FORMULA 1 - 2015

[MIKA27]

Raikkonen admits loss of control hard to explain

Kimi Raikkonen says there is no obvious explanation as to what caused him to lose control of his car and collide with Fernando Alonso in the Austrian Grand Prix.

The Ferrari driver suffered excessive wheelspin coming out of Turn 2 at the Red Bull Ring and, as he fishtailed left, he swiped Alonso's McLaren – pitching them both off the track.

Despite a lengthy engineering debrief on Sunday night to try to understand what happened, Raikkonen said the team could not pinpoint if it was driver error or a technical glitch.

"I had some wheelspin and then suddenly I went left and I spun," he said.

"I don't know exactly why it [the wheelspin] was so aggressive and what caused it, but the end result is always the same."

No Canada repeat

Raikkonen's incident came just two weeks after the Finn had spun at the hairpin in Canada, which was put down to a combination of engine mapping settings and cold tyres.

But despite the potential similarities of acceleration out of a slow speed corner, Raikkonen insisted that the situation in Austria was very different.

"It was a pretty odd place," he said. "Usually you get [wheelspin] when you come out of the corner, but obviously it was very far away.

"Whatever caused it made me spin. If it was my fault, it is the same result – it was a pretty **** weekend all in all. That is it.

"Obviously it is not normal. We didn't expect it to happen, we don't know exactly the reason. Something obviously happened. Was it me or was it something else? I don't know."

[MIKA27]

Felipe Massa on Austria podium: Not bad for an old man!

Felipe Massa said he had to call on his 13 years of Formula One experience to hold off the charging Sebastian Vettel for a spot on the podium at the Austrian Grand Prix.

A problem at Vettel's pit stop allowed Massa to jump the Ferrari driver into third, but the German closed the gap in the final stages of the race. Vettel was in DRS range for the final six laps but could not get close enough to make a pass with Williams' superior straight-line speed.

Massa was clearly pushing hard in the closing laps, with several wobbly moments as he pushed his car to the limit. After the race Rob Smedley, Williams' head of vehicle performance and Massa's former race engineer at Ferrari, joked "Not bad for an old man" over the radio, to which the 34-year-old replied "Yes, not bad for an old man!"

Massa says his experience in the sport was key.

"It was a fantastic race today," Massa said. "We managed to get Sebastian with his problem in the pit stop. I didn't see it but I managed to pass him there. Then I understood that maybe at the end of the race he would have been behind me because they were one or two tenths quicker every lap.

"But in the end he got there and I just managed to keep the line and not make any mistake and use a little bit of experience. I'm so happy, it was an amazing race and a fantastic result for the whole team."

The Brazilian admits the result was fortunate with Vettel's pit stop problem but he held off the German for his first podium of the season - fulfilling the prediction his five-year-old son Felipinho made to Sky Sports earlier in the weekend.

"I think it was a great result today. We managed to get the opportunities which was in a mistake of another team or Sebastian, I don't know what's happened so I cannot say. And after we just managed to keep the pace, which was good but maybe a little bit slower compared to him. I expected him to be close to me at the end of the race and he was. I managed to keep him behind which is the most important thing, so happy for our result today. Rewarding for the team and everything.

"So my son was correct, he said that I was going to finish 3rd - so he as right - and we can celebrate after this interview."

[MIKA27]

Maldonado survives ‘big moment’ for more points

Fresh from his first points of the season in Canada, Pastor Maldonado turned in another fine top ten finish in the Austrian Grand Prix, the Venezuelan exerting some impressive car control in the process.

Qualifying 11th but starting tenth, Maldonado's strategy of beginning on the prime tyres and saving fuel for the first stint would see him come on strong in the closing stages of the race as he engaged in a tussle for seventh with Max Verstappen.

However, Maldonado was made to work hard to pass the youngster, initially surviving a leery moment out of turn one, before a sharp change of line down the home straight under DRS saw his Lotus very nearly snap away from him.

Getting the car under control and then passing Verstappen when he ran wide at turn one, Maldonado's second consecutive seventh place finish puts him just four points shy of the overall top ten now.

“It's great to get another seventh position and the points that come with it. It was a big moment fighting with Max. The super soft tyres were very hot so losing their grip and you lose a lot of downforce close to the car ahead, but everything was under control!

“I wanted to get the position and I think we deserved it. It seems like we're coming into a good time of the season for us so we'll all keep working hard to continue scoring points."

[MIKA27]

Daniil Kvyat says driving damaged Red Bull 'like hell'

Daniil Kvyat described his Austrian Grand Prix as "like driving in hell" after his Red Bull Formula 1 car sustained damage on the opening lap.

The Russian started the race towards the back of the field as a result of an engine change penalty, and he was caught up in a tangle with Sergio Perez's Force India shortly after the start.

He pitted for a new front wing at the end of the opening lap, but his Red Bull was badly damaged in other areas as well, making it very hard to drive.

"We had too much damage so we had no speed," said Kvyat, who finished 12th.

"There were some drivers braking on the straight after the start. Maybe they forgot which pedal to use, and I had nowhere to go.

"From then on it was a bit like driving in hell, to be honest. We were hoping for a miracle which didn't happen.

"We were just staying out in the hope there was something strategic to do but we had no chance."

While Kvyat's attempt to go long on the harder tyre did not work, his team-mate Daniel Ricciardo made a similar strategy pay off to score a point from 18th on the grid.

"We had to try something and I think trying to stay out on the prime and see what happened was a chance we needed to take," said Ricciardo.

"The pace was pretty rapid at the end so maybe we could have pitted a little earlier and gone longer with the option.

"At the start of the race if we'd said I would have finished in the top 10 I would have been fairly happy.

"Judging by our car performance and where we were this weekend I felt I got the most out of it in the race."

[MIKA27]

McLaren's Boullier says engine penalties sad for F1

McLaren racing director Eric Boullier believes Formula 1's current engine penalty rules are "sad" and he has called for a rethink on the system.

Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso both started at the back of the Austrian Grand Prix grid after taking 25-place engine penalties this weekend for changes to various parts of their Honda-powered car's power units.

Boullier believes F1's decision makers were too optimistic when putting together the engine penalty regulations ahead of the 2014 season.

"Today we have to respect the rules, but I find it sad for Formula 1 to have two world champions like Jenson and Fernando sitting at the back of the grid," said Boullier.

"It's the same for everybody - we have to take the penalties as everybody should take them.

"When you see other engine manufacturers struggling after three years of development, I think we should have - as a Formula 1 community - a rethink at this stage.

"Because obviously it is a bit too harsh, maybe too ambitious, to turn up with this technology and be reliable."

Boullier also dismissed claims McLaren's progress has stopped since it scored its first points of the season in Monaco.

"We are doing progress - if we went back to Australia, China, Bahrain, we would be better," he added.

"Different track layouts are suiting us or making it worse, and we know Canada and here [Austria] is not suiting our car.

"There are some weaknesses that are higher at some tracks, and sometimes when you find a couple of tenths it is not enough to gain a position.

"We are not worried. We are pushing as hard as we can to make sure we can make our concept work.

"We can see, we can simulate, we can already measure a lot of potential coming out.

"But we have to be extreme [to catch Mercedes] and this is the right time to do it, so there is nothing to worry about."

ECCLESTONE ECHOES PENALTY CONCERNS

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone agreed that the engine penalty rules were among several regulations in danger of alienating fans.

"I think we need to have a very, very good look at all our sporting regulations," he said.

"Don't go over the white line, don't do this, don't do that, if you change your engine you go back 20 places...

"It's not what the public understand. They don't understand and when they do understand they don't care about, basically."

[OZCUBAN]

What a yawn once again

I have been a formula one fan most of my life, but I am seriously considering not to be bothered with it anymore, the governing body are seriously ruining the sport,a kids soap box race is more exciting these days.

My advice to them would be to fix the sport quickly or you fan base WILL be gone the writing is on the wall from from various sources

Cheers

[MIKA27]

What Formula 1 Cars Would Look Like if F1 Got Its Act Together

“There once was a time when the racing world was ruled by savage beasts. They were captured just before the snowy season, when noble brave men had one winter to tame this creature. After months of championship battle, a handful of the best animals were kept for another winter of training, while the others were set free again.”

And so Andries van Overbeeke introduces his vision for the future of Formula One racing. The metaphor goes on—it gets a bit weird, actually—but the moral of the story is this: F1 cars used to be innovative and awesome. Now they’re inbred and lame.

The Dutch designer loves the sport and, like many F1 fans, has ideas for improving it. That means changing rules, not just to improve safety, but to make the racing more competitive.

F1 has problems. For one, it’s horrifically expensive: Top teams like Mercedes spend hundreds of millions per year to stay in the lead, while those without the cash, like Caterham and Marussia, fall by the wayside. Second, the rules are so rigid, so constraining, that there’s little innovation—a point Ferrari made as only Ferrari can with its amazing concept car protest.

The upside is that while there are problems, there are also plenty of ideas for fixing them. A shift from open to closed cockpits, to promote safety. New rules governing designs to reduce costs and increase competition. “There are all these ideas floating around in the Formula One community,” van Overbeeke says. “I think as an artist, it’s your duty to grab to those floating ideas and create something tangible.” So that’s what he did.

To explore what the future of F1 could look like, van Overbeeke conjured up three concept cars representing McLaren-Honda, Red Bull, and Williams. Not only are they excitingly different, they’re gorgeous. What’s most impressive is how van Overbeeke’s ideas seem totally doable, because they’re grounded in reality.

“There’s nothing on these cars that doesn’t look like it couldn’t be possible,” says Craig Scarborough, a journalist who focuses on the technical and engineering aspects of F1. “These are realistic from an engineering perspective.”

The closed cockpit is the biggest and most fundamental change. It’s an idea that’s periodically suggested to improve driver safety, and van Overbeeke says he first considered design a car with a canopy in 2009, when, in the space of one week, F1 driver Felipe Massa suffered a concussion after being hit in the head by a loose spring, and 18-year-old Formula 2 (F1’s minor leagues) driver Henry Surtees was hit in the head by a loose wheel and killed.

One critique of the idea is that the result would be “shockingly ugly,” in the words of Red Bull boss Christian Horner, according to Autosport. Van Overbeeke proves him wrong. That McLaren is beautiful, even if F1 purists will deride it as heresy. And there’s no reason it can’t be created, Scarborough says: There are some minor technical issues (like making sure the driver can always escape the car quickly), but nothing insurmountable.

Van Overbeeke makes other practical changes. His cars are stripped down, free of many of the aerodynamic appendages that add cost (via extensive modeling and testing) and complication to car design.

The front wings are less complex and delicate than those used on today’s cars. The idea is to make overtaking other drivers easier—and thus make the racing more exciting: Today’s front wings are incredibly sophisticated and designed to produce downforce, keeping the car grounded at huge speeds, Scarborough says. But if they get too close to another car, the changes in airflow upset the aerodynamics—so they have to trail farther behind, making it harder to move ahead.

A simpler, wider wing might produce less downforce, but it would also be less perturbed by airflow changes. That would let cars get close, and make passing more common. Widening the car and wheels could have a similar effect, improving grip and allowing cars to get closer together.

“You have all these geniuses working for Formula One teams, and they are so restricted,” van Overbeeke says. “I would just like to see simpler rules.”

So can these digital designs change the future of F1? The odds aren’t good, but we’re nonetheless better off having a realistic, visual representation of the changes that could help the sport. “In that respect,” Scarborough says, “his designs are incredibly intelligent, and not just a flight of fancy.”

[MIKA27]

Toro Rosso's revised Austrian front-wing

Whilst rudimentary changes had already been applied to Toro Rosso's front-wing in Canada, enabling them to pass the new flap deflection test, further changes were made for Spielberg.

In the image above, the lower of the two front-wings is from Canada and features a straight leading edge to the endplate (marked in yellow), whilst the new front-wings endplate features a curvature, changing the way in which the flow moves and builds either side of it.

Owing to the higher downforce configuration required in Austria, the upper flaps (highlighted in green) have also been redesigned, with both of their chord lengths increased, whilst the vortex forming tips have also seen revision too.

[MIKA27]

Fan video gives new angle on Raikkonen-Alonso crash

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpjoNvkUDuQ

This footage shot by a fan at the Austrian Grand Prix and posted on YouTube gives a new perspective on the lap one collision between Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso.

The unusual crash occurred as they were accelerating away from turn two and Raikkonen’s car swerved sharply left into Alonso’s path. The pair hit an unprotected barrier which can be seen deflecting on impact in the video above.

The stewards cleared both drivers of responsibility for the crash.

[MIKA27]

HORNER: RED BULL WILL NOT GET FERRARI CUSTOMER ENGINES

Red Bull Racing has ruled out switching to customer Ferrari power amid their high profile struggle with Renault power units.

As the former champions’ troubled relationship with Renault continues to crumble, the speculation has been swirling around the paddock of the Red Bull Ring.

But team owner Dietrich Mateschitz played it down, arguing that being a mere ‘customer’ of a F1 rival “would never be good enough” to win more world titles.

After Mateschitz’s comments, however, Red Bull official Helmut Marko had at least confirmed that an offer was made recently by Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne.

“Maybe there was a vague offer,” team boss Christian Horner has now told Bild am Sonntag. “But Red Bull will definitely not be getting a customer engine from Ferrari.”

“I do think it’s unlikely that, as a customer team, you could go all the way to the top, because you would always be receiving an inferior engine,” Horner added.

In 2006 Red Bull were Ferrari customers, with the RB2 powered by a Maranello built 2.4 litre V8, but a year later Renault became the engine supplier to the energy drinks owned team.

The partnership went on to notch up eight consecutive F1 world titles for drivers’ and constructors’ – from 2010 to 2013 – with Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber.

Toro Rosso, also owned by Red Bull, were powered by Ferrari from 2007 to 2013 and switched to Renault power for 2014.

Ironically Vettel, who now drives for Ferrari, scored the Red Bull organisation’s first win with the Ferrari powered Toro Rosso STR3 when he claimed a famous victory at the 2008 Italian Grand Prix.

[MIKA27]

HONDA “WANT JOY IN FORMULA 1″ AS MCLAREN PARTNERSHIP HITS A NEW LOW IN AUSTRIA

Honda’s F1 chief has reiterated the company’s faith in the partnership with McLaren, after the company’s new president witnessed a new low in Austria with heavy power unit change penalties and a double retirement in the early stages of the Grand Prix.

To be competitive, but unreliable is one thing. To be reliable, but uncompetitive is another. But to be both uncompetitive and unreliable – especially after eight rounds – is rock bottom in F1 terms.

And although there is continued optimism that this is the right route for both partners, there is no point any of the key members denying that this is now a full blown crisis.

Fernando Alonso crashed the updated short nose chassis on the opening lap while Jenson Button was asked to retire his old spec car a few laps later.

But motorsport chief Yasuhisa Arai says that the Honda board is firmly behind the project and everyone believes that they will challenge the pace setters in the sport. He also said that the reliability problems are “almost fixed”.

McLaren have just four points after eight rounds, by some margin their worst ever start to an F1 season while double world champion Fernando Alonso is still pointless.

It was expected that the new partnership would start with a deficit, as Honda only committed to F1 in spring 2013, while Mercedes, Renault and Ferrari committed when the V6 hybrid turbo rules were drawn up in 2011.

But the return after eight races is far worse than expected; it’s clear that there is a huge push to develop, with McLaren pressing ahead with the short nose car this weekend, but Honda has clearly taken a direction in the last few months to try to chase power, which has led to greater unreliability.

Button admitted after his retirement from the race that it was hard to keep coming up with positive media messages even though the team believes improvement will come and they remain motivated.

“You’ve just got to stay positive,” said Button. “Everybody back at the factory listens to our post-race interviews, and both Fernando and I want to keep everyone motivated.”

“Honda want Formula One, we want joy in Formula One,” Arai said in Austria. “They believe, the chief executive and the board members, they think we need time to win and it is a long-term vision. They don’t doubt our success in the future.

“In races something has happened every day but the major troubles are already fixed and over the second half of the season I expect we will have more progress.

“I think that we will catch up most of the top teams because we already have a plan to increase the horsepower, drivability and control system. We have already planned to apply that in the second half of the season.”

In Canada Alonso complained of being made to look like an ‘amateur’ because Honda’s higher fuel consumption meant that he had to lift from early in the race and while he was battling to keep cars behind him.

In Austria both world champion drivers were hit with 25 place penalties before the race, which not only meant starting at the back, but also taking time penalties in the race.

“These are difficult days for all at McLaren-Honda, in Woking as well as in Sakura, but we won’t let our heads drop,” said McLaren racing director Eri Boullier. “Okay, I admit it, the going is getting tough; but.. when the going gets tough, the tough get going.”

Alonso’s race was ended when Raikkonen lost control of the Ferrari ahead of him on the exit of Turn 2 on the opening lap, slewing left and collecting Alonso behind, Alonso ended up on top of the scarlet car in the barriers.

“I started well today and made a lot of places,” said Alonso. “Kimi had the prime tyre and he exited T1 with wheelspin and he lost the car on the left and I was on the left so we went both on the wall and I was lucky not to hit him on the head. It was very strange, he lost the car in fifth gear, obviously low grip.”

As for team morale he said, “It’s just team work, we need now. the expectations of McLaren and Honda combination is higher than what we are achieving now but we are moving in the right direction and inside the team we know the plans for the near future and we are optimistic that things will change quickly. We don’t know if it will take two races or six race, but definitely not longer than that.”

The accident triggered a Safety Car and Button was asked to stop the car a few laps afterwards with an intake sensor failure.

[MIKA27]

Maurizio Arrivabene attacks 'stupid' wheelnuts

Ferrari team principal Maurizio Arrivabene has demanded his team makes changes to its "stupid" wheelnuts following the problem that cost Sebastian Vettel a podium finish in the Austrian Grand Prix.

Vettel fell behind the Williams of Felipe Massa when he was delayed in the pits by a sticking wheelnut on the right-rear wheel.

Arrivabene praised the German's drive, and defended his mechanics following the pit problem.

"We had a problem with the wheelnut, and it's not the first time, so we have to make sure that it does not happen again," he said.

"It was not a problem of the mechanics, it was our fault, and we have to make sure we fix it.

"We threw away one more time a podium for a stupid piece that we need to recover, we need to fix, as soon as possible.

"It's not the first time, and for me it's not acceptable."

Vettel praised the job of his crew for dealing with the problem swiftly, allowing him to rejoin the race in fourth and fight with Massa to the chequered flag.

"Obviously there was a problem with a nut - it wasn't going on," he said.

"Then the guys did an impressive job trying to fix it and eventually they did and the wheel was tight.

"In these moments you are likely to panic a little, and you just try to sit in the car."

[MIKA27]

Pastor Maldonado says Max Verstappen went too far in Austrian GP

Lotus Formula 1 driver Pastor Maldonado believes Toro Rosso rival Max Verstappen was not "respecting the rules" in their Austrian Grand Prix battle.

Maldonado, running an alternative strategy, caught and passed Verstappen for seventh late in the Red Bull Ring F1 race.

Asked by AUTOSPORT if he was happy with Verstappen's driving during their close wheel-to-wheel race, Maldonado replied: "He was a bit... let's say not aggressive, but he wasn't really respecting the rules.

"You must leave some space for the other car and he was not respecting that.

"But when I saw him doing this I said I need to be more careful but more aggressive.

"He was a bit on the limit a few times but it's OK.

"If the stewards don't say anything then I say OK, they allowed us to race and that's great."

The battle ended in spectacular fashion when Maldonado lurched sideways on the pits straight as he pulled out to pass Verstappen, who then locked up and shot off onto the Turn 1 run-off.

"It was just the tow - and maybe we had the headwind as well so maybe the front took more grip than the rear because of the DRS," said Maldonado, who had come through from 12th after a clutch problem at the start.

"Then as soon as the DRS closed I recovered the grip so it was a bit scary but OK. Good control!"

Verstappen said the Maldonado battle had lasted longer than he expected given the Lotus's pace.

"I was enjoying it," said the Dutchman.

"I couldn't see what happened [in the end]. I couldn't look because I was trying to control the car.

"With the pace he had I thought maybe two laps and he's gone.

"But I kept him behind for a few laps and it was really enjoyable."

The Toro Rosso driver was more frustrated that he had lost time behind Daniil Kvyat's Red Bull - which was running longer - after his pitstop.

"It's a shame with Kvyat, he cost me a few seconds, maybe what I needed to secure P7," said Verstappen, who spent two laps on the Red Bull's tail before Kvyat let him overtake without resistance.

"Normally if it's the other way around we don't make it too difficult for them [Red Bull].

"I didn't say anything on the radio, there's no point."

[MIKA27]

MARCHIONNE: RAIKKONEN’S FUTURE DEPENDS ON HIM

Kimi Raikkonen’s quest to keep his Ferrari seat beyond 2015, and remain in F1 beyond for that matter, took another backwards step after a wayward Austrian Grand Prix weekend.

The Finn, pushing to have the 2016 ‘option’ in his contract triggered, struggled in qualifying and then crashed heavily at the start of Sunday’s race. It follows the spin in Canada that cost Ferrari a podium place and angered boss Maurizio Arrivabene.

On Sunday, stewards decided not to apportion blame, but Fernando Alonso said he only collided with Raikkonen after the Ferrari driver lost control due to wheelspin.

“I was lucky not to hit him on the head,” said Alonso, who like Raikkonen was checked in the medical centre after the serious crash. It was a bit of a strange one as he must have lost his car in fifth gear.”

Ferrari boss Arrivabene admitted he did not know the exact reason for the crash, “When I first looked at the pictures I thought Fernando had touched Kimi, but that’s not true.”

Then in Ferrari’s official post-race statement, the Italian did not mention Raikkonen even once. Kimi himself said the wheelspin at such high speed was “unusual”. “Suddenly (I) went left and ended up there”.

Arrivabene told reporters: “Unfortunately there was no onboard footage from Fernando, so we need to trust Kimi. He said that the wheels spun, that’s it.”

The details of the crash aside, it is clear it came at the worst possible moment for the 2007 world champion, amid Ferrari’s hot deliberations about the future.

Asked when he is going to decide the identity of Sebastian Vettel’s teammate for 2016, Arrivabene answered: “When the time is right, both for us and for him (Raikkonen).

“It’s not about what happened (in Austria) yesterday or today, although of course we have a deadline but I’m not going to say when it is.”

Another bad sign for Raikkonen is that his incidents in Canada and now Austria were witnessed first-hand by Sergio Marchionne, the Ferrari president.

“Kimi should not be underestimated,” Marchionne said on Sunday, “as he is a world champion. He has given and he gives this team a lot. He is currently in a difficult situation, but we are here to support him.”

But Marchionne was also quoted by Corriere della Sera: “His future depends on him – he must decide whether he brings the results or whether he gives up.”

World champion turned outspoken pundit Jacques Villeneuve thinks Ferrari will not rush its final decision.

“Kimi does not have another good team to go to,” he is quoted by the Finnish broadcaster MTV3, “and Ferrari knows it. So why would they sign him quickly?”

Villeneuve also said there are doubts about the leading candidate to replace Raikkonen; another Finn, Valtteri Bottas.

“He (Bottas) has done some great races,” the Canadian said, “but he is sometimes behind Felipe (Massa). He is a fast driver, but is he better than Kimi?”

[MIKA27]

ALONSO: THE CRISIS IS OVER

Although Fernando Alonso’s Austrian Grand Prix ended early in frightening and spectacular fashion, the Spaniard claims “the crisis is over” at McLaren-Honda.

That is despite the team’s Austrian grand prix appearing to be an unmitigated disaster, and right in front of the Honda Motor Co.’s new president, Takahiro Hachigo.

The draconian extent of the engine grid penalties incurred by Alonso and Jenson Button was ridiculed in the international media, before Button sputtered into retirement and Alonso crashed on the opening lap.

And Spanish media reports say Alonso’s misery will now run into Silverstone, as the 44G impact with Kimi Raikkonen and the trackside barrier damaged his brand new Honda engine that now must be replaced yet again.

Alonso told Spanish reporters that, approaching the mid-point of the season, the pressure on McLaren-Honda is now high.

“Expectations are always high for a team like ours, and with a collaboration like McLaren and Honda,” he said, “but everything can be solved through teamwork.”

Alonso is staying at the Red Bull Ring this week, where he says he can continue to test the new bodywork package, despite destroying the ‘short nose’ on Sunday.

“We have spares,” he revealed. “The path we have taken is good, I know what’s coming and I know that things are going to change quickly now.

“I do not know if it will take two, six or eight races, but no more than that,” Alonso added.

“The crisis is over. We have found the right direction with several areas of the car that we have now put in place, and although from the outside it looks negative, there is not much longer until we can begin to have fun,” he said.

[MIKA27]

Williams shine despite brake problem

Rob Smedley, Williams performance chief, has confirmed that Valtteri Bottas's race was impeded by a significant brake problem.

The Finn, who eventually finished in fifth, two places behind his team-mate Felipe Massa, spent much of the first stint of the race behind the Force India of Nico Hulkenberg, finally passing him on lap 26.

This eventually caused his brakes to overheat later in the race, leading the Williams driver to have to lift and coast as the race wound down.

He still managed to finish 10.4 seconds in front of Hulkenberg however.

Smedley knew exactly what had caused the problem.

"Following Hulkenberg so closely for a large proportion of the race - getting on for 30 laps or something - got the temperature of the brakes up. That then put us into oxidisation, which means the wear accelerates quite a lot, so he was having to coast to make sure that we got to the end with enough brakes."

Bottas was able to deal with the problem, nursing his car home although he had to factor in less downforce as well.

Smedley explained, "On a cooler track temperature when you lift and coast the temperatures come down on the tyres so you have a double whammy effect in that you start to lose some grip as well."

Despite the problems, Bottas and Felipe Massa, who ended in third, his first podium since Abu Dhabi in 2014, continue to impress as Williams maintain their strong showing this season.

The team currently sit in third in the constructors' championship, a healthy 74 points ahead of Red Bull but 63 points behind Ferrari who are in second.

Smedley was particularly pleased that the team could take advantage of Sebastian Vettel's misfortune to gain a podium position in the race. The Ferrari team could not loosen the right-rear wheel nut on the German's car during his first pit stop.

"It'd be futile of me to say that we didn't get that podium by some good fortune as well, but you make your own luck and on Sunday we made our own luck," he said.

"Once we got ourselves into a position then we were able to hold onto it.

"I think that shows the mettle of the team now and how far it's moved on in that we were just operating very well to keep what was a faster car behind us."

"That's the third occasion this year that we've been able to do that so it pretty much shows that when we get ourselves into a position, we're ready."

[MIKA27]

Horner: Bring in Ross Brawn

Christian Horner, team principal at Red Bull, has again lamented the ineffectual contribution made by the Formula One Strategy Group.

Horner, a fierce critic of the body, believes that the group struggles to implement effective changes because of the fact that so many different organisations, teams as well as agendas are involved.

He pulled no punches in his assestment of the body.

“I think the Strategy Group is fairly inept. I keep saying it and I will repeat it again now: It is the commercial rights holder and the governing body to decide what F1 should be and then put it on the table to the teams and say 'this is what we want the product to be, these are the rules, this is the entry form'," he said.

The Red Bull boss thinks that perhaps someone who not only has a vast knowledge of the sport, but who is totally independent, should become involved in plotting the future of Formula One.

Horner maintains that Ross Brawn might be the man for the job. Not only is he a former team principal at Mercedes, as well as technical director at Ferrari, he also ran his own team, Brawn GP in 2009, a year in which they won both the Drivers' and Constructors' Championship.

"Maybe you need an independent observer, someone not involved… someone like Ross Brawn that understands the challenges and knows the business to write a specification for what a car or technical regulations should be.”

The Briton believes that waiting till 2017 to make regulations changes might be too late.

Action, Horner says, must be taken now, especially with regards to the current engine rules and penalty format. His views are particularly pertinent in light of the large penalties received by teams, McLaren specifically, at this weekends Austrian Grand Prix. Fans, he says would also want the system simplified.

“There is a lot of discussions for 2017, but can we afford to wait until 2017? I think we need to accelerate some of those," he added.

“Decisions need to be made so people know what is coming. I think we need to simplify a lot of these rules, because taking penalties and then further penalties, it is not right what the grid is until 10pm after qualifying, then further penalties in race… For the teams to follow it is complicated, so for the fans we need to keep it simple and go back to the basics."

[MIKA27]

McLaren F1 test scales back test plan after Fernando Alonso's crash

McLaren will run a reduced upgrade at the post-Austrian Grand Prix Formula 1 test due to the extent of damage to Fernando Alonso's car from his crash with Kimi Raikkonen.

The Woking-based team brought a big aerodynamic update package to Austria, which included a new short nose, front wing, floor and diffuser, but there were only enough parts for one car - and Alonso got the nod.

The double world champion said on Saturday that the upgrade had worked and further evaluation of the parts was planned for when Alonso returned to the wheel on Tuesday at the Red Bull Ring test.

But the damage caused by his first-lap crash with Raikkonen, which Alonso suggested featured a 40G impact, means McLaren will now run a mix of old and new parts.

The team has some spares, including the new nose box and compatible front wings, which will allow for a partial evaluation of the upgrade.

In light of the situation, McLaren has chosen to swap the driver line-up around, with Stoffel Vandoorne now kicking off the test on Tuesday and Alonso taking over on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Red Bull has also tweaked its line-up with Pierre Gasly testing a day earlier and Daniel Ricciardo moving to Wednesday.

REVISED TEST LINE-UP

Mercedes

Tuesday: Nico Rosberg; Wednesday: Pascal Wehrlein

Ferrari

Tuesday: Antonio Fuoco; Wednesday: Esteban Gutierrez

Red Bull

Tuesday: Pierre Gasly; Wednesday: Daniel Ricciardo

Williams

Tuesday: Susie Wolff; Wednesday: Valtteri Bottas

McLaren

Tuesday: Stoffel Vandoorne Wednesday: Fernando Alonso

Lotus

Tuesday: Romain Grosjean; Wednesday: Jolyon Palmer

Force India

Tuesday: Pascal Wehrlein; Wednesday: Esteban Ocon

Toro Rosso

Tuesday: Max Verstappen; Wednesday: Marco Wittmann

Sauber

Tuesday: Raffaele Marciello; Wednesday: Felipe Nasr

Manor will not run at the test

[MIKA27]

Toro Rosso F1 team to evaluate big upgrade in Red Bull Ring test

Toro Rosso plans to evaluate its biggest in-season upgrade of the year at this week's Formula 1 test at the Red Bull Ring, following last weekend's Austrian Grand Prix.

The Italian team brought a lot of new parts to Austria for the race, marking its biggest raft of changes since the package it brought for the final pre-season test in Spain.

While Toro Rosso was already satisfied over the weekend that the updates were a step forward from the car it raced in Canada earlier this month, it believes it will get a definitive verdict when it tests both specifications this week.

"Testing is always valuable because there is always stuff you want to do and things you want to learn, so we have an absolutely full test list for two days," said Toro Rosso's technical director James Key.

"The biggest change [to the car] is this race, believe it or not, so we've got a lot of stuff on the car, much of it under the bodywork.

"We've got quite a bit going on and we will certainly evaluate some of the stuff we've brought here in more detail at the test and test some bits for the future as well."

Max Verstappen will be responsible for carrying out the comparison on Tuesday, and his team-mate Carlos Sainz Jr expects the feedback on the new parts to be positive.

"It's difficult to say if the changes have worked or not because this is a completely different track to Canada," said Sainz.

"We have the test where we will back-to-back the new parts versus the Canada spec.

"Then we will take conclusions and we will say if it has worked or not - but it should.

"I'm looking forward to seeing what Max says about the back-to-back comparison.

"We are convinced it is working, but we don't know how much we have gained or if it was what we expected."

After Verstappen's Tuesday run, DTM champion Marco Wittmann will take over at Toro Rosso on Wednesday in a BMW-organised reward for his 2014 title success.

Wittmann was due to drive a 2012 Toro Rosso at Imola last year but the run was rained off.

[avaldes]

Some of the concept cars are spectacularly beautiful. I have to think that F1 may have strayed from the true purpose of the sport when they started in with hybrid electric power. I miss the days of screaming 20,000 rpm engines. Today's F1 is still the pinnacle of propulsive development, but in my opinion it went into a strange direction, almost seeming to mimic politics by including "green" power in a formula one car.

If hybrid power was not mandated, I seriously doubt that any team would use that technology in a race car.

[MIKA27]

ITALIAN MEDIA CRANK UP THE PRESSURE ON RAIKKONEN

Under pressure Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen is losing the backing and support of Italy’s influential Formula 1 media.

Heading into Austria, the Finn clashed with reporters following the publication of a story suggesting he has been asked to take a pay-cut for 2016.

“It’s bullsh*t nonsense that you guys come up with all the time,” Raikkonen charged.

The 2007 world champion is under increasing pressure at Maranello, having struggled in 2016 alongside Sebastian Vettel and spinning not only in Montreal, but also on Sunday in Austria, causing a huge first-lap crash with Fernando Alonso.

Giorgio Terruzzi, writing for Sport Mediaset, said in Austria: “Everyone was waiting for Raikkonen’s big answer to the Canada fiasco. And he did it. It is difficult to fall asleep in qualifying, but he did it. It is difficult to start from the seventh row in a Ferrari, but he did it.”

And then, wrote Terruzzi, came the big crash, “President Marchionne had just declared that Kimi’s future is in his own hands, and he got an immediate response.”

La Repubblica, a daily national newspaper, said Raikkonen in Austria “destroyed his chance of a contract extension” against the trackside barrier.

And Alberto Sabbatini, Autosprint’s editor-in-chief, speculated that after spinning immediately after his pitstop in Canada, Raikkonen may have again simply “forgotten” to turn off the ‘RS’ (race start) engine mode in Austria.

“Three years ago Kimi told his engineers at Lotus ‘Leave me alone, I know what I’m doing’. But maybe it’s time he is reminded of what to do,” said Sabbatini.

Team boss Maurizio Arrivabene departed Austria hinting that Ferrari may already have set a “deadline” for the decision about Raikkonen’s future.

“Kimi knows very well what I want from him,” the Italian is quoted by Turun Sanomat newspaper. “He has to get points and prizes.

“In the autumn we will know more. We will decide Kimi’s future after the Monza race,” Arrivabene added.

[MIKA27]

HORNER SHOCKED BY REPORTS BERGER MAY REPLACE HIM

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has shrugged off speculation about his future and said he is determined to stay on to help the troubled Formula 1 team resolve their problems.

The Times newspaper reported on Tuesday that one of Horner’s rival principals had called him on the morning of the Austrian Grand Prix, to commiserate about his supposed departure.

The unidentified boss had been given the impression that Austrian Gerhard Berger, a former McLaren and Ferrari driver who is close to Red Bull’s billionaire owner Dietrich Mateschitz, was set to replace the Briton.

Indeed, Berger has been a conspicuous presence at grands prix in 2016, and last Sunday was even spotted on the Toro Rosso pitwall wearing a Red Bull-branded jacket.

“I was shocked,” Horner said in reaction to the report. “I had no idea people were talking about me that way. I have a long contract with the team. It is difficult but I had dinner with Dietrich on Saturday evening and we still get along very well.”

“We know we have problems but we just have to work through them and I am here to do that job.”

Red Bull, winners of four successive driver and constructor championships between 2010 and 2013, have yet to feature on the podium this season.

The relationship with under-performing engine partners Renault has been stretched to breaking point while Mateschitz has talked of falling out of love with the sport.

At the Austrian Grand Prix, a home race for Red Bull, the team scored just one point after Australian Daniel Ricciardo and Russian Daniil Kvyat collected 10-place grid penalties for engine changes. Red Bull are fourth overall.

Horner said changes needed to be made to enable Renault and Honda to close the gap on champions Mercedes and Ferrari while the rules should be simplified.

However, he added that Mateschitz remained supportive of the sport despite the situation, “He’s telling what he thinks. He ultimately is a fan, that’s why he’s committed so much of Red Bull’s marketing activities to Formula 1. The risk for Formula 1 is when someone like Dietrich starts to fall out of love with it.”

“That’s a big worry because we need people like Dietrich to be engaged. He runs a multinational company and Red Bull does not exist because of Formula 1… if Formula 1 isn’t generating the return and the coverage for him then of course he’s going to raise questions about that.”

Red Bull run two of the 10 teams in Formula 1, with Toro Rosso used to develop junior talent such as 17-year-old Dutch driver Max Verstappen.

In November 2004, Red Bull purchased Jaguar F1 Team, which became Red Bull Racing and in 2005, Horner was recruited as the youngest team principal at the time.

Under his watch the team have competed in 192 grands prix, winning 50 of them and bagging four drivers’ and four constructors’ world titles from 2010 to 2013.

[MIKA27]

F1 2015 NEW GAMEPLAY VIDEOS RELEASED

Plenty of new gameplay videos of Codemasters’ upcoming F1 2015 have been surfacing on You Tube as both Inside Sim Racing and VVV Automotive have released plenty of new footage.

Using a new version of Codemasters’ EGO engine, F1 2015 will feature not only improved visuals but also come with an improved tire model & force feedback system that will hopefully result in a more realistic driving experience.

Using the Playstation 4’s & Xbox One’s voice-recognition technology, players will also be able to directly talk to their race engineer, requesting information and asking for changes.

F1 2015 will now be available starting July 10 in the UK, Europe and Australia and July 21 in the United States.

[MIKA27]

BIG DIP IN AUSTRIAN GP ATTENDANCE

Expectations of a smaller crowd of spectators for the Red Bull-promoted Austrian Grand Prix have been confirmed.

Last year, as the sport returned to the refurbished ‘Red Bull Ring’ for the first time in a decade, an enthusiastic full house of 90,000 thronged the stands.

But Kleine Zeitung newspaper reports that, a year on and amid formula one’s widely-reported problems, the race-day crowd had dwindled to just 55,000 on Sunday.

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, however, was happy with the job done by race organisers Red Bull, “Excellent, the best sign is when nobody complains about anything.”

[MIKA27]

TAFFIN SAYS RENAULT WILL NOT GIVE UP FORMULA 1

Renault has denied it is moving towards an exit from Formula 1, amid talk of a split with Red Bull and a return to full works team status, the big rumour after Austria is that Renault is in fact close to deciding to simply quit formula one.

That is because the development or ‘token’ rules are gradually tightening, making it more likely Renault’s deficit with its V6 ‘power unit’ will be locked in for the long term.

But Renault’s operations director Remi Taffin insists: “I do not agree with that. We will not give up.”

In fact, Taffin said Renault is now on top of its biggest early-season problems, insisting that “reliability and driveability should no longer be a problem”.

He said the rest of the season will be spent improving the engines for 2015 but “especially for 2016″.

And Taffin said Renault remains contractually bound to Red Bull for 2016, “Our relationship with Red Bull is good. Therefore I believe that we will continue to supply this team.”