FORMULA 1

[MIKA27]

Sainz's Brazilian Grand Prix podium confirmed

Carlos Sainz's first Formula 1 podium and McLaren's first in five years is secure, after the FIA looked into alleged illegal DRS use in the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Sainz inherited third place after Lewis Hamilton picked up a five-second penalty for hitting Alex Albon out of second on the penultimate lap of the race at Interlagos.

While no formal investigation was announced, the FIA did request data from some teams – including McLaren – after complaints that DRS was used illegally under yellow flags during the grand prix.

That meant further changes to the results were possible, but Sainz has now been awarded his third-place trophy.

Sainz tweeted: "PODIUM! A bit weird not being there after the race, but still extremely happy. "Today's race was just unbelievable. The one-stop strategy was difficult but paid off. Congrats to the whole team!"

It is the Spaniard's first podium in 101 starts, and McLaren's first since the 2014 season-opening Australian Grand Prix – 119 races ago.

Team principal Andreas Seidl told Motorsport.com: "It's a great achievement obviously, I'm very happy for the entire team after putting in a lot of hard work here at the track and back home at the factory.

"It's great to achieve this podium, the first one for Carlos in his career, also the first one for us for a long time.

"It's great motivation to make sure we keep working hard and fight for podiums in the future down to our own performance."

Sainz is seventh in the championship after a superb season in which he has previously earned a best result of fifth, three times, and he will end the year the best-placed driver who spent the full year in a midfield team.

His breakthrough podium was all the more unlikely given he started the race last after failing to take part in qualifying because of an ignition wiring problem.

As he was starting at the back anyway, McLaren gave him an all-new Renault engine for the grand prix.

Seidl said: "We always go into the race with the spirit to never give up. Of course we couldn't have dreamed of that result."

[MIKA27]

Lewis Hamilton admits fault for collision which cost Alexander Albon Brazilian GP podium

Lewis Hamilton has admitted fault for a late collision with Red Bull's Alexander Albon, which cost the rookie driver what would have been his first podium finish.

Hamilton made a late stop during the second Safety Car and fell from second to fourth, but at the restart he quickly passed Toro Rosso's Pierre Gasly and set his sights on Albon with just one lap remaining.

Albon left the door open at the Bico de Pato corner (Turn 11) and Hamilton dived down the inside, but the pair collided as Albon closed the door on the Mercedes driver. Whilst Albon spun and ended up down in 15th, Hamilton lost just one place, with Gasly taking second place.

The incident remains under investigation with Hamilton's podium finish under threat, and after the race, the six-time champion admitted fault.

"I massively apologise to Albon," he told Sky Sports. "I went for a move, the gap was kind of there, but obviously it closed at the end and completely my fault."

Nonetheless Hamilton enjoyed the race, admitting Mercedes had no answer to Red Bull's superior pace. 

"But still a great race Max did a fantastic job today and they just outclassed us in terms of overall performance and we couldn’t keep up with them on the straights.

"But I raced my heart out, I gave it everything, I put everything on the table and I took a lot of risks today. We threw everything and the sink at it. I don’t think there’s anything we could do."

[MIKA27]

Ferrari drivers to meet boss at Maranello after 'silly collision'

Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto says he will review the collision between Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc at its Maranello base next week, after their “silly action” in Brazil.

Vettel and Leclerc’s on-track relationship has been a key talking point throughout the 2019 campaign, with several flash points, most notably in Italy, Singapore and Russia.

The pair battled over fourth position during the closing stages at Interlagos and clashed along the Reta Oposta, with the damage causing both drivers to retire from the race.

Stewards summoned the duo but opted against taking further action.

“I have not reviewed [it] yet, I don’t want to do it yet, I think doing things in the heat [of the moment] we may have the wrong conclusion,” said Binotto.

“I heard both drivers, but they will come as well together [at Maranello] to discuss again what happened today and there will be time for the team to analyse all the video and the data.

“Whatever will be the judgement, more important is we are disappointed and sorry for the team, but first the two drivers should be sorry for the team as it has been a very small crash with big consequences, but they are silly things that should not happen.”

Binotto explained that the drivers “were free to fight” as Ferrari had secured the runner-up position in the Constructors’ Championship, adding “they were battling for their own position in the Drivers’ Championship.

“’Free to fight’ doesn’t mean to do silly actions, particularly between the two team-mates, and for me it was simply a silly action.”

On the eventual approach to this week’s meeting, Binotto emphasised that “it’s a matter of recognising eventually what have been the actions and mistakes, it’s important, because that can only make you better.

“There will be time altogether at Maranello to understand what happened. It’s not [for] me to blame them, it’s [up to] them to recognise it.”

 

[MIKA27]

Maiden F1 podium best day of my life - Pierre Gasly

An emotional Pierre Gasly labelled the Brazilian Grand Prix as the “best day of my life” after he secured a shock maiden podium finish in Formula 1.

Gasly was demoted from Red Bull to Toro Rosso mid-season after a challenging first half of 2019, but has impressed since returning to the junior team.

Gasly secured sixth place on the grid at Interlagos and remained at the front of the midfield group, and moved up the order as drama unfolded further ahead.

A mechanical failure for Valtteri Bottas and a collision between the Ferrari drivers lifted Gasly to third, though he dropped to fourth when he was passed by the recovering Lewis Hamilton.

But Hamilton’s penultimate lap clash with Alexander Albon elevated him into second and he held off the Mercedes driver on the drag to the finish line, sealing the runner-up position.

“It’s just the best day of my life right now,” said Gasly.

“[There’s] so many emotions, and I’m thinking about all the people that helped me through my career, to put me in Formula 1 and help me, just all the people that supported me.

“I don’t know when I crossed the line, I had so many things going through my mind, and so many emotions as well, and yeah, it’s just incredible.

“It’s the [events of the] last few months, but it’s also all the efforts and all the sacrifices you do since you are young, dreaming about this day.

“The first dream is to make Formula 1, you make it, you have so many people helping you, you have a lot of things to go through to get there, and then after you dream about your first podium.

“You know I didn’t really imagine it was going to happen right now in the second part of the season with Toro Rosso, but I just gave everything I had the whole time, tried to get more out of myself the whole time, and today is just fantastic.

“That’s why I love motorsport, and that’s why I want to stay in this sport for so many years, because this kind of day is just amazing.”

Gasly added that he “saw Lewis had new tyres, and I knew he was going to try something [on Albon].

“Then he tried, they collided, and when I saw we could go through this and we were second, I was like ‘OK this is looking really good’.

“I still had Lewis behind me until the last centimetre before the line. He was really trying and I could see his front wing.

“I really didn’t want to let him past, because I wanted to hold onto that second position.

“I must say a big thanks to Honda because without the progress they have made, without them, I would never have held the second place on the line. Big congrats and thanks to all the guys.”

 

[MIKA27]

Roger Penske says Mercedes buyout rumour 'absolutely not true'

Roger Penske has called rumours that he is looking at buying the Mercedes Formula 1 team "absolutely not true".

A report in Germany has linked the 82-year-old American businessman with the team amid confirmation from Mercedes that it has yet to decide its future in F1 post-2020.

Whilst Toto Wolff believes Mercedes will remain, it's a decision that will ultimately be taken by parent company Daimler AG and hangs on the agreement of a new commercial deal with F1 owner Liberty Media, which none of the teams have yet to sign.

Therefore speculative reports have linked Penske, among others, with taking an interest in the Mercedes team, which has claimed six back-to-back championships during its recent domination of the sport.

However Penske, who just last week acquired IndyCar and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, denied the report when speaking to RACER's Robin Miller: "Absolutely not true, and my plate is full," he said.

Despite reports Daimler is looking to save €1 billion a year, it's not thought its F1 programme is under threat from the cuts as last year it made a £13m profit, despite spending more than £310m.

It's involvement also brings with it substantial marketing value, which Daimler and Mercedes-Benz chairman Ola Kallenius revealed to be worth more than €1bn annually.

"I think having won six championships in a row — which is a historic achievement — has been an activity that, in terms of our marketing and branding strategy, has paid off handsomely," he said during a recent investor call.

"Regardless if you’re a Formula 1 fan or not, you have to look at these marketing investments in a rational way. We weigh all of our marketing and media investments in terms of what’s the reach, what’s the impact, and what does it cost for us to invest?

"If you use the Nielsen method to measure the media value of our Formula 1 activities they are north of 1 billion Euros ($1.1B) per year, so an extreme reach and impact from this activity. The costs — which we would not like to disclose publicly — are probably surprisingly low because one must never forget that you both have a cost side and a revenue side in Formula 1. So as we sit here today we’re committed."

The ownership of the Mercedes team is split between three shareholders; Daimler AG (60%), Wolff (30%) and the late Niki Lauda (10%).

[MIKA27]

Mercedes: Offering late stop to Hamilton was "plain dumb"

Mercedes Formula 1 team technical director James Allison has called the decision to give Lewis Hamilton the opportunity to pit under the final safety car in Brazilian “dumb” and a “rookie error.”
Allison also admits that the team was wrong to put the decision in the hands of the driver himself, especially as Hamilton was given incorrect information on how many places he would lose by stopping.

Hamilton was running second behind Max Verstappen in the closing laps of the race when the clash between the Ferraris triggered a safety car. He slowed and was approaching the pit entry when his engineer Pete Bonnington twice repeated the message, “Let us know if you want tyres, you will lose one place.”

After a pause, Hamilton initially said: “'You make the decision." This, however, was followed by “I'll come in, I'll come in” just as he reached the pit entry.

In reality, Hamilton lost two places as both Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly got past him, and then when the track finally went green he had only two laps in which to make use of his fresh tyres.

Having passed Gasly he made contact with Albon, was re-passed by Gasly, and crossed the line in third place. He subsequently received a five-second penalty, dropping him further down the field.

“Having not had the shiniest of races to that point, we then just did something plain dumb, which was - we thought we were exchanging a place for fresh rubber with enough laps left to get that place back properly and then have a go for the lead," Allison explained.

“That was just factually incorrect because we were exchanging two places, we hadn't factored [in] Gasly and secondly with the amount of debris on the track, there was just a lot more laps taken up by the safety car than we'd anticipated.

"And that was just, I think, that your rookie error of a not quite quick enough car on the day and trying to stretch too far for victory. It wasn't on, we just made a mistake.”

Allison placed no blame on Hamilton for responding to the offer to pit for fresh tyres.

“In fact, this was entirely our fault," he insisted. "Because we saw what we thought was a fleeting opportunity. It was not at all clear to us that it was the right thing to do. But there was a possibility.

“We thought, well, let's let's give Lewis a chance to give his view, which we shouldn't have done because we didn't give him the right information. We said one place and it was two and secondly, we should have just made the call ourselves. So he uhmmed and ahhed for a second or two before diving in the pits, because he likes racing. But that was our mistake.

“I think from the moment that we made the call it was like a heart-sink moment after he emerged from the box behind Gasly and then we just were thinking: 'Why do we do that?' "

[MIKA27]

F1 2019 - Round 20 [Brazilian GP] Post-Race Press Conference

 

[MIKA27]

2019 Brazilian Grand Prix: Race Highlights

 

[MIKA27]

Brazil win 'redemption' for Verstappen says Horner

Max Verstappen suggested said his clash with Esteban Ocon that cost him victory in Brazil 12 months ago was karma for his father Jos’s misdemeanour at the same circuit in 2001. But he was not to be outdone twice, with Red Bull boss Christian Horner saying this year’s victory was “redemption”…

Verstappen has looked like the driver to beat all weekend, the Dutchman delivering a superlative lap on Saturday to take the second pole position of his career. On race day, he controlled the race from the front, responded to being undercut by Lewis Hamilton by repassing him on track not once but twice, reacted well to avoid a pit-lane clash with Robert Kubica and held his nerve on the restarts to clinch his third victory of the season.

“It’s redemption for Max,” said Horner. “A great drive by him and to have to overtake Lewis, he did it the hard way – passed him twice, the strategy was bold. A fantastic job from him today.”

Red Bull opted to pit Verstappen during the second Safety Car, which dropped him behind Hamilton who chose not to follow suit. That meant he had to pass the Briton for the second time, but he made no mistake.

“All credit to Hannah [Schmitz, Red Bull’s senior strategy engineer] today,” said Horner. “She offered the strategy, her recommendation was to pit. It was a bold choice because we knew he’d [Lewis] would do the opposite and it was the aggressive choice and it worked out.

“That’s why I sent her up [to the podium] today. She’s a working mum, she’s driving ridiculous hours to get into work, giving it everything, and that’s real team work.

“It was a fantastic race. Max was not going to give up that win today. We got compromised on the in-lap with the Williams and the unsafe release that happened.

“We had the benefit of the new tyres and he used those on the out-lap and was able to take the lead quickly again and then control the race again.”

Verstappen added: “Lewis was very quick so I had to keep pushing and all the time with the strategy. He kept pitting earlier so we had to be really on top of our pit stops.

“Two times we had a good move with him and that all the time brought us into first and yeah from then I could control the race with the tyres I had. It’s unbelievable. It was a lot of fun and of course a great race.”

This was the first time Verstappen has converted pole position into victory, with the podium the 30th of his career. It moves him back into third in the drivers’ standings, 11 points clear of Charles Leclerc with just one race to go.

[MIKA27]

Jerez in talks over 2021 Spanish Grand Prix switch

Formula 1’s Spanish Grand Prix could switch venues in 2021 with officials in Jerez in discussions to bring the championship back to the circuit.

Formula 1 has held its Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya since 1991 but the event’s future was in doubt earlier this year due to its contract expiring at the end of 2019.

However it was handed a lifeline as organisers reached a one-year extension with Formula 1 owners Liberty Media to hold another grand prix in May 2020.

Spanish media reported on Monday that the Circuito de Jerez is seeking a three-year deal to take over as the host venue of the country’s grand prix from 2021 through 2023.

The Mayor of Jerez, Mamen Sánchez, confirmed that “we have been working on the return to Jerez of Formula 1 for years.

“We will continue to [approach] this matter with confidentiality, so we ask [other] administrations and companies [the same], especially for the good of the project.”

Jerez, which is a Grade 1 circuit, hosted the Spanish Grand Prix from 1986 through 1990, and made a one-off return in 1997 under the European Grand Prix banner.

The circuit remained connected to Formula 1 as a popular test venue though official pre-season running has not taken place there since 2015, with Barcelona since favoured.

More recently it played host to a standalone round of the Formula 2 and GP3 championship in 2017, at which Charles Leclerc and George Russell clinched the respective titles.

MotoGP’s Spanish Grand Prix has taken place at Jerez annually since 1989.

[MIKA27]

Analysis: The inevitable happened, so what next for Ferrari?

Pairing its protégé with a four-time World Champion meant Ferrari was always going to face a delicate balance through 2019 but a simmering rivalry boiled over in Brazil as Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel collided. 

In recruiting Leclerc for 2019 it represented a shift in policy from Ferrari away from experience and towards youth. It ensured that Ferrari had a star asset under lock and key through at least 2022 and emphasised that it had sufficient trust in Leclerc to hand him a prized seat just 21 races into his career. It also hinted at another subtler shift. Vettel was fast but fragile through 2017 and 2018 as legitimate title bids ultimately collapsed, with the driver playing more than his fair share in the unravelling of Maranello’s hopes. Leclerc, as the new boy and with lower expectations, had a lot less to lose than Vettel heading into 2019.

Vettel was regarded as Ferrari’s leader early in the season with Mattia Binotto emphasising that in a 50-50 situation the four-time champion would be favoured. That was little surprise, but just two races into the campaign Leclerc’s spectacular performance in Bahrain brought the notion of driver equality back into the spotlight. The issue subsided through the next events courtesy of Vettel’s edge and Ferrari’s inferiority up against the Mercedes steamroller, but from France onwards Leclerc re-emerged as a potent force. Leclerc worked on his weaknesses while the peakier Vettel struggled to replicate the strong feeling he enjoyed with the SF90 pre-season.

Leclerc announced himself at Ferrari with a bold overtake around the outside of Vettel in Bahrain

Leclerc finally delivered Ferrari’s first 2019 victory in Belgium, with Vettel assisting the cause on his brief – but vital – defence against Lewis Hamilton, while six days later the first real flashpoint occurred in Italy. Vettel was ostensibly favoured in receiving priority for the final Q3 runs but the confusion during the session’s denouement cemented Leclerc’s pole, leaving a furious Vettel to stew at his team-mate’s actions. Behind closed doors Leclerc was given a ticking off, with Binotto’s post-race message of ‘perdonado’ (you are forgiven) a reminder of the situation even amid the euphoric scenes at Monza.

In Singapore the strategy took away a likely win from Leclerc and left it in Vettel’s clutches, prompting Leclerc to seek answers, while just a week later in Russia an unnecessary team orders row erupted following confusion over the start procedure. Then came Brazil.

The late Safety Car facilitated Leclerc’s prospects as he wiped out his deficit – following his recovery from P14 – and Ferrari fitted Softs to his car, a few laps fresher than those on Vettel’s SF90. At that point, they were split by Alexander Albon’s Red Bull, but the Anglo-Thai’s excellent move around the outside of Vettel left the German susceptible to Leclerc's unrepentant pace.

Ferrari had ultimately boxed itself into a no-win position. Tell Vettel to move aside and it risked upsetting him. Tell Leclerc to hold firm and it would have had the same outcome. Given Ferrari was clear in second in the Constructors' Championship, and the drivers were contesting third in their own standings, Ferrari trusted them to race.

As Leclerc continued to hound Vettel on fresher tyres, he eventually boldly got past into the Senna S but Vettel was not about to allow his younger team-mate to get the better of him. Leclerc’s inside line into the Senna S compromised his exit and Vettel used his superior speed through the Curva do Sol to force the issue along the Reta Oposta. Leclerc moved central, giving Vettel a car’s width, which he took, but the German kept moving and the lightest of brushes had a cataclysmic outcome.

Comparisons were drawn between the clash and the accident that befell Vettel and Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber at the 2010 Turkish Grand Prix. There were certainly sufficient similarities.

Vettel and Webber's rivalry came to a head in Turkey 2010 

Binotto mentioned post-race, during a media briefing which the drivers did not attend, that he felt he has been criticised for favouring one driver, and then criticised for letting them race. Damned if you do. Damned if you don’t.

"I think when we've tried to manage the drivers we've been criticised by doing it and when they're free to fight, we've also been criticised," said Binotto.

Ferrari has long adopted a number one and number two policy, particularly through the era of Michael Schumacher, with its last major in-house battle for title supremacy coming in 1982. The acrimonious situation post-Imola in 1982 between Gilles Villeneuve and Didier Pironi ultimately went unresolved due to the Canadian’s untimely death at Zolder two weeks later. Pironi’s career ended months after in another high-speed accident in one of the darkest chapters in Ferrari’s history. It would not win a title until 1999.

While Vettel/Leclerc doesn't echo something close to being as serious, it's imperative Binotto quashes any lingering emotions between his drivers to prevent further clashes to maximise his team's chances of ensuring any future success.

Binotto made it clear after the race that he will meet with his drivers at the team's headquarters in Maranello to discuss the situation, not to chastise them, and it is up to them to work out their differences and recognise their own failures in handling the situation.

"I don't think it's a matter of managing here, it's a matter of recognising eventually what has been the actions and the mistakes,” he said. “And I think that's whether you're a driver an engineer, you are whatever you are doing, recognising mistakes is important because it can only make you better.

"So I think what will be important with both drivers is to understand what happened, making sure at least not in the heat, but when we will have time together in Maranello to understand what happened and the mistake, at least it's not me to blame them, but for them to recognise it."

The big question – with no easy answer – is how does Ferrari find a comfortable conclusion. Formula 1 is littered with cases of intra-team clashes and acrimonious relationships among title-winning teams. The best cases are 1989 (McLaren/Senna/Prost) and 2016 (Mercedes/Hamilton/Rosberg). But they came at teams with dominant packages.

Should Ferrari's 2020 challenger finally prove a consistent title contender, Binotto cannot afford to have his driver line-up be at war with each other and score an own goal in allowing chief rivals Mercedes another swift road to a record-breaking seventh straight championship. On the evidence of recent events, there is the prospect of a three-way team battle in 2020 and Ferrari must grasp every opportunity if it is to end a 12-year title battle. Warring drivers in a close battle have handed the golden trophy to a rival team in the past: just look at 1986 and 2007.

Vettel and Leclerc must work together in order to maximise their own potential in a team which is certainly capable of taking the challenge to the Silver Arrows in 2020. Neither would accept the other being favoured. But can they be trusted to race fairly? Over to you Mattia.

What next for Ferrari?

[MIKA27]

Red Bull breaks own F1 record with 1.82s pit stop

Red Bull Racing has set another new Formula 1 pit stop record after servicing Max Verstappen in just 1.82s at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Red Bull beat Williams’ 2016 record of 1.92s at this year’s British Grand Prix with a 1.91s stop when changing the tyres on Pierre Gasly’s car.

It then lowered it further at the following event in Germany when Verstappen’s tyre stop lasted a mere 1.88s.

In Brazil Red Bull shaved another 0.06s off its own best as it turned around Verstappen’s car in just 1.82s during the first round of pit stops.

It marked the eighth time this season that Red Bull has set the quickest pit stop time during the course of a grand prix.

Verstappen went on to claim his and Red Bull's third victory of the season.

Williams, which has been one of the standout pit crews this season despite its poor on-track pace, produced the second- and third-fastest stops of the race.

Williams changed Robert Kubica’s tyres in 2.1s while George Russell was serviced in just 2.2s.

[MIKA27]

Max Verstappen feared exit in Robert Kubica pit stop incident

Max Verstappen says Robert Kubica “almost took him out” in their close-call at pit exit during Formula 1’s Brazilian Grand Prix.

Verstappen led away from pole position at Interlagos and responded to nearest rival Lewis Hamilton’s undercut by coming into the pits one lap later.

Williams also serviced the soon-to-be-lapped Robert Kubica but released him just as Verstappen was approaching.

Verstappen had to back off and relinquished the advantage to Hamilton, though soon re-passed the Briton and went on to secure his third victory of the campaign.

Stewards deemed Kubica culpable, handing him a five-second time drop, deeming that Williams had released him before Verstappen reached the guide boards, but that the Pole was slow to respond to the lights.

“I did my pit stop and I came out also Robert came out and he almost took me out, I went into the wall,” said Verstappen. “I had to brake there.

“I almost caught the anti-stall, so yeah, it was very close.”

Explaining his fightback, and eventual victory, Verstappen said: “Luckily for me Lewis got stuck in the middle sector with Charles [Leclerc], so I pushed up to them and luckily I could get by Charles into Turn 12 and then I still had the tow and the DRS of Lewis.

“I was on full power and DRS open and I could get Lewis into Turn 1.

“From there onwards in that stint we managed the tyres quite well. I was waiting for Mercedes to react again but luckily we had enough of a gap to go one lap longer, so we did that.

“And then on the Medium tyre Lewis was pushing hard and I think we were quite closely matched and I think if there wouldn’t be a Safety Car it would have been a good fight towards the end of the race.

But of course then the Safety Car came out and I think there the team did a really good job calling me in again for Soft tyres. At the time I was a bit like, ‘is there going to work, I’m not sure’.

“But immediately in the re-start I had a good tow off Lewis and went around the outside. We had a good battle in Turn 1 and again in Turn 4. And then you could see that the tyre advantage really helped me of course and we could stay in first and control the race.”

[MIKA27]

Alfa Romeo had speed for Brazil podium - Raikkonen

Kimi Raikkonen conceded feeling mixed emotions after Formula 1’s Brazilian Grand Prix, feeling he and Alfa Romeo had the speed to take a podium finish.

Formula 1’s midfield teams have had limited opportunities to finish inside the top three but late drama at Interlagos removed several front-runners from the leading positions.

Valtteri Bottas’ exit, the collision between the Ferrari drivers and the clash between Lewis Hamilton and Alexander Albon facilitated Pierre Gasly’s rise to second, while Raikkonen battled Carlos Sainz Jr. for fourth.

Sainz Jr., running older Mediums compared to Raikkonen’s Softs, defended his position against the Alfa Romeo racer, crossing the line just half a second clear.

That ultimately proved pivotal post-race when Hamilton was handed a time penalty, elevating Sainz Jr. into third, a spot Raikkonen felt was within his and the team’s reach.

“It’s great to finally be able to celebrate our best result of the season as a team,” said Raikkonen, who had not scored a point since the summer break.

“It was a positive day and finally we were able to get the result we worked so hard for.

“We kept on our own most of the race, but at the end we were in the middle of the action.

“I am disappointed we couldn’t get past Sainz for what turned out to be the final podium position: we had the speed, got a good run on him twice but couldn’t get past.

“But you always want something more: in the end, it’s good to get big points with both cars.”

Antonio Giovinazzi captured his best career result by following Raikkonen home, bolstering the first double top five finish for the Switzerland-based team in over a decade.

“I am really, really happy, for both myself and the team,” said Giovinazzi.

“What a great race, it was a fantastic way to celebrate my contract for next year with two cars in the points. We had a great start, the best this year – we made up three places and went straight into the top 10, but we still had a lot of work to do.

“The strategy was great, the restarts were very important, especially the final one when I was under pressure from Daniel [Ricciardo].

“The last ten 10 were crazy, it was quite intense but we managed to stay ahead. Everyone in the team did a wonderful job and we can be really happy with our work.

“We are improving race after race and we can now focus on Abu Dhabi and on finishing the season in the right way.” 

[MIKA27]

F1 considers rule change to recreate Brazil GP restart magic

Formula 1 chief Ross Brawn has suggested that the sport’s bosses will look at tweaks to the rules in the future to try to recreate the kind of spectacular restarts seen at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
A change to the regulations made for this year means that, following safety car restarts, drivers are not allowed to overtake until they have crossed the start-finish line. In the past, they were allowed a free run from Safety Car 'Line One', which was situated before the pit lane entry.

The new rule meant that in Brazil the leading driver at the restart held the pack until right before the start-finish line, rather than blasting away from the final corner as had been the case in the past. This set up a spectacular dice for position on both occasions – which included Max Verstappen pulling off a brave move around the outside of Lewis Hamilton at the first restart.

Brawn, who is F1’s managing director of motor sport, says that the entertainment value of the restarts has been noted and that changes could be made to help recreate it at future events.

Speaking about Verstappen’s victory in the regular post weekend debrief from F1, Brawn said: “He was particularly strong at the second re-start, when he slowed the field right down with the aim of ensuring no one would be able to slipstream past him and snatch victory. 

“It was an exciting and fascinating re-start which will be analysed very carefully, as the closeness of the pack in the seconds leading up to the green flags resulted in a thrilling spectacle as drivers jockeyed for position and where the slightest advantage proved decisive. Examining the possibility of procedurally recreating those conditions in future is an interesting concept and one that will undoubtedly be explored in the coming period.”

Brawn was not the only one who enjoyed the frantic restarts, with Daniel Ricciardo saying he had enjoyed seeing them play out.

“It was cool,” he said, when asked by Motorsport.com about the new procedure. “I think because now they do no overtaking until the control line, or the start finish line, it allows us to basically not leave so early, and push it to the very end. 

“When Lewis led the first restart, I think he went early, then saw the others were close so he slowed up again. But to be honest I love all that stuff now, so it's fine. 

“You see cars are locking up brakes, and it can be a bit chaotic, but obviously that gives you so much adrenaline. And when the race is a little bit follow the leader at times, a restart ignites a bit more adrenaline in you.”

 

[MIKA27]

Gasly's podium finish "Incredible", says Verstappen

Max Verstappen called Pierre Gasly's first Formula 1 podium in the Brazilian Grand Prix "incredible", while Lewis Hamilton labelled it "really awesome" after the Toro Rosso driver's mid-season demotion.

Gasly started 2019 alongside Verstappen at Red Bull, but struggled in his first year with the senior team and was demoted back to Toro Rosso during the summer break, swapping places with Alex Albon.

Since returning to the junior team Gasly has been in strong form, earning praise from Red Bull team boss Christian Horner for his 'exceptional' driving, and on Sunday he was on course to finish as the leading midfield runner before the chaotic end to the Brazilian GP promoted him to second.

Hamilton said Gasly's breakthrough F1 podium is "really awesome to see", after trying to pass the Toro Rosso on the run to the line but failing to get ahead.

"Especially through the experience and journey he's gone through, from being in one team then to the next," said the six-time world champion. "To come through is really awesome."

Verstappen, whose performances at the start of this year played a part in exposing the extent of Gasly's struggles, said Gasly had a "great race" already in Brazil.

The Frenchman qualified seventh and started sixth, before running at the head of the midfield the entire grand prix then jumping into second when Hamilton and Albon collided on the penultimate lap.

"How do I rate Pierre's podium? Incredible," said Verstappen. "Best of the rest is already a good result and then you just stay out of trouble and other people make mistakes and you profit from that.

"It's great to see Pierre up here [in the top three]. Now it's also the second podium for Toro Rosso already this year, so I think they are very happy with this.

"I always knew he was a very quick driver. This year in the beginning maybe didn't work out the way it should but, as you can see, I think Pierre is very strong and, at Toro Rosso again, he regrouped.

"Already before this race a lot of good results. So, this is an even bigger motivation."

Gasly said he would have been "so pissed off" if Hamilton had beaten him to the line to finish second, even though he still would have been on the podium.

"You see your first podium coming together and then you've got the world champion behind you pushing you to the limit," said Gasly.

"I tried to defend the best way I could, and coming out of the last corner, I was just flat out and hoping that the engine can give every single horsepower it can get.

"I was pressing the overtake button, trying to get low inside the cockpit and I could see his front wing and I was like: 'please don't pass me at the lights'!"

[MIKA27]

Kubica "couldn't do anything" in Verstappen incident

Robert Kubica has apologised to Max Verstappen for getting in his way as he left the pits during the Brazilian Grand Prix, but says he did not know his Red Bull rival was so close.

Verstappen had just made his first stop at Interlagos but had to jam on the brakes as he neared the end of the pitlane when Kubica was let out of the Williams pit in to his path.

Speaking after the race, Kubica made clear he was unaware about Verstappen being there and fully understood how frustrating it must have been for the Dutchman.

Asked by Motorsport.com if he had seen his rival, Kubica said: "No. When I heard, it was already too late.

"It is a shame because I know what it means when you are fighting at the front. Sometimes I was fighting at the front and this is not what should happen, especially when we [Williams] are only fighting with ourselves.

"So yeah, I apologise, but I couldn't do anything and I was not aware he was coming."

Kubica was handed a five-second time penalty and had two points added to his licence for the unsafe release.

Verstappen said that he had to slow down so much to avoid colliding with Kubica that his anti-stall nearly kicked in

"It was not very nice," he said. "Actually, I did my pit stop and I came out and also Robert came out and he almost took me out, I went into the wall.

"I had to brake there and I almost caught the anti-stall. So yeah, it was very close."

[MIKA27]

Red Bull: Strategist's podium visit reward for "brave" call

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner says putting Red Bull’s strategist Hannah Schmitz on the podium was the right reward for her "brave" call in helping Max Verstappen win the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Schmitz was instrumental in electing to pit Verstappen from the lead at the first safety car period at Interlagos to switch to new tyres, even though it meant he would lose position to the pursuing Lewis Hamilton.

Horner said that Red Bull faced a dilemma at that moment, as Hamilton was always going to do the opposite, but that it was Schmitz who made the right call to stop.

“At that point it's like a game of chess as the leader, because the following car will only do the opposite,” he said. “So to give away track position is quite a brave thing to do.

“You have to be confident that we could make the pass on track, which we'd done once with Max before. But we felt that with that tyre advantage, he had only conceded one position, he could do it again.”

Horner also hailed how Schmitz has shown her commitment at Red Bull, having returned to work after maternity leave and also facing a hefty commute to work every day.

“Hannah has been with us in the strategy team for several years,” added Horner. “She took maternity leave last year and then returned to work after her maternity leave on a full time basis.

“She has a significant commute to work, she drives four hours every day, but she has that commitment and that passion for her job.

“She made the strategy call today and I felt it was right to reward her with going to get the trophy. And I think it's a great fillip for working mums that she's an important member of our team.”

[MIKA27]

Ricciardo ‘proud’ of Brazil fightback to P6

By Lap 8 of the Brazilian Grand Prix, the chances of Daniel Ricciardo claiming a P6 finish looked extremely remote, with the Australian flung right to the back of the pack after coming together with Kevin Magnussen. But a typically honey badger-ish fightback from Ricciardo saw him finish seventh on the road, before inheriting that sixth place once Lewis Hamilton had taken a post-race penalty.

Ricciardo was challenging Magnussen – not a man known for giving up a position easily – for 13th place when he left his braking fractionally too late into Turn 4, collecting the Haas and spinning it around. But while the Dane was able to continue, Ricciardo limped back to the pits for a new front wing - before stewards added to his pain by handing him a five-second penalty for the incident.

From there, it looked as though a long afternoon spent outside the points awaited Ricciardo. But a succession of Safety Cars late on in the race allowed the Renault driver to work his way up to seventh by the flag – which became P6 after the stewards ruled that Hamilton had caused a collision when trying to overtake Red Bull’s Alex Albon two laps from the flag.

“We kept our head down,” said Ricciardo of his late climb up the order. “I didn’t expect to get up to seventh, but we made it happen and that part of the race was strong.

“The penultimate restart [on Lap 60] was awesome – I think I got three cars on that lap and it was fun, it was cool. And yeah, reasonably proud.”

Asked to comment on the Magnussen collision earlier in the race – which left the Danish driver seething, as he labelled Ricciardo a “****** idiot” over team radio – Ricciardo admitted: “I take responsibility for the incident with Kevin.

“Obviously upset with myself,” he added. “It was close, but I went into him and he spun. Sometimes you can do that and it works, but sometimes you touch wheels… In the heat of the moment, of the battle and sitting as low as we do, you don’t always see how much room there was.

“But I wanted to apologise. If I’m in that position and someone hits me I would expect the same. I knew as soon as he spun there was a chance for them to give me a penalty.”

Despite Ricciardo’s efforts at Interlagos – and reward of eight points – Renault’s race result in Brazil leaves them with something of a headache.

That’s because, with Ricciardo’s team mate Nico Hulkenberg failing to score after finishing a disappointed P15, and Toro Rosso taking a hefty 19 points – for Daniil Kvyat’s 10th place along with Pierre Gasly’s sensational second – Toro Rosso have now closed to within eight points of Renault’s fifth place heading to the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi.

[MIKA27]

Racing Point’s pace didn’t merit my two points - Perez

A number of teams profited from a dramatic end to Sunday’s Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos, but Sergio Perez doesn’t believe Racing Point should have been one of them.

A tough qualifying session saw team mate Lance Stroll drop out in Q1 and Perez scrape through to Q2, although he was then within 0.2s of a spot in the top ten. In the race, Perez was unable to break into the top ten until retirements for Valtteri Bottas, the two Ferraris and a spin for Alex Albon promoted him to ninth place.

“I didn’t really see it coming,” Perez said. “It was a chaotic race, we needed to be strong out there. We were not good enough. We were lacking so much straight-line speed we couldn’t fight. We got overtaken very easily and then we couldn’t push to get past people, so quite a disappointing race.

“It’s two points that we didn’t really deserve, because we didn’t have the pace all weekend, but I’m just pleased with that.”

Although Perez felt the points were not deserved, Stroll believed a relatively late stop for soft tyres had left him well-placed to challenge for a position in the top ten before he suffered an apparent suspension failure after hitting some of the debris left by the Ferrari collision.

“That’s exactly what happened, I ran over some debris,” Stroll said. “It was very tight all the way to the end with all the Safety Cars. We were on a good tyre and it’s a bit of a shame because we were definitely in a position to grab some points.”

Team principal Otmar Szafnauer admits Racing Point were disappointed by the end result, given the fact Toro Rosso scored 19 points - including second place for Pierre Gasly - to move 16 points clear of them in the constructors’ standings.

“A tough day for us, even though we managed to salvage a couple of points in the final few laps,” Szafnauer said. “Before the Safety Car came out, we had both cars on different strategies with Lance doing a good job to make the one-stop race work.

“It looked as though he would score points, but we switched him to a two-stop race under the Safety Car and then he got hit by debris when the Ferraris got together.

“Sergio switched to a two-stop race early on and took advantage of the chaotic final laps to finish in ninth place. We face an uphill task in Abu Dhabi to reclaim sixth place in the constructors’ championship, but we will go there fighting and give it everything.”

[MIKA27]

F1 vows to address Miami concerns as mayor's veto upheld

Formula 1 has vowed to address community concerns in Miami in the wake of a County Commission vote on Tuesday that went in its favour.

Formula 1 owners Liberty Media have been striving to launch a Miami Grand Prix, with the proposals having been altered after original plans for a 2019 round in the Biscayne Bay district were scrapped.

New proposals centred around a circuit planned for the Hard Rock Stadium area of Miami, with an agreement of intent signed to bring Formula 1 to the city for 2021.

The mayor of Miami-Dade county, Carlos Gimenez, used his veto earlier this month to overturn opposition to the event, and on Tuesday the County Commissioners sided 7-5 in his favour.

“We need more time to work out a compromise with the Miami Dolphins, the Miami Gardens community, and racing fans that’s a win-win for everyone to bring Formula 1 to our county,” said Gimenez.

“That’s why I’m happy that the Miami-Dade BCC [Board of County Commissioners] sustained my veto. This allows us to work towards a solution.

“The Formula 1 race isn’t until 2021. Sustaining my veto buys three to six months so that the parties involved can continue to work towards a solution for Miami Gardens, Stephen Ross [Miami Dolphins majority owner] and the Miami Dolphins, as well as racing fans.

“Let me be clear, if the veto had been overridden today then the resolution that says street racing is prohibited as currently configured in Miami Gardens would have been upheld.

“I support all parties coming to a solution that brings Formula 1 racing to Miami-Dade.

“Formula 1 is a huge international event. Like the Super Bowl, it puts Miami-Dade on the world stage.

“We need to continue to study the issues raised and get the correct information, instead of just killing this idea outright

“I’ve had three meetings so far with Miami Gardens residents about Formula 1.

“I’ve met with Commissioner Jordan, as well as Miami Dolphins and racing executives. It was productive. Dolphins agreed to respond within two weeks on community concerns and how to mitigate potential issues.”

Formula 1 issued a statement in response welcoming Tuesday’s development.

“Along with Miami Dolphins, we are encouraged the County Commission sustained the Mayor’s Veto,” the championship said.

“As Miami Dolphins has done for all its events at Hard Rock Stadium, and as we have done in every city that hosts a race, we will continue to work with the Mayor and the community to make a Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix a huge success for all of Miami-Dade County; including the residents of Miami Gardens.

“We will work very hard to address community concerns in a meaningful way, mitigate any inconveniences or disruptions to local residents, and create an event we can all be proud of.”

[MIKA27]

Max Verstappen says Alexander Albon the 'smartest choice' for Red Bull

Max Verstappen says Red Bull Racing made the “smartest” choice in retaining Alexander Albon for the 2020 Formula 1 season.

Red Bull fielded Pierre Gasly for the first half of the season but promoted Albon during the summer break, allowing it to assess its best option for next year.

Last week the operation confirmed that Albon will remain at Red Bull into 2020, with Gasly staying at Toro Rosso alongside Daniil Kvyat.

“He’s a nice guy and for him I think the last 12 months have been a bit of a rollercoaster,” said Verstappen of Albon, prior to last weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix.

“Of course he’s very laid back, very relaxed, people like him in the team, he’s easy going, which I think helps.

“He’s quick, he’s doing his job, getting the points, I think it was the let’s say smartest way of continuing.”

Verstappen also expects Albon to emerge as a more regular threat, citing his own experience at stepping into Red Bull during the course of a season.

“I think lap time is there straight away,” said Verstappen of a mid-season switch.

“I think you will get there through a weekend, in qualifying you’re always on the limit and I would say from my first race to now I think it’s more [that] you’re in a much more comfortable situation, you know the car more or less, you’ve worked with the same people, you know easier which way you can go with the set-ups and stuff.

“When I just joined in Red Bull I was first of all listening and following Daniel [Ricciardo]’s direction a bit more.

“Of course you have your own driving style, so you’re anyway always different, but I didn’t know what certain things on the car could do because it’s different to a Toro Rosso.

“I think over the years I know what I want on the car, what we are going to change, only on that side it makes your weekend a bit easier to work with, but in terms of pace I think it was there from the first weekend.”

[MIKA27]

Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel back F1's long-term carbon neutral plan

Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel have backed Formula 1’s ambition to have a net-zero carbon footprint by 2030, believing the sport is right to want to drive change.

Formula 1 last week unveiled its long-term plan to help tackle climate change, which includes all grands prix becoming sustainable before 2025.

Hamilton had previously spoken of his desire to try and live a more environmentally-friendlier lifestyle, and supports Formula 1’s changes.

“I think anything is possible as long as the intent...they mean it,” said Hamilton.

“And you just have to put your mind to it, the investment. It is not like they have got a lack of money to make the changes, I think the teams have to also be willing to participate.

“I know my team is, I know Mercedes is, I have not heard or read about Ferrari or any of the other teams particularly but maybe they are also with it, but they need to be on the same journey because it is going to take the whole of the sport to make a change.

“It is about being really strict and it is about when you go to all these different countries, particularly the new ones they are bringing onto the circuit, it is super easy for them to implement already because in the contracts you can say from day one this is what is going to be a sustainable weekends, for the other one they have plenty of time to make change particularly for the end of the following years, so I don’t see why it won’t happen.

“But I definitely am open to working with Chase [Carey] and with his team and with the FIA, I’ve already emailed, I’ve been talking to Chase for nearly two/three years and saying we have to do something together, we have not yet quite figured out what that role is, but it is something in that area.”

On the long-term ambitions, Vettel said: “I think it’s a great message and it’s about time. So it’s good to see that people who can make decisions and can make change are thinking of making change.

“I think it’s an ambitious target. Equally I would like to see a lot of the goals that are set out to be achieved sooner because I think it is a must in our times and we can’t afford to wait.

“So I think it’s definitely going in the right direction. I don’t think we need to be hiding.

“Obviously the sport that we love is called motorsport because we have an engine in our car so it comes with some, may be some things that people jump on and would like to criticise and say it’s all a fraud.

“But I think in general we should not try and highlight the things that may be people are not doing or that you should do differently.

“I think we should focus on things which we can actually do differently in order to make a change. This is both for every individual but also for us as a sport.

“So I think the challenge is quite clear, it’s to obviously improve our sport, enhance the show, grow passion based on the values that we share for such a long time but make them sustainable so I think that is an incredible challenge but as I said it’s about time.”

[MIKA27]

Ferrari drivers should follow Lewis Hamilton's example and admit fault says F1 boss Ross Brawn

Formula 1 director of motorsports, Ross Brawn, believes Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc should follow the example set by Lewis Hamilton and admit fault, rather than point fingers at each other.

Hamilton was involved in a late clash with Red Bull's Alexander Albon during the final laps of the Brazilian Grand Prix, causing Albon to spin out and lose a potential podium finish. Immediately after the race Hamilton went up to Albon to apologise and admitted fault during the pre-podium interviews.

However in the case of Vettel and Leclerc – who crashed into and took each other out of the race – neither accepted any responsibility, instead pointing the finger at one another.

Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto has called an urgent meeting with his drivers to discuss the situation, which Brawn believes must be done to ensure things don't get out of hand at the Italian outfit heading into the 2020 season.

"If Albon was the epitome of disappointment, the two Ferrari drivers were just plain angry," Brawn said in his post-race media debrief. "It’s never nice when team-mates knock one another out of a race, even more so when it’s not even a particularly important result that goes begging, as in this case, third place in Brazil was the most they could aspire to.

"After tensions flared in the races following the summer break, everything seemed to have calmed down in the Ferrari dressing room. But now, Mattia Binotto faces the tough task of getting things back on track and indeed he said just that in his interviews after the race.

"He had to get stuck in and tell the drivers to face up to their responsibilities, which in Maranello always means putting the interests of the team ahead of those of the individual, which was not the case in yesterday’s race."

Brawn believes the situation could have been handled better if one of the drivers admitted culpability, rather than blaming one another.

"I wouldn’t want to venture an opinion on who was most at fault for the collision, but in the cold light of day, maybe it would be good if one of them will follow Hamilton’s example and immediately admit culpability, as the champion did regarding his clash with Albon," he added.

"If Ferrari really wants to put an end to Mercedes’ dominance, not only does it need to provide its drivers with a more competitive car next year, it must also ensure that incidents like this one are not repeated. Formula 1 is a team sport, especially so in Maranello."

[MIKA27]

Pirelli confirms drivers' tyre choices for Abu Dhabi GP

Formula 1 tyre supplier Pirelli has confirmed the compound selections made by drivers for next weekend’s season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Pirelli has selected the three softest compounds from its range – the C3s, C4s and C5s – for the finale at the Yas Marina Circuit.

As usual each driver is permitted 13 sets of tyres for the course of the weekend and are allowed free choice of nominated compound for 10 of those sets.

Teams have been relatively aligned for the twilight race, with Red Bull, Toro Rosso and Williams selecting nine sets of Softs, and all of their opponents opting for eight sets.

The Hard tyre has been largely abandoned, with half of the 20 drivers having only one set of the white-banded compound – the one mandated by Pirelli.

A one-stop strategy is typically favoured by teams for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.