Lewis Hamilton will continue to drive for Mercedes: Niki Lauda
April 19, 2018 18:23 ISTHamilton refused to accept that the uncertainty about his future could be the reason behind his recent slump in performance.
Hamilton refused to accept that the uncertainty about his future could be the reason behind his recent slump in performance.
Ricciardo, however, said that if Red Bull continue to make a disappointing finish in every single race this year then he would have no other option but to leave.
Red Bull's victory leaves the Formula One season in a scramble after just three races. There's no clear favorite and plenty of questions.
Both Ferrari cars were 0.5 seconds faster in qualifying than either Mercedes, a huge gap in F1.
Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen was the second quickest in both sessions, and in the afternoon he was only 0.007 behind Hamilton.
Vettel was almost overtaken by Bottas on the last lap, but made a crucial blocking move and won by only 0.6 seconds.
World champion Lewis Hamilton could only manage fourth, and will start from ninth on Sunday after incurring a grid penalty.
Raikkonen and Vettel were up front as cooler temperatures and nightfall matched the conditions for Sunday evening's race. Raikkonen's time of 1 minute, 29.8 seconds on the 5.4-kilometer (3.3-mile) desert circuit was a fraction quicker than Vettel's.
World champion Lewis Hamilton must overcome the frustration of being denied victory at the season-opening Australian GP by his own team's careless computer error.
The Spaniard's finish also equalled the best result McLaren managed to notch in the last three years with former engine supplier Honda.
In the first race of the new F1 season, Alonso showed that his team now has new fight since switching from its Honda-made engines to ones made by Renault as he took fifth place with a strong performance at the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday.
The German becomes the fourth driver to claim 100 podium finishes, joining Hamilton, Michael Schumacher and Alain Prost.
The four drivers behind Hamilton were separated by just over 0.3 second, setting up the promise of an extremely competitive race on Sunday between Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull.
The heavy rains subsided by early afternoon, allowing the track to rapidly dry during the third practice session and making conditions safe for drivers to test their soft tires.
Alonso said that weather forecasts predicted rain for Saturday, when the third free practice and the qualifying session are set to take place.
On a bright, clear day, defending world champion Lewis Hamilton completed the 5.303-km Albert Park circuit in 1 minute, 24.026 seconds.
Hamilton and Vettel have something else to vie for this year — a chance to pull even with former Argentine driver Juan Manuel Fangio for second place on the all-time championship list.
Here is a detailed list of the Formula One teams and drivers for the 2018 season of Formula One which begins with Australian GP on March 25, Sunday.
More than four years after a near-fatal brain injury in a skiing accident, Michael Schumacher is still being cared for at home in the quiet Swiss town of Gland on the shores of Lake Geneva.
After winning three races last year — the first ones since he started in 2013 — Bottas is keen to challenge Hamilton all the way.
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