It’s been another busy day in the world of Formula 1, full of key talking points to sink your teeth into.
Former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has given his response to Felipe Massa as the legal case over his 2008 title defeat to Lewis Hamilton continues to intensify, while multiple race winner Gerhard Berger has discussed how a battle between Hamilton and Max Verstappen in the same car would have worked.
So let us fill you in on all the action…
Bernie Ecclestone counters Felipe Massa with Lewis Hamilton’s claim
Massa is on the hunt for compensation after Ecclestone’s 2008 World Championship bombshell, the former F1 boss revealing that the result of that year’s Singapore Grand Prix should have been annulled due to the ‘crashgate’ scandal , a title battle that Massa ultimately lost by one point to Hamilton.
But Ecclestone said Hamilton could easily go this route regarding his controversial 2021 Abu Dhabi title defeat to Verstappen.
“The Massa clan is only there for the money. But the chances of that happening are zero,” Ecclestone told Swiss newspaper Blick.
“Laws against the FIA could have been brought by Hamilton to Mercedes after the not-so-clean finish to 2021 in Abu Dhabi.”
to know more: Bernie Ecclestone lashes out over Massa case: ‘Hamilton could have sued after Abu Dhabi’
Gerhard Berger joins the Max Verstappen vs Lewis Hamilton debate
It’s extremely unlikely that we’ll ever see Verstappen and Hamilton compete in the same F1 car, but with Hamilton having signed a contract extension with Mercedes until the end of 2025 and Verstappen committed to Red Bull until 2028, let’s hope they haven’t seen the end of their battles on the track.
But if we fantasized about those two being teammates, who would win? Over to you Gerhard Berger.
“It’s a question of age, in this case, I would say,” Berger said on the F1 Nation podcast.
“Lewis is an exceptional driver, one of the best I’ve ever seen in this industry. But Max is on his way to becoming the best, maybe he already is.”
to know more: Max Verstappen winner vs Lewis Hamilton in same car ‘a question of age’
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Helmut Marko to deflect Sergio Perez’s controversial questions
As Red Bull headed to Singapore, their advisor Marko faced questions over his controversial statement to Red Bull-owned station Servus TV that Perez is not as focused as Verstappen or four-time Red Bull champion Sebastian Vettel due to fact of being “South American”.
Marko has apologized for these comments, but if he comes under further pressure in Singapore, he will not receive a response.
“If there are any questions about it, I won’t answer them. I will only talk about sporting issues,” Marko told German publication F1-Insider.
to know more: Helmut Marko will now only deal with ‘sporting issues’ after the controversy over Sergio Perez
Lando Norris has been given a warning as rumors of McLaren’s exit persist
One of the drivers potentially putting pressure on Perez’s place at Red Bull beyond F1 2024 is Norris, the McLaren driver constantly linked to the Red Bull switch despite being under contract with McLaren until the end of 2025.
Marko saying he can imagine Norris as Verstappen’s future teammate only added fuel to the fire.
But former F1 driver David Kennedy believes Norris would be better off staying.
“You’re looking at one of the biggest teams there is,” the Irishman told PlanetF1.com in an exclusive interview.
“A driver will also get a comfort factor for the people working around him. If he leaves the team now… he knows they’re on the rise, they know they’re moving forward. It’s very difficult for a driver and I think sometimes it’s a bit silly to think you can get out of it.
“We have seen [Fernando] Alonso makes this mistake many times: leaving when the team begins to recover.”
to know more: Lando Norris warned against making the same mistake Fernando Alonso made ‘so many times’
McLaren unveils special livery for upcoming F1 rounds
As for the here and now when it comes to Norris, the McLaren MCL60 when he drives it in Singapore this weekend will look a little different.
That’s because McLaren has revealed the ‘stealth mode’ livery that will adorn the MCL60 for the Singapore and Japan rounds.
to know more: McLaren unveils special ‘stealth mode’ livery for Singapore and Japanese Grands Prix
Read later: AlphaTauri confirms the return of Daniel Ricciardo to the “engineering” presence in Singapore
The article Bernie Ecclestone responds to Felipe Massa as he discussed Lewis Hamilton’s ‘age’: F1 news roundup appeared first on Planetf1.com.