Formula 1 - 2017

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MALLYA FACING TWO WEEKS IN COURT OVER FRAUD ALLEGATIONS

Embattled businessman Vijay Mallya has a case to answer over fraud allegations, a London Court heard on Monday at the start of a two-week hearing to determine whether the flamboyant businessman should be extradited to India.

The co-owner of Force India, Mallya, 61, is wanted in his home country over a series of loans tied his defunct Kingfisher Airlines. He has denied all wrongdoing.

“We will see the representations that are alleged by the government give rise to a case to answer of fraud,” Mark Summers, the British lawyer representing the Indian authorities, told Westminster Magistrates’ Court.

The long-haired, bearded Mallya arrived at the courthouse wearing a dark blue pin-striped suit, gold-rimmed dark glasses and patent leather shoes.

He was mobbed by a large crowd of Indian reporters as he arrived, and again later when the building was briefly evacuated because of a fire alarm and he had to step back out onto the street. Inside the courtroom, he sat quietly in the dock.

Indian banks want to recover about $1.4 billion that the Indian authorities say Kingfisher owes.

The Indian government accuses Mallya of fraudulently obtaining and misusing funds and are seeking the extradition of the businessman, who moved to Britain in March last year.

Summers told the court that Kingfisher had sought a series of loans in 2009 of 2,000 crore ($310-million) to pay creditors.

It applied for the biggest part of this amount, ultimately 750 crore ($116-million), from state lender IDBI bank in October 2009.

A week later, the airline applied for another short-term loan of 150 crore ($23-million to cover “critical obligations”, Summers said.

He said the airline had offered the security of its brand name, a further large injection of equity and a commitment to start repaying the capital debt in 2011 when it forecast it would become profitable.

“The issue is whether those projections were honest,” Summers said.

The judge will have to decide whether there is a prima facie case against Mallya and whether the alleged crimes would be offences in Britain as well as India.

That ruling can be challenged in a higher court before being passed to the Home Secretary (interior minister) for approval. The minister´s decision can also be appealed to the courts.

On Sunday night, Mallya attended the Autosport Awards ceremony, a prestigious motor racing event that took place in London’s luxurious Grosvenor House Hotel. He rubbed shoulders there with Formula One bosses and other motorsport personalities.

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WHY DUBAI NEVER GOT A GRAND PRIX

Dubai was the first of the Persian Gulf countries to flirt with the idea of hosting a grand prix as Bernie Ecclestone targeted expansion into the region, but a series of interesting circumstance conspired against the plan and as a result, Bahrain became the first venue for Formula 1 in the region followed by Abu Dhabi.

When I arrived in Dubai in 2004 to take up the role as Photo Director of Gulf News the city was a sliver of what it is today, a massive boom was evident in the numerous construction projects that dotted the landscape. The Dubai dream was in full swing.

Legend has it that shortly after the turn of this century Ecclestone flew to Dubai for a meeting with Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, to negotiate a deal for a Formula 1 race in the Emirate.

A track was already in the process of being built for this purpose – Dubai Autodrome – on the outskirts of the city. The plan was to build it in several phases with a grand prix at the venue the ultimate goal.

Ecclestone arrived in Dubai and was whisked off to a palace for the meeting with the ruler but was kept waiting and waiting…

This annoyed the F1 supremo to the point that while he bided his time he made a call to the rulers of Bahrain, who had also shown an interest in hosting a grand prix, and asked them if they were serious about their bid.

They of course were and, tired of waiting for the meeting with the Sheikh, Ecclestone ordered his private jet to be fired up – destination Bahrain – returned to the airport and departed for Manama.

What transpired is now history, as Bahrain’s vision for Formula 1 became reality. They built the Bahrain International Circuit and in 2004 a grand prix was held in the kingdom which Michael Schumacher won. The venue remains part of the Formula 1 calendar to this day.

Dubai continued to boom and the idea of a Formula 1 race was shifted to the back burner as Sheikh Mohammed focused instead on developing other mainstream sports events such as the Rugby Sevens, Dubai Open tennis, the Dubai World Cup horse race and international golf.

Dubai Autodrome opened around the same time as the first Bahrain Grand Prix happened and from the outset was (and is) a circuit much appreciated by drivers. A challenging 5.4 km track which came to life with the hosting of the 2004 FIA GT Championship, European Touring Car Championship and Formula Renault V6 Eurocup.

Since then the venue hosted the now defunct A1 GP and GP2 Asia and has hosted an annual 24 Hours race for GT, sports cars and touring cars since 2006. Over the years of working there, I was privy to inside information and can report that NASCAR, Indycar, DTM, WEC, MotoGP all made approaches thinking (erroneously) that there was limitless money to throw at racing. There was and there is none.

Of course these days the dream of a grand prix is a very distant memory.

Between 2004 and 2008 Dubai boomed in a manner that few modern cities have done in history. From a sedate seaside city it turned into a sprawling metropolis, glittering with stupendous highrise structures, including the world tallest building. The transformation was astounding even to those who lived through the years of non-stop construction.

But in 2007 the global crisis struck and while Dubai at first seemed immune to the collapse, in 2008 the city felt the wrath of the financial catastrophe. By the time the dust settled the Emirate was all but bankrupt.

The scars of 2008 remain. Amid the city’s skyscrapers remain unfinished projects, abandoned by lack of funding and left to rot to this day. While new projects, including the multi-billion dollar canal, emerged and have been completed. But the skeletons remain on the landscape.

Dubai Autodrome, owned by property company Union Properties, felt the brunt of the crisis, teetering on the verge of collapse. It never really recovered and the results of neglect at the racing venue they own are clearly visible.

The track remains, defiant as it still is a much respected and probably the most used piece of racing tarmac in the region. But the decaying surrounds provide cruel evidence into how Dubai woke up to what proved to be a bad dream.

A skyscraper hotel whose shadow falls on Turn 3 remains empty and slowly decaying in the desert heat. Next to it, along the stretch from Turn 1 to Turn 3 is a decomposing structure which at one point harboured lofty ambitions of being a motor mall.

Also adjacent to the venue, opposite the management building, is a hotel that was also never finished and remains a skeleton that welcomes visitors as they enter Motor City, the constantly evolving residential area that surrounds the race track.

Ironically, while two hotels stand to rot, a third has since been built overlooking the final turn and set to open in January.

How long the Autodrome remains is a constant source of debate. Union Properties in its current guise is an excuse for a company, without any interest whatsoever in the circuit or motorsport for that matter.

It is no secret that Union Properties are keen to re-zone the prime land which the track occupies so that they can tear it down and expand the residential area that surrounds it, but the mandate they have from the ruler of Dubai handed to the previous cabal that ran the company (to the ground) is to run and maintain the Autodrome as a motorsport complex until 2024.

Thereafter it is unknown what will happen, but we do know what the owners have in mind…

History shows that when the opportunity arose for a second grand prix in the Gulf, Abu Dhabi seized the opportunity and pumped a whopping $1.3-billion to build Yas Marina Circuit. In 2009 it hosted a grand prix for the first time and remains on the calendar ever since.

You may ask, how did Abu Dhabi find the money to achieve the goal while Dubai failed?

Having lived in the UAE for over a decade I always explain the difference between Dubai and Abu Dhabi by likening the cities to two sisters:

Dubai is the sister who is brash, over-the-top, ostentatious, loud and a tart of sorts with all her flash and bling of zirconias and plastic. On the other hand, Abu Dhabi is more demure, conservative and proper, but her jewellery is the real deal, namely diamonds and proper pearls.

Dubai tends to do things first but with little substance, while Abu Dhabi does it right and built to last.

And most importantly, Abu Dhabi has real money thanks to having 80% of the country’s oil production and reserves. Dubai has none of this, surviving by busking and works as a business hub which cares little about the colour of the money or where it originates from…

Invariably talk of a grand prix in Dubai emerges every now and then. Talk of a street race has done the rounds recently, but the truth is that such a project would cost half a billion dollars to happen, money the city coffers does not have.

As for Dubai Autodrome, the venue would need around $200-million to spruce up the place and add facilities so that it could host Formula 1 to the standards required by the sport.

However, with Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (60km down the road) and their seven star Yas Marina Circuit firmly entrenched on the calendar, a Dubai Grand Prix will not happen in the foreseeable future yet, an ePrix discussion came and went without any real progress.

Once again Dubai was the first to toy with the idea of a grand prix in the region after all Ecclestone made it his first port of call for a race and only being stood up by the Sheikh scuppered the deal.

And of course, along came the other sister – Abu Dhabi – and did it properly.

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Kevin Magnussen accepts one-lap pace needs work

Haas’ Kevin Magnussen believes 2017 has been his “best year” in terms of race performances, but reckons the feel of the squad’s VF-17 has hindered his one-lap displays.

Magnussen lost out 12-8 in the head-to-head battles with team-mate Romain Grosjean, and did not make Q3 all year, while the Frenchman progressed through to the top 10 shootout five times.

Magnussen took five points finishes this year, with a best result of seventh in Azerbaijan, but reckons his Saturday performances need to be refined.

“I think it’s been my best year, especially on Sundays,” said Magnussen.

“This year hasn’t been my strong year in qualifying; this car has been a bit oversteering on entry to corners and that’s not my preferred balance in the car.

“I struggle a little bit when I have oversteer on entry, I can handle mid-corner and exit [oversteer] and also on high-speed [corners], but if I can’t brake and enter the corner with a stable rear I struggle a little bit.

“That’s been a little the problem this year, it calms down in the race when you fill up the car with fuel, and also it’s worse on Ultrasoft [tyres] than Supersoft and in the race you often run with the harder compound, so it helps, [as] you get a bit more understeer.

“That’s something personally I need to work on for next year is trying to dial in the car more from the beginning of pre-season testing.

“This year I spent a bit of time trying to work out where the problem is and then you start working on that problem.

“Next year I’ll have a better understanding and be able to hit the ground running a bit better.”

Magnussen scored 19 points to finish 14th in the standings, nine points and one position adrift of Grosjean.

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Robert Kubica's return would be a blow to young drivers - Sebastian Vettel

Sebastian Vettel believes Robert Kubica's return to Formula 1 would be a blow to young drivers who are pushing hard to work their way up the motorsport ladder to secure a very limited number of seats, or sometimes no seat at all given how rarely a chance at F1 comes up.

Kubica is pushing for a full-time comeback with Williams this season following his 2011 rally crash, which caused life-threatening injuries and almost saw him lose his right-arm, which still has some mobility issues, though he insists they aren't a barrier to his return.

Vettel though has questioned why Kubica, who turns 33 this week, left it so long to seek a comeback, and although he recognises how it would be "nice story" for Kubica and the sport, he says it comes at the cost of promoting a younger driver to the seat, like Sergey Sirotkin who is also in the running to partner Lance Stroll at Williams.

"I think it's very tragic what happened to him back then, he was considered a future champion," Vettel told Swiss newspaper Blick.

"However, I do not understand why he is now pushing for a comeback. Why did he not do this earlier?

"For him it would certainly be a nice story, [but] on the other hand, it would be a pity for younger drivers, from whom he would take away a race seat."

If Kubica secures the Williams seat, it will mean just one new driver joining the grid in 2018, with Sauber confirming Charles Leclerc as part of its Alfa Romeo deal.

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Carlos Sainz Jr. took 'more aggressive' approach through 2017

Carlos Sainz Jr. says he adopted a more aggressive stance throughout 2017 in order to capture his move to a manufacturer team for 2018.

Sainz Jr. entered his third campaign with Toro Rosso with his prospects of graduating to Red Bull slim, due to the presence of Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen.

Sainz Jr. held the upper hand against Daniil Kvyat, scoring the bulk of Toro Rosso’s points, and netted a move to Renault for 2018, which came four races earlier than anticipated.

Sainz Jr. explained that Toro Rosso’s grid positions often prompted him to take such a riskier stance than in previous years, but believes that his approach has paid off.

“Definitely this year I’ve been more aggressive,” Sainz Jr. said.

“I needed to be more aggressive to get points, especially as we were not qualifying in the top 10 in Toro Rosso this year.

“We were struggling to get into the top 10, so you had to be a lot more aggressive on Sundays.

“That might have meant I got a couple more retirements than maybe I have wanted, maybe a couple more retirements than in the previous seasons, but I think it’s paid off.

“If you look now as the championship standings and my points with the opportunities I’ve had I think it’s a very positive year.”

Sainz Jr. expanded on his stance, explaining: “If in 2015 I was risking a bit less it’s because I wanted to learn, I wanted to do all the races, I was having a lot of retirements and I wanted to finish races.

“If in 2016 I was still a bit conservative it was because I had a reason to do it and if in 2017 I was more aggressive it’s because I have a reason to do it and because I wanted 2017 to be a special year, to take my opportunities and to make this chance where I am now in Renault to happen.

“I knew that to be in Renault at the end of the year I needed to do some special things to shine a bit more, to risk a bit more, and to get into the top 10 starting from 11th and 12th I knew I had to risk more.”

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Schumacher wanted post-title test to end self doubt - Todt

Michael Schumacher privately asked for a test at Fiorano the winter after winning his first F1 title for Ferrari in 2000, because he wanted to be sure he was still able to drive at his best, FIA president Jean Todt has revealed.

Todt's fascinating insight into how humble Schumacher was – despite an image that sometimes portrayed him as arrogant – emerged as the seven-time champion was inducted into the FIA's new Hall of Fame in Paris on Monday.

Schumacher, who is still recovering from head injuries he sustained in a skiing crash in 2013, was unable to attend, but his manager Sabine Kehm represented him.

Todt, who was Schumacher's team boss at Ferrari throughout their title-winning campaigns from 2000 to 2004, said that two episodes stood out for him at their time together.

One was when they clinched their first title together at the Japanese Grand Prix in 2000, and the other came later that winter when Schumacher's asked for the private run at Ferrari's test track.

"I remember when he was driving for Ferrari, and there are two things I will mention," said Todt. "In 2000, after 21 years, Ferrari was champion with Michael.

"I took him to the podium, and I said Michael, our racing life will never be the same. Clearly that day at Suzuka, that has been the strongest moment in my career.

"Another thing to show what Michael is like, when he was finishing the 2000 season as champion, we were starting the 2001 season. He asked me, quite shy, because he's a shy guy. He looks arrogant but he's shy.

"He asked me, would you allow me to do some testing in Fiorano to make sure I am still able to drive? He was always full of doubt, whether he was a good driver or not. He made his testing, and he was not too bad."

Schumacher missed

Todt said that Schumacher's absence from the opening of the Hall of Fame was felt by everyone there – but made it clear the German was still fighting to make a full recovery from his injuries.

"We miss Michael," said Todt. "He's there, still fighting. I'm happy to have Sabine here, to run the family business. I wanted [son] Mick to come tonight but he's doing some testing in Spain and [wife] Corinna is in the States.

"A fight is going on. Michael is someone very special, someone special for motorsport. He's special to me, he's a friend."

Kehm, who accepted Schumacher's induction to the Hall of Fame, said: "I'm just a poor replacement this evening. We all know Michael should be here. I'm sure he would love to be here.

"He always had the highest respect for everyone in this room. He would feel honoured. I also know how big a friend Michael is of Jean. I'm sure he would be proud of him for making this possible.

"I don't think it was only discipline that made him so special, I think what made him so successful was the love and compassion with everyone else in the room, the love and passion for this sport."

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Liberty evaluating F1 circuit design tweaks to improve racing

Formula 1 chief Ross Brawn has revealed that Liberty Media is investigating whether changes to grand prix track layouts are needed over the next few years to help improve the racing.

While research is ramping up about tweaks to car designs – to make overtaking easier by allowing cars to follow each other more closely – it has emerged that a parallel project has begun looking at how track designs can be bettered too.

Brawn, who is managing director of motorsports at F1, says that if the sport can better understand what makes a good track for racing, then current venues can be tweaked.

Speaking about potential long-term changes to the sport to improve overtaking, he said: "The aerodynamic programme is now starting to pick up pace, and the work on circuit development is happening.

"We have already got engaged with some circuits about possible modifications to improve racing."

Motorsport.com recently revealed that Melbourne considered changing a section of its circuit to add an overtaking spot, but in the end elected against the idea for now because it was not convinced the tweaks would definitely improve matters.

Brawn said the Liberty investigation involves looking back through F1 history to understand what elements are needed to produce the kind of racing that fans actually like.

"We have started looking in our archives," he said. "Were there periods of racing where there was more overtaking? Are there tracks where there is more overtaking? So you can do a statistical analysis.

"The thing you have to be careful of is that overtaking isn't good racing. You have got to start to think about what is good racing – and it is two cars fighting each other.

"It may mean the guy in front stays in front but you can have some great racing going on. It is a little bit more complex than the number of overtakes, counting the number of overtakes.

"What we are seeing so far is the ability to take different lines through corners is quite important to help racing.

"So if you have got a hairpin and it is a narrow track, it is not that great. If you have a hairpin and it is a wide track, where there can be some different lines going into it, then you can get something happening.

"Austin, I think, would fall into the category of where there is a complex of corners. So, you take a line on one corner going in, and then you start to force the defending car to start taking different lines. And then eventually you come out in the right place. That is what we are looking at."

Brawn also said that track surface was a factor too in helping the racing, with smooth, low degradation asphalt not conducive to good entertainment.

"The surface is quite important to the racing because the type of surface can create degradation and a reasonable degree of tyre degradation is helpful to racing because you start to get performance differentials," he said.

"It doesn't want to be the band aid to fix it. But if you look at circuits with very low degradation, like Sochi, the racing there is challenging and it is one stop. The tyres don't go off, so away you go. There are no performance differentials created.

"If you look at some of the great races we have had this year, there have often been tyres involved in terms of degradation levels, so the guy defending – like [Kimi] Raikkonen, defending on tyres that were not as good as the tyres Max [Verstappen] had attacking him. The surface is quite a factor in terms of the racing you get."

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Autosport F1 Podcast: Will Kubica miss out on 2018 Williams seat?

Robert Kubica's chances of landing a 2018 Williams Formula 1 drive following his inconclusive performance in the Abu Dhabi test are discussed in the latest free Autosport Podcast.

The 32-year-old is still in contention for the seat, along with Daniil Kvyat, Sergey Sirotkin and Paul di Resta, but Williams has yet to make a final decision on whether or not he will make a sensational return to grand prix racing.

Former grand prix driver Karun Chandhok joins Lawrence Barretto, Ben Anderson and Edd Straw to explain what went on during Kubica's test, and the decision Williams must now take.

Alfa Romeo's return to Formula 1 with Sauber is also discussed, as well as the announcement that Charles Leclerc and Antonio Giovinazzi will race for the team in 2018. Finally, there's a look at Jenson Button's return to full-time racing in Super GT next year.

 

[Baldy]

Glad F1 is looking into modifying tracks to make it more exciting.  IMO, the potential for overtaking is exciting racing.  Nothing is more boring than a processional race such as Monaco. At these tracks, I'll usually tune out and go back to bed after the start as there's no need to watch the rest of the race.

It would be a huge mistake for Williams to take on Kubica or Kyvat.  Kubica is too old and too injured.  Kyvat is too mentally fragile.  Both will make Stroll look good so Stroll's daddy might just bankroll one of them.  Williams' seat is very much for sale to the highest bidder.  Even with a Mercedes engine, they'll be battling for 10th. 

 

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HAMILTON: NO REASON WHY F2 IS LOUDER AND HAS BETTER RACING THAN F1

Lewis Hamilton has been inundated with awards since the Formula 1 season came to an end last month, the 2017 World Champion chose to attend the BRDC Awards in person where he had some choice words for the direction the sport has taken and the situation it finds itself in right now.

On the night Hamilton was awarded not one, but two, BRDC Gold Stars, the BRDC’s premier annual award recognising the strongest performance of the year in international motor racing, with the second Gold Star awarded for winning the Formula 1 Drivers’ World Championship.

This achievement sees Hamilton become the most decorated recipient of BRDC Gold Stars in the history of the Club, surpassing the record of 10 Gold Stars previously set by Sir Stirling Moss.

On receiving his accolade, Hamilton told the audience, “From a racing driver’s point of view you just want to be able to race closely like you could in karts. Kart racing is the best form of racing still because the guys follow each other so closely.

“The cars this year are the best they’ve ever been. Looking at the next step, I believe Ross and Chase and the teams are really working hard to make sure that the next cars in 2021, they’re even more raw.”

“I hope they make the cars louder. You can have bigger tyres… why did Jackie [Stewart] have big tyres back in the day and we’ve got smaller tyres? Maybe a little less downforce, maybe we can race closer.”

“There’s no reason why a GP2 race, or F2, or whatever you want to call it, should be louder and sound better, and be able to have better racing, and follow closer. And that’s what we’ve somehow got to make in F1, while it’s still faster than the other classes.”

Hamilton also touched on promoting Formula 1, “I think everyone has an opinion about it. It’s not about what I want, it’s just F1 has been a little bit behind other sports. It’s such a special sport.”

“You look at the NFL, you look at soccer, you look at all these other sports which happen to have a little bit more of a global awareness, I think F1 has the scope to be as big as those.”

“I think the great thing with Chase [Carey] and the team from Liberty coming in is they’ve really brought something new into the mix this year, whilst they’re learning at the same time about the sport, and what the fans want,” added Hamilton.

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ROSBERG: LIFE IS ABSOLUTELY PERFECT IT CANNOT BE BETTER

Nico Rosberg retired at the end of 2016 after bagging his one and only Formula 1 Wolrd Championship title, now a year down the road the former Mercedes driver is adamant that life is good and that he has no desire to return to the grid.

The German has kept a high profile presence in the world of F1, visiting a number of grands prix during the course of the season, attending the recent FIA Hall of Fame launch and maintaining regular communication with his fans via social media.

Asked how his life was on the anniversary of his retirement, he told Stuttgarter-Zeitung, “It’s absolutely perfect, it cannot be better.”

Rosberg revealed that his has received many messages from people praising his decision, “Many people have told me that my decision to quit has made them re-think their lives and their own futures, that’s really magical for me.”

As for keeping busy after a life dedicated to racing, Rosberg said, “It’s nice to have the freedom and to use this time for me. In Formula 1, you’re so self-centred, thinking only of yourself. Now for me, it’s a challenge in my second life to move out of that personal ego centre, to change myself as a human.”

At the same time, he acknowledges that the sport helped him grow and turned him into a more confident individual, “I’m actually an extremely shy person, but every time you are in difficult situations, you change yourself as a human being and grow as a result.”

“It taught me so much, about why we humans are the way we are, and that helps me with raising my children because I can see where I’m going wrong.”

The 2016 World Champion still follows F1 not only as a professional and ambassador for various corporations but also as a fan, “It’s sport, it’s entertainment, it works great, I have a lot of fun watching it on TV.”

As for the future, he explained, “I’m open to everything, but I would like to stay in my sport. Today I am a family man, a corporate ambassador, a manager. I am also looking at investments, especially for start-up companies in the field of mobility.”

Asked if he did not harbour a secret desire to be on the grid, he responded,  “No, really not at all. I’m very satisfied. I have no nostalgia. I have achieved what I wanted to achieve and that’s everything I need.”

Nevertheless, he admits, “Of course there were difficult moments. I mean, I totally changed my life. To deal with this new life you have to learn first.”

“Before that, everything was very simple: How do I win the next race? It was all about that for twenty years. Now, to a certain extent, I have a blank sheet of paper in front of me, without a plan,” concluded Rosberg.

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BRAWN: MY WORRY IS THAT MERCEDES WILL GET EVEN STRONGER

Formula 1 motorsport chief Ross Brawn fears that Mercedes “steamroller” domination will continue in 2018, but nevertheless remains optimistic that it will be a strong year despite the fact that moves to improve the show will still take some time.

Mercedes have been the team to beat since the advent of the hybrid turbo power unit era. In four years they have won eight titles with very little resistance from rival teams.

For sure 2017 made them break a sweat as Lewis Hamilton faced a strong challenge from Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, a welcome relief to the four years of slugging it out with fellow Silver Arrows driver Nico Rosberg.

But with dust now settled it is fair to say that Mercedes trounced Ferrari, with 12 victories to five and winning the constructors’ title by a massive 146 points a testament to this.

Brawn told ESPN, “[Mercedes] have got a great group of people, but my slight worry is that they will get even stronger now. They’ve had a change of senior management – Paddy Lowe left and James Allison came – and that was in the middle of a car [regulation] change, which is not easy.”

“By their own admission, the car they had this year was a bit of a diva and I strongly suspect that’s not going to be the case next year. So I just see – unfortunately in many ways – a continuation of the steamroller. Let’s hope I’m wrong!”

“We have to keep a balanced view. We had some great races this season, so Abu Dhabi wasn’t the greatest, but we had some great races this year. I think it’s a combination of the circuits, the cars we have, the drivers and how competitive everyone is, so I’m optimistic we can have a very strong year next year.”

In terms of the balance of power, Mercedes are unlikely to drop down the pecking order at least until the new regulations kick in from 2021.

Brawn explained, “In terms of changing the cars, in terms of tuning the circuits and in terms of perhaps developing the tyres to help the racing, that is going to take some time.”

“But I think you will see over the next few years that every decision will be made to move in that direction, whereas before that was not always the case.”

“I think I can make a commitment that every sporting and technical decision we take will be in the direction of improving the racing and improving the show,” added Brawn.

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FIA makes Brazilian Grand Prix security recommendations

The FIA has made a number of recommendations to improve security at the Brazilian Grand Prix following a spate of incidents in recent years.

Security around the circuit has been a persistent issue, but this year a number of attacks on team members forced the FIA to request a report on the incidents so it can make recommendations to improve the matter at future events.

A vehicle carrying members of the Mercedes F1 team was stopped and the driver held at gunpoint, whilst vehicles belonging to Pirelli, Sauber, Williams and the FIA were also forced to stop, but managed to escape before the thieves could gain access.

As a result, Pirelli and McLaren even cancelled their post-Brazil tyre test, fearing their crews could be attacked.

Formula 1 has concluded its report into the matter and the FIA has requested a number of changes to ensure security is improved.

"The World Council was presented with the report on the security incidents that occurred at this year’s Brazilian Grand Prix which was requested from the Commercial Rights Holder (CRH) by the FIA.

"Following the report, the CRH recommended that the promoter, who is responsible for the security of the event, retains an independent security expert to evaluate and advise on security plans, implements a police reporting hub at the circuit and improves overall communication between the promoter security, police and F1 stakeholders.

"The World Council strongly urged the promoter to implement these recommendations and improve the situation ahead of next year’s event. The FIA will offer to participate in discussions with the local authorities and closely monitor the situation."

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FIA approves grid penalty tweak for 2018

The FIA's World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) has approved a minor tweak to the penalty system in order to reduce the confusion caused when a high number of drivers are penalised – a common occurence during the 2017 season.

The Italian Grand Prix was one of several races this year where a host of penalties dramatically altered the starting grid, with only four drivers remaining in the position that they qualified due to the four engine per season limit.

With that dropping to just three in 2018, it's expected the number of grid penalties – which exceeded 700 places this season – could rise further, therefore the FIA has made a minor tweak to simplify the system.

If a driver is hit with a penalty exceeding 15 places, they must start from the back and if multiple drivers are penalised, they will line-up in the order that the penalty was applied.

"A change to the power unit penalty system was approved, whereby if a driver incurs a penalty exceeding 15 grid places he will be required to start the race from the back of the starting grid," read a WMSC statement.

"If more than one driver receives such a penalty they will be arranged at the back of the grid in the order in which the offences were committed."

A number of other changes have been approved, though detailed informaton hasn't been released.

- Regulations relating to procedures for starting or resuming a race behind the safety car
- Changing the event timetable to increase flexibility
- Ensuring that testing of previous cars may only take place on tracks currently holding an FIA Grade 1 or 1T licence
- Provision for demonstration events in previous cars which does not constitute testing. No such demonstrations may exceed 50km in length and only tyres manufactured specifically for this purpose by the appointed supplier may be used
- Changes to ensure that oil cannot be used as fuel
- Introduction of a detailed specification for oil
- A minimum weight and volume for energy storage (batteries)
- Changes to position of cameras and wing mirrors to accommodate the Halo

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Haas rules out unhelpful Antonio Giovinazzi for reserve role in 2018

Haas F1's Guenther Steiner has confirmed that the American outfit will not run Antonio Giovinazzi as its third driver for 2018.

Giovinazzi tested for Haas throughout 2017 and took part in seven FP1 sessions over the course of the year, as well as standing in for an injured Pascal Wehrlein at Sauber for the Australian and Chinese Grand Prix at the start of the season. 

Despite Haas' connections to Ferrari and the Scuderia requesting the team to run their junior driver in 2018, Steiner was resolute and was clear that Giovinazzi would not be part of the team's agenda for next season. 

"I don't think it helped us or our drivers," Steiner told Denmark's Ekstra Bladet newspaper.

"I cannot say how negative it was, but it was not positive. We will see what we are doing next year, but we have not talked about it yet."

Giovinazzi was a candidate for a drive with Sauber next season having raced for the team earlier in 2017, however, lost out on the seat to his fellow Ferrari Academy Driver and reigning Formula 2 champion, Charles Leclerc.

Ferrari approached Haas earlier in 2017 hoping for Giovinazzi to secure a race seat in Formula 1. The team, however, rejected the request, re-signing Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen and maintaining its current driver lineup for a second consecutive season. 

Currently, Giovinazzi has six practice outings scheduled for 2018 which he will run with Sauber who will be backed by Alfa Romeo next season.

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Brendon Hartley: Greater maturity helped to deal with busy schedule

Toro Rosso’s Brendon Hartley says his greater maturity and experience aided him in dealing with his rigorous schedule during the second half of 2017.

Hartley, having been drafted in to compete for Toro Rosso, participated in eight events across eight weekends, encompassing IMSA, Formula 1 and the World Endurance Championship.

Hartley, 28, reckons his experience in various categories across several years helped, and also praised Toro Rosso for “not overloading” him with information.

“Probably eight nine years ago I wouldn’t have been able to deal with that, the pressure involved, all the different stresses, managing all the things,” Hartley said.

“But I’m pretty happy with how I dealt with it, a couple of times I felt very tired and a little bit flat.

“During the last three [races] not having to cross so many time zones I felt more on top of it.

“The team has been great in terms of not overloading me when they didn’t need to and trying to keep things reasonably simple.”

Hartley will remain with Toro Rosso into 2018, when the squad switches to Honda, for his first full campaign in the sport.

Hartley expressed his enthusiasm over his full-time seat, coming eight years after he was initially dropped by Red Bull’s junior scheme.

“The first race in Austin was a massive moment in my career to make my Formula 1 debut,” he said.

“I knew I needed to not do anything stupid and take it step by step which I did.

“Now to be signed off as a full-season F1 driver was a huge weight off the shoulders.

“I’m proud, optimistic, and I have the belief I can do it but I’m very aware I have a lot of hard work and [I have] all the respect for the other drivers, as they are obviously very good and working hard.

“I’m aware of the challenge ahead but I’m excited and optimistic about it.”

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Dull Abu Dhabi GP "not what we want", says F1 boss

Formula 1 boss Chase Carey has admitted that the recent Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – which was universally panned for its lack of entertainment – was a good demonstration of why the sport has to change.
Speaking at the BRDC Awards on Monday, Carey insisted that F1 teams understand the need to create closer competition and promote better racing, even if there is a lack of consensus on the details of how to achieve that.

"Abu Dhabi puts on a great show and a great event," Carey said. "But the race in Abu Dhabi was not what we want in the sport today.

"And I think there's broad-based agreement amongst the teams.

"Obviously on specifics there'll be differences, but there's broad-based agreement on things we need to do to make the competition better, make the action better, make the sport more captivating, have other cars have a chance to win, have the unexpected happen, and have events happen on the track that really live up to what makes F1 so special.

"Everybody knows the initiatives we have in terms of engines and costs and rules and the like. We're all driving to achieve that."

Carey conceded that it will always be difficult to make long-term fans of the sport to accept change.

"Probably the people who have been with it the longest, and are the hardest core fans, probably they're the ones that have liked that what they've grown up with," he added.

"They are the foundation of the sport, so our historic fans are tremendously important.

"But we want to bring new fans in, and to bring new fans in we have to continue to find ways to respect the history and what's made the sport special, but also find ways to entice and engage new fans. We've got to bring in a new generation.

"It's a great sport, with great stars, a great brand, great heroes. It is an incredibly captivating sport which combines competition with state of the art technology, that I think shocks and awes fans. It's great, but we can make it much better.

"And it starts with the sport on the track. We can make the competition better, the action better, and then around it we want to make sure it's a sport that captures everybody's imagination, an event that captures people's imagination.

"We've used the word spectacle, and it should be."

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Autosport Williams engineer of the future award

Martins Zalmans wins the 2017 Autosport Williams Engineer of the Future Award and a two-year placement with the Williams Formula 1 Team.

Here's a look behind the scenes as Martins becomes the third ever recipient of the prestigious award.

The prize was formally presented at the Autosport Awards by Paddy Lowe, Chief Technical Officer, Williams Martini Racing. 

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FORMULA 1 BOSSES VOTE HAMILTON TOP DRIVER

Formula 1 team bosses have voted Lewis Hamilton as the sport’s top driver for the fourth year in a row while Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas slipped to 10th place in the rankings.

The poll, published on Thursday, put four times world champion Hamilton far ahead of closest rival Max Verstappen.

Bottas, winner of three races this year after joining as now-retired 2016 world champion Nico Rosberg’s replacement, was listed in 10th place after bosses awarded points according to the regular F1 scoring system.

That represented a drop of one place on where Bottas had been with Williams in 2016.

Hamilton scored 233 out of a maximum 250, with Red Bull’s Verstappen on 143. Ferrari’s 2017 championship runner-up Sebastian Vettel, also a four times champion, was third and Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo fourth.

Force India’s Mexican Sergio Perez dropped out of the top 10 entirely but his French teammate Esteban Ocon made his entry in fifth place, one ahead of McLaren’s double world champion Fernando Alonso.

Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen and Renault’s Carlos Sainz tied in seventh place with Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg a new entry at ninth.

Voting panel:

• Toto Wolff, Mercedes 
• Maurizio Arrivabene, Ferrari 
• Christian Horner, Red Bull 
• Vijay Mallya, Force India 
• Claire Williams, Williams
• Cyril Abiteboul, Renault 
• Franz Tost, Toro Rosso 
• Gunther Steiner, Haas 
• Eric Boullier, McLaren 
• Fred Vasseur, Sauber

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HASEGAWA STANDS DOWN AS HONDA RESHUFFLE F1 MANAGEMENT

Honda has restructured the senior management structure of its under-performing Formula 1 operations after the split from McLaren, with Yusuke Hasegawa to stand down as head of the Japanese company’s Formula 1 project at the end of the year.

Honda, starting a new partnership with Red Bull-owned Toro Rosso from January, said in a statement on Thursday that Hasegawa’s position would be split into two separate functions.

Toyoharu Tanabe, an experienced Formula One veteran who worked as race engineer to Austrian Gerhard Berger at McLaren in the early 1990s, had been appointed as F1 technical director.

Tanabe, who was also chief engineer to Britain’s Jenson Button at BAR and Honda Racing between 2003 and 2007, will run operations at the racetrack and in testing.

An operating officer, yet to be named, will take charge of research and development at Sakura in Japan while Hasegawa remains executive chief engineer.

“By separating these areas of responsibility, we will evolve our structure so that both the development team and racing/testing team can assume their respective responsibilities more speedily,” said Honda’s brand and communications head Katsuhide Moriyama.

Honda and McLaren split after the 2017 season that ended last month, bringing down the curtain on three painful years that saw the former world champions suffer their worst ever slump.

McLaren, who had a dominant partnership with Honda in the late 1980s and early 1990s, last won a race in 2012 and this year finished ninth of the 10 teams with just 30 points — 638 fewer than champions Mercedes.

Their time together was beset with poor reliability and a lack of performance from a Honda engine struggling to compete with rivals.

McLaren, who have Spain’s double world champion Fernando Alonso along with Belgian Stoffel Vandoorne as their drivers, will have Renault power next season. Toro Rosso have New Zealander Brendon Hartley and France’s Pierre Gasly.

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HAAS-MASERATI F1 DEAL IN THE PIPELINE

Maserati could be set to return to Formula 1 for the first time since the fifties as the powers that be behind the marque plan to become title sponsor of the Haas F1 Team.

Several sources claim that Ferrari and Maserati CEO Sergio Marchionne is setting the groundwork to return the Modena-based sportscar manufacturer back to Formula 1 after a 60 years absence.

The deal, which is expected to be a barter of sorts worth $25-million, would cover Haas’s Ferrari power unit expenses for the brand’s exposure on the American team’s cars. It would be the self funded team’s first major sponsorship deal should it happen.

Marchionne engineered a similar the branding exercise for Alfa Romeo which has returned to Formula 1 with Sauber, initially a commercial venture that could evolve into a greater technical partnership

Speedweek reports that when Marchionne was asked if Maserati could follow Alfa Romeo into Formula 1 with Haas, he replied, “The answer is yes potentially this can happen.”

“But right now we are far away from a concluding any such agreement, however, it is possible that something of this nature could develop in the future. We will see, time will tell.”

No one is sure of the timeline for the partnership, but some suggest that a deal could be in place as early as March next year in time for the 2018 season with Ferrari keen to strengthen their bargaining power as the sport contemplates new engine regulations.

Maserati has a fine pedigree in Formula 1 thanks to their success in the early years of the World Championship, winning two world titles with Juan Manuel Fangio winning two World Championships in 1954 and 1957.

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F1 LIVE LONDON SCOOPS SPORTS EVENT OF THE YEAR AWARD

F1 Live London has been honoured with a hat-trick of titles in The Drum UK Event Awards 2017, scooping the accolades for the Grand Prix of the year, the Large Event of the Year and the Sports Event of the Year.

Devised to take Formula 1 closer to its fans, F1 Live saw 100,000 people descend on Trafalgar Square as Formula 1  racing’s teams and drivers gathered for a spectacular exhibition just days before the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

Alongside live car demonstrations up Whitehall, the event featured headline music acts Little Mix, Bastille and the Kasier Chiefs on a bespoke stage in Trafalgar Square.

The event also centred upon engaging the next generation, with local schools engaging in a variety of activities under the banner of F1 in Schools banner.

Damian Clarke, chairman of the judging panel and managing director at Undercurrent, hailed the impact F1 Live London had across such a diverse range of demographics.

“This award entry hit every aspect of the judges focus this year,” he explained. “Human centricity, diversity in a sometimes exclusive sport and excellent social mobility access all played a big part in this integrated piece of work. And the activation in central London was breathtaking”

The event was a resounding success not just in London but around the world, engaging tens of millions of fans globally across all of F1’s digital and social platforms.

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Massa lines up first post-Formula 1 drive

Felipe Massa has announced that he will make his debut at the Brazilian Stock Car Championship opener on March 10.

The Brazilian and now former Williams driver is pursuing other interests now that his Formula 1 career is over and will race on home soil at Interlagos.

Massa is joining Cimed Racing and will share the car alongside five-time champion and good friend Caca Bueno. It is also the first time Massa has competed in a Brazilian Championship since 1999.

"I am honoured by the invitation and will be very proud to make my debut in Stock Car in double with the greatest champion in activity and my great friend, Caca Bueno," said Massa.

"Cimed Racing, as the current two-time champion, is the ideal team to face a challenge like this, in an extremely competitive championship."

Massa has also been linked with a full-time seat in Formula E but may have to wait until next season for that opportunity to arise.

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Prost: ‘Vandoorne even better than Alonso’

The legendary Alain Prost has been very impressed with Stoffel Vandoorne's development as McLaren and thinks he is operating at a higher level than Fernando Alonso.

Vandoorne had a tough start to life in Formula 1 but enjoyed a strong second half of the 2017 campaign which was highlighted by two back-to-back and career best finishes of P7.

Prost, who acts as Renault's official advisor, thinks Vandoorne has built a strong foundation for himself and can go on to enjoy an even better in 2018 as McLaren join forces with the Enstone team.

"Everyone watched Vandoorne because, prior to coming into F1, he was recognised as one of the most exceptional youngsters for the future," Prost told RTBF.

"He started at McLaren with reliability problems and never the same equipment as Alonso.

"But I think Vandoorne is now playing on the same level or even better than Alonso. He's doing his development in a perfect way.

"Next year with a good engine, we'll see if he's efficient and reliable. Being on a team with Alonso is not easy, so Vandoorne has to stay calm, take his time, and I think there is no problem for him to be on top in years to come."

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Webber inducted into Australian Motor Sport Hall of Fame

Mark Webber has been announced as the first 2018 inductee into the Australian Motor Sport Hall of Fame.
The nine-time Formula 1 race winner will be formally inducted into the Aussie HoF at a Gala event on the Friday night of the Australian Grand Prix next March.

He joins the likes of Sir Jack Brabham, Alan Jones, Peter Brock, Mick Doohan, Casey Stoner, and Dick Johnson on the list of inductees added since the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport initiative was started back in 2016.

“For me to join the list of other inductees is very, very special,” said Webber.

“Obviously the list includes a lot of heroes of mine on the list

“I got lucky. I managed to get myself over [to Europe] and got a pretty good go at it. I had some pretty good people around me and everyone that has success has that story.

“It is great to be recognised for your efforts, clearly. Ninety nine per cent of my racing was done overseas and I am proud of that, but it is nice to be recognised for what we achieved and some of the results along the way.

“I am honoured, there is absolutely no question about it.”

According to Garry Connelly, Chairman of the Hall of Fame, Webber deserves to be recognised as one of the greats of Australian motorsport.

“Mark has been an tremendous ambassador for our sport and country for many, many years and it is a pleasure that we welcome him into the Hall of Fame,” said Connelly.

“He deserves his place alongside the greats that have flown the Australian flag."