Lewis Hamilton continues in his own sweet way, Mercedes back-up provides total support, Ferrari slip-up again and Renault sound a warningThe world champion elect, Lewis Hamilton, will surely claim his sixth title at the next round in Austin. Were any further proof required that he has been almost untouchable this season, Mexico served up definitive evidence. With Mercedes at their bogey circuit, they required a perfect strategy and the perfect driver to pull it off. Having got through the hair-raising moments of the opening laps, Hamilton put his head down and set about making the most of his team’s superlative call. The data suggested the hard tyre could go for approximately 41 laps. Hamilton needed to make it work for...
Plan announced this week to host race in Florida city faces opposition from some local people due to its impact and noise“A vacuum humping a goat”. Well, try and banish the picture, if that is possible, but consider instead the sound. An unholy conjugation of machine and animal from which Formula One would surely like to keep its distance.This description of the sound of F1 cars is not the aural sculpture the sport wants associated with its expansion in North America. Yet said development, in the form of this week’s announcement of an agreement in principle to host a race in Miami, may yet see the delightfully colourful phrase bandied around for a while longer. Related: Mercedes flex muscles in...
A battle for supremacy between teammates is troubling Ferrari after the meltdown in Sochi and all eyes will be on Suzuka this weekend to see if it can be rectifiedIf there was ever a doubt that a racing driver’s first priority is to beat his teammate, it was dispelled one March afternoon at Melbourne’s Albert Park. The 1996 Australian Grand Prix was half done when Jacques Villeneuve came out of the pits just behind the race leader, Damon Hill.“There he is,” said the voice on Villeneuve’s radio. “Go and get him!” Related: The knocks keep coming at Ferrari but Charles Leclerc is learning fast | Giles Richards Related: Ferrari create 'a war' while F1 continues to meddle with the rules...
The Scuderia’s meltdown in Russia was latest tough lesson for Leclerc but he shows every sign of being formidable F1 forceHad Charles Leclerc not pursued a career in motor racing, it would be reasonable to assume that this thoughtful and intelligent 21-year-old might instead have recently completed a degree. Racing rather than academia always beckoned for Leclerc but right now, in the pressure-cooker environment of driving for Ferrari, this young driver is learning an awful lot of lessons. Every indication is that they are being taken to heart, forging a formidable character.At last weekend’s Russian Grand Prix, Ferrari’s plan to govern their drivers through the opening corners fell apart publicly and with lasting ramifications. With Leclerc on pole and his...
The dazzling race on a floodlit cityscape circuit is a vital tool for selling the sport to potential fans when there is precious little free-to-air coverage available, particularly in the UKThe floodlit cityscape of Singapore will host Formula One again this weekend, a race the sport positively revels in promoting. The street circuit set amid the skyscrapers at night enjoys a backdrop like no other. The speed, spectacle and drama is accentuated by the walls that loom over the track, unforgiving of error. Singapore, a visual feast, is perhaps the most cinematic in its presentation of any race on the calendar.F1 knows how good Singapore looks and in its drive to encourage new, younger fans, the race that bears the...