Podium finishes for Lewis Hamilton and George Russell could be the first step in team’s return to the title pictureThere was deserved elation at Mercedes after taking a double podium at the Spanish Grand Prix, the tension etched into the faces of some team members draining away. But as the team heads back to Brackley they are more than aware that they have only reached basecamp. The mountain lies ahead.With Lewis Hamilton taking second place and his teammate George Russell third in Barcelona, it was their best result of the season and indeed the outstanding performance of their car in terms of drivability, pace and balance. Hamilton called it the best performing car Mercedes had built since he last challenged...
Despite finishing second at Albert Park, Toto Wolff’s team have a mountain to climb and must pursue a new design directionThere can be no illusions for Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes as to where they stand in Formula One’s pecking order despite returning their best finish of the season at Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix. Melbourne was their first celebratory moment thus far but that they revelled in a second place is indicative of the mountain they have to climb. For a team that has dominated F1 for so long this is perhaps their greatest challenge yet.Hamilton is no stranger to battling with an uncompetitive car, but for the team this season will truly test their mettle. On a roll of eight...
Dutchman overcame a slow start while Ferrari were stuck in reverse but Lewis Hamilton still showed he can raceAfter controversy over his first Formula One world championship in 2021, Max Verstappen left no question as to his deserved ascendancy this time. The Dutchman has been metronomic in his delivery, barely putting a foot wrong in claiming 15 wins from 22 races. Mechanical failures notwithstanding it could have been more. Moreover he did it with some panache. There were straightforward victories but also some supreme, authoritative demonstrations of man and machine in perfect harmony. Ferrari knew the game was up when Verstappen won three times from lowly grid slots, coming back from 10th in Hungary, 14th in Belgium and 7th in...
The double world champion is failing to see the bigger picture by not returning the favour to his Red Bull teammateAppearing to bear a grudge is far from a good look and for a double Formula One world champion it cannot help but diminish the sheen of success. Max Verstappen might have felt he made a point in refusing to give up his place to teammate Sergio Pérez at the São Paulo Grand Prix but his actions came across like those of an irascible child, self-obsessed to the point of being unable to grasp the needlessness of his actions nor the potential harm they might bring on himself in future.At Interlagos, George Russell took his first F1 win and Mercedes’...
Ferrari are fast, Mercedes have a mountain to climb and Red Bull are confident they can fix their fuel system problems Quietly confident in testing, Ferrari played down expectations before the season opener. After Bahrain though their form cannot be denied and on this performance they are title contenders. The car is fundamentally quick and is a well-balanced platform at which they can begin to throw upgrades as fast as Maranello can churn them out. Equally, in Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz they have a driver pairing more than capable of making a tilt at titles. Leclerc, especially in the manner of his victory, was superb. Calm, confident and driving with steely grit, he has made unforced errors in the...