Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1205478
23 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 29 JANUARY 2020 SPORTS FORMULA 1 Answers to the MaltaToday crossword will be published next Wednesday Weather Partly to rather cloudy during the day. Cloudy overnight becoming fine by dawn Visibility Good Wind West Northwest force 4 to 5 veering Northwest overnight Sea Moderate TODAY TOMORROW Weather Crossword Across 1. Slackens (7) 5. Not blind (7) 9. Metal container used for frying (3) 10. Adherent of Hinduism (5) 11. Customary (5) 12. Domesticated canid (3) 13. Recluse (6) 16. Ample (6) 19. Silent (4) 21. Abrading tool (4) 23. Engage in prayer (4) 24. Sale of goods in quantity (9) 25. One of the divisions of a window (4) 26. Tears (4) 27. Ascend (4) 28. Make whiter (6) 31. Having barbs (6) 35. Condensed moisture (3) 37. Managed (5) 38. Happen (5) 39. Inquire of (3) 40. Faithfulness (7) 41. Went in (7) Down 1. Gate fastener (5) 2. Opposite one of two (5) 3. Boredom (5) 4. Potato (4) 5. Cosy (4) 6. Porridge (5) 7. Claw (5) 8. Short and stout (5) 14. Tomb inscription (7) 15. Inflatable life jacket (3,4) 16. Foot-operated lever (5) 17. Ruler of an empire (7) 18. Tread underfoot (7) 20. Consumers (5) 22. Feel grief (5) 28. Spin (5) 29. Characterized by itching (5) 30. Eject (5) 32. Racecourse (5) 33. Tree insect (5) 34. Shaped like a dome (5) 35. June 6, 1944 (1-3) 36. Roused (4) MAINLY CLOUDY UV: 2 MAINLY CLOUDY UV: 2 16 0 / 13 0 16 0 / 12 0 FEELS LIKE 16 0 FEELS LIKE16 0 LEWIS Hamilton has "raised his level" in the last two seasons but still has weaknesses others are not exploiting, according to Fernan- do Alonso. Alonso, who left F1 at the end of 2018 and is pondering a return in 2021, says it would be "nice" to test Hamilton. The Spaniard told F1 Racing magazine: "He's made a step for- ward - he is more competitive, more prepared. "He still has some weak points that have not been stressed yet - no-one is pressing that button, that weakness." The two-time F1 champion said Hamilton's superiority over his Mercedes team-mate Valt- teri Bottas was obvious from the weekends when the car was not competitive. He added that Hamilton had not been tested under moments of ex- treme pressure in recent seasons. "He's raised the level the last couple of years, especially in 2019 when the car has not been as dominant as other seasons," said Alonso, who tied on points with Hamilton when they were McLaren team-mates in a tumul- tuous 2007 season. "If he cannot win, he's a very close second - not 20 seconds fur- ther back, which is what happens a little bit with Valtteri. "A weekend when the car is not as competitive, Bottas is fifth or sixth or a minute behind - but Lewis is not. "If you study Lewis' season, there is always a common trend. He starts the year slowly and no- one takes the benefit of that. We all get excited that it will be the year of Bottas, but it's not. "It would be nice to compete against him in a proper fight. Maybe his weak points are not re- al and everything is calculated but it would be nice to discover. "When you have a good package and the other guys crash and you extend your championship lead, everything seems calm. "If you are only one point be- hind or 10 points behind, the stress is different. The mistakes are different and your radio com- munications are different. We need to see him when the pres- sure is on." Lewis Hamilton has weaknesses, says Fernando Alonso Hamilton and Alonso have eight F1 world titles between them