New Car on Track As Champions Mercedes Warn of Tough Challenge
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SATURDAY 15 FEBRUARY 2020 SPORTSPORT 17 FOOTBALL SWIMMING I can't say 100% right now that he's (Neymar) going to Ooredoo Cup FINA /CNSG play against Dortmund. We won't take any risks against Amiens, that's for sure. We need to be careful, we can't risk Quarter-finals Marathon Swim the player's health. We have a responsibility. It's a medical Qatar SC vs Al Sadd World Series Doha ACTION decision, the risk is too big: PSG Coach Thomas Tuchel TODAY’S Al Khor vs Al Rayyan 2020 at Katara Hamilton sees young rivals’ talk as sign of weakness World Champion Lewis REUTERS – LONDON Hamilton driving the new Mercedes W11 during its maiden run at the Lewis Hamilton said he was amused by younger Silverstone Race Track, rivals talking up their chances as his Mercedes yesterday. Formula One team unveiled the new car that could make him a seven-times world champion this season. The 35-year-old Briton pointed to Finnish team mate Valtteri Bottas, handed the first laps in the sleek W11 car at a private shakedown session at Silver- stone circuit yesterday, when asked who would be New car on track as champions his biggest challenger. Red Bull’s Dutch driver Max Verstappen and Fer- rari’s Monegasque Charles Leclerc, both 22 years old, are hungry to seize Hamilton’s crown but the Mercedes warn of tough challenge reigning champion said he was relaxed. “I find it funny seeing that,” he replied when asked about the ‘bit of chat’ from rivals. “I’ve just REUTERS – LONDON always known to do my talking on the track. Often Vandoorne named Mercedes' reserve driver I tend to see that (talk) as a sign of weakness.” Lewis Hamilton did his first laps Verstappen told reporters this month that “Lewis yesterday in the Mercedes that REUTERS – LONDON 2013-16 and also has simulator and development is very good. He is definitely one of the best out there, could take him to a record- duties, on race weekends. but he’s not God. Maybe God is with him, but he is equalling seventh Formula One Former McLaren driver Stoffel Vandoorne will be French driver Esteban Ocon was the Mercedes not God.” title this season, but team bosses an official reserve for Mercedes in Formula One this reserve last season but he is now racing for Renault. Mercedes have won both titles for the past six warned of a tough battle right from season while also competing in the all-electric Formula E has three calendar clashes with seasons, an unprecedented feat, with Hamilton the start. Formula E series, the team announced. Formula One this season. beaten only by now-retired team mate Nico Rosberg The Briton and Finnish team The 27-year-old Belgian, who left McLaren The race in Rome is scheduled for the same in 2016, but this season could be the toughest yet. mate Valtteri Bottas put in the first at the end of 2018 after starting 41 grands prix, weekend as the Vietnamese Grand Prix on April 5, The regulations are essentially the same, allowing laps in a 100km private filming day is leading the Formula E standings after three Seoul coincides with the Dutch GP at Zandvoort on rivals a chance to close the gap further, and Red Bull at Silverstone circuit before official rounds and competing in Mexico City this May 3 and Jakarta’s debut clashes with the Baku and runners-up Ferrari both have a more settled testing starts in Spain next week. weekend. Grand Prix on June 7. driver line-up after making changes in 2019. Technical director James He will share duties with Mexican Esteban Guti- Both series have called off races in China due to Hamilton warned in January that he was going Allison said the team had been errez, who raced for Sauber and Haas between the coronavirus. to be on another level this year and would be “a bold in boosting aerodynamic per- machine” once the season started. formance in several key areas and He also said on Instagram that his winter training improved the cooling package that There will be no room for making put a lot of focus on 2020 and battling an unexpected reliability had been “one of the best” and he had lost five kilos caused problems in hot tempera- mistakes.” there will be teams that will start issue then it will very quickly compared to the same time last year. tures last season. Mercedes won the first eight to shift their resources into 2021. hollow out our programme and The Briton is startingggy his eighth year with the Allison warned, however, that races last year, a devastating blow Getting that balance right will be leave us quite short of experiencexperience MercedesMercedes wworksorks teateamm aandnd he they had to hit the ground running. for Ferrari who had looked the very important, but that’s not an by the time we get toto said the buzz around the “We had a very golden start to faster team in testing with better easy thing to do,” he said. Melbourne. factoryfactory was the same as last year where we managed to straight line speed. There is also less pre-season “This has given us increasedncreased ever.ever. secure a lead in the championship The regulations are largely testing, with only six days of track impetus to ensure that we’vewe’ve hadhad that made it very difficult for our unchanged, with a massive shake- time before the March 15 opener a good off season in the factoryfactory so opposition to make any inroads in up planned for 2021, which has in Australia, putting a premium on that when we hit the trackck every-every- the second half of the year,” said given others hope of ending Mer- getting the fundamentals right. thing works, leaving us too focus on Allison. cedes’ run of six successive drivers’ “If we do a good job with our making it fast.” “But in that second half, both and constructors’ titles. designs and if we’ve done a good Allison said upgradeses for Ferrari and Red Bull certainly Team boss Toto Wolff said the job in our bench testing and prep- Melbourne would comee at closed us down in terms of demands of preparing for next aration of the car, then we should the second test in Bar-- Lewis competitiveness. year while developing the 2020 be able to get through our pro- celona but there wouldd Hamilton “We’re expecting 2020 to pick car would be particularly grammes in those six days in an be no significant aerody- up right where 2019 left off with a challenging. organised fashion,” said Allison. namic changes, unlike three-way fight from the outset. “There will be teams that will “But if we find ourselves 2019. NHL: Lightning Jayson Tatum (right) of the No ‘Plan B’; questions extend win Boston Celtics drives against streak to 9 Landry Shamet over Chinese presence of the LA AGENCIES – TAMPA Clippers during their NBA at Tokyo Olympics Yanni Gourde broke a second- game played period tie with a short- at TD Garden AP – TOKYO Coates was asked by a CNN handed game-winner as in Boston, on reporter if he was 100% confident Tampa Bay beat the visiting Thursday. Tokyo Olympic organizers and the that the Tokyo Olympics would go Edmonton Oilers 3-1 on International Olympic Committee on as scheduled and open on July Thursday night, extending the said yesterday there is no “Plan B” 24. “Yes,” he replied. Lightning’s winning streak to for the 2020 Games, which open in Coates talked positively about an NHL-high nine games. just over five months and have been keeping a close watch on Chinese Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy jolted by the outbreak of a virus in athletes, and talked optimistically made 29 saves for his league- neighboring China. about their eventual presence in best 31st win and ran his point The coronavirus has infected Tokyo, where they would probably streak to 20 contests (18-0-2) almost 64,000 people globally with field a team of 600 athletes - one of for the Lightning, who won for almost 1,400 deaths in China, but the largest delegations. the 10th consecutive time at only one in Japan where fear is rising “We continue also to monitor, home -- tying the franchise with so much attention focused on particularly the Chinese that will be record. the outbreak. coming here,” Coates said. “You’ll Golden Knights 6, Blues “Certainly the advice we’re find that the Chinese teams are 5 (OT) received externally from the WHO mostly out of China. That’s the ath- Jonathan Marchessault (World Health Organization) is that letes and officials.” scored two goals, including there’s no case for any contingency He didn’t offer any specific the game-winner on a power plans or cancelling the games or numbers. play in overtime, to lead Tatum scores 39 as Celtics stop moving the games,” John Coates, the Others away from the Olympic Vegas past St. Louis in Las head of an IOC inspection team, said circle are uncertain what course the Vegas. to wrap up a two-day visit that was virus outbreak will take. Vegas’ Max Pacioretty also Clippers in double overtime dominated by the virus issue. “Frankly speaking, there is no scored twice, his 49th career Coates and Tokyo Olympic guarantee that the outbreak will two-goal game, and Nate AFP – WASHINGTON Tatum’s hot night came on the last night of contests organisers took 11 questions at a come to an end before the Olympics Schmidt and Alex Tuch also after a 5-for-15 shooting before the NBA All-Star news conference yesterday.