Formula 1 - 2017

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JOS VERSTAPPEN: I CAN UNDERSTAND WHY MAX IS ANGRY

Max Verstappen left Monaco aggrieved and accusing his team of blundering his strategy, during the Monaco Grand Prix, and costing him a podium finish.

Verstappen said after the race in which he finished fifth, “I am very disappointed, but I cannot do anything more to change the race. That my pit stop came so early was something I really did not expect. I really didn’t get it.”

He added, “That I eventually finished is positive, but I am not happy. Hopefully the next race will be better.”

The young Dutchman’s father Jos Verstappen has come out in defense of his son and told Ziggo Sport, “I can understand why max is angry. The thing that got Max angry the most was the fact that he came back on track behind of Sainz and was not able to control his own pace anymore.”

“After the race Helmut Marko and Christian Horner went to see him and they all had a chat about the whole situation. That is also up to Max, he needs to take care of things like these himself.”

“Max can get over this pretty easily, but wants to get to the bottom of this together with his engineer. He wants to watch the race again and then, when it’s over, talk about it and it will be case closed.”

“It sucks for Max what happened, but it will make him stronger. It didn’t work out for him and that’s just tough luck.”

“I think Max has been very good over the last few races, very strong in qualifying, not a single mistake and also here in Monaco, half a second faster than Ricciardo in quali. He is in good spirits and needs a moment to take this all in, but his time will come,” added Verstappen senior.

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RENAULT KEEN TO SIGN PEREZ AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

Renault are very keen to acquire the services of Sergio Perez according to a report in L’Equipe, the reputable publication claims that talks are in advanced stages between Renault and the Mexican driver to replace under-performing Jolyon Palmer.

Word is that the French team is keen to poach Perez from Force India as soon as possible, even for this season if an agreement can be negotiated with the Silverstone based team.

However it appears that Perez is not too keen to jump ship in the middle of a strong season with Force India. He lies seventh in the point s standings and has a had a good run of results so far this season, although in Monaco he was out of the points for the first time this year.

Perez is also said to be on the Ferrari radar should Kimi Raikkonen not continue with the Maranello outfit beyond 2017.

He has strong links with Ferrari, having been part of their driver academy and has been linked with the Scuderia on a number of occasions in recent years.

Should he decide to accept the Renault offer, it means he will re-unite with Nico Hulkenberg, the pair were teammates at Force India from 2014 to 2016.

Cyril Abiteboul said in an interview, after the Monaco Grand Prix, “We must have results. Nico Hulkenberg shows that the car is good for the top ten, and thus we can score points.”

“Jolyon will also have to contribute. We are extremely supportive of him. But we are in an ultra-competitive environment and everyone is put under the pressure to deliver results.”

“For now, it is up to us to give him the optimal conditions to score. We will give ourselves time to analyze the situation,” added the Renault F1 chief.

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Watch: Alonso’s brilliant Indy 500 speech

Fernando Alonso did the Formula 1 world proud in the United States, but his efforts in the Indy 500 itself were only part of that remarkable story. Fernando was introduced by the host at the Indy 500 Victory Banquet as “the guy no-one had heard of” who came to Indianapolis. While this may be more of an illustration of American insularity than anything else, it does give us an idea of the challenges that face Formula 1 if it wants to build a meaningful audience in the United States. In the F1 world people do not understand that the sport can be so invisible. It does not compute in their brains because F1 is so big elsewhere around the world.

While most of the IndyCar people agreed that it was good for the series to have Alonso up front and competitive, James Hinchcliffe did make one important point: “Obviously, it would be a tremendous amount of coverage for IndyCar and the Indianapolis 500, but if a rookie comes in and wins it on pace, it just makes us look a bit silly. Now, if you’re going to be made to look silly, if it’s going to happen at the hands of Fernando Alonso, you’ll sleep a little bit better at night because he’s pretty much the greatest living racing driver. He’s been incredible. There’s a lot of difficult situations that you get put into during a 500-mile race here or in practice and we’ve watched him handle them like a seasoned veteran. It’s been very impressive, honestly. He’s super down to earth, very friendly and has really embraced this experience.”

For the F1 folk, watching the Indy 500 from the paddock in Monaco on Sunday evening, it was interesting to see the list of drivers who led the race, among them not only Alex Rossi and Max Chilton, but also Alonso and the eventual winner Takumo Sato. They are all names with a history in F1.

Alonso’s speech when accepting the Rookie of the Year Award at the Victory Banquet is worthy of note, as it touches on subjects that can do much to help Formula 1 grow in the United States. F1 has always suffered from what is sometimes known as ‘Not Made Here Syndrome’, discarding ideas that were not thought up by F1 people. We can all learn from the experiences of others and it is arrogant to think that F1 knows all the answers. Alonso said that he has always believed that drivers should prove themselves in different forms of motorsport – and I agree with that. I would love to see F1 drivers doing more forms of motorsport and while I understand that teams want to protect their investments, avoiding unfortunate accidents such as happened to Pascal Wehrlein at the Race of Champions and to Robert Kubica a few years ago, I do still believe that it benefits the sport to have its stars out doing other things, to show the world just how good they are. This has to benefit the sport and highlight its claim that the drivers are the best of the best.

Alonso also said that one of the aims was to link the two worlds of motorsport and he admitted that he had learned so much “and not only about oval racing”. It was a gracious speech, perfect for the occasion. 

 

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Horner ‘worried’ about next three Red Bull races

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has expressed his concern about the next three races, but is hopeful of better results in the second half of the season.

Daniel Ricciardo has claimed back-to-back podiums to help third-placed Red Bull pull clear of Force India in the Constructors' Championship, but there is still a sizeable gap to the leading duo of Ferrari and Mercedes.

"We're understanding the car better, we're developing the car better and we're getting performance from the car," Horner told reporters in Monaco.

"I'm a little worried about two weeks' time and four weeks' time because they're completely different challenges. The next three circuits for us are actually really tough."

"They are going to be our biggest challenges of the calendar perhaps bar Monza," Horner added.

"If we can perform okay at those next three venues, then with what's in the pipeline for further in the season, I think the second half of the season can be stronger than the first half."

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Alonso rules out Red Bull move for 2018

Fernando Alonso has admitted he has no "concrete plan" for 2018 yet but is pretty sure he will not be joining Red Bull during the off-season.

The two-time World Champion is out of contract at the end of the year and the speculation continues as to where he will end up next season.

And while he revealed Mercedes and Renault could be possibilties, a switch to Red Bull is not likely as Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo are both locked in for the team in 2018.

"We'll see. I would be lying if I told you now that I have a concrete plan," Alonso told Planeta Calleja.

"I could go to another team — I don't know whether it is Mercedes or another. If Renault starts to dominate, I don't know. If in June or July a team calls, I think we would have a chance, but it's all to be talked about.

"I think perhaps Red Bull is the only one that has doors a little closed because it already has young drivers with long contracts."

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Giovinazzi secures seven FP1 outings with Haas

Ferrari's third driver Antonio Giovinazzi will join the Haas Formula 1 team at seven grands prix to run in first practice with the VF-17 car.

The Italian made his grand prix racing debut in Australia earlier this season when he replaced the injured Pascal Wehrlein at Sauber, finishing 12th.

He also competed in the second round in China before Wehrlein returned to the cockpit.

Haas announced on Wednesday that Giovinazzi will have seven outing in FP1 with the team, starting with the British Grand Prix in July.

The 23-year-old will also drive in Hungary, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, Brazil and Abu Dhabi.

Giovinazzi will replace Kevin Magnussen in all events except Mexico, where he will drive Romain Grosjean's car.

"In a year that's already been filled with great opportunities, I'm proud to have another one with Haas F1 team," said Giovinazzi.

"Being the third driver with Scuderia Ferrari is obviously a great place to be, and getting seat time in these FP1 sessions with Haas F1 team will keep me sharp. I'll be able to take what I've learned in the simulator and apply it in actual race conditions.

"I'm proud of the faith Ferrari and Haas have in me and gracious for the seat time Kevin and Romain are sharing with me."

Team boss Gunther Steiner added: "Antonio earned a good bit of Formula 1 experience during his two races with Sauber this year and these FP1 sessions with our team will allow him to develop even more.

"He is highly regarded by Ferrari and performed very well last year in Formula 2 [GP2]. It's a good opportunity for him and we're happy to provide it.

"Credit also goes to Kevin and Romain [Grosjean] for graciously sharing their racecars with Antonio."

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INSIDE LINE: WHAT NOW FOR ALONSO?

The one bright spot of his 2017 in the rear-view mirror, it’s back to reality for Fernando Alonso.

Sure, it may have ended as most of his other experiences with Honda engines have, but few would disagree that the Alonso we saw contesting the Indy 500 was a different person to the one previously moping around the F1 paddock.

As he prepares to make his return next week in Montreal, the question now is: which Alonso are we gonna get?

At least from McLaren-Honda’s perspective, the assumption would be that allowing Alonso to chase his Triple Crown ambitions would entitle them to a honeymoon period – as long as the good vibes of Indy persist, surely the Spaniard could deal with a few more disappointing races.

After all, they did him a solid by letting him skip Monaco, so why shouldn’t Alonso be expected to return the favour by staying his tongue in the press and on team radio?

Yet whether Alonso remains compliant for any amount of time remains far from a certainty. The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve will be a particularly bad track to make his F1 return, the multiple straights liable to leave the Honda engine exposed worse than Max Mosley.

Barring a miracle on par with his performance in Barcelona, it will be hard to get through that race without his blood pressure rising.

It’s also interesting that Alonso has come out today and immediately reiterated his “only goal” is a third world title, seemingly puttng the pressure back on McLaren to supply him with a race-winning car.

If McLaren don’t prove themselves capable of progressing towards that goal, will Alonso really be any more content after having had a chance to roam, or his despondency and rumours of a departure only return?

Even if he has no viable F1 options for 2018, his Indy sojourn has shown the value of an Alain Prost-esque sabbatical instead of continuing to dwell in the doldrums. At 35, the Spaniard is no spring chicken, but he’s still a ways away from being “too old” either.

He could certainly afford a year chasing his wider motorsport ambitions, the only risk being of course that McHonda gets its act together – something he’d have to weigh against the potential risk to his own sanity, should they continue to struggle.

As has been the case for much of this decade, there are no easy decisions for Alonso. As he showed on Sunday in Indianapolis, he can win anywhere given the right equipment – a question the next fourteen races are sure to ask of McLaren.

Of course there’s no way to know exactly what is going on in the Spaniard’s head, but who could blame him if his taste of the front-running life makes him hungrier than ever for a better drive – his Indy incursion not the start of something better, but the beginning of the end for his time with McLaren.

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WEHRLEIN FIT TO RACE IN CANADA

After his bizarre crash at the Monaco Grand Prix, Pascal Wehrlein has announced that he is fit for the forthcoming Canadian Grand Prix.

During the race in Monte Carlo, Jenson Button’s McLaren clattered into Wehrlein’s Sauber which caused the car to tip on to its side and end up with the cockpit flush against the barrier.

Wehrlein hopped out quickly, but there were worries that the German may have aggravated his back once again.

In January he injured his back in a spectacular accident during the Race of Champions in Miami. The injury forced him to sit out the first two races of the season.

However, according to a message on his Twitter account he is fit to compete: “Checks all done. See you in Montréal.

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LAWRENCE STROLL: LANCE IS IN FORMULA 1 ON MERIT

Lance Stroll is 18 and he is a Formula 1 driver with one of the greatest teams in the sport, but it is fair to say that the youngster is enduring a tough baptism by fire in his debut season with Williams.

His billionaire father Lawrence Stroll has bankrolled his son’s career from the junior categories and into Formula 1, spending an estimated €40-million (karting, Formula 4, Formula 3 and Williams deal included) to get the teenager onto the Formula 1 grid.

Talk is that there is immense pressure on the rookie as he tries to make his mark at the pinnacle of the sport, suggestions are that much of the pressure comes from within the young man’s inner circle.

Williams technical chief Paddy Lowe revealed recently, “One of the very difficult things for Lance is the enormous pressure placed upon him. He’s a driver with a lot of expectation around him from, not just people close to him, but across the board.”

Thus it was no surprise that the first question asked of Stroll senior, in an interview with Le Journal de Montreal, was: are you putting too much pressure on your son?

To which Lawrence replied, “Come on then! I do not put pressure on Lance’s shoulders. The pressure that Lance has is that which he puts on himself. I am his father. I am only his father. I’m not the one who handles things. There are professionals everywhere who are paid to do it.”

“The team is very satisfied with his behavior and his progress. But I am his father. When he was young and he cried, I opened my arms to comfort him. And when he was joyful and happy, it made me happy. That is what it is to be a father. And I believe that, whatever their means, fathers want to help their children and support them in achieving their dreams.”

There is a school of thought in the paddock suggesting that Stroll was fast tracked into Formula 1 too early in his career, and would have benefited greatly with a year or two in the Formula 2 feeder series that produced the likes of Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg and more recently Stoffel Vandoorne.

Furthermore, many young talented drivers without massive means have been leap-frogged by money loaded Stroll, a fact that has caused resentment in certain quarters.

Stroll senior is acknowledges, “Sure there is an element of jealousy. But I want to say that Lance is in Formula 1 on merit. He won wherever he competed.”

Indeed Lance has an impressive resume in the junior categories he has competed in, having won the Italian Formula 4 Championship in 2014, bagged the 2015 Toyota Racing Series title in New Zealand and is the 2016 FIA European Formula 3 Champion.

But the jump to Formula 1, in a year in which the cars are very complex and more challenging to drive, may have been a step too far and too soon. Perhaps a season of FP1 sessions before a full grand prix campaign may have been a better option for the teenager.

Stroll senior explained, “This is probably the toughest year for a youngster to start Formula 1. Even the teams do not always understand exactly what is going on. In Barcelona, the team was never able to find a good setup for the tyres. You can not ask an 18-year-old to do it alone.”

As for the big bucks that he has at his disposal, Lawrence says, “There is not a young driver on the F1 grid who has not been supported by millions. Take Sergio Perez… how do you think it happened for him?”

“Williams is progressing. We knew it would be a difficult year and they can count on a young driver who is also progressing. We’ll see what happens.”

“We must also look at the facts. The performance of Vandoorne with McLaren is an example who we can compare. There are two points to remember: the first is that Vandoorne is 25 years old, not 18 years old like Lance; the second is that the gap between Vandoorne and Fernando Alonzo is larger than that between Lance and Felipe Massa,” concluded Stroll senior.

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NEWEY: WE’VE DEFINITELY IMPROVED THE CAR

Ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix Adrian Newey was hard at work sorting out tweaks to improve the RB13 to give Red Bull drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen a fighting chance going forward.

In the aftermath of the weekend at the Principality, Newey believes that the car has improved but is cautious as the Formula 1 circus heads to circuits where power is more important than aero efficiency.

Newey said, “I think the car showed reasonably pace, and we’ve just got to keep working at it. Monaco is obviously a fairly unique circuit, but we’ve definitely improved the car. We had a few bits on it this weekend, to compliment what we did in Barcelona. So we’ve just got to keep pushing forwards.”

“Suffice to say we are likely to be less competitive in the next couple of events. They have similar characteristics, although not as extreme as Monza.”

“At the moment we’ve been reasonably clear as third-best team. Obviously we’ve now got to try and move forwards to do more of what we did in Monaco,” added Newey.

Ricciardo finished third, ahead of both Mercedes’ drivers, in Monaco with Verstappen in fifth.

The key to making a significant leap forward, for Red Bull, is the expected Renault updates to the the TAG Heuer power unit, which has lagged in comparison to the pace setting Ferrari and Mercedes power units.

Red Bull were expecting a major update for Canada but Renault have accused the energy drinks outfit of jumping the gun. The French engine builder suggesting that the roll out of updates will be done drip-feed style as opposed to a major upgrade on a given date.

Renault chief Cyril Abiteboul said,  “I can guarantee you is, race-by-race, the engine will improve and overall in the season, if you look at the engine software, hardware and also the fuel and lubricants coming from our petroleum partner, I’m sure there is a very decent step to come.”

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BROWN: ALL OPTIONS ON THE TABLE TO GET MCLAREN BACK IN FRONT

With the hype of their Indy 500 foray dying down, McLaren face the reality of an uncompetitive car in Formula 1 due to and under-performing Honda engine.

Team boss Zak Brown acknowledges the importance of the months ahead, not only for the team but also for their star driver Fernando Alonso who is demanding a race winning car for 2018.

Brown told reporters after the Indianapolis 500, “We’ve got to work through our issues and our issues are substantial in the back of the car.”

“2018 is not far away, so we are going to have to evaluate how we get to the front of the field, and as [McLaren COO] Jonathan Neale my partner in racing has said, all options are on the table and we have to get back to the front. We’re not quite sure how we are going to do that, but we are working on it.”

Alonso was temporarily pacified with the Indy adventure, but his heart is firmly set on a third title in Formula 1 and has made it quite clear that if there are no substantial improvements to his ride by the end of summer he will be looking for an alternative team, who can offer him a winning car.

Brown admitted, “Certainly sitting here right now it looks very difficult imagining us running for the world championship next year. But you can make big progress. We’re trying to figure out how to get ourselves in that position and we’ve got a little bit of time before the summer break.”

“Let’s see how the next few months go. And I don’t know about convincing Fernando, he’s going to convince himself whether he feels it’s an environment he wants to race in. I think we’ll let Fernando and the race team do the talking and see how we are in the second half of the year,” added Brown.

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MERCEDES PROJECT ONE HYPERCAR MORE DETAILS REVEALED

Mercedes Project One, the Formula 1 inspired hypercar built by the German car giant, featuring aa 1,000bhp powertrain has been revealed.

Mercedes-AMG Project One powertrain has been revealed ahead of its unveiling at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. It is a massive powertrain which will have a bhp output the exceeds 1,000bhp.

The complex system is inspired Mercedes Formula 1 cars and has additional electric motors mounted to the front wheels.

One 80kW motor to keep the turbo spooled at all times, a 120kW motor attached to the crankshaft and two 120kW motors mounted to the front axle. This system allows fully-electric front-wheel driving for 24km.

From the 1.6-litre turbocharged V6 engine drivers will attain 11,000 RPM, which is just a 2,500 down on F1 engines.

The drivetrain weighs 420kg and is bolted on to an eight-speed single-clutch transmissions and carbon ceramic brakes. Mercedes claim the powertrain also has a thermal efficiency of 40 per cent.

It is based on the same engine that powered Lewis Hamilton to the 2015 World Driver’s Championship. To buy one of these car, it would cost you north of €2.5 million and the car is scheduled to go on sale in 2019.

In the end, the Project One will be a slightly de-tuned road-legal Formula One car.

Ola Källenius, Mercedes sales and marketing boss told Auto Express: “We have started development on this car and what is going to be absolutely unique about it, which nobody has ever done and very are capable of doing, we are going to take the F1 powertrain and put it in a road car.”

“As we said in the past, as soon as AMG steps into a new segment we have a very clear expectation. Our target is to have the most efficient, not necessarily the most powerful, hypercar on the market with outstanding driving capability,” he added.

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No Sebastian Vettel DNF this season means title is over for Mercedes - Niki Lauda

If Sebastian Vettel enjoys bullet-proof reliability this season, then the title is all but over for Mercedes, according to the team's non-executive chairman and three-time champion Niki Lauda.

Ferrari's Vettel has yet to finish lower than second, having won three races this season so far, giving him a 25-point advantage – equal to a race win – after just six races.

Meanwhile his nearest rival Lewis Hamilton struggled last time out in Monaco, finishing just seventh, whilst he also finished off the podium in Russia.

Although Hamilton hasn't suffered any failures – unlike team-mate Valtteri Bottas who had an engine failure in Spain – Mercedes has struggled to get its tyres working, which hasn't been an issue for Ferrari.

"We need to find a solution for the tyre window," Lauda told Kronen Zeitung, before adding that Mercedes need Vettel to hit problems, otherwise the title fight is effectively over.

"One thing is clear: Vettel needs a failure at least once [this season], otherwise it's over [for Mercedes]," he said.

"The red cars have real momentum going – if this continues, the gap will become enormous – it's alarming."

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Bottas: Red Bull's strong showing a one-off for now

Valtteri Bottas does not expect Red Bull to remain a part of the fight at the front of the Formula 1 field in the near future, despite its strong showing in the Monaco Grand Prix.

A good strategy call with Daniel Ricciardo allowed Red Bull to exploit the overcut in Monte Carlo to leapfrog Bottas during the pit stop phase – knocking Mercedes off the podium for the first time this year.

But despite recent updates having helped Red Bull move forward with its car, Bottas suspects that its strength in Monaco was more down to the track characteristics – and with power tracks coming up, it may be a while before Red Bull returns to form.

"I reckon for now it's just Monaco because it's such a unique track," said the Finn about whether he felt Red Bull was again a permanent threat.

"It's all about downforce and mechanical grip, and having a good car over the bumps and change of direction. Canada is very different, it's full of medium-speed corners and chicanes.

"I think they are going to be [competitive] sooner or later. They are a strong team and they can make very quick cars, so we should not underestimate them. But I reckon Canada will be a bit more tricky for them."

Bottas said his hopes of holding on to the podium spot in Monaco were dashed by problems looking after tyres and managing brake temperatures,

"For sure it's disappointing because third was possible but we definitely were more unlucky as well compared to Red Bull and Ricciardo," he said.

"While I was stuck behind Sainz, with overheating brakes, Daniel was setting good lap times. The pace of the Red Bulls was quite strong as well, they were going to challenge us.

"They saw the opportunity and they took it so for us it's disappointing to lose a few points like that. For sure we are not happy with the amount of points we are leaving Monaco [with]."

However, Bottas knows that the weekend picture could have been completely different if he had found just a little bit more speed in qualifying – where he ended up just 0.045 seconds off pole position.

"I think it was one of the best qualy laps I've ever done, at least it was the best lap over here and it felt very good," said the Finn. "It could've been a completely different Sunday with five hundredths better but that's gone and 'if' you can always say."

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Tech analysis: Sauber's aggressive update push on display in Monaco

Sauber was the team with the most updates available to it for the Monaco GP but it is understood that most of these were originally scheduled for the Spanish GP.

However, the trackside engineering team decided that its time would be better spent focused on honing the package that the team had already been using, albeit with a few of the revisions mounted on the C36 for circuit-specific reasons.

The updates carried over from their introduction in Spain include, but are not limited to, a revised front wing, front brake duct complete with vertical winglet on top of the inlet, two-piece turning vanes, cooling outlets on top of the sidepods and a new rear wing.

Turning vanes

The introduction of new turning vanes for Spain would ordinarily see them utilised for at least a few GPs but the team arrived in Monaco with yet another subtle change, splitting the two elements at the footplate.

Three piece deflectors, floor slots and detached scrolls

The area ahead and around the sidepods is one of intense development this season as the team looks to capitalise on the new freedom issued to them under the new regulations.

The update introduced by Sauber in Monaco really takes cues from solutions we've seen used elsewhere, while tying in with what the team has already favoured.

The most prominent update to this area of the car comes in the form of a revised set of deflectors, with the single airflow conditioner replaced by three deflectors (red arrows) in a similar vein to those utilised by Mercedes since the W08 was unveiled.

You'll also note that, like for Mercedes, this update means that the most rearward deflector is no longer mounted to the floor, freeing up the area for several of the surrounding elements to be revised too.

The floor's axehead that connects with the trailing section of the bargeboard has been increased in length (green arrow), while the small floor scroll on the floors edge (white arrow) now features two mini-winglets rather than one.

This is joined by another mini-winglet further down the floor's edge (purple arrow), with the floor's upturned edge revised to suit.

The team has also introduced a floor slot, much like we've seen adopted by the likes of Toro Rosso, Mercedes, Haas and McLaren, although unlike those teams and in keeping with what we've seen from Ferrari it has an almost imperceptible slot further down the floor (yellow arrow).

The designers have also revised the area ahead of the rear tyre, adding another, longer slot just ahead of the tyre (red arrow) and, taking a leaf out of McLaren's book, they've placed a scroll on the trailing edge of the floor.

All of this is used to better help manage the effects of tyre squirt - airflow blown into the diffuser's path by the deformation of the tyre that is destructive to the generation of downforce.

Lower T-wing and diffuser

Sauber ran a new 'coat-hanger' style T-wing in Spain, which it retained for Monaco, but also decided to run another lower down, just above the cooling outlet given that the drag penalty isn't as high around the street circuit.

You'll note that the team had applied flo-viz when this image was captured as the outer part of the diffuser has been modified and now features a winglet stack similar to the one that Ferrari has been using for a number of years.

The stack helps to build a pressure gradient that not only improves the operation of the diffuser but aids in the displacement of the wake generated by the rear tyre.

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Sainz can do "no more" to show Red Bull his worth

Carlos Sainz believes he can do "no more" to show Red Bull that he is ready for a promotion to the senior Formula 1 team from sister squad Toro Rosso.

The Spaniard was impressive throughout the Monaco Grand Prix weekend, absorbing intense pressure from Lewis Hamilton to finish sixth.

Sainz's chances of promotion to the senior team, having raced for Toro Rosso since the start of 2015, are hampered by the fact Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo's Red Bull contracts run up until 2018.

Despite that, Sainz said: "I will keep doing what I'm doing and we'll see what happens. I need to keep performing for myself and to show Red Bull and everyone there that I am a fast guy and that one day they can count on me.

"Hopefully it will be sooner rather than later."

He has scored points five times out of six this season to give him a tally of 25, compared to his teammate Daniil Kvyat's four.

When asked what more he can do, Sainz said: "No more. I don't think more than P6 or P7 is realistic with three top teams being a second quicker than us on a track like Monaco and two seconds in other tracks.

"At the moment our win is to finish the races P7, in Monaco we finished P6 as we beat a Mercedes, so we're happy."

Sainz said Monaco was the "perfect weekend" as he managed to get the maximum out of the car.

"It was the race we needed," he said. "It's not like every year you do the perfect weekend in the best race of the season - Monaco.

"I've been happy since FP1, building it little by little, picking up in qualifying and doing a very good lap, then in the race there were no mistakes and I was clearly ahead of the midfield, controlling the gap to Hamilton.

"Managing our pace this weekend has been really good. Monaco is one of those circuits where you really want to shine a bit more. We have done that this weekend."

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WILLIAMS MARK 40 YEARS OF F1 IN STYLE

Williams team celebrated 40 years in Formula 1 on Friday with a cast of champions and tens of thousands of fans watching cars from the British team’s glory years lapping a damp Silverstone circuit.

Nico Rosberg, who drove for Williams between 2006-09 but won his 2016 title with Mercedes, joined champion father Keke on a day of memories for a team who once dominated the sport but have had a leaner time of late.

“Frank (Williams) gave me the big breakthrough by taking me into Formula One. It was a great time and I like to come back here and be thankful to the team,” said the German, who retired at the end of last year. They are the last family-run team and it’s a very special connection,” said 1982 champion Keke.

Indian Karun Chandhok took Nigel Mansell’s title-winning FW14B car out on track for the first time since the 1992 season with the Briton on hand to reminisce.

“I think the most amazing thing is the noise,” said Mansell. “The V10, when that fires up properly, oh my goodness. The hairs stand on end. And it reminds us why our hearing is perhaps a little bit impaired.”

Some 50 000 fans registered for free tickets, with organisers estimating 30,000 to 40,000 turning up.

Williams have not won a race since Pastor Maldonado triumphed in 2012, with the Venezuelan present to catch up with old friends, but their track record is up there with Ferrari and McLaren and still miles ahead of Mercedes.

Only Ferrari have won more than Williams’s nine constructors’ championships, between 1980 and 1997. They also have seven drivers’ titles and 114 race wins.

Frank Williams and co-founder Patrick Head founded Williams Grand Prix engineering in 1977 and ran a March chassis in that season.

Williams, now 75 and only recently out of hospital where he was being treated for pneumonia, made a rare public appearance while Head flew in from Sicily.

“People describe it as the English version of Ferrari but I think it’s better than that,” said performance engineering head Rob Smedley, who previously worked for the Italian team with Brazilian Felipe Massa. “I think the British fans are just much more passionate and much more loyal.”

Formula 1 bosses Sean Bratches and Ross Brawn also attended.

“This is representative of what we should be doing collectively as a sport,” Bratches told Reuters. “The responsibility doesn’t just fall to Formula One, it falls to the teams, to all the participants.”

 

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ANDRETTI: ALONSO WASTING TIME IN THE BEST PHASE OF HIS CAREER

Mario Andretti believes that Fernando Alonso is in the best phase of his racing career, but at the same time the racing legend believes that the Spaniard is wasting his time with an uncompetitive car in Formula 1.

Speaking to Marca, in the aftermath of Alonso’ high-profile Indy 500 adventure, Andretti said, “The only thing that keeps a race driver happy is to be competitive, anything else is total frustration.”

“He is wasting his time in the best phase of his career. McLaren obviously feels the same pain because it’s a team that only knows how to be at the front, but they are paying the price with him.”

Andretti, who won 12 grand prix races and the 1978 Formula 1 World Championship, is positive that things will change for Alonso and McLaren, “It can only get better for him in F1. It looks like they have a [competitive] chassis and the situation with the engine will improve. I’m sure he is going to be in the points before the season ends.”

Alonso drove at the Indianapolis 500 for Andretti Autosport with backing from McLaren and engines supplied by Honda. He ran strongly throughout the month of May, at the Brickyard, but was denied victory in the race – despite leading 27 laps – with an all too familiar engine failure cutting his race short with the finish in sight and running comfortably among the leaders.

But he was awarded Rookie of the Year for his efforts, and Andretti admitted, “I was very impressed and not at all surprised because he showed his quality from the beginning of practice. He was at the maximum at all times.”

“In the race I thought that many there would be many new challenges for him and there were but the truth is he handled them well at all times. I’m sorry that the engine let him down because it would have been a very interesting finish to the race.”

“I guarantee that his value has gone up, I have no doubts. He received the respect he deserves. He did everything he needed to do, so you cannot beat that. There were no losers here, except for that engine!” added Andretti.

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PIRELLI: THE TIRES ARE EQUAL FOR ALL

Amid mutterings in the Monaco paddock that Pirelli tyres are more suited to Ferrari than their main rivals Mercedes and Red Bull, Pirelli chief Marco Tronchetti Provera insists that his company are producing tyres without preference.

Provera told Italian reporters, “The tires are equal for all.”

At the same time he pointed out, “There was very serious work carried out by [Sebastian] Vettel and Ferrari over the winter. Vettel was always ready, with humility, to test when others were not available and the results are the fruit of much dedicated work by a team that has done everything to win.”

The Pirelli CEO was referring to testing done last year, in which Ferrari, Red Bull and Mercedes were tasked to develop the tyres for this season during a series of tests.

Provera added, “Perhaps Mercedes have enjoyed many successes and now is on an uphill road, but they will get there too. Ferrari have worked hard as a team and achieved what no one expected, you have to give credit where credit is due. We should be pleased with the work of the Italian team. Well done everyone.”

“We have developed what was asked for by drivers and teams with tyres that are three to four seconds per lap faster, which is enormous. Drivers are having fun and this is fundamental for the success of the show.”

“Vettel is an example that serious work gets the results,” he explained.

With regards to Formula 1 under new ownership of Liberty Media, Provera said, “If Formula 1 continues as it has in the wake [Bernie] Ecclestone, we will be there. We see are inspired by the desire to make this show something appealing to young people to races.”

Pirelli have been exclusive tyre suppliers to Formula 1 since 2011. Their first involvement in the sport came about in 1950 when modern Formula 1 began, supplying tyres to World Champions from 1950 to 1954 and again in 1957, competing with the likes of Firestone, Dunlop, Englebert and Avon during that period.

The company was also involved in supplying tyres for teams in the eighties and early nineties.

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Honda not giving up on major Canada power unit upgrade

Honda haven't given up on introducing a major power unit upgrade at the Canadian Grand Prix next weekend, but admit it will be tight to deliver it on time.

The Japanese manufacturer, supplier to McLaren, hopes to introduce a major upgrade for the Montreal race, but F1 chief Yusuke Hasegawa has admitted it could be delayed, although he insists he isn't giving up on their original schedule.

"I don't give up and we are trying very hard [to be ready] but until Thursday, I can't decide," Hasegawa is quoted by Autosport.

McLaren have yet to score a single point this season and is the only team yet to do so, with racing director Eric Boullier admitting that is purely down to a lack of engine performance, and is therefore pushing for Honda's upgrade to be ready.

However Hasegawa says it will only be introduced if they can prove it will deliver a big step forward.

"We have [already seen] some performance [from the upgrade], but if it is very small, it's not worth changing engine for the next one.

"We haven't started working on the settings. If we are not confident enough to set up that specification, it will cause some driveability issues, so the settings are also important."

It's believed the upgrade is centered around the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) which is where Honda lacks in performance compared to its rivals.

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Rahal, Hinchcliffe scoff at Lewis Hamilton's jabs at IndyCar

Both Detroit winner Graham Rahal and third-place finisher James Hinchcliffe have scoffed at Lewis Hamilton’s pre-Indy 500 quotes which have been perceived as denigrating the depth of driver quality in the IndyCar field.

The prestigious L’Equipe magazine in France last week quoted Hamilton as saying of Fernando Alonso’s IndyCar debut in the 101st Indianapolis 500, “I looked at the times and, frankly, for his first ever qualifying, for Fernando to be fifth – what does that say about Indy?

"A great driver, if he cannot win in Formula 1, will look for other races to win. But to see him fifth against drivers who are [in the series] all year is… interesting."

Rahal, who became the seventh winner in the seven IndyCar races of 2017, today stated: “When I saw Lewis Hamilton's comment… it took me everything I had in my body not to say something. Legitimately, in Formula 1, over his entire career, it's been a two-car race, four max.

“Here you have, like, Hinch who spins on Lap 1 [today]. You're going, ‘He's done.’ No, he had the pace, he had a great strategy, he made some moves. I think he went for a three-stopper, ran blacks, ran hard, had the speed to get through. Next thing you know he's in third."

Rahal said the sheer competitiveness of the Verizon IndyCar Series validated its importance within the racing world.

“IndyCar racing, this is the seventh race, seventh different winner,” he said. “That doesn't happen in other motorsports, period.

“So no matter what anybody wants to say, it's a great form of motorsports – I think Esteban [Gutierrez, three-year F1 racer who made his IndyCar debut this weekend] will tell you. I just talked to him briefly, he said this is the most fun car he's ever driven in his life. It's man and machine. It's as simple as that. It's a lot of fun.

“When you win here, a day like today, you truly feel like you really accomplished something great. As a driver, as a team, as an engineer, all across the board. So today is extremely, extremely rewarding.”

Rahal, who led 55 of the race’s 70 laps, mocked the lack of competition for the front-running drivers in Formula 1 and also stated his belief that four-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon would be a frontrunner in F1.

“I can't imagine the feeling of going to each and every race weekend and knowing that all I got to do is beat my teammate and I'm going to win,” said Rahal. “That doesn't happen here.

“And, look, truth. I put Scott Dixon in a Mercedes [F1 car] all day long, and Lewis is going to have more than he really wants to deal with. I can guarantee you that. Maybe not me, but Scott Dixon.”

Hinchcliffe, was similarly dismissive of Hamilton’s comments, noting: “It's funny hearing criticism about the depth of our field from someone who has to race three other cars, when we have seven winners in the first seven races. It shows how competitive this series is, the parity between the manufacturers, between teams, just how difficult it is to win one of these races.”

The Schmidt Peterson Motorsports driver also said he believed that the team element is emphasized in IndyCar and that there is a need for perfection throughout the race to succeed.

“You really have to have everything go your way,” he observed. “Pit stops have to be perfect, [yellow] flags have to fall in your favor, and – oh yeah – you have to be pretty good behind the wheel of a good car.

“For me, I think it's the greatest racing on four wheels on the planet. We're all very privileged to be able to race in such a deep field. Such a high class of driver here.”

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Monaco "not so bad" for Force India despite non-score

Force India deputy team principal Bob Fernley says last weekend's Monaco Grand Prix was "not so bad" for the team, as its midfield rivals failed to take advantage of its failure to score.

Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon both finished in the top 10 in the first five races of 2017, putting Force India in a firm fourth place in the constructors' standings.

However, having run seventh early on in Monaco, Perez finished 13th after two pitstops for new noses following contact with Carlos Sainz and later Daniil Kvyat, while Esteban Ocon made an extra stop with a rear puncture, and could not better 12th.

It marked Force India's first non-score since last year's Austrian Grand Prix, although Perez did set the fastest lap on new tyres three laps from the end.

“What’s happened has happened,” Fernley told Motorsport.com. “It has to come to an end at some point, and if you’re going to have a bad day, hopefully we’ve had it all in one go!

“It wasn’t so bad for us. We lost a few points to Toro Rosso, but we’re still well clear [in fourth place], and the rest of them were taking points off each other.

"We’ve got two races that should be strong for Williams and ourselves – particularly Montreal for Williams, while Baku will be good for us – then we’ll have a look at it once we’ve done those two. But we can’t afford to be complacent.”

  

Perez anger not an issue

Perez raised a few eyebrows during the race when he reacted angrily on the radio after being told to back off to cool down the engine while fighting for position.

But Fernley insisted that the team was not worried by the Mexican’s outburst.

“The difficulty you have is that on the one hand you’re trying to manage engines, but on the other you’re trying to make sure that the expectations of the driver to race are there," he said.

"If you get too close to somebody, the engine overheats, and you can’t get close and overtake them and prevent them from overheating!

"I don’t blame him at all, I think our pitwall handled it very well. He was racing.”

 

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Analysis: Bottas' Mercedes start stronger than points suggest

He might be trailing teammate Lewis Hamilton in the points, but the numbers show Valtteri Bottas has been a standout performer in F1 since his switch to Mercedes.

Even before the season started, Bottas knew he was under pressure to prove he deserved to be chosen by Mercedes to replace Formula 1 world champion Nico Rosberg.

So far, aside from an “amateur” spin in China and admitting he “could have done a better job” of avoiding a first-corner crash in Spain, Bottas has been solid – but he trails teammate Lewis Hamilton by 29 points in the standings.

However, at least 15 of those were lost when his engine expired while running third in the Spanish Grand Prix, and he managed to take his maiden F1 win in just his fourth start for Mercedes in Russia.

And statistics suggest Bottas's start to life at Mercedes, which he signed with on a one-year deal, has been more than meets the eye.

In the races both Hamilton and Bottas have finished, the former edged his teammate 3-2, while in qualifying they are locked at 3-3.

And when you take a driver’s fastest lap from any session over the weekend for each of the first six races, converted to a percentage, with 100% representing the outright fastest, it is Bottas who leads the entire field so far this year.

When Mercedes struggled to get the Pirelli tyres, particularly the ultrasoft, into the right operating window in Monaco, it was Bottas rather than Hamilton who made the best of it.

The Finn was just 0.045s off pole and finished fourth, while Hamilton had to recover from qualifying 14th to salvage seventh in the race.

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said: “Considering the fact we didn’t make the tyres work, it was an exceptional weekend [for Bottas].

“We analysed it over and over again and I think he outperformed the pace of the car this weekend, so all credit goes to him.

“When you have the slower car, you’re on the backfoot, and he did a super job in securing those points for P4. Under pressure he performs well - he showed with Sebastian in Sochi.

“He’s stepping up his game, with a great attitude. He keeps his cool and he’s a real pleasure to work with.”

Bottas appears to be growing in confidence, too, and is hopeful that he will continue to improve in the remaining 14 races.

“What gives me confidence is that there’s still 75% of the season left,” he said.

“That’s a lot of racing, a lot of possibilities for a lot of points and I know I’m only going to get better and will still improve.

“Definitely the points gap is bigger than I was hoping for but it’s only the beginning - things can change quickly.

“I feel my best races are ahead of me this year, I feel I have done a good job in some races but I feel there is more to come in getting into a consistent good level."

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Wolff backs push for louder F1 engines

Making Formula 1 engines sound better must play an "essential" part in discussions to frame new power unit regulations from 2021, says Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff.

The FIA has already opened talks with car makers about plans for new engine rules after 2020, with the sport committed to running the current turbo hybrid V6s until then.

One of the biggest complaints from fans about the new engines that were introduced in 2014 is that they are not loud enough, and it's an issue that has even prompted support for a return to V8s in the future.

For Wolff, a move to old engine technology in the future is not something he is keen to see, but he does acknowledge that making F1 cars sound louder is something that that the sport should try to make happen.

"Why do people say 'rev the engine and go, go go'?" said Wolff. "With everything going hybrid on the road, going efficient, and going autonomous, watching racing cars is still an audio-visual exercise.

"You can see the cars going fast, but the sound is very important. It gives us the perception of power and speed.

"I think maybe with the current generation of engines we have forgotten to take care about this point.

"Having said that, I don't think it is completely bad. But with 2020, when we do the new engines, quality of sound should be an essential part. It is very important."

  

Independent supplier

Wolff thinks that F1's engine situation is in quite good health, with four manufacturers currently involved in supplying the grid.

However, he acknowledges that it would be positive if an independent supplier could be found to come into F1, although that will need an early commitment to frame the rules for 2021.

"We are having a situation in F1 of having four major car constructors that are supplying engines," said Wolff.

"You can choose from the best sportscar producer in the world, Ferrari; the best global road brands, Honda, Renault, and probably the number one premium brand Mercedes – of course!

"That is a situation that didn't exist in many eras of F1, that we have four possible suppliers, so if we can find a formula that allows an independent engine supplier to enter F1 after 2020 that is good.

"Will an independent engine supplier ever be competitive against OEM structures that have invested billions over the years to be where they are? I am not sure.

"But I think if we create a new formula early enough, it will allow independent engine suppliers to look at the concept, and if they find sponsors or investors then this can be a formula that works.

"I am 110 percent convinced that F1 needs to be a technology formula – that bolting in an eight -cylinder naturally aspirated engine is not the way we should go because F1 would lose its DNA. It needs to be the most powerful, the fastest possible engine and where the best technology goes."

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Mallya “disappointed” with Haas views on F1 income

Force India boss Vijay Mallya is “disappointed” that fellow F1 team owner Gene Haas has expressed his support for the current pattern of income distribution in the sport.

Along with Haas, Force India is one of the few teams that has no special deal on top of the regular performance-based prize fund, and Mallya has long been campaigning for a fairer split of income.

F1 CEO Chase Carey has also made it clear that the new owners want the system to change, in part to help to close up the grid.

However, in Monaco, Haas raised a few eyebrows when he indicated that the top F1 teams should retain a significant advantage in income redistribution - and even claimed that the sport should avoid moving to a “socialistic-type structure.”

Mallya believes that such talk – which some sceptical observers have suggested may have been encouraged by Haas’s close relationship with Ferrari – will not help the push for change.

“I find it actually disappointing that such a new entrant in F1, who has no previous experience of owning an F1 team, makes such a profound statement,” he told Motorsport.com.

“Anybody looking at the income distribution pattern of F1 will immediately, without even being prompted, realise how lopsided it all is.

"Clearly the DNA of F1 must include independent teams, not just manufacturer teams. And independent teams need to be able to be financially viable and able to compete.

“So I was particularly happy when Liberty Media and Chase Carey effectively said that what Force India has been pleading for a while now, that the income distribution needs to be revisited, and adjusted to be fair to the smaller teams as well.

"For Haas to make such a profound statement, I obviously found that to be disappointing.”

  

Mallya is hopeful that changes can be introduced even before the current Concorde Agreement expires.

“I see no reason why it won’t happen before 2020. I’ve read that Chase doesn’t like the so-called Concorde Agreement, which in his view should never have existed.

"I think he’s made it clear that the independent arrangements that various teams made with Bernie were not good for the sport, and actually prevented a level and competitive field.

“I was encouraged to hear FOM, for the very first time, speak my language. This is not something that we’ve just been saying now, we’ve been saying it for years.

"I was very pleased to hear Chase support our view, and equally disappointed to see that one of the participating teams held an almost opposite view.

"It’s pretty obvious from the Haas car that they are more than just associated with Ferrari.”

Level financial playing field "can only be good for F1"

Mallya is pleased that Carey and Ross Brawn want to adjust the rules to ensure that in the future the grid is closer together, and that current midfield teams have a shot at winning races.

“It was music to my ears when Chase basically said that money cannot buy performance, and that everybody should have a level playing field. Unfortunately it now it shows very clearly that competitiveness at the front end of the grid really is about how much you spend.

"They need to even that out – they have publicly said it, that money shouldn’t be able to buy performance, or affect the competitive advantage of any team on the grid.

“That’s obviously something I haven’t heard for a long time, and I’m delighted to hear it now. It’s all a question of how quickly they get the act together.

"In addition to all this, we’ve spoken at length about resource restriction or a spending cap. We’ve been speaking about this for years. Now Liberty seems to be talking the same language, which is great.

“It can only be good for F1, it can only be good for teams like Force India. If we have a resource cap on one side where teams are prevented from spending unlimited amounts of money, and we have better income distribution on the other side - not only by balancing the mathematical calculation itself, or the income distribution policy, but more income through increased revenues - all this is fantastic. I’ve waited 10 years for it.”

Mallya is also encouraged by the fact that Ferrari and Red Bull have – for the first time – indicated that they would prefer to spend less, especially on R&D, in the future.

“I think that a whole bunch of factors have come together to cause this change in thinking. Ferrari is a listed company, and if they spend less, they make more, and that has an impact on their market capitalisation.

"I’ve often wondered why people would not support a cost cap in the past, but now it’s becoming clearer that there’s a shift in mindset.”