Tag: Mercedes

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IT’S A MAGICAL MOMENT; LEWIS HAMILTON IN DREAMLAND AFTER 100TH F1 WIN

Lewis Hamilton hailed his 100th victory as a “magical moment” following another extraordinary afternoon of drama at Sunday’s Russian Grand Prix.

Lando Norris (21) looked set to knock Hamilton off his perch as the youngest Briton to win a Formula One race after a composed and mature drive at Sochi’s Olympic Park.

But the McLaren star was cruelly denied his first triumph when the arrival of rain with just seven laps remaining turned the race on its head.

Norris stayed out on slick rubber, but the gamble backfired. Hamilton stopped for wet tyres, and crossed the line 53 seconds clear of rival Max Verstappen to bring up his landmark win, 14 years and 108 days after his first triumph in Montreal, Canada in just his sixth race.

“It has taken a long time to get to 100 and I wasn’t even sure if it would come,” said 36-year-old Hamilton.

“It is a magical moment. I could only have dreamed of still being here, to have this opportunity to win these races, and to drive with such phenomenal talents this late on in my career.

“I am so proud of everything we have done with Mercedes, on and off the track, and this is a special moment for everyone that has been part of it.

“My dad called me last night and he has always been that one to reassure me and to continue to support me. I feel incredibly grateful for the amazing support that I have had.”

Hamilton’s magnificent century of wins takes him two points clear of Verstappen in the title race with seven rounds to go.

Verstappen, thrown to the back of the grid with an engine penalty, drove from last to second to limit the damage to his championship rival.

“I was so determined when I woke up this morning to deliver the best performance I could,” added Hamilton, who started fourth and then dropped to seventh after the first lap.

“Max must have done a great job to come up from last to second so we have got our work cut out. But there is nothing I can do about who is behind me and that is a dream result for him.

“For two thirds of the season Red Bull have had the edge. It has been difficult with all sorts of curveballs sent to both of us, and our teams, and there is still everything to play for. I anticipate that it will just continue to be really close between us for the rest of the year.”

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Lewis Hamilton wins an epic BahrainGP

Lewis Hamilton clung on to survive a late attack from Max Verstappen to begin his Formula One title defence with a dramatic victory in the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Verstappen’s Red Bull had the edge in speed over Hamilton’s Mercedes for the entirety of the race weekend but, after a frenetic stop-start opening to the race gave way to a strategic battle between the teams expected to compete at the front of the grid this season, it was the Briton who found himself taking the chequered flag.

Having emerged from his final pit stop nearly nine seconds behind Hamilton, pole-sitter Verstappen looked to have made the crucial overtake with four laps remaining.

But he was forced to give the place back having gone beyond the track limits to get past Hamilton, and Verstappen could not find an opportunity with which to make the decisive move for a second time, Red Bull left frustrated as the seven-time champion claimed his first season-opening win since 2015.ADVERTISING

The omens were not great for Red Bull when Sergio Perez, making his debut for the team, stopped on track during the formation lap. That forced the field into an extra parade lap and the Mexican to start from the pit lane.

Perez, who pitted during the safety car period after debutant Nikita Mazepin went into the wall on the first lap, staged a magnificent recovery to finish fifth behind Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas in third and the excellent Lando Norris in the McLaren.

Verstappen complained about problems with his differential but the intrigue started when Hamilton pitted on lap 14 in a bid to undercut Red Bull, who did not respond until four laps later and were unable to retain the lead when the Dutchman headed into the pits.

He was back at the head of the field following Hamilton’s second stop on lap 28 before Bottas’ hopes of victory were effectively quashed by a problem with his right front tyre that extended his time in the pit lane.

Verstappen’s final stop on lap 40 set the stage for a cat and mouse fight with Hamilton in which he was anticipated to prevail.

However, a failure to keep a wheel on the track as he went around the outside of Hamilton proved critical as Verstappen was immediately instructed to give the place back.

Another chance failed to materialise and a gripping opening act to the new season ended with a familiar face standing atop the podium.


MAD MAX SETTLES FOR SECOND

Expletives were frequent from Verstappen early in race as he bemoaned a problem with his car and his mood was not improved after an engrossing finale. Verstappen was frustrated at being forced to let Hamilton past, claiming he could have made a potential five-second time penalty back on the track with clear air in front of him. His disappointment and understandable irritation should not take away from a weekend in which Red Bull proved they will be legitimate challengers to Mercedes.

PEREZ’S DRAMATIC RED BULL DEBUT

Perez’s fightback from starting from the pit lane to a fifth-place finish was a fittingly eventful debut on a day where new faces enjoyed mixed fortunes.

Carlos Sainz was in the points in his first race for Ferrari, finishing eighth while team-mate Charles Leclerc took sixth ahead of McLaren debutant Daniel Ricciardo.

Yuki Tsunoda was superb on his F1 bow, taking ninth for AlphaTauri, but Mazepin and Mick Schumacher, last among those who went the race distance, endured chastening starts to their F1 careers for Haas.

Fernando Alonso’s return to the sport for Alpine was ended by brake problems, and Sebastian Vettel’s first race for Aston Martin saw him finish a lowly 15th.

IN THE POINTS 

1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)  
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.745s  
3. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) +37.383s  
4. Lando Norris (McLaren) + 46.466s 
5. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) +52.047s  
6. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +59.090s  
7. Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren) +66.004s  
8. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) +67.100s  
9. Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri) +85.692s  
10. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) +86.713s 

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS 

Drivers 

1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) – 25
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 18 
3. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) – 16 
4. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 12 
5. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) – 10 

Constructors 

1. Mercedes – 41 
2. Red Bull – 28 
3. McLaren – 18 
4. Ferrari – 12
5. Alpha Tauri – 2

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HAMILTON AGREES NEW ONE-YEAR DEAL WITH MERCEDES

Lewis Hamilton has ended his long-running contract saga with Mercedes by signing a new one-year deal.

The seven-time world champion’s extension was announced by the sport’s all-conquering team on Monday ahead of the new Formula One campaign which gets under way in Bahrain next month.

Hamilton (36) will be bidding to win an unprecedented eighth world title.

Hamilton has been in the unusual situation of being out of contract since his last £40million (€45.5 million)-a-year deal expired on the final day of December.

But after several weeks of negotiations with Mercedes, the British driver’s future has finally been settled, albeit with both parties agreeing to only one extra year.

“I am excited to be heading into my ninth season with my Mercedes team-mates,” said Hamilton, who has spent much of the off-season training in America.

“Our team has achieved incredible things together, and we look forward to building on our success even further, while continuously looking to improve, both on and off the track.”

Hamilton, who persuaded his Mercedes team to change their livery from silver to black to highlight the fight against racism, added: “I’m equally determined to continue the journey we started to make motorsport more diverse for future generations, and I am grateful that Mercedes has been extremely supportive of my call to address this issue.

“I’m proud to say we are taking that effort further this year by launching a foundation dedicated to diversity and inclusion in the sport. I am inspired by all that we can build together and can’t wait to get back on the track in March.”

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said: “We have always been aligned with Lewis that we would continue, but the very unusual year we had in 2020 meant it took some time to finish the process.

“Together, we have decided to extend the sporting relationship for another season and to begin a longer-term project to take the next step in our shared commitment to greater diversity within our sport.”

Hamilton surpassed Michael Schumacher’s record number of victories last season and emulated the German by winning a seventh title.

Wolff, who has overseen Hamilton’s six of seven triumphs at Mercedes, added: “Lewis’s competitive record stands alongside the best the sports world has ever seen, and he is a valued ambassador for our brand and our partners.

“The story of Mercedes and Lewis has written itself into the history books of our sport over the past eight seasons, and we are hungry to compete and to add more chapters to it.”

Hamilton galloped to last year’s title, wrapping up the record-equalling triumph with three rounds remaining at November’s Turkish Grand Prix.

But the Briton was forced to miss the penultimate round in Bahrain after he contracted coronavirus.

His stand-in, Englishman George Russell, was on course for a brilliant win before a Mercedes pit-stop howler and puncture derailed his chances.

Russell (22) is entering the final year of his three-season contract with Williams and will be eyeing a seat at Mercedes in 2022.

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RUSSELL REPLACES HAMILTON AT MERCEDES FOR SAKHIR GP AFTER BRITISH STAR TESTS POSITIVE TO COVID-19.

Williams driver George Russell will replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes for this weekend’s Sakhir Grand Prix after Hamilton tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday.

Williams, which is an engine customer of Mercedes, agreed to release the 22-year-old for this weekend’s race and has announced it will replace Russell with its reserve driver Jack Aitken.

Russell has a contract with Williams until the end of 2021, but is managed by Mercedes and has a separate long-term deal with the world champions.

When news broke of Hamilton’s positive test on Monday, Mercedes approached Williams over Russell’s availability and once a deal was struck the two teams confirmed the driver switch on Wednesday morning.

It is not clear if there is an option in place for Russell’s release from his Williams contract to stretch to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix the following weekend if Hamilton fails to return a negative COVID-19 test in time.

“Firstly, I want to say a huge thank you to everybody at Williams for giving me this opportunity,” Russell said. “I might be wearing a different race suit this weekend, but I’m a Williams driver and I’ll be cheering my team on every step of the way.

“I see this as a great chance to learn from the best outfit on the grid right now and to come back as an improved driver, with even more energy and experience to help push Williams further up the grid. A big thank you also to Mercedes for putting their faith in me.

“Obviously, nobody can replace Lewis, but I’ll give my all for the team in his absence from the moment I step in the car. Most importantly, I wish him a speedy recovery.”

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff added: “First and foremost, I wish to thank our loyal partners at Williams for their collaboration and open-mindedness in making it possible for George to race for Mercedes this weekend.

“The conversations with the team at Williams were positive and pragmatic, and those were the key factors in reaching an agreement.”

He has not scored a point in his 36 F1 starts, although that is largely down to Williams’ lack of competitiveness. In qualifying he has outperformed his two teammates, Robert Kubica and Nicholas Latifi, at every grand prix since he has driven at.

Russell is familiar with the Mercedes team and has completed four days of official testing with the world champions, with his last outing taking place in Bahrain last year.

He has been tipped as a potential replacement for Valtteri Bottas in 2022 and the two drivers will be matched as teammates this weekend.

“It will not be a straightforward task for George to make the transition from the Williams to the W11, but he is race-ready and has detailed understanding of the 2020 tyres and how they perform on this generation of cars,” Wolff added. “George has shown impressive form this year with Williams, playing an instrumental role in their climb up the grid, and I am optimistic that he will deliver a strong performance alongside Valtteri, who will be a demanding reference for him.

“This race will mark a small milestone for us, as we see a member of our Junior programme compete for the works Mercedes team for the first time. We have a job to do this weekend, and the full focus of our sporting efforts will be behind Valtteri and George in order to maximise our points score as a team.

“But, of course, our thoughts are also with Lewis, and we will be supporting him as much as we can to make a rapid recovery during his period of self-isolation.”

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Valtteri Bottas wins dramatic Austrian GP, six do not take knee before race

Formula One drivers all wore a black T-shirt with ‘End Racism’ written on it before the start of the season-opening Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday, but six of the 20 drivers did not take the knee.

Valtteri Bottas took the win for Mercedes at the Austrian Grand Prix as teammate Lewis Hamilton suffered a dramatic late-racing demotion from second to fourth. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc took second place and Mclaren’s Lando Norris third.

The race was interrupted three times by a safety car and nine of 20 drivers abandoned, including both Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Alexander Albon — who tried to overtake Hamilton on the outside with 10 laps left, touched wheels and flew off track.

Hamilton was given a five-second time penalty for causing the collision, having earlier been hit with a three-place grid penalty after an incident in Saturday’s qualifying was reviewed by stewards.

Although Bottas started from pole position and Hamilton from fifth, it looked like a straight fight between the two Mercedes drivers as has been the case so often in recent years.

The Mercedes duo of Bottas and Hamilton enjoyed a comfortable performance advantage throughout the 71-lap encounter. But with 10 laps to go, the race exploded into life, with Hamilton handed his penalty.

Formula One drivers all wore a black T-shirt with ‘End Racism’ written on it before the start of the season-opening Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday, but six of the 20 drivers did not take the knee.

Kimi Raikkonen, Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, Daniil Kvyat, Antonio Giovinazzi and Carlos Sainz Jr. were those who did not.

World champion Lewis Hamilton, the only black driver in F1, wore a T-shirt with Black Lives Matter on the front and End Racism on the back.

Hamilton, who knelt alongside Sebastian Vettel, at one point bowed his head pensively while Kvyat pointed to the anti-racism message on his T-shirt.