Mercedes to help fix F1 noise issue after Hamilton wins again
Dominant German team prepares to test new exhaust 'magaphone' to keep crowds happy
LEWIS HAMILTON won his fourth straight Grand Prix in Spain on Sunday as Mercedes tightened their stranglehold on new-look Formula 1. The British driver's victory saw him overtake team-mate Nico Rosberg in the driver's championship and the pair seem destined to slug it out for the rest of the season. Hamilton started from pole position and held off the challenge of Rosberg in the final laps to secure the win. Mercedes have won every Grand Prix this season and have also started every race from pole, and even before the latest triumph in Barcelona, Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso was predicting that the German team could win every race this season. Afterwards Mercedes boss Niki Lauda declared Hamilton to be "unbeatable" and said that he was "comfortable" with the idea of Rosberg and Hamilton battling it out for the rest of the season. "If there is no third driver in championship contention then I’m completely relaxed," he said. "Then they can drive over each other, and whoever is surviving is the world champion." Such is the dominance of the Mercedes team that they have even found time to try and help F1 sort out its biggest marketing problem this season: the issue of engine noise, or lack of it. The new quiet V6 hybrid engines have outraged many fans of the sport, including ringleader Bernie Ecclestone, who preferred the louder but less efficient V8 petrol engines. As The Times notes, F1 faces a "philosophical dilemma because advanced technology means that road cars are using smaller, more economical and quieter engines, while Ecclestone and millions of fans are demanding technology and noise that many believe belongs to a bygone era." But there could be a solution, and this week Mercedes will "play the role of guinea pig" as it tests an exhaust "megaphone", says the Daily Telegraph. The device alters the shape of the exhaust and increases the amount of noise it makes. "Providing the noise level is acceptable, and crucially the level of the car's performance is not compromised, it is almost certain to be introduced in the short term," says the paper. The BBC describes the device as "a trumpet cone shape added to the end of the exhaust", and says it could allay the fears of race promoters who are concerned that the lack of noise at this year's Grands Prix could put off fans and lead to reduced ticket sales.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Quincy Jones, music icon, is dead at 91
Speed Read The legendary producer is perhaps best known as the architect behind Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Moldova's pro-West president wins 2nd term
Speed Read Maia Sandu beat Alexandr Stoianoglo, despite suspicions of Russia meddling in the election
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
2024 race ends with swing state barnstorming
Speed Read Kamala Harris and Donald Trump held rallies in battlegrounds over the weekend
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Lewis Hamilton on his F1 future: ‘I have plenty of fuel in the tank’
Under the Radar Seven-time world champion finished second on his 300th grand prix start
By Mike Starling Published
-
F1: a bumpy start to the season for Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell
Under the Radar Only four races in and Mercedes already look off the pace
By The Week Staff Published
-
Lewis Hamilton’s future: could he retire from F1?
Why Everyone’s Talking About It remains ‘unclear’ if the seven-time world champion will be on the grid in 2022
By Mike Starling Published
-
Verstappen or Hamilton: the 2021 F1 title permutations explained
feature Rivals are level on points going into Sunday’s final race in Abu Dhabi
By Mike Starling Published
-
F1: Lewis Hamilton’s astonishing victory in Brazil
feature British driver’s win at Interlagos is surely up there with the finest of his career
By The Week Staff Published
-
Lewis Hamilton’s hopes of saving F1 title fade in Texas
feature A canny tyre strategy clocked up another win for Max Verstappen, who is surging ahead in the title race
By The Week Staff Published
-
F1 British Grand Prix: racism overshadows the racing
feature Lewis Hamilton suffers racist abuse online after his controversial win at Silverstone
By Mike Starling Published
-
‘Sir’ Lewis Hamilton hailed as Britain’s greatest ever sportsman
Speed Read There are calls for the seven-time F1 champion to be knighted after he equals Michael Schumacher’s title record
By Mike Starling Published