final drive - Mundo Motorizado

was almost two seconds at Suzuka
– you’ve got to be very understanding
that with an evolution of that car it’s
going to be difficult for them in three
months to gain that. I’ve just got to be
very aware of that, but I know that the
guys are working as hard as they can.”
Hamilton’s move is really all about
2014, when F1 introduces its new
1.6-litre turbocharged V6 engine
formula, and direct alignment with
one of only three manufacturers
building powerplants for that formula
should prove to be a shrewd move.
“This is a marathon, not a sprint,”
says Lewis. “I hope that this year we can
be competitive. If we arrive at the first
race and we’re in front, it’s going to be
spectacular, but if we’re not we know
we just have to keep working at it.
“I’ve not even driven the car so
I don’t even know what problems
they had. It’s not like I can say, ‘We
need to look in this area’. [But I think
that] they didn’t have enough
downforce last year.
“Of course 2014 is probably a slightly
Hamilton does tour
of duty at Stuttgart…
Total points scored
110
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
160
109 109 98 53
49 22
240 214 227 270 190 188
Hamilton V Alonso Hamilton V Kovalainen Hamilton V Kovalainen
Hamilton V Button Hamilton V Button Hamilton V Button
26 autosport.com January 31 2013
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Matches his reigning
world champion
team-mate as a rookie
and almost takes the
crown in his first season.
Pips Ferrari’s Felipe
Massa to the title at the
Brazil decider and leaves
his Finnish running
mate trailing.
better opportunity, because things start
again [with the regulations], but you’ve
got to remember that I had a couple of
half-dodgy cars, one particular year
in 2009, but it did get better so
perseverance is going to be key for all
of us. I hope to have quite a big impact
in those first days of driving the car,
because I’ll be able to compare one car
to the other and say what we do and
don’t have and what the car is and how
it could be better. But it’s going to take
some time to get up to speed with the
controls and the different settings,
characteristics, aero balance.
“I don’t know how long it will take
but I’m on top of it, I’m ready.”
Hamilton arrives at his new team
amid a swirl of speculation surrounding
the future of team principal Ross
Brawn, and a degree of upheaval in
the senior management structure.
Mercedes’ long-serving motorsport
boss Norbert Haug has stepped aside,
Williams chief executive Toto Wolff
has come in as a co-owner alongside
triple world champion Niki Lauda,
hamilton against his team-mates
A difficult season for
McLaren, but Hamilton
battles to two wins as
Kovalainen fails to
make the podium.
260
250
240
230
220
210
200
190
180
170
(Point allocations changed for 2010) 270
…and Brixworth, with Merc
F1 engine chief Andy Cowell
Misses out on the title at
Abu Dhabi decider but
outscores his reigning
world champion
team-mate.
Wins three races but is
trounced by Button
amid various on-track
errors and off-track
personal turmoil.
Produces one of his
finest campaigns yet as
operational errors and
unreliability put him
out of title contention.