Formula 1 - 2017

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Lewis Hamilton: Brazilian GP charge showed F1's passing 'flaw'

Lewis Hamilton says his Brazilian Grand Prix charge has underlined to him that 'flawed' Formula 1 regulations are hampering overtaking.

Hamilton started from the pitlane and finished fourth at Interlagos, making 10 passing moves along the way.

But he believes that it would have been harder to execute his charge at other venues, because the lap time advantage required to overtake cars ahead would have been so much greater than at Interlagos.

"When I was in GP2 that was good fun, it was easier in GP2 to overtake," Hamilton said.

"[With] the way their floors are it was easier to be close and to come back through the field.

"[Interlagos] is actually a racetrack where it is difficult to get past, but the delta is slightly smaller than it is in other places.

"If you look at most of the circuits we go to, the delta to be able to overtake the car in front is usually a second and a half, or something like that.

"You've got to be a second and a half faster, that's a whole tyre compound and a bit.

"So that just shows there's obviously a flaw in the cars' design, and whilst the cars are fantastic this year, that's an area we can improve on for the future."

When asked if his Brazil charge suggested that reverse grids would make F1 more entertaining, Hamilton replied: "you didn't see the top four move around, did you? So reversing the grid, you'll just reverse that role, and it'll be the same."

Hamilton felt the wider 2017 tyres helped his Brazilian GP progress too.

"I've loved driving this year's tyres, I kind of think 'why did we not have these big tyres before?'" he said.

"What's the next step? Can we make them bigger, do we get more grip from them in the future?

"Ultimately more mechanical grip means we can do more on track and we get more racing, and that's what we need."

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HAMILTON: THIS A VERY EMOTIONAL DAY

With the Formula 1 season coming to an end in Abu Dhabi this weekend, the 2017 champions took some time out of their busy schedules on Monday to celebrate this year’s achievements.

Two weeks before the FIA Prize Giving Gala, which will officially crown Hamilton and Mercedes with their fourth world championships, the Silver Arrows team paid special tribute to their Wolrd Champion driver today.

He first celebrated winning this year’s Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championships in Brixworth before marking the occasion in Brackley, where he was welcomed with a “guard of honour” as the entire team came out to celebrate its championship success.

Niki Lauda: “For the fourth time in a row I’m in the fortunate position to say thank you to the entire team. 2017 has been a challenging year because of the rule change. A rule change always means uncertainty; no one knows what the other guys are doing. We started with a difficult car, but the team was able to consistently improve it throughout the season, which was the key to winning the championships. The team did a fantastic job and Lewis did a fantastic job. I’m really proud of everyone, it’s an incredible achievement. This year was the most difficult one so far and next year it will be even more difficult, but I trust the team 100%!”

Toto Wolff: “Since I was fortunate enough to join this team in 2012, I have seen it go from strength to strength. I still see many of the same faces who were here when I joined, but also new faces as we have continued to build the strength of this group. We are fortunate to have the right resources, which isn’t always a given, but importantly we have the right people. We have a team that works together in the right spirit and the mind-set of success in Brixworth and Brackley. We have not allowed ourselves to become complacent, but remain motivated and energised. For me, I could not imagine working with a better group of people. I would like to say thank you very much to all of you.”

Lewis Hamilton: “This a very emotional day. I was not expecting this, thanks everyone for the warm welcome. Today is something that I will never forget, turning up at the front gate of the factory and seeing everyone out on the street to welcome me – I’m blown away. This has been an incredible year, it’s been an incredible journey together. There’s a huge amount of respect and appreciation I have for everyone. I’ve been in the sport for a long time now, but to see the work ethic in Brixworth and Brackley really inspires me. Every time I come around, I see everyone operating at 100%, which encourages me to bring my best performance. Thank you all for helping me achieve my dreams, it would not have been possible without you. This is the best championship year, because we’ve been fighting another team and because we’ve had the difficulties and challenges we’ve had – that just makes it so much greater.”

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VERSTAPPEN: THIS SEASON WAS A MISSED OPPORTUNITY

With only the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix season finale left to run, Max Verstappen believes 2017 was a year of missed opportunities and acknowledges that amid the disappointment it was a character building experience, but warns that reliability needs to be improved by his team in 2018.

Verstappen’s season was dogged by technical failures, largely due to the unreliable TAG Heuer (Renault) power units bolted to the back of his Red Bull, nevertheless the young Dutchman hailed his team for turning things around in the latter half of the season which resulted with him winning twice in the last five races.

With one race left in the championship, which is already decided, he was asked how he felt about his season, to which he replied, “Fairly positive with two wins, but in general this season was a missed opportunity. We failed to finish too often which has to be improved on for next year.”

“I think it was a very valuable year. It’s character building. You have to stay positive in the tougher moments and we’ve had plenty of them.”

The Renault powered Red Bull RB13 proved to be unreliable early on in the year. He logged DNFs in five of the first nine races, and two more retirements before the turnaround after the Singapore Grand Prix.

Asked how he contributed to the return to form of his team, Verstappen said, “Mainly by pointing out where the car needs to be improved. Then it’s up to the team to design no parts that make the car better. They’ve done a great job this year.”

“It’s shame we weren’t there at the start of the year. It does however show the team can change things quickly,” who will finish sixth in the championship standings no matter what happens in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.

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MALLYA: THAT’S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS

Indian tycoon and Force India boss Vijay Mallya has insisted that money laundering allegations against him are “baseless and fabricated”

He spoke Monday while leaving a London courthouse after the latest stage of his fight to avoid extradition to his homeland.

The ex-chairman of United Spirits has repeatedly expressed his innocence, and did so again Monday. As reporters crowded around him he said: “Come to court and you’ll hear it all.”

When asked why he didn’t return home to fight the charges, the 61-year-old Mallya said “that’s none of your business.”

Known for his flashy lifestyle and lavish parties attended by Bollywood stars, he once held investments in a liquor company, an airline and an Indian Premier League cricket club.

He still owns the Force India Formula 1 team, which he insists is unaffected by his legal wrangles. Indeed the team enjoyed one of the best seasons in their history with Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon as their drivers.

The Silverstone based team is known to have one of the smallest budgets in the F1 pitlane, yet finished fourth in the constructors’ F1 world championship only bettered by big budget teams: Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull.

The team’s origins stem from the Jordan Grand Prix team, which morphed into Midland F1 Racing in 2005. A year later changed hands to become Spyker F1 before Mallya bought the operation in 2007 for €88 million.

In 2006 it was named Force India as a tribute to Mallya’s homeland. Now there is talk of a name change, with the intention to drop India from the name.

Meanwhile Mallya’s extradition hearing is due to start on 4 December in London.

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How F1 payments work

People often ask who gets paid what in Formula 1.

It is a very difficult question because the total is based on the annual earnings of the Formula 1 group (the EBIDTA), but it is not 100 percent clear what is included and excluded in reaching this figure. The basics of how this is divided up are understood, however, with five percent of the money going straight to Ferrari, two and half percent from the teams’ share and two and half percent from the commercial rights holder (CRH). This is justified on the basis that Ferrari is “The Longest Standing Team. There is then the prize fund, which is divided in half to create two smaller funds (known as Columns).

Column 1 is divided equally between all the qualifying teams (in order to qualify they must be in the top 10 for two of the three previous seasons), and Column 2 is divided up on the basis of their performance with the World Champions getting 19 percent of the fund, with the other nine teams getting the following percentages: 16-13-11-10-9-7-6-5-4. There are then various bonus schemes, the most importnt one being the Constructor Champions’ Bonus (CCB) scheme, which rewards the three teams that have scored the most race wins in the previous four seasons. Thus 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016. This is an odd way of calculating the cash as Mercedes have won 54 victories, Red Bull 18 and Ferrari five, but the CCB does not take into account the actual number of wins, but rather the position in the hierarchy.

The current breakdown is $37 million for Mercedes, $33 million for Red Bull and $30 million for Ferrari. In other words, Mercedes gets $685,000 for each win, Red Bull $1,830,000 per win, but Ferrari get a whopping $6 million per win.

If a team wins two consecutive Constructors’ Championships, it gets a one-off payment per year of $30 million, which has helped Mercedes a great deal in recent seasons, having won three of them (to date). When you add it all up, it is very clear that Ferrari gets a fantastic deal from the sport. And if you add in sponsorship, merchandising. licensing and so on, it is clear that the Italian team is not spending a great deal on F1 – if anything. Thus the suggestion that pulling out of F1 will provide savings for the organisation are wrong, and it will need a pile of money to advertise its products, as the sport is doing that at the moment – and Ferrari has no other marketing, beyond a couple of theme parks and a lot of people walking around wearing Ferrari merchandising…

To help understand the structure, here is a chart showing the flows of money and some estimations of the money being paid out.

 

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HAMILTON: DON’T EVER DISRESPECT ME LIKE THAT AGAIN

It was the moment the mutual admiration society crumbled, Sebastian Vettel swerving into Lewis Hamilton while following the safety car during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix – now the Mercedes driver reveals how he took issue with the move and warned the Ferrari driver never to disrespect him again.

The incident took place shortly before the restart, after a red flag period to clear debris from the Baku City Circuit, Vettel tapped the back of Hamilton’s slowing Mercedes as they prepared to step on the gas.

Vettel believes that Hamilton deliberately brake-checked him, upon which the German showed his anger by driving alongside the Briton and swerving into the silver car. Race stewards imposed a 10 second stop and go penalty on Vettel which cost him the race victory, as Hamilton was forced to make a pitstop to fix his headrest and thus relinquished the lead.

Speaking on the Flying Lap TV show, Hamilton revealed, “When I spoke to him later, I was like: that’s a sign of disrespect, so don’t ever disrespect me like that again otherwise then we will have problems.”

Vettel himself regards his red mist moment in Baku was unfortunate and wishing he had never reacted the way he did, “Ultimately I’m driving the car. Whatever I decided to do impacted on the result and that’s why I felt part of me let the team down. I think the reaction afterwards, especially for the team that was probably worse, that part of why I felt I let them down.”

Prior to that, the mutual respect between Hamilton and Vettel was of the highest order as they slugged it out for the championship. Baku changed that and since then the relationship has been frosty, indeed in the aftermath a bookie even suggested a boxing match between the two. 

With regards to the incident Hamilton continued, “I’ve never done that to someone. I don’t even know what he was thinking to have done… I’ve never been in a position like that. I guess people react differently under certain pressures.”

Hamilton did not make a a big issue of the headline grabbing incident, rather keeping his feelings to himself, “I think there’s different ways in which you can handle things. I knew what I was there to do and I wasn’t going to let anything distract me from doing that.”

“I wasn’t going to let myself say something or react in a way that’s going to cause some negative swirl which is going to steer me off course from my ultimate goal. And naturally, with the experience you learn to just compartmentalise all those different things.”

At that point in the title battle Vettel was the man to beat and had led the championship since race one. However, after the summer break, his challenge crumbled while Hamilton found an extra gear and claimed the title. The pair now share four F1 world championship titles apiece.

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FIA refunds Manor's entry fee 'as a gesture of goodwill'

The FIA has refunded the majority of Manor's entry fee for the 2017 Formula 1 season after it went into administration and was therefore unable to take part in the season.

The outfit collapsed at the end of the 2016 season, but with the deadline to pay entry fees many months in advance, Manor, with the intention that it would race in 2017 amid discussions with several backers – all of which came to nothing – meant the team forked out $521,289 (£394,000) to register its entry.

The FIA has confirmed that as a "gesture of goodwill" to help parent company 'Just Racing Services Limited' pay its debtors, many of whom are former employees and suppliers, it has refunded that fee, minus its own costs.

"The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) has returned the entry fee paid by Manor Grand Prix Racing Limited in November 2016 in order to be able to participate in the 2017 FIA Formula One World Championship," read a statement.

"Just Racing Services Limited, the company within the Manor Group responsible for servicing the team went into administration in January of this year and ceased trading later that month. Consequently, the team did not take any part in the 2017 Championship.

"The FIA has therefore decided to return the entry fee, less the administrative costs incurred by the Federation as part of the entry process, to the entity within the Manor Group in administration as a gesture of good will to assist in payment of outstanding debts."

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No pressure for Force India at season finale - Sergio Perez

Sergio Pérez says Force India can compete with no pressure at this weekend’s season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, having already wrapped up fourth in the Constructors’ Championship.

Force India mathematically clinched the position in Mexico, the second successive season in which it has achieved the feat, setting its own personal points record in the process, currently sitting on 177.

Pérez, who will remain with Force India into 2018, is hoping the outfit can sign off from its most successful campaign in fitting fashion.

“Yas Marina is a track where we’ve been strong for the last few years and I would love to end the year on a high with a strong result,” said Pérez.

“The final race is always a strange feeling because it’s your last opportunity to drive the VJM10 and you don’t know what next year will bring.

“We don’t have any pressure because fourth place in the championship is confirmed so I can focus on simply enjoying the experience and getting the best result possible.

“There are some interesting corner combinations at Yas Marina and it’s a track that is hard on braking, with a lot of emphasis on traction.

“There are overtaking opportunities at the end of the long straights so you often find yourself either attacking or defending, especially towards the end of the race.”

Pérez, who holds seventh in the Drivers’ Championship, behind only the Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull racers, says he can be “proud” of his year.

 “As a team we can be satisfied with our season,” said Pérez.

“Finishing fourth is the best we could achieve and, on a personal level, finishing just behind the top six drivers makes me feel proud.

“We just need to make sure we deliver this weekend and end the season well.”

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Halo integration "quite difficult" for teams - Lowe

Williams technical chief Paddy Lowe says that integrating the Halo into the 2018 Formula 1 chassis is proving more challenging than dealing with any aerodynamic impact that the device will have.

All teams have to adapt their chassis designs to take the Halo, and next year's cars will have to meet new push tests that will be applied to the mountings before they are homologated by the FIA.

"It's a big project to put that in the car," said Lowe. "We're still working on it, and the integration is quite difficult.

"There are very high loads to accommodate, so I think the bigger impact is structural rather than aerodynamic."

Lowe says some teams may do a better job than others of meeting the new tests without adding too much weight to the chassis.

"There is some performance [in it] I guess. Probably the major area is how efficiently you can provide the mounting requirements to meet the loads – how much weight do you have to throw at that problem? Because it's all weight."

Lowe says the aerodynamic impact is small, despite the fact that teams can develop their own fairings to the Halo, within tight FIA limits, to adjust the airflow.

"There are some minor aerodynamic effects. We haven't seen it as a huge project – the detriment is not particularly large. There is some room for manoeuvre there, but not a lot."

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RED BULL DRIVERS PREVIEW THE ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX

Red Bull drivers preview the season finale the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Round 20 of the 2017 Formula 1 World Championship, at Yas Marina Circuit in the United Arab Emirates.

Max Verstappen: “We will of course try and end the season with a strong result in Abu Dhabi. Last year was actually quite a good race after skipping a pit stop following a spin at Turn 1, it was hard to manage the tyres to the end of the race but we did it and finished fourth.

“I would say that my favourite part of the track is at Turns 2 and 3, the fast left, right. It’s also very cool driving underneath the hotel and racing in the darkness with all the lights. The final sector at Yas Marina is actually quite technical so you have to be really precise there, but it should also be our strongest part of the track. There are quite a few overtaking opportunities to make the race interesting, before the long straight at the hairpin and then at the end of the straight under braking for the next chicane section.

“Abu Dhabi is the last race on the calendar, but I don’t actually want the season to end. I’m really fired up at the moment and I just want to keep going. The nice thing will be to spend some time with friends and family over the winter break and then I will look ahead to January and get back in to training before it all starts again.”

Daniel Ricciardo: “Yas Marina has actually been one of my favourite tracks over the years. It’s been a bit like Suzuka for me though, a track that I’ve always enjoyed and gone well on but not quite reached the podium at. I broke that trend in Suzuka this year so hopefully I can do the same in Abu Dhabi.

“It’s a fun track to drive, I like the twilight thing and I guess because it’s the end of the season it’s even more enjoyable. We practice in the daylight but race at twilight which makes things more challenging. You generally don’t look too much into the sunlight sessions because in the evenings, when it counts, the track cools down and the car changes so much. I wouldn’t say they are wasted sessions but you do have to take them with a pinch of salt.

“When you have so much time away from the car in the off season it helps to sign off with a strong result as it makes you feel like you really deserve a break. I think we should have a strong car in Abu Dhabi. I said I want another win before the season is out and I think we have a decent chance of achieving that.”

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TORO ROSSO DRIVERS PREVIEW THE ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX

Toro Rosso drivers preview the season finale Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Round 20 of the 2017 Formula 1 World Championship, at Yas Marina Circuit in the United Arab Emirates.

Brendon Hartley: “Wow, what a way to end a year… Abu Dhabi will mark the end of a very busy and surreal few months for me! This will be my fourth Formula 1 Grand Prix of my career and I have to say that I’ve been feeling more and more comfortable in the Toro Rosso F1 car if I compare it to the first time I drove it. I now feel right at home within the team too, which is always a nice feeling to have. Abu Dhabi is a track I have raced and tested on in other categories and I remain optimistic that I can score my first F1 point!”

Pierre Gasly: “I’m really excited and looking forward to the last race of the season in Abu Dhabi! It’s a track I really like, especially because I have some really good memories from racing there last year, where I won the GP2 Series title. It’s a place that therefore means a lot to me, also because I was on pole position there for the last two GP2 seasons! It’s also a race that starts in day light but ends at nighttime under the floodlights, so it’s a bit different to usual and makes it even more special. The fireworks at the end of the race are also quite spectacular and I like it because they always try to create an amazing atmosphere… and they really manage!! I will give my very best; we need to really push and keep our sixth position in the Constructors’ Championship – it’s really important for the team and us drivers, as we want to make sure the team can develop the car as much as we’d like for next year. I will do my best and hopefully finish the season on a high in order to start with a strong baseline for 2018.”

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FORCE INDIA PREVIEW THE ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX

Force India team and drivers preview the season finale the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Round 20 of the 2017 Formula 1 World Championship, at Yas Marina Circuit in the United Arab Emirates.

Vijay Mallya: “Whatever happens in Abu Dhabi this weekend, 2017 has already been our most successful season to date. I can’t stress just how proud I am of our achievements. Claiming fourth place in the World Championship for two consecutive years doesn’t happen by accident and I have to pay tribute to each and every one of the 400 staff who played their part in making it possible.

“With fourth place secure, it’s nice to end the season free from pressure. Of course, the focus is firmly on 2018 and we will continue experimenting with different things on the car this weekend. We will also continue running George Russell in Friday practice. We have usually been competitive in Abu Dhabi and it’s important to end the season well before the start of a busy winter finalising a new car for 2018.”

Sergio Perez: “I enjoy driving at Yas Marina. It’s a track where we’ve been strong for the last few years and I would love to end the year on a high with a strong result. The final race is always a strange feeling because it’s your last opportunity to drive the VJM10 and you don’t know what next year will bring. We don’t have any pressure because fourth place in the championship is confirmed so I can focus on simply enjoying the experience and getting the best result possible.

“There are some interesting corner combinations at Yas Marina and it’s a track that is hard on braking, with a lot of emphasis on traction. There are overtaking opportunities at the end of the long straights so you often find yourself either attacking or defending, especially towards the end of the race.

“As a team we can be satisfied with our season. Finishing fourth is the best we could achieve and, on a personal level, finishing just behind the top six drivers makes me feel proud. We just need to make sure we deliver this weekend and end the season well.”

Esteban Ocon: “The Abu Dhabi weekend is always special and racing at night creates such a nice atmosphere. This season went by so quickly – it’s unbelievable to think we’re already at the final race of the season because it feels like yesterday that we were in Australia. It’s been a successful season and I hope we can finish it in style with a big result.

“I have great memories from Yas Marina: this is where I was crowned GP3 champion in 2015 and where I drove my first FP1 session in Formula One. I have done so much testing around there and I like the place. The two long straights are good opportunities to overtake: you can use the first to get really close to the car in front and make the move on the second. There are opportunities to shake the order up so the race can be quite exciting.

“After Abu Dhabi, it’s not really holidays. It’s back to training, back to the mountains for almost two months. I want to be ready for next season, when the cars are likely to go even faster. It’ll be nice to spend some time with family and friends around Christmas and New Year, but other than that, my focus is on getting ready physically and spending time at the factory.”

Sahara Force India’s Chief Race Engineer, Tom McCullough, looks ahead to the final race of the season in Yas Marina: “The final race of the season takes us back to a more standard lap length of 5.554km and to sea level, a change after the high-altitude challenges of Mexico and Brazil. This anti-clockwise track produces one of the slowest lap times of the year, courtesy of the high number of corners – the majority of them being low-speed. The three sectors making up the lap are quite distinct: short sector one tests the medium to high-speed performance of the car, while sector two is dominated by long straights and low-speed corners. At the end of the lap, sector three is an intense series of low-speed corners. The Yas Marina circuit is a challenge for engineers too: it’s very hard on the brakes and the practice sessions take place early in the day, with higher track temperatures than those we experience during qualifying and race at twilight, meaning it’s important to assess the car requirements accurately. As in Brazil, having secured fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship, we will use Friday not only to prepare for the race, but also to help the development of next year’s car.”

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WILLIAMS PREVIEW THE ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX

Round 20 of the 2017 Formula 1 World Championship sees us travel back to the Middle East for Formula One’s season finale at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi.

The circuit features 55 anticlockwise laps around the Yas Island, and boasts one of the longest straights on the Formula One calendar at 1,233 metres. Known for its sequence of signature corners that pass under the Yas Viceroy hotel, the circuit also possesses a unique pit exit that emerges from beneath the track.

A picturesque twilight race, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is a firm favourite amongst photographers as it starts during daylight and ends under the floodlights, providing some of the best action shots of the season. The team has recorded several points-finishes, as well as podiums, in previous years and will be hoping to continue this level of success at the Championship’s curtain closer.

For Abu Dhabi, Pirelli has made available the soft, supersoft and ultrasoft tyres.

Paddy Lowe: “Abu Dhabi is the final race to end a long season for all the teams and drivers. It is a fantastic destination for a Formula One race with a certain glamour and party atmosphere for the spectators and fans to enjoy. The Yas Marina itself is spectacular with both qualifying and the race happening at twilight which gives it an extra magical feel as we take to the track. The circuit rewards all-round car performance with a full range of cornering speeds and two long straights. This is Felipe’s final race with us, and his final in Formula One, so part of our focus will be on making sure he ends his Formula One career on a good note. It is also the final race of Lance’s rookie season so we want to support him in his ambition to end on a high before heading into the winter break.”

Felipe Massa: “Abu Dhabi is always a nice race and a place I always like to visit. The people go crazy for Formula One as well, so I hope to see the track completely full! There are so many parties and boats around the track, and so many people enjoying themselves and getting excited for the race. The track infrastructure is one of the best in the world too. For me, it will be quite an emotional weekend as it will be my final race with Williams as well as my final race in Formula One. I am looking forward to it and plan to enjoy every moment, to finish my Formula One career on a high note!”

Lance Stroll: “I went there last year just after I was confirmed as a Williams Martini Racing driver, and it was a great event. In my view, it is a wonderful place to finish off the season. It is in the desert and they really put on a show, so this will certainly be a fitting end to the season. The circuit itself wouldn’t be my favourite as it is very stop and go and doesn’t have a great flow to it but, despite that, the show is great and so good for the fans. One very interesting thing is the pit lane exit which is in a tunnel under the track, which is pretty different.”

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HAAS PREVIEW THE ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX

Knowledge is power. The phrase is attributed to Sir Francis Bacon, an English philosopher and scientist from the late Renaissance period. Despite those words being more than 400 years old, they remain relevant.

For Haas F1 Team, those words ring especially true. The only American team competing in the FIA Formula One World Championship will finish its sophomore year in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Nov. 26 at Yas Marina Circuit. At minimum, they will have scored 18 more points than in 2016 when they became the first American Formula One team in 30 years.

That inaugural season netted 29 points, the most of any new team in this millennium. When Jaguar debuted in 2000 and when Toyota came on the scene in 2002, each entity managed only two point-paying finishes in their entire first seasons for a combined total of six points.

That Haas F1 Team has substantially bettered its points haul in 2017 while on the cusp of improving its constructors standing is due in large part to knowledge, specifically, the knowledge gained from participating at motorsports’ highest level for almost two years.

Eighth in the constructors standings with 47 points with still one race remaining, Haas F1 Team is just two points behind seventh-place Renault and six points arrears sixth-place Toro Rosso. A points-paying drive in Abu Dhabi could propel Haas F1 Team past these Formula One stalwarts and cap a solid sophomore season.

The organization’s second year will end when the checkered flag drops at the 5.554-kilometer (3.451-mile), 21-turn Yas Marina Circuit. Haas F1 Team will soon become rising juniors as they prepare for winter testing in late February and early March at Circuit de Barcelona – Catalunya before embarking on a 21-race campaign beginning with the March 25 Australian Grand Prix.

Preparation for 2018 began months ago when Haas F1 Team started developing its next-generation car while simultaneously running its 2017 car with drivers Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen.

Despite the dual workload, Grosjean has scored 28 points and Magnussen has tallied 19 points, a haul punctuated by two double-points results – May 28 in the Monaco Grand Prix when Grosjean finished eighth and Magnussen came home 10th, and Oct. 8 in the Japanese Grand Prix when Magnussen took eighth and Grosjean crossed the stripe in ninth. Eleven times this season Haas F1 Team has come away with points, more than double its amount of point-paying finishes from 2016.

Talent combined with knowledge is responsible for this uptick in performance, and with the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix beckoning, Haas F1 Team aims to parlay this combination into points one more time.

Guenther Steiner, Team Principal

Abu Dhabi is the season finale, and it’s also the finale of Haas F1 Team’s sophomore year. After having to build brand new racecars in back-to-back seasons under two sets of very different rules packages, how does this year compare to last year?
GS: “It was very similar. The first year we had to build a new car completely, and the team, but we had a little bit more time. This year, again, we had to do a completely new car – we already had the team built up – but we still had to optimize it. The intensity was almost the same, but when I think about our 2018 car, the intensity is the same again. I don’t think there’s a lot of change in whatever you’re doing in Formula One. Everything is always on the edge, everything goes to the last minute, and it’s all at the highest level.”

Were there any key learnings from last year that you applied to this year, be it in car construction, personnel or even race weekend protocols?
GS: “You need to better yourself in every little detail. There is not one big thing that I would say we would do completely different, but there are a lot of things you optimize with hindsight.”

Regardless of the outcome in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Haas F1 Team will have surpassed its point tally from 2016 by 18 points. Are points scored the surest, most tangible examples of progress, or are there other elements of progress not everyone is able to see from the outside?
GS: “I think points tell something, but not everything. Even if we race the same teams, there are different levels of performance. I wouldn’t have said we’ve gotten better if we had less points, but looking in from the outside, I think we’ve made progress at all levels. We wanted to better our position, but at this moment in time we are equal, so sure we will try to get better in Abu Dhabi. I was hoping to better our end-of-season position by one spot.”

Prior to 2017, there were those who proclaimed that your second season would be harder than your first. Was this accurate, or were the challenges just different?
GS: “The year-to-year challenges are different. We have to adapt as we do this. If you cannot keep up with the challenges, you shouldn’t be working in Formula One. The second year is always more difficult, but we knew this in year one. I think we successfully worked in year one so we didn’t fall back in year two.”

What were the team’s challenges this year?
GS: “The challenge is just to optimize everything and find the weak spots where we can gain performance with the least amount of changes.”

What were the team’s strengths?
GS: “We’ve been working together now for over a year – over two years with some people – so it’s just like we know each other better and we know what to expect. We know each other’s limits. That helps a lot when you do things. We’re well covered personnel-wise. We have enough people who are part of the team that we can lean on.”

The way Haas F1 Team is set up is unorthodox, at least by Formula One standards. Does the team’s success in its second year validate Haas F1 Team’s approach?
GS: “It shows this is a model that is, at least, not wrong. If there is a better model out there – for sure, there is always something better – but our model works. What we set out to do, we’re doing.”

While the drivers and constructors championships have been decided, the midfield battle is still very much alive heading into Abu Dhabi. Haas F1 Team is currently eighth in the constructors standings, with seventh just two points out and sixth only six points away. Is bettering your point standing still possible?
GS: “Absolutely. We will have a go at it. In Brazil, without the two accidents on lap one, I think we’d have had a good chance to get some points. Then again, we didn’t do it, so it’s just ‘if’ and ‘would’. We will, for sure, try hard in Abu Dhabi.”

Is there a particular moment from this season that stands out the most for you?
GS: “I think finishing with two cars in the top-10 in Japan, where a lot of people had written us off already in the season. Finishing eighth and ninth wasn’t so bad.”

When the season starts, Abu Dhabi seems very far away, yet here we are. Has the season gone by quickly?
GS: “Life has gone by quickly this year, not only the racing season. It’s an intense schedule. We do a lot of work and a lot of travel, and that’s not only for me, that’s for everybody on all the teams. Everybody puts in a lot of effort to put this show on the road. The season goes by quickly, and life goes by quickly.”

Yas Marina Circuit is a showplace. What makes it stand out on the Formula One schedule?
GS: “First of all, it’s the last race of the season, so that makes it stand out a lot. As a facility, it’s very nice and the location is very cool. Being there is a nice end to the season. It’s warm while it’s cold everywhere else where the teams are based.”

With the race beginning in the late afternoon and ending at night, how much does the track change as the air and track temperatures cool and, in turn, how does that affect tire management?
GS: “When you go into the race weekend, we know which practice sessions to count on, and the ones that don’t count toward the race, where the ambient and track temperatures are hotter than in the race. We just adapt to that.”

As you head into the offseason, how much “off” is there, or is that just a misnomer because preseason testing tends to arrive quickly?
GS: “It arrives so quickly. Looking at my personal schedule, I’ve got just one weekend off between now and Christmas. The rest still involves traveling and doing things to get ready for next year. That’s part of the job. This season is nearly done, but 2018 really started three months ago. We just keep on going. I hope some of the race team, like the mechanics, who for sure work a lot harder than I do, can get a few weeks off so they’re ready to go for next year.”

As we look ahead to 2018, how different is next year’s car in terms of design with the addition of the halo?
GS: “The addition of the halo is new to Formula One, but all the rest of the car stays very similar. The regulations have changed very little. Aesthetically, it’s almost nothing, except the halo and the sharkfin. I think it will look different, but we’ll get used to it pretty quick.”

What are the implications for the halo in terms of weight and the car’s overall aerodynamics?
GS: “The weight of the halo is the same for everybody. On the aero development, it’s just one more part the aero group has to get into their development program to try and get the best out of it. It’s nothing too special. They’re used to the challenge. It’s just a new element introduced into their playing field. They will play with it to try to get it as efficient as they can.”

Romain Grosjean

Abu Dhabi is the season finale, and it’s also the finale of Haas F1 Team’s sophomore year. After having to race brand new racecars in back-to-back seasons under two sets of very different rules packages, how does this year compare to last year?
RG: “It was much better. The car was faster, more fun to drive, more physical and more challenging, as well. Generally, the new generation of car was much more in line with what you’d expect for Formula One.”

Were there any key learnings from last year that you applied to this year?
RG: “I think Formula One is one of those sports where you can’t train outside of racing. Every year is important, and every year brings more experience, so you get better and better.”

Regardless of the outcome in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Haas F1 Team will have surpassed its point tally from 2016 by 18 points. Are points scored the surest, most tangible examples of progress, or are there other elements of progress not everyone is able to see from the outside?
RG: “There’s much more than points. We’ve definitely made some good progress. We’re still behind what we could potentially do, that’s why the winter is going to be important for us to get everything ready for next season. When we started 2017, we were much stronger than at the start of 2016. I’m looking forward to seeing where we are in 2018 and making the big steps I believe we can.”

Prior to 2017, there were those who proclaimed that Haas F1 Team’s second season would be harder than its first. Was this accurate, or were the challenges just different?
RG: “The second season is always going to be harder than the first one, but I think we’ve done very well. We started the year super strong. We then went down a little bit, which we need to address for the future. I think for as challenging a season as it was going to be, we’ve done super well.”

What were the team’s challenges this year?
RG: “It was keeping the development rate going and understanding the new car. Clearly, we knew starting the season that the car from Melbourne would be fairly far from the one in Abu Dhabi. We just had to keep the development going and find the right areas to improve the car.”

What were the team’s strengths?
RG: “There are a lot of them, but I think the atmosphere, and the team spirit we have, is the key to the team.”

The way Haas F1 Team is set up is unorthodox, at least by Formula One standards. Does the team’s success in its second year validate Haas F1 Team’s approach?
RG: “I think so. Of course, we still haven’t reached our limitation with what we can do with our setup, because I’m sure we can be stronger and be up there. It works very well. There are a few adjustments to be made year-after-year, which Gene (Haas) and Guenther (Steiner) are doing. I’m sure the team can be very successful.”

While the drivers and constructors championships have been decided, the midfield battle is still very much alive heading into Abu Dhabi. Haas F1 Team is currently eighth in the constructors standings, with seventh just two points out and sixth only six points away. Is bettering your point standing still possible?
RG: “Of course. As long as the last checkered flag isn’t down, you can always improve. We’re still very much in the match with the guys in front of us, and they’ve been struggling a little bit recently. We’re going to give it our all in Abu Dhabi and just play it like it’s the world championship.”

Is there a particular moment from this season that stands out the most for you?
RG: “We’ve had some really good races. I’d say our double-points finish in Monaco was nice, and again in Japan, which was super good. The qualifying in Australia, also – we didn’t know what to expect and we got sixth.”

When the season starts, Abu Dhabi seems very far away, yet here we are. Has the season gone by quickly?
RG: “It flies by. I remember going on the plane to Australia like it was yesterday. Once you’re into the season, it just goes. You don’t realize how fast it’s going.”

Yas Marina Circuit is a showplace. What makes it stand out on the Formula One schedule?
RG: “It’s the show, the overall race view, the fact you start in the day and finish in the night, and the fact it’s been the finale for a few years now. It’s a very nice venue with superb facilities.”

With the race beginning in the late afternoon and ending at night, how much does the track change as the air and track temperatures cool and, in turn, how does that affect tire management?
RG: “It does change a little bit, and that’s why FP2 is very important in Abu Dhabi. That’s the only session where you’re going to get the same conditions as qualifying and the race. You do need to work there. It does make a big difference if it’s sunny or dark.”

Yas Marina Circuit consists of three distinct sectors. How do you find a setup that suits all aspects of the track, or do you have to compromise in one section to take full advantage of another section?
RG: “It’s always about compromise and finding the best setup to go faster. You just have to find where you can find the lap time. That’s the key. You’re never going to be perfect in every corner, but you can try to be as good as you can over the lap.”

Yas Marina is a smooth track and it seems that it takes a while for the track to rubber in. As the grip level increases over the duration of the race weekend, how do you determine where the limit is from Friday to Saturday to Sunday?
RG: “The most difficult thing in Abu Dhabi are the conditions between FP1 and FP2. You only actually have one session that is representative of the race and qualifying, and that’s FP2. FP1 and FP3 are warm, therefore you have an hour-and-a-half to determine the best setup.”

Do you have any milestones or moments from your junior career that you enjoyed at Abu Dhabi?
RG: “I won there in GT1 (in 2010 with Matech Competition). That was my first-ever GT World Championship start, and the first race with that team, and we won. It was a pretty good moment taking the win and leading the championship.”

What is your favorite part of Yas Marina Circuit?
RG: “I quite like the first part with turns one, two and three. It can be fun.”

Describe a lap around Yas Marina Circuit.
RG: “Straight line to the first corner – it comes pretty quickly – a 90-degree left-hand corner, normally in fourth gear. Turns two and three are then flat out. You go down the hill, braking into (turn) six – very tricky braking turning into six, then straight away into (turn) seven. You need to be well positioned for the hairpin going down the backstraight. It’s tricky to get the car to turn. Long straight line, big braking for the chicane, and again you need to be well positioned between the left- and right-hand side corners. Then it’s another straight line on to (turns) 11, 12 and 13. It’s a triple chicane and as soon as you exit that part you go flat out then brake for turn 14, which is a 90-degree left-hand side corner. Flat out again into (turns) 16 and 17, two right-hand side corners flat out. As soon as you go out of (turn) 17 you have to brake again for (turns) 18. (Turns) 19 and 20, you’re going under the hotel, with a tricky exit out of (turn) 20. The second-to-last-corner is good. It’s high speed in fourth or fifth gear. Then the last corner is very tricky. It’s very wide on the entry phase with the pit lane on the right-hand side. It’s not easy to find a line. Then you go as early as you can on the power to finish the lap.”

As you head into the offseason, how much “off” is there, or is that just a misnomer because preseason testing tends to arrive quickly?
“There’ll be a little bit of rest, but I’ve got a few challenges coming up. I’m doing a cross-country race, then another running race after the season’s done. I’ll keep myself busy. I love doing sport. I love playing with the kids and, of course, the baby is due in early January. That’s going to keep me on my toes. I will take some time off, and the diet will be a little less strict than it is during the season, but on the other hand, training is super important and I love it.”

As we look ahead to 2018, how helpful is that for the first time in two years, you’re able to develop a car based on the car you’ve raced this year?
“It’s going to be interesting and important for us to get it right. Now’s the time to sit down with all the engineers, make sure we’re all on the same page, and agree on what we want to do.”

Kevin Magnussen

Abu Dhabi is the season finale, and it’s also the finale of Haas F1 Team’s sophomore year. After racing for an established team in Renault last year and a still very young organization in Haas F1 Team this year, how does this season compare to last season?
KM: “It’s been a really good season. In terms of results, we could’ve gotten more out of it. Performance has been there to score big points on a few occasions, but we’ve missed out due to bad luck or reliability issues. I think we could’ve had a little more to show with a bit more luck, but it’s been a really enjoyable season, and I’ve had the most fun racing that perhaps I’ve ever had.”

Regardless of the outcome in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Haas F1 Team will have surpassed its point tally from 2016 by 18 points. Are points scored the surest, most tangible examples of progress, or are there other elements of progress not everyone is able to see from the outside?
KM: “It’s hard for people to see what progress is being made from the outside. A lot of the stuff doesn’t pay off straight away. A lot of the stuff you improve and develop. It’s about the little steps, and when you do a thousand of them, you make progress and the benefits become visible. Each time you make a step, it’s not always visible. I can certainly see from the inside how we’re building up and improving. There’s still a long way to go and I’m happy I’m a part of it.”

What were the team’s strengths?
KM: “We’ve designed a strong car. The baseline of our car is very competitive. I think we just need to try and improve our understanding of the car and our operation of the car so we can extract the performance out of it in every condition, every temperature and every track. We’ve had a few places where we’ve been very strong and stood out a bit compared to the rest of the season. That tells me the design of the car is right, we just need to exploit it better.”

The way Haas F1 Team is set up is unorthodox, at least by Formula One standards. Does the team’s success in its second year validate Haas F1 Team’s approach?
KM: “Yes, I believe it does.”

While the drivers and constructors championships have been decided, the midfield battle is still very much alive heading into Abu Dhabi. Haas F1 Team is currently eighth in the constructors standings, with seventh just two points out and sixth only six points away. Is bettering your point standing still possible?
KM: “Yes, definitely. We have nothing to lose going into Abu Dhabi. We just have to go for it. It’s going to be exciting.”

Is there a particular moment from this season that stands out the most for you?
KM: “It’s hard to pick out just one. Naturally, I would’ve liked to have had a few more good results. I think they were definitely in the cards, but just didn’t happen for different reasons.”

Yas Marina Circuit is a showplace. What makes it stand out on the Formula One schedule?
KM: “It’s a very glamorous race to go to as a spectator. It’s obviously a race that goes into the night, which makes it more spectacular. It’s the finale of the season, so it’s always a special race no matter where that is, but I think Abu Dhabi does a good job hosting it.”

With the race beginning in the late afternoon and ending at night, how much does the track change as the air and track temperatures cool and, in turn, how does that affect tire management?
KM: “In terms of the race, it’s not too bad. Setting up your car, working on the setup over the weekend, it’s difficult because all the sessions are in different temperatures. What you get in FP1 is never what you get in FP2. It’s never comparable, and it’s the same with FP3 in relation to qualifying. It’s a challenging event in terms of building up your weekend.”

Do you have any milestones or moments from your junior career that you enjoyed at Abu Dhabi?
KM: “I’ve only ever raced at Abu Dhabi in Formula One. I had my first test in a Formula One car there back in 2012. That’s obviously a good memory.”

What is your favorite part of Yas Marina Circuit?
KM: “I’d say sector one is enjoyable, but probably with this car it’s going to be quite easy flat, less challenging. That makes sector three the most challenging now.”

As you head into the offseason, how much “off” is there, or is that just a misnomer because preseason testing tends to arrive quickly?
KM: “It’s the time of year where you actually work the hardest, at least in terms of your training. You don’t have any races to prepare for, so you can push yourself a bit more and really build up your fitness over the winter. Obviously, it’s nice to get a break from all the traveling, but it doesn’t take long before you start missing racing again.”

As we look ahead to 2018, how helpful is that for the first time in two years, you’re able to develop a car based on the car you’ve raced this year?
KM: “It’s going to be interesting. It’s a good feeling going into the season with the team and an idea of a car that I know from a season already. I’m very much looking forward to that.”

[MIKA27]

Nearing the last race all, the last week of Formula 1 for 2017 under the current rules/engines and politics.

Will it get better next season onward?

Predictions for this weekends race?

I'll go out on a limb and say Verstappen will get P1, Hamilton P2, Vettel P3 (This is purely a guess)

It's been a long season, thanks for reading and contributing these past 9 years.

[MIKA27]

MARK WEBBER ‘FAILS’ THE GRAND TOUR AUDITION

Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May are on the hunt for a new driver for The Grand Tour Season 2. Enter Mark Webber, former F1 driver, Red Bull athlete and Porsche Ambassador, ready for his audition.

[MIKA27]

ECCLESTONE: TURNING F1 INTO A FAST-FOOD JOINT IS WRONG

Bernie Ecclestone ruled Formula 1 with an iron fist for decades and likened the sport, under his leadership, to a three-star Michelin restaurant and warns new owners Liberty Media that changing it to a fast food joint is a mistake.

Ecclestone has been marginalised for the past year, since the takeover of F1 by new owners Liberty Media, but this has not silenced the billionaire who still has piquant views about the direction the sport is heading since his demise.

In a recent swipe at the new owners, Ecclestone said of Liberty Media in an interview with Folha de Sao Paulo, earlier this month, “They should wake up. I have nothing against them, I feel sorry for them. It’s more or less like giving a doctor the job of a dentist.”

“I always tried to treat Formula 1 as if it were a three-star Michelin restaurant. I don’t think turning F1 into a fast-food joint is the right way to go, but this is the standard in America, which is much lower than what F1 is about. Everyone who is involved in F1, over the last 40 years, expects higher standards.

Asked if he resents the fact that he was put out to pasture by the new owners, he replied, “These things happen in life. I sold the business, but I’m still in the company, in a ‘higher’ position. I suppose I’m an adviser. Maybe they did not know how to ask me to depart and one way to do that was to give me a ‘superior role’. Chase Carey wanted my position, so I told him: You bought the car, you drive it.”

“I ran the business to produce financial results. They do not seem concerned about making profits. This year, all the contracts that were originally made by me are still valid. As far as I know, there are no new contracts.”

“And they’re treating F1 like a show. Look at the race in the United States, they put girls in shorts and pompoms in front of the audience.”

Asked if he would accept an offer to return to the helm of F1, “After more than 40 years in charge, I would not want to go back having owners telling me what to do. It’s like being a gunslinger. You’re hired to kill someone but you have to ask permission to do what you need to do.”

Amid criticism of his management methods, Ecclestone is unrepentant, “If I had not done a good job with F1, would they have bought the company?”

MIKA: The removal and changing of the engines from V12's, 10's, 8's, removing refuelling, removing tyre manufacturers to a single supplier, inconsistent stewarding, Herman Tilke designed tracks JUST to name a few were all done under Bernie Ecclestone. This guy changed the DNA of this sport so I think Liberty can't do any worse and so far IMO, it's for the better. This is an evolution of sorts and will take a couple more years to fully introduce their vision.

[MIKA27]

ALONSO: WE WILL BE BACK AT THE TOP NEXT YEAR

Fernando Alonso is clearly fired up for the forthcoming McLaren-Renault era, boldly confident that his days at the wrong end of the grid are over and that he will be challenging for the title next year.

Speaking to Sky (Germany) Alonso was asked to rank who he believed would be the 2018 Formula 1 title contenders, “We will be up there. We are very optimistic that we’ll be back at the top next year. The year to come back to the top for us, then Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo.”

“On the second step I put Sebastian Vettel, Valtteri Bottas and Kimi Raikkonen,” added the Spaniard.

He was also asked to rate newly crowned four times world champion Lewis Hamilton, “He is one of the greatest. After all, he has won four titles. He has proven in recent years that Mercedes has a very dominant car that completely dominates Formula One.”

“But he is one of the greatest because at McLaren he performed excellently even in difficult times. He has won races in a car that was not a winner. He deserves to succeed even when sitting in a dominant car. He has always been at the highest level,” added Alonso.

However he did say recently of Hamilton’s triumph, “It was very easy this year, no opponents. Last year he had Nico [Rosberg] until the last race, fighting every single race.

“This year was too easy. Mercedes four races to the end constructors’ champion, Hamilton three races before the end drivers’ champion. Hopefully, McLaren-Renault will change this easy time for them,” added Alonso.

[MIKA27]

RUDY VAN BUREN IS THE WORLD’S FASTEST GAMER

Rudy van Buren, a 25-year-old sales manager from Lelystad in the Netherlands, has beaten more than 30,000 contestants to be crowned the World’s Fastest Gamer – the McLaren Formula 1 team’s ground-breaking esports competition that aims to find the best virtual racing driver on the planet.

In the final round of the contest, an exacting four-hour assessment using McLaren’s state-of-the-art Formula 1 simulator, van Buren beat countryman Freek Schothorst, a 20-year-old science, business and innovation student from Amsterdam.

Van Buren now claims the greatest job in esports – becoming one of the F1 team’s official simulator drivers for the 2018 season.

Van Buren began racing karts aged eight, ultimately winning the Dutch Karting Championship in 2003. However, like many budding talents, he was forced to quit at the age of 16 due to lacking the financial backing needed to progress further.

However, World’s Fastest Gamer, which identifies racing talent through esports, has given van Buren a second chance at his motorsports career.

On quitting racing, van Buren said: “You search for a replacement because you’ve still got that racing feeling inside you. You want to go on but there’s no option or route available. That burn inside to win, doing a lap quicker and quicker, lap after lap, it’s a feeling that you can’t express. Every boy that starts karting dreams about F1, and at a certain point that dream just vanishes. Now by winning World’s Fastest Gamer, I can relive that dream.”

On winning World’s Fastest Gamer, van Buren said: “This has been the most incredible experience and words can’t describe how I feel right now. To think that I came to the McLaren Technology Centre for the very first time last week but am leaving here today as McLaren’s newest employee is mind blowing.
“I can’t thank everyone enough for giving me this amazing opportunity; just being here, meeting the team and competing with some amazing people has been an unforgettable experience. It really has been the toughest job interview I’ve ever faced, but with such an incredible reward at the end of it. Now I can’t wait to get started!”

McLaren Technology Group Executive Director Zak Brown said: “First, my congratulations to Rudy – he really showed the mettle, determination and ability to succeed. This was an outstandingly tough contest, one where we went to great lengths to stretch our contestants beyond their limits, and he’ll be a real asset to the organisation as we develop and refine our 2018 car throughout the next season.”

The World’s Fastest Gamer competition, which began in May 2017, saw gamers from around the world compete for a coveted position in this month’s gruelling finals. After numerous heats across a variety of different games and platforms, 12 grand finalists were invited to McLaren’s Woking headquarters to go head-to-head in one last week of testing.

Finals Week included rigorous tests around some of the racetracks where McLaren has enjoyed its most legendary days of competition, including the world-famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway, home of the Indy 500; Japan’s Suzuka Circuit; Brazilian Grand Prix venue, Interlagos; and the world’s most famous 24-hour race, Le Mans, where finalists were tested over a full day-long race distance.

After the 12 contestants were whittled down from six to three, and then finally two, van Buren went up against Schothorst in the ultimate test – an extensive evaluation behind the wheel of McLaren’s hyper-accurate racing simulator, the exact same kit that’s used by the actual F1 drivers to develop their cars ahead of each grand prix.

To triumph, van Buren not only needed to demonstrate the speed and agility required by all top racing drivers, but also the engineering know-how and mental and physical ability required to develop, refine and engineer an F1 car for the team’s two race drivers, double world champion Fernando Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne.

World’s Fastest Gamer is a partnership between global sports and technology brand McLaren and the founder of virtual motorsport’s GT Academy, Darren Cox, in collaboration with founding partner Logitech G, a global leader in gaming gear, and two further partners – sports media platform GiveMeSport and esport racing innovator Sparco.

[MIKA27]

PIRELLI PREVIEW THE ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX

The final round of this remarkable Formula 1 season features the three softest tyres in Pirelli’s 2017 range – soft, supersoft and ultrasoft – before a two-day test on Tuesday and Wednesday after the grand prix gives all the teams their first taste of 2018 tyres.

The Yas Marina circuit is characterised by smooth asphalt, warm weather and a wide mix of corners, all of which have made it a popular venue for testing in the past. This year’s tyre nomination is unaltered compared to last season, but with higher cornering speeds thanks to the latest regulations and wider tyres, there is still a good chance that another all-time lap record will be broken this weekend.

The three nominated tyres

The circuit from a tyre point of view

• Abu Dhabi is quite a varied track in terms of speeds and corners, so teams tend to run a compromise set-up with medium downforce.
• As the grand prix starts in the late afternoon and ends in the evening, track temperatures fall quite notably during the race.
• Like Brazil, the track runs anti-clockwise.
• Wear and degradation is reasonably contained on the smooth surface.
• With plenty of acceleration and braking over the lap, traction is the main consideration.
• Overtaking tends to be difficult at Yas Marina, so strategy and qualifying are especially key.
• A two-stopper was the most popular strategy last year.

Mario Isola, Head of Racing: “The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix tends to be a reasonably straightforward race held in consistent conditions, although with an unusual race format, as the start takes place in the afternoon and the finish is in the evening. This race is also important for next year as well: on Thursday, we will present the full range of 2018 Formula 1 tyres on the paddock, which the teams will then get the chance to test for the first time on Tuesday and Wednesday after the grand prix. The only exception is the intermediate and wet tyre: Abu Dhabi has never yet produced a wet race, so we’re going to have to wait until next year to see those in action”.

What’s New

• The scheduled 2018 tyre test with McLaren at Interlagos was cancelled amid security concerns: this reduces the total number of 2018 tyre testing days to 23.
• Austrian rally driver Raimund Baumschlager clinched a record-breaking 14th national title, at the wheel of a Volkswagen Polo R WRC running on Pirelli tyres.

[MIKA27]

Getting Technical: Renault's bargeboard and diffuser tweaks

Renault’s aggressive development path has focused primarily around the floor and bargeboards throughout the year, with tweaks to the front-wing to help further energise these two critical aero components.

These bargeboards introduced in Austin present further refinements to the existing solution, with considerable care taken to the geometry of the footplate. Even more gill-like louvres have been added along the base to energise the air running below, shifting the flow's path as it weaves its way from the front-wing towards the car's flanks.

Two tiny turning vanes have joined the complex layout, each braced to one another and to the larger boards via several metal stays. These quickly turn the air to create small vortices, which combine with the larger vortex structure shed by the primary bargeboard to protect the sidepods and floor from turbulence that would adversely affect their performance.

Having already delivered a substantial change to the rear diffuser design in Hungary, significant alterations were made to its outboard areas a few races ago in Austin. This brought its design firmly in line with what the likes of Mercedes have been doing this year by using a peripheral Gurney flap arrangement to increase the vorticity of the air exiting from below.

Tuft of wool duct-taped to Hulkenberg's helmet

They also introduced a suspended fin into the path of this flow to further this effect. Having kept this iteration for Mexico, the team repositioned the fin to a slightly higher location [yellow arrow above] in Brazil. This subtle adjustment shows that Renault are paying much closer attention to micro-aerodynamic details, of which we will see even more of next year as their refine their concept.

A number of other aerodynamic examinations were also carried out on the R.S.17 on Friday, including an old-school wool tuft experiment on Nico Hulkenburg’s helmet to assess the airflow around the cockpit.

[MIKA27]

Williams denies reports it has signed Robert Kubica to replace Felipe Massa

Williams have denied reports they have signed Robert Kubica for the next season as Felipe Massa's replacement, with the Brazilian retiring for a second time – although likely for good this time.

Several reports say a contract has been signed between the British team and the Polish driver, but in a statement on Tuesday, Williams denied the news and said an announcement about its 2018 driver would be made in due course, but should not be expected this weekend.

"Although conversations are ongoing with Kubica, it is still yet to be finally decided who will replace Massa," read a statement from the team.

"We will make an announcement when we have something to announce but nothing is planned this weekend in Abu Dhabi."

Kubica is in the running to replace Massa and has participated in a number of tests with the team recently to gauge his physical abilities following a rally accident in 2011, which caused significant injury to his right-arm.

However the team are also assessing a number of other drivers including Pascal Wehrlein and Paul di Resta.

It was expected the team would confirm Lance Stroll's 2018 team-mate this weekend, or possibly on Monday, with the post-season test taking place in Abu Dhabi – therefore giving the new driver a prime chance to familiarise themselves with the team and car.

[MIKA27]

Sauber set to reveal 2018 line-up amid Alfa Romeo rumours

Sauber is poised to finally confirm its 2018 driver line-up at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, as rumours swirl that the team could even bring the Alfa Romeo name back to Formula 1 as part of a stronger alliance with Ferrari.

With the Swiss outfit keen to forge closer ties with its Maranello-based partner, it has been clear for some time that it would hand one of its race seats to F2 champion and Ferrari protege Charles Leclerc.

However, the decision on its second seat has been much tougher to nail down, with Ferrari weighing up whether or not to place its other junior driver Antonio Giovinazzi there as well.

Against that background, Sauber's owners – who have close links to Marcus Ericsson – have been considering whether or not they would prefer to commit to the Swedish racer for another season.

Although there have been growing indications that the team was edging closer sticking with Ericsson, a final call would be made only after sign off from Ferrari.

  

And it has emerged that part of Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne's thinking for how to take the partnership with Sauber forwards, has included the idea of a rebranding of its customer engines as Alfa Romeo.

Marchionne has long talked about his desire to bring the Alfa Romeo name back to F1, and with Sauber eager to embrace a long-term future with Ferrari, there is an opportunity to try to do something with the Swiss outfit.

Late last year, Marchionne even suggested that key to a possible Alfa Romeo project was it becoming linked with Ferrari's junior drivers.

"Alfa Romeo in F1 could become a fine breeding ground for young Italian drivers," he told Italian media.

"The best one, Giovinazzi, is already with us, but there are others besides him, and they are struggling to find room. Alfa Romeo, more than our customer teams, could offer them that space."

Whether or not such a tie-up is possible as early as 2018, or longer term, is unclear at the moment but, should Marchionne give the sign off, then it would be a huge boost to Sauber in terms of its global branding.

With the iconic name and its famous four-leafed clover back in F1, there would be great opportunities to tie up fresh sponsorship interest as Sauber goes about ramping up its effort.

In the end, though, for all the advantages that Sauber knows it would get from such a deal, the final say will rest on whether or not Marchionne wants to throw his weight behind the Alfa Romeo commitment – especially amid such delicate times with F1's owners Liberty Media.

[MIKA27]

F1 Finale – Red Bull’s Max Verstappen Previews The 2017 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 

The final race of the 2017 F1 season sees Max Verstappen and his Red Bull Racing team head to Abu Dhabi and the Yas Marina Circuit. And with Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton already having wrapped up the World Championship, the Dutchman will nonetheless be hoping for a strong finish to a season which has so far seen him record two race victories, in Malaysia and Mexico. Mobil 1 The Grid spoke to Verstappen at the SEMA show in Las Vegas, to find out more about the race head and why he intends to end the season on a high.

[Baldy]

On 11/21/2017 at 3:30 PM, MIKA27 said:

Nearing the last race all, the last week of Formula 1 for 2017 under the current rules/engines and politics.

Will it get better next season onward?

Predictions for this weekends race?

I'll go out on a limb and say Verstappen will get P1, Hamilton P2, Vettel P3 (This is purely a guess)

It's been a long season, thanks for reading and contributing these past 9 years.

Been a great season @MIKA27.  Thank you so much for this thread as this is my one and only F1 go to source now.

I think this season my be an end of an era, the end of the completely open cockpit era.  With the introduction of the halo next year its going to change things.  Not sure I like it.  At the very least it's going to take some getting used to.

So glad that senile Bernie is finally out of the picture.  I'm a fan of the new owners Liberty with what they've done so far and what they are trying to do.

I hope McLaren can become more competitive next year.  Hoping Honda makes it back to the top again.  F1 needs another engine manufacturer and more new blood however Honda's struggles and $$ spent on this miserable venture will be a deterrent to others.  Would love to see Red Bull, with Verstappen and Riccardo, consistently challenge for race wins with a Honda engine.  I'm not a fan of F1's aristocratic grid.  The nobles compete for P1 to P6 while the rest can only hope for table craps.

Interesting to see what happens to Vijay Mallya of Force India and what affect this will have on Force India.  I thin Vijay paid off and supported the wrong people in India.  Had he been American they would have made him president.

Hoping to see di Resta in the final Williams seat but I think Kubica's money is going to take it.  Williams is a paid driver team and in this era of F1 can never hope to luck into the best of the midfield.

Looking forward to 2018 already.