Ferrari for Glock “the absolute disappointment”
In its Column for ‘Sky’ expert Timo Glock identified Ferrari as the big loser in the first three races. “For me, Ferrari is the absolute disappointment of the start of the season. In terms of pace, the Reds don’t come together,” writes Glock.
“It was certainly not the start to the season that Ferrari was hoping for, that we were hoping for. Now it’s up to Frederic Vasseur to quickly set a new direction and get the team back on track,” said the former Formula 1 Pilot.
Ferrari is currently only fourth in the World Championship, the gap to Red Bull is already 97 points. And Glock suspects that the Bulls, who have already won all three races, will distance themselves even more from the competition in Baku.
“Is there any hope that the next races will be more exciting? In my opinion, the fact that the field in Melbourne moved closer together was due to the track characteristics,” said Glock.
“In Baku there are more curves, long straights, where Red Bull’s DRS effect comes into play. That’s why I believe that Red Bull will tear a bigger gap between itself and the competition in Baku once more,” he fears.
Quitting time!
And that brings us to the end of today’s ticker. Tomorrow Kevin Scheuren has his premiere here at this point, so be nice to him 😉
First of all I say goodbye to the holidays and I wish you a few nice Easter days. See you soon and have fun with us!
tires for the next races
Pirelli has just announced the tires for the next three races. The three softest compounds are used in Baku, i.e. C3 to C5. The same applies to Imola, in between in Miami they rely on C2 to C4.
The Baku race will be the first this year to use the C5 tire.
Stuck: Hulkenberg for Haas “six in the lottery”
In Australia, Nico Hulkenberg scored his first points since his Formula 1 comeback. Hans-Joachim Stuck praises opposite ‘Eurosport’: “He drives exactly as I expected and hoped. I know what he can do.”
“Nico is a biter who hasn’t forgotten anything and belongs in Formula 1. His performance doesn’t surprise me, he does it sensationally. Hülkenberg is a winning lottery winner for Haas,” said the former Formula 1 driver.
“Hülkenberg brings this team forward with his experience,” he emphasizes and explains: “Nico is an asset to the team in all areas.” Let’s see if the German can deliver like that once more in Baku.
Aston Martin: Biggest weakness of top speed?
After the first three races of the season, Aston Martin is surprisingly in second place in the World Championship. However, the squad from Silverstone has not seen any land once morest Red Bull so far. “I think we have a great car,” clarifies Mike Krack.
“But Red Bull is substantially faster on a straight. That’s something we definitely have to work on,” said the team boss, who said with regard to the general pecking order in 2023: “It’s clear that Red Bull is the fastest.”
That’s why everything is “very tight,” he emphasizes. “There’s this big midfield where it’s basically regarding one, two or three tenths. I think it’s in [unserer] situation with Ferrari and Mercedes is similar,” said Krack.
He assumes that the balance of power will change regularly, “depending on the track and the layout.” But will anyone be able to catch Red Bull this year…?
Fallen great powers
The big question right now is when Mercedes will be a World Championship candidate in Formula 1 once more. After 2022, that doesn’t seem to be the case once more in 2023 either.
Our photo series shows that the waiting time in the premier class can sometimes be very long…
Christian Horner takes it with humor
Incidentally, the Red Bull team boss was confronted with Russell’s statements following the win in Melbourne. A little surprised, he explains: “So you would have [in Australien] can win but we’re holding back? OK…”
Background: Russell himself said following the race that he might have won without a red flag. For Horner, this does not fit with the fact that Red Bull is said to be deliberately on the brakes.
In addition, he can not resist a taunt once morest Mercedes. “His team knows such advantages very well,” he alludes to Mercedes’ eight world championship titles in a row between 2014 and 2021.
And Helmut Marko makes it clear to ‘Sky’ that Red Bull is currently only superior to the competition “if everything runs absolutely smoothly.” You saw in Melbourne with Sergio Perez how quickly it might be over.
Russell: Red Bull 0.7 seconds ahead
Mercedes were closer in Australia, but George Russell believes Red Bull is just playing with the competition at the moment. Im BBC-Podcast ‘Chequered Flag’ he says, “You’re definitely holding back.”
He believes the bulls are reluctant to show their full potential right now. “I think, realistically, they probably have a seven-tenths lead over the rest of the field,” the Mercedes driver suspects.
Because neither Max Verstappen nor Red Bull currently have a “reason” to go to the limit. For him, however, it is clear that the Bulls have not yet shown their true superiority.
Hamilton: Still trust the team
In connection with his problems, the record champion makes it clear that he has not lost confidence in Mercedes – although he has now been 16 months without a win in Formula 1.
“We’re still a team that has won world titles,” he recalls and clarifies: “There isn’t a single person on the team who thinks that they did everything right and that they mightn’t do better.”
“That’s an important point for me because when you have a group of people who are stuck in their habits and don’t change, then you stay in that area where you’re not competitive,” Hamilton said
Everyone at Mercedes is therefore questioning themselves, and they want to get out of the crisis “together”. “It’s inspiring for me to see the courage they have and I know we’ll make it,” he said.
Will Mercedes change the position of the cockpit?
Lewis Hamilton is not at all happy with this. Toto Wolff explains: “We’re dealing with the big concept of driver position. Obviously that’s one of the most important things.”
It’s regarding “where the driver has the best feeling in the car. That’s something that Lewis expresses very clearly. And when a seven-time world champion has an opinion, it’s important to listen to it,” said Wolff.
However, this problem cannot be solved in the short term, which is why Hamilton is currently trying to deal with it as best as possible.
Alonso: Updates will change the pecking order
Three races this season, three third places. But Fernando Alonso believes that the order in Formula 1 might change from Baku. “Now begins a part of the season that will be very interesting,” he announces.
Then, following the overseas races, it’s regarding who can develop their car more quickly. “I think for the first three races that aren’t in Europe, it’s difficult to bring upgrades and things like that,” he explains.
That will change from now on. “From now on, the level of the teams will maybe change a little from race to race depending on who brings an upgrade that is good enough,” said the Spaniard.
So a different pecking order at every Grand Prix? We are excited!
Norris criticizes tires
Lando Norris scored his first points of the year with P6 on Sunday. Nevertheless, the mood might be better for him too, because the “terrible” Pirelli tires are a thorn in his side following the race in Albert Park.
Background: When restarting following the Magnussen crash, the tires would not have offered any grip. “The [weiche] Tires don’t work and on this surface and tire temperature I can’t describe how bad the grip is,” said Norris.
That was the reason for the numerous incidents in the first turn 1. “[Der Reifen] offers literally no grip, so you have to brake so early, which leads to chaos and accidents,” explains the McLaren driver.
Four cars were eliminated at the last restart. “We need a tire that gives us more grip and that actually feels like it should be on a Formula 1 car at the pinnacle of motorsport,” said Norris. Pretty hard words towards Pirelli.
Speaking of the red flag…
Fitting perfectly to this theme, 14 years ago today Jenson Button won the 2009 Malaysian Grand Prix! The race was stopped following just 31 laps due to heavy rain.
But the Grand Prix is not only legendary because only half points were awarded back then. Just ask Kimi Raikkonen…
For more background on the 2009 Malaysian GP, check out our big feature!
Photo gallery: Rain chaos and Co.: The legendary Malaysia GP 2009 in pictures
Wolff: Didn’t see the red flag coming
Mercedes pitted George Russell just before the first red flag on Sunday, not expecting the race to be halted. “We didn’t see either red flag coming,” confirms Toto Wolff.
He doesn’t blame the race organizers for that, even if it was “a shame” regarding Russell’s race. “I think restarts are great and a great entertainment factor,” emphasizes the Mercedes team boss.
Ultimately, it just needs to be defined a little more clearly when a red flag is needed and when a safety car is sufficient. “I think in these incidents [in Melbourne] you might have used both,” says Wolff.
And the first red flag was a disadvantage for Mercedes.
No, Russell wouldn’t have won in Melbourne, Toto Wolff!
Toto Wolff claims George Russell might have won the 2023 Australian Grand Prix without a red flag and engine failure. But is that true? More Formula 1 videos
Sainz asks Italian media to calm down
By the way: Ferrari’s poor start to the season isn’t the only thing that’s being talked regarding here. Of course, the Scuderia is not doing particularly well in the domestic media in Italy either.
Carlos Sainz understands “that the Italian media and the Tifosi want Ferrari to be at the forefront.” However, he emphasizes: “You have to realize that no one is more upset or angry or unhappy regarding the situation than anyone [Teammitglied] here.”
In Maranello, everything is currently being done to improve the situation. “We are proud to be Ferrari and we want to bring Ferrari forward,” he clarifies. Therefore, some comments in the media are “more of a distraction,” he explains.
“It’s just that [übermäßige Kritik] doesn’t help. And that lack of help isn’t exactly what we need right now. That’s why we try to stay away from such comments.”
On the subject of test designs…
… I can also think of this series of photos. Just click through during your lunch break, there are some cool ideas!
McLaren Body
Small side info: McLaren is driving a private test in Imola today, Oscar Piastri is currently at the wheel. Of course, the team is not allowed to use a current car, the regulations prohibit that.
That’s why the Australian drives the two-year-old MCL35M from the 2021 season. The car with which his compatriot Daniel Ricciardo clinched the last Formula 1 victory for McLaren in Monza.
It is also interesting that no sponsors can be seen on the car. Such a “naked” car is of course always particularly chic!
