SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2018 20

Ferrari plan for long-term with Leclerc signing Raikkonen edges Hamilton Vettel hits wall in GP Practice AFP | Singapore

imi Raikkonen edged out to the Kfastest lap in yesterday’s second practice for the Singa- pore Grand Prix, but the Finn’s Ferrari teammate Sebastian Vet- tel had his session cut short after he smacked a wall. Raikkonen, who will leave Ferrari for Sauber at the end of the season, sped round in 1 min- ute 38.699 seconds, almost a sec- ond quicker than last year’s pole Reuters | Singapore position time, and then warned he could go even faster. errari team principal “For sure in the second ses- FMaurizio Arrivabene sion I could have driven a bit has said the decision to better,” the 38-year-old former replace the experience world champion told reporters. of Kimi Raikkonen with “I went on the kerbs on the the raw talent of Charles fastest lap so we lost quite a bit Leclerc for next season of time, but overall it was pretty was made with the long- easy going.” term future of the team in Championship leader Hamil- mind. ton was just 0.011 seconds adrift Leclerc has impressed in of Raikkonen after bolting on his first season the fastest hypersoft tyres for at the modest Sauber team the night session on the spectac- and the 20-year-old Ferra- ular Marina Bay street circuit. Ferrari’s Finnish driver Kimi Raikkonen drives at the Marina Bay Street Circuit during the first practice session ri academy graduate from Mercedes, who usually strug- Monaco was announced gle for pace in Singapore, had It meant the German, who is ond for the past three years in a nen at the Marinello team for earlier this week as quad- elected not to use the quickest 30 points behind Hamilton in row, had led a Red Bull one-two 2019, misjudged his exit and ruple world champion Se- compound in the first session, in the standings with seven races in first practice. clipped the wall hard at turn 13, bastian Vettel’s team mate which Hamilton finished sixth. to go, was only able to complete We were close to But Verstappen said he did not destroyed his right front wheel from 2019. “We were close to the Ferraris, 11 laps under lights in race-sim- the Ferraris, but we think the Red Bulls had a quick and suspension. Speaking to reporters but we will only find out tomor- ulation conditions. enough package to challenge The Marina Bay track has 23 at the Singapore Grand row how quick they really are,” will only find out Ferrari and Mercedes for pole corners -- more than any oth- Prix yesterday, Arrivabene said four-time world champion ‘Crazy hot’ tomorrow how quick position in Saturday’s qualifying. er on the current Formula One stressed he was the driving Hamilton, who finished more But Vettel denied the setback they really are “I think we can still improve calendar -- and is a severe test force behind the decision than half a second ahead of the would hamper him in Sunday’s LEWIS HAMILTON with the car,” Verstappen said. for both drivers and cars, with to hire Leclerc, feeling that Red Bulls of race. “I don’t think we have the pace temperatures regularly topping Raikkonen’s subsequent and . “No not at all,” he told report- to fight for pole, but we’ll try to 30 Celsius during the night race. move in the opposite direc- Vettel limped back to the pits ers. “By now I think you have Valtteri Bottas was fifth in the optimise the car a bit more.” “The track is incredible,” said tion had worked best for all only ninth fastest with fluid quite good experience reading second Mercedes, less than a Ferrari’s new signing Charles Hamilton. “We’re a lot quick- concerned. pouring from a hydraulic pipe into the others, what they did tenth of a second behind Ric- Leclerc had a moment to for- er than we were last year, but “When you make choic- after he bounced off the wall and reading into their runs with ciardo, with the Renault of Car- get when he crashed his Sauber that also makes the lap so much es like this, that are relat- and damaged his right rear and tyres which will obviously be los Sainz sixth. near the end of the first session. harder with G forces and it is ed to the driver, you don’t front wheels with 40 minutes of key for Sunday, but we can re- Earlier Singapore specialist The 20-year-old from Mona- crazy hot. In the second session, only have to make a short- the session remaining. cover most of it tomorrow.” Ricciardo, who has finished sec- co, who will replace Raikko - I think I lost almost two kilos.” term commitment but a long-term one,” Arrivabene said. “We are not only look- ing ahead to next year, we are looking into the future, Wehrlein a free agent after Mercedes deal ends that being the future of the team. Reuters | Singapore motorsport head in funct Manor Racing in 2016 and interest in taking Mercedes-con- expires at the end of the 2018 “This was a decision tak- a statement at the Singapore then switching to Swiss-based tracted drivers. season and we have jointly de- en by me, discussed with ercedes will not renew Grand Prix yesterday. Sauber for 2017. Despite scoring Mercedes, who have four- cided not to continue further to- the top management and MPascal Wehrlein’s contract “In his best interests, we have all of Sauber’s five points last times world champion Lewis gether,” said Wehrlein, the 2015 taking into consideration at the end of the year, leaving therefore decided together with year, he was not retained by a Hamilton and Finland’s Valt- German Touring Car ( DTM) many, many factors. It has the German ex-Formula One Pascal not to extend our agree- team under new management teri Bottas in their factory line- champion who is racing in that nothing to do with the re- driver free to negotiate with ri- ment and to give him the best and with close links to Ferrari. up, are also seeking seats for series again this year. spect I have for Kimi as both val teams. chance of securing an oppor- Most of the vacancies remain- Frenchman and “I am looking for new op - a human being and as a driv- “Unfortunately, we couldn’t tunity elsewhere that his talent ing in Formula One for next sea- Britain’s leader portunities, and am currently er,” he added of the 38-year- offer Pascal a competitive drive merits.” son are at teams, such as Red George Russell. talking to other teams about a old Finn. for next year,” said Mercedes Wehrlein raced for now-de- Bull-owned Toro Rosso, with no “My contract with Mercedes cockpit for next season.” Formula One unveils 2021 concept cars to improve racing

AFP | Singapore “I’m pretty optimistic we are Brawn. going to produce some great “Once the cars get within a ormula One yesterday un- looking cars that are going to few car lengths of each other, Fveiled plans for futuristic be able to race each other more they lose 50 per cent of their new cars to be used from the closely,” Brawn said. downforce.” 2021 season to improve rac - The former Mercedes team Brawn showed three different ing and be more attractive to principal said he had been work- concept designs and said the fans. ing with teams and motorsport 2021 cars would incorporate the Ross Brawn, Formula One’s governing body FIA to develop best features from all of them. managing director of motor- new aerodynamics that would The unveiling came days after sports, told reporters at the enable cars to follow each other designs had been leaked on so- that the at shorter distances without a cial media. intention was to develop cars loss of performance. The three design concepts that are “more raceable” and “What we established early include simpler front and rear that fans would be eager to stick on in our research is the cars wings and a sweeping integrated pictures of the new vehicles up we have now are very bad in halo cockpit protection system on their walls. 2021 concept cars following each other,” said to improve aesthetics.

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