FORMULA 1 - 2016

[MIKA27]

Sainz: McLaren's rate of development "worrying"

Carlos Sainz reckons the rate of development McLaren has shown in 2016 will make it difficult for Toro Rosso to see off the Woking team in the constructors' standings.

Sainz finished eighth in Hungary, a place behind countryman Fernando Alonso.

The result left McLaren just seven points behind STR in the battle for sixth place in the constructors’ championship.

“A solid race from us, holding up to the pace of the McLarens,” said Sainz. “So very pleased with that.

"Obviously Fernando got us at the start, and then it wasn’t possible to pass him, but I think he had a couple of tenths on us, and it was impossible to get closer than three seconds. I think he was controlling us.

"I think this track was suiting us decently, but McLaren has definitely got ahead of us. It’s a bit worrying knowing how much of the season is left, and their development rate.

"But we will try to compensate that and we will try to go as fast as possible and see if we can pull them back.”

“Anyway, I think it was a very solid weekend from my side, so we can go to Germany and close the first half of the season really happy and confident in where we are at mid-season.”

Sainz also confirmed that Toro Rosso would bring an update for the upcoming German Grand Prix at Hockenheim.

“We have a step hopefully coming on in Germany. There we should do a step forward in performance."

[MIKA27]

Inside Grand Prix 2016: Germany - Part 1/2

Description
Part 1 of the season's 12th episode includes:
People and Places: Germany
Nico Hülkenberg
Circuit preview: Hockenheimring
Driving style Part 1

Inside Grand Prix 2016: Germany - Part 2/2

 

[MIKA27]

Hamilton "not an easy teammate", says Alonso

Nico Rosberg cannot afford any mistakes this season if he is to beat Lewis Hamilton in the championship this year, reckons Fernando Alonso, who labelled the Briton as "not an easy teammate".

Rosberg lost the championship lead to Hamilton in the Hungarian Grand Prix last weekend, the German having led from the start of the season in Australia.

The world champion now leads the standings by six points from his Mercedes teammate.

Alonso believes Hamilton, who has won five of the last six races, is now favourite for the title.

"Hamilton is in a good position," Alonso told Spanish radio COPE in an interview.

"He has the momentum coming from behind and in this sport, when you are coming from behind and you can catch the leader, you have something extra.

"And it's the opposite for the driver who was leading and had a bit advantage: they catch you, they overtake you and you go into a mini crisis.

"So even though they are close on points, now Hamilton looks stronger and a better contender."

 

Qualifying controversy

Alonso also said the Hungarian GP qualifying controversy reminded him of his own row with Hamilton at the Hungaroring back in 2007, when they were teammates at McLaren.

Back then Alonso was penalised for having blocked Hamilton in the pits, forcing the Briton to miss his final flying lap.

As a result, Alonso lost pole position, which went to Hamilton.

On Saturday, Rosberg secured pole despite setting his fastest lap with yellow flags on track, and there were suggestions that Hamilton had been in contact with the FIA, which announced an investigation three hours after the end of qualifying.

Hamilton denied triggering the investigation, however.

For his part, Alonso admitted the situation brought memories of 2007.

"Yeah, it reminds me of things as well," said Alonso. "Let's say Rosberg doesn't have an easy teammate.

"In that sense he's very strong on track, very fast, he never makes a mistake.

"And off the track he has significant influence. Good luck to Rosberg with that (laughs).

"He can't make a mistake anywhere because apart from being one of the best in the world, he can feel the pressure off the track as well."

[MIKA27]

ALLISON LEAVES FERRARI REPLACED BY BINOTTO

Ferrari have split with technical director James Allison, the Formula 1 team announced on Wednesday, a move which could deal a big blow to their title ambitions.

The Briton, who joined the sport’s glamour team in September 2013 from Enstone-based outfit Lotus where he was a key figure, was seen as the man to lead a turnaround in fortunes after a difficult few years for the sport’s most successful team.

James Allison said, “During the years I spent at Ferrari, at two different stages and covering different roles, I could get to know and appreciate the value of the team and of the people, women and men, which are part of it.”

“I want to thank them all for the great professional and human experience we shared. I wish everybody a happy future with lots of success,” added Allison.

Ferrari team principal Maurizio Arrivabene said, “The Team would like to thank James for his commitment and sacrifice during the time spent together, and wishes him success and serenity for his future endeavors.”

Mattia Binotto will fill the role of Chief Technical Officer, the team said in a statement.

Ferrari returned to the top step of the podium last year after enduring a winless season in 2014 but the Maranello-based team have struggled to repeat that form this year.

Allison lost his wife to illness earlier this year and reports since have hinted he was keen to move back to the UK to spend more time with his children.

Ferrari currently are second in the constructors’ standings behind Mercedes but are at risk of being overhauled by Red Bull who are only one point behind.

[MIKA27]

VETTEL: PATIENCE IS NOT A FEATURE OF A RACING DRIVER

Amid mounting in-team turmoil, Sebastian Vettel says he remains patient for success with Ferrari.

Amid talk in the media of a ‘crisis’ and technical chief James Allison leaving Maranello, team boss Maurizio Arrivabene denied that their number one driver Vettel might also be running out of patience.

But publications including Marca quote the German as saying: “Generally, patience is not a feature of a racing driver because it contradicts all of its principles.”

“But some things you know whether they need more or less time,” he added ahead of his first home grand prix as a Ferrari driver this weekend at Hockenheim.

“My move to Ferrari was never on the basis that everything will work by tomorrow. The team is building itself up again and for that we need time,” said Vettel.

Vettel, 29, said he hopes his presence in a red car this weekend, rekindling memories of Germany’s greatest son Michael Schumacher, is a boost for the fans.

“It would be very nice,” he answered when asked if it will boost spectator numbers. “For me I think it is something very special to drive a Ferrari for the first time in Germany.

“Let’s see if the people also think it’s special and there are more red caps than silver,” Vettel smiled. “Happenheim is not far from Hockenheim, only half an hour, so there will be lots of my family and friends at the track which makes it very special.”

“I started racing in karts in Walldorf, which is only five kilometres away so it’s like racing in my living room,” he added.

However, Vettel currently lives with his partner and young children in Switzerland, but he said nothing will change his “identity” as a German.

“Of course, I’ve based my life now in Switzerland but my family and most of my friends are all still at home,” he said.

[MIKA27]

BOULLIER: MCLAREN-HONDA RELATIONSHIP BETTER THAN EVER

McLaren and Honda have hailed the state of their current working relationship, despite still struggling to find the solution to match Formula 1’s pace setting teams.

Last year, amid an awful start to the new Anglo-Japanese works collaboration, there were signs of tension between the British team and Honda’s F1 chief Yasuhisa Arai in particular.

Arai is now gone, replaced for 2016 by Yusuke Hasegawa, and the better situation culminated in Fernando Alonso’s seventh place in Hungary which the Spaniard called “the best weekend since I’ve been (back) at McLaren”.

Alonso credited some of the turnaround between 2015 and 2016 to Honda’s Hasegawa, “Yusuke is a former engineer so he knows very well what is happening in the garage and can adapt better to changes. He is also more used to the pressure and managing certain situations.”

Team boss Eric Boullier also said the relationship between Honda and McLaren has improved, “The relationship has never been as close as it is now.”

“It is very collaborative, very cooperative, we regularly meet face to face although today there is technology that means we are always in touch. The project is more mature than before, so far so good.”

And Hasegawa-san said: “I agree with Eric. This year we have a very good collaboration with McLaren and we are progressing well together.”

He confirmed that work on the 2017 engine has begun, while Boullier added: “We’re still working on this year’s car and also the next one, but I can say that after the (August) holidays most of the grid will be working 100 per cent on the car for next year.”

[MIKA27]

GERMAN GRAND PRIX FUTURE REMAINS IN DOUBT

After a gap year, the German Grand Prix may well be back this weekend but the future of the country’s Formula 1 date on the calendar remains in doubt.

It was the Nurburgring that caused Germany’s 2015 absence and it seems the circuit remains unable to continue its alternating scheme with Hockenheim.

“We have a contract for 2016 and 2018 and other than that it is not our turn,” Hockenheim chief Georg Seiler told the German news agency SID.

And beyond 2018 is also in doubt, he added, “Of course we want to keep formula one. for the image of the circuit as well. But it must be at a level that works economically.”

New Nurburgring chief Mirco Markfort also expressed interest in Germany’s F1 future but said the problem is money, “We would love to host the German grand prix, but for this the right economic conditions must be present. We cannot afford formula one at any cost.”

Hockenheim’s Seiler said the problem is that new hosts like Azerbaijan and others are driving up the average annual race fees, “If there were 20 countries that would pay EUR 50 million for a race, then the season would probably only take place in those countries. But for us there is no such public pot. We need to rely on the fans.”

The halcyon Michael Schumacher days, however, are over, and Seiler said Hockenheim’s audience is now “older” than before.

RTL, the German broadcaster, said Hockenheim has so far sold 52,000 tickets for Sunday’s race, down on its target of 60,000.

[MIKA27]

RENAULT PREVIEW THE GERMAN GRAND PRIX

Renault team and drivers preview the German Grand Prix, Round 12 of the 2016 Formula 1 World Championship, at Hockenheim.

Foreword by Cyril Abiteboul, managing director

We now go to the final race of the first part of the year with our plan back on track. We knew that the first races would be about recovery and setting the foundations, but we had a tougher ride than expected. However in Budapest we demonstrated that we had taken a tangible step forward, not just in our own performance but in relative performance to our rivals. In the race we were able to out race Haas, Sauber and even Force India and Jolyon was just a sniff away from his first points.

Now the task for Hockenheim is translating the extra pace we’ve unlocked into the points we just missed in Budapest. We’re making progress and the benefits of a strong result in the German Grand Prix would be welcomed by everyone at Enstone and Viry.
For the rest of this season, our goal is to attack the teams ahead, using new aero parts developed since the beginning of the season and marginal evolutions of the engine to stay in the same pace as our competitors, despite our focus on 2017.

Constant Craving

A strong race from both drivers in the Hungarian Grand Prix followed a frustrating qualifying session where conditions and red flags conspired to deny the demonstration of the new-found pace in the R.S.16. Team Principal Fred Vasseur gives his take on Hungary and his hopes for Hockenheim.

What’s the target for the German Grand Prix?
Fred Vasseur: It’s always the same; we need to deliver our very best at every level. We saw extra pace in our car in Hungary so we now need to translate that to the points potential we had last weekend.

Were you surprised at the jump in relative performance in Budapest?
FV: I know how hard everyone has been working so I cannot say I am surprised when we show progress. Equally, we know that some tracks, some conditions will suit some cars better than others so we’re not jumping for joy that we’ve found a magic bullet. We could arrive at Hockenheim and find our rivals are doing a better job; we’re doing everything in our power to ensure we deliver as best we can but this is a highly competitive environment with grid positions separated by tiny fractions of a second. From our side, we all have our heads down trying to find every bit of performance for this year and beyond.

Could the team have achieved more in Budapest?
FV: Yes and the nature of motorsport means it’s very seldom that any team delivers the absolute maximum that is possible. Qualifying was frustrating as we had a quick car as shown by our morning pace, but the conditions of qualifying and the red flags didn’t work for us. Of course, we always go over any qualifying session to understand how to get more in similar circumstances if faced with the same scenario again and that is how we improve. In the race both drivers experienced issues; Kevin lost out at the start and Jolyon had a spin from a good position. We’re looking at both of these situations to understand what happened and prevent that happening again.

When will you decide on the driver line-up for 2017?
FV: We are at that time of year when we are asked these questions, but the questions and the speculation often happen before any decision is made. What I can say is we have two good drivers, who are improving weekend after weekend. Let’s not forget that Jolyon is a rookie and that Kevin only had one year driving full-time at McLaren then a year not racing. They are both doing a strong, solid job and work very well within the team. I have a strong relationship with them both and they know what is expected of them. Within the team we are very happy together. We will make our decisions for 2017 in our own time.

Magic Man

Renault Sport Formula One Team’s resident Dane Kevin Magnussen wants to be moving on up in Hockenheim.

What do you think of Hockeinhem?
Kevin Magnussen: It’s a great track and the atmosphere there is always awesome. Turn one is very fast and it’s a great way to start what is always an exciting first lap. It’s difficult; you can gain or lose a lot of positions there depending on whether you have a good or bad exit. Do it well and you’ll make up a lot of places down to the next corner. Mess it up and it will be the exact opposite.
There’s good overtaking opportunities down the long straight as well and a massive braking zone, perhaps the biggest one in Formula 1. It’s similar to China in that way. Then the final sector where the circuit goes from being quite wide to being a really old school narrow track and there is a very banked corner, which always makes it quite cool to drive.

What about the old track, ever wish you could have had a go?
KM: I would have loved to have tried that. Anything that’s extreme, I like. The long straight they used to have, the speeds you would be able to reach in our cars… It would be ridiculously fun.

The German Grand Prix is the last race before the shutdown, any plans?
KM: I will be enjoying taking the break day by day, at home in Denmark, and trying to relax with my girlfriend and my dog. The second half of the season is pretty intense with a lot of travel so it’s good to recharge the batteries mentally and physically.

How would you review your season so far?
KM: It’s been a tough season for the whole team but it’s also the start of a big project and a very exciting time to be here. Everything is being rebuilt and growing; the foundation has been set for the future. So I would say I’ve had a very enjoyable year so far and I’m sure it will continue.
Being part of the Renault factory team is fantastic. There are three factory teams in Formula 1 and to be part of one of them is huge. Yes, we are not delivering what we want on track at the moment but we knew that would be the story of this year. We are aiming to be performing in the future, obviously we do our best with what we have now, but I’m sure we’ll see big things from us in the future.

How do you review your Budapest weekend?
KM: The positive thing from Hungary is that we were able to fight higher up the field. We were in there with both Haas and one of the Williams, the car felt better all weekend, and hopefully we will be able to carry this into the season. The work we did at the Silverstone test days clearly improved the car and I think this is something that will help us more at slow-speed tracks rather than high-speed circuits, but it’s certainly encouraging.

So Close

Were it not for a contretemps with Turn 4 on lap 47 of the Hungarian Grand Prix Jolyon Palmer would be heading to Germany with his first Formula 1 points in his pocket. No matter, Hockenheim offers another opportunity.

Firstly, so near yet so far; what happened in Hungary?
Jolyon Palmer: It’s painful to look back on. I was well-placed in P10, I had the pace on those around me and I was driving really within myself. I wasn’t exactly hanging anything out and hadn’t had any big moments, everything was under control but then I lost the car in Turn 4. It’s difficult for me to understand why. I hadn’t experienced oversteer the whole race in that corner and then I turned in and lost the car completely. I had a massive snap and then I was pointing backwards.

Aside from that one moment, how was the rest of the Budapest weekend?
JP: The weekend was perfect apart from that one corner. It was easily my best race ever. The strategy was really good. The pit stops fantastic. Everything came together. The good news is that we didn’t luck into our performance, which shows we have the pace and can do it again. We’ve made a big breakthrough so I think it will carry on for another couple of races. My first F1 points were there for the taking in Hungary and I didn’t take them. I’m very eager to redress that situation in Germany.

What are your thoughts on Hockenheim?
JP: It’s a circuit I haven’t raced at so much, as I’ve raced there only for two weekends previously. The two big features that stand out are the very long straight and the stadium section. Despite the changes to it over the years, it still has a really old-school feel to it, especially the arena section, which is very narrow and how close the fans can be there as well. It has a really nice flow, especially the second half of the lap, and a lot of slow and medium speed corners, which I quite like.

Do you enjoy racing in Germany?
JP: There are a lot of passionate fans who come from all over the country and they really know how to enjoy the weekend. The campsites can be quite something to behold. It’s the last race before the August break so I may well treat myself to a nice German beer on the Sunday night.

Step by Step

The boost in relative performance shown in Budapest comes from the hard graft in Enstone and Viry. Technical Director Nick Chester explains the challenge to maintain momentum at the Hockenheimring.

The team seemed to make progress on pace in Hungary? How was this achieved?
Nick Chester: There are a number of factors to be optimistic about after our visit to the Hungaroring. We were in a position to get a point for Jolyon on pace and it wasn’t a race of attrition so it was a genuine performance. We have found quite a lot of this pace in the car both from new components and from different approaches to set-up. We learnt a lot at the Silverstone test and this is filtering through. We’re certainly getting a better balance with the car to use the tyres more efficiently and we’re also making improvements in low-speed and medium-speed corners. The race pace showed that FP3 was not an illusion.

Is there more to come?
NC: We have further advances in the same direction. There are a few more parts to go on the car and we’re learning at every race so we would like to see some further improvement.

What’s the technical approach to Hockenheim?
NC: It is a combination of low and high speed corners but also with some decent straights. The low and medium speed stadium section is key to a good lap time. The downforce levels are more familiar than the extra high levels of downforce we used in Hungary,
We’ll be working on trying to generate grip in the low speed corners. To do this we look at the mechanical and aero sides of the car. Mechanically it’s about how you balance the car, how you proportion the stiffness in front and rear suspension and how you set it up to get a good mixture of the car being stable and having enough front end for the low speed corners. Aerodynamically it’s about adding downforce to the car which works in the low speed corners where the car has higher rideheights. We are going to have a few new parts to try which should give us some benefit too.

What’s the potential in Hockenheim?
NC: The outlook is fairly similar to a lot of other places. The requirements are not hugely specific and the most similar requirements from a recent circuit would be Austria. We expect a fairly similar outlook to there plus the added performance we’ve managed to unlock from the car.

How far advanced is the 2017 programme?
NC: Most of our departments are focused on 2017; we have a strong wind tunnel programme, we’re refining the car layout, the schematics are all in progress for the car. It’s a massive change for 2017 with a wide car, wide tyres, a completely different aero package, the loadings into the chassis are different, the power unit is different, the layout at the back of the chassis is different; there’s a tremendous amount of work to be done. It is a very exciting challenge and very motivating for the design team.

Circuit notes

• T2 – a stable car under braking is needed into Turn 2 to allow a clean exit and strong traction on to the fastest part of the track.
• T3-T4 – good change of direction demanded from the car with the rear end settling nicely on the exit of the latter to enable good acceleration on to the straight.
• T6 – an important corner with drivers braking from high speed into what is the slowest corner on the circuit. Strong traction required on exit.
• T7 – taken at high speed, flat out with low fuel but slightly more tricky with heavy fuel loads.
• T10 – off camber and a challenge to get right. Towards the end of the race it can be taken almost flat out with a good car but it’s far more of a challenge with a heavy car.
• High downforce required through the low speed stadium section of Turns 12 to 17, this section is narrow meaning overtaking is difficult.

Power Unit notes

• Approximately 65% of the lap is spent at full throttle thanks to the four long straights. The Parabolika straight is over 1km long, putting it on a par with the longer straights of the season in China and Abu Dhabi. Power units will spend over 14 seconds at full throttle, one of the longest single outright times of the year.
• Drivers will reach over 290kph on three occasions (or over 300kph on two occasions) during the first two thirds of the lap. The ICE and turbo are therefore subject to heavy loading.
• Energy recovery under braking is relatively easy since the straights are linked by medium to low speed corners such as the Hairpin and the old Stadium complex. This is good news as far as carbon fuel consumption is concerned.
• The latter part of the lap, which includes a slow 60kph hairpin, a right hand flick and then the renowned stadium section, is taken at a much lower average speed than the first part of the lap. The tight, twisty nature of this part of the track demands good braking stability and engine torque response, particularly through the stadium, which is taken at an average of 200kph.
• With such large loads going through every part of the Power Unit, everything will get very hot. High ambient temperatures will only compound this challenge. To prevent against any potential overheating issues it is likely teams will run a different cooling configuration and use the PU elements in a slightly different way.

Tyre choice

• Medium: Rye bread – tough, hard and gives lots of energy to last a long time.
• Soft: A semi-hard exterior, which gives way to a soft, silky inside, just like a pretzel.
• Supersoft: Just like a black forest gateau, they look great but don’t tend to last a long time.

Memory Lane

Renault has scored many wins at Hockenheim over the years, but arguably none was more popular – or indeed surprising – than that earned by Gerhard Berger for Benetton in 1997. It was to be the last F1 victory for the Austrian driver, who retired from the sport at the end of that season. After being away for two months with illness Berger returned to the cockpit for the German GP. He took pole position ahead of Jordan rookie Giancarlo Fisichella. Rain before the start made it an unpredictable race, and it quickly became clear that Fisichella and Berger were on very different strategies. An accident for Fisico late in the race put paid to the battle, and Berger eventually crossed the line 17.5s clear of Michael Schumacher. He also picked up fastest lap, making it a remarkable clean sweep. The win was a good boost for the Benetton team, who had not won since Schumacher left. Remarkably it would also be the last win for the team until a certain Fernando Alonso triumphed – under the Renault name – in the 2003 Hungarian GP.

Quirky facts

• According to the 1996 Guinness Book of World Records, the longest word published in the German language is Donaudampfschifffahrtselektrizitätenhauptbetriebswerkbauunterbeamtengesellschaft. It has a whopping 79 letters and means Association for subordinate officials of the head office management of the Danube steamboat electrical services.
• The fabled German Autobahn network has no federally mandated speed limits, although a lot of sections have mandatory or temporary restrictions. However an estimate reported that 52% of the autobahn network is still unlimited.
• Average annual meat consumption per person in Germany is 61kg. There are more than 1,500 different types of sausage, with common varieties including the Bratwurst, made of pork and herbs, Currywurst, served with curried ketchup, and Blutwurst, made with blood.
• There are more than 1,300 breweries in Germany making more than 5,000 different types of beer. The ubiquitous Pils beer holds a roughly 60% market share while Weissbier, the most popular beer style in Bavaria, holds about a 10% market share.
• Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany since 2005, was ranked as the world’s second most powerful person in Forbes magazine in 2012. In 2009, Mattel celebrated 50 years of Barbie by producing an Angela Merkel Barbie doll.

[MIKA27]

MERCEDES PREVIEW THE GERMAN GRAND PRIX

The 2016 Formula One World Championship season continues this weekend with Round 12, the German Grand Prix, from Hockenheim

• Lewis: “I’ve got some great memories from the circuit and the country itself”
• Nico: “It’s a massive buzz to be back racing in Germany”
• Toto: “We will do everything in our power to make Mercedes-Benz proud”
• Paddy: “It’s a fantastic privilege for us to represent the 280,000 Daimler employees worldwide”

Lewis Hamilton: “Getting that win in Hungary after a less than straightforward weekend was a great feeling. If I can come out on top when things aren’t quite perfect, that can only be a good thing. Now it’s off to Germany and another one of the team’s home races after Silverstone. It’s great to be going back there. My last win in Hockenheim came way back in 2008, which seems like a lifetime ago, but I’ve got some great memories from the circuit and the country itself. I raced there a lot when in my early career in the junior racing formulae and, of course, I’ve been part of the Mercedes-Benz family since way back when. It would be great to get another win there for all our Mercedes employees and for the team, too, before the summer break. The last few races have been good for me, so if I can continue that form into this weekend I’ll be in good shape.”

Nico Rosberg: “It was disappointing to lose the race at the first corner in Hungary. But I was really happy with my pace all weekend, so that gives me good confidence moving forwards. I’m happy to have the chance to get back in the car again so soon – and especially happy that it’s at my second home race. I had a fantastic day at Hockenheim a few weeks ago driving Mika Häkkinen’s Championship-winning car. That really gave me a massive buzz to be back racing in Germany. Driving in through the circuit gates brought back so many great memories – from my childhood days at the DTM with my Dad right through to winning the Grand Prix for myself in 2014. Hopefully I can repeat that this year for the fans and for everybody at Mercedes. After this race it’s a well-earned break for the team, too. I’ll be pushing flat out to give them the result they deserve before they get some time to recharge their batteries.”

Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: “To get such a result in Hungary, which is not a track that has traditionally suited us, shows how far we have progressed. That is the most satisfying outcome and a big positive for the rest of the season. We are in a strong position as we move past the halfway point, with two drivers performing at a high level and a competitive combination of chassis and engine underneath them. Their battle shows no signs of dropping in intensity, and we can expect plenty of entertainment as the races and points count down. Next, we have our home race in Hockenheim. It’s no secret that this is a big weekend for us. We are just a small part of a large global organisation and we take great pride in representing the three-pointed star out on track. I’m sure our rivals would take great pleasure in beating us on our home turf, so the pressure is on. But we will do everything in our power to make Mercedes-Benz proud and head into the summer break on a high.”

Paddy Lowe, Executive Director (Technical): “Hockenheim is a great circuit. With a good range of cornering speeds, it places a high demand on every aspect of car performance, so we hope our package will be strong there. We have the same tyre compounds available as in Hungary with the Medium, Soft and SuperSoft – but the track is quite a bit more aggressive than the Hungaroring, so we will likely see a range of different strategy options emerging as potential candidates for the race. It’s great to go back to Germany after not having raced there in 2015 – which was a huge omission from the calendar. It’s also a fantastic opportunity for our colleagues from Stuttgart to see their Silver Arrows close up – and a fantastic privilege for us to represent the 280,000 Daimler employees worldwide at this home event for the company. Of course, that brings with it a lot of pressure – but we’ll go out there and do our best to deliver a top result. It’s a great venue for spectators, with the stadium section providing fantastic views of the final sector. After an emphatic win for Nico and a superb recovery drive for Lewis back in 2014, we’ll be hoping to bring even more excitement and success this time around.”

[MIKA27]

MCLAREN PREVIEW THE GERMAN GRAND PRIX

Hockenheim was built in 1929 as a test track for Mercedes Benz. It first hosted the German Grand Prix in 1970, although it only became the permanent home of the race in ’77, following Niki Lauda’s accident at the Nürburgring Nordschleife the previous year.

What makes it unique: The long straights, although the high-speed character of the circuit changed irreversibly in 2002, when it was shortened and re-profiled by Hermann Tilke. It’s now more of a classic stadium circuit, requiring less extreme car set-up parameters.

Grip levels: Medium. Most of the asphalt dates back to 2002, when the track was re-profiled. It’s a very smooth surface, similar in micro-roughness to the Red Bull Ring, but a number of fast corners means Pirelli have elected not to bring their Ultrasoft compound to the race.

Run-off: Part of Hermann Tilke’s remit when re-designing the circuit in 2002 was to increase the run-off area at the fastest points on the lap, such as Turns One, Two and Six.

Watch out for: Turn 12, a sixth gear right-hander taken at 210km/h (130mph). The asphalt falls away at the exit, inviting the cars to run wide if their line isn’t perfect. Added to the driving challenge is the electric atmosphere of Hockenheim’s Motodrom, with its huge grandstands, at this point on the track.

Fernando Alonso: “Hockenheim is quite a technical circuit which requires fairly high downforce, and although most of the corners are relatively low-speed, they come after long, power-hungry straights, so the set-up of both the power unit and chassis for both eventualities can be quite tricky. For this kind of circuit, you need a car with which you can push, and I feel we’re making improvements in that area.

“For sure it will be different to Hungary – we can’t expect to be the number four team there, and our midfield rivals will be stronger, but we’ll try to maximise everything we have in our armoury and give it our best shot. The whole team has worked incredibly hard over the first half of the year, so it’ll be great to be able to have some luck and bring both cars home without any major issues.

I’m pleased to be heading back to Hockenheim after we missed a race in Germany in 2015. It’s been a good circuit for me in the past – I’ve had three victories on this circuit, and five in Germany, so there’s lots of happy memories. There’s usually a good atmosphere there and there’s something special about the feeling of it being the last race before the summer break – everyone is upbeat and pushing hard because they want to finish the first half of the season on a high.

“The weather is always a factor in Germany – this time of year tends to be hot, but you can never be 100 per cent sure, so even a little bit of rain could mix things up a bit, which might help us. We’re know it’ll be a tough race, but after Hungary – even though the characteristics are very different – I’m pleased with the progress we’re making and I’m definitely up for the challenge.”

Jenson Button: “Although Hockenheim has had two different configurations over the years, there’s a lot of history there and the fans love their racing. Our car is strong under heavy braking, but despite the long, sweeping corners and fast straights, this isn’t as much of a necessity there as in Hungary. We’re expecting it to be a tricky weekend as the best-placed cars are the ones with the highest straight-line speeds, but we’ll see what we can do. The MP4-31 is well balanced and has good traction out of the corners, so we might be able to make up some time around a lap.

“There are a couple of decent overtaking opportunities there, so you don’t just need to rely on DRS and a good slipstream on the straights, and it’s an enjoyable challenge. The asphalt is smooth which will hopefully rubber in nicely over the course of the weekend, as you need good grip to have any chance of making up ground. I remember the craziness of the old configuration – huge straights and fiddly chicanes, which made set-up a tricky compromise – and this layout is very different, but you can see they’ve designed it to promote close racing.

Last Sunday in Hungary was a big disappointment on my side of the garage – we showed a lot of promise throughout the weekend leading up to the race, but on Sunday it seemed that everything that could go wrong, did. Still, that’s part of racing and Fernando has had his share of bad luck over the past few races, so it was good he was able to get some points and maintain a good pace.

“I hope we can regain our form in Germany and enjoy a positive race for both cars before the summer break. After last weekend, the main thing we need to focus on is reliability. If we have that, it at least puts us in a position to see where we are on track and be in the hunt for points. Hopefully the weekend will throw up a surprise or two, and we can both have a smooth weekend.”

Eric Boullier, McLaren-Honda Racing Director: “After a long and gruelling first half of the season, culminating in six races in seven weeks, the whole team is preparing for the final push at the German Grand Prix before a well-deserved summer break. Despite the drama and poor luck Jenson suffered on Sunday at the Hungaroring, our pace as demonstrated by Fernando was encouraging. Although not as a high a finishing position as last year, we showed form and consistency throughout the weekend, and in a race of very low attrition except Jenson’s unfortunate retirement, we were able to maintain our position on merit and keep our nearest midfield rivals firmly behind us.

“Now, we head to Hockenheim, which certainly offers a very different challenge to test our package. We are under no illusions that we’ll enjoy the same levels of pace that Fernando could exploit in Hungary, but nevertheless we’ll strive to set-up our package to enable our strengths to shine and outweigh the more difficult elements. With the support of the 50,000 plus fans in the stadium section alone, and our usual grit and hard work, we’ll do everything we can to finish the twelfth race of this 21-race season on a positive note.

“I’d also like to thank all our team members in Woking, Milton Keynes and Sakura for their admirable stamina, unwavering determination and unflappable perseverance throughout the first half the season. We’ll be giving it our all over the weekend to maximise our chances and give both cars the best opportunity to push for points. Both our drivers have a lot of experience fighting on this circuit, too – and have both enjoyed victory there – so they’ll certainly be taking the battle to the track this weekend in the hope of sharing some of the spoils on offer at this most historic of venues.”

Yusuke Hasegawa, Honda R&D Co Ltd Head of F1 Project & Executive Chief Engineer: “Though Hockenheimring is another power-oriented circuit, McLaren-Honda has continued to show progress and strength through every race of the European leg, and we believe that we can once again perform to the best of our abilities at the German GP this weekend.

“As a team, this will be our first race at this track so it will be a busy weekend to fine-tune and set up both the power unit and the chassis. It will also be important for us to fix any reliability issues that we have had over the past race weekends, and face the last race before the F1 summer shutdown with a positive outlook.

“Hopefully, we can repeat the good points finish that we had in Hungaroring with Fernando’s car and score more championship points before the second half of the season.”

[MIKA27]

Wehrlein: My future is in Mercedes’ hands

Promising youngster Pascal Wehrlein has revealed that it is up to Mercedes to decide whether he will be racing for Manor or another team next season.

Wehrlein, who is part of the Silver Arrow's development programme, was given permission by his parent team to race for Manor as part of their engine deal for 2016.

However, with both Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg confirmed to race for Mercedes until 2018, the youngster may stay another year with the British outfit or be allowed to step up to a more promising team like Williams or Force India.

"Mercedes will manage it [the future], I'm not thinking too much about it," the 21-year-old admitted.

"It's up to Mercedes. I'm happy and focused on the situation now, and then we will have to see what the opportunities are for next year, and then decide. At the moment, it's too early to say anything about it."

The German has already scored his first point in Formula 1, but explained that he still has plenty to learn as he continues to rack up more race experience at every Grand Prix.

"I'm learning a lot about Formula 1, the car, the tyres," he continued.

"There have been situations where we could have done better, but I think it's normal, as it's my first year in single-seaters (since 2013) – it's new, so I'm just getting used to it.

"We knew that there would only be a few opportunities this year where it would be realistic to be in a position where we could score points if everything goes right for us.

"Our pace is not in the top 10, at none of the tracks, it was just in Austria that everything was perfect – we were competitive, the car was fast and I felt happy in the car."

[MIKA27]

Kvyat’s contract will not be renewed

Things appear to have gone from bad to worse for Daniil Kvyat, with Russian news agency Izvestia reporting that he will be axed from Red Bull’s list of contracted drivers.

Kvyat was demoted from Red Bull to Toro Rosso after the Russian Grand Prix in May and was replaced by Max Verstappen at the premier team.

Since then, the 22-year-old has struggled to make an impact, with his best performance a 10th-place finish in Spain and Great Britain.

With Kvyat failing to live up to expectations and being outperformed by Toro Rosso team-mate Carlos Sainz Jr, Red Bull are said to be leaning towards not renewing his contract, which is believed to expire at the end of the current season.

“Red Bull had hoped the return to Toro Rosso would give Kvyat confidence, relieving the pressure on him,” an insider told Izvestia. “It was expected that he would regularly score points and become an example for (Carlos) Sainz.

“But in the last seven races, Daniil has not fared well compared to his teammate, and the most recent setbacks seem to have finally convinced Helmut Marko to not renew the contract.”

Should Kvyat be released, Red Bull are likely to bring in Pierre Gasly as his replacement, with Toro Rosso head Franz Tost having revealed that none of the organisation’s other drivers are ready to make the step up to Formula 1.

“It is too early to say – but I would not mind keeping what we have,” Tost told F1.com when asked about Toro Rosso’s line-up for the 2017 season. “But should one of the two prefer to leave there is only one other option – Pierre Gasly. All the other drivers are too young and inexperienced.”

[MIKA27]

FIA RELAX F1 PIT-TO-DRIVER RADIO LIMITATIONS

The FIA have agreed to relax team to driver radio restrictions with immediate effect, in the wake of recent farcical radio related incidents.

The FIA released the following statement: “At the request of the Teams and Commercial Rights Holder, the FIA has agreed to adopt a more liberal approach to the interpretation of Article 27.1 (that a driver must drive the car alone and unaided).”

“With the exception of the period between the start of the formation lap and the start of the race, there will be no limitations on messages teams send to their drivers either by radio or pit board.”

“This approach is aimed at providing improved content for fans and spectators, as teams will now be required to provide the Commercial Rights Holder with unrestricted access to their radio messages at all times that their cars are out of the garage.”

 

MIKA: It was a pointless rule and even more pointless and annoying are the number of people who have been penalised from this rule which is now scrapped mid season... Kinda stupid. I know of no other sport that has rules changing each year and aslo mid way through the year.

[MIKA27]

F1 HALO COCKPIT SAFETY SYSTEM NOT HAPPENING IN 2017

Formula 1 bosses have voted against the halo cockpit safety system which was on the table to be introduced for next season, instead the FIA have confirmed that the system will be implemented in 2018.

The F1 strategy group consisting of Bernie Ecclestone, six of the major teams teams and FIA president Jean Todt decided on Thursday the system needed further work hence the delayed introduction.

The FIA stated: “The Strategy Group agreed unanimously that the 2018 season will see the introduction of frontal cockpit protection for Formula One cars in order to significantly enhance the safety of drivers.”

“It was decided that owing to the relatively short timeframe until the commencement of the 2017 Formula One season it would be prudent to use the remainder of this year and early next year to further evaluate the full potential of all options before final confirmation.”

“This will include undertaking multiple on-track tests of the ‘Halo’ system in practice sessions during the rest of this season and during the first part of the 2017 season.”

“While the Halo is currently the preferred option, as it provides the broadest solution to date, the consensus among the Strategy Group was that another year of development could result in an even more complete solution.”

“Halo remains a strong option for introduction in 2018.”

Meanwhile Ecclestone told BBC Sport. “We’ll have to look into it in more detail. When you look at it, it was yes and no – we haven’t really got a lot of positives.”

Ecclestone, who had made clear his opposition to the halo concept before the meeting, added: “But we’ve learned a lot about what to do. We will look into it further.”

World champion Lewis Hamilton described the halo when it was introduced in March as the “worst-looking mod in F1 history.”

But Hamilton warmed to the concept after drivers were briefed about the benefits of the system, “They said there is a 17% improvement on life saving. We can’t ignore that. It’s a safety thing that we all have to accept.”

Quadruple F1 world champion Sebastian Vettel told media shorter after it was announced that the halo was shelved, “I think 90-95 per cent [of drivers] voted for it – so I don’t know why all of a sudden it comes up the way it does.”

“I think it’s the wrong impression. As I think the majority in here said as well, we don’t like the looks of it but I don’t think there’s anything really that justifies death,” added Vettel.

[MIKA27]

JOS VERSTAPPEN ACCUSED OF BEATING UP HIS OWN FATHER

Max Verstappen’s father Jos Verstappen has reportedly had an eventful few days between the Hungarian and German grands prix.

De Telegraaf reports that the former Benetton and Minardi driver physically attacked his own father, Max’s grandfather Frans Verstappen.

The report said the incident happened shortly after the Budapest race last Sunday, in Jos’ hometown of Montford, in The Netherlands.

De Telegraaf said Frans Verstappen filed a complaint with the police.

“We’ve seen before that Jos has loose hands but this was the limit,” Frans, showing multiple wounds and bruises on his body and head, is quoted as saying. “Jos is very bad tempered.”

Max and Jos’ manager Raymond Vermeulen said the incident was a “private matter”.

Later, Limburg broadcaster L1 reported that Frans had withdrawn the complaint, “It’s just a private matter between myself and Jos. I want to keep it between ourselves.”

[MIKA27]

ALLISON LEFT FERRARI AFTER FALL OUT WITH MARCHIONNE

James Allison left Ferrari after a falling out with new president Sergio Marchionne, according to a report with Auto Motor und Sport, following this week’s news that the Italian team’s highly rated British technical director has left.

Ferrari claimed the decision was taken “jointly” but gave no reason for the split.

Earlier this year, Allison’s wife died suddenly and it has been rumoured he might want to return full-time to Britain where his children live.

Auto Motor und Sport said that since his wife’s death, Allison has only been at Maranello 3.5 days a week, and rarely at races. He is now being linked with a potential move to Renault, McLaren or Mercedes.

Auto Motor und Sport correspondent Michael Schmidt reports: “Returning to England is certainly one of the reasons for the separation.

“But there are also claims that Marchionne could not cope with Allison, because the Briton spoke his mind and refused to be dictated unreasonable targets in contrast to his (Allison’s) 25 years of motor sport experience,” he added.

Ferrari has replaced Allison with engine chief Mattia Binotto, but Schmidt claims this is just an “interim” solution.

There are reports Ferrari’s former technical director Ross Brawn is en route to Hockenheim.

[MIKA27]

PEREZ AND SPONSORS UNDECIDED ON FORCE INDIA FUTURE

Force India’s Sergio Perez has said he is yet to decide if he will drive for the Formula 1 team next season.

When asked by reporters at Hockenheim ahead of the German Grand Prix if it was possible he could leave Force India after this season, Mexico’s Perez replied: “Yes.”

“It’s up to me and the group of sponsors… the decision is not only down to me,” he added ahead of this weekend’s German Grand Prix.

“If we’re moving around teams, we take the decision together with the group of sponsors that I have and that decision has not been taken.”

Force India’s co-owner Vijay Mallya said earlier this month at the British Grand Prix that both Perez and team mate Nico Hulkenberg would be driving for the Silverstone-based outfit next year.

Hulkenberg on Thursday confirmed he would be staying, but Perez said at the last race in Hungary that his situation was not clear-cut and that his sponsors would play a key role in deciding his future.

The 26-year-old added on Thursday that he hopes to know where he will be driving next year by the time the sport returns from its annual summer break, which begins following Sunday’s race.

“But you never know in this business,” said Perez, who is strongly supported by Mexican telecoms billionaire Carlos Slim Domit.

“My deals are not so simple as I have a lot of sponsors that have to do deals and so it takes longer…”

Perez has rebuilt his career since being dropped by McLaren at the end of 2013 after a single season with the team.

He has been on the podium twice this season and was linked in media speculation with a move to Ferrari before the Italian team announced Finland’s 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen was staying for another season.

[MIKA27]

Formula 1 agrees on wet standing starts

The F1 Strategy Group has agreed on the principle of standing starts in wet conditions, and it is understood that the change could be applied immediately.

Following criticisms of the lengthy Safety Car period at the British Grand Prix, F1 teams have been evaluating an alternative solution that will not rob fans of the spectacle of a normal start.

The proposal of the standing start after a Safety Car period at the beginning of a race was approved by team managers earlier this week, and has now been ratified by the Strategy Group.

As was previously reported, the plan is that drivers will follow the safety car for a few laps, but instead of being released when the safety car comes in as was previously the case, they will go to the grid for a normal start on full wet tyres.

Although it has not been confirmed, the likelihood is that drivers will not be allowed to drive straight into the pits for a change to intermediate tyres prior to this standing start, and will be obliged to go to the grid and do at least one racing lap before changing tyres.

Although the start procedures are laid out in the regulations, there are suggestions that current tweaks can be implemented without the need for a change of rules.

However, it is also possible that the FIA may choose to put it in the rules, which will require a vote from the F1 Commission and FIA World Motor Sport Council.

When asked by Motorsport.com about the idea of wet standing starts in Hungary, Lewis Hamilton supported the idea.

"It could be quite good," said the world champion. "In Silverstone 2008 we started in the wet, and it was heavy.

"I think we were on intermediates, but it was still pretty wet. A wet start is exciting, just as exciting as a dry start, if not more. I'm all for that."

The Strategy Group also agreed that from next year no work will be allowed on cars during race suspensions, including no tyre changes, to stop teams gaining an unfair advantage.

In Australia, Romain Grosjean in effect got a free pitstop by changing tyres during the red flag.

[MIKA27]

Button on Verstappen: Moving under braking "the worst thing you can do"

Jenson Button has harshly criticised Max Verstappen's defending from Kimi Raikkonen in the closing stages of the Hungarian Grand Prix, saying any change of direction in the braking zone is a "no-no".

Verstappen's robust defending from Raikkonen allowed the Dutchman to hang on to fifth place in Hungary, but left Raikkonen fuming - the Finn insisting that Verstappen's moves were "not correct".

Speaking about it on Thursday at Hockenheim, Button said he agreed with Raikkonen's criticism.

"As drivers, we all know that moving in the braking zone is the most dangerous thing you can do - because the guy [behind] is going at 300km/h and he probably hasn't hit the brakes yet," Button said.

 

"So, yeah, moving is a no-no and he [Verstappen] obviously did move in the braking zone. I can understand Kimi's frustration."

Responding to the suggestion that Button - and the majority of his fellow F1 drivers - pulled similar defensive moves in junior racing, the Briton said: "You're also doing 100mph, you're not doing 220mph.

"It doesn't mean it's right that you do it in junior formulae, we're trying to stamp it out, lead by example. And if we're doing it, everyone else is going to do it in junior formulae, there's going to be more incidents of cars flying.

"It's not right to say 'well, you did it'. Of course, I probably did do it, but it wasn't right to do it. You learn - and at 330km into Turn 1, moving in the braking zone, it's the worst thing you can do, because cars fly.

"Moving in the braking zone is not racing, it's dangerous."

Asked whether that outlook was accepted only recently, Button insisted: "The whole time I've been racing in F1, you don't move in the braking zone, because that's when you have big accidents.

It wasn't Esteban's [Gutierrez] fault in Melbourne, but you look at the accident that Fernando [Alonso] had, are you happy seeing accidents like that?

"Max is an unbelievable talent in terms of what he's achieved at such a young age, he's doing a great job - but obviously there are always things we can learn from as drivers, we can all learn. It needs to be a bit clearer cut."

[MIKA27]

Ninja moves on F1 podium!

Sporting Director Ron Meadows shares his podium story from the Hungarian GP. 

 

[MIKA27]

HOCKENHEIM FP2: ROSBERG HAS THE EDGE OVER HAMILTON

Mercedes set the pace on the first day of the German Grand Prix weekend, with Nico Rosberg setting the pace on home soil with the quickest time in the second free practice session, once again finishing ahead of team-mate Lewis Hamilton at the Hockenheimring.

In the morning session Rosberg had eclipsed Hamilton by 0.326 in the morning session and though in the afternoon both set slightly slower best times, with Rosberg posting a 1:15.614, the German this time beat new championship leader Hamilton by almost four tenths of a second.

Sebastian Vettel claimed the third position he had also occupied earlier in the day. but whereas he had been 1.1s adrift of Rosberg in FP1 this time, in qualifying trim, the Ferrari driver took half a second out of the gap to finish 0.594 behind the top Mercedes.

However, while Vettel repeated his morning placing, Kimi Raikkonen who finished directly behind the four-time champion in the first session, this time lost out to the Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo. It was a close-run thing, though with the trio separated by just 0.056s.

After finishing 15th and 16th in FP1, when they only ran the medium tyres, Force India fared better in the afternoon with Nico Hulkenberg claiming P7 on the supersoft tyres. At his home race Hulkenberg finished 0.367s and two places higher than team-mate Sergio Perez.

Eighth place in the session went to McLaren’s Jenson Button, though the Briton later had to make a trip to the medical centre, after complaining that he head been “irritated” by something in the cockpit. Tenth place in the session went to Button’s team-mate Fernando Alonso.

[MIKA27]

BRAWN: I’VE NOT HAD A PROPOSAL AND I’VE NOT SAID NO

Ross Brawn has denied the latest speculation about his potential return to Formula 1 and admits he has yet to receive a proposal from Ferrari chiefs, thus has not said no to anything that might be offered.

Some Hockenheim-bound members of the sport’s travelling circus spotted the former Ferrari and Mercedes man on the same flight from London to Frankfurt early on Thursday.

This in turn triggered wild speculation Brawn, 61, could come out of retirement to replace James Allison at Ferrari.

But RTL, the German broadcaster, reports that the rumours were wide of the mark, as Brawn was in fact en route to Marburg, on the other side of Frankfurt, for the opening of a Michael Schumacher exhibition.

“In an exclusive interview with RTL presenter Florian Konig, Brawn issued a clear denial about his possible return to Ferrari,” RTL said.

Earlier this week Brawn broke his silence on F1 matters and advised his former team, “They need a quiet approach. It’s important that Ferrari still respect what they have to do, but they do it progressively and quietly.”

A week ago he told media, “I’ve not had any communication with Ferrari whatsoever, so I don’t know where all the stories have come from.”

“I’ve not had a proposal, and I’ve not said no,” added Brawn cryptically. “That’s why you can never say never. I don’t know what it would be, to be frank. My life is fairly busy, and I don’t seem to have a spare day.”

[MIKA27]

WURZ: I AM SURPRISED BY THE HALO DECISION

Formula 1’s surprise vote to delay the introduction of the Halo cockpit safety device has taken the sport into “uncharted territory”, Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA) chairman Alex Wurz has said.

Wurz, the former grand prix racer and head of the drivers’ union, is a keen advocate for the cockpit head protection system, and believes the decision “could almost be seen as business first and safety second”.

But following a lengthy meeting in Geneva of Formula One’s strategy group, which consists of the sport’s top teams, chief executive Bernie Ecclestone and FIA president Jean Todt, the required majority verdict in favour was not reached.

“My personal view is that the strategy group outcome, if ratified by the FIA World Motor Sport Council, represents much more than just a vote against the Halo, or a delay in the introduction of additional head protection,” Wurz said.

“This decision brings F1 in to uncharted territory in many ways. Let’s wait for the reasoning behind this decision, but for now this decision could almost be seen as business first and safety second.

“Just one week ago the FIA safety experts presented this solution as the most researched safety device ever, and said that it is ready to go, so maybe we have a communication problem between here and there.

“I am surprised by the decision, and I dearly hope it is not one that one day we will all come to bitterly regret.”

Indeed Thursday’s vote could now spark a row between the sport’s hierarchy and the drivers.

Wurz added: “If you start with the question ‘do you like the look of the halo’ many will say ‘no’, but some will think a step further and know that the halo is not the last solution. It is a safe start to developing something to protect the driver’s head.

“We have made this sport already very safe but who tells us that we should stop now? If you make the cars safer it doesn’t mean anyone can drive it.

“The probability of being killed or injured is still there, but you would just be the lucky one if someone in front of you loses their wing and hits your head, that you have a higher chance of surviving.”

 

[MIKA27]

BUTTON CLEARED TO RACE IN GERMANY AFTER EYE CHECK-UP

Jenson Button is fit to drive in the German Formula One Grand Prix after being taken to hospital for a precautionary eye check-up following Friday’s practice session.

“On my way back to Hockenheim from the Mannheim hospital for an eye examination, foreign body found and removed,” Button said on Twitter. “All good for tomorrow.”

The 2009 world champion, who ended both sessions on Friday in eighth place, complained of eye irritation during the afternoon, his McLaren team said.

The Briton underwent a checks at the circuit medical centre before being taken to hospital.

The 36-year-old completed only 16 laps in the second session compared to 21 for his team mate Fernando Alonso.

Button lies 15th in the drivers’ standings having finished in the points in four of the 11 races this season.

[MIKA27]

NEXT HONDA UPGRADE SET FOR SPA REVEALS BUTTON

Honda is not resting in its efforts to close the gap to its Formula 1 power unit rivals.

Christian Horner revealed recently that Renault is now less than 50 horse power behind field-leaders Mercedes and Ferrari.

McLaren’s works supplier Honda has also improved markedly in 2017, and another step is coming soon according to team driver Jenson Button.

“We have the summer break and then Spa (the Belgian GP), where we will have another update for the power unit, which is exciting,” the Briton is quoted by the Spanish sports daily AS at Hockenheim.

The steps made by Honda and McLaren this year have also been welcomed by Fernando Alonso, who thinks he is performing better as a driver compared to 2015.

“Last year I was not comfortable, not happy with my own performance,” said the Spaniard. “But this year I’m driving at my best level.”