FORMULA 1

[MIKA27]

Drivers and team bosses welcome grid girl return in Monaco

Grid girls will return to Formula 1 for the first time this season at the Monaco Grand Prix in defiance of a recent decision by the sport's owner Liberty Media to drop the "outdated" tradition.

Liberty replaced 'grid girls' with 'grid kids' in order to modernise itself and whilst the kids will still get their chance ahead of Sunday's race, Monaco organisers insist they will be accompanied by both female and male models under race sponsor TAG Heuer.

The decision has been welcomed by both team bosses and drivers.

"I’m not disappointed to have the grid girls back," commented Sauber team boss Fred Vasseur. "I think that at the end of the day it’s up to the track also to decide if they want to put grid girls on the grid. I think it’s a good move."

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff added: "I think if you ask five people you will have eight opinions on grid girls. I think it was not discriminatory at all, it was part of the history of Formula 1.

"It has become sponsorship property, thinking about Emirates or Heineken and not to have Hawaiian Tropic girls we remember 30 years ago. So I’m happy to see them back on the grid in Monaco."

Red Bull's Christian Horner agreed: "To be honest with you, I think the girls make a welcome return this weekend. I think that it’s something that should be open to all categories, so some races will choose to have grid kids, others will have mixed grids and I think that so long as it’s done in an appropriate manner, then it’s ultimately down to the promotor."

Current championship leader Lewis Hamilton noted that as long as the girls enjoy doing it and aren't forced to do anything they don't want to do, then he sees no issue with them making a return this weekend.

"I’ve not really ever spoken to women how they feel about the whole situation. So I can’t really comment. I don’t particularly feel any way about it.

"When we pull up to the grid and there’s beautiful women on the grid, that’s the Monaco Grand Prix, that’s a lovely thing – but I definitely don’t think that we should ever be supporting or pushing these women in general to feel uncomfortable. And if they are, then we shouldn’t do it."

Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc also welcomed the decision to have both grid girls and kids as his cousin has been selected to join the drivers on the grid this Sunday.

"I think it was quite positive to have some girls on the grid to be honest – even though I have a girlfriend so I should not say that maybe, I will get in trouble.

"But yeah, it’s also good to have some kids. Monaco is very small, so they took also my little cousin that will be on the grid with me. So that will be nice, and I’ve seen how happy he was to be chosen as one of the kids – and it’s great to see that. And it’s a great idea to have kids on the grid also."

[MIKA27]

Ferrari customers make first engine changes in Monaco

Ferrari’s customer teams have introduced their first fresh Formula 1 engine components during the Monaco Grand Prix week.
The four drivers from Haas and Sauber have informed the FIA they will use a second internal combustion engine, turbocharger and MGU-H of the season in Monte Carlo.

Drivers are allowed three of each components before incurring grid penalties.

It means Haas and Sauber have used up a penalty-free change without getting a big performance boost from it, because it is believed that Ferrari does not plan to introduce its second specification of 2018 engine upgrade until Canada.

Haas team principal Gunther Steiner said Haas wanted to run the new components on track to validate them before the next race in Canada, which is more power-sensitive.

While it means the first change has been triggered after just five of 21 race weekends, the second and third set of components can last longer than the first.

This is because the engine components a team starts the season with must be used for every practice session, qualifying and the race, whereas the GP weekend mileage can be shared around different engines as more are introduced to the pool.

“It’s just a cycle, that is what is planned,” said Steiner. “This weekend what we’re doing is keeping the power unit for the whole weekend, and then from Canada onwards we put unit number one in FP1 and FP2 and use the race unit only on Saturdays.

  

“It’s just a cycle so we can survive with the three engines over the year.”

If Ferrari brings its second-specification engine to Montreal, it is likely only Sebastian Vettel will have use of it.

Vettel’s teammate Kimi Raikkonen required an engine change during the previous race weekend in Spain, which means he is already on his second combustion engine, MGU-H and turbo but it is the same specification as what he started the season with.

It is not known when Raikkonen or the Sauber and Haas drivers will move onto the second specification of Ferrari engine.

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Pirelli asked to simplify F1 compound names for 2019

The FIA and Formula 1 bosses have asked Pirelli to simplify the names it uses for its tyre range in 2019 in order to make it easier for casual fans to understand.
The plan is to keep the current range of compounds but scrap names such as ultrasoft and supersoft – and instead have only hard, medium and soft each weekend, with the actual compounds using those names changing depending on the circuit, as before.

The idea has been around for some time, but it has now become an official request that Pirelli is currently analysing.

"We had a request from FOM and FIA to just call them hard, medium and soft," said Pirelli F1 boss Mario Isola.

"With three colours, the same colours and same names for all the races, but obviously different compounds, because you cannot use the same compounds in Silverstone or Monaco.

"On a second level we will have compound A, B, C, D, E, F or whatever, and we will tell you that for this race, the hard is B, the medium is D, and whatever. So for spectators it's probably more understandable, but you also have the possibility to go deeper in detail for technical information that we will continue to provide.

"It's an on ongoing discussion, but we said we are available to evaluate this change."

One of the considerations is that whereas now all supersofts emerge from the factory with red sidewalls, in the future the colours of that compound will be different depending on whether the tyre is a hard, medium or soft for that weekend.

However, Isola says that as tyres are made for a specific race, that is easy to deal with.

"I made a check with production and logistics, obviously we need to understand all the implications.

"We produce a specific batch for each race, to be sure that they all come from the same batch, so honestly to put a purple label or a yellow label or any other colour is not a big issue."

Isola said he expects Pirelli to have "five or six" compounds in 2019.

[MIKA27]

Red Bull: Chassis edge enough to fight rivals’ engine modes

Red Bull Formula 1 duo Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen believe their car advantage around Monaco is enough to put them in the fight for pole position, despite rivals’ stronger engine modes.
The pair finished 1-2 in both practices in Monte Carlo on Thursday, with Ricciardo more than half a second clear of Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel in the quicker afternoon session.

Although both drivers are well aware that Ferrari and Mercedes are able to extract a lot more pace from ‘magic’ engine modes in qualifying, they think there is a chance they can still hold on at the front this time out.

Ricciardo said: “Our gap from practice to qualifying isn’t normally as big as what Ferrari and Mercedes can find.

"In quali they’ll definitely close that gap. I still feel if we can put together a really good lap we have a very good chance. That’s my job on Saturday.”

Verstappen added: “For sure they will come close to us in qualifying, with the engine modes. But I’m sure we can do better.

"It’s pretty good. I didn’t really have a lot of problems, that of course helps a lot on a street circuit. The car even comparing to last year has been a massive step forwards, in terms of how I feel in the car. It always helps.”

Ricciardo’s best lap of 1m11.841s was the fastest-ever lap around the Monaco street circuit, with a track resurfacing, car improvements and the hypersoft Pirelli tyre contributing to the speed step.

  

With the weekend timetable meaning F1 track action does not resume until Saturday, Ricciardo said he hoped Red Bull’s strong pace so far would leave rivals facing extra anguish over what they have to do to close the gap.

“We want everyone to sleep an extra night," he said. “I definitely expect all three big teams on Saturday to be below 1m12s. I feel we set as much of a benchmark as we could today, and it’s nice to start with these intentions.

“The intention obviously this weekend was to try and win, to try and be dominant. You know, today's good, it's a good start - we topped the session. For now we do all we can but we have a day off and then it's Saturday.

"I'm sure Ferrari, Mercedes will start to put some more pressure on us, but today we did what we could, so I'm happy.”

[MIKA27]

Aston Martin's F1 engine project "gathering momentum"

Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer says the company expects to make a decision on whether to proceed with its Formula 1 engine plan within the next nine months.
Palmer has made no secret of his enthusiasm for the 2021 regulations, which mandate a simplified version of the current hybrid V6.

Former Ferrari F1 engine boss Luca Marmorini was hired last year as a consultant, and the Italian has been working on a feasibility study.

"It's gathered momentum, that's for sure," Palmer told Motorsport.com of the F1 project.

"Nothing's come along that's deflected the probability, nothing's been put in place that says we can't do it any more, so we continue to do as much pre-study as we can in the context of what we understand of the regulations, which are not fully detailed.

"We can at least size up the opportunity now.

"The bit that we don't know about the regs is the cost cap, and that's an integral part of our decision to come into the sport or not.

"We don't have money to burn. It has to be a better return let's say that straightforward sponsorship, and that's a key part of the decision.

"I'm expecting something along the lines of a limited number of dyno hours, some way of putting a monetary effect on hours spent, that kind of thing."

Aston Martin is the title sponsor of Red Bull Racing, and the companies are partners on the Valkyrie hypercar project.

However, Palmer admits Aston will have to prove to itself that it can make a competitive engine before any deal can be discussed with Red Bull. 

"We're looking at 2021, so it's somewhere down the road. But if we can't pass the 'It's OK for Red Bull test' then that probably means we're not passing the 'It's competitive' test, and it has to be competitive.

"There's approximately nine months work in front of us to convince ourselves one way or the other.

"You've got simulation tools and single cylinder work, and that gives you a pretty accurate correlation between the testing world and the simulation world."

While Aston is expected to team up with a specialist such as Ilmor or Cosworth, Palmer is keen for the company to have direct input on its development.

"It brings authenticity, doesn't it? We have the likes of Luca as a consultant to work with us, and help us through the bear pits. He's done it before, he has a lot of credibility, a lot of understanding, and he can guide us.

"But most engines around the world are done with some from of consulting, there's obviously the Cosworths, the Ricardos, the Ilmors, the AVLs, those kinds of companies, that's what they do.

"It's not easy, we're not looking it from a naive 'It's just an engine' point of view.' But we are an engine manufacturer, and we are an engine designer.

"Our V12 is an example of that, the Valkyrie engine is an example of that, so we're not starting from scratch. I fully accept that Honda proves how hard it is. But at the same time you can start to see Honda improving."

[MIKA27]

Brendon Hartley rubbishes rumours of losing his Toro Rosso F1 drive

Toro Rosso driver Brendon Hartley has moved to quash speculation he risks losing his Formula 1 seat, insisting he is "more than capable" of staying in the job.

Hartley has been the focus of speculation in recent weeks after making two high-profile errors.

In Azerbaijan, he failed to progress from Q1 after touching the wall on his first flying lap - then while touring back to the pits, he wandered into the path of team-mate Pierre Gasly while he was on his flying lap, nearly initiating a huge accident.

He then missed qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix entirely after crashing at Turn 9 during final practice.

Rumours in the German press had connected Mercedes protege Pascal Wehrlein with Hartley's seat.

"I was surprised to hear about that because I have a contract," Hartley said. "I'm feeling more and more confident in a Formula 1 car.

"F1 moves quickly, there's a lot of critics, but obviously as a driver you're your own biggest critic.

"I had two weekends not completely clean, but in fairness I scored my first point in Azerbaijan, and for the first weekends of the year I was ahead [of Gasly] in qualifying two of the three.

"In the end, I know that I'm a team player, I'm working very hard behind the scenes.

"I know I'm more than capable, I think I've shown that in the first three qualifyings of the year and since then I haven't done a lap in qualifying."

The suggestion of Hartley losing his seat was also refuted, albeit equivocally, by Red Bull's driver consultant Helmut Marko, who said: "That's not the intention at the moment".

Toro Rosso has openly admitted it is considering taking on a Japanese driver in the near future, the most likely candidate being Formula 2 racer Nirei Fukuzumi.

But Fukuzumi is not currently qualified to hold an F1 superlicence.

Hartley claimed the final point in Baku and finished 11th out of 14 finishers from his back-of-the-grid spot at Barcelona.

"Ultimately we haven't had the pace to be in the points all of the time," Hartley said.

"I was really happy with my race in Barcelona; we didn't have the pace to move much further up, but I felt I did what I could, and I'm happy with how I dealt with having a crash.

"Obviously you don't want it to happen, and I'll make a big effort that it doesn't happen again, but I'm not the only one who'll have a crash - and it won't be my last crash - and that's part of being a racing driver.

"I've had some good races but ultimately there's only one race this year where we've had the pace in the car to score big points - and that's the race where I had a penalty and didn't deliver.

"People sometimes have short memories in Formula 1. Things move very quick, and from one weekend to the next the whole story can be a completely different one."

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Hamilton: Merc in better place than last year

Lewis Hamilton said his day was nothing more than “ok” in Monaco but thinks the W09 is performing better than its predecessor in Monte Carlo last year.

Monaco became a sudden bogey track for Mercedes as its W08, also known as the ‘diva’, struggled on the narrow street circuits.

Hamilton started the 2017 race from outside of the top 10 and neither himself or Valtteri Bottas were able to finish on the podium.

Looking to atone for last year’s nightmare, Hamilton is somewhat encouraged by Mercedes’ starting point heading into the rest of the weekend.

“It’s been an ok day,” Hamilton told reporters. “We didn’t suffer any damage which is a good thing.”

“I said yesterday the Red Bulls were going to be quick which they were today. As expected, we struggled a little bit more.

“The car felt good in some places, in others it felt bad.

“So we have got some things to work on, but we’re not completely in the dark. We’re in a much better place than we were last year.

“We’re closer to Red Bull and Ferrari than I expected, but we’re still a few tenths off.

“We’ve got some ground to cover and pick up if we want to be in the fight for the win.

“We’ve got to keep working on the set-up and try and see if we can pull out some more potential from the car.”

Hamilton also gave his thoughts on the new hypersoft tyres, making its seasonal debut at the Monaco Grand Prix.

He added: “The hyper-soft felt good but it doesn’t last very long. It looks good for qualifying but could be interesting in the race.”

[Baldy]

Typical boring Monaco GP.  Don't bother watching the bling procession anymore.  Nothing changes unless it's a mechanical or crash.  I watch qualifying and that's about it. 

[LLC]

Typical boring Monaco GP.  Don't bother watching the bling procession anymore.  Nothing changes unless it's a mechanical or crash.  I watch qualifying and that's about it. 

Agree. They need the history and atmosphere in Monaco because other than the start once things settle in it’s a snooze fest.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Baldy]

Canadian GP next, now that's a race track!

[MIKA27]

RICCIARDO’S STOCK CONTINUES TO RISE AFTER MONACO VICTORY

Daniel Ricciardo’s stock has never been higher after a dominant Monaco Grand Prix weekend that saw him stand on the podium above two Formula 1 world champions whose 2019 teammates have yet to be confirmed.

The Australian is out of contract with Red Bull at the end of the season and champions Mercedes or Ferrari, the top two teams, are obvious possible alternatives.

Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel was second in Monaco with championship leader Lewis Hamilton third for Mercedes but Ricciardo led every single practice and qualifying session and throughout the race.

Red Bull also want the 28-year-old to stay, but will be expected to pay a lot more than at present given Ricciardo’s success.

“You could say the day’s maybe made Daniel more expensive, it’s put his value up,” Red Bull principal Christian Horner told reporters.

“Or you could say it’s put the team in a stronger position in terms of its value and potential to him.”

Ricciardo has won two races this year, the same number as Vettel and Hamilton, and is third overall — albeit 38 points behind Britain’s Hamilton.

The Australian would be a lot closer had he not retired early on with an electrical problem in Bahrain and been in a collision with teammate Max Verstappen in Azerbaijan.

Verstappen, 20, is on a lucrative long-term contract but has had a season full of mistakes and crashes.

Horner hoped a new deal with Ricciardo could be reached “in the next couple of months” but recognised much would depend on what engine Red Bull had next season.

The former champions use Renault power units but have been linked to Honda, now with Red Bull-owned Toro Rosso.

Honda’s engines have improved considerably after three dismal years with McLaren, and France’s Pierre Gasly finished seventh for Toro Rosso on Sunday.

Mercedes say they are not looking beyond their immediate “family” at present, with Finland’s Valtteri Bottas performing well as Hamilton’s teammate, and Ferrari could retain veteran Kimi Raikkonen.

While Ricciardo would be popular, as a driver of Italian extraction with a reputation for thrilling overtakes, Ferrari also see Sauber’s 20-year-old Charles Leclerc as a longer-term option.

Whatever the reality, Ricciardo is putting himself front, side and centre in the shop window, knowing that any interest adds to his bargaining power.

“We’ll see what the others think. I can’t pay myself but for sure I feel I’ve done a really good job in the first six races,” he said.

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RICCIARDO AND POWER CREATE MOTORSPORT HISTORY

The stunning feats of Daniel Ricciardo and Will Power have created motorsport history as their success on Sunday ensured Australia became the first country to have drivers win motorsport’s two most famous races on the same day.

Only hours after Ricciardo won the prestigious Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix from pole, 37-year-old Power pulled off the greatest win of his career in America as he became the first Australian to win the Indianapolis 500, which was first held in 1911.

Only two other countries – Britain (1965, 1966) and Brazil (1989, 1993) – had provided the winning driver at Monaco and Indianapolis in the same year.

The last Australian to win on the streets of Monaco in 2010 and 2012, Mark Webber, was overjoyed about the duel successes.

“A little reminder for the Australian press … please feel free to load front and back pages with motorsport related success stories from Indianapolis and Monte Carlo,” Webber tweeted.

Ricciardo’s second win of the F1 season sees him third in the overall standings to put him within reach of a maiden championship.

Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel, who have won four titles each, lead the series but 28-year-old Ricciardo has firmed into a $13 favourite.

Australia hasn’t had an F1 champion since Alan Jones in 1980, while the great Jack Brabham is the only other driver from this country to do so having won it three times (1959, 1960, 1966).

The victory in Monaco was sweet redemption for Ricciardo, who was denied a certain win in 2016 when his Red Bull Racing team botched a regulation pit stop.

“I lost power halfway and I thought the race was over. Thanks to the team we got it back. I’m stoked,” Ricciardo said.

While Ricciardo has become a household name in Australian sport, the same can’t be said about Power even after winning the IndyCar series in 2014.

“To be the first Australian to win the Indy 500, that’s very special,” the Toowoomba-raised Power said.

“Maybe they might recognise me down there now. I don’t think many people know who I am down there.”

Supercars championship leader Scott McLaughlin and fellow Ford driver Will Davison, who is Power’s close mate, were trackside supporting him.

“It feels cool to be here to see Will (Power) win. I was here when he finished P2 in 2015, and in the motorhome afterwards I could see how much that hurt,” Davison said.

“I know how much this race has meant to him and how much it’s annoyed him that he hasn’t been able to win this one.”

Power wasn’t the only Australian to race in the Indy500, with Melbourne’s James Davison, a cousin of Will Davison, finishing at the back of the field.

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RESTA JOINS SAUBER FROM FERRARI AS TECHNICAL CHIEF

Sauber have tightened their links with Ferrari by appointing the Italian team’s chief designer Simone Resta as technical director on Monday.

Swiss-based Sauber already use Ferrari engines and have Ferrari-backed Monegasque rookie Charles Leclerc as one of their Formula One drivers.

They also have Alfa Romeo as title sponsors. The Italian marque is part of the Fiat Chrysler group, whose chief executive Sergio Marchionne is also head of sportscar maker Ferrari.

Sauber team principal Frederic Vasseur said in a statement, a day after the Monaco Grand Prix, that Resta would start on July 1.

Sauber, currently ninth of 10 teams in the championship, parted company with previous technical director Joerg Zander earlier in May.

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ALONSO: PROBABLY THE MOST BORING RACE EVER

Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix was Formula 1’s most boring ever, according to world champions Fernando Alonso and fellow world champion Lewis Hamilton.

Hamilton finished third for Mercedes, his championship lead over Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel trimmed to 14 points, while Alonso had been seventh before retiring his McLaren with transmission problems on lap 48.

The top six finishers remained in grid position, with Australian Daniel Ricciardo winning for Red Bull from pole despite having to manage problems with his car’s power unit for nearly two thirds of the distance.

“This is probably the most boring race ever,” Alonso told television reporters. “Without a safety car, without yellow flags, I think the sport needs to think a little bit about the show because this is very disappointing.”

The Spaniard, who missed last year’s race to compete in the Indianapolis 500, added, “I think we probably need to give something to the fans at the end of the race just to pay the ticket back a little.”

Hamilton, a four-time F1 world champion said it had been the “longest 78 laps ever”.

Last year he had managed only seventh as Mercedes struggled around the tight and twisty layout while Ferrari enjoyed a dominant one-two.

But the Briton, still a big fan of the glamorous location and pre-race build-up, was frustrated by an afternoon spent at reduced speed to save the tyres on a one-stop strategy and with no chance of overtaking.

“Formula 1 needs to apply a different schedule here. It should not be a one-stop race, for example,” said Hamilton, a two-times winner in Monaco, who said he would have been asleep on the sofa if watching on television.

“From a racing driver’s point of view, we were never pushing. It was insane how little I was pushing. I was 10 seconds behind, but I was conflicted because in my heart I wanted to win this race, but the team just asked me to bring the car home.”

One man who was celebrating, and not complaining of boredom either, was Ricciardo. At any other track, with his engine problems, he would have been overtaken and forgotten.

The Australian performed a jubilant ‘shoey’ celebration on the podium, quaffing champagne from his sweaty racing boot and making Red Bull’s technical head Adrian Newey share the experience.

The magnum of champagne was then handed to Monaco’s Prince Albert and Princess Charlene to drink straight from the oversized bottle.

Ricciardo then jumped in the pool on the team’s harbourside hospitality unit in what has become a tradtional celebration at the venue for the Blues.

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WOLFF: ONE OF MY ROLES IS TO PROTECT MY PEOPLE

Mercedes F1 chief Toto Wolff has accused Formula 1’s governing body of ‘throwing his team under the bus’ after the FIA revealed specific details of their concerns with rivals Ferrari.

It was confirmed on the eve of the Monaco Grand Prix that Lewis Hamilton’s championship rival Sebastian Vettel will face no punishment after the FIA cleared his team of breaking any rules.

Mercedes believed that the Italians may have been deploying an illegal power boost this year, and raised the matter with F1’s sporting federation ahead of last month’s race in Azerbaijan. They did not launch an official protest.

Although the FIA conceded there had been “concerns” over Ferrari’s complex battery system, they subsequently cleared the Italians of any wrongdoing.

On Saturday, the FIA’s race director Charlie Whiting named James Allison, the Mercedes’ technical director who had two spells at Ferrari before moving to Mercedes in 2017, as the man who approached them.

Asked if he felt the FIA had thrown his team under a bus, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff replied: “Yes. One of my roles is to protect my people and if they are named it is disturbing.”

Wolff also felt the FIA’s version of events were “not true”. “Some of the things that were said were cherry-picked,” he said.

The Austrian continued: “The FIA has made a public statement and as the governing body they are entitled to do that. No judgement has been made on anything. No protest. No investigation launched. No verdict. We trust them.

“The normal modus operandi is that teams ask about issues every single day and that is what has happened in this instance.”

Suspicions over alleged foul play gathered pace at last month’s Chinese Grand Prix after Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen secured Ferrari’s second consecutive front-row lockout.

Vettel was more than half a second clear of the Mercedes cars at a track which, up until this season, the German constructor had dominated.

Vettel, who won the opening two rounds, was again on pole at the following race in Azerbaijan.

Mercedes are closely aligned with Ferrari in their future vision for the sport – its terms are up for renewal after 2020 – but Wolff hopes their relationship has not been affected.

“It is like rugby,” Wolff added. “You scrum but then have a beer together afterwards.”

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FORMULA 1 ENGINE RULES CLOSE TO BEING RATIFIED

Formula 1 aims to have new engine regulations for 2021 drawn up by the end of June after a meeting with teams at the Monaco Grand Prix.

Commercial rights holders Liberty Media and the governing FIA sat down with teams for an update on future plans and Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff told reporters progress had been made in some areas.

“I think on the engine regulations we are pretty close on being able to tick the box,” said the Austrian when asked what had transpired from Friday’s meeting in the Mediterranean principality.

“The only major thing which we need to solve is that we are still spending a lot on engine development and what we need to avoid is double spending over the next years, continuing to develop the current engine and also doing the new one.”

Wolff said concessions had been made from Mercedes’ standpoint, with acceptance that the MGU-H – one of the two motor generator units on the current V6 turbo hybrid engine – would have to go.

The engines would be louder, higher-revving and less fuel-limited.

“It’s not the most sustainable message we’re sending out but we can understand that from a spectacle standpoint it is something you need to consider and accept,” said Wolff.

Formula 1 announced in April it wanted to have cost caps and a more balanced distribution of revenues for the next cycle after the current team contracts and engine regulations expire at the end of 2020.

It also wants engines to be simpler and louder, addressing a grievance from many fans about the current power units.

A five point plan, outlining key initiatives, was put to teams at the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Ferrari, who receive special payments, have warned they could leave if changes go against their interests.

Ferrari chairman Sergio Marchionne recently sounded a more conciliatory message, however, saying he was encouraged particularly by a “change in attitude” over the engine proposals.

“I see some commonsense on the table. It was a productive discussion,” said Wolff of the latest developments.

“There are still areas where we are very far away. But it is moving forward in a constructive, structured process.”

Regarding cost caps, he said Liberty had recognised that there needed to be a gradual process rather than any sudden imposition.

“It needs to go over several years and it needs to consider the various structures that have been put in place and they are taking our feedback on board,” said Wolff.

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HORNER: RICCIARDO COULD HAVE BEEN IN APOLLO 13

Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo lived his own Apollo 13 moment to emerge triumphant on Sunday from what could have been a Monaco Grand Prix nightmare for the big smiling Australian.

If Formula 1’s showcase race was dull for rivals, with the top six finishing in the position they started, for Ricciardo it was not as he wrestled gremlins for more than 50 laps of the unforgiving street circuit.

“He could have been in Apollo 13, I tell you, the way he was dealing with the issues today,” said team boss Christian Horner, referring to the troubled 1970 U.S. lunar mission that ultimately got home safely.

The Red Bull driver reported a loss of power on lap 28, an issue serious enough for the team to consider telling him to stop the car and save the engine.

“The engine guys could see from the data that the MGU-K had stopped completely,” added Horner, referring to the part of the Renault power unit that recovers the energy generated while braking.

“At that point there was talk in the background of retiring the car… my position was ‘We´re leading the Monaco Grand Prix, we´ll run until this engine stops’.”

The failure of the unit meant also that the car’s rear brakes were overheating and in danger of catching fire.

Informed over the radio that the situation would not improve, Ricciardo was told to wind the brake bias to the front of the car and lift off the accelerator in braking areas to generate cooling.

And with all that, Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel was only a second behind.

The Australian kept his calm and carried on, easing off but knowing also that the tight and twisty Monaco layout made it hard for anyone to pass unless he slowed dramatically.

“It was an incredible performance from him. Just extremely mature. I´m super happy for him, he really deserved this result this weekend,” said Horner.

The team boss congratulated Ricciardo over the team radio afterwards by referencing Michael Schumacher in 1995 — a remark he later said was actually referring to the German’s drive in Spain in 1994 when he drove much of that race in fifth gear.

Ricciardo was simply relieved to get ‘payback’ for Monaco 2016 — a race he also started on pole but that was wrecked by a botched pitstop.

“Two years in the making this, so I finally feel like the redemption has arrived,” he said.

“I felt a loss of power and I thought the race was done and we got home just using six gears. Thanks to the team we got it back. I´m stoked.”

MIKA: Firstly, I'm so happy for Daniel! 

Second and last, this just shows how Monaco is a boring race. When your car is pretty much crippled and can still win provided you're out front.

[MIKA27]

Esteban Ocon revels in sixth after successive retirements

Esteban Ocon revelled in his sixth place finish at the Monaco Grand Prix as he bounced back from successive retirements at the previous two events.

Ocon arrived in Monaco having scored just a single point in 2018, with his prospects hampered by a clash with Kimi Raikkonen in Azerbaijan and an oil leak in Spain.

Ocon qualified as the lead midfield driver in sixth place and converted his position through to the conclusion of the 78-lap race, as he boosted his points tally to move up the standings.

“A fantastic result,” said Ocon. "I’m really happy and it was great fun. The pace we had was impressive and the team did a fantastic job with the strategy.

“We had a great understanding of the tyres and there were times during the race when we were the fastest car on the track.

“In the final few laps I was catching [Valtteri] Bottas and [Kimi] Raikkonen by over a second per lap and I was right behind them at the end.

"It feels great to get this result and a good bunch of points after a few disappointing races. I hope we can have many more weekends like this one.”

The result marked Ocon’s best finish since last year’s Mexican Grand Prix, as Force India held sixth position in the Constructors’ Championship.

The Silverstone-based operation has amassed 26 points, leaving it 14 behind McLaren and seven clear of Toro Rosso.

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'We were all just cruising around' at Monaco GP - Kimi Raikkonen

Kimi Raikkonen says he never felt threatened by compatriot Valtteri Bottas as the leading pack was just “cruising around” at Formula 1's Monaco Grand Prix.

Raikkonen maintained fourth position throughout the race but Mercedes rival Bottas remained within a couple of seconds for much of the second stint, having initially dropped back.

Raikkonen, though, was unflustered by Bottas’ presence and their positions were ultimately preserved through to the chequered flag.

“Qualifying dictates most of the things, and honestly not an awful lot happened,” he said.

“The start is kind another deciding part and then everybody was just driving behind each other.

“The guy that is immediately in front of you dictates the speed and it needs to be a massive mistake or issue to get past him.

“That’s pretty much what happened – we ended up driving 78 laps just around, finish the race.

“[Bottas] tried a few times to get close, but, like I said, we were all –or at least for me – cruising around and if I couldn’t get past [Lewis] Hamilton, then he wasn’t going to pass me.

“I could speed up when I needed and I don’t think whatever tyres we or them might have been in, it wouldn’t make a difference.

“It wasn’t like we were dead slow, we were slow because we chose to be and there was no chance to pass the guy in front. We could get the speed up when we needed.”

Raikkonen holds fifth place in the Drivers’ Championship, having amassed 60 points.

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Charles Leclerc 'a passenger' in late crash with Brendon Hartley

Charles Leclerc explained that he was a passenger in the crash that eliminated both himself and Brendon Hartley from his home Grand Prix in Monaco.

Leclerc had been chasing Hartley for 11th position when he careered into the back of his rival under braking for the Nouvelle Chicane.

Replays during the race suggested that a brake problem had affected Leclerc and he confirmed in the aftermath that a front-left disc failure was behind his inability to stop his Sauber C37.

Stewards summoned Leclerc but cleared him of wrongdoing after accepting that a mechanical failure was behind the collision.

“With Brendon I was basically a passenger, I went on the brake and the bite was not there,” he said.

“The front left disc broke, exploded when I just touched the brakes, I couldn’t do anything, I tried to avoid him as much as I could on the right but I didn’t have possibility to avoid him.

“For four laps I was complaining on the radio the pedal was getting softer and softer but it gave up pretty… I expected there was an issue but even on the data we did not expect it to give up that early.

“We expected to finish the end of the race so we need to check a bit and learn from it and not have the same issue again.”

Leclerc also expressed his angst at getting stuck behind Hartley after the pit stop phase, believing that the Toro Rosso’s driver deliberately slow pace ruined Sauber’s prospects.

“I think Toro Rosso has played a bit of a game, I don’t know if that was mentioned on the radio that it was planned or whatever, Brendon was clearly slowing down,” he said.

“At one point of the race we were like 2.8 seconds slower than the laps we were doing at the end of the race and he did not have any special issues.

“It was very difficult to overtake so it was very frustrating to stay behind as before that we had a very good place to score points theoretically.

“If [Nico] Hulkenberg, [Pierre] Gasly and all these guys were pitting they were [going to] fall in behind us so we were in the points.

“It’s very frustrating to be stuck behind and not be able to overtake, it’s part of the race, we know Monaco is like this, it’s just frustrating they seemed to slow down a bit.

“I mean if we were in their positions considering Brendon’s penalty [for speeding in the pits] we probably would have done the same as a team, it’s not blaming anything on Toro Rosso, just frustrating on being the car behind.”

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Hamilton calls for Monaco to be changed

Lewis Hamilton has made two suggestions to Prince Albert about how the Monaco Grand Prix can be changed for the better.

Hamilton said he would have fallen asleep on the sofa had he watched Sunday’s race at home due to the lack of race action in Monte Carlo.

Fernando Alonso was also very vocal about how boring the race was, and Hamilton said it was a big shame that this is how races often play out at the iconic street circuit.

“We were just cruising around from lap six,” Hamilton said. “It wasn’t really racing. Ultimately we were turned down and just cruising around to make sure we got to the end.”

“Monaco has the biggest build-up and is the most special race of the season and it is just a shame that the race isn’t as exciting as the whole spectacle and the track actually is.

“In qualifying it is epic and through practice there is no place like it, but in the race we just weren’t ever pushing.

 

“It was insane how little l was pushing – the least l can ever remember.

“There was a point where l was ten seconds behind and l was conflicted because in my heart l was ‘I still want to win the race’ and they were like ‘no, just bring it home’.

“I just love racing.

“So what can we do to make this one better?”

Hamilton has put forward two suggestions which could make a Monaco a better spectacle.

He added: “I spoke to Prince Albert the other day and said maybe we should make it longer. There are more roads so maybe we can change this great track and make it even better.

“Or maybe the format should change. You shouldn’t be able to do a one-stop race here. There has to be some mixed-up things. Maybe we need two races.

“But that was the longest 78 laps ever!”

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Renault defends call that made Sainz "bitter"

The Renault Formula 1 team has defended the strategy that left Carlos Sainz feeling "very bitter" after the Monaco Grand Prix.
Sainz questioned Renault's decision to fit ultrasoft tyres at his sole pitstop during the Monte Carlo F1 race, after he regressed from eighth on the grid to finish a distant 10th.

Sainz finished more than 40 seconds behind teammate Nico Hulkenberg, who started outside the top 10 but was allowed through by Sainz as the Spaniard struggled for speed.

Sainz was convinced he should have gone to supersoft rather than the ultrasoft tyres at his stop, given there were still 62 laps to the flag, and suggested the team was too optimistic with its predictions for tyre performance.

But Renault F1 boss Cyril Abiteboul defended the original decision.

"I think moving to supersoft rather than ultrasoft would have been even worse towards the end," Abiteboul said.

"At the time we were doing it, it was maybe not clear why we were doing it, but towards the end it was clear that it was the right thing to do.

"It was a very difficult race for him, he also had to let Nico past, so Nico could execute his race.

"We saw again that it's so difficult to read into these tyres - it was looking like we were going to have a very, very difficult race with Nico, and suddenly the tyres came back to life.

"It's so difficult to appreciate what's going on in that situation, but I'm sure when he [Sainz] will watch the race in reply he will understand.

"But again we will have a discussion, and the team needs to appreciate what he's done, and we need to keep that in our heads for the future.

"There is more to learn and to understand from this type of situation."

Regarding communication problems the team experienced with Sainz during the race, Abiteboul added: "I think his microphone was just dead - it happened earlier this week, so there is something to be done.

"He was not switching off his microphone - he's not that type!"

The two Renault drivers were on different strategies thanks to Sainz being committed to starting on the unfancied hypersofts after making Q3, while Hulkenberg started on ultrasoft and ran much longer in the first stint thanks to qualifying outside the top 10 and having free choice of tyres for the start.

"We could see that with our cars and those tyres it was better to start 11th than start P10, or even P8 for Carlos," Abiteboul said.

"That's also a factor for our car, because for some cars, like [Pierre] Gasly [Toro Rosso], like [Esteban] Ocon [Force India], they managed to make that strategy [of starting on hypersoft] work.

"We had no real alternative other than that strategy for Carlos."

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Bottas says Mercedes needs answers for hypersoft weakness

Valtteri Bottas says Mercedes needs to understand better how to work the hypersoft tyres in races, after failing to get on top of it at the Monaco Grand Prix.
The team tried to avoid using the hypersoft in the race by running both cars on the ultrasofts in Q2.

The cars did not have the pace to progress to Q3, however, so Bottas and team-mate Lewis Hamilton had to use hypersofts, which meant that they had to join the rest of the top 10 qualifiers in starting on them.

Hamilton dumped his hypersofts as early as lap 12 of the race, while Bottas waited until lap 17.

Bottas admitted Mercedes needs to get on top of the issues for Canada, where the hypersoft will be used again.

"It is a nice tyre for qualifying but for the race it is very difficult to keep it alive and avoid the big degradation and graining," Bottas said.

"We will analyse everything we can from this weekend because I think other teams could operate the hyper better than us in the long runs, and that is something for us to learn for Montreal, if we cannot qualify with any other tyre in Q2."

The team split its strategies for Monaco, with Hamilton going to the end on ultrasofts, and Bottas taking the supersoft.

The Briton finished the race in third, while the Finn was fifth.

Bottas felt, however, that it was the car, and not the tyres, what left Mercedes unable for pole or victory.

"I think honestly with the hyper for us in the race was the weakness, I think," Bottas added.

"Otherwise we have managed to get them to work pretty well. I think the ultra and super we could work them as we should.

"Honestly [the supersoft] was a surprise for us in the race. On Thursday it didn't look anything that special, so it looked okay. It was definitely the best tyre to be on.

"I think it is just the hyper, how quick it degraded that was the issue for us.

"I think the pace this weekend back in qualifying, why we were not fighting for pole it is not the tyres, it is more the car and how it is. It is just not quick around this track."

Bottas admitted that he was surprised by the marathon 37-lap opening stint achieved by Pierre Gasly on the hypersofts, which helped the Toro Rosso driver to a solid seventh place.

"I think it was impressive how long stint they could do with the hyper so for sure they were doing something better than us with that tyre," he said.

"I think the weakness for us this weekend was the long run performance with the hyper and general lack of pace with the car."

[Lotusguy]

Typical boring Monaco GP.  Don't bother watching the bling procession anymore.  Nothing changes unless it's a mechanical or crash.  I watch qualifying and that's about it. 

Agreed. Even worse than usual. I’m about to quit watching F1.

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WOLFF: NOT SURE IF BERNIE’S OLD DEALS ARE SUSTAINABLE

Formula 1 can no longer count on raking in huge sums of money from grand prix hosting fees and is on the correct path exploring and chasing fresh revenue streams, according to Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff.

A number of race promoters were in Monaco last weekend for talks with commercial rights holders Liberty Media, who took over in January last year and ousted former supremo Bernie Ecclestone.

Several have called for revised contracts, while there has been speculation that a proposed new race in Miami for 2019 will have much cheaper terms because of its strategic importance.

“Sanction fees were one of the three key revenue generators in the old Bernie Formula 1 business model. And he was exceptional at these deals,” Wolff told reporters.

“I am not sure that is sustainable. It is clear that when there is a change of regime, people and promoters will negotiate and try to restructure the business model. Bernie was squeezing the last cent out for the benefit of the shareholders and the teams but it left certain promoters in a very difficult economic situation.”

Silverstone activated the British Grand Prix’s break clause last year while Hockenheim, which hosts Germany’s race, says it needs a no-risk deal after this year. Monaco, the flagship race, pays far less than others.

Formula 1’s other main revenue generators under Ecclestone were television broadcast deals and trackside advertising and sponsorship.

Liberty are building up a digital strategy, that includes an F1 TV streaming service, to tap new revenue streams and audiences.

Wolff expressed confidence in Formula One’s management to make the right decisions, “But it is also clear that maybe that one pillar (hosting fees) is going to be difficult to maintain on the levels we have seen before.”

“We have to grow in other areas, we have to grow broadcast deals and digital revenue and monetise alternative revenue streams.”

Any drop in overall revenues hits the teams, who receive a percentage of the total.

Although contracts are confidential, the global average fee of the current 21 races is around $30.6-million and some $40-million for those outside of Europe, according to various sources.

Azerbaijan Grand Prix promoter Arif Rahimov told reporters in Monaco that he wanted his race to pay closer to the average.

Azerbaijan, Russia, Bahrain and Abu Dhabi are among those who pay most. Baku’s bill, thanks to an annual escalator clause, is estimated to have climbed to more than $60 million since its debut in 2016 when it was first known as the European Grand Prix.