Lewis Hamilton gained prominence in the Formula 1 news this Sunday by being compared to Michael Schumacher by people connected to Ferrari. The day also brought news about the possible return of the German GP, analyses about the title fight, and doubts surrounding Oscar Piastri’s future at McLaren.
Read more F1: McLaren talks about possible Ferrari advantage in Madrid
Rob Smedley, former Ferrari engineer, stated that employees with more than two decades of work in Maranello identify similarities between Hamilton and Schumacher. According to him, the Briton has been exerting a positive influence and pressuring the team “in the right way.” Hamilton reached the break in second place in the championship, with 169 points, after securing his first win for Ferrari in Barcelona.
In the title fight, Kimi Antonelli was the subject of an analysis by F1MANIA.NET about his campaign. The Italian leads with 219 points, 50 ahead of Hamilton, as well as having six wins, six poles, and nine podiums in the first 11 rounds. The ability to turn difficult weekends into good results, such as the third place achieved in Hungary after starting seventh, appears as one of the main strengths of his season.
Ferrari also joined the championship debate. The team won two of the last five races, with Hamilton in Barcelona and Charles Leclerc in Silverstone, and reduced the performance gap to Mercedes. Still, the absence of poles and fluctuations between different circuits leave open the question of whether the SF-26 will be able to sustain a title fight throughout the second half of the year.
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Off the track, Stefano Domenicali stated that Germany has again presented interesting conditions to host Formula 1 in the medium term. The CEO highlighted Audi’s entry and the presence of major partners in the country as favorable factors, although he stressed that there is still no guarantee of a return. The German GP has not been held since 2019.
At McLaren, Piastri’s future became a topic after Rob Smedley observed a difference in attitude between the Australian and Lando Norris. While Norris frequently states that he would like to stay with the team throughout his career, Smedley said he does not perceive the same stance from Piastri and considered that a departure could make sense if a better option appeared.
McLaren itself also admitted that Ferrari could arrive at the new Madrid circuit with a small advantage in references after completing 200 km in a filming day at the location. Andrea Stella downplayed the impact but acknowledged that the activity allows the rival to start the weekend with some real track data, something the other teams do not yet have.
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