F1 Racing - UK (2020-03)

116 GP RACING MARCH 2020

TEAMSTATS

2019 RESULTS

Position 1st

Points 739

Wins/podiums 15/17

Poles 10

Fastest laps 9

LAST 5 YEARS

2019 1st

2018 1st

2017 1st

2016 1st

2015 1st

TEAM DETAILS

BasesBrackley and

Brixworth, UK

Chassis

F1 W11EQ

Power unit

Mercedes M11EQ

Team principal

Toto Wolff

Technical director

James Allison

TEAM HISTORY

Debut France

1954

Races started 210

Wins 102

Poles 111

Fastest laps 75

Points 5,251.14

Drivers’ titles 8

Constructors’

titles 6

Lewis Hamilton

Age 35

Debut Australia

2007

Starts 250

Wins 84

Podiums 67

Titles 6

After Lewis Hamilton won his sixth

world championship inAustin last year

he reflected on his career and spoke

of creating a “masterpiece”. He added

it wasn’t quitefi nished and there were

still more “pieces of the puzzleto add”.

While the metaphor could do with some

refinement, one of those pieces would be a

seventh world title,to equal the record set

by the great Michael Schumacher. Not only

is Hamilton on theverge of matching that

feat but he has time on his sideto eclipse it

too. And like the greatest athletes, he just

keeps getting better.

GP RACING VERDICT

There’s a chance Hamilton might strike bad

luck, or a run of mechanical failures,but it’s

unlikely. He starts as favouriteto win again.

Valtteri Bottas

Age 30

Debut Australia

2013

Starts 139

Wins 7

Podiums 38

Best season 2nd (2019)

If you imagine a 100 metre sprint, in

Formula 1terms, Valtteri Bottas will

blast out of the blocksfi rst and convince

everyone he’s goingto secure gold.

But then, as the battle nears the halfway

stage, he’ll startto stutter because he’s

used up hisfi repower in the early stages

of the race. Finally, he’ll coast across

the line ‘trailingby a distance’. That has

been the story of Bottas at Mercedes.

We thought ‘Bottas 2.0’ had arrived when

he dominated last year’s season-opener

in Australia, but then his results slipped

awayby degrees.

GP RACING VERDICT

If he canavoid the mid-season stutter – he

might have a chance of depriving Hamilton

and striking gold.

SIX

consecutive drivers’ and

constructors’ titles – a new record

KEY MERCEDES STATS

5,112

constructors’ points scored in the past decade

696 laps ledby the W10 last year

MERCEDES

116 GP RACING MARCH 2020

TEAMSTATS

2019 RESULTS

Position 1st

Points 739

Wins/podiums 15/17

Poles 10

Fastest laps 9

LAST 5 YEARS

2019 1st

2018 1st

2017 1st

2016 1st

2015 1st

TEAM DETAILS

BasesBrackley and

Brixworth, UK

Chassis

F1 W11EQ

Power unit

Mercedes M11EQ

Team principal

Toto Wolff

Technical director

James Allison

TEAM HISTORY

Debut France

1954

Races started 210

Wins 102

Poles 111

Fastest laps 75

Points 5,251.14

Drivers’ titles 8

Constructors’

titles 6

Lewis Hamilton

Age 35

Debut Australia

2007

Starts 250

Wins 84

Podiums 67

Titles 6

After Lewis Hamilton won his sixth

world championship inAustin last year

he reflected on his career and spoke

of creating a “masterpiece”. He added

it wasn’t quitefi nished and there were

still more “pieces of the puzzleto add”.

While the metaphor could do with some

refinement, one of those pieces would be a

seventh world title,to equal the record set

by the great Michael Schumacher. Not only

is Hamilton on theverge of matching that

feat but he has time on his sideto eclipse it

too. And like the greatest athletes, he just

keeps getting better.

GP RACING VERDICT

There’s a chance Hamilton might strike bad

luck, or a run of mechanical failures,but it’s

unlikely. He starts as favouriteto win again.

Valtteri Bottas

Age 30

Debut Australia

2013

Starts 139

Wins 7

Podiums 38

Best season 2nd (2019)

If you imagine a 100 metre sprint, in

Formula 1terms, Valtteri Bottas will

blast out of the blocksfi rst and convince

everyone he’s goingto secure gold.

But then, as the battle nears the halfway

stage, he’ll startto stutter because he’s

used up hisfi repower in the early stages

of the race. Finally, he’ll coast across

the line ‘trailingby a distance’. That has

been the story of Bottas at Mercedes.

We thought ‘Bottas 2.0’ had arrived when

he dominated last year’s season-opener

in Australia, but then his results slipped

awayby degrees.

GP RACING VERDICT

If he canavoid the mid-season stutter – he

might have a chance of depriving Hamilton

and striking gold.

SIX

consecutive drivers’ and

constructors’ titles – a new record

KEY MERCEDES STATS

5,112

constructors’ points scored in the past decade

696 laps ledby the W10 last year

MERCEDES