In the round-up: Niki Lauda says it’ll be “all over” for Mercedes if Sebastian Vettel doesn’t suffer any reliability problems during 2017.
This weekend on F1 Fanatic Live
Just six days after its big race the IndyCar series heads to the tough Detroit street track for back-to-back races. Esteban Gutierrez will make his debut in the championship this weekend as a substitute for the injured Sebastien Bourdais.
Join us to follow the action live at 8:30pm UK time on Saturday and Sunday.
Links
Your daily digest of F1 news, views, features and more from hundreds of sites across the web:
Lauda: Mercedes needs a Vettel DNF to win title (ESPN)
"We need to find a solution for the tyre window. And one thing is clear: Vettel needs to retire at least once, otherwise it's all over."
Magnussen gets the short stick in Giovinazzi deal - but why? (F1i)
"Kevin Magnussen will relinquish his seat at Haas for six FP1 sessions this season as the US outfit awards Ferrari hopeful Antonio Giovinazzi free practice mileage."
Chilton: F1 should use IndyCar-style spotters (Autosport)
"I know it's not traditional in F1 and it might not happen, but it would probably reduce some of the accidents."
Neale excited, supportive of Liberty's 'big picture' approach (Crash)
"If you look back over 15 or 20 years then Formula One as an investment, as an entity, has done very well for itself, but what got us here won't get us there"
Sainz can do 'no more' to show Red Bull his worth (Motorsport)
"At the moment our win is to finish the races P7, in Monaco we finished P6 as we beat a Mercedes, so we're happy."
Eric Broadley obituary (The Guardian)
"The F1 cars he was commissioned to design for Gérard Larrousse, Graham Hill and Carl Haas did rather better, but only when John Surtees persuaded Honda to invite him to design a car to replace their own design, whose chassis was proving inadequate, did he see a car from his drawing board win a world championship race, the 1967 Italian Grand Prix at Monza."
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Great news! Medical checks done – ready for the #CanadianGP @PWehrlein 😀 #F1 #PW94 pic.twitter.com/Af873K0Gh7
— Sauber F1 Team (@SauberF1Team) June 1, 2017
- Find more official F1 accounts to follow in the F1 Twitter Directory
Comment of the day
A view from Horacio on how F1 cut itself off from fans in Brazil:
I remember the day, when I was still covering sports, that showed me how detached F1 was from reality. I was covering the CART grand prix in Rio de Janeiro, at Jacarepagua (now completely obliterated). I was standing outside the paddock with a photographer, when the mechanics indicated that Bobby Rahal´s car will be coming out. Rahal advanced maybe one meter out of the box when he saw all the photographers waiting on the other side. He stopped the car and made a signal with his hand to the photographers to wait for a sec. And the the lifted the cover of his helmet (so the photos could show not the helmet but the driver inside it). It lasted maybe four, five seconds, and then he closed the helmet and went to do his business. On practice day there were fans everywhere (excepting from inside the boxes), drivers talking to fans, teams giving away and distributing caps, t-shirts and posters.
I never, ever, saw anything like that in F1. I remember covering F1 at Interlagos during a Friday practice and hearing people from the stands shouting insults to the fat rich businessmen and skinny models invited to walk along the paddock by the companies doing business there. From these guys, of course, the real fans were the dudes who paid the tickets and were sitting under the sun, while those guys and models were unable to identify one driver from another and anyway were walking among the cars. It was a sad spectacle.
Horacio
From the forum
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Malik (@magnusy)
2nd June 2017, 0:09
Mind games started at Mercedes camp too early, perhaps they feel this is the only way to top equally competitive Ferrari (3 race wins each, 4 poles or Merc vs 2 for Ferrari and 3 fastest laps for Merc vs 2 for Ferrari).
I wonder if the following story is the reason of concern in Mercedes:
An unnamed current F1 driver also tipped Vettel to emerge with spoils at the end of a long head-to-head with Mercedes’ Hamilton in 2017.
“Hamilton lacks the bite,” he said. “You can only rely on talent alone when you have a car that is a second faster. Three tenths per lap is not enough to beat a Vettel.”
Source: http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns36259.html
Kgn11
2nd June 2017, 0:15
3 tenths a lap won’t beat Vettel…
Lewis, hold my beer…
Traverse
2nd June 2017, 0:32
Methinks Vettel might be that ‘unnamed’ driver! :)
Dewald Nel (@ho3n3r)
2nd June 2017, 5:50
Doubt he said that about himself or Hamilton…
Michael
2nd June 2017, 8:47
it’s Ricciardo.
Fran
2nd June 2017, 7:14
Hamilton has chucked in the towel a couple of times this season already so not an unbelievable story
Henrik
2nd June 2017, 7:17
“Hamilton lacks the bite,” he said. “You can only rely on talent alone when you have a car that is a second faster. Three tenths per lap is not enough to beat a Vettel.”
If the quote is accurate, e.g. a faithful reproduction of what the driver in question actually said, then sentence structure marks him as a native English speaker while the idiom of the first sentence would indicate an Antipodean origin. The “unnamed current F1 driver” is most likely Dan Ricciardo.
socksolid (@socksolid)
2nd June 2017, 10:27
Or you could say the journalist who wrote that article has good command of english language.
matt
2nd June 2017, 12:01
yes, that fact that the cringe worthy ¨For sure¨ was not included int he quote indicates that it was not an F1 driver that uttered that meaningless quote.
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
2nd June 2017, 12:55
Is it Massa or a twisted Ricciardo comment.
kanan
2nd June 2017, 15:21
Oh please. Massa would never say nice things about Vettel when he could praise Alonso or Hamilton lol.
Ian Bond (@ianbond001)
2nd June 2017, 15:02
Hey, let’s be fair it isn’t just 3 tenths a lap:
– 3 tenths a lap
– a teammate that lets you by (even twice in a race) and you don’t have to give the place back even if you fail to make progress
– a teammate that will deliberately stay out longer to get ahead of your pit-stopping opponent to slow them by 2-3s a lap for as much as they can
N
2nd June 2017, 22:26
The tactic in Spain was born out of the lessons learned after Australia where Hamilton lost out to Vettel from the first round of pit stops and coming out behind traffic in these more aero-sensitive cars, but hey, you’d know this if you bothered watching.
James
3rd June 2017, 2:50
Who bothers to watch F1 these days anyway. Specially Australia, the race was a complete bore.
Kgn11
2nd June 2017, 0:12
Re Lauda’s comments.,,.
That’s some real vote of confidence your driver lineup. One that consists of the second winningest driver in the sport & the man who 2 of the last 3 driver’s title.
I can’t for the life of me hear Ferrari say something like this.
NewVerstappenFan (@jureo)
2nd June 2017, 8:24
Well, Vettel is a proven quantity. Hamilton can rearly keep it toggether for entire season.
Hamilton does have breath taking speed and talent, but so does Vettel. Time and time again we have simply seen him give up midrace. He is prone to downturns. Only reason Nico beat him.
Now he is spending time mastering mindgames while Bottas is mastering ultra soft tires.
Drg
2nd June 2017, 9:32
You clearly missed 2009, 2010 and numerous other races.
You clearly were too busy trying find fault with Hamilton last year to notice the almost complete meltdown Vettel had last year.
No change there then…
N
2nd June 2017, 10:15
Yeah lol, gotta love some of the ‘observations’ from people on here.
Drg
2nd June 2017, 9:33
You clearly missed 2009, 2010 and numerous other races.
You clearly were too busy trying find fault with Hamilton lastto notice the almost complete meltdown Vettel had last year.
No change there then…
Drg
2nd June 2017, 9:33
You clearly missed 2009, 2010 and numerous other races.
You clearly were too busy trying find fault with Hamilton lastto notice the almost complete meltdown by Vettel.
No change there then…
Drg
2nd June 2017, 9:35
You clearly missed 2009, 2010 and numerous other races.
And you were clearly too busy trying find fault with Hamilton to notice the almost complete meltdown by Vettel just a few months ago.
No change there then…
David-A (@david-a)
2nd June 2017, 12:59
You posted that 4 times in a row, paying homage to Vettel’s titles.
NewVerstappenFan (@jureo)
2nd June 2017, 19:42
Good one.
Kgn11
2nd June 2017, 9:56
@jureo
So you saying Lewis is not a proven quantity?
I like how you all like to put forth some baseless & factless nonsense.
Are you talking about the same Seb who had meltdowns in 2014 & 2016?
“Only reason Nico beat him”….
Naw had nothing to do with all the mechanical failures and his engine blowing up whilst on his way to a dominant win.
Seb’s now winning races, so now he’s this uber calm and collected character, gimme a break.
Show me the races where Lewis gave up midway? Why is it never viewed as him playing the long game? Sochi he knew he had overheating issues, so rather than stressed his engine, he fell back and just settled for the points.
This is Lewis’ 11th season and nearly every year you all have throwing dirty at his name, questioning his character, his intelligence, his appetite & desires, his lifestyle choices, but every year he turns up, wins races and competes for championship.
11 years and you’re all still coming up with the same nonsense. No matter what Lewis does, he’ll never get the respect he deserves from you & those like you. But hey that’s life, there were people who hated Fangio, Senna, Prost, Schumacher etc, so he’s in great company.
NewVerstappenFan (@jureo)
3rd June 2017, 22:02
Nah, you got me all wrong. Lewis is an epic driver. Very much a proven quantity, win every year he competed in, second highest win count…
But facts remain he is prone to being a drama queen. He breaks under pressure, and mostly his own undoing.
The fact Nico did beat him to the championship is down to Lewis not being Lewis level of great all season long. Season has 21 races and Lewis is not on his A game every weekend.
For example where was Lewis last quali? What about last year? Jet setting around the world, seeking specialists to combat jetlag,..
Meanwhile Nico a driver of vastly inferior talent was able to beat him on consistency and some luck with reliability.
Vettel has won more titles in less dominant cars for a reason.
It is hard to say who is better overall, but stats say Lewis is better at winning races and Sebastian at winning championships.
I dont get why everyone is out with pitch forks whenever I criticize parts of Lewis.. ?
Ludi Mawete
6th June 2017, 8:34
Those who criticise Hamilthon, seems to forget what he has done in the last few season, comparing to Vettel. Alonso once said ” Put Vettel in a midfield car, as in the last two seasons, and we will see how he does”. Well, we were all here to watch. Critising the team, involving himself in internal politics, too many mistakes in qualification, too many mistakes in the races, deregatory comments against Fia, the list is long….everybody seem to forget why he left Redbull, the reason was Daniel Ricciardo.
socksolid (@socksolid)
2nd June 2017, 10:32
Mercedes have this strange habit of trying to explain everything and try to look like in control and sometimes they end up making really weird and unnecessary statements.
petebaldwin (@)
2nd June 2017, 12:08
I hate it. Its one of my least favourite things about the sport.
You’re faster than us
No, we’re much slower than you.
Nuh-uh. We couldn’t even beat a Marussia!
Well we’re slower than HRT.
FW11B (@fw11b)
2nd June 2017, 16:07
Well, I don’t know if I wholeheartedly agree with Lauda, but the results do bear out his theory. Not only has Vettel been consistent but 2 of Mercedes wins (China and Spain) were due more to luck (the safety car in China, bad Ferrari strategy in Spain) rather than car performance. At this rate, plus Mercs inability to perform in slow tracks (Hungary and Singapore are coming up), it will be hard to catch Vettel..
Jon (@johns23)
2nd June 2017, 0:23
The Ferrari is Just a better car this year. The sooner Mercedes just get on with it and stop all the talk the better.
Ian Bond (@ianbond001)
2nd June 2017, 15:05
Ferrari looks like the faster race car so far this year. Aside from Russia, they were faster in all the other races. I still think the Mercs have a bit extra in qualifying.
kanan
2nd June 2017, 15:24
Mercedes has a faster car but they have difficulties setting up the car and half the time strategy does not work. Luckily for them half the time Ferrari strategy also doesn’t work.
Fran
2nd June 2017, 21:12
Mercedes have as many mis-hits as Ferrari if you’d take the time to look
kanan
3rd June 2017, 8:10
Hence the reason I said “…and half the time strategy does not work. Luckily for them half the time Ferrari strategy also doesn’t work.” Pretty much the same for both teams in that regard. Ferrari have had real problems with keeping Vettel in the lead whenever the guy managed to qualify or jump ahead. He’s better off starting behind Hamilton or way ahead lol.
Josh (@canadianjosh)
2nd June 2017, 0:27
Monaco was just an off race for Mercedes, they’ll probably fight for a win in Montreal. As long as Seb can stay clean and on the podium, he’s the favourite but it’s a looonng season. Not over by a long shot.
Mark G (@)
2nd June 2017, 6:28
Bottad will probably fight for the win in Canada, unless Hamilton miraculously sorts out his performance on the ultra-softs.
Todfod (@todfod)
2nd June 2017, 8:09
Canada is Hamilton’s favourite circuit. I expect him to be fighting for the pole and win regardless of the tyre choice. Bottas should be strong there too.
Monaco is a one off, I would think that a Merc 1-2 is definitely on the cards for Montreal, and these statements from Lauda are just the typical underplaying your hand talk we hear from leading teams these days.
iFelix (@ifelix)
2nd June 2017, 9:08
Wanted to say exactly the same. He is particularly strong in Canada.
kanan
3rd June 2017, 8:13
Canada is a strong circuit for all of the top 3 actually. Ham vs Vet is more likely to be about how their cars handle and overall how fast it is in Canada.
George (@george)
2nd June 2017, 17:26
Canada is definitely a circuit that should suit the Mercedes, it all comes down to whether they can make the tyres work though. Certainly Hamilton and Bottas exemplary records there so there can’t be any excuses from the driver side.
If they don’t have a 1-2 there (without extenuating circumstances) then I might agree with Lauda’s statement. As it is I think on pure pace they’re slightly ahead of Ferrari still, and are likely to out-develop them.
Fran
2nd June 2017, 21:12
Yes another one off
James
3rd June 2017, 2:52
Bottas qualified 3rd less that 1 tenth from pole…
Fireblade
2nd June 2017, 0:34
“Vettel needs to retire at least once, otherwise it’s all over.”
Well, Vettel has retired at least once in every season he’s been in F1.
Of course so has Hamilton, so these words by Lauda are basically meaningless.
Through six GP’s the count is Mercedes 3 wins, Ferrari 3 wins. Mercedes 4 poles, Ferrari 2 poles. Mercedes 7 podiums, Ferrari 8 podiums. Mercedes one mechanical DNF, Ferrari one mechanical DNF. I guess Mercedes are so used to complete domination that anything less seems terrible, but the truth is that we’re looking at two very closely balanced cars in the W08 and SF70H. If I had to place money on the outcome I’d say Merc have a slight edge, simply because Ferrari have already used up their quota of power unit components and will start taking grid penalties from here on.
Strontium (@strontium)
2nd June 2017, 1:25
I think the Mercedes engine is superior, while the Ferrari aerodynamics are superior, as Monaco showed. Therefore the balance can be expected to switch according to whichever circuit favours their strength. Ironically Mercedes is more likely to win in Monza, while Singapore will probably be Ferrari territory.
The real question is, where does the balance tip in relation to the calendar ahead?
Kgn11
2nd June 2017, 2:38
Monaco didn’t prove Ferrari aero superior, Bottas missed pole be less than a 10th of a sec, even with all their tyre issues
miki
2nd June 2017, 8:09
Exactly this Merc is as fast as it is and equal to Ferrari and times faster than Ferrari.
Lewis Struggles doesnt mean Merc is slower as Bottas proved Merc is right there
matt
2nd June 2017, 11:10
but bottas race pace was poor in comparison to the ferraris and even redbulls.
3 times this season,bottas race pace has been below par.
miki
2nd June 2017, 11:38
This is what i stated below
Bottas so far 2/3 Times nailed the setup when US tire is used and got closer and stayed where Merc is relative to Ferrari and his race pace is also consistent, he was just in the same place as where is he when Lewis is Ahead i.e off the pace/Slightly off the pace of Lewis and Ferrari’s or with Lewis behind through out the 6 races.
SevenFiftySeven
3rd June 2017, 12:19
I do think that is generally quite right. Mercedes cars still have the pace, but unlike the last 3 years, they don’t have the time cushion against their rivals to run on optimal settings for wins sans car troubles.
Now that they’re having to push, the tire bottleneck issue that plagued them since 2011 is back, but they’ll find the sweet spot soon (without a secret tire test one hopes). And, let’s hope Lauda doesn’t find his own cars having DNF’s. Of course, Ferrari shouldn’t have DNF’s also.
The Duke
2nd June 2017, 18:58
Bottas didn’t have tire issues, that was the other side of the garage.
No points paid on Saturday though and Merc was nowhere in the race on a track that requires high DF.
I believe there was a RB ahead of Bottas as well.
Fran
2nd June 2017, 21:14
Ferrari’s advantage comes front their system that controls traction which is variable to tyre wear
SevenFiftySeven
3rd June 2017, 12:23
Monaco actually rewards mechanical grip than aero grip. Mercedes lost out on the mechanical grip side.
Sundar Srinivas Harish
2nd June 2017, 6:22
Ferrari management has addressed the topic of the engine components once or twice – IIRC they claim that they’re using them in a round-robin basis, and hence will not take penalties for exceeding the number of usable components. Although it is safe to expect Merc to take this to the boardroom.
Crom
2nd June 2017, 9:17
Yeah I think the phrase was ‘tactical deployment’
Kgn11
2nd June 2017, 9:59
So what happens when they decides to bring an engine upgrade? Surely any such upgrade would also include upgrading the TC, especially if it’s a performance upgrade?
And if it’s tactical, why is Kimi only on 3? Why is he not on 4 like Seb?
juan fanger (@juan-fanger)
3rd June 2017, 5:45
Not sure if related, but Kimi has had one less race (Spain).
Fireblade
2nd June 2017, 19:04
That doesn’t make a lot of sense though. These components, having already been used, now cannot be changed/upgraded. While Mercedes can bring a revised engine/turbo/power-pack later in the season and not take a penalty for using them, Ferrari cannot.
Gabriel (@rethla)
2nd June 2017, 0:34
The difference between F1 and oval racing is that positions change so much faster. Indycars move faster sure but relativly to each other they are almost standing still and just graciously changing positions. You cant apply spotters the way F1 drivers are diving into corners trying to surprise each other. Not only is there not enough time for radiowarnings but its also during the critical time when drivers responds angrily “Dont talk to me in corners”.
For general track position and how close and in what condition other cars are they already have info about that when they need it.
Joao (@johnmilk)
2nd June 2017, 6:58
and they already have enough aids as it is now
petebaldwin (@)
2nd June 2017, 12:11
The Indy 500 is about setting your car up and being in the right position (top 10) to fight for the win in the last 20 laps. F1 is about track position.
Being 3rd or 8th with 15 laps left at Indiapolis isn’t a huge difference. In F1 it’s massive.
photozen (@photozen)
2nd June 2017, 1:26
The idea of having spotters in F1 is contrary to letting drivers drive the car on the limit, using their skills, as people have been asking for and drivers wanting for some time. F1 is not run on ovals and is unpredictable at its best. Let the drivers race.
Fran
2nd June 2017, 7:16
You only need spotters for overtaking and as there isn’t any at Monaco you can give them the day off
@F1-liners (@f1-liners)
2nd June 2017, 4:26
IMO Alonso’s deck chair beats Rahal’s visor lifting ;)
NewVerstappenFan (@jureo)
2nd June 2017, 5:04
Spotters for drivers, now that would be funny. But also prevent some suprise overtakes. Those i like a lot.
Mercedes can win without Vettel DNF.
Ian Bond (@ianbond001)
2nd June 2017, 15:10
Spotters work fine one a curved straight like where you don’t need to corner and change gears. You hear F1 drivers yelling “stop talking to me” over the radio. I would say spotters on the F1 circuits is a very bad idea.
Loup Garou (@loup-garou)
2nd June 2017, 6:05
I also think that Lauda is being silly. If they are mind games, they will only appeal to those without minds.
By the law of averages, Vettel will have a DNF somewhere along the line this season; so will Hamilton and most other drivers. That sort of thing happens every year.
IMO, Ferrari and Vettel have taken the correct approach this year – avoiding rhetoric and getting on with the business of providing a car with optimal performance for the forthcoming race. So far they have done well and it is best that they remain unaffected by Mercedes’ bear-baiting.
Dewald Nel (@ho3n3r)
2nd June 2017, 6:56
Well said. Although, at the current rate component penalties will be coming Ferrari and Vettel’s way sooner than it will for Hamilton, which stands to reason that he will also get more, as each one used after the limit of 4, incurs a new penalty.
On the one hand I don’t like that grid penalties will become a factor, but on the other hand the rules are the same for everyone, which is all that is required.
Fran
2nd June 2017, 7:19
If the penalties fall on one of Hamilton’s bad weekends Vettel will be ahead of him anyway
Asanator (@asanator)
2nd June 2017, 13:32
Just because Ferrari have used more components doesn’t mean that they can’t re-use them. Most teams deploy components tactically to get the best usage out of them and it is only really a concern when a component fails. I’m not sure how many ‘failures’ Ferrari have had this year. Engine changes between practice sessions do not necessarily imply failures and is usually more to do with rotation. Also, Vettel had an entire PU change (amazingly) before the Spanish GP qualy as a problem was found after/during FP3 but they changed the entire PU as a precaution rather than trying to diagnose and fix the problem in the limited time available. it is likely that most if not all of the removed PU components are fine for use later on in the season.
Loup Garou (@loup-garou)
2nd June 2017, 15:30
Precisely. For example, that engine taken out of Vettel’s car with the water leak is otherwise fine and that problem has already been sorted. Ferrari will re-use it at some stage without any penalty.
petebaldwin (@)
2nd June 2017, 12:14
@loup-garou – Good point. Better to call them “Mindless games” :D
Robbie (@robbie)
2nd June 2017, 13:13
I don’t think they are mind games at all. I doubt Lauda would think his opinion would affect Ferrari…would change anything for them.
I think that just as one popular opinion of last year was that LH ‘only lost because of his one dnf’ which I never buy because he had many blown starts too, NL is now saying that since they are a race win behind SV they need him to dnf.
I’m of the opinion that he is saying that on average Ferrari is solid at all tracks whereas Merc may struggle with tires at some tracks, so on average Ferrari should win the WDC from where we stand today, unless they dnf.
We all know LH hasn’t forgotten how to race or win. The car simply isn’t always faster anymore, and will depend on the track whereas for the last three seasons it hasn’t depended on the track. Ferrari seems to have taken over being good at all track types.
petebaldwin (@)
2nd June 2017, 15:50
@Robbie – I agree – they aren’t really mind games.. F1 is in a bizarre place where teams don’t want to be seen to be dominating the sport because it’s not popular. Fans criticise the top teams stating that their wins are too easy and don’t mean much but in reality, they are only easy because they’ve done a really good job as a team to be in that position!
That’s why we’ve had years of Toto stating that Ferrari are catching up whilst they clearly weren’t and now that Ferrari are competitive, Lauda is saying the season is as good as over after 6 races!
SevenFiftySeven
3rd June 2017, 12:54
Lauda’s comment regarding Vettel DNF has the opposite effect. It flatters Ferrari and disparages his own drivers. And, this is a team that has Lewis on it. And, it’s a Mercedes – the quintessential name in automotive high technology and class that produced the most dominant cars in F1 history.
Lauda’s comment, essentially, comes out sounding like this: Vettel is unbeatable. We, the Mercedes team have a technical challenge ahead of us. We may persist, or we may not. In either case, our drivers don’t have the capabilities to take the fight to Ferrari and beat Vettel, so we hope he has a mechanical DNF to swing the balance more towards our favor.
Vettel is a class act, no doubt, and appreciating your opponent’s strength (and not underestimating him, more importantly) is good. But, you don’t frame your words in a such a way that it disparages your own star driver.
Joao (@johnmilk)
2nd June 2017, 6:59
I would like to hear the people that criticised indycar talent pool over this last one week now. You mighty Esteban Gutierrez
Crom
2nd June 2017, 12:54
Tony Kanaan’s rebuff of Hamilton’s Indycar jibe was amusing :)
Knight
2nd June 2017, 7:43
Ferrari is not the best car it’s just the car that handles better.Mercedes is used to an easy win and now they have to work for it and that’s a lot harder than talking gibberish .
AntoineDeParis (@antoine-de-paris)
2nd June 2017, 8:07
“Ferrari is not the best car it’s just the car that handles better.”
SF70-h is a very competitive car, simple as that.
Which one is the best? Way too early to say.
Remember Merc Barca update and people saying: It’s gonna be at least one second quicker than Ferrari?
Well, probably the same people now say Ferrari is the best car. lmao
Knight
2nd June 2017, 13:01
I actually posted back then that Mercedes is the car to beat if you want to finish in second place.
Knight
2nd June 2017, 13:03
So far the Ferrari seems a little more competitive.
Fran
2nd June 2017, 21:18
Which is what this is
Michael
2nd June 2017, 8:54
I never considered Hamilton a better racing driver than Vettel. He is good but not that good. He had often one of the best cars when he won. I think even Ricciardo is a better driver than him.
I’d put Verstappen and Vettel to my car anyday.
Josh (@canadianjosh)
2nd June 2017, 9:34
Hamilton is amazing my friend. Mercedes or not, the man can drive a car and I’d take him or Alonso over Vettel any day.
nelson piquet
2nd June 2017, 20:36
just no
Kgn11
2nd June 2017, 10:06
“never considered Hamilton a better racing driver than Vettel. He is good but not that good. He had often one of the best cars when he won.”
By that logic, that means Fangio, Schumacher, Senna et al, weren’t all that good?
matt
2nd June 2017, 11:13
but didnt ric outperform vettel when they were team mates?
to say lewis isnt that good,is just stupid.
Asanator (@asanator)
2nd June 2017, 13:35
@ matt Didn’t button and Rosberg beat Hamilton when they were team mates? You see the pointlessness of such comments without context?
Kgn11
2nd June 2017, 14:15
Didn’t Kvyat beat Ric whilst they were teammates?
Didn’t Ric beat Seb whilst they were teammates?
Didn’t Lewis beat Alonso whilst they were teammates?
Does that mean Seb’s not as good as ppl think he is?
He got beat, so what?
iFelix (@ifelix)
2nd June 2017, 9:12
So I guess Lauda’s next mission for Bottas is to take out Vettel then ;)
Loup Garou (@loup-garou)
2nd June 2017, 12:37
Lauda already asked Bottas to take out Vettel…..and Bottas did – to a Chinese restaurant.
miki
2nd June 2017, 9:44
Problem of Mercedes is not total under performance but Hamilton seemingly either on it at 100% or not even there in last 3 races. He was sublime in spain and was no where to be seen in Russia and Monaco. Whilst Bottas was consistently there where he was with or With out Lewis performance.
Bottas was really quick in one lap but looses that touch in race vs Ferrari / Vettel. Whilst Hamilton if he was on it from Q he will be there, these inconsistencies is what hindering Merc and the fight is far from over. As long as Lewis brings his A game he will be in fight but if he was in the Hit and Miss zone he will struggle hard.
N
2nd June 2017, 10:20
“He was sublime in spain and was no where to be seen in Russia and Monaco.”
Funny that, since those races you mention are where the Mercedes was struggling with the Ultra’s on slow speed, low energy corners.
Let me guess, you thought Lewis wasn’t on the ball in Singapore 2015?
miki
2nd June 2017, 11:13
Singapore 2015 is still Lewis drove well until he got a DNF. Im not a fan of any driver if you think im against Lewis. I just love F1 because of its Speed and technology. Point is Lewis Struggled in Sochi/ Monaco whilst Bottas did pretty well in those races got P3/P1 in Sochi Q/R and P3/P4 in Monaco Q/R.
Hamilton needs to understand what exactly goes wrong for him and its his issue and for Merc they need to see why and how Bottas able to deliver for them whilst Lewis can’t in these particular sections.
N
2nd June 2017, 11:19
“Point is Lewis Struggled in Sochi/ Monaco whilst Bottas did pretty well in those races”
The fact that a 3x world champion, someone with the pace of Lewis was WAY off Bottas pace, shows that its not a Lewis problem, it’s a car setup problem
miki
2nd June 2017, 11:35
Sorry i guess you are unable to understand or i couldn’t express it better as English isn’t my native.
If He was struggling with a tenth or two then may be but he was way off suggesting that its Lewis Setup problem rather than the entire car problem unless Bottas was somehow able to master the issues over Lewis. Im not suggesting Mercedes is way ahead its more or less equal to Ferrari in Q and slightly slower in races with US tire combination. Bottas so far 2/3 Times nailed the setup and got closer and stayed where Merc is relative to Ferrari and his race pace is also consistent, he was just in the same place as where is he when Lewis is Ahead i.e off the pace/Slightly off the pace of Lewis and Ferrari’s or with Lewis behind through out the 6 races.
I Guess Lewis is struggling alot due to ban of Suspension which helped him and Rosberg to be at so ease in the previous years which now isn’t there hurting him and his feel to get the tires upto temp or maintain it. Some thing Valtteri isn’t used to and able to drive it normally.
Im not saying its a car setup problem but what im suggesting is that its just one side of garage couldn’t do it rather than full team unable to do it.
David-A (@david-a)
2nd June 2017, 13:07
Yeah, impossible for you to give credit to Bottas (or criticism to Hamilton) at all.
N
2nd June 2017, 13:19
“Yeah, impossible for you to give credit to Bottas (or criticism to Hamilton) at all.”
[insert roll eyes gif]
Fireblade
2nd June 2017, 15:05
“The fact that a 4x world champion, someone with the pace of Vettel was WAY off Ricciardo’s pace in many races in 2014 shows that its not a Vettel problem, it’s a car setup problem.”
Somehow I can’t see you writing those words.
@F1-liners (@f1-liners)
2nd June 2017, 15:35
A great fan can handle criticism of their favoured driver!
The myopic ones just roll their eyes ;)
N
2nd June 2017, 16:21
“Somehow I can’t see you writing those words.”
Good, because i didn’t.
“A great fan can handle criticism of their favoured driver!”
[insert roll-eyes gif]
kanan
3rd June 2017, 8:07
@N
Whoosh…
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2nd June 2017, 11:35
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George (@george)
2nd June 2017, 17:35
@keithcollantine
Spam post
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
2nd June 2017, 12:59
Soon haas is going to understand they are loosing valuable laptime from 2 overrated drivers, particularly Romain.
Steven Robertson (@emu55)
2nd June 2017, 13:11
The concern I have for Hamilton is that the psychological intensity of the last 3 seasons has ruined him mentally, for this season at least. For 60+ grand prix’s Hamilton and Rosberg were having to perform to the highest of their abilities in identical machinery, the stress of having to win a championship in this high level of pressure would burn out most human beings. Rosberg quit the sport rather than go through it again, Hamilton stayed and is floundering.
Asanator (@asanator)
2nd June 2017, 13:44
@emu55 Oh come on! he’s only had to race his (apparently lesser) team mate in a car that was massively faster than anyone else’s. Guaranteed a 1st or 2nd in every race for 3 years! That’s not real pressure, now we will see how he handles the pressure that there are 3 other drivers in contention for race wins and finishes ahead of him, without the massive car advantage.
Robbie (@robbie)
2nd June 2017, 13:53
If there’s anything to a psychological issue as you suggest, I think it started after he won the 2015 WDC and decided he was entitled. He came unhinged in 2016 throwing his own team under the bus with accusations of them favouring Nico. Now that he’s been, in his mind, robbed of the 2016 title he no longer has the dominant car. He should have been cake walking this season with a natural number two driver in VB.
But I’m not convinced this is the issue. I think it is simply as we are observing…Ferrari is on average better at all track types and Merc no longer is, wrt tires.
N
2nd June 2017, 14:46
“He came unhinged in 2016 throwing his own team under the bus with accusations of them favouring Nico”
Still spouting this nonsense? It won’t become true no matter how many times you say it.
dbHenry
2nd June 2017, 16:37
“It won’t become true no matter how many times you say it.”
[insert roll-eyes gif]
Baron
2nd June 2017, 17:49
It doesn’t have to become true. It already is the truth.
Robbie (@robbie)
2nd June 2017, 18:55
@Baron Exactly. I didn’t invent LH’s own commentary. He put it out there to the world. No matter how many times I am told it is nonsense, the true nonsense is denying the very things that LH himself said throughout 2016. They are on record.
N
2nd June 2017, 22:28
No, not ‘exactly’.
How you chose to interpret his words is only true in your delusional head.
Robbie (@robbie)
2nd June 2017, 23:04
@N Right, so TW composes a letter to the world defending his team, after LH feeds the conspiracy theorists with his ‘for no apparent reason’ comment, but I’ve misinterpreted that.
Following through, after other comments, to the end of the season and LH is talking about a tell-all book in 10 years, the implication being there was favouritism toward NR…but I’ve misinterpreted that.
Hey I get your defence of your favourite driver, but at least be realistic about it. At least jump on the conspiracy bandwagon if you must, but denying the very things LH has wanted us to interpret exactly how he intended, is just ridiculous.
It would make more sense to me if you just slammed us all for not getting that LH was robbed due to intentional behaviour by the team to see Nico win the WDC. Since that’s the time LH set, you going along with that would make more sense than simply denying his very words that could not be interpret
Robbie (@robbie)
2nd June 2017, 23:06
interpreted any other way, as intended by LH himself.
Or…perhaps enlighten us as to his exact meaning then, throughout his various comments in 2016.
Robbie (@robbie)
2nd June 2017, 23:08
Above, should have said ‘Since that’s the tone LH set…’
Kgn11
2nd June 2017, 14:23
As always, Lewis mental state of mind is being questioned without a single shred of evidence.
Lewis is not floundering, he’s 2nd in the championship, won 2 races had 3 poles and 4 podiums. If that’s someone floundering to you, then I’d say you’re the one who’s suffering psychologically.
He struggled with the tyres st 2 races where his teammate didn’t, big deal, it happens. But here comes the online psychologist analysing Lewis’ state of mind.
EagleMk1
4th June 2017, 1:19
Yep, 44 must be in a really bad shape if he needs the crusaders he’s getting
Stephen Crowsen (@drycrust)
2nd June 2017, 19:42
Lauda’s comment is rather pessimistic for this early in the season. Didn’t Rosberg win the World Drivers’ Championship without winning the most races? The same applies here, just because Ferrari have been second in more races than Mercedes have (4 to 2) so far this season doesn’t mean they will win the Constructors’ Championship. (Both teams have won 3 races each so far this season, so currently the Constructors’ Championship leadership is being decided by the other places, and Ferrari have obviously been more successful than Mercedes at this).
kanan
3rd June 2017, 8:01
Lauda’s comment reminds me of that McLaren employee comment towards the end of the 2011 season. You know the one about how McLaren had become as fast if not faster than Red Bull back then but Vettel was still the one winning for some reason.
Ludi Mawete
6th June 2017, 9:28
Those who criticise Hamilthon, seems to forget what he has done in the last few season, comparing to Vettel. Alonso once said ” Put Vettel in a midfield car, as in the last two seasons, and we will see how he does”. Well, we were all here to watch. Critising the team, involving himself in internal politics, too many mistakes in qualification, too many mistakes in the races, deregatory comments against Fia, the list is long….everybody seem to forget why he left Redbull, the reason was Daniel Ricciardo.
Ludi Mawete
6th June 2017, 9:37
We should be here with gratefull comments on how lucky we are to watch a F1 driver of Lewis Hamilthon calibre. What we are seeing this season, is what everybody wanted to see. Meredes vs Ferrari and Hamilthon vs Vettel. Well, how good is to have quali analysis on the drives tecniques; guess who comes on top. It is just pure pleasure. In the races well , they are matching each other… Both guys are mentally strong. However, one clearly has the number one status and the others do not. Lets just see and watch. Thank you
John
8th August 2017, 12:53
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