SM
Aston Villa vs. West Ham: 22 hrs 42 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews

Lewis Hamilton challenges Ferrari to raise their game after record start

:Headline: Lewis Hamilton challenges Ferrari to raise their game after record start: ID:357639: from db_amp
Mercedes completed a one-two for the fourth successive race.

Lewis Hamilton has called on Ferrari to raise their game after Mercedes romped to a record fourth one-two finish in Azerbaijan on Sunday.

Valtteri Bottas took the chequered flag ahead of Hamilton to match his Mercedes team-mate with a second win of the season and regain the lead of this year's championship by a single point.

Until Sunday, no team in Formula One history had enjoyed a perfect start to the season after four rounds of racing.

Mercedes dominated in Baku (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

Sebastian Vettel finished third, never troubling the Mercedes cars, while his Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc crossed the line in fifth – his afternoon compromised following a crash in qualifying.

Vettel has already been cast 35 points adrift in the drivers' standings with his Ferrari team 74 points behind Mercedes in the race for the constructors' title.

A combination of errors by both of Ferrari's drivers, as well as a car which has failed to build on its pre-season promise, leaves the Italians in trouble and Hamilton in the box seat to win a sixth world crown.

And the 34-year-old British driver believes Mercedes' dominance will extend into the European season – which kicks off in Spain a week on Sunday – unless Ferrari begin to improve.

"Until they start performing at the level we are at, then this is how it's going to be," said Hamilton.

"We definitely didn't expect to have the performance we have but I'm glad we do. I just think the team is out-performing itself.

"They're going to have to pick it up if they want to fight us."

A dejected Vettel was in agreement with Hamilton – Ferrari's optimism after two weeks of winter testing in Barcelona now a distant memory.

"He is right, we need to pick it up," said Vettel, who is on a losing streak which has now extended beyond eight months – his last victory at August's Belgian Grand Prix.

"We need stronger pace. It is as simple as that. We need to be faster.

"It's like a Rubik's cube where you have to have everything in the right order.

"We have a good car, but we're not using it in the way to get the results we should be getting."

amp_article__357639 : Database Data restored...  : 
last updated article - 2019-04-29 05:38:38:
html db last update - 2019-04-29 05:38:38 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html

Click here for more stories about Lewis Hamilton

Click here for more stories about Mercedes

Share this article now:
Read more about Lewis Hamilton Formula 1
Recommended Next on SM
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool19144147192846
2Arsenal20117239182140
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest20124429191040
4Chelsea20106439241536
5Newcastle UnitedNewcastle20105534221235
6Manchester CityMan City2010463627934
7Bournemouth209653023733
8Aston Villa209563032-232
9Fulham207943027330
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2061043029128
11Brentford208393835327
12Tottenham HotspurSpurs20731042301224
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd206592328-523
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham206592439-1523
15Crystal Palace204972128-721
16Everton193881525-1017
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves2044123145-1416
18Ipswich TownIpswich2037102035-1516
19Leicester CityLeicester2035122344-2114
20Southampton2013161244-326
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .