Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton on the grid before the Bahrain Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir. PA
Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton on the grid before the Bahrain Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir. PA
Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton on the grid before the Bahrain Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir. PA
Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton on the grid before the Bahrain Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir. PA

Hamilton bemoans Mercedes' lack of speed as Wolff declares Bahrain 'one of our worst days'


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Team boss Toto Wolff declared Mercedes had "one of their worst days" in racing on Sunday after Lewis Hamilton and George Russell finished fifth and seventh at the Bahrain Grand Prix.

The Austrian, who on Saturday said his team had to go back to the drawing board and re-design their car, was backed by seven-time champion Hamilton who said the former champions had slipped to become "the fourth-fastest team."

Red Bull dominated the race with double world champion Max Verstappen first to the chequered flag ahead of teammate Sergio Perez.

Fernando Alonso, 41, charged through to finish third on his debut with Aston Martin after outpacing Hamilton.

"They were just quicker than us," said Hamilton. "The Ferraris are quicker than us. We're the fourth-fastest team."

Carlos Sainz finished fourth for Ferrari after teammate Charles Leclerc's retirement with a power failure, while running third.

"That was one of our worst days in racing. It was not good at all," said a downcast Wolff, the man who had led Mercedes to eight consecutive constructors' championship titles from 2014 to 2021.

"We are lacking pace front, right, and centre. The Aston Martins are very fast and the Red Bull is just on a different planet.

"It hurts that they are so far ahead. It reminds me of our best years where we put one second on everyone else. That is the benchmark.

"We need to put one foot in front of the other to come back, but nobody in this team will throw in the towel.

"We need to dig deep, deeper than we ever have done before. And we can do that ..."

  • Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing celebrates after winning the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday, March 5, 2023. Getty
    Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing celebrates after winning the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday, March 5, 2023. Getty
  • Red Bull's Max Verstappen celebrates winning the Bahrain Grand Prix. Reuters
    Red Bull's Max Verstappen celebrates winning the Bahrain Grand Prix. Reuters
  • Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez completed a one-two for Red Bull while veteran driver Fernando Alonso also made it to the podium. Getty
    Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez completed a one-two for Red Bull while veteran driver Fernando Alonso also made it to the podium. Getty
  • Red Bull's Max Verstappen during the Bahrain Grand Prix. PA
    Red Bull's Max Verstappen during the Bahrain Grand Prix. PA
  • Max Verstappen during a pit stop in Bahrain on Sunday. EPA
    Max Verstappen during a pit stop in Bahrain on Sunday. EPA
  • Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton battled hard in Sakhir. AFP
    Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton battled hard in Sakhir. AFP
  • Red Bull's Max Verstappen during the start of the Bahrain Grand Prix. Getty
    Red Bull's Max Verstappen during the start of the Bahrain Grand Prix. Getty
  • Max Verstappen of Red Bull at the Bahrain International Circuit on Sunday. Getty
    Max Verstappen of Red Bull at the Bahrain International Circuit on Sunday. Getty
  • Ferrari's Charles Leclerc at the start of the Bahrain GP. Reuters
    Ferrari's Charles Leclerc at the start of the Bahrain GP. Reuters
  • Bernie Ecclestone at the Bahrain International Circuit. Getty
    Bernie Ecclestone at the Bahrain International Circuit. Getty
  • Geri Horner walks in the paddock. Getty
    Geri Horner walks in the paddock. Getty

The bleak outlook for Mercedes was made worse by the knowledge that, essentially, Aston Martin are a "customer" team running a Mercedes engine, gearbox and transmission, but in a car designed independently.

With Hamilton, 38, in the final year of his contract after winning six of his seven drivers' titles at Mercedes, facing a dilemma over his own future, the once all-conquering silver arrows have a potential crisis.

That Hamilton was passed by Alonso and Russell by Stroll, in the second Aston Martin, during the race served only to add to Mercedes' pain and stiffen Hamilton's resolve to push for a new concept with their car.

Mercedes team principle Toto Wolff. PA
Mercedes team principle Toto Wolff. PA

He suggested the team needed to persevere with the existing design – which was created for the new 'ground effect' era last year but flopped – while also planning a new one.

"We've just got to keep working," said Hamilton. "We know we're not where we need to be and we know that this isn't the right car.

"It's a difficult one, but I've just got to try and stay positive, keep my head up and keep pushing the guys, keep trying to be a positive light for them and get the best points I can on a weekend."

He added praise for the remarkable job done by Alonso and Aston Martin.

"He did a great job and it's really amazing to see. And to all the Aston Martin team, they did such an amazing job. So we've got work to do because half their car is ours and they do their aero in our wind tunnel.

"So, we've got some work to do."

F1 drivers' salaries

  • 19= Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri) will earn $1,000,000 in 2023, according to spotrac.com, making him the joint lowest paid F1 driver in 2023. PA
    19= Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri) will earn $1,000,000 in 2023, according to spotrac.com, making him the joint lowest paid F1 driver in 2023. PA
  • 19= Logan Sargeant (Williams) $1,000,000. EPA
    19= Logan Sargeant (Williams) $1,000,000. EPA
  • 14= Guanyu Zhou (Alfa Romeo) $2,000,000. PA
    14= Guanyu Zhou (Alfa Romeo) $2,000,000. PA
  • 14= Nyck de Vries (AlphaTauri) $2,000,000. PA
    14= Nyck de Vries (AlphaTauri) $2,000,000. PA
  • 14= Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) $2,000,000. Victor Besa / The National
    14= Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) $2,000,000. Victor Besa / The National
  • 14= Nico Hulkenberg (Haas) $2,000,000. Getty
    14= Nico Hulkenberg (Haas) $2,000,000. Getty
  • 14= Oscar Piastri (McLaren) $2,000,000. AFP
    14= Oscar Piastri (McLaren) $2,000,000. AFP
  • 13. Alexander Albon (Williams) $3,000,000. Getty
    13. Alexander Albon (Williams) $3,000,000. Getty
  • 10= Pierre Gasly (Alpine) $5,000,000. Victor Besa / The National
    10= Pierre Gasly (Alpine) $5,000,000. Victor Besa / The National
  • 10= Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) $5,000,000. Reuters
    10= Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) $5,000,000. Reuters
  • 10= Kevin Magnussen (Haas) $5,000,000. Reuters
    10= Kevin Magnussen (Haas) $5,000,000. Reuters
  • 9. Esteban Ocon (Alpine) $6,000,000. Getty
    9. Esteban Ocon (Alpine) $6,000,000. Getty
  • 8. George Russell (Mercedes) $8,000,000. AFP
    8. George Russell (Mercedes) $8,000,000. AFP
  • 6= Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo) $10,000,000. AFP
    6= Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo) $10,000,000. AFP
  • 6= Sergio Perez (Red Bull) $10,000,000. Getty
    6= Sergio Perez (Red Bull) $10,000,000. Getty
  • 5. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) $12,000,000. AFP
    5. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) $12,000,000. AFP
  • 4. Lando Norris (McLaren) $20,000,000. PA
    4. Lando Norris (McLaren) $20,000,000. PA
  • 3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) $24,000,000. Reuters
    3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) $24,000,000. Reuters
  • 2. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) $35,000,000. Getty
    2. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) $35,000,000. Getty
  • 1, Two-time world champion Max Verstappen (Red Bull) will be the top paid F1 driver in 2023, according to sportrac.com, with a salary of $55,000,000. Victor Besa / The National
    1, Two-time world champion Max Verstappen (Red Bull) will be the top paid F1 driver in 2023, according to sportrac.com, with a salary of $55,000,000. Victor Besa / The National
UAE's final round of matches
  • Sep 1, 2016 Beat Japan 2-1 (away)
  • Sep 6, 2016 Lost to Australia 1-0 (home)
  • Oct 6, 2016 Beat Thailand 3-1 (home)
  • Oct 11, 2016 Lost to Saudi Arabia 3-0 (away)
  • Nov 15, 2016 Beat Iraq 2-0 (home)
  • Mar 23, 2017 Lost to Japan 2-0 (home)
  • Mar 28, 2017 Lost to Australia 2-0 (away)
  • June 13, 2017 Drew 1-1 with Thailand (away)
  • Aug 29, 2017 v Saudi Arabia (home)
  • Sep 5, 2017 v Iraq (away)
The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher:  Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5

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Kalra's feat
  • Becomes fifth batsman to score century in U19 final
  • Becomes second Indian to score century in U19 final after Unmukt Chand in 2012
  • Scored 122 in youth Test on tour of England
  • Bought by Delhi Daredevils for base price of two million Indian rupees (Dh115,000) in 2018 IPL auction
%20Ramez%20Gab%20Min%20El%20Akher
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreator%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ramez%20Galal%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ramez%20Galal%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStreaming%20on%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMBC%20Shahid%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Sleep Well Beast
The National
4AD

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
 
Started: 2021
 
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
 
Based: Tunisia 
 
Sector: Water technology 
 
Number of staff: 22 
 
Investment raised: $4 million 
Analysis

Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more

Why it pays to compare

A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.

Route 1: bank transfer

The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.

Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount

Total received: €4,670.30 

Route 2: online platform

The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.

Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction

Total received: €4,756

The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.

BMW M5 specs

Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor

Power: 727hp

Torque: 1,000Nm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh650,000

The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbo flat-six

Power: 480hp at 6,500rpm

Torque: 570Nm from 2,300-5,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto

Fuel consumption: 10.4L/100km

Price: from Dh547,600

On sale: now 

Abaya trends

The utilitarian robe held dear by Arab women is undergoing a change that reveals it as an elegant and graceful garment available in a range of colours and fabrics, while retaining its traditional appeal.

Match info

Uefa Nations League Group B:

England v Spain, Saturday, 11.45pm (UAE)

The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4.0-litre%20twin-turbo%20V8%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E640hp%20at%206%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E850Nm%20from%202%2C300-4%2C500rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E8-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E11.9L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDh749%2C800%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
England Test squad

Ben Stokes (captain), Joe Root, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Foakes, Jack Leach, Alex Lees, Craig Overton, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts

 
Updated: March 06, 2023, 8:15 AM