Lewis Hamilton is still in the hunt for the world championship despite failing even to finish in Australia. That is the view of Mercedes team chairman Niki Lauda, who revealed he consoled the Melbourne pole-sitter by harking back to his own F1 history.
After Hamilton retired at Albert Park only to see his German teammate Nico Rosberg go on to win, Lauda said: "I hugged him (Hamilton) and said 'This was only the first race. 'In 1984 I also failed in the first race but I was world champion in the end'," Lauda recalled telling Briton Hamilton.
Indeed, while Lauda retired in the pits at Jacarepagua in Brazil, his McLaren teammate Alain Prost won the race. But Lauda went on to win the 1984 title by half a point.
Asked how Mercedes has managed to get off to such a strong start in 2014, Lauda told the Osterreich newspaper: "Because we have been best with the new engine regulations. Also last summer, when Red Bull was still focusing on the 2013 season, we were already developing our new car," he added.
Italy's La Repubblica declared after Sunday's Australian grand prix: "The F1 revolution has its leader." But Mercedes chief Toto Wolff expects Red Bull to catch up. "With these new cars," he told Kleine Zeitung newspaper, "the development curve is much steeper than usual."
He said the reigning world champions had already "caught up massively" between the winter season and Melbourne. And Red Bull's increasingly confident Dr Helmut Marko said: "We know what is still to come in our car and the (Renault) engine. On the engine we are still nowhere near the maximum," he insisted.
McLaren's Jenson Button, however, thinks that at the moment, F1 has a clear leader. He said: "Right now we seem to be able to fight against everyone -- except one." (GMM)
Hamilton still in the hunt for world championship - Lauda
- Published on 18 Mar 2014 12:43
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- By: Rob Veenstra
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Jan 26
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M. Verstappen
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Jan 28
A. Antonelli
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Jan 29
G. Russell
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Jan 30
L. Hamilton
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Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
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Feb 11
L. Norris
- 1:34.669
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Feb 12
C. Leclerc
- 1:34.273
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Feb 13
A. Antonelli
- 1:33.669
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Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
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Feb 18
G. Russell
- 1:33.459
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Feb 19
A. Antonelli
- 1:32.803
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C. Leclerc
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Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
Date
Grand Prix
Circuit
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Spain
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Bahrain
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Bahrain
Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
Date
Grand Prix & Circuit
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Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
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Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
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Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
6 - Mar 8
Australia
Albert Park
13 - Mar 15
27 - Mar 29
Japan
Circuit Suzuka
10 - Apr 12
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
17 - Apr 19
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street Circuit
1 - May 3
United States of America
Miami International Autodrome
22 - May 24
Canada
Gilles Villeneuve
5 - Jun 7
Monaco
Monte Carlo
12 - Jun 14
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
26 - Jun 28
Austria
Red Bull Ring
3 - Jul 5
United Kingdom
Silverstone
17 - Jul 19
Belgium
Spa-Francorchamps
24 - Jul 26
Hungary
Hungaroring
21 - Aug 23
Netherlands
Circuit Zandvoort
Driver profile
- Team McLaren
- Points 37
- Podiums 0
- Grand Prix 41
- Country GB
- Date of b. Jan 19 1980 (46)
- Place of b. Frome, Somerset, GB
- Weight 72 kg
- Length 1.82 m
- 67,124 comments on McLaren
23 members have this team as their favourite
Tweets about Jenson Button
Team profile
- Team name Renault
- Base Enstone, France
- Fernando Alonso 1
- Daniel Ricciardo 3
- Fernando Alonso 5
- Fernando Alonso 5
- Fernando Alonso 7
- Romain Grosjean 8
- Fernando Alonso 8
- Fernando Alonso 8
- Pastor Maldonado 13
- Jenson Button 15
- Kevin Magnussen 20
- Nico Hülkenberg 27
- Jolyon Palmer 30
- Esteban Ocon 31
- Carlos Sainz jr 55
- 236,941 comments on Renault
- 26 members have this team as their favourite
- Tweets about Renault
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