Formula 1 - 2017

[MIKA27]

 

 

HAMILTON: I DEFINITELY DIDN’T BRAKE-TEST SEBASTIAN

Lewis Hamilton was down on luck at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, after dominating the race until his headrest worked loose and forced him to pit from the lead with victory in sight, but the biggest talking point will be an incident with title contender Sebastian Vettel.

During a chaotic race, around the unforgiving Baku City Circuit, just before the second restart after a safety car period Hamilton slowed to bunch up the field, at which point Vettel tapped the rear of Mercedes after clearly underestimating the speed.

The German then pulled alongside Hamilton waving his hands in as apparent show of anger and before appearing to swerve right into Hamilton as the pair rubbed wheels. ‘Road rage’ sprang to mind…

Vettel was handed a ten seconds drive through penalty for his indiscretion which he served but emerged ahead of Hamilton who had to pit a little eralier to rectify the loose headrest on his car.

When he realised that Vettel was ahead, Hamilton said on the radio, “A 10-second penalty is not enough for driver behaviour like that.”

And added, “You know that, Charlie.”

After the race, in which he finished fifth and behind Vettel, he was subdued when he told reporters, “I think it’s just not driver conduct. It’s dangerous driving and to get a 10-second penalty for that… I don’t need to say anything else.”

In the team report he wrote, “I definitely didn’t brake-test Sebastian. I controlled the pace under the Safety Car and, just like with the other restarts, I slowed down in the same place on the entry to T15.”

“At that point, it is up to me to control the pace and then I felt a bump from behind. But that wasn’t the issue for me – everybody saw clearly what happened after.”

“All the young kids in other series look up to us, as champions, to set an example and that is not the behaviour you expect to see from a multiple champion. But we know that when times get tough, true colours show,” added Hamilton.

MIKA: I'm not a Hamilton fan whatsoever BUT, slowing down as he did is well within the rules as we have seen Hamilton do this countless times over the years with Nico and the rest of the teams. It might annoy the hell out of drivers, BUT IT'S WITHIN THE RULES and another tactic for the field to lose heat I suppose in their tyres. 

Pretty poor sportsmanship from Vettel IMO.

 

 

 

 

[MIKA27]

VETTEL: HAMILTON BRAKE CHECKED ME SO WHAT DO YOU EXPECT

Sebastian Vettel did himself no favours when he succumbed to a bout of ‘road rage’ during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, and as a a result was handed a ten seconds stop-and-go penalty and three penalty points added to his super licence.

Just before the restart, after a red flag period to clear debris from the Baku City Circuit, Vettel nearly slammed into the back of Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes as they prepared to step on the gas.

Vettel’s Ferrari tapped the rear-end of the Mercedes, which had slowed substantially, and then the German showed his anger by driving alongside Hamilton and swerving into the silver car.

After the race Vettel told TV reporters, “Nothing happened, did it?”

“He brake checked me as well, so what do you expert? I’m sure he didn’t do it on purpose but for sure it was not the right move. If I’m struggling, people at the back struggling even more, so I don’t think it was necessary.”

“I got damage, he risked damage. He’s done something similar in China at the restart a couple of years ago so it’s not the way to do it, I think. After the incident, we were side by side, I raised my hand and showed him that I wasn’t happy with that,” explained Vettel.

The stewards served him with a ten second penalty for his antics which, as it panned out with Hamilton having to pit to sort out a petulant headrest, may have cost him victory on the day.

Vettel took exception to the decision, “In the end I don’t agree with the penalty that I got, because if you penalise me then you should penalise us both, because that was not the way to do it.”

“The leader dictates the pace, but we were exiting the corner, he was accelerating and then he braked so much that I couldn’t stop in time and ran into the back of him.”

“I think that was just not necessary. I don’t think it was deliberate of him to brake-check me, I don’t think he’s that kind of guy. But obviously that’s what it turned out to be, that’s what it is, and I wasn’t happy with that.

“As I said I drove alongside him and raised my hand to say ‘that’s not the way to do it’, because at that moment I damaged my front wing and I think he paid the price as well by having slight damage to his car as well,” added Vettel seemingly ignoring the fact that the “dangerous driving” the stewards looked at was the angry swerve at the Mercedes when he alongside it.

[MIKA27]

FIA FIND NO EVIDENCE OF HAMILTON BRAKE TEST

Amid accusations by Sebastian Vettel that Lewis Hamilton did a brake test on him before the second restart of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the FIA has informed media that no such evidence exists after an extensive examination of the telemetry at their disposal.

The FIA examined the data from Hamilton’s car and found no evidence suggesting that the Mercedes driver stepped on the brakes as claimed by the Ferrari driver.

The incident occurred shortly before the resumption of racing behind the safety car, after the race was stopped on lap 22 to clear debris at various points on the circuit.

As Hamilton and Vettel exited Turn 15 nose-to-tail, the Ferrari collided into the back of the leading Mercedes which had slowed substantially to allow the safety car to make it into the pitlane.

Vettel immediately gesticulated angrily before driving alongside Hamilton to show his displeasure, and at the same time veered into the silver car.

For this second contact the FIA stewards concluded: “The stewards examined video evidence which showed that car #5 drove alongside and then steered into car #44. The stewards decide this manoeuvre was deemed potentially dangerous.”

After the race Hamilton told reporters, “There was no reason to pull up alongside the leader at that point and it couldn’t be clearer. It is clear as the blue skies. We are world champions, we are the best drivers in the world.”

“Maybe when you are going down the road in your road car and you do this [gesture at another driver] you might swerve to the right. But we don’t do that. We’ve been racing for years, we just don’t do that,” insisted Hamilton.

When Vettel informed about the 10-seconds penalty he fumed, “When did I do dangerous driving then? Can you give me the time I did dangerous driving?”

Later the German explained why he went side-by-side with Hamilton, “I drove alongside, then we had a little contact but I drove alongside mostly to raise my hand. I didn’t give him a finger or anything, I just wanted to tell him – because I can’t literally talk to him – that that was not right.

[MIKA27]

AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX: TEAM AND DRIVER REPORTS

Teams and drivers report from the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Round 8 of the 2017 Formula 1 World Championship, at the Baku City Circuit.

Red Bull

Daniel Ricciardo, 1st: “I have never really had a boring win and today was certainly not that. After all the chaos and the red flag I felt that a podium was in reach but then once Lewis had to pit and Seb had the penalty I knew the win was possible. I kind of said yesterday that after my qualifying mistake and starting in tenth place, today was going to be a race of no mistakes, capitalising on moments and opportunities and I felt like we did everything we could this afternoon. The odds of a podium or win got pushed even further back when we had to make an unscheduled pit stop early in the race and I think I was back in seventeenth place. Then things fell in to place quite nicely and on every re-start I was able to make up positions and make it happen. The last re-start was the most important and I think it was Stroll, Hulkenberg, Massa and me, all nearly four wide but I managed to get third and I think that was, in a way, the winning move. Once I saw the gap I was going to do everything I could to brake as late as possible and get that position. It was a real shame for Max today but it is great to get this victory for everyone in the team. I felt like this weekend was better for us overall and hopefully both of us can be on the podium together soon. What a day, it’s crazy and it’s slowly sinking in.”

Max Verstappen, DNF: “After what looked like a promising position at the beginning of the race I was gutted to be let down once again by a technical problem. After an action packed race we were confident we could have had at least a podium here in Baku, so I am very disappointed with this outcome.”

Christian Horner, Team Principal: “Certainly an action packed grand prix, and an unbelievable afternoon. It started with a bit of chaos with Daniel picking up some debris after the incident between Kimi and Valtteri that got stuck in his brake ducts, we had to pit him very early to get rid of that debris and it looked like he was out of the race at that point. At the time, Max was in a really strong position harrying for P3 and looked like he great pace in the car. Unfortunately a sudden failure in the engine eliminated Max from the race which is hugely frustrating. From then on we kept our focus with Daniel and he was coming back through the order with great passing moves and restarts. The team had a handle on the strategy and following the red flag he had another great start with a brilliant pass on both Williams. We had a little bit of luck with the penalties for Lewis and Sebastian and it gave us our first victory of 2017. An unbelievable tale of two halves today but fantastic for the team to score its 53rd grand prix victory.”

Mercedes

Valtteri Bottas, 2nd: “Today was a crazy race, especially for me. I had a puncture on the first lap after the contact with Kimi on Lap 1. I was a lap down, then had to overtake the field under the Safety Car. The second Safety Car after that really helped me out and, step by step, I moved forward from there. My main goal today was to fight for the win but that went out of the window after the first lap. I was actually last at one point, but I got my head down, gave it absolutely everything and tried to get the absolute maximum out of every single corner. We didn’t quite manage to win but P2 from where we were is a great feeling. Importantly for the team, we scored more points in the fight with Ferrari and I got some good points for myself as well.”

Lewis Hamilton, 5th: “It’s difficult to swallow a result like this after a strong weekend. I drove my heart out today right to the line – I gave it everything. I know the team will be devastated about the issue with the headrest, but what we have to take away from this weekend is the great performance we have shown. We all feel that pain, but it’s on me to gather my thoughts and try and lead the team through this adversity. We’ll pull together and move forwards. I’m proud of my performance and I hope we can take the speed we’ve shown this weekend forward. I definitely didn’t brake-test Sebastian. I controlled the pace under the Safety Car and, just like with the other restarts, I slowed down in the same place on the entry to T15. At that point, it is up to me to control the pace and then I felt a bump from behind. But that wasn’t the issue for me – everybody saw clearly what happened after. All the young kids in other series look up to us, as champions, to set an example and that is not the behaviour you expect to see from a multiple champion. But we know that when times get tough, true colours show, and we have managed to apply some good pressure in the last weeks. Personally, I want to do my talking on the track and win this championship in the right way. More than ever after this weekend, I believe we can.”

Toto Wolff, Team Principal: “When the winner was at one point in P17, and the guy in second was a lap down and last after lap two, then you know it’s been a crazy day! Our big picture from today is that we extended our lead in the constructors’ championship by 16 points and confirmed we have a very fast race car. But that isn’t what people will remember. For Lewis, it was a really eventful race. With the Vettel incident, I think the FIA has made its decision during the race and we can’t rewind the race now. Emotions cook high in the moment but it doesn’t change the relationship between our two teams. Then he was leading after the red flag when we had the problem with the headrest and had to change it; that cost him the win but we need to investigate what exactly happened there. It is never about blame; we look at the process to see what we can improve, then go to the next race better and stronger, and this is what we will do again as a team. But we should be encouraged with the pace Lewis had. As for Valtteri, it just goes to show you can never give up. He did a sensational job from a lap down and it was the perfect finale to steal P2 on the line. But nevertheless it could have been P1 and P3 today, so we need to learn our lessons and keep pushing for the next race in Austria.”

James Allison, Technical Director: “It was a bittersweet race, more sweet than bitter on balance given how much worse it could have been, but it hurts to cost ourselves the win because of a detail like a loose headrest. Taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture, both cars were fast and had the pace to convert the promise of their qualifying positions – and in the end we still brought home a useful haul of championship points. But we now can’t wait to get back out on track in a fortnight’s time in order to chase the full reward that the car’s pure performance deserved this weekend.”

Williams

Lance Stroll, 3rd: “I’m just lost for words right now. It was such a hectic race and so much happened, but the team kept me cool on the radio, the pace was good, we took it to the end and stayed out of trouble. I can’t quite believe what’s just happened. We just lost out to Valtteri at the end there in one of the closest finishes of all time going side-by-side across the finish line. Coming into this weekend I never thought I would be standing on the podium. It’s an amazing feeling and, for me, a dream come true. However, what happened today was a team effort and I can’t thank everyone enough for making this happen. I am just so sorry that I could not celebrate with Felipe, as that would have been the icing on the cake. I am sure without his problems he would have been up there with me.”

Felipe Massa, DNF: “I’m so disappointed about the result today. The race was going perfectly. I was overtaking cars and I had really good pace. On the restart the car just started shaking on the straight and I didn’t have the speed, other cars were passing me so easily. I also couldn’t do the corners because it was shaking so badly. Today we had the opportunity to have both cars on the podium, and maybe even a victory. I do want to say a massive congratulations to Lance. I’m so happy for him getting his first ever podium in Formula One.”

Paddy Lowe, Chief Technical Officer: “Who would have expected that podium at the beginning of today? It’s a terrific result for Lance to become the youngest rookie in history to score a podium. He’s had a brilliant weekend. He’s been faultless in every session, he’s stayed out of trouble, didn’t have any incidents and that carried into the race. He kept it clean, had good pace and managed the car and the tyres well. It was good battle at the end and we were very unfortunate to lose second place. The critical moment was that Valtteri got DRS on the last lap, that lost Lance second place. But we’re very happy with third. However, the day was far from perfect. We got both cars in under the early safety car, and the red flag set us up well for what looked like a double podium, as we predicted there would be fallout from the Hamilton and Vettel incident. So we were feeling good at the red flag. But, Felipe had an internal suspension failure that emerged just after, which I’m very upset about. Without that issue we really believe that Felipe could have won the race today and we could even have had a double podium. Felipe’s had a fantastic season so far and he’s been a great support to Lance, so it’s a shame that he can’t celebrate with us today. But, we’ll build on this and come back stronger next time.”

Ferrari

Sebastian Vettel: “First of all, I think that today the car was very good. The pace was strong in the race. I think you could see that we were losing a bit here and there, but overall it was a good race. It was a very busy start, and Vallteri was very aggressive. As for what happened at the restart from the safety car, I don’t know why I got the penalty and Lewis didn’t. It’s disappointing, because it could have been a better result. I don’t have a problem with Lewis but I just think that what he did on the track was not ok. By now the decision is done but, in an episode like this one, I still think that if you give out a penalty, then it should be to both drivers.”

Kimi Raikkonen: “Today many things happened that were out of our hands and unfortunately we paid a big price. After the start, at the second corner, I got hit by Bottas; I don’t know what he was doing, he braked very early but probably he noticed that and let the brakes off, went too fast and hit me. Because of that the rear end of my car hit the wall and I had a massive damage. We were able to keep going but then I was unlucky. The two Force Indias collided, some debris flew off and destroyed my rear tire. As a consequence my whole floor and the rear wing were damaged and we decided to retire. When the red flag stopped the race we thought that we might try and go back on track. The mechanics did and amazing job, managed to change the floor and the endplate in a very short time. But obviously my car was still not perfect and we decided to stop. It’s not a good day when your car retires twice in a race. I’m disappointed because, without all these things happening, my car would have been good. There’s nothing else we could have done, we tried our best.”

Maurizio Arrivabene: “I think that everything that happened today was clear to see for everyone, starting with the incident on the opening lap, with Kimi pushed into the barrier, then what happened to Sebastian on the restart lap after the Safety Car. We don’t want to get into an argument but I think I can say that some decisions that were not entirely clear, never worked in favour of our team. We fought hard even if the results don’t show it. Today, our car was on the pace and that was clear to see. The team demonstrated its strengths, from changing the engine on Seb’s car on Saturday to the work done on Kimi’s when the race was red flagged, to get it back out on track, despite the damage it had suffered. That’s Ferrari for you. We let our actions speak for us. We will continue in that vein immediately, in preparation for the remaining twelve races starting with the Austrian GP, with even more determination than before.”

Force India

Esteban Ocon, 6th: “It’s hard to sum up your feelings after such a busy race. I’m happy with our performance and also disappointed not to realise the potential we had today. It’s never nice to have an incident with your teammate and it was costly for both of us – we both lost a lot of time and positions. Fortunately I could recover, overtake a lot of cars and score some important points for the team. We will discuss things internally and see what happened, but when you are racing close to each other at a restart these things can happen sometimes. Sergio was very deep into turn one at the restart and I went on his inside. He squeezed me between turns one and two, and I was on the inside going into turn two. He was trying to resist on the outside of the corner and we touched. We need to review it together and understand more. For sure it should not happen again in the future.”

Sergio Perez, DNF: “It’s a shame to retire from a race like this because I think we would have been in a position to win the race. The team did a great job all weekend and deserved much more than to have a race ruined in these circumstances. I couldn’t do anything to avoid the accident and it’s particularly bad for our team because it ruined the races of both of us on a day in which other teams have scored big points. We will need to discuss the situation within the team and make sure something like this does not happen again. As drivers, we are just part of a much bigger team and we have a responsibility to do our best to bring home a good result, especially considering what would have been possible today. Before the incident, it had been a great race and a strong weekend. My start was very good and I was fighting for second place on merit, but we were really unlucky at the Safety Car restart. Even after the crash, the team did a great job to get the car back together and allow me to resume the race. Even then, the seat broke and the team retired the car on safety grounds. It shows how unlucky this weekend turned out to be.”

Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal, “It was a race of what ifs and what might have been. We had a quick car today and had a good chance of finishing on the podium – perhaps with both cars. Sadly we lost out during a safety car restart, which led to Esteban and Sergio making contact on the exit of turn two. Both cars were damaged and it effectively ended Sergio’s afternoon. Esteban was able to stage an excellent recovery drive and was up in third place with just 13 laps to go. In the end the speed of the Ferraris and Mercedes proved too strong and he dropped to sixth, but it was important to pick up useful points. It was a shame to miss out on a podium from a race that saw so much drama, but that’s the nature of motor racing. We will discuss what happened internally and come back stronger in Austria in a couple of weeks’ time.”

Toro Roso 

Carlos Sainz, 8th: “What a crazy race! The start to it was already difficult: when I got to Turn 1 I saw Daniil rejoining the track and I had to quickly avoid crashing into him, which would’ve been a disaster for the team! I span, but it was a sacrifice I had to do. From then onwards, I kept calm, was very patient, and we recovered from last to eighth without making any mistakes. I have to say it was difficult to keep focused with so many things happening: Safety Cars, the red flag… And I can say I’m satisfied with today’s result in the end!”

Daniil Kvyat, DNF: “I watched the race with a very heavy heart because there was so much going on and I really wanted to be part of it! It’s extremely disappointing, because I think we could’ve scored good points today. Unfortunately, the car just shut itself off and let us down… Up until the race, the weekend had been perfect and I tried my best but, when things out of my control happen, I can’t do more. I will keep on fighting and working hard; I just need to do my job like I always do and not let days like this get me down.”

Franz Tost, Team Principal: “First of all, I’d like to congratulate Daniel Ricciardo and Red Bull for the fantastic win! As for today’s race, Daniil started from P11 while Carlos, because of the three-place grid penalty from Canada, P15. Soon after the start, Daniil locked the front-left tyre under braking. Therefore, he had to go a little bit wider and when he rejoined the track he caused some troubles for Carlos, who spun and went back to last because of this. Daniil continued the race in twelfth and defended this position until he had to stop the car because of a complete electronic shutdown – we don’t know the exact reason for this yet. It’s a shame because Daniil could have scored good points. Carlos did a very good comeback, as he was able to overtake some rivals. The race was then red-flagged, which meant we could put on the supersoft tyres. When the race restarted, he overtook Alonso and he was catching Magnussen, finishing P8 in the end. The car performance in the race was quite good and, without starting from the back or if we hadn’t had the problem at the start, I think Carlos could’ve finished in P7. We knew from the beginning that both Canada and Azerbaijan are race tracks that are not in our favor but, nevertheless, we scored some points. Unfortunately, we’ve lost fifth position in the Constructors’ Championship to Williams. Now we have to fight back but I’m positive that, earlier or later, we will be back in that position. We now go to Austria, where we hope to be prepared as well as possible in order to finish with both cars in the points.”

Haas

Romain Grosjean, 12th: No post-race comments were made.

Kevin Magnussen, 7th: “It was a crazy race with all the Safety Car periods, the red flag – so many things happened. I stayed out of trouble and had a good balance in the car. The car’s been handling well all weekend – there’s just been some issues with brakes and just not being that competitive on this track and the layout not suiting us. To come away with a seventh-place finish is pretty good. We were in P3 at one point and I got a bit excited about that. I had some fun out there. It was a great afternoon.”

Guenther Steiner, Team Principal: “A very eventful race – a fantastic show all over the place. For us, it was a good result with seventh – our best finish this season. We’re very happy for Kevin to achieve this. Romain had a tough outing. I hope, in a few more races, we’ll forget about talking about brakes and just use them like everybody else. As a team we need to get on top of that, and we will. Then we can be consistently in the points with two cars. That’s our aim. If races are happening like this, with all the events going on, we want to be there to pick up the crumbs. Not a bad day for Haas F1 Team.”

McLaren

Fernando Alonso, 9th: “Starting 19th because of our penalties, on one of our least competitive circuits, yet still scoring our first championship points is unreal; a complete surprise. The race really came to us through the many retirements and a lot of action. I managed to stay away from the walls, just brushing them here and there. Nevertheless, I think we could have fought for a podium finish today – and perhaps even the victory. We were behind Daniel Ricciardo during the first Safety Car period; then Lewis had a problem with his headrest and was forced to pit; Sebastian had a penalty; Kimi (briefly) retired; the two Force Indias touched each other, so we automatically found ourselves in a decent position. We missed out on further opportunities because we weren’t quick enough in the race and couldn’t hold on to that position. Still, we got our first two points of the season today, so let’s just take that.”

Stoffel Vandoorne, 12th: “I made a decent start – there was a lot of mayhem, a lot of debris – and I had to avoid a couple of slow cars on the run down to Turn Three, but I managed to keep my nose clean. Then the team did a great job to cover Romain Grosjean, I switched to the Option tyre and came out ahead of him. I had good pace on that tyre, but then the red flag came out and that took away my advantage as it meant everybody on the Prime could now get effectively a free tyre-change. After my final stop, I was catching the Saubers by 1.5s per lap, but once I’d caught them it was impossible to overtake. They were saving all their energy until the last corner; I was trying to do the same, in order to get the maximum boost available, but I just didn’t have the pace in the car to make it past them. Apart from that, our pace was strong today. It’s great for the team to score our first points of the season – we deserve it.”

Eric Boullier, McLaren-Honda Racing Director: “The two world championship points we scored this evening are a validation of all we’ve worked towards in Baku this week. Since practice started, I’ve said that we’d need to take advantage of every opportunity that came our way in the race, and we did just that today. Both drivers raced with their customary vigour, but were also wary about getting caught up in any unnecessary incidents. Fernando drove a fantastic race, taking advantage of every opportunity, and I don’t feel ninth position is really a fair reflection of his achievements today. Stoffel also posted an extremely mature drive, and, while he had the pace to close down on the two Saubers – and the chance of a point-scoring position – they were able to keep just out of reach along the long straight that offers the best passing opportunity around this tricky circuit. For the strategy team, the engineers and our hard-working mechanics, today’s points are a welcome relief after an extremely tough weekend. They’ll have put a spring in our step as we prepare for better fortunes at the next race in Austria.”

Yusuke Hasegawa, Honda R&D Co. Ltd Head of F1 Project & Executive Chief Engineer: “Despite the chaotic sequence of the race with so many incidents including the red flag, I think it was a successful day for the team. The drivers both drove faultless races and kept out of trouble to cross the finish line, and to top it off Fernando took home our first points of the season. Fernando showed off his impressive skill throughout the race, overtaking several cars on his way to the top 10. Stoffel also pushed hard, and almost managed to join Fernando in the points but just missed out in finishing P12. In addition to the drivers’ skill behind the wheel, the team executed a brilliant strategy today, fully utilising every opportunity of Safety Cars and the red flag, so thank you to them. Although we still saw a big gap to the front-runners, it was a great result if we consider that we started from the back of the grid on what is a very power-hungry circuit where we had expected a challenging weekend. For the next round in Austria, we are scheduled to bring our updated Spec 3 PU for both cars following the successful test here in Azerbaijan. In the meantime, we will continue our development with our best efforts in order to continue closing the gap.”

Renault

Nico Hülkenberg, DNF: “It’s always a balance on a street course of getting as close as possible to the barriers but not too close. Unfortunately, I just clipped my front right and that was it for the suspension. It’s frustrating for me and all the team. Until then the race had been pretty engaging and it looked like we were in a position to continue our series of points scoring races. It was pretty tough on the restarts with the tyre temperature and I think everyone at home saw an eventful race. Next up Austria; let’s hope for better things there.”

Jolyon Palmer, DNF: “I experienced a misfire on the way to the grid; it got worse and ultimately the drivability was so poor that we had no choice but to retire the car. I made a decent start and then some overtakes into P15 so the start of my race was okay. It’s just been one of those weekends; I can’t remember ever having so few laps over a race weekend. My hope is to head to Austria with a reliable car so I can have a clean Grand Prix to show what I can do.”

Cyril Abiteboul, Managing Director: “On a day like today, a double DNF is the worst that can happen to the team both in terms of race results and in terms of championship position. We need to understand and immediately address the technical issues that prevented Jolyon to even participate, and Nico to start higher in the grid this weekend. We saw a highly unusual and eventful Grand Prix today and we will do all we can to make sure that this will be our only double DNF of the season. The only positive note is that a Red Bull Racing car finished on the highest step of the podium, which, on a track like Baku, is a great reward to the efforts made in bringing extra power to our customers.”

[MIKA27]

Lance Stroll thrilled by maiden F1 podium at Baku

Williams’ Lance Stroll was left astonished as he claimed his maiden Formula 1 podium finish during a crazy Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Stroll maintained his grid position of eighth at the start but worked his way forwards as rivals encountered drama, holding fourth place when the race was suspended.

Stroll was passed by Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo but profited when Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel were both delayed, the Briton due to a loose headrest and Vettel because of a penalty.

Stroll was reeled in by the recovering Valtteri Bottas during the closing laps and the Finn surged clear on the run to the line, but third place marked the Canadian’s first rostrum in only his eighth race.

“I’m just lost for words,” said Stroll. “It was such a hectic race and so much happened, but the team kept me cool on the radio, the pace was good, we took it to the end and stayed out of trouble. 

“I can’t quite believe what’s just happened. We just lost out to Valtteri at the end there in one of the closest finishes of all time going side-by-side across the finish line.

“Coming into this weekend I never thought I would be standing on the podium. It’s an amazing feeling and, for me, a dream come true.

“However, what happened today was a team effort and I can’t thank everyone enough for making this happen.

“I am just so sorry that I could not celebrate with Felipe [Massa], as that would have been the icing on the cake. I am sure without his problems he would have been up there with me.”

Massa, who ran with Stroll at the restart, retired due to suspension issues.

[MIKA27]

WOLFF: AT DINNER WITH FLAVIO WE TALKED ABOUT ALONSO…

During the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend it is clear that Fernando Alonso and his crew have ramped up the hunt for a race seat in a top team as it becomes increasingly unlikely that Honda have no idea how to resolve the engine crisis that has virtually ended their partnership with McLaren.

Alonso obviously covets a Mercedes drive, and indeed it is reported that he will take a hefty pay cut for such a privilege. His obvious target is to replace Valtteri Bottas and partner Lewis Hamilton.

But the Spaniard’s dream is not shared by Mercedes chief Toto Wolff and team chairman Niki Lauda who happened to have dinner with Alonso’s long time associate Flavio Briatore.

The photo of the trio on Twitter obviously caused a stir in the paddock, forcing Wolff to pay down the occasion, “If you have dinner with Flavio it’s clear that you talk about Alonso. But we are very happy with our current driver line-up. There’s no reason to question that. So there wasn’t any talking about Fernando joining the team. We talked about Indy…”

Bottas was signed to replace retired World Champion Nico Rosberg, and although he has not been able to match Lewis Hamilton in recent races, he has done a solid job for the team scoring four podiums and a win so far this season.

Wolff explained, “At the moment there is no reason why not Valtteri? I think we just want to give ourselves time to see how the season pans out. Probably it’s about getting more and more confidence. No reason not to continue with Valtteri.”

“He just has to continue what he does now. I wouldn’t want to attach it on a specific race result. He’s a great addition to the team, and every day he’s with us, it becomes more clear.

“I’ve been in the sport now for seven or eight years, and sometimes taking your time is not a very good, comfortable situation for a driver, but it’s good for the team to understand what’s happening, and this is why we won’t be rushing into any decision when it’s not necessary,” added Wolff.

MIKA: I have a theory how this COULD work out for Alonso to get a drive.

1. Bottas is ousted from Mercedes irrespective how well he drives during his 1 year contract. Mercedes might risk having a toxic team with both Lewis and Fernando regardless what Toto or Niki Lauda try and say. After all, both drivers these days are far more mature compared to the McLaren days.

2. Hamilton retires from Formula 1, especially if he gets to win another WDC. I've posted several articles lately where Hamilton clearly states he will retire whenever he chooses to and will not retire based off the number of WDC's he wins.

[MIKA27]

Raikkonen: Bottas crash "completely his fault"

Kimi Raikkonen put the blame squarely on compatriot Valtteri Bottas for their collision on the opening lap of Formula 1's Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

The accident occurred when Ferrari driver Raikkonen tried to pass second-placed Bottas round the outside of Turn 2, after the Mercedes man had suffered wheelspin heading out of the first corner.

Bottas tried to maintain position, sticking to the inside line, but he bounced over the kerb, sending him into Raikkonen, and that led to the Ferrari making contact with the wall.

As a result of the incident, which was investigated by the stewards but yielded no further action, Raikkonen dropped down to fifth – and would later retire due to damage from hitting debris left by the Esteban Ocon/Sergio Perez accident.

Bottas, meanwhile, ended up a lap down after suffering a right-front puncture, but managed to complete an unlikely recovery and finished second.

“Not much I could have done,” Raikkonen said after the race. “I got hit at Turn 2 and there was quite a lot of damage on the car already on the left-hand side.”

Raikkonen, who earlier in the season retired from the Spanish GP after contact with Bottas sent him into Max Verstappen, stated the Baku incident – like the one in Barcelona – was sparked by the Mercedes man braking too soon.

“He [Bottas] braked very early, again – and I think he knows it was way too early braking – and I went just outside and it was fine, and suddenly I got hit from the other side.

“So I think he noticed he braked too early and just let the brakes go, and came way too fast into me.

“It was completely his fault, but obviously I paid the price.”

  

Repeated collisions “a shame”

In addition to their 2017 clashes in Spain and in Azerbaijan, Finnish drivers Bottas and Raikkonen had previously come together in a podium fight in the 2015 Russian Grand Prix – and also collided in Mexico that year.

Bottas said: “You know, it's a bit of a shame it's again me and Kimi, but we've been fighting for similar positions and it's just unlucky that it's us again.

“From my side, you know, I was on the inside, he was obviously outside, he did brake later and he was kind of ahead but I was on the inside. So then normally... inside you have the line.

“He was turning in the corner so that for me there was nowhere else to go other than over the kerb. And for me it was not an option to back off at that point.

“So yeah, just went over the kerb, bottomed out, the car jumped and hit him and I got a puncture.

“I don't know really, I need to have a bit more [of a] look at the videos and stuff and review it a bit more but for me it was no option to back off.”

Asked if he thought he had the corner, Bottas said: “For me I was on the inside, I thought I had the corner, there should have been space for two cars to go around.

“He was anyway a bit further ahead so maybe he could've kept his position anyway.”

[MIKA27]

Sainz "sacrificed" himself in Kvyat Turn 1 incident

Carlos Sainz says he "sacrificed" himself at the start of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in order not to crash into Toro Rosso teammate Daniil Kvyat.

Kvyat went off track at Turn 1 at the start of the race and rejoined right in front of Sainz, who had to swerve to the left in order to avoid hitting his Russian teammate.

The move resulted in Sainz spinning and dropping to the bottom of the field.

The Spaniard acknowledged after the race that had he not turned left, he would have crashed into Kvyat at high speed.

Sainz said that he did not blame the Russian though, and reckons he would have done the same in his situation.

"I would have probably done the same," said Sainz. "I would have come back on track without caring too much because it's the start of the race.

"But it was either turning the wheel and spin or take both cars out due to the speed difference we had and everything.

"A shame, but it's one of those things that can happen at the start that you have to sometimes sacrifice," he added.

  

Kvyat believed, however, that Sainz's spin had nothing to do with him rejoining the track.

"I saw something in the mirrors, but yeah, I guess there is not anything to do with me or anything. Cold tyres maybe," he said.

Sainz added: "No, the tyres were up to temperature. It was just I was a bit surprised when he came back and I had to do a very harsh input on the steering to avoid him and this threw me into a spin.

"It's a racing incident for me. I'm not going to blame him for that because I would have probably done the same.

"When you are the car behind you have to decide in milliseconds to either keep it flat and maybe have a contact with your teammate or turn the wheel and force yourself into a spin."

While Kvyat retired later in the race, Sainz recovered to finish in eighth position, and the Spanish driver admitted he was not expecting to score points after his spin.

"No, definitely not, especially with the not-so-very-good pace that we've had all weekend, and I thought it would be tricky to come back but I actually started feeling pretty well with the car. We managed to overtake some people and suddenly we were P8."

[MIKA27]

Perez slams Force India teammate Ocon over collision

Sergio Perez says the clash that ruined Force India’s podium chances in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix was “totally unacceptable for the team” – and firmly laid the blame at the door of teammate Esteban Ocon.

The teammates collided just two weeks after Perez decided not to follow a team suggestion to allow Ocon past him in Montreal, in an attempt to chase down Daniel Ricciardo’s Red Bull.

Following a safety car restart in Baku on Sunday, the Force Indias collided on the exit of Turn 2 while running fourth and fifth.

All the cars in front of them were subsequently delayed, raising the possibility that their collision had ruined a double podium – or even race victory, as they were both running ahead of Ricciardo, who went on to win.

“Between us, we ruined a great opportunity for the team,” said Perez, who was forced to retire later with damage from their clash.

“Actually I feel that I couldn’t have done anything to avoid the accident. I was next to the wall, and there was no room for me to go.

“It’s a big shame, the way everything turned out, it was just over-aggressive. In all my career I’ve had teammates who have been hard but given enough room. What happened today is totally unacceptable for the team.

“I think the way he raced today wasn't right. I think he did didn't have any logic.”

Ocon claims Perez hit him first

Ocon went on to finish sixth, despite being forced to pit to replace a punctured tyre following the intra-team clash.

He said: “I’m happy with the performance and disappointed with the potential we had. Obviously it’s never nice to have an incident like that in the race between me and Checo. I lost a lot of places, but still managed to get some points for the team.

“He touched me after Turn 1, and then I was on the inside for Turn 2, and we touched again. Unfortunately, it’s racing and it happens sometimes.

“For sure we will discuss it and it should not happen in the future.”

[MIKA27]

SOME POST RACE INTERVIEWS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MIKA27]

DOCUMENTARY: CHALLENGE FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP

Challenge for the Championship is a short documentary produced for British Leyland that covers the 1977 Formula One season. It’s largely commentated by Colin Chapman, and offers a unique look into the insight he had, it’s also interesting to note how much is the same within F1 even 40+ years later.

There’s some excellent footage of Nikki Lauda, Mario Andretti, Jacques Lfti, and James Hunt, and plenty of footage of the Lotus 78 – a car that I still personally consider to be one of the best looking of the 1970s (if not all time).

[Lotusguy]

What a **** show... this circuit needs to be dropped from the calendar, before someone dies.

Lots of unsportsmanlike conduct this time. Vettel deserved that penalty, Bottas once again ruined Raikonen's race,.... it was basically just a random number generator who won.

[Baldy]

Great race.  I love this track.  So much better than some others.  Technically difficult (as attested by all the drivers needing the run off areas) but still with some passing opportunities. Makes for an exciting and unpredictable race instead of a parade.  Unpredictable in that a Ferrari or Mercedes car did not win, Stroll finish 3rd and even my beloved McLaren finally scored a point.  Mind you the screw up by one of Hamilton's mechanic is inexcusable at this level.

Still not convince with Stroll.  Of the 2 rookies, Ocon have impressed me most.  

Vettel suffered a major case of road rage.  He was focused on the car behind and forgot that Hamilton was ahead, then made it worse by driving into him.  Brilliant driver is Vettel but can be a pestilent 5 year old at times. 

Sauber is done.  The investment firm is going to run this into the ground.  We are more qualified to run an F1 team than Picci.   It's too bad but so long as the current pay structure is in place there will be more.  Having said that, never did care much for Sauber anyways.

[MIKA27]

VERSTAPPEN: IT WAS HEARTBREAKING TO WATCH DANIEL WIN

Max Verstappen did not attend the mandatory press interviews in the media ring after his retirement from the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, his frustration after a fourth DNF due to engine issues is clearly aggravating the teenager’s tolerance level and the fact that his Red Bull teammate Daniel Ricciardo won the race simply added insult to injury.

In an interview on his website he was asked how he felt watching the Australian celebrate, Verstappen was brutally honest, “It was heartbreaking to watch, looking at the position he came from, you can figure what could have been.”

Verstappen explained why he skipped the media debrief, “I just didn’t feel like to at that moment. I stayed for another half an hour at the circuit and discussed with my engineers what I thought of the race regarding the car and the balance. After that I left.”

As for the cause of the failure, he said, “They are still looking into that. In any case, a new engine needs to be installed, because I think this one has been written off.”

Up to the point where his engine failed, Verstappen was in a fierce battle with Sergio Perez for third place, “During the race I hadn’t actually thought about it, until you suddenly run into a problem again.”

“It is extremely disappointing, all the more when you’re in such a good position and you drop out again. Even more so when you look back at all that happened.”

“On Saturday we ran into problems as well. From all the drivers running with a Renault engine, I was the only one that had to tone down mine. It’s a shame and a bit weird, but it is what it is.

“There is nothing wrong with the car. We were pleasantly surprised in Baku. The performance of the car may be improving, but I still want to score some points for once. The mechanics are also troubled by this. They’re working flat out to get this car in shape. And they are all of course very unhappy when there is an issue with it.”

With the disappointment of Baku behind him, Verstappen is nevertheless upbeat about his chances at his team’s home circuit – the Red Bull Ring.

Can he win the race? “For sure. All the more when you see that our pace is reasonably well the whole year round, but we are still unable to score some points. They expect me to do my best, I in turn expect Red Bull and Renault to keep things working.”

“The engine won’t break down there!” added Verstappen with a grin.

[MIKA27]

REACTION TO VETTEL’S ROAD RAGE IN BAKU

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix produced the incident packed and chaos packed race that many were predicting, with the biggest headlines going to the bitter clash between title rivals Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel and sets the stage for what will be a thrilling season and ignites a rivalry that is sure to become part of the legend of the sport.

Street smart met road rage on the day, much has been and will continue to be written about the incident and invariably there will be divisions of opinion.

Few know the real Vettel as does Christian Horner who was his boss for several years at Red Bull, he told reporters, “He’s obviously had momentarily, a tourette’s moment. Emotions are running high, they’re fighting for a world championship. I think it’s an immense bit of rivalry between the two of them for the rest of the season.”

“It looked like Sebastian obviously felt that Lewis brake-tested him and then it just looked like a red-mist moment, where he’s lost it and taken a swipe at him, which was only ever going to result in a penalty. But it’s heat of the moment stuff. A penalty was inevitable after that,” added Horner.

More comments were forthcoming in the aftermath of the race:

Daniel Ricciardo: “Seb probably sometimes doesn’t think before he acts. It’s probably driven through passion and hunger. He’s kind of just got to put a lid on it sometimes. I respect Seb a lot for his grit and his love for the sport, which turns into a lot of passion and sometimes aggression. I respect and like that about him. But today you have seen… whether it’s over the radio, sometimes he will just go crazy. It is probably – what’s the word? – spur of the moment? There’s a better word.”

Damon Hill: “If you were to do that on a public road you would get arrested. That was a petulant move and something a four-time world champion should be able to control. It was a rush of blood to the head. I think there’s been a big misunderstanding and they should all go and say sorry, apologise and move on, but that’s not going to happen. Only a few races ago Lewis was saying it’s great racing against a great driver like Sebastian Vettel and they were all respectful. Now it’s gone slightly pear-shaped.”

Martin Brundle: “Vettel was angry and effectively thumped Hamilton with an F1 car. It’s an extraordinary thing to do, to risk it like that. The chances of breaking the front suspension are quite high. That’s a fearsome temper he is showing. I think the Stewards got it right; I wouldn’t have disqualified him or banned him from the next race unless he took Hamilton out of Baku.”

Eddie Jordan: “It’s the equivalent of a massive headbutt in soccer. With the penalty points he received after the race, the stewards clearly had footage that the driver turned into Hamilton. This is never acceptable, whatever happened prior to that. You can never take the law into your own hands, certainly not in sport.”

Helmut Marko: “Hamilton brake tested Vettel who became angry and extracted revenge. He was provoked and he retaliated . Both have been punished. Mercedes with the neck support not attached properly. That was justice balancing things out.”

Toto Wolff: “I can’t almost imagine [Vettel] would shunt him on purpose. I would like to speak to him personally rather than making a judgement. If a driver does that on purpose and in anger then you have to think about the size of the penalty. He is a four-time world champion and we are is setting examples in Formula 1 about what is allowed and what is not. Lewis didn’t do anything wrong, we have seen that on the data. He is absolutely fine.” 

Niki Lauda: “[Vettel] freaked out in himself. “When you hit somebody up the arse it is your fault. No question. But then to drive next to him and hit him on purpose, I have never seen anything like this. To do that I don’t understand. Vettel is a decent guy normally. This I don’t understand. He is crazy. Lewis will hit him one day. Not with the car but with his fist.” 

Maurizio Arrivabene: “Lauda can say whatever he wants. Sometimes he speaks for himself, sometimes he even talks to us. But as I said before, we are silent. We work and we let Lauda talk. He has his points of view, us our and we’ll see you in Austria. He will continue to speak, we will continue to listen to it. Perfect. There are still 12 races to go.”

[MIKA27]

BOULLIER: WE MAY RUN A DIFFERENT ENGINE UNTIL HONDA PERFORMS

Although Fernando Alonso finally scored McLaren’s first points of the season with ninth place in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the team and their Honda engine partner are still stuck in the middle of a crisis.

Only thirteen cars survived the incident packed race in Baku, and Alonso had to graft hard to finish as he and teammate Stoffel Vandoorne struggled with by far slowest and least powerful car on the grid.

The prospect of McLaren ditching Honda still looms, but now there is a twist as team chief Eric Boullier suggests that an engine supplier switch may only be a temporary measure until Honda get their act together and produce an engine on par with the other three manufacturers: Ferrari, Mercedes and Renault.

Speaking to reporters before the race in Baku, Boullier said, “If you can run a [different] engine for the time being until Honda is competitive, then why not? This is one of the various scenarios we may have considered.”

Suggesting that he believes that Honda have the capability of delivering a competitive F1 engine, “We are confident in Honda because they have a lot of resources and willingness to do it.”

“What I am not confident in, is the timing when Honda will deliver. It is different. Honda are very committed to the sport, to McLaren, to the project, it is just on the timing that I am not confident,” added the Frenchman.

Decision time is fast approaching for the Woking outfit as Alonso is actively seeking a move away from the team unless he is assured a competitive car by the end of summer, while Mercedes chief Toto Wolff has warned that supplying an extra team by next year would require a contract in place around the same time.

[MIKA27]

Sebastian Vettel could yet face further punishment for Lewis Hamilton swipe

Sebastian Vettel could face further sanctions for his intentional collision with Lewis Hamilton during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix at the weekend, which could go as far as a race ban or monetary fine.

It's believed FIA president Jean Todt is unhappy with Vettel's actions and with how the incident was dealt with by the stewards, who handed the Ferrari driver a ten-second stop and go penalty, which many within the paddock thought was a lenient punishment.

Vettel accused Hamilton, who was in the lead of the race at the time and had assumed the role of the safety car, of brake testing him, which resulted in the German running into the back of Hamilton's car, damaging both.

Clearly unhappy with Hamilton's actions, Vettel drove alongside the Briton and turned into him, with the pair making contact. Neither car suffered any damage in the second incident.

However the FIA cleared Hamilton of any wrongdoing during the restart as the lead car can dictate the pace, and whilst the rules stipulate that a constant speed must be kept, data from Hamilton's car showed he didn't brake heavily, nor act any different to his previous restart.

"It emerged that Hamilton did correctly, maintained a consistent speed and behaved in the same manner on that occasion as in all other restarts during the race," a statement from the stewards noted.

Vettel's actions following the initial contact were an act of revenge – the four-time champion admitting so after the race – but he didn't believe the penalty was warranted.

It's not the first time the 'red mist' has descended on Vettel. In Mexico last year he was warned by the FIA's Charlie Whiting for an expletive rant in which he told the race director to "f**k off" twice. That led Vettel to write an official apology to both Whiting and Todt, for bringing the sport in disrepute.

In light of the apology, Todt chose not to bring Vettel before the FIA International Tribunal, but warned him that a repeat offence may warrant heavy punishment.

Vettel's Baku antics could however land him a seat in front of the tribunal, with reports suggesting Todt is unhappy with Vettel's intentional actions and a belief that the penalty didn't fit the crime – with suggestions the stewards considered disqualifying him from the race, but chose not to as it would have impacted the title fight – though ironically, it would have actually put Hamilton and Vettel on equal points as the Briton was later forced to pit for a loose headrest, dropping him down to fifth.

A decision as to whether Todt will take further action is expected ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix next weekend.

What is the International Tribunal (IT)?
Adopted by the 2010 FIA General Assembly, the IT exercises the FIA’s disciplinary powers at first instance, for all cases whether they have been dealt or not with by the Stewards of the Meeting.

Who sits on the IT?
The IT is made up of 12 members, who are recommended by the FIA Judicial Appointment Committee and then elected by the FIA General Assembly.

For what reasons may the IT be held?
The President of the FIA, acting as the FIA prosecuting body, may conduct an inquiry into any actions or conduct of a person under the jurisdiction of the FIA and suspected of having committed one of the offences set out in the Judicial and Disciplinary Rules of the FIA (Article 8.2). Following the inquiry, the President of the FIA may draw up an inquiry report and decide to close the case or to bring the matter before the IT to make a decision in compliance with the FIA Judicial and Disciplinary Rules.

Which sanctions can be imposed by the IT?
The IT may impose fines, bans and/or the sanctions provided for in the FIA International Sporting Code (Article 153).

Can the decision be appealed?
Yes. The President of the FIA and the parties being prosecuted can appeal the decision.

[MIKA27]

Pirelli reveals compound selections for Austrian GP

Formula 1 tyre supplier Pirelli has revealed the compound choices made by drivers for next weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix, with the Ultrasoft tyre favoured.

Pirelli has nominated the Ultrasoft, Supersoft and Soft compounds for the event at the Red Bull Ring, with drivers permitted free choice of compound for 10 of their allocated 13 sets.

The purple-banded Ultrasoft compound has been preferred, with Mercedes drivers selecting eight sets of the tyres and their Ferrari rivals seven sets.

Force India and McLaren have adopted the most aggressive approach, opting for 10 sets of the Ultrasoft compound.

One set of the Ultrasoft tyres must be set aside for use only in Q3, while the Supersofts or Softs must be run for one stint of the 71-lap race.

[MIKA27]

Franz Tost sure STR will recapture fifth from Williams

Toro Rosso boss Franz Tost is confident that the squad will regain fifth position from Williams in the Constructors’ Championship, having slipped behind its rivals at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Toro Rosso led Williams in the midfield fight, substantially adrift of Force India, but Lance Stroll’s podium in Baku enabled the Mercedes-powered outfit to slot into fifth overall.

Williams now holds a slender four-point buffer back to Toro Rosso, but Tost remains sure that the Faenza-based operation will recapture the spot in the coming events.

“We knew from the beginning that both Canada and Azerbaijan are race tracks that are not in our favour but, nevertheless, we scored some points,” said Tost.

“Unfortunately, we’ve lost fifth position in the Constructors’ Championship to Williams.

“Now we have to fight back but I’m positive that, earlier or later, we will be back in that position.

“We now go to Austria, where we hope to be prepared as well as possible in order to finish with both cars in the points.”

Carlos Sainz Jr. finished in eighth place after recovering from a spin exiting Turn 1 on the opening lap, which he attributed to avoiding team-mate Daniil Kvyat.

“When I got to Turn 1 I saw Daniil rejoining the track and I had to quickly avoid crashing into him, which would’ve been a disaster for the team,” he said.

“I spun, but it was a sacrifice I had to do. From then onwards, I kept calm, was very patient, and we recovered from last to eighth without making any mistakes.”

Kvyat retired from the race after his STR12 shut down.

[MIKA27]

Marcus Ericsson: Damage led to Sauber team orders in Baku

Marcus Ericsson says Sauber imposed team orders during the closing stages of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after he picked up debris, causing damage to his C36-Ferrari.

Ericsson held 10th spot as he chased his first point since 2015, but Sauber instructed the Swede to allow team-mate Pascal Wehrlein through, as both came under pressure from McLaren’s Stoffel Vandoorne.

Ericsson ultimately accepted the order and Wehrlein moved ahead to score 10th place, adding another point to Sauber’s tally, while Ericsson narrowly fended off Vandoorne for 11th position.

“It was looking good,” Ericsson said of his race around the streets of Baku.

“Then a lot of things started happening with Safety Car phases and the red flag, which disrupted the race and challenged us to stay focused and committed.

“After the restart I settled in quite well but picked up some debris, damaging my right rear of the floor.

“I was having some trouble in my left-hand corners, and started struggling to keep up my pace.

“Pascal was behind me, with Stoffel behind him, who was closing up the gap to my team-mate.

“I received the order to let Pascal pass so that we can protect the point for our team, so I did.

“In the end I see it as a good result for the team, but of course it was disappointing for me not to be in the car that scored considering that I was 10th for a substantial part of the race.

“However, I was able to play a defining role in scoring the point by keeping Stoffel from closing in during the final lap.”

Wehrlein’s point lifted his and Sauber’s 2017 total to five, leaving the team three points clear of McLaren-Honda, which scored for the first time this year courtesy of ninth for Fernando Alonso.

Wehrlein stressed that Sauber's point was only achievable due to the dramatic nature of the race.

"The race was defined by several interruptions, so we do have to stay realistic when it comes to our expectations for the next races," he said.

"We have some improvements to make, and would not have been able to score under normal circumstances."

[MIKA27]

Red Bull drops behind McLaren in F1 2017 race miles

Red Bull has fallen behind McLaren in the Formula 1 race mileage stakes this season, completing fewer grand prix laps in 2017 than any other team on the grid.

Despite Daniel Ricciardo taking the team’s first victory of the season in Baku last weekend, teammate Max Verstappen’s fourth retirement from the last six races meant it was a bittersweet day for the team.

The scale of Red Bull’s problems has been highlighted by the fact that Verstappen’s latest stoppage means he is the full-time driver who has completed the fewest race laps all season – just 277 in total. Only temporary stand-ins Antonio Giovinazzi and Jenson Button are behind him.

In team terms, Red Bull has now dropped behind McLaren – which has been beset by Honda reliability problems but managed to get both Fernando Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne home in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Over the first eight races of the year, Red Bull has managed to complete just 685 race laps – which is 31 fewer than McLaren has done. In comparison, Force India (956 laps) and Mercedes (946) are the two teams that have completed the most laps.

  

Although not all of Red Bull’s retirements were down to car or engine failures - Verstappen exited at Turn 1 in Spain after a clash with Kimi Raikkonen - it is clear that recent engine issues have left the team a bit frustrated.

Speaking after a weekend in Azerbaijan where Verstappen was hit by a stoppage in practice and the race, team principal Christian Horner said: “The two failures that Max has were totally unrelated, this was a sudden loss of oil pressure and they [the cars] don't like not having oil in them.

“Renault need to do the right post-mortem and understand what the right cause of failure is.”

When asked if the problems were the result of Renault simply pushing harder for performance, Horner replied: “I'm not sure, to be honest. You know, the cause of failure that we had in Montreal was nothing to do with performance.

“You can’t fault the people on the floor and behind the scenes that are pushing hard. And, you know, as a race team we're always impatient to have more performance and better reliability.”

 

[MIKA27]

Damper failure cost Massa Baku win, reckons Lowe

Felipe Massa was on course for victory in Formula 1’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix before a failure on the damper system locked the rear suspension solid, according to Paddy Lowe. 

Massa had risen up to third, having started ninth, when the race was red-flagged due to a large amount debris around the Baku F1 street circuit. 

But when the race resumed, Massa was passed by eventual race winner Daniel Ricciardo and then rapidly fell down the order before retiring the car. 

“It was a failure of part of our damping system, it had locked the rear suspension solid, at a high rear ride height as well, so it was locked up at the full droop position,” said Williams technical chief Lowe. 

“It was close on the restart with Daniel but in truth, the problem Felipe had with the car had existed from the minute the cars had left the pit lane. 

“As we retraced it, it occurred on the in lap [before the red flag], which we hadn’t been able to spot in the data.

“We wouldn’t have been able to fix it anyway in the red flag period, so it was what it was. 

“He had no pace, that’s why Daniel was able to overtake into Turn 1.”

Had the failure not occurred, Lowe believes Massa could have won the race, in what would have been his first victory since the 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix.

“We saw the problem with Lewis [Hamilton, who pitted from the lead because of a loose headrest] and then Sebastian got his penalty,” said Lowe. 

“When you put that together, Felipe could have been leading that race and finishing on the top step.

“Of course you worry, as there was a long way to go and so many cars had fallen out already. [But] he had the performance to sustain those positions.”

It was the second race in succession that Massa had failed to finish after he was taken out of the race by Carlos Sainz in Canada.

When asked if Massa was driving as well as he has ever done so in an F1 career that started back in 2002, Lowe said: “It feels like that to me. I haven’t worked with him before, but they say yes. 

“I can’t fault him, he’s always got the car on the limit, his feedback is fantastic, his technique is fantastic and he’s just a great individual.

“I can’t imagine him having been any better than this because he’s brilliant at the moment.”

[MIKA27]

British GP confirms four-day 2017 schedule

British Grand Prix organisers have confirmed changes to the timetable of next month’s event to offer fans four days of track action.

As revealed by Motorsport.com last week, the revision has come about because F1 bosses want to ease congestion to an already-packed schedule.

Silverstone has now confirmed that gates will open at 2pm on Thursday, with the F1 Fan Zone up and running as well as there being track action from F2 and GP3.

Tickets for the Thursday have been put on sale at £40 for adults and £20 for children.

Those who have already bought weekend tickets will get access on Thursday too, but this will not include entry to a Travis music concert in the evening.

The new Silverstone timetable and details about tickets can be found here:

[MIKA27]

Autosport podcast: Vettel and Hamilton's F1 title battle explodes

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix clashes between Formula 1 title rivals Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton under the safety car is among the main talking points of the latest Autosport Podcast.

Gary Anderson, former Jordan, Stewart and Jaguar technical director, joins Edd Straw to look back on the Baku race, starting with the warring world title rivals.

But there's plenty more to talk about, including Daniel Ricciardo's uncanny knack of coming up with race wins when odd circumstances allow it and Lance Stroll's remarkable podium finish.

There's also a look at Valtteri Bottas's clash with Kimi Raikkonen, an explanation of why the headrest problem that cost Hamilton victory was more design fault than human error and the verdict on Force India's intra-team between Esteban Ocon and Sergio Perez.

Kevin Magnussen's excellent drive to seventh place also attracts attention, as do the latest twists and turns in the McLaren-Honda relationship and the team's first points finish of the year.

You can subscribe to The Autosport Podcast via iTunes and most other podcast providers.

[MIKA27]

GROSJEAN: I WAS AFRAID FOR MY SAFETY

Romain Grosjean gets a ton of radio air time on race weekends, his complaining about the brakes on his Haas are well documented but for some reason the team is struggling to provide him ‘anchors’ with which he can feel comfortable.

During the Azerbaijan Grand Prix he was again fuming and asked of his race engineer: “I ask you one thing, Gary. If the car becomes dangerous because of the braking, stop me. It’s going now.”

The answer from the pit wall was: “Understood. Alright temps are getting hot so let’s try and lift and coast for a while.”

After the race the Frenchman did not provide a quote to his team for their post race press release, highly unusual behaviour for any driver. He finished 13th.

Sources close to Grosjean say he is highly frustrated with the situation and believes that not enough is being done by the American outfit to sort out the brake issues that has been plaguing him since last year.

After the race Grosjean was interviewed by Canal Plus and at first it appeared he was not going to say anything, “There are no comments to make.”

But then added, “It was catastrophic from the beginning to the end of the weekend and there was not a moment when there was a ray of hope.”

“We have to ask ourselves the right questions and find the problems. You can not have six sessions on a weekend and have a problem every time. It becomes dangerous. I was even afraid for my safety for a while. It’s gone too far.”

The Frenchman is also feeling victimised by the FOM directors who he believes are singling him out by broadcasting his messages far too often.

He said, “Everyone is saying things [on team radio], and when I’m saying things, it’s just for the team, it’s not for the outside world. It’s our internal business if I have rear locking and front locking, or whatever.”

“I’ve been broadcast much more than others and I’m pretty sure others have been swearing and not being happy sometimes. I just feel that they have been a bit unfair and I’m tired,” he added.

The problem that is afflicting Grosjean is also being experienced on the other side of the garage with Kevin Magnussen, but the Dane is less verbose about the problem.

However, after finishing seventh in Baku he did say, “The car’s been handling well all weekend – there’s just been some issues with brakes.”

The team is obviously aware of the brake woes, with team principal Guenther Steiner saying after the race in Baku, ” I hope, in a few more races, we’ll forget about talking about brakes and just use them like everybody else.”

“As a team we need to get on top of that, and we will. Then we can be consistently in the points with two cars. That’s our aim,” added Steiner.

When asked to expand on what is being done to reach a solution, the team was not forthcoming with any new information regarding the matter.

MIKA: I like and respect HAAS F1, love the team but I find Grosjean is becoming a whiner... Magnussen has the same package, perhaps Romain needs to change his driving style? Romains complaints often come when Kevin is besting him also, so perhaps it's his way of trying to take the  spotlight off that and attempt to place blame elsewhere.