Formula 1 - 2017

[MIKA27]

Analysis: How Mercedes had to use all its tricks to topple Ferrari

Strategy played a large part in the Spanish GP, but rather than the contenders fighting it out in the pits the tactical deviations led to some stunning on-track battles.

Formula 1 fans have enjoyed some great racing in 2017, and having Ferrari fully up to speed and pushing Mercedes ensures that each weekend has an unpredictable outcome.

Spain was as good as it gets: fans witnessed a fabulous on-track fight between two of the all-time greats, and between two clever teams who are pushing the limits on strategy and R&D. It was fabulous stuff, and at a track that has seen its far share of turgid processions down the decades.

Over the years fans rarely had the chance to see Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel go wheel-to-wheel for a race victory, but they did so in Barcelona, and in some style.

They came close to touching at two critical moments, on the first lap and again when Vettel emerged from his final stop just in front of his rival – and at those points no quarter was given by either man.

It was great stuff. Then later Hamilton secured his second win of the season with a proper on-track pass, rather than through some chess moves around the pitstops.

Of course he was assisted by DRS, but an overtake it was, nevertheless.

  

Action-packed first corner

Heading into the race, tyre usage was a major talking point, especially as there was a significant delta between the soft and medium. It was pretty clear that teams would run two stops, and try to minimise their time on the medium. How that might pan out was the big question.

The other key to the race was the start, and once again in 2017 we had some action as Vettel forced his way past Hamilton. In third place Valtteri Bottas backed out of it to avoid any risk of getting involved with his teammate.

That led to a three-into-two situation with Kimi Raikkonen and Max Verstappen alongside him, and the subsequent contact put both the Ferrari and Red Bull out of the race.

That was a great shame, for having Raikkonen in the mix at the front would have added to the fun. And after losing out at the start Bottas fell back almost immediately, and the Russian GP winner was never in the fight for victory – although he still had a role to play.

He was at a loss to explain his struggle for pace in the first stint, insisting it was nothing to do with locking up in Q2 on the set of tyres he had to start the race with.

The one clear handicap he did have was an engine that was on its fifth race weekend, and had been tested by the hot conditions in Russia. Power units always lose their edge with age, and Hamilton had the benefit of the latest spec.

With both Finns out of the picture, it was now a straight fight between Vettel and Hamilton. Vettel put in a typically awesome first lap, opening up 2.2s on Hamilton and benefiting from the fact that the Mercedes driver had lost some momentum when edged off the track at the start.

After three laps Vettel was 2.7s ahead, and it began to look as if he would make his escape – but then Hamilton held the gap at around the 2.5s-2.6s mark for a while.

Told that it was a "critical time of the race" and that he had "give everything you've got," Hamilton went into "leave me to it" mode, letting the team know that he was already doing just that.

The question now was who would blink first and pit?

  

Hamilton waits it out

Just 14 laps into the race it was Vettel who came down the pitlane first, taking on another set of softs. He came out behind Daniel Ricciardo, as Mercedes knew he would.

There was no point in Mercedes responding on the next lap, because Hamilton would have just come out behind Vettel. In fact, the Ferrari only lost a little bit of time behind Ricciardo before making his way past the Red Bull.

The logical thing was to do something different, so he stayed out for another seven laps. Normally people do that sort of thing mainly to ensure they have younger tyres than their main rivals later in the race, but this time there was an added twist – Hamilton took on a set of the medium tyres, rather than softs.

Logic suggested that Vettel's advantage would quickly increase, but that didn't happen. Not only did the mediums turn out to be more effective than we might have anticipated, but Mercedes had a joker up its sleeve in the form of Bottas.

Having got by Ricciardo relatively easily, Vettel enjoyed a clear track for a while, at least until he came up behind the number 77 Mercedes. With third in effect in the bag – Ricciardo was no threat – the Finn was now employed as part of a clever team strategy, his job being to slow Vettel's progress, something he was perfectly entitled to do.

Indeed, Ferrari admitted in Australia that they would have done much the same thing, using Raikkonen to slow Hamilton. However, the way the race played out they didn't have to, because Verstappen did the job instead.

"I was catching him but I knew they wouldn't pit him," said Vettel of Bottas. "He was all over the place with his tyres, so they used him a bit to block me."

Vettel caught Bottas just as Hamilton pitted, and over the three laps he stayed behind his advantage over Hamilton went from 7.8s to 5.8s to 3.7s, before he finally got past in a bold move.

Hamilton, meanwhile, was finding some good speed on his new mediums, and against Vettel's seven-lap older softs, it was a closer contest than had been anticipated.

Inevitably Vettel did open the gap up, but only to the 6.5-7.5s range. And of course he still had to change to the slower tyre at some stage. Hamilton, meanwhile, had to be reassured that things would go his way when that happened.

  

VSC changes the game again

The race took another twist when Stoffel Vandoorne's demise led to a Virtual Safety Car. Several cars down the field took advantage of it to make stops that would prove less costly than those under green, but at the front, it was a bit more complicated.

The top guys all stayed out, but then just as the VSC was withdrawn at the end of lap 36, Hamilton came in.

Vettel, having already passed the pits, had to wait.

He came in on the next lap, under green, and as he emerged he was shocked to find that what had been an advantage of almost 8secs had evaporated, thanks to Hamilton's VSC stop.

He just managed to keep ahead as they barrelled into Turn 1, an angry Hamilton suggesting that the move was "dangerous."

It was then game on. Vettel had the lead, and was on the medium tyres, which were always going to be slower. But Hamilton's softs had to last a marathon 30 laps, and that would be a challenge, especially given the pace he was running at.

Fans were set for great finale, with traffic also playing a role, as both men had to make their way past a lot of drivers who were in the middle of their own battles. Hamilton had the momentum, and at the start of lap 44 he used DRS to sweep past Vettel to take the lead.

"No chance, like a train, like a train," Vettel told his pit. "Don't give up, he will struggle with his tyres," was the reassuring reply.

Indeed, within a couple of laps Hamilton reported that he already had overheating rears, and he still had some 20 laps to run. When the message was passed on Vettel wryly noted, "they could have done that a couple of laps ago, when he was still behind..."

A lot of conversation was heard between Hamilton and his pit about what he should do – take it easy and save the tyres for the end, or push and open a gap to give himself a margin when the tyres did start to drop off.

He was told to pursue the latter option.

  

Threat of Plan C

Vettel stayed within a couple of seconds of Hamilton, but finding the pace to pass with the mediums was always going to be be difficult. Around the lap 50 mark Ferrari talked about Plan C – which was for him to pit again, drop back, take on some fresh softs and then have the pace with which to sprint.

Vettel agreed that he had "nothing to lose" by doing that – he would finish second anyway – and Hamilton was duly informed that he might have to get a move on to protect himself from such a charge.

It was stick or twist for Vettel… and he stuck.

There was to be no late pitstop and dramatic charge on new rubber, and instead he sat it out and waited in hope for Hamilton's mediums to lose their edge. Mercedes knew that the danger had passed, telling Hamilton "that's now off the table" when he asked if Vettel would stop again.

In the end, Hamilton kept his tyres alive. Knowing that he was going to make it home safely in front, he celebrated by setting the fastest lap with two laps still to run – showing just how well he had protected them.

It must have been crushing for Ferrari to see that pop up on the timing screens.

He duly crossed the line safely in front after what had been a superb race. A quarter of the season has gone already, but there are still 15 more races to enjoy. It promises to be fun.

"I'm very happy when we have the chance to race Mercedes," said Vettel. "They have been proving over and over in the last few years that they are the team to beat.

"We are giving them, so far, a good run for their money. I think we can be very happy – but today we're not entirely happy because the win was there, the car was quick enough but the way the race happened, it wasn't meant to be."

[MIKA27]

Pirelli meeting to decide change to British GP plan

Formula 1 tyre supplier Pirelli will meet at its Milan headquarters later today to decide whether to change its compound allocation for the British Grand Prix and remove the hard as an option.

With the hard tyre having proved unusable during practice at the Spanish Grand Prix, F1 drivers spoke with Pirelli's F1 racing manager Mario Isola during Friday night's driving briefing in Barcelona about the situation.

They asked for Pirelli to steer clear of bringing the hard to races in the future, and wanted a change of plan for July's Silverstone race, where the current options available to teams are for the hard, medium and soft.

F1 teams are supposed to pick their choice of compounds for the British GP by this Thursday, but an agreement has been made for Pirelli to wait until the next days to finalise whether it wants to change its original idea of bringing the hard.

Speaking to Motorsport.com about the situation, Isola said: "The regulations say we have to select three compounds, and at the moment the selection is the hard/medium/soft. The discussion is if we move to the medium/soft/supersoft."

With the Spanish GP having shown that the medium can be a good race tyre, Isola said his belief was that Pirelli could go one step softer for the British GP.

"There is the feeling that we can move maybe one step softer for Silverstone, in that case using medium, soft and supersoft," he said.

"In Silverstone it will be free choice, so it is up to the teams to make the right one and we see. And if we go in this direction we will have more pitstops."

[MIKA27]

CAN FERNANDO WIN THE INDY 500?

I, like some two million others, was fascinated to watch online Fernando Alonso’s drive for the first time on an oval race course at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as part of his rookie orientation test.

To judge by the many troll like messages that were posted on Facebook by fans more accustomed to road courses, what can be so difficult about just turning left and why should a two times World Champion have to do a ‘rookie” test?

Well the more you watched and indeed listened to the commentary by former Indy legends Mario Andretti and Johnny Rutherford, the more you understood what a specialist art oval racing is, particularly at Indianapolis.

Firstly, there are no run off areas, just solid concrete walls and secondly the cars in race mode are travelling at speeds averaging in excess of 220 mph.

As double the world champion explained: “The circuit looks so narrow when you are at that speed. When you watch on television or you are on the simulator, everything seems bigger and easier but when you are in the real car, it is very, very narrow.”

Whatever their background, every new driver has do the rookie test and complete laps within prescribed speed ranges to be eligible for participation in the Indianapolis 500.

Alonso’s target was to cover 10 laps between 205 to 210mph, 15 laps between 210 to 215mph and then 15 laps between 215mph and 220mph. He achieved this over a total of 51 laps spread across four runs in his first hour on track and posted a fastest average lap speed of 219.654mph.

This whole opportunity came about through transatlantic family connections, both real and acquired.

Mario Andretti not only is the 1978 F1 World Champion and the 1969 Indy 500 winner, but also the father of Michael who drove for McLaren in F1 in 1993 as team mate to Ayrton Senna. Michael has now established himself as a very successful team owner and winner of the Indy 500 in 2016 with former F1 driver Alexander Rossi and is now the entrant for Fernando Alonso’s McLaren Honda’s quest for victory.

Historically McLaren cars have won the Indianapolis 500 three times. Twice with a works entry with Johnny Rutherford in 1974 and 1976, which coincidently were also the years that McLaren won the F1 Drivers World Championship with Emerson Fittipaldi and James Hunt. In addition, a McLaren won the race in 1972 with Mark Donohue driving for Roger Penske, who is one of Indy cars most successful teams.

Subtly proclaimed as “the Racing Capital of the World”, the Indy 500 between 1950 to 1960 was actually part of the F1 World Championship, even though none of the Indy drivers raced in Formula One and of the F1 drivers only Ferrari’s Alberto Ascari raced in the 500 in 1952. Five time world champion Juan Fangio practiced at the Speedway in 1958, but ultimately decided against racing there.

In the sixties, with Formula One typically holding around eight Grands Prix a year, drivers were able to drive in other categories, such as Formula 2, CanAm and Indianapolis. Jim Clark not only was the victor in 1965, but this also was the first time that a rear engined car won, ending the era of the front engined roadsters. The following year Graham Hill completed the British double winning in a Lola.

Speaking as a purist, sadly these days motorsport has changed and is much more specialised with surrounding commercial arrangements. This makes Fernando Alonso’s entry in the Indianapolis 500 this year so unique.

Ok let’s not kid ourselves, if McLaren Honda were remotely competitive in Formula One then this would never have happened. But they are not. This opportunity has come about through unique circumstances, and it is a unique opportunity!

Of course it would never have happened had Ron Dennis still been in charge at McLaren! But with new management and fresh enthusiasm, all credit must go to new Executive Director Zak Brown to turning the PR disaster of McLaren Honda’s dismal F1 performance into a PR success in North America.

Whilst the cynics may not agree, which includes certain F1 Team Principals, this does without doubt have positive effects across global motorsport. Fernando Alonso is without doubt one of the best drivers in the world, but he has not had the equipment available to allow him to show his full potential.

True it could be argued that he may have not always made the right decisions to be in the best car at the right time. But he is a true racer, a passionate enthusiast for the sport and the clock is ticking on his career!

The famed triple crown of motorsport is Fernando’s goal. Historically the only driver to win the ingredients of Formula One (World Championship and/or Monaco), Le Mans and the Indianapolis 500 is Graham Hill. McLaren have done it as a constructor and Mercedes has as an engine.

So a negative has been turned into a positive and a neat PR diversion from the mess McLaren are in! McLaren these days is much more than a Formula One team, it is now a technology and road car company which needs to promote its brand and services, plus the sponsors can get visibility of a more positive kind.

Whether Fernando can win is another matter. It is one thing to run at over 220 mph, but to race in close proximity to many other racers at such high speeds is another matter. However he will be entering the race as maybe one of the best prepared rookies.

He will be with one of the best teams, Andretti Motorsport the winners of last year’s Indy 500, plus will have the benefit of the team’s squad of six or so drivers to give advice and practice high speed racing proximity. In addition, he will be having the coaching guidance of Gil de Ferran, double Indycar Champion and Indy 500 winner in 2003.

The month of May will indeed be interesting!

[MIKA27]

HAMILTON: I DON’T CARRY DRINKS IN MY CAR TO SAVE WEIGHT

It was clear from his radio communication to the Mercedes pitwall during the Spanish Grand Prix that Lewis Hamilton was out of breath, even flustered at times, and it now transpires that the race winner did not have a drink on board.

After his hard fought victory in Barcelona, Hamilton revealed to media, “A lot of the races that we do with the type of racing that we sometimes have to do, where you’re saving fuel, like in the last race for example [Russia], I couldn’t push because the car was overheating.”

“Whereas [in Spain] it was [pushing] from Turn 1 to the end, it was flat chat. You’re just using everything you’ve got so for sure, in that first stint, for instance. To stay on Sebastian was a killer.”

“Also I don’t carry drinks in my car either to save weight, so I’m not having a drink through the race. And then at the end, I used everything I had left when I jumped into my team and my heart rate hit the ceiling.”

“I was good when I got out of the car but jumping… I don’t know if I will do that again. I was a little bit tired after that one,” added the triple F1 World Champion.

Mercedes chief Toto Wolff played down Hamilton’s tone over the radio, “I think it was just an expression of how hard he was pushing.”

“When you need to follow a car that close behind, you obviously haven’t got the aerodynamic benefit of the guy in front. That is difficult. He gave it all and you could hear it on the radio,” added the team boss

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HORNER: WE STILL HAVE PLENTY TO DO

Much was expected from the Red Bull upgrades which were bolted on to the RB13 for the Spanish Grand Prix, but it was apparent that Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen did not have the ammunition to tackle pace of Ferrari and Mercedes but team chief Christian Horner is adamant that they closed the gap.

Horner said after the race in Barcelona, “The pace to the front running cars was pretty significant, so we still have plenty to do. But we feel we have made some progress this weekend. It has given us a very clear development direction and we hope to be able to capitalise on that in the coming races.”

“If you look at the weekend as a whole, we have definitely addressed some of the issues and definitely made some progress with the car. I think Max was unlucky at the start. He picked the outside, Valtteri [Bottas] started off a chain reaction hitting Kimi [Raikkonen] who bounced into Max.”

“There was a small chance he was going to come out of that corner in third, but three-into-one unfortunately doesn’t go, so it was a shame to lose Max on the first lap,” lamented Horner.

Ricciardo, in contrast, finished third after a lonely afternoon of action, 75 seconds down on the winner when the chequered flag dropped. Way out of touch of the top two, but at the same time way ahead of the rest.

Horner continued, “Daniel had a pretty lonely race, benefiting from Bottas’ retirement, and pretty much from halfway through the race we turned the engine down to try to save engine life, as obviously it has to do quite a few events.

“I think there are still issues, because when you have a gap like that, the way you are working the tyres is a clear element. And particularly this track, which is an interesting work out on the tyres.

“It is an area that we are definitely giving away performance. We looked relatively more competitive in the second half of the race than the first,” said Horner.

[MIKA27]

WOLFF: I’M A BIG FAN OF ALONSO AS A DRIVER

Mercedes chief Toto Wolff continues to flirt with the option of hiring Fernando Alonso, despite the fact that the Spaniard is approaching his last years as a Formula 1 driver and opposition from within the his own team.

Asked by Spanish media if Alonso is an option for Mercedes in 2018, Wolff replied, “I’m a big fan of his as a driver, and you can possibly say that he is, if not the best, one of the best on track.”

“His ability in a race is enormous. The energy and motivation are there and I do not think his 35 years is a problem.”

“He is in the final stretch of his career, but that does not mean that he will not be able to win races or titles in the next two or three years. But right now the relationship between our drivers is good.”

“If I could choose Fernando Alonso today as he is, as an individual, it would be much easier than choosing him with by taking into account his history. And that said, it’s something we have to consider.”

“Of course we would have to evaluate the option, you can never say ‘no’ in advance, it would be stupid. But the real situation is that there are other drivers who have priority over Alonso. And right now Valtteri [Bottas] and Lewis [Hamilton] are our number one priority.”

“We are enjoying our junior drivers [Esteban Ocon and Pascal Wehrlein] and there are other drivers that I also like. Fernando is part of that group, but nothing more.”

Asked if has had contact with Alonso, Wolff revealed, “We talk on the phone on a regular basis and meet up at the races, as with many other drivers. There was a general conversation about the situation, an exchange of information, how he saw the situation, how we saw him, how his contract was, but he never went further. A contract with him has never been negotiated.”

It is well known that Mercedes F1 chairman Niki Lauda, despite rating Alonso’s ability highly, is not keen to have the double champion in the fold due to the political baggage he inevitably carries with him.

Asked if Hamilton would accept Alonso as teammate,
“I think a driver always accepts a challenge, and Fernando would clearly be a challenge. But it is much more than just Lewis feeling at ease with Fernando. All the team dynamics play an important role and you have to take into account the personalities and the character of each one. Everything has to fit, although I think Fernando is a different person today than he was in the past.”

Hamilton and Alonso were McLaren teammates in 2007, a season packed with controversy and acrimony for the Woking outfit which resulted in the Spaniard departing after one year.

Ironically he rejoined the team in 2015 and remains there as their star driver. Of course Hamilton, who won their last title in 2008, left McLaren at the end of 2012 and since joined Mercedes where he has bagged two titles so far.

Alonso scored his two world championships in 2005 and 2006 with Renault but has not won a title since then. His last Formula 1 victory was at the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix.

[MIKA27]

Ultrasoft tyres favoured for Monaco Grand Prix

Formula 1 teams have opted to stack up on Ultrasoft tyres for the Monaco Grand Prix, with the purple-banded compound set to be used extensively.

Under Formula 1 regulations, sole supplier Pirelli nominates three compounds for each event – in Monaco’s case the Ultrasoft, Supersoft and Soft – with each driver receiving 13 sets of tyres.

One set of either Supersofts or Softs must be used for one stint of the Grand Prix, while one batch of Ultrasofts must be set aside for use only in Q3.

Under 2016 regulations, drivers were given freedom to choose their compounds for the remaining 10 sets.

This rule was temporarily suspended for the first five races of 2017, with Pirelli giving each driver the same choice as a precaution, due to the larger-sized tyres, but from Monaco, last year’s rules return.

Both Red Bull, Williams and Renault drivers have loaded up on Ultrasofts, and will each have 11 sets of the purple-banded rubber available.

Mercedes and Toro Rosso will have the fewest sets of Ultrasofts available – still a substantial nine – while the remaining teams will have 10 sets of Ultrasofts.  

[MIKA27]

Tech Analysis: Mercedes' massive Spanish upgrade

With Ferrari bringing significant updates to their car over the first four races, Mercedes needed to respond with a vengeance in Barcelona. The result of this response is what appears to be their real challenger for the rest of the year, as many of the changes to the W08 are to critical areas of the car that require huge resources to develop. 

It is no secret that the Silver Arrow has a slight weight problem, somewhere in the region of 5-10kg above the minimum. For Spain there are believed to be a number of areas where the car has lost some excess fat, including the new specification power unit (dubbed as ‘phase two’) and also the gearbox housing, which acts as the rear crash structure and hosts not only the gearbox ‘cartridge’ but also the rear-suspension components. Reducing the weight of the car behind the driver will help bring the centre of gravity forward and create more freedom to place ballast across the car.

Externally there were a number of aerodynamic modifications from front to rear that completely transform the appearance of the W08. At the front, the camera pods are now mounted to beautifully sculptured vanes that extend backwards towards the upper part of nose box, which has been pinched to reduce weight – the internal structure of the new nose is such that it has required a new crash test. 

Delicate bodywork formed underneath the nose further contributes to the structural changes, and it appears as though inspiration has been drawn from the Coke-bottle and rear diffuser section of the car. Curling up at its leading edge, a mini-floor with diffuser-like channels forms towards the back of the nose while the bodywork above converges tightly towards the rear. It is not possible to replicate the ground effect that the diffuser experiences at this height, so the device is not necessarily used to induce downforce but most likely to improve the quality of the air being fed towards the bargeboards. This could help the driver follow another car more closely – a weakness of the Mercedes in recent years – as we saw Lewis Hamilton do during the first stint of the race on Sunday.

Speaking of bargeboards, a series of minor tweaks were made to both the geometry of the baffles that hang from the sidepod shoulder and to the large complex turning vanes – three additional mini vanes (above) now stem from its base. Their effects on the overall direction of the airflow in this region will be negligible but they could help the car’s aerodynamic operating window by encouraging the air towards its intended destination. 

At the rear Mercedes have moved away from their low-drag rear-wing concept in favour of a traditional arrangement that features a straight leading edge and therefore a higher angle of attack at the wing tips. The chord length of the main plane varies, however, and the upper flaps curve down at the endplates, reducing the strength of the wing tip vortices. While this directly produces more rear downforce, it can only be introduced due to improvements made at the front end to keep the balance of the car neutral. The new wing is paired to a two-element monkey seat winglet, its wake entraining the exhaust plume and connecting the upper and lower aerostructures together.

Finally, the shark fin engine cover has been extended and now connects with the T-wing via a bracket, reducing the flex of both components. Not only will this provide the necessary area to display the driver name and number but it will further the sail effect that helps the car during initial turn-in.

[MIKA27]

Canada Post honours five Formula 1 legends

Canada Post has produced a series of five special stamps to honour five legendary drivers who together have won 17 Formula 1 Grand Prix du Canada races.

Three-time Formula 1 World Champion, Sir Jackie Stewart and Joann Villeneuve, widow of the famed Ferrari F1 driver, Gilles Villeneuve helped to unveil the five stamps that celebrate 50 years of the race in this country by honouring five winning drivers, one for each decade of F1 in Canada: Sir Jackie Stewart (Scotland), Gilles Villeneuve (Canada), Ayrton Senna (Brazil), Michael Schumacher (Germany) and Lewis Hamilton (England).

These five Formula 1 drivers are national heroes in their home countries as well as international legends. As a group, they have won 220 Grands Prix – 17 of them in Canada – taken 216 pole positions, 399 podiums, and 16 World Championships.

 Between 1994 and 2004, German Michael Schumacher won an unrivalled seven Canadian Grand Prix. Briton Lewis Hamilton, who is still competing in F1, has won five. He hopes to make it six at the 38th Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on June 11.

Jackie Stewart and Ayrton Senna both won two Canadian races – Stewart at Mosport in Ontario in 1971 and 1972 and Senna in Montréal in 1988 and 1990. Finally, Canadian Gilles Villeneuve recorded his first Grand Prix win at the island track that now bears his name and remains the only Canadian to have won an F1 race in Canada.

  The stamps feature head-and-shoulder images of the drivers. The cover of a booklet of 10 depicts an F1 car rocketing past a grandstand, with the Montréal infamous Biosphère looming in the background. This unique set and related products are available at canadapost.ca/shop.

[MIKA27]

"I am really proud of the team" - Sergio Perez's Spanish GP report

Checo Perez extends his scoring run to 15 consecutive races. Here is his Spanish GP report.

"A fantastic achievement" - Esteban Ocon's Spanish GP report

Esteban Ocon reviews an incredible Spanish Grand Prix, in which he finished in a career-best P5.

[MIKA27]

Chase Carey: Ferrari fan gesture shows F1 has changed in new era

Formula 1 CEO Chase Carey believes getting a young Ferrari fan to meet Kimi Raikkonen during the Spanish Grand Prix would not have been possible under the championship's previous owners.

Live television pictures showed an extremely upset Thomas Danel reacting emotionally to Raikkonen's lap one retirement from the Barcelona race.

The image was also circulated on social media, before F1 and Ferrari personnel tracked down the youngster and his family and invite them into the paddock.

This received widespread praise and is something Liberty Media representative Carey described as a "special moment" F1 would not have provided under Bernie Ecclestone and CVC's stewardship.

"We got all this press about the little boy who got pulled down, and they did it on their own, having a sense a freedom that they wouldn't have had a year ago," he said.

"I didn't tell them to find the little boy, there are people who did it on their own, thought it would be a special moment, and it was."

The Spanish GP weekend was targeted by Liberty as an opportunity to enhance the F1 fan experience, which lags behind several other series.

As a result, a 'fan zone' featuring a zip wire, pitstop challenges and the chance to win a ride in a Minardi two-seater F1 car was established at the Catalunya circuit.

That, combined with the wheel-to-wheel battle that took place between Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel for the victory, left Carey extremely satisfied.

"At Barcelona we launched no transforming events, but a number of things that almost everybody to a man said created a fresh sense of energy and excitement," said Carey.

"As we've been connecting the various parties we're finding a tremendous level of enthusiasm that hadn't existed, and to some degree you could say there was almost frustration for people who felt there wasn't anybody to engage with.

"There's no question that some things will move faster than others."

"We had more events, some great moments like [Vettel and Hamilton] bumping coming out of the pits, and we sort of let them go."

Carey admitted parts of F1's fan set-up are too out of date - such as merchandise areas that "feel like a carnival 20 years ago" because they are just stacked with team shirts.

He also said that while creating a greater experience for fans was a priority, Liberty would focus on how to monetise it.

"We could probably sell that sponsorship five times over for the zip line and go into profit," he said.

"We didn't, but I can imagine the right sponsor wanting to identity with it.

"Properly executed we should make money, not spend money, creating a platform when you've got 100,000 plus people and television and people with phones and things like that and pulling it out and taking pictures at events like this.

"There's a pile of people who want to take advantage of that, and it gives us an opportunity to make money off it."

[LLC]

Canada Post honours five Formula 1 legends



Canada Post has produced a series of five special stamps to honour five legendary drivers who together have won 17 Formula 1 Grand Prix du Canada races.

Three-time Formula 1 World Champion, Sir Jackie Stewart and Joann Villeneuve, widow of the famed Ferrari F1 driver, Gilles Villeneuve helped to unveil the five stamps that celebrate 50 years of the race in this country by honouring five winning drivers, one for each decade of F1 in Canada: Sir Jackie Stewart (Scotland), Gilles Villeneuve (Canada), Ayrton Senna (Brazil), Michael Schumacher (Germany) and Lewis Hamilton (England).

These five Formula 1 drivers are national heroes in their home countries as well as international legends. As a group, they have won 220 Grands Prix – 17 of them in Canada – taken 216 pole positions, 399 podiums, and 16 World Championships.

 Between 1994 and 2004, German Michael Schumacher won an unrivalled seven Canadian Grand Prix. Briton Lewis Hamilton, who is still competing in F1, has won five. He hopes to make it six at the 38th Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on June 11.

Jackie Stewart and Ayrton Senna both won two Canadian races – Stewart at Mosport in Ontario in 1971 and 1972 and Senna in Montréal in 1988 and 1990. Finally, Canadian Gilles Villeneuve recorded his first Grand Prix win at the island track that now bears his name and remains the only Canadian to have won an F1 race in Canada.

  The stamps feature head-and-shoulder images of the drivers. The cover of a booklet of 10 depicts an F1 car rocketing past a grandstand, with the Montréal infamous Biosphère looming in the background. This unique set and related products are available at canadapost.ca/shop.

Thanks for posting. They have quite a bit of F1 stuff they just released. Will have to have a close look to see what to pick up.


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How to strap an F1 driver in his seat - with Esteban Ocon and Harry Rush

Esteban Ocon's front end mechanic, Harry Rush, shows us how to strap a Formula One driver in his seat.

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ALONSO: A VERY PRODUCTIVE DAY

Fernando Alonso enjoyed a solid second day of practice for the Indianapolis 500 by turning more laps than any of his rivals on the day as his oval crash-course continued, running in traffic and pulling some impressive moves during the course of the day.

the double Formula 1 World Champion completed 117 laps as he worked to become comfortable racing in traffic, driving the number 29 McLaren-Honda-Andretti Honda he ended 24th on the speed chart with a top lap of 221.029 mph.

“It felt OK, it felt as I expected,” Alonso said. “Obviously, here it’s very important to keep close to the car in front of you, to take the benefit from the next straight. It was useful. I’m on the best team for that; we are six cars and we were running together.

“My teammates were amazing helping me. I knew they were taking care of me in some moments of the run, so that was good and, yeah, first time for me, learning every lap here and there.”

“When I follow them, learning what they do, how they attack the next corner or the next lap, how they prepare the overtaking, so it was very useful and a very productive day,” added Alonso.

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Ferrari signs up for Pirelli wet tyre test with 2015 car

Ferrari will be the first team to run an extra 2018 wet tyre test for Pirelli with a two-year old car, having agreed to run an SF15-T at Fiorano next month.

After finalising a schedule of dry and wet testing using current cars with the FIA and the teams, Pirelli asked if it could schedule some extra running with old cars.

Despite the different tyre sizes and lower downforce levels of the older cars, the Italian company feels it can still learn something about new concepts, on top of its running with current cars.

It has tests lined up with current machinery with Red Bull on May 31/June 1 at Paul Ricard, and with McLaren at Magny-Cours on July 19/20.

Pirelli is still hoping to schedule two extra days of testing with older machinery.

"We have a test scheduled in Fiorano on June 2," Pirelli F1 technical boss Mario Isola told Motorsport.com.

"It’s the 2015 car with the old sizes, just to explore some new directions. At the moment it’s the only one.

"We have the other tests scheduled in the official planning with the 2017 cars, and now we are checking if we can organise something else.

"This is the plan, to have this one and a couple more sessions."

While no driver has been named for the Fiorano test, it could be an opportunity for Ferrari to give some extra miles to one of its young drivers, namely Antonio Giovinazzi, Charles Leclerc or Antonio Fuoco.

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BOTTAS: I WAS DOING ALL I COULD TO KEEP SEBASTIAN BEHIND

Although Valtteri Bottas suffered a DNF in the Spanish Grand Prix, the Finn played an important role in ensuring that his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton won the race.

Bottas kept Sebastian Vettel behind him for several laps until the Ferrari driver executed a daring overtake, to get past the Finn, but the German had lost valuable time in the duel between the two and in the end fell short of seriously challenging Hamilton.

Bottas explained, “I was doing all I could to keep Sebastian behind and make him lose time, that’s how it goes. That was my job and mission at that point. But the pace difference was too big and eventually he got past.”

“But I definitely helped the team today. I hope it made a bit of a difference and at least we managed as a team to grow the small points difference to Ferrari which is good. But it could have been a lot bigger with both of us finishing strong.”

Bottas was involved in a first lap melee, which resulted in contact and the immediate retirement of Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. Although the Mercedes continued, Bottas was forced to park the car with engine problems on lap 38.

“The start was good,” recalled Bottas. “The getaway was nice and I was catching up pretty quickly on the guys in front, but this time there was nowhere to go really. I was looking first to go left but there wasn’t quite enough space.

“I tried to go inside because there was a gap initially, but then Sebastian closed it so I was stuck behind him. Going in to turn one I was trying to keep inside, obviously the guys on the outside always try to overtake you and it was unlucky that me and Kimi collided.

“It was just all a bit too tight and close, and a shame what happened to the guys after. But in racing when it’s close sometimes you hit and that’s how it goes. I was trying to keep my position and I felt there was no more space for two cars, so it was very close.”

“After the contact I really struggled in the first stint. I should have finished on the podium so it’s very disappointing, but we took a risk going to the old engine [after discovering a water leak in Friday practice].”

“We knew it was running out of mileage but that was the only option we could have done to qualify, so that’s life,” explained Bottas who still lies third in the championship standings, albeit 41 points adrift of Vettel and 35 down on Hamilton.

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MARKO: SAINZ TO FERRARI IS IN HIS FATHER’S DREAMS

Red Bull consultant Helmut Marko believes that Carlos Sainz has a future in Formula 1, but says that he is still growing as a driver and also questions the role of the young Spaniard’s father (rally legend) Carlos Sainz Senior in his son’s career.

Sainz (junior) has been part of the Red Bull junior programme for some years, but when it came time to promote a him or Max Verstappen to replace Daniil Kvyat in the Red Bull team, last year, they opted for the teenage Dutchman.

Since then media have linked Sainz to moves away from Toro Rosso and the Red Bull organisation. With Ferrari reportedly interested in the Spaniard at one point.

But Marko scoffed at the idea, “Ferrari did not ask for Carlos, this was in the dreams of Carlos senior. So far no one has called us. He will have to concentrate on doing the best job possible and then he will automatically develop. On the other hand, we need a reserve driver. Carlos is also the first reserve for Red Bull.”

Sainz is in his third year with Toro Rosso, and Marko has clear expectations, “Toro Rosso should fight for the fourth, fifth or sixth place in the championship, it is possible to get it. But they cannot afford to make any mistakes, and the drivers cannot afford to make any mistakes either.”

However a move away from the team that groomed him is a possibility according to the Austrian, “If it was a much better team than Toro Rosso, we can talk.”

As for Sainz’s performances, Marko summed, “I think he has developed very well, from being Carlos Sainz junior, to being Carlos Sainz the Formula 1 driver.”

“I think he would progress or develop better if he left this ‘Madrid protection zone’, further away from the father. He is like a young bird in the nest.”

“He has had many ups and downs in his career. For example, in GP3 he was beaten by Kvyat. When Kvyat got to F1 he was a big disappointment. After that Carlos tried a totally different approach and won the Formula Renault 3.5 Series in great style.’

“Carlos is fast, very fast, but he has to be consistent. Sometimes on Friday he delivers fantastic times, so much so that at Red Bull we ask ourselves: How did he do that?”

“But he is growing, and must learn that qualifying and the race are the most important, being fast on Friday means nothing. He should keep growing with the car in practice and continue to make the most of it in the race.”

“He made a stupid mistake in Bahrain… He’s young, he can learn, and he has to be patient,” advised Marko who is head of the Red Bull driver programme.

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MARKO: WE WILL QUIT F1 IF ENGINE RULES DON’T CHANGE

Helmut Marko is resigned to the current era power unit in Formula 1, but has warned that if the rules are not changed for 2021 and beyond then Red Bull will consider pulling out of the sport at the highest level.

In an interview with El Confidencial, Marko said, “[The current engines] are a fantastic example of engineering, but they are not suitable for Formula 1. They are overly complicated, you need between eight and ten people to start it, they cannot do it without the instructions and advice of the engineers.”

“They do not make noise, they are very expensive and they are complicated. And as I explain, if you put together these factors properly, it is not an engine like the ones before. The public is not interested in this technology because they will never have it in their own car.”

“This is why we are struggling and waiting for Liberty to hear the criticism. A company like Honda, recognised as great engine specialists and innovators, cannot solve problems because they are complicated and incredibly expensive.”

Red Bull have proposed a more cost effective alternative, Marko explained, “The idea is very simple. We want an engine that is powerful, 1000 hp, with a single KERS system that is standard, with a standard battery, and that development does not cost more than €15 to €20 million maximum, per unit.”

“They should have good sound and let the driver make the differences. That will allow independent companies like Illien and Cosworth to build engines for the sport,” he pointed out.

Honda’s woes are well documented, and there has been talk in the paddock that Mercedes may provide a helping hand.

But Marko does not agree with the option, “I think it’s a mistake, I do not care if it’s true, and if it is, it’s a mistake. From the point of view of the chassis you have very rigid rules that prevent helping each other.”

Asked what he wants from the new Liberty Media era, Marko suggested, “First of all, a new engine, because it should not be a differentiating factor like it is now. And in the middle term, we want a Formula 1 to have a business model in which each team can survive and earn money.”

“Now there are huge investments, and almost all the teams do not make money, but rather lose money. And if you see Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid, they earn a lot of money.”

Asked if the engine rules criteria is not reached and implemented beyond 2020 would Red Bull quit the sport, Marko responded, “Yes, because last year we found out that Mercedes did not want to provide us with an engine, nor did Ferrari. Renault was forced by [Bernie] Ecclestone to give us their power unit. We want to have a situation of equality and not to be blackmailed by a big manufacturer.”

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MARKO: THIS TIME IT HAS NOT WORKED

Red Bull team consultant Helmut Marko blames incorrect correlation between the wind tunnel and design elements of the RB13 which have resulted in energy drinks outfit lagging behind the pace setters in Formula 1 this year.

Speaking to El Confidencial, Marko revealed, “It has been a question of interpretation of the CFD, wind tunnel and between different departments where there was lack of understanding or misinterpretation of the results.”

Red Bull, led by Adrian Newey, have always produced F1 cars with excellent aero capabilities but this year they seem to have been caught flat footed by Ferrari and Mercedes.

The Austrian acknowledged, “Yes, we have always been brilliant [in the aero department], but this time it has not worked, we have definitely not been at our level and we are below our expectations.”

“This, on the one hand. On the other, from the point of view of the power of the hybrid unit, we have not had what we thought we would have,” he added, pointing a finger at their engine supplers Renault.

Asked if the team are surrendering already, five rounds into the championship, he replied, “No, otherwise we would not be making so much effort. We are still positive we can catch Ferrari and Mercedes. We get to different circuits, but this power unit system is very complicated, it is not a normal motor.”

“If the combustion system is better, the electrical part is then better too. In addition, you have the issue of consumption, the delivery of power and its manageability, which means that there are different parts where we have to recover ground.”

“After the first four races Ferrari seemed like the big favorite, but it seems that [in Spain] they are not as competitive and Mercedes has taken a big leap with their engine. You change the engine, and bang, you take a big leap again,” said Marko.

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KIMI AND MINTTU WELCOME RIANNA TO THE WORLD

Kimi Raikkönen became a father for the second time with the birth of Rianna Angelia Milana this week.

In 2014 Raikkönen was engaged to model Minna-Mari “Minttu” Virtanen and on 28 January 2015 she gave birth to the couple’s first child, a boy, Robin.

On 7 August 2016, Raikkonen married Virtanen in a ceremony in Siena, Italy.

Minttu told MTV of the new addition to the Raikkonen clan, “We are so happy and proud.”

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Codemasters announces F1 2017 game release date, classic cars

Codemasters has announced the first details and information about the up-coming F1 2017 game, including its release date and the return of classic cars.

The racing title will be available to buy worldwide for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC on August 25 2017.

For the first time since F1 2013, classic cars will feature in the game. Alongside being able to drive the historic cars in multiplayer and time trials, they will also be incorporated into the career mode.

This will be through invitational events that happen during the “even deeper” new career mode. 11 classic cars will be included in the game, including the Williams FW14B and Ferrari F2002.

The McLaren MP4/4 from 1988 is the 12th historic F1 car and will be included in pre-order and ‘Day One’ copies, and will then be available to purchase later on.

Codemasters says there will also be four alternative track layouts in F1 2017, and promises “numerous multiplayer enhancements, and a brand new ‘Championships’ game mode”.

Of course, it will also feature the new 2017 regulations, cars, liveries and drivers.

Its predecessor, F1 2016, was well received by fans and critics, especially with its more immersive and detailed career mode, handling improvements and visuals.

“After an extremely successful year with the highly acclaimed F1 2016, we are delighted to be announcing F1 2017 and re-introducing classic F1 cars back to the series” said Paul Jeal, Codemasters game director.

“Classics were incredibly well received when we included them in F1 2013, and in F1 2017 they are back and better than ever.

“With so many great cars to choose from, it was hard to decide on the final twelve, but we are delighted with our selection of some of the most successful and iconic fan favourites from the past 30 years.”

 

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Zak Brown understands Fernando Alonso’s approach over 2018 season

McLaren boss Zak Brown says he “totally understands” Fernando Alonso’s stance regarding his 2018 decision, and insists it is up to McLaren to prove it can realise the Spaniard’s title goals.

Alonso is currently in the final season of a three-year deal with McLaren, which has been characterised by a lack of reliability and power, leaving the team at the foot of the standings, as the only operation yet to score a point in 2017.

Alonso and McLaren have agreed not to discuss a 2018 deal until after the summer break, with Alonso commenting that, “if [between now] and September or October I see an opportunity to win in 2018 I’ll be more than happy to stay, if it’s not the case I will be more than happy to talk to anyone.”

Brown says it is up to McLaren to demonstrate that it can haul itself out of its current strife, in a bid to convince Alonso, currently preparing for his Indianapolis 500 bow, to stay.

“I totally understand his position, he’s a two-time World Champion that wants to be a three-time World Champion and he’s only going to do that with a car that can win,” Brown said.

“As he said, he would love to stay at McLaren and we’ve given him a great environment, he really enjoys it here, we’ve got to give him a winning car.

“Sitting here in Barcelona it’s hard to know when that will be other than we’ve produced lots of winning cars [in Formula 1 history].

“We’ve seen other engine manufacturers make significant progress over [the course of] a season if you look at Renault a couple of years ago, where they started and where they ended up.

“As he said, he’s going to wait until after the summer break, which is what we’ve agreed, so I think all we can do right now is put our head down and try and demonstrate we’re going to be in a position to win next year, by the time he’s [Alonso] ready to make a decision.”

Brown also praised Alonso’s rookie team-mate Stoffel Vandoorne, despite the Belgian’s difficult start to his first full season in Formula 1.

“I think he’s got a great attitude, [he’s had a] tough start to the season, probably the toughest of everyone on the grid,” he said of Vandoorne.

“He’s [kept his] head down, just wants to learn and improve, he’s had a great mindset, has done a really good job, [taking it] one day at a time.

“Stoffel I believe will be a World Champion one of these days and I hope he’s a World Champion with McLaren-Honda, he’s a rookie so he’s got a long way to go.

“Hopefully we can retain Fernando for the foreseeable future, but we’ve got big hopes for Stoffel.”

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‘Enormous pressure’ on Stroll as Monaco looms

Williams tech boss Paddy Lowe has said Lance Stroll is under "enormous pressure" and is doing everything he can to help him through his difficult start to Formula 1.

The Canadian rookie has yet to score a World Championship point and was last of the finishers in his latest race at the Spanish Grand Prix.

Stroll's seat at Williams was funded by his billionaire father and his poor start to the season, which included three DNFs in his first three races, has left many questioning whether the 18-year-old is ready for Formula 1.

 "One of the very difficult things for Lance is the enormous pressure placed upon him," said Williams  Lowe.

"He's a driver with a lot of expectation around him from not just people close to him but even more across the paddock, I think, because there's a lot of spotlight on how he got here and 'does he really deserve the drive?' and all those things.

"Racing drivers are by their natures super-competitive, they are the best and the worst at beating themselves up if they don't think they are performing as they should. So that cascades and creates its own pressure for him.

"There are no easy answers to how do you undo that pressure.

"I appreciate the challenging position he's in so I'm trying to help him through that.

"One thing that's important is actually to just enjoy it. people love driving quick cars and actually if you're not here enjoying it, it's not going to go well. But it's more easily said than done with all the pressure.

Stroll's team-mate Felipe Massa also warned him that he is set for one of the toughest races at the upcoming Monaco Grand Prix.

"I think Monaco will be tricky for everybody and for Lance it will be maybe one of the most difficult tracks for him because he doesn't know the track," Massa said.

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Brawn wants quality over quantity on F1 calendar

Formula 1 sporting manager Ross Brawn has supported the idea of extending the Formula 1 calendar – but only if they improve the overall quality of the schedule.

Liberty Media claim they have been fielding plenty of requests from tracks all over the world to join the F1 calendar, with a second race in the United States said to be high on the agenda.

But Brawn has warned it would be pointless to add circuits just for the location alone.

"More important than the number is the quality of the races?" Brawn told Austrian broadcaster ORF.

"There's no point having many races that are boring. Our priority is to improve the quality of the existing races and to add only more quality races to the calendar.

"The teams already have a challenge with the current 20 races, but I think we have the capacity for one or two more if the quality is high."

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Story behind the photo: Hamilton’s flashy victory celebrations

After every grand prix, ace photographer Mark Sutton of Sutton Images gives us a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to cover Formula 1 from behind the lens.

“An amazing weekend in Barcelona for the first race of the European season, which saw an epic battle between Mercedes and Ferrari, with Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel both pushing to the limit in their duel for victory.

“I was still editing my race images, and had another photographer in the front of the Mercedes garage waiting for the team celebrations when I thought maybe there was a nice photo from the Media Centre, which sits right above the team’s garage.

“So I positioned myself, literally on the window looking down, and took a slightly wider lens – the Nikkor 14-24mm, which I thought would keep the whole team in the photo.

“It took another 20 minutes of being very patient to eventually see Lewis appear and, as the team cheered, I kept firing away – hoping a flash might fill the photo and offer a lift to the whole picture.

“I was lucky, and you can see from this image that it’s like a studio light illuminating the photo and shows the team celebrating with Lewis and all the world’s photographers and media.”