The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Mercedes ‘must step it up’
FORMULA ONE: Hamilton says team can’t rely on ‘weird’ races for him to take fifth world crown
Lewis Hamilton says his victory in Azerbaijan has not provided him with renewed hope that he can beat Sebastian Vettel to this year’s Formula One world championship.
Hamilton will contest the opening leg of the European season in Barcelona a week on Sunday with a four-point lead over Vettel after ending his six-race losing streak on Sunday.
The 33-year-old British driver did so, however, in the most fortunate of circumstances as he took advantage of a number of incidents during another chaotic chapter of this unpredictable and fascinating season.
Ferrari, in Vettel’s hands, remain the team to beat with Hamilton struggling to get on top of this year’s Mercedes. Vettel should have departed Baku at least 12 points clear of his rival, but will head to Spain trailing.
Indeed the German may have had an even healthier cushion had Max Verstappen not wiped him out of the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai earlier this month.
And Hamilton has warned that both he and Mercedes must raise their game, and not rely on the lottery of another barmy race, for him to stand any chance of winning a fifth world crown.
“I currently don’t feel that way,” said Hamilton when asked if his victory on the streets of Baku had provided him with hope that he will triumph come the end of this marathon 21-race season.
“Being in the lead of the championship is great, but if we continue on the trajectory we are on, then we would need tricky races like this one in Azerbaijan to keep us in the fight.
“There have been two weird races in China and Azerbaijan, which have kept us in the mix, but we cannot rely on such scenarios for the next 17 grands prix.
“We need ultimate performance and confidence in the car, and while I have got the pace within me, and I think the car has got the pace, too, both are currently not intertwined in synergy to extract the perfect equation.
“We definitely have to improve in a lot of areas.”
Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya, often provides the acid test of a driver’s championship chances, with the quickest car in Spain traditionally providing that season’s title winner.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, meanwhile, is set to allow Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo to continue to race despite their embarrassing collision in Baku.
The duo are this week due at Red Bull’s Milton Keynes factory to apologise in person to the team’s 800 staff.
“We will discuss it prior to Barcelona, but we want to continue to allow the drivers to race,” Horner said.
“But they have to ensure that if they are going wheel to wheel, they’re going to allow each other enough space.”