FORMULA 1 - 2016

[MIKA27]

Renault upgrade delivered exactly what was promised - Red Bull

Renault's upgraded power unit delivered "exactly what was promised" according to Red Bull team boss Christian Horner, after Red Bull challenged Mercedes on ultimate pace in Monaco.

Although Red Bull and Renault came close to divorcing last season when a highly anticipated upgrade failed to deliver a step forward, casting doubts over whether or not the French manufacturer would ever catch up to rivals Ferrari and Mercedes, the two parties recently agreed to continue together until 2018.

That deal was finally signed off after a successful test of Renault's latest spec power unit in Barcelona a fortnight ago, with Monaco offering further evidence that Renault has taken another step forward in catching its rivals.

"The upgraded power unit has delivered exactly what Renault said it would and that's certainly a positive as we head towards more power-related circuits," said Horner. "We're relishing the prospect of the next few races."

Whilst it offered a small gain in Monaco, it's expected to offer up to half a second at power sensitive circuits such as Canada, giving Red Bull a chance to challenge Mercedes on a more regular basis.

"At Monte Carlo it gave us exactly what was promised, which was about 0.2s [a lap]. That certainly helped to achieve pole position, so hats off to everyone in Viry, they are doing a great job at the moment. The TAG Heuer power unit is performing better and better," he added.

"A lot of restructuring and hard work has gone on at Viry over the last six to nine months and we're just starting to see that the organisational changes there are starting to bear fruits, so it makes sense to extend a relationship that is working well for a further two seasons."

[MIKA27]

Kimi Raikkonen poor in Monaco because he dislikes the track - Ferrari

Kimi Raikkonen struggled in Monaco because he dislikes the track, according to Ferrari team principal Maurizio Arrivabene.

Raikkonen qualified sixth for the race, two-tenths down on team-mate Sebastian Vettel, but started 11th after taking a gearbox change penalty ahead of the race, which he later retired from following an incident at the hairpin.

The Finn made contact with the barrier and retired a few corners later after his front-wing became lodged under his car. However prior to that, he didn't have the pace to match the leaders or his team-mate, and team principal Arrivabene believes that's down to a disliking of the street circuit.

"Every driver that I’ve known from the past has a track that they don’t like," said Arrivabene. "Kimi doesn’t like Monaco even if he won once here.

"We need not to complain about Kimi but to accept that this race he was probably suffering at this track more and he will be pushing to do his best for the rest of the season."

Raikkonen described his own race as "difficult" and insists he can move on from the weekend and do "better next race".

"I was trying to drive as fast as I could but I was very slow," he admitted. "At one point, trying to downshift, I locked the rear a little bit, went straight and then I just couldn’t turn around at the hairpin. Unfortunately I touched the wall, took the front wing out and it got stuck underneath the car.

"After that I struggled to go forward and in the end I managed to get the car moving. When the team told me to park the car I was in the middle of the tunnel and couldn’t stop there, so I went through very slowly and then I parked the car.

"It has been a difficult weekend with a bad end result for me, now we keep working and improving, certainly we can do better next race."

[MIKA27]

Force India admits strategy mistake cost Hulkenberg maiden podium

Force India’s Robert Fernley has said that Nico Hulkenberg would have likely celebrated a maiden Formula 1 podium in the Monaco Grand Prix if not for a mistake by the team.

Having qualified fifth for the race, the German was called in to switch from full wets to inters on Lap 15, while teammate Sergio Perez made his stop six laps later.

Having emerged from the pits, Hulkenberg was then stuck behind Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, who himself was being held up by the Williams of Felipe Massa, the Brazilian yet to stop.

This played into the hands of Perez, who cycled out ahead of both Vettel and his teammate Hulkenberg, despite having started seventh.

“I think we had two sides of the coin [in Monaco] because we didn’t really do a good job for Nico, so my apologies to him, I think we should have done better for him,” said Fernley to Motorsport.com.

“But Sergio was superb. They both drove brilliantly. Nico, at the end of the day, to pass Rosberg who was on the ultrasofts, to get the traction at Rascasse, was tremendous.

“So no complaints but I think we could have done even better."

Perez had changed to slicks on Lap 30, with Hulkenberg making the stop a lap later - but the German's podium chance was already gone by then, Hulkenberg emerging seventh behind fellow countryman Rosberg, who he would pass on the last lap.

“I feel disappointed for Nico, as much as I am elated for Checo, because we made a mistake and I think he probably would have got that podium had we got that right,” Fernley said.

Team principal Vijay Mallya shared the sentiment, tweeting an apology to Hulkenberg after the race "for a lapse in tyre strategy".

  

Hulkenberg left disappointed

Despite scoring his first points since the opening race in Australia, the German was not overly happy with the result.

“It was ultimately a disappointing race for me, despite getting back to scoring points,” said Hulkenberg.

“I feel the timing of our first pit stop was wrong and that cost me track position and put me straight into traffic.

“This effectively ruined my race, as I spent the rest of the afternoon stuck there. It’s very frustrating as I had the pace to be on the podium, but this is racing [although] I still feel it’s a huge missed opportunity for me."

While Hulkenberg has had a somewhat tough start to the campaign, the Indian squad insists it has full faith in its driver.

“You saw the quality of Nico in qualifying and you saw the quality of him taking the position on the last lap," Fernley said.

“We got to stay with him, we got to support him properly and he’ll be fine, he’s a star."

[MIKA27]

Sergio Perez: Year at McLaren still taints my reputation

Sergio Perez believes his time at McLaren still damages his standing in the driver market, but insists he is still ready to step up to a top team should the opportunity arise.

Back in 2012 Perez was one of F1's hottest properties after scoring three podiums in one season with Sauber and was linked to a drive with Ferrari before accepting a deal with McLaren for 2013. However, his arrival at the British team coincided with the start of its decline and he scored fewer points in 2013 than he had the previous year with underdogs Sauber. He was replaced by Kevin Magnussen for 2014 but managed to secure a deal to race with Force India where he has scored three podiums in the last three seasons.

Asked if his most recent podium at Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix might convince F1's top teams to hire him in the future, Perez said: "I hope not only this one, I hope what I have been doing over the past years.

"I had a really tough time at McLaren and it seems that this is what everyone remembers, my time at McLaren but no one remembers my time at Sauber, my time at Force India. All I can do is keep doing my job, keep doing as well as I can, keep improving as a driver."

At 26 years of age, Perez says he is a better driver now than he has ever been.

"I think in the last years I have improved a lot. I'm a more complete driver in all aspects, qualifying, race pace, better experience. So if the opportunity ever comes, I will be ready for it and I'm up for it. If not, all I can keep doing is doing my job."

[MIKA27]

How Mercedes pulled off an 'impossible' tyre strategy in Monaco GP

Many Formula 1 drivers have won the Monaco Grand Prix with a one-stop strategy, but two elements of how Lewis Hamilton did so last Sunday seemed impossible.

Pirelli's wet and intermediate tyre compounds have been criticised for over-sensitivity and a lack of range, yet Hamilton was able to complete 31 laps on full wets even as the track quickly dried then jump straight to slicks.

There were occasions shortly prior to that when Hamilton's laptimes on the extremes matched those behind on the intermediates, which in the past would not have been possible given the significant variances in the rubber.

Pirelli motorsport boss Paul Hembery explained to Autosport: "We did make some changes over the winter to the full-rain tyre.

"The idea was to close the gap between the two compounds, and it would appear from this particular case it has worked.

"The decision to make changes followed comments from the drivers saying they were reluctant to go on the rain tyre, saying the gap was too big [to the intermediates] and they were losing performance.

"But then there was also a case of vice versa in that they were coming onto the inters a little too early because they felt in certain parts of a bigger circuit - not Monaco - you could gain a performance on the drying part of the track.

"So the overall thinking behind it was to try and improve a little bit the performance of the full-wet tyre.

"It was hard to do. We had a couple of days testing [at the Paul Ricard circuit in January] and we made a small step.

"I don't think we can claim it was a fundamental change, but it was in a certain direction, and possibly we have now seen that direction was the right one."

Following Hamilton's one-and-only stop, he then managed 47 laps on a set of the new ultra-soft compound - a tyre designed to be deliberately short-range yet used by the winner for well over half a race distance.

Again, such a stint did not appear feasible going into the race.

"It was more than anybody had run in free practice, or indicated they could run in free practice," Hembery acknowledged.

"They obviously put it on when the track was still cool and had some damp areas, which played a part in extending the life of the tyre.

"It's also not abrasive around Monaco anyway. The wear levels were low all through the practice sessions.

"But it was certainly a few laps more than what we anticipated, that's for sure."

Prior to the race Hamilton had declared the ultra-soft tyre to be nothing more than "a super-soft with purple paint".

Taking Hamilton's remarks on board, Hembery said: "I'm sure he is happy about it now.

"But the ultra is family derived, and the lap differential between that and the super-soft was about eight tenths [of a second], which is what we wanted.

"It's not a full-out qualifying tyre because we have to use it elsewhere.

"You could do something very extreme for Monaco, no doubt about that, but then you wouldn't be able to use it in Singapore or Canada.

"If you wanted to look for absolute performance then for Monaco you would be able to produce something very different."

Hembery had only praise for Hamilton and Mercedes for making a one-stop work in such unusual circumstances.

"We were sat looking and wondering whether that was what Mercedes were trying to do, which was to stay out until the track dried," added Hembery.

"Of course, it is Monaco where overtaking is difficult, but it still relied on that very long stint on the ultra-soft.

"Mercedes took an aggressive approach to strategy, and it paid the ultimate dividends by bringing them the win, and all credit to them for that."

 

[MIKA27]

Why McLaren-Honda F1 team struggled in Monaco Grand Prix

McLaren-Honda came into the Monaco Grand Prix hoping to possibly challenge Ferrari and at least be the fourth-best team around the Monte Carlo Formula 1 track.

Rivals such as Williams's Felipe Massa felt this was too optimistic, and McLaren ultimately struggled for speed in Monaco, despite finishing fifth and ninth in the race.

Fernando Alonso qualified 10th, behind the Ferraris, Toro Rossos and Force Indias, while team-mate Jenson Button was also beaten by Valtteri Bottas's Williams and Esteban Gutierrez's Haas on Saturday.

The wet conditions of race day, strong strategy and problems for rivals allowed Alonso to claim an unlikely result, but the team was still not satisfied.

"I'm not excited; I'm not celebrating," said racing director Eric Boullier, who still reiterated his belief that McLaren has the third-best chassis in F1 on certain circuits.

"We just did the job - we have good drivers, this is a good team, we did a good strategy, so it's a good reward for the guys.

"But McLaren's ambition is to win. It's good to get the points and to have taken the opportunity, but this is the least you expect from us.

"We need to keep working. We were expecting to be a little bit more competitive this weekend."

Alonso ultimately finished more than a minute behind Sebastian Vettel's fourth placed Ferrari in Monaco, but Boullier argued this gap was unrepresentative.

"You have to be careful because we managed our tyres," he explained.

"If you go back through the race you will see JB was on his own, so he could push more and he was a couple of seconds faster than Fernando.

"Fernando was just managing his pace to make sure the tyres were lasting until the end.

"The gap between Vettel and us is not the real one."

McLaren does not believe its car was fundamentally slower than expected in Monaco, but the drivers struggled to get the tyres working properly throughout the weekend, particularly the fronts, so suffered badly with understeer.

Autosport understands this problem relates to McLaren's aerodynamic philosophy, which is to pursue downforce with a minimal drag penalty to mitigate for the performance deficit of the Honda engine.

Monaco is a circuit where drag is not an issue, but McLaren is not prepared to alter its philosophy just to be competitive at one track.

The team did not bring a Monaco-specific aero package, so lacked downforce compared to the top cars and therefore struggled to get the sensitive Pirelli tyres into their correct working temperature range.

McLaren cannot afford to add less-efficient downforce unless the Honda engine improves substantially.

Honda has yet to confirm when it will spend more development tokens to further improve the performance of its power unit, but in the meantime McLaren is having to compromise with its chassis to exploit what is there.

That's why a race that should have suited McLaren ultimately proved a struggle.

[MIKA27]

FELIPE MASSA DEFENDS DECISION TO USE F1 SAFETY CAR IN MONACO GRAND PRIX

Felipe Massa has praised the decision to start last weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix behind the safety car, despite some Formula 1 fans and commentators questioning the move.

The pack followed the safety car for the first seven laps of the race, which was eventually won by Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, and when the racing did eventually begin the track had dried sufficiently to allow some drivers to make the switch to the intermediate tyres.

Former F1 champion, and now TV pundit, Damon Hill, was one of those to question the safety car start by writing on Twitter: “Big question in F1: when is it too safe?”

But Hill’s former Williams teammate, and 1997 F1 champion, Jacques Villeneuve went even further in his criticism of the safety car start. Speaking to the German publication Motorsport-Magazin.com, the Canadian branded the decision as “ridiculous” and suggested F1 should abandon racing in the rain full-stop if the drivers were not allowed to race in such conditions.

He said: “Seven laps behind the safety car – that’s ridiculous. These are not tourists, they are the best paid drivers in the world.

“Formula 1 is already losing fans and things like this do not help at all because it makes the drivers look not like gladiators but weaklings. It’s risky but they’re professionals. Let them start, or change the rules so that we never start in the rain.”

But in his column for Motorsport.com, Massa described the FIA’s decision to use the safety car as “very sensible” and suggested other drivers had a similar opinion given the wet conditions.

He wrote: “I remember coming out of the pits for the reconnaissance laps, and the grip conditions were really poor. I wasn’t alone in feeling like that.

“When we stood on the podium for the national anthem before the start, I had the chance to talk to [Fernando] Alonso, [Sebastian] Vettel, Bottas and [Jenson] Button – and all of us were concerned about the lack of grip.

“Therefore the decision to take the start under the safety car was a very sensible one. We did a lot of laps behind it and, although those in the leading positions wanted us to get going and start racing, for those of us in the middle of the pack there was very little visibility.

“We therefore waited a few more laps for the conditions to improve and in the end I think everything was done in the right way.”

Massa, who is the only F1 driver to finish in the points at every race so far in 2016, also used his column to express his opinion that only Red Bull had improved its Monaco form, compared to 2015, more than Williams.

He wrote: “Considering Monaco represents the hardest track on the calendar for Williams, coming away with a point for 10th place has to be seen as a positive sign.

Especially because it meant I am the only driver who have finished in the top ten at every race so far this season.

“We worked a lot on the set-up of the car over the weekend and, when we looked at the data comparison with 2015, after the Red Bull team, Williams was the outfit that improved the most.”

Massa finished tenth to give Williams its first points at Monaco for two years but the 11-time F1 winner reckons if he had stayed on the wet tyres for longer to make the switch directly to slick tyres after his first stint, as Hamilton did, he could have scored a top five finish. A Williams driver has not finished that high at Monaco since Nick Heidfeld and Mark Webber came second and third in the 2005 race.

Massa wrote: “In hindsight, though, I should have tried to stay on track for another 10 laps more to go directly to the slicks – as Lewis Hamilton did.

“It wouldn’t have been easy, but it was not impossible. And if we had risked it, like Lewis did, then I would have been back in the top five. However, when we made the decision, it seemed to be a very risky thing to do.”

Massa expects summer races to suit Williams

Massa believes that the upcoming series of races in Canada, Azerbaijan, Austria and Britain will suit the Williams car’s strengths, high-speed and high downforce, much more than Monaco.

The race in Baku, which will be the first time a Grand Prix has been staged there, will feature a number of long, straight sections and is expected to have a very high average lap speed that Massa hopes will also boost Williams.

He wrote: “Montreal has always been a venue that is very favourable for Williams, and I will be heading there with some decent optimism. We will have something new on the car, and we expect excellent results from our Mercedes power unit as well, which has always been an important weapon in Canada.

“After Montreal comes Baku where, although there are no historic references, it has a very long straight and this should be good news for us. I should be able to tell you more later this week because I will have tried the track on the simulator for the first time.”

 

[MIKA27]

New Monza over a second faster for F1 – and Parabolica gravel will return

Formula One lap times at Monza will fall by over a second as a result of the changes planned to the circuit for next season, according to the architect who has designed the changes.

The home of the Italian Grand Prix will remove the Rettifilio chicane at the beginning of the lap, leaving a straight run to a revised sequence of bends replacing the Curva Grande.
Monza’s new turn one will be taken flat-out by Formula One cars according to Jarno Zaffelli of Studio Dromo who designed the alterations to the circuit. The track then falls three metres, obscuring the approach to the new chicane at turns two and three which returns the cars to the existing layout.

The slow Rettifilio chicane will be removed

The turn one run-off will be designed to allow drivers who run wide to rejoin the track at the third corner via the existing Curva Grande.

With the track configuration unchanged for the rest of the lap, the removal of the slow Rettifilio chicane will lead to a reduction in lap times. According to Zaffeli simulations have shown Lewis Hamilton’s 2015 pole position time of 1’23.397 would fall to 1’21.894 with the same cars.

The designers simulated potential lap times as low as 1’18 to assess the safety features they have put in place.

The remodelling of the circuit will require the felling of around 400 trees, something which has proved an obstacle to past renovations at Monza. To compensate for that Zaffeli’s team propose to reinstall a greater number of trees in other locations around the park.

Rettifilio and Curva Grande

The removal of the Rettifilio chicane and the changes to Curva Grande are being made to create a track configuration which is suitable for both cars and bikes, and also improve other aspects of the circuit.

New Monza Curva Grande layout changes for 2017

Zaffelli took inspiration from the Les Combes sequence of corners at Spa-Francorchamps in designing the new sequence of bends. The run-off area will use a combination of asphalt and light-eight aggregate, similar to gravel, to discourage drivers from cutting the corner while also providing a clear route to rejoin the circuit if they leave it.

The spectator stands which previously stood at the Rettifilio will be relocated to this section of the track. A new service road (not shown in the diagrams) will also be built. This should improve the day-to-day operation of the circuit by making it easier to recover stranded vehicles without the need to interrupt proceedings by stopping a session.

Removing the Rettifilio chicane will increase the length of Monza’s pit straight to 1.4 kilometres, roughly as long as the back straight at the Shanghai International Circuit.

Della Roggia, Lesmo and Ascari

New Monza Lesmo layout changes for 2017

The current track layout will be unchanged at the Variante della Roggia (the second chicane) and the two Lesmo corners. Limited run-off at the outside of Lesmo make it necessary for the Roggia chicane to be retained.
However there will be minor alterations to the track at these points. At the Roggia the run-off area at the exit of the corner will be extended and more gravel added.

At Lesmo 1 the barrier on the inside of the corner will be moved further inside to improve visibility around the corner. Similar changes will take place at the second right-hander.

The Ascari chicane will also see only minor alterations, mostly to the run-off areas.

Parabolica gravel to be restored

Two years ago much of the gravel run-off area at Parabolica was replaced with asphalt. This was prompted by complaints from some drivers that it reduced the challenge of tackling the famous, high-speed corner.
Under Dromo’s plans for 2017 much of the gravel would be restored. “The Tarmac in Parabolica would be replaced with gravel,” Zaffelli confirmed to F1 Fanatic.

The reasoning behind this is that asphalt is a preferred run-off surface in the event that a driver attempts to make the apex of a corner, but gravel is preferred if they are going straight on due to some kind of failure, such as last year’s crashes involving Carlos Sainz Jnr’s at Sochi and Nico Hulkenberg at the Hungaroring.

This is an approach Dromo have used on their other track redesign work including the Misano World Circuit in Italy.

Complete new Monza layout for 2017

Dromo’s plans for Monza can be examined in full above. Whether they can be realised, and whether F1 will remain at Monza beyond the end of this year and get to race on them, remains to be seen.

[MIKA27]

Wider tyres, slender timeframes

Though discussions about the 2017 regulations have only gone as far as hints and teasers, it was down to Pirelli this weekend to give a first physical glimpse at what the future of the sport might well look like as it pulled the wraps some rather tasty rubber in Monaco. 

Whilst tyres – particularly out of context on a dummy car – aren't normally immediately striking, the substantial growth in width, especially at the rear, certainly drew some admiring and misty-eyed glances. 

Even so, whilst it has raised hopes that a more striking and aggressive-looking F1 is around the corner, it has now also become clear just how little time teams will have to design their cars around them. 

The tyres shown off in Monaco were simply prototypes and quite some way off the final specification, and this means that the teams do not yet have adequate data, the final size, shape and even the weights are still uncertain. 

"We are still developing the first prototypes, the front is currently 8.5kg and will increase by 1kg," said Mario Isola told Crash.net. "I am talking only about the tyres because then there is an additional weight because of the bigger rim. The rear tyre is now 10kg and it will be around 11.5kg, depending on the final version of the prototype.” 

The shape of the tyre, especially the shoulder, and sidewall shape under load has a major impact on the airflow around the car and teams will want to get this confirmed as early as possible, but Pirelli is still quite some way from being able to supply that information. 

“We are testing some different shapes, we will try some different shapes, we need to find a good compromise for high and low speed cornering. We start testing in August and will test until the end of November” he added. 

Pirelli makes special wind tunnel tyres for all of the teams and these 60 per cent scale versions of the real thing not only replicate the overall shape of the full size version when sitting still, they also replicate the deformation and bulge seen on a real car running on a real track. 

“The teams got the first wind tunnel tyres two months ago but these really were just a first prototype to make early calculation, as the testing goes on and on we will give them updated tyres.” Isola continues. Those updated wind tunnel tyres can only appear after testing has commenced this summer.” 

Some of this will start to become clearer in August when testing of the new tyres will begin. Ferrari, Red Bull and Mercedes will all modify 2015 cars to approximate the 2017 package and to start to gather data for themselves and Pirelli. Williams and Force India may also take part. 

F1 teams have already faced disruption to their aerodynamic development due to the ongoing uncertainty over the cockpit protection system (Aeroscreen or more likely the 'Halo') and now it is becoming clear that accurate tyre data will not be available any time soon either. 

The lack of information about the tyre will have fairly major implications for the engineers designing the suspension layout for the new cars as well. On a Formula 1 car the sidewall of the tyre is an important part of the suspension, so understanding its characteristics is crucial, how stiff it is, how does it deform under load and how does its change with temperature and wear. One thing that is known is that the new tyres will create a lot more drag than the old ones as they have a larger frontal area. 

The delay is largely the result of the very late publication of 2017 Technical regulations – which many expected to be confirmed before the Russian Grand Prix - , while wider tyres were long expected it took a significant time to get the exact sizes confirmed. 

Now this has happened, Pirelli has been able to create the prototype tyres seen at Monaco, but the lack of a test car means Pirelli will have to wait many weeks to see how they work on track, and the teams will have to wait even longer to optimise their cars around them. 

[MIKA27]

Philippe Bianchi: Drivers afraid to say something

The father of the late Jules Bianchi says drivers are 'afraid' to speak up against the sport's governing bodies over his son's accident and death as the family prepare legal action against several parties. 

Ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix, it was announced the Bianchi family was to launch a lawsuit against the FIA, FOM and Marussia to argue Jules' accident in the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix, in which he slid off track into a recovery vehicle, was avoidable. 

With Bianchi succumbing to his serious injuries nine months later, the subsequent report into the accident published in December 2014 found a combination of factors – rather than one major contributing factor – led to the tragic accident, including the weather, the position of the recovery vehicle and also the speed of Bianchi on the approach to the bend. 

However, Philippe Bianchi contests these findings, saying he feels drivers are too afraid to speak up on record and the accident panel – which was made up on officials and team principals - was too close to the FIA to be impartial. 

“One driver with me, with a camera will say nothing because I think all of the people are afraid to say something,” he told Sky Sports News. “With no camera all the people come to see me and say 'it is not correct, Jules made nothing [mistake], they made a mistake'. 

“I have a lot of respect for people who made up the accident panel, but all of the people are very near the FIA and cannot be correct for me.” 

The legal case is set to focus on whether the race should have gone ahead in poor weather conditions brought on in the wake of a tsunami that had swept across the wider region and had already forced the race to be stopped after just three laps. Rain had been worsening in the laps leading up to Bianchi's accident and the race was under safety car conditions at the time. 

“The conditions in Japan for all of the drivers, it was terrible conditions and the light was not good. There was a lot of rain, they cannot say that Jules made a mistake, it is not possible.” 

With the FIA, FOM and Marussia (now known as Manor) yet to respond to the legal action, Sir Jackie Stewart nonetheless says the Bianchi family will find it difficult to blame other organisations given the telemetry which suggests Bianchi was going too fast in the circumstances. 

“It will be very difficult to justify a case fully against the sport or the race track owner, or F1 because he should have been going slower.” 

[MIKA27]

WOLFF: IF WE DON’T GET NICO WE WILL THINK OF SOMETHING ELSE

Pascal Wehrlein is a real alternative for Mercedes as early as next year should negotiations for a contract extension fail with Nico Rosberg falter.

That is the warning of team boss Toto Wolff, as it becomes increasingly clear that talks about extending Rosberg’s stay at the German team could be fraught.

It is believed Rosberg, assisted by family friend Gerhard Berger, is pushing for a retainer much closer to the value if Lewis Hamilton’s current deal.

“Right now, our goal is to continue with Nico,” Austrian Wolff told Sport Bild. “But if we do not come together, we have to think of something else.”

Wolff suggested that although Rosberg has been driving impressively over the last seven or eight months, Mercedes is also in a strong bargaining position.

“We know that we have the strongest car, a very strong team and are well positioned for the future as well,” he insisted. “That would be the main argument for Nico. We also know what we have in him.”

The fact Mercedes has a theoretical free seat for 2017 will undoubtedly mean that top drivers like Fernando Alonso are potentially interested in filling it.

What if Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel also makes an enquiry?

“I would tell him the same thing I’ve said to others in recent years,” Wolff answered. “First, we are talking to our regular drivers. Only when we do not reach agreement, we can start to look around.”

Wolff also insisted that Mercedes has an in-house option for 2017 in the form of reserve driver Pascal Wehrlein, who this year was loaned out to Manor.

“Yes, absolutely,” he said. “He has shown in DTM that he can win championships. At the moment he is in his apprenticeship at Manor and on the right track to being at Mercedes at some point.”

[MIKA27]

PIQUET: ALONSO THE BEST BUT HE’S AT THE END OF HIS CAREER

Fernando Alonso is edging towards the end of his formula one career, according to former Renault teammate Nelson Piquet.

Now 30, the Brazilian’s own F1 career ended in 2009, after the explosion of the ‘crashgate’ scandal that was triggered by his deliberate crash in Singapore.

His the teammate, Alonso, went on to win that controversial Singapore race but Piquet claims the Spaniard’s useful life in F1 is now nearing its own end.

“I think he’s the best driver, but he’s at the end of his career,” Piquet, now the inaugural and reigning champion of Formula E, told AS newspaper.

“If you don’t have a car to win there is nothing you can do about it. It has happened to me as well — last year I was champion, but this year I’m not ahead.”

That aside, however, Piquet says there is “no comparison” between F1 and the electric single seater series.

But he also says F1 has changed almost unrecognisably since his last season in 2009: “They are like different sports.”

Asked his opinion about the growing battle between Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari in 2016, Piquet added: “I don’t know – I’m no F1 expert.”

[MIKA27]

BOULLIER: THE NEW HONDA ENGINE WILL NOT BE A REVOLUTION

McLaren team chief Eric Boullier has warned that Honda will not be unveiling a “revolution” when it is ready with a new specification of its F1 power unit.

McLaren and Honda figures have played down Fernando Alonso’s claim that an upgrade will definitely make its debut next weekend in Canada.

“The new engine is coming, but it will not be a revolution,” team boss Boullier is quoted by Autosprint.

However, there are positive signs. Honda and Renault have improved markedly since last year, and Renault’s latest step in Monaco was achieved by using just 3 performance ‘tokens’.

“Don’t forget that we used a large number of tokens late last year, but we couldn’t produce all the parts on time and only tried one of them in practice,” said the French marque’s Remi Taffin.

“We were criticised for it, but we could live with it because we knew that it would help us in 2016. It was the foundation of the current engine,” he told Auto Motor und Sport.

[MIKA27]

Manor 'still nowhere near quick enough' admits Dave Ryan

Manor are "nowhere near quick enough" yet, according to racing director Dave Ryan, with the Dinnington-based outfit once again finding itself fighting at the back of the grid over the final few places.

Although the team has improved considerably compared to last year, partly in thanks to a Mercedes engine deal, they remain some way off the midfield pace and have yet to come close to escaping Q1 in qualifying.

"There is no doubt that this year's car is a massive step on last year's. But we are still nowhere near quick enough," Ryan told Reuters on Thursday.

According to the former McLaren engineer, Manor needs to find another big performance leap before they're satisfied.

"This year we're definitely able to be competitive with some of the cars around us and the performance gap we had to find to do that was massive.

"But we need the same improvement again," he added. "It's not one area in particular, it's everywhere."

However Ryan admits that step might not come for a few years, but insists their target for 2016 is to beat Sauber and claim a top ten finish in the championship standings.

"We clearly desire to be a really solid midfield team, but we also know that's a long game. We are not going to get there this year or next year. It might take four or five years.

"The way we look at it is they [Sauber] are just another team we've got to try and beat. It just happens to be Sauber next door to us and to some people they are the obvious target.

"I think we'd be very disappointed if we didn't finish 10th, that's for sure."

[MIKA27]

Vettel on an ‘ambitious’ Ferrari

Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel has claimed that they are the most ambitious team on the grid despite their recent setbacks this season.

Failing to win a race in 2016, Ferrari have fallen drastically behind Mercedes in terms of performance and has been replaced by Red Bull as the Silver Arrow's main competitor.

However, the quadruple World Champion has hit back at critics comparing the team to last year's point tally at the same stage, where they are currently 37-points off.

"It's not fair to compare to last year," Vettel claimed.

"Last year we were in no man's land, the gap was big to the cars behind and big to the cars behind. I think this year by nature the gaps are a bit smaller. I think we are closer.

“I think we started off with a project that together we want to bring back to the top. Now our targets are more ambitious than anybody else's targets.

"I think we are on the right track. Until this [moment], yes, we could have done better.

"If I don't blow up the engine in Bahrain we are on the podium, a lot more points and things look a lot more shiny. But they didn’t, that’s a fact. We look forward and focus on the next race."

The German also labeled their poor qualifying performances throughout the season as a big issue and thinks that if they can improve that aspect of their race weekend then the Scuderia will see much more success in the coming races.

"We've struggled here and there, race, qualifying, to extract it," he continued.

"That's our job so in that regard you can say we haven't succeeded but equally you need to respect the fact we are fighting teams that had such a big shift or change in the recent past, in terms of team structure, management, whatsoever.

"It's a no-brainer if you position the car more up front in quali you have an easier Sunday, and that’s where we have to work."

[MIKA27]

Tost believes STR missed out in Monte Carlo

Toro Rosso team principal Franz Tost believes that duo Carlos Sainz Jr. and Daniil Kvyat underperformed at the Monaco Grand Prix.

At Sunday's race, Kvyat retired after colliding with Renault driver Kevin Magnussen while Sainz Jr. crossed the chequered flag in eighth position.

Tost believes that their Ferrari-powered engine should have been able to finish within the top-five of Sunday's grid.

Suffering two faulty pitstops, Force India driver Sergio Perez, who ended up on the podium, managed to pip the Spaniard in the pit lane on one of the pitstops, something which Tost laments.

"It's very disappointing to finish Carlos’ race only in P8, when we know we have a package which has the performance to be at least within the top five," the 60-year-old claimed.

"The main reason for this result was the first pit-stop, during which we lost two seconds and where Perez, Vettel and Hulkenberg passed us.

"Therefore, Carlos ended up behind this train of cars and couldn’t use all the potential of the car, but he did a solid race and showed a really good performance.

"On Daniil's car we had a problem with the software during the Safety Car period at the start of the race, where he was stuck in pit-limiter mode, driving at only 60kph. Although we changed the steering wheel, this didn’t help and he therefore was a lap down when the race was restarted. He then had a collision with another driver and did not finish the race.

"We all expected much more from this event in Monaco and we have to be more concentrated in order to prevent mistakes in the upcoming races."

[MIKA27]

Dennis favours Aeroscreen

McLaren owner Ron Dennis has expressed his admiration for Red Bull’s Aeroscreen concept but admits that it needs more testing for it to be introduced officially in F1.

With cockpit protection a top priority for the FIA, Ferrari’s Halo concept is set to be approved for the 2017 season after final testings later this month.

Dennis has concerns over the Aeroscreen, citing visibility could be an issue with the different conditions around the tracks the teams will travel to.

The McLaren chairman also added that the development is still in its early stages but with further testing and modifications it could prove to be a massive step forward in evolving cockpit protection for F1 cars.

“You can never make a grand prix car too safe, but possibly the concept of a screen that is resilient enough to withstand real impact is good,” Dennis told Sky Sports.

“But I think the execution leaves something to be desired at the moment.

“It’s a pretty crude shape and with a little more time I think we can make, not only the cars safer, but in that area a little more elegant.

“So we shouldn’t really introduce it until we’re quite sure that visibility and stroboscopic effect that you have with that sort of screen is well understood.”

[MIKA27]

And Speaking of the Aeroscreen and risk mitigation, whatever happened to Heroes?

I see a lot of talk at the moment about danger in F1, this is due largely to the publicity surrounding legal action that the Bianchi Family are threatening. I read of drivers saying that they don’t think things are safe enough and even that the sport should never hurt anyone. My only response to that is that those who think this way are in the wrong business. I’m sure some will take offence to that, but let me explain why I believe this.

When people talk about their lives, they will often tell you about how they were inspired by someone; how someone provided a spark that lit their fire. When we are young, we all have heroes. We all imagine ourselves charging up beaches, dodging bullets, or scoring great goals in Cup Finals, or winning the Indy 500 at our first attempt. We all want to be heroes and want to be looked up to. Heroes are special. They represent the best in mankind.

Without risk there is no progress  and we all know that. Mankind has got to where it is because risks have been taken and we value those who take them. They are there to inspire us, and future generations, to try new things and to risk life, limb, reputation or whatever.

As TS Eliot said, “only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go”.

The vast majority of people never muster the courage to try to live their dreams, because they are afraid of what they might lose. It’s easier not to try. But those who do take risks help to move the world onwards. And the world needs heroes. Today, in a society in which heroes are few and far between, the need still exists. We have started to invent them.  We worship actors and actresses who pretend to be heroic. Kids are inspired by Star Wars characters or those of Harry Potter just like my generation with Star Wars or Clint Eastwood. The difference today is that we now worship people who have done nothing except to want to become celebrities.

Yes, we still have soldiers, police and firemen and we still have some adventurers, but there are other elements of society who wish to control everything: to make everything safe; to stop all risks. There are even some who argue that racing drivers should never be at risk.

This is crazy.

Perhaps I am old fashioned, but I don’t see the need for heroes reducing. But virtual heroes are not really the same, are they?

If there is no danger, what difference is there between driving real racing cars and virtual ones? With the costs involved, the virtual path is far more logical and practical, but will people sit and watch this “spectacle” and will they think of the virtual drivers as heroes? No, they will recognise skills, and will praise the winners, but that is not enough to confer heroic status?

I am not saying that we should seek out danger, but rather that we should ensure that the sport is safe enough, but not to the point of becoming anodyne. The sport is playing with science, finding new things and all the rest of it, but as JBS Haldane once pointed out “Man armed with science is like a baby with a box of matches”. Things will always go wrong.

But that is what heroes must accept if they want to be rich and famous. You can be a hero of a different kind in a classroom, or on a stage, but if racing drivers want to be heroes, then they must accept risks and those around them must either talk them out of it, or accept that they are happy doing what they were doing and so not complain if things go wrong.

I don’t believe that races should ever start behind Safety Cars. It is self-defeating for the sport and makes the heroes look feeble, tiptoeing around behind a road car. Racing drivers should be viewed as people who are different; who are special; who do things that normal people cannot do. They can choose when they think things are dangerous. None are forced to race. They can pull into the pits and say: “This is too much”, as Niki Lauda did in 1976 or Emerson Fittipaldi did a year before that in Spain. No-one sensible ever called them cowards. They were racing drivers exercising their choice.

This is essential for the survival of the sport, because if we don’t provide spectacle and heroics, what value does F1 really have?

 

[MIKA27]

Ricciardo’s smile returns after blast in title-winning Williams F1 car

Red Bull Formula 1 star Daniel Ricciardo blew away some of the disappointment of losing victory in the Monaco Grand Prix last weekend by having a blast in a 1980 title-winning Williams owned by sponsorship guru Zak Brown.

Ricciardo joined Mika Hakkinen, David Coulthard and NASCAR’s Brian Vickers in trying Brown’s amazing collection of vintage machinery at Paul Ricard on Tuesday.

“It was cool – wow!” said Ricciardo of the Williams that took compatriot Alan Jones to title glory.

“The steering was quite light, quite direct, especially through the slow speed.

“The brakes were actually really good, the car stops really well. I was impressed actually. That was super – it sounds nice.”

Watch the smile return to Ricciardo's face...

As well as trying fellow-countryman Alan Jones’s Ford DFV-powered FW07 F1 car, Ricciardo and friends also drove Brown’s rorty ex-Scott Pruett Roush Ford Mustang and fabulous Porsche 935 sportscar.

All cars were run by Brown’s United Autosports team.

“I had a blast today,” said Brown. “Some of the best cars in the world being driven by my friends who happen to be some of the best drivers in the world was thoroughly enjoyable to watch.”

[MIKA27]

Magnussen laments ‘costly’ Monaco, waits for Canada benefits

Kevin Magnussen says Renault's experiments on his RS16 in Monaco proved detrimental to his race pace but is optimistic he can profit from the ground work in Canada and upcoming races. 

The Renault driver was in the thick of it at the Principality after an underwhelming qualifying and was involved in two incidents, the first a clumsy contact with Daniil Kvyat who was struggling with technical issues before sliding out of the race at Mirabeau on lap 33. 

Magnussen, who was fitted with the upgraded Renault engine for Monaco, felt he was always battling to catch up in terms of pace and car set-up after the team experimented with new parts which he feels ultimately cost him a shot at a positive result. 

“If we'd just gone in normally and not tried this big, different thing, then I think we would have had an easier weekend,” Magnussen said. “I also feel that we had to try to learn as much as possible about the car with this new stuff because it will benefit us later in the season with the more miles you get. 

“It cost us here, surely we'll learn more in those weeks between now and Canada which will help us in Canada.” 

Looking to move on positively at Montreal next time out, Magnussen is confident the new aerodynamic upgrades will give him a boost in the corners but still require refinement to optimise the package. 

“It does change the car a lot especially through the corner balance, it just didn't work here, it's just disappointing,” he said. “We believed it should work, it's more just dialling it in and fine tuning it. 

“For here we didn't feel like we had the time, we didn't feel like we'd be able to make the car work for here so hopefully we can learn more when we come back from this race and be able to run it for the rest of the season.”

[MIKA27]

F1 Singapore GP: Pirelli go soft for Singapore GP tyre options

Pirelli has selected the ultra-softs, super-softs and softs available to teams for the Singapore Grand Prix, it has been confirmed. 

After the new purple-banded ultra-soft tyres made their highly-anticipated debut in Monaco last weekend, the softest compound available in F1 will be given its fourth outing of the year after also being selected for Canada and Austria. 

As expected, the super-softs and softs will also be available to teams in Singapore. Both sets must be available for the race and drivers must use at least one of them in the race. 

The new 2016 tyre regulations state tyre nominations for long-haul events have to be made 14 weeks in advance, whereas for European races the deadline is eight weeks in advance.

[MIKA27]

Palmer: I don’t feel under pressure

Jolyon Palmer says he isn't feeling 'under pressure' despite a troubled Monaco Grand Prix as the search for his first F1 points continues. 

The former GP2 Series champion is in the midst of his rookie F1 season with the Renault, but has been comfortably out-performed by Kevin Magnussen in the opening six races and is yet to get on the scoreboard. 

On a Monaco weekend that saw him suffer several incidents, not least in the race when he crashed at the start of the race and heavily damaged his car, Palmer insists he is not feeling pressure, even if he admits he is 'pushing too hard' early on in sessions. 

“I don't feel under pressure, I'm trying to do the best job that I can and I've always really enjoyed driving around here,” he said. “I've probably been pushing a little bit too hard too soon in sessions and trying to make up through different corners where there's not enough to be gained really. “ 

With Renault struggling throughout the Monaco weekend, Palmer is hoping the upcoming Canadian Grand Prix – where he will receive the team's engine upgrade for the first time – will be more successful. 

“I think it's easy to over driver when you know the guy in the other car has got two-tenths on you without doing anything extra, so maybe I've been pushing trying to find something else that's not in there. The good thing is the engine is clearly quick so Canada I think will make a big difference.” 

[Orion21]

Just an FYI for all of you Daniel Ricciardo fans out there.  Friends of mine had dinner with Daniel after the Monaco GP and they reported Daniel was up beat and had a "shoulder shrug" attitude about the last two races, while sporting his award winning smile.  My friends said Daniel focused on having a great time at dinner and especially enjoyed his friends kids.  He is excited about his car this year and knows they can win races on the right tracks.  

Go get them Daniel!

[MIKA27]

RICCIARDO AND HORNER TARGETED BY FERRARI?

In the aftermath of two tumultuous races Daniel Ricciardo is not completely ruling himself out of the 2017 Formula 1 silly season which has him moving to Ferrari for 2017 and beyond, while his boss at Red Bull may be on the radar for the Maranello outfit.

Last year, the Australian was very much a contender to switch to Ferrari, but Red Bull officials are once again insisting that Ricciardo is firmly under contract.

Helmut Marko has said Ricciardo’s deal is bulletproof, while team chief Christian Horner told media earlier this year that, “The contractual situation we have with Daniel Ricciardo is extremely clear. He’s under contract. How long? That’s confidential.”

It is noteworthy, however, that those same Red Bull officials have seldom been more gushing about Ricciardo’s talents, boss Christian Horner saying in Spain that the new lineup with Max Verstappen is perhaps “the strongest pairing for future years in F1”.

But when asked by Corriere della Sera about his contractual situation at present, Ricciardo replied, “It’s open. It all depends on Red Bull. If they stay in F1, I think they will propose a multi-year extension.”

Meanwhile, with regards to the constant Ferrari speculation, the 26-year-old said: “It will depend on the results and the proposals that I receive and if another team says to me: We want to try to win the championship with you.”

But added, “It is nice to be recognised by a team like that so I will take it a compliment and see what happens.”

Now, according to a report in Corriere, Ricciardo’s boss Horner has also been linked with a shock switch to Ferrari.

“Really? I don’t believe that, but I can’t speak for him,” was Ricciardo’s reaction when asked about the possibility.

Such a move would reunite Horner with Sebastaian Vettel, the pair having been instrumental in Red Bull’s four glory years which saw them dominate the sport from 2010 to 2013.

[MIKA27]

VANDOORNE TO REPLACE WILLIAMS BOUND BUTTON IN 2017

Silly season speculation regarding the futures of Jenson Button and Stoffel Vandoorne continues to do the rounds in the aftermath of the Monaco Grand Prix weekend

It is believed that Button, 36, came very close to switching to Williams for 2016, with McLaren-Honda only deciding to retain him late in the piece.

Current paddock talk suggests that McLaren has already decided to replace Button for 2017 with its young charger Stoffel Vandoorne.

“We have the priority choice on him,” admitted team boss Eric Boullier, referring to the reigning GP2 champion and Belgian. “But if there is no place for him here, we could consider lending him to another team.”

When asked by the Belgian newspaper La Derniere Heure if Renault might be an option for Vandoorne, reuniting him with his 2015 boss Frederic Vasseur, Boullier answered: “Why not? But it is too early to tell. Everything will move along when we have made our choice of drivers for 2017.”

Vandoorne made an impressive debut when he replaced injured Fernando Alonso at the Bahrain Grand Prix, by scoring McLaren’s first points of the season, out-qualifying Button and then beating the veteran in the race.

Vasseur, however, denied that Vandoorne could race for Renault next year, “Despite all the friendship and esteem I have for Stoffel, it would not make sense to accept him from McLaren for one year. We cannot develop a driver for a year and then hand him to the competition.”

Vandoorne has revealed that being told late last year that Button was staying at McLaren alongside Alonso was already frustrating, “I admit it was hard for me to hear that he had been chosen. I won the GP2 title right here at Sochi and learned through the press that they (McLaren) had renewed with Jenson.”

“It took a while to digest the news,” Vandoorne revealed. “I went to the final (GP2) round in Abu Dhabi willing to do anything to win both races and show that I was the best option.”

“I want to start my career at a top team,” he added, and said he is not even fazed at the prospect of starting his race career alongside a driver as strong as Alonso, his frinnd and mentor.

“It wouldn’t worry me. There will be pressure to be a potentially winning racing team, but at the same time I will be facing it with a world champion. And if I do well my reputation will grow. I believe in my ability,” predicted Vandoorne.

The Belgian ace is now warning that he is determined to make his full-time debut next year, “I realise there is a lot of interest in me, but I have a contract with McLaren, they believe in me and I hope I can stay here.”

With Felipe Massa likely to be ditched by Williams at the end of this season, Button is reportedly a candidate to end his career at the the Grove outfit, where it all began for the Englishman.

When asked, last month, if he would like to have the veteran Button as his 2017 teammate, Williams’ Valtteri Bottas answered: “Yes.”

But according to Marca, a press officer immediately interrupted the Finn’s interview, with Bottas agreeing: “I know for myself what rumours are like…”

Giving credibility to the possibility of Button’s return to Williams is former McLaren chief mechanic Marc Priestley, turned pundit, who said on Sky F1 Report, “It would be a lovely end to the Button story to go full circle.”

No doubt referring to the fact that, at just 20 years of age, Button made his debut for the Grove team in 2000.