Mercedes-Benz

LEWIS HAMILTON has vowed Mercedes are not cheating in their bitter title fight with Red Bull.The British ace has battled back from 19 points behind Max Verstappen to move within just eight points with two races to go.
Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen are locked in a sensational world title tussleCredit: Splash
Hamilton and toto Wolff are looking to clinch an eighth successive drivers’ championship for MercedesCredit: Splash
Merc boss Toto Wolff revealed after Hamilton’s convincing win in Qatar the Brit would be using his “spicy” newest engine for this weekend’s inaugural Saudi Arabian GP.
It has led to plenty of chat in the paddock about cheating and the legality of Hamilton’s Merc, with Red Bull boss Christian Horner considering a protest.
But the seven-time world champion says the team has nothing to hide after seeking reassurances from his bosses.
He said: “Toto loves putting those things in. I think he’s teasing the others around us and it is interesting the little duel he is having with Christian.
“We all have egos and that’s what controls our emotions and it is egos fighting each other there is defence.
“There is respect, but what is important – I did see someone say something about cheating and that’s the worst claim to ever make.

Christian Horner has revealed he is considering a protest against MercedesCredit: Getty
“I called James Allison [chief technical officer] and Mike Elliott [technical director] and said I really want to know about these things.
“They have taken me through details of where we are. We have done all these tests and this is where it is, but I don’t like it when people put that out there.
“It is not tarnishing it, it is just the wrong thing to do.”
This season’s brilliant fight between Hamilton and Verstappen has been matched by a heated battle in the pitlane between Merc and Red Bull.
And Hamilton says that nothing should be read into his new-found pace other than it being a fresh engine in the back of his Silver Arrow.
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He added: “I don’t think we have exploited any loophole. They [Red Bull] did at the start of the year with their wing and then they changed that rule and now it is much stricter.
“Our car is solid but it does not work everywhere. The engine definitely has its faults, but I have got a fresh engine. It is just fresh…it has done one race!
“What was interesting in the last races was after qualifying I was half a second ahead and it was like ‘is this the Brazil engine’ and I was like nope.” More

VALTTERI BOTTAS has revealed that he had a different spec Mercedes car to team-mate Lewis Hamilton during the Qatar Grand Prix last weekend.The outgoing Finn, 32, endured a dreadful start on the Losail International Circuit.
Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas had different cars on SundayCredit: Getty
Bottas, 32, was forced to retire during the raceCredit: EPA
And just as he was making his way back up the order he suffered a puncture, eventually having to retire from the race.
Team-mate Hamilton went on to win the Qatar GP, cutting Max Verstappen’s lead at the top of the Driver Standings to just eight points.
After the race, Bottas graciously tweeted: “DNF in Qatar Unlucky day for me, but good to see @LewisHamilton win the race. Let’s keep pushing @MercedesAMGF1 !”
Lifting the lid somewhat on his own woes, however, he told Finnish outlet Ilta Sanomat: “I have found out the reason, but I cannot give details.
“But my car was no longer quite the same as it was, nor was it the same as Lewis’.
“There were little differences in the cars.”

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Team chief Toto Wolff gave Bottas a vote of confidence after the race.
He said: “We know that he can drive away when he’s at the front. So the speed is there.
“I have absolute confidence in him for the next races and I hope that we will have a good car. Then Valtteri will be at the front again because we need him there.”
Mercedes lead Red Bull by just five points in the Constructor Standings.
On Bottas’ role in the battle, Wolff added to Sky Italia: “He’s very unlucky, because his start was very bad, then he recovered, he was P3 on track, and then there was this puncture.
“If he had finished the race, we would have had a bit of a safety margin for the Constructors’ Championship, now it will be all decided at the end.”

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Ahead of next week’s penultimate GP of the season in Saudi Arabia, Wolff vowed to unleash his team’s ‘spicy engine’.
He said: “Saudi should be a good track for us but we know this year when you think it’s a good one it can turn the other way around, but it’s a long straight.
“We’ll get our spicy engine out for Saudi Arabia that we didn’t use [in Qatar].”
David Beckham risks angering F1 pal Lewis Hamilton as he poses with rival Max Verstappen’s Red Bull ahead of Qatar GP More

TWO wins in two races for Lewis Hamilton means the F1 title race could be TIED heading into the final Grand Prix of the season. Hamilton’s win at the Qatar GP means he currently trails Verstappen by eight points going into the penultimate race in Saudi Arabia.
Verstappen (L) and Hamilton’s (R) title race could go all the way to the final lap of the seasonCredit: Reuters
The rivals have been going back-and-forth all season as the campaign reaches a thrilling climax.
And David Beckham has risked the wrath of long-time pal Hamilton after being snapped in the Red Bull garage in Qatar.
Were the Brit to take 25 points for a race win in Saudi Arabia and Verstappen come second, the Dutchman’s lead would be cut to just one point.
But Hamilton could go even further and scoop the extra point given to the driver who posts the quickest lap of the race.
That would leave them on EXACTLY the same number of points before the F1 season concludes in Abu Dhabi on December 12.
However, Verstappen could yet make sure it doesn’t come to that as he chases a maiden world title.
The 24-year-old can actually win the world championship in Jeddah on December 5.
He needs to outscore Hamilton by 18-points at the next GP to make sure the title doesn’t go the distance.
That would give him an unassailable 26-point lead going into the final race of the season.

To do so he would need to finish second or higher in Jeddah and Hamilton to end the weekend pointless.
Alternatively a Verstappen win would mean Hamilton would have to finish sixth or higher to take it to the final race at Yas Marina.
However if he won with the fastest lap bonus point Hamilton would then have to finish fifth or above.
Verstappen can clinch the title by finishing second and posting the fastest lap, if Hamilton finishes 10th or lower.
But if Verstappen finishes second and does not secure the fastest lap, he will still win the title if Hamilton fails to score.

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If the pair finish the season LEVEL on points after the two remaining races then Verstappen will be victorious on races won.
He’s won nine races this year and cannot be overhauled on race wins by Hamilton regardless of whether the Brit takes the chequered flag in the next two.
Got all of that?
Well to put it simply if Verstappen extends his current eight-point lead to 26 or more in Saudi Arabia then he will be champion with a race to spare.
David Beckham risks angering F1 pal Lewis Hamilton as he poses with rival Max Verstappen’s Red Bull ahead of Qatar GP More

LEWIS HAMILTON is at the centre of an F1 cheat storm.Bitter title rivals Red Bull are threatening to protest the legality of his Mercedes car.
Red Bull are threatening to protest the legality of Lewis Hamilton’s MercedesCredit: Splash
Mercedes ace Hamilton won last week’s Brazilian GP after starting tenth on the gridCredit: Rex
Red Bull chief Christian Horner claims its rear wing breaks FIA rules by flexing too much at speed – giving Hamilton a huge amount of extra pace.
And ahead of this weekend’s crucial Qatar Grand Prix, Horner declared: “The straight line performance in the last two Grands Prix has gone exponential and that concerns us.
“Make no bones about it, if we see it on the car here it will be protested. If we believe the Mercedes car is not in compliance, we will protest.”
Hamilton fought back from grid penalties totalling 25 places to win the last GP in Brazil – cutting the gap to Red Bull’s championship leader Max Verstappen to 14 points.
Mercedes insist their car is legal and team boss Toto Wolff declared: “Nobody would show up with an illegal engine or rear wing.
“The world is too transparent for that.”

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But Horner added: “When you see marks on the rear wing endplates that have been marking up from wings flexing, it is very clear what has been going on.
“It’s hidden in the way it operates, so  it’s harder to spot from a camera.”
The 48-year-old also remarked how he has no relationship with Mercedes counterpart Wolff.
When quizzed about their relationship, Horner said: “There is no relationship.
“This is the first time they have been challenged and it is interesting to see how people react when they are challenged.
“Relationships and respect are different things, there is respect for everything Mercedes have done, everything Lewis Hamilton has done.
“I don’t need to go to dinner with Toto, I don’t need to kiss his a***. It is a competition, it is great that we are in this position and fighting.
“Toto and I are very different characters and operate in different ways.
Red Bull boss Christian Horner has threatened to protestCredit: Getty

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“Am going to be spending Christmas with Toto? Probably not…Unless you’re in panto this year, I might take the kids!
“From my perspective it is F1, you don’t have to be best mates with your opponents. How can you be?
“It would be dishonest in many respects to fake a facade when you’re competing against your rivals.”
F1-mad groom more emotional about Lewis Hamilton’s Brazil GP win than own wedding as he wipes tear after hearing news More

PANTO season came early in Doha after Red Bull boss Christian Horner and Merc boss Toto Wolff bickered like a pair of ugly sisters.It came after a FIVE DAY rendition of ‘oh yes he did..’ ended with the FIA deciding that ‘oh, not he didn’t’ with regards to Max Verstappen illegally forcing Lewis Hamilton off track in Brazil.
Red Bull boss Christian Horner has declared he has ‘no relationship’ with Mercedes counterpart Toto WolffCredit: Getty
Wolff will be hoping Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas impress in Sunday’s Qatar Grand PrixCredit: Splash
Mercedes’ request for a right to review was turned down by the stewards as the Qatar GP turned into a right old carry on.
And it sparked a bitter fall out between Horner and Wolff on stage, with the Red Bull chief taunting his rival.
When quizzed about their relationship, Horner said: “There is no relationship.
“This is the first time they have been challenged and it is interesting to see how people react when they are challenged.
“Relationships and respect are different things, there is respect for everything Mercedes have done, everything Lewis Hamilton has done.
“I don’t need to go to dinner with Toto, I don’t need to kiss his a***. It is a competition, it is great that we are in this position and fighting.

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“Toto and I are very different characters and operate in different ways.
“Am going to be spending Christmas with Toto? Probably not…Unless you’re in panto this year, I might take the kids!
“From my perspective it is F1, you don’t have to be best mates with your opponents. How can you be?
“It would be dishonest in many respects to fake a facade when you’re competing against your rivals.”
Horner’s barb was epic knock-about fun but there are serious tensions below this classic Punch and Judy show.
And with it comes the threat of more protests and appeals lobbied at F1’s sluggish stewards that threaten the outcome of this title race.
Wolff added: “We don’t want to end up after Saudi Arabia or Abu Dhabi, wherever it may end and then going to the stewards’ rooms or because one the teams felt it wasn’t treated rightly.
“Now is the time in this very championship to discuss the rules.

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“Olympic boxing went to pro boxing and is now MMA, but that is okay, we are in the ring now trying to do the best job possible.
“Elbows are allowed now because the rules say so and the gloves are off.”
And in yet more fighting talk, Horner has revealed his team would launch a protest about the legality of their opponent’s car, centering on their flexible rear wing, which failed an FIA test in Sao Paulo.
Horner added: “Would I protest? Yeah, absolutely. If we believe the car is not in compliance, we will protest.
“The straight line speeds that we’ve seen in Mexico and in Brazil, I mean, I think everybody could see Brazil was not a normal situation.
“And yes, a new engine we know with Mercedes comes with increased performance.
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“But when you have a 27 kilometre [per hour] difference, and you see marks on rear end plates that have been marked up from wings that have been flexing.
“It’s very clear to us what has been going on. So, of course, that’s why it’s down the FIA to make sure that the cars are in compliance.
“If they’re not, you protest if you believe that a competitor isn’t complying with the rules.”
F1-mad groom more emotional about Lewis Hamilton’s Brazil GP win than own wedding as he wipes tear after hearing news More

MERCEDES have had their request to review Max Verstappen’s move on Lewis Hamilton DENIED by Formula One stewards. The incident occurred on lap 48 of the Brazil GP as Verstappen cut in front of Hamilton, forcing both men off the track.
Verstappen cut in front of HamiltonCredit: Sky Sports
With the pair coming wheel-to-wheelCredit: Sky Sports
Both drivers were forced off the trackCredit: Sky Sports

The Brit ultimately went on to win the race and cut Verstappen’s lead in the driver standings to just 14 points.
He charged up from tenth on the grid, passing Verstappen en route, to keep his hopes of a record eighth championship alive.
But Mercedes still pressed for F1 stewards to review the footage with Verstappen possibly facing a penalty.
After FIVE days of deliberation the request has now been denied and Verstappen escapes without punishment.
New footage had emerged from the Dutchman’s on-board camera of the clash with Hamilton, but that has been deemed ‘relevant’ and not ‘significant’ by the FIA.
A spokesperson said: “[Mercedes’] position is that the new footage provides sufficient information for the stewards to come to an altogether different conclusion to the one they did previously.
“However, the stewards determine that the footage shows nothing exceptional that is particularly different form the other angles that were available to them at the time.
“Thus, the stewards determine that the footage, here, is not ‘significant’.”

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Despite lodging for a review, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has admitted he is not surprised by the decision.
He said: “Completely expected. We wanted to trigger a discussion around it because probably it will be a theme in the next few races and I think that objective is achieved. We didn’t really think it would go any further.”
Wolff has suggested the request for a review was in fact a tactic, with the wheel-to-wheel action expected in the final three races of the season sure to be highly scrutinised.
Wolff coyly told Sky Sports: “What have we achieved? I think we have achieved a public discussion around it because I see a risk that we will see it happening in the next races,
“It could well end up in the stewards’ room or the court room if people aren’t happy with how it is being raced out there.
“It’s fine with us. Absolutely. It’s hard racing. If this is the regulations, then let’s just move on and race exactly that way and I think this is clear now.
Meanwhile Red Bull chief Christian Horner quipped: “It’s obviously the right decision because it would have opened a Pandora’s box of a whole load of incidents at that race.”
Horner also went on to advise Hamilton on how he should have approached Verstappen’s move, and looked ahead to this weekend’s Qatar GP.
He continued: “I was surprised at the hearing in the first place because we saw many incidents at Turn 4 both in the sprint race and in the actual Grand Prix.
“It was just two drivers probably out-braking themselves. If Lewis had been smart, he would have gone for the cutback like Checo had with Valtteri.
“It’s good news that it’s full focus on this weekend now.”
Lewis Hamilton celebrates his F1 victory at Brazil Grand Prix More