FORMULA 1

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The events behind Mattia Binotto's Charles Leclerc 'forgiven' message

Ferrari chief Mattia Binotto says Charles Leclerc was “forgiven” after his Italian Grand Prix victory, in the wake of the Q3 confusion that hampered Sebastian Vettel.

The impact of gaining a slipstream from a rival at Monza can be several tenths of a second, and with Ferrari and Mercedes closely matched teams adopted various tactics.

Vettel gave Leclerc a slipstream through the first Q3 runs and the Monegasque youngster set provisional pole position, edging the Mercedes drivers, who admitted being slightly compromised by Kimi Raikkonen’s crash.

Vettel, at that stage, sat a close fourth, but knew he would have the benefit of a slipstream for his second Q3 run, with Leclerc poised to run ahead on track.

Leclerc emerged from the pit lane fifth in the queue, with Vettel seventh, though he went around Alexander Albon at the first chicane, putting himself directly behind the sister Ferrari.

But as they were slowed by Carlos Sainz Jr., Lance Stroll and Valtteri Bottas through the exit of the corner Vettel moved ahead of Leclerc, and was seen gesturing from the cockpit as the McLaren, and Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg, blocked the way.

Vettel gave Leclerc the tow early on in Q3

“You need to push now,” Vettel was told. “Yeah well tell him to come in front then,” was the reply from the cockpit. “Tell Charles to go.”

Vettel and Leclerc got to second and third in the queue by the time they arrived at the final sector, where Leclerc was told “you can overtake Sebastian”, which he did. Leclerc crossed the line to begin a lap with one second remaining on the clock, but by the time the pursuing Vettel reached the timing beam the red lights had come on.

“What a mess… ah pole position anyway guys,” came Leclerc’s radio response.

“Thank you. Thank you” was Vettel’s communication.

In the post-qualifying press conference Leclerc explained: “Seb overtakes me, because of the mess, because obviously we were aware it was quite tight on time, and then I stayed, basically, behind Seb, until the last straight where I’ve heard also on the radio “you can overtake Seb,” so I overtook him – but I had no time for me either to start the lap, so yeah, it was a shame – but I don’t think I could have done much more.”

For his part, Vettel explained he was unhappy with the communication and execution of the strategy, adding: “He [Leclerc] should've been ahead all the way. I just had no tow - that's the difference between pole and no pole."

It is understood that a frank discussion was held afterwards between the leading parties, where Leclerc’s role in the wrongdoing was pointed out.

Hence when Mattia Binotto radioed Leclerc on the cool-down lap to congratulate him on his victory before adding “oggi sei perdonato” – roughly translating as ‘today you are forgiven’ – it raised eyebrows.

“It means that whatever happened in the last days that we discussed, that is something that will remain between us three,” said Binotto during Ferrari’s post-race debrief, while flanked by his drivers. “At least we did a good job. That’s what I mean.

“It will not affect [the future]. Yesterday we…it was something we discussed internally, maybe a different point of view, the outcome was certainly a strange situation for everybody.

“More important was what Seb said, turn [the] page, and looking ahead. So it not affects. It doesn’t mean it might not happen again, because you never know. But the spirit is, what you make, there is something to learn, and it is more important to make sure it’s a lesson learned.”

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Pirelli set for last 2020 tyre test amid push for more time

Mercedes' Esteban Ocon will give Pirelli its final chance to test its 2020 prototype F1 tyres at Paul Ricard on Thursday – unless teams agree to allow an extra test to fitted into the schedule in early October.

Pirelli has a two-day "blind" test on Thursday and Friday at the French GP venue, which represents the last of the 2020 tyre test days that have been shared out between all the teams since the start of the season.

Ocon will share the track with Sergey Sirotkin, who will test Pirelli's 2021 prototype 18-inch tyres on a Renault mule car.

Pirelli is under pressure to achieve the requirements of the 2020/2021 target letter that was circulated last month, and it has requested an extra test to allow it more time.

It has to provide the definitive 2020 tyres for all teams to run at the Abu Dhabi test in December.

However, at Monza last weekend the teams failed to come an an unanimous agreement on extra testing, and the matter will be discussed again – along with the contents of the target letter – in a meeting in Geneva on Thursday which otherwise will focus mainly on 2021 matters.

If Pirelli is unable to schedule an extra October test there is still an option to run prototype tyres on Fridays of race weekends.

However, if extra running is not agreed by the teams the likelihood is that Pirelli's 2020 tyres will end up being much closer to the current versions than had been anticipated, for example without the low degradation that the target letter currently requests.

"We are going to discuss in Geneva on Thursday a number of topics related to tyres," Pirelli F1 boss Mario Isola told Motorsport.com.

"I'll be part of the discussion so we'll explain exactly what we are doing, and what we can achieve, and what we can do.

"At least we have the opportunity to explain what is going on on our side. This week's test in Paul Ricard is fixed, and we going to continue the development to finalise the 2020 tyres.

"The meeting is September 12th, our test is September 12-13th, so after the meeting I hope we have an agreement for 2020 tyres, and we will select the best prototypes in the direction of these expectations."

He added: "We started the discussion on targets quite late in the year, and we had already started our development. So if we want to achieve something that is different compared to what we have now, we have also to consider an extra test."

Most teams are unable to bid to do an extra October tyre test due to the flyaway race schedule, and they want to ensure that if it does takes place, it's conducted in a fair way.

"We know that Pirelli needs more test time," Renault's Cyril Abiteboul told Motorsport.com. "I think it's important that we need to find a way to do it, to support them, but also in a way that's fair to all competitors.

"It's a bit of a frustrating situation, but right now we need to be able to come together to support Pirelli so that we have a product that is spectacular, safe and appropriate for F1. I think we need to have certainty that we're embarking on something that will improve the situation and will be better."

"We have to be supportive with them," Alfa's Fred Vasseur told Motorsport.com. "But we have to consider on the other hand that we have to do it in a fair way, not to help too much one team.

"If we want to test the tyres, it will be around October perhaps, and the majority of the teams don't have the resources to do a session in Europe. It's sure that we're not able to do it."

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Alfa hails Giovinazzi for rebounding from Spa crash

Alfa Romeo Formula 1 boss Fred Vasseur has praised Antonio Giovinazzi for his Italian GP performance, saying he "had the shoulders" to overcome the psychological blow he had faced.

Giovinazzi lost a potential eighth place in Belgium when he had a high-speed crash on the penultimate lap, having carried the team's hopes throughout after Kimi Raikkonen's first-lap clash with Max Verstappen.

In Italy he was again the team's main representative after Raikkonen started from the pitlane and lost all chance of points with an early stop and go penalty for a tyre offence.

This time Giovinazzi finished ninth, logging only his second points finish of the season after his 10th place in Austria.

He also finished eighth on the road in Germany only to lose the result for a clutch offence at the start, and that result is still subject to an appeal by the Swiss team.

Giovinazzi has inevitably been in the spotlight thanks to Raikkonen's consistent scoring in 2019, with the Finnish veteran currently leading their internal battle by 31 points to three, although Giovinazzi has been much closer in qualifying.

Despite some pressure to put Marcus Ericsson back in the car for 2020, Giovinazzi's future is believed to be secure as Ferrari has the rights to one seat at Alfa, and none of its junior drivers are deemed ready to make the graduation, with Mick Schumacher set for a second year of F2.

"It was important to score points, and Antonio did a good race after a good quali," Vasseur told Motorsport.com.

"You won't get back the points from Spa in any case, but at least we can start in Singapore from scratch.

"It's never easy on the psychological side to manage this kind of situation. But I think honestly he did a strong performance in qualy, he was there in free practice, and he did a strong race.

"We've had some technical issues this season, and I can understand his feelings. He wasn't comfortable after Spa, but now it's done and behind us, and we have to think about Singapore.

"Honestly the reaction he had was a good one, it's never easy to be in this situation, and to react like this. He showed that he had the shoulders to do it.

"We knew perfectly that Spa and Monza would be difficult for us, and we have to be focussed in the next one."

Giovinazzi admitted he felt under some pressure following the Spa incident.

"It was not easy but I think the team gave maximum support to me and the people here were really nice," he said. "And this made the weekend a lot more smooth and in the end we achieved a good result.

"I think I always race with pressure, also in F3 I had a sponsor and I knew if I was not fast enough the sponsor would change drivers, and same in F2. So for me, it's normal to race on pressure and here, at least I had the support of the team as well, and the people as well, the fans."

Asked about his future, he said: "I don't know, I think if I am fast enough, and the comparison with Kimi I think is there, I think nobody can take my seat for next year."

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Rebuilding Vettel's confidence "won't be easy" - Brawn

It is "essential" Ferrari rebuilds Sebastian Vettel's confidence for next season, reckons ex-Formula 1 team boss Ross Brawn after Vettel's latest errors in the Italian Grand Prix.
Vettel spun at Ascari early on and compounded that error by rejoining unsafely and causing Lance Stroll to spin.

He received a stop/go penalty and three penalty points on his licence, leaving him one major incident from a race ban, and these mistakes were the latest in a long line stretching back to his crash while leading last year's German Grand Prix.

The four-time world champion is also under pressure to retain his reputation as team leader at Ferrari after Charles Leclerc's Monza win earned the youngster back-to-back victories.

"Vettel is clearly one of the greats of our sport, but at this tough time he really needs the support of the team to regain the confidence he seems to be lacking at the moment," said now-F1 sporting chief Brawn in his regular post-race review.

"That, as well as pushing on with the car development, has to be a priority for Mattia Binotto in the coming weeks.

"It won't be easy, but it is essential especially in terms of 2020."

Brawn suspected Vettel felt "let down" by Leclerc after the qualifying farce on Saturday, when Leclerc delayed committing to giving Vettel a tow as agreed because drivers were delaying each other massively to avoid losing out on a tow.

"However, what happened in the race was down to him alone," said Brawn.

"Sebastian made two mistakes on lap seven, spinning and then hitting Stroll and the errors look even worse in light of Leclerc's double victory in Spa and Monza.

"It's an unavoidable fact that no matter who the driver is and regardless of how good things are in the team, your first rival is always your teammate.

"To a certain extent, Sebastian is experiencing what he felt at Red Bull in his final year there, in 2014, when he found himself up against Daniel Ricciardo, a youngster setting incredible pace."

Leclerc's driving came under scrutiny on Sunday because of two moves in particular in defence of Hamilton - one under braking at the Roggia chicane and a jink left at Curva Grande.

But Brawn was full of praise for the 21-year-old and said on Sunday he was reminded of the 2003 Grand Prix when Michael Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya fought for the win.

Of Leclerc, he said: "The Ferrari man did not back down and was on the limit of what the rules allow, as great champions always are and have to be.

"In fact, Leclerc was also very shrewd in the way he handled the situation in that truly bizarre Q3 qualifying session on Saturday.

"Following on from his win in Spa the previous Sunday, Charles had an incredible weekend. The thing that impresses me most about him is how quickly he learns from everything he does, getting better all the time, as a driver and as a man."

Brawn also hinted at Leclerc showing signs of emulating seven-time world champion Schumacher after winning at Spa and Monza back-to-back.

"The last Ferrari man to do that in these two races was Michael in 1996. Maybe history is beginning to repeat itself."

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Russell pleased with Italy result on one of Williams’ ‘worst three circuits’

After Williams were “murdered” on the straights of Monza, according to George Russell, the team did well to salvage a 14th-place finish, ending up just over a second behind the Ferrari of Sebastian Vettel. And that performance, says Russell, has given him a number of positives to take away ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix.

The Temple of Speed isn’t so kind to Williams’ FW42s, a car struggling with both a lack of downforce and relatively large amounts of drag. In fact, Williams viewed Monza as such a tall task for them to conquer this season that Russell called it “one of the three worst circuits of the year for us, with our straight-line speed”.

Yet, he managed to finish ahead of Kimi Raikkonen – although the Finn did encounter a number of issues in the race – and the Haas of Romain Grosjean. It underlines just how considerable the team’s improvement has been this season.

“We definitely showed good pace, just a bit of a shame at the start, with our straight-line speed, we just got murdered on the straight,” he said.

“But as soon as I was in clear air, the pace was relatively strong. We only finished around 35 seconds off P10, which, for us at this stage, is pretty decent going, especially with what happened at the start.”

Just 1.490s behind Sebastian Vettel at the finish line – the German downcast after a race-ruining spin and penalty – Russell showed that Williams have the ability to put themselves in the mix. And given that Singapore isn’t as power-hungry as Monza, we could see more to come from the team.

“We definitely have some positives to take away, it shows that we did a good job with the set-up, with the tyres, with everything else in our control,” concluded the rookie. “I think we can be quite pleased with the result.”

Williams still have a long way to go if they are to challenge the lower midfield teams, reiterated by the fact that this was their first point-less race at Monza since the start of the hybrid era. But they look a rejuvenated team considering the troubles of pre-season testing, just seven months ago.

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LEHTO: AT FERRARI THERE IS ALWAYS A NUMBER ONE DRIVER

Charles Leclerc is now Ferrari’s “number one driver” claims JJ Lehto, who was once the supporting act for none other than Michael Schumacher at Benetton.

“Michael himself was no tyrant,” the 53-year-old Finn told Iltalehti newspaper. “He was an insanely good driver, but he also put all the right people around him.

“Perhaps that is Vettel’s weakness: he didn’t have the people to bring with him to Ferrari to build his own team.”

Lehto says that with young Leclerc’s back-to-back maiden wins at Spa and Monza, number 1 status is clearly now passing from Vettel to a young new star.

“The expectations to succeed are always high at Ferrari, and there is always a number one driver to take the team forwards,” he said.

“Leclerc has shown that Ferrari can win too, which creates confidence and enthusiasm. A new sheriff is in town.”

There is even some doubt that Vettel, 32, will be at Ferrari at all next year, despite his contract.

But team boss Mattia Binotto insists: “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: next year, there is no question that our drivers are Sebastian and Charles.”

However, there is the risk that the lineup will devolve into an internal war, along the lines of Hamilton-Rosberg at Mercedes, or Senna-Prost from yesteryear.

Lehto said: “I don’t believe that. I certainly hope not. I think those guys are different and not nearly political enough to get into games like that.”

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HAAS PLAY DOWN ALDO COSTA CONNECTION

Team principal Gunther Steiner says Haas will not benefit from chassis partner Dallara’s new high-profile recruit.

At Monza, Mercedes announced that its technical advisor Aldo Costa is leaving the championship winning team to join the Italian motorsport company.

“My family is in Italy and for us it was quite tough,” Costa said at Monza, having been based near Mercedes’ UK factory for years. “In the end, I decided to take an opportunity that will allow me to further develop as an engineer and stay closer to home.”

58-year-old Costa will be in charge of Dallara from an overall technical point of view.

Also with support from Ferrari, Dallara helps Haas to build its Formula 1 cars. Haas also uses the Dallara wind tunnel and simulator.

But Steiner, the Haas team boss, plays down suggestions that the American team will benefit directly from Costa’s input, “I think they would have told me if he was available to us.

“I think Mercedes would not have let him go if he was going to work for another team. I cannot imagine that he will develop the Formula 1 cars. Aldo is a very correct person. He would not do that and we would not ask him to,” he added.

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NO NORMAL AFTERNOON AT FERRARI HQ IN MARANELLO

It wasn’t quite the normal afternoon at Scuderia Ferrari headquarters in Maranello today when, shortly after 4pm, Charles Leclerc and Team Principal Matteo Binotto joined the entire staff to toast the wins in both the Belgian and Italian Grands Prix.

And Sebastian Vettel was also there, by telephone link.

An important moment. As he addressed the gathering, Binotto stressed that in both cases, the wins were a team effort. “In Belgium and Italy we won because of the efforts of the entire team. The low downforce package delivered the expected results and the engine already performed very well in Belgium, while the Spec 3 version we introduced in Italy was good enough to fend off our opponents even when they used DRS.

“Along with the aerodynamics and the engine, the strategies and pit stops were perfect and the combination of all these factors meant Scuderia Ferrari finally took its first wins of the season, after victory had slipped from our grasp a couple of times in the early races. In Spa-Francorchamps, Sebastian also played a vital role in helping us reach our objectives.”

It was around this time that Seb’s phone call was patched through and he congratulated the team, as well as thanking them for the support so many of them had given him after the difficult race in Monza.

Non-stop autographs. Charles then said a few words, as everyone raised a glass of champagne. “I think I’ve just lived through eight unforgettable days. To win twice in my first year in Formula 1 is incredible and it’s mainly down to you, especially after the first part of the season was a long off way our expectations.

“The week in Monza was fantastic and Seb and I were both electrified by the welcome we got from the tifosi in Milan and that was even more motivation to do well in Monza.

“When I was in the car fighting, I could feel the support of the people in the crowd and when I crossed the finish line it felt so liberating. Therefore, thank you to all of you.”

Once he’d put down the microphone, Charles’ work for the day really began, as he signed hundreds of autographs for all those who work so hard in Maranello and who didn’t want to miss the chance of getting a T-shirt, a cap or a card signed, as well a posing for a selfie with the youngest ever Scuderia Ferrari driver to win a Formula 1 Grand Prix.

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PROST: OCON VERY MOTIVATED, HULKENBERG PESSIMISTIC AND NEGATIVE

Reasons are emerging why Renault have decided to oust Nico Hulkenberg these being that the German is too “pessimistic” and “negative” and thus not good for the team.

That is the claim of Renault advisor and F1 legend Alain Prost, as he explained why the French works team has instead signed up fellow Esteban Ocon for 2020. thus Hulkenberg, linked with moves to Alfa Romeo or Haas, is currently looking for a new home for next year.

Prost told Sky Italia, “We don’t want pessimistic drivers, which is why we opted for Ocon. He is very motivated after being out for a year. Nico is quite negative, but he’s also right about certain things. But we have to look forward and a driver’s negativity doesn’t work for us, especially in a difficult season.”

Prost agrees with Hulkenberg that the Renault chassis needs to be improved, but he calls the team’s 2019 engine “excellent”.

However, he admits that 2020 could be another difficult year for Renault, “I’ll be honest, due to the change in regulations in 2021, it makes no sense that we continue to develop a lot. We hope to have a high level in 2021.

“We will have to invest a lot in the development of a good car to be in front again,” added Prost.

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Mercedes originally didn't want to sign Lewis Hamilton for 2013

Mercedes didn't originally want to sign Lewis Hamilton as Michael Schumacher's replacement according to former Mercedes team CEO Nick Fry.

Mercedes were looking for a replacement for the seven-time World Champion to partner Nico Rosberg and according to Fry, although he wanted Hamilton, Mercedes' upper management weren't keen and wanted him to approach Nick Heidfeld for the seat.

"Initially I couldn’t get Mercedes on board with hiring Lewis," he wrote in his upcoming book 'Survive. Drive. Win.', an excerpt of which was published by RaceFans.

"More than once we were sent back to come up with other ideas. For whatever reason, we were told to look at people like Nick Heidfeld again, who was super-keen to get the seat, and repeatedly text me with photos of himself, his family and his dog in a futile bid to pique my interest."

Other drivers up for consideration included Paul di Resta, whilst Fry also revealed that Jacques Villeneuve even approached the team about returning to F1 and taking up the vacant seat.

However Hamilton was eventually signed, but it took the arrival of Niki Lauda for it to happen, with Fry writing that Lauda told him on his first day at Mercedes to "go and do it [sign Hamilton] and I will ask Mercedes for forgiveness later".

It then took months of negotiations with Lauda playing a pivotal role in persuading Hamilton to break with McLaren and join Mercedes, which at the time was relatively new, having bought out BrawnGP at the end of the 2009 season.

The rest is of course history as Hamilton has gone on to win four championships with the team and looks set to win his sixth this season.

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Sergey Sirotkin kick-starts Pirelli's 18-inch '21 tyre test programme

Renault tester Sergey Sirotkin has commenced Pirelli’s long-term development programme ahead of Formula 1’s switch to 18-inch tyres in 2021.

As part of Formula 1’s regulatory overhaul in 2021 the championship will move from 13-inch rubber to 18-inch rubber.

Pirelli first evaluated the larger tyres with Lotus back in 2014, running a concept tyre, and it has committed to moving to the 18-inch wheels from 2021.

Formula 2 is making the switch a year early and Pirelli has already conducted several private tests with an adapted F2/18 machine on 2020-spec rubber.

Ex-F1 driver Jean Alesi carried out a demonstration run at Monza last weekend.

Sirotkin, who raced for Williams last year, is on track at French Grand Prix venue Paul Ricard today (Thursday) and will continue running on Friday, as Pirelli makes its first steps with the 2021-spec rubber.

McLaren will run at the same venue next month while Mercedes will carry out a third test in December.

Pirelli will use all 25 of its allocated test days in 2020 to carry out further 18-inch tyre evaluations.

Sirotkin is today sharing the track with Mercedes reserve driver Esteban Ocon, who is running on 13-inch 2020 prototype rubber as Pirelli makes final assessments with next year’s prototypes.

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Ferrari doubts recent F1 pace and form can be maintained

Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto says the squad must be braced for a return to its pre-summer performance levels at upcoming grands prix, off the back of successive Formula 1 wins.

Ferrari’s low-drag concept for 2019 has hurt its prospects at circuits where high levels of downforce are required, but it has performed well as high-speed venues, aided by the strength of its power unit.

Ferrari had been tipped to perform strongly at the power-hungry Belgian and Italian Grands Prix and such thoughts came to fruition, with Charles Leclerc taking pole and the win at both rounds.

But at certain upcoming events, such as in Singapore, Russia and Japan, the impact of the power unit is less pronounced, with a greater focus coming on mechanical grip and aerodynamic efficiency. 

“We knew that these tracks, we may have been competitive, but it was not a given,” said Binotto, reflecting on Belgium and Italy.

“But secondly being more power-sensitive and having more straights was important for us.

“It was important for us not to miss any other opportunities as we missed in the first half [of the season]. I think the fact that we capitalised on the strengths of our car makes us very happy.

“But for the next races, I think it can be as the first part of the season.

“There have been races, there has been Germany, Canada, Bahrain where we can maybe be still competitive, and others where the weaknesses of our car will not give us the possibility to go for the win. But difficult to guess which ones.

“I think it’s important for us to continue to develop the car, because we are understanding it, and give our drivers the best opportunity whenever they can.”

Binotto nonetheless emphasised that Ferrari has made gains with its SF90 away from the engine department.

“The new engine, it helped, but [there are] tracks like the next one [in Singapore] where the engine is not so important,” he said.

“But I think we should thank as well not only the engine, we got the new unit which gave us speed and strength on the straight, but as well we improved in the aerodynamic department, with the low downforce package we put both in Belgium and [Italy] has proved to be a good one for the high speed.

“Certainly the speed you have seen on the straight is not only down to the engine, but the aero package that we have developed.”

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Sergio Perez: Racing Point can target finishing '19 with fourth-fastest car

Sergio Perez has outlined that Racing Point should target finishing the 2019 Formula 1 season with the fourth-fastest package, as it bids to make up for a slow start.

Racing Point was playing catch-up early on compared to its midfield opponents in the wake of its mid-2018 takeover, with the team having adopted a conservative stance when it faced an uncertain future.

It introduced the first two stages of a three-phase upgrade package across Germany and Hungary, and is set to bring the final part – focusing on a new front wing – to Singapore.

Having failed to score points for eight successive races Perez returned to the top 10 in Belgium, matching his season-best result of sixth, and followed it up with seventh a week later in Italy.

“We definitely made some progress, and we are making [progress], so it’s definitely encouraging to have the targets for the rest of the year,” said Perez.

“I want to make sure we finish the season with the fourth-best car on the grid, regularly, across different circuits, and that will be a good finish to the season.

“I think a step of three-tenths on top of what we have is what we need to be regularly the fourth-fastest team out there. It’s very close, but three-tenths considering [everyone] improves is a big step.”

Team-mate Lance Stroll, who secured the team’s best 2019 result of fourth in Germany, echoed Perez’s stance.

“It’s going to be a little bit track dependent,” he said on Racing Point’s prospects.

“But we’ve seen on a couple of occasions we’ve been able to be the fourth-quickest car on some of the faster circuits, so that’s definitely the goal.”

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Vettel too good to be written off, says Wolff

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says Sebastian Vettel is too good to be written off yet, despite another difficult weekend for the four-time champion at the Italian Grand Prix.

While Charles Leclerc grabbed a brilliant victory for Ferrari on its home turf at Monza, Vettel endured another frustrating afternoon as he spun early in the race and then was handed a penalty for rejoining in an unsafe manner and colliding with Lance Stroll.

While some have suggested that Vettel's ongoing struggles, against the backdrop of teammate Leclerc's growing form, are pointing to a changing of the guard at Ferrari, Wolff is not so convinced.

"I'm just saying, don't write him off," he said after Vettel's latest troubles. "He's a four-time world champion, and the difference between the great ones and the good ones is that the great ones are able to get up again. And I have no doubt that he can do that.

"He's had a spell of bad races, and now it will be about the ability to get himself back into where he deserves to be, and [Italy] for sure is a bad day for him."

While Vettel was disappointed with what happened in Italy, he maintains it was ultimately good for Ferrari.

"It's good for the team," he said when asked to reflect on what happened. "On my side I'm not happy, certainly not with how it went today, with that spin.

"After that obviously our race was pretty much lost from there, but at least the team was still going. Last year it was close with Kimi [Raikkonen], this time it was certainly good that Charles sealed the victory at the end for the team."

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Leclerc a "very tough" driver for his age - Bottas

Mercedes Formula 1 driver Valtteri Bottas says Charles Leclerc is a "very tough" racer given his age and complimented the 21-year-old's approach to his first year with Ferrari.

Leclerc won the Italian Grand Prix after a feisty drive in which he defended aggressively against Lewis Hamilton and then kept the championship leader's teammate Bottas at bay in the closing laps.

During the race, Leclerc picked up a black/white warning flag for moving under braking in his battle with Hamilton, a continuation of a more aggressive approach first seen in the British Grand Prix.

Asked if he was surprised by how cold Leclerc could be on track, Bottas said: "I haven't seen anything from the race apart from what I saw in the car, so I can't say much.

"I heard some talk in the press conference but I have no clue what happened [between Leclerc and Hamilton].

"But for sure he's racing hard. When you're in the lead there's no way you want to give it up. For a young guy he is a very tough racer, which is good to see. [It as] As you should [be] when you're a Ferrari driver."

Hamilton said he had to avoid collisions with Leclerc during their battle and would have driven differently if he did not risk harming his championship prospects.

However, Bottas claims said he did not approach Leclerc - not in title contention and focused on winning Ferrari's home race - any differently.

Bottas trails Hamilton by 63 points in the championship, having closed the gap by two points by finishing second at Monza, where he failed to launch an attack on Leclerc after moving ahead of Hamilton.

"I wasn't thinking about that [the championship]," said Bottas. "I was just thinking about the best possible result I could get.

"I knew about halfway through the race the win was possible; how things were going and the pace I had on the medium I thought there will be opportunities at the end of the race.

"It was always the plan for me to go long in the first stint and have opportunities later on. We had those but we couldn't make it really happen. The only thing in my mind was to maximise this race and go for the win.

"There's nothing I would have done different in any other case."

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Formula 1 and Memento announce online memorabilia store

Always liked the idea of owning a piece of race-used F1 memorabilia? Well now you can thanks to a new long-term partnership between Formula 1 and the Memento Group.

F1 Authentics gives fans the chance to bid for memorabilia by auction or shop hundreds of ready-to-buy exclusive items with prices to suit every pocket. Each item comes complete with a certificate of authenticity.

Products available include used racewear, helmets, suits and gloves, as well as products re-engineered from race-used materials, such as tables constructed from Pirelli tyres and race engines. Visitors will also have the chance to purchase complete race cars, such as the 2016 Renault pictured above.

Put simply, F1 Authentics is the official authority in F1 memorabilia, offering fans of the sport a chance to own a piece of racing history.

[avaldes]

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.f1-hybrid-engines-will-play-major-part-in-reducing-vehicle-emissions-says.2bJbQ072G8dIfMsK8CANtk.htmlen een

 

Since when is Formula One part of a political agenda? I don't mind everyone being more conscious about environmental impacts. But to try to sell motorsports as a leader in environmental improvement is a complete sack of BS. Racing is about racing, it is an entertainment industry at the end of the day. The only reason it exists is to make money for the investors. This seems like they are trying to make F1 "relevant" to more than auto racing. IMO this is a mis-step.

[MIKA27]

On 9/15/2019 at 8:20 AM, avaldes said:

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.f1-hybrid-engines-will-play-major-part-in-reducing-vehicle-emissions-says.2bJbQ072G8dIfMsK8CANtk.htmlen een

 

Since when is Formula One part of a political agenda? I don't mind everyone being more conscious about environmental impacts. But to try to sell motorsports as a leader in environmental improvement is a complete sack of BS. Racing is about racing, it is an entertainment industry at the end of the day. The only reason it exists is to make money for the investors. This seems like they are trying to make F1 "relevant" to more than auto racing. IMO this is a mis-step.

This has occurred since the Hybrid era began my friend... This is the reason why Ferrari and Mercedes mad eit clear a couple years back, they would pull out of F1 should the sport head back to V8 and V10 engines.

[MIKA27]

Renault F1 now ready for younger drivers, says Cyril Abiteboul

Renault boss Cyril Abiteboul believes the greater “maturity” of its Formula 1 operation means the team is now ready to cater for younger drivers.

Renault is one of only two teams on the grid with both of its drivers in their 30s but for next year has signed Esteban Ocon to partner Daniel Ricciardo.

Abiteboul also underlined Renault’s enthusiasm to bring through one of its Academy drivers into Formula 1 within the next few years.

“I think it is was important when given the opportunity to seize that opportunity of an accomplished driver in Daniel last year,” Abiteboul commented, explaining overlooking Ocon for 2019.

“Once we had that at Renault, and right now, we think it’s the right moment for some fresher blood to be honest and I think it’s a trend you can see in the whole team.

“We’re investing in young drivers in our Academy and we hope and expect to have possibly one driver from that Academy [in Formula 1] in 2021.

“So it’s also a dynamic, a shift in dynamic, to be ready and welcoming young drivers in our line-up.

“It’s not something I would have been capable of doing two years ago but with more maturity in the team we can now envisage that.

“And that will be good test to see if we’re capable of also managing that as it’s a different kind of managing: managing someone in his 20s, or 22, to [someone] in his 30s, that’s different.”

Abiteboul cautioned that 2020 is likely to be another learning year for Renault as part of its long-term aspirations, as it bids to make a breakthrough when the next regulatory cycle begins in 2021.

“It takes time, let’s be honest, it takes more time than a lot of people would want, than we want,” said Abiteboul on fighting at the front in Formula 1.

“We are in a world that is expecting short-term delivery of results and performance, but these teams are extremely well established, well-funded and extremely well organised, it is very difficult to make your way into the top three.

“But that’s obviously what we are striving to do and I do believe Esteban can help us with that.

“We will continue to balance what we do for 2020 and 2021, there is such a change for 2021 that we have to think carefully about how we split our resources, Esteban’s aware of that, it’s no different to lots of teams anywhere but it will give us the opportunity to learn, to properly work together in 2020, so we can be in full attack mode in 2021.”

[MIKA27]

F1 set to trial qualifying races in 2020 at select races

Formula 1 looks set to trial 'qualifying races' during the 2020 season, with Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto revealing that the teams have approved of the plan, although the exact details remain unknown.

F1's managing director of motorsport, Ross Brawn, recently confirmed the idea had been floated, citing the stable regulations as a perfect opportunity to "experiment" ahead of the 2021 season, when the sport will undergo a major regulatory overhaul.

"I’d like to see in 2020 for us to try a few things," he taid. "I think in 2020 we’ve got a stable platform in terms of the cars, things aren’t changing that much and I think that ’20 could be a good opportunity perhaps for one or two races to try some variations.

"I think the basic race format is good but would a sprint race be interesting, or would some changes to qualifying be interesting," he added. "I think the teams are up for doing some variations during a Saturday to see if we can try out a better solution."

It's believed the proposal was put to the teams during a recent Strategy Group meeting where Binotto said there was unanimous support.

Whilst the exact details have yet to be released, it's believed only three as yet undecided races will feature changes, with the remaining 19 on the record breaking 22-race calendar remaining unchanged.

Amongst the several ideas being considered are a qualifying race, reverse or partially-reversed grid races and a reduction in practice.

[MIKA27]

Valtteri Bottas: Lewis Hamilton points advantage not night and day

Valtteri Bottas has asserted that he can still overhaul Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton in this year’s Formula 1 title battle.

At the two-thirds marker of the 21-race campaign Hamilton holds a 62-point advantage over Bottas, with the pair having taken eight and two wins respectively.

Bottas’ seasons largely trailed off in both 2017 and 2018 but he is adamant that he can avoid a repeat, and has underlined his ambition to reel in his team-mate atop the standings.

“It’s definitely a better feeling going forwards, I feel very good support from the team,” said Bottas.

“The points gap between me and Lewis for sure is a gap but it’s not like night and day.

“You never know what happens in the championship, there still might be opportunities. There’s no point giving up as we have seven races and things can happen. I’ll take it race by race.

“For sure it’s encouraging for me to see I can perform and there’s no doubt from my side that I can.

“I will be able to be at my best, and when title hopes and motivation is there, I know I can do it. I’ll look forward to Singapore.”

Bottas has a mixed record in Singapore, with just one podium finish to his name, achieved in 2017, when he placed third.

“I think Singapore on paper is definitely better for us compared to Ferrari, and we were very close to them [in Italy], so it should be good,” he said.

“Obviously we need to wait and see, it is a special track, very hot conditions, and unique in what it needs mechanically from the car.

“There’s been many races I’ve been able to turn around this year that have been difficult in the past, that I’ve been able to be competitive, so I’m aiming to do that in Singapore.”

[MIKA27]

Williams extends Mercedes F1 power unit deal through 2025

Williams will continue to use Mercedes’ power units in Formula 1 through 2025 after a new five-year deal was reached between the respective parties.

Williams switched to Mercedes power for the start of the hybrid era in 2014, signing a seven-year contract, and finished third in the Constructors’ Championship across 2014 and 2015.

It is understood that Williams briefly held discussions with Renault, amid its Mercedes deal expiring at the end of 2020, but it has now signed an extension to remain powered by the German car giant.

Williams will continue to manufacture its own transmission.

"We have enjoyed a wonderful partnership with Mercedes-Benz over the past six years of what was originally a seven-year agreement, and so we are delighted to be continuing working with them for a further five years from 2021,” said deputy team boss Claire Williams.

“Mercedes-Benz has been one of the sport's most successful engine suppliers and we believe that they will continue to have an extremely competitive engine package going forwards.

“Over our time with them they have become a real friend of the team, and we look forward to working with Mercedes-AMG HPP in future.”

Williams has slumped to last place in the Constructors’ Championship across the past two years but Mercedes chief Toto Wolff has backed the outfit to recover long-term.

“Williams is one of the iconic brands in Formula 1 and we at Mercedes are proud to count them as part of our motorsport family,” said Wolff, who held a shareholding position at Williams before becoming Mercedes team boss.

“They have been through some tough times recently but that has only served to demonstrate their resilience and strength of character as they battle back to where they belong on the grid.

“I am certain that the outlook for independent teams is bright under the financial regulations that will be introduced from 2021 and we are delighted to continue our partnership with Williams into that new era of our sport.”

Mercedes' other customer, Racing Point, is also expected to renew long-term with the manufacturer, extending a partnership that began in 2009.

[MIKA27]

Steiner admits Haas struggles are 'killing' him

Haas boss Gunther Steiner says that dealing with the constant race tyre struggles that his team is facing in Formula 1 just ‘kills you’ mentally.
The American-owned outfit has faced difficulties getting its car into the right tyre operating window for much of the season, and suffered its third consecutive non points-scoring finish in Italy last weekend.

Its run of form, and its inability to overcome the tyre issues so Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean can make progress in the races, is something that Steiner is finding hard to take.

“At the moment this is our struggle,” he said. “We will try to get solutions to it as soon as possible to see if we can better it. I think we understand, but I don’t know if we can get solutions this year.

“But racing like this, it kills you. Everyone knows how I like to race, and this is something [else].”

Steiner says that what is especially frustrating is that even when the car is quick in qualifying, or in the early stages of races, it can still suddenly fall away.

“You go out with new tyres, the tyres work for two laps then the temperatures go down and you are done again,” he said.

“We are always so on the edge with everything that a little thing happens and we are gone. The drop off is not a tenth or two, it is drop off that can mean a second.

“We are so on the edge that I don’t know where we are. Just track temperature can make a difference for us, being in or out. So we are there or thereabouts or we are out.”

Steiner says that the only positive of their situation is that the recent trials with its Melbourne-spec car has highlighted that its issues are not only related to tyres, because it appears to have not made enough progress with its car in 2019 either.

“Since two or three races we know pretty well where we are,” he said. “Changing over to the Melbourne spec helped a lot to understand it and get the reality of where we are. That is why it was done.

“The Melbourne spec is as good as this [current] one. We know what that means: we didn’t make any progress, everybody else did.

“In the first year with the new regulations you have to make progress and we didn’t. That is where we are. That is why the car was good for testing and Melbourne and then we stood still.”

[MIKA27]

Wolff didn’t lose trust in Renault despite Ocon snub

Mercedes Formula 1 team principal Toto Wolff says he never lost trust in Renault’s Cyril Abiteboul despite the latter withdrawing from a deal to take Esteban Ocon last year, adding that the two bosses “need to play hard and forgive quickly.”
An agreement had been made but not signed when Renault changed its mind at the last minute after Daniel Ricciardo indicated he wanted to join the Enstone team for 2019.

Wolff subsequently made his frustration with Renault clear, especially as there was no other opportunity to place the Frenchman after he lost his Force India/Racing Point seat to Lance Stroll.

However discussions resumed this year and Renault dropped Nico Hulkenberg to sign up Ocon for at least the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

Wolff says he was able to put last summer’s events behind him and look at the bigger picture when dealing with Abiteboul.

“No, we never lost the trust,” he said when asked by Motorsport.com. “There are so many common things that we discuss between Renault and Mercedes, where we discuss how the sport should go, and that as much as the situation on Esteban affected us and we let some words slip, this is part of the game.

“There were phases where we were upset with each other, but then you need to move on. It hasn’t changed anything on the respect I have for Cyril, and the respect I have for Renault as a brand. That’s why we moved on. We need to play hard and forgive quickly.”

Abiteboul admitted that Renault had put Wolff in a difficult situation by not taking Ocon.

“I was not feeling extremely comfortable at the way things developed last year,” he said. “Certainly it was absolutely not a good thing, but it was clearly not our intention to leave this guy [Ocon] behind, and to trigger the chain reaction that our decision to seize the opportunity of Daniel would cause.

“I don’t think we can provide all the details, but I think it’s been a whole dynamic probably was not well handled last year by our two companies.

"And that’s why I think we’ve done better this year, I think we’ve been a bit clearer with each other about parameters and timing, and we simply stick to timing and deadlines.

“I think it’s been an extremely fluid discussion, it’s been extremely transparent, with one simple objective.

[MIKA27]

Montoya: Vettel's troubles "technical", not mental

Sebastian Vettel’s troubles this year are more likely to be a “technical” problem than an issue with the four-time Formula 1 world champion’s mentality, reckons Juan Pablo Montoya.
Vettel is on a barren streak in F1 and is without a win since the 2018 Belgian Grand Prix, while his new Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc has now won back-to-back races in Belgium and Italy.

Leclerc’s victory in Ferrari’s home race triggered raucous celebrations at Monza, where Vettel spun out of fourth early on and edged himself close to a race ban for rejoining the track in a “dangerous” way.

The mistake was the latest in a run of errors from Vettel stretching back to the middle of 2018, but seven-time F1 race winner Montoya believes the blame may not lie with Vettel.

“I think he doesn’t like something in the car or this year’s tyres and Leclerc is able to better adapt,” Montoya told Motorsport.com.

“Vettel has to suffer to go as quick as the other guy. Because he has to suffer and he is not comfortable, he makes mistakes. When you’re not happy with the car and you push, mistakes happen.”

“I don’t think it’s a mental thing. It is more a technical one. It’s about understanding, having someone on your side who’s able to find what’s going on.”

Leclerc has generally found Ferrari’s SF90 more compliant, whereas Vettel has often complained this year of not having the right balance in his car.

Montoya compared the situation with his two-year spell with McLaren in 2005 and 2006, when different driving characteristics even led the team to develop a different front suspension for his car in order to better suit his style.

He said he “had to change they way I braked the car and it started doing very different things to what I was used to”, and suspects it might be more effective for something fundamental to change on the car than for Vettel to attempt to adapt around his issues.

“Changing they way you drive is very complicated,” said Montoya. “If you change the way you drive the car you can still be quick, but probably not as quick as you used to be.

“He will have to adapt to a certain extent, but learning to be quick in a different way is very difficult. It’s better to adapt the car to your driving than your style to someone else’s.”

Vettel has a contract with Ferrari that runs to the end of 2020 but his struggles have led to speculation he could try to end that stint early.

However, Montoya believes that Vettel can still recover “if he wants to”, adding: “He’s going to have to get his head down with the team and work harder than he ever has.

“The only way is working harder, doing something different to what he’s doing now. He must be used to working in a certain way, but right now it’s not working out for him.”