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Vettel could think about change amid Red Bull crisis - Marko

Vettel could think about change amid Red Bull crisis - Marko

  • Published on 12 Mar 2014 13:38
  • comments 1
  • By: Rob Veenstra
Red Bull needs to up its game or risk losing Sebastian Vettel. That is the admission of the team's always-blunt Dr Helmut Marko, as quadruple reigning world champion Vettel prepares to either retire or finish outside the points as the 2014 season kicks off this weekend in Melbourne. Marko admitted to Germany's Bild newspaper: "If our disastrous state does not change soon, I could not blame him for thinking about a change."

Vettel, 26, sat down with his mechanics in Melbourne on Tuesday for his traditional pre-season dinner, where he named his uncompetitive RB10 car an unspectacular 'Suzie'. Marko told Sport Bild magazine: "After the test in Bahrain, we would be happy if we finish in the points in Australia. "We know that we have a good car," he added, "but we'll only know if the engine is good if we get it to work properly. The decisive factor is the new software that our engineers wrote for Renault."

The undoubted favourite for the Albert Park opener is Mercedes, and F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone on Tuesday tipped Lewis Hamilton to win the title. But 1996 world champion Damon Hill told the Daily Mail: "I would warn Lewis not to underestimate Nico (Rosberg)."

Indeed, the flamboyant 2008 world champion Hamilton is often the Mercedes driver on everybody's lips, but the German told the DPA news agency that he doesn't mind. "I do feel that the fans appreciate me," Rosberg said, "and I am grateful for their support."

Team chairman Niki Lauda said opinions about Mercedes' drivers are often formed because of Hamilton's "brutal force of talent". But he told the Austrian broadcaster ORF: "Nico is characterised in that he thinks in a very technical way -- almost like Vettel. The two (Hamilton and Rosberg) complement each other very well." Rosberg said: "I have a feeling that this could be our year and that's very exciting."

Still, the 28-year-old and the Brackley based team are cautious. "To say now that we will become world champions because of the good tests would be totally wrong and premature," boss Toto Wolff told the Stuttgarter Zeitung newspaper. And a forecast of rain for Melbourne is making Lauda nervous. "We have never driven with these turbo engines in the rain," he said, "so it is possible that even more problems could turn up." (GMM)
F1 News Lewis Hamilton Sebastian Vettel Mercedes Renault

Replies (1)

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  • Black Book

    Posts: 1,709

    I hope he leaves to another team! Mercedes in change for Hamilton would be a good choice!

    • + 0
    • Mar 12 2014 - 17:20

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World Championship standings 2024

Pos
Team
Points
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McLaren
544
2
Red Bull Racing
504
3
Ferrari
496
4
Mercedes
344
5
Aston Martin
86
6
Haas F1
39
7
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36
8
Williams
16
9
Alpine F1
13
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Formula 1 Calendar - 2024

Date
Grand Prix
Circuit
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Bahrain
29 - Mar 2
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
7 - Mar 9
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street Circuit
22 - Mar 24
Australia
Albert Park
5 - Apr 7
Japan
Circuit Suzuka
19 - Apr 21
China
Shanghai International Circuit
3 - May 5
United States of America
Miami International Autodrome
17 - May 19
Italy
Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari
24 - May 26
Monaco
Monte Carlo
7 - Jun 9
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Gilles Villeneuve
21 - Jun 23
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
28 - Jun 30
Austria
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United Kingdom
Silverstone
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Hungary
Hungaroring
26 - Jul 28
Belgium
Spa-Francorchamps
23 - Aug 25
Netherlands
Circuit Zandvoort
30 - Sep 1
Italy
Monza
13 - Sep 15
Azerbaijan
Baku City Circuit
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Singapore
Marina Bay Street Circuit
18 - Oct 20
United States of America
Circuit of the Americas
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Mexico
Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
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Brazil
Interlagos
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United States of America
Las Vegas Street Circuit
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Qatar
Losail International Circuit
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United Arab Emirates
Yas Marina Circuit
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Formula 1 Calendar - 2024

Date
Grand Prix & Circuit
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Bahrain Bahrain International Circuit
29 - Mar 2
Bahrain Bahrain International Circuit
7 - Mar 9
Saudi Arabia Jeddah Street Circuit
22 - Mar 24
Australia Albert Park
5 - Apr 7
Japan Circuit Suzuka
19 - Apr 21
China Shanghai International Circuit
3 - May 5
United States of America Miami International Autodrome
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Italy Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari
24 - May 26
Monaco Monte Carlo
7 - Jun 9
Canada Gilles Villeneuve
21 - Jun 23
Spain Circuit de Catalunya
28 - Jun 30
Austria Red Bull Ring
5 - Jul 7
United Kingdom Silverstone
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Hungary Hungaroring
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Belgium Spa-Francorchamps
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Netherlands Circuit Zandvoort
30 - Sep 1
Italy Monza
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Azerbaijan Baku City Circuit
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Singapore Marina Bay Street Circuit
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United States of America Circuit of the Americas
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Mexico Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
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Brazil Interlagos
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United States of America Las Vegas Street Circuit
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United Arab Emirates Yas Marina Circuit
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Driver profile

GB Lewis Hamilton 44
Lewis Hamilton
  • Team Mercedes
  • Points 3,331
  • Podiums 131
  • Grand Prix 203
  • Country GB
  • Date of b. Jan 7 1985 (39)
  • Place of b. Tewin, GB
  • Weight 68 kg
  • Length 1.74 m
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