Formula 1 - 2017

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OCON VS PEREZ: THE FORGOTTEN BATTLE IN BAKU

The Lewis Hamilton-Sebastian Vettel saga may have been the rivalry that grabbed the headlines in the wake of the frenetic Azerbaijan Grand Prix, but let’s not forget about the increasingly fierce feud between Esteban Ocon and Sergio Perez, which was every bit as contentious.

Having shared a difference of opinion two weeks earlier  in Montreal, their rivalry escalated even further in Baku with a costly coming-together during the race.

Alongside each other at the second safety-car restart, the pair collided when Ocon tried to make a move down the inside of the Turn 2 left-hander, forcing Perez to decide between backing off, hitting the wall or his teammate’s car, with the Mexican opting for the latter and sending both drivers to the pits.

Having been in P3 and P4 at the time of the accident, Force India were left to once again rue missed opportunities for a podium – if not the win – given what else transpired on the day.

As was the case in Canada, neither driver has been willing to concede culpability to the other in the aftermath, while Force India’s COO Otmar Szafnauer called the incident “50/50 [or] 55/45”, but also went on to brand it as “unacceptable”, leading him to conclude “they cannot fight each other.”

However, for Szafnauer, the solution to this ongoing tiff probably isn’t that simple, as given the relationship each driver shares with Force India, the objectives of team and driver don’t necessarily match.

While Force India’s objectives are relatively simple – defend their 2016 fourth-place in the constructor’s standings, the circumstances that placed both Ocon and Perez at the team give them strong cause to keep looking out for number one.

Firstly, both drivers are legitimate talents with realistic expectations of moving to a competitive team in the future, and allowing themselves to be out-raced by a teammate isn’t exactly ideal in such a case.

Secondly, they both bring significant money to the team – Ocon through his relationship with Mercedes, Perez through his extensive backing from sponsors (Claro, Telmex, Telcel, etc) – that make their relationship with the team if not co-dependent, then at least mutually beneficial.

Following from this neither driver needs to toe the line like say, Kimi Raikkonen might have in the same situation, and unless Perez or Ocon start costing the team a Jolyon Palmer-level of points, the money will help mitigate any particularly serious repercussions.

Does this mean Szafnauer’s comments will go unheard, or his drivers would disobey a direct order?

Not exactly, but like a substitute teacher with their back turned, his control remains tenuous, at it only follows that Ocon and Perez will continue to test the limits, should the opportunity present itself.

Neither driver seems the type to back down from a fight, and with twelve races left in the 2017 season, it’s highly unlikely this beef is done just yet.  

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FORCE INDIA SET TO BECOME FORCE ONE

Vijay Mallya’s long serving accountant Thiruvannamalai Venkatesan Laskshimi Kanthan has registered a series of companies, named: Force One Racing, Force One Grand Prix, Force One Team, Force One Technologies, Force One Brand and Force One Hospitality suggesting that Force India will undergo a name change for 2018 and beyond.

The existing Sahara Force India F1 Team is likely to change to Force One Formula One Team and will seek to retain it’s financial and commercial benefits from FOM,

Kanthan, who is also a director of Force India, is likely to have been mandated to begin the process of a name change by Mallya who hinted earlier this month that such a move was on the cards.

Mallya said in a recent interview, “There is a growing feeling that maybe since we are a much-improved team in terms of performance and attracting more international sponsors, and sadly less Indian sponsors, there is a debate as to why the name should not be changed to give it a more international flavour.”

“There are some people who believe the current name Force India is restrictive psychologically. I’m considering along with the other shareholders what steps to take but it’s a major decision and one that is not going to be taken in a hurry without due consideration.”

For the name change to take place, the FIA would have to approve the chassis name change which would most likely be Force One-Mercedes. But this should be a mere formality and it is sure that the team will fulfill all the protocols required to keep receiving benefits from the sport.

The team began life as Jordan Grand Prix in 1991. In 2005 Midland Group bought the team and a year later renamed it to MF1 Racing. That same year, in 2006, it was sold to Dutch car manufacturer Spyker and became Spyker F1 for 2007, before being sold to Vijay Mallya’s consortium who renamed it to Force India in 2008.

In October 2011, Indian company Sahara India Pariwar, purchased 42.5% of Force India F1’s shares at $100-million, upon which it became Sahara Force India F1 Team.

Team COO Otmar Szafnauer, said, “Force India was born out of Vijay owning the team. His hopes that some India companies would sponsor us. As it turned out, there were a couple, but not very many.”

“He also hoped that India would have a Grand Prix, which happened. With the Grand Prix and a couple of our sponsors, it made sense to have Force India’s name.

“Since then we’ve lost the Grand Prix there, the Indian sponsors no longer were interested in sponsoring us. Now we have no Indian sponsors whatsoever, apart from Vijay’s Kingfisher.”

“So it kind of makes sense to change it from India in order to attract sponsors more globally, and not restrict ourselves to being Force India.”

“For a name a chassis change we need approval from some of the rest. I don’t think it’s all, but it’s got to go through the F1 Commission. If the FIA and commercial rights holder and some of the teams say ‘yes,’ then we can have a name change.”

“I think there’s a spirit of co-operation in that regard. We voted for Brawn to go to Mercedes, and I would hope they would reciprocate,” added Szafnauer.

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ALONSO TO FERRARI? HYPE OR A POSSIBILITY?

A silly season lobby to have Fernando Alonso back at Ferrari has emerged led by  Flavio Briatore, and backed by Bernie Ecclestone, calling for the Italian team to consider signing the Spaniard to partner Sebastian Vettel from 2018 and beyond.

Speaking during an interview with Italian broadcaster RAI, Briatore said, “Alonso to Ferrari? In life you should not rule anything out.”

“When he was there he got on well with everyone, he only had problems only with [Marco] Mattiacci. In Formula 1 today there are only two competitive teams, two teams capable of winning, Ferrari and Mercedes.”

 Mattiacci was at the helm at Ferrari in 2014 when a deal was struck to have Sebastian Vettel replace Alonso at Maranello for the next season, at the time the Italian team boss said they sought a driver with “utmost motivation and commitment” for the team.

Suggesting that Alonso lacked the two qualities.

Since then Alonso joined McLaren with the prospect of Honda returning the team to greatness. Their partnership in the eighties was one of the most successful in the sport’s history.

However, three years down the road and the partnership is in crisis as the team languishes at the back of the frid with no end in sight to their woes.

Alonso, who turns 36 in July, is expected to depart McLaren-Honda at the send of this season, as the partnership struggle to be competitive and in fact the engine supplier seems to be lost for solutions to sort out their embarrassing power unit.

The thing is so bad that during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend Alonso pointed out that while he and teammate Stoffel Vandoorne were  on a flying lap, rival drivers thought they were on a warm up lap so slow was their car.

Briatore continued, “McLaren can be a top team only if he changes engines. Red Bull or Force India can have impressive races like in Baku.”

“Alonso is a bit like [Ayrton] Senna, he has had no problems with any team. Just give him a winning car,” added the Italian who disgraced himself as Renault team principal when he was found have cheated at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix. 

Despite this, Briatore has remained a confidante and advisor to Alonso and has clear been drafted in to assist the Spaniard in what is a time of crisis for his career in Formula 1.

Deposed F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has added his sixpence to this latest episode of the silly season, backing his mate and occasional business partner Briatore in a call for Ferrari to consider Alonso to replace Kimi Raikkonen.

According to GMM, Ecclestone was asked by ABC newspaper who should drive for Ferrari, to which the octogenarian replied, “Alonso, of course. He is one of the best F1 drivers of all time.”

Alonso drove for Ferrari from 2010 to 2015 and at the time of his signing things looked promising as he won his first grand prix with the team. He went on to complete 95 races in Red, winning 11 times, but never won the F1 world championship during his tenure there.

For 2018, other teams supposedly realistically considering Alonso’s services are Renault and now Williams. Mercedes and Red Bull, by their own admission, are not interested in the Spaniard. A move to Indycar racing is also a possibility if all else fails.

Meanwhile, sources close to Ferrari are adamant that the team are not considering Alonso, suggesting that Briatore’s motives are to stir the pot and create demand for the driver he guides. D-Day for a new deal is fast approaching thus stirring the pot, while recruiting Ecclestone to make similar noises.

The same sources suggest that Ferrari have a verbal agreement with Daniel Ricciardo to replace Vettel should the German decide to quit the team. 

MIKA: Never rule anything out, after all, Alonso moved back to McLaren after a pretty bad relationship with Ron Dennis....

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FIA confirms second investigation into Sebastian Vettel's swipe at Lewis Hamilton

The FIA has confirmed that it will launch an investigation into Sebastian Vettel's deliberate swipe at Lewis Hamilton during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, and could take further action against the Ferrari driver.

As reported by Motorsport Week on Tuesday, FIA president Jean Todt was said to be unhappy with Vettel's actions and the way in which the stewards handled the situation – handing down a 10-second stop and go penalty – and Todt could therefore prompt a more detailed look into the incident.

That now looks to have happened, with the FIA confirming on Wednesday that it would examine the incident again and make a final decision on whether or not it warrants further action, with an announcement to be made ahead of the Austrian GP next weekend.

"Following the recent incident at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in which car #5 (Sebastian Vettel) was involved in a collision with car #44 (Lewis Hamilton), on Monday July 3 the FIA will further examine the causes of the incident in order to evaluate whether further action is necessary," read an FIA note.

"A statement regarding the outcome of this process will be made available before the upcoming Austrian Grand Prix."

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Alonso: Vettel swerve a new thing

Fernando Alonso is the latest to weigh in on Sebastian Vettel’s moment of retaliation in Baku, saying he paid the penalty so “it’s done.”

Vettel reacted to what he perceived to be a brake-check from Lewis Hamilton by drawing alongside the Mercedes drivers and turning into him.

He was handed a ten-second stop-go penalty for his moment of road rage, billed as “dangerous driving” by the stewards but could yet face further sanctions from the FIA.

Alonso, though, says the matter is done even if it was something he hasn’t seen too often during his 16-year F1 career.

“Quite [a] new thing!” he told Sky Sports News HQ.

“We don’t see many of those. Let’s say it like that.

“But they paid the penalty already, so it’s done.”

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Marko: Red Bull have pace to win more races

Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko believes Red Bull are "heading in the right direction" after making "slow" improvements over the course of the season.

Red Bull's recent improvement has been reflected in Daniel Ricciardo's last four races where he followed up three consecutive third-place finishes with a fifth career victory coming at the bonkers Baku circuit.

The team were predicted to challenge Mercedes and Ferrari for the title, but are having to settle for the 'best of the rest' tag this season.

Yet Marko thinks that the team are becoming more competitive, which has been aided by Renault's upgraded engine.

“The speed is now coming slowly. It was shown in qualifying, although we cannot turn the engines up like Mercedes and Ferrari can," Marko told Auto Motor und Sport.

“We're heading in the right direction and, on the right circuit, we already have the strength to win on our own.

"We expect a lot for Silverstone and Budapest.

"In Baku, we went with the smallest wing [level] and were at the front through corners.

"We have made a real step forward with the chassis and, since the beginning of the season, we have found a second [in performance].

"But Renault has also delivered a noticeable step forward. Only two-tenths [worth of gains] in a straight line does not sound much, but you do notice it."

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Second Chinese team registers F1 interest

A second, as yet unnamed, Chinese team have reportedly registered an interest in joining the Formula 1 grid.

According to Auto Motor und Sport, there is another interested party from China other than the business that recently registered with the Companies House in London as 'China F1 Racing Team Limited'.

The report also states that the team would link up with a Spanish F2 team – Racing Engineering or Campos Racing – to help build their Formula 1 business.

Representatives from both the FIA and owners Liberty Media have made no secret of their wish to see the grid extend to possibly 24 cars following the collapse of Manor Racing.

And whilst it is too late for a new team to enter the 2018 season, any interested party must convince the FIA that they have the necessary technical and financial resources at their disposal in order to be competitive.

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Baku comeback a lesson in not giving up, says Bottas

Valtteri Bottas says that the Azerbaijan Grand Prix was a lesson in not giving up, after he came back from being 20th and a lap down to take a sensational second place.

The Mercedes driver dropped down the order after receiving a puncture in his first-lap contact with Kimi Raikkonen, and after getting back on the lead lap during the first safety car period he charged up the order.

Crucially, Mercedes was able to repair some of Bottas' diffuser damage under the red flag, so when the race resumed he had a faster and more consistent car for the second part.

He eventually passed the Williams of Lance Stroll right on the finish line to grab second by a tenth.

“When I saw the tyre was starting to be destroyed and destroying the car - and it felt like one hour, driving from Turn 2 to the pits," Bottas recalled. "And it was a shame, I was one lap down after that.

“But after that, it showed that you should never give up. It was a crazy race after that, and the safety allowed me to then get close to the guys.

"And then the next safety car and the red flag allowed me to be on the same lap and compete, and with a good car. I had damage on the car and they managed to repair most of it during the red flag.

  

"There was a proper hole in the side of the diffuser and they could actually fix it pretty well. I was also struggling with a little bit of oversteer, but then it was like a different car after the red flag."

Bottas said he enjoyed the buzz of charging through the field and gaining ground, especially when gaining on Stroll in the closing laps.

“It is really nice, because when you're one lap down in the beginning of the race, in a normal race, if there's not much happening, that's it," he said. "But I think it's a good example not to give up.

“The team told me: just keep your head down, there will be opportunities. I really enjoyed the last part of the race, trying to maximise every corner, every lap, doing good laps and getting closer and closer.

“When I got through [Esteban] Ocon [for third] and when I saw the first lap when I was in free air, the lap time I could do, I knew there was a possibility [of catching Stroll].

“I was pushing the maximum there was. I was doing qualifying laps. I didn't do any tyre saving, and the tyres could take it here and especially when the temperatures were getting lower, it was helping."

On pipping Stroll to the finish, he added: “It was so close. I got to the slipstream, got the DRS. I was not quite sure where the finish line was actually, I couldn't really see it.

"But when they opened up the radio, I could hear the clapping in the background. Then I knew 'okay, that was P2 then'."

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Celis gets two F1 practice outings with Force India

The Force India Formula 1 team will use its reserve driver Alfonso Celis Jr in Friday practice for the first time this season at the Austrian and Hungarian Grands Prix.

Celis had six outings in official F1 weekend sessions during 2016, but his only on-track appearances for the team so far this year have been in winter and post-Bahrain GP testing.

Force India has announced that Sergio Perez will step aside for Celis on Friday morning at the Red Bull Ring this week, with Esteban Ocon doing so at the Hungaroring in a month's time.

Celis's main campaign this year is a third season in what is now called World Series Formula V8 3.5.

Driving for Fortec this season, the 20-year-old Mexican claimed his first F3.5 win at Spa in May and is fighting for the title with Lotus duo Pietro Fittipaldi and Rene Binder.

Celis sits third in the standings after last weekend's Aragon round, 16 points off leader Fittipaldi.

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Sainz calls for rethink of "dangerous" Baku restarts

Toro Rosso driver Carlos Sainz Jr has lobbied for changes to be made to safety car restarts in Baku, as he believes they created a “dangerous situation” in the 2017 race.

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix proved a chaotic affair last weekend, as the race featured three separate safety car restarts, with collisions and resulting debris led to frequent lengthy interruptions.

Sainz, who finished the race in eighth, said afterwards that the restarts presented the biggest safety risk in the event, as inconsistent pace from the leaders on approach to the start-finish line caused disruptions further down the order.

“For me it was probably the most dangerous part of the race,” Sainz said of the restarts. “The leaders were waiting up until the safety car line to start, and at the same time they were going fast-slow, and for the guys at the back, we're still in the corners when they're going fast-slow, and there's walls and we cannot see through them.

“So suddenly we are going flat out in sixth, seventh gear, and they are braking again. For me a bit on the dangerous side, probably for next year they should reconsider when the leader is obliged to push.”

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton led the field on all three restarts. For the initial occasion, he opted to accelerate early out of the Turn 16 left-hander and was warned by the team that he had come too close to passing the safety car before the first safety car line, which would have yielded a penalty.

  

The Brit went much later on the throttle the second and third time around, accelerating in the flat-out section encompassing Turns 17 to 20.

Sainz continued: “I think they should just put a rule for the leader to restart before Turn 16 and then to be flat from 16, make sure he's racing from 16 onwards, no?

“Because you cannot be slow braking, fast, slow braking, fast, you know, all the time, in such a long straight, with people actually thinking we are going, suddenly upshifting, and suddenly braking again.”

The Spaniard clarified that the issue had not come up in the drivers' briefing despite last year's hectic safety car restarts in GP2 races in Baku, and said he was not blaming the leader for accelerating late.

“If I were the leader, I probably would've done the same,” he said. “It's not the leader's fault at all. I think we would all have done the same to avoid the maximum possible slipstream.

“Put a rule, I think, if you want to be a bit more careful and make sure there's no accidents. If not, just let it be and more things will happen, and that's it.”

 

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Why F1 title battle goes beyond just the drivers falling out

It's not just Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel who are at war in the F1 title fight; top brass and technical staff at Mercedes and Ferrari have rolled up their sleeves too...

There is something quite fitting that in ‘The Land of Fire’, as Azerbaijan is known, that tensions in the fight for the Formula 1 championship should erupt so spectacularly between the two title contenders.

But whichever side of the debate you stand on the rights and wrongs of Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton’s behaviour – there is one thing that everyone can agree on: the gloves are now off in the fight for glory.

It was pretty much inevitable that, in a championship battle as close as that which we have witnessed so far in 2017, the early-season ‘bromance’ between the drivers and teams involved would end at some point.

The talk earlier in the year had been one of mutual respect both ways; of a Vettel/Hamilton love-in as they locked horns properly for the first time in their career, and of Ferrari and Mercedes relishing an epic fight between two car giants for glory.

Indeed, Hamilton himself reckoned that whatever trouble there may be on track, he and Vettel were big enough men not to let things escalate.

“I honestly think it will stay the way it is," Hamilton said after the Chinese GP. "Who knows, maybe we'll have times where we are racing hard together, and of course there could be that scenario where one of us thinks something is unfair, or has been too aggressive, whatever it may be. 

“But we're grown men, we've come a long way, and we've experienced a lot. The respect for one another is the highest that I have felt from another driver, especially of his calibre.”

What Hamilton could not have foreseen at that point, though, was behaviour like being driven into deliberately behind a safety car. His words about ‘disgraceful’ and ‘disrespectful’ behaviour from Vettel show how much he was taken aback by what happened.

But the rapidly evolving situation between Hamilton and Vettel was not just about events on track in Baku though – for there have been undercurrents of the battle between Ferrari and Mercedes top brass ramping up too.

  

Oil burn controversy

As teams arrived in Azerbaijan, word leaked out of a fresh technical directive issued by the FIA regarding the season-long talking point of burning oil as fuel.

Amid suspicions that the FIA had found – or been alerted to – something that a team was doing, F1’s technical department reminded teams that it would deem any attempt to use ‘additional components or substances in oil for the purpose of enhancing combustion’ a breach of the rules.

Such moves from the FIA never come without good reason, and the F1 rumour mill ramped up that it had been prompted by Mercedes querying areas where it suspected Ferrari may have been doing some clever tricks involving its auxiliary oil tank.

Was this the revenge for Ferrari having got suspension systems that Mercedes and Red Bull were planning on running this year banned on the eve of the campaign? 

Mercedes was keeping tight lipped on the matter, and Ferrari strongly denied that it had been doing anything illegal or needed to change anything in light of the latest FIA stance.

But conspiracy theorists had a field day that, on the same weekend the FIA TD was issued, Ferrari was further off Mercedes that it had been all season...

In reality, Baku’s gap though owed more to tyres and confidence than engine power though (especially considering Vettel had to revert to a well-used power unit), so it may not be until Austria that we will find out if anything has changed in that Q3 phase when engine power is ramped up to the max.

 

Changed relations

With the oil burn issue churning away in the background, and the Hamilton/Vettel clash erupting so publicly, it is clear that the intensity of the championship battle will be at a higher level as the teams roll into the Red Bull Ring.

Indeed, Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff admitted on Sunday evening that even prior to the race in Baku, there were early signs of a change of relations with Ferrari.

“Normally I get a breakfast at Ferrari on Sunday morning. Today I only had tea,” he smiled when asked about the potential fallout from the oil burn controversy and the Vettel/Hamilton clash.

Speaking more seriously, Wolff hopes that however much the situation has changed with Ferrari – and however more intense things get on track – that the relationship between both camps won’t fall apart completely.

“Of course, we have great respect for Ferrari,” he said. “It's a fantastic company and great brand and there are so many passionate people at Ferrari and in Italy they cheer for Ferrari. But for me, the analogy is with rugby. 

“During the race they are our enemies and they wouldn't take any prisoners. We must be capable, when the race is done, of having a beer like rugby players and acknowledging somebody's performance and acknowledge that we are all warriors and fierce competitors out there.

“Nevertheless we are racing on a giant platform that somehow unites us.”

But as the stakes raise ever higher, it is hard to imagine that the tensions will not escalate further – especially with the performance between the two teams being so close that every element of its package is important.

It will be fascinating too to see if Ferrari continues its bizarre self-imposed media blackout of team figures – which has handed an open goal for Mercedes to set the public agenda, keep control of stories and not waste time fire-fighting speculation that can get out on control when you cut yourself off from the headline-hungry outside world.

  

Red Bull benefit

The prospect of a truly intense battle between Mercedes and Ferrari is of course great news for fans, who are set to be treated to an ever more captivating title battle. But it could also be a godsend for Red Bull, as it bids to bounce back from some early season frustrations.

It was Daniel Ricciardo who benefited the most from the Hamilton/Vettel situation in Baku, and he is now the highest scoring driver from the last four races.

Plus, if technical clarifications start hobbling those ahead of his team, then Red Bull is in a prime position to benefit.

“It's inevitable,” said Red Bull boss Christian Horner about the new edge to the Ferrari/Mercedes battle. “They're fighting for a world championship, so for sure this is only going to have elevated that intensity of the battle between the two of them. 

“And of course there's been technical directives about auxiliary [tanks], fuels and oils and so on, which one can only assume is crossfire. 

“And if that helps to bring us into a more competitive position, then... you know, I think we can play a significant role in this championship, particularly when we move into the second half of the year.”

F1’s 2017 title battle is no longer in danger of being a bit vanilla, nor a boring two-horse race between mates.

After the Baku on track and off-track skirmishes, there is a new edginess to this championship that goes beyond just the drivers. 

Bring it on!

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FERRARI GOING FOR IT IN F1 BRITISH GRAND PRIX: NEW ENGINE TO MAXIMISE CHANCES ON HIGH SPEED TRACK

The high speed flowing Silverstone circuit should suit the Ferrari and to make sure that they give themselves the best chance of coming away with a British Grand Prix win, the team has decided to roll out the latest version of the 2017 engine that weekend.

It will be the third engine of the season, with Sebastian Vettel having a scare in Baku at the weekend with a coolant leak which necessitated an engine change before qualifying back to the original race engine from earlier in the season, which has done almost 5,000km.

He will use the second engine in Austria next weekend after it was returned to Maranello and analysed.

Both Ferraris will then have the third engine for Silverstone on July 14-16, which is a real power circuit and where the efficient aerodynamics of the car should really show through. Ferrari has won the British Grand Prix only twice in the last decade.

There have also been clarifications from the FIA technical department behind the scenes on oil burning in engines and there were suggestions in Baku that this was something that affects Ferrari more than its rivals. Version three of the engine will no doubt also address these questions.

Pirelli has also made a move with regards to Silverstone, switching the tyre specification to softer tyres. We will not see the hard tyre again, one suspects, as they accept that the 2017 tyres are too hard and start to bring the softer compounds to races. Silverstone is a high load circuit, but this year we will see Supersoft, Soft and Medium tyres for the race and later in the season on tracks like Spa and Suzuka we are likely to see a similar approach.

Vettel needs to regroup

There is some dismay that the ‘red mist’ Vettel returned on Sunday, the one which was last seen swearing on the radio at FIA Race Director Charlie Whiting during a testy end to the 2016 campaign.

This season he has been very calm and clinical in taking his opportunities in qualifying and the races. But on Sunday, enraged by contact after what he perceived to be Hamilton slowing down on corner exit ahead of a Safety car restart, he drove alongside and banged wheels with the Mercedes driver.

He was cautioned after Mexico as to his future behaviour and there are some who feel that the FIA should have been stronger with him after Baku, as the image of a driver deliberately driving into a competitor out of pique, doesn’t play well with the FIA’s Road Safety messaging.

Whilst it is true that this is an unwelcome precedent for F1, the comparisons with road safety do become rather stretched as there are many things that happen under racing conditions on a circuit that wouldn’t be acceptable on the roads, not least the extreme speeds which are the basic premise of the sport itself.

Meanwhile Toto Wolff has calmed things on a corporate level in the last days, saying that there is no spat between Ferrari and Mercedes and that they have a good relationship, which will not change.

The feeling is that it is good for business if there is a bit of edge between the title rival drivers (and one hopes that Vettel will not be booed at Silverstone after what happened in Baku)

But Ferrari and Mercedes have bigger fish to fry together.

The new owners of F1, Liberty Media, are starting to roll out their plans and strategies for the growth of the sport, but the top teams are also pushing back, wanting more freedom to exploit their own brands and stars for themselves. There is a long way to run on this. To what extent are the big teams obliged to help promote the sport generally and to what extent can they act unilaterally?

Wolff appeared in a panel at the FIA Sport Conference last week with F1 CEO Chase Carey and notably observed that “I wouldn’t want to be in Chase’s shoes”, with regards to satisfying all the various parties, stakeholders and broadcasters in F1.

And of course the elephant in the room is the payment to the teams from F1’s prize funds.

The top teams are prepared to accept a modest move towards a more fair distribution after 2020, but the real fight will come when that gets down into the details. The sport should have grown by then so the teams should be sharing a larger stake anyway, but there are signs that Ferrari and Mercedes, knowing their worth and having seen this all coming for some time, are going to flex their muscles on all levels.

British GP timetable revealed: Cars to run on Thursday

Meanwhile Silverstone has confirmed the timetable for this year’s British GP weekend from July 13-16 and, as rumoured at the Baku weekend, there will be track action on the Thursday as well as plenty of entertainment off track. But at this stage it is only F2 and GP3 cars, not any running for F1 cars.

This seems to be part of a wider long term strategy to put more around the GP weekend to give promoters more of a chance to recoup their money.

FIA Formula 2 and GP3 cars will run on Thursday afternoon and later that evening Travis will play on the main stage. Entry for Thursday is £40 (£20 for children).
The weekend will build up to the British GP at 1pm on Sunday.

Some Silverstone updates:

Tickets still available from £40 (Thursday general admission)

General admission for all children aged 10 and under is FREE

Sunday general admission is available for £185

Sunday grandstand seats available from £260

As for the wider music offering: Sara Cox will be headlining on Friday night as she presents ‘Just Can’t Get Enough 80s’ DJ Set with guests, Reef & The Hoosiers will be headlining the Saturday night concert and the Rick Parfitt Jr Band will be playing at the British Grand Prix After Party on Sunday, with drop ins from F1 drivers. All of the concerts from Friday are included on the days’ tickets.

For more information or to book please visit www.silverstone.co.uk

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MAKE OR BREAK FOR HONDA AS UPGRADED ‘SPEC 3’ F1 ENGINES READIED FOR AUSTRIAN GP

After a tough Azerbaijan Grand Prix for McLaren-Honda, the team is focusing on bringing an upgraded Formula 1 engine to the upcoming Austrian GP as Honda hopes to take the pressure off.

Fernando Alonso picked up McLaren’s first two points of the season finishing ninth in Azerbaijan, while team-mate Stoffel Vandoorne finished 12th behind both Saubers.

The Swiss outfit, equipped with the 2016-spec Ferrari engines and currently without a Team Principal after the departure of Monisha Kaltenborn, sits above McLaren in the constructors’ championship with a three-point advantage. Sauber is to use Honda’s engines next season while McLaren’s relationship with the Japanese manufacturer has become strained, with Zak Brown stating that the partnership is at a ‘fork in the road’ in June and Alonso strongly hinting at an exit.

Racing Director Eric Boullier said after the race at Baku, “The two world championship points we scored this evening are a validation of all we’ve worked towards in Baku this week.

“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.”

The outfit tested an upgraded ‘Spec 3’ engine in Azerbaijan during Friday’s two practice sessions, according to Autosport, but after Alonso’s gearbox failure, McLaren decided to swap in an older engine to see if the gearbox had damaged the ‘Spec 3’ unit.

With Alonso bearing a 40-place grid-penalty for the race, the decision was made not to use the new engine for the race and save it for Austria (July 7-9) instead.

Honda chief Yusuke Hasegawa said to Autosport that “the gain is more than two or three tenths [of a second] with the new engine.

“From a reliability point of view, we didn’t have an ICE issue, so we can now concentrate on performance and power.

“We don’t see the actual lap time gain [on track], but from the power measuring sensor on the car, we saw the same difference from the dyno.

“We are pleased we could bring a performance update here. But although the upgrade is reasonable, it is still not good enough to catch the other engine manufacturers.”

When asked if there was a tangible gain in performance from the new engine, Alonso replied: “It’s difficult to say because we came from Canada and obviously you get here with race preparation in FP1, so we didn’t use the normal programme of fuel load, the normal programme of deployment [and] DRS.

“We were not using all these things as we were just in race preparation. We trust the data and if the data says the engine is delivering a bit more power, it’s welcome, but obviously the deficit is still quite big so we need to keep moving in that direction.”

Hasegawa said after the race at Baku that the ‘Spec 3’ engine, involving modifications on the internal combustion engine, turbocharger and MGU-H, will be available for both McLaren drivers in Austria.

[MIKA27]

BUTTON: VETTEL WAS SILLY BUT HAS BEEN PUNISHED. MOVE ON

Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel has been punished enough for driving into title rival Lewis Hamilton in Azerbaijan last Sunday and Formula One should move on, according to 2009 world champion Jenson Button.

The governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) has said it will re-examine the incident on Monday and could take further action ahead of next week’s Austrian Grand Prix.

“Azerbaijan GP was a pleasure to watch,” Button said on Twitter on Thursday. “Why? because adrenaline and emotions were high. What Vettel did was silly but he’s been punished. Move on.”

The German, who leads Mercedes driver Hamilton in the championship by 14 points, was handed a 10 second stop and go penalty during the race for what many saw as an act of “road rage”.

“I don’t think you can class it as road rage when it’s not on the road,” Button added. “You can’t compare racing with driving on the road as racing wouldn’t exist.”

Vettel hit the back of Hamilton’s Mercedes while they were under safety car conditions and then gesticulated angrily before pulling alongside and banging wheels.

Some commentators have suggested the four times world champion should have been shown a black flag, signalling disqualification, for an act of dangerous driving.

Instead, Vettel finished fourth with Hamilton fifth after a loose headrest cost the Briton victory after leading from pole position.

Button, who was a director of the Grand Prix Drivers Association (GPDA) with Vettel before leaving Formula One at the end of last year, said a 10 second stop and go penalty was effectively 30 seconds with time lost at the pit entry and exit.

The 37-year-old former McLaren driver, who made a one-off comeback in Monaco last month as a replacement for Spaniard Fernando Alonso, added that everyone now knew that such a penalty meant “race game over”.

MIKA: I don't think the punishment suits the crime IMO, 10 second penalty is not enough when one looks at the fact just in, that Verstappen got a €25,000 fine for skipping media duties after the race....

[MIKA27]

MARKO: A VICTORY IS A VICTORY

Red Bull consultant Helmut Marko has sympathy for the hard luck patch plaguing Max Verstappen, but at the same time welcomes the timely boost the team received with Daniel Ricciardo’s victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Speaking to Auto Motor und Sport, Marko said, “A victory is a victory and that prevails. The time for Max will come. He just has to be patient. Four failures in eight races is tough, and seeing his teammate win makes it even tougher.”

The victory was the team’s first of this season which has thus far been dominated by Ferrari and Mercedes, and he acknowledges the value of the triumph in Baku, “[It’s] extremely important after the bad start to the season. The speed is now coming, slowly.”

“This was shown during qualifying, although we cannot turn the engines up like Mercedes and Ferrari. We are on the right on track. We expect a lot for Silverstone and Budapest.”

“In Baku we ran the smallest wing setting and we were still strong in the corners. With the chassis we have made a real step forward and since the beginning of the season found one second. But Renault has also made significant progress. Just two tenths alone on the straight does not sound much, but you can see the difference.”

Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel have spearheaded their respective teams’ championship challenge so far this year, Marko believes that the title contenders are still out of reach at this point, but that Red Bull have the pace to match Valtteri Bottas and Kimi Raikkonen in the sister cars.

“We are already at the same level of their number two cars. With Hamilton and Vettel we are down about three to four tenths in normal mode. If they turn the power up, it’s still a bit more. But we are moving in the right direction.”

Marko also points to a series of incidents, out of the team’s control, that have done them no favours.

He summed up the misfortunes that have afflicted the team in the eight races run so far, “An accident in Spain caused by Bottas. The battery in Canada and the engine damage in Baku, the brakes in Bahrain.”

“The engine damage in Baku was probably triggered because the engine overheated. After three laps the temperatures went up. Also there were carbon parts, which blocked the radiators. Then the oil pressure collapsed,” added Marko.

Red Bull are third in the championship standings, with little threat from being usurped from behind by any team. But the focus is on winning more races and have their drivers in play to crash the Ferrari-Mercedes party.

[MIKA27]

VERSTAPPEN GETS €25,000 FINE FOR SKIPPING MEDIA DUTIES

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen has been hit with a €25,000 fine for failing to attend the mandatory driver interview, in the media pen at Baku, after he retired from the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

The teenage Dutchman was fuming after his fourth retirement due to technical issues while his teammate Daniel Ricciardo survived the mayhem to post the team’s first win.

A fact hardly consoled Verstappen who had the better of his Aussie teammate all weekend and would no doubt have felt that bar “a sudden failure in the engine” he would have been standing on the top step of the podium.

Red Bull tend to keep Verstappen away from the media when he is fuming because the youngster has a tendency to shoot from the hip in the heat of the moment.

However, the FIA stewards did not take kindly to his neglect of his post-race duties and deemed that he had contravened Article 19.4 of the Sporting Regulations which stipulates that drivers who fail to finish a race must face the press in the designated media pen.

Verstappen explained, “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.”

He also did not stick around for the customary team victory photo-op celebrating Ricciardo’s triumph in Baku.

[MIKA27]

INSIDE LINE: IS VETTEL THE RIGHT MAN FOR FERRARI?

As has been widely reported, Sebastian Vettel did himself no favours with his antics during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and while it was thought that a chit-chat with Lewis Hamilton would clear the air, now it appears the FIA will not let the matter lie. 

But, irrespective of what happens, right now a nagging question arises from the incident: Is Vettel the right man for Ferrari?

I for one tip my hat to Maurizio Arrivabene for galvanising Ferrari into the race winning force they have become this year. He has transformed the so called “culture of fear” that prevailed last year within the corridors of Maranello into a calm and collected squad going about their business with minimal fuss.

In 2016 tensions overflowed to the point that Arrivabene was forced to publicly chastise Vettel. The German was almost out of control with his rants and demeanor. His expletive laden tirade directed at FIA race director Charlie Whiting during the Mexican Grand Prix was an example of how not to conduct one’s self, even less so as a quadruple F1 World Champion.

Increasingly I find that the problem with Vettel is that if he does not have a race winning mount or if his rivals have a better car at their disposal, the German struggles to contain himself and a wicked frustration surfaces.

In Baku, the penny must have dropped when Hamilton out-qualified him by a whopping 1.2 seconds, while Valtteri Bottas in the other Mercedes was 0.8 of a second better than the Ferrari driver on the day.

I am of the opinion that Mercedes have a substantial amount horses in reserve which they can dial into when the need arises. And in qualifying they were dialed up big time. Vettel and the Reds will have suspected that in Canada and in Baku it was obvious.

At this stage Ferrari appear capable of matching the pace of the silver cars in race conditions, but the gap has closed considerably and I would venture to say that if Mercedes’ upward mobility continues unhindered Ferrari will slip behind them very soon. And their ace driver knows this.

Until now Vettel’s toys have remained in the pram… now a race comes along where things do not go his way, which triggered the pent up fury which we witnessed in Baku. What transpired was a clear case of ‘road rage’ which would have him in deep trouble had he done it on a public road.

This is why you have to question if this is the kind of driver Ferrari need to succeed.

In the wake of the Baku absurdity many have compared his behaviour to that of Michael Schumacher. Alas I do not see the similarities. For sure there is a likeness in their approach and attitude, and of course they are both German.

We all know that Schumacher was not shy of a sly move or two – punting Damon Hill and squeezing Jacques Villeneuve pop to mind among many others – these were instant and instinctively calculated acts of malice, his anger and temperament never sunk to the nadir that Vettel is capable of reaching.

There was no rage in Schumacher’s actions, quite the opposite actually, they were clinically thought through, instinctively ruthless, well calculated, devoid of emotion or red mist and immune to the damage afflicted to others. Schumi seldom if ever repented.

Vettel often apologises for his misdemeanours, accepts blame or acknowledging his mistakes and often appears contrite, provided he has a car that is the best one out there which allows him to make amends for the bouts of emotional waywardness.

At Schumi-era Ferrari there was no pent up anger and malice which he carried into the garage, Jean Todt and Ross Brawn would not indulge such behaviour, and never had to because that was not how Schumacher operated.

He was cool and collected which ensured that the team garage was devoid, almost oblivious, to his on-track indiscretions and the controversies they at times ignited. In other words it was a calm Red garage.

Schumacher and Vettel are perhaps similar on the surface, but deep down very different.

Vettel carries his anger with him, his smile is a frown turned upside down, and thus infects the environment in which he works. It happened at Red Bull in his final year. His side of the garage was a morbid pit compared to the section in which Daniel Ricciardo went about his business.

Great drivers need to do all they can to succeed on track, but at the same time they have to shield the team of their imprudence by being tranquil when all around them mayhem ensues. 

But at Baku Seb’s true colours emerged again, the car he is now peddling is no longer the best in the business. He is not the same guy he was at the start of the season, because he is starting to feel that Mercedes have the beating of the Ferrari, for sure in qualy but perhaps also in race mode too.

As charming as he can be, Vettel has a demon deep inside.

Mark Webber told Nigel Roebuck during an interview in 2009: “I can see why Seb’s popular. He’s normally polite, got a sense of humour, and smiles a lot, but if things go wrong… mate, when it comes to throwing toys out of the pram, I’ve never seen anyone like him.”

Webber also gave insight into the root of the German’s volatile temperament, “I’m sure some of Seb’s behaviour was down to his youthfulness, but the team’s executive management repeatedly allowed him to get away with it.”

“No one was ever big enough to pull him into line, tell him that kind of behaviour wasn’t acceptable. He was treated like a favourite son, which meant he would throw his toys out of the pram from time to time when he didn’t get his own way.”

“Even so, I couldn’t help but try to cut him a bit of slack because I got to know his family a little and I liked them. Despite the language barrier, you could tell they were decent people with a good set of values. Essentially he was a good kid at heart but the team allowed him to behave like a spoilt brat,” added Webber.

Back to the Mexico incident last year during an intense battle with Max Verstappen, Vettel went berserk over the radio to his engineer:

• Vettel: Move, move. For f*ck sake. He’s a little f*cker… that’s what he is.
• Vettel: I mean am I the only one or are you not seeing what I am seeing? He is just backing me up into Ricciardo? For f*ck sake.
• Vettel: Here is a message for Charlie: F*ck off! F*ck off! Honestly. I mean honestly, I am going to hit someone. I think I have a puncture, rear left.
• Ferrari: Tyres are fine, tyres are fine
• Vettel: Here is a message for Charlie: F*ck off! He has to give me the position. End of the story.
• Ferrari: Charlie says no.
• Vettel: Well here’s a message for Charlie. F*ck off! Honestly, f*ck off.

At which point Arrivabene came on the radio and said firmly: “Sebastian calm down. They are under investigation. We know it is not fair, but calm down. Put your head down and we talk afterwards.”

And that is the key to the question of whether Vettel is the right guy for Ferrari. Arrivabene knows the best tonic for his team is a calm and collected driver in the cockpit and outside of it.

After the Mexican meltdown Arrivabene commented, “He gave his excuses to Charlie and we talked together, Sebastian and I, and that’s it. He apologised and I am sure it is not going to happen again.”

Clearly lessons were not learnt on that day by Vettel, the rage he showed that day last year surfaced again when he swerved into Hamilton in Baku. 

No doubt there was gamesmanship from the Mercedes driver [That are within the rules], but Vettel’s reaction was wrong irrespective of the provocation. It was his Zinedine Zidane moment. He clearly has not calmed down and perhaps never will.

Behind closed doors at Maranello, I can imagine that Arrivabene will have a firm word with his star driver to and thereafter have a quiet ponder and ask himself: Is Seb really the right man for Ferrari.

[MIKA27]

Crime and punishment

Joe Saward

It is no great surprise to hear that the FIA is going to take a further look at the incident in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix when Sebastian Vettel deliberately drove into Lewis Hamilton. In truth the governing body had to do something – and it has been inevitable since the Baku race ended. Why? Because Jean Todt has led the federation to focus on road safety and allowing one of its highest profile F1 stars to indulge in what can only be described as ‘road rage’, without getting a suitable penalty – which a 10-second stop-go was clearly not – is just plain weak. Todt has been so hands-off in the sport that some think it is unhealthy, but he cannot afford to be seen to be weak over safety. He simply cannot. And, let us not forget, there is an FIA election coming up. Todt isn’t going to lose it. It’s doubtful there will even be a rival candidate, but anything that appears weak could be the spark for an uprising. The FIA does its politics behind closed doors but Todt wants to be quite sure he’s not too close to any tipping point.

What is the right punishment? Ah, that’s another problem… Taking away Vettel’s points from Baku might be an option, but it might also be neater to simply ban him for one race. That would send out the message loud and clear, and Vettel needs to be taught how to behave. A spoilt child sometimes needs to be shown where the limit is.

The interesting thing is that Ferrari will now see just how worthless its attitude towards the media has been in recent months. The team is about to get its arse handed to it on a plate. There is no sympathy at all in the media as a result of the team’s stupid decision to deliberately ignore the press. They can wail and gripe and no one cares (apart from a few sycophants and some Italians who only see red) because the company has blown the goodwill that it used to have. If you plant stinging nettles in your garden, you should not be surprised if you get stung. Maybe ignoring the press has allowed the team to focus more on getting the job done, but it was never an intelligent move. The point of Ferrari being in F1 is to sell cars and winning races is not the whole story. Engagement is important.

In truth, the team has a great story in what has been achieved by Mattia Binotto and his team. Binotto seems a likeable fellow and his achievement this year has been impressive, but we’re not allowed to speak to him. Ferrari fans will no doubt write rude remarks about the British media (although I am very definitely a European),  so allow me to illustrate that I am not the only one who feels this way. Listen to ace photographer Darren Heath in his blog from Baku.

Quote

“Ferrari really are a horrible team right now,” he wrote. “Dismissive of interest, completely devoid of any grace, charm or humility, they exude an aggressive arrogance that is bitter in its mien and wholly unpleasant to experience”.

Time for some changes methinks…

[MIKA27]

Video: Mercedes runs through Azerbaijan Grand Prix strategy

Watch as the Mercedes Formula 1 team runs through the major strategy stories from the action-packed and disrupted Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

[MIKA27]

Formula 1 considering combined 2018 launch event

Formula 1's new owners Liberty Media are said to be considering the idea of a 2018 launch event, which would see all the teams debut their cars together on the same day.

The proposal, which is under consideration and by no means agreed, would see all the teams convene at a single location to pull the wraps of their new cars ahead of pre-season testing.

Auto Motor und Sport reports that the event would be free for fans to attend and would be broadcast online and on television to ensure the greatest exposure.

A similar concept was discussed many years ago, but teams weren't keen on the idea as they thought it would take attention away from each individual launch, in particular smaller teams who believed the focus would largely be on the larger outfits such as Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull.

At present, teams choose their own launch date and often work around each other to ensure they launch on different days, or at least at different times.

[MIKA27]

Massa column: My regret over a race I could have won

There was a point in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix where I thought it was going to be one of the races that would be one of the most memorable of my career.

Instead, the outcome was merely that I was put on the list of non-finishers. So I left with zero points and a lot of regret for a race where there was the chance to seize a great result.

Throughout practice and qualifying I had a very good feeling about the pace of my Williams Martini Racing car. I was sure we would easily qualify in the top ten, and that was confirmed with the results.

What I could not have imagined at that point though that was I would eventually be in a position to win the grand prix. This possibility only came up during the red flag stoppage.

After a few laps of the race, I realised that I could start to hope for something more than just a points finish. I passed the two Force Indias and Kimi Raikkonen with ease, and I was running in third place behind Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel when the race was stopped.

I didn’t know at that point, of course, that they would both face unexpected problems, and I was certain after the red flag that they would disappear into the distance. But the idea of getting onto the podium was already something to be really happy with.

But when we got the okay to go back on the track, I immediately felt that something was not working well on the car. I hoped that it was something that could be fixed, but soon I realised it was a terminal mechanical failure. Once in the pits we were able to discover what the problem was: a shock absorber.

So my race ended with a lot of disappointment. But I watched the remaining laps from the garage with the team, as we celebrated my teammate Lance Stroll’s first podium in F1. Obviously I would have liked to be there on the podium myself, but I cannot fight the unexpected, and in the end I was happy for the whole team and Lance.

After he scored his first points in Canada, Lance’s confidence has increased and I am glad that he has decided to use my setup choices and adapt his driving style. He started using my settings on the first day and had the ability to adapt very well to things without making mistakes.

The first races of this season were tough for Lance, but I am really glad that the year has now taken a different direction after Montreal and Baku.

F1 obviously left Baku talking a long about the incidents in the race, and of course that moment between Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton. I saw the television images myself and, beyond the possibility that Lewis going slow may have been a bit unexpected for Sebastian, I was still a bit surprised by his reaction.

We are now working hard to prepare for the Austrian Grand Prix, and the Red Bull Ring is a track where Williams has always gone well at.

There should be some updates on the car, and I hope we can confirm our place of fighting for positions near the podium. I want to make amends for what I missed in the last two races where I was not able to get the reward for some very quick performances.

[MIKA27]

Grosjean: “I need to be better” at managing brake problems

Romain Grosjean has admitted he needs to get better at driving around the persistent brake issues that have plagued his Haas Formula 1 car.

The American team has suffered with recurring brake issues for much of its time in the sport so far, and has attempted fixes and run tests with both current supplier Brembo and alternative option Carbone Industrie.

But while the outfit is optimistic that the problem will finally be put to bed going forward, Grosjean insisted amid a tough Azerbaijan GP weekend that he needed to better adapt to the situation.

The Frenchman, who trailed teammate Kevin Magnussen in all sessions around the heavy-braking Baku street circuit, said: “To be fair, I don't want to speak about brakes anymore.

“I just need to be better in those conditions and improve myself. There are things behind the scenes but I'm not blaming anything.

“The brake feeling has been terrible all weekend long but Kevin's got the same comment and he can drive around [it], that's why I'm saying I don't want to blame anything.”

He added: “Braking is my strength, since Formula Renault. But when things are not working as I want, it's my biggest weakness. It can be my strongest point or my most weak point.

“When it's not good, then I'm lost. I admit it and I need to work on that and I'm sure I can get better.”

When asked about why Magnussen appeared to be more successful at driving around the brake issue than Grosjean, team boss Gunther Steiner said: “I think it's different driving styles.

"Romain maybe brakes later and harder and then turns, and maybe Kevin brakes into it and turns already, so maybe it's easier to feel the brake.

“I'm not a race car driver so for me I just can see it from data and my experience what people do, but that is what my gut feeling, a different driving style - and therefore Kevin can drive around it a little bit more.”

Grosjean suggested he needed to add a 'B-game' to his set of skills, saying: “When the brake feeling is terrible, I need to find a way that I can work with it.

“When they're great, that's my strongest point in racing, braking very late, very hard and turning the car with the brakes. When I cannot do that, then I just need to find more tools.”

For his part, Magnussen noted that Grosjean “seemed to get very angry” in regards to the brake problem, although he conceded it was "not easy at all" to cope with.

He added: “Brakes is the most important thing that you need to have working because it takes away a lot of confidence if you don't know what's going to happen if you push the brakes.

“So it's not a good situation but it's something that's a little bit out of our hands.”

Asked by Motorsport.com whether a relaxed mentality was helping him deal with the problem, he said: “I mean, there's not much we can do about it, it's one of those things, it's like complaining about the weather. There's not anything you can do about it, you just have to deal with it.”

 

[MIKA27]

Mercedes to change headrest pin design after Baku problem

Mercedes is to make changes to the locking mechanism of its headrest in time for the Austrian Grand Prix in a bid to ensure there is no repeat of the problem that cost Lewis Hamilton victory in Baku.

Hamilton looked on course to take the win in Azerbaijan before a loose headrest forced him into the pits for a replacement.

That incident dropped him down the order, although he was able to recover some ground and finish fifth overall – one place behind title rival Sebastian Vettel.

Mercedes has spent time at its Brackley factory this week looking into exactly what went wrong and has concluded that the length of the locking pins at the back of the headrest – where it attaches to the car – most likely played a part.

Motorsport boss Toto Wolff had said immediately after the race that it was the first time such a problem had occurred, but suspected the fact that his team’s pins are shorter than some of its rivals’ most likely played a part.

“I haven't heard of that problem [before],” he said. “The knobs that go into the hole are not very large.”

In response to what happened in Baku, Mercedes has decided to change the design of the pins as an extra failsafe to help ensure that the headrest is fully locked in place whenever it is fitted to the car from now on.

Mercedes was keen after the Baku to ensure that the headrest incident did not result in individuals being blamed for what happened – which is why Wolff was angered by a question from Sky pitlane reporter Ted Kravitz about the matter.

"I will not blame anybody - and I won't let you start to try and blame somebody,” Wolff told Sky TV. “This team has won three world championships and I will not point the finger at a single person."

[Lotusguy]

BUTTON: VETTEL WAS SILLY BUT HAS BEEN PUNISHED. MOVE ON



Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel has been punished enough for driving into title rival Lewis Hamilton in Azerbaijan last Sunday and Formula One should move on, according to 2009 world champion Jenson Button.

The governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) has said it will re-examine the incident on Monday and could take further action ahead of next week’s Austrian Grand Prix.

“Azerbaijan GP was a pleasure to watch,” Button said on Twitter on Thursday. “Why? because adrenaline and emotions were high. What Vettel did was silly but he’s been punished. Move on.”

The German, who leads Mercedes driver Hamilton in the championship by 14 points, was handed a 10 second stop and go penalty during the race for what many saw as an act of “road rage”.

“I don’t think you can class it as road rage when it’s not on the road,” Button added. “You can’t compare racing with driving on the road as racing wouldn’t exist.”

Vettel hit the back of Hamilton’s Mercedes while they were under safety car conditions and then gesticulated angrily before pulling alongside and banging wheels.

Some commentators have suggested the four times world champion should have been shown a black flag, signalling disqualification, for an act of dangerous driving.

Instead, Vettel finished fourth with Hamilton fifth after a loose headrest cost the Briton victory after leading from pole position.

Button, who was a director of the Grand Prix Drivers Association (GPDA) with Vettel before leaving Formula One at the end of last year, said a 10 second stop and go penalty was effectively 30 seconds with time lost at the pit entry and exit.

The 37-year-old former McLaren driver, who made a one-off comeback in Monaco last month as a replacement for Spaniard Fernando Alonso, added that everyone now knew that such a penalty meant “race game over”.

MIKA: I don't think the punishment suits the crime IMO, 10 second penalty is not enough when one looks at the fact just in, that Verstappen got a €25,000 fine for skipping media duties after the race....

It was a 30 second+ penalty.

[MIKA27]

BOULLIER: VANDOORNE’S SEASON BELOW EXPECTATIONS

Much was expected from McLaren rookie Stoffel Vandoorne, but his first full season in Formula 1 has been below expectations of his boss Eric Boullier.

The fact that McLaren and Honda are struggling due to a woeful power unit, does Vandoorne no favours. However he has been out-qualified 7-0 by Fernando Alonso, as well as Jenson Button on his one-off race at Monaco, while his race performances have hardly been earth shattering.

When asked by Sky what he thought of Vandoorne’s season to date, Boullier replied, “Not as good as I was expecting. He’s got a pretty high track record in the junior categories. He won everything that he went through like Lewis [Hamilton]. He’s very talented.”

“We didn’t give him 100 percent to do well because he had a lot of issues on his car which was quite regular. But we are now addressing this to help him drive the cars the way we want to be fast. I am confident he will achieve this. All the young drivers, starting from Verstappen, struggle in the first six months,” explained Boullier.

Belgian Vandoorne was champion in F4 Eurocup, Formula Renault 2.0 and GP2 Series but has failed to shine on the big stage.

“When you come from these kinds of categories, it’s the same car for everybody – so you have a driving style you have developed around this car to drive them.”

“Formula 1 is different – every weekend we bring new front wing, new bodywork, new rear wing, new floor, so the car balance is very different. When you have been told during your young career to drive the car one way, in Formula 1 you have to be a bit more flexible and this is only experience.”

“He is learning. The team has to move chassis-wise, set-up wise to go to his natural driving style – because every driver has a natural style – and at the same time he is moving out of that, trying to drive differently,” added Boullier.