SM
Watford vs. Oxford Utd: 6 hrs 24 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews

Drivers hail 'unimaginable' speed of 2020 cars

:Headline: Drivers hail 'unimaginable' speed of 2020 cars: ID:390242: from db_amp
Formula 1 is stepping into a higher gear in 2020, with many drivers noticing on the first day of winter testing that the cars are faster than last year.

Formula 1 is stepping into a higher gear in 2020, with many drivers noticing on the first day of winter testing that the cars are faster than last year.

"I took it easy and was flabbergasted at the laptime," McLaren driver Carlos Sainz said. "It was so easy for me to do. I thought we must have done something special. I have never driven a car so fast.

"But when I saw that the others were just as fast, that put it into perspective."

However, he said the extra speed was still a surprise.

"It's very difficult to explain what it feels like to drive cars like this after three months. It's a shock," said Sainz.

"The races will not be as much fun because of the problem we have to follow, but I think 2020 will probably be the fastest Formula 1 in history. They are real beasts," he said.

Haas driver Kevin Magnussen told BT newspaper: "These cars are extremely fast.

"I was flat out in turn 9 on the second lap, which is pretty unimaginable."

Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas agrees: "By the last hour I could feel my neck.

"No matter how much you train, you feel it. The second week is usually much easier."

As ever, after a winter of no track action, the media was quick to begin to interpret the laptimes. "You can't read so much into it yet," Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, whose cars were at the top, told RTL.

For the record, the new Ferrari was 1.3 seconds off the pace on day one, with Charles Leclerc declaring it is "hard to say" if the team has taken a step forward.

Wolff says Mercedes is looking more closely at Red Bull.

"If he wins, Max will be the youngest world champion and I think Red Bull and Helmut (Marko) are very keen on that," he said.

"I think Red Bull will be the team that will concentrate the most on 2020," added Wolff, referring to the huge regulation changes for 2021.

amp_article__390242 : Database Data restored...  : 
last updated article - 2020-02-20 06:11:52:
html db last update - 2020-02-20 06:11:52 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html

Click here for more stories about Toto Wolff

Click here for more stories about Mercedes

Share this article now:
Recommended Next on SM
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool108111961325
2Manchester CityMan City1072121111023
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest10541147719
4Chelsea105322012818
5Arsenal105321711618
6Aston Villa105321715218
7Tottenham HotspurSpurs1051422111116
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton104421714316
9Fulham104331413115
10Bournemouth104331312115
11Newcastle UnitedNewcastle104331010015
12Brentford104151920-113
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd10334912-312
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham103251319-611
15Leicester CityLeicester102441418-410
16Everton102351017-79
17Crystal Palace10145813-57
18Ipswich TownIpswich100551021-115
19Southampton10118719-124
20Wolverhampton WanderersWolves100371427-133
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.



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