The new owners of F1 showed their softer side with young Ferrari fan but are as hard-nosed as ever when it comes to the bottom line of the spiralling cost of the British Grand PrixLiberty Media scored a PR coup in working with Ferrari and finding the distraught six-year-old who had been in tears after Kimi Raikkonen’s early exit from the race. Thomas Danel from Amiens in France was brought to the motorhome to meet his hero Raikkonen and there were smiles all round. His mother, Coralie Danel, was hugely impressed:“This has been the most fantastic day for us. We could not believe it when they came to get us and took us to Ferrari,” she said. “This is great...
The first four races of the season have shown Ferrari are on the up and proved Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes have work to doBarcelona beckons as Formula One prepares to begin the European season proper, with the teams having 10 days to reflect on the four opening races and prepare for the upgrades that will be unveiled in Spain. The new regulations have thrown up a tense and gripping, rather than spectacular, prologue and the racing has been better than many feared, while there is an absolutely cracking battle at the front in prospect. Time then, to consider where the leading drivers and their teams stand before returning to the fray at the Circuit de Catalunya.Ferrari’s resurgence has proved the...
The Mercedes and Ferrari drivers continue their Formula One duel in China on Sunday and Hamilton is relishing the challenge of Vettel having a competitive carIn 2011, Lewis Hamilton took second place at the Korean Grand Prix in what was a remarkable drive in an underperforming McLaren. Sebastian Vettel was the winner but Hamilton, a second a lap slower than the two Red Bulls and suffering from understeer owing to debris stuck in the front wing, held off Mark Webber for 34 laps to secure the place.The McLaren team principal, Martin Whitmarsh, said: “I can’t speak more highly of the drive he did in those circumstances,” and it really was a striking achievement. Hamilton, much to everyone’s surprise, saw it...
The momentum has changed in Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg’s race for the drivers’ title, Ferrari and Vettel get lucky, while safety is again a problem that needs sorting after Sunday’s near-miss on the trackDespite having seen his early-season championship lead of 43 points turned to a 19-point deficit before Spa, then two points after Monza and now an eight-point lead again with his third win on the trot, Nico Rosberg remains absolutely steadfast in his refusal to be drawn into considering whether the title finally has his name on it this year. His weekend, bar biffing the barriers after locking up on ageing tyres in first practice, could not have gone better, his 200th grand prix yielding a first...