FORMULA 1 - 2016

[MIKA27]

Ricciardo puzzled by 'unexpected' lack of race pace in Baku

Daniel Ricciardo says Red Bull has been left puzzled by its "unexpected" lack of race pace during the European Grand Prix in Baku.

The Australian driver qualified in second place for the first Formula 1 race in Azerbaijan but struggled in the opening two stints.

He found more speed in the final part of the race, but he had already lost too much ground and could only recover to seventh. Ricciardo said Red Bull needs to investigate the lack of pace.

"At the start we put ourselves in a good position and the aim was to get Nico[ Rosberg]," he explained. "We managed to hold second and I felt pretty good in the first few laps, especially as I could see Seb [Vettel] wasn’t catching me.

"After lap three we started to slide the rear and there was no way of controlling it. I went from being very optimistic about our race to being uncertain. I don’t think we had the wrong strategy, one stop would have been ideal but we had to adapt and were forced into a two stop race.

"We were slow in the first two stints but in the third one we managed to find some pace and I passed Hulkenburg, which was good fun. I think Max suffered the same issues so that’s just the way it went, I don’t think we could have done anything else today.

"We need to understand why because we usually perform well in hot races, like Singapore. Today was a bit unexpected. I got everyone’s hopes up yesterday by saying it could be the race of the season, It was, however, pretty uneventful."

[MIKA27]

Alonso takes Hamilton’s side on radio ban

Following Lewis Hamilton’s struggles with pit-to-car radio messages during the European Grand Prix, McLaren driver Fernando Alonso has agreed with his former teammate, saying it makes no sense.

Losing power because he was in the wrong setting, Hamilton asked Mercedes for help on the team radio but they were unable to give him any instructions as a result of the FIA’s new regulations.

Eventually the World Champion restored power to his car, although he had no idea how it happened.

Alonso agreed with Hamilton, saying that it is difficult for them to understand a complicated car such as the one they use for racing.

"From the beginning this rule was not making much sense," said the Spaniard.

"They give us a spaceship to drive, with the technology we have, and now we have no information available.

"Sometimes it’s difficult to know what is happening with the car, and what solution to do. Maybe in the future we can address this."

Alonso also added that his retirement was because of a gearbox issue and said that they were out of the points at the time so he won't lose any sleep.

"We had a developing issue on the gearbox," he confirmed.

"It was getting worse so we decided to stop to not damage anything in the power unit as well.

"We were out of the points, so it was a bit less painful this retirement."

[MIKA27]

Raikkonen on a frustrating afternoon

Despite running in third for most of the race, Kimi Raikkonen suffered a five-second penalty and ultimately finished fourth at the conclusion of the European Grand Prix.

However, it is worth noting that the five-second penalty didn’t really affect him as Force India driver Sergio Perez managed to pass him on the final lap to claim P3 on the road rather than by a technicality.

The Finn got hit with the penalty because he ran over the white line going into the pit lane, something he sort of understands but fails to see how it could give a driver an advantage.

In fact, the Ferrari driver was more angry at the fact that he followed two minnow team drivers at the back of the grid for a long time without any blue flags being waved for him.

“I kind of understand the rule about crossing the line but it’s a bit stupid as you gain absolutely nothing from it to go over it.” said the 2007 World Champion.

“Unfortunately, I got the penalty.

“I tried to keep five seconds to the next guy but twice I ended up following a Sauber and a Haas for more than one lap and lost a laptime. The same guy who gave me a penalty should then do his job and give the blue flags.

“Small issues but the speed was more or less there. Overall, a bit disappointed with a difficult weekend. Wasn’t a disaster but not a lot of fun.”

Adding to Raikkonen’s dismay, he has been given two penalty points on his liscence for failing to obey the rules.

[MIKA27]

Bottas admits Williams form "not good enough"

Williams' performance in the European Grand Prix was simply "not good enough", according to Valtteri Bottas.

Although the team had gone into the race with high hopes given the nature of the track, both Bottas and teammate Felipe Massa struggled for pace on Sunday.

The Finn, who opted for a one-stop strategy, could only finish in sixth place, over a minute behind race winner Nico Rosberg.

"Not good enough, of course," said Bottas after the race. "But I think it was all we could get together. The predicted pace we should have had wasn't quite there, you know, we were just missing pace today.

"But the team did a really good job managing to make the one-stop work. And again, a really good pit-stop. We just need to make a better car now and better pace."

When asked what was missing, he said: "Grip in the corners. We've been really efficient again in a straight line, it's managed to help me get past cars in the beginning. But just cornering grip, that's what we're missing."

Teammate Massa came home in 10th place with a two-stop strategy.

Head of performance Rob Smedley agreed with Bottas that Williams needs to extract more speed from its car.

"Felipe was struggling with rear graining on the qualifying tyre," Smedley said. "And then Valtteri had a little bit of the same thing to a lesser extent in the first stint, but then they came back.

"And then, actually, he was quite strong towards the end of that stint, he was still putting in greens and going quicker and quicker. So we just left him out.

"We were all expecting a little bit more excitement from the grand prix, and it didn't really deliver it. We split out strategies, Felipe on a two-stop, Valtteri made the one-stop work which obviously got into that sixth position from running ninth in the first stint, so reasonably happy with that.

"We need to find a bit more car pace."

[skalls]

Good race.  shocked there wasn't a massacre turn 8.

 

Lemans was amazing.  watched 19 hours.   felt gutted by Toyota retirement.

[demer]

First time I ever watched a stream with the sky tv commentary. It is way better than the commentary on NBCS.

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1 hour ago, demer said:

First time I ever watched a stream with the sky tv commentary. It is way better than the commentary on NBCS.

Yes indeed they do a great job IMO - Martin Brundle brings a whole bunch of insight others can not. Also young Anthony Davidson is also surprisingly full of information.

[MIKA27]

EXPECTED MAYHEM IN BAKU ENDS UP BEING A YAWN

Formula 1 had been braced for crashes and mayhem in Azerbaijan’s grand prix debut but instead the drivers defied all expectations and barely put a wheel out of place.

But in the end what was expected to be a thriller on in Baku – a challenging street circuit admired by all the drivers – ended up being a yawn for race fans.

The safety car never left the pit lane, there were no accidents and none of the four cars that failed to finish hit anything. It was all a bit of an anti-climax, if also a relief that nobody got hurt.

“It was a bit unexpected. I got everyone’s hopes up by saying it could be the race of the season, It was, however, pretty uneventful,” said Red Bull’s Australian Daniel Ricciardo.

Maybe, as some suggested, watching the earlier GP2 support series turn into a demolition derby had influenced their behaviour.

“I think all the drivers probably watched the GP2 race, scared themselves witless and behaved impeccably throughout the grand prix,” said Red Bull team principal Christian Horner with his tongue somewhat in cheek.

“To not even have a virtual safety car, I don’t think anybody could have predicted that before the race. Especially with how many offs we’ve seen in all the sessions leading up to the race.”

Horner said the need to save tyres to make a one-stop strategy work had played a part. But so too had simple skill.

“We’re all much more experienced and we’re able to avoid the incidents better and we also learned a lot from what was going on in the GP2, for sure,” said Mercedes’ race winner Nico Rosberg.

“I think it speaks for the quality,” said four times world champion Sebastian Vettel, who was second for Ferrari. “I think we’ve talked a lot about this track being high-risk, dangerous.

“I think we had some corners here where you don’t want to think about what’s happening if you get it wrong, very little room for mistakes and error. But then it definitely makes you more alert…”

Vettel said he did not think anyone was taking it easy, but neither were they about to take “any stupid approaches to risk”.

Track designer Hermann Tilke saw strategy at play, with some drivers expecting a high rate of attrition and believing they could score points just by being there at the finish.

“They did a very conservative strategy, all the drivers,” said the German. “And of course the drivers, and team managers maybe, saw the GP2 race and said: If you finish maybe you are in the points’. But this was not the case.”

[Orion21]

Baku - The city was beautiful, but I hate this race.

The simple reason why is because I cannot and will not root for crashes to make a race interesting.  If a track requires drivers to crash to mix things up and make it interesting it's a HORRIBLE track.  Don't the people in F1 get that fans like to see races where pit stops matter, drivers actually race each other and passing is a big part of the final outcome?  Then why in the world design a track like Baku?

[MIKA27]

2 hours ago, Orion21 said:

Baku - The city was beautiful, but I hate this race.

The simple reason why is because I cannot and will not root for crashes to make a race interesting.  If a track requires drivers to crash to mix things up and make it interesting it's a HORRIBLE track.  Don't the people in F1 get that fans like to see races where pit stops matter, drivers actually race each other and passing is a big part of the final outcome?  Then why in the world design a track like Baku?

I agree wholeheartedly and the answer to your question "Then why in the world design a track like Baku?"  is but two words.... "Herman Tilke" 

I think the entire sport needs an overhaul, not just the cars and rules (Which they do every few years) but they should strip it back and remove the likes of Tilke and give new track designs out to someone else. Kind of like a tender of sorts.

Anything Herman Tilke looks good on paper but becomes boring to watch. I have but one exception and that's The Circuit Of The Americas which I enjoy immensely.

We need racing, battles and close calls to make F1 exciting, not crashing or starting a GP behind a safety car.

[MIKA27]

AND SPEAKING OF TILKE: I WAS PLEASED THAT DRIVERS AND FANS WERE HAPPY - TILKE

Hermann Tilke has admitted he breathed a sigh of relief once the chequered flag waved to tend the European Grand Prix held on the Baku City Circuit which his team designed.

The German is Formula 1’s renowned and highly experienced circuit designer, but the wall-lined, high speed Azerbaijan street layout was the most extreme circuit project he has headed.

“Of course I was nervous,” Tilke admitted to Auto Motor und Sport.

All the talk throughout the weekend had been about circuit safety, loose kerbs and damaged tyres, and record-busting high speeds.

“I heard that we set a new record,” Tilke said, referring to Williams’ claim that Valtteri Bottas clocked up an astonishing 378kph in qualifying. “Our computer simulations only went up to 340.”

Sebastian Vettel said on the podium on Sunday that the Baku layout required a driver that was “well equipped” physically.

For all those reasons, Tilke said he was relieved on Sunday.

“There are so many things that can go wrong,” he admitted. “Like the drain cover that came up in practice. It is all much more difficult in that way than with a permanent race track.”

It was not all smooth sailing. Auto Motor und Sport said concrete walls did not properly fit, bubbles had formed under the asphalt, and the pit lane entry had to be re-profiled.

Tilke said: “Everything worked the way we had planned it. Of course, a little work was needed on Friday and Saturday night, but all those who were involved here delivered great work. I was pleased that the drivers and the fans were happy.”

However, some drivers had expressed safety concerns, but Tilke insisted: “For us, only the opinion of the FIA is important.

“It is them who say in the end if it’s ok or not. In turn 15 the run-off worked very well. And where it is narrow, we set up many TecPro barriers that absorb impacts very well,” he added.

[MIKA27]

KURT BUSCH: F1 DRIVERS LESS ACCESSIBLE TO FANS THAN IN NASCAR

NASCAR ace Kurt Busch made the most of a rare weekend off from Sprint Cup duties by flying to Baku, to see the Haas F1 team in action at the European Grand Prix.

Busch races for Stewart-Haas Racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, co-owned by Gene Haas who entered F1 for the first time this year with his own team.

Busch said to Haas back in 2014 that he was keen to try out the team’s F1 car one day, and was told he could if he won the Chase. He ultimately finished the year 12th in the final standings.

In Baku, Busch got as close as he has so far to driving the Haas car, getting behind the wheel for pictures ahead of the European Grand Prix.

When asked if he would like to sample an F1 car, he quipped, “Who wouldn’t!”

When asked about the F1 experience in Baku, Busch observed, “Where NASCAR is number one – for the fans and sponsors to get that return. The F1 mentality and the paddock, it protects the drivers to stay as focused as possible on the racing and on performance. They are less accessible to fans.”

“So [it would be good] to take some of that away and give back to the culture and the people who are from that country to get a different feel from their driver.”

“I think social media platforms are the first step in allowing that to happen. I heard Lewis [Hamilton] was in trouble on Snapchat, because of the access he was giving fans.”

“For us, NASCAR heard I was coming to an F1 race and they wanted me to sign into their account and they want me to promote F1 on the NASCAR Snapchat channel. It’s all controlled differently.”

On how Haas entry into F1 has been received in the United States, Busch said, “There definitely is more energy, even when Gene [Haas] came back for one of our races and there was the recap show, or the highlight videos – and everyone poured into our team hauler and they were watching the highlights. You would not have seen that before.”

“There is definitely a genuine energy and passion that he has created for all American motorsports to look up to root for.”

As for how F1 can succeed States-side he admitted, “I am not sure what is missing but I know what is successful. The NASCAR circuit is successful with the size of the venues and the fact that fans can watch from one perspective and see the whole track.”

“Our culture loves the side-by-side racing, the contact, and our road courses are very popular right now. Sonoma is very popular with the fans, Watkins Glen as well,” explained Busch.

“I think a street course would really create some excitement – this type of venue, where a city brings motorsport to it, like a city centre, that could be a huge change for our sport.

“But the open-wheel side of it, to me, they had the [IndyCar/ChampCar] split in the mid 1990’s and the popularity went straight to NASCAR. I think we are starting to see this next generation show more appreciation for road racing and for the sport in general.”

[MIKA27]

MARCHIONNE: RAIKKONEN’S FUTURE DEPENDS ENTIRELY ON HIMSELF

Ferrari senior management have admitted that Kimi Raikkonen’s future remains uncertain beyond the end of his 2016 contract and the team’s big boss has said, cryptically, that in the end it depends entirely on the Finn himself.

With regard to Raikkonen’s performance in Baku, his pit entry line mistake cost him a penalty and he was not able to stop Perez from beating him to the podium.

“Kimi’s mistake? Unfortunately it happened,” Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne, in Baku for the race, said. “Raikkonen was passed by the Force India in the end because of the fuel consumption.”

And when asked about Raikkonen’s future, he answered, “It makes no sense yet to talk about next season, because it benefits nobody and the end of this championship is still so far away.

“Kimi is totally focused on his work and today he demonstrated that he is a good teammate for Sebastian. Kimi did a good job but we are in no hurry to make any decisions. Today both drivers drove well but we need to improve our car,” Arrivabene added.

Marchionne added, “We are still clarifying but the focus at the moment is on supporting our pilots unconditionally. Kimi is a world champion and very experienced and his future depends entirely on himself.”

However, one impeccable source close to the Maranello team insists the Finn looks set to stay.

“I can confirm that the renewal of Kimi’s contract is approaching,” Leo Turrini, a well-known Italian blogger, is quoted by the Finnish broadcaster MTV.

But Raikkonen, 36, has had up and down form so far in 2016, including being penalised for crossing the pit entry line during the Baku race and then being passed by Sergio Perez for the podium.

Indeed, Perez – a former Ferrari development driver – has been on the podium twice in the last three races and is now being linked with a return to Maranello.

Ferrari team boss Maurizio Arrivabene was asked by a courageous reporter on after the race if team backer Carlos Slim, who also backs Force India’s Perez, will be pleased with Perez’s recent performances.

“I do not understand your question and what you mean about Carlos Slim,” he said. “His company is a Ferrari sponsor, period.”

[MIKA27]

SAINZ: I’M COMFORTABLE AT TORO ROSSO

Carlos Sainz looks set to stay at Toro Rosso for a third consecutive season in 2017, amid reports of interest from Ferrari and Renault, it is believed Red Bull has decided to take up an option on the Spaniard’s contract that will keep him at the Faenza based junior team next year.

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner indicated an announcement may be made “in the next few days”.

On the morning of Sunday’s race in Baku, Toro Rosso chief Franz Tost was asked about whether Sainz is staying for 2017 and he answered that it was Red Bull’s decision.

“I’m comfortable at Toro Rosso,” 21-year-old Sainz told Spanish television, “but we need to take a step forward to stop things like [in Baku] from happening if we want to fight for fifth place in the constructors’ championship.”

He is referring not only to suspension problems that affected both himself and teammate Daniil Kvyat, but a range of issues for Toro Rosso at Baku.

“We had three very good races and for this weekend, for one reason or another, things did not go so well, but that doesn’t mean Austria will not be different,” said Sainz. “It has not been my best weekend but the team has been doing a good job.”

As for the reports that he is being retained by Red Bull for Toro Rosso in 2017, he responded: “Let the ones who will take the decisions do so.”

“I have no choice but to wait while I continue doing everything I can from my side. Then we’ll see that in the end we have an agreement or not,” he said.

The team Toro Rosso is fighting against for fifth overall is Force India, whose Sergio Perez has been on the podium two times in the past three races.

“The truth is that Force India seems to be on another level, but we will keep fighting and learning,” said Sainz.

[MIKA27]

WILLIAMS APPOINT CHANDHOK AS OFFICIAL HERITAGE DRIVER

Williams has appointed former F1 drriver and experienced all round racer Karun Chandhok as official driver for its Heritage division.

In his new role as Williams Heritage Driver, Karun will focus on the testing and public demonstration of Williams’ historic racing cars. He will make his first appearance as a Williams Heritage driver at the 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed (June 23rd – 26th), where Karun will drive up the iconic Goodwood Hill behind the wheel of an FW08C from 1983 and an FW13B from 1990.

Williams Heritage was created to manage the team’s collection of historic Formula One cars, dating from Williams’ first season in Formula One in 1977 to the most recently retired models. The division showcases these classic racing cars to fans at a selection of events throughout the year, and also identifies and prepares a selection of cars for private sale.

With one of the world’s finest reserves of competition cars with an impeccable pedigree, the Williams Heritage programme presents an exclusive investment and ownership opportunity for active enthusiasts and investors. As part of his new role, Karun will also act as a driver coach to customers of Williams Heritage who have purchased a running car and use Williams Heritage to run and maintain it.

Speaking about his appointment Karun Chandhok said; “Williams is such an iconic British team, steeped in racing history so it’s a real honour to be involved in its Heritage programme. So many of the Williams Heritage cars are pieces of racing history with great stories to tell, so to be offered the chance to get up close and personal and drive them – sometimes being the first person to do so in decades – is an incredible opportunity. I look forward to not only demonstrating the cars from time to time, but working with other Williams car owners to help them fully enjoy their experience of driving these pieces of F1 history.”

Jonathan Williams, Williams Heritage Director, said “With a wealth of experience in a wide range of championships, including Formula One, GT, LMP1 and Formula E, Karun was the ideal candidate to be our Heritage driver. What’s more, he has a real passion for motorsport history and is a font of knowledge when it comes to Formula One. The Goodwood Festival of Speed is a highlight of the motorsport calendar, always providing fans with a truly impressive collection of modern and historic cars. We are very much looking forward to taking part in the event once more.”

[MIKA27]

Williams hit record speeds on and off the track

Williams reached record levels of performance for speed on the track and in the pits during the European Grand Prix weekend.

Felipe Massa was stationary for just 1.92 seconds while Williams changed all four of his tyres during Suday’s race. This equals the record for the quickest pit stop of all time, set by Red Bull in the 2013 United States Grand Prix.

The combination of Mercedes power, Williams’ efficient chassis and the longest flat-out section on an F1 circuit produced unofficially the highest speed ever seen during an official F1 session. Valtteri Bottas clocked 378kph (234.9mph) during qualifying.

This was well in excess of the estimated top speed of 340kph before F1 arrived at the track. However Hermann Tilke’s lap time prediction was impressively accurate. A time of 1’42.37 was forecast and Nico Rosberg duly produced a 1’42.520 in Q2. Had his Q3 run been cleaner (his first lap was spoiled by a yellow flag) that lap time prediction could have been spot-on.

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Button return would be ‘a great headline’ – Williams

Williams say they are in talks 'with a lot of drivers' for the 2017 season and have refused to rule out re-hiring Jenson Button.

Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa currently drive for the team. But while Williams retain an option on Bottas to retain him for another year, Massa's deal expires at the end of this season.

"We are talking to them and we are having other conversations with other drivers in the paddock to see what other opportunities there are," deputy team principal Claire Williams said.

"But that's not to say we aren't happy with the job Valtteri and Felipe are doing. We have a great line-up, but no decision has been made. We just have to work through the conversations."

Button nearly joined Williams for 2016

Williams has previously vowed to be proactive in the driver market this year after uncertainty shrouded their line-up for this season 12 months ago while Ferrari deliberated whether or not to stick with Kimi Raikkonen.

The Grove outfit have been heavily linked with Button amid paddock rumour the Englishman could return to the team almost 20 years after he made his F1 debut at Williams in 2000.

McLaren, who have kept Button waiting for the last two years before re-signing the Englishman, confirmed in Baku they will not open talks about their 2017 driver line-up until September.

"'Button back at Williams' is a great headline. He started his career here, he's a world champion and extremely intelligent when it comes to building a team around him and helping the engineering side develop the car," said Williams.

"Of course he is going to be an attractive proposition if he is available. But we are talking to a lot of drivers in the paddock at the moment - and he may or may not be on the list."

[MIKA27]

F1 In 360 Degrees - Around The World With Sauber F1 Team

Follow us to the Formula One race tracks around the world. In 360 degrees. As if you were there! Look around! We show you many of the secret and hidden places you can't see on TV. Experience F1 behind the scenes like you never have before.

 

[MIKA27]

Analysis: How Hamilton was put in the shade by Rosberg's "perfect" race

The European Grand Prix produced very different fortunes for Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, as one starred and the other struggled with mistakes and issues. 

The European Grand Prix didn't exactly unfold as anticipated following an incident-packed two days of practice and qualifying, plus a pair of GP2 races that left onlookers shaking their heads in disbelief at the level of carnage.

Nobody expected to see the main event to run without a single safety car or virtual safety car intervention, and with yellows seen only briefly when the odd car stopped on track with a mechanical problem.

With nothing to turn strategy on its head, and no restarts to give those behind a chance to jump the leader, the race turned into a demonstration run for Nico Rosberg.

 

"Just to get two cars home was not something we expected to be that easy this afternoon, having watched the GP2 race," Paddy Lowe told Motorsport.com.

"I have a theory on that – the drivers watched GP2 and saw so many shunts they thought, 'As long as I finish, I can get loads of points!' So nobody took any risks."

It was a perfect race for Rosberg, apart from a brief engine glitch, an issue that was to affect his team mate rather more and develop into one of the big stories of the race.

As Lowe suggests, heading into Sunday afternoon, things were far from clear-cut for Rosberg, as nobody quite knew what the race would bring.

His title rival Lewis Hamilton was down in 10th, but after his start in Canada the presence of Sebastian Vettel in third, on the clean side of the track, was a major concern. However, the poleman got away well.

With a clear track ahead, Rosberg simply drove away, extending his lead over Daniel Ricciardo by a second a lap initially, and a bit more when the Aussie got into early tyre trouble and had to pit on lap six.

That left Vettel in clean air, but the German could do nothing to stop the gap extending. Nico simply waited for everyone else to pit, and he was over 20 seconds clear when he came in for soft tyres on lap 21.

The second part of the race was a little different. We didn't see that metronomic extension of Rosberg's lead, initially over Kimi Raikkonen and later – after the Ferraris swapped positions – Vettel once more.

Indeed Rosberg's advantage shrank, with traffic sometimes playing a role. On a rather scrappy lap 31 he lost as much as 3.1s of his lead, but then he banged in a fastest lap. At the flag his margin was a comfortable 16 seconds.

Rosberg made it look easy, but this was a superbly judged drive by the points leader, and one that he needed after the frustrations of the last three races.

Of course, things might have been different had Hamilton not endured a disastrous qualifying and started from the front row rather than 10th, and been in a position to take the fight to his teammate.

Having said that, Hamilton would still have faced the same struggle for outright performance, which was not entirely due to the engine issue that afflicted him.

Hamilton was in blinding form on Friday, immediately setting quick times despite having expressed some doubts about the venue after his brief run in the Brackley simulator. He went up the odd escape road, but then so did everybody else, and it was all part of the learning process.

However, come Saturday he was not comfortable, especially with the feel under braking, and complained that changes that the team had made (to both cars) had not worked in his favour.

And that's why we saw him all over the place in qualifying, although the accident that finally stopped him was a simple misjudgement as he clipped the inside wall at Turn 11.

"I didn't change anything," he said after the race. "It was something the team had to change to both cars. I can't say what it was. It was just worse on brakes, so couldn't push on the brakes. I just went straight on most of the time."

Of course, due to parc ferme rules, he was committed to the same set-up for the race, so he went into Sunday knowing that he had a car he was not comfortable with.

   

No easy charge for Hamilton

Given the obvious pace advantage of the Mercedes, we expected to see a typical Hamilton charge, especially as this was a track where overtaking was pretty straightforward.

He didn't gain any ground on the first lap, but on the third he passed a struggling Daniil Kvyat, and then worked his way past Max Verstappen, who was in early tyre trouble. He gained more positions when others made early stops, and then pitted himself on lap 15.

By the time the stops had cycled through, when Daniel Ricciardo came in for a second time on lap 23, Hamilton was in fifth place.

There were still some 28 laps to go, and even allowing for the pace of those ahead, he appeared to have enough time to make up at least some ground. And yet that would be as far as he got.

It was just a handful of laps after he made it to fifth that we heard the first of a series of increasingly fraught radio messages from Lewis as he complained of a loss of power, struggled to resolve it, and became frustrated by the restrictions on what he could be told. So what was it all about?

"Nico had the same configuration issue as Lewis," said Lowe. "So there was a problem with both cars today with the configuration of the energy management.

"With the hybrid system, you have to manage the energy in and out of the battery. This is an automated process to take away the workload from the driver.

"You've got a certain amount of energy you can deploy each lap, and a certain amount that you can recover under braking.

"And so you don't want to spend energy that you can't maintain on regular race laps, so the hybrid system will stop deploying towards to the end of straights in an optimal manner – it derates – according to the energy it can recover in all the braking zones.

"As I said, that's an automated process. In a particular mode in which we run, that automation was disrupted, let's say, and not working properly.

"It was causing the car to derate earlier than it should have done, because it falsely thought that it had less energy than it really did. So it would derate earlier on the straight than it needed to. This was only the case in a certain engine mode.

"So they both had that problem from whenever they put the car into that mode, which was a bit later on in Nico's case. The lack of deployment was costing about two tenths a lap."

What caught Mercedes out was when they ran the car in that particular race mode on Friday, the problem did not rear its head.

The complication, of course, was that under the current restrictions the team could not tell the drivers exactly what to change on their steering wheels, so it became a guessing game.

"One of the problems we have is we can't tell the driver, 'Please get out of mode X and go into mode Y and then it will all be fine.'

"We were allowed by the FIA, because we asked permission, to tell the driver that the problem was related to his current mode, i.e., 'Your problem is because you are in X.' In other words - 'you have to go to pretty much any other mode'.

"So then you're trying to solve a crossword puzzle while driving an F1 car through very narrow streets or at 220mph. Fortunately for Nico, he solved that crossword puzzle in half a lap.

"Unfortunately for Lewis, it took him about 15 laps to solve that crossword puzzle..."

Rosberg was helped by the fact that, when he suffered a loss of power, he had only recently switched to the suspect mode – and he worked out for himself that it might be the problem.

In contrast, Hamilton had not just switched to the suspect mode, and had been in it for a while. Thus it was that much harder for him to work it out.

It took Hamilton until lap 41 to finally sort his problem out, and we know that because, on lap 42, from nowhere, he produced the fastest lap of the race, something that his engineer was quick to point out.

Intriguingly, he suggested that he'd already tried that fix: "I didn't know what the problem was. I didn't know if I had done anything to make the engine not work.

"The team started with something switched on, so I had it from the beginning. I disabled something and it didn't change anything, I put it back on, it didn't change anything. In the end, I switched it off again, and the engine power came back 10 laps after that, maybe nine laps to go."

 

Too little, too late

The problem was it was too little, too late. Mindful of the fact that a power unit change penalty is looming late in the year, Lewis cruised home.

"I just turned my power down after that because I had 13 seconds ahead and 14 seconds behind, and also I have less engines than Nico, so I just turned the engine down to save it for the last seven laps."

Inevitably, the issue became the major subject of conversation after the race. "Unfortunately there weren't enough shunts," joked Lowe. "So everybody is just talking about our engine mode!"

However, there was more to Hamilton's performance than that. It didn't chime in until around lap 26, affected him for 15 of the 51 laps, and Lowe says it actually only cost him 0.2 per lap – which works out at just three seconds.

Of course, he would have lost a bit of his rhythm simply through being distracted by the radio chatter and by the need to fiddle with the wheel. But Hamilton was adamant that it was more of a handicap than the pit wall thought.

"I did a quick lap at the end once the power came back," he noted. "The team said it was not that big an issue, but then I went over a second faster, so it obviously was.

"I am pretty sure it was there from the beginning so I was struggling. It felt like I had a lack of pace. But I noticed at the beginning of the straights that I was losing ground, therefore I was struggling to overtake people."

It's true that he set a fastest lap when he did solve his problem, but that his car was not as quick as Rosberg's on Sunday was a simple fact.

"When he sorted it out he did a quick lap, but the next lap he was back to where he was," says Lowe. "For me the reason Lewis was not on the podium is not because of that.

"That may have been a contributor, but something we've got to go away and analyse is why we didn't show the race pace today on Lewis's car that we'd seen on Friday, and which Nico was able to demonstrate.

"It was a problem, but it wasn't the only problem of the afternoon. My actual main worry during the race was to understand why we didn't have the pace on that car to get back up the field.

"The car wasn't quick enough at the end of the day. He got from 10th to fifth, but that was all the pace we had today."

So was it to do with the changes that made his life difficult for qualifying?

"He had issues after P3. We did some re-tuning for qualifying. One of the things about P3 is it's so different from P2 being much hotter, so a lot of those problems may have been related to that."

In the end, the mode saga was just one of those frustrating glitches, and by no means a disaster. While it spoiled Hamilton's day, it should not distract us from what was another dauntingly impressive performance by Mercedes.

"I'm very happy to get two cars home," said Lowe. "And we extended our championship lead to Ferrari by five points, so there's a lot to be happy about. Nico did an absolutely perfect job all weekend."

The gap in Baku may have looked bigger than in Canada, but a perfect job is what Rosberg and Hamilton need to do these days.

Mercedes may have won the last three races, but in those events the other car has finished seventh, fifth and fifth. There is no longer a margin for error...

[MIKA27]

Baku a 'missed opportunity' for Haas

Guenther Steiner says Haas missed an opportunity to return to the points at the Grand Prix of Europe.

While Esteban Gutierrez's race was compromised by damage received at Turn 1, Romain Grosjean looked well-placed for a top-ten finish and was running as high as 11th before making a second stop on lap 26. Grosjean later revealed that stop was due to a piece of debris in his radiator and Steiner says the original plan was for the Frenchman to go to the end of the race on the soft tyres he received on lap 10.

"We had to come in a little early to change the first time tyres, earlier than planned," Steiner said. "Then we were quick pace and pretty confident that we could stay out to the end like all the other ones but then the engine oil, engine water temperature went up and we had to come in and clean the radiators. It was a piece of plastic in it, you know.

"We tried to stay out but the water temperatures were getting too high and the risk was it would blow the engine up. We had to come in and we lost out. We ended up in a traffic queue. We put the new set of tyres on because we had left over on tyres and that was it you know."

This year Haas has been at its most competitive in the sort of conditions present for Sunday's race.

Asked if it was a missed opportunity considering Baku's hotter temperatures, Steiner said: "Absolutely. I mean, it's always. But then you can't blame [anyone] about it because we always try hard. Esteban has to try to get going [at the first corner] and that's what happens when you race. And if you get a piece in the radiator then what you can do -- it's like life, you know."

Steiner thinks Haas can take encouragement from the Grosjean's pace before his second stop and the fact none of its rivals finished in the top ten.

"I think we don't have a problem with the race pace, we didn't have a problem with the race pace -- afterwards you can always do better but we're not worried about the race pace. It's just that once you have to do one pit stop too many that is where you end up.

"A pit stop is 26 seconds, plus until you discuss what to do you lose another seconds and then you get lapped you lose time so it is always adding up. So again, different world we could have been in the top ten, you know. But -- different world. The good thing is none of our main competitors scored any points as well."

MIKA: I love this team, no BS

[MIKA27]

HAMILTON EXPLAINS HIS CONFUSING STEERING WHEEL THAT MIND YOU, HE HELPED DESIGN

Ahead of the 2016 Formula 1 season Lewis Hamilton unboxed his new steering wheel, which eight rounds into the world championship still confuses him…

I'd love to ask him now if he's proud of it...

[OZCUBAN]

5 hours ago, MIKA27 said:

HAMILTON EXPLAINS HIS CONFUSING STEERING WHEEL THAT MIND YOU, HE HELPED DESIGN

Ahead of the 2016 Formula 1 season Lewis Hamilton unboxed his new steering wheel, which eight rounds into the world championship still confuses him…

I'd love to ask him now if he's proud of it...

May be he should have watched his own. Video so he knew how to use  properly 

[MIKA27]

FERRARI ADVISED TO FOCUS ON 2017 AND INTERNATIONALISE

Ferrari might be wise to write off 2016 and focus all of its efforts on beating Mercedes next year, while considering to internationalise their Formula 1 programme

That is the view of one section of the Italian press, even though team president Sergio Marchionne said in Baku that the fight for the 2016 crown is still on.

But Tuttosport urged Ferrari to consider that switching focus to the sweeping new technical rules for 2017 might make more sense.

“Mercedes is too strong this season,” it declared. “Although occasionally they show some weakness, it is normal that teams like Red Bull and McLaren prefer to start working early on the project for next year.”

Former Renault boss and Italian Flavio Briatore, however, urged Ferrari to take a more fundamental approach to returning to title glory.

He told Italian radio Gr Parlamento RAI that Marchionne, having only taken office at Maranello just over a year ago, made rookie errors by setting grand targets for 2016.

“Championships are not won by proclamation but by working as Mercedes did,” he said.

“Mercedes’ advantage is huge, and Ferrari is lucky Hamilton had problems with his switches (in Baku) otherwise he would have been second without problems. And I don’t think Rosberg was flat out.

“Ferrari must be careful now not to lose second place as well, as in Baku (Sergio) Perez was very fast, as is Red Bull. Nothing has changed since last year, with more than a second between Mercedes and Ferrari.”

Speculation is rife in Italy suggest Maurizio Arrivabene’s job may be on the line, but Briatore said that is no the answer.

“Instead, they should internationalise,” he said. “Maranello is not a place that someone from England dreams of living in, so I would suggest they open up a technology department there.

“I know that in formula one things do not happen by miracle. In England, there are 10 teams within 60 kilometres — even Mercedes, who are German, are there, because if you want to make champagne, you’re better off in France.”

Finally, Briatore commented on the health condition of his former charge, Michael Schumacher.

“I know nothing as there is an impenetrable cordon around him,” the 66-year-old said. “You could only hear from Massa or Jean Todt, who see him from time to time. From what I know you can only pray, as he has many doctors around him.”

[MIKA27]

BRIATORE: IT’S MY FAULT THAT ALONSO SIGNED WITH MCLAREN

Flavio Briatore has hinted for the first time that Fernando Alonso’s move to McLaren-Honda may have been a mistake.

The management of Alonso’s career is still directed by his mentor and former Renault boss Briatore.

The 66-year-old Italian told Gr Parlamento RAI radio that Alonso does not regret the five years he spent at Ferrari.

“I think Ferrari is the team he loved the most,” Briatore said. “But there was a time when too many people spoke and it was unbearable. It was no fault of the management, but gossip.”

“He was criticised for not being more successful but the car was not able to be on the second row and he got it there,” he insisted.

“He would also have been world champion in Abu Dhabi (in 2010) if they had just got the strategy right,” Briatore added.

Alonso moved from Ferrari to McLaren-Honda at the end of the 2014 season, with Briatore saying driving around in the midfield is now akin to “luxury retirement” for the 34-year-old.

“The other day a journalist asked if he would win again and everyone laughed,” Briatore said. “Alonso has an important contract with McLaren as I thought Honda would be competitive before now.”

“It was even a little my fault, as I advised him to sign because I thought McLaren would be able to fix things quickly. Looking at the results, there is not much more to say,” he added.

[MIKA27]

NO F1 FORAY FOR LAMBORGHINI SAYS DOMENICALI

Stefano Domenicali has played down any suggestion Lamborghini might enter Formula 1.

“In the short term, no,” said the Italian, who became the Italian sports car marque’s new CEO earlier this year.

Domenicali, of course, is best known for his long career in formula one at Ferrari, where between 2008 and 2014 he was the team principal.

He was then signed up by VW-owned Audi, who in turn own Lamborghini.

But as for Lamborghini entering F1, Domenicali is quoted by Tuttosport: “Right now our priorities are different.

“We need to focus our investments on realising our SUV Urus (car) and the consolidation of our image,” Domenicali added.

As for claims Lamborghini may be at the forefront of development of an all-electric supercar, he said: “Not before 2024 – there is still no technology. But I am convinced that we must prepare for this change.”