FORMULA 1 - 2016

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F1 2016 Highlights - Our Half-Term Report!

Check out the best bits from the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team's season so far - on and off the track!

 

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Late arrivals…F1’s best mid-season debuts

With the news of Esteban Ocon being handed his F1 race debut with Manor after replacing Rio Haryanto fresh in the headlines, it has provided an ideal kicking point to look back at a few famous faces who also broke on to the scene midway through a season at full charge. 

While some have been destined to the sidenotes in the archives here are a few names which demonstrated their talents despite entering the fray with little time to prepare. 

David Coulthard – Williams, 1994 Spanish Grand Prix 

Following the tragic death of Ayrton Senna at Imola, Williams test driver David Coulthard was handed the task of taking up the Brazilian driver's race seat at the Spanish Grand Prix in 1994. 

Despite being forced to retire in his F1 debut while running in the points, the Scottish driver battled back on his next outing in Canada to claim his first championship points. 

After pressure grew from engine supplier Renault to see 1992 F1 World Champion Nigel Mansell back in the sport, Coulthard sat out the French round and even though he returned at the next race at Silverstone the move put stress on his relationship with Williams which resulted in a contract dispute. 

Having seen out the 1995 season with Williams, in which he claimed his first Grand Prix victory in Portugal, Coulthard secured his dream McLaren move a year later which started his eight-year stint at the team before moving on to the rebranded Red Bull squad for the final four years of his F1 career. Coulthard was replaced at Red Bull by another famous name to make his F1 debut midway through a season… 

Sebastian Vettel – BMW Sauber 2007 United States Grand Prix 

One of the most successful drivers in the modern era, Sebastian Vettel had been backed by Red Bull since age 11 and was on the fringes of F1 at 18 as BMW Sauber's test driver in 2006. 

After Robert Kubica's serious crash during the 2007 Canadian Grand Prix Vettel was called in as cover for the subsequent race at Indianapolis where he became the youngest-ever points score in F1 – until Max Verstappen broke that record last year. 

At the time of his maiden F1 outing, Vettel had been leading the Formula Renault 3.5 Series but with great things expected from the German he was fast-tracked into the Red Bull F1 set-up by replacing Scott Speed at Scuderia Toro Rosso from Hungary onwards before propelling himself into F1 greatness with Red Bull two years later as Coulthard's replacement. 

Jean Alesi – Tyrrell, 1989 French Grand Prix 

While on his way to the Formula 3000 title in 1989, Jean Alesi was snapped up by Ken Tyrrell for a trial in the French Grand Prix at Paul Ricard when he replaced Michele Alboreto. The initial deal only covered the French race but Alesi made such an impression on the team finishing fourth on debut, while also being in contention for a podium place all race, that Tyrrell offered the Frenchman an 18-month F1 contract immediately after the chequered flag. 

Alesi completed the 1989 campaign with two further points finishes in Italy and Spain, but missed two races as it clashed with his Formula 3000 title charge with Eddie Jordan Racing, which sparked his 13-year F1 career which poetically ended back with the Irishman under the guise of B&H Jordan Honda in 2001. 
 

Robert Kubica – BMW Sauber 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix 

A relative unknown before hitting the F1 scene, Kubica got his big break when BMW Sauber ruled Jacques Villeneuve unfit to race after complaining about headaches from his accident in Germany which opened the opportunity for Kubica to become the first Polish driver in F1. 

Kubica instantly impressed by out-qualifying Nick Heidfeld before finishing seventh and in the points but the result was scratched from the history books when he was disqualified for an underweight car post-race. 

With Villeneuve opting for the exit at BMW Sauber, Kubica retained his seat and stormed the headlines in Italy a month later by grabbing a rostrum result in just his third F1 race. 

Michael Schumacher – Team 7UP Jordan 1991 Belgian Grand Prix 

If Esteban Ocon needs any encouragement on making his F1 race debut at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps he can look to the most successful driver in the sport's history as Michael Schumacher made his opening cameo for Jordan in 1991. 

The seven-time F1 World Champion probably had the most unusual circumstances under which he made his debut in the sport. 

Schumacher took up Bertrand Gachot's race seat as the Luxembourg driver was serving a two-month prison sentence for assaulting a London taxi driver, but being contracted to Mercedes team owner Jordan had to pay $150,000 for the German to be allowed to drive at Spa having impressed the team during a test at Silverstone. 

Despite never competing around the historic circuit before, Schumacher qualified seventh on the grid but had to retire on lap one with clutch problems. 

Even though the German had suffered a false-start to his F1 career he was quickly snapped up by Benetton for the remainder of the 1991 season, igniting the greatest racing career in the history of the sport. 

No pressure then, Esteban…

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Verstappen: Red Bull lack “raw speed” to beat Mercedes

Max Verstappen says Red Bull Racing just don't have the “raw speed” needed to challenge and beat Mercedes in the dry. 

Red Bull ended the first half of the season strongly, with its first double podium of the season – and first since Hungary last year – moving it up to second in the Constructors' Championship, and ahead of Ferrari, 14 points the difference. 

However, despite the resurgence, Verstappen is pessimistic about their chances of taking the fight to Mercedes unless there is precipitation. 

“Not at the moment, I think they are still too strong. In the wet yeah definitely we have a chance like you could see in Silverstone but normal dry conditions they are unbeatable at the moment. Of course we need a bit of luck, sometimes when they touch each other or when they have a little issue or whatever then we have a chance but on just raw speed it's different,” he confirmed. 

Asked if that will be the case for the remainder of 2016, he replied: “For the rest of this season. We can be close again in Singapore but all the other tracks it will be hard.” 

Meanwhile, Verstappen added that while Red Bull could probably have been closer in Hungary, the tricky wet-dry conditions there during qualifying actually went against them. 

“I think in qualifying [in Budapest] we could have challenged, it was just a bit unfortunate how the whole qualifying session went but in the race they were definitely too strong, that's a fact. On qualifying pace I think we could have been close. I wouldn't say we could have beat them but it could have been close and I also didn't expect to beat them in Hungary. 

“In the end, for the whole season I think Monaco is still the best chance. I think Singapore will be close to Monaco but not as strong as Monaco,” he concluded. 
 

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Magnussen reflects on ‘mistakes and miracles’

Kevin Magnussen says he can be 'fairly happy' with his season thus far despite admitting it is difficult to demonstrate his full potential in the uncompetitive Renault. 

The former McLaren driver returned to the F1 fold this season after securing a late deal with the revived Renault outfit , but both he and team-mate Jolyon Palmer have struggled to mount a challenge beyond the mid-field. 

As it stands, Magnussen has only cracked the points on one occasion this season - with a storming drive to seventh in the Russian Grand Prix - but he feels the car's lack of pace is masking his own potential. 

Indeed, though Magnussen admits he has made errors this year, he insists he has committed 'miracles' too. 

“I feel fairly happy [with my season so far],” he said. “I'm never satisfied because I always feel I can do better. I always feel I can improve. I've made a few mistakes but I also feel I've made a few miracles and that's kind of what I expected.” 

Indeed, though Magnussen admits there is some frustration at Renault's current struggles, he is motivated at the prospect of longer-term gains. 

“It's difficult not to be racing for points. If you're racing in P16 and P15, chasing someone down and even if you do get him and overtake him - you're working so hard to overtake him and you still don't get points. It is a very frustrating and challenging time but I know what I'm working towards. 

“You can always motivate yourself by thinking about next year and the year after that, just thinking about the future and try to learn as much as possible and prepare for when you get the chance because that's how Formula One is, suddenly you're in a car that can win and you have to deliver. So learning and preparing yourself for that time is what I'm doing now.” 
 

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Haas set for 2017 driver decision after Monza

Guenther Steiner says he is in no hurry to decide on Haas' driver line-up for the 2017 season, revealing a decision won't be taken until after September's Italian Grand Prix. 

The American team hit the headlines at the start of the year after Romain Grosjean finished inside the top six in Australia and Bahrain, though points have been harder to come by for the Frenchman since then and his team-mate Esteban Gutrierrez is yet to get on the scoreboard. 

As it stands, neither driver is officially confirmed for 2017 but while Grosjean is expected to stay on for a second year, Gutierrez's future remains rather more uncertain with sometime FP1 driver and GP3 title contender Charles Leclerc potentially in the frame. 

Nevertheless, Steiner says Haas's decision won't be influenced by movements in the driver market before then with no decision to come until after Monza in a month's time. 

“If you know where you are it's better than this uncertainty. We are very confident we can say after Monza. Last year we said the same that we would tell the drivers - maybe we were a few weeks late but we didn't wait until [the winter]. Normally we do what we say, or we try to. It gives the whole team certainty and you can focus on the car and performance.” 

Following its strong start to the season, Haas has slipped to eighth in the constructors' standings after 12 rounds. 

 

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SYMONDS: WE HAVE MADE A CALL TO SWITCH TO NEXT YEAR

Arguably one of the biggest disappointments of the 2016 Formula 1 season is the fact that Williams have been below par for reasons they fail to understand and as a result have the pushed the start button on development of their 2017 F1 challenger early.

Pat Symonds told media, “In the last two years, we’ve been proud that we have brought things to the track that have performed as we anticipated.”

“During that time, there was only one thing we brought that didn’t do what we hoped it would do,so that is a pretty good record.

“This year, we’ve had two quite major developments and they haven’t delivered as much as we expected. We have made a call to switch to next year’s car quite early on.”

“We’ve introduced fewer upgrades than normal and some of those haven’t performed as well as we hoped they would. I’ll be honest and say we’re not completely sure [why] yet and we’re having a big investigation into it right now.

“We will get to the bottom of it, it’s the nature of the way we work at Williams, and we do go into things in a lot of detail so we will sort it.”

“As a team, I would feel more comfortable if we were more on top of tyres. It’s a difficult subject for all of us and it’s an area where I feel we need to put more resource into it,” concluded Symonds.

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ALONSO: FERRARI WILL BE STRONG AGAIN

Fernando Alonso says he has no hard feelings as he looks back on his decision to quit Ferrari, and predicts that the legendary Italian team will be a force once again sooner rather than later.

Although the Spaniard has struggled with McLaren-Honda since leaving Maranello at the end of 2014, he declared at the time that he would rather build up a new project rather than keep finishing second in red.

“When I was there, it was a great time,” he told UOL Esporte. “We were fighting for the championships – the team was very strong and happy.

“But I felt it was the right time to go because in 2015 and 2016 I would be there for the sixth, seventh years and still be behind Mercedes. And I wanted to have a great time, not a painful time, so it was my decision.”

Indeed, some believe that Sebastian Vettel – Alonso’s successor – may already be feeling some of that frustration with a series of recent outbursts and mistakes.

Pundit Marc Surer told Auto Bild: “Sebastian does not accept that Ferrari is not a winning car and that’s why errors are creeping in, while Kimi just does his thing and is sometimes faster.”

But Alonso thinks Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen will be enjoying their time at Ferrari.

“Now they have Kimi and Sebastian getting along together and I’m sure they’re enjoying it, albeit missing the championship. But I think next year they will be stronger,” he said.

However, many pundits now regard Ferrari as being in crisis, having been overtaken in the championship by Red Bull and losing technical boss James Allison.

“It’s never easy to speak from the outside,” Alonso said. “I think this year they are better than last year, more competitive. Last year they were on the podium too but already they are 150 points behind Mercedes which is not good.”

“But it’s hard for anyone to compete with Mercedes,” he insisted. “It’s not only a problem for Ferrari — Mercedes has an advantage that is so great since the regulations changed, so maybe next year, with the rule changes, things can be mixed up again.”

“I’m sure that Ferrari will be strong again,” Alonso said.

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MARKO: KEY AND KVYAT ARE STAYING WITH TORO ROSSO

Red Bull consultant Helmut Marko has played down speculation that two key Red Bull figures could be set to leave the energy drink company’s F1 foray.

With James Allison now gone at Ferrari, some have wondered if rumours the Red Bull-owned Toro Rosso’s technical boss James Key might be the ideal replacement.

But Marko, who is Red Bull magnate Dietrich Mateschitz’s F1 right-hand man, insisted: “Key has a contract until the end of 2018.”

The Austrian also responded to reports that struggling Daniil Kvyat, who has struggled since being demoted from Red Bull to Toro Rosso, will be dropped by the energy drink camp altogether by the end of the season — and possibly even before.

“In terms of Kvyat, we’re holding onto him,” Marko announced to Auto Bild. “He just needs time to clear his head, refuel his self-confidence and return to his full potential.”

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HARYANTO GIVEN MANOR RESERVE ROLE

Rio Haryanto may have lost his Manor race seat to Esteban Ocon, but the team have given him a Formula 1 lifeline by appointing him as reserve driver.

Manor said in a statement: “Manor Racing is pleased to announce that Rio Haryanto will remain with the team for the rest of the season, having accepted its offer of a Reserve Driver role.”

“Rio will be available to deputise should either race driver be unable to take part in an event. He will also be immersed in engineering meetings and PR activities, as the team continues its support for his racing ambitions.”

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Ayrton Senna, in the Heart of Brazil

The video is part of a campaign born in Brazil to inspire carioca athletes competing in Rio Olympics. And Senna took to the field to help out the green and gold ...

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MASSA: MAYBE I WILL NOT BE HERE NEXT YEAR

Felipe Massa is in the middle of his fourteenth full season on the Formula 1 grid and while his presence in 2017 is yet to be confirmed, the Brazilian resigned to the fact he may not find what he is looking for from a team for 2017.

Massa told ESPN, “I’m doing what I love to do, which is racing, but I’m not here just to participate. I’m here to do what I feel that I can do, and to feel happy and to feel that I am an important key in the team that I am working for, and if I don’t have that I’m not interested to carry on.

“You always have some interests outside but I think maybe when the decision is one hundred per cent sure, we will see what we are looking at after that.”

Massa has been with Williams since 2014, but the likes of Jenson Button and even Sergio Perez are being linked to the team for next season. Both Massa and current teammate Valtteri Bottas yet to be confirmed by the Grove outfit.

Massa revealed that he is talking to teams beyond Williams, “Talks are for sure happening since a little bit of time. I would not say just here, in this team, but around. I think now we don’t have 100 percent the right answer and at the time will be the right answer, so we see what is going to happen.

“I don’t want to really say names of teams or whatever but I am interested in being able to drive in a team that I feel important, that I feel that we can have a good result, a good job, and if I don’t have that, maybe I will not be here next year,” concluded Massa.

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Toro Rosso boss believes James Key can succeed Adrian Newey as top designer

Toro Rosso team principal Franz Tost believes the team's technical director James Key can succeed Adrian Newey as Fomrula 1's top design talent.

Newey is often regarded as the sport's best designer, helping deliver four back-to-back championships for Red Bull as well as others for McLaren and Williams.

Tost however believes Key has what it takes to get on the same level as Newey "in a couple of years".

"James has developed a lot in the last few years, and he has built up an excellent team around him,” Tost told the official F1 website.

“Why not?" replied Tost when asked if the Briton, who has been with Toro Rosso since 2012, can succeed Newey. "But it will depend much on where the regulations go. As always in life it is a matter of being in the right place at the right time.

"Adrian Newey is simply much more experienced, but I am convinced that James will be one of the top technical personalities in F1 in a couple of years."

Tost is confident Key will remain with the Red Bull sister team next season, confirming he has a contract for 2017 and possiblt beyond.

"Of course it is always a person’s ambition to do as they want – but nevertheless James has a contract with Toro Rosso and I expect that he will respect this contract.

"This is the point where I have to use the confidential word! (laughs) And we want to keep it [the length of the contract] confidential."

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Tech analysis: Explaining Red Bull’s mysterious pace improvement

Red Bull has made significant strides over the course of the 2016 season, and while many would assume it is down to its usual intense aerodynamic development programme, it’s actually a little more complex. 

Initially, it seemed Ferrari had closed the gap to Mercedes, keeping pace in the opening few races. But, as the season unfolded, its pace dropped away, whilst Red Bull have come to the fore.

This is where the battle between development philosophy lay, as Ferrari’s relative gains to Mercedes came from the improvements made to its powe runit over the winter. But, as tends to be the case with Ferrari, its aerodynamic development hasn’t been as strong as those around them.

And as Mercedes started to pile on the aero upgrades during the season, the gap widened. Meanwhile, Red Bull has deceptively been quiet on the aero side, with only circuit-dependent updates being placed on the RB12.

The start of Red Bull's campaign was compromised by a lack of power compared to Ferrari. However, when an updated TAG-branded Renault power unit was made available at the post-Barcelona test, suddenly the tide turned.

Since Monaco, we’ve seen Red Bull make considerable inroads, with the team overtaking Ferrari in the championship standings just before the summer break.

It’s not like someone’s just turned on the lights at Red Bull though. There isn’t just one singular reason for the team's improvement, rather a collection of changes that centre around a better understanding of the overall package, starting with the power unit.

Christian Horner has been eager to point out that, even after the upgrade, the Renault power unit is still 50bhp down compared to the Mercedes, but this is a line we’ve heard before.

Even in the V8 era, at a time when Red Bull was dominant, the claim from Horner was that the team lacked 50bhp compared with its rivals, a figure that could be negated by aerodynamic superiority.

So, this closing of the power unit deficit is one piece in the middle of the jigsaw puzzle, putting the designers in a window they’ve overcome before. But they’ve also found some of the square edges, too.

One of the areas that Mercedes got the jump on its rivals in the lead up to the hybrid era was the adoption of a chassis dynomometer, enabling them to understand the behaviour of the powerunit whilst installed in the chassis.

Ferrari, Renault and Honda continued to plug away with their standard dynos, but we understand that at least Ferrari and Red Bull now have their own chassis dynomometers, allowing them to dynamically simulate the power unit's behaviour.

It’s understood that Renault’s updated power unit was signed off once fitted to the Red Bull chassis dyno, as Renault doesn't have space for its own at its factory in Viry.

It is also believed that, while the Mercedes and Ferrari chassis dyno is software-based, Red Bull has renewed its simulator in order that it be linked to the chassis dyno next door, with inputs created by the drivers truly putting them ‘in-loop’ and giving an even more accurate model of how the energy recovery and brake-by-wire systems can be utilised throughout a lap for each driver.

Raking it in

From an aerodynamic point of view, the closing of the power deficit has allowed the aero and chassis team to investigate things it has done in the past. The raked attitude of the RB12 has clearly changed since Barcelona, allowing the team to take advantage of more downforce, whilst being quick in a straight line.

Now these two things are ordinarily diametrically opposed, with drag a consequence of high aerodynamic load. But, if set up correctly, a team can stall the most loaded elements, reducing drag and improving top speed performance.

Furthermore, the nose-down attitude of the car puts the front wing further into ground effect, improving not only its performance but the components downstream, as downforce is increased but not to the detriment of additional drag.

The rub comes from being able to find a speed threshold whereby you’re effectively switching off the rear wing. This happens when the car's rake is reduced: as the load builds with speed, the car is forced toward the ground, which in-turn rotates the wing and overloads it, stalling flow, both reducing downforce and drag.

Car setup is crucial in finding this aerodynamic sweet spot, as there are several factors to consider, including balance, fuel load/weight and the vMax for the highest speed corner on the circuit.

The car would become unstable on corner exit at the highest speed corner if these aren’t taken into consideration, and it is something that we’ve seen the team tuning throughout free practice sessions in order to make the drivers more assured.

Red Bull has been deliberately covert in terms of its suspension setup changes since the start of the 2016 campaign, and has gone as far as hinging its vanity panel in order that any changes done to the suspension during free practice are done out of sight.

The Austrian team remains the only one to use bellville springs as part of its third element, albeit they line up on the left side of the car in 2016 as part of the teams front-end overhaul, with the suspension rockers located significantly higher this season, and the roll bars moved inward.

These are not only changes that have an impact on the packaging of the RB12, but also how the car behaves dynamically, with the RB12 seemingly unrivalled in the turning-in phase, giving the drivers much more confidence to throw the car into the corner.

It could be argued that some of the relative performance differences of both Max Verstappen and Danil Kyvat since their in-season switch centres around this, with the former now able to lean on the car, enhancing his more assertive driving style.

On the other hand, Kvyat, who was used to the RB12’s responsiveness, now peddles a car that washes away on his commands, a frustrating characteristic heightened by the other deficiencies of the STR11 and a year-old Ferrari power unit.

A more balanced chassis behaviour will also have an effect on tyre dynamics, performance and degradation, another of the jigsaw pieces that seems to be fitting better now.

Monkeying around

In Monaco, it is pretty much a given that a team will simply load the highest downforce configuration it can muster, with little to no regard for the amount of drag that is generated.

Now, whilst the monkey seat does little in either respect in its own right, it is used to tease the diffuser and rear wing into interacting with one another, creating a unified aerodynamic structure to improve downforce.

However, Red Bull which ran without a monkey seat at every GP leading up to Monaco, decided against it again, showing how in tune the RB12’s rear-end aero structures are in the first place, albeit they did run up-wash strakes on the endplate first used in Russia.

Red Bull RB12 rear wing, Hungarian GP

It wasn’t until Hungary that we saw the team wheel the car out with a monkey seat, and even then it trialled its setup without one during free practice to ascertain whether it was making the right choice.

All of this circles back to how aggressive the stall is, which not only reduces drag but moves the cars centre of pressure with it, likely giving the team an advantage in terms of tyre deformation, performance and wear.

Looking down the line

Red Bull’s lack of aerodynamic updates for the RB12 may be even more unsettling for its rivals, as the more aerodynamically-driven regulations for 2017 may well have been their full time focus for some time now.

Clearly, the team has had to focus some effort on the mule car being used in the Pirelli tyre tests, but I suspect it learnt a lesson or two following the continued development cycle of the RB9 in 2013.

Renault has admitted that it mis-handled the approach toward the hybrid regulations, shifting resources far too late into the development cycle of the 2014 power unit.

Red Bull, who made some of their errors, put the blame firmly in Renault’s corner, causing what seemed be an untenable relationship just 12 months ago.

Since then, a more mature relationship has evolved, with both parties working more closely with partners, such as Ilmor and Total to improve the power unit in a similar vein to Mercedes and Ferrari.

For 2016, the hard work has been done, with the Bull chasing and taking down the Prancing Horse.

The momentum is now in Red Bull’s favour and it seems inevitable that the Milton Keynes-based squad will go on to take second in the constructors' championship.

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How Renault is key to the 2017 F1 driver market

There was a moment this year that had many predicting 2017 would be the moment the F1 driver market would finally see the shake-up fans have been craving. 

Indeed, 2016 may have seen a new team enter the fray in Haas and Lotus morph back into Renault, yet not one of last year's top five teams (Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull, Williams, Force India) elected to change their formula, along with Toro Rosso, Sauber and McLaren. 

Even so, fans have been willing to play the waiting game as several high-profile drivers in high-profile seats neared the end of their contract this year, with many expecting (or at least hoping) it would spark the overhaul many feel F1 needs to break a stalemate that has placed safe choices over riskier punts. 

However, if the 2017 hierarchy matches that of 2016 then the top positions will have an identical look to them, Mercedes re-signing Nico Rosberg, Ferrari agreeing a new deal with Kimi Raikkonen and Red Bull firming up Max Verstappen's contract alongside Daniel Ricciardo following his mid-season swap. 

Nevertheless, there are still notable seats up for grabs elsewhere potentially, not least competitive drives at McLaren, Williams, Toro Rosso, Force India and Haas, while Renault, Manor and Sauber have given little away about their future plans well into the silly season. 

However, while it hasn't offered the most competitive package in 2016, of these teams could Renault ultimately represent the most tempting option for curious drivers in 2017? 

At the very least, the French firm is the most thought-provoking proposition. 

Indeed, while Renault's return to F1 as a fully-fledged constructor has not met expectations having cracked the top ten on just one occasion this year, the late decision to re-enter coupled to a laborious technical overhaul behind the scenes is not representative of the investment and potential it ultimately has. 

It's what makes Renault such an intriguing proposition for the future… a factory team with the resource and knowledge to become a big player again, far more than the teams around it at the back of the grid. For drivers, it is a project worth believing in at 'grassroots'. 

It's a scenario not dissimilar to Renault's previous return to F1 in 2002. Back then, the ex-Benetton outfit put its faith in a fledgling Fernando Alonso – at the behest of Jenson Button - and reaped the rewards when he clinched the 2005 and 2006 titles. 

Indeed, while current drivers Kevin Magnussen and Jolyon Palmer have both expressed their desire to stay, insisting their good performances are being betrayed by a slow car, the long-term potential represented by Renault has piqued the interest of more notable drivers than its current form in isolation arguably befits. 

With this in mind, it is perhaps little surprise that Force India driver Sergio Perez and Williams' Valtteri Bottas are heading up the candidate list. 

Why? Because these are two rated drivers at a crossroads facing two critical career options… stick with what they know and risk stagnating their careers, or risk what they don't know to potentially further them. It's a dilemma. 

Though now a relative veteran on the F1 grid having debuted back in 2011, Perez's stock has been rising steadily over the last 12 months. Currently in the midst of his third season with Force India, Perez achieved a career best ninth overall as the figurehead for Force India's charge to fifth in the constructors' standings last year. 

Furthermore, he is well on course for more in 2016 after notching up eye-catching podiums in Monaco and Azerbaijan, while Force India is slowly eating into Williams margin in the fight for fourth overall. 

By contrast, Bottas' reputation has slid the other way in tandem with Williams' dwindling efforts, the Grove squad struggling to maintain the momentum it established in 2014 and 2015 en route to third in the constructors' standings. Then again, it is easy to forget Bottas is the highest ranked 2016 driver yet to secure a seat for 2017. 

For Perez, who worked hard under the radar to rebuild the confidence damaged by such a difficult season with McLaren in 2013, the interest from Renault will be vindication for the efforts he has put in with Force India since 2014, the Mexican stepping out from the shadow of his highly-rated (if undecorated) team-mate Nico Hulkenberg to arguably emerge as the team's most worthy asset. 

Naturally, Force India is keen to keep its man and Vijay Mallya has made several claims indicating it has a firm deal, but paddock speculation suggests it is Perez's growing sponsorship portfolio that has the ultimate say in where he goes. 

Indeed, Perez is arguably one of the best value drivers on the F1 grid when results and sponsors are taken into account and though Renault needs the Mexican investment less than Force India, commercially Perez's passport will holds great appeal for a manufacturer looking to strengthen its foothold in Central America. 

Bottas doesn't quite have the same pull commercially but based on ability alone the Finn is still held in very high regard amongst those in know, while his combination of youth, experience and credentials makes him very tempting to a team like Renault. 

Indeed, Perez has won fans with his occasional flashes of brilliance – usually after showcasing his impressive tyre conservation abilities -, but though it has been a while since we have seen a headline-grabbing performance by Bottas, his metronomic consistency in maximising the car underneath him remains impressive if not always noticeable. 

Of course, Renault could sign both drivers but the consensus is that the second seat is being reserved for a driver from its impressive portfolio of protégés, most likely by Esteban Ocon. 

Young, French and tipped for stardom, Ocon need only conduct himself well alongside Pascal Wehrlein in his newly realised opportunity with Manor during the second half of the 2016 season to probably get the nod at Renault. 

That said, Renault could face a stumbling block should Mercedes opt to place him elsewhere, but even then the team has GP2 title contender and well-backed Sergey Sirotkin waiting in the wings to fulfil its protégé quota. 

In the meantime, the driver market remains somewhat on hold. Force India has made no secret its desire to retain Perez, not least because any replacement will need to bring some money to the table. The fact it has entrusted testing duties to the wealthy but unproven Alfonso Celis Jr and Nikita Mazepin – neither of which are F1 ready – is indicative of the cash-to-talent dilemma it faces. 

Williams, meanwhile, has said it isn't in a rush to firm its driver line-up for the 2017 since it is seemingly keen on pursuing Jenson Button should he exit McLaren. Though Bottas' seat is considered far safer than that of his team-mate Felipe Massa, the potential arrival of Button puts his assumed #1 status under threat and he may feel compelled to take matters into his own hands as a result. 

A clearer picture should form sooner rather than later as the summer break nears its end, but teams and drivers are practising their best poker faces, is it Renault that ultimately holds the best hand?

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New owners enticed by Sauber’s potential outside of F1

Sauber team principal Monisha Kaltenborn says its new owners Longbow Finance were attracted to invest in the potential it saw from the Swiss company's assets and strengths away from F1, and hinted at moving more efforts into other racing championships. 

Sauber confirmed it was acquired by Swiss finance company Longbow Finance S.A. during the build up to last month's Hungarian Grand Prix, ending months of speculation surrounding money issues and its future in F1. 

The deal sees Peter Sauber step down as group president and move into retirement to be replaced by Longbow Finance's Pascal Picci. 

Kaltenborn, who has retained her position as CEO and team principal, has shed light on the reasons behind Longbow Finance's takeover with focus on the commercial capabilities of Sauber both in engineering industry and away from F1. 

“Their clear intention is first of all to stabilise the situation - stabilise the group - and then strengthen and grow our engineering services,” Kaltenborn told Formula1.com. “To broaden the third-party business with the services from our engineering side - to commercialise the technologies that we have, the know-how that we have. 

“We have been doing this a long time - and that's where they are seeing a bigger potential. This part is not dependent on where we stand in Formula One. 

“We are very much leading in the aerodynamic services, in simulation and software development - and in 3D we are also very strong. That can be taken to other racing series - or even in other areas where you can apply these procedures outside the world of motorsport. We are already out there in the market with certain things - and that is where Longbow Finance sees the potential.” 

The Sauber team boss has also hinted at securing a new title sponsor to bring more financial backing to the F1 squad. 

Sauber's last title sponsor was BMW in a deal which ended in 2010 when the German manufacturer pulled out of the sport and gave sole ownership back to Sauber. Sauber also had title sponsorship from Red Bull between 1995-2004. 

“I think that there will not be a name behind Sauber but I do certainly hope that there will be a name in front as a title sponsor,” she said. “We are working very hard on that. And that is not easy, but if you can again show stability and confirm that to potential partners, that is in itself a big help.”
 

 

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BELGIAN GRAND PRIX: ALL THE STANDS ARE SOLD OUT

Organisers of the Belgian Grand Prix will ramp up anti-terrorism measures ahead of the forthcoming race at Spa-Francorchamps, on a weekend which they expect will see record crowds in attemdance

The summer slumber enjoyed by F1 teams and drivers will end next week when the sport heads to the fabled and popular Spa circuit.

Race promoter Andre Mas told La Derniere Heure newspaper that 25 per cent more tickets have been sold compared to 2015, mainly due to “the Max Factor” triggered by Max Verstappen’s switch from Toro Rosso to Red Bull.

“We expect between 15,000 and 20,000 Dutch,” Mas said. “We are 25pc ahead compared to last year, which was already a good year.”

“All the stands are sold out. There are only general admission tickets for sale on site at the new counter at the La Source gate.”

But Mas admitted that with the bigger crowd comes bigger concerns, particularly amid the current high threat of terrorism in Europe and Belgium.

“Like all popular events that bring together tens of thousands of people, we have strict instructions relating to alert level 3 and the recent unfortunate events in our country and elsewhere,” he said.

“After what happened in Nice, we have to separate pedestrian areas from vehicle traffic lanes, so we removed for example all of the shopping areas in front of La Source,” Mas revealed.

“We have committed a lot of additional controllers to inspect bags and refrigerated boxes, but also to do body searches if deemed necessary. We have received the backing of the army to help us ensure maximum safety at the site,” he added.

“For us, safety is a priority. The public can come without any fear.”

MIKA: Of course it's sold out, it's the best race of the year IMO. Certainly on my bucket list

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FORCE INDIA: THE DRIVERS ARE BOTH CONTRACTED FOR NEXT YEAR

Force India are keen to retain their current driver line-up for 2017, with Nico Hulkenberg confirmed there is still a question mark over Sergio Perez’s future with the team.

Deputy team principal Bob Fernley told media, “We are keen to keep both drivers, so if we can haul in Williams and take fourth place, there are only three manufacturer teams ahead of us. So you are going too sideways or backwards.

“The thing for us is to work hard and limit the choice. I think we have got to make that decision as difficult as it possibly can be,” Fernley explained with regards to the big Mexican business backing Perez brings to the Silverstone based team.

“It is a pretty straightforward process but it gets complicated,” admitted Fernley. “The drivers are both contracted for next year. Then you are talking the commercial side, because we have significant commercial arrangements with Checo [Perez]’s supporters and sponsors.”

“Those are separate decisions and separate discussions. But in essence the decision to keep the driver pairing was there.”

“So I would dearly hope we can keep all of his people on board. But that wasn’t the priority. The priority was to keep the driver pairing. It is purely commercial. It is nothing to do with anything else,” revealed Fernley.

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F1 NOT A PRIORITY FOR LAMBORGHINI SAYS DOMENICALI

CEO of Lamborghini, Stefano Domenicali says the marque will not be entering Formula 1  any time soon.

After losing his role as Ferrari team boss in 2014, the Italian was snapped up by VW-owned Audi and subsequently made CEO of Audi-owned Lamborghini.

But as for the Italian supercar maker entering F1, Domenicali has now told Autosprint: “I have to say this is not the priority today, because we have other priorities above this.

“We also have a system that is working really well in racing, and credit for that goes to all of the people who have chosen the sports programme very well,” he added.

“However, you cannot think of a brand like Lamborghini without motor sport,” Domenicali added.

Domenicali, 51, worked at Ferrari for over 20 years but he says he has no regrets about the progression of his career.

“If I look at my experience in F1, for me it was an extraordinary period that I carry inside me that is absolutely unforgettable,” he told the Italian magazine.

“I never fail to thank those who trusted me in the past. But this is part of my life now. Today, we are focused on a new challenge that I have to say is just as inspiring and beautiful, but in a different dimension,” said Domenicali.

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Haas: Better to have bought an existing team

Although Haas have made an incredible start to their F1 career, team owner Gene Haas admits it would have been better financially to have bought an existing team.

Haas entered Formula 1 with huge expectations on the American team's shoulders given their preparation time and Ferrari link-up.

They have, however, far exceeded expectations.

Romain Grosjean scored 28 points in the first half of the championship, 22 of which came in the opening four grands prix alone.

As such the team is holding down eighth place in the Constructors' Championship, which means there will be prize money at the end of this season.

However, Haas did not start with the financial boost that would have come if the team owner has bought one of the existing 10 teams.

"Bernie was always saying 'why don't you just buy an existing team?', which was actually a better idea because there were only 10 teams at the time so economically it would've been a lot more beneficial," Haas told Autosport.

"Bernie was probably right because there are so many advantages when you're a top 10 team.

"Not only do you get 'column A' money but you also get freight and airline tickets for the team.

"There is a lot of financial help for the teams once they've been established."

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Nico Hulkenberg wants Sergio Perez to stay with Force India in F1

Nico Hulkenberg has urged Formula 1 team-mate Sergio Perez to remain with Force India for next season.

Perez has a contract with Force India for next season, but it has emerged there is an escape clause whereby his sponsors can place him with another team.

Renault and Williams have already held talks with Perez's backers, with the former understood to be particularly keen to secure the 26-year-old Mexican's services.

"I don't know what Checo's going to do," Hulkenberg told Autosport when asked about the prospect of a new team-mate for next season.

"As a team we're working together pretty well, pushing each other hard to the team's benefit.

"It's a good, competitive, tough environment, but in a positive way so I would very much like to see him stay."

Hulkenberg, who is now in his fifth season with Force India, has his own deal in place with the team for next year.

Although the 28-year-old has been linked with other teams on occasion, nothing has ever come of the reported links.

Asked if he would like to move up the grid from a midfield team, Hulkenberg said: "Definitely, but it's all about timing.

"You've got to be in the right place in the right moment, and so far that hasn't been the case.

"Many people have had to wait a long time to get their opportunity, so there's no point in giving in.

"I've learned in all my years in F1 that as a driver you are relying on a lot of other people making decisions that go your way or go against you, so I'm not breaking my head about that too much at the moment.

"What is important for me is that I'm enjoying what I do and that I'm having fun, which is the case.

"I love what I'm doing, and in that respect I'm comfortable and in a good situation. I'm a very happy man."

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Verstappen a 'racing nerd', says Red Bull team-mate Ricciardo

Daniel Ricciardo has described Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen as "a racing nerd" who comes across as more knowledgeable and experienced than people would expect.

Ricciardo has been impressed by Verstappen's approach for an 18-year-old following his arrival at the team in May after being promoted from Toro Rosso in favour of Daniil Kvyat.

"It's not nice getting beaten by someone young," Ricciardo told Autosport.

"I definitely see it now, he is young, but in racing terms he is very experienced.

"Racing has been his whole life, from what I understand, and although he may still have a lot to learn, for his age, he has plenty of racing experience.

"Even the way when he's in engineering briefings and talking about some details on the car, I don't even know what they are.

"He's a bit of a racing nerd, I guess!"

In terms of head-to-head, Ricciardo has so far had the edge in qualifying by a 7-1 scoreline, but Verstappen has scored 102 points to the Australian's 97 over their eight grands prix together.

Ricciardo, a three-time grand prix winner, believes Verstappen's arrival has made him raise his own game.

"There's an argument I am now going beyond a level I thought was there," he said.

"With Dani [Kvyat] I always felt I was on top and just doing as much as I could, but then Max came in.

"It's a tough one because I always like to think I am pushing myself to my limit, but the human body is interesting, so maybe there is always more.

"I definitely feel I have driven well from the start of the season, but perhaps we've both really pushed each other."

Ricciardo believes that as well as raising his game against Verstappen, he has learned from experience in other areas as well.

"Sometimes you can go into a race and expect too much from it, which is always a bad thing," he added.

"For example you may think you expect to be first into Turn 1, or whatever, and it doesn't go your way and you're fourth, then you are already on the back foot.

"You might then lose momentum for a few laps, or it will take you that long to clear your mind.

"With every driver, if you lock a brake in one corner, you are probably thinking about it at the next corner, so little things like that can always be improved.

"As a rookie that was maybe a weakness, not being able to get rid of the mistake quickly enough."

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Ferrari has identified its F1 2016 car's weaknesses

Sebastian Vettel says Ferrari has identified its weaknesses and he is confident the team will be more competitive after the Formula 1 summer break.

Ferrari has failed to score a podium in any of the last three grands prix and has taken just 50 points to Red Bull's 80, having been in contention for victories at the start of the season.

But Vettel, who has previously said the team needs to improve its car in medium and high-speed corners, remained positive about Ferrari's chances.

"We know that the last couple of races have been harsh and tough for us but they've been useful and we have understood a lot about our car strengths and weaknesses so we know what to focus on," he said.

"It wasn't entirely clear after the first couple of races but it became more and more evident.

"It's a harsh way to find out and we're not as competitive as we want but we know to what to do.

"It's not something to change overnight but there is a plan and the second half should be stronger in that regard.

"It also depends on what other people will do but for now that is the focus on ourselves."

When asked why Ferrari hadn't seen these deficiencies earlier in the season, Vettel said: "Some things do take time but overall the most important thing is that we are challenging ourselves.

"You are right - it would have been nicer to find out a bit sooner but that's how it is.

"The main point though is that we find out, we are always trying to improve but as I said the last races in this regard have been very educational in finding out our potential weaknesses."

Vettel added that while a lot of effort is now going on the 2017 car, ahead of the aerodynamic regulation changes, there are more developments planned for this year.

"There is some stuff coming and that has always been the plan but also like everyone else we are already preparing big time on 2017," he said.

"It is a different project and the cars will be very different but there are still some things that we can learn and understand this year which will help us next year."

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VETTEL: IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NICER TO FIND OUT A BIT SOONER

Sebastian Vettel believes that the last two races before the summer break were not kind to Ferrari and, although the perception is they have dropped down the pecking order, he believes that those below par weekends gave the Italian team insight into their core problems.

Asked by F1i what was hampering the team’s performance, Vettel replied somewhat cryptically, “I think it’s more of a general thing but I don’t want to go into too much detail, I know you’re very interested!”

“Some things do take a little bit of time but overall the most important is that we’re challenging ourselves and obviously it would have been nicer to find out a bit sooner, but that’s how it is.”

“The main point is that we find out, we are always trying to improve, but the last races in this regard have been very educational to know potentially where our weaknesses compared to Red Bull and Mercedes.”

Much has been said about the balance and set-up options of the Ferrari SF16-H, which is proving to be unpredictable in differing conditions.

Example being that Vettel is often at the sharp end of the timing screens in FP3, but a couple of hours later temperatures change for qualifying and he is suddenly off the pace.

“I think we’ve only been struggling, let’s say if we are talking about the set up, to find the right balance at the last two events,” ventured the German.

“I think Hungary stood out and we were a little bit on the back foot but we made it by qualifying, so that was very good and by qualifying the car was at its best.”

“Unfortunately we didn’t get the lap that we could have had and therefore not the result. [Germany] I think is a different story and I think we were struggling to find the right set up.”

“We didn’t find it in qualifying at least with the conditions we had. That’s why, I guess, we are a little bit off compared to normal.” admitted the triple four times F1 world champion.

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Esteban Ocon selects #31 as his permanent driver number

Esteban Ocon will race with the number 31 when he makes his Formula 1 debut later this month following confirmation that he will replace Rio Haryanto at Manor for the remainder of the 2016 season.

The Renault reserve driver, who is also backed by Mercedes, will partner Pascal Wehrlein for the final nine races.

Although he has yet to confirm why he chose the number, which will be his throughout his F1 career, it's likely to do with his karting days as he raced under the number in 2007 when he won the championship.

The last time the number 31 was used was by David Brabham for Simtek in 1994.

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GoPro Thrown Out Of A Red Bull Racing F1 Car (POV Clip)

What happens when you toss a GoPro out of an F1 car at top speed on a desert run? We found out in this one of a kind POV clip.

During our whistle-stop tour of Jordan’s iconic landmarks early this year, we thought we’d toss a GoPro out of the cockpit at full speed and see what happened… would it survive? Former F1 driver David Coulthard found out in this behind the scenes clip.

Jump on board and join us for the ride!