(Motorsport-Entire.com) – There are only three races of the Formula 1 season 2020, and as of today nobody can say with 100% certainty how many Grands Prix will ultimately be judged. But the experts already agree on one thing: It will be very, very difficult to prevent the seventh Mercedes title in a row.
Lewis Hamilton won the World Cup top for the first time at Hungaroring now five points ahead of Valtteri Bottas and 30 before Max Verstappen. For the designers Mercedes (121) more than twice as many points on the account as the first pursuer Red Bull ( 55). The dominance of the recently black colored silver arrows seems to be greater than ever before.
“They are not just on another planet – they travel in a completely different universe,” sighed Sebastian Vettel on Saturday after the Qualifying. The Ferrari driver had the best non-Mercedes driver 1, 327 Seconds lost to Hamilton’s pole time on a winding track where there was at least hope that Mercedes could be vulnerable.
But the F1 W 11 EQ Efficiency is not only on the straights and in the fast corners class leader, as Mercedes has shown at the Red Bull Ring; but also works really well in slower corners. Those who dominate the Red Bull and Hungaroring on two such different tracks are unstoppable in the World Cup, fear the competition.
Steiner: Greatest dominance in years
Der W 11 be “a phenomenal car” , congratulates Red Bull team boss Christian Horner, and Günther Steiner from the American straggler Haas is amazed: “They are in the front row, yes – but last year’s Mercedes is in the second row! It’s amazing. It has such a dominance in Formula 1 for a long time. “
Especially since many feel that Mercedes did not even have to go to the Restrict in the first three races to win. In Spielberg 1, Valtteri Bottas and Hamilton strolled through Styria, just so as not to risk failure. And after Spielberg 2 and Mogyorod (Budapest), Hamilton didn’t look as if he had to make a special effort.
The potential of the W 11 has only flashed in a few moments so far, for example in the 68. and 70. Round of the Huge Prix of Hungary when Hamilton came up with the idea to start with the bonus point for the fastest lap with fresh softs. He drove first 1: 17. 497 and then 1: 16. 627 minutes. Verstappen’s fastest race lap struggle by two and a half seconds slower.
You have to put this in the right context, because Verstappen had no fresh softs in the carry out when the tanks became watch. But how “loosely flaky” Hamilton shook times from his sleeve, even though he had to deal with lapping traffic, struggle impressively, ‘Sky’ expert Ralf Schumacher thinks: “One can roughly imagine that changed into once the Mercedes can, if Lewis wants. “
With some memories of the season 1988 awake when only Ayrton Senna’s collision with the Williams of Mansell substitute driver Jean-Louis Schlesser in Monza prevented McLaren from winning all races. Ultimately, Senna and Alain Prost 15 victories in 16 Run. Shortly after Enzo Ferrari’s death, “local hero” Gerhard Berger triumphed in Monza.
memories of 1988 wake up
That the World Cup 2020 exactly like 1988 becomes a solo for two, hardly anyone doubts anymore. The only potential challenger, Verstappen, started the season too badly. Question at the Ferrari press conference: Do you see any scenario where Hamilton won’t be world champion this year? Vettel answers briefly and succinctly: “Only if Valtteri wins.”
But Toto Wolff brakes as always: “The lead is nothing. With Lewis we have three races 30 points to Max. One failure and that’s gone, “calculates the Mercedes team boss – but admitted a: “The car and the engine are a weapon, exactly changed into once we needed. The drivers like the W 11. It is mobile, has a lot of vitality and a lot of pressure. “
It is an irony of history that Mercedes has increased so much, especially in the engine sector, and has manifested its leadership in the horsepower ranking again. Irony because 2018 and 2019 believed to have fallen behind Ferrari. The engineers in Brixworth then made more efforts than ever before.
Now that Ferrari is said to have been up to because of the secret deal with the FIA percent lost in performance, Mercedes is again lonely leader. “We have won world championships with more difficult cars in the past,” says Wolff. “This car seems to be very balanced. But if we want to win the World Cup, it has to stay that way.”
“This year,” enthuses Hamilton, “we really hit the nail on the head We sorted out all the weaknesses that we have always talked about in recent years with this car. The balance is just fantastic. ” The onboard cameras show that while the Red Bull and Ferrari are looking rather stubborn, the Mercedes is lying on rails.
Hamilton: “Just have to control the pace”
“I only have to control the pace”, beamed Hamilton. “And we are constantly working to keep our tires in better shape. I deal with everlasting, because only in this way is it possible to drive the fastest lap at the end and still get the point. This crew just keeps doing it, to surprise me. “
And that’s ultimately due to the people, explains Wolff. Although non-public has repeatedly migrated to the competition in recent years, the structure of the group has never lost its clout: “We have seen again and again how one generation is being replaced by the next. Responsibility is being assumed, and you can see that Efficiency. “
” I’m not just talking about the technical side, “says Wolff. “I mean every single area: marketing, communication, social media, sponsoring. The interplay of all individual areas makes this crew so successful. But we must not now believe that we are the largest. Because then it is very quick and you start to lose. “
Hamilton nods:” After a win like this, everyone smiles at each other for a few minutes. But then they immediately become dead serious. Sometimes I come to the meeting and ask the boys: ‘ Are you happy that we won? ‘ And it just says, ‘Yes, yes, sure.’ Then we put on the headsets, do the united states work and talk about the car. “
” Valtteri, “he also praises his teammates,” is really fantastic with his enter. We drive the crew on in front, and everyone is thinking about how we can get even better. No matter how big our lead is: we keep pushing and striving for the next level. That’s what changed, once, what impressed me most about this crew. ”
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