Any cut in their long-standing $68m team payment, in the interests of promoting closer racing with their rivals, may see Enzo Ferrari’s vision happy to succumb to financial reality and throw in their handSixty-seven years on from when Enzo Ferrari entered his team in their first Formula One world championship, his obsession has left an extraordinary legacy. The Scuderia are the only team to have entered every season since F1 began and its most successful, with 16 constructors’ and 15 drivers’ championships. It is a remarkable record that to an extent reflects Ferrari’s ruthless attitude to racing and his single-mindedness in pursuing that end.Ferrari originally only begrudgingly built road cars to fund the automobiles he wanted to take to the...
Early mishap could not deter the British driver and even in finishing ninth he impressed, while the performances of race winner Verstappen and Alonso promise much for 2018Lewis Hamilton had wanted to seal his fourth world championship with a win but by the time he exited turn three with a puncture it was off the agenda. The incident typified how badly he wanted to fight for the victory, despite not needing it to secure the championship. Related: Lewis Hamilton divides opinion but is undoubtedly the best of British | Richard Williams Continue reading...
The Mercedes driver’s fourth title after a thrilling duel with Sebastian Vettel suggests the Briton can go on to match Juan Manuel Fangio at the very leastFour Formula One world championships, by any yardstick, is a remarkable achievement. Lewis Hamilton’s accomplishment in Mexico might simply be measured by the company he now keeps in the record books. He has one more title than Ayrton Senna, Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda, Nelson Piquet and Jack Brabham – a breathtaking array of talent. He shares four with Alain Prost and Sebastian Vettel and only two drivers have more – Juan Manuel Fangio on five and Michael Schumacher’s seven. Yet perhaps what is most striking is that he has joined their company with his...
Mercedes driver’s fourth F1 world title takes him beyond arguments even of the romantics who venerate Jim Clark and Sir Stirling Moss above allLewis Hamilton, by winning his fourth world championship, one more than Sir Jackie Stewart, has established himself as the greatest British racing driver of all time. Such a sweeping claim will always be open to dispute and to inspection in different lights but the only light that really counts is the one that shines on the bare statistics.Hamilton’s latest milestone – and he is only 32, so his journey is far from over – marks his arrival at the pinnacle of a line of British heroes that began between the wars with Sir Henry Segrave and Richard...
Damon Hill joins other experts in paying tribute to his fellow Briton who is celebrating 10 years at the top of his sportA decade ago, the opening to what was to be a dramatic season heralded the arrival of an exceptional talent in Formula One. Back then, as the sport came to terms with the remarkable start made by the 22-year-old Lewis Hamilton, no one could quite foresee the impact this precocious and fearless youngster would make. Ten years on, the jury is in and the verdict is unanimous: Hamilton is now within a race of securing his fourth world championship, that early promise more than fulfilled. The Briton is not the same man, nor the same driver, but his...