0:08 - Alonso Reveals the Truth Behind THAT Picture 1:35 - Hamilton’s Biggest Threats
2:15 - Money “Has Never Been a Sticking Point”
3:21 - Fast Feed
Alonso Reveals the Truth Behind THAT Picture
Even though Alonso is no longer associated with F1 in an active role, his name springs up quite often in F1 circles and Alonso has asserted that a lot of the things said about him are nothing more than lies. One of them happens to be this famous picture which depicts his reaction after the last race in 2012 which took place in Brazil where Vettel would come from behind to win the championship right out of Alonso’s hands.
Alonso looked quite forlorn and many saw it as Alonso’s raw reaction to just losing the title. Alonso, however, wants to make it clear that while the championship loss was a disappointment, his reactions were for a totally different reason. He defended himself quite vehemently by saying:
“There are lies about my career that are not the truth. I got out of my car and I was looking at Felipe [Massa], who for some reason could not stop crying.”
“He was with his mechanics and wife, so I was standing there waiting for him, seeing if he was okay. The story was that I was in shock or sad – no I didn’t care that much. I wanted to give Felipe a hug.”
He also doesn’t have any bitterness towards Ferrari or the time he spent with them
“I know we didn’t achieve the championship, but we fought and gave everything we had. We really worked very hard for every result and life outside the car was great.”
“It was a good time in my life, living in Maranello. It was emotionally intense. Being a Ferrari driver gives you a lot of satisfaction both in and out the car. We just missed the championship by a couple of points as we hit Red Bull’s dominating era.”
Hamilton’s Biggest Threats
Former 4-time F1 world champion Alain Prost feels that currently, Lewis Hamilton is the benchmark in F1 but feels that up and comers Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc are close behind him.
“The most complete driver right now is Hamilton, because he has experience and he is on a dedicated team. After, there are the likes of Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc. They'll be the two biggest threats for Hamilton.”
He further elaborated what Verstappen needs to do to become the force that can finally dismantle Hamilton’s dominance
"Verstappen needs to reel himself in a bit. It lacks a bit of serenity, a bit of calmness, to ensure certain overtaking. But when he does and has a good car, he will be hard to beat."
Money “Has Never Been a Sticking Point”
A lot of F1 experts including the folks at Mercedes feel that Lewis Hamilton has only gotten better with age and he is still at his peak. They feel that he is able to command a massive pay check given his status as Mercedes boss Toto Wolff explained:
“You need to respect that a sporting superstar at the peak of his ability, and at the peak of his career, has a limited lifespan where he is able to earn this kind of super money. We do respect that and we respect the contribution that Lewis brings to Mercedes both on and off the track.”
“Equally, Lewis has always respected that we are Mercedes and there are certain financial realities that are important to us.”
He further elaborated that money was never an issue in previous contract negotiations
“The money side has never been a sticking point [in previous contracts]. It was more about freedom and his projects. We need to look at what makes him perform best.”
“We want the best guy on qualifying on Saturday and in the race on Sunday and that will always be my main focus.”
Hamilton’s next contract in F1 has been a hot topic among F1 pundits and if Wolff is to believed then it seems like Hamilton’s bank balance may be set to grow considerably.
Fast Feed
- Lawrence Stroll wants the “legendary car manufacturer” Aston Martin to be established “as one of the top teams” in F1
- Toto Wolff recently went “to the China embassy for” his “biometric scan” which possibly means that the Chinese GP will go ahead as scheduled
- Wolff also explained the delays in Hamilton’s contract negotiation were due to the fact that everyone wanted “leave each other in peace” during the winter breaks
- Romain Grosjean does not see “big differences between” his generation of F1 drivers and the younger drivers on the grid
- Liberty Media wanted to add gravel traps to the Sochi racetrack but the track promoters rejected it as “unacceptable” as they wanted to keep the track “friendly to private and corporate clients”
- Robert Doornbos has claimed that “Max Verstappen is the Messi of motorsport”
- For the very first time an F1 Esports competitor will race in F3 as “Igor Fraga” becomes a part of “Charouz Racing System” during this year's “FIA Formula 3 championship”
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