Daniel Ricciardo to leave Red Bull for Renault at end of F1 season
Formula 1 | August 03, 2018 19:53 ISTThe Australian driver, who has won seven races since joining Red Bull in 2014, has agreed to a two-year deal with Renault.
The Australian driver, who has won seven races since joining Red Bull in 2014, has agreed to a two-year deal with Renault.
Hamilton's love of fighting from the back is somewhat ironic, considering he is F1's record holder with 76 pole positions — eight more than Michael Schumacher.
Bottas moved from Williams on a one-year deal as an emergency replacement for German driver Nico Rosberg, who stunned Mercedes — and all of F1 — by retiring days after winning the 2016 title.
Hamilton managed to fight his way back to finish second after a Ferrari-Mercedes duel developed with Valtteri Bottas leading until Vettel hit the front again with five laps to go.
Vettel, who leads Hamilton by one point going into the 10th of 21 races, was faster than Hamilton until the British driver went again to finish 0.044 seconds ahead.
Hamilton, who is going for a fifth straight victory and a record sixth overall in his home Formula One race, clocked the best lap time at 0.367 seconds faster than Bottas.
It was the first time that no Mercedes car had reached the finish since the Spanish GP two years ago, when Hamilton and Nico Rosberg crashed into each other.
Bottas edged Hamilton by 0.019 seconds for his first pole position of the season as Mercedes locked up the front row of the grid for the third time this year.
Vettel trails championship leader Hamilton by 14 points going into Sunday's ninth of 21 races.
The last time an F1 race was held here at Le Castellet was in 1990 when Alain Prost won for Ferrari.
Ricciardo said he had not directly spoken to rivals Ferrari and Mercedes, but he hedged when asked if his manager had.
Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel, who trails Hamilton by four points in the drivers' standings after four races, was third.
A Miami race would be the second in the U.S., joining the U.S. Grand Prix in Austin, Texas.
From next year, F1 aerodynamics will be simplified. Cars will have a front wing with a larger span, simplified brake ducts, and a wider rear wing.
Ricciardo is out of contract at Red Bull at the end of the season and expressed interest in joining teams like Mercedes or Ferrari to help him challenge for the championship.
Hamilton refused to accept that the uncertainty about his future could be the reason behind his recent slump in performance.
The Spaniard's finish also equalled the best result McLaren managed to notch in the last three years with former engine supplier Honda.
The German becomes the fourth driver to claim 100 podium finishes, joining Hamilton, Michael Schumacher and Alain Prost.
On a bright, clear day, defending world champion Lewis Hamilton completed the 5.303-km Albert Park circuit in 1 minute, 24.026 seconds.
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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