Hamilton is being pushed to the brink
LEWIS HAMILTON’S face appears at St Kilda Beach, above the sand on Melbourne’s most famous shore. Displayed in a bus shelter, the former world champion is photographed beside the Dutchman who deposed him, Max Verstappen.
‘Every good story has a sequel,’ reads the advertisement for this morning’s Australian Grand Prix.
The only problem for Hamilton is that the claim has turned out to be untrue. As if more evidence that Mercedes are struggling were needed, it came in qualifying here yesterday when he was nearly a second off Ferrari’s pole-sitter Charles Leclerc.
In another graphic reminder of his predicament, Hamilton’s head rocked back and forth, up and down, as his machine bounced along the redesigned Albert Park track like a kangaroo.
How long can Hamilton tolerate thin pickings after his years of serial success? The question is heightened because he is 37, the second oldest driver behind Fernando Alonso, the 40-year-old Spaniard who cannot quit.
Having finished a fortuitous third in Bahrain and a disappointing 10th in Saudi Arabia, will he even see out his £40million-a-year contract which expires at the end of next season? Toto Wolff, the Mercedes team principal, believes not. ‘You can only walk away if you don’t any more like what you do,’ said the Austrian. ‘He loves doing this. And isn’t it a great challenge for him?’
F1 DRIVERS have been told they must wear fire-resistant underpants. New race director Niels Wittich briefed the grid that he would no longer tolerate flammable boxers on safety grounds. He has given drivers a few races to redress the issue. But Red Bull boss Christian Horner said: ‘I certainly won’t be checking our drivers’ underwear. For compliance, I see it as a team manager role, although I’m reliably informed our drivers go commando.’