VETTEL LOOKS SET TO FALL SHORT
FORMULA ONE has reached its summer break with Lewis Hamilton in command of the race for the world title. But what are the major issues when the action resumes in Belgium on August 26?
SEBASTIAN VETTEL
The German has some mighty good judges rating him very highly: Sir Stirling Moss and Bernie Ecclestone. But you wonder whether his reputation as a driver equal to any of his generation would be sustainable if Lewis Hamilton beat him this season. Vettel has possessed the faster car over the first 12 races, but it is the Briton who leads the standings. I thought Hamilton was good enough to have taken the title in either the Ferrari or Mercedes last season. And that looks like the case again.
FERNANDO ALONSO
The Spanish former world champion, 37 yesterday, is pondering whether to stick at McLaren. My guess is that he will stay for another year. That way he could trouser a final £20million-ish pay cheque while insisting on being allowed to compete at the
Indianapolis 500 next May in search of the triple crown. McLaren are doing everything they can to accommodate him. They are likely to bring in Alonso’s pal Carlos Sainz from Renault to partner him.
FORCE INDIA
The team are expecting to come out of administration. Indeed, that is why their driver Sergio Perez triggered the court action that put them there. The August shutdown means there is time for one of the possible five buyers to step in. If it works out, it would be a coup d’etat against owner Vijay Mallya, whose funding has dried up. It would save 400-plus jobs at their Silverstone factory and keep the best-run small team on the grid.
McLAREN
Eric Boullier has gone as McLaren’s racing director. But have they yet reached square one in their rebuilding programme? They announced last week James Key would be coming in from Toro Rosso as technical director. But when? According to his current employees, not until his contract with them runs out, and that does not happen until 2020. Oh dear.
BRITISH HOPEFULS
Which of the two up-andcoming British drivers will make the F1 grid next year? Lando Norris seems to have fallen out of McLaren’s thoughts. They still rate him but hesitate to rush him in. But his fellow Formula Two driver George Russell, who is under Mercedes’ aegis, has pushed his chances by leading the championship. He claims that Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has promised him an F1 seat at one team or another if he wins the feeder series. Wolff laughed off the suggestion, but whatever the truth, Russell is likely to get a seat next year, possibly at Williams or Force India.