FORMULA 1 - 2016

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WILLIAMS PREVIEW THE RUSSIAN GRAND PRIX

After a successful debut on the Formula 1 calendar in 2014, the Russian Grand Prix in Sochi returns this year to host the fourth round of the Championship.

The Sochi Autodrom is one of the longest in Formula One and circumnavigates the 2014 Winter Olympic venues as well as sharing just over 1km with public roads. Designed by Herman Tilke, the circuit boasts some of his signature designs such as long straights and sweeping hairpins.

It’s third time lucky for Sochi, as the drivers will head back to the track with a greater understanding of the circuit.

The fans will be expecting another exciting race following a memorable first outing in 2014 that saw Valtteri Bottas claim a third place podium finish, and a fourth place for Felipe in 2015.

For Sochi, Pirelli have made available the supersoft (for use in Q3), soft and medium compound tyres for dry-weather running. The intermediate and wet tyres are also available. Pirelli have allocated three sets of tyres to each driver, but each driver can now choose their remaining ten sets from the available compounds. In Russia, Williams has chosen to allocate each driver with the same sets of tyres. Felipe and Valtteri will have one set of medium tyres, three sets of soft tyres, and nine sets of supersoft tyres available this weekend.

Pat Symonds: “The Sochi Autodrom circuit is very wide with nice low kerbs which allow the drivers to attack the corners. It’s a reasonably high speed circuit with a lot of time spent at full throttle which also means fuel usage is quite high. In the past, harder tyres have been quite competitive, whereas the supersoft tyres we see in qualifying might be quite difficult to get good performance out of at the end of the lap from turns 13 to 18. Last year it was an easy one-stop race but having the supersoft tyres in use this year – which some cars will be required to start on depending on qualifying position – may mean that a one-stop strategy may not be the best way to achieve the maximum result. This is a circuit where we have been competitive in the past, and whilst the first three races have not yielded as many points as we would have liked, we hope Russia will see an improved result for us.”

Felipe Massa: “Sochi is a nice track to drive. It’s a mix between a city circuit and a normal circuit. It’s a race I enjoy and one we have traditionally done well at. I don’t know Russia very much, as we stay in a small town and spend most of our time at the hotel or the track. I like racing there and I hope the event gets bigger every year. From what I know of the track, I’m hopeful it will suit this year’s car, but it’s too early to say for sure.”

Valtteri Bottas: “Russia is my neighbouring country, being Finnish. Sochi is a very technical track and I find it really interesting to drive. I’ve always had pretty good results there. Last year it didn’t end up the way I wanted, but normally I’m pretty quick and we are competitive there as a team. One challenge in Sochi is that the asphalt is quite smooth, so in qualifying it’s not easy to get the tyres to work quickly enough for the timed lap. That has been a challenge in previous years, but hopefully we have fixed it and I’m sure we’re going to have a good weekend in Russia.”

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FORCE INDIA PREVIEW THE RUSSIAN GRAND PRIX

Sahara Force India looks forward to round four of the 2016 season in Sochi, Russia.

Q&A with Vijay Mallya

Team Principal, Vijay Mallya, shares his thoughts about this week’s Russian Grand Prix.

Vijay, six points from three races – how is the feeling in the team ahead of the next race in Russia?

“In all honesty we expected more from the start of the season, but for various reasons the cards have not fallen for us. It’s worth making a comparison with 2015 because after three races last year we were in a similar position with seven points – one point more than we have this year – and that turned out to be our most successful season ever. With eighteen races to go there is a long season ahead and we have plenty of opportunities to turn around our fortunes.”

Where is the team focussing its energies?

“There is no doubt that we have an inherently quick car. We’ve always qualified inside the top ten and Checo lined up seventh on the grid in China. In the race we fell a bit short, so that is one area where we can improve. We are also working hard to bring an upgrade package to Barcelona: it’s an aero step and further suspension evolutions, which will bring some performance gains.”

What are the team’s expectations from this weekend in Russia?

“The objective is to be inside the top ten in qualifying and the race. That’s a realistic goal and we will be disappointed if we don’t come away with some points. We demonstrated last year that we can be competitive in Sochi and it’s also the 100th race weekend for Nico and Checo, so we want to celebrate the occasion with a special result.”

Nico Hülkenberg aims to deliver a strong result as he celebrates his 100th Grand Prix weekend.

Nico: “I can’t believe this weekend is going to be my 100th race weekend in Formula One. Where has the time gone? It’s a nice achievement and hopefully I can get a result to make it a weekend to remember.

“The goal is to get some more points on the board in Russia. The last two races have been frustrating for different reasons and I don’t think we’ve shown our full potential yet. In China I really struggled with tyre degradation, but I don’t think that will be such an issue at Sochi because it’s a much smoother surface.

“The track in Sochi is an interesting one. It’s a huge site because it’s the Olympic Park and the track has a nice flow. The lap is quite long, with lots of similar right-angled corners so that makes it a bit easier to find a set-up that works. It’s a big power track with long straights and some big stops, which makes it quite demanding on the brakes.”

Sergio Perez hopes for a successful race in Sochi as he clocks up his 100th race weekend.

Sergio: “Going back to Sochi brings back happy memories from our podium last year. I really like the track and they did a good job with the layout. I think every driver enjoys turn three because it’s an unusual corner with high energies and a long duration. You can take it flat, but it’s the one corner on the track which really takes the life from your tyres.

“The DRS effect in Russia is quite big, but it’s still difficult to overtake there. The layout is quite similar to Abu Dhabi and Singapore because of the number of low-speed and medium-speed corners, and it reminds me of a street circuit.

“I think we can be competitive this weekend. We didn’t get things right in China and just missed out on points, so we need to concentrate on improving our race pace. It’s often those difficult weekends where you learn the most and see where you can improve, so I’m confident we can be in better shape this weekend.”

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MERCEDES PREVIEW THE RUSSIAN GRAND PRIX

The 2016 Formula One World Championship continues this weekend with Round Four, the Russian Grand Prix, from the Sochi Autodrom

Lewis Hamilton: “There was plenty going through my head after China, as you’d expect. But, after all these years, experience has taught me to stay calm and keep pushing forwards when I get knocked back. I’ve been here before a few times now. A lot can happen over the next eighteen race weekends and I have the utmost confidence in this team. But adversity is part of the journey: it brings us closer, makes us stronger and I know that together we’ll bounce back, so I’m confident of better weekends to come. There are lots of positives to carry into the next battle. If nothing else, I know after these first few races that I can still overtake! I had a great start in China too, so hopefully I can continue that and use it to my advantage to build my races from a better base. It’s Russia up next – a race that I’ve won on both occasions so far and a track that seems to suit me pretty well, so let’s see what we can do there…

Nico Rosberg: “It’s great to see that we still have the quickest car out there and, of course, it’s always the plan to win every race. But I would never have expected the first three weekends to go the way they have. I’ve made the most of my opportunities and I have a bit of an advantage in the points right now – but we are only three races down and it would just take one bad weekend for that gap to disappear. Lewis is still the benchmark for me as he is the current Champion, Ferrari haven’t shown what they can do yet and Red Bull also look like they’re getting stronger, so it’s going to be a good battle and I’m looking forward to that. I wouldn’t have it any other way. For now, I’m just taking things race by race, focusing on doing my own thing and getting the job done to the best of my ability. That approach has worked out well for me so far. Now, I can’t wait to get to Sochi. I was looking good all weekend last year until a technical problem put me out of the race and I had great fun fighting from the back the year before, so I know I’m competitive at this track. It holds great memories of celebrating the two Championship wins with the team too, so I’m excited to be heading back and seeing how we perform.”

Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: “We may have made a solid start – but at this stage it’s about collecting points without looking too much at the Championship. We are just three races down with eighteen still to go. I have no doubt that we will see a close fight on all fronts right up to the end of the season. Both drivers are a good place mentally. Nico is on great form but keeping his feet firmly on the ground. Lewis would have every right to feel disheartened by his start to the season – but he is calm and confident, handling adversity like a true Champion. We have an important week ahead for the sport, with our final Strategy Group meeting to define the regulations for 2017. After three Grand Prix weekends so far in 2016, we have seen that performance between the teams is converging to create great racing. Whether we have the reactivity as a group to recognise that and consider retaining a regulatory framework that is working well remains to be seen.”

Paddy Lowe, Executive Director (Technical): “It’s unusual to be returning to a race just six months after the previous edition. Such a significant calendar shift could bring quite a different climatic profile too. This is our third trip to the Sochi Autodrom, so it will be interesting to see how the track has aged. In the first two seasons we saw a very smooth track surface. With that in mind, the allocation of the Medium, Soft and SuperSoft compound for this year is quite a conservative choice. Another interesting feature is that Sochi has the longest run down to the first braking zone of any circuit on the calendar and it’s a heavy braking event, which can easily catch drivers out on the first lap. After eventful opening laps in Bahrain and China, there could be early drama once again on Sunday. We’re looking forward to being back in Russia and aiming to replicate our strong form in Sochi on previous occasions. After a less-than-satisfactory weekend in China from a reliability perspective, one of our priorities is to have a clean weekend on both sides of the garage. In any case, we look forward to putting on another exciting race for the sport’s growing fan base in Russia.”

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Reverse grids would force teams to address overtaking issues - Symonds

Williams technical chief Pat Symonds believes the introduction of a reverse-grid system would force teams to design overtaking-friendly cars, which could benefit the sport as a whole.

Formula 1 bosses are set to meet this week to sign-off on new technical regulations for 2017, but there are concerns the new rules won't aid overtaking and the status quo will remain, albeit with the cars lapping slightly quicker.

An idea to introduce a reverse-grid qualifying race on Saturday has been discussed, and although unlikely, Symonds believes it would provide enough of an incentive to force F1 designers to consider how their cars handle in the turbulent wake of another car and how best to utilise that - something they don't currently do.

"The incentive we have in all motorsport is try and put our car on pole and lead every lap of the race," Symonds told Sky Sports. "That's what your design aim is. So you don't worry too much about running in turbulent air.

"If you turn things round a little bit, and say, 'no matter how good your car is, it's going to be running in turbulent air', you might then say, 'actually the best racing car I can make that will ultimately be the most successful over a season is one that is quick in nice clean air, but also works well in turbulent air'," he added.

"Unfortunately, being racing people, we'd also probably work on trying to destroy the aerodynamics of the car behind us!"

When asked if such an idea could be pushed through for 2017, he replied: "I think it's too late now. The regulations have to be published [by May 1st].

"I really hope it's not too late to start some fundamental thinking [for future seasons]. I think that's what we've been guilty of not doing in Formula 1.

"It can be done, but someone's got to pay for it, someone's got to do it, and we've almost got to be forced into it to wake up and actually produce what the public want."

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Jenson Button on the Russian GP

Speaking ahead of the Russian GP, McLaren-Honda's Jenson Button shares his thoughts and memories of Sochi Autodrom – a track which continues to establish itself as a regular fixture on the F1 calendar.

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Video: Perez and Hulkenberg look back as they hit 100 races

The Russian Grand Prix will be the 100th time Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez enter a Formula One race weekend. We look back at a century of races with both of our drivers.

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Nurburgring ‘confident’ of F1 return

As Hockenheim gears up to host this year's German GP, officials at the Nurburgring say they are "confident" of hosting the race in 2017.

Last season the German Grand Prix was cancelled when talks with the Nurburgring's new owners collapsed.

It was the first time since 1960 that the German Grand Prix did not feature on the Formula 1 calendar.

This race is back on this season's calendar as it is Hockenheim's turn to host as the two German venues alternate the grand prix.

As such it should return to the Nurburgring next season, although talks with Bernie Ecclestone's FOM are still ongoing.

"I would like to answer that the Nürburgring is still in discussion for the 2017 Formula 1 Grand Prix in Germany," a circuit spokesperson told GPUpdate.net.

"We are still confident to host this grand prix.

"If there is a chance [to return to the Formula 1 calendar] we would like to take it, but in the end it will be a question of the conditions and the financial risk."

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Wehrlein: Points can be possible

Pascal Wehrlein believes Manor will finish this season inside the points, adamant that top-ten results "can be possible."

Swapping to Mercedes power ahead of this year's champoinship, Manor's progress out on track is noticable.

Although the team has yet to score a single point, Wehrlein has shown pace in the MRT05, finishing P13 at the Bahrain Grand Prix.

That same weekend, the DTM Champion narrowly missed out on a Q2 berth in qualifying as he qualified P16.

And although he was not able to match that performance at the next race in China, he reckons Manor will be fighting for points in the future although probably not at races where all 22 cars finish.

"We can forget Melbourne," he told Motorsport.com. "The last two races, where we are in terms of performance, it was quite similar.

"There are tracks that will suit us better and ones that will suit us worse, but in Australia we were nowhere and the last two races showed our performance.

"Points will be very hard, but they can be possible – and my target is to score points.

"In China it was not possible though, because 22 cars finished the race and that doesn't happen so often."

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Inside Grand Prix 2016: Russia - Part 1/2

Description

Part 1 of the season's fourth episode includes:

People and Country: Russia

Daniil Kvyat

Wind Tunnel

Track preview: Sochi Autodrom

Inside Grand Prix 2016: Russia - Part 2/2

Description

Part 2 of the season's fourth episode includes:

Legends: Vitaly Petrov

Techno: Fuel

Social Media

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Honda not satisfied despite progress

Honda says it is still not satisfied with the progress it has made with its power unit, despite making a significant step on last year.

McLaren-Honda has scored just one point this year, but performance and reliability have improved in the partnership's second year. Honda F1 boss Yusuke Hasegawa is confident progress will be made, but admits the current situation is not good enough.

"It is too soon to say the exact number or positions [we can gain this year] but obviously we're not happy and we're not satisfied with the current position," Hasegawa said. "We can improve definitely with a decent level of step-ups so we are happy about that.

"Of course it is coming from the chassis as well but we can contribute with the power unit. It is important to show that we can improve in the step-ups. This is our target so far."

Honda's main weakness last year was its turbo and MGU-H, but Hasegawa says the focus has now switched to the internal combustion engine.

"The ERS is much better than last year but we understand the internal combustion engine is still where we need to catch up the other teams. We are not satisfied with the situation, but we are happy to show improvement."

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Hungaroring signs extension until 2026

The Hungaroring has signed an extension to its deal to host the Hungarian Grand Prix through to 2026.

The circuit's deal was extended to 2021 three years ago but work has continued to resurface the track, while further governments are being allocated from next year for redevelopment of facilities. The circuit has not missed a year since joining the calendar in 1986 and has become a popular fixture in that time, with memorable wins for Daniel Ricciardo and Sebastian Vettel in the last two seasons.

Bernie Ecclestone confirmed the extension to Autosport, saying: "Yep, we've a new deal. They're good supporters, they do a good job, good for the country, good for us, and I'm very, very happy we're always in Hungary, and we're staying there."

The Budapest circuit has made a profit for the last five years and Hungary's national development minister, Miklos Sesztak, says it made sense to keep improving the facilities to secure a long-term F1 future.

"Without giving out secrets regarding the details of our contract, I can tell you we'll be able to organise and run our F1 race for another five-year period under very favourable terms," Sesztak is quoted as saying. "However, despite the fact that after the grand prix everybody seems to be satisfied, saying they've had a great time here, we know further improvements are needed.

"The resurfacing work that has just finished was the first step in this direction. I can reveal the 2017 [governmental] budget submits substantial resources earmarked for the development of the circuit. This is because every year the race is one of the most important sporting events for our country, so the government of Hungary is committed to a good quality track such as the Hungaroring."

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Horner: Bernie is going to say ‘I told you so…’

Christian Horner has joked that Bernie Ecclestone will take credit for the move to shake up the tyre strategies for the 2016 Formula 1 World Championship following a successful application of the revised regulation in the opening three rounds of the season.

New for 2016, Pirelli is now offering three compounds per race weekend with the allocation chosen weeks in advance in an effort to give teams alternative options to shake up their strategies.

Though Pirelli itself expected teams to opt for similar choices regardless, the opening rounds have seen teams vary greatly in their options, with Nico Rosberg winning the most recent Chinese Grand Prix without using the softest tyre available.

With a mammoth 66 pit-stops taking place in Shanghai, it is a regulation that appeases Ecclestone's wish for more variance between the cars during the race, while fans have praised the increased overtaking it prompts as alternative strategies play out over the entire race.

Though Red Bull team principal Horner tips strategies will eventually converge as teams understand the tyres better in the coming races, he feels it has been a positive advancement for F1, even if it means F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone will ultimately take credit.

“I think [it has been a success] because it's mixed up the strategies a bit,” he said. “Teams are coming into the weekend with different allocations. Whether or not that'll converge as things go we'll see. Certainly for the first three races.

“I think it's going to be fascinating to see over the few races what route people have chosen. To see Rosberg take a different route in China – that worked for them today but it might not work for them at other events so… I think that's the biggest positive.

“I think the manual start is a good thing so you're getting a bit more variants in the starts. But definitely when the pack gets moved around a little, you can envisage Bernie saying “I told you so” at the next strategy meeting when you put fast cars down the field it inevitably produces good racing.”

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Gene Haas: F1 is a soap opera!

Eponymous Haas F1 Team owner Gene Haas says he didn't enter Formula 1 to run at the back of the field and has been left some perplexed by some of the ill-feeling from rivals who feel the team has gained an unfair advantage from its relationship with Ferrari.

Though all-new teams have often struggled in F1 initially, the American team set itself lofty targets for its first season having already opted to defer its entry by a year for better preparation and to forge a closer technical partnership with Ferrari.

It is that relationship that has irked some teams as blurring the lines between 'partner' and 'customer', an uneasy feeling that grew when Haas scored top six results in the opening two races.

However, Haas says he has been honest about the team's approach to car design, which – legally – includes a number of components manufactured elsewhere, hitting out at the 'whiners' who he feels are frustrated that it has simply interpreted the rules in a more effective way.

“This place is a soap opera! I think a lot of the teams at the back really don't understand what competition is. They're getting maybe a little too fat happy.

“We never came into this thing to run at the back. We want to compete, and that's what we're going to do. If people don't like that then that's their problem. I don't think the guys at the front are worried about us, it's just the guys at the back.

“We never read that memo that said you had to come in to Formula 1 and run in the back for five years, so we kind of ignore that. If anything, Formula 1 has provided numerous obstacles getting in here right from the beginning with Bernie saying 'I don't think these guys are going to make it', to putting up a $20million bond to be here.

“There's been a lot of obstacles to get to this point and now we're here, we're here. We're not going away, they better get used to it and if people don't like it that's their problem, not my problem.”

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Baku welcomes stars of music at F1 debut

The Baku City Circuit is set to mark its Formula 1 debut race by hosting a spectacular three-day concert with Chris Brown, Enrique Iglesias and Pharrell Williams headlining each night.

To celebrate F1's arrival in Azerbaijan's capital city race organisers have arranged a specially-constructed stage at the street circuit which will host three of music's biggest names to perform after the action on track each night.

Kicking things off will be Chris Brown after Friday's free practice sessions to set the tone for the rest of the weekend of entertainment and sport. The American singer, songwriter and dancer will be performing some of his biggest tunes, including the likes of 'Yeah3x', 'Look At Me Now' and 'Beautiful People”.

Saturday night sees 'The King of Latin Pop' Enrique Iglesias with a thrilling and phenomenal concert which have made him one of the most popular live performers in the world and has sold over 137 million records globally.

Sending the 2016 Formula 1 Grand Prix of Europe into an almighty crescendo is Pharrell Williams who will take to the stage Sunday night after the frantic race action has ended. The multi-talented American performer, songwriter and producer behind some of the biggest hits, including 'Get Lucky', 'Happy' and 'Frontin'', will deliver a wonderful encore to Baku's inaugural Formula 1 race weekend, just hours after the 2016 F1 Grand Prix of Europe.

“For years now, music and Formula 1 have managed to fit together seamlessly with some of the biggest artists in music history performing at various Grand Prixs around the globe,” Arif Rahimov, Baku City Circuit's executive director, said. “This announcement continues this fruitful relationship and will help establish this F1 race weekend in Baku, Azerbaijan as the new home of the greatest entertainment and action on and off-track for all motorsport and music fans.

“All we can say to people thinking of joining us is this: the 2016 Formula 1 Grand Prix of Europe will be unmissable. We look forward to seeing and partying in Baku this June 17th-19th.”

The concert extravaganza will be free to all three-day ticket holders which will also enable holders to go on exclusive pit lane walks, autograph sessions with drivers and enjoy all the sights and sounds of the thriving Baku city life.

Tickets are available on the official Baku City Circuit (BCC) website: www.bakucitycircuit.com as well as via Gootickets.com, Grand Prix Tickets Worldwide and Formula1.com.

IMPORTANT: VISA's will be processed on site at Baku International Airport upon arrival for all ticket holding Formula F1 fans.

For more information on how to purchase tickets and plan your stay in Baku visit: www.bakucitycircuit.com

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HONDA DEVELOPING NEW CONCEPT F1 ENGINE FOR 2017

Honda is hard at work on an all-new Formula 1 turbo power unit concept for 2017 and beyond according to Auto Motor und Sport, despite the fact McLaren’s engine partner has made clear progress this year after the nightmare start of the works collaboration in 2015.

“The car feels good and we’re definitely heading in the right direction, but we need to keep pushing and working hard to bring more improvements and power for us to see further progression,” said British driver Jenson Button.

Indeed, although McLaren-Honda is no longer a backmarker, the long straight in Shanghai showed that in engine power alone, the team is more than 10kph down on the field-leaders Mercedes and Ferrari.

Auto Motor und Sport says more power is coming in Canada in June, reportedly by Honda replicating an innovative spark ignition trick pioneered by Mercedes.

But correspondent Michael Schmidt says Honda now acknowledges its fundamental mistake in having placed the turbo unit within the ‘V’ of the six-cylinder internal combustion engine.

“The bitter pill is that the new engine will only be ready for 2017,” he said.

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D-DAY FOR NEW 2017 F1 RULES FAST APPROACHING

Formula 1 has entered an “important week”, according to Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff…. and he is not just talking about this weekend’s Russian grand prix, the fourth round of the 2016 world championship.

Before the sport’s major figures head to the resort city of Sochi for the Vladimir Putin-championed race, the F1 Strategy Group will get together at Biggin Hill, the Bernie Ecclestone-owned airport south of London.

The meeting is just a few days before the end-of-April deadline for the radical regulations changes of 2017. Wolff is urging his F1 colleagues to consider scrapping the plans for faster cars.

“We have an important week ahead for the sport,” he said in an official Mercedes preview for the Russian grand prix.

“After three grand prix weekends so far in 2016, we have seen that performance between the teams is converging to create great racing. Whether we have the reactivity as a group to recognise that and consider retaining a regulatory framework that is working well remains to be seen,” added Wolff.

Red Bull’s outspoken Helmut Marko, a proponent for change, has called Wolff’s stance “paranoia” due to Mercedes’ current position of dominance.

It is widely believed, however, that any move for a last-minute u-turn has come too late, especially given the way the voting processes of the Strategy Group and F1 Commission work.

“Is it really a democracy if one veto can cancel everything?” championship leader Nico Rosberg wondered as he spoke to Welt am Sonntag newspaper.

“Imagine, 27 men with 27 different interests at a table, with any one voice able to stop everything. It’s just not practicable,” he added.

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SIROTKIN TO DO FP1 IN RUSSIA AS RENAULT’S NEW TEST DRIVER

Russian race driver Sergey Sirotkin has joined Renault as a Formula One test driver and will take part in the first practice session at his home race in Sochi on Friday, the team announced ahead of the Russian grand Prix.

The announcement means Russia will have two drivers on track on Friday, with Daniil Kvyat returning to Sochi on a high after finishing third for former champions Red Bull at the previous Chinese Grand Prix.

Sirotkin, 20, has previous Formula One experience as a test driver for the cash-strapped Sauber team and made his debut in Friday practice for them in the inaugural 2014 Russian Grand Prix at Sochi.

He is competing again in the GP2 support series this season after an impressive debut year in which he finished third overall. Renault said the Russian would use Danish driver Kevin Magnussen’s car in the 90-minute practice session.

“Sergey is one of the most promising drivers from the junior categories so it is great for us that he is joining Renault Sport,” said racing director Frederic Vasseur.

“We saw that he was the most promising rookie in the GP2 Series last season, where he achieved a race win and podiums, and for 2016 he is very well placed to fight for the title.

“He has driven the Sochi Autodrom in a GP2 Series car previously so we have confidence in the job he will be able to do for us this weekend.”

Sirotkin thanked SMP Racing, a company that aims to bring Russian drivers through the various tiers of motorsport, for their support.

SMP Racing was founded by Boris Rotenberg, who controls SMP Bank with his brother Arkady and is close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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BOOTH APPOINTED TORO ROSSO DIRECTOR OF RACING

Toro Rosso have announced that former Manor team principall John Booth will begin working with the team on a consultancy basis in the role of Director of Racing with immediate effect.

“It is a great honour to join such a well-established and competitive team as Scuderia Toro Rosso,” John Booth. “It is a team that has achieved so much in a relatively short space of time. I am looking forward to getting started and working with Franz and the team this weekend in Sochi.”

Team Principal Franz Tost commented: “I have known John for many years and I am delighted to welcome him to the team. With his vast experience I am sure John will help the team raise its game and become a more effective force over a race weekend.”

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RUSSIAN BILLIONAIRE NEW OWNER OF NURBURGRING

A Russian billionaire is now the full owner of the fabled Formula 1 circuit the Nurburgring.

In late 2014, we reported that Viktor Kharitonin, who co-founded the pharmaceutical company Pharmstandard, had bought into the embattled German grand prix venue.

Forbes Russia now reports that Kharitonin, 43, has upped his stake from 80 to 99 per cent.

“Today we have closed the deal,” he is quoted as saying, with Forbes claiming the value of the new transaction is some EUR 38 million.

It is believed Kharitonin has paid EUR 77 million in total for the circuit, with the minority shareholder GetSpeed keeping a symbolic 1 per cent.

Amid the Nurburgring’s well-documented financial and ownership troubles, Germany fell off the F1 calendar last year and is once again back in doubt for 2017.

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone said he came close to buying the Nurburgring, but the then owners opted for another offer “for the sake of one or two million”.

“I think we can say for sure that there will not be a race” in 2017, he told motorsport-magazin.com late last year.

Explaining the 2015 absence now, Kharitonin said: “We ourselves refused because they did not agree with the organisers on financial matters.”

Kharitonin, however, claims talks with Ecclestone will resume, according to Forbes Russia.

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TORO ROSSO PREVIEW THE RUSSIAN GRAND PRIX

Toro Rosso drivers preview the Russian Grand Prix, Round 4 of the 2016 Formula 1 World Championship at Sochi Autodrom.

Max Verstappen: “The first thing I remember from Russia is my good qualifying! It’s always good to start the race from the highest spot possible and starting P9 in Russia meant already being in the point’s positions… Even though we unfortunately didn’t have a good start in the race: I arrived to Turn 1 and Hulkenberg spun in front of me, we collided in Turn 2 and I had a puncture. It wasn’t great, as I had damage on the car and it all got very tricky but I still tried to do my best. The track itself has many 90 degree corners, so it’s difficult to find the right line. Turns 13 to 16 are a complicated section of the track, as they are all slow-speed corners and if you get the positioning right you can gain a lot of lap-time there. My favourite part of the track is Turn 3 because it’s flat out and goes past all the Olympic flags, which you can see when you arrive to Turn 2. After a strong race in China, I hope for another good result in Sochi.”

Carlos Sainz: “When racing in Sochi, at the start of the lap there’s a lot of slipstream, so it’s possible to arrive to Turn 2 with four cars side by side… One thing I don’t like, especially here at this second corner, is the wide tarmac run-off areas, where a lot of cars just run wide instead of committing to the corner. Turn 3 is a very nice corner which is flat or very close to it – it’s such a long corner and you just keep upshifting, reaching quite high lateral g-forces. I remember that Turn 4 is a good overtaking spot. After that there are four consecutive 90 degree corners before arriving to the back straight. Turn 13 is another good place for overtaking, but what this part of the circuit brings to mind is my terrible crash from last year – I’d say the biggest of my career so far. The final part of the circuit consists of another four 90 degree corners. The walls are also pretty close throughout the lap, which makes it a bit more of a challenge. Last year’s race was quite exciting so I hope for another one like that and to be able to continue scoring points!”

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PIRELLI PREVIEW THE RUSSIAN GRAND PRIX

For the fourth time in as many races, the medium, soft and supersoft compounds have been nominated this weekend. Now in its third year, the Russian Grand Prix at Sochi features a varied and technical track, with a very smooth surface that typically leads to low tyre wear and degradation.

The circuit from a tyre point of view:

• Although the track is now three years old, the asphalt is still evolving and may be different.
• With wear and degradation being low, we would not expect a high number of pit stops.
• Weather conditions tend to be mild, so thermal degradation is not a big issue.
• The most challenging corner is Turn 3: a multi-apex left-hander that recalls Istanbul’s Turn 8.
• About 1.7 kilometres of the 5.848-kilometre lap are run on roads open to the public.
• A high degree of track evolution is expected, as the track is not otherwise used extensively.

The three nominated compounds:

• White medium: a low working range compound that trades performance for durability.
• Yellow soft: a key part of Rosberg’s victory in China, as he started the race on this compound.
• Red supersoft: a significant performance advantage favours this as a qualifying tyre.

How it was a year ago:

Winner: Hamilton (one stop: started on supersoft, changed to soft on lap 32).

Best-placed alternative strategy: Perez, third (also a one-stopper, but took advantage of a safety car to change from supersoft to soft on lap 12, then ran 41 laps to the finish).

Practically all the drivers stopped only once, with just two stopping twice.

Paul Hembery, Pirelli Motorsport Director: “We’re back to Russia just six months after coming to the race previously, which means that we can probably expect conditions in spring to be different from how they were last autumn. This is one of the lowest degradation tracks we visit all season, so we can expect to see some quite long stints even on the supersoft, as Lewis Hamilton showed last year. However, the performance increase that we have consistently observed from the 2016 cars will increase wear, so free practice will be very important to get an accurate read on tyre behaviour in these new conditions with the latest generation of cars.”

What’s new?

Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull have gone for a different approach to their Sochi tyre choices.

The Formula 1 Commission has accepted our proposal for more test days to prepare for 2017.

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Formula 1 bosses fail to agree new engine regulations for 2017

Formula 1 bosses met on Tuesday at Biggin Hill to discuss proposals for 2017, with the aim of setting in stone new aerodynamic and engine regulations.

The technical rules governing the design of the cars - with the aim of making them five seconds a lap quicker - came up against some opposition, with Mercedes now believing the changes are no longer required.

"After three Grand Prix weekends so far in 2016, we have seen that performance between the teams is converging to create great racing," commented Toto Wolff earlier this week.

"Whether we have the reactivity as a group to recognise that and consider retaining a regulatory framework that is working well remains to be seen."

However Wolff's determination to see the new rules dropped failed to gain enough support amongst the various voting parties. Therefore the new technical rules were given the go-ahead and will almost certainly happen next year.

However it's believed those involved in the meeting failed to agree upon contentious engine rules, with a fresh vote set to take place later in the week.

The FIA had hoped to see four areas of concern addressed at the meeting; cost, availability of supply, noise and performance convergence.

The proposal to address these, drafted by the teams, didn't gain enough support during Tuesday's vote.

It's expected that amendments will be made to the proposal before a final e-vote later in the week, ahead of Saturday's deadline to have 2017's rules nailed down.

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NASCAR listened to its drivers and cut downforce. Will F1?

NASCAR and Formula One are poles apart as racing disciplines go. But both know the action on the track needs to be exciting, which makes NASCAR’s recent change in downforce levels significant for F1.

“I think it’s significantly better than what we had last year,” raved NASCAR racer Jamie McMurray after the first five races of 2016. “And I can’t find anybody that thinks differently.”

This week Formula One is expected to sign off rules which will see downforce levels rise in 2017. But NASCAR has just gone in the opposite direction, mandating changes to the rear wing, front splitter and underbody of its cars to bring downforce down.

“You can race a little bit closer,” McMurray continued. “The car in front of you doesn’t mess up your car as much. So, I have nothing but really positive things to say about it.”

Twelve months ago NASCAR faced a pressing need to inject more action into its races. The sport’s governing body was leaning towards a high-drag aerodynamic kit to bring the cars closer together, but drivers preferred the low-downforce option.

Both were put to the test: high-drag at Indianapolis and Michigan, low-downforce at Kentucky and Darlington (see full races below). The verdict was overwhelmingly in favour of the low-downforce approach, and that’s what the cars are running this year except at the Daytona and Talladega superspeedways.

The verdict was positive from the first race. “I could run closer to people than I have for the last couple years,” said Carl Edwards after the low-downforce package was used for the first time this year at Atlanta.

Decades after the phenomenon of downforce was first understood and applied to racing cars, the question of whether it has a negative effect on the quality of racing is being debated more earnestly than ever.

IndyCar may drop its aero kits

The World Rally Championship planned higher downforce cars for 2017 but is now concerned the action will be less spectacular next year. Moto GP bikes have begun to sprout wings this year, provoking concerns that its racing will be spoiled. IndyCar is considering getting rid of its downforce-increasing aero kits, which were introduced at great cost just last year.

While its tightly-restricted NASCAR has cut downforce levels by around 25%. But the looser F1 regulations could see an increase in downforce of anywhere from 30% to 80% according to Toto Wolff. F1’s downforce rise for 2017 was proposed by the Strategy Group almost 12 months ago as part of a package of changes intended to slash lap times.

One of the foremost advocates is Red Bull team principal Christian Horner. “You’re going to give [the driver] much more of a workout,” he said in China.

“The drivers have been crying out for cars that are more challenging to drive. The cars that we have at the moment, it’s been discussed whether they are too easy to drive and I think that by making the cars edgier, by making them quicker you will get a bigger variance of drivers, the teams will get better value for money out of their drivers and they’ll have to start going to the gym again.”

F1 drivers want less downforce too

However Horner’s own driver Daniel Ricciardo is not ‘crying out’ for more downforce. He wants any increase in performance to come from the tyres, not the wings.

“The problem is the wake of air that it leaves doesn’t let you follow as close,” he explained, “where with mechanical grip it doesn’t really disturb the air behind you as much.”

Ricciardo deserves credit for not toeing the party line on this matter. Freer aerodynamic rules would certainly play into Red Bull’s hands.

It’s perhaps less surprising that Lewis Hamilton does not want to see a rules change which might jeopardise Mercedes’ advantage. But he, like Ricciardo, appears to be more concerned about how good the racing is. “I think we need more mechanical grip and less aero wake coming off the back of the cars so we can get close and overtake,” he said last month.

Concern over F1’s downforce direction for 2017 was clearly a motivating factor behind the drivers’ letter urging an overhaul of F1’s governance. The sport’s willingness to listen to this vital constituency is about to be put to the test.

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McLaren Honda - Russian GP preview

There are several permanent circuits in Russia, but the street track in Sochi is the first home of F1 in the country.

Ice hockey is Russia’s national sport, so it’s perhaps unsurprising that the opportunity to stage a grand prix in the country came on the back of Sochi’s 2014 Winter Olympic Games. The popularity of F1 is growing every year and more spectators are expected at the race this year because it takes place over the May holiday period.

Fernando Alonso

“I enjoyed racing in Sochi in both 2014 and 2015 – the track lends itself to close battles and I hope we’ll be able to mix ourselves in with the pack again there this year. The long, fast straights are generally where our car is weaker, but it’s very well balanced, so I’m looking forward to seeing if we can maximise the strengths of our package at this track.

“I particularly enjoy Turn Three; it’s a sweeping, multi-apex left-hander that requires a lot of precision; it’s easy to get out of shape as you go around the corner, so good balance and car control are very important. Many of the corners are off-camber too, so it’s fun trying to hook it all up all the way through a lap.”

“It doesn’t feel like it’s been too long since we last came to Sochi, but I’m looking forward to comparing last year’s car performance with the MP4-31’s. Our car feels very positive, and our progress is encouraging, but I hope we can achieve the potential we can see in our package and put in a promising performance on Sunday, which is when it all counts.

“It’ll definitely be a tricky race – competition in the midfield is very tough, and a lot of the teams are looking pretty strong, with solid reliability. We had a smooth weekend reliability-wise in China and we’re definitely learning a lot race-by-race, so I’m hopeful we can have a stronger result in Sochi. This race is particularly hard on fuel, so along with the tyre strategy there’ll be a lot of elements to manage. With each day I feel stronger since my accident, and I can’t wait to get back in the cockpit again on Friday and see what we can do.”

Jenson Button

“The Sochi Autodrom is one of the fastest city courses we go to, so it doesn’t share many of the same characteristics in terms of set-up compared with other similarly configured tracks. For a modern venue, the racing there has so far been pretty good – the track is wide and fast, and there are a few good overtaking opportunities and some interesting, slower corners at the end of the straights to mix it up a bit.

“The asphalt has a lot of grip, so it’ll be interesting to see the different directions the other teams go in with regard to pitstops and tyre strategy. The new tyre rules definitely spice things up a bit as more variables are brought into the mix, so we’ll need to get on top of that to maximise our chances of keeping positive momentum through to the end of Sunday’s race.”

“The last couple of races have been a bit like rolling the dice for us, and we haven’t managed to hook up the perfect weekend yet. We’ve seen some promising results on a Friday and Saturday, but over a long Sunday afternoon race we’ve found it more difficult to maintain our pace. The car feels good and we’re definitely heading in the right direction, but we need to keep pushing and working hard to bring more improvements and power for us to see further progression.

“That said, we knew China would be a tricky circuit for us over a race distance, and we struggled for pace with our tyres towards the end. Hopefully Sochi will be an easier race to manage tyre-wise; we’re consistently putting new parts on the car, and we saw improved reliability at the last race. It’s easy to say we deserved to take more from the first three races, but we need to pull together all of the elements over all three days to give ourselves a fighting chance of scoring some points.”

Eric Boullier – McLaren-Honda Racing Director

“This is our third visit to the Sochi Autodrom, a fantastic purpose-built facility in the heart of the ‘Russian Riviera’ and surrounded by the architectural legacy of the 2014 Winter Olympics. Every grand prix there so far has been very well organised and the fans make us feel very welcome.

“With each race weekend, we’re learning a lot about the strengths and limitations of our package, and our development programme is relentless as we seek to achieve improved performances on a Sunday afternoon. We know there is a lot of potential in the MP4-31, but there’s still some work to do both by McLaren and Honda to unlock it, which we haven’t managed to do so far.

“Russia was the venue of one of our stronger performances in 2015, and we’re all very keen to replicate that next weekend. Our focus is pulling together all of our strengths and ensuring we can battle with our nearest rivals as high up in the pecking order as we can – and consistently over a race distance. We’re certainly making improvements in all areas, so we’ll be pushing to translate that to the final classification screens in Sochi.”

Yusuke Hasegawa – Honda R&D Co Ltd Head of F1 Project & Executive Chief Engineer

"It has only been seven months since the team was last in Sochi, where Fernando celebrated his 250th race last year, but it’s a pleasure to be back at such a dynamic circuit.

“Sochi remains a demanding track for us. The long straights combined with the stop and start nature mean the balance of energy management is essential to get right during the sessions. Unlocking power and managing fuel will also be key, and, with fuel consumption high, it will be important for us to recover as much energy as possible under braking.

“Overall, the track is quite technical, so it will certainly be a challenge for the team and the drivers. We think that our power unit is nearly there, so we’re looking towards another solid weekend of running and hope that we can be in a position to score some points in the race on Sunday."

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Haas won't stand in Romain Grosjean's way if top F1 team approaches

Gene Haas has vowed not to stand in the way of Romain Grosjean's career should the Frenchman receive an offer from one of Formula 1's big teams.

Grosjean took a major gamble in quitting Lotus last season, despite the team then poised to be taken over by Renault, and join F1 newcomer Haas.

Haas and Grosjean then made a stunning start by finishing sixth in Australia and fifth in Bahrain, prior to a more difficult weekend in China.

With a potential seat available at Ferrari next year should Kimi Raikkonen's contract not be renewed, asked whether he feared losing Grosjean, Haas replied: "I don't think I'd ever want to hold a driver back.

"He is happy, but if someone offered him a huge contract and was willing to buy out our contract, and it was with one of those two front teams then he'd be crazy not to do that [move].

"Romain's a pretty cool guy, and quite frankly if he had a chance to be a world champion with another team, that would be something he would probably be foolish not to try."

Haas is impressed by the leadership of the 30-year-old, adding: "He's great. He's very calm about this stuff.

"When things go bad he's just like 'that's the way it is' and his attitude is 'we can overcome these problems'.

"And he's finished fifth and sixth so he doesn't seem to have any problems driving the car."

On the opposite side of the garage, Grosjean's team-mate Esteban Gutierrez has encountered some bad luck over the grands prix weekends to date, and he is yet to score a point.

Asked whether he felt for Gutierrez, Haas initially joked: "I wouldn't stand next to him in a lightning storm, that's for sure."

But he is confident the Mexican's fortunes will turn, adding: "In racing luck is a big part of it.

"Unfortunately I can say this much - Romain is going to have some bad days, too.

"They're inevitable when you do this kind of sport.

"So it kind of comes and goes in waves and I think you just have to deal with it."