FORMULA 1 - 2016

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DRIVERS GIVE F1 HALO DEVICE A CAUTIOUS THUMBS-UP

The ‘halo’ cockpit protection device received a cautious thumbs-up from the drivers who experimented with it in Friday’s opening practice session ahead of the Belgian Formula One Grand Prix.

Four drivers, including title hopeful Nico Rosberg, briefly ran with the device fitted to their cars in the opening 90-minute session at the Spa circuit, evaluating it for a possible introduction in 2018.

The German set the fastest time of the morning while running the device on his Mercedes but Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo, Toro Rosso’s Carlos Sainz and Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg only completed sole installation laps.

“It doesn’t disturb me when driving,” Rosberg told reporters. “I could go fast straight away and even set the best time of the session with it this morning so I think that was a success.”

The halo is fixed to the cockpit at three points including a central pillar in front of the driver that supports a protective loop above his head.

It is designed to deflect large debris and objects such as bouncing wheels, with the sport’s governing body estimating it boosts the chance of driver survival by 17 percent.

The push for increased head protection has gathered urgency following the deaths last year of Briton Justin Wilson, hit by debris in an IndyCar crash, and Frenchman Jules Bianchi who had suffered ultimately fatal injuries at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix.

But Formula One’s strategy group voted last month to postpone its introduction by a year to 2018 as teams felt drivers did not have enough experience with the device fitted to their cars.

They are also continuing to evaluate other options that could be introduced if they prove more effective.

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STEINER NOT KEEN TO COMMENT ON HAAS 2017 DRIVER LINE-UP

Haas team principal Gunther Steiner will not say if Esteban Gutierrez is staying with the new American team for its second season in 2017.

At Spa, Steiner was asked about the fact that, when questioned by reporters, Gutierrez had replied somewhat cryptically that he will definitely still be on the grid next year. But the Mexican would not say if he was talking about Haas.

“As I’ve already said, I do not want to participate in spreading rumours,” Haas team principal Steiner responded.

“What I will say is that we are calm because we do not have a problem with drivers. The announcement for next year will be done after some time, but what I don’t know is whether Esteban has negotiated somewhere else,” he added.

Meanwhile, with multiple teams set to try the controversial Halo concept at Spa and beyond, Steiner reported that Haas has no such plans to follow suit.

“No,” he answered, “I think we have to solve many other problems and all our resources are aimed at doing that, especially since the introduction of Halo has been postponed for a year.”

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BELGIAN GRAND PRIX: ROSBERG WINS BUT HAMILTON LIMITS THE DAMAGE

Nico Rosberg closed the points gap to title rival Lewis Hamilton with a comfortable Belgian Grand Prix win but the championship-leading Briton limited the damage with a sparkling drive from P21 to third and a podium finish behind Red Bull Racing’s Daniel Ricciardo.

The race began in dramatic fashion. Rosberg made a good getaway from pole to take the lead but Max Verstappen making his first career front-row start began slowly from P2. He was passed by the fast-starting Ferraris of Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel, but Red Bull driver Verstappen attempted to recover by taking the inside line into La Source.

Vettel though was taking a tight line on the outside of Raikkonen and there was contact, with Raikkonen spinning. Verstappen too picked up damage and all three went backwards. Elsewhere Carlos Sainz picked up a puncture and retired from the race and incident that brought out the Virtual Safety Car, with Rosberg leading from Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg and Daniel Ricciardo.

When racing resumed again there was more drama as Renault’s Kevin Magnussen crashed out. The Dane lost the rear end of his car on the run up to Raidillon and spun off track, hitting the barriers hard with the right rear three-quarter of his car.

It was a heavy impact but Magnussen was quickly out of the car and was helped away from the crash site. The smash brought out the Safety Car and when it became clear the barriers would take some time to repair, the race was red-flagged.

As drivers were disadvantaged byt the instances or took the chance to pit under the safety car, some drivers profited greatly. The two most in receipt of good fortune were McLarens Fernando Alonso and Hamilton.

Both had started at the back of the field due to penalties for power unit changes but as the cars halted in pit lane following the red flag, Alonso was in fourth place and Hamilon fith. Ahead, Rosberg was still in first place, but Ricciardo had moved past Hulkenberg who had pitted under the Safety Car.

The stoppage was a boon for Ricciardo. The Red Bull driver had started fifth but had hit debris from the first corner incident and damaged his front wing. Under the red flag his team were able to change his front wing and Ricciardo took on new softs.

When the rolling start under the Safety Car took place Rosberg and Ricciardo comfortably held position but Hamilton was on the march, quickly passing Alonso and Hulkenberg to take P3.

As the front three then worked through their strategies, Hamilton eventually closed to within a second of Ricciardo. The Briton needed another stop, however, and took on a final set of medium tyres on lap 32.

He attempted to reel Ricciardo in but the 18-second gap to the Australian was too large and Hamilton settled for third place behind the Red Bull man. The Briton’s climb from P21 to P3 still set a new record for places gained at a Belgian Grand Prix.

Ahead Rosberg was comfortable. For the bulk of the race he maintained a healthy gap to Ricciardo and with no mistakes made he crossed the line for his sixth win of the season and his 20th career grand prix victory with 14 seconds in hand.

“It’s been great of course to get the win today on this special track, it’s a legendary track,” said Rosberg. “But Lewis starting from the back made it a lot easier this weekend and I’m sure he’s going to be back in Monza and it’s going to be a big battle as always.”

Behind the top three it was an excellent afternoon for Force India, with Nico Hulkenberg fourth and tea-mate Sergio Perez fifth.

The Silverstone-based team scored 22 points to move into fourth place in the Constructors’ standings, ahead of Williams whose drivers, Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa finished eighth and tenths respectively. Force India now have 103 points to Williams’ 101.

Sixth place in the race went to Vettel who recovered well from the lap one incident, passing Verstappen, Bottas and Massa in the closing stages. Alonso, meanwhile, enjoyed an excellent outing, soldiering through to seventh place.

Versatappen who had drawn a sell-out crowd packed with Ducth fans to Spa, had a rollercoaster afternoon. After the start incidents he dropped to P16 before beginning a fight back.

That saw him chased by Raikkonen though and the pair clashed several times during the course of the race’s first third, leading Raikkonen to brand the youngster’s defence of his position “ridiculous”.

Raikkonen got the better of the Dutchman eventually, however, with strategy playing the Finn’s way. He eventually claimed ninth place behind Bottas and ahead of Massa who took the final point.

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RAIKKONEN: MAX WILL CAUSE A MASSIVE ACCIDENT

A livid Kimi Raikkonen has warned that Max Verstappen’s driving tactics will sooner or later lead to a massive accident, after the pair clashed again, this time during the Belgian Grand Prix.

Verstappen and both Ferrari drivers collided as they powered into Turn 1 at the start of the race at Spa-Francorchamps.

Raikkonen and the teenage Red Bull driver had to pit to repair damages and what were podium ambitions for the pair turned to nought.

Then a little later in the race, the duo clashed on track again as Verstappen defended aggressively when Raikkonen attempted to pass on the Kemmel Straight. This forced the Finn to go straight through Les Combes and took the position from the Dutchman at that point.

He was told to relinquish the place which triggered a tirade of abuse, over the radio to his engineer, from Raikkonen.

After the race, visibly angry he told media, “If I had not braked, we would have had a massive accident. It will happen sooner or later if this doesn’t change. I am fine with good, hard racing but that is not correct.”

“Other guys defend but they do it correctly,” Raikkonen said. “He waits and waits and turns after me and I have to brake and slow down. It is not exactly what should happen.

“Maybe it needs an accident before it makes it more clear to everybody but hopefully not because it can be bad for someone. Nobody wants to see anybody get hurt.

“Something is not correct in my view, but the stewards have a different opinion.”

Raikkonen’s Ferrari teammate Sebastian Vettel, who too had a ding-dong with the stubborn Dutchman said, “I am not a fan of penalising people. We need talk to each other and have respect.”

“There have been a couple of manoeuvres that the rest of the field is not happy with his behaviour.”

“The best way to educate is just to talk rather than create a fuss in the media. We are men,” added the four times F1 world champion.

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VERSTAPPEN: THEY JUST KEPT ON SQUEEZING ME

Max Verstappen, as is becoming his custom, was central to a decisive moment during the Belgian Grand Prix which has fired up heated debate, with the the Red Bull teenager accusing Ferrari drivers of squeezing him, as they hurtled into Turn 1, which resulted in contact between the trio of podium contenders.

Speaking to media after the race, in which he finished eleventh thanks to damage incurred during the incident, Verstappen pulled no punches, “Of course the start wasn’t great but from there I dived up the inside, I didn’t lock a wheel so I was easily making the corner but they just kept squeezing me.”

“At one point I was on the inside, Kimi was again squeezing me and Sebastian just turned in on both of us. That took my front wing, I had a lot of damage and also the floor got destroyed so from there on your race is gone.”

Verstappen qualified second and was the darling of the crowd that descended in record numbers at Spa-Francorchamps to see their ‘home boy’ in action, but alas what might have been a podium or even a win turned into disappointment.

“It’s ridiculous,” continued Verstappen. “It’s good television if somebody is moaning. Especially after Turn 1 when they do something to you like that, I’m not going to give up my position to them that easy afterwards.”

Later in the race Verstappen and Raikkonen clashed again as the Dutchman blocked Raikkonen on the Kemmel Straight as the pair raced side-by-side towards Les Combes. The Red Bull driver diving to the inside later than the Ferrari driver expected.

This prompted an expletive laden tirade from the Finn who amid it all asked of his pitwall, “Do I have to let the Red Bull past? His only interest is to push me off the track.”

Red Bull team chief Christian Horner, Verstappen’s boss, conceded, “It was firm, it was on the edge. He got away with it. I’m sure he’ll have a good look at it and maybe learn a bit for future races.”

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MAGNUSSEN HOSPITALISED AFTER BIG CRASH AT EAU ROUGE

Kevin Magnussen walked away from a huge accident during the Belgian Grand Prix, after he span into the barriers at the entry to Raidillon at full speed, with such violent force that his headrest came detached from his car.

The Renault driver lost the rear on the Eau Rouge kerbs on lap six, spinning him into the tyre wall, bringing out the Safety Car and eventually the red flag as the damage to the barrier was too severe to repair without stopping the session.

He was seen limping as he exited his car which sustained very serious damage and was then taken to the medical centre before being transferred to a local hospital.

According to team boss Fred Vasseur, he sustained a small cut to his ankle and some bruising, but will otherwise be fine for the next race in Monza.

"It looks OK," said Vasseur. "He went to the hospital for a check. He had a small cut on his ankle, they did an X-ray but it looks OK.

"On a back-to-back it's not easy for him or the car."

When asked what the cause was, Vasseur said it was too early to tell, but suggested it was a small driving error: "There was a lot of wheel-spin on the kerb," he commented.

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Force India move ahead of Williams with double points finish

Force India have moved ahead of Williams in the championship standings after recording a strong double points finish at the Belgian Grand Prix.

The Silverstone based outfit took home the most points bar Mercedes on Sunday thanks to Nico Hulkenberg's fourth place and Sergio Perez's fifth, putting the team two points ahead of fifth-placed Williams.

If Force India can hold out until the final race, it would be the team's best ever Constructors' finish.

"We can rightly be proud of a great team result – the first time we’ve put both cars in the top five since Bahrain 2014," said deputy team principal Bob Fernley.

"It was a fantastic weekend, one that highlights once more the special relationship we have with Spa-Francorchamps.

"Everyone in the team did a great job and we can now celebrate a very strong race. We can even be a bit disappointed, too, because without the Safety Car and red flag, Nico could well have been on the podium, but considering how the race turned out, we feel pretty content with the result.

"We are now fourth in the championship, having scored 89 points since Monaco, but we won’t let our guard down. There is still a long way to go and the battle in the midfield is just going to get closer.

"We will continue to work hard and hopefully bring home more special results between now and the end of the season."

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P7 at Spa 'unthinkable a couple of months ago' for McLaren - Fernando Alonso

Fernando Alonso says finishing seventh at a circuit like Spa-Francorchamps, particularly from 22nd on the grid, would have been "unthinkable a couple of months ago" for McLaren.

The Spaniard started the race from the very back after engine trouble during practice and qualifying saw his engine changed twice during the weekend.

However he managed to avoid early drama to get up to tenth on the opening lap before rising to a high of fourth when the red flag came out for Kevin Magnussen's scary high-speed crash on lap six.

Alonso would drop to seventh come the 44th and final lap as he admitted those behind were too quick, but hailed the result.

"It was a good race," he said after. "All the bad luck we had in the weekend concentrated in good luck in the race, with the incidents we avoided.

"We found ourselves in a good position, P4, but we could not hold Sebastian [Vettel], [Lewis] Hamilton and [Sergio] Perez, they were too fast.

"P7 is good points for the team. Top 10 yesterday in qualifying with Jenson [Button] and top 10 today, on a circuit like this, was unthinkable a couple of months ago, so very good news."

He believes the result is evidence of McLaren' and Honda's progress this season.

"We [would not have been] able to fight with Williams at Spa last time, we’re moving in the right direction, that’s for sure."

Button retired from the race on the opening lap after Manor's Pascal Wehrlein rear-ended his McLaren.

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Ricciardo: Red Bull making inroads

Daniel Ricciardo believes Red Bull are “definitely” making inroads into Mercedes’ advantage.

The Australian racer claimed a lonely second place result in Sunday’s Belgian GP as he split the Mercedes drivers.

However, it could have been a very different outcome as his RB12 sustained front wing damaged in the opening lap carnage.

“It was pretty cool,” he said of his Sunday afternoon at Spa.

“It was pretty messed up at the start with the Virtual Safety Car and the red flag.

“We knew we had a bit of damage from the first corner but we fixed the front wing and got back out.

“It was a bit of a race by myself but I enjoy the pace and obviously to keep Lewis behind was a good achievement today.”

He finished the 44-lap grand prix 14 seconds behind race winner Nico Rosberg, and held off Lewis Hamilton in the final stint.

The Brit was unable to make any serious inroads into Ricciardo’s advantage in the final stint of the race.

Ricciardo added: “Three podiums in a row, so we’re definitely making inroads. Our pace wasn’t too bad and we held our own quite well.

“Monza will probably be our most challenging circuit in the remainder of the season, but then we’ve got Singapore and Suzuka.”

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Verstappen approach "refreshing but dangerous" - Wolff

Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff says he is worried Max Verstappen's aggressive defenses may end up causing a big crash one day.

Verstappen was heavily criticised after the Belgian Grand Prix for the way in which he vigorously defended positions against Ferrari duo Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen.

At one point, Raikkonen came on the team radio and said: "Come on, this is f**king ridiculous now, he's just f**king turning when I'm at full speed on the right."

With his drivers not involved in the incidents with Verstappen, Wolff was asked for his independent view on the situation, and suggested that the Dutchman may need to change his approach.

"Maximum attack!" he said about Verstappen. "He is refreshing for me. He is a young boy that I like a lot.

"He comes in here, no fear, no respect. He puts the elbow out and it reminds me of the great ones. It reminds me of Lewis [Hamilton] and it reminds me of Ayrton Senna.

"And you can clearly see that some guys around are starting to think twice how to overtake him. Until now, all that has proven that he is on the right track.

"The FIA has not penalised him. The only thing that happened was that he was given a hard time in the drivers' briefing. Maybe next time he will have an even harder time in the driver briefing.

"I just fear that it might end up in the wall heavily one day. For me it is refreshing but it is dangerous."

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Marchionne warns: "Anyone who doesn't bring results should leave"

Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne has further ramped up the pressure on his Formula 1 team to deliver results, claiming that anyone not delivering their best no longer has a future there.

Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel have enjoyed a return to form at the Belgian Grand Prix after challenging for pole position at Spa-Francorchamps.

That promise – even though they ultimately missed out when both lost time at the final corner on their best laps – appears to indicate the outfit has turned the corner following a recent staffing reshuffle.

Marchionne, speaking at the LUISS University in Rome following qualifying, welcomed the improvement, but was clear that more was needed.

"The second row of the Belgian Grand Prix is not bad, after seeing the mistakes of Raikkonen and Vettel," declared Marchionne.

Reflecting on the new technical structure following the departure of James Allison, Marchionne said: "The impact of the changes that we have made at the team is beginning to be felt.

"But anyone who doesn't bring results should leave. That is a rule that applies to everyone – even me."

He added: "We have an obligation to achieve the goals we have set ourselves."

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MARKO: OUR CAR IS COMPLETELY LEGAL

Red Bull have gone on the defensive and hit back at any suggestion its 2016 car may be illegal.

The team has sped past Ferrari in recent times, with Max Verstappen qualifying on the front row at Spa before teammate Daniel Ricciardo went on to split the Mercedes on the podium.

Asked if Mercedes is now in Red Bull’s sights, even on circuits with long straights like Spa and Monza, Australian Ricciardo said: “Hopefully. It’s been three podiums in a row so we’re definitely making inroads.”

However, Auto Bild reports that some of Red Bull’s closest rivals are pointing fingers at the Renault-powered team’s diffuser design.

TV replays from Friday practice at Spa reportedly depicted the diffuser flexing both vertically and horizontally.

The German report claims Ferrari asked one photographer at Spa to “look closely” at the Red Bull design.

But Red Bull’s Helmut Marko insisted: “Our car is completely legal and anything otherwise is just slander.”

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HAMILTON: IT WILL BE A REAL SHAME IF ALONSO RETIRES

It would be a “real shame” if Fernando Alonso was lost to formula one after 2017, according to his former McLaren nemesis Lewis Hamilton.

Alonso said at Spa that, having enjoyed and thrived in the V10 and V8 eras, he sees modern F1 as comparatively “sad”.

“Cars are heavy,” he said. “No grip. We save fuel, we save tyres, we save everything.”

Alonso said a lot is riding on the 2017 rules, because if the cars are not significantly better, “probably I will stop”.

Arguably, the downwards trajectory of Alonso’s career post 2006 has something to do with Lewis Hamilton, with whom he clashed so badly at McLaren.

“I don’t feel that way,” Hamilton told El Pais newspaper at Spa. “It was a period (2007) in which I learned a lot and I think he did too. From there, we both made decisions that led to where we are now, but I honestly don’t think I had much influence on his current situation.”

“For me, he is still one of the best drivers out there, and I would love it if McLaren give him a car that he can fight to win again and I can battle him again too.

“I think if Fernando retires at the end of next year and I can’t compete with him again, it would be a shame — a real shame. It would not be good for formula one to lose someone of his level of talent,” Hamilton added.

And Hamilton, charging for his fourth world championship in 2016, thinks there is a very real possibility that Alonso will retire, as he has doubts that the 2017 rules revolution will really deliver on its promise.

He said: “Fernando is 35 years old and has already earned enough money, done enough racing and got enough experience. He’s a legend and he’s earned the right to leave.

“At the end of the day, he should fight for the world championship each year but doesn’t have the chance. I think in this last period, he has coped really well — I’m not sure in the same situation I would have, racing at the back, at a team that theoretically should be up front.

“I’d love to fight with him again,” Hamilton said.

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MAGNUSSEN: I WILL BE READY FOR MONZA

Kevin Magnussen looks set to be fit for the Italian grand prix this weekend, despite a violent crash at Spa-Frnacorchamps’ legendary Eau Rouge during the Belgian Grand Prix.

The Dane limped from his destroyed Renault and was taken to hospital for checks, with team boss Frederic Vasseur saying he cut his ankle.

“On my way home now with a sore ankle but will be ready for Monza,” Magnussen, 23, tweeted.

The driver’s advisor Jesper Carlsen told the Danish broadcaster TV3: “Kevin was in good spirits when I saw him, joking a little, so he’s fine. He was smiling when he went in the ambulance.

“He’s a little bruised, and it will be a few days before he is fresh again, but the important thing is that he is ok,” he added.

However, team boss Vasseur insisted that it will be the FIA who needs to clear Magnussen before Monza. Renault’s reserve Esteban Ocon was recently promoted to Manor.

Meanwhile, Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport said the FIA will investigate the fact that Magnussen’s cockpit collar flew off the yellow Renault during the violent crash.

“That was the first time we’ve seen the protection detach like that,” said F1 race director Charlie Whiting.

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PEREZ HINTS THAT NEWS OF 2017 PLANS TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON

News about Sergio Perez’s future may now be imminent, as it has been a hot topic in the F1 paddock recently, after Force India supremo Vijay Mallya said the Mexican has a deal in place for 2017.

Perez, however, is refusing to commit publicly to the Silverstone team, nor refute speculation his Mexican backers could transfer to the works Renault team.

Force India deputy Bob Fernley said at Spa that the team would “very much” like to keep Perez, but acknowledged that his sponsor contracts are “highly sophisticated and complex”.

“That’s the negotiation process we’re under now and I would be very surprised if we’re not staying with the two drivers in 2017,” he added.

Also linked with a potential move to Renault for 2017 is Williams’ Valtteri Bottas, and Le Mans legend Tom Kristensen told the Danish newspaper BT: “Renault is a team with attractive potential.

“But right now Williams, Force India, Toro Rosso and even Haas are quicker,” he added.

Perez, meanwhile, indicated that the uncertainty could end shortly.

Asked when news about his future will be known, the 26-year-old said at Spa: “I hope soon — before the start of the races in Asia.”

F1’s European season ends after Sunday’s Italian grand prix at Monza, with the circus then moving on to Singapore, Malaysia and Japan.

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Mercedes want engine loophole closed despite benefitting

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has called for the engine loophole used so successfully by Lewis Hamilton this weekend to be closed, after the Briton incurred a 55-place grid penalty for changing his power unit three times.

Hamilton took advantage of the rule which means a driver can change their engine as many times as they like during a race weekend, in order to create a pool of components to use over the season without incurring further penalties, but only drop to the back of the grid as penalties aren't carried over to following events.

Therefore a 55-place grid penalty will only ever see a driver drop a maximum of 21 places.

Despite benefitting massively from the loophole, Wolff believes it should be closed for next season.

"Last year we had a race where Jenson [Button] took 52 places, and it was so ridiculous," Wolff told Autosport. 

"To use more than one engine over a race weekend, that shouldn’t be happening," he added, confirming talks to close the loophole previously took place, but an agreement couldn't be found.

"So we tried to bring in a regulation saying you cannot stockpile engines, but it failed. The proposal wasn’t accepted by the other teams."

Mercedes therefore exploited it as any other team would if they were in the same situation.

"So this time around we decided to take more engines on board and put them on stock.

"But the system is far from perfect, and it sounds a bit ridiculous. We should probably close that loophole."

Note: Hamilton's total penalty this weekend was 60-places, though five of those were for breaking a gearbox seal.

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Mercedes: Spa not an open goal for Rosberg

Mercedes tech chief Paddy Lowe says it is wrong for people to assume that Nico Rosberg had an easy ride to victory in the Belgian Grand Prix given that Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton started from the back.

It was wildly held that Rosberg faced an "open goal" as his main rival was penalised, but Lowe insists that it was a much harder weekend for the German than the result might have suggested.

"I think that's completely wrong," Lowe told Motorsport.com. "It was very tough in qualifying  to get pole.

"The lap he did on the soft was really phenomenal. While it's nice not to have the competition from Lewis in the garage, equally you are losing a reference. He did a great job to achieve that in qualifying.

"The race, people have no idea – and I don't even have an idea – how difficult it is to manage tyres on that knife-edge between performance and endurance. And Nico did a fantastic job today.

"One of the challenges from this weekend has been the very high minimum tyre pressures.

"It was a year ago that we had tyre failures here, and that's really what's made the weekend particularly difficult from a tyre point of view. I don't imagine it will be quite so critical in Monza.

Lowe admitted that Hamilton's third place was better than anyone could have expected.

"We could never have predicted a podium result for Lewis. Much as people may think we have a huge performance advantage, it's not that huge.

"When you look at Red Bull and Ferrari, in normal situations to beat them from the back, you're never going to do it.

"Obviously a big contributor to Lewis's podium was the fact that Verstappen and both Ferraris were out of the equation."

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FIA to investigate detachment of Magnussen’s headrest

The FIA is to investigate the damage caused to Kevin Magnussen’s cockpit headrest in his Belgian Grand Prix crash, as part of its ongoing quest to improve safety.

TV replays showed the foam headrest being ejected from the car after the Dane hit the barrier at the top of Eau Rouge, with what was logged as a 42G impact.

As is regular procedure after a heavy crash, the FIA has retained both the headrest and Magnussen’s helmet for further research.

Although he suffered only a minor ankle injury – proving the car’s safety systems did their job – the governing body is keen to learn from what happened.

According to the FIA technical regulations, the headrest is "located by two horizontal pegs behind the driver's head and two quick release fixings, which are clearly indicated and easily removable without tools, at the front corners."

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Verstappen: Vettel and Raikkonen should be 'ashamed' of themselves

Max Verstappen says that Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen should be 'ashamed' of the way they criticised him after the Belgian Grand Prix, having collided themselves at the first corner of the race.

The Dutchman's aggressive defensive driving at Spa-Francorchamps was one of the big talking points after the event, with Raikkonen fearing there could be a big accident if the Red Bull driver does not change his ways.

But Verstappen has been left far from impressed with those suggestions, especially coming from Raikkonen and Vettel who tangled within seconds of the start.

"I think they should be ashamed to cause a crash like that with their amount of experience and then complain about me," said a defiant Verstappen.

"Then they don't have to make a drama about what happened afterwards. They have to understand I'm not happy with them screwing up my entire race."

Verstappen is clear that he believes Vettel was to blame for the incident at Turn 1, as he failed to leave enough room for the cars on the inside.

"There was room for three cars," he said. "When I got alongside Kimi, he started squeezing me. If Vettel hadn't turned in and left one more metre of room, we would have all gotten through.

"On the video you can clearly see when Vettel turns in, he drives into Raikkonen. And then Kimi's car bumps into mine."

Verstappen explained that the reason he was so aggressive against both Raikkonen and Vettel in the race was as a result of what happened at the first corner.

"If they screw up my race, I'm not going to make it easy for them," he said. "I think they should understand that.

"I'm not going to say: 'come on through'. But all that happened after turn one. If turn one hadn't happened, I wouldn't have been so aggressive and pushed Raikkonen out like that."

Verstappen also insisted he had done nothing wrong in the way he blocked Raikkonen, especially because the stewards did not call him up for it.

"I think he had to lift a bit, but the stewards thought it was fine so then it's all good," he explained. "It's like I'm a red rag to a bull for him at the moment. We always seem to get in each other's way.

Looking ahead to Monza, Verstappen added: "Then we start again and try to get the best result. Vettel can come and talk to me, but I think he first has to realise what he did in turn one."

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Hulkenberg says red flag cost him chance of Spa podium

Nico Hulkenberg reckons the early red flag period during the Belgian Grand Prix cost him a shot at his first ever Formula 1 podium finish.

Having started seventh, the Force India driver was running third when Renault's Kevin Magnussen suffered a heavy crash at Raidillon, leading to the race being brought to a halt.

With second-placed Daniel Ricciardo able to get his damaged front wing repaired and fifth-placed Lewis Hamilton getting a free tyre stop under red flag conditions, Hulkenberg's podium chance was all but over.

At the restart, Ricciardo was able to pull away, while Hamilton soon closed in and passed the Force India driver for third.

It meant the German had to settle for fourth, albeit equalling his career best result in F1 - his third time in the same position.

"I had a mega start, mega first lap, there was a bit of a thingy going on between Max [Verstappen] and the Ferraris [at Turn 1]," said Hulkenberg.

"I was able to profit from that, found myself in second. On the supersoft tyres it was going well, I was behind Nico [Rosberg], pulling away from the people behind me.

"Then unfortunately the red flag came and neutralised the whole race, which was a bit frustrating at that moment."

   

Battle with Williams

Despite the missed podium chance, both Hulkenberg and teammate Sergio Perez had reason to smile, with Force India taking fourth from Williams in the constructors' standings.

"We’re very happy from that point of view," added Hulkenberg. "But we want to be fourth on Sunday night on Abu Dhabi. There are still eight races to go and a long way.

"It’s going to be a really tight battle with Williams until then, it’s important we do our homework and capitalise on days like today when the big teams are struggling, be there to pick up the points.

"We are competitive, we have a good package, bring it on."

With Perez managing fifth, the Spa race marked the first time Force India had a double top five finish since the 2014 Bahrain Grand Prix.

[MIKA27]

Pit lane incident? That’s just racing – Hulkenberg

Nico Hulkenberg has laughed off his 'incident' with Fernando Alonso in the pit lane during the Belgian Grand Prix, branding their side-by-side action as 'racing, what we all want to see'. 

On a hugely successful day for the Force India team as Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez's run to fourth and fifth place saw the Silverstone-based outfit ascend to a new peak of fourth in the constructors' standings, the German was nonetheless fortunate to avoid damage in contact with Alonso at the end of the pit-lane. 

Prompted when Alonso was released into the path of Hulkenberg at their second stop, the pair went side-by-side and made brief contact as they rounded the tight hairpin exit with the Force India driver holding position. 

Despite the impact, Hulkenberg was dismissive of any perceived controversy, saying it was racing 'we all want to see' 

“I wouldn't call it an incident, that's just racing,” he said. “It's what we all want to see. There's no complaints from my side just good racing.” 

Alonso, meanwhile, was more disappointed with the clash but says beating Hulkenberg to the end of the pit lane would have been futile because he wouldn't have been able to keep his rival behind. 

“In the pits with Hulkenberg it was tight. I left him a lot of room to avoid any penalty for unsafe release, but at the end of the pit lane there was no room for the two of us, I had to lift a bit and that was a shame. But I wouldn't have been able to keep him behind, so, in the end, it was better he stayed ahead and pulled away immediately. “ 
 

 

[Lotusguy]

Verstappen: Vettel and Raikkonen should be 'ashamed' of themselves



Max Verstappen says that Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen should be 'ashamed' of the way they criticised him after the Belgian Grand Prix, having collided themselves at the first corner of the race.

The Dutchman's aggressive defensive driving at Spa-Francorchamps was one of the big talking points after the event, with Raikkonen fearing there could be a big accident if the Red Bull driver does not change his ways.

But Verstappen has been left far from impressed with those suggestions, especially coming from Raikkonen and Vettel who tangled within seconds of the start.

"I think they should be ashamed to cause a crash like that with their amount of experience and then complain about me," said a defiant Verstappen.

"Then they don't have to make a drama about what happened afterwards. They have to understand I'm not happy with them screwing up my entire race."

Verstappen is clear that he believes Vettel was to blame for the incident at Turn 1, as he failed to leave enough room for the cars on the inside.

"There was room for three cars," he said. "When I got alongside Kimi, he started squeezing me. If Vettel hadn't turned in and left one more metre of room, we would have all gotten through.

"On the video you can clearly see when Vettel turns in, he drives into Raikkonen. And then Kimi's car bumps into mine."

Verstappen explained that the reason he was so aggressive against both Raikkonen and Vettel in the race was as a result of what happened at the first corner.

"If they screw up my race, I'm not going to make it easy for them," he said. "I think they should understand that.

"I'm not going to say: 'come on through'. But all that happened after turn one. If turn one hadn't happened, I wouldn't have been so aggressive and pushed Raikkonen out like that."

Verstappen also insisted he had done nothing wrong in the way he blocked Raikkonen, especially because the stewards did not call him up for it.

"I think he had to lift a bit, but the stewards thought it was fine so then it's all good," he explained. "It's like I'm a red rag to a bull for him at the moment. We always seem to get in each other's way.

Looking ahead to Monza, Verstappen added: "Then we start again and try to get the best result. Vettel can come and talk to me, but I think he first has to realise what he did in turn one."

What a little insolent sh***! He should have been penalized for his dangerous maneuvers.

[MIKA27]

35 minutes ago, Lotusguy said:

 

What a little insolent sh***! He should have been penalized for his dangerous maneuvers.

 

I wholeheartedly agree...

Rosberg was penalised for a similar manoeuvre, race later, that rule was removed yet now, Max seems to get away with a whole bunch in one race!? 

[MIKA27]

BOTTAS: WE MUST STOP MAKING MISTAKES

Force India have gone ahead of Williams in the 2016 F1 world championship for constructors after tactical error during the Belgian Grand Prixx which cost Valtteri Bottas fourth place and possible even a podium.

As a result Bottas has come out and urged his team to get their act together and stop with the mistakes if they want to beat Force India in the championship.

Speaking after the race at Spa-Francorchamps, Bottas told media, “I think it was more or less what we expected! What we saw on Friday was a very strong pace. It was a bit cooler today and I think that helped us. It was quite a positive day in terms of the race pace.”

“But, in the end, we wasted a good opportunity today, now Force India is ahead and if we really want to beat them we need to stop making mistakes.”

Bottas was informed about the bad pit stop call after the race, “They were absolutely sure there was going to be a red flag, so by staying out I would have kept my position, but I think it was just too big a risk to take at that point.”

“I was in a very good position, there was no need to risk, in my opinion. We will talk about it more and analyse it well but it was very disappointing. I was in a very good position, the pace wasn’t too bad so we definitively lost a lot of points because of that,” mused the Finn who has yet to sign a contract with Williams for 2017.

The team’s head of perfromance, Rob Smedley, explained, “The key point of the race for us was the safety car when Magnusson had the huge accident and damaged the barrier. We thought it would be a red flag and so planned our strategy around that.””

“However the red flag didn’t come out very quickly, and so we had to pit Valtteri. The red flag did finally come out, as predicted, however by this point it had ruined our race,” lamented Smedley.

[MIKA27]

ARRIVABENE: IT IS NOT FERRARI’S STYLE TO SHOUT FROM THE ROOFTOPS

Ferrari looked set for at least podium or two, and perhaps even a win, at the Belgian Grand Prix until both their drivers were involved in a collision with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in Turn 1 of the opening lap, however Italian team chief Maurizio Arrivabene is refusing to point a finger and is rather focusing on the positives that emerged at Spa-Francorchamps.

“We called the FIA to ask for an explanation,” Arrivabene revealed to Autosprint, “but it is not Ferrari’s style to shout from the rooftops. So we said what we had to say.

“I do not want to talk about the events that characterised the race. I want to think about our position, how well we did in qualifying and the great possibility we had to have two drivers on the podium.”

Following a mid-season slump, things are looking up for Ferrari according to reports in the patriotic and yet hyper-critical Italian press, agreeing with Arrivabene that podium finishes were on the cards at Monza.

“The best Ferrari of the year did not even manage a third place, but only Verstappen can be blamed,” declared the La Gazzetta dello Sport daily.

“Ferrari certainly proved in Belgium, under the supervision of the new technical boss Mattia Binotto, a new responsiveness. Something is going on but we will have to wait for Sunday at Monza.”

The Corriere dello Sport daily, meanwhile, pointed the finger at Sebastian Vettel, “The car is showing potential but it is undeniable that Vettel caused the (first corner) collision that destroyed the prospect of a positive result for Ferrari.”

Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen finished sixth and ninth respectively.

“Now we have to turn the page and look to our GP at Monza,” added the Ferrari team chief.