Formula 1 - 2017

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Ex-Ferrari staff gives Aston Martin "capability" for F1 project

Aston Martin has recruited staff with Formula 1 experience as it continues to evaluate whether or not to enter the championship as an engine supplier.

Aston will become Red Bull Racing’s title sponsor in 2018 as part of an enhanced relationship that has already yielded the Valkyrie hypercar.

The British carmaker is taking a close interest in F1’s 2021 engine rules but president and CEO Andy Palmer has said costs need to be kept under control for the project to be viable.

Red Bull boss Christian Horner has said his team is “absolutely open” to running an Aston Martin engine if it decides to pursue the project.

“I’m sure we have the technical capability,” Palmer told Motorsport.com

“Some of the people I have recently recruited, coming in from Ferrari, means I have the brainpower to be able to develop a Formula 1 engine.

“The question will be whether the cap on the expense of doing that is affordable to a company like Aston. That’s the big difference between a small company like Aston and the big boys like Renault or Mercedes Benz.

“The people I have recruited have associations with the F1 side in the past and also the roadside. So I have an interesting mixture now of technical capabilities.”

Aston has experience of partnering other brands interested in building an independent F1 engine, as it had previously worked Cosworth and Ricardo.

Palmer has said both options are open as to whether Aston would produce an F1 engine alone or with a partner company.

Formula 1’s governing body the FIA and commercial rights holder Formula One Management were due to meet on Friday to talk about various proposals made by current prospective engine suppliers.

This was ahead of the next Strategy Group meeting, where the subject will be discussed, that is set to take place on 7 November.

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Lauda: Hamilton, Rosberg threatened with sacking

Niki Lauda has revealed that such was the discontent between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg that the former team-mates wouldn’t even say hello in the morning.

With Mercedes dominating Formula 1 from 2014 to 2016, the battle for the World title was an intra-team tussle that often grew heated.

Both Hamilton and Rosberg refused to give an inch, which resulted in collisions most notably at the 2016 Spanish GP.

“We had huge competition within the team which was sometimes too much,” Lauda, Mercedes non-executive chairman, said in an interview with Graham Bensinger on YouTube.

“We put some regulations in, we told them – especially in Barcelona when the pushed each other off the track – we said this was unacceptable for Mercedes, we have to win, one of you guys has to win, you cannot push each other off.

“We had some rules put in, they understood. You are not allowed to [do that] and you have to pay a penalty if you do it again or we will think of releasing you from your contract, because we are team players here and the team cannot destroy each other. This was the thing.

“Toto [Wolff] came up with some good rules and we had peace again. We fought hard and the accidents got reduced between them.”

But while the on-track collisions became a thing of the past, the relationship between the team-mates never recovered.

“They had no relation, which is always bad,” Lauda explained. “They were so bad that they didn’t even say hello in the morning.

“I don’t expect them to have breakfast together if they don’t like each other, you don’t expect them to sit down and have breakfast, but the relationship was really bad. It affected Lewis mainly and Nico, so it was fine but not easy.

“Lewis got some upset that even sometimes he lost because they were playing tricks on each other which was bad for the team. You both want to go forward, not only one, so they played all the tricks they can do. For the team it was pretty tiring.”

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Red Bull duo preview ‘unique’ US GP

Rain or shine, both Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo believe the Circuit of the Americas is one of the best tracks on the F1 calendar.

Max Verstappen: “The first time I drove at COTA was just after making my Formula One debut in Japan in 2014. It rained in the morning so I went out on intermediates. It’s a hard track to learn in the dry and the 1 hour 30 minutes in the wet didn’t help. It is a really good circuit to drive though and I enjoyed my first experience regardless, especially the first sector.

“In 2015 I finished 4th in very wet conditions. There was so much water but I still had a really fun race as I like driving in the wet. Even when it started to dry it made things a bit more interesting in the latter stages.

“COTA has elements of other circuits from the F1 calendar, for example Silverstone, but it also has its own unique features. It’s shorter and faster than other tracks with a similar layout. Turn 1 is a really fun corner. You can brake very late as you head up the hill but then hitting the apex is hard as you’re literally blind. It takes a few laps to get your references on where to turn in.”

Daniel Ricciardo: “Everyone knows I love the city of Austin but I also love the circuit. It’s certainly unique with the wide apexes, you can pass in more than three areas, it’s fast, it flows well and it’s definitely one of the best tracks on the calendar for overtaking.

“In the city there is so much to see, I like going to the well-known places like Pete’s Piano Bar but also some of the more local places for live music and food. I have done Barton Springs, visited a ranch and this year I’m doing Austin City limits, there’s so much to do and it’s all so good.

“Some people are asking if I have a beard plan for Austin this year, I haven’t thought that far ahead yet but I still feel my little beard in 2014 was my best, so I might just bring that one back.”

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WOLFF: GOOD FORTUNE HAS PLAYED ITS PART

Mercedes team chief Toto Wolff acknowledges that his team has had a dollop of good fortune lobbed their way in the latter half of the season, but also admits that their below par performance in Malaysia still rankles.

Wolff said in his preview ahead of the United States Grand Prix, “Since we began the final flyaway leg of the season, we have seen a strong points swing in our favour in both championships.”

“Good fortune has played its part, of course – and we have put ourselves in the right position to make the most of the opportunities that have come our way. But nobody within the team is allowing those good results to disguise the challenges we have faced.”

“We returned from those races with a lot more understanding of our car and of the reasons for the performance swings we have experienced this season. Some of that understanding is already being applied to the final races, some of it will flow into next year’s project.”

“But the bitter taste of our defeat in Malaysia once again confirmed that the tough days are the ones when you learn most – and when you lay the foundations for future success.”

“Likewise, we have maintained clear sight of the reasons for our success this year. The team is operating at an incredibly high level in every area and continuing to develop; we have applied an obsessive attention to detail to how we go racing over the past three seasons; and we have continued to develop our car at a competitive rate through the season.”

“Our mindset has always been one of constant improvement, regardless of the results we were enjoying, and this is now paying off.”

“We must also add our drivers to our list of strengths. Lewis has driven brilliantly this year – and since the summer break in particular, he has been on another level. It has been impressive to watch him extracting everything from the car and working with the team to solve problems and improve even further.”

“Valtteri has had a tougher time in recent races – but he demonstrated his work ethic and character to deliver a strong weekend in Suzuka, and he will be aiming to build on this performance in the final four rounds.”

“As a venue, Austin offers our sport a fantastic home in the United States, combining a state-of-the-art race track with an exciting destination city.”

“The organisers have worked hard to build the event character of the weekend and there are some exciting moments planned for this weekend, too. We will be aiming to play our part by delivering an exciting and successful performance on the track.”

“Still four races to go and 100 points to score: we can take nothing for granted as we fly to Austin this week. We approach every race with a healthy dose of scepticism rather than wishful thinking, and our focus must be on making sure we score every point within our reach this weekend in Austin.”

Mercedes head to Austin, Round 17 of the 2017 Formula 1 World Championship, leading the constructors championship by 145 points over Ferrari and could wrap up their fourth consecutive title at the end of the weekend in Texas.

It is also not inconceivable that Hamilton also claims the drivers’ title on Sunday, he needs only to outscore Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel by 16 points to bag his fourth Formula 1 world champion title, his third as a Silver Arrows driver.

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BUTTON: HAMILTON THE FASTEST, ALONSO THE TOUGHEST

Jenson Button was teammate at McLaren to both Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, he regards the pair as the fastest and toughest drivers he has ever come up against.

Alonso and Hamilton are regarded by many as the preeminent drivers of this era, and Button was teammates with both. From 2010 to 2012 he partnered Hamilton at McLaren and from 2015 to 2016 shared a garage with Alonso also at McLaren.

“I’d say that over the years Fernando had been one of – if not the – toughest competitors I’d faced, both as a team-mate and a rival at other teams,” Button wrote.

“Lewis was unbelievably quick and could pull a lap out of the bag just like that; him and Ayrton Senna were the two quickest guys over one lap, maybe ever.”

“But Fernando was the more rounded driver. I’d know, even if I out-qualified him, that he’d still be tough to beat in a race.

“He’s nice on the outside, really affable and approachable, but beneath that he’s a very, very tough competitor who’ll do anything to beat you.”

In his new autobiography – Life at the Limit – Button recalled his time with Hamilton as “a bit weird.”

Since their McLaren days together, Hamilton departed the Woking outfit to join Mercedes in 2013 and has gone on to win two more Formula 1 world championship titles.

Button said of Hamilton now, “He is one of the greats. Of everybody on the grid, he’s the guy who really has that gift. He’s matured, become a bit of a statesman and a great representative of the sport.”

Button was F1 world champion in 2009 and when he moved to McLaren it was very much Hamilton’s team, many predicting that the former Brawn GP driver would struggle to make it his own too.

But that’s not quite how it turned out, Button explained, “That thing about it being his team? It was right on the money. And, if you ask me, he was finding it difficult to get a handle on the fact that it was our team now.”

Arriving at McLaren Button admits he was apprehensive and “worried the atmosphere might be a bit lacking”.

“So it was good that we were able to come in and lift the place, add a bit of much-needed levity. [But] I’m not sure that was to Lewis’ taste. I don’t think that I was to his taste, if I’m honest.”

“Personally, he was fine with me, no issues at all at this stage of the game, but you could just tell he was a little bit peeved.”

“As people, we had a lot in common. There was our shared karting history, not to mention the fact that his dad was a customer of my dad. And, unlike a lot of drivers in Formula 1, neither of us came from an especially wealthy background; we’d achieved what we had through talent and a lot of grafting.”

“When we spent time together it was nice, and he’d always strike up a conversation with dad, and we’d hang out a bit. But at the same time there were an awful lot of awkward and uncomfortable silences, and often I’d think: What’s going unsaid here?”

Since then Button notes that Hamilton has evolved, “He’s built on all that talent and hard work and he’s a more rounded character as a result.”

The death of his father John, a popular presence in the Formula 1 paddock since his son made his debut at the 2000 Australian Grand Prix.

His father’s death in 2014 heavily impacted Button junior. His final years in Formula 1 lost their fizz and he now admits his days at the pinnacle of the sport are over and perhaps he stayed in it a year too long.

However he also hints that a foray into another series is still on the cards, “I’ve been offered drives in F1 but I’m not interested, although I will race in the future. Just not F1. Not without Dad.”

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HASEGAWA: ASHAMED I DID NOT GIVE ALONSO A GOOD ENGINE

Throughout the problem packed past three years of the McLaren-Honda partnership, their star driver Fernando Alonso has made his dissatisfaction known which split opinions within the Japanese company’s management.

Honda F1 chief Yusuke Hasegawa admits he is embarrassed that he could nor provide the goods for the Spaniard to deliver results and victories on track, but also reveals that there were people within his organisation that did not take kindly to Alonso’s often harsh criticism.

In a startlingly frank and honest interview with El Confidencial, Hasegawa revealed, “Alonso always put pressure on me. If the car was going badly, he had no qualms about telling me he was not happy.”

“He is a good person, he probably felt very ashamed of having to scold me… but he had to do it. After all, he wanted everything to be right, that’s why I’m so ashamed.”

Many in the paddock accuse the Spaniard of being too political, but Hasegawa sees it differently, “Alonso criticised us because he was not satisfied, he had every right to do it.”

Often, as he grew more despondent and exasperated, with his lack of competitiveness, Alonso would be scathing in his remarks. Once he compared the engine to that of a GP2 car, and on another occasion bellowed “embarrassing, really embarrassing” into the team radio. 

“Obviously, there are people at Honda who were not happy with Alonso’s attitude,” Hasegawa conceded. “But not in my case, for me it was not a problem. I am very disappointed that I did not give him a good engine. Personally, I am very sorry, I was embarrassed and angry. But in F1 it is difficult for everyone to be happy.”

The tension between Alonso and Honda exacerbated the problems, as Hasegawa explained, “There were no results, which was not good for internal harmony. From a professional point of view there were many problems, because he was never happy it is very difficult to establish a good working relationship.”

“Of course, it is not personal. Alonso did his job, as good a professional that he is. The drivers, after all, are very emotional guys and you have to understand them when they behave like that. If I had the best car, would Alonso not be happy? Yes, that’s why we cannot complain.”

In 2015 much was expected of the reunion between Honda and McLaren. The partnership enjoyed a golden era in the late eighties and early nineties with Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost. But times had changed in Formula 1.

“Expectations about Honda were so, so high … That was our big mistake,” admitted Hasegawa. “It’s not that the McLaren project did not work, we just did not live up to expectations. We were too ambitious and we were not really ready in 2015. We’ve improved, but the leadership was not expecting this.”

The lack of results and subsequent high profile split from McLaren has undoubtedly been negative to the Honda image in F1. Adding insult to injury is the fact that the proud Japanese company has had to shift allegiance from the sport’s second most successful team to the Red Bull B-team, Toro Rosso.

Hasegawa mused, “Honda’s identity is always about fighting, not surrendering, and we’re not going to do it, otherwise we would leave Formula 1.” 

Indeed Honda stated that they are targeting the top three with Toro Rosso next season.

It was a big boast and will be a huge challenge to try attain, in the light of the fact that Hasegawa himself knows what Honda’s problems are: “Basically two things: one, that our engine has no power. And two, that the power we manage to extract is not delivered in a way that we like.”

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WEBER: WHY ARE FANS NOT TOLD THE TRUTH ABOUT SCHUMACHER?

Michael Schumacher’s long time manager Willi Weber has once again criticised the Formula 1 legend’s family and minders for not revealing the “truth” regarding the seven time world champion’s health.

Weber, who was instrumental in guiding Schumacher to the pinnacle of the sport and cutting deals that made the German one of the biggest earners in Formula 1 history, told TZ, “I find it very unfortunate that Michael’s fans do not know about his health. Why are they not told the truth?”

Since the winner of a record 91 grands prix suffered a traumatic brain injury, during a skiing accident in 2013 during an outing at Méribel in the French Alps, the Schumacher family have stringently guarded his privacy. Revealing nothing of his condition, and are inclined to instigate legal proceedings should negative reports emerge of the former Ferrari driver.

In September 2016, Felix Damm, Schumacher’s lawyer, told a German court that his client “cannot walk”, countering reports in the December 2015 issue of Bunte that he could “walk a couple of steps.”

Earlier this year the magazine was ordered to pay €50000 in damages plus legal fees for the erroneous report.

Schumacher currently resides in Geneva, where he’s receiving treatment at his home from a team of specialists in secrecy. The family are reportedly considering moving to the United States.

Despite the family’s diligent campaign to protect his privacy, they have not been shy to promote Schumachers’ image and merchandise through social media, a museum and other avenues, thus keeping his legacy alive among fans.

This not the first time that Weber has called for more transparency, earlier this year he told Bunte magazine, “For a while now, I have been saying that the Schumacher family is not telling the whole truth about his condition.”

He has also accused Schumacher’s wife of keeping him away from his former charge, “Corinna prevents me from having any contact with Michael. I’ve tried dozens of times to get permission to visit, each without success.”

Weber who was a familiar figure in the the paddock during the Schumacher era, no longer has an interest in the sport, “Formula 1 is now a Mickey Mouse show, nothing else. The sport has become secondary.”

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SAO PAULO MAYOR WANTS PIRELLI TO HELP PRIVATISE INTERLAGOS

The drive to save Interlagos, venue of the Brazilian Grand Prix since 1990, is ongoing after Sao Paulo mayor Joao Doria met with Pirelli president Marco Tronchetti Provera in an effort to find a solution to save the beleaguered race circuit.

Doria said during a press conference in Milan,  “Pirelli has a strong presence both in Brazil and in Formula 1, so I wanted to meet the president [Provera] to discuss the privatization of the circuit.”

“He told me that he would expose the issue to Chinese investors. What do we hope for? Our desire is for the race circuit to be privatised, keeping in mind that the Pirelli headquarters is in San Paolo.”

Pirelli is now an overseas subsidiary of Chinese state-owned enterprise ChemChina.

It is also notable that former Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery is now the company’s executive president for Latin America, based in Sao Paulo and a half hour drive from the legendary circuit.

In April this year, Bernie Ecclestone was approached to buy the circuit by Doria, “We went to the mayor of Sao Paulo, but he does not want to spend a single dollar – he wants to sell the circuit.”

“[The mayor] asked me if I would be interested. We can get him to agree that when the sale happens, whoever buys it will have to keep the Formula 1 circuit. Then it’s a case of finding an organiser for the race, which is a bit more difficult.”

No matter what happens the Brazilian Grand Prix is on the Formula 1 calendar until 2020, what transpires thereafter hinges on an enterprise purchasing the circuit and their plans for the venue.

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HAAS: AMERICAN TEAM AT AMERICAN RACE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT

Ever since the notion of an American Formula One team started getting bandied about in January 2014 when Gene Haas responded to the FIA’s “Call for Expression of Interest” regarding a Formula 1 entry, the names Haas and Circuit of the Americas have been inexorably linked.

Prior to Gene Haas forming Haas F1 Team, there hadn’t been an American Formula 1 team since 1986. And prior to Circuit of the Americas, or COTA as it is better known, there hadn’t been a Formula 1 race on American soil since the 2007 United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

COTA put Formula One 1 on America’s map when it became the country’s first purpose-built Formula One facility. Constructed in 2011 and hosting its first Formula One race in 2012, COTA and its residency of Austin, Texas, have become a destination venue for the Formula 1 industry, which will descend upon the Violet Crown for the sixth time as the United States Grand Prix.

Motorsports (his other racing team Stewart-Haas is a major force in Nascar) is more than just a passion play for Haas. It’s a cornerstone of his company’s growth and part of Haas Automation’s DNA. Haas’ involvement in Formula 1 is partly about the challenge of competing, but it is also about growing Haas Automation globally.

“Being a Formula One participant brings a level of credibility that you just won’t get through traditional advertising,” Haas said. “People are kind of ‘show me’ people, like show me what you can do and then I’ll believe in you. It translates well into building machine tools where if we can race cars, we can build machine tools.”

“That was the initial concept – to convince people of our ability to do things that others can’t, and I think that translates into being a machine tool builder. People see what we can do in Formula One, and people believe Haas Automation can build world-class machine tools.”

COTA serves as a key component in Gene Haas’ vision.

“As an American team, having an F1 race on American soil is incredibly important,” Haas said. “When we arrived in Austin last year, I think we had proven that we could hold our own with the established teams of Formula 1. We had a very successful entrance into Formula 1.”

” We accomplished all of our major goals and, actually, surpassed what we expected at the beginning of the season. Now, we’re back with another year under our belts. We’ve been more consistent and we’ve scored more points. But we can still be better, and being able to showcase our growth and what we can accomplish on home soil is very gratifying.”

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PIRELLI ULTRASOFTS GO PINK FOR CHARITY IN AUSTIN

Formula 1 heads to Austin for the first race of an American double-header, with Mexico following just one week later.

The three softest tyres in the range have been selected for both: P Zero Yellow soft, P Zero Red supersoft and P Zero Purple ultrasoft.

However, to support the Susan G.Komen foundation – which will be a key feature of the United States Grand Prix – the ultrasofts will be coloured pink for this weekend only.

As has been the case for many races this year, this nomination is one step softer than 2016, which – in combination with the new 2017 regulations and wider tyres – is likely to lead to another lap record being broken, as has also been the case on recent tracks.

The Circuit of the Americas borrows elements of other famous venues in its layout, making it universally popular among the drivers. Contrary to most circuits, it also runs anti-clockwise.

The circuit from a tyre point of view

• Turn 1 forms a unique challenge: an uphill then downhill hairpin, where braking is hard to judge.
• There are several overtaking opportunities, which means that race strategy options to gain track position are quite open.
• There are three long straights, which have the effect of cooling the tyres on each lap.
• Weather can be quite variable in Texas, ranging from bright sunshine to heavy rain.
• Last year, Lewis Hamilton’s winning strategy was a two-stopper, while Sebastian Vettel was on the podium with a three-stopper.

Mario Isola, Head of Car Racing: “For America, we’re once again taking a softer range of compounds that we have done for previous races there, with the ultrasoft available in Austin for the first time: but in pink as a one-off, to highlight the brilliant work of the Susan G.Komen foundation. This should bring lap times down, continuing the trend we have seen over the course of the season. Austin though is one of the hardest tracks to predict, also due to variable weather, and we’ve seen quite a variety of pit strategies there in the past. These could involve all three compounds this time, with the soft being a good potential option for the race as well.”

What’s New?

• The ultrasoft tyre appears at the Circuit of the Americas for the very first time: only this time coloured pink! For more info: www.pirelli.com/global/enww/race/austin-in-the-pink
• Carlos Sainz makes his debut for Renault, and will use Jolyon Palmer’s tyre nomination. Daniil Kvyat, replacing Sainz at Toro Rosso, will use Sainz’s choices. This year’s Le Mans winner Brendon Hartley, driving the ex-Kvyat Toro Rosso, will use the tyre choices originally made by Kvyat.
• The championship frontrunners have made slightly different tyre choices for America, with Lewis Hamilton selecting three sets of soft (the only driver to do so, along with Pascal Wehrlein).

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Ferrari has potential to win last four races, says Raikkonen

Kimi Raikkonen believes his Ferrari Formula 1 team can win any of the final four races of the season if it can cut out the mistakes and get on top of its problems. 

Ferrari’s championship hopes have all but vanished in the last three races, with the team now trailing Mercedes by 145 points while Sebastian Vettel is 59 behind Lewis Hamilton with 100 remaining. 

Vettel and Raikkonen were wiped out on the first lap in Singapore, while in Malaysia Vettel suffered an engine failure in Malaysia that prevented him from doing a timed lap and Raikkonen suffered a similar issue that stopped him from starting the race.  

Then in Japan, Vettel started second but retired early on with a spark plug failure, as Hamilton won, while Raikkonen recovered from 10th on the grid - having taken a five-place grid penalty because of damage caused in his FP3 crash - to take fifth.

When asked which of the final four races - United States, Mexico, Brazil and Abu Dhabi - offered Ferrari the best chance of victory, Raikkonen said: “Any of them, as long as we do everything as well as possible. 

  

“It’s a bit unknown, the tracks are different from each other. So we go every weekend, start from zero and do the best that we can and avoid the issues and mistakes.”

Ferrari had a car capable of taking a one-two in Singapore and arguably Malaysia, while in Japan, it should have pushed Mercedes hard.

But the engine problems, driver error and misfortune has contributed to Ferrari scoring just 22 points in those three races compared to 105 for Mercedes. 

“I don’t know what is going to happen - nobody knows,” said Raikkonen regarding Ferrari’s chances in the constructors’ championship.

“But I know we are going to push until the last lap in the last race and see where we end up. 

“It hasn’t been the greatest races lately but I think we have the speed when they put things in the right place - that is at least something positive.”

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Vandoorne was "exposed" as Alonso's teammate - Boullier

Stoffel Vandoorne was exposed at the beginning of his Formula 1 career by having Fernando Alonso as his teammate but now has the confidence and is delivering, says Eric Boullier.

Vandoorne, who is making his full-season debut this term, has been in good form of late, scoring points for McLaren in Singapore and Malaysia with two seventh places to move ahead of Alonso in the drivers' standings.

Last time out in Japan, Alonso squeezed him out of Q3 by just 0.029 seconds, but though he started ninth because of grid penalties, his race was undone following contact with Kimi Raikkonen on lap 1 and he ended up 14th.

McLaren's racing director Boullier says Vandoorne has adapted his driving style since June and has begun to get on top of his difficulties with the tyres.

"Hard work, trust, confidence and talent," said Boullier when asked Motorsport.com to explain Vandoorne's turnaround in form.

"He has been very exposed because of his teammate, Fernando, a double world champion.

"Any young driver who join F1 in the last five years had a period, the same as Stoffel, to adapt to F1.

"If you're in a [smaller] team, it's more quiet. But if you're at McLaren, next to Fernando Alonso, obviously it's more difficult.

"Since June now, the approach we had with Stoffel, and his approach with us, has been a bit different. We've worked on his understanding of F1 and obviously tyres.

"Now he has gained the confidence he has needed to be able to extract the best out of his car. This is why you're seeing the Stoffel we are expecting to unlock."

Vandoorne says he feels more settled with the team and has now developed a confidence with the car that helps him push on.

"The way I am working with the team, working with engineers has developed a lot," said Vandoorne.

"Having had the opportunity to have a bit more track time enabled us to see what I needed from the car, to understand what I needed from the car.

"I am just confident that things will work and things will go and that is a nice feeling, to feel comfortable and do with the car what you want to do."

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Sahara Force India for Breast Cancer care

This October, Sahara Force India is shining a light on the vital need to raise more money to support the 612,000 people currently living with breast cancer in the UK, by printing the names of two inspiring women, Emma Thompson and Elaine Fuller, on our VJM10 cars. Both women have had a breast cancer diagnosis and we want to share their stories as a mark of strength, hope and unity for all those affected by breast cancer this Breast Cancer Awareness Month. 

Together with Memento Exclusives, Sahara Force India will also be running an online auction from 16th – 25th October to help raise vital funds for Breast Cancer Care, featuring unique experiences and items designed to inspire any Formula One fan.

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Lone Star Racing – Red Bull’s Max Verstappen Previews The 2017 F1 U.S. Grand Prix

Round 17 of the F1 World Championship sees Red Bull Racing head to Austin, Texas, where the famous Circuit of the Americas will play host to the U.S. Grand Prix. And with a second career victory now under his belt on the back of consecutive double podium finishes for the team in Malaysia and Japan, Max Verstappen will be hoping to continue his form as the drivers head Stateside.

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Podcast: Schumacher, Button and 20 years of F1 with Damien Smith

The latest Autosport Podcast looks back at the last 20 years of Formula 1 and motorsport as a whole - including discussions of names such as Michael Schumacher and Jenson Button.

To mark former Autosport Media UK Editor-in-Chief Damien Smith's move into a new career, he joined Edd Straw to reflect on the characters and stories that defined the era.

Button's famous British Formula Ford season, in which he took on Dan Wheldon, is one of the memories that looms large and Smith looks back on that, as well as the remarkable successes the two drivers went on to have.

The dominance of Schumacher and Ferrari in the early 2000s, British driver Justin Wilson's International F3000 title win in 2001 and Fernando Alonso's rise are also remembered during a wide-ranging conversation.

The Autosport Podcast is available to subscribe to free via iTunes and other podcast suppliers - simply search for 'Autosport'.

 

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HAAS PREVIEW THE UNITED STATES GRAD PRIX

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Guenther Steiner, Team Principal

The Far East swing involved plenty of highs and lows for Haas F1 Team. You had to overcome two crashes – one in Malaysia and another in Japan – yet you came away with a total of seven points to regain seventh in the constructors standings. Talk about how the team handled that adversity and then delivered when it was time to race.
GS: “Two of the three weekends we came away with points, which is always what we go for. For sure we made our job difficult with having crashes in the free practice sessions – that doesn’t help. But what we have proven is that the mechanics in the garage can handle it. For sure, they would rather not change all the parts on the car into the night, but it was done diligently. The cars had no issues when they went racing. They were in very good shape. Coming away with points in two out of three races was a success. It’s very tough, and to hold onto seventh in the constructors standings will be very challenging. We will not give up. We will fight for it.”

Were those points finishes more gratifying for the crew, knowing how far they had to come to get that kind of result?
GS: “Absolutely. These are people who have been doing this a long time, and they know it happened because of them. Everybody stands behind them and are proud of what they did.”

Japan was obviously the high point of the Far East swing with a double-points finish. How important was that result as the team heads into its home race – the United States Grand Prix?
GS: “It’s always motivating. What these guys work for is success. For us, success is to be scoring points. We scored with two cars for the second time since we entered Formula One, which is less than two years. Everybody is pumped up and now we come to the United States, the home country of Haas F1 Team. For sure it’s motivating and everybody wants to keep it going.”

Japan’s Suzuka Circuit has been a strong venue for Haas F1 Team. It was the first track where you got both cars into Q3, and it was the scene of the team’s second double-points finish. How does that track seemingly play to Haas F1 Team’s strengths?
GS: “Our car, last year and this year, is very good on technical circuits with high-speed corners. Maybe there’s a little bit of luck, as well. I would say Suzuka is one of the most, if not the most technical track on the calendar. A lot of the car needs to be good, and the drivers need to perform at a high level. It came together twice in the two years we’ve been there.”

How do you attempt to transfer a strong finish in Japan to another strong finish at COTA?
GS: “There is no recipe to that one. We just go out in FP1, see where we are, and go from there. As I always say, to make predictions this year, in the midfield, is impossible. Nobody can predict it. People wrote us off after Malaysia. They said we’d scored the last of our points this year. Then we came back in Japan with two cars in the points. Anything can happen. It doesn’t depend only on how we are doing, but how good the other teams are. That’s obvious, but by being so tight, anything can happen. Last year we scored a point at COTA and we’ll try to do better this year.”

You’ve said previously that some upgrades to the Haas VF-17 were planned for COTA. What are they?
GS: “It’s the last upgrade for our car this year. The modifications are on the bargeboard sides and on the floor of the car. It’s easily recognizable when you see the car what has changed.”

For an upgrade, how long is the process from original idea to when it becomes reality and is bolted onto the racecar?
GS: “It depends what the upgrade is. It depends on how big it is and how intricate it is to make the parts. Sometimes you find something that is better, but it’s not efficient to do it, so you wait until you’ve got more stuff to put on the car. It can vary from one month to three months.”

Even as development work on teams’ 2017 cars has stopped, the midfield seems as competitive as ever. Is this due to teams fine-tuning what they have? If so, where can gains be made during this last stretch of races?
GS: “To find the right setup and to get the tires to work. All this year, to get the tires to work has been the most important thing. That’s what we’ll be focusing on.”

How important is the United States Grand Prix to Haas F1 Team and to Formula One’s recognition in America?
GS: “COTA is a very recognized race. Everybody likes it within Formula One. They have good ticket sales – more than a quarter of a million attending – which is fantastic. The track is very exciting. There is nothing bad to say about COTA. It has added something very good to the calendar by being present again in the United States, which is still the biggest economy in the world. I think everybody looks to come here, and a lot of people look forward to watching it on TV.”

Would you like to see another Formula One race in America?
GS: “Sure, I’d love all the races to be in America. It would be less travel! Obviously, we cannot have that, but one or two, I think there is space for that. It should be in a big city where there’s a big population and where there’s a good fan base. Miami, Los Angeles and New York would be fantastic places, even Las Vegas could work. I don’t think there is a shortage of good places to go to. It’s more where can we get it done as soon as possible.”

Would another Formula One race in America accentuate or take away from COTA’s presence in Formula One?
GS: “There is enough of a market to have a second race in the United States. It’s a big country. As long as it’s not close to Austin, I think it would work.”

Austin has become a destination venue for the Formula One industry, much like Singapore and Monaco. Why does the city resonate so well with those in Formula One?
GS: “I just think it’s a cool city. There’s a lot of stuff you don’t have anywhere else. It’s not like just any other city we go to. It’s a cool city with a good vibe. People like it there. The climate is good, the racetrack is good and the facilities are nice. That’s why everybody loves going to Austin.”

It was announced that 2017 will be NBC’s last year broadcasting Formula One in the United States before ESPN takes over in 2018. NBC has broadcasted Formula One content exclusively since 2013 and played an integral part in promoting Haas F1 Team’s debut last year. Can you sum up your thoughts on NBC’s contributions to the growth of Formula One in America?
GS: “When you see somebody go – somebody who did a good job and helped us grow – it’s sad. NBC has been supportive of us and believed in us and we have a great relationship with all their team. They know what they’re talking about – they’re experts. It’s sad to see people, or companies, go somewhere else. On behalf of Haas F1 Team, I’d like to thank everybody involved in it, from the producers, cameramen, the reporters and commentators – they helped us a lot.”

Romain Grosjean

The Far East swing involved plenty of highs and lows for Haas F1 Team. You had to overcome two crashes – one in Malaysia and another in Japan – yet you came away with points in two of the three races to help the team regain seventh in the constructors standings. Talk about how the team handled that adversity and then delivered when it was time to race.
RG: “I guess it was a pretty good three-race swing in Asia. We had ups and downs but, generally, we learned a lot, especially after Sepang – getting it right for Suzuka. A double-points finish for the team was pretty big. Singapore, we saved what we could. We didn’t have huge performance, but we had a pretty good race. In Japan we found the sweet spot on the tires, so that was good.”

Japan was obviously the high point of the Far East swing with a double-points finish. How important was that result as the team heads into its home race – the United States Grand Prix?
RG: “It’s important for the constructors championship because there’s a tight fight there. Austin is always a special one for us. It shows that we’re growing up. We’re going there for the second time in our history, and off the back of eighth- and ninth-place finishes, which is pretty good.”

Japan’s Suzuka Circuit has been a strong venue for Haas F1 Team. It was the first track where Haas F1 Team got both its cars into Q3, and it was the scene of the team’s second double-points finish. How does that track seemingly play to Haas F1 Team’s strengths?
RG: “It’s a combination of things. I think it’s very much a driver’s track, where you can try to make the difference. Last year we found a good setup and we tried to use it again this year, but I don’t think it’s truly related to the track. I think we’ve been performing well in other places this year. Generally, I’d say that higher-speed circuits are better for us than lower-speed circuits.”

How do you attempt to transfer a strong finish in Japan to another strong finish at COTA?
RG: “The truth of one race is not the truth of the next one. It was a good result for us, for Gene (Haas) – who was there – it was a very proud moment. I’m proud of all of us, but for Austin we need to focus on what we can do. We need the right setup, get the right tools and just work as we do, normally. It was pretty good in Japan, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’ll be the same in Austin. We need to work hard to make it good.”

In joining Haas F1 Team, you took a leap of faith in the vision Gene Haas had for an American Formula One team. What has it been like to be a part of this endeavor and what makes Haas F1 Team different from other Formula One teams?
RG: “I think every team is different, but we’ve got Gene who absolutely loves racing. He’s an amazing team owner. He’s very much involved. He loves it. He’s always trying to understand and get the best from everyone. That’s great to see. I’d say the team runs as every Formula One team does, but we know that we’ve got Gene behind us. He likes us to give our best and that makes it a great place to be and to work.”

Haas F1 Team accomplished a lot in its debut season. Can you talk about the team’s growth this year and, specifically, how it has outperformed compared to last year?
RG: “You never realize how much you can grow until you’ve seen what you’re doing. From our start, the team is now much more experienced and much stronger. There are a lot of things we can improve to get better and better. From day one though, the team is much stronger in every area. There are no places where we are weaker. We’ve got better strategy, better engineering, better mechanics – everything is more organized around the racetrack. It’s just the way it is when you start, but then you grow up. We know where we can still improve the team and we know we’ve got room for that, so that’s really good for the future. When you think that most of the teams are at their maximum, or are running at their maximum, we know how much we can do and still improve. It shows that there could be a really bright future.”

You’re racing for an American team in the United States Grand Prix. Because of that, does walking into the paddock at COTA and driving out of the garage and onto the track take on greater significance or give you an added sense of pride?
RG: “Yeah, it’s a great one to go to. I’ve always loved Austin, but since I’ve been a Haas driver, I love it even more. I haven’t had the chance to have a national grand prix – that’ll come next year in France – but Austin is the one where I get to represent America.”

Formula One returned to the United States after a four-year absence when it raced at COTA in 2012. You participated in that race. What was the industry’s reaction to Formula One’s return to America?
RG: “It was wonderful. We had a lot of fans and people really came to see the race. It’s a great venue and one of the best new tracks we’ve had in quite a while. The track was great, the city is nice, and it was a very nice experience.”

When you first competed at COTA, what did you think of the venue?
RG: “It was very nice and very well organized. The city is great. There are a lot of bars and concerts going on in the city, and people came from all over the country to see the race. It was amazing.”

You equaled your career-best Formula One finish (second) at COTA in 2013. Talk about that race.
RG: “It was a wonderful race. I started third on the grid and proceeded to make a great start. We didn’t think we’d keep Red Bull Racing behind, but we managed. We had a good car and, ultimately, I had a really good race.”

COTA’s first corner is at the top of a hill – a blind and tight left-hander that sends drivers into a section modeled after Silverstone’s Maggotts-Becketts-Chapel complex. How do you approach that corner knowing there’s a moment when you don’t know what’s on the other side?
RG: “You know that nobody’s coming the wrong way, so that really helps when you come to the corner. It’s really about focusing on the right thing at the right time. First the braking point, then the turning point, and then the apex and exit. Yes it’s a blind corner, but once you’ve got in the rhythm you just take it all step-by-step and there are no surprises.”

COTA has been described as having the most overtaking opportunities of any track on the Formula One calendar. Is this accurate and, if so, what makes COTA better for overtaking than other venues?
RG: “It’s not that simple to overtake at COTA. You’ve got a huge straight line on the backstraight, which helps, of course, with the DRS. The braking into turn one is very wide and you can have some chances there. But, on the other hand, it’s very hard to follow in sector one, and into that very long right-hand side corner before the last two corners.”

What is your favorite part of COTA?
RG: “All of sector one.”

Describe a lap around COTA.
RG: “First you brake on the very wide track uphill into turn one. You then have tricky traction going downhill through sector one. It’s very high speed – very similar to Silverstone. Here you try to carry some good speed. Then you go to the hairpin before the backstraight, again you want good traction here. There’s very big braking at the end. Then there’s a very tight section with a double right corner. After that it’s a long left hairpin, with tricky braking, then a full right-hand side corner, almost flat out in qualifying. Then it’s the two mid-speed final turns, which are pretty interesting, going down into the first one, and the second one going up again before you finish the lap.”

Austin has become a destination venue for the Formula One industry, much like Singapore and Monaco. Why does the city resonate so well with those in Formula One?
RG: “I think because it’s the United States Grand Prix. Austin is a great city and it gets a lot of fans visiting, too. There’s also a great atmosphere around the track.”

How much of Austin have you been able to explore, and is there an area of the city you like the most?
RG: “I’ve seen quite a bit of Austin. The nightlife is amazing, too. During the day there are some nice shopping centers. It’s a great place.”

Kevin Magnussen

The Far East swing involved plenty of highs and lows for Haas F1 Team. The team had to overcome two crashes – one in Malaysia and another in Japan – yet your eighth-place finish in Japan helped the team regain seventh in the constructors standings. Talk about how the team handled that adversity and then delivered when it was time to race.
KM: “We just cracked on and did our thing. Obviously, I was really happy about our result in Japan. It’s good to be back in seventh, but it’s going to be a really tough challenge to maintain that position for the rest of the year. We will give it our best.”

Japan was obviously the high point of the Far East swing with a double-points finish. How important was that result as the team heads into its home race – the United States Grand Prix?
KM: “I think it was the best result we could’ve scored in Japan. Hopefully, we can still be strong in America. It would be great to have a good result in front of the team’s home crowd.”

Japan’s Suzuka Circuit has been a strong venue for Haas F1 Team. It was the first track where Haas F1 Team got both its cars into Q3, and it was the scene of the team’s second double-points finish. How does that track seemingly play to Haas F1 Team’s strengths?
KM: “I think we just made the best of it. It’s not really because we were fast enough to be there. We showed that in qualifying. We made the best of an eventful race and scored points with both cars.”

Haas F1 Team has accomplished a lot in its two Formula One seasons. Can you talk about the team’s growth this year and, specifically, how it has compared to other teams you’ve driven for?
KM: “It’s been great. We’ve got more people coming. We’re improving and growing in all areas. It’s great to see the team going in the right direction.”

You’re racing for an American team in the United States Grand Prix. Because of that, does walking into the paddock at COTA and driving out of the garage and onto the track take on greater significance or give you an added sense of pride?
KM: “It’s fantastic being on an American team, racing at an American venue.”

When you first competed at COTA in 2014, what did you think of the venue?
KM: “It’s a really cool track. It’s one of the better new tracks on the F1 calendar. They’ve done a really good job there.”

COTA’s first corner is at the top of a hill – a blind and tight left-hander that sends drivers into a section modeled after Silverstone’s Maggotts-Becketts-Chapel complex. How do you approach that corner knowing there’s a moment when you don’t know what’s on the other side?
KM: “The braking zone is really uphill, so you can brake really late. You can’t see the apex of the exit, but the track is so wide you can choose different lines.”

COTA has been described as having the most overtaking opportunities of any track on the Formula One calendar. Is this accurate and, if so, what makes COTA better for overtaking than other venues?
KM: “It’s certainly one of the better tracks for overtaking. It always makes for a good show.”

What is your favorite part of COTA?
KM: “Sector one. I like it simply because it’s fast.”

Describe a lap around COTA.
KM: “Big, wide and up and down.”

Austin has become a destination venue for the Formula One industry, much like Singapore and Monaco. Why does the city resonate so well with those in Formula One?
KM: “The city’s just great for going out. There are great restaurants and great places for having fun. Having a Formula One race there is the perfect package for having a good weekend.”

Your dad, Jan, has been able to carve quite an impressive sports car career in the United States, most recently by winning the 2017 GTLM driver and team championships in IMSA. What’s it been like to have parallel racing careers, albeit in different series?
KM: “I think it’s great. He’s had a career in the United States for nearly 20 years now. I’ve always been following him and I’ve been to many of the races. I’ve always enjoyed American motorsport. Hopefully one day, when I’m finished in Formula One, I can explore a bit and have a go at racing in America.”

Your dad said that in order to win this year’s title, he and the team had to overachieve on the bad weekends and make the absolute most of the good weekends. Is that what racing’s all about, and how applicable is that mindset to what you do here with Haas F1 Team?
KM: “Winning a championship – often it’s won by minimizing the lows, not so much getting great results once in a while. It’s really about consistency, and I think that’s what they’ve done this year. At Haas F1 Team, we’re not fighting for the championship. Our situation is a little bit different. We just need to score as many points as we can. We’re not always naturally fast enough to be in the points. We have to really try and overachieve on our best weekends to try and get those points.”

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Robert Kubica completes second test with Williams in Hungary

Robert Kubica has completed a second test for Williams, with the team assessing the driver's abilities at the Hungaroring as he tries to make a full-time return to Formula 1 in 2018.

The 32 year old drove a 2014-spec Williams FW36 at the circuit which is the venue for the Hungarian Grand Prix, having driven the same car at Silverstone only six days ago. 

Williams stated that the Pole "completed another productive day" of testing but remained coy as it continues to evaluate the driver as a possible replacement for Felipe Massa for next season. 

Paul di Resta, who drove for Williams at the Hungaroring earlier this year, is also in contention for a drive with the Grove-based outfit, and will test for the team tomorrow at the same venue.

Kubica drove in Formula 1 from 2006-2010 and was one of the most exciting prospects on the grid. A rally accident ahead of the 2011 season however, cut his career short and he has since remained off the grid. A return to the top tier of motorsport looked unlikely for the Polish driver until 2017, with a number of tests with Renault putting him back in contention for a future race seat.

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Former Ferrari F1 engine chief working with Aston Martin

Former Ferrari engine chief Luca Marmorini is working with Aston Martin as part of its evaluation of a Formula 1 project for 2021.

The British manufacturer, which will become Red Bull's title sponsor from next season, is interested in F1's next engine rules cycle, but it is keen for costs to be reduced significantly.

Marmorini worked for Ferrari in two stints, from 1990-99 and 2009-14. In between, he ran the Toyota F1 team’s engine and electronics programmes.

Aston Martin president and CEO Andy Palmer told Motorsport.com the company has recruited "the brainpower to be able to develop a Formula 1 engine" in case the new rules prove to be a fit for the British brand.

The manufacturer has confirmed that Marmorini is now involved in its F1 engine evaluation, although that is as a consultant rather than a full-time appointment.

In a statement to Motorsport.com, an Aston Martin spokesperson said: "Luca Marmorini is helping us on a consultancy basis as we continue to evaluate options for the 2021 power unit.

"We have not hired anyone to work full time on this and the power unit remains an area of study for the company, consistent with previous comments and our attendance at the Formula 1 Power Unit Working Group meetings."

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has stated that his team would be "absolutely open" to running an Aston Martin F1 engine in the future.

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Ricciardo's overtakes in 2017 "sublime" - Horner

Daniel Ricciardo has been "sublime" with some of the overtaking moves he has pulled during the 2017 Formula 1 season, according to Red Bull boss Christian Horner.

Ricciardo has enjoyed a very strong season so far, scoring nine podium finishes and one victory in Baku. The Australian is currently fourth in the standings on 192 points.

Horner says he has been particularly impressed by Ricciardo's talent for overtaking.

"I think his race craft is fantastic," Horner told Motorsport.com. "Some of the passes he's made this year have been sublime, and some of them have come from a long way back.

"If you think of a couple of moves in Monza, and even the move on Bottas in Sepang. Obviously on Sundays he's had better reliability than Max [Verstappen], but he's driven extremely well.

"He's still learning, you can see he enjoys what he does, and technically he's very strong as well."

Horner also reckons Ricciardo is one of the big characters on the current F1 grid, and believes that contributes positive energy to the Milton Keynes team.

"What you see publicly is what he's like privately," Horner said. "He's a very positive energy within the team, his image fits Red Bull very well, and Red Bull fits his image very well. So it's a very good fit.

"He's got a great personality, and if ever he's on a podium, he makes it fun. He's one of the big characters of the sport.

"He's a very rounded driver now. He's got one-lap pace, he's got fantastic racecraft, and he's got a very good understanding of what's going on with the car. So he's right there.

"He's put a very strong campaign together. He's beaten the most amount of podiums he's ever achieved for us so far in a season. Hopefully he can better that in the remaining races."

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Mercedes goes aggressive with Mexico tyre selection

Mercedes has opted for a more aggressive approach than its main Formula 1 rivals with its tyre selection for upcoming Mexican Grand Prix.

The German squad has chosen nine sets of the softest tyre compound - the ultrasoft - for next week's event at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, which will host the 18th round of the championship after this weekend's US Grand Prix.

In contrast to Mercedes, Red Bull has opted to take just six set of ultrasofts. Ferrari will have seven sets at its disposal.

Championship leader Lewis Hamilton will have three sets of supersofts available to him, while rival Sebastian Vettel will have five sets of the red-marked rubber. Both men have opted for just one set of softs.

The Williams, McLaren, Renault and Toro Rosso teams, along with Force India's Esteban Ocon, have maxed out on ultrasofts, with 10 sets each.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen is the only driver to have opted for three sets of softs for the Mexican event.

Pirelli has listed Pierre Gasly and Daniil Kvyat at Toro Rosso for Mexico, although the team has yet to confirm its line-up after Brendon Hartley makes its grand prix debut with the Italian squad in Austin.

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Renault ready for new approach to unleash 'magic modes'

Renault is ready to adopt a different mindset for 2018 in terms of how aggressive it pushes its Formula 1 engines in its bid to unleash 'magic modes' that boost its qualifying efforts.

While the French car manufacturer has made good gains overall with its power unit this year, it is well aware that it is still lacking a lot in terms of delivering extra performance on Saturday afternoons.

Its inability to ramp up its engine settings much in Q3 means that rivals Mercedes and Ferrari have proved dominant in the fight for poles in recent years.

In an exclusive interview with Motorsport.com, Renault F1 managing director Cyril Abiteboul says his company is working hard on lifting its qualifying performance – and reckons it has perhaps been punished in the past from being a little too conservative in what it has done in F1.

"It is something that is completely counter-intuitive for engine people – to accept to create performance to the detriment or expense of reliability," he said. "And it has never been the philosophy of Renault to do it like that.

"We have always been in the history of Renault in F1, in terms of engine development, on the conservative side when it comes to developing performance.

"I think it is still a handicap. We are trying to pull ourselves from that philosophy, but it is a big change of mindset that will be coming with the new people who are joining our organisation."

Half-a-second gap

Renault believes that the small deficit it has in race pace now is within an acceptable level - whereas it knows the 0.5-seconds it loses to Mercedes in qualifying needs to be addressed.

Abiteboul added: "I think it is quite visible that in race format we've done a step forward, in the sense we have reduced the deficit.

"There is still a small deficit which in my opinion, you can argue whether it is two tenths or four tenths, and it will depend on the track. But I think this is what we are talking about – between two and four tenths in race mode.

"Definitely it is the type of deficit which the best chassis are able to handle. That is why you have a Red Bull team that after some difficulties at the start of the season has managed to maybe create the best chassis out there right now, and they are managing that power deficit and it gives them the ability to win.

"But it is no different to actually our situation when we won the championship back in the V8 era. Our engine was not the most powerful on the grid, but actually we managed to make it work all together.

"They created a fantastic chassis and we managed to win four titles in a row, so we are going back to a situation which is almost a situation very well known between Red Bull Racing and Renault, and that was actually successful. But that is for Sunday, that is for the race.

"I cannot describe a similar situation for Saturday. It is going back to this: how do we accept to create performance to the detriment of reliability, and we are not there yet. I am not capable of quantifying that clearly, but we are talking about something that is like half a second."

Oil burn clampdown help

Abiteboul says that progress on Renault's dyno at its Viry base is delivering some positive news, and he thinks matters will also be helped by a further clampdown on oil burn in 2018.

"We have a lot of performance on the dyno, but as I said earlier it is performance that will be available at any moment, including on Sunday. So that is great news, as it means the performance we have on the dyno should put us in a very, very decent position to say the least against Mercedes on a Sunday.

"Right now, we are still handicapped by whether we can allow ourselves to create performance at the expense of reliability – which is what I believe what we will need in order to catch up on Saturday.

"Having said that, we also know the regulations are going to change and it is going to be a bit more draconian on oil combustion.

"That it is a field that we have absolutely not explored because it is a field that is not in the regulations whatsoever. Again that is our style, to be extremely fair in our interpretation – maybe sometimes a bit too much.

"So, maybe we will be supported by that evolution of the regulations into our catch-up exercise on qualifying modes."

When asked if he felt the FIA's push to limit oil burn this year had helped pull Mercedes and Ferrari back, Abiteboul said: "We have seen an evolution when there was a TD introduced, I think it was before the summer – we have seen something.

"But we have seen again that they have managed to rebuild an advantage since then, so it is really interesting to see the dynamic that is pure F1. There is a new rule, a new TD, it has an impact on relative competitiveness and then again, I think things are again moving again."

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United States Grand Prix preview - Scuderia Ferrari 2017

 

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HORNER: RENAULT MUST WORK ON QUALIFYING PERFORMANCE

It is no secret that Red Bull are capable of producing great Formula 1 race cars, but their full potential is not realised because their Renault-built engines simply lack a qualifying mode which would allow them to challenge for pole position.

This is an area which Red Bull F1 chief Christian Horner wants Renault to address in the winter off-season in time for 2018.

Horner said in an interview, “On Saturday you can’t leave all the work to be done on a Sunday. Over the winter we hope that our engine partner is going to put a lot of work into not only reliability but performance on Saturday afternoon so there is quite a lot going on.”

In qualifying, particularly in the crucial Q3 stanza, the TAG Heuer (Renault) power unit is invariably about a second down on what the power that Mercedes and Ferrari drivers have dialed in for the final shootout.

As a result neither driver has started a grand prix from pole position so far this season. Daniel Ricciardo has qualified inside the top four on only five occasions, while Max Verstappen has done so on four occasions.

But Horner also believes that a few more horsepower for the race would also help their cause, “I don’t think it is just in qualifying – I think it is also in the grand prix as well. If we can find a bit of horsepower over the winter it puts us into a much better season going into next season.”

Renault chief Cyril Abiteboul is adamant that Renault will make progress over the winter, but so will Mercedes and Ferrari.

Abiteboul claims that Renault engines are down only “between two and four tenths” per lap in race trim, while estimating that their qualifying shortfall is “something like half a second” off Mercedes, but in truth they are about half a second down in race trim and, more often than not, about a second down in Q3.

Horner is understandably wary of the rhetoric and wants to see tangible results instead, “The stopwatch doesn’t lie. Talk is cheap and it is what happens on track [that counts].”

“We see [Renault] are working really hard and hopefully as these rules have been pretty stable for some time now there will start to be some convergence,” added Horner.

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MERCEDES AND HAMILTON CLOSE IN ON F1 TITLES

Lewis Hamilton could be crowned Britain’s first four-times Formula 1 world champion this weekend in Texas, while Mercedes are on the brink of a fourth consecutive constructor’s title.

The chances of Mercedes, 145 points clear of Ferrari with four races remaining, wrapping things up at Circuit of the Americas appear to be overwhelming.

Everything is also stacking up for Hamilton to become only the fifth driver to win more than three championships since the first in 1950, with British bookmakers offering odds of 1/50 on him taking the title.

That compares to 14/1 for Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, Hamilton’s closest rival, and 300/1 on Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas.

While the team may be celebrating on Sunday night, Hamilton may find he has to wait, however.

To do it in Austin, the Briton must finish in the top two and then see where Vettel ends up.

Hamilton currently enjoys a hefty 59-point advantage, with 100 still to be won. He must score 16 more than his German rival on Sunday to prevent the title battle continuing to Mexico City’s Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on the following weekend.

Third place is worth 15 points and will not be enough. Even if Hamilton wins in Austin, he will be champion only if Vettel finishes no higher than sixth. If the Briton comes second, then Vettel has to finish eighth or higher to stay in the game.

Reliability, or lack of it, will be a key concern on both sides. Vettel has failed to finish two of the last three races in Asia, one due to a first lap collision and the other a spark plug problem, and cannot afford any further unreliability on Ferrari’s part.

However, before his nightmare run the German had not finished lower than seventh since Malaysia in Oct. 2016, when he retired with damaged suspension after a collision.

He was fourth in Austin last year, when Mercedes had a one-two finish.

This year Vettel has finished all but six races on the podium and three of those outside the top three were fourth places. Hamilton has won eight times and finished second three times in 16 races.

Austin has also been particularly good to him with four wins in five years including the last three. Vettel won with Red Bull in 2013.

Even if Mercedes dominate one-two, and Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen prove to be the closest rivals, the chances are that Vettel will still finish in the top five in a race without incident.

In the constructors’ championship, Ferrari need to outscore Mercedes by 17 points to prevent them retaining the title in Austin.

The only occasion Ferrari have done that this season was in Monaco in May when Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen finished one-two while Hamilton was seventh and team mate Valtteri Bottas ended up fourth.

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MICK SCHUMACHER: MY GOAL IS ALWAYS FORMULA 1

Michael Schumacher’s 18-year-old son Mick may not have stood out in his first season of Formula Three but his sights remain firmly set on Formula One.

“Yes, my goal is always F1,” Mick Schumacher told German sports agency SID, an AFP subsidiary, after finishing the F3 season in 12th place with one podium finish, coming third at Monza in April.

“I am concentrating on myself and I do not look at the other drivers. Everyone progresses at their own pace, it’s not comparable,” he said after a question about young F1 drivers like Lance Stroll, 18, and Max Verstappen, who drove in his first Grand Prix at the age of 17.

“I take one step after another and try to prepare myself for my future,” Schumacher said. “When I feel I’m ready, I will take the next step, but first I have to prove myself.”

“I attacked my first F3 season with the aim to learn as much as possible,” he said. “This is what happened this year, and I’m really pleased. I try to improve myself in all areas.”

Seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher has not been seen in public since suffering serious head injuries in a skiing accident in 2013.