FORMULA 1

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Hamilton tips Honda to set up three-way title fight in 2020

Lewis Hamilton reckons Honda's progress sets up a potentially "serious" battle between three manufacturers for the 2020 Formula 1 title.
Hamilton and Mercedes swept to the drivers' and constructors' title again in 2019, giving the team its sixth consecutive championship double and Hamilton is fifth crown in six seasons.

Conversely, Ferrari's challenge fell away early in the year and Red Bull's transitional season with Honda meant it has been limited to three victories rather than a sustained championship bid.

However, after being beaten by the Honda-powered Red Bull of Max Verstappen in the Brazilian Grand Prix, and out-dragged to the line for second by Pierre Gasly's Honda-engined Toro Rosso, Hamilton believes Red Bull will join the title fight in 2020.

"The Honda's obviously made some big steps and it's great to see another manufacturer as strong as they are now," he said.

"It means that hopefully next year we're going to have a serious three-way, four-way battle and that's great for Formula 1."

Verstappen has avoided big predictions throughout the first year of the Red Bull-Honda project but has enthused greatly about the Japanese manufacturer's progress, which has facilitated his strongest season in F1.

Gasly's surprise second-place finish in Brazil gave Honda its first one-two in F1 since the 1991 Japanese Grand Prix, and Verstappen admitted "I always get reminded with the stats".

"The pole was the last time in 1991 here in Brazil," he added. "I think it's a good time to start doing these things again. We keep relying on the results from the '90s.

"I think Honda is definitely on a very good way. Throughout the season they have been improving massively so I am very pleased with it."

If Honda can power Red Bull to a full title challenge, it will put Hamilton up against Verstappen for the first time.

After fighting Verstappen, and the other Red Bull of Alex Albon in Brazil, Hamilton said: "It's inevitable that the youngsters are going to come through.

"There's often a wave of young talent that manages to make its way through to Formula 1.

"I think Formula 1's got a lot of new young blood with a lot of potential and they really are the future of the sport.

"Fortunately I feel that whilst the number [of years] shows a little bit higher, I feel like I'm able to still kick it with these guys.

"So I'm excited for the future, racing with these guys and if we can get these teams to be closer, then we're going to see more awesome battles like [Brazil] and I think that would be great."

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LONG READ: The Rise, Fall and Redemption of Pierre Gasly

Nobody wants to be demoted. It dents your pride. It hurts you confidence. It makes you feel like a failure. Pierre Gasly suffered such emotions over the summer break, after Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko called him up and told the Frenchman his time at Red Bull was over, and that he would be heading back to Toro Rosso.

It was like a punch to the stomach. And it floored him. His Red Bull chance was supposed to be the start of something special. Driving for a big team – capable of Grand Prix victories – had been his dream since he left the family home aged just 13 to pursue a career in motor racing. Instead, after just 12 races, he was done, sent packing to the junior team.

Gasly faces the media in Belgium after his enforced move to Toro Rosso

This was not how it was supposed to be. Gasly had impressed during his first full season with Toro Rosso, scoring a fourth place in the team’s second race with Honda in Bahrain and going on to score 29 points, more than seven times the tally of his team mate Brendon Hartley. He was quick – and consistent. So when Daniel Ricciardo made the shock move to leave Red Bull, Gasly was snapped up.

Red Bull boss Christian Horner hailed Gasly’s “undoubted talent” and described him as “one of the most exciting young drivers in motorsport” when his deal was confirmed. The general feeling within the paddock was that the Frenchman had proved himself worthy, but in an ideal world, he would have perhaps spent another season refining himself before making the step up to the big leagues.

But needs must. And opportunities don’t come up all that often in F1 – as Nico Hulkenberg will well know – so Gasly snatched it with both hands. Things started badly, when he crashed twice in pre-season testing. Not ideal, especially when your team is short on new parts…

Things didn’t get better once the campaign got going, with Gasly no match for Verstappen. And despite flashes of speed – like his Q1 lap in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix that put him on top of the pile – he was more often than not comfortably slowest of the drivers in the top three teams.

His record versus Verstappen before the summer break made for bleak reading. In 12 races, he managed 63 points, which was just over a third of the Dutchman’s total (181). In races they both finished, only once did Gasly finish ahead. Yes, he scored points in nine of those 12 races, but only twice did he manage double figures (fourth was his best finish).

In the same period, Verstappen scored two wins and three podiums. Even with Gasly’s disappointing form, Red Bull were within a sniff (well, 44 points) of Ferrari in the fight for second in the constructors’ championship. Just think what they could have achieved had he scored more heavily, more often.

His qualifying form was more damning. Just once did he manage to get ahead of Verstappen in 12 attempts, and on average he was a staggering 0.890s slower than the Dutchman over one lap. At the time, it was the worst deficit of any team mate. For context, in the eight races Albon has partnered Verstappen, his deficit is quite a bit better at 0.494s.

Gasly's performances against Verstappen don't stack up favourably compared to Albon's

So Red Bull took the plunge and pulled the plug, sending Gasly back to Toro Rosso and giving Albon his go (you could argue it was the right call, as he bettered Gasly’s 12-race total of 63 points in just seven outings). When they demoted Daniil Kvyat, he struggled to find his mojo and needed a year out to get his head right. Gasly hasn’t required that. He’s got back on it straight away.

During that period, he has scored 32 points – exactly four times as many as team mate Kvyat, who himself has looked like a better, more mature version of himself since returning this year. Across qualifying and the races, though, Gasly has consistently been the quicker of the two, even if he only marginally leads the head-to-head 4-3. In qualifying, that advantage is slightly better at 5-2, with the Frenchman on average 0.259s quicker than the Russian.

His podium in Brazil was fortunate, of that there is no doubt. But he was comfortably the fastest driver in the midfield, and would have, worst case, finished seventh had all the top six drivers finished. That form, coupled with his other four points finishes in eight races, suggests Gasly is back on form.

And with just one race to go, he’s in sixth in the drivers’ championship, level on points with Carlos Sainz and 11 clear of Albon. When he joined Toro Rosso, the chances of him holding on looked bleak. Now he has a great chance of a remarkable finish. But how has he done it?

“I think in that environment, where it is a bit less pressured and the car’s perhaps a bit easier to drive, he’s driving brilliantly,” says Horner. “I think that’s great for him, great for his confidence and for Toro Rosso as well. It’s great to see him get that podium.”

When Gasly was at Red Bull, he was perhaps guilty of pushing too hard – so keen was he to make a good impression. His lack of F1 experience was shining through and he struggled to find a good set-up, all too often getting lost down a rabbit warren.

At Toro Rosso, the car is more forgiving and better suited to his more aggressive style of driving. On top of that, he has slipped seamlessly back into the team. He gets the engineers. And they get him. They adopt an unwritten language he was unable to replicate quickly in his short time with Red Bull.

Pierre Gasly's emotional cooldown lap in Brazil

As one team source put it, Gasly and his engineers at Toro Rosso “are like family”. You could see the genuine, heartfelt emotion in the faces of the engineers in the garage on that last lap in Brazil, as they skipped breaths watching Gasly hold off six-time world champion Lewis Hamilton all the way to the line. The eruption in the garage and on the pitwall was explosive.

The tight hugs they gave him when he reached Parc Ferme were the kind your grandpa gives you when you tell him you’ve passed an exam or got a new job. It’s the kind of squeeze that tells you he’s proud and glad to be related, without him having to say a word.

It’s that kind of relationship that has meant that, since returning to Toro Rosso in Belgium, and despite never having driven their 2019 STR14 challenger, Gasly was able to get back on the pace quickly, and has got close to achieving the maximum potential of the car at every race since. It’s one team, made up of people working in absolute harmony. That’s something Gasly very rarely achieved at Red Bull – and something few drivers, in any team, manage to achieve.

Demotion, then, doesn’t always have to dent your pride. Or hurt your confidence. Or make you feel like a failure. It can be used as motivation to reboot yourself and become even better. Pierre Gasly 2.0 – a quicker and more refined specification – has proved that.

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Lance Stroll expects Racing Point stability to assist 2020 hopes

Lance Stroll believes year-on-year continuity with Racing Point will assist his and the team’s prospects in Formula 1 next season.

Stroll joined Racing Point for 2019 in the wake of his father, Lawrence, acquiring the outfit mid-2018, following erstwhile owner Vijay Mallya’s financial difficulties.

Stroll peaked with a best of fourth in the rain-hit German Grand Prix but has scored just nine points across the other 19 grands prix, while trailing experienced team-mate Sergio Perez in both qualifying and race trim.

“For myself just coming back for a second season in the same environment with more experience, yeah, it’s a big benefit, that’s for sure,” said Stroll.

“[But] I can only tell you next year!

“But I do believe that if I can do every weekend over again this year I could do a lot better, if you know what I mean, just unlocking the full potential of the car in many ways is tricky in Formula 1, so yeah, I think experience will definitely help.”

Stroll reckons he made year-on-year strides at Williams but that lessons learned through 2017 were masked in 2018 by the team’s on-track regression.

“That’s the thing – it wasn’t a good comparison for us, the second year, we had a much stronger package in the first year compared to the second year,” he said.

“From the first to second year there was an improvement my end, it didn’t show on paper due to the package being poor in the second season.

“But I did feel like I was more on top of the car, understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the car, how I could fully unlock it, and I feel this will be the same at this team, I do believe that.”

Stroll and Perez will form an unchanged partnership at Racing Point in 2020, with the Mexican signed on through 2022.

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"Team always the loser" in Vettel/Leclerc-type clash - Horner

Red Bull boss Christian Horner says the biggest loser whenever two drivers collide is always the team.
As Ferrari ponders its next step following the controversial coming together between Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel at the Brazilian Grand Prix, Horner says the biggest impact is never felt by the men in the cockpit.

Having had first hand experience of such a situation, following a clash between Vettel and Mark Webber at the 2010 Turkish Grand Prix, Horner says that such internal squabbles are never easy to sort and their consequence spread far.

“It depends on the scenario and each team has a different approach, and different people have different approaches, so it's difficult for me to judge Ferrari's situation,” said Horner when asked for his thoughts on the Vettel/Leclerc situation.

“But the loser is always the team in that situation. Obviously it is a tricky one.”

Horner said that one of the main challenges in sorting out such a situation is that what is good for the team is not necessarily what is best for the individual drivers.

“I'm glad it's not my drivers,” he said. “It's always a difficult situation.

“Race drivers are fiercely competitive animals, and there is often a conflict between what is right for the team and what is right for the individual.”

But while few would envy the difficulty that Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto has in sorting out how to deal with the situation between his drivers, McLaren boss Andreas Seidl says things need to be put into context.

And he says he would rather have the headache of dealing with trouble when fighting for wins and podiums than having a calm time and no success.

“It is obviously a challenge to handle two drivers who are at the same level,” he said. “And when it's about fighting for podiums and wins, it's getting even harder.

“At the same time, I'm looking forward to having these luxury problems at some point in the future. Of having two drivers that fight for podiums or wins, and then having the challenge to deal with this as a team.”

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Allison glad "painful" part of F1 2021 work now over

Mercedes technical director James Allison says Formula 1 teams are into the “fun” bit of the championship’s 2021 rule changes after a negotiating period that got a “bit painful”.
At the end of last month F1 finally released its technical, sporting and financial regulations that will underpin a major overhaul for the series in 2021.

Significant car changes form part of F1’s planned new era, with increased standardisation in some areas of the rules but a change of emphasis to ground-effect aerodynamics the main new point of focus.

Though the rules have not satisfied all parties, particularly teams worried about the amount of restriction they have, Allison said: “You’d be a weird F1 engineer if you weren't excited by having a fistful of new regulations to digest, look for opportunity within and to go off and try and make the fastest possible car you can from them.

“So for us, probably the work of the last years and the particularly the climax of the last few weeks and months, that's been a bit painful.

“But we're at the point now where it's just the fun bit. You got the pamphlet in your hand and you set to work with it.”

One of F1’s primary objectives with its rule changes is to encourage better racing by allowing cars to follow more closely.

Key to that will be the simplification of front wings and eradication of bargeboards, as both areas have led to complex designs to allow teams to control the wake from the car ahead.

The FIA says research into the new rules suggests a significant improvement in this era, but Allison is not entirely convinced.

“They have very worthy objectives,” he said. “But very difficult, very, very difficult objectives to actually realise.

“I think the proof of that pudding will be in the eating, we'll find out in 2021 how successful the overall package has been in delivering on those very worthy but very difficult goals.

“That doesn't really at this point, interest, a team any longer. A team just has the regulations in their hands.”

 

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Red Bull: "Important" recent form can help keep Honda in F1

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner thinks Honda’s latest victory at the Brazilian Grand Prix was "important" for helping convince the Japanese car manufacturer to stay in Formula 1.
Max Verstappen triumphed ahead of Toro Rosso’s Pierre Gasly at Interlagos last weekend to deliver Honda its first 1-2 finish in F1 since the 1991 Japanese GP.

The recent run of strong form, which included Verstappen delivering a pole position-setting time in Mexico, comes against the backdrop of Honda weighing up whether or not to commit to F1 after 2020.

Its Japanese bosses are having to consider whether the investment that will be required for F1’s new era from 2021 is likely to deliver the results they are after.

That is why any success now will be a boost in showing what is possible as Honda edges closer a final decision on what it plans to do.

Asked by Motorsport.com how crucial the latest run of form was in getting Honda to stay in F1, Horner said: “I think is very important.

"Honda is seeing great progress and I think they can really see [the reward] after five years of commitment and effort. You have to remember how things were when they came back into the sport.

“I think that they have done a great job in keeping their heads down with great passion and pride to get themselves into this position.”

Horner’s belief about the positive impact of the latest win are shared by Honda’s F1 technical director Toyoharu Tanabe, who has helped guide it to its most successful season since returning to the sport in 2015.

“I hope this result impact our future with a positive side,” he said. 

“I'm not involved in the process of the decision. Our board members are working on that. When we are ready, we will announce.”

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FIA admits 2020 tyre choice process "not perfect"

FIA single-seater technical boss Nikolas Tombazis admits that the way the choice of Pirelli's 2020 Formula 1 tyres is being finalised is "not perfect."
The definitive choice of 2020 construction was supposed to be formally communicated to the teams by September 1st, so that they have plenty of time to adjust their aero programmes for a new shape.

However, the process was delayed until October to allow for further testing.

When the definitive new 2020 tyres were subsequently trialled in practice in Austin, the feedback was so negative that there was a call from some teams to stick with the proven 2019 construction.

By way of compromise, the FIA has agreed with teams that the planned 2020 tyre test in Abu Dhabi goes ahead so that more data can be gathered, and that if there are still negative views, a vote will be undertaken.

If seven or more teams want to go back to the 2019 tyres, the new construction will be abandoned.

"As explained to the team principals [in Brazil], I'm not suggesting that how it's been done is the best way and that it's all perfect," Tombazis told Motorsport.com.

"I'm not expecting clapping and cheering! But last year we were faced in June or July with a big brouhaha about the tyres and people wanting to change them in the middle of the year, on the basis of a vote. The alternative was to just keep the current tyres and do nothing.

"And to avoid similar whinging next year, and cries for different constructions or whatever, then I felt at least to get it right in December or late November was better than discussing it in May or June during a championship.

"People revise their opinions on the basis of their competitive position. All these sort of things are not perfect, but it's the less awkward way to handle it."

Tombazis confirmed that the FIA will conduct a vote after the Abu Dhabi test if teams are still unhappy.

"If the outcome of that is that teams say, 'Oh, no, really, you know, we don't see any benefits,' and so on, then they have the right to vote them out with seven out of 10. If on the other hand hopefully the tyres do prove to be beneficial, we're left with an advantage for the sport.

"The change of tyres has to be instigated by the FIA. So, if we see that there's massive whinging about the tyres, then we will ask there to be a vote.

"If we see that basically people are happy, and the tyres are overheating less and achieving all the various advantages that they're supposed to do, then we will not instigate a vote."

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Marko: Gasly "would've never recovered" staying at Red Bull

Red Bull motorsport boss Helmut Marko believes Pierre Gasly would not have recovered from dip in Formula 1 form had he not returned to Toro Rosso from Red Bull.
Gasly spent the first half of the 2019 season with RBR, logging a best finish of fourth at Silverstone, before being replaced by Alex Albon after the summer break.

Marko says that the Frenchman, who took a sensational second place in Brazil, has got his career back on track after his demotion.

“He’s recovered, and now we see the real Pierre,” Marko told Motorsport.com. “We always believed in him. It was positive for him, otherwise at Red Bull Racing I think he never would have recovered.”

Marko was encouraged by the form of all his drivers in Brazil: “Max [Verstappen] was perfect, his overtaking manoeuvres were unbelievable. And Albon also did very well before he was pushed off. So it shows our programme is working. We’re very excited about next year.”

Toro Rosso team boss Franz Tost acknowledged that it was difficult for Gasly to take a step back to the junior team in the middle of the year.

“It was not so easy for him this season, but he came back,” said Tost. “I think Pierre from the very beginning onwards felt quite well in the car, and in the team of course.

“I remember he came back he came to my office and said, ‘It looked like you were here yesterday.’

"We knew each other, the engineers knew him, and this helped. And our car at this point was easy to drive.”

Tost also praised Gasly for the intelligent way he tackled the Brazilian GP, in the face of early pressure from Alfa’s Kimi Raikkonen.

“I must say he drove a fantastic race,” said Tost. “Regarding the tyre management, he really looked for the car, especially in the corners under acceleration, not to overheat the tyres.

“He always had the speed under control. When Kimi was pushing him, he just reacted on the next lap with one or two tenths faster, and Kimi recognised that he was too fast, and the gap opened to 3.4s, 3.6s, 4.0s, 5.0s, which gave him enough space to control everything."

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Kubica proud to have defied critics who questioned his limitations

One point. Out-qualified at every race by his rookie team mate. The bare stats from Robert Kubica’s Formula 1 comeback with Williams don’t make for pretty reading. But as he heads into what looks likely to be his final Grand Prix, the one-time F1 race-winner is nonetheless proud to have silenced doubters who felt his limitations would have prevented him from racing an F1 car at all.

Kubica’s journey back to Formula 1 is well-known by now: the 2011 rally crash that nearly proved fatal, and stopped his racing career in its tracks (and, according to Kubica, prevented him going to Ferrari); the years of rehabilitating himself in other categories; and the test in a Renault F1 car in 2017, which ultimately led to Williams giving him a race seat alongside George Russell for 2019.

Yet even before he’d turned a wheel this season, there were those who argued that the physical limitations to his right arm caused by the rallying accident might make Kubica a liability in wheel-to-wheel racing, particularly in first-lap scenarios – while some even questioned whether he’d be able to drive at the Monaco Grand Prix at all.

But speaking ahead of the penultimate race of 2019 in Brazil, Kubica admitted that he’d taken pride from defying those grim predictions this season.

“With my limitations, a lot of people did not even think I would be able to race,” said Kubica. “I heard many stories that in Turn 1, I would not be able to react to situations – and probably the opening lap is one of the things which I managed well this season.

“I heard rumours that I would not be able to race in Monaco, and probably Monaco was one of my best drives during this year, although I was still far behind. But feeling-wise, it was positive.

“I’m leaving this season, of course not happy with the general performance, but pretty happy with how my body, my mind and my brain reacted to the difficult challenge I had this year.”

Kubica also took the opportunity in Brazil to argue that much of his struggle to be competitive in 2019 has stemmed from the flaws in Williams’ FW42 car, while hinting at issues in his relationship with the team – who appear set to replace the Pole with F2 racer Nicholas Latifi for 2020.

“I think the general picture is massively hidden by what we went through this season,” he said. “Many things did not help and actually did influence, in a negative way, what I was able to do… There are many things which we could probably handle better.

“We need to improve… the pace of the car, and then everything will become easier,” Kubica added. “Also for the guys [at the] track, the work will be more easier, more fun. Of course this will not happen with me, as I’m leaving Williams, but I hope this team will improve their situation for the future, especially because the guys deserve it. They are really good people and they are working hard, so I hope good times, or better times, will arrive soon for Williams.”

Should Kubica leave front-line F1 driving after 2019, it will be with one win and one pole position to his name – although there are many who believe that, had his career not been interrupted, he could well have become his country’s first F1 world champion.

MIKA: Racing in F1 or "Driving in F1" are two very different things.

No offence to Kubica fans, but all Kubica has done is "Drive" in F1 since his return, not race.

Granted the Williams is pretty poor, even up against Russell, he has been lackluster. I feel what "could have been" is a very romantic idea, but it isn't anything actual. 

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How Formula 1 will lead the charge to use biofuels

As part of Formula 1’s ambitious sustainability strategy that targets a net-zero carbon footprint by 2030, biofuels will play a major part in the championship. Chief Technical Officer Pat Symonds explains their role, plus why F1 isn’t going fully electric, and how the sport will lead efforts to change how internal combustion engines work...

“It is a word that gets bandied about quite a lot, so we prefer to use the phrase ‘advanced sustainable fuels’,” says Symonds.

There are three generations of biofuels. The first generation, he explains, were “largely made from food stock” – crops grown especially for fuel. But that wasn’t sustainable and it brought up ethical issues.

Second-generation biofuels “either use food waste, the husks of corn for example, or biomass, for example forestry waste, or indeed household waste.

“Finally, there are third-generation biofuels, sometimes called the e-fuels or synthetic fuel, and without going into too much chemistry, these are the more advanced fuels.

"They’re often called drop-in fuels because you can effectively just put them into any engine, without modification, whereas engines that run on extreme ethanol mixes, such as used in Brazil [for road cars], require alteration.”

F1 already uses biofuels, but the current technical regulations say that fuel must include 5.75% of bio-components. In 2021, Symonds says that F1 is “looking to increase to 10%” with a view to get to 100% advanced sustainable fuels.

How will F1 lead the charge?

“Formula 1 didn’t invent the hybrid, but Formula 1 showed what a hybrid could be and it moved people’s perceptions of what a hybrid is capable of and I think we can do the same with new fuel technology and hopefully demonstrate that another viable alternative energy source is possible," Symonds adds.

Stakeholder meetings are ongoing, and F1 is on the way to making a road map to produce a fully sustainable fuel past the new era of F1 in 2021.

“The path to that is not completely clear at the moment, but in partnership with the FIA and with the help of the engine manufacturers and the fuel companies, we are looking at the way forward.

“I think it’s important to say that I don’t think it will be easy, but anything of value requires ingenuity, commitment and the will to make a change. And if we can do it, I think there’s another great contribution story from motorsport to the world at large.”

Why not just go electric?

While it seems that vehicles are increasingly moving towards electric powertrains, more than 90% of the world’s vehicles are still powered by internal combustion engines (ICEs) – and that’s where carbon emissions could be reduced in the short term.

Furthermore, it’s difficult to power larger vehicles such as trucks and aircraft with electric powertrains – so it’s still worth focusing on the ICE and its fuels.

“However, what we cannot do is carry on digging those out of the ground,” continues Symonds, “we’re going to have to somehow synthesise them and that’s what we want Formula 1 to explore and hopefully to lead.”

As these advanced sustainable fuels will be synthesised, they will also be cleaner, doing away with elements of fossil fuels such as sulphur.

It could lead to a performance gain, too, as the amount of fuel used by teams is currently limited – but with cleaner fuels that may not be an issue anymore.

“When the next engine does come along, we have a chance to develop a real game changer, where you’re tailoring the fuel and the engine together and that really does lead to some much more interesting possibilities.

“What we can do is we can show the world that there are alternatives to electric power and there are alternatives to storing electricity in heavy and, I have to say, somewhat dirty batteries,” Symonds concludes.

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Pierre Gasly keen to see off Carlos Sainz, Alex Albon for 'best of the rest' honour

Pierre Gasly is aiming to finish 2019 on a high following his stunning and surprising podium finish at the Brazilian Grand Prix, which elevated him to sixth in the Drivers' Standings.

The Frenchman, who has had a season of ups and downs following his promotion to Red Bull from Toro Rosso, which was then reversed after just 12 races, is matched with McLaren's Carlos Sainz on 95 points but holds sixth thanks to his second-place finish compared to Sainz's best placing of third.

Albon, who replaced Gasly at Red Bull, is just 11 points adrift and could jump up the order with a strong showing in the season finale this weekend, but Gasly is keen to see himself crowned 'best of the rest' behind the leading drivers.

"It’s the last race of the season so it’s a special weekend," he said. "It’s going to be very important for all of us at Toro Rosso as we want to finish as high as possible in the Constructors’ Championship.

"I’m also in with a chance of ending up as the best driver from outside the top three teams in the Drivers’ classification.

"We want to end the season in a good way, not just for our pride, but also because where you finish in the championship has an impact on our development work and our performance level for next season.

"Our championship fight adds to the excitement this weekend, although I can imagine that ‘exciting’ might not be the right word to describe how Franz [Tost] feels about it!"

Despite what many would describe a tough season for the 23-year-old, Gasly insists he's pleased with how things have gone, particularly since returning to STR.

"There’s always something a bit sad about the final round, as it means we won’t be racing again for around three and a half months. It’s something that will dawn on me on Sunday night, the sense that the season is over.

"But whatever happens on Sunday, I will be happy about how this season has gone, particularly my return to Toro Rosso in the middle of the year, and I will never forget my first visit to an F1 podium after coming second in Brazil.

"But I will also enjoy having some time off once the racing is over. I will spend some time with friends and family in France for a couple of weeks around Christmas time, as I had hardly had any time to see them this year because my work schedule was so busy.

"After that, I’ll start training seriously, going to Red Bull’s training camp in the States from the end of December to be as well prepared as possible for next season.

"The best way to enjoy the winter break is to do well in the last race of the year and that’s another reason to work really hard on this final weekend in Abu Dhabi."

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Haas' Guenther Steiner admits he should have trusted drivers more over failed upgrade

Haas team boss Guenther Steiner has admitted he should probably have listened to his drivers "a little bit more" over the team's failed upgrade.

The American outfit has finished in the points on just five occasions this season and finds itself in a lonely ninth place in the standings, substantially behind Alfa Romeo, and ahead of only Williams.

Haas failed to follow-up on a good start in the season-opening race in Australia – where the team scored eight points – until the Spanish Grand Prix where an upgrade provided a performance boost.

However it was short-lived as the team scored just one point in the following five races before the decision was taken to scrap the upgrade and revert to the original Australian-spec VF19 on Romain Grosjean's side of the garage, with Kevin Magnussen following a few races later.

Steiner admits it has been a "tough year" following the highs of 2018 when the team finished fifth, but says they've learned some important lessons and are keen to avoid repeating them in 2020.

"It was obviously a tough year for us in our fourth season," he said. "You learn and, overall, we’re pretty strong anyway. We had to learn some lessons to get better. Next year will be a new book and, hopefully, we go back to the kind of performances we had in 2018.

"One thing I would do is to just do something different after we introduced the upgrade in Barcelona. I would listen a little bit more to the drivers and be a little bit more self-critical," added Steiner.

"I would say there is a silver lining. We started to react during the summer break to work on the 2020 car – to try to avoid the mistakes we’ve made this year. We don’t want to repeat them. We’re just moving forward, analysing and working hard on the 2020 car."

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Budget cap won't stop current F1 leaders from being best - Andreas Seidl

McLaren boss Andreas Seidl has warned that Formula 1 teams cannot expect the budget cap alone have a transformative effect on the championship’s competitive order.

Formula 1 will introduce financial regulations for the first time in 2021, with an annual cap of $175m, in a move that has been welcomed by competitors.

As well as making the sport more sustainable it is hoped that the restrictions on research and development spending will produce a more competitive playing field.

Mercedes has won all titles since the start of the hybrid era in 2014 while only the reigning champions, Ferrari and Red Bull have claimed grand prix victories during that period.

Seidl, whose McLaren team holds fourth in the Constructors’ Championship, has warned that Formula 1’s front-runners will still hold an advantage.

“The big teams are not just there because of having more money: they simply do a better job compared to us,” said Seidl.

“The budget gap is important as it’s the only chance to have a level playing field in the future.

“For sure it will take time before the budget cap washes out. It’s not a secret we’re in favour of the regulations, we supported FIA/FOM a lot, it’s the next important milestone on our way back.”

Seidl also played down suggestions elsewhere that a lack of restrictions on financial spending in 2020 will give the leaders a substantial advantage thereafter.

“In terms of let’s say getting a head start by putting more resources in ‘20 for the big three teams, as I said before they do a better job now so they will do a better job in ‘20, which gives them an automatic head start,” he said.

“still there are limitations in place on the wind tunnel and CFD side which allow you to only do so much, so I don’t think this is the biggest issue that we don’t have a budget cap in place for ‘20 already.”

[MIKA27]

Sainz says there is "nowhere" to look beyond McLaren for 2021

Carlos Sainz says there is "nowhere else to look around" for his next Formula 1 contract beyond McLaren, which he says has "very attractive" momentum on its side.
Like most drivers on the F1 grid, Sainz's current deal takes him to the end of the 2020 season.

Seats at F1's leading three teams Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull could become available for 2021, and Sainz could be a beneficiary of next year's driver market after starring in his first year with McLaren.

The Spaniard has been the most impressive performance in the F1 midfield this season, leading McLaren's charge to fourth in the constructors' championship after a dismal few years for the team.

"For as long as I've been in this team it's been a constant upwards curve," Sainz said when asked by Motorsport.com about the 2021 driver market and his intentions.

"That is obviously a very attractive thing to have and not something that you see a lot in Formula 1.

"I am very happy and very proud of what this team is doing. It's obviously very, very early to think about 2021 but it's not a secret that I'm very happy in this team.

"I think both parties are very happy with each other and at the moment for me there's nowhere else to look around."

Sainz has enjoyed his best season in F1 and topped it with a maiden podium finish earned in the wild Brazilian Grand Prix.

He said his experiences in recent years, including a tough 2018 alongside Nico Hulkenberg at the works Renault team, moulded him into a driver ready to make a step forward this season.

"Te year next to Nico helped me quite a lot to learn things from an experienced driver," said Sainz.

"Previous to that all my teammates had been one year experience in Formula 1 so actually to have a year next to Nico helped me to learn a couple of new things for myself.

"Coming into McLaren I knew I was ready for the challenge, the way I understand car balance, the way to develop it, the speed that I knew that I had in Toro Rosso and in Renault.

"It was just a matter of getting into this team, feeling comfortable immediately and then the results would take care of themselves. There was nothing really that I was afraid of or anything."

[MIKA27]

The main factor behind Honda's F1 future decision

Honda must reduce its spending to stay in Formula 1 because cost is the biggest issue as the manufacturer weighs up continuing its engine programme beyond next season.
The Japanese company has had comfortably its best season since it returned to F1 in 2015, winning three races with Red Bull and claiming two pole positions.

Honda is committed to the 2020 season with Red Bull but must decide by the end of this year if it wishes to sign up for 2021 and the next rules cycle, which features the same engine technology but greater research and development restrictions.

"We have started to calculate how much it will cost with the future regulations," Honda's F1 managing director Masashi Yamamoto told Motorsport.com.

"We have noticed that it's very tough for all the car manufacturers at the moment, because of the environment change for electrification. So, we are summing up the development cost and having discussions internally."

Asked if cost-cutting was the biggest factor in the decision to continue, Yamamoto added: "It is true that the cost is the biggest issue.

"Winning is the first priority. Once we decide to participate, we just try to win."

Max Verstappen earned Honda its three victories this year and is on the brink of scoring more points than any Red Bull driver in this engine era and finishing third in the drivers' championship, which would mark his best result in F1.

"It's positive to have good results," said Yamamoto. "But more important thing is a balance with the cost. We have to put lots of budget to accelerate our development to catch up the top runners.

"And now we are planning how to maintain current condition and reducing the cost at the same time."

Yamamoto said that while "it is true that we haven't caught up" entirely to its competitors, it was essential that Honda ties to reduce cost from "any area" in order to continue in F1.

Honda had previously indicated it would wait for F1's 2021 regulations to be published before being able to proceed with a final discussion over its future, and Yamamoto is broadly satisfied with the new rules, which do not affect engine manufacturers beyond the limited dyno testing.

However, that has an impact on Honda because even if the company reduces its own budget the rules will put a limit on what can be spent on development.

Yamamoto admitted there were other potential avenues to explore with the rules to cut costs, such as some common engine parts.

"That was one idea," he said. "But overall, maybe we are still behind, so it might have been a bit difficult to use common parts.

"[But] taking the example of commons parts, if the FIA could have shown that in 2025 they can distribute this [example] part as a common part, maybe it could affect our decision to continue or not.

"Because [then] we can see a bit more longer-term with the budget."

[MIKA27]

5 Reasons We Love... The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

The 2019 season comes to a close this weekend with the 21st round of the year at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Here's why we love going racing at Yas Marina…

1. It's the last day of school

How time flies. Nine months after we first saw the 2019 cars hit the track for the first time in Barcelona, and after 20 enthralling races, the end of the season is upon us.

The teams and drivers head to Abu Dhabi with the aim of signing off the season on a high note, and for some a lot is riding on this weekend’s race. While there is an end-of-school feeling around the paddock as it’s the last time most people will all be working together for a number of months, there’s plenty still to be decided.

As far as the constructors' championship is concerned, Toro Rosso can’t completely ignore Racing Point in seventh – a further 16 points adrift – but Otmar Szafnauer’s team will be more concerned with Alfa Romeo being just 10 points further back given their return of 22 points at Interlagos.

From a driver’s perspective there are also positions to be secured in the standings, with the standout ones being the battle for third place – Max Verstappen leading Charles Leclerc by 11 points – and the fight for sixth between Pierre Gasly, Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon. It might only be pride at stake, but they’d still rather come out on top than not…

2. Yas Marina is a spectacular location

All of those scraps will take place at one of the most advanced racing circuits in the world. The Yas Marina Circuit opened in 2009 and so celebrates 10 years in operation this year, and it still remains a remarkable facility.

The fact that the circuit winds its way around a marina is impressive enough, but add in a section that wraps around a hotel – and even passes underneath part of it – in the final sector and you get a modern circuit that still features some corners with little run-off that will punish mistakes.

On top of that, the timing of the race at sunset makes for a stunning setting to bring the curtain down on the season, with the backdrop changing throughout the race as the floodlights take hold.

3. The challenging track conditions

The timing of the race does not just have a visual impact, it also provides a specific challenge for the drivers. By starting as the sun is going down and finishing under full darkness, track temperatures drop during the race, which can have a major effect on the balance of a car.

On top of that, teams and drivers have limited track time available to hone their cars for those conditions. Similar to the races in Bahrain and Singapore, FP1 and FP3 both take place in full daylight and in warmer temperatures than will be seen on Sunday evening, so the only truly comparable session is FP2 before we get into qualifying and the race.

That means any driver suffering a problem or making a mistake in FP2 is going to be severely disadvantaged, but even a smooth session leaves the teams with much less data to work with than they are used to, which often leads to unpredictability and exciting racing.

4. Key title-deciding moments

Abu Dhabi has had a slot towards the end of the year throughout its time on the calendar, starting off as the season finale in 2009. On that occasion – like this year – the title had already been wrapped up, but a year later it saw one of the most tense and dramatic championship deciders in recent history.

The final race in 2010 had four different drivers in with a chance of winning the championship. Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber were the favourites – separated by eight points – with Sebastian Vettel in third, 15 points adrift of Alonso. The rank outsider was Lewis Hamilton, who needed to overturn a 24-point deficit to former team mate Alonso.

In the end, Alonso and Webber got caught in their own private battle as pole sitter Vettel led the way from Hamilton, and an unlikely first championship went to the German as he won while the top two in the standings heading into the race could only finish seventh and eighth respectively.

Despite not deciding the title, 2012 was almost as dramatic. Vettel was the championship leader heading into Abu Dhabi but, after running low on fuel after qualifying, he was forced to stop on track and start from the back of the grid. Alonso looked set to take advantage and finished second to Kimi Raikkonen who won for Lotus, but Vettel produced a stunning recovery to take third place and maintain the championship lead before the United States Grand Prix and a sensational finale in Brazil.

And in both 2014 and 2016 the championship leader wrapped up the title in Abu Dhabi, with Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg respectively getting the better of one another on those two occasions.

5. This is a racer's paradise

Vettel started from the pit lane rather than the back of the grid in 2012 in order to be able to make set-up changes to his car that would make it easier for overtaking, but his spectacular drive through the field was also possible because it is a track designed with racing in mind.

A flowing first sector is followed by a number of slow corners that are intended to bunch up the field, with the Turn 7 hairpin leading onto the longest straight on the circuit. Then comes a heavy braking zone at Turn 8, where a chicane means the defending driver has a chance of fighting back.

Immediately after that is another straight featuring DRS as we head towards the marina, with a further heavy braking zone leading into a left-right-left combination through which positioning is key so as to not be vulnerable on exit before the left-hander at Turn 14.

From there overtaking becomes more difficult, but the final sector still requires concentration with the barrier on the outside of Turn 19 – exiting from underneath the hotel – having caught out a number of drivers in the past.

[LLC]

There are lots of things that we though would always be around but aren’t. I wonder if Honda will be the first manufacturer to walk away because investing that much money on a series using an internal combustion engine makes no sense when the future is electrification.

I love my naturally aspirated engine and have no desire to go electric but as a manufacture where do you spend your money and resources.

I wonder if in 5 years or 10 years if F1 will still be around.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[In-A-Gadda-Davidoff]

23 hours ago, MIKA27 said:

No offence to Kubica fans, but all Kubica has done is "Drive" in F1 since his return, not race.

Agree 100%.  Money talks.  It is unfortunate that his sponsers purchased his seat at Williams this year.  I'd much rather see young talent gain experience in that seat, instead of Kubica who has no future in F1.  It is commendable that he could forge a comeback after such a devastating racing incident.  That said, he wouldn't have a chance at driving for any of these teams if his financial backers hadn't coughed up enough dough to buy the seat.

[skalls]

I never watched Kubica during his prime, I rooted for the guy.  But he hasn't been competitive at all this year.  I think it would be interesting to see what he could've done in the Renault or something better then what he got.  But i tend to agree that while he could drive, I don't think he could ever get back his old form.  Damn gutsy of him to give it a go.

Been a so-so season for me.  The downs were seriously down this year while the highs weren't that high.  Mercedes was the same old machine.  Ferrari shit the bed.  I think Max could compete for an individual title, but I don't think RBR has 2 racers to win the team title.  Haas was the surprise of the year with their complete lack of race pace. 

I just wish they could ditch this hybrid BS and go to a V8 or V8 turbo along with a KERS system for a boost.  Would be cheaper and may get more engine manufacturers.  It wouldn't be surprising to me by 2021 that there could only be 2 engine suppliers supplying the grid and only 16 cars.  I want the "simpler" engines, not the lack of teams racing.  Oh and I like to see actual racing at each race, excepting Monaco of course.

An unpopular opinion may be to just ditch this whole BS notion about being environmentally friendly.  The race cars put out next to no emotions compared to all the semis and planes that transport the show from city to city.  Not to mention all the work vehicles to get tracks into shape.  Your not, and can't be environmentally friendly, stop trying to peddle that BS and just give us the best racing series on the planet, no holds barred.

As always, I'm already curious what the teams can do for next year.

[MIKA27]

2 hours ago, LLC said:

There are lots of things that we though would always be around but aren’t. I wonder if Honda will be the first manufacturer to walk away because investing that much money on a series using an internal combustion engine makes no sense when the future is electrification.

I love my naturally aspirated engine and have no desire to go electric but as a manufacture where do you spend your money and resources.

I wonder if in 5 years or 10 years if F1 will still be around.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I don't think F1 as it currently is, will be around in 10 years.

I think it will/there will be a breakaway formula of sorts. Just a feeling I have.

I think F1 will end up becoming more of a Hybrid with newer technologies "Tacked on" as the seasons progress.

I wish too for a V8 or V10, refueling also, but those things will never happen again. 

[MIKA27]

Pierre Gasly looks ahead to Abu Dhabi GP

Scuderia Toro Rosso driver Pierre Gasly looks ahead to Formula 1's season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and the challenges posed by the Yas Marina Circuit.

[MIKA27]

1 hour ago, In-A-Gadda-Davidoff said:

Agree 100%.  Money talks.  It is unfortunate that his sponsers purchased his seat at Williams this year.  I'd much rather see young talent gain experience in that seat, instead of Kubica who has no future in F1.  It is commendable that he could forge a comeback after such a devastating racing incident.  That said, he wouldn't have a chance at driving for any of these teams if his financial backers hadn't coughed up enough dough to buy the seat.

That is the problem with Williams more than any other team... they want the money/sponsorship at the detriment of talent.

They have gone downhill the past 10+ years because of it.

Mix that with Claire Williams, who IMHO has no idea how to manage the team, well, they are now a sad shadow of their former selves.

I watched Williams at their height, even the years they were midfield, was so much fun watching Ralph Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya driving for the team. The glory days of F1 just feels like a bygone era for me. Wasn't really that long ago.... 

[Meklown]

1 hour ago, skalls said:

I just wish they could ditch this hybrid BS and go to a V8 or V8 turbo along with a KERS system for a boost.  Would be cheaper and may get more engine manufacturers.  It wouldn't be surprising to me by 2021 that there could only be 2 engine suppliers supplying the grid and only 16 cars.  I want the "simpler" engines, not the lack of teams racing.  Oh and I like to see actual racing at each race, excepting Monaco of course.

An unpopular opinion may be to just ditch this whole BS notion about being environmentally friendly.  The race cars put out next to no emotions compared to all the semis and planes that transport the show from city to city.  Not to mention all the work vehicles to get tracks into shape.  Your not, and can't be environmentally friendly, stop trying to peddle that BS and just give us the best racing series on the planet, no holds barred.

As always, I'm already curious what the teams can do for next year.

I think that one primary purpose of F1 is to help to develop technology that can one day be adapted to road cars. As much as I love the idea of the raw power of v8s or even v12s battling it out, realistically there isn't much of that technology being used in the commercial world. It is amazing the amount of power output that comes out of the F1 engines at 1.6L - the same as my old Honda Civic.

F1 can't ever be environmentally friendly but they could be environmentally friendlier. I'll never stop eating beef (environmentally unfriendly) but that doesn't mean I shouldn't cut down on unnecessary plastic usage/waste. 

We have wristwatches today because the Army Officers during WW1 wanted a quick way to check the time. We have Teflon non-stick pans today because we needed a frictionless surface for the Spacecrafts. F1 will continue to teach manufacturers how to make technologically better engines (faster, cleaner, more efficient etc) to serve the commercial market. 

[avaldes]

I totally get that argument, that F1 is a technology development lab for the automakers. However that is not the case for other racing categories. NASCAR, Indy, NHRA have very little to do with automotive tech development. However I think there is an evolution over the past few years to the idea that the justification for racing is to feed road cars so directly. Likewise, the idea that F1 is somehow charting a path for more environmentally friendly propulsion is pretty unique. That certainly is not the case in the other series I mentioned.

IMO in business there is very little altruism, the reason they are preaching the low emissions angle is not to "save the Earth" but to make more money. They think they can vacuum more money out of our wallets by using this justification.

[MIKA27]

Second will never be good enough for Ferrari – Mattia Binotto

Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto has reviewed the team's season ahead of the final race of the 2019 Formula 1 season, and whilst Ferrari have once again finished second to Mercedes, which Binotto says will "never be good enough", there were some positives.

Ferrari head into the final race with a 222-point deficit to Mercedes with three wins versus 14, but Ferrari's season took a turn after the summer break with a run of pole positions, and Binotto says they can at least be pleased with that.

"Abu Dhabi is the last race of what has been a long season for everyone," he said. "For us at Scuderia Ferrari, it was a year of new beginnings, with team members taking on new roles and Charles [Leclerc] in his first year with us and our aim was to build the foundations for the future.

"Of course there were highs and lows: the first part of the season did not go the way we wanted, but I certainly value the way we all stood together, rolled up our sleeves and fought back.

"Particularly noteworthy was the way we reacted after the summer break, with three race wins in a row and a run of six consecutive poles positions, as well as our win in Monza, just days after the incredible celebration of the 90 years of the Scuderia, in Milan, in front of a huge crowd."

However he conceded that being beaten isn't in Ferrari's mantra and therefore a hard winter awaits the team in order to close down on its rivals.

"Finishing second will never be good enough for Ferrari and we are looking ahead to a very intense winter to keep building as a group," he said. "The aim is to come back stronger to be up to the challenges that await us.

"As the season draws to an end, I would like to say thank you to our tifosi all over the world for their passionate support all year long. This weekend, we will try to give them the best possible result with which to finish the season."