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For the first time in history, Formula One brought all its teams together to launch their new season’s livery in one event as the sport hosted F1 75 Live at London’s O2 Arena on Tuesday.
The event served as a celebration of Formula One’s 75th anniversary, but also turned into a preview for the upcoming F1 season that starts March 16 in Melbourne.
One of the biggest storylines was the brewing animosity between four-time world champion Max Verstappen and George Russell. Verstappen was penalized for impeding Russell at the Qatar Grand Prix, after which Russell said he “lost all respect” for the Dutch driver.
Both drivers said at F1 75 that they intend to focus on themselves this upcoming season—though that could definitely change when the lights are brightest and tensions fly on the track. The two alluded to that when asked about the new FIA guidelines announced in January, which include fines that could extend to $125,000 or include bans and deducted championship points for repeat offenders.
“I understand you cannot swear anywhere. But in the heat of the moment, playing sport, sometimes things slip out a little bit,” Verstappen said.
The Red Bull driver, who participated in community service in Rwanda in December as a penalty for swearing at a press conference in September, said F1 leadership shouldn’t “take it so serious.” Despite their differences, Russell felt similarly about the new rules.
“It’s going quite far. As drivers we have to continue to show our personalities. We don’t want to be in a bubble. That’s pretty obvious,” Russell said.
“No Excuse” Norris, Hamilton Bleeds Red
Verstappen is expected to face his stiffest challenge in recent memory to his drivers’ championship this upcoming season after a Lando Norris comeback last season fell short.
Norris, whose McLaren team still broke Red Bull’s three-year streak as constructors’ champions, said there are “no excuses” for him not to break through and be the first drivers’ champion for the Papaya team since 2008.
McLaren’s last champion was Lewis Hamilton, who will race with Ferrari for the first time this year and reiterated his belief in the Scuderia’s chances of helping him reach a record-breaking eighth world championship.
“This team already has an insane legacy; they are not short in how many world championships they have won,” Hamilton said. “The energy I am receiving from the team, there is magic here. … The passion here is like nothing you have ever seen. They have absolutely every ingredient you need to win a world championship, and it’s just about putting all the pieces together.”
The confidence is a far cry from Hamilton’s words at the beginning of last year with Mercedes, when he said it was his “least confident” with which he won six drivers’ championships.
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