F1 Gossip: Hamilton "among the best" despite lack of competition - Sainz

In our latest F1 gossip column, Carlos Sainz believes Lewis Hamilton is "among the best" despite a lack of competition in recent years, while Alexander Albon has revealed he was nearly involved in a bar fight with an angry Ferrari fan.

Connor McDonagh

14 Apr 2021

Race winner Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes AMG F1 in the post race FIA Press Conference. — Race winner Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes AMG F1 in the post race FIA…
© FIA Pool Image for Editorial Use

- Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz believes Lewis Hamilton has "no weaknesses" and thinks if every F1 driver was put in equal machinery, the British driver would still be right at the front.

"He has all the qualities a driver would like to have," Sainz told Corriere della Sera.

"He has no weaknesses, I see that on the track. Maybe he lacked competition in some seasons, he had to beat one-two opponents at most.

"But if we put everyone in the same car, Lewis would be among the best. Almost certainly the best."

- Alexander Albon has revealed he was nearly involved in a bar brawl with an angry Ferrari fan.

"There’s just tables and free drinks and nothing really ever goes on, but I’ve had it before where some guy, a Ferrari fan - he had a Ferrari cap on - and he told me he was a huge Sebastian Vettel fan," Albon told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"And I was sitting at his table because I was just waiting for some drinks and I was tired of standing up.

"It was just him and his girlfriend or wife and he just started to get quite angry after a while and kept telling me to leave.

"But honestly, the bar was literally just right next to us and I was like ‘I’ll just be five minutes’. And yeah, he basically tried to have a fight with me, tried to pick me up!"

- Quebec could authorise the Canadian Grand Prix to run behind closed doors (Radio-Canada)

- Aston Martin team owner Lawrence Stroll has put the Circuit Mont-Tremblant in Quebec, up for sale. (Racer)

- F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali expects F1 to have a second race in the United States within the next three years and a race in Africa by 2026. (F1)

- Former Ferrari engineer Rob Smedley says Carlos Sainz must not make the same mistake Felipe Massa - who Smedley engineered from 2006 to 2013 - did during his first season alongside Michael Schumacher. (F1 Nation Podcast)

- For this weekend's race at Imola, F1 has decided to mix up the pairings for Thursday’s drivers’ press conference.

Sebastian Vettel will sit alongside Lewis Hamilton, while Max Verstappen and Mick Schumacher will share the same slot.