Formula 1 - 2017

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RENAULT PREVIEW THE JAPANESE GRAND PRIX

Renault team and drivers preview the Japanese Grand Prix, Round 16 of the 2017 Formula 1 World Championship, at Suzuka.

Foreword from Renault Sport Racing Managing Director, Cyril Abiteboul: “Suzuka is one of the most iconic and unique circuits in Formula 1, and we love racing there. Japan is the final race of the East Asian triple-header before the last stretch.”

“On a brief reflection of Malaysia, it is safe to say we leave there feeling disappointed. It was a very tough weekend and we couldn’t quite make the car work as we have in previous races.”

“The first lap put us on the back foot and both cars failed to work their way up into the points. We tried an aggressive strategy with Nico, but that gamble didn’t pay off. Jolyon had a couple of spins late on and lost some positions.”

“It’s one of those weekends we are keen to brush aside. We are fortunate that the Japanese Grand Prix comes soon after so we can make a swift return to where we are.”

“On a brighter note, it was great to see our partner team Red Bull Racing taking victory with the Renault power unit.”

“Suzuka is a favourite for the drivers due to the unique challenge it offers and its fast bends. It’s a well-balanced track, not too power sensitive, so we think we can be competitive there. Back-to-back races are always challenging, but it means we head to Japan determined to return to the points.”

“We will have some aero upgrades in Suzuka which we hope will bring performance and so points. They are essential if we are to reach our end of season objective of fifth in the Constructors’ Championship.”

Tooth and nail: Suzuka throws up a special challenge for both car and driver as Technical Director Bob Bell explains.

What’s the outlook heading to Suzuka?
BB: It’s a challenging track and a Grand Prix which always produces exciting racing. The circuit is a mix of low and high-speed corners and frequent changes of direction such as the S bends. It should suit the R.S.17; speed-wise it’s a bit like Spa and Silverstone where we went well. We head to Japan feeling hungry and positive. We want to get over the disappointment of Sepang as rapidly as possible.

Any caveats to the positive outlook?
BB: Japan is a venue where you never quite know what you’re likely to get with the weather. We have seen numerous wet races in Suzuka across the years and even some more extreme weather too. However, if we look at our recent wet weather performance, we can see that we struggled a bit in Monza on the Intermediates, but we weren’t bad in the Wets in Singapore. We’re making progress and learning how to handle different conditions.
In summation, we don’t go to Japan with many major concerns. We need to keep working on our reliability as we have the pace in the car to meet our objectives, it’s more a case of getting the car across the line with both drivers.

What went wrong in Sepang?
BB: It came as a wake-up call. We realised on Friday the car wasn’t on the pace as both drivers weren’t happy with the balance. We were encouraged that we made some changes before qualifying and it was there or thereabouts. But lots of things went wrong in the race, most notably at the start and thereon it was difficult to close the gap back. It’s complex to analyse but, with decent starts and in maximising opportunities points would always have been possible. We will use lessons learnt to do better in Suzuka.

Drift King: A bitterly frustrating outing in Sepang means Nico Hülkenberg is determined to return to the top ten around the legendary Suzuka circuit.

What are your thoughts on the Japanese Grand Prix?
NH: Japan is very special. The fans are amazing; they are among the most enthusiastic out of all the places we visit. They are super supportive; day, night, whatever the weather. It’s certainly one of the race weekends I look forward to. I have a fairly decent and consistent record around Suzuka, so I’m looking forward to getting out there and hopefully continuing the run.

Is Suzuka one of your favourite circuits?
NH: I love coming to Japan as Suzuka is one of the best tracks to drive on the calendar. It has a good flow, it’s very quick but a nice feeling. You can be quite aggressive in places. It’s quite up and down, which you don’t really see on TV. 130R is flat out, a big corner and a lot of fun. This year’s cars will be a cool sight to see there! It’s a great pleasure to nail these corners.

What are your feelings after Malaysia?
NH: It was a difficult weekend for us and we struggled throughout the three days. We didn’t really find the balance or grip. Qualifying was good and we squeezed some performance out. The first lap of the race wasn’t great and put us on the backfoot and we couldn’t recover. It was a frustrating weekend, but we’ll analyse and regroup and push again in Japan.

Teriyaki Boyz: Jolyon Palmer is keen to take a second points finish of the season in Japan as the Formula 1 season heads into the final straight.

How is Suzuka to drive?
JP: It’s an old-school circuit, highly unique especially the first sector which is fast and flowing with quick changes of direction. The middle sector is cool with the two Degners, which are quick and crucial to get right. 130R is mega and the chicane features a good overtaking spot. It’s three challenging, but enjoyable, sectors and I went fairly well there last year, so looking forward to it.

What’s the atmosphere in Japan like?
JP: The fans embrace Formula 1 like no other country and Suzuka is always packed out when F1 is in town. The fans are so passionate which makes it a special weekend. There’s crazy merchandise and crazy hats there and everyone really shows their support. That’s what we love to see! The history of Formula 1 and Japan is well-known. As for other aspects, I’m quite partial to sushi and teriyaki so I’ll be eating well when I’m there.

How do you reflect on Malaysia?
JP: Malaysia was a frustrating weekend, but in Japan we should be stronger. We can take some positives from Sepang. Back-to-back races are good, especially after a disappointing weekend, as it means we can put it behind and aim to do a better job in Japan.

Power Unit Notes:

• Suzuka is one of the toughest circuits of the year for the ICE. The sustained bursts of throttle test the internals’ strength, while the heavy braking events challenge reactivity and reliability.
• Over 65% of the lap is taken at full throttle, but the majority of this comes in the second half of the track from the exit of the Spoon corner (Turn 14) to the chicane on the entry of the pit straight. This includes a pass through the 130R, which is taken at over 300kph despite being a flowing left hand bend.
• With a top speed peaking at almost 330kph, Suzuka gives rise to one of the highest speed seen in the second part of the year. Inside the ICE the pistons will turn at an incredible 200 times per second, generating enormous internal forces.
• The second slowest corner is the chicane, which is taken at approximately 80kph. This is the best chance to recover energy through the MGU-K as the cars approach at well over 310kph. Braking down to under 100kph generates huge amounts of heat and energy in
  the brakes. At this point there is even excess energy that engineers are not allowed to recover as a result of the regulations.

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Japanese Grand Prix preview - Scuderia Ferrari 2017

 

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JAPANESE GRAND PRIX TECHNICAL PREVIEW

Suzuka – venue of the Japanese Grand Prix – is one of, if not the most challenging track on the Formula One calendar, containing high-speed sections with multiple changes of direction, taking place on narrow stretches of tarmac.

The emphasis is on medium and high speed corners, but the low speed ones are also important to laptime, as well as overtaking opportunities.

Downforce vs Drag

As at the majority of tracks, there is a trade-off between downforce and drag, but Suzuka is one of the trickier races on the calendar in this regard.

Speed on the straights is of reasonable importance to laptime, but the first half of the lap lends itself to maximum downforce such is the cornering speed dependency here.

Ultimately, a medium-high load set-up will likely be the one of choice, especially given that the weather is often unpredictable.

This is one of the less critical tracks in terms of rear tyre degradation, so teams can afford to dial out as much understeer as possible, meaning the use of an aggressive front wing is likely.

Car Strengths Needed

As with Malaysia, this circuit tests all attributes of a car, although as mentioned above, those that are strong through the faster corners, with a strong Aero package, should excel.

As well as a good overall downforce level, sharp change of direction is key, not only in sector one, but also through the chicane at the end of the lap.

Key Corners

Turn 7 – the Dunlop Curve is another of the corners through which some 2017 cars may be flat-out, but others not so, making it a key performance differentiator on this track.

Turn 11 – it is easy to lock a front wheel into this low speed hairpin, especially if drivers dive to the inside during the race, attempting an overtake.

Turns 13/14 – the Spoon Curves are extremely difficult to get right, with understeer a persistent issue, especially in Turn 14; getting on the power early is critical for the long back straight.

Tyres

As was the case for Sepang, Pirelli is bringing its softest nomination yet to Suzuka, with the Supersoft, Soft and Medium.

The likely strategy will either be a SS-S one-stop or a two-stop using two sets of Supersoft.

Once again, the Medium is unlikely to be the tyre of choice, with its significant performance deficit to the Soft, although interestingly, Force India has brought three sets, perhaps giving it an insurance policy to complete the race with one-stop if wear rates are higher than expected.

Overtaking/DRS

• This is one of the harder tracks on which to overtake, thanks to the presence of just one DRS zone along the main straight.
• With the greater Aerodynamic turbulence this year following through Spoon will be particularly difficult, making passing into the final chicane more difficult. As such, racing down the pit straight is more likely than before.

Weather

• Early forecasts suggest rain on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, before a dry qualifying and race.
• If this is the case, long run data will be significantly reduced, creating greater unpredictability heading into competitive sessions.
• Temperatures for the race are set to approach 30 degrees Celsius, making tyre life an issue, and potentially forcing teams into a two stop race.

Form Guide

• Silverstone and Spa are close matches in terms of track layout and average speed, suggesting Mercedes will be favourites. However, the high track temperatures may shift the balance in favour of Ferrari.
• Renault will look to bounce back from a poor race in Malaysia with a track more suitable to its strengths, while both Force India and Williams should go well after recent upgrades.
• McLaren may be able to fight for Q3, given the strong pace they showed throughout the race at Sepang.

Key Questions

• Has Vettel’s gearbox survived his post-race crash in Malaysia, negating the possibility of a five-place grid penalty?
• Can Red Bull continue its recent upturn in form and challenge the front two teams again?
• Will Toro Rosso reap the full benefits of its major Sepang upgrade package, and fight further up the grid?

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JAPANESE GRAND PRIX MEMORABLE MOMENTS IN TIME

Among the many circuits to have hosted a Formula 1 Grand Prix, few have earned a permanent place in the hearts of drivers and fans alike, and fewer still outside Europe.

Suzuka Circuit, located 50km south of the Japanese city of Nagoya, is one of those special few.

In 2017, Suzuka celebrates the 30th anniversary of its first F1 race, during which time it has provided us with some of the most memorable moments in F1 history. Here is a look at some

1987 – The beginning

Twenty-five years after it opened as a test track for the Honda Motor Company, Suzuka made its debut on the world stage, and immediately went about deciding championships. The penultimate round of the ’87 season, the WDC fight was between Williams’ Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet, but a heavy crash by Mansell in practice sidelined the Briton for the rest of the season, handing his teammate the title. Meanwhile, the race provided Ferrari’s first victory in 39 races, with Ayrton Senna following him home in his Honda-powered Lotus.

1989 – Senna v Prost I

Indisputably the most famous rivalry in F1 history, Suzuka provided an infamous conclusion to the teammate battle between McLaren’s Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost. Again the second-last race of the season, Senna trailed Prost by 16 points coming into the race, meaning he needed to win to keep his title hopes alive. For 46 laps the two were evenly matched, Prost leading Senna, until the Brazilian managed to get his car alongside at the chicane after the infamous 130R. Prost blocked the dive and the two tangled, the Frenchman immediately abandoning his car, after which Senna got going again with a push start. Able to hunt down new leader Alessandro Nannini, Senna took an improbable win only to be disqualified for missing the chicane, despite clearly not having gained any advantage. Fingers were pointed at Prost and his countryman, FISA President Jean-Marie Balestre for conspiring against Senna, but the ruling stood after appeal, and Prost left McLaren a champion.

1990 – Senna v Prost II

A year later it was Senna’s turn for revenge, taking out Ferrari’s Prost to ensure his own championship victory. Prior to the start Senna’s pole position was curiously moved to the dirty side of the grid, allowing Prost to take the lead heading into the first corner. His ruthlessness on full display, Senna simply drove into the Frenchman, ending the ’90 title fight conclusively in his favour.

1994 – Hill beats Schumacher on aggregate

One of F1’s most unusual races, a slew of accidents in the torrential rain required the race to be red flagged with Benetton’s Michael Schumacher leading by 6.8 seconds. After the restart Williams’ Damon Hill managed to take the lead and crossed the line 10.1 seconds ahead, which was then aggregated with the gaps from the first race to give him the win by 3.3 seconds. Setting up a thrilling conclusion to the ’94 WDC battle with Hill now a point behind Schumacher, it was also the last instance of a race being decided on aggregate.

1996 – Hill seals the championship

The concluding race of the ’96 season, Suzuka provided the stage for another battle between Williams’ teammates, this time Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve. Villeneuve was always up against it, needing to win with Hill out of the points, but landed the first blow by taking pole from his teammate by nearly half a second. Unfortunately for the Canadian, he threw it away immediately with a terrible start, allowing Hill to lead, from where the Brit was able to fend off a rapid Michael Schumacher to realise his championship dream. Son of the late Graham, it would mark the first time in F1 history a father and son had both become champions.

2005 – Kimi comes from a mile back

Falling victim to an ill-timed shower in Saturday’s one-lap qualifying, Raikkonen started a lowly 17th in his McLaren MP4-20, but possessed arguably the fastest car on the grid, and made the most of it on the Sunday. Driving like a man possessed, the Finn knifed through the field, eventually finding himself five seconds behind the Renault of race leader Giancarlo Fisichella with eight laps remaining. Starting the final lap the two were barely a car-length apart, and so Kimi made his move down into the first corner, taking Fisichella around the outside in a breathtaking move that sealed arguably the most remarkable win in F1 history.

2012 – Kobayashi delights the home fans

A surprise package in the 2012 season, the Sauber C31 had already picked-up a trio of podiums for Sergio Perez before Suzuka, where it was Kamui Kobayashi’s turn to mix it with the big boys. Qualifying P4 but promoted to third thanks to a penalty to McLaren’s Jenson Button, Kobayashi was consistently among the front-runners all afternoon, and managed to hold off Button by just half a second and deliver the first Japanese podium on home soil since Aguri Suzuki in 1990.

 

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Autosport F1 podcast: Verstappen's glory as Ferrari throws it away again

Max Verstappen's first victory of the 2017 Formula 1 season is the focus of the latest edition of The Autosport Podcast.

Both Verstappen's well-executed victory, and whether the criticism he has received from some quarters this year is justified, are discussed in depth along with the other key moments from the last F1 race at Sepang.

Glenn Freeman and Stuart Codling join Edd Straw to look back at the race, and also discuss how Ferrari threw away a potential victory for the second grand prix in a row.

There's also a look at the collision between Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll on the slowdown lap and analysis of the incidents between Fernando Alonso and Kevin Magnussen, and Esteban Ocon and Carlos Sainz Jr.

The performances of debutant Pierre Gasly and McLaren driver Stoffel Vandoorne are also singled out.

The Autosport Podcast is available to subscribe to free via iTunes and other podcast suppliers - simply search for 'Autosport'.

 

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NEW VIDEO EXONERATES STROLL IN VETTEL COLLISION

 

Much has been said and written about the freak collision between Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll on the cooling down lap after the Malaysian Grand Prix, many pointing a finger at the Williams driver but new onboard footage from the incident exonerates the teenager.

Sky Sport have secured video footage (below) from Stroll’s on-board camera. 

Stroll is cruising at a low steady speed and it can be seen that he is turning left into the corner on the the cool down lap. Note his distance from the the left side of the track.

A split second before contact Vettel enters the frame. It shows that Stroll is still turning left and the distance to the left track-side is similar to his entry point. It also shows that the Williams driver has turned the wheel further to the left – he is not drifting out and into Vettel’s path as some have accused him of doing.

Clearly Vettel is travelling much faster and the rear wheel of the Ferrari strikes the front wheel of the Williams and snaps off, held fast by the tethers, it ends up resting on the right side engine cover of Vettel’s car. 

Now reduced to three wheels, Vettel spins after the contact with Stroll still turning to the left and keeping a steady distance from the left side of the track. He has not deviated from his original line.

In the aftermath of the race at Sepang, Stroll was vilified by many who only saw the evidence of the incident from Vettel’s side cockpit camera and the nose-camera from Romain Grosjean’s Haas.

But the new footage shows Stroll minding his own business, driving at low speed and keeping a steady line through the corner.

The stewards investigated the incident and deemed that neither Stroll or Vettel were to blame: “On the approach to Turn 5 during the slow down lap after the end of the race, Car 18 (STR) was towards the middle of the track, Car 8 (GRO) was closing from behind on the inside of Car 18 and at the same time, Car 5 (VET) overtook Car 18 on the outside and in doing so, turned in slightly towards the apex of Turn 5. Simultaneously Car 18 was moving slight away from the apex. This resulted in contact between the left rear tyre of Car 5 and the right front tyre of Car 18.”

Immediately after the race, Vettel was quick to blame Stroll, “I went to the outside to pick up a bit of rubber and I think Lance wasn’t looking and wanted to do the same, but that was too late – I was there already and we had contact. That’s completely unnecessary. I think he just didn’t look and then decided to pick up some rubber.”

Stroll appeared bemused when he gave his account of the incident, “I was on the in-lap, on my normal line, picking up rubber, doing all my switch changes, shutting down the car and Sebastian came flying by me, pushing round the outside like the race was still on. It was a very strange incident.”

Questions that arise as this new video footage comes to light is:

• Why did Vettel travel so much faster than Stroll during the slow down lap at that point?
• With the Williams in his line of sight why did he not take a wider line?
• Why did Vettel get out of the wrecked Ferrari and hitch a lift with the Sauber of Pascal Wehrlein when the safety car was on the scene and a few metres behind?
• Why did Vettel not replace his steering wheel when he got out of his car?
• Will the FIA reprimand him for hitching a lift as has been the tendency in past cases?

The incident capped a miserable weekend for Ferrari in Malaysia, but they may have some luck as they set up camp at Suzuka because there was no damage to the Ferrari gearbox which means Vettel will be spared grid penalties. 

 

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MASSA: WOULD BE GOOD TO KNOW MY FUTURE BEFORE BRAZIL

Felipe Massa wants a decision on his Formula 1 future before his home race, the Brazilian Grand Prix next month, while questioning the value of Williams testing would-be replacements Robert Kubica and Paul di Resta in a 2014 car.

Mercedes-powered Williams have yet to finalise their 2018 driver line-up, with Brazilian Massa’s place in doubt at the former champions.

Lance Stroll, the 18-year-old rookie who is backed by billionaire father Lawrence and secured the team’s only podium of the season so far when he finished third in Azerbaijan, is set to stay.

Williams will assess Kubica at Silverstone after this weekend´s Japanese Grand Prix and then in Hungary in a direct comparison with di Resta. The plan has yet to be confirmed officially but is an open secret in the paddock.

Former Force India driver Di Resta is the experienced reserve who stood in for an unwell Massa at this year’s Hungarian Grand Prix.

Kubica has been out of Formula 1 since a 2011 rally crash that partially severed his right forearm but is seeking a comeback, assisted by former Williams driver and 2006 world champion Nico Rosberg.

Massa told reporters on Thursday he did not know about any test plans but it changed nothing for him.

“Williams knows 100 percent what I can give to the team,” said the 36-year-old, who briefly retired at the end of last year only to return when Valtteri Bottas left Williams to replace retired champion Nico Rosberg at Mercedes.

“Even if they do a test in a car that is four years before, completely different. You cannot evaluate too much,” he added.

Kubica, 32, has tested already this season with Renault, his former team, completing 142 laps of the Hungaroring in August in a contemporary car.

But the French manufacturer picked Carlos Sainz to replace under-performing Briton Jolyon Palmer instead for 2018.

“Definitely I think it would be good for the team and also for myself that we know what´s going to happen before the race in Brazil,” said Massa, who was given a touching send-off by fans at Sao Paulo´s Interlagos track last year. “We´ll see if this is possible but I really hope so.”

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ALONSO: RED BULL WINNING PUTS PRESSURE ON MCLAREN

Amid Honda’s woes it has been generally accepted that McLaren have produced a good chassis, but with no other team to compare to Fernando Alonso believes the pressure will be on next year when the Woking built cars will be powered by Renault and their benchmark will be Red Bull.

The energy drinks outfit, relative to the Renault works team, are known for their superb chassis’ and this year they have turned a car that struggled early on in the season, thanks to erroneous wind-tunnel correlation, into a race winning machine.

Alonso believes Red Bull’s success will put pressure on McLaren in 2018, “I think the challenge is how can McLaren be in front? But McLaren should never be afraid of matching any other team because McLaren should be better than any other team.”

Renault will afford equal status to both their old customer Red Bull and their newly acquired client McLaren, which sets the stage for an interesting comparison between the two teams and their respective drivers.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix weekend, Alonso pointed out. “We saw in Monza a very good performance from Red Bull, which was at a power circuit, so we were already quite happy with that Red Bull performance. In Malaysia it was another step forward and they beat the Mercedes without rain, without any different strategy, without anything, so that was good.”

“At the same time that puts some pressure on McLaren because I think that car is quite efficient right now and is quite powerful at the moment from a chassis point of view, so we need to make sure that we do our job on the chassis side because the engine can deliver wins as Red Bull proved.”

“So we have to match that performance on the chassis and that is a challenge, for sure,” added Alonso who is expected to sign a contract extension with McLaren after this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix.

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JAPANESE GRAND PRIX: DRIVERS’ PRESS CONFERENCES

 

 

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VANDOORNE: I FEEL 100 PERCENT READY TO LEAD MCLAREN

Fernando Alonso has yet to confirm he will stay with McLaren beyond 2017, should the Spaniard decide to move elsewhere Stoffel Vandoorne says he is ready to lead the team into the future.

Asked by Racer, ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix weekend, if he was ready to be the number one driver should Alonso depart, Vandoorne replied, “A hundred percent. I think everything is going in the good direction. The team relies a lot on me, because I spend a lot of time in the factory as well with the aerodynamicists, in the simulator, with the other technical guys.”

“So for sure. I mean, Fernando is not going to continue forever so how long he will stay in F1, if he will stay with us, I don’t know. I’m just pushing from my side, not thinking too much about my teammate to be honest and to really trying to prepare for the future.”

Next year McLaren hope to be on a more level playing field with their switch to Renault power, after three frustrating and fruitless years with Honda.

Asked if his team will be able to emulate and even beat Renault powered Red Bull, who have won twice this year, he responded, “I hope we can, yes. How big a step of performance we will make next year is difficult to say. I think it will definitely be better and for sure Red Bull is a big benchmark for us, so I think it should be our aim to be very close with them but still we have to wait and see.”

“It will already be a big step forward. On some circuits we will be close but I think we need to wait and see how we progress,” added the Belgian driver.

Vandoorne has been confirmed for next year by McLaren, while Alonso is expected to make a decision on his future this month with the smart money on him staying with the Woking outfit for another year at least.

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Daniel Ricciardo: Red Bull must start 2018 stronger

Daniel Ricciardo says Red Bull must start the 2018 season in a stronger position if it is to fight for the title, having played catch-up against its rivals across the past few campaigns.

Red Bull began 2017 on the back foot compared to Mercedes and Ferrari amid correlation issues between wind tunnel data and on-track results, frequently leaving the team a lonely third in both qualifying and race trim.

However, Red Bull has made progress through the year, enabling Max Verstappen to triumph at the most recent race in Malaysia, with Ricciardo on the podium.

Due to the stable nature of the regulations, Ricciardo is optimistic that Red Bull can learn from its early struggles and begin 2018 in a more competitive manner.

“I still don’t know why the last few years we’ve had slow starts and then found a way to come back,” he said.

“So I guess the idea is again what we learn, because there’s not many changes next year, what we learn hopefully from this year hopefully we take to next year and we start stronger.
“That’s obviously the plan, that’s everyone’s wish and yeah, I guess we go from there.

“I feel [as if] I’ve said it every time this year but where we are now this year, you’d think next year we should be competitive.

“Mercedes has been winning for too long. We’ll try to change that.”

Ricciardo also feels that Red Bull is “close” to having the best chassis on the grid.

“We have to be close,” he said on whether the RB13 was the leading chassis. “If it’s not then we’re certainly close, and a lot closer than we were in the first handful of races this year.

“Like Monza, you surprise yourself on Sunday but then in Singapore, Sebastian [Vettel] puts a few tenths on us in qualifying. So you’re like ‘we do and we don’t, we do and we don’t’.

“Obviously, in Malaysia we were quick. If Ferrari has started at the front they would have been tough to beat.

“But we’re certainly close. If we’re not the best, we’re certainly close and I think this circuit [Suzuka] is another chance for us to show that and I’m looking forward to it very much.”

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Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo's Kendo Challenge!

Before Red Bull headed to Suzuka for the 2017 Japanese Grand Prix they brought Max and Daniel to the Konnou Dojo in Shibuya for a training session in the 300-year-old martial art of Kendo!

 

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Marko: Red Bull ‘looking for Ricciardo alternatives’

Dr Helmut Marko has said that Daniel Ricciardo is “already on the market” and Red Bull are looking for “alternatives” as a result.

Ricciardo is out of contract at the end of next season and has already been subject of an ambitious approach from Renault as part of the recent engine deals.

The Aussie, though, is being tipped to join his old team-mate Sebastian Vettel in 2019 with Kimi Raikkonen making way but, irrespective of the rumours, Red Bull are already planning for the future given Ricciardo’s contract situation.

“Verstappen has a longer contract,” Marko told Auto Motor und Sport. “But Ricciardo is already on the market.

“We have to look for alternatives. We will not be unprepared.”

Marko also addressed the rumours of a potential Red Bull split from Renault in 2019, stating that the team are calm about the current situation and have been encouraged by Honda’s recent results with McLaren as Toro Rosso prepare to their engines.

“Not at all,” Marko said when asked if Red Bull were worried about their engine deal. “We are fully focused on the current car and 2018.

“And when you look at where McLaren is now finishing, it strengthens us in the decision that we have taken at least with Toro Rosso.”

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Renault working on "magic" engine mode for 2018

Renault has promised its teams it is working hard to deliver a "magic" qualifying mode for 2018, in a bid to help them take the fight to Mercedes and Ferrari in qualifying.

Although the French car manufacturer's power unit is proving to be a match for rival engines in the races, it is still lacking when it comes to the ability of unleash an extra power boost for Q3.

Red Bull boss Christian Horner thinks the lack of the kind of 'magic' mode that Mercedes has is pretty significant – and making all the difference when it comes to grabbing a slot at the front of the grid.

Horner said: "The problem with qualifying is we don't have the high power modes that our competitors have. I am sure there is close to half a second in that.

"We could see in qualifying [in Malaysia], there wasn't a single corner where our car was slower than our opponents."

Renault boss Cyril Abiteboul has confirmed that the qualifying issue is being addressed by staff at his company's Viry-Chatillon base.

"We are not doing any other steps than trying to do the best we can for having a competitive engine next year, but not just competitive, because we believe that the engine is already competitive," he explained.

"It is certainly very competitive on a Sunday, but there is clearly a bit missing on Saturday in qualifying. We don't have that sort of 'magic' qualifying mode, but we are working hard on it.

"The performance of the engine will improve very sensitively for next year, not just for qualifying, but also for the race, which makes me believe that the engine will be extremely competitive."

While teams are chasing more performance for the Saturdays, Abiteboul says his actual bigger concern is improving reliability – with a number of failures having hurt Renault's teams this year.

"The focus has to be reliability," he said. "You know, we've lost a lot of points this season because of lack of reliability of the whole package, which to me is directly related to the fact that the team is changing very quickly.

"We are growing, we are recruiting lots of people. When you do that, it is typically reliability that is impacted. That will be the first thing to fix for the short term future."

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Magnussen vows not to change aggressive approach

Kevin Magnussen has no doubts about his aggressive driving style in 2017 – and says as long as the FIA stewards are happy, he won’t change his approach.

Magnussen has been involved in several incidents with other drivers this year, most recently in Malaysia, where Fernando Alonso complained about him on team radio.

However, the Dane insists that he’s just racing, and that he doesn't care for anybody's opinion except that of the stewards.

“I expect anyone to make it as hard as possible, I don’t expect anyone not to make it hard,” said Magnussen. “I think everyone is maxed out on trying to make it as hard as possible for each other. What matters to me is what the stewards think.

"I know that I am pushing hard, and that’s my intention. If it’s fine for the stewards, it’s fine.”

Magnussen added that his team is fully supportive of his approach, and he doesn’t feel under pressure to avoid mistakes – and that in turn makes him less likely to make them. 

“I have backing from the team, and that makes you feel good and free to race," I feel like it’s easier. Obviously you get more experience as well.

"I think it’s easier to give everything you have if you know you have the support from the team, and when you don’t feel like you can’t make a mistake it’s easier not to make a mistake, and perform well.”

Magnussen says that he often has to defend forcefully because he passes faster drivers at the start, who then have to try and find a way back past.

“I think it’s pretty simple, we’re not in a position to just drive into the points," he explained. "We need to fight, and we need to fight hard to stay in the points if we find ourselves there.

"I often find myself further up in the beginning of the race, because whenever everyone is together it’s easier to make positions and fight your way up.

"Once everything settles your race pace is more important. Sometimes when you’re in eighth position or whatever, and you’re not fast enough, then you have to fight.

“There is a difference in the way you have to drive, if you’re fast or you’re not fast. If you’re trying to get points and you’re not really fast enough to be in the top 10, then you really have to fight hard." 

Magnussen says he has to battle harder than the guys at the front of the field, who potentially have more to lose.

“If you’re fighting for the World Championship, then perhaps you don’t want to fight as hard, you want to be a bit more safe, and play the championship," he said.

“In terms of our position in the championship, we need to go in every race to the maximum and try and get a point or two or six. You might get anything and you just need to go for it. It’s very low chance that there’s going to be consistent points scoring throughout the year.”

He’s not worried about complaints from other drivers: “We all get a bit hot-headed in the car in that situation.

"Whenever something happens, I guess you guys know it as well what happens in traffic, whenever someone cuts in front of you or whatever, you swear, and you think after maybe it was OK, or whatever.

"It doesn’t mean so much when it’s in that moment in the car. After the race to say things, get further into it, I wouldn’t do that.”

[MIKA27]

Hamilton "hesitant" over team's preferred Suzuka aero strategy

Lewis Hamilton says he and the Mercedes Formula 1 team will decide on Thursday evening whether to run the team's latest aerodynamic package during the Japanese Grand Prix weekend.

Mercedes introduced an upgrade ahead of last weekend's Malaysian Grand Prix, which both drivers used in free practice.

But Hamilton reverted to the previous-specification package ahead of qualifying and went on to secure pole before finishing second, while teammate Valtteri Bottas said he regretted sticking with the update after winding up fifth in qualifying.

Hamilton said he and the team were still split on which direction to take at Suzuka.

"It's not decided at the moment, it's a constant discussion," said Hamilton. "The guys want to go one direction and I'm hesitant and more feeling for another way.

"I've got a huge amount of trust and belief in the team and I know they want to win just as much as me so collectively we'll come to an agreement and make sure it's the right decision.

"It's important to always challenge each other. As a driver I'm always challenging them.

"They'll have numbers that will give this and I'll still challenge it even if it's a perfect result because the perfect number doesn't always necessarily feel the greatest on track.

  

"I heard it's going to rain tomorrow [Friday] so that's going to make it a little bit difficult for us to feel whatever set-up we do have.

"We'll probably make a decision by the end of the day - we've got another meeting at the end of the day, so probably by six o'clock we will have decided."

Hamilton said in the wake of the Sepang race he had a clear idea of the set-up direction Mercedes needed to take in Japan, but added on Thursday he was still struggling to predict what he could expect from his W08 prior to most weekends.

"I'm confident in the car working at some stage," he said. "It's just this deep into the season that I still have no idea where it's going to be good, where it's going to be great - like Silverstone - or where it's going to be a real struggle like Malaysia or Singapore.

"You look at the last one [Malaysia], we were far off, and all of a sudden we got pole position. I managed to pull out a lap and I didn't even know where it came from.

"If we were going into the race beyond this and we knew what was going to happen it would be kind of dull. I like that we're arriving and we don't know. There's some stories that we've been thrown off the bull, that we're on the back foot - we're not.

"We're still leading the championship, we've still got a great car, each race is just really trying to understand more about the car because there's constantly something new thrown in the mix, [that] can catch us off guard."

[MIKA27]

JAPANESE GRAND PRIX: HAMILTON CLOSE TO TITLE AS VETTEL FALTERS

Lewis Hamilton was made to sweat in the final stages of the Japanese Grand Prix, but hung on to claim victory while title rival Sebastian Vettel retired his Ferrari five laps into the race and as a result is now 59 points adrift of the Mercedes driver with four races remaining.

Behind Hamilton the Red Bull duo were on the podium again with Max Verstappen in second, challenging hard for the win during the final laps, and Daniel Ricciardo in third, celebrating on the Suzuka podium for the first time in his career.

Hamilton, who qualified on pole a day earlier for the first time in his career at Suzuka, made a strong start and that’s where he stayed. Along the way there was a Safety Car period and a couple VSC periods, but he managed to control proceedings until a few laps from the end when he complained about vibrations. 

The soft tyres on the Mercedes were fading fast and at the end Hamilton was clearly in some trouble, at this point Verstappen got a sniff of victory and pushed hard, but lapping Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa the Dutchman lost time and had to settle for second.

Hamilton, who can claim his fourth world championship title at the next race in the United States, said after his eighth win of the season, “Max drove an outstanding race and honestly it wasn’t an easy one for us at all.”

“The Red Bulls just seem to be rapid in the race trim. Obviously we’re quick in qualifying but it got very close at the end with the VSC and the restart. The tyres were cold and had a bit of traffic and he caught right up, so it was very close. Honestly, I could only have dreamed of having this kind of gap.”

“The Ferraris have put on such a great challenge all year long but I have to put it down to my team. They’ve done a phenomenal job, reliability has been on point. They’re just so meticulous and that’s really why we’re having the reliability and results we’re having,” added Hamilton.

Verstappen summed up his afternoon, “It was a great day again. Suzuka is really great to me, I loved the track last year. The pace today was really promising. The first stint on the supersoft I was struggling a bit with the left-front but as soon as we switched to the soft tyre is was very competitive.”

“I was always with Lewis, especially in the last few laps. We had great pace it’s just really hard to pass. I gave it my all to try and close the gap but the car is really improving race by race so I’m really happy about that.”

Ricciardo was third, almost ten seconds down on his Red Bull teammate, his ninth podium of the season.

The Australian said afterwards, “This is my first podium here. It feels great. It is a circuit I have always enjoyed and with this year’s cars it is lot of fun. After the start the race spread out and it wasn’t much fun for me but then I had Valtteri coming at the end so to have pressure at the end was good.”

Valtteri Bottas was fourth, the Mercedes driver struggling to match his teammate all weekend, but he did come good in qualifying a day earlier. At the end of the race he was fourth, finding some pace late in the race to challenge Ricciardo but in the end to no avail.

Kimi Raikkonen salvaged some Ferrari pride by claiming fifth place after starting 11th on the grid. The veteran Finn managed to stay out of trouble and make his way through the field without much fuss.

Esteban Ocon had a strong race, running third early on, finishing sixth ahead of Force India teammate Sergio Perez in seventh. The Mexican told to hold station when asked if he could attack the Frenchman.

It was also a double points score for Haas with Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean finishing eighth and ninth. Felipe Massa claimed the final point for Williams with tenth place on the day.

Carlos Sainz was an early casualty, losing control in the Esses on the opening, his last race with Toro Rosso ending prematurely and in the gravel.

The man he will replace at Renault, Joylon Palmer finished what is likely to be his final Formula 1 race in 12th.

Long before the finish of the race, Vettel told reporters, “It’s like that sometimes and of course I’m disappointed, but now it’s important to get some rest and give my all for the last four races and see what happens. We still have a chance this year.”

Blow-By-Blow

At the start Hamilton got away well to hold his lead. Initially Vettel too looked to be in good shape but early in the lap he was pounced upon by a hard charging Verstappen. The Dutchman had made an excellent start from P4 to pass team-mate Ricciardo and then at the hairpin he powered past Vettel.

It was the beginning of a swift slide for the Ferrari man. At the beginning of lap two the German was passed by Ocon, who had passed Ricciardo on the previous lap.

There followed a brief safety car period as Sainz’s Toro Rosso remained beached in the gravel trap at Turn 7 after a lap one off and when the action resumed again Vettel was again under attack sliding to eighth place behind the second Force India of Perez and the Williams of Felipe Massa.

Clearly something was wrong with Vettel’s Ferrari and within moments the German’s race engineer was on the radio to call him in to retire the car.

At the front Hamilton was beginning to build a lead over Verstappen and by the time the Virtual Safety Car was deployed when Ericsson crashed out at Degner 2 on lap 8, at which point the Mercedes driver was more than four seconds clear of the Red Bull man.

Ocon’s grip on third place only lasted until lap 10, when the VSC was removed. Ricciardo closed on the pit straight under DRS and powered past the Force India on the left-hand side on the approach to Turn 1.

Bottas, too, managed to get past the Frenchman and by lap 13 Hamilton lead from the Red Bulls, Bottas, the Force Indias of Ocon and Perez and seventh-placed Massa.
Räikkönen was in P8 in the remaining Ferrari, ahead of Renault’s Hulkenberg and Haas’ Kevin Magnussen.

Verstappen was the first of the frontrunners to pit, with the Red Bull driver taking on soft tyres at the lap of lap 21. Mercedes reacted and brought Hamilton in at the end of the next tour. When they both crossed the line the next time around, the gap between them had shrunk to just 1.8s and Verstappen was setting purple lap times.

Ricciardo then made his stop at the end of lap 25, though his stop for soft tyres looked a little slow. He rejoined behind Raikkonen who, like new leader Bottas, was still circulating on his starting soft tyres.

Bottas, however, was now running slowly, in the 1m37s bracket, and as a consequence he began to back Hamilton towards Verstappen and on lap 28 the deficit was just 1.1s. Hamilton was quickly on the radio to voice his concern and a few corners later Bottas allowed the Briton to sweep past.

The Finn then dropped back to frustrate Verstappen for the next few laps until Mercedes called him to the pits at the end of lap 30. Bottas emerged from his pit stop with fresh supersofts, in fourth place and 10s behind Ricciardo.

At the front Hamilton was now three seconds clear of Verstappen but already the Mercedes driver was saying he was struggling with rear tyre grip.

Verstappen closed to within 2.5s and there the race for the lead stalled with Hamilton apparently able to control the gap comfortably.

Behind the top two Ricciardo’s pace began to flag and slightly and Bottas, on supersoft tyres compared with Ricciardo’s softs, began to close on the Australian.

On lap 48 the Finn had shortened a 10 second gap to just 2.8s, but then Stroll suffered a failure of sorts on his Williams. The Virtual Safety Car was again deployed and the speed limit in force bought Ricciardo valuable time.

However when the action resumed Bottas applied the pressure with a race fastest lap to almost get within DRS range of the Red Bull driver.

Further ahead Hamilton was hitting traffic and that allowed Bottas to close in on the lead. However, the Dutchman was denied any opportunity to attack the Briton as Alonso’s McLaren came between the leaders on the penultimate lap.

The Spaniard was put under investigation for ignoring blue flags, but Verstappen’s chance was gone and he had to settle for a second consecutive P2 in Japan.

Behind them Ricciardo managed to hold third ahead of Bottas, while fifth place when to Räikkönen in the sole remaining Ferrari.

Ocon was sixth ahead of team-mate Sergio Perez, while Haas enjoyed a double points finish, with Magnussen eighth ahead of team-mate Grosjean. The final point on offer went to Massa.

[MIKA27]

FAULTY SPARK PLUG NEAR MORTAL BLOW FOR VETTEL TITLE BID

Ferrari have blamed a faulty spark plug as the reason Sebastian Vettel dropped out of the Japanese Grand Prix on lap 5 and with it his 2017 Formula 1 World Championship bid has all but ended.

It was clear something was amiss on the grid as the Ferrari crew swarmed around Vettel’s car, shades of Kimi Raikkonen drama before the start of the Malaysian Grad Prix a week earlier.

This time around the Reds got Vettel going, all seemed well as he got off the line at the start and tucked into second place behind race leader Lewis Hamilton. But it was not long before the German was on the radio reporting a loss of power and thereafter a stream of cars passed him with ease.

Shortly after the safety car period, triggered by Carlos Sainz’s crash and the subsequent removal of the Toro Rosso from the track-side, it was abundantly clear that Vettel’s race was over.

A call from his team radio ordered him to retire the car: “Box Sebastian, box. We will retire the car I’m afraid.”

Meanwhile at the sharp end of proceedings, title rival Hamilton claimed maximum points with victory.

Vettel told reporters afterwards, “It’s normal to be critical, especially if things go wrong because it’s part of our job, but I need to protect them [Ferrari] – they’ve done an incredible job so far.”

“It’s just a pity in the two races with the reliability issues. But it’s like that sometimes and of course I’m disappointed, but now it’s important to get some rest and give my all for the last four races and see what happens.”

“We still have a chance this year. Obviously it’s not as much in our control as we like but overall I think the team is in a good way.”

“We are improving race by race and we got a lot further than people thought so for sure there are some positives, but today is not the day for that,” added Vettel who now trails Hamilton by 59 points with four rounds remaining.

The Ferrari driver has not won a grand prix since Hungary in July, at which point he led the championship standings by 14 points over Hamilton, since then the Mercedes driver has won three times and assumed the lead of the championship.

[MIKA27]

HAMILTON COULD WRAP-UP FOURTH F1 TITLE IN TEXAS

Lewis Hamilton has taken a giant step towards his fourth Formula 1 world championship title with victory at the Japanese Grand Prix, while his title rival Sebastian Vettel failed to score any points.

The latter half has been kind to Hamilton who has won four times since the summer break, but the same period has been cruel to Ferrari whose challenge – with their car at the fastest it has been – crumbling due to reliability issues.

Thus, at the next round of the championship in two weeks time – the United States Grand Prix – Hamilton could claim the this year’s world title, as he did at the same venue in 2015.

The Mercedes driver has a tremendous record at Circuit of the Americas having won the race on four of the five occasions it has been held at the venue in Texas. Vettel has won there once.

Hamilton’s campaign since the season resumed, after the summer break, has been almost flawless – four wins and a second place in five races – while his title rival has faltered badly.

Vettel led the championship by 14 points after winning the Hungarian Grand Prix, in July before the summer recess, but since then he has not won a race and his title challenge has collapsed dramatically.

Vettel has scored only 45 points in the last five races, while Hamilton has racked up a comparatively astounding 118 points of the 125 available during this period. The Mercedes driver has won eight times this year, Vettel has won four times.

Hamilton is also the only driver to have finished in the points at all 16 grand prix races thus far, 12 times he has been on the podium.

The maths are very much in favour of Hamilton as the championship heads to Round 17 in Austin, where:

• he needs to outscore Vettel by 16 points to wrap up the title;
• he will become F1 World Champion if he wins and Vettel finishes sixth or lower;
• if he finishes second he will become F1 World Champion if Vettel finishes ninth or lower.

It could be a weekend of double celebrations for Mercedes as they are able to clinch the Formula 1 constructors’ title, for a fourth year in a row, at the United States Grand Prix.

The Silver Arrows are 145 points clear of Ferrari in the constructors’ standings and need 17 points to wrap up the championship with three races remaining after that.

Austin could be a weekend packed with silver linings for the German team and their British driver.

[MIKA27]

VETTEL AND ALONSO REPRIMANDED BY SUZUKA STEWARDS

After the Japanese Grand Prix race stewards handed reprimands to Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel and McLaren’s Fernando Alonso for respective infractions.

Vettel’s race could not get much worse after engine problems at the Suzuka all but killed off his title hopes, but stewards reprimanded him anyway for missing the national anthem before the race.

The German failed to turn up on time for the Japanese anthem, perhaps caused by the commotion around his car as mechanics hurried to fix a spark-plug problem.

The stewards reported: “Sebastian Vettel was not at the National Anthem ceremony at the time scheduled. This reprimand has not been imposed for a driving infringement.”

The non-driving reprimand for the rules breach, as opposed to one handed out for something that happened on the track, was his first of the season.

Vettel lasted only four laps of the race before the unresolved issue forced him to retire, a setback that left Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton 59 points clear at the top with four races remaining.

Alonso received two penalty points for not adhering to blue-flag rules correctly whilst being lapped by Max Verstappen who was chasing down race leader Lewis Hamilton late on during the race in Japan.

Alonso was in his own battle for tenth with Williams driver Felipe Massa, the Spaniard eventually finishing 11th and out of the points.

The stewards reported: “The Stewards examined video evidence, positioning data and heard from Fernando Alonso, the driver of car 14 and the team representative.”

“Alonso was shown a solid blue indicator light on his dash and waved blue flags between Turn 14 and Turn 15 on Lap 51. He also had received a flashing blue light informing him that race leader Lewis Hamilton was closing on him for over a lap before. Alonso let Hamilton pass during lap 52 at Turn 11.”

“The drivers have been told in drivers’ briefings that the provisions of the International Sporting Code, that they “must allow the following car to pass at the earliest opportunity” means that they should do this for lapping cars regardless of their current battle. Stewards concluded that Alonso did not do this.”

“Alonso noted in the hearing that there was an opportunity allow Hamilton to pass on the front straight, but not thereafter until Turn 11. The Stewards accepted that there are limited safe places to let a car past between Turns 2 and 9 which contributed to the length of time it took to allow Hamilton past.”

“In applying the penalty, the Stewards compared this incident to other similar incidents and considered that while a breach, this was less severe than others and that when he did move over he gave plenty of room, and subsequently to Verstappen. The Stewards therefore applied a Reprimand (Driving) and 2 penalty points.”

There are two types of reprimand, for driving and non-driving offences, with three reprimands in a season triggering an automatic 10-place grid penalty for the next race.

The penalty, however, is only imposed if at least two of the three reprimands were for a driving infringement.

MIKA: ....so why did Massa get away with holding up Max Verstappen who was lapping him? He was in the same boat IMO. Without being ignorant, Sazuka is extremely hard to pull aside safely, clearly demonstrated by Massa in the closing laps which held Max back from closing in on Hamilton.

[MIKA27]

SAINZ: NOT THE WAY I WANTED TO FINISH WITH TORO ROSSO

Carlos Sainz’s last race for Toro Rosso at the Japanese Grand Prix ended before a lap was completed, the Spaniard getting it wrong through the Esses, as he tried to make up places, but got on the gravel, tapped the wall and was forced to retire.

Thus the final curtain came down on his career with the Red Bull junior team in the worst possible way.

Sainz said after the race, “In a one-stop race you need to risk at the start and I was trying my best to gain some positions. It didn’t work, I definitely found a lot less grip than I was expecting there, there was a lot of dust and I simply lost the car.”

“There’s no excuse and I say sorry to them [the team] because it’s not the way I wanted to finish, but in life if you want to risk and do something special sometimes it works sometimes it doesn’t.”

Indeed it was an expensive final weekend for Sainz at Toro Rosso, on Friday he also made a mistake which ended up with a visit to the barriers, bent metal and an array of repairs to his car.

As much as 23 year old Sainz has done for the team, scoring the bulk of their points this season, there is an element within the team that are glad the Spaniard (and his entourage) are departing the team for ‘greener’ pastures.

Renault have decided to ditch under-performing Jolyon Palmer and got the nod from Red Bull to have Sainz drafted into the team for the forthcoming United States Grand Prix and the three remaining races thereafter.

It is an unusual move for team’s to take on a new driver so close to the season end, but the consensus at Renault is that having Sainz acclimatise to the team, in the next four races, gives them a head start for 2018 when he will be with the team full-time.

Sainz acknowledged, “It’s going to be a big challenge to try and adapt to this new car. It’s quite late into the season and it’s going to take some time and to find my way around it. But I’m there to do a job and I’m confident I can do it pretty straight away.”

Interestingly Toro Rosso, Renault and Haas, are in a battle for sixth place in the constructors’ championship where a mere ten points separate the three teams. Sainz’s old team Toro Rosso have 62 points which is ten more than, the Spaniard’s new team, Renault on 42, with Haas splitting the two in the championship table with 43 points.

The difference between sixth and eighth is worth around $10 million in terms of championship prize money paid out to teams at the end of the season.

[MIKA27]

Max Verstappen says he 'gave it all' to try and pass Lewis Hamilton

After suffering a torrid 2017, Max Verstappen has had a turn around in performance and in luck by securing a second consecutive podium finish at the Japanese Grand Prix.

Verstappen qualified in fourth place but moved into second by the end of the first lap, overtaking both Daniel Ricciardo and Sebastian Vettel who both qualified ahead. 

In the closing stages of the race, the Dutchman closed up to Lewis Hamilton had a chance to secure a second victory of the season, with the Mercedes driver suffering from heavy vibrations. Traffic prevented the Red Bull driver from taking the checkered flag first however, meaning that he followed Hamilton across the line in second place. 

"It was a great day again. Suzuka is great for me," said Verstappen. "I really love the track.

"I think the pace today was really promising. In the first stint on the Supersoft I was struggling a bit with the front-left, but as soon as I switched to Soft it was actually very competitive.

"I was always with Lewis, especially the last few laps, we had great pace, it’s just really hard to pass. In the last two to three laps I gave it all to try to close the gap.

"We had a really good day again and the car is definitely improving race-by-race, so I’m really happy about that," he added, with Red Bull Racing once again securing a double podium finish, with Ricciardo finishing in third. 

[MIKA27]

Daniil Kvyat drafted back in for US GP as Carlos Sainz moves to Renault

Daniil Kvyat will return to Toro Rosso for the United States Grand Prix following confirmation that Carlos Sainz Jr. will replace Jolyon Palmer at Renault for the final four races of the 2017 season.

Pierre Gasly will therefore retain his seat for the race, which will mean the Frenchman misses the Super Formula title decider in which he sits second, just half a point shy of leader Hiroaki Ishiura.

Kvyat had been replaced by Gasly for "some" of the remaining races, but will now return to fill the vacant seat, although Toro Rosso haven't confirmed their line-up after the US GP.

"I would like to thank Carlos for all his efforts over almost three Formula 1 seasons," said team boss Franz Tost. "He always did his very best, demonstrating an excellent attitude and commitment to his work, which helped him and us to get some great results during that time.

"Therefore, on behalf of everyone at Toro Rosso, I wish him all the very best with his new team. We look forward to beating him on track!"

Sainz added: "First of all I would like to thank Toro Rosso and Red Bull for allowing me the possibility of finishing this season with Renault Sport Racing.

"More specifically, I really want to thank all my engineers and mechanics for their support and tremendous work throughout these years. Toro Rosso is made up of a fantastic group of people and I wish them only the best for the future.

"On my side, I will definitely do my very best in tomorrow's race... this would be the best possible send-off! Additionally, competing in these last four races with Renault gives me a good opportunity to get to know the team and the car earlier than expected. I am looking forward to start working with them."

[MIKA27]

Grosjean sparks Hamilton seatbelt debate

Haas F1 driver Romain Grosjean sparked a lively debate in the Suzuka drivers’ meeting when he quizzed race director Charlie Whiting over Lewis Hamilton’s habit of taking his seatbelts off to celebrate after race wins.

Hamilton clearly undid his belts to celebrate winning the Singapore Grand Prix, and admitted he had done so on numerous occasions beforehand.

At the start of the Japanese Grand Prix drivers' briefing on Friday evening, Whiting also brought up Sebastian Vettel’s slowing-down lap clash with Lance Stroll at Sepang, and his subsequent ride back to the pits on the sidepod of Pascal Wehrlein. Whiting suggested he should have waited for the medical car, which Vettel nodded agreement with.

Hamilton then queried up the fact that Vettel did not put his steering wheel back on, but took it with him instead. Whiting said no action was “reasonable common sense” decision as the steering wheel wasn’t needed for the marshals to move the car, as the race had finished.

After this, the floor was open and Grosjean seized upon the seatbelt subject…

Grosjean: “After the chequered flag are allowed to undo the belts?”

Whiting: “No. Any further?”

Grosjean: “Well I think Lewis has been doing it quite a lot.”

Whiting: “Loosening them is reasonable, rather than taking them off completely.”

Grosjean: “I’m just asking, I think it’s great for the fans, but I wanted to mention it.”

Whiting: “At the speeds Lewis was driving at, I think that’s a perfectly reasonable thing to do. Loosen them, not undo them.”

Felipe Massa chimes in: “But you cannot loosen them. It’s very difficult, you need to take it off.”

Whiting: “I was asked a question and I said, no, you should not undo them, but if you can loosen them off, I don’t see a big issue with that. Lewis, what do you do, do you loosen them or undo them?”

Hamilton [smiles, then]: “Undo them. I don’t do it very often, Montreal I did, a few other races.”

Whiting: “You might have started something here Romain…”

Grosjean: “I think it’s great for the fans to see a bit more of the driver. But I just wanted to get a clarification.”

Hamilton: “Why would you need clarification on it?”

Grosjean: “Because sometimes you don’t put the steering wheel back on and you can get a fine, and it doesn’t make sense if the wheels are completely off of the car. So I just wanted to know.”

Hamilton [shrugs]: “Interesting.”

Whiting: “We can clarify it if you really think it’s worth it…”

Hamilton: “We’re driving so slowly, man. But, I mean, maybe Sebastian should keep his on.”

Vettel [smiling]: “Steering wheel or belts? I’m confused now.”

Whiting: “That is something we’ve seen happen, isn’t it [referring to Vettel’s Sepang crash]? Needn’t have but it did and something similar could happen.”

Grosjean: “I don’t want to start an argument or whatever, I just want to know the rules, simple as that.”

Whiting: “Well I don’t think you should undo your belts. I think we’ve see what can happen on a slowing-down lap, so I think it’s a very bad practice to undo your belts.”

Hamilton: “I’ve only done it when I win to wave to fans.”

Whiting: “I understand, yes.”

Hamilton: “But I do slow down massively.”

[MIKA27]

Palmer admits Renault split timing "makes sense"

Jolyon Palmer admits that the timing of his departure from Renault “made sense” following his final race with the team, and possibly Formula 1, at Suzuka.

It was announced on Saturday that Palmer will move aside to make way for Carlos Sainz for the remaining four races of the 2017 season, beginning with the United States GP in two weeks' time. 

It leaves the British driver facing an uncertain future, and potentially needing to look for options outside of F1 to further his career. 

"It's been a bit of a strange weekend knowing it's the last with the team after three years, shame not going to Austin," Palmer, who finished 12th at Suzuka, told Sky Sports.

"It's been pretty clear, Carlos has signed for next year and Cyril [Abiteboul] made it clear he wanted him in the car this year as well.

"After this race it's a couple of weeks' gap and it made sense for it to be the time to part ways.

"It's a shame for me not to finish the season, I've been here a while and I respect the decision and wish Carlos and the team all the best for the future."

Asked when the news would sink in, he replied: "I don't know, I focused on the race on the plane back home it'll probably sink in that I'm not with Renault and maybe not F1 again."

  

Renault chief Abiteboul said that bringing in Sainz four races early would assist the team in getting a "jump start" on its 2018 preparations. 

While insisting he "wouldn't have minded" seeing out the campaign with Toro Rosso, the Spaniard said that the Renault move can only be beneficial.

"I think it's very important," said Sainz of the switch. "I think this chance gives me the opportunity to get to know everyone inside the team, start working with my engineers, try to adapt the car to myself and myself to the car.

"From there [I can] start a baseline for these four races that will help for next year. And if I can help the team score some extra points, that would be amazing."

Opening lap risk

Sainz admitted his opening lap retirement was a "sad way to end" his tenure at Toro Rosso, explaining it was simply a result of taking a risk to try and make up ground early in the race.

"I started on the soft tyre, obviously this gives you a bit less grip, and I was expecting we had to gain places at the start," he said.

"It was a one-stop race with not much going on. I tried to risk it, normally it works, but today it didn't. I went around the outside at Turn 6, found a lot more dust and dirt than I was expecting, I had a snap and lost the car.

"Nothing to regret, I was pushing hard for the team in this last race. I needed to risk at the start and it didn't work."