FORMULA 1

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Brawn BGP001 to feature on F1 2018 game

Codemasters have announced that the 2009 title-winning Brawn Grand Prix car will be available on its F1 2018 video game, to be released later this year.

Brawn competed for just one season in Formula 1, following Honda’s exit, but swept to both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championship, as it profited from new regulations, before Mercedes took over the team for 2010.

Codemasters, which holds exclusive rights to the Formula 1 game franchise, revealed on Monday that the BGP001, along with the 2003 Williams FW25, will feature in the ‘Headline Edition’ of F1 2018.

The cars will also be available as a downloadable extra at a later date.

“The inclusion of classic cars in last year’s game was a huge hit with our players and fans of the sport so we wanted to build on that with the inclusion of more classics in F1 2018,” commented Paul Jeal, Franchise Director for Formula 1 at Codemasters.

“The Brawn is without doubt the most requested classic car by our passionate F1 community, so we are delighted to be bringing it to the game.

“To win both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ World Championships in your only season is a phenomenal achievement and made the Brawn instantly iconic, and not only that but it looks gorgeous too.

“The 2003 Williams was also a fantastic car, which got better as the season went on. Juan Pablo Montoya went on to record eight podiums in a row, so I’m sure players will relish the opportunity to get behind the wheel of this car too.”

F1 2018 is set for a release date of August 24.

MIKA: This will be the first F1 game I don't buy as the cars will now have the HALO... No thanks.

 

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Three teams made Lando Norris approach - McLaren

McLaren chief Zak Brown has revealed that the team were approached on three different occasions with regards to junior driver Lando Norris.

Motorsport Week first revealed that Toro Rosso and Red Bull had made an approach about securing Norris' services as they looked to replace an underperforming Brendon Hartley.

However McLaren rebuffed the approach as it would have required severing ties with the Formula 2 championship leader.

But Brown has revealed that there were other approaches from different teams as Norris continues to prove his talent in the sport's feeder series.

"We've been approached by more than one team," Brown told Motorsport. "We've had three approaches, of varying degrees. Some included this year, but we want him to focus on F2, and keep him at McLaren.

"If we felt it was good for his career, and good for McLaren, then we'd consider it on a case by case basis."

Brown made it clear McLaren wouldn't simply let go of the 18-year-old after investing heavily in his career to date.

"All of the approaches meant he would have gone away, and we're not interested in that conversation. That's non-negotiable.

"We're not going to train him up for someone else, but I don't think anyone else has any interest in training him up for us."

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Red Bull decides on Honda F1 engine switch

Red Bull has decided to switch to Honda F1 engines next year, high level sources have revealed, with confirmation of the move likely ahead of this weekend’s French Grand Prix.
Although the Milton Keynes-based team had been expected to wait until the Austrian GP to make its final call on the 2019 engine decision, indications now suggest that senior management has made its mind up.

Following close evaluation of the performance steps made by both car manufacturers over the Canadian GP weekend, and well aware that Renault could not guarantee it could keep its engine supply offer open, Red Bull is set on committing to Honda.

It is understood its decision was communicated to external parties late on Monday night. 

Red Bull was unavailable for comment, and it is unclear when the move will be made official, but there are suggestions it could come before this weekend's race in Paul Ricard.

Motorsport.com understands that Red Bull has elected, after more than a decade with Renault that yielded all its world championships, to throw its focus in with Honda instead. 

The move will come as a blow to Renault which had been hoping to keep Red Bull on board to act as a benchmark for its own works team.

Speaking at last weekend’s Canadian GP, Renault F1 managing director Cyril Abiteboul said “I understand what they are looking to get.

“They are looking to the technical and commercial side, because it is clearly different remaining a customer and partner of Renault versus becoming a works team with Honda.

“It is very different and I appreciate that. But frankly, as far as I am concerned, they have a chance with us to become world champion again. I cannot say for Honda.”

Honda has made impressive progress this year, though, following its split from McLaren at the end of last year.

An upgrade at the Canadian Grand Prix delivered a significant performance step, despite the dark cloud of Pierre Gasly needing a replacement engine following a problem in final practice.

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Williams has "absolutely" not given up on 2018 - Lowe

Williams technical chief Paddy Lowe is adamant that the Formula 1 team has not given up on improving its 2018 car despite already commencing early work on the 2019 package.
The Grove team's terrible season continued with a difficult Canadian GP in which Williams was the slowest outfit.

Lance Stroll and Sergey Sirotkin qualified 17th and 18th before Stroll crashed out on the first lap, while the Russian finished 17th and last.

Lowe told Motorsport.com that the team is working hard on updates for the FW41, some of which have simply taken time to get through the system.

"We're already working on next year in parallel, but we absolutely haven't given up on this year," he said.

"We are doing a lot of work back at base, some very significant work, it's just not yet appeared on the car.

"The season is still early, and we're absolutely not giving up on it.

"Some things we've been chipping away at, and there are other things that are more major, that take a long time.

"We're not naming dates, but we hope to make some good progress before the [summer] shutdown."

Lowe insisted that Williams is not suffering from the recent departures of chief designer Ed Wood and aero head Dirk de Beer, despite the obvious lead times involved in hiring new people.

The team has reshuffled responsibilities among the existing staff.

"We're really in good shape, we've got a good team together at the moment," said Lowe. "We've got the main ingredients that we need to work on this year's car, and design next year's car.

"We will continue to build and reinforce, but we're not lacking in the right effort in the right areas at the moment."

Lowe also said that Stroll's exit from the Canadian GP on the opening lap capped a saddening home race for the youngster.

"The accident was very unfortunate, but we weren't going to be racing for points unless something very dramatic had happened," said Lowe.

"Mostly we were sorry that we didn't bring a more competitive car for him to compete with.

"It was just disappointing for his fans. You saw they organised a grandstand, and I understand they had to enlarge it, as they had never sold that many seats for it in the history of the race."

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Why Paul Ricard's last GP was a defining F1 tech moment

Formula 1 returns to Paul Ricard this weekend after an absence of 28 years, a period in which the sport’s technology and sophistication have been revolutionised.
But while today’s generation of cars are a world away from those that took the grid at the 1990 French Grand Prix, some of what were then radical ideas used in the Ferrari and Leyton House that fought for victory have become standard nowadays.

The two cars were totally different in concept, and featured elements in their design that opened up new avenues for F1 teams – and have quickly become accepted practice.

The Ferrari of Alain Prost was based on the 1989 John Barnard 639, which was a milestone in terms of the technical history of F1 cars.

Not only did the car have a semi-automatic gearbox, but it also had completely different aerodynamics. It also featured front and rear torsion bars instead of springs, something which soon set a trend and now all cars have this solution.

The Leyton House driven by Ivan Capelli was based on the Adrian Newey 1988 March, which was an extreme car from the aerodynamic point of view.

In fact, things were so extreme that the contours of the chassis were built around the shape of the drivers’ feet. It was really the start of the move F1 has made towards incredibly complicated aerodynamics.

The Ferrari and the Leyton House also had a completely different philosophy in terms of building the chassis.

With the Ferrari, the carbon fibre chassis was separate from the bodywork, which was attached. The Leyton House was part of a new generation of thinking, where the chassis made up also the bodywork as it does with the current cars.

These two cars then, although being very different and both being cutting edge, have elements that remain important to F1 today.

Here, along with Gary Anderson, we look in more detail about the specific elements of the two cars.

Ferrari F1-90 (641)

The race was won by Prost after passing Capelli late on when the Italian suffered a brief drop in fuel pressure. What is striking is the growing complexity of the aerodynamics that makes it so difficult for cars to overtake.

The Ferrari 641 was a John Barnard-designed car, with Henri Durand leading the aerodynamics team, and shows how much things have moved on.

Ferrari F1-90 (641) top view

The sidepods are long and sleek, whereas currently the design objective is to get them as short as possible to allow more room for the multiple twisted turning vanes that are now called bargeboards.

The undercut sidepods hadn't come in at the time, so the trend was for tall and narrow radiator inlets.

Ferrari F1-90 (641) front view

The front wing is minimal, with just two elements, and the diffuser in those days was much more powerful.

The current cars produce something like 1600kg of downforce at 240km/h, and the Jordan we raced in 1991 had about half of that – although we weren't a Ferrari beater and were happy to get one over on the big teams if they had a bad day that year.

The underbody layout of the cars are fairly similar. From the front, you have the chassis, fuel tank, engine and gearbox but now the underbody detail is so much more refined.

I remember Patrick Head in 1998 standing on the grid in Barcelona and, still with his head set on turning around to Geoff Willis and shouting at the top of his voice, 'Geoff, underbody aerodynamics, that's where we've failed, underbody aerodynamics'.

Williams had qualified just beside us and we were having a difficult time, so you can imagine how bad it was for Williams.

But he was right, now the underbody aerodynamics are as important as what the outside body surfaces look like. That was in 1998 and huge strides have been made since then.

Leyton House-Red Bull front wing comparison

It's also interesting comparing the front wing to what we now see on the Red Bull, very different but I think you can see it comes from the same family.

Ferrari F1-89 (640) steering whell

Ferrari were the first team to introduce the paddleshift gear shift system, which was introduced on 1989's Ferrari 640 and then used on the 641.

It was a Barnard creation and Ferrari started testing it during the second half of 1988. My F3000 driver at Bromley Motorsport, Roberto Moreno, was hired to do the test work and the system then was quite different to what is used today.

Ferrari took more or less a normal gearbox with three selector rods and fitted electrical solenoids at the end of the selector rods.

The paddles would simply energise the solenoid and move it one way or the other, so the paddle was more of a see-saw so you could push or pull it.

Now, the gearshift is more like a motorcycle with a barrel gear change system.

One actuator basically rotates the barrel a certain number of degrees so it goes from one gear to another.

With the current zero-torque loss system (seamless shift) it is a little more complicated than that but then so is everything else.

That's because the teams now have at least ten fold more in man power. In 1991 we had about 30 people at Jordan now there are in excess of 300 of Force India while Ferrari probably had 100 people in 1990.

It was 1993 before we, at Jordan, entered into the world of the paddle shift system and like everyone else it wasn't without its problems, but by the end of the season we had more or less got on top of it.

When the paddle shift was working correctly, it was a lot easier on the driver, who didn't have to take their hands off the steering wheel and it reduced the risk of a missed gear blowing up the engine.

So it was a good thing, but it also means there is zero chance of missing a gear change so it takes away the potential for that little driver error which in the past has led to so many overtaking manoeuvres.

Ferrari F1-90 (641) cutaway drawing

This cutaway of the Ferrari 641 shows in more detail the car in its second iteration, which was introduced for the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola.

The nose had a sharper point, with a shorter panel covering the top of the nose.

The upper lip of the cooling air intake had a more rounded shape above the lower part of the intake, while the radiators were taller.

There was also a new lateral outlet and larger fuel-system air intakes.

Ferrari also modified the pick-up points for the rear suspension and introduced a new undertray.

March 881 pedals

Newey's famously aggressive packaging meant that the confines of the Leyton House cockpit were very tight.

This shows the design of the March 881, used by the team in 1988 before its name changed, and things were very similar for the 1990 car.

"It was small," says Capelli of the 1988 car. "The steering wheel was just 25cm across and the whole bulkhead that you had to put your legs through was 25cm.

"With three pedals, it was so tight that there was no footrest, which was a real problem in some corners.

"The first time I drove, I couldn't reach the gear lever because it was too far back.

"Adrian said 'wait there', took the gear lever out and I could hear hammering at the back of the garage.

"He came back with the lever bent forward."

 

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RENAULT PREVIEW THE FRENCH GRAND PRIX

Drivers Nico Hülkenberg and Carlos Sainz share their thoughts on the team’s first home Grand Prix in 10 years, while our management and technical staff give the latest on the team and on the Renault R.S.18-R.E.18 package.

Cyril Abiteboul, Managing Director, Renault Sport Racing: “The return of the French Grand Prix is going to carry an added level of emotion for all at Renault. Everyone who works for the marque is proud of our heritage at this event. We head to Circuit Paul Ricard on the back of a positive result in Montréal, where we demonstrated, once more, our excellent team spirit. We recovered from a difficult start to the weekend to take ten points and a healthy step forward in the Constructors’ Championship.”

Nico Hülkenberg: “I’m very much looking forward to racing at Circuit Paul Ricard. It’s been a long time coming for Renault, 10 years since their last race on home soil, so I’m carrying that extra level of motivation to do the job proud on track. I know how much this means to the staff members of the team!”

Carlos Sainz: “We’re coming from a very strong team result in Canada so I think we can be positive about that. We need to keep developing the car at this rate, as everything we are bringing to the circuit is working and the car is getting quicker and quicker. Paul Ricard has quite similar characteristics to Montréal, with the two long straights and emphasis on a good top speed so if we can perform in a similar manner to Canada we’ll be happy.”

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RED BULL DRIVERS PREVIEW THE FRENCH GRAND PRIX

Red Bull drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen preview the French Grand Prix weekend, Round 8 of the 2018 Formula 1 World Championship, at the Circuit Paul Ricard in Le Castellet near Marseille.

Daniel Ricciardo “I have raced at Paul Ricard but I don’t know what configuration we will be using compared to back then. We’ve come from two street races with Monaco and Montreal, where the risk and reward is a lot higher than at Paul Ricard, which is a pretty open circuit. As far as adrenaline goes, it’s probably a bit more mellow than the last few tracks but if the racing is good then it makes up for it, so hopefully we will get that balance. There are some long technical corners, which aren’t always that fun, but they’re a challenge and if you get them right you appreciate it. The track will also allow some variations in driving technique and style, which could make it interesting. It can get quite windy, so down the back straight there could be some slip streaming and good overtaking opportunities. It’s cool having a French Grand Prix back on the calendar and fingers crossed it provides a good race not only for the French fans but the rest of the world. Maybe I will even speak perfect French by the end of the weekend as it’s been a month of French speaking races. Merci beaucoup, enchanté.”

Max Verstappen “I have never actually raced at Paul Ricard so it will be a new track for me. I did the wet weather test there but we only used a few of the same corners and after that they changed the layout a little bit. It’s always a challenge going to a new circuit and I’m looking forward to it. I think lots of drivers actually haven’t driven there, only the younger drivers in lower formulas, not myself, but the other ones have all driven there. It’s quite close to home, I’m looking forward to seeing a new Grand Prix weekend and I think it’s also good to have a race in France as there are many fans there. From what I have seen it is a power track with long straights but there are still a few corners in there where we can make a difference, it’s all a bit unknown, so we will have to see when we get there.”

 

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HAAS F1 TEAM PREVIEW THE FRENCH GRAND PRIX

The worldwide web did not exist. The demolition of the Berlin Wall began. And Channel Tunnel workers from the United Kingdom and France shook hands for the first time 40 meters (131 feet) beneath the floor of the English Channel. It was 1990, and it was the final year of the French Grand Prix at Circuit Paul Ricard.

Countryman Alain Prost won for Scuderia Ferrari to score his third win of the season in a battle for the championship with eventual title winner Ayrton Senna. Also notable in the 1990 French Grand Prix was the performance of privateer Leyton House and its drivers Ivan Capelli and Mauricio Gugelmin, who ran first and second for much of the race, with Capelli leading a race-high 45 laps.

Twenty-eight years have passed since the FIA Formula One World Championship last visited Le Castellet, France, home to Circuit Paul Ricard. But come Sunday, the French Grand Prix returns to a revamped 5.842-kilometer (3.63-mile), 15-turn layout in the heart of the Bandol vineyards. The circuit has evolved to become one of the most technically advanced in the world. In fact, it is the first entity to be designated as a “Centre of Excellence” by the FIA.

Just as Leyton House turned heads in Formula One’s last visit to Circuit Paul Ricard, the third-year Haas F1 Team looks to play a similar role in Sunday’s French Grand Prix. Drivers Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen are eyeing the eighth round of the 21-race season, and that’s because Circuit Paul Ricard is a power track with sweeping corners, which plays to the strengths of their racecars – even before a significant set of upgrades were employed on their Haas VF-18s.

In the series’ most recent outing – the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal – Haas F1 Team debuted a new front wing and floor, along with a revised bargeboard area. Grosjean and Magnussen were pleased with the results and buoyed by the knowledge that these updates should perform even better on a power track like Circuit Paul Ricard.

For Grosjean, there is added incentive in the French Grand Prix. It’s a home race for the seven-year Formula One veteran, who seeks to become the first Frenchman to win a Formula One race since Olivier Panis won the 1996 Monaco Grand Prix.

While everyone aims to win in Formula One – a spot typically occupied by the Big Three juggernaut of Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull – a more realistic goal is points. Best-of-the-rest status carries considerable value, with the midfield teams fighting hard to break into the top-10 and score those coveted points.

Haas F1 Team is locked in a tight battle in the constructors’ standings, as it is currently tied with Toro Rosso for seventh with 19 points apiece, nine points behind sixth-place Force India with a seven-point advantage over Sauber, their nearest pursuer.

The French Grand Prix represents opportunity for all, so expect a renewed fight on Formula One’s newest stage.

• Circuit Paul Ricard
• Circuit Length: 5.842 kilometers (3.63-miles)
• Laps: 53
• Race Distance: 309.626 kilometers (192.393 miles)

Team Principal, Guenther Steiner

How do you prepare for a venue you’ve never been to before?
GS: “You take the data you’re given and you just try to do your best. Everybody’s in the same boat. You do your simulator testing, you run your computer simulations, and then just go there and work the weekend like any other one.”

Haas F1 Team is still relatively new, but Circuit Paul Ricard is new for everyone. Do you feel the French Grand Prix is perhaps the most level playing field because everyone is, theoretically, starting from the same slate?
GS: “The big teams will always be ahead of everyone else. They just have more resources to prepare. Even with little known information, they get the last little bit out of it with a lot of manpower and effort. They always get more out than the smaller teams, which have to work with fewer resources.”

Haas F1 Team brought significant upgrades to its racecars in Montreal. How did they improve the car and what are your expectations for how they’ll perform in the French Grand Prix?
GS: “The data showed exactly what the upgrades were doing in Canada. We got the confirmation that the upgrades work. Romain was very complimentary about the upgrades. For sure, France and the coming races should show more of what the upgrades are actually capable of doing.”

Between the upgrades and some crashes, spare parts have been at a premium. Where does the team stand with spares as we head into this three-week stretch of races?
GS: “We’re actually not in a bad place. We’re still tight, because with three races in three weeks, you just cannot catch up with producing parts should we have some damages. Luckily, we didn’t have any big damage in Canada, except the nose which was damaged by the groundhog. Otherwise, we got away pretty good. We should have more spares for France and, hopefully, we don’t have any accidents there or in Austria. That will bring us up to a normal quantity of spare parts after the stretch of three races.”

Grosjean appeared very happy with the Haas VF-18 at Montreal and was looking forward to this slate of races, and while Magnussen wasn’t as comfortable as Grosjean was at Montreal, he was also looking forward to Paul Ricard, Red Bull Ring and Silverstone because he feels these power circuits better suit the Haas VF-18. What is your take?
GS: “They should, in theory. Everybody points to that direction that our car is best on these kinds of tracks, like Barcelona, Austria and France. Let’s see what we can do. We are all very confident to getting back to a good form. In Canada, Romain was very fast but, unfortunately, he had to start last, and that’s never good. We are all very confident we can have good results in the next three races.”

You ran an updated Ferrari engine at Monaco and on into Montreal. How timely is having the latest and greatest Ferrari power for this slate of power circuits?
GS: “Having the latest and greatest engine is always good because the development always gives some advantage. Either you get more efficiency, more power, more drivability. The engine was good in Monte Carlo, where it was introduced. For sure, we’re happy to have it going forward until we get the next upgrade, which will be even better and greater. For now though, the proof was in Canada, where you have a lot of long straights where you need the engine at its maximum. We are very confident we will not have an issue with the engine.”

Scuderia Ferrari has a series-leading three wins this year. Considering the technical partnership Haas F1 Team has with Ferrari, how does their success help Haas F1 Team?
GS: “If a power unit is good enough to win races, it should be good enough for us to get points. It’s always good if they do well, because that normally puts us in the position that we’ll do well in our own battle in the midfield.”

It was noted at Montreal how Valtteri Bottas had to work hard to conserve enough fuel to make it to the end of the race. As we hit this batch of power circuits at Paul Ricard, Red Bull Ring and Silverstone, how much does fuel management come into play?
GS: “Fuel management is something everybody has to deal with. Drivers don’t like to manage fuel. They like to go as fast as possible. As soon as you have to lift-and-coast to manage fuel, they’re not happy. With the regulations as they are now, this is what we need to do.”

Fuel levels are set to increase in 2019, from the current allotment of 105 kilograms (27.3 gallons) to 110 kilograms (28.6 gallons) in order for drivers to use the full power of their car’s engine at all times. What can a driver do with those five extra kilograms (1.3 gallons) of fuel? Does it give them the freedom to push as hard as they want, whenever they want?
GS: “On a lot of the circuits, yes, the drivers can push as hard as they want because they have more than enough fuel to go the distance. But on some other circuits there is still some lift-and-coast, and lift-and-coast is sometimes done for other reasons, not only for fuel consumption. Sometimes, it’s to save your brakes or to save your tires. But in theory, most of the tracks with a 110-kilogram limit allow you to be wide open for the whole race. It does add some strategy to the race, as you can either go wide open or save tires, and whatever suits you or your car better, then that’s the choice you make.”

The 2019 aero package, which will see a simplified front wing with a larger span, simplified brake ducts with no winglets, and a wider and deeper rear wing, is nearly complete. How have these changes affected the design of next year’s car and, also, when do you stop developing this year’s car to focus on next year’s car?
GS: “We’ve had to do a lot of studies with the new regulations. It’s just the details getting sorted out at the moment. For sure, it will trigger that we switch over to the 2019 car a little bit earlier than we envisioned at the beginning of the year, but so will everyone else. It’s not a big change. For the aerodynamic engineers, it’s a good challenge. The exact date when we switch over, we don’t know yet. The jury’s still out on how big the change is. There was speculation the cars would be a lot slower, but I don’t believe that one. There are a lot of intelligent engineers working on it, and we will find a way around it to make the new regulations work as well as the old ones, and have a very similar speed to what we have this year.”

Romain Grosjean

You raced at Circuit Paul Ricard in a GT car. When was that, what team was it for and what do you remember about the race?
RG: “It was in 2010 with Matech Competition. I don’t think we had an amazing race, but it’s great to be going back there racing.”

How do you prepare for a venue you’ve never been to before in a Formula One car?
RG: “The simulator is our only option, and I spent last Wednesday in the simulator.”

How does the simulator compare to actually being in a racecar, at speed, at a circuit?
RG: “It gives you a rough idea, but it’s not initially super easy when it’s a new circuit because the correlation may not be at its best. It gives you an idea where it goes, but it’s not like Barcelona, for example, where we do the same lap time and get the same feeling.”

Is the simulator most used for understanding a circuit’s layout and braking points, or is it more involved than that?
RG: “It’s more involved than that. It’s more for the setup of the car and for developing the car rather than for driver feedback, or the driving itself.”

Haas F1 Team is still relatively new, but Circuit Paul Ricard is new for everyone. Do you feel the French Grand Prix is perhaps the most level playing field because everyone is, theoretically, starting from the same slate?
RG: “Actually, it’s the opposite. The more experience you have, the more you can prepare for a new venue. We’ll do our best. We’re in a good place with the car, so I think we should be good.”

The French Grand Prix is your home grand prix. You’ve talked about how much you’re looking forward to it, but now that it’s here, what are your expectations?
RG: “I want to get a good weekend, have some luck, get my first points of the season, and get a lot of support from the fans.”

As much pride as there is with a home grand prix, there are also more demands on your time. How do you balance all of the outside influences with what you need to do behind the wheel of your racecar?
RG: “Well, we go to a grand prix to race, and to race well. That’s the number one priority. Of course, I want to give as much as I can to the fans, but the racing on Sunday is what I’m going for, and that’s what we need to focus on.”

While the most recent grand prix in Montreal didn’t produce the result you would’ve liked, it did seem to be a race weekend where you felt the most comfortable in the racecar. Is that accurate? If so, was there anything in particular that made you feel right with the car?
RG: “I liked the updates we had. It really felt like it gave me what I was lacking earlier on in the season. I thought P7 in Montreal would be ours. Not being able to qualify didn’t help us, but we made up a lot of ground in the race. Unfortunately, there was too much ground to make up.”

Does the feel you had in the car at Montreal make you look forward to Circuit Paul Ricard – another power circuit where the attributes of the Haas VF-18 can be exploited?
RG: “I think we should be in a nice place at Paul Ricard. I’m always looking forward to jumping back in the car. I just love driving an F1 car.”

Haas F1 Team brought significant upgrades to its racecars in Montreal. How did they improve the car and what are your expectations for how they’ll perform in the French Grand Prix?
RG: “Hopefully, they’ll be even more powerful at Paul Ricard than they were in Canada, just because of the downforce. They gave us some front-end on the car, and that really helped me.”

The French Grand Prix marks the beginning of an unprecedented three-race stretch. What are your thoughts on this batch of races, and how do you balance the travel and time at the track with your home life?
RG: “It’s going to be challenging, it’s going to be tough, and very tiring. Hopefully, we start on a positive at Paul Ricard and we can keep that positive, which will make three weeks much easier.”

There is talk of increasing the number of races on the Formula One calendar, exceeding the current slate of 21 races. What is your take on the amount of races in Formula One, and do you have an ideal number in mind?
RG: “No, not really. I love racing, but it’s tough on everyone when we’ve got to travel a lot. Probably the first thing would be to get a calendar where maybe Australia wasn’t on its own as a race, and maybe attached to somewhere like Singapore, or wherever in Asia, so you don’t have to do so much traveling. But I imagine it’s quite complex to put a calendar together.”

Kevin Magnussen

How do you prepare for a venue you’ve never been to before in a Formula One car?
KM: “I’ve been to Circuit Paul Ricard in a World Series by Renault car. It’s going to be a little bit different in a Formula One car, but at least I know the track – which way the corners go, braking points, and so on. I don’t think it will take long to adjust in a Formula One car.”

Have you spent time in the simulator to at least get an idea of what a lap in a Formula One car is like at Circuit Paul Ricard?
KM: “I haven’t driven Paul Ricard in the simulator. Thankfully, I know the track from previous seasons in World Series by Renault.”

How does the simulator compare to actually being in a racecar, at speed, at a circuit?
KM: “The simulator is a good tool to prepare for new circuits, or new setups, or new cars, but it doesn’t exactly feel like the real thing.”

Is the simulator most used for understanding a circuit’s layout and braking points, or is it more involved than that?
KM: “As a driver, the simulator is useful when you’re learning new tracks. It’s also useful when you’re learning new systems. Like when you join a new team, the simulator is really helpful to get to know all the names of the different switches and buttons on the steering wheel. Of course, the engineers use the simulator in a bit more advanced way, using all the numbers and the data you get out of it.”

Haas F1 Team is still relatively new, but Circuit Paul Ricard is new for everyone. Do you feel the French Grand Prix is perhaps the most level playing field because everyone is, theoretically, starting from the same slate?
KM: “It’s a new track, and I think everyone will get to grips with it very quickly. Most people will have driven it lots in the simulator. I’m sure it’ll be pretty level with what we’ve been through already this year.”

Haas F1 Team brought significant upgrades to its racecars in Montreal. How did they improve the car and what are your expectations for how they’ll perform in the French Grand Prix?
KM: “The upgrades were a very positive step. We didn’t have a great weekend in Canada, but I think the car is pretty good at most circuits. We struggle a little bit at low-speed circuits, but I think Paul Ricard is a little higher speed, so hopefully we can be better there.”

The French Grand Prix marks the beginning of an unprecedented three-race stretch. What are your thoughts on this batch of races, and how do you balance the travel and time at the track with your home life?
KM: “In those three weeks there’s not going to be much home life, but I’m going to bring my girlfriend with me, and another friend at one of the races, so bringing people out to the races is the best way of staying in touch.”

There is talk of increasing the number of races on the Formula One calendar, exceeding the current slate of 21 races. What is your take on the amount of races in Formula One, and do you have an ideal number in mind?
KM: “I don’t really mind if there are more races. It’s okay for me. I enjoy racing, so more races would be more fun.”

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Leclerc: Jump from F2 to F1 bigger than expected

Charles Leclerc has admitted that the step he had to make from winning Formula 2 to racing in Formula 1 was bigger than he expected.

The Sauber rookie had a tricky first three races of the 2018 season but turned that around with a change in set-up and move away from the driving style he honed on his way to back-to-back titles in GP3 and F2.

Leclerc, who has since scored points in three of the last four races, said it was "crazy" to have "so many new things in Formula 1 and they are pushing so much into details".

He believes he has improved more in his seven F1 races than his entire single-seater career.

"Even being in this sport since I was three, I did not expect that jump to be so big," Leclerc said.

"The amount of procedures, and changes in driving style, just everything, is a whole step forward.

"It was difficult for me at the beginning. Maybe what I would have wished is to understand the car a bit quicker, but two races, let's say three races, to learn completely the car is not huge.

"If I could have changed something that's the thing I would have changed."

Leclerc said he had adapted his approach to race weekends to deal with the greater intensity of F1.

"The weekend overall is very different, a lot more busy with media and everything, but the goal is the same: to do the best job possible in the car," he said.

"You need to learn how to work with so many people, and for me that was quite difficult in the beginning.

"In F2 you are only speaking to one person, which is your engineer, but here you have so many people that are taking care of smaller areas than you have in F2.

"That takes a little bit of time to get used to."

Leclerc gained experience of tyre management in GP3 and F2, which uses high-degradation Pirelli tyres, and dealt with pitstops for the first time in F2.

He called F2 "a great preparation" for F1 but admitted the fact it does not involve the sort of hybrid technology that plays a key role in F1 is a negative.

"Tyre management is on the same level in F2, but then you have the energy," he said.

"[You need to consider] when to use the energy, [while] fighting with other drivers who have a lot of experience."

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Formula 1's 2019 changes are 'perfect moment' for Sauber

Formula 1's 2019 aerodynamic regulation change comes at a "perfect moment" for Sauber, says team principal Frederic Vasseur.

Sauber is currently rebuilding its engineering team under new technical director Simone Resta.

Long-time Ferrari man Resta left his role as head of vehicle project coordination at Maranello on May 31, and will start work at Sauber at the start of July after a 'gardening leave' of just one month.

Resta will work alongside former McLaren, Toro Rosso and Manor man Luca Furbatto, who is the chief designer of Sauber's 2019 car.

Sauber was one of the teams that voted for the change to the aero rules for next season, and Vasseur says research and development resources will be switched sooner rather than later.

"We are pushing like hell in the aero department," said Vasseur. "For sure it's the best moment to get a modification on the aero regs.

"I'm not sure that we have a big game to play in the current championship, to be honest.

"It makes more sense to us to make this kind of switch and be focused quite early on the next regulations."

Regarding the delay in the issuing of the definitive regulations he said: "We have small points to discuss in the technical regulations.

"The devil is in the detail, but the global picture is there."

Vasseur believes that Resta is "the perfect guy" for the Sauber role and the Italian's key responsibility will be to manage a rapidly expanding engineering staff.

While having Resta on board strengthens Sauber's ties to Ferrari, Vasseur insists that there is a bigger picture and that he is simply the right man for the job.

"I am not focused on a bigger collaboration with Ferrari," said Vasseur.

"Alfa Romeo-Sauber is a proper team, and we have to take the best guy.

"For sure the collaboration with Ferrari is a part of the puzzle, and we have to consider the point, but I'm much more focused on Sauber.

"We have to build up a new story. We have the project with Alfa Romeo, we are pushing a lot, and I think from my point of view it makes more than sense to have this kind of link.

"Simone will be fully dedicated to the project."

Asked if it was tough to hire Resta from Ferrari, Vasseur said: "It was not too difficult!

"The move made sense for Simone, because at one stage he wanted to become the technical director of an F1 team, and it made more than sense for us also.

"So, it was more or less logical."

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HORNER: THIS IS THE RIGHT MOVE FOR THE FUTURE

Christian Horner has explained why his team has opted to ditch Renault engines and switch to Honda for 2018 in what is a game-changing milestone in Formula 1’s balance of power stakes.

Speaking in the wake of the headline-grabbing announcement, the Red Bull F1 chief revealed that they were impressed by what they have seen with Toro Rosso this year and believe that the choice is the best way forward.

Horner said, “We have come to the conclusion that Honda are making good progress on reliability and performance. Based on the information we had from Montreal, our decision, driven from engineering, was pretty clear cut in the end.”

“We have thought long and hard about this decision. We have reached the conclusion that, purely for technically-driven reasons, that this is the right move for the future.”

“Our determination is to keep closing the gap to our immediate competitors. We have been trying to do that for the last couple of years and a power unit is a vital element to a Formula 1 car.”

“We are confident Honda have the right resources, infrastructure, technical capacity and determination to help us in our quest to reduce the gap to the teams in front of us – Ferrari and Mercedes,” added Horner.

Red Bull did all they could to delay confirming the decision publically as they weighed up the pros and cons of a future without Renault and at the same time assess Honda’s ability to step up and deliver a race-winning F1 power unit package.

In the end, the French manufacturer agreed to a compromise (today!) but were clearly not going to wait until Austria, the end of the month, for the Red Bull ‘decision’ which according to Renault F1 chief Cyril Abiteboul was already made months ago.

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ABITEBOUL: WE WILL MAKE RED BULL REGRET THIS DECISION

In the aftermath of the official announcement confirming Red Bull and Renault splitting as partners at the end of this season, the French manufacturer’s Formula 1 chief Cyril Abiteboul is vowing to make the Blues suffer for their decision to take on board Honda power from 2019 and beyond.

The perpetual decline in relations between Red Bull and Renault bosses made this divorce inevitable, animosity often bubbled over in a war of words often waged through the media.

True to form Abiteboul has launched nothing short of a vendetta by declaring in an interview, “We will do everything we can to make them regret this decision.”

“What I mean by that is simply doing the best we can on track with our own team under our own colours. I am really extremely excited by the performance improvement to come, in particular with Spec C which we will introduce later this season.”

“At this point in time there is no reason to think that Red Bull will not be receiving it, although we are yet to confirm details of engine allocation plan, but I hope that we will make them regret.”

Abiteboul knew that the writing was on the wall for quite some time now, “Not surprised whatsoever, frankly, I think first we tend to forget this is a confirmation – it is more a status quo actually.”

“Last year in Singapore we announced a comprehensive set of agreements with both the Red Bull group and McLaren.”

“This was featuring a termination of Toro Rosso at the end of 2017 and termination of Red Bull at the end of 2018, even though Red Bull had requested to be a bit more vague about that topic.

“It is more that it went in a different direction when Red Bull requested to us an offer, as there was a bit of indecision about which way to go.”

“For us it is more a confirmation of what was in the air, and which is also a strategic and commercial decision more than purely a technical or sporting decision from Red Bull.”

Nevertheless, Abiteboul was big enough to understand the call from Red Bull’s perspective, “Just like when we returned to the sport as a works team, it was important for Red Bull to renew and get back to a position of being a works team.’

“It could not be with Renault, it had to be with another entity and they found in Honda a perfect match. So I am sure it is a mix of factors and parameters. I am sure that there something related to performance, but it is very clear there is much more than this.”

“And there are a number of things that we could not offer, like financial support, like access to core facilities, because our priority and focus is on the consolidation of the performance of Renault Sport F1.”

On several occasions, over the past few seasons, it was clear that Renault were stretched to the limit with the burden of supplying three teams in the top flight, thus the pressure of one less team to service is sure to be a positive for the operation which now consists of a supply to the works effort and McLaren.

Abiteboul explained, “It is good for us because it will allow us to really focus on what we have to do for our own team, Renault Sport Racing, and also in preparing for 2021.”

“Obviously when you supply Red Bull Racing, which is a high maintenance team, because of their ambition and their expectation, it is always a bit of a distraction for the rest that we have to do. And we have a lot to do either for this cycle of engine regulations or for the next one.”

In the wake of a silly deadline spat between the two outfits, Renault finally got their way with an early call by their colleagues as Abiteboul highlighted, “It was making our life difficult with the supply chain and the development of parts for next year, plus there is also some sensitivity related to intellectual property (IP).”

“It was always our baseline assumption that they would be switching to another engine supplier for next year and we were becoming more and more concerned about IP. It was important for us to get clarity of their plans for next year so we could take appropriate measures.”

“Equally if they were not going somewhere else, we could slightly change the way we were working together both for the remainder of this season and the preparation of next season.”

“So there were a number of factors that were requiring some clarity and if anything I could like to thank them for appreciating that there was no point in delaying a decision,” concluded Abiteboul.

Red Bull and Renault was once a dream partnership, winning four straight F1 drivers’ and constructors’ championships with Sebastian Vettel behind the wheel from 2010 to 2013.

During that glory era, Vettel and teammate Mark Webber won 47 grand prix. Since 2013, results have been far rarer and there have been only 10 race wins and no titles since then.

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RED BULL GAMBLE ON HONDA BUT REWARDS COULD BE HUGE

Red Bull’s two-year Formula 1 engine deal with Honda from 2019, announced amid growing expectations, has as much potential risk as reward for the former world champions.

On the plus side, Red Bull will be effectively a manufacturer ‘works’ team for the first time in their history — Honda’s only other outfit being Red Bull-owned junior team Toro Rosso — even if still customers.

That should reduce running costs for the energy drink brand, with Honda said to be bringing $100 million a year to McLaren before the end of that failed partnership in 2017, and provide a clear focus.

The new partnership with a top three team gives the Japanese manufacturer the chance to rebuild its standing in the sport, a process that has already started with a more competitive — if still unreliable — engine this year.

“We feel that we will have to live up to their high expectations, but can see their respect for us, and we will put everything we have into the development for next season,” commented Honda’s motorsport head Masashi Yamamoto.

Red Bull have used Cosworth, Ferrari and Renault engines in the past without ever having a major manufacturer focused solely on their two teams.

With Renault they won 47 races and eight titles — four drivers’ and constructors’ — in the V8 era but the relationship soured in the V6 turbo hybrid era dominated by Mercedes while the French carmaker is also rebuilding its own works team.

Red Bull’s options were effectively only ever staying with Renault or switching to Honda, with Mercedes and Ferrari having no interest in supplying a championship rival.

The Renault engine, while a winner twice already this season with Australian Daniel Ricciardo, is still down on power and unreliable — as is the Honda.

The downside for Red Bull is that, while Honda have made big progress, they are not yet in the same league as the frontrunning engines. The gamble is that Honda can close the gap, given the current stability of engine rules.

The fact that Red Bull have announced only a two-year deal is significant, with changes in the pipeline potentially opening the door for other engine manufacturers to enter the sport in 2021.

How it affects Ricciardo remains to be seen, with the Australian out of contract at the end of the year and considering his options.

But the 28-year-old, one of the most popular and exciting drivers, may ultimately not have much of choice.

Although linked in media speculation to Mercedes and Ferrari, who both have potential vacancies, neither has evinced much interest.

McLaren, now with Renault engines, could be another possibility if double world champion Fernando Alonso, a winner at Le Mans on Sunday, ramps up his quest for the ‘Triple Crown of Motorsport and heads for IndyCars and the Indianapolis 500.

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ALONSO: INDY COMES INTO PLAY WITH A HIGH PRIORITY

Winning the Le Mans 24 Hours on his first attempt will impact on the decision Fernando Alonso makes regarding his career at the end of this summer, the question is: will the Spaniard be prepared to endure another season of pain in Formula 1 next year or change his attention to Indycar racing and a shot at victory at the Indianapolis 500 in tandem with his Toyota WEC programme?

Victory at the Sarthe has taken Alonso a step closer to his stated goal of becoming the second driver in history to earn the Triple Crown of Motorsport – victory at Le Mans, the Monaco Grand Prix and the Indy 500 – one box remains to be ticked to join Graham Hill in that very exclusive club.

Speaking to the Guardian in the aftermath of his famous victory at Le Mans, sharing the Toyota TS050 with Sebastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima, Alonso said, “I will make my mind up after the summer what I will do next year but after winning Le Mans, Indy comes into play with a high priority.”

“Let’s see if it is next year or the following year. Let’s see what the future of F1 will be,” added the 36-year-old whose contract with McLaren is up for renewal.

Of his victory, Toyota’s first at the legendary race in two decades of trying, Alonso said, “It’s definitely very special. Winning Le Mans is close to winning a world championship because the race is so iconic and so prestigious and winning the triple crown is a very attractive target as only one man in history has done it.”

“I am also attempting to win the World Endurance Championship not only Le Mans and am already a world champion in F1 so it could be a super-triple crown.”

“Toyota have deserved this. Practice, qualifying and the race, achieved domination. It seems easy but there is a lot of work behind it, This year there was a lot of preparation, a lot of looking into details on what may go wrong. It was a perfect execution from everyone. I am sure it will not be the last.”

Alonso is enduring another season with a miserable package handed to him by McLaren which has reduced the Spaniard to fighting for scraps at the wrong end of the midfield.

He explained, “In F1, you just follow your team performance. If your team is first you will be first or second. If your team is third you will be fifth or sixth.”

“To be a more complete driver you need to win every series against the specialists in those series, to beat them in oval racing or in endurance racing, the guys that know every little trick. To be able to come here and be at that level is great,” added Alonso.

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HONDA: RED BULL RESPECT US WHICH MOTIVATES US

It’s official. 2019 will see Honda supplying two teams for the first time since returning to Formula 1, with Red Bull joining its junior team Toro Rosso as a partner.

After a positive collaboration so far this season – which has already yielded a fourth position in Bahrain and more recently a strong step forward in Canada – the Toro Rosso partnership will be added to with Red Bull for 2019 and 2020. Masashi Yamamoto – General Manager of Motor Sports Division – says the time was right to commit to a collaboration.

“I think now all other teams have already started the development for 2019 so we will also have to start work on the matching of the chassis and the power unit with the team. Though we have more time compared to last year’s Toro Rosso situation, it is still a relatively shorter timeframe than everyone else. So we have to make sure we have good communication in order to have smooth development together.”

Naturally, with Red Bull the owner of the two teams we will now supply and traditionally the bigger outfit in terms of personnel and budget, some observers assume that means it will take over works status from Toro Rosso. But Yamamoto insists that will not be the case.

“We’ll supply the same specification PU to both Red Bull and Toro Rosso. From a manufacturer’s point of view, it doesn’t make sense to identify either team as either works or customer as current regulations oblige us to supply the same power unit to all our teams.

“In that sense, this contract puts the three parties into an equal position. Just as was the case with Toro Rosso, we felt a sincere respect from Red Bull throughout the conversation that led to this contract. We appreciate them showing us such an attitude even after seeing our difficult time over the previous three years in F1.

“Though we are not going into further details of the contract than shown in the press release, I should say the condition is very fair for both parties. We feel that we will have to live up to their high expectations, but can see their respect for us, and we will put everything we have into the development for next season.”

While it will be the first time that Honda partners with two teams in F1 in the current era, plans had already been in place to supply an extra team from this season and so Yamamoto is confident the structure that is in place – plus the close proximity of the Honda and Red Bull factories in Milton Keynes – will make the expansion a smooth one.

“When we returned to F1 in 2015, it was always our intention to be running two teams from this year, therefore we have the organisational structure to deal with that. In addition, as Red Bull Racing and Toro Rosso are in the same family, we are able to have a simpler organisation on the Honda side. But we still have some more room for improvement in terms of the organisation and personnel and we will work on this very soon with the two teams.

“Cleary it is an advantage to have factories close to one another. Though there are plenty of technologies nowadays like TV conference and we are fully utilising them, I believe face-to-face communication is still very important as it can still make a very big difference.”

Partnering with such a successful team is cause for excitement for the future, but should not detract from the commitment to the current challenge with Toro Rosso. While there will be no reduction in the drive to improve and succeed this year, Yamamoto sees the addition of Red Bull as a positive development for our current partner too.

“There won’t be a change in the current relationship between Honda and Toro Rosso. But we expect mutual transaction between the teams and Honda within the regulations, so that we need to make sure we maximise that advantage in order to get good synergy together.

“It was a great result finishing fourth in the second round, but there were some ups and downs after that. It is a very interesting season for fans, as well as those of us who work in the sport, because it seems that the result of the midfield runners varies depending on the car set-up and the characteristics of the tracks.

“We are now working on development to get further improvements to challenge for even better results for the rest of this season.”

The progress of the Toro Rosso partnership is one of the factors that has given Red Bull faith in our future together, and with that comes major expectations. As a team winning races already this year, the target for Red Bull and Honda is to reach even greater heights.

“It is one of the top teams,” Yamamoto says. “It has won several championships and this year too it has already won some races. In addition, it is also obvious that they have a very good chassis and this means we’ll have better chances of winning races. This gives further motivation to all the members of Honda, but at the same time, it is a huge pressure and responsibility for us.

“However, it is Honda’s nature to always aspire to a very high target, and I think that’s what makes Honda Honda.

“As a starting point, we do not want to see Red Bull Racing’s performance drop below its current level. But our target is to go further and do better than they are doing at the moment.”

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Honest Lance Stroll admits he doesn’t like Paul Ricard circuit

Lance Stroll has admitted he doesn't like the Paul Ricard circuit, which will play host to the French Grand Prix this weekend.

The Williams driver knows the circuit well given he took victory there in 2016 when he was racing in Formula 3, but the track, which returns to the F1 calendar for the first time since 1990, isn't one Stroll is particularly excited to drive.

"I know the Paul Ricard track from when I drove in Formula 3. I had a good time there and won a race, but I have to be honest because I can’t say I like it. It is just run offs everywhere and I am not a big fan.

"However, it is always interesting to go back to somewhere I have raced before and see what it is like in a Formula 1 car."

Williams technical boss Paddy Lowe also holds some fond memories of the French circuit during his previous stint with the Grove outfit.

"France has a great history of racing so it will be fantastic to make our first return to the country since the last race was held in 2008 in Magny-Cours.

"This weekend however, Formula 1 returns to Paul Ricard for the first race since 1990. It is a place we know very well with the team having spent many long winters there between 1989-1992.

"There are many memories from our previous visits to Paul Ricard, but one that stands out personally was when Williams first tested traction control here with the FW14B during the winter of 1991. Damon Hill was behind the wheel and he thought it was holding him back, but he was actually a second a lap faster!"

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Ultrasofts dominate Austrian GP tyre choices

Drivers have stocked up on Pirelli's Ultrasoft tyre for the Austrian Grand Prix, which forms the second race in Formula 1's first triple-header.

The Ultrasoft, which is Pirelli's second softest tyre behind the Hypersoft, has been widely selected by the majority of drivers with the likes of Lance Stroll, Sergey Sirotkin, Nico Hulkenberg and Carlos Sainz opting the absolute maximum of ten sets each. The Williams and Renault drivers will have just three sets of the remaining two compounds; the red Supersoft and the yellow Soft.

Of the frontrunners, Ferrari have been most aggressive with nine sets of the Ultrasoft. Sebastian Vettel and KImi Raikkonen differ on their remaining sets however, with the former taking two sets of the Soft and Supersoft, whilst Raikkonen has just one set of the Soft.

The Mercedes and Red Bull duo have eight of the Ultrasoft. Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen have both selected two of the Soft and three of the Supersoft, a strategy mirrored by Lewis Hamilton, whilst Valtteri Bottas has opted for an additional set of the Supersoft.

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How Red Bull-Renault corrupted a great F1 legacy

The dissolution of the Red Bull-Renault Formula 1 partnership risks leaving an ultra-successful grand prix racing combination with a corrupted legacy.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner could be referring to any number of achievements when, in his team's announcement of its switch to Honda engines for 2019, he mentioned enjoying "some incredible moments" with Renault.

A first year with Cosworth (a legacy of its takeover of the Jaguar team) and one season with Ferrari power was followed by 11 seasons with Renault, a partnership that began thanks to Adrian Newey eyeing the packaging benefits of the French manufacturer's engine.

Renault has since helped Red Bull to 57 grand prix victories, a bigger tally than either Ferrari and McLaren have managed since the energy drinks company spawned its F1 team in 2005, and 113 podium finishes.

The potency of the partnership is best underlined by the run of four consecutive drivers' and constructors' world championship doubles in F1 from 2010 to 2013, and statistically it will be remembered as an all-time great.

Red Bull and Renault have more wins together than McLaren-Honda and Lotus-Ford and an almost identical tally to Williams-Renault, but its union will not be remembered with anything like the fondness afforded to those others thanks to the tensions that have dominated the last few years of its existence.

That Renault played a part in Red Bull's ultra-successful title run with Sebastian Vettel is indisputable, particularly with its role mastering the blown diffuser in 2011, though it was also aided by a period of frozen engine development.

However, the switch to V6 turbo-hybrid engines shifted the balance of power firmly to the ultra-prepared Mercedes engine operation, and Renault slumped to a distant third-best with its new power unit.

Red Bull managed to win three grands prix in 2014, all with Daniel Ricciardo, but Vettel's departure to Ferrari and a troubled Renault engine redesign led to a win-less 2015, which led to a public fallout with tangible consequences.

That led Red Bull to consider an early termination of its contract with Renault, and triggered dalliances with Mercedes and Honda that came to nothing at the time.

  

A new deal was negotiated between Red Bull and Renault beyond 2016, but it came at a price: Red Bull split from long-time sponsor Infiniti to partner with Tag Heuer, and would name its engines after the luxury watch brand as part of Red Bull's desire to give the Renault-Nissan alliance, which includes Infiniti, no marketing activity.

The relationship improved in 2016 and, in between Max Verstappen winning on his Red Bull debut in Spain before Daniel Ricciardo adding a second victory in Malaysia, it was extended again through to the end of 2018, alongside Red Bull's junior team Toro Rosso.

By the end of 2017 Red Bull and Renault had won another three races in the face of Mercedes and Ferrari superiority, but the point-scoring political battle continued in the form of ongoing digs from Red Bull at Renault's performance and development stagnation, and from the French manufacturer about how its customer handled its communications.

The first casualty was Toro Rosso, which switched to Honda for 2018 as part of a complicated merry-go-round that extracted McLaren from its exclusive Honda supply.

Red Bull and Renault had made noises about extending its deal again to the end of 2020 and though this appeared to be on the ropes by the end of 2017, this year Renault has regularly stated a desire to continue.

Despite that the relationship has remained adversarial, with public disagreements over when a decision needed to be made for 2019 and Renault then claiming Red Bull was not getting the most out of its engine upgrade because of its independent fuel supply.

This happened against a backdrop of Red Bull using Toro Rosso to evaluate Honda as a credible option, and a decision was expected by Red Bull's race in Austria before being accelerated and announced ahead of this weekend's race on Renault's turf in France.

That cemented the end of the Red Bull-Renault alliance and will predominantly be viewed as the final chapter in a long-running and, at times, toxic saga.

This overshadows the enormous success the two parties have achieved together, though perhaps in time the partnership will be afforded the respect its achievements deserve.

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Insight: The trackside laboratory crucial to Ferrari’s F1 success

Motorsport.com goes behind the scenes with Shell in the Ferrari garage in Montreal to reveal the forensic tests that keeps Sebastian Vettel’s F1 car on track.
Inside Shell’s trackside laboratory at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, you’d never think that Sebastian Vettel’s Ferrari Formula 1 car is sat just a few feet away on the other side of the wall. 

In here, the environment is strictly controlled to allow for scientific tests. Outside, it’s very tidy and organised, as you’d expect from F1 standards, but it’s still a working garage – with all the controlled bedlam that ensues when it’s ‘go-time’.

Vettel himself will take victory in a few days’ time, but we’re here before Free Practice has even started. He’s in relaxed mood as he chats about the benefits that Shell brings to the team.

“There’s a sticker on the car, but more importantly they deliver performance to the car,” says Vettel. “It’s a key partner for us, and it’s a very close relationship. The challenges are tremendous, and I’m always asking for more power. 

“I wanna go faster, and so do the engineers, but when it comes to developing the whole powertrain, the Shell engineers and scientists are very important. In the lab they’re coming up with new formulas, new fuels, to squeeze out even more power.

“Compared to the past, when you could use whatever you want in the engine, we’re a lot more restricted. We’re only allowed three engines all season, so it’s not just about the power it’s about the reliability. We only have 105 kilos of fuel, so we have to be very efficient, and that’s a big part of the work we do with Shell. 

“If you get behind the scenes, it’s really interesting.”

So let’s take Seb’s cue for a closer look at what actually happens in the lab here. Shell brings its ‘flyaway’ version of the trackside lab to all 12 long-haul GPs, which is packed up into a flight box and flown around the world.

Fuel to the fire

On one side of the room, it’s the fuel testing bench (left in the above photo). Two small gas chromatographs take a digital fingerprint of the fuel, every time the fuel is moved. From being produced and blended in Shell’s technical centre in Hamburg, exhaustive testing is the name of the game to ensure the fuel is exactly as intended.

“When the fuel arrives at the track on Tuesday, we take random samples from the drums,” explains Shell’s Guy Lovett. “Then we check again when the fuel is moved into Ferrari’s rigs in the garage. And then from the rigs into the car, we do another check. We repeat that process every time the fuel is moved all weekend – so that’s over 40 samples every weekend.

“The chromatographs heat up the fuel, which evaporates, so the different components of the fuel distill at different temperatures. The sensors within the instrument detect the individual components, and it comes together in a fuel trace.”

Shell V-Power fuel samples for Ferrari F1's car

Then it’s over to the computer screen to see the results.

“We overlay a reference [the sample taken at source in Germany] and they should perfectly overlap,” he says. “The peaks are a component, and the size of the peak is how much of that component is in there. The FIA allows us 0.1% of a peak. 

“If you’re changing fuel, you can have 10% of the prior fuel in there, but that would be really bad! We design the system to work on that exact fuel, so we strive for 100%. Touch wood, we never see any problems.

“On a Wednesday or Thursday we might see something – let’s say they’ve changed the fuel pump and a speck of dirt got in there. It could be a tiny bit of grease from the back of a mechanic’s glove. But if it gets into the fuel cell, we can pick that up with our analysis.

“The margins on fuel legality are that tight, so that’s why whenever the fuel is moved it is checked that it’s on-spec. If the fuel isn’t legal, you get disqualified, so it’s incredibly important.

“From a quality standpoint, we design a fuel to be in a particular condition, and if it’s not in that condition then we’ve failed.”

Shell V-Power fuel sample from Sebastian Vettel's Ferrari F1 car

Oiling the internals

On the other side of this compact and bijou space is the oil testing bench. This time there’s only one machine, but it’s much bigger. So what about the oil itself?

“This is a sample of oil that’s been taken from Sebastian’s car today [Montreal Thursday],” says Lovett, swilling a light brown – almost watery – oil around in a small bottle. 

“As you can see, the oil is quite thin: viscosity is one of the key performance levers that we have, so it’s low viscosity, low friction to get high performance. You can’t go too low, inevitably we’d get contact and that means wear, which does bad things in the engine. We’re on a knife-edge of reliability and performance.

“We take a number of samples from [engine] fire-up on Thursdays, just to check everything is OK, and we typically take samples before and after every session too.”

Then it’s over to the machine, a rotating disc electrode. Sounds cool, so what’s it do?

“Essentially what we’re doing is measuring the wear metals within a used oil sample,” he replies. “Here, we’ve got a fresh oil sample, which we use as a reference, we then compare it against the used oil sample so we can identify the levels of the wear metals to detect any problems in the engine. If there is a problem, we can identify where that is.”

Shell oil sample from Vettel's Ferrari

Our oil technician, Roman Brockel, gets to work. He puts the new sample, straight from Vettel’s engine, into a vial and then into the machine. A carbon disc sits on a spindle within a bath of the oil, and as the disc spins it wets the carbon disc – while above it is a carbon rod, with an air gap between them. The machine puts a charge through the rod, so it arcs across the air gap in a pretty sequence of small explosions, like mini lightning bolts.

“This burns the oil, and all its components burn at different temperatures, so you see different coloured flames. Advanced optics detect the colour of the flame, which can deduce what elements are in there, and how much of it there is.” 

It burns for 20-30s, with an oddly haunting, shrieking kind of sound.

“Very distinctive, isn’t it? You’ll hear that up and down the pit lane, so now you know what it is!

“It’s the latest generation of this instrument, and we’re able to do some more advanced analysis that before. We compare the measured values against the references, and then we can see what differential there’s been during that session, or since the fire-up.”

Motorsport.com's Global Editor in Chief Charles Bradley with Shell's Guy Lovett

Since the advent of sealed engines, to restrict the numbers used per season, it’s made the testing process harder – but more crucial than ever.

“Once an engine is in service, it’s sealed for its life. Only in very extreme circumstances are you able to change a component within. We can use a medical-style borescope, through an injector port or a spark plug. Your accessibility is pretty poor, so you’re limited in what you can see. 

“This data, combined with Ferrari’s telemetry from the car, is the only way of monitoring and assessing the health of the engine once it’s in service.”

Ferrari SF71H engine detail

The best kind of medicine is preventative, so how does Shell attempt to predict any potential issues that might arise?

“I think one of our key performance differentiators has been we’ve been working with Ferrari so long,” says Lovett. “We have a huge database, V6, V8, you name it, so we have tens of thousands of data points.

“We utilise that through our statistical models to produce predictions. We know what kilometre distance the engine has covered, how much of each of these elements should be in the oil. We can be very accurate, so the tolerances can be very narrow – so we quite accurately predict if the wear is tracking above or below predictions. Below would also be a problem, because it means we’re not stressing the engine enough. Above the predictions, then you’d suspect a potential problem with the engine. 

“We put our data with that from Ferrari’s sensors. That gives us the complete picture, so it’s a predictive technique, if you like.”

Canadian GP winner Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari SF71H waves at the end of the race

And if there is a problem, how might Shell’s info prove crucial in deciding whether to change an engine or not?

“Because we know what metallurgy occurs at what parts of the engine, we can put together the elements – particularly if there’s an elevated level of a combination of elements – we can decode ‘ok, that suggests it’s from a particular alloy’, and we know where that is. 

“If we find that sort of problem, we’d take another oil sample from that part of the engine, purely associated with that system. And, again, decode if there’s an issue in more detail.

“We have sampling points at different locations around the engine. We have a key sampling point outside of the car now, because of the recent rule changes, the FIA can now take random oil samples at any point. That’s to check we’re using the oil we said we were using.

“The FIA at any point of the race weekend can take a sample of fuel or oil, and check using their instruments that it’s A) legal and exactly the specification we said we were going to use. If that deviates, then we’ve got a problem.”

But there were no problems in Montreal; instead it was a third victory of the 2018 season and a one-point lead for Vettel to take into France this weekend. Where the whole testing process will start again…

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WILLIAMS PREVIEW THE FRENCH GRAND PRIX

It’s round eight and it’s the return of the French Grand Prix! Located near Le Castellet in the south of France, Paul Ricard hosted the first French Grand Prix in 1971 up until 1990 when the track became outdated.

Williams has enjoyed much success at Paul Ricard with a number of race wins, podiums and pole positions during the seventies and eighties. In 1986, Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet qualified first and third. The pair went one better the following season with a one-two finish at the 1987 French Grand Prix. The Circuit Paul Ricard has since been updated to create a challenging and thrilling race for the return of the French Grand Prix in 2018.

For France, Pirelli has made available the soft, supersoft and ultrasoft tyres.

Paddy Lowe, Chief Technical Officer: This weekend sees the return of the French GP to the Formula One calendar. France has a great history of racing so it will be fantastic to make our first return to the country since the last race was held in 2008 in Magny-Cours. This weekend however, Formula One returns to Paul Ricard for the first race since 1990. It is a place we know very well with the team having spent many long winters there between 1989-1992. There are many memories from our previous visits to Paul Ricard, but one that stands out personally was when Williams first tested traction control here with the FW14B during the winter of 1991. Damon Hill was behind the wheel and he thought it was holding him back, but he was actually a second a lap faster! Situated at Le Castellet, near Marseille, the circuit is well-known for its long Mistral straight and elongated track design. The track is also quite unique as it is built on a plateau, and so is very flat. It is a good challenge and we look forward to putting on a good show for the French fans.

Lance Stroll: I know the Paul Ricard track from when I drove in Formula 3. I had a good time there and won a race, but I have to be honest because I can’t say I like it. It is just run offs everywhere and I am not a big fan. However, it is always interesting to go back to somewhere I have raced before and see what it is like in a Formula One car.

Sergey Sirotkin: Paul Ricard is quite a well-known track for me. I did thousands of kilometres there last year. Although I know the track quite well, there are a lot of things that change over a race weekend that you never know. It’s a new track for everyone so it will be nice to see where we end up.

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TORO ROSSO DRIVERS PREVIEW THE FRENCH GRAND PRIX

Toro Rosso drivers preview the French Grand Prix weekend, Round 8 of the 2018 Formula 1 World Championship, at the Circuit Paul Ricard in Le Castellet 50km from Marseille.

Pierre Gasly: “For me it will be absolutely incredible that my first full season of Formula 1 coincides with the return of a French Grand Prix to the calendar for the first time in ten years. That has to be a reason for me to be very happy and I’m really excited to be racing in my home country. I can tell it will be a special feeling going out on track and actually, I have spoken to Jean Alesi and Alain Prost about it and they both told me that it will feel really special and something that you really have to experience as a Frenchman racing in France. I can’t wait to get to Le Castellet. I won’t feel under any pressure; on the contrary I think it will feel like extra support for me. It’s a very good thing for all fans of motor sport in our country. The sport has always been part of our culture; there’s a French team and three French drivers so I hope this event will reboot interest in F1 here. I’m trying to do that too of course! I’ve had some success at this track in the past, winning in Formula 4 and Renault 2 litre and taken pole in the 3.5 category, finishing second. It’s a circuit where I have always gone well, either winning or at least getting on the podium, I really like it, so I hope we can get a very, very good result on this home track.”

Brendon Hartley: “Paul Ricard is a circuit I know well, although not in a Formula 1 car. We did a lot of testing there with WEC in the LMP1 car and I won the LMP2 category here in 2013. It was always a popular track for endurance testing and I’m also pretty handy round there in the night-time, although that’s not going to come into play in a Formula 1 car! I understand the track has been completely resurfaced, which will be interesting to see, because it was quite a unique track in terms of tyre life. It used to be very, very extreme on left front tyre wear, so depending on the surface change, that factor may have altered a little bit. It’s a track I enjoy driving and it’s still pretty quick, thought not as fast the configuration I used to test on, which didn’t have the chicane on the back straight. Even so, I think it’s a cool track. It’s obviously got a lot of history, both for sports cars and Formula 1, so I’m really looking forward to it. It’s not too far away from Monaco, where I live and it’s in a lovely part of the world. I think it’s a nice race track to drive on and should produce some good racing. It can be very windy at Ricard, with the Mistral wind giving its name to the long straight. That can be a big factor in a Formula 1 car and is another challenge you have to deal with behind the wheel.”

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FORCE INDIA PREVIEW THE FRENCH GRAND PRIX

Force India preview the French Grand Prix weekend, Round 8 of the 2018 Formula 1 World Championship, at the Circuit Paul Ricard in Le Castellet 50km from Marseille.

Sergio Perez: “It was disappointing not to score points in the last two races. We had the speed but I’ve just been unlucky. With three races over the next three weeks there should be a chance to make up for the missed opportunities. I want to turn our speed into solid points. I think we now have a car that can race for points at most circuits. We’ve made some progress recently and I’ve always said this team is very good at developing a car during the season.

“There is always something special about going to a new Grand Prix. It’s a nice change because it’s a different challenge and you don’t know what to expect. I have been to Paul Ricard before for testing back in my F3 and GP2 days, but I’ve never raced there. I remember it was a fantastic venue and it’s very wide open with lots of run-off areas. I’ve been watching some videos of the track recently to remind myself of the layout. It’s certainly going to be a quick lap where top speed will be important. I think we will be competitive.”

Esteban Ocon: “It’s been my dream for years to be racing in front of my home crowd and now I will finally experience the fantastic feeling of a home Grand Prix. When the race was announced, it was the best news from the whole of last year and I’m really looking forward to it. I am very proud of the work of all the people involved in bringing the French Grand Prix back and I hope the event will be a success.

“I did race at Paul Ricard early in my career – it was actually where I had my first victory in single seaters in 2013 so I have some fantastic memories of the place. I hope we can add some more success this weekend. Having been there in the junior categories makes getting used to a new track in a Formula One car much easier. I think I will find my rhythm quite quickly.

“In the last few races in Monaco and Canada we’ve been showing good pace so I hope we can be strong in France as well. On paper, the track should suit us, with a long straight and some slow corners where we can use our car’s mechanical grip really well. It’s a track which will be new for everyone and we’re usually good at finding a set-up quickly, so I’m not too worried.

“It’s going to be a busy week for me but once I get in the car, it’s like any other race weekend and the focus needs to be on the track.”

Team Principal, Vijay Mallya: “After a third of the 2018 season, it’s encouraging to see the progress we have made since Melbourne. We are reaching Q3 regularly with both cars and picking up good points. There have been lost opportunities and we should have scored many more points, but it feels like our season is properly up and running. It’s great to see Formula One returning to France. The sport needs its traditional European races and it’s going to be a big weekend for Esteban racing on home ground for the first time.”

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MCLAREN: WHITMARSH COMMENTS ILL-JUDGED AND ILL-INFORMED

McLaren have hit out at Martin Whitmarsh after the team’s former boss revealed in an interview that he was concerned about the leadership and the direction the team has taken in recent years.

Whitmarsh questioned plans expansion into other series’ while their Formula 1 programme sinks to the lowest level in their illustrious history.

The former team chief did not mince his words when he suggested that heads should roll, something he says he also shared with the team’s owners in Bahrain, “It needs a big change of approach. There is too much politics between the main figures. I think a number of them have to go.”

“I have explained my view to Mansour and it is for the shareholders to decide what to do,” added the former team principal who spent 24 years at Woking.

In a statement, McLaren wrote: “Martin worked for McLaren for many years, but has been outside the business for some time and is not part of our future.”

“What he said was ill-judged and ill-informed in our view but he is entitled to his opinion. There are high expectations in the team and we won’t compromise those high expectations.

“Everyone at McLaren is working tremendously hard and is focused on the future, not the past,” concluded the statement which was released ahead of the French Grand Prix weekend where this matter is likely to be one of several hot topics in the paddock.

Whitmarsh joined McLaren as Head of Operations in 1989. In 1997, he was promoted to Managing Director, where he was responsible for McLaren Racing including the F1 team. In April 2004, he was promoted to the position of COO of McLaren Group.

Following an uncompetitive 2013 F1 season, Whitmarsh was ousted from his position as CEO of McLaren Racing and McLaren Group, replaced by his predecessor Ron Dennis in January 2014.

He formally parted ways with McLaren in August that year. Since March 2015, he has been CEO of the Land Rover BAR America’s Cup team.

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HAMILTON FIRED UP FOR HISTORIC F1 TRIPLE-HEADER

Formula 1 embarks on an unprecedented triple-header starting at this weekend’s French Grand Prix, returning to the calendar after a decade’s absence, and followed by back to back races in Austria and Great Britain.

Le Castellet’s Paul Ricard circuit last hosted a Formula 1 race in 1990, before 10 of the current 22 drivers were born, and has been reconfigured from the one fondly remembered by older generations.

France’s most recent grand prix was at Magny-Cours in 2008, the year Hamilton won his first world championship with McLaren, and it remains a rare country that has yet to see the Mercedes driver triumph.

If the four-times world champion does so on Sunday, he will take another record from retired great Michael Schumacher; that of the most wins at different grands prix.

The pair are tied on 22 at present, although Hamilton already holds the record for different tracks (25) after winning in Azerbaijan this year.

Hamilton is one point behind Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel after seven races, with the German taking the lead in Canada two weekends ago when he celebrated his 50th career win.

Ferrari and other rivals had an engine upgrade for that race and Mercedes did not.

Reigning champions Mercedes had delayed the introduction of their planned upgrade due to what they said was a ‘quality issue’, a problem that also affected customer teams Williams and Force India.

That should change as of this weekend, with Mercedes planning on making the change and Hamilton determined to hit back hard in the first of three races on successive weekends.

“I’m really going to make sure that we come back strong at the next race,” he said after Canada.

The France-Austria-Britain sequence of races poses a fresh logistical challenge for teams hitherto committed only to back-to-back weekends, with the 21-round season hurrying to the halfway point.

The three-in-a-row format was scheduled specifically to avoid a clash with the World Cup soccer final in Russia on July 15.

“France should be an interesting race. We don’t often get to race on a track where we have little to no historical data,” said team boss Toto Wolff.

“It makes preparing for the weekend a bit trickier than usual, but that element of the unknown also adds to the challenge.

“The triple header … will test all F1 teams to their limits, but also offers the chance to score a lot of points over the course of three weeks — which is precisely what we’re setting out to do.”

McLaren’s Fernando Alonso and Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen, 36 and 38 respectively, are the only current drivers to have won a grand prix on French soil — although former double world champion Alonso won the Le Mans 24 Hours at the weekend.

Renault will have plenty of support for their first home race, as will the country’s Formula One drivers Romain Grosjean (Haas), rookie Pierre Gasly (Toro Rosso) and Esteban Ocon (Force India).

Sauber’s Charles Leclerc is the most local of the lot, growing up in Monaco, about three hours up the road from the circuit between Marseille and Toulon.

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JEAN ALESI: MY F1 DEBUT AT THE FRENCH GRAND PRIX

Jean Alesi was 25-years-old when he lined up on the grid for the French Grand Prix at Le Castellet as a Tyrrell driver, now three decades later he revealed he has a crystal clear memory of that day on 9 July 1989.

On that day rookie, Alesi qualified 16th in a field of 30 entries which included the likes of Ayrton Senna, Alain, Prost, Nigel Mansell, Gerhard Berger and Nelson Piquet.

Race day at Paul Ricard was incident-packed, including a multiple first corner shunt involving Mansell, Maurício Gugelmin, Thierry Boutsen and other cars.

But the debutant was not rattled and finished his first Formula 1 race in fourth and immediately made the paddock sit up and take note. Alesi had arrived on the scene in more ways than one!

Alesi went on to make 201 grand prix starts, also driving for Ferrari, Benetton, Sauber, Prost and Jordan. He won one grand race in the top flight – the 1995 Canadian Grand Prix,. His last F1 race was at the 2001 Japanese Grand Prix.

Alesi, now Circuit Paul Ricard ambassador, recalled that famous day 29 years ago and throws in interesting morsels of info that may have been lost to the march of time:

“I remember every corner; what I felt behind the steering wheel of a quick car in which I had great confidence so I was able to really push. On 9th July 1989 I started my first Formula 1 Grand Prix on the Paul Ricard circuit in France. On home turf! I was sixteenth on the grid, and fourth at the end of a race marked by many incidents.”

“That day I emerged from the shadows into the limelight. In the morning I was an unknown, in the evening all the teams and the media were talking about me. I had seized my chance. At the age of 25 a career in Formula 1 beckoned. I pushed open the door!”

“I owed this opportunity to a conflict between sponsors at Tyrrell just beforehand. The brand that backed Michele Alboreto withdrew when the team signed a title sponsorship agreement with one of its direct rivals. It was the same sponsor as the Jordan team’s with which I was well on the way to winning the F3000 title.”

“I suppose that Ken Tyrrell, Eddie Jordan and this sponsor quickly came up with the idea of pulling off a coup by giving me my first drive in F1 on the Le Castellet circuit.”

“In hindsight it was a pretty incredible period in my career. Nine months earlier I had zero prospects. I had no drive as after winning the French F3 title my collaboration with the Oreca team in F3000 in 1988 didn’t go off well.”

“I was determined not to be written off so I set up a little team with my brother José to race in the prestigious Macau International F3 Grand Prix. It’s a crazy circuit! I went there determined to push as hard as I could.”

“I was second in the qualifying race and I was leading the grand prix when one of my tyres delaminated. I stuck in there, refused to retire and took the flag in 15th place on three wheels! Eddie Jordan loved my fighting spirit and I joined his Formula 3000 team for the 1989 season.”

“When the championship began at Silverstone in April little did I know that I would be racing in the French Grand Prix four months later!”

“I raced in 13 French Grands Prix and finished on the podium in 1996. It was always a great pleasure for me to give my very best on home turf and talk to and share myself with the fans. Even more than reviving a tradition the return of Formula1 to our country opens up a raft of opportunities.”

“There’s French know how in motor sport and there are real sporting, technological, industrial and commercial perspectives: a great deal’s at stake in many fields.”

“The Paul Ricard circuit is the mirror image of this French modernity, and the remarkable quality of this innovative site goes far beyond the technical standards required without forgetting its charm and authenticity. Long live French motor racing!”