FORMULA 1

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ALONSO: I DID THINK OF STOPPING FORMULA 1

Fernando Alonso admitted that he considered quitting Formula 1 at the end of 2017 after three years of misery and underachievement with McLaren-Honda, instead, he has signed on for another year fired up by the advent of Renault power.

Asked in an interview with F1 Racing if he considered throwing in the towel when times were tough, Alonso replied, “Yes, I did think about the possibility of changing series and stopping Formula 1.”

“After I did the Indy 500 last year, when I came back there were a couple of races in Austria, Silverstone when I thought: Maybe next year I could try a different series. I could do full commitment to the triple crown and do Indy and Le Mans and maybe that’s the best thing’.

“But I felt it was not the time for me to step out – not right now, not after these results, not with this feeling. I knew I would regret it for the rest of my life and that I would have this bad taste for the rest of my racing career.”

“So definitely I still want to succeed. There is unfinished business for me and McLaren together. And I think this year is the time all these things will change. I feel pretty sure about that.”

After three years of driving a way underpowered car, engulfed with bad reliability Alonso hopes this is a thing the past, “Back to normality, back to this normal feeling of getting to every grand prix and preparing through practice and qualifying and knowing that you should be in the top five – and if you do well you could be on the podium.”

“And if you do something really special, you could even be a winner. That motivation and that preparation have been the things I’ve missed. But these are things that I hope to have this year. That’s the biggest expectation,” explained Alonso.

McLaren and Alonso himself endured a painful eight days of testing as a number of Renault engine related issues severely curtailed their mileage, but the team was adamant that problems were minor and were relieved to have issues in testing rather than on a race weekends.

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MERCEDES AND FERRARI DIFFER ON TYRE CHOICES FOR MELBOURNE

Mercedes have signalled their intent by going aggressive in their tyre choices for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, while their likely rivals Ferrari and Red Bull have opted for more conservative choices for the three days in Melbourne.

World Champion Lewis Hamilton has chosen nine sets of Pirelli ultrasoft compound tyres, three sets of supersofts and one set of softs, while teammate Valtteri Bottas has the same number of purple band tyres along with two sets of softs and two of supersofts.

Ferrari in contrast are more conservative with only seven sets of ultrasofts for their drivers Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen, who also have three sets of softs and three sets of supersofts each in their garage.

Red Bull ‘s Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo have also chosen the same allocation for Albert Park, both opting for eighth sets of ultrasofts, three sets of supersofts and two sets of softs.

Williams and McLaren drivers were also aggressive in their choices, their drivers opting for nine sets of ultrasofts.

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Bob Bell: Fourth required to prove worth of Renault's long-term F1 plan

Renault Chief Technical Officer Bob Bell says it must “comfortably maintain” fourth position if it is to convince the manufacturer’s board to commit to its long-term title ambitions.

Renault returned to Formula 1 as a fully-fledged manufacturer team prior to 2016 and outlined its ambition to emerge as a title force in 2020.

Renault improved from ninth to sixth in the standings last year, and regularly possessed the fourth-quickest car, as it strives to make another step forward this season.

In order to realise its long-term plan, Bell says Renault must ensure it convinces its bosses that recent investment has been justified, and that the next step is deserved.

“Our team is being managed for the very top in a very sensible way,” said Bell.

“I suppose one way to look at it is to say we were sixth in the championship last year, we need to get ourselves into a position where we can comfortably maintain fourth place in the championship.

“If you look at a team like Force India, they’ve been able to achieve that, so we ought to be able to do that same job with roughly similar resources. That’s clear.

“I think until we can do that and demonstrate to Renault in particular that we’re capable of achieving that then they are not going to start writing cheques for a lot more people and resources.

“We have to prove ourselves at every step of the way.

“Once we’ve done that, then we can start having a discussion about what’s it going to take to move into the top three and take on Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull, because they are another league again in terms of resources.

“But we are prepared for that, Renault is prepared for that and so we will expand to a point where we believe is sensible to be able to consistently fight just outside the top three and be there.”

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Feature: Pierre ready to step on the gas

When Pierre Gasly emerged as a GP2 title contender in 2016 many expected him to slot in at Toro Rosso for 2017, but Red Bull made him wait, sent him to Japan, before finally giving him his Formula 1 chance late last year. Now he’s preparing for his first full season in the championship, and Motorsport Week caught up with the Frenchman to discuss his tumultuous journey so far.

It is a journey that began in his native Normandy at the turn of the millennium. The energetic six-year-old, the youngest member of a family immersed in motorsport, was taken to the kart circuit at Anneville-Ambourville in the Seine-lined forests a half-hour drive away from his home town, Rouen.

“It’s a track really not famous in Formula 1,” he jokes while gradually working his way through a bowl of pineapple chunks in Toro Rosso’s hospitality unit.

“I went to the baby karts when I was six and I could not touch the pedals so we had to put foam everywhere! I could drive the kart and I did three laps just to have the first feeling and when I stopped I had a big smile on my face. I knew already I wanted to try it, and that’s what I wanted to do, and then after that I was like ‘yeah okay that’s what I need to do’, and I fell in love with it.”

Gasly is the youngest of five boys – he has two maternal step-brothers and two paternal step-brothers – but he was the only one who started young enough to pursue racing as a career.

“Out of the four, three raced in karting,” he explains of his brothers. “So it was really in our family, but they started pretty late; two of them started when they were like 18 or 19, and one started at 17, but it was too late in motorsports. I think they were decent, they went to national level but never to international. They are good when I play with them on a simulator… they are still a couple of seconds off but you can see they are good – actually they wanted to do it [play racing games] at the beginning but they don’t want [to play] any more as I beat them all the time!”

Upon realising that racing was to become his life, Gasly began competing seriously, gradually rising through the ranks, picking up trophies and accolades both on a national level and further afield. However, as with any aspiring racer, life at a track had to be balanced with education, and some of his teachers were not appreciative of his long-term ambition.

“At the beginning they didn’t believe me,” Gasly explains when karting was given as his reason for absence. “Also because you go karting in Italy and there’s sunshine outside, of course when you come back you are a bit more tanned than when you left! So the Profs were like ‘yeah you went for holidays’ and then on purpose they used to give me the exam of the lessons I had missed just because they didn’t believe me. It was a bit tough but I at least managed to get some decent marks.” As he entered his teenage years he realised that remaining where he was “wasn’t possible anymore; I had to go in a private school. The [French] Federation made a partnership with this private school in Le Mans, so I left home at 13 and went to live there from 13 to 18.”

When he ultimately reached Formula 1, nine years later, he received a handful of messages from some of those teachers; “there were some that supported me and some others were a bit more stupid, but some of them sent me messages saying ‘ah I saw that you managed to get there – so happy for you’; I guess at that time people don’t realise it’s [F1] a target and it’s what you want to achieve and when they see you it’s like ‘fuck he managed to do it!’”

Gasly’s time in karting meant he battled the likes of Max Verstappen, Esteban Ocon and Charles Leclerc, with whom he was team-mates at SodiKart in 2010. “We were all growing together and now to be all together in Formula 1 is quite funny as I still remember these times like it was yesterday, it’s quite nice.” Gasly’s transition from karting to single-seaters came in 2011, competing in French F4, before a 2012 Formula Renault 2.0 campaign with R-ace GP yielded a handful of podiums. The next season was to be crucial.

“Basically 2013 was either win or stop,” Gasly says starkly. “I was lucky to find a Swiss guy who supported me and paid my season with Tech 1, and Tech 1 actually had been really nice and gave us a good deal. It was either ‘I will win the championship and get the prize money’, which I think was €500,000 to go into [Formula Renault] 3.5, or if I will have finished second it would have been zero [prize money], and I would have had to stop because this guy could not pay for crazy money, and for me actually on the financial side it was crucial. There was a lot of pressure that year but in the end it turned out really well, we were really competitive with Tech 1 and we managed to get the title.”

The title was also vital in securing a place on Red Bull’s prestigious junior scheme.  “I went to Abu Dhabi and I saw Helmut [Marko] who told me first that I didn’t do enough fastest laps! But no, he was happy that I won the championship and then after that I signed with them, so for me it was a big turning point in my career as I had much better support.”

The next three years turned out to be perplexing for any junior formula aficionado to fully understand. For the first two-and-a-half of them, in Formula Renault 3.5 and GP2, Red Bull’s latest prospect was a regular front-runner, taking 15 podiums, five pole positions, and the runner-up spot in Renault’s series to fellow junior driver Carlos Sainz Jr. Yet a win remained elusive. Several opportunities to get the monkey off his back slipped through his fingers. It led to questions over his ability, and his long-term prospects.

“At that time I was 18, I arrived in 3.5 with much older guys who had a lot more experience.

“I think when you look back at it, I didn’t get the win, [but in] 2014 I had six second positions, all the time we missed by like five seconds… I could have got the win; it was just lacking little things, but not massively… DAMS was really strong with Carlos that year, so it was quite tough.

“Then I went to GP2, which with the Pirelli tyres was really tough. I was the second-best qualifier that year, so on one lap I could be fast. But with the tyre degradation… I’ve always been aggressive with the tyres, so I struggled quite a lot with that and DAMS [did as well], as Alex [Lynn], who was really good on tyre management struggled quite a bit as well.

“Of course it was not easy; in the end the overall result was really positive but everyone was talking about ‘ah he’s missing that win, he’s missing that win’, which for me as a racer what you want is to fight for pole positions and wins, I just kept pushing and knew that for me it was good experience: 2014 was a rookie season, with new things to learn, 2015 was a rookie season again, then in 2016 you can really feel the extra experience,  which is beneficial just to put everything together.”

Gasly joined Prema – new to GP2 but with supreme F3 results – for 2016 and finally ended his winless streak mid-season at Silverstone, just days after he was involved in a serious road traffic accident that injured his mother. Further wins followed, but there was a disqualification at Hockenheim, while a Safety Car deployment error that robbed him of victory at Monza (and handed it to team-mate and title rival Antonio Giovinazzi) left him seething. He bounced back to win the crown, but was overlooked for 2017 by Red Bull as it kept Daniil Kvyat at Toro Rosso.

“Honestly I could write a book about my GP2 season! There had been so many things happening. It’s quite funny as when I used to talk with my trainer they used to say that there are too many things happening in my life on the personal side and it’s just a fucking rollercoaster emotionally!

“I just tried to stay focused on the target, that’s what we thought, the best we can do is give our best all the time and I really believed I can deliver, and if we kept pushing and did the right things and got the result, at some point it has to come.

“I believe in justice and all this shit, so I knew at some point there was something coming.

“At the end of the season in GP2 it was really good [to win the title] but of course it was frustrating as when you win in GP2 the next step is Formula 1, so you don’t want to wait there, like in football if you win the second league you go into the first league. It was frustrating and quite tough as we know in Formula 1 the results are not the only factor that can give you the seat, with money I could have got one in 2017, but I didn’t have any, and I had to wait for 10 months, whatever, until the Malaysian GP. But that’s what they [Red Bull] told me – you’re in the right place, but just the wrong time. I just kept pushing and I knew that ‘ah okay at some point it will come’.”

Gasly’s initial foray into Formula 1 – having come oh-so-close to the Super Formula title during his season in Japan – was blighted by Renault’s end-of-year reliability dramas, but for 2018, with Honda, the outlook is brighter, with optimism flowing through Gasly and the Toro Rosso team.

“I’m super excited,” he beams. “I think it’s a great challenge with Honda and Toro Rosso as we are not a customer anymore.

“We really feel that Honda is pushing massively to improve, and pushing the team on their side to give the best car possible, to have the best package we can for the year.

“You can feel there is a great atmosphere compared to when I got in the car last year and we had all these engine issues.

“There is a lot of positive energy ad everyone is working towards the same goal.

“I think it’s going to be tight with all the midfield teams but I’m super excited for my first Formula 1 season and I’m ready to give everything.”

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Todt baffled by F1 driver halo criticisms

FIA president Jean Todt says he does not understand driver criticisms of the halo – because the push to introduce it in Formula 1 was started by them in the first place.
A number of leading F1 racers have continually criticised the look of the halo, which has been made mandatory for this year. Kevin Magnussen suggested recently the ‘ugly’ design could cause problems at tracks with elevation changes like Spa.

Todt is unimpressed with such remarks though, and made it clear that drivers especially had no right to speak out against it – because the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association had pushed so hard for it to be introduced.

“It is short memories and it was a request from the drivers,” said Todt, during a media briefing in London on Tuesday. “On December 16, 2015, I got a letter that was signed by [GPDA directors] Jenson Button, Sebastian Vettel and Alex Wurz, urging us to decide for head protection for the drivers. And I said, ‘We are there. We will listen.’

“Immediately we asked the technical people as a priority to see what could come out. And on July 27, 2016 they [the drivers] knew a meeting was going to happen – and they said: ‘Don’t be weak. Please respect what we have asked you on safety’. So we committed to taking that into consideration.”

He added: “I must say I am so surprised, and you know I love F1 but I hate this part of F1. You have people who don’t have [keep] their word. For me we are talking about the biggest asset in life: it is loyalty and having [keeping] a word and having respect of what you have been undertaking.

“We have respected that and some have forgotten that, but that is where we are.”

 

Public criticism “not good for the sport” 

When asked about Mercedes boss Toto Wolff’s recent comments suggesting he would like to cut off the halo with a ‘chainsaw’, Todt said: “I will not react to what has been said. It is simply a childish game. 

“I will only tell you for me, I love F1, and I think we all should love F1. I think it is very inappropriate whoever you are, just to publicly deny something which is introduced. For me, constructive criticism is always good because it makes you move forward. But public criticism which is not good for the sport – I don’t see the value.” 

Todt added that the FIA would be neglecting its duties if it did not introduce a safety device like the halo, having proven its effectiveness.

“For me, the halo is no problem,” he said. “I am amazed to hear some people say that motor racing has to be dangerous and if it [a fatal accident] happens it happens. But if we can avoid that, why should we not protect the life of whoever? 

“Halo is a safety device. It is human attitude to be reluctant to change, but once we know the change, after a lot of experiences and a lot of testing is good, we should implement it. 

“Can you imagine how we will all feel if something would happen and if we would have had the halo it would not have happened?”

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FIA warns teams over blown wing engine modes

The FIA has made it clear that it will not tolerate teams developing trick engine modes to help make blown rear wings more effective, in the wake of Renault’s aggressive design on its 2018 car.
Renault’s concept, which features an angled exhaust and a heat proofed rear wing, became a big talking point during pre-season testing. For although its layout is fully within F1’s technical rules, there were suggestions it was not within the spirit of the regulations – and could open up a spending war of development.

Renault itself had no doubts about the legality, and F1 race director Charlie Whiting made it clear on Tuesday that he too was satisfied there was nothing wrong with what the French car manufacturer had done.

With Renault having suggested it would look to work with its engine department to increase the performance benefits from blowing its rear wing, Whiting has warned the team against doing anything too trick with engine modes. This would include the type of off-throttle blowing that was at the centre of a development war between teams at the end of the V8 era.

When asked by Motorsport.com if there were any concerns about the Renault wing, or a potential spending arms race opening up, Whiting said the only concern for him revolved around engine usage.

“I think it is absolutely minimal what they [Renault] will get from it,” said Whiting. “I don’t see any problem with it provided we are sure they are not operating their engine in a false mode – a mode that wouldn’t be normal. 

“We have to accept that there is and always has been some exhaust effect, but obviously in 2012/2013 it was massive.

“We’ve chipped away at that and one of the things for the 2014 [turbo hybrid] rules was to make sure there was no effect from the exhaust – but there must be a little one.

“We will have to deal with that, and we will see during the course of the year whether we need to do something to minimise that.

“The most important thing is that they [Renault] are not doing anything silly, I believe, with the engine modes which is unnatural I would say.”

Ban on ‘monkey seats’

Whiting said that although rules had been changed for this year to minimise blown wing potential, which included the ban on monkey seats, it was inevitable teams would still try to find performance in this area.

“We were concerned with exhaust blowing last year,” added Whiting. “With the wings becoming 150mm lower than they were in 2016, there was more benefit to be gained. 

“That is why we put the exhaust pipe in the middle and with a minimum angle. Teams managed to build monkey seats, which we managed to get rid of by changing the bodywork regulations.

“But there was still a little window of opportunity. You know what teams are like: if you take one thing away they will try to get 10 percent of what they had. But they will still do it.”

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German Grand Prix future in doubt…again

Hockenheim's CEO Georg Seiler is unable to say at this stage whether the German Grand Prix will continue after 2018 and "serious discussions" need to take place.

The German Grand Prix is returning alongside the French Grand Prix this season after a one-year absence, but it could soon disappear from the schedule again with no plan currently in place to extend its deal with Liberty.

The Formula 1 owners are actively seeking new destinations and want to tap into bigger markets, making those tracks with short-term deals vulnerable to the axe.

"The contract is over in 2018," Seiler told German outlet MotorsportMagazin.com.

"We’ve met with the new owners and talked, because we have to carry out the 2018 GP. It is well known that there are going to be talks about what the future will look like in the foreseeable future, but no serious discussions have taken place yet.

"In the next few months negotiations must be properly carried out. Unfortunately, I cannot say yet whether things will continue in a positive way. I can only say that we strive to continue to keep Formula 1 in Germany. But there are many factors involved.

"With us it remains that we do not want to take economic risks and will not do so. We do our best, but we cannot guarantee anything."

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F1 LIVE OTT PLATFORM TO FEATURE 24 LIVE STREAMS – “PRETTY INSANE”

More details have emerged about the new F1 Live OTT platform, as outlined by F1’s head of marketing Ellie Norman, who describes the boldness of the project as ‘pretty insane’.

Typing the words ‘F1’s head of marketing’ still feels slightly strange, seeing as for decades it was the only global Tier 1 sport that did not even have a marketing department, let alone a head.

Bernie Ecclestone used to rely on manufacturers, race promoters and sponsors to market the sport of Formula 1 for him. This kept the overheads down on the F1 Management side, while Ecclestone gleefully whipped up regular media attention by lobbing in regular hand grenades, which the newspapers gratefully jumped on.

Now it’s all rather different, although the infrastructure to make the new F1 Live OTT platform was all put in place by Ecclestone. He just chose not to use it for that, as he was all about protecting the rights of his broadcast partners.

Norman was previously at cable TV supplier Virgin Media and believes that the nature of the modern consumer who has a passion point is “… that passion tends to overrule the rational side of things; it is not uncommon if you have a pay TV bundle that you will have one or two of the top subscriptions. I think that with consumer behaviour and the desire to buy things you love, consumers are making that choice. If you are interested you will pay.”

That is the calculation; that of the potential audience for F1, identified at 500 million sports fans around the world, even if 1% of them paid their $8 a month for the OTT service, that would yield $40m a month, or almost half a billion dollars a year.

There is also the opportunity to upsell the packages in future; a Lewis Hamilton fan in Delhi could access more rich content about Hamilton and he could take a revenue share. There is also great value to F1 and its partners from the data that would be gathered about the consumers.

But for now it’s all about going direct to the fans and to make the fans’ access to F1 as frictionless as possible.

“Everyone is offering fans more direct access, we are incredibly fortunate with the access that we have through our sport,” Norman (above) said in an interview with digital media title The Drum. “We are going direct to the fan so we are then able to give them the best experience possible,” she told The Drum. There is nowhere else out there with 24 livestreams coming into the app and that is pretty insane – I don’t think that has been done before.”

“It is a very strategic sport and for that hardcore fan, they really understand the excitement but the strategic elements, having the ability to personalise how you watch it and being able to select favourite drivers and view that side by side, these are all elements where we can better serve our fans.”

The F1 OTT service will be rolled out in about two dozen countries, including USA, France, Germany and some Latin American markets – those where F1 has not ceded the digital rights to TV broadcast partners. That is the case in UK and Italy where Sky has the rights. F1 is talking to Sky about bundling the OTT rights.

Formula E is trying an experiment, streaming its final races of the season on Twitter to fans in Japan.

FE CEO Alejandro Agag told Autosport: “We want to use it as a bit of an experiment, see how it goes there.

“We are definitely exploring new ways of broadcasting, of getting the races to the fans.

“It’s a priority for us now, and not only for us – you’ve seen Formula 1 announce a new OTT platform, which is something brilliant.

“All of us, we need to make an effort to really adapt to the new technologies.

“FE has been a leader in that since the beginning and this is another example.”

* Elsewhere in the industry, social networks are getting more entrenched in live sport in the USA; the US soccer series Major League Soccer has announced a streaming deal with Twitter. The social network will show at least 24 live matches per season, with the games to be made available in the US via the @MLS and @UnivisionSports Twitter handles. And Major League Baseball has done a streaming deal with Facebook.

None of the tech or social media giants came in so far in the bidding round for the English Premier League. F1 is supposed to announce a behind the scenes documentary series with Netflix, but this has yet to be confirmed.

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HAMILTON: RED BULL ARE THE FASTEST

In the aftermath of eight days of testing in Barcelona coupled to some ‘inside information’ has led Lewis Hamilton to suspect that Red Bull may have the fastest car on the Formula 1 starting grid at next week’s Australian season-opener.

Mercedes’ four times world champion, who remains the bookmakers’ favourite for a fifth world title, told reporters on Wednesday that Red Bull could be the team to watch come Melbourne on March 25.

“I think Red Bull are the fastest at the moment, potentially,” he said at an event for title sponsor and fuel partner Petronas in Turin.

“They have some sort of upgrade coming, of some magnitude, two-to-four tenths or something like that. That’s what I heard,” in reference to suggestions in the paddock that the real RB14 will only be seen when the cars roll out for FP1 in Melbourne.

Ferrari set the fastest laps in pre-season practice but most analysts of those sessions saw Mercedes as still ahead with former champions Red Bull possibly their closest competitors.

Both Mercedes and Red Bull were focussing more on long runs and reliability than performance in Barcelona.

Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen won three races between them last year to Mercedes’ 12 but finished the season strongly. Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has said he still sees Mercedes as favourites this year.

“I think this year is going to be exciting, because last year there was a big difference between teams in the beginning, and then they got closer,” said Hamilton, who triumphed in nine races in 2017 after Ferrari won the opener.

“But this year I think it starts this close and then it’s going to overlap, and separate, and overlap during the year, as people are developing.”

Hamilton said he had still to sign a new contract to remain with Mercedes beyond the end of this year but remained hopeful it could be done before Melbourne. The 33-year-old is out of contract at the end of the year but both parties have said they want to extend.

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STEINER: HAAS WANTS TO BE BEST OF THE REST

After a positive eight days of Formula 1 preseason testing in Barcelona, Haas are feeling bullish as they head into their third season at the pinnacle of the sport, confident they can be the “Best of the Rest” behind the “Big Three” this year.

Haas F1 team principal Guenther Steiner was asked by Racer if Haas could battle for fourth in the constructors’ championship, he replied, “We want to be, hopefully. We should be able to be in it, then we could be able to.”

“Last year we finished eighth but we were in the hunt for sixth. It was eight points, it isn’t great but it wasn’t a disaster. We were in there with everyone else who wanted it and maybe we came up a little bit short. Some you lose, some you win.”

“There is no weak team here anymore. It’s quite demanding at the moment. It’s one of the most competitive seasons in F1 for a long period of time. Take the first three out who are in a different league, but the rest is very competitive, very close together. Just to look good and not having the points doesn’t help at the end of the year.”

Team owner Gene Haas has targeted being half a second off the pace of Ferrari whose engines the American team use, Steiner accepts the challenge, “I think we have to aim high. For him, he gave us an opportunity, he has to be demanding. He’s not here to be last, and neither am I. So he sets a high target.”

“It is difficult – I am not saying ‘Oh we will do that easily Gene!’ – it is high but he’s in a position where he can set that target and if we don’t achieve it then he’s entitled to do whatever he wants to do afterwards.”

“We’ve worked hard and we made progress. Let’s see in Australia what it brings us but I think it’s a good target to have.”

“We need to be ambitious. If you’re not ambitious in this sport you never get anything done. It is very difficult and he gave us a great opportunity,” added Steinert

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VASSEUR: FIRST STEP FOR SAUBER IS TO CATCH UP

Sauber team chief Frederic Vasseur has a timeline for the rise of his team from the back of the grid to the midpack, but for now, the burly Frenchman is keeping his feet on the ground and targeting closing the gap to their rivals as the first step in their journey towards the sharp end of the field.

Speaking of where the team finished last year Vasseur conceded, “For sure Alfa Romeo can’t expect to be in this kind of situation. The target for us is to come back into the pace [of the midfield].”

“We are far away. We were very far away last year. The first step for us would be to catch up the field. We will [then] be more and more attractive for the engineers, for the drivers, for everybody.”

“You can’t build up a team [immediately]. If you have a look at other projects like Red Bull 10 years ago, Mercedes seven years ago, it took time for them to be able to fight for championships and to win. In Mercedes’ case, they took over Brawn who was world champion. It took five years to become world champion again.”

“We have started at the back and far away at the back. We have to be realistic. I know perfectly that it will take time to deliver and to improve. I don’t want to say that we don’t have to deliver next week. We have to be better next week than today. We have to be better in Bahrain than in Melbourne.”

“It’s going to be a mid-term project to be in the midfield, it won’t be in one year or two years. Look also at Force India for a good reference and a good project. They were more than at the back. They built up something very strong. They were consistently fifth, fourth in the last two or three seasons. But it took 10 years for them to be at this pace.”

Sauber have emerged from a financial crisis that saw them teeter on folding but clearly, the funds have arrived as Vasseur revealed, “We moved up from 320 [staff] to more or less 400 today and [then to] 450 perhaps during this season,” he said. “It’s not easy, and you have to do it step by step.”

“You have to eat and digest and eat and digest. You have to take 20 guys and reorganise a bit the company, then 20 guys more. We have to do it step by step. Renault did it in the last 18 months and we will be able to do it in the future,” added Vasseur.

This year their drivers Marcus Ericsson and Charles Leclerc will be powered by current generation Ferrari engines, after last year relying on year old power units.

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FIA CONFIRM MENKIES TO DEPART AND JOIN FERRARI

FIA’s safety director Laurent Mekies is leaving the FIA to join Ferrari in a quest to bolster their technical team ahead of the 2018 Formula 1 World Championship season which begins in Australia on the weekend of 23-25 March.

Last year Renault’s controversial hiring of former FIA technical chief Marcin Budkowski sparked discord among other teams, including Ferrari.

Mekies was regarded as the heir to the F1 Race Director role currently held by Charlie Whiting and again the appointment could ruffle feathers in the paddock.

After six months ‘gardening leave’ Mekies will join the Maranello team in September, bringing to an end an almost four your stint with the FIA.

Ferrari said the Frenchman would report to their technical director Mattia Binotto once at Maranello but did not state the role.

Official FIA  statement:

“After more than three years at the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, Laurent Mekies, FIA Safety Director and Deputy to the F1 Race Director, is to leave the Federation.”

“Mr Mekies joined the FIA in October 2014 as Safety Director, being responsible for all Safety and Medical matters for the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile across all its Championships, as well as R&D and homologation activities for both track and road.”

“At the start of 2017 he was appointed Deputy F1 Race Director in addition to his existing duties. In this capacity he worked alongside F1 Race Director Charlie Whiting throughout the 2017 F1 Season, dealing principally with sporting matters.”

“Until his departure from the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile at the end of June, Mr Mekies will continue to act as FIA Safety Director. However, he will immediately cease all Formula 1 duties and will no longer be involved in any Formula 1 matter, stepping down from his role as Deputy F1 Race Director with immediate effect.”

Mekies has been in racing since graduating Loughborough University for Automotive Engineering in 2000, working for the AsiaTech F3 team for two seasons prior to moving up to the Minardi F1 Team in 2003.

When Minardi became Toro Rosso in 2005, Meikies was promoted to the Chief Engineer position. He remained with the Faenza based outfit until 2014, whereafter he joined the FIA.

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ABITEBOUL: WE KNOW NAME OF THE CHAMPION BEFORE SEASON STARTS

Renault F1 chief Cyril Abiteboul has made some startling comments ahead of the new season, highlighting the state of competition in Formula 1 and lamenting the fact that Mercedes have been so dominant that predicting the 2018 world champion is a foregone conclusion.

Speaking ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, Abiteboul told La Gazzetta dello Sport, “It cannot go on like this. It cannot be that we already know the name of the world champion before the season starts.”

“That is not healthy and serves no one. So we need to work closely with Liberty Media but also with Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren, and so forth to make changes.”

“But we must do so without damaging the DNA of Formula One. The perception in the public has changed and the recipe of yesteryear no longer works in a world that constantly changes. Now the focus must be on sport, not technology.”

Renault power their own team as well as Red Bull and McLaren. Collectively the three teams had mixed fortunes during testing, however, opinion is that Red Bull have handy race pace, while Renault themselves are still nowhere near the top three teams.

Their new customer McLaren struggled with ‘growing pains’ as they acclimatised to their new engine package and partner.

Power unit reliability was also a problem with both Carlos Sainz (Renault) and Fernando Alonso (McLaren) losing out on the final morning of testing as their respective crews changed engines.

Abiteboul explained, “We are starting with a conservative approach. The focus is on reliability, which is important because we have a completely different car with a new gearbox, suspension and so on. A huge jump.”

“Last year, we improved from ninth place to sixth, so we need to continue. We are on course for our goals in terms of reliability and performance, but that’s just a starting point.”

Renault differs from Mercedes and Ferrari because they are more often than not beaten by their customers as Red Bull and Toro Rosso (to an extent) have done over the past four years. Mercedes’ and Ferrari’s customers have never won a race during the hybrid turbo era.

Abiteboul continued, “We consider Red Bull and McLaren as partners, not customers. We guarantee that everyone is treated the same. But this is something we could think about when it comes to the new engine generation for 2021.”

The relationship with Red Bull and Renault has become fractious over the years, a divorce once a very real possibility, ut the two organisations tolerate one another as they work towards the same goal. But there is no love lost between them.

Red Bull are waiting to see how Honda perform with their Toro Rosso junior team before committing to Renault for 2020 and beyond.

Asked if he felt Red Bull may ditch Renault, Abiteboul replied, “It’s too early to say that, but I just underline one thing – there was not a season without intensive discussions with them, and yet we are together 12 years later.”

“I am not saying that we will be in 2019 as well, but we want clarity on that cooperation as soon as possible,” he added.

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New curbs installed at COTA as the FIA's Charlie Whiting clamps down

After Max Verstappen’s track limits debacle at Austin's Circuit of the Americas last year, the circuit has announced that new curbs will be put in place at specific locations to prevent any further controversy.

During last year’s US Grand Prix, Verstappen was attempting to overtake Ferrari’s Kimi Räikkönen on the final lap of the race but left the circuit on the inside of Turn 17 with all four wheels and was penalised for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.

Since then, the incident and the resultant penalty has reignited the discussion over F1 track limits and the way the imposition of the penalty was handled by FIA Race Director Charlie Whiting and the stewards at the time.

Now Whiting has weighed in on the topic of track limit enforcement, just before the start of the new Formula 1 season

"There's no change of approach. But again, as we did between '16 and '17, if you remember Mexico 2016 we had Lewis [Hamilton] cutting across the first corner and that didn't happen [in 2017] because of the measures that we took there.

"I think everywhere that we go now; we really are getting much closer to eliminating everything. COTA for example, needless to say there will be some low curbs in the area where Max went off and they'll be a couple of those bumpy curbs like we have on the exit of the last corner or the exit of the first corner."

Despite all this, Whiting feels that the stewards and the FIA are getting closer to ensuring that racing and overtaking stay on the track. But he conceded that things were not always black and white especially when it came to how teams and drivers interpreted the penalties imposed for off track incursions and how they took them. In particular he referred to the incident at Yas Marina last year with Nico Hülkenberg and the advantage he gained over Sergio Perez.

"You are learning all the time. It's a bit like squeezing a balloon… if you squeeze it at this end, a bit pops up there, if you squeeze there a bit pops out somewhere else. That's what's happening but I think we are very close to being at a point where we are not concerned about a driver gaining time by going off.

"We had a couple of issues in Abu Dhabi where Nico Hülkenberg went off and it was quite clear he gained an advantage but he wouldn't give the place back. That was expeditious to stay in front and take a five-second penalty… that was the norm. But that's another thing we need to address."

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Jean Todt: End of year deadline to attract new Formula 1 engine manufacturers

FIA president Jean Todt says a strict deadline is needed on new engine regulations for the 2021 season if they're to attract new manufacturers to Formula 1, insisting the end of the year would be the latest possible date.

Although an outline for the new engine was proposed last year, teams quickly rejected it claiming it would require huge investment and likely drive away current manufacturers and therefore have the opposite impact on the sport, which wants to retain its current four suppliers whilst also attracting new companies.

Todt insists it's important new rules satisfy both parties and although he accuses current suppliers of having a "selective memory" after they agreed to proposed changes which they later hit out at, he's confident a compromise can be found.

"We are just starting the 2018 Formula 1 season and we are now also working on the 2021 regulations," Todt is quoted as saying by Racer. "Clearly – and it's something I've instructed our people – I think it would be very unfair to destroy all of what has been done on the engine to start with a completely white piece of paper.

"So for me it is essential that we optimise what has been developed, what is known. We know that technology is progressing very much. Not only on complication but also on simplification, so the whole idea is to work on what are the engine rules now and make them better.

"Unfortunately, there is a very selective memory – a few months ago we all sat together and we all agreed unanimously on certain adaptations of the engine for the future. The parameters were on the global framework of the actual engine we should have a cheaper engine, more revs, no fuel consumption limitation – being able to go from the first lap to the last lap on full power – increase the fuel flow, improve the noise, hybrid, simpler and to encourage new entrants.

"Everybody agreed on this mandate. So I'm intending that they will respect what they agreed and I am intending that we will respect what we agreed. I am optimistic that we will be able to find a solution. I think we need to be fair to the investments which have been done in Formula 1. Clearly we don't want to lose anybody as a whole or anybody as an engine supplier.

"So it would be unfair to say, 'OK, let's try to get some newcomers' without respecting those who have been trusting us and who intend hopefully to stay. But on the other side I would be very happy to have some newcomers and for that we must have clear rules of the game and announce them as soon as we can because I know – and I've been talking with some potential new entrants – they are interested to come in but they want to know what the rules of the game are. I think it's a fair request and we need to give that as soon as possible."

Todt says a final decision must be made before the end of the year to ensure newcomers have the necessary time to design and build a new engine for the 2021 season.

"If you are talking about introducing new engine manufacturers to be ready by 2021, they must know what it will be by the end of the year. That leaves 2019 and 2020 to make the engine, which is a fair period."

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FIA dismisses "carnage" fears over standing restarts

Formula 1 race director Charlie Whiting has dismissed fears of potential "carnage" with new standing restart rules.
From 2018, restarts following red flag periods can be made from the grid, rather than from behind a safety car as has previously happened.

The choice over the procedure will be made by Whiting at the time of the stoppage and will depend on track conditions.

The FIA conducted trials of the new standing restart procedure during pre-season testing at Barcelona, but the efforts drew some fairly harsh criticism from drivers.

Romain Grosjean was the most critical, suggesting that the grip levels were so low during the tests that he feared the risk of accidents in the real thing.

"Safety-wise I'm a bit concerned," he said about the possibility of having to do the restart on used tyres. "To me it could be carnage.

"You could lose the car in a straight line. Honestly, I was not having much fun, just trying to upshift and downshift was tricky."

But Whiting believes that driver worries are unfounded, because in the event of a red flag teams normally change tyres anyway, so it would be not much different to a normal race start.

"No driver has spoken to me about it," said Whiting about the fears that have been expressed.

"It seems a bit of an odd comment to me, because they all put new tyres on whenever there is a red flag.

"So I am not too concerned about it. I think the grip was quite low in Barcelona anyway, and they didn't put new tyres on because it was a quick procedure.

"So I am not overly concerned about it."

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Ferrari should lose F1 rules veto - FIA president Jean Todt

FIA president Jean Todt believes Ferrari should lose its right to veto Formula 1's rules, as part of the long-term shake-up that is going on right now.

Ferrari has long had the right to stop the implementation of regulations it is not happy with - and last used its veto in 2015 when it blocked plans to introduce a maximum price for engines and gearboxes.

It has been known that the issue of Ferrari's privilege would be up for discussion as part of a new-look F1 from 2021.

But speaking to media in London this week, former Ferrari team boss Todt believes that the veto - which Ferrari has had since the 1980s - is past its sell-by date.

"The veto was at the time of Enzo Ferrari, and he was isolated in Maranello," explained Todt.

"That was the only team supplying engine and chassis against some other teams that were all powered by Ford.

"So at this time, it was decided that being away from what is called the silicon valley of motorsport, they needed to have a protection. That is the story about the veto.

"But personally, I feel now I am not in favour of that. Times have changed."

Todt also reiterated his stance that the last time the veto was granted to Ferrari - as part of bilateral agreements that were agreed for the 2013-2021 period - he was "the only one against" it.

"I remember it was a meeting in the FIA headquarters," he said. "It was the commercial rights holder. All the teams were there.

"And I said what is the position of the veto for Ferrari? They said 'it was fine for us'.

"So it would have been inappropriate for me alone to say that I am against the veto right to Ferrari.

"The only thing is we modified the wording of it. So that is part of the answer."

The veto tweak involved Ferrari only being allowed to block rules if it could prove that they were against the team's best interests.

Although against Ferrari retaining the veto, Todt does believe that it is correct the Italian team receives increased income because of the attraction it brings to F1.

"For me, is it normal that Leonardo DiCaprio gets more money than a TV series actor? Yes it is normal," he said.

"That is life. The better you are, the more money you should get.

"It used to be they were getting more money with worse results. Now they get more money with among the best results, so it makes sense."

'They may leave - that is their choice'

Todt's stance about Ferrari comes against the backdrop of threats from its chairman Sergio Marchionne to leave F1 if 2021 rules are not in his team's favour.

"They may leave. And honestly, that is their choice," he said. "They are free.

"Definitely I hope they will not leave. But it can always happen.

"You have seen big competitors leaving. Coming back. But again. It is their choice.

"I feel that a company like Ferrari, racing should not be spending.

"It should be at least equal and even should be revenue - business revenue.

"At the moment I am sure now - it is about six to seven teams who are struggling in F1.

"It is not acceptable to have the pinnacle of motor sport where 60-70 percent of the field are struggling to survive."

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WOLFF: DON’T PROVOKE SERGIO MARCHIONNE

In a second show of support for Ferrari big boss Sergio Marchionne, Mercedes F1 chief Toto Wolff has warned that the Italian team’s president should not be provoked as the future of the sport is being mapped out by the powers that be, insisting that F1 needs to have Ferrari on the grid.

Amid recent comments by FIA president Jean Todt suggesting that Ferrari is free to leave Formula 1, Wolff reiterated, “Don’t provoke Sergio Marchionne.”

“I think that F1 needs Ferrari more than Ferrari needs F1 and he has an understanding and a vision of what the DNA in F1 needs to represent for Ferrari, and he is a no-nonsense guy.”

“If he doesn’t see the value for his brand he is going to call it a day. Very easy. With no regret. So, you better not mess with him,” added Wolff.

Last year Marchionne warned Liberty Media, “Formula 1 has something noble, it’s not a sport like any other, we want to help preserve that and it should not just be about business here.”

“If the sport is going in the right direction, then we are open to talk about everything. But if the sport is to become a kind of supermarket, then I’m not interested,” declared the Ferrari president.

MIKA: Don't provoke Sergio Jean!

Jean Todt:

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SENNA’S ICONIC 1984 TOLEMAN UNDER THE HAMMER

Bonhams has announced that the 1984 turbocharged Formula 1 Toleman-Hart TG184 racing car, driven by the legendary Ayrton Senna upon his Monaco Grand Prix debut during the race that sparked his legendary feud with Alain Prost, is to be offered at their Monaco Sale in Monte Carlo on 11 May at Villa La Vigie.

The weather conditions were so appalling on Monaco Grand Prix race day in 1984 that it became obvious the event could not run its full-distance of 76 laps without exceeding the strict two-hour duration limit.

In his 1½-litre, 4-cylinder, 600bhp Toleman-Hart, Senna was chasing down race leader Alain Prost’s more powerful McLaren-TAG Turbo MP4/2. The mercurial Brazilian new boy was catching up with the established French superstar at the staggering rate of 3 seconds per lap.

Ayrton Senna, in this very Toleman-Hart, had closed the gap behind Prost to barely 7 seconds when race director Jacky Ickx – the Belgian former Formula 1 driver – controversially ordered both the red flag and the chequered flag to be shown simultaneously, bringing the race to what many considered to be a premature end, after only 31 laps. Prost took the win from new boy Senna, the margin of victory being 7.446 seconds.

In fact, when the red and chequered flags were shown as the drivers reached the end of lap 32, Prost slowed and hesitated just short of the finish line and Senna swept by, waving ecstatically, convinced that he had just won his first World Championship-qualifying Grand Prix – and at Monaco – the most glamorous venue of them all.

In fact, as was customary in Formula 1, the race results would be declared as the positions pertaining at the end of the last previous uninterrupted lap, and so Prost was confirmed as the winner after 31 officially recognised laps, with Senna second in the Toleman-Hart TG184 – the car to be offered by Bonhams at its Monaco sale.

However, while it seems almost certain that Senna would have wrested the race lead from Alain Prost after just one more lap, it is doubtful that his car could then have survived much longer.

His Toleman team mechanics reported post-race that its suspension had suffered damage and would like have soon failed after the Grand Prix had been so abruptly abandoned. By such slender margins is sporting history written.

Most presciently, during the closing stages of the 1984 Monaco Grand Prix, 1976 Formula 1 World Champion Driver and BBC TV commentator James Hunt, announced the true emergence of Senna upon the Formula 1 scene. He declared on air: “I think we are watching the arrival of Ayrton Senna as a truly outstanding talent in Grand Prix racing…”

He was not wrong. Not only would Senna go on to win the Formula 1 Drivers’ World Championship titles in 1988, 1990 and 1991 – he would also win the Monaco Grand Prix itself a record six times; in 1987, then for five consecutive years from 1989 to 1993 inclusive.

In addition to this Toleman-Hart, Bonhams is also offering Senna’s record-breaking, race-winning 1993 McLaren-Cosworth-Ford MP4/8 in this same Monaco Sale.

The Toleman-Hart TG184 was designed by Rory Byrne and Pat Symonds, and at the time of Senna’s stupendous Monaco drive, it was still fresh from its debut in the preceding French GP at Dijon-Prenois.

Emphasising his potential for future greatness, Senna’s subsequent 1984 season in the Toleman-Hart saw him add to his maiden podium placing at Monaco with third-place finishes in both that year’s British and Portuguese Grands Prix.

This is the historic Monaco duel, battled through the pouring rain, that sowed the seed of the long rivalry between Prost and Senna which simmered on so memorably, well into the 1990s. At the Bonhams Monaco Sale on 11 May, two successful bidders will be able to take home these legendary racing cars, tangible memories of one of the most exciting periods in F1 history.

Mark Osborne, Global Head of Motorsport at Bonhams, commented: “The Senna-Prost joust of the late 1980s and early 1990s was one of the greatest sporting rivalries of all time, with two great champions providing F1 fans with some of the most eye-popping and spectacular racing ever witnessed.”

“The spark that ignited this fierce competition can be traced back almost thirty-five years to the 1984 edition of the Monaco Grand Prix, and the politically charged decision to throw out the red flag when it was clear that the young Brazilian charger was about ruffle some feathers!”

“We at Bonhams are delighted to present the very car – the 1984 Toleman-Hart TG184 – that triggered this great rivalry, and which provided the opening chapter for Ayrton Senna’s remarkable and record-breaking story at the Monaco Grand Prix.’

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HAMILTON DOES PERSONAL DEAL WITH TOMMY HILFIGER

Four-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton has become a global brand ambassador for Tommy Hilfiger in the wake of his Mercedes team and the clothing giant securing a sponsorship deal.

The personal endorsement deal will see the 33-year-old Mercedes driver promote the US clothing brand’s Hilfiger Collection, Tommy Hilfiger Tailored line and its range of menswear, underwear and swimwear.

The partnership will feature video, print, online and out of home media placements, and will be supported by a series of unique customer activations.

The collaboration was launched with a dash cam video of Hamilton and American model Gigi Hadid taking turns behind the wheel of a Mercedes car at the Pocono Raceway in Pennsylvania.

The news comes shortly after Hamilton’s Mercedes team announced a multi-year strategic partnership with Tommy Hilfiger, making the company the official apparel partner of the F1 world champions.

 

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HORNER: WE HAVE GOOD ALTERNATIVES FOR RICCIARDO

Much has been written about Daniel Ricciardo’s reluctance to ink a new deal with Red Bull until April, the while he makes up his mind his boss Christian Horner is adamant that they want the Australian to stay but, at the same time, they do have alternative options.

Horner told CNN Sport, “Daniel’s contract expires at the end of this season and our intention is to have him with us in the future.”

“The plan is to continue with the line-up that we have now, but if that isn’t possible, we have other good alternatives.”

“We have good drivers in the junior program and, in addition, we still have Carlos Sainz under contract, although he is now with Renault.”

One option for Ricciardo is to replace Kimi Raikkonen at Ferrari from next year, but the jury is out on how Sebastian Vettel would welcome his former Red Bull teammate to Maranello.

Ricciardo emphatically beat Vettel when they were teammates at Red Bull in 2014, the German at the time off a four successive F1 world title winning streak and the Aussie just promoted from Toro Rosso.

The Mercedes option is one that has bubbled in the paddock since Bottas was handed another single year deal. In the past, Ricciardo has made it clear that he would relish partnering Lewis Hamilton and believes he could beat the Briton with equal equipment.

But Horner appears to have all bases covered, “We still have good options, as Lewis [Hamilton]’s contract also expires. It’s hard to see him leaving Mercedes, but we never say never.”

As for Red Bull’s title hopes, Horner predicted, “Mercedes are surely going to be the favourites, because they have been very strong and have dominated during the last years.”

“The regulations are very stable, so we hope to reduce the gap, especially in circuits where we can be more competitive. Our challenge is to be in the fight for victory against Ferrari and Mercedes,” added Horner.

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F1 2018: OCON TO MAKE A CASE FOR MERCEDES SEAT

Esteban Ocon says Force India need have no concerns about any repeat of last year’s high-profile clashes between him and his experienced teammate Sergio Perez when the Formula 1 season starts in Australia next week.

The Silverstone-based outfit had to rein in the drivers last year after the rivalry ran out of hand, with a podium chance in Azerbaijan slipping through their fingers when the cars collided.

There were sparks at Spa, too, with Frenchman Ocon accusing Perez of twice trying to kill him by squeezing his car towards the wall before they again collided.

“We went through a period which was quite tough, we were fighting for a 10th, for 100ths in practice and on tracks,” Ocon told Reuters during testing in Spain for the season that kicks off on March 25.

“There was a time when we got too close but that’s over now… I think there should be no worries that this will continue. I don’t want it to happen.”

The two — equally determined and well-matched on the track with plenty of ambition — will still form one of the more competitive pairings in the sport and there is always the possibility for friction.

Asked this month whether the fourth-ranked team would be reminding them of their responsibilities this season, chief operating officer Otmar Szafnauer did not hesitate in his reply, “Yes. Daily, if not hourly.”

“We’re going to start off the season as we left it last year. The last few races they were allowed to compete against each other.”

“One of the phases of team building is the conflict stage. And then when you get past the conflict stage, you work better together. I think that’s the stage they’re at now.”

Ocon said he and 28-year-old Perez, now the only Latin American driver on the starting grid after Brazilian Felipe Massa’s retirement, actually got on well enough.

“We would probably never go on holidays together, but we have no problem,” declared the Frenchman, who is of Spanish extraction. “There is a great atmosphere in the team, everyone’s working closely and I work closely with him as well so there are no issues.”

Perez said last year that Ocon needed to change his attitude and he felt that had happened.

“Esteban is one of the best drivers out there in terms of his capacity. What he did last year with not a lot of experience was quite impressive,” the Mexican told Reuters.

“Everyone realised and spoke very highly about him, and that’s good. I could see that towards the end of the year he’s a different person, the way he approached things. I hope that just keeps getting better on him.”

Ocon has plenty at stake this year, as a Mercedes-backed driver placed with customer team Force India to get experience while the world champions decide their next move.

If he continues to shine, and Valtteri Bottas fails to convince as four times world champion Lewis Hamilton’s teammate, then Ocon could be next in line for one of the most coveted seats.

“My career is managed by Mercedes so it would be the logical way to go at some point in Mercedes but I fully trust my management side, they will decide on my future,” he said, diplomatically.

There is also a home grand prix to look forward to at Le Castellet — the southern circuit where he took his first single-seater podium and victory in Formula Renault 2.0 in 2012 and 2013 respectively.

Ocon said a new fitness regime, involving tramping through deep snowdrifts in the Pyrenees mountains during European winter training, had also paid off.

“Basically what I saw from last year was that we also could improve on my training regime. We did it now and I feel like I’m more complete as an athlete. I’m more of an athlete than I was last year,” he added.

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F1 2018: ALONSO READY TO FIGHT ON TWO FRONTS

Fernando Alonso faces the busiest racing season of any Formula 1 driver but the Spaniard has played down fears he could be spreading himself too thin by competing in two world championships at once as his triple-crown dream steps up a gear.

The 36-year-old gets one campaign started next week when he lines up for McLaren at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, the first of a record-equalling 21 F1 races around the world this season.

The double F1 world champion, who competed in the Indianapolis 500 last year, will also race for Toyota at the Le Mans 24 Hours in June and in the full World Endurance championship.

Alonso’s road to Le Mans, as well as McLaren’s new start in Formula One with Renault engines after three dismal years with Toyota’s Japanese rivals Honda, will be among the top storylines of the motorsport year.

“The only concern is travelling,” he told reporters during winter testing in Barcelona when asked about his ambitious programme. “Travelling is going to be energy-consuming and I need to be very efficient on that.

“Every delay on the flight or every connection that you miss is going to hurt this year. So hopefully everything runs smoothly.”

The target is to become only the second driver to achieve the so-called ‘Triple Crown’ of motorsport, a feat completed by the late Briton Graham Hill in 1972.

It involves winning the Indy 500, Le Mans and Formula One championship, although it can also be the Monaco Grand Prix which Alonso has won twice.

The Spaniard, who led at Indianapolis before his car broke down, competed in the Daytona 24 Hours in January to acclimatise himself and is up for the challenge.

“There are many things that I am now in the point of my career that I can deal with. Probably a couple of years ago maybe I didn’t have the knowledge of all of the areas,” he said.

“So I thought now was the time to do it and I feel ready. I think in terms of mental approach it’s going to be not an issue because every time you jump in the car you want to be competitive.

McLaren executive director Zak Brown said Alonso was the kind of person who would be racing something during his down time anyway.

He also pointed out that while the WEC ‘Super Season’ ran to eight events, only five were this year with the rest in 2019 and ending at a second Le Mans. And one of the five was during the August break.

“What a lot people don’t know is he’s karting every weekend,” added the American.

“If he wasn’t going to be in a prototype, he would have been in a kart or something else. I’ve never seen someone who wants to literally live in a race car like he does… I just think if he’s at a grocery store it would be ‘let’s race the karts’.”

Alonso will not be doing anything more than drive for Toyota and WEC organisers have bent over backwards to fit in, to the extent of moving the Fuji Six Hours to avoid a clash with the United States Grand Prix in Austin.

If there are any conflicts, McLaren come first.

“He’s a McLaren driver on loan for those weekends,” said Brown, who was a key figure in Alonso’s headline-grabbing Indianapolis bid.

“His responsibilities there are pretty much driving, so he’s not going to have the same level of promotional work, sponsor commitments that would normally come along with that (involvement).

“And he’s well studied and focused on what preparation takes. If he thinks he can do it, we have no reason to believe that he can’t.”

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F1 2018: PEREZ IN CAREER DETERMINING YEAR

Fatherhood has been a life-altering experience for Sergio Perez since the end of last season and the Force India driver hopes the coming year in Formula 1 could be just as transformative for him on the race track.

The 28-year-old, known as ‘Checo’, is starting his fifth year with the Silverstone based team, the privately-run outfit that has been fourth in the constructors’ championship for the last two campaigns and has become like a second family for the Mexican.

But that is still a long way from where Perez, whose son and namesake was born in December, ultimately hopes his talents will take him.

“Definitely it is a year that is going to determine my career, my coming years,” the Guadalajara-born driver, who was linked last season to Renault, told Reuters during pre-season testing in Barcelona.

“This year it’s going to be interesting to stay where we are and then see what’s available. I definitely want to be in the best possible car I can be.”

Just how good the new Force India is remains to be seen, with a big update promised for the March 25 season-opener in Australia and Perez saying that was needed after a fairly anonymous testing.

A Ferrari academy driver before entering Formula One with Sauber in 2011, and having a difficult year at McLaren in 2013, Perez has become one of the most dependable and consistent racers.

For some years he has talked about his desire to join a top team, only to stay put in the end. But this season could see movement.

The Mexican, who scored points in 17 of last season’s 20 races, has been linked to Ferrari in the past even if others may now be ahead of him in the queue to replace 2007 champion Kimi Raikkonen.

The driver market is braced for a big shake-up, with 38-year-old Raikkonen out of contract at year end along with Finland’s Valtteri Bottas at champions Mercedes and Australian Daniel Ricciardo at Red Bull.

Ricciardo will set the ball rolling if he moves, with Renault’s young Spaniard Carlos Sainz only on loan from Red Bull pending the Australian’s decision.

Perez, who took two-second places and a third with Sauber in 2012 and has taken more podiums (four) with Force India than any driver, will look to impress but faces a stiff challenge from 21-year-old teammate Esteban Ocon.

The two clashed last year, missing out on a podium in Azerbaijan after a collision that led Force India to impose rules of engagement. Relations are now much better.

“I think we definitely had very intense moments in the team and thankfully everything changed for the good of the team, for the benefit of us,” said Perez.

“Now we work well together, in the last races, and I really hope that trend continues. We have to work together, we have to be united to push the team forward and hopefully battle each other for good positions.”

The Mexican said everything felt more natural going into his eighth season.

“You are more patient, you know what you need from yourself, how you have to prepare yourself, but every year you learn every single weekend. I learnt so much last year,” he said.

“There are still plenty of things that I can improve, to become a stronger driver. I do think that this year I’m going to be stronger than I was last year.

“I’m working on my weaknesses that I had last year and also on my strengths. That helps. With experience, you can understand a lot more things.”

Fatherhood said Perez, would not slow him down, “It’s incredible. People can tell you many things but once you live the moment, you get your son, it definitely changes your life.”

“I can just see positive changes, as an athlete and as a human being… I am very happy and very stable and with a lot of peace.

“In the car, you don’t think about if you are a dad or not. You just think about how you can do better and take the next corner faster,” he said of Sergio Perez Jr’s arrival.

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Eric Boullier is certain McLaren has a good car with the new MCL33

McLaren and their racing director Eric Boullier are clearly in a better position than they have been for some years, now that they have new Renault power units in the back of their MCL33s this year.

Despite some teething and familiarity issues during the two pre-season tests, the new combination did show some solid progress over the two weeks with it all culminating in Fernando Alonso almost knocking Ferrari’s Kimi Räikkönen off the top of the timing charts late on the final day at Barcelona.

Speaking to Racer Magazine during the tests, Boullier was quick to point out that the  Woking squad would have no excuses this season, not to deliver results.

"I think we have a good car. We still have to bring it, we still have to make it work, but I think we have a good car, so we'll see. I'm not saying we're going to be world champions or whatever but we should be good enough to give some headaches."

Clearly the team will not be under the same pressure to perform in one season as it has been over the past few years as 2018 will just be the first of an initial three-year partnership agreement with Reggie. With this in mind Boullier feels that more the team can concentrate on getting things right rather than the constant fire fighting that occurred during their tumultuous time with Honda.

"You don't have a big distraction anymore, so you just put your energy and your attention into the details that are going to make us faster.

"The longer we are with Renault and building our relationship it's going to be even better. We know what we are doing in terms of chassis development, but in terms of engine, the better we build our relationship the better it will be for them and for us."