“Our Achilles heel is getting the tyres to last”
Dominating qualifying in the presence of Daimler supremo Dieter Zetsche, Mercedes appears on top of the world in Barcelona.
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Tag Archive: El Pais
Mar 18
Red Bull make heavy work of success – Alonso
Fernando Alonso has accused Red Bull of making heavy work of its recent successes.
The perception in the paddock is that Spaniard Alonso has been punching above his weight with a less than competitive Ferrari, while Sebastian Vettel raced to the last three championships at the wheel of his Adrian Newey-penned car.
Mar 05
Alonso expects Red Bull to lead pack in Australia
Fernando Alonso is heading into next weekend’s 2013 season opener with realistic expectations of a podium finish.
“I think so,” the 2012 title runner-up is quoted by Spain’s El Pais newspaper during a sponsor event in Barcelona on Monday. Fabled Ferrari has had a much better winter compared to a year ago, when the Maranello team was multiple seconds off the pace.
Feb 22
Pirelli plays down ‘extreme’ wear of 2013 tyres
The alarm in the paddock about Pirelli’s 2013 tyres is growing louder with every day.
The latest shock is the performance of the new ‘supersoft’ tyre, which – to the circus’ collective surprise – will be supplied to teams in Melbourne next month. Williams’ Pastor Maldonado tried the compound in Barcelona on Thursday, and – according to Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport – it proved not only unpredictable and heavily-degrading, but also slower than the harder ‘soft’ variant.
Jan 18
Massa not worried about growing ‘Alonso factor’ at Ferrari
Felipe Massa insists he is not worried about the apparently ever-greater influence wrought by his teammate Fernando Alonso at Ferrari.
Brazilian Massa hit such a low-point in his career early last year that, this week, he admitted that as Ferrari considered who to replace him with, he thought about quitting the team and formula one.
Nov 04
Hamilton snr tips son to win title for Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton’s father and former manager Anthony has tipped his son to win the title for Mercedes within three years.
After six years, 20 wins and a title, McLaren careerist and long-time team driver Hamilton, 27, has decided to join the famous ‘Silver Arrows’ in 2013. “I am sure Lewis will be champion at Mercedes in three years,” father Anthony, who was sidelined as manager by his son a few years ago, told the German news agency SID.
Oct 07
Vettel ‘very surprised’ by Hamilton’s McLaren exit
Sebastian Vettel has admitted he was “very surprised” when he heard Lewis Hamilton had signed up with Mercedes for 2013.
Asked what he thought when he heard the news about the 2008 world champion’s impending McLaren exit, the world champion admitted: “I was very surprised, but he knows why he has done it.
Oct 07
Alonso pushes for title although ‘eight tenths’ too slow
Fernando Alonso has repeated his insistence that Ferrari must up its game as the 2012 chase enters the final stretch.
Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel and McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton both have clearly faster cars. Alonso, who spun into retirement at the first corner at Suzuka, has described his continuing lead as a “miracle”. “In 2010, they (Red Bull) were over a second faster than us and still we led the championship until Abu Dhabi,” he said.
Sep 23
Reports – Hamilton to stay at McLaren, Schu at Mercedes
According to the latest buzz in the Singapore paddock, the ‘Lewis Hamilton saga’ could be almost at the finish line.
Previously, it was rumoured the McLaren driver was so close to agreeing a switch to Mercedes next year that Michael Schumacher had started looking around for a new team. Writing in Kleine Zeitung newspaper, correspondent Karin Sturm even revealed she had spotted Schumacher’s manager Sabine Kehm talking in the paddock with Peter Sauber and Monisha Kaltenborn.
Sep 23
Contract chaos giving Hamilton title focus – boss
“I don’t think you could say that drivers are the most loyal people in the world, that’s for sure” – Martin Whitmarsh
On a roll and charging to close the gap on Fernando Alonso, Singapore pole sitter Lewis Hamilton insists he is not worried about losing the support of the McLaren team. Depending on who you ask in the F1 paddock, the 2008 world champion is on the verge of jumping ship to Mercedes.
Sep 11
‘Stealthy’ Raikkonen keeps title tilt at full speed
Stefano Domenicali has identified former Ferrari champion Kimi Raikkonen as a real threat for the 2012 title.
It is Ferrari’s new number 1, Fernando Alonso, who is comfortably leading the drivers’ standings by 37 points after Monza. The Spaniard has been on the podium 7 times this year so far, including 3 wins.