Inspired by Senna: Hamilton targets third drivers’ title this season

Mercedes driver motivated ahead of season-opening Australian GP.

MELBOURNE: World champion Lewis Hamilton said on Thursday he was already dreaming of emulating the late Formula One great Ayrton Senna by winning his third drivers’ title this season.

Hamilton, racing with dominant team Mercedes, is the pre-season favourite and he said it had been his ambition since childhood to match his “favourite driver”.

“I would say that I always wanted to do what Senna did,” the 30-year-old Briton told reporters in Melbourne ahead of the year’s first race, the Australian Grand Prix.

“Senna was my favourite driver and I guess as a kid I always wanted to emulate him.”

Hamilton ended a six-year wait for his second world title last year and his biggest rival in this year’s championship is expected to be his teammate, Nico Rosberg.

Brazilian legend Senna won championships in 1988, 1990 and 1991 before his life was tragically cut short when he crashed at the San Marino Grand Prix in 1994.

Speculation over Hamilton’s future could be one distraction with his contract due to expire this year and reports of an approach by Ferrari.

He said discussions over a new deal with Mercedes were going well, but that nothing had been signed. “I don’t really know what to say. It’s going good. It’s not signed yet.”

Hamilton added that he did not place any extra importance on a good start to the season this year, after he had to retire from the 2014 Australian race with mechanical problems.

‘Red Bull have plan to beat Mercedes’

Daniel Ricciardo says Red Bull have confidence, reliability and “a plan” to beat the Mercedes pair Hamilton and Rosberg in the new Formula One season, starting with the Australian Grand Prix.

The Australian is now Red Bull’s lead driver after the defection of four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel to Ferrari and he is confident the team can recapture old glories.

Ricciardo launched his 2014 season by finishing second in Melbourne, only for officials to disqualify him over a technical infringement.

Twelve months on and Red Bull are in a better place after testing and ready to throw down the gauntlet to Mercedes, he said.

Mercedes won the constructors’ championship last season and although Red Bull were runners-up they were still nearly 300 points behind.

“If you look back on last year for sure we’re in a better position this year,” said Ricciardo. “We’re coming here this weekend with a lot more confidence and reliability and we’ve actually got a plan for Sunday where last year it was a case of putting the car on the track and hope to see the chequered flag.”

Vettel vows no Raikkonen run-ins

Vettel played down fears he could fall out with new teammate Kimi Raikkonen after his big switch to Ferrari this season.

“To be honest, no. I’ve known Raikkonen for a while now. I think we respect each other, he’s very straightforward, honest which I appreciate a lot,” said Vettel of the Finn. “For sure, we try and beat each other on the track which is normal but if there are some issues I think we are old enough to talk about it and sort it out.”

Sauber lose driver line-up appeal

Formula One minnows Sauber on Thursday lost their appeal against a court ruling that ordered them to allow Giedo van der Garde to drive in the season-opening race.

The decision in the Victoria Supreme Court throws their preparations into chaos, with the Swiss team claiming it would be unsafe to let him take part. 

Published in The Express Tribune, March  13^th,  2015.

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