FORMULA 1

[MIKA27]

Hamilton or Schumacher? Brawn weighs in on 'greatest' debate

Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher shared just three seasons in F1 together, yet both drivers’ careers have defined their respective eras. And with Hamilton well-placed to equal the great German’s seven titles in 2020, Formula 1’s Managing Director of Motorsports Ross Brawn has explained the winning qualities shared by both drivers.

Brawn worked with both drivers during his career, overseeing all seven of Schumacher’s championships as Technical Director for both Benetton (from 1991-96) and Ferrari (from 1997-2006), before helping to bring Hamilton from McLaren to Mercedes for 2013 – as a replacement for Schumacher, incidentally – whilst Team Principal at the Silver Arrows.

“They are both massively talented in what they do in the car and those moments where they pull something out of nowhere,” said Brawn. “Some of the qualifying laps Lewis has done have left the team speechless.

“Michael was the same. There are sometimes just those drivers who can do that.

“Lewis… has deserved every championship he has won,” Brawn added. “He has got himself at the right team at the right time and he is at peak performance.

“He doesn’t make mistakes and is a fantastic driver. His performance is exceptional. It is not like Lewis is winning out of luck. He is winning because he is doing a fantastic job and you have to give him credit.”

Aside from matching Schumacher’s seven titles, 2020 could also see Hamilton surpass Schumacher’s record of 91 victories, a tally many thought would never be beaten. But Brawn noted one key difference between the two champions in their approaches.

“They were different eras, different competition, different types of car, fewer points awarded in the past and quite different personalities,” explained Brawn. “Very different personalities.

“Lewis is incredibly professional, dedicated and committed but Michael had an intensity of detail toward the car that Lewis doesn’t need. Michael was brought up in an era where there wasn’t the technology there is now. Data analysis was pretty crude; driver involvement was much higher.

“Now a driver gets out of the car and the engineer has an analysis of the car’s behaviour through every corner. So the driver almost doesn’t have to say very much.

“When I first worked with Michael, we had a sheet with the corner numbers on and he had to explain where he had understeer or oversteer and we would then analyse that. Now, by the time the driver turns his radio on, they have the analysis.

“So the needs and requirements of a driver are quite different. Michael had that intensity and involvement in the car that Lewis doesn’t need to have, so I don’t know how he would engage in that way as he’s been brought up in an era where that isn’t needed.”

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How a Ferrari-like tweak could help Mercedes go even faster in 2020

A Ferrari-like sidepod feature expected on the upcoming 2020 Mercedes could have a particularly powerful effect on the aero of the Silver Arrows – because of a chassis shape that is believed to be unique...

We understand that the 2020 Mercedes will feature a lower-mounted upper side impact beam (indicated by the red lozenge on the drawing above, compared to last year's yellow lozenge). This was an innovation when introduced by Ferrari on its 2017 car but has since been widely copied.

Mercedes are one of the last to incorporate the feature, which allows the main body of the sidepod to begin further back, thereby giving the airflow fed from the front wing and through the barge boards more length in which to re-attach itself to the bodywork of the car. This should give a better, faster, airflow that will ultimately draw harder on the underfloor when it exits, boosting the underbody downforce.

But it is the unique Mercedes T-section chassis shape that featured on last year’s car which could (if, as expected, it's retained) allow the new sidepod arrangement to be even more powerful. Aft of the cockpit area, the Mercedes chassis is highly unconventional in shape.

Underneath the sidepod of last year’s Mercedes W10

The drawing above shows the radiator, cooling tract and upper side impact beam beneath the sidepod of last year’s Mercedes W10. With the radiator, tract and various ancillaries removed (as seen in the two drawings below), we can see that the chassis is extensively cut away in its lower part, allowing the fantastically tight packaging of the mechanical components around this area.

In this respect, it resembles the 1987 Benetton chassis (see drawing below), which would form a T-shape if a section were vertically cut through it.

Such a shape has allowed Mercedes to bring the radiator further forward than would otherwise be the case, helping centre the car’s masses towards the middle, which will give a more agile and responsive car, especially in slow-speed corners.

The shape of the Mercedes chassis resembles that of the 1987 Benetton

With the upper impact beam mounted lower on this year’s car, the radiator and cooling tract could be further inward-angled and inset yet-further towards the centreline of the car, reducing the surface area of the sidepods.

This placing of the radiator reduces the surface area of the sidepods

With the bodywork regulations changing extensively in 2021, the new Mercedes could well turn out to be the ultimate aerodynamic interpretation of the wide-body aero formula introduced in 2017.

Mercedes' 2020 machine doesn't break cover until February 14, but this is food for thought for those looking to de-throne them…

[MIKA27]

Mercedes unveils tweaked livery for its 2020 F1 car

Mercedes has revealed its updated car livery for the 2020 Formula 1 season, featuring a tweaked colour scheme following the arrival of major sponsor INEOS.
As part of the launch event announcing its new principal partner on Monday, Mercedes took the covers off its revised livery on its 2019-spec car, incorporating INEOS’s burgundy colours into its existing silver, black and green design.

Burgundy streaks have been added to the front wing endplates and airbox along with INEOS’s branding, which also appears on the rear wing.

The team carried over a number of livery elements from its 2019 car, including the speckled star design on the engine cover from 2019 that features one red star in memory of its former chairman, Niki Lauda.

The unveiling comes four days before the new Mercedes W11 car will hit the track for the first time when it completes a shakedown at Silverstone with drivers Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas.

It also makes Mercedes the second team to confirm its livery for the 2020 season, following Haas’s reveal last week.

Mercedes enters the 2020 season chasing a seventh straight set of championship wins after clinching both the drivers’ and constructors’ titles last year.

 

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Hamilton and Mercedes an ‘obvious pairing’ beyond 2020

Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes are an “obvious pairing”, according to team boss Toto Wolff, with contract talks set to begin in the near future.

Hamilton has been associated with Mercedes throughout his single-seater career and has raced for its works team in Formula 1 since 2013.

Hamilton, 35, has won five of the last six Formula 1 titles and enters this year as reigning champion off the back of his 2019 crown.

The Briton’s current two-year deal, agreed in mid-2018, lasts through 2020.

“I think it is the obvious pairing going forward,” said Wolff, on Hamilton’s future.

“We would like to have the fastest man in the car, I know that Lewis wants to be in the fastest car, so there’s an obvious mutual outcome.

“We travel around the world almost 10 months every year, and what we do in the winter is we leave each other in peace.

“The last conversation I had with him was on the evening before the Christmas party and we had a nice chat and that we would start the discussion when he comes back from America and we have properly kicked off the season.”

Wolff added that he has “great belief in the abilities of the team to attract the best drivers.

“At the moment Lewis has proven that he is the best current driver, with his six titles, and on the mid- and long-term I hope we are able to continue to provide technology to the best driver and to attract them.”

Mercedes, which unveiled a new five-year partnership with INEOS on Monday, will launch its 2020 Formula 1 car, the W11, on Friday.

[MIKA27]

Mercedes in F1 for the long haul, insists Wolff

Mercedes chief Toto Wolff has stressed that the manufacturer is in Formula 1 with a long-term vision, after the team announced a new multi-year partner on Monday.

INEOS has joined as a Principal Partner on a five-year deal and its burgundy branding will feature extensively on Mercedes’ livery, which was revealed during an event in London.

Mercedes, along with all other teams, has yet to sign up to Formula 1 beyond the end of the current agreements, which expire at the end of 2020, with negotiations ongoing.

Mercedes has been in Formula 1 as a works team since 2010 and has dominated the championship in the hybrid era, winning six successive Drivers’ and Constructors’ titles.

“We are in this for the long-term,” said Wolff. “This is what we do: we build race cars and we build road cars.

“Formula 1 is the halo platform for hybrid engineering, something which is not communicated enough as it was talked down at the beginning of the V6 hybrid era.

“We like the platform, but at the same time we are in negotiations with the rights holder and things need to be sorted out, but this partnership

[with INEOS]

is something that indicates our wish to continue our successful journey in Formula 1.”

Wolff declined to put a timeframe on negotiations but is hopeful that matters can be solved sooner rather than later.

“It is an ongoing process, [it is] a complicated set of contracts, a trilateral [agreement] between the FIA, Commercial Rights Holder [Liberty Media] and all the teams, and it needs time,” he said.

“We’re analysing details, I don’t want to commit to a specific date as there are some topics that remain to be agreed on and it is a work in process.

“Clearly there is a will and a wish for all of the stakeholders to come to a close, before we embark on the 2021 season, because that would be an uncomfortable situation.”

[MIKA27]

The dramatic shift Honda needs for F1 2020

There has already been an extraordinary turnaround in Honda's form since the early days of its hybrid V6 programme with McLaren, when continued poor performance and dire reliability led the Woking team to jump ship after three frustrating seasons.
Red Bull saw some potential, and after a learning year with Toro Rosso, its faith was repaid in 2019.

Verstappen won in Austria, Germany and Brazil, and took poles in Hungary and Brazil, losing a third in Mexico to a yellow flag infringement. It was the perfect springboard for an even stronger campaign in 2020.

However, given the depth of the competition from Mercedes and Ferrari there will be no margin for error.

The new RB16 will have to be competitive on all types of tracks from the start of the season, and the Milton Keynes outfit will have to set the development pace, while at the same time pressing on with its 2021 project.

And Honda will have to raise its game another notch. Having made huge strides in 2019 it will have to at least match the opposition in terms of both pure performance and reliability. And it's the latter area where the question marks remain.

A title can be won or lost by a handful of points, and thus a power unit grid penalty here or there could make a crucial difference. It's no co-incidence that in 2019 world champion Lewis Hamilton made it to the end of the season with a "perfect score" of usage, and thus no associated grid penalties.

He completed the 21 race weekends having used the prescribed limit of three V6s, turbos and MGU-Hs, and two MGU-Ks, control electronic units and energy stores. Hamilton's Mercedes team mate Valtteri Bottas was less fortunate, taking a back of the grid hit at the Abu Dhabi finale.

Rivals Ferrari weren't too far off a perfect run – Charles Leclerc required a fourth V6, while Sebastian Vettel used an extra CE, both men escaping with five-place penalties.

In contrast both Verstappen and the sister Red Bull entry shared by Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon were into the penalty zone with all six elements – and both cars used two more V6s than the rules allow for.

The totals at the other Honda-powered team, Toro Rosso, were even higher – both STR14s ran seven V6s, or four more than specified in the regs.

Nevertheless the numbers from Honda's five years in the sport since the first hybrid season with McLaren indicate a positive trend in terms of usage, one that Red Bull can only hope continues into 2020.

The numbers don't tell the full story. Pure reliability is not the only factor in determining how teams and their engine partners deploy power unit elements over a season – often it's not just about simply replacing failed components.

Sometimes a driver is well down the grid or at the back for other reasons, and thus taking new elements and putting them into the pool carries no extra penalty. Indeed until the rules were tightened teams sometimes took more than one extra set over a weekend, as it made no difference.

In addition there are tactical changes related to taking a hit so that fresh examples of a new spec can be available for power sensitive tracks like Spa or Monza. Sometimes an update is fitted in a car simply to assess it and put mileage on it – and if you are not chasing the title, you can take a penalty hit without too much regret.

Then there's the key factor of the overall mileage strategy, and the difficult balance between performance and how far you dare to run at that level. Mercedes did it by the book in 2019, and Hamilton's three power units completed an average of seven full race weekends apiece.

Honda in contrast went into the season with a more conservative target – it knew that its engines could not manage seven weekends at the required level of performance, and that new units and penalties would have to be factored in.

Honda's power unit usage numbers have been impacted by all the above factors over the past five years. However, even allowing for extra usage by McLaren and Toro Rosso when there was little to lose by changing elements, the general trend is clear.

If one takes the V6 as the key benchmark, the McLaren drivers used 12 and 11 examples respectively in 2015, eight and six in 2016, and 10 and nine in 2017. In 2018, when Honda's reliability was better but experimenting with specs played a role in some changes, the two Toro Rossos used eight apiece.

With those figures in mind the fact that the two Red Bulls needed "only" five V6s each to get through 2019 was a significant step. However, taking the new elements was expensive, and cost Verstappen points that he can ill-afford to sacrifice in 2020.

Honda introduced its Spec 4 engine on Friday of the Belgian GP in both the Red Bull of Albon and the Toro Rosso of Daniil Kvyat, sending both men to the back of the grid for that race.

For obvious reasons local favourite Verstappen was kept free of penalties at Spa, although ultimately the tactic didn't help him as he was a first lap retirement.

Instead he took the full set of new Spec 4 components at Monza, where he started from the back. In a race of relatively low attrition he could only recover to eighth.

Just two events later in Russia Verstappen took another new V6 for the pool, his fifth of the year. Again, the timing was influenced by the PR factor – Honda didn't want to take any chances with its star driver heading to its home race at Suzuka – and this five-place hit for one element change was regarded as a worth taking.

Verstappen qualified fourth in Sochi, and thus started ninth. In the race he managed to recover to fourth, but again points were lost – and Bottas, who qualified behind him, finished second.

In the grand scheme of things it didn't matter too much, as Verstappen was never really in the title fight. It was all about individual results, and proving that the Red Bull-Honda combination could win races.

That can't be the case in 2020, as the team has to target the championship. A record 22-race calendar makes it a tougher challenge than before, although an extra allowance of a third MGU-K has given all the manufacturers a bit of wiggle room.

Even assuming that we ultimately lose China and thus have 21 races once again, is Honda capable of producing a power unit that can complete seven weekends – without sacrificing the performance that allowed Red Bull to compete for poles and wins last year? In terms of mileage that would be a major leap from where it was in 2019.

Or has it already made the tactical decision to use four units, reducing the target per engine to five or six weekends – but ensuring that there are penalties at some point in the last third of the season?

That would be a huge call to make given the title aspirations, but it's one that Red Bull may have had to sign up for. The plus side would be the likely guarantee of an extra upgrade step late in the season, and possibly the freedom to use higher modes for longer within that five-six race per unit schedule.

Within the Red Bull camp there's a positive feeling about Honda's progress.

"They look quite happy," team boss Christian Horner said last week. "The engine made constant progress throughout last year. This latest engine is the next step in that evolution.

"They've done plenty of mileage on their dynos. We've obviously been working very closely with them and the integration of the engine into the chassis.

"They're very, very focused on making that next step. The turnaround that they've achieved has been phenomenal, when you consider where they were five years ago to where they are now. That's hugely impressive."

Now it's a question how the RA620H package performs in Barcelona testing, and what Honda learns over those six crucial days. Can it tick the required performance and mileage boxes? It's going to be fascinating to find out.

[MIKA27]

Grosjean opens up on reputation, social media abuse

Romain Grosjean has brushed off criticism he has faced from social media trolls, saying he would prefer to be disliked than have “no charisma at all”.
Haas Formula 1 driver Grosjean was a vocal figure through the team’s difficult 2019 season, often expressing his frustration over team radio and in post-race interviews.

Grosjean recorded more retirements than any other driver last year and picked up just three points finishes, leaving him facing criticism and uncertainty about his future.

Haas ultimately retained Grosjean for 2020 alongside Kevin Magnussen.

Speaking to Motorsport.com, Grosjean said that while he did not mind being a divisive figure, he found that criticism was typically restricted to social media trolls and not common elsewhere in his life.

“Not long ago I went to see a concert with my wife. We posted a selfie, and a guy commenting [abuse] on it got a kick out of it,” Grosjean said. “On the street, you'll never meet a guy who'll say things to your face.

“I'm better off being liked or disliked than having no charisma at all. There are people who support me, others who don’t - I understand that.

“Sometimes we can chat on social media. That's what social networks are for, to ask for explanations behind a thought: ‘Why do you say that Grosjean crashed everywhere last year? Get me the statistics and we'll talk about it again.’

“There is sometimes an image that somebody is stuck with. That’s life, it's not a big deal.

"When you get a good result, the numbers go up, the people are there, and when it's a bad result, people are tough.

“Sometimes they are easy to criticise, but once again, among those I meet every day, there has never been one person across the street who has said that to me.”

Grosjean is known to have considered competing outside of F1 amid the uncertainty about his future in 2019, but stressed his motivation for grand prix racing remains as strong as ever.

"For the moment I don't feel like leaving Formula 1, even if it's frustrating, even if it's unfair, even if sometimes you go home thinking you'd rather be in another category to be able to win races,” Grosjean said.

“But at the moment, I'm still too much in love with Formula 1. I love it, I want to go to the races. I can't wait to get on a plane to Australia and drive to Melbourne to start the season.

“We'll see how it goes. One day you might like mozzarella and two years later not like it anymore - or vice versa.”

[In-A-Gadda-Davidoff]

2 hours ago, MIKA27 said:

Grosjean opens up on reputation, social media abuse

I want to see Haas do well, but I'll never profess to being a Grosjean fan.  As long as Stroll continues to have a seat in F1, Grosjean will never be my least favorite driver.   I'm still not sure how Haas could retain Grosjean so quickly when Nico was losing his seat at Renault.  Nico would have been a huge upgrade over Grosjean.  I'm still disappointed that Nico won't be at Haas in 2020.

[MIKA27]

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

I want to see Haas do well, but I'll never profess to being a Grosjean fan.  As long as Stroll continues to have a seat in F1, Grosjean will never be my least favorite driver.   I'm still not sure how Haas could retain Grosjean so quickly when Nico was losing his seat at Renault.  Nico would have been a huge upgrade over Grosjean.  I'm still disappointed that Nico won't be at Haas in 2020.

You and I both regarding HAAS choice to keep Grosjean and overlook Nico.

I look forward to Grosjean this season showing HAAS what a bad investment he is and liability to the team.

They deserve so much better however, it is HAAS choice to keep him on so perhaps Gunther Steiner needs to take some blame there?

[skalls]

Nico is a better driver then Grosjean, but man Nico and KMag were not on good terms in any race.  I think Gene and Gunther had to pick between a familiar crap sandwhich and an unfamiliar one.

I don't hate RG, i just don't think he's any good.

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Ferrari's 2020 F1 car breaks cover

Ferrari has taken the covers off its latest Formula 1 car that will contest the 2020 grand prix season.
The new car will be named the Scuderia Ferrari SF1000, in honour of the Italian manufacturer being set to participate in its 1000th race in the world championship this year.

The red SF1000, bearing both the number 16 of Charles Leclerc and the number 5 of Sebastian Vettel, was presented to the public in an extravagant launch event at the Romolo Valli theatre in Reggio Emilia, Italy.

The car retains prominent branding for title sponsor Philip Morris International's 'Mission Winnow' initiative.

The livery appears mostly unchanged, with other major sponsors Shell, UPS and Ray-Ban remaining in prominent positions on the sidepod and elsewhere on the car.

"It is clearly going to be an interesting year, tough competition, a long season but it is also an important season because in parallel we have to create and develop a completely new car in line with the regulations that will govern F1 in 2021 and beyond, so the team is going to be very, very busy," Ferrari chief executive Louis Camilleri said at the launch.

"I have every confidence in our women and men, their creativity, their discipline and determination and, above all, the work ethic they have had before which is the hallmark of this company, one instilled upon us by our founder Enzo Ferrari.

"Mattia [Binotto, team principal] and his team are doing a great job and we look forward to successes going forward."

Ferrari is the first F1 team to show off its 2020 car in the flesh, although its engine customer Haas had released images of its newest challenger last week - whereas Mercedes presented its updated livery on a 2019 car on Monday.

The SF1000 will be campaigned by an unchanged line-up of Leclerc and Vettel.

The former has signed a new deal to remain with the Scuderia through 2024, whereas Vettel's current contract expires at the end of this year.

Leclerc and Vettel combined for three wins and nine poles with last year's car, the SF90, but it was not competitive enough to propel either to a title challenge that had been expected after a very strong pre-season showing.

 

 

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Ferrari: "Extreme" 2020 design aimed at maximum downforce

Ferrari says its new SF1000 car is an "extreme" design, as it hints at a change of focus with its concept.
Having gone down a low-drag solution last year, which gave Ferrari an edge at fast tracks but meant it lost out at higher downforce-venues, team principal Mattia Binotto suggested at the team’s launch on Tuesday that a different avenue had been pursued for this year.

“Certainly the regulations remain stable so it is difficult to transform completely the car,” he said.

“The starting point is last year’s car, the SF90, but certainly we’re extreme on all the concepts as much as we could.

“We try to go for maximum aero performance, and try to maximise downforce level, so the entire car, the monocoque, the power unit layout, the gearbox, has been really packaged to have a narrower slim bodyshape. I think that is quite visible.”

As well as the aerodynamic changes, Ferrari has put a lot of work into changing the suspension and power unit.

Binotto added: “We work on all the components. The suspension has been designed to have greater flexibility when being on the race track, so we can adapt the setup to whatever suits the drivers and the circuit.

“We put a lot of effort to keep the weight down. We worked a lot on the power unit, not only for packaging, but we work on each single component to cope as well with the changing technical regulations, where the oil consumption will be reduced by 50 percent “

He added: “It may look very similar to last year but believe me it is completely different to last year. A lot of concepts are very extreme on the car.”

"We had the opportunity to obviously see it a little bit before, and to have also a direct comparison with last year's car, and you can really spot the differences, especially when it comes to packaging," he said.
"In the back part of the car everything sits a lot tighter so there's a lot of work behind that, because it's not so easy. So we found some clever solutions to be able to achieve it.

"I can't wait to drive it because that's obviously more exciting than [just] looking at it."

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Ferrari: Vettel, not Hamilton, is "first choice" for 2021

Sebastian Vettel is Ferrari's "first choice" to partner Charles Leclerc for the 2021 Formula 1 season, team principal Mattia Binotto says.
Somewhat overshadowed in 2019 by his less-experienced teammate Leclerc, who has been handed a new Ferrari deal that runs through 2024, four-time F1 champion Vettel is due to become a free agent at the end of the upcoming campaign.

But though Vettel and Leclerc's first year as teammates was not entirely smooth, and Ferrari higher-ups publicly entertained the idea of making a move for reigning champion Lewis Hamilton, Binotto has now moved to clarify that keeping Vettel was the "preference".

Asked whether Hamilton was an option for 2021, Binotto said at the launch of the Ferrari SF1000: "I want to reply on a different way. I think Seb is our first choice at the moment, and obviously it's something we are discussing with him and we will continue discussing, but he's certainly our first option, our preference at the moment."

He subsequently said that recruiting Hamilton was not something Ferrari was "considering at the moment".

Vettel, for his part, said he preferred to "live in the moment" rather than already think about his post-2020 F1 prospects.

"If you compare to three years ago, I didn't have a contract until August, so strictly speaking I was out of business half a year before the season finished," Vettel said. "So, I don't think it changes much.

"As I said, you're obviously focused on what's going on in the moment. At some point obviously you have to sort out what's going on in the future. But I think we'll have enough time to do so."

Queried on a timeframe for agreeing a new deal for Vettel, Binotto said: "I think it's firstly a common decision, something we will discuss together.

"It will take the time that is needed. Obviously now we are focused on the car, we are focused on what will be the winter testing and the first races, and there will be a proper time for the rest."

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Mercedes: Late 2021 switch could leave teams 0.5s adrift

Mercedes says there is a risk of one of the top teams ending up half a second off the pace in 2021 if they switch over development resource too late this year.
The major Formula 1 rules revamp coming for next year means teams need to juggle the development of their 2020 cars alongside intensive work on their future challenger.

The situation is also further complicated by the arrival of a cost cap in 2021 which will mean there is a limit to the spending they can make in the future.

Against that backdrop, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff says that how teams tackle the 2020 will be key to deciding the next two world titles.

"This year's championship is a two year championship," he said, speaking at the announcement of a major sponsorship deal with INEOS. "It is not only about 2020 under the current regulations.

"There's such a massive regulatory change for 2021, that balancing your allocation of resource will be crucial in terms of how much of your resource you're switching into the 2021 car.

"Obviously, the learning and development slope is much steeper at the beginning. So if you get it wrong and you're months behind, you might be half a second behind. And this is a challenge which we have embraced in the past through two regulatory changes, and we love that one."

While Mercedes is coming off the back of sixth successful F1 title doubles, Wolff says its motivation levels are still as high as they ever were.

"Every year we try to set the right objectives, and objectives that are understood throughout the organisation," he said.

"I think it's so important to wake up with purpose. And I don't see a lack of motivation and purpose within the organisation

"The pain of losing is so much more intense and lasts so much longer than the joy of winning. And this is in a way what drives us strongly. The sheer thought about losing makes you forget about all your previous achievements."

He added: "Last year's record doesn't buy us any credit for the 2020 championship. So all lap times, all points go to zero and we are yet again in front of another challenge.

"In a way there is a reason why six was a world record. Because it's bloody difficult. And we want to push that needle further."

[MIKA27]

Racing Point more than ready for works team status

Racing Point is “more than ready” to become Aston Martin’s works Formula 1 outfit, according to its team principal, though stressed it must not become complacent in 2020.

Racing Point owner Lawrence Stroll last month acquired a minority stake in automotive brand Aston Martin, with part of the deal involving the Formula 1 team taking on works status from 2021.

Racing Point will continue to compete under its current name this season before the works status – including a rebrand of its identity – coming into force next year.

The outfit has raced in Formula 1 since 1991 under the Jordan, Midland, Spyker and Force India guises.

“Creating a works F1 team achieves a number of objectives for Aston Martin,” said Racing Point boss Otmar Szafnauer.

“It’s certainly provides a real injection of energy for the 465 loyal and hard-working staff in Silverstone.

“The team has been in business, under various names, for 30 years and is more than ready to become a manufacturer team.

“Lawrence spoke to the staff last week and set out the clear objective to establish Aston Martin as one of the top teams in the sport.

“Everyone is proud to represent a legendary car manufacturer returning to the pinnacle of motorsport.”

Racing Point battled in Formula 1’s midfield through the 2010s, reaching a high of fourth across 2016/17, and finished seventh in last year’s Constructors’ Championship.

Its campaign last season was partially handicapped by the hangover it endured early in the year on account of the financial problems encountered mid-2018, prior to Stroll’s takeover.

But, with a greater injection of finances – and the Aston Martin rebrand looming – Szafnauer has warned the team cannot afford to become complacent through 2020.

“There’s no immediate impact on our current campaign and we will continue to compete as Racing Point until the rebrand takes place at the start of the 2021 season,” he stressed.

“From then we will be known simply as ‘Aston Martin F1 Team’ – so the Racing Point name will disappear.

“It’s exciting to transition into a manufacturer team and we’ve got the best part of a year to make all those changes – much of which will be happening behind-the-scenes.

“It’s important we don’t take our eyes off the main task for 2020, which is to be competitive on the racetrack with the RP20.”

[MIKA27]

Mercedes introduces Valtteri 3.0

 

[MIKA27]

Leclerc and Vettel go into 2020 'on the same level' – Ferrari

Before the 2019 F1 season kicked off Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto revealed that in a 50/50 situation, Sebastian Vettel would be favoured in strategy decisions over Charles Leclerc. But after launching their 2020 challenger, the SF1000, the team have confirmed that no such rules of engagement will apply this season, as Leclerc begins his second year with the team.

In only his second season of Formula 1 racing last year, Leclerc slotted effortlessly in at Ferrari, coming close to winning his second Grand Prix with the team in Bahrain, and ultimately finishing ahead of Vettel in the drivers’ championship, with two wins to the German’s one. And Binotto confirmed that, as a result of Leclerc's performance in 2019, driver management at the team would be different this season.

“It’s developed,” said Binotto. “Charles has got a year’s experience with us. They will be on the same level, they can both fight to be ahead. So let them race.”

The ‘let them race’ philosophy backfired massively for Ferrari in Brazil last year, when Vettel and Leclerc had a spectacular coming together that wiped them both out of the race. And Leclerc – whose contract was extended over the winter to keep him at Ferrari until at least 2024 – revealed that he planned to leave his team mate greater “margins” in 2020.

“We both learned the lesson what happened in Brazil,” he said. “We are free to race but we are also team mates. A lot of people [work] on the car, we are a team, and things in Brazil shouldn’t happen. I’ve learned from it. The margins will probably be a bit bigger.”

Vettel, meanwhile, said that he'd never felt he'd had an upper hand at the team in 2019 – and that, as far as he was concerned, 2020 would be the same, as he seeks to claim his fifth world title, and his first as a Ferrari driver.

“[It was] not like I had a different car [in 2019],” he said. “We both have the same car, and the same chance to race well. I never doubted that, I don’t think Charles did either... It doesn’t change anything. Starting on equal terms, we were last year, we are this year as well.”

Both Leclerc and Vettel will get to sample the new SF1000 when testing begins at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on February 19. 

[avaldes]

Hey Mika, now that we are into 2020 launches...are you going to start a 2020 Formula One thread?

[MIKA27]

50 minutes ago, avaldes said:

Hey Mika, now that we are into 2020 launches...are you going to start a 2020 Formula One thread?

Hi @avaldes 

No need to start a new thread, as per last season, this F1 thread will continue into the year as the Formula 1 thread of FOH.  

[In-A-Gadda-Davidoff]

Ferrari made wholesale changes with the front side pod ducting.  Ferrari ruled the straights last year, but couldn't hang with Merc or Red Bull in the corners.    Last year Ferrari held a 2-3 tenth advantage in sector 1 over Merc,  lost 2-3 tenths in sector 2, and 3-4 tenths to Merc in sector 3 at Barcelona.  I'm looking forward to seeing how much top end speed they sacrifice to try to compete in the slower, more technical sections of the track.  Hopefully this year will be pretty competitive.

[MIKA27]

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

Ferrari made wholesale changes with the front side pod ducting.  Ferrari ruled the straights last year, but couldn't hang with Merc or Red Bull in the corners.    Last year Ferrari held a 2-3 tenth advantage in sector 1 over Merc,  lost 2-3 tenths in sector 2, and 3-4 tenths to Merc in sector 3 at Barcelona.  I'm looking forward to seeing how much top end speed they sacrifice to try to compete in the slower, more technical sections of the track.  Hopefully this year will be pretty competitive.

I hope the field will be more competative, however, Mercedes are yet to fully reveal their 2020 challenger. 

I'd love to see a battle between Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull at the top with some surprises during the year with HAAS, Alfa, Renault and McLaren. Hell, anyone for that matter to get on the podium would be refreshing for the sport. 

[MIKA27]

Red Bull’s RB16 hits the track at Silverstone

Take a first look at a Formula 1 car in action in 2020 as Max Verstappen gives the RB16 its debut during a filming day at British Grand Prix venue Silverstone.

[MIKA27]

Gallery: Red Bull’s RB16 makes its track debut

Red Bull’s RB16 made its track debut on Wednesday during a shakedown at the home of the British Grand Prix – Silverstone.

The Milton Keynes based team unveiled its car in the morning before Max Verstappen jumped behind the wheel to complete a ‘filming’ day, whereby the mileage and speed are limited and must be run on demo tyres.

[MIKA27]

Renault reveals teaser of R.S.20 in test livery

Renault has kick-started its 2020 Formula 1 programme with a launch event in the French capital, Paris, on Wednesday, as it revealed teasers of its R.S.20.

The renders were presented in a pre-season test livery ahead of a full-scale unveil next week.

Renault endured a disappointing 2019 campaign as its gradual upward momentum was halted, falling to fifth in the Constructors’ Championship, behind customer team McLaren.

Daniel Ricciardo is entering his second season of a two-year deal while Renault has recruited Esteban Ocon through 2021.

Ocon, formerly of Manor and Force India, spent 2019 acting as Mercedes’ reserve driver after an initial deal to join Renault collapsed.

Renault entered last year hoping to close the gap to Formula 1’s top three teams, having improved from ninth, to sixth, and then fourth since its full-scale return as a works outfit in 2016.

But while it made year-on-year engine gains it struggled with its R.S.19 and remained deeply ingrained within the tightly-congested midfield group.

Renault regards the revised 2021 regulations as its main opportunity to break the stranglehold of Formula 1’s top three teams but has regularly stressed that it cannot afford to write-off 2020.

As a result of last year’s difficulties it has restructured some key areas within its technical team.

Renault axed long-time chassis director Nick Chester, with replacement Pat Fry joining last week, while Dirk de Beer was recruited in place of the departed Peter Machin.

“This year, Renault will continue its very proud and long-standing history in Formula 1 into a new decade, our sixth consecutive in the sport,” said Renault Sport Racing President Jerome Stoll.

“2020 is a significant year in a number of ways. We aim to recapture the positive momentum from our first three years since returning to Formula 1 while preparing for next season, which will represent a new cycle for all teams.

“Having completed our initial construction phase, we are more determined than ever to be ready to attack and take advantage of the 2021 technical changes.

“I have every faith in the teams across Enstone and Viry to challenge once more for fourth in the Constructors’ Championship this year, plus ensure the coming era is anticipated successfully for both the team and Renault brand.”

 

 

[MIKA27]

Zhou steps up to test driver role at Renault

Chinese youngster Guan Yu Zhou has stepped up to the role of Renault’s Formula 1 test driver for 2020.

Zhou, 20, held the role of development driver in 2019, having joined Renault’s young driver scheme after a spell on Ferrari’s academy.

Zhou finished seventh in last year’s Formula 2 championship, earning the Anthoine Hubert Award for top rookie honours, and will remain in the category in 2020.

He replaces Williams-bound Jack Aitken in the position.

“I’m looking forward to becoming the team’s test driver,” Zhou said.

“It’s another step up from being development driver in 2019 where I did a lot of simulator work and some R.S.17 tests.

“The feedback and experience in a Formula 1 car is getting better and the team is happy with my progress and input so far.

“They’ve given me a lot of trust and I also trust them, so that relationship works very well.

“This year I have an even better opportunity, meaning working harder than before, getting as much information as possible for driving a Formula 1 car and, at the same time, improving the areas the team needs to work on to help them get better in the future.”

Renault also has fellow Formula 2 racer Christian Lundgaard, Formula 3 racers Max Fewtrell and Oscar Piastri, as well as Eurocup drivers Caio Collet and Hadrien David on its academy.