Formula 1 - 2017

[MIKA27]

HARTLEY BECOMES WEC CHAMPION WITH PORSCHE AGAIN

Brendon Hartley, who last month made his Formula 1 debut with the Toro Rosso team, won the World Endurance Championship (WEC) with Porsche for the second time on Sunday.

The 27-year-old, his compatriot Earl Bamber and Germany’s Timo Bernhard took the number two Porsche to second place in the penultimate round of the championship in Shanghai to secure the title.

Porsche, who are leaving the championship at the end of the season, also won the manufacturers’ crown for the third year in a row.

Toyota won the race with Japan’s Kazuki Nakajima, Britain’s Anthony Davidson and Swiss racer Sebastien Buemi.

Le Mans 24 Hours winner Hartley, who also won the world championship in 2015 with Bernhard and Australian Mark Webber, is set to complete the Formula One season with Toro Rosso after making his debut at last month’s U.S. Grand Prix.

He also looks likely to be confirmed for 2018 with French rookie Pierre Gasly.

[MIKA27]

MASSA: MY CAREER IN F1 WILL FINALLY COME TO AN END

Brazilian driver Felipe Massa is to retire definitively from Formula One at the end of the season, he announced on Saturday.

The 36-year-old Williams pilot – who won 11 Grand Prix to date – decided to call it a day as his team are yet to confirm their line-up for next season.

Massa had indicated he would like to compete again next year – having originally changed his mind about retiring at the end of 2016 – but Williams are thought to be favouring giving Robert Kubica, who has performed miracles to return after a terrible crash in a rally in 2011, the drive alongside Lance Stroll.

Massa, who suffered a serious injury when hit by the suspension of a rival’s car in the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2009, said he cherished his time in the sport since making his debut in 2009.

His best finish overall was runner-up for Ferrari to Lewis Hamilton in 2008 after a thrilling season-long battle.

Deputy team principal Claire Williams said Massa had been an absolute dream to work with.

Williams Statement:

Williams Martini racing confirms that Felipe Massa will leave the team at the end of the 2017 Formula One season.

Felipe made his debut with Williams in 2014. During the last four years, he has helped the team secure third place in the Constructors’ Championship in 2014 and 2015, and fifth place in 2016. After initially indicating he would retire at the end of last year, he returned at Williams’ request for the 2017 season, and the team currently stands fifth in the Constructors’ Championship.

Felipe Massa said: “As everyone knows, after announcing my retirement from Formula 1 last year, I agreed to return this season to help Williams when the call came. I have now enjoyed four great years with the team, but my career in Formula 1 will finally come to an end this season. Once more, I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout this time: my wife and my father, my whole family, my manager Nicolas and all my friends, colleagues and sponsors. I would also like to add a huge thank you to all of the fans who have been incredibly supportive and passionate over the years. I take so many great memories with me as I prepare for my final two races in Brazil and Abu Dhabi, and although they will be emotional, I am looking forward to ending on a high note and preparing for a new chapter in my career.”

Claire Williams, Deputy Team Principal, Williams Martini Racing added: “I would like to thank Felipe for all he has done for the team over the last four years. It has been an absolute pleasure to work with him. We are especially grateful that he agreed to postpone his retirement from Formula One for a year, after Valtteri joined Mercedes, which demonstrated the depth of the relationship we built during our time together. We appreciate that it wasn’t an easy decision for him to return, after having such an emotional send-off at the end of last year. On behalf of Sir Frank, and all the team, we give our very best wishes to Felipe for the future.”

The team will announce its 2018 driver line-up in due course.

[MIKA27]

WILLIAMS SEAT MOST COVETED AFTER MASSA RETIREMENT

Felipe Massa’s announcement that this will be his final season in Formula 1 leaves a queue of drivers battling to replace the veteran Brazilian in the most coveted available seat on the grid for 2017.

Some, such as Robert Kubica and Paul di Resta, are experienced racers seeking a comeback after years away while others are youngsters seeking redemption or a lifeline.

Massa has now been ruled out after he told fans on social media that he was retiring at the end of the season.

Pascal Wehrlein, a 23-year-old prospect, can be included in the category of those with talent but on the wrong side of circumstances.

He is currently a Mercedes-backed driver at a Sauber team whose management and focus have changed and whose engine provider Ferrari is keen to place the Italian team’s own youngsters in the seats.

Williams use Mercedes engines and could expect a discount on them for taking Wehrlein — depending on how committed Mercedes are to him.

Daniil Kvyat, another 23-year-old who has been dumped by Red Bull and their Toro Rosso junior team, joins the list as someone seeking to show he can deliver and still deserves a shot.

Williams may have made their mind up already but have said only that they are considering a number of options and will make an announcement in due course.

“We’ll consider all drivers that are not contracted,” technical head Paddy Lowe said at last month’s U.S. Grand Prix, although the chances of dropped Renault driver Jolyon Palmer getting the seat are not great.

After Kvyat was dropped for Mexico last weekend and left the Red Bull programme, Lowe described the Russian as a “very respectable driver” who should be in the frame.

The focus, however, has been much more on Kubica’s possible return at the age of 32 and some seven years after it looked like his career was over.

The Pole partially severed his right forearm in an horrific 2011 crash during a rally he entered for fun before the start of that Formula 1 season, and there have been lingering doubts about his arm movement.

Kubica has tested with Mercedes-powered Williams, and Renault, and impressed. A race winner with BMW-Sauber in 2008, he would be a hugely popular choice in the paddock and with fans.

Di Resta, the team’s reserve driver and now 31, stood in for an unwell Massa in Hungary last July and also tested with Kubica. The Scot last did a full season with Force India in 2013.

Williams, sponsored by drinks company Martini, have said in response to suggestions that they need an over-25 driver for commercial reasons that age considerations will not be the deciding factor.

Canadian rookie Lance Stroll, who is set to stay next season, turned 19 on race day in Mexico and has had to wear team kit without alcohol branding at some races already this season due to local age laws.

“What’s most important for the team is to pick a driver lineup that will give us the best performance and most exciting racing potential,” Lowe said last month.

“There are some issues around advertising and Martini but if it came to it, I‘m sure Martini would understand the importance — if that’s what we were to choose — to have the best lineup for racing rather than for advertising.”

MIKA: My money is now on Wehrlein. Williams like pay drivers, I'm sure Toto Wolf who manages Pascal will do everything he can to help him out. He needs a decent car, he knows how to drive as seen in DTM. But I'd love to see Paul Di Resta return or Kubica.

[MIKA27]

ROSBERG: GENETICS ARE QUITE A BIG PART OF THIS

Retired 2016 Formula One world champion Nico Rosberg says genetics, mind management and being less self-enamoured than some of the other drivers all played a part in his success.

The German retired abruptly at the end of last season after beating Mercedes team mate Lewis Hamilton to the title and becoming the second son of a champion to win the championship.

Finnish father Keke was world champion in 1982.

“From my dad genetically inherited a natural gift to drive racing cars,” Rosberg, who is now looking at technology startup companies, told an event in London organised by Wired magazine.

“I’m a firm believer that genetics are quite a big part of this… I would probably say 66 percent genetics, 33 percent nurtured,” he added. “I would go to that extreme. In our sport it’s very clear…”

Referring to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, whom he dubbed “the crazy Dutchman”, Rosberg cited the 20-year-old triple race winner as an example.

“His dad (Jos) was a successful driver too and now his son is a successful driver because it’s the genes that pass on,” he added.

Hamilton, who became Britain’s most successful driver and a four times world champion in Mexico last Sunday, goes against that narrative, however, as someone with no family background in motor racing.

Without giving examples, Rosberg said many Formula 1 drivers had personality traits that were both a strength and weakness.

“The general Formula 1 driver is a big narcissist, in love with himself and he thinks he’s the best in the world and it’s always the other guy’s fault,” he said.

”That gives you a certain strength in this crazy environment where you are judged by millions of people every little moment but it’s also a weakness because you don’t question yourself as much.

“I was more on the other side, the more sensitive, less narcissistic. Questioning myself all the time, trying to improve step by step.”

Rosberg said he had to show total dedication to win the title. He hired a mental trainer and learned to simplify life, practising meditation to bring greater clarity and focus to his racing.

[MIKA27]

Red Bull drivers will give Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel a hard time in 2018

Christian Horner has no doubts Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen will give current champion Lewis Hamilton and chief rival Sebastian Vettel a "hard time" next season, as long as the team can enjoy better relaibility from its Renault engine.

In the four most recent races, Max Verstappen has outscored Lewis Hamilton by ten points and taken two victories in Malaysia and Mexico, whilst Daniel Ricciardo took victory in Azerbaijan and has finished on the podium nine times so far.

The team suffered at the start of the year with a poor development path, whilst engine reliability has also hit both drivers hard, but with the former resolved and Renault working hard on the latter issue, Horner believes his drivers will be in the mix next season.

"If we can take the lessons learned out of the RB13 into the RB14 and with better reliability, then I don't see any reason why both of our drivers shouldn't be able to give Lewis and Sebastian a hard time," he told Sky Sports.

The Red Bull team boss believes it's in the sports best interest for Verstappen and Ricciardo to be given a competitive car as they're two of a very select group that can challenge Hamilton.

"Lewis has just achieved four [titles], he's in his early 30s and one would assume that he's going to achieve more.

"Max is only 20. I think if we can give him a competitive car, he absolutely is a champion in waiting. You can see in the great drivers that they stand out at big moments. Max is doing exactly that.

"I feel very confident in our drivers having the ability," he added. "If we can give them the tools to go shoulder to shoulder with [Hamilton] and hopefully have a great fight, [it] will be great for the sport."

[MIKA27]

Renault admits fifth place now a 'tall order'

Renault Managing Director Cyril Abiteboul has accepted the manufacturer faces a tall order to achieve its goal of fifth in the standings, and is now targeting sixth spot.

Renault, in the second year of its return as a works team, set itself the ambition of classifying inside the top five, but recent reliability issues have hindered its prospects.

Nico Hülkenberg has retired from three of the past four races, while new recruit Carlos Sainz Jr. failed to reach the chequered flag in Mexico due to a steering complaint.
Renault holds seventh position in the standings, five points behind Toro Rosso, but 28 points adrift of Williams.

“The Mexican Grand Prix was particularly difficult with a number of unacceptable mechanical problems and we have the clear intention to take fast and strong measures,” said Abiteboul.

“The particularities of Mexico accentuated our weaknesses, but clearly we have not been successful in balancing performance and reliability.

“The performance of our engine has progressed a lot this year as the results in the race attest; we now have to find reliability, for both us and our customers, even if Max [Verstappen] won magnificently in Mexico.

“The team remains confident and united, which is essential to maintain progress to the end of the season, and also for our preparations for 2018. We have the means; our organisation is stable, robust and competent.

“This season we set ourselves the goal of fifth in the Constructors’ Championship. Whilst achieving this is still mathematically possible, it is now a tall order after a race where we didn’t score points.

“There are now two Grands Prix remaining. We will do everything we can to be sixth at the end of the weekend.”

[MIKA27]

Guenther Steiner: Race stewards always listen to 'cry baby' Fernando Alonso

Haas team principal Guenther Steiner believes it's unfair that the stewards always seem to react to Fernando Alonso's "cries" over team radio, after Romain Grosjean was penalised during the Mexican Grand Prix.

Alonso and Grosjean were tussling over position in the opening laps before the Frenchman ran wide. Alonso radioed his team over the incident, knowing the stewards would be monitoring the team radio and would potentially take action.

"OK, Grosjean cut turn 14 so he needs to give back the position please," Alonso said, whilst Grosjean insisted he had nowhere to go, telling his team: "I had to cut the corner. I couldn’t go anywhere with Fernando pushing me."

Alonso later added: "Yes, please, the position. Please. Please. Race director, look at the race please."

Grosjean was duly hit with a five-second time penalty following the radio calls. Although it's not known whether the stewards were looking into the matter prior to the messages, Steiner believes it's unfair Alonso is always listened to, whereas other drivers aren't.

"Normally he [Alonso] cries like a baby like he did with Romain. And somehow he always gets the FIA stewards to listen to him. But I don’t think he even tried it with Kevin [Magnussen] because there was no point, he knew he wouldn’t give it up anyway," Steiner told TV3.

Discussing Haas' other driver Magnussen, Steiner said his image as a "bad boy" isn't an issue for the team and believes it's necessary to be tough if you want to progress in the sport.
"I think he’s a racer," he added. "That’s why we took him on because we want to go out there and race and fight.

"Even if you get critiqued because you fight you don’t have to give up. Because everybody [says] ‘he’s the bad boy’, they want to knock him down or break him. But he knows that, he knows if he wants to come up you have to behave like this and maybe they knew that he wasn’t going to move."

[MIKA27]

Alonso looking beyond the "small world of Formula 1"

Fernando Alonso says he will continue to explore life beyond the “small world of Formula 1” by sampling different racing series.

The Spaniard, who will follow up his Indianapolis 500 adventure by contesting the 2018 Rolex 24 at Daytona with Zak Brown’s United Autosport’s team, has reiterated that he want to demonstrate his talent by being successful outside F1. 

“I want to be the best driver in the world,” he said. “And to do that you need to compete in different series, you need to win in different cars, and sometimes you need to go out of this small world of F1.

"This is smaller than motorsport, motorsport is more than F1. My plans for motor sport are much greater than everyone will think. We will see.”

He added: “I’ve been trying this for eight or nine years now, and I could not succeed with any of the bosses that I had before.

"Now I think Zak understood that motorsport is bigger than what we think, and some of the experiences that we had in the Indy 500, some of the value that McLaren has now in the US thanks to that approach, it’s a win-win situation for everyone. I’m happy with this approach.”

Alonso expects to be fully prepared before the Daytona race weekend, thanks in part to the 'Roar Befor the 24' test that takes place at the Florida track three weeks prior to the race itself.

  

“I will try to have some simulator test, again like always to a new series, try to test in different conditions, night, day, different things that we will discover there," he said.

"There is the test at the beginning of January with all the cars on the track. Probably I will learn the circuit there, I will learn the traffic, pitstop procedures, changing drivers, all these things. It’s the way it is.

"It’s the same preparation for some of my teammates, for Lando [Norris], for Paul di Resta, they are all in the same situation, so we will try to help each other, and whatever we learn, try to pass to the other drivers.”

He downplayed the suggestion that McLaren boss Brown wants him to mentor Norris, in the same way that Alex Wurz undertook that role with Lance Stroll at Daytona in 2016.

“That’s not the main reason," said Alonso. "I think Lando has the talent and had everything to succeed in the future. I think now it’s an experience that we will both put in our pocket, and maybe it’s useful for the future.

“Whenever I can help Lando, not in Daytona specifically, I think more in F1 or in the simulator or whatever job he’s doing right now, I think it’s great for both.

"Great for the present, to keep improving the car, and great for the future, because McLaren will have a very strong driver very soon.”

[MIKA27]

Opinion: Why Williams should sign high-risk, high-reward Kvyat

Robert Kubica? Paul di Resta? Pascal Wehrlein? As Williams considers who should fill its vacant Formula 1 seat alongside Lance Stroll for 2018, Valentin Khorounzhiy argues there's a better - if unfashionable - choice to be had.

Is it absurd to suggest that Williams, a team that currently has F1's most coveted free seat and a whole host of drivers waiting in line for try-outs, should make Red Bull outcast Daniil Kvyat a priority target?

On the face of it, such a play doesn't make much sense, does it? As Williams has finished ahead of Kvyat's former team Toro Rosso in every year of the hybrid era so far, and will almost certainly do it again this year, a move to the Grove-based team would represent a promotion of sorts. A promotion in no way justified by the nine points Kvyat amassed since his ill-fated return to STR.

But key players in Formula 1 don't appear to recognise Kvyat's Williams bid as an absurdity. Christian Horner, providing the only human touch in Red Bull's otherwise rather unceremonious sacking of the Russian, told Sky he felt Kvyat had done enough to stay in F1, and reckoned he was a "good candidate" for Williams.

And from the Williams team itself, Paddy Lowe confirmed Kvyat would be considered, calling him a "very respectable driver".

This could, admittedly, be lip service, but it shouldn't be. Kvyat, after all, once looked more than good enough to feature in F1's midfield – and who's to say a change of scenery wouldn't help him look that way once more?

Rise and fall

Formula 1 is littered with stories of unfulfilled potential, of promise not delivered on, and if Kvyat never contests another grand prix, many would argue him deserving of his fate.

In hindsight, it might feel like his shock promotion to F1 for 2014 – subsequently trumped in the collective consciousness by Red Bull's other, considerably more successful shock promotion of a teenager to F1 the year after – was too soon. But Kvyat wasn't exactly half-bad in his first year of grand prix racing.

Was the issue, then, that he was placed in the seat vacated by Sebastian Vettel just 19 races into his F1 career? Was that too soon? Maybe, but this is another matter of hindsight, as it sure didn't look like a bad call in 2015.

Red Bull clearly had faith in Kvyat, probably more than it had in most drivers that eventually wound up dropped. His mid-season demotion last year came out of the blue, but drivers like Jean-Eric Vergne, Jaime Alguersuari and Sebastien Buemi can point to his subsequent 2017 extension to say that he was afforded more patience than Red Bull usually displays.

That the patience finally ran out was no huge surprise. Kvyat's defenders – largely concentrated in his native country's national press – will rightly point to an admittedly above-average prevalence of technical issues (amid the usual suggestions of nebulous intra-team politics and nationality-based bias), but even they won't deny the Russian has had a rough old time since his demotion.

He never looked like he fully recovered from the Spain swap, and that mid-2017 stretch - during which he once triggered a crash that eliminated one of the main team's cars, another time took his teammate out and finally broke the camel's back with the crash in Singapore – was justification enough for a demotion.

But his qualifying head-to-head with Sainz suggests the speed which enabled Kvyat's rapid ascent through the ranks is very much still there. And that he ultimately couldn't cope with the pressure that Red Bull demands doesn't mean that another team, with a different atmosphere, shouldn't take a turn and have a go at extracting that obvious potential.

Williams' other options

Admittedly, Kvyat would not be the best decision for Williams marketing-wise. He is not yet 25, which creates a problem for title sponsor Martini, and he is not nearly as popular as one of his prominent rivals for the seat, one Robert Kubica.

The Polish racer ticks all the boxes for 2017, as long as his injury doesn't impede his performance – which is something Williams has already had two tests to find out.

At the same time, he will be 33 next month, so he would probably not offer long-term stability in the way Force India prospered during the Nico Hulkenberg/Sergio Perez years.

Kvyat has seemingly been around forever and his F1 career has already endured more ups and downs than most, but he is only 23. He was born after Antonio Giovinazzi. McLaren rookie Stoffel Vandoorne is two years older.

And despite his torrid recent record, his usual pace suggest he wouldn't be that risky an option – certainly no riskier than a Kubica, or even a Paul di Resta.

There's also Pascal Wehrlein, another driver who has serious potential and one that has valuable Mercedes ties to boot. But the German, while only a few months younger than Kvyat, is markedly less experienced.

He's probably had more headline-grabbing performances than the ex-Red Bull man in the last year and a half, but has not managed to regularly assert himself over Marcus Ericsson at Sauber - an underrated driver himself, but surely an easier challenge than Kvyat's long-time teammate Carlos Sainz.

There was also Williams' lowest-risk option - keeping Felipe Massa for another year - but as of Saturday, this is no longer on the table.

All the remaining rival candidates do provide things that Kvyat cannot, whether that be strengthening ties with Mercedes, stability or raw star quality. And it is not clear how well Kvyat would work with Lance Stroll, given that the Russian didn't exactly make a great combination with Sainz (although that whole situation surely wasn't helped by years and years of baggage between the two).

High reward

Many of those considerations will probably outweigh Kvyat's considerable but as-yet-unrealised promise, which is fair enough. But if so, Williams should make an effort to get him involved all the same, even if it's in a third-driver role with a view at a future race seat promotion.

That would make sense for both parties. It would give Williams a year to evaluate how Kvyat fits within the team, and it would allow the Russian to remain around the F1 paddock.

And if he does enough in a behind-the-scenes role, he'd surely have a good shot at the race seat in 2019 (theoretically helped also by the fact he reaches the magic age of 25 in April of that year).

Whatever the strategy, Williams really should find a way to make use of Kvyat's availability.

That he was given a vote of no confidence by Red Bull is not insignificant – but, as one of F1's youngest-ever starters, points-scorers, podium finishers and formerly one of its most promising talents, Kvyat is too high-reward of an asset to be collectively passed up by the championship's midfield.

[MIKA27]

Haas: Wins within 10 years or we’ve failed

As the curtain comes down on Haas’ second season in F1, Gene Haas says if his team isn’t winning within five years, he would have “failed.”

Haas were eighth in their debut campaign with a best result of P5 at the Bahrain Grand Prix.

This season they are again eighth in the championship, just one point behind manufacturer team Renault, with their best result being Romain Grosjean’s sixth place in Austria.

It is, however, not where team boss Haas wants to be.

“I think if after five years we are still way at the back and not where we want to be, then we would have to rethink whether we still want to be in F1,” he told AutoWeek.

“But in the five years there will be opportunities that will manifest themselves that we can take advantage of.

“Hopefully, one of those will be the one that catapults you to at least be midteam competitive or a little bit better, and from there it is kind of like going up a ladder.

“It’s one step at a time.

“I would think that in 10 years, we should have the ability to win a race, and if we can’t, I guess we failed.”

[MIKA27]

RED BULL DRIVERS PREVIEW THE BRAZILIAN GRAND PRIX

Red Bull drivers preview the Brazilian Grand Prix, Round 19 of the 2017 Formula 1 World Championship, at Autódromo José Carlos Pace (aka Interlagos) in São Paulo.

Daniel Ricciardo: “I really like South America in general so I’m always excited about the Brazilian GP. Last year in the wet was fun and I wouldn’t mind some more rain this year as I know I could do better. I’m positive I can get a good result there but as of yet I haven’t really had a stand out race in Brazil, hopefully that will change this year.”

“The circuit itself isn’t what I typically look for in a track. It doesn’t have any notable high speed corners which I usually really enjoy, it is quite slow and short which isn’t that exciting, that doesn’t mean I will try any less for a strong result though.”

“The fans in Brazil are some of the loudest, lots of air horns and trumpets and a general carnival vibe. The area of town where the track is located is quite authentic so you get lots of local fans coming out to watch the race, it’s a good one with real soul and passion. As well as experiencing the Brazilian support I am also looking forward to a good helping of Churrasco food at Fogo de Chäo.”

Max Verstappen: “We are looking for another strong performance at Interlagos following a really fun race in the wet last year. I really enjoyed 2016, there were some great battles and overtakes which resulted in a hard earned podium. I also had a big moment near pit lane entry which was a close call, I managed to save it and carry on to achieve a good result. As you would expect I’m hoping for another damp race weekend as I don’t think we can be as competitive there in the dry, especially with the elevation changes on the straight, it is not our strongest point.”

“Being such a narrow starting grid you often end up really close to the grandstand which is a pretty unique and
exciting experience. The Brazilian fans are so passionate and vocal so it is always special to feel the atmosphere from the crowd before the start. I think the history of F1 in Brazil means it has a massive following and this is clear to see across the race weekend.”

“The food in Brazil is very good, the Churrascaria restaurants serve unbelievable grilled meat. Although it is nearly the end of the season I still have to be careful what I eat in order to stay the correct weight, this is a shame as I would like to get involved in the local cuisine.”

[MIKA27]

VILLENEUVE: I THINK HAMILTON FELL ASLEEP WITH BOTTAS 

Jacques Villeneuve believes that Lewis Hamilton received a wake up call mid-way through the season when he realised that new Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas was not going to be a challenge for the title as Nico Rosberg was a year earlier, instead it was Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel who proved to be the real threat.

In the aftermath of Hamilton clinching his fourth world title in Mexico, Villeneuve said”Lewis is really, really good. He’s only ever been in the best team with the best car, or close to it, like every great champion, which is fine.

“If he can be the whole season like he’s been since the summer break, great, but he hasn’t done a full season like that. He wasn’t there.” I think he fell asleep with Bottas, and when he realised that Bottas wasn’t the one he had to fight, it was actually Vettel, that’s when he woke up.”

“He spent years with Nico, and it was always tough with Nico. Then when Bottas arrived he was laughing: Phew, finally I’ll have an easy championship. After a while he realised: Crap, Ferrari is there and Vettel is there. And Vettel is not one to give up.”

After three years of Hamilton fighting Rosberg for top honours in Formula 1, finally Ferrari raised their game and provided a challenge. A development which Villeneuve hailed.

Of the battle between teammates, Villeneuve said, “It’s always better, because you don’t need to be political internally, you don’t need to share your resources with your teammate, and to be open about your set-up with someone that you’re actually fighting for the championship. It’s a lot more exciting when it’s someone from another team.”

The Canadian also believes the resurgence of Ferrari this year is what the sport needed,  “It’s always good when Ferrari is in the mix, and it’s always good when it’s a battle.”

“On that aspect it’s been a good year to have faster cars, and it’s been a good year because we’ve been used to terrible years! So right now we’re saying: Wow this was an amazing year!” added the the 1997 Formula 1 World Champion.

[MIKA27]

BRATCHES: WE DON’T WANT TO HOMOGENIZE THIS SPORT

Amid dissent among the sport’s top three manufacturers – Ferrari, Mercedes and Renault – regarding the direction the sport will take beyond 2020, Formula 1 commercial chief Sean Bratches is adamant that the DNA will not be tampered with.

Bratches told Racer, “I think if you look at the most successful sports in the world, there is a more equitable distribution of capital that creates a competitive playing field which engages fans and inserts a degree of unpredictability.”

“Today in Formula 1 there is very little degree of unpredictability – it’s almost certain who is going to be on the podium and who is going to be winning.

“I think while those that are investing massively in their teams are enjoying the fruits of that, it would be short-lived from a sporting standpoint and everyone would be served better if it was a more competitive grid.

“We don’t want to homogenize this sport. We want to create a degree off boundaries in which the teams can play and innovate, and those that are more proficient in exploiting the formula will do better.

“But we’re not trying to get this to a circumstance where everybody has to have the same engine or the same livery. That’s not where we’re going, but we just want to bring the back of the grid up to the front of the grid a little closer,” added Bratches.

[MIKA27]

MALLYA: WE CAN BE MORE AGGRESSIVE AND TAKE MORE RISKS

Force India are prepared to allow their drivers Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon race more freely in the last two races of the season now that the team have secured fourth place in the Formula 1 championship, co-owner Vijay Mallya indicated on Tuesday.

Perez and his young French team mate were reined in by the Silverstone-based team after their on-track clashes cost Force India points and possible podium places earlier in the year.

Force India are now 99 points clear of fifth-placed Williams, and 165 behind third-placed Red Bull, with a maximum 86 remaining to be won.

“With fourth place secure, we have the freedom to take a new approach into the remaining races — perhaps by trying some different things or different Friday drivers in the car to see what we can learn for next year,” said Mallya in a team preview for this weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix.

“We can also be more aggressive with strategies and take more risks,” added the tycoon, who is contesting an extradition request from India on fraud charges and has not left Britain since March last year.

“We’re still hungry for strong results and want to end the season on a high note. The race in Brazil this week is an opportunity to continue our run of strong performances at the very least.”

Mercedes-powered Force India, who finished fourth overall last year with 173 points, are enjoying their best season yet in terms of points scored with 175 from 18 races so far.

Perez finished fourth at a wet Interlagos last season, while Ocon — then with now-defunct Manor in his debut season — was 12th.

Force India have been running Mexican reserve driver Alfonso Celis Jr in some of their Friday morning free practice sessions. Mallya did not name any others who might get slots in Brazil or Abu Dhabi.

[MIKA27]

ECCLESTONE: REALITY IS F1 BUDGET CAP WON’T HAPPEN

Former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, who has kept a low profile this season but of late has been capturing headlines, believes any attempt to make the pinnacle of the sport more competitive by imposing a budget cap is doomed to fail because the big teams will still find a way to stay on top.

The 87-year-old Briton, who moved aside in January when U.S.-based Liberty Media took control, also warned on Monday that a threat by Ferrari to walk away after 2020 should be taken seriously.

Liberty and the governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) are due to present cost control proposals to teams on Tuesday.

While there has been talk of the sport heading towards a high-stakes showdown over the future distribution of revenues, the sport’s Strategy Group meeting in Geneva is not expected to discuss that thorny subject.

A possible budget cap has been mooted, however, despite Formula 1 struggling in the past to find a way of policing such a measure when manufacturer teams are part of much bigger business entities.

Ecclestone was sceptical about the outcome and told Reuters before heading to Brazil for this weekend’s penultimate race of the season, “Most of the people down the field, if there was a budget cap, probably wouldn’t do any better than they are doing now.”.

“Whatever cap you put on Mercedes and Ferrari and Red Bull, it doesn’t make any difference. They’ll do a much better job and will find ways of spending the money,” he added. “If we’re talking about reality, then it ain’t going to happen.”

Liberty is keen to make Formula One sustainable for all teams and the meeting will look at general ideas rather than detailed figures.

It comes after Ferrari chairman Sergio Marchionne last week warned that his team could walk away after 2020, when current contracts expire, if they disagreed with the direction the sport was taking.

Marchionne promised to go into Tuesday’s meeting “with the best of intentions”, however.

Ferrari have threatened to quit before, usually around contract renewal time, but Ecclestone said Marchionne was a very different character to former head Luca di Montezemolo.

”The difference is that Sergio wasn’t the guy in control before,“ he said. ”If he decides that’s what he’s going to do, that’s what he’ll do. The world is changing an awful lot. So things that you would say would never happen, may happen.”

[MIKA27]

Ilmor and Cosworth back proposed 2021 engine plan

Two independent engine manufacturers have backed the FIA and Liberty Media's proposed 2021 engine, which it hopes will reduce the cost of entry and development, whilst also producing more noise akin to Formula 1's past.

Ilmor and Cosworth, both of which have been involved in F1 previously, believe the proposal would open the sport up to new manufacturers and create a greater level of competition by having more than the four suppliers at present.

The proposal is based on the current 1.6L V6 hybrid, but drops the expensive and technically advanced MGU-H in favour of a more powerful MGU-K, plus a higher rev limit to improve the sound.

Ilmor managing director Steve Miller believes the plan is "headed in the right direction", despite the opposition from current manufacturers Ferrari, Renault and Mercedes.

"It's inherently the right thing to do to get away from an over-complicated product that doesn't sound good and is not really turning on the fans," Miller told BBC Sport.

"If they come out of this with a measured view of what's required to get more manufacturers on the grid, then it is easily achievable from the platform they are working from and I think they are headed in the right direction."

Cosworth's Bruce Wood agrees and reckons the greatly reduced cost to get involved will attract new manufacturers to the sport.

"We think the [proposed] rules are something that open it up to a much wider group of people technically and to a much smaller amount of money, which can only interest more people," he said.

"The key thing is that anybody new coming in would have to spend a lot, lot less. Certainly no independent could contemplate it under the current rules and any car company or anyone else entering now knows it is a many hundreds of millions bill and in the current world I'm not sure anybody can tolerate that."

With the sport's current manufacturers expressing anger at the proposal, Wood's believes the sport must take a long-term view to ensure it remains sustainable.

"It is impossible to say the status quo as it is now can be maintained for the long term and if one of the current players should drop out, I don't think they are going to be replaced by anybody so I think they have taken a long-term view."

[MIKA27]

Mercedes-backed George Russell gets FP1 runs with Force India

Mercedes-backed GP3 champion George Russell will carry out practice running with Force India in Brazil and Abu Dhabi.

Russell, 19, joined Mercedes at the start of the year, having impressed in European Formula 3 in 2016, and clinched the GP3 title in his rookie campaign, wrapping up the crown with a round to spare.

Russell made his public Formula 1 test debut with Mercedes during in-season running at the Hungaroring, when he got behind the wheel of the W08 for two days.

Russell will now link up with Force India to carry out FP1 sessions in Brazil and Abu Dhabi, the former in place of Sergio Pérez, and the latter in place of Esteban Ocon.“I’m extremely excited to be driving in free practice for Force India in Brazil and Abu Dhabi,” said Russell.

“2017 has already been a year full of great opportunities and to top off the season with these two outings feels fantastic.

“I’ve never driven the VJM10 before or driven at Interlagos, but I’m really looking forward to the challenge.”

Force India has already retained Perez and Ocon, who is also backed by Mercedes, as its 2018 race drivers.

Sauber's Pascal Wehrlein, yet to confirm his plans for next season, is also part of Mercedes' roster.

[MIKA27]

McLaren expecting improved display in Brazil

McLaren Racing Director Eric Boullier says the outfit is expecting to show stronger performance levels at this weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix, as it eyes a points finish.

Fernando Alonso was on course for seventh place in the United States until he suffered a reliability issue, while the Spaniard rounded out the top 10 at the following event in Mexico.

Boullier is confident that McLaren can perform stronger, relative to its performance in the United States and Mexico, when it takes to the circuit at Interlagos this weekend.

“For McLaren, we’re heading into the weekend with cautious optimism,” said Boullier.

“We know that statistically this circuit should suit the strengths of our package better than the past couple of venues we’ve visited.

“Both of our drivers are well prepared for the weekend ahead and the whole team is looking forward to the legendary welcome we always receive from the incredible Brazilian crowds.

“I hope we can contribute to the great show the enthusiastic fans have come to expect there each year and end the weekend with a positive result.”

Honda chief Yusuke Hasegawa added: “Last time out in Mexico ended with a positive atmosphere in the team after Fernando snatched an all-important championship point.

“We’re now looking to maintain that momentum as we head to Interlagos. 

“The legendary Autódromo José Carlos Pace is a relatively short, albeit challenging, track.

“It is highly technical with a variety of swooping corners and elevation changes, and overtaking is notoriously tricky.

“PU set-up will be key to ensuring good driveability throughout the lap.”

McLaren, which will split with Honda at the end of the year, holds ninth position in the Constructors' Championship.

[MIKA27]

Brendon Hartley hopes to challenge for maiden F1 points

Toro Rosso driver Brendon Hartley is optimistic that he can fight for his maiden Formula 1 points at this weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix, off the back of his second WEC title.

Hartley competed in his first two Formula 1 events in the United States and Mexico, taking 13th position on his debut, before retiring amid Renault’s litany of engine issues a week later.

Hartley will remain in the STR12 across the remainder of the campaign, and heads to Brazil having wrapped up the LMP1 crown in the WEC, his second title in three years.

“I’m very happy to be heading to Brazil with Toro Rosso,” said Hartley.

“With the help of the team I made big progress in Mexico and I’m confident that, with a little bit more luck than last time out, we can fight for points.

“I’m starting to feel at home in the F1 paddock and Sao Paulo is a track I enjoyed and know quite well from when I raced there back in 2014 for the final round of the FIA WEC Championship.

“So, all in all, I definitely look forward to my third race weekend in Formula 1 and what will be my fifth race weekend in a row.”

Team-mate Pierre Gasly is hopeful that wet weather will interfere with proceedings at Interlagos, with Toro Rosso likely to struggle if dry conditions prevail.

“The weather can be sometimes tricky and I remember many race weekends happening under rain, in terms of performance it will be better for us,” he said.

“I really like wet conditions as well, so let’s see how it will be, I think the rain would be good for us to spice things up! If it rains, anything can happen.”

[MIKA27]

Romain Grosjean: STR changes can aid Haas' prospects

Romain Grosjean believes that Haas can benefit from the raft of changes at Toro Rosso, and overhaul the Faenza-based team in the championship.

Toro Rosso battled with Williams for fifth in the standings earlier in the campaign but the Mercedes-powered outfit has pulled clear, with Toro Rosso dragged into a scrap for sixth spot.

Toro Rosso has scored just once in four races amid a revision of its driver line-up, with Renault-bound Carlos Sainz Jr. and the axed Daniil Kvyat replaced by Pierre Gasly and Brendon Hartley.

Toro Rosso now holds a slender five-point advantage over Renault, with Haas in turn just one point behind, as it chases an improvement on its 2016 placing.

“I think out of those teams, Renault is the faster one,” Grosjean said, analysing the gaggle of teams.

“They’ve got a really good car through to the end of the season. They’ve had a bit more of a difficult time in the races, which has allowed us to close the gap and keep them in sight.

“Toro Rosso is the one we can try to go for. They’re not performing better than we are, and they’ve got less experience amongst their drivers, so that should help us.

“We’re going to do everything we can to get those positions because it’s very important for the team.”

Haas team-mate Kevin Magnussen also believes the operation can emerge on top of the three-way tussle, but is wary that the outfit has to “get everything out of it” in order to win the scrap.

“It’s only one point now to Renault for seventh in the Constructors’ Championship, and it’s only six points to Toro Rosso,” said Magnussen.

“It’s extremely close and anything can happen in these last two races. We just need to be on top of everything and get everything out of it that we can.

“It’s not going to be easy. Those teams are doing well and they’re tough competitors.”

[MIKA27]

Verstappen supports call for permanent stewards

Max Verstappen would welcome permanent stewards in Formula 1, saying the sport needs to head in that direction.

Verstappen has had an interesting time of late with Formula 1’s stewards.

In Austin he was hit with a time penalty that cost him third place after the stewards ruled that he had overtaken Kimi Raikkonen off the track.

However, a week later in Mexico, he escaped punishment for seemingly impeding Valtteri Bottas in qualifying.

Those calls have not been the only controversial decisions of late, leading to renewed calls for permanent stewards.

“I think at the end of the day, yes, it would be better,” Verstappen told NBC Sports.

“At least then, (with) the stewards … you know who you’re working with.

“They start to understand the driver a bit better because you share more times together, more races together.

“I honestly think we have to head into that direction.”

MIKA: I been saying this for years!! This is not only a must, but would be better for the sport.

[MIKA27]

Marseille to host London-style live F1 event

The streets of Marseille will host a live Formula 1 event to promote the French Grand Prix, which will return to the calendar next year.

The French city will host the event in June next year, with F1 drivers and teams in attendance, in the build-up to the race.

It will be a similar event to that one hosted by London earlier this year to promote Formula 1 ahead of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

French GP organisers said the Marseille event will be a "big show" organised by Formula One Management.

France will return to the Formula 1 calendar in 2018 after an absence of 10 years. The race will take place at the Paul Ricard circuit.

"There will be a big show in Marseille, in the build-up to the race, like what was done in London this year before Silverstone," French Grand Prix director Gilles Dufeigneux told Motorsport.com.

"As far as the grand prix itself is concerned, there will be a fan zone like the one that's been developed this year since the Spanish Grand Prix. It was very impressive at Silverstone and Spa.

"We were in Mexico last week, it was the same, the drivers will agree. It was very professional. The fan zones include simulators, tyre changing in the pits, waving the chequered flags and merchandising with a lot of F1-themed merchandise.

"The new promoters [Liberty Media] are giving it all they've got for F1 to become a lot more popular."

Dufeigneux said the exact date of the show was yet to be determined, but it is expected to take place the week before the race, scheduled for June 24.

"It's being discussed, but it will be in the week of the grand prix.

"The goal is to have strong engagement in the Marseille metropolitan area."

[MIKA27]

Ricciardo holds "a few cards" in Red Bull contract talks

Daniel Ricciardo says he holds "a few cards" for his negotiations with Red Bull regarding a Formula 1 contract extension beyond 2018.

His teammate Max Verstappen recently extended his contract to the end of 2020, with Red Bull making it clear its priority is to now lock down Ricciardo.

The Australian wants to wait until next season to make the call so he can assess Red Bull's performance and feels he is in a strong bargaining position.

This will be the first time Ricciardo will be free to negotiate a new contract, rather than Red Bull getting the final say, since he joined the outfit's junior programme.

"I won't change my [management] structure," said Ricciardo. "I've never had a big team around me. I've got my lawyer who helps me out with these things.

"Because I am out of contract next year and I do hold a few cards at least, I don't think I need to rush it but if [Red Bull boss] Christian [Horner] and [Red Bull motorsport advisor] Helmut [Marko] express interest in wanting to keep me then that's nice to hear.

"It's better than them saying 'we can't wait for Ricciardo to leave'.

"It's the first time we've been in this position so I want to make the most of it. I still want to do it respectfully. I'll be open in discussions with them and won't keep any secrets.

"Obviously I have got power to negotiate financial things as well but the first box I want to tick is performance.

"I'm still definitely competitive enough to chase the faster car and not the bigger bucks, I'm not at that end of my career."

Horner has said it is prepared to wait until the start of 2018 for Ricciardo to decide his F1 future, if that means it can retain him.

However, he knows that as Ricciardo is a free agent come the end of next season, Red Bull can not stop him signing for a rival F1 team.

Ricciardo said a factor in his decision-making process is the quality of his teammate.

He has said he would like to challenge Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton in the same car, while the four-time world champion is still in his prime, and also former Red Bull teammate Sebastian Vettel, who is contracted to Ferrari until the end of 2020.

"[It is] not only to measure myself but I think it's an opportunity to keep learning," he said. "We'll see. It would be cool, but we'll see what happens. It won't be the deciding factor, but it will be a little tick."

[MIKA27]

Hamilton claims of intra-team conflict a "compliment" - Rosberg

Formula 1 2016 world champion Nico Rosberg says he's taking former teammate Lewis Hamilton's claims their relationship at Mercedes was negative as a "compliment".

Rosberg and Hamilton engaged in three consecutive internal fights for the F1 world championship between 2014 and '16, which created a difficult relationship between them, and with their Mercedes team.

Hamilton, now a four-time world champion, suggested Rosberg's shock retirement the previous winter had helped him reach a new level this season, because Rosberg leaving had improved the atmosphere inside Mercedes.

When asked for his reaction to Hamilton's comments, Rosberg told Motorsport.com: "I'll read you a quote. This quote is from Lewis Hamilton: 'When you have two strong drivers in the team as we had, well, when the battle is within the team, it's like a hurricane with strong energy and it is just stuck in the room.'

"That's a quote from Lewis and I'll take that as a compliment!"

Rosberg suggested Hamilton would have felt differently about things had he beaten Rosberg to the 2016 championship.

"I won, so I can imagine maybe that wasn't so positive [for him] - I would be saying the same if I lost last year, that it wasn't too positive for me," Rosberg added.

"I found it very positive. We were probably the most successful teammate pairing in the history of Formula 1 on the track.

"We were pushing each other to the ultimate high level. Of course, it's not easy, but that's what in my eyes keeps the drive going and the motivation high. For me, that was largely positive.

  

"Clearly it was an extremely intense and challenging situation, but all the more rewarding then to come out on top, and against Lewis, who was rewriting the record books himself.

"To come out on top against him was so damn rewarding, and all that has come together in me being just absolutely so entirely fulfilled with my career, because the ending was just perfection for me."

Much was made of the breakdown in relations between the pair during their time at Mercedes, with Hamilton and Rosberg having been childhood friends and rivals in karting.

Rosberg says he is open to having "normal" conversations with Hamilton again, now they are no longer competitors.

"The fact is that I'm not at all a competitor anymore - it's a completely different ball-game now, I am 100% out," Rosberg said.

"That changes a lot of things and therefore I don't see why, with time, we can't start having conversations again in a normal way.

"I've always had great respect for him, I don't have anything against him, he was just a competitor and then naturally there was this difficult situation, but the base respect was always there.

"I still respect him as a person and as a racing driver – I always will and always have. That always remains and remains since we were 14 years old."

[MIKA27]

F1's 2021 engine proposal a "good concept" - Steiner

Haas F1 team principal Gunther Steiner says that the 2021 engine parameters announced last week by F1 and the FIA are "a good concept" from which to start, but he acknowledges that they will need a lot of refinement.

Manufacturers Ferrari, Mercedes and Renault all expressed their disappointment with the plans, which focus on less technology and more standardisation of parts.

Steiner, who obviously wants to see costs reduced and the playing field levelled, is the first team boss to express a positive response.

"They've tried to achieve the things they set out with more noise, more equality and lower costs," he said.

"That is the aim of it. I think they've thrown out a good concept to start off with. Now the details can be worked out by the technical people. The concept is out there, and I don't think the concept will be changed.

"But now they need to work on the detail of the concept to achieve the goals they've set themselves with more noise, more equality and lower costs for the customer teams. Hopefully, they can achieve it."

While reducing costs is a key issue for teams like Haas, Steiner acknowledged that the engine has to tick other boxes, and be acceptable to fans.

"I wouldn't say it's the most important. It's as important as the other ones because even if it's cheap, if people don't like the engine, why would we do it?

"There needs to be a compromise between what the fans like, which is noise, and new manufacturers coming in, which is what people want.

"The cost element is also important for new people, for current people, and for the teams which don't make their own engines, like us. It's part of what we need to do to change F1 to be better."

Steiner stressed that getting the sound right has to be a key goal.

"The noise – if you don't have it, you think it's not important because it's just noise. If you hear a V10 or a V12 going by, when you see these historic cars, it sounds beautiful. I think a lot of people like the noise. I don't think we'll get to that noise of a V10 or a V12, because you have a turbo on it.

"You can improve, and the aim is with making the rev limit 3,000 rpm higher than the current engine, it can be achieved to be noisier. I think it will never be like it was. A little bit noisier is good because I think it's great for the fans to hear a car coming from far away.

"I think it will take a year to finalise the regulations. I think that's the aim, to have the final version of the technical regulations by the end of 2018.

"Then it's a two-year development process. I think already the manufacturers will start now to develop, because you cannot be behind."