FORMULA 1 - 2016

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WILLIAMS WORRIED ABOUT BOTTAS SEATBELT PROBLEM

Valtteri Bottas had a problem with his seat belt coming undone during the Singapore Grand Prix, forcing him to make a pit stop to have it adjusted and in the aftermath of the race the Williams team are working to solve the problem which they admit is a worry.

Williams performance chief Rob Smedley told media, “His seatbelt came undone, so he told us and he pitted immediately. We did them up in the pits.”

“But to understand why they’ve come undone, it’s really quite a worry in itself that has happened while they’re driving at these sort of speeds.”

“Valtteri had another issue some years back. I don’t think it was a similar issue, but it was something to do with the seatbelt.”

“We’ve just got to go away, do the correct analysis with due diligence, and the main thing is we get it fixed for [the next race in] Malaysia.”

“Obviously, we’ve done the whole season without any seatbelts coming undone in practice or the race or anything like that, so it’s a bit of a worry that it’s suddenly just happened,” added Smedley.

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Nico in the hot seat - How much does he know?!

Ahead of Nico Rosberg's 200th Grand Prix start, we asked him a couple of questions about his career so far...

 

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Lies, spies and feuds: The scandals that rocked Formula 1

Espionage, bitter rivalries, deliberate crashing, sex scandals... F1 has seen its fair share of shocking controversies over the years. We list at the most scandalous!

Renault orders its driver to crash deliberately

Two years after his second world title with Renault and one year on from his infamously shortlived stint at McLaren, Fernando Alonso’s high profile return to the French manufacturer for the 2008 season hadn’t gone as expected as he made the best of modestly competitive machinery. However, things looked to take a turn for the better for Alonso at the inaugural Singapore Grand Prix when a fortuitous safety car just after he had made an early pit-stop saw him shake out into a lead he would hold to the end for an unlikely victory. Trouble is, that safety car was prompted by his team-mate Nelson Piquet Jr feebly spinning out at the conveniently perfect moment, which the Brazilian revealed a year later – after being dropped by the team - was a done on instruction by Renault management. The scandal engulfed the sport and spelled the end of team principal Flavio Briatore’s time in F1, while Pat Symonds was also banned for his part in the ploy (though this was overturned) and massive fines were levied on the team. Ironically, Alonso – who has maintained he knew nothing of the plot - kept his tarnished win and happened to win again just a week later in Fuji anyway (without assistance).

Schumacher loses 1997 championship... and is then thrown out of it

Michael Schumacher is undeniably a legend of the sport… yet he remains one of its most divisive figures based on a tendency to involve himself in some F1’s most controversial moments. Having already been vilified for his collision with Damon Hill at the concluding 1994 Australian Grand Prix, which ensured he won the title, a similar incident whilst desperately attempting to defend from Jacques Villeneuve at the 1997 finale in Jerez would not yield the same result. With Schumacher rather blatantly turning in to hamper his opponent, it was the German that instead pinged off into the gravel trap, while Villeneuve remained on course to snatch the title. This wasn’t the end of the matter though and the FIA was unimpressed with Schumacher’s unsportsmanlike conduct, choosing to exclude him from the entire championship altogether in one of the boldest and strictest judgements in sporting history.

Tinker, Tailor, Stepney, Spy...

Complex, intriguing and at times unfathomable, the multi-layered ‘Spygate’ debacle that shook F1 in 2007 was an espionage tale that just kept on giving. Originating with allegations from Ferrari that (soon to be former) employee Nigel Stepney has shared confidential data with a McLaren employee (Mike Coghlan), the entire case was only uncovered when a photocopying shop employee (who happened to be a big Ferrari fan) alerted Maranello of the documents that had been dropped off by Coghlan’s wife. Kick-starting a chain of events in which Stepney would be subject to criminal investigations, Coghlan claimed several McLaren employees knew of the illegally acquired data but McLaren management strictly denied this. Initially, the World Motor Sport Council finds McLaren in breach of the sporting code but the team controversially escapes punishment… until new evidence comes to light amidst Fernando Alonso’s brewing feud with Ron Dennis after the Spaniard threatens to reveal email exchanges about the Ferrari data that prove incriminating towards McLaren and at odds with the WMSC outcome. In light of this, the International Court of Appeal convenes, with the second investigation revealing that in fact several McLaren employees – including Alonso and test driver Pedro de la Rosa – HAD come into contact with confidential information originating from Ferrari. Upon the hearing, McLaren is handed a huge $100 million fine and it has its constructors’ points cancelled.

6 cars start 2005 US Grand Prix amid tyre drama

Was the 2005 United States Grand Prix the strangest F1 race of all-time? It was certainly one of the most boring as only six Bridgestone-shod cars took to the start-line when the remaining 14 withdrew over concerns about strength of their Michelin tyres. Following tyre failures in the high-speed banked turn 11, a red-faced Michelin declared it wasn’t confident its product could last a race distance without a change in the configuration of the circuit, which the FIA denied. Worried about criminal liability if there were crashes at the high-speed section in the race, the 14 drivers were ordered to complete the parade lap before withdrawing to the pit lane. Leaving just 6 cars (2 Ferraris, 2 Jordans and 2 Minardis) to start and finish, Michael Schumacher claimed a largely uncontested victory. Arguably the nadir of F1 in the modern era, it took several years for F1’s image in the US at least to recover.

Boycotts, barricades and broken promises

F1 history has been peppered over the years by numerous threats to boycott the championship over matters of safety and politics (remember the proposed breakaway series?), though some have been more convincing than others. However, boycott threats didn’t come more visibly rebellious than on the eve of the 1982 World Championship at Kyalami when drivers reacted against FISA’s plans to introduce mandatory ‘Superlicences’ that would tie drivers to teams for three years and disclose personal earnings, as well as install a ‘gagging order’ that would essentially limit any public criticism of governing body. With drivers irked by the stringent measures, Didier Pironi led a crusade against the measures only to find FISA president Jean-Marie Balestre digging his heels in and instead threaten bans for any driver who failed to agree to the contracts. This simply served to rally the opposition, with Pironi and Niki Lauda urging drivers to join a boycott that would see them go as far as barricade themselves into a hotel in Johannesburg the night before FP1 was due to start. Eventually Balestre backed down and verbally promised there would be no sanctions against drivers if they went on to race… However, though the race indeed went ahead, Balestre sneakily levied huge fines on the drivers in a devious act of defiance. Mercifully, the penalties were reduced by the FIA, with FISA criticised for its handling of the matter.

McLaren denies everything... is still caught red-handed

For some, the mark of a good driver is to not only know how to fight for position but to also know when you’re beaten… but this can apply to teams too, as McLaren found out to its cost in the 2009 Australian Grand Prix when its failure to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth landed it in unnecessarily hot water. The origins of the kerfuffle began with Lewis Hamilton passing Jarno Trulli as the safety car came out late in the race, only for Hamilton to slow up again on the apparent direction of the team to allow the Toyota driver back past. However, stewards instead ruled that Trulli had illegally passed under the safety car, handing over a 25secs penalty that lifted Hamilton up to third position on the results sheet. With Toyota left incensed by what it felt was a deliberate deception by McLaren, the team protested but both McLaren and Hamilton maintained there was never an instruction to allow Trulli through. However, when new evidence came to light that incriminated McLaren as doing exactly that, Hamilton was disqualified from the results, McLaren docked constructors’ points and a three race suspended ban put in place for 12 months, while sporting director Dave Ryan was subsequently sacked by McLaren.

Bad form-ation finish! Ferrari fixes the 2002 Austrian GP result

In hindsight, the 2002 Austrian Grand Prix was an incident that never needed to happen. Coming at the height of Ferrari’s F1 dominance, Michael Schumacher already had a sizeable lead over the competition before the fifth round of the season at the A1 Ring, whereas team-mate Rubens Barrichello had endured a trying start to his campaign. However, it was the Brazilian that would emerge as the driver to beat on that day in Austria and he looked on course for a controlled, well deserved win over his team-mate… until Ferrari intervened and ordered him to move over for Schumacher so as to further bolster his already strong title aspirations. A dejected Barrichello adhered on the run to the line, Schumacher nipping ahead just metres before the chequered flag in a clumsy display of micro-managed racing. Neither driver looked comfortable with the outcome, as fans booed in the grandstands, while the press decried Ferrari had brought the sport into disrepute… as a result of the debacle, team orders were (temporarily) banned.

Team-mates - team-foes

One of sport’s most epic and bad tempered rivalries, the toxic blood between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost defined F1 in the late 80s/early 90s, whether it was their off track spats, on track scuffles or rumblings in the stewards rooms. For many though, the peak (or nadir…) of their rivalry came with their coming together in 1989 Japanese Grand Prix – the penultimate round of the season – as their fierce title tussle reached a critical moment. With Prost declaring he wouldn’t be bullied by Senna’s boisterous driving style, it was perhaps inevitable that the Frenchman would staunchly defend his position as the Brazilian attempted to pass at the final corner chicane. With the pair making contact and sliding off track together, Prost calmly got out of the car, while Senna continued with the aid of marshals push-starting him and continued on to win thus giving him a shot of the title at the final round. In the end, he was controversially disqualified for failing to re-join the circuit in the correct manner – handing Prost the title – in what many felt was a thinly veiled attempt by the (French) governing body to favour his team-mate and foe. Prost won the 1989 title before moving to Ferrari, only for the pair to come together again the following the season in Suzuka after Senna rear-ended Frenchman at turn one. Ironically, though Senna would later admit it was intentional had Prost led into the first corner amidst anger the ‘clean’ side of the grid was swapped to favour his rival, no action was taken and Senna would clinch the title.

Brabham whips up a storm with its 'Fan Car'

One of the more curious creations to be borne out of the mind of F1’s incredible – if occasionally leftfield – engineering minds, the Brabham BT46B ‘Fan Car’ was certainly an extraordinary machine, albeit one that existed all too briefly. Dubbed the ‘Fan Car’, the BT46B featured just that – a large fan - at the back of the car that through a series of clutches developed more suction the faster it got to improve downforce. A response to Lotus’ ground-breaking 78/79, the BT46B was quick too… so fast that it won on its debut in the 1978 Swedish Grand Prix in the hands of Niki Lauda. However, success brought cries of foul play and rivals demanded a change in the regulations, citing the car was illegal. In the end, rivals got what they wanted and the car was removed from competition (but not technically banned) after winning its one and only race, though it’s worth noting that had owner – a one Bernie Ecclestone – not at the time been touting for support from said teams in pursuit of presidency for FOCA at the time, he might had fought harder for this potentially game changing creation…

Max Mosley's sexual antics put F1 on front page

As far as tabloid sex scandals go, the controversy that embroiled Max Mosley – who was president of the FIA at the time – remains one of the most salacious in recent memory, albeit one that has left a legacy. In 2008, the News of the World claimed it had video footage that it said not only showed Mosley engaging in sexual acts with five women, but did so with Nazi role-playing overtones. Though Mosley admitted ‘the embarrassment of the revelations caused’, he has always maintained there were no ‘Nazi overtones’, but while he succeeded in seeing off a vote of no confidence to maintain his presidency, Mosley elected against standing for a fifth term. He did however continue to go after News of the World though and was successful in receiving damages and has maintained a crusade for the right to privacy against the wider press.

3-into-2 doesn't go at Sauber

As one of F1’s pluckiest underdogs, it’s difficult not to root for the privateer Sauber team. However, it was hard to know who to side with when Sauber found itself in an unfortunate legal situation on the eve of the opening race in 2015 when it became apparent that it had three contracted drivers for just two races seats. Quite how the bizarre contractual debacle came to be was never made clear, but Giedo van der Garde arrived in Melbourne adamant he had a deal in place to race with Sauber in 2015 despite Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr being publicly announced months earlier. The Dutchman – Sauber’s reserve driver in 2015 – took management to local court just as the team was setting up for the opening race a few miles away and even appeared in the paddock in Sauber overalls as the legal battle escalated, much to the bemusement of the other team members. After lengthy discussions in and out of court, a behind the scenes agreement was eventually reached that would see van der Garde withdraw his claim in favour of a settlement, leaving Nasr and Ericsson to complete the season with no more distractions. Van der Garde hasn't been seen in the paddock since...

F1 gets 'shot' of Tyrrell in fuel scandal

It takes an extraordinary set of circumstances to throw an entire team out of a world championship, not least one with the title-winning kudos of Tyrrell, but the British team’s attempts to cleverly (but illegally) circumnavigate the technical regulations in 1984 ultimately cost it very dearly. In the era of an almost wholesale shift towards turbo-engined cars in F1, Tyrrell stood its ground in 1984 by maintaining its normally-aspirated Cosworth engine, one that left it under the minimum weight stipulation which thus required it to be ‘topped up’ by other means. After the controversial ‘water-cooled’ brake debacle two years earlier (which allowed Brabham and Williams to run underweight in the races), Tyrrell got around this measure by introducing a water-cooled injection system to cool the cylinders, which was then topped up with two gallons of water after the race. Additionally though, it also contained lead shot which only became apparent when it began escaping in the pit lane, piquing the curiosity amongst rivals. Further investigation revealed Tyrrell were running a blended water that contained ‘aromatics’, which constituted an additional (illegal) fuel source. In an unprecedented move, Tyrrell was stripped of its 1984 results. Looking back, many have speculated though that the disqualification was to ensure F1 became a turbo-only championship and warned other teams off not considering the – expensive – shift.

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Manor F1 team has let new recruit Ocon down, boss Ryan feels

Manor racing director Dave Ryan feels the team has not done a good enough job for Esteban Ocon since giving him a Formula 1 race seat.

The Mercedes junior replaced Rio Haryanto during F1's summer break, and his grand prix debut at Spa was compromised by a broken brake duct.

In the following race at Monza, he was let down by electrical failures in first practice and again just before qualifying, as issues Ryan called "unacceptable" plagued the team.

Last weekend in Singapore, Ocon initially earned a five-second time penalty for passing Sauber's Felipe Nasr behind the safety car, but also endured two slow pitstops.

The 20-year-old was stationary for approximately 75 seconds during his first stop, then 15s in his third.

"The procedures were wrong, but I'm not sure which one just yet, so we need to look at the video and be very sure ourselves, and then once we know that we can work on it," Ryan told Autosport.

"We had a problem getting the wheels on the car, and then we had to change to another set because we had a problem with the wheelnut.

"It was a case of one thing going into another really. It was one of those deals that was hard to stop once it started going wrong.

"But that shouldn't be the case. We should be geared up to deal with things that come along in a certain way, and we weren't in this case."

Ryan feels it is down to everyone in the team, primarily himself as its leader, to ensure the problems do not continue.

"Esteban is due a good turn," he said.

"We didn't have a good race in Monza with him, and then we let him down again in Singapore with our pitstops, which was just disappointing because his last stint, with his pace on the tyres, was really good.

"Quite clearly we're not - I'm not - doing a good enough job in terms of making sure all our procedures and things are in place.

"So we need to look at that, we've all got to accept responsibility and just work on it.

"It's not through lack of effort. The guys are doing plenty of practice, we're working on it, but we're not there.

"Everyone has to assume and responsibility. You can't just sit there and say I told them. That's not how it works.

"We're a team and we work together. That's what everyone else does, we're no different, and we have to do the same thing."

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RENAULT NOT TAKING 2017 F1 DRIVER LINE UP DECISION LIGHTLY AS IT LOOKS TO THE FUTURE

The Renault Formula 1 team remains the only works squad yet to reveal its driver line up for the 2017 season and the high profile nature of its seats is the key to the driver market for next year.

Both of its current drivers, Kevin Magnussen and Jolyon Palmer, are under pressure to keep their seats with the former recently stating that there had been a delay in the team’s decision on its future driver pairing.

Magnussen added to his cause to remain at the team with 10th place at the Singapore Grand Prix last weekend, which was Renault’s first point since the Danish driver finished seventh at the Russian Grand Prix back in April.

Renault is thought to be keen to sign its former reserve driver Esteban Ocon for 2017 and is currently evaluating his progress at the Manor team, which he joined in place of Rio Haryanto after the summer break.

If such a scenario, which is made more complicated because Ocon is a Mercedes-backed junior driver, comes to pass, that leaves just one seat left at Renault.

Magnussen’s point in Singapore came at a crucial point for his F1 future as it followed his enormous accident in the Belgian Grand Prix and a poor team showing at Monza, where the long straights exposed the RS16’s deficits to Renault’s midfield rivals.

Palmer is still yet to score a point in F1 and spun out of tenth place at the Hungarian Grand Prix shortly before the summer break. In Singapore, he finished 15th after a slow puncture cost him time, while before that clashes with Felipe Massa in Germany and Felipe Nasr in Italy also stopped him producing better results.

But there are other drivers that could yet make the switch to Renault. Valtteri Bottas has also been linked with the Enstone-based squad and despite several comments from both himself and the team that he will stay for 2017; Sergio Perez is still yet to formally commit to Force India.

At the weekend he said: “It’s nice to have the situation I have with options on the table, but as a driver you would like to clear your mind of that. It looks as if I’m going to stay.

“But because of my past experience with McLaren; everything was pretty much sorted then last minute there was a change. In F1 everything can change, but everything seems to be that I am going to stay for another year.”

Another possible candidate is Toro Rosso’s Daniil Kvyat. The Russian has struggled since his demotion from Red Bull in place of Max Verstappen earlier this year, but he put in an aggressive performance in Singapore to come home ninth – his first points finish since the British Grand Prix – and said afterwards that he was “loving” F1 once again.

Like Perez and Magnussen, Kvyat does bring money. The Russian exchange broker company Exness joined Red Bull as a sponsor after Kvyat was announced as one of its drivers for 2015 and the Acronis data protection company co-founded by Serguei Beloussov, joined Toro Rosso in a one-off deal for this year’s Hungarian Grand Prix.

Kvyat’s chances of staying at Toro Rosso are hampered by Pierre Gasly’s recent form in GP2 and if the Frenchman wins the title – he currently leads the points standings – he has a strong case for promotion to the seat alongside Carlos Sainz at the Italian team next year.

Renault also has a large stake in the AvtoVAZ company that owns the Lada automotive brand, which reportedly has a market share of around 20 per cent in the Russian market. This makes the idea of running a Russian driver in its F1, which Renault has done in the past with Vitaly Petrov, an appealing prospect to the French manufacturer.

In the team principals’ press conference for last weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, Renault’s managing director Cyril Abiteboul explained that the team was keen to put the 2016 season behind it and focus on what it has achieved in regards to rebuilding the former Lotus squad over the past ten months.

“We are not just here to make up the figures,” he added. “We are here for the long term and to be a very competitive outfit.”

Abiteboul also suggested that Renault signing a big name driver does not appear to be on the team’s agenda for at least two years and that the line-up it chooses for 2017, which he highlighted would be the “first drivers that we chose as Renault”, could be in place for a few years. It is therefore not a choice it will be rushed into.

“I think that a big name will at some point in time will be important,” he said. “I think it is a bit too early. But clearly if you look at all the key success factors for all successful teams, there was always a symbolic ambassador who was a driver.

“It’s likely that the drivers we will be choosing for next year will be really the first drivers that we chose as Renault, [and] will be here for a couple of seasons so I think we are not taking that decision lightly.

“It’s good that we have options and we are trying to make the decision that is as much informed as possible and we are in a position to sort of take our time and look at what’s going on around us. So it’s an important decision but we are not rushing into anything.”

With Renault keen on a driver line up that would be in place for at least two seasons, it faces a big decision in the coming weeks. Those drivers performing at their best right now will give themselves the best shot a securing a relative-scarce works F1 seat.

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Apple in Talks to Acquire Luxury Carmaker and Formula One Team McLaren

Apple has approached British luxury carmaker and Formula One team McLaren about a potential acquisition, likely to be valued at between $1.3 billion and $1.9 billion, according to Financial Times. 

Apple is reportedly considering a full takeover of McLaren, or a strategic investment in the company, likely in an effort to bolster its widely rumored automotive project. Apple is said to be interested in McLaren's automotive-related technology, engineering prowess, and patent portfolio.

The California technology group, which has been working on a self-driving electric vehicle for more than two years, is considering a full takeover of McLaren or a strategic investment, according to three people briefed on the negotiations who said talks started several months ago. 

A tie-up with McLaren, whose expertise ranges from automotive engineering and on-board computer systems to novel chassis materials such as carbon fibre and aluminium, could accelerate Apple’s secretive automotive project. Apple and McLaren declined to comment.

McLaren, headquartered in Woking, Surrey, manufactures high-performance sports cars, including the P1 and F1 models commonly used for racing. The carmaker produced just 1,654 vehicles last year, some costing as much as $1 million apiece. McLaren has a Formula One team itself that competes under the name McLaren Honda, winning more F1 grand prix races than any other team since 1966. 

Apple has reportedly laid off dozens of employees as it seeks to repurpose its secretive automotive project, now believed to fall under the leadership of longtime Apple executive Bob Mansfield. At time, it was said that Apple is focusing more heavily on developing underlying technologies for autonomous vehicles, perhaps allowing it to partner with or purchase an automaker like McLaren in the future. 

Formula One itself was sold to U.S.-based Liberty Media for $4.4 billion earlier this month.

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MCLAREN: WE ARE NOT IN DISCUSSION WITH APPLE

Apple Inc has approached British Formula One team owner McLaren Technology Group for a strategic investment or a potential buyout, the Financial Times reported, citing sources.

However, McLaren said it was not in talks with Apple about a deal. “We can confirm that McLaren is not in discussion with Apple in respect of any potential investment.”

While Apple insisted that they do “not comment on rumours or speculation.”

The loss-making automotive group could be valued at between $1.3 billion and $2 billion, the newspaper reported.

McLaren is controlled by Ron Dennis and the Bahrain sovereign wealth fund. Dennis, who ran the Formula 1 team before expanding the business into other areas, would be in line for a multi-million dollar windfall if a deal with Apple did go through.

A deal with McLaren, which also produces high performance sports cars, could give Apple key automotive technology amid reports that the iPhone maker is working on a self-driving car.

Apple has hired dozens of automotive experts over the past year and is exploring making charging stations for electric cars.

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VETTEL: WE’RE HERE TO FIGHT AND THAT’S WHAT WE’RE GOING TO DO

Sebastian Vettel left Singapore having finished fifth, after starting from the back of the grid, and vowed to fight hard in the remaining races to end the season on a high.

In the aftermath of a tough weekend for his team at Marina Bay Circuit, the Ferrari driver told media, “I think if we get everything right then we know we have a strong package for sure.”

“There have been a lot of races where we didn’t do that; some was up to us, some was up to stuff that happened, but for sure it didn’t end up so far the way we wanted and we’re not yet where we want to be. But I think we believe in ourselves.”

Ferrari trail Red Bull by 15 points in the battle for second place in the Formula 1 constructors’ championship behind the dominant Mercedes team.

“We are not entirely where we want to be in terms of raw pace. Sometimes it’s a bit better, sometimes it’s worse. Obviously on tracks like [Marina Bay] it’s generally more close so we kind of expected to be competitive and then you always have a chance to win or fight for a very solid podium.”

Although they under-delivered in Singapore, the Maranello outfit have updates in the pipeline which will be rolled out in the next few races.

“Going forward we have confidence, there are some bits coming still. We’re here to fight and that’s what we’re going to do,” insisted Vettel who has not won a race so far this season.

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LAUDA: LEWIS HAS TO BOUNCE BACK WITH ALL HIS MIGHT IN MALAYSIA

Mercedes F1 team chief Niki Lauda has urged Lewis Hamilton to tackle the forthcoming Malaysian grand Prix with all guns blazing to stop Nico Rosberg’s impressive run of form and victories.

Lauda said on RTL, “Lewis has to bounce back with all his might in Malaysia, to end Nico’s incredible run.”

Rosberg won the Singapore Grand Prix in convincing style, fending off a strong late race challenge from Daniel Ricciardo and thus bagging maximum points, while teammate and title rival Hamilton finished third.

Th result saw Rosberg take the lead in the championship standings by eight points with six races left to run this season.

The German has won all three races since the summer break, claiming the winner’s trophy at Monza and Spa-Francorchamps, two of the sport’s iconic venues, and recently at the challenging Marina Bay Circuit – tracks he had never won at before.

Meanwhile Lauda admits he is relieved that Singapore is behind them, “Marina Bay was an anti-Mercedes track, last year it was a total mess for us, [this time] we won it.”

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SAINZ AND OCON FAVOURITES FOR RENAULT DRIVE IN 2017

Carlos Sainz and Esteban Ocon have emerged as front runners for a race seat with Renault next year, while current drivers Kevin Magnussen and Joylon Palmer also under consideration.

BT F1 correspondent Peter Nygaard reports that Sainz is currently favourite to depart Toro Rosso and move to Renault for next season.

Sergio Perez was also a candidate until his minders decided to keep him a year longer at Force India with an eye on the Mexican replacing Kimi Raikkonen at Ferrari in 2018.

Ocon, who is contracted to Mercedes, and part of their junior driver programme, has until 30 September to decide if he will go with the French team or remain with Manor.

Renault team chief Cyril Abiteboul admitted that Ocon, who was loaned to the team as a resverve by Mercedes, is “one of the candidates in contention, among several others.”

“Things are very open. We have clear milestones that we don’t have to make public, but we will make a decision and make our plans very clear to everyone as soon as possible.”

How soon? Abiteboul said earlier this month, “September is the month where this has to be clarified or at least start to take a very clear orientation.”

Meanwhile, Magnussen wants to stay with Renault confirmed his advisor Jesper Carlsen in the aftermath of the Dane’s tenth place at the recent Singapore Grand Prix, the French team’s first points since May.

Carlsen has advised Magnussen to focus on results on track, which in turn will be positive for his chances at Renault or other teams should the need arise to look elsewhere.

The result at Marina Bay Circuit came after a drought of results for the French team and Carlsen expects Magnussen to make the most of the result,”You will always be remembered for your last race. Memories are very short in Formula 1, so the more good results the better.”

“They have told Kevin to focus on driving the car. Renault is, among other things. hiring a lot of new engineers, and it takes a lot of energy to establish what will be the new Renault team for the future,” added Carlsen.

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STROLL SET FOR WILLIAMS IN 2017 AND STARTS HUGE TEST PROGRAMME

Reports have emerged all but confirming that Lance Stroll has signed a deal to race for Williams in 2017 alongside Valtteri Bottas and already, the son of billionaire Lawrence Stroll, is testing a Formula 1 car at grand prix venues.

Respected F1 journalist Joe Saward writes that the Stroll family has invested $20 million to prepare teenager Lance for his F1 debut next year using a 2014 Williams for an intense test programme.

Saward adds: “[Stroll] now has the points required for a super licence and his 18th birthday is coming up shortly. Between now and the end of the year he will do around 8,000 miles [12,800 kms equivalent to about 42 grand prix races] of testing at a string of circuits around the world, driving an unbranded 2014 Williams-Mercedes.”

“The car, which is being set up for Stroll at each circuit by Gary Paffett, was spotted at the Hungaroring last week and this week will be in Austria.”

“The schedule includes tracks all over the world and so one can speculate that he will be seen in action in Austin, Interlagos, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Malaysia and Suzuka,” adds Saward.

When asked recently if he felt ready to tackle Formula 1, the seventeen year old replied, “Yes, absolutely. I think Formula 3 is at a very high level and only one step below GP2. Our cars have a lot of downforce but of course not as much power as F1, but the competition level is very high.”

He added, “It is good for motorsport and Formula 1 that young drivers are able to show what they can do. But I don’t want to compare myself with anyone, because each situation is different.

“However, if you are well prepared and have the necessary talent then I see no problem about starting even at a very early age.”

Williams have not yet indicated who any of their drivers will be for 2017, in contrast to last season when they were among the first teams to confirm their drives for this season.

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Honda planning to introduce final 2016 upgrade in Malaysia

Honda are planning on introducing their final power unit upgrade of the 2016 season at the Malaysian Grand Prix next weekend, with the Japanese manufacturer set to spend its remaining three development tokens.

It's not yet known whether Honda will provide the unit for both Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso - with the matter still to be discussed with McLaren - but Honda's F1 chief Yusuke Hasegawa believes it may be best to split the upgrade as it will mean both incurring a grid penalty as they have already used the maximum number of units.

"I don't want to get both cars behind [with grid penalties] from a race tactics and a constructors' point of view," he is quoted by Autosport. "It might be better to split the tactics for the cars."

Hasegawa admitted Honda could have introduced the upgrade at the race following Malaysia in Japan, but don't want to upset the local fans.

"I don't think the fans will let me take a penalty in Japan," he added. "I will not be allowed to walk into the circuit!"

Specific details on which area of the power unit will be upgraded have yet to be confirmed and likely won't be until the upgrade has been signed off by the FIA.

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The 300 Club - Jenson Button On 17 years in Formula 1

Having spent 17 consecutive years on the F1 grid, Britain’s Jenson Button is currently the sport’s longest serving driver, and is on course to start over 300 Grands Prix before the end of the season. Mobil 1 The Grid caught up with the McLaren-Honda driver to hear about his plans away from the driver’s seat in 2017, and to find out more about what the future holds for 2018 and beyond.

[MIKA27]

Boullier: We don’t know what Liberty Media has for F1

Following the purchase of Formula 1 by Liberty Media, McLaren racing director Eric Boullier has revealed that they are eagerly waiting to hear their plans.

At the recently concluded Singapore Grand Prix, Formula 1’s new chairman Chase Carey visited the paddock for the first time.

However, Boullier claimed that his appearance was just a welcome for him by all those currently involved in the sport.

“We don’t know exactly what their plans are,” Boullier underlined.

“They have just come here to introduce themselves and that is it so far. I guess there will be more and more discussions and developments in the future.

“I guess also there are just here to get a little bit of a taste of what Formula 1 is exactly from the inside, from the paddock and from the drivers. We will see later.”

Honda boss Yusuke Hasegawa also expressed his opinion, which was similar to his McLaren colleague.

“I am not in a position to tell something about that, but also it is still not clear to us,” said Hasegaw.

“But for Honda the stability is very important. That is the only thing I can say.”

[MIKA27]

Formula 1 begins Ultra High Definition trials

Formula 1 trialled its first broadcasting of a race in Ultra High Definition (UHD) at the Singapore Grand Prix, ahead of plans for the entire season to be shown like that in 2017.

Tata Communications, which is working as a technical partner of Formula 1, teamed up with broadcaster Sky to deliver the first end-to-end broadcast of a race in UHD.

Sky took several state-of-the-art UHD cameras to the Singapore race and footage from these was mixed with the host images from FOM's Broadcast Centre, before being sent direct to Sky's headquarters in the UK.

The trial comes ahead of Sky's plans to show all F1's races from next season in UHD.

Keith Lane, director of operations at Sky, said: "UHD offers four times higher resolution than HD, making F1 a more powerful, immersive experience for fans than ever before.

"The success of this proof of concept in Singapore shows that we're on track to show every race live in UHD next season using our next-generation Sky Q home entertainment service, and to continue to give our customers the action-packed F1 experiences that they crave."

The switch to UHD, which requires superfast global connectivity, is viewed as a key step towards future Virtual Reality plans for F1.

Mehul Kapadia, managing director of F1 business at Tata Communications said: "Other game-changing technologies like Virtual Reality will rely on ubiquitous, superfast connectivity too.

"As the break-neck speed of technology innovation continues, we'll work with Formula One Management to enable fans to experience the exhilarating world of F1 in new ways."

[MIKA27]

Marcus Ericsson in talks with multiple F1 teams for 2017 seat

Sauber driver Marcus Ericsson says he is talking with a host of Formula 1 teams, including Williams and Renault, regarding a seat for 2017.

The Swede is out of contract at the end of the season, as is his team-mate Felipe Nasr, but is understood to have ties with Sauber's new owners.

But Ericsson said he is looking further afield as well.

"We're speaking to some different teams, including Sauber, but there's not that many seats left so let's see in the coming weeks," he said.

"Nothing decided yet, but hopefully soon I will know what will happen.

"Aim number one is to stay in F1 and in the best possible car."

When asked if he was talking with Williams, Renault and Force India, he replied "Yes" to each.

Of talks with Manor, he replied: "We've been speaking a bit with them.

"They were there as well, basically it's all the teams that are left.

"Obviously it's not myself but my management, and I think it's important to keep communication with all the teams and see what's happening."

Ericsson, currently in his third year in F1, is keen to progress his career and drive a car in which he can show his potential.

"Now I'm going into my fourth season next year, so I'm really eager to be in a car where I can be a bit more competitive and show what I can do," he said.

"I feel like I've taken steps all the time as a driver and perform on a better level but I haven't had the chance to really show it yet.

"So I'm really, really eager to be in a package where I can really fight for points on a regular basis.

"I want to be in a better package soon so that I can really show off performances on track that people can see.

"That said there's a lot of things happening now in Sauber as well, so it will be interesting to see with all the new personnel which way it goes."

When it was put to him that Williams would be the ideal team, based on the seats that are left, to achieve that goal, he replied: "Yes".

Williams has yet to announce its line-up, but Valtteri Bottas is expected to stay on while Nasr and the team's development driver Lance Stroll are frontrunners for the second seat.

Nico Hulkenberg is set to be partnered by Sergio Perez at Force India next term while both seats at Renault and Manor are as yet unclaimed.

With the technical regulations changing for next season, Ericsson conceded it makes it trickier to know which teams will be strong in 2017.

"You don't know," he said. "It's a big unknown and you never know what's going to happen or who will be strong and who will not."

[MIKA27]

Why Apple Should Buy McLaren

Earlier today, The Financial Times reported that Apple was interested in buying supercar maker McLaren. Since then, McLaren has denied those rumours — though the Financial Times stands by its reporting — but that doesn’t mean the idea is without merit.

When I first heard the rumour, I thought “this is insane,” but the more I thought about it, the more idea makes sense.

Apple hasn’t confirmed that it’s working on a secret car project — but of course we all know that it is. Whether the Apple Car will be electric or self-driving (or both!), the concept alone makes a lot of sense. Apple’s built a reputation on designing transformative hardware, and as the automotive industry invades Silicon Valley, it makes great sense that the company would want to expand in that direction.

And Apple has already invested in hiring talent from other automakers and rival tech companies. So why would it make sense for Apple to buy McLaren, a company known for its supercars?

Relatively speaking, spending $US1.5 ($2) billion to buy up some of the best engineers in automotive might not be that crazy. Is that a lot of money for an acquire? Sure. But building a brand new division overnight isn’t cheap either. Plus, as Road and Track pointed out, it’s not for the supercars. It’s for the tech inside those cars.

And the tech that’s being built at McClaren is extremely impressive. A Wired story last year detailed how the McLaren team’s skills at changing out tires on cars could be applied to other industries, including a toothpaste factory. Read this tidbit about a subset of McLaren, its Applied Technologies group:

Among its other projects, McLaren Applied Technologies has designed health-monitoring systems for stroke victims and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients based on F1 telemetry; created a scheduling system for Heathrow Airport that reduces flight delays; and worked with some of the world’s biggest oil and gas companies, pharmaceutical conglomerates, data-centre operators and sports brands. McLaren has transitioned into a technology group that happens to have a successful F1 team.

Even if we ignore Apple’s plans for automotive, the sort of stuff McLaren could do to help tighten Apple’s already famous supply chain could have great industrial benefits. Plus, as our friends at Jalopnik point out, it would make sense for Apple to buy a company that would have the know-how of manufacturing a car — and would have technical know-how for what is coming down the pike in the world of automotive.

That’s the thing that separates a company like McLaren from a larger, more mainstream car company. The technology that McLaren is building for its supercars will eventually trickle down into the cars we all drive. Why not buy that company, especially if you can get it cheap?

Apple did something similar back in 2008, when it purchased a little-known chip company called P.A. Semi for $US278 ($366) million. That purchase was one of the best decisions Apple has ever made, because the P.A. Semi team created the base for Apple’s A-series mobile chipsets. Apple’s control of its silicon is one of the things that keeps it besting rivals when it comes to benchmarks and efficiency. It’s cutting edge stuff, and it’s put Qualcomm and Samsung on notice.

Look, maybe Apple won’t buy McLaren. But buying a supercar company is actually a very sensible idea.

 

[Baldy]

3 hours ago, MIKA27 said:

MCLAREN: WE ARE NOT IN DISCUSSION WITH APPLE

 

 

If true I wonder if the name of the cars will be iMc

[MIKA27]

BRIATORE URGES FERRARI TO SET UP A BASE IN ENGLAND

Flavio Briatore believes that Ferrari need to establish a base in England, from where Formula 1’s top teams orchestrate their respective campaigns, because that is where the engineering talent is based.

Speaking on RAI’s GR Parlamento radio programme, Briatore said, “I’ve said it for years, that while Ferrari has always been a great manufacturer, it must have a technology satellite in England.”

“They won when they took 12 engineers away from me at Renault,” reflected Briatore on Ferrari’s glory years at the turn of the century, when they poached Not only Michael Schumacher from Enstone, but also the likes of Ross Brawn and Rory Byrne.

Briatore advised, “I would put a nice [Ferrari] building in the middle of Red Bull, McLaren and Williams.”

Ferrari that wins gives a different flavor to Formula 1, and Formula 1 needs a strong Ferrari,” added the Italian.

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New F1 chairman looking to expand calendar to 'great cities'

New Formula 1 chairman Chase Carey is looking to expand the series’ calendar to “the great cities in the world”, including locations such as New York and Los Angeles.

Carey has been appointed by F1’s new owners, Liberty Media, and made his debut in the F1 paddock at the Singapore Grand Prix last weekend.

Liberty Media listed evolving the F1 calendar as one of its main aims after the announcement of the takeover and Carey is keen to expand the schedule in the US market.

“It is too early to have a clear plan, but we clearly will have a plan to develop America, to be in the right market,” he told the official F1 website.

“Formula 1 is a great premium brand and that means to me that you want to be at a location like Los Angeles, New York or Miami – ideally in the great cities in the world.”

When asked what the three biggest assets of F1 are, he replied: “The amazing cars and technology; the stars - the world is built on heroes; the global aspect of the sport with these amazing venues.

“I have not been to all the venues so far, but Singapore certainly is amazing. The race is great - that’s the core - but it is really a week-long extravaganza with music and entertainment.

“That’s really what it is about - great events. This is it: creating a great event. So there you have the three: the cars and technology; the stars; and the events - the live experience.”

[skalls]

Get rid of Baku and add a street course in the states.

Laguna seca or road America would be cool too.

[MIKA27]

On 22/09/2016 at 11:28 PM, skalls said:

road America would be cool too.

Now you're talkin':)

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ARRIVABENE: I SAID MANY, MANY TIMES WE ARE PERFECTLY FINE

Maurizio Arrivabene is under big pressure, as Ferrari F1 team bosses tend to be when the Reds do not win races for sustained periods of time, but the Marlboro Man insists all is well at Maranello.

The departure of James Allison in July prompted the team to promote Mattia Binotto, a Ferrari stalwart since 1995, to the role of the team’s chief technical officer.

“We’re perfectly OK with the people that we have. The atmosphere today in Maranello is very good. We have the right people with Mattia and the people who are working with Mattia,” revealed Arrivabene.

“They just need to continue to keep up this kind of atmosphere, to look forward to next year, keeping an eye on this year also and eventually to work in peace. That means, without pressure. It’s exactly what they are doing and I have nothing to add. So we don’t need to add anyone.”

In the aftermath of Allison’s departure there has since been speculation that Ferrari would try and lure Ross Brawn back to the fold, while Mercedes technical boss Paddy Lowe has also been linked to the Scuderia.”

Asked if his team would be seeking to bring in more senior engineering firepower, Arrivabene insisted, “I said many, many times that we are perfectly fine.”

“Mattia is doing a good job, we are OK as we are, and we don’t need anyone else. Mattia is our technical director where before James was our technical director, now it’s Mattia with all the organisation that is in place.”

“We have explained about the organisation many, many times. What more do I need to add?” asked Arrivabene.

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HAMILTON: I PARTY WHEN I WANNA AND DON’T NEED YOUR VALIDATION

After three races in which he has been beaten by an inspired Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton’s jetset lifestyle and commitment to the sport has once again been questioned by the likes of Sir Jackie Stewart and Flavio Briatore, but the triple Formula 1 world champion is having none of it.

Speaking to Complex UK website, Hamilton scoffed at his detractors, “There was a point where I actually cared. And I guess just with age, I got to the point where I don’t need your validation.”

“I know my heart. I know how hard I work. I know my values. I know the love for my family. I know who I am as a person. And I enjoy my life. They don’t want me to enjoy it.”

“In my world they’re like: This is how a Formula 1 driver is: goes home, sleeps, wakes up, eats, breathes, and doesn’t do anything else but race. Can’t have a life outside.”

“People used to complain, they used to write shit about me all the time. I’m here or I’m doing that or I’m traveling too much or I’m this. And I travel like crazy. Like way more than any other racing driver.”

“I party when I wanna party and I make sure I fit my work in, and I arrive and I win. And you can’t say nothing! And that’s just the best. When you arrive and then you dominate and they’re like: Oh, guess he can do that.”

Hamilton revealed that he wants to emulate the greats and recalled how he approached Ron Dennis as a kid, “[To be a great] is definitely been the goal. That’s what I’ve worked towards for 23 years—I’ve been racing 23 years now.”

“Started when I was eight, I’m 31 now, and that was always the goal: to be the best. That’s always been the dream. Why dream small? When I was 10 years old I went to McLaren. Ayrton Senna was my favorite driver who I wanted to be like.”

“And I was like: Hey sir, I’m Lewis Hamilton I just won the British Championship. One day I want to be a Formula 1 driver and World Champion in your car. A Formula 1 World Champion in your car. Three years later he signed me and 10 years later I won the World Championship in his car.”

The three times world champion spoke of what inspires him and how as a young black race driver he broke into a world dominated by white people

“Cool Runnings is one of my favorite movies. There’d never been a Jamaican bobsled team. When they went to people and said: Would you like to sponsor the Jamaican bobsled team? People would laugh.”

“And my dad would tell me about going to all these companies: How would you like to sponsor the first black Formula 1 driver? And I just imagine them doing the same thing. And now they’re probably like: Shit…”

“Also, when they first arrived on top of the mountain with the real old sled and everyone stopped—it was just like me and my dad.”

“We arrived, the go-kart was stuffed in the back of the trunk, and all these people had tents and RVs and the best stuff. And we were just so amateur, you know? And it wasn’t like they stopped but they all looked. And it was almost exactly like that.”

“Like, all eyes are on us: What are they doing here?” We were the only black family. And it was just like that every weekend we arrived,” recalled Hamilton.

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ANTHONY HAMILTON: F1 COULD END UP BEING ONLY FOR PAY DRIVERS

Anthony Hamilton’s working class story of how he managed to get his son Lewis Hamilton into Formula 1 is the stuff of legend, but he fears that in future only pay drivers will be able to make their way onto the grid and talented drivers will simply not make it due to lack of funding.

Hamilton told The Independent, “Junior motorsport is still fragmented and expensive and that alone doesn’t encourage those with a dream of Formula One to enter the sport, or for the genuine cream to rise to the top.”

“Formula One could end up with the majority of drivers paying for their drives, rather than earning them through being a junior champion. In our day we just worked hard with what we had and were blessed to have been spotted by Ron Dennis and Mercedes but that isn’t enough any more.”

“At junior level there are many drivers who win championships but don’t have the funds or backing to move up to Formula One. There are so many junior series that young drivers don’t really know which is the best path to take.”

“It is about time that a career path structure was put in place to make sure that drivers who are proven winners are rewarded with a guaranteed route into Formula One.”

“Getting to the top shouldn’t be about those who can afford it, but about those who work hard and are the best. If costs continue to escalate at the junior level, and junior series remain financially unregulated, then I think Lewis will be the last of his generation,” lamented Hamilton senior.

Currently there are a number of drivers that have paid their way to get onto the F1 grid including both Sauber drivers Felipe Nasr and Marcus Ericsson, as well as Jolyon Palmer at Renault, while both Manor drivers – Pascal Wehrlein and Esteban Ocon – have their drives courtesy of Mercedes funding,

The likes of Sergio Perez and Esteban Gutierrez have been recipients of substantial support from Mexican sponsors, as did grand prix winner and former F1 driver Pastor Maldonado.

However when the money dries up, as in the case of Indonesia’s Rio Haryanto earlier this season, drivers get sent packing to make room for the next one with enough money to buy a seat.

Teenager Lance Stroll, son of clothing tycoon and billionaire Lawrence Stroll, is being prepped to replace Felipe Massa at Williams next season. A hefty sum is expected to change hands so Stroll junior can make his Formula 1 debut and launch his career at the pinnacle of the sport.

How much the deal will cost the Stroll family is unknown, however Stroll senior is forking out a massive $20 million for an intensive testing programme for his son, which commenced this month and will run until late November on grand prix tracks around the globe.