Formula 1 - 2017

[Bartolomeo]

I will be at COTA next year....can't wait

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ALONSO TO RACE DAYTONA 24 HOURS WITH UNITED AUTOSPORTS

Fernando Alonso is set to make his Daytona 24 Hours debut in January next year with Zak Brown’s United Autosports team, sharing a car with McLaren’s young sensation Lando Norris.

Racer report that the Spaniard will do the race, confirming speculation that arose shortly after Alonso extended his deal to race with McLaren in Formula 1 next year.

Insiders say Alonso is keen to do the iconic endurance race in Florida as part of preparations for a Le Mans foray later this year.

Although there is no deal in place for Alonso to race at Le Mans on 16-17 June, it is expected that McLaren would allow him to take part in next year’s 24 hours race should an approach be made.

Toyota are said to be interested in including Alonso to their 2018 Le Mans driver line-up, which would suit his quest for the sport’s prestigious but elusive Triple Crown.

The legendary endurance race takes place on the weekend between the Canadian Grand Prix and the French Grand Prix.

In Austin, Alonso told reporters, “As I said many times, the Triple Crown is the main thing. I know that the Indy 500 was a nice thing and I felt very competitive, but it was a big challenge that I took from zero, with no testing and no similar racing experience before the Indy 500 at any other oval, it was a big challenge.”

“I was competitive and it felt good but if I want to prepare for Le Mans maybe there are other possibilities to prepare Le Mans a little bit better [than I did for] the Indy 500,” added the double F1 World Champion.

Meanwhile for the Daytona 24 Hours, Alonso and Norris will to be partnered by Phil Hanson in a United Autosports Ligier JS P217, with Paul di Resta confirmed to drive the sister car with Will Owen and yet to be announced co-drivers.

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SAINZ: EVERYTHING EXCEEDED MY EXPECTATIONS

Carlos Sainz ticked every box imaginable during his debut weekend with the Renault team at the United States Grand Prix.

The Spaniard was drafted in, to replace Jolyon Palmer in the French team, with four races remaining in the championship as part of a deal between Red Bull and Renault.

Despite never having driven the RS17 prior to FP1 on Friday, Sainz was quicker than teammate Nico Hulkenberg in every session including qualifying where the Spaniard was ninth fastest.

In the race he was in several battles, including a feisty one with the Force India duo, ending his first grand prix in the yellow car in seventh.

Reflecting after the race in Austin, Sainz said, “I think everything exceeded a bit my expectations. I knew I could be quick – I had confidence in myself knowing that I could adapt to a team quickly, otherwise this change wouldn’t have been possible.”

“Still, to do such a good quali and such a good race, such a complete race in general, right from FP1 to the last lap of the race, as my engineer said it was faultless. I’m really happy and I have to thank the team for making me feel right at home from the beginning.”

“It’s very difficult to have gone any better than it did. In the race we went from less to more – we were picking up pace, first attacking Checo [Perez] and then Esteban [Ocon]. It’s a shame I ran out of fuel in the last three or four laps and couldn’t attack Esteban, but [overall] really fun.”

After assessing his first weekend with his new team, Sainz is confident that things will only get better, “I think we still have a big margin of improvement ahead of us, but it will come with more races and more experience. We’ve done our first weekend very close to perfect, so we need to keep going like that.”

Sainz learned about his exit from Toro Rosso at the Japanese Grand Prix, and the week after that he spent his time familiarising himself with the organisation he will be racing with until at least the end of 2018.

The 23 year old from Madrid explained, “I’m driving for a manufacturer team and I felt that when I went to Enstone last week. I am very happy with what I’ve seen so far and what I felt so far. It’s the step in my career that I was looking to do. They’ve given me this chance, trusted in me and I feel like I’ve made a step up in my career.”

“I feel a lot of support, to be honest. From the Renault management, from Alain [Prost], from Cyril [Abiteboul], they’ve all been very optimistic, very proactive, very happy with this change and very motivated. This helps.”

“When you join a team and you see they want you – they really want you here and really want you to do well – it’s a great feeling. This support is exactly what I was looking for and I’m extremely happy.”

“The conclusion is that we can all be very happy, very pleased with what we have achieved in such a short period of time. I think everything has gone smoothly the whole weekend really. My side of the garage has been working hard to help me adapt to this new challenge and together with a quick adaptation from my side I think we can be very happy.”

Renault chief Abiteboul was chuffed with his new driver, “I think he did a remarkable job. It’s not easy to change teams in the middle of a season.

“There have been previous circumstances when things have not happened that way in other teams in the history of F1. It’s a move that we were all looking forward to. There was lots of preparation put into that. it’s not easy with a busy weekend between Suzuka and this race.

“A lot has happened to get everything ready and that is to the credit of him first but also to the team that has done such a good job all together,” added Abitboul after the race at Circuit of the Americas.

Sainz scored six valuable points for Renault in Austin and thus skipped past Haas for seventh place in the constructors’ standings and are now, with three races to go, only five points adrift of sixth placed Toro Rosso, ironically his former team.

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ERICSSON: I DESERVE TO BE IN FORMULA 1 NEXT YEAR

Marcus Ericsson is adamant that he deserves to be in Formula 1 but, despite his strong connections with Sauber’s new owners, the Swede does not have a contract for next year with the team.

Speaking to the official F1 website, Ericsson said, “I want to show that I deserve to be in Formula 1 next year. That is my aim. My management is speaking with the team and trying to sort out my contract.”

Sauber are likely to field one, if not two of Ferrari’s junior drivers Antonio Giovinazzi or Charles Leclerc. But as it stands right now the Swiss team have yet to confirm their driver line-up for next year.

Ericsson pointed out, “You can never be sure in F1 unless it is sealed and signed. And a good performance is the best underpinning of your ambitions.”

At the same time he explains that being in the back-marker team, with a year-old engine, makes it difficult to shine, “With the old power unit it is almost impossible for us to fight with the other guys, so my benchmark is Pascal [Wehrlein] and it is my first goal to beat him.”

“Secondly, if we can take the fight to other teams we will do so. But my main target is to beat Pascal, because all the people making decisions over the Sauber cockpits know that we are handicapped by the power unit and can hardly fight others, so it is a fight within the team: Marcus versus Pascal!”

“The power unit is a massive handicap. But also the car side is a bit difficult because the team has been financially pretty stressed in the past. And if you see how long it takes to recover from a low – we have other examples here in the paddock – it is not a surprise that we are where we are.”

“Yes, we had a number of updates and you clearly can say that it is moving in the right direction, but it takes some time.”

Ericsson is honest in appraising his own performance since he made his Formula 1 debut at the 2014 Australian Grand Prix, “F1 has been pretty tough for me. Out of my four years in the sport I only had one year with a competitive car. The other three years I have spent mostly at the back of the field – and that makes it tough, especially mentally.”

“I am a racer looking for wins and not making up the grid and fighting for P18. Yes, that is mentally challenging. But it is also one of my strengths – that I always keep fighting, always try to do the best in the situation I am in and not let the frustration take over. I always see the positive side in things and try to make the most out of it.”

“Believe me, it is so easy to let frustration take over and get negative – especially if you see that you come nowhere near the pace of the others. But as I just said, that is one of my strengths – to keep positive!”

He has yet to score points this year, and acknowledges, “It is disappointing. No question. I want to score points and fight for points every race weekend. But this year it has been more difficult than ever with the old Ferrari power unit.”

“The first half of the season was not a walk in the park and we knew that the second half would be even more difficult. The unfortunate thing is that we have not been more competitive in the first half.”

“It is what it is and we try at every race to maximise what we’ve got. And yes, even if I have zero points I can say that I have had some pretty good races and some good performances.”

Ericsson has not scored a point since the 2015 Italian Grand Prix and in four seasons, 73 starts with Caterham in 2014 and Sauber since then, has only managed to score nine points, while his teammates collectively have amassed 34 points during the same period.

MIKA: I like Marcus but the talent isn't really there IMO - 9 points scored in 4 years, this isn't enough.

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HAMILTON: AMERICANS BETTER THAN EUROPEANS IN PUTTING SHOWS ON

Triple world champion Lewis Hamilton would like to see Formula 1 throw more American style razzmatazz and showmanship into the mix after the sport’s new owners jazzed up the pre-race show on the grid before the start of the United States Grand Prix.

The extended pre-race show saw drivers stepping out one by one through a tunnel while boxing announcer Michael Buffer presented them to the crowd with plenty of fanfare.

Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders performed in front of the grandstand, Hollywood actors appeared on the starting grid and Jamaica’s Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt waved the cars off for the formation lap.

Afterwards, former United States president Bill Clinton presented the winner’s trophy while Bolt conducted podium interviews.

“I think it’s great. The Americans are way better than us Europeans in putting on shows. You look at the Super Bowl, the NFL games, the NBA games. They are way more fun than other sporting events in Europe,” Hamilton told reporters.

“They are more showy and its more of an atmosphere and I like that its starting to spill over into this. I think that’s the best start of a grand prix that I’ve seen,” added the Briton, who won for Mercedes.

“If we can bring that more into Formula One culture I think it’s just going to be more exciting…the sex appeal was there. That’s what motor racing has been missing for a long time, I think.”

Hamilton, who entered Formula One in 2007 and can win his fourth title in Mexico this weekend, said the sport had put up with “the same old boring thing” for years.

Traditionally, drivers have parked their cars, leaving mechanics to prepare them while VIP guests circulate and the national anthem is played.

United States based Liberty Media, who took over the sport in January, have said they want every race to be like a Super Bowl in terms of atmosphere and build-up.

“It’s America, isn’t it? We’re under new ownership, we have to be prepared to try new things,” commented Red Bull team boss Christian Horner.

”If that engages the American public then why not? It didn’t detract from the race and seemed to get the crowd excited prior to the race. I don’t think it would be everybody’s cup of tea, I can’t see that working at Silverstone for example but it was an interesting introduction for this grand prix.”

Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel felt German fans would want a more traditional approach, “I think Americans appreciate that sort of atmosphere and entertainment a lot more. I think Germans are maybe a little slower on that front.”

MIKA: Just don't have Bolt do the post race interview lol!!

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Liberty Media considering rows of three cars on Formula 1 grid

Liberty Media is reportedly considering a shake-up to how the grid is formed at the start of Formula 1 races in a bid to shake-up the order on the opening lap.

Currently cars line up two per row, slightly staggered so the car that qualified ahead has a slight advantage. However Liberty Media is looking at having alternating rows of three and two cars.

Therefore the front-row would feature three cars instead of two, whilst row two would have two cars and that would alternate to the very back.

According to Bild, it's thought having three cars on the front-row would create more opportunity for a position change into the opening corner, whilst those in fourth and fifth on row two, would have a clearer view ahead.

It would also prove to be a safer approach as cars would be ofset and therefore a stalled car would be more visible to those behind, whilst giving them a greater amount of time to react.

One circuit that would be an exception to the rule would be Monaco, due to the narrow start/finish straight that cannot accomodate three cars abreast, nor can it be widened due to pit buildings on the right and high-rise buildings on the left – although a plan to relocate the pits has been proposed, but remains in the very early stages of planning.

The idea has been presented to the teams, although it's believed they're not keen on the proposal as it creates more opportunity for collisions on the opening lap.

It's yet to be decided if the change will get the green light for 2018, but it's one among many ideas Liberty is proposing to liven up the racing.

Here's how that would work...

 

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Lewis Hamilton aims to make Ferrari's life a misery for years to come

Lewis Hamilton says he aims to make Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel's lives "a misery" for the next few years as he seeks to win many more titles to add to what is likely to be his fourth this season.

The Mercedes driver is on the brink of a fourth title – which would match Vettel's tally – this weekend in Mexico, with Hamilton requiring just nine points to secure the championship with two races remaining.

Hamilton insists he's not thinking about success yet, but rather on simply winning the remaining three races.

"I don't really let my mind get there. At the moment, I'm just focused on winning, clearly, and I'm enjoying driving more than ever. I just really...the challenge, the pressure's intense," he told The Sun newspaper. "Just always want to elevate yourself and shine brighter each time you get in the car."

With the Briton admitting Ferrari has shown no interest in signing him, he says his aim is to ensure he beats them in the future to make their life a misery.

"I do see the red car, and I am a fan of the company and the brand. It would be an honour for any driver to race those cars, but it has not been an option. If Ferrari wanted me, they would have approached me. I want to work with people who want me. If they don't want me, it is no problem.

"I am happy to make their life a misery for the next few years. Sebastian just re-signed, so for me and Mercedes, our goal is to make him and Ferrari unhappy for the next three years!"

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Force India ready to relax team orders

Force India are close to letting Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon off the leash again as they look set to wrap up fourth spot in the World Constructors' Championship.

The team have been forced into employing strict orders between the pair after a number of collisions this season but, having moved 91 points clear of nearest challenger Williams, Perez and Ocon can prepare to go to battle again.

“Probably [after] one more race," said chief operating officer Otmar Szafnauer when asked by Autosport about when Perez and Ocon will be able to race freely.

“We have just got to get through one more race and hopefully by then we’ll have clinched fourth place. That’s what it is all about.

“Once we get through that then maybe we can relax and do things a bit differently in the last two.”

Perez has still been particularly vocal on team radio about being held up by his team-mate, but those complaints have fallen on deaf ears.

"Even if we let Checo past, the team wouldn’t have scored any more points,” said Szafnauer.

“It’s about us scoring points. We frankly don’t care which one scores the points, we don’t want to swap them around.

“We want to eliminate the risk and score the points. Once we are assured of fourth place, then we will change stuff.”

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Hamilton: If that was grass Max wouldn’t be off

Lewis Hamilton has weighed in on the Max Verstappen penalty debate, saying it wouldn’t have been an issue if there had been a proper deterrent, such as grass, surrounding the track.

Verstappen was penalised for passing Kimi Raikkonen with all four wheels off the track on the final lap of the United States Grand Prix.

The decision cost the Red Bull racer third place, frustrating both the driver and his team.

But while Red Bull are angry at the stewards, Hamilton says the real issue is the design of today’s Formula 1 tracks.

“He’s off-track,” the Mercedes driver told Sky F1. “This is the problem with today’s circuits.

“I don’t know who made the decision but there’s all these run-off areas. Why is that not grass? If that was grass he wouldn’t have gone there.

“I just don’t know why there’s these flaws on these circuits. Particularly the new generation of driver comes in and is very happy to exploit these things.

“Clearly he’s way off the line. You can’t go there.

“It is very difficult and when we’re in drivers’ briefings, we’re always discussing and we say, ‘here you can gain an advantage’.

“There’s always an argument and Charlie [Whiting, FIA race director] says, ‘I don’t think you can gain an advantage there’ and we say, ‘yes, we can get on the power 10 metres earlier and just go wide’.

“It’s a really fine line and very hard. I think the FIA do a good job but I think they can’t build new tracks with these run-off areas.”

Speaking with the Sky team of Martin Brundle and Damon Hill, he added: “I loved it in your guys’ day when there was grass.

“You should pay some sort of price where you have to come off the gas and you take a bit of a bumpy ride, whether it’s onto stones or whatever. You don’t have that now.”

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Brawn calls for better F1 review system

Ross Brawn believes Formula 1 should consider a new review system to better judge controversial incidents, in the wake of the Max Verstappen penalty in Austin.

F1 fans and many within the sport itself have been left angry about the way in which Verstappen was penalised for cutting the track as he overtook Kimi Raikkonen for third on the final lap of the race.

While there is no question about him having all four wheels on the track, there is unease about the way in which other drivers also ran off track at various points of the race without sanction.

Red Bull and Verstappen were also further upset that the decision to punish the Dutchman was done so quickly - and without the chance to speak to the drivers involved.

Now Brawn, who is managing director of motorsports at F1, thinks the time has come to ensure that following similar incidents in future, there is the chance for those involved in the case to put across their side of events.

Writing in his regular post-race newsletter, Brawn said that it would be better if the teams could speak with the FIA.

“I believe that once the dust is settled on this episode it would be good to review cases such as this with all the relevant parties – the FIA and the teams,” said Brawn.

“In every sport, technology is becoming more and more important in allowing referees to take sporting decisions with more accuracy and readiness. It's happening even in football, where a video review system is in place in leagues like Bundesliga in Germany and Serie A in Italy.

 “In Formula 1 we already have exceptional video technology but I think we need to look at how we utilise it in order to maintain accuracy and consistency.”

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Strategy Report: How Verstappen’s charge shook Ferrari into action

Red Bull has come on strongly late in the season after a slow start, as happened last year, and the team increasingly plays a role in race outcomes.

And because is not involved in the championship fight, it can try aggressive disruption strategies on the others to try to force them into doing things they don’t want to do on strategy. We saw that vividly from Max Verstappen in Austin, as he made a surprise second stop on Lap 37 to shake the tree.

Here we will analyse the strategy, and why Ferrari and Mercedes reacted as they did.

Pre-race considerations

Pirelli had brought the ultrasoft tyres to Austin, a good step more aggressive than previous years, where the range had included the mediums. But with the strategies having been disappointingly binary this year, rather than spread across the three compounds available, the Italian marque was trying to stimulate more variety with its selection.

It worked in Austin and all three compounds were used in the race. After the practice running, which was mostly held in dry conditions, it looked like a finely balanced decision between a one- and two-stop race.

Red Bull and Daniel Ricciardo had qualified strongly in fourth and had an aggressive armoury of tyres with two new sets of supersofts available for the race, hinting at a flat-out two-stopper. The Australian did pull that trigger on race day, but an engine failure meant we never got to see the outcome.

Mercedes had done its usual tactic and kept all options open, with one new set of supersofts in addition to new softs, while Ferrari had no new sets of supersofts for the race; they had installed a set in FP3, which was next-to-new, however.

A violent storm on race morning dumped huge amounts of water on to the track and washed away all the rubber that had been laid over the weekend, raising the spectre of two stops being a sensible plan.

The key to the race, then, would be how hot the temperatures might get during, how much degradation that would cause and whether that might tip it towards a two-stop race. It was cooler on Sunday than on Saturday, and that tipped the balance away from Ferrari, towards Mercedes and played a hand in deciding the race in Hamilton’s favour rather than Vettel’s.

Another factor in the strategy planning was the power of the Drag Reduction System (DRS) this weekend, which was worth 0.7s on the main straight. So if a car could get close enough into the turn before the straight, an overtake was certainly possible.

And we also saw it give the car behind the ability to get close and then attack in the sequence of corners that followed. This became the default for many drivers during the race and led to many overtakes in the final sector of the lap.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB13 charges through the pack

Red Bull  tries the disruption strategy

Verstappen drove a stunning race, after taking a grid penalty for replacing his engine for the new specification higher-performing Renault. He was targeting the podium from 16th on the grid and it needed something special from the strategists, as well as from the driver.

Verstappen played his part with some excellent overtakes, but the masterstroke from the strategist was to pull the Dutchman in on Lap 37 for supersoft tyres. This disrupted the battle ahead with Vettel in second place, leading Bottas and Raikkonen at that time.

Red Bull could make the stop because there was no threat from behind: Ocon was 50 seconds away, so Verstappen could use fresh supersoft tyres on a clear track to hunt down the leading cars that at that stage were already struggling on the soft tyres, with 19 laps to the finish.

Vettel and Bottas in particular both looked to be in trouble, while Raikkonen’s tyres were in good shape.

Red Bull was agitating, hoping to get Ferrari or Mercedes to cover the stop. But the reality was that once he made it, both Bottas and Raikkonen would have lost a place if they stopped on the following lap.

Only Vettel had enough margin to cover the move. He had been talking on the radio about a Plan B anyway, which was a second stop. So it was logical for him to be the only one to cover Verstappen.

As Bottas and Raikkonen were already compromised by the move, the so-called number two drivers were left out to block Verstappen’s progress. For Bottas, he was also going to be called on to block Vettel as the German came back through.

It meant that Vettel would have to fight his way back through to second place, but he managed it. Given that Verstappen only caught Raikkonen on the last lap, you could argue that Vettel’s extra stop was unnecessary, but as he had been complaining about the soft tyres anyway, it made sense.

Verstappen made up 18 seconds in 19 laps and caught Raikkonen because the Finn was fuel-saving in the closing stages. We saw that with Vettel in Malaysia, towards the end of the race, so Ferrari has had some difficulties since the new version of the engine was introduced in getting the starting fuel level right.

Mercedes had a 9-second margin with Hamilton, and with Bottas as a buffer, they did not feel the need to cover Verstappen and Vettel’s move.

Mercedes not perfect - Bottas misses out again

Bottas celebrated Mercedes’ fourth consecutive constructors’ championship with the rest of the team, but his dream switch to the strongest team in F1 currently has not been going smoothly as of late.

He has used the word ‘struggling’ frequently in the recent weeks and in Austin he missed out on a podium on a day when his teammate managed to dominate the race.

Bottas qualified third and held that position through the round of pit stops which put the front runners onto soft tyres and ostensibly a one-stop race. By Lap 35 it was clear that Bottas and Vettel were struggling with the tyres and considering switching to a two-stop plan. At this point Verstappen had not stopped.

The consideration they had was that had Mercedes pulled the trigger, it would have amounted to an undercut attempt on Vettel, who would have been able to cover it the next lap. So in terms of a chance to move forward it was limited in scope. But what about as a defensive play against cars behind? It was a question of whether they could hold up Raikkonen on the same tyres.

They believed they could, especially with Raikkonen in fuel-saving mode, but they were wrong. Raikkonen passed Bottas on Lap 42 and after Vettel came through on fresh tyres and with Verstappen set to pass him as well, Bottas made a late stop.

With a huge gap back to Ocon, there was nothing to lose by doing this. But by not following the initial instinct to stop, what would have been a podium ended up a fifth place and more dejection for Bottas.

Sainz and Ocon shine through

Carlos Sainz finished sixth in Austin in 2015, although he was later demoted to seventh for a pitlane speeding penalty. Last year he got his sixth place and this year, on his debut with Renault, so driving an unfamiliar car, he bagged seventh, behind Esteban Ocon; a fantastic result.

In this he was helped by the latest installment of the Force India driver feud, whereby Sergio Perez was again requesting to be allowed through past his teammate. He was told that Ocon was “managing his pace” to the end of the race on the soft tyres, so it was not the case that Perez was faster.

The team was unwilling to swap the cars because they felt it would not change the finishing result and points haul, as in Japan. But, unlike the last race, they were wrong because Sainz cruised up behind Perez and passed him, dropping the Mexican to eighth, where he finished. 

Felipe Massa started the race in 10th place, due to other drivers’ grid penalties, and was able to start on supersoft tyres and run a long first stint. He pitted on Lap 29 onto ultrasoft tyres, leaving 26 laps to the finish.

It was an unusual strategy, and it netted him a ninth place after he passed Kvyat at the end of the race. But he was never on the pace of Sainz and the Force India cars ahead.

Race history and tyre usage graphs

Shows the relative performance of the cars and the gaps between them. Upward curve is positive. Lap time and gaps down the vertical axis, lap number on the horizontal.

Look at Bottas’s pace (blue dotted line, above) in comparison with Hamilton. Had he stopped on Lap 35 or 36 he would not have been passed by Verstappen and would probably have been able to pass Raikkonen for third place in the closing stages to secure a podium.

Kindly provided by Williams Martini Racing

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Vandoorne column: Austin upgrades, Alonso deal a boost for 2018

Motorsport.com columnist Stoffel Vandoorne feels he made the most of a tricky situation at the United States Grand Prix - and takes heart from the the performance of McLaren's upgrades.

The United States Grand Prix may not have delivered any points for McLaren Honda, but I had many reasons to leave Austin very happy with the weekend.

First about my own race performance, after a pretty decent charge from the back of the grid to finish 12th. And secondly, about some encouraging car developments that will carry us forward into 2018 and show the progress we are making.

Definite step forward

Friday practice had begun with me discovering a new circuit again – and I have to say the Circuit of the Americas is a great track. The first part of the lap with the Esses is very, very fast and very enjoyable to drive.

Conditions in the beginning on Friday were a bit tricky with the rain though. We also tested some different intermediate tyres before things dried out and we could get some proper running done.

A new aero package had arrived for us and because my teammate Fernando Alonso had a problem and was stuck in the garage, I had to do all the aero work on it. It proved to be a good session.

The car felt very good, and it was a definite step forward with the upgrades. I had a very good feeling and we finished fifth during the session, so it was very positive.

For Saturday, knowing that we had decided to take an engine penalty so would be starting further back, it made more sense for Fernando to get the upgrade. I reverted to the older-spec front wing and, from then on, it was quite tricky all weekend to find the balance.

It was extremely difficult to feel comfortable, and things were not helped by it being pretty windy all weekend, so conditions kept changing.

I never really had the same good feeling that I got in FP1, even with trying a lot of different set-up changes, and in the end I was not able to bring the balance together like I had in first practice.

I think that perhaps proves that the new package we introduced this weekend was a very good step forward.

  

A strong race

Thanks to another engine change needed before the race, I was forced to start from the back – but I kept my head down, kept my focus and delivered what was one of my best races of the season.

Starting from the back in Austin with the power deficit we have, I didn’t really expect to be able to overtake so many cars.

But we were very aggressive in the laps prior to the pitstop to get ourselves into a reasonable fighting position again.

While I was pushing, I also had save the tyres as well, because we were trying to make the one-stop strategy work. After the pitstop we had very, very good pace, we overtook quite a few cars on track, and all of them in the corners, when we were trying to be very inventive with different lines.

In fact, I was so focused on doing well that I didn’t really notice that exciting moment when Sebastian Vettel had to dive between me and Valtteri Bottas as they came up to lap me. All I was focused on was trying to get out of their way!

It was a very strong result in the end to finish 12th. We had lost a bit of time behind Romain Grosjean and in the end we made a bit of a ballsy move to get past him. I think that getting so close to the points was probably the maximum possible.

  

Alonso stays

The other bit of good news from the weekend was that Fernando Alonso confirmed he would be staying with McLaren. I am definitely happy to remain teammates with him.

He is one of the best benchmarks in F1 and especially with all the changes happening next year in the team, it is good to have this stability.

Lately we have shown some very good performances and we are definitely ready for the next year.

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Mexico "debacle" prompted US GP Verstappen penalty - Horner

Red Bull's Christian Horner has blamed the "debacle" of last year’s Mexican Grand Prix – where a raft of post-race penalties changed the podium three times – for the rush to punish Max Verstappen in Austin.

Verstappen was stripped of his third-place finish in the United States Grand Prix after the FIA ruled he had overtaken Kimi Raikkonen by running off the track. The five-second penalty he was handed dropped him to fourth.

That decision prompted widespread criticism over the lack of consistency from the stewards, and left Verstappen himself furious that rules were ‘killing the sport’.

Red Bull boss Horner was especially angry that the snap decision meant there was no way for Verstappen to explain himself – and thinks this was a legacy of what happened in Mexico last year.

Back then, Verstappen was handed a similar post-race penalty for cutting the track and removed from the pre-podium room

But Sebastian Vettel, who moved ahead of him for third, was later penalised for moving under braking – which meant Daniel Ricciardo was eventually classified third.

Horner said: “I think they [the stewards] were desperate to get the right people on the podium, but then they jumped to a conclusion without considering all of the facts.

  

“After Mexico last year where there was at least one steward that was involved in that decision, and it was agreed that to avoid the debacle of Mexico - where there were three different people appearing on the podium - to take a breath. To understand and listen to the drivers.

“And I think, as I say, if you look at the consistency of decision-making, that is what is disappointing.”

The steward referred to is the FIA’s Garry Connelly, who Verstappen spoke out against in the wake of another decision going against him.

When asked if he felt that certain stewards were biased against Verstappen, Horner said: “I think that it is unfortunate that Max has been the recipient now twice that he has been in the green room and extracted.

“I think he handled that with great dignity, but I am not going to be drawn into personal issues with stewards.”

Pushed on the dignity claim, with Verstappen having called a steward an ‘idiot’, Horner replied: “I think that he has the right to express himself. In any sport, emotions run high and that is part of what sport is. If he said he was happy with that decision, I would be amazed.”

[MIKA27]

Hamilton: Rosberg exit, vegan diet helped me reach new level

Lewis Hamilton says a new dynamic at Mercedes following Nico Rosberg’s departure – plus becoming vegan - have helped lift him to a new level in Formula 1 this year.

The Briton stands on the verge of his fourth world championship title after victory in the United States Grand Prix, and his 66-points advantage means he is likely to take the crown in Mexico this weekend.

Reflecting on his campaign, Hamilton says Rosberg’s exit, a clear-the-air chat with boss Toto Wolff last winter and a decision to stop eating meat have served to transform him.

“Going and seeing Toto at the end of last year was crucial in solidifying the longevity in the team,” said Hamilton.

“We just put everything on the table and said what needed to be said. And then to build on creating a new stronger relationship which we have done.”

He added: “Me personally, I feel the best I have ever felt, physically and mentally. All year I have felt strong mentally, but physically I have taken a big step and that is with the decision I have taken to change my diet.

“The best decision was moving to this team, the second-best was changing my diet, at Singapore. But I was still driving pretty good before that.

“Ultimately you always try to live to your potential and drive to your potential and right now was like the greatest day. I felt I was able to be in that zone. It is the greatest feeling.”

Hamilton, who has worked hard to maximise productivity from the way he interacts with his engineers and the time he spends at the factory, says his energy is being focused on improving this year – rather than getting wasted on the intra-team rivalry with Rosberg.

“People in the team will be able to tell you what the dynamic was, and for sure I can’t say it was great last year,” he said. “But this year for sure having that talk with Toto and coming in and really working on the relationship with the guys: don’t mess with it.

“The formula works and I just want to continue to build on that relationship, which we have.

“My guys did an exceptional job and my relationship with the whole team, both sides, is stronger than it has ever been. I think the time I spend with the engineers back here is better than ever.

“It’s great also that we are fighting with another team so the focus is different. When you have two strong drivers in the team, as we had. well, when the battle is within the team, it’s like a hurricane, with strong energy, and it is just stuck in the room.

“Whereas now, together, we have this hurricane or whatever bundle of energy which we are firing to the car, and it is overall a much happier dynamic.”

Asked if he could achieved the happy dynamic this year if Rosberg had remained, Hamilton responded bluntly: “No.”

MIKA: I wonder if Hamilton would still like Bottas if he was being beaten by him much like Rosberg did?

I'm happy to see Hamilton a little more mature this season, BUT I can't help thinking this is only because he isn't being whooped by his team mate.

[MIKA27]

F1 bosses consider dilemma over dropping Friday practice in future

Ross Brawn says Formula 1 has considered dropping Friday practice running to help to squeeze more grands prix into the calendar.

F1's sporting boss discussed the prospect of a 25-race calendar at Austin last weekend, suggesting that scrapping Friday running is an option to ease logistical pressure and make it easier for teams to move between venues.

However he also admitted that the idea of a two-day race weekend clashes with efforts to give promoters something more to sell, with a number of European races having this year expanded to the four-day format used by the Australian Grand Prix, with support categories running on Thursday.

"On the number of races, quality is the vital thing," said Brawn.

"There's no point in having more races unless they are quality races - so location, the type of track, the ability to have a great race there is vital.

"The teams have logistical issues the more races we add, of course.

"One of the things we're doing is looking at the format of a race weekend, to see if we need to change that to make it logistically easy for them to do more races.

"So we've got a very open mind about how we go forward."

Brawn stressed that he doesn't want to change the Sunday format: "The core race is still for me personally very important, we're not looking at changing the core event.

"But open question, do we need Friday running?

"If we didn't have Friday running, we could do more races, because logistically it's better for the teams.

"But Friday running is important for the promoters and the broadcasters. How do we find the right solution?

"So we're looking at all those elements to see the best way forward.

"We mustn't just add races because we can increase the numbers, because it's not sustainable.

"We've got races in the past that came, the quality wasn't there, and they fall away, and that's not great for our business."

Brawn added that helping the individual race organisers has also become a top priority.

"One of the things I'm proud of this year is the change in the relationship with the promoters, with the race tracks," he said.

"We're an organisation now that wants to say 'yes' when the promoter needs something.

"Here we moved the qualifying back two hours to 4pm, and [circuit boss] Bobby Epstein told me this morning that he had 20,000 more spectators for qualifying than he's ever had before.

"So we're very receptive with how we work with the promoters, and I promise you that was not the case in the past.

"There's a completely different attitude to how we work together. And I've seen it.

"These guys [Liberty] never saw what went on in the past. I did. I promise you it's a world of difference."

[Baldy]

@MIKA27 I agree with you that Hamilton is mature and content this year because he's dominating his teammate and the championship.   Bottas is a great driver and I'm quickly becoming a fan of his.

I've said this before and I'll say it again.  The stewards are a joke.  Any sport with lots of judging, like boxing and figure skating, is a joke.  We're not there to watch the steward's decision.  Track limit should be taken out of the hands of the stewards.  Instead of mile wide run offs which drivers will exploit, put in grass or punishing curbs that can and will damage car parts.  Put 2 wheels and 3/4 width of the car off track, OK.  Get all 4 wheels off track and there will be consequences.  In this way the decision will be taken out of the hands of the stewards and placed squarely on the driver.

[MIKA27]

Formula One Is Giving Us The Live Stream We Demand In 2018

Formula One listened to our demands, and they're finally giving us what we want. F1's Managing Director of Commercial Operations Sean Bratches told Autosport that the series is rolling out its own in-house streaming service for races and other clips starting next season.

Bratches told Autosport that F1 plans to build its own bespoke streaming platform, which will house more than just race broadcasts:

Quote

Our objective is to create platforms in the direct-to-consumer arena that engage fans and leverage our assets - whether they are live races, archival [or] are data.

Initially, the streaming service will only be available in markets where existing broadcasters don't have exclusive deals for broadcasting F1. This is a large part of the reason why F1 is switching to ESPN for next year, as current U.S. rights holder NBC Sports is owned by Comcast. Comcast saw F1's platform as competition for their own cable services and could not make a deal.

Meanwhile, markets with exclusive contracts still outstanding will have to wait for those contracts run out to have access to F1's streaming platform. Notably, this includes the home of many F1 teams, the United Kingdom, as Sky Sports has a multi-year exclusive deal to broadcast F1 there. Blame the lack of foresight of F1's old guard for that one, Bratches told Autosport:

Quote

 

I don't want to get into specifics of any given contract, but, generally speaking, our ability to exploit the digital market place will come in deals that are not prospective, rather than legacy deals.

There wasn't as keen a viewpoint for the exploitation of digital in the existing deals that have been done.

 

While F1 is opting to build something in-house for its streaming needs, Bratches told Autosport that F1 is looking to partner with other media companies to put even more F1 content there:

Quote

 

We are trying to create content that lives outside the grand prix weekends, which has been almost non-existent from digital or linear standpoints.

Our objective is to engage with the Netflix of the world, [with] the Amazons, and create content that fans can consume, which is compelling and tells different stories about what is going on in F1.

 

This is excellent news, as Formula One's approach to digital media was in desperate need of an overhaul when Liberty Media bought the series at the beginning of this year. Few highlights were uploaded through official channels online, and F1 aggressively pursued copyright takedowns of fan-uploaded clips. Worse yet, they were lagging behind other series that already offer comprehensive race streaming and information packages for cord-cutting fans, including the World Endurance Championship, MotoGP and the World Rally Championship. And that's not even getting into heavy-handed social media policies that even held back their own drivers from connecting with fans.

This lovely Bernie-less year has been a breath of fresh air. Social media policies have been relaxed so that teams can actually post some video clips of what they do, and they have actually reached out to fans directly to ask what we want to see. One answer we gave them was clear: give us a stream, and we will buy it.

Bratches told Autosport that the series has to answer fans' demand:

Quote

 

We have an obligation to our fans, quite candidly, to ensure that they are able to access our content in any means they want. 

We would be derelict if we pursued a path for anything other than that.

 

Unfortunately, giving us what we want online appears to be coming at the expense of having an American broadcast team and potentially other F1 goods on TV, such as pre- and post-race shows.

Bratches' former network and new 2018 rights holders ESPN is heavily rumoured to be taking F1's default world feed, which was given fresh legs when NBC Sports' broadcast personalities confirmed that ESPN hasn't reached out to them about a job next year.

Even beloved pit lane reporter Will Buxton -- one of the few from NBC Sports who was sent to Austin this year given that they already know their F1 contract ends after this year -- isn't sure what he's doing for 2018. Lee Diffey, Steve Matchett and David Hobbs are running commentary from ESPN's home office this time.

Worse yet, the "over 125 hours" of F1 race content on TV ESPN cited for next year doesn't come anywhere close to the 300-some hours NBC Sports has dedicated to the sport. This suggests that there won't be pre- or post-race shows accompanying the races themselves -- just the races.

However, sources close to the ESPN situation confirmed to Jalopnik that nothing is quite settled yet on their end. There could still be an American voice added to the broadcast, and pre- and post-race shows added. Those within the company who follow F1 know that American fans will feel left out if there aren't pre- and post-race shows, and maintain it would be better to place those on the air alongside the race as opposed to online. ESPN also plans to put more highlights online.

That being said, Bratches told Autosport that Formula One will be looking into personalizing the world television feed more for different markets:

Quote

We are going to put unique feeds into territories next year that reflect the metrics that are adopted by the specific territories.

Localisation tweaks include changing up the images shown to focus on local drivers or interests, or offering market-specific graphics and commentary. Maybe there's room for an American broadcast team at this level? One can only hope.

[MIKA27]

INTERLAGOS SALE EXPECTED EARLY NEXT YEAR

The privatisation of São Paulo’s motor racing circuit – venue of the Brazilian Grand Prix – is likely to take place in March or April next year but the sale will not affect future events at one of Formula 1’s most popular venues, city mayor Joao Doria confirmed.

Sao Paulo’s city council must approve the sale but Doria said that was “practically 100 per cent” certain.

“The Interlagos autodrome and F1 is an interesting package for investors. There are Brazilian and international groups (interested),” Doria told reporters at an event ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix on 12 November.

“The contract with Formula One will be strictly adhered to until 2020,” the mayor added. “Our hope is that Formula One stays here in 2021, 2022, for a long time. The idea is to continue for three or four decades.”

Doria was at the circuit to showcase almost $7 million of investment in the paddock and track ahead of the penultimate race of the season next month.

[MIKA27]

MASSA: HAMILTON ON SAME LEVEL AS SCHUMACHER AND SENNA

Formula 1 veteran Felipe Massa believes that Lewis Hamilton is up there with the two greatest names in the sport – Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher.

Williams driver Massa clearly rates fellow Brazilian Senna and his former Ferrari teammate, and mentor, Schumacher as the stand out drivers of the modern generation.

Massa added Hamilton’s to those illustrious names when he told Sky Sports, “Lewis is definitely one of the best drivers in the history of Formula 1. You cannot really take him away or [place him] in a different level compared to Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna. He’s there.”

Massa famously lost the 2008 Formula 1 World Championship, on the final lap of the last race of the season at the Brazilian Grand Prix. In the end a single point denied him the title, which went to Hamilton. The Briton winning it in his second year in F1 with McLaren.

Massa pointed out, “All the time you saw Lewis in the car he was impressive. He impressed the people in whatever category he did. It was the same with Ayrton Senna. It was the same with Michael Schumacher. The problem is people always love to look back and say in the past it was much better than now, which is not true.”

“If you see Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi and some other players, maybe even Neymar will be very soon on that level, they have nothing to lose compared to Maradona, Pele or whoever. It’s the same here,” explained Massa.

[MIKA27]

MARKO: KVYAT WILL NOT RETURN AGAIN

Daniil Kvyat will not return to Formula 1 this season in what appears to be a final axing for the beleaguered Russian driver, whose last race was at the recent United States Grand Prix where he finished tenth

Red Bull consultant Helmut Marko told Auto Bild, “Kvyat will not return again. We do not believe he can make the turnaround in the long term. [Pierre] Gasly and [Brendon] Hartley are finishing the season. Then we’ll see what happens.”

Before this latest announcement, in Austin, Kvyat, seemed resigned to his plight and told reporters, “If you’re asking me if I have a Plan B or C, yeah I do have a few thoughts. Formula 1 is not everything. There are other good opportunities in this life.”

“Here, behind curtains many things are going on, always. It’s not like I am always just sitting waiting. I‘m obviously thinking about other things… but now is not the right time to talk about this.”

“I’m always going to be a racing driver and I always want to race. But there are always good places to be somewhere,” added Kvyat.

Toro Rosso chief Franz Tost said when the team decided to drop Kvyat for Malaysia, “For a variety of reasons, some of them due to technical problems, but others being mistakes of his own making, Daniil Kvyat has not really shown his true potential so far this year.”

Thus comes to the end a career packed with ups-and-downs. Kvyat’s career in Formula 1 has been checkered, starting off as a Toro Rosso driver in 2014 he impressed and was quickly promoted to Red Bull for 2015.

But a series of incidents, and the rapid emergence of Max Verstappen within the Red Bull ranks, led to Kvyat’s demotion after the Russian Grand Prix last year, and the beginning of the end.

This season he had under-performed, scoring just four points in 16 races compared to Sainz’s haul of 48 while they were teammates. He was sidelined to make way for Red Bull prospect Pierre Gasly, allowing him to make his debut in Malaysia.

Thereafter the Russian was also forced to sit out the race in Japan before returning, for what was to be a final race, in place of Gasly who was contesting the final round of the Japanese Super Formula and Carlos Sainz had made his move to Renault.

Former Red Bull and Toro Rosso tester, Brendon Hartley was called up to fill in for Sainz alongside Kvyat in Austin. The New Zealander and the Frenchman now get to stay on with Toro Rosso until the end of the season.

MIKA: No offence but Torro Rosso now have lost two scoring drivers and recruited two non scoring drivers? 
Kvyat is a loose cannon, but even at COTA, still managed to score some points. Would have made better sense to keep him for the remainder of the season IMO and decide at years end their driver line-up for 2018? 

[MIKA27]

BRAWN: WE NEED TO USE TECHNOLOGY FOR ACCURACY AND CONSISTENCY

Formula 1 motorsport boss Ross Brawn is calling for a more precise manner with which the FIA can monitor races and dish out penalties and believes that existing technology is in place, within the sport, to aid race stewards with accurate and consistent decision making.

Speaking in the wake of the controversy that has erupted after Sunday’s United States Grand Prix, where Red Bull driver Max Verstappen lost out on third place after a storming drive that earned him the Driver of the Day accolade.

But his hard earned third place was reduced to fourth after race stewards deemed his last lap kerb-hopping overtake, on Kimi Raikkonen, was illegal as he had gone beyond the track limits to gain an advantage and as a result gave him a five second penalty.

The outcry that followed was based primarily on the inconsistency of the decision making process which appeared to allow several drivers, also abusing track limits, to go unpenalised during the race in Austin.

Speaking ahead of the Mexican Grand Prix, Brawn told media, “Once the dust is settled, on this episode, it would be good to review cases such as this with all the relevant parties: the FIA and the teams.”

“In every sport technology is becoming more and more important in allowing referees to take sporting decisions with more accuracy and readiness.”

“It’s happening even in football, where a video review system is in place in leagues like Bundesliga in Germany and Serie A in Italy.”

“In Formula 1 we already have exceptional video technology but I think we need to look at how we utilise it in order to maintain accuracy and consistency,” added Brawn.

[MIKA27]

Prost says Sainz fills "a big hole" at Renault

Renault Formula 1 advisor Alain Prost says the arrival of Carlos Sainz at the team fills "a big hole" in its plans to move up the grid.

Sainz has been loaned to Renault for the end of this season and 2018, replacing Jolyon Palmer, and he remains under contract to Red Bull until the end of 2020.

Prost said Sainz's debut for Renault in last weekend's US Grand Prix, where he finished seventh while teammate Nico Hulkenberg retired, was a perfect example of why the team wanted to make a driver switch mid-season to boost its constructors' championship position.

"It's always a small risk that you take when you change a driver in the middle of the season, but in fact it was exactly what we wanted to have," Prost told Motorsport.com, adding that he feels the team would be fifth in the standings if it had had two cars regularly scoring points all season.

"We had unfortunately a problem with Nico, and we had Carlos to get points. If you want to build something, you cannot have a big hole somewhere.

"It's not being rude with Jolyon, but we are constructors and we need to have everything not perfect, but better, and we know we have a lot to do still.

"We are not going to develop [the car] very much, so we want to have the two drivers doing more or less what they have done.

"I hope we don't have reliability problems, and get the two in the points in the last three races, if possible."

  

Renault pushed hard to get Sainz as part of an agreement for Toro Rosso to terminate its engine deal with the French manufacturer so it could switch to Honda, but Prost accepts that the Spaniard's longer-term future remains in Red Bull's hands.

"In this situation we don't have all the keys, but the market is very open next year," he said. "There is no reason why we should change, but because we don't have all in our hands, we have to wait a little bit.

"We are lucky to get Carlos, because we wanted him, but we don't have him for the long term, so we have to be careful. For us, that's not a problem. We are in a period where we are building, so the timing is OK.

"We want to establish a strong relationship with him."

Prost offered advice to Sainz during his first weekend with the team, and he believes the Spaniard is ready to handle the pressure of being in a manufacturer team.

"Obviously he is young and he has done a few mistakes, but it's not important," he added. "What is important when you are in a works team like this, it's a bit different. That's the only message I can give.

"He has to act a little bit different because you have more pressure, and I'm sure he's ready for that."

[MIKA27]

Red Bull: We didn't hide engine upgrade from Ricciardo

Red Bull insists that there was no attempt to keep Max Verstappen’s engine upgrade secret from Daniel Ricciardo, despite the Australian knowing nothing about it until told by the media.

Verstappen was handed Renault’s new-spec engine, which features 2018 development parts, for the United States Grand Prix weekend.

The changes were estimated to be worth up to two tenths of a second if allied to the right fuel development, and Ricciardo was caught by surprise after qualifying when told that his teammate had a slight performance advantage.

Ricciardo’s lack of knowledge about the engine situation prompted wild conspiracy theories about Red Bull favouring Verstappen - especially in light of the Dutchman's new contract.

But the team itself says it never thought to mention the upgrade to Ricciardo because it did not believe there was a worthy performance gain from the new power unit.

“It is very difficult for us to measure what the difference is,” said Red Bull boss Christian Horner. “Renault have only made one engine available to each team and Max was due a change here.

"So obviously it made logical sense for that to go in his car this weekend and then take the penalty.

“The intention with Daniel, and it is still the intention, is to not to have to take a penalty between now and the end of the season.”

Pushed on whether or not being open with Ricciardo was an attempt to keep the different spec hidden, Horner said: “The spec is so marginal. We cannot measure the difference. It is within a fuel flow meter, so it is the same.”

Ricciardo was forced out of the United States Grand Prix after his Renault engine shut down when it began losing oil.

Without that, Horner reckoned the Australian would have finished on the podium.

“Daniel was losing oil with the engine and then it went into a safe mode. So I hope that that engine is salvageable.

“It is a great shame because he was hustling Valtteri [Bottas] very hard and looked very competitive at the beginning of the race. I think he would have been on the podium quite straightforward.”

[MIKA27]

Kubica "will have issues" if he races in F1 - Massa

Felipe Massa has questioned the credibility of both Robert Kubica and Paul di Resta as potential Williams drivers for the 2018 Formula 1 season.

The Grove team is still considering its options for next year, with tech chief Paddy Lowe insisting that Massa is still a candidate, alongside Kubica, di Resta and Pascal Wehrlein.

Kubica has tested for Williams twice - at Silverstone and Hungaroring - as the team evaluated his performance following the accident that put an end to his F1 career in 2011.

However, Massa believes that it is inevitable that the Pole will be hampered by physical issues.

"I have no idea how he's driving, first of all," he said in an exclusive interview with Motorsport.com's GP Gazette.

"To be honest, I cannot do what he's doing, driving with only one hand.

"It's impossible for me to believe that he will not suffer with some of the races with this car that we're driving that is a lot more difficult physically.

"I really respect what he's doing, and what he's doing is just amazing. But it's impossible to believe that he will not have some issues."

Massa also reckons di Resta would not be a good choice for the team, adding that the Scotsman's recent record in German touring car series DTM has not been convincing.

Di Resta has finished 15th, eighth, fifth and 11th in the four DTM seasons he has contested since losing his Force India F1 drive at the end of 2013.

"I don't believe he's the right driver for the team, to develop the car and show the results and everything," Massa said.

"Plus I mean I don't think he's doing a great job in what he's racing as well. Anyway, I'm not here to complain or say about anything, that's only my opinion."

Massa acknowledged that there is nothing more he can do to influence the team's decision.

"I'm quite confident that people know what is the best for the team. This is pretty much what people know.

"As I said, sometimes in F1 it's not only your talent that counts, sometimes you have some other things around, and this is unfortunately part of F1 for some of the teams."

Massa, who returned to Williams this year after having announced his retirement in 2016, says he is prepared for 2017 to turn out to be his last season.

"Yeah, sure, but I'm good on that. I have zero frustration. As I've said before, I did a lot more than I expected. So if it needs to finish, it's the time. If it doesn't need to finish, it's because maybe something is still reserved.

"As I said, I'm quite relaxed, thinking about my job, thinking about my car. The time for being frustrated is passed already in my career."

MIKA: Considering Massa wished to retire last season, he seems rather desperate now to stay in F1 by going as far as bad mouthing Di Resta and Kubica.

[MIKA27]

Tech analysis: The upgrade mitigating McLaren's US GP letdown

A Honda engine failure robbed Fernando Alonso and McLaren of a solid points haul at the United States Grand Prix - but the team could take solace in the rave reviews earned by its new front wing.

McLaren employs a very similar aerodynamic concept to Red Bull, a highly-raked stance that requires very specific flow structures to make it work.

This work starts at the very front of the car, as the front wing is tasked with creating the Y250 vortex - an extremely energetic spiraling airflow structure created as high and low pressure airflow collides where the flapped section meets the neutral centre section, 250mm from the car's centreline.

This is enforced by the outer section of the wing, with the design of the arched flapped section, endplate, cascades and canards all responsible for pushing flow laterally across the front tyre, reducing the drag and shaping the wake it creates.

McLaren, or more specifically Alonso, had a revised front wing design available in Austin (Vandoorne ran it briefly in FP1 for a flo-viz test), as the team continues to exploit the effect that can be garnered, improving the car's entire performance envelope.

The wing, which is part of McLaren's 2018 development package, was dubbed as "great" and a major step by Alonso and, despite Stoffel Vandoorne having only limited running with it, earned a positive reception from the Belgian as well.

McLaren MCL32 new front wing, United States GP

The intention of the revised wing is to optimize the two main flow structures we’ve already alluded to, with two small slots placed in proximity of the Y250 vortex - one in the secondary element of the mainplane and another in the upper element (highlighted in yellow).

This is an effort by the designers to alter its position and vorticity, inline with changes made to the bargeboards in the last few races.

The outboard section of the wing has been treated similarly, with two slots added to the inner footplate section (highlighted in yellow), injecting flow under the wing from the loaded side.

The inner fluted canards have been altered too (see inset for comparison), their shape now requiring only a single anchoring point on the inside of the endplate.