In the round-up: Lewis Hamilton expects Mercedes will be competitive at the next race in Malaysia but at least two of the upcoming track will favour Ferrari.
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Hamilton cannot be complacent in F1 title race, says Wolff (The Guardian)
"Japan, high downforce circuit; could be close, it definitely won’t be our strongest. Austin, I think we’ll be fine. I think Brazil would be a place where Ferrari will be particularly strong."
Has Vettel's aggression just cost him the title? (BBC)
"Williams are keeping their cards close to their chest, but it looks as if the Pole, trying to make a comeback after seven years out following his horrendous rally accident in 2011, could soon test for the team."
Alonso expects 'normality' in F1 2018 with Honda gone (Autosport)
"The aim is, as I always said, to be on the podium and fight for victories, to be thinking 'what we will do at the start?', looking at the videos for maybe attacking and maybe leading the race in the first stint."
Masashi Yamamoto on the Toro Rosso partnership (Honda)
"If we compare both teams with different cuisines, let’s say McLaren is a very sophisticated French cuisine, that’s the way it is. Then Toro Rosso is more like a countryside, homemade delicious stew where you can add new ingredients. We’re excited to do that."
How Senna's 1988 Monaco crash kept Hamilton focused (ESPN)
"Generally, through the whole race, every now and then, Senna pops into my mind... his Monaco Grand Prix where he was in the lead and hit the wall. That always comes in and reminds me not to do that."
Wolff still not ready to openly back Hamilton for F1 title (Crash)
"I wouldn’t want to give a straight commitment and say he’s our number one, because I don’t want to screw up the mind of our second driver."
Former Mercedes boss Haug urges Porsche to enter F1 (F1i)
"Like Audi, they can either spend EUR 250 million in prototypes or join Mercedes with a far more cost-effective move in Formula One."
Winning back fans is the top priority (The Straits Times)
Sean Bratches: "The viewership aspect has been overstated, it's more of a reach issue than a viewership issue. There's been a migration from free-to-air (television) to pay. That had an impact on numbers."
Tata Communications complete world’s first truly live 360-degree video trial (F1)
"There were two 360-degree cameras at the Marina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore, trackside and in the paddock, to show how viewers at home could immerse themselves in the world of F1 and experience these exclusive areas through a virtual reality (VR)-like environment via the Official F1 App."
Mallya can't travel to F1 but remains as involved as ever: Fernley (The Times of India)
"There is no decision that is taken without Vijay's consent. Okay, he cannot travel but he remains as involved as ever in the functioning of the team."
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Notable posts from Twitter, Instagram and more:
Happy to announce I'll be testing the Renault F1 E20 this week, thanks @RenaultSportF1! 😁 Good thing this one hasn't been Jack-proofed yet 😂 pic.twitter.com/zvdqoY8eBR
— Jack Aitken – 한세용 (@JaitkenRacer) September 18, 2017
This fan caught a great shot of the whole first lap incident: https://t.co/jWbT6lYODw #F1 #SingaporeGP pic.twitter.com/gagNnbHH54
— F1 Fanatic (@f1fanatic_co_uk) September 18, 2017
Honda calling McLaren a company that struggles to adapt to change strikes me as just a teensy bit hypocritical.
— chris harris (@harrismonkey) September 18, 2017
Cheeky response from Hamilton to a fan telling him Vettel's a better driver… #F1 #SingaporeGP pic.twitter.com/BnCT0A3hTW
— F1 Fanatic (@f1fanatic_co_uk) September 18, 2017
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Comment of the day
Has the downturn in the World Endurance Championship prompted you to stop watching too?
I only watched the first two hours of WEC Mexico and didn’t bother with the Circuit of the Americas race at all.
The announcement of Porsche’s departure and the calendar panic has sucked the life out of it for me. Bloody sportscars and their boom and bust cycles!
@Spawinte
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday to Robk23 and Patrick!
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Jere (@jerejj)
20th September 2017, 17:30
Yes, Suzuka is a high-downforce circuit like the Marina Bay Street Circuit, but unlike the latter, most of its corners are high to medium-speed similar to Silverstone and Spa, so it should suit Mercedes.
NewVerstappenFan (@jureo)
22nd September 2017, 9:52
This.
There is lots of missconception sorrounding Ferrari/Mercedes strengths regarding different track configurations.
Ferrari have better overall low speed balance and more downforce overall. Mercedes seemed to have had issues early in the season, but now who knows.
On high speed corners Mercedes is quite good. On stop and start tracks Mercedes is excellent.
Then there are low speed flowing tracks, that ia where Ferrari is good. There are very few of those.