FORMULA 1 - 2016

[MIKA27]

RESURGENT RED BULL HAVE PLENTY IN THE PIPELINE

Red Bull are hoping that engine and chassis upgrades will help them beat Ferrari and Formula One champions Mercedes more often after Max Verstappen’s Spanish Grand Prix victory on Sunday.

Apart from becoming the sport’s youngest race winner, the 18-year-old Dutch driver secured the former world champions their first triumph since the 2014 Belgian Grand Prix.

It was also the first win since that August afternoon for engine suppliers Renault, even if the Red Bull cars now carry the name of Swiss watch company Tag Heuer after relations with the French manufacturer frayed almost to breaking point last year.

Red Bull have been busy mending fences since then, a necessary move given that nobody else was willing to take Renault’s place, and team principal Christian Horner continued that process on Sunday.

“I have to pay compliments to our Tag Heuer engine partners who have done a great job in making progress,” he said to laughter from reporters.

“I think that with what’s in the pipeline for coming races there’s a lot of reason for optimism. If we get what’s advertised then it’s going to put us in a position at least to race Ferraris every weekend,” he added.

“Then, hopefully, we can get into trying to close that gap with Mercedes at certain circuits.”

Renault will be testing an upgraded power unit at the Barcelona circuit this week with plans to introduce it at next month’s Canadian Grand Prix for Red Bull and their own Renault factory team.

Mercedes had won 36 of the previous 42 races until Sunday, with Ferrari the only team to beat them last year. They have dominated the sport since the V6 turbo hybrid power units replaced the V8s in 2014.

Monaco, the slowest of street circuits with its tight and twisty layout, is next up with outright power less important than driveability.

Until Barcelona, Red Bull had considered that classic race their best chance of winning this season.

“If we can find a few tenths on the power unit side, it’s certainly going to be gratefully received,” said Horner, when asked whether Renault might bring the upgrade forward for Monaco.

“Let’s see how the test goes but if there was any opportunity to be even more competitive in Monaco we’d take it. But that’s a decision for the guys from Renault,” he said. “We’ll do the testing and then they will look at the numbers.”

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RENAULT MAY DEBUT CANADA ENGINE IN MONACO

In the aftermath of victory in Spain, Renault is considering bringing forward the scheduled debut of its upgraded Montreal-spec engine to the Monaco race next weekend.

Although Renault celebrated quietly, because the customer power unit in the Red Bull is officially a ‘Tag Heuer’, the French carmaker’s F1 ambassador Alain Prost hailed Max Verstappen’s Barcelona breakthrough.

“The victory was important for Renault because it confirms to the engine people that they are on the right track,” he told Auto Motor und Sport. “Renault has made great strides over the winter, so when the next step of the same size comes, Red Bull will have a strong package.”

That upgrade engine – reportedly boasting 35 more horse power and an almost half-second per lap boost – is officially scheduled for Canada but it is being tested in Barcelona this week.

“If after the tests we have all the data we need, we will consider it,” said Renault chief Cyril Abiteboul, referring to suggestions the engine’s debut could be fast-forwarded to Monaco.

“But experience from last year tells us not to rush things, even if Red Bull thinks that if it can be done tomorrow, it should be done tomorrow,” he added.

Red Bull is already expecting its chassis to perform strongly in Monaco, but Abiteboul does not think an engine upgrade is an absolute necessity for the Principality.

“Monte Carlo is the circuit where power plays the least role,” he said, “which is why we are waiting to solve even the slightest uncertainty.”

Red Bull boss Christian Horner said the team will not pressure Renault, “It is Renault’s decision alone. but if there is something that will make us even stronger in Monaco, we’ll gladly take it. If the upgrade lives up to its promise, we can really put Ferrari under pressure.”

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MEDIA IN AWE OF VERSTAPPEN ACHIEVEMENT

Even the Ferrari-transfixed Italian media agrees that a true F1 star was born at arch-rival Red Bull last weekend.

“Everyone is celebrating a new star, even Ferrari,” the influential La Gazzetta dello Sport declared, after 18-year-old Max Verstappen won his first race for Red Bull ahead of both red cars.

Corriere dello Sport even thinks a new era has begun in formula one, “A driver generation now seems shorter than the life of a smartphone.”

La Repubblica added: “What more could you ask of a boy who at three years old was encouraged by his mother to go faster on his tricycle?

“Some are already calling him the driver of the century. Over the top? Perhaps, but perhaps not.”

La Stampa, meanwhile, hailed Verstappen for being the driver best poised to pick up the pieces of the imploded Mercedes team in Spain, “Vettel missed the right strategy and another chance to win is wasted.”

[MIKA27]

KVYAT FUTURE WITH TORO ROSSO NOT LOOKING GOOD

Insiders believe Red Bull will keep the revolving door turning at Toro Rosso next year, with current GP2 series leader Pierre Gasly first in line for a 2017 seat with Daniil Kvyat likely to be ousted from the team.

Gasly, 20, will test the Toro Rosso in Barcelona this week, as the situation appears to be worsening for Kvyat as Helmut Marko’s controversial decision to oust him was vindicated as Verstappen won the Spanish grand prix.

“I have my own job, my own car,” Kvyat said when asked about Max’s breakthrough in his old Red Bull cockpit. “Of course I think I have the potential to do the same. Without a doubt. I know my potential and I don’t care what others think.”

But Kvyat is facing the looming end of his F1 career according to Ivan Capelli, a former F1 driver. He told La Gazzetta dello Sport that Red Bull’s decision to promote Max Verstappen, thereby sending Kvyat back to Toro Rosso, is grim news for the 22-year-old Russian.

“It puts Kvyat in a very difficult situation,” said Capelli, who drove for Ferrari in 1992. “History has shown what Red Bull does in these situations.”

“Clearly the programme has produced great drivers like Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo, but I have to say that Kvyat is facing the abyss, like many, many drivers before him,” said Capelli, 52.

[MIKA27]

WOLFF RULES HIMSELF OUT OF ECCLESTONE’S JOB

Toto Wolff has now joined Niki Lauda in distancing himself from speculation regarding Bernie Ecclestone’s possible demise as F1 supremo.

In Barcelona, following a meeting of big-wigs like Daimler’s Dieter Zetsche and Fiat’s Sergio Marchionne, Ecclestone confirmed that “some plotting” had taken place.

But F1 legend and Mercedes team chairman Lauda dismissed as “bullsh*t” speculation he is being lined up as the potential new ‘sporting’ replacement for Ecclestone.

“Toto Wolff and I have a big enough job here with Mercedes, and we even own shares in the team. We are successful and everything works fine,” he told Bild am Sonntag newspaper.

Now speaking to Spain’s El Mundo newspaper, Wolff agrees, “Earlier, he had written off the so-called Barcelona plotting as “just another meeting on the normal business of formula one”.

When asked if he can imagine himself in Ecclestone’s white shirt, the 44-year-old said: “I’ve always been an entrepreneur — I’ve never liked working for others. Therefore, I appreciate my job at Mercedes very much.”

Initially a budding driver and entrepreneur, he said entering formula one in the capacity he now enjoys was something he “dreamed” about.

“I dreamed but did not believe,” said Wolff. “When I raced, my goal was to win, but it prepared me to perform management tasks. Soon I started investing and was able to enter the world of racing through HWA, then Williams and finally here. I am satisfied with where I am.”

[MIKA27]

Daniel Ricciardo and Esteban Ocon praise upgraded Renault engine

Renault introduced an upgraded power unit for the Barcelona in-season test on Tuesday in both its own car and customer Red Bull, with both drivers confirming it is a "step forward" on the previous spec.

The French manufacturer is hopeful of closing the gap to Ferrari and Mercedes with its latest developments and it's believed the new engine could be worth around three to four tenths of a second per lap, depending on the circuit.

Renault third driver Esteban Ocon believes the improvement they've made with the engine could surprise some.

"You will be surprised," he said after completing 105 laps. "It is really good. Really good. I can tell it will be quicker for sure."

Ricciardo is also confident of a step forward and is pushing for the engine to be introduced for the next round in Monaco, rather than current scheduled introduction in Canada.

"Yeah, I think so far we are pretty happy with how it is all looking," said the Australian. "We will see what they find tonight, but it was all pretty reliable and everything ran as smooth as it could I think."

When asked if there was a difference, he replied: "Yeah. I think so. The progress is definitely there.

"If we can get it [for Monaco], for sure we would love it. It will be a matter of time for now."

[MIKA27]

Mercedes, Red Bull max out on ultra-soft for Monaco Grand Prix

Mercedes and Red Bull have opted for the maximum number of the unraced ultra-soft compound for the Monaco Grand Prix, with all teams favouring the brand new compound which makes its debut in Monte Carlo.

Every driver pairing, bar Renault's Kevin Magnussen and Jolyon Palmer, have opted for the same number of each, with Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg, Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen taking ten sets of the ultra-soft, two of the super-soft and one of the soft.

Meanwhile Ferrari have opted for one less set of the ultra-soft for an additional set of the softs for both its drivers - a strategy uncopied by any other driver.

Manor's Pascal Wehrlein and Rio Haryanto have opted for the fewest sets of the ultra-soft at just six, instead choosing five sets of the super-soft and two of the soft.

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Williams tests radical double-decker rear-wing in Barcelona

Williams surprised the paddock on the opening morning of the Barcelona in-season test by running a radical double-decker rear-wing and large struts on its front-wing.

Alex Lynn did an initial run with the devices fitted, with the rear-wing in particular causing a stir. It features a double-decker design which extends forward of the wing, as well sideways with two small winglets.

The wing isn't however being tested for an eventual debut, as it extends outside the regulated dimensions and is therefore illegal.

It's likely Williams are trying to simulate greater downforce, similar to 2017 levels, to understand tyre and aerodynamic loads, or alternatively to simulate higher-downforce requirements to improve its chassis and balance.

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FIA set to decide between Halo and Aeroscreen in Monaco

Formula 1's governing body, the FIA, is set to finally decide which head protection device; the Halo or Aeroscreen, will become mandatory in 2017 with a meeting to discuss the matter scheduled for the Friday before the Monaco Grand Prix.

The Halo emerged as the preferred option, but that was before Red Bull debuted its Aeroscreen canopy during FP1 in Russia. Now it's believed the FIA is leaning toward the latter solution as not only does it provide the same level of safety as the Halo, but it is visually more appealing.

However the decision hangs on whether Red Bull and the FIA can find viable solutions to a few key issues; a suitable anti-glare coating for the inside and a liquid-repelling coating for the outside.

But a third option has now emerged which could become the favoured option. Based on the Halo tested by Ferrari during pre-season testing, it's believed the third option is more refined, lighter and possibly removeable - which would aid extrication of drivers in an accident.

The matter is due to be discussed in detail on Friday and Williams' Pat Symonds says it is vital that a decision is made.

"We are already extremely late with a detail that will have a serious impact on the design of the car," Symonds said.

"There is going to be a TRM [Technical Regulations Meeting] in Monaco on Friday and Charlie [Whiting] assures us that we are going to know pretty well where we are by then.

"There is a second Halo device now that is a bit different to the one that Ferrari ran here in the [pre-season] test. So we will see what Monaco brings."

It's believed the third option could be trialled during FP1, whilst Red Bull have confirmed they will test their Aeroscreen once again.

[MIKA27]

Vettel ‘convinced’ of Monaco chance

Sebastian Vettel says he is “convinced” Ferrari can challenge in Monaco after a solid day of testing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on Tuesday.

After a disappointing result on Sunday when Ferrari were not able to challenge Red Bull for the victory, Vettel returned to the Spanish track on Tuesday morning for Day One of the two-day test.

He covered 103 laps with a best time of 1:23.220, which he set on the soft tyres at roughly the same time that Q3 took place on Saturday, and in the same conditions.

His time put him fastest of all, 0.117s ahead of Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg.

He said: “I think it is a unique chance having the opportunity right after the GP to test at the same track, more or less on the same conditions.

“Saturday we struggled a bit so today we tried some stuff. We needed to have a good look at it, but this is not the only thing we were here for.

“For sure we tried to cover as much as possible in one day. I think Monaco should be a strong track for us, last year we were very competitive there.

“Now we have improved the car in the areas you need for that GP so I think it should help. Here in Barcelona we were as competitive as expected, with the exception of Saturday.”

Vettel concedes that Ferrari do not head to Monaco as the favourites for the victory but insists the Scuderia will do all they can to achieve their first victory of the campaign.

“Now we are not in the best position, we are not the favorites going to Monaco either, as the favorites remain Mercedes, but we try very hard and if there is a chance to win we’ll try to win.

“We go step by step, not looking too far ahead. I’m convinced that the chance is there.”

[MIKA27]

Stewart: Mercedes should fine Hamilton

Mercedes should have fined Lewis Hamilton in the wake of his Spanish GP antics; that’s according to Sir Jackie Stewart.

Fighting for position on the opening lap of Sunday’s grand prix, Hamilton was forced onto the grass as he tried to slide up the inside of Rosberg’s W07.

With wheels on the grass, Hamilton was pitched into a spin that took both the Brit and his German team-mate out of the grand prix.

It was the first time since 2012 that Mercedes failed to score point and it also put an end to Rosberg’s attempts to add an eighth victory to his winning streak.

Stewart feels the triple World Champion deserves a “financial” penalty for the incident.

“It was all emotion,” the Scot told The Guardian newspaper. “First lap! Desperation. That’s not the way to win, not consistently. Hamilton is to blame. Rosberg was allowed to protect himself. You don’t go for it on the first lap.

“Two cars from the same team can’t possibly have an accident on the first lap. One of the major assets for all of the great drivers has been mind management. Don’t get wound up and excited. I think Lewis could have won this race but it didn’t have to be on the first lap. The accident was almost ready to take place.”

He added: “It was a tremendous faux pas for Mercedes-Benz to take both cars out. They are so much better than any other team. It’s just completely wrong – and then for Hamilton to throw the steering wheel out of the car. Probably $40,000-$50,000 of steering wheel. Emotion is a very dangerous thing.

“It’s unacceptable. Lots of people make mistakes. What you’ve got to do is come out of the mistake but you’ve got to admit it and think about why would you have done such a thing on the first lap, when you’re so much quicker than everyone else. I don’t think Lewis understood that. I don’t think that Rosberg did anything wrong.

“I think there’s a need for discipline – maybe financial. I would certainly have penalised the driver who made that mistake on the first lap. It would have to be financial. At the moment Lewis is making such a lot of money that it might not be a big penalty.”

[MIKA27]

Max Verstappen on his first win in Formula One

Max Verstappen puts his feelings into words following his first win in Formula One and for the Team at the Spanish Grand Prix. A win, that at the age of 18 years, 7 months and 16 days old, made him the youngest ever winner of a F1 race.

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NICO ROSBERG LEARNS THE MOST VALUABLE LESSON ALL CHAMPIONS MUST KNOW

The collision which eliminated both Mercedes cars from the Spanish Grand Prix goes down as a ‘racing incident’ even though both sides maintain their own views, as do fans. Team boss Toto Wolff admitted that inside the team there are different opinions.

But Rosberg did show yesterday that he has learned the most valuable lesson of champions, which is that you don’t give anything away to the opposition. In the past he did; today he’s learned how important it is to close down the avenues.

I had a strange conversation with him about this topic on Thursday afternoon in Barcelona, which proved to be quite prophetic. I was observing that it is one thing to perform at your best every week on a consistent basis, but the key to being champion is to minimise the chances you give to the opposition; don’t give anything away. He didn’t want to engage, made out that he didn’t understand the question, but he understood it well enough and on Sunday he showed how much he has progressed in this ‘intangible’ area of the sport.

On Saturday he couldn’t match Lewis Hamilton’s qualifying pace; it’s the third time out of three in a straight fight in Q3 that he’s been edged by the champion. He was disappointed but he knew that this was something to be accepted, rather than dwelt upon.

But on Sunday he responded, fought back into Turn 1 and took the lead at the start, as he has now done every time they’ve started alongside each other this season.

Then when he realised that he had a problem on the engine modes and quickly dialled in changes to the steering wheel, he also had the presence of mind to see Hamilton making his move down the inside and closed the door on him. He has said openly since that he wanted to send Hamilton a message that he will not yield, as he has done in the past.

The stewards called it as a racing incident, the team has bought that and decided to move on. Wolff was more conciliatory than after the pair collided in Spa 2014, when he said that if it happened again they’d look at replacing them. But that’s because they have won everything since, including two drivers and teams championships. This was a bad day for the team members in Brackley and Brixworth, who worked hard to prepare the cars, but not the end of the world from Mercedes’ point of view.

The take-home from Sunday’s incident from Hamilton’s point of view is that Rosberg is a different competitor from before and he’s going to have to street-fight him to wrestle the 2016 championship out of his clutches.

The Schumacher/Ferrari mantra: Never give anything away

Sometimes Hamilton will be faster than Rosberg; that’s a given with ateam mate who is as talented as the Englishman. After humiliating him in Austin last year, Hamilton breathed out and gave Rosberg a chance to rebuild. It was a terrible mistake. The German has taken that opportunity and hasn’t lost a race to him since.

Looking back at the last two title battles with Hamilton, Rosberg was beaten fair and square both times. But bear in mind that Hamilton was already a veteran of four title battles when the 2014 campaign began. He had fought in 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2012 before the showdown with his team mate in 2014. That is a lot of experience of something you cannot learn unless you go through it personally. In contrast 2014 was Rosberg’s first title battle and last year was his second. This year, he is showing that he’s learned a great deal from those experiences.

The key is in not giving anything away to the opposition.

Think of a football team. If the midfield is strong you control 60% of the possession in the game, if the strikers are consistent you will score goals. But you only win the match if the defence and the goalkeeper do their job. The team as a whole does not give anything away to the opposition.

This is what has happend to Rosberg this year, he’s raised his game as a driver a fraction, but he’s raised his game as a competitor a lot. The setbacks of losing face at Spa in 2014 and then more painfully at Austin last year have proved lessons for the German and he is now a more formidable competitor.

There are very few people who know what it takes to win in F1 and the most eloquent explanation of this crucial aspect of being a champion was articulated by Ross Brawn, in an interview I did with him for one of the two books I wrote with and about Michael Schumacher.

“Every last detail is critical. It’s very rare in modern Formula 1 to come up with a dramatic new concept or idea, which will give you a step change in performance. So you cannot give anything away. You cannot be weak in the ‘tangibles’, like design of the car, and you cannot be weak in the ‘intangibles’ like the competitive attitude or interpretation of the rules.

“You have to push everything to the limit. Unintentionally sometimes you go over the limit either in reliability or in interpretation of a regulation. You have to force the limits in all the areas and help everyone in the team realise that they have to reach limits. Each department has to be up against the boundaries of what it can achieve all the time. And by doing that you can get a competitive package, but it is not just about performance, it’s reliability too; nothing must be too much trouble. Whatever you felt you could achieve you’ve then got to go out and find another ten per cent.”

That was his answer to the question of how the Ferrari team, of which he was technical director and Schumacher the driver, achieved so much success. It came down from Jean Todt, the team principal, who refused to give an inch in any situation.

And the same holds true today of Mercedes. And the driver who is getting all the tangibles and intangibles right is Rosberg.

Hamilton has had his technical issues, but Rosberg had already beaten him into Turn 1 in Australia. Same in Bahrain.

Reliability has been an issue this year for Hamilton, but it hasn’t stopped him scoring points at each race; he has not had a technical retirement. The last Mercedes technical retirement was Rosberg’s in Russia last year.

New contract for Rosberg

Nico doesn’t like talking in public and with the media about his contractual situation. But this weekend he did say something very interesting about his contractual situation with Mercedes and what might happen next. He equivocated when asked about it and in leaving a big gap between the lines, invited everyone to read between them.

“Of course I’m in an interesting situation, I just want to see what the future will be. Let’s see. It’s not something I’m focussing on at the moment. It’s early days.”

Rosberg is in a strong position, he can speak to Ferrari, if he wants to and even if he doesn’t go there, it will raise his price with Mercedes. That would be normal good practice. It’s unlikely he would want to leave Mercedes, as he has so much invested there.

He tends to confirm his contracts earlier in the season than some drivers, the last renewal was done in May 2013 and it wouldn’t have surprised me to see him and Mercedes announcing a renewal in Monaco the week after next. Whether the incident of Sunday might change that, who knows.

But equally he can take his time. And if that announcement doesn’t come soon, then there is clearly more of a discussion being had.

[MIKA27]

SPANISH GP DEBRIEF: WHO MADE THE BIGGER MISTAKE – RED BULL OR FERRARI?

Max Verstappen’s victory in the Spanish Grand Prix owed a lot to the collision between the two Mercedes drivers at the start, but once they were out, what swung it his way was pure race strategy decision making and flawless execution from the 18 year old.

This race pivoted on a key decision; to switch to the riskier three-stop strategy. Both Daniel Ricciardo and Sebastian Vettel lost the race because of this call.

Here we will analyse this momentous decision and look at why it was made and how it affected the outcome; but which team made the bigger mistake – Ferrari or Red Bull?

Pre-race considerations

Before the race Pirelli said that three stops was a marginally faster strategy, but the experienced team strategists were all saying that they would be surprised if anyone did anything different from a two stop with a short stint on softs at the start and then two stints on mediums.

Simulations in recent years have shown that a three-stop is more risky at Barcelona, with the extra 22-second pit stop and with the need to pass a two-stopping car in the closing stages.

Overtaking has always proved difficult on this track unless there was a significant difference in tyre life or car pace. Even then, the lead car needs only to get a good drive out of the final chicane to have enough of a margin across the start finish line to hold onto the position.

Friday running showed that the degradation numbers all pointed to a comfortable two stop; the soft tyre was good for up to 14-16 laps, which meant around 30-32 laps each on two sets of new mediums to reach 66 laps. Straightforward.

Red Bull switches strategy for Ricciardo, Vettel covers, Verstappen wins

As much as Verstappen won this race, Ricciardo and Vettel both lost it.

The most controversial decisions were Red Bull’s surprise move to switch Ricciardo onto a three-stop strategy on Lap 28, when he had the race under control and even more controversially, Ferrari’s decision to follow him.

Once the two Mercedes cars were out of the race, there was a golden opportunity to win a Grand Prix for both teams, who badly needed it.

The whip hand was with Red Bull. They had track position advantage with Daniel Ricciardo ahead of Max Verstappen, while Ferrari were third and fourth with Vettel and Raikkonen.

Both teams felt that the Ferrari was faster. But the red cars had underperformed in qualifying, leaving the door open for Red Bull. Surely they would be aggressive on strategy to go for the win?

Vettel lost time behind Carlos Sainz early on, but once clear of the Spaniard, he looked quick.

Ricciardo stopped first on Lap 11, followed by Verstappen and Raikkonen a lap later. Vettel stayed out until Lap 15 to start building a tyre offset to the others. This was not the move of a man who was planning to stop three times. Quite the reverse.

Still, Red Bull felt vulnerable to a Ferrari attack. In selecting their tactics, they may have recalled Suzuka 2013 with Vettel and Webber racing against Lotus and Romain Grosjean. Back then they pitted the lead car Webber, onto a three stop strategy, knowing that Grosjean would react and Vettel on a two stop could win the race, which is what happened.

But this was different. The obvious thing to do in Barcelona was to ask Verstappen to drop back three seconds behind Ricciardo, dropping Vettel out of range of undercutting the Australian. From there Ricciardo would be certain to win the race and a team victory would be secure. Verstappen would probably have finished third in that scenario.

But they either didn’t want to ask Verstappen to do that or didn’t want to prioritise Ricciardo for the win. Perhaps a supremely strong result for Verstappen on his Red Bull debut would justify dropping Daniil Kvyat in favour of the Dutchman. Perhaps, based on his track record of accepting team orders at Toro Rosso, they didn’t think he’d comply!

Verstappen looked slightly quicker than Ricciardo in the second stint, but the Australian was also driving to a two-stop plan and so was pacing his tyres.

Either way, the strange moment came on Lap 28 when Red Bull pitted the lead car, Ricciardo, committing him to a three-stop strategy. The problem with 3 stops in that scenario is three-fold; he had already lost three or four seconds by running at his pace compared to an optimised three stopper, plus you don’t get enough back from the pace of the extra tyres to make up for the 22 seconds lost in the extra stop, plus you commit to having to overtake 2 stoppers at the end of the race.

So it was a big and unnecessary risk for the lead car and none of the other teams’ race strategists could quite believe it when Ricciardo pitted. Christian Horner said after the race that they did so to pre-empt Vettel three stopping and splitting the strategies was the best way to cover their bases.

This sounds a little like a retrofit of the story to the events, but to be fair to them there was an argument for splitting the strategies to make Red Bull have to work for the win. It was just very odd not to give the lead car with the most experienced race winning driver the best strategy.

Ferrari make an even bigger mistake

At this point Ferrari could have laughed out loud and carried on with both cars on two stop strategies. Yes they would have to deal with a fast finishing Ricciardo late in the race, but they would have two cars for him to try to pass and that would have been hard.

Meanwhile they would have had two cars against Verstappen, which meant that they could have undercut him with Vettel at the second stop and won the race.

The key for Ferrari at this point was to put pressure on Red Bull, but Ferrari failed to do this. Vettel followed Ricciardo’s switch to three stops and condemned him not to win the race at that point.

They did have Kimi Raikkonen still in the game with Verstappen, covering his two-stop strategy, but again they were unable to put enough pressure on the teenager and didn’t try the undercut on the second stop.

Verstappen was allowed the luxury of pitting first on Lap 34, with Raikkonen coming in a lap later. He followed closely to the finish but didn’t make life difficult enough for the teenager.

How to read this approach from Ferrari? The most likely scenario is that they lacked confidence; especially with chairman Sergio Marchionne dropping in on race day, after they had underperformed in qualifying. Having told them they ‘have to win’ before the race weekend, the team needed to respond to the pressure by being bold but they looked more like they wanted to avoid taking a risk that might backfire in front of the boss.

But with no pressure from behind as Williams and Bottas were a long way in arrears, they could have tried some aggressive moves; there were no negatives.

Red Bull and Mercedes have both noticed this lack of confidence and will seek to exploit it; Ferrari has to address it internally so they can be more bold in future races, as they were many times with strategy last season.

[davidsan]

That James Allen article on the race is probably the most balanced review of the GP I've read so far.

The pic of Max getting out of the car with Dr Marko in the background shows Ricciardo everything he needs to know about his future at RBR, regardless of how much pace he has in the car.

[MIKA27]

That James Allen article on the race is probably the most balanced review of the GP I've read so far.

The pic of Max getting out of the car with Dr Marko in the background shows Ricciardo everything he needs to know about his future at RBR, regardless of how much pace he has in the car.

Yes, I love James Allen as he is always neutral and informative - His work is the best IMO.

I hate to say it but I feel another Mark Webber/Seb Vettel kind of relationship about to unfold where Daniel will always come second. Early days I know, but it's a gut feeling.

[MIKA27]

BARCELONA TEST DAY 2: VERSTAPPEN BACK ON TOP

Fresh from his sensational win at the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday, Max Verstappen ended his day of testing at Circuit de Catalunya back at the top of the timing sheets for Red Bull.

The teenager, who is now the youngest ever grand prix winner, competed 118 laps during the course of the day. His best time of 1:23.267 was three quarters of a second up on the next best which was Stoffel Vandoorne, who stood in for injured Fernando Alonso at the Bahrain Grand Prix and was back in the cockpit for McLaren in Barcelona.

Pascal Wehrlein was drafted in to test for Mercedes, in place of Esteban Ocon, and ended the day third fastest for the world champions.

Young drivers in action on the day included: Antonio Fuoco (Ferrari) who finished fifth fastest, Alfonso Celis (Force India) seventh fastest and Jordan King (Manor) who was slowest on the day.

Cash strapped Sauber were not present for the test.

What the drivers said:

Max Verstappen: It was good to get back in the car today. The car is good to drive, very enjoyable and we achieved very good mileage. We didn’t have any problems and could run the whole day. For me personally it was good to have the opportunity to get even more comfortable with the car. I was able to try some new things and find ways to improve my performance. I learned a lot about the RB12 today, which is very, very positive.”

Pascal Wehrlein: “That was a good day. A bit unexpected! The team called me yesterday evening as they couldn’t finish their test programme and needed an experienced driver to finish it off, so I came back to the track to do a seat fitting that night! We did 133 laps today – two race distances – and finished the test programme, which was important for the team. We tried a few different setups during the morning – mainly looking at aerodynamic with the aero rig. Then we did some long runs in the afternoon, so a good programme. I must say I really enjoyed the car – it felt amazing! I’m now really looking forward to my first Monaco Grand Prix next week.”

Alfonso Celis:“I am very pleased with the work I was able to do during these two days. It was quite a varied programme and I enjoyed it – especially feeling the car over the long runs. I am feeling much more comfortable in the car and I was able to help the team by bringing home a lot of data. I am getting much closer to the pace I want to show and I feel I can push the car harder with every run. ”

Antonio Fuoco: “We did a good job today, a lot of laps, a lot of kilometres and it was a very positive day. The most complicated thing about an F1 car compared to the GP3 car I’m racing in the championship is managing the various procedures. And the extra downforce makes it more demanding, so some training is useful. Today, we worked on set-up, covering a bit of what Sebastian had done as a comparison. We tried some new components, but nothing special. Compared to last year’s test I did in the 2015 car, it’s hard to draw comparisons. When I was driving in Austria the conditions were completely different. However, I’d say this year’s car is an improvement, it works very well. We ran a lot today and in general I did a good job with the team and I’d like to really thank the Scuderia and the Ferrari Driver Academy for this opportunity.”

Felipe Massa: “It was an interesting test. We worked on so many things for developing and improving the car on the aero side, which was our biggest aim for these two days. We tried a lot of different things for the future so it has been an important two days and key to get a lot of mileage.”

Kevin Magnussen: “That was a full day for me and a productive one. I think the only issue I experienced all day was wanting to take my helmet off for a little break. The car feels good and it was great to conduct such a wide variety of assessments as it shows we’re clearly making progress. It wasn’t just me busy in the car, all the crew were flat out changing bits or adding or removing rakes so a big thanks to everyone for their hard work after the race here. It’s definitely been a positive test. The power unit feels stronger and has better driveability and there are some other good improvements too.”

Daniil Kvyat: “I think today was a very productive and good day. We completed a big amount of laps, all of which are useful for both myself and the team. Tonight we will analyse all the data we’ve gathered and we will already be able to use this valuable information in the next events, starting with Monaco. Barcelona is a very good track to test at and a lot of the work we got done today will hopefully work on the car as we expect. All in all, it was quite an important day for myself today, as being able to get time in the STR11 was essential, and I now feel much more confident and ready for Monaco.”

Esteban Gutiérrez: “It was a very interesting day. We completed almost everything we needed to achieve, so we can be happy with that. It was all very positive. We were able to run a lot of programs, so I’m looking forward to Monaco.”

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NEW ROSBERG EMERGES FROM DUST-UP WITH HAMILTON

The sensational clash of Mercedes’ teammates and championship foes in Barcelona made clear a “new Nico” Rosberg will no longer be pushed around.

That is the view of three former F1 drivers, commentating on the controversial crash between the German championship leader and Lewis Hamilton.

Niki Lauda is steadfast in his view that the reigning triple world champion was to blame, and told told Auto Motor und Sport, “I am annoyed at the question of who has what percentage of blame — 70 per cent here and 30 per cent there.”

“It is clear that Nico tried to overtake on the wrong side. Why wrong? Because any professional driver at the front and suddenly feeling a power position will try to defend his position, logically on the inside.

“In 2015, Lewis’ attack would have worked but those days are gone and the new Nico drives like Lewis or Vettel. Therefore, the collision occurred,” Lauda said.

Christian Danner, a former German F1 driver, agrees that Sunday was a sign of a new Nico, “I am glad that Nico didn’t wave Lewis past, demonstrating the new Rosberg.”

“Lewis must understand he can no longer intimidate his teammate with such manoeuvres of ‘Here I come, make room for me!’ As for who is to blame, I would say it’s 50-50 – Nico a bit too hard, Lewis too trusting,” Danner added.

Martin Brundle, now a respected British commentator, thinks Rosberg should have left Hamilton some room, but he also thinks the champion was in a hurry to re-pass him.

“Lewis was shocked that he lost the lead at the first corner, which is why he wanted to get it back at the first opportunity.

“Nico was distracted by being in the wrong engine mode, which is why his defense was so hard. But maybe that’s the new Nico,” Brundle added. “Two years ago he would have settled for second place. Now he’s turned into a winning machine.”

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HONDA: WE HAVE A PLAN TO CHALLENGE MERCEDES IN 2017

Honda’s Head of F1 Project & Executive Chief Engineer Yusuke Hasegawa is looking ahead with confidence to the Monaco Grand Prix next weekend.

Fernando Alonso called his Q3 breakthrough in Barcelona a “milestone”, but Hasegawa said the McLaren-Honda package should be even better on the streets of the fabled Principality.

“In Monaco, engine performance is not as important,” he is quoted El Mundo Deportivo. “It is one of the circuits where we can get better results right now. We have two great drivers and I have high hopes for this grand prix.”

Indeed, McLaren says it has one of the very best chassis on the grid, while Honda has put the disaster of 2015 behind it by making significant progress this year.

Hasegawa insisted, however, that “not all the problems at McLaren have been due to the power unit. All parties need to improve in order to win the world championship next year,” he added.

Diario Sport claims Honda is currently working on an engine upgrade with a projected Montreal debut, but Hasegawa says “We have not decided (when) yet”.

“We are working on it, finishing the details and we will put it on track only when we are ready. Our idea is to bring together with this evolution several tokens for a significant jump,” he added. “We hope it allows us to be regularly in the points.”

The Japanese spoke of the possibility of a leap of “tenths” but stopped short of promising podiums later in 2016.

“It is very difficult, but we are working every day not to get a podium but to win. In this way, our rate of improvement since the start of the year is good, better even than Mercedes. We’re happy, but still not enough,” Hasegawa added.

He said the end of the controversial ‘token’ system for 2017 is “very good news for Honda”.

“We have a plan to challenge Mercedes in 2017,” he continued. “We are working to have a competitive car so that Fernando Alonso can win.”

As for the relationship with McLaren, Hasegawa said that despite the challenges, all is well amid the “long-term” contract and collaboration, “We are working very well together. Last year was terrible, but our relationship remained strong.”

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VETTEL EXPECTS FERRARI TO BOUNCE BACK IN MONACO

Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel insists that Red Bull’s sudden push ahead of the Maranello team was a one-off and revealed that the focus in the current Barcelona test is to sort out its qualifying problems.

“I think it’s an unique opportunity to have a test right after a grand prix on the same track, in more or less the same conditions,” he is quoted by Mediaset. “Saturday we had some problems and that is why today we tried some solutions.”

Vettel said he expects Ferrari to be back in normal form in Monaco, “I think Monaco is a good track for us — last year we were very strong. Right now we are not the favourites, that is Mercedes, but if there will be the chance to win then we will try to do it.

“If we can get back to where we were in the final practice session (for the Spanish GP) then in the race Red Bull is not a threat to us,” Vettel added. “For sure they have improved, but so have we.”

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Magnussen lauds B-spec engine

Kevin Magnussen has praised the upgraded B-spec power unit Renault has been trying out during in-season testing over the past two days.

Spanish Grand Prix winner Max Verstappen claimed the fastest lap of the first session on Wednesday, while also recording 53 laps with the engine.

The Dane, who was fourth quickest during the afternoon session, claimed that he felt the difference almost immediately and is hoping that he will be able to use it at the upcoming Monaco Grand Prix.

“To be honest the engine feels nice to drive and the drivability is actually better than with the old engine,” Magnussen claimed.

“Yeah there’s more power, but from the driving point of view it’s difficult to feel how fast you’re going on the straight.

“Whether you’re going 330kph or 333kph is difficult to feel, but the engineers will have it on the data and they will tell us later on. At the moment the main thing is the power unit is drivable so that we can continue just working as normal.

“I think it’s not that different in Monaco than other places in terms of how important drivability is. Everywhere you drive it’s important to feel the power and to be able to control it. As I said, this power unit is actually better than the old one and we haven’t had that much time to work on it. Straight away out of the box it was better drivability, so hopefully the power is a good step as well.”

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Wehrlein in no doubt he is ready for Mercedes F1 drive

Pascal Wehrlein has no doubts he would be ready to step up to a race seat with Mercedes in Formula 1 if a vacancy opens up, after his latest test for the team.

The young German was given a surprise call-up by the German car manufacturer to run on the second day of the Barcelona test, replacing Esteban Ocon, who had originally been set to test.

Although Mercedes said the decision was taken because it wanted an experienced driver to test new parts, it comes against the backdrop of speculation surrounding Nico Rosberg's future with the team.

Wehrlein is well aware that there is an outside chance of a seat being available at Mercedes in 2017, and has no doubts that, after a day's running for the team, he was as prepared as he would need to be to deliver for the team.

"Yes I would be ready," he said.

When asked if he felt that his test was like being in an audition, he said: "You always are, you cannot relax, step back, hope or be sure of what happens next year or the next years, so you always need to push.

"You always need to push yourself and make the best out of it."

Late call-up

Wehrlein said the decision to test for Mercedes was made late on Tuesday evening, and meant he had to return to the circuit for a seat fitting.

Asked if he was told the reasons, he said: "I don't really know. I think yesterday they couldn't finish the test program and they wanted an experienced driver, so yesterday evening I got the call and went back to the race track, did the seat fit and was driving today.

"It was a very, very good day. We did many laps, more than 130 laps, I am really happy with that. We could finish the test program and it was a good time in the car. I really enjoyed it."

Wehrlein also confirmed that the W07 was step forward over last year's car that he had previously tested.

"Yes I think it has been half a year since I have been in this car," he said. "It just feels great to be back and it really feels different, so I had to get the feeling back because this year I wasn't in the simulator a lot.

"So I needed to change the steering wheel, all the buttons were in different positions. I enjoyed the day in the car and got used to it and it was a great day."

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Massa says radical Williams aero can help 2016 car

Felipe Massa hopes that Williams' radical aero tests at Barcelona this week, primarily aimed for its 2017 project, can help the team extract more performance from its current car.

The Grove-based outfit ran with a unique double decker rear wing over the two days, which along with front wing tweaks was aimed at increasing downforce levels with a view to next season.

While lessons learned will help the team in its preparations for next year, Massa was in no doubt that anything that could be brought forward to address weaknesses in this year's chassis would be welcome.

"In these two days we worked just in aerodynamics, as you could see we had so many strange things around the car," explained the Brazilian.

"But they were related to our work on developments for the future and I think it was a pretty interesting test for us. So, as you could see, we weren't here to do lap times, we were here to work on future developments.

"I hope they're not for a too distant future, I hope we can have some of the things we had here quickly and I hope we understood things that can be important to make our car quicker."

No quick fix

Massa said the 'strange' wing elements were not aimed to making the car faster, but about delivering downforce levels and the ability to change the aero balance that will allow it to better understand what is needed.

That is why experimenting with different set-ups was vital for helping Williams make progress.

"We tried a lot of things," added Massa. "Some of them didn't work, but the general feeling was very positive and we found things that were important to lead us in the direction we think we should be heading into to develop this car."

He added: "For sure it's a long-term project, it's not something that will lead to having completely different specs in the car tomorrow.

"I hope we can bring some things forward and I hope we understand things that we need to. I believe we are understanding them, to make the car better."

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Felipe Massa: Verstappen must now confirm his brilliance

In his latest column, Felipe Massa reflects on a difficult Spanish Grand Prix, the Hamilton/Rosberg accident, and Max Verstappen's hype after his first win.

Although in the end I managed to earn more points, which is useful for my championship, the weekend in Barcelona was much harder than I expected. Complicating matters was a qualifying session where things did not go as we had hoped at Williams Martini Racing.

I had the okay to go out of the pitlane a few minutes before the end of the Q1 session to put in a quick lap, and I should have passed easily in to the next round.

But I had a lot of traffic both at Turn 3 and Turn 7, and I lost four tenths of a second. By the time I got back to the pits there was not enough time to have a second attempt to improve.

But my rivals who had gone earlier for their first runs did have the opportunity to use a second set of tyres, and that allowed them to improve their times and knock me out.

I think in the future we should go at least one minute earlier if we adopt a similar tactic. It is a small amount of time, but the possibility of being able to use a second set of tyres makes it worth it.

Attacking race

After the disappointment of Saturday, race day was much better. Starting from 18th at a track that is historically very difficult for overtaking means things were not going to be easy – but even before the start I had a positive feeling.

I made a good start and overtook four people, but the incidents that took place between Turn 1 and Turn 3 forced me to take a different racing line from the one I would have liked. I had to slow down in order not to see my race finished after just a few hundred metres. That dropped me back again.

But after the safety car period caused by the Mercedes crash, I was immediately able to set a good pace and overtake many of my rivals.

The decision to go to a three-stop strategy proved to be a very good one, as it meant I could not be slowed by traffic and was often able to exploit the full potential of the car.

At Barcelona it can make a lot of difference being able to have clear air, and I am happy that we were able to show what we could do.

I overtook a lot of cars, the strategy was correct, the car balance was good and once again we had fast pit stops. It is amazing to see the progress that has been made by the team on this front especially, and to have it confirmed at every race so far this season with the fastest overall stop is just amazing.

So an eighth placed finish at the end was a good prize after a race in which everything went perfectly – and I am happy with the work we did on Sunday.

The Mercedes crash

So many things happened in the grand prix last weekend that it is one of those races that will prompt many discussions between paddock regulars and fans.

I have been asked for my opinion about what happened between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, and of course I can speak my mind based on what we saw from the outside.

We know that Nico did something wrong with the settings of his power unit, as we could see the performance difference compared to Lewis as they came out of Turn 3.

I think Nico, while trying to correct the settings on his steering wheel, understood that his teammate was coming from behind with more speed and he made sure to close the door so that Lewis could not get through.

In situations like this anything can happen, and I think ultimately it was just a racing incident. But when this type of accident involves two drivers from the same team, the controversy is always amplified.

I think we have to remember that they are two drivers who are fighting for the championship, so we have to think about all the stress that comes along with that.

And although after the race we can talk for hours about what happened, when incidents like this occur you have to remember that everything in the cockpit is decided in a split second.

Verstappen confirmation needed

Max Verstappen has always proved himself to be fast, both on his way to Formula 1 and when he got here. Sometimes we have seen too the exuberance of an 18-year-old, which has led him to make some mistakes.

But his performances on track have never been questioned, and when he had the chance to race a Red Bull for the first time, a car with which he can potentially aim for the podium, he managed to win.

He definitely had a lucky star on his side though, because his strategy proved to be better than that of Daniel Ricciardo's, but he still produced an amazing race. For a boy of 18 to arrive and win, something had to be predestined.

This is the kind of performance that some great champions of the past have delivered, but for now Max must face another important phase of his career, which is to confirm that his performance in Spain is typical of what he can do.

For while Verstappen's success makes a beautiful story for F1, if he were to have three races where things go wrong, he could find the hype around him downsized. I am willing to bet that won't happen, but in sport things can change very quickly.

Hoping for Monaco madness

Although on Sunday, Ferrari and Red Bull were faster than Williams, I think our car has improved.

However, Monaco on paper will be a more difficult proposition for us – based on what happened over the last two years. I hope of course that this time it will be better, but it is a fact that our car is not well suited to the type of tight track that Monaco is.

But Monaco is Monaco, and I well know – since the track is walking distance from my house – that anything can happen there. I hope that there will be some unforeseen variable that will work in our favour.

I just want to get more points there, because after that come tracks that will suit us better.

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Vettel convinced Marchionne pressure is in best Ferrari interests

Sebastian Vettel says he feels Sergio Marchionne's increasing scrutiny of the Ferrari F1 team is a 'positive' as it comes from a place of motivation rather than pressure.

Since coming in as Ferrari President in late 2014, Marchionne – also CEO of the FIAT-Chrysler car company – has made several appearances at F1 this year, seen in itself as a way of increasing the pressure on a Ferrari team that had predicted wins and a possible title challenge in 2016.

However, though Ferrari has shown flashes of form this year, it has struggled to match Mercedes like-for-like and missed out on a prime opportunity during the Spanish Grand Prix as Red Bull's Max Verstappen instead clinched victory following Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg's controversial coming together.

The unsatisfactory result is only likely to ramp up pressure on Ferrari, particularly in the wake of recent comments made by Marchionne over Ferrari's failure to harness its potential this year, even if the man himself insisted there are no plans to drop Maurizio Arrivabene as team principal.

Despite this, Vettel refuses to see Marchionne's presence or comments as anything other than a motivation and a dedication to Ferrari's ultimate cause.

“I think it is great that our president cares,” he said. “He is really in tune with the team, he wants to help us where he can and of course he is upset and disappointed when things happen that are out of your hands, you are not finishing the race or you are not finishing where we could have finished. So I see more the positives rather than the pressure. I think it is good to have him behind us.

“I speak to him and the team speaks to him, so this makes me quite confident. Bit by bit things are going the right way. We set the target to win this year, we haven't achieved that yet so you have a fair point if you want to criticise us but the guys are behind us.

“It is not secret, we want to bring Ferrari back to the top sooner rather than later. As I said before, the races we have had could have been better but they were not. We can keep talking about the races we have had, it doesn't change anything but it is smarter investing our time in the races we have ahead of us.

“There are no big secrets, everyone in the team, including him is wanting to make progress. I think we are working dissimilarly to other teams, we are pushing hard and he is a big part of the team. Sure, he lets us know where he wants the team to be, but equally we have the same motivation here.”

After five races, Kimi Raikkonen is classified second in the overall standings with 61 points – 39 points off Nico Rosberg -, with Sebastian Vettel in fourth, a further 13 points adrift.