FORMULA 1 - 2016

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BERGER: WHEN I SEE MAX, SENNA COMES TO MIND

Few people were as close to Ayrton Senna as Gerhard Berger, the pair shared the same pit garage at McLaren for three years and remained close friends until the Brazilian’s death, thus when the Austrian says he is reminded of Ayrton when he sees Max Verstappen racing – you take notice.

Berger told UOL Esporte, “When I see Max, Senna comes to mind. It’s the first time I say something like this about a driver, because I was really close to Ayrton and to me he was the best. His personality, the driver, the results, the preparation. He was different. I always respected that and avoided comparisons, but with Max it is not difficult to see the similarities.”

Indeed Verstappen stunned and delighted the Formula 1 world at the Brazilian Grand Prix with a performance that defies superlatives, but one that will go down in Formula 1 folklore.

Berger agreed, “It was incredible. He was always experimenting with different lines, even behind the safety car he was studying the circuit. Engineers from other teams were telling their drivers to copy him. He knew exactly what to do, and that’s amazing for his age. He found impossible lines and made the other drivers seem inexperienced.”

Verstappen finished third in the rain affected race. At one point he was second, from fourth on the grid he dived down the inside of Kimi Raikkonen’s Ferrari to take second place.

He then pursued Nico Rosberg and overtook him for second place with another clinical and no nonsense move.

Red Bull then opted to pit both their drivers for Intermediate tyres, which turned out to be a bad strategy call. Verstappen dropped down to 16th with 16 laps to go.

From that point on he delivered a mesmerising performance on his way to third place. Along the way making easy work of getting by four times world champion Sebastian Vettel in the Ferrari and also his own teammate Daniel Ricciardo who finished eighth.

Verstappen summed it up with a grin: “I think the word for today is ‘Exciting’.”

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Former McLaren doctor Aki Hintsa dies aged 58

Formula 1 coach Dr Aki Hintsa has passed away at the age of 58 after losing his fight against cancer, the McLaren team has confirmed.

Hintsa is best known for his work with McLaren, particularly with drivers Mika Hakkinen, Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton during their stints with the British team.

The Finn specialised in orthopaedic and trauma surgery and prior to his 11 years with McLaren, he worked as a doctor in Ethiopia.

McLaren confirmed the sad news in a statement on Wednesday: "It was with deep sorrow that we heard the news this morning that Dr Aki Hintsa had died.

"Aki had been fighting cancer with extraordinary courage in recent months, his indomitable spirit an inspiration to all who crossed his path.

"His last appearance at a Grand Prix was at Monza this year, where his warm smile and infectious chuckle were very much in evidence, despite the battle that was being waged within his newly slight frame.

"He first joined McLaren back in the days of Mika Hakkinen and Kimi Raikkonen, with both of whom he developed a powerful rapport, working with them not only to improve their physical fitness but also to help them develop the mental and emotional strength to translate their mercurial talents into the disciplined performances that would result in many grand prix wins for McLaren and, in Mika’s case, world championships in both 1998 and 1999.

"Aki worked with similar success with the drivers who followed in Mika’s and Kimi’s McLaren wheeltracks, and grew particularly close to Lewis Hamilton. Undoubtedly, Aki played a crucial role within Lewis’s inner circle during his time at McLaren, and it was often to Aki that Lewis would turn first in times of stress. Equally, no-one was more thrilled than Aki when Lewis won the 2008 world championship for McLaren with an overtaking move that has since passed into racing folklore, on the last corner of the last lap of the last race, in Brazil, where Aki’s trademark warm smile and infectious chuckle were replaced by exuberant high-fives, muscular bear-hugs and indecipherable whoopings in his native Finnish.

"First and foremost, Aki was a doctor. Prior to arriving in Formula 1 he had practised medicine in many parts of the world, particularly in poverty-stricken and war-torn parts of Ethiopia in the 1980s and 1990s, where he worked as a missionary-cum-medic and combined his magnificent qualities as an inspirational leader with great medical expertise and an ability to improvise in dreadfully difficult conditions, often requiring considerable physical bravery and enormous mental fortitude so to do. In his uplifting book ‘The Core’, published last year, he told for the first time a multitude of stories that surprised even those Formula 1 friends who had known him well for many years. Such was Aki’s modesty that he had never boasted about his life in Africa, or indeed the fact that before that he had started out as a first-class ice hockey player in his native Finland.

"‘The Core’ is more than an autobiography, however. It is also a profoundly intelligent self-help book. In it Aki urges his readers to ask themselves the questions that most busy people never stop to consider. Who am I? What do I want from my life? Am I even in control of my own life? How can I improve the quality of my home life without compromising my professional life at the same time? How can I achieve inner and outer wellbeing, in other words?

"Doing that successfully is far from easy, but undoubtedly Aki achieved it. He was taken from us far too soon, aged just 58, but he packed more into his all-too-brief life than did many who lived almost twice as long. And, in so doing, he illuminated the lives of everyone he met, friendly and funny and kind and wise as he invariably was.
"God bless you, dear friend. You will be missed. Indeed you will be missed more than these words can say, and more than you will ever know."

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Smedley moved by Massa support

After Brazil said farewell to Felipe Massa in his last home race, Williams engineer Rob Smedley admitted that he felt emotional watching all the tributes being poured on to the Brazilian.

Smedley, who spent time with Massa at Ferrari and Williams, said that to see the love for him around the Autódromo José Carlos Pace as he walked back to the team garage was truly remarkable.

“To see all of that, just to see the amount of love for him was incredible,” he told Autosport.

“Mercedes is a team he’s never had anything to do with, or been near, and all their guys came out and showed him so much love.”

“All the Ferrari guys came out because he’s so loved down there, but it was still quite incredible. All his family were there and they all surrounded him.

“It was massively important they were there to support him and carry him through.”

Despite the former Ferrari ace crashing out of Sunday’s race, Smedley said he has done more than enough for the sport and his country to garner respect.

“He’s done such a great job in Formula 1, and such a great job for his country. We’re all just really, really proud of him,” he added.

“You’ve got that weird juxtaposition of wanting him to have done well and finish on a real high. But then having seen what we did see, it was then even more special than him finishing in eighth or ninth position.”

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Saubers new front wing

Sauber have been one of Formula One’s perennial midfield teams but, a lack of investment in the last couple of seasons and loss of key personnel had seen them slip back into the back of the pack.

However, the Swiss based outfit are having somewhat of a renaissance in the latter part of the season, chiefly due to the investment from their new owners – Longbow Finance, which has allowed them to improve the previously untouched C35, whilst a recruitment drive has seen them make some marquee signings, including most recently the re-signing of Jorg Zander as Technical Director, which have had an immediate impact on their fortunes.

The team had a new front wing at their disposal in Brazil, which saw the outboard sections of the wing modified, changing the way airflow spills around the front tyre in order to improve not only its performance but that of the airflow downstream.

A small wedge (highlighted in yellow) can be found mounted on the upper corner of the penultimate flap, blocking off the slot that would ordinarily allow airflow through. This wedge is shaped in such a way that it also created a secondary vertical endplate behind the flaps (highlighted in green) in order to shape and direct the airflow as it moves around the front tyre.

Whilst Sauber’s result in Brazil cannot be put down to their pace, such were the climatic conditions, it is indicative of the team working as a cohesive unit to extract the maximum from their package. A well rounded performance from Felipe Nasr and the pitwall has put the team in the box seat to finish tenth in the constructors championship, which will give them another much needed financial boost.

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Magnussen wants refueling to make a comeback

As the season comes to an end with only one race remaining, future Haas driver Kevin Magnussen wants refueling to be reintroduced into the sport.

Refueling was scrapped at the of the 2009 season as Formula 1 moved towards the 1.6-litre V6 turbocharged engines, which teams continue to use.

The discussion of reintroducing refueling was raised once again at the beginning of 2016, but several team bosses, including Toto Wolff and Christian Horner, said it would clash with sport’s environmental friendly approach.

During a Q&A with his sponsor Jack&Jones, Magnussen was asked which rules he would add and scrap. The Dane replied:  “I would like to have refueling during the races back.

“It would be spectacular, but more importantly: You would have more variations in the strategy.

“And if I could remove one rule, it would be all the track-limit stuff. I know it´s not really a rule – it´s more a question of changing the tracks – but I think it takes something away from the sport.”

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Track limits and penalties focus of F1 Strategy Group meeting

Track limits and penalties were key talking points in today’s Strategy Group meeting in Geneva, where Liberty’s Chase Carey was an observer for the first time, alongside Bernie Ecclestone, Jean Todt and bosses of the top six teams.

This was apparently an uncontroversial gathering that was largely used to address routine “housekeeping” issues that have come to light since the last meeting in July.

Ecclestone had called for the F1 rule book to be rewritten in light of his frustration over a recent raft of penalties, and in particular the situation in Mexico, when third place changed hands twice after the chequered flag.

The discussion centered mostly on the prospect of introducing more consistency into penalties and trying to ensure that where possible they are not left open for discussion after the race.

It was generally agreed that penalties should be focussed more on moves that potentially put another competitor in danger, while allowing the drivers to race.

It was also suggested that further attempts should be made to address corners such as Mexico’s Turn 1, where drivers have the opportunity  to cut the corner, gain an advantage, and rejoin.

With regard to consistency, the idea of a permanent steward, which has been tried and abandoned in the past, was also discussed.

A proposal to address the noise of current F1 power units was apparently rejected on the grounds of cost. The Halo was also a subject of conversation, and it was agreed that more driver feedback was required before plans for its introduction in 2018 are finalised.

Two attempts to introduce an alternative to the current CFD and wind tunnel restrictions were rejected – one floated by Force India involved a move away from tunnel time to CFD, while another submitted by Manor wanted 10 percent more tunnel hours for teams opting to use cheaper and less effective 50 percent scale tunnels rather than the 60 percent format favoured by most competitors. Neither idea garnered any support from the big teams.

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THE VILLAGE IDIOT LAUGHS LAST AS DENNIS GETS THE SACK

Last year around the time of the British Grand Prix, Ron Dennis the McLaren SEO (then) called Eddie Jordan a village idiot for criticising his management style in the wake of Martin Whitmarsh’s departure, despite the history Jordan is sad to see that Dennis suffering an undignified exit.

Last year Jordan, a team owner turned pundit, said of McLaren, “They have been a shadow of their former selves since they arrogantly stated that Lewis Hamilton would rue the day he left McLaren. That arrogance is still there at the top of McLaren.”

Jordan called McLaren’s road car programme a fatal distraction and hit out at the team’s “current management structure”.

“Ron Dennis sacked Martin Whitmarsh, but Whitmarsh never did the job of running that team as badly as Dennis is doing it now,” added Jordan.

A few days later Dennis took revenge, “I consider Formula 1 a family, and families live in villages. And villages always have a village idiot. He [Jordan] fits the bill perfectly.”

Jordan stands by his opinion of the time, and said on RTE 2FM radio, “I knew there were rumblings and unhappiness there, not just for weeks or months but going back years.”

“There has been a fall out and Ron’s style of management didn’t quite suit people who owned the company. He’s 69 and has had a great career, a brilliant career, in fact, but obviously something didn’t work for them.”

As for what caused Dennis’ downfall, the Irishman said, “It’s hard to say. I’m only looking from the outside like everyone else. I’ve always been critical in the commentaries of the McLaren Formula 1 team in recent years. They haven’t been anywhere close to where they were in the past in both the driver’s championships and constructors’ championships that they won.”

“They did that when Ron Dennis had his mind clearly focused on what he needed to do. He was part of the team, he looked part of the team, he dressed like part of the team.”

“In recent years he dressed in civvies and he thought the road car business was going from strength to strength, which absolutely, it was. But I do believe that when you take on so much, it is very difficult to keep your eye on all of the things, and motor racing in particular Formula 1 the technology is moving forward.”

“Irrespective of the fact that he had Jenson Button and [Fernando] Alonso, two great world champions, in his car this year, really they were floundering, they just were not close to the pace.

“It’s the second year with Honda and you would have thought the combination there was enough to bring it forward. So I think the new management said ‘we need a change’. They brought in a new CEO, which probably upset Ron.”

“It is a shame, because Ron should have left in the highest applause, just like we saw [Felipe] Massa being applauded by the people when he retired this year at the Grand Prix in Brazil.

“It should have been the same for Ron Dennis. He has had an unbelievable career, a great legacy. That will stay, but it is the way that he has left, going to the high court, trying to defy it and not accepting it.

“At 69, you could say it’s time that he retired and lived off his great glory. Should I say that? You have Bernie Ecclestone who defies logic and he’s there at 86 and still doing a good job. Age shouldn’t come into it but perhaps it does,” mused Jordan.

Dennis first joined McLaren in 1980, and took complete control of it the following year. Soon, Dennis turned the team into a powerhouse, leading them through multiple drivers’ and constructors’ championships, and solidifying the team’s legacy as the sport’s most successful outfit after Ferrari.

Under his leadership, McLaren captured 10 drivers’ championships with Niki Lauda, Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna, Mika Hakkinen and Lewis Hamilton, and seven constructors’ championships.

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RICCIARDO: I DON’T FEEL PRESSURE FROM THE YOUNG GUNS

With Formula 1 drivers are becoming younger, 27 year old Daniel Ricciardo insists that he does not fear the emergence of the ‘young guns’ led by his own Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen.

F1i quotes Daniel Ricciardo saying, “I don’t feel pressure. The drivers are getting quite young. It’s cool to bring a lot of energy to the sport.

“The young generation is strong in all sports. I expect them to be a challenge as they improve. Its fun and it’s good to have some new drivers coming.”

Ricciardo was nurtured through to Formula 1 by the Red Bull junior driver programme, and he believes this is still the best ‘university’ for drivers seeking to make it into Formula 1.

“For me Red Bull Racing is doing the best [program]. When I joined them it’s like they put everything in place for us. For sure, there it’s a lot of pressure, but our biggest focus is going out to race and to try to win.”

He added, “They also help out physical training and mental stuff, some media training – there was a big picture for them. They really prepare us for the big show like this. And for me, they are doing putting more attention into it than any other team.”

As for his relationship with sensational Dutch teenager Verstappen, the big smiling Australian tolf The National, “I Instagrammed some photos that [Max and I] took with some kids in Japan and I said it was Max with his classmates, and he replied:Alright, Grandpa! So I do feel a bit older with Max around, but it has been really good for both of us.”

“We have definitely pushed each other week in week out. I just think in competition terms it has been amazing. The truth is we are getting on as well as we can, while still having that fire in us and wanting to beat each other. We have a great balance,” added Ricciardo who this season has been the best of the rest behind the dominant Mercedes team.

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ALONSO: WE SHOULD PAY PEOPLE TO WATCH F1 PRACTICE

One of the funnier moments during the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend was the sight of Fernando Alonso entertaining himself (and TV viewers) after his McLaren came to a halt during free practice on Friday but, aside from his trackside frolics, he said something that was alarmingly honest.

“We should pay the people who are in the grandstands to watch the cars passing,” said Alonso. “Fans want to see fast cars, something where you cannot close your mouth after you see the car passing.”

“I was 30 minutes on the side of the circuit and I was sleeping. Thankfully I found this chair and a TV camera. If not, it’s impossible [to watch],” said Alonso.

And this is what fans are subject to for three hours on a Friday: mundane and meaningless action.

Race fans are dishing out anything from $185.00 to $960.oo for a weekend ticket to be treated to something which Alonso himself would not pay to do.

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone said earlier this year, “I wouldn’t spend my money to take my family to watch a race.”

There have been calls, which have gone quiet of late, to reduce F1 weekends to two days and scrap the Friday running altogether.

With Liberty Media, the sport’s soon to be owners, wanting to increase the races on the annual schedule, Friday’s on a grand prix weekend may soon become redundant.

For sure double F1 world champion Alonso won’t oppose the idea.

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LIBERTY MEDIA LOOKING TO EXPAND F1 CALENDAR

Liberty Media is looking to expand the number of Formula 1 races, hoping to cash in on the glamorous appeal of its newly acquired asset, chief executive Greg Maffei said on Wednesday.

Formula 1 has a record-equalling 21 races this season and teams have historically been reluctant to go beyond that number, but Maffei told investors at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media and Telecoms conference that there was room for more.

“There is a general line of interest if you increase the number of races to a point. The FIA (the International Automobile Federation, which governs the sport) makes more money, the teams make more money, we make more money,” he said.

Formula One faces a major shake-up after Liberty Media agreed to take control of the cash-generating sport. Liberty Media has acquired an initial 18.7 percent stake from controlling shareholder CVC Capital Partners and plans to complete a cash and shares deal by the first quarter of 2017.

The deal, which has an enterprise value of $8 billion is expected to lead to a new push to develop the U.S. market and win fresh audiences around the world.

Expanding the racing calendar may be a way to do this, Maffei said, “Obviously there is a limit on how much you can do. Just getting the cars around the world, but I think we can expect to grow the amount of races to a mild degree.””

Maffei said there were opportunities to expand in Latin America, Asia and the United States, “I particularly like the idea of a night race in Las Vegas,” the CEO said, acknowledging that the heart of the Formula 1 sport is in Western Europe with famous circuits such as Monza and Monaco.

“But new entrants tend to pay more,” the executive said.

Bernie Ecclestone, Formula One’s commercial supremo who has remained at the helm after the takeover, recently appeared to pour cold water on the immediate prospect of adding races in the United States.

The 86-year-old Briton has been talking to would-be promoters of a Las Vegas race for several months without any sign of progress. The future of South America’s only current grand prix in Brazil is also uncertain due to the country’s economic crisis.

Liberty Media has interests in the Atlanta Braves baseball team, satellite radio service Sirius XM, entertainment group Live Nation and minority interests in Time Warner and Viacom.

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MANOR CHIEF SAYS WEHRLIEN DESERVES TO BE IN F1

At the start of the season Pascal Wehrlein was the golden of the Mercedes junior driver programme, but recently he was snubbed by Force India in favour of Esteban Ocon and now his career faces an uncertain future.

Whatever the case he has the backing of Manor director David Ryan, “Pascal deserves to be in F1 and has the talent to be in front. But it’s not my decision. In fact, there is a lot at stake. After all, he is a Mercedes driver.”

“We are in a fortunate position at this point, since we have some [driver] options and we just have to see how this will work.”

Ryan revealed that Ocon’s break at Wehrlein’s expense inevitably caused some tensions within the Manor pit garage at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

“They are very young and have a great future. It would be frustrating for anyone in Pascal’s position because he has done a great job.”

“Is there tension within the team? Of course there is. And also a disappointment. If there were not, I would be worried for him,” added Ryan.

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PUJOLAR SAYS POINTS A BONUS FOR SAUBER BUT NOT ESSENTIAL

Sauber’s head of track engineering Xevi Pujolar has played down the significance of the team’s first points of the season scored by Felipe Nasr at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Pujolar said that the two points scored on the day a Interlagos, which may be worth an extra $15 million to $20 million in prize money, will have no impact on the survival of the team.

“With or without points, the future of the team is assured. Obviously, it’s a nice bonus, so I think Monisha [Kaltenborn] must be very happy,” said the engineer, who joined the team in August after departing Toro Rosso.

Pujolar also revealed, “There has been some development of the car and also an evolution in the way we operate the team. We tried to change things based on our experience in other teams and I think there is more to come yet. It’s good to see that we are making progress, but there is something who need more time. 2017 will be a big step for us and I think we’ll be able to do this.”

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SAO PAULO MAYOR INVITES ECCLESTONE TO BUY INTERLAGOS

Newly elected mayor of São Paulo, João Doria has invited Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone to become part of a consortium aiming to buying Interlagos, home of the Brazilian grand Prix, and thus preserve the race in Sao Paulo.

Doria told UOL Esporte, “I will meet with the F1 organizers next week in Brazil and they obviously already know my stance. I will also invite Bernie Ecclestone and the F1 international promoters to form a consortium to participate in the Interlagos privatisation program.”

Ahead of this year’s race Felipe Massa raised concerns that Brazil may disappear from the Formula 1 calendar. As it stands the race is down as a provisional on next year’s schedule.

Recently Ecclestone met with President Michel Temer in Brasilia, “I just wanted to meet him and see how he felt, about things in general. Did he think that F1 was good for Brazil, or not? It’s probably been good for Sao Paulo. Whether it’s been good for the rest of Brazil, who knows?”

But admitted, I’ve no idea what he can do as the president [to save the race]. This country is very political at the moment. He’s just stepped in.”

“They spent a lot of money to have the Olympics and the World Cup, and here [Sao Paulo] hurts a little bit, the promoter trying to run this race, and make a profit, or not make a profit, but not lose. So in the end the people who lose are us, because they can’t pay us,” explained Ecclestone.

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New Formula 1 owners target night race in Vegas

Formula 1’s new owner Liberty Media has once again shared its target of expanding the calendar and bringing more races to the USA.

A night race on the streets of Las Vegas has been revealed as a possible goal for the future, according to Liberty CEO Greg Maffei.

Liberty is set to complete its F1 takeover next year and already confirmed it is looking to evolve and expand the calendar.

F1’s new chairman Chase Carey recently said he is keen to see the series racing in locations like New York, Miami and Los Angeles.

"I particularly like the idea of a night race in Las Vegas," Maffei is quoted as saying by Reuters.

The current 21-race calendar has, according to some teams, been pushing resources to the limit but Maffei believes there is scope for more races.

He added: "Obviously there is a limit on how much you can do, just getting the cars around the world, but I think we can expect to grow the amount of races to a mild degree.

"There is a general line of interest if you increase the number of races to a point. The FIA makes more money, the teams make more money, we make more money."

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Bottas wants Williams to go all-out

While Force India enjoys a 28-point lead on the Constructors’ Championship, Williams driver Valtteri Bottas has urged the Grove-based outfit to go all-out as he and his team-mate suffered a disappointing afternoon in Interlagos.

Locked in a fierce battle for fourth with Force India, Williams suffered a blow as both Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez finished in the points, while Bottas and Felipe Massa left Brazil point-less.

Looking ahead to the last race of the season, the Finn insisted Williams should pull out all the stops as they have nothing to lose, adding that Abu Dhabi will suit their car better.

“We must just go for it! It’s the last race, we have nothing to lose,” Bottas said.

“We obviously will have nothing new in the car, normally it should be a better track for us and, at least, it should also be dry.

“It is disappointing, they [Force India] had a very good race, they had a good strategy and you also need a bit of luck in these conditions.

“It wasn’t our day and it was also a shame for Felipe that his last home race finished like this, but I’m sure he still got a pretty warm cheer from the fans.

“The pace in wet was actually more or less like our pace in the dry, so that was okay, after all the struggles we had in wet conditions in the past.”

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‘Tough task replacing Hulkenberg,’ says Ocon

After it was announced that Esteban Ocon will replace Nico Hulkenberg at Force India, the Frenchman admitted that he has big shoes to fill going into the 2017 season.

Despite only having half a season in Formula 1 under his belt, the 20-year-old expressed his excitement of working with Sergio Perez at the Silverstone-based outfit.

Ocon also added he is grateful to Force India for having confidence in him despite in his inexperience in the sport.

“They [Force India] believe in me, they think we can achieve great things together, and they want a strong driver to replace Nico, which is a tough task, but I will do my best to replace him the best way possible,” said the 2015 GP3 Champion, who replaced Rio Haryanto at Manor after twelve races.

“Coming with not a lot of experience halfway through the season was very hard.

“Probably my progress was a good point, and I also tested with Force India back in 2015, and the test was great.

“I remember being P2, just behind the Mercedes, and it was a hard day – raining, drying, so I remember a great test, great memories, and the team welcomed me well back then.”

Interestingly, Pascal Wehrlein was overlooked for the Force India seat even though he scored Manor’s only points of the season so far.

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Sainz admits that F1 drivers are confused with new regulations

Toro Rosso driver Carlos Sainz has added to the calls of simplifying the current set of rules implemented in Formula 1, calling them so complicated that even the drivers are having difficulty understanding.

Echoing Toto Wolff and Bernie Ecclestone, The Spaniard feels that the latest flurry on-track incidents are due to the fact that drivers are confused as to what is allowed and what isn’t.

He also added that even spectators are finding it hard to accustom themselves to the new regulations as they have no idea on what is going on during a race.

“It’s not very easy to understand by myself or the other drivers, especially for the ones who counts: the fans, the viewers, my uncles, my parents, my grandfathers,” said the 22-year-old.

“They look at the race and they have no clue what is going on. No clue.

“I was at a family dinner last Sunday and they don’t understand F1 now. For me it’s such a shame that I cannot explain to them.

“Not even myself, why they put that penalty to one or another so, it’s difficult. Difficult situation that I don’t enjoy it at the moment.”

According to Sainz, the uncertainties around the rules have caused tensions at the paddock at the drivers meetings and wants the 2017 set of regulations to be more clear.

“I’ve been involved in situations but those two or three bad things that happen to you, they really piss you off,” he said.

“It’s difficult to accept. There’s definitely too much talking going on out of the track about penalties, no penalties, even during the race talking about penalties, expecting a penalty or not. Situations that shouldn’t happen.”

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Perez’s Trump gaffe sponsor sets up charity

The sunglasses company that was dumped by Formula 1 driver Sergio Perez after making a joke about Donald Trump has created a children’s charity to make amends for its error.

The Hawkers company infuriated Perez on the day after Trump was elected president of the United States when it jested about plans to build a wall on the Mexican border.

It urged Mexicans to buy its products to hide their ‘crying eyes tomorrow when you are building the wall’.

Perez immediately ended his ties with the company, which meant a run of 20,000 special edition glasses had to be scrapped.

In a move aimed at making up for what happened, Hawkers took out a full page advert in newspaper El Universal apologising for its error and announcing plans to contribute around $25,000 (USD) to a new Dear Sergio x Hawkers Foundation for poor children.

The advert said: “Dear Sergio, sometimes we have accidents. You, more than anybody else, knows this. Although we don't expect this accident to be forgotten, we will do everything possible to make sure that it doesn't happen again.

"We will continue to be with you, with the people of Mexico and with all those who oppose discrimination and racism in the world.”

The advert also blamed the Trump gaffe on a community manager.

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Massa column: My secret farewell to home fans

In his latest column, Felipe Massa looks back at one of the most emotional moments of his life as he competed in his home grand prix for the final time.

The Brazilian Grand Prix was a beautiful week. It was intense, exciting, and ended with a Formula 1 weekend that I will not forget for a lifetime.

Obviously I knew beforehand that Interlagos would be special and it began with some fantastic events.

Then my work at the track began and I had my first surprise: out team's Martini sponsors wanted to celebrate my final home race by replacing their name with mine!

They also prepared a race suit with a very special livery, plus I had commissioned a brand new helmet for this occasion.

     

But the grand prix was not just a time for celebration because there was a job to be done on the track - and things started really well.

In practice on Friday the feedback was immediately positive, and also on Saturday morning the good signs were confirmed.

But when we took to the track in the qualifying session, something did not work.

We were convinced that we could get through to Q3 without any major difficulties, but instead both Valtteri Bottas and I were left outside the top ten.

It was disappointing, because the job done in practice seemed to go in the right direction, and instead we found ourselves in the middle of the grid.

By the time we got to the track on Sunday morning there were no doubts about the conditions in which we would be racing.

The rain was never very intense, but on the laps to the grid I knew immediately that there would be a big risk of aquaplaning - which was confirmed in the first laps of the race.

However, the biggest problem was that of visibility. I assure you that being in the middle of the pack is very different to being at the front of the field.

The water being thrown into the air by the cars ahead of me meant there was literally a wall of spray - which was especially bad on the long start-finish straight.

There were times when the visibility was zero, creating potentially dangerous situations, such as when Kimi Raikkonen had his accident on the main straight.

Among other things in the early stages of the race, I had picked up a penalty of five seconds due to overtaking Esteban Gutierrez before the safety car line.

     

In my defence, Esteban had slowed down and I had no idea where the line was that I had to stay behind him until after receiving the news of the penalty, I discussed with the team about changing the strategy.

It made no sense to remain outside the top 10, so I switched to the Intermediate tyre and served my five seconds at the pitstop.

Back on track, my pace picked up. But the intermediate, while being faster, was more risky.

I found that out the hard way when I lost control of the car due to aquaplaning. I touched the wall but it was not a big impact, and for a moment I hoped still to be able to continue the race.

But in that first collision I think a tyre picked up a puncture, because it suddenly veered to the left and hit the crash barriers hard.

When I got out from the car I could hear the applause of the public, and shortly afterwards a marshal approached me and gave me a Brazilian flag. I looked at him to say thank you and he was in tears.

It was an emotional scene that affected me very much and as I walked into the pits I heard a crescendo of people shouting my name. I was really moved.

A few minutes before I was disappointed not to have finished the race, but had managed to keep my emotions in check.

But scenes I just could not imagine came when I got back into the pitlane. With the Brazilian flag in my hands, I looked up and saw the mechanics of Mercedes in their race suits had come out into the pits to applaud.

Then the boys at Ferrari and Williams did the same. If our garage had been at the far end of the pitlane I think all the teams would have come out. It was an incredible scene, and something that I personally have never seen in a pitlane during a race.

     

I cannot find the right words to thank all of those who came to say words or give me a handshake.

While people often think that F1 is a very cynical world, there is also a human side - and I had the good fortune to experience that first hand on Sunday.

There is also one last special story about Sunday in Interlagos that I have to share with you.

About an hour after the race I climbed up onto the podium. Why? Because people would not leave the track without a final farewell.

And so, as a great privilege, I paid homage to an extraordinary public.

Thank you all. I will have a long time to think back on this magical weekend, but now is the time to prepare to do my best at my final race in Abu Dhabi.

[MIKA27]

Allison moving closer to future with Mercedes

James Allison could be moving closer to a surprise move to Mercedes, sources have suggested.

The former Lotus and Ferrari technical director left Ferrari earlier this year, and since then his name has been mentioned in connection with a number of top teams, including McLaren and Red Bull.

The former would have been an obvious choice, especially given Allison’s good relationship with McLaren chief Eric Boullier from their Lotus days.

However, both teams have assured Motorsport.com that there is no fit for him within their established technical structures. At first glance the same applies to Mercedes, where Paddy Lowe is clearly in charge of technical matters.

However, Lowe’s long-term future at the team has been the subject of much debate, amid discussions about his future remuneration. Inevitably he has been linked with a possible move to Ferrari.

If Lowe does leave Mercedes it would be logical to assume that Allison would be an ideal replacement, and that in effect the team has a succession plan in place.

     

One possibility could be that the team has secured an option on his services, and is ready to hire him should a key vacancy arise. That would also give Toto Wolff extra bargaining power in his negotiations with Lowe.

At the same time such an arrangement would ensure that one of the most highly respected men in the paddock does not join a rival in the near future.

Allison is in any case still subject to gardening leave, and is not in a position to join another team until early next year – unless that team has some negotiating power with Ferrari.

Another possibility is that Wolff is confident that Mercedes will find a role for Allison within the current structure, alongside Lowe. The team has a track record of employing multiple “big names,” and finding jobs for all of them, having done so under Ross Brawn in the build-up to the hybrid era.

However, at that stage there was a specific reason to bolster its resources, and Bob Bell, one of the key players, subsequently left. Asked about a possible future at Brackley for Allison both Toto Wolff and Lowe declined to comment.

[MIKA27]

HAKKINEN: WITHOUT DENNIS I WOULDN’T BE TWICE F1 WORLD CHAMPION

Mika Hakkinen is adamant that without Ron Dennis he would not have been double Formula 1 world champion and is saddened by the departure from McLaren of the man that turned it into the second most successful team in the history of the sport.

Speaking during a business conference in Abu Dhabi, ahead of the decisive Formula 1 season finale in the city, Hakkinen said, “I had a fantastic time [at McLaren]. Without him, I wouldn’t have been twice a F1 world champion. He was a very tough leader in a team for the drivers. He worked me very hard and my teammates.”

“And working hard also has to be very constructive. Ron was able to organise this very well. I believe he’s a great leader,” added the Finn who raced for Dennis-led McLaren from 1993 to  2001, winning back-to-back world titles in 1998 and 1999.

Dennis was forced to quit after being ousted by fellow shareholders, relinquishing his position as chairman and chief executive of McLaren Group.

“I think Ron will be very disappointed for sure,” said Hakkinen.  “He’s been working very hard leading the McLaren team and he knows that he is able to bring success for them.”

“It’s like you’re going up the elevator and somebody pushes the stop button and says: Okay, jump out and we’ll continue going higher. It’s a horrible feeling for him and I’m sure he’s not happy about it.”

After a sepll running his Project 4 Formula 2 team, Dennis joined the Teddy Mayer led McLaren team in 1980, before taking full control in 1981. Thereafter he led the team to several periods of F1 domination and transformed them into the most successful outfit in history, second only to Ferrari.

Dennis led McLaren to 10 Formula 1 drivers’ titles with Niki Lauda, Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna, Hakkinen and Lewis Hamilton, as well as seven constructors’ championships.

“I know that Ron has a lot of business which motivates him enormously, but there’s no doubt about it, Formula 1 is an unbelievable sport. It keeps you going flat out and [leaving] that for Ron will be a very painful thing.”

“He’s no longer in this kind of situation where the engines are starting and the start will happen on the race track. That’s going to be tough, of course,” added Hakkinen.

The McLaren organisation are actively seeking a new chief for Dennis’ position.

When asked if he was the man to succeed Dennis as McLaren chief, Hakkinen chuckled, “No, not at all. I’m busy enough and it’s not my thing. But generations change and people change and think a little bit differently these days.”

Hakkinen is part of McLaren folklore, contributing massively to its legacy. In 1993 Dennis drafted a hitherto unproven Finn into the McLaren team from Lotus, who were in a steep decline at that point.

With Ayrton Senna leading the team that year partnered by Michael Andretti. The American Indycar star proved to be out of his depth in Formula 1 and after 13 races was ditched by McLaren.

Hakkinen was given the seat and made his McLaren debut at the 1993 Portuguese Grand Prix, cheekily out-qualifying Senna but crashed in the race.

At the next race, in Japan, Hakkinen finished third behind winner Senna and Williams’ Alain Prost in second. With Senna off to Williams in 1994, Hakkinen became McLaren team leader – and the rest is now history.

[MIKA27]

MCLAREN SHAREHOLDERS NOT LOOKING TO SELL

Shareholders in McLaren’s Formula One team and luxury sports car sister company are committed to both businesses and have turned down bids from prospective buyers, the CEO of the brand’s automotive firm told Reuters on Friday.

Ron Dennis, who headed the McLaren Technology Group (MTG) that runs the Grand Prix racing team, was forced out this week after what Sky News said was a dispute over a Chinese takeover bid that Dennis backed and other investors opposed.

Founded in 1963 by Bruce McLaren and known for winning titles with drivers such as Lewis Hamilton, the British brand set up a separate sports car maker known as McLaren Automotive in 2010 to rival the likes of Ferrari and Aston Martin.

Its Chief Executive, Mike Flewitt, told Reuters there had been interest in the brand, but shareholders were committed to keeping their stakes in both firms.

Bahraini investment fund Mumtalakat, Ron Dennis and TAG, a company led by Saudi-born businessman Mansour Ojjeh, are the automotive firm’s three biggest shareholders, and also own all of MTG, responsible for Formula One and applied technologies.

“There have been a number of bids,” Flewitt said. “I am comfortable with where our current shareholders are that they want to retain ownership of the company … They want to develop both companies. I genuinely believe they are very committed to them.”

But he said Dennis would need to work out his relationship with the other shareholders and his involvement with the brand going forward.

There was also speculation in September that U.S. technology giant Apple had made an approach to invest in or buy McLaren, according to the Financial Times.

“There wasn’t a bid from Apple,” said Flewitt. “They visited. We talked. We talked about what they did. We talked about what we did. They toured. It never matured to a definitive proposition.”

McLaren Automotive, which only began building cars in 2011, has grown rapidly and is aiming to double the number of luxury hand-made models it builds to over 3,000 this year, not far behind Aston Martin.

The firm makes all of its high-end models, which range from just over 120,000 pounds to around 2 million pounds depending on customisation, at its Woking site in southern England and exports 92 percent of its output.

The company said it expected to post a similar pretax profit in 2016 to last year’s 5.4 million pounds as it invests in expansion, but that as an exporter the fall in the pound since Britain’s vote to leave the European Union was a boost.

While costs have risen on the 40 percent of material it buys that is euro-denominated, this has been more than offset as over two thirds of its customers buy in dollars, it said.

“Of the approximate 17 percent currency devaluation, in round numbers, approximately a third remains,” said Flewitt, when asked about the net benefit once extra costs and currency hedging were stripped out.

Britain’s overwhelmingly foreign-owned car industry has been lauded by politicians as a bright spot for manufacturing, but it was a strong supporter of staying in the EU ahead of the June 23 referendum.

Flewitt said he was confident politicians would secure a good “Brexit” deal for the industry, though called on the government to prioritise free trade and freedom of movement.

“What we need is a professionally-managed exit … as smoothly as possible,” he Flewitt. “In this modern age, we should be moving to free trade all over the world not putting up tariffs. It’s completely the opposite to my principles of business.”

[MIKA27]

OCON: MAX AND I HATED ONE ANOTHER

Esteban Ocon and Max Verstappen know each other very well, in 2014 the pair slugged it out in the European F3 championship which the Frenchman won and reveals that there was (and maybe still is) no love most between the two young guns.

Since then Verstappen has stormed onto the Formula 1 scene in a manner seldom seen before, starting in 2015 with Toro Rosso and this year promoted mid-season to Red Bull for which he is already a winner and now a constant front-runner.

Ocon meanwhile got his Formula 1 break with the back-marker Manor team at the Belgian Grand Prix, subsequently he has impressed. So much so that he has been signed to race for Force India in 2017, chosen by Vijay Mallya ahead of his highly rated Manor teammate Pascal Wehrlein.

Asked by Formule1.nl website if he was surprised that Verstappen beat him to the F1, Ocon said, “Max was lucky that he could get in so quickly. I did not last year. But he had the potential, and to be honest he earned it. He is a very fast driver and I’m not surprised that he is doing so well.”

“I raced against him in 2011 in karting, when we fought hard in all the races, like in Formula 3. We always came up against each other. The battle in the Formula 3 was heavy and intense. I was usually quicker in qualifying, but he was better in the race.”

“It was not nice racing against Max! It was often on the verge of dangerous. I don’t know how often we raced wheel-to-wheel. But we never crashed, so you can conclude that they were tough but fair battles.”

In a short while in Formula 1, Verstappen has built a reputation as a tough driver to race against, aggressive in defense and ruthless on the attack. How does Ocon compare?

“I find it hard to say,” admitted Ocon. “What I do know is that he drives a lot more aggressively than me. I’m aggressive when it is required but not all the time. I think first before I make an aggressive move or take a risk. That’s a big difference between me and Max.”

Asked if there is mutual respect between the two, the Frenchman said, “Not really. On the job maybe, never outside it. We hated each other during the [F3] season, but off-track it was okay. I think that since then we have become more mature.”

Next year the pair are likely to line-up closer on the grid than they have this season, with Ocon at Force India and Verstappen at Red Bull, there may be times when they go wheel-to-wheel again and it will be a feud to watch as many believe that Mercedes backed Ocon will have a top F1 drive in the future.

[MIKA27]

PEREZ: I LOOK FORWARD TO LEARNING A LOT FROM ESTEBAN

Although by the end of this season Sergio Perez will have made 114 grand prix starts, he believes he has a lot to learn from his new rookie teammate Esteban Ocon who will replace Nico Hulkenberg t Force India in 2017.

Perez told ESPN, “Everything that I heard about him was very impressive. The team was very impressed and enthusiastic. They really liked his personality – the way he interacts with the team, the feedback he gives and he is meant to be very easy to work with. The team was always very happy when they spoke about him.

“I had three great years with Nico and I learn a lot from him and now I look forward to learning a lot from Esteban. It is always good to learn things from different drivers.”

“I have been very lucky to have very talented drivers next to me and so now having Esteban, it is a great opportunity to learn new things from a young driver.”

“I will be open to learn from him and if he is the same, it is up to him. If he wants to learn, I will be totally open as I have been with all of my teammates. I just want to obviously beat him but work together a lot for the team.”

“I think that is very important and it has worked really well the last few years with Nico and myself, pushing each other on track, but off track always helping the team to go forward,” added the Mexican ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend where he will partner Hulkenberg for the final time at Force India.

[MIKA27]

ARRIVABENE: I DON’T NEED HELP

Ferrari team principal Maurizio Arrivabene is adamant that he does not need help to manage the sport’s most famous Formula 1 team, no matter what Bernie Ecclestone is suggesting.

When asked if his role at Maranello was to much for a single person to handle, Arrivabene said, “If I’m not wrong, it has been said that I need somebody nearby me to help. I don’t need it.”

“I’m part of the Ferrari racing department and I have hundreds of people who are nearby me. We have a new technical group led by Mattia Binotto. They are enthusiasts, they are working very very well. So we have a team.”

Arrivabene was reacting to comments made by Ecclestone earlier this month suggesting the Arrivabene need a lieutenant to help him with the day-to-day running of Ferrari.

The F1 chief told media last month, “I am not suggesting that someone replaces Arrivabene. They need someone who can support him in daily running of the team and operational aspects.”

To which Arrivabene replied, “First of all, we all know Bernie. The day after he said the opposite and he also came to me to explain himself without being requested to do so.

“In terms of the passion, I was always passionate about Ferrari, all my life, I have to say, even before doing this job and Ferrari is about passion, it’s about emotion.

“When I’m at the factory and I cross the street to go in the GT department and I’m looking at new GT cars that are coming out from the factory, for me it’s a big emotion. And this is something that is not a handicap, it’s a dream,” added Arrivabene whose Ferrari team is likely to end the season without a victory.