In response to the tidal wave of criticism of the French Grand Prix, F1’s insiders adopted a familiar tone. With more than a hint of condescension they asserted that if you cannot appreciate the brilliance of Hamilton and Mercedes as they throttle the opposition, you cannot be a true fan of F1. While the elite…
Tag: Mercedes F1
Vettel, Baku, the FIA and Liberty Media
The machinations of F1 politics meant the decision not to punish Sebastien Vettel further for his clash with Lewis Hamilton was inevitable. Despite rumours suggesting FIA President Jean Todt wanted to make an example of the German there are plenty of reasons why there was a slim chance of that ever happening. First up is…
Ferrari & Bottas just limited Alonso’s F1 options
Fernando Alonso’s Australian Grand Prix weekend was bad enough thanks to continuing failings by Honda. But the resurgence of Ferrari and the performance of Valterri Bottas made things even worse. The great McLaren Honda project version 2.0 is a disaster. Even with the kind of progress Honda made in 2016 – which was very impressive…
F1 Australian Grand Prix – heroes and zeroes
In my usual post-race wrap-up I rate the heroes and zeroes from the 2017 F1 Australian Grand Prix. Find out who covered themselves in glory and who covered themselves in gravel. 2017 F1 Australian Grand Prix Heroes Heroes – Ferrari When Ferrari kept Sebastien Vettel for several laps following Lewis Hamilton’s pit stop, we all thought…
Defending Mercedes F1 driver programme
Mercedes F1 junior driver programme came in for significant criticism when Valtteri Bottas was given the nod to partner Lewis Hamilton. Despite Pascal Werhlein’s lack of F1 experience many expected the young German to replace his compatriot Nico Rosberg. When he did not, the Mercedes junior driver programme – particularly in contrast to the Red Bull…
F1 2017 pre-season test 1 review
The first F1 pre-season test of 2017 in Barcelona gave us a chance to see the new era of F1. Wider cars, more aerodynamics and giant tyres saw lap times tumble in Spain. So what did we learn ahead of the 2017 F1 season? Mercedes AMG Make no mistake, the regulation changes for 2017 have…
Why Bottas’ deal is for only 1 year
The worst kept secret in F1 was confirmed earlier this week as Valterri Bottas signed for World champions Mercedes AMG. But a single year deal for the Finn means 2018 could see a seismic shift in the F1 driver market. Why Bottas made sense for Mercedes Mercedes signing Bottas was inevitable for a number of…
Rosberg retires: what happens next?
In a year of completely unexpected results Nico Rosberg’s decision to retire from F1 is one of the more shocking. Less than a week after clinching a maiden F1 World title the German has decided to walk away from Formula 1 and the dominant Mercedes team. Mercedes now have to find a replacement for the outgoing…
F1: The frustrating Mr. Rosberg
After Nico Rosberg’s dismal performance at the Monaco Grand Prix, media attention focused on his ‘gentlemanly’ agreement to move over for team-mate Lewis Hamilton. This latest installment in the Nico vs Lewis saga created yet another source of frustration for those hoping for another titanic title battle. Nico Rosberg: aiming for top step or top pay?…
F1: Red Bull & Ferrari link-up is bad for Mercedes
With Red Bull set to dump Renault power and Mercedes against replacing them, MotorSportNotes examines the risks for Mercedes in leaving Red Bull with no option but to run Ferrari power from 2016 onwards. When Lewis Hamilton was asked at Monza if Mercedes should consider supplying Red Bull with engines next season his response was…
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