Formula 1 - 2017

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NIGHTMARE CHINESE GRAND PRIX FOR ROOKIES

Three rookies left Shanghai hugely disappointed, and at least one shell-shocked, after a Chinese Grand Prix that was decidedly cruel to them early on in their respective Formula 1 careers.

After a forgettable debut at the Australian Grand Prix, Williams teenager Lance Stroll bounced back with a good showing in qualifying for the race in China, tenth quickest.

But race day was a short-lived affair for the billionaire’s son. On the opening lap, he and Sergio Perez were aiming for the same piece of tarmac, when the front wheel of the Force India tagged the rear right wheel of the Williams.

The impact sent Stroll off into the gravel where the Williams remained beached, his race run, “I was hit from the rear at Turn 10 and that was the end of my race. I was in front, knew the corner was mine and had to turn in eventually.”

“It was just unfortunate as that was my race over. I got hit and then the car was broken, most likely with a puncture and damaged suspension,” lamented the 18 year old.

The incident prompted a virtual yellow as the marshals cleared the debris.

On lap three, shortly after the virtual yellow period ended, Antonio Giovinazzi lost control of his Sauber, exiting the final turn, when it snapped on a wet patch and speared into the wall at high speed.

The Sauber came to a stop, a steaming wreck in the middle of the track. The safety car was deployed to clear the debris.

It was the second time in 24 hours that the Ferrari reserve severley wrecked the Sauber he has taken over from injured Pascal Wehrlein. During qualifying he also lost control exiting the very same turn, ending up in the wall. Report here>>>

If not in place already, it would be no surprise if Sauber slap a ‘you break it, you pay for it’ clause in the contract the team has with his minders. It was a very expensive weekend for the Swiss team…

Giovinazzi said afterwards, “I want to apologize again to the team. They did a great job to get the car ready for the race. It was a shame that I crashed again today. A learning lesson – I just want to forget this weekend quickly.”

Thankfully Stoffel Vandoorne did not end up in the litter or in the wall, but his race was also short as the woeful McLaren-Honda package again did him no favours.

On Saturday the Belgian qualified 16th, half a second off the pace of his teammate Fernando Alonso and by lap 17, of the race on Sunday, he was climbing out of his car with a DNF penned next to his name.

Vandoorne explained, “On lap 17 we lost power – I don’t really know exactly the reason – but I think it was a fuel problem. It’s a shame we couldn’t get to the finish today – the potential was there and the car felt quite competitive in the corners compared to the cars I was racing against.”

“I felt the power drop and I could feel immediately we had very low power. It’s not ideal, and obviously I would have liked to go to the end.”

The new era cars have done this year’s rookies no favours – faster and more challenging to drive – it is thus no surprise that the official results sheets of the 2017 Chinese Grand Prix show Vandoorne, Giovinazzi and Stroll, bottom of the list, in 18th, 19th and 20th respectively.

[skalls]

Chinese grand prix was fantastic.  Max is a beast, although his whining about Grosjean not giving him the position on the track was stupid.  He wasn't that close and blue flags weren't even flying. 

But man, those Ferrari's can fly.  It'll be interesting to see what the top 2 do with their engines.  Right now it's basically a coin flip.

[Cep]

F1 is really boring the crap out of me more and more. I don't even bother downloading the Q sessions any more (Stupid Q system these days / incredibly boring). The only action in races seems to be Verstappen on a wet track.

But I am LOVING MOTOGP.  

 

 

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ALONSO TO RACE INDY 500

McLaren driver Fernando Alonso will miss the Monaco Grand Prix in May in order to race in the Indianapolis 500, his team announced on Wednesday.

McLaren is returning to the Indy 500 after an absence of 38 years and will enter a single car in the race.

“Since the Indianapolis 500 will take place on May 28th, the same day as the Monaco Grand Prix, Fernando will not race at Monaco this year,” McLaren said in a statement.

Alonso is out of contract with McLaren at the end of the season and the Formula One team’s troubled start to the campaign has prompted speculation about whether the Spaniard would see out the year.

The double world champion and McLaren endured a frustrating season opening race in Australia, following on from pre-season testing marred by a lack of power and reliability from their Honda engines.

Alonso’s hopes of scoring his first points of the season in last weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix at the weekend were dashed by a driveshaft failure.

“I’m immensely excited that I’ll be racing in this year’s Indy 500, with McLaren, Honda and Andretti Autosport,” Alonso said in a statement.

“The Indy 500 is one of the most famous races on the global motorsport calendar, rivalled only by the Le Mans 24 Hours and the Monaco Grand Prix. It’s of course a regret of mine that I won’t be able to race at Monaco this year.” 

“But Monaco will be the only 2017 Grand Prix I’ll be missing, and I’ll be back in the cockpit of the McLaren-Honda MCL32 for the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal in early June.”

McLaren CEO Zak Brown commented, “As an American, albeit one who fell in love with Formula 1 at a very young age, I’ve always regarded the Indy 500 as a fantastic motor race.

“For that reason I’m particularly delighted to have been able to bring McLaren back to Indianapolis in my very first year as McLaren’s Executive Director.”

“Michael [Andretti] is an old friend of mine, and a man I respect enormously, and his Andretti Autosport organisation is one of the best in the business. Michael is a winner – indeed his team won the Indy 500 last year with Alexander Rossi, who will be one of Fernando’s team-mates at Indy next month – and I couldn’t be happier that Fernando will be making his IndyCar debut in one of Michael’s cars,” added Brown.

ESPN report that “Alonso will fly to Indianapolis from Barcelona immediately after the Spanish Grand Prix, where he will spend two weeks practicing with the car before the race.”

McLaren have said they will confirm his replacement “in due course” but it is expected that their former driver, turned ambassador and reserve, Jenson Button will be lining up for the team for the Monaco Grand Prix weekend.

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MCLAREN: WE MAY RUN A FULL-WORKS INDYCAR OPERATION

Fernando Alonso will contest the 2017 Indianapolis 500, arguably the world’s most famous race, and the project could be the first step towards a full time Indycar programme for Formula 1’s second most successful team.

Speaking in the wake of the Alonso announcement above, major shareholder Mansour Ojjeh said, “I’ve attended the Indy 500, and I came away hugely impressed by the scope and scale of this enormous and well-organised event, and the sheer enthusiasm of the hundreds of thousands of fans in attendance.”

“More than 30 years [after McLaren’s Indianapolis 500 victory], I’m pleased and proud that we’re about to embark on a new IndyCar era for McLaren, this time with Andretti Autosport and Honda.”

“The Indy 500 is the only IndyCar race we’ll be entering this year, but we may possibly repeat that in years to come and it’s just possible that we may even run a full-works McLaren IndyCar operation at some point in the future. We’ll see,” added Ojjeh.

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BATTLE OF BAHRAIN: HAMILTON VS VETTEL

Lewis Hamilton is keeping his fingers crossed that he and Ferrari rival Sebastian Vettel can have a proper battle in Bahrain on Sunday after last year’s race did neither of them any favours.

Vettel, now joint leader of the Formula One championship with Mercedes’s Hamilton after two races, was unable to start the 2016 grand prix at Sakhir due to an engine failure on the formation lap.

The German, who had qualified third behind the then-dominant Mercedes drivers, has been alongside Hamilton on the front row so far this year.

“It [the title battle] is going to go right down to the end of the season, and I hope there’s nothing mechanical that will come in between our sheer battle through ability,” said Hamilton after winning in China last weekend.

“I really, really hope it’s just an out and out fight through stubbornness, through mental stability, through fitness, composure…,” he added.

Vettel, a four times world champion with Red Bull, and triple champion Hamilton have 43 points apiece after one victory and second place each.

Unless both draw a blank, the deadlock must be broken on Sunday at a desert circuit where both are two times winners and returning in rather better mood than they left last year.

There is a real sense of anticipation about the emerging scrap between two great rivals with a huge determination to win and no less mutual respect of each other’s talents and achievements.

“He is at his best and he is phenomenally quick,” Hamilton said of Australian Grand Prix winner Vettel. “Ferrari are at their best in years. We’re at our best as a team, and I feel like I’m at my best.

“The ultimate fighter always wants to go up against the best battle he can have because then when you come out on top, it’s so much more satisfying. I love this fight.”

Last year’s race in Bahrain does not hold great memories for either of the current Mercedes drivers, either.

Hamilton made a slow start from pole and collided on the first lap with the Williams of Valtteri Bottas, his new team mate this season, who was punished by stewards for his move.

Bottas, who has replaced last year’s winner and retired world champion Nico Rosberg, will not want reminding of that as he seeks to move on from a spin behind the safety car that cost him points in China.

Mercedes should be favourites, after winning the last three races at Sakhir, but Ferrari are sharp on strategy and have shown they flourish in hotter conditions.

“I think they will be very, very quick in the next race but there’s a lot of straights there as well and we’ve obviously got, I think, still the strongest power unit on the grid,” commented Hamilton. “So I think that will come into play, for sure.”

The race will also see the return of Sauber’s Pascal Wehrlein, who has missed two races due to fitness issues, and of former commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone, attending a race for the first time since his ouster by Liberty Media.

The 86-year-old Briton told Reuters that a Vettel v Hamilton battle was win-win for the sport, “They are both good friends of mine so I don’t care who wins. It would be nice to see Ferrari win… I’d like to see Sebastian win, But it would also be nice to see Lewis put another notch on his gun.”

Bahrain Grand Prix Facts & Statistics:

• Lap distance: 5.412km. Total distance: 308.484km (57 laps)
• Race lap record: One minute 31.447 seconds, Pedro de la Rosa (Spain), McLaren, 2005.
• 2016 pole: Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes 1:29.493
• 2016 winner: Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes
• Start time: 1500GMT (1800 local)

Victories

• Sebastian Vettel’s victory for Ferrari in the Australian season-opener was the Italian team’s first since 2015. Hamilton’s win in China was his fifth at that circuit.
• Champions Mercedes have won 52 of 61 races since the introduction of the 1.6 litre V6 turbo hybrid power units in 2014.
• Red Bull, with Australian Daniel Ricciardo and Dutch teenager Max Verstappen, were the only non-Mercedes winners last season.
• Triple world champion Hamilton has 54 career victories, putting him second in the all-time list behind Michael Schumacher (91). Vettel has 43, McLaren’s Fernando Alonso is on 32 and Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen 20.
• Ferrari have won 225 races, McLaren 182, Williams 114, Mercedes 65 and Red Bull 52. McLaren and Williams have not won a race since 2012.

Pole Position

• Hamilton now has 63 career poles after taking the top slot in China. He is two short of the late Ayrton Senna’s career total and five behind Schumacher’s record 68.
• Mercedes have been on pole in 58 of the last 61 races.
• Hamilton has been on pole for the last six races. Only four drivers, including Hamilton, have previously racked up seven successive poles. Senna holds the record of eight (1988/89).

Podium

• Hamilton’s victory in Shanghai was his 106th podium finish, equalling Alain Prost in second place on the all-time lists. Schumacher has a record 155.
• China was the first time Hamilton, Vettel and Verstappen have shared a podium.

Points

• Force India’s Mexican Sergio Perez has finished the last 12 races in the points, the longest current run among those on the grid.
• Renault, Sauber and McLaren have yet to score in 2017.

Bahrain Race

• Hamilton, Vettel and Williams’ Brazilian veteran Felipe Massa have all won twice in Bahrain. Alonso has won three times (2005, 2006, 2010).
• This year’s race is the 13th edition. The grand prix was first held in 2004 and not run in 2011 due to civil unrest. It switched to a floodlit event in 2014.
• The driver on pole in Bahrain has been the winner in five of the 12 races to date. It has never been won by anyone starting below the front two rows.
• Eleven out of 12 winners have been from the team that ended up winning the constructors’ title that season. The exception was Alonso for Ferrari in 2010.

Milestone

• Mercedes made their 150th start as a constructor in China, after chalking up their 75th pole position.
• China was Red Bull’s 100th race with at least one podium finish.

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TURKISH GRAND PRIX RETURN ON THE CARDS

It has emerged that there is a concerted effort to get the Turkish Grand Prix back on the Formula 1 calendar for the first time since 2011, with Formula 1 chief Chase Carey concluding early talks with Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan.

Circuit owner Vural Ak, who purchased the $250 million venue five years ago, and several government representatives were also in attendance.

Ak revealed to Turkish media, “We had a meeting in Ankara with the President and Chase Carey from Liberty Media, whom I previously invited to Turkey personally before.”

“All I can say at this point is that the meetings went really well and we agreed in principle. Although the contract hasn’t been signed yet.”

The race on the outskirts of Istanbul was held from 2005 and 2011, but lack of funding caused it to be scrapped from the F1 schedule.

Meanwhile the Malaysian Grand Prix will run for the last time this year, while the Singapore Grand Prix is in doubt beyond the existing contract. Germany and France are set to feature regularly in forthcoming seasons.

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SAUBER: WEHRLEIN BACK IN THE CAR FOR BAHRAIN

Pascal Wehrlein will be back behind the wheel for Sauber in Bahrain this weekend after missing the first two races of the Formula One season due to fitness issues, the Swiss-based team said on Tuesday.

“Good news: We are pleased to inform that Pascal Wehrlein will be back in the car as of the Bahrain GP,” Sauber said on Twitter.

Sunday’s race at Sakhir will be the 22-year-old German’s race debut for the Ferrari-powered team after he drove for now-defunct Manor last year, finishing 13th in Bahrain.

Italian Antonio Giovinazzi, a Ferrari reserve driver, stepped in for Wehrlein in Australia and China without scoring points and crashed in qualifying and the race in Shanghai last weekend.

Wehrlein’s absence in China was aimed at limiting the effects of jetlag and giving him more time to recover for Bahrain.

The German, who has close ties to champions Mercedes, injured his back in a crash at the “Race of Champions” event in Miami in January and was unable to train for weeks afterwards.

Although he tested in Spain in March, and was cleared to drive in Australia, he pulled out on the Saturday before final practice.

Sauber’s other driver is Sweden’s Marcus Ericsson, who has also yet to score this season.

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JIANG LAN: CHASE CAREY MORE TOLERANT AND OPEN-MINDED

Organisers of the Chinese Grand Prix, at Shanghai International Circuit, say they are looking forward to the next round of contract extension talks, with Juss Event adding that the new F1 bosses – Liberty Media – were “more open-minded”.

This is the last year of the seven-year contract to host the premier motor sports race in China. F1 itself has undergone a change with American Chase Carey replacing Bernie Ecclestone to become the new chief executive of the Formula One Group.

Asked if Shanghai was ready to extend the Chinese GP deal, Jiang Lan, Juss Event CEO and vice president of Shanghai Jiushi (Group) Co Ltd said he saw no reason why it won’t happen.

“We haven’t gone into [contract extension] details yet during our meeting this weekend. It was more about the sport itself and how to promote it better here,” said Jiang. “But I can say there will only be more reasons for us to host the grand prix in the future.”

“F1 has been seeing a drop in viewership worldwide. But I found Chase, who has a media background, more tolerant and open-minded. He was willing to give more power to F1’s local organizers and create new values together.”

“Of course, we need to thank Bernie for his contribution to the sport over such a long time. But it’s obvious that the sport and its promoters are expecting some changes and renovations, especially on how to expand the market.”

“Chase might not know about F1 as clearly as Bernie did, but he agrees that the F1 weekends should be more fun, which is in line with what we want.”

Jiang said Juss has been trying to make the race weekend into a “big party” over the past 14 years, which has helped to get fans to the Shanghai International Circuit every year.

“F1 is a disciplined sport with strict rules even for organizers. The activities and commercial booths we arranged near the entrance of the circuit had been questioned by the previous F1 management. But the new bosses like it.”

“But there is little suspense about whether we will continue to host the race,” he added.

Jiang said TV broadcasting rights is another area Juss can explore in the future. Juss owns F1’s broadcasting rights in mainland China but struggles to sell the rights at a profit.

A total of 145,000 spectators visited the Shanghai International Circuit in suburban Jiading District during the three-day GP. Tickets for the Grand Stand were hot sellers on the internet this year. Even the 300 Grand Stand tickets set aside to be sold at the venue were grabbed fast.

“It shows that fans are also optimistic after the new changes in the sport,” said Jiang.

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Stoffel Vandoorne hopes prior Bahrain experience aids progress

McLaren-Honda driver Stoffel Vandoorne is hopeful that his experience at the Sakhir Circuit will be beneficial in Bahrain this weekend, though remains wary of the progress still required by the team.

Vandoorne entered the opening two rounds in Australia and China without prior track experience at the venues, though the 25-year-old has raced in Bahrain in both GP2 and Formula 1.

Vandoorne won three races from six starts at Sakhir in GP2, and added a further two podium finishes, while last year he made his Formula 1 debut for McLaren, in place of Fernando Alonso, after the Spaniard’s high-speed crash in Australia.

Vandoorne out-qualified then team-mate Jenson Button and went on to score a point by finishing in 10th position.

“I have lots of good memories from the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend in 2016,” he said.

“We’re a year on now, I’m a full-time McLaren-Honda driver, and I’ve already gained a lot more experience in the past 12 months, so of course my aim is to work hard and improve every time I arrive at a grand prix.

“The most important thing for me is mileage, and the weather will surely be better in Bahrain than it was in Shanghai, so I’m hoping to do as many laps as possible over the weekend.

“It helps that I know this track well and I won there twice in 2015 in GP2, so I’m already comfortable with the layout and therefore it’s a case of building on what I already know. 

“We were always expecting a difficult weekend in China, and I don’t know if it will get a lot better in Bahrain – it’s only one week later and there’s obviously a limit to how many changes we can apply in that time, but we’ll do our best as usual.

“The car is definitely improving and both Fernando and I feel confident and competitive, especially in the corners, so we’ll have to wait and see what’s possible at this track.”

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Alonso “not afraid” of taking on Indy 500 dangers – VIDEO

McLaren’s Fernando Alonso says he’s “not afraid” of the challenge and dangers of high-speed oval racing when he starts his first Indianapolis 500 next month.

Speaking to the press after the announcement that he will skip the Monaco Grand Prix to race at Indy this year, Alonso says he is well aware of the new driving techniques that he will have to learn on the 2.5-mile speedway, where speeds hit 230mph.

“It’s very exciting, very challenging as well, because we know I’m not ready – now – if the race was tomorrow,” he quipped. “I have a lot of things to learn in a very short period of time. It’s so challenging but it’s very exciting as well.

“It is definitely a completely different skills that you need, different driving technique that I’ll have to adapt myself. And in the middle of this period there is three Formula 1 Grands Prix. So let’s see.

“The average speed is very, very high, close to the wall, a lot of slipstreaming with different cars around. [All] things I’ll have to get used to.

“But I’m not afraid of the challenge.”

Unconcerned by high-speed risks

Alonso denied that he was taking a risk by switching away from road racing to race on ovals, where a number of top-line drivers have been killed in recent years – including Dan Wheldon and Justin Wilson.

“No, it’s not a concern,” said Alonso. “The standards that Indy has right now are great, and the studies behind the cars, the walls, all the safety equipment – it’s great.

“It’s probably as advanced as Formula 1. We are not afraid. Not concerned about this, and I’m sure nothing will happen.”

Can he emulate Mansell’s oval speed?

When Motorsport.tv’s Peter Windsor pointed out to Alonso that fellow F1 World Champion convert Nigel Mansell adapted to ovals very quickly, he replied: “I’m curious. I cannot lie to you that I was watching a lot of races, but I’m trying to listen to all the interviews with the rookies, like [Rubens] Barrichello. Things that may be useful to me.

“Until you’re in the car, feeling the speed in the corners and the cars around, I won’t have a clear picture.”

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Steiner wants rethink of "unfair" penalty process

Haas boss Gunther Steiner has called for a rethink of Formula 1's penalty process after he criticised the decision to penalise Romain Grosjean in China.

Grosjean and Renault's Jolyon Palmer were both give five-place grid penalties for improving their times after passing double-waved yellow flags following Antonio Giovinazzi's crash in qualifying.

The duo said they backed off, with Grosjean tweeting his data to support his argument, but the stewards ruled Palmer and Grosjean "attempted to set a meaningful laptime", which is not allowed in the rules.

In accordance with article 38.3g of the sporting regulations, this type of penalty is not susceptible to appeal.

Steiner was critical of the decision immediately after the event and was still disappointed with the call when speaking after the race.

"You cannot appeal these decisions," he said. "They should know what they did. The data that Romain tweeted speaks for itself - I don't know if they look at all of this stuff.

"It's pretty unfair and it's not what they should be doing.

"If there's a doubt, they should call somebody and get it explained, but not jump to conclusions and think 'this is what I think you did'."

Steiner said that while he is moving on from the decision, he hopes governing body the FIA reassess the way it deals with penalties.

"It's water under the bridge," he said. "I hope they learn from it and that the FIA learns from it to look into and analyse it and see what these guys did."

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Verstappen has "sixth sense" in the wet - Horner

Red Bull boss Christian Horner believes Max Verstappen has a "sixth sense" for wet weather driving, after his stunning charge through the field at the Chinese Grand Prix.

Verstappen had started a lowly 16th on the grid after an engine problem in qualifying meant he was unable to make it out of Q1.

But the Dutchman against showed his class in tricky conditions from the start – passing nine cars after a brilliant opening lap and eventually finishing third having got up to second at one point.

Horner said that Verstappen's performance was proof of his clear talent – as he ranked him alongside some of F1's greatest.

"He appears to have an almost sixth sense in the wet," said Horner. "He doesn't seem intimidated by it in any way, and is prepared to explore all the boundaries of the circuit available, to find where the grip is.

"There was one move he made on the outside of Turn 6, where he went straight down the outside of two or three cars and then cut back, and it was very, very impressive."

When asked where he felt Verstappen compared to F1's best-ever drivers, Horner said: "I think he is right up there. It is not a coincidence now. You can see Brazil wasn't a one off, and that maybe good old Bernie's sprinkler system would be good for us.

"The way he has grown up driving go karts in the wet on slick tyres and stuff like that, he has developed a real instinct and feeling."

He added: "I remember Sebastian [Vettel] being fantastic in the wet. The first race he won here was outstanding but the great drivers always stand out in wet weather conditions. We saw Lewis at Silverstone in 2008 and the great drivers always do make a mark for themselves."

Understeer

Although Verstappen was close to eventual race winner Lewis Hamilton early on, he eventually slipped back as conditions dried.

And in the closing stages, he even faced pressure from teammate Daniel Ricciardo as his setup balance left him unable to attack much more.

"He was getting a bit frustrated because his car... he wasn't quite as happy with the setup of the car and he had a lot of understeer in the car," explained Horner.

"That became particularly aggravated if he was anywhere near any turbulent air. So as soon as he got to the back of anyone – there was a Renault to lap and then [Romain] Grosjean – on a car that was already struggling for front end, it was just exaggerating his problem, so he was very keen to have clean air."

But Horner said there were no team orders between Verstappen and Ricciardo as they battled it out at the end.

"Daniel ran slightly more downforce than Max, so wasn't quite as quick on the straight. But he was quicker in the middle sector, so it was horses for courses.

"Earlier in the race they had raced each other firmly but fairly and I made the decision, let them race those last 10 laps.

"They knew from the discussions we have had previously, and the only instruction I gave from the pit wall was they just respect each other, which they did. So while they do that, we will happy to continue to allow them to race."

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Brawn plots F1's secrecy revolution to help fan experience

Ross Brawn has revealed plans to push Formula 1 teams to end their culture of secrecy, as part of a bid to deliver fans a better experience.

Brawn, who is F1’s motorsport managing director, believes great opportunities are being missed on digital platforms through not exploiting the wealth of data, simulations and telemetry that teams have available to them.

He says new owners Liberty Media are working with F1’s technology partners Tata Communications on how best to take the sport to a new level of fan engagement – through the use of Apps, mobile devices and even Augmented and Virtual Reality.

While some changes – including adding WiFi networks to F1 tracks - are pretty straightforward, other aspects will take time but should be hugely popular.

“There is a great layer of information in Formula 1, that we should be making available to the fans, so the fans can watch at whatever level they want to engage in,” Brawn told Motorsport.com.

“I had three years as a TV enthusiast and what I missed was the ability to keep going deeper and deeper into what’s going on in the race.

"I was used to pitwall environment where I had all the information and I had the analysis from my experts being fed in to me as well. So I had a picture of the whole race.

“Imagine that you have all the information available that the strategists have on the pitwall, to decide when they do a pitstop. You simulate all that, you decide when you want a pitstop and you work through it.

“We can make available a necessary program, so people could use it to make their predictions. You have the tyre profile, you have the length of the pitstop, you have the position of the cars and you have the gaps. So you’d be working out a pitstop yourself, which for me would be fascinating.

“With all the fans engaging like that, you can imagine the collection of opinions and debate that would go on. And this is only an example of one aspect of the racing, because there’s so much information out there – and it’s all available.

“The teams do massive analysis of how’s the car behaving, how much understeer it has, how much oversteer it has, what would brake wear be like? If we cross that barrier, to make all that information available, I think the large chunk of enthusiasts would really enjoy seeing all that, both live and retrospectively.”

Speaking to teams

On the technological front, F1 is ready to unleash Liberty’s vision for opening up the data channels and taking it to fans

Tata Communications, which celebrated its 100th race involved with F1 at the Chinese Grand Prix, has already prepared the connectivity needed to do just that – having successfully even completed tests for UHD and OTT broadcasts last year that require huge bandwith.

Brawn said: “We’ve got a framework and we’ve got a platform to almost do whatever we want. And that’s a great position to be in.”

Tata Communications itself believes that if F1 is going to keep expanding its reach, then it has to produce better content that engages audiences.

Mehul Kapadia, head of Tata’s F1 operations, said: “Beforehand you could have the racing experience and not worry about the technology. I think now, the technology is as important as cars going faster. If you consider great racing action and great means to deliver it to audiences, that is where the real punch is.

"What Netflix cracked the code on was to ensure that when you want it, you will get it. Live sports still faces that challenge of, is it interesting enough after I already know who has won? So what do you do to the content to deliver that.”

A new mindset

One of the first hurdles to the digital change will be in convincing teams to give up the wealth of information that they gather themselves.

Brawn knows the value that teams put on understanding their own performance and that of their rivals, but he thinks that F1 as a whole would benefit if everything was made open and shared

“It’s thinking with a bigger picture – let’s stop being so competitive in certain arenas,” he said.

“We know we need to beat each other, but can we cross that barrier and instead say, what we want is a much bigger business. And if we all do it, nobody is going to be disadvantaged or advantaged.

“I remember it was the same with team radio. Teams didn’t want radio conversations broadcast, but now it is a very interesting aspect of the race and nobody thinks about it any more.”

When asked if he had spoken to teams about this idea, Brawn said: “To be fair, we haven’t got our ideas straight on what we feel would be the right requirement from the teams to take this forward.

“I don’t want go out and ask for a bit of this and a bit of that. We really need get our idea straight and we’re in that process. It will take a little while and we can cross that barrier of secrecy.”

Tests this year

Brawn suggests that the first tests for the new ideas could take place as early as this season – with a view to a proper introduction in 2018.

“Maybe some trials this season, but I think next year is more realistic for substantial elements, but there will be pieces coming in this season,” he said.

Change could be coming for the fan experiences at the track too, with plans to finally install a WiFi network at circuits.

One of F1’s previous failures was that despite having a world-class technology expert like Tata on board, it did not push for a connected stadium approach – where fans had access to the best WiFi possible in the grandstand.

Despite sources suggesting Tata could have implemented this ‘in a matter of hours’, Bernie Ecclestone was reluctant to go down that route for commercial reasons. It is something that Brawn says Liberty Media will address soon.

“That’s coming, that’s definitely coming. It’s being worked on,” said Brawn on the Wifi situation.

“You know, the things I’ve spoken about - following a race and understanding the strategy and working out pit stops, if you could do that on a grandstand, on your portable device. Imagine how great that would be.”

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WILLIAMS PREVIEW THE BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX

Bahrain led Formula One’s expansion into the Middle East in 2004 and will this year hold its 13th Grand Prix and its fourth as a night race.

No longer one of the calendar’s new additions, the Bahrain International Circuit has proved one of the more popular modern-era races and hosts one of the most entertaining Grands Prix of the year.

The temperatures, dust and sand around the 5.4km layout present teams with a unique mechanical challenge in which to operate Formula One cars at peak performance.

For Bahrain, Pirelli has made available the supersoft, soft and medium tyres.

Paddy Lowe, Chief Technical Officer: “Bahrain is a great track that has been transformed since becoming a twilight race in 2014, with a great atmosphere in the build up to lights-out, with a magical feel as it ends under the lights as darkness falls. We have seen some very exciting battles on track there between drivers over the years, and this year promises to be no different. It is very tough on brakes so it will be interesting to see how well the teams fare with this generation of faster cars. It can be hot, testing the cooling systems, and the wind and sand can also be a factor, especially during the early parts of the weekend, so it has the ability to be quite a tricky test for both the teams and drivers.”

Felipe Massa: “As a track it’s a little bit different to the others. You need to have a car that is strong under braking, which is especially important for this track. You also need a reliable car that has good speed and traction. I really like Bahrain, I’ve won there twice so it’s definitely a place I enjoy going to. I really hope we can have a good race there this year.”

Lance Stroll: “It will be a pretty heavy schedule to have my first back-to-back races from China to Bahrain. However, Bahrain will be the first track this season that I have driven on before, so that will be a bit of a breather for me. It is a track that has a good flow to it. It can be quite slippery sometimes, as the wind blows the sand over it because it is in the desert. It is a very modern track, but quite bumpy in certain places and, just as with many other circuits, has its challenges. I really enjoyed myself the one time I have been there so I am looking forward to the race. It is definitely one of those desert tracks as there is not much grass, but it is still a cool place. I know there has been some good racing in Bahrain, which is always great.”

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HAAS PREVIEW THE BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX

After securing its best starting spot in its still young history with a sixth-place qualifying effort March 25 in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, Haas F1 Team comes into the third race of the 2017 FIA Formula One World Championship at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir looking to emulate its best finish.

In last year’s Bahrain Grand Prix, Haas F1 Team driver Romain Grosjean finished an impressive fifth, effectively one-upping his debut with the American team two weeks prior when he finished sixth in Australia. Not since Shadow Racing – another American team – debuted in 1973 with consecutive points-scoring finishes by Californian George Follmer had an organization earned two top-six results in its first two races.

The back-to-back point-scoring efforts raised eyebrows in the paddock and staked Haas F1 Team as a legitimate Formula One outfit. But in a sport that moves at lightning pace, one’s efforts in the last race, let alone last season, quickly fade. Two races into its sophomore season and with all of 23 races under its belt, that fifth-place finish in the desert remains Haas F1 Team’s high-water mark.

Now the globe-trotting series returns to Bahrain fresh off the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai.

After enduring a double DNF (Did Not Finish) in Australia, Haas F1 Team bounced back with a points-paying finish in China. New-for-2017 driver Kevin Magnussen led the way with a strong eighth-place result and Grosjean delivered a spirited, 11th-place performance after starting 19th. The four points earned by Magnussen placed Haas F1 Team seventh in the constructor standings, four points behind sixth-place Williams and four points ahead of an eighth-place tie among Renault, Sauber and McLaren.

Is another points-scoring campaign in the offing, just as it was last year at Bahrain? Haas F1 Team certainly thinks so as its drivers have performed well at the 5.412-kilometer (3.363-mile), 15-turn track.

Grosjean has scored points in four of his five career Formula One starts at Bahrain. His best finish is third, earned twice in back-to-back seasons in 2012 and 2013, and that third-place run in 2012 marked Grosjean’s first career podium. Grosjean finished seventh in 2015 and, of course, fifth last year.

Magnussen has two Formula One starts at Bahrain – one in 2014 with McLaren and the other in 2016 with Renault, where he finished just outside the points in 11th.

But beyond each driver’s finishes at Bahrain is their collective ability to gain positions, regardless of their starting spots. In each of Grosjean’s podium performances, he came from starting spots of seventh and 11th, respectively. In fact, in every Formula One race he’s run at Bahrain, Grosjean has been able to overtake and advance, picking up 23 positions in all. Magnussen has proven he can also dispatch his competition at Bahrain, as he drove from 22nd to 11th in last year’s race.

The ability to overtake stems in part from Bahrain’s generous run-off areas, allowing drivers to push hard without the consequence of running into an unforgiving wall. Substantial track width also provides drivers options when it comes to attacking, as there is plenty of asphalt to tread on while pursuing one’s prey.

But every track has limits, regardless of how much pavement is available, and in 2017 those limits can be found abruptly.

Significantly wider tires from Pirelli, by 60 millimeters (2.4 inches) in the front and 80 millimeters (3.1 inches) in the rear, have brought change to a car’s handling. The 25-percent increase from 2016 to bring the front tires to 305 millimeters (12 inches) and the rear tires to 405 millimeters (15.9 inches) means that finding the balance between running the fastest line possible through a corner without spinning off course rests on a knife’s edge. The amount a car can naturally slide is very limited. The loss of grip is sudden, making the car difficult to catch.

“They (the tires) are done to function in a certain way of sliding, and soon as you go out of that you lose all the downforce,” Grosjean said. “As the downforce is massively high, then the drop is massively bigger – when it is gone, it is gone.”

Add in the fact the Bahrain International Circuit is in the middle of the desert. Sand can pose a problem – to the level of grip on the racetrack and to the performance of the car, with the engine’s air filters checked thoroughly and often.

It’s a gritty environment that often showcases a driver’s and team’s grit, as evidenced by Haas F1 Team and its drivers. With Formula One headed back to Bahrain, Grosjean and Magnussen are bullish on the opportunities that can be secured in Sakhir.

Guenther Steiner, Team Principal

Bahrain is the site of Haas F1 Team’s best finish – fifth by Grosjean in last year’s race, which was only the second race for Haas F1 Team. Can you talk about the impact of that race and perhaps how it was even more important than the sixth-place finish earned in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, as it seemed to validate the team and show that Australia wasn’t a fluke?
“Absolutely. Last year, coming away from Australia, a lot of people said it was a strategy call which we got lucky with the red flag. We got lucky, but the car showed some speed, and it was proven in Bahrain where there were no lucky circumstances and we finished fifth. It was good to have this at the beginning of the year. To get there, our people worked day and night, really hard. I don’t know how they did it looking back at it. It was a magnificent moment.”

With all the newness this year, how helpful is it to have the same tire compounds – White medium, Yellow soft and Red supersoft – on these back-to-back race weekends between China and Bahrain?
“I wouldn’t say so because while we’ve got the same tires, the circumstances are different. The temperature will be a lot different. China was much colder than Bahrain will be, where the temperature is meant to be near 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). We will learn a lot about the tires. It’s for sure useful, but I wouldn’t say what we learned in China, or what we learned in Melbourne, will specifically give us an advantage in Bahrain.”

Drivers are saying that with the wider tires this year the loss of grip is very sudden. The amount a car can naturally slide through a corner is very limited, and when grip goes away, it’s gone. Obviously, it’s a delicate balance, and while drivers find this balance based on feel, does the data suggest where this balance lies?
“We have tire pressure data and surface temperature data, so between the two of them we can predict what the tire does. We never know 100 percent – that is the job of the driver to get the best out of it. We can guide him where he should be, but then to get the last 10 percent, it’s down to the driver.”

The amount of run-off area at Bahrain is high. Does that allow drivers to push the limits of their car and its tires more than at some other venues?
“I would say so. If you know you can run off without damaging the car, or hurting yourself, you take the chance and you try it, at least. I think we will see in the free practices people trying how far they can push it. Nothing will happen. They will just run off. In some ways, it’s a good thing. In others, it’s not so good because while you can learn how far you can go, you pay a big price for it if your judgement is wrong. It’s all pros and cons, but that makes it interesting. It’s never the same. Every weekend is different.”

Are you able to learn more at a venue like Bahrain because you are able to push harder and discover a car’s limits?
“In theory, you can push harder and find the limit without damaging the car. How much you take advantage of that – it’s really difficult to establish. You can find the limit, but then if you go over the limit, you lose the lap, and that’s never a positive. If you have a new set of tires on and you lose the lap, you don’t know actually what you could have done the rest of the lap. It’s not a clear yes or no.”

With the race beginning in the late afternoon and ending at night, how much does the track change as the air and track temperatures cool?
“On every weekend the track normally changes, especially when it gets colder. Later on in the evening because the sun goes down, it changes more.”

What can you do to combat those changing track conditions during the race?
“You cannot put much adjustability above what you normally adjust into the car. It’s in the pit stop, with your front wing settings. We’re not allowed to change anything else than that during a race, or before the race, because after qualifying the car is under parc ferme rules. You cannot change anything. The only thing we can do is adjust the front wing to change the aerodynamic balance.”

Bahrain marks the third race of the season, and with hot and dry weather expected, it will provide a very different environment compared to the season-opener in Australia and last week’s race in China. When will we have a good sample size of races to know where Haas F1 Team stacks up in relation to other Formula One teams?
“The picture will get clearer by Barcelona, but what comes next are all the updates teams will bring in. How often updates come in and how effective they are will continue to mix things up. We will always chase the midfield this year – who is best and who is last. The updates this year should be significant. We have a very immature car because the development time was not long. We will get a clearer picture, but it won’t be definitive.”

It sounds like the amount of updates being brought to the racetrack is akin to an arms race. How quickly do you need updates to come, and what determines when an update is ready to be used in a grand prix?
“Releases are normally decided by the gains you make in the wind tunnel. You don’t react to other people when they bring them. You keep to your schedule because, first you have to develop it, then you have to design the parts, and then you have to manufacture them. We have set our schedule out already until the middle of the year – what and how much we bring. We wouldn’t change it dramatically. You can always make small adjustments, but you cannot change your principle of how you plan to do this. This is the same for all the other teams, except for the three big ones which could bring updates at any time because their capacity is so much bigger in design and manufacturing.”

Romain Grosjean

Bahrain is the site of Haas F1 Team’s best finish – your fifth-place result in last year’s race, which was only the second race for Haas F1 Team. Can you talk about the impact of that race and perhaps how it was even more important than the sixth-place finish you earned in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, as it seemed to validate the team and show that Australia wasn’t a fluke?
“Bahrain last year was pretty special. Of course, coming from Australia where we’d had a bit of luck with the red flag, we had no more expectation going into Bahrain. From the first free practice lap I thought the car’s not too bad. In qualifying we just managed to be P9, which was what we wanted not going into the Q3, which at that time was the top-eight. We knew we had a set of tires for the race. We had a very aggressive strategy. We had our first ever pit stop in the race – it was then a three-stop race. The car felt good. I was overtaking guys. Before I knew it, I had crossed the line P5. It was not down to luck or anything. It was the pure pace of the car. It was a pretty special race. I still remember having a lot of fun driving the car.”

In five career Formula One races at Bahrain, you’ve had four point-paying finishes, including two podiums (back-to-back third-place finishes in 2012 and 2013). And in scoring those podiums, you came from seventh and 11th on the grid. In fact, in every race you’ve picked up positions from where you qualified – 23 positions in all. Is there something about Bahrain that plays to your strengths?
“I love the track in Bahrain. On paper, it doesn’t look like the most exciting one, but driving it is pretty good fun. Big braking – I brake late. I love braking hard and late. It probably explains why my qualifying sessions in 2012 and 2013, I could have done better. The car was pretty good on tires in the race. It’s hard on tires as well, but I was good with that, probably another thing that helped. I love racing in Bahrain.”

You’ve proven that you can overtake at Bahrain. Where do you overtake and how do you do it?
“There’s plenty of places where you can overtake. Basically, turn one is DRS, and going up to turn four is another good place. Down to turn eight, on the first few laps of the race, is a quick one. Before turn 11 is a bit more tricky. Even though you’ve got the DRS, it’s a tricky place to overtake. There’s only one corner where you could overtake, but you don’t really want to do it – it’s the last corner, because the guy behind you has the DRS and he’ll just take you back.”

With all the newness this year, how helpful is it to have the same tire compounds – White medium, Yellow soft and Red supersoft – on these back-to-back race weekends between China and Bahrain?
“It doesn’t mean a lot that we’ve got the same tires. Conditions are going to be very different. Bahrain is a very aggressive track with a high temperature. China is a very smooth track with low temperature. Shanghai is front limited, Bahrain is rear limited. They’re two very different circuits. If you look at the first four races of the calendar, if we do well out of those four and manage to get a good consistency, we can then be very hopeful for the rest of the year.”

Drivers are saying that with the wider tires this year the loss of grip is very sudden. The amount a car can naturally slide through a corner is very limited, and when grip goes away, it’s gone. Obviously, it’s a delicate balance. How do you find it?
“Finding the balance is never easy. It’s about finding the setup that fits you and finding what is the limit of the car. It’s true that now we have more downforce, whenever the car goes sideways we lose all downforce, and the percentage of loss is bigger than it was before. That’s probably why we see cars not possible to recover. Driving to the limit is what we’re here for and what we love.”

The amount of run-off area at Bahrain is high. Does that allow you to push the limits of your car and its tires more than at some other venues?
“It’s certainly easier to find braking points in Bahrain than it is in Monaco or Singapore. You know if you miss it, or overshoot your braking point, you’re just going to go straight and have another go on the next lap. Some street circuits it’s straight into the wall. It’s a bit easier to get used to it and find the limit.”

Are you able to learn more at a venue like Bahrain because you are able to push harder and discover a car’s limits?
“Not necessarily. I think every venue, you have an interesting understanding of the car. That’s why I’m saying I don’t want to judge anything before the first four races.”

With the race beginning in the late afternoon and ending at night, how much does the track change as the air and track temperatures cool?
“The track changes quite a bit during the race, especially in the last stint. Normally, where you fit the harder tires, it’ll probably be the softs this year. It’s just a bit harder to work the tires, but it’s not as bad as Abu Dhabi, for example, where you start really in the day and finish in the dark.”

What can you do to combat those changing track conditions during the race?
“You can adapt your aero balance every time you go to the pit stop, and then just use the tools you have in the car.”

What is your favorite part of the Bahrain International Circuit and why?
“I like turns 11, 12 and 13, just because there’s a cool flow. If you’ve got a good car, they are the corners where you can enjoy balancing the car.”

Is there a specific portion of the Bahrain International Circuit that is more challenging than other aspects of the track? If so, why?
“Turns nine and 10 are pretty tricky. That’s the braking going downhill and there’s a lot of g-forces and front locking, with tricky traction on the exit. That’s the place where you really need to focus.”

Explain a lap around the Bahrain International Circuit.
“Bahrain is not a circuit that looks very technical from a paper point of view, but I love driving it every year. It’s a big straight into turn one. Big braking and a tricky exit to turn two, and then you head up the hill approaching turn four. It’s got tricky braking with long lateral g’s and acceleration going into the high-speed section of (turns) five, six and seven. The wind can have a big influence at those corners. Then you have the hairpin down the hill, going up against (turns) nine and 10 where you can easily have some front-locking because there’s a lot of g’s there under braking. Then the back straight takes you to turn 11, an uphill corner, then turn 12 where it can be flat out if you’ve got a really good car. Tricky braking into turn 13 because you’re coming from a high-speed corner. You really want to go early on the power to go down to turn 14, which is the last corner, again big braking before accelerating to cross the start-finish line.”

Kevin Magnussen

Bahrain is the site of Haas F1 Team’s best finish – fifth-place in last year’s race, which was only the second race for Haas F1 Team. You were at Renault last year, so from an outsider’s perspective, what did you think of that performance, especially with it coming after a sixth-place finish in the season opener at Australia?
“It was really impressive, both the first two races for Haas F1 Team last year. Everyone noticed that in Formula One.”

You proved last year that you can overtake at Bahrain. Where do you overtake and how do you do it?
“In the DRS zone is the obvious one. There are few other spots around the track as well where you need to be awake if there’s a chance.”

With all the newness this year, how helpful is it to have the same tire compounds – White medium, Yellow soft and Red supersoft – on these back-to-back race weekends between China and Bahrain?
“It doesn’t make a big difference. We’re still learning about the tires, that’s for sure, but it should be fine.”

Drivers are saying that with the wider tires this year the loss of grip is very sudden. The amount a car can naturally slide through a corner is very limited, and when grip goes away, it’s gone. Obviously, it’s a delicate balance. How do you find it?
“It’s a little bit more snappy than it was before. You also have a lot more grip, so it’s a bit of give-and-take. It feels a lot better to drive these cars.”

The amount of run-off area at Bahrain is high. Does that allow you to push the limits of your car and its tires more than at some other venues?
“Yes it does. I still prefer to have not so much run-off. It means that you are challenged more and the window for error is narrower.”

Are you able to learn more at a venue like Bahrain because you are able to push harder and discover a car’s limits?
“No, I wouldn’t say so. It’s a different challenge, but you’re learning every time.”

With the race beginning in the late afternoon and ending at night, how much does the track change as the air and track temperatures cool?
“It changes the behavior of the tires, the wear life and so on. It’s something that you need to anticipate before the race.”

What can you do to combat those changing track conditions during the race?
“Stuff like setup on the car, tire pressures, front wing – these are all things you adjust accordingly for when the temperatures drop.”

What is your favorite part of the Bahrain International Circuit and why?
“I’d say turns 11, 12 and 13 are cool.”

Explain a lap around the Bahrain International Circuit.
“It’s a track with some good braking zones, fast chicanes and medium-speed corners. It’s quite fun.”

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MCLAREN PREVIEW THE BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX

The back-to-back nature of the Chinese and Bahrain Grands Prix means the team has been operating at two different racetracks simultaneously.

While the race team was competing in China, a crew of three people were setting up in Bahrain, preparing the pit garage and the sea freight. Twelve engineers then flew overnight on Sunday from Shanghai to Manama, with the remaining 45 members of the race team travelling between the two countries on Monday

Surprising fact Bahrain is an archipelago of 33 islands. The largest, on which the Bahrain International Circuit is located, is 55km long and 18km wide

It’s going to be hot. The daytime high over the weekend is expected to be 31 degrees, although it will be cooler during the race because the temperature drops rapidly when the sun goes down.

Fernando Alonso: “I’m looking forward to going back to Bahrain, especially as I missed last year’s race – I have good memories from my three victories there, and racing in twilight is always a fun experience. The Bahrain Grand Prix is always a pretty long race, so our first priority is to ensure we have reliability against the heat and harsh conditions of the desert before we can start thinking about performance. On the performance side, before retiring the car in Shanghai I was running in a very promising position, and our pace was much stronger than anticipated, so I’ll be pleased if we can have some more good surprises in Bahrain! It will be another challenging race for us; the long straights don’t make it easy and there’s a lot for the engineers to work on. Brake wear and fuel consumption is high, and set-up is tricky as the track temperatures change a lot during the weekend, as we race later into the evening compared to the usual schedule. I’m pushing hard to get the absolute maximum out of our package every time I leave the garage, and in Bahrain I’ll approach the weekend in exactly the same way.”

Stoffel Vandoorne: “I have lots of good memories from the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend in 2016. We’re a year on now, I’m a full-time McLaren-Honda driver, and I’ve already gained a lot more experience in the past 12 months, so of course my aim is to work hard and improve every time I arrive at a grand prix. This year will be difficult for us, but we’ll be racing hard as always. The most important thing for me is mileage, and the weather will surely be better in Bahrain than it was in Shanghai, so I’m hoping to do as many laps as possible over the weekend. It helps that I know this track well and I won there twice in 2015 in GP2, so I’m already comfortable with the layout and therefore it’s a case of building on what I already know. We were always expecting a difficult weekend in China, and I don’t know if it will get a lot better in Bahrain – it’s only one week later and there’s obviously a limit to how many changes we can apply in that time, but we’ll do our best as usual. The car is definitely improving and both Fernando and I feel confident and competitive, especially in the corners, so we’ll have to wait and see what’s possible at this track.”

Eric Boullier, Mclaren-Honda Racing Director: “Of the dozen Bahrain Grands Prix that have been held since the event’s inception in 2004, McLaren has surprisingly never managed to win a single one. By contrast, Fernando has won the race no fewer than three times, a victory total that eclipses the efforts of any other driver [Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel and Felipe Massa have all won it twice]. Sad to say, however, Fernando is extremely unlikely to add to his impressive victory tally next weekend, and neither will McLaren break its Bahrain duck on Sunday. But the weather will be much better than we suffered in Shanghai, where it was dull, wet and chilly, and as a result we can expect a lot more running than we managed last weekend. The race will mark the one-year anniversary of Stoffel’s first Grand Prix, which was a highly creditable one. He duly scored a point on his Formula 1 debut. Both he and Fernando will be striving for points finishes again next weekend – and, although we never make rash promises or predictions, we hope their efforts will be successful. After all, Bahrain has been a happy hunting ground for Stoffel in GP2; indeed he won well there on his series debut three years ago. Last but far from least, Bahrain is one of McLaren-Honda’s three home Grands Prix, Silverstone and Suzuka being the other two. As such, it would be fitting it we could score our first points of the year there, and you can be well sure that we’ll be doing our best to do just that.”

Yusuke Hasegawa, Honda R&D Co. Ltd Head Of F1 Project & Executive Chief Engineer: “After a wet and cold weekend in China, we are now heading off to Bahrain where we expect the conditions to be the complete opposite, dry and hot. The race result in China was a big disappointment; despite the result, however, we took away a number of positives and, up until the retirements, we had an encouraging race in tricky conditions. I have more confidence in the progress of our PU reliability after the first two grands prix of the season, and I am now looking forward to seeing our performance in Bahrain, where hopefully we can continue to build on our momentum at what is something of a home race for McLaren-Honda. The hot conditions and two long front and back straights of the track will be strenuous on the power units, so we are not expecting this weekend to be easy for us. We will concentrate to find the best set-up during practice together with McLaren, as well as working on ensuring our reliability. We hope to show fans a good race here and we’ll make our best effort to collect some points.”

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FORCE INDIA PREVIEW THE BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX

Force India preview the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend, Round 3 of the 2017 Formula 1 World Championship, in Sakhir.

Vijay Mallya: “Ten points from the opening couple of races is a solid start to our season. We knew this new era of Formula One would provide some huge challenges, but I’m proud of how we have reacted as a team. We’ve taken our chances, ridden our luck at times and shown good reliability. We know where we can improve and where we need to focus our attention, but overall the VJM10 has performed well across two very different circuits in varying weather conditions. I’d like to think we can compete for points again in Bahrain. I expect the development race amongst all the teams will ramp up this weekend, but we will bring some extra performance to the car and hopefully take a step forward.”

Sergio Perez: “I feel pretty happy about the way we have started the year. Eight points from two races is a good achievement and shows that we are working well as a team. I still think a better result was possible in China, but we can’t complain about where we ended up because it wasn’t an easy race considering how cold and wet it was on Sunday.

“Bahrain is always a track I enjoy and I think racing at night has made the event more exciting. I still smile when I remember our podium finish in 2014 – it’s one of my best memories in Formula One. My big battle with Jenson [Button] in 2013 is also something I remember.

“It’s a circuit that always produces good racing and overtaking opportunities. In the past you always had to worry about looking after the rear tyres because there are so many big acceleration zones, but maybe it won’t be such a factor with this year’s tyres.

“With the 2017 regulations the learning curve is very steep. The team is working really hard with the development of the car and we made some progress in China. There are more developments coming this weekend and hopefully we will feel the benefit straight away. It puts extra emphasis on the Friday sessions as we try and understand all the test items and how to get the best performance from them.”

Esteban Ocon: “I feel positive after China and scoring another point. Despite the lack of running on Friday and the disappointment of qualifying, we were able to come back strongly in the race. I still believe we didn’t maximise our opportunities and we have analysed everything that happened and learned what we could have done better. There is a lot on which we can build to get stronger as the season progresses.

“Bahrain is a fantastic track and I’m really looking forward to the first night race of the season. It’s a track I enjoy and I have a good history there – I was on pole position in GP3 in 2015 so I hope to have another strong performance.

“There are many nice parts of the track, but my favourite is the combination of corners at turns five, six and seven: a quick chicane and then the hairpin – a very testing braking zone which you approach at really high speed. It’s not easy to get the right set-up for this part of the lap, but when you do and you drive it perfectly, it’s an awesome feeling.

“Sakhir is a hard circuit for tyres, brakes and engines, with big braking zones and long straights. It’s also testing for the driver because you have to keep hydrated as the weather can get really warm.

“I’m quite pleased that we have races on consecutive weekends. Every time I get in the car, I feel more comfortable with the team and this reflects in the work we produce. At this stage of the season, it’s important to score points whenever there is an opportunity and this remains the goal in Bahrain.”

Sergio Perez’s Race Engineer, Tim Wright, previews the Bahrain Grand Prix, a test for man and machine.

The track in Sakhir provides a harsh test for Formula One cars. Racing at night means it’s no longer as demanding on the cooling system as it used to be in the past, but conditions are still something we have to take into account when setting the car up for our drivers. The circuit can be very windy, as we are not far from the coast and in the open spaces of the desert, and that contributes to unsettling the car and blowing sand on the track, reducing grip. Tyres are a crucial element here – the rough track surface results in one of the highest degradation rates in the season, while the number of slow, high duration corners makes it even harder for the rubber. The slow corners and the long straights mean it’s important to have good traction and plenty of engine power.

Key Points:

• Rough track with lots of dust, high degradation
• Slow corners and their exit are key for a good laptime
• Four big straights, lots of engine power needed

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RED BULL DRIVERS PREVIEW THE BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX

Red Bull drivers preview the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend, Round 3 of the 2017 Formula 1 World Championship, in Sakhir.

Max Verstappen: “The Bahrain track is actually very interesting, I like it but it’s very hard on the tyres. It turns into a night race which means the conditions change a lot and the track can become very slippery with all the sand which brings new challenges. The hotel we stay at is very good, it’s down by the beach and I also have good experiences of the Bahrain go kart track, so I always look forward to that race weekend.”

Daniel Ricciardo: “Bahrain is very different to Shanghai but it has sunshine, the hotel is really nice and it’s close to the beach and the ocean. It’s kind of got a resort atmosphere and a lot of the time I can relax and walk around the hotel in my swim shorts. Since Bahrain became a night race I think the event has really come to life. It’s like Shanghai, in that it was never my favourite circuit, but I seem to have good results there and both races have become ones that I really enjoy.”

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Toro Rosso preview the Bahrain Grand Prix

Daniil Kvyat is braced for a difficult qualifying session, while Carlos Sainz is hoping this year will be third time lucky for him.

Daniil Kvyat: “This is a twilight race, so the light is different to other races that take place just after lunch. Here in Bahrain, the race starts with the sun still shining, but ends under the floodlights. So you need to have a clear visor, but the challenging part is always the start, as the sun can sometimes still be too bright for your eyes – dazzling!

“I'd say this is one of the trickiest qualifying sessions of the year because it's usually quite windy and the conditions are changing all the time. There's sometimes also a bit of sand on track, so it can be very difficult to get the perfect lap!

“I really like hot races like Bahrain, especially for its unusual night atmosphere – I think it's really cool to race in these conditions. Half of the races on the calendar should do this!

“The day also starts later, as the race is in the evening, which means that we can sleep more in the mornings! This is very nice and we always arrive to the circuit after a big, delicious breakfast and ready to rock the track!”

Carlos Sainz: “It's very frustrating to have not finished the race in Bahrain yet – in both cases I remember qualifying very well and doing good starts… But in 2015 we had a power unit issue and in 2016 I got hit by Perez in lap 1, so hopefully this year we can turn things around and score a good result this year: third time lucky!

“We normally go karting at the track right next to the F1 circuit and its great fun! I'd say it's actually one of the coolest karting tracks I've ever been to. I hope this year we keep the tradition and we get to go again, it's always good to have some fun!

“The race takes place in the evening in Bahrain, so the whole schedule is shifted and the day starts a bit later for us. This is good, as it allows us to spend the mornings doing a bit of sport or going to the beach, which is something different! And I have to say that the hotel we stay at in Bahrain is awesome! Its right by the beach and you can do any kind of sport you want – from squash to gym sessions, sea sports… And we always find some time to chill by the pool or at the beach, it's a must!

“I'd say I always prefer a good hot race, except for Singapore where it's a bit too hot and humid. The one thing that makes this Grand Prix tricky is the fact that on Friday we have a practice session during the day, when it's sunny and windy, and another one in the evening, when it's much cooler. This makes it very difficult to approach the weekend.”

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Lewis Hamilton keen to see impact of Mercedes' longer Formula 1 car

Lewis Hamilton is intrigued to find out whether Mercedes' longer-wheelbase proves advantageous in its Formula 1 world championship battle with Ferrari in the forthcoming grands prix.

Although there seems to be little separating F1's benchmark cars, the Mercedes appears better in cooler conditions and on single-lap pace.

Hamilton says Mercedes has worked hard in recent weeks to better understand the W08 after a sometimes difficult pre-season testing programme and believes the progress made on this front was key to his Chinese GP win.

"We've come to a cooler track, we've taken the knowledge that we've had from the last race and applied it to this weekend," said Hamilton, who is tied with Sebastian Vettel at the top of the drivers' standings.

"Strength-wise, we are stronger. But pace-wise, if anything, Ferrari got a bit quicker this weekend and the gap's even closer.

"It'll be interesting to see how that varies through the next races, with temperature, with different types of track, more medium and low-speed circuits, and high-speed...

"Our car is 150[mm], or whatever, longer than theirs. How is that going to work out for Monaco? Getting that car turned around those corners, doesn't sound like a lot but it feels like a big difference.

"So that will be really interesting and it's just going to unfold over these next races."

With Mercedes and Ferrari well clear of the opposition and appearing locked in a two-horse race, Hamilton suspects that getting the edge early in the campaign could be worth a lot.

"Any advantage you can get at any point, and definitely early on, will hopefully pay dividends at the end," he said.

"Any one little step ahead you can get, even as a team, if we can get one step ahead on something, it puts pressure on the other to close that step up."

Hamilton added he has been working hard on his own performance too, including the race start weakness that compromised him in 2016.

He admitted getting off the grid is "definitely harder now" since last year's rule changes designed to put starts fully in drivers' hands.

"I've worked very very hard on it," said Hamilton.

"I couldn't have worked any harder on it, basically.

"And we've not stopped, this progress continues to be made, but I'm really happy with it.

"For all of us, just in life - if you want to get fit, and you go to the gym and it hurts, and you can't be bothered to go again but you eventually see the results of the effort you put in.

"I'm seeing that more and more this year, with my fitness level, for example, and the work that I've done on the starts. I've seen the results and it's paying dividends."

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Ferrari F1 driver Raikkonen has a plan to fix tough start to 2017

Kimi Raikkonen insists that he and Ferrari have solutions for the causes of his "painful" start to the 2017 Formula 1 season.

While his team-mate Sebastian Vettel shares the world championship lead with Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton after a win and a second place in the year's first two grands prix, Raikkonen is yet to get on the podium.

His performances have already prompted Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne to urge team boss Maurizio Arrivabene to sit down with Raikkonen to discuss the situation.

Raikkonen admits he is unhappy with how his season has started, but believes making better set-up decisions can help him turn the corner.

"It's always painful when you don't have a good result," said Raikkonen, who was fourth in Australia and fifth in China.

"I've been in the sport long enough and it's not very often that it's all smiling and happy.

"It's a part of the job. It's frustrating. But I know what we need and we have a very clear picture of what we want to do."

Raikkonen's hopes of tuning his car more to his liking were not helped by Friday's running in China being a washout, but he says he cannot use that as an excuse.

"The not running on Friday was a bit of bad timing, but that's how it goes," he said.

"I'm confident that we can get where we want to be.

"We need to start scoring bigger points to stay in the fight, but it's going to be a long year.

"It's disappointing to finish fifth, but I'll take those points and hopefully be in a better position next race."

Raikkonen's podium hopes in China were not helped by Ferrari's decision to leave him out longer than was ideal before his second stop, which left him behind the Red Bulls in the final stint.

"Obviously it's not great to not get past [Daniel Ricciardo] but we struggled a bit to really try to pass," he said.

"A lot of small things could have come better, and the result could have been a lot better, but this is how it was.

"I'm not very happy about it but it's racing and there's still many races to go.

"We have certain things to improve.

"It was better here than it was last race, but the result shows we still have improvements to make in the set-up, but I think we know what we want to do.

"There's a lot of potential but we just have to make a better job."

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HAMILTON: I HOPE JENSON COMES BACK

Lewis Hamilton hopes fellow Briton Jenson Button will make a comeback and replace McLaren’s Fernando Alonso at the Monaco Grand Prix when the Spaniard is away competing in the Indianapolis 500 in May.

McLaren have yet to say who will be the stand-in, but 2009 world champion Button — the last driver to win a race for the team back in 2012 — is already looking like the clear frontrunner.

“Why do I have so many missed calls?,” Button, 37, joked on Twitter as speculation mounted about a comeback after McLaren’s surprise announcement that Alonso will skip the season’s showcase event and race in America on the same day.

Triple world champion Hamilton, who joined Mercedes from McLaren in 2013 and is currently leading the championship with Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, said his former team mate and fellow Monaco resident was the obvious choice.

“I hope Jenson comes back, I think it would be great for the sport to have Jenson back in,” he told reporters.

“I like Jenson and he is still one of the best drivers and his calibre and experience is way ahead of the other drivers able to take that spot for sure.”

Button handed over his McLaren seat to Belgian rookie Stoffel Vandoorne at the end of last season but the Honda-powered team retained an option on his services for 2018 and as a potential stand-in this season.

The Briton made clear last November that he was not expecting to return — and it is not clear whether he would be willing to do so now — but he has kept fit competing in triathlons and training in California.

Button won the 2009 Monaco Grand Prix from pole position, one of his 15 career victories, and was also on the podium in 2004 and 2011. He has 305 races under his belt.

McLaren’s executive director Zak Brown said on Wednesday there was no replacement in place for Alonso but a decision would be taken soon.

“We have a few different options, we will state who that is when we know,” the American said.

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VERSTAPPEN: FOR SURE I CAN BEAT LEWIS WITH AN EQUAL CAR

Red Bull teenager Max Verstappen, has no doubt he can beat Mercedes’ triple World Champion Lewis Hamilton.

Asked by BBC is in an equal car he would beat Hamilton, Verstappen replied, “Probably I will sound really arrogant, but for sure!”

Although Hamilton won the Chinese Grand Prix last Sunday, it was Verstappen who stole the show with his gutsy drive from 16th to third place.

The youngster displayed unique skills in challenging conditions, as he did in Brazil last year, to scythe past rivals with apparent ease using lines that others do not think of using.

Asked how he does it, Verstappen admitted, “It’s always a bit difficult to answer to be honest. Just feeling, instinct, knowing where you have to go. You just feel your way into it.”

No doubt much of his prowess and audacious talent was hined through karting with his father Jos Verstappen as his coach.

Verstappen junior explained, “My dad always told me you have to be as quick as you can straight away out of the box. Some people say: Feel your way into it, build it up. No, my dad would say: Straight away you have to be there. And I think that helps to warm up your tyres and brakes to be on it a bit more from lap one.”

He is also pretty impressive on the brakes, “It is just something natural, I guess, to feel your way and control it. I have been practising a lot in the wet and trying not to lock up and stuff but I think it is also a bit natural, when you feel it is starting to lock.”

But the 19 year old does not want to appear big headed and thus does not consider himself extraordinary, “I don’t think about things like that. You also very quickly get an arrogant thing about you when say things like that and I don’t want to.”

“Of course I am doing a good job, but you can always improve and I just leave it up to people outside, around me or whatever, to judge on that. I just want to do the best I can every time.”

Criticism of his driving, namely his defensive tactics, does not affect him, “Everyone can have their own opinion, but it is very clear they wanted the racing back. Overtaking is one thing. That is an art. But defending as well. You should be able to defend your position. That’s what I was doing. I am happy that there is a bit more freedom to it.”

Indeed F1 race director Charlie Whiting had words with Verstappen last year regarding his defensive techniques, “They basically said they had never seen it before. It was all a bit new to them. But I never got a penalty for it.”

“So I never really thought I was doing anything wrong. It was definitely on the limit and hard but that’s how racing should be, I think,” added Verstappen.

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BOTTAS: IT WON’T JUST BE ABOUT LEWIS AND SEBASTIAN

Despite a silly mistake in the Chinese Grand Prix, Mercedes ‘new boy’ Valtteri Bottas is adamant the incident is behind him and he is fully focused in Bahrain, while insisting that this season will not only be about his teammate Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel.

Bottas told Sky Sport ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend, “It is way too early to say there are only two drivers for the championship. It’s a long season, so I wouldn’t say it’s just all going to be about Lewis and Sebastian. The season is long and things can change.”

“Within the team they can definitely see through everything how my performance and how my pace really is. In the end, results are the thing that matters, and I’m very keen to get the proper result as soon as possible because every point I lose now is going to hit by the end of the year.”

“But I don’t feel I’m in a rush with everything. If I keep doing what I’m doing, and that is progress every single day with the team, I feel will be at a very, very good level very soon. So I don’t feel any panic or rush to prove [that].”

“The team knows exactly where I am with my performance and that’s what counts. In general, pace-wise, the race was not bad.”

“Whenever I was running in free air the pace was there. I struggled a bit more with the balance compared to Lewis, with the front-left tyre, and that meant my tyre wear was higher due to more understeer.

“We also found a small mechanical issue from the race which slowed my car down a little bit, so if we count that I think my race was very good. That’s not the problem.

“Qualifying was about details and I think I managed to make a step forward from Melbourne to Shanghai with the overall performance. So aiming to be better this weekend, for sure we can be strong and very close with Lewis,” concluded Bottas.