FORMULA 1

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Vasseur believes race pace will be "easier to find" for Alfa

Alfa Romeo Formula 1 boss Fred Vasseur says there’s “no need to panic” over the team’s struggles to find race pace in recent Grand Prix weekends given its strong qualifying form.
At Suzuka Antonio Giovinazzi just missed Q3 in 11th place, but in the race both he and teammate Kimi Raikkonen lacked pace in the opening two stints.

They eventually finished 13th and 15th, with the Finn ahead but both admitting the race pace was not at the level it should've been.

Although the recent poor results have been frustrating – since the summer break Giovinazzi has logged a ninth and 10th while Raikkonen has scored no points – Vasseur says the basic one-lap pace of the C38 gives some encouragement.

“There’s no need to panic,” he told Motorsport.com. “Each time it’s a different scenario. I would be very worried if we were one second off in quali, but it’s not the story. The race might be difficult to manage, but it’s more easy to find the pace in the race than in quali.

“In Spa for example we were P5 in Turn 1, in Monza we were in Q3. Sometimes for one tenth, plus or minus, you can have the feeling that the situation is completely different. We always have to be very careful with this.

“We’ve moved from seventh or eighth[-best team] in quali, but this is one tenth. Perhaps we could do a better job by one tenth.

“In Suzuka the quali pace was OK, we were in the middle of the pack, in front of the Renaults, in front of the Racing Points. Antonio was two hundredths from Q3, or something like this. Sometimes you are two-hundredths in front and you are the star.”

Vasseur admits that the team is still trying to understand how to get the best out of the Pirelli tyres in race conditions.

“It’s difficult to know what’s wrong. We are struggling to be consistent over the race, and I think that was the issue over the last two or three events.

“The first part of the [Suzuka] race was a disaster – well, 'disaster' is a bit too much, but it was very tough. In the last stint with the soft we were back on the pace, and we did a very strong stint at the end, but it was far too late.

“The race pace was one second off. Renault is a good example, they were nowhere in quali, and they did a very good job in the race. Racing Point were behind us in quali, and they were much faster in the race.

“We have to take care with the conclusion, but I think it’s more about consistency over the stint with different compounds than on the pure pace.

“Sometimes you are in the right window, sometimes not, depending on the track layout or the track temp or so on.”

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Verstappen: Ricciardo Red Bull dynamic was "ideal situation"

Max Verstappen says the ideal teammate for him in Formula 1 is one who can push him to greater heights like Daniel Ricciardo did.
Although the Dutchman has stepped up to a new level this year as Red Bull’s de facto team leader alongside less experienced teammates, he admits that the best scenario for him remains having someone very strong in the other car.

Speaking to Motorsport.com at a Tag Heuer event in Amsterdam about teammate preferences, Verstappen said that the perfect scenario for him was when he was with Ricciardo.

“[I want] someone who can be in the fight and push me to greater heights as well,” said Verstappen, who was teammate to Ricciardo from early 2016 to the end of last year.

“I think I had that ideal situation with Daniel. When I joined the team, I was of course more of a rookie and he was already there for a few years. Then you can learn and build up nicely, but at a certain point it also became more difficult for him, because we were very close together the whole time.”

While the rivalry with a strong teammate is more intense, Verstappen says it is a better for a team as it allows it to make more rapid progress with the car.

“In the end this is also very important for the team,” he added. “You also want someone who works in the same direction in terms of setup and wants the same things from the car. Then you can also develop the car much better.

“Then you can put the cars on different programs on a Friday, if you can rely on both drivers to get the right information. These things are very important for me, but also for the team.”

Asked what his thoughts were on the progress of new teammate Alex Albon, Verstappen said: “I think it's getting better. Of course this is his first year in Formula 1 so you can't expect of him that everything goes great straight away, also in terms of feedback and stuff. But so far it’s all going well.”

Verstappen’s own contract with Red Bull runs until the end of 2020, and the team’s chances of retaining him will depend on the amount of progress it can make next year.

But with ongoing uncertainty about what regulations are coming for 2021, Verstappen says that thoughts of his long-term future need to be put on hold for now.

Asked how long he will be at Red Bull, he said: “Difficult question. I don't know that either.

“Of course, I still have a contract for next year, and after that there are also new regulations, which haven’t been signed off yet. So actually everybody is dealing with that question of what they are going to do. So I think I'm not the only one in that respect."

He added: “Everybody wants to win, in the end, so you always want to drive for the fastest team. But I believe that we [Red Bull] can be there again as a team. 

"Of course they have already won four [championships], in a row, and we just started a new partnership with Honda and that just takes some time. That's why the goal should be next year. Then we really have to show it. And then we'll see what happens next.”

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Petrobras set to terminate McLaren sponsorship deal

McLaren's sponsorship deal with Brazilian oil company Petrobras looks set to be brought to an official end within a matter of days, Motorsport.com has learned.
Petrobras, which is 64 percent owned by the Brazilian government through direct and indirect means, announced last year that it would be tying up with McLaren from the start of this season with a long-term technical partnership.

But in May, Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro took to social media to reveal that on his orders he wanted the original five-year partnership to be called off.

"In 2018 Petrobras signed an advertising contract of R$782m with McLaren, valid for five years," Bolsonaro tweeted from his official account.

"At the moment, the company, by decision of my government, seeks a way to terminate the contract."

It is understood that discussions between McLaren and Petrobras to end the deal have been ongoing since, although as recently as the Russian Grand Prix, McLaren CEO Zak Brown said that the team was still open about its future.

"As far as fuel and lubricant, we have a partnership with Petrobras, and provisions in our agreement to be able to continue down that path," he said when asked about its plans for the future.

However, the situation appears to have moved on, with papers published by Brazil's Ministry of the Economy this week claiming that the deal is to be finished.

The document, which ran through the government's financial plans, said: "An unjustifiable Petrobras sponsorship agreement for the McLaren Formula 1 team - worth £ 163 million - has been terminated."

Despite the indications from Brazil, however, McLaren has declined to elaborate further.

A spokesman for the Woking-based team said: "Such matters are commercially confidential and therefore we are not able to comment further at this time."

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Formula 1 edging closer to restructured Friday timetable

Formula 1 is edging towards a restructured format for Fridays at grands prix as part of a compromise for including more events on the calendar.

The format of a grand prix weekend has been under the spotlight in recent years, with senior figures evaluating whether or not to make alterations to the schedule.

Currently Formula 1 weekends take place over four days – five in the case of Monaco – with media day on Thursday, practice on Friday, final practice and qualifying on Saturday, and the race on Sunday.

The recent Japanese Grand Prix, in which on-track action was condensed into Friday and Sunday due to Typhoon Hagibis, reignited the debate over weekend formats.

Some drivers voiced their support of shorter weekends, though the absence of support categories – Formula 2 and Formula 3 did not travel to Japan – facilitated the forced revised timetable.

It was revealed earlier this month that Formula 1 had decided on keeping a three-day on-track approach, which is favoured by promoters, who fear a drop in revenue if Friday’s sessions were altogether scrapped.

Proposals for a qualifying race, in place of qualifying, at three 2020 grands prix were put aside after it did not receive the required unanimous support, but a renewed push could be made for 2021.

Formula 1’s calendar has gradually expanded across the last decade and that has raised concerns over the well-being of those who work within the paddock.

One idea being pursued is to move Thursday’s media activities to Friday morning, with on-track running then taking place on Friday afternoon, reducing the amount of practice time.

It is also hoped that a reduction in practice would lead to more surprise results due to teams being unable to gather as much data.

Formula 1 will next year feature 22 grands prix courtesy of the addition of Vietnam and the return of the Netherlands.

It is understood that there could be as many as 24 events on the 2021 calendar, with Liberty Media having recently reached an agreement in principle to hold a round in Miami, while it continues to explore options elsewhere.

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Hat-trick-chasing Max Verstappen wary of Ferrari threat

Max Verstappen says he expects Ferrari to pose a substantial challenge as he goes in search of a hat-trick of victories at Formula 1’s Mexican Grand Prix.

Verstappen overhauled Sebastian Vettel at the start of the 2017 encounter to claim honours at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, and last year took the lead on the opening lap to take another win.

But since two wins and a pole position in a four-race spell prior to Formula 1’s summer break Verstappen has added just one podium, with Red Bull lagging behind Ferrari and Mercedes.

“I’m looking forward to going back to Mexico as the last two years have been pretty special there with the two wins,” said Verstappen.

“I really enjoy driving there as well as the track is very different as it’s at high altitude which makes it low grip.

“The corners are also very technical so you have to work hard to make sure you get the best out of it but it’s a good track for us normally.

“I expect it to be a little bit more difficult this year because of the Ferrari pace but I think we can still have a very good race.”

Red Bull team-mate Alexander Albon matched Verstappen’s lap time to the thousandth of a second in Japan and went on to claim fourth in the race, his best result in Formula 1.

“After getting my best result of the season in Japan last week, I’ve got good confidence and direction heading to Mexico,” said Albon.

“Japan felt like my best weekend with the team and we’re gelling more and more so I look forward to carrying that momentum into Mexico.

“Historically it’s been a good track for Red Bull with pole position and a win there last year so obviously that’s positive.

“Like Suzuka, it will be another new track for me but this one looks a little more forgiving!”

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Nicholas Latifi gets next three FP1 sessions with Williams

Williams has confirmed that test and reserve driver Nicholas Latifi will drive the FW42 across the next trio of FP1 sessions, as part of his 2019 duties.

Latifi joined Williams, following prior spells at Renault and Force India, to act as back-up to George Russell and Robert Kubica.

Latifi has so far carried out three of his six allocated FP1 sessions, in Canada, France and Belgium, and he will return to action in Mexico, before further runs in the United States and Brazil.

Latifi has competed in the Formula 2 championship this season, taking four victories, and currently holds second in the standings, with Mercedes Formula E newcomer Nyck de Vries having already wrapped up the title.

Latifi will replace Kubica in FP1 in Mexico, before taking over Russell’s car in the United States, while his Brazil run plan has yet to be determined.

“I’m really excited to get back in the car in Mexico as it feels like a long time since my previous outing at Spa,” said Latifi.

“I got the chance to drive in Mexico last year in FP1, so I am familiar with what to expect.

“It’s quite a unique track because of the elevation, so you have a lack of grip, which makes it challenging.

“As always, my goal remains the same for FP1, to have a clean session and help guide the team going into FP2.”

Williams still has a vacancy alongside Russell in its 2020 driver line-up.

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Ricciardo: Renault needs to "keep positivity" after morale swings

Renault Formula 1 driver Daniel Ricciardo admits that heads had dropped at the Enstone team in recent weeks, and hopes the Japanese Grand Prix result can kickstart a run of “positivity.”
Though Ricciardo and teammate Nico Hulkenberg have regularly qualified well in the events after the summer break, they experienced a mixed stretch of races, often spoiled by first-lap incidents. The team had earned just a ninth and a 10th place from Singapore and Russia.

In Japan Ricciardo was left stranded in 16th on the grid after suffering in qualifying with a rear suspension issue, which necessitated the replacement of a hydraulic line for the race. He subsequently put in a strong drive to an eventual sixth place.

“Certainly [after qualifying] I was thinking, ‘Same kind of crap,'. And that we can’t really get a break with issues and whatever. But I feel like we finally got a result we deserve," Ricciardo said.

“We’ve got back-to-backs coming up now, some fun ones. So hopefully we can get a string of points finishes and try to just get something for the team.

“We get [up] there, and then we drop, kind of the heads drop a bit, and we’re trying to get back up. So just for everyone’s sake we need to try to keep some positivity before the year is out.”

With around 10 laps to go in Japan, Ricciardo caught up to Hulkenberg, who was running on a different strategy.

At that point he asked the team for the German to let him by – something Ricciardo says he is usually reluctant to do.

“I saw that we were all in a DRS train. I think he’d been in [Lance] Stroll’s DRS for quite a few laps, so I came on the radio. I don’t normally like to call for things, but I just said, ‘Guys if he can’t pass, release me.’ I said I’m sure I can get them.

“I think after two laps they released me, and then I reassured them, ‘Guys I’m going to get them, trust me we’ve made the right decision.’ And obviously we did. I thanked them after, and I think clearly in the end it was the right call.

“I don’t always ask, because I think a lot of the time people ask looking for a favour. But I really believed I obviously had the pace and the tyre to do it, so that’s why I had a lot of confidence that once being released I could get the guys in front.”

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Renault: No customers in 2021 means fewer distractions

Renault will be one of a kind in 2021 as the only power unit manufacturer in Formula 1 without a customer beyond their works outfit – but the French manufacturer’s chief Cyril Abiteboul sees that as a positive rather than a negative…

Last month, McLaren announced they would be parting ways with Renault at the end of next season and will instead run Mercedes power for the first time since 2014. They will join Mercedes, Williams and Racing Point in running the engines.

Ferrari will supply their works team as well as Alfa Romeo and Haas while Red Bull and Toro Rosso will have Honda PUs, meaning Renault will only supply their works outfit.

“For next year there is no impact because the engine for next year is done, it’s on the dyno already,” said Abiteboul. “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. 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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LONG READ: The easy-going champion remembered, 20 years on

This month marks 20 years since Mika Hakkinen won his second and final world title in Japan. Through the prism of that victory, and his similar title triumph at the same track 12 months earlier, David Tremayne - who witnessed every one of Hakkinen's 161 Grand Prix starts - reflects on the Flying Finn’s career and legacy…

Mika Hakkinen always seemed such an unflappable character. Slow to anger, even slower to appear flustered.

Yet there was about him, that weekend at Suzuka on November 1st, 1998, a quieter mien than we usually saw. On race morning he looked almost withdrawn, to those of us on the outside of the McLaren team. Of course, that was to be expected when a man was about to go head-to-head with an arch-rival to settle the biggest deal in his racing career: The World Championship.

But even McLaren insiders were slightly concerned. Mika just didn’t look himself. This, remember, was the man who had gone from Lotus F1 driver – courtesy of ace talent spotter Peter Collins in 1991 – to McLaren test driver for 1993. Who had shown Ayrton Senna the way around at Estoril when Ron Dennis was finally able to let him off the lead in place of the unhappy Michael Andretti.

Mika Hakkinen eyes up championship rival Michael Schumacher in 1998

The intervening years had seen him banned for a race (after causing a shunt at Hockenheim in 1994), surviving a near-fatal crash in Adelaide in 1995 when a tyre punctured, and colliding with McLaren team mate David Coulthard at Estoril in 1996.

But he had also matured into a race winner. Yes, that partly came courtesy of Coulthard and that year’s champion Jacques Villeneuve in Jerez at the end of 1997, but it was something that those of us who’d worked with him at Lotus in 1991 and ’92 loved seeing happen.

Gone were the days when he might move flat in Monaco and then wonder why, when he plugged it in, his phone didn’t work. When he would check in his suitcase and, as it chugged down the moving belt and he was asked for his passport, he would cheerfully point at said case as it disappeared and say, “It’s in there.”

The days when Peters Wright and Collins might feel moved physically to restrain him on a bench in the Lotus motorhome and go over things with strained patience yet again.

“Mika, where is the car understeering?”
“In the corners!”
“Yeees, but which part?”
“The corners!”
"Which part, the entry, the middle, the exit?”
“Yes! The corners!”

Hakkinen colliding with McLaren team mate David Coulthard in Portugal in 1996. He'd mature into a race winner

Now the engaging young kid who had left Vantaa, near Helsinki, to take his chances in the big world of racing had matured. And there was something more. Even Ferrari recognised that he was faster over a lap than their beloved Michael Schumacher.

And 1998 had finally brought the two greats of their era into mano a mano conflict.

Mika had won in Australia and Brazil, Michael in Argentina. David had intervened in San Marino. Then Mika won in Spain and Monaco before Michael hit back in Canada, France and Britain. Mika counter-attacked in Austria and Germany, Michael in Hungary, before Damon Hill intervened in Belgium. Italy then fell to Michael, Luxembourg (at the Nurburgring) to Mika.

And that last race had been remarkable for the manner in which Mika and McLaren pulled off the success. The team fuelled Mika for four more laps than Michael, and he used then brilliantly, slamming in fast laps and then, crucially, rejoining just in front with his two inside wheels in the dirt in the first corner, giving Michael some of his own medicine. When the second pit stop went like a dream Mika was home and dry, and Michael looked stunned.

They went to the showdown in Japan with Mika on 90 points, Michael on 86.

Hakkinen leading Irvine in the 1998 Japanese Grand Prix

Michael put his Ferrari on the pole with Mika right behind him. I still remember the tension when they lapped in 1m 36.293s and 1m 36.471s, especially as their team mates DC and Eddie Irvine occupied row two, ready to do whatever might be needed to help their partners in this final battle. Standing on the grid anywhere, but especially at Suzuka, on that day, was, I remember, electric.

Would one man win a third title, or the other his first?

What we couldn’t have known, however, was just how unsure Mika suddenly was after being half a second off Michael in the morning warm-up session they used to hold in those days.

“What am I going to do?” he asked.

Keke Rosberg, his manager and Finland’s 1982 champion, drew on his ever-present cigarette and just looked him in the eye, before remarking as only he could: "Just go and have fun and drive the car as fast as you want.”

It was all Mika needed to hear.

Hakkinen celebrating championship success on the podium with McLaren team mate David Coulthard

The tension was indescribable as start time approached, the drivers seeming to vibrate in their cockpits.

And then there was that horrible deflation when a car stalled. There it was, Jarno Trulli’s blue Prost-Peugeot on the seventh row. Off he went to the back of the grid as the field made another formation lap.

McLaren had got the cooling fans out to their cars in double-quick time before that, but when the field assembled for the second try, another car stalled. Schumacher’s Ferrari!

“The engine stalled because the clutch didn’t free itself,” he later recounted, Ferrari’s first possible title since Jody Scheckter’s back in 1979 now lost. Settled in the cockpit of car number 8, Mika was his old self again. He led every lap and won by more than seven seconds from Irvine, with Coulthard another half minute down. Michael had charged from the back of the grid to third, but lost a wheel on the pit straight on lap 32 after picking up a puncture from debris.

Afterwards, Mika was Mika – I remember him wearing that little-boy grin of his as he savoured his greatest moment.

“I don’t know how to explain my feelings,” he began. “It was easier than some of the races have been this year. I’ve been in much more difficult situations, but of course I was aware of the pressure that was falling on me.”

Hakkinen on his way to a second successive drivers' title during the 1999 Japanese Grand Prix

But everything had calmed down as the race progressed, until he found another dangerous threat.

“There is always one problem when you are leading easily like that – and it happened with me with about 10 laps to go – which is the tendency for your mind to start thinking about other things. I almost started whistling in the car…” We applauded when both Michael – changed into his civvies – and Eddie stepped over to the McLaren and congratulated the man in the two-tone blue helmet.

“Mika deserves it,” Michael said. And none of us disagreed as we cheered the sight of one of the really good guys leaving his mark on history, and McLaren winning the constructors’ title too.

A year later, we were there to see it all over again, though Michael’s leg breakage in the British GP had seen that year’s conflict develop into a straight fight between Mika and Eddie.

This time there had been more winners. Mika had won four races: Brazil, Spain, Canada and Hungary. Michael had won in San Marino and Spain before his accident. But Irvine had also won four, Heinz-Harald Frentzen two for Jordan and Coulthard and Johnny Herbert one apiece for McLaren and Stewart.

But Mika knew that Irvine had been helped to two of his triumphs – his old F3 sparring partner Mika Salo and Michael had moved over for him in Hockenheim and Malaysia, giving Mika a psychological edge even though Eddie had 70 points to Mika’s 66. And while Michael was clearly out of contention for the title, having only returned for the previous race in Malaysia, he would be a very strong threat for the race and that could skew Mika’s chances.

Hakkinen crossing the line to clinch a second successive World Championship at Suzuka in Japan

Michael took pole from Mika with 1m 37.470s to 1m 37.820s, but DC was third on 1m 38.239s and Eddie only fifth on 1m 38.975s after a nasty shunt. Curiously, Mika went through another of those little crises of confidence.

This time there was no Keke to give him fatherly advice, but there was Tyler Alexander, McLaren’s robust and no-nonsense bridge between the days of Bruce McLaren and Ron Dennis. Like Mika, a racer.

“I told him just to get in the car and drive it like he always did,” Tyler once told me with his trademark rumbling laugh. “I told him he’d always been good at that, and just to get on and do what he did best.”

Mika excused himself for a quick pre-race toilet break, then got in car number 1 and drove its wheels off to beat Michael off the line and cross it five seconds ahead of the German 53 laps later, with Eddie a well-vanquished but gracious third.

Hakkinen celebrates winning the '99 title alongside the man who pushed him all the way - Ferrari's Eddie Irvine.

It was Mika’s fifth win of the season, and arguably his best, and a widespread feeling of relief emanated the paddock. Colourful Ulsterman Irvine was not to everyone’s taste and many disapproved of the way he’d been handed two wins and would have been upset to see him thus become champion. Mika, however, was everyone’s favourite – the man who was faster than Schumacher! – and there was much celebration of his second title.

“To win the World Championship in the last Grand Prix is nerve-wracking,” he smiled, as everyone smiled along with him. “I can’t recommend the experience. I had it with Michael last year and again with Eddie here. I hope that’s enough for one day.”

Then we applauded a remarkable man who, to this day, remains the easy-going and kind human being he was when he left his homeland on his great adventure.

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Daniel Ricciardo: The aim for Mexico is to apply pressure to McLaren

Renault's Daniel Ricciardo is aiming to outscore the McLarens during Sunday's Mexican Grand Prix in the hope of applying some additional pressure for the remaining races.

Renault and engine customer McLaren are locked in a battle over fourth place, and whilst it's swung in each team's favour over the course of the season, McLaren has begun to stretch a lead in recent races, opening the gap up to 34 points ahead of this weekend.

But with four races left, a bad weekend for McLaren and a strong haul of points for Renault could change that drastically, which is what Ricciardo is hoping for.

"The pole position last year was pretty memorable," said the Australian, who took pole for Red Bull in 2018, but knows simply making it into Q3 this year will be an achievement. "It was an exciting lap, putting it all together at the end; it was special.

"If we can get into Q3 and be first of the midfield this weekend then that will be pretty good too.

"We’ve been on a disappointing run recently so we deserved the result in Japan. We’re aiming to carry some momentum now into Mexico.

"The target is to better the McLarens and outscore them to keep the pressure on. Let’s go Mexico!"

Renault qualified seventh and eighth last season, well ahead of both McLarens in 12th and 17th, but with McLaren now nipping at the heels of the big three this year, Renault will have a tough time beating them.

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Mercedes expects Mexico to be 'most difficult' of remaining races

Mercedes are bracing themselves for a tough weekend in Mexico, with team boss Toto Wolff believing it will be their "most difficult" race of the remaining four races on the 2019 calendar.

Since the race returned in 2015, Mercedes has won it twice with Nico Rosberg claiming victory in 2015 and Lewis Hamilton the following year. But Red Bull are the 'on form' team at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez where Max Verstappen has claimed victory at the last two grands prix.

But with Ferrari the on the up, Mercedes know they face an uphill challenge this weekend, where a good result for Hamilton could secure him his sixth Drivers' Championship.

"We know that the four remaining races are not going to be easy and we expect Mexico to be the most difficult one for us," said Wolff.

"The high altitude of the track brings some fairly unusual challenges as the low air density affects the downforce of the car, the cooling and the engine performance.

"It's a combination that doesn't particularly suit our car, but we will give it everything to try and limit the damage.

"We look forward to the fight and to the amazing Mexican crowd that shares our love for racing and turns the weekend into a brilliant celebration of motorsport."

Mercedes has enjoyed more success at the other three races which are yet to run, with Hamilton winning four of the last five United States GP's, two of the last three Brazilian GP's, whilst Mercedes has won the last five races in Abu Dhabi.

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Horner: Verstappen doesn't share father's Red Bull concerns

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner says Max Verstappen does not share the same frustrations about the current performance of the outfit as his father Jos.

With Red Bull having fallen away from being regular victory contenders since the summer break, Jos Verstappen told Dutch television recently that he feared another 'lost year' for the team in 2020 if change was not made. 

But Horner says that everything he has heard from Max is of encouragement about the future, especially following visits to Honda's facilities in Japan recently to discuss 2020 plans.

Speaking to Motorsport.com about Jos Verstappen's remarks on his son's frustrations, Horner said: "Max is a very different person to his father. He sees the bigger picture.

"He was in Sakura [before the Japanese GP] and he has seen what is coming, and the commitment of Honda to the development of the engine, and to F1.

"In the factory he sees what is going on, so I think racing dads unfortunately can sometimes get a bit excited."

Verstappen's current contract with Red Bull expires at the end of next year, and the team is clearly keen to retain him for the new era of F1.

But Horner says that there is little chance of getting talks under way soon, with the driver market set to be in a state of flux in 2020 as a number of top drivers will become free agents.

Asked if he expected negotiations to wait until after this year, Horner said: "It will have to be. Max, Lewis [Hamilton] and Sebastian [Vettel] are all out of contract at the end of 2020, so three of the four big players are in the open market.

"Inevitably all of them will wait to see the relative performance of their individual teams during the course of next year, and I would say the first half of next year."

But while Verstappen has regularly been linked with a switch to Mercedes, Horner has faith that Red Bull can offer him what he wants longer term.

"It is very much within our control," he said. "He is very happy with the team environment. He wants to realise his ambitions here and it is down to us to provide him with a platform with which to do that. I am confident and hopeful that we can."

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Giovinazzi says fighting for F1 seat like surviving junior career

Antonio Giovinazzi says fighting for his Formula 1 future is the same experience as his entire career, as is being considered "shit" one race and a "hero" the next.
The Alfa Romeo rookie has only scored four points this season compared to teammate Kimi Raikkonen's 31, but two of Giovinazzi's three top-10 finishes have come in the five races since the summer break while Raikkonen has failed to score points in that same period.

Giovinazzi sees a parallel between his bid to keep his F1 drive and his junior single-seater career, which peaked with second place in GP2 in 2016 as a category rookie after years fighting a lack of budget.

"It was always like that for me and already from karting I didn't have the budget to continue," he said when asked by Motorsport.com if he was used to fighting for his career.

"I had a small go-kart team that supported me for free and then when I went to formula cars my main sponsor was an Indonesian guy [Sean Gelael's father] and there were many drivers looking for my seat and my position.

"But I played with the pressure and now I'm here, and it's the same thing with F1. I think it's a normal type of pressure here. In F1, everything can change really fast from race to race.

"In one race you are a hero, in the next you are shit and then you are a hero again. It can change really fast but in every category that's the same."

Giovinazzi's first race after the summer break should have been a strong points finish but he crashed out on the penultimate lap in Belgium, before bouncing back with his best result in F1 the following weekend at his home race.

His performances have been noticed by his main backer Ferrari, which has been moved to voice its support amid the potential threat of outgoing Renault driver Nico Hulkenberg taking the second Alfa seat next year.

Giovinazzi believes "nobody can take my seat" if he continues his progress.

"I have a really good relationship with Mattia and I think it was Singapore when he said that Ferrari are always supporting me and following me and I think that's really great," he said.

"For a driver it's really important to have that support and that feeling, so thank you to them - to Ferrari and Alfa Romeo Racing.

"Now it's my turn to do the best job I can to stay here for next year."

[MIKA27]

No risk of 'losing control' of drivers, say Ferrari

Managing two star drivers, both capable of winning races, is never an easy task – as Ferrari Team Principal Mattia Binotto has discovered this season. But Binotto believes Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc’s rivalry will not boil over, despite their ‘disagreements’ this season.

Both drivers have expressed their clear displeasure at the other in recent races, Vettel when his younger team mate failed to return the favour of providing a slipstream in Monza qualifying, and Leclerc when he felt the four-time champion had ignored team orders following the race start in Russia.

With four rounds of the 2019 campaign remaining, Leclerc has a nine-point advantage over Vettel in the fight for a likely third place in the standings. With much honour at stake, could Ferrari yet lose control of their drivers?

“No, I don’t think there is the risk of losing control because there is a difference between not managing drivers and at least having the intent to manage them,” said Binotto.

“There is always a solution which is not manage them – maybe someone may do so. I think our intention is to try to manage the situation to the benefit of the team and secondly to the benefit, overall, as well, of the drivers.

“We may do a few things that can be addressed or improved and I think that is what we are building and trying to do for the future.”

Binotto makes no secret of the fact that he has discussed the situation with his drivers, describing the talks as ‘positive, constructive, honest, fair and transparent’, but he refused to rule out future tensions between the pair – a problem which he suggested was in many ways a nice one to have.

“I think what happened in Sochi… nothing really bad, but certainly something that needs to be improved and addressed and I think it’s only an opportunity of lesson learned and trying to do better in the future. But how much I’m confident it will not happen [again], I’m not at all.

“I think these are both very good drivers. They are all going for a single objective, which is winning, but I think what again is more important is that at least between us we’ve got clarity and fairness and I think that’s key.

“I think that they are both performing very well and, as I’ve often said this season, it’s somehow a luxury for a team principal having this situation!”

The question now is whether Binotto and Ferrari will have the luxury of a race win in Mexico this weekend after the disappointment of Japan, where after a front-row lockout their race unravelled, allowing arch rivals Mercedes to score another 1-2 finish and with it their sixth successive constructors’ crown.

[MIKA27]

Braking issue hampering my confidence says Russell

From what could politely be described as a ‘difficult start’ to the 2019 season, Williams have made good progress in dragging themselves closer to the midfield as the year has progressed – even if it’s not necessarily reflected in the standings. But though he’s turned in some starring, under-the-radar drives this term, rookie George Russell admits he’s still being limited by some of the FW42’s foibles…

Russell qualified 18th last time out in Japan, just two-hundredths of a second off Sergio Perez’s Racing Point in Q1 around technically demanding Suzuka circuit. But he described the race as ‘one of our worst of the year’ as braking issues slowed his progress.

“We've been having a bit of a braking issue for a number of events now,” Russell explained. “It was particularly bad in the race, you know, when you're almost braking into every corner you have no confidence on the brakes, means you have no confidence to attack the corner, that was compromising my pace.

“It’s just consistency - some laps it's working well and others it's not. So, we need to look into the data and understand why.

“When you've got one single lap, you can sort of make a bit of a difference, when it's a longer run it sort of evens itself out. With issues like that, obviously I'm doing that 60 laps in a row, rather than one time. Over one lap you can put balls to the wall and hope for the best…”

Unfortunately for Russell, the only driver on the grid without a point to his name in 2019, the layout and conditions in Mexico City – which is by far the highest-altitude circuit on the calendar – could bring Williams’ braking issues to the fore once more, with the reduced air density meaning the brakes get a much tougher work out...

[MIKA27]

Why it's the air that poses the biggest challenge in Mexico

Mexico City sits at an altitude of 2,250 metres above sea level, by far the highest of any circuit on the F1 calendar.

This has very significant implications upon the main performance parameters of the car. But more interestingly, the extent to which these changes effect each car differ and hence we invariably get something of a shake-up in the competitive order of the teams.

Taking a look at how the thinner air of such an altitude affects each of those car performance parameters will give some insight into why that shuffling of the pack tends to occur here.

At the lower pressures of high altitudes, air molecules spread out more so the air becomes less dense. The air in Mexico City will be approximately 25% less dense than that of a sea-level circuit such as, say, Bahrain. It will have around a quarter fewer air molecules in it. This has serious implications upon both the aerodynamic and engine performance of the car.

Historically, the Renault has been a very competitive engine in Mexico City

Downforce and drag

With 25% fewer air molecules, the pressure difference between the upper and lower surfaces of the wings will be correspondingly smaller, as will that between the underbody and the ambient pressure.

Consequently the same wings and underfloors will generate around a quarter less downforce. This means that at Mexico a full-fat Monaco wing will generate only about as much downforce as the cars see at Monza with their skinny wings.

The reduction in downforce seriously reduces the braking and cornering potential of the cars. But what the thinner air also does, of course, is provide less resistance to the car passing through it. With around 25% less drag, the cars are flying down the straights much faster than they would with the same wings at a sea-level circuit. Or at least they would be if they had the same power – which they don’t, but we’ll come to that in a moment.

The significant point is that the compromise between downforce and drag that gives the best lap time – which varies from track to track – will favour downforce more than the same track layout would at sea level. Generally, downforce is around three times as powerful as drag in determining lap time but, towards the upper end of the car’s downforce-generating capability, the last increments become very costly in terms of drag. Less so in Mexico, however.

Compared to other tracks, in the thinner air of Mexico, there is more time to be gained from each unit of downforce increase than is lost by the accompanying small increase in drag.

This has implications upon the competitive order – because some cars are inherently higher downforce and higher drag than others. When conceiving their cars, teams will choose their aerodynamic efficiency targets – i.e. how much induced drag is acceptable for a given downforce – and they will design and develop their car around those targets. Traditionally, Red Bull have favoured a very high downforce car even at the cost of some aero efficiency. Mercedes moved more towards that approach with this year’s W10. Ferrari’s SF90 is inherently a lower drag car than either of those but lacks their ultimate downforce too.

Engine power

In a naturally-aspirated engine, the thinner air directly reduces the power potential. With less air to burn it cannot achieve the same force of explosion within its combustion chambers. However, turbocharged engines such as those currently used in F1 do not suffer this effect directly because the pressure of the air fed to the combustion chamber is controlled by the turbo. A lower density of air allows the turbo to simply spin faster to achieve the same air pressurisation (and therefore density) as at sea level.

But there are complications. Each of the four engines has an official turbine ‘burst point’ – the maximum speed at which it is safe and at which a failure would not result in the bursting of the turbo casing and the spreading of high-velocity debris all over the track. This burst point speed of each engine design is verified and homologated and provided to the FIA. The turbos cannot be run beyond this speed, regardless of the regulated limit of 120,000rpm. That simply means if the burst speed could be made as high as 120,000rpm, they would be allowed to run at that. But the burst speed is usually below that limit.

As a general rule, the bigger the turbo the lower its burst speed will be.

Historically in this formula, Mercedes have favoured the biggest turbos; Renault the smallest. The sizing of the turbo is generally determined by how efficient the energy transfer is from the turbine to the crankshaft via the electronics and MGU-K. A less efficient system suffering greater losses will be less able to justify the extra cooling, volume and weight of a bigger turbo than a more efficient system. So in general terms, the more efficient the energy transfer is within the turbo compound loop, the bigger the turbo that can be justified. At conventional altitudes, this will tend to be a better performing engine.

However, if the altitude is such that in turning harder to compensate for the thin air, it takes the turbo close to its burst point, then that engine might be disadvantaged to one with a smaller turbo and higher burst point speed. Historically, the Renault has been a very competitive engine in Mexico City. Where the current four designs all figure at Mexico will be intriguing.

Cooling

Less air density means the air has correspondingly less cooling effect. So both engine and brake cooling tend to be very marginal at Mexico. The four engines vary in how much cooling they need and therefore the extent of aerodynamically-disruptive opening up of the bodywork is necessary.

The brakes are getting a tougher work-out because the cars are arriving faster at the corner but need to be slower into it than at a normal altitude because of the reduced downforce. The brakes can’t be used as hard (because the reduced downforce isn’t pressing the tyres as hard into the track) so they need to be used for longer. This increases the disc and caliper temperatures – but there is less cooling air available.

Track temperature

The lower air density sees a more sensitive correlation of sunlight to track temperature. So an ambient temperature of, say, 25 degrees Celsius can easily see a track temperature of up to 50 Celsius bringing problems with the tyres.

It is the combined effect of all of these factors that tends to give the Mexico grid an element of randomisation - and makes this weekend's race even more of a 'must-watch'.

[MIKA27]

5 Reasons We Love... The Mexican Grand Prix

Into the final four races of the season and it’s time to head to the Americas for a back-to-back pairing starting with the Mexican Grand Prix. Here's why we love going racing at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez…

1. It is HIGH up

We always like being able to talk about a unique challenge of certain venues, and Mexico certainly has one of those. With the track in Mexico City situated at 2285m above sea level – over 1000m more than the next highest circuit on the calendar - comes a number of different concerns.

At altitude, the concentration of oxygen is lower than at sea level, which means there is an impact on car and power unit performance, with the aerodynamics working differently due to the thinner air providing less downforce – then there is the knock-on impact of cooling, because the less dense air goes into these systems.

On top of that, the compressor has to work harder to ensure the right ratio of air to fuel for the combustion process in the internal combustion engine (ICE). It all adds up to headaches for engineers.

2. The stadium section

Another signature aspect of the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez is the circuit layout and, in particular, the final sector. At Turn 12, the drivers turn right into a stadium section – the Foro Sol – where they tackle a number of low-speed corners in front of two huge grandstands.

This section is actually a baseball stadium and the cars then wind their way through the middle of the two stands before joining the Peraltada corner halfway through its former layout.

The podium is also located in front of this section, too, instead of in the pit complex next to the start/finish straight, ensuring the trophies are lifted and the champagne is sprayed in front of the largest single seating area at the circuit.

MEXICO 2018: Re-live last year's race

3. Overtaking opportunities

While the stadium section is an incredible place to see the cars up close and join in the post-race celebrations, the first sector is where so much action happens. The run to Turn 1 on the opening lap is always dramatic, with a 1.2-kilometre straight separating the final corner and the first braking point.

With drivers reaching top speeds of over 320 km/h on this run, the slipstream effect allows plenty of overtaking into the first corner, but it’s also easy to lock a brake given how much the cars need to slow.

And the fighting usually continues for a number of corners too, with the right-left-right sequence of the first three turns allowing wheel-to-wheel racing before another relatively long straight and another heavy braking zone at Turn 4, again leading into a left-right section that allows drivers to try and fight back.

4. The F1ESTA atmosphere

All of this track action normally takes place in front of a party atmosphere, with the Mexican Grand Prix regularly selling out with a massive crowd. As one of the newer additions to the calendar - returning to the schedule in 2015 – the race has been really well supported following an absence of 23 years.

The Foro Sol certainly helps with that atmosphere as tens of thousands of fans overlook a section of the track and the podium, just outside the Formula 1 paddock.

The paddock itself often sees plenty of action, with traditional music, food, art and events taking place in an area that will this year be designed to look like a Mexican street.

The race titles its atmosphere as the 'F1ESTA' and has sold out for the fifth straight year off the back of winning the 'Best Live Experience' award in the Leaders Sports Award 2019, while the race organisers won the Best Promoter award at the 2018 FIA Prize Giving.

5. Plenty of history

In the short time the Mexican Grand Prix has been back on the calendar, it has already been the scene of a number of dramatic moments. The past two years have seen Lewis Hamilton secure the drivers’ championship here despite difficult races for Mercedes, with Max Verstappen winning on both occasions for Red Bull.

But some of the early editions of the race were similarly dramatic, with 1964 seeing the climax of a three-way battle for the championship. Graham Hill, John Surtees and Jim Clark all had a chance of taking the title, and although Hill was favourite, Clark was poised for a stunning victory when reliability issues struck in the closing laps and Surtees profited to take his first championship in incredible circumstances.

Four years later and there was another three-way title showdown, although this time Hill came out on top with victory – and his second drivers’ championship – as the challenges of Jackie Stewart and Denny Hulme faded.

The venue was a favourite with the drivers throughout that time and again in the late Eighties and early Nineties, Nigel Mansell’s pass around the outside of Gerhard Berger into the fearsome Peraltada in 1990 one of the iconic images of F1 at the circuit.

[MIKA27]

Renault disqualified from Japanese Grand Prix results

Renault has been disqualified from the results of the Japanese Grand Prix after an investigation into the team’s brake adjustment system by the FIA.

The decision by Formula 1's governing body means drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Nico Hulkenberg will lose their sixth and tenth place finishes respectively.

Renault’s R.S.19 had been found legal, but the system being used was determined to be a driver aid which contravenes Article 27.1 of the sporting regulations which ultimately led to the decision to disqualify the team from the results.

It was revealed after the race that rival team Racing Point had handed the FIA a 12-page document that accused Renault of using a pre-set lap distance-dependent brake bias adjustment system.

The FIA documents also revealed the accusation may have come from a former Renault employee.

Racing Point had accused the French outfit of using powered devices to change the brake bias on the car without any input from the driver during a lap.

Renault had insisted their adjustment system was not doing such acts and was therefore legal. Full details of their systems were made available to the FIA which has meant details have been kept confidential and not made available to the public.

The stewards’ decision came to the conclusion:

- The rear brake controller software used by Renault is an integral part of the control system referred to in Article 11.9 FIA Formula One Technical Regulations. As such, it is used in compliance with Article 11.1.3 and 11.1.4 of the FIA Formula One Technical Regulations.

- The described control system is not pre-set, lap distance-dependent as alleged.

- Renault drivers use buttons mounted on the steering wheel to control brake balance in compliance with Article 8.6.3 FIA Formula One Technical Regulations. These are connected to the FIA Standard ECU.

- Given the above, the Stewards conclude that while Renault used innovative solutions to exploit certain ambiguities in the Technical Regulations and other supporting documents, their system does not breach any current Technical Regulation.

The result of the FIA’s decision has meant the French marquee has lost nine points to midfield rivals McLaren in the race for fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship and now lie just six points clear of Toro Rosso in sixth, with Racing Point only a further four points behind.

[MIKA27]

Renault considering course of action after Japanese GP exclusion

Renault says it is considering its course of action in the wake of its disqualification from Formula 1’s Japanese Grand Prix.

Renault was the recipient of a protest by Racing Point alleging that a pre-set automated brake bias system had been installed on the R.S.19s.

On Wednesday a hearing was held and stewards determined that while Renault had not been found in breach of any Technical Regulations, it had been in breach of Article 27.1 of the Sporting Regulations that states the driver must drive the car alone and unaided.

Stewards disqualified Daniel Ricciardo and Nico Hulkenberg from sixth and 10th respectively, meaning Renault was stripped of the nine points it earned.

Renault has until 10:00 local time (GMT -6) on Thursday should it wish to launch an appeal.

In response to its exclusion Renault issued a statement asserting that it “acknowledges the decision of the Stewards of the Japanese Grand Prix regarding the protest by Racing Point F1 concerning the legality of Renault F1 Team’s braking system during the Japanese Grand Prix.

"Despite the FIA concurring with Renault that the system was entirely legal under the FIA Technical Regulations, it was judged by the stewards that the system was in breach of the FIA Sporting Regulations regarding driver aid.

“Both Renault cars were disqualified from the Japanese Grand Prix the team loses the nine points scored.

“However, considering the subjectivity of the qualification of a system as a driver aid and the variability of the associated penalties in recent cases, Renault F1 Team will consider its next course of action within the timeframe laid out by the FIA.”

[MIKA27]

How Lewis Hamilton can seal 2019 title in Mexico this weekend

Lewis Hamilton is on the brink of taking the Formula 1 title for a sixth time and for a third successive year he could wrap up proceedings at the Mexican Grand Prix. But how? Motorsport Week takes a look at the maths.

Hamilton holds a 64-point advantage over Valtteri Bottas in the Drivers’ Championship, and his Mercedes team-mate is the only driver who can deny him the crown.

There are 78 points up for grabs across the remaining events in the United States, Brazil and Abu Dhabi, given that there are 25 available for a win and one for fastest lap.

Hamilton, with nine victories, would seal the title in Mexico if he is 78 or more clear of Bottas after the race.

It means he has to out-score his team-mate by 14 points.

Hamilton will be crowned champion in Mexico if:

He wins the grand prix, with fastest lap, and Bottas is fourth or lower
He wins the grand prix, without fastest lap, and Bottas is fifth or lower
He takes second place, with fastest lap, and Bottas is eighth or lower
He takes second place, without fastest lap, and Bottas is eighth – without fastest lap – or lower
He takes third place, with fastest lap, and Bottas is ninth – without fastest lap – or lower
He takes third place, without fastest lap, and Bottas scores only one point or fewer

Irrespective of where Bottas finishes, Hamilton will not be champion if he places lower than third

Should Hamilton be unable to seal the title in Mexico then he will have a second opportunity to do so in the United States, where a 52-point advantage would be sufficient.

Mercedes wrapped up its sixth successive Constructors’ title at the most recent round in Japan.

[MIKA27]

FIA adds third DRS zone to Mexico GP circuit

A third DRS zone has been added to the  Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez Circuit for this weekend’s Formula 1 Mexican Grand Prix.

The FIA has been experimenting with the length and number of DRS zones at grand prix circuits in recent years, with the idea to try and enhance the quality and quantity of overtaking.

On Wednesday the updated track map was released, showing that another DRS zone has been added to the short straight after the esses in-between the second and third sectors.

The detection point for the new zone will be in the midst of the esses section 70m after Turn 9, the activation point is set to be 80m after Turn 11.

This new section is in addition to the retained DRS zones alongside the main pit straight and the straight between Turns 3 and 4, which each have their own detection points.

Drivers are permitted free use of DRS in practice and qualifying through the designated zones, and must be within one second of an opponent for it to be allowed in race trim.

[MIKA27]

Hulkenberg plight shows "sad" driver market reality - Perez

Nico Hulkenberg's failure to land a Formula 1 seat for 2020 would be proof of how "sad" the sport has become in not letting talent shine through, reckons his former teammate Sergio Perez.
Current Renault driver Hulkenberg is fighting to keep himself on the F1 grid next year after his bosses elected to replace him with Esteban Ocon for next season.

Options elsewhere appear very limited, especially since Hulkenberg does not bring big sponsorship backers with him.

For Perez, who partnered Hulkenberg at Force India from 2014 to 2016, the plight of the German is something that he thinks reflects very badly on F1.

Asked by Motorsport.com how he would feel if Hulkenberg failed to stay on the F1 grid in 2020, Perez said: "I would be very sad, because it just shows how sad Formula 1 is, that talent in the end, or results, don't count enough in the sport.

"There are so many other factors, politically, and so many other factors out of the hands of the athlete or the sportsman. It should be his decision, whether he wants to continue or not."

Perez reckons the situation is especially frustrating because Hulkenberg has been performing at the same level as Daniel Ricciardo this season.

"We all know the level of Nico," he said. "So I think it should be up to him to decide whether he carries on or not, because he is one of the best out there."

Hulkenberg's best hope of a seat rests with Alfa Romeo, whose decision on who will partner Kimi Raikkonen rests on whether or not Ferrari wishes to continue with its junior driver Antonio Giovinazzi and commit to the team's second seat to him.

[MIKA27]

Sergio Perez's Mexico City circuit guide

 

[In-A-Gadda-Davidoff]

9 minutes ago, MIKA27 said:

Perez said: "I would be very sad, because it just shows how sad Formula 1 is, that talent in the end, or results, don't count enough in the sport.

Checo would know better than most considering all he needs to do is glance around the paddock for his teammate.  Stroll wouldn't have a seat anywhere in F1, F2 or F3 if his daddy didn't buy it for him.

[MIKA27]

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

Checo would know better than most considering all he needs to do is glance around the paddock for his teammate.  Stroll wouldn't have a seat anywhere in F1, F2 or F3 if his daddy didn't buy it for him.

Indeed and that is the main issue in F1. Too many talent-less rich kids instead of the actual talent.