FORMULA 1

[MIKA27]

MARKO: PU UPGRADE FOR MONZA AND FOR SOCHI NEW FUEL

Red Bull-Honda could soon close the gap completely to Mercedes according to Helmut Marko, after Max Verstappen won two of the past three grands prix, the latest a famous victory at an epic German Grand Prix.

“I would not rule it out,” the Red Bull official said when asked by Auto Motor und Sport if this world championship and closing the deficit is still a realistic target.

Marko admits that it took Red Bull some time to put the 2019 car in the sweet spot, “We should have looked better in France but the upgrades did not work as expected. Honda was also too conservative with the new engine.

“But in Austria, we put everything together for the first time. And Hockenheim showed that Mercedes makes mistakes if you can put proper pressure on them,” he said.

When asked how far away the Red Bull-Honda is from Mercedes in pure pace, Marko answered: “Not so far anymore. We were less than two tenths away at Silverstone and closer in Hockenheim if we had not had some problems. It’s going in the right direction.

“At Monza we get another engine upgrade, and in Russia we get new fuel. Then we should have unlocked the engine. A lot is also coming to the car. Wait and see,” said the Austrian.

Marko is therefore confident that Verstappen has received enough ‘signs’ that he should stay at Red Bull rather than triggering a contract exit clause, “We do not need to send him any more signals.”

Marko thinks the Dutchman has taken another big step forward in 2019. “His discipline and risk assessment are better, as is his feel for the tyres. And in a battle he is almost flawless. Unlike the Mercedes drivers. They are no longer used to a fight.”

[MIKA27]

MARKO: GASLY IS TOO WEAK WHEN FIGHTING AND OVERTAKING

Pierre Gasly is very much under the microscope at Red Bull after a torrid German Grand Prix weekend in which he crashed and was not only humbled again by his teammate Max Verstappen and also the Toro Rosso duo.

Early season struggles for the Frenchman triggered speculation he could be ousted within his first season with the energy drink owned ‘senior’ team.

But then he bounced back with a strong showing at Silverstone before crashing twice at Hockenheim before race day and then was outshone on every front by the other trio of Red Bull backed drivers.

Red Bull’s driver manager Helmut Marko told Auto Motor und Sport, “In qualifying, he showed a strong reaction to his accident. His pace in the race wasn’t bad, but Gasly is just too weak when fighting and overtaking. The crash with Albon was completely unnecessary.”

If Red Bull does oust Gasly for 2020, the overwhelming favourites to replace him are Toro Rosso drivers Alex Albon or Daniil Kvyat, “Kvyat is a gifted racer, and Albon has again shown his fighting qualities. That’s a good prospect for the future.”

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VILLENEUVE: GASLY’S VERY LUCKY TO STILL BE THERE

Pierre Gasly is only keeping his seat at Red Bull for now because of a lack of alternatives claims outspoken 1997 Formula 1 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve, who thinks Red Bull has been surprisingly lenient on the struggling French driver in 2019.

“It’s more than difficult,” he said when asked about Gasly’s current situation by MN Italia, “He’s really, really far away, and not at the level he should be.”

Amid intense pressure and rumours of an imminent ousting, Gasly took a step forward at Silverstone but 48-year-old Villeneuve doubts the situation will change fundamentally.

“Why should it?” said the French Canadian. “He’s lucky to still be there. Red Bull and Helmut Marko have been much more aggressive with their drivers in the past.

“It just shows that they don’t see anyone emerging in their ranks, so they don’t know who would replace him.”

Indeed, Villeneuve does not even think the more mature Daniil Kvyat would be a good replacement for Gasly, “They’ve already had him, so why would they do that? That’s not the way to go.”

“Driving in a big and a small team are very different things. Some drivers are incredible in small teams but not in big teams. It even happens with drivers who have ten years of experience,” Villeneuve added.

[MIKA27]

IF RENAULT ARE AT 1000 HP WHY DO THEY GET LAPPED?

Renault have hinted that they have broken the four-digit horsepower barrier with its ‘improved’ 2019 Formula 1 engine.

That is despite the fact that, just two weeks ago, a Mercedes engineer denied that even the championship-winning engine has broken through 1000 horsepower.

“No, not even Ferrari,” the engineer told Auto Motor und Sport about that elusive benchmark.

But Renault’s engine boss Remi Taffin says there are times when the French team’s 2019 engine achieves 1000hp, “There are only certain performance peaks in qualifying, We cannot always get that performance.

“In the race, we have over 950hp, and at times 960 or 970. It depends on many factors, including the circuit and the temperatures,” he explained.

When asked about Taffin’s claim, a Mercedes source responded: “We would not talk about 1000hp. Maybe Renault calculates it differently to us. What matters to us is the lap-time, anyway.”

As for Honda, a source at Red Bull commented, “We are reliable. Renault may be 1000hp, but we still lap their cars in the race.”

[MIKA27]

VAN LENNEP: IN EQUAL CARS MR HAMILTON WON’T SEE MAX

Max Verstappen is already a better driver than Lewis Hamilton claims fellow countryman Gijs van Lennep, as the Dutch youngster blows life into the mushrooming Orange Army which these days appears to include all of Holland.

77-year-old van Lennep, who raced 8 times in the 70s, thinks Verstappen is now ready to take on five-time F1 world champion Hamilton even at the wheel of identical equipment.

“Max no longer needs to learn anything,” van Lennep told De Telegraaf. “I often say that the best driver is in the best car, which in this case is Lewis Hamilton, but Max is just as good. Only his car is not at the same level.”

“Even so, Max has now managed to win several races with the car he has. I say that as long as Adrian Newey continues to be there and with a little bit of good luck, Max will be champion next year because he is the best driver on the grid.”

Van Lennep also thinks it is inevitable that Verstappen will eventually be at the wheel of the best car, “If he has an equal car, Mr Hamilton won’t see him.”

[MIKA27]

WILLIAMS: RUSSELL IS GOING NOWHERE

Williams is not going to let George Russell be poached by the Mercedes works team without a fight as the silly season hots up as the Formula 1 circus sets up tent in Budapest.

At Hockenheim, Toto Wolff suggested that Valtteri Bottas’ 2020 seat is not secure because of the promise of Mercedes’ juniors Russell and Esteban Ocon.

“We are very happy with their development. The aim is to make them ready for a seat in a Mercedes,” he said.

But Claire Williams, who has Russell at the struggling British team this year on loan from Mercedes, says Williams is not going to let the 21-year-old go.

“I told Toto that George is on a three-year contract with us, he is firmly in our plans for the future and is going nowhere,” she told the Daily Mail, and not the first time either.

[MIKA27]

Tost: Kvyat ready for RBR return, but Gasly deserves more time

Toro Rosso Formula 1 team principal Franz Tost believes Daniil Kvyat is ready to return to the main Red Bull outfit – but hopes the under-pressure Pierre Gasly is given more time.
Kvyat’s shock podium finish in the German Grand Prix was Toro Rosso’s first since 2008, and has strengthened the Russian driver’s case for taking the place alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull.

He had previously raced for the team for just over a season, but was demoted to Toro Rosso to make way for Verstappen and was axed from the Red Bull programme entirely in 2017 – only to return after a year as Ferrari’s development driver.

Asked by Motorsport.com whether Kvyat is now ready for another shot with Red Bull, Tost said: “Yes – because there is such a long period now gone, and he is much more experienced now, he knows now what to do, how to handle everything - he is another step forward.

“This is the reason I always say I need drivers for three years to educate the driver, and then he is ready to go to Red Bull. Because Red Bull is another level. Red Bull is a team fighting for victories, fighting for championships.

“And for this you are tackled with another pressure, you are working on another level. And you cannot compare this with Toro Rosso.

“He is another driver [than] he was at Red Bull, because there he was younger. He only went after one season to Red Bull because of the change when [Sebastian] Vettel went to Ferrari.

“And in the meantime [since 2016] he learned a lot, also last year at the simulator at Ferrari he learned a lot, and this year, you know, we had now 11 races, that means also here he learned a lot.

“And that Daniil has a very high natural speed and that he is a really skilled driver we knew. We knew from Formula Renault or from GP3 and also from our first year in Formula 1.”

Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has ruled out dropping Gasly for Kvyat mid-season, but agreed that the Russian’s Hockenheim podium piled more pressure on the Frenchman.

But while Tost has long made it clear that the decision over the two teams’ 2020 line-ups is firmly in Red Bull’s hands, the Toro Rosso team boss is keen to retain his current line-up of Kvyat and Alexander Albon.

“I hope that the driver line-up at Red Bull will stay like it is and I would also like to continue with our drivers, because we have a driver line-up one of the strongest we ever had,” Tost said, having also commended Albon for an “unbelievably good race” to sixth place in Hockenheim.

Tost also continued to back Gasly, saying: “We all know Pierre. And Pierre is also a high-skilled driver, I rate him very high, although his year so far he was not so lucky and didn't show the performance maybe he himself expected.

“But you must not forget Max Verstappen is established in this team, and he is unbelievably fast - and you know, maybe the car does not fit so well to the driving style of Pierre and he has to get used to this.

“But this takes time, and I hope that Red Bull will give him time, because he will be there. Earlier or later, he will be there. I make a bet [on] this.”

[MIKA27]

Robert Kubica's Hungaroring circuit guide

 

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F1 2019 Hungarian GP - Thursday (Drivers) Press Conference

MIKA: Is it just me or does Kubica's head look superimposed on a childs body?  

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ALFA ROMEO APPEAL GERMAN GRAND PRIX PENALTIES

Alfa Romeo have formally appealed stewards’ decisions that dropped Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi out of the points at the German Grand Prix and helped Lewis Hamilton extend his overall Formula 1 World Championship lead.

FIA appointed race stewards handed the two drivers 30-second post-race penalties for clutch-related irregularities at the start at Hockenheim.

The penalties meant Raikkonen dropped from seventh to 12th and Giovinazzi from eighth to 13th while Mercedes’ five-times world champion Hamilton moved up to ninth with his lead stretched to 41 points.

If Alfa are successful, the Briton will lose the two points as well as his run of 23 successive scoring finishes.

Polish driver Robert Kubica, who was moved up to 10th, would also lose what is so far Williams’ only point of the season as well as the first of his F1 comeback. Kubica’s last point was in 2010 before he suffered a near-fatal rally crash.

Alfa Romeo, now ninth of 10 teams in the standings, had given notice on Sunday that they planned to appeal.

“The situation arose during the laps we spent behind the safety car ahead of the standing start,” team boss Frederic Vasseur said in a statement at the time.

“We suffered a dysfunction of the clutch that was beyond our control and we will further investigate the issue.

“We respect the FIA’s process and the stewards’ work, but… believe we have the grounds and evidence to have it overturned,” added the team chief.

MIKA: Even if Alfa have a solid case, there is no way the FIA will over-rule their decision because they know what a sham they have been in stewarding.

This would only underline just how bad that department really is. IMHO, I think 30 seconds is an absolute crazy penalty to give.

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VERSTAPPEN CLOSER TO CHALLENGING HAMILTON FOR F1 THRONE

After two stunning wins in three races, the force in Formula 1 is with Max Verstappen who will this weekend bid for another victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

The 21-year-old Red Bull driver, whose father Jos reached the podium in Hungary in 1994, is hoping to sign off before the mid-season break with another flourish.

Verstappen’s powerful performance in winning last weekend’s tumultuous rain-hit German Grand Prix lifted him within 63 points of the defending five-time champion Lewis Hamilton with 10 of this year’s 21 races to go.

The Dutchman is a distant third in the driver standings, behind the Mercedes pair of Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas. Yet the Silver Arrows’ self-described “Armageddon” on home soil at Hockenheim, has inspired Verstappen’s team to dream of greater glory.

The Dutchman played down his potential in the championship on Sunday night but Red Bull sporting director Helmut Marko thinks Verstappen might snatch the title from Hamilton, “I would not rule it out.”

Hockenheim marked Hamilton’s worst outing since joining Mercedes and with questions being raised about the Briton’s durability and exhausting ‘jet-set’ lifestyle, Verstappen is emerging as the man to beat.

Hamilton was ill throughout the weekend and did well to step into his car but was clearly shaken by his error-strewn race.

Lewis Hamilton was left to suck on a disastrous race for Mercedes in Germany. He finished outside the top 10 but was awarded two points when Alfa Romeo’s two cars were penalised, moving him up to ninth.

It was scant consolation for Mercedes on a day when Bottas crashed and the team, distracted perhaps by their own ‘retro’ celebrations of 125 years in motorsport, made some poor decisions on strategy and pit stops.

“We know that they weren’t good enough, and that’s why we ended up with such a bad result,” said Mercedes engineering director Andrew Shovlin.

Mercedes were unbeaten in the opening eight races. Yet they could start to feel the pressure if they have another bad weekend, if Verstappen can turn the screw or if the Ferraris, with a more extensive upgrades package, can continue the resurgence they signalled in Germany.

Ferraris’ own rising star, Charles Leclerc, started well in qualifying before being undone by the persistent Ferrari mechanical problems that forced him to start 10th. His team-mate Sebastian Vettel started in 20th.

The young Monegasque crashed out in the rain but four-time champion Vettel delighted his home support by picking his way through the field to finish second ahead of Daniil Kvyat’s Toro Rosso.

Hamilton won last year’s race in Hungary from pole and, if he is recovered from his illness, should start again as favourite. But neither he nor Mercedes are invincible, especially if Verstappen continues to drive so fearlessly.

“I like the Hungaroring,” said the Dutchman. “It’s one of my favourite tracks and I’m looking forward to going there. It’s technical and you have to hit the apexes to position yourself well for each corner.

“It feels a bit like you’re driving a big car on a small track, as it’s so narrow, but that doesn’t make it any less fun. The whole team looks forward to this race. It’s one of the warmest and it’s a good track for us. We’ll give it everything before the summer break,” he added.

[In-A-Gadda-Davidoff]

On 7/31/2019 at 8:30 PM, MIKA27 said:

As for Honda, a source at Red Bull commented, “We are reliable. Renault may be 1000hp, but we still lap their cars in the race.”

Love this.  Absolutely fierce.  

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HAMILTON: I WON’T ALLOW NETFLIX TO RELEASE ME BEING SICK

While Netflix trumpeted that they had full access from Ferrari and Mercedes to be part of the second season of “drive to Survive”, it appears that the much-vaunted exclusive behind the scenes footage will indeed be censored by none other than reigning Formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton.

Karma would have it that Netflix had access to Mercedes during the disastrous (for them) German Grand Prix weekend, instead of showing the usual indomitable side of the team the cameras had raw video of them imploding big time, on home soil, in the race they sponsored, on the anniversary of their 200th grand prix amid Daimler’s celebrations of 125 years of motorsport.

Adding to the juicy ingredients is the fact that Hamilton, reported that he “never felt this sick and this has been the hardest race weekend of my life.”

But the Mercedes driver insists the footage of his poorly state will not be aired in the much anticipated next series, he told RaceFans: “I don’t think it was a distraction at all, I think they were really great.

“I probably won’t be in it much as I was sick the whole time and I won’t allow them to release me being sick probably so I won’t even be in it,” added Hamilton.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said after the epic German Grand Prix, “We have given the Netflix guys more content than on any other weekend. I believe that one of the core strengths of our team is the way we handle defeat. We accept responsibility for mistakes so we can learn and improve and we will come back stronger from this.”

Hamilton posted on Instagram today: “Sorry I’ve been MIA. I’m in much better shape coming into the weekend. I hope you are having a great week, Budapest is beautiful and the weather is great. Crunch time, let’s go!!!”

MIKA: I have never heard anyoe moan about how sick they are than this guy Hamilton. Who gives a s**t he is sick. 

He sucked at the last race and he is simply trying to make an excuse for dropping the ball IMO. If he was THAT sick, why did Toto allow him to drive? isn't that was reserve drivers are for? I personally think Hamilton is a whiny little sulking twat.

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LOBBY TO GET ALONSO BACK IN FORMULA 1 CONTINUES

Two experienced  Formula 1 personalities think it is possible that Fernando Alonso will return to the grid, as in Spain a strong lobby remains to get their finest race driver back on the grid at the highest level.

Disgruntled with the state of the sport and his lack of opportunities to win, the two-time world champion quit Formula 1 at the end of last year. He has been linked with a potential return, but says he will only come back to a top team capable of winning.

When asked if Alonso will return, former Ferrari chief engineer Toni Cuquerella told AS newspaper: “I have no idea. If he finds a competitive team, which I think can happen, then I would like to think so.”

Another fellow Spaniard, former F1 driver Pedro de la Rosa, was also asked if he thinks Alonso will be back in 2020. “Nobody knows. But we can only hope so because there are very few geniuses behind the wheel and I know that he is one of them.”

“Whether he is Spanish or not, I want to see the best in F1. But it’s a very personal decision.”

De la Rosa also played down suggestions that if Alonso does not come back at the age of 38 next year, it will be too late for a return further down the road.

“He can wait. It’s not an all or nothing year,” said the former McLaren and Ferrari tester. “When I got to 40 I felt no reduction in my performance.”

Cuquerella is certain that Alonso will not come back just “to be there”, but isn’t sure a key vacancy at a winning team will open up, “But who knows? F1 is very unpredictable,” said Cuquerella, who now works in Formula E.

De la Rosa agrees: “When Rosberg won the championship and retired two days later, everyone said ‘My God, how is that possible?’ So from a personal perspective, I keep hoping.”

These calls come in the wake of Carlos Sainz, who considers Alonso a mentor, lamented that the veteran is no longer plying his trade in the top flight.

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TORO ROSSO: HISTORICALLY HUNGARY HAS SUITED OUR CAR

Toro Rosso drivers preview the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, Round 12 of the 2019 Formula 1 World Championship, at Hungaroring near Budapest.

Alex Albon: “The Hungaroring is a difficult circuit, a proper driver’s track, old-school and physically demanding with no straights where you can pause for breath. I’ve had mixed fortunes here in the past, the highlights being winning the GP3 sprint race in 2016 and the F2 sprint last year.

“Racing here can be frustrating if you are stuck in the pack as it is difficult to overtake, so this will be a weekend where we really have to prioritise Qualifying. Doing well on Saturday will be our first important goal.

“Historically, Hungary has suited the Toro Rosso car, which is a positive heading into the weekend, and I think we could do well here this year too. After such a great result for the team last week in Germany, I can’t wait to hit the track again this weekend. It was great to finish sixth which was the best result of my career, even if I thought there was more on the table!

“Budapest is a beautiful place and I managed to have one day as a tourist there. The fans are great, very passionate and enthusiastic. We have a bit of a break after this race and I think I will enjoy it. It will be time for me to reflect on the first part of my first season in F1 and focus on the rest of the year. So far, it’s felt as though I’m riding an unstoppable wave, so it will be nice to chill out for a bit.

Daniil Kvyat: “The last race in Germany was an incredible experience after stepping onto the podium again after three years. It was special because we didn’t have an easy weekend before the race, we didn’t qualify well so it looked like it was going to be a difficult Sunday.

“However, I think I drove a great race in the changing conditions and made good strategy calls along with the team, to ensure we were there to capitalise on whatever opportunity that presented itself. To be on the podium the same weekend my daughter was born is a surreal feeling.

“We travel to Hungary on Wednesday for the final race before the summer break. I like the Hungaroring because it’s interesting and unusual; plenty of slow-speed corners, which is why people say it’s like Monaco without the barriers. But it also has some high and medium-speed corners so it’s not really accurate to say it’s a slow speed circuit.

“The Hungaroring is where I got my best ever result in Formula 1 when I finished second in 2015, but that seems a long time ago now.

“In the past, this has been a good track for Toro Rosso, so the key will be finding a good balance and hopefully it will be a successful weekend for us again this year. Although the track is nice to drive, it can be tricky during the race if you get stuck behind slower cars as it’s very difficult to overtake and you might have to try a change of strategy.

“Therefore, you want to have a very good Saturday and then control things on Sunday. But things rarely go to plan, so you must be prepared to be flexible. July is the hottest time of the year in Hungary and it gets very warm inside the cockpit, so it can be physically quite demanding, especially as there are no straights, so you can never ‘relax’.

“After this race, we have the summer break and it will be nice to get some rest and recharge my batteries, but I know that after a week, I’ll be keen to go racing again.”

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Stewards to impose time penalties for unsafe releases after Germany backlash

Formula 1 race stewards have agreed to impose time penalties for unsafe releases after facing a backlash over the decision to fine Ferrari in Germany.

An unsafe release has traditionally seen the driver face a five-second time penalty which is either served at their next pit-stop or post-race, but in Germany the stewards chose to fine Ferrari €5,000 when they released Charles Leclerc into the path of Romain Grosjean.

Grosjean was forced to come to an almost complete stop to avoid a collision in what was a busier than normal pitlane as changeable weather saw more than half the grid stop for a tyre change.

However after the race there were complaints that a fine would not serve as a deterrent, with such sums insignificant to teams that spend hundreds of millions each season.

"It's completely wrong," was the view of race winner Max Verstappen, who was given a time penalty in Monaco when he was released into the side of Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas.

"If you get a fine, everybody will do it. I think it's not fair. To say they gave me the penalty purely because we touched, I think that is also not fair, you're still releasing the car knowing there is a car in the fast lane."

The matter was addressed in the team manager meeting ahead of the Hungarian GP this weekend and it's believed the stewards have agreed going forward that time penalties will be be the default penalty for unsafe releases.

"I think they have spoken in the managers meeting about it," added Verstappen. "Let's see what they are going to do about it now.

"How big was the fine? 5,000? That's peanuts for a team. They really don't care to pay that. I think it's completely wrong to do that, especially if you talk about safety, it's not correct."

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Formula 1 set for record 22-race 2020 calendar

Formula 1 is set to expand to a record-breaking 22 events in 2020, with the inclusion of Spain, return of the Netherlands, and arrival of Vietnam.

Formula 1 owners Liberty Media had previously informed teams that a 21-race calendar would be retained, with the Netherlands and Vietnam replacing Spain and Germany.

But the Catalan government has given the green-light to fund a 2020 grand prix at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, enabling the race to remain while long-term negotiations can take place.

An agreement between Liberty Media and officials in Spain has not yet been concluded but Motorsport Week understands that the race will be retained on a one-year deal.

Germany is set to drop from the calendar off the back of its one-year extension for 2019, which was predominantly funded by title sponsor Mercedes.

Mexico and Italy are set to join Britain in receiving new deals beyond 2019.

One agreement that needs to be reached with Formula 1 teams is the number of engines that will be permitted should the calendar expand to 22 grands prix.

Formula 1 teams are currently permitted three engines per season per car, though under a 22-race calendar there is a chance this could be expanded to four engines.

This would potentially leave customer teams in taking on a bigger financial hit.

“One of my things, we need to keep it to three engines,” said Haas boss Guenther Steiner. “If you introduce a fourth engine, it doesn’t make sense for us financially.

“Actually it is negative for us so why would we do that. But that is down to the engine manufacturer to say yes or no. If they are confident we can do it with three engines, then I am fine with it.”

One other issue facing Liberty Media and the FIA is the exact composition of the calendar.

Only Australia, on March 15, currently has a date, though Bahrain is expected to follow two weeks later, while Abu Dhabi will be retained as the season finale.

Vietnam has a provisional April date but is likely to be a standalone round due to the potential logistics of getting freight into a country that Formula 1 has never visited.

This would potentially mean the Netherlands takes up a date on the second weekend of May, effectively replacing Spain, meaning Barcelona may need to shift to later in the year, for Monaco’s date is fixed.

However, should Vietnam and China be able to run back-to-back in April, it frees up the opening two weekends of May for the Netherlands and Spain to form a double-header, prior to Monaco.

Baku is set to run back-to-back with Canada, though the order has yet to be determined, while Britain is likely to run as a standalone round in late June, amid concerns over Brexit.

This year’s British Grand Prix ran as a standalone event over customs fears in the wake of its departure from the European Union, but now next year’s race is set to be the first post-Brexit, after politicians shifted the planned exit date from March 29 to October 31.

The second half of the 2020 calendar is likely to be similar in structure to 2019.

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Racing Point introduces upgraded suspension for Hungary

Racing Point has brought a new suspension upgrade to the Hungarian Grand Prix, becoming the latest Formula 1 team to add an extended upright bracket to the pushrod.
The team announced after the British Grand Prix that it would initiate a significant two-step upgrade for the following two races in Germany and Hungary.

New bodywork was brought to Hockenheim, while the changes to the suspension represent the second part of the team's mid-season updates.

Implemented by a number of teams this season, the bracket is believed to assist with momentary ride height changes to the front end of the car under steering.

This counteracts the body roll produced when the car is cornering, creating a more stable platform for the aerodynamics to work efficiently.

This is a further step in using a car's suspension kinematics to optimise the aerodynamic load produced.

Due to the low-speed, technical nature of the Hungaroring, it appears to be the logical place to debut the suspension tweaks to develop a more consistent level of downforce.

Sergio Perez suggested that, although it has been difficult to draw conclusions from the upgrades so far, the team's data suggests the upgrades are working as planned.

"It didn't feel much better because we come from a very good track which is Silverstone, so it's very hard to draw conclusions, but the team is optimistic.

"We see good numbers, we see it's working, so it should be good. We have some mechanical updates, [and] we will try them on Friday to see how they perform."

Perez was also cautious about the team's chances in Hungary, and said his hopes were on the new suspension changes delivering a boost to Racing Point's performance.

"[Making a step] will be the target, [to] have a good race and then come back strong.

"Generally Hungary hasn't been a good place for us. I remember last year we had one of the worst races here, then we went back to Spa with a similar car and we finished fourth.

"So we'll see where we are here."

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Mercedes' "mighty" low-speed form a worry for Hungary - Horner

The "mighty" performance of Mercedes in low-speed corners has left Red Bull in no doubts that it is facing a tough task to win this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix.
While the tight and twisty confines of the Hungaroring should in theory be the perfect stomping ground for the Red Bull-Honda package, team principal Christian Horner thinks the form between the top teams this year has changed.

He believes that Mercedes has turned around an old weakness it had on slow-speed circuits into it now being one of its core strengths.

Asked by Motorsport.com if he believed Red Bull was favourites for this weekend, Horner said: "Hungary is a track we enjoy going to. But Mercedes's slow corner performance is pretty mighty, and I think they're going to be tough opponents."

Red Bull has cause for optimism that it can at least launch a challenge based on the recent progress it has made with its RB15 though. In Max Verstappen's hands, the car has won two of the last three races.

Horner is convinced that his team has now unleashed some good potential from the car, but feels it still needs to add more speed if it is going to regularly challenge Mercedes.

"I think we have been getting more performance on the car," he said. "The chassis's been getting better, the engine's been getting better and I think we have got some good stuff in the pipeline for the second half of the year.

"We've got stable regulations from 2019 into 2020, so whatever we learn this year applies to next year. So we want to keep the trajectory going the way we are."

And although Red Bull's motorsport advisor Helmut Marko still has his sights set on five wins this year, Horner says he does not want to set specific targets for the team.

"I never talked about five wins," he said. "Helmut, that's his objective and optimism. I take each race at a time.

"We've won two grands prix, which is fantastic given this is a transnational year with Honda. For Honda, if you think about the results they were getting a year or two ago, it's a phenomenal turnaround."

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F1 reveals German GP broadcast was nearly thwarted by fire

Formula 1's broadcasting division has revealed it came close to not being able to transmit the track action from Hockenheim last Saturday after an overnight fire destroyed a truck in the TV compound.
The fire, which started during an electrical storm, burned out the F1 up-link and fibre truck, which is responsible for sending pictures around the world.

With the third practice session of the German Grand Prix weekend fast approaching, the F1 broadcast team had to spring into action on Saturday morning to make alternative arrangements, which it was eventually able to do after broadcast partners came to rescue by loaning equipment.

“0650 on the Saturday morning of a race weekend is never a good time for your mobile to ring,” said the F1 organisation’s television systems group manager Trevor Turner in a race preview.

“The call was to tell me that the truck had been completely destroyed a little over 90 minutes previously. The fire services were leaving the site having done what they could and crews from Eurovision and our host broadcaster in Germany, RTL, were already on site assessing the situation.

“While the truck itself looked relatively intact, inside it was completely destroyed. It quickly became clear that we were in real trouble.

“The Eurovision Services truck is primarily responsible for distributing pictures to our European broadcast partners, but it was also looking after additional transmission services for Canal+ in France and Movistar in Spain. Those services were now unusable.”

Fortunately local broadcaster RTL was able to help, although there was a gap to be plugged. “RTL had already stepped up and arranged for two satellite trucks to be driven to Hockenheim (one from Frankfurt and another from Munich) but neither was expected to arrive before FP3.

“We identified that if we wanted have a chance of getting FP3 to air then the only transmission paths available in the quantity required were those between F1’s Technical Centre at the track and its UK Media & Technology Centre in the UK, the ones used to deliver its social, web, app and F1TV content, and also for transmissions to Asia and the Americas.

“So, the first solution was to use the Asian international feed at our UK Media & Technology Centre to cover the loss of transmissions over Europe and Eurovision teams in Geneva to plan transmission of this feed in both HD and UHD formats from an alternative fixed satellite facility.

“Tata offered access to their on-site back up world feed satellite link to support the new transmission set-up we’d put in place for Europe. In addition, RTL offered access via their fibre to Cologne and Sky UK’s Master Control Room was on standby to support with signals which they also had available via F1 and Tata in London.”

All of this fast work meant that FP3, qualifying and the race were transmitted without problems.

“We were able to broadcast FP3 live without any issues,” said Turner. “It was real team effort and the assistance we received from all our partners – at Eurovision, Tata Communications, RTL, Sky – was brilliant.

“It really was a bit like a Formula 1 team arriving on Saturday morning to find they got a problem and need to do an engine change in a real hurry. In fact it was worse. It was like opening the garage and finding that the car’s gone!”

With no time to replace the damaged truck the same arrangements will be in place in Hungary this weekend.

“All the additional resources we finally had in Germany are going through to Hungary,” said Turner. “We are maintaining the additional services through to Eurovision, but that’s more of a fail-safe than anything else, and they have requested that. There will be a couple of additional trucks there, but yes, on Friday morning in Budapest it will be business as usual.”

[MIKA27]

What time is the Hungarian Grand Prix on?

The Formula 1 Rolex Magyar Nagydij 2019 runs from August 02-04. Check the map above to find out when Sunday's race starts where you are.

For more information on what time you can watch FP1 & FP2 on Friday and FP3 & Qualifying on Saturday in your location, visit our HUNGARY RACE HUB which features a dynamic time converter.

What TV broadcaster is showing the Hungarian Grand Prix?

For details of the broadcasters in your area, click the Broadcast Information link below the timetable in our HUNGARY RACE HUB.

You can also watch the Hungarian Grand Prix via F1 TV Pro (in selected countries only).

FORMULA 1 ROLEX MAGYAR NAGYDÍJ 2019

 

When was the track built?

Work began on the Hungaroring in 1985, and the track was race-ready just nine months later. The Hungarian government had originally considered reviving the old Nepliget park circuit in Budapest in a bid to host Formula 1 in the country, but in the end decided to create a purpose-built facility instead.

When was its first Grand Prix?

The year was 1986. Nelson Piquet won the first F1 race around the Hungaroring, famously slithering his Williams around the outside of Ayrton Senna’s Lotus to take the lead.

What’s the circuit like?

The lack of straights at the Hungaroring often sees it compared to a karting circuit – and it’s true, the resemblance is uncanny. With several series of corners to string together, teams opt for Monaco levels of downforce, with a well-sorted chassis tending to be rewarded over horsepower given the short straights on offer. It’s a challenge many of the drivers relish, however, with finding a good rhythm key to setting fast lap times.

Why go?

Hungary in July is usually hot hot hot. The good news if you’re at the track, though, is that there’s a water park close by – the Mogyorodi Aquarena vizi szorakoztatopark – which should be a good place to cool off. Away from aqueous activities, the circuit is only 20km from Budapest, putting you close to one of Europe’s most fascinating, storied and lively city centres.

Where is the best place to watch?

The track is built in a natural bowl, a bit like the UK's Brands Hatch. That means that any of the grandstands located on or around the main straight should provide a view of other parts of the track too, giving you more F1 bang for your, er, forint.

What's the weather forecast for the Hungarian Grand Prix?

Largely warm and dry, but rain is not out of the question. Here are the conditions the drivers are likely to face in Budapest this weekend for the Hungarian Grand Prix.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 02 - FP1 & FP2 WEATHER
Conditions: Partly cloudy
Maximum temperature expected: 27 Celsius
Chance of rain: 0%

SATURDAY, AUGUST 03 - FP3 & QUALIFYING WEATHER
Conditions: Rain at times
Maximum temperature expected: 27 Celsius
Chance of rain: 30%

SUNDAY, AUGUST 04 - RACE WEATHER
Conditions: Partly cloudy
Maximum temperature expected: 27 Celsius
Chance of rain: 52%

[MIKA27]

HAMILTON: I HAVE NO PROBLEM IF VERSTAPPEN JOINS MERCEDES

It would be a match-up for the ages: Lewis Hamilton versus Max Verstappen as teammates at Mercedes starting next year is blockbuster stuff we can only dream about and considering the circumstances of both drivers highly unlikely to happen.

Nevertheless, that has not stopped a strong lobby at Mercedes to consider the pairing for next year as the two drivers have emerged as the best of the current crop, very little between the precocious 21-year-old Dutchman and the British five-time F1 world champion.

A veritable showdown between the top gun of the new generation up against the boss of the old guard has imaginations running amok in the wake of a dramatic German Grand Prix. A Bottas-Verstappen team swap is the latest one floating through the paddock.

Verstappen won Sunday’s chaotic and rain-soaked race, showing great composure on a treacherously wet track. It was his second win in three races and the seventh of his career.

In contrast, Hamilton had a torrid race despite starting from pole. The Briton labelled his race weekend at Hockenheim “as the worst of his life” and finished out of the points until the Haas pair were demoted for a technical infringement.

Speaking to reporters in Budapest, Hamilton said of Verstappen and his Red Bull team, “He’s done a great job and clearly they have done a great job in quite a few races now. It’s great to see them progressing. We’ll be ready for the fight.”

Hamilton is 63 points ahead of Verstappen, who is third in the title race with 10 races remaining. A title shot seems too far off for Verstappen this season, given Hamilton is unlikely to have too many blips like Hockenheim, if any at all.

But an inter-team title fight at Mercedes, if Verstappen does replace Bottas next year, would be a mouthwatering one that F1 is desperate to see.

“Personally I would have no problem with it,” Hamilton said. “I don’t know how that dynamic would work for the team. I’m not saying it would or it would not.”

A rivalry with Verstappen would — hypothetically — also give Hamilton a chance to prove he’s the quicker driver rather than being in a faster and more reliable car.

“In some ways it works well for me … because people write stories (saying) we’ve got different cars (and) that’s the only way I’m quicker. So this gives me the opportunity to show that’s not the case,” explained Hamilton.

[MIKA27]

BOTTAS: I FEEL I DESERVE TO BE WITH MERCEDES

Mercedes has a point to prove at this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix, especially Valtteri Bottas whose future at Mercedes will be settled during Formula 1’s summer break, which follows Sunday’s race.

Last weekend’s crash during the German Grand Prix has only increased the spotlight on the Finnish driver heading into the race with a number of highly-rated candidates looming in the background keen to step into the best cockpit in the business.

“For sure it was not ideal,” Bottas said Thursday, reflecting on his Hockenheim crash. “Every race is important but when you know the team is making decision for the future … it can be very important.”

Bottas has been on one-year rolling contracts since joining Mercedes in 2017 as a sudden replacement for retired world champion Nico Rosberg. Last year he got the nod for 2019 only in July. This time the decision is being made even later, amid speculation he could be replaced by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.

While he is mindful of the situation, he said the uncertainty will not affect his driving at the Hungaroring.

“It’s not the first time … so it’s business as usual,” Bottas told reporters. “I feel I deserve to be here. I still have lots to give, lots to get. I still haven’t achieved my goals.”

His stated goal at the start of this season was to challenge — and topple — reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton, his Mercedes teammate.

Bottas backed that up by winning two of the first four races and even leading the F1 championship ahead of Hamilton. But he has not won any of the past seven, while Hamilton has won five.

It was a golden chance missed for Bottas last weekend, given that Hamilton collected only two points after finishing ninth.

At the time of his crash, which came two laps after Hamilton had spun his car in the same place, Bottas was pushing for a podium finish, which would have at least dented Hamilton’s championship lead. Instead, Bottas sits 41 points behind the five-time F1 champion.

“I still believe in myself as hard as I did. I know I’m still in the championship fight. Maybe some people don’t,” Bottas said at the Mercedes motorhome. “I can’t say that anything has changed in my driving. I am driving as well as I can. The first few races I had the wind on my side, then Lewis got it.”

Bottas and Hamilton lead F1 drivers with four pole positions each this season, proof Bottas has the single-lap speed. But Bottas concedes that he still lacks a certain level of consistency.

“It all comes down to me being at my best level every week. That’s the tricky part,” he said. “To get the maximum out of yourself in every single session.”

[MIKA27]

VERSTAPPEN: ONLY €5000 FINE FOR LECLERC UNSAFE RELEASE IS UNFAIR

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen took issue with ‘unfair’ Formula 1 steward after Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc escaped a time penalty for an unsafe release during a German Grand Prix pitstop last weekend.

Ferrari were fined €5,000 euros ($6’000), instead of a time penalty for the driver, for sending the Monegasque into the path of Haas’s Romain Grosjean in a chaotic race at Hockenheim, with the cars making minor contact.

The stewards noted in their written decision that Leclerc drove out at an acute angle to avoid a tyre changer in the adjacent pit.

Verstappen was handed a five-second penalty for an unsafe release in May after he collided with Mercedes rival Valtteri Bottas in the Monaco pitlane, costing the young Dutch driver a place on the podium.

Asked about the Hockenheim incident, Verstappen told reporters ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix that the decision was ‘completely wrong’.

“If they (teams) would get a fine (and not a time penalty), everybody would do it,” he said. “I think it’s not fair. To say that then they gave me that penalty (in Monaco) only purely because I touched, I think that’s also not fair,” added the 21-year-old.

“You are still releasing the car knowing that there is a car in the fast lane. Just a fine, it’s not fair…the fine? 5,000? I mean, it’s peanuts for a team. They really don’t care to pay that. I think it’s completely wrong to do that, especially if you talk about safety. Not correct.”

Formula 1 race director Michael Masi said after the Hockenheim race that no precedent had been set and each case was assessed on its own merits.

He also said that while Verstappen’s case had been listed as an unsafe release, the penalty was for the pitlane collision that ultimately denied Bottas second place.

Verstappen, who had to spend two days with stewards in January and February as punishment for a post-race Brazilian GP altercation with rival Esteban Ocon, said he had heard team managers had discussed the situation.

“I think also they saw that was maybe not the right way to go. If next time the guy with just the same gets a five-second penalty, then something is wrong with the system in my opinion,” he said.

“It cannot be once decided like this. For me, unsafe release being in rain, dry or snowing is the same. It’s unsafe. If it (the fine) is wrong or right only time will tell because maybe people take more risk and at some point we have to stop them,” added Verstappen.

[Baccy]

18 hours ago, MIKA27 said:

VERSTAPPEN: ONLY €5000 FINE FOR LECLERC UNSAFE RELEASE IS UNFAIR

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen took issue with ‘unfair’ Formula 1 steward after Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc escaped a time penalty for an unsafe release during a German Grand Prix pitstop last weekend.

Ferrari were fined €5,000 euros ($6’000), instead of a time penalty for the driver, for sending the Monegasque into the path of Haas’s Romain Grosjean in a chaotic race at Hockenheim, with the cars making minor contact.

The stewards noted in their written decision that Leclerc drove out at an acute angle to avoid a tyre changer in the adjacent pit.

Verstappen was handed a five-second penalty for an unsafe release in May after he collided with Mercedes rival Valtteri Bottas in the Monaco pitlane, costing the young Dutch driver a place on the podium.

Asked about the Hockenheim incident, Verstappen told reporters ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix that the decision was ‘completely wrong’.

“If they (teams) would get a fine (and not a time penalty), everybody would do it,” he said. “I think it’s not fair. To say that then they gave me that penalty (in Monaco) only purely because I touched, I think that’s also not fair,” added the 21-year-old.

“You are still releasing the car knowing that there is a car in the fast lane. Just a fine, it’s not fair…the fine? 5,000? I mean, it’s peanuts for a team. They really don’t care to pay that. I think it’s completely wrong to do that, especially if you talk about safety. Not correct.”

Formula 1 race director Michael Masi said after the Hockenheim race that no precedent had been set and each case was assessed on its own merits.

He also said that while Verstappen’s case had been listed as an unsafe release, the penalty was for the pitlane collision that ultimately denied Bottas second place.

Verstappen, who had to spend two days with stewards in January and February as punishment for a post-race Brazilian GP altercation with rival Esteban Ocon, said he had heard team managers had discussed the situation.

“I think also they saw that was maybe not the right way to go. If next time the guy with just the same gets a five-second penalty, then something is wrong with the system in my opinion,” he said.

“It cannot be once decided like this. For me, unsafe release being in rain, dry or snowing is the same. It’s unsafe. If it (the fine) is wrong or right only time will tell because maybe people take more risk and at some point we have to stop them,” added Verstappen.

100% agree with Max, and this is the very reason so many F1 fans take issue with the stewards and their ridiculous inconsistency when it comes to penalties...