FORMULA 1

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Kvyat "can't get too greedy" with Red Bull return hopes

Daniil Kvyat says he "cannot get too greedy" with his hopes of returning to the main Red Bull team, in light of its decision to call up his Toro Rosso teammate Alex Albon.
Kvyat raced for Red Bull in 2015 and the first part of 2016, before being demoted to Toro Rosso then dropped from the programme entirely before the end of the 2017 season.

He was re-signed by Red Bull to rejoin Toro Rosso for 2019, and scored a shock podium in the rain-hit German Grand Prix during a strong first half of the season.

However, when Red Bull opted to drop Gasly to Toro Rosso, it drafted in F1 rookie Albon so it has knowledge of all three drivers at the senior team as it weighs up who to place alongside Max Verstappen in 2020.

“One thing with Red Bull is that it is always open,” Kvyat said when asked by Motorsport.com about his chances of getting the seat for next year.

“Whenever someone doesn't perform, there is always automatic pressure. Especially if someone else in the junior team is performing.

“It is not going to change in a next few months. I cannot get too greedy, because it is incredible that I already managed to come back to Formula 1.

“Then already all of you were pushing me to the senior team after a couple of months since I came back. Maybe things are [progressing] fast. For sure Red Bull has their own plan.”

The Russian driver said he took no issue with Red Bull slotting in Albon alongside Verstappen for the rest of the current campaign.

“I don't have any disappointment or anything," he insisted. "My job doesn't change and my year has been fantastic.

“I look at that rather than at other things that are a bit more out of my control.

“I understand [the decision]. They have their reasons. I think my year has been very strong but they have also other reasons to try Alex in a very competitive car.

“The decision was Red Bull's, I have to respect it and accept it, so no problems with that.

“The thing we should not forget is I’ve been to Red Bull already, and it certainly played a role. That's what I’ve been told.”

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McLaren gives F1 livery a "summer haircut"

McLaren has given the livery of its Formula 1 car a 'summer haircut' for the Belgian Grand Prix, with the team also running some new sponsor logos for the first time.
While most of the changes are just a tidying up of its orange, black and blue colours, the most notable difference is the rear wing becoming more black.

McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl told Motorsport.com about the changes: "We all went for a haircut in the summer break, and so did the car."

As well as tweaking the colours, McLaren is also running the logos of Belgian convenience chain Night and Day in deference to its normal British American Tobacco branding.

For races like Belgium where there are more strict tobacco advertising legislation, BAT has given over the space it has on the car to retail partners.

In Australia the team ran with 7-Eleven logos, in Canada it had Couchetard and in France it had Dufry.

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THE DAY AFTER: A SOMBRE SUNDAY

A race that paid fitting tribute to the memory of Anthoine Hubert, Charles Leclerc took what is sure to be the first of many career victories in Belgium on Sunday.

It’s hard to know where to start.

Two days ago, Anthoine Hubert took to the track for the F2 feature race in Spa, ready to do as he had so many times before, and drive a car to the limits of its adhesion in search of a victory. He would’ve been excited, maybe a bit nervous, but above all, hopeful. Hopeful of what he could achieve that Saturday afternoon, and indeed where that afternoon and the many others like it could take him in life.

Unfortunately, as we now know, he won’t get a chance to realise those hopes. After just 22 years on this planet, his race has been run. Here one moment, gone the next. As brutal as it is unfair.

While this isn’t the first death I’ve experienced in my motorsport fandom, I can’t deny it has affected me differently. For the first time, I’ve been confronted with the death of a driver who was younger than I am – by some four years – and that’s made it particularly hard to process.

At 26, I would like to think my whole life is still ahead of me, and that goes even more so for Anthoine. Indeed, whatever he could have accomplished on the race track, that would have only been part of the story of the man he could have become, and the impact he would have had on those around him. I cannot imagine how his friends and family feel right now, knowing Anthoine will never brighten their lives again.

I hope that Anthoine’s passing will be the last we as motorsport fans have to experience, but history says otherwise. Speed and the sack of meat that is the human body simply aren’t a great mix, and with safety continually being improved, it can be easy to forget that fact.

Particularly as someone who tries not to take things too seriously, there are times I’ve definitely overlooked it, but I don’t think I’m alone. Certainly from fans, but even drivers themselves can fail to grasp the danger – at least judging by Pierre Gasly’s comments on Sunday – and if there’s any “positive” to be taken from this tragedy, it’s the stark reminder it offers.

Moving forward, I hope that lesson is learned, but in any case, to put your life on the line in the pursuit of doing something you love makes you deserving of a respect that goes far beyond the sport. From the fastest to the slowest, it doesn’t matter, they’re all truly remarkable people.

Quick Hits

On a more positive note, it was fantastic to see Charles Leclerc finally take his first F1 victory on Sunday. Understandably, he might not have felt much like celebrating, but it was nice that on a weekend where one young life was cut short, another was able to take a step forward on a journey that is just beginning.

Driver of the Day: Alex Albon

Starting 17th on the grid, Albon was nothing short of exceptional, making several overtakes to coming through the field and finish fifth. With Max Verstappen crashing out early, he did exactly what his new team needed from him and picked up the most points available.

Best of the Day: Spa Spectators

Giving a standing ovation on lap 19 for car 19 was a very thoughtful gesture.

Quote of the Day:

“It is difficult to enjoy a first victory on a weekend like this. I grew up with Anthoine, and we competed in our first karting race together with Pierre [Gasly] and Esteban [Ocon] in 2005. These are memories I will keep forever. Losing him yesterday was a huge shock, not only to me but to everyone in motorsport. In a way, I am satisfied having won today to remember him in the way he should be remembered. He was a champion, and this victory is for him.” – Charles Leclerc

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TAKE NOTE ALEX ALBON IS THE REAL DEAL

Phew! What a weekend that was for Formula 1… Charles Leclerc won his first Grand Prix when he triumphed on Sunday at the ruthless Spa-Francorchamps after it stole Anthoine Hubert from us a day earlier and forced the race to be run under the shadow of death.

It was as harsh as it sounds. The morning after one of the most viciously horrific accidents I have ever seen, nothing felt real as fans, media, teams, drivers… everyone numbly went on doing what they do on Grand Prix day’s, but did something not feel amiss to all?

Putting aside the horror of a day earlier, it’s worth reflecting on an enthralling Grand Prix, with a fantastic result in the form of a new 21-year-old winner and (I predict)  the arrival of a new real deal on the biggest stage of all.

Leclerc’s victory was just the tonic Ferrari needed, but also what Formula 1 needed. A new winner is always a boost while the Reds finally not shooting themselves in the feet and taking a victory for the first time this season was a welcome relief. The Reds need to be winning regularly all the time.

Apart from Lewis Hamilton’s late-race charge which was rivetting stuff, for me the highlight of the race was Alex Albon on his debut for Red Bull which indicated to me we may have the real deal in a race-winning car.

Onboard with Alex, during the race courtesy of my F1TV subscription, was a total revelation, particularly once he got going in the second half of the race.

Before we go there, it is worth pointing out that the apparent anonymity of the quiet-spoken Thai driver, before he burst on to the scene with an out of the blue Toro Rosso call up for this season, is misleading.

In 2005, eight-year-old Alex started karting and by 2011 was such an accomplished karter that he finished second in KF1 in the WSK Euro Series and second again at the CIK-FIA World Championship.

In karting circles at the time, Albon was the driver to beat at every race he turned up to. He was up against full-time factory drivers, career karters with huge experience and, more often than not, the youngster beat them. He became the benchmark for other drivers to target on race weekends.

In the junior series he never won but improved with each season until he finished the 2018 F2 season third, but did enough in a latter half surge of form that convinced Helmut Marko to hand him the keys to a Toro Rosso.

Fast-forward to Sunday. He knew he had the pace, did not get too excited early on, kept out of trouble and in the second half began his charge.

Granted Max won his first race when he stepped up to Red Bull, but Alex’s circumstances were vastly different and cannot be compared. Furthermore, he was not helped by the fact that engine penalties meant he started his first race in blue from 17th.

That failed to deter him, he avoided the melee that eliminated his teammate at La Source, then bided his time in the early stages as the DRS set the pecking order. Although down the order for a number of laps, he remained remarkably calm, incredibly cool with absolutely no panic evident in the cockpit view. Also, no indecisiveness or hastiness.

His real charge began shortly after the halfway mark as he picked off one rival after another, watching this at the time live, it was evident that the karting tricks were out in force as he stalked, feinted one way then the other before pouncing and finding a way through.

He ruthlessly cut up the king of the overtakers – Dan the Man – with a move that began on the exit of Les Coombes and ended as they roared towards Pouhon. At one point the Renault man had no clue where the Red Bull was.

Irrespective of tyres and strategy that was a neat move not only in execution but, crucially and impressively, with minimum fuss and no marked loss of speed or momentum. Very cool stuff in my book.

Then the show of ultra-big balls when he simply refused to go the long way around wily old Sergio Perez who tried to squeeze him onto the grass up the Kemmel dragstrip. Alex was having none of it, with DRS wide open and not to be wasted he just muscled his way past the pink car. Again: Wow!

The kid delivered in the car he only drove for the first time 48-hours earlier, showed a fighting spirit, race-craft and maturity that his predecessor sorely missed and probably does not have, while Alex appears to be part of a very select few who do at the very highest level.

It is very early days, but the signs are very positive and I don’t think I am going out on a limb, but in case I am alone in my observations, I am putting it out there:

“Alex is the real deal and he is going to wow us many more times in the future.”

He might be understated in comparison to some of the big caricatures in the F1 cartoon, but he gave a glimpse of something special during those 44 laps at Spa. Maybe more Prost than Senna, and we know how potent the Professor was in his heyday.

Evidence suggests that Red Bull have found their next warrior.

With Max guaranteed to deliver fireworks, the Blues are well served with a fireman rather than another fire-starter. The Doctor may have hit another home run with Alex.

Time will tell…

On a related note, Lando Norris was voted Driver of the Day and he deserved it merely for consolation from the heartache of a well-deserved fifth place going up in smoke with the finish in sight.

After he impressively missed the mayhem that ensued in front of him into La Source, he also did well to extract himself from the clutches of the mid-pack and proceeded to have a lonely race whereby fifth place became his to lose. Renault obliged.

No doubt the young Englishman – a true find by McLaren – has the real deal stuff in him too and he again delivered a performance that belies his youth but Alex got vote on the day, after all he did bag the points while Lando didn’t.

I also felt the Red Bull driver had to work harder on Sunday afternoon, not only when he was attacking but also when he was keeping his powder dry. Like I say, I only saw good things in Alex’s drive on the day.

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MERCEDES CRY WOLF OR DOES FERRARI REALLY HAVE MORE HORSES?

Ferrari will be strong again at the Italian Grand Prix this weekend, according to Mercedes drivers and team boss Toto Wolff as they take their high-speed package to Monza this week.

Starting with free practice on Friday, the Scuderia will again be on hallowed home turf, a track steeped in history and one of the purest temples of speed, where traditionally the package with the most prancing horses is well rewarded.

Although the Scuderia’s advantage in the race at Spa-Francorchamps on Sunday was not as great as in qualifying, the Italian team looks set to dominate the speed traps again at home.

“Monza is going to be a happy weekend for Ferrari,” said championship leader Lewis Hamilton after the Belgian Grand Prix.

At the high-speed venue Charles Leclerc’s pole-winning lap on Saturday was a whopping three-quarter of a second, a fact that did not escape the world champ, “I think just in qualifying we’re losing over a second a lap, and Monza is all straights.

“So there’s not much me and Valtteri can do in that respect and there’s not a lot of corners there to catch that up. In the next few days we’ve got to make some drastic improvements to our straight speed. I don’t know if that’s possible, but we’ll do our best,” added Hamilton.

Team boss Wolff thinks Ferrari’s engine and low drag advantage on the Spa straights was closer to 1.3 seconds per lap, according to Kronen Zeitung newspaper.

“That is beyond good and evil,” he said. “Ferrari’s power is no longer normal.” Not just that, Ferrari is tipped to introduce its latest engine upgrade this weekend.

Valtteri Bottas is slightly more hopeful, “Last year Ferrari was quick at Monza as well but we managed to make their life pretty difficult. That’s where we got booed on the podium. We’ll try to do the same again,.”

In the end, it was Sebastian Vettel’s crucial supporting role on Sunday that helped his faster teammate Charles Leclerc keep his lead and secure his first F1 win, “They did what they had to do to win.”

Vettel confirmed: “It was clear that I was missing some speed so today I was more in the helper role.”

Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto hailed Vettel’s support, commenting: “We said before the season that points for the team come first. Charles was very fast all weekend but we had to protect ourselves against Ferrari. Sebastian proved to be a true team player today.”

Another hope for Mercedes at Monza is that Ferrari could once again have engine problems. In the Alfa Romeo at Spa, Antonio Giovinazzi’s engine failed in qualifying.

“On Monday the broken engine will arrive at Maranello,” said Binotto. “It would be good to know what went wrong before Monza.”

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HORNER: VERY IMPRESSED WITH ALEX’S PERFORMANCE ALL WEEKEND

If they were looking for a street-fighter to partner Max Verstappen at Red Bull, they may well have found one as Alex Albon emerged as cool character as he carved his way from 17th on the grid to fifth when the chequered flag wave in his debut for the Blues at the Belgian Grand Prix.

His racecraft was of the highest order for someone so inexperienced, the way he carved up Daniel Ricciardo and Sergio Perez without pausing his astonishing surge through he field, in stark contrast to Pierre Gasly who struggled to overtake the race-winning RB15.

Indeed it is still early days, but it was a solid debut and the unassuming 23-year-old got full marks for his efforts on a morbid Sunday at Spa-Francorchamps.

Albon made a “great” first impression on his new team boss Christian Horner. Just 12 races into his F1 career, the former Toro Rosso driver was drafted into Red Bull’s senior team to replace struggling Pierre Gasly from Spa.

Red Bull says it will choose between Albon, Gasly and Daniil Kvyat to be Max Verstappen’s full-time 2020 teammate.

Horner reported after the race, “I’ve been very impressed with Alex’s performance all weekend and he put in a great recovery drive from 17th on the grid to finish fifth in his first race with us.

“He was pretty cautious during the first half of the race as he felt his way into the Grand Prix, but things started to come alive for him on the softer compound tyre and he put in some great overtakes,” noted the Red Bull team boss.

However, it was actually a difficult induction weekend for the Thai driver, after an engine change meant he had to start from the back of the grid.

“From P17 to P5 was a very good way to start. In the race, he was very mature and didn’t do anything silly. Hopefully, he can perform well for the whole weekend in Monza.”

More generally, it was a difficult event for Red Bull, with Verstappen struggling with a Honda engine problem throughout the weekend.

Horner said: “We tested the Spec 4 engine with Kvyat on Friday and what we saw was encouraging.

“The problem with Max arose because his engine was very aggressive, but we could have fought the Mercedes in the race,” he added, referring to Verstappen’s early crash.

As for Monza, Horner said: “We will probably use the new engine at Monza, but we’re not sure yet. We’re discussing that with Honda.”

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WAS HULKENBERG EVER IN THE RUNNING FOR RED BULL DRIVE?

In the wake of Renault’s decision to replace Nico Hulkenberg with Esteban in the team for 2020, the German has options to remain on the grid beyond this year of which Haas appears the most likely butan outside chance of a Red Bull drive is also being explored.

It is believed Haas is in advanced negotiations with the Renault reject, but reports indicate Hulkenberg is also interested in being Max Verstappen’s 2020 teammate.

There were mixed ‘noises’ coming out of the Red Bull-pen with regards to such to this Silly Season development

Red Bull is not yet shutting the door on Nico Hulkenberg but suggested that opting for the 32-year-old would be a “coservative” option for the team that prefer to develop drivers through the programme headed by Helmut Marko and then introduce the chosen ones to F1 via Toro Rosso.

In the early days of the Red Bull F1 adventure, there were, of course, times when they did opt for experience above youth, David Coulthard and Mark Webber spring to mind.

But, inadvertently or not, adding more water to the apparently invisible fire, Horner explained, “It is unlikely that we will hire a driver from outside of our squad.”

However, he added, “We are watching the market. If we feel that none of our drivers can do the job, we will act. It’s always easy to be conservative, but sometimes you have to take risks,” he said.

“Young drivers like Alex are a risk, but we showed in the past with Vettel and Verstappen that risk can pay off very well. Of course we are monitoring the situation externally, which is how we got Mark Webber.

“But we are mainly looking within our own talent programme,” added the Red Bull team boss.

Red Bull has said that Alex Albon, who has replaced the struggling Pierre Gasly as of Spa, is only guaranteed the seat for the rest of 2019.

Christian Horner told Auto Motor und Sport. “Then we’ll take stock. He has nine races to prove himself.”

Furthermore, when asked at Spa by Auto Bild if Renault refugee Hulkenberg actually has a chance, Marko answered bluntly: “No.”

Meanwhile, Hulkenberg is believed to be within days of being signed up for 2020 by the American team Haas and told reporters at Spa, “In terms of 2020, I’m personally relaxed.”

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PROST: WE OFFERED HULKENBERG A ONE-YEAR DEAL

Renault director Alain Prost revealed during the weekend in Belgian that Nico Hulkenberg turned down an offer for 2020 because he was seeking more than a year extension with the French team.

Renault has signed up Esteban Ocon to replace Hulkenberg for 2020, which prompted the German driver to claim the French driver’s nationality played a role in the decision.

“It’s good that Ocon is French,” admitted F1 legend Prost to Canal Plus at Spa. “But it would not be logical to make that the deciding factor.

“What was decisive is that we offered Nico Hulkenberg a one-year contract with an option for 2021, but he wanted a two-year contract, not an option.

“Without going into detail now, he did a great job for Renault, but after three years, he saw that we were not progressing as fast with the chassis as we all hoped.

“We needed someone with more freshness, more enthusiasm. Esteban Ocon brings a whole new dynamic to the team,” Prost added.

However, Prost also pointed out that Ocon’s nationality will actually put extra pressure on the 22-year-old, “Being a French driver in a French team is not always easy, and I know because I lived it. It’s not easy at all.”

Meanwhile, Hulkenberg looks set to switch to Haas but Silly Season reports indicate he is also hoping to be a candidate for the vacant seat at Red Bull.

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VERSTAPPEN: IT DEFINITELY WON’T GET BETTER AT MONZA

Max Verstappen predicted that the week of back-to-back Belgian Grand Prix and Italian Grand Prix, high-power tracks, will not be kind to Red Bull and after the weekend at Spa-Francorchamps, he appears to be right on the mark.

The legendary power-hungry venue was a testament to that as the Honda herd of bulls were simply no match for their rivals when top-end was required. Making matters worse is Monza – the fabled Temple of Speed – where top speed will again be vital.

Speaking to reporters at Spa, Verstappen admitted that Monza would be another difficult weekend for Red Bull, “During the vacation, I already realised that things would be different here.”

Verstappen has not been able to use the full power of his engine in Belgium, but he also admitted to Algemeen Dagblad that the Honda is not a match for the top power units, “This circuit is already hard on the engine – you can see that from all the broken ones.”

“Then if you can’t drive at full power, it’s only worse. But I just have to accept that this circuit is not one we can handle too well. And it definitely won’t get better at Monza.”

Compounding the problem, and turning it miserable, was the first corner accident the popular Dutchman had with Kimi Raikkonen’s which rendered him a spectator for the next 44 laps in which he played no part to dismay to the (almost all) orange swathes of spectators who made the pilgrimage to roar on their charge.

After a disappointing race for him and a sombre race weekend in the Ardennes, Verstappen said, “It was of course not a great end to the weekend but it’s not the worst thing that can happen in life as we have seen yesterday, so I cannot really call this frustration. I got a poor start, the reaction was not great and then I got wheel spin when I released the clutch.

“I tried to stay on the inside into Turn 1 but I think Kimi expected to be fully ahead of me and just followed his line. I don’t think you can blame anyone and I guess he just didn’t see me, once I was next to him and he was turning then we couldn’t back out.

“We touched, my track rod was broken so I went straight on into the barrier at Eau Rouge and the race was over. These things happen, it’s very unfortunate for the Team and we will of course try and do better next week,” concluded Verstappen in his race report.

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VETTEL: FOR THE TEAM I’M HAPPY BUT FOR MYSELF I’M NOT HAPPY

Four-times Formula 1 champion Sebastian Vettel found himself in the unfamiliar position of playing rear gunner to young Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc in Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix.

The German, who started second alongside Leclerc, struggled from the outset to extract the race-leading speed the 21-year-old, who went on to win ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, was pulling out of his Ferrari.

Hoping to end a victory drought stretching to last year’s Belgian race, any chances Vettel had vanished after Mercedes tricked Ferrari into pitting him early.

“For the team, yes, I’m happy,” said Vettel, who finished fourth after making a second pitstop in the closing stages of the race. “For myself I’m not happy. From the first stop onwards, it was clear we wouldn’t be in the fight. So all I could do by then is serve the team.”

His hopes of victory dashed, Vettel switched to a supporting role to help his teammate clinch Ferrari’s first win of the season.

Left out on fading tyres, Vettel had just enough to hold Hamilton up and allow Leclerc to win by less than a second.

In only his first season with Ferrari and second in Formula One, Leclerc has increasingly had the measure of Vettel, who has looked a shadow of the driver that won four titles on the trot between 2010-13.

Aside from taking Ferrari’s first win of the year, Leclerc has three pole positions to Vettel’s one and has qualified ahead of the German for the last six races.

After his win on Sunday, he lies just 12 points behind the 32-year-old in the overall standings.

Used to being a team’s undisputed number one, Vettel, leading after the pitstops at one stage, was even asked to make way for Leclerc.

Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto explained, “It is never an easy call, I have to say, I think there were not many choices. We had to anticipate Seb’s pit to protect himself from the Mercedes otherwise Hamilton would have stopped and would have undercut.

“So they were on different strategies and early on we thought we were losing time and that would not be the best thing for the team on that occasion,” added the Ferrari team boss.

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Lewis Hamilton praises Charles Leclerc for 'continuously outperforming Sebastian Vettel'

Lewis Hamilton has praised Belgian Grand Prix winner Charles Leclerc for the job he's done at Ferrari this season, going up against a four-time World Champion in Sebastian Vettel and "continuously outperforming" him.

Leclerc took his maiden Formula 1 victory on Sunday, which was also Ferrari's first this year, and looked to have the measure of Vettel all weekend by first outqualifying him by a huge seven-tenths, before delivering a masterclass on Sunday.

It's the sixth time in as many races that Vettel has been beaten by Leclerc in qualifying, whilst the 21-year-old has been Ferrari's only real shot at victory in 2019, coming close in Bahrain before reliability robbed him and then in Austria, where he was passed on the last lap.

"I think his results speak for themselves really," said Hamilton of Leclerc's debut season with Ferrari. "It’s not easy for any driver to jump into a top team, let alone Ferrari, against a four-time World Champion.

"[Vettel has] god knows how much more experience, and then to continuously from race one, out-perform, out-qualify and out-drive a four-time World Champion is not easy to do.

"So I think that speaks for itself. He’s been really unlucky in quite a few races this year. Could easily have been the third win today.

"So, there’s a lot more greatness to come from him and I’m looking forward to seeing his growth and racing alongside him. It was fun today, trying to chase him. He was just a little bit too quick."

Leclerc sits just 11 points off Vettel in the standings, with the Ferrari drivers holding fourth and fifth, behind the two Mercedes' and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

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Daniel Ricciardo had doubts about racing after Anthoine Hubert death

Daniel Ricciardo has admitted that he had doubts about racing in Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix following the death of Formula 2 racer Anthoine Hubert.

The incident forced the Renault driver to contemplate whether it was really worth it, but says seeing Hubert's family the next day gave him the strength to push through those thoughts.

"You question is it really worth it? At the end of the day it is a simple question but a pretty honest one as well," said Ricciardo. "It is our job and profession and our life, but also it is still just racing cars around in circles.

"So it gets to a point where you actually question it when you are reminded of these things – is it worth it? I certainly questioned it last night but I slept and then seeing some of his family here today, that is what gave me more strength than anything else.

"How they could be here after...taking my hat off to them doesn't do it justice. I could not imagine being in their position, and I felt that they were a lot stronger than any of us today."

A minute's silence was held prior to the race and then on Lap 19 – the same number Hubert raced with – fans in the grandstands stood and applauded. Ricciardo added that moments like this really bring the motorsport community together.

"That is where you understand that we are a community. There are rivalries and not everyone loves each other. But we certainly are a community. These things tend to bond us closer.

"All the categories F2, F3 were on the grid with us. It is a weird one but that is when you realise that the competition is one thing, but this is more than that. You can put the competition aside very easily when things like this happen."

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Binotto: First win as Ferrari F1 boss doesn't "really count"

Mattia Binotto does not think his first victory as Ferrari Formula 1 boss “really counts” because it's Charles Leclerc and the rest of the Ferrari crew who deserve the credit.

Leclerc finally ended his wait for a first win in F1 after near-misses in Bahrain and Austria this year, and also clinched Ferrari's first victory of the season in the process.

Binotto was appointed team principal at the start of 2019 and Ferrari was a noticeably changed team as soon as pre-season started, but that has given way to a fundamental car performance deficit at several tracks and mistakes at circuits where Ferrari has been in contention for victories.

Asked by Motorsport.com if he was happy or relieved to finally secure his first win, Binotto said: “To be very honest I don’t think my first victory as team principal really counts.

“I’m more happy for Charles, more happy for the team, and I really I think if there is any applause it’s to them.

“I think we are working as a team, roles don’t matter. Today we proved that the strength of the team can be very important.”

Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton almost caught Leclerc at the end of the race, finishing 0.9 seconds adrift at the finish.

Leclerc said he did not fear a repeat of his late heartbreak in the Austrian GP, when Max Verstappen passed him late on, because he found it difficult on the medium tyres in the second stint and was busy adjusting his driving to cope.

“I did not think about Austria, but I could hear my engineer telling me the gaps and this gap was reduced every lap,” said Leclerc. “So I was trying to focus on the job, trying to cure the balance of the car.

“We had some problems with the rear tyres, I was trying to help the rear tyres as much as possible to arrive first, and that’s what we did.”

Leclerc won the race from pole but briefly fell behind teammate Sebastian Vettel in the second stint, after Vettel pitted early and enjoyed a pace advantage on fresh tyres.

However, with a six-lap offset Leclerc cruised up to the back of Vettel, who was ordered to let him past.

“When I came out behind Sebastian, first I was not completely confident that the degradation was that much on the medium, that I could actually catch him,” said.

“But after two or three laps, there was quite a big delta pace, so then I was like ‘OK, I don’t think we’ll lose time together’, which is exactly what we didn’t do.

“Towards the end, I was checking the mirrors and obviously every lap on the radio, my engineer was telling me the gap with Lewis, and he was very, very quick.

“It was very close. I think one lap more [it] would have been difficult to keep Lewis behind.”

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Verstappen's move on Raikkonen "stupid" - Vasseur

Alfa Romeo Formula 1 team boss Fred Vasseur has blamed Max Verstappen for the first corner collision with Kimi Raikkonen in the Belgian GP.
Verstappen made a poor start and both Raikkonen and Sergio Perez pulled ahead of him on the run to La Source.

The Dutchman took the inside line and made contact with the Alfa's right rear wheel, pitching Raikkonen onto the air, in an incident that was similar to one involving the same drivers in 2016.

The contact led to Verstappen's retirement immediately afterwards when suspension damage caused him to go straight on at Eau Rouge.

Raikkonen was forced to make two stops under the safety car and, while he was able to rejoin the pack, his race was compromised by bodywork damage, and he eventually finished 16th.

"I don't know what happened with Verstappen," Vasseur told Motorsport.com. "But he came from nowhere, he was even behind Perez before the braking.

"He tried to get two cars in the first corner, and it's stupid because in Spa you can overtake and you have room to do something. We are not in Budapest or in Monaco. The car was completely damaged, we were missing half of the floor."

The FIA stewards deemed that it was a racing incident, taking no action.

"It was looked at," said race director Michael Masi. "Obviously we had the safety car immediately but once that got cleared, looked at it and it was determined that it literally was Turn 1, lap one, racing incident. No further action."

Verstappen was adamant that he was not at fault, although he didn't blame Raikkonen.

"Well, first of all a bad start," he said. "I don't know why, but we had a little wheelspin. And after that I just tried to keep to the inside and I think Kimi just expected that he was completely in front of me.

"Of course I braked a little later than the other two, but it was still very early. At one point he went on to do his normal line and I couldn't go anywhere."

Asked if he saw it as a racing incident, he said: "Yes, I think so, in the end. He didn't do it on purpose, of course."

Red Bull boss Christian Horner defended his driver, pointing his finishing record over the past year.

"Max remarkably has had a run since Hungary last year where he's finished top five in every grand prix," he said. "Twenty-one races or whatever it's been. It was almost an action replay of the incident here in 2016 with Kimi again.

"Maybe it's a blind spot for Kimi! It's a racing incident. He's gone in low, I don't think Kimi knew he was there. The problem is we'd had a poor start. At that point you're in the pack and unfortunately it's bitten us today."

Speaking to the media before viewing a replay Raikkonen said he hadn't seen Verstappen on his inside.

"I was suddenly on two wheels," said the Finn. "Obviously I haven't seen it, so it's a bit hard to say. I was concentrating on slowing down because the Mercedes took a tight line so I had to slow down a lot. Honestly I didn't see him."

"It's a shame because we would have had a lot of speed. There was too much damage. We still tried and finished the laps off."

[MIKA27]

Steiner saw 'nothing encouraging' from Haas in Belgium

Having made a decision on developement direction, Haas were hoping for a change of fortune as the second 'half' of the F1 season began in Belgium. Sadly for the beleaguered American team, what they got was more of the same as they endured another difficult race in Spa, with Kevin Magnussen finishing 12th and Romain Grosjean 13th. And as Team Principal Guenther Steiner unpacked their disappointing weekend, he admitted there had been ‘nothing encouraging’ in the team’s performance.

“It was good [early on]," Steiner said, "but then it all landed, we just didn’t have enough top speed here, you know? We hadn’t got the pace to get past anybody else. But everybody else could pass us. For sure, it’s nothing encouraging."

The lack of top speed was characterised by Magnussen’s loss of five places between Laps 10 and 15, and Grosjean’s drop from sixth on the opening lap to 13th at the end. The only consolation was that the medium tyres worked well on the VF-19s – a contrast to the tyre issues Haas have been fighting all season.

“I am very, very upset at the minute,” said Grosjean. “Not against anyone, just the situation. We had a great start, the car was performing very well at the start of the race so I was really happy with the car, pulling the gap and then we fitted the medium and I thought ‘Okay the car is even better, that’s going to be a really good afternoon’.”

Both Haas drivers eventually finished ahead of Daniel Ricciardo, although the Renault driver was a major obstacle to them – Steiner saying that the Australian (nursing a damaged car) cost the team “40 seconds” as they couldn’t get past.

Grosjean explained further: “We went behind the Renault, Daniel [Ricciardo], who was doing his race, fighting as hard as he could – and [we had] just no chance to pass him. We obviously had too much drag and not enough top speed. It’s not a choice we had, an option we had, just had to get the tyres to work, but it’s so hard to fight that hard, not make any mistake, to be very happy with your driving style and the car and just being from P6 to P15, P14, whatever we finished, and not being able to do anything, it’s a tough feeling.”

No wonder that Grosjean described Spa as a "tough weekend", especially after the loss of F2 driver Anthoine Hubert.

“I think today we drove our hearts out and gave our best, not for Anthoine, but thinking of Anthoine, and for passion, for sport, for what we love and what Anthoine loved. I’m sure he’s up there with Jules [Bianchi] and maybe they’re racing go-karts at the minute,” he said.

The Frenchman sits 17th in the drivers’ standings this season after six retirements, with just the two Williams drivers and rookie Antonio Giovinazzi below him in the table. Ninth in the constructors' championship, the Ferrari-powered Haas squad will now hope for more at Monza.

[MIKA27]

Giovinazzi apologises to Alfa Romeo for late Spa shunt

Antonio Giovinazzi was looking set to take his best-ever Grand Prix result of eighth after a fighting drive in the Belgian Grand Prix. That was until he crashed out of that position two laps from the end, to cap off a nightmare day for the team.

Alfa Romeo’s promising-looking weekend at Spa took a hit early on in Sunday’s Grand Prix when Kimi Raikkonen, starting from sixth on the grid, suffered damage after a coming together with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen that hobbled his car in the race, leaving him to come home a distant 16th.

In the other C38, however, Giovinazzi started 18th after a power unit failure in qualifying, but had incisively worked his way up to eighth with two laps remaining when he spun off dramatically at Pouhon, hitting the barriers and retiring from the race.

“The car has been really strong today and therefore it’s even more disappointing not to finish the race with an accident,” said the Italian. “Our strategy was great and we would have been in the points and for this I feel sorry for everyone in the team, but I guess that’s racing.”

The unfortunate races of both Giovinazzi and Raikkonen were enough to leave Alfa Romeo Team Principal Fred Vasseur decidedly unimpressed, on what had already been a difficult weekend for him following the death of Anthoine Hubert, a driver Vasseur’s ART team had run in GP3.

“Racing today was never going to be easy, given [Saturday’s] tragic circumstances,” said Vasseur.

“As for the race, it was an afternoon to forget: Kimi’s race was over within a few hundred metres from the start, when he was hit by Max Verstappen in a very optimistic move, and Antonio missed out on some good points with an accident in the last lap.”

Giovinazzi’s off adds to the mounting pressure on the Italian, with the 25-year-old having scored just one point so far this season. And with Alfa Romeo reserve driver Marcus Ericsson lurking on the sidelines, plus the experienced Nico Hulkenberg now dramatically back on the driver market and hungry for a drive, Giovinazzi will be looking to convert Alfa Romeo’s obvious pace into a strong result at his home Grand Prix at Monza next weekend.

[MIKA27]

Gasly pleased to score points on Toro Rosso return on 'most emotional' day

Twenty-four hours after losing a driver he called his closest friend in racing, Pierre Gasly raced in honour of Anthoine Hubert to ninth in the Belgian Grand Prix to claim points on his return to Toro Rosso.

The Frenchman, demoted from Red Bull during the summer break after struggling to get on terms with the team’s RB15, had looked set to come home 11th, having been passed in the late stages for the final points position by Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg.

But retirements for Antonio Giovinazzi and Lando Norris in the final two laps meant that Gasly came home P9, two places behind team mate Daniil Kvyat to cap Toro Rosso’s third double-score of the year, with the Frenchman having enjoyed some intense battles, most notably with Haas’s Kevin Magnussen.

“The second part of the race it was difficult to keep the other guys with the softer compound behind, but I gave everything I had,” said Gasly, who’d started on the softs himself before pitting for mediums relatively early on Lap 13. “We knew it would be difficult to fight. I gave everything I had, it was good, close racing and we managed to score two important points.”

Racing, Gasly admitted, had been hard enough anyway, following the death of close friend Hubert in Saturday’s Formula 2 Feature Race, with the Formula 1 drivers having observed a minute’s silence before the Grand Prix.

“I think it was for sure the most emotional pre-race I ever had because you are not ready at 22, 23 to live this kind of moment to lose one of your best mates,” he said. “I’ve grown up with this guy since I was seven in karting, we’ve been room mates, we’ve lived in the same apartment in the same room for six years, we’ve been classmates.

“I told Charles [Leclerc] before the race ‘please win this race for Anthoine’ because we started racing in the same year, Charles, Anthoine and myself,” Gasly added. “Unfortunately there was this thing that happened to remind everybody that it’s a really dangerous sport and for me I’m really sad that it was my closest friend in racing.”

Gasly and Kvyat’s efforts, on a day when McLaren failed to score, sees Toro Rosso consolidate their fifth place in the constructors’s standings, the team now 31-points adrift of their Woking rivals.

[avaldes]

LeClerc and Albon were fantastic this weekend. I was also impressed with Verstappen’s post race interview. He didn’t blame Kimi, and explained the chain of events. Two years ago he would have had a serious tantrum.

McLaren is really getting the shaft from engine suppliers these past few years!

[skalls]

Outstanding drive by LeClerc.

Not that surprised about the driver moves so far.  I wouldn't be surprised to see Hulk at Haas alongside Kmag.  Which would be an interesting combo given their history.

Too early to tell if Albon will be at RBR next year but that was a good first step.

Can't wait for Monza.  Love that track.

[MIKA27]

MCLAREN DRIVERS PREVIEW THE ITALIAN GRAND PRIX

McLaren Previews the 2019 Italian Grand Prix, round 14 of the 2019 FIA Formula One World Championship.

How has the event evolved?

The Italian Grand Prix is one of the most iconic races in Formula 1. It has featured on every World Championship calendar since 1950 and the race has been held at Monza every year, except once, in 1980, when it was staged at Imola.

Monza was the world’s third purpose-built racetrack, after Brooklands in the UK and Indianapolis in the USA. It was constructed in 1922 and the layout has been revised considerably over the years, perhaps most significantly in 1972, when two chicanes were introduced to slow the cars. But the Autodromo remains the fastest track in F1; the cars exceed 320km/h (200mph) on four occasions around the lap and they average 218km/h (135mph).

Carlos Sainz:

“After a difficult weekend in Spa in all senses, I’m looking forward to heading to the next race, which fortunately is only a few days away. We know that we have areas to work on and we are focussed on maximising our performance throughout the weekend. Spa was a clear example that the midfield battle is going to be tough until the end of the season so we need to keep pushing.

“Monza is an incredible and historic track and the Italian fans are some of the most passionate in the world, so the atmosphere at the track is always very special. I’m looking forward to getting back on track and giving it 100%.”

Lando Norris:

“Despite the disappointment of the last race, there were a number of positives that we could take from our performance on Sunday. We had stronger pace than expected during the race and I was on course for my career-best result. I’m aiming to take that performance into the next weekend and challenge for points in Monza.

“It’s a track I know quite well having taken part in FP1 and Formula 2 last year and I’ve also raced there a few times before in the junior formulae. It’s a very quick track, the quickest of the year, which means it’s also one of the most exciting circuits on the calendar.”

Andreas Seidl, Team Principal:

“We head to Monza for the final European race of the calendar before heading into the final fly-aways. There were plenty of lessons to learn from Belgium and we head there with a better understanding of the areas we need to improve. As ever we must continue to ensure our reliability is as strong as it possibly can be, as well as continuously working on our trackside operations. The Monza circuit is a uniquely quick track which requires a very specific set-up in order to maximise performance. We must ensure that our work on Friday and Saturday sets us up for the strongest possible race on Sunday and we get the most out of every session.

“Finally, as we leave the European leg of the 2019 season behind us, I want to thank and congratulate our hospitality colleagues in the McLaren Brand Centre. Their efforts to provide us with a home away from home at each European track are greatly appreciated by both the team and our guests alike.”

[MIKA27]

WILLIAMS PREVIEW THE ITALIAN GP

Williams Preview the 2019 Italian Grand Prix, round 14 of the 2019 FIA Formula One World Championship.

Round 14 of the 2019 Formula One World Championship takes us to Italy’s ‘Temple of Speed’, the Autodromo Nazionale Monza. Known for being the home of the Tifosi, Monza rarely fails to excite and entertain with its fast track layout and famed corners such as Ascari and Parabolica. The atmosphere at Monza is electric as fans come out in their masses and bid farewell to the last European race of the season.

Monza is a circuit familiar and well loved by both drivers; Robert claimed his maiden Formula One podium at the track in 2006 and George has enjoyed previous success with victories in GP3 and Formula 2. Jamie Chadwick will also join the team trackside in Monza for her final race this season.

Dave Robson, Senior Race Engineer: The final European race of the 2019 season takes place at the famous Monza circuit in Italy. The layout of the circuit inevitably leads to low downforce set-ups and means the drivers need time to get accustomed to the longer braking distances and general low grip.

Overtaking is relatively easy in Monza and reduces the importance of qualifying, and in turn increases the emphasis on tyre management during the race. This, and the unique nature of the circuit, will dictate much of our Friday programme as we look to balance the medium-term development of the car with the immediate need to set the car up for Monza.

Pirelli have brought the middle of the compound range to this event, which is one step softer than used in Spa and the same as the Hungaroring; it will be interesting to see how they behave at this demanding circuit.

Robert Kubica: Monza is one of my favourite circuits. It is a unique place as it is a high-speed track, with some heavy braking points into the chicanes, especially in the first sector. It’s a special venue for me; I made my debut in single-seaters there, as well as it being my first podium in Formula One. There is always a good atmosphere at Monza, it’s a great place to race and I expect a lot of Italian fans to be cheering for me.

George Russell: It’s good to get back racing straight away in Monza. The track is extremely iconic, and I have good memories there as it is a circuit I have won at the last two years. I think it’s going to be a tough weekend for us based on our performance in Spa. Nonetheless, we will do our best to make the most of it.

[MIKA27]

MARKO: ALBON WAS A LITTLE LUCKY TO BE FIFTH BUT IT IS STILL GREAT

Red Bull’s rookie Alex Albon has received a resounding thumbs up and now secured the full public backing of Helmut Marko after his impressive debut for the team at the Belgian Grand Prix.

After the tragedy and drama of the race at Spa-Francorchamps, Christian Horner said Albon had a “very good start” to his stint with the senior team, after replacing the struggling Pierre Gasly.

And now, Red Bull’s notoriously tough driver manager, Marko, also endorsed the rookie when he told ORF. “He was great on the soft tyres, overtaking many people in a great way.

“Alexander was not able to have the pace that we should have on the straights and we tried to remedy that with the radio, but we did not fully understand each other to make the necessary changes,” he added.

“But especially at the end of the race against Ricciardo, Albon was really great. Of course, he was a little lucky to be fifth, but it is still great,” added Marko.

[MIKA27]

MEDIA DOCUMENT VETTEL’S DOWNFALL AMID FERRARI DENIALS

Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto has denied that Sebastian Vettel is now Ferrari’s number two driver in the wake of the Belgian Grand Prix and ahead of this weekend’s all-important Italian Grand Prix on home turf.

His denial comes after the Italian media said Charles Leclerc’s first win at Spa last Sunday marked a turning point in the Ferrari hierarchy.

“Vettel must clear the way for Leclerc,” declared La Repubblica newspaper.

Corriere dello Sport added: “After 13 grands prix, Ferrari has realised that Leclerc is the right man to take over Maranello’s legacy.”

And La Gazzetta dello Sport said: “Charles waited for this day after so many unfortunate moments, but in Belgium he took over the role of team leader. The future is in Charles’ hands.”

Even the German press got in on the narrative, saying Vettel had played a mere “assistant role” in Belgium.

“Vettel’s humiliation now seems final,” Die Welt newspaper added.

When the hierarchy shift was suggested to Ferrari boss Binotto, though, he responded: “No, no, no. Simply if you are faster and if you are ahead, the interest of the team comes in. And that will not change.

“There will still be opportunities for Seb. We go race by race and the best will be in front,” he added.

However, it is still being rumoured that Vettel could escape from his 2020 contract in order to either retire or return to Red Bull.

Helmut Marko has reportedly told Sky Deutschland that he has sat down with Vettel’s lawyers, even if he acknowledges: “Vettel has a contract for next year.”

Binotto commented: “That’s all nonsense. Seb still wants to become world champion with us.”

[MIKA27]

“IDIOT” GIOVINAZZI TO BE REPLACED BY ERICSSON?

Crash-prone Antonio Giovinazzi’s future In Formula 1 is again under a dark cloud once again as he made a mistake and pranged heavily on the final lap of the race when set to score points.

Prior to Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix, we reported that the struggling Italian’s Alfa Romeo seat for 2020 no longer seemed in such danger.

“In my view, he is not under pressure,” team boss Frederic Vasseur said.

But the race at Spa Francorchamps then changed everything. This year, Kimi Raikkonen has scored all but one of Alfa Romeo’s 32 points.

However, Giovinazzi was set to comfortably score two points on Sunday until he crashed on the penultimate lap and reported afterwards, “The car has been really strong today and therefore it’s even more disappointing not to finish the race with an accident in the last lap.

“Our strategy was great and we would have been in the points and for this I feel sorry for everyone in the team, but I guess that’s racing.”

But former driver Christian Danner bluntly told the Swiss newspaper Blick, “Giovinazzi is an idiot.”

And team owner Pascal Picci told the same publication: “No comment.”

Team boss Vasseur added: “I have nothing to say except it (the crash) was unnecessary.”

The Italian, this year’s Bandini Award winner, has been a huge disappointment in his first full season as an F1 driver. Well outshone by fellow rookies Alex Albon, Lando Norris and George Russell.

After his latest self-inflicted error it may come to pass that Alfa Romeo give the Ferrari protege one more race, namely this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix – Giovinazzi’s home race – to prove himself.

In the wings is Marcus Ericsson who might be a better option to the wayward Italian in a car that is clearly a points-scoring piece of kit. The Swede pulled out of his Indycar race at Portland, where he was expected to go well, to fly to Belgium as team reserve as team veteran Kimi Raikkonen had some sort of muscle injury.

It all turned out to be a waste of time for the Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports driver and surely hands him the sympathy vote to jump into the car when Giovinazzi next bins it, as he has done so regularly in his short F1 career.

MIKA:  Surely there are undoubtedly better choices for the Alfa Romeo seat, taking the step of installing Ericsson is not one of them. Was Ericsson any better at scoring points? I mean between 2015 - 2018 he scored for Sauber 18 points in 4 years with 2015 9 points, 2016 - 2017 Zero points (In 2 seasons) and then another 9 points in 2018. Antonio is struggling yes, but the season is midway. I say if you replace Antonio, replace him with another Ferrari driver academy rookie.

Without doubt, Ferrari have candidates being considered as future drivers; put one them in that seat, they could surely do no worse. While they are at it, Ferrari should turn a blind eye to nationality, THAT is no way to select a future champion. This is their mistake IMHO.

[MIKA27]

RICCIARDO: OCON IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO LEARN AND IMPROVE

Daniel Ricciardo – once teammate to the sport’s shooting star Max Verstappen – says he welcomes the arrival of a new teammate for 2020 who is to be the highly-touted Esteban Ocon.

Renault has decided to oust Nico Hulkenberg and replace him with Ocon, the current Mercedes reserve driver who will remain managed by Toto Wolff next year.

“It’s a huge opportunity for me to work with such a big manufacturer that has won titles in the past,” Ocon told Canal Plus.

The 22-year-old’s 2020 teammate, Ricciardo, said he will welcome Ocon to Renault.

“He is young and hungry, especially after a year without racing,” he said of the Mercedes protege.

“He’s going to be determined and wanting to make up for lost time. I’m sure Esteban is probably better than me in some areas, so it’s an opportunity for me to learn and improve.”