Tag: ferrari

2014 Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix: Thursday Press Conference

Drivers:

Marcus Ericsson (Caterham)

Pastor Maldonado (Lotus)

Sergio Perez (Force India)

Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)

Adrian Sutil (Sauber)

Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso)

PRESS CONFERENCE

Q: First of all, a question to all of you about the ban on large amounts of radio traffic between the team and the driver. What’s your reaction to this? Sergio, perhaps you could start?
Sergio Perez: Hi everyone. I don’t think it’s ideal that they, suddenly from one race to another, they change it dramatically that you cannot get certain calls. But it doesn’t influence it much. I don’t see it as a big deal, it’s something that we as drivers need to get more used to. We will have, definitely, more information and we’re going to be a bit more busy throughout the race to basically try to keep everything under control – fuel loads and engine modes, all that kind of stuff. I don’t see a problem to get used to, it’s just a dramatic change from the last race to this one.

Q: Kimi, you famously told the team “leave me alone, I know what I’m doing.” Does that mean you welcome this change?
Kimi Raikkonen: Well, obviously we don’t speak a lot on the radio in my case usually, when there are no issues – but obviously it might get quite complicated if there are some problems with the car and you have to change certain things to try to finish the race. I don’t know how the rule goes at those times. Obviously it makes it more complicated for us but it’s part of the game so it’s OK.

Q: Pastor, your thoughts on it.
Pastor Maldonado: For sure it’s not a great thing, especially with all the complex systems we have at the moment – but it’s the same for everyone so it doesn’t matter.

Q: What about from a rookie perspective. Presumably there’s been quite a lot of coaching going on over the radio Marcus, so far this season. Are you going to miss it? Particularly on the approach to the start, getting everything prepared for a start, for example?
Marcus Ericsson: No, I think…I like the idea, to be honest. I think it’s good to get the drivers more in focus. I think it’s good. But for us as a small team I think it’s a bit trickier because our steering wheel, we don’t have a big display. A lot of the other teams, I think they have a big display, so they can show a lot of stuff on this, whereas we have a very small one. So it’ll be a bit more tricky – but yeah, like I said, I like the idea and I think it’s good to make us drivers a bit more in focus.

Q: Jean-Eric, are you supportive as well?
Jean-Eric Vergne: I don’t mind it. I think it will be more or less the same as before. I like to do things by my own and many times this year I changed the settings before my engineer told me, so yeah, I will be a bit more lonely on the radio – but it should be fine.

Q: Adrian?
Adrian Sutil: No problem really. I think all manageable. It’s a bit more work but we’ll handle it.

Q: Kimi, coming back to you, obviously this season hasn’t been quite what you expected it to be – but did you expect to have your problems sorted out by now? And what’s your focus for the remaining six races or so?
KR: Obviously to do as well as we can and have good results for the team and for myself. I expect it to be difficult. Probably the team didn’t expect to have such difficulties over all. We expected to be stronger overall. It’s part of the game and we have to try to sort things out. I think we have done pretty good improvements – compared to where we started – as a team and obviously then I’m getting more happy with things but obviously still not where we want to be in the end. Still a lot of work to do.

Q: Pastor, front row qualifier here two years ago with Williams, it’s always been a strong Lotus track – so is there some optimism there for a top ten result maybe this weekend?
PM: I hope. For sure, the qualifying pace is always a bit tricky for us but during the race, for any reason we are able to recover the pace and sometimes we are much more competitive. So hopefully here we can be a bit more competitive than Monza for sure but it’s difficult to say something before we get in the car.

Q: Sergio, you’ve scored points in all three of your appearances here at Singapore and you’ve come off the back of two strong results, so your thoughts on this race? And also how close you are to committing to Force India for another season?
SP: I think things are settling down and I think we should be very close to committing for next year with the team but you never know; I have experience from the past so you never know what’s going to happen. Yeah, we are really optimistic for this weekend. We have a good upgrade package and I believe we can be competitive and definitely our target is the McLarens which we are fighting with really closely and hopefully we can score more points than them this weekend with both cars and the upgrade package gives us some boost.

Q: Adrian, like Sergio you’ve scored points in your last three races here in Singapore but there’s no getting away from the fact that Sauber is yet to get into Q3 this season, so what’s the rescue package and what lies ahead for the rest of the season?
AS: We have a good package here, the last one, but it should give us a little bit more speed. We have to try it out on Friday. We’re not so far away – especially in qualifying – from the group in front and it’s just missing a little bit to the top ten normally but Monza was quite tricky, especially in the race. We were losing a bit too much time and our performance was a bit slower but this track is very special and very different so I hope it suits our car. There’s a lot of work, we need some points and this is the main target for the moment.

Q: Marcus, since the last round, obviously the team principal has moved on so can you tell us a bit about the structure now at the team and the plan for upgrades and so on?
ME: We’re still pushing hard like we’ve done the last couple of races and bringing some more updates for here, so not much has changed. Obviously Christijan left which is a shame, we got along very well, but still I think the team is pushing on quite a lot and it’s a positive atmosphere from everyone. We just have to wait and see this weekend, see how it suits our car but in general I have a good feeling. I had a really strong race last time out on a street track so I think hopefully we can try and repeat something similar to that.

Q: Jean-Eric, still six races to go but you’ve already scored points more times this year than you did last year so what’s the plan now for you for the rest of this season and what about next season? Have you made any progress yet with your plans for 2015?
J-EV: Yeah, talking about this weekend and the race and the season, I really want to end the season strongly. I think we should have had a lot more points with our team if we didn’t have so much bad luck but I think now that’s behind. I really want to make the best out of the last six races with Toro Rosso and then find a good option for next year.

QUESTION FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Heikki Kulta – Turun Sanomat) Kimi, it’s two hours in very humid conditions; Nico Rosberg said that the last laps are always very painful here because it’s physically so demanding. How painful are they for you?
KR: I don’t know. Everybody has their own feelings so I can’t know how they feel like but in the past it hasn’t been a problem. It doesn’t feel as hot or humid in the last years unless the course has slowed in the race, so I don’t see why it should suddenly be a problem.

September 18, 2014
F1 2014: Singapore GP Preview – Stage set for Singapore Showdown

It wasn’t that long ago that the thought of Formula 1 cars under lights was just something the ringmasters were talking about for the future. Now, in 2014, Singapore marks its seventh year on the calendar. It’s no exaggeration to say that after nearly a decade of glittering floodlit F1 cars it still tickles the fancy.

Sebastian Vettel has won the last three Singapore Gp and it isn’t outside the realm of possibility that he could notch up number four. A complete domination, not a Mercedes victory is a given this weekend. Singapore’s Marina Bay circuit has the most corners of all the tracks on the 2014 calendar and its dependence on mechanical grip rather than pure engine power creates the potential for some rivalry. “The demands on the car are very high in terms of braking, steering and also the engine. It’s also a long race – often running to the full two hour limit and frequently characterised by safety cars,” says Paddy Lowe, Mercedes technical director.

The battle between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg will too recommence. In Italy, Hamilton got the better of Rosberg but the latter still holds a 22 point lead. As proven in Monaco, minus the dubious qualifying incident, Rosberg is no slouch around the street circuits. But the small mistake, that cost him victory at Monza, is the tiniest indication of a crack in the ever polished veneer. As a result Hamilton is in the ascendency where the psychological fight is concerned but it means little if you’re still trailing in the points. However, the Brit and not Rosberg, is the one under more pressure this weekend. Because, unlike Hamilton, never before has Rosberg been lauded as the fastest man in F1, never has he been called a championship contender before this year, and never has he been expected to win simply because of who he is. This all translates to the fact that Rosberg has very little to prove and has far less pressure than megastar Lewis Hamilton.

Change is abounding in the Ferrari camp as the ubiquitous Luca di Montezemolo has stepped down as President. Montzemolo must be praised for the terrific and tireless job he has done to maintain the team’s legacy. This is another in a long line of significant changes within the Italian team and while all the re-shuffling and re-working and hiring and ‘gardening leave’ is fine and dandy there is still a worry that all the moving and shaking may not pan out where it matters most – on the track.

Nevertheless, one of its two drivers, Kimi Raikkonen, is optimistic about a better performance around the Singapore streets. A disastrous home grand prix last time out again drew attention to its dismal power unit and Raikkonen has pointed out the ERS (energy recovery system) as the team’s biggest Achilles heel. However, the less power hungry and more twisty the circuit the better it will play to the Ferrari. “I think the next few circuits will suit us as they’re not so fast. We have to go there and see how the car is, but I expect to be in a stronger position,” says Raikkonen.

One of the things that have always been liked about Formula 1 is its excessive attention to detail. No element or point is too small to escape the hawk-like, near obsessive, meticulousness with which these teams go to work. Recently, this continuous aim towards perfectionism has spilled over to ‘driver coaching.’ We say recently because audiences have only been exposed to radio communications between car and pitwall over the last few seasons.

‘Driver coaching’ has been noted most frequently between the Mercedes drivers and their respective engineers this season. On numerous occasions Hamilton and/or Rosberg would be instructed as to where they could potentially gain time or where they were losing time in comparison to the teammate. No more says the FIA who have clamped down and outlawed all messages that aid driver or car performance. This includes informing a driver about how to manage his fuel consumption.

Long since some have been moaning that the drivers are simply puppets merely following instruction from the pitwall. Now driving will be instinctual rather than a reaction to reams of telemetry data. By golly, they’ll have to think for themselves and it could just improve F1’s image.

Invariably, because F1 employs some of the most brilliant minds in the world there is likely to be coded message passed to the drivers even if the FIA has said these are not allowed. Good news is that we will still here Bonno telling Hamilton that it’s “hammer time” and Kimi Raikkonen will be left alone as he so memorably requested at the 2012 Abu Dhabi grand prix.

September 18, 2014
Broadcast Times for the 2014 Fomrmula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix

The Formula 1 circus heads out for the final few rounds of fly-away races and for the season and the first stop is the Singapore Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.

The 5.065km circuit is one of the most physically and mentally demanding circuits on the calendar. Not only is it long in distance, but it borders on the 2 hour race limit. If there is more than one safety car period, the race will have to conclude after the 2 hour time limit has passed. This has happened once and with a safety car almost always guaranteed at the race it’s likely that we may see it happen again.

The heat and humidity, even at night, makes it very tough on the drivers and the length adds to that. Cooling for the cars is also very important for this track.

McLaren have said that they would be ready to challenge Red Bull by the Singapore Grand Prix. The Woking based team are expected to bring a few new parts to the car and they will be hoping that they can close the gap to Red Bull. No doubt that the other teams will be continuing development of their 2014 cars, but it seems like some of the focus is being turned to 2015.

Ferrari team principal Marco Mattiacci has said earlier in the week that the performance deficit to Mercedes is still very large and that weakness was on display at the Italian Grand Prix. He’s confident that the car is improving and they can finish in a strong position.

It seems like all is quiet at Mercedes. After all the conspiracy theories that were flying around after the Italian Grand Prix it seems as though its business as usual now. With the team radio ban enforced form the Singapore Grand Prix it will be interesting to know how their drivers perform.

Below are the broadcast times for the 2014 Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix

Free Practice 1: Friday 12:00

Free Practice 2: Friday 15:30

Free Practice 3: Saturday 12:00

Qualifying: Saturday 15:00

Race: Sunday 14:00

We will bring you updates on our Twitter account (@F1_Madness) during FP1 and FP2 with live commentary throughout the sessions on Saturday and Sunday.

September 17, 2014
Video: Singapore Memories: Felipe Massa Pit Stop Disaster Singapore GP 2008

Watch the drama unfold as Felipe Massa drives off with the fuel hose still attached to his car. This is one of the reasons why the FIA banned refueling during races.

September 16, 2014
Di Montezemolo to Step Down From His Role as Ferrari Chairman

Luca Di Montezemolo announced on Wednesday morning that he will be stepping down from his position as Ferrari Chairman ending days of speculation about his future.

We reported a few weeks ago that there were plans for Di Montezemolo to leave Ferrari and take up a position at Alitalia. But this was rejected outright by the Italian. Speculation intensified at the Italian Grand Prix about his future but he insisted that he was not going anywhere. Doubts about his future were again put into focus when Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne deemed the Ferrari Formula 1 teams’ performance as “unacceptable”.

His announcement was made the day before a Ferrari board meeting on Thursday.

“Ferrari will have an important role to play within the FCA Group in the upcoming flotation on Wall Street. This will open up a new and different phase which I feel should be spearheaded by the CEO of the Group,” said Di Montezemolo

“This is the end of an era and so I have decided to leave my position as Chairman after almost 23 marvellous and unforgettable years in addition to those spent at Enzo Ferrari’s side in the 1970s, he added”

“My thanks, first and foremost, to the exceptional Ferrari women and men from the factory, the offices, the race tracks and the markets across the world. They were the real architects of the company’s spectacular growth, its many unforgettable victories and its transformation into one of the world’s strongest brands.

A warm farewell and my thanks also to all of our technical and commercial partners, our dealers across the globe and, most particularly, the clients and collectors whose passion I so wholeheartedly share.

But my thoughts go also to our fans who have always supported us with great enthusiasm especially through the Scuderia’s most difficult moments.

Ferrari is the most wonderful company in the world. It has been a great privilege and honour to have been its leader. I devoted all of my enthusiasm and commitment to it over the years. Together with my family, it was, and continues to be, the most important thing in my life.

I wish the shareholders, particularly Piero Ferrari who has always been by my side, and everyone in the Company the many more years of success that Ferrari deserves.”

Marchionne will take up the role as Ferrari Chairman. In the mean time, Di Montezemolo will stay on as chairman until the new Fiat Chrysler Automobiles company floatation on the New York Stock exchange which takes place on 13 October 2014.

September 10, 2014
F1 2014: Italian GP Review- Hamilton Rises To The Challenge

After all is said and done it is still on track where the real talking is done. Two weeks on from enormous disappointment Lewis Hamilton turned up in Italy ready to do the talking. A comfortable pole position started the ball rolling.

It wasn’t all picture perfect though as a poor start dropped Hamilton down to fourth at the start of the race. But there wasn’t very much that was going to douse the fiery determination of the Brit. He fought back first with an overtake on Kevin Magnussen and later a fearless move around the outside of Felipe Massa into the first chicane. Rosberg tried to maintain the four second gap he’d built up but a mistake caused him to straight-line the first chicane which halved the gap over Hamilton.

In the first laps after the one round of pit stops Hamilton unleashed his superior pace and reduced the gap to Rosberg to 1.2 seconds. A bit of pressure to the mix and Rosberg soon out-braked himself and missed the first chicane. This mistake was enough to hand Hamilton the lead of the race who went on to win his sixth race of the season.

The storm of controversy wouldn’t be nearly as juicy if someone wasn’t there continually stirring the pot. Some suggest that Rosberg’s mistake at turn one was actually not a mishap at all. The conspiracy theorists reckon that Rosberg was serving his punishment from the goings on at Spa. Since sanity does tend to dominate our consciousness for most of the day this theory is easily dismissed as utter rubbish. Ask yourself how weak a driver, a person for that matter, Rosberg would have to be to agree to something so blatantly spineless.

Elsewhere, newly re-signed Williams driver Felipe Massa recorded his first podium for the British team ahead of his recovering teammate Valtteri Bottas. The Finn had to fight his way back from tenth after a dreadful start to the race. He was able overtake several drivers, via slipstreaming, with the help of his super-slippery-in-a-straight-line Williams. Daniel Ricciardo yet again put on display his staggering race craft with several extravagant overtakes which ultimately netted him a fifth place finish ahead of teammate Sebastian Vettel.

McLaren carried over their improved pace from Belgium to Italy which enabled Kevin Magnussen to finish seventh on the road. However, the rookie was demoted to tenth after he’d been given a five second penalty for forcing Bottas off the track earlier in the race. Force India’s Sergio Perez inherited seventh as he held off former teammate Jenson Button in a tantalizing wheel-to-wheel battle.

Ferrari fans turned up in droves to cheer on their beloved team but the two prancing horses could never muster much more than a simple trot across the line. To add insult to a serious lack of pace Fernando Alonso suffered an ERS (Energy Recovery System) failure on his car. The Spaniard succumbed to his first mechanical retirement since 2009. Elsewhere, Kimi Raikkonen dragged the lacklustre Ferrari around the Monza circuit and eventually finished ninth overall.

The short cool down before the podium was rather telling of the relationship between the Merc drivers. There was no congratulatory handshake and in fact for most of the time Lewis Hamilton had his back to his teammate chatting away to Felipe Massa. The podium interview, conducted by Jean Alesi, was as awkward. The former Ferrari driver wanted to know if Hamilton and Rosberg were still friends to which the Brit reflexively answered: “yes, we’re teammates.” So that’s a no then.

Lewis Hamilton may only have pulled back seven points on the championship lead but the psychological victory was far greater. For one, Hamilton will be delighted with the knowledge that he could pressure Rosberg into a mistake. What’s more, Hamilton will savour the realization that he has exposed some cracks in the Rosberg armour.

September 8, 2014
Hamilton takes comfortable pole for Italian Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton comfortably secured pole position for the Italian Grand Prix during qualifying on Saturday at Monza.

Hamilton took the pole grid spot by two tenths of a second over warring Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg. Rosberg went into qualifying without being able to take part in the full final practice session – completing only three laps in FP3 due to a gearbox issue. However, the Mercedes team were able to sort out the problem without having to break any of the FIA seals on the gearbox and as such will not receive a grid penalty for Sunday’s race at Monza.

The Williams duo of Valterri Bottas and Felipe Massa will lock out the second row of the grid.McLaren suprised everyone with Kevin Magnussen and Jenson Button lining up fifth and sixth, while Fernando Alonso could only manage seventh for Ferrari’s home Grand Prix.

Sebastian Vettel finished in eighth place ahead of his Red Bull team mate Daniel Ricciardo and Force India’s Sergio Perez to round out the top 10.

Daniil Kvyat only just missed out on making it through to Q3 but will drop to 21^st on the grid due to a 10 place grid penalty for using a sixth engine this season.

Kimi Raikkonen was the biggest casualty during qualifying, managing only 12th after a pretty scruffy lap.

Your full timesheets and results are below. Please join us tomorrow for live commentary and chat on @F1_Madness on Twitter as we bring you blow-by-blow action of the Italian Grand Prix.

September 6, 2014
Haas F1 Team and Ferrari Agree on Multi-Year Engine Deal

Ferrari announced that it has reached a multi-year technical agreement with Haas F1.

The deal will mean that Ferrari will supply the power unit, transmission and technical support to the American based Haas F1 team.

Ferrari Team Principal Marco Mattiacci made the announcement earlier today.

“We’re delighted to announce this important strategic partnership with Haas F1 Team and to welcome an American player as a new entrant in Formula 1”, said Mattiacci.

““A few months ago we joined forces with Gene Haas on a commercial level and this is the natural next step of our growing relationship.”

Mattiacci added that the deal could extend to beyond a supply arrangement, given Ferrari’s commercial interests in the United States.

‘While our objective is to reinforce our power unit development programme for all our customer teams , we believe this new partnership has the potential to evolve beyond the traditional role of supplying our power unit and all related technical services. United States continues to be one of the most important markets for Ferrari and it offers many interesting opportunities. We look forward to supporting Haas F1 Team in its efforts to become a competitive player on the Formula 1 grid.”

Gene Haas, the owner of Haas F1 hailed the agreement and hopes that the agreement will bring them to the front of the F1 grid.

“There is no team in Formula One more accomplished than Scuderia Ferrari, and no team with more history,” said Haas

“They’ve been a part of Formula One from the beginning, and now they’ll be a part of Haas F1 Team’s beginning. Formula One is the pinnacle of motorsports. It showcases the latest technology and is the most competitive form of racing in the world. Aligning Haas F1 Team with such a tenured and successful company in Scuderia Ferrari provides our team with the greatest opportunity for success in 2016 and beyond.”

Photo credit: Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1

September 3, 2014
Broadcast Times for the Formula 1 Gran Premio D’Italia 2014 (Italian Grand Prix)

Magic Monza. The Formula 1 circus finally reaches the Autodromo Nazionale Monza. Tucked away in Northern Italy surrounded by forests, the Monza circuit has been on the F1 calendar since the sports inception.

After all the controversy after the Belgian Grand Prix, Mercedes will be hoping that their drivers behave on track. Mercedes say they have “fined” Nico Rosberg for his behaviour at the Belgian Grand Prix. We still don’t know what exactly was the punishment for his indiscretion. Despite this, Mercedes have left their drivers to race for the rest of the season, but they have warned that there will be a harsh punishment for the driver that misbehaves.

Mercedes are expected to be very quick this weekend with their superior engine performance. We can be sure that both their drivers will be fighting wheel-to-wheel on every inch on that circuit.

Williams are also expected to be very quick at Monza, their car has proven to be very quick in a straight line and seems to be suited to the Monza conditions. Very close to Williams will be Red Bull. After taking their joker for the season to change ratios in their gearbox, they seemed to have gained some straight line speed and looked very quick at the Belgian Grand Prix.

Ferrari will bring some upgrades to the circuit, but with their car being down on power, will struggle to keep up with Mercedes, Williams and Red Bull.

Below are your broadcast times for the Formula 1 Gran Premio D’Italia 2014 (Italian Grand Prix). All times GMT+2

Free Practice 1: Friday 10:00

Free Practice 2: Friday 14:00

Free Practice 3: Saturday 13:00

Qualifying: Saturday 14:00

Race: Sunday 14:00

September 3, 2014
F1 2014: Italian GP Preview – F1 Readies For Monza Mania

Away from the mystical Ardennes forest Formula 1 travels to a place where all things fast and red are relished with a near obsessive passion. In one way or another, the Italian sited Monza grand prix circuit has been on the Formula 1 calendar since 1950 and it’s always been considered a classic.

The distinctive demand of its low downforce layout will compel the designers and engineers of 2014 Formula 1 cars to fit the skinniest rear-wings they have in the shed as at Monza cars will reach the highest possible straight-line speed of the year. As the top end speed of the Turbo power units reaches full tilt the twiddly bits in between the long stretches of tarmac will require some focus. The compromise between aero performance and speed is the biggest of the entire year and some drivers are expected to sacrifice a bit of grip for a quicker trip down the straight. The final Parabolica corner is likely one the most crucial parts of the circuit. If you get it wrong it compromises not only the end of the lap but affects the speed, and laptime, all the way down the straight to the first chicane. Another tester for the drivers is the braking zones as several big stops from high speed will provide a tough test for the brakes.

Nothing is more synonymous with Monza and Italy than their beloved Ferrari. The Tifosi are as dedicated and fanatical as they come and just as demanding. They will have been inconsolable about the shape of the Scuderia in 2014 but will still arrive in their droves to support the Scarlet legends. A step forward with the power unit in Belgium comes at the perfect time for Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen who have an outside chance of giving the Ferrari devotees something to cheer about; perhaps even a podium finish.

The Williams team was supposed to perform well at Spa given their slippery aero package. But they were not near the sharp-end of the grid. The cool weather condition may have played its part in the lack of anything Bottas-shaped at the front. The Finn, on the cusp of inking a new deal with Williams, should find Monza more suited to his car.

As for Red Bull we have now learnt that no matter the circuit or conditions or starting position or even the car underneath him – you can’t count out Daniel Ricciardo. The go-getter Aussie will probably find it tough going amongst the super slick Mercedes engines but if ever there was a man ready to crash the German flavoured party, it’s Ricciardo.

Many a turning point in the championship has taken place here. In 2010, Fernando Alonso ramped up his championship bid with a famous victory and a year later Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull cheekily showed up those naysayers that gave them no chance at the power hungry circuit.

It seems that the cats have been separated from the pidgeons at Mercedes, at least for now. A statement released by the team detailed a meeting that was held between Toto Wolff, Paddy Lowe, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. After the debacle of the Belgian GP it was confirmed that Rosberg had apologised to the team and Lewis Hamilton for his “poor judgment.” Naturally, the more sceptical among us wonder whether the tardy Rosberg apology was made simply to smooth some ruffled feathers.

Most importantly, and most welcome for race fans, is that Mercedes haven’t tightened the leash on either of its drivers. It seems that Lewis and Nico haven’t yet exceeded their drama limit with the team and for now, as long as they don’t run into each other, are free to race each other to the ragged edge. Credit to the Mercedes bosses for handling this as suavely as they have. With hindsight being twenty-twenty and a whole lot calmer Hamilton has expressed his confidence in moving from the incident.

On the back of Hamilton’s helmet the line “Still I Rise” is boldly emblazoned. It speaks to his fighting spirit and the ability to rise above whatever else is happening. At present, with a twenty-nine point deficit it has never been more important for Hamilton to put this into practice.

(Lewis Hamilton helmet image courtesy of @LewisHamilton)

September 3, 2014