David Coulthard Praises Max Verstappen’s Exceptional Talent
David Coulthard has lauded Max Verstappen for his remarkable performances in the 2023 Formula 1 season, emphasizing the Dutch driver’s evident talent from a young age. Verstappen has dominated the current season, securing victories in 12 out of the 14 races. As he aims for his third consecutive title, he leads the driver’s standings by a significant margin over his teammate, Sergio Perez. Coulthard, reflecting on Verstappen’s achievements, remarked that Max’s prowess was evident even in the lower Formulas. Drawing parallels with legends like Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna, Coulthard highlighted Verstappen’s maturity at just 25 years of age, describing him as “someone special.”
George Russell’s Warning to Mercedes Amid F1 Recovery Efforts
George Russell has cautioned Mercedes about the potential risks of pushing too hard to regain their pace in Formula 1. Since the beginning of the previous season, Mercedes has been trailing, with Red Bull taking the lead. Mercedes’ sole race win during this period was at the São Paulo Grand Prix, where Russell achieved his first victory. Before the new technical regulations were introduced, Mercedes had been a dominant force in F1, securing consecutive championships from 2014 to 2021. However, after initially struggling with the new regulations, Mercedes decided to abandon its original car concept and has been exploring a new direction.
Perez Accepts Marko’s Apology After Private Talks
Sergio Perez has revealed that he had a private conversation with Helmut Marko following Marko’s controversial comments. Marko had to publicly apologize for his remarks, but Perez emphasized the significance of their personal talks. Speaking to the media, including RacingNews365, Perez said, “I had a private conversation with him, he did apologise and that to me was the main thing.”
Perez further explained that knowing Marko personally helped him understand the context and tone of Marko’s comments. He stated, “We will move on, and I have a personal relationship with him, and you can always have the feeling, when you see that stuff, knowing the person helps a lot because I know he doesn’t mean it that way.” Perez acknowledged that if he were to solely focus on the comments, they could come across as biased against Mexicans or Latinos. However, he reiterated that he knows Marko and is confident that Marko didn’t intend for his words to be interpreted in that manner.
Perez concluded by emphasizing the importance of their personal relationship, saying, “He gave me a personal apology, and I didn’t get offended at all. If the comments were on a different perspective, I would have taken them differently, but it is just how things are and they weren’t personal.”
Michael Schumacher’s 1994 Formula One Title Controversy
Legendary motorsport journalist Roger Benoit suggests that Michael Schumacher should be stripped of his 1994 Formula One title. Benoit believes that Damon Hill should have been awarded the title for that year. The contention arises from the final race of the season in Adelaide, where Schumacher controversially won the championship by a single point over Hill. The two drivers collided during the race, leading to debates about the legitimacy of Schumacher’s win. Benoit, a close friend of Schumacher, stated that the title should be taken from him due to the collision with Hill. This controversy is reminiscent of Felipe Massa’s recent legal action to overturn the outcome of the 2008 championship, where he lost to Lewis Hamilton by a single point.
FIA’s New Measures on Flexi-Wings in Singapore Grand Prix
The FIA is set to introduce new regulations at the Singapore Grand Prix to prevent teams from using flexi-wing tricks. The exact impact of these changes on individual teams remains uncertain, but major shifts in the competitive order are not anticipated by key figures in the sport. Toto Wolff, while discussing the potential effects, mentioned that Aston Martin had already made adjustments to their wing flexibility earlier in the season. Wolff humorously remarked that it would be interesting if Red Bull suddenly became half a second slower due to these changes, though he doubts such a drastic outcome. Nikolas Tombazis, the FIA’s single-seater director, also believes the changes won’t lead to significant alterations in the competitive landscape. Williams’ head of vehicle performance, Dave Robson, expressed hope that the new directives might slow down some competitors.
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