No Concerns about Hamilton’s Speed, Says Ferrari’s Vasseur

 Formula One F1 - Qatar Grand Prix - Lusail International Circuit, Lusail, Qatar - December 1, 2024 Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix. (Reuters)
Formula One F1 - Qatar Grand Prix - Lusail International Circuit, Lusail, Qatar - December 1, 2024 Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix. (Reuters)
TT

No Concerns about Hamilton’s Speed, Says Ferrari’s Vasseur

 Formula One F1 - Qatar Grand Prix - Lusail International Circuit, Lusail, Qatar - December 1, 2024 Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix. (Reuters)
Formula One F1 - Qatar Grand Prix - Lusail International Circuit, Lusail, Qatar - December 1, 2024 Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix. (Reuters)

Lewis Hamilton's struggles at Mercedes are not giving his future employers Ferrari any concern, according to team boss Fred Vasseur.

The seven-times Formula One world champion finished only 12th in Qatar on Sunday, the 39-year-old Briton's last race before his farewell to Mercedes in the Abu Dhabi season-ender next weekend.

He also finished 10th in Brazil last month, and 11th in the Saturday sprint there.

Asked after the race at Lusail if he was worried about Hamilton's form going into next year, Ferrari's Vasseur replied: "Not at all.

"I have a look at the 50 laps that he did in Vegas, starting in P10 (10th place), finishing on the gearbox of Russell, I'm not worried at all."

Hamilton finished second in a Mercedes one-two with winner George Russell, who started on pole position, in Las Vegas on Nov. 24.

Hamilton collected two penalties on Sunday -- a five second one for a false start and the other a drive-through for speeding in the pit lane -- as well as a puncture.

At one point, clearly fed up, he sought to retire the car but his race engineer refused the request because the drive-through penalty would have been carried over to Abu Dhabi if left unserved.

The Briton, who turns 40 in January, has been out-qualified 18-5 by Russell this season and 5-1 in the sprints but has also won two grands prix.

"I know I've still got it," Hamilton said on Saturday. "It's just the car won't go faster. But I definitely know I've got it. It is not a question in my mind."

On Sunday he was prepared for one last push.

"I'm still standing, it's not how you fall, it's how you get back up, so I'll get back up tomorrow and give it another shot next week," he said.

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff rejected any suggestion Hamilton was losing his speed.

"I'm certain that it's not true. It's just this generation of cars, particularly how the car is now," said the Austrian. "He's a late braker, he carries a lot of speed on the entry to the corner and the car doesn't take it."



Ski Great Marcel Hirscher’s Comeback Season Ended by Serious Knee Injury

Marcel Hirscher of Netherlands competes in the first run of the men's slalom race during the FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup in Hochgurgl, Austria on November 24, 2024. (Photo by Johann Groder/ various sources / AFP)
Marcel Hirscher of Netherlands competes in the first run of the men's slalom race during the FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup in Hochgurgl, Austria on November 24, 2024. (Photo by Johann Groder/ various sources / AFP)
TT

Ski Great Marcel Hirscher’s Comeback Season Ended by Serious Knee Injury

Marcel Hirscher of Netherlands competes in the first run of the men's slalom race during the FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup in Hochgurgl, Austria on November 24, 2024. (Photo by Johann Groder/ various sources / AFP)
Marcel Hirscher of Netherlands competes in the first run of the men's slalom race during the FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup in Hochgurgl, Austria on November 24, 2024. (Photo by Johann Groder/ various sources / AFP)

Ski great Marcel Hirscher’s comeback season after five years away from the sport is over when it had barely begun.

The Austrian star tore the ACL in his left knee “during a harmless slip” while training in giant slalom, he posted on his official website on Tuesday.

“As is unfortunately the case with skiing: part of the game. Maybe I’m finally done with my journey,” said the 35-year-old Hirscher, who had surgery on Monday evening.

Hirscher returned to race this season for the first time since winning a record eighth straight overall World Cup title in March 2019. In three races his best result was 23rd in the season-opening giant slalom at Sölden, Austria.

“The second run was maybe one of the most emotional moments in my career,” Hirscher said after racing on Oct. 27.

The two-time Olympic champion and five-time world champion is the latest ski superstar sidelined by injury.

Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, who succeeded Hirscher as the men’s overall champion in 2020, is missing the whole season with ongoing issues in his recovery from a hard crash in January at the finish of a downhill in Wengen, Switzerland.

Mikaela Shiffrin, the five-time women’s overall champion, was injured crashing on Saturday when in sight of her record-extending 100th World Cup win in a giant slalom at Killington, Vermont.

Hirscher is not the only ski great making a comeback after stopping five years ago.

Lindsey Vonn, at age 40, is preparing to return in the weeks ahead in the speed races of downhill and super-G she used to dominate.