FORMULA 1 - 2016

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MASSA: AFTER 15 YEARS IN F1 THIS WILL BE MY LAST

Felipe Massa, the Brazilian who almost won the Formula One championship for Ferrari in 2008 before Lewis Hamilton snatched it away at the last corner of the final race, is to retire at the end of the season.

The 35-year-old Williams driver, who won 11 grands prix for Ferrari between 2006 and 2008, is out of contract at the end of the year and said he had decided some months ago that this season would be his last.

“After 15 years in Formula One…this will be my last,” Massa told reporters at the Italian Grand Prix, saying he was more nervous about making the announcement than he had been before any of his races. The last eight races in Formula One I will really enjoy as much as I can.”

The season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will be Massa’s 250th F1 start, and his departure will open a desirable vacancy at a Mercedes-powered team.

Britain’s 2009 world champion Jenson Button, 36, of under-performing McLaren, has been linked with the seat although he has yet to decide whether he will continue.

Massa, who survived a near-fatal head injury in Hungary in 2009 when he was hit on the helmet by a bouncing spring shed from compatriot Rubens Barrichello’s Brawn car, joined former champions Williams from Ferrari in 2014.

Although he denied that accident had affected his performance, and could remember little about it after emerging from a coma, the Brazilian has not come close to winning since.

Massa’s career high, and low, was winning the 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix and having the title in his grasp until Hamilton, racing for McLaren, took fifth place in the dying seconds to beat him by a single point.

His dignified response earned him even more fans in the paddock and beyond.

The second longest serving Ferrari driver of all time, after former team mate Michael Schumacher, Massa took three podium places and a pole position in his first season with Williams, helping the team finish third overall.

Massa said in a a statement released by Williams: “I must start by especially thanking my wife and my father, my whole family, my manager Nicolas and all the people who have supported me throughout my career.”

“Thank you to God for giving me the opportunities I have had in life and, above all, for protecting me. A huge thank you as well to everyone I have worked with over the years. Every team I have been a part of has been a special experience, and not only in Formula One.”

“I have so many great memories over the years and thank everyone in all the teams I have come through to help me get to where I am today. My career has been more than I ever expected and I am proud of what I have achieved.”

“Finally, it is a great honour to finish my career at such an amazing team as Williams Martini Racing. It will be an emotional day when I finally conclude my Formula One career with my 250th Grand Prix start in Abu Dhabi,” concluded Massa.

 

 

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Button says Massa "brave" to retire from F1

Jenson Button has labeled Felipe Massa's decision to retire form Formula 1 as "brave" after the Brazilian announced he will leave the sport after 2016.

Button and Massa have shared the track since the Brazilian made his grand prix debut in 2002, two years later than Button.

The 2009 world champion, whose future is still up in the air, admitted it felt strange to see his rival retiring.

"I've raced with Felipe since he started in F1, 15 years we have been racing together," said Button during Thursday's press conference at Monza.

"It's always a strange feeling when someone retires from the sport who has achieved so much, so many victories and being so close, but we all have our own reasons.

"It is a brave decision but he has chosen to retire so it is definitely the right one."

Massa's former teammate at Ferrari Kimi Raikkonen said it was a "shame" the Brazilian was hanging up his helmet.

"It is a shame but that is his choice in the end," he said. "We had a good relationship and we were in same team and obviously had some difficult moments with his accident, but he has been strong, always and is a very nice guy.

"Life goes on and I am sure he made the right choice for himself. Hopefully he has a good end of F1 career.

Raikkonen's Ferrari teammate Sebastian Vettel added: "It's a shame to see him quit, as he will be missed. I wish him the best for whatever he wants to do in the future. Apart from talent and speed on track he is a great guy and very easy going."

   

Williams lucky to have him

Williams deputy team principal Claire Williams also paid homage to Massa, saying the British squad was lucky the Brazilian decided to join in 2013 after a dismal season.

"We were so lucky that he honoured us and joined our team back in 2013," said Williams.

"I still remember to this day the text message I sent. I knew I would get a reply because he is polite, I didn't expect that he would grant me a meeting based on our performance over the previous few years.

"We were so lucky that Felipe agreed to join us. We were obviously a team that was in dire straits, we needed someone like Felipe to come and be a part of our team and he has been a really big part of our journey over the past three years.

"He has been instrumental in driving us forward. We finished third in the past two years and he has been a big part of that success: not just for the talent that he brings, which everyone is fully aware of, but also the personality at Williams."

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MASSA COULD TURN TO STOCK CAR BRAZIL WHEN F1 ENDS

Felipe Massa could find himself out of Formula 1 and in Brazil’s national stock car series in 2017.

That is the view of Brazilian journalist Flavio Gomes, who thinks 2016 has so far been “the worst season for Felipe at Williams” since he joined the team from Ferrari in 2014.

Williams has reportedly re-signed Valtteri Bottas for 2017, while Jenson Button or the well-sponsored Lance Stroll are in the running to be his teammate.

“I don’t see Massa at Indy like (Rubens) Barrichello did, as he did not want to stop racing at all,” Gomes told UOL Grande Premio. “I think Felipe would tend more for stock car and fight for the title.”

Williams has been a force in F1 since 2014, but this year the Grove team has fallen not only behind the ‘big three’ teams, but also Force India, despite having a bigger budget than the Silverstone based outfit.

“Since the tyre pressures increased everyone is suffering,” 35-year-old Massa told Brazil’s Globo Esporte, “but we are the most affected.

“They (Force India) are working much better with these tyre pressures. The drivers were at certain points of the (Spa) race a second quicker than us,” he added.

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VETTEL: F1 WITHOUT MONZA WOULD BE A NIGHTMARE

Sebastian Vettel admits he is relieved that Monza looks to be back on track with a new three-year grand prix race deal and says that the F1 calendar without the iconic venue would be unthinkable.

Vettel told Corriere della Sera, “I could never imagine F1 without Monza. It would be a nightmare. I can’t wait to be back on track with all those fans, the passion, the banners, the children and adults who queue for an autograph or selfie. It’s magic.”

“The emotions here are incredible. You stand on the grid and people left and right are happy to be part of it,” added Vettel who scored his first grand prix win at the venue for Toro Rosso back in 2008.

Vettel, like most of the F1 drivers, was aggrieved about the prospect of Monza being ditched and said at the time, “If we take this away from the calendar for any shitty money reason you are basically ripping our hearts out. The emotions here are incredible.”

Since his victory in 2008, Vettel also won at the venue in 2011 and 2013 as a Red Bull driver. But he has yet to stand on the top step of the podium at Ferrari’s home track, although last year he was second.

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FERRARI FACE EXTREME PRESSURE AT HOME ITALIAN GRAND PRIX

Ferrari will be racing on home turf for the sixty-fifth edition of the Italian Grand Prix at Monza this weekend, where the pressure will be extreme for the Maranello outfit.

Just a few days after the Belgian race, Formula 1 is back on track for the 14th round of the world championship, which is also the last European race before a final leg made up entirely of flyaway events.

“It’s a nice place to go,” says Kimi Raikkonen of the Monza track “A traditional circuit with a lot of history. It’s completely different from all the other circuits.”

“It’s a home Grand Prix for us and this makes it a bit busier for us, but also for a lot of fans. Last year I could do well in qualifying, but not so good during the start of the race.”

“However, I think the result was OK after what had happened. I’d love to win there and hopefully this year we can do better.”

Diego Ioverno, Race Team Manager of Scuderia Ferrari, added, “The mix between the extreme pressure that we feel trying to do our best in the race in Italy and the massive passion and support that all our fans usually give us when we are in Monza is very special.”

“It’s impressive to see in the stands how many people wear something red. For us it’s also a place where we can join our supporters, as well as our sponsors and technical partners. So, all departments have to join in and everyone will be there helping.”

“Technically, the circuit is unique, it’s the quickest of the Championship. There are impressive braking areas, but also reasonably quick corners. The braking areas are the ones where you can make the difference. So, power unit and brake system are normally the most stressed parts of the cars,” added Ioverno.

Ferrari have yet to win a race this season. Earlier this year they were the ones that took the fight to the dominant Mercedes team, but lost their momentum and before the summer break dropped behind Red Bull in the pecking order.

Pressure from big boss Sergio Marchionne has been constant, while the patriotic but demanding Italian media is more often than not the team’s Achilles heel.

The last time the Reds won at Monza was back in 2010 when Fernando Alonso triumphed at the venue.

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HONDA STUDYING NEW TECHNOLOGY FOR 2017 ENGINE

Honda has indicated it could follow the technological lead of Formula 1’s other ‘power unit’ makers.

McLaren’s Japanese works partner has made great strides in 2016, but the Honda unit is now the only one in pitlane not using so-called “pre-combustion chamber” or TJI technology.

AS sports newspaper said the technology has been used by Mercedes since 2014, by Ferrari since mid 2015 and by Renault from Monaco this year.

“As an engine company, we are always looking for new technologies and the TJI is one of them,” Honda’s F1 chief Yusuke Hasegawa said.

“It is an area we have studied that could be an option for the future, but we have not decided anything yet,” he added.

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PIZZONIA’S TOP SPEED F1 RECORD COULD TUMBLE AT MONZA

A 12-year Formula 1 high speed record might finally tumble at Monza this weekend.

In 2004, it was Antonio Pizzonia who set the sport’s current top-speed record in a BMW-Williams, as he blasted down the long straight at 369.9kph through the official speed trap.

That was with a 1000hp V10 screaming at 21,000rpm, but some believe the incredible current V6 units might go even quicker in Sunday’s Italian grand prix.

Recalling that day at Monza as he substituted for the injured Ralf Schumacher, Brazilian Pizzonia said: “I was in the right car at the right time at the right track.

“With the 10 cylinder BMW, I had the strongest engine there was at the time. You noticed immediately how fast you were going: I still remember being in the tow of David Coulthard’s McLaren and really feeling how fast I was,” he told Auto Bild.

However, Pizzonia said there was no fear, “To be honest, if you’ve driven enough laps at Monza, you get used to it.”

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MODO BECOMES PREMIUM PARTNER OF SAUBER F1 TEAM

Press Release: The Sauber F1 Team is pleased to announce MODO as its Premium Partner. MODO is an eyewear company founded in New York, and driven by a passion for innovation and technology.

MODO adopts the latest manufacturing technology and newest materials in its products’ designs, and its emphasis on quality and functionality produces groundbreaking results. MODO’s Paper-Thin Titanium collection is some of the lightest and strongest eyewear in the world. At 6.8 grams, Paper-Thin Titanium sunglasses are fitted with high-performance polycarbonate lenses using High Chromatic Definition (HCD) technology to merge form and function.

The partnership with MODO will kick off during the upcoming Italian Grand Prix in Monza and is for the remainder of the 2016 Formula One season. The MODO branding will appear on the mirrors of the Sauber C35-Ferraris. Furthermore, the entire team will also be equipped with sunglasses to represent the MODO products in style.

Monisha Kaltenborn, Team Principal of the Sauber F1 Team:
“We are delighted about our new partnership with MODO – a lifestyle brand that has chosen with Formula One and us the perfect platform to represent its brand and products. Technological innovation, detailed precision, and the push for excellence are values the Sauber F1 Team stands for. MODO’s Paper-Thin Titanium collection proves these attributes at the highest level of quality – the lightest and strongest eyewear matching the carbon material Formula One cars are built with. We are pleased to welcome MODO on board, and we look forward to a successful and fruitful partnership in a promising future.”

Alessandro Lanaro, Founder and CEO of MODO: “MODO is very pleased to start a collaboration with the Sauber F1 Team by becoming a Premium Partner. Our common interests in technology, innovation, and using new materials to create the highest performance make us ideal partners. The Formula One environment is the perfect theater to showcase our brand and products. We are also excited to further develop our partnership by researching new technologies with the Sauber Engineering Division that can be applied to eyewear. We are looking forward to our official debut at the Italian GP in the legendary Monza circuit.”

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Formula 1 drivers critical of stewarding inconsistency

F1 drivers agree that the consistency of steward decisions for on-track incidents should be improved, following a controversial Belgian Grand Prix in which several matters were not punished.

In Monza today there were differing views among drivers about the various incidents in the Spa race last weekend, but there was something close to unanimity that the consistency of stewards' decisions should be improved.

"We have seen it for a long time, the penalties they are not very consistent" said Valtteri Bottas. "One race you get one for that and another you don't."

He added too that this was not a new matter for the drivers to raise with the authorities. "I'm sure in the drivers' briefing again there's going to be discussion about that we need more consistency.

"I don't know exactly what's allowed and what's not" he went on. "It would be nice to have much clearer rules and consistent penalties, but let's see."

Carlos Sainz concurred, saying "since I have been in F1 consistency of penalties has not been good enough." 

Fernando Alonso also admitted that following his contact with Nico Hulkenberg in the pitlane in the Spa race, he was unsure whether he would be penalised or not.

"We all agree [that steward consistency is poor]" he said. "Even in my pitlane exit with Nico [Hulkenberg], we exit side-by-side and touch a little bit, I have no penalty, maybe in the next race I have a penalty. The next couple of laps I didn't know which steward I had this in race!

"I could be penalised, Nico could be penalised, both could be penalised. That is the problem we have now."

Jenson Button cautioned however that consistency while desirable is also likely hard to achieve. "We all understand that consistency is the most important thing, but it's also very difficult to get that because you're not going to get the same stewards at every race."

While Sebastian Vettel believed that the problems are related to over-regulation, and that more should be left to the drivers to sort out among themselves.

"We ended up developing too many regulations, and therefore because taking every scenario as a different one ended up with every scenario being treated different. It's impossible to be 100% consistent in that regard...it would be much better if it was more in our hands".

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Fernando Alonso: 'McLaren can finish season just behind Red Bull'

Fernando Alonso has predicted a strong final stint of this season for McLaren, including being "just behind" Red Bull by the final round in Abu Dhabi.

While he believed that this weekend's Italian Grand Prix will be "the most difficult race of the year" for McLaren, he felt also that "from [the next round in] Singapore onwards, we will enjoy these coming races."

"The car I think is capable to be in Q3, both McLarens, both in the points, every single race from now on," he said of that final part of the year.

"I think Singapore, Suzuka, Austin and especially Abu Dhabi we will be very good. Because even last year we expected a lot in Singapore and we were OK but not as good as Austin for example and especially Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi for whatever reason was very very strong for us last year. So I'd imagine this year we can really enjoy that."

When asked where he thought the McLaren would be in Abu Dhabi, he said "let's try to be just behind Red Bull."

When asked too if Spa was a confirmation of McLaren being on the right track, he said that "no, the biggest confirmation will come soon."

As for this weekend in Monza Alonso as noted was more pessimistic, saying that "being in the points I think will be completely unexpected." He confirmed that this is mostly due to the McLaren's power deficit. "[It will be] only power - there are six corners [here]."

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Haas introduces 'double-waved' rear wing

The Haas F1 team has introduced an elaborate new rear wing design for this weekend's Italian Grand Prix.

The central portion is reminiscent of what Mercedes is doing with its 'Spoon' design but rather than continue to a shorter chord outer section it has created an 'M' shape, with a double-waved design.

This is created by two short chord sections before the flaps return to a conventional chord height as the wing meets with the endplate.

This results in an endplate that still features five endplate louvres to displace the tip vortex and reduce drag whilst the shape of the top flap, which must mirror the mainplane, will have a very distinct DRS profile and could be of assistance assuming it is in the middle of the pack during the race.

Vitaly Petrov, Renault F1 Team

Although not as aggressive, as DRS was not a consideration, it does bring to mind the rear wing used by Renault at Canada in 2010 (above).

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Felipe Massa column: Why I'm retiring from Formula 1

In his exclusive column for Motorsport.com, Felipe Massa looks back at his career and explains why he has decided to retire from Formula 1.

During the career of a Formula 1 driver there are many special moments, and what I am going to tell you makes me a little bit emotional.

In recent months I have been thinking a lot about my future and I have taken the decision that at the end of this season, I will leave Formula 1.

Life presents us with many choices and I think for me it has got to the time where I have to go and do something different. Maybe you will see me again at the wheel of a race car, but at the moment the only certainty I have is that I will have a lot of time to decide on what I do in the future.

   

Deciding what I do next will be done in a calm manner – in the same way that I took the decision to end my time in F1.

Over recent weeks I have had many different thoughts and have recalled many memories of my life so far. People, of course, remember your story in Formula 1, but there is a time before during which the foundations were laid on which to build a career.

I recall beautiful times related to karting – seven years in which I began to breathe the world of racing. Then there was the next step in cars, also in Brazil. I raced in Formula Chevrolet, which was a season and a half where I had very few financial resources. But I was able to win the title in 1999.

As a prize for doing that, the chance came up to move to Europe to have six races in the new Formula Renault 2.0 category. At the end I got a lot more – winning both the Italian and European championships in the same year.

So I found myself in Formula 3000, and even then it went well because at the end of the year I graduated to grand prix machinery.

Opening the doors of Formula 1 was incredible. I remember the first test so well – and what a thrill! I recall too the first win in Istanbul in 2006, but the biggest joy of my career was my victory in the Brazilian Grand Prix that year. Winning in Sao Paulo, in my home town, was an emotionally unique experience.

When you are a child who dreams of getting to F1, you see the goal as almost unreachable. But for me, life was amazing, giving me a lot more than I could imagine.

I never imagined that I would one day of course race for Ferrari and Williams. When I was little I saw Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna driving for the English team – and it was a dream to think I could follow in their footsteps.

I managed to win many races with Ferrari, and go up many times on the podium. I fought for the world championship too, and but for one point I could have taken the title. But I am still a happy and serene person.

The 2008 season is also linked to the worst moment of my career. I am not talking about the incident that happened in Hungary the following year, because I do not remember anything that happened in Budapest.

   

But I remember very well when I learned what happened at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix – and I am referring to 'crashgate'.

Without that incident I probably would have won the world championship, and I know that I didn't make it for reasons that are not related to a driver error or a team problem. So it is more difficult to accept.

In Brazil at the end of the season I knew I had done my best. I won the race and I had nothing to regret about what I had done – and this helped me accept the lost title by just one point. What happened in Singapore I learned much later, and it pained me much more.

In recent weeks I have also thought about all the people who have helped me over my career. There are many professional people in many different roles who remain linked to moments, victories and days where they made so many sacrifices.

From our humble beginnings in Sauber, where I learned a lot, to the next step in Ferrari which took me to the highest level and then on to the great adventure with Williams that I am still living.

Behind the names of those teams there are so many people, but also sponsors who have supported me and without whom I would not have this career path.

But before all of them there is still my family. My father and my wife Raffaela are the people who I have been the closest to at times. I never missed their support and love, and that strengthened my motivation when it was not always in the best way. Without their help I would not be here.

I also had great support from my mother, my brother and my sister. And I also cannot forget my son, who arrived in recent years, and friends who have been there during days to remember and more difficult ones too. There were periods too where I found help in my religious beliefs and I can only thank God for protecting me and giving me a beautiful fairy tale.

Going back in time further I see the figure of my father, who accompanied me all the way throughout my career. In the early years too I had a lot of help from my first manager Riccardo Tedeschi, who followed me all the way up to F1.

Then there was a person who has offered me the biggest important opportunity of my career: Jean Todt. He believed greatly in me, opening the doors of Ferrari.

Plus there is Nicolas Todt. He is officially my manager, but he is really a great friend and my best friend. We have built a lot together, shared many good and difficult moments – and I am sure our relationship will continue beyond the sporting aspect.

Why I chose to announce my Formula 1 retirement at Monza is not an accident. Ten years ago in Monza, a driver announced he was leaving too – and he is one more than any other that had an influence on my career: Michael Schumacher.

I had been promoted to Ferrari at the beginning of the season, but I had been told already that in 2007 Kimi Raikkonen would be arriving – so my experience in 'red' could have been limited to just a single season.

Then Michael made the decision to stop and I was certain that I could continue with Ferrari for the following seasons.

Ten years on from that day, and in the same paddock, I decided to announce my decision.

   

But my attention remains on the remaining eight races to the end of the world championship, and I am not going to start behaving like a pensioner! I will continue to do what I like to do: get out there on the track and get the car as far forward as possible.

I'd like to be able to give an important contribution to the team, given that we still have some important goals in front of us. Williams is fighting for fourth place in the constructors' championship, and I will give my best to achieve the goal with the team.

Looking ahead, it will be special in Sao Paulo for the last Grand Prix of Brazil. I know officially my last race will be in Abu Dhabi, but emotionally the Sao Paulo weekend will be the real farewell becomes of what it means to my heart.

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Haas F1 team agrees 2017 deal with Romain Grosjean

Romain Grosjean is set to stay at Haas for the 2017 Formula 1 season, Autosport understands.

The Frenchman joined the American newcomer this year and has been the team's standout performer, scoring all 28 of its points.

Haas has yet to announce its line-up for next season and it is not in a rush to do so.

However, it is believed an agreement is already in place that will keep Grosjean at the team for at least one more season.

Regarding the team's second seat, it is understood no decision has been made.

When asked by Autosport if he knows what he'll be doing next season in terms of a race seat, the Grosjean said. "I am quite confident, yes.

"How can I put it? I'm pretty sure I can improve my American pronunciation."

Reflecting on his first season with Haas, Grosjean conceded the jump from Lotus was a gamble but it was taken with a long-term view.

"I definitely thought it could be a risk, a lot of drivers did but I knew it would be a big opportunity," he said.

"In a project you need to be on it for quite a long time.

"The whole idea was to come into Formula 1 and do better in the second year and do better in the third year, and we put the bar quite high up to start.

"But on the other hand the development for next year's car started a while ago.

"We've got more people in involved because people have seen Haas is a serious team and we're doing a good job and they want to be a part of the adventure.

"But yes definitely we want to be at the top of the midfield rather than at the back of midfield."

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WILLIAMS CONSIDER PEREZ, NASR AND MAYBE BUTTON

A seat with Williams has only now become officially available, but Jenson Button may have missed the boat, to switch to to the team which gave him his Formula 1 career break, for 2017, while the Grove outfit courts Sergio Perez and Felipe Nasr.

The 36-year-old driver and McLaren supremo Ron Dennis have said they will get together at Monza to discuss the future, amid strong speculation the Woking team will replace Button with Stoffel Vandoorne.

“I’m sure I will speak to Ron this weekend,” said Button.

Interestingly, although Williams has been hinting at its interest in Button for 2017, the 2009 world champion said Felipe Massa’s decision to retire caught him by surprise.

“I didn’t know it was going to happen,” said Button.

But even though the seat is definitely open now, and Massa says he told Williams of his decision two months ago, Button may not actually return to Grove where he began his F1 career some 16 years ago.

“If Jenson had been banging the door down, Williams would have welcomed him,” a team source told The Times.

“It was a perfect fit and they would have loved to see him back. But he has taken too long making a decision and things have moved on. He seems to be hanging on for another year at McLaren,” the unnamed source added.

Meanwhile it is almost certain that Valtteri Bottas will remain with Williams for the next two years, but the real story is who will occupy the much coveted garage beside him.

Perez has been coy about his plans since Force India team boss Vijay Mallya trumpeted that his team’s driver line-up would be retained for 2017.

The Mexican, who would bring substantial backing to Williams, has denied that a deal is done and despite recently admitting he would like to stay at Force India – this was interpreted as a negotiation ploy to force Williams’ hand.

Brazilian journos believe that Massa gave fellow countryman Nasr a heads-up before the summer break, which in turn had the Sauber driver lobbying for funds in Brazil.

The success of his quest is not known, but for sure he is a candidate. Nasr was Williams test and reserve driver in 2014.

Outsiders for the drive are Mercedes protege’s Pascal Wehrlein and Esteban Ocon. The German manufacturer supply power units to the Grove outfit.

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HAMILTON: VERSTAPPEN IS AN EXCEPTIONALLY TALENTED DRIVER

Not every Formula 1 driver is overly critical of Max Verstappen’s aggressive driving during the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, creating two camps of opinions on the grid.

It has emerged that Ferrari’s two drivers have sought out Charlie Whiting for talks. But not everyone is critical.

“He is a fast driver and he has already shown that he can win races,” world champion Lewis Hamilton said.

“He is also 18 years old, and most of us did some pretty stupid things when we were 18. But I also see an exceptionally talented driver.”

Nico Hulkenberg added: “It is an art to move at exactly the perfect moment. When it works, I can only pat someone on the back.”

And Fernando Alonso said: “For me, Belgium was ok, but what happened in Hungary was not.”

“It was a late movement (at Spa) and maybe Max didn’t really assess where Kimi was, but at this time Kimi was behind so the manoeuvre was fine for me.”

However, Verstappen’s aggression at Spa will undoubtedly be discussed during the FIA driver briefing on Friday.

Asked if the Red Bull star went over the limit in Belgium, Nico Rosberg said: “I didn’t say that. But we have to discuss it thoroughly, because we do not all share the same opinion.”

The other camp – critical of the precocious Dutchman – obviously includes Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel.

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WHITING MAY BE LOOKING TO QUIT F1 POST FOR TEAM ROLE

According to a report in Auto Bild, Charlie Whiting may be looking for another job in Formula 1.

That sport’s long-serving top FIA race director and starter is in talks with a couple of teams could fire a major controversy.

The report said Briton Whiting, 64, held talks with various teams last weekend at Spa.

Whiting’s F1 career dates all the way back to when he was a mechanic and engineer at Bernie Ecclestone’s Brabham team. He became the FIA’s technical delegate in 1988.

Auto Bild claims he was made race director in 1997, after Ron Dennis threatened to pull McLaren out of F1 if Whiting accepted Flavio Briatore’s offer to join Benetton.

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ZIKA OUTBREAK IN SINGAPORE A CONCERN FOR FORMULA 1

Outbreaks of the mosquito-borne Zika virus in Singapore and Malaysia have barely registered with Formula One drivers due to race there this month but there is some concern behind the scenes.

Five of the last eight rounds of the championship are in regions where Zika has been reported — Singapore and Malaysia before Texas and Mexico in October and Brazil in November.

Authorities in Singapore said they had detected 151 people with Zika as of midday Thursday. The first locally-transmitted infection was reported on Saturday.

The floodlit Singapore Grand Prix, one of the most popular races on the calendar and held at night in the steamy city state, is scheduled for Sept. 18 with team staff, sponsors and media there for days before.

While teams have had plenty of time to prepare for Brazil, and Texas has had no reported cases of Zika transmitted by mosquitoes, sources indicated Singapore could pose more of a logistical headache if key staff opt out at short notice on medical advice.

Those willing to discuss their plans at the Italian Grand Prix said they had not experienced any late pullouts so far, however.

“We are supplying anti-mosquito products and long-sleeved outfits and we have sent yesterday a brief to everybody about how to take care and all the why, what and how about it,” McLaren Racing Director Eric Boullier told Reuters. “Everybody is going.”

Manor racing director Dave Ryan said his team were taking the ‘normal precautions’.

“We’ve briefed all the guys, we’re offering them the option of wearing long-sleeved garments and obviously supplying them with the right protection…and just making them as informed as they possibly can be,” he told Reuters. “And it’s fine. We’re comfortable with it.”

The Zika virus, which has spread through the Americas and the Caribbean since late last year, has been linked to microcephaly – a severe birth defect in which babies are born with abnormally small heads and underdeveloped brains.

[MIKA27]

Italian GP: Nico Rosberg leads Mercedes one-two in first practice

Nico Rosberg spearheaded a Mercedes one-two in first practice for Formula 1's Italian Grand Prix.

Rosberg posted a lap of 1m22.959s around Monza on Pirelli's soft compound tyre, finishing 0.203 seconds ahead of reigning champion and current points leader Lewis Hamilton.

The duo had traded fastest laps earlier in the session when running the rule over the super-soft compound tyre that initially appeared to be more robust at this track than was the case at Spa Francorchamps in last week's Belgian GP.

Rosberg and Hamilton were again comfortably ahead of their rivals, led by Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen, who finished 1.088s down, with his team-mate Sebastian Vettel a further quarter of a second off the pace in fourth. Both set their times on soft tyres.

It was a busy session for both Rosberg and Hamilton, finishing joint first and third on the lap completion charts, posting 37 and 36 laps respectively, with Valtteri Bottas in his Williams also out in front with 37 laps.

Ferrari's Raikkonen and Vettel managed 16 and 17 laps respectively as the team limited mileage on the new power unit it has introduced this weekend, spending the final three development tokens of its allocation in doing so, while carrying out checks.

Force India's Sergio Perez was a strong fifth on super-soft tyres, as the team continued its top-five form from Spa last weekend.

His team-mate Nico Hulkenberg gave way to reserve Alfonso Celis Jr, who claimed 12th place, 2.408s behind Rosberg, and three quarters of a second behind Perez.

With Haas also sporting the new Ferrari updated power unit, Romain Grosjean and Esteban Gutierrez were sixth and ninth, three tenths of a second apart, with the duo also on super-softs like Perez.

Bottas and Red Bull's Max Verstappen split the Haas pair, the latter two seconds down, with team-mate Daniel Ricciardo rounding off the top 10, 0.138s behind his teenage team-mate, with all three running soft compound rubber.

Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso finished either side of Celis, although the latter ended the session by crawling back into the pits with a gearbox problem.

Felipe Massa, who announced his retirement from F1 on Thursday, suffered a boost issue with his Williams-Mercedes on his installation lap. That confined him to the garage for the majority of the opening 45 minutes before he emerged to finish 14th quickest, nearly three seconds behind Rosberg.

As part of the ongoing assessment of the halo, Button, Verstappen and Perez all ran. Button was the only one to keep it on for a second lap.

Pirelli's new prototype tyre it is hoping to introduce for the Malaysian GP at the start of October was also given extensive running by a number of drivers as part of its ongoing evaluation.

[MIKA27]

Ferrari use final tokens for Monza upgrade

Ferrari have made the final changes to their power unit with confirmation that they have used their remaining three tokens ahead of the Italian GP.

On the back of Mercedes’ Belgian Grand Prix upgrade, Ferrari have responded with one of their own.

The Scuderia used three tokens, their last for this season, in order to improve the engine ahead of their home grand prix.

Both Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen have a new ICE, turbocharger, MGU-H, energy store and control electronics for Italy.

Ferrari’s rivals still have tokens remaining; 21 for Renault, six for Mercedes and Honda have three.

[Baldy]

22 hours ago, MIKA27 said:

Formula 1 drivers critical of stewarding inconsistency

 

 

That's why I'm a big fan of those rough and brutal curbs.  There's no steward or human decision involve.  No track limit BS.  You hit it, you get damaged.  If you need to go past the curb to get to a safety runoff area, sure go ahead but chances are your race is done.  This is F1, there's no cruise control, GPS, or A/C deal with it. 

Having said that, as a die hard F1 fan for 20+ years often times getting up at 5:30 am to watch it live, F1 is becoming more pacified and less exciting after every rule change.  It's not about cars and drivers anymore.  It's more about politics and engineers.  The cars and drivers are secondary.  The way F1 is going soon it will be a TV only event with drone cars and famous names are engineers and promoters rather than drivers and teams.

Edited September 3, 2016 by Baldy

[MIKA27]

ITALIAN GRAND PRIX: ROSBERG TRIUMPHS AS HAMILTON FUMBLES

Nico Rosberg powered from second place on the Monza grid to score a commanding victory in the the Italian Grand Prix, as his arch-rival and Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton fumbled, and with it the German closed the gap in the 2016 Formula 1 world championship table to a mere two points.

Rosberg has now won back-to-back races at the sport’s most iconic venues – Spa and Monza – where he had never won before, and put his title challenge back on track after a mediocre pre-summer break run of races.

The German was never seriously challenged in the 53-lap race after taking command at the start and thereafter maintaining the lead at around 13-14 seconds throughout the race. Whenever Hamilton truned up the heat, Rosberg responded – he was in control all the time.

He said on the podium, “It is a very special day for me, I’m very happy to finally win here. You guys are unbelievable, thank you very much and I’m going to enjoy this day. It was all down to the start, I had an awesome start and it was all from there.”

Hamilton, who was imperious during qualifying 24 hours earlier, fumbled the start by generating too much wheel-spin off the line and by the time he arrived at Turn 1 he was down in sixth, but did recover to fourth within a few laps. He admitted over the team radio that he messed up the start.

Nevertheless the reigning F1 world champion proceeded to chase the Ferrari duo of Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen, who were running third and fourth respectively, and was gifted second place when both Reds opted for two stops, while he and Rosberg got to the end on a single stop – both running mediums in their final stints.

A visibly downbeat Hamilton said afterwards, “It was a pretty simple weekend compared to the last one. The start was the decider of the race and after that I was just trying to get back into second to reduce the damage.”

“It just sucks having to follow here. Nico was pulling away having an easy, breezy run and that is what happens when you are in front. He did a great job. We were never under a massive threat from Ferrari,” added the Mercedes driver.

Vettel salvaged some pride for the Maranello outfit to claim third and book a spot on the Monza podium to the delight of the tifosi, watched by team president Sergio Marchionne and other Ferrari gentry from the team’s pit garage. Raikkonen was fourth.

Vettel summed up his thoughts, “Unbelievable. This is the best podium in the world. Thank you everyone. We are working very hard, Mercedes do a very good job so you have to say well done and show them respect. I’m sure Ferrari will come back and keep fighting. We will succeed.”

Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo executed the best overtake, of an otherwise mundane race, when he ambushed the Williams of Valtteri Bottas into Turn 1 to snatch fifth place from the (distracted?) and unsuspecting Finn who crossed the line in sixth.

Ricciardo said of the move, “I thought: just have a go. I was behind Valtteri for a long part of the race, even though I was far back I was going to have a go. I knew he would not turn into me and cause an accident. We didn’t touch, it was clean, it was good fun.”

Max Verstappen had an inconspicuous afternoon drive to seventh in the other Red Bull, a late in the race overtake of Sergio Perez was the highlight of his race, while the Force India driver finished eighth.

Felipe Massa was ninth in the Williams, with Nico Hulkenberg claiming the final point for Force India in tenth. The result moving Williams ahead of Force India in the constructors’ standings once again, albeit by only three points.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff was gloating when he spoke to Sky: “One and two in Monza at the most prestigious circuit in Ferrari land. It feels awesome!”

Italian Grand Prix as it happened

At the start, it all went wrong for the Hamilton. He initially got away at the same time as the rest of the field but then he bogged down badly and slid down the order as those around him on the front rows surged past.

Vettel slotted into P2 ahead of team-mate Raikkonen, while Bottas took fourth place ahead of Red Bull’s Ricciardo.

Another driver who got away badly was Verstappen in the second Red Bull. The Dutch prodigy also bogged down and fell back from his P7 starting slot to 12th place by the end of lap one. Haas’ Esteban Gutierrez too made a dreadful start and slid from tenth on the grid to 20th place.

Hamilton quickly passed Ricciardo for fifth place and then at the end of lap 10 he passed Bottas to take fourth place. Verstappen, too, began to claw his way back through the order, rising to ninth place by the time Hamilton was past Bottas,

At the front, though, Rosberg was busy building a gap, and by lap 11 he had carved out a 4.4s gap to Vettel and had 11.0s in hand over Hamilton.

Bottas was now slipping back into the clutches of Ricciardo and at the end of lap 13 the Williams driver decided that discretion was the better part of valour and he dived towards the pit entry, taking on soft tyres during the stop. Verstappen also took the opportunity to pit for soft tyres on the same lap as did Alonso.

Raikkonen, though, chose a different path and when the Finn pitted on lap 15 he took on a second set of supersoft tyres, trusting that a two–stop race might be the right strategy. Vettel then showed his hand on the following lap, the four-time champion also taking on supersoft tyres during a first stop slowed momentarily by a problem with the gun on the front left wheel.

Those stops promoted Hamilton to P2 behind Rosberg and at the start of lap 20 the Briton found himself 13.4s behind his team-mate, with Vettel third ahead of Raikkonen, Bottas and Ricciardo, who had moved to soft tyres.

Further back, Verstappen was still working hard to make his way back toward the major points, finding himself in eighth place behind Sergio Perez after 24 laps.

Rosberg made his single stop from the lead on lap 24, taking on a set of medium tyres that would see him to the end of the race. The stop was not perfect, however, as a slight delay with the right front wheel costing the German valuable time. Hamilton made the same switch on the following lap and emerged behind the two Ferrari, both of which would need a final pit stop.

Vettel now began to push on his supersoft tyres, attempting to make time in advance of his second stop on Rosberg and the chasing Hamilton. By lap 33 he had closed the gap to Rosberg to 4.1s and he then pitted for soft tyres, emerging in P5 behind Ricciardo. The gap from the Ferrari man to Hamilton was now 19 seconds, with Hamilton on medium tyres and Vettel on softs.

Raikkonen soon followed suit, making his second stop on lap 34 and taking on soft compound Pirelli rubber. The brief halt saw him rejoin in P6, behind Verstappen. The order now saw Rosberg leading, 11.5s clear of Hamilton with Ricciardo third ahead of Vettel and Raikkonen.

Ricciardo made his second stop, for a final set of supersofts, on lap 37 and he rejoined in P6, once again finding himself behind Bottas, but on newer, quicker tyres.

The Australian quickly began applying pressure, lapping upwards of a second quicker than the Williams man and closing the gap to fifth place to 2.4s by lap 42.

It was the major developing battle at the upper end of the order as at the front Rosberg led Hamilton by almost 13s, with the Briton 14s clear of Vettel in third place and the lead Ferrari driver six seconds ahead of Raikkonen in fourth.

By lap 47 Ricciardo was inside DRS range of Bottas and despite his supersoft tyres having taken a battering in the wake of the Williams, the Red Bull driver pulled off a superb move under DRS into the first chicane to take P5.

The Australian’s team-mate was also making moves. Verstappen rose to P7 on lap 49 with a good move down the inside of Perez into the second chicane. Caught unawares, the Mexican was forced to cross the chicane to avoid clashing with the opportunistic Dutchman.

And that was how the order remained. Four laps later Rosberg crossed the line to claim his first Italian GP win ahead of Hamilton, with Vettel third ahead of Raikkonen.

The Red Bulls of Ricciardo and Verstappen were split by the Williams of Bottas in P7, while the final points-scoring places went to Sergio Perez, Force India team-mate Nico Hulkenberg and Felipe Massa, with the Brazilian scoring a point in his final Italian Grand Prix.

Rosberg’s win means he closes the gap to championship leader to just two points, with Hamilton now on 250 points to his team-mate’s 248. In the Constructors’ title battle Mercedes extend their already massive lead at the top of the table to 208 points but Red Bull’s lead over Ferrari has been cut to 11 points.

[MIKA27]

MARCHIONNE: WE WERE PERHAPS A LITTLE TOO OPTIMISTIC IN 2016

Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne has backed Mattia Binotto as the right man to lead the legendary Italian back to winning ways in Formula 1, also admitting that his targets for 2016 were too ambitious.

Appearing at Monza for the Italian Grand Prix, the Ferrari big boss commented on the recent departure from Maranello of the highly-respected technical chief James Allison.

“James, I’m sure, had an abundance of knowledge but it was really time to give a jolt to the team,” Marchionne is quoted by the Italian press, “even if probably it came a little late.

“We had focused on a single person to be the answer to all our problems, but with Mattia we are in the right hands. He has created a great and young team so let’s let them work,” he said.

“Why Binotto? Because he did a great job on the power unit in 2015 and 2016 and managing is a very precise and delicate process. We have many engineers working on the car and you have to organise them,” Marchionne said.

He admitted that 2016 has essentially been a failure, “We arrived perhaps a little too optimistic in 2016, thinking the car was there but others improved a lot and we stood still.

“But we have not lost too much time: the new engine of 2017 is already on the bench at least in part and I have not the slightest doubt that the car will be there,” said Marchionne.

[MIKA27]

VILLENEUVE VERSUS VERSTAPPEN ROW GETS NASTY

Max Verstappen’s manager has moved to put a lid on a war of words between the 18-year-old driver and 1997 F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve.

After Villeneuve suggested that the kind of aggression the Red Bull driver showed at Spa could kill someone, Verstappen hit back by referring to an incident in 2001 when a wheel from Villeneuve’s flying car killed a marshal.

“He should watch a little with his statement that someone might die because he himself has been involved in a fatal accident,” retaliated Verstappen. He has to look at himself. What he says is not respectful to the family of the deceased marshal.”

“What Max meant is that Villeneuve should be careful talking about his [Verstappen’s] driving style and death at the same time,” manager Raymond Vermeulen told the German newspaper Bild.

“I can only agree with Max and say it is disrespectful to the family of the marshal.”

Vermeulen, who in conjunction with Max’s father Jos looks after the teenager’s career, said it is also important that Verstappen respects Villeneuve and his accomplishments.

“But we know that Villeneuve is not a fan of Max and doesn’t assess him positively. We can live with that,” he said. But the kind of accusations that he is doing now are very unfortunate,” added Vermeulen.

Villenueve explained, “I made logical comments about what happened on the racetrack, and that’s now gone beyond, is inappropriate and lacks respect to the family [of the Australian GP marshal, Graham Beveridge].”

“There’s nothing more to say on the subject, there’s no feud to start. It’s just ridiculous. Obviously someone is telling him what to say and what to think, and if it’s the same person who is telling him how to drive and how to act on the racetrack, then it is very worrying for someone,” insisted Villeneuve.

Verstappen also tried to diffuse the impact of the comments he made, “To be clear, I said that it was disrespectful to the families to talk about deaths, and I was referring to the incident that happened in 2001.”

“But they didn’t write down that I was picking up on the family, that it was disrespectful from his side to comment about deaths.”

“I didn’t say death by driving. I said it was a deadly accident. In the end it was a wheel, it’s still from a car isn’t it?” added Verstappen.

 

MIKA: JV is one of the most negative people I have ever read about, Each and every time he says something, it is a negative remark, never positive. World Champion or not, these days he is only in the spotlight when he makes such comments. Max needs to learn and I think in short time he will.

[MIKA27]

BUTTON: RETIREMENT IS A TERRIBLE WORD

Jenson Button surprised the Formula 1 paddock at Monza by announcing he is taking a sabbatical in 2017, and along with his team went to great lengths to deny he was actually retiring.

Asked if he is retiring, the McLaren driver said: “That is a terrible word and I’m definitely not doing that.”

In a typical announcement by the British outfit, which is overseen by the detail-obsessed Ron Dennis, McLaren said it would have an “innovative three-driver strategy” next year.

It comprises Fernando Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne on the grid, with 36-year-old Button signing a new two-year deal that could involve him returning in 2018.

But when asked if he thinks Button will come back, F1 pundit Marc Surer told Speed Week: “No, I don’t think so.

“But this strategy is not bad. They probably thought about what will happen if Fernando suddenly throws in the towel because the car is not better next year.

“In that case, they have Button who can step in again.”

Asked if he thinks Button is therefore voluntarily stepping aside, former Swiss F1 driver Surer answered: “No, McLaren had no choice. They had to sign Vandoorne, otherwise they would have lost him.”

[MIKA27]

DENNIS: NO REASON WHY BUTTON SHOULDN’T RACE IN 2018

McLaren boss Ron Dennis was at pains to point out on Saturday that Jenson Button was not retiring from Formula One at the end of the season but there are no guarantees the 2009 champion will race again either.

“Forget the word ‘retirement’,” Dennis said of the 36-year-old Briton after Button had outlined plans at the Italian Grand Prix to step back next year and become a team ‘ambassador’ rather than race driver. “That is not in the vocabulary, that is not what we are saying.”

McLaren have been there before, with double world champion Mika Hakkinen taking a ‘sabbatical’ at the end of the 2001 season that the Finn never returned from after compatriot Kimi Raikkonen took his place.

Other drivers have taken time out, including Raikkonen in 2010 and 2011, but age is not on Button’s side and nor is the sport with big rule changes next year.

Like Hakkinen, Button is handing over to a hungry, young talent in Belgian Stoffel Vandoorne but, unlike the Finn, will stay around as a potential reserve.

The deal includes an option to return in 2018 as a race driver but a number of factors will have to come into play for that to happen.

One is Button’s own desire, which remains uncertain given the Honda-powered team’s lack of performance.

“I’m really excited about this. I don’t really know where it is going to take us in the future but it gives me the opportunity to live my life like I haven’t as an adult, ever,” he said.

He will attend some races in 2017, carrying out simulator work and using his experience to help McLaren become more competitive.

Dennis expected Vandoorne to have a long future at McLaren, which means the only route for Button to return would be if team mate Fernando Alonso leaves or someone is hurt.

In the meantime, Button serves effectively as an insurance policy as well as strengthening the team’s hand in any negotiations with the Spaniard, who knows they have a ready replacement.

“You think through everything but that isn’t the purpose of this series of contracts,” said Dennis.

“Formula 1 is an addictive sport and stopping any form of addiction is challenging. This offer which I made to Jenson really reflects the esteem in which the whole team holds him.

“There is no reason why he shouldn’t come back and race in 2018,” added Dennis.

“This was an innovative way to provide the team with all the advantages of having Jenson in the team, complete with his ability to drive if necessary and give him what he wanted with a bit of relaxation time.”

Dennis said the team would see how things panned out before taking any decision about 2018 but Button was unlikely to drive for anyone else having turned down offers from other teams.

“We’ve been very open in saying that Jenson has a two-year contract. The option is with the team and we’ll get there and decide whether we are going to exercise it or not,” he explained.

“What is clear is that if Jenson is going to drive a Formula One car in 2018, I believe it can only be at McLaren. That’s really how it’s structured.”