FORMULA 1 - 2016

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Imola taking legal action over Monza's new Italian GP deal

Imola is taking legal action regarding government backing of the deal to keep Formula 1's Italian Grand Prix at Monza, according to Ivan Capelli.

On Friday, Monza announced it had secured a new three-year deal to host the race through to 2019, but the contract has not yet been signed.

In a fresh twist to the long-running saga, it has emerged this is because Imola has taken legal action.

The venue feels it is not legitimate that Automobile club d'Italia has awarded government backing to Monza and not Imola to help fund an Italian GP beyond this season.

Capelli, a director of the Monza organising committee, told Autosport the court will meet on October 26 to assess the case.

"The appeal court in Rome is going to judge if the steps the Automobile Club did until now, in telling the Autodromo of Monza that is the only title to receive the government money, is legal," he said.

"Imola put an application saying it's not legal.

"Last year the [Italian Prime Minister] Matteo Renzi was [at Monza] and then we had an amendment in the law saying that the Automobile Club of Italy could use the tax that we pay, to use that money to pay the Bernie [Ecclestone] fee through the Automobile Club of Italy.

"And Imola says, 'no, if the Automobile Club is giving the money to Monza, it's unfair, because we are the same level, we are an automobile club as well, and we want the same money that they're giving to Monza'."

Ecclestone told Autosport that the Italian GP deal would be signed "hopefully in a couple of weeks" but added "we have to wait."

When asked what the reason was for the delay, he said: "The people in Imola are starting an action against these people using public money."

Ecclestone added that the race is "secure as far as I'm concerned" but said "whether something happens with the law, I don't know".

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Ocon still a contender for Renault seat - Abiteboul

Renault Sport boss Cyril Abiteboul has made it clear that Esteban Ocon remains high on the Enstone F1 team's driver wish list for 2017.

Abiteboul insists that even though the 19-year-old remains contracted to Mercedes – and thus could potentially be obliged to leave to join the current world champion in the future – the French manufacturer's bosses would be happy to take him as a race driver next season.

"We want to be very clear to everyone that even though he is driving in a Manor, even though he's on loan from Mercedes to Renault, we are not losing our interest in him," Abiteboul told Motorsport.com. "He's one of the candidates in contention, amongst several others, as anyone knows.

"Frankly at this point in time I don't want to create any speculation. Things are very open. We have clear milestones that we don't have to make public, but we will make a decision and make our plans very clear to everyone as soon as possible."

Traditionally, F1 teams don't like providing an apprenticeship to a rival's protege only for them to be recalled.

However, Abiteboul says that the Renault management would see no problem in utilising a Mercedes "asset," if only temporarily.

"It's not that difficult in the sense Renault and Daimler – Daimler obviously being the mother company of the larger group of Mercedes – are very strong partners in the road car business.

"So actually they see very positively that we share assets. And a driver is an asset, although not a material asset.

"So it's not an issue. It would be much more difficult with another team, but with Daimler it's actually very well received. Frankly, we only care about performance."

However, Abiteboul acknowledged that using another team's driver would not be a long-term solution.

"One thing I should say is that despite what I've said about a very good friendship between Renault and Daimler at some point we will have to control our own destiny, and invest in our own drivers.

"It might not be possible for next year, because of the circumstances, but at some point in time, 2018 or 2019, it has to be Renault drivers. And that's the proposal of the Renault Sport Academy, it's actually to develop our own drivers."

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Kevin Magnussen expects to know his F1 2017 fate by Singapore GP

Kevin Magnussen says he has been told he can expect a decision on his future in Formula 1 before the Singapore Grand Prix.

The Dane got a second chance in F1 with Renault, after being discarded by McLaren following a single rookie season, and he scored the team's only points-finish with seventh in Russia.

But his future along with that of team-mate Jolyon Palmer beyond this season has been uncertain, with Renault believed to be exploring several options for its 2017 line-up.

Sergio Perez is believed to be a target while Renault says it is evaluating its former reserve Esteban Ocon now he has a race seat at Manor.

"I hope this is the last race I'll do without knowing what I'm doing," he told Autosport.

"That's what I've been told.

"There should be a decision quite soon hopefully and I'll know what I'm doing then."

Renault has endured a difficult return to F1 as a works team, with its focus already on 2017 as it bids to move up the field.

This year's car was a compromise, following a late deal to make Lotus its works team, and it has never recovered.

Magnussen, who finished a lap down in 17th at Monza, admitted the team is at a loss to explain its fluctuating form.

"There were a lot of unknowns at Monza in terms of things we don't really understand," he said.

"It was in Spa as well but it turned out the right way - it gave us performance and we didn't really understand why we were better.

"Here it was the opposite case, lacking performance compared to normal and not understanding why.

"This car is a little bit difficult to understand many times, especially with the tyres.

"When you have a car that is underperforming, tyres become such an issue and they become difficult to manage in both qualifying and the race.

"We need to get our heads down and hope for better.

"This season is going to be a bit like that and hopefully next year we're going to start from a better point."

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Manor's issues in F1's Italian GP unacceptable, chief Ryan believes

Manor racing director Dave Ryan believes the technical issues that blighted the team's Italian Grand Prix are unacceptable in Formula 1.

Manor has been largely reliable this F1 season and went to Monza believing it could score a surprise in qualifying, and potentially even points.

But an electronics issue that first materialised on Ocon's car in practice reared its head again at the start of qualifying, forcing him to start from the back, while team-mate Pascal Wehrlein made it into Q2.

Wehrlein was forced to stop in the race when a fault - later traced back to an oil leak - became apparent, while Ocon could only manage 18th and last of those that finished.

"To be honest, our optimism was justified," Ryan told Autosport.

"Looking at Pascal's performance at Spa, it was brilliant, and we genuinely believed we were in with a good shot at Monza to do well.

"Pascal's lap to get him into Q2 was really good. Splitting the McLarens was nice, and we perhaps could have got ahead of both of them.

"But equally we had the disappointment of Esteban's reliability issue, which was very disappointing. To have the same problem twice is not really acceptable at this level.

"That was the tone for the weekend, which put us on the back foot with Esteban.

"Then we went into the race, and Pascal was doing pretty well when we had another issue with him.

"That was our weekend really - not good enough."

Ryan hopes the electronics problem on Ocon's car has now been cured, even though he concedes the team is not entirely sure about its exact nature.

"It was a question of changing every single electronic component on the car, but we clearly didn't change enough on Friday night, and so the same problem reoccurred on Saturday," added Ryan.

"So we changed absolutely everything again, and the problem seems to have gone away - I hope it's gone away.

"The car certainly did twice as many laps [in the race] as it did over the previous few days with no sign of the problem.

"Now we have to go back and look at those parts and do a really good forensic exercise on them to see where the problem was and understand why we couldn't pinpoint it.

"The guys did a great job of getting through the work, but at this level we have to be a bit better than that."

Wehrlein's car will be examined to determine the specific issue, with an oil pipe or fitting the likely cause, with Ryan confirming there was "no problem" with the power unit.

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Liberty Media agrees Formula 1 takeover, Bernie Ecclestone to remain as CEO

Formula 1’s commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone has been asked to stay on for three years after an imminent takeover of the sport is completed by U.S. cable TV mogul John Malone’s Liberty Media.

“They want me to be here for three years,” the 85-year-old, who over the decades has built the sport into a business with annual turnover of around $1.9 billion (1.42 billion pounds), told Reuters.

Media reports have suggested the first part of a broader deal between outgoing rights holders CVC and Liberty Media could be announced on Wednesday (today).

However Ecclestone and CVC chairman Donald Mackenzie voiced some scepticism about the time frame at last weekend’s Italian Grand Prix.

“Honestly, I don’t think anybody knows — including our friends from Liberty, and Donald,” said Ecclestone, who still expected the deal to get over the line.

The Briton said he would not be attending next week’s Singapore Grand Prix, the social highlight of the sport’s Asian calendar, because of the negotiations.

“Because all this is going through, they (CVC) want me to be there (in London) to help them with all sorts of things. I can’t afford to be away for five to six days.”

A Formula One board meeting is scheduled for next Tuesday, by which time the deal should have been finalised and a new chairman introduced.

Ecclestone expects that to be Chase Carey (above), executive vice-chairman of Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox and a director of Sky News owner Sky Plc, who would replace Austrian Peter Brabeck-Letmathe.

Brabeck, 71, has been chairman since 2012 but has recently recovered from cancer and is due to step down as chairman of Nestle, the world’s largest food and drink company, in 2017.

Ecclestone, famously unwilling to delegate in the past, indicated he would be happy to share the workload.

“He (Carey) can do lots of things that I haven’t done with this social media, which he seems to be in touch with. He’s been dealing with sponsorship with his TV people. Between us we’ll get on with it,” he said.

Ecclestone’s future had been called into question, with former team owner and television pundit Eddie Jordan saying on Sunday that Monza could even be the Briton’s last race.

“That’s Eddie Jordan. If he had any money, and wanted a small wager, I’d give him good odds,” said Ecclestone.

The takeover, which values Formula One at more than $8 billion according to media reports, would represent the biggest shake-up in the cash-rich sport for decades.

A deal with Liberty would also herald a new era for a European-dominated sport that has long sought to break into the U.S. market and win fresh audiences, with team principals already welcoming the possibility of a bigger push.

Liberty Media has interests in the Atlanta Braves baseball team, satellite radio service Sirius XM, entertainment group Live Nation and minority interests in Time Warner and Viacom.

Malone’s Liberty Global is the world’s largest international TV and broadband company, operating in more than 30 countries in Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean through a series of different brand names.

One bump in the road ahead could be the need for the deal to be approved by the sport’s governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) and other global motorsport series, and European anti-trust regulators.

The FIA has a one percent stake in Formula One’s parent company Delta Topco, which could be worth around $90 million according to forbes.com, and that has been held up as a possible conflict of interest.

The privately-owned Force India and Sauber teams have also filed a complaint asking EU authorities to investigate the sport’s governance and distribution of revenues.

Ecclestone expected the European Commission to take a closer look at the sport as a result, “It’s like the police. You get stopped for a rear light and they want to know if you’ve got a driving licence and insurance. So I don’t know what effect that will have.”

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SAINZ: RED BULL RUSHED TO EXTEND MY CONTRACT TO STOP RUMOURS

Carlos Sainz has played down any lingering speculation that he might still be in the running to change teams for 2017.

Earlier, there were suggestions Red Bull might agree to release the Toro Rosso driver to engine supplier Renault, in exchange for a better deal on the ‘power unit’ supply.

Those rumours resurfaced at Monza, and the correspondent for Denmark’s BT newspaper claims that Sainz was even seen in the Renault motor home.

But Sainz now tells Auto Hebdo: “I think if Red Bull rushed to extend my contract at Toro Rosso, it was only to stop those sorts of rumours.

“I am very pleased that I am appreciated and I’m proud of it. In the history of Toro Rosso there were not too many drivers whose contracts were confirmed so quickly,” said the 22-year-old.

However, Toro Rosso has struggled recently, so Sainz might be forgiven for thinking his career is currently just treading water.

“That’s formula one,” he answered. “I’m only 22. We could say that Valtteri Bottas or Nico (Hulkenberg) is trapped in his team, but not me,” he insisted.

“Another season at Toro Rosso will not spoil my career — on the contrary, it will allow me to show who I really am,” said Sainz.

Not only that, Toro Rosso will swap its ageing, 2015-spec Ferrari power for full 2017-specification Renault units next year.

“Renault is reducing the gap to Mercedes with every grand prix, and we have a team of highly skilled designers under James Key. In general, our new machine will be much closer to Red Bull Racing,” Sainz revealed.

Who Sainz’s teammate will be next year is unclear, with GP2 driver Pierre Gasly champing at the bit and Daniil Kvyat struggling just to keep his F1 career alive.

When asked about Kvyat’s struggle in 2016, Sainz answered: “This is not the first example that shows how harsh the world of F1 can be.

“Daniil is a very talented driver but we always knew he had to continually progress or the worst could happen. In recent years we have often battled so I know what he can do.

“After returning to Toro Rosso, he was quick in Monaco, in Baku. He may have lost a bit of confidence, but it will definitely come back,” Sainz added.

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KVYAT: I HAVE GROWN A THIRD EYE BUT OTHERWISE LIFE IS F*CKING GREAT!

The 2016 Formula 1 season has been a tumultuous one for Daniil Kvyat as Red Bull demoted him from the senior team to Toro Rosso and since then things have not got much better for the Russian who nevertheless remains devoted to the energy drinks outfit.

Speaking to media at Monza, Kvyat said, “Everything what has to be done from my side has been done. I dedicate myself 100% to Toro Rosso and Red Bull even with all the events, I’m still loyal enough. Of course I have, let’s say, grown a third eye!”

There was much speculation during the summer break that Kvyat may not even see out the rest of this season, but this rumour was nipped in the bud by Red Bull consultant Helmut Marko.

However it is unlikely that Kvyat will be with the team beyond 2016, a fact he is starting to accept.

“Obviously it’s not like it’s all completely 100% clear, but we just had two races where we knew we would not have any chance and now there are races ahead where we will have a chance and we will see how we will get on.”

“I will have more information I think after that, but otherwise I am just enjoying my job, I’m enjoying what I’m doing and I love what I’m doing, so life is f*cking great.”

“There are many options and so on, blah blah blah, with a contract and stuff. Let’s just wait and see. Like I said I’m living day-by-day, when the time will come we will talk about everything behind closed doors.”

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RAIKKONEN: SMALL THINGS HAVE HELPED ME CLOSE THE GAP TO VETTEL

Ferrari have yet to win a grand prix in 2016, and should they do so it would be hard to pick a winner between Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel as they are pretty close in terms of race pace.

Last year it was not the case as Vettel was clearly way ahead of Raikkonen and he was asked at Monza what had caused the narrowing of the gap between the two.

The Finn responded, “It’s a lot of small things. The car has to be good for making good lap times, I work with a great group of people but there are so many small things involved that even if a very small thing is not correct the lap time or the race distance is not there.

“I think we learned a lot from difficult things in the past few years and this year has been more as it should be.”

It was no secret that the 2014 and 2015 cars did not suit Raikkonen’s driving style and team chief Maurizio Arrivabene mandated that the 2016 car suited the style of Ferrari’s last F1 champion.

Raikkonen acknowledged, “The driving has been pretty OK but I still feel we can improve more in all the details. There’s a lot of details to work on to be more comfortable and know what the car will do, so we can push more.”

“There’s no one thing you can say you can change and that will turn things around or pull yourself around. It’s a lot of small details,” added Raikkonen who lies fifth in the 2016 F1 championship standings.

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F1 teams will get opportunity to invest under new owners plans

Formula 1 teams will be given the opportunity to invest in the sport in return for an ownership stake according to investment plans from the sport's new owners, US-based Liberty Media.

On Wednesday Liberty Media confirmed it had begun the process of buying out CVC's stake in Delta Topco - Formula One's parent company - in a deal worth £3.3 billion ($4.4bn).

As part of their takeover, Bernie Ecclestone will continue as CEO, whilst 21st Century Fox's vice-chairman, Chase Carey, will become Chairman.

Previously the teams had discussed taking a stake in the sport, but opted against the plan when the matter was discussed with then owner CVC, with the investment fund demanding too much.

However Liberty Media says it will actively engage with the teams by offering them the chance to become stakeholders, with some having already expressed an interest.

"The Teams will be given the opportunity to participate in the investment in Formula One, and the detailed terms of that investment will be agreed in due course," confirmed a statement.

"Certain teams have already expressed an interest in investing after completion of the acquisition."

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Sergio Perez feels 'uncomfortable' with Halo extraction time

Sergio Perez has admitted he feels “uncomfortable” with the increased time it takes drivers to exit the car with the Halo cockpit protection device fitted.

The Force India racer was one of three drivers to try out the device for the first time over the Italian Grand Prix weekend, after it was fitted to his car for a run in first practice at Monza.

Perez was surprised with the amount of visibility he had with the Halo fitted but said the extra time it takes to exit the car is a concern.

“Visibility wise, it was quite good,” he said. “My concern is how slow you get out of the car. It takes a good five seconds more than without the Halo.

“It’s something that makes me feel a bit uncomfortable, that I need more time to get out of the car than without it.

“I still think there is more work to be done, for example, in that area to try to get us drivers [out] as close as possible to the non-Halo getting out of the car.”

He later added: “You are sitting in the car and you know it is going to take you five seconds longer than without the halo. If you are in a critical situation five seconds is a lot.”

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Formula 1 drivers' tyre criticisms 'disappointing' says Pirelli's Paul Hembery

Pirelli boss Paul Hembery has said that it is “disappointing” that the Pirelli’ F1 tyres have been criticised by drivers.

Speaking exclusively to Grand Prix Times Hembery pointed out that the current spec of tyres in F1 reflect what Pirelli was asked to produce by an F1 working group, which included all teams.

“It’s disappointing, because we were asked to do a certain work,” he said, “we were following what we were told to produce to assist Formula 1.

“Indeed you’ve had years of the most overtaking in the history of Formula 1.”

He explained also that all of the F1 teams were involved in creating this tyre spec – which has since been criticised for not allowing drivers to push to the maximum. 

“When we came into the sport there was a working group where all the teams were involved, and they told us what they wanted. Interestingly they told us not to increase cornering speed – which is now what we’ve been asked to do! That’s how things change with time!”

More durable tyres are to be introduced to F1 for next season, based on what drivers had been advocating, and Hembery suggested that F1 could have got drivers’ views earlier.

“Maybe the sport could have asked the drivers what they wanted a bit earlier,” he said, “and then we could have had a testing programme over the last three years. We’ve had one day’s testing in three years, so we were very compromised.

“I think sometimes it gets lost a little bit the constraints within which we’ve been working. It’s not to say that what they’re [the drivers] asking is incorrect. Indeed we’re very happy they’ve had a good input into what we’re doing in the future going forward.”

Hembery also reflected on the challenges of explaining F1’s peculiarities to his own bosses at Pirelli.

“Certainly it’s a complex sport on many levels, yeah” he said. “Normally in business you decide if you have a problem you decide what it is and then you put a plan of action in to resolve it. It’s not all that straightforward in Formula One.”

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New F1 chief promises “bigger than ever” sport for fans and teams

Incoming Formula 1 Group chairman Chase Carey believes that Liberty Media’s $8billion purchase of the sport will spell growth and development for the benefit of teams and fans alike.

Speaking following the announcement that the US media giant will buy 100 per cent of Delta Topco (the parent company of F1) before the end of the first quarter of 2017, Carey said that he plans to take the sport “to the next level”.

Carey, who helped launch the US Fox Sports TV channel when he was CEO of Fox in 1994, has most recently been executive vice-chairman of 21st Century Fox.

He will take the chairman role at Formula One Group, working alongside CEO Bernie Ecclestone.

“I’m very excited to be joining this team and the potential ahead,” said Carey. “Clearly Formula 1 has been an enormous success much to the credit of Bernie Ecclestone, who has led this business for decades. I look forward to working with him and we both agree there is an opportunity to continue to build this business and take it to the next level.

“So what do we see as the opportunity? The opportunity is to grow and develop this sport for the benefit of the fans, teams, partners and our shareholders by increasing promotion and marketing of Formula 1 as a sport and brand.

“Enhancing the distribution of content, especially in digital – currently a very small percentage of revenue. Evolving the race calendar. Establishing a broader range of commercial partnerships, including sponsorships. Leveraging Liberty’s expertise in live events and digital monitization to make our events bigger than ever.”

     

Why is Liberty Media buying F1?

Liberty Media – owned by entrepreneur John Malone – has a wide variety of brands in its mass media portfolio, most notably Sirius Satellite Radio and the Atlanta Braves baseball team.

Carey believes that Formula 1 offers Liberty Media an “incredibly low-risk” business model due to its $9.3billion of contracted revenue under long-term contracts that extend as far as 2026.

The F1 business’s main outgoings are payments to its teams, which are variable based on profits and revenues of the business.

“We were particularly attracted to F1 by the diverse revenue drivers and low-risk business models,” he explained. “There are essentially three core revenue buckets in the business: race promotion, broadcasting and advertising, and sponsorship – each with significant growth potential as we go forward.

“Formula 1 is a key player in the high-growth market for live, premium sports rights. There is an increasing demand from broadcasters, advertisers and sponsors who want access to F1’s mass global live audiences and attractive demographics.”

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Williams won't divert resources back to '16 car to beat Force India

Claire Williams says that her team will not be tempted to divert resources from its 2017 R&D programme in an attempt to secure fourth place in this year’s championship.

Like other teams, Williams has already switched its focus to next season and the major aerodynamic changes that are coming.

However, the Grove outfit remains locked with Force India in a battle for fourth place, and securing it will make a significant difference to future FOM payments.

After retaking the position in Italy, Williams is three points ahead with seven races to go.

“We are sticking to our plan that we made from a resource distribution perspective at the start of the year,” Williams told Motorsport.com.

“I think most teams are going to be doing that now. We’ve just got to make sure, because of that, that we execute perfectly when we are at the track.

“I think the guys are always looking at what circuits are going to be more suited to us, but because we’ve got similar packages, and particularly on the engine side, I actually think that at most circuits it’s going to be a tough battle.”

Williams said she was not disappointed that Valtteri Bottas lost fifth place to Daniel Ricciardo so late in the Monza race.

“I think we’re pretty happy, coming into the race all we wanted to do was to outscore Force India and take our P4 back.

"You can say we lost points, but we lost points to a car that was faster than us, and we knew that was going to be faster than us.

"We did what we needed to do and outscored the Force Indias, so I think we’re pretty happy.

“I think we’re probably going to go through a cycle with this P4, back and forth. It doesn’t matter what happens with the next few races, as long as we finish the year in P4.”

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Analysis: How Mercedes turned a title winner into 2017 test mule

The second phase of Pirelli’s 2017 wide tyre test programme kicked off this week, with both Ferrari and Mercedes in action for the latest slick running.

After the first tests at the start of August, Pirelli had made clear that it wanted the teams to deliver more downforce to better simulate the steps coming for next year.

This week Mercedes revealed what it had done to adapt a 2015 W06 chassis with new aerodynamic and suspension components to cope with the extra forces being generated.

Taking a close look at the car, the front wing’s footplate has been extended downward in order to create an air skirt that attempts to seal the outer section of the wing.

Mercedes AMG F1 W06 Hybrid nose detail

This is a perfect physical representation of what teams were trying to achieve with their flexible front wings around 2010-11.

Furthermore, Mercedes has added modification to the ‘neutral’ section of the front wing teams teams are not normally allowed to play around with.

A bulge is placed on the upper surface of the front wing (highlighted in red) in order to improve the aerodynamic relationship between it and the nose behind.

This is a quick fire way of improving things without having to redesign the nose structure and can also be used to house more ballast if a balance shift is required.

Mercedes AMG F1 W06 Hybrid rear detail

Elsewhere, a skirt has also been added to the side of the floor in order to help seal the edge, increasing the amount of downforce being generated.

The rear wing has also been supplemented with a 'beam wing', improving the interaction between the rear wing and diffuser.

The modifications are similar to the ones already made by Red Bull and Ferrari, with all of the teams likely to make further modifications along the way if Pirelli wants to ramp up the downforce even more.

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Tech debrief: How Monza's midfield battle heated up

Mercedes had a pretty easy time in Italy, but the fight between Williams and Force India to finish ahead in the standings got ever more intense. Giorgio Piola and Matt Somerfield look at how the teams prepared for Monza's unique challenge.

Williams

Williams FW38 rear wing, Italian GP

To take the fight to Force India for fourth place in the championship, Williams decided to use the same philosophy as last season, cutting down the rear wing's upper flap to reduce drag.

In a pit-to-commentary interview with the UK’s Channel 4 team, Pat Symonds admitted that the need to create a ‘one-off’ aero setup for the needs of Monza was quite draining on resources and, although necessary, was something that perhaps played into the hands of those with a larger budget.

Williams' overall design philosophy tends to see the FW38 do better at circuits that require less downforce in any case but the reduction in flap height will have undoubtedly helped them to achieve VMax more easily.

Force India

Balancing budget vs. development is something that pains Force India, too, and whilst it would have probably liked to build a Monza-specific wing, just like Williams it's forced to consider the entire season and make do with parts already utilized elsewhere.

Unlike preceding years where Force India has focused on a low-drag car, much like Williams, a change in direction to chase downforce means that the team tends to do better at circuits it has traditionally struggled at.

The B-Spec car introduced in Spain (above) has been a revelation, catapulting the team toward its championship ambitions. It's a testament to signings within Force India's aero department and the switch made late in 2015 to the Toyota wind tunnel facilities in Cologne, as the team's outdated tunnel back at base was no longer really viable.

This has allowed Force India to work with a 60% scale model, improving correlation between what was being designed and the parts being taken to the track.

The team's main efforts in Monza were to maximise the performance of the car with the package it had and in the case of the tyres, which were once again inflated to high pressures, a certain degree of caution had to be heeded.

As such, Force India ran with an asymmetric front brake duct layout, utilising a closed drum on the left-hand side of the car and a more open arrangement on the left, exposing the brake disc.

This changes the way in which heat generated by the brakes is radiated into the wheel rim and tyre in order to balance performance on either side of the car, given it is a clockwise circuit.

McLaren

McLaren’s recent upswing in form is largely down to the improvement of the Honda power unit but that also means an adaption on the chassis side, too, which it is clearly doing a good job.

Monza was always going to show up the frailties of the RA616-H when compared with the other power units but the team tried to marginalize those issues with a low-downforce package.

The rear wing is similar to the one used in Baku, featuring a pair of much shorter flaps, set at a much shallower angle of attack, both of which are supplemented by just three endplate louvres to displace the already lessened vortex created at the wing tips.

The team discontinued use of the monkey seat, too, reducing the connection between the diffuser and rear wing, which has an impact on stability but does reduce drag further.

 

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Honda has separate team working on 2017 F1 engine

Honda has a separate team of people working on the development of its 2017 Formula 1 engine, according to its chief Yusuke Hasegawa.

The Japanese manufacturer has made progress this year in its bid to close the gap to Mercedes, Ferrari and Renault but it still remains off the back of the pack.

In tandem with this year's development, Honda has had a bespoke team working on 2017 from the moment it became clear there would be changes to the technical regulations, which includes the end of the development token system.

"We have a completely separate team from the start of this year concentrating on next year's engine," said Hasegawa.

"We still have this year's team and of course we are exchanging information with each other.

"Then the resource is moving to next year's engine team."

While the team working on 2017 has gradually grown, there are still staff working on this year's engine, with a further update expected to be introduced later this year.

Honda has three tokens remaining with development focused on the internal combustion engine.

Autosport understands Honda is aiming to introduce this at its home race in Japan or the following one in Austin as that works with its cycle of engines - but it depends on how quickly it can prove its performance and reliability.

"We have three tokens left, still seven races and one more engine needed," said Hasegawa.

"We have one more chance to introduce one more spec up.

"So far we plan to introduce it for [combustion engine] power."

Honda spent seven tokens on an update for the Belgian Grand Prix but while Hasegawa said it is "closing the gap" to Renault and Ferrari, he conceded it was "not enough to catch" them.

When asked when he expected Honda to be able to bridge the gap, Hasegawa said: "Next year.

"We are aiming to catch up them but still we need more hard work."

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TODT: FIA LOOK FORWARD TO WORK CLOSELY WITH LIBERTY

The FIA, the governing body of the Formula One World Championship, was recently informed of the intention of Liberty Media Corporation to acquire Delta Topco, the parent company of the Commercial Rights Holder organisation of Formula One from CVC Capital Partners.

The FIA was obviously not party to the negotiations surrounding the intended sale. As such, the Federation awaits further information regarding the proposed terms of the transaction and welcomes the opportunity to discuss with all parties the possible consequences of this agreement on the promotion of the FIA’s flagship championship.

Commenting on the sale, FIA President Jean Todt said: “While it remains to be seen how this acquisition will influence the promotion of the FIA Formula One championship, we welcome this long-term investment in Formula One by a company that has such a broad portfolio of sports, media and entertainment businesses.”

“As motor sport’s governing body and regulator we acknowledge Liberty Media’s wide expertise in these fields and we look forward to working in close partnership with them in the future in order to further develop Formula One and bring it to new generations of motor sport enthusiasts around the world.”

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ECCLESTONE: MERCEDES SHOULD HAVE HELPED FERRARI A LITTLE MORE

Mercedes dominance was such, during the first two seasons of the new hybrid turbo power unit era, that it was reported (by us at the time) that the German manufacturer offered technical advice to Ferrari in an effort to  level the playing field.

The world champion team was concerned that the manner they were dominating was having a negative impact not only on their image, but Formula 1 as a whole. It transpired that a week Ferrari team was not good for the sport

In a joint interview with Bernie Ecclestone and Mercedes chief Toto Wolff, the F1 supremo let the cat out the bag by accusing Mercedes of not helping Ferrari enough when they did.

During the interview Ecclestone claimed, “Mercedes helped them, but obviously not enough!”

To which Wolff responded, “Bernie always says that we’ve helped them – but not enough! Of course we didn’t. In the end your success is all about people, isn’t it Bernie? With the right people you get it right.”

To which Ecclestone retorted, “You really think so? Everything in this business is about rumours. Toto says that Mercedes didn’t help Ferrari, so they didn’t give any help – obviously. Because he is saying the truth.”

“What I am saying is what I have heard. And it’s good that they helped them. I’d say they should have helped them a little more!” insisted the F1 boss.

Ecclestone also revealed that he still resents the fact that Mercedes refused to supply Red Bull with engines when the energy drinks outfit nearly split from Renault and added, “For me still the topic of Mercedes not supplying Red Bull with an engine – we never did, and probably never will agree on that.”

“Yes, I understand the reasons – I would have reacted just like them in their shoes. Toto was in a very difficult position back then, because maybe – in his heart – he would not have minded, but he had to look at what’s the best for his team – and him personally,” added Ecclestone.

 

MIKA: So...in the end Ecclestone is just contradicting himself. 

Of all teams, Ferrari should have been helped!? This is Ferrari, the team that gets the most amount of prize money regardless how they come in the pecking order at seasons end and Mercedes should have helped them? I seriously wish Bernie retires and a new fresh set of eyes runs the sport. It can't get any worse IMO.

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VANDOORNE: IF I CAN BEAT ALONSO IT WILL BE GOOD FOR MY CAREER

Stoffel Vandoorne insists he is looking forward to going up against Fernando Alonso next year at McLaren and his goal is to beat the veteran Spaniard.

It was announced at Monza that the 24-year-old Belgian rookie will make his full-time F1 debut next year with the British team.

Spaniard Alonso had a bad experience of going up against a highly-rated rookie at McLaren, clashing badly with Lewis Hamilton in 2007.

But he joked last weekend: “Stoffel is not English, so it will be fine.”

Vandoorne told Sporza that he is also looking forward to the challenge, “I see it as an advantage to be able to debut alongside him.”

“Alonso is a double world champion and is considered one of the best drivers in F1. If I can prove that I am better than him, that’s good for my career,” Vandoorne insisted.

He also said he sees the opportunity of debuting with a top team like McLaren as positive. “There is more pressure, but if you want to be world champion, you have to be able to deal with it.”

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PEREZ TO STAY AT FORCE INDIA AS CARLOS SLIM LOOKS TO BUY FORCE INDIA

Sergio Perez is staying with Force India, amid speculation in Mexico that his backers may even buy the Silverstone based team.

It is now considered an open secret that, despite flirting with Renault, the on-form Perez is actually staying with Force India for 2017.

“The new contract is signed,” sporting boss Otmar Szafnauer now confirms to Auto Motor und Sport. “He stays with us next year.”

It is believed the deal was held up amid complex negotiations between the team and Perez’s sponsors, headed by the Mexican telcom billionaire Carlos Slim.

The Mexican broadcaster Grupo Imagen announced this week that Slim is actually buying Force India, amid the troubles of current owners Vijay Mallya and Subrata Roy.

But a team spokesman told Speed Week: “This story from Mexico is pure speculation.”

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DONE DEAL AS LIBERTY MEDIA NOW OWNS FORMULA 1

Press Release: Liberty Media Corporation and CVC Capital Partners announced today that Liberty Media has agreed to acquire Formula One, the iconic global motorsports business, from a consortium of sellers led by CVC.

Liberty Media owns interests in a broad range of media, communications and entertainment businesses. Those interests are attributed to three tracking stock groups: the Liberty SiriusXM Group, the Liberty Braves Group, and the Liberty Media Group.

The consideration comprises cash and newly issued shares in the Liberty Media Group tracking stock (LMCK) and a debt instrument exchangeable into shares of LMCK. The transaction price represents an enterprise value for Formula One of $8.0 billion and an equity value of $4.4 billion(1).

The acquisition will be effected by Liberty Media acquiring 100% of the shares of Delta Topco, the parent company of Formula One (Delta Topco herein referred to as “Formula One”)(2). The acquisition is subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions and is described in more detail below.

Concurrent with the execution of the agreement to effect the acquisition, Liberty Media has completed the acquisition of an 18.7% minority stake in Formula One for $746 million, funded entirely in cash (which is equal to $821 million in consideration less a $75 million discount to be repaid by Liberty Media to selling stockholders upon completion of the acquisition). Prior to completion, CVC Funds will continue to be the controlling shareholder of Formula One.

After completion of the acquisition, Liberty Media will own Formula One and it will be attributed to the Liberty Media Group which will be renamed the Formula One Group. The consortium of sellers led by CVC will own approximately 65%(1)(3) of the Formula One Group’s equity and will have board representation at Formula One to support Liberty Media in continuing to develop the full potential of the sport. In addition, a CVC representative will be joining the Liberty Media Board of Directors.

Chase Carey has been appointed by Delta Topco and will serve as the new Chairman of Formula One, succeeding Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, who will remain on Formula One’s board as a non-executive director. Bernie Ecclestone will remain Formula One’s CEO.

Greg Maffei, President and Chief Executive Officer of Liberty Media: “We are excited to become part of Formula One. We think our long-term perspective and expertise with media and sports assets will allow us to be good stewards of Formula One and benefit fans, teams and our shareholders. We look forward to working closely with Chase Carey and Bernie Ecclestone to support the next phase of growth for this hugely popular global sport.”

Chase Carey, Chairman of Formula One: “I am thrilled to take up the role of Chairman of Formula One and have the opportunity to work alongside Bernie Ecclestone, CVC, and the Liberty Media team. I greatly admire Formula One as a unique global sports entertainment franchise attracting hundreds of millions of fans each season from all around the world. I see great opportunity to help Formula One continue to develop and prosper for the benefit of the sport, fans, teams and investors alike.”

Bernie Ecclestone, Chief Executive Officer of Formula One, said: “I would like to welcome Liberty Media and Chase Carey to Formula One and I look forward to working with them.”

Donald Mackenzie, Co-Chairman of CVC, commented: “We are delighted Chase Carey is joining Formula One as its new Chairman and that he will be working alongside Bernie Ecclestone. Chase’s experience and knowledge of sport, media and entertainment is as good as it gets and we are very pleased to secure his services. Bernie has been a wonderful CEO for us over the last 10 years. There have been many successes and the occasional challenge but there has never been a dull moment and we have had a lot of fun. The combined skills of Chase and Bernie mean that the successes should continue and we wish them well. We would like to thank Peter Brabeck-Letmathe for his outstanding contribution during his tenure as Chairman. His leadership has served the company well, and we are pleased that he will remain on the board as a non-executive director.”

In the acquisition the selling stockholders will receive a mix of consideration comprising: $1.1 billion in cash, 138 million newly issued shares of LMCK and a $351 million exchangeable debt instrument to be issued by Formula One and exchangeable into shares of LMCK. Funding for the cash component of the acquisition is expected to come from cash on hand at the Liberty Media Group. The newly issued LMCK shares will be subject to market co-ordination and lock-up agreements.

The Teams will be given the opportunity to participate in the investment in Formula One, and the detailed terms of that investment will be agreed in due course. Certain teams have already expressed an interest in investing after completion of the acquisition.

The interest in Formula One already acquired by Liberty Media, and the remaining interest to be acquired upon the closing of the acquisition, along with $4.1 billion of existing Formula One debt (which will be non-recourse to Liberty Media) and $0.7 billion in Formula One cash, is being attributed to the Liberty Media Group tracking stock.

Upon completion of the acquisition, the Liberty Media Group will be renamed the Formula One Group and the ticker symbols for the Series A, Series B and Series C Liberty Media Group tracking stocks will be changed from LMC (A/B/K), respectively, to FWON (A/B/K), respectively. Formula One will remain based in London.

The completion of the acquisition is subject to certain conditions, including the receipt of: (i) certain clearances and approvals by antitrust and competition law authorities in various countries, (ii) certain third-party consents and approvals, including that of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, the governing body of Formula One, and (iii) the approval of Liberty Media’s stockholders of the issuance of LMCK shares in connection with the acquisition and the name change of the Liberty Media Group to the Formula One Group, and is expected to close by the first quarter of 2017. Additional information regarding the acquisition and Formula One will be included in a proxy statement to be filed by Liberty Media with the Securities and Exchange Commission relating to the matters to be voted upon by Liberty Media’s stockholders described above.

Liberty Media’s President and CEO, Greg Maffei and Formula One’s Chairman, Chase Carey will host an investor conference call at 6:00pm ET / 4:00pm MT on Wednesday, September 7, 2016 to discuss the acquisition in more detail. The call can be accessed by dialing: (i) (844) 838-8043 (U.S. / Canada), (ii) (678) 509-7480 (International) or (iii) 0800-028-8438 (U.K.) at least 10 minutes prior to the start time. The call will also be broadcast live across the internet and archived on Liberty Media’s website. Presentation materials to be used during the investor call have been posted to the Liberty Media website.

Morgan Stanley is serving as exclusive financial advisor and Baker Botts LLP is serving as legal advisor to Liberty Media. Goldman Sachs International is serving as exclusive financial advisor and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Weil, Gotshal & Manges are serving as legal advisers to Delta Topco.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements relating to the proposed acquisition of Formula One, the expected benefits of the transaction, other potential third party investments in Formula One, the renaming of the Liberty Media Group and the corresponding change in ticker symbols and other matters that are not historical facts.

These forward-looking statements involve many risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements, including, without limitation, the satisfaction of conditions to the proposed acquisition of Formula One. These forward looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release, and Liberty Media expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to disseminate any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement contained herein to reflect any change in Liberty Media’s expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

Please refer to the publicly filed documents of Liberty Media, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, for risks and uncertainties related to Liberty Media’s business which may affect the statements made in this press release.

Additional Information

Nothing in this press release shall constitute a solicitation to buy or an offer to sell shares of Liberty Media’s Series C Liberty Media common stock or any other series of its common stock. Liberty Media stockholders and other investors are urged to read the proxy statement to be filed with the SEC because it will contain important information relating to the proposed acquisition of Formula One. Copies of Liberty Media’s SEC filings are available free of charge at the SEC’s website (http://www.sec.gov). Copies of the filings together with the materials incorporated by reference therein will also be available, without charge, by directing a request to Investor Relations, (720) 875-5420.

Participants in a Solicitation

The directors and executive officers of Liberty Media and other persons may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in respect of any proposals relating to the proposed acquisition of Formula One. Information regarding the directors and executive officers of Liberty Media and other participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their respective direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be available in the proxy materials regarding the foregoing to be filed with the SEC.

About Liberty Media Corporation

Liberty Media Corporation operates and owns interests in a broad range of media, communications and entertainment businesses. Those businesses are attributed to three tracking stock groups: the Liberty SiriusXM Group, the Liberty Braves Group and the Liberty Media Group. The businesses and assets attributed to the Liberty SiriusXM Group (Nasdaq: LSXMA, LSXMB, LSXMK) include our interest in SiriusXM. The businesses and assets attributed to the Liberty Braves Group (Nasdaq: BATRA, BATRK) include our subsidiary Braves Holdings, LLC. The businesses and assets attributed to the Liberty Media Group (Nasdaq: LMCA, LMCK) consist of all of Liberty Media Corporation’s businesses and assets other than those attributed to the Liberty SiriusXM Group and the Liberty Braves Group, including its interests in Live Nation Entertainment and Formula One, and minority equity investments in Time Warner Inc. and Viacom.

About CVC Capital Partners

CVC Capital Partners is one of the world’s leading private equity and investment advisory firms. Founded in 1981, CVC today has a network of 24 offices and over 400 employees throughout Europe, Asia and the US. To date, CVC has secured commitments of over US$85 billion in funds from a diverse and loyal investor base, completing over 300 investments in a wide range of industries and countries across the globe, with an aggregate enterprise purchase value of over US$250 billion.

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Pascal Wehrlein clocks up a staggering 286 laps during 2017 Pirelli tyre test

Pascal Wehrlein clocked up a total of 286 laps during Pirelli's three-day 2017 tyre test this week at the Paul Ricard Circuit in France, driving a modified Mercedes to simulate next year's downforce levels.

Pirelli has been granted a number of test days to help it cope with the increased downforce levels the 2017 cars will produce.

Ferrari and Red Bull have already conducted tests, whilst Mercedes got their first taste this week in tandem with Ferrari which completed its second two-day test at the Montmelo circuit on Tuesday and Wednesday with Sebastian Vettel clocking up 267 laps.

"Wehrlein completed the entire planned programme, which took in 63 laps today, added to the total of 134 laps on Tuesday and 89 laps yesterday," confirmed Pirelli.
The 2017 tyre test programme will continue in two weeks time at Paul Ricard Circuit, again with Mercedes on wet tyres rather than slicks.

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Button excited by new ownership

After it was announced that Formula 1 has been bought by Liberty Media group, Jenson Button has said that it is good for the sport as it will attract a younger fan base.

The American media company stressed the fact that they will be improving Formula 1’s distribution of content, especially on digital platforms, which according to Button, is a key factor in the evolution of the sport.

The Brit, who recently announced that he will be taking a sabbatical in 2017, agreed with Bernie Ecclestone’s comments about not being suited for the role of F1 chief anymore after it was announced what direction Liberty Media Group will be pursuing.

Ecclestone will, however, continue to run the sport for the next three years, but his exit is on the horizon once the American media company finds their feet, something the 2009 World Champion is fully supportive of.

“I agree with Bernie that that is probably not his strong point, I don’t think he understands apps on phones so he has a lot to learn and I’m sure he will,” he told Sky Sports News.

“This will definitely help the future of the sport, most sports are going down a certain directions with apps and Formula 1 is behind in that area and getting out to a younger audience.

“At the moment our audience is people that watched me start in Formula 1 and they are still watching Formula 1. We don’t really have a young audience at the moment.

“So we need help in that area and that is the way the sport will grow worldwide and not just in the countries where it is strongest, like the UK and Japan and other countries in Europe.

“I think the continuity of Bernie being in charge day to day is exactly what it needs. He’s got quite a lot of experience of working in Formula 1 and directing the sport in the right way.

“The funny thing is that the States is probably the only place that has been difficult for Formula 1 to break into over the years. We have the Austin grand prix, which to be fair is always a full house, but that is one small race for the size of America. So hopefully this is going to help the sport break into the States.”

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Ferrari 2018 shot key to new Force India deal for Perez

The possibility of a move to Ferrari for 2018 is believed to have left Sergio Perez convinced his future is best served staying at Force India next season.

Perez’s future in Formula 1 has been the subject of intense speculation over recent weeks, as the Mexican has weighed up with his backers what to do.

Although he signed a contract to remain at Force India months ago, the deal is also dependent on his Mexican backers concluding commercial arrangements with the team.

Perez has spoken to Williams and Renault about opportunities they could offer him for next year, but sources have suggested that in the end neither could give him what he wanted.

Williams’ form this season has been inconsistent, and Force India’ progress has left Perez’s current team locked in a tight fight with its rivals for fourth place in the constructors’ championship. Joining Williams would offer no guarantee of a big step forward.

And although the chance of a switch to the manufacturer-backed Renault team is attractive on paper, the French car company's desire to tie the Mexican down to a long-term commitment left him wary – especially with uncertainty as to how next year’s regulations will shake up the order.

     

Added to the situation is that there could be a prime vacancy at Ferrari in 2018, with Kimi Raikkonen’s current contract running out at the end of next year.

Perez has long harboured ambitions of driving for Ferrari, and a move to the Maranello team could be sweetened if he can take significant Mexican backing with him – with the Claro brand already on its roster of sponsors.

A one-year deal at Force India for 2017 would give Perez the flexibility to be in the frame for Ferrari the following year, or pick any outfit that looks to have made the most of next year’s new F1 regulations.

Perez has promised an announcement about his future plan before the Singapore GP, and he hinted at the weekend that his decision would ultimately be one he wanted all along – perhaps in reference to Ferrari in the future.

“It looks like what will happen is what I always wanted,” he said.

The Ferrari situation also points to speculation that Perez backer Carlos Slim is about to buy Force India being wide of the mark, as their ultimate ambitions in F1 lie with placing Perez at a prominent, title-contending team.

MIKA: I think Perez is putting all his eggs in one basket because there's also a big chance the likes of Daniel Ricciardo heading over to Maranello being a strong possibility.

 

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David Gandy with Williams Martini Racing

Davis Gandy take some rides with Felipe and Valtteri and the must answer some questions....