Formula 1 - 2017

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BOTTAS: MY BEST RACES ARE STILL AHEAD OF ME

Valtteri Bottas is confident that his best races still lie ahead of him and warns that he is not out of the 2017 Formula 1 World Championship title fight.

Speaking to journalists ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix weekend, Bottas said, “I feel my best races are still ahead of me this year. I’ve done a good job in some races but there’s more to come to be more consistent at a good level — that’s my target and I feel that’s ahead.

“I always want to learn from every single grand prix and get better, in doing that I hope good things will come. I hope to have a good one here and continue from there.”

Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel leads the standings after five rounds, with Bottas’ Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton second, while the Finn lies third albeit 41 points adrift of top spot.

Nevrethless Bottas insisted, “I’m confident and what gives me confidence is that there’s still 75 per cent of the season left. That’s a lot of racing and a lot of possibilities to gain lots of points. And I know I will only going to get better, I feel I will still improve, it’s a long season ahead.”

“Definitively the points gap to Sebastian and Lewis is bigger than I was hoping for at this point of the year but it’s only the beginning, things can change quickly.”

“If I start scoring more points than them things can change, so I’m confident it’s still going to be a good fight,” added Bottas who scored his first grand prix victory in Russia last month.

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VETTEL: WE COULD HAVE WON ALL FIVE RACES

Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel arrived in Monaco heading the Formula 1 championship standings and adamant, that despite winning two races so far, he could have bagged five victories out of five races thus far.

Vettel told Sky Sports, “We were there in all the five races and we could have won all five races if things were turning out a bit differently, but they didn’t. Sometimes you end up being on the luckier side, sometimes not, but I think we have a long season ahead of us. Stuff like that will equal out.”

Instead of winning all five Vettel has won two grand prix, in Australia and Brazil, and finished second in the other three, including last time out in Spain.

“But, as I said, most important is that we were there. We had scruffy Fridays, rough Saturdays, but we were always there in the race, that’s what matters. We have a strong package, we have a strong car and we are doing the right things, so not so worried of getting the points we deserve.

“We got the points we deserved so far, here and there people just did a better job overall, but I think we have plenty to look forward to. I’m looking forward to it. We have a very strong package and we are a very strong team, so we don’t have anything to be afraid of.”

“But if you look at the last couple of years, Mercedes was very strong around here so they will be the ones naturally to beat. But I’m confident we can have a good weekend,” declared Vettel who tops the standings by six points but has only won once in Monaco, back in 2011.

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HAMILTON: NO INTENTION OF PLAYING PSYCHOLOGICAL WARS WITH VETTEL

Lewis Hamilton staked out the boundaries of Formula 1’s psychological battleground on the eve of the Monaco Grand Prix weekend by saying he would not seek to play mind games with title rival Sebastian Vettel off the track.

His words could, however, in themselves be considered part of the ‘mind games’ masked so far by regular declarations of mutual admiration between the two most successful current drivers.

Ferrari’s Vettel, a four times world champion, heads into the weekend’s showcase Monaco Grand Prix with a six point lead over Mercedes’ triple title winner Hamilton after two race wins apiece in 2017.

“I take a lot of pride in the fact that I am very strong mentally and I think that’s something you can admire about someone else that you’re fighting, like Sebastian,” Hamilton told reporters.

“He seems solid. I want him to be at his best when he gets in the car so I don’t have any intention of playing psychological wars outside of the car,” added the Briton.

“I want to beat him in the car because when he’s at his best, and I beat him, that says what it needs to say rather than have him on the back foot.”

“When he was in the Red Bull car, of course I wished my car was a little bit quicker so I could have given him a battle.”

“He could say the same thing for the last few years. It doesn’t deter from the fact he’s an exceptional driver and he continues to show that.”

Hamilton has spent recent years fighting his own team mate, with Mercedes dominant and Nico Rosberg his only real rival for the title.

The German retired at the end of last season, crowned champion for the first time but recognising that the mental effort required to beat Hamilton had taken a heavy toll.

Rosberg credited his use of a mental trainer, and meditation to increase concentration and be more aware of his emotions, as a key factor in his success.

Hamilton has shown he is a master of the psychological, playing on any vulnerability to gain an advantage on the racetrack, but Vettel has also shown he is a tough nut to crack.

Hamilton said the season was long and would still be fought on many levels, “Just like golf, over 18 holes, whoever is most consistent generally ends up winning. It’s an all-round battle, both physically, mentally and technically. That’s why it’s a great battle.”

Hamilton slightly undermined his stance when asked what it was about Vettel that he particularly admired.

“His car, at the moment,” he replied, before sounding a more complimentary tone. “Of course I admire the pace and speed and sheer talent that Sebastian has. That’s why I’m enjoying the battle with him. But of course his car looks pretty awesome also.”

Vettel is singing from the same hymn sheet of mutual admiration, “You have to respect if other people do a good job. We’re very different. But I think we have a very strong connection.”

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F1 DRIVERS WARY OF NEW MONACO KERBS

Formula 1 drivers expressed concerns that new kerbs installed on the streets of Monte Carlo, ahead of the Monaco Grand Prixweekend, could send their cars flying if they make a mistake and me more dangerous than is necessary.

The kerb at the right-left chicane exiting the harbour-side swimming pool complex has been beefed up to prevent drivers gaining an advantage by cutting the corner.

“That big yellow thing, don’t touch it when you are in a Formula One car,” Haas F1’s French driver Romain Grosjean told reporters after first inspections of the street circuit. “It looks like a taking-off ramp.”

Mercedes’s triple world champion Lewis Hamilton, a former Monaco winner, said he was not sure why the kerbs were changed while team mate Valtteri Bottas described them as “quite extreme”.

Force India’s Mexican driver Sergio Perez added: “I think the one we had before was big enough and if you hit it, it would send you to the wall. So I think this one will probably send you to the grandstand.”

Britain’s Jolyon Palmer, who has yet to score a point this season with Renault, provided an alternative perspective.

“It’s not as big as the walls that are around the outside of most other corners. So I think we’d prefer to have a kerb like that than a wall,” he said.

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F1 TO HOLD MINUTE’S SILENCE FOR MANCHESTER VICTIMS

Formula 1 organisers are planning to hold a minute’s silence before Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix as a mark of respect for the victims of the Manchester bomb attack.

A Formula One Management source told Reuters the 10 teams, a majority of them British-based, had also agreed to carry the #Manchester hashtag on their cars.

Monday night’s attack in the northern English city, claimed by the Islamic State militant group, killed 22 people at a concert venue packed with children, and wounded dozens more.

The Cannes Film Festival, under way just down the French Riviera coast from Monaco, held a minute’s silence on Tuesday for what organisers condemned as an “attack on culture, youth and joyfulness”.

An appearance by triple Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton to promote the Disney franchise “Cars” was also cancelled “out of respect for the casualties and all of those impacted”, according to the film’s publicist.

A deadly truck attack in the nearby Riviera city of Nice on July 14 last year killed 86 people who had gathered to watch the fireworks on Bastille Day.

Ross Brawn, Formula One’s managing director for motorsport, was born near Manchester and is a fervent supporter of the Manchester United soccer club.

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ROSBERG: THIS YEAR THE WHOLE TEAM IS SUPPORTING HAMILTON

On three occasions, from 2013 to 2015, Nico Rosberg stood on the top step of Monaco’s royal podium as a winner, but this year he will watch his home race from the sidelines and, like most F1 fans, is looking forward to the next chapter in the duel between his former Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel.

Looking fresh and content, Rosberg spoke to ESPN from the sunny track-side of the street circuit he knows so well, “The Monaco Grand Prix is going to be the most emotional race for me to get back to because I have closed a chapter in my career.”

“I have all these amazing memories and emotions, now coming back to the race track and meeting all the people again and seeing all my fans here in Monaco where I always had so much support from them… coming back now as a World Champion is going to be amazing.”

Rosberg has made no secret that, although his helmet and race suit remains packed in a bag, he has enjoyed watching the first five grands prix from the comfort of his couch at home.

And said, “The races so far this year have been absolutely awesome for Formula 1, there’s been everything: excitement, stuff happening, they’ve been unpredictable, so we can’t wish for more.”

“Of course this year I am keeping an eye on all the drivers, at the moment Sebastian and Lewis are standing out as the best guys, they are doing a great job and of course other guys are doing a good job too. But for now its them.”

Rosberg is well placed to discern the subtle differences within the Mercedes team since his departure and the arrival of his replacement Valtteri Bottas.

Last year the Silver Arrows was divided into two distinct camps: Rosberg’s gang versus Hamilton’s crew. The tension was palpable and the title fight went down to the last corner of the last race in Abu Dhabi. The rest is history.

Rosberg observed, “It’s a great fight, Mercedes versus Ferrari, Lewis versus Sebastian. I think for Lewis it is also a very different situation, because last year he only had the support of half of the team behind him.”

“This year he has the whole team supporting him in this fight in trying to beat the other driver. So I am sure it is very, very different for him.”

One of the big reasons Rosberg decided to quit the sport, at the very top of his career and form, had a great deal to do with his family and spending more time at home with his wife Vivian and daughter Alaïa.

Thus, during the interview, he was clearly delighted to announce, “It’s also a very exciting time for us privately because Vivian is pregnant again, so its an incredible feeling and its great that together we can create this new human being and grow as a family.”

“It’s absolutely wonderful. And of course in my new life for sure I will take a little but more time to support Vivian also with our new baby and everything. It’s definitely a wonderful thing,” added the 2016 Formula 1 World Champion with a big grin.

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ALONSO: F1 NEEDS AMERICA AND AMERICA NEEDS MORE F1

Two-times world champion Fernando Alonso said his racing in this Sunday’s Indy 500 spurred great interest in Spain and that other Formula One drivers crossing over would benefit both U.S. racing and Formula One.

“I think Formula One needs North America and maybe North America needs more of Formula One than what we currently have,” Alonso told Reuters on Tuesday.

“I think its a win-win situation,” the Spaniard said about the potential impact of more F1 drivers following his example and crossing over between the circuits.

Alonso said he understood that interest back home in the Indy 500 had spiked by 800 percent.

“For the fans, from what I see now in Spain and Europe, it is amazing the interest in the Indy 500 this year compared to any other year,” he said.

“Everyone in Spain, they are waiting for May 28 to watch the race. I received many messages from fans in social media saying, ‘thanks for showing us this race because I never watched it before and I absolutely love it.'”

Alonso also believes U.S. fans will become more intrigued by Formula One as they get to know those drivers.

“Hopefully from now on the interest in Formula One in the U.S. will be growing,” he said. “We have new owners of Formula One, (U.S.-based) Liberty Media, and I think they have some good plans to build interest here.”

Alonso decided to skip this week’s Monaco Grand Prix, which he has won twice, to try and add the Indy 500 as his second leg to a rare Triple Crown of Motorsport.

The Spaniard hopes to emulate Graham Hill, who in 1972 became the first to complete the Formula One championship, Indy and Le Mans 24 Hours collection of titles.

“The Triple Crown, I think that’s the ultimate goal of any racing driver,” said Alonso. “Only one man has achieved that in motor sports and that shows how difficult it is to do that.”

Alonso said he expects no problem adjusting back to Formula One after his Indy sojourn, “My skills, and my driving techniques are developed in Formula One cars. I think when I get back there it will be an immediate adaptation.”

With his contract up after this season with the poorly performing McLaren-Honda team, Alonso remained tight-lipped about his future.

“After the summer I will consider what are the options out there,” he said.

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MONACO GRAND PRIX: TIME FOR RED BULL TO STEP UP

Daniel Ricciardo jokes that he has a new strategy for Monaco this year — no pitstops, just keep going all the way to the chequered flag.

The rules do not allow him to do that, of course, but the comment underlines the lingering pain of last year when the Australian seized pole position but was robbed of victory by a pitstop bungle.

“It sucks. It hurts,” said the Red Bull driver, who finished second to Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, at the time. “I got to the pits and everyone’s running around like headless chooks (chickens).”

The pole position was the only one that escaped champions Mercedes last year and Ricciardo took some solace when he then won in Malaysia after Hamilton suffered engine failure.

Title rivals Hamilton and Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, separated by just six points and with two wins apiece, will be the favourites in Sunday’s showcase race around the metal-fenced streets.

But Ricciardo reckons he can again muscle in on the action, even if his car’s Renault engine is down on power.

“Regardless of where the car is at come Monaco, I’m certainly confident going there,” he said at the previous Spanish Grand Prix, where he finished third.

“I certainly feel like I run those streets … I already get excited thinking about Monaco, I love that place. It’s cool,” he added.

“The memories of last year are still more sweet than bitter so I’m just excited to get another chance this year.”

Both Hamilton and Vettel have their own milestones in mind on what promises to be a sunny week in the Mediterranean principality for the two multiple title winners.

Vettel, the championship leader, is aiming to become the first Ferrari driver to win in Monaco since Michael Schumacher in 2001 — almost ancient history as far as Formula One is concerned.

Hamilton meanwhile can equal his late, great idol Ayrton Senna’s career tally of 65 pole positions on the 30th anniversary of the Brazilian’s first Monaco win.

Mercedes are going for their fifth successive Monaco win, with Hamilton triumphant last year after three victories in succession for now-retired champion Nico Rosberg.

The title duel, in the sixth and slowest round of the championship, will also be about absent friends and returning heroes.

Jenson Button, the 2009 world champion who called it a day last year, will be filling in for Spaniard Fernando Alonso at McLaren while the double champion takes on the Indianapolis 500 on the same weekend.

That challenge, made easier by McLaren’s on-track Formula One woes with the team now the only ones yet to score a point this season, has already made plenty of headlines.

Button’s return, to a race the now-37-year-old won in 2009, will also attract plenty of interest and the team can hope for some improvements after Alonso qualified seventh in Spain.

“We’ve made some progress in Spain, which was good,” McLaren’s executive director Zak Brown told Reuters.

“I don’t expect any significant improvement in Monaco other than we think we have a good race car that’s suited around Monaco. So I’m hoping we score our first points of the year.”

Mexican Sergio Perez, third last year for Force India ahead of Vettel, is now going for his 16th successive points finish.

The wider and faster cars could also make overtaking rarer than ever at a circuit where it is notoriously difficult to pass but where accidents are commonplace.

“Overtaking? Just no chance,” French driver Romain Grosjean told Reuters.

“Some places it’s going to be very tight. But on the other hand, it’s going to be faster and we’re going to have more grip and more downforce so we’ll love it.”

Reuters Facts & Stats for the Monaco Grand Prix

• Lap distance: 3.337km. Total distance: 260.286km (78 laps)
• Race lap record: One minute 17.939 seconds, Lewis Hamilton (Britain), Mercedes, 2016.
• 2016 pole: Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Red Bull 1:13.622
• 2016 winner: Hamilton
• Start time: 1200 GMT (1400 local)

Victories

• Champions Mercedes have won 54 of 64 races since the introduction of the 1.6 litre V6 turbo hybrid power units in 2014.
• Mercedes’ triple world champion Hamilton has 55 career victories, putting him second in the all-time list behind Michael Schumacher (91). Vettel has 44, McLaren’s Fernando Alonso is on 32 and Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen 20.
• Ferrari have won 226 races, McLaren 182, Williams 114, Mercedes 67 and Red Bull 52. McLaren and Williams have not won since 2012.

Pole Position

• Mercedes have been on pole in 60 of the last 64 races.
• Hamilton has 64 poles so far, one short of the late Ayrton Senna’s career total and five behind Schumacher’s record 68.
• Podium
• Hamilton has 108 podiums to date and is second on the all-time list behind Schumacher (155). Vettel has 91, Raikkonen 85.

Points

• Force India’s Mexican Sergio Perez has finished the last 15 races in the points, the longest current run among those on the grid.
• Force India are also the only team to have scored with both cars in every race this season.
• Monaco Grand Prix
• The last five races have all seen the safety car deployed.
• Mercedes have won the last four Monaco Grands Prix (Nico Rosberg in 2013, 2014, 2015) and Hamilton in 2016.
• Ferrari have not won in Monaco since 2001, with Michael Schumacher.
• The driver on pole has won 10 of the last 16 races in Monaco. In 1996, Frenchman Olivier Panis won from 14th on the starting grid — the lowest winning start position to date.
• Since 1950, only 10 times has the race been won by a driver starting lower than third.
• With Rosberg retired and Alonso absent, four former Monaco winners will be on Sunday’s grid: Vettel (2011), Button (2009), Hamilton (2008, 2016), Raikkonen (2005).

Milestone

• This weekend marks the 30th anniversary of the late Brazilian Ayrton Senna’s first win in Monaco, with Lotus. He won there six times in all and remains the only Brazilian to have won in the principality.

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Daniil Kvyat: Toro Rosso must be wary of ‘sensitive’ STR12

Daniil Kvyat believes Toro Rosso must be wary of its “sensitive” Renault-powered STR12, commenting that it is tricky to keep the car in a “happy window.”

Kvyat finished in ninth place at the preceding event in Spain but qualified at the back of the grid, pointing to small set-up changes that cost him a substantial bulk of time.

Kvyat reckons Toro Rosso needs to be careful with any small tweaks it makes, in case it has drastic consequences around the streets of Monaco this weekend.

“Our car is too sensitive to small changes,” he commented.

“So [we fell] completely out of the window and as a consequence we paid a very high price, it’s hard to keep the car in a happy window and that’s what happened in Spain.

“There’s still no 100 per cent answers to that, and in the race everything came back to it and it was a much more driveable car, but I prefer to start ahead and finish ahead than to make my way through.

“I certainly also have to keep an eye on what everyone’s doing as the car is so sensitive we need to be careful with everything we do, and is still a bit of a mystery somehow.”

Kvyat also reckons power unit supplier Renault can now afford to focus on performance, having prioritised reliability during the opening stages of the campaign.

“The basic package seems good, so far there has been some [reliability problems] but not so much, now it’s quite consistent,” he said.

“So I believe that now they will start focusing on performance as that’s what we really need.”

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Jolyon Palmer ‘ready’ to turn season around

Renault’s Jolyon Palmer says he is “ready” to turn around his flagging 2017 Formula 1 campaign, after a disappointing start to his sophomore campaign.

Palmer has yet to out-qualify team-mate Nico Hülkenberg, while the German has captured all of Renault’s 14 points scored this season, courtesy of top 10 results in Bahrain, Russia and Spain.

Palmer, meanwhile, took 13th in China and Bahrain, sandwiched by retirements in Australia and Russia, before struggling to 15th in Spain, his deficit pinned on a three-stop strategy.

When asked if 2017 had been tougher than 2016, Palmer replied, “I think results wise yes, the car’s obviously performing better which is encouraging.

“It’s been disappointing, but also I’ve had more issues than this time last year, last year generally the performance [deficit] was a lot more in myself I think.

“This year there’s performance [to find] in myself but we’ve also lost a lot of track time in most Grands Prix in practice sessions, we’ve had other external issues that I didn’t have so much this time last year.

“I’m disappointed with how it’s gone but I’m ready to turn it around and I think I’m not that far away from putting it together and then get [into] a bit of positive and into a cycle and then kick on like last year.”

Palmer feels the outright results at the preceding event in Spain accentuate his performance deficit to team-mate Hülkenberg.

“I don’t think there’s anything too much that needs to happen, we just need to have a little bit of putting it together in the right place,” he said.

“I was three-tenths off Nico in Barcelona; in any other race, apart from Melbourne, I would be in Q3 with that.

“It was progress, of course I want to be fighting with him and be ahead of him, but I think the qualifying [result] looked worse than it was and in the race I did a three-stop and it was a strategy that didn’t work at all.

“If you look at the pace it wasn’t so bad, there’s things to draw positives on but it needs to happen.”

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Ericsson: Recent Sauber gains 'quite unexpected'

Marcus Ericsson has labelled Sauber’s recent performance step as “quite unexpected” and is hopeful that the team can maintain its momentum into this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix.

Sauber secured its best result since 2015 in Spain, with Pascal Wehrlein running a one-stop strategy to take eighth place, displaying competitive pace in the midfield.

Ericsson, meanwhile, placed 11th, and expressed surprise at the gains made to the C36-Ferrari in Barcelona, ahead of the introduction of another raft of updates – including a new floor, bargeboards and brake ducts – this weekend.

“Honestly the whole weekend in Barcelona, with the pace we had, I was a bit surprised as I didn’t really think we were going to be able to keep that pace for the whole weekend,” he said.

“It’s really good for us and we bring that with us here going into this weekend as we believe that if we can be that competitive there we can be at least as competitive here in Monaco, or even more [competitive] as we're bring a lot of updates here.

“We only really brought a rear wing for Barcelona and the rest is coming here.

“We didn’t expect to be that strong in Barcelona, there were some different reasons, one is that the rear wing worked a bit better than expected.

“The track suited us a bit better than expected as it’s not so engine sensitive, and we found some things with the set-up and with the tyres to get them to work better, especially on the tyre side to control that better, as that’s sensitive for performance.

“All these different things put together [led to] a big step, but it was quite unexpected to be honest, but in a very good way.”

Ericsson is wary that introducing new parts in Monaco presents a challenge – due to the quirky nature of the venue – but is “99.9 per cent” sure that the C36-Ferrari will be improved by the latest steps.

“Bringing it to a track like Monaco, it’s impossible really to get a read on how much we gain,” he reflected on the upgrade package.

“We’re not going to really be able to know how much of a step we’ve taken either.

“I think the plan is to put it on and we’re going to run it, unless it’s undriveable, all the time, as we’re 99.9 per cent sure it’s a step forward, it must be better than what we had before.

“The plan is to have it on from the first lap and keep it on all weekend.”

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Ricciardo and Verstappen’s mini Monaco GP guide

Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen present their mini guide to the Monaco Grand Prix, which takes place at the Circuit de Monaco this weekend.

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Force India introduces triple T-wing design

Force India has taken the development of T-wings in Formula 1 to a new level with the introduction of a triple design at the Monaco Grand Prix.

The Silverstone-based team is one of the few outfits that has not run with the device so far this season, but with teams chasing as much downforce as they can in Monte Carlo it has elected to add one to its car.

The result takes the oval concept that was pioneered by McLaren a step further, with an outer rounded edge that is split with a third element running across the middle.

The arrival of T-wings in F1 has been controversial this season with many fans unhappy with their visual impact, and last month teams subsequently agreed to ban them for 2018.

However, with T-wings still allowed for the remainder of this season, work is continuing on exploiting this area of the rules as much as possible.

While Force India has gone for a triple version, the Haas outfit has further updated its own design and is running a double oval version for the first time in Monte Carlo.

Haas F1 Team VF-17 T-wing detail

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New Monaco kerb like a "take-off ramp" - Grosjean

Romain Grosjean and Sergio Perez fear that the new more aggressive kerb layout at the Swimming Pool complex could act as a launch-pad for F1 cars over the Monaco GP weekend.

One element of changes made to the Monte Carlo circuit is a tweak to the speed bumps at the sequence of corners before Rascasse.

As well as a new kerb running parallel to the track, the reshaped kerb on the inside of the left-hander has raised eyebrows among drivers, who fear it could cause trouble.

Asked for his views on it, GPDA director Grosjean said: "I don't really know why [they've done it] – maybe for the Porsche! But the bigger yellow thing – don't touch it when you are in an F1 car!

"It looks like a taking off ramp. If you clip your front wing, it could take it [off] because you've made a small mistake and it will fly you straight into the wall.

"Before, there was a big one [kerb] there, and taking it you were losing time anyway, so I was a bit surprised to see that."

Perez thinks there is no need for such a big kerb on the inside of that corner, and reckons that cars will easily be launched if they hit it.

"It is far too big," he said. "I don't think there is a need to have such a big kerb.

"I think the one we had before was big enough and if you hit it it will send you to the wall. So I think this one will probably send you to the grandstand."

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Sauber completes delayed upgrade package in Monaco

Sauber has brought a new floor to Monaco, completing its Formula 1 update package that was partly introduced last time out in Spain.

The outfit had planned to run the whole package at Barcelona, but its technical team needed more time to work on the floor.

As a result, a series of other parts that were ready could not be added to the car until the floor was completed.

In addition to the floor and a Monaco-spec rear wing, Sauber will run new sidepod deflectors, rear brake ducts and additional bodywork elements.

It comes after Sauber ran a new rear wing, front wing flaps and front brake ducts in Spain as Pascal Wehrlein scored the team’s first points of the season with eighth.

Sauber is planning an “aggressive” development for the rest of the season in a bid to overcome the deficit created by running a year-old Ferrari engine.

The next update package planned for Austria, with further updates scheduled for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

The team also plans to run new developments at the post-Hungarian GP two-day test in August.

“We have made our development plan a step more aggressive,” says team principal Monisha Kaltenborn.

“That’s what we will be implementing, focusing on the next race in Monaco and then the races to come - Spielberg and Silverstone.

“We are not going to give up the season just because we have an old engine.”

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Monaco Grand Prix Preview - Scuderia Ferrari 2017

 

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STROLL: CAN’T GET THOSE CORNERS RIGHT JUST LIKE ON MY PLAYSTATION

As Lance Stroll’s damaged Williams came to a stop at the Monaco Grand Prix’s fourth corner on Thursday, it was more evidence of a gamble that has so far failed to pay off.

Stroll hasn’t scored a point in his first five Formula One races, three of which he has retired from.

The absence of immediate success has fuelled suggestions the 18-year-old Canadian has made it to F1 thanks only to the financial backing of his billionaire father Lawrence Stroll.

Stroll’s latest setback came in the second practice when he lost control of his car and hit the barrier, ”I just lost the rear of the car pushing for the limit, it happens. At least now I know.”

“It really pisses me off, because every time I play the PlayStation game, it’s always those corners that I couldn’t get right, and in reality it’s still those two corners!”

According to three-time world champion and Monaco winner Jackie Stewart, Stroll, the youngest driver on the grid, would be wise to keep well away from ”the limit.”

”It’s a very difficult racetrack for a young driver to come in and not make mistakes,” Stewart said. ”You cannot overdrive, you just can’t try too hard. All the good drivers really don’t drive hard here. The penalty for error is very big.”

Bad luck and mistakes have contributed to Stroll’s struggles. Brake failure forced him out of the Australian Grand Prix, and errors from Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz caused his retirements in China and Bahrain. In Barcelona two weeks ago, he completed the race but gave up a 50-second lead over teammate Felipe Massa.

While a lack of experience might be causing technical errors on the track, his youthful exuberance helps him to maintain a positive outlook. The former European Formula 3 champion revealed his disappointment at struggling with the same corners at Monaco as he has on his games console.

He was adamant a change of fortune was imminent, and determined to prove people wrong.

”I come from a background that when I win, people try and put me down, and when I lose, people try and put me down,” Stroll said on Wednesday. ”I accept that, and I actually find it kind of funny. But whatever, that’s out of my control. I’m focused on what I’m doing.”

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WOLFF: WE TOOK A WRONG JUNCTION IN SETTING UP THE CAR

Formula 1 world champions Mercedes took a wrong turn on the first day of free practice of the Monaco Grand Prix weekend with Lewis Hamilton only eighth fastest after a difficult afternoon around the narrow street circuit.

The triple F1 world champion had been fastest in the morning session but was more than a second off the pace in the afternoon. Hamilton’s Finnish teammate Valtteri Bottas was 10th in the later practice.

“We took a wrong junction in setting up the car in a direction which we believed was good,” said Austrian team boss Toto Wolff.

“We couldn’t back out of it. We committed to the set-up as it takes longer than a session to change and we decided to push through and collect some data,” he told Sky Sports television.

Mercedes have won in Monaco for the past four years with Hamilton the 2016 winner, but Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel looked significantly quicker on Thursday as the only driver to lap inside one minute 13 seconds.

The German’s effort was the fastest lap of the classic circuit that winds up through Casino Square, down through a hairpin into a tunnel and then sends cars blasting past the ranks of yachts moored in Monaco harbour.

Wolff said the car had looked competitive in the morning and Mercedes would have to backtrack.

“That’s not a very difficult exercise but we lost a session where we could have progressed,” he said. “We are lacking data so it’s about sticking our heads together, staying calm and trying to work as well as possible on Saturday morning.”

Hamilton, who is hoping for a 65th career pole position on Saturday to equal the tally of his late boyhood idol Ayrton Senna, said the tyres just weren’t working in the required range.

Describing it as a “night and day” difference from one session to the other, he said he did not fully understand what had gone wrong.

“This afternoon was a bit of a struggle for us but it did get better. Practice Two I struggled with a bit of grip and wasn’t really able to extract the most from the tyres for some reason. “We’ve got some work to do, that’s for sure…I have no idea whether we will be on the pace on Saturday.”

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VETTEL: WHAT HAPPENED TO MERCEDES WAS A BIT WEIRD

Sebastian Vettel ended day one of the Monaco Grand Prix weekend fastest of all, but the Ferrari driver admits that Mercedes’ drop in pace in FP2 was strange.

Speaking to media at then end of the day, Vettel said, “I don’t know what happened to them [Mercedes] today, it was a bit weird. But pretty sure there was a reason, they will be back to full force on Saturday. So it will be close, also with Red Bull.”

“Around here it’s also important to have a good feel for the car to get the lap together so you cannot always go with the one time you set at the end of the day but surely we managed to put it together, and we’re quite happy.”

“I think there will be plenty more [on Saturday] but I was pretty happy in the afternoon,” he said. “In the morning maybe I was a bit wild, touching the walls a couple of times, but the afternoon seemed a bit better. Still we have some work to do on the car but it’s more fun this year, going faster, the cars are faster, so it’s been a good day.

“It’s always tricky here to judge because you don’t get so many clear laps, with a lot of traffic, but it seemed okay. I think we still do, and have to do, something to the car to be more competitive overall in the race. But I think Kimi and myself we were both quite happy with the long run.”

With regards to qualifying, Vettel said, “I am not counting out Mercedes. They probably had a problem today, but I am sure they will be back to full force on Saturday. It is Thursday so there is plenty of time for them to sort things out.”

“My guess is that it will be very close – and that the five-tenths are not the reality. We have been able to put it together today and I am happy about that. It was a good start into the weekend.”

“Now let’s let that sink in and see that we keep the tension until Sunday,” concluded the four times world champion who won the race in Monte Carlo back in 2011 as a Red Bull driver.

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BUTTON: I HAD A LITTLE GIGGLE TO MYSELF DOWN TO MIRABEAU

Jenson Button five corners of the Monaco Grand Prix circuit on Thursday before he started to chuckle, the 2009 world champion had not driven a Formula One car for seven months and was accelerating around one of the trickiest of tracks in a McLaren that was wider and faster than the one he last raced.

“I had a little giggle to myself as I headed into Mirabeau,” said the Briton after ending the first day of practice around the twisting, metal-fenced harbourside streets with the 12th fastest time.

“It’s a lovely experience for me to drive these cars. Have I missed it? I haven’t missed it, no. But when you jump in the car you definitely enjoy the moments that you have,” he said.

“I definitely stepped away at the right time and I haven’t missed driving a Formula One car. But today I really enjoyed it, more than I have for a couple of years to be fair,” said the 37-year-old.

Former champions McLaren have not won a race since Button’s last victory, in Brazil in 2012, and are the only team yet to score a point this season.

But there are signs that the engine problems that have tormented them, and led to Button’s one-off return when Fernando Alonso decided to race in the Indianapolis 500 this weekend instead of Monaco, are being addressed.

Double world champion Alonso qualified seventh in Spain two weeks ago and the slowest of tracks could be McLaren’s best opportunity yet.

“I think you’ve always got to think points are possible if you can finish the race,” said Button, who confessed to feeling like a rookie at times on Thursday rather than the most experienced driver in the pit lane.

The 2017 cars are several seconds a lap quicker this year, with fatter tyres and revised aerodynamics allowing drivers to take some corners flat out.

“You can brake a lot later. The problem for me is that I don’t have the confidence yet,” said Button, who left the sport at the end of last season after 17 years of grand prix racing.

“I arrive at the corners and I still think of the last seven years. That for me is the biggest difficulty,” he said.

“It’s mad driving around here in these cars. Tabac is unbelievably quick and you are arriving at the second part of the Swimming Pool super fast and it’s very enjoyable. A lot more than the last few years.

“I’m enjoying it very much, probably more than I thought I would actually.”

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MONACO DIARY: EVEN MARCUS ERICSSON IS WORTH WATCHING

Say what you will about the Circuit de Monaco’s dearth of wheel-to-wheel racing, the frantically serpentine on-boards it provides can make even Thursday practice exciting.

With only centimetres the difference between triumph and disaster, there really isn’t another circuit that provides the same top-to-bottom exhilaration – hell, even Marcus Ericsson is worth watching.

As Sebastian Vettel noted in his Wednesday interview, Monaco is a circuit that demands the utmost confidence from a driver, in both themselves and the car.

Perhaps more than in previous years, it seems the whole field had that almost immediately, the new regs providing if not five-second faster lap times (yet), at least the grip for drivers to absolutely chuck their cars into the corners.

That said, it wouldn’t be Monaco if there weren’t a few hairy moments, and today was no different. Ocon, Ericsson, Button, Raikkonen, Perez and Vettel all had their dalliances with the Armco, although it was the one man who won’t earn the fans’ forgiveness who got the worst of the circuit’s unforgiving nature, with Lance Stroll ending his session early after going into the wall at Casino Square. Let’s hope he’s got a shrink on standby.

Moving from the young to the old, all eyes were naturally on the one-off return of 2009 world champion and hair gel enthusiast Jenson Button to the grid, and based on his early running, well… let’s just say it’s a good thing he didn’t have to travel far.

Try as he might, the MCL32 remains less than competitive, even with the lack of emphasis on power around the principality. On the bright side, seven months since he last stepped in a race car (and a very different one at that), Button managed to finish just 0.035 of a second off teammate Stoffel Vandoorne in FP2 – mighty impressive, especially given he hasn’t read the manual.

Also his “pass” on Lewis Hamilton down into the Nouvelle chicane might be the highlight of McLaren’s season. Never change, JB.

Elsewhere the talk of Thursday had to be the performances of Red Bull, both senior and junior. All four cars finished in the top six, with Daniel Ricciardo splitting the Ferraris in the top three, and Daniil Kvyat looking like a first-team driver after holding off both Carlos Sainz and Max Verstappen.

With Mercedes struggling to setup the car, it might be down to the bulls to stop Ferrari from securing their first Monaco pole since 2008 – although with Vettel nearly half a second clear at the top, you wouldn’t bet on it.

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F1 TEAMS TOLD TO REVISE CARS AFTER MONGER F4 CRASH

Formula 1  teams have been told to change the rear jack points on their cars for safety reasons after a recent Formula 4 accident that cost British teenager Billy Monger his legs.

International Automobile Federation (FIA) safety director Laurent Mekies wrote to the teams ahead of Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix seeking modifications to the points at which jacks are engaged to raise the back of cars at pitstops.

“Following several front-to-rear incidents over the past months in various single-seater categories, the FIA would like all F1 teams to ensure that their rear jacking point designs cannot act aggressively during such an incident,” he wrote.

“Considering the strength, shape and position of the jacking points, they may become one of the initial points of contact in a crash with another car and alter the performance of the crash structure of the other car. The use of aggressive designs will not be permitted from the Monaco GP onwards.”

An FIA spokesman confirmed teams had been written to, without the details being issued to media by the governing body, with a technical meeting scheduled for Friday in the Mediterranean principality.

According to reports, some teams had designs that were deemed safe but others made revisions to ensure the jack points were no longer the first point of contact if a car ran into the back of another.

Monger, 17, had his lower legs amputated after his car smashed into the back of another stationary on track at Britain’s Donington Park circuit last month.

Monaco, although the slowest circuit on the track, has several corners that are taken blind with the risk of hitting stationary cars, although the flag marshals are famed for their skill in warning of hazards and clearing debris.

The harbourside street circuit saw fatal accidents in the 1960s and remains one of the trickiest, with cars skimming the metal barriers and speeding from darkness into the sunlight through a tunnel.

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CAREY: I HAVE CAUGHT THE FORMULA 1 BUG

Formula 1’s new supremo Chase Carey has summed up his short tenure in what is becoming a trademark honest and forthright interview, revealing plans for the future to make the sport healthier, encompassing all the interests stakeholders.

Asked by Auto Motor und Sport to sum up his six months at the helm of Formula 1, Carey responded, “Half a year is exaggerated. Let’s say three months. These consisted of listening, watching and learning. I certainly feel more at home than at the time I started. But I am still learning, and that will continue for a while. I discover something new every day and have 30 years to catch up.”

“I can say the Formula 1 bug caught me. It is exciting, interesting, complex. There are so many angles. The drivers, the cars, the teams. One gets infected very quickly. That’s why I think we need to provide a better experience for the fans so they can experience the same as I do. The better they understand the sport, the more they will love it.”

“There is great potential to grow the sport, both the on-track elements and the business side. The positive surprise for me was that all parties show the will to change. I have not experienced any negativity from the teams, the organizers orthe FIA. Everyone sees the opportunity to improve the product.”

“Yes, the sport was a one man show, and I think we all need to be grateful to Bernie Ecclestone for what he has created. But there is also an excellent organization under it that allows us to take the next step. We do not have to reinvent everything, but can rely on very good people.”

With regards to improvements, Carey explained. “Today you have to go directly to the fans. You can no longer expect them to come to you by themselves. The digital platforms open up many avenues for us to do that. They will be an important tool for us, but the first step is better marketing.”

“We must be able to tell stories. We need heroes in the cars. The fans want to follow their idols. If you do not offer them the opportunity to do so, they will lose interest and turn to something else. Formula 1 has interesting stories to tell. We also need to share information and data with the fans.”

“Pirelli recently took us to their garage and explained the tires in all the details. I found this incredibly exciting. We need to find ways to bring this information to the people in an entertaining way. The more you understand these things, the more interested they become. And this applies to all areas of this sport.”

At the same time Carey is adamant that the F1 management ethos has to change, “We need to revise our decision-making processes. No more shooting from the hip. If we introduce something new, or change things, then it should be well thought out. We want to make the sport as exciting as it can be, and I’m sure we can do it. If the races are good, it is much easier to build up all the hype and excitement.”

Asked to compare himself to the dictatorial style of Max Mosley or the laissez-faire approach of Jean Todt, Carey pointed out, “I do not want to compare myself to Max Mosley and Jean Todt, because I do not know them well enough.”

“Bernie was a one man show. I do not intend to continue this one-man show. That is why I sit with Ross Brawn and Sean Bratches together at a table. Both have incredible experience in their field. They build the team of people they need for their work.”

“I want to keep the team small and the decision-making less bureaucratic. I want my people to work independently, take responsibility, have clear goals and take calculated risks, without playing the cowboy shooting in all directions. I expect transparency, so everyone is to be held liable for his own actions,” added Carey.

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How they build and moor Red Bull's Monaco Energy Station

You won't believe the effort that goes into building and mooring Red Bull's Monaco Energy Station!

Here is the Energy station from 2015 just to give you an idea what it's like inside

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Daniel Ricciardo: Red Bull can be 'pretty close' in Monaco

Daniel Ricciardo feels Red Bull can be in the mix for the leading positions at the Monaco Grand Prix after he finished as Sebastian Vettel’s closest challenger during practice on Thursday.

Ricciardo, having posted the fifth best time in the first session, placed second to pace setter Vettel during the afternoon running, winding up 0.487s behind his former team-mate.

The Australian, last year’s pole sitter, reckons Red Bull has the potential to be among the fight towards the front of the pack.

“We are looking pretty good at the moment,” he reflected after Thursday’s pair of sessions.

“We put some good laps together and know where we need to improve so I’m very happy with our position after the first day.

“We have good downforce here, the rear of the car feels like it is working the best it has so far this year.

“If we can get the tyres warmed up I think we can be pretty close on Saturday.

“I don’t think we need to do too much to the car set-up wise at the moment, just a couple of small tweaks overnight perhaps.”

Max Verstappen was sixth quickest and feels his potential was squandered by a red-flag period, caused when Lance Stroll crashed at Massenet.

“It felt quite straightforward today, the balance of the car felt ok and we didn’t do too many big changes so we are pleased with our performance,” he said.

“We still need some small improvements which we will hopefully find overnight and be up there at the front.

“The red flag in the second practice messed up my run a bit so I didn’t get a good chance on the new tyres and to show a true fast lap potential.

“I have learnt from the last few years you do not need to be the quickest on Thursday, it takes a lot of concentration here as one small mistake means you are in the wall and the session is over.”