F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Coulthard: Hamilton must be wary of 'dangerous' Ferrari duo

Channel 4 pundit David Coulthard says Lewis Hamilton should be concerned by the quality of Ferrari's opposition this year, with Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc representing a "dangerous" duo for the Brit.

Ferrari and Vettel have come up short against Mercedes and Hamilton in the past two seasons, in large part because of the mistakes suffered by the Scuderia and its star driver.

But the German driver didn't always have a team mate on his side capable of pushing him and supporting his efforts against the almost flawless and consistent Silver Arrows squad.

Coulthard believes Leclerc's speed will force Vettel to step up his performance which in turn will benefit Ferrari as a whole.

"As far as Lewis is concerned, the pairing of Sebastian and Charles has a much more dangerous look to it, in my opinion, than that of Sebastian and Kimi," the former F1 driver told the Daily Mirror.

"I didn't see Kimi winning too many races last season – and that was the way it turned out.

"But I would be mightily surprised if Charles isn't spraying that champagne all over the podium on at least a couple of occasions this year."

©Ferrari

Ferrari's strength will therefore be generated from within contends Coulthard, on the back of an internal rivalry that could also provide the Italian outfit with a united front.

"He [Leclerc] is young enough, enthusiastic enough and fast enough to be pushing Sebastian onwards. And that will keep not just Seb on his toes, but Lewis as well," adds the Scot.

"Ferrari did not always play their best hand last season. I'm not sure Seb and Kimi would feel that they received the optimum support.

"If they are to really give Lewis something to think about, the team is going to have to push themselves that little bit more – and so are the drivers."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.

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