure on Sebastian Vettel; an expectation to win for Marchionne and the Ferrari name he nurtured.

Rookie of the year

Charles Leclerc – exceptionally impressive, especially the lap with dry tyres on a greasy track to get into Q3 at the Brazilian grand prix. A few chinks in the armour throughout the season such as silly mistakes and the odd crash. But the Monagasque can hardly be lambasted for them. After all, 2018 was his first year in the sport.

He has one of the biggest challenges next year as a Ferrari driver expected to immediately take the fight to teammate Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton and co. It’s clear to all that Leclerc has the speed to hack it in F1. But being a Ferrari driver is completely different challenge. Unrelenting pressure and expectation will be a new test for Leclerc whose performances as Sauber stood out because there was little anticipation that the car would be able to perform as it did in 2018. In 2019, the uncompromising, often brutal, Italian press and fans will exert a level of pressure Leclerc wouldn’t have experienced before.

On the face of it the 2018 Williams may have masked Sergey Sirotkin’s strong rookie season. But dig a little deeper and it will reveal that the Russian’s season has been quite impressive given the car at his disposal. With a quiet resolve Sirotkin worked away on the car. He kept his head down, remained calm, and continually improved his driving ability. He may have come into the sport with significant financial backing but he attracted those backers with his talent that is far different from buying your way into the sport with family money.

Race of the year

The Circuit of the Americas easily produced the best race of the year. Drama at the start, a plethora of overtaking ensured 56 lap of exhilaration. Most of all, the battle between Hamilton, Verstappen, and Raikkonen in the final laps of the race capped a race for which few would’ve been able to predict the victor. Ultimately, it was Kimi Raikkonen who took victory for the first time in 113 races. There were few, if any, in the paddock disappointed with seeing the Iceman on the top step of the podium in Texas.

The Chinese grand prix deserves a mention. The Red Bull team strategy was played to a tee but it was still up to Daniel Ricciardo to make it work on track. The Aussie’s sublime overtakes will stick in the memory for quite some time and so will the remarkable victory.

Driver performance of the year

While Mercedes and Hamilton are rightly team and driver of the year there were some individual performances by drivers this season that stand out. Not least of all was Ricciardo’s drive to a maiden victory on the streets of Monte Carlo. The Red Bull driver had dominated the entire weekend including a pole position on the Saturday. However, a mechanical issue nearly robbed Ricciardo of finally winning in Monaco. Somehow, and despite being as much as 25% down on power, Ricciardo was able to hold Vettel off take the famed chequered flag.

2019 brings it with a major change to aerodynamics and potentially a reset in the running order. It also brings with a number of questions. Can legendary teams like Williams and McLaren make their way up the grid? Will Mercedes’s domination continue? How will Leclerc fair as a Ferrari driver?

December 5, 2018
Abu Dhabi Gp Review – Hamilton Win Brings Down the Curtain

Despite the fact that the 2018 Formula 1 season consisted of 21 races it ran through the calendar rather quickly. As the season finale Abu Dhabi grand prix brought down the curtain on a season that will be remembered by many for a variety of reasons.

One of the biggest and most lasting memories of F1 2018 will be Lewis Hamilton. An unrelenting and near faultless charge has earned him a fifth drivers’ title which he easily capped with victory in Abu Dhabi. The victory marks the eleventh of the season for Hamilton who was never troubled on his way to the chequered flag.

The race got underway in dramatic fashion as a clash between Romain Grosjean and Nico Hulkenberg sent the latter into a barrel roll. Stewards rightly deemed it a racing incident as Hulkenberg was able to walk away from the spectacular crash without injury. The safety car was needed to clear up the debris by which time the fast starting Charles Leclerc had already dispatched Daniel Ricciardo to be running fifth.

Up ahead Lewis Hamilton’s easily gapped teammate Valtteri Bottas at the restart after the safety car period. The Ferrari’s of Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen followed in third and fourth. Though he started sixth on the grid Max Verstappen dropped to tenth at the start of the race as his engine engaged a safety mode off the start line. At the restart of the race he found himself in close attendance with none other than Esteban Ocon and his Force India teammate Sergio Perez. He got past the Perez relatively easily but it would take slightly more to get eighth off Ocon. Nevertheless, from quite a long way back he dove for the inside line into the Turn 7 hairpin and with a bit of contact was past the Frenchman. There is no doubt that he would’ve had the Brazil incident well in his mind.

A lap later Kimi Raikkonen pulled off to the side of the start/finish straight as his Ferrari succumbed to an electrical failure. Despite attempting to restart the car there was nothing to be done as the Finn signed off his career at Ferrari with a DNF. Raikkonen’s stricken Ferrari did bring out the Virtual Safety Car (VSC) which allowed race leader Hamilton to score a relatively cheap pitstop.

While Hamilton pitted early Red Bull attempted the opposite strategy with Daniel Ricciardo by running the Australian driver much longer on his Ultrasoft tyres. Though he led the race for some time it was clear that Hamilton had the pace to negate any advantage Red Bull would get from running longer. Astonishingly and despite being in the desert the camera picked up spots of rain. The few drops though weren’t enough to affect the track surface and Ricciardo dived into the pits on lap 34. He emerged in fifth and seemed to set to make a go of getting on the podium in his final race for Red Bull.

Further ahead Vettel took advantage of Bottas’ mistake and snatched second place from the Finn. It wasn’t too long before another error allowed Verstappen onto his gearbox and eventually past him. Ricciardo too made short work of the doleful Bottas who eventually finished fifth. There is much for the Finn to contemplate over the winter as he now has the unenviable stat of being the first Mercedes driver since 2012 to not win at least one race in the season.

While there was little in the way of a close battle at the sharp-end of the race the midfield ensured for several dices with a three-way battle for position between Stoffel Vandoorne, Romain Grosjean and Sergio Perez providing the best entertainment.

It was as easy a Sunday drive as Hamilton has likely experienced in 2018 and it demonstrates a shift in his own mentality too. In previous years his motivation would take a determined dip after securing the title but it never materialized in 2018. It is a great testament to Hamilton and his ability that despite a near faultless season he still sees room for improvement.

While Hamilton upped his tally of wins to 73 Sebastian Vettel secured second with Verstappen in third for Red Bull. Daniel Ricciardo’s late charge fizzled before the chequered flag but in his 100^thrace for Red Bull still finished a solid fourth. While Bottas dejectedly trundled home in fifth Carlos Sainz was best of the rest in sixth. 2019 Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc was seventh ahead of Sergio Perez in eighth while Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen completed the top ten. Though Nico Hulkenberg was out on lap 1 he maintained his seventh position in the championship standings. Elsewhere, Kimi Raikkonen finished third in the driver’s standings despite not seeing the chequered flag in Abu Dhabi.

There should rightly be a few days of reflection about the 2018 Formula 1 season. After all, it provided extreme highs and created memories that will likely live on for quite some time. But Formula 1 is a sport that relentlessly focuses on the future and with 107 days to go to the Australian grand prix it cant come soon enough.

All images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport

November 26, 2018
F1 2018: Abu Dhabi Quali Report – Hamilton Romps to Pole

Decked out in shiny new golden dome Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton romped to pole position for the final round of the 2018 F1 season in Abu Dhabi.

The five-time champion lapped the Yas Marina circuit is a staggeringly quick 1:34:794 while teammate Valtteri Bottas was second on the timing sheets. The one-two lock out secures a record-breaking fifth consecutive domination of the front row in Abu Dhabi.

Elsewhere, Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel was third quickest and will share the second row of the grid with departing teammate Kimi Raikkonen. Though Red Bull turned an impressive pace in free practice they weren’t able to replicate it in quali. In his final race for Red Bull Daniel Ricciardo is slated to start fifth with teammate Max Verstappen alongside in sixth.

Haas F1’s Romain Grosjean proved to be best-of-the-rest in seventh while Charles Leclerc, Esteban Ocon, and Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg complete the top ten. In what is he last quali session, at least for some time, Fernando Alonso could only qualify 15th in his McLaren. He does however ensure a season whitewash of 21-0 over teammate Stoffel Vandoorne in qualifying.

(1. Hamilton, 2. Bottas, 3. Vettel, 4. Raikkonen, 5. Ricciardo, 6. Verstappen, 7. Grosjean, 8. Leclerc, 9. Ocon, 10. Hulkenberg, 11. Sainz, 12. Ericsson, 13. Magnussen, 14. Perez, 15. Alonso, 16. Hartley, 17. Gasly, 18. Vandoorne, 19. Sirotkin, 20. Stroll)

November 24, 2018
F1 2018: Abu Dhabi Gp Preview – Adieu Formula 1 2018

Unfortunately all good things must eventually come to an end. So it is the case for, amongst other things, the 2018 Formula 1 world championship season.

For the final round of the season the Formula 1 paddock makes its home in the Abu Dhabi paddock as the cars and drivers ready themselves for a dash around the Yas Marina circuit. Introduced in 2009 the Abu Dhabi grand prix has provided a most fitting and spectacular backdrop as the season finale. It is unique as the only race that starts at dusk and ends under floodlights thereby making it the only twilight race on the calendar.

While the Yas Marina complex is an impressive complex the 5.5 km circuit hasn’t exactly been known for delivering spectacular races. Designed by F1’s architect of choice Herman Tilke the track is dominated by 1.2 km straight which naturally rewards those with a bit more engine power. The straight is bookended by slow-speed corners that will encourage overtaking. The track surface is especially smooth which should be in favour of those who have a tendency to put extra of their tyres.

It isn’t only the 2018 season that comes to its conclusion this weekend either. Double world champion Fernando Alonso bids Formula 1 farewell after a storied career. In 2001 he showed up as a fresh-faced rookie driver at Minardi. From Minardi he joined Renault and won back-to-back titles with Renault in 2005 and 2006 before moving to McLaren for 2007. He made a brief return to Renault in 2008 and 2009 before joining Ferrari in 2010. Unable to win a title with the Italian team Alonso returned to McLaren at the start of the 2015 season.

His speed and unapologetic hunger to win was immediately evident and a trademark of his years in the sport. Not only did he popularized Formula 1 in Spain but he is also, by many, considered to be one of the best drivers of his generation. Of his talent there is little doubt but his is a career also tinged by several controversies. But still there can be no uncertainty that Fernando Alonso’s name will forever be written and remembered the folklore of Formula 1.

Despite four years of uncompetitive racing at McLaren Fernando Alonso has lost none of his racing spirit and certainly none of his desire for desire for victory. In 2019 he will continue to race in the World Endurance Championship while making another bid for victory at the Indianapolis 500 and the famed Triple Crown. And though it seems unlikely there is nothing to suggest, despite his age, that he couldn’t make a return to Formula 1 in the future.

Elsewhere, Kimi Raikkonen’s 151^stfor Ferrari will also be his last for team. The Raikkonen/Ferrari story has been an fascinating one highlighted by the ultimate pinnacle of the world championship in 2007. While Raikkonen moves to Sauber for the 2019 and 2020 seasons, where he hopes “to have fun”, he remains, to date, Ferrari’s last F1 world champion.

Daniel Ricciardo too moves into the next phase of his racing career as he competes in his final race for Red Bull this weekend. Not too long ago it was unfathomable to imagine the popular Aussie as anything other than a Red Bull driver. However, his move to Renault for 2019 is an enormous challenge and he will leave the Red Bull stable with his head held high and several dazzling victories.

Valtteri Bottas is staying put at Mercedes and will be hoping to add a dazzling victory to his otherwise mediocre season. The Yas Marina circuit, and its smooth surface, is one that suits Bottas’ driving style and he’d be a good bet for the win this weekend is he hits the sweet spot.

November 21, 2018
F1 2018: Brazil Gp Preview – Title Battle Still On

More often than not the crowing of an F1 drivers’ champion takes the sting out of the remaining races of that season. But there is no such thing as a dead rubber in Formula 1 and it is certainly not the case in 2018 as Mercedes and Ferrari are still embroiled in a battle for the constructor’s championship title.

While most of the attention is often paid to the drivers’ title the constructor’s championship trophy is as coveted. Lest we forget, the two cars that pound around circuit after circuit around the globe are only able to do so because of the incredible effort of hundreds of people both at the factories and trackside. And then there is the marketing capitol that goes along with being able to emblazon all promotional material with the champion epithet.

The fight for the sought-after prize sees Mercedes in the lead by 55 points over Ferrari. With a maximum of 86 points still available in the final two races of the season there is every chance that Ferrari could still walk away with at least one championship trophy from 2018. And there are several reasons to suggest why they may just do it too. Generally, as evidenced in the last few seasons, Lewis Hamilton’s form seems to dip slightly after winning a title, which could be something for Ferrari to pounce on. What’s more, Valtteri Bottas will no longer be in Hamilton-wingman-mode which could, potentially, prevent Mercedes from executing the perfect strategy by focusing on only one car.

Another detail to add to the mix is the fact that Hamilton has never been a particularly special performer around Brazil’s Autodromo Carlos Pace, which hosts the penultimate race of the season this weekend. Though Hamilton claimed his first championship title here in 2008 in astonishingly dramatic fashion the Brit has never truly bossed this track.

What’s more, since Ferrari finally figured out where it went wrong with their upgrade package their pace has returned. A win at the US grand prix and a double podium in Mexico is proof of that. While Kimi Raikkonen, off to Sauber for 2019, has racked up eleven podium finishes in nineteen races, it is Sebastian Vettel who should want to atone for the mistakes that he’s made this season. There is no better way to do this than to deliver the constructor’s trophy to Maranello. With the weather forecast predicted to be sunny on race, at least for now, Ferrari has every opportunity to put one over Mercedes who has been struggling with tyre wear in warmer conditions.

There could hardly be a better backdrop for this battle that Brazil’s iconic circuit at Interlagos. The lap may be a relatively short one but it has hardly ever been short on delivering dramatic and enthralling races. And it has been the sight of many a championship triumph. This is Ferrari’s chance, which has already let one title slip through their fingers, to stand up and show what they are made of. Or will they once again trip over their own feet?

November 9, 2018
F1 2018: Mexican Gp Review – Verstappen Mighty in Mexico

The 2018 Mexican grand prix hasn’t been the most dramatic race of the season but it was certainly an unusual one. For Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari the equation was quite simple as nothing other than victory could stop Lewis Hamilton from clinching the driver’s championship.

Victory however was nearly always out of the question as Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, dominant for most of the weekend, jumped into the lead of the race and never looked back. Though it was Daniel Ricciardo who started from pole the other Verstappen and Hamilton overtook the Red Bull driver before they reached turn one.

It was fairly easy for Verstappen to clear off in the lead of the race and replicate his performance from 2017. Behind him Hamilton, Ricciardo, and Vettel were engaged in a close scrap for most of the race. Hamilton, with a Merc shredding its tyres, would eventually be out of the equation and off the podium but still in position to win the title. Though Vettel turned a much quicker pace on the Supersoft tyre in the second stint of the race Verstappen was already too far up the road. He was on the verge of taking second place of Ricciardo but the Aussie driver suffered a suspected engine failure on lap 62 bringing his number of retirements for the season to eight.

Further adrift Kimi Raikkonen came home in third for Ferrari while Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas were fourth and fifth. It was a peculiar day in terms of performance for Mercedes who struggled significantly with tyre-wear throughout the race. Such was their lack of pace that Hamilton finished nearly eighty-seconds behind Verstappen while Bottas was lapped by the race leader.

It was a good day for Renault with Nico Hulkenberg in sixth ahead of Sauber’s Charles Leclerc in seventh. While Fernando Alonso retired early on after hitting debris on lap one McLaren’s Stoffel Vandoorne finished eighth while Marcus Ericsson and Pierre Gasly completed the top ten. Unfortunately, the fervent crowd support for their local driver Sergio Perez wasn’t enough as the Mexican driver failed to reach the chequered flag.

Other than a few anxious moments towards the end of the race, given Ricciardo’s suspected engine failure, Verstappen delivered a flawless drive to claim the fifth win of his career. The amazing fact is that at age 21 Max Verstappen has not yet reached his full potential. It’s an exciting thought then that even from dominant performances, like in Mexico, Verstappen could and probably will only get better with time.

As much praise as Verstappen deserves for his performance the limelight too belong to Lewis Hamilton. It doesn’t feel all that long ago that a rookie British driver scythed around of Fernando Alonso into turn one at the start of the Australian grand prix in 2007. There would likely have been more than a few who would’ve predicted that Hamilton would become world champion but few would’ve imagined a tally of five world titles.

The inevitable question is where Hamilton ranks in the list of the all-time greatest Formula 1 drivers. But how do you quantify greatness? Some would cite race wins or number of titles as the determining factor. If this is the most logical way of quantifying and calculating greatness then an astonishing five world titles has pushed Lewis Hamilton into the company of Juan-Manuel Fangio and the great Michael Schumacher. And he’s not done yet.

All images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport

October 29, 2018
F1 2018: USA Gp Review – Masterful Raikkonen Lassos Texas Win

The United States grand prix weekend produced a race for every F1 fan to relish, regardless of where loyalties may lie. There is little doubt that the Circuit of the Americas produced a race that will be long remembered as, so far, the most absorbing and exceptional of the 2018 season.

It didn’t start off that way as torrential rain-washed out Friday’s free practice sessions. This ultimately meant that drivers and teams were in unknown territory as far as tyre degradation was concerned. Instead of terabytes of data team strategists had to rely on the feel and feedback of their respective drivers.

Saturday qualifying went the way of Lewis Hamilton but the top three were covered by less than a tenth of a second. But while Sebastian Vettel qualified a mere 0.060 off Hamilton as a result of speeding under the red flag during Friday’s practice session Vettel was demoted three places on the grid. This promoted Kimi Raikkonen, who was only 0.071 adrift, onto the front row. While Valtteri Bottas shared the second row of the starting grid with Daniel Ricciardo the sister Red Bull of Max Verstappen was all the way down in 18^thafter having broken the rear-suspension in the first session of qualifying.

With Vettel in fifth Hamilton seemed set for victory and a fifth world title. But Raikkonen swooped into the lead and held off the Merc relatively easily. But as Raikkonen seized the lead of the race Vettel, once again, found himself spinning on the first lap after banging wheels with Ricciardo. It dropped the German down to 15^thand seemingly handed the title to Hamilton.

Despite being second to the number 7 Ferrari Hamilton started on the more durable SuperSoft tyre as opposed to Raikkonen who was on the Ultrasoft compound, which should’ve forced the Finn into the pits earlier than the Mercedes driver. However, a virtual safety car (VSC) was deployed to recover the stricken Red Bull of Daniel Ricciardo. By this stage Verstappen, true to form, had roared back into contention and ran comfortably in the top six.

Under the VSC Hamilton pitted while Raikkonen carried on. Because of the reduced speed of the cars on track during the VSC Hamilton effectively gained nine second on Raikkonen. At the time it looked as if Ferrari, by not pitting, had handed the advantage to Mercedes on a silver platter. The Ferrari strategists seemed sure that with so much of the race to run Hamilton would need to pit again. It didn’t seem a smart move though as Hamilton closed down Raikkonen by two seconds a lap. But the Finn is by far one of the most experienced and savvy drivers on the grid and was able to hold off Hamilton and cost him a significant amount of time; thereby effectively wiping out the advantage he’d gained with the cheap pitstop under the VSC.It turned out that Ferrari were right as Hamilton dived into the pits for a second stop on lap 38. He rejoined in fourth behind teammate Bottas and Red Bull’s Verstappen while Raikkonen took back the lead of the race. Meanwhile Vettel had recovered to fifth and was closing down Bottas, who ceded position to Hamilton, at a rate of knots.

What followed was, arguably, the best eleven laps of racing that the 2018 season has seen so far. Hamilton needing second to win the title and on significantly fresher tyres demolished the 12-second gap to Verstappen who in turn was never more than 1.5 second behind Raikkonen. But the Brit could go no further once he ran into the Dutch roadblock in the shape of Verstappen. The penultimate lap was the closest Hamilton came to second-place as he went wheel-to-wheel with Verstappen for several corners. But the resolute defending of the Red Bull driver was enough to keep Hamilton in third where he eventually finished.

The Verstappen/Hamilton fight afforded Raikkonen some breathing room as he went on to take the chequered flag in what is undoubtedly a popular win. So spectacular was the race that even Hamilton who started from pole and finished third was clearly chuffed with the day’s racing in the post-race interview. Verstappen too was thrilled with yet another stunning drive through the field to the podium.

Elsewhere, Vettel recovered to fourth while Bottas trundled home in fifth. It was good day for Renault as Nico Hulkenberg and Carlos Sainz finished sixth and seventh. Esteban Ocon finished eighth on track but was later, along with Haas F1’s Kevin Magnussen, disqualified for exceeding fuel-flow regulations. It meant that Sergio Perez inherited eighth as Brendon Hartley and Marcus Ericsson completed the top ten.

Where has Ferrari sudden resurgence come from? It turns out that the upgrade package, introduced in Singapore, was the catalyst for the team’s downturn in pace over the last three races. It was only after on Friday in Texas that Ferrari reverted to the car they ran in Belgium that the pace re-appeared. It’s a case of too little, too late for the Italian team though as Hamilton needs to outscore Vettel by only five points to win the 2018 title.

This victory for Raikkonen has been a long time coming and it put on display the best of his considerable talents. It’s even more poetic when you consider that on the very same day in 2007 he became world champion. Those who are more than casual viewers of the sport will recognize that at the age of 39 Kimi Raikkonen clearly hasn’t lost any of his skill or speed.

All images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport

October 22, 2018
2018 USGP: Thursday Press Conference

DRIVERS – Daniel RICCIARDO (Red Bull Racing), Fernando ALONSO (McLaren), Lewis HAMILTON (Mercedes), Romain GROSJEAN (Haas)

PRESS CONFERENCE

Q: Lewis, we’re going to start with you. You’ve been hugely successful here in the past and it looks like they’ve had you busy here as well this week, so just talk us through what you’ve been up to in New York this week?

Lewis HAMILTON: It’s just been the normal promotion stuff. I was there with IWC and with the team at the NASDAQ conference that we had… and then a bunch of other TV stuff I just did.

Q: Well, America seems to be a place you have quite an affinity with, and you’ve won the last four races here, as well as the Drivers’ title in 2015. Does it feel like it’s all coming together again for a repeat this weekend?

LH: Not particularly, no. It just feels like another race weekend we have, and we want to win, so it’s a simple goal for us, we just arrive to try and do the same thing. The weather is up and down and our goal is really just to perform as we have in previous races, we’re not thinking about it in any other way.

Q: Thank you. Fernando, you’ve got a huge following here in America after your Indycar exploits, but how special will this final US race in Formula 1 be for you this weekend?

Fernando ALONSO: Yeah, it’s always special racing here, with all the fans. Hopefully we’ll have a good show on the weekend. As Lewis said, the weather is a bit up and down on Friday and Saturday especially, hopefully that will mix things a little bit and we’ll see a good race on Sunday. In our case I think we different targets, to try to score points after two races out of the points. It’s going to be challenging but we’ll try.

Q: You’ve spent a fair bit of time in America this year. Will you be spending even more time here next year? Can you tell us anything about your 2019 plans?

FA: Yeah, I don’t have 21 races in F1 to travel around to, so with more free time I will come to the States… for a holiday. A little bit more.

Q: How about from a racing perspective?

FA: Let’s see. As I said many times, the Indy 500 is still very attractive, as it was last year, and after winning Le Mans this year, it’s even more attractive to try to achieve it in the short term. Still working on plans for next year and as soon as they are finalised you will know.

Q: Daniel, you also seem to really enjoy it over here. We’ve seen you’ve been at a Longhorns game this weekend. Is this one of your favourite events of the season?

Daniel RICCIARDO: Yeah, it is. I love it. I don’t know, I’ve always enjoyed coming here. The football was a really cool experience. It’s amazing how many people go to a college game, how the capacity is that alone. It’s cool to experience new things and yeah, I’ve had a good week!

Q: Well, this season you’ve had two race victories but no podiums alongside that. Is it realistic to expect you to change that record here this weekend.

DR: Yeah, I think so. I think we’ll have a decent car around here. It’s weird, yeah I know, that I haven’t had any actual podiums. So yeah, we’ll try to make it happen. Last year I was going pretty strong in the race but then we had to stop with some mechanicals. It’s definitely a fun track to race on. I enjoy Austin alone, but the circuit as well is really good for racing. You can overtake and it’s pretty unique, so I’m happy if it’s kind of wet for Friday and Saturday but I kind of feel if the race is dry Sunday it will still be pretty exciting.

Q: Thank you. Romain, we’ve talked about the affinity these guys have with America, but it’s a home race for Haas, and you’ve got just four races left to try to overhaul Renault in the Constructors’ Championship. So us there a lot of pressure on this weekend?

Romain GROSJEAN: I think the pressure is always on, to be fair. Different levels, obviously for the top guys to win the championship, and for us to go and try to get Renault in the Constructors’. It’s a great weekend, it’s going to be very busy, a lot of marketing commitments, but I think it’s a good that we’re here, racing here for an American team and coming this year with a competitive car compared to the first two years us great.

Q: If I could just ask you about your own form. You had a tough start to the season, but then I think you scored 31 points in the last nine races. Just how did you go about turning that around?

RG: Thirty-nine. I got eight stolen in Monza.

DR: He’s not still bitter!

RG: No, I think everything is going great since Germany. It was a rough start to the season and things didn’t go my way. A bit of bad luck and bit of mistakes and all together it makes like a snowball effect. At one point I managed to stop that and come back to where I wanted to be. I’m really enjoying driving the car. I think we’ve had some really good races and I’m looking forward to the four last ones and here especially.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Christian Menath – Motorsport-Magazin.com) Lewis, I know you’re not looking at the championship all the time, but if we would do an overlay from last years championship to this year’s championship it was pretty tight all season but then after the summer break the car and you personally, you really kicked off. Is this just a coincidence or is there anything – that you are understanding the tyres better, the team is understanding the car better? What is your explanation for that?

LH: Yeah, it’s probably just a coincidence that it’s exactly the same but we are improving the car the whole year long. We are improving our knowledge of the car and how to get the most out of it. If we knew what we knew in the second half we would do a lot better at the beginning. That’s just how it is in the sport. That’s how it always is. It’s been the same since I started in 2007. I think it’s probably the same for everyone. Not really much more else to say.

Q: (Dieter Rencken – Racing Lines, Racefans.net) For all of you, though Fernando I know this doesn’t really affect you for next year. The 2019 regulations state that the drivers weighing under 80 kilos will be ballasted up to 80 kilos, that ballast to be carried within the sort of cockpit area. How do you feel about that? Is that correct or should drivers be allowed to take advantage of their physique, as they can in other sporting activities?

DR: I personally feel that they are just getting us prepared for more races in America.

LH: NASCAR.

DR: All of us will enjoy our food a little more! I’m not complaining about it. It’s not like we’re going to, let’s say, take the piss, it’s more just a lot of us now tend to starve ourselves on race weekends and even training we can’t really do much strength training because we would just put on mass. I think it will just allow us to train harder, eat harder… Eat harder? Eat more. But it’s not like we’re going to have beer bellies or anything, we’re just going to be stronger and I think that’s only a good thing.

LH: I disagree. I think there are going to be some people with bigger bellies.

DR: Well, the small guys can afford to do everything!

Q: Romain, your thoughts on the weight?

RG: I think it’s a great thing. I’ve been the same as… Daniel and Lewis are quite tall. I think it hasn’t been great to starve ourselves and not eat as want to, so a few kilos of margin is going to be great. It will be a challenge for the team, because getting to the minimum weight for the regulation with the 80 kilos for seat and driver together is going to be tricky, but on the other hand it’s going to make our lives an awful lot better.

Lewis, any further thoughts?

LH: I think it’s great. It’s definitely going to open the doors up for people like Will Ferrell and all those who weigh a lot more to come in! It’s always been something we’ve all worked hard to keep in shape and it has been something we’ve worked really hard at; to make sure we’re not overweight. I guess we can eat more pancakes. I think we will prepare more and we can all be a little bit stronger next year. I guess for the people who are struggling to come under the weight; for example there are some of the taller drivers who struggle to be less than 80 kilos. I guess it doesn’t really make much difference for them otherwise.

Q: Fernando, you won’t be racing here next year, but you have raced in other categories where weight balances are different. Do you think this is a good move for Formula 1?

FA: Yeah, I think it is. In Formula 1, I’m obviously not one of the tallest, so it’s more a question for the tall guys and I think it’s fair for everyone, so I think it’s good. In other series, in WEC in particular, where the weight is free, that normally gives and advantage to the lighter and smaller guys, and probably that is unfair in a way, so I think Formula 1 is doing great on that.

DR: Ricky Bobby.

LH: Ricky Bobby.

DR: I caught it, it’s alright.

LH: I noticed. No one else watched Talladega Nights. Ricky Bobby. No? Overweight NASCAR driver. NASCAR drivers can now come over to Formula 1, which is cool.

Q: (Scott Mitchell – Autosport) Daniel, we know you’ve not had the smoothest season, you’ve talked about that before. Your 2019 team, Renault, hasn’t had the smoothest end to the year either: they’ve been quite honest about falling behind on the engine side and the car side. That situation’s changed, obviously, since you agreed to join them. How much of a concern has it been watching their performance, and how encouraging is it to hear they’re planning an all-new engine for next year?

DR: It’s encouraging, obviously. When I signed, I knew that there was work ahead but I know that they’re putting a lot of effort into making things better and expanding a lot of departments and trying to make ’19 stronger and ’20 and whatever. Yeah, the way the last few races have been this year, obviously, it would be nice to see them improve every race and whatever but I honestly don’t look into it too much yet. I think ’19 is a new car and it’s going to be a fresh start again, so I’m not spending too much energy on that at the moment. Obviously, all I can do is, once my year’s done is try to be fully immersed into it all and try to help as much as I can and see how things go from there.

Q: (Jon Massengale – Speed City) We’ve got a lot of American fans excited about the Haas F1 team, the momentum they have coming into Austin for good points – but all four of you up there talk about excited to race in the United States. I want to ask, what can we do to continue the momentum to grow the sport here in the United States?

RG: Well, I think, to me the obviously, answer is to get more races in the US. I think most of the time it’s really hard for the audience to watch the grands prix, it’s the middle of the night. It’s not easy to grow the fan base. I think more races in the US. I think races a bit more exiting as well. If you look at NASCAR, you never know who’s going to win the race. In Formula One I can tell you it’s going to be the Mercedes or Ferrari winning on Sunday. I think that could be improved – but definitely more races in the US to get closer to the fans would be the first thing.

Lewis, your thoughts on how we can grow it here?

LH: I agree with what he said. We do have the one race and this is a big, big country with a lot of sporting heritage. They love intensely-fought games but also have something to look forward to – because there’s a build-up to multiple games. We only have that one race here, so the people, for example in this city or people in the close States that fly over for this one grand prix, which happens once a year, it’s like a festival. You can’t really get too excited about one festival in a season. So, that’s probably something that Liberty will be working on for the future.

Fernando, your thoughts?

FA: More or less the same. Try to get more races here, hopefully one American driver into F1 soon, and that will help. I think it will take a little bit of interest into the sport and have a little bit more unpredictable races is more or less what they have here. To have people expecting the unexpected until the end.

And Daniel, your thoughts on growing the sport here.

DR: I have to agree with all that. Currently they don’t have an American driver. We can do our best to put on an accent and fill those boots. [Approximation of Texan accent] I can try all I can – I don’t know how these boys can do it but I’ll give it a red-hot crack and see how we go.

We wondered how long it would be before you did that…

DR: It was only a matter of time!

Q: (Andrew Benson – BBC Sport) Lewis, what’s your explanation for how you’ve taken off, collectively, since the summer break. Is it just stepping forward with the car? Is it personally? Is it mistakes from the opposition? What is it? What’s the biggest factor do you think?

LH: I haven’t really thought about it much. It’s a combination of so many things. Naturally, as a driver, you do improve. Or, at least, I’ve noticed in myself, I can’t speak for everyone – but I’ve noticed I improve throughout the year. How you conduct yourself, how you perform within the team, how you’re able to maximise in the car. If you go back through all the years, you know I always say that by the second half of the season I should be better, and most of the time that’s usually the case. I think also, as a team, we’ve collectively done a better job in every area. And then, the other side, for sure, has not done as good a job in that respect, coming into the second phase. So, I don’t really have a massive explanation for it. My knowledge is as good as yours in that sense.

Q: (Ben Hunt – The Sun) Lewis, you said you’re concentrating one race at a time – but you do stand on the brink of winning a fifth World Championship. What does that mean to you, were you to do that this weekend here in Austin?

LH: Again, really as a team, none of us are saying how cool it would be if it happened this weekend or the next, we’re not focussing on ifs. We’re focussing on making sure that we deliver. There’s still 100 points available. We can just never be complacent in life, and in a Championship as intense as this. We expect Ferrari to punch back hard here this weekend, so we can’t be relaxed in any way, shape or form. We’ve got to make sure we come here and raise the bar again. So, I’m definitely not thinking this weekend, how’s it going to feel if we do the job. Because I’ve got to do the job and that just adds more pressure and you just don’t need more pressure. So, focussing on making sure that I drive the best that I’ve driven all year long and we get the car where we need to get it. It’s going to be wet, I think, all day tomorrow, as far as I’ve heard, and potentially on Saturday, so it’s going to be a tricky weekend. So, nothing is a given.

Q: (Jim Vertuno – AP) Lewis, given that this season has been a chase for a fifth championship, what does the name Fangio mean to you, his place in history and can you imagine yourself trying to drive the cars he muscled around the track back in his era?

LH: Imaging myself driving some of those cars back then? I have driven some of those cars. Stirling Moss’s car I’ve had a go in, some of the Silver Arrows they had, around the old Monza circuit, for example, with Sir Stirling, which is pretty intense. It’s always really strange to hear the drivers’ mental philosophy back then. Sir Stirling would say you’d want to fall out if the car’s going to crash: you hope that you get thrown out the car. It’s a much more confined space for us. It’s all about being stuck in and being safe. I would have… I don’t know if the 50s was a particularly good time, wasn’t a great time for black people either, so probably wouldn’t have been racing back then, but I’m grateful to be in this era and with the technology that we have and seeing the cars advance. I’m so grateful to be part of this era. Fangio is always… he’s like the godfather of the drivers’ sport for us. He’s the godfather for us, one of the greats from the beginning and will always be admired in the sport. It is crazy to think that I’m embarking on a similar number of championships that he had.

Q: (Phil Duncan – PA) Fernando, just on Lewis, when you first met him in 2007, did you think this guy would have the credentials to go on and match Fangio, win five titles and all the races? And Lewis, we saw you issued a post in Instagram, just defending Sebastian. Do you think his criticism has been a bit unjust this year?

FA: Well, probably at that time it was difficult to image what the future could bring for Lewis, and for any of the guys on the grid. But yeah, definitely, he had showed the talent from day one, and fighting for the Championship in his rookie year, winning in 2008. Probably at that time, we all agree that five or seven World Championships will be possible. Then, obviously, was a little bit down due to the performance of the car for a couple of years. And then, yeah, switching to Mercedes at that time, we all were thinking that maybe was not positive – because at that time Mercedes was struggling in 2013, and things like that. So, it’s up and down, the feelings. I’m happy for him because he showed the talent from day one. He was able to win races when the car was there to win it but he was able to win races in some of the seasons when the car was not in the top of the form, like 2009 and things like that, he’s still winning a couple of grand prix a year. It’s impressive – and now it’s time to enjoy for him, so I’m happy.

And Lewis, your comments defending Sebastian after Japan?

LH: I think if I was in the same position they would probably do the same thing so it’s more as drivers we are all members of the GPDA and I think we all just need to stick together and I think the respect that we have for one another I think is probably the greatest that it’s been for many years. At least in the years that I’ve been in Formula One. I think ultimately as a four-time World Champion, it is the most intense year that we’ve had. So every hiccup is magnified, naturally, as it is perhaps in any sport at the top. But there have been many – or several – times that I’ve been in the firing range and Seb’s always been really respectful and supported me, so I thought it was only just to do the same.

Q: (Frederic Ferret – L’Equipe) Two questions, the first for Lewis. Can you explain to us why you do love America so much? And the second one for Fernando; can you give us your top five of the World Champions and what does it mean for you to have one driver equalling Fangio with five titles?

LH: I don’t know if I love it more than everyone else loves it. So many people come out here and… I grew up watching… movies are something I’m massively into… grew up watching these great movies which were filmed here in the States and then dreaming, as a kid, of one day coming to the States: I think it wasn’t until I was 17 and I finally went to New York and loved it and the more and more time I spend out here the more I enjoy it. I love the big roads they have, they do everything generally bigger and better in most cases. They’ve just got some great cities, good energy, good people, music is the centre of the universe for entertainment here so there’s many many reasons. The food is great, they’ve got the best pancakes out here.

FA: I guess it’s difficult to do the top five.

LH: Yourself?

FA: Not really! Probably Michael, Fangio, Senna, Prost, Lewis, probably this will be the top five, probably, that come to my mind but it’s difficult to compare different times and different ways to win those championships. Lewis winning five now and being the same as Fangio, as I said before, it’s a great achievement and if one had to do that in our generation, I’m happy that it’s Lewis because he showed the talent and he showed the commitment, as I said before, when the car was dominating he delivers and won the championship. When the car was not good enough to win the championship, he still put in some performances to show his talent and that’s difficult to see in our days.

Q: (Dieter Rencken – Racing Lines, Racefans.net) Fernando’s already been to Indianapolis but when we as a motor sport of community think of the US we generally think of the Indianapolis 500. A lot of Formula One World Champions, race winners etc have actually raced at Indianapolis. Could you imagine yourselves ever racing there?

DR: Yes and no. The thought of it sounds good. Ovals creep me out a little bit. I won’t lie. It would be cool. I don’t know. I would at least like to have a go, like maybe just a test. Let’s see how things go but yeah, it was cool watching Fernando do it, don’t get me wrong and part of me was like trying to picture myself being there and doing it but yeah, maybe one day. At the moment I don’t say it’s something I’m looking to do in the near future. I don’t know. Probably the older I get, the more scared I’ll become, so if it doesn’t happen now maybe it won’t ever happen. I don’t know.

RG: I’ll join Daniel. It sounds cool, looks cool, it’s a great race. Ovals, yeah…

DR: Who thought turning left could be so hard?

LH: I kind of feel in a similar way. I would definitely like to try it as I’ve never really driven an oval before and the cars are incredibly fast and (I) always want to go faster. I probably will get a chance to have a go. I’m sure if I wanted to have a go I could but it’s never been a series – naturally, growing up in Europe, it’s never been a series that you grew up aspiring to be in, it was always Formula One being it was the highest technology and has always been – at least growing up – the thought was that it was the highest grade of drivers that you wanted to compete against but they’ve got some great drivers there as well. I think I would prefer to try NASCAR. Watkins Glen, I’ve always wanted to have a go up there, beer cans in the side. I have driven a NASCAR years ago at Watkins Glen which was awesome so that’s something I could do potentially. I honestly have no desire to do any other racing beyond Formula One if I’m really honest but maybe that will change when you do stop, because you do it your whole life and temptation is always going to be there, I’m always going to be a racing driver at heart.

FA: Well, they need to commit to the race. I think if they just want to do a test they will never do the race after testing the car, because it feels quite bad. It feels quite difficult. The car is self-steering to the left, you go on the straights and you are turning right and it feels very weird to drive the car, but then in the race it is just a different thing. You wake up your competitive instinct and you forget about all these weird things that those cars have and it’s a lot of fun. It’s part of history. I think the biggest thing is to go out of your comfort zone and drive something that you don’t feel ready to handle, ready to control and that adrenaline is magic.

Q: (Craig Slater – Sky Sports) To the two World Champions, Lewis and Fernando: there’s been a lot of attention on Mick Schumacher winning his Formula Three series. I wonder how you feel about him progressing into F1, one being whether the Schumacher name will be an asset or a burden to him?

LH: I don’t think it will be a burden. I think naturally for any of the champions when they have youngsters come through, naturally Michael is named the greatest driver of all time, he’s got the most titles, so there will one hundred percent be a Schumacher back in Formula One, partly because of the name, but secondly because he’s doing a great job. He’s obviously got a lot of talent as his Dad had, just like Keke and Nico, just like when Fernando has kids I’m sure an Alonso will be here again. Even if I have a kid who wants to race and even if he’s no good he can make it Formula One because of the name. But no, he’s doing a really great job and he’s a really great kid as well. He’s come to… and been a part of our team a couple of weekends, I think it was last year, very attentative. He’s got a great talent as his Dad had so I don’t think it will be a burden in my personal opinion. I think it could be great for the sport.

FA: Not much to add. I don’t know him. Obviously I never met him, probably. You only see the results from the outside and he has a great talent and he will be good for the sport, to have the Schumacher name again in F1. Let’s see what the future brings, not putting extra pressure on him which I’m sure he has enough already. Let time decide.

Q: (Chris Bils – Austin American Statesman) Lewis, you’ve had so much success here and really your name has become synonymous with this track. Is there anything in particular, over the years, besides winning that you’ve enjoyed about coming here and also you were talking about the food, pancakes, is there anything that you like to eat while you’re here?

LH: They don’t make tracks really like they did in the olden days. The older circuits that you’d go to, you’d dream of going to, watching the legends drive there, so some of the new tracks aren’t really that good but this is one of those that is, it’s got great character and from day one when we arrived here, there was a massive crowd that came who I’m sure, at least half of them, probably were new to the sport which was great so it had the impact it was meant to have and I think every year it’s kind of been growing but just driving the track is a massive challenge and also you can actually race here, you can follow which is one of the downfalls of some of the circuits: it’s harder to follow. So I think that’s really why I’ve enjoyed it a lot because I’ve had the chance to have races here, real races and obviously there is that great sporting heritage here and people are genuinely super enthusiastic about sports, no matter which sport it is. And the last race here that we had, the whole spectacle, I think, was probably the best of the whole year, the whole build-up and everything I thought was great. It’s great to celebrate the culture wherever you go. I think there was negativity I think I heard after the race about how American it was but I was like ‘we’re in America, we’ve got celebrate America at this Grand Prix particularly’ and I think that should happen in all the countries we go to.

Food-wise, I grew up… for a period of time I lived on an American airbase in England and chicken wings… this guy my Mum was dating did the best chicken wings ever and I used to come out here and have that but I don’t eat chicken any more, being as I’m on a plant-base diet so I don’t know how that’s going to go while I’m here, I might be living on pancakes all weekend but I don’t mind that.

October 19, 2018