3
Mercedes' Niki Lauda believes that Sebastian Vettel is well and truly the favourite for the 2017 title. The Austrian who joined Mercedes in 2012 thinks that after the first six rounds of the 2017 championship, Vettel is Mercedes' biggest threat.
Vettel has won three of the Grands Prix so far, while Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton have shared the spoils for the Brackley based team. However, after Monaco, they sit behind Ferrari in the championship, while Vettel leads the driver standings by 25 points.
"Vettel won because he was faster when Raikkonen stopped," Lauda, Mercedes' team chairman, told Sky Italia. "Do I look happy? Ferrari always has a slice of my heart. They were perfect and we were not. The championship? It's going in the direction of Vettel but there are still many races.
Lauda also believes that if Vettel doesn't have any mechanical issues throughout the season, the championship is already over: "On Monday I was still angry, but now we have to find the right tyre window. Another thing is clear: Vettel must have a failure, otherwise it is over. Ferrari are in a real flow and if this continues, the gap is enormous," he said.
Fergal Walsh
yes. but mercedes is having reliability issues as well, think of bottas´ waterleak and the blown engine in spain...
--> Of course they don´t have the 4th turbo in the car but it´s going to be a huge challenge up until the end even for Merc. Especially if they can use "Strat 6" like in Monaco as engine setting.
It is anything but over. There are two tracks within four weeks from now, and both tracks look at Mercedes' car with adoring puppy eyes, even if Singapore still glares at it with a devious grin decorating it's tarmac. And then we have Spa, Monza, Interlagos and Suzuka, three tracks that in theory should benefit Ferrari, but also three tracks Mercedes has been very strong at these last seasons.
Grand Prix of BelgiumLocal time
Grand Prix of BelgiumLocal time
Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
M. Verstappen
C. Sainz jr
C. Leclerc
Bahrain
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street Circuit
Australia
Albert Park
Japan
Circuit Suzuka
United States of America
Miami International Autodrome
Monaco
Monte Carlo
Canada
Gilles Villeneuve
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
Austria
Red Bull Ring
United Kingdom
Silverstone
Hungary
Hungaroring
Belgium
Spa-Francorchamps
Netherlands
Circuit Zandvoort
Italy
Monza
Azerbaijan
Baku City Circuit
Singapore
Marina Bay Street Circuit
United States of America
Circuit of the Americas
Mexico
Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
Brazil
Interlagos
United States of America
Las Vegas Street Circuit
United Arab Emirates
Yas Marina Circuit
133,759 comments on Sauber
2 members have this team as their favourite
Tweets about Valtteri Bottas
601,300 comments on Mercedes 56 members have this team as their favourite Tweets about Mercedes
f1fan0101
Posts: 1,804
Still a looong way to go