FORMULA 1

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Miami GP organisers propose revised layout, schedule change

Organisers of the proposed Miami Grand Prix have revealed an updated track layout, in an effort to appease local protests to the planned event, while the weekend schedule will be altered.

Formula 1’s owners have long targeted a second grand prix in the United States, to run in addition to the current event, which is held at the Circuit of the Americas in Texas.

Miami has been pinpointed as a target destination but early proposals for a race around the Biscayne Bay district, initially hoped to debut in 2019, were eventually scrapped.

Instead new proposals were laid out for a race to take place in the vicinity of the Hard Rock Stadium, owned by the Miami Dolphins, whose Vice Chairman Tom Garfinkel is leading the Miami Grand Prix project.

An initial layout, proposed last October, incorporated a stretch of 199th Street but a revised layout was issued on Tuesday, excluding the use of public roads in its entirety.

This came after several meetings took place during the intervening period, which included Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez, Formula 1 officials, Garfinkel, Miami Gardens Mayor Oliver G. Gilbert III, Commissioner Barbara J. Jordan, local homeowner groups, faith leaders and members of the community. 

Stadium and Formula 1 officials also provided substantial scientific evidence proving that there are no credible health threats to local residents caused by the racing.

In another development race organisers have agreed that Friday's practice action will not begin until at least 15:00 local time.

This is in order to prevent any potential disruption to local schools at the arena where next month's Super Bowl will take place.

“The Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix is another example of a world-class event coming to our region," said Garfinkel.  

"Like the Super Bowl, an event like this provides a unique opportunity to proudly showcase our region to the world.

"We want these events to benefit everyone in the region, including local Miami Gardens residents, and we look forward to working with Superintendent Carvalho, Dr. Steve Gallon, and the District to bring innovative STEM programming to local students, such as ‘Formula 1 in Schools,’ a global engineering competition.”

The announcements come ahead of Wednesday’s Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners meeting, where the Commission will vote on a measure, put forth by Commissioner Barbara Jordan, which attempts to revoke Hard Rock Stadium’s current zoning rights in an effort to prevent Formula 1 racing.

Formula 1 remains hopeful that the inaugural Miami Grand Prix can be held in 2021.

Liberty Media is still seeking to expand the current calendar, with Saudi Arabia and a second event in China understood to be high on the agenda.

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Williams tester Roy Nissany optimistic but realistic over F1 prospects

Roy Nissany says he is “fully dedicated” to achieving the results in Formula 2 that would earn him a Formula 1 Super Licence, but remains wary of the challenge he faces.

Nissany was last week signed as Williams’ test driver in Formula 1 and one of his prominent backers outlined a desire for the Israeli to emerge as a contender for a 2021 race seat.

Nissany currently has only three Super Licence points, which will be wiped at the end of the year, and consequently needs 40 points in order to qualify for the Formula 1 Super Licence.

It means he has to finish in the top three of this year’s Formula 2 championship.

Nissany has signed a deal to compete for Trident, marking a return to the series after a year’s absence, having placed 22nd overall for Campos in 2018.

“I will probably race in Formula 2 during this year, as a campaign to try and get the Super Licence points,” he said.

“It will be a very, very challenging task to accomplish, I mean, especially looking back at the last two years, which were challenging and difficult.

“But, I find the differences between the last two years and now, I have Williams’ facilities to drive in them and learn as much as I can.

“We have a different car in Formula 2, which will shuffle things up a bit, and again it will be a hard task to accomplish, but I’m so dedicated, fully dedicated.

“I’m training and practising every single day, every single minute that I can. And I’m doing every bit of effort to try and achieve that. And if not, then we will [have] another go in 2021.”

Nissany, who will participate in three FP1 sessions with Williams, first drove the squad’s Formula 1 machinery at last month’s season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix test.

Nissany finished adrift of the pack, over three seconds down on 2020 Williams racer Nicholas Latifi, but played down the overall results.

“The Abu Dhabi lap times were not representative, unfortunately, because we were doing long runs, as I was only driving half days,” he said.

“Both of which were for the long runs, so, actually Nicholas and George [Russell] were doing the ones to make the lap time runs. Therefore, the monitor did not really represent the great work that we did.

“So, it was under the radar, great work, I was very satisfied from my own performance there. The team was very satisfied. I was satisfied from my own performance which I find the most important.

“I believe that this was one of the reasons why we are here, and this kind of portrayed a better future with the team and in Formula 2.”

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Jean Todt: F1 personnel shouldn't moan about expanding calendar

FIA President Jean Todt believes those who work within Formula 1 should not complain about additional events, calling it a “privilege” to be present in the sport.

Formula 1’s calendar has expanded in recent years and in 2020 will feature a record-breaking 22 events, following the return of the Netherlands and addition of Vietnam.

It is expected that as many as 25 rounds could feature in future seasons, creating additional workload, though the duration of grand prix weekends is set to be reduced from four to three days.

Speaking to international media Todt cautioned that “it will be a long process before being close to 25 races” and that it would be “speculating” to suggest the number will be reached.

However he said those working within the championship should not complain.

“I already think, including you [the media], we [at the FIA], and I include myself, for other reasons, we are so blessed to be in a world [where] we love what we do,” Todt said.

“We have the passion, we are privileged, whoever is in Formula 1 is privileged.

“When I was in other positions I was working 18-hour days six or seven days a week, because I had a passion and wanted the result.

“Then of course [your] family, if you have a beloved family, they will understand, and you don’t do that for all your life.”

Todt pointed to other situations in the world that he has experienced, ostensibly through his role as a UN Road Safety Ambassador, which he carries out in conjunction with his duties as FIA President.

“Believe me I do a lot in the other activities in my life where I see people, if they are blessed, they get $30 a month,” he said.

“You have an 8 billion population, you have 800 million people [of that] where they don’t have [enough] to eat, they don’t have [enough] to drink, they don’t have [access] to get the vaccinations.

“We are here to talk about Formula 1 but we must not close our eyes and forget what is happening for other people, for other communities, so, again, I feel we have to be blessed.”

Formula 1 CEO Chase Carey nonetheless accepted that the championship has to be wary of the workload it is putting on its staff.

"I think for everybody’s benefit we need to make the sport healthy, and in a way that’s cognisant of the pressure and the wear and tear," he said.

"People who work for me, I go to 21 races, I’ll go to 22 races [in 2020], and I don’t have to go for the length of time that others go, but I’m not unaware of the wear and tear that comes with it, and I hope we can do more to make it manageable."

Formula 1 has already cut in-season testing for 2020.

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Szafnauer warns Stroll Racing Point gains will take time

Racing Point team boss Otmar Szafnauer says it will still take time for the outfit to make good gains in Formula 1, despite the luxury of having rich team owner Lawrence Stroll.
Following the former Force India team being put in to administration back in 2018, Stroll helped lead a consortium to buy it in the hope of building it into a more competitive force.

The investment has helped the team begin work on some ambitious plans for the future, but Szafnauer says there are no illusions about it being able to make big progress immediately.

Asked by Motorsport.com if Racing Point could keep Stroll's ambitious expectations in check, he said: "I always say reasonable people with the same information come to the same conclusion.

"In F1, you have do it over time. Even Mercedes took three years to win [a race] after they bought Brawn – and that was a team that had just won the championship. Red Bull bought Jaguar, and how long did it take for them to win? Five years! So it takes time.

"But, you're right. Lawrence is ambitious. But he's got to understand: it doesn't happen overnight.

"People often say that, 'well, you've got all the money in the world now. It doesn't matter'. But it's still it's not about the money. Without the money you can't do it. But with the money it takes time.

"Red Bull had all the money in the world. [Dietrich] Mateschitz said do whatever you want. Mercedes had all the money in the world."

While Racing Point has been able to invest in upgrading facilities at its Silverstone factory, and has plans for a new factory, Szafnauer is also clear that the team does not have a blank cheque to do what it wants to do.

"We don't have all the money in the world," he said. "We now have ample money such that we're not held back by developments that we know are there but can't afford to make - which is what we had before. When you are developing the car but you can't make the parts, that's a killer.

"So that's the bit we have now, plus if there's somebody we need to hire, we can go ahead and hire them whereas before we couldn't

"We still have a budget, probably the smallest budget [in F1], but before we were just in survival mode. Now we don't have that here, and that's hugely beneficial to be able to plan and put on the car the developments that you know are available."

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Racing Point confirms date for car launch in Austria

Racing Point has become the latest team to confirm launch plans for its 2020 Formula 1 challenger.

The as-yet-unnamed car will be unveiled on Monday 17 February at main sponsor BWT’s base in Mondsee, Austria.

Racing Point finished in seventh position in last year’s Constructors’ Championship.

It has retained Sergio Perez, now contracted through 2022, and Lance Stroll as its driver line-up.

BWT has been a main sponsor of Racing Point, formerly Force India, since 2017.

The launch is set to take place two days prior to the start of pre-season testing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain.

Ferrari is currently slated to be the first team to take the wraps off its 2020 car, with an event planned for February 11.

Renault (February 12), McLaren (February 13) and Mercedes and Alpha Tauri (February 14) will follow suit.

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Drive To Survive Season 2 to hit screens in February

The second season of Formula 1’s Drive To Survive documentary will premiere on Netflix on February 28.

The first series, which featured 10 episodes, received widespread acclaimed when it launched in March, with Netflix’s cameras having tracked eight teams through the 2018 season.

For 2019 all 10 teams allowed Netflix’s crew behind-the-scenes at various stages of the season.

Production company Box to Box Films confirmed on Wednesday that the second season of Drive To Survive will be available on the subscription service from February 28.

A short preview clip was also made available, showing a glimpse of the German Grand Prix, at which Mercedes was extensively profiled.

It is also understood that Robert Kubica’s comeback and Pierre Gasly’s rollercoaster season form the centrepiece for two of the episodes.

There will again be 10 episodes in the upcoming series.

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Charles Leclerc gets two grandstands named after him

Charles Leclerc's quick rise from rookie to Ferrari star has been recognised by two circuits on the Formula 1 calendar, which have named grandstands after the 22-year-old.

Leclerc's native Monaco has renamed Grandstand K (pictured) between Turns 12 and 13, which overlooks the harbour just before the Piscine complex, which will now be known as the Grandstand Charles Leclerc.

Circuit Paul Ricard in France has followed suit and renamed its main grandstand along the start/finish straight after the Ferrari driver.

It's not unusual for circuits to name grandstands after local drivers, or those with a link to a circuit, such as Max Verstappen who not only has a grandstand named in his honour at the Red Bull Ring, but also at Spa-Francorchamps which prior to the return of the Dutch Grand Prix this season, acted as his home race for his thousands of fans.

 

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Ferrari breaks with tradition to launch 2020 car in Reggio Emilia

Ferrari will break with tradition by launching its car away from its Maranello base, instead choosing to unveil its 2020 challenger in Reggio Emilia.

The Scuderia almost always hosts its launch at the team factory in Maranello or its adjoining test facility, but this year the car, which goes by the title 'Project 671', will be unveiled in the nearby town of Reggio Emilia, in the historic Romolo Valli Municipal Theatre on February 11.

Ferrari has also confirmed it will be an evening event which will be streamed across its platforms at 18:30 local time (17:30 GMT).

"We have chosen Reggio Emilia, because 223 years ago, this city was where the tricolour was born and later adopted as the flag of unified Italy," the team said in a statement. 

"The Valli Theatre is therefore the perfect setting to reveal Scuderia Ferrari’s latest car."

The car will likely undergo a shakedown – officially a 'filming day' – in Fiorano before official pre-season testing gets underway at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on February 19.

This year only six days of pre-season testing have been permitted, rather than the usual eight.

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FIA and Formula 1 signs UN's Sports for Climate Action pledge

Both Formula 1 and governing body the FIA have become signatories of the United Nations’ Sports for Climate Action Framework.

The championship stepped up its environmental plans last year by announcing its desire to be a net zero carbon sport by 2030, with all grands prix sustainable by 2025.

Formula 1 and FIA are the latest in a long list of signatories that must adhere to principles that help drive awareness of climate change.

These include ‘undertaking systematic efforts to promote greater environmental responsibility, reduce overall climate impact, educate for climate action, promote sustainable and responsible consumption, and advocate for climate action through communication’.

Other signatories of the UN’s framework include the International Olympic Committee – and organisers of the next games in Tokyo (2020) and Paris (2024) – FIFA, UEFA, the NBA and World Rugby.

Formula E and Extreme E have also signed up to the pledge.

“As an international Federation comprising 244 members in 140 countries and the leader in motor sport and mobility development, we are fully committed to global environmental protection,” said FIA President Jean Todt.

“The signing of this UN Sports for Climate Action Framework reinforces the momentum that has been growing in our Federation for many years.

“From the introduction of the hybrid power unit in F1 to the creation of the Environment and Sustainability Commission, the entire FIA community has been investing time, energy and financial resources to the benefit of environmental innovations.

“We aim to inspire greater awareness and best practice in sustainability motor sport standards.”

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Canal+ extends French F1 TV rights through 2022 season

Formula 1 will continue to be broadcast on Canal+ in France and its territories through at least 2022.

Canal+ has broadcast Formula 1 in the country since 2013 but a fresh agreement has been reached with the championship, extending its current contract by a further two years.

All Formula 1 sessions, along with Formula 2 and Formula 3, will be shown on Canal+ and its accompanying channels, as well as the myCanal app.

Formula 1 currently has three French drivers in the form of Esteban Ocon (Renault), Pierre Gasly (Toro Rosso) and Romain Grosjean (Haas), the joint-highest representation on the grid.

“The renewal of the rights for Formula 1 on Canal+ is great news for our subscribers,” said Canal+ Director of Sports Thierry Cheleman.

“Canal+ viewers have a strong appetite for Formula 1 and praise the quality of our editorial coverage.

“For the 2020 season we are already planning full broadcasts, enriched services on myCanal, reports and interviews, live broadcasts from all our journalists and consultants.

“Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen will more than ever challenge Lewis Hamilton. Magnificent challenges await the three French drivers, notably Esteban Ocon at Renault.

“The calendar counts for the first time 22 meetings with the return of the Grand Prix of the Netherlands and the appearance of the Grand Prix of Vietnam.

“In short, there are a thousand good reasons to be passionate about Formula 1 in the coming seasons.”

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Williams: Onus on us to show George Russell's talents

Williams says it is its responsibility to provide George Russell with a car with which the British youngster can “show some of his real talent”, after a difficult 2019 season for the operation.

Russell stepped up to Formula 1 with Williams last year off the back of successive titles in feeder categories GP3 and Formula 2.

The Mercedes-backed youngster out-qualified team-mate Robert Kubica at each race but the Pole’s point in Germany left Russell as the only driver on the grid without a point.

Williams spent 2019 rooted to the rear of the 10-team grid, amid difficulties with its FW42, prompting an overhaul of its organisation behind-the-scenes.

“George did such a good job last year,” said Claire Williams of Russell, entering the second season of a multi-year deal.

“We just need more of the same George and I have no doubts [that] he’ll deliver in the way he did last year.

“I know that George just wants to be given a race car that he can actually show some of his real talent and the onus is on us in order to do that.

“He’s been working hard, he’s in Lanzarote for is training camp, and he’s really keen to get back into the car and see where it is.”

Russell will this year be paired alongside sole 2020 rookie Nicholas Latifi, who held the role of reserve through 2019, and steps up as Formula 2 runner-up.

“I’m looking forward to seeing what they’ll do and drive each other on,” she said.

“Nicholas is very hard working, diligent and singularly focused. I know he’s eager to get in the car and he’s looking forward to that and is working hard to prepare for that.

“We know him because we worked with him last year, we know what he’s potentially capable of.

“I think he had a strong F2 campaign and we can only wait and see where he goes – but he’s rookie of the year already and that’s a great thing!”

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F1 launches auction in aid of Australian bushfires

Formula 1 has launched an auction to raise funds which will be donated to four charities which are actively fighting and dealing with the impact of the devastating bushfires in Australia.

Whilst the fires have been dampened by recent storms, more than 80 blazes are still burning across New South Wales and Victoria.

Since September the fires have killed at least 30 people, destroyed over 2,000 homes and burnt through 10 million hectares of land, which is equal to an area almost the size of England.

It's estimated that over a billion animals and tens of billions of insects have died as a result of the fires.

In order to raise funds for four charities: Red Cross Australia, Country Fire Authority Victoria, Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal and WWF Australian Wildlife and Nature Recovery Fund, F1 has launched an auction in partnership with the Australian Grand Prix Corporation.

Up for auction will be exclusive items, signed merchandise and amazing ‘money-can’t-buy’ experiences.

Among the many items already generously donated are the racing gloves and shoes used by Daniel Ricciardo during his first season with Renault, the helmet that Kevin Magnussen will use at the Australian GP in March as well as race suits from Alexander Albon, Max Verstappen, Romain Grosjean and Daniil Kvyat.

Also up for auction are a meet and greet in the Australian Grand Prix paddock with drivers from several teams, including Lewis Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas, Alexander Albon, Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, Carlos Sainz, Sergio Perez, Lance Stroll, George Russell and Nicholas Latifi as well as with team bosses Mattia Binotto, Toto Wolff and Claire Williams

Team factory visits are on offer from McLaren and Renault, and there’s a chance to train with the Renault Sport Academy and a Paddock Club Experience courtesy of Pirelli, to be on board of the FIA Safety Car for a hot lap at the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne and to visit the Race Control Room during the Australian Grand Prix and have dinner with Ross Brawn, Managing Director, Motorsport at F1.

The auction runs from January 22, to February 9 for experiences and 16 February for products and merchandise.

To learn more, head to https://www.f1authentics.com/.

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Ocon signing creates "another dynamic" at Renault

Renault Formula 1 team boss Cyril Abiteboul says that Esteban Ocon will bring a "another dynamic" to the Enstone team in 2020.
The Frenchman is replacing Nico Hulkenberg this year, after spending last season on the sidelines as a Mercedes simulator driver.

Ocon, who last raced with Racing Point/Force India in 2018, began his F1 career as a Renault young driver.

"It's another dynamic," Abiteboul told Motorsport.com. "He will push us in a different way, a new energy, a new aggressivity, in my opinion a fully positive one, coming also with a different set of experiences, having worked with Mercedes.

"So it's good, but at the end of the day we can do lots of things with drivers, but what needs to be better is obviously the racing car."

Abiteboul contrasted Ocon's impact with that of his teammate Daniel Ricciardo, who moved from Red Bull to Renault in 2019.

The Australian's decision to abandon a winning car raised expectations, and inevitably it was regarded a step backwards when he was not able to come close to the sort of results that he was used to.

Abiteboul is confident that Ocon will have upward momentum and achieve better results than he did at his previous team.

"I think it's slightly different. He's still in the construction phase. First, he's coming back to racing, which is good news.

"Hopefully he will have a better car than the one he had last time he drove, so it's a positive dynamic for us when a lot of people attribute our bad 2019 season to the decision with Daniel, and his season with us, as more of a negative dynamic.

"I can see more positive things spinning out of Esteban. it's not that Daniel was negative, because I praise what Daniel has pushed the team to do.

"But he put pressure on the team with the expectations he created in the media sphere by joining the team. It's what we wanted, but de facto he create a huge amount of expectation, way above what we promised.

"And by doing that it has led to a reaction from the team when we saw we were not at the required level."

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Why Haas are confident they'll right the wrongs of 2019 in 2020

“Very, very good.” That was Kevin Magnussen’s description of Haas’ VF-19 after he guided the black and gold machine to sixth in the season opening Australian Grand Prix last year…

But that result proved to be a false dawn. The car became “bloody undriveable” as Romain Grosjean once put it and they ended up ninth of 10 teams in the standings. Their boss Guenther Steiner, however, remains optimistic that last year was just a blip.

“We just went wrong in the development of the car,” says Steiner, as we chat in the Haas hospitality unit. Haas battled for fourth with Renault for most of 2018 before ending up fifth, a best-ever result for the team who joined the grid in 2016 – but one which raised hopes for 2019.

Their times in 2019 pre-season testing at a cold Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya were impressive, and suggested they would once again compete at the head of the midfield. Australia was encouraging, with Magnussen taking sixth in cool conditions. But when things heated up in Bahrain, the car dropped down the field like a lead balloon.

Things didn’t improve thereafter but they held out hope that an update set for Spain would do the trick, as their data initially suggested it would. Magnussen and Grosjean didn’t like the new package, though; they felt it was worse, and the data suggested it was too – but the car was reasonably quick so the team opted to push on. This was a mistake.

“We have to be more critical of ourselves,” concedes Steiner. “When we brought the upgrade to Barcelona, the drivers weren’t sure about it. No one was brave enough to say ‘this doesn't work’ because the car was quick. The data didn't look good, but the car was quick. So what do you believe? The good things, of course. It's the wrong thing to do. Barcelona is a special circuit, which our car works very well on. We pushed on and once we realised we were in the wrong direction, it was too late... If we had been brave in Barcelona, we wouldn't have been where we are now.”

In qualifying trim, the car was a contender for Q3 but in the race, a lack of rear downforce, particularly in the slow-speed corners, sent them spiraling backwards. It was a depressingly common occurrence – and Haas couldn’t work out why.

Eventually, they decided to revert back to the Melbourne-spec – and they ended up with that car with small modifications at the final race of the season, something unheard of F1. But the good news was that they had understood what had gone wrong.

The aerodynamic concept was flawed. That, coupled with a lack of correlation between CFD (computational fluid dynamics) and wind tunnel data and the track, compounded the problem. Work set about focusing on making sure this was corrected for the following season, with the remainder of 2019 nothing more than an extended test session for the following campaign.

“It's a numbers game,” says Steiner. “I'm very confident that we will be back to where we were in 2018, or very similar [in 2020]. You can never say, as the other teams have a say as well. But we went back to work the way we worked before and that gives me the confidence we can get it done.”

Haas ended up ninth in 2019, ahead of only Williams, with just 28 points, their lowest haul since they entered the sport in 2016. It ended an improving run of form, which had seen them score 29, 47 and 93 points respectively in the preceding three years.

That will hurt the team’s morale, but also their finances, as a drop of four places in the constructors’ championship brings a reduced share of the revenues. Add in the loss of title sponsor Rich Energy and 2019 was a costly season. They had been in the running to sign Orlen – and Robert Kubica as a development driver for this year – which would have delivered a healthy financial boost and supplemented owner Gene Haas’ sizeable investment. But ultimately, they lost out to Alfa Romeo.

“It's a big loss,” admits Steiner. “But we just need to try and get over it and find solutions for the team, be even more efficient than then we are already and do our best to get out of the hole.”

They will at least enter 2020 with stability in their drivers, with Grosjean and Magnussen staying for the fourth and third year respectively. With so much work to do on the car, Steiner and Haas say they stuck with what they had to avoid adding more variables to the pot. That said, it is believed that had Nico Hulkenberg fancied a one-year deal, rather than pushing for two, it is a strong possibility he would have partnered Magnussen.

2019 might have been a difficult campaign, but Steiner feels it was a one-off. The climb up is slower and tougher than the drop down, so it’s going to be a challenge. But they’ve already shown the resilience needed to survive in F1. Let’s see if it pays off.

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Raikkonen 'not excited' to become most experienced driver in history

He's been on the grid for all but two seasons since 2001, taking part in over 300 Grands Prix. But the prospect of breaking the record for most race starts holds little excitement for Alfa Romeo's Kimi Raikkonen, who is set to re-write the history books at this year's Austrian Grand Prix.

The Iceman, who made his debut for Sauber at the 2001 Australian Grand Prix, enters the season just 10 GP starts off fellow Ferrari alumnus Rubens Barrichello’s record of 322 race starts. But when asked about approaching the landmark, Raikkonen was typically nonplussed.

“On that, not [excited],” was his reply.

“It gives me nothing, but I’m excited now to have another go and we can improve from this year and learn the lessons from what we’ve done wrong and what we’ve done good and get a bit closer to the front, but time will tell, it’s way too early.

“Once we start running the cars in the first race… we will get a good idea.”

Raikkonen left Ferrari for Alfa Romeo at the end of 2018 – and his latest employer’s pace is currently a far cry from the Scuderia’s. It doesn’t mean the expectation on the 40-year-old is any less, however.

“I don’t think the pressure was any different. Obviously we want to do well and like I said, it’s a shame [Alfa Romeo have] kind of fallen down as a team, but as a driver, I think everyone puts a lot of pressure on themselves and in the end the work that we do over the race weekend is not really any different whichever team you’re in, it’s just that the meetings are very similar between teams, the driving is there and the racing.”

“Outside of racing it has been less busy so that’s nice part of it plus obviously the [Swiss-based] team is very close to where I live so I don’t need to travel to different countries, in many ways it helps, I have a bit more time to stay with the family. It’s a nice thing.”

At 40, Raikkonen is the oldest driver on the current grid, but he can rest assured he is far from becoming the oldest driver to start a Grand Prix. That accolade belongs to Louis Chiron, who started the 1955 Monaco GP at the age of 55. The oldest race winner? Luigi Fagioli at 53...

Alfa Romeo are yet to announce a launch date for their 2020 challenger, but they have a fellow veteran on board for the upcoming season: Robert Kubica, who recently joined as reserve driver.

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McLaren hard at work as MCL35 launch draws closer

 

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Red Bull and ExxonMobil agree multi-year extension

Aston Martin Red Bull Racing has confirmed that it will continue its partnership with fuel and oil supplier ExxonMobil in a multi-year extension to its existing deal, which also reaffirms Red Bull's commitment to Formula 1.

No team has yet to sign up to F1's new Concorde agreement which applies from next season, however, this deal looks set to mean that a signature from Red Bull would likely be a mere formality.

Red Bull and ExxonMobil's partnership, which began in 2017, will continue into a fourth successive season.

Synergy between fuel and oil suppliers and power unit suppliers has proven key during the hybrid era of F1.

The extension of the collaboration between ExxonMobil will also aid Honda's bid to close the gap between it and the pacesetters, Mercedes and Ferrari.  

The deal will continue to see both Mobil 1 and Esso brands across the cars and driver's helmets and team apparel.

Red Bull Racing Team Principal, Christian Horner, said: "Aston Martin Red Bull Racing is very pleased to be continuing its successful partnership with ExxonMobil for the upcoming 2020 Formula One season and beyond.

"Over the past three seasons the work conducted by ExxonMobil, in close collaboration with our engineers and the Team’s engine suppliers, has produced very positive results.

"Each new development of fuel and lubricants has added performance that have undoubtedly helped us charge towards our on-track goals and we look forward to seeing further gains through the extension of this partnership."

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Marko rules out further Red Bull F1 call-ups for ex-juniors

Red Bull will not consider bringing former juniors like Jean-Eric Vergne back into its Formula 1 fold in the future, motorsport advisor Helmut Marko says.
The energy drink giant has long placed an emphasis on homegrown talent in signing drivers for its main F1 outfit and the junior team, which will be known in 2020 as AlphaTauri.

A shortage of F1-ready drivers in its junior scheme two years ago led to Red Bull signing Brendon Hartley, who had left its programme back in 2010 and had subsequently won the Le Mans 24 Hours and the World Endurance Championship title with Porsche.

Though Hartley lasted just over a season at what was then Toro Rosso, the precedent of his return has meant that the likes of WEC and Formula E champion Sebastien Buemi and fellow FE champion Jean-Eric Vergne - both axed from Red Bull's F1 ranks in the past - have been repeatedly mentioned as potential candidates for Red Bull-controlled vacant seats.

Speaking to Motorsport.com, Marko said of such drivers' chances of returning to F1 with Red Bull: "The topic is closed. They have made careers in other directions and other motorsport categories.

"Now, if a Jean-Eric Vergne wins Formula E, it's something completely different from the requirements that we have in Formula 1.

"Because there he would be more or less a complete newcomer. It would take him a whole season to get used to the specialities of a Pirelli tyre. So for that reason alone, it's all in the past.

"But when you look around, a lot of our juniors are successful. They earn good money and have turned their hobby into a profession. That is great."

The year after Hartley's arrival, Red Bull signed two other drivers it previously dropped in Daniil Kvyat and Alex Albon to make up its Toro Rosso roster.

Despite this, Marko does not feel Red Bull's standards have been set too high.

"You have to understand that from a philosophical point of view. At first the junior team was a kind of patronage because everybody knew how expensive motorsport is and [Red Bull owner Dietrich] Mateschitz said that we want to give drivers a chance.

"But then suddenly we had two Formula 1 teams. And then it was clear that supporting someone because they are relatively successful is not enough.

"It was decided that they must at least have the potential to win a grand prix. And that's why the selection has become more rigorous.

"I can't quite understand these points of criticism, because we finance drivers for a full season or two, without these funds they would never have got into this situation at all. And if it's not enough for F1, well, there are only 20 [F1 drivers], and we know from these 20 that not all of them are in it just because of their skills.

"How many people [from our programme] have won a grand prix? [Sebastian] Vettel, [Daniel] Ricciardo, Max [Verstappen]. A podium, I can't tell you all how many people have made it to the podium.

"Internally we are happy and proud, and we are being copied on a massive scale. But none of the other programmes have come anywhere near to what we have achieved."

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Renault: 2021 ambitions can't be an excuse for poor 2020

Renault says that its high ambitions for 2021 must not be used as an excuse for the team to have a poor campaign this year.
The French car manufacturer has always been clear that it views the rules overhaul coming for 2021 as a big opportunity for it to make a good step and start challenging the top three teams.

But while work has already got underway with its future challenger, the team also knows that it cannot write off the 2020 season after it disappointed last year.

For while there will probably not be as much hype around the outfit this time out, compared to the fanfare that greeted Daniel Ricciardo's arrival, the team still needs to hit some performance targets.

Speaking exclusively to Motorsport.com about whether or not there will be a different mindset this year, Renault F1 managing director Cyril Abiteboul said: "Frankly no. From a communication perspective, or from an expectation perspective, things will probably be a bit different.

"But I think it's a regular winter. But it's also winter that precedes a year that will be a bit challenging, in the way that we need to balance 2021 against 2020.

"Everyone up and down the grid will have that challenge, but I think no team has the same amount of expectation as us for 2021, because all of our strategies are based on that. But also the regulations are massively benefiting us. That's why it's it has to be that way.

"But I don't want 2021 to be an excuse for 2020 and for doing a poor season in 2020. In 2020, we should leverage all the changes that have been done in 2019.

"They should have a positive impact, not just in 2021, but as soon as 2020. That's what I want to see."

Renault will launch its 2020 F1 car at an event in Paris on February 12.

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Sainz thriving in supportive McLaren environment - Brown

A lack of ambiguity over his future has made McLaren an ideal environment for Carlos Sainz according to CEO Zak Brown, who said that the Spaniard prefers the stability offered by McLaren to the 'uncertainty' at Toro Rosso, where he made his F1 debut.

Sainz, who left Toro Rosso mid-season to replace Jolyon Palmer at Renault from the 2017 US Grand Prix, was one of a number of drivers in the Red Bull roster to be pre-emptively shuffled. Others include Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon, who were swapped in the 2019 summer break – while Max Verstappen replaced Daniil Kvyat midway through 2016 to win the Spanish GP on his Red Bull debut.

Speaking recently at Autosport International, Brown said: "Carlos has been outstanding. I think he'd been living under one-year contracts in the whole Red Bull-Toro Rosso environment."

To underline their confidence in Sainz, who joined the team for 2019 and finished sixth in the championship, McLaren were quick to retain both him and rookie team mate Lando Norris, doing so before July’s British Grand Prix.

"Obviously [Red Bull are a] fantastic team," continued Brown, "but they can be a bit rough on their drivers and I think Carlos is a driver that needs to know he's got a team behind him and the next race might not be his last race, which is a little bit of the environment that is created over there [at Red Bull and Toro Rosso] sometimes."

Yet, it was a gamble to take on Norris for 2019 admitted Brown - but one that paid off almost instantly.

"I think there was some risk with it, Lando being the youngest British driver. He's had such a stellar career every step of the way. It really clinched it for us when he did his Free Practice 1s - he was extremely impressive. Also when he did the 24 Hours of Daytona [in January 2018] with Fernando [Alonso] as his team mate we were able to see how that went and he didn't leave anything behind. There was debate as to actually who was quicker!

"He stepped up to the plate. The one for me when I went 'Yep, he's ready', was when he did his first Free Practice 1 in Formula 1 [at the 2018 Belgian GP]. He was as relaxed as when I'd seen him on the grid of a Formula Renault race.

"He wasn't kind of having this moment of 'I'm in Fernando Alonso's car, here I am'. I think the first session maybe had even been wet and, you know, he was cool. And he had the speed right away."

With significant shake-ups at McLaren for 2020 – including a management reshuffle – the team are hoping for results beyond the top four of the championship. But it's yet to be seen just how big a jump in performance the MCL35, which will launch on February 13, will provide.

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Ex-McLaren chief Eric Boullier expands French GP role

Former McLaren boss Eric Boullier has been appointed as the new Managing Director of Formula 1’s French Grand Prix.

Boullier joined McLaren as Racing Director in 2014 but oversaw a slump in the team’s fortunes and tendered his resignation midway through its difficult 2018 season.

He joined the French Grand Prix organisation as an ambassador and operational advisor in 2019 and for 2020 has taken up the role of Managing Director.

"I am happy and proud to be more involved in this beautiful project that is the Formula 1 Grand Prix de France,” said Boullier.

“I look forward to continuing to contribute to the success of this great motor sport event on French soil.

“I would like to thank [French Grand Prix President] Christian Estrosi and the Grand Prix de France - Le Castellet for their trust.”

Formula 1 returned to France at Circuit Paul Ricard in 2018, ending a 10-year absence from the country, with the Provence venue featuring for the first time since 1990.

But the event was marred by logistical failures that led to travel problems throughout the course of the weekend.

In addition to confirmation of Boullier’s role, event organisers revealed that the mobility plan – introduced in 2019 – has been extended for this June’s race.

Free park-and-ride shuttles will be expanded to include additional towns, the campsite will be extended, while the impact of last year’s traffic plan will be assessed and amended.

MotorsportWeek.com also understands that organisers are in the final stages of seeking approval for the track layout to be changed before this year’s event.

The alterations are set to focus on the first sector, which includes the Verrerie complex and Virage de L’hotel, following criticism of the venue at last year’s round.

The second and third sectors – including the use of the Chicane Nord along the Mistral Straight – are set to remain unchanged.

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Jean-Eric Vergne: It took me three years to recover from F1 bombshell

Jean-Eric Vergne says it took him 'at least' three years to fully recover from the shock of being dropped by Red Bull in 2014.

Vergne had graduated to Formula 1 in 2012 with a full-time seat at Toro Rosso, but was dropped after three seasons and replaced by Max Verstappen, whilst Carlos Sainz took up the seat left by Daniil Kvyat, who was promoted to Red Bull.

Recalling that period in his life, Vergne admitted he arrived with the wrong attitude and was then left with little to his name when Red Bull dropped the axe.

"I arrived with Red Bull and the first year was very difficult. My head was very big, I thought I was going to beat everyone, I thought I was the king, but the first year was really tough on me," Vergne said in Formula E Access All Areas video.

“People were seeing me as a negative person – never happy. Which I was actually. It took me too long to understand that I should be smiling. I think for three years I was not smiling. They thought here’s this typical French guy being moody. 

“Then I received the call saying goodbye. It was very difficult. I remember it was like a bomb, all your dreams going away.

“When I left F1, I had no more cash, no more money. I was stupid with my money and I spent it all. I was not earning a lot of money. People think you are a Formula 1 driver, but it was not a lot. Yet I felt like I was a millionaire and I spent it all."

Vergne immediately signed a deal with Andretti Autosport to race in Formula E's debut season where he finished seventh in the standings with two podium finishes, but it took him years to overcome the shock of losing his F1 seat.

"It was a good time for me to reset everything in my life," he added. “It took me at least three years to get back to normal, not normal life, but normal mentality.”

Vergne has since gone on to become Formula E's first back-to-back champion, claiming the title in 2017/18 and 2018/19 with the DS Techeetah outfit.

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Pat Fry gets green light to take up Renault role next week

Renault has confirmed that new technical director Pat Fry will join the Formula 1 team next week, ahead of the start of pre-season testing.

Renault revealed last November that it had secured the services of Fry, 55, but had not set a start date for his appointment, with the Briton having been placed on gardening leave by McLaren.

On Monday Renault confirmed that Fry will take up his new position as Technical Director (Chassis) on February 5, and will be present for its 2020 team launch the following week.

Renault recruited Fry as its new technical chief in the wake of a disappointing 2019 campaign, in which its progress stalled, and it slipped to fifth place in the Constructors’ Championship.

Renault parted company with long-term technical director Nick Chester while Dirk de Beer was recruited to replace Peter Machin as Head of Aerodynamics.

Fry previously worked at Enstone, under its Benetton guise, in the late 1980s/early 1990s, prior to a lengthy spell at McLaren, which led to a senior position at Ferrari in the early 2010s.

But after Ferrari’s disappointing 2014 campaign Fry was let go and he returned to Formula 1 with Manor in 2016, before re-joining McLaren while it awaited the arrival of James Key.

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Alfa Romeo sets launch date for 2020 F1 car

Alfa Romeo has become the latest team to set a launch date for its 2020 Formula 1 car.

The squad’s new package, the C39, will be unveiled in the pit lane at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya at 08:15 on February 19.

Pre-season testing will begin at the venue 45 minutes later.

Alfa Romeo finished eighth in last year’s Constructors’ Championship, mirroring Sauber’s 2018 classification, but struggled with the development of its C38, and lacked race pace after the summer break.

Kimi Raikkonen, the 2007 World Champion, and Ferrari-affiliated Antonio Giovinazzi have been retained as the driver line-up.

Ex-Williams racer Robert Kubica has returned to the squad as reserve driver, bringing with him PKN Orlen, which will act as Alfa Romeo’s title sponsor.

Kubica, who is set for some Friday running with Alfa Romeo, raced for the team under its BMW Sauber guise from 2006 to 2009, taking his and the squad’s sole win at the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix.

Ferrari is set to be the first team to unveil its 2020 Formula 1 car on February 11, with Renault (February 12), McLaren (February 13) and Mercedes and Alpha Tauri (February 14) following the same week.

Racing Point’s RP20 will be launched in Austria on February 17.

Red Bull, Haas and Williams have yet to formally communicate their plans.

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Haas can avoid "big negative spiral" like Williams, McLaren

Haas Formula 1 driver Kevin Magnussen believes his team can bounce back from its poor 2019 showing and avoid the kind of "big negative spiral" that occurred at former powerhouses McLaren and Williams.
Though Magnussen's sole F1 podium so far came with McLaren in Australia in 2014, this owed much to engine supplier Mercedes' initial dominance in the hybrid era - and the Woking-based team would only return to the rostrum five years later, with the intervening seasons proving very tough.

And while McLaren now seems on the way up, its fellow former top F1 outfit Williams has slumped to the very bottom of grand prix racing's pecking order, scoring just a handful of points across the past two seasons.

Heading into 2019, F1's newest team Haas had looked poised to fight at the front of the midfield, but its season unravelled dramatically and it ended up taking the penultimate spot in the constructors' championship, finishing closer to Williams' points tally than eight-placed Alfa Romeo's.

But though Magnussen accepts it's been "a difficult, difficult time", he stresses that 2019 marked "the first time that the team has gone backwards" and believes it shouldn't lose sight of its previous accomplishments since its 2016 debut.

"The first three years we took big steps forward," Magnussen told Motorsport.com. "Maybe it doesn't look so big, but actually going from P8 in the constructors to P5 in three years is pretty good.

"Like Toro Rosso, for example, have never finished in the top five. Never. They've won a race. They've got the podium a few times, and they've never been in the top five. [Haas'] third year, top five. So that's bloody impressive. And nobody seems to notice this.

"Generally it's just been such as pleasure, you know, getting to a team that was on the rise rather than on the fall. It's just a much more positive experience - growing, feeling the growth and the improvements and the excitement that all of this is happening.

"So then this year, we've taken a step back and you get that sense of the same feeling happening, people are starting to doubt themselves. But I think there's no reason to.

"It's hard to expect to only go forward all the time. As long as we don't get into this big negative spiral that some of the big teams have been [in], like McLaren, and Williams, where they've completely lost it and just spent many years going backwards - I don't think that's going to happen here.

"And that's part of that's one of the good things about being such a small and young team. We think we can turn the situation quicker and just get back on track. I'm very positive we can do that."

Magnussen had joined Haas from Renault back in 2017, and has been retained alongside Romain Grosjean - who has been part of the team's roster since the start - for the upcoming season.

Like his teammate, Grosjean believes Haas can take its disappointing season in its stride, as long as it's honest about its shortcomings.

He said: "We all need to be frank with ourselves and say: 'Look, what can we do better? where can we improve?' [What] was the area [that was] not the best - the drivers, engineers, management, communications, kitchen? Everyone in the team needs to look at themselves honestly and see what we can do better.

"If we can all do that, we can improve. We've learned so much this year, we have so much more data, ways of looking at things and I think it's going to be positive."