FORMULA 1 - 2016

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WEBBER: RICCIARDO IMPRESSIVE BUT FERRARI DISAPPOINTING

Straight-talking former F1 driver Mark Webber believes that fellow Australian Daniel Ricciardo is the stand-out driver of the season and at the same time says  Ferrari are the most disappointing team of 2016.

Speaking to the British publication Somerset-live whilst promoting his autobiography, Webber said he has been more impressed with the 2016 form of his countryman Daniel Ricciardo.

“He’s the form driver of the year in terms of the performances he’s delivering and he can’t do any more than that,” said Webber, who now races in sports cars.

Ricciardo was livid after the recent Spanish and Monaco grands prix, suggesting that on both occasions only team mistakes by Red Bull robbed him of victory.

“It’s part of the game unfortunately, and adversity comes with it,” said Webber, who drove for Red Bull for seven years until 2013, winning 9 times.

“You have to take the big right hook on the chin sometimes, which is tough and he’s had a couple of tricky weekends where he feels that he did everything he could,” the 39-year-old added.

“It’s a bitter pill to swallow for a driver when you do everything you can and you don’t get the result that you deserve, which can be frustrating, but he’ll bounce back,” Webber said.

As for the Maranello team which entered the season upbeat about its chances of bridging the gap to dominant Mercedes, but Australian Webber insisted: “Ferrari have been the most disappointing team so far.

“They haven’t really hit their straps at all, but I predict they’ll get their season underway in Canada,” the former Williams and Red Bull driver said.

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SAUBER DRIVER LINEUP IS THEIR BIGGEST PROBLEM

A leading Swiss journalist has suggested Sauber needs to make a change to its driver lineup at the end of the season.

In Monaco, their bitter old rivalry from their GP2 days came back with a vengeance when Felipe Nasr point-blank refused to accept the team’s order to let teammate Marcus Ericsson past.

Some laps later, Swede Ericsson tried to pass Nasr, they both crashed and ultimately retired. Team boss Monisha Kaltenborn said their behaviour was “unacceptable”.

“As the saying goes, there are always three sides to the story: yours, mine and the truth,” Nasr told the Brazilian press.

Roger Benoit, one of the most experienced and respected journalists in the paddock and close to team founder Peter Sauber, said he believes Nasr and Ericsson as teammates is now untenable.

“One thing is clear, if Sauber is still there in 2017, these drivers cannot be together,” he wrote in the Swiss newspaper Blick. “If the team loses control of the drivers, at least one head must roll.”

Nasr, however, said that in the wake of the Monaco shenanigans, a meeting between himself, boss Kaltenborn and Ericsson had cleared the air.

“As a team, we had a conversation and he, myself and Monisha clarified all the points. It was just to clear the air and go forward in the most professional way,” he is quoted by Globo.

“From Monisha’s side, as the team leader she wants the drivers to respect team orders,” Nasr admitted.

Indeed, in a rare open letter to its fans, Sauber has this week reiterated its view that F1 is a team sport and “with every position gained we are that much closer to points”.

“We are all racers, but the team’s overall interest will always be more important than that of any individual,” Sauber’s letter added.

The Globo report suggested that with the Banco do Brasil-backed Nasr’s contract ending this year, the 23-year-old intends to be professional for the rest of the season while seeking a more competitive seat elsewhere for 2017.

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FERRARI: GAP TO MERCEDES IS BIGGER THAN WE CALCULATED

Jock Clear has played down talk that Ferrari is in crisis after a low key performance at the Monaco grand Prix, but admits the gap to Mercedes is bigger than expected and also doubts that their rivals are playing with tyre pressures.

“The gap to Mercedes is bigger than we had calculated,” he admitted, “but it’s smaller than the average of last season and the last race of 2015. That’s the positive side.

“We are closing the gap to Mercedes, and we are sure that the two performance curves will overlap in the future. The only question is when,” said Clear.

He also does not think Ferrari’s troubles are related to supposed tricks some rivals may be deploying to lower tyre pressures in 2016.

In the last two races in particular, the Maranello team has fallen behind Red Bull and even further behind Mercedes, mainly due to a mysterious struggle in the latter stages of qualifying.

One theory might be that other teams are doing a better job with supposed trick technology in dipping crucial tyre pressures below the mandatory minimums set by Pirelli.

But Clear, an experienced and well-known F1 engineer who started work at Ferrari this year, doesn’t think so.

“Lower pressures give you more grip,” he admitted to Auto Motor und Sport, “but for one lap in qualifying, it is easier to keep the pressures in the window where you want them.”

Clear said regulating tyre pressures in the race – no matter the technology – would be much harder.

“We do not believe the stories that some teams can lower their tyre pressures significantly,” he insisted. “Perhaps half a PSI, but not two. We think that’s impossible.

“There’s a lot of talk about smart solutions that get the heat out of the wheels, but they are all illegal,” Clear added. “The FIA has confirmed that all the cars are legal and we have no reason to doubt that.”

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Video: First onboard lap of the Baku City Circuit

 

Euroformula Open driver Gulhuseyn Abdullayev recently completed the first ever laps of the new 20-turn Baku City Circuit, which is set to host the returning European Grand Prix next month.

The 19-year-old put in several laps at the wheel of a previous-spec GP3 car and his brief track run was captured by onboard cameras, providing us with our first proper look at the Azerbaijan circuit.

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Williams can be "proud" of place in F1 pecking order

Claire Williams is adamant that her Formula 1 team has plenty to be proud of, despite not having been able to match rivals like Mercedes or Ferrari.

Williams has finished third in the constructors' championship for the past two seasons, despite not having won a race since the 2012 season.

Inevitably, the Grove-based team has been held back by its smaller budget compared to its main rivals.

And while Williams says she would want her team to fight for victories, she concedes the realities of the budget make it almost impossible.

"If you look at it from a pure racer's perspective, and idealistic perspective, then of course it is disappointing, because we want to be up there fighting at the top," she told Motorsport.com.

"But we have to bear in mind where we came from, and how far ahead Mercedes were when we all came out in 2014. It has just been a continuous game of playing catch-up.

"Ferrari obviously have done a really good job trying to close that gap and we are in the position we are in. It is not just a case of staying in the position we are in, we have had to make gains forward in order to maintain that third position and fight for that third with Red Bull.

"I think we can consider ourselves to have done a good job and we should be proud of the job we have done to be in that position, fighting against teams – and I know we say it repeatedly and it is boring – but teams with budgets three times the size of ours and keeping the teams who are behind us, behind us.

"And I think we should be proud of that. But from a racer perspective, we want to be up there fighting with Mercedes."

  

Hard to find right balance

Williams, whose team has dropped to fourth this year behind Red Bull, admits finding the right balance between budget and development is tricky.

"It is a frustrating," she added. "We have working groups that meet regularly at Williams as part of our exco (executive committee) and we have to decide which projects to put our resource in to.

"And of course you don't want to be sat there saying, 'well of course you cannot have this because we need to do this as a priority over what you want' and everyone's needs are to them as important as anyone else's, so it is a really juggling game.

"You throw on top of that that we have new regulations coming in in 2017, so what do you do with 2016's car and where do you strike the balance around that development work as well. But we have a really great team at Williams.

"A really clever group of people who are trying to make sure that we put the resource into where it needs to go to, to get the maximum benefits and returns for the team and car."

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Lewis Hamilton: Mercedes F1 team starting to 'buckle' amid pressure

Lewis Hamilton has called on Mercedes to eradicate mistakes, as he feels it is under more pressure than at any other time in Formula 1's V6 hybrid era so far.

Even on the weekend of Hamilton's first grand prix win of 2016 in Monaco, a fuel temperature issue at the start of Q3 hampered his qualifying effort.

The reigning champion was then aided by team-mate Nico Rosberg's failure to get heat into his brakes and tyres in the early wet conditions in the race, and the German only managed to finish seventh.

Though Mercedes has won five of this year's six grands prix so far, its cushion to Ferrari is 67 points - compared to 84 at the same point in 2015 - with a resurgent Red Bull just nine points further back.

"I'm conscious of moving forward," remarked Hamilton of his own title challenge, having closed to within 24 points of Rosberg.

"But there are still issues, there were still mistakes being made, so we really need to pull together as a team because right now we have more pressure than we've ever had on us because of the other teams applying that pressure.

"You're starting to see small buckles here and there, so what's important is we do pull together, because we are the greatest team, we just need to refine a few areas."

Much was made of the swap of a number of mechanics between Rosberg and Hamilton's car as the champion endured his numerous technical issues earlier this year.

Though Hamilton denied seeing the Monaco win as a turning point, he at least hopes his side of the garage will have gained confidence from it.

"We have a long way to go, and these past five races have just shown that anything is possible, and more so than not in a negative way for me," he said.

"But the win will hopefully be a boost for my mechanics who have been nervous all year.

"It's not easy coming from one side of the garage to the world champion's car.

"When I jump into the car I need to deliver, and because of the issues we've had we've probably felt like we're not delivering, but they have been delivering.

"So this win will be a great relief to them, and I'm grateful to them for sticking with me and getting through it.

"Hopefully it will give them the confidence to know I'm just as strong as I've always been, and I will be better still yet."

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F1 TECH EXPLAINED – PADDY LOWE ON THE AMAZING STOPPING POWER OF F1 BRAKES

 

With stopping power of over 5g, F1 brakes are amazing. They heat up to over 1000 degrees in a big stop, such as we will see in Montreal next week for the Canadian Grand Prix. That is one of the toughest circuits of the season for brakes.

The biggest stop in Canada is the final chicane where the cars will arrive at around 340km/h and brake to just 135km/h in 1.64 seconds, according to brake supplier Brembo. That’s 5.4g of deceleration and the cars shed 205km/h in just 97m.

Equally amazing are the shapes that F1 teams are able to manufacture these days with carbon composite for brake ducts; as Paddy says in the video they are as much aerodynamic devices today as they are for cooling the brakes.

In the first of a short series of videos, Mercedes F1 technical boss Paddy Lowe takes us behind the scenes at the Mercedes factory and, using Lewis Hamilton’s 2015 F1 world championship winning car as a base, explains the secrets of F1 brakes.

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FERRARI TO RACE REVAMPED AND UPDATED TURBO IN CANADA

Ferrari will bring an revamped and updated turbo design to Canada this week, according to Auto Motor und Sport.

Following early reliability problems with the all-new turbo design for 2016, we reported in April that Ferrari was working on a fix and until then Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen would be racing at reduced power.

“Experts believe it is costing them up to half a second per lap” until now, the German broadcaster RTL had said.

Auto Motor und Sport said the fix is now ready for Montreal, which should mean the Ferrari duo can use maximum power from now on.

Mercedes has also prepared an engine tweak for Canada, but without needing to trade in any performance ‘tokens’ as the changes relate only to recent reliability troubles.

“Every weekend we’ve had little gremlins creeping in and we just need to sort it out,” team boss Toto Wolff said.

Ferrari will be hoping its new turbo and other car tweaks for Canada will return the Maranello team to its former place just behind Mercedes, following two good races for a resurgent Red Bull.

“In formula one you’re only as good as your last race and this is why at the beginning it was Ferrari that was expected to be the enemy number one because they scored the better results,” Wolff continued.

“Now Red Bull won a race in Barcelona and they were pretty competitive in Monaco and suddenly Red Bull is being seen as the main competitor.

“I think we just need to stay calm. Both teams have all the resources you need in order to be competitive and we are just trying to follow our path, developing at the speed we have identified as necessary to win a championship and that is more important than always looking at the competition,” Wolff said.

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NASR: WE HAVE MORE THAN ONE OPTION FOR 2017

Felipe Nasr is not denying reports he is on the search for an alternate team for the 2017 season.

Frustrated with stalled car development and worrying financial problems, the Brazilian driver and teammate Marcus Ericsson incurred boss Monisha Kaltenborn’s wrath in Monaco when they collided.

It preceded reports Nasr could leave the Swiss team at the end of the year, given that his and his sponsor Banco do Brazil’s sponsors with Sauber are expiring. Nasr, 23, is not denying that speculation.

“Since I came into F1 I had many dreams I wanted to achieve and I still do,” he is quoted by Globo. “I do not want to let my opportunities pass.”

“I can assure you that I have good people working on it so that we can take the next step in considering all possible options for 2017, even if it’s too early for anything right now.”

“I think that from the middle of the year we will start talking to know what options there are, but what I can say is that we have options. More than one,” Nasr explained during media functions in Brasilia.

But Globo also reported that better times for the so-far-in-2016 Sauber team could be around the corner, with car improvements planned for Silverstone in July.

“The priority is the aerodynamics,” said Nasr. “We have very little downforce in the car, which creates instability.

“Gaining performance in braking and traction will all be with improved aerodynamics, not to mention that we will also have an update of the entire (Ferrari) drive train.”

Currently, Nasr and his teammate Marcus Ericsson have not scored a single point between them in 2016.

Nasr said: “I will do everything to score a point and I think it would be almost a victory for us. But it’s just the situation we are in at the moment.”

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STEINER: WE’RE BACK WHERE WE WERE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SEASON

Haas F1 Team have endured a roller-coaster ride since they made their Formula 1 debut in Australia at the beginning of the season, as they wowed everyone with their early performances before coming down to earth in recent races.

Team chief Guenther Steiner spoke ahead of their first every foray to north America, this time around for the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal.

Both drivers mentioned at Monaco that despite their result, they felt more comfortable with the car. What’s different from what they experienced in Spain?
Guenther Steiner: In just doing the test in Barcelona after the Spanish Grand Prix, we gained back confidence in what we were doing. In China and in Russia, we struggled with finding the proper working range of the tires. Now, we just have more confidence in our whole package. We’re back to where we were at the beginning of the season.

As the season has progressed, what has been the rate of development for teams in Formula One? Does it seem to ratchet up another few notches because the drivers and teams get more and more experience with their car?
GS: Absolutely, because there is no testing allowed anymore during the season except for the two days we had in Spain. The testing is done at the racetrack, and every time you drive the car, you learn. The drivers learn more about the car and how to set it up. If you have problems like we’ve had on Fridays and Saturdays, you don’t learn so much. The more you can run, the more you learn. At the same time, the gains we make get smaller and smaller because we’re constantly fine tuning, and so is everyone else.

The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is a semi street circuit. Is there anything you can take from Monaco and apply to Montreal, especially considering Pirelli is bringing the same tire compounds?
GS: Pirelli is bringing the same tires – the ultrasoft, supersoft and soft. We’re only using the ultrasoft and soft. It’s a challenge to find the perfect working ranges for these tires. We’ve never had the ultrasoft in Canada. It just debuted in the last race at Monaco. We need to see how that tire works, specifically, in Canada.

You’ve gone with a pretty aggressive tire strategy for Montreal – no supersofts, only three sets of softs and 10 sets of ultrasofts for each driver. Only you and Renault have opted for no supersofts. What’s the methodology behind this decision?
GS: We only tested the ultrasofts once before making the decision to use them in Canada, and that was in Barcelona. We will see in Canada if we made the right decision. We know more about the ultrasofts now after having used them in Monaco. We just need to do our best to make them work as best as possible.

Canada is known as the hardest-braking grand prix of the year. What do you need to make the most of your car’s braking capability, and how do your drivers manage their brakes for the entire, 70-lap race?
GS: The biggest thing is the confidence of the driver in the brakes. More confidence means more speed. They need to be confident that the brakes always operate the same, at the same point, at the same time. That is the most important thing. The team can monitor the wear with telemetry, so if we get in danger we can actually tell the driver over the radio that they’re having a problem.

Last year when you came to Montreal as a spectator, you were asked by media where you would like Haas F1 Team to be when it arrived at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in 2016. You said that you hoped you had scored some points by then and were putting forth a respectable effort. Mission accomplished?
GS: I think what we promised, we did. We are respectable and we have some points, but you always want more. That’s racing. You’re never happy with what you’ve got, and you always want more.

Montreal marks the first stint of back-to-back races, as the new Baku City Circuit debuts the very next weekend. Considering that Montreal and Baku are both flyaway races, how difficult are the logistics of moving a team across an ocean when you only have two days to pack up from one venue and arrive at another?
GS: It’s hard work for the team. The logistics are very well organized for F1 and for the teams, but people need to work late and get up early and fly direct to Baku. A lot of people fly direct with a charter plane from Montreal to Baku. It’s very demanding schedule.

Knowing that the turnaround time between Montreal and Baku is incredibly tight, how important is it for both racecars to finish the Canadian Grand Prix in one piece?
GS: For sure it’s important, but if something happens, we’re ready.

Earlier this year, Haas F1 Team was fifth in the constructor standings. Heading into Round 7 at Montreal, it’s eighth in the constructor standings. Are you paying attention to the points, or is your approach more about putting forth the best effort and letting the chips fall where they may?
GS: We always put forth the best effort. Where we end up is difficult to predict, because other people score points too. For sure, we keep an eye on the points. We are eighth now and want to be better than that, and we’re putting in a lot of effort to achieve that.

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HAAS PREVIEW THE CANADIAN GRAND PRIX

After racing along the French Riviera in Monaco, Haas F1 Team and the rest of its counterparts in the FIA Formula One World Championship head to Montreal, home to the Canadian Grand Prix at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve within Parc Jean-Drapeau on the St. Lawrence River.

The 4.361-kilometer (2.710-mile), 14-turn circuit has hosted Formula One since 1978, and in its 37th grand prix to be contested June 12, it hosts 11 organizations including Haas F1 Team, the first American Formula One team in 30 years.

Haas F1 Team comes into Round 7 of the 21-race Formula One schedule eighth in the constructor standings, two points behind seventh-place McLaren and 16 points ahead of ninth-place Renault. Twenty-two points have been earned by Haas F1 Team via three point-paying finishes, the most of any new team in this millennium. When Jaguar debuted in 2000 and when Toyota came on the scene in 2002, each entity managed only two point-paying finishes in their entire first seasons for a combined total of six points.

Romain Grosjean has earned all 22 points for Haas F1 Team, but teammate Esteban Gutiérrez is poised to add to that tally. With back-to-back 11th-place finishes in Barcelona and Monaco, Gutiérrez is knocking on the door of a point-paying result.

In two career Formula One starts at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Gutiérrez has a best finish of 14th, earned in the 2014 Canadian Grand Prix. Grosjean has four career starts in the Canadian Grand Prix, and his first was his best – a second-place run in 2012. As the duo return to the most populous city in the province of Quebec, they look to return to the front-running form shown when Grosjean finished sixth in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix and fifth in Round 2 at the Bahrain Grand Prix.

An in-season test following the fifth race of the season in Barcelona allowed Haas F1 Team to further develop its racecar and come to grip, literally, with the Pirelli P Zero Purple ultrasoft tire, which made its racing debut in the Monaco Grand Prix. The ultrasoft compound is the softest tire in Pirelli’s range, with rapid warming and massive performance. It is best used on tight and twisting circuits where mechanical grip is at a premium.

Haas F1 Team is employing an aggressive tire strategy at Montreal, choosing to use just two of the three tire compounds provided by Pirelli. Only three sets of the P Zero Yellow softs have been selected for each driver, with the remaining 10 sets to each driver consisting of ultrasofts. The P Zero Red supersofts have been totally eschewed by Haas F1 Team.

The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is a semi-street circuit with long straights and tricky hairpins. It’s a low downforce track, notorious for hard-braking zones and the Wall of Champions – an unforgiving barrier on the track’s final chicane that can make world champions feel like world chumps.

It’s a challenging layout offset by Montreal’s charm, a juxtaposition highlighted by the wheel-to-wheel racing amid the remnants of Expo 67 and the 1976 Summer Olympics. And where medals were earned by Olympians from around the globe 40 years ago, Grosjean and Gutiérrez will put the pedal to the metal in pursuit of points and, potentially, a podium of their own.

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TORO ROSSO DRIVERS PREVIEW THE CANADIAN GRAND PRIX

Toro Rosso drivers preview the Canadian Grand Prix, Round 7 of the 2016 Formula 1 World Championship, at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal.

Daniil Kvyat: “The frustration from last week’s race in Monaco is now forgotten and has made me even more determined to show what I’m capable of doing. Since I got back home all my focus has been on this weeks’ Canadian Grand Prix. I’d describe the Montreal track as one where you are always bouncing on the different kerbs – they are very high and there are quite a few of them! This is because there are many tricky chicanes during a lap of this circuit – for example, Turns 3 and 5, 6 and 7, 8 and 9 or 13 and 14 – the famous ‘Wall of Champions!’. Another challenging part of the track is Turn 10, where you need to make sure you brake strongly. This is a slow hairpin and also a very good spot for overtaking. It’s necessary to get a good exit here to then drive down the track’s longest straight, where it’s possible to benefit of a good slipstream when driving behind another car. I always enjoy driving here and I look forward to having a good weekend, making the most out of the package we have. Myself and the team remain positive about it and we will surely work hard together to achieve the best possible result!”.

Carlos Sainz: “The start/finish straight in Canada is always very slippery. We also run with very low downforce, which means you’re always going to struggle when braking and fight the steering wheel quite a lot. Turns 1 and 2 are one of the many chicanes that we have at this track, with the second corner being very, very slow. It’s difficult to put the power down here – there’s always some oversteer. At Turns 3 and 4 there’s the first wall of the track, which you try and get as close as possible to. Doing this gives you lap time and the closer you get to the wall, the more confidence you show. At every chicane, especially at Turns 6 and 7, kerb riding and positioning the car well in order to get a good line is also key. Doing this means you are then also quick on the straights following these corners. Turns 8 and 9 form another chicane. It might look like a very simple circuit because you have the same kind of corners all the time, but each of these chicanes has different tricks and you need to take each one of them in a diverse way. Turn 10 is one of the tightest corners of the calendar, as well as one of the slowest. This is certainly an overtaking point! The exit from this hairpin is also very important, because you continue onto one of the fastest straights of the year – we reach nearly 340kph, which is not bad at all! Finally, you get to what in my opinion is the best corner of the track, Turn 14, also known as the ‘Wall of Champions’. It’s a very tight chicane where you need to ride the kerbs again… And if you touch one of them in the wrong way, it sends you directly into the wall, so that’s why it’s so important to get this right! All in all, this is a fun circuit that on paper might seem an easy one, but driving it is always a challenge and it definitely produces good races – I want more points, we can do it… so let’s go for it!!”.

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WILLIAMS PREVIEW THE CANADIAN GRAND PRIX

Situated on the man-made Ile Notre Dame in the St Lawrence river, the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is a true high speed challenge with the cars averaging 130mph over the course of a lap.

The circuit combines long straights with tight chicanes and each team sets up their car to maximise straight line speed. This race is a firm favourite on the calendar due to its unrivalled atmosphere.

Montreal becomes a party town during the race weekend and the locals create a fantastic atmosphere from the grandstands. The team has secured four wins in Canada to date, with the last coming in 1996 with Damon Hill at the wheel of the FW18.

For Montreal, Pirelli have made available the ultrasoft (for use in Q3), supersoft and soft compound tyres for dry-weather running. The intermediate and wet tyres are also available. Pirelli have allocated three sets of tyres to each driver, but each driver can now choose their remaining ten sets from the available compounds. In Canada, the team has chosen to allocate each driver with different sets of tyres. Felipe has seven sets of ultrasoft tyres, three sets of supersoft tyres and three sets of soft tyres. Valtteri has seven sets of ultrasoft tyres, four sets of supersoft tyres and two sets of soft tyres.

Pat Symonds: “Being a fast track with long straights, the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve certainly favours the characteristics of the Williams car, as shown by our strong performances last year, so this should mark a return to form for the team. The circuit itself has very low-average speed corners, with one quick corner at turn five being easily flat and therefore not counting for much these days. Good top speed, stable braking with the track being hard on brakes, good change of direction for the multiple chicanes and adequate traction are key things required here. It’s also the second race in a row that we see the new ultrasoft tyre, but even with this we expect most cars to be on a one-stop strategy. We have a number of new aerodynamic and chassis parts to continue pushing our development of the FW38.”

Felipe Massa: “The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is a track where you need to have good speed because you have that long straight. I would say in the last two years we’ve done really well in Canada. I think we’ve had a competitive car so I really hope we can repeat that performance again this year. It’s a place I really enjoy going. It’s a really nice town where everyone goes completely crazy for Formula One. I think this is due to the history of Canadian drivers, like Gilles Villeneuve and Jacques Villeneuve. I hope we can have a competitive race there and maybe even fight for the podium.”

Valtteri Bottas: “Canada is one of my favourite races. The track is pretty fast and it’s really enjoyable to drive. We finished on the podium there last year so I have some very good memories. Montreal is such a nice city and such a nice place. As a big ice hockey fan, it’s a big ice hockey city as well. I’m really looking forward to going back there and seeing all the Canadian fans. Hopefully we can have a strong result.”

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MCLAREN PREVIEW THE CANADIAN GRAND PRIX

The Canadian Grand Prix first became a round of the World Championship in 1967, when a 90-lap race was staged at Mosport, Ontario. It moved to its current location on the Ile Notre-Dame, Montreal, in ’78 – a race that was won by Quebecois Gilles Villeneuve. The track was re-named the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in 1982, following the death of the Ferrari star at Zolder.

What makes the track unique
It’s the first high-speed challenge of the 2016 campaign. The cars exceed 300km/h (186mph) on four occasions around the lap, placing an emphasis on braking, traction and top speed.

Grip levels
Poor. The combination of old, low-grip asphalt and low aerodynamic downforce levels make the cars more skittish than at most other tracks.

Run-off
Minimal. The walls are close and they cannot be moved back due to the proximity of the St Lawrence river on one side and a lake on the other. The wall on the outside of the final chicane has been coined ‘The Wall of Champions’ because five world champions have hit it over the years, those drivers being Jacques Villeneuve, Damon Hill, Michael Schumacher, Jenson Button and Sebastian Vettel.

Watch out for…
Turns One and Two. They are two of the slowest corners on the track, and it’s rare that the cars pass through this section unscathed on the opening lap of the race. The approach to Turn One is also the first DRS zone, so a lot of overtaking manoeuvres are attempted under braking.

Fernando Alonso: “Canada is a great circuit – very demanding and requires absolute concentration at all times. It goes from very slow-speed corners to high-speed corners really quickly, which means a lot of pressure is put on the brakes and power units. It’s a pretty tough circuit on the cars generally, so reliability will be the first thing we need to focus on, to make sure there are no gremlins or technical issues that could jeopardise our performance.

“Monaco was a positive result for us; to get both cars home in the points and to keep the chasing pack behind us was very satisfying, but we know there’s still a lot of work to do. We’re definitely making progress, but until we’re fighting at the front, we still need to keep pushing and constantly developing. Montreal is a completely different challenge to Monaco, so I hope we can quickly adapt our package to this circuit and maintain our recent form, but it will certainly be a tricky and unpredictable weekend.

“I really like spending time in Canada and going back out to North America. Although it falls within the ‘European’ season, the atmosphere does feel quite European – the people are friendly, the food is great and it’s a melting pot of different cultures.

“There’s really strong competition emerging at the front of the grid, as teams are getting stronger and pushing their development. It’s a really tight pack in the midfield, and a different team seems to have the advantage at each circuit, so it’ll be a tough battle against our nearest rivals both in qualifying and the race. The teams need to work hard to set up the cars to meet the demands of the circuit, and a lot can happen during the course of the grand prix, so let’s see what we can do.”

Jenson Button: “Although this is one of the fastest circuits on the calendar, and very power-hungry, one of the strengths of our chassis is stability under heavy braking, so we shouldn’t be fearful of going to a circuit like this and finding ourselves on the back foot. Our development rate is steep and there’s huge work going on behind the scenes to constantly improve the performance of our whole package, so I’m excited to see how we perform in Canada, given how different the circuit’s characteristics are compared to Monaco.

“It’s no secret that I absolutely love this circuit, and it’s the scene of one of my best race wins, in 2011 – definitely up there among my favourites. It’s a real racer’s circuit: tough on cars, tough on drivers, and usually produces stunning racing, whatever the weather. Leaving the final corner unscathed after passing the ‘Wall of Champions’ always feels like an achievement – let’s hope we can achieve that 70 times on Sunday!

“Canada is definitely considered a classic on the F1 calendar. It’s a fantastic city and I love going there every year. The whole city offers an incredible welcome and the buzz is like no other place – the atmosphere is definitely unique to Montreal. It’s always a mightily unpredictable race – the weather conditions, the high walls, the narrow track, the slippery surfaces – it really sorts the men from the boys.

“Although Monaco is an adopted home for me, the race weekend there is always a massive whirlwind, so heading to Canada will be a completely different feeling, and I’m looking forward to the relaxed atmosphere there. We had good reliability in Monaco, and both Fernando and I managed to keep it on the black stuff in some pretty crazy conditions, so I’m hoping the weather will throw up a few surprises and we can get stuck in on track.”

Eric Boullier, McLaren-Honda Racing Director: “Monaco for us was a bag of mixed fortunes. A double-points finish was an encouraging boost for the team and a reward in some way for all the hard work going on behind the scenes in Woking, Milton Keynes and Sakura – but it’s no secret that until we are back at the front, we cannot be satisfied. We had anticipated a stronger performance on the twisty, slower-speed, tricky streets of Monaco, but nevertheless we’ve learned a lot about our car and cannot be too unhappy given the incredibly difficult conditions on race day, which our two world champions coped with so well.

“And now we turn our attention to Montreal, scene of 13 victories for McLaren, and some very memorable races. Like Monaco, it’s a gem of an event and holds a justifiable reputation for creating great racing on its formidable asphalt. That’s where the similarities end, as its demands present a unique set of challenges for our engineers, mechanics and ultimately, drivers.

“On paper, this power-hungry, demanding circuit is not among those that would play to the strengths of our car, but such is our rate of development that we are aiming to continue the momentum we’ve built over the last couple of races, and firmly push for more valuable points. It won’t be easy, and reliability will be key, first and foremost, but our objective is to put on the best show we can for the incredibly enthusiastic Quebecois fans, and put our package to the test at the historic Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.”

Yusuke Hasegawa, Honda R&D Co Ltd Head of F1 Project & Executive Chief Engineer: “The Canadian Grand Prix is always exciting, with its great atmosphere, enthusiastic fans and unpredictable racing. Honda Canada has been a big supporter of this event for a very long time, so we always feel at home there.

“The lush greens and the blue waters around the circuit are beautiful, yet the track there is unforgiving, with its power-oriented nature, stop and start corners, abrasive surface and long straights.

“It’s a very different animal to Monaco, so it will be a challenging weekend for the team, but we will keep our heads down and focus on what we can do to bring out the best in our package.”

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FORCE INDIA PREVIEW THE CANADIAN GRAND PRIX

Force India preview the Canadian Grand Prix, Round 7 of the 2016 Formula 1 World Championship, at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal.

Team Principal, Dr Vijay Mallya, reflects on a great result in Monaco and looks forward to Canada.

VJM: “Monaco was a very significant weekend for us. It’s one of the most famous races in the world and I felt incredibly proud to see Checo standing on the podium. It’s a memory that will stay with me forever. It was a brilliant team effort and a much deserved reward for all the hard work that has gone on behind the scenes to keep pushing us forward. There was some late drama too with Nico snatching sixth place on the line in a race where the strategy didn’t allow him to show his true potential.

“The Monaco performance means we come to Canada full of confidence. The 23 points we claimed in Monaco lifted us to fifth place in the championship. I’ve been saying all season that our luck needs to change and I hope that Monaco represents a turning point. We now have some momentum and I believe we can push on and keep racking up the points in the races to come. Montreal should play to our strengths and I’m feeling optimistic that we can get both cars well inside the top ten in qualifying and the race.”

Sergio Perez: “There is no better confidence boost than a race like the one we had in Monaco. It was a perfect weekend and a very satisfying result considering some of the bad luck we experienced at the start of the season. When I was a kid I always dreamed of standing on the Monaco podium and it was very special to be there celebrating with my team.

“Montreal is one of my favourite circuits: I was on the podium there in 2012; I had one of my best races in 2014 and I feel positive ahead of this year’s race. It’s an old school track and, while the layout is much faster than Monaco, it shares some of its characteristics: it’s a circuit that rewards bravery and punishes mistakes, a place where the driver can make a difference.

“In the past there have been some unpredictable races in Canada and you always have to keep an eye on the weather. I think we can be quick there and the changes we’ve made to the car recently have made a big difference. I have a good feeling with the car; it’s giving me confidence to really push and that’s very important for a track like Montreal.”

Nico Hülkenberg: “The week in Montreal is always one of the best of the year. You can see how much Canada loves Formula One because the whole city embraces the race and the locals give us a very warm welcome. There’s a huge buzz around town and a lot of events that create a special atmosphere.

“I really enjoy driving in Montreal. It’s a challenging track – you need to attack the kerbs and get really close to the walls. There is also a big emphasis on braking performance and traction out of the low-speed corners. The tyre choices are at the softer end of the range, so there will be some aggressive strategies, but these tyres worked well for us in Monaco. It’s hard to overtake there, but the final chicane is definitely the best opportunity.

“Monaco was a frustrating weekend for me. Despite scoring a very good sixth place, we missed a big opportunity to be even higher up. The car felt great all week and we really found the sweet spot. I think we can carry this performance into Canada and be just as competitive. It’s almost a street track and you need to really lean on the car to get the lap time.”

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MERCEDES PREVIEW THE CANADIAN GRAND PRIX

The 2016 Formula One World Championship continues this weekend with Round Seven, the Canadian Grand Prix, from the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve

Lewis Hamilton: “I still can’t quite believe I’ve got my 44th Formula One win. It’s taken so much hard work from so many people throughout my career to reach this point – way too many to name – and it’s a very special landmark for me and my family. I have to say how grateful I am to my mechanics for sticking at it and sticking with me after what’s not been an easy start this year. It felt great to be back on the top step after a tough run and hopefully it was a big confidence boost for them too, because they’ve been doing a great job all season. There’s a long way to go yet, though. We’ve seen from these opening six races that anything’s possible and these swings inevitably go both ways. We are the greatest team – but we have more pressure from our rivals than ever before, so it’s important we keep pulling together and refining any weak areas. I’ve proven that I’m just as strong as I’ve ever been and I will be for the rest of the year, so I’m looking forward to the next chapter. Montreal has always been a good track for me, so hopefully I’m able to shine like I did the first time I went there in that great city atmosphere.”

Nico Rosberg: “I expected and prepared myself for some difficult races after the awesome start to the season. This is where experience helps me. In the last Grand Prix I hopefully got all of my bad luck out of the way in one race, so onwards and upwards again from now! I’m looking forward to heading over to Boston for a sponsor event first and then on to Canada. It’s an awesome track and I’m sure our car will be great there too. It will be interesting to see where Red Bull are this time. We are hoping to get a little bit ahead of them again, so let’s see.”

Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: “Monaco brought us mixed emotions. For Lewis, it was just what the doctor ordered. For Nico, a whole lot of bad luck in one race made it a tough afternoon. But the main thing we took away was the very real threat from Red Bull. It took a bold strategy, a big push from Lewis and an even bigger slice of luck with Daniel’s slow pit stop to get us that win. I’ve said this many times before – but we have no breathing space in this Championship. Maintaining any advantage is a constant battle – and the pressure is only getting bigger. This unpredictable season has been great for the sport and shows that Formula One is alive and well. But, for us as a team, there is clearly work to do. There remains room for improvement in our reliability – but the push for more performance has become increasingly important too. We saw the 50th Formula One win for the Silver Arrows in Monte Carlo, which is a great achievement. But if we are to build the long-term success that puts Mercedes-Benz up there with the iconic names of this sport, we will need to push harder than ever.”

Paddy Lowe, Executive Director (Technical): “We came away from Monaco pleased to have won there for a fourth consecutive year – but not entirely satisfied after a tough afternoon for Nico. We’ve put a lot of effort into understanding why that was and have some good insights to take forwards into future races. Montréal is an unusual circuit, with plenty of low-speed corners linked by a good number of straights. It’s a track that is therefore very demanding of both the Power Unit and the brakes. It’s also a tricky circuit in terms of tyres. We’ll see the second appearance of the UltraSoft compound this weekend – which should mean a notable drop in qualifying times relative to 2015. However, the track is far more aggressive on tyres than Monaco, so understanding how best to use the UltraSoft for the race will be one of the main challenges. We’re all looking forward to being back in Canada. It’s always a great event – one where the city really comes alive – and it’s good to see so many North American Formula One fans. Lewis has a fantastic record at this circuit, we saw arguably one of Nico’s greatest drives there in 2014 and the team secured a fantastic 1-2 in 2015, so we should be set for an exciting weekend.”

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Hamilton: Merc under pressure from rivals

Lewis Hamilton is looking forward to the next chapter after ending his win-less streak in Monaco but admits Mercedes are under more pressure than ever before.

Round six of the 2016 championship finally saw Hamilton take to the top step of the podium as he beat Daniel Ricciardo to the chequered flag in Monte Carlo.

It was a much-welcomed victory as it not only a big confidence boost for Hamilton but the 25 points narrowed the deficit to Nico Rosberg to 24 points.

“I still can’t quite believe I’ve got my 44th Formula One win," enthused the triple World Champion.

"It’s taken so much hard work from so many people throughout my career to reach this point – way too many to name – and it’s a very special landmark for me and my family. 

"I have to say how grateful I am to my mechanics for sticking at it and sticking with me after what’s not been an easy start this year.

"It felt great to be back on the top step after a tough run and hopefully it was a big confidence boost for them too, because they’ve been doing a great job all season."

The Brit, though, admits the job is by no means done especially at a time when Mercedes' rivals seem to have closed the gap.

"There’s a long way to go yet," he added. "We’ve seen from these opening six races that anything’s possible and these swings inevitably go both ways. 

"We are the greatest team – but we have more pressure from our rivals than ever before, so it’s important we keep pulling together and refining any weak areas. 

"I’ve proven that I’m just as strong as I’ve ever been and I will be for the rest of the year, so I’m looking forward to the next chapter."

Looking ahead to the Canadian Grand Prix, Hamilton is hoping to add a fifth victory at the track where he won his very first grand prix.

He added: "Montreal has always been a good track for me, so hopefully I’m able to shine like I did the first time I went there in that great city atmosphere."

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McLaren unhappy with customer supply rule

Honda chief Yusuke Hasegawa says it is “natural” that McLaren don’t want to share their engine supplier as the latter held talks with the FIA.

As of next season motorsport’s governing body can instruct the engine supplier with the fewest customers to supply a team that is without a power unit.

This new rule has not gone down well with McLaren.

The Woking team has spoken several teams about their desire to keep Honda to themselves, even putting an end to Honda’s talks with Red Bull Racing last season.

As a result of their stance, McLaren-Honda have reportedly held talks with the FIA about the new regulation.

Asked about the talks, Honda chief Yusuke Hasegawa told Autosport: “It was focused on the obligation and customer supply.

“It is natural they [McLaren] don’t want to divide our resource to other teams which I agree about.

“They don’t want to improve their rivals. Honda doesn’t want to have enforced obligation.

“But it is a regulation and we are happy to support this F1 activity.”

But while Honda are “happy to support” the idea, McLaren are stedfast in their desire to keep their engine supplier to themselves.

Racing Director Eric Boullier said: “We are currently still discussing with the FIA about the outcome of this regulation, or, let’s say, this agreement between the FIA and the engine manufacturers.

“Most of it, we agree with. There are still a few clauses where we may still have discussion ongoing.

“We have our opinion, our position.

“We are obviously investing with Honda a lot in the sport, making sure there is a competitive fourth power unit manufacturer soon.

“That’s why we discuss and may, at some times, have some opinions that are a little bit different.”

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Canadian GP: Williams to run new aero, chassis parts in Canada

Williams' chief technical officer Pat Symonds has confirmed the British squad will introduce aerodynamic and chassis upgrades at Montreal and hopes the team can take maximum advantage at the track which should play to the FW38's strengths. 

The high-speed Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is likely to pose a very different challenge to Williams compared to last time out at the low speed, tight and twisty Monaco street track where both Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas struggled for performance with the car. 

With the long straights and track characteristics to play to the strengths of the FW38, Symonds is confident Williams will be able to produce a strong fightback in Canada and is relishing the chance to test out new aero and chassis updates which had been hinted at being in the pipeline in Barcelona and Monaco. 

“We have a number of new aerodynamic and chassis parts to continue pushing our development of the FW38,” Symonds said. “Being a fast track with long straights, the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve certainly favours the characteristics of the Williams car, as shown by our strong performances last year, so this should mark a return to form for the team. 

“The circuit itself has very low-average speed corners, with one quick corner at turn five being easily flat and therefore not counting for much these days. 

"Good top speed, stable braking with the track being hard on brakes, good change of direction for the multiple chicanes and adequate traction are key things required here. 

“It's also the second race in a row that we see the new ultrasoft tyre, but even with this we expect most cars to be on a one-stop strategy.” 

Williams lost a considerable chunk of points to Red Bull in the battle for third in the F1 world constructors' championship in Monaco, with Massa's solitary point acting as little refute to Daniel Ricciardo's second place. Red Bull holds a 46-point advantage over Williams heading into the Canadian Grand Prix.
 

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Virtual reality tipped to shake up Formula 1 coverage

Virtual reality has been tipped by Formula 1 board member Sir Martin Sorrell to transform coverage of the championship and provide a potential added revenue stream.

Williams has experimented with the technology this year, developing VR short films using cameras bolted onto its F1 cars that provide a 360-degree experience of riding onboard, or walking around a garage.

F1 viewing figures are falling, with the total audience dropping by 25million to 400million last year, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to attract new sponsors.

Sorrell, who is a CEO of multi-national advertising and public relations firm WPP as well as a long-time board member of F1 shareholder CVC Capital Partners, believes VR is the future.

"Virtual reality for Formula 1 could be fantastic - driving the car," he said in an interview with Formula 1 official website. "In the Ridley Scott film 'The Martian' you can do that.

"I have lifted off in the spacecraft from the surface of Mars, walked in space and looked down into deep space and got terrified, with the headphones and the goggles.

"The technology is already incredible and will improve massively in the next few years. Think about what you could do.

"And there are some - Bernie and others - who are embracing new technologies.

"I believe that virtual reality will hit it big time. I know that some of my colleagues disagree, but I believe in it.

"Vodafone is building a digital stadium in Istanbul. It is really worth going to see that. The whole experience will change with the possibilities viewers will have.

"Technology will have moved on to an unimaginable level in 10 years."

Sorrell said a flat fee for broadcasting rights is not the long-term solution, as the way people consume F1 is changing, but there are alternative ways to leverage their interest to bring in revenue.

"When Sky UK started to broadcast there was an argument that audience would come down because it is pay TV," he said.

"But the actual quality of the production and the use of technology and the engagement of the viewer is much better than it ever was. The product is simply better.

"You have to start to think about other models and how they can generate interest - what it can do for a brand in the future - and about the fact that revenue can also be generated in many other ways.

"Just look at the one and a half million people at the free Rolling Stones concert in Cuba.

"So just use your imagination as to what kind of revenue can be made.

"The world is changing. And a lot of people in Formula 1 are starting to understand this."

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HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS CALL ON ECCLESTONE TO MAKE A STAND

Campaigners have urged Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone to speak out in defence of human rights ahead of Azerbaijan’s inaugural grand prix next week.

Rebecca Vincent, coordinator of the Sports for Rights campaign, told a media briefing on Tuesday that ‘positive’ talks had been held already with two senior representatives of Ecclestone’s Formula One Management (FOM). The 85-year-old Briton was not present, however.

Vincent said the campaigners also wanted U.S. singers Pharrell Williams, Chris Brown and Spaniard Enrique Iglesias to cancel performances scheduled for the race weekend. None had responded.

Formula 1, criticised for holding races in countries accused of abuses against government opponents, last year published a “Statement of Commitment to Respect for Human Rights”.

The document states that “The Formula One Group is committed to respecting internationally recognised human rights in its operations globally.”

Critics of Azerbaijan’s president, Ilham Aliyev, accuse him and his government of cracking down on dissent in the oil-rich former Soviet republic to block the rise of any political opposition. He denies this.

Vincent told reporters a letter had been sent to Ecclestone calling on him “to publicly speak out for human rights issues”.

“They (FOM) responded to our letter, and we met and we agreed to keep in touch on these issues,” she said. “So far it is positive, but we still call on Formula One to take a public stand on these issues and continue to engage them in that way.”

Ecclestone, who was not immediately available for comment on Tuesday, told Reuters last year that Formula One had no qualms about racing in Azerbaijan.

“I think everybody seems to be happy. Doesn’t seem to be any big problem there,” he said then.

Vincent, who spoke with representatives of other campaign groups at a presentation that was also attended by Azerbaijan embassy officials, said that was not the case.

She called on Ecclestone to use his position “to improve Formula One’s image… rather than just profiting and helping some very corrupt people improve their image a bit.”

The June 17-19 street race in Baku is billed as the European Grand Prix and is the eighth of the 21-round season.

In a statement issued on behalf of the race promoters, Formula One’s race director Charlie Whiting was quoted as saying the circuit was in “superb” shape.

“Personally, I am getting quite excited about the idea of coming here to race in a week’s time,” he said.

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WHITING: STANDARDS OF BAKU CIRCUIT ARE ABSOLUTELY SUPERB

FIA Formula One Race Director and Safety Delegate, Charlie Whiting, returned to Baku to inspect the readiness of the Baku City Circuit ahead of the 2016 Grand Prix of Europe, to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan on the weekend of June 17th-19th.

The inspection, taking place just a few weeks after Whiting and his team last visited the circuit, once again evaluated the quality of the track and its surrounding facilities to ensure it is fit for the purpose of hosting a Formula 1 Grand Prix street race. After carrying out a thorough inspection, Whiting delivered a hugely positive endorsement of the fledgling street circuit:

“I was very encouraged by the huge amount of work that has been done since my last visit. I’m pleasantly surprised to see just how much of the circuit is complete. We spent 4 or 5 hours walking around the track examining every bit of it.

In general, I must say that the standards of the circuit built so far are absolutely superb and personally I am getting quite excited about the idea of coming here to race in a week’s time.”

Baku City Circuit (BCC) has successfully completed most of the necessary preparatory work for the 2016 Formula 1 Grand Prix of Europe and has worked non-stop to ensure that every last detail is in place before June 16th.

The construction of the Pit Building – located in the Paddock area by the Government Building – as well as the on-site offices for the International Automobile Federation (FIA), Formula One Management (FOM), Baku City Circuit, F1 teams and other event staff, has already been finalized. The installation of technical equipment in these buildings is currently entering its final phase.

The asphalt layer that covers Baku City Circuit is complete, with the final layer having been applied already. Almost 95% of the overall works related to the installation of safety barriers around the circuit have also been completed.

To ensure the smooth and safe passage for residents during the race week, safety barriers will be installed in selected areas over the coming days.

Between June 14-16, the roads encompassed by Baku City Circuit will be entirely closed to traffic to ensure the completion of the final preparatory works, including the installation of safety barriers, the application of paint in accordance with the race requirements as well as other important and necessary works.

Eight out of the nine grandstands around Baku City Circuit have already been set up. The construction of the main Absheron grandstand, with a capacity of 5000 seats, will be completed this week.

Furthermore, construction works at the Formula 1 Village, located along the seaside boulevard, are proceeding at full speed.

 

[MIKA27]

FIA: ALONSO SURVIVED DECELERATION OF 46G IN MELBOURNE SHUNT

Fernando Alonso’s accident at the season-opening 2016 Australian Grand Prix was a significant moment in the history of not only Formula 1 but motor sport in general, and not just because the Spanish driver walked away from a huge 300kph crash.

The fact he did so is remarkable in itself but the analysis of the accident is also a first in the sport. It was the first time that all of the new safety measurement systems have been brought together to provide a forensic picture of what happens to the driver and the car during a major accident.

A high-speed camera that is always pointing at the driver was installed in every car from the first race of this season. This now works in conjunction with a tiny accelerometer in a driver’s earpiece that measures the forces on his head. They in turn work with an Accident Data Recorder – essentially the ‘black box’ of F1 cars – which measures all of the external forces.

Combined with the multiple camera angles from the cameras around the track, safety researchers have more information than ever before to determine what exactly happens at every millisecond of a crash. This is essential for deciding on future areas of safety development and research.

In the case of Alonso’s accident the data gathered is remarkable in both its detail and conclusions.

The McLaren driver crashed into the back of Esteban Gutiérrez’s Haas Formula One car at the end of the DRS zone between Turns 2 and 3 of the Albert Park circuit in Melbourne.

He was travelling at 313kph as he began his overtaking manoeuvre and had slowed marginally to 305kph at the point of impact, when his front-right wheel made contact with the rear-left wheel of Gutiérrez’s car.

After the initial impact, Alonso’s front-right suspension was destroyed, and the car veered left towards the outside wall. The wall collision was made with the front left corner of the car, resulting in a peak lateral deceleration of 45G, with high acceleration levels also recorded by the ear accelerometers, demonstrating the forces on the driver’s head.

The High-Speed Camera, which took video frames of the driver every one hundredth of a second, showed that Alonso’s helmet made contact with the left inside face of the headrest twice during the impact, corresponding with two peaks seen on the ear accelerometer data.

The car rebounded and proceeded to slide along the circuit towards the gravel trap. With front-left, front-right and rear-left suspensions destroyed, the car was heavily leaning laterally on its left side as it travelled over the grass. This left side dug into the gravel, which rolled the car and propelled it into the air, recording a lateral deceleration of 46G.

This means that the Spaniard experienced a force of 46-times his own, about 3500 kg, during the shunt. Few have survived forces beyond 50G without serious injury, and anything above 60-70G is often fatal.

The car travelled in the air, rotating approximately 540 degrees (1.5 times) and was airborne for 0.9 seconds. On landing it made its initial contact with the ground on its rear impact absorbing structure, experiencing a peak longitudinal acceleration of 20G.

The car then rotated about its rear before falling and eventually coming to a stop on the left side of its engine cover, just before the tyre barrier. Alonso walked away.

The fact that he was relatively unharmed – suffering only minor injuries which forced him to miss the next race – is testament to the safety elements in the car that have been developed over the last 20 years.

A report into the accident by the Global Institute for Motor Sport Safety, the research partner of the FIA Institute, concluded: “From an initial 305kph impact, the car of Alonso was able to manage three high-G decelerations and an airborne phase without major injury to the driver, primarily due to a range of safety systems on the car performing well for their designed purpose.”

Alonso himself said afterwards, “It was a scary moment and I’m happy that I can stand here. I am very grateful and would like to express my gratitude to the FIA for the safety standards. It’s the only reason I’m still alive.”

He added, “I feel fine physically but everything hurts a little because you move around so much at those speeds. The knee is what bothers me most as it hit the steering column but I feel very lucky.”

Alonso missed the Bahrain Grand Prix after failing a medical and returned to action at the Chinese Grand Prix a month after the accident took place.

 

MIKA: In other words "A MIRACLE"

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MOSS IMPRESSED BY MAGNUSSEN HISTORY KNOWLEDGE

Formula 1 legend Sir Stirling Moss has hailed Kevin Magnussen for being a “refreshingly different” driver on today’s grid.

86-year-old Moss, widely regarded as the best driver never to have won the title, made the comments after a recent meeting in his home with the Danish racer.

According to the Danish newspaper BT, the meeting was facilitated by Matt Bishop, the communications boss at Magnussen’s old team McLaren and still a friend today.

“I knew that Matt knew Sir Stirling so I asked if he could get me an autograph,” Magnussen, who now drives for Renault, said.

“But Matt said ‘Let’s visit him’. We were invited to lunch with Sir Stirling and Lady Susie in their house in Mayfair and it was overwhelming to meet him. He is such a legend,” the 23-year-old added.

Moss, who won 16 grands prix until his retirement in 1961, said he also enjoyed meeting Magnussen and showing him his old racing scrapbooks.

“He is a nice young man and was really very interested in hearing about my career. On that point, he is refreshingly different from most young formula one drivers: it seems that Kevin really understands how important the sport’s history is,” said the Briton.

“I am really pleased that he got the chance at Renault and I’m sure he will do very well,” Moss added.

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WHITING TIPS KVYAT TO BOUNCE BACK

FIA race director Charlie Whiting has played down suggestions Daniil Kvyat has become the ‘bad boy’ of Formula 1.

Russian Kvyat incurred Sebastian Vettel’s wrath in China, lost his Red Bull seat after a calamitous start in Russia, and will serve a grid penalty this weekend in Montreal after crashing with Kevin Magnussen in Monaco.

“Yes he has been involved in incidents for which he was penalised,”  Whiting told Russian media including the Tass news agency. “But he is a very good driver, I really like and respect him.”

“Yes he’s had incidents but I don’t think he will always be the worst offender,” the Briton said.

Now racing for Toro Rosso, 22-year-old Kvyat has sounded particularly frustrated recently, indicating he might be looking to leave the Red Bull family altogether.

“Every day in formula one the rumours are different and contradictory,” Igor Ermilin, the presidential advisor to the Russian automobile federation, told Sport-Express.

“That several teams including Williams are interested in him is no secret,” he added, “but a lot will depend on how the rest of this season goes.”

For his part, Kvyat says he has put his latest frustration behind him.

“The frustration from the last race in Monaco is now forgotten and has made me even more determined to show what I’m capable of doing,” he said.