FORMULA 1

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RIP Mr. Sergio Marchionne.  66 was way too young.

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Ex-Ferrari boss Sergio Marchionne dies aged 66

Long-time FCA and Ferrari chief Sergio Marchionne has died, days after relinquishing his roles after his health rapidly worsened.

Marchionne took over as the boss of Fiat in 2004 and was widely credited with rejuvenating its fortunes, and that of Chrysler, becoming a powerful figure within the automotive industry.

Marchionne became an influential player in Formula 1 after he was appointed as Chairman and Chief Executive of Ferrari in 2014, as a replacement for long-standing chief Luca di Montezemolo.

Marchionne represented Ferrari in its negotiations with Formula 1 chiefs over the future direction of the sport, and threatened to withdraw the manufacturer if it felt terms were unsatisfactory.

Marchionne was set to stand down from his multiple roles next April but on Saturday FCA called a meeting, where it was revealed that the Italian-Canadian’s health had rapidly deteriorated.

Ferrari appointed John Elkann as its new Chairman with a recommendation that Louis Camilleri be appointed as Chief Executive, giving the latter powers to continue day-to-day running of the company.

On Wednesday, Exor NV, the holding company of Fiat’s founding Agnelli family, confirmed the passing of Marchionne at the age of 66.

“Unfortunately, what we feared has come to pass. Sergio Marchionne, man and friend, is gone," Elkann said.

“I believe that the best way to honour his memory is to build on the legacy he left us, continuing to develop the human values of responsibility and openness of which he was the most ardent champion.

“My family and I will be forever grateful for what he has done.”

F1 boss Chase Carey pays tribute to Sergio Marchionne

Formula 1 Chairman and CEO Chase Carey has labelled Sergio Marchionne’s contribution to the sport as “immeasurable”, in the wake of the ex-Ferrari chief’s passing on Wednesday.

Marchionne was credited with revitalising the fortunes of Fiat and Chrysler, and was appointed to the role of Ferrari Chairman and CEO in 2014.

Ferrari announced on Saturday that Marchionne had been taken unwell and consequently relinquished his roles, with John Eklann named Chairman and Louis C. Camilleri CEO.

On Wednesday, Exor NV, the holding company of Fiat’s founding Agnelli family, confirmed the passing of Marchionne at the age of 66.

Carey led the tributes to Marchionne, commenting: “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Sergio Marchionne.

“He was a great leader of not just Formula 1 and the automobile world, but the business world overall.

“He led with great passion, energy and insight, and inspired all around him. His contributions to Formula 1 are immeasurable.

“He was also a true friend to all of us and he will be deeply missed.

“At this difficult time we extend our deepest sympathies to his family, friends and colleagues.”

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff also expressed his condolences to Marchionne's friends and family.

"This is a sad day for all of us in F1," said Wolff.

"We have a lost a huge supporter of our sport, a fierce competitor, an ally and a friend.

"Our heartfelt sympathies are with Sergio's family and all at Ferrari at this difficult time."

Sergio Marchionne 1952 -2018

Sergio Marchionne, the former chief executive officer of Fiat Chrysler and Ferrari, had died at the age of 66.

Born in 1952, in Chieti, a city in the Abruzzo region, inland from the Adriatic city of Pescara, he was the son of a policeman. The family decided to move to Canada in the late 1950s and Marchionne grew up in Toronto, studied to be an accountant and a lawyer and began his working career with the the accounting firm Deloitte & Touche before joining the packaging manufacturer Lawson. In 1994 Lawson was taken over by the Swiss chemical and pharmaceutical company Alusuisse and made a name for himself as a turnaround specialist, notably while working with SGS, a Geneva-based product testing business, which was then under the control of the Agnelli family. This led to his appointment as CEO of Fiat in 2004. The company was then in deep trouble with huge debts and he began to restructure, laying off thousands of workers and slashing the time it took to get new cars to the markets. The economic crisis in 2007 and 2008 gave Marchionne the chance to pull off a remarkable coup by taking control of the Chrysler company, after it was rescued by the US government, and merging it into the FCA empire. By 2014 the firm was sufficiently recovered to be floated on the New York Stock Exchange, with a value that was 10 times more than when he took over. He also spun off Ferrari, and became its chairman and chief executive. He was due to retire from Fiat Chrysler next year but intended to stay on at Ferrari and was playing an important role in the negotiations over new commercial agreements and new rules for 2021. It remains to be seen what happens now. His role has CEO has been taken over by Louis Camilleri and the job of chairman will go to John Elkann, the FCA chairman. Marchionne argued that there were too many car companies for the market to bear and was gradually pulling the Agnelli family out of the automotive business and looking for a partner to merge FCA with, his primary target for a long time being General Motors. There advances were rejected and in recent times there has been talk of a merger with Hyundai.

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RED BULL HAVE REASON TO BE BULLISH IN HUNGARY

Red Bull fancy their chances in the heat of the Hungaroring this weekend but given that no driver has won in Hungary and gone on to take the title in the same season since Michael Schumacher in 2004 Lewis Hamilton will not lose too much sleep about that.

While the prospect of a Daniel Ricciardo or Max Verstappen victory is of little real concern to Mercedes’ championship leader what really matters is beating Ferrari rival Sebastian Vettel before Formula One heads into the August break.

Hamilton came away from an epic German Grand Prix win last Sunday having turned an eight-point deficit into a 17-point lead but he knows the stars were aligned for him in that race and a hurting Ferrari will come back strong.

“It’s usually not our strongest track,” said Hamilton, who has won a record five times at the circuit outside Budapest but never in a championship year.

Last year he sportingly handed back third place to team mate Valtteri Bottas, despite the loss of championship points, after the Finn had let him go past earlier to try to chase down the Ferraris.

“It’s not a power circuit so hopefully this extra chunk of power that Ferrari have doesn’t serve them as well there and maybe we can have a decent fight with them,” added Hamilton at Hockenheim.

“But they’ve always been really good on tyres and that’s quite a hot track so undoubtedly they’ll continue to be fast but … I’ve got high hopes for it still.

“Red Bull … will be very quick, I’m sure, in the next races where it is really strong for them. So it should be a closely matched race.”

Australian Ricciardo, whose new deal with Red Bull is expected imminently, took engine penalties in Germany for tactical reasons to give himself the best shot in Hungary.

That backfired as he retired from the race but the team say there should be no further penalties for a tight and twisty track that suits their car’s characteristics more than most.

Ricciardo won from pole in Monaco, a similarly slow track, and was triumphant in Hungary in 2014 but he is also fifth overall and 82 points adrift of Hamilton.

Verstappen is a point behind his team mate.

Vettel, who crashed out in Germany while leading on a slippery track, will want to atone for his dramatic error and he too has plenty of reason to be confident.

The German has won two of the last three races in Hungary, including last year, and his car has the performance to worry Mercedes.

The Ferrari engine has become a paddock talking point, with Hamilton and his team boss Toto Wolff impressed by their rivals’ evident improvement over the last two races with Vettel taking pole in Germany.

“In the cold light of day, we also know and recognise that we did not bring the quickest car to Hockenheim,” said Austrian Wolff after Hamilton went from 14th to first to record an almost miraculous victory.

“Hungary will see another tough fight with both Ferrari and Red Bull. It’s a high downforce track and on paper they should both be very fast in Budapest.

“However, if there’s one thing the German Grand Prix taught us, it’s the fact that predictions don’t determine race results.”

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VILLENEUVE: HAMILTON PORTRAYS HIMSELF LIKE HE IS JESUS

Outspoken former F1 world champion turned Sky Italia pundit Jacques Villeneuve has weighed into the Lewis Hamilton versus the commentators’ saga which the world champion ignited when criticising Sky’s F1 TV coverage of his unexpected victory at the German Grand Prix.

Hamilton had a dig at Martin Brundle, Damon Hill and Nico Rosberg in the aftermath of a dramatic afternoon at Hockenheim with a message on Instagram which he deleted later

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Hamilton: Amusing listening to ex-drivers commentating…

Lewis Hamilton took a swipe at Sky F1 commentators when he accused them of being negative and not finding a good word to say about his unexpected victory in a chaotic and dramatic German Grand Prix. The Mercedes driver started from 14th on the grid but managed to use his Mercedes to maximum effect and power … Continue reading

 

Villeneuve, in his typical no-nonsense style, took issue with the Mercedes driver when he told Auto Bild, “We should not be surprised by Hamilton. He confuses Formula 1 with Hollywood. Everything he does is staged.”

“He portrays himself like he is Jesus on social media. The way he knelt down beside his car after his problem in qualifying, as if he was enduring the suffering of Christ. Also what he said afterwards was just like the Sermon on the Mount. ”

“Then he gestured so dramatically on the podium that everyone could see who sent the sudden rain,” added Villeneuve, the 1997 Formula 1 world champion.

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F1 FESTIVAL TO TAKE OVER THE HEART MILAN

Formula 1, with the patronage of the City of Milan, and in association with ACI, have announced that the 2018 Formula1 Milan Festival will take place in the iconic Navigli quarter of Lombardy’s capital city from August 29th to September 1st.

Opening up the exciting world of Formula 1 to fans and bringing a new generation into the sport, the festival heralds the return of Formula 1 to Milan, home of legendary motor racing brands Alfa Romeo and Pirelli.

The Formula 1 Milan Festival will run at the same time as the Formula 1 Heineken Gran Premio d’Italia 2018 which takes place at the historic Autodromo di Monza. It will bring the excitement and passion of an F1 Grand Prix event into the very heart of the city, creating an exciting destination experience for fans.

Monza, known to F1 fans worldwide as The Temple of Speed, is the quickest circuit on the Formula 1 calendar; a breathtaking drive that scythes its way through the beautiful setting of the Parco Reale and the Autodromo. Monza has been a permanent part of Formula 1 since its inception in 1950, and its rich history makes it one of the key dates on the sporting calendar.

This year, for the first time ever, F1 will also be in the heart of Milan, the Italian capital of fashion and business, and the fourth global city to host an F1 Fan Festival after London in July 2017, then Shanghai in April, and Marseille in June earlier this year. It will be followed by the Miami Fan Festival, due to take place in October 2018.

The F1 Milan Festival will be open from Wednesday, August 29th to Saturday, September 1st and will be free for all to attend in the Darsena area (literally ‘the dock’), center of Milan’s ancient, and now restored, Navigli water canals. The unique thrills of F1 will blend with the busiest and most buzzing area of Milan, merging exciting activations and events, music and iconic installations to attract and delight people throughout the day and late into the evening.

Providing the ultimate city centre festival hub, the F1 Park will offer a live car run in an unprecedented city circuit, giving fans a unique opportunity to experience the thrill of seeing modern F1 cars up close on the streets of Milan.

Every evening, F1 House will be the unmissable evening destination within the Darsena area, hosting DJs and personalities from the world of sport, music and entertainment.

Sean Bratches, Managing Director, Commercial Operations at Formula 1 said: “It gives me great pleasure to announce the 2018 Formula1 Milan Festival. Motor racing is in the DNA of this beautiful city, as is fashion and creativity. Formula 1, the pinnacle of motorsport, is the perfect partner to blend advanced engineering with the glamour and cutting-edge inventiveness of the Milan fashion houses, as well as the historic heritage of its art and culture. We aim to put our fans at the centre of our sport, and the Milan fan festival will do just that, welcoming families and fans throughout the day and the evening in the heart of the city, sharing the magic of Formula 1 with open arms.”

Angelo Damiani Sticchi, President of ACI said: “ACI has embraced with enthusiasm and pride the opportunity to be involved in the F1 Milan Fan Festival to run alongside the Monza Grand Prix. This highlights the vital contribution our country has made to motorsport, its primary role in car production, and to the millions of fans who have been following all forms of motor racing for many, many years. We are thus ready and happy to welcome, in Milan and at the Monza Eni Circuit, F1 fans and lovers of all cars, as we offer a rich series of events, shows and get-togethers all linked by the overriding passion and enthusiasm for motorsport and all things related to beautiful cars.”

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Risk-averse Haas "got away" with intermediates call

Haas Formula 1 boss Gunther Steiner says his team “got away” with its conservative German Grand Prix strategy, as both of his drivers made three pitstops each.
Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean looked on course to finish sixth and eighth respectively in what would've been the team's second-best points haul of the campaign, before late rain threw a spanner in the works.

Magnussen fell behind Renault's Nico Hulkenberg and teammate Grosjean in the slippery conditions, before Sebastian Vettel's crash brought out the safety car, prompting Haas to react and pit both its cars for inters on the same lap.

Despite the rain easing off and forcing both to stop again under safety car to switch back to slicks, Grosjean charged through to sixth in the end, although Magnussen was left outside of the points in 11th.

“We did damage limitation - if we continue to do what we're doing, we’re still in a very good position,” Steiner said after the race. “Yeah, we lost two points [to Renault and Force India], but in the big picture, that’s not a lot.

“I would rather have gained two points, for obvious reasons, but these things happen.

“I’m honestly not disappointed. For sure I would like it to be better, but I think it was damage limitation and we got away, like other people got away with it. And some had a little more luck, took a risk and gained a little.

“If there is nothing to lose, it’s easier to take risk. We always have to balance that.”

Pitstops under safety car cost Grosjean and Magnussen track position, but left the pair on fresher tyres, which allowed the former to recover places in the final laps.

And while staying out did pay off for the rival Force India team, as both Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon made the top eight despite finishing on soft tyres that had completed over 40 laps, Steiner is adamant the risk would've been too much for his cars.

“It’s always difficult to say whether it’s right or wrong, but I’d say it was the right decision [to pit] because it was too slippery out there," Steiner said.

“With our worn tyres we had on, the risk to go off somewhere, like Vettel, did was very high, as they were very worn and both drivers say there was no chance to get the tyres up again to temperature.

“You’re in between and at the time you don’t know how long the rain lasts. But if you put new tyres on, they cool down so quick and don’t grip anymore.

“So it’s one of the situations where we were at that point, is we could just lose, we don’t want to take risks, because if we do – you can lose everything.”

Asked about Magnussen's reaction to the lost points, Steiner said: “Would you be content if you were running sixth and then you end up 11th?

“It’s part of racing. I don’t think there was any complete wrongdoing, there were just a lot of things coming together in a very short period of time and they needed to be sorted.”

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FIA still satisfied as rivals query "strange" Ferrari gains

Formula 1 race director Charlie Whiting insists that the FIA is still happy with the operation of Ferrari’s hybrid system, despite ongoing discussions with rival teams.
The FIA announced in Monaco that its investigations have suggested that the Italian team was doing nothing wrong.

However, rivals have continued to question the recent strong performance of both the works cars and customer teams Haas and Sauber.

"Something is going on there, it's not normal," said Renault's Nico Hulkenberg.

"Since a couple of weekends, since France I think, all Ferrari-powered cars have a lot of power all at once.

"It's difficult for us against Haas, because in the corners we are at eye level or better but on the straights we lose a lot."

Whiting and other key FIA players had a meeting with Mercedes representatives at the team's motorhome in Hockenheim.

"We are entirely satisfied with everything on that front, as we said in Monaco," said Whiting.

"Some teams have been asking further question and we were just there to try and help them have some peace, if you like."

Asked if Mercedes had questions about legality, or just wanted to know where the limits were for its own development, Whiting said: "Again, those discussions are private.

"I don't think I should be telling you. If you want to talk to Mercedes, they'll tell you but I think what goes on behind closed doors should remain behind closed doors."

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff would not be drawn on the discussions, implying that it was a routine gathering.

"The exchange you're having with the FIA and some of the other teams, or engine manufacturers, is on a regular basis," he said.

"It's more visible if you do it on a weekend, on track, in the motorhome, but it's completely regular business to discuss various technical topics."

Renault Sport F1 boss Cyril Abiteboul admitted that the data suggests that Ferrari is doing something "strange" - but he stressed that doesn't necessarily mean that it is illegal.

"First we know we have a power deficit, which up until now was against Mercedes," he told Motorsport.com.

"They are still here but we see indeed that Ferrari has taken the upper hand, so congratulations to Ferrari in that battle, which is more a technical battle, but less visible. The step that they have done is amazing.

"It's a step that they have done to a certain degree that does not go with a hardware introduction, it's also a step that we see across all three teams, not just Ferrari, which is not necessarily a battle for us, but also Haas and Sauber, which are more of a battle for us.

"Clearly we are scratching our heads, because we look in particular at the GPS profile, and we we see indeed that it's really strange what they are doing.

"But doing something strange doesn't mean that it's illegal. I think we must give credit to what they have done, and that should be an extra commitment to work harder, and try and do the same step on our side."

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Toto Wolff: No prizes for being 'half-time champions' in F1

Toto Wolff has implored Mercedes to keep its focus off the back of last weekend’s 1-2 finish at its home event in Germany, accepting it did not possess the fastest car.

Mercedes suffered a difficult Saturday at Hockenheim as Sebastian Vettel comfortably beat Valtteri Bottas to pole position, while Lewis Hamilton suffered a hydraulic failure that relegated him to 14th on the grid.

But its fortunes turned around on Sunday as Hamilton rose through the field to triumph in a rain-affected race, followed home by Bottas, with Vettel crashing out 15 laps from the end.

It left Hamilton back in the lead of the Drivers’ Championship, 17 points clear of Vettel, with Mercedes grabbing the advantage in the Constructors’ battle, eight in front of Ferrari.

Wolff, though, has warned against complacency as Formula 1 heads to the Hungarian Grand Prix, an event won only once by Mercedes since the hybrid era began in 2014.

“We've had our fair share of bad luck this season, but it felt like our fortunes turned around in Hockenheim,” said Wolff.

“A 1-2 is always a great result; to get it on Mercedes home turf after starting from P2 and P14 on the grid was absolutely incredible.

“However, in the cold light of day, we also know and recognise that we did not bring the quickest car to Hockenheim.
 
“We've passed the halfway point of the season and we lead both championships by very close margins.

“We all know that no prizes are given out for half-time champions, so we will keep pushing to improve our performance.
 
“Hungary will see another tough fight with both Ferrari and Red Bull. It's a high downforce track and on paper they should both be very fast in Budapest.

“However, if there's one thing the German Grand Prix taught us, it's the fact that predictions don't determine race results.”

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F1 abandons 2019 Miami GP, aiming for 2020

Formula 1 chiefs are targeting a 2020 debut for the proposed Miami Grand Prix after attempts to hold the event next year were aborted, the series confirmed on Monday.

Liberty Media has been working closely with officials at the City of Miami but discussions surrounding the event have been postponed, leaving Formula 1 unable to reach a suitable agreement within the desired time scale.

Plans for the 2019 calendar are now able to move forward for the latter half of the season with Brazil, Austin and Mexico now able to work have more freedom to work in their preferred dates.

Discussions were set to take place later this week regarding the proposed Miami Grand Prix, but those were pushed back to September.

Formula 1 commercial chief Sean Bratches said: "In the last few months we have worked diligently alongside our promoter Stephen Ross of RSE Ventures, the City of Miami and Miami Dade County, to realise our ambition to bring a Formula 1 Grand Prix to Miami, and we have made significant progress: However, these are complicated negotiations.

"Whilst our preference would have been to race in Miami in 2019, there was always a point by which delivering the best possible wheel-to-wheel racing experience for our fans, drivers and teams wouldn’t be possible in the time available. We have now reached that point as far as racing in Miami in 2019 is concerned.

"However, we are taking a long-term view and as a result, we have decided, in consultation with the Miami authorities, to postpone sign-off until later in the summer, with the aim of running the first Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix in the 2020 season.

"We have always said that we wouldn’t compromise on delivering the best possible race, for the people of Miami, our fans and the 1.8 billion people who watch F1 globally every year, and if that meant waiting until 2020, then that was far more preferable than signing off on a sub-optimal race track, just to do a deal."

"At every stage of this process, we’ve enjoyed positive collaboration and co-operation with the City of Miami, Miami-Dade County, Port of Miami, Bayfront Parks Management, residents and businesses.

"As a result of these discussions, we have listened and adapted our plans, including elements of the track layout. We are committed to expansion in the US and to Miami in particular and we will be bringing our fantastic sport to this iconic city in October with the Formula 1 fan festival, where we look forward to engaging and exciting fans."

Formula 1's 2019 is therefore set to feature 20 Grands Prix.

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McLaren 'had to try something' in Germany - Fernando Alonso

Fernando Alonso believes McLaren 'had to try something' during the German Grand Prix if the team was going to secure a points finish after another difficult weekend.

The Spaniard had struggled to get inside the top 10 throughout the event and when the rain came, he felt there was an opportunity to capitalise on the inclement weather should it have continued.

Unfortunately for the former double world champion, the gamble failed to pay off any chance of a points finish as the sharp showers that were falling at Turn 6 dissipated quickly; this led to the McLaren driver further falling down the order despite the appearance of the Safety Car for Sebastian Vettel's stricken Ferrari.

"It was a tricky race ," said Alonso.

"We bet on the rain and at the first drops we pitted for Intermediate tyres, expecting that it would rain hard in the following few minutes. But, it didn’t, and we were out there on a dry track with wet tyres, so we killed them and then we had to stop again to get back onto dry tyres. 

"At that point, our race was compromised. It was difficult conditions out there, but we weren’t in the points so we had to try something. Disappointingly, the bet was the wrong one. 

"At the end of the race, the team told me to retire the car, as they probably saw something on the data."

Sporting Director Gil de Ferran echoed Alonso's sentiments and confirmed there were concerns with the gearbox on his MCL33 which prompted the team to retire the car at the end of the race.

"A disappointing German Grand Prix for us," added the Brazilian.

"On Fernando’s side we took a gamble, banking on there being some heavy rain, but unfortunately we were a little too early and the gamble didn’t pay off. It’s a real shame for Fernando who was actually driving a really good race at that time, fighting as he usually does. 

"At the end of the race, there were some concerns over his gearbox and we had to retire his car."

Alonso remains eighth in the Driver's Championship 12 points behind Nico Hulkenberg while McLaren remain in seventh in the Constructors' standings.

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FORCE INDIA PREVIEW THE HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX

Force India preview the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, Round 12 of the 2018 Formula 1 World Championship, at Hungaroring near Budapest.

Sergio Perez: “You always want to do well on the final race before the holidays. As a racing driver, you only remember your last race and you want to go into the break with some nice memories. It helps you have a better holiday if you score a good result.

“I enjoy the Hungaroring: it’s a circuit with a lot of corners that can catch you out and it’s a big challenge to get a clean lap together, especially in qualifying. The races, too, can get quite interesting. It’s a narrow and twisty track but it still offers some opportunities for overtaking. The key for a good race in Budapest is to have a car with plenty of downforce but also that is not too hard on the tyres. It tends to be very hot there so it’s important to look after them.

“It’s been a very hectic first part of the season, especially with five races in the last six weeks, and I am looking forward to the break. I am going to spend it at home, with my family, without too much travel.”

Esteban Ocon: “I want to go on holiday on a high and I am happy the final race before the break is on one of my favourite tracks. Budapest is one of the races that I enjoy the most and it’s always a good weekend for me. The city is beautiful and there are a lot of fans there, but my highlight is the circuit itself. I fell in love with it the first time I drove on it.

“The track is quite narrow, but it’s still very fast. There are a lot of quick changes of direction and the corners come one after the other with no chance to catch a breath. That’s what I really like about it – you need to keep pushing all the time and make the most of the sequences of corners. You need to have a good rhythm there and if you make a mistake, you pay for it in the corners that follow.

“It will be nice to have a bit of time off after Budapest. I am looking forward to a nice holiday with my friends, but I am going to train hard as well. I am going back to my training camp in the Pyrenees so there will be a little bit of holiday and a lot of work!”

Vijay Mallya, Team Principal: “It’s always important to do well in the final race before the break and this year is no exception. We have been scoring double-points finishes in the last three races so it would be nice to carry this momentum into the holidays. The midfield battle is as close as it has ever been and each race weekend can swing the balance one way or the other: we have shown in Germany how crucial it is to take your chances when they materialise, when perhaps earlier in the season luck wouldn’t have favoured us. Our target for the rest of the year doesn’t change: we are still aiming to retain fourth place in the championship and we will give everything to make it happen.”

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STROLL SET TO TAKE OVER BANKRUPT FORCE INDIA

Lance Stroll’s billionaire father Lawrence Stroll has reportedly struck a deal to buy beleaguered Force India team so that he can provide a race seat for his son in 2019 and save the teenager from the sinking Williams ship.

Several reports from different sources indicate Stroll senior will be taking over Force India F1 Team from embattled Indian business tycoons Vijay Mallya and Subrata Roy, with Michael Mol supposedly keeping his stake in the team.

The latest development comes amid reports that the Silverstone based outfit is close to administration and near bankruptcy, with deputy team principal Otmar Szafnauer telling reporters at Hockenheim that money for development is almost non-existent.

Mallya, who is being vigorously sought by Indian authorities for a number of infractions, made his single race appearance when he turned up at the British Grand Prix, whereupon he told reporters that the team was for sale but added that no one had shown him the money.

Apparently, Stroll senior has shown it to him and a deal has been struck. A source close to the team said, cryptically, that details “will be announced when the ink dries” on the contract but gave no date.

The investment by Stroll is likely to secure over 400 jobs and set the team back on track to punch above their weight, as they have traditionally done in the top flight.

This development is likely to further stir up the Silly Season rumour vine as it means either Esteban Ocon or Sergio Perez or both will depart The Pinks at the end of the season.

Confirmation of the Stroll to Force India is sure to trigger big movements in the driver market.

Also on the cards for the team is a name change, the ‘India’ element of the name no longer relevant, in fact, under Mallya they were considering a name change last year but that came to nought.

Sponsors such as BWT and Hype Energy Drinks are likely to stay on board, with Stroll senior – after talks with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff – angling to make the new team the Mercedes junior outfit, which in turn would mean Ocon stays and Perez will depart.

Until Stroll and Force India confirm that the deal is done, speculation will mount regarding the multi-faceted implications of such a scenario.

Earlier this year, another Canadian billionaire Michael Latifi bought a stake in McLaren, his son Nicolas Latifi races in GP2 and has also tested for Force India.

To clarify further: 

Lawrence Stroll has loaned money to F1 in the form of convertable notes. He has not taken the company over because its too soon, but, he "IS" in a position to convert his loan into a takeover, or in the case of bankruptcy, a payment to the receiver. As VjM wants $250 million, its probably going to be the latter unless one of 5 other consortia decides to bid.

As Stroll has loaned the money, he is of course able to get some concession from F1 in terms of having his son drive....while existing creditors like Mercedes for example pull out their driver, Ocon to go to Renault.

So it's all very convenient....Other creditors include LM who got fed up with giving them cash advances.

Don't be surprised to see Perez jump ship to HAAS along with his Carlos Slim's money, which would be a better fit for Haas anyway.

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TORO ROSSO DRIVERS PREVIEW THE HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX

Toro Rosso drivers preview the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, Round 12 of the 2018 Formula 1 World Championship, at Hungaroring near Budapest.

Brendon Hartley: “I’ve raced at the Hungaroring quite a few times over the years, in Formula Renault 2.0 and Renault 3.5. I also recall having a really good race there in LMP2. It’s a track I enjoy and one at which I usually go well. I’m told that, in a Formula 1 car, it’s one of the most physically demanding tracks of the year, as there are no straights where you can catch your breath. My fitness is good and I’m feeling up to the challenge in the hot conditions. The emphasis on qualifying will be even higher than usual here, because of the difficulty of overtaking, even if it’s not quite as tight as Monaco. It is high downforce however, as well as being probably one of the least power-sensitive tracks on the calendar.

“The crowd has always been great at the Hungaroring with passionate racing fans, I’m looking forward to soaking up that atmosphere. It’s a cool city to be at, I’ve spent a few days there in the past and I enjoy the city. After finishing in the points in Hockenheim I will do my best to keep the momentum and head into the summer break with good vibes.”

Pierre Gasly: “I won there in 2013 in Renault 2.0 litre, I was second in 2014 in 3.5, second in 2015 in GP2 and first, again in GP2, in 2016, so it’s a track that seems to work well for me. It’s one of my favourite tracks because it’s very technical, which is something I like. It’s important to get into a good flowing rhythm and on a track with so few straight sections, the driver can really make the difference. With one corner leading straight into another, it’s important to get the flow working, because if you make a mistake at one turn, it has a big impact on the following ones. However, rather like Monaco, overtaking here complicated, therefore qualifying is even more important than usual. In terms of pure driving though, I love it, as there are all sorts of corner types: slow, medium and fast, long corners, heavy braking ones, so it has a bit of everything. Given that I really like it, I can’t wait to find out what it will be like in an F1 car. I reckon it will be a pure pleasure! I’m not bothered about the fact it is going to be extremely hot this weekend, as I am in good shape, even though it has been a long and tough season so far. I’m well prepared for the conditions and I hope we will be able to get a good result to take with us into the summer break. It would be important psychologically for the entire team to pick up some points and we will all be working very hard to achieve that. I love racing, but I think the break will be a good thing, because everyone is quite tired and needs some time at home with the family. It’s the perfect moment to cut the season in half and I will be going on holiday with my friends and those that are close to me. But before that, let’s give it everything in Budapest!”

[MIKA27]

RED BULL DRIVERS PREVIEW THE HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX

Red Bull drivers preview the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, Round 12 of the 2018 Formula 1 World Championship, at Hungaroring near Budapest.

Daniel Ricciardo “I like the Hungarian GP. Everyone always says it’s Monaco without walls, but it’s not, it’s Hungary! It’s fast, it’s normally really hot and even though it’s a tight track there’s still quite a lot of overtaking and always a bit going on. The middle sector is one of the best of the whole year, it’s pretty fast with really quick changes in direction. The track used to be pretty bumpy but it’s improved a lot recently. I’ve always liked the circuit but the city is also really cool. Budapest is amazing; it’s very pretty, there’s really good food and I always enjoy spending time in the city centre. Because it’s just before the summer break there’s also always a good feeling in the paddock before everyone takes a well-earned holiday.”

Max Verstappen “The Hungaroring is very difficult to master. It begins with very hard braking into Turn 1 before an off-camber Turn 2 which tries to push you off from the inside. It is an important circuit to be precise in order to be online for the next corner. Turn 4 is almost blind so you need to be cautious and build up throughout the weekend. Sector 2 is pretty narrow and twisty so you need to take extra care here. Turn 11, the fast right-hander is probably my favourite corner on the track, when you get it right it is a nice feeling. A good exit from the final corner is important as the straight is long so carrying speed is vital. Budapest is a cool city, it has a reputation as a bit of a “party town” but I have not had chance to experience that yet! Walking on the banks of the ‘Nube is nice and gives a chance to see both parts of the city, Buda and pest. I’ll always try to fit in a good helping of Goulash while I’m in Hungary as I really enjoy this dish, usually on Sunday evening.”

[MIKA27]

WILLIAMS PREVIEW THE HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX

Hungary hosts the final stop on the calendar before teams are rewarded for their hard work with a well-earned break during the annual summer shutdown.

Factories are forbidden to operate for a fortnight in August to give teams the chance to take some respite before the final haul of races begins in Belgium.

The Hungaroring is one of the shortest tracks on the calendar, and its popularity amongst drivers, teams and fans doesn’t go unnoticed for its location near the beautiful city of Budapest.

Teams will want to close the first half of the season on a positive note in Hungary and with the race known for its reliably high temperatures, the scene is set to test both man and machine.

For Hungary, Pirelli has made available the medium, soft and ultrasoft tyres.

Paddy Lowe, Chief Technical Officer: The Hungaroring is one of the shortest tracks on the calendar but as it is set in its own amphitheatre, it is a terrific place for fans to come and watch. Indeed, the race usually attracts a great crowd from across Europe who enjoy the event as well as the beautiful city of Budapest. Temperatures can be very high and the circuit itself is quite tricky technically, so it is a good challenge for the drivers. The Hungarian Grand Prix also marks the end of the mid-season, and the beginning of the long-awaited summer break for the drivers and teams, which after a triple-header followed by this double-header is greatly deserved.

Lance Stroll: This is a hard race, it is demanding on the drivers as it is tough physically, you don’t get a break and it is usually very hot weather. Having said that, it is really enjoyable to drive there and I am looking forward to getting back to what I consider a great track. It is an old school circuit, but it has been resurfaced so it’s not exactly the same as it used to be. It is also quite narrow and, like in Monaco, overtaking is not that easy, but that is all part of the challenge. Not only is the track great, but I also love the city and have had some good times there.

Sergey Sirotkin: Hungary will be another back-to-back, but by now we have enough experience on how to manage this. It’s a track I really like, I have had quite a few wins in Hungary and have good memories with this place. It will be challenging as I assume the weather will be hot, along with a very demanding track layout, so it will not be easy. However, it will be a good challenge for us to see how all the upgrades are working in the lead up to the summer break.

[MIKA27]

RENAULT PREVIEW THE HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX

Ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend Renault drivers Nico Hülkenberg and Carlos Sainz share their thoughts on the Hungaroring, 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: “Before we can start to think about the summer break, we must get through this tricky race on the calendar. We know the Hungaroring is a challenging circuit for a number of reasons, but like any round, we go there with a sense of optimism and high standards. Then we have an important two-day test following the race, an extra period of time to learn more about our car.”

Nico Hülkenberg: “I really enjoy Hungary, it’s a good Grand Prix weekend. It’s the final round before the summer break, something I’m very much looking forward to after a busy and hard-fought string of European races. In terms of the circuit itself, it’s very technical with some fun corner combinations, which come thick and fast.”

Carlos Sainz: “It’s a very tight track, similar to Monaco in a way but obviously without the barriers. It’s a track I like, especially in qualifying, where you have to be on it. A lap is very intense and busy with a lot of corner combinations you have to get right. It’s a difficult circuit to overtake, but turn one is probably the best opportunity.”

[MIKA27]

HAAS PREVIEW THE HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX

Trivia question: Outside of Scuderia Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull, what Formula One team has scored the most points in the last five races? Answer: Haas F1 Team.

The American organization, in just its third year competing in the FIA Formula One World Championship, has scored 40 points in the last four races, more than any midfield team dating back to the June 10 Canadian Grand Prix – a run of five races.

While Haas F1 Team didn’t score any points in its visit to Montreal, it did bring significant updates to its racecars. A new front wing and floor joined a revised bargeboard area on the Haas VF-18s of drivers Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen. In lieu of points, Haas F1 Team found potential, as both Grosjean and Magnussen were buoyed by the knowledge that these updates would perform even better on power tracks, which comprised the mid-summer stretch of the French, Austrian, British and German Grands Prix.

Their respective intuition proved spot on. Both drivers made it to the final round of qualifying in each grand prix, and both proved quick in the races, albeit with different results. Magnussen scored the first points in France with a sixth-place finish, which was a prelude to Haas F1 Team’s best performance to date – a double-points result in Austria where Grosjean finished fourth and Magnussen came home fifth. Magnussen grabbed ninth the next week at Silverstone to pick up two more points, while Grosjean rallied from 10th to sixth in the final 10 laps in the series’ most recent race in Germany to score another eight points.

That last result brought more than points, however. There was worry coming into the German Grand Prix that the Hockenheimring’s array of tight corners would prove slightly troublesome for the Haas VF-18, as it is better suited for high-speed corners. But come Friday in practice, Grosjean and Magnussen found they had the same speed at Hockenheim as they had in the previous grands prix in France, Austria and England. The compact turns of the Hockenheimring, specifically in the Motordrom section, did not compromise the performance of the Haas VF-18s.

That was good for obvious reasons, but it also gave Haas F1 Team confidence leading into Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix. The 4.381-kilometer (2.722-mile), 14-turn Hungaroring is a tight circuit that many drivers liken to a full-size karting track. It is the slowest permanent venue in Formula One, a juxtaposition from the recent run of power circuits.

Slow, however, doesn’t mean easy. Despite an average speed of 200 kph (124 mph), which is notably slower than the average speed drivers normally experience in Formula One, the Hungaroring requires precision and preservation. It is a physical track, demanding a lot from the drivers who, in turn, demand a lot from their car throughout the 70-lap race.

Haas F1 Team has demanded a lot from itself, and the payoff has come in its recent run of points-paying finishes. With the Hungarian Grand Prix beckoning, Haas F1 Team remains hungry.

Hungaroring

• Circuit Length: 4.381 kilometers (2.722 miles)
• Laps: 70
• Race Distance: 306.630 kilometers (190.531 miles) Broadcast: ESPN2 (8:30 a.m. EDT on Sunday, July 29)

Guenther Steiner, Team Principal

With a run of three-straight grands prix, along with this back-to-back set of races in Germany and Hungary, how important is the upcoming summer shutdown for team personnel?
GS: “I think this year, more than ever before, it is quite important. You’re not allowed to work, so you don’t try to do anything. The shutdown is one of the best things F1 has done because people have something to look forward to in the middle of the season. Otherwise, it’s a never-ending drill. Everyone is putting the last little effort in before the summer shutdown, and then they go for two weeks and, normally, we all come back a little refreshed. I think it’s important, and I also look forward to it.”

What do you do to prepare for the shutdown so that you’re ready to go for Belgium and Monza, which immediately follow the shutdown?
GS: “We are now in our third year. We are well prepared, well organized. The guys strip the cars, get everything ready, so when they come back after shutdown, they just need to put the car together again. The engineers, they do all the post-work after the race before they go on shutdown, then they start again as soon as it’s over to prepare for Spa.”

What do you do for your own well-being and self-preservation during the summer shutdown?
GS: “As little as possible. I go back to Italy, where I come from, and try to do very little as I’m not allowed to work.”

What are your expectations for Hungary? Does the tighter track pose more of a challenge for Haas F1 Team?
GS: “Let’s wait and see on Friday in Hungary what we are capable of doing. I never go in beaten to a race already. We know what happened in Monte Carlo. We analyzed that one and we know where we ended up. We know the reasons, and they will not happen in this race. We might not be as good as on the high-speed tracks, but I don’t think we’ll be really bad. We knew what went wrong in the races that went wrong for us. We’ve got a lot of talented people who can analyze all that and do better. How much better we can do, I don’t know. For sure, we are not going in beaten, saying we cannot achieve anything here. Our car, and our drivers, are good enough to get good results at all the tracks. Some are better than others, but nothing will hopefully be as bad as Monte Carlo.”

A lot of grip, a lot of braking and a lot of high-energy demands all conspire against tires at the Hungaroring. What do drivers need to do to manage the tires and get the most out of them?
GS: “You need to get your brake package in the right window so you’re not putting too much energy into the tires from the brakes, and the driver just needs to always see that he gets them in the window, especially in qualifying, so when you cross the finish line for your fast lap, you have the right temperature in them.”

Budapest is typically very hot – how does the high temperature affect tire management?
GS: “Tire management is so different from racetrack to racetrack. You cannot compare one with another. You always have to learn again and apply what you know to each different track. Conditions change. In Hungary, it’s known as normally being very hot, but sometimes it isn’t too bad. Silverstone was never as hot as this year, and I think we performed well. We just need to adapt to the track surface and to the temperature when we get there. This year, we are a lot better prepared than previous years.”

Haas F1 Team seems to have made great headway in understanding the tires and how the various compounds work. How has the team made these strides?
GS: “It’s just having more experience, and having filled the position we didn’t have before of the tire engineer, and time. Experience comes with time, and you cannot buy time. So, some things take a little bit longer. By no means are we perfect yet, but we are a lot better than last year. We can be even better, like some teams are better than us, but for sure we are not the weakest ones in the field now on tire management and tire understanding.”

Romain Grosjean

With a run of three-straight grands prix, along with this back-to-back set of races in Germany and Hungary, how important is the summer shutdown for team personnel?
RG: “I think it’s going to be important for everyone. There have been a lot of grands prix in a little amount of time. Since Melbourne, it’s been pretty much flat out, especially in the first part of the year with the car being new and so on, there’s always a lot of work. Of course, that first triple-header was quite challenging, so I think everyone is quite happy to go on holiday, and they can come back recharged for the second half of the season.”

What will you do for your own well-being and self-preservation during the summer shutdown?
RG: “I’ll have family time, do some sport, get some holiday time in, just generally enjoy being home.”

What are your expectations for Hungary? Does the tighter track pose more of a challenge for Haas F1 Team?
RG: “It’s not an easy grand prix. It’s a small circuit and it’s like a rollercoaster. It’s very twisty. We’ll see what we can do there, but it’s a grand prix I love. I always love going to Budapest but, definitely, it’s a challenging one.”

In six career Formula One starts at the Hungaroring you’ve finished in the top-10 three times, with a best finish of third in your first race there in 2012. What makes it such a good track for you?
RG: “It’s difficult to explain. I’ve always had a good feeling in Hungary. I’ve always liked the track. It used to be very bumpy, but they resurfaced two years ago. It’s a low-speed circuit. How the car handles is important. I’ve been lucky to have had cars that have performed well there over the years.”

The Hungaroring has historically been known as a slower racetrack because of its tight layout, but did that change last year because of the speeds you’re able to achieve in the corners with these faster, current-generation cars?
RG: “I think the biggest difference was the resurfacing of the Hungaroring. It used to be very bumpy, and now it’s pretty flat, which is a bit of a shame. It’s not a high-speed circuit, but saying that, sector two is quite cool – going up the hill and coming back down to the last two corners. It’s not as slow as it used to be.”

Did the faster speeds change how you attacked certain portions of the Hungaroring?
RG: “No, not really. You try to maximize every corner with whatever grip you’ve got available.”

You’re constantly turning the wheel at the Hungaroring and with the slower speeds, very little air flows into the car. Combined with the normally high temperatures experienced in Budapest, how physically demanding is the Hungarian Grand Prix?
RG: “It can get very hot in Budapest. It’s not an easy race, but on the other hand, there’s not many high-speed corners on the track, so it’s more about keeping your focus and concentration all through the race. Regardless, we’re always keeping fit to prepare ourselves.”

How difficult is it to overtake at the Hungaroring and where are the overtaking opportunities?
RG: “It’s very difficult to overtake at the Hungaroring. To be fair, I made one of the best overtakes of my life there in 2013, outside of turn four, on Felipe Massa. I got a drive-through penalty for that one for having four wheels off the track. That didn’t matter to me as it was one of my most beautiful overtaking moves ever.”

What made the move so rewarding for you, even with the penalty?
RG: “Because it came at a corner where nobody is expecting you to overtake. It was an outside overtake on a high-speed corner. The penalty, I thought, was questionable, but I just enjoyed the move. It was a key time in the race for me to be able to try and win. I really had to push hard and I just really enjoyed that overtaking maneuver.”

A lot of grip, a lot of braking and a lot of high-energy demands all conspire against tires at the Hungaroring. How do you manage the tires and get the most out of them?
RG: “They don’t get much rest in Budapest, that’s for sure. There aren’t many high-speed corners, which doesn’t put too much energy into them, but there’s no rest either, and temperatures can be really high. It’s a good challenge on tires, and getting them to work nicely in the window.”

Do you have any milestones or moments from your junior career that you enjoyed at the Hungaroring?
RG: “I’ve had some great races at the Hungaroring. I had my first pole position in GP2 there in 2008. I had some good races after that in GP2. I also qualified on the front row of the Hungarian Grand Prix back in 2012.”

What is your favorite part of the Hungaroring?
RG: “I like sector two, the flowing section of the track, which is quite nice.”

Explain a lap around the Hungaroring, especially now after having competed there with the faster, current-generation car.
RG: “The biggest difference now is it goes from turns four, five and onward to the middle section, where all the low-speed and medium-speed corners are, and the last corner as well. It’s much faster than it used to be, which is actually quite cool.”

Kevin Magnussen

With a run of three-straight grands prix, along with this back-to-back set of races in Germany and Hungary, how important is the summer shutdown for team personnel?
KM: “I think it’ll be really good for the guys, especially the guys in the garage, to get some time off. They’re working extremely hard, certainly harder than the rest of us, especially us drivers. Seriously, it will be well appreciated from their side and, of course, we’ll enjoy some time off as well. We’ll be with friends and family back in our home countries.”

What are your expectations for Hungary? Does the tighter track pose more of a challenge for Haas F1 Team?
KM: vv“We’ll see when we get there. Our car should be competitive. It is at most places now. Of course, there’s going to be tracks where it’s a bit less competitive for us than others, but we just need to maximize everything.”

The Hungaroring has historically been known as a slower racetrack because of its tight layout, but did that change last year because of the speeds you’re able to achieve in the corners with these faster, current-generation cars?
KM: “It’s still relative to the other tracks – a slower track – but it is definitely faster with the higher-downforce cars.”

You’re constantly turning the wheel at the Hungaroring and with the slower speeds, very little air flows into the car. Combined with the normally high temperatures experienced in Budapest, how physically demanding is the Hungarian Grand Prix?
KM: “It’s a pretty physical track. You’re turning all the time. You don’t get much time off on the straights, because there’s a bend, or the straight is just short. It’s a bit like a go-kart track. You don’t get a lot of time to relax on the straights.”

How difficult is it to overtake at the Hungaroring and where are the overtaking opportunities?
KM: “Overtaking in Hungary is particularly difficult, so hopefully we can be strong in qualifying there.”

A lot of grip, a lot of braking and a lot of high-energy demands all conspire against tires at the Hungaroring. How do you manage the tires and get the most out of them?
KM: “You try and keep the rear tires – the tire surface temperature – in control with the throttle. You manage those temperatures as well as you can. That’s the main thing.”

Do you have any milestones or moments from your junior career that you enjoyed at the Hungaroring?
KM: “I won races there in World Series by Renault. I’ve had some good races there.”

What is your favorite part of the Hungaroring?
KM: “I’d say turns eight to 11. That section there is pretty cool. It’s high speed with a change of direction.”

Explain a lap around the Hungaroring, especially now after having competed there with the faster, current-generation car.
KM: “It’s a little, twisty, tricky circuit.”

[MIKA27]

HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX FACTS & STATISTICS

Venue of the Hungarian Grand Prix, the 4.381-kilometer (2.722-mile), 14-turn Hungaroring is a tight circuit that many drivers liken to a full-size karting track and is the slowest permanent venue in Formula One, a juxtaposition from the recent run of power circuits.

Slow, however, doesn’t mean easy. Despite an average speed of 200 kph (124 mph), which is notably slower than the average speed drivers normally experience in Formula One, the Hungaroring requires precision and preservation. It is a physical track, demanding a lot from the drivers who, in turn, demand a lot from their car throughout the 70-lap race.

Statistics for Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix at Budapest’s Hungaroring:

• Lap distance: 4.381 km. Total distance: 306.63 km (70 laps)
• 2017 pole: Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Ferrari, one minute 16.276 seconds.
• 2017 winner: Vettel
• Race lap record: Michael Schumacher (Germany), Ferrari 2004: 1:19.071.
• Start time: 1310 GMT (1510 local)

Hungarian Grand Prix

• Lewis Hamilton has won a record five times in Hungary. Vettel has won two of the past three for Ferrari.
• Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen has made more podium appearances (eight) in Hungary than any current driver.
• It has been 14 years since the winner in Hungary also won the championship in the same season. The last was Schumacher in 2004.
• The lowest winning start in Hungary was Jenson Button’s victory from 14th on the grid in 2006.
• Hungary’s debut in 1986 made it the first F1 race in eastern Europe behind what was then the ‘Iron Curtain’. This weekend’s race is the 33rd Hungarian GP.
• Fourteen of the 32 races to date have been won from pole.

Race Victories

• Vettel and Mercedes’ Hamilton both have four wins so far this season. Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo has two and Max Verstappen one.
• Hamilton has 66 victories from 219 races and is second in the all-time list behind seven-times world champion Schumacher (91). Vettel has 51, Ricciardo seven.
• Raikkonen has now gone 105 races since his last win, in Australia in 2013.
• Ferrari have won 233 races since 1950, McLaren 182, Williams 114, Mercedes 80 and Red Bull 58. Former champions McLaren and Williams have not won since 2012.

Pole Position

• Hamilton has a record 76 career poles, Vettel 55.
• Verstappen, at 20 years old, can still become the youngest ever pole-sitter this season. The current youngest is Vettel, who did it at the age of 21 years and 72 days.
• Verstappen’s birthday is on Sept. 30.

Podium

• Hamilton has 125 career podiums and is second on the all-time list behind Schumacher (155). Vettel has 105, Raikkonen 98.
• Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas has had five second-place finishes in 11 races.

Championship Points

• Hamilton leads Vettel by 17 points.
• Mercedes are eight points ahead of Ferrari in the constructors’ championship.
• Russian rookie Sergey Sirotkin (Williams) is the only driver yet to score a point this season.

Milestones

• Mercedes took their 80th grand prix win in Germany, putting them fourth in the all-time standings.
• Hamilton’s win from 14th place in Germany was the first time he had won in F1 from lower than sixth on the grid. Only 14 races in F1 history have been won from 14th or lower.

[MIKA27]

MATESCHITZ: RENAULT BELOW AVERAGE, HONDA THE SOLUTION

Red Bull billionaire boss Dietrich Mateschitz does not say much considering his sizable investment in Formula 1 for over a decade, when he does it’s worth taking note of what he has to say.

Mateschitz said in a rare interview with Welt am Sonntag, “In the last few years, we have been among the top three teams, but we were managing to do so with a below average engine.”

It is clear that Renault are lagging well behind Ferrari and Mercedes in the Formula 1 horsepower stakes as it currently stands, some believing that the gap has actually increased since the beginning of the season.

From the outset, Mercedes got on top of the technology from the moment the first race ran with hybrid-turbo power units back in 2014 and have dominated since then. Ferrari have chased gamely and now may even have edged ahead, while Renault are simply nowhere.

“Both Ferrari and Mercedes were at risk of Red Bull being faster than their factory teams, so they would not give us an engine,” recalled Mateschitz, with reference to the near split between his team and Renault a couple of years ago.

With no engine supplier – Mercedes and Ferrari outright refusing – Red Bull were forced to patch up their relationship with Renault who in turn were contractually obliged by the FIA to supply the team. One condition was that Red Bull officials had to stop trash talking the French manufacturer.

Since then the two organisations have existed in a tense alliance that has at times boiled over into a media attack from either side but considering the animosity fireworks have been less regular between the heads of each organisation.

Last year a complex deal hammered out between F1, FIA, McLaren, Renault, Honda and Red Bull resulted in the energy drinks outfit accepting Honda engines for their Toro Rosso junior team, allowing McLaren to take over the Renault supply.

Red Bull, who have been able to evaluate Honda’s progress through their junior team, are convinced of the Japanese automotive giant’s commitment to the sport and have opted to do a deal which means au revoir to Renault.

Mateschitz is convinced that his team have made the right call with regards to the future direction of his teams in the top flight, “The solution to our problem is a partner that has all the prerequisites for developing a top engine that fits perfectly with Red Bull and vice versa.”

“The goal can only be a joint journey to the very top,” declared the Austrian billionaire whose team won eight consecutive Formula 1 world championships – drivers’ and constructors’ titles – between 2010 and 2013.

[Baldy]

Sad to see Force India being in the sad state that they are.  Sad state of affairs for F1 when a 4th place team that constantly punches above their weight fails.  F1 have become a 3 team, 4-5 drivers, league with a few other teams and drivers filling the grid.  Don't see this changing anytime soon. 

Claire Williams is pathetic and annoying.  I've predicted before the season start that they were going to suck and would regret going the paid drivers route. A driver's input during testing and FP sessions makes a huge difference.  At least Force India got some experience, competent paid drivers who belongs in F1.  Williams whore their seat to the highest bidder.  I doubt De Beer, Paddy Lowe and the rest of the engineers at Williams forgot how to design and build a F1 car.

I really hope the Strolls don't buy Force India.  Even though I'm a proud Canadian I don't care for some spoil rich brat who's biggest claim to fame is daddy's money.  If the Strolls do buy Force India, I don't see that team lasting more than 2 more seasons as I don't see Lawrence persevering and seeing it through.   Simply pouring money into F1 doesn't always work just ask McLaren, Honda, Toyota, BMW, etc, etc.   Lance leaving Williams will be one of the best thing for Williams if they ever want to rise up again.  Mind you with Claire there......I'm not so sure. 

[MIKA27]

On 7/29/2018 at 6:02 AM, Baldy said:

Sad to see Force India being in the sad state that they are.  Sad state of affairs for F1 when a 4th place team that constantly punches above their weight fails.  F1 have become a 3 team, 4-5 drivers, league with a few other teams and drivers filling the grid.  Don't see this changing anytime soon. 

Claire Williams is pathetic and annoying.  I've predicted before the season start that they were going to suck and would regret going the paid drivers route. A driver's input during testing and FP sessions makes a huge difference.  At least Force India got some experience, competent paid drivers who belongs in F1.  Williams whore their seat to the highest bidder.  I doubt De Beer, Paddy Lowe and the rest of the engineers at Williams forgot how to design and build a F1 car.

I really hope the Strolls don't buy Force India.  Even though I'm a proud Canadian I don't care for some spoil rich brat who's biggest claim to fame is daddy's money.  If the Strolls do buy Force India, I don't see that team lasting more than 2 more seasons as I don't see Lawrence persevering and seeing it through.   Simply pouring money into F1 doesn't always work just ask McLaren, Honda, Toyota, BMW, etc, etc.   Lance leaving Williams will be one of the best thing for Williams if they ever want to rise up again.  Mind you with Claire there......I'm not so sure. 

Agree 100% on all points mate.

I truly admire Force India, they have kept my interest in F1 purely because for the small budget they have in comparison to the BIG TEAMS, these guys punch well above their weight.

Williams.... I think the entire Formula 1 world is frustrated at these guys, I think Claire needs to step aside IMHO.

As for Strolls, it's a given these guys will buy out the team and of course, the only way Lance gets a drive. Probably better that Ocon moves to another team, hopefully competitive. I have nothing nice to say about the Strolls so will keep these thoughts to myself.  

[MIKA27]

HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX: HAMILTON DOMINATES AS VETTEL FIGHTS BACK

Lewis Hamilton powered to his sixth Hungarian Grand Prix victory with a dominant performance ensuring that the Mercedes driver goes on his summer break well in control of the championship, while his arch-rival Sebastian Vettel survived a pit stop blunder and contact to finish second for Ferrari.

Hamilton blitzed off the start to take an early lead where he remained pretty much unchallenged controlling the pace until the chequered flag, delivering another faultless performance on a weekend when Ferrari had the edge but Mercedes and their star driver turned the tables to claim victory by over 17 seconds, at one point he led by 20.

After extending his championship lead to 24 points, Hamilton said, “We came here knowing Ferrari would be really quick this weekend so to come out with these points, we’ll definitely take it as a bonus. I’m really happy with how strong its come to the last couple of races. We’ve got to come strong in the next half.”

Behind the reigning world champion, it was free-for-all action as Valtteri Bottas, in second place in the race, came under sustained pressure from the Ferrari pair of Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen.

Bottas kept Vettel at bay for several laps, but he ran out of tyres and Vettel managed to scrape past, but not before his Ferrari was clumsily tagged by the #77 Mercedes.

Before the dust had settled, Vettel was past as was Raikkonen as Bottas tripped up with bits of wing flying off his car. The Finn was also on the wrong end of a clash with Daniel Ricciardo in the Red Bull late in the race. What looked like a sure second place turned to fifth at the end of the day.

For Vettel it was another case of what might have been. When Hamilton pitted he took the lead in clear, but made a mistake that cost him a second or so and then when he pitted the team botched the pitstop which cost him another two seconds which botched his plans to come out in second and start to challenge Hamilton.

Instead he emerged behind Bottas upon which he stalked the Merc relentlessly, but struggled to make any inroad on a track where it is very tough to follow let alone overtake. In the end it was the best result that he could have hoped for considering the hand dealt him on hot afternoon at Hungaroring.

Vettel summed up his action-packed afternoon, “It was a tough race, obviously we were out of the position with the speed we had, I had a good start, was in third, we did well then it was a bit tricky knowing when to come out, had an issue with the pit stop and came out behind Valtteri.”

“His tyres were getting worse and worse and I was quite confident I could get him. P2 was not what we wanted but is the best we could have done. I got hit from behind [by Bottas], I was not sure what had happened and I was lucky the car was not broken and we could carry on,” added Vettel.

Raikkonen ticked all the boxes as Vettel’s rear gunner, holding station when he might have fancied a challenge late in the race. Third was his reward.

The veteran Finn said after his fifth consecutive podium finish, “It was the best that we could hope today. Far from an ideal start, we need to improve those a bit to make them a bit easier, then we caught up with Bottas after the first stop but there was no chance to overtake.”

“So our option was to stop again and try again. At least we got one place back but far from ideal, I think we had pretty good speed today. But what can you do? Sometimes it’s like that, but you take the points and go on to the next one,” added Raikkonen.

Daniel Ricciardo finished an unlikely fourth on a disappointing afternoon for Red Bull. The Australian was involved in a first turn melee that nearly sidelined him, but he persevered to deliver a gutsy performance characterised by his trademark overtakes and survived a punt by Bottas late in the race – the drive of the day would be a well-deserved accolade.

Bottas received a ten seconds penalty and a reprimand from the FIA race stewards for his move on Ricciardo, but the Vettel tap was deemed a racing incident. The sanction did not affect the final result.

On the other side of the garage, Max Verstappen was fired up and looking good early on in the race, making a good start and slotting into fifth where he would have no doubt come into play late in the race when the Red Bull’s pace was stronger.

But on lap five the Renault power unit went AWOL to audible groans from Verstappen’s orange army that invaded the grandstands around the venue and an expletive-laced rant by their young Dutch driver.

One could argue that Red Bull slipped at a venue where they expected to win, but a mysterious lack of pace during wet qualifying ultimately seriously compromised their pre-race weekend ambitions.

Another contender for drive of the day was Pierre Gasly in the Toro Rosso who stayed out of trouble to claim a well deserved sixth place in a very strong race for the Honda-powered outfit.

Kevin Magnussen finished a lap down to claim seventh place for Haas, the Dane again delivering a solid performance to beat his teammate Romain Grosjean who claimed the final point in tenth to make it other impressive double points score for the American team.

With smart strategy by McLaren and a typically solid performance by birthday boy Fernando Alonso earned the Spaniard eighth place on a day of more heartache for his under-pressure teammate Stoffel Vandoorne who managed to match his teammate until his Renault engine expired on lap 49.

Carlos Sainz starred in the wet qualifying 24 hours earlier, but he was sluggish off the start and was swallowed up by the midfield in the first turn confusion. He recovered to finish ninth on a weekend in which he has had the better of his Renault teammate Nico Hulkenberg who finished 12th

FIA Blow-By-Blow Report

Räikkönen made the best start, but though he tried to pass polesitter Hamilton on the inside, Bottas came across and blocked the path. As the leaders swept through the first three corners, Vettel was then able to get ahead of his team-mate who had taken a wide line.

Behind them, Verstappen made a good start and passed Gasly, while Sainz, who had started fifth, slipped back to eighth. That meant that Verstappen held fifth place ahead of the Gasly, the fast-starting Magnussen, Sainz, Hartley and Hulkenberg.

Towards the rear of the field Ricciardo, in the second Red Bull, got away well but on the run to Turn 1, Ericsson collided with the Australian’s left rear wheel. There as no damage but Ricciardo dropped to P16.

There was worse news for Red Bull a few laps later when Verstappen slowed dramatically in Turn 3. He reported a loss of power and was told to pull over at Turn 6 and retire from the race.

Ricciardo was soon on the moved from 16th and by lap 10 he had climbed to 11th place, passing Alonso under DRS into Turn 1 at the start of the lap.

At the front Hamilton was building a gap, with the Briton 3.9s ahead of Bottas at the start of lap 10 and 6.2s clear of Vettel. Räikkönen was now a second behind his team-mate with Gasly in fifth place ahead of Magnussen and the second Renault of Sainz.

Sainz’s stay in P7 wouldn’t last long, however. Ricciardo’s march through the pack continued and having passed Hulkenberg and Hartley under DRS in Turn 1, he repeated the move on Sainz on lap 16, diving down the inside to steal P7.

The window for first stops was open at this point and prior to Ricciardo’s move on Sainz, both Räikkönen and Bottas had stopped for soft tyres.

Hamilton and Vettel, though, stayed on track. By lap 23 Hamilton had 7.3 seconds in hand over the German, who made a mistake and locked up at Turn 12. Bottas as now third, 27s behind Vettel, with Räikkönen fourth, almost four seconds clear of Gasly and with a stop in hand.

Vettel recovered from his laps and once again began to exert pressure on the ultrasoft-shod Hamilton. The German’s superior pace led to Mercedes pitting Hamilton on lap 25. He took on soft tyres and rejoined in P2 ahead of Bottas and 13.629s behind Vettel who continued to circulate.

Behind them Ricciardo continued to make progress and by lap 28 he was up to P5 having eased past Magnussen and Gasly. Räikkönen, meanwhile, was beginning to close on Bottas and on lap 30 Ferrari’s Finn was just 2.3s behind his Mercedes-driving compatriot.

Vettel was also encountering the traffic and the front his lead over Hamilton, who was in free air, began to shrink and on lap 36 he was just 10s ahead of the Mercedes man.

Räikkönen then backed out of the battle with Bottas and made a second stop, taking on more softs. He rejoined in P5 and immediately began setting purple times as he chased after Ricciardo who was still on starting soft tyres.

A lap after Räikkönen switched tyres, Vettel did the same. The German took on ultrasofts but there was a momentary problem with the front left and he emerged in third place behind Bottas.

Ricciardo was the last of the front runners to pit and the Red Bull driver took on a set of ultrasoft tyres at the end of lap 44. The effect was immediate and he was soon setting purple times as he tried to chase down Räikkönen.

Further back, behind sixth-placed Gasly and seventh-placed Magnussen, late pit stops had also benefited McLaren and after their stops, Fernando Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne were in eighth and ninth places respectively. It was too good to last, however, and on lap 51 Vandoorne slowed and pulled over at Turn 1 to retire. That boosted Sainz to P9 ahead of Grosjean.

At the front, on lap 55, Hamilton was now 13.7s ahead of Bottas. Vettel was desperately trying to find a way past the Finn but the longer he sat in the Mercedes’ wake the more damage was done to his tyres.

The German kept probing, however, and on lap 57 Bottas radioed through to say he was struggling with his rear tyres. Vettel closed to within DRS range of Bottas, but the Finn did a superb job of managing the gap and his tyres life to hold off the German for a long spell.

It came to an end on lap 65, however, as Vettel launched an attack around the outside into Turn 1. He made the move stick through Turn 2, but as they went into the next corner, Bottas collided with the rear of Vettel’s car.

Despite the showers of carbon fibre as elements of Bottas’ front wing disintegrated, Vettel suffered little damage and carried on to claim an eventual second place behind Hamilton. Räikkönen then swept past Bottas to take third.

In the final laps Bottas now fell back into the clutches of Ricciardo but when the Red Bull driver pounced, around the outside in Turn 1, Bottas went straight on into the side of Ricciardo’s car.

Both drivers were able to carry on but Mercedes soon instructed their driver the cede fourth place to Ricciardo due to the collision and the Australian completed a successful day with a 12-point haul. Bottas was left to take fifth place ahead of Gasly who handed Toro Rosso its best result since his fourth place in Bahrain earlier this season.

Magnussen was seventh for Haas, while Alonso celebrated his 37th birthday with a good drive to eighth place. The final points positions were taken by Sainz and Grosjean.

[MIKA27]

BOTTAS: BEING CALLED A WINGMAN HURTS

Valtteri Bottas looked set for second place in the Hungarian Grand Prix, after holding off a concerted challenge by both Ferraris things went pear-shaped for the Finn, but his team chief Toto Wolff hailed him as the perfect wingman for race winner Lewis Hamilton.

Immediately after witnessing Hamilton’s dominant victory Wolff was quick to credit Bottas, “It wasn’t realistic for us to win, it is one of our weakest tracks we expected damage limitations rather than taking the points.

“It feels a little bit bittersweet, I’m really happy for Lewis I just feel sad for Valtteri, he deserved P2 because he was such a sensational wingman – that would’ve been nice,” added Wolff.

When told about his bosses ‘wingman’ praise, Bottas was clearly not impressed, “First of all, wingman hurts. I don’t see any positives in this race for me. I wanted a better result.”

“We thought, in theory, we should have been able to do that one stop. We had to stop earlier than we wanted because of Kimi, we had to cover him, and still 20 laps before the end everything was feeling ok with good control and the pace and my position.

“But the rear tyres started to die. I tried to defend the best I could, as aggressive as I could, but it just ended up being a bit of a mess with the end with the broken front wing and everything.”

“We need to speak after this race. We are over halfway of the year. The points gap is big, so for sure the team will decide at some point.”

Bottas was in the wars during a fraught final few laps in which he tagged Sebastian Vettel when the Ferrari driver pounced to take second, bits of Mercedes wing went flying which seriously compromised the pace of the #77 car.

As a result, the Finn had no ammo to fend off Daniel Ricciardo, he ran out of brakes into Turn 1 and punted the side of the Red Bull as the Aussie made a bold move around the outside of Turn 1. Fortunately, both continued, with Bottas having to settle for fifth when a podium beckoned on the day.

Reflecting on the incidents, Bottas said, “With Seb, he had a good run into Turn Two, we had a bit of a battle into Turn One. I still had my nose inside into Turn Two, he was on the outside, he turned in very early and for me there was nowhere to go. So we touched and I was the only one who got damage. Fair enough, I think a racing incident.”

“With Daniel, pretty much a similar thing. But I was next to him on the inside. I had no half of my front wing so I was locking up as well. I’m sure he saw I was still going quite quick into the corner, but he turned in and then we touched,” added Bottas who was handed a penalty for his clash with Ricciardo, the Vettel incident was deemed a racing incident.

MIKA: To me it seems that both flying Fins are playing "Wingmen" for their respective teams which is a shame to see.

If Hamilton was ordered to play like this, I can tell you, it wouldn't happen. Disgraceful. 
It's funny to see Toto Wolff's expression change each time this topic rears itself, he doesn't know which way to look when asked about Driver 2. He let it slip with the whole WINGMAN mention.

[MIKA27]

VERSTAPPEN: WHAT A F@CKING JOKE, ALL THE F@CKING TIME

Max Verstappen did not hold back after retiring from the Hungarian Grand Prix on the sixth lap when his Renault engine expired on an afternoon where a podium was very much a possibility for the Dutchman.

The Red Bull driver did all he could in the first few laps of the Hungarian Grand Prix, making his way from seventh on the grid and was up to fifth before his car coasted to a halt and yet another DNF.

The 20-year-old fumed out over the radio: “Can I not just keep going? I don’t care if this fucking engine blows up… What a fucking joke, all the fucking time. Honestly. Argh!”

After the race Verstappen was still not pacified, “For Danny and me, it is just not at all how it should be. You pay millions for what you hope is a decent engine but it keeps breaking down!”

“We were also the slowest out there, it was difficult to accept and I was very upset over the radio. I’m disappointed, the team is disappointed, the fans are disappointed, they came all this way and only see you do five or six laps.”

“I was 25 seconds clear of Daniel because of our starting positions and I felt OK so we could have easily been fifth, that is valuable points thrown away.”

And added, “They beeped all my swearing on the radio, they should have kept it in so they know how I feel.”

With the Formula 1 world entering a much needed and welcome break, Verstappen was clearly not in holiday mode, “At the moment I don’t really care. I hate it when people say: bad luck and enjoy your holiday. For the first week, I won’t enjoy it because of my last race. I don’t feel like I’m in the holiday mood.”

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GASLY: I’M QUITE SHOCKED TO BE ABLE TO GET P6

Toro Rosso driver Pierre Gasly and his crew celebrated hard after the rookie finished sixth in the Hungarian Grand Prix at Hungaroring on a weekend in which Honda appear to have made a step forward with their power unit package.

On Saturday, Gasly shone on a dull and wet day, rising to the occasion to claim a remarkable sixth place on the grid ahead of both ‘senior’ drivers in the sister Red Bull team.

Although Max Verstappen was quick to dispatch of Gasly, but the Frenchman stuck to his game plan by making the Pirelli ultrasofts last nearly half the race, at which point he was back in sixth where he remained unchallenged to score yet another impressive result.

Speaking to reporters after the race the 22-year-old Frenchman said, “My start wasn’t fantastic, but then after into Turn 1 I stayed on the inside and fought a bit with Max. I got Carlos on the exit, and after that I knew that I had my chance in my hands. I just had to push as hard as I could with the car, try to keep the tyres alive, and it just went exactly as in a dream. It was great.”

“I had quite a lot of pressure from Kevin behind, but the car was great. I just pushed, and I was pulling away from Kevin, and I think at some point I had a 10-second margin, and it stayed like this for 40 laps. I was pushing like flat-out, because I knew that Haas is pretty fast… If it looked like a lonely race, it was hard work!”

“Of course we know it’s impossible for us to do better. I think I was the only guy in the ‘B-class’ not lapped in the race, so it’s a pretty nice feeling. Honestly I’m really happy because we knew that with Toro Rosso, two, three times in the year you have big opportunities like this where the car works better than expected, things come your way.”

“I really wanted to make sure that this year I take the opportunities when they come to me, and that’s what we did in Bahrain [fourth], in Monaco the same [seventh]. Then again this weekend, we knew there was something big, played it well yesterday, and again today. Really happy about it.”

“After the last three, four races, honestly I’m quite shocked again to be able to get P6,” he said. “Last weekend in qualifying, we got stuck in Q1, behind one Williams, and this weekend we lapped one of the Williams in the race. There are just tracks where the car works much better. It’s quite surprising. But when it does work like this, we need to make sure we can take all the points we can.”

“Today, we didn’t have any issues at all. This is the best way to motivate and show [Honda] that we have potential and to push them forward, especially before the summer break, just to give a big boost to everyone, and hopefully get more performance on their side for the second half of the season,” added Gasly.

No doubt the Red Bull chiefs will have been pleased to see Honda delivering, in fact beating the entire Renault brigade apart from their own Daniel Ricciardo who finished fourth, while Verstappen’s race only lasted six laps – the teams sixth power unit related DNF in 12 races so far this season.

Next year the Bulls will also shift over to Honda power.