FORMULA 1 - 2016

[Lotusguy]

I want Hamilton can win another.  Whatever the outcome is, I hope it's a race and fought without incident.  I want to see a battle to the last corner like when Hamilton beat Massa.

 

@Lotusguy Do you own a Lotus?

Sold my Elise this May after almost 10 years of ownership.

[Baldy]

3 hours ago, MIKA27 said:

BROWN APPOINTED MCLAREN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

MIKA: This is a joke...right?

Sure Zak Brown is a fan of Motorsport and has "Dabbled" in various racing series, NOT F1, but that's a massive step away from Ron Dennis' experience "Managing" a Championship winning F1 team with 8 Constructors and 12 Drivers world championships. Regardless if McLaren haven't won in a while, they have pedigree in the sport. I seriously don't get this appointment. Perhaps I will be proven wrong?

I initially read "Brawn appointed..." and was so excited.  Then I read the rest of the article and I'm disappointed.  Whenever bean counters and marketing people take control of anything it usually don't turn out too good.  Unfortunately this is not a joke.  As a long time McLaren fan I'm not sure what to take of all the changes.  Time will ultimately tell but in the short term I don't have a good feeling about this.

[BrightonCorgi]

9 hours ago, Lotusguy said:

Sold my Elise this May after almost 10 years of ownership.

I just traded in my Evora on a Jaguar lease.  I may buy an Evora 400 (or Aston) when the Jag's lease is up.  I drove  a 400 few month's ago and it was great; quite impressive.

[Lotusguy]

I just traded in my Evora on a Jaguar lease.  I may buy an Evora 400 (or Aston) when the Jag's lease is up.  I drove  a 400 few month's ago and it was great; quite impressive.

Funny, I replaced it with a Jag as well (2001 XK convertible). I don't have time to do track days or even Autocross anymore and the car was too modified to pass smog in California.

Evora 400 would be swell, but my fun car has to be a convertible or at least a targa so until Lotus finally comes out with one, I'm saving up for a used DB9 (at the rate I am currently spending on cigars, that will be sometime in 2029).

[BrightonCorgi]

I replaced the Evora with '17 Jag XE R Sport (use to own an '07 XK coupe).  An Alfa 4C Spyder is on the list for next ones too.  I am waiting to see them come down in price a little used.  They have a great warranty, so a year or so old one could be a heck of a buy.

I would've kept the Evora longer, but the dealership had a low success rate of fixing things the first time.  The final straw was when they forgot the grease sway bar bushing replacements and the car squeaked like crazy.  They make you wait days to get it fixed and then do inconsistent work at that...  I spent like 3-4K this year in repairs and had another 2K of work in the queue.  Just not worth it at that point...  Unfortunately they are the local Aston dealer too.  We test drove an '11 Rapide to replace the Evora.  Just totally awesome looking and feeling, but was an awful Marone Black that I couldn't warm up at that price point.  

[MIKA27]

ZAK BROWN: CLEARLY MCLAREN NEED A TITLE PARTNER

McLaren need a title sponsor after years without one, the Formula One team’s new executive director Zak Brown said in an interview with Motorsport Network media group of which he is also non-executive chairman.

“There’s lots of space on the McLaren race car that needs filling with top luxury brands. A title sponsor will help propel you forward,” he said. “We need partners and ultimately a title partner is a critical partner.”

McLaren last had a title sponsor in 2013, when a deal with Vodafone expired. They have also seen prominent partners, such as fashion brand Hugo Boss and watch company TAG Heuer, leave for rival teams.

The team enjoyed long standing partnerships with tobacco companies, first with Phillip Morris when their cars were adorned with the iconic day-glo red and white Marlboro chevron. The sponsorship ran from 1974 until 1996.

The team was sponsored by West, a German cigarette brand owned by Imperial Tobacco, from 1997 until 2005.

The former champions last won a race in 2012 and their partnership with Honda remains some way off the pace after a difficult start in 2015.

Ron Dennis, the shareholder and former team boss who was ousted last week, had refused to drop the rate card for sponsors in recent years.

Brown, whose appointment was announced on Monday, said he needed to settle in before making decisions but indicated it was important to improve the economics of the team.

“Clearly we need a title partner, so we need to become a more attractive proposition to commercial partners,” he said.

The American, who boasts a long record of motorsport involvement and has brought several major sponsors into Formula One, said he was close to Dennis and had “massive admiration” for him.

“I spoke to him recently and as a shareholder he will have a big vested interest in our success,” he added.

Brown praised McLaren’s Racing Director Eric Boullier and the team’s recently-recruited chief executive Jost Capito and said he had known and worked with both men for years.

“From since he joined (from Lotus in 2014), they’ve moved forwards,” he said of Boullier. “Everything I’ve seen, putting aside my friendship, he’s got the results and it looks like we’re going in the right direction. I’m bullish on Eric.

“(Capito) has been a winner in everything I’ve seen him do, I get along with him great and he’s passionate about the brand,” he added.

“So I think we’ve got a lot of the right resources from what I can see. Now it’s about forward progress and coming together as a team.”

[MIKA27]

VANDOORNE: I HAVE WORKED TO BE ON THE F1 GRID SINCE I WAS A KID

McLaren driver Stoffel Vandoorne has one Formula 1 race under his belt. the Bahrain Grand Prix where he substituted for injured Fernando Alonso and promptly scored points in his debut.

Since then the 24 year old Belgian has been biding his time racing in Japan and attending grands prix as a substitute ahead of the 2017 season where he will be on the grid for the entire season.

Vandoorne told The National, “It is great to be in the car full-time next year. It is something that I have been working for since I was a kid and to finally get there is great. I am massively looking forward to being on the grid in Melbourne.”

“”Ever since the decision came there has been a lot of things that have been changing and a lot of preparations that I have been through already. The winter will be very different for me in terms of preparation for next year, getting ready to step in for a full season.”

Vandoorne was a test driver for McLaren in 2014, the year in which he finished second in the GP2 Championship. A year later he won it, but in 2016 his season appeared to be in limbo despite being the McLaren reserve.

But through Honda he managed to secure a drive in the highly rate Japan Super Formula.

Vandoorne explained, “At the beginning of the year you have that mindset that you are not going to be racing as much as you’re used to so it has been OK unto now to be honest,” he said.

“There have been some weekends that it feels a bit long and some where it doesn’t feel so long which I guess is normal.”

“I am just happy that I have the opportunity to race something this year in Super Formula, which is a very competitive car and series, on great tracks in Japan and it has enabled me to build a great relationship with Honda, which is going to be very important for the future.”

“So it is not that I have been doing nothing this year. I have learnt a lot being at the grand prix as well and I feel as ready as I can be for the step up.”

As for his call-up to replace Alonso and make his F1  debut, Vandoorne recalls, “I was in Japan when I found out. It was actually Eric [Boullier] who called me and I had to take the flight back to Bahrain to step in for Fernando. It was a hectic weekend.”

Vandoorne qualified 12th ahead of teammate Button and went on to finish tenth. His quality and readiness for the step up to the pinnacle of the sport was evident.

“I wanted to get through the weekend without making any stupid mistakes and everything went very well. I out-qualified Jenson in qualifying and then on Sunday I scored the first point for the team.”

It was obvious to all that Vandoorne was deserving of a break, McLaren also knew that if they did not secure him a drive he would go elsewhere and no doubt land one pretty easily. Thus when Button, no doubt nudged by McLaren, decided to call time on his career Vandoorne was the obvious candidate to replace the British veteran.

Since then Vandoorne has been a constant in the McLaren garage, experiencing first hand how Alonso and Button, with three F1 world titles between them, go about their business.

Vandoorne acknowledged, “I get on very well with Jenson and Fernando and our relationship didn’t really change much after the announcement. I think we are a very strong team, and the important part is that is we all stay in the McLaren family.”

“It is great to keep Jenson’s experience and for me it is great to race the car next year with Fernando. I think I am in a strong position for next year.”

In Alonso, Vandoorne will be well and truly challenged, as the Spaniard acknowledged as one of the best drivers of the current era.

Vandoorne accepts the challenge with relish, “I will try to do my best as I have always done and work closely with the team as the first priority is to get the team back up to the top and we have been making good progress over the last year and a half but it is still a long way to go.”

“Hopefully next year we can have a good step forward,” added Vandoorne.

[MIKA27]

ROSBERG: I HAVE EVERY REASON TO FEEL CONFIDENT

Nico Rosberg won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last year and a repeat performance this time around is high on his agenda as he heads for the 2016 Formula 1 title showdown at Yas Marina Circuit.

A win at the season finale will seal the world title for Rosberg in style, but really all he needs to do is finish behind his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton to do the business and take home his first F1 world championship crown.

Speaking ahead of the season decider, Rosberg said, “I have great memories from winning at this track last year and it’s somewhere I’ve usually been strong in the past, so I have every reason to feel confident.”

“It feels great to be in the World Championship battle with Lewis for a third year in a row. I will give it everything to end the season with a win.”

Rosberg has not won a grand prix since he triumphed at Suzuka in October, and has watched while Hamilton has powered to victory in the three races since then. Most recently Rosberg finished second to Hamilton in the rain affected Brazilian Grand Prix.

Rosberg said, “I’ve had a great week, relaxing and catching up with my family and friends, so I feel like I’m in a good place. In Brazil, after the race, I was joking that I would still be taking things one race at a time. But, the more I think about it, the more that’s actually not as crazy as it sounds. ”

“I have to treat this like any other race. Doing a good job on a Grand Prix weekend is always a challenge. Nothing in this sport is easy, so this won’t be any different and I still have to go all out for a good result.”

“The closer it gets, the more I’m feeling excited. It will be a big battle and hopefully the fans will get a great show to end the year,” added Rosberg, who like Hamilton, will be hunting a tenth victory of the season in Abu Dhabi.

[MIKA27]

Force India trusted its direction and it's paid off - Vijay Mallya

Force India co-owner and team principal Vijay Mallya insists he was always confident the team would finish the 2016 season on a high note despite a disappointing start to the season.

Force India scored just 14 points in the opening five races of the season, compared to 65 points for nearest rival Williams over the same period, but the team maintained belief that its plan would pay off in the long-run.

With one race remaining, Force India holds a 27-point lead over Williams in the standings, meaning it's highly unlikely they will lose out on fourth place in the Constructors' Standings - which would be their best ever finish.

"After scoring well in Brazil, we head to Abu Dhabi on the verge of achieving our best ever finish in the constructors’ championship," said Mallya. "There is one final step to take and everyone is determined to get the job done and end the season on a high with a strong result.

"The final race is a great opportunity to look back at the work we have done this year. I have always been confident in our team, even when circumstances played against us in the early races and we didn’t get the results our pace deserved.

"We kept to our plan, trusted our direction and since May we have been on the way up. Monaco was a big turning point and the team has been going from strength to strength since then."

Although fourth looks a sure bet, barring a miracle race for Williams, Mallya says it's important they score well to sign off the season in style.

"Abu Dhabi is the culmination of all our efforts, but there is no room for complacency.

"Both our drivers have an extra bit of motivation to do well – Checo to cross the 100-point threshold, which would be the first time ever for a Force India driver; Nico to close his Force India adventure on a high.

"This is a track that brought us some good results in the past and it would be special to end the season in style."

[MIKA27]

Alonso not expecting much in Abu Dhabi

McLaren-Honda driver Fernando Alonso has admitted he and his team-mate Jenson Button shouldn’t go into the last race weekend in Abu Dhabi expecting to be confident.

The Spaniard explained that the Yas Marina circuit does not suit their Honda-powered MP4-31 as it boasts long straights, something that has been shown as a weakness for the Woking-based franchise.

However, Alonso said it will not stop them from trying to  get the most out of the weekend and is eager to evaluate how they will do after Friday’s practice sessions.

"The faster first sector and the two long straights in the middle sector at Yas Marina mean that it isn’t a track that will naturally suit our package, but over the course of Friday we’ll work hard to dial in the car to make the most of what we have and extract as much performance as possible," said the former Ferrari driver.

"It’s an interesting track to set the car up for, as although it’s in the desert, the track temperature cools a lot during the course of the race as we reach twilight, so the tyre conditions and grip levels are constantly evolving as we reach the chequered flag. 

"It’s a really unique place and a great circuit to end the season at, and I hope we can push for a positive end to the year."

Compared to 2015, McLaren have made clear progress in 2016 and the double World Champion is proud of what they have achieved this season.

"For McLaren-Honda, this race marks the end of a significant year for the team, and the last time I’ll race with my team-mate Jenson for the foreseeable future," he said.

"It’s been a pleasure to work with him and I’ll miss him being in the garage next to me, but he’ll still very much be part of McLaren-Honda’s plans and I want to wish him all the best for the exciting things he has in store for the next step in his career."

[MIKA27]

Haas reflects on debut season

Haas boss Guenther Steiner has reflected on their debut season in Formula 1, saying they deserve to finish eighth on the Constructors’ Championship table. 

Romain Grosjean set the pace for the American side when he finished sixth, fifth and eighth in three of the opening five races.

However, once their rivals finally got the hang of the 2016 season and its challenges, Haas fell off the pace and only managed to finish in the points on two more occasions.

Steiner, though, labeled their maiden season as a success and is completely content with what they have achieved this year.

“We’ve been building up this team for more than two years, almost three years,” said Steiner.

“So it has been a very exciting and a very challenging mission. I call this year our first season because we showed what we can do, but we worked on it for three years.

“It has gone so quickly that it’s been incredible. To have the opportunity to start an F1 team – how many people can do that? So for me on a personal level, it was really something.

“If you’re a kid, you dream of things like this, and we got it done. It wasn’t me on my own. It was a lot of people working with me. How you define success is very difficult, but getting here has been fantastic.

“For sure if you wish something you believe in it, but would I have signed up for eighth? Absolutely.

“That is what we were going for and we had a good feeling we could achieve it, but nothing is for certain in F1.

“You need to go out and compete and it seemed to be that eighth was very secure after the first three or four races, but then in the middle of the season somebody could have done a better job than us because we lacked a little in performance. So yes, eighth is what we deserve.”

Interestingly, Grosjean scored all of Haas’ 29-points in 2016 so far, prompting the team to drop Esteban Gutierrez for Kevin Magnussen in 2017.

[MIKA27]

Hulkenberg wants final Force India ride to be a celebration

Ahead of his final race with Force India before moving to Renault, Nico Hulkenberg wants to finish on a high with the Silverstone-based outfit one last time.

The German announced not too long ago that he has accepted an offer from Renault, who are rumoured to be competitive next year.

Desperately wanting to secure Force India’s first ever fourth place finish in their history, the Le Mans winner is eager to leave the team he spent four years at in two different spells with smiles on their faces.

"The final race of the season is always special, but this year even more so," he explained.

"It will be my final race with the team, so it will be emotional to work with the crew and the other team members for one last time. People move around teams a lot in Formula One, so I know it’s a goodbye and not a farewell.

"I want to enjoy this last race together and make sure it turns into a celebration: I want us to confirm fourth place in the championship, then we will see a lot of big smiles on everyone’s faces and be proud of what we achieved together."

Hulkenberg also reckons the Yas Marina Circuit is a good track for their car and is confident he and his team-mate Sergio Perez can finish off in 'style'.

"Looking at the track characteristics, Abu Dhabi should suit us really well," he added.

"We had a few strong results in the last few years and I am confident we can get a good one this time around too. I would love nothing more than to sign off from the team in style."

[MIKA27]

SMEDLEY: ALONSO WAS THE PROBLEM FOR MASSA AT FERRARI

From 2006 to 2008, Felipe Massa won 11 grands prix for Ferrari, was in the fight for the title until four races from the end of the 2007 season and the following year lost the title on the final lap of the season at his home Brazilian Grand Prix under cruel circumstances.

How ever since that fateful day at Interlagos, in 2008, Massa has not won another grand prix race and while at Ferrari, where he remained until the end of 2012, Massa always finished behind his teammate Fernando Alonso and Massa’s long time engineer Rob Smedley knows exactly why.

“The [Ferrari] team of 2009 was very balanced between Felipe and Kimi [Raikkonen],” Smedley revealed to UOL Esporte. “But the team of 2010 was completely focused on Fernando. Everything happened around Fernando. That was the problem. It had nothing to do with Massa or his driving.”

Indeed it was Smedley who uttered the infamous words to Massa over the radio during the 2010 German Grand Prix: “Fernando is faster than you. Can you confirm you understood that message?”

Shortly afterwards, on lap 49, the Brazilian allowed Alonso to take the lead and win the race.

As for the apparent dip in Massa’s form, some argue that the death defying freak accident he suffered during qualifying for the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix changed the Brazilian.

It must be remembered that before the incident, even with the difficulties faced by Ferrari who did not have a good car that year, Massa was beating his teammate (at the time) Kimi Raikkonen quite convincingly.

But Smedley is adamant that the accident did not affect Massa, “That is bullshit! The best proof of this is the first test he did after the accident. All the test drivers who were on active duty at the time could not match his times, they came close but no one was faster. The accident was not Felipe’s problem.”

Massa himself will retire from the sport after the season finale in Abu Dhabi not really knowing what happened to his winning touch that deserted him after his triumph at Interlagos eight years ago.

He told UOL, “It’s hard to know what happened. If it was because of the accident, the car, the team, it is impossible to answer. I was fine after the accident. I felt just like I was before it happened. I kept giving my maximum always and did many good things after [the accident]. Everything remained the same, only the victories did not come.”

Massa made his debut at the 2002 Australian Grand Prix, as a Sauber driver. His last grand prix, this weekend at Yas Marina Circuit, will be on the occasion his 250th start, from which he scored 11 victories and 41 podiums.

[MIKA27]

CANADIAN GRAND PRIX CONFIRMED FOR 2017

After much procrastination and even some doubts, the Canadian Grand Prix will be part of the 2017 Formula 1 World Championship calendar.

La Presse report that “tickets go on sale Thursday” after a Tweet posted by Montreal mayor Denis Coderre confirmed that “an agreement in principle” is in place,

Only minutes after the news was released on Twitter, race organisers Octane Racing Group announced that ticket sales for the grand prix to be held at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on 11 June 2017 would commence this week.

The announcement comes a week before the official and final publication of the 2017 F1 calendar by the World Motor Sport Council.

The confirmation removes the uncertainty surrounding the staging of the race since a provisional 2017 F1 World Championship calendar was released in September, with the Canadian race subject to confirmation at the time.

[MIKA27]

ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX FACTS & STATS

Reuters compiled facts and statistics for the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the final round of the 21-round 2016 Formula 1 World Championship, at Yas Marina Circuit.

• Lap distance: 5.554km. Total distance: 305.355km (55 laps)
• Race lap record: One minute 40.279 seconds, Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull, 2009
• 2015 pole: Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1:40.237
• 2015 winner: Rosberg
• Start time: 1300 GMT (1700 local)

Championship

• Rosberg has a 12-point lead after 20 of the 21 races. That means he will be champion if he finishes on the podium, regardless of other results. He will also take the title if Mercedes team mate Lewis Hamilton fails to finish in the top three.
• For full permutations see separate box.
• Rosberg would be Germany’s third world champion, after Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel, and the 33rd in Formula One history.

Victories

• Hamilton’s victory in Brazil was the 52nd of his Formula One career, making him second to Michael Schumacher (91) on the all time list of winners.
• Mercedes have won 50 of the last 58 races and 18 of this season’s 20.
• Rosberg and Hamilton have both won nine times this year. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo are the other winners.
• No driver has ever won eight races in a season and failed to win the championship, which means history will be made whoever takes the title. Only three drivers (Hamilton, Vettel and Schumacher) have won 10 or more races in a season.
• Four-times champion Vettel has 42 wins, McLaren’s Fernando Alonso 32, Rosberg 23, Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen 20 and McLaren’s Jenson Button 15.
• Rosberg, who is level with Brazilian triple champion Nelson Piquet in the list of all-time winners, has more victories than any other non-champion in Formula One history. If he wins the title, that honour goes back to Stirling Moss (16).
• Ferrari have won 224 races in total, McLaren 182, Williams 114, Mercedes 63, Red Bull 52. McLaren last won in 2012.

Pole Position

• Mercedes have been on pole in 55 of the last 58 races and all but one of this season’s grands prix. They have had 13 one-twos in qualifying so far in 2016.
• Hamilton has 60 career poles and is third on the all-time list behind Schumacher (68) and Ayrton Senna (65). Vettel has 46, Rosberg 30.

Championship Points

• Felipe Nasr scored Sauber’s first points of the season in the Brazilian Grand Prix, the penultimate race of the year.
• That leaves team mate Marcus Ericsson, Haas’s Esteban Gutierrez and Manor’s Esteban Ocon as the only drivers still to score this year.
• Every team has now scored points this season, the first time that has happened since 2009.

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

• The sport’s first day-to-night race. Cars hit top speeds of 320kph with an average of around 195kph. There are nine right and 11 left turns on the anti-clockwise layout.
• Four drivers have won in Abu Dhabi: Vettel (2009, 2010 and 2013), Hamilton (2011, 2014), Raikkonen (2012) and Rosberg (2015).
• Only two of those wins came from pole position: Vettel’s in 2010, when he became the youngest champion at 23, and Rosberg’s last year.
• Only once has the winner not started on the front row — Raikkonen from fourth in 2012 with Lotus.
• Hamilton won his second title in Abu Dhabi in 2014.

Milestone

• Sunday will be the last F1 race for Brazilian Felipe Massa, as well as his 250th start, and also a farewell for 2009 world champion Jenson Button.
• Hamilton’s win in Brazil meant he has now won at 24 different tracks, more than any other driver. The only current layout he has yet to win at is Azerbaijan’s Baku city circuit.

[MIKA27]

Hamilton's job easier than Rosberg's - Horner

Lewis Hamilton has an easier job than Nico Rosberg in their battle for this year's F1 title in the Abu Dhabi finale, according to Red Bull's Christian Horner.

Hamilton arrives in the final race of the season with a 12-point deficit to Rosberg, who only needs to finish third to secure his first title.

Horner, however, reckons Rosberg has "everything to lose" given the championship situation.

"Of course Nico has everything to lose," said Horner during a media event in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. "It seems a top-three finish is a straightforward result for a Mercedes driver, but we are at the end of engine life, gearbox life.

"He's probably going to be watching his mirrors harder than anyone else. He's got everything at stake.

"Lewis' job is easier than Nico's as he's the one who has the pressure to close up the championship.

Horner also referred to the example of the 2010 championship decider, when Sebastian Vettel pipped Fernando Alonso to the title.

"We saw that with Fernando Alonso a few years ago. Sebastian had nothing to lose. He just went for it and won the race," Horner said.

"Ferrari saw [Mark] Webber as a bigger threat in the championship than Vettel and they chose to cover the wrong driver."

Horner insisted that both Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo will be pushing the Mercedes duo as usual despite what is at stake this weekend.

"To my drivers I'll just say 'go for it' because it's not our championship battle. We are out there to get the best result that we can," he said.

"We could be Lewis Hamilton's best friend on Sunday afternoon if we manage to get both of our cars ahead of Nico. They are going to be focused on their own battle. There's no point Lewis winning the race by half a lap.

"If he's in the lead and he's smart, he's probably going to try to back the cars up so there is some racing behind him because that's the only way the result could fall his way. It's going to be fascinating."

Ricciardo, meanwhile, admitted he could try to push even harder given that both Mercedes drivers will need to be extra cautious.

"I think the first lap could be interesting. You think about Rosberg's position - all he has to do is finish third, if Hamilton wins. And even if he takes less risk at the start and, say, drops back to fifth, the car is still quick enough that he could still get third in the race.

"He doesn't need to be third on the first lap. For sure, if he's a bit cautious - or they're cautious - on the first lap, then I'll try to take some advantage.

"We'll see. I always try to take advantage, like everyone. If they're a bit more vulnerable this weekend, it's better for us because they're normally too fast."

[MIKA27]

F1 2017 cars unlikely to be five seconds quicker - Symonds

Formula 1's 2017 cars are set to miss the target of delivering a five-second per lap improvement, and may even produce hardly any gain at low-downforce tracks like Monza, reckons Williams tech chief Pat Symonds.

As teams continue to prepare their cars for the major rules shake-up that is coming for next year, Symonds has said that talk of F1 cars being so fast that drivers may struggle to manage them is wide of the mark.

Instead, he suggests the lap times will be similar to what drivers experienced around a decade ago – so only a few seconds quicker than now.

"They have driven cars like this before and it is nothing we didn't have around 2004/2005," said Symonds.

"To give you an example, a typical 200km/h corner is going to go up by 30-35km/h. It adds a G to it. It is going to be a bit more physical but it is not mind-blowing, I think.

"The performance is getting more like the mid-2000 cars, but not really there. You remember the target was five seconds per lap? I am not sure we will achieve that.

"We have the big unknown with the tyres, of course, we really don't know where we are there. But making some sensible assumptions with the tyres, I think we will see more like the four-second mark.

"At places like Barcelona, where this type of car will be quite performant, it will be more than that, but some places - like Monza, for example, where you will be taking a lot of downforce off because you have more drag from the wider tyres - I don't think we will see much difference in laptime at a track like that."

Symonds says progress on making the 2017 cars has been partly limited by the fact that teams only got hold of wind tunnel tyres in February this year, which has restricted development time.

"We only got the windtunnel tyres at the end of February, so it has been quite a short gestation period compared to the 2009 cars," he said. "I think we were working on the 2009 cars a lot longer.

"Plus, the big difference in 2009 was that we were running wind tunnels 24/7, and Toyota were running two wind tunnels 24/7. Now every single team, whether you are Haas or Manor or Mercedes, you do 65 runs a week.

"That does make things a little bit different to 2009. It also means that if someone has made a breakthrough it is harder to catch up."

While there are hopes that the 2017 aero overhaul will shake up the order in F1, Symonds says anyone wishing that the field will be closer will be disappointed.

"You get convergence in time," he said. "The classic example of that is the power unit. The power unit working group said don't mess around trying to get convergence, it will happen naturally by 2017 and I think they are right. By 2017 there is not going to be much between the engines.

"The same is true of the chassis. You do get this convergence, probably not quite as marked as on the engines, so when you change the regulation, it is likely that things will move apart.

"The last reasonable change we had from 2013/2014, at Williams it was good for us because we and a few others teams were really struggling with understanding the blown diffusers with the coanda-type exhausts.

"Teams were struggling with that, but it went away and there was a bit of equalisation – and re-ordering, if you like, then. So it can certainly change the order but it won't necessarily bring things together – time brings things together."

[MIKA27]

2016 Season review by Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo

Red Bull Racing drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen interview each other for an in-depth end of season review.

MIKA: These two are brilliant! 

 

[MIKA27]

The Abu Dhabi GP with Kimi Raikkonen - Scuderia Ferrari 2016

“I like this circuit” says Kimi about Yas Marina. “It has a quite slow last part of the lap but has a great atmosphere as it is the last race of the year. So, obviously it’s a slightly different feeling and it’s in the evening. The lights are very good. Sometimes it can be not that easy with the lights but the driving conditions are not difficult to get the visual right."

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ROSBERG VS HAMILTON: NO HANDSHAKE BETWEEN RIVALS

Transcript from the 2016 Formula 1 World Championship title contenders press conference – featuring Lewis hamilton and Nico Rosberg – held ahead of the decisive Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, final round of 21 the 2016 Formula 1 World Championship, at Yas Marina Circuit.

Notably Hamilton and Rosberg posed for photograohers during the press conference but did not shake hands as they did ahead of their showdown in 2014.

We’ll start with you Nico. How are the nerves? Compared to the 2014 Championship showdown are you feeling more confident this time?
Nico Rosberg: It definitely helps to have been there, done that, y’know? This is the third time that we’re fighting for the Championship and the second time that it’s gone to the wire so for sure that helps to feel more relaxed.

It’s been quite a year for both of you obviously. Which race of Lewis’ most impressed you so far?
NR: Wow, that’s a bit of a question. I’ll need a bit more time to get into that because I don’t know really, I’m not thinking back. Of course, he’s done a great season, there’s been a lot of great races that Lewis has done, for sure. He’s been a great competitor, tough opponent as always, as was to be expected also. Yeah, but for me it’s just a focus on this weekend.

Same question to you Lewis. Which race of Nico’s this season has most impressed you?
Lewis Hamilton: I haven’t seen any of his races, so…

Well, the performance, in other words, on any particular weekend.
LH: I can’t really remember. Same as him. He was quick in lots of different places. I don’t think there’s one that particular stands out.

OK. We were just talking with Kimi Räikkönen, his 2007 Championship very unlikely given you and Alonso were leading going into that race. Another unlikely one was here in 2010, where Vettel was the least fancied going into that weekend and he came out as the World Champion. Do you take confidence from those two turnaround events, so say that anything is possible in this scenario?
LH: Not really ‘cos, I mean… it doesn’t really make any difference to this weekend.

Question is for Lewis. Lewis, if you win this weekend this in win number 53, you inch closer to Schumacher’s record. If things don’t go the way you hope you will this weekend, would that be a bittersweet ending to the season for you?
LH: Well, firstly Michael’s a long, long way away, so it will be a millimetre step closer to Michael. And if I… that’s my sole goal this weekend, is obviously to win the race. Nico’s been really quick here the last couple of years so it’s something that… it will be a challenge for sure but one I’m certain that I can face head on and do well. In terms of the Championship, if it doesn’t go the way I’d hope, well, the Championship generally hasn’t gone the way I’d hoped up until now. So 2016 has generally not been a spectacular year but there’s been lots of positives to take out from it and either way I will take all the positives into next season.

To both of you, Lewis has obviously had worse reliability this year out of the two of you and would be leading on points even if Malaysia hadn’t happened. Nico, how would you feel about the perception that that’s facilitated your championship win if that’s the way it happens. And Lewis, how do you feel about that too.
NR: Of course I’m aware of how the season has gone for both of us but those thoughts… first of all the season isn’t even finished. We still have one race to go so it would be premature to get into any such discussions but anyways, such thoughts, I don’t have them at the moment, in any way because for me it’s about concentrating on myself this weekend. I’m excited because it’s the last race, fighting for the Championship again with Lewis and yeah, so I’m just really focussed, trying to get the job done. I really would like to win this race and finish the season with a win. That would be awesome.
LH: Well, I mean… I don’t know. For me it’s… as I said, it’s been a challenging season in terms of having the ups and downs that I’ve had but I think that I’ve really managed to strengthen. In terms of turning negatives into positives, this year has been a real challenge in terms of strengthening that tool and being able to do so. So I’m really proud of what I have achieved. There have been moments where in the year where… 43 points behind, thought it was impossible to come back but somehow turned it around. I’ve been 33 points behind and almost turned it around. So, I think this year has generally shown that, for me… continued to show me that anything’s possible if you put your mind to it. I’ll keep the facing the races that are coming with that mentality.

Nico, is this the most important ever for your whole family?
NR: Ha! That’s a pretty easy one to answer. First of all I’m surprised you didn’t pull out a statistic. That’s very surprising. Secondly, no, for sure it’s not the weekend for my whole family, that’s very, very easy to answer, and that has become more clear also with the birth of our daughter.

Question for Nico, given that you’ve finished runner-up twice and are in a dominant position coming into this race, if you do finish second, would this be the most bitter of the three runner-up positions that you’ve had.
NR: Again, why…? That’s not going to make me go faster to have such thoughts y’know? About something that might or might not happen in the future. For me what’s important is now. And that’s worked for me until now, and that’s why I’m in this position, fighting for the Championship right here, because of that approach. So I’ll stick with that, continue and focus on a race win this weekend. That’s it.

To Nico. Can you say that you won’t get involved in any dodgy driving or with it all on the line is it no-holds barred in this last race?
NR: Again, it’s none of what you just said. It’s going to be a weekend like any other where I’m going to go for the race win and do what it takes to get that. And that’s it.

So whatever’s needed to do it, is it?
NR: Within the limits of what’s acceptable of course.

I’ve got a question for both of you. It’s been a close-fought season with the advantage swinging in both of your favours. What would each of you say was your best and worst drive of the year please.
NR: If it’s OK I’m just going to dig into the best, I prefer that one. One of the highlights for me was Singapore definitely this year because it was just a weekend I really… in an important part of the season also which really went my way. In qualifying then in the race the pressure from the Red Bull and still getting the win. In the end that was one that I really like to look back on.
LH: Can you remind me of the bad races I’ve had? I’m sure there’s been some bad ones but I can’t… someone. Seriously. I don’t want to just discard the negative ones but I need a bit of help with the memory. Singapore. Baku as well – that wasn’t really might fault, I had a dodgy engine setting. I think it’s important for me definitely to try to remember the negative ones because those experiences are generally what help you realise, or appreciate more, the wins. I’m sure there’s been… if I look at Japan for example. Getting off the line terribly, there’s been several races like that but regardless of those really bad starts I’ve always come back through with a fighting spirit and that for me is something to be proud of when I finish the race. That I’ve given it everything, regardless of the stumble or the mistake at the beginning. One of my favourite races was Monaco, I think. In tough, tricky conditions in the rain in Monaco and then wet to dry, staying out ahead of Daniel was a serious challenge and one I really loved.

Lewis, you mentioned your starts there. If you aren’t to go on to win this championship, will you look back and how much responsibility personally will you take for it, along with perhaps the reliability issues that have cost you?
LH: I won’t really look back. When I get to the end of the season I’ll be looking forwards. I generally don’t dwell to much on the past. I can barely remember the races so there’s not really much to look back on and dwell about. But you know I’ve learned a lot this year, grown a lot, my relationship with my engineers, my new mechanics that I have, that relationship has also grown a huge amount, so there has been lots and lots of positives. I’ll look into another year. The furtherwe go on in our age, the less championship fights we’ll have, or opportunities we have, so naturally you want to utilise every single one but if I was to look back on the season, I would mostly look… if there was anything to be negative about it would obviously be cars failing in certain places for… a car that just wouldn’t stop through testing with the same engine to then have the issues we’ve had. But again, Mercedes recognised those faults and tried everything they could to try and rectify them and improve. We take that, collectively as a team, onto next year and hopefully we will be stronger and won’t have problems like that. We are a team, we win and we lose together. As I said, I’ll just be looking forwards into another season. I know my ability, I think I’ve shown in time and time again and I’ll continue to do so in the future.

Lewis, one of the Twitter users by the name would like to know, would you consider backing Rosberg into the pack on Sunday, assuming you lead by Turn One, Lap One.
LH: Well, firstly I do really appreciate that you’re using social media really quite a lot now. It doesn’t mean every single question you give me is going to be from social media but I appreciate it either way. I was only just made aware of what Christian had said and a joke came into my mind, thinking I should say he gave me a call to discuss it… as we heard Toto had given him a call, or something, about the drivers in the last race – but I won’t say that because it’s not true. No, my sole goal, as I said, obviously Nico’s been pole for the last two year here. He’s been very, very quick. This has generally been a relatively strong circuit for me but I have not delivered in the last two years, so my sole goal is to do so, make sure I’m at my best this weekend as I have been the last couple of races. In terms of tactics in the race, that has to come on Sunday. I have to really think about that. But that’s not really every been my thought process. I’ve always just really just tried to… if I’m out ahead I want to be generally as far ahead as possible. Generally when you have a 18s… 30s lead that’s as painful a blow as you can give to the guy you’re fighting. So, when you look at the last race, if we didn’t have red flags I would have been 30 seconds ahead and those scenarios for me, it’s more valuable, it’s more of an achievement that backing up your team mate. Plus here, while in theory it sounds like it makes a lot of sense, practically it’s not very practical to do. You have two long DRS zones here. Wouldn’t be very easy and very wise to do so. So, no.

Nico, on Sunday evening, the season will be over but let’s come to the beginning of the season, but don’t worry, I’m not going through the whole season. But at the beginning five mechanics from Lewis’s team and five from your team left the team for Lewis. What was your impression of this change? Was it, at the end, a good idea during the season? What were your thoughts concerning this change? Were you surprised? Obviously you were not a fan of this change and who had this idea?
LH: That’s a very good question. And I would also just like to add to it, what was the explanation given to you?

NR: So the easiest way to answer that is if we look at the recent team spirit within the team because you know we’ve been fighting now for three years and within the team they’ve been fighting for the race wins and for the championship so it’s quite natural that a little separation can happen between the two sides of the garage and for the overall team performance that’s not a good thing because for the overall team performance you’d want to have great team spirit, everybody fighting for one direction, everybody holding together and that’s why the decision was taken to rotate a little bit and I think it’s shown this year that it’s been a very very good thing to do because our team spirit has been as good as ever, we’ve seen that recently and we’ve had some great parties together and whatever. Everybody’s just sticking together and it’s an awesome feeling within the team so it looks like that it was the right thing to do, even though initially it’s not something that’s super comfortable because my mechanics are close to me and it feels good and everything; to then change takes a little bit of time to gel as Lewis touched on before but I understand that from a team’s perspective that was the right thing to do and it’s worked well.

LH: You’ll have to buy my book down the line in ten years time when I tell you exactly what happened. It will be an interested read.

Lewis, Nico, could each you just briefly talk about your relationship developing during these three years of fighting for the championship against each other, please?
LH: Yeah, it’s been an interesting one. We obviously had a very good relationship generally when we started out, when we were kids. Back then a race weekend was generally… for kids karting it’s… you’re out having fun. You go out and drive and you come in and you fool around, you give a bit of information to your mechanic and you go and play Playstation or you go unicycling. We had a lot in common. We both love pizza, we loved eating boxes of Kellogs Frosties and doing all the crazy things and we go out on big motorbike tours. We did all those things. I still do everyone of those but Nico has shifted in the sense that he’s very very solely focused in terms of looking after himself. And obviously we went quite different ways when we were young: he went BMW, I went Renault. But then we got to Formula One and this was something that we had spoken about as kids and yeah, we obviously had ups and downs but ultimately I think we’ve managed to – particularly in the last year and at the age we are – which is pretty old, considering when we first met – I think we’ve been able to manage it pretty well and I’m really happy for him and his family and proud of stepping away from being our competitive selves, proud of him of how he’s driven, particularly this year obviously and generally it’s been a pleasure having him as a teammate.

NR: The thing is that we still have from back in those days is the base respect and that will never go and that has definitely helped us through these years. For sure, I have a lot of respect for Lewis outside of the car and also inside the car. As I’ve said, we’ve had some difficult moments but also some good ones over the past years and this year, generally, I think we’ve made progress and so yeah, it’s generally neutral but of course it is a difficult environment.

Lewis, I know you’re friends with Serena Williams, she’s an inspirational figure, someone who’s had a long career. I was wondering if you’ve spoken to each other about your respect for sports, what kind of things can you learn from Serena or maybe be inspired by her?
LH: I was actually with Serena last week in LA. For me… she came out to Mexico which for me was a real honour to have someone of her power, someone who has achieved so much. She’s been through… kind of come from similar backgrounds, similar relationships with their parents, being their father figure, being the lead. Growing up watching her career, absolutely being inspired by her and still today by her drive and her sheer… just, she’s if not the greatest athlete we have of our generation today so very proud to have had her there and be friends with her. We generally don’t talk… we generally have a lot of fun when we are around each other. We’re always laughing and joking and enjoying life away from sport, so it’s generally not something we generally talk about, although because she’s been to a Grand Prix she’s generally really interested in cars now and she has asked me a lot of questions about how it feels and all the technical things about Formula One, because she was there, she perhaps didn’t understand everything that was going on, it was her first Grand Prix. But yeah, I’m absolutely mesmerised by what she has achieved and definitely inspired by her as an athlete and as a human being and so trying to learn from her. Every now and then she’ll give me a bit of that magic in her words. Venus talks a lot about wisdom and about her growth and about the process of being a sportsman or sportswoman so generally from both of them, I take a lot of inspiration and admire them both hugely.

Lewis, the very sad news from last week (of the death of Dr Aki Hintsa); did that affect your preparations?
LH: The last week, particularly, was definitely a difficult week. Last week definitely wasn’t the best week of sleeping, for sure. I’d known Aki since 2004 I think it was, so I’d known Aki quite a long long time, very close with him and his family and I was very very fortunate to have been able to be there with him and his family in the last days and actually get to see him on the last day of his… On the Monday after Brazil, I got to see him and spend time with him and we played music, get to see him smile, get to see the amazing man he was. You know, proud to have known someone like that and have someone like that in your life, who had been hugely and incredibly helpful in my time. He was very instrumental in me getting that seat at McLaren in Formula One as he’d built a really strong relationship with Ron and Ron was kind of of a mind to say that if Aki says you’re ready then I believe you’re ready, so Aki would take me through all these tests and he would look at me deeply in my eyes and like ‘yeah, you’re ready, I can tell.’ So I have all these great memories with him and for sure it’s… we don’t know why these things are sent to … such wonderful people as well. You hear about prisoners who have done the worse things who die happily in their sleep and then you hear about someone who is almost a saint like Aki, who would help… who would go to Ethiopia and help children and has helped so many people and affected everyone that he had met in a positive light. To have finished his life so early was definitely tough to see but coming here this weekend, whilst I have that fighting spirit in my heart from the last races I’ve done, I come here with almost double the power in the sense that I feel that I want to win this race more so for him. We were texting every single race through his battle and particularly the last race on Sunday. Yeah, so coming here this weekend, whilst it’s an emotional time, I’m here to try and do him proud, do well for him as he had helped prepare and the belief he had in me.

Lewis, did you study the history of this race. In 2010, for instance, Alonso lost the World Championship because he could not overtake Petrov and so it’s very important to be in front of Nico. Maybe you need that. Do you think you do any special preparation for that? And the second question for you is that in 2014 you had a kind of magnetic field around you, we could not approach you because it was dangerous for us. You were so nervous, we could see that. In the weekend here, 2014.
LH: Yeah, it was horrible.

We could see that. And now it looks like everything… except that you are fighting for the championship.
LH: In terms of studying the race… the engineers obviously know the history of this race and where have been the good and negative points, the things that I can work on for this weekend so I’m fully up to date with that. Generally there’s one line through the first sector, for example, it’s very hard to follow, you pretty much need a one second, a 1.1s advantage over the car behind so that you can be in a position to overtake the car ahead so there’s quite a big delta compared to other races and it makes it very tough, hence why I am coming here to make sure I’m on first place on the front row which is… as I said, very much aware of how difficult it’s been in the past but with the belief that I’ve been able to do in the last races I believe I can do it here and I know that I can do that here so that’s the goal.
And the second one was the… ah, 2014. Yeah, it was a turbulent year again. I remember… was that the year that we had the issue at Monaco? Right. So we had the issue at Monaco and then there was the issue at Spa, so we went through quite a lot of ups and downs again that season and then to get to the last race where it was double points… I didn’t sleep the night before the race which is one of the first times if not the only time. Yeah, I’d worked so hard… we’d worked so hard, me and my mechanics and engineers, so hard that season to be at the last race and through mechanical failure or something, to have the championship taken away from us… we fully deserved it. I’m pretty sure it was definitely difficult then. Coming here this year is a lot different. I fully believe me and my side of the garage have worked the hardest and yeah, we are not in the position which we’ve worked for but we are still in a position of power, we are still pushing hard, we still aspire to motivate, we’re still very very focused on winning. I’m very very proud of my engineers. I think, as I said, we’ve grown a lot closer this season than ever before. I think our work ethic is greater than it’s ever been, and my new mechanics that have come on board, I feel I’ve really… it started out really tough with us at the beginning of the year, particularly, I would say, on their side because they just didn’t understand what’s going on and then we had all those problems following, so then they felt on their social media, they felt a lot of heat, fans thinking… people were blaming them which was nothing to do with them. And then we had a lot of success so I built a really great relationship with them, so really really proud of the unit that I have now and of course I feel that we have worked to the point of deserving to have been champions this year as our group but we have this one last race which, all we can do is focus on being great this weekend as we have the last races before. We’ve really grown into a solid unit and continue that way.
I like these press conferences when it’s just us two.

Nico, you’ve played it pretty conservative back in Brazil, last few races, but that might not be the case this weekend if the Red Bulls get up tight…
NR: I don’t think you would be saying that if you had been out in the race car with us. You wouldn’t call that conservative.

Are you prepared to deal with that, given the Red Bulls may have a chance to split you two and make things interesting for this title fight?
NR: I’m here to win, not think about who might or not come between or be right behind me or whatever. No, I’m just here to win and I know that with the car that I have and the form that I’m in, I can make it happen and I’m just focusing on that. That’s it.

Nico, be honest, what is more important for you here: winning the championship or a victory?
NR: For me, here, the most important thing is to do an awesome performance, because that’s going to give both, isn’t it, so I’m doing whatever it takes to give the best possible performance and that’s the same thing that I’ve done for all the other races. Taking this as one more race, keep it simple, focus on going for that race win and putting everything towards that and not thinking about what if, because that wouldn’t be the right approach for me and that’s what feels good to me and that’s what I’m sticking with. Understandable?

 

MIKA: Some seriously dumb questions if you ask me..

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NASR: TALKS WITH SAUBER FOR NEXT YEAR ARE PRIORITY

Brazilian Felipe Nasr said staying at Sauber was his main focus after the Swiss team left his future open, but cut-backs by his sponsors in Brazil could be a blow for his ambitions to be on the Formula 1 grid next year

“There are still negotiations going on,” the 24-year-old driver told reporters on the eve of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. “The talks are with Sauber mainly. That’s our priority right now.”

Nasr scored Sauber’s first and only points of the season in his home race this month with a ninth-place finish worth millions in prize money if they stay ahead of Manor in the constructors’ standings.

However the Ferrari-powered team confirmed only Sweden’s Marcus Ericsson in a statement on Monday about their 2017 line-up. Manor, 11th overall, are the only other team with at least one declared vacancy after Force India signed their French rookie Esteban Ocon.

Nasr, whose place is likely to depend on securing continued sponsorship from Brazilian backers at a time of economic crisis in his homeland, insists the relationship with Sauber remained strong, “It’s been two great years. The two points mean a lot for myself, for the team and hopefully we will know it (the second seat) soon.”

Alas for him this week news has been circulating in his homeland that his main sponsor Banco do Brasil is cutting costs and closing dozens of branches around the country, with many staff set to lose their jobs. Nasr’s sponsorship is a luxury the bank will find hard to justify.

Mexican Esteban Gutierrez, a former Sauber driver who has lost his place at U.S.-owned Haas, is also looking for a new team while Manor are expected to retain Mercedes-backed German driver Pascal Wehrlein.

Indonesia’s Rio Haryanto, who raced for Manor earlier in the year, is also in the frame for a return and is trying to raise sponsorship in south-east Asia.

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VETTEL: WE CAN’T BE PROUD OF THIS YEAR

Sebastian Vettel has admitted that there is not much to be proud of for Ferrari in 2016, but is adamant that team spirit among all staff is at a very high level at Maranello contrary to recent reports claiming that a climate of fear prevailed at the team’s headquarters.

Vettel told reporters ahead of the season finale in Abu Dhabi, “We can’t be proud of this year because we came through the season wanting to fight for the championship and we did not so it is the target for next year, that is very clear.”

“It is an enormous challenge for all of the teams including ourselves to get the cars ready for next year with so many changes but that is what we are here for.”

But added, “Overall I think the car is a very good step from last year and I think our performance was probably better than the results we have shown at times but the circumstances haven’t always been the best.”

Despite talk of fear and disharmony at Maranello, Vettel says otherwise, “I think the strongest point we have is the spirit inside the team. Very often this year we might have been criticised but we are working very hard, people are very committed here.”

“I have said many times we wanted something more this year but for many reasons it didn’t happen,” acknowledged the four times F1 world champion.

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BUTTON: I THINK OF THIS AS MY LAST F1 RACE

Jenson Button says he has no plans to race again in Formula One after Sunday’s season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, even though McLaren are keeping the door open for a possible return in 2018.

“I go into this weekend thinking it is going to be my last race. I think that is the best way to be,” the 2009 world champion told reporters on Thursday.

“At this moment in time I do not want to be racing in Formula One past this race. I think of this as my last race and hopefully everybody else does as well.”

The 36-year-old Briton will be replaced at McLaren by Belgian rookie Stoffel Vandoorne next season but the team have presented the veteran’s departure as a year’s sabbatical.

That was seen by many as more of an insurance policy in case Spaniard Fernando Alonso decided to walk away at the end of 2017, as well as strengthening McLaren’s hand in contract negotiations.

Asked what had changed since September, when the announcement was made, Button said there was nothing in particular.

“I don’t want to go into this race and think it’s not my last. And it is my last,” he said. “It is true that I have a contract for 2018 but at this moment in time I don’t want to be racing in 2018.

“The whole idea about having a contract was that in three months’ time, when I’ve eaten myself stupid and am thinking of things to do in the future and maybe feel I need Formula One back in my life…

“But at this moment in time that isn’t the case. So this is my last race and that’s the way I think about it at the moment. But who knows? That could change in six months, eight months, one year.”

Button is the most experienced Formula One driver on the grid, and Sunday’s race will be the 305th start of a career that started with Williams in 2000. He won the title with Brawn, the team that emerged from the embers of Honda and became Mercedes.

Formula One has been his life’s focus since he started out in karting.

“It has been a long journey,” he said. “You get to Formula One with many dreams and you aspire to be something. You hope to leave the sport with memories and that is something I definitely do have.

“I raced with two of the teams I dreamt of racing for as a kid, Williams and McLaren, and when I did win the championship it was with a privateer team which I think is also pretty special.”

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FERRARI: OBRIGADO FELIPE

Ferrari have sent a touching tribute to their former driver Felipe Massa who will race his final grand prix in Abu Dhabi this weekend.

The team posted on their official website: “The whole of Ferrari sends its greetings to Felipe Massa on his last competitive weekend of Formula 1.”

“Felipe has been connected to the Scuderia for over 10 years including eight as a race driver featuring 11 wins, 15 pole positions, 36 podiums and very nearly the world title in 2008.”

“His competitive qualities and great passion have made him one of the Scuderia drivers most loved by fans around the world.”

“We send a big thanks to you Felipe for these wonderful years together, for the generosity that has always marked you on track and off, and for how you have successfully combined humanity and professionalism in a complex environment such as Formula 1.”

“Obrigado Felipe, good luck for your future projects and a big hug to you and your wonderful family from all of us at Ferrari,” concluded the message.

Massa ends his career as a Williams driver, with 11 victories in 249 grand prix starts. His final race will be his 250th in Formula 1.

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GERMAN GRAND PRIX DROPS OFF 2017 F1 CALENDAR

Ahead of the World Motor Sport Council meeting scheduled for 30 November in Vienna, where the 2017 Formula 1 season calendar will be finalised, reports have emerged that there will be no German Grand Prix next year.

Auto Motor und Sport claims that the race scheduled for Hockenheim will be dropped, with F1 supremo quoted saying, “We cannot subsidise the German Grand Prix. We do not do it with the other races in Europe.”

Teams are set to be informed of the decision this weekend in Abu Dhabi. The 2017 F1 calendar will thus only feature 20 races.