Formula 1 - 2017

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F1 2017... It's On!

Check out this mega recap of an epic day at Silverstone, where Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas got their first taste of the 2017 Mercedes-Benz Formula One Silver Arrow!

 

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BARCELONA DAY 2: RAIKKONEN QUICKEST

Kimi Raikkonen put Ferrari on top of the timesheets after the second day of Formula 1’s pre-season testing on day two at Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, but world champions Mercedes still led the way with kilometres covered.

Raikkonen was a mere 0.023 of a second faster than triple champion Lewis Hamilton at the end of the day, although the Briton got out at lunchtime and handed his Mercedes to new team mate Valtteri Bottas. tyhey being the only drivers sharing the cockpit on the day.

Ferrari’s Finn had been second quickest in the morning, but on slower medium tyres than Hamilton’s Pirelli supersofts. He set his fastest time on softs in the afternoon.

While Raikkonen ended the day with 108 laps under his belt, the Mercedes pair put in 168 laps between them after an untroubled 152 on Monday.

Hamilton’s 66 were the equivalent of a Spanish Grand Prix race distance.

Reliability more than the lap times is the main focus at this stage of the year with the new-look wider cars, on fatter front and rear tyres and with revamped aerodynamics, unveiled only last week.

Ferrari, who have kept their cards close to their chest with no media activities on the first two days after a low-key online launch, also showed good reliability on Monday with Sebastian Vettel completing 128 laps.

Raikkonen’s best lap of one minute 20.960 seconds compared to the fastest time in 2016 Barcelona testing of 1:22.765.

Red Bull and McLaren, who had a troubled debut day, had mixed fortunes on day two.

Dutch teenager Max Verstappen did 89 laps for Red Bull but Belgian rookie Stoffel Vandoorne managed only 40 in the McLaren and was second slowest.

Vandoorne was halted after 29, and partners Honda changed the power unit.

“I think it was positive to get back behind the wheel after four months of no driving,” said former GP2 champion Vandoorne, looking on the bright side.

“It was a good first feeling for me and I immediately felt confident in the car and very comfortable…unfortunately we had a loss of engine power during the morning after a couple of laps, we’re still investigating what the issues are.”

Others also wrestled with garage gremlins.

Renault’s Jolyon Palmer managed to do one untimed installation lap in the morning, after the team flew in new parts overnight, but ended the day with 53 done.

Italian Antonio Giovinazzi, standing in for the injured Pascal Wehrlein at Sauber, did five before the team swapped out the Ferrari power unit and then 62 more after lunch.

Canadian teenage rookie Lance Stroll spun off after 12 laps, going through the gravel backwards and damaging his Williams, forcing the team to abandon testing for the day.

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MARCHIONNE: WE HAVE TAKEN A BIG STEP FORWARD

While his team is keeping media in the dark with regards to official information from their progress during the first Formula 1 pre-season test in Barcelona, Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne has praised the new car and declared that it is a step forward for the Reds.

Amid silence from the Ferrari garage, which Italian media have reported is absurd (report here>>>), Marchionne said, “The new Ferrari SF70H, is more powerful than we expected, I’m happy, from what I’ve seen, the forecasts we had done have been met.”

“I do not know if we will be able to win the championship, but we know that we have taken a big step forward.”

Indeed the both Sebastian Vettel (on Monday) and Kimi Raikkonen (Tuesday) have enjoyed healthy track time and mileage, while spending most of both days at the sharp end of the timing screens.

Ferrari celebrate their 70th anniversary this year, hence the SF70H designation of their new F1 car.

When Marchionne was asked if the marque intended to celebrate the milestone, he replied, “In 2017 we have many events planned. But I also want to celebrate in Formula 1.”

Last year around this time, Marchionne made naive demands and predictions with regards to his team, and since admitted, “Intellectual honesty is important but I have to admit that I looked silly.”

“This year, I am not falling into that trap. Let’s see what happens when the lights go out on the track,” added the Ferrari boss.

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MCLAREN: DISAPPOINTING TO ENCOUNTER FURTHER PROBLEMS

The McLaren-Honda team experienced a second day of mixed fortunes on track during today’s testing.

While Stoffel took to the track shortly after 09:00 to commence his scheduled programme of installation laps, systems checks and set-up changes, he managed only to match Fernando’s tally of 29 laps from the previous day before he lost power.

To make the best use of time, the team elected to change the power unit in order to get the car back on track as soon as possible, enabling Honda to begin full investigations into the cause of the problem.

The team once again worked quickly and efficiently to get the MCL32 back up and running, and Stoffel was able to return to the track and continue the day’s run plan. He ended the day having completed 37 laps.

Stoffel Vandoorne: “It wasn’t the best day of running for us, but I’m pleased that despite the issue we still managed to get some laps on the board – I was very happy to get behind the wheel after four months without driving. It’s important with a new car and a new design that you can step into the cockpit for the first time and feel confident to push, and I immediately felt comfortable in the car, so that was definitely a positive for me.

“The initial feelings this morning were quite good, then unfortunately we had a loss of power, and we’re still investigating what the issues were. The first two days have been a bit difficult, but the team has done a great job to get the car up and running again so we could get back out on track.

“There are still more days of testing this week and every lap in the car is valuable; it’s my first season in F1, so during every lap I try to make the most of it. Hopefully tomorrow and Thursday Fernando and I will have a couple of better days.”

Eric Boullier, Racing Director: “It’s a shame we weren’t able to maximise the track time today due to the issue with the power unit, but it was encouraging once again that the team pulled together to replace the PU quickly in order to enable us to return to the track at the end of the afternoon session.

“When you design a new car and power unit under new regulations, it’s possible that there will be issues that arise that you cannot foresee in pre-season development. Of course, it’s unfortunate, but the important thing is that we learn from them, and there is already a lot of hard work going on behind the scenes by Honda to identify the issues and rectify them as soon as possible.

“Testing is just that: the prove-out of new components prior to the start of the season. We’ll continue with our planned test programme tomorrow with Fernando, and keep pushing to make the most of the day’s running.”

Yusuke Hasegawa, Honda R&D Co Ltd Head Of F1 Project & Executive Chief Engineer: “After completing 29 laps, we lost power to the PU. Our priority was to minimise the loss of track time and continue with our testing programme, so we took the decision to change it. We know we had a mechanical issue and we will not be reusing the power unit for this test, but we’ll have to investigate fully to identify the cause.

“Stoffel was back out on track by late afternoon and we were able to recover our schedule.

“Of course, it was disappointing to encounter further problems today, but tonight we’ll carry on our hard work to make further progress for Fernando’s session tomorrow.”

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VERSTAPPEN: WE ARE NOT FOCUSED ON LAP TIMES YET

After a stop start first day of testing with Daniel Riccirado, Red Bull finally got some serious mileage on their new RB13 with Max Verstappen in the cockpit, but are yet to give it full gas at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona.

Verstappen managed 89 laps on Tuesday, while his teammate was restricted to only 39 thanks to sensor and battery issues 24 hours earlier.

The 19 year old Dutchman was happy at the end of his first day back at the ‘office’ and told reporters, “For us at the moment it is not showing how quick we can be.”

“It is the first test week, the second day, I think it is much more important just to get the mileage to see if all the parts are okay, and then we will see in the next few days how fast we are.”

“We are not focused on lap times yet, it is still way too early. Everybody is doing their own programmes so you don’t really know where you are but we can be happy with the day as we’ve done a lot of mileage.”

“I think the reliability [of the power unit] was pretty good, we didn’t have any issues and I think it is important to get the mileage in first because it is a new engine again. It is too early to say where we are with the engine but they’ve made a step which is always positive,” added Verstappen.

Much is expected of Red Bull with the new regulations favouring aerodynamics, an area where their engineering guru Adrian Newey tends to excel. Time will tell if the TAG Heuer badged Renault engine can deliver the required horsepower and reliability to challenge the dominance of Mercedes.

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HAAS: VERY RELIABLE NO PROBLEMS AT ALL

Kevin Magnussen had another productive outing behind the wheel of the Haas VF-17 in the second day of preseason testing Tuesday at Circuit de Barcelona – Catalunya.

After taking to the 4.655-kilometer (2.892-mile), 16-turn track as soon as it opened at 9 a.m. local time, Magnussen ended the test nine hours later with 118 laps on the board to total 549.29 kilometers (341.313 miles), the most of any driver.

The result more than doubled Magnussen’s total from Monday when he ran 51 laps and it shattered Haas F1 Team’s mileage total from any previous test at Barcelona. Prior to Tuesday, the most laps Haas F1 Team ran in a single-day test at Barcelona was 105 on May 18, 2016.

In addition to logging the most laps, Magnussen remained fast. He set the fourth-quickest time with a 1:22.204 on his 103rd lap shod on a set of Pirelli P Zero Red supersoft tires.

Magnussen began the morning session with a series of reconnaissance laps, first using the Orange hard tire before optioning between the White medium tire and the Yellow soft. After five laps of systems checks, it was time for some outright running, first with White mediums and then on Yellow softs.

As the clock ticked closer to the mandatory lunch break, Magnussen’s times ticked downward too. His best time in the morning was a 1:23.200, secured with Yellow softs on his 36th and final lap of the session to put him fourth overall.

The afternoon segment saw Haas F1 Team sample nearly all of the tires in Pirelli’s lineup with the Orange hard, White medium, Yellow soft and Red supersoft each getting a workout. Magnussen made the most of the day’s second half, knocking out 82 laps.

The team practiced their pit stops, bolting on four new fresh tires to the Haas VF-17, and sending Magnussen back onto the track. The Red supersofts provided the most grip, and Magnussen unsurprisingly knocked down his quickest time in the day’s final 30 minutes.

Scuderia Ferrari’s Kimi Räikkönen set the quickest time (1:20.960) and ran the second-most laps (108).

Kevin Magnussen: “A good day. I got the most laps of anyone, so that’s sums up our day pretty well, with lots of running. That’s what it’s all about here at winter testing. We want to put as many miles on the car as possible, to find all of these little problems that can creep up during the season, to catch them as early as possible. I’m very happy with the feeling I have in the car and in working with the team. It’s been good to get back in a car again.”

Guenther Steiner: “We have learned a lot from this test and it’s been good so far. We hope it continues like this over the next two days and into next week, as well. Today we ran our full program. This morning we had a small hiccup, nothing big, and in the afternoon we ran our full program. What we missed in the morning we got in the afternoon. We learned a lot about the behavior of the car. We did setup changes. We know that we still need to work on the car to get the best out of it, but that’s why we do testing. Now the guys will analyze the whole night, and tomorrow with Romain (Grosjean), we’ll put in what we learned today and try to make the car go quicker. It seems the car is very reliable. Ferrari has done a fantastic job with their engine package, gearbox, everything. It was very reliable today, no problems at all. Touch wood it stays like this for the rest of the test, but up to now we’re very satisfied.”

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RENAULT: EVERYTHING FROM THE POWER UNIT HAS BEEN POSITIVE

Renault Sport Formula One Team completed its second day of testing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya with Jolyon Palmer at the wheel of the R.S.17.

Jolyon ran exclusively in the afternoon, completing an installation lap immediately prior to lunch, then running through a complete programme after lunch. His best lap time was a 1:24.139secs.

What’s Next? Jolyon will remain in the car tomorrow morning, handing over the reins to Nico Hülkenberg for the afternoon.

Jolyon Palmer: “I’ve really enjoyed driving the car today. The downforce is a massive change; it’s completely different from last year. It takes a little bit of getting used to but it’s actually a lot more enjoyable to drive. For today, we had a productive afternoon with 53 laps. It’s just a shame not to have ran this morning but we learnt a lot regardless and we aim to have a fuller day tomorrow.”

Remi Taffin, Engine Technical Director: “We had a late start today but we were still able to complete set-up work on the chassis, gather data on the power unit side and give Jolyon a chance to evaluate the R.S.17. We completed just over 50 laps this afternoon and we were happy with how the car ran. Everything we’ve seen from the power unit perspective has been positive, and we’re looking forward to getting some bigger mileages under our belts in the coming days. We have a good amount of data from today and plenty of work to do overnight.”

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RED BULL: WE HAD A VERY POSITIVE DAY

After a stop-start opening day in Barcelona, the new RB13 got into its stride on day two of testing, with Max Verstappen posting 89 trouble-free laps of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

The Dutchman’s first taste of the new car resulted in a best time of 1:22.200 and also a thumbs up for the increased pace of the new cars.

Commenting, Max said: “We had a very positive day with not too many issues and we’ve done quite a lot of laps so we can be happy. For us it’s not about showing how quick we can be at the moment. It’s the first test week and the second day, so it’s much more important to get some mileage in and to check if all the parts are okay.”

“We’ll focus on lap time later on. The speed difference compared to the cars from last year is a good step; it’s definitely more enjoyable through the faster corners. You also have a lot more traction going through the slow corners and that was very difficult to find a good compromise with last year.”

“But with such wide tyres and such big cars that’s a lot better now. Of course it’s more demanding but that’s what we trained for in the winter so you have to be up for it.”

Head of Race Engineering Guillaume Rocquelin added: “After clearing the niggles we had yesterday, today went very much according to plan. We were a little tentative in the morning as it was pretty chilly and a few people were sliding around a bit. Because of that we focused on short runs and aero mapping.”

“We then had a pretty long stop over lunch to make some changes to the car in preparation for what we wanted to achieve this afternoon. We knew it would mean taking a hit in terms of track time but we were willing to do that in order to get the information we wanted. And we did that. It’s an interesting process this year.”

“Obviously the new cars behave quite differently to the last generation and therefore you can only draw so much on historical reference. As such these first couple of days are really about establishing a platform of understanding and once you have that you can really start to build from there. It’s also been very interesting to work with the new tyres. The deg is good; they’re consistent, they’re a good step I think.”

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SAUBER: IT WAS A CHALLENGING SECOND TEST DAY

It was a challenging second test day for the Sauber F1 Team on the Circuit de Catalunya. Antonio Giovinazzi, who is replacing Pascal Wehrlein during test one, missed the morning session due to power unit issues.

Although the engine needed to be changed, the mechanics were able to send the Italian out on track just before the lunch break for an installation lap.

In the afternoon Antonio Giovinazzi was able to get familiar with the Sauber C36-Ferrari running 67 laps in total.

Antonio Giovinazzi: “It was a positive day for me, despite the issues we had in the morning. In the afternoon I was able to get up to speed running a good amount of laps. I want to thank the Sauber F1 Team again for this opportunity. Now I am looking forward to being back in the car tomorrow.”

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TORO ROSSO: WE HAVE TAKEN A GOOD STEP FORWARDS

Toro Rosso report from day two of the first pre-season test of the 2017 Formula 1 season at Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona.

Daniil Kvyat: “It was a decent first day in the car for me and we were able to complete a good number of laps, which is always the main objective with a new car. We lost a bit of track time after lunch, but this always happens in testing – it’s normal to carry out precaution checks in order to double-check everything before going out. My first impressions of the STR12 are positive – it’s fast but we obviously need to keep working hard to improve this package. There’s still a lot to discover and that’s what we will keep on doing during the test.”

Jody Egginton: “Overall we have taken a good step forwards in the learning process today and Daniil got his first opportunity to start working with the STR12. As we did yesterday, we started the day gathering aero data and conducting some background tests. After that, we moved on to baseline runs, combining what we learnt on Day 1 with some further tests, focusing on aero, tyre and mechanical characterisation. Overall, the results we have achieved so far are encouraging and we are working through our test programme adapting the run plans as required as we overcome the normal challenges associated with testing a new car. We have a huge amount of data to work through both trackside and at the factory overnight and from this we expect to take another step forwards in our learning tomorrow.”

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ITALIAN MEDIA OFFENDED BY FERRARI NEWS BLACKOUT

Ferrari are providing no official news on the team’s progress during the current Formula 1 pre-season testing at Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, which of course has aggrieved the Italian media.

Last year it was quite the contrary as Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne was full of bluster and a quote a minute, as he made demands of his team and with it some pretty naive predictions which, of course, were widely reported.

Needless to say the big boss has admitted that his words have come back to haunt him and even embarrass him. he declared that the team would have a low key approach this time around, and it appears they have stuck to their word.

Perhaps the team have taken offence at the ridicule showered on them by media after a woeful season last year… and right now it’s all dead quiet from the Reds which is not going down well at all in Italy.

Gazzetta della Sport correspondent Luigi Pertna said, “Low profile is acceptable, but not complete silence. Journalists are like engineers. We should be able to give feedback to the fans, who have the right to hear the drivers.”

La Republicca wrote: “Starting the season with a news blackout is absurd. After the sad living nativity scene of the car launch comes this meaningless news blackout. A low profile asked by Marchionne is one thing, but this carelessness is quite another.”

F1 blogger and Ferrari insider Leo Turrini simply wrote: “Ferrari do not speak, in accordance with the new behavioral line imposed by Sergio Marchionne. But they are happy with the outcome of the first day [Monday] of testing.”

Normally, during testing, the team provide a short write up of the day’s proceedings as well as quotes from the driver on duty and an engineer.

They also provide a photo service from the testing of their cars in action and occasional behind the scenes images by Studio Colombo and available from the media section of the Ferrari site.

This time around no reports, no quotes and no photos, while their Twitter has been relatively quiet with only six tweets during the first couple of days in Spain.

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STROLL: I JUST LOST THE CAR IT KIND OF SNAPPED

It was not an ideal start for Canadian teenager Lance Stroll’s first ever official Formula 1 test as he ended up in the gravel during the second day of pre-season testing, at Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona.

Stroll lost control of the Williams FW40 at Turn 9, when on cold tyres it snapped and spun through the gravel. The incident caused damage to the front wing and without a spare that meant the end to the 18 year old’s testing debut with only 12 laps on the chart.

Stroll told reporters afterwards, “[During the] second run, just getting to grips with the car. Kind of low grip. I just lost the car, it kind of snapped.”

Asked if he was upset about the incident, the teenager insisted, “No, not at all. It is unfortunate. One front wing, a spin, a little winglet [damaged], but that is Formula 1. The car is very complex.”

“There is not a lot of room for error. I’m just getting to grips with the car. A little spin. I drove back to the paddock. Sometimes these things happen, but no, not a dent in the confidence.”

“It is still early days and I have only done a handful of laps. I am just getting to grips with the FW40, and there is still a lot of time ahead of us. It was good to finally get behind the wheel to just get a feel for it.”

“I need to do a lot more running before I know exactly where I am and where the car is at. I will have a much better picture once we have more laps under our belts, but it was good to break the ice and I am looking forward to some more running.”

“I was actually really confident, really happy in the car the few laps I did. I am looking forward to getting back at it tomorrow, and still plenty of running ahead,” said Stroll who has been dubbed the ‘best prepared F1 rookie’ of all time thanks to an intensive private testing programme ahead of the 2017 season.

Last year he won the European Formula 3 title with 14 race victories during the course of the season.

Williams performance chief Rod Smedley said, “Lance was on lap six of his second run when he had a spin. The grip was particularly low and so he spun and went through the gravel backwards.”

“Even though the accident was entirely innocuous we’ve unfortunately had quite a bit of accident damage, which we’re now in the process of repairing. We’re having to send some composite parts back to the factory, which will be back with us at some point tomorrow.”

“We’re doing the upmost we can now to get back out on track at the earliest opportunity tomorrow. We will be able to recover the programme in the coming days,” added Smedley.

A mere 24 hours earlier Brazilian veteran Felipe Massa managed 103 laps in the same car.

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TATIANA CALDERÓN APPOINTED SAUBER DEVELOPMENT DRIVER

Colombian Tatiana Calderon has joined Sauber in the role of development driver, hoping eventually to break the male domination of the Formula One starting grid.

“I look forward to working with the team and learning as much as I can. It is a step closer to my dream – one day competing in Formula One,” she said in a team statement on Tuesday.

The 23-year-old will race in the GP3 support series this season while also embarking on a Sauber programme that includes simulator training and working with engineers.

Swiss-based Sauber are the only team with a female principal, Monisha Kaltenborn, although former champions Williams are effectively run by founder Frank Williams’ daughter Claire.

Sauber previously had Swiss racer Simona de Silvestro as an ‘affiliated driver’, aiming at bringing her to Formula One, but that ultimately came to nothing. She raced in the all-electric Formula E series and is now competing in Australia.

Formula One has not had a woman driver start a grand prix since 1976.

Juan Pablo Montoya, a race winner for Williams and McLaren between 2001-06, is one of only two Colombians to have started a Formula One grand prix. The other was Roberto Guerrero in 1982-83.

Press release:

The Sauber F1 Team is pleased to announce Tatiana Calderón as a Development Driver for 2017. The 23-year-old started her racing career in karting back in her home country Colombia when she was nine years old.

In 2012 Calderón moved to Europe competing in several single seater racing series. To mention one highlight, in 2015 she finished second overall in the MRF Challenge Formula 2000.

In 2016 Calderón moved on to the GP3 Series, support race to Formula 1. In addition to becoming a Sauber F1 Team Development Driver, she will compete in the GP3 Series again in 2017.

The Sauber F1 Team will provide Tatiana Calderón with an extensive Young Driver Development Programme which includes professional simulator training sessions and coaching with the engineers on-site during some GP weekends as well as in Hinwil.

Monisha Kaltenborn, Team Principal: “We are very pleased to welcome Tatiana onboard to the Sauber family. We have the opportunities and facilities to provide Tatiana a professional platform on which she can further develop her knowledge and skills in racing. I am convinced that we can provide her lots of in-depth motorsport know-how for her future career in racing.”

Tatiana Calderón: “I am extremely happy to join the Sauber F1 Team as a development driver. I want to thank Monisha Kaltenborn and the whole team for giving me this opportunity, and also Escuderia Telmex for their support. I am grateful to be working with such an established Formula 1 team and to benefit from its long experience. I look forward to working with the team and learning as much as I can. It is a step closer to my dream – one day competing in Formula 1!”

Tatiana Calderón

• Date of Birth: 10 March 1993
• Place of birth: Noguera (Colombia)
• Nationality: Colombian
• Website: www.tatianacalderon.com

Career:

• 2016 GP3 Series, 21st
• 2015 MRF Challenge Formula 2000, 2nd
• 2014 Formula 3 European Championship, 15th
• 2013 British Formula 3 International Series, 7th
• 2012 European F3 Open, 9th
• 2011 Star Mazda Series, 6th
• 2005 – 2010 Karting

MIKA: I'm all for development drivers, male or female, BUT I am sick of always when there are women announced, they hardly EVER get a chance to drive which is most unfortunate. María de Villota, Susie Wolff, Carmen Jordan (That was a joke), and now Tatiana.

Maria de Villota IMO was probably the one who had the best shot and unfortunately she had the testing accident at Duxford Aerodrome while carrying out straight-line testing for Marussia.

I say that if you announce a development driver, let them test and run during GP weekends. Perhaps Liberty Media can look into T-Cars again and exclusively have these used by such drivers without ticking off the team drivers who always moan about losing track time for development drivers... Just a thought.

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NEWEY: F1 2017 IS JUST A BIT WACKY RACES

Red Bull guru Adrian Newey is not very impressed with the look of the 2017 generation Formula 1 cars, but has hailed the opportunities afforded engineers by the new regulations.

Asked by reporters, during the first day of testing in Barcelona, about the new cars Newey said, “I don’t know, it’s a very subjective thing.”

“But being brutally honest I think kind of trying to introduce the illusion of speed by having swept front wing, swept sidepod front and swept rear wing end-plate is kind of just a bit Wacky Races. Maybe thats me being a bit purist.”

Of the new rules, Newey said, “I think it makes a more interesting approach having more freedom, as you say this is the first time in quite a few years we have a bit more freedom in the bodywork restriction regulations.”

“The most obvious thing is it’s a wider car with wider bodywork, I think interestingly the removal of the exclusion boxes around the barge board area is an area which gives a lot of opportunity.”

“I think you can see from the cars which have been released probably the main development area has been that precise area,” added Newey who had a big role in the concept and design of the Red Bull RB13.

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DENNIS APPOINTED TO BRITISH DEFENCE ADVISORY ROLE

Former McLaren supremo Ron Dennis will swap the Formula 1 paddock for the political battlefield as part of an British government defence advisory panel.

Dennis, who officially stepped down as McLaren chairman over the winter as part of what can be termed a coup d’equipe, was appointed to a new advisory panel outlined by the U.K.’s Defense Secretary, Sir Michael Fallon, during a speech at the University of Oxford.

The new Defense Innovation Advisory Panel said in a press release that it will look to “encourage imagination, ingenuity and entrepreneurship” to help maintain a military advantage in the future.

Dennis was named along with Innovate UK Chief Executive Ruth Mckernan and retiring GCHQ Director Robert Hannigan. They join veteran British astronaut Major Tim Peake on Fallon’s panel.

Dennis said: “There can be nothing more important than our national security. And I’m enthusiastic to be among the first of those named to this world-class Panel, who have joined MOD to spearhead their efforts to innovate across the organization, from technology to culture – challenging the status quo, staying ahead of the curve through change and innovation.”

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ALONSO: THE DRIVER IS EVEN LESS IMPORTANT

At the end of a problem packed first day of pre-season testing for McLaren-Honda at Circuit de Catalunya, Fernando Alonso doubted that the new generation Formula 1 cars would be more challenging to drive, however he did hail the new look of the cars.

Alonso told reporters in Barcelona, “The importance of the driver percentage, when we talk sometimes of how much is the car and how much is the driver, with the technology we have now, with the aero packages we have now, with the power units we have now – I think the driver is even less important.”

“You need massive power now with this level of drag, with this level of downforce. You need a good harvesting and good deployment because the straights are a little bit longer now than last year. Some corners will disappear, will be flat, so the straights will be even longer because of that.”

“So if you are 20bhp down last year you were losing maybe 0.2 or 0.3 of a second, whereas this year you are losing half a second. So I think the importance of some of the technical aspects of the car are even higher this year, so the driver can do up to one point, miracles they cannot do anymore.”

One of the objectives of the new rules was  to make F1 cars more challenging to drive and when asked if the aim was met, Alonso said, “Yes and no. I think in the way of pushing the car and being able to express your driving style I think yes, a little bit more than the previous cars that you were constrained to drive and save everything.”

“Sometimes last year the slower you drove the better timed lap you could do because you were saving the tyres and you can maximise the stint, while this year it seems that you are able to push the car a little bit more and probably use your own driving style a little bit to maximise the timed lap.”

But Alonso did have praise for the look of the new generation cars, “I think the only conclusion is that the cars look nice, the cars are definitely faster in the corners so it’s good to come back to that feeling of the downforce in the corners and be able to push the car to the limit a little bit more so I’m happy with that.”

“I saw some other cars running alongside on the track and they look very, very good. So I’m happy for that, happy that the sport is going in the right direction and probably apologise to the fans for the last five or six years that they saw horrible cars,” said the double F1 world champion.

MIKA: I was worried we would see more of this during the season:

But I'm afraid that it looks alot more like this:

 

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RUSSIA EXTENDS F1 GRAND PRIX CONTRACT TO 2025

The Russian Grand Prix, scheduled for Sochi in April, will stay on the Formula One calendar until 2025 after organisers agreed a new contract.

Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak told Tass that the contract had been extended. The original deal ran until 2020.

Race promoters last week announced the VTB financial group as new title partner for the race.

“VTB´s involvement will only add to the continued success of the event and we look forward to this being the start of a long and successful relationship,” Formula One chairman Chase Carey said at the time.

Sochi hosted the first Russian Grand Prix in 2014, with the race winding around some of the venues used for that year’s Winter Olympics.

President Vladimir Putin has attended all the races held there to date.

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The RB13 takes to the track in Barcelona!

 

Watch as the RB13 rolls out for its first laps at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya at the hands of Daniel Ricciardo. 2017 starts here!

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First run in F1 2017 car a “special day” for Giovinazzi

Ferrari reserve driver Antonio Giovinazzi called his first experience of a current F1 car a “really special day” after he stood in for the injured Pascal Wehrlein in Barcelona today.

The highly-rated Italian, loaned to the Swiss team by Ferrari, lost the morning session to an engine problem. However, in the afternoon he took his total up to 67 laps.

Giovinazzi had already driven an old Ferrari on demo tyres, but the mileage he’s logging with Sauber this week is invaluable, given that as reserve will be on standby to step in for Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen throughout this season.

“A really special day, the first time in an F1 official test is a big thing for me,” he said. “Last year I was in GP2, and to have this opportunity of course is great for me. I need to just work really hard. It’s really special for me, and to be in the car is something important for a driver.

“It’s one of the best opportunities I could have, to drive already the new car. Then we’ll see. So far my job is reserve driver in Ferrari, I will do this, and then if Ferrari decide to put in some team or [give me] something to do, I need to be just ready every time.”

Giovinazzi admitted his first day was physically tough: “The first official test is always really hard, also I remember last year when I tested in GP2, winter training is always important, you need to train a lot, but when you jump in the car it’s always a different thing.

"Of course with these new tyres with a lot of grip, with the neck it was quite hard - just also to see where I am, I will work when I come home next time.”

No racing programme in 2017

Giovinazzi also confirmed that, unlike former GP2 teammate and Red Bull reserve Pierre Gasly – who is racing in Japan this year – he won’t have a programme outside his F1 duties.

“For now I am the third driver, I will do a lot the simulator, I will follow the race weekends in F1, and see what happens," Giovinazzi said.

"Of course it will be more tough than all the years I did in my career, to be in the paddock will be quite different, less adrenaline.

“But F1 what I saw also today is quite a difficult car, especially with all the functions in the steering wheel. The simulator is also really good to learn these things, and be ready when they want to put me in a car.”

Regarding his chances to participate the two young driver days at the in-season F1 tests, he said: “We don’t know yet. I think they’ll decide, so we will see.”

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Mercedes F1 team tests double T-wing at Barcelona

Mercedes fitted a double T-wing to its new Formula 1 car at Barcelona on Tuesday, as it further exploited an opening in the 2017 regulations.

The issue of bodywork behind the engine cover has been a major talking point since the launch of the 2017 cars, with teams experimenting with both shark fins and the high T-wings.

While Mercedes, Williams, Haas and Ferrari have so far run the T-wings, which help condition airflow over the rear of the car, the concept was taken to the next level on Tuesday.

From the start of the second day of testing, Hamilton’s W08 was fitted with a double-decker T-wing in front of the rear wing.

The potential for a dramatic escalation of bodywork in this area, and the fact the devices appear to be flexing so much at high speed, could prompt the FIA to consider a ban, if it feels there are potential safety implications.

There has already been debate about the shark fins, which teams have fitted this year because the rules did not outlaw them as in recent years.

Toro Rosso technical director James Key said: “The regulations left a little bit of scope open in the middle of the car, and I’m not sure if that was intended.

“But as a result it’s not surprising that they’ve come back. They’re very visible, but their impact is not massive. They’re just ahead of the rear wing – it helps a bit in that area. They do exactly same job as they did in 2008.”

When asked if he felt the issue might prompt a regulation change, Key said: “We’ll have to see. That’s more an FIA/strategy group kind of discussion potentially, for developing the regs to the next step.

“As long as that possibility is open, it’s likely that you’ll want to put something there.”

 

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Williams trials own double T-wing solution

Williams begun its testing plans with the introduction of a pair of T-Wings, the upper of which is in a similar position to the one already seen Ferrari and Mercedes install on their 2017 challengers.

The introduction of these winglets is part of a hangover from the previous regulations that allowed the placement of the rear wing support pillar and a 50mm zone that has been opened up ahead of where the rear wing used to sit.

Whilst Mercedes and Ferrari simply teased us with the upper T-Wing, Williams applied two.

The upper winglet is attached to the upper surface of the engine cover and has an arched fixture underneath (white arrows) for support given the load that might be placed on the upper winglet, which is also angled upward.

The lower coat hanger-style wing arches down to meet another support structure either side of the shark fin.

Both of these T-Wings are used to improve the aerodynamic connection between the diffuser and rear wing, whilst limiting drag.

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F1 marketing boss vows to "detonate the fan experience"

Formula 1's new marketing chief Sean Bratches has promised to "detonate the fan experience" as part of a long-term plan to grow the sport.

Bratches, a sports marketing veteran, said the opportunities to promote and grow Formula 1 were "simply huge" and that a focus on digital products were the key to greater fan engagement.

"The basis of this, if you peel everything back, is that every single thing that we're doing has to pivot around the fan," he told Motorsport.com.

"The fan is at the centre of all our theses in terms of driving this sport because if we're doing the best job we can serving fans, both the existing fans and the new fans, that's a win.

"That engagement can come from having a sponsor engage them, the rights holder engage them, the teams engage the or the drivers engage them. And that's central to how we're looking at the business.

"We have big events 20 times every single year in 20 different countries and there’s an extraordinary opportunity to detonate the fan experience in a very positive way."

Bratches declined to give specifics as to how the Formula 1 Group would fulfil its aims, but he did suggest that closer collaboration with drivers and making it easier for them to promote F1 through their own social media channels was an obvious opportunity for growth.

"I see the drivers as one of our strongest assets in terms of communicating, celebrating successes and amplifying controversies," he said. "And we can really help them do that.

"Taking Lewis Hamilton as an example, he has this kind of inalienable relationship with fans across the globe that transcends sport, that goes to celebrity.

"But we are not giving him the tools to perform from a social media standpoint with equivalent global rock stars. We want to help him.

"I had lunch with Lewis and we talked about this and we are 100 percent aligned in terms of where were going from a social media standpoint in terms of its importance and how we can work together."

Bratches said that Formula 1 had been "left behind" by the revolution in digital communications over the past decade, but pledged to work to change that.

"There are clear opportunities that we are focused on to create new products with state-of-the-art user interfaces and content," he said.

"We have the most extraordinary content cloud that's floating over F1. We're very excited about the data that we have. We just have to figure our strategically how we're going to apportion that."

New appointments

New marketing and communications departments are to be set up by Formula 1 Group, neither of which existed within Bernie Ecclestone's Formula One Management organisation.

Norman Howell was yesterday appointed as global communications director for the group.

An immediate change made to moving-image rights was made for the first 2017 F1 test this week, with teams and drivers being allowed to post short film clips to their social media feeds.

Any such activity was prohibited under Ecclestone.

As managing director (commercial operations) for Formula 1 Group, Bratches will work closely with Ross Brawn, motorsport managing director and chief executive Chase Carey.

"I'm hand-in-glove with Ross," Bratches said. "We want to take operations from a very deal-transaction oriented mentality to a much more strategic vision and executing on that vision over the mid- and long-term.

"We are not trying to put a Band-aid on something quickly. We are trying to take this extraordinary brand and grow it in a material, thoughtful way."

[skalls]

These T wings look stupid as hell.  Worry about them breaking off and whacking a driver behind them.

Interesting day.  Magnusson did a ton of laps.  Too soon to tell if Ferrari is back to #2 but they have been looking strong.  Bottas looked like he isn't totally comfortable with the car yet but he should have a strong showing this year because of the car he's in.

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Bottas ‘finding the limits’ after wall impact

Valtteri Bottas shrugged off his wild spin and strike against the wall on the second day of F1 testing at the Circuit de Catalunya as he broke 100 laps in just one afternoon of running in the Mercedes W08. 

Taking over from Lewis Hamilton to conduct the team's afternoon mileage, Bottas got straight to work on a race simulation as he piled on the laps. 

Over the course of four hours he notched up a mammoth 102 laps – more than all but two other drivers completed in eight hours. In all, Mercedes has already completed 320 laps in two days, the equivalent of almost five Spanish Grand Prix races. 

“I think it was another good test day for the team. We did so many laps again and completed all the runs that we had planned to do. 

“I worked on race simulations this afternoon. It was quite tricky with the windy conditions but I'm sure that we can learn a lot from the data.” 

Bottas' progress wasn't even slowed by a wild off at turn nine when the rear snapped away and spun him into the inside wall, striking flat on the right-rear tyre. Blaming the wind, Bottas pitted but continued on without interruption. 

“I had a small off but it wasn't anything serious. I lost the rear end with a gust of tail wind that was quite sudden. This is testing - you need to find the limits. 

“It's interesting to learn more about the new car - not just for me personally, but for us as a team. All the set-up work we've done has been very valuable. Two more days to go - I'm looking forward to it.” 

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WILLIAMS NOT SURE CAR CAN BE REPAIRED FOR THURSDAY TESTING

Williams head of performance Rob Smedley is not sure if his team would be able to repair the severely damaged FW40 in time for Felipe Massa to resume testing on Thursday, in the aftermath of teenage rookie Lance Stroll crashing into a wall during his stint in the cockpit on Wednesday.

Smedley told reporters, “We are still assessing all of the damage, there was a bit of damage to the left hand side of the car and we are having a look at it. I cannot make a full judgement call on it, as to how much has been damaged and what the contingency will be from this point onwards until we have a little bit of time and think about it.”

“There is a question mark but we will be doing our utmost to get out. It is a really important day for testing, today we had a good day learning about the car – and obviously we are desperate to continue that for tomorrow onwards so our aim is to get the car out.”

Canadian 18 year old rookie Stroll spun early on during his first day of testing, on Tuesday, which cost the team valuable track time, and although he managed 98 laps on Wednesday, they again lost an hour and a half of running in the afternoon.

But Smedley was not pointing fingers, “[Stroll] shouldn’t feel he has let them [his crew] down, otherwise we are living in some kind of terrible blame culture and we don’t want that. I wouldn’t even call it a mistake that Lance made today.”

“He was going for an upshift, he was on cold tyres, Felipe [Massa] once or twice on day one made almost exactly the same mistake and that is a guy with 15 years experience. It is for us to understand how to rebalance the car, how to get the tyre working, even in tricky situations on those cold laps to help the drivers in those situations.”

“Nobody stands back and says that is your bit and you are to blame for it – absolutely not. There is no blame to apportion here at all, the main focus as usual is how did it happen, how do we stop it happening again and how do we contain the actions going forward,” added Smedley.