Mercedes-Benz

MERCEDES boss Toto Wolff says he will have “no grouch” if Lewis Hamilton quits Mercedes – IF they can’t deliver him a car capable of winning world titles.Hamilton and Wolff are in negotiations over a new deal, with the Brit racer’s contract set to expire in December.
Lewis Hamilton has been told he can quit Mercedes if they don’t make a title-winning carCredit: Reuters

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While no terms have yet been agreed, both are adamant they are committed to extending their partnership.
However, for the first time, Wolff has admitted that the seven-time world champion could be forced to look elsewhere if he wants a record eighth title.
He said: “I don’t think that Lewis will leave Mercedes.
“He’s at the stage of a career where we trust each other, we have formed a great bond among each other and we have no reason to doubt each other, even though this is a difficult spell.
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“But so nice it will be when we come out of this valley of tears, and come back to solid performances.
“As a driver, nevertheless, if he wants to win another championship, he needs to make sure that he has the car.
“And if we cannot demonstrate that we’re able to give him a car in the next couple of years, then he needs to look everywhere.
“I don’t think he’s doing it at that stage, but I will have no grouch if that happens in a year or two.”
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Amid Mercedes’ struggles, Hamilton has been linked with a move to a rival constructor, including Ferrari and Red Bull.
Indeed, the 38-year-old has in the past admitted driving for Ferrari was something he wished to achieve.
He told Sky Sports Italia: “For many years, when I came to Monza, walking next to the fans… I could hear them saying ‘Come to Ferrari!’
“This warmed my heart, but it’s pretty amazing that I’ve never driven for Ferrari in so many years. Because it is a dream for anyone, a goal to be achieved.”
Charles Leclerc has been linked with a sensational swap with HamiltonCredit: AP
He later added: “It has never really been possible [to drive for Ferrari] and I will never quite know exactly why.
“I wish them the best and in my near future I will continue to prevent them from winning the world championship.
“I’ve seen photos of their drivers and red is always red. I have a couple of Ferraris at home. I can drive those, but not the Ferrari F1.”
Rumours persist that Hamilton could be part of a sensational swap with Ferrari poster boy Charles Leclerc.
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The 25-year-old Monegasque driver requested an emergency meeting with Ferrari president John Elkann following the Scuderia’s poor Bahrain race.
Friday practice ahead of the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix saw Hamilton’s and Leclerc’s best finishes down at P6 and P9 respectively. More

SIR LEWIS HAMILTON confirmed he is not leaving Mercedes but insists the team needs a “kick” after a poor start to the 2023 Formula 1 season.The campaign started in nightmare fashion for Hamilton with another car that appears well below the standards set by Red Bull and Ferrari – and even Aston Martin.
Sir Lewis Hamilton insists he won’t leave Mercedes despite a poor start to the seasonCredit: Alamy
Lewis Hamilton, though, insists Mercedes need a “kick” to improve
The 38-year-old is desperate to be world champion for a record-breaking eighth time and reports suggested he could be tempted to switch to a rival team, like Ferrari, in order to reach his goal.
However, the star driver insists he is going nowhere as he still has “100 per cent belief” in his team.
Hamilton told Sky Sports: “In hindsight, I think looking back it wasn’t necessarily the best choice of words.
“Of course there are times where you’re not in agreement with certain team members, but what’s important is that we continue to communicate, continue to pull together.
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“I still have 100 per cent belief in this team, it is my family and I’ve been here a long time, so I don’t plan on going anywhere else.
“But we all need a kick, we all need to get on – the proof is in the pudding, we’ve seen where the performance is and how people are extracting the performance, and we’ve got to now start making some bold decisions, some big moves in order to close the gap to these guys.
“Hopefully at some point during the year, we’re hopeful we might be able to close the gap but at that point it will be probably too late in terms of fighting for a championship, but we can still turn some heads hopefully.”
Speculation over Hamilton’s future was fuelled by his current contract running out at the end of the season.
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There was also talk of a performance clause but the British legend dismissed the speculation.
Hamilton added: “There are no performance clauses. We are in talks, just in the process of going through the motions of what that looks like, what the future looks like, what we want to do.
“[We are] Always looking to continuously challenge ourselves rather than just doing a driver’s contract like everyone does.
“What can we do? We did the Ignite partnership last year on how we can promote diversity within the sport, just exploring different avenues and what else we can do. I’m fully integrated within Mercedes-Benz.
“I’ve been with them for such a long time, since I was 13, so I’m very proud of the brand and the business, what they do, what they stand for and the impact they have throughout the world, but you can always do more, so discussions are around what else we can do together to lift people up.” More

CHARLES LECLERC has been slapped with a ten-place grid penalty for this weekend’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.The Ferrari star was forced to retire in Bahrain due to issues with his car’s electronic control unit [ECU].
Charles Leclerc will face a ten-place grid penalty this weekendCredit: AFP
Leclerc, 25, had been in third place before being forced to quit.
Ferrari experienced issues with Leclerc’s ECU on the morning of the race, before similar problems with its replacement forced their star man out of the opening GP of the season.
Competition rules dictate that teams can only go through two ECUs in the space of an entire campaign.
With Ferrari already requiring a third, Leclerc will have to start Sunday’s Saudi GP with a ten-place penalty.
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Speaking about the issue, Prancing Horse team principal Frederic Vasseur said: “It is something we have never experienced in the past and I hope now it is under control.
“But unfortunately we will have to take the penalty in Jeddah because we only have a pool of two ECUs for the season.”
Despite being on track for a place on the podium, Leclerc had been way off the pace set by Red Bulls Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.
After the Monegasque’s retirement, veteran Fernando Alonso pounced to grab the third spot on the podium, with Leclerc’s team-mate Carlos Sainz coming fourth.
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Leclerc’s Ferrari was forced to retire from the Bahrain GP a fortnight agoCredit: Getty
Lewis Hamilton came fifth, with his Mercedes team-mate George Russell in seventh and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll between them in sixth.
On his team’s prospects this weekend, Vasseur added: “I can’t be satisfied with the situation and I want to do a step forward.
“The characteristics of Jeddah are completely different compared to Bahrain and already it will swing a little more to what we have today and we will also bring some updates to Jeddah and I hope we will do a step forward.”
Mercedes, meanwhile, reportedly held an emergency meeting following their underwhelming start to the season.
Hamilton, who has been linked with a sensational move to Ferrari, aired his frustrations with his current team after the Bahrain GP.
I’ve driven so many cars in my life, so I know what a car needs, I know what a car doesn’t needLewis Hamilton
He said: “Last year, there were things I told them, I said the issues that are with the car.
“I’ve driven so many cars in my life, so I know what a car needs, I know what a car doesn’t need. And I think it’s really about accountability.
“It’s about owning up and saying, ‘Yeah, you know what? We didn’t listen to you. It’s not where it used to be and we’ve got to work’.
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“We’ve got to look into the balance through the corners, look at all the weak points and just huddle up as a team, that’s what we do.
“We’re still multi world champions you know, it’s just they haven’t got it right this time, they didn’t get it right last year, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get it right moving forwards.”
Lewis Hamilton has been linked with a stunning move to FerrariCredit: Reuters More