Ferrari turned a page on their recent past&nbsp;as they unveiled the Formula One car designed to end an era of Mercedes domination and shatter Lewis Hamilton's dreams of a sixth championship this season.&nbsp;

The sport's oldest and most successful team, who last won a title more than a decade ago and finished runners-up last year, presented the SF90 with plenty of fanfare at their Maranello factory.&nbsp;

"I'm looking forward to this year. I think the team is on the right path and hopefully we can continue improving," four times world champion Sebastian Vettel, winner of five races in 2018, assured the audience.&nbsp;

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Newborn <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SF90?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SF90</a> 
 
Discover all contents at <a href="https://t.co/bS2YGkBDkv">https://t.co/bS2YGkBDkv</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/essereFerrari?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#essereFerrari</a> <a href="https://t.co/FvzpUdWrGt">pic.twitter.com/FvzpUdWrGt</a>
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The German has a new team mate in Charles Leclerc, replacing 2007 champion Kimi Raikkonen, and a new principal following the departure of Maurizio Arrivabene and appointment of Mattia Binotto.&nbsp;

"I'm extremely excited to start this new adventure," said Leclerc. "It's a dream since childhood. I've always been looking at the red cars, hoping to be one day in this car, so it's a very emotional day for me."&nbsp;

Testing starts in Spain on Monday with the first race in Australia on March 17.&nbsp;

Ferrari turned a page on their recent past as they unveiled the Formula One car designed to end an era of Mercedes domination and shatter Lewis Hamilton's dreams of a sixth championship this season.

Ferrari turned a page on their recent past as they unveiled the Formula One car designed to end an era of Mercedes domination and shatter Lewis Hamilton's dreams of a sixth championship this season. The sport's oldest and most successful team, who last won a title more than a decade ago and finished runners-up last year, presented the SF90 with plenty of fanfare at their Maranello factory. "I'm looking forward to this year. I think the team is on the right path and hopefully we can continue improving," four times world champion Sebastian Vettel, winner of five races in 2018, assured the audience. Newborn #SF90 Discover all contents at https://t.co/bS2YGkBDkv#essereFerrari pic.twitter.com/FvzpUdWrGt — Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) February 15, 2019 × The German has a new team mate in Charles Leclerc, replacing 2007 champion Kimi Raikkonen, and a new principal following the departure of Maurizio Arrivabene and appointment of Mattia Binotto. "I'm extremely excited to start this new adventure," said Leclerc. "It's a dream since childhood. I've always been looking at the red cars, hoping to be one day in this car, so it's a very emotional day for me." Testing starts in Spain on Monday with the first race in Australia on March 17.

Ferrari launch new SF90 looking to end F1 title drought

Ferrari appointed Mattia Binotto as their fourth Formula One principal in less than five years on Monday, with previous incumbent Maurizio Arrivabene paying the price for their continuing lack of titles.

The upheaval, little more than two months before the start of the season in Australia on March 17, had been flagged up before the official announcement by the Gazzeta dello Sport newspaper.

"After four years of untiring commitment and dedication, Maurizio Arrivabene is leaving the team," Ferrari said in a statement.

"The decision was taken together with the company’s top management after lengthy discussions related to Maurizio’s long term personal interests as well as those of the team itself."

Arrivabene was appointed principal of the sport's oldest, most successful and glamorous team in November 2014, replacing Marco Mattiacci who had taken over after Stefano Domenicali resigned in April of that year.

Binotto, a Ferrari stalwart with more than two decades of experience at Maranello, takes over with immediate effect and with all of the team's technical areas continuing to report directly to him.

Ferrari won six of the 21 races last season but their title challenge evaporated in the second half of the year and Mercedes won both the drivers' and constructors' crowns for the fifth year in a row.

The Italian team's most recent driver's title was with Kimi Raikkonen in 2007, a year before they took their last constructors' championship.

Ferrari have won a record 16 constructors' titles and are unique in having competed in every season since the first in 1950.

Arrivabene's tenure had looked uncertain for some time, with reports as far back as October, 2017 suggesting Binotto could replace the former Philip Morris marketing executive.

Strategic blunders by the team last year only increased the pressure on a principal with little love or time for the media.

The team meanwhile adopted something of a siege mentality under his leadership.

Former chief engineer Luca Baldisserri spoke in 2016 of a 'climate of fear' at Maranello with staff allegedly reluctant to take risks in case they were fired by bosses with little racing experience.

The death in July last year of combative chairman Sergio Marchionne, who had exercised the real power, triggered a change at the top with Louis Camilleri taking over as chief executive and John Elkann, a scion of Italy's gilded Agnelli family, as chairman.

Media reports last year had indicated that Marchionne was already planning, before he died of complications during cancer surgery, to replace Arrivabene with Binotto.

Binotto, who has risen through the ranks to technical director and overseen a big step up in engine performance, had reportedly been a target for rival constructors and Ferrari were determined to retain his services.

How well equipped he is to fight Ferrari's corner in delicate talks about the sport's future post-2021, with the sport's owners keen to see a more level playing field, remains an open question.

The team's drivers for the 2019 season are Germany's four-times world champion Sebastian Vettel, runner-up to Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton last year, and new arrival Charles Leclerc who has replaced Kimi Raikkonen.

Finland's Raikkonen, world champion in 2007, has moved to Sauber.

Ferrari appointed Mattia Binotto as their fourth Formula One principal in less than five years on Monday, with previous incumbent Maurizio Arrivabene paying the price for their continuing lack of titles.

Ferrari appointed Mattia Binotto as their fourth Formula One principal in less than five years on Monday, with previous incumbent Maurizio Arrivabene paying the price for their continuing lack of titles. The upheaval, little more than two months before the start of the season in Australia on March 17, had been flagged up before the official announcement by the Gazzeta dello Sport newspaper. "After four years of untiring commitment and dedication, Maurizio Arrivabene is leaving the team," Ferrari said in a statement. "The decision was taken together with the company’s top management after lengthy discussions related to Maurizio’s long term personal interests as well as those of the team itself." Arrivabene was appointed principal of the sport's oldest, most successful and glamorous team in November 2014, replacing Marco Mattiacci who had taken over after Stefano Domenicali resigned in April of that year. Binotto, a Ferrari stalwart with more than two decades of experience at Maranello, takes over with immediate effect and with all of the team's technical areas continuing to report directly to him. Ferrari won six of the 21 races last season but their title challenge evaporated in the second half of the year and Mercedes won both the drivers' and constructors' crowns for the fifth year in a row. The Italian team's most recent driver's title was with Kimi Raikkonen in 2007, a year before they took their last constructors' championship. Ferrari have won a record 16 constructors' titles and are unique in having competed in every season since the first in 1950. Arrivabene's tenure had looked uncertain for some time, with reports as far back as October, 2017 suggesting Binotto could replace the former Philip Morris marketing executive. Strategic blunders by the team last year only increased the pressure on a principal with little love or time for the media. The team meanwhile adopted something of a siege mentality under his leadership. Former chief engineer Luca Baldisserri spoke in 2016 of a 'climate of fear' at Maranello with staff allegedly reluctant to take risks in case they were fired by bosses with little racing experience. The death in July last year of combative chairman Sergio Marchionne, who had exercised the real power, triggered a change at the top with Louis Camilleri taking over as chief executive and John Elkann, a scion of Italy's gilded Agnelli family, as chairman. Media reports last year had indicated that Marchionne was already planning, before he died of complications during cancer surgery, to replace Arrivabene with Binotto. Binotto, who has risen through the ranks to technical director and overseen a big step up in engine performance, had reportedly been a target for rival constructors and Ferrari were determined to retain his services. How well equipped he is to fight Ferrari's corner in delicate talks about the sport's future post-2021, with the sport's owners keen to see a more level playing field, remains an open question. The team's drivers for the 2019 season are Germany's four-times world champion Sebastian Vettel, runner-up to Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton last year, and new arrival Charles Leclerc who has replaced Kimi Raikkonen. Finland's Raikkonen, world champion in 2007, has moved to Sauber.

Motor racing: Mattia Binotto replaces Arrivabene as Ferrari F1 boss

Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes won their fifth Formula One championships in 2018 but, even if nothing actually changed at the top, the season at least added an exciting twist to the same old story.

Yes, the top three -- the 'Silver Arrows' along with Ferrari and Red Bull -- again won all the races, just as they have for the past five years.

And yes, their drivers also filled all but one of the 63 podium places in what was more than ever a two-tier championship.

At the front, however, the fight for supremacy was far closer, with the outcome far from clear and Mercedes having to wait until the fourth race to open their win account.

Ferrari won six, their best effort since 2008 but still some way short of what might have been, and were hit hard by the death mid-season of combative chairman Sergio Marchionne and their own mistakes.

Red Bull ended their Renault partnership with four victories, their biggest haul since 2013 when they were last champions, to set new engine suppliers Honda a high benchmark for 2019.

Hamilton moved onto another level, however.

His success, with 11 wins from 21 races and 11 poles, was all the more impressive given that Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel could claim to have the faster car for at least the first half of the season.

Unlike Vettel and Ferrari, Hamilton barely put a wheel wrong as he equalled the late Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio's five titles, with only Michael Schumacher ahead on seven.

The highlights included storming from 14th on the grid to victory in Germany, while Vettel skidded off as he led in the wet, and an astonishing pole position lap in Singapore.

The 33-year-old Briton staged an epic recovery from last to second at Silverstone, and ended the year on 73 wins with Schumacher's all-time record of 91 coming into range.

"I've grown, I've understood myself more," Hamilton said when asked what he had learned from a year that left Finnish team mate Valtteri Bottas winless, mentally battered and bruised.

"I've just been able to be a better me all year long and that's never going to stop."

Hamilton's continuing reign was echoed elsewhere in motorsport, with Spaniard Marc Marquez collecting his fifth MotoGP crown while Frenchman Sebastien Ogier went one better to end a closely-fought rally championship as a six-times champion.

Hefty Push

Formula One's youth revolution continued, with fresh faces lined up for 2019 as teams gave the driver merry-go-round a hefty push.

Only Mercedes and fifth-placed Haas will be carrying unchanged line-ups into 2019, also a crucial year off the track with commercial rights holders Liberty Media facing tough discussions over the sport's future direction.

Another, very real, shove landed Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who turned 21 and delighted Dutch fans with two race wins in 2018, in hot water after an altercation with Force India's Esteban Ocon.

Sauber's Charles Leclerc was rookie of the year and the exciting young Monegasque will begin a new chapter at Ferrari next year, trading places with 2007 champion Kimi Raikkonen -- who won in Texas for his first victory in 113 races.

Double world champion Fernando Alonso called it a day, leaving as one of the greats but with McLaren still agonisingly slow and ushering out racing director Eric Boullier among others.

Alonso will now chase the Indianapolis 500, and Triple Crown glory, after winning the Le Mans 24 Hours with Toyota at the first attempt in 2018.

The return of the French Grand Prix after a 10-year absence was a popular comeback, the traffic jams around Le Castellet much less so as fans fumed in tailbacks for hours.

New faces coming in for 2019 will include Britain's Formula Two champion George Russell, at Williams, and teenage compatriot Lando Norris at McLaren.

Australian Daniel Ricciardo will also have a new team after leaving Red Bull for Renault -- now the sport's fourth-ranked team.

Force India who had previously been best-of-the-rest, went into administration and emerged under the new ownership of a Canadian consortium led by Lance Stroll's billionaire father Lawrence.

In the year's least surprising move, Stroll junior moved from Williams -- the former champions now 10th and last -- to his father's team for 2019.

Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes won their fifth Formula One championships in 2018 but, even if nothing actually changed at the top, the season at least added an exciting twist to the same old story.

Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes won their fifth Formula One championships in 2018 but, even if nothing actually changed at the top, the season at least added an exciting twist to the same old story. Yes, the top three -- the 'Silver Arrows' along with Ferrari and Red Bull -- again won all the races, just as they have for the past five years. And yes, their drivers also filled all but one of the 63 podium places in what was more than ever a two-tier championship. At the front, however, the fight for supremacy was far closer, with the outcome far from clear and Mercedes having to wait until the fourth race to open their win account. Ferrari won six, their best effort since 2008 but still some way short of what might have been, and were hit hard by the death mid-season of combative chairman Sergio Marchionne and their own mistakes. Red Bull ended their Renault partnership with four victories, their biggest haul since 2013 when they were last champions, to set new engine suppliers Honda a high benchmark for 2019. Hamilton moved onto another level, however. His success, with 11 wins from 21 races and 11 poles, was all the more impressive given that Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel could claim to have the faster car for at least the first half of the season. Unlike Vettel and Ferrari, Hamilton barely put a wheel wrong as he equalled the late Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio's five titles, with only Michael Schumacher ahead on seven. The highlights included storming from 14th on the grid to victory in Germany, while Vettel skidded off as he led in the wet, and an astonishing pole position lap in Singapore. The 33-year-old Briton staged an epic recovery from last to second at Silverstone, and ended the year on 73 wins with Schumacher's all-time record of 91 coming into range. "I've grown, I've understood myself more," Hamilton said when asked what he had learned from a year that left Finnish team mate Valtteri Bottas winless, mentally battered and bruised. "I've just been able to be a better me all year long and that's never going to stop." Hamilton's continuing reign was echoed elsewhere in motorsport, with Spaniard Marc Marquez collecting his fifth MotoGP crown while Frenchman Sebastien Ogier went one better to end a closely-fought rally championship as a six-times champion. Hefty Push Formula One's youth revolution continued, with fresh faces lined up for 2019 as teams gave the driver merry-go-round a hefty push. Only Mercedes and fifth-placed Haas will be carrying unchanged line-ups into 2019, also a crucial year off the track with commercial rights holders Liberty Media facing tough discussions over the sport's future direction. Another, very real, shove landed Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who turned 21 and delighted Dutch fans with two race wins in 2018, in hot water after an altercation with Force India's Esteban Ocon. Sauber's Charles Leclerc was rookie of the year and the exciting young Monegasque will begin a new chapter at Ferrari next year, trading places with 2007 champion Kimi Raikkonen -- who won in Texas for his first victory in 113 races. Double world champion Fernando Alonso called it a day, leaving as one of the greats but with McLaren still agonisingly slow and ushering out racing director Eric Boullier among others. Alonso will now chase the Indianapolis 500, and Triple Crown glory, after winning the Le Mans 24 Hours with Toyota at the first attempt in 2018. The return of the French Grand Prix after a 10-year absence was a popular comeback, the traffic jams around Le Castellet much less so as fans fumed in tailbacks for hours. New faces coming in for 2019 will include Britain's Formula Two champion George Russell, at Williams, and teenage compatriot Lando Norris at McLaren. Australian Daniel Ricciardo will also have a new team after leaving Red Bull for Renault -- now the sport's fourth-ranked team. Force India who had previously been best-of-the-rest, went into administration and emerged under the new ownership of a Canadian consortium led by Lance Stroll's billionaire father Lawrence. In the year's least surprising move, Stroll junior moved from Williams -- the former champions now 10th and last -- to his father's team for 2019.

Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes shift from fourth to fifth

Kimi Raikkonen retired from his last Formula One race with Ferrari on Sunday, his car losing power and coasting to a halt on the main straight after just seven laps of the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

"What's happening? I don't have power," exclaimed the 2007 world champion, who is moving to Sauber next season, before parking up.

The 39-year-old Finn, who had started in fourth place and alongside teammate Sebastian Vettel, stepped out of the car and walked back to the paddock with his helmet on as the virtual safety car was deployed.

Raikkonen still finished third in the championship, with Mercedes rival and compatriot Valtteri Bottas failing to take advantage.

"Obviously I'm a bit disappointed. It's not the way we wanted this last race together to finish," said Raikkonen.

"We wanted to do well and I think we would have had a pretty good car for the job. Unfortunately, we had an electrical issue; in the back straight, I felt I was lacking power and then everything shut down."

The retirement brought down the curtain on what has otherwise been a stand-out season for Formula One's oldest current driver.

Raikkonen's win in Austin, Texas, in October ended a winless run of 113 races dating back to victory with Lotus in Australia in March 2013, and he has been on the podium 12 times in 21 races.

The Finn ends the season as Ferrari's most recent champion, their latest race winner and last driver to take a pole position.

"It's been a pretty decent season, but the four retirements were not in our plans and obviously did not help; we wanted more for sure," he said, thanking Ferrari fans for their support over the years.

"We went through good and bad times together...of course, we wanted a better finish, but that's part of the sport. We will always have the memories of winning the drivers' championship and two constructors' championships together."

Kimi Raikkonen retired from his last Formula One race with Ferrari on Sunday, his car losing power and coasting to a halt on the main straight after just seven laps of the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Kimi Raikkonen retired from his last Formula One race with Ferrari on Sunday, his car losing power and coasting to a halt on the main straight after just seven laps of the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. "What's happening? I don't have power," exclaimed the 2007 world champion, who is moving to Sauber next season, before parking up. The 39-year-old Finn, who had started in fourth place and alongside teammate Sebastian Vettel, stepped out of the car and walked back to the paddock with his helmet on as the virtual safety car was deployed. Raikkonen still finished third in the championship, with Mercedes rival and compatriot Valtteri Bottas failing to take advantage. "Obviously I'm a bit disappointed. It's not the way we wanted this last race together to finish," said Raikkonen. "We wanted to do well and I think we would have had a pretty good car for the job. Unfortunately, we had an electrical issue; in the back straight, I felt I was lacking power and then everything shut down." The retirement brought down the curtain on what has otherwise been a stand-out season for Formula One's oldest current driver. Raikkonen's win in Austin, Texas, in October ended a winless run of 113 races dating back to victory with Lotus in Australia in March 2013, and he has been on the podium 12 times in 21 races. The Finn ends the season as Ferrari's most recent champion, their latest race winner and last driver to take a pole position. "It's been a pretty decent season, but the four retirements were not in our plans and obviously did not help; we wanted more for sure," he said, thanking Ferrari fans for their support over the years. "We went through good and bad times together...of course, we wanted a better finish, but that's part of the sport. We will always have the memories of winning the drivers' championship and two constructors' championships together."

Kimi Raikkonen retires from final race for Ferrari

The lucrative Formula-1 circuit is defined by only one thing: Money, Money and More Money. It is the nature of sport which attracts the finest cars, engineers, drivers and backroom staff including maintenance of tracks worldwide which need billions of investment annually.

This year&nbsp;the new&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/india-was-a-poor-place-yet-we-had-this-massive-beautiful-grand-prix-track-made-hamilton-177264">owner Liberty Media revealed F-1 revenues</a> had dipped one per cent to £13 million as several sponsors had pulled out.&nbsp;

The failure to sign-up new races and new deals was sighted by Liberty as the reason for the losses. As a result prize money too dropped by 5.9 per cent which was bad news for Ferrari and Hamilton's team Mercedes which could not pick up fat pay cheques.

After the losses were announced, Liberty said it was contemplating a cap on budgets and bonuses as F-1 continues to be a white elephant no one really wants to own. Ferrari threatened to walk out of F-1 if budgetary limits were made official.

The big three - Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull have been winning by ruthlessly outspending rivals leaving teams placed in the middle to pick up the scrap.

F-1 has been living on borrowed time for over a decade. Former F-1 boss Bernie Ecclestone had sold Formula One to the US company Liberty Media for $4.4 billion two years ago. Ecclestone had turned the largely amateur sport into a multi-billion dollar entity during his reign in the forty years he ruled the F-1 landscape.&nbsp;

The one-man show, however, had to end someday, in the end, Bernie had to exit the new board led by Liberty choosing to say goodbye to his favourite child.

It has been Formula One's stated goal to take the sport to new countries in order to build a new base and attract new sponsors.

However, the current champion British driver Lewis Hamilton certainly does not think it is a good idea to expand, he lamented that India being a poor country shouldn't have hosted the race, nor should Vietnam be allowed.

Instead, the champion driver said races in England, &nbsp;Germany, Italy should continue to hold sway as they have a "racing tradition".

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<h5>"It’s incredible how Formula One has grown in India, especially as cricket is such a big sport there. They are still massively into racing, we get a really big crowd of enthusiastic fans. It's a cool place to go; the people are very welcoming and look after us really well. I've enjoyed it every time I have been," Hamilton said in 2011.</h5>
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Hamilton's outlook is quite contrary to what he said in his own website in 2011 when India hosted the F-1 race for the first time when he said India was a "cool place with enthusiastic fans".

Despite F-1 under Liberty Media determined to scout for new countries in a bid to keep the cash registers ticking over, Hamilton's view on India and Vietnam as having no tradition is quite surprising and dangerous for the sport.&nbsp;

Hamilton should be aware that even his pay cheque will suffer if F-1 does not get "new money", a fact which hasn't gone down well with the Big-3. He should also perhaps take a leaf out of FIFA's manual which has expanded the game to every part of the globe including India which is mainly a "one sport" country which loves cricket, which was acknowledged by Hamilton as well when he raced in Delhi.

Old world thinking still reigns in the minds of champions, a real petty!

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

The lucrative Formula-1 circuit is defined by only one thing: Money, Money and More Money. It is the nature of sport which attracts the finest cars, engineers, drivers and backroom staff including maintenance of tracks worldwide which need billions of investment annually.

The lucrative Formula-1 circuit is defined by only one thing: Money, Money and More Money. It is the nature of sport which attracts the finest cars, engineers, drivers and backroom staff including maintenance of tracks worldwide which need billions of investment annually. This year the new owner Liberty Media revealed F-1 revenues had dipped one per cent to £13 million as several sponsors had pulled out. The failure to sign-up new races and new deals was sighted by Liberty as the reason for the losses. As a result prize money too dropped by 5.9 per cent which was bad news for Ferrari and Hamilton's team Mercedes which could not pick up fat pay cheques. After the losses were announced, Liberty said it was contemplating a cap on budgets and bonuses as F-1 continues to be a white elephant no one really wants to own. Ferrari threatened to walk out of F-1 if budgetary limits were made official. The big three - Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull have been winning by ruthlessly outspending rivals leaving teams placed in the middle to pick up the scrap. F-1 has been living on borrowed time for over a decade. Former F-1 boss Bernie Ecclestone had sold Formula One to the US company Liberty Media for $4.4 billion two years ago. Ecclestone had turned the largely amateur sport into a multi-billion dollar entity during his reign in the forty years he ruled the F-1 landscape. The one-man show, however, had to end someday, in the end, Bernie had to exit the new board led by Liberty choosing to say goodbye to his favourite child. It has been Formula One's stated goal to take the sport to new countries in order to build a new base and attract new sponsors. However, the current champion British driver Lewis Hamilton certainly does not think it is a good idea to expand, he lamented that India being a poor country shouldn't have hosted the race, nor should Vietnam be allowed. Instead, the champion driver said races in England, Germany, Italy should continue to hold sway as they have a "racing tradition". "It’s incredible how Formula One has grown in India, especially as cricket is such a big sport there. They are still massively into racing, we get a really big crowd of enthusiastic fans. It's a cool place to go; the people are very welcoming and look after us really well. I've enjoyed it every time I have been," Hamilton said in 2011. × Hamilton's outlook is quite contrary to what he said in his own website in 2011 when India hosted the F-1 race for the first time when he said India was a "cool place with enthusiastic fans". Despite F-1 under Liberty Media determined to scout for new countries in a bid to keep the cash registers ticking over, Hamilton's view on India and Vietnam as having no tradition is quite surprising and dangerous for the sport. Hamilton should be aware that even his pay cheque will suffer if F-1 does not get "new money", a fact which hasn't gone down well with the Big-3. He should also perhaps take a leaf out of FIFA's manual which has expanded the game to every part of the globe including India which is mainly a "one sport" country which loves cricket, which was acknowledged by Hamilton as well when he raced in Delhi. Old world thinking still reigns in the minds of champions, a real petty! (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Mr Lewis Hamilton, please grow up, F-1 needs India and Vietnam to survive

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/search?q=Lewis+Hamilton">Lewis Hamilton</a> has told his Mercedes Formula One teammates they are all 'legends' after completing a fifth successive constructor and driver title double in Brazil on Sunday and pledged to help make them the sport's most successful team ever.

Hamilton, who took his fifth title in Mexico last month, will address staff at Brackley and Brixworth on Tuesday in what will be a thank you, communal celebration and rallying cry rolled into one.

"I have to try and find the right words," the 33-year-old said on Sunday, a bashful comment for a man whose achievements -- 10 wins and 10 poles so far this season -- speak for themselves.

The Briton will have no trouble in expressing himself, having already done so in an emotionally-charged garage debrief at Interlagos.

"It's an incredible honour to work with all of you," he told assembled mechanics, engineers and bosses after winning the penultimate race of the season. "Seeing you guys after the race, seeing that energy that you guys all had, that happiness can fill a lifetime.

"I really want you to just remember that moment and hold on to it because that's what's going to power us to many more championships. Never let that energy drop... I tell you, that propels me.

"This past six years has been epic and iconic. We are now legends. Just remember that. When you go home, when you look in the mirror, when you wake up, say 'I'm a legend'. You've got to say that to yourself: 'I'm a legend'.

SCHUMACHER RECORDS

Sunday was Hamilton's 72nd career win, leaving him 19 short of Michael Schumacher's all-time record. The Briton has averaged 10 a season for the last four years and won 50 of 99 races in the V6 turbo hybrid era that started in 2014.

"You've got to say that Lewis this year has just made the difference for us," technical director James Allison told Sky Sports television.

"He keeps putting it on pole, whenever its wet he’s always at the front. In the races we can make mistakes and he’ll recover it by doing something unlikely on the track that no-one sees coming.

"And he spends a whole year not making mistakes. He’s just the consummate racing driver."

Only Ferrari had previously racked up five successive championship doubles and their milestone of six constructors' titles in a row between 1999 and 2004 remains the sport's outright record.

That is the next target on the radar and it will be back to business soon enough.

"The risk is that you become complacent with winning and I think this team has overcome this obstacle," declared team boss Toto Wolff on Sunday night. "We’ve set ourselves objectives that motivated us.

"And the job is going to get more difficult every year. We are setting the benchmark at the moment and our competition will get more energized and motivated by us.

"All points start at zero next year. We will have forgotten about the five and will fight hard to be in contention for the sixth. Whether we achieve it or not we will see next year."

Hamilton's enduring motivation has been questioned in the past but, on Sunday's evidence, that is not a concern.

"I want to continue trying to elevate Mercedes to making them the most successful brand of all time," he said.

"I've never experienced the height of what I'm feeling and experienced here. And I know when I get to the factory the energy is going to be higher than I've ever felt so I've got to get to sleep.

"I might not be able to hold these emotions in."

Lewis Hamilton has told his Mercedes Formula One teammates they are all 'legends' after completing a fifth successive constructor and driver title double in Brazil on Sunday and pledged to help make them the sport's most successful team ever.

Lewis Hamilton has told his Mercedes Formula One teammates they are all 'legends' after completing a fifth successive constructor and driver title double in Brazil on Sunday and pledged to help make them the sport's most successful team ever. Hamilton, who took his fifth title in Mexico last month, will address staff at Brackley and Brixworth on Tuesday in what will be a thank you, communal celebration and rallying cry rolled into one. "I have to try and find the right words," the 33-year-old said on Sunday, a bashful comment for a man whose achievements -- 10 wins and 10 poles so far this season -- speak for themselves. The Briton will have no trouble in expressing himself, having already done so in an emotionally-charged garage debrief at Interlagos. "It's an incredible honour to work with all of you," he told assembled mechanics, engineers and bosses after winning the penultimate race of the season. "Seeing you guys after the race, seeing that energy that you guys all had, that happiness can fill a lifetime. "I really want you to just remember that moment and hold on to it because that's what's going to power us to many more championships. Never let that energy drop... I tell you, that propels me. "This past six years has been epic and iconic. We are now legends. Just remember that. When you go home, when you look in the mirror, when you wake up, say 'I'm a legend'. You've got to say that to yourself: 'I'm a legend'. SCHUMACHER RECORDS Sunday was Hamilton's 72nd career win, leaving him 19 short of Michael Schumacher's all-time record. The Briton has averaged 10 a season for the last four years and won 50 of 99 races in the V6 turbo hybrid era that started in 2014. "You've got to say that Lewis this year has just made the difference for us," technical director James Allison told Sky Sports television. "He keeps putting it on pole, whenever its wet he’s always at the front. In the races we can make mistakes and he’ll recover it by doing something unlikely on the track that no-one sees coming. "And he spends a whole year not making mistakes. He’s just the consummate racing driver." Only Ferrari had previously racked up five successive championship doubles and their milestone of six constructors' titles in a row between 1999 and 2004 remains the sport's outright record. That is the next target on the radar and it will be back to business soon enough. "The risk is that you become complacent with winning and I think this team has overcome this obstacle," declared team boss Toto Wolff on Sunday night. "We’ve set ourselves objectives that motivated us. "And the job is going to get more difficult every year. We are setting the benchmark at the moment and our competition will get more energized and motivated by us. "All points start at zero next year. We will have forgotten about the five and will fight hard to be in contention for the sixth. Whether we achieve it or not we will see next year." Hamilton's enduring motivation has been questioned in the past but, on Sunday's evidence, that is not a concern. "I want to continue trying to elevate Mercedes to making them the most successful brand of all time," he said. "I've never experienced the height of what I'm feeling and experienced here. And I know when I get to the factory the energy is going to be higher than I've ever felt so I've got to get to sleep. "I might not be able to hold these emotions in."

Team energy will power Mercedes to more titles, says Lewis Hamilton

Britain's Lewis Hamilton praised the team after winning his <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/lewis-hamilton-claims-fifth-f1-drivers-title-174079">fifth Formula One world championship</a> on Sunday at the Mexican Grand Prix. He said, "Mercedes and my team have just been the most incredible unit."

Red Bull's Max Verstappen won the Mexican GP and Hamilton finished fourth while Ferrari rival Sebastian Vettel took second place.

The 33-year-old Hamilton admitted that it was one of his worst races of the year as he came home fourth.

"I don't know if it will ever kick in," said Hamilton. "We have just had a difficult afternoon and it was tough. I didn't know if we would get the car home.

"It has been the toughest year physically, mentally and personally with everything I'm committed to, but I have amazing support.

"Mercedes and my team have just been the most incredible unit and worked to raise the bar. In my mind it is just another day of fighting and I have more races to win, it is not over.

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Wow, unbelievable, 5 World Championships!! Message on Instagram guys... <a href="https://t.co/U02N19GX8J">https://t.co/U02N19GX8J</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LHFive?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LHFive</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MercedesAMGF1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MercedesAMGF1</a> 📷 <a href="https://twitter.com/Motors_images?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Motors_images</a> <a href="https://t.co/ROLGAnD3nR">pic.twitter.com/ROLGAnD3nR</a>
— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) <a href="https://twitter.com/LewisHamilton/status/1056681307634388992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
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"In my mind I have to work, go to the debrief and try to win in Brazil.

"This was a really tough race, I came to the last lap and I was like 'please hold it together and not make any mistakes'.

"I have to enjoy this one, you never know what is down the corner.

"I'm never going to stand here now as a five-time world champion again. You have to set your sights and goals high, but you have to treasure every moment.

"Naturally I'm going to keep racing, I love doing what I do and the fans really help."

Britain's Lewis Hamilton praised the team after winning his fifth Formula One world championship on Sunday at the Mexican Grand Prix. He said, "Mercedes and my team have just been the most incredible unit.

Britain's Lewis Hamilton praised the team after winning his fifth Formula One world championship on Sunday at the Mexican Grand Prix. He said, "Mercedes and my team have just been the most incredible unit." Red Bull's Max Verstappen won the Mexican GP and Hamilton finished fourth while Ferrari rival Sebastian Vettel took second place. The 33-year-old Hamilton admitted that it was one of his worst races of the year as he came home fourth. "I don't know if it will ever kick in," said Hamilton. "We have just had a difficult afternoon and it was tough. I didn't know if we would get the car home. "It has been the toughest year physically, mentally and personally with everything I'm committed to, but I have amazing support. "Mercedes and my team have just been the most incredible unit and worked to raise the bar. In my mind it is just another day of fighting and I have more races to win, it is not over. Wow, unbelievable, 5 World Championships!! Message on Instagram guys... https://t.co/U02N19GX8J#LHFive @MercedesAMGF1 📷 @Motors_images pic.twitter.com/ROLGAnD3nR — Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) October 28, 2018 × "In my mind I have to work, go to the debrief and try to win in Brazil. "This was a really tough race, I came to the last lap and I was like 'please hold it together and not make any mistakes'. "I have to enjoy this one, you never know what is down the corner. "I'm never going to stand here now as a five-time world champion again. You have to set your sights and goals high, but you have to treasure every moment. "Naturally I'm going to keep racing, I love doing what I do and the fans really help."

Lewis Hamilton thanks 'amazing' team, family after winning F1 championship

Max Verstappen left Formula One title contenders Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel trailing on Friday by dominating Mexican Grand Prix practice before his Red Bull was halted by an hydraulics problem.

Last year's race winner looked a good bet to become the youngest driver on pole position in Saturday's qualifying with the 21-year-old Dutchman impressively quick at the high-altitude circuit.

"We have a good car, good downforce, good mechanical grip," commented the youngster, who appeared unconcerned about the complete power loss 10 minutes from the end of the second session.

Mercedes' world championship leader Hamilton, who was some way off the pace, would have no quarrel with another Verstappen victory since that would also hand him his fifth title with two races to spare.

Ferrari's Vettel, now 70 points behind the Briton, has to win to have any mathematical chance of denying Hamilton the crown but he also looked some way off the Red Bull's pace.

Verstappen led Australian team mate Daniel Ricciardo in a Red Bull one-two in both sessions, lapping with a best time of one minute 16.656 seconds in the morning and then 1:16.720 in the afternoon.

Ricciardo was 0.483 slower in a bright and hot first session, and 0.153 off the pace after lunch.

Renault, also Red Bull's engine providers, were best of the rest with Spaniard Carlos Sainz third in both sessions.

The thin air of a circuit at 2,200 metres above sea level means champions Mercedes and Ferrari have less of a power advantage than usual.

"The engines are struggling for air, the brakes, the cooling... we're running the same wing as (slow and twisty) Monaco and we've got the same downforce as (high-speed) Monza," said Red Bull boss Christian Horner.

"I think we are able to run the car in its optimum state and we've got a power unit that this weekend looks competitive relative to the others."

Horner said that if Verstappen's car needed an engine change, the driver still had one left in his pool and should not face any grid drop.

Fangio's Five

Hamilton, who is set to match the five titles won by late Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio in the 1950s, was fifth and seventh respectively and complaining of heavy tyre wear.

"We've got some ground to catch up on, so we're now going to go through everything in the debrief and look at all the details to find some answers," said the Briton.

"Red Bull seem out of our reach at the moment, Ferrari are right there with us, but we're here to try and compete, so we will do the best we can to have a real race."

Vettel was seventh in the morning but moved up fourth in the afternoon.

"I don't think we had a tidy lap, we should have been in front of the Renaults," said the German.

"I think everybody is on the limit with tyres and trying to get them to work in order to slide less, with the exception maybe of the Red Bulls."

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff agreed that the Red Bulls and Renaults were in good shape.

"It will be interesting to see where they are tomorrow," he said. "I think the Red Bulls with the Renault (engines) made a step forwards."

Toro Rosso's French driver Pierre Gasly collected a 15-place grid penalty after engine partners Honda changed components in the car's power unit.

Max Verstappen left Formula One title contenders Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel trailing on Friday by dominating Mexican Grand Prix practice before his Red Bull was halted by an hydraulics problem.

Max Verstappen left Formula One title contenders Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel trailing on Friday by dominating Mexican Grand Prix practice before his Red Bull was halted by an hydraulics problem. Last year's race winner looked a good bet to become the youngest driver on pole position in Saturday's qualifying with the 21-year-old Dutchman impressively quick at the high-altitude circuit. "We have a good car, good downforce, good mechanical grip," commented the youngster, who appeared unconcerned about the complete power loss 10 minutes from the end of the second session. Mercedes' world championship leader Hamilton, who was some way off the pace, would have no quarrel with another Verstappen victory since that would also hand him his fifth title with two races to spare. Ferrari's Vettel, now 70 points behind the Briton, has to win to have any mathematical chance of denying Hamilton the crown but he also looked some way off the Red Bull's pace. Verstappen led Australian team mate Daniel Ricciardo in a Red Bull one-two in both sessions, lapping with a best time of one minute 16.656 seconds in the morning and then 1:16.720 in the afternoon. Ricciardo was 0.483 slower in a bright and hot first session, and 0.153 off the pace after lunch. Renault, also Red Bull's engine providers, were best of the rest with Spaniard Carlos Sainz third in both sessions. The thin air of a circuit at 2,200 metres above sea level means champions Mercedes and Ferrari have less of a power advantage than usual. "The engines are struggling for air, the brakes, the cooling... we're running the same wing as (slow and twisty) Monaco and we've got the same downforce as (high-speed) Monza," said Red Bull boss Christian Horner. "I think we are able to run the car in its optimum state and we've got a power unit that this weekend looks competitive relative to the others." Horner said that if Verstappen's car needed an engine change, the driver still had one left in his pool and should not face any grid drop. Fangio's Five Hamilton, who is set to match the five titles won by late Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio in the 1950s, was fifth and seventh respectively and complaining of heavy tyre wear. "We've got some ground to catch up on, so we're now going to go through everything in the debrief and look at all the details to find some answers," said the Briton. "Red Bull seem out of our reach at the moment, Ferrari are right there with us, but we're here to try and compete, so we will do the best we can to have a real race." Vettel was seventh in the morning but moved up fourth in the afternoon. "I don't think we had a tidy lap, we should have been in front of the Renaults," said the German. "I think everybody is on the limit with tyres and trying to get them to work in order to slide less, with the exception maybe of the Red Bulls." Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff agreed that the Red Bulls and Renaults were in good shape. "It will be interesting to see where they are tomorrow," he said. "I think the Red Bulls with the Renault (engines) made a step forwards." Toro Rosso's French driver Pierre Gasly collected a 15-place grid penalty after engine partners Honda changed components in the car's power unit.

Max Verstappen fastest in Mexican Grand Prix practice

Kimi Raikkonen's US Grand Prix victory left Lewis Hamilton, who fell to the third spot, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/formula-one-lewis-hamilton-will-wait-for-world-title-172693">waiting for his fifth world title</a>.

Dutch driver Max Verstappen finished a surprise second after starting 18th in a thrilling finale with the top three cars separated by just 2.1 seconds at the chequered flag.

Raikkonen and Verstappen made Hamilton's loss even more bitter by asking him if he had won the championship after the race!

The Mercedes driver took the situation sportingly, in fact he confirmed that he had not won the title, yet.

Also, the official Twitter handle of Ferrari tweeted a shushing emoji after Kimi's victory.

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🤫
— Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) <a href="https://twitter.com/ScuderiaFerrari/status/1054103384800796675?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kimi7?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Kimi7</a>'s message for you! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/USGP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#USGP</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ForzaFerrari?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ForzaFerrari</a> <a href="https://t.co/SEzheOLMdp">pic.twitter.com/SEzheOLMdp</a>
— Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) <a href="https://twitter.com/ScuderiaFerrari/status/1054152525761470466?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Kimi's victory was very special for him as he&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/kimi-raikkonen-to-leave-ferrari-will-return-to-sauber-165092">will leave Ferrari&nbsp;</a>at the end of 2018 and will return to Sauber.

This was his first win since the Australian Grand Prix of March 2013, a gap of 113 races dating back to when he was racing for Lotus, and 21st of his career.

Kimi Raikkonen's US Grand Prix victory left Lewis Hamilton, who fell to the third spot, waiting for his fifth world title. Dutch driver Max Verstappen finished a surprise second after starting 18th in a thrilling finale with the top three cars separated by just 2.

Kimi Raikkonen's US Grand Prix victory left Lewis Hamilton, who fell to the third spot, waiting for his fifth world title. Dutch driver Max Verstappen finished a surprise second after starting 18th in a thrilling finale with the top three cars separated by just 2.1 seconds at the chequered flag. Raikkonen and Verstappen made Hamilton's loss even more bitter by asking him if he had won the championship after the race! The Mercedes driver took the situation sportingly, in fact he confirmed that he had not won the title, yet. Also, the official Twitter handle of Ferrari tweeted a shushing emoji after Kimi's victory. 🤫 — Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) October 21, 2018 × #Kimi7's message for you! #USGP #ForzaFerrari pic.twitter.com/SEzheOLMdp — Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) October 21, 2018 × Kimi's victory was very special for him as he will leave Ferrari at the end of 2018 and will return to Sauber. This was his first win since the Australian Grand Prix of March 2013, a gap of 113 races dating back to when he was racing for Lotus, and 21st of his career.

'Did you win the title,' Raikkonen, Verstappen tease Hamilton

Finland's Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) won Sunday's Formula 1 Grand Prix in the United States, surpassing Dutch driver Max Verstappen (Red Bull) and dethroning Great Britain's Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), who fell to the third spot.

To secure his fifth Grand Prix victory, Hamilton needed to beat runner-up Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) by eight points, but ended up defeating the German by only three.

The Englishman is 70 points above Vettel, which means that he needs to finish seventh at next week's race in Mexico to win the tournament for the fifth time and take his place alongside legendary Argentine driver Juan Manuel Fangio.

Raikkonen claimed his 21st Formula 1 victory, the first one since 2013, when he won the Australian Grand Prix.

Spain's Carlos Sainz (Renault) finished seventh after starting 11th, despite a five-minute time-out.

HIs countryman, Fernando Alonso (Mercedes), had to leave the competition following a collision with Canada's Lance Stroll (Williams) during the first of the 56 laps.

Mexico's Sergio Perez (Force India) finished 10th.

Finland's Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) won Sunday's Formula 1 Grand Prix in the United States, surpassing Dutch driver Max Verstappen (Red Bull) and dethroning Great Britain's Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), who fell to the third spot.

Finland's Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) won Sunday's Formula 1 Grand Prix in the United States, surpassing Dutch driver Max Verstappen (Red Bull) and dethroning Great Britain's Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), who fell to the third spot. To secure his fifth Grand Prix victory, Hamilton needed to beat runner-up Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) by eight points, but ended up defeating the German by only three. The Englishman is 70 points above Vettel, which means that he needs to finish seventh at next week's race in Mexico to win the tournament for the fifth time and take his place alongside legendary Argentine driver Juan Manuel Fangio. Raikkonen claimed his 21st Formula 1 victory, the first one since 2013, when he won the Australian Grand Prix. Spain's Carlos Sainz (Renault) finished seventh after starting 11th, despite a five-minute time-out. HIs countryman, Fernando Alonso (Mercedes), had to leave the competition following a collision with Canada's Lance Stroll (Williams) during the first of the 56 laps. Mexico's Sergio Perez (Force India) finished 10th.

Kimi Raikkonen wins F1 United States Grand Prix

Infosys, TCS and Tata Motors are among the 12 Indian companies which feature in a list of the world's best-regarded firms compiled by <a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/scarlett-johansson-tops-the-forbes-highest-paid-actresses-2018-list-priyanka-deepika-not-in-top-10-159812">Forbes</a>.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/george-clooney-is-the-highest-paid-actor-in-the-world-akshay-kumar-salman-khan-in-top-10-160962">Also read: Clooney is highest paid actor; Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan in top 10 in Forbes list</a>

Entertainment giant Walt Disney, with a market cap of $165 billion topped the list, followed by hospitality major Hilton and Italian carmaker Ferrari at the second and third spots respectively.

Rounding out the top ten in 2018 are financial services companies Visa at the 4th place, digital payment company PayPal (5th), media company Netflix (6th), Siemens (7th), internet retailer Amazon.Com (8th) Marriott International (9th) and Mastercard (10th).

Housing finance major HDFC was the only company from India's banking and finance sector to figure in the list and was placed 217th.

Other Indian companies that made it to the coveted list include Infosys at the 31st place, Tata Consultancy Services (35), Tata Motors (70), Tata Steel (131), Larsen &amp; Toubro (135), Grasim Industries (154), General Insurance Corporation Of India (156), Mahindra &amp; Mahindra (164), Asian Paints (203), Steel Authority of India (227) and ITC (239).

US companies dominate the list with 61 of the total 250 firms.

Japan has 32 companies on the list. Video game maker Nintendo is the highest ranked Japanese company at the 11th rank, with Toyota following at 12th. Other well-represented countries are China with 19 companies, France (13), India (12) and Germany (11).

To compile this list, Forbes partnered with Statista, which surveyed 15,000 people from 60 countries.

The respondents were asked their opinions about the 2018 Global 2000 companies. Companies were evaluated on topics such as trustworthiness, social conduct, performance of the company's product or service and the company as an employer, Forbes said.

Infosys, TCS and Tata Motors are among the 12 Indian companies which feature in a list of the world's best-regarded firms compiled by Forbes. Also read: Clooney is highest paid actor; Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan in top 10 in Forbes list Entertainment giant Walt Disney, with a market cap of $165 billion topped the list, followed by hospitality major Hilton and Italian carmaker Ferrari at the second and third spots respectively.

Infosys, TCS and Tata Motors are among the 12 Indian companies which feature in a list of the world's best-regarded firms compiled by Forbes. Also read: Clooney is highest paid actor; Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan in top 10 in Forbes list Entertainment giant Walt Disney, with a market cap of $165 billion topped the list, followed by hospitality major Hilton and Italian carmaker Ferrari at the second and third spots respectively. Rounding out the top ten in 2018 are financial services companies Visa at the 4th place, digital payment company PayPal (5th), media company Netflix (6th), Siemens (7th), internet retailer Amazon.Com (8th) Marriott International (9th) and Mastercard (10th). Housing finance major HDFC was the only company from India's banking and finance sector to figure in the list and was placed 217th. Other Indian companies that made it to the coveted list include Infosys at the 31st place, Tata Consultancy Services (35), Tata Motors (70), Tata Steel (131), Larsen & Toubro (135), Grasim Industries (154), General Insurance Corporation Of India (156), Mahindra & Mahindra (164), Asian Paints (203), Steel Authority of India (227) and ITC (239). US companies dominate the list with 61 of the total 250 firms. Japan has 32 companies on the list. Video game maker Nintendo is the highest ranked Japanese company at the 11th rank, with Toyota following at 12th. Other well-represented countries are China with 19 companies, France (13), India (12) and Germany (11). To compile this list, Forbes partnered with Statista, which surveyed 15,000 people from 60 countries. The respondents were asked their opinions about the 2018 Global 2000 companies. Companies were evaluated on topics such as trustworthiness, social conduct, performance of the company's product or service and the company as an employer, Forbes said.

Infosys, Tata Motors among 12 Indian companies in Forbes list of world's best firms

Sebastian Vettel made clear Monday he still believes he can win a fifth world title this year despite sliding 50 points behind Lewis Hamilton after the Russian Grand Prix.

Hamilton's victory, after Valtteri Bottas followed Mercedes team orders to let him take the lead, lifted the Briton further clear of Vettel with five races remaining this season.

But the Ferrari driver insisted he has not given up hope despite seeing his in-form rival reel off a fifth win in six races to maintain his momentum as Ferrari struggled to keep pace.

"I go race by race," said Vettel. "Obviously, it's not getting easier if we lose points.

"But I still believe in our chances. Yes, it's not getting bigger, as I said, if you finish behind, but who knows?&nbsp;

"It takes one DNF (Did Not Finish) – ideally two! - and then all of a sudden things look different.

"I'm not wishing that on Lewis, but you never know what happens, so we need to stay on top of our game which maybe we haven't been completely this weekend.

"We must make sure that from where we are now we focus on winning the last races."

Hamilton's 50-point advantage is the equivalent of two race victories worth 25 points, a lead he could relinquish only if he fails to finish, or score points, and Vettel wins.

Vettel was unexpectedly encouraged by Ferrari's performance on Sunday when he followed Hamilton and Bottas.

"It's not entirely in our hands," he added. "We need a little bit of something to happen, but we need to make sure that we are always there.

"If it's a third we can get, or a win, you need to get those places to make sure that we do everything.

"The rest, unfortunately, is not anymore entirely in our hands, but I still think that if we win the next few races we can put a lot of pressure on them and make something to happen.

Sebastian Vettel made clear Monday he still believes he can win a fifth world title this year despite sliding 50 points behind Lewis Hamilton after the Russian Grand Prix.

Sebastian Vettel made clear Monday he still believes he can win a fifth world title this year despite sliding 50 points behind Lewis Hamilton after the Russian Grand Prix. Hamilton's victory, after Valtteri Bottas followed Mercedes team orders to let him take the lead, lifted the Briton further clear of Vettel with five races remaining this season. But the Ferrari driver insisted he has not given up hope despite seeing his in-form rival reel off a fifth win in six races to maintain his momentum as Ferrari struggled to keep pace. "I go race by race," said Vettel. "Obviously, it's not getting easier if we lose points. "But I still believe in our chances. Yes, it's not getting bigger, as I said, if you finish behind, but who knows? "It takes one DNF (Did Not Finish) – ideally two! - and then all of a sudden things look different. "I'm not wishing that on Lewis, but you never know what happens, so we need to stay on top of our game which maybe we haven't been completely this weekend. "We must make sure that from where we are now we focus on winning the last races." Hamilton's 50-point advantage is the equivalent of two race victories worth 25 points, a lead he could relinquish only if he fails to finish, or score points, and Vettel wins. Vettel was unexpectedly encouraged by Ferrari's performance on Sunday when he followed Hamilton and Bottas. "It's not entirely in our hands," he added. "We need a little bit of something to happen, but we need to make sure that we are always there. "If it's a third we can get, or a win, you need to get those places to make sure that we do everything. "The rest, unfortunately, is not anymore entirely in our hands, but I still think that if we win the next few races we can put a lot of pressure on them and make something to happen.

Sebastian Vettel still believes in F1 title bid

One person was killed and another was severely injured when their Ferrari sports car met with an accident a Pakuria area of Domjur in West Bengal on Sunday, reports said.&nbsp;

Media reports quoted sources saying that the accident took place on Sunday morning when the driver lost control of the car on the highway and crashed near NH 6.&nbsp;

The woman was sent to a nearby hospital in Kolkata.&nbsp;

The exact reason for the crash is yet to be revealed.&nbsp;

The car, a Ferrari California T, is a two-door, hardtop convertible sports car, that makes over 500 horsepower. 
&nbsp;

Media reports quoted sources saying that the accident took place on Sunday morning when the driver lost control of the car on the highway and crashed near NH 6.

One person was killed and another was severely injured when their Ferrari sports car met with an accident a Pakuria area of Domjur in West Bengal on Sunday, reports said. Media reports quoted sources saying that the accident took place on Sunday morning when the driver lost control of the car on the highway and crashed near NH 6. The woman was sent to a nearby hospital in Kolkata. The exact reason for the crash is yet to be revealed. The car, a Ferrari California T, is a two-door, hardtop convertible sports car, that makes over 500 horsepower.

Ferrari crashes into flyover near Kolkata, 1 dead

Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel has expressed confidence that Ferrari will continue to dominate in Barcelona.

Ferrari are currently standing at the top spot in Formula One Constructors` Championship&nbsp;with many pundits claiming that the Italian team can finally clinch their first drivers` title since 2007 this year. Meanwhile, Mercedes had performed brilliantly in the pre-season tests in Barcelona, where this weekend`s Spanish Grand Prix is to be held.

However, Vettel played down the same, saying they will surely win the upcoming race because their pace is good.

"If we`re in front, we will win. I`m not worried at all. The most important thing is that we have a good car to work with in qualifying. If we`re in front, we can win because our race pace is good," Vettel said.&nbsp;The German driver further insisted that Ferrari cars have been comparatively better in 2018 as compared to the past few years.

"Especially in qualifying we were not competitive enough in previous years," Vettel concluded.

Vettel is currently standing at the second spot in the drivers` championship, trailing Mercedes rival and championship leader Lewis Hamilton by four points.&nbsp;

Vettel said they will surely win the upcoming race because their pace is good

Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel has expressed confidence that Ferrari will continue to dominate in Barcelona. Ferrari are currently standing at the top spot in Formula One Constructors` Championship with many pundits claiming that the Italian team can finally clinch their first drivers` title since 2007 this year. Meanwhile, Mercedes had performed brilliantly in the pre-season tests in Barcelona, where this weekend`s Spanish Grand Prix is to be held. However, Vettel played down the same, saying they will surely win the upcoming race because their pace is good. "If we`re in front, we will win. I`m not worried at all. The most important thing is that we have a good car to work with in qualifying. If we`re in front, we can win because our race pace is good," Vettel said. The German driver further insisted that Ferrari cars have been comparatively better in 2018 as compared to the past few years. "Especially in qualifying we were not competitive enough in previous years," Vettel concluded. Vettel is currently standing at the second spot in the drivers` championship, trailing Mercedes rival and championship leader Lewis Hamilton by four points.

Ferrari will win in Barcelona: Sebastian Vettel

Italian Formula One team Ferrari paid tribute to Michael Schumacher on Wednesday as the former seven-time world champion turned 49.

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Seven-time champion Michael Schumacher turns 49 today<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KeepFightingMichael?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KeepFightingMichael</a> <a href="https://t.co/vwqVeOil8J">pic.twitter.com/vwqVeOil8J</a>
&mdash; Formula 1 (@F1) <a href="https://twitter.com/F1/status/948486284481359872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&quot;Today Michael turns 49, our thoughts are always with him. #Keepfighting #ForzaMichael,&quot; the Italian stable wrote on their Twitter account.

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Today Michael turns 49, our thoughts are always with him. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Keepfighting?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Keepfighting</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ForzaMichael?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ForzaMichael</a> <a href="https://t.co/vkRLtDPqOD">pic.twitter.com/vkRLtDPqOD</a>
&mdash; Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) <a href="https://twitter.com/ScuderiaFerrari/status/948463945911799808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The retired seven-time F1 champion German racing ace, widely regarded as one of the greatest Formula One drivers ever, has been battling for his life ever since he suffered catastrophic brain injuries four years ago after he hit his head on a rock during a skiing holiday in the French resort of Meribel in December 2013.

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Hey <a href="https://twitter.com/schumacher?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@schumacher</a> you are still and will always be the very best to me! 
A very happy birthday Michael! All the best to you always! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ForzaMichael?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ForzaMichael</a> <a href="https://t.co/Y44r3AHy6p">pic.twitter.com/Y44r3AHy6p</a>
&mdash; Mechthild B&ouml;ttger (@MechiBoettger) <a href="https://twitter.com/MechiBoettger/status/948478524754747392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Schumacher won two titles with Benetton in 1994 and 1995 before five consecutive world drivers&#39; titles with Ferrari between 2000 and 2004.

His records of seven titles, 91 career victories, fastest laps (77) and most races won in a single season (13), remain unchallenged.

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Seven-time World Champion Michael Schumacher is 49 today.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KeepFightingMichael?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KeepFightingMichael</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ForzaMichael?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ForzaMichael</a> <a href="https://t.co/c0Xq8JUy69">pic.twitter.com/c0Xq8JUy69</a>
&mdash; Planet F1 (@Planet_F1) <a href="https://twitter.com/Planet_F1/status/948492633097125888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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SCHUMACHER <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F1</a> STATS 
 
306 - Starts 
91 - Wins 
68 - Pole positions 
155 - Podiums 
77 - Fastest laps 
7 - World titles<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F1FastFact?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F1FastFact</a> <a href="https://t.co/jPXMnfDUSd">pic.twitter.com/jPXMnfDUSd</a>
&mdash; Formula 1 (@F1) <a href="https://twitter.com/F1/status/948512319121821701?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

The seven-time F1 champion has been battling for his life ever since he suffered catastrophic brain injuries

Italian Formula One team Ferrari paid tribute to Michael Schumacher on Wednesday as the former seven-time world champion turned 49. Seven-time champion Michael Schumacher turns 49 today#KeepFightingMichael pic.twitter.com/vwqVeOil8J — Formula 1 (@F1) January 3, 2018 × "Today Michael turns 49, our thoughts are always with him. #Keepfighting #ForzaMichael," the Italian stable wrote on their Twitter account. Today Michael turns 49, our thoughts are always with him. #Keepfighting #ForzaMichael pic.twitter.com/vkRLtDPqOD — Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) January 3, 2018 × The retired seven-time F1 champion German racing ace, widely regarded as one of the greatest Formula One drivers ever, has been battling for his life ever since he suffered catastrophic brain injuries four years ago after he hit his head on a rock during a skiing holiday in the French resort of Meribel in December 2013. Hey @schumacher you are still and will always be the very best to me! A very happy birthday Michael! All the best to you always! #ForzaMichael pic.twitter.com/Y44r3AHy6p — Mechthild Böttger (@MechiBoettger) January 3, 2018 × Schumacher won two titles with Benetton in 1994 and 1995 before five consecutive world drivers' titles with Ferrari between 2000 and 2004. His records of seven titles, 91 career victories, fastest laps (77) and most races won in a single season (13), remain unchallenged. Seven-time World Champion Michael Schumacher is 49 today.#KeepFightingMichael #ForzaMichael pic.twitter.com/c0Xq8JUy69 — Planet F1 (@Planet_F1) January 3, 2018 × SCHUMACHER #F1 STATS 306 - Starts 91 - Wins 68 - Pole positions 155 - Podiums 77 - Fastest laps 7 - World titles#F1FastFact pic.twitter.com/jPXMnfDUSd — Formula 1 (@F1) January 3, 2018 ×

Formula-1 legend Michael Schumacher turns 49, fans send wishes

Federation Internationale de l&#39;Automobile (FIA) president Jean Todt has said that Ferrari would suffer if it followed through on its threat of quitting Formula One.

Earlier, Ferrari chairman Sergio Marchionne had threatened to quit F1 racing if its new owner Liberty Media continued to press on over new engine rules.

It should be noted that Liberty Media had announced several changes to the engine regulations aimed at cost reduction.

Though Marchionne agreed with the cost-cutting reasons, he stated that there were other strategic issues that could force Ferrari to think over racing elsewhere.

However, Todt, who led Ferrari through the ultra-successful Michael Schumacher era, insisted that the FIA would not be swayed by the Italian team&#39;s threats to quit F1.

&quot;That&#39;s their choice. We do not want any manufacturers to leave the sport. Ferrari is an icon and it is unique, and it would be very painful if they were not in Formula One anymore. But that&#39;s not my responsibility,&quot; Sport24 quoted Todt, as saying.

The FIA president further believes the decision to sell F1&#39;s commercial rights to Liberty Media a year ago was &quot;right&quot; and that the sport is in good hands now.&quot; Chase Carey is a great CEO and I recognise a structured organisation with real professionals like Ross Brawn and Sean Bratches. The sport is in good hands,&quot; Todt said.

Ferrari is the only team to have competed in the Formula One World Championship continuously since its inception in 1950.

Jose Froilan Gonzalez gave the team its first F1 victory at the 1951 British Grand Prix. Also, it has been established that Monaco Grand Prix and Ferrari are the two central pillars of Formula One racing and that their current share of the revenues reflects that special status.&nbsp;

Earlier, Ferrari chairman Sergio Marchionne had threatened to quit F1 racing if its new owner Liberty Media continued to press on over new engine rules

Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) president Jean Todt has said that Ferrari would suffer if it followed through on its threat of quitting Formula One. Earlier, Ferrari chairman Sergio Marchionne had threatened to quit F1 racing if its new owner Liberty Media continued to press on over new engine rules. It should be noted that Liberty Media had announced several changes to the engine regulations aimed at cost reduction. Though Marchionne agreed with the cost-cutting reasons, he stated that there were other strategic issues that could force Ferrari to think over racing elsewhere. However, Todt, who led Ferrari through the ultra-successful Michael Schumacher era, insisted that the FIA would not be swayed by the Italian team's threats to quit F1. "That's their choice. We do not want any manufacturers to leave the sport. Ferrari is an icon and it is unique, and it would be very painful if they were not in Formula One anymore. But that's not my responsibility," Sport24 quoted Todt, as saying. The FIA president further believes the decision to sell F1's commercial rights to Liberty Media a year ago was "right" and that the sport is in good hands now." Chase Carey is a great CEO and I recognise a structured organisation with real professionals like Ross Brawn and Sean Bratches. The sport is in good hands," Todt said. Ferrari is the only team to have competed in the Formula One World Championship continuously since its inception in 1950. Jose Froilan Gonzalez gave the team its first F1 victory at the 1951 British Grand Prix. Also, it has been established that Monaco Grand Prix and Ferrari are the two central pillars of Formula One racing and that their current share of the revenues reflects that special status.

Ferrari can choose to quit F1: FIA president

Valtteri Bottas allowed himself a roar of delight on Saturday when he claimed pole position for the Brazilian Grand Prix after Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton had crashed out of contention.

The 28-year-old Finn said he was delighted to succeed because he had promised to take pole to boost spirits in the team after some members had been robbed at gunpoint on Friday when they left the track in a mini-bus.

&ldquo;I spoke with them this morning and I said we were going to put it on pole position and cheer everyone up, so I&rsquo;m glad we did that,&quot; said Bottas.

&ldquo;First of all, I&rsquo;m happy everyone is in one piece and nothing physical happened to anyone, but it was a pretty bad situation to be in and I&rsquo;m happy everybody is still here.&quot;

Bottas&rsquo;s pole brought to an end a difficult period during which he had slid out of contention for the drivers&rsquo; championship and been out-qualified by Hamilton at every race since the mid-season break in August.

&ldquo;For sure, it has been more difficult, sometimes better, but that&rsquo;s how it goes in racing,&quot; added Bottas, who said he felt a duty to perform for the team especially after Hamilton, who clinched his fourth drivers world title in Mexico two weeks ago, spun off into the barriers on his first flying lap in Q1.

Hamilton was relegated to the back of the grid and then discovered he will start Sunday&#39;s race from the pit lane after Mercedes decided that they would have to take his car out parc ferme to carry out repairs.

&ldquo;I think the performance line, for me, in the last few races has been all the way going up,&quot; added Bottas.

&ldquo;I&rsquo;m just feeling better and better with the car, we&rsquo;ve just been working hard on the issues we&rsquo;ve been having.

&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been learning a lot, getting better, learning from the mistakes and the tricky sessions. The last few weekends have been a lot better in qualifying -- there were just a couple of hundredths of a second between Lewis and me.

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s also been the case all weekend here so it was a shame he wasn&#39;t in Q3, but I&rsquo;m still very pleased with my performance.&quot;

With Hamilton eliminated, Bottas rose to the challenge and outpaced the Ferrari of Sebastian Vettel to grab his third pole position.&nbsp;

Bottas trails second placed Vettel by 15 points in the championship and hopes to overhaul him for runners-up spot with two races left. &nbsp;

It brought him a well-deserved moment of pleasure on a challenging day for champions Mercedes. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Hamilton, struggling with a cold, tweeted about the violent incident before his team made an official statement confirming it had taken place.&nbsp;

No-one was hurt, but shots were fired and valuables were stolen. &nbsp;

He urged teams and organisers to intensify security arrangements.

Then, on his first flying lap, he lost control of his car and spun into the barriers.

&ldquo;It happened really quick,&quot; said Hamilton. &quot;It is what it is. Of course, it&rsquo;s unfortunate&hellip;

&ldquo;I tend to just look at it as -- challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them makes life meaningful. I just need to take whatever bubble of negativity comes from that experience and move forwards and try and grow from it.

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s very unusual from me, but it shows we are all human and things happen. I will try to have as much fun as possible tomorrow (in the race). Years ago, I came from quite far behind and had a great race here.&rdquo;

Hamilton may also have remembered that he battled to finish fifth with a passing move on the final corner of the final lap that brought him his first championship in 2008.

Valtteri Bottas allowed himself a roar of delight on Saturday when he claimed pole position for the Brazilian Grand Prix after Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton had crashed out of contention

Valtteri Bottas allowed himself a roar of delight on Saturday when he claimed pole position for the Brazilian Grand Prix after Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton had crashed out of contention. The 28-year-old Finn said he was delighted to succeed because he had promised to take pole to boost spirits in the team after some members had been robbed at gunpoint on Friday when they left the track in a mini-bus. “I spoke with them this morning and I said we were going to put it on pole position and cheer everyone up, so I’m glad we did that," said Bottas. “First of all, I’m happy everyone is in one piece and nothing physical happened to anyone, but it was a pretty bad situation to be in and I’m happy everybody is still here." Bottas’s pole brought to an end a difficult period during which he had slid out of contention for the drivers’ championship and been out-qualified by Hamilton at every race since the mid-season break in August. “For sure, it has been more difficult, sometimes better, but that’s how it goes in racing," added Bottas, who said he felt a duty to perform for the team especially after Hamilton, who clinched his fourth drivers world title in Mexico two weeks ago, spun off into the barriers on his first flying lap in Q1. Hamilton was relegated to the back of the grid and then discovered he will start Sunday's race from the pit lane after Mercedes decided that they would have to take his car out parc ferme to carry out repairs. “I think the performance line, for me, in the last few races has been all the way going up," added Bottas. “I’m just feeling better and better with the car, we’ve just been working hard on the issues we’ve been having. “We’ve been learning a lot, getting better, learning from the mistakes and the tricky sessions. The last few weekends have been a lot better in qualifying -- there were just a couple of hundredths of a second between Lewis and me. “It’s also been the case all weekend here so it was a shame he wasn't in Q3, but I’m still very pleased with my performance." With Hamilton eliminated, Bottas rose to the challenge and outpaced the Ferrari of Sebastian Vettel to grab his third pole position. Bottas trails second placed Vettel by 15 points in the championship and hopes to overhaul him for runners-up spot with two races left. It brought him a well-deserved moment of pleasure on a challenging day for champions Mercedes. Hamilton, struggling with a cold, tweeted about the violent incident before his team made an official statement confirming it had taken place. No-one was hurt, but shots were fired and valuables were stolen. He urged teams and organisers to intensify security arrangements. Then, on his first flying lap, he lost control of his car and spun into the barriers. “It happened really quick," said Hamilton. "It is what it is. Of course, it’s unfortunate… “I tend to just look at it as -- challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them makes life meaningful. I just need to take whatever bubble of negativity comes from that experience and move forwards and try and grow from it. “It’s very unusual from me, but it shows we are all human and things happen. I will try to have as much fun as possible tomorrow (in the race). Years ago, I came from quite far behind and had a great race here.” Hamilton may also have remembered that he battled to finish fifth with a passing move on the final corner of the final lap that brought him his first championship in 2008.

Formula One: Bottas shines on a troubled day for Mercedes and Hamilton

Kimi Raikkonen secured his first pole for nine years and Ferrari a first front row lockout at the Monaco Grand Prix since 2008 after qualifying for Formula One&#39;s glamour race on Saturday.&nbsp;

The Italian team&#39;s domination that left Lewis Hamilton struggling to take 14th for Mercedes sparked celebration from the tifosi perched on terraces below the Monegasque palace.

As softly-spoken Raikkonen savoured his first pole since the 2008 French Grand Prix, just weeks after he had been second behind Felipe Massa on the Monte Carlo grid, Hamilton knew he faced a daunting challenge in Sunday&rsquo;s classic 78-laps race around the Mediterranean street circuit.

The 37-year-old Finn had not taken pole for 128 races, but dominated the afternoon&rsquo;s action to clock a fastest lap of one minute and 12.178 seconds, a new record for the circuit and an endorsement of the speed of this season&rsquo;s new era machines.&nbsp; &nbsp;

That left him 0.043 seconds ahead of the world championship leader and three-time champion Vettel who in turn was just two-thousandths of a second faster than third-placed Valtteri Bottas of Mercedes.

The Finn&rsquo;s Mercedes team-mate, three-time champion Hamilton, who is six points behind Vettel in the title race, failed to make the cut for the top ten shootout, qualifying 14th after a miserable afternoon.

&quot;Obviously, it&rsquo;s great,&quot; said a mumbling and taciturn Raikkonen afterwards, showing little emotion.&nbsp;

&quot;We&rsquo;ll try to make the best of it tomorrow&hellip; Yes, of course it is good, but here it is all about the fine details.&rdquo;

&quot;I don&rsquo;t know what was wrong there,&quot; said Vettel of Mercedes&rsquo; problems. &ldquo;But this is one of my highlights of the season &ndash; to race at Monaco. It is a difficult one to get right, but if you do, it is great&hellip;&rdquo;

&#39;Yes, toasted&#39;&nbsp;

Like Raikkonen, Vettel stressed that he and the &lsquo;iceman&rsquo; would be free to race and not constrained by team orders, in advance, at the first corner. &ldquo;We are here to race,&rdquo; said the German. Raikkonen, obediently, reminded reporters that both men raced for the same team &ndash; Ferrari.

Hamilton was crestfallen. &ldquo;The opportunity was not there for me today,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I just struggled with the car.&nbsp;

&quot;I don&#39;t really know what to say at the moment. I&#39;m deflated, but will keep pushing tomorrow.

&ldquo;That&#39;s pretty much the weekend done. Tomorrow I will just be driving around in whatever position. I will try to get into the top 10, but it will be a nice Sunday drive I imagine.&rdquo;

History may encourage Hamilton, but it is unlikely.

Frenchman Olivier Panis&rsquo;s 1996 victory from 14th on the grid for Ligier came in a madcap race run in a deluge and not under the blue skies forecast here for Sunday.

Bottas, who will carry Mercedes hopes of preventing a Ferrari triumph, added: &ldquo;It was a really good lap for me. This is one of the most mentally-demanding circuits and am glad I felt support from the fans and appreciated it.

&ldquo;It has been a tricky weekend for us. We lost some valuable practice on Thursday, in FP2, and it was difficult to get a lap time -- and Lewis had problems with traffic.&rdquo;

Dutch teenager Max Verstappen took fourth place ahead of his Red Bull team-mate Daniel Ricciardo, Carlos Sainz of Toro Rosso, Sergio Perez of Force India and Romain Grosjean of Haas.

Briton Jenson Button, back from retirement to replace Fernando Alonso who is racing in the Indianapolis 500, was ninth for McLaren ahead of his team-mate Stoffel Vandoorne.

Button has a 15-place grid penalty for engine replacements and that is expected to lift Hamilton up to 13th.

&quot;I&rsquo;m happy enough with that,&quot; said Button.&nbsp;

&quot;My one and only qualifying session this year and I&rsquo;m ninth &ndash; but I start 20th!&rdquo;

Hamilton failed to make it out of Q2 when he was deprived of a late clean lap in the dying seconds.

Hamilton&rsquo;s hopes were ruined when Belgian Stoffel Vandoorne went into the barriers at the Swimming Pool exit, yellow flags flying.

&ldquo;That&rsquo;s me out, right?&rdquo; said Hamilton, deprived of a clean lap and condemned to qualify 14th, one of five men eliminated.

&quot;Yes, toasted,&quot; came the reply as he pulled in to the pits, his chest heaving and hands waving with frustration.

(AFP)

Kimi Raikkonen bagged his first pole position since 2009

Kimi Raikkonen secured his first pole for nine years and Ferrari a first front row lockout at the Monaco Grand Prix since 2008 after qualifying for Formula One's glamour race on Saturday. The Italian team's domination that left Lewis Hamilton struggling to take 14th for Mercedes sparked celebration from the tifosi perched on terraces below the Monegasque palace. As softly-spoken Raikkonen savoured his first pole since the 2008 French Grand Prix, just weeks after he had been second behind Felipe Massa on the Monte Carlo grid, Hamilton knew he faced a daunting challenge in Sunday’s classic 78-laps race around the Mediterranean street circuit. The 37-year-old Finn had not taken pole for 128 races, but dominated the afternoon’s action to clock a fastest lap of one minute and 12.178 seconds, a new record for the circuit and an endorsement of the speed of this season’s new era machines. That left him 0.043 seconds ahead of the world championship leader and three-time champion Vettel who in turn was just two-thousandths of a second faster than third-placed Valtteri Bottas of Mercedes. The Finn’s Mercedes team-mate, three-time champion Hamilton, who is six points behind Vettel in the title race, failed to make the cut for the top ten shootout, qualifying 14th after a miserable afternoon. "Obviously, it’s great," said a mumbling and taciturn Raikkonen afterwards, showing little emotion. "We’ll try to make the best of it tomorrow… Yes, of course it is good, but here it is all about the fine details.” "I don’t know what was wrong there," said Vettel of Mercedes’ problems. “But this is one of my highlights of the season – to race at Monaco. It is a difficult one to get right, but if you do, it is great…” 'Yes, toasted' Like Raikkonen, Vettel stressed that he and the ‘iceman’ would be free to race and not constrained by team orders, in advance, at the first corner. “We are here to race,” said the German. Raikkonen, obediently, reminded reporters that both men raced for the same team – Ferrari. Hamilton was crestfallen. “The opportunity was not there for me today,” he said. “I just struggled with the car. "I don't really know what to say at the moment. I'm deflated, but will keep pushing tomorrow. “That's pretty much the weekend done. Tomorrow I will just be driving around in whatever position. I will try to get into the top 10, but it will be a nice Sunday drive I imagine.” History may encourage Hamilton, but it is unlikely. Frenchman Olivier Panis’s 1996 victory from 14th on the grid for Ligier came in a madcap race run in a deluge and not under the blue skies forecast here for Sunday. Bottas, who will carry Mercedes hopes of preventing a Ferrari triumph, added: “It was a really good lap for me. This is one of the most mentally-demanding circuits and am glad I felt support from the fans and appreciated it. “It has been a tricky weekend for us. We lost some valuable practice on Thursday, in FP2, and it was difficult to get a lap time -- and Lewis had problems with traffic.” Dutch teenager Max Verstappen took fourth place ahead of his Red Bull team-mate Daniel Ricciardo, Carlos Sainz of Toro Rosso, Sergio Perez of Force India and Romain Grosjean of Haas. Briton Jenson Button, back from retirement to replace Fernando Alonso who is racing in the Indianapolis 500, was ninth for McLaren ahead of his team-mate Stoffel Vandoorne. Button has a 15-place grid penalty for engine replacements and that is expected to lift Hamilton up to 13th. "I’m happy enough with that," said Button. "My one and only qualifying session this year and I’m ninth – but I start 20th!” Hamilton failed to make it out of Q2 when he was deprived of a late clean lap in the dying seconds. Hamilton’s hopes were ruined when Belgian Stoffel Vandoorne went into the barriers at the Swimming Pool exit, yellow flags flying. “That’s me out, right?” said Hamilton, deprived of a clean lap and condemned to qualify 14th, one of five men eliminated. "Yes, toasted," came the reply as he pulled in to the pits, his chest heaving and hands waving with frustration. (AFP)

Monaco GP qualifying: Raikkonen heads Ferrari's front-row lockout, Hamilton 14th

Thailand&#39;s prosecutor&#39;s office on Thursday again postponed a hit-and-run indictment against an heir to a founder of the Red Bull energy drink over a 2012 incident in which a policeman died.

For the eighth time in the past year, Vorayuth Yoovidhya missed a scheduled appointment to be formally charged and taken to court by Thai prosecutors. This time because he was &quot;away for business in England,&quot; a spokesman for the office told a news conference.

Vorayuth&#39;s lawyer declined to comment.

The case is being closely followed in Thailand, where there is a widespread belief that the rich and famous are treated more leniently by the legal system.

Prayut Bejraguna, deputy spokesman of the Office of the Attorney-General, said Vorayuth&#39;s appointment had been postponed to April 27.

&quot;We are aware of the urgency to deliver justice,&quot; Prayut said. &quot;In principle, we will certainly carry the case through before charges expire.&quot;

Police accuse Vorayuth of running his Ferrari over a motorcycle policeman and leaving him in the road. Vorayuth initially faced four charges for the incident, but two have been dropped.

Vorayuth faces possible indictments for hit-and-run and for reckless driving causing death. He could be jailed for more than 10 years if found guilty of both.

No arrest warrant has been issued.

The hit-and-run charge would expire in September if there is no prosecution by then. The reckless driving charge will not expire until 2027.

(Reuters)

In 2012, Vorayuth Yoovidhya was accused of running his Ferrari over a motorcycle cop and fleeing the body. He has missed trial 8 times

Thailand's prosecutor's office on Thursday again postponed a hit-and-run indictment against an heir to a founder of the Red Bull energy drink over a 2012 incident in which a policeman died. For the eighth time in the past year, Vorayuth Yoovidhya missed a scheduled appointment to be formally charged and taken to court by Thai prosecutors. This time because he was "away for business in England," a spokesman for the office told a news conference. Vorayuth's lawyer declined to comment. The case is being closely followed in Thailand, where there is a widespread belief that the rich and famous are treated more leniently by the legal system. Prayut Bejraguna, deputy spokesman of the Office of the Attorney-General, said Vorayuth's appointment had been postponed to April 27. "We are aware of the urgency to deliver justice," Prayut said. "In principle, we will certainly carry the case through before charges expire." Police accuse Vorayuth of running his Ferrari over a motorcycle policeman and leaving him in the road. Vorayuth initially faced four charges for the incident, but two have been dropped. Vorayuth faces possible indictments for hit-and-run and for reckless driving causing death. He could be jailed for more than 10 years if found guilty of both. No arrest warrant has been issued. The hit-and-run charge would expire in September if there is no prosecution by then. The reckless driving charge will not expire until 2027. (Reuters)

Thai prosecutor postpones indictment of Red Bull heir, again

Triple world champion Lewis Hamilton will start off the pole in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix after winning qualifying on Saturday.

Hamilton in a Mercedes clocked a record lap of one minute 22.188 seconds to take his 62nd career pole and sixth in Australia into Sunday&#39;s race in Melbourne.

Ferrari&#39;s Sebastian Vettel was second with Hamilton&#39;s Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas third.

Hamilton has been on pole in Melbourne in each of the last four seasons, and in five out the last six Australian GPs.

&quot;It&#39;s been a fantastic weekend so far. I&#39;m incredibly proud of my team,&quot; Hamilton said.

&quot;Valtteri did a great job and it&#39;s great for us as Mercedes. It&#39;s going to be a tight race.

&quot;Tomorrow is about putting all the work together and making sure I come back stronger than ever.&quot;

He was pushed in the final Q3 stage first by Bottas and then by Vettel before clinching the fastest lap.

&quot;I lost a bit in turn one and in turn nine I tried a bit too much, but I don&#39;t think it would have been enough,&quot; said Vettel, who&nbsp;claimed Ferrari&#39;s first front row since 2015 in knocking Bottas&nbsp;out of second place.

Hamilton&#39;s pole time was 1.7 seconds quicker than his qualifying time last year.

&quot;Third position is not ideal,&quot; Bottas said.

&quot;In general I&#39;m not happy for the result. But I&#39;m proud of what the team has done.

&quot;I only saw a very small part of the preparation and it&#39;s nice to see the work has pulled off and we&#39;re fighting at the front.&quot;

Australia&#39;s big hope Daniel Ricciardo crashed his Red Bull at turn 14 looking to post a good time in Q3 and will start 10th off the grid.

Ricciardo damaged the rear of his RB13 car and was heard over the team radio as saying: &quot;I&#39;m alright... sorry guys.&quot;

The final session of qualifying was suspended while Ricciardo&#39;s car was removed from the gravel alongside the track.

&quot;He&#39;s absolutely fine. It&#39;s a shame. He&#39;s lost the rear of the car at turn 14. He&#39;s come on the radio and apologised. Just pushing a bit too hard in that corner,&quot; team principal Christian Horner said.

Sergio Perez, Nico Hulkenberg, Fernando Alonso, Esteban Ocon and Marcus Ericsson all failed to make it through the top ten shootout.

Red Bull&#39;s Max Verstappen had a lock-up into turn six on ultrasoft tyres before he posted a time to stay alive into Q2.

McLaren&#39;s Stoffel Vandoorne had a fuel-flow issue which sent the Belgian to the pits and knocked out in Q1.

Vandoorne was joined by Antonio Giovinazzi, Kevin Magnussen, Lance Stroll and Jolyon Palmer to be eliminated in the first session of qualifying.

Giovinazzi is making his F1 debut after replacing Williams team-mate Pascal Wehrlein, who has not sufficiently recovered from a back injury sustained in a pre-season crash.

(AFP)

Hamilton's Mercedes teammate Bottas came third followed by Raikkonen

Triple world champion Lewis Hamilton will start off the pole in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix after winning qualifying on Saturday. Hamilton in a Mercedes clocked a record lap of one minute 22.188 seconds to take his 62nd career pole and sixth in Australia into Sunday's race in Melbourne. Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel was second with Hamilton's Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas third. Hamilton has been on pole in Melbourne in each of the last four seasons, and in five out the last six Australian GPs. "It's been a fantastic weekend so far. I'm incredibly proud of my team," Hamilton said. "Valtteri did a great job and it's great for us as Mercedes. It's going to be a tight race. "Tomorrow is about putting all the work together and making sure I come back stronger than ever." He was pushed in the final Q3 stage first by Bottas and then by Vettel before clinching the fastest lap. "I lost a bit in turn one and in turn nine I tried a bit too much, but I don't think it would have been enough," said Vettel, who claimed Ferrari's first front row since 2015 in knocking Bottas out of second place. Hamilton's pole time was 1.7 seconds quicker than his qualifying time last year. "Third position is not ideal," Bottas said. "In general I'm not happy for the result. But I'm proud of what the team has done. "I only saw a very small part of the preparation and it's nice to see the work has pulled off and we're fighting at the front." Australia's big hope Daniel Ricciardo crashed his Red Bull at turn 14 looking to post a good time in Q3 and will start 10th off the grid. Ricciardo damaged the rear of his RB13 car and was heard over the team radio as saying: "I'm alright... sorry guys." The final session of qualifying was suspended while Ricciardo's car was removed from the gravel alongside the track. "He's absolutely fine. It's a shame. He's lost the rear of the car at turn 14. He's come on the radio and apologised. Just pushing a bit too hard in that corner," team principal Christian Horner said. Sergio Perez, Nico Hulkenberg, Fernando Alonso, Esteban Ocon and Marcus Ericsson all failed to make it through the top ten shootout. Red Bull's Max Verstappen had a lock-up into turn six on ultrasoft tyres before he posted a time to stay alive into Q2. McLaren's Stoffel Vandoorne had a fuel-flow issue which sent the Belgian to the pits and knocked out in Q1. Vandoorne was joined by Antonio Giovinazzi, Kevin Magnussen, Lance Stroll and Jolyon Palmer to be eliminated in the first session of qualifying. Giovinazzi is making his F1 debut after replacing Williams team-mate Pascal Wehrlein, who has not sufficiently recovered from a back injury sustained in a pre-season crash. (AFP)

Australian GP: Hamilton secures pole, Vettel second

Lewis Hamilton sizzled in the opening practice sessions at the Australian Grand Prix as he sent an ominous message to his rivals for the new Formula One season on Friday.

The triple world champion&nbsp;bossed the field in the afternoon run to hold a half-second gap over Ferrari title rival Sebastian Vettel and his new Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas.

Hamilton followed up his field-leading fastest lap of 1:24.220 in the first session with a blistering 1:23.620 around Albert Park in the late afternoon.

It was around one-tenth of a second off Vettel&#39;s record lap in Melbourne of 1:23.529, posted for Red Bull in qualifying ahead of his 2011 race victory.

Ferrari were expected to press Hamilton and the Mercedes team after superior times in pre-season testing, but on the evidence of the opening two sessions Hamilton again looked the driver to beat in Sunday&#39;s race.

Hamilton&#39;s time was more than three seconds faster than his best lap in last year&#39;s corresponding free practice in Melbourne.

Finland&#39;s Bottas slotted smoothly into the Mercedes team environment with a best lap of&nbsp;1:24.176.

Ferrari improved on their opening practice with Vettel unleashing the second best lap time in FP2 with 1:24.167 while team-mate Kimi Raikkonen was fourth with 1:24.525.

The Red Bulls of Daniel Ricciardo&nbsp;and&nbsp;Max Verstappen&nbsp;were over a second behind Hamilton and half-a-second off Vettel&#39;s Ferrari.

&quot;Daniel&#39;s not quite got the balance that he wants. I think a couple of changes we&#39;ve made on the car over lunch he&#39;s not liked so we&#39;re going back on them now,&quot; team boss Christian Horner said.

&quot;Hopefully we can get a sensible long run-in.&nbsp;You can see Lewis has probably got four or five-tenths on the field but after that it could be pretty tight.

&quot;We know Ferrari have had a good winter but we&#39;re hopeful we can close that overnight. We&#39;ll get a better indication tomorrow but we&#39;ve got some work to do tonight.&quot;

The second session was stopped after a big crash for Renault&#39;s Jolyon Palmer, who lost the rear of his car on the last corner and spun into the barriers.

&quot;I&#39;m fine,&quot; Palmer told his team over the radio. The shunt damaged the car&#39;s rear suspension, while the rear wing was detached.

Palmer missed the remainder of the session, in a blow to his preparations for the weekend race.

Brazilian Felipe Massa&nbsp;stopped his&nbsp;Williams&nbsp;car at Turn 11 after reporting he could not engage gears, and walked back to the team garage.

The troubled McLaren team had no on-track breakdowns on the opening day with Fernando Alonso finishing in a respectable 12th place.

(AFP)

The triple world champion?bossed the field in the afternoon run to hold a half-second gap over Ferrari title rival Sebastian Vettel

Lewis Hamilton sizzled in the opening practice sessions at the Australian Grand Prix as he sent an ominous message to his rivals for the new Formula One season on Friday. The triple world champion bossed the field in the afternoon run to hold a half-second gap over Ferrari title rival Sebastian Vettel and his new Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas. Hamilton followed up his field-leading fastest lap of 1:24.220 in the first session with a blistering 1:23.620 around Albert Park in the late afternoon. It was around one-tenth of a second off Vettel's record lap in Melbourne of 1:23.529, posted for Red Bull in qualifying ahead of his 2011 race victory. Ferrari were expected to press Hamilton and the Mercedes team after superior times in pre-season testing, but on the evidence of the opening two sessions Hamilton again looked the driver to beat in Sunday's race. Hamilton's time was more than three seconds faster than his best lap in last year's corresponding free practice in Melbourne. Finland's Bottas slotted smoothly into the Mercedes team environment with a best lap of 1:24.176. Ferrari improved on their opening practice with Vettel unleashing the second best lap time in FP2 with 1:24.167 while team-mate Kimi Raikkonen was fourth with 1:24.525. The Red Bulls of Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen were over a second behind Hamilton and half-a-second off Vettel's Ferrari. "Daniel's not quite got the balance that he wants. I think a couple of changes we've made on the car over lunch he's not liked so we're going back on them now," team boss Christian Horner said. "Hopefully we can get a sensible long run-in. You can see Lewis has probably got four or five-tenths on the field but after that it could be pretty tight. "We know Ferrari have had a good winter but we're hopeful we can close that overnight. We'll get a better indication tomorrow but we've got some work to do tonight." The second session was stopped after a big crash for Renault's Jolyon Palmer, who lost the rear of his car on the last corner and spun into the barriers. "I'm fine," Palmer told his team over the radio. The shunt damaged the car's rear suspension, while the rear wing was detached. Palmer missed the remainder of the session, in a blow to his preparations for the weekend race. Brazilian Felipe Massa stopped his Williams car at Turn 11 after reporting he could not engage gears, and walked back to the team garage. The troubled McLaren team had no on-track breakdowns on the opening day with Fernando Alonso finishing in a respectable 12th place. (AFP)

Australian GP: Hamilton sizzles in practice sessions

Former Ferrari driver Chris Amon, often described as one of the best in Formula One never to have won a race, has died at the age of 73 after a battle with cancer, family of the New Zealand motorsport great said today. 
 
Amon was part of a well-known trio of New Zealand drivers competing in Formula One in the 1960s and early 70s alongside Bruce McLaren and Denny Hulme, who both enjoyed more successful careers in the sport&#39;s premier series. 
 
Bad luck was often cited as the key reason for his lack of Formula One victories, with former world champion Mario Andretti once famously saying: &quot;If he became an undertaker, people would stop dying.&quot; 
 
Like McLaren, with whom he won the Le Mans 24-hour endurance race in a Ford GT40 50 years ago, he founded his own team but Chris Amon Racing failed to achieve much success. 
 
&quot;Chris battled cancer in recent years but retained not only a close interest in Formula One and his very wide range of favourite topics, but also his wonderful sense of humour complete with infectious chuckle,&quot; Amon&#39;s family said in a statement. 
 
McLaren chairman Ron Dennis praised Amon as he paid tribute to the driver. 
 
&quot;It was with profound sadness that I heard the news this morning that Chris Amon had passed away,&quot; Dennis said in a statement. 
&nbsp; 
&quot;He nearly won a fair few, but always it seemed that his luck would run out before he saw the chequered flag,&quot; Dennis recalled, terming Amon as &quot;one of the fastest racing drivers&quot;. 
 
Williams also paid tribute to Amon who finished on the podium 11 times, also driving for March and Matra among 13 teams in a career that spanned 14 seasons. 
&nbsp;
<div class="twitter-block">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Chris Amon has died aged 73 
 
Read about the life of &#39;the finest driver never to win a GP&#39; &gt;&gt; <a href="https://t.co/Ykm0pFizo3">https://t.co/Ykm0pFizo3</a> <a href="https://t.co/jOSLuewKLu">pic.twitter.com/jOSLuewKLu</a>
&mdash; Formula 1 (@F1) <a href="https://twitter.com/F1/status/760762482881331204">August 3, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="~/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div>
 
 
(Reuters)

Amon was part of a well-known trio of New Zealand drivers competing in Formula One in the 1960s and early 70s

Former Ferrari driver Chris Amon, often described as one of the best in Formula One never to have won a race, has died at the age of 73 after a battle with cancer, family of the New Zealand motorsport great said today. Amon was part of a well-known trio of New Zealand drivers competing in Formula One in the 1960s and early 70s alongside Bruce McLaren and Denny Hulme, who both enjoyed more successful careers in the sport's premier series. Bad luck was often cited as the key reason for his lack of Formula One victories, with former world champion Mario Andretti once famously saying: "If he became an undertaker, people would stop dying." Like McLaren, with whom he won the Le Mans 24-hour endurance race in a Ford GT40 50 years ago, he founded his own team but Chris Amon Racing failed to achieve much success. "Chris battled cancer in recent years but retained not only a close interest in Formula One and his very wide range of favourite topics, but also his wonderful sense of humour complete with infectious chuckle," Amon's family said in a statement. McLaren chairman Ron Dennis praised Amon as he paid tribute to the driver. "It was with profound sadness that I heard the news this morning that Chris Amon had passed away," Dennis said in a statement. "He nearly won a fair few, but always it seemed that his luck would run out before he saw the chequered flag," Dennis recalled, terming Amon as "one of the fastest racing drivers". Williams also paid tribute to Amon who finished on the podium 11 times, also driving for March and Matra among 13 teams in a career that spanned 14 seasons. Chris Amon has died aged 73 Read about the life of 'the finest driver never to win a GP' >> https://t.co/Ykm0pFizo3 pic.twitter.com/jOSLuewKLu — Formula 1 (@F1) August 3, 2016 (Reuters)

New Zealand motor racing great Chris Amon dies at 73

Nico Rosberg set a scorching pace under pressure today to seize pole position, ahead of Mercedes team mate Lewis Hamilton, in qualifying for his home German Formula One Grand Prix. 
 
Rosberg, determined to take back the championship lead from Hamilton on Sunday after losing it in last weekend&#39;s race in Hungary, lapped the 4.5-km Hockenheim track in one minute 14.363 seconds. 
 
The German had only one flying lap to set his time, however, after being forced to abandon his first attempt in the final pole-position phase of qualifying due to an electronics problem. 
 
&quot;It was a great feeling and just a great lap,&quot; Rosberg said. &quot;I also had extra fuel to make sure that I do have another shot if a mistake or something happens... so I was really satisfied with that one, that was cool.&quot; 
 
Today&#39;s pole was the 27th of Rosberg&#39;s career and fifth of the season. It was also Mercedes&#39;s 47th in the last 50 races. The German team have started all but one race this year from the front. 
 
Hamilton, who escaped a penalty for an unsafe release in the final practice session, was 0.107 seconds slower than Rosberg. 
 
The Briton had trailed the German in each of the three practice sessions in the build-up to qualifying but was quickest in Sunday&#39;s opening two phases before locking up on his final lap. 
 
&quot;I had the pace today, I just didn&#39;t finish it off in the last lap,&quot; said Hamilton, who leads Rosberg by six points heading into Sunday&#39;s race. 
 
Daniel Ricciardo will head an all-Red Bull second row after going third-fastest ahead of 18-year-old Dutch team mate Max Verstappen. 
 
The Australian, who finished third in Hungary, was 0.363 seconds behind Rosberg&#39;s benchmark but was optimistic that a different tyre strategy to the Mercedes pair could put him in the mix. 
 
Kimi Raikkonen was fifth for Ferrari, beating team mate Sebastian Vettel who was a disappointing sixth on his first appearance on home soil in the Italian team&#39;s scarlet colours. 
 
Nico Hulkenberg was seventh ahead of Williams driver Valtteri Bottas and Force India team mate Sergio Perez. Felipe Massa, in the second Williams, was 10th. 
 
Rosberg won at Hockenheim in 2014 and a repeat would allow him to put the brakes on Hamilton, who has won five of the last six races. 
 
(Reuters)

Saturday's pole was the 27th of Nico Rosberg's career and fifth of the season

Nico Rosberg set a scorching pace under pressure today to seize pole position, ahead of Mercedes team mate Lewis Hamilton, in qualifying for his home German Formula One Grand Prix. Rosberg, determined to take back the championship lead from Hamilton on Sunday after losing it in last weekend's race in Hungary, lapped the 4.5-km Hockenheim track in one minute 14.363 seconds. The German had only one flying lap to set his time, however, after being forced to abandon his first attempt in the final pole-position phase of qualifying due to an electronics problem. "It was a great feeling and just a great lap," Rosberg said. "I also had extra fuel to make sure that I do have another shot if a mistake or something happens... so I was really satisfied with that one, that was cool." Today's pole was the 27th of Rosberg's career and fifth of the season. It was also Mercedes's 47th in the last 50 races. The German team have started all but one race this year from the front. Hamilton, who escaped a penalty for an unsafe release in the final practice session, was 0.107 seconds slower than Rosberg. The Briton had trailed the German in each of the three practice sessions in the build-up to qualifying but was quickest in Sunday's opening two phases before locking up on his final lap. "I had the pace today, I just didn't finish it off in the last lap," said Hamilton, who leads Rosberg by six points heading into Sunday's race. Daniel Ricciardo will head an all-Red Bull second row after going third-fastest ahead of 18-year-old Dutch team mate Max Verstappen. The Australian, who finished third in Hungary, was 0.363 seconds behind Rosberg's benchmark but was optimistic that a different tyre strategy to the Mercedes pair could put him in the mix. Kimi Raikkonen was fifth for Ferrari, beating team mate Sebastian Vettel who was a disappointing sixth on his first appearance on home soil in the Italian team's scarlet colours. Nico Hulkenberg was seventh ahead of Williams driver Valtteri Bottas and Force India team mate Sergio Perez. Felipe Massa, in the second Williams, was 10th. Rosberg won at Hockenheim in 2014 and a repeat would allow him to put the brakes on Hamilton, who has won five of the last six races. (Reuters)

Rosberg on pole for home German grand prix

Ferrari have split with technical director James Allison in a mutual decision, the Formula One team announced today, in a move which could deal a big blow to their title ambitions. 
 
&quot;Ferrari announces that after three years of working together, Scuderia Ferrari and James Allison jointly decided to part ways,&quot; the team said in a statement ahead of this weekend&rsquo;s German Grand Prix. 
 
Mattia Binotto will fill the role of Chief Technical Officer, the statement said. 
 
Allison spent three years with Ferrari&nbsp; 
 
Briton Allison joined the glamour team in September 2013 from the Enstone-based Lotus outfit, which is now Renault, and had worked at the Maranello-based squad under technical director Ross Brawn during the Michael Schumacher years. 
 
The highly-regarded 48-year-old was seen as the man to spearhead a turnaround in the fortune of the sport&rsquo;s most successful team who have endured a few difficult years. 
 
&quot;During the years, I spent at Ferrari, at two different stages and covering different roles, I could get to know and appreciate the value of the team and of the people, women and men, which are part of it,&quot; Allison said in the statement. 
 
&quot;I want to thank them all for the great professional and human experience we shared. I wish everybody a happy future with lots of success.&quot; 
 
Allison lost his wife to meningitis earlier this year and&nbsp;reports since have hinted he was keen to move back to the UK to spend more time with his three children. 
 
Ferrari&#39;s struggle to build image&nbsp; 
 
Ferrari, who have not won a driver&#39;s title since Kimi Raikkonen&#39;s 2007 triumph, bounced back from a winless 2014 campaign with three victories last year, becoming the only team other than dominant Mercedes to triumph. 
 
They struggled to build on that form and are currently second in the constructors&rsquo; championship -- without a win and in danger of slipping back to third with resurgent Red Bull just one point behind. 
 
&quot;The team would like to thank James for his commitment and sacrifice during the time spent together, and wishes him success and serenity for his future endeavors,&quot; team principal Maurizio Arrivabene said. 
 
Ferrari&#39;s current drivers are four-time champion Sebastian Vettel and Finn Raikkonen. 
 
(Reuters)

The highly-regarded 48-year-old was seen as the man to spearhead a turnaround in the fortune of the sport?s most successful team

Ferrari have split with technical director James Allison in a mutual decision, the Formula One team announced today, in a move which could deal a big blow to their title ambitions. "Ferrari announces that after three years of working together, Scuderia Ferrari and James Allison jointly decided to part ways," the team said in a statement ahead of this weekend’s German Grand Prix. Mattia Binotto will fill the role of Chief Technical Officer, the statement said. Allison spent three years with Ferrari Briton Allison joined the glamour team in September 2013 from the Enstone-based Lotus outfit, which is now Renault, and had worked at the Maranello-based squad under technical director Ross Brawn during the Michael Schumacher years. The highly-regarded 48-year-old was seen as the man to spearhead a turnaround in the fortune of the sport’s most successful team who have endured a few difficult years. "During the years, I spent at Ferrari, at two different stages and covering different roles, I could get to know and appreciate the value of the team and of the people, women and men, which are part of it," Allison said in the statement. "I want to thank them all for the great professional and human experience we shared. I wish everybody a happy future with lots of success." Allison lost his wife to meningitis earlier this year and reports since have hinted he was keen to move back to the UK to spend more time with his three children. Ferrari's struggle to build image Ferrari, who have not won a driver's title since Kimi Raikkonen's 2007 triumph, bounced back from a winless 2014 campaign with three victories last year, becoming the only team other than dominant Mercedes to triumph. They struggled to build on that form and are currently second in the constructors’ championship -- without a win and in danger of slipping back to third with resurgent Red Bull just one point behind. "The team would like to thank James for his commitment and sacrifice during the time spent together, and wishes him success and serenity for his future endeavors," team principal Maurizio Arrivabene said. Ferrari's current drivers are four-time champion Sebastian Vettel and Finn Raikkonen. (Reuters)

Ferrari technical director calls it splits

Ferrari&#39;s gearboxes have become a weakness that the Formula One team has to fix, Sebastian Vettel said on Saturday after two failures at the British Grand Prix brought him a second successive grid penalty. 
 
The four-time world champion had gearbox problems on Friday and again on Saturday at Silverstone. 
 
&quot;It happened yesterday and today. That&#39;s a weakness and we need to stop it,&quot; said the German as he contemplated a five-place drop that will leave him starting from 11th spot in Sunday&#39;s race. 
 
&quot;I think the other occasions it was more a consequence of things happening. The issue we had yesterday and today is something new and we need to fix it.&quot; 
&nbsp;
<div>Vettel has had a torrid time of late, retiring from the Austrian Grand Prix last weekend after a high-speed tyre blowout while leading.</div>
 
Tyre supplier Pirelli blamed that on debris on track. 
 
The German said the car was a little off the pace at Silverstone, with Red Bull now looking like the closest challengers to champions Mercedes with Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo on the second row. 
 
&quot;I think we have done good steps in the past but probably not enough, compared to other people, so I think there&#39;s a lot of catching up for us to do,&quot; said Vettel, who also had a grid penalty in Austria last weekend. 
 
&quot;We need to make the car quicker, to put more downforce in it, make it more efficient at the same time, and add a bit of power.&quot; 
 
Ferrari are second overall in the championship but have yet to win a race this season. 
 
(Reuters)

Vettel, who retired from the Australian Grand Prix last week, has had gearbox problems twice in the ongoing British Grand Prix

Ferrari's gearboxes have become a weakness that the Formula One team has to fix, Sebastian Vettel said on Saturday after two failures at the British Grand Prix brought him a second successive grid penalty. The four-time world champion had gearbox problems on Friday and again on Saturday at Silverstone. "It happened yesterday and today. That's a weakness and we need to stop it," said the German as he contemplated a five-place drop that will leave him starting from 11th spot in Sunday's race. "I think the other occasions it was more a consequence of things happening. The issue we had yesterday and today is something new and we need to fix it." Vettel has had a torrid time of late, retiring from the Austrian Grand Prix last weekend after a high-speed tyre blowout while leading. Tyre supplier Pirelli blamed that on debris on track. The German said the car was a little off the pace at Silverstone, with Red Bull now looking like the closest challengers to champions Mercedes with Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo on the second row. "I think we have done good steps in the past but probably not enough, compared to other people, so I think there's a lot of catching up for us to do," said Vettel, who also had a grid penalty in Austria last weekend. "We need to make the car quicker, to put more downforce in it, make it more efficient at the same time, and add a bit of power." Ferrari are second overall in the championship but have yet to win a race this season. (Reuters)

Ferrari must fix gearbox weakness, says Sebastian Vettel

Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton was fastest in final British Grand Prix practice today, completing a sweep of the three sessions with Mercedes team mate and title rival Nico Rosberg second. 
 
While Mercedes were again dominant, Ferrari&#39;s Sebastian Vettel had a bad start to a damp day when he told the team over the radio after his final lap: &quot;I think we failed another gearbox&quot;. 
 
Vettel picked up a five-place grid penalty in Austria last weekend for an unscheduled gearbox change. 
 
Hamilton lapped with a best time of one minute 30.904 seconds, 0.063 quicker than Rosberg who missed all of Friday&#39;s second practice, on the soft tyres. 
 
Australian Daniel Ricciardo was third fastest for Red Bull but more than half a second off Hamilton&#39;s pace. 
 
Dutch team mate Max Verstappen, winner in Spain and second in Austria, was fourth with Vettel fifth and 1.145 slower than the leading Mercedes. 
 
The session was halted to retrieve debris and fix barriers after Marcus Ericsson crashed his Sauber heavily at the exit to Stowe with 20 minutes remaining. 
 
The Swede got out of the badly damaged car without assistance, and did not appear hurt in the accident, but Sauber said he was going to a hospital for routine check-ups. 
 
Rosberg leads Hamilton by 11 points going into Sunday&#39;s race, the 10th of 21 on the calendar. 
 
Hamilton is chasing his third successive win at Silverstone and fourth of his career. 
 
The two Mercedes drivers are under strict instructions to race cleanly after colliding on the last lap in Austria, their third coming together in five races. 
 
(Reuters)

'I think we failed another gearbox', said Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel to his team over the radio after his final lap

Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton was fastest in final British Grand Prix practice today, completing a sweep of the three sessions with Mercedes team mate and title rival Nico Rosberg second. While Mercedes were again dominant, Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel had a bad start to a damp day when he told the team over the radio after his final lap: "I think we failed another gearbox". Vettel picked up a five-place grid penalty in Austria last weekend for an unscheduled gearbox change. Hamilton lapped with a best time of one minute 30.904 seconds, 0.063 quicker than Rosberg who missed all of Friday's second practice, on the soft tyres. Australian Daniel Ricciardo was third fastest for Red Bull but more than half a second off Hamilton's pace. Dutch team mate Max Verstappen, winner in Spain and second in Austria, was fourth with Vettel fifth and 1.145 slower than the leading Mercedes. The session was halted to retrieve debris and fix barriers after Marcus Ericsson crashed his Sauber heavily at the exit to Stowe with 20 minutes remaining. The Swede got out of the badly damaged car without assistance, and did not appear hurt in the accident, but Sauber said he was going to a hospital for routine check-ups. Rosberg leads Hamilton by 11 points going into Sunday's race, the 10th of 21 on the calendar. Hamilton is chasing his third successive win at Silverstone and fourth of his career. The two Mercedes drivers are under strict instructions to race cleanly after colliding on the last lap in Austria, their third coming together in five races. (Reuters)

Hamilton on top, Vettel raises gearbox fear

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