Ferrari chief happy to consider possibility of Hamilton move

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — The prospect of six-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton driving for Ferrari in the future may not be as far-fetched as it once seemed.

Hamilton is one of several F1 drivers whose contracts expire at the end of next year, and Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto did not dismiss the tantalizing idea of poaching the Mercedes star when asked on Friday if he would be interested in signing him.


“Lewis is certainly an outstanding driver, a fantastic driver,” Binotto said at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. “Knowing that he’s available in 2021 can make us only happy, but honestly it’s too early for any decision.”

Four-time F1 champion Sebastian Vettel and his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc are also out of contract at the end of 2020.

So is Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate, Valtteri Bottas, and Red Bull’s eight-time race winner, Max Verstappen, thus increasing the prospect of a merry-go-round for the 2021 campaign with experienced drivers potentially changing seats.

“We are happy with the drivers we’ve got at the moment,” Binotto said, referring to Vettel and the highly promising Leclerc. “Certainly at one stage next season we will start discussing and understanding what to do.”

Although Hamilton has previously expressed his admiration for Ferrari as a marquee name in F1, the British driver has made no mention of wanting to leave an all-conquering Mercedes team which has won a record six straight drivers’ and constructors’ championships under the inspired leadership of team principal Toto Wolff.

Wolff and Hamilton joined Mercedes in 2013 — with Hamilton replacing seven-time F1 champion Michael Schumacher following his retirement — and they have formed a very tight bond based on the highest mutual respect.

Flatteringly, Hamilton even recently suggested his own future at Mercedes is linked to Wolff’s future with the German manufacturer.

“Lewis and I have grown close over the last seven years … and I think we have built up a lot of trust. For him to say that is nice,” Wolff said on Friday. “I’d also like to know where he goes or if he stays in the future. Can I shed more light? No, for me it was important to finish the season in Abu Dhabi. There are many things to be decided on and we will see over the winter.”

Bottas, too, is keeping his options for 2021 open after winning a career-best four races this season and beating Hamilton in pole positions.



“I can’t remember a time when so many drivers’ contracts are expiring. If I had to decide on my future for 2021 (right now) it would be a no-brainer to continue with this team,” Bottas said. “There are many elements that have to come together, at the same time I have to keep my eyes open and be open-minded about the future.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Formula One plays the blame game after Vettel smash

LONDON - Sebastian Vettel's temperament is under the spotlight again after the Ferrari driver's hopes of seizing back the Formula One lead disappeared in a few seconds of mayhem at the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday.

The German, his fast-starting team mate Kimi Raikkonen and Red Bull's Max Verstappen crashed out as they raced to the first corner.

Stewards summoned all three drivers after the race but decided none was wholly or predominantly to blame.

The view was not shared by others who either pointed the finger at Verstappen, in his last race as a teenager, or accused Vettel of needless aggression at a key point in the championship.

Long before Hamilton had stretched his lead to 28 points with six races remaining, Ferrari's official Twitter feed stated that "VER (Verstappen) took #Kimi7 out and then he went to #Seb5."

"What we tweeted was a factual description of events. No need to speculate on this," it added later as reaction on social media flared.

Television footage and in-car cameras showed Raikkonen making a storming getaway from fourth on the grid and around Verstappen on the outside.

Vettel, on pole, was slower off the line and steered left to squeeze Verstappen, who kept his car straight and was pincered by the Ferraris.

The Dutch teenager and Raikkonen tangled wheels, with the Finn's car slewing sideways and into Vettel's before again careering into the Red Bull and also collecting Fernando Alonso's McLaren.

"I think initially Sebastian saw I was a little bit better off the line than him so he wanted to close me. So he drove to the left," said Verstappen.

"Maybe he didn't see Kimi on the left but what do you expect, I cannot just move out of the way... I think it was just not very clever."

Damon Hill, the 1996 world champion, was disappointed to see Vettel "pretty much blow his and Ferrari's championships into smithereens."

"Nice one Seb. You're better than that. Need to watch that short fuse," said the Briton in a blog post.

Vettel made a public apology in July after he banged into Hamilton's Mercedes in a moment of 'road rage' at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix while both were following the safety car.

Former Williams, McLaren and Red Bull racer David Coulthard told Britain's Channel 4 viewers that the crash was "instigated by Seb."

Retired Australian driver turned pundit Mark Webber, who had a few clashes with Vettel as Red Bull team mates, defended Verstappen.

"If you were pushed for someone to blame then it looks like Seb because he's the one doing the biggest movement," he said in the Times newspaper.

"But in the end he wasn't the one who crashed into Max. It was Kimi who crashed into Max. Max was innocent in this."

Retired triple world champion Niki Lauda, now the Mercedes team's non-executive chairman, said it was an incident Vettel could have avoided.

"If he (Vettel) would not have moved (across) he could have won the race, there's no question about it. They were unlucky really, in a big way," said the Austrian. — Reuters