Lauda speaks!

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Lauda: Vettel’s hunger has grown at Ferrari

Mercedes non-executive director Niki Lauda believes that Sebastian Vettel’s hunger has grown since joining Ferrari at the beginning of the 2015 Formula 1 season.

Vettel walked away from Red Bull at the end of 2014 to move to Ferrari, with whom he claimed three race wins in 2015 and posed the most stringent challenge to Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg at the front of the field.

Although Hamilton and Rosberg split the remaining 16 race wins between themselves and amassed a new record total in the constructors’ championship, the resurgence from Vettel and Ferrari has made Mercedes wary of a greater fight in 2016.

Speaking to Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, Lauda said that Vettel’s hunger has grown since making the move to Ferrari, and believes that the Italian marque is set to make further improvements ahead of the 2016 season.

“Ferrari are once again Ferrari and we saw that by how they were able to close the gap,” Lauda said.

“Sebastian Vettel caused us some issues as he is fast, won and his hunger has grown.

“They are on the right path to make even further progress. Ferrari can improve in terms of design and aerodynamics, along with the power unit.”

Lauda also dismissed the idea of collusion between Ferrari and Mercedes in the engine politic stakes that recently caused F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone and FIA president Jean Todt to join forces in a bid to reduce the power of the manufacturers.

“Let’s clear one thing: Ferrari are a rival to Mercedes, and one that we must always defeat,” Lauda said.

“We aren’t talking about an alliance. In terms of politics and on major issues there are similar interests that Honda and Renault also agree on.”

http://motorsports.nbcsports.com/201...n-at-ferrari/?

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Lauda denies speculated Mercedes alliance with Ferrari

By GMM Newswire
Dec 27, 2015 at 1:15p ET
Niki Lauda has denied Bernie Ecclestone's claim about an alleged alliance between top Formula One teams Mercedes and Ferrari.

Amid an intensifying political war between the sport's authorities on the one hand and the leading teams on the other, F1 supremo Ecclestone told Auto Motor und Sport recently that there is "an agreement between Mercedes and Ferrari".

"Mercedes even helped Ferrari a bit technically, which is why Ferrari has caught up and they're happy. It means they're both rowing in the same boat," Ecclestone said.

But Lauda, Mercedes' team chairman, denies the claim.

"Let's clear one thing," the F1 legend told Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport. "Ferrari are a rival to Mercedes, and one that we must always defeat.

"We aren't talking about an alliance," Lauda insisted. "In terms of politics and on major issues there are similar interests that Honda and Renault also agree on."

As for the rivalry between Mercedes and Ferrari, it is known in the paddock that former Lewis Hamilton engineer Jock Clear is not the only defection from Mercedes to the Maranello team.

Lauda plays down the significance.

"Clear was responsible for Hamilton's car, but he has been out for 12 months," Lauda said. "That is a long time in Formula One."

As for the other defections, Lauda continued: "It isn't as big a deal as you and others have made it out to be. Ferrari have signed three people it's true but it happens. However things are very stable and we aren't worried."

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First three races in 2016 will prove decisive - Lauda

Niki Lauda believes the start of the 2016 season will provide a decisive insight into the battle Mercedes will face against rival Ferrari.

The former triple World Champion's outlook for the new season remains cautious as he considers the Scuderia's margin of development progress to be more important than that of Mercedes.

"Ferrari can develop its chassis, it aerodynamics and also its power unit more easily than us," Lauda told the Gazetta dello Sport.

"We were very strong in preparing the hybrid engine at the outset with all it’s implications. But at this point our margin for improvement has reduced.

"That said we have more experience with hybrid than the others and we know where to intervene to hold onto the margin we had right up to the last race.

"I think the first three races of 2016 will tell us how the whole 2016 season is going to go."

Ferrari's heavy restructuring process which was initiated at the end of 2014 is still a work in progress but nevertheless yielded three victories this past year, and Lauda expects the Italian outfit's challenge to ramp up even more in the coming months.

"Ferrari is Ferrari again; you can see it in the way they have gained ground from year to year," the Austrian concluded.

"Vettel has given us something to think about; he’s been quick, he’s won, his hunger has grown. They are already on the right track to make more progress."

http://en.f1i.com/news/37767-first-t...ve-lauda.html?

[fmatiasii]

I think Lauda is overreacting.

[Stormy]

Every time when Lauda is praising Ferrari performance is disturbing for me, don't know why...

[jragona]

He is playing mind games. Shows he is concerned about Ferrari. Hopefully next year they will give him something to really worry about.

[FerrariF60]

He is playing mind games. Shows he is concerned about Ferrari. Hopefully next year both Lewis and rosberg will see a lot of the back end of Seb's and Kimi's car for many, many races to come so that will give Niki something to really worry about.

there, i fixed it for ya...i'm sure that's what you meant to say...he, he...

[stefa]

there, i fixed it for ya...i'm sure that's what you meant to say...he, he...

:xmasbiggrin:

[jragona]

there, i fixed it for ya...i'm sure that's what you meant to say...he, he...

Couldn't have said it any better! Thanks F60

[Stormy]

He is playing mind games.

Yeah. He is a very cunning old man. At politics he is #1. I think that's his role in Mercedes, to be a politician.

[Giallo 550]

He's a two-time winner for Ferrari. He can say whatever he wants as far as I'm concerned.

[sav_pap]

I was banned from this forum years ago because of my comments about this man. True is that he is a legend and every (non politics) comment he says deserve respect. He would make the same as a ferrari or a mclaren manager. Its just politics.

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