In the round-up: Lewis Hamilton was downbeat after ending his season with “two really bad races.”
In brief
Hamilton expects Red Bull to stay ahead in 2024
Hamilton noted the ease with which Max Verstappen scored Red Bull’s 21st win of the season and predicted there will be more to come next year.
“Red Bull won by 17 seconds and they’ve not touched the car since August or July, so I can pretty much guess where they’re going to be next year,” he said.
However he was pleased to help Mercedes secure second place in the constructors’ championship, one position higher than they finished last year. “I’m really happy for the team,” he said. “We’ve had great reliability and they’ve done a great job.”
Ocon hoping to be fully fit for test
Esteban Ocon says it is important he is back at full fitness for tomorrow’s test at Yas Marina, having been unwell during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend.
“I’m probably in 98 [percent] now,” he said on Sunday night. “I was probably 85 yesterday, so it’s going in the right curve.
“The biggest challenge is always a test, the whole day in the car when you don’t feel great. And that’s going to happen on Tuesday. So I’m glad that I’m starting to feel better because it would be quite a tough one. I’ll do that on Tuesday.
“Looking at how we struggled this weekend, it’s going to be a very important test for us. So looking forward to see what we can extract out of that.”
Buscombe moving on
Following Sunday’s race Alfa Romeo’s head of race strategy Ruth Buscombe confirmed she will leave the Sauber-run team at the end of the year.
“I can finally say that right now I’m sitting on my pit wall at Alfa for the last time, racing until the last chequered flag for the place I have called home for the last eight seasons,” she wrote on social media.
“I joined Sauber as a 26-year-old in my first ever season racing. What feels like life time later I’m so thankful to everyone at Hinwil, past and present for everything; for the rollercoaster journey since 2016; for the opportunity to grow as a strategist and into a life where F1 and the paddock is truly a home.
“Thank you, danke and grazie, for all the beautiful memories (especially P6) that will last a lifetime. Time for the next chapter.”
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