Sebastian Vettel could not hide his frustration about the new Mercedes dominance in formula 1.
“isn’t It boring? So boring! It is not just four races, but more or less four years,” said Vettel with a sense of irony to the question of how he was disappointed after a four-Mercedes-Double for the season opener on our own results. Also in Baku, the four-time world champion in the Ferrari had to give back the silver arrows to beat. Much suggests that the new Leading Valtteri Bottas and reigning champion Lewis Hamilton make up the world Cup. Threatens already after four races of boredom?
“There is nothing that is boring. Especially when it is now in the fight for the title,” said Bottas. Thanks to his second Saisonsiegs in Azerbaijan on Sunday, he now has a total of 87 points for the world championship, world champion Hamilton is up to second place at 86. Vettel has to rank three with 52 already a whopping 35 points behind. “Man must respect that you are working phenomenally,” said Vettel, then again more serious and added: “I’m optimistic, I believe in our Team.”
Of the Superiority of the Ferrari engine in the pre-season testing, nothing is left. While the Italians make errors in coordination and strategy, works with the silver arrows and everything is going on smoothly. “I don’t think we have ever been before on such a level of performance,” said Hamilton. And Bottas added: “Now we must ensure that we maintain this level.”
The current car bring together the experience of the past few years, said Hamilton, and spoke of an “Evolution”. Although the Briton is all related to the alleged strength of Ferrari, but without significant improvements in the Vettel Team can beat Mercedes only self – and travels as a favorite for the first European race in less than two weeks in Barcelona, Spain.
As the first formula 1 Team Mercedes secured to kick off four Double, one after the other. “It is much to early to say that only one Person is the rival for the title,” said Hamilton. But it could be a Situation like in 2016, when he duelled fiercely with Nico Rosberg for the title and at the end against the Germans lost, which subsequently ended his career.
The ratio to Bottas but a different. “Like Gentlemen” to go to. “I have a lot of respect for Valtteri, and will continue to do so,” said Hamilton. Ex-team-mates would not have held, however, “agreements”, said the 34-Year-old. Whether he meant specifically Rosberg, he left it open. On the word of the 29-year-old Finns Bottas he could count, anyway.
The title fight is expected to come to a head anyway. Hamilton openly admitted that he was after the Start in Baku “friendly” and Bottas in the first corner still in the lead. The five-time world champion does not seem to go back to the Limit, and this is expected to change in the next few months, and also the next Mercedes-be duel even more intense. “It needs at the moment, each an extraordinary idea, so that we can beat each other,” said Hamilton, praised Bottas and summed up the previous performances, in a sentence: “We have delivered 100 percent.”
it has also taken Ferrari to the knowledge. Nevertheless, team boss Mattia Binotto says: “We are so far away, as it is to say the points.” In the constructors ‘ standings, the residue amounts to only four of 21 races, but 74 counter. Mercedes is on the best way to win the sixth years in a row, the title in the drivers and constructors standings. “We are now sure is not the one that is going as favourites after Barcelona,” said Vettel: “I’m sure we can twist it.”
dpa
