FORMULA 1 - 2013

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Sauber claims Bottas stole a point from the team in Monaco

Williams rookie Valtteri Bottas has been accused of unsportsmanlike claims due to his behaviour in the dying moments of the Monaco Grand Prix.

In the last two laps, when Kimi Raikkonen was seething through the field on fresh Pirelli rubber following his late pitstop, the Finn managed to salvage a solitary point by making up three places to finish tenth.

One of the cars he passed was countryman Bottas, who appeared to pull over for the title-charging Raikkonen.

That allowed the Lotus driver to stroll past Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg, who on worn Pirelli tyres that were showing the steel belt beneath therefore missed the final championship point by mere metres.

To Blick newspaper, Sauber team manager Beat Zehnder slammed Bottas’ behaviour towards the charging Raikkonen as “unsportsmanlike”.

Team founder Peter Sauber added: “He (Bottas) stole a point from us.”

Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport, however, claims Bottas told reporters after the race that he only pulled over for Raikkonen because he thought the black Lotus was the leader.

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Mallya: Formula 1 also needs the independent and the smaller teams

Force India team owner Vijay Mallya has backed his deputy in declaring that Formula 1′s biggest teams are pushing their small rivals out of the sport by gross over-spending.

Deputy team boss Bob Fernley issued a furious attack on Formula 1 owners CVC last weekend, saying he suspected the odds are being stacked in an apparent bid to “get rid of teams”.

“Everything we’re doing at the moment is about increasing costs,” he said. ”Everything is now moving in the way of the (biggest) four teams.”

Fernley said CVC has done an “awful” job and is “the worst thing that has ever happened” to Formula 1, and one report even quoted him as accusing CVC of “raping” the sport. According to CVC’s Donald Mackenzie, however, Fernley apologised for that.

“He said sorry, that he didn’t mean what he said, that he just wanted to get a headline,” said Mackenzie.

But Indian businessman Mallya backed his deputy, accusing the biggest teams of back-pedalling on earlier cost-cutting agreements and ramping up their spending.

“On the one hand FOTA, when it was in full force, decided that we needed to cut costs in Formula 1. ”But instead of reducing costs, one or two teams decided that winning at any cost was more important than the sustainability of the sport,” he is quoted by Brazil’s Totalrace.

“I think Formula 1 also needs the independent and the smaller teams.”

Bernie Ecclestone agreed that the teams themselves are to blame for spiralling costs.

“They are the ones who control these things. They spend the money,” said the Formula 1 chief executive. ”The amount of money I’ve said the teams receive is enough to run a successful business.”

The Jean Todt-led FIA, criticised by some for not getting involved in cost-cutting, has a similar view.

“The FIA has supported the resource restriction agreement but that failed because the teams could not agree,” a spokesman told the Guardian.

“The FIA would still like to help teams to cut their costs,” he added, but he said the matter of much higher engine costs for 2014 “is between the constructors and their customers”.

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Marussia expected to announce Ferrari deal in Canada

A Ferrari V6 turbo engine deal for Marussia is expected to be announced on the sidelines of the Canadian Grand Prix next month.

The team was weighing up between the Italian marque and Mercedes, because current engine supplier Cosworth is not building a turbo V6 for the new rules.

“It is clear that the price will be an important factor,” Marussia chief executive Andy Webb said this year, “because the cost will be significantly higher than the current engines.”

It is believed that, of the three engine manufacturers in Formula 1 next year, Renault’s V6 will be the most expensive package, while Ferrari is the cheapest.

It is believed 2013 Marussia driver Jules Bianchi’s connections with Ferrari also worked in favour of a deal with the Maranello outfit.

“Ferrari genuinely wants more teams,” Marussia technical boss Pat Symonds admitted this month.

“I think they wanted another team anyway and the contact through Jules has done nothing but help.”

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Prost predicts Vettel will match his four titles in 2013

F1 legend Alain Prost accepts that his unique tally of four world championships may well be equalled by Sebastian Vettel in 2013.

Indeed, the possibility took a step forward in Monaco, when the German increased his lead over Kimi Raikkonen from just 4 points to 21.

Asked if it worries him that he might soon be only one of two quadruple world champions, French legend Prost said: “I’ve always told myself — change the things you can change.

“And don’t worry about those over which you have no control. What should I do about it?” he told Germany’s Welt newspaper.

“He will probably surpass me one day. When I lost my record for the most Grand Prix wins to Michael Schumacher, that was something else,” the 58-year-old admitted.

“I was not happy about it. If you’re at the top, you want to stay there. But now, if I am the second, third or fourth most successful driver in Formula 1 history, nothing changes,” added Prost.

Prost admitted he rates Vettel highly, and doesn’t detect any “serious” weaknesses in the 25-year-old Red Bull driver.

“In recent years, it was always said that he can only win races from the front,” he said. “Well, he has refuted that in the past season.

I spoke with him last summer, when Fernando Alonso was far in front of him. I said ‘Can you do it?’ and he answered ‘Yes, clearly’.

“It takes this sort of conviction to be a great driver,” added Prost.

He admitted, however, that Vettel’s bad relationship with teammate Mark Webber could spoil the momentum.

Prost is famous for his toxic rivalry with Ayrton Senna, and admitted: “That can happen, yes. I lost the title in 1990 because of Nigel Mansell. It can happen very quickly.”

It is for that reason that Red Bull is reportedly considering pairing Vettel with his friend Kimi Raikkonen next year.

Prost insisted: “But when you are fighting for the title with his teammate, is he your friend? My experience is quite the opposite.”

Prost also commented on the controversial tyre situation in Formula 1, where Pirelli is expected to supply slightly altered rear tyres in Canada next time out.

“There are three possibilities,” he said. “First, there is a safety problem, then this decision is absolutely correct. Secondly, in future there will be two or three pitstops instead of four, which I also think would be good because the races have become very confusing.”

“But third, if it (the changes) is due to the influence of external forces, that would be a disaster,” said Prost. ”I don’t know which is true, but two of the three alternatives are positive, so I think that’s a passable statistic.”

More seriously, however, Prost was asked if it is not fair that the changes might positively affect Mercedes and Red Bull, and hurt Lotus and Ferrari.

“I know,” he answered. “But I believe that this change will not change so much. Lotus and Ferrari will not lose the advantage that they have.”

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Valsecchi in line for Lotus seat if Grosjean gets the axe

Lotus boss Eric Boullier is refusing to rule out Davide Valsecchi for a future in Romain Grosjean’s seat, something which the Italian driver is very aware of.

Having only narrowly hung onto his drive for 2013, Frenchman Grosjean is back in the wars this week in the wake of his four crashes in Monaco.

He will start ten places down the Montreal grid for the Daniel Ricciardo incident, reinvigorating talk that boss and manager Boullier could finally lose patience and replace Grosjean with the reigning GP2 champion Valsecchi, a 26-year-old Italian.

Valsecchi was signed by Boullier for 2013 to be Lotus’ new reserve driver.

“I don’t wish anything bad against Grosjean,” the Italian driver had said last December, “but if he’s not there then I see myself as the favourite.”

Now, in the wake of Grosjean’s latest troubles, Boullier was asked if Valsecchi is once again in pole position for his Formula 1 debut.

According to Sporting Life, he answered: “Not yet.”

Instead, Boullier backed Grosjean but said he will sit down for talks with the 27-year-old.

“We want him to keep the pace and make sure he is back in control, like he was at the beginning of the season,” said Boullier.

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Williams announces Mike O'Driscoll replacing departing CEO Alex Burns

Williams has announced its CEO Alex Burns is leaving the team with immediate effect and will be replaced by Mike O'Driscoll.

Burns had taken the position in 2010, when Frank Williams handed day-to-day control of the squad to former chief operating officer Adam Parr.

O'Driscoll, a former managing director of Jaguar Cars, has been appointed Group CEO - a newly-created role - "to guide the long-term future" of the team.

The new role means the F1 Team and Williams Advanced Engineering will be united under one management structure.

O'Driscoll will lead the executive committee and will report to Frank Williams and the board.

"Mike has been a valued member of our Board since 2011 as a Non-Executive Director and I am delighted that his day to day involvement in the company is to significantly increase," said Williams.

"This new role strengthens the company and will help us achieve our goals both on the race track and in diversification.

"Mike brings with him significant skills and a wealth of experience. Working with Claire, I am in no doubt that the future of Williams is in safe hands."

O'Driscoll added: "I am honoured that the Board has entrusted me with the position of Group CEO.

"I have been proud to serve as a non-executive director since 2011 and in my new role, I am very much looking forward to helping Sir Frank and Claire achieve the ambitious goals we have set ourselves."

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Vergne happy to stay out of trouble

Jean-Eric Vergne's decision to steer clear of any dangerous moves proved to be a good decision in Monaco over the weekend.

After producing his best qualifying performance of the season on Saturday that saw him start P10, Vergne backed it up with an eighth-place finish on race day.

With opportunities to overtake on the streets of Monte Carlo few and far between, Vergne felt it was best to stay out of trouble on Sunday and he was rewarded with his best finish the year.

"For the race I was expecting some accidents at the front and for me to stay out to trouble. I got one of those things but not the other, at least not until later in the race," he wrote in his blog on the official Toro Rosso website.

"My start was really good and I was able to hold my position and to be honest, after the start it was a case of staying out of trouble, navigating the safety car period well and managing the restart. It went perfectly. I was always really close to the gearbox of Jenson [button] or Fernando [Alonso], and I had Paul Di Resta pushing me quite hard as well, but that was really because the guys ahead were actually quite slow.

"I think Adrian Sutil did an excellent job in overtaking Button and Alonso at the hairpin and I think that was probably the only place I would have been able to try as well. But because Adrian had caught them out there, after that they were always shutting the door really quickly, so there was never a good opportunity.

"However, I'm glad I avoided trouble and eighth place is a good position in Monaco. OK, I profited from an accident ahead but that kind of thing happens. To be honest I try not to take any pleasure from it when bad things happen to other drivers, as it's happened to me quite a lot recently! If I have any comment, I think it's that Sergio [Perez] didn't have bad luck, I think he crashed maybe because maybe he wanted it. If there was bad luck out there it affected Daniel [Ricciardo] when Romain [Grosjean] crashed into him."

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No F1 turbo engine price drop for 2014 says Renault

Renault will look to reduce the price of its new F1 V6 turbo engines over time, the French carmaker’s president Carlos Ghosn said.

Reports have indicated that Renault’s new engine for 2014 is millions more expensive than any of its rival Formula 1 suppliers, causing Williams to jump ship to Mercedes.

It is also rumoured that, while Caterham looks set to stay with Renault, Lotus is in talks with Ferrari.

Already signed up with Renault for 2014 are Red Bull’s two teams, including Toro Rosso.

“We will not be surprised if the third one will come soon,” said Ghosn. “We may have more but we don’t need more.

“There is some concern about the cost of the engine, I understand it, but our commitment is to work to reduce these costs,” Ghosn said in Monaco at the weekend.

He insisted, however, that the initial cost of the engines to customers – believed to be over EUR 20 million per season – will not be reduced.

“We are not going to drop the price for anybody for 2014,” said Ghosn.

“But our commitment is every year we will be working hard to make this engine more efficient, to reduce the costs and then try to pass part of the cost reduction to the users.”

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Williams signs long term F1 engine partnership deal with Mercedes

The Williams F1 Team and Mercedes-Benz are pleased to announce the signature of a long-term engine partnership from the 2014 Formula One World Championship season onwards.

Under the terms of the agreement, Williams will be supplied with a Mercedes-Benz Power Unit (Internal Combustion Engine plus Energy Recovery System) by Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains (HPP) based in Brixworth, UK. Williams will continue to manufacture its own transmission.

The 2014 regulations will set the sport’s engineers the challenge of completing a 300 km race distance on a fuel load of just 100 kg. To do so, teams will switch from naturally aspirated 2.4 litre V8 engines to 1.6 litre V6 turbocharged hybrid Power Units. To achieve power outputs comparable to current levels from the new Power Unit will require a 30% increase in energy efficiency.

This step forward will be largely achieved through an Energy Recovery System (ERS) that will be able to deploy ten times more energy than the current KERS. The new ERS will recover energy from both the exhaust turbine and the rear axle, as well as deploying energy back to both.

These new technical developments will offer significantly greater opportunities for technology transfer from Formula One to real-world applications in areas such as battery technology, turbocharging, energy recovery and combustion efficiency.

Speaking about the new engine partnership, Williams F1 Team Founder and Team Principal Sir Frank Williams said; “I’m delighted to announce our new association with Mercedes-Benz for the 2014 Formula One season and beyond. Mercedes-Benz has been one of the sport’s most successful engine suppliers and we believe that they will have an extremely competitive engine package. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Renault for their continued hard work since we renewed our engine partnership at the beginning of the 2012 season. We have enjoyed a strong relationship that has resulted in much success over the years, including powering us to winning ways once again last year at the Spanish Grand Prix.”

Claire Williams, Deputy Team Principal, said “The announcement of this partnership is exciting news for Williams. Securing the right engine supply partnership is a key milestone in the implementation of our strategy for long term success. We are also pleased to conclude this agreement early in the season and we very much look forward to working with Mercedes AMG HPP in developing our 2014 race car.”

Andy Cowell, Managing Director of Mercedes AMG HPP, commented: “It is a very proud moment for everybody at Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains to announce the start of this new partnership with the Williams F1 Team. Williams is one of the sport’s iconic names and we are very excited to be working together towards a successful future under the new regulations. A further positive is that this new agreement provides Mercedes-Benz with the long-term stability of supplying our works team and at least two partners from the 2015 season onwards, following the conclusion of our relationship with McLaren at the end of next season.”

Toto Wolff, Executive Director of MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS, concluded: “The proud heritage of Williams and the company’s commitment to technological excellence make it a perfect long-term partner for Mercedes-Benz under the new powertrain regulations. It is a win-win situation for both HPP and Williams, which will ensure HPP is able to supply at least three teams on a long-term basis under the new regulations and could open interesting new perspectives for technology transfer. We look forward to enjoying much success together over the coming years.”

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FIA also investigating secret Ferrari tyre test with Pirelli

Formula 1′s governing body put Ferrari, the sport’s most successful team, in the spotlight along with Mercedes in an investigation into alleged breaches of the sport’s testing regulations.

The International Automobile Federation (FIA) said in a statement that it had asked the teams to reply to an enquiry “in persuance of the judicial and disciplinary rules”.

Both were identified as having taken part in tyre tests for sole supplier Pirelli this season, despite a ban on teams testing.

The development was an ironic twist to a controversy that has gripped Formula One since last weekend’s showcase Monaco Grand Prix, given that Ferrari had protested in the first place to the FIA about Mercedes’s test.

A spokesman for the governing body said the two teams had been asked to reply to a list of questions and had not yet been summoned to any formal hearing or tribunal, which could ultimately impose heavy sanctions.

Ferrari had added their protest to one filed by champions Red Bull after news leaked out that Mercedes had tested with their current car and drivers Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton in Spain this month.

Red Bull principal Christian Horner suggested Mercedes had gained an unfair advantage from the 1,000-km test in Barcelona that he said was carried out in an “underhand” manner without others knowing.

It subsequently emerged in media reports that Ferrari had also tested, albeit with a 2011 car run by their customer division Corse Clienti rather than the race team, for Pirelli some weeks earlier.

Pirelli have confirmed Mercedes were not the only team to have tested for them this season but had not publicly named Ferrari as being the other outfit involved.

The Ferrari test had been considered legal, because they had used a 2011 car, but the FIA’s action indicated a different interpretation of the rules.

Article 22.1 of the 2013 sporting regulations bars testing with “cars which conform substantially with the current Formula One technical regulations in addition to those from the previous or subsequent year.

“The only exception is that each competitor is permitted up to eight promotional events, carried out using tyres provided specifically for this purpose by the appointed supplier, to a maximum distance of 100-km per event.”

Pirelli, under their contract, are allowed a number of 1,000-km tests and have previously used a 2010 Renault which is some four seconds a lap slower than the 2013 cars.

Ferrari have consistently sought a lifting of the ban on testing, however, and team principal Stefano Domenicali said at the weekend the protest was more to establish what was allowed.

The testing furore clouded Rosberg’s pole to flag win for Mercedes in Monaco and looks set to rumble on into Canada next week, despite Pirelli shelving plans to introduce revised tyres for that seventh round of the season.

Pirelli motorsport head Paul Hembery said on Friday the test had not been “secret”, as some have suggested, and Mercedes did not gain any privileged information from a test that focused on the 2014 tyres.

He did however confirm that Pirelli had supplied further information to the FIA.

The FIA, who are weighing up whether to refer the matter to an independent tribunal, said the approach to Mercedes and Ferrari was for supplementary information in the light of Pirelli’s replies to a request for clarification made on May 28.

Ferrari, with Spain’s twice world champion Fernando Alonso and Brazilian Felipe Massa, are second to Red Bull in the constructors standings. Mercedes are fourth.

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Hamilton: So Sir Stirling where are the seat belts?

Racing legend Sir Stirling Moss OBE – the last Mercedes-Benz driver to win the British Grand Prix, in 1955 – has backed 2008 Formula 1 World Champion, British Grand Prix winner and current Mercedes AMG Petronas driver Lewis Hamilton MBE for success at this year’s Formula 1 Santander British Grand Prix. With just four weeks until the British Grand Prix Sir Stirling and Hamilton joined forces at Silverstone today to voice their support for the UK’s flagship motorsport event, taking place on 28-30 June.

The two British Grand Prix winners were accompanied by a replica of the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 car which, in just six races in the 2013 season, has secured four pole positions and three podium finishes, including the recent victory for Nico Rosberg at the Monaco Grand Prix. The Brackley-based team is showing its strongest form since its return to Formula 1 as a manufacturer in 2010, and is aiming to take the fight to its championship rivals in their home race at Silverstone.

Also on display at Silverstone was the stunning Mercedes-Benz W 196; the revered Mercedes-Benz factory team’s contender, tailor-made to contest the Formula 1 World Championship in 1954. It is the very car that won Grands Prix in Germany and Switzerland at the hands of five-time World Champion Juan Manuel Fangio in 1954, and the same model as the car raced by Sir Stirling Moss at the British Grand Prix in 1955 – his first ever F1 World Championship victory. The spectacular 2.5-litre Mercedes-Benz historic racing car is set to go under the hammer at a public auction, held by Bonhams, at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on 12 July.

A win for Hamilton would be the first for Mercedes-Benz at the British Grand Prix since Moss in 1955. While his Mercedes AMG Petronas team will be hoping to emulate the success of the W 196 in front of a passionate crowd on 30 June, Hamilton would love to follow Sir Stirling and achieve his second British Grand Prix win.

Speaking at the British Grand Prix preview, Hamilton said: “Winning the British Grand Prix in 2008 was an incredible moment for me. I’ve been aiming to repeat it every year since and I’d love to achieve what Sir Stirling did and win my second race at Silverstone. We have a good car this year so I hope we can do it and it would be great to make the team proud at my home race. Silverstone is so special for the British drivers and the weekend is made by the amazing support from our home fans. The atmosphere, the flags flying around the circuit and just seeing everyone supporting us really does lift you. I hope we can put on a good show for them and we’ll be pushing as hard as possible to give them a great weekend.”

Predicting success for Lewis Hamilton at this year’s British Grand Prix preview, Sir Stirling said: “I think Lewis has a very good chance of winning the British Grand Prix this year. It’s not going to be easy and there are a lot of other good drivers out there trying to stop him, but he’s a very fast driver, exciting to watch, and the car he’s got is as good as any of them. He’s in with a good chance.

“Winning the British Grand Prix meant a lot to me. I won in this Mercedes-Benz W 196 in 1955, just before the very last corner. It really was a very special day. I remember it quite well; I’d caught up with Fangio and overtaken him in traffic; as we went round the last corner I put my foot flat on the floor and took the chequered flag. I finished literally half a car length in front.

“Taking a look at Lewis’ car today, there’s no way would I get in it; but then he said the same thing about mine! He asked where the seatbelts were – we didn’t wear seatbelts!

“The atmosphere at the British Grand Prix will be fantastic. There’ll be some great racing at Silverstone; the public that come here always have a great time. It will also be the last chance to come and listen to the 2.4 litre V8s screaming around this wonderful circuit. The fans really have got to come and see it.”

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Raikkonen: 21 points behind is not too much to catch up

After a frustrating Monaco Grand Prix where his gap to the Drivers’ Championship lead increased from four to twenty-one points, Kimi Raikkonen heads to Montréal focused on getting right back in the fight with the Lotus E21.

What are your feelings after Monaco?

We had a bad result on Sunday in Monaco; that was clear for anyone to see. It could have been even worse, but it could have been much better as well. We came out with one point so at least we got something back after losing the solid fifth place, but that’s not much consolation. The car felt good for qualifying and the race which is a positive as it was another circuit – and a difficult circuit – where we’ve been able to have the car pretty much as we wanted. We still lack just a little bit of speed in qualifying sometimes, but our race pace was good again; not that you can show that when you’re stuck behind slower cars like we saw in Monaco. We don’t know how the car will be in Montréal – we will have the answer to that question soon – but there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be competitive again.

It was quite some fightback you made at the end of the race…

Well, that was a bit different as I had fresh tyres and we should never have been in that position in the first place, but it was good to at least get a point at the end. In a way, it almost makes it more frustrating as when we had the clean air after the pit stop it was probably the first time you saw how quick our car really was.

You were pretty frustrated after the race?

No-one wants to lose so many points thanks to the actions of another driver, but that race is over; Monaco is just a distant memory and I’m all ready for Canada.

What’s your opinion of Canada?

I have won there which was pretty good, but I have experienced some setbacks there as well. Many times the race has been quite a lottery as there seem to be different things which affect it. The weather can change a lot, sometimes the tyres or the track aren’t working very well, sometimes there are a lot of safety cars, or sometimes another driver runs into the back of you when you’re waiting at a red light. As for the place itself, I’ve always liked Montréal. It is one of the nicest cities we visit all year.

What do you need for a good result in Canada?

A good car. Like at every circuit you need to get the set-up exactly right. You need a well-balanced chassis in the medium downforce configuration and you don’t want to be too hard on brakes as there’s a lot of aggressive braking there. It’s something I quite enjoy, the stop and go style of the circuit.

Is Montréal another circuit where qualifying is crucial?

Qualifying is important at every circuit, but not as essential as it was in Monaco to get a good result. It’s not easy to get past, but there are one or two places to overtake.

What are your thoughts on the Championship after losing ground to Sebastian Vettel?

For sure we lost ground on the lead in Monaco, but it’s not over yet. It’s still early in the season and twenty one points behind is not too much to catch up; especially if Sebastian has a bad weekend too at some point. The most important thing is that we return to our race level before Monaco to get things going our way as soon as possible.

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Grosjean: Ile de Notre Dame is my favourite circuit on the Xbox

After a weekend to forget in Monaco, Lotus driver Romain Grosjean heads to another French-speaking nation hopeful of very different fortunes at the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal.

It was an eventful weekend for you in Monaco…what are your thoughts now you’ve been able to reflect?

It was certainly a rollercoaster, and one where we could have achieved a lot more with the pace of the car. No-one wants to make contact with the barriers at Monaco and it’s a fine balance between going fast and going too fast; there’s such a tiny margin for error as I found out. The positives are that we significantly improved the car again to make it more predictable over the weekend and that helped me a lot. I think we had the pace to be in the top three, but unfortunately we didn’t get the qualifying position we wanted and it’s almost impossible to move up the order in Monaco. I got caught out behind Daniel [Ricciardo] and will have to suffer quite a harsh penalty of ten places on the Montréal grid, but we’ll be working hard to devise the best strategy to work back up the order.

You said you’d buy your crew some drinks for all the work they put in over the Monaco weekend; have you had a chance to do this yet?

Not yet, but I’ll treat them to a special dinner later in the year; hopefully when we’ve got something good to celebrate. Last year you went from seventh to second in Montréal; can you repeat that kind of performance in 2013? Yes, last year we had a fantastic result at this race and we’ll certainly be trying for a fantastic result once more. For sure it will be a bit more difficult with the penalty, but we’ll take the challenge and do the very best we can.

2012 was your first time racing in Montréal, but you learnt the track pretty well?

The track is interesting; not an easy one to learn, but as we say most of the time if you have a good result then you like the track! I’d certainly like to finish this year’s race on the podium again; that would be a good record to maintain. The city’s great too. People speak French, the place is lively, there are some great restaurants and everybody is really welcoming.

Have you raced the circuit in any other form?

It’s true that it’s my favourite circuit on the Xbox, though it’s certainly bumpier in real life than sat at home on your sofa!

You like street circuits and were quick in Monaco; can we expect more of the same pace at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve?

I enjoy the sensation of being close to the walls; although as I learnt this year in Monaco… I don’t enjoy the sensation of being too close to the walls! Montréal is different from Monaco as there are some long straights and big braking moments. The track surface can also present challenges as we’ve seen in past seasons, so it will be interesting to see what the grip level is like this year. Finally, the weather in Montréal can be quite changeable as we’ve seen many times. I’m sure it’ll be a challenging and exciting Grand Prix.

Does the Canadian event present any particular challenges, being a long haul amidst the European season?

I arrive a little earlier to help beat the jet lag. Sometimes the challenge of beating the jet lag and getting a decent sleep can be as hard to solve as finding the right setup for the car! I’ll be getting plenty of exercise and hopefully getting some good sleep at the right time too!

It’s been a mixed season for you so far; how would you assess it?

On paper it’s not as good as we would have wanted it to be, but I’m happy with all my performances so far except for Monaco. I have been doing my best every time, the pace is there and every time we manage to improve the car. I just have to keep doing my best and see where we go from there.

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Van der Garde: I am excited about my Montreal debut

Caterham driver Giedo van der Garde previews the Canadian Grand Prix, Round 7 of the FIA Formula One World Championship, in Montreal.

“Next up it’s Canada, a track I’ve never raced at but one I went to last year with Caterham as Reserve Driver. I sat in on all the briefings and debriefs last year so I have quite a bit of information about what it’s going to be like, from 2012, and I’ve spent quite a bit of time on my sim[ulator] at home trying [out] the track, but you obviously don’t really know what it’s like until you drive around it, but it will only take a couple of laps to get used to it.

“What I do remember from last year was how hardcore the fans are in Montreal! We have a couple of big North American sponsors, so the team had a lot of guests in the paddock and in the grandstands, but I remember that from early on Thursday morning the whole place was packed! In the city itself it was the same – there’s one street where the whole place is shut down for the race weekend and we had a team dinner there on the Saturday night. It was a fantastic atmosphere, a lot like it is at home in Holland for big sports events, so I felt really comfortable there and am excited about getting back, this time to race!

“On track I think it’ll be interesting to see where we are after Monaco. I was glad to bring the car home, but after the best Saturday of the year so far, we obviously wanted to finish higher up. Even with that, there were some good signs in the race that we are making decent progress. Personally, for me it was another step in the learning curve, and for the team in general we saw that we’d fixed the rear wing issue we’d found in Barcelona, and had enough pace to get the car into Q2 and to record one of the fastest laps in the race in the early stages. Montreal is a medium to low downforce track and with the constant updates we’re making to the package we took to Spain, I think we could be ok.”

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Webber forgot that he was on the Montreal podium in 2011

Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is one of the least successful hunting grounds for Red Bull, not only has Sebastian Vettel never won a grand prix in Canada, Mark Webber has only been on the podium once although he clearly does not remember the occasion.

Webber claimed erroneously in the team’s preview, “I haven’t been on the podium there [Montreal] yet, so I need to sort that out.”

Wrong. Webber was third in the 2011 Canadian GP, evidently also a fact overlooked by the Red Bull media department who issued the preview press release.

He added, ”Canada is a really good race. It’s a popular Grand Prix for fans and drivers; the fans are very passionate and it’s always an interesting Grand Prix because it’s another street circuit. There are some very good restaurants in Montreal, the whole city stops for the race and the atmosphere is a bit more traditional I would say.

“I remember when (Nigel) Mansell retired on the last lap when he was in the lead. Also when Jean Alesi won his only race there, that was good,” recollected Webber.

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McLaren: We have won the Canadian GP 13 times

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh previews the Canadian Grand Prix, Round 7 of the 2013 F1 world championship, in Montreal.

“McLaren has always gone well in Canada – we’ve won 13 Canadian Grands Prix – and while we’re not heading to Montreal next week with a realistic shot at victory, we well know that this is a race where an unexpected result is always possible.

“The Canadian Grand Prix is one of the highlights of the Formula 1 calendar, and a race that the whole paddock enjoys. It’s a showcase for F1 at its best – the track has a natural flow that encourages bold driving, but which punishes mistakes with narrow run-offs and uncompromising concrete walls. The track surface is abrasive and relatively gripless, and the long back straight is perfect for lengthy slipstreaming battles and overtaking.

“In addition, the Canadian and North American fans are passionate and knowledgeable about the sport – it’s one of those races that’s packed-out from Thursday to Sunday, and filled with a varied and exciting support race timetable.

“It’s one of the best races of the year.”

A McLaren 50 classic moment: Canadian Grand Prix, 12 June 1988

McLaren has an enviable record in the Canadian Grand Prix. The team scored its first ever one-two finish at Mont Tremblant in 1968, Denny Hulme coming home ahead of Bruce McLaren, and it has taken a total of 13 victories – nine of them at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Few of those wins have been more dominant than the one-two achieved by Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost in 1988.

The MP4-4 was the dominant car of ’88 and McLaren-Honda arrived in Canada, round five of 16, unbeaten and with Alain leading the world championship. Ayrton took pole position by 0.1s ahead of his team-mate, but it was Alain who made the better start – much to Ayrton’s dismay. He’d asked for pole position to be moved to the outside of the track after qualifying, but his request was turned down by the race stewards.

Alain led Ayrton for the opening 19 laps, but the Brazilian snuck past at the hairpin while Alain negotiated traffic. The pair then disappeared into the distance while their main rivals faltered and Ayrton led Alain by 5.9s at the chequered flag. Benetton’s Thierry Boutsen was the only other driver on the lead lap, 45s further adrift in third place.

McLaren went on to win 15 of the 16 Grands Prix in 1988, making it the most successful season in the team’s history.

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Sauber: Hopefully we can have a more consistent weekend

After the start of the European season in Barcelona and Monte Carlo, the Sauber F1 Team travels to Montréal, where the Canadian Grand Prix will take place from 7th to 9th of June.

The team has fond memories of Île Notre-Dame, as this was the place where former drivers Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld claimed a one-two in 2008. After closely missing scoring a point in Monaco, the Sauber F1 Team wants to claim a positive result in Canada.

Nico Hülkenberg (car number 11): “The Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve is one of my favourites. It’s a challenging track with a mixture of a permanent racetrack and a street circuit. It has some tight sections that don’t allow for any mistakes. I like the whole layout and, in particular, the kerbs. The atmosphere on Île Notre-Dame is always great and the whole city of Montréal welcomes Formula One. It’s a very nice Grand Prix, and I’m looking forward to it.”

Esteban Gutiérrez (car number 12): “So far I have driven once at the track on Île Notre-Dame, and that was in 2007 in Formula BMW. It went quite well with one podium finish and a fourth place. It’s a really nice circuit and I like it a lot. The track is slippery and tyre management will yet again be very important, which gives us an opportunity to put a good strategy together. Obviously overtaking will be easier than in Monaco, which can benefit us. It’s hard to judge how competitive we will be, as it will also depend on the weather. Hopefully with better conditions we can have a more consistent weekend, which will help us to progress and make the most of our potential.”

Tom McCullough, Head of Track Engineering: “The Montréal circuit is very narrow and has walls very close to the track. It typically produces one of the most exciting races of the season and a Safety Car is highly likely. The circuit is comprised of long straights and slow speed corners, which encourage overtaking, and also contribute to it being one of the hardest for the brakes.

The circuit efficiency requires a lower drag level rear wing compared to Monaco, but you still need a strong car in low speed corners. This year the medium compound replaces the soft as the prime tyre, while the option remains as the super soft. Pirelli has also announced we will have a new rear construction to evaluate on Friday before its planned race introduction at Silverstone.”

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Button: We won’t be heading to Montreal with a winning package

Jenson Button looks ahead to the Canadian Grand Prix, Round 7 of the 2013 F1 world championship, admitting that McLaren do not have a winning package at their disposal.

“Going back to Canada always brings back happy memories of my race there in 2011. Coming through from last to first really does show that anything’s possible in Formula 1. While we won’t be heading to Montreal with a winning package, we’re making steady progress, and there’s always that added motivation that you can pull off a surprising result at this race.

“I’ve always enjoyed the Canadian Grand Prix – Montreal is one of the nicest cities on the calendar, we’re always made to feel welcome by the Quebecois, and it’s a race that everyone in Formula 1 looks forward to.

“Like Monaco, the Canadian Grand Prix can be something of an enjoyable lottery – but whereas Monaco is a low-speed, high-grip place, the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is the opposite: high-speed and low-grip. It’s a mix that always comes together to provide the fans with great racing, which is another reason why it’s become one of the most popular races of the year.

“I’m looking forward to a great weekend in Canada.”

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Trulli plans to sue Caterham boss Fernandes

F1 veteran Jarno Trulli has announced plans to sue Caterham team owner Tony Fernandes.

At the end of 2011, with a firm contract for 2012, the Italian reportedly agreed to vacate his race seat to make room for the well-funded Russian Vitaly Petrov.

But Trulli, now 38, says Fernandes promised to pay him in full for 2012.

Autosprint says Trulli is angry with Fernandes for not paying him, since the Malaysian entrepreneur has not only increased Caterham’s budget, but also that of his English football club Queens Park Rangers.

“I’m going to sue Fernandes,” he is quoted as saying, “because he owes me a lot of money.”

“My career in Formula 1 ended because I agreed to give up my place, because I was assured that the team would fulfil its contractual obligations.

“To date, this has not occurred,” added Trulli, a veteran of over 250 grands prix.

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Perez: Plenty of positives to take forward to Canada

Despite being in the wars at Monaco, McLaren driver Sergio Perez goes to looks ahead to the Canadian Grand Prix, Round 7 of the 2013 F1 world championship, upbeat and positive.

“There may not be much to show from Monaco, but it was another positive race for me – we had stronger pace throughout the weekend, and I felt that I raced hard and fairly, earning my positions the hard way – by competing for, and winning, them on the track.

“There are plenty of positives to take forward to Canada. It’s a race I enjoy – I finished on the podium there last year; and I feel like the team is bringing performance to the car at every race. Although we’re still not where we need to be, I hope the Montreal weekend will be another step. At the very least, I think we can have a good weekend – it’s a race that can reward a fighter because it’s often so unpredictable.

“For me, racing in Canada is always special because it’s one of the three races closest to my home in Mexico. As in Austin last year, I hope there’ll be plenty of Mexican fans travelling up to Montreal to support me during my first Canadian Grand Prix for Vodafone McLaren Mercedes.”

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Vettel: Canada is one of the best races we have all year

World champion Sebastian Vettel arrives in Montreal, for the Canadian Grand Prix, leading the championship standings after his rivals stumbled in Monaco while he notched up second place. The Red Bull driver admits he enjoys the rhythm of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve where he has yet to win.

“The circuit has a nice rhythm and it’s one of the best races we have all year. The atmosphere and fans are great, the whole city lives F1 for the whole week and that makes us feel very special. I like it,” said Vettel.

Canada has dished up some dramatic races over the years, Vettel recalled, “Obviously one of the craziest moments was in 2011. There was so much rain; I haven’t seen that much rain carry on for so long since! During the race we had a big break and were in the lead.”

“The race was difficult and with half a lap to go, I made my first mistake of the race which cost us the win. But that’s racing and it’s probably great for the fans to watch when they don’t know who is going to win until the last moment,” added the triple world champion.

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Hankook not interested in 2014 tyre bid

Hankook will not be bidding to replace Pirelli should the Italian tyre manufacturer not renew its Formula One contract.

Pirelli are out of contract at the end of this season and although the company has spoken of a desire to continue, recent events could change the picture.

Should that happen, Hankook won't be vying to replace them.

"For 2014, it's completely impossible not only because of the lack of tyre development time," competition engineer Michael Eckert told Autosport.

"Even if Hankook wants to take three, four, five years to jump into Formula 1 as a supplier, the lack of testing opportunities would make it impossible.

"With the current cars and drivers, it's impossible [to test] so you need to find a suitable number of vehicles and drivers that would allow you to get some reliable feedback."

He added that uncertain regulations in the long-term would also put the company of entering Formula One.

"Even if we started this year with the first tyre test, it would take easily three years until you can finish a safe and performing F1 tyre.

"Now the regulations are changing; engine formula, chassis, and aerodynamics... nobody even knows about the dimensions of the tyres for 2014 - they are still not fixed.

"It's not 100 per cent certain they'll continue with 13-inch tyres. It might be 15 or even 17.

"It could happen in the next five years that F1 cars are on 18-inch tyres."

Eckert insisted that a presence in Formula One is not the goal, although that doesn't mean Hankook won't consider it in the future.

"It's not obligatory that F1 has to be the final destination series," he said.

"From an engineering point of view, F1 is the greatest challenge, but from a financial point of view it is a huge investment.

"You have to be ready with all aspects of your company, not only with the tyre itself but the infrastructure regarding the logistics.

"Currently, all the Hankook tyre production is in Korea and it would be a big help to have a European base like Pirelli does with Turkey.

"We are not ready to jump into Formula 1 for 2014, it's not our goal short-term.

"Certainly we will follow up on it and we are interested in new opportunities from a business point of view and also, from a branding point of view, to go into new markets."

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Report links Ford with F1 turbo era return

Speed Week has named Ford as a potential candidate to return to Formula 1 after the new V6 trubo engine rules become de rigeur in 2014.

Honda, having pulled out at the end of 2008, has already announced its return with McLaren in 2015, but Toyota and BMW have denied speculation they are also tempted by the sport’s incoming, automobile industry-relevant engine rules.

Speed Week, however, is now mentioning Ford.

Ford bought Sir Jackie Stewart’s team in 1999, rebranding it Jaguar Racing, but pulling out of Formula 1 at the end of 2004.

The Milton Keynes based team was subsequently sold to current champions Red Bull.

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Salo says error prone Grosjean will hurt someone else or himself

Accident prone Romain Grosjean’s days in Formula 1 could be numbered, according to former driver and Finnish pundit Mika Salo.

Having apparently put his ‘first lap nutcase’ troubles of 2012 behind him, the Frenchman was back in the wars in Monaco, crashing no fewer than four times.

He will have to move ten places down the grid in Canada due to the crash with Daniel Ricciardo, reinvigorating reports his days at Lotus are numbered.

“It’s hard to say what Lotus will decide, but he is causing a lot of damage and losing a lot of points, which is not what the team needs financially,” Salo told MTV3.

“Soon, he will hurt someone else or himself,” the former Sauber driver warned.

“Grosjean is incredibly fast, but too prone to error for this series. He’s had enough years to practice, but there comes a time that this is not the place to practice anymore.”

Also under the microscope after Monaco is Sergio Perez, whose controversial driving attracted the ire of prominent rivals like Fernando Alonso, Kimi Raikkonen and even his own McLaren teammate Jenson Button.

Jean-Eric Vergne, the Toro Rosso driver, was also unimpressed.

“To be honest, I get no pleasure from the misfortune of other drivers, because it’s also happened to me,” the Frenchman is quoted by Auto Hebdo.

“But if I did have a comment, I would say that Sergio has not had bad luck, I think he went out (of the race) because he wanted to.

Or at least he seemed to try his best.

“I think the word bad luck is more applicable to Daniel (Ricciardo), when Romain (Grosjean) crashed into him!”

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McLaren says tail-off of F1 relationship with Mercedes inevitable

McLaren believes it is inevitable for its relationship with Mercedes to tail-off next season, which will mark the end of their partnership.

The German manufacturer and the British team joined forces for the start of the 1995 season, and the relationship has produced a total of 78 grand prix victories.

McLaren announced earlier this month that it will switch to Honda engines from 2015, reuniting with the Japanese car maker, which supplied power units to the team during its most successful era from 1988 to 1992.

McLaren sporting director Sam Michael reckons that, despite the long relationship with Mercedes, the team will feel the effects of the partnership coming to an end in 2014.

"There's no doubt that when you finish a relationship, whether it's with an engine partner or with anyone else, that part of the relationship is not as productive as the start of it, or probably the middle," Michael said.

"But it's been a very long one. Mercedes knows us very well and we know the people there.

"Obviously it wasn't a huge surprise for Mercedes because we are close to them. They've been aware that this possibility could eventuate."

Honda left Formula 1 at the end of 2008 after shutting down its works team, and although McLaren believes the deal is a bedrock for success, Michael concedes it is very difficult to make predictions about how competitive the duo will be in its first season together.

"I don't know. It's still too early to predict where we'll be," added Michael.

"We'll definitely be under-promising and try to over-deliver. You know us."

Michael also ruled out the possibility of Honda getting a McLaren car early for testing purposes, as the regulations will not allow it.

"The testing regulations cover last year's and next year's car, so McLaren as a team could not give them a 2014 chassis for them to run with," he said.

"We couldn't give them the 2013 chassis either to run in 2014. That's in the sporting code."