Red Bulls Max Verstappen was flawless at Interlagos, altitude sickness for Mercedes and a happy birthday for HondaWhat a difference a year makes. Max Verstappen, after his travails at this race last year, where he was hit by Esteban Ocon while leading, could not have delivered a more impressive performance. Since his crash in practice at Monaco last year he has returned a more complete driver. Red Bulls team principal, Christian Horner, has praised how far he has come and believes he has the ability to beat Lewis Hamilton in a straight fight. On this evidence it would be an unmissable battle. Weaknesses remain qualifying at Mexico was a glaring error but in Brazil he was calm, controlled and flawless...
Hamilton’s extraordinary feat is built on daunting consistency and he will now want to beat Michael Schumacher’s recordA sixth world championship is an extraordinary achievement by any standard but in reaching it Lewis Hamilton has indisputably proved he is the best driver I have ever seen. People speak about the greats but the way Lewis has gone about racing I believe makes him the greatest. I am in awe of what I see, even as an ex-racing driver.From everything I know from the history of F1, from competing and watching racing, from Juan Manuel Fangio through Jimmy Clark and Graham Hill and Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda, Nelson Piquet, Nigel Mansell, Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, Michael Schumacher and all the other...
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...
A sixth world title – one shy of Michael Schumacher’s record – is odds-on for the Briton but elsewhere there’s all to play for, especially in F1’s midfield and for Alexander AlbonHaving enjoyed his best opening 12 races, Lewis Hamilton is in position to seal his sixth world championship with his most successful season. That the title, which will move him above Juan Manuel Fangio and behind only Michael Schumacher, is in his grasp is beyond doubt. He has already won eight races, to lead his Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas by 62 points, and Hamilton usually only improves on the run-in. Last year he won four of the first five races after the summer break; nine races remain, starting with...
Lewis Hamilton’s win in Hungary after an unexpected change of tyres increased pressure on Valtteri Bottas while Carlos Sainz showed Red Bull what they’re missingHamilton’s drive to victory was superb but it was the Mercedes decision to opt for a second stop that really stood out. After they gambled on fresh tyres there was no real opportunity for Red Bull to react; their only hope lay in Max Verstappen making his rubber last and, valiant as his effort was, just trying to stay ahead pushed them over the edge. The Mercedes team principal, Toto Wolff, described Hamilton’s driving as in “another dimension” but notably paid homage to his team’s strategists. With just over 20 laps remaining they might have settled...