I’LL STAY TO DRIVE A BATMOBILE, SAYS HAMILTON
LEWIS HAMILTON took a look at Formula One’s futuristic new cars and immediately committed himself to staying in the sport beyond 2020. The 33-year-old was smitten by the ‘Batmobile’ concept, due to be on the grid from 2021, saying: ‘I’m definitely going to be driving if the cars look like this.’ The new machine, unveiled ahead of this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, is intended to appeal to the next generation of fans. Its features are simpler, the front and rear wings more macho and the wheels increased by five inches to 18in. ‘Race-ability’ was the key consideration in the design — meaning the cars should be able to fight closely on track. Aesthetics was the second significant factor in the design. Formula One sporting boss Ross Brawn said: ‘The primary thing we’re doing is trying to reduce the amount of performance lost to a following car. ‘With the current cars, when they get to within two to three car lengths, they can lose 50 per cent of performance, the tyres degrade more and it becomes very challenging. At the moment, we have these new designs that only lose 20 per cent and maintain 80 per cent. We want cars that children want to stick on their walls. ‘It frustrates me when cars on video games look more exciting than in Formula One.’ Former Ferrari technical guru Brawn, 63, was forced to deliver his presentation in haste after an image of the car was leaked from a lecture he gave to aspiring young engineers earlier in the week. It meant Liberty’s biggest policy decision since buying the sport for £6billion in January last year did not have the full trumpet accompaniment it might have done. And the designs embarrassingly carried the old F1 logo. Applause for Brawn’s blueprint was not universal. Ferrari boss Maurizio Arrivabene said: ‘My engineers thought it was a bit underwhelming.’ Meanwhile, Hamilton carries a 30-point lead over Sebastian Vettel into the Singapore race under the lights tomorrow.