F1 Australian Grand Prix 2023 news: Lewis Hamilton tipped to stay at Mercedes, Daniel Ricciardo in Aussie Outback video
Lewis Hamilton is chasing a record eighth world title – but with Mercedes already conceding defeat this season, where does his future lie? Here’s the latest.
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With Mercedes already conceding defeat to Red Bull this season, Lewis Hamilton’s future at the Brackley team has come under scrutiny – but he’s not going anywhere, says Sky Sports F1 Commentator David Croft.
Hamilton has made it clear he’s chasing a record eighth world championship that would put him out in front of the legendary Michael Schumacher as the most successful driver in the sport’s history.
But Mercedes looks severely outmatched by Red Bull in 2023 and both Hamilton and team boss Toto Wolff have been honest in their appraisal – they cannot challenge this year.
With Hamilton’s contract yet to be extended beyond this season speculation he could look elsewhere for a championship-contending car has heightened.
But Croft believes the Briton will stay at Mercedes, where he has built a legacy that extends beyond the track.
“I don’t see him leaving Mercedes – where would he go?” Croft told News Corp Australia.
“He can’t go to Red Bull – as Christian Horner said, they’ve got drivers under contract.
“He wouldn’t go from Mercedes to Ferrari, even though the company car might be lovely.
“I think he’ll want to stay at Mercedes and help them get back to their former glory and he’ll be looking at a career beyond F1 driving as well.
“I think everything points toward Mercedes.
“I don’t see his contract negotiations being much of a problem – certainly not in the money that’s being offered. What’s being discussed are details over how they can work together off the track on things like the Hamilton Commission and things Lewis has invested his time and energy and morals into.”
Fernando Alonso’s success beyond the age of 40 has also opened the door for Hamilton to remain on the grid even longer than otherwise anticipated and Croft can see the boy from Stevenage sticking around.
“He’ll stay at Mercedes and you know what, might even stay at Mercedes as a driver longer than we think,” Croft said.
“He’s come that close to an eighth world title, he will want to give it everything to make sure that it is one day his.”
RICCIARDO STUNS IN AUSSIE OUTBACK MOTOR MASH-UP VID
Fan-favourite Formula One star Daniel Ricciardo has swapped asphalt for the Australian Outback in an awe-inspiring motor mash-up featuring a who’s-who of Aussies within the Red Bull stable.
He may be missing from the starting grid at Albert Park this weekend, but the eight-time race winner has heightened anticipation for the Australian Grand Prix with a thrilling cross-country road trip in the F1 championship-winning RB7.
In the nine-minute clip released on Monday by Red Bull, Ricciardo raids a dusty RB7 from his tractor shed outside of Perth and sends it inland, where he meets up with Aussie Rally Raid star Daniel Sanders for a straight-line test in the Northern Territory.
After a quick pitstop in Broken Hill for some softs, Ricciardo winds his way to Wollongong and the scenic Sea Cliff Bridge, where Red Bull Air Race pilot Matt Hall joins in on the fun with a thrilling aerial smoke show.
Then it’s north to the Queensland Outback and a rendezvous with Red Bull’s two-time Dakar Rally champion, Toby Price.
Price puts Ricciardo and the RB7’s cornering through its paces on a treacherous dirt track featuring drop bears, bush chooks and kangaroos in a scenic sight for sore eyes.
But the Aussie road trip would not be complete without a trip to Mount Panorama – and after a short servo stop for a Red Bull, Ricciardo straps on his newfound wings and floors it to Bathurst and a date with reigning Supercars champion, Shane van Gisbergen.
It’s the match made in motorsport heaven that Aussie rev heads have long held out hope for, and boy was it worth the wait.
Jamie Whincup unleashes the RB7 with a wave and Ricciardo links up on-track with reigning Bathurst 1000 champion van Gisbergen, who shows the wide-eyed West Australian the proper racing line courtesy of his Gen3 Chevrolet Camaro Supercar.
Two minutes of motor madness ensues with the cream of the Red Bull crop ripping around Mount Panorama, in an early coming together of F1 and Supercars ahead of their shared race weekend at Albert Park.
He may be gone from the F1 grid – for now – but Ricciardo and Red Bull have ensured the affable Aussie is not yet forgotten, as the eyes of the motorsport world turn to Melbourne this weekend.
WAS PIASTRI WRONG TO LEAVE ALPINE FOR MCLAREN?
Australian Formula One rookie Oscar Piastri is “the real deal” but a points finish in his home debut at Albert Park will be a tall order says Sky Sports F1 Commentator David Croft.
Despite disastrous luck in his two F1 starts so far Piastri has still done enough to impress the eagle-eyed Croft, who believes the young Aussie will seriously challenge superstar McLaren teammate Lando Norris this year.
“Wherever McLaren finishes I still think it’s a great little dynamic between a driver like Lando – who has proved he’s absolutely sensational on his day – and Oscar, who I believe will delight us for many years to come and prove time and again that’s he’s sensational on his day,” Croft told News Corp Australia.
“I think he will keep Lando honest this year and they’ll be very close on the track a lot of the time. That’s not because I think Lando has lost anything, it’s because I actually think Oscar is that good – I really do.
“He’s one of the most exciting rookies I think to make a debut in F1 in some time.”
Piastri’s manager Mark Webber famously marked his F1 debut with a fifth-place finish in Melbourne way back in 2002.
Both Webber and fellow Aussie Daniel Ricciardo have enjoyed a plethora of points finishes at Albert Park over the past two decades and now the onus is on Melbourne-born Piastri to carry the torch in his hometown.
“It’s always good to have a hometown hero racing in a Grand Prix,” Croft said.
“Whilst Daniel Ricciardo has taken on a huge amount of attention at Albert Park over the years, I’m led to believe Perth is a couple of miles away from Melbourne – though he is an Aussie hero and will be a very busy man, even though he’s not racing this weekend.
“But Oscar is a Melbourne boy, he grew up just a few minutes’ walk away and he’s been going to Albert Park since he was a little lad and I think it’s brilliant.
“You have that hometown hero to delight the fans and ignite the passion, not that it needs much igniting at Albert Park. It’s one of the most passionate, noisy crowds we see year to year.”
But Piastri’s chances of emulating Webber and Ricciardo this weekend are not great.
McLaren has endured its worst start to a season since 2017 and sits last in the constructors’ standings after failing to grab a single point across the opening two races of the season.
Last time out in Saudi Arabia, Piastri and Norris both endured front wing damage on the opening lap which cruelled any chance at cracking the top-10.
Piastri sparkled in qualifying to start P8 on the grid before disaster struck, so there is the possibility of pace in the papaya – at least over one lap.
But the McLaren’s race pace is still unknown, though if you listen to the drivers and team it’s nothing close to a contending car.
And Croft agrees.
“He’s not been given a car that’s going to enable him to go for points on a regular basis, but I think he’ll get as much as he can out of it,” he said.
“I’d love for Oscar to get his first points in Formula One at Albert Park (but) I think it’s a tough ask.
“That midfield battle is so tight and I don’t think McLaren have given him the car to make it comfortable.”
Regardless of the early struggles, Croft believes Piastri made the right call in leaving Alpine for McLaren – even if the young Aussie has to endure some early career pain.
“I think he’s a fabulous driver in the making and whilst it might look in the short term that the decision to leave Alpine and go to McLaren is the wrong one, I think in the long term it will be fine and he will have gone to the right team.”
HONOURARY AUSSIE DELIGHTS IN SUPERCAR
Valtteri Bottas continues to endear himself to the Australian public after thrashing a former Bathurst-winning Commodore around a shortened Adelaide Parklands Circuit at the weekend.
The 33-year-old Alfa Romeo Formula One driver made a quick stop at the Adelaide Motorsport Festival, where he joined Supercars legend Craig Lowndes on track for a delightful demonstration.
Bottas put the 2016 Bathurst 1000-winning Tekno VF Commodore through its paces and clearly enjoyed himself in the wet, putting in some circle work at the final corner of the circuit.
Bottas is dating Australian cyclist and Tokyo 2020 Olympian Tiffany Cromwell and the pair spent time in Adelaide during the F1 off-season.
The Finnish driver has earned more than his fair share of Aussie fans in recent times due to his larrikin personality, moustache-mullet combo and shared initials with famous Australian beer brand, Victorian Bitter.
Oscar Piastri might have competition for fan-favourite at the Australian Grand Prix this weekend in the form of the 10-time Grand Prix winner, who incidentally won at Albert Park in 2019.
PORTUGUESE GP DISASTER
Aussie Moto3 rider Joel Kelso will leave Portugal with a ninth-place finish and broken ankle after a horror post-race crash in the season opener on Sunday.
KTM rider Daniel Holgado rolled off to celebrate his victory but was soon struck from behind by Kelso, who seemingly did not see the race winner change his line soon after meeting the chequered flag.
Kelso was thrown from his bike and landed awkwardly on his feet before skidding across the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve track.
Holgardo was able to stay on his bike and remained uninjured, however Kelso was rushed to the circuit’s medical centre for tests.
The Aussie later shared a post on social media with ice on both of his ankles.
“Thanks everyone for the messages! I will give an update when I can!” the CFMoto driver wrote on Instagram.
Originally published as F1 Australian Grand Prix 2023 news: Lewis Hamilton tipped to stay at Mercedes, Daniel Ricciardo in Aussie Outback video
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