Hamilton believes title win is ‘not impossible’

F1 Fanatic round-up

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In the round-up: Lewis Hamilton feels that with 12 races to go this season, it’s not impossible for Mercedes to win the world championship in 2013.

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Hamilton says title ‘not impossible’ for Mercedes (Sky)

Lewis Hamilton: “Vettel was pulling away from me at a second per lap in Montreal. We’re not going to gain a second before the next race. But we can definitely beat the rest. As for the championship there are still 12 races left. It’s not impossible. But we need to make another big step with the car.”

Williams takes positives from Canadian GP despite no points (Autosport)

Claire Williams: “It has been a really good boost for morale. Really it has. I think that is really important when you work so hard and your team works so hard. You need those reminders of why you are doing it, so that was really good.”

Gary Anderson’s review of the Formula 1 season so far (BBC)

“McLaren’s statistics do not make good reading and the biggest problem is they don’t seem to have a clue where they are going. If they cannot improve, it will mean a major reduction in prize money – as much as £40m. Finding a sponsor to make up that shortfall will be no easy task.”

Space preventing F1 comeback Kubica (ESPN)

Robert Kubica: “Driving F1 would not be such a big problem, the problem would be to drive a complete race in all circuits but unfortunately that is not possible for now. The problem in F1 is the space. Maybe one day if the FIA say the car has to be 10-15 cm wider, I can drive – but it is not that rally is second choice.”

Silverstone Young Driver Test dates confirmed (ESPN)

“Silverstone has confirmed that it will host a Young Driver Test at the circuit from July 17-19.”

New Jersey? No Chance! (Darren Heath)

“You may have seen pictures of construction captioned as F1-related sites. They’re not. New condominiums, shops, offices and a multi-level car park are actually what’s been photographed.”

IndyCar, Classic F1 Cars Coming to Forza Motorsport 5 (IGN)

“Forza Motorsport 5 will feature Formula 1 cars, including the 1976 McLaren M23 and the 1976 Ferrari 312-2. These cars were driven by Niki Lauda and James Hunt during the extraordinary 1976 F1 season, where the World Championship was decided by a single point. They both feature in Ron Howard’s upcoming film Rush and will be available as a free download to all Forza Motorsport 5 players at launch.”

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Comment of the day

After yesterday’s news that 2015’s Thai Grand Prix may have to be moved from its original setting in Bangkok, @scratt is less than impressed…

This is the kind of story that could only come out of Thailand. It?é??s hilarious, and so typical of the corruption and stupidity in government there.

A law past last month, against Motor Racing. How convenient! Money, or political capital, will have changed hands to ensure a change of venue – and a change of law. And that will all be about someone somewhere paying someone else to ensure their region gets this race that will never happen.

The only interest the people involved in this farce, at the government level have, is how much money, and how much influence, they can make both inside the country and from foreign sources. And these people don?é??t have one jot of interest in the race ever even happening.

I doubt it has even occurred to them yet that they have to pay to have Formula One come to Thailand.

This is a terrible shame, as Thailand is a fantastic country with a great passion for racing (I have both raced and lived there myself), with a wonderful people who would adore this spectacle – and welcome both fans and the F1 Circus itself with open arms.

In a previous article when concerns about safety and noise were raised about a city center race around historical locations in Bangkok, an assertion was made by one of the ministers for sport (motor racing no less) that they could simply "have Mr. Ecclestone turn the noise of the engines down"?óÔé¼?ª
@scratt

From the forum

Porsche’s 2014 LMP1 Le Mans challenger has been rolled out for the first time.

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On this day in F1

Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna swapped the lead of the 1993 drivers’ championship several times in the opening races. But Prost’s victory in the seventh round of the season in Canada, 20 years ago today, put him back ahead and this time it was for good.

Senna was running in second when his alternator failed, handing his place to Michael Schumacher while Damon Hill took third.

Senna lost four places at the start but regained lost ground quickly in the opening laps while Prost made good his escape:

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Will Wood
Will has been a RaceFans contributor since 2012 during which time he has covered F1 test sessions, launch events and interviewed drivers. He mainly...

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64 comments on “Hamilton believes title win is ‘not impossible’”

  1. That pass on Alesi was classic stuff. Funny how Alesi considered Senna a safe driver to race against wheel to wheel with..

  2. I found very hard to believe the words of Hamilton. Neither is Mercedes at a positiona that can fight Redbull, and Hamiton is far way behind and in the last GP’s Nico’s faar better

    1. Makes a change to the often heard ‘the title is out of our hands now’ comments you tend to hear this far into the season. At least it’s positive, and they’ll hopefully keep pushing, and you never know what’ll happen. I’d say the biggest threat to it is the testing incident more than anything…

      1. Yes i give you that, and for Hamilton and Mercedes pov is the only way they can push and get better is thinking like that.
        It’s true that Mercedes can be fast, but to beat Redbull and Ferrari on a regular basis, they’re not yet there, and for the championship aspiration it’s a huge hit. Nevertheless that’s pointing out the way, they can only get better, they have to

    2. As @electrolite mentions, its good to hear someone in F1 actually mention that they think they can put a fight to the faraway championship leader and push to do so. Its exactly what was good to see with Alonso in the last couple of years, that he seemed to never give up @hipn0tic.

    3. “Neither is Mercedes at a positiona that can fight Redbull, and Hamiton is far way behind and in the last GP’s Nico’s faar better.”

      In the last 4 GP’s Rosberg has out raced Hamilton twice. Overall this season it is 5-2 to Hamilton and he is ahead in the championship. Not exactly “faar better”.

      1. @geemac By saying the ‘last 4 gp’ though, you conveniently just miss out Malaysia though? Unless I’m mistaken? We could put a case towards Rosberg outracing Hamilton there if it wasn’t for the orders in the that race, even thought he should have overtaken him before they were made…

        1. @electrolite So then it’s still 4-3 to Hamilton…and he’d still be ahead in the championship. :p

          1. @geemac this is true!

          2. @geemac Yes, and know how many of that Nico DNF? So i take 2 readings abou that, in track and finishing Nico, this year is better than Hamilton, the 2nd is that Hamilton tend to apresent solid and consistent results.

    4. Michael (@freelittlebirds)
      13th June 2013, 14:42

      If you look at the past 4 championships, Red Bull has dominated the last 6 GPs of the season. Their car either does phenomenally well on those tracks especially Singapore, Suzuka, Korea and India or the upgrades they bring are simply miles better than the opposition’s. Whatever the case, that’s when RB wins the championships. If Mercedes can bring upgrades that improve the car, then they can win. It’s not a matter of “pushing” the car by the driver. The RB is actually a slow car that just whizzes by the corners like no other car on the grid. That must allow for extreme confidence in the driver as the driver knows that the car is pretty much uncrashable. When was the last time a RB crashed because the driver lost control of the car?

      1. I appreciate LH’s positivity and him saying what he has, but I think the odds are very very slim for them to take a ‘big step’…big enough to be of much use. But then I don’t think LH, Merc, or anyone was saying at the start of the year that they’d be fighting for the WDC this year. So if they can finish 3rd in the WCC I think that would be something to be proud of coming from where they were last year. I predicted they’d be at best a strong 4th this year, but now that Lotus seems to have fallen backwards (at least recently and that could change) perhaps Merc can reach 3rd by seasons end. Going to be tough though.

        I think that Merc will continue to suffer largely with their rear tire issues at the majority of the remaining tracks, and assuming RBR and Ferrari, and probably Lotus too, advance themselves at least the same as Merc, then I really don’t see Merc being a threat this year. But like I say, I don’t think anyone was thinking that before, and it’s perhaps just their single lap pace and quali positioning that gives LH any leg to stand on right now with his positive attitude, other than of course the fact that he might as well be positive…this is year one at Merc and it’s a building process for them so there’s really no advantage to being negative.

      2. +1
        … and another secret test or two won’t do any harm

      3. @freelittlebirds That’s a very good point, sir.

      4. @Freelittlebirds Not crashing =/= the car is “uncrashable”. Vettel rarely crashes due to a lack of control, which is the same with all top drivers, whereas someone like Grosjean, Massa or Maldonado do make big mistakes far more often.

        1. Michael (@freelittlebirds)
          13th June 2013, 17:32

          Yes but if you’ve seen Vettel driving you know the Red Bull doesn’t really much steering input garnering statements from folks that the “car is on rails”. Then you see Alonso doing have a dozen max wheel turns within 2 seconds as if the car is about to roll over and the car does a crazy correction coming out of the corner…

          Sure the average driver would crash the RB but I doubt Kimi, Alonso or Hamilton ever would.

          1. @Freelittlebirds – Well, those top drivers you mention don’t often crash with what they are now, just like how Vettel doesn’t often crash. No car is “uncrashable”, it just needs a good driver to control it. You wouldn’t see Vettel crash Alonso’s car either, while indeed, someone like Massa has his fair share of crashes.

          2. *with what they have now

          3. That’s Alonso’s style. He’s been driving like that since his Renault days.

      5. @freelittlebirds I think the last race-ending crash of Vettel was Turkey 2010. I read somewhere a couple of weeks ago that his crash-free streak since then is an all-time F1 record.

        1. Michael (@freelittlebirds)
          13th June 2013, 18:30

          Vettel’s streak is incredible as is Raikonnen’s “in the points” streak – too bad he signed up at Red Bull through 2015. This could destroy Hamilton’s career and Alonso’s ending career. The only hope is for them to hire some idiot who screws up things royally…

        2. But that’s discounting crashes like Belgium 2010 which as good as ended his race, but I agree that he has an elevated ability to keep his car in one piece, as he could be said of any of the top drivers over the last couple of years.

      6. I have to disagree with you there. Vettel does extremely well in those races – Webber does not. In fact Webber usually does worse in the second half of the season than in the first half, while the reverse has been true of Vettel.

        That doesn’t completely rule out the updates theory – perhaps the updates suit SV over MW? But it would seem strange that the updates have the same differential result each season. More likely it’s down to the tracks which favor Webber happening earlier in the year, and SV’s best tracks at the end of it.

  3. Mathematically speaking, yes perhaps Merc could win, but back here in reality it’s about as likely as Schumi coming back out of retirement, again.

    The air must get stuffy in that helmet because LH really likes to spew nonsense doesn’t he?

  4. OmarR-Pepper (@)
    13th June 2013, 1:09

    “Of course I can win the title, Pirelli has just given us feedback that is going to be more useful little by little”
    (just my imagination, you know)

    1. hehehehe nice one

  5. Although McLaren could lose £40m, they will pocket a lot from the Claro and perhaps Telmex sponsorships next year, but I don’t think either will be title sponsors. I think that will be Emirates (shot in the dark). So I’m hoping that, with this influx, they can make up a good chunk of the shortfall.

    Regarding Kubica: I still think there’s a chance he will return to F1 at some point and if so, most probably with Lotus (probably more in hope than expectation).

    1. Even if Mclaren get some of the money back from new sponsors, this year and next in particular are going to be more expensive than usual, that’s why they have to keep developing this car, they just can’t take the risk of losing the prize money.

      1. @mantresx Yeah I completely agree. They still have a lot riding on this season and I hope they can reduce the loss in prize money with effective updates. As much as the regulations are changing next year, they can still learn more from this season for 2014.

  6. Interesting, and seemingly unbiased take on the proposed GP in New Jersey. Unless you are there, and up to speed on the actual construction and political wrangling that is going on, it really is hard to get a realistic grasp on what is truly happening. As pointed out, the logistics involved in getting this event off the ground are ENORMOUS. Much different than the construction of an F1 circuit on a large tract of undeveloped scrub land that was finally, thankfully, and successfully accomplished outside of Austin. With about a year left to go, I am hopeful, but also a bit doubtful that it’s going happen. I would love to be proven wrong!

  7. Nice to see some positivity from Hamilton, he’s been a bit down in the dumps of lately. For what it’s worth I think he’s right, I think Mercedes could still win the championship. It’s not impossible and Mercedes are close enough to the rest of the frontrunners that a sudden development push could certainly give them the edge. The testing debacle aside, things are definitely looking good for the team. Might even overtake Ferrari in the constructors championship to take second if Rosberg and Hamilton keep it up!

    1. That is, of course, assuming that they’re allowed to participate in all of the remaining races and bans not imposed on them after the 20th!!!

      1. I doubt they would be banned from racing for the rest of the season, if the FIA did ban them there would be a risk of them possibly pulling out of F1 as a team. What will more likely happen in an extreme end of punishment is that they will be stripped of team points and removed from the team championship but still being allowed to race , with Lewis and Nico being being allowed to compete in the drivers championship with no penalty.

        Strangely Mercedes seem very relaxed and unfazed by the mess, but I think maybe this is just their PR face and they’re really bricking it behind closed doors. If it really is Ross Brawn’s idea and they do get a massive slap, I don’t think he’ll be around long – then again, his past track record is amazing with finding loop holes and this may be one of them.

  8. Has everyone seen Ted’s Notebook post Canada GP. Hilarious when he helps himself to a taste of the sauce from the Force India pots and pans!

    (Just under 7 minutes in)

    http://www1.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/formula-1/8768314/ted%27s-notebook-canada

  9. Sad to see that the Young Drivers’ Test will be scrapped from next year with the return of in-season testing.
    Couldn’t the FIA include a minimum no. of kilometres for teams to test drivers who have less than 2 GP starts?

    1. They could, but the teams wouldn’t like it – they’d be forced to use inexperienced drivers for testing instead of the ones who know what they’re doing. There’s no point bringing mid-season testing back with a handicap like that.

  10. What positives Williams? Bottas was on a wet setup and everyone was on a dry setup. The team still hasn’t scored a single points in 7 races, only barely beating the Marussia and Caterham. Despite starting from third, Bottas finished in 14th after Grosjean who finished dead last. I really wouldn’t call that a positive.

    1. Wet set ups don’t exist anymore.

      1. Many people say that but I don’t believe it. The speed is significantly lower in the wet, so there is likely an advantage to tweak at least the gearing ratios.

  11. Chris (@tophercheese21)
    13th June 2013, 6:40

    If Lewis can consistently put the car in a top 5 position on Sunday, then he’s in with a shot.

    Far easier said than done.

  12. Abdurahman (@)
    13th June 2013, 7:33

    Remember the preseason Checo Perez quotes? LOL.

    1. I’m now looking at a magazine from February with Sergio Perez on the cover, with the quote: “I’ll go for the World Championship straight away!”

      1. I think it qualifies as the Comment of the Year!! :P

      2. Both Fred and Lewis looked grumpy on the podium on Sunday. Both seem frustrated. Maybe they underestimated the threat from Vettel. I remember in the pre-season both Hamilton and Alonso pointedly saying that each other was their biggest rival for the championship. Completely dismissing Vettel despite three championships in a row.

        The scary thing is the Ferrari is still quicker than the Red Bull. Seems the Red Bull has leap-frogged Lotus and is second fastest now.

      3. Well, he’s going after the world champions. It’s something!

  13. Have to agree with Darren Heath. One more thing to show that New Jersy GP will not take place is that Bernie has scheduled 21 races for the next season! Lose 1 race – New Jersy – and you’re left with 20 races which is just the right number for all.

    1. New Jersey*

    2. @f1lauri,

      Lose 1 race – New Jersy – and you’re left with 20 races which is just the right number for all.

      An interesting thought, and quite likely the way things will turn out. One problem is the way it might affect the F1 calendar, and other motor racing calendars as well as they depend on F1. This season, there was a lot of shuffling on the calendar to make room for a 20th race in July which never materialized, and as a result we are stuck with an unbalanced calendar this year, and everyone else has had to throw his calendar around as well.

  14. Gary Anderson’s review of the season so far was a good read with many excellent points. Thanks for the link!

    Some interesting points about Lotus, what direction the team is going and why, plus the potential results. It’s a shame but Lotus seems to be losing more ground than they are gaining on the other top teams. Seems like they need a miracle to get better this year and to retain Kimi for next year.

    Love or hate Red Bull, I think Gary Anderson’s evaluation of the reasons for their success is spot on. Other teams would do well to take heed. So many times in business the push is to micromanage the hired talent rather than to let them do what they do best to achieve success. (Not just in F1, obviously.) Hats off to Red Bull in this regard. I’m more of a fan of Williams, for example, but give credit when it is due.

  15. WilliamB (@william-brierty)
    13th June 2013, 8:25

    Does anyone know whether Silverstone will be open to spectators for the Young Driver Test? I wouldn’t mind seeing a bit of quiet testing after the bedlam of the British GP.

    1. No, it’s not open for public – unfortunately

          1. The teams (And Pirelli) will likely want it to be a closed test.

            The one’s held at Magny-Cours & Abu-Dhabi were last year.

      1. A friend and I tried to attend a GP2 test during the 2011 GP2 pre-season at Silverstone but we were kindly told we weren’t allowed into the circuit because it was an active construction site (the new wing was still being built).

        But we parked on the roads in Silverstone Village, walked around the outside of the circuit and found plenty of gaps in the fence that we could view the cars through. No real places to sit or anything but we still had a reasonably good view from the grassy verge by the road. It was an unseasonably warm spring afternoon so it was actually a lovely day out! And as far as I know, these gaps still exist.

        Obviously there may be better security for a “closed” F1 test but I’m definitely going to try to attend, even if I have to sit on a grassy roundabout again!

  16. Maybe McLaren officially don’t know about Allison. So they deny.

  17. Doesn’t the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve look beautiful in 1992? No tarmac run-off, no lines all over the place, no massive curbs, no painted concrete or astroturf.

    Just a grey circuit and grass and gravel either side. Proper.

  18. I’m very happy about the news of the addition of open wheel cars to Forza: I have always felt it was sorely missing them!

  19. I know it has been a month, but is there any good reason for James Allison to left Lotus?

  20. “Hamilton believes title win is not impossible”…

    …just highly improbable.

    Why do I feel like Lewis has just stepped out of a page from the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy? He’s probably got “Don’t Panic” written in friendly letters across his steering wheel.

  21. Senna qualified 8th that yr in Montreal and gained 5 places in the first few laps not the other way around. I watched Montreal 95 last week on Sky and was brilliant without the DRS.

    1. @folyger you are absolutely correct, so the caption to the “on this day” isn’t quite correct @willwood! :)

  22. Mercedes have almost equalled last year’s points haul after just 7 races. If they carry on at the same level, they should score about 360 points this year, a solid third place in the constructors championship if last year’s figures can be used for reference – it’s about how much McLaren scored in 2012.
    If Mercedes can continue to score as highly as they have in the last two races (MON, CAN), a pretty big ask, then they would end the season on around 500 points – a winning total.
    Reality is likely to be somewhere in between – so it looks like Mercedes is fighting for second place in the championship, which is exactly what the current team points totals suggest.
    The strength of the Mercedes team is that they have two reasonable point-scoring drivers, unlike Ferrari and Lotus. I suspect that’s what HAM is alluding to.

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