FORMULA 1

[MIKA27]

Kevin Magnussen: Cold conditions worse than using slicks on wet track

Haas’ Kevin Magnussen says cold conditions in Spain meant at times it worse than trying to drive in the wet on slicks, amid general frustration for the Dane.

Magnussen finished at the rear of the pack and also completed the fewest laps on his first full day in the VF-18 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

Magnussen’s day also involved a trip through the gravel at Turn 4 as he narrowly avoided swiping the barriers, and was left to rue the cool weather, with air temperature peaking at 4c.

“I was going 22 seconds slower than the fastest [time] at that point,” he said.

“You need to allow heat from the brakes into the rims to have a chance of getting heat into the tyres in these conditions and we didn’t do that.

“We were expecting to survive without cutting in the brake drums, but eventually we realised there was no chance, we needed to modify it to get some heat, and then it was fine.

“But on that run it was worse than being in the wet on slicks, it was worse than that, it was on an out lap and I couldn’t stay on track, so it was not ideal.”

Magnussen added that DRS issues also hampered Haas’ programme, and said it was “impossible” to ascertain whether Haas’ 2018 car is an improvement on its predecessor.

“We haven’t tried anything, it’s irrelevant to try and draw conclusions [about the] balance,” he said.

“It was frustrating, not to be able to do much with this weather, we did some system checks and some aero mapping and that’s about it.”

[MIKA27]

Max Verstappen takes the RB14 testing in Barcelona

Watch Max Verstappen arrive for his first morning back behind the wheel as the RB14 hit the track at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for the second day of Formula 1 winter testing.

[MIKA27]

Horner wants more action over oil burn in F1

Red Bull boss Christian Horner has urged the FIA to go further in clamping down on teams burning oil in qualifying, after feeling that new Formula 1 rules introduced for 2018 are not strict enough.
The issue of teams burning oil to help boost power became a big talking point last year, as several rules clarifications played their part in impacting performance swings between Mercedes and Ferrari.

In a bid to stop teams trying to exploit oil burn, several changes to the regulations were made for this year – including a new 0.6-litre per 100km oil usage limit, a restriction on different oil specifications and a ban on active control valves in parts of the engine.

But while these changes will deter teams from burning oil in races, Horner is concerned that the changes will not prevent manufacturers from trying exploit opportunities in qualifying modes, which is an area where his team's engine partner Renault has been playing catch-up.

Speaking during this week's Barcelona test, Horner called on motor racing's governing body to step up its game and try to find ways to prevent teams getting away with burning oil in qualifying.

"We'd like to see that [the rules] go further because it still doesn't deal with qualifying," said Horner.

"It contains the race but still there are windows of opportunity in qualifying which we'd like to see further closed down. Hopefully that will have an effect in creating engine convergence."

Horner believed that it is up to F1's car makers to agree a way to police the matter better.

"It's between the manufacturers," he said. "We still feel there are loopholes regarding qualifying that need tidying up regarding consumption. We felt it has been dealt with in the race.

"If you were to find a way of using lubricant in a different way and qualifying it, it offers a significant performance increase. We'd like to see belt and braces that closed down."

Renault F1 managing director Cyril Abiteboul said he was especially intrigued to see what rivals were able to do with qualifying modes from now on in the wake of the various oil burn clarifications.

"I am really curious to see what is left with the qualifying modes now that there have been a number of clampdowns on fuel and oil," he told Motorsport.com. "Let's see.

"We have an extra performance mode for qualifying. But I don't want to say too much about this at this moment in time."

[MIKA27]

F1 testing: What we learned from day two - Autosport Podcast

The latest edition of The Autosport Podcast cuts through the cold of Barcelona to decipher the stories behind the times at the Barcelona Formula 1 test.

Technical expert Gary Anderson joins Lawrence Barretto and Edd Straw to explain why the conditions made life difficult for the teams, and to ask if Ferrari's timesheet-topping performance means it is a strong contender for the world championship.

The reasons for Mercedes not running Lewis Hamilton on Tuesday, Robert Kubica's desire to move on from his "limitations" and the possibility of pre-season test schedule changes are all discussed.

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

 

[MIKA27]

Formula 1 launches new ad-free streaming service for 2018

Formula 1 has officially announced plans for its new ad-free streaming service and given a first glimpse of what it will look like.

F1 owner Liberty Media has mooted plans for an 'OTT' (over-the-top) offering since last season.

On Tuesday it revealed full details and also released a short video showing what the new service will look like.

The premium service, called F1 TV PRO, will include ad-free live coverage of every session, access to all 20 on-board cameras, press conferences, support races and other exclusive footage.

F1 TV PRO will be made available in four languages (English, French, German and Spanish), and in a number of different markets including Germany, France, USA, Mexico, Belgium, Austria, Hungary and much of Latin America.

Sky has exclusive UK live rights in a deal that runs from 2019 to 2024, which currently precludes the streaming service being offered in the UK before '25.

While access will initially be available through desktop and the web, in the future there will be mobile apps phased in through Amazon, Apple and Android.

The service will cost users between $8 and $12 per month, with annual rates priced according to the market.

A less expensive non-live-streaming service, called F1 TV Access, is similar to what has been available up until now with live timing data, radio commentary and extended highlights - including historic footage. This will be available in nearly every country.

F1 said the new service was driven by its desire to offer the best TV service to watch live races.

Frank Arthofer, F1's director of digital and new business, said: "Our objective with F1 TV is simple: provide these fans with the best available service to watch live grands prix and provide them with the best sports OTT customer experience in the world.

"Our team and our partners are singularly focused on delivering on that vision: not just for launch but over the long-term. Live streaming video is an exciting space changing almost daily."

MIKA: Awesome idea, about time, BUT...Why not a NETFLIX type of app for smart TV's?

EDIT: By the way, for those countries like Australia that will miss out on this app/OTT platform for the first trial season, easy way around that is to download OPERA browser, enable the built in VPN and off you go!

[MIKA27]

Renault F1 team already considering strategic 2018 grid penalties

Renault Formula 1 managing director Cyril Abiteboul admits his team is considering factoring strategic grid penalties into its 2018 season, in order to maximise engine performance.

Rather than compromising engine performance to ensure each unit lasts the seven grands prix required by this year's three-engine rule, Renault could commit in advance to running four or more power units and accept that penalties will result.

That reduced mileage requirement would allow the team to run at higher performance levels for longer, while the additional units would also provide extra opportunities to introduce upgrades.

"I don't want to say too much about this at this stage, because it's still early days," said Abiteboul.

"But we knew this regulation was coming, we knew what we had to do, and we are still a bit open minded about the best way that we want to cover the season.

"In particular we are not assuming that we want to downgrade the performance potential in the engine because of reliability, and because of mileage.

"We're also looking carefully at the evolution of the regulations in terms of grid penalties.

"This has become a bit more flexible, a bit less painful, so we will factor that into the way that we are building the plan for this year in terms of engines in production, and possible engine penalties if we have to, or if we think that this is tactically in our advantage to do so."

Abiteboul said the works team would make a call on its plans between the end of testing and the first race in Australia.

"We want to establish the baseline, we want to know a bit more about ourselves, the performance of the engine as it is right now," he said.

"We want also to learn more about the car, our competitiveness, the other teams, there are a number of things that we will factor into the debrief in the aftermath of the test, and from that point on will be the plan for the remainder of the season, including the number of power units that we want to use, the potential for development, and so on.

"In F1 you need to optimise the potential. If it's better for everyone to use four power units rather than three, we may take that decision."

Abiteboul expects Renault to start the season with a similar level of performance to late-2017 but able to better exploit it.

"The target this year is to start the season first reliably - which will allow us to make use of the full potential of the engine, something which we were not capable of doing last year," he said.

"Which means that from a competitiveness perspective, the engine should be performing better.

"It will be comparable to the end of last year when we were using it at its maximum potential, which has not happened on many occasions, except maybe Abu Dhabi."

[Martin_F]

22 hours ago, BrightonCorgi said:

All these stories on the 2018 Ferrari Livery and Phillip Morris...  In the end it's just a different shade of red.

Is it even a different shade of red?

To me it's just advertising by talking about it. Since they can't put the actual Marlboro or Phillip Morris logo on there, the removed the chevron as well, and made sure to publicly discuss what they did and why they did it. Now that's smart marketing right there!

[Martin_F]

Can't wait to see how this F1 TV thing shakes out. Hopefully it will be available from Melbourne on.

It's been a while since I've watched a grand prix without commercial interruptions.

[BrightonCorgi]

38 minutes ago, Martin_F said:

Is it even a different shade of red?

To me it's just advertising by talking about it. Since they can't put the actual Marlboro or Phillip Morris logo on there, the removed the chevron as well, and made sure to publicly discuss what they did and why they did it. Now that's smart marketing right there!

I looks darker to me, more in line with the red they use on the passenger cars (which has also changed over the years).

[MIKA27]

BOTTAS: SO FAR I’VE GOT A BETTER UNDERSTANDING

Valtteri Bottas will take any advantage he can get as he goes up against his teammate Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes this Formula 1 season, while believing that he is better prepared this year than last year, his first with the Silver Arrows.

With the day largely a write-off, the Finn looked set to end the first pre-season test having done much more mileage than the Briton who will line up in Australia on 25 March as favourite for a fifth Formula 1 title.

Bottas completed 94 laps on Tuesday and 58 on Monday for a total of 708km. Hamilton has done 25 laps in total, a mere 116km, and most were in damp and cold conditions at Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona.

The test ends on Thursday and the teams have four more days at the circuit next week, when the weather should be better.

“The miles, in these conditions, are less valuable than proper miles in proper conditions,” Bottas, wrapped up warm on a chilly morning, told reporters after the second day of testing.

“But I’ll take it,” added the Mercedes driver, who would have preferred to test in Bahrain than Barcelona. “Definitel, so far I’ve got a better understanding because of the mileage.”

“For sure Lewis will also get a good idea of the new car. He is quick to adapt anyway so I‘m sure it will be fine for both of us.”

Bottas won three races last year after moving from Williams to Mercedes while Hamilton won nine and the title.

The Finn suffered something of a slump after the August break and said he had spent plenty of time over the winter reviewing those races and others where he underperformed.

“I have definitely been focusing more on my weaknesses,” he said. “But also you need to remember your strengths and how to use them.”

Hamilton, he said, also had weaknesses but he preferred to focus on himself rather than trying to get under the skin of his teammate.

“If I perform on the level I am aiming to at every single race, I hope that will do the job. I‘m not going to start wasting my energy on any games,” he added with reference to tactical mind games.

Bottas said at the team’s launch at Silverstone last week, when he was also the first to drive the new car, that he felt Hamilton was beatable over the course of a year.

“He’s definitely the toughest teammate I’ve ever had,” he said. “But there’s no driver who is unbeatable. I believe in myself also. I feel I have better chances this year than last year.”

[MIKA27]

RICCIARDO: WE WILL START CONTRACT TALKS IN APRIL

Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo expects to resume contract talks with the energy drinks outfit after the first few races of the Formula 1 season that starts on his home soil in Melbourne in late March.

The 28-year-old Australian has an important decision to make, with his next move likely to be crucial to his hopes of becoming his country’s first world champion since Alan Jones in 1980.

Red Bull have said they want him to stay but champions Mercedes and Ferrari, the sport’s most successful team, both have drivers whose contracts are expiring at the end of the year.

“Nothing has really developed since the end of the season. I switched off from F1,” Ricciardo told Sky Sports television at pre-season testing at a cold and wet Circuit de Catalunya on Wednesday.

“I think realistically around April things will start to be spoken. After a few races, hopefully, I win the first few and I can have a powerful say in what I do.”

Red Bull already have Max Verstappen under contract until 2020.

The 20-year-old is regarded as a world champion of the future, and there has been plenty of speculation about an eventual move to Mercedes or Ferrari.

Mercedes are expected to agree a new long-term deal with four times world champion Lewis Hamilton in the next few weeks but Finland’s Valtteri Bottas has an uncertain future as his teammate.

So too does 2007 world champion and fellow-Finn Kimi Raikkonen at Ferrari, who have Germany’s four times champion and 2017 runner-up Sebastian Vettel signed up to 2020.

Ricciardo, race winner in Azerbaijan last year, joined former champions Red Bull Racing in 2014 after making his debut with now-defunct HRT in 2011 and racing for Red Bull-owned Toro Rosso for two years.

The Australian was fastest on the opening day of pre-season testing on Monday.

[MIKA27]

WOLFF WEIGHS UP MERCEDES RIVALS FOR 2018 F1 SEASON

Although Toto Wolff has led his team to eight Formula 1 titles in four years, the Mercedes chief has his finger on the pulse of what is happening up and down the grid and gave his view on the state of play in the paddock as testing got underway at Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona this week.

Wolff said of his rivals on the grid: “Force India? There the duel between Perez against Ocon becomes entertaining. Both want to distinguish themselves for bigger things in 2019 – so this season is essential for both.”

“Williams has a bold design, so I’m curious to see how it works. Newcomer Sirotkin has little experience, but his speed can make up for it. Stroll must be a team leader at 19 in his second year.”

“But Renault will make the biggest step forward for me. It will use all its resources, and has ambitious drivers with Hulkenberg and Sainz.”

“Toro Rosso also has the Franz Tost factor and Honda with new ambition. The team boss is a racer and a hard worker – so there could be some surprises.”

“Haas-Ferrari will be difficult to assess because in 2017 it lost a little bit, while McLaren-Renault now has an engine to compete with Red Bull. Both claim to have the best chassis, which will be exciting.”

“And Sauber with Alfa Romeo is more than just a marketing gimmick. It has the best wind tunnel in F1, with Leclerc driver, who is regarded as a star of the future and with Vasseur, a real racer, as team boss.”

“Ferrari made a giant leap from 2016 to 2017. The car will be fast again this year, and Sebastian as leader is strong and confident.”

“Red Bull has a great combination of drivers: a sunny boy [Daniel Ricciardo] who can drive really well and a giant talent [Max Verstappen] who polarises opens and lifts F1. The pairing for sure is top. Plus, in the second half of 2017, the team put forward a development like no other. If Red Bull remains friendly with Renault it will be a tough opponent.”

With regards to his own drivers – Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas – the Mercedes chief said, “We will look at how [Bottas] is developing this year and will decide from the summer on. For Lewis, an extension is just a matter of detail. I assume that we will continue together.”

[MIKA27]

SNOW DELAYS START TO THIRD DAY OF F1 TESTING

The start of the third day of Formula 1 pre-season testing on Wednesday was delayed due to heavy snow at the Circuit de Catalunya, organisers reported to media.

Formula 1’s official website confirmed that the start of action on the track near Barcelona was delayed “indefinitely”, saying there could be no start “until visibility improves and the medical helicopter is able to fly.”

Snow was expected to continue falling throughout the morning, with temperatures dropping to around freezing before picking up later.

The snow had already cut short Tuesday’s action, after Sebastian Vettel registered the fastest time in his new Ferrari, ahead of Valtteri Bottas of arch-rival Mercedes.

“You don’t learn anything. We will never race in this circumstance, and the only thing you do is risk the car,” commented Haas team principal Guenther Steiner.

“This being the first test of the season, we are lean on spares, and we cannot risk it. And at the moment it does not look much better on Thursday. It is getting warmer but still wet.”

[MIKA27]

MERCEDES WIN LAUREUS AWARD FOR BEST TEAM OF THE YEAR

The Mercedes Formula 1 team has scooped the 2018 Laureus Award for Best Team of the Year thanks to their double title-winning exploits, beating sporting powerhouses such as Real Madrid and the Golden State Warriors of the NBA as well as favourites Team New Zealand (yachting) to one of most prestigious accolades in sport.

Mercedes have been the dominant force in Formula 1 for the past five years winning eight world titles in four consecutive seasons, with Lewis Hamilton winning his fourth title last year, his third with the Silver Arrows.

Team chief Toto Wolff, who was on hand to collect the award at a lavish function in Monaco, is always quick to point to team effort as the key to the enormous success the team have achieved in recent years.

The Laureus World Sports Awards event, considered the Oscars of the sporting world, was attended by Princess Charlene and Prince Albert of Monaco as well of a host of VIPs, dignitaries and personalities from the world of sport.

Here is the full list of this year’s winners:

• Sportsman of the Year: Roger Federer
• Sportswomen of the Year: Serena Williams
• Team of the Year: Mercedes F1
• Comeback of the Year: Roger Federer
• Exceptional Achievement: Francesco Totti
• World Action Sportsperson of the Year: Armel Le Cleac’h
• Sport for Good: Active Communities Network
• World Breakthrough of the Year: Sergio Garcia
• World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability: Marcel Hug
• Sporting Inspiration Award: J.J. Watt
• Best Sporting Moment: Chapecoense (Eternal Champions)
• Lifetime Achievement: Edwin Moses

[MIKA27]

FORCE INDIA DRIVE HOME DOUBLE PARTNERSHIP DEAL

The Force India have announced partnerships with Mexican petroleum brand Pemex and industrial engineering firm Duo.

Both companies will benefit from branding on the Silverstone-based motorsport outfit’s race cars, with Pemex set to appear on the wing mirrors of the vehicles, while Duo’s logo will feature on both cars’ rear crash structure and elements of the front wing.

Pemex will also enjoy exposure on the overalls of drivers Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon, team clothing and other assets. The company was a sponsor of the Brabham team in the early eighties.

“We are extremely proud to announce our partnership with Sahara Force India on the eve of the new Formula One season,” said Pemex chief executive Carlos Alberto Treviño. “The team has achieved remarkable results in recent years and everyone at Pemex is excited to support this team on the next stage of its journey. We want to begin a novel and exciting venture to show our evolution.”

Commenting on the partnership with Pemex, Mallya said: “The involvement of Pemex in Formula One is hugely significant. As one of the biggest companies in the world, it’s fitting that they have a presence on the Formula One grid through their partnership with our team.”

“We’re very excited about our new partnership with Sahara Force India,” added Duo Group chief executive Alex Moss. “We have been involved in motorsport for some years, but it’s our first venture into Formula One. This partnership offers a great opportunity for us to develop our brand awareness on a global scale.”

“I’m pleased to welcome Duo as our newest partner as they venture into Formula One for the first time,” added Mallya. “Duo’s business shares many parallels with the motorsport industry, especially precision engineering and manufacturing, and Formula One is an ideal platform to showcase their brand and technology.”

Force India finished fourth in Formula One’s constructors’ championship last year and will be hoping to build on a positive 2017 when the new season begins in Australia on 25 March.

[MIKA27]

F1 confirms territories in which TV Pro will be available

Formula 1 has confirmed the territories in which its new subscription service will be available this year.

The service was officially announced on Tuesday, and on Wednesday a full list of territories in which F1 TV Pro will be available was released.

The leading territories are the United States, Germany, France and Mexico, with the service unavailable in several other countries – such as the United Kingdom – due to existing broadcast agreements.

Formula 1’s Head of Digital Frank Arthofer confirmed that security will be put in place to prevent cross-territory subscriptions.

"We want to protect our broadcast partners," he said. "It’s very important to us." (GOOD LUCK WITH VPN USERS)

Territories in which F1 TV Pro will be available in 2018:

• Argentina
• Anguilla
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Aruba
• Austria
• Azerbaijan
• Bahamas
• Barbados
• Belgium
• Bosnia
• British Virgin Islands
• Bulgaria
• Caribbean Netherlands
• Cayman Islands
• Chile
• Colombia
• Costa Rica
• Croatia
• Curacao
• Dominica
• Dominican Republic
• Ecuador
• France
• Germany
• Grenada
• Guadeloupe
• Guatemala
• Haiti
• Honduras
• Hungary
• Jamaica
• Martinique
• Mexico
• Monaco
• Montserrat
• Nicaragua
• Paraguay
• Peru
• Poland
• Romania
• Saint Barthelemy
• Saint Kitts and Nevis
• Saint Lucia
• Saint Martin
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
• Serbia
• Sint Maarten
• Slovenia
• South Tyrol
• Switzerland
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Turkey
• Turks and Caicos Islands
• Ukraine
• United States Virgin Islands
• USA
• Venezuela

MIKA: So....WTF!?  A few countries who actually host the F1 like AUSTRALIA are NOT on the list? How does that make and sense?

[LLC]

F1 confirms territories in which TV Pro will be available

Formula 1 has confirmed the territories in which its new subscription service will be available this year.
The service was officially announced on Tuesday, and on Wednesday a full list of territories in which F1 TV Pro will be available was released.
The leading territories are the United States, Germany, France and Mexico, with the service unavailable in several other countries – such as the United Kingdom – due to existing broadcast agreements.
Formula 1’s Head of Digital Frank Arthofer confirmed that security will be put in place to prevent cross-territory subscriptions.
"We want to protect our broadcast partners," he said. "It’s very important to us." (GOOD LUCK WITH VPN USERS)
Territories in which F1 TV Pro will be available in 2018:

• Argentina
• Anguilla
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Aruba
• Austria
• Azerbaijan
• Bahamas
• Barbados
• Belgium
• Bosnia
• British Virgin Islands
• Bulgaria
• Caribbean Netherlands
• Cayman Islands
• Chile
• Colombia
• Costa Rica
• Croatia
• Curacao
• Dominica
• Dominican Republic
• Ecuador
• France
• Germany
• Grenada
• Guadeloupe
• Guatemala
• Haiti
• Honduras
• Hungary
• Jamaica
• Martinique
• Mexico
• Monaco
• Montserrat
• Nicaragua
• Paraguay
• Peru
• Poland
• Romania
• Saint Barthelemy
• Saint Kitts and Nevis
• Saint Lucia
• Saint Martin
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
• Serbia
• Sint Maarten
• Slovenia
• South Tyrol
• Switzerland
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Turkey
• Turks and Caicos Islands
• Ukraine
• United States Virgin Islands
• USA
• Venezuela

MIKA: So....WTF!?  A few countries who actually host the F1 like AUSTRALIA are NOT on the list? How does that make and sense?

Likely all about the rights they don’t have to do it now based on current contracts. Same situation for me in Canada.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[MIKA27]

Football chief spells out why F1 fans are ‘switching off’

Top broadcaster and journalist James Allen hears from a soccer team boss who thinks Formula 1 is getting its revenue sharing all wrong.
It’s always interesting to hear different points of view from outside the sport on what’s good and bad in the world of Formula 1.

This morning at a Sports Industry Breakfast club event in London, Steve Parish, the chairman of Crystal Palace FC – an English Premier League soccer team – spelled out why the EPL must maintain its current distribution model of commercial revenues.

This has small increments between the winners and the team finishing 20th – and he used F1 as a case study of how a sport should not be run commercially.

The EPL is in the middle of its richest-ever TV rights deal and a new round, for rights due to start in the 2019/20 season, was recently concluded with Sky and BT Sport paying £4.46 billion for three seasons for the domestic UK rights alone. At £1.6bn a season that’s almost three times as much as the global TV rights yield annually in F1.

Arguing that the relatively level playing field in payments has contributed to making the Premier League exciting, where it’s quite common for a Crystal Palace to beat a Manchester United or an Arsenal on their day, Parish said: “It has to stay competitive. Nobody wants to watch someone destroy a club 7-0, it’s not intoxicating. 

“Take F1 for example. The big teams got all the power, demanded more and more money. And now there’s a spectacle where there’s one or two teams with a chance of winning a race, and people are switching off.

“If we make it less interesting…it is not in the long term benefit of the league.”

Although the total price for the 2019-21 EPL rights has dropped from the current deal, Parish said: “This deal is indicative of how good the last deal was. Nobody imagined we’d get another increase like last time. Maybe the league outfoxed the broadcasters last time, and maybe this time we got a bit of our own medicine. 

“To be honest a lot of the OTT platforms – Netflix etc – are doing pretty well without sport! The hope is we’ll be in a different situation in three years’ time with those types of providers.

“The fees were probably over the top last time, and now we’re at the right amount of money, which is never a bad thing, and the international market could balance it out anyway.”

Yesterday, F1 announced its new OTT platform F1 Live and the response has been very positive from the James Allen on F1 site, which is largely made up of fans who love the sport, are curious and committed.

At $8 a month the price point seems to be right for the audience, and I predict a successful roll out in the markets in which they are trialling it this season.

UK fans are dismayed that it’s not available, but F1’s head of digital has indicated that they are open to doing a deal for Sky to ‘upsell’ the OTT package as part of its offering.

How that would work in relation to the much higher prices charged by Sky Sports and its Now TV pay per day arm are not yet clear.

[MIKA27]

McLaren 2018 F1 car's innovative rear suspension

Formula 1's first test has revealed a number of innovations not obvious on carefully-manipulated launch images, including an aggressive rear suspension design on the McLaren-Renault MCL33.

McLaren has opted for a bold repositioning on the inboard connecting points of the upper wishbone.

The team had to revise its suspension late in the car design process because of the switch from the Honda to the Renault engine, but McLaren's designers were clearly keen to extract maximum aerodynamic benefits from that area.

The result is a design that reshapes and co-joins the wishbone elements to produce the most aerodynamically efficient shape possible.

McLaren has a history of pushing suspension designs for aerodynamic benefits, in recent years integrating it with diffusers or rearward aerodynamic devices to help airflow at the back of the car.

Back in 2013, it was the first team to introduce a bracket on the top of the wishbone to help clean up airflow that was being channelled inside the rear wheels.

The following year it went further by repositioning the location of the wishbones so they were more streamlined - with the lower one shaped so that it could act as an aerofoil, as had been used in 2007.

It also adopted one of the most extreme suspension solutions seen in F1 that season, with the butterfly shaped rear suspension to help channel airflow and increase the effectiveness of the diffuser.

For 2015, McLaren changed the angle of the wishbones dramatically - with the top one much further forward than the bottom one. Again the aim was to help the diffuser extract more air than would otherwise have been the case.

Attention more recently has shifted to making big aero-brackets from the wishbone elements, with Toro Rosso in 2015 experimenting with this at the rear of the car.

Now McLaren has gone a step further, with the whole upper elements forged into a near single unit to help create an aerodynamic boost.

The pickup point of the pushrod link has been moved as far away from the rear wheel as possible to help free up airflow.

Teams are constantly battling the effects of airflow inside the rear wheels and any developments to reduce external interference here will be welcomed by the aerodynamicists.

The move does create potential suspension compromises in terms of weight and stiffness.

But McLaren will almost certainly have concluded that the aero benefits of its approach outstrip these negatives.

[MIKA27]

F1 testing demands too 'brutal' to use Bahrain instead of Spain - Haas

Haas team boss Gunther Steiner says the "brutal" logistical demands of Formula 1 pre-season testing would have made going to Bahrain impractical for smaller teams.

Bahrain last hosted pre-season testing in 2014, although discussions were held in 2016 about returning to Sakhir before F1 ultimately decided to stick with Barcelona.

However, the first two days of 2018 testing in Spain were blighted by cold weather, with temperatures failing to rise above four degrees celsius on Tuesday, before the arrival of snow delayed the start of Wednesday's running.

Steiner said the fact parts are being delivered to teams daily from their bases in Europe makes Barcelona a practical venue, and he added that flying components out to Bahrain would add considerable expense for smaller teams in particular.

"The cost is one of the elements of going to Bahrain, it's not easy, but also the logistics," Steiner explained.

"For example, for us, the first year we were here [in 2016], it was talked about going to Bahrain or Abu Dhabi.

"That would be a no-no if you are new and you need to fly something somewhere.

"You guys have no idea how much stuff is coming here every day for the car. It's brutal.

"From England or from Italy, they put [components] in a van and they drive eight hours, they are here. We have people going up and down every day.

"If it's in Bahrain, you need to get prepared, it's the same for everybody.

"But the next thing is, some teams would put a jet on every night to go back and forward."

It's understood discussions were held about cancelling Wednesday's test day and rearranging it for another time when conditions are expected to be warmer, but this would have required unanimous agreement between the teams.

Steiner said: "A few people tried to do something, but there was always from somewhere, 'no'. Can you imagine two of us agreeing on something, never mind 10?

"It needs to be unanimous, it would need to change something in the sporting regulations, we cannot just say we change something.

"I think the FIA would do it, but we need to apply for it. But if we can't come to an agreement between us [teams], there's no point getting the FIA involved."

Force India technical director Andrew Green told Autosport testing in Bahrain would have a significant impact on teams' winter schedules.

"If we went to Bahrain it means the car production schedule has to change because of it," he told Autosport.

"That's a big thing for us, to try to shift a week for car build, especially when we were squeezed to get here with the need to integrate the halo into the design, let alone to get it out a week earlier to allow the freight to go to Bahrain.

"We're going to have four nice days next week and that's fine for us."

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BARCELONA DAY 4: HAMILTON RETURNS TO THE TOP

Lewis Hamilton may have missed out on testing on Wednesday but he made up for it today when he ended the fourth day of Formula 1 preseason testing quickest of all as the weather was kinder and enabled to teams to do useful mileage which was neglected them 24 hours earlier.

It was a busy day at the Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona after snowfall and cold temperatures kept most cars in the garage on Wednesday. Temperatures improved on Thursday for the final session of the week, and teams immediately sent out their cars.

After a wet morning during which Mercedes’ W09 challenger was driven by Valtteri Bottas, Hamilton took over in the afternoon and used medium tyres to post a time of 1:19.333.

Hamilton’s benchmark time was half a second clear of Stoffel Vandoorne’s best in the McLaren running the new Pirelli hypersoft tyres, one of seven dry compounds on offer this year.

Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel was third quickest with a time of 1:20.214 set on soft tyres, while Haas’ Kevin Magnussen was eight-hundredths of a second further back in fourth place with a lap set on supersoft tyres.

While most drivers took the circuit in the wet conditions in the morning, Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen was a notable absentee, with the Renault-powered team choosing to wait until the track dried before sending the Dutchman out.

But when he did take to the track Verstappen’s outing was a stop-start affair as mechanical gremlins affected his progress and then, later on, he suffered an off at Turn 12 which left him beached in the gravel. The car was recovered but Verstappen sat out the remainder of the session and completed just 35 laps all day.

After limited mileage in the early part of the week, McLaren enjoyed a solid final day in Barcelona. Second-placed Vandoorne handed over to team-mate Fernando Alonso in the afternoon and the Spaniard added a further 51 laps to Vandoorne’s 110 for the day’s biggest team lap total.

Pierre Gasly’s Honda-powered Toro Rosso led the lap charts with 147. Vettel was next with 120 laps, followed by Vandoorne’s 110. Hamilton ended the day with 69.

“It was really satisfying to have done so many laps,” Gasly said. “It was really important for the team and also for myself to be able to learn so much.”

Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, the only driver to post a time on Wednesday, was fifth-fastest after running 51 laps with McLaren.

The session was stopped briefly in the morning after Marcus Ericsson went off the track in his Sauber. There was another red flag in the afternoon when Max Verstappen went off in a Red Bull.

 

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HAMILTON: MERCEDES W09 FEELS FASTER THAN LAST YEAR’S CAR

We know it is early days, but did Lewis Hamilton inadvertently give the Formula 1 world a glimpse of the raw pace he has at his disposal in the new Mercedes W09? Maybe…

Hamilton ended the fourth and final day of testing in Barcelona a half-second quicker than his closest rival with the best time of 1:19.333 around the Circuit de Catalunya, but notably nearly a full second up on his most likely title challenger Sebastian Vettel.

Add to that the fact that Hamilton opted to use only the Pirelli medium tyres, while Vettel with soft tyres bolted on to his Ferrari was still those nine-tenths shy of the Mercedes driver.

At the end of the fourth day in Barcelona, Hamilton spoke enthusiastically about the W09, “It’s an evolution of last year’s car, we’ve got better tyres and particularly here we’ve got a new surface, so that might make things seem even better than they really are.”

“So far it’s been really good. Normally I’m not someone who likes testing, but today actually I was really keen to get out because we haven’t had many laps. ”

“It’s difficult to say whether the car is that much better, how much of it is the track and the grip and the tyres. Next week we’ll get a better understanding, but it definitely feels like a faster car compared to last year’s car, so that’s positive.”

“People ask me how many laps would you have normally had up to today, and obviously the last couple of years it’s been something like 300 at least,” he said.

“Obviously today I only started with 25 laps [so far]. It is what it is, and I don’t think anyone has had massively more time on the track than me.”

“I got back in the car and I got straight on it in the first 10 laps, so I’m quite happy, quite comfortable already,” revealed Hamilton who will be targeting his fifth F1 world championship title this year.

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RED BULL: THE ISSUES WE HAD TODAY ARE EASY FIXES

Max Verstappen’s second outing of the first test in the Aston Martin Red Bull Racing R14 was something of a damp squib as wet weather and minor mechanical niggles led to a stop-start final day at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

The session started on a wet track, conditions that the Team deemed unsuitable for the kind of programme it had in mind. The result was a morning spent in the garage as Max and the crew waited for things to improve, a process that took some time as the recently resurfaced track stubbornly clung to the moisture that had fallen.

When the track allowed for the change to slick tyres Max spent much of his 35-lap outing engaged in aero work, with short runs being the order of the day. A mechanical niggle then affected running and late on Max then suffered a spin at Turn 12. The car was recovered but given the time required to turn the RB14 around the Team decided to call a halt to the day’s running.

“Today we didn’t do any performance laps, but when you have conditions such as this, which are not ideal, then it’s best to just focus on making sure everything is working in the way you want and that the data you’re getting from the correlates to what is happening in the wind tunnel and that’s what we did,” said Max.

“We had a couple of little hiccups today and in the afternoon I had a little moment where I went into the gravel. I tried to find the reverse but it got stuck and we have to look at why that happened. However, I’m quite happy with the car so far, and maybe the second week will show a bit more how we compare against our rivals. I certainly hope it’s a bit sunnier next week.”

Head of Race Engineering Guillaume Rocquelin added: “The issues we had today are easy fixes and in general we’re pretty happy with how the car runs, so now it’s about building on what we have. The real difficulty this week was in not being able to maximise the time available and that was a bit frustrating. However, we are reasonably happy with what the RB14 delivered in its first outing and we now have a bit of time back at base to work on next week’s test, when hopefully the weather conditions will be a bit kinder.”

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FERRARI: NEXT WEEK WE WILL GET A CLEARER PICTURE

The 120 laps Sebastian Vettel drove today, brings the total completed by the Ferrari SF71H over what was effectively just a three-day session to 298, equivalent to 1387.19 km.

After yesterday’s snowfall, temperatures were very definitely on the up today at the Catalunya Circuit: at the end of the session, there had been a high of 12.7° air and almost 15 on track, but damp conditions in the morning still affected the work.

It explains why, during the first few hours, Seb used wet weather Intermediate tyres, before switching to new and used Softs for the rest of the day. The final part of the session was given over to long runs, which yielded a best lap during these tests of 1:20.241.

“The afternoon wasn’t exactly ideal,” commented Vettel, “because of the track conditions and also a bit of time lost in the garage to sort out a few details. I’d have liked to have driven more, but we can do that next week, when we will start to get a clearer picture.”

The team also did some pit stop practice. Testing resumes on Tuesday 6th March, running through to the 9th.

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WILLIAMS: WE’VE RECORDED HUGE AMOUNTS OF DATA

Williams team report from the fourth day of preseason testing at Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona, ahead of the 2018 Formula 1 World Championship.

• Driver: Sergey Sirotkin (AM), Lance Stroll (PM)
• Chassis / Engine: FW41-01 / Mercedes-AMG F1 M09 EQ Power+
• Location: Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, 4.655 km
• Weather: Cold and wet (AM), Warm and dry (PM)
• Temperatures (min-max): Air 8-16ºC / Track 8-13ºC

Paddy Lowe, Chief Technical Officer: “It’s been a very difficult week weather-wise but actually, we’re very happy to have made the most of the conditions we had. We’ve recorded huge amounts of data and we’ve achieved a lot of very reliable running without any failure and we’ve had our first look at the performance of the car on laps, although the final afternoon was the only day of anything like reasonable temperatures for running a racing car. A great job has been done by the team considering this car had not even fired up a week ago and a great job by Lance, Sergey and Robert to manage the car in such difficult conditions without causing any damage. We look forward to coming back next week for hopefully some warmer weather when we gear up for some more representative performance testing.”

Sergey Sirotkin: “It was still quite a good, productive week. Of course, it was not ideal in some aspects, but I believe we squeezed the best out of the situation. It was nice to feel how the new car behaves on the track in different conditions. We haven’t got the full picture of the car yet but I think we can see some strong points and I believe we can make them even stronger, as well as correct the weaker parts. Next week, we will have better weather and a better chance to do this. Today, we collected as much data and knowledge as possible about the car. I got some feeling for the car with quite a good amount of consistent wet running, so a reasonable amount of information about the car and myself.”

Lance Stroll: “My day was pretty good. I felt good in the car, the balance feels good. It’s not easy to warm the tyres, it takes quite some time to get them working but it shouldn’t be this cold during the year. My initial thoughts are the car feels pretty good. We have a lot of work to do and a lot to understand. The seat time is good, building confidence in the car. It’s a new car, with new balance, a lot has changed. I did quite a few laps this afternoon, that’s always positive in a first test. Next week, it’s going to be a busier week than predicted because of the conditions this week. It’s been a big off-season for everyone and the expectations are high coming into this year. We definitely want to take a step forward. We know the competition’s difficult from other teams but that doesn’t bring us down, it should give us more motivation to go out and be the best we can be.”