Mercedes - The African Mirror

Racing for Ferrari fulfils a childhood dream, says Hamilton

LEWIS Hamilton said he was determined to leave Mercedes on a high this season before fulfilling a childhood dream by racing for Ferrari in 2025. Britain's seven-times Formula One world champion stunned the sport when his move on a multi-year deal was announced on Thursday. Hamilton, 39, said in a post on Instagram on Saturday that the decision felt right and reminded him of his move to Mercedes from McLaren at the end of 2012. "I feel incredibly fortunate, after achieving things with Mercedes that I could only have dreamed of as a kid, that I now have the chance to fulfil…

Nov

2023

Team-by-team analysis of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

TEAM-BY-TEAM analysis of the season-ending Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix at Yas Marina (in final championship order): RED BULL (Max Verstappen 1, Sergio Perez 4) Verstappen took his record 19th win of the season, 54th of his career, seventh in a row, and fourth in succession in Abu Dhabi. He won from pole and also set the fastest lap. The Dutch driver has set records for most points scored in a season (575), and most podiums (21), and he became the first driver to lead more than 1,000 laps in a season. He finished 17.9 seconds clear of Leclerc,…

Jul

2023

By ALAN BALDWIN

Verstappen takes Red Bull’s 11th win in a row

MAX Verstappen won the British Grand Prix to stretch his Formula One lead to 99 points as unbeaten Red Bull equalled McLaren's 1988 record run of 11 victories in a row. McLaren's Lando Norris finished second in front of a roaring 160,000-strong home crowd at Silverstone, with fellow Briton and seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton third for Mercedes after starting seventh. "Eleven in a row. That's pretty crazy," said Verstappen over the team radio after what was also his sixth win in a row and eighth in 10 races this season. The double world champion bagged the fastest lap bonus…

Jun

2023

Hamilton sees Spain as a perfect test for Mercedes

SUNDAY'S Spanish Grand Prix should give Mercedes a better picture of the true potential of its upgraded Formula One car, seven times world champion Lewis Hamilton said. Mercedes introduced the upgraded car for last weekend's race in Monaco, with changes to the side pod and suspension, but the nature of the slow and twisty street circuit made it hard to draw any conclusions. "You can't really tell a lot from Monaco, you would never choose to test an upgrade at Monaco," Hamilton told reporters at the Circuit de Catalunya on Thursday. "This is a perfect test track, a lot of…

Mar

2023

Hamilton sees himself at Mercedes until ‘last days’

IAN RANSOM LEWIS Hamilton will only leave Mercedes if he feels he has nothing left to give them but would rather see out his "last days" with the Formula One team, the seven-times world champion said. Hamilton is out of contract at the end of the year and speculation about his future is already rife as Mercedes struggle to recapture their past dominance. However, Hamilton said he felt "amazing" about his future with the outfit. "I continue to feel very much at home in this family," the 38-year-old Briton told reporters at Albert Park. "I see myself with Mercedes until…

Nov

2022

Mercedes tell Hamilton the seat is his to race into his 40s

MERCEDES have told Lewis Hamilton he can be sure of a seat if he wants to stay in Formula One and believe he can emulate NFL great Tom Brady and compete into his 40s. The seven-time world champion and winner of a record 103 races will be 38 in January and has said he intends to sign a multi-year extension to the contract that expires at the end of 2023. "It's 100% his seat," team boss Toto Wolff told reporters at the Mexico City Grand Prix when asked whether Mercedes, who have Britain's George Russell in their other car, might…

Apr

2022

Leclerc wins Australian GP

CHARLES Leclerc claimed his second win of the Formula One season for Ferrari with a pole-to-flag victory at the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday as Red Bull's world champion Max Verstappen suffered "deja vu" with another retirement. Leclerc's car showed impressive pace and performance on the upgraded Albert Park circuit to seal his fourth career win ahead of Red Bull's runnerup Sergio Perez, while third-placed George Russell grabbed his second podium and first for Mercedes in an encouraging day for the struggling constructors' champions. "What a race and what pace," said a thrilled Leclerc on the team radio, having finished…

Dec

2021

Hamilton wins dramatic race, sets showdown for final race

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER WORLD champion Lewis Hamilton drove a race of his life to win a dramatic, incident-filled F1 in Saudi Arabia and set the scene for a showdown in the final race with rival Max Verstappen. The victory has left Hamilton and Verstappen tied at the top of the world driver championship - each with 369.5 points, They will fight it out in the last race set for the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. It was an epic wheel-to-wheel battle between Hamilton and Verstappen from early in the race, which Hamilton led from pole, to register his third…

Sep

2021

Hamilton’s historic win at Sochi marks his 100th