FORMULA 1

[MIKA27]

RICCIARDO: I DEFINITELY DON’T REGRET MY MOVE TO RENAULT

Renault driver Daniel Ricciardo says he has no regrets about leaving Red Bull despite it being a step down from a race-winning team to one with a long-term plan on paper but little less for the talented and highly-rated Aussie to go to war with.

The Australian stunned the F1 world last year by announcing that he is leaving the top energy drink-owned team to join Renault.

“I would not have been better off at Red Bull,” Ricciardo told the Dutch publication Formule 1. “I’m happy with where I am.

“People often say to me ‘Look at Max and where he is’. I’m not saying this against Red Bull, but they are exactly where they have been for the past five years.”

“Last year they had won three races at around this point of the season, now they have just won for the first time. I definitely don’t regret my move to Renault,” insisted Ricciardo.

He admitted his results at Renault are “not yet great”, but added: “I am very happy with the team and what I see here. And most importantly, I’m happy with myself and what I’m trying to build up here with the engineers.”

[MIKA27]

MAX-MANIA HAS ONE MILLION WANTING DUTCH GRAND PRIX TICKETS

Over a million Dutch Formula 1 fans are keen to attend Max Verstappen’s first home grand prix next year when Zandvoort will feature on the 2020 calendar.

Race boss and former F1 driver Jan Lammers says the interest in tickets for the event has been overwhelming.

“We knew it was popular, but more than a million [applying] is insane,” he told the Hart van Nederland programme when asked about interest in the tickets. We could have sold out six times for the Sunday.”

“There are 105,000 spectators per day but we are looking into whether this can be expanded. But it must remain pleasant for all the visitors,” added Lammers.

[MIKA27]

SCHUMACHER: EVERYONE HAS TO GO THROUGH HARD TIMES

Mick Schumacher says he is not disheartened even though his rookie Formula 2 season is not going quite according to the ideal script.

Amid massive public interest in his road to F1, Michael Schumacher’s son is currently just 14th overall in the F2 points standings.

“No star has fallen from the sky,” the 20-year-old told DPA news agency when asked about the F2 struggle. “Of course it has not been easy and we’ve had a bit of bad luck lately, but you learn the most from harder times.”

The German is yet to even finish on the podium, but insisted: “I think we’re on the right track. We have shown that we have the speed and the potential to be at the front.”

Schumacher said it is normal for drivers in the junior categories to have setbacks on the way to the top flight, “Everyone has to go through hard times but I’m taking one step at a time. I feel more and more comfortable in this environment and hopefully it will soon be time for me to move up to Formula 1.

“When this happens is difficult to answer, as you also have to be lucky enough to get a vacant seat, so I’ll keep going and keep my fingers crossed,” added Schumi III.

[MIKA27]

ROSBERG: KIMI COULD HAVE ACHIEVED MORE IF HE HAD WORKED HARDER

Nico Rosberg has defended the racing ethos of Formula 1’s oldest, most experienced and insanely popular current driver, namely Kimi Raikkonen, who astonished with his talent when he entered the sport with almost no experience in 2001.

But the best part of two decades and 302 grand prix starts later many think the now 39-year-old Raikkonen should have won more than a single title and 21 wins, in other words, underachieved in the top flight.

“You would have to say that Kimi could have achieved more if he had worked harder,” Rosberg, who won the title in 2016 at the age of 31 before suddenly quitting, told Ilta Sanomat.

But Rosberg said he is not criticising Raikkonen for his work ethic, “On the other hand, he is being himself. There is no right or wrong way. No one can say that anyone has to work like crazy. He does what he wants and what is good for him. You have to appreciate that.”

“It’s not the way that I approached this sport, It was important to me to work as hard as I could,” explained Rosberg who had to summon tremendous strength to beat nemesis Lewis Hamilton and admitted that he simply did not have it in him for another war with the Englishman in the #44 car.

Ahead of his 303rd grand prix this weekend in Germany, stats show that Raikkonen celebrated 103 times on F1 podiums 21 times as a winner, with the 2007 world title etching him up there with the greats of the sport.

MIKA: I was a Nico Rosberg fan while he was in the car, but as a pundit, he is quite annoying IMO. More concerned about the way he looks than anything.

Kimi was at his peak in the early to mid 2000's.

2005 should have been Kimi's to win had the McLaren not been so mechanically unreliable in San Marino and Germany which is what cost him missing out on his 2nd WDC.

1 WDC, 21 wins, 103 Podiums, 18 Pole Positions and 46 fastest laps is still an impressive record!

[MIKA27]

Daniel Ricciardo facing £10m court claim over Renault move

Daniel Ricciardo is facing a court claim of £10 million ($12.5m) over his switch from Red Bull to Renault for the 2019 Formula 1 season.

According to a claim filed with London's High Court, Ricciardo's former manager Glenn Beavis has filed the suit against the Australian for unpaid commissions related to his new contract with the French manufacturer.

Beavis is seeking £10m for what he claims is "due in accordance with the commission agreed between the parties" prior to their split.

Beavis, who appeared alongside Ricciardo in Netflix's 'Drive to Survive' documentary series, claims to have had an agreement with Ricciardo which would earn him a 20 per cent commission on the value of any new deals.

Although Ricciardo and Beavis split prior to the first race of the season, the suit claims Beavis had initiated contract discussions with Renault in 2017 before reaching an agreement in August 2018, though a long form contract had yet to be signed.

This was completed on March 7, a week before the Australian Grand Prix, and it's claimed the pair had continued to work together until March 31, although Ricciardo informed Beavis that he wished to terminate their relationship on December 15 2018. It adds that an agreement was reached to continue working together until outstanding matters were concluded.

Whilst many of the details of Ricciardo's deal with Renault have been redacted from public view, the available details would suggest the 30-year-old is on more than £20m a season.

A lawyer representing Ricciardo and his company Whitedunes International Holdings Limited, a British Virgin Islands company, refutes the claims laid out in the suit and says they hold "no merit".

"I can confirm that Ebury Partnership and I act for Daniel Ricciardo in relation to this claim and Daniel's position is very clear - there is no merit whatsoever in relation to this claim and we are going to defend it absolutely fully," lawyer Jeremy Courtenay-Stamp told the BBC.

"You'll have only seen his claim so far. You won't have seen our defence because it hasn't been filed. But it will be filed and it will entirely refute the claim that Beavis is making."

[MIKA27]

Mercedes' German GP livery to celebrate 125 years of motorsport

Mercedes is planning to run a commemorative livery at this weekend's German Grand Prix to celebrate 125 years of motorsport.

The 1894 Paris–Rouen is considered to be the very first 'motor race', which saw 21 entrants race the 126 km distance between the two French cities on July 22.

The race was officially won by Albert Lemaître, driving a Peugeot Type 7, running a 1,282 cc V-twin Daimler engine, which produced 3.7 horsepower – a far cry from the 1,000hp machines of today!

This weekend therefore marks Mercedes' first motorsport victory as an engine supplier and will also serve as their 200th Grand Prix start in Formula 1, which will be celebrated at their home race, the 2019 German GP, of which Mercedes-Benz is title sponsor.

The team is set to run a commemorative livery to celebrate the occasion, though it's not been confirmed yet as to what this will entail.

"This year’s race is a very special event: we’re the title sponsor of the Mercedes-Benz Großer Preis von Deutschland and the race will mark the 200th start for Mercedes in Formula 1," said team boss Toto Wolff. 

"We will also celebrate a remarkable anniversary in Hockenheim: 125 years of motorsport. In 1894, the world’s first car race was held from Paris to Rouen and the winning machine had at its heart an engine manufactured to the design of Gottlieb Daimler.

"It was the start of a great motorsport tradition that continues to this day and we are incredibly proud to write the next chapter in this legacy.

"We will run a commemorative livery to pay tribute to our heritage."

The team has also updated its social media profile photo to feature the logo Mercedes-Benz's used in 1894.

[MIKA27]

Mercedes vigilant as hot weather forecast for home event

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says his team must remain “vigilant” at this weekend’s German Grand Prix, with hot weather set to affect the event.

Mercedes is set for a weekend of commemorations at its home grand prix – for which it will act as title sponsor – as it is marking 125 years of involvement in motorsport.

It is also marking its 200th race start as a manufacturer team in Formula 1.

Mercedes holds a substantial advantage in both Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championship, with its only defeat this year coming at the Austrian Grand Prix.

Mercedes accepted that it was stifled by the hot weather at the Red Bull Ring, having to open the W10’s bodywork, later revealing small radiators accentuated its predicament.

Much of Western Europe is poised for another band of exceptionally hot weather through the middle of this week, with temperatures likely to hit 40˚c at Hockenheim on Thursday.

While conditions are forecast to cool to around 30˚c for Saturday and Sunday, Wolff commented: “The weather forecast predicts high temperatures.

“They were extremely challenging for us in Austria, so we must stay vigilant.

“Like Spielberg, Hockenheim is also a relatively short circuit, which will close the gaps between different teams. We will stay humble and work hard to achieve the best possible result.

“The British Grand Prix was a spectacular race and a great showcase for our sport. It was great to see our drivers battle on track in the opening stint; they fought hard but always fair.

“And it was good to bounce back from the poor performance in Austria with a strong one-two finish.”

Mercedes has claimed all three victories at Hockenheim in the hybrid era.

[MIKA27]

London GP would work best as a 'one-off' event – Christian Horner

Red Bull Racing team boss Christian Horner believes a London Grand Prix would work as a "one-off event", rather than a full-time addition to the Formula 1 calendar.

F1 has been pushing for a race to happen in London for many years now, but it has never materialised due to the vast expense and trouble it would cause, likely gridlocking an already busy capital city for many days as it would require months of planning.

However Liberty Media are looking at the idea of a London GP on the outskirts of the city, where a semi-permanent venue could be constructed. This would be a more feasible approach and it's something the sport's bosses are looking at with interest.

It is however unlikely to happen until 2023 at the earliest as Silverstone recently struck a new deal to host the British GP and it's believed that deal includes a veto on any London race for a period of three years.

Horner says it would be "fantastic" to race on the streets of the capital, but believes it would serve the sport best as a one-off arrangement.

"I think London would need to be one-off event. It’s not the type of venue that would be there every year," he said of the proposal.

"But if ever it was possible, I still think it would be fantastic to see an F1 car race around the streets of London. But it would mean it would be an additional race to Silverstone, which is the natural home of F1."

However if assurances were made that Silverstone would remain on the calendar, Horner says he would be open to having two British races.

"If it’s another fantastic venue and a circuit that adds to a 21-race calendar, and we are fortunate that two of those are in this country, then I’d certainly take it."

Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel disagrees and doesn't think more city based races is what F1 needs at the moment, given the recent expansion into street circuits with the addition of Singapore, Azerbaijan and Vietnam next year.

"I’m happy with Silverstone, let’s put it that way. I think it’s a great place. There’s no problem with putting a great show on here. There’s no problem getting a great crowd.

"I don’t think there’s a strong need to go into the cities. I don’t think there would be more people in the city than here. This is great. Every year I can remember more than 100,000 fans each weekend."

[MIKA27]

Aston "would love" to have Verstappen at Le Mans

Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer says the prospect of Formula 1 star Max Verstappen racing for the manufacturer at the Le Mans 24 Hours is "a conversation to be had".

Verstappen's Red Bull F1 team has a title partnership with Aston and the energy drinks company's Advanced Technologies firm helped Aston develop the road-going Valkyrie hypercar.

A racing version of the Valkyrie will be built to the World Endurance Championship's new top-class regulations in 2020, giving Aston the chance to fight for overall honours at the Le Mans 24 Hours again.

Verstappen has talked about his desire to race at Le Mans, particularly with his father Jos.

Aston boss Palmer told Motorsport.com that he is "privileged to have a reasonably good relationship with Max" through the Red Bull link.

"Philosophically or theoretically I'd love to have him involved [at Le Mans]," said Palmer. "He's not formally involved but it's not ruled out either.

"That's a conversation to be had in the future. But wouldn't it be great?"

Aston's title partnership with Red Bull has been vindicated by various commercial, technological and sporting offshoots.

As well as the name of the F1 team and prominent branding on Red Bull's cars, there have been various events with Red Bull and Aston Martin working together – most recently at the British Grand Prix.

Aston gave the road-going Valkyrie its first public run at Silverstone, on the same weekend it used its involvement in the James Bond film franchise to deck out Red Bull's cars in a special 007 livery and invite actor Daniel Craig to the race.

Palmer admitted that the mix of those off-track initiatives, coupled with competitive growth such as the WEC Hypercar project and Red Bull alliance, seemed impossible when he joined Aston five years ago.

"It looks like giant leaps but actually it's lots of little steps," he said.

"Underneath the water every day is a struggle. But that's the point: we're struggling towards a goal that's been clearly laid out, a roadmap for development of the company turning into a great British institution.

"That's laid out until at least 2024. While each of the days require big targets to be achieved, at least you know where you're running to.

"We've got momentum now, we know where we're heading. And if you get little successes they turn into big successes and into huge successes.

"Then somehow things just start to happen. Think about the weekend – you've got Red Bull, Max Verstappen, we shouldn't ignore Pierre [Gasly] as he did a great job, you've got Daniel Craig and 007, Aston Martin, all in one space.

"Imagine trying to orchestrate all that a few years ago. That would have been something impossible. And the cherry on the cake is running the Valkyrie. These are things you look back on in your career and think 'that was a day, wasn't it!'."

[LLC]

SCHUMACHER: EVERYONE HAS TO GO THROUGH HARD TIMES

Mick Schumacher says he is not disheartened even though his rookie Formula 2 season is not going quite according to the ideal script.
Amid massive public interest in his road to F1, Michael Schumacher’s son is currently just 14th overall in the F2 points standings.
“No star has fallen from the sky,” the 20-year-old told DPA news agency when asked about the F2 struggle. “Of course it has not been easy and we’ve had a bit of bad luck lately, but you learn the most from harder times.”
The German is yet to even finish on the podium, but insisted: “I think we’re on the right track. We have shown that we have the speed and the potential to be at the front.”
Schumacher said it is normal for drivers in the junior categories to have setbacks on the way to the top flight, “Everyone has to go through hard times but I’m taking one step at a time. I feel more and more comfortable in this environment and hopefully it will soon be time for me to move up to Formula 1.
“When this happens is difficult to answer, as you also have to be lucky enough to get a vacant seat, so I’ll keep going and keep my fingers crossed,” added Schumi III.

I hope he does have the talent to drive in F1 one day but he isn’t close to being ready for that yet.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[MIKA27]

Magnussen gets Haas upgrades for Germany, Grosjean keeps Australia spec

Romain Grosjean will retain his Melbourne-spec Haas while Kevin Magnussen receives new aero parts for this weekend’s German Grand Prix, as the team continue to search for answers as to why their upgrades aren’t working.

Grosjean reverted to the Melbourne set-up at the last round at Silverstone while Magnussen continued with Haas’s latest package, enabling the team to compare the two specs.

But Haas Team Principal Guenther Steiner was left furious after the team mates collided early in the British race, the double DNF not only costing the team potential points but essential data on the VF-19’s shortcomings. Hence they will now try again at Hockenheim.

“Good information was gleaned from Friday and Saturday’s on-track running [at Silverstone], but the data collection was cut short,” said the team. “As a result, Grosjean will continue with the Melbourne aero spec in Germany. Magnussen, however, will debut the latest upgrade to the Haas VF-19, which was designed to improve downforce and the car’s overall driveability.”

That will allow the team to compare and contrast what they know works with what they believe will work better. And they feel that the Hockenheimring – a track that highlights both straight-line speed and good traction – will provide the “ultimate laboratory” for that comparison.

“We’re just making the car, in general, better, more drivable with more downforce, which always helps you go fast,” added Steiner. “We’re trying to make the tyres work better for us. That’s the biggest improvement we can make at the moment – getting into the window of the tyre – and that’s got a lot to do with downforce.

“We’re putting a lot of effort into improving the situation we’re in. We need to get the understanding of where we are and where we didn’t work in the right direction. That’s the thing we have to do.”

Grosjean had been struggling with Haas’s latest package ever since the upgrade brought in for the Spanish Grand Prix, hence his decision to revert his VF-19 car back to its Australian Grand Prix specification.

“For me, the feeling was not so good from the rear end, especially through medium- and high-speed corners,” he commented. “The feeling hasn’t been good in those corners since then. Going back to the Melbourne package, the car felt a lot better in those regions.

“It shows that something was not working as expected. Now the aero guys are looking into it, but we know it’s been our weakness. Obviously, that launch package has some limitations also. It has less downforce, but it has better stability.”

Grosjean and the team will be hoping for some answers asap: Haas were sixth in the constructors’ standings after May’s Monaco Grand Prix, the last race at which either driver scored. Now they’re down to ninth.

[avaldes]

18 hours ago, MIKA27 said:

MIKA: I was a Nico Rosberg fan while he was in the car, but as a pundit, he is quite annoying IMO. More concerned about the way he looks than anything.

Kimi was at his peak in the early to mid 2000's.

2005 should have been Kimi's to win had the McLaren not been so mechanically unreliable in San Marino and Germany which is what cost him missing out on his 2nd WDC.

1 WDC, 21 wins, 103 Podiums, 18 Pole Positions and 46 fastest laps is still an impressive record!

 

Yeah I kind of feel the same way about Nico. I give him a lot of respect for being the only driver to "slay the giant" Hamilton in this era. But with that said, his commentary can get pretty annoying when he goes on about how hard he had to work to win, that nobody is working hard enough to beat Hamilton today....blah blah...

When last I checked, Kimi has exactly the same number of WDC's as Nico.

[avaldes]

As for 2021, my Christmas wish list would be:

- Naturally aspirated V-10 or V-8, but I would settle for V-10/8 hybrid

- Refueling

- Lighter cars

- No holds barred on active suspension, ABS, traction control, etc.

Now I realize that two of those are probably pipe dreams, but hey it's my wish list! It sure seems like the number one complaint among teams is that F1 is getting too expensive. We have seen that the naturally aspirated engine era was significantly less expensive than the hybrid era, even when engines were only good for a single session. Bring them back!! Easy fix.

[MIKA27]

GREEN: EVERYTHING EXCEPT THE RACING POINT CHASSIS IS NEW

Auto Motor und Sport reports that the much-needed upgrade for the former Force India team’s 2019 car will come in two parts before the summer break.

Racing Point has struggled on track in 2019 in the wake of the team’s near 2018 collapse, takeover by Lawrence Stroll, and renaming.

“Everything except the chassis is new,” said technical boss Andy Green when asked about the B car.

“Previously, an upgrade like this would not have been possible,” he added, referring to the team’s new era since being taken over by billionaire Stroll.

The first step of the upgrade will be the rear of the car, to debut at Hockenheim. The front of the car will then follow in Hungary.

Auto Motor und Sport says it will represent the most significant upgrade seen so far in 2019, with more to come according to Green, “Even after the summer break, we’ll have another upgrade.”

The team has yet to deliver anywhere like they were in the Vijay Mallya days despite the lack of funding that plagued them to near destruction.

The first half of the 2019 season has been explained away as a hangover, but now with huge resources at their disposal the fruits are now set to be laid out and only time will tell if their technical team have hit a home run or if they also strayed up the garden path have a few of their rivals in recent years.

Another bad car will have interesting consequences worth following at the Silverstone based team.

Meanwhile ahead of the race weekend at Hockenheim, team boss Otmar Szafnauer confirmed, “This weekend sees the arrival of some aero development items as we continue our push to bring performance to the track. We will use Friday for testing to hopefully unlock more speed from the car.”

With Stroll, the driver, added, “We’ve had a tough few races recently and our share of bad luck, but the mood in the team is still upbeat. There’s new stuff coming to the car this weekend so there’s going to be a lot of learning during the practice sessions.”

[MIKA27]

BRAWN: WE’RE GOING TO PUT OURSELVES IN A BETTER PLACE

Formula 1 motorsport chief Ross Brawn is adamant that despite the separate agendas, all os the sport’s stakeholders are united in plotting a realistic and sustainable future while shedding more light on the Vietnam Grand Prix project.

The sport and its stakeholders are plotting a roadmap for the future as this is being written, but some believe the delays in delivering a solid rule book, with all boxes ticked, is a concern as time runs out.

But is a recent briefing Brawn is optimistic and explained, “I think we’ll come out of this in a much better place, but I would stress this is not a one-stop-shop. This is not a set of solutions being put in place and then we’ll walk away and see how it goes.

“We’re going to put ourselves in a better place and then we’re going to carry on tuning and developing to continue to give what we believe Formula 1 needs.

“It needs the whole team side of things to be much more viable. We need closer grids — which we believe will entertain fans a lot more. We need cars that can race and we need circuits,” concluded Brawn.

Brawn also provided an update on the street track in Hanoi, “We’re doing a lot of work on circuits. Vietnam will be the first that has been designed from the ground up to be a great racing circuit.

“We’ll see how we get on. Nothing’s ever 100 percent — we’ll probably make one or two mistakes — but I think it will go a long way toward the sort of circuit we want. We will learn from Vietnam and do the next one.

“We don’t want all tracks to be the same. It would be incredibly boring if we had great racing circuits but all to exactly the same template.

“We want countries to have their identity; we want circuits to be unique. Vietnam will be half city and half race circuit, which I think is really exciting,” added Brawn:

MIKA: I'm bored already....

[MIKA27]

MERCEDES: WE WILL RUN A COMMEMORATIVE LIVERY IN GERMANY

Mercedes will run a special livery to mark the 125th anniversary of the company’s involvement in motorsport at virtually all levels and of course Formula 1.

Toto Wolff revealed that the (almost) all-conquering W10 will be in special colours for their home German Grand Prix this weekend in Hockenheim.

The team chief said in his preview for the race weekend ahead, “After racing just down the road from Brackley and Brixworth, our next stop is yet another home race for the team. Hockenheim is close to our global headquarters in Stuttgart.

“In 1894, the world’s first car race was held from Paris to Rouen and the winning machine had at its heart an engine manufactured to the design of Gottlieb Daimler. It was the start of a great motorsport tradition that continues to this day and we are incredibly proud to write the next chapter in this legacy. We will run a commemorative livery to pay tribute to our heritage.

“We look forward to seeing a lot of Mercedes family members in the paddock and the grandstands. This year’s race is a very special event: we’re the title sponsor of the Mercedes-Benz Großer Preis von Deutschland and the race will mark the 200th start for Mercedes in Formula One. We will also celebrate a remarkable anniversary in Hockenheim: 125 years of motorsport.

“While there is much happening off track, our primary focus remains our on-track performance. The weather forecast predicts high temperatures, which were extremely challenging for us in Austria, so we must stay vigilant. Like Spielberg, Hockenheim is also a relatively short circuit, which will close the gaps between different teams. We will stay humble and work hard to achieve the best possible result.”

Mercedes lead the constructors’ championship by 64 points, while Lewis hamilton tops the drivers’ standings with 223 points, ahead of his Silver Arrows teammate Valtteri Bottas, 39 points adrift.

 

[MIKA27]

TORO ROSSO: IT’S GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

Toro Rosso preview the German Grand Prix weekend, Round 11 of the 2019 Formula 1 World Championship, at Hockenheim.

Alex Albon: “In Silverstone, we were definitely more competitive than at the previous two races and we were able to find a much better balance with the car. We managed to get into Q3 again and the car generally felt good.

“However, that doesn’t mean I expect an easy weekend in Germany, which will be another tough event for us. We have made progress and we know which parameters we need to work on and it’s going in the right direction.

As for my memories of Hockenheim, I remember qualifying on pole there in GP3 and then I crashed out of the first race while I was leading. Then I also crashed in Race 2! It’s an okay track, it’s what I would call a “standard” track, with all the usual elements and some nice corners like the one leading into the Stadium, which has a cool atmosphere with all the fans.

“Overtaking is pretty good, especially as you have a long back straight going into a hairpin, which always provides a passing opportunity. It can be hard on the tyres and even in Qualifying, you have to make sure you look after them on a single lap, or the tyres can be shot by the last couple of corners.

“The tarmac is old, so the surface is much rougher than at some of the newer re-surfaced circuits. It’s something we will be keeping an eye on.”

Daniil Kvyat: “In the last round at Silverstone, I made a good recovery in the race to score points at the end of what had been a difficult weekend up until then. The most important thing is that in the race we were on top of the situation and the pace was really strong.

“Hopefully, we will be able to carry this momentum into Germany and then Hungary the following week. I think Hockenheim could be quite good for us, even though the competition in the midfield is very tight. We will need to be on top of everything.

“It’s a bit too early to tell if our performance in Silverstone was the start of an upward trend, as every race seems to be a bit different to the previous one and conditions at Silverstone were quite different to those in France and Austria.

“Germany will be an interesting challenge for us. I’m not expecting it to be easy, but we will try our best as always to be in a position to score points.

“As Hockenheim was off the calendar for a while, I haven’t been there for a few years. Of course, I can remember the configuration and I’ve done some sim work for it. It’s a track I like quite a lot, with some enjoyable long, high-speed corners.

“There’s an old-school vibe about it, so it’s a cool place to be. And with a long history of German drivers in F1, the race usually has a big crowd to create a great atmosphere. In terms of what you need for the car, I wouldn’t single out one particular aspect, you just want a well-balanced car.”

[MIKA27]

RED BULL: WILL IT BE HIMMEL OR HÖLLE IN GERMANY?

Like the apocryphal curate’s eggs, the German Grand Prix is one of those races that in the past, has been good in parts.

Back in 2009 Mark Webber scored his maiden grand prix with us in Germany. In 2013 Sebastian Vettel won his home grand prix for the first time with us.

The only trouble is, both of those top-step moments came at the Nürburgring, which in the modern era of F1 has hosted the race just three times, and on the other occasion, 2011, Mark was on pole and finished on the podium in third.

The more natural modern home of the German Grand Prix is the Hockenheimring, and in the past it’s been a tough nut for the Team to crack, with no wins in eight visits to the Baden-Württemberg track.

Not that it’s been all bad. In 2013 we finished on the podium with Sebastian taking third and two years ago we bagged a double podium finish with Daniel Ricciardo second and Max third.

The question, then, is what Hockenheimring are we going to get this year? Will it be himmel or hölle in Germany? Well, if the views of Max and Pierre are anything to go by it could well be the former, as both admit to a sneaking regard for the tricky stadium section and the lap time opportunities it offers…

Max Verstappen

This is almost like another home race for you, as Hockenheim is a little over three hours’ drive from the Dutch border?
MV: Yeah, I like the German Grand Prix and there are always lots of Dutch fans to support us at Hockenheim as it’s not far to travel.

Two top-five finishes in your German GP outings so far, including a podium in 2016. You seem to like it there?
MV: The stadium section is very cool, as you enter into a fast corner and then a banked corner with only a small area of run-off. There is quite a bit of time to be gained through the last few corners if you get the right flow onto the straight.
I think it’s going to be a warm weekend again which is always more challenging and more fun. We’re on a good run with the car and improving every weekend, so I can’t wait to get started again.

Pierre Gasly

Fourth place in Silverstone matched the best result of your career to date, so you must be raring to go again?
PG: I’m excited for the next round in Germany, especially after a strong weekend at Silverstone, and I’m looking forward to carrying this good momentum forward. I was back in the car on Tuesday after the race for the Pirelli tyre test so now I will take a couple of days off, rest a little and then it’s time to train hard and get back in the beast!

You’ve only had one F1 outing at the Hockenheimring, with Toro Rosso last year, but you managed to make up six places in the race. Is it a circuit you enjoy?
PG: I like it and I would have loved to race on the old Hockenheimring, which was even more special than the current one. Nevertheless, it’s still a pretty exciting circuit in terms of racing and last year’s race was quite epic with a lot of things happening. I like the stadium part in the last sector the most, as it’s so technical and challenging. Hockenheim is also the only place in my career where the fire extinguisher has exploded in my face whilst racing, so hopefully this year it will treat us better!

[MIKA27]

RENAULT: HOCKENHEIM SHOULD SUIT OUR PACKAGE BETTER

Renault F1 Team previews the eleventh race weekend of the 2019 FIA Formula 1 World Championship, the German Grand Prix.

Drivers Nico Hülkenberg and Daniel Ricciardo share their thoughts on the challenges of Hockenheim, while Cyril Abiteboul and Chassis Technical Director Nick Chester give the latest on the team and on the 2019 package.

Cyril Abiteboul, Team Principal: “We can be reasonably satisfied to have put both cars into the points in Silverstone after yet another difficult Austrian Grand Prix, an event that has not suited us year on year. We showed some good form throughout the weekend in Britain, with Daniel and Nico in Q3 and ultimately an unpredictable race in which we could have and should have scored even more points.

“On the whole, we showed our potential at a track which has, under recent regulations, become a real temple for engine power. However, we recognise there are still areas where we need to improve and we are concentrating on these weaker points.

“Hockenheim and the Hungaroring should suit our package better although the extreme temperatures we expect to encounter may present challenges for the engine or tyres – a little like in Austria – however we will do our best to achieve the best results possible.”

Nick Chester, Chassis Technical Director: “It’s often really hot at this time of year in central Europe as we experienced in France and Austria. If you have balance problems, heat makes it worse as you lose grip, see an increase in sliding and then it’s a vicious cycle. The tyre range is the same as Paul Ricard and Austria. We’ll be aiming to get the car well balanced and, given how we went in Silverstone, we’ll be targeting a similar outing.”

Nico Hülkenberg: “It’s very special racing in your home country. It’s always motivating to do well in front of your home fans as you know they are cheering for you and wanting you to have a strong result. We had a really good race in Germany last year, so we’ll be targeting the same again this season, not only for the fans, but also for the team as well.”

Daniel Ricciardo: “Hockenheim is a fun circuit and I’ve always loved racing there throughout my career. Turn 1 is super-fast and there are some cool corner combinations to dig into especially in sector three in the stadium. There are some good overtaking spots too especially at the hairpin after the burst of full throttle. It’s a cool track and one I’ve always seemed to go well at.”

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WILLIAMS: WE WILL CONTINUE TO TEST FURTHER ITEMS

The summer break is fast approaching as we head to the Rhine Valley and the famous Hockenheim circuit for round 11 of the 2019 Formula One World Championship.

This weekend’s German Grand Prix marks the opening instalment of the back-to-back double header which brings the curtain down on the first half of the season.

Dave Robson, Senior Race Engineer: “Hockenheim offers a challenging mix of corner types, some of which are especially quick. As a result, teams typically run quite high downforce set-ups despite the straights. Braking can be reasonably tough with little opportunity to cool the brakes from T11 to the end of the lap, and often a tailwind into T2 & T6.

“The track surface is normally quite smooth, and this can make warm-up of the tyres tricky in qualifying. Pirelli bring their C2, C3 & C4 compounds, which are the middle of their range, and one step softer than we used in Silverstone.”

“We brought some test items to the car in Silverstone and were happy with their performance, which helped Robert and George achieve our best result of the season so far. We will continue to test further items over the coming races, including this weekend in Germany.”

Robert Kubica: “It’s been a long time since I have driven at Hockenheim. It is a challenging track with a mixture of low and high-speed corners. I am looking forward to driving there and to test new items on the car. We hope to gain some pace and if the car handles well like it did at Silverstone, then we will have some fun.”

George Russell: “I am looking forward to going back to Germany, it’s a circuit I enjoy driving at and I haven’t raced there for three years. I have special memories there as it was the first time I had a meeting with the team about my 2019 seat. We have some test items that are coming to the track which should hopefully give us a good indication of the direction we need to head in for the remainder of the year.”

RUSSELL: TWO STEPS BACK BEFORE TAKING THREE STEPS FORWARD

Williams is gearing up to take “three steps forward” after an abysmal first half of the 2019 season according to their rookie driver George Russell, who says the fact he is driving clearly the slowest car during his rookie season is not spoiling the fun for him.

“How can you not be happy when you get to drive a Formula 1 car every two weeks?” the reigning Formula 2 champion told Auto Hebdo. “I am paid to do the job I dreamed of as a child. I know we are going through a difficult time but there is light at the end of the tunnel. My time will come.”

Indeed, the 21-year-old is strongly backed by Mercedes, but for now he insists he is firmly behind Williams’ push to rediscover better days, “I am aware of the history of the team and it is a privilege to defend its colours.

“Everyone knows what our performance is at the moment, but it’s a long term project. We could have done several things in the short term to obtain immediate gains but the team has an overall vision that goes much further.”

Russell says Williams is now moving into the period where performance should finally be improved, “We are proceeding in stages for the moment.

“The team had a very difficult season last year and wanted to make a lot of changes to the organisation. It’s as though they had to take two steps backwards before taking three steps forward.

“The foundations are now in place to bring performance to the car and I am convinced that we can do it. At Silverstone, we had the first pieces of a major aerodynamic evolution that should ideally be introduced from now until Hungary.

“The numbers we have for what is coming suggests a significant advance in that we hope to be able to fight with other cars on the track. Whether it will be three tenths, six tenths, a full second, we are not 100 per cent sure,” revealed Russell ahead of the German Grand Prix weekend.

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MCLAREN: WE KNOW THERE IS NO ROOM FOR COMPLACENCY

Hockenheim was built in 1932 and it first hosted the German Grand Prix in 1970. Back then, Hockenheim’s layout was a 12km/7.5-mile triangle, which was shortened and slowed by chicanes during the following decades to slow the cars.

A full re-design of the circuit took place in 2002, and it is that layout which remains to this day. The re-profiled track retained its famous Motodrom section, and with it much of its original character.

Carlos Sainz: “It’s been an interesting first half of the season and I’m determined to keep pushing as hard as ever before the summer break. There is still a long way to go in the Championship, but all our focus is on the next stop – Germany! Hockenheim is a classic track on the F1 calendar and we head there aiming to keep our momentum up.

“I spent some time with the team back in the factory after the British Grand Prix. Everyone back in Woking is working flat out and their efforts have been key to staying competitive within the midfield. Let’s keep up the good work!”

Lando Norris: “I really enjoyed the whole experience around my home grand prix, even if the result wasn’t quite what I was hoping for. I’m now looking forward to getting back on track in Germany.

“I’ve raced at Hockenheim a few times before in junior formulae, but I’m excited to race there in an F1 car for the first time. It’s a cool track and I’ve had some good experiences there in the past. We’re working on improving the car at every weekend and every session is crucial to that development, so I’ll be looking to hit the ground running from FP1 onwards.”

Andreas Seidl, Team Principal: “We’ve had some positive results in the last few races, but we know there is no room for complacency if we want to keep moving forward and there are always improvements to be made. The race at Silverstone proved how close the midfield teams are.

“Despite the good result at the British Grand Prix, there are still clear areas to work on and we aim to make progress at every single race. Heading into the final back-to-back before the summer break, it’s important that we keep our focus during this busy period and push right up until the factory shut-down in August.

“It will be a special moment for me as we head to my home country. Germany has many motorsports fans who deserve to see a good race and I hope the future of the event can be secured soon.

“From a team perspective, we remain motivated towards giving Carlos and Lando the best possible tools for them to do their job. It’s a collective effort that starts back at the factory and ends at the track when we send our cars out on race day, and we’re always looking at how we can improve.”

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BINOTTO: I SEE IN VETTEL A GREAT DESIRE TO KEEP RACING

Ferrari’s team boss Mattia Binotto says his star driver Sebastian Vettel is not leaving the Maranello team despite that after the German’s latest mistake, many in the partisan Italian media indicated they had lost faith in the German’s waywardness.

Two weekends ago, he rear-ended Max Verstappen’s Red Bull in the heat of battle at Silverstone which launched a myriad of headlines and prompted suggestions Vettel will call it a day, or at least take a sabbatical, at the end of the season.

But Binotto is convinced that Vettel is still committed to Maranello and told Corriere dello Sport, “I think Vettel is happy to be with us. Of course, he would be happier if he returned to winning races and if he had a stronger car.

“I see in him a great desire to keep racing and to win again. His dream is to do that with Ferrari and I have no doubt about his intentions and his commitment,” Binotto added, repeating his stance on the matter.

The comments by the Scuderia chief come amid rampant speculation that the 32-year-old potentially quitting Formula 1 or returning to Red Bull.

Indeed, Vettel has been seen with his old bosses Christian Horner and Dr Helmut Marko at recent races, but these encounters have been played down.

“If we meet for a chat, that’s far from an indication that we will work together again soon,” Red Bull boss Horner insisted, according to Speed Week. “To my knowledge, Sebastian is under contract for 2020. There are no negotiations.”

Horner added that Red Bull is more than happy with Max Verstappen, while Pierre Gasly is steadily improving, “No, I don’t think anything will change in the top teams in 2020.”

F1 legend Alain Prost, an advisor at Renault, was asked by the Canal Plus to comment on Vettel’s high profile struggles, on and off the track, at Ferrari in 2019.

He observed, “Perhaps it was due to insufficient concentration or motivation, or underestimating the situation. He is clearly under pressure because now everyone is discussing whether he will end his career and all sorts of rumours.”

“Honestly, it has to be said that he is going through a very difficult period,” added Prost, a four-time F1 World Champion.

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OCON: IT’S A GOOD THING IF THE RUMOURS ARE ABOUT ME

Esteban Ocon has not denied rumours that he is a top candidate for a seat at Haas or Williams for 2020, as both teams could have an open seat come to the end of the year, if not sooner.

The Frenchman, who is still strongly backed by Mercedes, lost his seat at Mercedes-powered Force India (now Racing Point) at the end of last year.

He is currently Mercedes’ reserve driver, but says the German team would be happy for him to return to the grid next year — even without Mercedes power.

Speculation is that he could replace Romain Grosjean at Ferrari-powered Haas and when asked specifically by RMC Sport if he is interested in a seat at the American team, Ocon answered: “What interests me the most is being able to race again in Formula 1.

“It is difficult for me not to race this year. The news last year that I will not be among the 20 drivers on the grid was hard to swallow, especially given my performances.”

Ocon was also asked about suggestions he might replace the underperforming Robert Kubica at Williams to which the 22-year-old said: “All the options remain alive because Mercedes is open-minded even if it’s with another engine manufacturer.

“I can be loaned, that’s not a problem. My main goal is to drive in the official Mercedes team, but anything is possible.”

As for the rumours and speculation, in general, he added: “As long as they are about you, it’s a good thing. It shows that F1 as a whole has not forgotten about you. My management is working very hard to find solutions for me. Let’s just hope we find one very quickly.”

Auto Bild claims that if Grosjean is ousted at Haas, that French driver could move to Formula E with the championship-winning DS Techeetah team.

[skalls]

Am I the only one not interested in a London street race?  Maybe its because it will be another god awful Tilke design.  That's why I'm kinda meh on the Miami one too.

[Baccy]

Nico is such a douche bag these days. Can he please just stfu??? Maybe he could have achieved more in F1 if he hadn't retired so early in his career. I'm pretty sure Kimi has more loyal fans than Nico...