Latest news with #Ex-FormulaOne
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
'Lewis Hamilton has Michael Schumacher problem and Ferrari can't rely on him'
Lewis Hamilton has endured a tough start to life at Ferrari, with the British driver failing to finish on the podium in the first nine races of the 2025 F1 season Ex-Formula One star Johnny Herbert has labelled Lewis Hamilton unreliable, cautioning Ferrari that the Brit's current struggles echo Michael Schumacher's unsuccessful racing comeback. The seven-time world champion joined F1's most successful team amid much hype at the start of the 2025 season. However, the initial excitement quickly faded as the races progressed, with Hamilton's best finish to date being a fourth place at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. The F1 legend was noticeably downcast after the Spanish Grand Prix, where he came in sixth on Sunday, describing it as the "worst race I've experienced, balance-wise." Being in the sport for nearly 19 years is an accomplishment in itself, but dominating for most of those years is another achievement altogether. While he found it tough to compete with Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren in his final three years with Mercedes, it's this year that some, notably Herbert, have started questioning whether Hamilton's reign at the top of the sport has come to an end. "It just looks like Lewis Hamilton is lost, really lost," Herbert commented, speaking to InstantWithdrawalBettingSites. "I don't know if the raw pace that he's always had throughout his career is there anymore. "I thought, with the pure racing skill Hamilton had, he'd be able to drive around any problems with the car but he seems stuck in a hole. It's not nice to see. It's not the first time we've seen it in the sport, though." Herbert drew parallels between Hamilton's current form and Schumacher's post-comeback struggles, recalling how the German legend didn't reach his previous heights after returning to the sport with Mercedes. Herbert, who clinched three Grand Prix victories in his career, reflected on past champions' comebacks, said: "Nigel Mansell won his championship in 1992, went to America in 1993, came back in 1994 and it didn't work anymore for him. "It happened with Michael Schumacher too, when he had his break and came back, then he wasn't the same Schumacher as before. You're always going to have your peak and an end of your peak. It's not nice to see. "I know Charles Leclerc is not happy with the car either, but at least he's getting podium finishes consistently. There have been a couple of poor decisions in Ferrari's strategy and poor communication over the radio, Hamilton doesn't have the synergy with his engineer that he needs. He hasn't found his comfort zone since the sprint win in China." Hamilton's performances has been overshadowed by team-mate Leclerc, with Herbert pointing out that Ferrari can no longer rely on the Brit on the basis of what's he done in the first nine races of the campaign. "Sometimes you don't realise when it's not as easy as it was before, but when you look across the garage and your teammate is outperforming you, then it may click. "The greats of the sport, at their peak, get the best out of their car. Max Verstappen is doing it right now. Hamilton just can't seem to get the extra he needs anymore. He won't understand why he can't, because he'll feel like he should be able to. "But, Leclerc is outperforming you in the same car. Leclerc is only going to grow and is in control of Ferrari's future. He's the guy they can rely on, Ferrari can't rely on Lewis Hamilton at this point. It's horrible to say but it's the truth."
New York Times
20-03-2025
- Automotive
- New York Times
Ex-F1 team owner Eddie Jordan dies aged 76 following cancer diagnosis
Ex-Formula One team owner Eddie Jordan has died at the age of 76 following a battle with cancer. Jordan was the owner of his eponymous F1 team, Jordan Grand Prix, and later became known for his work as a TV pundit in the United Kingdom. The Irishman revealed last December in his podcast with former driver David Coulthard, Formula For Success, that he had been diagnosed with liver and bladder cancer which had spread to his spine and pelvis, and was 'quite aggressive.' Advertisement On Thursday, Jordan's family issued a statement to the BBC confirming that he had passed away. 'It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Eddie Jordan OBE, the ex-Formula One team owner, TV pundit and entrepreneur,' read the statement. 'He passed away peacefully with family by his side in Cape Town in the early hours of 20 March 2025.' F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali paid tribute to Jordan in a statement, saying: 'With his inexhaustible energy, he always knew how to make people smile, remaining genuine and brilliant at all times. Eddie has been a protagonist of an era of F1 and he will be deeply missed. 'In this moment of sorrow, my thoughts and those of the entire Formula 1 family are with his family and loved ones.' After fielding a team in junior motorsport categories, Jordan established his F1 team in 1991, finishing fifth in the championship in its first year. Jordan notably gave future world champion Michael Schumacher his F1 debut at that year's Belgian Grand Prix after Betrand Gachot was imprisoned in London for attacking a taxi driver, meaning a stand-in was required. It would be Schumacher's only appearance for Jordan before his move to Benetton for the next race. Jordan scored its first F1 victory in a rain-hit race at Spa in 1998 as 1996 world champion Damon Hill led home teammate Ralf Schumacher for a 1-2 finish. The following year would be Jordan's most successful F1 season as Heinz-Harald Frentzen became a regular front-runner, scoring two wins as the team finished third in the constructors' standings. That was the high point for Jordan in F1, which scored its final race win with Giancarlo Fisichella at the 2003 Brazilian Grand Prix. As it struggled financially, the team was sold by Eddie Jordan to the Midland Group ahead of the 2005 season, and stopped using the Jordan name from 2006. Advertisement Despite selling his team, Jordan remained heavily involved in F1, working as a pundit for BBC Sport when it gained the F1 rights in 2009. He was the first major pundit to claim that Lewis Hamilton would leave McLaren in 2012 to join Mercedes, three weeks before the deal was formally confirmed. Jordan moved with the F1 rights from the BBC to Channel 4 in 2016, and had a brief stint as part of the Top Gear presenting line-up, as well as launching his podcast with Coulthard two years ago. Jordan also served as the manager for legendary F1 designer Adrian Newey, who hailed Jordan's work after announcing his move from Red Bull to Aston Martin last year. Earlier this year, Jordan was part of a consortium that bought out the London Irish rugby team from administration with plans to revive the club in the near future.
