Ferrari driver’s quiet confidence is ominous going into the Azerbaijan GP and it will only grow if he can win at a Mercedes-friendly track where the red mist came down last yearLast season the Azerbaijan Grand Prix produced a dramatic end to what had been a good-natured rivalry in battle for the championship between Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel.When Vettel lost his temper and barged the British driver his lack of control exposed a weakness from which Hamilton emerged psychologically with the upper hand. A year on in Baku, however, the German could not be exhibiting a calmer, more controlled disposition and his quiet confidence is ominous for Hamilton. Related: Max Verstappen will need to learn fast from Shanghai overtaking...
The driver’s poorly judged attempt at overtaking Sebastian Vettel in China suggests it is time for the youngster to add a more considered approach to his undoubted raw talentAt the opening of the Formula One season, Max Verstappen was as confident in his own abilities as he ever had been. The young Dutchman has carried this self-assurance since he began in karting and it has been part and parcel of his career in F1.With the new season about to begin, he told my colleague Donald McRae that he felt no need to overthink his craft. “I never even think of the mental side of things because I never had any issues,” he said. But his poorly judged attempt at overtaking...
The Australian showed touches of real quality to win in Shanghai but Max Verstappen is still making mistakesDaniel Ricciardo’s skill at overtaking was never in doubt but his remarkable performance in China was confirmation of just how far he is willing to go. “I know what I can do in the car,” he said before the Australian Grand Prix. “Even if there is a 10% possibility then I am going to do it.” He made good on this promise with aplomb in Shanghai. His pass on Lewis Hamilton was a perfect combination of timing and late-braking but the move on Valtteri Bottas was something else. Ricciardo knew the win was within his grasp but where other drivers may have been...
DRS, wing designs and downforce rules reduce overtaking in a sport which needs the spectacle to keep its audienceAfter two races of the new season that promise another battle between Mercedes and Ferrari, with Red Bull yet to show their real form, Formula One had a feelgood factor after Bahrain. This had not been the case going into the grand prix.The dearth of overtaking in the first race in Melbourne prompted the FIA to hold an urgent meeting at the Sakhir circuit with technical directors to discuss changes for 2019 to improve passing. Related: Sebastian Vettel wins in Bahrain after Kimi Raikkonen runs over mechanic Continue reading...
It was a fine race for Sebastian Vettel but in different ways Lewis Hamilton and Pierre Gasly also made their markThe Scuderia might have been fortunate to win in Melbourne but victory in Bahrain was anything but a fluke. The team had the pace all weekend and their car proved, at the Sakhir circuit at least, to be superior to Mercedes. But they also had to be willing to take a risk and trust their driver. Switching to a one-stop mid race was a bold move and Vettel had to put in a superlative performance to turn it into a win. He made his tyres last 39 laps when Pirelli’s predicted lifespan was just 30 and did so without going...