FORMULA 1 - 2016

[MIKA27]

MIXED REACTION TO BAKU STREET CIRCUIT LAYOUT

Formula 1 drivers have admitted they are not sure how much they will enjoy this weekend’s inaugural grand prix on the streets of Baku.

The track in Azerbaijan has been billed as an ultra high speed street layout including an exciting, ultra-narrow run past the old city walls. But world champion Lewis Hamilton sounds uncertain.

“It has a very long straight,” the Briton is quoted by Brazil’s UOL. “Street circuit? I think Monaco is a street circuit. It (Baku) is so wide in some places – I don’t know why they do circuits like this. But I hope it’s exciting.”

Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel said he has tried the layout in the simulator, “I thought it has a few interesting parts and some other more simple parts. At least it will be hotter than in Canada!” he smiled.

Felipe Massa thinks the cars with the most powerful engines will shine because top speeds will rival those seen at Spa-Francorchamps and even Monza.

“It’s a bit like Sochi with one quite narrow part,” said the Williams driver.

And Toro Rosso’s Daniil Kvyat is quoted by the Spanish daily Marca: “It reminds me a little of Valencia.”

Red Bull Racing, meanwhile, has been impressed with Renault’s improvements so far in 2016 but is not expecting to enjoy the extremely long straight at Baku.

“In our calculations, we assume we will lose 1.2 seconds on that straight,” Helmut Marko is quoted by the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf. “We have an excellent car but we can never make all of that (deficit) up in the corners.”

[MIKA27]

MAGNUSSEN HOPING RENAULT CONTRACT TALKS BEGIN SOON

Kevin Magnussen hopes his talks with Renault about staying with the French works team beyond 2016 begin soon.

After losing his place at McLaren, the Dane got his F1 career back on track this year by joining the Enstone based team, following the Lotus buyout.

Renault has struggled so far in 2016 but Magnussen, 23, said he hopes to stay with the “project” next year.

“I hope it (the negotiations) doesn’t get too late in the season. I hate that,” he told the Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet.

“Hopefully it will be as soon as possible that we can begin to talk,” Magnussen added.

“In the end it’s not up to me. I am very happy to be here and would like to stay a part of the project. I can’t say any more than that,” he said.

Ekstra Bladet claims that Renault signed a one-year contract with Magnussen this year, but that the deal includes an option for 2017.

[MIKA27]

NASR AND SAUBER HEADING FOR SPLIT

Felipe Nasr has played down suggestions he will definitely leave Sauber at the end of the season, but his relationships with his teammate and the team principal are increasingly strained.

Speculation persists not only about Nasr’s relationship with Ericsson which at low point following their crash and team orders controversy in Monaco, but also that there is also tension between him and team boss Monisha Kaltenborn.

As the Swiss team flounders beneath obvious financial strain, and Nasr’s relationship with teammate Marcus Ericsson hits rock bottom, recent reports suggested the Brazilian intends to take his sponsor Banco do Brazil elsewhere for 2017.

But Nasr has now told Brazil’s UOL Esporte that he does not rule out staying at Sauber.

“My first choice is still here (Sauber), of course,” said the 23-year-old. “It is the team with which I have a contract until the end of the year. I have to put my options on the table and see what is possible, but I cannot rule out Sauber.”

Nasr admitted he has “more than one option” for 2017.

[MIKA27]

ECCLESTONE PLAYS DOWN LAS VEGAS F1 RACE REPORTS

F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone has dismissed the latest reports about Las Vegas potentially joining an F1 calendar of the near future.

Speculation that F1 might host more American races often does the rounds, but the latest word from Las Vegas was that an event on the world-famous ‘strip’ is more than just fantasy.

However, Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport now quotes Bernie Ecclestone as insisting: “The Americans talk a lot, but nothing happens.”

The F1 supremo has also given an alarming quote about the future of the Brazilian grand prix, saying of the long-running race at Interlagos: “It could be that the grand prix in Brazil this year is the last.”

Auto Motor und Sport said the problem in Brazil is purely financial, as the national broadcaster Globo reportedly struggles with strict austerity measures.

“Ecclestone will have negotiations with the organisers in Sao Paulo soon,” correspondent Michael Schmidt revealed, surmising that the Briton’s comments might just be “sabre-rattling”.

There is better news about the uncertain future of the German grand prix, despite Ecclestone saying not too long ago that the country could fall back off the calendar for 2017.

But he has now declared: “I can imagine there being a race in 2017.”

Schmidt said there are rumours that Ecclestone himself will promote a German race next year, and perhaps also leap to the rescue of the embattled Italian GP at Monza.

But Ecclestone played down rumours about Argentina and South Africa.

“I’m afraid they (Argentina) don’t have the money,” he said. As for South Africa, “It would be good, but Kyalami is too small for us.”

[MIKA27]

Red Bull will lose 1.2 seconds on Baku's straight - Helmut Marko

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko claims Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen will lose around 1.2 seconds per lap on Baku's long straight - the longest on the calendar - because of their power deficit.

Baku is the second longest circuit on the calendar - shorter only than Spa-Francorchamps - and features a straight which measures around 1.2 miles, making it the longest on the calendar.

Top-speed is therefore crucial to a good lap time and despite Red Bull running the upgraded Renault engine which is much closer in performance to Ferrari and Mercedes than before, it still lacks outright power which the team estimates will lose them a big chunk of time, according to Marko.

"The extremely long straight will not benefit us," he is quoted as saying by Autosport. "Our computer simulations showed we will lose 1.2s per lap there.
"This is almost impossible to make up in the corners, though we have an outstanding car."

Verstappen has also raised concern about getting the right set-up for the race. With the circuit featuring a tight-twisty opening sector before opening up to wider turns and long straights, deciding on front and rear wing settings will be difficult.

"The track looks very interesting because it has such a long straight for a street circuit which will be difficult for the wing setting because on a street circuit you want lots of downforce but with such a long straight you have to find a good compromise," he added.

"Baku is new for everyone. You start from zero which I always like, and it’s always good to discover new countries and new tracks."

[MIKA27]

Impossible to find one man to replace Bernie Ecclestone - Luca Di Montezemolo

It would be a mistake for Formula 1's owners to replace Bernie Ecclestone with a single boss, according to former Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo.

Whilst Ecclestone has reiterated his desire to remain in control of motorsport's premier series for the foreseeable future, speculation about who will eventually replace him is often discussed.

Di Montezemolo insists it would be a mistake to assume one person can replace the 85-year-old, suggesting it would be wiser for the sport to hire three bosses, each with their own strengths.

"Sooner or later, F1 has to think how to replace Bernie," the Italian told CNN. "It's important to think of a new governance.

"Bernie is a fantastic person. It will be impossible and a mistake to find one man to replace him," he added. "For F1 it is better to have three different but clear owners.

"You need a small group of people, very strong in each department, with someone in charge who knows F1, who has a feeling of what the market needs, of what the fans need."

Meanwhile di Montezemolo backed changes to make the cars quicker, but voiced his concern over the sound of the new V6 hybrid engines.

"F1 has to remain an extreme sport, " he said. "Today the cars are too slow.

"I was totally unhappy when I heard the music of the engine was not as in the past, because every sport has its ingredients. Can you imagine Italy without pasta? You need the music of the engine."

[MIKA27]

Williams predict Baku ‘surprises’

As Formula 1 ventures into the unknown, Pat Symonds says he expected the new Baku street circuit to “throw up some surprises.”

Formula 1 heads to Azerbaijan for this weekend’s European Grand Prix to race on a circuit that runs through the streets of Baku.

The six-kilometre track runs in anticlockwise direction and features a 2.2km straight, the longest on the calendar.

“Baku City Circuit looks to be an unusual track and so far simulations have had to be done using surveyor’s maps rather than detailed track scans,” said Symonds, Williams’ chief technical officer.

‘Perhaps the most notable feature of the 6km anticlockwise street circuit is the flat out section from Turn 16, through the start-finish line and up to Turn 1, where we expect cars to be reaching speeds in excess of 320kph.

“The first sector consists of a number of 90-degree turns before the start of the second sector with a series of relatively sharp corners in quick succession from Turns 7 to 12.

“The circuit then opens up to finish sector two before another 90-degree left-hander leading on to a long straight.”

The weather could play a role as the teams are expected hot temperatures in Azerbaijan with Symonds predicting there could a few surprises come Sunday.

“It’s too far ahead for accurate weather forecasts, but normally in June maximum temperatures are in the mid-high 20s with the record highest average temperature for this month being 39°C,” he explained.

“Statistically we expect dryer weather than we see in Bahrain in April, with a total of 8mm rain for the whole of the month of June and only two days of wet weather being the norm.”

He added: “In Formula One we always enjoy a challenge and even in these days of sophisticated simulations a new circuit such as Baku will always throw up some surprises. It’s our job to get on top of the unexpected and rapidly learn the nuances of this new track.”

[MIKA27]

Verstappen exit good for Toro Rosso, says Sainz

Carlos Sainz says Toro Rosso's atmosphere has changed for the better following the mid-season swap between Max Verstappen and Daniil Kvyat.

In the wake of Kvyat's difficult start to the season for Red Bull, and tensions between Sainz/Verstappen at Toro Rosso, it was felt that a mid-season driver change would help both outfits.

The result has been an impressive maiden victory for Verstappen, and Toro Rosso enjoying a less tense atmosphere which has helped Sainz shine in recent races.

Asked by Motorsport.com about whether Verstappen's departure had changed things at the team – with Sainz appearing more relaxed in public too – he said: “The situation has changed a bit for sure. Everything has reshuffled a bit and I think everyone in the team is working really well.

“Myself [along] with Daniil [Kvyat], we are working towards the same direction, we are pushing the team forward.

“If this is making myself look more relaxed, I don't know. But it could be also that I started having less bad luck in Barcelona.

“I am relaxed because of that [Barcelona’s performance], I arrived into Russia [thinking] that everything is happening to me, [but] after Barcelona I am calm now because it’s okay."

 

Team growing

Sainz says that his attitude to delivering for Toro Rosso has not changed, but it could be that the team itself is operating better.

“I can tell you my approach hasn’t changed at all in terms of how I prepare for a race, how I come into a race, my mentality hasn’t changed,” he added.

“The team is growing. As I said Monaco was a setback but the team is growing a lot, the arrival of John [Booth] for sure is helping.

“The shuffle, everything is working towards the right direction, even if we are not bringing upgrades for first seven races, we have actually not fallen back.

“We are staying up there while all our competitors are bringing upgrades after upgrades. We have the same thing since the first race, we haven’t fallen back. So it means we are developing well.”

[MIKA27]

Brazilian GP claims Interlagos F1 date safe until 2020

Brazilian Grand Prix organisers are confident that the future of their race is totally secure, despite Bernie Ecclestone's warning its place on the 2017 calendar was in doubt.

Ecclestone suggested over the Canadian GP weekend that this year's Brazilian GP could be the last one because of issues regarding finances and a revamping of the facilities.

His comments came against the backdrop of renewed talks with Brazilian television network Globo about its coverage of the sport.

But Brazilian GP chiefs have moved quickly to play down Ecclestone's remarks and they are adamant that their contract until 2020 will be fulfilled.

“The truth is there is no legal condition for breaking the contract with the event promoter company, Interpub, which runs until 2020,” said a statement issued to Motorsport.com from the Brazilian GP promoters company.

“The City of Sao Paulo is working on a track improvement project at Interlagos. This year the project is in the third phase.

“For the race this year, the paddock area will be expanded, improving the work conditions for all the teams.”

The statement also suggested that the commercial attraction of the race was important, too, with it having concluded a deal with new F1 global partner Heineken.

“Interpub just make an exclusive agreement with Heineken for the beer supply in Interlagos,” added the statement. “Brazil is one of the key growth markets for the brand.”

[MIKA27]

Sauber poised to introduce first updates of 2016 Formula 1 season

Sauber hopes to introduce its first updates of the 2016 Formula 1 season by bringing new front and rear wings to one of the next three grands prix.

The Swiss team has suffered cashflow problems this year, with staff not being paid on time for three successive months.

As a result, while updates have been worked on at the factory, there has not been the funds available to put them into production, leaving the team with a car almost identical to the one that ran in pre-season testing.

Team boss Monisha Kaltenborn has been talking to prospective new sponsors and progress is believed to have been made in recent weeks.

"In two or three races' time, updates could be there if it works out as we hope," Marcus Ericsson told Autosport.

"That would be welcome, not only because we're get new parts but also because it is a boost for everyone.

"That energy you get from bringing some updates is something we all need in the team so I'm looking forward to it."

Ericsson was cautious on what to expect from the updates, which are aimed at improving drivability, but he remains hopeful based on results at the factory.

"You never know how good or bad they will be, even if they look alright in the factory," he said.

"The numbers look promising, but we'll see how much it is.

"It won't turn the world upside down but hopefully it will bring us closer to the points.

"In Canada, we were running quite close to Haas, which was encouraging as we're using a car that hasn't been updated all year. That's quite positive."

Speaking about the mood and financial situation of the team, Ericsson said: "Monisha and everyone are working hard to sort things out.

"It's been tough and it still is tough but from what I understand, it's looking better now than it has done for quite some time."

[MIKA27]

Heineken set for tie-up with two Formula 1 teams

Formula 1's new multi-million pound sponsor Heineken is to extend its reach by becoming involved with two teams, one of which is almost certain to be Red Bull.

The brewing giant last week became F1's global beer partner, spending $150million for the privilege over the next four and a half years.

Although not officially due to start until its sponsorship of the Italian Grand Prix from September 2-4, as a 'welcome present' from F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, its distinctive green branding featured prominently at trackside in Canada.

Heineken will also form a partnership with two F1 teams, although its logo will not feature on the cars or drivers' overalls.

"We are not going to have any real sponsorship with any team, it will be more about access," explained senior director Gianluca di Tondo.

"It's what we call the team experience, and for a regular fan.

"I want to bring a lucky few to the garage. I want them to have a chat and a walk as I did in Melbourne with Jackie [Stewart] because that's mind-blowing, it's the experience of a lifetime.

"We were walking together and then we bumped into Niki Lauda, and I was dreaming as I had two three-time world champions alongside me. It was incredible, and that's what I would like other people to experience."

Red Bull is favourite for a Heineken tie-up, although di Tondo is looking for a second team to play a part.

Existing relationships with other alcohol brands mean Williams (Martini), McLaren (Chandon and Johnnie Walker) and Force India (Smirnoff and Kingfisher) are unlikely to be called upon.

"Of course, we are very close to Red Bull as we live in the same space, we know each other very well, and Max Verstappen could play a role," said di Tondo.

"But we are also thinking of linking ourselves with another team.

"Nothing is set in stone yet, but yes, as I say, we are very close to Red Bull."

As a young fresh face Verstappen's rising status would certainly prove a draw for Heineken, particularly as it has vowed to drag F1 into the digital age.

Heineken already has a range of brand ambassadors including former Wales rugby captain Scott Quinnell and former Spain footballer Carles Puyol, while Sir Jackie Stewart and David Coulthard have been recruited for F1.

A decision over Heineken's preferred two teams will be made before the race in Italy.

Explaining why Heineken shies away from team or individual sponsorship, di Tondo said: "It's a rule we set ourselves with regard to the Heineken brand many years ago.

"We focus our partnership on where we can add value as a brand, so in Formula 1 we won't play any role on the cars, or on the drivers. We play a role outside.

"If you take the UEFA Champions League or the Rugby World Cup, we sponsor the competition, we never sponsor individual sports teams."

[MIKA27]

Alonso: McLaren can be fourth in 2016 and develop for 2017 F1 rules

Fernando Alonso believes McLaren has the potential to both claim fourth in the 2016 constructors' championship and focus on the major change required for the 2017 Formula 1 season.

After finishing ninth last year, the worst position in its illustrious history, McLaren is making progress this season and is currently seventh, 57 points behind fourth-placed Williams.

Alonso sees no reason why McLaren cannot become the best of the rest behind Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull this year, although he recognises the challenges given the need at some point to fully concentrate on development for 2017.

Asked whether McLaren could end up fourth, Alonso replied: "I think so. I think at some circuits we could be more competitive than others.

"But it's a different situation because next year the regulation change has some implications in terms of how much you develop this year's cars.

"If we were in a normal situation we could keep improving and finish close to the top three teams.

"But next year's regulations require a job to do, and all the teams will stop the development of this year's cars and maybe we will get stuck at this performance level for the second part of the year.

"Let's see, but what is clear we are growing, we are moving in the right direction, with a lot of things coming this year that will make us more and more competitive.

"If we want to beat Mercedes, which has been the main goal for me the last two years when I made some decisions, I'm in the right place and hopefully the right moment."

Alonso feels McLaren has the resources in terms of finances and manpower to continue to develop on two fronts for both this year and next.

"Definitely you have some areas you have an advantage this year and next year, like on the fuel, the power unit, in some aspects also on the mechanical side of the car," added Alonso.

"We need to combine these two things, and also for the team it's important this year to finish as high as possible in the constructors' championship.

"It's not that you can stop completely this year, so we will try to do both things.

"We are a big a team and we are able to do both at the same time."

[MIKA27]

EUROPEAN GRAND PRIX PREVIEW: NOT LIKE ANYTHING WE’VE SEEN BEFORE IN F1

Formula 1 moves to its 32nd new country this weekend with the inaugural Baku European Grand Prix in Azerbaijan on what looks like the fastest street track F1 has ever seen. Speeds of up to 350km/h are predicted on the 2.1km long straight, which is the kind of speed only seen at Monza and in the high altitude of Mexico!

The race is the 23rd running of the European Grand Prix, but it will be the first F1 race ever to take place in Azerbaijan. Fernando Alonso is the most recent winner of the European event after his triumph for Ferrari at Valencia in 2012, and the Spaniard has the most wins at the European GP of the current crop of drivers with three, while Vettel has two and Felipe Massa one.

At just over 6km in length, the Baku circuit is the second longest on the calendar, only behind Spa, and it has been designed by regular F1 architect, Hermann Tilke. It is not like anything seen before in F1 as most of the corners are low speed, but the straights are long and fast. This calls for two completely different downforce configurations. It will reward cars with good mechanical grip, like Mercedes and Red Bull and with plenty of engine power like Ferrari and Mercedes.

It looks very much like Mercedes will enjoy a margin this weekend. It is also a high fuel consumption circuit, so there will be some fuel management to be done.

The layout travels around the downtown area of Azerbaijan’s capital city, which incorporates the UNESCO heritage site known as Icheri Sheher, the old city – where the organisers have laid temporary asphalt on the cobbled streets to allow the cars to race through – and the more modern sections on the promenade near the Caspian Sea.

As the circuit winds its way around Baku, the width of the track varies greatly. The widest part of the track is 13m, while the narrowest section, between Turns 7 and 8, is just 7.6m. Turn 8 will also be the slowest corner on the track, with an expected apex speed of 53mph.

There will be two DRS zones this weekend, one on the approach to Turn 1 and one on the straight coming into Turn 3, while McLaren has highlighted the “deceptively fast” Turn 15 as a key corner as it is lined with close barriers.

What’s the strategy for Baku?

Before a car turns a wheel on the new track there are a few observations that can be made. It is a street track and given the high speeds in parts of the track, it’s likely that we will see a Safety Car. This is especially true because, as a new event care will have to be taken to give the marshals time to deal with incidents.

New street circuits tend to be low grip at the outset and the grip should ramp up over the course of three days running. The temperatures will be warm and with the cars likely to run lower downforce, they will slide in the corners.

Pirelli has brought medium, soft and supersoft which is a conservative choice – due to the ‘unknown’ of a new track. The soft is likely to be most people’s mandatory race tyre, while the supersoft will be the qualifier and first race stint tyre. The soft is proving a very durable and raceable tyre, so with pit stops quite slow and unattractive at 24 seconds, it looks like this could be a one-stop race. But there may be surprises when the cars run on Friday.

Heading to Baku: The F1 drivers in numbers

After they finished first and second in last weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel are now tied together on 1,974 career points, although in should be noted that their tallies are inflated by the changes that F1 has made to its points scoring positions in this century.

Nico Rosberg, who has seen his championship lead cut from 43 points to nine in just three races, is seeking a 14th consecutive front row start – a streak that started at the Singapore Grand Prix last season. Another qualifying statistic, albeit a worrying one for Ferrari, is that Vettel has been quickest in four FP3 sessions so far this season but neither of the Scuderia drivers has yet started on the front row of the grid.

Several drivers are on streaks of their own in recent races. Pascal Wehrlein is echoing his Manor predecessor Max Chilton, as he is only driver to have completed every race this season but without scoring a point.

At Force India, Nico Hulkenberg has scored points in last two events, the first time he has finished in the top ten in back-to-back races in 2016, but his teammate Sergio Perez saw his own a four-race scoring streak end in Canada. Esteban Gutierrez has out qualified and out raced Romain Grosjean in last two races, but is still yet to score for Haas F1.

Although many drivers up and down the grid are coming under increasing pressure to deliver good performances, two men who hold unenviable recent records are Jolyon Palmer and Daniil Kvyat. The Russian driver is yet to out qualify any teammate in 2016, as he failed to beat Daniel Ricciardo in qualifying while at Red Bull and has been out qualified by Carlos Sainz so far at Toro Rosso, while Palmer has only completed 23 racing laps in last two races thanks to his crash in Monaco and mechanical failure in Montreal.

[foursite12]

22 hours ago, MIKA27 said:

ECCLESTONE PLAYS DOWN LAS VEGAS F1 RACE REPORTS

F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone has dismissed the latest reports about Las Vegas potentially joining an F1 calendar of the near future.

Speculation that F1 might host more American races often does the rounds, but the latest word from Las Vegas was that an event on the world-famous ‘strip’ is more than just fantasy.

However, Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport now quotes Bernie Ecclestone as insisting: “The Americans talk a lot, but nothing happens.”

The F1 supremo has also given an alarming quote about the future of the Brazilian grand prix, saying of the long-running race at Interlagos: “It could be that the grand prix in Brazil this year is the last.”

Auto Motor und Sport said the problem in Brazil is purely financial, as the national broadcaster Globo reportedly struggles with strict austerity measures.

“Ecclestone will have negotiations with the organisers in Sao Paulo soon,” correspondent Michael Schmidt revealed, surmising that the Briton’s comments might just be “sabre-rattling”.

There is better news about the uncertain future of the German grand prix, despite Ecclestone saying not too long ago that the country could fall back off the calendar for 2017.

But he has now declared: “I can imagine there being a race in 2017.”

Schmidt said there are rumours that Ecclestone himself will promote a German race next year, and perhaps also leap to the rescue of the embattled Italian GP at Monza.

But Ecclestone played down rumours about Argentina and South Africa.

“I’m afraid they (Argentina) don’t have the money,” he said. As for South Africa, “It would be good, but Kyalami is too small for us.”

No chance that you're charging too much, eh Bernie?

[skalls]

Anyone else just really "meh" about this race.  LeMan's likley will have my eye this weekend.  Well and the US open lol

[foursite12]

57 minutes ago, skalls said:

Anyone else just really "meh" about this race.  LeMan's likley will have my eye this weekend.  Well and the US open lol

Baku?  Not exactly "meh", as I think the long straight, plus just the new circuit, could add interest. Will be fun to see the strategies and setups.  Maybe some surprises. We can hope...

[MIKA27]

1 hour ago, skalls said:

Anyone else just really "meh" about this race.  LeMan's likley will have my eye this weekend.  Well and the US open lol

I'm definitely interested purely because its new....Saying that, thus far for me except the Circuit of The Americas, anything Herman Tilke created has become "Meh"

I am hoping this will be an exception

[skalls]

Been watching P2 session,  the track is interesting.  no longer meh about it, just don't like it being held against LeMans.

 

Mercedes boys have had some issues despite being the fastest.

 

[OZCUBAN]

Might be a bit of an engine tester especially coming of the back of Canada 

[MIKA27]

EUROPEAN GRAND PRIX: ROSBERG BACK ON TOP UNCHALLENGED

After a three race victory drought, Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg cruised unchallenged to victory in the European Grand Prix, held for the first time at the Baku Street Circuit in Azerbaijan to turn the championship tide and stretch his lead over Mercedes team mate Lewis Hamilton to 24 points.

Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel finished as runner-up, 16.6 seconds behind, with Force India’s Sergio Perez back on the podium for the second time this season after overtaking Kimi Raikkonen’s Ferrari on the last lap.

Rosberg started on pole position, led all the way and also set the fastest lap on his way to a fifth win in eight races this season. With 13 races remaining, he has 141 points and Hamilton 117.

The German said afterwards on the podium, “It has been an amazing day and an amazing weekend –  it has been spectacular. You created a great track, it was really exciting racing. Qualifying went all to plan, it was awesome. No concerns, we went flat out.”

Vettel chased hard all afternoon but Ferrari simply had no answer to the Silver Arrows on a track which combined high speed sections with tight twisty bits this weekend.

The Ferrari driver summed up his afternoon, “It’s the first time here and I didn’t know what to expect but it’s been a great track. The circuit is incredible – you need to be well equipped around here. The car is coming along. I think people lost a lot of money because they were betting on a safety car – I was expecting a couple too.”

Kimi Raikkonen was fourth despite incurring a five seconds penalty for a pit lane white line infringement and enduring frustrating race.

Splitting the reds and claiming the final podium spot was Sergio Perez, who once again shone for Force India, by taking third place and proving that his qualifying form 24 hours earlier was no fluke.

Perez reflected, “We had a great qualifying and we had to make our way through. I was fighting with Kimi all the way to the end, I knew he had a five-second penalty, but it was very nice to get past him. When I saw the opportunity, and there was no risk, I went for it.”

While Rosberg’s cruise in the late afternoon sunshine turned out to be something of a snooze for the global television audience, triple world champion Hamilton provided more entertainment.

The Briton, who had been chasing his third win in a row but finished fifth, sounded increasingly frustrated over the radio as he wrestled with his car’s settings without the team being able to help.

He fixed the problem but finished fifth in a race billed as the European Grand Prix.

“This is ridiculous guys, I don’t know. I’m looking at my dash every five seconds trying to find a switch in the wrong position,” Hamilton said over the team radio.

“I might not finish this race as I’m going to try and change everything,” he continued. “We don’t advise that Lewis,” came the reply from the pitwall, with teams now limited on what information they can give drivers during the race.

“Can I make suggestions and you say if it’s OK or not?,” replied Hamilton. “No, that’s not allowed. Let’s just get our heads down and focus on the job,” he was told.

The Mercedes team’s non-executive chairman Niki Lauda told reporters afterwards that it was a question of engine modes.

“It was a problem they both had and Nico could fix it quicker than Lewis. The (radio) ban is there, so we all have to adapt,” he told Sky Sports.

Raikkonen, who had done as he was told and allowed Vettel to pass him, expressed similar exasperation over the radio to Ferrari.

The outbursts were highlights on a day with none of the mayhem predicted after a series of accidents in the GP2 support series, in F1 practice and qualifying.

Nobody crashed, the tight turns around the ancient city walls were safely negotiated by all and the 350km blast down the long main straight produced no drama.

“I think people lost a lot of money because they were betting on a safety car. I was expecting a couple too,” said Vettel.

Finland’s Valtteri Bottas finished sixth for Williams, with Australian Daniel Ricciardo seventh for Red Bull after starting on the front row.

Dutch team mate Max Verstappen was eighth, Germany’s Nico Hulkenberg secured a double points finish for Force India in ninth and Brazilian Felipe Massa was 10th for Williams.

MIKA: I think Lewis undone himself and tried blaming the team. Like Lauda, Rosberg is able to fix problems quicker as he had a similar issue. This year with radio bans, it shows how much Lewis relied past years with his team on the pit wall often asking for assistance. 

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HAMILTON: I DIDN’T DO ANYTHING IT JUST FIXED ITSELF

The European Grand Prix was expected to be an incident packed race, but in the end turned out to be more of a slog than anything else and hardly riveting entertainment, apart from the choice exchanges between Lewis Hamilton and the Mercedes pit wall.

Starting from tenth on the grid the reigning F1 world champion admitted after qualifying that his would be a race of damage limitation. All appeared to be going to plan until midway in the race when technical gremlins surfaced affecting the ERS on his car.

With numerous settings to choose from on steering wheel – which is in fact a high tech computer – Hamilton was clearly stumped and at a loss as he tried to figure out what to do to resolve the issue.

Frustrated and irate the Briton let his feelings be known over the radio and after the race he was still unhappy. Although he finished fifth, he was probably good for a podium on the day.

Speaking to media after the race, Hamilton explained, “I had no idea, there were like 16 different engine positions and, in those engine positions, like 20 positions. I had no idea what problem I had, just low power. I didn’t do anything, it just fixed itself.”

“It was a shame I couldn’t race, I wanted to race. If I had been able to resolve the power situation, I might have been able to be a part of the show and maybe catch the guys ahead. It wasn’t to be and that is the way it is,” added the reigning world champion

There has been a clamp down on the type of messages that can be sent over the radio from the pit wall to a driver, which is not proving popular or easy to police. Many pundits have suggested that there should be a full radio ban or unlimited communication.

When asked about the radio restrictions, Hamilton replied, “I don’t see the benefit. The FIA have made Formula 1 so technical. There were probably 100 different switch positions it could have been, at least 100, 200. There was no way for me to know, no matter how much I study that.”

Mercedes team chief Toto Wolff acknowledged, “We had a problem on both cars with configurations of some switches. Lewis’ problem came a bit earlier. Nico’s a couple of laps later, and there was a way of changing the switches on the dashboard which of course, by regulations, we are not allowed to communicate to the drivers.”

“This caused a bit of confusion and it took a while for Lewis’ car to re-set. Nico was in a little bit of a more fortunate situation in that he had done a switch change before.”

“Lewis was trying to figure out what it was and it took 12 laps and then the power came back, but obviously it was too late. The reason for the regulations is we want more unpredictability and we don’t want the drivers being driven from the pit wall.”

“We have a driver capable of being at the very front but he can’t figure the technology out himself so there are now two possibilities – you teach the technology, difficult, or you look at the regulations,” explained Wolff.

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MARCHIONNE: VETTEL IS EXTRAORDINARY BUT WE NEED TO GIVE HIM THE RIGHT CAR

Ferrari big boss Sergio Marchionne has warned that time is running out for the Maranello based team to win the 2016 Formula 1 world championship.

Despite urging for early wins this year as well as the title, Ferrari’s new president has seen the opening seven grands prix go past without victory for the Maranello team.

Speaking to the Italian press at an event in Venice, Ferrari president Marchionne excused Vettel for the current situation.

“Vettel is a pilot with extraordinary abilities,” he said, “but he has to be given the right car to win. The problem is the machine.”

Marchionne added, “I repeat: it is necessary to give the machine so that Vettel can win – he is ready. The problem is that when he gets a winning car, the whole season is ruined.”

Former Renault boss Flavio Briatore, who was in the Baku paddock on Saturday, said of Ferrari: “They have made impressive progress and Vettel drives very well.”

“But Sergio Marchionne knows he needs to improve the technical staff. It does not help that Maranello is in Italy,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

A turbo upgrade in Canada looked to have put Ferrari’s campaign back on track, but Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen have been over a second off the pace all weekend in Baku.

“The gap is just too big here,” the German driver said. “We need to look into it.”

Vettel said it is not right to say Baku is just a one-off because of the superiority of Mercedes’ engine on the incredibly long, 2 kilometre straight.

“We are not losing most of the time on the straights,” he admitted.

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BRIATORE: WITHOUT ME THERE WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN THIS GRAND PRIX

Former team owner Flavio Briatore has claimed credit for Azerbaijan’s spectacular street grand prix in Baku.

The former Renault boss, who has one of his ultra-expensive ‘Billionaire Club’ outlets in the old Soviet city, was spotted in the Baku paddock for a brief visit on Saturday.

“Without me, there would never have been this grand prix,” the 66-year-old Italian told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “Three years ago in Sardinia I met the president of Azerbaijan and said to him ‘Why don’t you have a formula one race?’ He said it was a good idea and invited me to Baku.”

“We got into a helicopter and he showed me from the air what a possible circuit could be. I said ‘It looks fantastic’ and connected him with Bernie Ecclestone,” said Briatore.

The flamboyant Italian, who turned Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso into F1 winners and champions, continued: “Bernie didn’t even know where Azerbaijan was. But within 6 months we had a signed agreement.”

Briatore was also asked about the chase for the 2016 world championship and said: “I guess Mercedes will win it one more time.

“If they would not make life difficult for themselves, they would almost have it in the bag already, but personally I can live with the collisions of Rosberg and Hamilton as it makes formula one exciting,” he added.

As for whether he has thought about mounting a comeback as a team boss, and possibly even a team owner, Briatore answered simply: “No. The costs are too high and there are too few new sponsors.”

“Formula one has to be a real event, not a rolling laboratory for the automotive industry – for that, Le Mans is better. We should give equivalent cars to the best drivers in the world and the races would once again please everyone,” he added.

 

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Perez 'knew the podium was possible' in Baku

Sergio Perez says he knew a podium finish in Baku would be possible, but the Mexican admits he had to work hard for the result.

A five-place gearbox change penalty, due to damage he sustained in a crash during FP3, meant he started the race from seventh place on the grid.

Perez had a strong start but following his pitstop, he came under intense pressure from Lewis Hamilton.

He managed to pull away as the Mercedes driver struggled with an engine issue and quickly closed on Kimi Raikkonen, passing him on the last lap to secure third.

"I knew that the podium was possible today, but we really had to work hard for it," he said. "The key to my race was the great start I made to get around a Williams and a Toro Rosso.

"Then, in the first stint I was suffering with graining of my supser-soft tyres and we had to decide whether to wait for it to improve or to make an early stop.

"In the end, we stayed out longer, which was the right decision, but when I came out of the pits I struggled to warm-up the soft tyres and I was under big pressure from Lewis [Hamilton] behind.

"I pushed as hard as I could and opened up a gap, and then I focussed on looking after my tyres. I closed in on Kimi [Raikkonen] and I knew he had a penalty, but on the final lap I got very close to him and saw the opportunity to overtake him, so I took it.

"To be on the podium for a second time this year feels fantastic. The team has done a brilliant job and we are having an amazing year."

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Both Toro Rosso's hit by early rear-suspension failure

Toro Rosso suffered a double retirement at the European Grand Prix, making up for half of the non-finishers, as both Daniil Kvyat and Carlos Sainz were forced to retire their cars after just a handful of laps.

Having qualified 6th and 13th respectively, Toro Rosso had hoped for a good result on Sunday, but it wasn't to be as both cars were hit with rear-suspension problems which the team have yet to fully diagnose.

"Unfortunately we did not show a good performance today," explained team boss Franz Tost. "We didn’t finish with any of our two cars because of rear suspension problems.

"We will now have to wait to disassemble the cars to find out what the exact reason is, but it seems like the dampers got stuck, impeding the normal movement of the suspension.

"After performing well in qualifying yesterday, it’s a shame that Daniil’s race ended so early, as he could’ve put on a good show starting from sixth."

Kvyat isn't dwelling on the disappointment too much as he looks forward to the next race: "Quite a disappointing day, as I was only able to race for a few laps before retiring because of an issue with the rear suspension.

"The car became difficult to handle at the beginning of the race and even though we had quite a decent first lap, in the end we had to stop – it’s a real pity, but that’s life, this is part of racing," he added.

"We remain positive as the handling of the car has been very good this whole weekend, so the future looks promising and hopefully those enjoyable races will come soon.

"I will cancel today out of my mind and all we need to do is carry on working like we have done until yesterday, because everything was looking great before the race."