Andrew Benson blog

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Fresh questions over struggling Schumacher
Andrew Benson | 17:12 UK time, Monday, 14 May 2012

Michael Schumacher's collision with Williams driver Bruno Senna in Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix has once again focused awkward attention on the German legend's lacklustre performances for Mercedes.

A senior member of the Mercedes team used the word "mediocre" last weekend when discussing the 43-year-old's driving, and that was before Schumacher clumsily ran into the back of Senna's car in the race.

It was the sort of error you might expect from a beginner, not a man with 91 grand prix victories and seven world titles under his belt.

Coming at Senna from a long way back, Schumacher seemed simply to misjudge the closing speed of the two cars and, caught in two minds about which direction to go, he ran into the back of the Williams.

Schumacher called Senna an "idiot" on the radio as he sat in the gravel trap in the immediate aftermath, and, even after watching replays, he still seemed convinced it was his rival's fault. The stewards disagreed and gave him a five-place grid penalty for the next race in Monaco.

Schumacher's reaction will have surprised no-one in F1 - he has always seemed to lack the ability to accept he can ever be wrong.

In an aspiring young driver, this is a characteristic one might expect. But age is supposed to bring wisdom and, in this aspect at least, it appears not to be the case with Schumacher.

With the passing years comes an inevitable waning of physical abilities, and it is surely now beyond dispute that this has come even to him.

Michael Schumacher collides with Bruno Senna during the Spanish Grand Prix. Photo: Reuters

How long can he go on raging against the dying of the light? More to the point, perhaps, how long can Mercedes accept it?

There is no shame in Schumacher not being the driver he was - one can argue there is honour in him being able to achieve even what he has as he heads into the middle of his fifth decade.

The facts, though, are that he is now no more than a decent F1 driver - and some may argue not even that.

Statistically, this is the worst start to a season in Schumacher's career. But statistics can be misleading - Schumacher actually started the season well. He was the stronger of the two Mercedes drivers in the first two races.

But then came China and Nico Rosberg's qualifying lap, half a second quicker than his team-mate, who was second on the grid.

The gap was explained almost entirely by a stunning middle sector of the lap from Rosberg, which Schumacher, I'm told, justified to himself by Rosberg managing to turn his tyres on better.

That may well have been the reason, but the gap was there nonetheless. As it was again in the race, when that excuse was less justifiable. Schumacher was simply outclassed by his team-mate.

They have been more evenly matched since, but still Schumacher is almost certainly getting no more from the car than a number of other drivers could manage.

The contrast, with what Fernando Alonso is doing in the Ferrari - which is not dissimilar to the sort of thing Schumacher used to achieve in his early years with the team - is stark.

The tragedy of Schumacher's current situation is that it is leading some people to question his earlier achievements of seven world titles; two with Benetton and five with Ferrari between 1994 and 2004.

His criticisms of the Pirelli tyres after Bahrain drew uncomfortable parallels with the bespoke tyres from Bridgestone which Schumacher enjoyed for much of his Ferrari career, a subject that was largely unexplored during his pomp.

Some are beginning to wonder if seven titles really was such an amazing achievement, given the advantages he had at his disposal?

This would be wrong, though. There is no doubt that the Schumacher of the 1990s and early 2000s was an outstanding racing driver, one of the greatest there has ever been.
But that Schumacher belongs to the past.

The current one is out of contract at the end of this season. This, in fact, was the context in which the "mediocre" remark came up.

So what reasons do Mercedes have to keep him on, rather than try for someone else?
Lewis Hamilton, also looking for a new deal in 2013, may well not be available, or interested. Alonso, Sebastian Vettel and Jenson Button are committed to their current teams. Those left are all unproven.

Schumacher may continue to embarrass himself in wheel-to-wheel racing occasionally, but he's close to Rosberg's pace these days - and Mercedes' top management rate their younger driver very highly indeed.

The other reason is less palatable for those who like to consider F1 as the arena in which the very best drivers in the world do battle. It's commercial.

Schumacher's marketing value to Mercedes is huge. After Rosberg's victory in China, vice-president of Mercedes motorsport Norbert Haug delighted in how "fantastic" Schumacher had been in front of 800 guests at the launch of a new road car model in Shanghai the previous night. It had been, Haug said, "the perfect weekend".

Schumacher may no longer be one of the best F1 drivers, but around the world he remains arguably the most famous - and therefore the most valuable to Mercedes off the track. And in Germany, Mercedes' home, he is largely untouchable, voted recently the greatest national sportsman in history.

Ultimately, though, Mercedes are in F1 to win - and it is no secret that, after two disappointing seasons, the pressure on the team at the start of this season was enormous.

It will have been alleviated somewhat by their win in China, but the team have faded after a promising start and currently look no better than they did through much of last year.

In a season as topsy-turvy as this, that could easily change - and, who knows, if everything comes together perhaps Schumacher can win again. After all, who before the weekend would have predicted Pastor Maldonado's victory in Spain?

But, all things being equal, that looks unlikely. For a team with an average car who need to win, is a "mediocre" driver, however famous, good enough?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/...iocre.html

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Formula 1's greatest drivers. Number 15: Lewis Hamilton
By Andrew Benson Chief F1 writer

BBC Sport is profiling 20 of the greatest Formula 1 drivers of all time. The BBC F1 team were asked to provide their own personal top 20s, which were combined to produce a BBC list.

Chief F1 writer Andrew Benson profiles number 15 - Lewis Hamilton - while Murray Walker gives his own recollections in the video above.

When Lewis Hamilton burst onto the Formula 1 scene in 2007, taking on and often beating the reigning world champion Fernando Alonso in equal cars, in Italy they gave him the nickname 'Il Phenomeno' - the Phenomenon.

As a description of his naked talent, that remains as accurate as ever. But an altogether more complex picture of this fascinating, thrillingly brilliant racing driver has emerged since.

Winning in the wet - Monaco GP 2008

In terms of raw ability, very few in the history of F1 can compare with Hamilton. He can do with a racing car things of which most can only dream. As his current team-mate at McLaren Jenson Button put it: "Lewis is one of the fastest drivers ever to race in F1."

Coupled with that breathtaking pace is an ability to overtake that is just as rare, just as dazzling.

Both were on display from the very start of his F1 career, when he passed Alonso around the outside of the first corner in Australia in 2007 and proceeded to lead the Spaniard for much of the grand prix, before being passed during a pit-stop period.

What Hamilton achieved in that debut year still beggars belief; he finished on the podium for his first nine races, winning two of them, and led the championship for much of the season.

In doing so, Alonso was destabilised to the point that his relationship with McLaren completely imploded - and the pressure created by two such towering talents in one organisation almost brought the team to its knees, too.


Hamilton loses title - Chinese GP 2007

The intensity of the battle led also to the world title slipping through Hamilton's fingers - and with it the chance to win the championship in his rookie year, a record that would almost certainly have stood for ever.

He - and Alonso, for that matter - ended up missing out by a single point. It was nevertheless clear that a unique talent had arrived.

Even the very best drivers have weaknesses, though, and Hamilton is no exception.

In Hamilton's case, his natural talent is so great that he can drive almost any car; perhaps this is partly behind what appears to be less of an aptitude for the engineering side of his job than some of his team-mates have had.

There were in 2007, for example, times when he failed to get the set-up of his car right and Alonso's greater ability in that area enabled him to leave Hamilton trailing. Likewise, McLaren have tended to lean more on Button in recent years for an engineering direction than on his team-mate.

There have also been noticeable occasions when Hamilton's results were compromised by an apparent need sometimes to lean on the team for decisions a driver of his greatness should have been able to make himself.

Lewis Hamilton gets past Timo Glock

Taking the title - Brazilian GP 2008

The most striking of these - although there have been others - was in the penultimate race of 2007 in China. Hamilton needed only to finish third to clinch the title, but McLaren allowed themselves to be distracted by the unnecessary task of getting him to finish ahead of Alonso.

They left him out too long on over-worn tyres, Hamilton did not overrule them, and he ended up sliding off into retirement on his way into the pits. It was an error that put Kimi Raikkonen in a position to snatch the title for Ferrari at the final race.

Hamilton did win the championship the following year, but only by the skin of his teeth after making far too many mistakes in a battle with Ferrari's Felipe Massa.

He followed that with two outstanding seasons in which his driving was of the highest calibre, but his machinery did not match it.

In 2009, which McLaren started with their worst car for 14 years, he stuck with it and took two brilliant victories as his machinery improved in the second half of the season.

Classic F1 - Canadian Grand Prix 2007

The following year he was even better, in serious contention for the championship in what was generally the third fastest car until errors in two consecutive races in Italy and Singapore took him out of the running.

But then came 2011, when the combination of starting another year without a car capable of battling for the title coupled with ructions in his personal life brought him close to meltdown.

There were three victories - the ones in China and Germany particularly outstanding - but also far too many basic mistakes.

Hamilton ended the year talking about it being his "worst season" and admitting a need to reset his approach over the winter and try to get back to being in "a good place" mentally.

As those remarks attest, Hamilton tended through the first five years of his career to wear his heart on his sleeve.


Classic F1 - British Grand Prix 2008

Just as his daring and combative approach on the track lost him races as well as won them, his willingness to say what was on his mind attracted admiration and trouble in equal measure.

In 2012, he has so far taken a more measured approach - both on the track and with the media.

After finishing third in Malaysia following a comparatively subdued drive in mixed conditions one might have thought were made for him, Hamilton made a remark that was very revealing of his new attitude.

"I can't for the life of me understand how I did it in 2007," he said, explaining his ambition to finish on the podium in every race this year, "so I'm trying to repeat that."

The difference is that in 2012 he is trying to recreate with deliberation something that came naturally in 2007.

It remains to be seen whether that conscious conservatism can be married successfully with the unique off-the-cuff improvisational approach that makes him so exciting and, at his best, so effective.


Highlights - 2011 Chinese Grand Prix

As he told this writer this year: "I never plan to have those kinds of races, they just evolve unexpectedly."

When they do, when he is at his best, it unlocks something truly exceptional - Hamilton has produced drives that stand comparison with any in the history of the sport.

His wet-weather wins in Fuji 2007, Silverstone 2008 and Spa 2010 were as good as any by Ayrton Senna or Michael Schumacher; his swashbuckling victories in Canada 2010 and China and the Nurburgring last year are comparable with those of other great fighters such as Gilles Villeneuve or Nigel Mansell.

Asked in Canada last year whether he compared himself to Schumacher, he responded by saying he hoped by the end of his career he would be likened more to Senna and Villeneuve.

In many ways, the comparison is already valid. Hamilton's natural ability is so huge that, if he can find a way to channel it to best effect, there are virtually no limits to what he can achieve.

Number 16 - Nelson Piquet

Number 17 - Emerson Fittipaldi

Number 18 - Jack Brabham

Number 19 – Graham Hill

Number 20 – Jochen Rindt



http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/18096591

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Monaco GP: Jenson Button says Lotus are favourites for win
By Andrew Benson Chief F1 writer in Monaco

McLaren's Jenson Button says he believes Lotus are favourites to win the Monaco Grand Prix this weekend.

Button was fastest in second practice from Lotus's Romain Grosjean, but was the only driver to use the faster of the two types of tyre before rain.

"The cars that look very fast to me are the Lotuses," Button said.

"If you look at the runs, when they're out, they're very competitive, so I would say the Lotus is probably the car to beat this weekend."

“There was something with the car I didn't like in P1; we tried something different and it works. So I am happy with how the car feels but we're still not there yet”

Jenson Button

Button's team-mate Lewis Hamilton, who was fourth fastest in the first session in the morning and 11th in the second, echoed those views.

He also predicted Red Bull would be competitive despite Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel having low-key days, with their highest position being seventh by Webber in the second session.

"I think the Lotus is massively quick," Hamilton said. "Not really quite sure what the Red Bull is up to but I'm sure they'll be quick. The Ferrari is very quick."

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso was fastest in the first session and fourth quickest in the afternoon - and Grosjean said he expected the Spaniard to be a major force in Saturday's qualifying session and Sunday's race.

"Fernando in Monaco is always something special," Grosjean said. "They have a pretty good car now."

Grosjean added that he was confident of a strong showing in Monaco.

"We had a good day," he said. "The car is working pretty well, the baseline is good as well.

"It's always good to be in front in Monaco and get in some good laps. You really need to be confident with the car and we are on a good way to achieve that.
DID YOU KNOW?

Ayrton Senna holds the record for the most wins Monaco, with six. The constructor with the most wins is McLaren, with 15.

"I enjoy driving in Monaco, the feeling is unbelievable, playing with the guardrails.

"I did enjoy the day, the car is suiting me pretty well as well. I think we are on the way to know how we need to have it."

"For sure we will try to do everything to put it on pole. We are working quite well at the moment, but there is a lot of work to do and the others are not giving up."

Hamilton pointed out that Grosjean's time was closer to Button's than the performance differential between the two tyres, the 'prime' or 'soft' tyre and the faster but less durable 'option' or 'super-soft'.

Button set a lap of one minute 15.746 seconds, while Grosjean was 0.392 secs behind.

Hamilton said: "I don't think Jenson's time would be fastest.

"They say there's about six or seven tenths between a prime [tyre] and an option, and the Lotus did a 16.1 on the prime so if they put that on it means they are a little bit quicker.

"But I think Jenson has more time in him and there's more time in the others as well. I think we're in a good position nonetheless."

Button said he was reasonably satisfied with his car.

"The car has improved from first to second practice," he said.
LAST 5 MONACO GP POLESITTERS

2011 - Sebastian Vettel
2010 - Mark Webber
2009 - Jenson Button
2008 - Felipe Massa
2007 - Fernando Alonso

"There was something with the car I didn't like in P1; we tried something different and it works. So I am happy with how the car feels but we're still not there yet.

"We were quickest but we were one of the only guys to do a lap on the super-softs.

"I don't think it's massively quick but the car feels OK, there is a lot of room for improvements we can make.

"It's not that we have a problem and don't know where to go from there. We know what direction to go."

Despite Hamilton's expectation that Red Bull would be competitive when it mattered, Webber said the team were struggling.

"It was not easy for us," the Australian said. "We have got some work to do in the next 24 hours. There are clearly some very quick cars and we have to improve our car."

Asked if he had a chance of pole position on Saturday, Webber said: "It will be very difficult. We have work to do."

Alonso said: "The first impressions are quite positive. We only made a few small modifications to the set-up, trying to improve it, but it's too early to draw conclusions.

"The weekend has got off on the right foot for us; now we must try to keep going down this path."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/18198087

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Ferrari's Fernando Alonso believes Lewis Hamilton is the favourite to win the world championship this year.

The Spaniard said he is already looking towards the end of the season and that he expects the McLaren driver to be the one he needs to beat.

"In Monaco, traditionally, the first three drivers on the grid have a chance of winning," Alonso said.

"But we are looking further ahead. We are looking to November and it is Hamilton we want to be close to."

Alonso will start fifth in Monaco on Sunday, two places behind Hamilton.

Both have been promoted one place from their qualifying position because Michael Schumacher, who took pole for Mercedes, has a five-place grid penalty.
Continue reading the main story

“I'm sure Ferrari being the competitive team they are - and with the experience they have - will be very strong throughout the year”

Lewis Hamilton

Alonso heads into the race tied on points at the head of the championship with Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel, with Hamilton in third place eight points behind.

Hamilton said: "It is always a pleasure to have my former team-mate, a two-time world champion, who is regarded as one of the best drivers if not the best driver here, saying positive things about me.

"I feel very, very similar - once he has the car, which he has done in some of the races, he will be extremely quick and very difficult to beat.

"I'm sure Ferrari being the competitive team they are - and with the experience they have - will be very strong throughout the year. I think they are going to be competitive for the rest of the year."

The first five races of this season have been won by five different drivers - Hamilton's McLaren team-mate Jenson Button, Alonso, Mercedes' Nico Rosberg, Vettel and Williams's Pastor Maldonado.

Earlier in the Monaco weekend, Alonso had said of Hamilton: "It is impossible to predict how the season will evolve, but I would hardly believe it will stay like this.

"Still, if I can tip one driver, I would pick him because he's the only one who can make a difference even with a car that is not a winner."

Hamilton is behind Red Bull's Mark Webber and Rosberg on the grid in Monaco and is hopeful he can challenge for his first victory of the season.

"I've got a good feeling about the weekend but I've got two great drivers in front of me who will make it as hard as possible for me to get by and beat [them] but we will do what we can."

Button said his car lost performance between final practice and qualifying and that he did not know why.

"I don't have the pace," he said. "That's it really. This morning the car felt good, and the pace was pretty strong, but we didn't have it this afternoon when it counted. Monaco is all about qualifying."

Both McLaren drivers have written letters to an English fan, Lawrence Welks, who was injured when the grandstand he was sitting in on Thursday at the Tabac corner gave way. Welks, who is 47, has a broken back and leg.

Button said: "We both wrote him a letter saying the obvious really: get well soon, sorry to hear about the incident and thank you for your support because he's a massive fan of the team and us two.

"It's a very difficult time for him because he came here to watch F1 and he's not seen anything. He's been in hospital."

Hamilton added: "We wouldn't be here without our fans and we're very grateful for all the support we get, it was the least we could do. We hope he has a speedy recovery."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/18221419

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Rival teams believe a design on the Red Bull car is illegal.

McLaren, Mercedes, Ferrari and Lotus all argue a hole in the rear floor of the Red Bull contravenes rules but it is not known if any will protest.

The design has been on the car since the Bahrain GP and Red Bull were made aware of rivals' dissatisfaction early in the Monaco weekend.
Mark Webber

The Red Bull has a slot in the floor of the car just in front of the rear wheel

Red Bull have said they will not change the car, so are vulnerable to a protest.

Team boss Christian Horner said: "The car complies with the regulations, we're happy with that. It's the nature of F1 that there are complaints when you have a competitive car.

Technical director Adrian Newey added: "It first arose at the Bahrain Grand Prix and we have a letter from Charlie Whiting at the FIA saying he is convinced it's legal."

However, teams are notoriously wary of protesting items on rival cars - they prefer to get them removed by arguing behind the scenes.

In recent years, rivals have questioned a number of items on the Red Bull, but it has tended to be dealt with by race director Charlie Whiting warning them that the design in question should be removed by the next race.

The latest row is about a rectangular hole in front of the rear wheels on the Red Bull.

Article 3.12.5 of the technical regulations says this area must be "uniform, solid, hard, continuous, rigid, impervious surfaces under all circumstances".

Red Bull's rivals believe this hole is illegal because it means the floor is not "impervious". They believe it is there to provide an aerodynamic advantage.


Red Bull pair defend legality of car design

Ferrari and Sauber also use a cut-out in this area but in the case of their cars it is open at the edge of the floor, so it is considered just to be the shape of the floor.

Having it open at the edge means the aerodynamic advantage gained is not as large.

However, there is a view that the hole might be legal as the rules could provide for a hole in the surface of the 'step plane' - a horizontal plane that is 100mm higher than the bottom of the car.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/18226959

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Lewis Hamilton said he expected a "tough" race in Canada trying to keep in touch with Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari's Fernando Alonso.

The McLaren driver has qualified second in Montreal, behind Vettel and ahead of Alonso but said he expected their cars to be faster in the race.

"It's going to be really tough. The Ferrari has the best long-run pace and the Red Bull probably second," he said.

"I think it's Fernando we have to watch out for mostly."

“They were able to do something like 40 laps on an option tyre. We're not able to do that yet”

Lewis Hamilton

Hamilton heads into the race 13 points behind championship leader Alonso, who is three points ahead of the Red Bull duo of Vettel and Mark Webber, who starts fourth.

His main concern will be tyre life - with which he said that Red Bull and Ferrari had proved to have an advantage in the last race in Monaco.

McLaren have also made changes to their pit-stop procedures in an attempt to prevent the problems that have afflicted them in recent races.

"I'll do everything I can in the race to look after the tyres," Hamilton said, "but I did that in the last race and they went off. It may be different here. I don't know what to expect.

"I'm going to remain in a positive mind, and I know the guys have been working really hard on the pit stops, so I'm sure it's going to be a better race tomorrow."

He added: "Ferrari have incredible degradation. They didn't have a lot of degradation in the last race and they were phenomenally quick and the Red Bull was very quick as well.

"They were able to do something like 40 laps on an option tyre. We're not able to do that yet, I think we need a little bit more downforce for that, but we'll give it our best and hope we can remain in the battle.
Hamilton in Canada

McLaren's Lewis Hamilton has raced four times in Canada, starting on pole three times and winning twice. The 2008 world champion took his first grand prix win at the circuit in 2007.

"If we go forward, I'm going to be very happy."

The Englishman said he was pleased and surprised to manage to qualify on the front row.

"I thought I would be behind a Ferrari and maybe a Mercedes," Hamilton said.

"I was really grateful we were on the front row. Race pace, it's much hotter, but we'll do what we can."

Ferrari have introduced a major re-design to the rear of their car in Canada, featuring revised rear bodywork and a new exhaust position aimed at enhancing aerodynamic efficiency.

The result was that the team had their best collective qualifying performance of the year, with Alonso third and team-mate Felipe Massa sixth on the grid.
Did you know?

In the past decade, only three races in Canada have been won by the man who started on pole - Fernando Alonso in 2006 and Lewis Hamilton in 2007 and 2010.

"The car did improve this weekend," the Spaniard said. "We made some good progress with the new parts and we felt much more confident and competitive in free practice.

"Qualifying is the time to confirm that and we did so with Felipe and me into Q3 and top six for Ferrari.

"It's very good news for us in terms of championship possibilities because until now we were leading the championship, but with some up and downs for everybody. Now with a car that can be competitive and fight with the others we feel much more confident.

"It is maybe a weekend to gain some confidence because sometimes you bring some updates to the car and some of them they work and some not.

"But it's like the fourth or fifth consecutive time we have brought something and it has been positive so it is a good trend that we need to keep."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/18384046

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Lewis Hamilton espera "dura" carrera contra Vettel y Alonso
By Andrew Benson Chief F1 writer Por Andrew Benson, escritor jefe de la F1


Lewis Hamilton, dijo que espera un "duro" carrera en Canadá tratando de mantenerse en contacto con Red Bull, Sebastian Vettel y Alonso de Ferrari, Fernando.


El piloto de McLaren se clasificó en segundo lugar en Montreal, por detrás de Vettel y por delante de Alonso , pero dijo que espera que sus coches para ser más rápido en la carrera.


El Ferrari tiene el mejor ritmo a largo plazo y el segundo Red Bull, probablemente", dijo.


. "Creo que es Fernando, tenemos que mirar hacia fuera para la mayoría."

. "Ellos fueron capaces de hacer algo como 40 vueltas en un neumático opción.” No somos capaces de hacer eso todavía "


. Hamilton lidera en la carrera de 13 puntos del líder del campeonato Alonso, que es de tres puntos por delante del dúo de Red Bull de Vettel y Mark Webber, que se inicia cuarto.

Su principal preocupación será la vida del neumático - con el que dijo que Red Bull y Ferrari ha demostrado tener una ventaja en la última carrera en Mónaco.

. McLaren también han realizado cambios en sus procedimientos de parada en boxes en un intento de evitar los problemas que les han afligido en las últimas carreras.
"Voy a hacer todo lo posible en la carrera para cuidar los neumáticos", dijo Hamilton, "pero lo hice en la última carrera y se fueron. Puede ser diferente aquí. No sé qué esperar.
"Voy a permanecer en una mente positiva, y sé que los chicos han estado trabajando muy duro en las paradas en boxes, así que estoy seguro de que va a ser una carrera mejor mañana."

Y agregó: "Ferrari tiene la degradación increíble que no tenía un montón de degradación en la última carrera y eran extraordinariamente rápido y el Red Bull fue muy rápido también..
"Ellos fueron capaces de hacer algo como 40 vueltas en un neumático opción. No somos capaces de hacer eso, sin embargo, creo que necesitamos un poco más de carga aerodinámica para eso, pero vamos a dar lo mejor y espero que podamos seguir siendo en la batalla.
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