Hamilton: Ferrari and Renault will need something special to catch us

2014 Canadian Grand Prix

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Lewis Hamilton says Mercedes’ rivals will need to do something special to challenge them on a track which should play to their strengths this weekend.

Asked in the Canadian Grand Prix whether the long straights on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve would help their rivals catch up, Hamilton said: “I would be guessing but I don’t feel that would be the case.”

“We’re particularly strong on the straights, Mercedes are,” he continued.

“But I don’t know, maybe we’ll be surprised this weekend. But long straights do suit us very well, we have very good power curve on our engine, Mercedes has done the best job with the engines.

“So Renault and Ferrari will have to have done an exceptional job coming into this weekend, in terms of that area, to be able to keep up with us on the straights.”

Fellow Mercedes engine user Felipe Massa expects the works Mercedes team to remain a step ahead of the rest.

“Definitely it can be a good track for most of the cars that are using Mercedes,” said the Williams driver.

“So I think maybe we seen even a big difference compared to Mercedes and the other teams because, as Lewis said, the engine is amazing. It was a very good job done by Mercedes and they have a good car in braking and everything so for sure maybe we can see even a big difference.”

2014 Canadian Grand Prix

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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47 comments on “Hamilton: Ferrari and Renault will need something special to catch us”

  1. Not exactly rocket science, is it? Stating the obvious.

    1. Karthik Mohan
      5th June 2014, 18:10

      Maybe the F1 media should start asking intelligent questions rather than obvious ones.

      1. COTD.

        I’m absolutely fed up with that official interviewer asking those questions. Not only their content is dull, but he ask them in a strange manner as if he himself would be willing to go with the plan of the PR robot answers. I’m particularly annoyed by him inserting ‘obviously’ after every second of his words. Like he’s implying ‘obviously, this is the xth sample question, obviously provide your next sample answer, please’.

        1. *asks

        2. I am sorry for the ignorance, but what is COTD?

          (I see it everywhere here, and while I´m a huge fan of F1, I´m new to internet forums and english is not my native language).

          1. @danton205

            COTD = Comment Of The Day ;)

          2. @danton205 And as far as I know F1Fanatic is the only site where “COTD” is used, along with DOTW (Driver of the Weekend – notice weekend instead of race:)

          3. Whatever you do do not look COTD up on Urban Dictionary ;)

  2. That “something special” is 50 extra horsepower and better fuel consumption.

    Good luck.

    1. @kingshark

      And a more efficient ERS and a tighter, more aero efficient rear end.

      In short, the Mercedes is better in every aspect.

      1. No, the Ferrari engine is more impressive technically, it takes up less space in the car, meaning the turbo and gearbox can be low down, forward in the car, allowing the coanda effect to be greater as the engine doesn’t interfere at the back. However, because there are a few issues with it, that prevent it from being the best, people aren’t making a big deal of how impressive the engine is. Of course, the Mercedes engine is better, because it works better, but it’s not better in every aspect.

        1. Have you seen the rear or the ferrari to the Merc…?

          I think you’ll find the merc is alot tighter.

        2. @williamstuart

          You gotta be kidding if their rear was so good then why are they behind Reb Bull?.Their engine is nothing as good as Merc’s in no aspect. Red Bull engine is bad but at least their closer in the downforce sector than anyone else, if your comment was correct then it should be Ferrari.

        3. @williamstuart
          Actually, I’ve seen a couple of reports out of the Ferrari camp that they screwed up and made the turbo to small to supply the needed power. And of course, they can’t change it till next year now so they’re stuck trying to overcome that mistake in other areas.

  3. I still think homologating engines in the first year after such dramatic change in regulations is stupidity only F1 can come up with. Thank god they at least had enough sense to do in-season testing this year.

    1. I think it makes things more exciting, as the cars are actually very different to each other, instead of how it was the last few years, with the cars being so similar.

    2. Well if you’re of the group who think the engines are expensive too expensive… Then without homologation you’d be even more disgruntled with F1 costs..

    3. As far as I know, engine makers still get to make changes for next season, so i’ts not homologated forever. However, getting into this new world homologation should be after a few races, not before race#1.

  4. Karthik Mohan
    5th June 2014, 17:28

    Headlines: “Lewis Hamilton says rivals are absolutely useless, questions Ferrari and Red Bull engineer’s worthiness.”

    :D :D

    1. Yeah …again the sensationalism…he is talking about montreal and not in a generic way .I know that one should read the full article … but adding ‘this weekend’ at the end of the title would have been more accurate.

      1. @hamilfan What did you think “2014 Canadian Grand Prix” meant?

        1. @keithcollantine I think It means the articles published with that subtitle are about the forthcoming Grand Prix . That need not necessarily have anything to do with the quote . I am not accusing the website or anything . Just my personal opinion on the article’s title .
          @Karthik Completely agreed . This is one of the great places in the f1 web where words are seldom mixed and abuses are never pelted out .

      2. Karthik Mohan
        5th June 2014, 18:09

        I don’t think this forum has ever had any misleading titles mate! I was talking about the other f1 media who seem to sensationalize everything Lewis says! Like the daily mail or the sun! F1Fanatic is probably one of the few decent f1 forums out there!

        1. One aticle missquoted Frank Williams as saying Williams F1 “lucked into” the Mercedes engine deal. FW did use the words “lucked in” but the full sentence was “I wouldn’t say we lucked into it, be circumstances existed…” etc.

          1. When you switch engines every couple of years, I guess you eventually get the best one.

    2. You mean the time he called Fernando a Spanish baby and Kimi too stupid to form full sentences? ;)

    3. At least no one is being accused of hanging their balls by the pool yet!

  5. WilliamB (@william-brierty)
    5th June 2014, 18:42

    Uh oh, happy Lewis has rocked up. Nico, you don’t stand a chance my friend…

    1. Yeah! Should be a great weekend, can’t wait

    2. Well with all the nods going LH’s way, all the ducks lined up for him for this weekend, it’ll sure be interesting to see the look on his face if NR somehow does best him. This rivalry is so great. BE better be thanking his lucky stars.

      1. WilliamB (@william-brierty)
        6th June 2014, 18:00

        @robbie You and your ducks, Robbie…

        1. @william-brierty lol…quack, quack.

  6. Funny how Lewis has no problem with dominating in a dominant car considering he took shots at Vettel over the past few years for only winning because of the car advantage.

    I hope Lewis screws up mid-season again as he has done several years & never wins another championship, he doesn’t deserve more titles because hes an arrogant, hypocrite, baby, whiner, poor loser who has no respect for anyone but himself.

    1. Bitter nonsense. Grow up.

    2. What an unfriendly comment, Lauren. This is a respected community fan forum and comments like this are unwelcome.

      1. Strange i’ve read a lot of unfriendly comments on this site. I agree with Lauren to some extent people moaning about Vettel and his dominance but suddenly Lulu winning is great. Personally i would rather have races being won by different drivers to make the championship interesting and i’m English

  7. Well, at least he isn’t doing the senseless downplaying of expectations that sometimes occurs when drivers are thrust into the spotlight. He knows where his car is, he has acknowledged he is in prime winning contention, now all he needs to do is win. Which shouldn’t be much of a problem.

    1. Refreshing, I agree @vettel1. Now we all hope Rosberg gets close enough to not make it a walkover, or at least push Hamilton to make it such a phenomenal walkover we can only sit back and admire (see some of Vettels races in the past years)!

  8. “We’re particularly strong on the straights, Mercedes are,”

    He forgot to mention the corners, chicanes, kerbs, pitlane,gravel traps,artificial grass and tarmac run offs

  9. Asked in the Canadian Grand Prix whether the long straights on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve would help their rivals catch up

    Who the hell conducts this interviews?!?! has he seen a race this year?! how can longer straights help rivals that are several kph slower than Mercedes on… erm… straights!?!

    I’m just shocked…!

    1. What about the other Mercedes powered cars huh? Ever thought that they might fall under “rivals”.

  10. This reporter is hilarious! One, the question is so ignorant, two its worded very strangely. Seems like a clumsy attempt to get a controversial line out of LH. BTW, can someone tell this poor reporter that one of Mercs main advantage is top end speed. Sheesh!

  11. Chris (@tophercheese21)
    6th June 2014, 8:00

    Lewis is right. The other teams will need some sort of miracle to catch Mercedes in engine performance because engine efficiency updates will be good, but not enough to make up the gap, and, they have to redesign their power unit layout so that they can copy the Mercedes genius of putting the turbo charger and compressor at either end of the engine block.

    In short. No they won’t catch them unless they overhaul their cars completely.

  12. “Renault say their engine will be operating at its full potential for the first time in this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix.”
    i am not standing up for the reporter, but the above statement from Renault is possibly why he asked that question,
    when you look at the replies to the above you would have thought its a forgone conclusion that Renault was going to blow Merc away, hence his reason for asking Ham i think.

  13. Has ferrari got that special in fp1?

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