FORMULA 1 - 2016

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Formula One Wind Tunnel - Gorgeous High-Tech - Sauber F1 Team

 

A Formula One wind tunnel is a high-tech "toy" for aerodynamicists that helps them to develop the aerodynamics of our F1 race cars. But that's not all... It's also a wonderful, beautiful, even gorgeous piece of art - as you may experience in this video. Enjoy!

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Adrian Newey in Red Bull simulator challenge

Introducing the Red Bull Simulator Challenge where a series of famous faces battle it out for the quickest lap time on the Factory simulator.
After David Coulthard set his time, it's Adrian Newey's turn. Can he take it to the track as well as he takes it to the drawing board?

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The Red Bull Racing Simulator Challenge: Christian Horner

Team Principal Christian Horner is next up to take on our F1 Simulator Challenge! 

How will he fare against a series of famous faces battling for the fastest lap time on our Factory simulator?

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SMEDLEY: F1 IS A TEAM SPORT WITH 500 PEOPLE IN THE TEAM

Williams’ Head of Vehicle Performance Rob Smedley has pointed out that Formula 1 is a team sport despite the fact that every Sunday two drivers get all the attention, arguing that the sport has moved on and there is no turning back to embrace the past.

Smedley said in an interview, “Everyone wants to go back to a Formula 1 that doesn’t exist anymore, when we had carburetors, when we had throttle linkages which were mechanical linkages, rather than the incredible complex cars we have now.”

“We’ve gone to something else. It’s a team sport, and we have 500 people who work in the team. If you take this inane argument that the drivers are alone in the car, then why don’t we take a step back and get rid of all the engineers?”

“And we’ll bring two cars here and we’ll bolt them together… or we don’t even have to do that. We can bring a bag of bits and they can bolt them together and they can get into them and drive them and they can get out and talk between themselves in that truck there.”

“Where do you stop? It’s an inane argument, to be honest. It’s a team sport, whether or not it’s called the drivers’ championship, whether or not it’s called a championship from the moon, it’s a team sport.””And if it wasn’t a team sport, then we wouldn’t have 500 people who work for the two drivers or for the good of the team.”

With this in mind Smedley is adamant that easing of radio communication between driver and their engineers was a vital development, “I think from an engineering point of view, it’s absolutely the right thing to open up the radios again.”

“The cars are incredibly complicated now with these power units, and to be able to drive the car at 200mph and manage the power unit or any other problems that arise was just asking too much,” added Smedley.

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WEBBER: FERRARI IN 2016 ARE A GREAT DISAPPOINTMENT

Mark Webber does not think Mercedes’ rivals are quite ready to pounce on the German team’s dominance, and regards Ferrari’s failure, so far this season, as a the big disappointments despite efforts by their drivers to protect the Italian team from media criticism.

The Australian’s former team, Red Bull, has sped past Ferrari in recent races, with Max Verstappen the only non-Mercedes driver in 2016 to have won a race.

“They’re making ground on Mercedes,” Webber, now a sports car driver for Porsche, told Auto Bild. “But I don’t see that they have really caught up.

“They have a good race here and there, but Mercedes is usually still unbeatable,” the 39-year-old added. “But Red Bull is ahead of Ferrari.”

Indeed, Webber joined others in declaring Ferrari’s showing in 2016 as a “great disappointment”.

“Sebastian and Kimi are doing what they can,” he said. “They’re protecting the team a lot in the media, but inside they’ll know that the team needs to get better.

“I think if every week they can make the most of their potential with penalties or strategy mistakes, it’s frustrating for the drivers,” said Webber.

Asked if his old teammate Sebastian Vettel has the ability to push Ferrari forwards, Webber answered: “There’s no doubt he can. But he needs the right people and I’m not sure if they have them at the moment.

“Ferrari is under constant media pressure, always needing to deliver. You can see with Sebastian that it can be frustrating, but his experience will help him.”

Meanwhile, another of Webber’s former teammates, Nico Rosberg, has been passed in the championship battle by the other Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton.

Asked what the German needs to do now, Webber answered: “Fight like a stray dog! It’s a very long season, so he needs to divide his energy and strike with Lewis has another tricky moment.”

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ALONSO: IF YOU CAN HURT TO GET AN ADVANTAGE THAT’S EVEN BETTER

Fernando Alonso has revealed how cut-throat a driver has to be to succeed at the highest level in Formula 1, where there are no friends and opportunities to inflict psychological ‘hurt’ on rivals must be maximised at every opportunity.

In an interview on the McLaren website, Alonso said of life in F1, “You need to have no heart. You are not enemies with the other drivers, but you have to focus on yourself to win. If you can ‘hurt’ someone by getting an advantage over them, that’s even better.”

Alonso has struggled with an uncompetitive package since he returned to McLaren at the start of 2015, with two F1 world titles and 32 grand prix victories, success has dried up for the Spaniard who has not won a race since the Spanish Grand Prix in 2013 and has not stood on the podium since the 2014 Chinese Grand Prix – on both occasions as a Ferrari driver.

Nevertheless Alonso remains confident, “I am a competitive person and competition is important in F1, but I don’t race in F1 for the competition. I can get that in other areas of my life, like cycling and playing tennis – or racing my mother to the supermarket.”

“The reason I race in F1 is because the cars give me a feeling that I can’t get anywhere else. It’s unique. It’s hard to explain what this feeling is like because nothing else comes close to F1.”

“Your brain has to re-set every time you get in the car because things happen so fast. If you haven’t driven an F1 car for a few weeks, the level of performance takes you by surprise,” he expalained.

“I go karting to enjoy the competition; I drive in F1 for this feeling. The driving styles in karting and F1 are quite similar, but nothing unexpected happens in a go-kart. Your brain is never taken by surprise. You can predict everything that the kart is going to do.”

“That isn’t the case in F1, where you’re taken by surprise all the time. When you hit the brakes, your brain takes 0.2 of a second to catch up. That’s a very nice feeling; that is the feeling,” declared Alonso ahead of his 265th Formula 1 start which will happen at the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa Francorchamps, a venue where he has yet to win at the highest level.

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RICCIARDO: WE WILL HAVE A PRETTY GOOD CAR AROUND SPA

After a strong showing by Red Bull at the German Grand Prix, Daniel Ricciardo warned rivals that his team could be even stronger at the forthcoming Belgian Grand Prix as they strive to close the gap to the pace setting Mercedes team.

Speaking after the race at Hockenheim, Riccirado said, “I think our performances this year are much more representative of 2014 and 2014 Spa was very good, for me, particularly. This year, I think we’ve surprised ourselves on some circuits.

“[In Germany], after Friday we saw our long run pace and it looked good but before Friday we didn’t really expect to have two Red Bulls on the podium here [at Hockenheim].”

“Let’s see what happens in Spa,” ventured the Australian. “I think we will have a pretty good car around there. I think for now our target is keep being at least second best. Obviously we want to win but if we can keep staying ahead of Ferrari then that’s good for us for now.”

“I think we were within ten seconds of the lead [at Hockenheim] and that’s obviously a nice start so hopefully Spa can be a bit closer again and keep chipping away,” added Ricciardo whose last F1 win was at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps back in 2014.

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Renault using 2015 Lotus as the foundation for their 2017 car

Renault won't be basing their 2017 car on their current challenger, but will instead look back a year at the Lotus E23 Hybrid which will form the foundation of next year's car according to team boss Fred Vasseur.

In its final year before it was taken over by Renault, Lotus finished sixth with 78 points on the back of several strong results including a podium finish at the Belgian Grand Prix for Romain Grosjean.

This year however, Renault have scored just six points thanks to Kevin Magnussen's only points finish and sit ninth, ahead of Manor and Sauber.

Vasseur claims the late decision to takeover the team, which used a Mercedes power unit, meant quickly modifying the car to work with its own power unit and that caused early troubles.

"Right now we are using a 2015-designed car that was built around a Mercedes engine, so when switching to a Renault engine we suffered from the very beginning," Vasseur told the official Formula 1 website.

Rather than using an evolution of the RS.16 which hasn't performed well, Renault will look back to the E23 as the base for its 2017 car, revealed Vasseur.

"It is a fact that we are not building the 2017 car based on the 2016 one, but on the 2015 car - and that is a lot of catching-up.

"2017 holds a good opportunity for us. Right now it is a bit stressful to manage such a huge gap based on the structure that we have but we are working hard on it."

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Manor says “solid midfield team” goal viable in two-three years

Manor Racing boss Dave Ryan says becoming a permanent staple of Formula 1's midfield is a “realistic” goal for his team to chase in two-three years' time.

Ryan had offered a more conservative estimate of when Manor would climb up the order back in June after the Monaco Grand Prix, but, since then, the British team scored a crucial point at Spielberg, going clear of Sauber for 10th in the teams' standings.

Despite that, Ryan admitted he remains “disappointed” by the fact the team is not yet a frequent challenger for Q2 on Saturdays.

“I am disappointed, you know,“ Ryan said. “I would like to be in the position, if I am being absolutely honest, I would like to be in the position at where we are on the cusp of getting out of Q1 every time. That's where we should be.

“But let’s not forget, we made a huge step from last year with very little resources, this car was designed towards the end of last year, and it’s a pretty impressive achievement, in terms of lap time gains from last year to this year. So that in itself is fantastic, but we need to be better.

“We aspire to be a really solid midfield team and that’s realistic, but it’s going to take two or three years to get there, maybe longer. We can’t just do it overnight, it’s a tall order.

“We have competition out there that is massively strong, they've have been around quite a while, they've all got lot of people, a lot of skill at the fingertips, and we just got to do better job than them.”

 

Sauber and Renault targets

“The team is improving all the time,” Ryan continued. “Every race we go to, the guys work better with the group, we understand each other a bit better - and we are new bunch of guys, even from last race to last year, there’s been a big change around.

“As a group, we are working a lot better. We need to keep improving, there’s no doubt about that.”

Expecting his team to show well at the tracks coming up after the summer break, Ryan reckons Manor can aim to not only see off Sauber, but also get ahead of Renault.

“With regards to the circuits coming up, Spa is a difficult circuit anyway, we have to have a pretty well-balanced car to go quick at Spa, but, you know, we'll be ok.

“Monza, we should be reasonably good as well.

“What we have to do in our position is, we have got to be ahead of Sauber where we can, and if anything happens ahead of us, we've got to be in a position to capitalise on that. We've got to ahead of Sauber, we've got try and be ahead of Renault and just keep trying to improve the car.

“We do have some upgrades coming through still, which will be great, and as long as they translate to performance on the track, I am sure we will be okay.”

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FIA evaluating Force India's CFD reliance proposal

The FIA is evaluating Force India's proposal to modify Formula 1's Sporting Regulations as part of the team's push towards total reliance on CFD rather than wind tunnels for aerodynamic research.

All F1 teams currently operate under carefully monitored FIA Aerodynamic Testing Restrictions, which balance wind tunnel hours with the use of CFD teraflops.

Force India believes that the current system is too heavily weighted in favour of tunnels, and has thus submitted a proposal for a second system to operate in parallel, and which teams who want to focus on CFD can choose.

This would be of particular interest to teams who do not have tunnels and have to rent time in third-party facilities at significant cost, Force India, Haas and Manor among the outfits falling into that category.

The proposal has already been to the Strategy Group and is now being given further consideration by team technical directors.

“We’ve asked the Strategy Group to look into a position where we can do a glide path down and a total switch to CFD,” Force India deputy team principal Bob Fernley told Motorsport.com.

“It’s on the basis that we can now foresee that in time CFD will replace wind tunnels, and we want to facilitate that, effectively.

“What we have today is a wind tunnel-biased formula, and what we are looking for is a CFD-biased formula that allows people to switch to CFD. It’s a completely different equation, and the current system would stay in place.

“We’ve put a concept proposal together, and now we’ll ask the technical regulations group to refine it and get a consensus between them and submit it back again hopefully for approval by the Strategy Group. The Strategy Group thought it had merit, otherwise they wouldn’t have put it through. They were very supportive.”

       

CFD as sole aero programme

Fernley is convinced that we are just a few years away from teams having the possibility to focus totally on CFD.

“CFD is developing at a rapid rate, and we must recognise that. Obviously what we’d like F1 to do is embrace the latest technologies, and cutting edge technologies, which is what CFD is. We want to encourage people to consider using it.

"It’s not compulsory by any means, it’s just to give another variation in terms of aero development. Not everybody might want to go down that route. If you have a wind tunnel you might want to stay with wind tunnels.”

A focus on CFD would represent a significant cost saving: “There are at least four teams in the pitlane who don’t have their own wind tunnels and are renting them, and we believe that in the foreseeable future – in three years or a bit more maybe – there is a possibility that CFD could become the primary or only aero programme. It is a significant saving. For a team in our position it would be many millions.”

Total reliance on CFD was previously tried by the Manor team when it was launched under the Virgin Racing name in 2010. Then technical boss Nick Wirth was convinced that it was the way forward, although history has proved that he was a little too ambitious. However, CFD technology has moved on rapidly since then.

“It was a very ambitious move at the time from Virgin. Obviously it was the right direction, but too early. Like many things, you’ve got to get the technology right.

“We’ve worked for a number of years with restrictions on use of wind tunnels, and no question it’s saved money. Like all technologies CFD is developing all the time, and we have to re-evaluate every so often. I think it’s an appropriate time to re-evaluate.”

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Haas F1 driver Esteban Gutierrez has apologised for criticism of team

Esteban Gutierrez has apologised to his Haas Formula 1 crew for hitting out at them during difficult moments of the team's first season.

Gutierrez has endured a tough return to a race seat in F1 this year, suffering more technical problems than team-mate Romain Grosjean, who has 28 points to the Mexican's zero.

"There have been a few moments in the season where frustration was very high and I admit that," Gutierrez told Autosport.

"There have also been a lot of moments of desperation where I had to be a bit aggressive with a few people in the team.

"When you are a driver doing everything you can - preparing yourself in the best way, being very quick, putting everything together from your side - and then you see very basic mistakes from the team side, it's like 'What's going on?'

"But I also have to admit sometimes I was a bit too much on certain occasions.

"I went and apologised and we've become closer and closer and closer as a team."

Gutierrez believes his team has been understanding of his criticism.

"I put the frustration on one side in order to say 'Let's be a team and make it right'," he said.

"They understood. Those things happen and you need to find the best compromise.

"Then more mistakes happened, but it was then about keeping calm and keeping going and going and going.

"Thankfully I have the support of Gunther [Steiner, team principal], I have the support from the chief engineers and a lot of people on the team.

"We are all doing our best to improve the team, to make it work because it's a team of two cars and we want to score points with two cars, not only one."

Gutierrez has previously said that his misfortune was hurting his image, but he accepts that outbursts about the team are not always productive.

"From the outside it's looks so bad that it put a big compromise on my image and the perception other people have on my career and how they see my performance," he said.

"But of course, at some point I have to be more clever than that, to put that to one side and focus on the things I'm doing right and are my responsibility."

MIKA: Let's see how understanding and supporting Steiner and Haas are when they drop him end of this season...

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ALONSO: IF I WAS TEAMMATE OF LEWIS IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFERENT

The 2007 will always be remembered by the Lewis Hamilton versus Fernando Alonso battle within the McLaren team – the precocious rookie versus the two times F1 world champion – the season was packed with bitter animosity and ended acrimoniously, but now almost a decade later Alonso claims he and Hamilton would make good teammates.

Speaking to ESPN about partnering Hamilton in the same team again, the Spaniard said, “I think it would be different. I’m more mature, he’s more mature. The teams now are, in a way, more prepared for all the situations.”

“If I was teammate of Lewis one day I think it would be very different, because we have learned and we are very different people. We no longer have that … let’s say that stress of winning on the side because I think we respect each other a lot. Everyone respects us a lot and we would drive as fast as we can but with another level of respect.”

Alonso is sure such a pairing would be relished by the Formula 1 world, “I think everyone would love it, but only if the team is competitive, because it is the same case as Jenson [Button] and me [at McLaren].”

“We have a strong team now and we could fight for many important things, but when the car is not competitive your weekends are a little bit anonymous.”

“You come here, you do your race and you go and no one will notice if you did a fantastic qualifying lap, if you did a mistake in qualifying and you are out of Q1.

As for his season thus far, the 35 year old Spaniard from Oviedo reflected, “We had some mistakes this year, we had some traffic in Baku – where we were more or less competitive – and we were 14th and 15th in qualifying because of the traffic.”

“Who noticed that? No one, because all the things in the weekend are a little bit anonymous when you are not fighting for the world championship. I think yes, Formula One, or the fans, or everyone will love to see the big names, or the champions, fighting for the wins but this is probably not possible because in the DNA of the sport only one team can win.”

It is highly unlikely that Alonso and Hamilton will be teammates again, but one thing that time has done is built respect between the two drivers who are regarded as the best of the current era.

Next season Hamilton will remain alongside Nico Rosberg at Mercedes, while the smart money is that Alonso will be partnered by another McLaren protege, namely Stoffel Vandoorne, but Alonso does not see a similar situation to 2007 playing out in 2017.

Alonso explained, “In 2007 it was very unique because Lewis was very protected by McLaren from a very young age, he was part of the programme, and he was very fast.”

“We had a very competitive car so we were certainly fighting for the world championship when no one was expecting … and he was British. So, Stoffel is not British. That’s enough of the difference, I think,” predicted Alonso.

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RENAULT: WE NEED A SCHUMIE, A HAMILTON, A VETTEL OR AN ALONSO

Despite knowing that success comes to teams who build their package around a star driver, Renault returned to Formula 1 as a works outfit this season with a rookie and a driver who has yet to fully prove himself at the pinnacle of the sport.

Renault team principal Frederic Vasseur said in an interview, “If you look at the success stories of the past, success was always built around a driver: [Michael] Schumacher and Ferrari, [Sebastian] Vettel and Red Bull, Lewis [Hamilton] and Mercedes, and also [Fernando] Alonso and Renault in the past.”

“The driver is important. A driver is not only about performance, but about being capable of leading a team. Right now we have more or less a thousand people in the team, if you take Viry and Enstone together, and that needs some sort of emotional leadership.”

“That is the job for a driver! We need a driver who is super-motivated and able to super-motivate everybody else.”

The drivers they have now cannot, at this stage, provide the inspiration to galvanise a battalion of people who do the hard graft to get two cars on the grid each grand prix weekend.

Asked if their current pairing of Kevin Magnussen and Jolyon Palmer have the capacity to lead the team’s aspirations in the future, Vasseur replied, “They are improving! We know we are on the grid, so improving is written in capital letters for us.”

With regards the driver line-up for 2017, the Frenchman added, “It is too early to make any decision right here and now. We will probably do it at the beginning of September.”

The team have only scored points once, so far this season, with Magnussen in Russia. Nevertheless the French team chief defends his drivers, “It’s not easy for them either. They have been used to winning in the past [in junior categories] – and now they are cut off from that. I see both of them improving.”

“Keep in mind that Jo is rookie and Kevin did only one season [of F1] before — and that was two years ago. Jo has been improving a lot – true he spun in Hungary, but so far he did a good job. And that also goes for Kevin. Both have a very optimistic approach. They are a good support for the team,” added Vasseur.

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MCLAREN’S NEW SENIOR HIRE CAPITO EXPECTED TO BE AT SPA

Jost Capito has confirmed he will soon start work at McLaren, and is expected to be an interested observer at the Belgian Grand Prix.

The German was actually signed up in January to become the Honda-powered team’s new chief executive, but Capito said he would not vacate his current role at Volkswagen until a replacement is found.

Now, at the Rallye Deutschland, Capito has announced that the German round of the world rally championship will be his last at VW, “Yes, I will stop at Volkswagen at the end of August.”

However, Marca claims Capito, 57, could actually attend his first grand prix as McLaren CEO at Spa-Francorchamps next weekend.

Luis Moya, famous for being former rally driver Carlos Sainz’s co-driver and now a VW ambassador, would not be moved when asked who Capito’s successor will be, “I have not heard anything at all – it’s best that it is kept secret.”

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BIG CHANGES TO SEPANG CIRCUIT LAYOUT FOR 2016 F1 RACE

Malaysia’s Formula 1 chief has revealed that the Sepang International Circuit has undergone significant changes ahead of the 2016 race.

Usually one of the first races each year, the event just outside Kuala Lumpur has instead been paired with the nearby and popular Singapore night race this season.

Sepang chief Razlan Razali revealed that changes have been made to the corners at Sepang, which according to the Straits Times newspaper have been done to encourage overtaking.

“There will be some unknowns for the teams and drivers as we’ve changed the dynamics of the circuit a little bit at the various turns. It will be as if they’ve come to Sepang circuit for the first time.”

Razali also confirmed, “On Monday after race day in Singapore, the F1 freight will be transported by road to the Sepang circuit. It’s the first time it’s been done in the region.”

Singapore’s race is on 18 September, with Malaysia taking place two weeks later.

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Response to wider tyres has been 'overwhelmingly positive' - Pirelli

Next year will see the introduction of wider tyres to Formula 1 once again, but not only do they serve the purpose of handling the additional downforce to help achieve higher lap times, but they're also being introduced again for aesthetic reasons, with stakeholders and fans keen to see 'aggressive' looking cars in 2017.

Whilst it's too early to predict how well they'll manage the additional downforce, Pirelli's Paul Hembery told Grand Prix Times that the response to how they look, following a demonstration in Monaco and tests on a Ferrari and Red Bull 'mule' car, has been 'overwhelmingly positive'.

"To achieve a higher level of performance that approximately equates to lap times that are five seconds per lap faster than Barcelona 2015 - which is the reference time - we need higher downforce and increased cornering speeds; so wider tyres were also needed to cope with this," Hembery said.

"The reaction so far [to the way they look] has been overwhelmingly positive, ever since we revealed the new look of the tyres in a static display at the Monaco Grand Prix. Personally, I think they look stunning."

With two tests already completed and several more planned, starting with Ferrari and Mercedes on September 7 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and Paul Ricard respectively, Pirelli says there is plenty more work to do and changes will therefore be introduced to the tyre as part of an ongoing development plan.

"Both tests went exactly as planned: we had many laps driven and plenty of information collected, which will be relevant for the coming tests in September. The objective was to get a first look at some of the dynamics at work with the new size of tyre; obviously there is still plenty of work left to do.

"We’re planning to introduce a number of new elements on both the structure and compound side during the coming tests as we finalise the 2017 specification, so this is much more than just a data collection exercise: it’s instead an on-going programme of research, development and evolution."

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Alonso: "Rossi is an inspiration for me to keep going"

Fernando Alonso says he’s in career-best form despite being in the twilight of his time in Formula 1, and that Valentino Rossi’s MotoGP form acts as an inspiration.

At 35 years of age, and in his 15th season of grand prix racing, Alonso says he doesn’t feel like a veteran who’s beginning to lose his best form.

Instead, the McLaren driver swears he’s actually in career-best form, combining talent with a detailed understanding of how to get the best out of a car.

“I don’t think that my time in Formula 1 is over,” he said.

“I think I am driving at my best level now, and I have knowledge about the cars and the technical situation that allows me to push the car a little bit more to the limit.

"I’m very calm about the situation, I have a contract next year with this team again.”

The belief that should McLaren find front-running form again Alonso could challenge for world titles comes from 37-year-old MotoGP star Rossi, says the Spaniard.

“After some years that you are not fighting for the championship but you keep going, going, going, you know, sooner or later you will show your talent – as Valentino is doing now,” said Alonso.

“That’s a kind of inspiration for us. You need to trust in yourself, and when you have the bike or the car that performs at the best level you will be there.

"Because you cannot forget how to ride a bike, or how to drive a car, in two or three years.”

   

2017 regs still key to career longevity

Alonso also reinforced that it will be the 2017 regulations, not McLaren’s competitiveness, that determines whether or not he continues beyond the end of next season.

“I think that my biggest question is how I enjoy driving next year’s car; if the rules stay as they are now, and I have to save fuel, I have to save tyres, I have to drive 90 per cent and I cannot push in any of the laps, then next year will be my last year,” he said.

“Not because I’m not competitive, even if I win the championship next year, I stop because I prefer other things more.

“It’s not about what results I have next year, or how competitive McLaren is. It’s about how the Formula 1 car goes, in which direction.”

He added that even offers from Mercedes or Red Bull wouldn’t be enough to keep him in F1 if the 2017 rules don’t grab his attention.

“The answer would be that in 2017 I have a contract in McLaren, and then in 2018 I will see how the cars excite me to drive. I don’t think that I’m now motivated to a competitive car or a change in team.

“Of course I want to win, and I want to do it as soon as possible. But next year I have a contract with McLaren, and the following year, it will not be related to car performance whether I continue or not.”

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Formula 1 teams should be grateful to 'big three' - Pirelli

Pirelli believes the eight Formula 1 teams not involved in 2017 tyre testing work should be grateful to Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull rather than criticising.

Some have argued F1's 'big three' are gaining an advantage ahead of the new season, in which wider front and rear tyres will be used, by taking part in Pirelli's test programme over the next few months.

Williams, for instance, has suggested tyre choice for the start of next season should be standardised otherwise it feels Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull will have the upper hand.

But Hembery told Autosport: "I've spoken to people involved in our testing in the past and they've said they hadn't a clue what it was we were testing.

"On this occasion what we test on one car might be one small part of the jigsaw that hasn't been matched with another bit we're testing on another car.

"So you'll be grasping at straws to understand what the final product is, and in terms of getting an advantage, it'll be marginal.

"In subsequent years we can test with all the teams because we'll be able to test on the actual car.

"Because the aero is changing for next year, that's been the issue this year. If they'd only changed the tyres we could have tested with a lot more teams.

"As it is we have to be thankful - and the other teams have to be thankful - because the top teams have taken on this responsibility.

"Whilst we are making a financial investment ourselves, the teams have had to do that as well.

"So I think the other teams in F1 ought to be thankful the changes have come about thanks to the support of the three larger teams."

Information from the tests - including driver comments - is being reported back to all the other teams to ensure they are kept in the loop.

Hembery feels one way for the other eight teams to gain knowledge quickly is to go pre-season testing in a warm climate next year.

"Any negligible advantage could be eliminated quite quickly if we go winter testing at a location that has representative conditions because then your learning curve would be rapid," he added.

"Going to Barcelona when there's still ice on the ground in the morning isn't going to help you, so if the teams think about it the logical place to go would be somewhere warm - Bahrain or Abu Dhabi."

While many teams bemoan the costs of travelling to such places for pre-season testing, Hembery feels the bigger picture needs to be considered.

"I understand the comment, and that for some of the smaller teams it's a bigger imposition, but it is ultimately about where you want to spend your money rather than not having the money," said Hembery.

"In many years gone past you could go testing for three months, and the budgets were a fraction of what they are today."

MIKA: I have to agree with Pirelli - Far too much moaning and complaining from other teams who mind you, were also invited to partake in the testing. Considering those who didn't attend are still receiving results and comments so it's all completely visible, it's baffling that you still hear negative comments. Go figure...

I'm surprised Williams and McLaren didn't attend...

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FOUR WHEEL DRIVE 1300HP F1 CARS? WHAT KIND OF ENGINE SHOULD F1 HAVE NEXT?

How do you like the idea of an F1 car with over 1300hp that accelerates out of the low speed corners like a bullet and so can overtake other cars coming out of corners, as well as under braking?

Earlier this year a potentially dangerous standoff between the FIA, Bernie Ecclestone and the manufacturers was avoided when a deal was struck to retain the current hybrid turbo engines until the end of 2020, in return for the manufacturers making them more affordable for the customer teams.

Given that the discussions around the introduction of the hybrid turbos began several years before their 2014 introduction and as lead times for engine technology are measured in years, not months, the question now arises: What engine F1 should have next?

Ecclestone wants to go back to basics with engines that make a lot of noise and are very inexpensive for the customers.

Asking around the paddock, in the final Grand Prix before the summer break, among teams and engine builders about what they thought was the direction of travel for engines the response was very interesting.

The consensus seemed to be that the post 2020 engine will be broadly based on the same 1.6 litre hybrid turbos as today with some standardised parts for cost control reasons.

But where it got really interesting was the discussion around taking the electrification of the engine to the next level and having an electrically driven front axle, like the World Endurance Cars (WEC) have, which would supply around 350hp to the front axle in addition to the power going to the rear wheels; currently 950hp, but which will be over 1,000hp by 2020. That would create an F1 car that had over 1300hp and which would accelerate out of corners like a bullet.

One of the phenomena around hybrid turbo cars, that is little remarked upon, is the way that they are subtly changing the art of overtaking. Traditionally an overtaking move starts on a straight and is completed in the braking zone. When the car ahead has tyres that are more worn than the car behind, the following car can gain an advantage with better traction and pull alongside. That is greatly magnified with the hybrid turbos, where better deployment out of a corner means that a driver can overtake on corner exit, not just in the braking zone.

F1 insiders worry about the new 2017 aerodynamic rules; history tells us that higher downforce cars have problems getting close to each other and the racing suffers.

One can imagine a pathway that looks like this: overtaking reduces in 2017 and so a typical F1 knee-jerk response happens, which leads to reworking of the regulations to find the best compromise.

In parallel the teams, FIA and Ecclestone discuss the post 2020 engine formula and decide to adopt an electric front axle to offset the higher downforce of the cars and encourage more overtaking. The cars would be significantly faster with the improved front grip out of low speed corners. Keeping the overall weight of the cars down, will be the major challenge here.

We don’t know yet who will be F1’s exclusive tyre supplier in 2021, but whoever it is would be required to make tyres that fit with this approach and keep the racing close, with overtakes that start on the exit of corners, with different ages of tyres, as well as in the braking zones.

Speaking to chassis engineers, they quite like the challenge of building an F1 car with a driven front axle and several observed that they have experience of packaging the extra weight from the differential that would be needed in the nose, as some have tried variations on that theme in the past in seeking a gain in front grip.

There was some discussion about the post 2020 engines in the Friday FIA press conference in Hockenheim, with Ferrari’s Jock Clear urging the rule makers to plan better next time and to have more regard for what the fans and the viewing public wants,

“I think what we have learned from this cycle and this era of hybrid engines is that the power units now are very very complicated and it needs a lot of planning and I think we’ll go into those next negotiations with eyes wide open this time.

“I don’t think there’s anybody who didn’t fall into the category of underestimating what might have been involved, and as such, the sooner we start, the sooner we’ll be aware and the sooner we can come to a solution that will be the best for the sport.

“We need to think about it in the context of what the sport needs and what the public wants.”

Red Bull has been on the wrong end of the hybrid turbo era so far, although the signs are clear that as the engines converge in performance, Red Bull is set to benefit most, with its class leading aerodynamics. Paul Monaghan urged the rule makers to avoid allowing engines to become a big performance differentiator next time around.

“I think Formula One should look at itself and decide what level of power unit performance differentiation does it seek? Should it be a dominant [factor] between the teams?
“And then look at how long has it taken these power units to begin to converge – we haven’t converged as yet – and how does that look into the next few years of those next engine rules? If we can establish those perhaps more successfully than we did for the 2014 engine, then I think the formula could be healthier.”

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WHITING: WE SHOULD CARRY ON POLICING TRACK LIMITS

Two Formula 1 team bosses have slammed the current situation in the sport regarding the thorny topic of so-called ‘track limits’ but F1 Race Director insists they must be policed.

Just before the summer break, leading team chiefs approached Whiting to plead for a change of heart, with interpretations of the legal limits of the track having controversially changed from corner to corner, and track to track – and even day to day – in recent races.

Mercedes’ Toto Wolff thinks the FIA should stop policing the limits altogether, “Let them race. It is good for the spectacle and great for the fans.”

“If you start to analysing white lines and whether a driver has put two centimetres of his tyre over the marks and his laptime is taken away, nobody understands.”

Red Bull’s Christian Horner has a slightly different view, believing that while track limits should be policed, it should at least be done so consistently.

“You just cannot take it corner by corner and my frustration is like so many other people’s,” he said. Horner thinks a “white line” marking the extremities of the track should be strictly policed, just like in tennis.

The other issue, Wolff explained, is the lack of consistency, “In Germany is was stupid. The legislation was changed three times.”

Whiting, however, said it is just not feasible to stop policing track limits, “I felt that was inappropriate. I think we should carry on doing what we do.

“There are certain corners on certain tracks that do present us with little problems but we are getting rid of them one by one.”

“The difficulty of allowing complete freedom and letting them go very wide and no longer taking any notice is that simply there would be a different track fundamentally and it would be faster and there would be less run-off – so we couldn’t possibly contemplate it,” Whiting added.

MIKA: I'm a Mercedes fan but I agree with Horner, they should be policed BUT the ruling needs to be consistent and not "Pick and choose" who is reprimanded as we have seen a number of times this year that several drivers had all 4 wheels over the lines and get off scott free no penalty yet others like Rosberg gets nabbed.

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WOLFF: FERRARI SWITCHED VERY EARLY TO FOCUS ON 2017

Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff is convinced that Ferrari have long ago switched their development focus to 2017, and is wary of the Italian team’s potential to become a serious challenger to the dominance of the Silver Arrows.

Ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, Wolff said,” I don’t think you can write Ferrari off, they have clearly had a tough time most recently. I think [Ferrari] switched off very early to focus on 2017.”

“Never underestimate a team with so much resources and so much passion,” warned Wolff.

This might well explain the recent below par performance by the Maranello outfit. Wolff would relish a battle with the sport’s most popular team and believes close competition is essential for the sport at the highest level.

“We need to be fair sportsmen and Formula 1 lives because of the great battles between drivers and teams. Ferrari is a great brand with capable people and it would have been good fun to fight it out on track.”

“For whatever reason they have not been able in the most recent races to reach the levels they expected to perform and we expect to perform, but I can’t really look into it in detail and I don’t know the reasons.””

“For me, a battle with Ferrari would be great for F1 and, even if this sounds a little bit absurd, I was really looking forward to it and I hope they find their strength again and we fight it out on track,” added Wolff.

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MCLAREN PREVIEW THE BELGIAN GRAND PRIX

Spa-Francorchamps is one of only four tracks on this year’s calendar to have featured on the inaugural world championship calendar in 1950. The original circuit was fast and long (14kms/8.7 miles); the modern iteration of the track (7kms/4.3 miles) was opened in 1983 and features many of the original corners such as La Source, Eau Rouge, Stavelot and Blanchimont.

What makes it unique
The long straights and fast corners. There are plenty of both, which combine to produce one of the fastest average speeds of the year – 235km/h (146mph).

Grip levels
Medium. The asphalt isn’t abrasive and, despite the number of high-speed corners, Pirelli is able to take some of its softer tyre compounds to the race.

Run-off
When the track re-opened in 1983, it was deemed to have acres of run-off. Other tracks have since caught up in terms of safety and Spa is now considered to have an average amount of run-off.

Watch out for…
Turns Three & Four, Eau Rouge. This high-speed flick up the side of a hill has featured on every iteration of Spa-Francorchamps’ challenging layout and it’s always been fast. The cars approach the corner at 300km/h (186mph) and they endure a 1.7g compression at the bottom before heading up the hill.

Fernando Alonso

“Spa is an incredible circuit that definitely deserves its reputation as a legendary place to go racing. You have to have a strong package there, in terms of performance and reliability. More than 70 per cent of the lap is spent at full throttle, which will be a challenge in itself, but we’ve shown over the past few races that, even on the circuits that statistically should be difficult for us, we’ve worked hard and surprised ourselves with our level of performance relative to our competitors.

“It’s a long lap, with two very high-speed sections and a twistier section, so we have to find the right balance between the two to get the best car set-up. We’re seeing good correlation between the data back at base and in the car on track, so I hope we can continue our momentum and get the maximum out of the weekend. This circuit is always a tough challenge for car and driver but if we can pull all the elements together we can enjoy a positive weekend. It won’t be an easy race, but as always we’ll be pushing for points as hard as we can.”

“It’s time to go racing again! I’ve enjoyed the summer break, spent some time with my family in Asturias and at my kart circuit, enjoyed a break in California and managed to fit in some training too, so it’s been well spent. It’s also been a good opportunity to reflect on the first half of the year, the progress we’ve made, and channel our energy into the second half of the season. As a team, we’re getting stronger and stronger, and I’m looking forward to getting going again.

“Spa is a great challenge and the perfect venue to come to after the summer break. I feel refreshed and raring to go, and ready to take on the incredible twists and turns of this legendary track. There’s a lot to think about at this circuit: strategy, tyres, fuel, power unit management, and then there’s the weather. This is the sort of circuit that always throws up something unpredictable and there’s usually some drama during the race, so I hope we can fight hard and take advantage of any situation that comes our way.”

Jenson Button

“I love Spa! Eau Rouge is one of those fabled corners that drivers and fans always talk about – but it really is that special. The feeling of the sweep uphill through the corners is just awesome, every time. As well as being the longest circuit on the calendar, it also has an average speed of 230km/h (143mph), so it’s pretty quick! That means it’s pretty brutal on the cars – you’re at full throttle for almost three-quarters of the lap – so all the team and drivers will be working hard to manage all the different aspects of the car and react quickly to anything that crops up during the race.

“The important thing, as always, is reliability, and because of the nature of the Spa circuit it tends to be a race of attrition. The guys and girls back at MTC and also in Sakura are working hard to keep pushing the limits of our package, and I hope we can enjoy a smooth race from that point of view. I’ve always loved Spa right from the early days of my career – it still feels mega with every lap you do and never fails to put a smile on my face. It’s easily one of the best circuits on the calendar and definitely one of my favourites, so let’s see what we can do – I hope we can have a solid weekend.”

“Spa is one of those legendary classics. It fully deserves its reputation as one of the great circuits on the calendar, and it never fails to provide great racing year after year. I often stay in my motorhome next to the circuit at European races. Spa is one of those special places where the atmosphere is incredible – the fans are really passionate and flock from all over, and everyone is itching to see the F1 cars scream past them and race wheel-to-wheel after a few weeks off.

“I’m looking forward to getting back in the car. The summer break has been great – a chance to rest, recharge and spend time with friends and family. I spent most of it in the United States, but still managed to keep up with Team GB’s efforts in the Olympics – incredible! It’s been a great summer of sport and I’m hoping for more positive results as we start the second half of the season. There’s a lot to work on, but we are all pushing hard together towards the same goals, and fighting for more progress. Spa is a great place to get going again, and I can’t wait to get started.”

Eric Boullier, McLaren-Honda Racing Director

“Spa-Francorchamps is a very special race for us, for a number of reasons. It’s the venue where McLaren took its first ever grand prix win at the hands of our founder Bruce McLaren, in 1968. It’s also the home race for our reserve driver, Stoffel Vandoorne, who is sure to have a busy weekend there. Its legacy is richly deserved, a classic circuit with an impressive heritage and a track layout that’s the stuff of legends. The circuit is a huge test of both car and driver, and an incredible spectacle for the thousands of fans that travel there from all over Europe.

“The whole team has had a well-deserved break after the gruelling schedule of 12 races since the start of the season. We are now just over halfway through, and ready to fight again to achieve our end-of-season goals. The midfield pack is particularly close, and each team is stronger on different circuits, so there’ll be no let-up in in how hard we push or the developments we bring to the car in our bid to continue our progress through the rest of the season and into next year.

“Together, McLaren-Honda is continuing to push hard, and everything we bring to the car – be it on the chassis or power unit side – is valuable learning for next year. We’ve enjoyed a couple of weeks away from Formula 1, but our ambition is as strong as ever, and we’re definitely ready to go racing again!”

Yusuke Hasegawa, Honda R&D Co Ltd Head of F1 Project & Executive Chief Engineer

“After a hard-earned summer break, it’s exciting to start the latter half of the season at such a magnificent track as Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. This track is as beautiful as it is challenging – probably one of the most challenging circuits on the current F1 calendar. The steep uphill of Eau Rouge to Raidillon, and the fast technical downhill to Stavelot will especially require the ultimate combination of power, car balance and driver performance.

“Though the long and power-hungry nature of Spa won’t suit us, our target for the remainder of the season is clear: to aim for championship points and take further steps forward with each race. We hope that we can continue our positive momentum that we had before the summer shutdown and look to another strong weekend in Spa.”

[MIKA27]

FORCE INDIA PREVIEW THE BELGIAN GRAND PRIX

Force India preview the Belgian Grand Prix, Round 13 of the 2016 Formula 1 World Championship, at Spa-Francorchamps.

Vijay Mallya on Spa

Vijay Mallya sets his sights on a strong showing in Spa as the Formula One season resumes.

Vijay, the team’s strong season continued with more points last time out in Germany. What can we expect this weekend in Spa?
VJM: “More of the same, I hope. We are performing well and delivering results, and Spa represents a good opportunity to continue our run of points finishes. The updates we introduced at Silverstone have made a difference and there is still more performance to be extracted from our chassis. I think all teams have now switched their focus to 2017 so the pecking order should not change dramatically. Some tracks will suit us more than others, but Spa is certainly a track where the VJM09 can be strong.”

The team is now within 15 points of fourth place in the championship. How do you see the battle unfolding…
VJM: “There’s still a long way to go, but at least we are in the fight. I regard our podium in Monaco as the turning point of our season – both in terms of the result and our public perception. Then, our strong showing in Baku just reinforced the great job we are doing as a team. It’s a fierce battle in the midfield, but we are performing well. Since Monaco we have scored 67 points compared to the 31 of our nearest rival. If we continue scoring at this rate, it will be interesting to see where we can end the season.”

Nico on Spa

Nico Hulkenberg wants to continue his run of strong results with more points in Spa.

Nico:“It’s nice to get back to action after a month without racing. Holidays are fun – you spend time with your friends, take your mind off work and recharge your batteries – but nothing beats the thrill of a Formula One car. So it’s great to be back, and I can’t think of a better place to return to racing than Belgium.

“When I was little, I would go and watch the race in Spa rather than in Germany as it was much closer to where I lived. My dad took me there twice and I remember looking at the drivers and wishing to be in one of those cars.

“Spa is one of the best tracks out there. It may sound like a cliché, but it really is great fun to drive it – it’s up there with Suzuka. It’s got great flow, lots of challenging and ballsy corners, high speeds and changes of elevation. It’s just a great place. Everyone talks about Eau Rouge, but my favourite corner in Spa is Pouhon – the very quick downhill double-left hander. Eau Rouge and Raidillon are legendary, but they’re not the challenge they used to be.

“For all the excitement on track, Belgium is one of the quietest weekends off it. There’s not much around the circuit and most of the evenings you just stay in the hotel and have a quiet dinner with your physio or a few friends. It’s the opposite of some of the “lifestyle” events like Barcelona, Budapest or Montreal – but it’s a nice change to have some more relaxed events. Hopefully we will be able to pick up where we left off in Germany and continue showing our points-scoring form.”

Sergio on Spa

Sergio Perez looks forward to getting back to action in Spa this weekend.

Sergio:“The summer break was a great opportunity to relax, especially as this season is quite long and the races don’t leave us too much time to recover. It was nice to spend some time in Mexico, with my family, my dogs and my friends: it’s always great to go home and I can’t wait to be back there later in the year when we come racing in Mexico City.

“Spa is one of the most historical tracks; one of those kids dream about, with legendary corners like Eau Rouge. You never get a boring race there. There are many fast corners and you pay a price for all mistakes because it’s an old-school track with not much run-off. It’s one of the circuits where the driver can make a difference and bravery is rewarded. I have got some great memories from Spa: I won there in GP2 and I had a battle for the lead against Hamilton on the first lap last year.

“The key to being fast around Spa is having a good rhythm and enough downforce to be quick in the corners without losing too much on the straights. You want to be able to attack and defend in sector one, but not have too little wing to be struggling in the twisty parts of sector two. It’s a fine balance you need to strike and it can make or break your weekend.

“Eau Rouge is not as difficult as it used to be: you still need to be very precise about where you put your car, but you can easily take the corner flat-out. A key corner to gain or lose time is turn one: you can easily lose two tenths on that one alone if you make a mistake, and getting the exit right is crucial to carry as much speed as possible down the hill, up Raidillon and onto the Kemmel straight.

“We have been really strong in the last few races before the break and hopefully we can keep this form in the second part of the season. Being in the battle for fourth place in the championship gives us a lot of motivation and we approach every weekend knowing we can be strong. I am enjoying my driving and working with the team, and I think we have everything in place to be competitive this weekend.”

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HAAS PREVIEW THE BELGIAN GRAND PRIX

Those toiling within the globe-trotting FIA Formula One World Championship earned a three-week reprieve following the German Grand Prix July 31 in Hockenheim. The mandated summer shutdown allowed crew members to reacquaint themselves with their families and recharge prior to the stretch run of this year’s 21-race calendar, which resumes Aug. 26-28 with the Belgian Grand Prix at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.

Measuring in at 7.004 kilometers (4.352 miles), Spa is the longest venue in Formula One, outdistancing the series’ second-longest track, the 6.003-kilometer (3.730-mile) Baku City Circuit, by 1.001 kilometers (.622 of a mile). In addition to its length, Spa is known for its reputation of being a driver’s track, thanks in large part to the addition of the signature Eau Rouge and Raidillon corners in 1939, which created a fast and sweeping uphill, left-right-left combination that drivers view with reverence and attack with gusto.

Spa has hosted Formule One since 1925, with this year’s Belgian Grand Prix serving as the venue’s 49th grand prix. The 19-turn circuit is a favorite of Haas F1 Team drivers Romain Grosjean and Esteban Gutiérrez. Before securing his most recent podium when he finished third in last year’s Belgian Grand Prix, Grosjean clinched the 2011 GP2 Series title at the venerable track. And Gutiérrez, with two Formula One starts at Spa, has enjoyed some fine drives in the wet when he visited the circuit during his junior career in GP2 and GP3.

A wet track is common at Spa, but it’s also common for other portions to be completely dry, as its vast layout means late-summer showers can drench some parts of the track while leaving others untouched. Slicks obviously won’t work in the wet, and intermediate tires and full wet tires obviously won’t work in bone-dry conditions. It’s a conundrum that has often greeted drivers at the Belgian Grand Prix.

Specifically greeting Grosjean, Gutiérrez and the members of Haas F1 Team at Spa is a large presence from Haas Automation, as the venue provides a corporate homecoming for Haas F1 Team.

Its primary partner, American machine tool manufacturer Haas Automation, has its European headquarters strategically located in Brussels, about 150 kilometers (93 miles) west of Spa. This allows Haas Automation to provide its customers with the best sales, applications and service support in the industry.

The modern 5,787 square-meter (62,300 square-foot) building includes a full service department and a comprehensive spare parts warehouse staffed by a multilingual team of factory-trained and Haas-certified support personnel. The facility also incorporates an extensive showroom stocked with the latest Haas CNC machines running demonstrations and customer test applications while housing a fully-equipped training area, where Haas personnel instruct Haas Factory Outlet (HFO) service engineers and customers from all over Europe.

To facilitate quick delivery of product throughout Europe, the Brussels location maintains an inventory of new machines onsite in a 3,000 square-meter (32,291 square-foot) warehouse, with additional machines housed in nearby Antwerp that are always ready to ship.

Haas Automation’s European distribution system is based on the highly successful HFO concept, where a network of locally-owned distributors is exclusively dedicated to the sales, service and support of Haas products. Every HFO fields a service department staffed with factory-trained personnel and houses an extensive inventory of spare parts. Technicians are locally dispatched in service vehicles fully stocked with the parts and tools needed to successfully repair the customer’s machine the first time out.

If this structure seems akin to what Formula One teams do on a daily basis as they prepare for and compete in a grand prix, it should. The lineage between Haas F1 Team and Haas Automation is strong, as is the methodology. Both will be on display in Belgium – at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in the Haas F1 Team garage and in Brussels at Haas Automation Europe.

Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps

• Circuit Length: 7.004 km (4.352 miles)
• Laps: 44
• Race Distance: 308.052 km (191.415 miles)
• Broadcast: NBCSN – 7 a.m. ET (Pre-Race Show) / 8 a.m. ET (Lights Out)

About Haas F1 Team
Haas F1 Team debuted in the FIA Formula One World Championship in 2016, becoming the first American-led Formula One team since 1986. Founded by industrialist Gene Haas, Haas F1 Team is based in the United States on the same Kannapolis, North Carolina, campus as his championship-winning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team, Stewart-Haas Racing. Haas is the founder of Haas Automation, the largest CNC machine tool builder in North America, and he is chairman of Haas F1 Team.

Guenther Steiner, Team Principal

Belgium is the home of Haas Automation’s European headquarters. You’ve been to many appearances and interacted with many Haas Automation customers. How have they embraced the team and Gene Haas’ endeavor into Formula One?
“The customers love it. I would think it would be pretty cool to be associated with a company that just got their own Formula One team. They’re truly a part of Haas F1 Team. The customers at these events have fun, and they’re able to talk and interact with our drivers.”

How do you prepare for the unpredictability of the weather at Spa, as one part of the course can be clear and dry while another portion can be wet and slippery?
“You can prepare for the race by getting the team’s times down for when you need to change the tires. Otherwise, I think the driver’s experience comes into play here – what to do and when to do it. It all comes down to the driver and what they want to do next.”

How helpful is it to now have clear instruction as to what can be said on the radio and when during a race weekend?
“It’s nice to know that you can’t get fined now for something you didn’t have intentions of doing. Before it wasn’t clear on what was right or wrong to say, so it was difficult to obey the rule. Now we can say what we need to say. If somebody goes back now and listens to the instructions that were given to the drivers, they realize it wasn’t something said to make them go faster but rather solving the problem at hand. It allows us to get a read from the drivers now on the tires and other information that becomes useful to help us perform better. I don’t think it makes racing any less interesting by telling them something. For me, I don’t think there is a gain or loss, but it makes it easier for the team since now the information can be more clear.”

Fuel management played a role at the German Grand Prix, as the Hockenheimring saw drivers at full throttle for two-thirds of every lap. But Spa is 1.5 kilometers (.932 of a mile) longer than the Hockenheimring and drivers are on the throttle just as much. How much does fuel management play into your strategy at Spa?
“Fuel management is about the same, and it’s very important because the car needs the right time to lift off. Now with the radio communication, it is helpful because the engineer can give advice rather than in the past when the driver would ask and the engineer could not answer.”

Spa has high-speed straights and corners combined with a tight and twisting section, especially between turns eight and 15. How do you set up the car to tackle all the different aspects of the track? Do you have to make sacrifices in one section to gain an edge in other sections?
“Like in Hockenheim, we play between levels. It comes between using a low downforce and high topping speed at a low track or using the downforce in the twisty section and losing a little bit of speed in the fast sections.”

There has historically been a high incidence of safety cars at Spa. When the safety car comes out, be it virtually or physically, how does it affect your strategy, and is there any way to plan in advance for a safety-car scenario?
“The safety car is always included in the plans in advance. The strategy depends on what lap the safety car comes out on, which tire we are on, and if we should come in or stay out. One of the most important things before the race starts is to know the safety car window, when it opens and when it closes. It changes during the race because you get better data on the tire degradation and also from the positions the other competitors are in at that time.”

Tires and the duration of their use was the topic coming out of last year’s Belgian Grand Prix. As we come up to the one-year anniversary of the discussion of lap limits on tire usage, is it still an issue, or with Pirelli introducing three compounds to choose from and mandating that two of those three compounds be used in the race, is the topic of limiting tire usage moot?
“Pirelli has stepped up to give minimum tire pressure and I think that helps a lot. They get a lot of data from the teams and then they use that data to give advice. They usually give advice on tire pressure and what the maximum laps on tires should be. The biggest factor is them giving the minimum tire pressure from the data they have collected from the teams. Pirelli has done a great job with that and it helps a lot.”

Does the current generation tire’s performance dictate how long you can stay on a set, because the rate of fall-off can be so drastic?
“Normally, yes. It’s a fine line because when the driver comes in, the tire is at the edge. Sometimes there is still 20 percent of tire left, but you come in because the lap times are so slow that there is no point of staying out.”

Romain Grosjean

Belgium is the home of Haas Automation’s European headquarters. You’ve been to many appearances and interacted with many Haas Automation customers. How have they embraced the team and Gene Haas’ endeavor into Formula One?
“Every time we do something with Haas Automation it’s been very well organized and we always receive a very warm welcome from all the guests attending. It’s been great to be representing Haas Automation in Formula One. It’s a big name in motorsports and a big name in industry. Whenever we meet their customers, especially when we’re with Gene (Haas), they’re always very happy. It feels like a big family, which is nice to be a part of.”

How do you prepare for the unpredictability of the weather at Spa, as one part of the course can be clear and dry while another portion can be wet and slippery?
“Basically, you don’t. It’s something that’s out of your control. You don’t really worry about it. When it comes to qualifying or race day, yes, you have to make decisions, but it’s never black or white at Spa.”

Spa has been called a driver’s track. Why?
“It’s just a great track. There are very high-speed corners and there are a lot of turns, different types, some high speed, some low – just a good variety overall. It gives you a good feeling to drive.”

Spa has high-speed straights and corners combined with a tight and twisting section, especially between turns eight and 15. How do you set up your car to tackle all the different aspects of the track? Do you have to make sacrifices in one section to gain an edge in other sections?
“You always see different approaches at Spa. Either you’re fast in sector one and sector three, which are the high-speed sectors, or you’re fast in sector two, which has more of the corners. Both work pretty well, so it’s a matter of how you want to approach the race.”

Can you describe the sensation you feel inside the car when you drive through Eau Rouge and Raidillon? Are you able to take that section flat out?
“The first lap you go through flat out, you feel sick, like you’re on a rollercoaster because it goes up and down. You’re thinking, will I make that for the race? But, once you’ve done it once, it’s all ok and you just enjoy the g-forces.”

How important is it to enter Eau Rouge in clean air to ensure you have the maximum amount of downforce available?
“It’s certainly a corner where you don’t want to have a mistake. Qualifying in clean air is certainly quite good. On the other hand, if you get a big tow, you can have a massive advantage going into turn five. There’s a bit of an argument for both philosophies there.”

Your most recent podium was earned in last year’s Belgian Grand Prix. You started ninth and made it all the way to third, finishing behind the Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. How did you make up so many positions?
“We had a good car in Belgium last year. I had qualified fourth, but started ninth due to a gearbox penalty. We had a good strategy and good timing with a safety car, too. I managed to overtake a few cars and get on the podium. Honestly, it was one of those weekends where everything just goes to plan.”

Prior to last year’s Belgian Grand Prix, your last podium came in 2013 at the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas. How good did it feel to get back on the podium, especially after enduring a 2014 season where you only had two point-scoring finishes?
“It was great for all the guys, and for myself. We had a perfect weekend on the track. For everyone involved, it was a very good feeling. I guess it was kind of the same feeling as scoring the first points for Haas earlier this season.”

Does a race like you had at Spa in 2015, where after a trying season in 2014, remind you that podiums are possible with determination and hard work?
“If I turn up at a race weekend not thinking that I’m the best, or that I can’t win the race, I’d be better off staying at home with my children. I always want to be on the podium. I always want to try to win the race. Of course, it depends a lot on the car, but in the end, you can never give up and you always strive to give your best. That’s the mentality you should have.”

Do you have milestones or moments from your junior career that you enjoyed at Spa?
“I won the GP2 title there in 2011. That was a great year.”

What is your favorite part of Spa?
“I can’t choose just one part and say it’s my favorite. The whole circuit just comes together nicely.”

Describe a lap around Spa.
“You start off with the hairpin at La Source. It’s a very low-speed corner. You need a good exit to go flat out up to Eau Rogue and then you’re on to turn five, the first right-left corner. That’s normally in fourth gear. Turn seven is quite good fun. It’s a high-speed corner going down. Then you’ve got turn eight with tricky braking. You need to be well positioned on the right hand side of the exit for turn nine. Then you’re downhill again massively to the double-left turns 10 and 11 – the fastest corner of the circuit. Then it’s on to the second right-to-left corner, carrying a bit more speed than you did into (turns) five and six. The next double right hander is very important to go to the backstraight, which is very long. You then go through the Bus Stop chicane – you need big braking. Then you have a very tricky low-speed corner, where the exit and the traction are tricky. It’s very difficult. If you get it right, you get a good lap time.”

Esteban Gutierrez

Belgium is the home of Haas Automation’s European headquarters. You’ve been to many appearances and interacted with many Haas Automation customers. How have they embraced the team and Gene Haas’ endeavor into Formula One?
“Haas Automation is very important to us, especially when their guests visit the track. Their support is great for our team and for their customers and employees. It’s great motivation for their company to be interested in and to follow F1. For us, we gain a lot of motivation from their support.”

How do you prepare for the unpredictability of the weather at Spa, as one part of the course can be clear and dry while another portion can be wet and slippery?
“I think you need to make quick decisions throughout the weekend, especially during the race as it’s a way to gain an advantage. Making a wrong decision can be very detrimental, but that’s what’s special about Spa. It’s a very long track and it can sometimes only rain on one part of the track, on one or two corners, and if you’re on slicks you just need to deal with it. Ultimately, you only want to come in for full wets if it’s raining throughout. You really have to be ready and open minded during the weekend.”

Spa has been called a driver’s track. Why?
“It’s a track that has a lot of corners, as well as being a very long track where you can gain a lot of time if you do everything properly and if you’re consistent throughout the lap. This also depends on how much downforce you have on the car as the circuit has a lot of high-speed and fluid corners, which are important factors.”

Spa has high-speed straights and corners combined with a tight and twisting section, especially between turns eight and 15. How do you set up your car to tackle all the different aspects of the track? Do you have to make sacrifices in one section to gain an edge in other sections?
“It’s a track where you have to compromise a lot because you don’t want to lose too much speed on the straight and you don’t want to lose too much downforce in the corners. It’s important to have an efficient car to find the best compromise between aero and the mechanical set up.”

Can you describe the sensation you feel inside the car when you drive through Eau Rouge and Raidillon? Are you able to take that section flat out?
“Those two corners are usually flat out. It’s an amazing feeling approaching Eau Rouge. It goes up and you can feel the compression at the beginning of the corner and as the car is moving though the corner. As you go uphill, sometimes the car is jumping on the curb at high speed. It’s amazing. It’s difficult to describe it because you have to experience it.”

How important is it to enter Eau Rouge in clean air to ensure you have the maximum amount of downforce available?
“Even in the race sometimes you have to be flat out if you are running behind someone you want to overtake. It’s a corner you don’t require much downforce to make it flat out. Usually, we reduce the downforce at Spa because of the long straights and you want to have the least drag possible in those areas. It’s a compromise of how much downforce you set. Even with a low configuration of downforce, Eau Rouge becomes quite challenging, but usually very nice if you can take it flat out.”

Do you have milestones or moments from your junior career that you enjoyed at Spa?
“I’ve had a few incredible races in the wet at Spa. One of the most fun races I’ve had was starting from the back after being disqualified. I manage to overtake my way up the grid but, unfortunately, at the end I was penalized again by overtaking someone on the very last lap when the safety car was out. It’s a great memory of Spa and it’s a track I always enjoy. Hopefully this year will be just as enjoyable and we’ll do our best to make it a successful weekend.”

What is your favorite part of Spa?
“I would say Eau Rouge. It’s a great corner. It’s iconic and it’s great to drive.”

Describe a lap around Spa.
“Approaching into turn one, it’s a slow-speed hairpin corner which prepares you for the straight that takes you to Eau Rouge. You go down into Eau Rouge which is turns two, three and four. After Eau Rouge is turn five where you go flat out all the way from the hairpin to turn six, which is quite a long distance and takes a bit of time. Through Eau Rouge you have to take a lot of curbs and try to make a precise line going flat out in order to be able to scrub the least speed possible. Going down into turn six it’s quite big braking. It’s a medium-speed corner, right then left to turn seven. That line is very important between those two corners to prepare for turn eight. You then brake downhill. It’s a pretty long corner and you’re usually struggling a lot on power as you prepare for turn nine, which is a medium-speed corner and quite tight between the two corners. Then going out of turn nine it’s quite quick as you use all the curb. You head to turn 10, which is a high-speed corner to the left, and then turn 11, which is one of my favorite corners. It’s usually a fairly medium- to high-speed chicane. The car understeers there and you go on power trying to turn the car with the throttle, which makes it interesting. Then you have turn 13, which is to the right as you prepare for the long straight which takes you down to the last few corners – a slow-speed chicane where the surface changes. The track goes upward and there are a few strange angles on the apex of the corners which makes the car move a little, but it’s important as you can gain a lot of time. You then exit the corner to finish the lap on the main straight.”

[MIKA27]

HAMILTON TO TAKE ENGINE PENALTY AT MONZA

The Mercedes team has decided that Lewis Hamilton will slide down the grid at Monza.

The reigning world champion extended his lead in the 2016 standings recently, but insisted he still doesn’t feel like the true leader because he is running short on engines.

“It’s still not enough because I’m not a race win ahead yet,” he said. “I hope I’ll be able to get a race win ahead and then I’ll feel like I am ahead.”

He will get the chance to do just that at Spa this weekend, before taking a fresh Mercedes engine and a subsequent grid penalty at Monza a week later, according to Sportbox.

“Why Monza? Because we want to minimise the impact of the penalty and it’s easier to overtake there,” said team boss Toto Wolff.