HAMILTON IN THE BOX SEAT
Lewis starts Thai boxing in bid to win back crown
LEWIS HAMILTON has taken up Thai boxing to try to win back the Formula One world title he lost to his old pal Nico Rosberg.
The triple world champion, a karate black belt as a boy, has been honing his fitness in the ring ready for the physical demands of driving the faster, more demanding breed of 2017 cars, which vroom-vroom into competitive life here at Melbourne’s Albert Park this weekend.
Sportsmail understands that Hamilton has rigidly stuck to his demanding ‘Muay Thai’ regime throughout the winter and even fitted in boxing sessions during recent testing in Barcelona.
Muay Thai is known as ‘the art of eight limbs’ because it involves combat with fists, elbows, knees and shins. Fighters strike from an upright position; there are also various clinching techniques. It is said to teach mental discipline, as well as developing physical prowess.
‘I am always looking for new ways to keep fit,’ said Hamilton. ‘Training can be boring — repetitive. So I have tried something new. It’s working for me. I feel like a gladiator.’
New regulations have not only made the cars look more muscular, and perform some four seconds a lap quicker, but ripped up the formbook, or at least torn a few pages out of it. However, Mercedes remain the team to beat after clocking up most miles in testing — showing pace and reliability.
But the Ferraris of Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen were right on their tails, providing hope that the racing may not be as processional as in the recent past.
‘Ferrari will be strong, no question,’ said Mercedes chairman Niki Lauda. ‘So will Red Bull. Nobody knows yet where and when each team will be strongest. Melbourne will give us some clues, but that is a very particular track, so it will not be until the next two races in Shanghai and Bahrain that we will really know the pattern.
‘I do believe it will be an exciting year. The drivers will find out what it is like driving four seconds faster. That extra speed will test their neck muscles far more, and pushing hard is what people want to see.
‘It is my responsibility to make sure Mercedes succeed, but I like competition and this year will be hard. I have no idea what the outcome will be.’
If Mercedes did end up being clearly ahead of the rest, the championship would then boil down to a straight fight between Hamilton and his new teammate Valtteri Bottas, the Finn who took over from Rosberg, whose brisk retirement five days after winning the title shocked the sport.
Hamilton, who until the final race of last season had never lost a series to Rosberg during a rivalry stretching back to their karting days, is desperate to claim a fourth title. ‘Lewis is highly motivated,’ said Lauda. ‘He is very happy. His fitness is at an impressive level. He is 100 per cent concentrated. The best ever preparation.’
Despite Lauda’s faith in Red Bull’s potential threat, their teenage star Max Verstappen has said his team have little chance of victory in Sunday’s first round of 20 grands prix. ‘Much can change during the course of the season, but we are not yet good enough to win,’ he admitted.
Meanwhile, nine-time grand prix winner Mark Webber thinks Ferrari will live up to the hype this time round.
And Webber is backing Vettel to come out on top this weekend despite last year’s dominance by Mercedes.
‘It will be different for them (Ferrari) this time,’ said Webber, now a pundit for Channel 4. ‘They have been very good at performing when the grandstands are empty in pre-season. Then the season starts, the Italian influence comes into play and they get panicky and do wacky stuff.
‘Mercedes are battle hardened and know what to do to load the dice in their favour come Sunday afternoon during the race.
‘It sounds bizarre given their history, but Ferrari are less experienced at challenging for a full campaign, but they can now. I think Vettel will win in Melbourne this week.’