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3 hours ago, Baccy said:

I don't care if Lewis takes 10 titles in current era, I still would not consider him the caliber of Schumacher. Michael drove in a different era altogether. Not only were the cars drastically different but there were far less races in a season. I don't mean any disrespect to Hamilton but to me it's an unfair comparison...

 

58 minutes ago, Lotusguy said:


Plus the points scoring system was different as well.

Both points exactly, spot on!

Schumacher was on another planet, points scoring, number of races etc were completely different, not to mention rules and regulations. 

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1 hour ago, Baccy said:

When you watch a video like this and compare it to one from 2019, it's almost like it's not even the same sport, lol. Cigarette sponsors were really the hot ticket back then!

Thanks for posting @Baccy

God I miss those days. Less Political correctness, real engines, real racing, real grid Girls ;) 

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Latifi among F1’s most prepared rookies – Russell

Latifi among F1’s most prepared rookies – Russell

Nicholas Latifi’s preparation prior to stepping up to a Formula 1 race seat means he should almost not be considered as a rookie, according to his team-mate.

Latifi has secured a race seat with Williams for 2020 – as the sole rookie on the grid – after spending four years in Formula 2, capping his time in the series with the 2019 runner-up position.

Latifi has taken part in 11 Friday practice sessions across the last two years for Force India and Williams.

Prior to that he held a test driver role at Renault – leading to running in its contemporary car – and also had private outings in Mercedes’ Formula 1 machinery.

“Firstly he’s a great driver but he’s probably the most prepared rookie Formula 1 has had ever almost,” said Russell on Latifi.

“He’s driven a Force India, Williams, Mercedes, Renault, has been testing 3-4 years in Formula 1 now.

“So on paper he’s a rookie but the reality is he’s not, he’s definitely going to be tough to beat, I’m ready for the challenge and looking forward to the battle.”

When those comments were put to Latifi, the Canadian weighed up the pros and cons of his current situation.

“We all know what a great driver George is so I’ll have a great reference,” he said.

“Since 2016 I’ve been associated with Formula 1 teams and have had a decent amount of experience, so from that regard even though it is difficult to come in as a rookie because there’s less testing, I do feel well prepared.

“I do feel the next step I had to take was the race driver role as rookie days and tyre tests there’s only so much more [learning] you can get, and this really was the next step.

“I do [feel] well prepared but I’m not underestimating the challenge of being a rookie in Formula 1 as I’m sure any previous driver on the grid will say!”

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Racing Point backs Stroll to match Perez’s points tally

Racing Point backs Stroll to match Perez’s points tally

Lance Stroll has the speed and capability to match Racing Point team-mate Sergio Perez’s points tally in 2020, according to boss Otmar Szafnauer.

Stroll joined the Racing Point outfit, owned by father Lawrence, for 2019 after spending the first two years of his Formula 1 career with Williams.

Perez scored 52 points to earn a top 10 slot in the standings last year while Stroll amassed 21, as Racing Point classified seventh in the championship.  

“It is his second year with us, he is on the steep end of the learning curve,” said Szafnauer on Stroll.

“He has got the speed, it is just understanding the people around him, [as a] team we have made some adjustments as well to help him, so I’m very confident that he will score as many points as Sergio, and that is exactly what we need to finish fourth.

“The years we did not finish fourth it was because were not consistently in the points with both cars, and when we were not in the points with both cars it was because something happened to one of them.

“But the opportunity for both of them to score points was always there, and that is exactly what we are targeting. And I think it’ll happen.”

On the progress Stroll feels Racing Point has made with its RP20, the Canadian said: “It’s all relative to the competition. I haven’t driven the other cars, so I don’t know…no one knows what others are doing.

“But forgetting about everyone else, and thinking about ourselves, we’ve definitely made some big steps and I think we’re in a much better place right now than we were this time last year, which is a good thing.”

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Racing Point details plans for "true integration" with Aston

Racing Point details plans for "true integration" with Aston

Racing Point Formula 1 team boss Otmar Szafnauer says the outfit's 2021 link-up with Aston Martin will be "true integration" and "beneficial for both sides".
The team's future Aston Martin works status was announced last month after Racing Point owner Lawrence Stroll bought a shareholding in the troubled car marker.

Szafnauer says plans are already in hand for the racing team to share its technical expertise with its sister company, as part of the overall deal.

“It should be great,” he said when asked by Motorsport.com. “It's a win-win. It should be beneficial for both sides. I mean, we're going to become a works team, with a fabulous name.

“And Aston Martin will get some trickle down technology from F1, and some technology transfer.

“First and foremost, we've got a nice wind tunnel in Brackley that they can use. We've got aerodynamicists that they can tap into as well. And I'm sure there will be other technologies that will trickle down into the road cars.

“We make things really like stiff, which helps a race car and it also helps a performance road car, so there will be areas that will help their sports cars. I look forward to that.”

Asked if technology might also travel in the other direction, Szafnauer said there are no plans as yet.

“We'll see what they have, and see if there's anything we can learn from them. And if there is, we’ll be happy to bring it over.”

He also confirmed that the new Silverstone factory will also accommodate a team of road car designers – essentially the group that is currently working with Red Bull Technology on the Valkyrie hypercar project.

“It looks like at our new facility they'll probably have 100 design engineers sitting with us too, so there'll be a true integration – the people that are at Red Bull now will transfer over to us. They're just sitting with us, they'll be under the same roof.

“They've done a hypercar with Adrian Newey, the Valkyrie. And then there's some other variants coming that are sub-Valkyrie level. It's not for me to say, but they'll introduce some other some other nice products.”

Szafnauer believes that the Aston name will also help the team recruit the best qualified candidates as it continues to expand its staffing levels.

“It's one of the great British brands. It'll be great to bring Aston Martin back to F1 racing. Really, really excited. We've got to do the brand justice, so we’ve got to make sure we perform.

“We're looking to get bigger. We're nearly at 500 now, and we're not going to stop. But my philosophy has always been you have to recruit the right people, because it's a team effort.

“We’ve got to make sure we have the best team that we can, not just for the sake of recruiting, getting the numbers up. We've got to recruit the right people. But I think Aston will also help in recruiting and getting the team bigger.”

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Red Bull, Honda target no engine penalties in 2020

Red Bull, Honda target no engine penalties in 2020

Red Bull and Honda have set sights on getting through the Formula 1 season without a single engine change penalty this season, amid growing optimism about the reliability of Honda's 2020 power unit.
With the performance of the new RB16 having looked strong in the opening week of pre-season testing, Red Bull’s hopes of battling for the championship will be boosted if it does not face grid penalties for using more than three power units.

Following a winter where Honda has completed more dyno mileage than ever before, hopes are high that everything is on target to get through the season without the need for going over the campaign limit.

Honda F1 managing director Masashi Yamamoto told Motorsport.com: “That's our schedule and therefore we try to follow that allocation without penalty.

“We were quite competitive in the last half of last season. And then the reliability was also very good. So we tried to continue that reliability with some more power. That was our focus.”

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said that although the current plan is to stick to three engines, he did not rule out taking a fourth if there was a clear performance benefit from doing so.

“We're not planning a fourth engine at the moment,” he said. “The plan is to go through on the three.

“If it becomes 21 races [without China], that obviously makes life slightly easier. If we were to have to take a fourth, so long as you take it at the right place you can minimise the impact of that. So, we'd always chase performance over everything else.”

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Driver Max Verstappen said he had no concerns about potential grid penalties impacting his title challenge, when asked about it by Motorsport.com.

"Last year, we only took engines because they had performance upgrades. And quite big ones," Verstappen said.

"So that was the reason for us to take those [extra] engines. And of course, this year we know that we'll try to of course not to take any penalties."

Horner said that Honda’s integration with the Red Bull chassis had been much better this year, with some promising data having come out of the Japanese car manufacturer’s winter progress

“The correlation between what we're seeing on track and dyno is looking spot on,” he said. “So that side is also encouraging. It's always easy to get drawn into the timing sheets, particularly in the early testing - it'll move around I'm sure by the time we get to Melbourne.

“I think we've had a good winter. Last year was our first year with Honda, I think that relationship has just evolved, and tightened, throughout last year, over the winter also. I think this whole package is more integrated,

“I think the whole team has done a great job in turning out this car. We've come here [to testing] with more miles on the dyno than previously. Reliability straight out of the box and the feedback from the drivers so far is very encouraging.”

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McLaren had "best start for many, many years" to F1 testing

McLaren had "best start for many, many years" to F1 testing

McLaren boss Andreas Seidl says his team has had its "best start" to testing for many years, as it plans to bring a batch of updates to Barcelona next week.
The Woking-based team, which will face a tough fight for fourth in the constructors’ championship this year, concentrated more on reliability running this week so did not set any headline-grabbing times.

However, Seidl says he is overjoyed with the way the first test went, especially because it did not suffer any major mechanical problems.

“To be honest, we're really, really, really happy with how it went so far, for various reasons,” he explained. “First of all, if you look at the number of laps and the reliability we have shown so far, it is by far the best start for many, many years for McLaren going into a winter test.

“This is simply great reward and a sign for the entire team that all the hard work we have put in the last month in order to make this step is paying off, so I’m very happy about that. In terms of program and test points, I'm also very happy that we could tick off a lot of boxes already of our job list.

“Without having these reliability topics, we simply could go through the run plan every day as planned.”

Although Carlos Sainz’s best lap of the week was 12th-fastest overall, Seidl says that timesheets mattered little for the team so far.

“We focus on ourselves, we don't focus on laptimes and so on,” he said. “We continuously bring parts to the car as well, with late deliveries back from the factory.

“It's great to see this momentum that we are having. As you have seen [on Friday], we tried a new front wing for example in the morning. And so far the car is doing what we expect from it. So it's great to see this correlation. I'm very happy.”

With the focus on understanding the car in week one, Seidl said that there will be a push next week to bring developments that can put McLaren in good stead for the season opener in Australia.

“We have a program lined up with continuously bringing parts to the track, also next week in order to get as much performance out of the car as possible before we head to Melbourne.

“In terms of the performance, so far I think it's still early days. We're happy with what we have seen so far. The car was, as I said before, performing as intended, so we don't have question marks on this.”

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The changes that helped Mercedes fit DAS

The changes that helped Mercedes fit DAS

Mercedes was the talk of Formula 1's first pre-season test, when onboard footage helped reveal the team's radical new Dual-Axis Steering System – which has become known as DAS.
This toe-angle adjusting system has intrigued rival teams and fans alike, as they marvel at Mercedes's ingenuity whilst also hunting out answers about its operation and legality.

While some of the details of how DAS work remain hidden for now, Giorgio Piola's latest illustration of the Mercedes W11 offers us a glimpse of a few changes that the team has made at the front end of its car this year.

Mercedes AMG F1 W11 & W10 comparison

The two cylinders at the upper wishbones mounting point (above left illustration, red arrows) are totally new for 2020 and may provide some of the answer as to how Mercedes has incorporated DAS.

It's believed that internally these run the height of the bulkhead, and may be used as part of a larger scheme to influence the behaviour of the steering assembly too.

The steering rack is also mounted on the front face of the bulkhead and enclosed within a carbon fibre fairing, with the steering arms mounted as far forward as possible.

This places them in line with the lower arm of the wishbone for maximum aerodynamic gain as can be seen in the image below.

Mercedes AMG F1 W11 front suspension

 

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Prost says "stupid" electric obsession leaves F1 in tough spot

Prost says "stupid" electric obsession leaves F1 in tough spot

An upset Alain Prost says "stupid" moves by governments to ban the sale of petrol and diesel cars risk killing the European car industry – and will leave Formula 1 facing some tough decisions.
As a number of governments plan to outlaw the sale of petrol/diesel and hybrid cars from 2040 at the latest, Prost has questioned the political motives behind those efforts which he thinks will achieve little in reducing carbon emissions.

And with the costs of forcing car manufacturers to go electric putting their finances under pressure – with Honda this week admitting that the price of electrification had put question marks over its F1 future – Prost is unhappy about where things are heading.

"I am really upset about what I can see today with the automobile industry," said Prost, when asked by Motorsport.com for his views on the impact of the push by governments to force car makers to go electric.

"We are going to give everything to the Chinese [automotive industry] where in 10 years' time, they are going to introduce their cars here - and that is what I don't like.

"I don't care because I'm not part of the industry but I really hate that. It is stupid, stupid regulation.

"We're going to lose I promise you, one million people [employees] in the next 10 years in the automobile industry if we don't change that. Today, if you had a big car with a diesel engine with the nice [pollution] filters, it should not be a problem."

Prost says that key problems for him in people being forced away from petrol and diesel is that hybrid cars are not necessarily more environmentally friendly, because there is a weight penalty that comes from carrying around the battery and motors.

But he is also worried that there is no joined-up thinking in Europe regarding electric charging infrastructure.

"We're talking about Brussels, about Europe, but why don't we have all the same plugs and same system of recharge? We have two competitors in France and they have two different systems. That is completely stupid.

"Today if you go for the maximum [number] of hybrid cars, which is the way we are going, you are not going to push the electrical cars where we should push them: especially in the big cities.

"I think when you go for more mileage [with a hybrid], your CO2 emission is going to be the same, or even worse, because the weight of the car is going to be a lot more, and we know that."

He added: "We ban diesel but at the end I'm sure that we are not going to reduce the CO2 with these measures. We could do it differently."

F1 impact

Prost says that the massive uncertainty over the automotive industry will have consequences for F1 – as he believes some tough decisions are going to need to be made about what happens to its engines.

"When you ask me about F1, I always answer: take care of the automobile industry first, and F1 is then very healthy," he said.

"I was the one pushing for the new [turbo hybrid] engine. Even the first project was a four-cylinder, remember that, because we thought that is the closest technology [to road cars] that we're going to have in the future with the turbo engine. But it did not work for F1, we must be honest. The fans don't like [it] very much."

Prost thinks there are two totally different routes that F1 can take in the longer term: go for popular engines like V8s or V12s that deliver entertainment, or try to go for an all-new technology like hydrogen to stay one-step ahead of the automobile industry.

"You don't want to go with electrical because we have FE, and you know how difficult it is going to be for FE in the future that is for sure," he said.

"It is very difficult to develop because of the tracks, because of the technology, because of the money.

"So what is the technology for F1 in the future? It is difficult to know. On one side, and it's not my position, we go back to 12 cylinder and we have the same vision of F1 worldwide.

"Or, if we go to hydrogen in 10 years time, we would have another philosophy. And why not? But who is going to push the button and make that decision? It's very difficult, but it's good to ask the question.

"We need to talk about sustainability all the time: what we can do, but the technology is very, very difficult. We cannot, like in my period [driving in F1] follow the trend of the automobile industry. Today it is much more difficult."

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F1 2020 team guide: Can Ferrari finally end Mercedes’ hybrid reign?

Last year saw Ferrari dominate pre-season testing, but then fail to deliver when it mattered, with arch rivals Mercedes winning the year’s opening eight rounds as they romped to another championship double.

After a more modest start to 2020 testing – in the last year of the current regulations – a cautious Ferrari will be hoping to at last land their first title since Kimi Raikkonen took the drivers’ crown for them back in 2007.

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Ferrari opted against pursuing DAS for F1 car

Ferrari opted against pursuing DAS for F1 car

Ferrari says it opted against pursuing a Dual-Axis Steering system in Formula 1, conceding that it was uncertain of its legality.

Mercedes introduced a system onto its W11 last week in which the steering wheel moved back and forth along the straights, affecting the toe of the front tyres.

Mercedes clarified that it had conferred with the FIA to ensure the device was legal while rival drivers and teams predominantly applauded the team’s innovative approach.

Speaking about DAS on Wednesday, Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto revealed that “the DAS system is something we considered in the past but we didn’t design and develop.

“The reason of it first was a legality matter, which we didn’t clarify with the FIA.

“Second we didn’t see it worthwhile for our car concept. We are looking at the others doing, it’s a question mark and not sure we will develop it.”

When questioned as to whether he felt DAS complied with the Formula 1 technical regulations, a coy Binotto commented that “I think it is difficult for us to judge.

“We don’t know exactly their system but I’m pretty sure the FIA will make the right decision.”

MIKA: Too lazy to ask the FIA "The Question" if it is legal? 

Some things never change in Maranello... 

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Kubica quickest at Barcelona as F1 testing resumes

Kubica quickest at Barcelona as F1 testing resumes

Alfa Romeo test driver Robert Kubica finished at the head of the pack as Formula 1 testing resumed at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on Wednesday.

All bar Haas split running between drivers, undertaking the necessary seat swaps and pedal alterations during the lunch break, on another warm and sunny day in Spain.

Kubica, who last year raced for Williams, had his second half-day of pre-season testing in Alfa Romeo’s C39 and clocked a time of 1:16.942s, using Pirelli’s C5 tyres.

Only the Mercedes drivers have set a quicker time so far during the course of pre-season running.

Max Verstappen finished second, 0.405s behind Kubica, on a day in which Red Bull’s running started late and then came to a premature halt.

Alexander Albon spent a substantial portion of time in the garage during the morning as Red Bull addressed its suspension, and he went on to complete only 29 laps.

Verstappen then brought the afternoon session to a halt five minutes from time when he spun through Turn 10, coming to a halt in the run-off.

Sister team AlphaTauri also endured a couple of problems on the opening day of action.

Pierre Gasly managed only 25 laps in the morning due to a loose pipe on the AT01 while Daniil Kvyat stopped on the approach to Turn 9 just as Verstappen spun.

They nonetheless finished fourth and fifth respectively on the timesheets, with Kvyat in front of Gasly.

Racing Point had Sergio Perez third and Lance Stroll eighth as the team’s encouraging 2020 pre-season period continued while Mercedes amassed the most mileage courtesy of Lewis Hamilton (seventh) and Valtteri Bottas (ninth).

Mercedes’ W11 completed 179 laps of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

Ferrari had another subdued day of running with its SF1000 as Sebastian Vettel caused one of two red flags when he spun during the morning session.

Vettel drifted wide through Turn 7, dipped a wheel into the gravel, and spun through the exit, dragging the gravel back onto the circuit.

He was able to recover to the pit lane but finished the day down in 10th, while afternoon driver Charles Leclerc was 13th.

The best lap times posted by Renault and McLaren were just 0.007s apart, with Daniel Ricciardo narrowly edging Carlos Sainz Jr.

This year’s sole rookie Nicholas Latifi had his morning running compromised when an oil systems issue halted his Williams FW43 along the back straight.

Latifi finished 14th, with George Russell – who took the reins of the car after lunch – finishing 15th.

Romain Grosjean carried the duties for Haas throughout the day – becoming the only driver to rack up over 100 laps – and he finished 16th as the team’s quiet pre-season continued.

McLaren’s Lando Norris, Alfa Romeo’s Kimi Raikkonen and Renault’s Esteban Ocon finished at the foot of the 19-driver field.

All bar Raikkonen and Ocon finished within two seconds of leader Kubica.

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Racing Point no longer playing catch-up – Perez

Racing Point no longer playing catch-up – Perez

Sergio Perez says Racing Point has never been so prepared for a Formula 1 season, and that he has never had such a strong car at this stage of the build-up to a new campaign.

Perez joined Racing Point under its Force India guise for 2014 and the squad was often playing catch-up, occasionally introducing a B-spec car, in the midfield battle.

Last season its early form was compromised by the effects of the mid-2018 takeover but Perez went on to score points in each of the last six events.

Racing Point has adopted Mercedes’ design philosophy for 2020, with Perez and team-mate Lance Stroll setting competitive times during Barcelona testing.

“I think we’ve never been this prepared before,” he said on Wednesday.

“We always tend to come back in the second half of the season, so I think it will be the first time we can start a stronger season.

Perez: Racing Point is best car I’ve ever had to start season

“I think we are optimistic for the season start but the season is so long, and how much you can improve through the season, how much you can improve from now to Melbourne.”

“We’ve got a lot of work on our hands but certainly we have a car that has potential.

Perez added that “I think this can be the most solid package I’ve had in my career to start the season.

“I hope in Melbourne that proves to be right, but at the moment the car is working well, I think there is good things, good signs, but we’ve got so much work to do before Melbourne so hopefully we can be as prepared as possible.”

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Ferrari expects swift resolution to 2021 Vettel talks

Ferrari expects swift resolution to 2021 Vettel talks

Ferrari believes that it will be able to come to a swift agreement with Sebastian Vettel over his future with the team, insisting he remains the team’s number one choice.

Four-time Formula 1 World Champion Vettel joined Ferrari in 2015 and his current deal, which was agreed mid-2017, expires at the end of the campaign.

Vettel has twice finished runner-up in the championship for Ferrari though last year slipped to fifth, classifying behind new team-mate Charles Leclerc.

“Seb is our first option, as I always mentioned it’s a great line-up, probably the best in F1, of which I am very happy and proud as Ferrari,” said team boss Mattia Binotto.

“We started the early discussion with Seb and we are very aware that the contract is extinguishing, but it will come very soon to close the discussion and see what is in the best interest in both of us.

“What’s more important is the project which we’re sharing, even our longer-term view. I’m sure very soon we’ll come to an agreement.”

Vettel added that the hunger to deliver a title to Ferrari remains the same as when he joined the team in 2015.

“I’ve been around now for a while but I still love what I do, I love driving,” he said.

“I got really excited when I got in the car last week and very quickly got back into a rhythm and that feels great, the satisfaction you get from driving the car, I would still say feels the same.

“I’m here to win and in that regard we had recent years, some were good, better than others, but none of them had been to our liking at the very end.

“I joined Ferrari to win the championship, we haven’t done that so far, it’s been a couple of years now, but the hunger, will and determination is still there inside the team. We are here to fight.”

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Hanoi Circuit completed but doubts remain over Coronavirus

Hanoi Circuit completed but doubts remain over Coronavirus

Officials in Vietnam have confirmed that the Hanoi Circuit has been completed, ahead of April’s planned inaugural grand prix.

Vietnam is set to join the calendar as the third round of the season from April 3 to 5, with a 5.607km-circuit designed around the streets on the outskirts of capital city Hanoi.

The last section of tarmac along the start/finish straight was completed this week and the circuit is now ready for use.

“This is a major milestone for us to celebrate as we come closer to staging Vietnam’s first ever Formula 1 race weekend in just over a month’s time,” said Le Ngoc Chi, CEO of the Vietnam Grand Prix Corporation.

“We are beyond excited to witness the extraordinary sight of Formula 1 cars racing on this incredible circuit.

“It will be a moment of great pride for the whole team here at VGPC and a fitting tribute to the hard work that has gone in to ensuring the newest track in F1 is ready on time.

“With the help of everyone at Tilke and F1’s Motorsport Division, we feel confident in saying that this track will be one of the most challenging and exciting on the F1 calendar and we look forward to it quickly becoming a fan favourite.”

DJI_03121-Custom.jpg

However, doubts persist over whether the event will take place due to the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 outbreak across the world.

Vietnam has clamped down on entry to citizens who have visited a country in which there has been an outbreak of the virus.

Formula 1’s governing body, the FIA, confirmed on Wednesday that it is continuing to closely monitor the situation and will take action if necessary.

In a further development that could affect Formula 1 officials in Bahrain have suspended flights to and from Dubai for the next 48 hours.

A large proportion of the Formula 1 paddock travels to Bahrain, following on from the Australian Grand Prix, via Dubai.

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How Red Bull’s new front suspension harks back to Ferrari F2004

Red Bull’s new RB16 features an all-new front suspension setup, which it has been further developing in Barcelona Formula 1 testing this week.
In this video using Giorgio Piola's illustrations, we delve into the intricacies of its suspension, which includes moving its multi-link design from the upper wishbone to the bottom one. All changes have allowed the nose to be designed much narrower than previously, giving aerodynamic benefits.

It's a solution that the team hopes will bring it success in 2020, but one that harks back to a super-successful Ferrari solution from well over a decade ago.

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2020 Pre-Season Testing: Day 4 Highlights

With just three days of testing remaining it was another busy day on track in Barcelona as the teams looked to fine tune their machines ahead of next month's season opener in Melbourne. 

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Williams already on third Mercedes engine of testing

Williams already on third Mercedes engine of testing

Williams has already been forced to move onto its third engine of pre-season testing after a string of issues with the Mercedes power unit.
Twelve months on from its disastrous start to testing after car build delays, Williams enjoyed a strong first week of running in Barcelona as the FW43 hit the track without any major car issues.

But the team suffered a setback on Wednesday morning when an oil system issue forced Nicholas Latifi to stop on track, causing a red flag.

Speaking on Wednesday afternoon following Latifi's issue, deputy team principal Claire Williams expressed her frustration over the recurring engine problems that had limited running.

"We had some engine problems which have been a little frustrating," Williams said.

"We're on our third engine issue now, which has obviously cost us quite a lot of track time, which is unfortunate.

"I suppose it is what can happen in testing, and at least it's not our issue that something has gone wrong with the car.

"Apart from that, it's gone well. We're covering the run programme as we can with the limited mileage that we've got. I would be happier if we had some more miles under our belt I suppose."

Williams has been forced into two engine changes through the four days of testing so far, having also suffered setbacks last Thursday and Friday.

Claire Williams confirmed the problems were being investigated by Mercedes, the team's power unit supplier.

"There were some other issues last week. The one on Friday, [Mercedes is] still investigating, so you should talk to them about that," Williams said.

"I don't think that they've found the problem. I think there was an issue with the MGU-H on the Thursday night one.

"There was a sensor issue on Friday morning that obviously was our issue. That put us off the track for probably half an hour, something like that. That's the only issue that we've had."

A Mercedes spokesman told Motorsport.com: "The issue that Williams encountered today is different to the one they experienced last week.

"The first assessment points towards an oil pressure issue. The PU is now back on its way to Brixworth where we will have the chance to take a more thorough look at it."

Williams was able to get back out on track for the afternoon session on Wednesday following the engine issue, with George Russell taking over from Latifi.

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Ferrari: Mercedes wrong about engine performance

Ferrari: Mercedes wrong about engine performance

Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto has dismissed suggestions from Mercedes that it was running its engine at a different level to its customer teams in testing last week.
After a low-key first week of running at Barcelona, Mercedes hinted in a press release that its Italian rival had not been showing its full potential last week.

"Why have Ferrari spent this test running their PU consistently at much lower levels than their partner teams?" asked Mercedes.

But put to Binotto by Motorsport.com about whether or not Ferrari was running its engine in a different specification mode to its customers, as Mercedes implied, he said: "Mercedes seems to be very much aware of what we are doing, but it's not correct."

Binotto does admit, however, that Ferrari is not as quick as it wants at the moment, and is especially lacking in straight-line speed.

"We believe that we are not the fastest car at the moment, so I think on lap time we will be behind [at] the start of the season," he said.

"What are we lacking? The car of this season compared to the one of last season is overall faster, but we are faster in the corners, slower on the straights.

"This was as well an objective in designing that car. We knew last year that we were too slow in the corners, so we tried to put as much downforce as we could on the car to [make it] as fast as possible in the corners. But now we are paying [for it] on the straights.

"I think still in terms of overall balance, set-up, slow-speed corners, it's something where we need to improve. But that's part of the job and the task for this week."

Sebastian Vettel echoed Binotto's suggestions that the new Ferrari had delivered a step forward in its cornering performance.

"One of the objectives was to make sure that we have a faster car in the corners," he said. "It's not just to go fast in the corners, but also when it comes to tyre management and so on.

"As Mattia said, maybe we would like to be in a stronger position now, but also it's fair to say that the season is very long, and it's very fair to say that we didn't even start. So I think we need to look at ourselves.

"I think we have plenty of work to do. The car is a step forward as I said. I think that we know we can improve it from where we are, so time will tell is probably the best answer."

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Ricciardo "will answer" rivals' calls, but prefers Renault stay

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Daniel Ricciardo says he is committed to Renault’s Formula 1 project in the long-term and is not looking for the “next best thing” when his contract ends this year.
Seven-time grand prix winner Ricciardo quit Red Bull at the end of 2018 to join Renault on a two-year contract, but is currently a free agent for 2021.

Ricciardo has been linked to Ferrari for 2021 after a difficult first year with Renault that saw him fail to score a podium finish, as he recorded a best result of fourth at the Italian Grand Prix. The Australian has been tipped as a potential replacement for Sebastian Vettel, and was quoted earlier this month as saying he was “answering all calls” over drives for next year.

After initially staying coy when asked if he would like to race for Ferrari - only saying Vettel was a “nice guy” - Ricciardo stressed he remains committed to Renault’s long-term ambitions to fight for wins and championships.

“I reiterated afterwards probably in the second part of that sentence, I will answer calls for sure, but most importantly I want this to work,” Ricciardo said.

“I don’t want it to feel like I’ve just come to Renault and just got away from Red Bull, and then I’m looking for the next best thing. I really want to make this happen and make it work.

“Obviously the step to that is getting more out of this year than we did last year and hopefully getting enough out of it, that the journey continues beyond my two-year contract. That’s the ideal scenario.

“To talk about other what-ifs and future here and there, it’s still too early.

Ricciardo "will answer" rivals' calls, but prefers Renault stay

“You don’t want to rock the boat obviously as well, but we haven’t even started this year, so to already start thinking about ’21. I can’t think about it yet.”

Vettel is entering the final year of his existing Ferrari contract, but team principal Mattia Binotto said earlier this month the four-time world champion was the “first option” to partner Charles Leclerc next year.

Leclerc signed a new Ferrari contract last December after an impressive first season with the team, tying him down until 2024.

McLaren’s Carlos Sainz beat Ricciardo to lead the F1 midfield drivers in 2019, but also batted away a link to Vettel’s drive when asked if the German would be the catalyst in the driver market.

“I don’t know, and at the moment I don’t really care if Sebastian is going to be the catalyst or not,” Sainz said.

“As you know, I’m very happy in McLaren. I feel very much part of this project, this medium-to-long-term project, and to be honest I don’t think about anything else.

“I want this year to be a step forward compared to last year and keep working in the same direction with the same objectives, and we’ll see.”

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'We've achieved our goal' – Leclerc reveals biggest strength of new Ferrari SF1000

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Charles Leclerc has confirmed that Ferrari’s 2020 machine, the SF1000, has achieved the team’s stated goal of being more of a match for its rivals in the corners, after the Monegasque began his second week of pre-season testing behind the wheel of the new car.

Last year’s Ferrari, the SF90, was something of a rocket down the straights but tended to lose out in the corners – a deficit that was shown up particularly around Barcelona’s Sector 3 in 2019, contributing to Ferrari failing to get within eight-tenths of Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas in qualifying for that year’s Spanish Grand Prix.

But asked whether he’d seen the team’s performance improve around the Circuit de Catalunya so far in 2020, Leclerc replied: “Sector 3 is the most technical one, where there are the most corners, and on that, I'm pretty sure... we have improved and I can go quicker through the corners.”

At the SF1000’s launch, Mattia Binotto revealed that Ferrari had created the SF1000 with the aim of “trying to look for maximum aero performance and maximise the downforce level”. And Leclerc confirmed that it was mission accomplished on that front, when asked where the car was best.

“I think the biggest strength is the speed around the corners,” he said. “I think on that, we have achieved our goal. Then we need to wait and see for the overall performance of the car, but… we are going around the corners quicker than we did last year, so that's positive. But we need to keep working on this car to unlock a bit more performance.”

Leclerc will now spend just one more day in the SF1000 before he next drives it in Free Practice 1 for Australia. And he had a clear plan of attack for what he was wanted to achieve before he flies out of Barcelona.

“I think for every car, there is a target balance,” said Leclerc, “a balance that you target for qualifying and for the race to extract the maximum out of the car. For now, we've tried different options today, I think I've started to have an idea of which balance we need to target to be the quickest on track. We'll have to finalise that for the last day, which will be very important for the qualifying and the race in Melbourne.”

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Ferrari continued their strategy of keeping their cards close to their chest on Wednesday as Week 2 of testing commenced, with Leclerc finishing the day in P13, three places down on Vettel, both over a second off the pace. But had 2020 pre-season testing been a disaster for Ferrari so far, as some corners of the media were suggesting?

“No, no, no, definitely not,” laughed Leclerc. “We are focusing on ourselves, trying to work as much as possible without listening too much to the outside world… I can't speak for the others, but I'm pretty sure the top three teams haven't shown their true potential yet.”

 

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Pirelli explain ‘Zandvoort special’ tyre tests in Barcelona

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As Week 2 of 2020 pre-season began at the Circuit the Barcelona-Catalunya on Wednesday, several drivers were spotted out on track sporting unmarked tyres – with Pirelli confirming that they were experimenting with a new rubber construction ahead of the return of this year’s Dutch Grand Prix.

With the Dutch race – taking place at the iconic Zandvoort track, where F1 last raced in 1985 – featuring banked corners, Pirelli decided to use pre-season testing in Barcelona to try out a new construction of front C2 tyres, with both Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel among those giving the black-walled prototype rubber an outing on the first morning of Week 2.

“This prototype has been designed with a slightly different construction as we are still analysing data coming from Zandvoort,” said Pirelli’s Head of F1 and Car Racing, Mario Isola.

“We made some analysis on the banking and the plan is to use these tyres with a slightly higher pressure. In preparation for that, and as we are not fully aware of everything – we don’t have final data on the circuit, on Tarmac roughness and so on – the idea is also to test a slightly different construction here [in Barcelona].

“Just the front tyres are different,” he added. “It’s working in a slightly different way, [and is] more resistant, in terms of integrity.”

Isola was keen to state, however, that Pirelli weren’t reacting to any concerns about how well the current compounds would hold up around Zandvoort.

“It was discussed with the FIA and agreed with the FIA,” he said. “I do not want to hear comments of 'panic'. There is no panic. There is nothing. If you have any questions, it’s better to clarify. It is part of a serious and professional process where we need to be ready.

“I’m sure finally we will go with normal tyres, with upper grade prescriptions [i.e. harder compounds] but we prefer also to test the drivability of different constructions, and we have the opportunity here in Barcelona.”

Each team has veen given two sets of the new compound, in addition to their normal complement of testing tyres.

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