FORMULA 1 - 2016

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2017 rule changes the biggest in 20 years - Toro Rosso

Toro Rosso's James Key says the upcoming 2017 rule changes are the biggest he's ever experienced in the sport, since he began his career almost 20 years ago with Jordan.

The sport has been through many changes over the previous two decades, including a major regulation overhaul in 2009 which saw the introduction of KERS and completely new aero rules. Whilst 2014 also saw big changes to the way the cars looked and a new engine formula.

Key believes the changes happening next year however are far bigger with the introduction of wider tyres, larger and lower wings, more aggressive styling and larger diffusers.

"It's a massive change," he said. "Honestly, from a bodywork and suspension and tyre point of view, this is the biggest one that I've personally experienced in almost 19 years in F1.

"From a chassis point of view, it's the biggest change of the past two decades, even bigger than 2009 and certainly bigger than 2014."

He revealed that work began on Toro Rosso's 2017 car more than a year ago as they've had to start with an almost completely blank canvas due to the scale of the changes.

"We tentatively started the 2017 project in September 2015, so it's been 14 months so far. Back then, the chassis regulations hadn't been finalised but we thought that with any change of this nature, the sooner you start, the better.

"We knew the tyres would be wider and we had dimensions then of what we were going to work to. These also got refined, but not to a huge degree. We started work conceptually on this around September 2015, really just to see what it meant and then as the regs evolved, we changed our plans accordingly. By the time the car hits the track, it will have been a 17-month project."

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Grosjean eager for first home GP

After the French Grand Prix was confirmed on the Formula 1 calendar for 2018, Haas driver Romain Grosjean said it will be an emotional experience.

Despite being born in Switzerland, Grosjean has spent most of his racing career in France, joining Renault in 2004.

Holding a Franco-Swiss nationality, the Frenchman is delighted he will be able to race in front of his home fans for the first time in Formula 1.

“You can easily imagine how emotional it will be for us French drivers to race in front of our fans,” said Grosjean.

“I have talked about it with others and to be honest I have had some doubts over the recent years and then all of sudden, thanks to many people pulling together, the return of French GP has materialised.

“It’s quite exceptional. Circuit Paul Ricard is a unique venue and I look forward to being there in 2018 and trying to win my first French GP!”

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Analysis: Does Byrne’s involvement point to radical 2017 Ferrari?

Legendary Formula 1 designer Rory Byrne’s return to Ferrari had been kept low profile for months, but his presence alongside Jock Clear at the Autosport Awards showed he is very much part of the family now.

The 72-year-old – who was chief designer during the dominant Michael Schumacher era – is now dividing his time between Ferrari and Thailand, where he has devoted himself to his passion of underwater fishing.

Having been recalled in a consultancy role earlier this year, Byrne has been working closely with Simone Resta on Ferrari’s 2017 car – codenamed the 688 – on what sources say are the development of concepts that go to the limit of regulatory interpretations.

It is an aggressive approach that Ferrari has not been so keen to pursue in recent years, whereas rivals like Red Bull and Mercedes have always been keen to push things to the limit of the rules in their quest for success.

One example is the way Mercedes incorporated hydraulic front suspension through exploiting regulations that were intended to help Manor run a year-old car in 2015.

But with new regulations coming next year – which are expected to deliver a laptime improvement of five seconds – there is talk that technical director Mattia Binotto’s efforts are paying off.

At the Ferrari Mondiali in Daytona last weekend, team principal Maurizio Arrivabene said: “Our 2017 began last August with a major change on the technical front.

     

"People expect a lot from Ferrari, wins and success, therefore we will do our utmost to achieve that. But ever since the new structure was put in place, with a great engineer like Mattia Binotto in charge, we have seen positive signs, as in Japan and Abu Dhabi.”

But how is it conceivable that a team that did not win a single race in 2016 – after three victories and runner-up in the constructors’ championship the year before – can hope to become competitive without much recruitment from outside and having lost a key strength in James Allison.

The answer comes from president Sergio Marchionne: “We have reorganised the management in August, and I have every confidence in the work of Mattia Binotto. The structure I believe is now very good – although some change is always possible. But the key building blocks are in place.”

The restructuring that is talked about involves 14 separate working groups, and a more horizontal structure that allows more input from more staff. Marchionne has laid down some ambitious targets, as he is determined for Ferrari to make the most of the opportunity given by new regulations.

In Maranello there is said to be some optimism about progress, because the car that is emerging is in line with expectations. However, that does not mean that Ferrari is definitely on course to produce a race-winning car – as that will depend on what Mercedes and Red Bull do – but it means the numbers from the simulators and windtunnel are encouraging.

Inside the racing department, there is understood to be a feeling that the team ‘must’ get back on top, and a quiet confidence it is working towards that target. But can Ferrari under Binotto really churn out ideas that will be necessary to challenge Mercedes and Red Bull?

We will only know for sure during the first winter tests when the cars are unleashed in Barcelona, but there are already whispers that Ferrari – under Byrne’s watchful eye – has found solutions that come from clever interpretation of the rules.

If true, it means the new Ferrari should have a more aggressive approach to its 2017 design than we saw with the SF16-H.

And was there a hidden motive behind the decision by Ferrari to challenge the FIA over the Mexico penalty for Sebastian Vettel? Was it trying to find out how far it can go in pushing the regulations and how the governing body would respond to a challenge – ahead of some interpretations that may raise the eyebrows of rival engineers on its new car?

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The challenges facing F1 teams in 2017

2017 heralds another new beginning for Formula 1, with significant changes to the cars that will not only have a visual effect but have both a mechanical and aerodynamic impact too.

Decreasing laptimes by five seconds has been the overarching goal of this regulation change, which has resulted in Pirelli supplying wider tyres and numerous changes made to the car's aerodynamic surfaces to achieve it.

The most noteworthy of these aerodynamic changes is the deltoid shaping of the front and rear wings and the leading edge of the sidepods.

While these changes were introduced to give the car a more aggressive and futuristic look, they will also force designers to rethink how they move air around the car.

In order to understand some of the changes that will play their part in the shape of next year's cars we're going to look at part of the car that rarely gets seen: the underside.

Front wing

The front wing is hugely important in the performance of the entire car. It is the first surface to receive airflow and is therefore critical in the performance of every other surface. It is also in close proximity to the front tyres and therefore pivotal in how the wake generated by them affects other surfaces.

Furthermore, the tyres contribute approximately 40 percent of the drag created by an open wheel car, if left untreated, making it the first point of call for a designer in search of a better drag coefficient.

The regulation changes implemented in 2009 (above) forced designers to rethink years of doing the same thing. A neutral centre section was added to the front wing while its overall width was also increased to match the width of the car, but perhaps more significantly the bargeboards were dramatically reduced in size, changing how the wake shed from the front tyre was dealt with.

These changes were matched by reductions at the rear of the car too, in order to try and reduce the overall level of downforce that could be achieved, but it was the front end of the chassis that was the most affected.

Of course these were reduced even further in subsequent years, while the front wing was also narrowed, making life even more difficult for the designers who had been forced to use outwash front wings, rather than the inwash ones that had preceded them.

The intent of the outwash wings has been to pull outward on the wake generated by the front tyres, pulling it away from the smaller bargeboards, which offered less physical protection to the leading edge of the floor and sidepods than their predecessors.

The Y250 vortex, generated by the transition of the surfaces as the neutral section meets the flapped section, was used to protect the now-heavily shaped tyre wake and act like the enlarged bargeboard that the old regulations permitted.

The 2017 cars will be somewhat of a halfway house, as the front wing features the neutral central section, albeit with the addition of the triangular front section, which gives the designers the Y250 vortex to play with - although its vorticity and direction is something that will be affected by the neutral sections movement further from the chassis, with the minimum nose length increased from 850mm to 1050mm.

The width of the front wing has also been increased to 1800mm rather than 1650mm, slightly favouring it to the wider tyres which will be 305mm, up from 245mm [2].

Bargeboards

With just this information you'd expect the outwash style wings to be retained, but it's the reintroduction of the larger bargeboards [4] behind them that is the game changer. As we've already alluded to, their role in pushing the front tyres wake away from the floor will change how designers approach the design of their front wing.

We've already seen and discussed how teams are potentially going to favour an inwash design philosophy, albeit with some outwash tendencies to displace and harness the airflow spilt by the outer section of the tyre, McLaren's development wing (above) points at this very direction.

This is the first time that the sport has reverted its outlook on the speed of the machines, with significant downforce reductions made in 2009 and again in 2014 to curtail speeds and increase safety.

With that in mind, we can use the pre-2009 machines as somewhat of a benchmark when it comes to understanding just how complex the front of the chassis' may become and what ramifications that may have up and downstream of it.

The illustrations from 2003 and 2004, above, go to show the level of technicality that was prevalent in that era, with the pre-2009 machinery bristling with solutions in order to move and shape the airflow.

Splitter

One of the factors behind an F1 car's ground clearance is the plank and at its forward most section we find the splitter, or 'T-Tray'. It's normal practice for a single-seater to be run with 'rake', as the nose down attitude of the car affords several mechanical and aerodynamic advantages.

From an aerodynamic point of view, there are two main reasons for following this philosophy: placing the front wing into ground effect and increasing expansion ratio of the diffuser.

The amount of rake that can be run is limited by the front edge of the plank coming into contact with the ground, with a compromise needed in order that it doesn't wear sufficiently that the stewards disqualify the driver.

It's something that we've even had controversy on down the years, with hinged and suspended splitters used to circumnavigate the deflection tests, improving how much rake can be run without falling foul of the scrutineers.

For 2017 though, the plank must now reside 100mm further back from the front wheel centreline. This will increase the challenge posed on circumventing the regulations, as the force applied to the area remains the same it does give further scope in terms of raking the car, potentially improving the downforce that can be generated if it can be exploited.

Diffuser

The dimensional changes at the rear of the car provide the designers with a huge scope for the design of their diffuser. Rather than starting on the rear wheel centreline, the diffuser can begin 175mm in front of it [5]. On top of this, it has been expanded in width by 50mm, up to 1050mm, and is 50mm taller, up to 175mm.

Of course, starting the diffuser ahead of the rear wheel centreline means that it is split into three sections, as the plank continues to terminate on the rear wheel centreline, meaning the central section transitions at a different rate to the outer channels, even more so than the outgoing cars.

Overview

The 2017 regulations are a bold step in a totally different direction and should deliver close to the five seconds per lap decrease on the 2014 times that the FIA was looking for.

Clearly, the cars are going to be vastly different in the way they treat the airflow right from the leading edge of the front wing all the way back to the now tilted rear wing.

However, the framing of the new technical regulations against a backdrop of known solutions will inevitably lead designers down a semi-fixed path.

Even so, any regulation change of this magnitude will undoubtedly lead to several key developments that will lead to an intense development battle throughout the year as everyone converges on them.

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French GP layout will feature chicane on Mistral Straight

Paul Ricard chiefs have confirmed that the French Grand Prix venue will use a chicane on the famous Mistral Straight when the race returns to the calendar in 2018.

Following the announcement earlier this week that Paul Ricard had secured a new five-year deal to host the race, the focus shifted to finalising the exact configuration that would be used for the event.

But despite the many layouts that are possible, it was decided that the only version that complied with the FIA Grade 1 requirements that all F1 tracks must have is the 5.842-kilometre version that features a chicane on the north side of the Mistral Straight.

The decision, which has been confirmed by Paul Ricard chiefs to Motorsport.com, will mean the old spectacle of cars arriving at top speed into the Signes right-hander will be no more.

The French GP was last held in 2008 at the Magny-Cours circuit near Nevers. Paul Ricard held 14 F1 races between 1971 and 1990.

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Zak Brown: Formula One can learn from Super Bowl

McLaren's new boss Zak Brown says F1 can learn a lot from the Super Bowl and the way it involves and engages its fans. 

Formula One commands a massive global audience, but television figures have fallen in recent years, down to 400 million in 2015 compared to 600 million in 2008. Quizzed on how that trend can be reversed and what needs to be done to improve the fan experience, Brown added that the format of a grand prix weekend may also need tweaking. 

“I think we need to take a look at the weekend format and how we engage with the consumers in the grandstands and how close can we get them to our team and drivers, so that is here on site,” he explained. 

“Also you go to these cities and it is a big event leading up to it. I think the Super Bowl does an excellent job, if you look at when they put on a Super Bowl, the level of fan engagement: they come into town a week before, they take over the cities, they take over the hotels and they take over the airports. 

“We have got 21 Super Bowls that we put on across the world. So, I'd like to see that in market.” 

Brown also said the sport needs to do more digitally and he is hopeful that will now happen following the take-over by Liberty Media. 

“I think digital, which we all talk about, which is a quickly, fast paced and evolving [area] and what worked yesterday may or may not work tomorrow [needs looking at] and I think given that Liberty has a media-centric background and specifically Chase [Carey] comes from the media world, I have got high expectations that they will do great things in the media space, which is ultimately how we reach the largest audience we can,” he concluded. 

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MERCEDES MAKE BID FOR BOTTAS TO REPLACE ROSBERG

Mercedes have made a bid for Valtteri Bottas to replace Nico Rosberg, according to various reports in British media.

BBC and Sky Sports are reporting that Williams driver Bottas is top of the list of candidates to take up the most coveted cockpit in Formula 1.

With BBC claiming: “Wolff has approached Williams with a proposal that he gives them a major reduction in their engine bill – said to be in the region of €10-million euros – more than half the total fee – in return for releasing Bottas.”

“Williams also have the option to run Mercedes reserve driver Pascal Wehrlein in Bottas’ place,” added the report, which also suggested that the bid was declined by Williams.

The stumbling block is that Bottas is vital to Williams on several fronts, not least of which is the fact that the team have taken on big paying 18 year old Lance Stroll who will be relying on the Finn for mentoring during his rookie season.

Furthermore a number of sponsors including Martini are keen to have the experience of Bottas and an ‘older’ driver for promotional activities. In other words: it’s complicated.

While Mercedes themselves have declared that they will not break any existing contracts between drivers and their respective teams, thus a deal for Bottas would require Williams to be happy.

Thus Mercedes could (and probably will) sweeten the deal substantially and by all accounts are trying to do so in their attempt to sign a top driver to partner Lewis Hamilton in their second car.

In their favour they do have substantial leverage with Williams as they supply the Grove outfit with power units, thus an even bigger discount than the €10-million euros first offered may be more tempting. In the end money talks in Formula 1, and most professional sports for that matter.

The Mercedes team boss is also close to Frank and Claire Williams as he was once a share-holder in the team, while Wolff is part of Bottas’ management team.

Adding a twist to the whole affair is the fact that Mercedes technical chief Paddy Lowe is supposedly in talks with Williams to head up the team.

Apparently out of the running is Fernando Alonso who is committed to McLaren until the end of 2018 with no get out clause in his deal. Pascal Wehrlein remains an alternative option for the World Champion team should the Bottas bid fail.

Williams have refused to comment on these latest reports linking their driver to Mercedes for next season.

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Red Bull's Max Verstappen set overtaking record in 2016

Max Verstappen completed the most overtakes in a Formula 1 season according to data collected by tyre supplier Pirelli.

The Dutch youngster completed 18 overtakes in the opening four races of the season whilst driving for Toro Rosso, and another 60 driving for Red Bull across the remaining 17 grands prix.

A total of 78 overtakes is a new record according to data which goes back to the 1982 season.

Meanwhile Lewis Hamilton recorded the most overtakes during a single race in 2016. The Briton started from last and finished seventh, completing 18 passes in the process.

That contributed to a total of 128 overtakes at the Chinese GP – also an all-time record for a dry F1 race – whilst Hungary recorded the fewest overtakes of the season at just ten.

Sebastian Vettel was the least overtaken driver, having been passed just once – by Verstappen in Brazil, a race which recorded 64 overtakes in total.

Whilst Mercedes were the least overtaken team at seven, Red Bull did the most overtaking with a total of 136 successful moves (61 by Daniel Ricciardo, 60 by Max Verstappen, 15 by Daniil Kvyat).

In total there were 866 overtakes during the entire 21-race season.

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Kaltenborn: It would be better if Ferrari dominated

Sauber boss Monisha Kaltenborn says a single team dominating Formula one is not good for the sport while also claiming it would be better if Ferrari were on top.

The 45-year-old said the blame shouldn’t fall on Mercedes after an incredibly one-sided campaign saw Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton dominate for Mercedes.

“Of course it would be better if several teams were to fight for the title,” she told German radio Deutschlandfunk.

“It was especially thanks to an excellent engine, but also a good aerodynamic package. But it’s not good if there is dominance. If Ferrari was dominating, I think that would not hurt the sport as much. Ferrari has so many fans and the number of spectators would still be high.”

With the engine rules remaining virtually unchanged the Sauber supremo worries that next year will be a repeat of this season.

“This (2017) is an opportunity for all the teams who have a certain development possibility to approach Mercedes. But it will probably take another two years for the manufacturers to get close to the Mercedes engine,” she said.

“I have expressed my doubts from the outset. The fact that the cars will be faster and be harder to drive will not be noticed by the spectator.”

“If the difference would be 10 or 15 seconds per lap, they would notice it, but not if it is five or six seconds. So I’m concerned about that.”

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Perez frustrated by lack of recognition

Sergio Perez feels he sometimes does not get the credit he deserves for his performances in Formula 1, following what he believes was his best season in the sport.

The Mexican was instrumental in helping Force India secure fourth place in the constructors' championship this year, finishing a strong seventh in the standings after two podium finishes.

Perez will stay on at Force India in 2017, and the 26-year-old believes some people do not give him enough credit for his achievements.

"It's complicated, sometimes frustrating. You give it all, you have excellent results and a lot of the time you don't get the credit you deserve," Perez told Motorsport.com.

"To get the results I achieved this year has been incredible and even then there are people who question my potential. I hope the opportunity [to drive for a top team] comes soon.

"I feel very ready [for a top team]. When I arrived in McLaren [in 2013] I didn't have the experience I have today. Without a doubt I'm at the best moment to be in a top team."

Perez has no doubt that this year has been his best in Formula 1 to date, a fact he reckons is backed by a string of 10 consecutive finishes in the points.

"I think it was my best season without a doubt, simply based on the results that I achieved and the consistency level that I kept all year long," he added. "It's not easy at all to score points in 10 consecutive races.

"In the positions that we usually start the races from is very easy to have incidents and we didn't have the level to be in the points, so achieving that shows that it was my best year."

         

Fears of "nightmare" season unfounded

Force India had a slow start to the 2016 season before it introduced a major aero upgrade in time for the Spanish Grand Prix.

Although the package did not work straight away, it eventually allowed the team to beat its direct rivals and secure its best ever finish in the constructors' standings.

Perez, however, admitted he had feared a "nightmare" season before the team picked up the pace.

"At the start I thought the season could be a nightmare. We were very far," he said. "I remember when we introduced the new aero package in Barcelona, it was a disaster.

"Williams was eight tenths per lap quicker, Toro Rosso half a second. It wasn't easy, but little by little we improved until we became the fourth-best team."

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Stroll and Buemi discuss their championship seasons and F1 2017 at FIA Prize Giving

FIA F3 European Champion Lance Stroll sat down with FIA Formula E Champion Sébastien Buemi in front of the media at the FIA Champions’ press conference last week in Vienna; covering both their successful seasons as well as focusing on F1 in 2017.

 

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F1 Williams Pat Symonds interview | 2017 Regulation Changes

Ted Kravitz interviews Williams F1 Team Chief Technical Officer Pat Symonds regarding proposed 2017 regulation changes.

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'It's been a huge challenge' - Stephen Fitzpatrick on Manor rescue

Manor owner Stephen Fitzpatrick says it has been a “huge challenge” since rescuing the team from administration at the start of 2015 and that he is full of respect for the other teams and team principals. 

Fitzpatrick, who confirmed the squad had “agreed terms” with a new investor last month, although he didn't go into specifics, also added that it is “hard to appreciate” just what it takes to put two cars on the F1 grid. 

“It's been a fascinating two years,” he said. “I can recommend it to anyone. It has been exhilarating, races like Bahrain this year, obviously Austria and then Brazil. So lots of ups and downs. But also humbling I would say. 

“Coming into this sport as a beginner let's say, but as a lifelong fan, but new to the inside of the sport, you don't quite appreciate just how many things you need to get right to bring two cars home at the end of a race and I've learned a lot about just how difficult it is to build a car, to race the car, to put the team together. So I would say I'm full of respect for the people around me in the sport, the other teams, the other team principals. It's been a huge challenge.” 

Fitzpatrick also insisted that while losing out to Sauber in the battle for tenth in the Constructors' was disappointing, he was also pleased for them. 

“I think the first reaction wasn't really a financial one [when Felipe Nasr finished ninth in Brazil, the penultimate race of the season]. It would have been a very exciting race and coming to the end of what was an exhilarating season, lots of ups and downs,” he explained. 

“We had held tenth place for, I think, ten races, Brazil was number ten and at many points during the race there were lots of different scenarios and there was a lot of furious calculations about finishing the race at different points throughout. 

“The first reaction I had was one of real disappointment for the team. I think they've worked incredibly hard for the last, let's say, 18 months since the start of last season without much reward and it looked like we were heading for a tenth-place finish which was a big step forward for us. So one of immediate disappointment for the team who worked so hard all year back at the factory and here on the circuit. 

“But my next reaction was actually one of… I thought of the opposite feeling that must be going on in the Sauber garage and I thought that the guys in the Sauber team had been fantastic competitors for us all year, we'd enjoyed a great battle with them and I knew how much those points meant to the Sauber team and I was trying to imagine the joy they would be having and they worked so hard all season to bring it back in the end. 

“So in the end I think the season doesn't come down to one race. Obviously the way the points are structured that was a critical race for us. Very unexpected. But that's racing. 

“On that day it didn't go our way but I think we all want to see more of that unpredictability, that excitement. So, in the end, it was a difficult night, let's say, and then back to business,” he concluded. 

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HORNER: IT’S GOING TO BE TOUGH TO OVERCOME MERCEDES

Red Bull team chief Christian Horner believes that Mercedes will again be tough to beat in 2017. but hopes that next season’s new regulations which are more aero dependent will give them a chance to fight for the title once again.

Horner told ESPN, “I think it’s going to be tough to overcome Mercedes, they will go into next year as the clear favourites. They have won three consecutive world championships, they’ve won 50-odd grands prix in the last three years. We’re hopeful with the new regulations, it should balance out the emphasis between chassis and engine. We’re confident we should make a bit of progress over the winter with the engine.”

“The regulations are a clean sheet of paper for everybody. You don’t know where you sit at the moment compared to your opposition. It’s an opportunity or it’s a challenge we’re looking forward to. It’s only really when we get to Melbourne that we’ll get a glimpse of where the competitive ranking is. But for sure, Mercedes will be going in as the firm favourites. We’re just hopeful we can close that gap so we don’t have predictable results every grand prix weekend.”

Horner believes that Mercedes’ outright dominance could be a double edged sword for the German team, as he believes that they may not be equipped to handle the pressure if they are faced with a team that can consistently challenge them on race weekends.

Horner points out, “Mercedes has been in a fortunate position in that they have never really been challenged since 2014. They have been qualifying on the front row and with a very fast car, you can pick your strategy where any variable will work out for you. When the grid does concertina, it does put on more pressure.”

“We [Red Bull] have been through tight championship battles, in 2010 and 2012, that did go down to the wire. I think that gives you a strong experience to deal with those situations. It will be a new experience for Mercedes, when they do come under pressure, which inevitably will happen at some stage. I just hope it is Red Bull that is able to put them under pressure.”

The new regulations may have loopholes that can be exploited by smart engineers, as Brawn GP did in 2009 with the controversial double diffuser. Horner is wary that his team’s rivals may have found an advantage by reading between the lines of the new rule book.

Horner explained, “You hope that you haven’t missed something like the double diffuser where there is an interpretation of the regulations that someone has spotted that generates an advantage. The regulations aren’t quite as dramatic as they were from 08 to 09. But they still represent a great opportunity to make the cars significantly quicker.”

“With the tyre profile and size that they are moving to, it’s a different challenge. It’s going to be a development race next year for sure. There will be easy gains at the beginning of any development cycle. That relentless pursuit of chasing upgrades will be a key part of certainly next year,” concluded the Red Bull team principal.

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ALONSO: I WANT TO BE WORLD CHAMPION WITH MCLAREN-HONDA

Fernando Alonso has put an end to speculation linking him to Mercedes, as replacement for departed F1 World Champion Nico Rosberg, by reaffirming his commitment to McLaren.

During an address to Mclaren staff at the MTC in Woking, Alonso said, “I believe in this project, I’m committed and I want to be world champion with McLaren-Honda. That’s my only goal.”

Since Rosberg’s shock announcement, Alonso has been the fans’ favourite to partner Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes team.

But this latest statement of intent by the Spaniard confirms what his long time manager and mentor Flavio Briatore said a few days earlier, “Fernando Alonso will not be in a Mercedes in 2017. But we have a contract and we will respect that.”

This was echoed by McLaren boss Zak Brown who told Sky Sports last week, “We have a contract with Fernando and he is very happy.”

 

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MALDONADO: I HOPE TO BE ON THE F1 GRID IN AUSTRALIA

Pastor Maldonado has revealed that he is targeting a return to Formula 1 despite losing the support of his beleaguered Venezuelan backers PDVSA, but nevertheless he hopes to be on the grid in Melbourne on 26 March.

Speaking to F1Latam.com during a race event at Autodromo Tocancipá, Maldonado said, “I’m talking to some teams and am quite optimistic.”

“Unfortunately, circumstances pushed me out of the world of Formula 1, and you know getting back in through the front door is never easy, but we are working hard and I hope to have some good news in the coming weeks.”

Maldonado who made 95 grand prix starts, winning the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix for Williams, admits that being dropped by Renault and forced to sit out 2016 was a shock.

“At first it was hard to accept not being in Formula 1, but after witnessing the performance by Renault I can say it helped me to feel better.”

“Now I am discussing with some teams in the midfield and hope to be on the F1 grid in Australia. Obviously I do not exclude racing in other categories, but my priority is to race in F1,” insisted Maldonado.

There are only three race seats available for next season, with Manor still to fill their two cockpits and Sauber who have one seat available. Both teams are seeking pay drivers for 2017.

MIKA: Say it isn't true!

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STEINER: WE MUST TRUST FERRARI WILL DO A GOOD JOB

Haas F1 team were shrewd in entering Formula 1 with a close alliance with Ferrari and have full trust in the legendary Italian team despite their well below par season for the Reds.

Speaking to F1i, Haas team principal Guenther Steiner said, “If you have a partnership with Ferrari you must trust that they will do a good job.”

“[Haas must] go through with them about being positive with your input on what can be done better. For them it is pretty good to have us as a customer as we are actually user-friendly and if we discuss it with them we will try to move forward together.

“If, say, the engine broke therefore we retired, we don’t use it as an excuse we put the trust in them and help. Without them we would never be where we are now. You have to give to take.”

“Yes there may have been some issues this year and there might be some more next year but we wouldn’t be where we are without them. It is easy to say what went wrong but where would we be without them,” concluded Steiner.

Haas enjoyed a successful debut season in Formula 1, finishing eighth in the constructors’ championship.

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Jenson Button and David Coulthard confirmed for 2017 Race of Champions

Jenson Button and David Coulthard have both confirmed that they will be competing in next months Race of Champions event in Miami between January 21-22.

Button, who 'retired' from Formula 1 this season, has competed in the RoC on five previous occasions and was runner-up in the 2009 Beijing event alongside Nations Cup team-mate Andy Priaulx, losing out to Germany's Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel.

"I’m delighted to be coming back to the Race Of Champions once again. It is always a great event with a special atmosphere. You get to race against the best drivers from all over the world and we enjoy our time both on and off the track as we meet old friends from all the different motor sport series," he said of the event.

“The main thing is that everyone wants to put on a good show for the fans – and we only pretend to play it cool before giving it everything when we’re revving up the cars on the line. I urge race fans to get themselves to Miami in January to enjoy the action up close and personal and to give us a cheer."

Coulthard will also make a return to the annual motorsport event in the hope of claiming back his Champion of Champions crown which he won in 2014.

"I’m delighted to be coming back to the Race Of Champions. I was proud to win it a couple of years ago, beating off drivers who I’ll admit are younger and more talented than me! But that’s the nature of the knockout system. You also get a chance to compare your driving with a wide range of different drivers from all over the world in a lot of different vehicles, while having fun out of the car.

"The Race Of Champions is even better for race fans. The stadium environment is what makes it special: you look down on the cars from the grandstands so it gives you a view you wouldn’t get in many venues. If anyone wants to remember why they enjoy motor sport, they should come along. Look forward to seeing you in Miami."

The pair join other confirmed F1 drivers including Sebastian Vettel and Felipe Massa as well as motorsport stars from other series including Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen, Indianapolis 500 winners Juan Pablo Montoya, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Tony Kanaan and Alexander Rossi, as well as rallycross greats Petter Solberg and Scott Speed plus NASCAR champion Kurt Busch.

[MIKA27]

Bottas: Upgrade failures key to Williams' 2016 downfall

Williams driver Valtteri Bottas says that a lack of sufficient performance gains from upgrades, coupled with a focus on 2017 development, was what consigned the team to fifth place this year.

Williams was the third-best team in F1 in 2014 and 2015, but slipped down the order in 2016, losing out to Force India in the battle for fourth in the second half of the campaign.

For Bottas, the author of the Grove-based team's sole podium in 2016, the balance of power was tipped towards Force India after the European leg of the season, when Williams' upgrades didn't work out as intended.

"It was around mid-season," Bottas said. "The European season, the end of the European season, the upgrades we hoped would bring us positions were not that bad compared to now - but then a couple of the big upgrades didn't turn out to be that much better.

"If you start solving those problems, it takes time - and that costs time in the next year car's development. Then the team opted to focus on next year and that was the turning point. The failure of upgrades."

The Finn insisted, however, that he had no qualms about the decision to focus on 2017.

"Sure it's tricky to, for example, be not able to get to Q3 in normal conditions, it's tough. And when in the race you don't have the pace, it can be pretty challenging mentally - but it's normal in Formula 1.

      

"It's where you are as a team and, no matter what, as a driver you need to squeeze out everything from the package and have a good race. It's tricky but I really hope it pays off next year.

"Now I've seen more stuff from the new car and the regulations and how many changes, I'm actually glad we switched focus early. I'm sure there's no harm chasing it early for next year. Hopefully we get better results next year."

Bottas warned, however, that Williams needs to address the fact its upgrades had underdelivered, as strong in-season development is expected to be crucial in 2017.

"Definitely something has to change. We understand that something has been wrong in terms of the upgrades, how we measure things, that they should be better in theory but then they are not – which was not the case last year or the year before.

"So something has not worked correctly, and definitely that is a big thing to improve, especially next year when the cars are new and the rate of improvement of everyone is going to be big.

"I think next year, from first race to last race, is going to be a massive development and if you're developing less than the others, then it is going to be tricky."

[skalls]

Hey, at least with pastor back in the grid the crash site will once again be relevant

[MIKA27]

LIBERTY MEDIA TO RAISE $1.55 BILLION TO FUND FORMULA 1 DEAL

Liberty Media Corp (LMCA.O), led by U.S. cable mogul John Malone, said on Wednesday it would raise $1.55 billion to fund its acquisition of Formula One racing car series.

The company said investors, including Coatue Management LLC, D. E. Shaw and Jana Partners, had committed to the financing through a subscription for Liberty’s Series C common stock at $25 per share.

Liberty Media took control of the cash-generating glamour sport in September in a deal valued at $8 billion, ending a long-running saga surrounding the sport’s ownership and potential flotation.

At the time, Liberty Media acquired an initial 18.7 percent stake from controlling shareholder CVC Capital Partners.

The money raised from the investment will be used to increase the cash component paid to the consortium of selling Formula 1 shareholders led by CVC Capital Partners, Liberty Media said on Wednesday.

[MIKA27]

ROSBERG RETIREMENT COSTS HIM €50-MILLION

By all accounts Nico Rosberg’s decision to quit Formula 1, only days after being crowned World Champion for the first time, was a spontaneous call by the German which in the end is likely to cost him around €50-million.

Asked about his contract during an interview with Canal+, Rosberg said, “I had a golden contract to continue with Mercedes, but money did not influenced my decision. Money was not really on my mind. Obviously, I know I’m in a privileged position and thanks to my work I have been able to earn a lot of money.”

Ironically in June this year Gerhard Berger toiled tirelessly to seal the best deal from Mercedes for Rosberg. At one point there was a stalemate that delayed an agreement, but it was eventually ironed out.

At the time Kolner Express reported that Rosberg was given a salary increase by Mercedes from €18-million a year to €25-million a year, excluding performance based bonuses, for a period of two years – 2017 and 2018.

Rosberg acknowledged, “I know the amount of money that was stipulated in my contract, but it would not have made me any happier in the future, that’s for sure.”

The sport’s 33rd Formula 1 World Champion is adamant that he will not be tempted to make a comeback and insists that it’s a case of “mission accomplished and time to move on.”

[MIKA27]

VANDOORNE: NUMBER TWO HAS POSITIVE MEMORIES FOR ME

Number two is not one that is coveted by racing drivers, it signifies the first of the losers to many, but not Stoffel Vandoorne who has chosen the number to be pasted onto his McLaren for his rookie season next year.

Vandoorne explained his choice, “I chose it because it was the first number I had when I started racing in single-seaters, in the Formula 4 Eurocup 1.6, back in 2010. I didn’t choose the number, it was just given to me, but it was a good year for me – I had a lot of victories and a lot of podiums – so it has positive memories for me.”

The 24 year old Belgian will be Fernando Alonso’s teammate in the Honda powered team. He has al;ready made his grand Prix debut when he substituted from the Spaniard in Bahrain earlier this year.

But he now has a permanent spot on the grid, a fact he relishes, “Everything I’ve done up until now has been about preparing for next season. It’s still a very long way away, and there are still a lot of things to go through before I get in the new car for the first time, but once we’re back after Christmas and New Year, things will start to move very quickly. I can’t wait to get in the car to begin winter testing.”

“I think next year’s cars are going to be a bit more challenging to drive, because the aero and new tyres should make them a couple of seconds quicker per lap than the current cars. They’ll be physically tougher – so I’ll be working with my trainer: we’re going on a few winter training camps to get myself as well prepared as possible for the first test.”

“It’s still a bit difficult to know exactly what to expect – we don’t yet know how tough these new cars will be – but I think that’s good. When things get difficult for everybody, that can make a bigger difference. So let’s see. ”

“The biggest challenge will be training the neck – it’s the hardest muscle to train; it’s difficult to simulate the g-forces. And, no matter how much you train during the winter, at the end of the first day back in the car after the Christmas break, you always end up feeling knackered.”

“The season as a whole will be the highlight, of course. But, in terms of races, there will be Spa-Francorchamps – my home grand prix and my favourite track. It will also be the first time I’ll race there in Formula 1, and I know there’ll be a lot of fans and members of my family there too – I’m really looking forward to i,” concluded Vandoorne.

[MIKA27]

Ross Brawn: F1 needs to take hard look at future engine format

Former team boss Ross Brawn says Formula 1 needs to take a long and detailed look at the future of engine technology and the format it decides to take on after 2020.

The current 1.6-litre V6 turbo hybrid power units were introduced at the start of 2014 and are locked in for the next four seasons.

Brawn thinks F1 needs to decide whether to go down the road car relevant route when it comes to engines, which could lead to F1 going electric, or take a different path.

“F1 has to take a hard look at what it wants from an engine," Brawn told the FIA’s AUTO Magazine.

“What we've done in the last few years is align ourselves with road cars. We've got this revolution going on, and the road cars we'll have in five to 10 years' time are going to be very different.

“Can we maintain the technological marvel of F1 but acknowledge that perhaps now is the time to start diverging from where road cars are going?

“If we don't, logic says we should have electric or fuel-cell F1 cars in a few years' time.

“We have Formula E and that's establishing its place, but for me F1 isn't just a technological demonstration, it's a whole circus, and what's the best way of maintaining that.

“It might be time to say, 'We've had this technological marvel, but we're going to step back and think about what F1 ideally wants from an engine, which may have to contain some technologies that are relevant.'”

Commenting on timeframe the decision on the next F1 engine generation, he added: “We have to sit down with the manufacturers, teams and interested parties and decide what we want beyond 2020.

“Maybe it's what we've got now but refined in terms of cost and complexity, because the engine is too expensive.

“In some ways the current engine is a technological marvel and it did re-engage the manufacturers, but if F1 starts to look at 2020 now there's time to do it without anyone feeling any competitive disadvantage, with the investments and plans being made correctly.

“You need two years to sort an engine out. By the end of next year, Formula 1 needs to know what sort of engine it needs for the future.”

[MIKA27]

Hamilton domination in 2017 could be bad for F1 - Ecclestone

Bernie Ecclestone is concerned that Lewis Hamilton could dominate next year’s Formula 1 championship without strong opposition from his new teammate – and that it could be detrimental for the sport.

Williams driver Valtteri Bottas and Mercedes protege Pascal Wehrlein have been considered the leading candidates for the drive vacated by retiring world champion Nico Rosberg.

But Ecclestone doubts that anyone who gets the vacant Mercedes seat will be able to challenge Hamilton, and fears this could have a negative impact on the spectacle.

“I think nobody would want to buy tickets and go to watch a race or watch on television Lewis disappearing from us when the lights go off,” Ecclestone told Sky Sports News. “And probably lapping the field a couple of times.

"It would be bad for everybody and bad for Lewis as well, because I think he wants to win fair and wants to beat somebody.

     

“I hope I'm completely wrong in my assessment of the championship with Lewis. I hope I am wrong and whoever goes and sits in the same team can beat him or hurry him up [so] that he makes mistakes. My personal opinion is that it's not going to happen.”

Asked about potential candidates, he said: “I think there’s one or two of them who are capable of performing,”  before adding: “I don't think anybody is going to beat Lewis.”

However, Ecclestone conceded that Red Bull driver Max Verstappen is one man who could challenge Hamilton given equal machinery.

“Verstappen has been super," he added. "When I say nobody [can challenge Hamilton], maybe Max in that car could hurry Lewis along a little bit.

"The problem is a simple one: the Mercedes team, engine, everything, is perfect and they've got the best driver in the world.”

Ecclestone also downplayed a potential conflict of interest caused by Toto Wolff’s involvement in the management of Bottas.

“I don’t think Lewis would care unless it was painfully obvious that they were doing something to help Bottas against him," added the 86-year-old.

"But Toto’s position is he’s got him under contract, and I suppose he’s got a much better chance, Bottas, of getting a drive than somebody that hasn’t got a contract with Toto.”

MIKA: This guy Ecclestone is all over the place with his opinions.

One day he says Hamilton is great for Formula 1, now he doesn't think Hamilton will be good for F1 if he dominates again!?

He is also not even considering that with a new era commencing, there will be a few new contenders and whilst I am a Mercedes fan myself, I can guarantee RBR, Ferrari, McLaren and Renault will be right up there fighting it out.

For me, I feel Ecclestone is not good for his own brand.