FORMULA 1

[MIKA27]

F1 set to vote on qualifying race trials for 2020

Formula 1 teams are set to vote in Paris on Wednesday on plans to run three experimental Saturday qualifying races in 2020, and those currently opposed to the idea would have to change their minds for the measure to pass.
A change in the FIA Sporting Regulations for next season requires unanimity, as the deadline for a majority vote passed on April 30.

Several teams remain opposed to the idea, with Mercedes known to have reservations about potentially having its cars struggle to make progress from the back of the grid.

Simulations run by teams have indicated that it will be hard for the drivers at the back to pass, as the cars immediately in front of them will only be marginally slower – if at all in race trim – and everyone is likely to start on new examples of the same tyre compound.

Haas team boss Gunther Steiner supports the plan, and believes that the dissenters could yet change their minds.

“We haven't decided that one,” said Steiner. “If it’s not unanimous, it will not happen. And I don’t know if these people will be convinced, but that is a decision for Wednesday.

“You know, there was more than once that somebody didn't want something, and then still it happened.

“So I wouldn't get ahead of myself and say it is not going to happen. There are people which have got opinions, concerns about it. But the decision is on Wednesday, so let’s see what happens on Wednesday.

“I am not opposed to it. If the majority wants it, I am OK with it. Because sometimes you have to try things differently. If it doesn't work, we should say 'Hey, it didn't work, let’s go back to what we had before.’

“I am happy to try that out and then see how it actually works, what impact it has got. What are the costs, and also, do we attract more spectators? Again, my biggest thing is do we make actually the show better? If you don't make it better, [if it's] just for us to please ourselves, there is no point to do it. Because it's all more work.”

If the vote to run experimental races is not passed for 2020, the regulations could be changed for 2021 without the need for unanimity.

[MIKA27]

Ross's Japanese GP review: Mercedes achievement testament to team attitude

Extreme weather led to a high pressure Sunday in Suzuka, but despite Ferrari locking out the front row in qualifying, Mercedes rode out the storm and in the end Valtteri Bottas’ sixth career victory, allied to Lewis Hamilton’s third place, handed the Silver Arrows the ultimate silver lining – a sixth consecutive Formula One Constructors’ Championship title.

And as Formula 1 Managing Director, Motorsport Ross Brawn says, the achievement is testimony to the leave-no-stone-unturned attitude the team has brought to the grid over the past six years.

However, he adds, Mercedes weren’t the only ones leaving Japan covered in glory, with Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull’s Alex Albon and Suzuka circuit also worthy of high praise.

The compressed weekend in Suzuka also brought up some thought-provoking ideas on the structure of F1 events for the future, as Ross explains…

Ensuring the double

Six consecutive titles is a record. In Suzuka, Mercedes not only won the constructors’ title, they also ensured that only one of their drivers can take the drivers’ crown this season. It’s an amazing result and I really want to congratulate Toto Wolff and his team. Twelve world titles in six years is exceptional and beats Ferrari's haul from 1999 to 2004, something I well remember as I was Technical Director of that team at the time.

Back then, Maranello missed out on the drivers’ title in the first of those years, losing out at the final race, in Suzuka in fact, when Mika Hakkinen won, thus shattering Eddie Irvine’s dream of bringing the title back to Ferrari for the first time since Jody Scheckter’s triumph 20 years earlier.

Mercedes deserve this record, having been invincible in the first three years of the hybrid era, after which they showed they were able to still hold off their rivals for the three more years when Ferrari and occasionally Red Bull provided the competition.

Much of this success is down to Lewis Hamilton, an amazing driver who is rewriting the history of this sport in a manner all his own.

It’s always difficult to establish how much is down to the car and how much to the driver, but in the end, for me, it’s the team that counts the most. Formula 1 is a team sport and even if the driver is the star of the show, he cannot win without a team behind him.

Mercedes have reached a higher level than their rivals and so far have been almost untouchable. However, without wishing to be the bearer of bad tidings, sooner or later the wind changes. It’s the law of the jungle in every sport. But no matter what may come, the achievements of the men and women of Brackley, Brixworth and Stuttgart will always be in the history books.

Ferrari's joy turns to despair

The weather played a big part in the Japanese GP weekend, but after Typhoon Hagibis wiped out Saturday’s programme, Suzuka delivered a great show on Sunday.

The outcome of qualifying was certainly surprising as Ferrari unexpectedly monopolised the front row. However, the role of favourite did not do the Italian team any favours, as any chance of victory evaporated before the second corner, first with Sebastian Vettel's fluffed start and then due to a mistake from Charles Leclerc that led to a collision with Max Verstappen.

From then on, the complexion of the race changed, with the front three drivers running different strategies and, in the end, victory went to perhaps the least likely of the trio, Valtteri Bottas who started from third on the grid and who had not won since April.

The strategic variety was determined mainly by the demanding nature of the Suzuka track when it comes to tyres, with heavy degradation leading all the top team drivers to opt for two stops.

This added to the show, as is always the case in Formula 1, a sport where any single aspect can decide the winner.

Listening to the consensus

Typhoon Hagibis was a major player at this year’s Japanese Grand Prix, forcing the organisers to cancel all Saturday track activity and reschedule qualifying for Sunday morning, just four hours before the race.

So, it was a Super Sunday in Suzuka and that naturally reopened the debate about the shape of an F1 weekend. This is an aspect of the sport we have focused on in some detail as we work towards the rules that will govern Formula 1 over the coming years, and we have taken into account the voices of all of the key players – the promoters, the teams and last but not least the fans.

I’ll be honest and say that there has been strong consensus, especially among the organisers, for maintaining the three-day format of track activity, although with a different timetable.

It's true that a day like Sunday in Suzuka offers a great show in just a few hours but it would confine the feeder series races to the previous days.

After careful analysis we have concluded that the best solution is to keep the event over three days, revising the Friday format but leaving the rest untouched, with qualifying on Saturday and the race on Sunday.

In order to meet the demands of the teams and in order to slightly increase the number of Grands Prix, which will be at 22 next year, we have given consideration to reorganising the schedule so that teams and drivers can arrive a day later. We’ll talk about the detail at the end of the month, when the new regulations will be published.

Renault's joy short-lived

Sunday in Suzuka was a rollercoaster ride for Renault. It had been a terrible morning, with Daniel Ricciardo going out in the first part of qualifying and Nico Hulkenberg finishing in P15 in Q2 due to a hydraulic problem.

But it was a completely different story in the race, with the Australian staging an amazing climb up the order that took him to sixth at the flag, while the German drove a strong race that brought him a point.

Then, much more unexpected than any typhoon, came the protest from Racing Point, alleging a violation of the technical regulations relating to a pre-set lap distance-dependent brake bias adjustment system.

The Stewards decided not to rule on such a complex matter in Japan, as it needs a careful investigation by the FIA, but it’s true that this question hovers over a result that was like finding water in the desert for a team that, compared to last year, have not made the progress they might have expected, and who are currently being beaten by their customer team McLaren.

None of this diminishes the team’s strong performance and their efforts to stay in the fight to finish the season as ‘best of the rest’. The gap is big at 34 points, but, with four races to go, it’s not insurmountable.

Albon shines

Honda obviously wanted a strong result at their home race, especially in a season that has seen the Japanese power unit return to winning ways after a 13-year drought.

In the end, the power unit supplier saw their best result in Suzuka achieved by rookie star Alexander Albon, who finished just off the podium, taking the best result of his short career to date in Formula 1.

More significant still was his showing in qualifying, given that the Thai was able to equal team-mate Max Verstappen’s time to the nearest thousandth of a second before the Dutchman’s race was spoiled by the collision with Leclerc soon after the start.

Once he and his team had worked a two-stop strategy to bypass one-stopping Carlos Sainz, Albon had a lonely race, but he made no mistakes and got the best result possible, even if he was almost a minute down on Bottas.

Of the three rookies this year, Alex has had the best results, though obviously his chances of scoring received a boost during the summer break when he was drafted into a top team.

However, driving a Red Bull brings a lot more pressure – not just in going up against a superstar such as Verstappen, but also in doing enough to hang onto the seat for 2020.

With four races to go, Albon is eighth in the drivers’ standings, 12 points behind sixth-placed Carlos Sainz. It’s a target that’s within reach, and could ensure his place in the sun for next year.

 

[rbi]

8 hours ago, MIKA27 said:

F1 set to vote on qualifying race trials for 2020

.......

If the vote to run experimental races is not passed for 2020, the regulations could be changed for 2021 without the need for unanimity.

I sure hope that doesn't pass with the current car configurations.  I know 2020 is supposed to bring some dramatic aero changes but overtaking is so difficult right now that I'm not sure this is a realistic method of qualifying.  I would presume this is more well thought of by the teams not named Ferrari and Mercedes Petronas because they're envious of the success of those 2 teams.

 

[In-A-Gadda-Davidoff]

4 hours ago, rbi said:

I sure hope that doesn't pass with the current car configurations.

The proposal did not pass yesterday when voted upon.  I don't think this is the last time this proposal will rear it's ugly head.  I think the proposal to reverse the grid based on qualifying is ridiculous and destined for failure if implemented with the current cars.  Overtaking is extremely difficult in this era of Formula 1.  Forcing teams that qualify well to the back of the grid will fail.  Would there be any reason to use party mode or any of the higher engine operating modes during qualifying when a better qualifying result seemingly would hinder you in the race?

[BrightonCorgi]

To make the weekend more exciting I would propose the following changes:

1.  Points for qualifying.  This would give incentive for back runners to go all out if they can get points and would shake up the starting grid.

2.  Bring back refueling.   This would help with No. 1 and refueling is dangerous & exciting.  More reason we need it back.  Perhaps skip it for Monaco only.

3.  Remove side view mirrors.  Would force drivers to keep their line and allow for more passing.

4.  "Push to Pass" instead of DRS zones.  Each car gets 100 boosts to use whenever they want over the race day.

5.  Launch Control.  Starts were so much better with launch control.  Remember Alonzo in the Mild Seven v10?  That was just wicked on the start.

6. More than one tire supplier.  Why not?  Would break up the field and make pit stops harder for other teams to figure out the competition.

[MIKA27]

Teams reject qualifying race proposal for 2020 F1 season

Formula 1 teams have rejected a proposal to run qualifying races at three events next season, following a bid by F1 bosses to experiment with the race weekend format in the hope of creating more drama.

It is understood that the French, Belgian and Russian rounds were earmarked for the trial, which would have seen the grid order decided by a short race on Saturday, rather than the now traditional three-round qualifying session.

The grid for the qualifying race would be determined by reverse championship order.

F1's managing director of motorsports Ross Brawn believed 2020's stable regulations would have been the ideal opportunity to experiment with different formats, including reverse grid races, but pushing such a change through at this late stage required all teams to unanimously vote in favour.

Whilst several teams backed the proposal during a vote on Wednesday, it failed to gather the unanimous support required and is therefore unlikely to be implemented for 2020.

However it could still be pushed through if unanimous support is found before the season begins next March.

The proposals were panned by drivers, with Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel calling them "complete bulls**t".

[MIKA27]

F1 drivers in favour of shortened race weekends

Formula 1 drivers have spoken in favour of reducing the length of race weekends, in the aftermath of the truncated Japanese Grand Prix.

The arrival of Typhoon Hagibis in Japan prompted the FIA to cancel all of Saturday’s track action, with the circuit closed for Formula 1 teams, drivers, media and spectators.

It led to the abandonment of the 60-minute third practice session, usually held on Saturday lunchtime, while qualifying was shifted to Sunday morning, a few hours prior to the race.

Formula 1 chiefs have been exploring whether to alter the structure of an event, in light of an expanding calendar, but have opted against radical changes.

Grand Prix promoters have been concerned that shortening a race weekend would have a negative financial impact, though moves are underway to alter Friday’s schedule.

But drivers say the reduced weekend length would be well-received.

“I enjoyed it,” said Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo. “Sundays are long for us. We still get here early. There are meetings, there media stuff, it is still a long day with only a little bit of driving.

“The hours were the same but we had a whole another session – not for me but for everyone else. I enjoyed it.

“If they are looking to add more races to the calendar, shorter race weekends are more than fine.”

Haas’ Kevin Magnussen commented: “It’s been a really fun day, very interesting and very intense. I’d love to see this be the way forward in the future.”

McLaren driver Carlos Sainz Jr. added: “It’s a bit tougher physically because qualifying laps nowadays are really tough also, and a 53-lap race, but I held on pretty well. It’s nice because you get to drive more during the day.”

2007 World Champion Kimi Raikkonen concurred, commenting: “Otherwise Sundays are more about waiting, so as long as there are no issues with the car it’s OK. Obviously if there’s a big issue, there’s limited time to fix it.

When it was put to Raikkonen that a condensed schedule would mean fewer media commitments he wryly remarked: “Oh, there are always some, unfortunately. They always find a way…”

[MIKA27]

Ferrari engine under scrutiny as F1 teams chase FIA

A number of Ferrari's Formula 1 rivals have written to the FIA for clarity over the legality of design aspects they believe are behind the Italian team's engine advantage.
Motorsport.com understands that Ferrari's competitors are seeking clarification over whether they are clear to pursue similar concepts themselves or if the ideas fall foul of the regulations.

The requests have come after Ferrari's recent performance breakthrough revealed the full extent of its engine advantage, which is believed to be worth up to 0.8 seconds at some tracks and has been described as 'ludicrous' by one high-level team source.

Since the summer break Ferrari has topped all five qualifying sessions and won three grands prix.

A significant car upgrade in Singapore has helped counter the cornering performance deficit that held it back through much of the season, and turned its speed advantage into a crucial qualifying edge.

Ferrari's gains have helped re-establish it ahead of Red Bull and also leapfrog Mercedes in terms of on-track performance.

One theory relates to Ferrari's intercooler and how a controlled leak may allow a small amount of oil to enter the combustion process, and produce a power boost for a short period of time.

Using oil in the intercooler, which Ferrari is thought to be alone in utilising, is permitted by the regulations, although the rules demand that such systems "must not intentionally make use of the latent heat of vaporisation of any fluid with the exception of fuel for the normal purpose of combustion in the engine".

At least one of Ferrari's rivals believes this could be where part of its qualifying advantage comes from and has sought clarification over whether such a practice would be allowed.

Ferrari's energy recovery system has also drawn attention from a different competitor, which has raised its own query with the FIA.

However, Ferrari's rivals say they have not had responses to their attempts to gain clarification.

The FIA's preference is that teams lodge a protest, something FIA president Jean Todt referenced last year when Ferrari was scrutinised by the FIA amid question marks over its ERS and battery usage.

When approached by Motorsport.com over the current concerns from Ferrari's rivals, the FIA said it "continues to monitor all parameters relating to conformity of power units in the FIA Formula One World Championship to the technical regulations".

It also stated it has "received no protest from any competitor regarding any current designs".

The lack of a response from the FIA to specific correspondence has left Ferrari's rivals uncertain about how to proceed.

Part of the worry is also whether this is among the fall-out from Charlie Whiting's shock death on the eve of the season and the redistribution of his wide-ranging responsibilities.

When Whiting held his position as race director, formal and informal queries were a common way of clarifying the governing body's position on potential grey areas.

This allowed concerns to be discussed openly and settled without the need for protesting, which could lead to teams targeting one another and create greater conflict.

The process also fostered trust that the FIA was on top of sensitive technical matters, rather than relying on teams to formally table concerns before the governing body intervened.

Ferrari's performance gains have not been enough to disrupt Mercedes' domination of the V6 turbo-hybrid engine era, as Mercedes wrapped up a sixth consecutive constructors' title in Japan, but it has become the benchmark in outright engine performance.

In Russia, Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto said its engine advantage is "not as big" as some people think.

The scrutiny over Ferrari's progress started in earnest last year with an investigation into its ERS that ended with the FIA insisting it was "satisfied".

However, even then, elements of how the FIA handled that process led to concerns.

Mercedes staff members Lorenzo Sassi and James Allison were publicly named by the FIA as responsible for raising the initial ERS concerns – a disclosure Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff called "disturbing".

An official protest against elements of Ferrari's current design appears unlikely.

It would have to be made during a grand prix weekend and would likely be against the alleged non-compliance of a car within the regulations.

That is generally required no later than thirty minutes after the publication of the provisional classification.

[MIKA27]

Senna to be honoured in Sao Paulo Fan Festival

Ayrton Senna is to be honoured by an official Formula 1 Fan Festival to be held in his home town of Sao Paulo on Saturday November 9th, a week before the Brazilian GP.
Senna's countrymen Emerson Fittipaldi and Felipe Massa will both drive examples of his old F1 cars on the streets of the city.

Although details of who handles what have yet to be confirmed, Senna's 1984 Toleman TG184 and 1985 Lotus 97T will be among the cars present. Motorsport.com understands that Pietro Fittipaldi has been invited to drive the latter.

In addition, modern F1 will be represented by Esteban Gutierrez in a Mercedes, and 17-year-old Sao Paulo native Caio Collet in a Lotus-Renault.

The free event, which is backed by official F1 sponsor Heineken, will take place at Sao Paulo's Ibirapuera Park, from noon to 6pm. Other activities include a concert.

The event is intended "to pay tribute to the incredible legacy he has left on Formula 1 and the people of Brazil," 25 years after he lost his life at the 1994 San Marino GP, and it has the full support of his family.

"I'm sure it will be an unforgettable day to Ayrton's fans," said Bianca Senna, director of the Ayrton Senna Institute. "The opportunity of seeing, so close, historical cars, that were part of some of his best moments in F1, will be incredible.

"Having the chance to see an event with so many attractions, happening in Ibirapuera, the heart of Sao Paulo, will be even more remarkable, crowning 2019, a year full of beautiful tributes to celebrate 25 years of legacy."

F1 commercial boss Sean Bratches said: "Ayrton Senna is a true legend of our sport and his legacy is both immense and inspiring. It is our honour to bring Formula 1 to the streets of Sao Paulo with our partners Heineken to celebrate his life and his importance to the people of Brazil.

"We will be celebrating his life by giving fans the chance to get up close and personal with modern and historic F1 cars that will give them a once in a lifetime experience of the speed, sound, and excitement that F1 has to offer."

The day will also be a useful opportunity for Formula Renault Eurocup frontrunner Collet to appear in front of a Brazilian crowd with the 2012 Lotus E20. He has already sampled the car at Paul Ricard.

"It's going to be one of the best things I've done in my life so far, driving an F1 car on the streets of my hometown," he said.

"I'm very grateful for this opportunity from Renault. It's going to be very special with my family and friends there to watch too. I'm very proud to represent Renault for this unique experience as well as paying tribute to Ayrton Senna."

[MIKA27]

Renault's development hurt by wind tunnel shutdown

Renault has revealed that its aero development progress since the summer break was hurt by it needing to put its wind tunnel out of action for several weeks for an upgrade.
The French car manufacturer has faced difficulties getting on top of the aero characteristics of its car, with the RS.19 having not delivered the kind of step forward that had been hoped for.

Renault F1's managing director Cyril Abiteboul says the understanding the team has made with its car over the first half of the year prompted it to decide it needed to improve its Enstone wind tunnel, which meant putting it out of action for nearly one month.

Speaking exclusively to Motorsport.com, Abiteboul said that Renault knew it needed to take a hit at some point on the wind tunnel – especially with 2021 just around the corner.

"We know the problem," he said. "The front wings are super sensitive, the way that they are hitting the bodywork, hitting the floor, leading edge and so on, they are super sensitive and we have understood a lot in the wind tunnel.

"This meant the wind tunnel was shut down for more than just the [summer] shutdown. That impact on development and the fact that we were working on multiple projects meant that we were delayed, but that was investment.

"If we want to be at the level we want to be ultimately, we had to do these things. So it is an encouraging sign of things to come. But there is so much more to be done so I prefer to keep my head down."

Abiteboul explained that the tunnel was closed both sides of the shutdown, and it needed an upgrade to bring it up to spec having not had enough investment ploughed in to it under the team's previous owners.

"It was started before and completed after [the summer break] so it meant we lost almost a month where we had absolutely no wind tunnel useage," he said.

"It was planned, and was the sort of thing that goes back to the previous ownership because very little investment was done and it is something that we were pushing back, pushing back, pushing back, but at some point we had to do it.

"With 2021 coming very near, we needed to be ready with everything, even if it meant sacrificing some of this year's development."

[MIKA27]

Haas: We should have listened to the drivers more amid struggles

This has been a painful season for Haas, the American Formula 1 team’s VF-19 proving to be a volatile machine that they simply haven’t been able to tame. Haas team boss Guenther Steiner admits they have made mistakes, including not listening to their drivers enough…

Last year appeared to be a breakthrough campaign for Haas as they narrowly lost out in a battle with Renault for fourth in the constructors’ championship. Fifth was still a strong effort, though, considering it was only their third season in F1.

Hopes were high they could build on that form in 2019, but while the car is fast at some points and shows reasonable pace in qualifying, that speed falls off a cliff when it comes to the races.

They’ve tried reverting to older spec cars, including the one which they first introduced in Australia, as upgrades they brought to the track often made the car worse. That seems to have helped, with Russia and Japan showing shoots of hope that they are making progress.

Looking back on how they approached this season and the subsequent decisions they made, would Haas have done anything differently? Listen to Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean, the latter who was vocal throughout that the team should go back to the Melbourne-spec, it seems.

“I don’t want to go into the specifics of technical stuff, but we should have listened a little bit more to the drivers when they gave their opinion about what the car is doing and whatnot and sometimes listen more to drivers than look at numbers,” said Steiner.

“That’s what we have to learn out of this. And now I think we need to get what the drivers say correlated with what the numbers say and get an understanding so we can move forward. We would have done a lot different from Barcelona onwards. We just try to get better and get a better understanding so we are not in this position next year.”

Haas failed to score again in Japan and are currently ninth in the constructors’ championship on 28 points, seven shy of Alfa Romeo and 26 behind Racing Point with four races to go.

[rbi]

6 hours ago, BrightonCorgi said:

To make the weekend more exciting I would propose the following changes:

1.  Points for qualifying.  This would give incentive for back runners to go all out if they can get points and would shake up the starting grid.

2.  Bring back refueling.   This would help with No. 1 and refueling is dangerous & exciting.  More reason we need it back.  Perhaps skip it for Monaco only.

3.  Remove side view mirrors.  Would force drivers to keep their line and allow for more passing.

4.  "Push to Pass" instead of DRS zones.  Each car gets 100 boosts to use whenever they want over the race day.

5.  Launch Control.  Starts were so much better with launch control.  Remember Alonzo in the Mild Seven v10?  That was just wicked on the start.

6. More than one tire supplier.  Why not?  Would break up the field and make pit stops harder for other teams to figure out the competition.

I like your ideas.  I may be in the minority but I actually like the current qualifying method.

If I were to add a 7th item to your list it would be (get ready, I'm about to be sacrilegious here for some):  Require all racetracks to have a minimum of so many feet straightaways.

Certain tracks are fantastic tracks but are simply almost impossible to overtake.  Monaco, the grand dame that she is, is a perfect example of what I mean.  If you don't get front row in Monaco, your chances of winning are reduced dramatically.  If you do get pole and are able to hold serve through turn 1, you just have to run your race and not make mistakes.  As long as your car is remotely close to the next car behind you, it's going to be difficult-to-impossible to pass.  So, personally I would love to see them add at least one longer straightaway to provide a shot at some overtaking.

 

[In-A-Gadda-Davidoff]

8 hours ago, BrightonCorgi said:

To make the weekend more exciting I would propose the following changes:

1.  Points for qualifying.  This would give incentive for back runners to go all out if they can get points and would shake up the starting grid.

2.  Bring back refueling.   This would help with No. 1 and refueling is dangerous & exciting.  More reason we need it back.  Perhaps skip it for Monaco only.

3.  Remove side view mirrors.  Would force drivers to keep their line and allow for more passing.

4.  "Push to Pass" instead of DRS zones.  Each car gets 100 boosts to use whenever they want over the race day.

5.  Launch Control.  Starts were so much better with launch control.  Remember Alonzo in the Mild Seven v10?  That was just wicked on the start.

6. More than one tire supplier.  Why not?  Would break up the field and make pit stops harder for other teams to figure out the competition.

Some great points here.  While I like the current format of qualifying, rewarding drivers points for qualifying is intriguing.  I definitely think some drivers are deserving of more credit in this area.  George Russell's qualifying run to a P16 at the Hungaroring in the lowly Williams was definitely deserving.  I would love to see refueling back in F1.  Not only from the strategic aspect, but also for the ability to lighten the car to increase competition.  I'm also for push to pass.  I think DRS actually impedes the ability to overtake more often than it helps.   When there is a line of cars all within a second of one another they all have DRS.  The only one at a disadvantage is the car at the head of the line, and the only one with a true advantage is the car second in line.  The rest of the line take the tow and can't gain on one another because they all have DRS.  Push to Pass to alleviate this issue, generate overtakes, and is a proven system in other forms of racing.  

I'm all for more than one tire supplier as long as it increases competition.  I definitely don't want a repeat of the 2005 U.S. Grand Prix.  That was an absolute joke.

 

[In-A-Gadda-Davidoff]

23 hours ago, MIKA27 said:

Miami Grand Prix gets approval for 2021 season

Please, Please keep Hermann Tilke as far away from Miami as possible.

[MIKA27]

2 minutes ago, In-A-Gadda-Davidoff said:

Please, Please keep Hermann Tilke as far away from Miami as possible.

He should be banned as part of the new rule changes.

[rbi]

Another point in favor of adding refueling back into F1 is that it affects strategy as well.  Especially if they make it such that the max amount of fuel only gets you roughly just over half the race.  Either teams will start qualifying in Q2 with the longer-lasting tires or they'll be forced into a 2-stop strategy....once for tire change and once to refuel.

 

[avaldes]

Since they are keeping hybrids, I say lift the rpm restrictions. Those little V6’s could scream at 20k. Add refueling and maybe even wider tires. Lighter cars with wider tires could be insanely fast.

[avaldes]

I also think they went the wrong way with engine allocation. They should have increased the number of engines. Increasing lifespan means either limiting power or a lot of very expensive engineering to improve reliability. It’s no wonder there are only 3 real race engines....sorry but Renault has seriously dropped the ball!

[rbi]

6 hours ago, avaldes said:

I also think they went the wrong way with engine allocation. They should have increased the number of engines. Increasing lifespan means either limiting power or a lot of very expensive engineering to improve reliability. It’s no wonder there are only 3 real race engines....sorry but Renault has seriously dropped the ball!

I never thought about the engine limits being a factor but that’s a great point.  Another one I don’t get is why MacLaren, a car manufacturer, doesn’t make its own engines?  They went through all that with Honda and kicked them to the curb just as Honda starts to show some promise with Red Bull.  

[MIKA27]

Renault: No financial impact from McLaren separation

Renault has stressed that its impending split from customer team McLaren will not adversely impact on its financial situation moving forwards.

Renault has always had at least one customer team in the Formula 1 hybrid era and for 2018 agreed a three-year deal to partner McLaren, having faced a split from Red Bull.

It was confirmed last month that McLaren will switch to using Mercedes power units from 2021, ostensibly leaving Renault with only its own factory operation.

“In particular for next year there is no impact because the engine for next year is done,” said Renault boss Cyril Abiteboul.

“It’s on the dyno already, you know that it’s a long lead-time development, so nothing is going to impact what we are doing for 2020.

“It’s going to impact what we could be doing for 2021 on the basis that, when you have multiple customers, in particular the way that Renault is doing it, we always try to satisfy everyone to take on board all the comments in terms of installation, and so on and so forth, so that will be one less distraction.

“We will be able to focus on ourselves and just on ourselves. And that’s it.

“From an economic perspective, there is absolutely no impact and nothing in it, because we sell, more or less, at a cost. Due to the price cap limitation.

“So, frankly, it’s nothing, that it’s good news, because, you know, it’s always satisfying to see your product being used by multiple teams but in terms of what we need to achieve and deliver for Renault it has absolutely no impact.”

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Analysis: What does Ferrari need to address for 2020 F1 title push?

Ferrari entered 2019 riding the crest of a confidence wave, after its 2017/18 progress, believing that its SF90 was the car to end a decade wait for a championship. But pre-season optimism soon collapsed as reality set in and its title-less fate, long sealed before Japan, was officially sealed. Motorsport Week takes a look at the key areas where Ferrari needs to improve if it is to mount a sustained and credible 2020 bid.

Reliability

One of Ferrari’s primary strengths through 2019 has been its power output, with the team now the benchmark, a world away from its desperately embarrassing delivery of the hybrid era’s early years. It has surpassed Mercedes in this department even if the different car concepts mean that its opponent’s draggier approach has compromised its straight-line speed. Nonetheless, Ferrari has had more than one costly reliability blunder, and in a year when Mercedes has been faultless – the Silver Arrows have not faced a single qualifying or race-defining setback – any slip-up will be costly. During the second pre-season test in Barcelona the SF90's running was halted and delayed by gremlins, prompting team boss Mattia Binotto to regard reliability as something of a concern. Such worries have come to fruition on occasion. Charles Leclerc’s cylinder failure in Bahrain and the power issue that halted Sebastian Vettel in Russia robbed Ferrari of two certain victories. Setbacks also occurred during qualifying in Austria (for Vettel, leaving him P10) and, more agonisingly, for both drivers in Germany, leaving Leclerc P10 and Vettel at the back, having set the pace through practice. Given Mercedes’ supreme reliability, Ferrari too must strive to be utterly immaculate. It was a strength in 2018, but it has dipped slightly in 2019.

Driver mistakes

No person in any industry is immune to a mistake, particularly in an environment where the boundaries are being pushed, but Ferrari’s drivers have again made too many blunders. For Vettel 2019 has been a disappointing continuation of the end of 2018. In Bahrain his spin while racing Hamilton cost him a podium, and likely win given Leclerc’s subsequent failure, and in Canada his wide moment under pressure gifted Hamilton the victory – albeit controversially. More costly points-wise was his crash with Verstappen in Britain and his lone spin in Italy, the latter a humiliating setback amid Leclerc’s triumph. For a driver of his inexperience mistakes were to have been expected from Leclerc and he too has been culpable. A Q2 crash wrecked his win prospects in Azerbaijan, while in Monaco his aggression was excessive and he paid the price, with Ferrari none too happy at his floor-shredding antics as he returned to the pits at too high a speed. Germany blunder denied him a shot at the win, having already had one warning at that corner while slow start and clumsy clash with Verstappen in Japan ruined a podium opportunity. At almost half of the grands prix a driver mistake has limited Ferrari’s chances. 

Driver tension

This has not yet boiled over to a point where the Ferrari drivers have collided, nor has it yet cost them in any serious manner, but it has the capacity to go horribly wrong. The erudite Binotto has asserted that having two drivers of such high quality is a luxury but the pure nub of the matter is that, at some stage, it will boil over. It always does between two top drivers. Bahrain was a flashpoint, while tension arose in Italy – amid the qualifying saga for which Leclerc was given a slap on the wrist – Singapore and Russia. It will not have escaped the astute observer that such situations occurred at events where Ferrari was at its most competitive. Moving forward Binotto has a delicate balance to strike at every single turn to ensure that there is no perception of favouritism – assuming, that is, neither Vettel nor Leclerc enters 2020 as the designated team leader. The most famous team-mate collapses have often taken place at emphatically dominant squads (see: Prost/Senna, Hamilton/Rosberg) but there have been instances of such animosity costing a team a Drivers’ title to an opponent with a designated leader (see: Williams to Prost in 1986, McLaren to Raikkonen in 2007). Assuming Mercedes and Ferrari are on par in 2020, or even if one has a slight edge, then Ferrari has to carefully manage the Vettel-Leclerc partnership to assume it extracts the best from both drivers without compromising the team.

Car development

Ferrari has kicked on strongly since Formula 1’s summer break as aerodynamic parts delivered to the SF90 have addressed some of the balance issues that previously hampered prospects. The car has not quite been transformed but it has been a far more competitive package, with Sebastian Vettel in particular enthused by the gains, while its 1-2 lockout in Japan was certainly eye-catching. But at the start of the year Ferrari – which adopted a different concept to Mercedes – was left behind after a strong opening in testing. It lagged behind Mercedes in Australia, and was also substantially adrift at downforce-dependent venues such as Barcelona, Paul Ricard and Budapest. It also struggled for tyre performance as a knock-on effect, falling a whole minute behind in the 70-lap Hungarian encounter. Ferrari has already committed to the same car concept for 2020 and the encouraging aspect is that parts brought recently have worked. In some ways 2019 has been a reverse of 2017 and 2018, when early promise and optimism went to waste. It must therefore not only start 2020 on a stronger footing – and not be left playing catch-up – but string together a year-long challenge, something it has not done for almost a decade.

Anything else?

Ferrari has failed to achieve its 2019 goals but there remains a lot for the team to be optimistic about moving forwards. Under Binotto a calmer and more open atmosphere has been fostered – particularly in its relationship with the media – while it has already applied lessons learned. It has rebounded well from a difficult first half of 2019, when it could have capitulated, and ended its nine-year barren spell on home soil. Strategically it has been stronger, albeit there have still been unnecessary losses, such as the decision to leave Leclerc in the garage in Q1. It would be grossly foolish to write-off Vettel’s prospects – he is still only 32 – as for much of 2019 he has not appeared happy with the SF90. The pre-season buoyancy was lost, he strived fruitlessly for months to unearth the feeling he had, but the recent upgrades provided hope, as he started to click with the car. Get Vettel a car with which he can exploit his style and 2020 will be much rosier. Elsewhere the promotion of the ever-improving Leclerc has been completely justified, even accounting for the mistakes. Ferrari has a talent for the next decade. He has proven himself beyond doubt this season. Can Ferrari do it in 2020? It has all the tools and know-how to learn from the 2019 mistakes. But will it? Therein lies the tantalising question as it strives to prevent the all-conquering Mercedes powerhouse from making it seven.

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Daniel Ricciardo adamant Renault has 'strong direction' for 2020

Daniel Ricciardo has asserted that Renault has already unearthed a “strong direction” for its 2020 Formula 1 paddock, amid a relative lack of year-on-year progress in 2019.

Renault, having led the midfield battle last year, has slipped behind McLaren this season, and has remained entrenched within the mid-grid scrap that it had hoped to clear.

Ricciardo has scored points at only six of this year’s 12 grands prix, though his haul in those events has been sufficient to see him sit ninth in the standings.

“Since the [summer] break I’ve felt like we’ve got on top of it better,” said Ricciardo.

“We’ve had consistency on different types of tracks. Lap 1 incidents, penalties, this and that, so it has not been that smooth for us.

“But I definitely feel like…we got little updates here and there, a front wing [in Japan], so we are still improving the car a little bit.

“What we’ve really got now is a better understanding of it.

“Since the break we understood a lot more with the car. So whatever ends up happening this year [with] points, championship and all that, I feel like we’ve got a strong direction on next year.

“Then it is can we produce the car? I think we’ve got a pretty good understanding of what we need for next year, and just some target areas.

“So I am definitely optimistic we can nail a few of those for the 2020 car.”

Ricciardo will be joined by Esteban Ocon at Renault next season.

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McLaren hints at partial concept change for 2020 F1 car

McLaren boss Andreas Seidl has ruled out the team bringing 2020 development parts to grands prix this year, hinting at a partial concept change for the design of its MCL35.

McLaren has risen from sixth in 2018 – effectively seventh due to Force India’s points loss – to fourth this year, and has edged clear of the midfield through the course of the campaign.

It has also continued to make changes off-track, with Seidl joining as Team Principal in May, and Mercedes power to return to its cars from 2021.

Some teams have brought concept items for 2020 – such as Williams, which trialled a new front wing in Japan – while Ferrari is set to retain the same car philosophy.

Seidl explained that “it wouldn’t make sense” for McLaren to bring prototype 2020 components as “at the moment we don’t see anything in terms of carryover parts."

“I wouldn’t call it radical,” he said when asked if that meant a drastic change for the 2020 car but added that “with the gap we’re having to the top cars, under the same regulations, we try to make a big – or a decent – step, which means that some of the concept stuff of the car we will change.

“There is stuff you can carryover to next year but it’s not like we develop our stuff for next year’s car and then bring it [in 2019].”

Seidl added that McLaren will “still bring some small bits to the next races” but that “we are making sure that the team is flat out on the 2020 car.”

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'Special' Max Verstappen the fastest driver ever claims Jenson Button

2009 Formula 1 World Champion Jenson Button believes Max Verstappen is the quickest driver to ever get behind the wheel of an F1 car.

Button made the claim during a TalkSport radio show, where he is promoting his latest book, 'How to be an F1 driver'.

Button began by discussing his former McLaren team-mate's achievements, with Lewis Hamilton closing on a sixth title, which would put him just one shy of Michael Schumacher's all-time record of seven.

The fellow British driver applauded Hamilton's ability, but doesn't believe he can be compared to other F1 icons from the past.

"He’s very good," said Button. "We were team-mates for three years so I could see first hand how good he is. His natural ability is fantastic.

"I have loved watching F1 this year because Ferrari and Red Bull have had chances to win races and it’s been awesome to watch, but over a season the Mercedes team has been so dominant.

"He’s done a fantastic job as a driver, he’s done what’s been asked of him, but you can’t compare him to drivers of a different era. It was a different sport, even, back then."

Asked who the best driver is, Button went one further and said who he believes is the quickest driver to ever grace an F1 car.

"Verstappen. I think he is the fastest driver that has ever driven an F1 car, I really do," he said of the Red Bull driver who has claimed seven race wins and 28 podium finishes.

"I think he is unbelievably fast," added Button. "Previously to this year he made some mistakes, as you would expect from a young driver, but now he’s doing such a fantastic job. I really do think he is very special."

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Grosjean: Split-screen can fix F1's midfield TV coverage

Romain Grosjean reckons a split-screen option would be a “cool” fix to Formula 1’s problem of not showing enough battles while television coverage focuses on race leaders.
F1’s TV direction has come under scrutiny from drivers, particularly McLaren’s Carlos Sainz, for favouring less exciting fights at the front of the field.

The issue was highlighted in the Singapore Grand Prix when a four-car fight on the final lap was missed entirely in the world feed, although that battle was not for a points-paying position.

When asked by Motorsport.com about the issue, Haas driver Grosjean acknowledged that those in charge have to follow the race winner but thinks it is wrong to simply ignore other events.

“The fight we had at the end of the last lap in Singapore was I guess much more exciting than cars passing the line,” he said.

“So maybe having a double screen, where you can see still see the leading car crossing the line, and then the fight going on track on the other screen, would be quite cool.

“Sometimes you watch the races, it’s great to see Ferrari 1-2, but they’re just following each other and it’s not as sexy as seeing cars [racing].

“It was the same in Sochi. The midfield at one point was quite cool, and you could see very, very small margins between cars when [Alex] Albon was behind Kevin [Magnussen], he was coming back after the last safety car.

“And we were only seeing Charles [Leclerc] chasing [Valtteri] Bottas, which was also exciting, but sometimes you wish when you see less than two tenths between cars at the back you want to see that battle.”

Sainz recently said that the Grand Prix Drivers Association would raise the issue properly in the near future, and GPDA director Grosjean said he has had a conversation with his colleague.

Grosjean admitted he has not been able to watch the races properly with the exception of the Russian Grand Prix, having retired on the opening lap, but believes more can be done.

“We talked about it and we agreed,” said Grosjean. “The thing is the same feed is broadcasted to every TV. It’s Formula 1 who gives the feed to every TV.

“They could probably do a better job and maybe show a bit more of the battles because that’s what’s lacking and is what we like to see: cars close together, wheel-to-wheel.

“It was exciting to see Charles following Bottas, but after three, four laps the delta was not quite good enough [for an overtake to happen].

“But if there was anything good happening [elsewhere] it was replayed. It was like 15, 16 laps just on those two cars.”