FORMULA 1

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ABITEBOUL: WE NEVER CONSIDERED ALONSO FOR 2019

Fernando Alonso was never under consideration by the Renault team, despite suggestions by the Spaniard that he had offers four or five offers on the table but turned them down by deciding to quit Formula 1 at the end of the season to pursue more competitive challenges in other categories of racing.

Despite denials from Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, Alonso insists he was offered a spot with the energy drinks outfit after Daniel Ricciardo defected to Renault.

But apart from Red Bull’s alleged offer, Alonso claimed, “I did refuse four or five offers. I don’t think that my targets or my challenges for next year were any more in Formula One at this point.”

“The offers that I had, including that one, they were not for winning because they are probably all the offers that I had on performance, they are more than one second away from pole position.”

If he was referring to Renault, then he was way off the mark.

When asked by Crash if Alonso was ever on their radar, the French team’s chief Cyril Abiteboul replied, “Frankly, despite the fact that I have huge respect for Fernando, who is probably one of the best drivers in the world, the answer is no.”

“We could feel that he is at the point in his career where he wants a car that is immediately capable of going in for wins. That’s what he’s expecting, or there is going to be more frustration.”

“We are not in that position. We need to have drivers who can understand the project, who can buy into a support the project on a long-term basis. I don’t think this is what Fernando was looking for. So the short answer is no.”

“If you look at the three options that we had, I must say, doing more years with Carlos, going with Esteban, or Daniel, all three options were all very valid, and would almost have been equally satisfied with all three options.”

“Obviously Daniel has a bit of ‘wow’ effect, because it was not really what people were expecting. But we are not choosing our drivers just to create a wow effect for one day. The wow effect will come if we are capable of winning races together in the next two years,” added Abiteboul.

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VETTEL: THROUGH TEAMWORK WE’VE DONE A STEP FORWARD

Ferrari and their star driver Sebastian Vettel need a near-perfect second half of the season to remain in contention after fumbling too many times before the summer break, they did the business in an emphatic manner when they claimed victory at the Belgian Grand Prix.

At the daunting Spa-Francorchamps circuit last Sunday, Vettel was untouchable on race day as he maximised the edge that Ferrari have found over Mercedes with their package to take a controlled and relatively comfortable victory over championship leader Lewis Hamilton.

Vettel was quick to praise the team effort, by everyone at Maranello, behind the successful push, “I think it’s a huge compliment if people praise our engine because the last five years people didn’t praise anything other than Mercedes engines.”

“So it’s good to have that change and I think it makes Maranello and all the Ferraristi and our engine department very happy. Everybody involved can be very proud.”

“I think the key is not only that, the key is teamwork, the car is also working in all sorts of tracks, is efficient and I think that’s the key to bringing everything together. We take it.”

“We had our deficits last year, I think we had a car that worked really well on twisty tracks where a lot of downforce was required. But we were missing out on tracks where the car needs to be more efficient like here, like Silverstone usually and a couple of other tracks.”

“This year the car seems to be more robust in that regard and seems to work everywhere. Needless to say we improved the package as well — the power unit — so on all fronts I think we’ve done a step forward.”

“But yes, it is a key to have a car that works everywhere because that has been our weakness and I think we tackled it fairly well,” added Vettel who heads to Monza trailing Hamilton by 17 points with eight rounds remaining.

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RICCIARDO: I WILL BE TAKING SOME ENGINE PENALTIES

Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo is set to collect a grid penalty for Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix for the second year running because of engine changes.

“I’ve done some of my best overtaking moves there and I plan on doing plenty more this week as it looks likely that I will be taking some engine penalties,” he said in a team preview of the race at Monza.

“It’s obviously not ideal but Monza is a power track and one that we haven’t been hugely strong at in recent years. It does mean plenty of action and fun for me in the race though.”

Ricciardo, who is joining Renault at the end of the season, finished fourth at Monza last year after qualifying third but starting 16th on the grid after engine and gearbox penalties were applied.

He was named Driver of the Day after also setting the fastest lap.

“It won’t be boring if I have to do the same again this year,” said the Australian, who retired from last Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix and is sixth in the championship and behind Dutch team mate Max Verstappen.

The 29-year-old, who has Italian roots, has won twice this season in China and Monaco.

Drivers are penalised if they exceed their engine allocations for the season and Red Bull are set to do that for strategic reasons this weekend by opting for an upgrade that provider Renault has made available for those who want it.

Red Bull would rather take the hit at high-speed Monza, a flat-out track where overtaking is easier, than at the Singapore street circuit that follows and where the team expect to be more competitive.

“We’re going to try and get ourselves into the best situation we can going to Singapore, which is probably our next chance of being able to give Ferrari and Mercedes a harder time,” said team boss Christian Horner.

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VANDOORNE: WE HAVEN’T PROGRESSED AT ALL

Stoffel Vandoorne is living on the edge of Formula 1 survival as his performances this year have been underwhelming, to say the least, while being thoroughly beaten by his veteran teammate Fernando Alonso in the sister McLaren.

Until now the quiet-spoken Belgian has been tight-lipped about his woes but has finally come out and blamed his car for poor form that has relegated him to an also-ran toiling away at the wrong end of the field.

Speaking to reporters after an abysmal home race Belgian Grand Prix weekend, Vandoorne was clearly distressed, “It’s difficult to get a worse weekend. We’ve seen the performance we have is very far away from being good. There’s not really an explanation.”

“The reality is we haven’t progressed since the start of the year, we haven’t progressed at all compared to the others.”

With regards to his home race, Vandoorne said, “I was last in every session with a lot of problems this weekend. It’s a shame I do not have a better car to give something more to the fans.”

“We tried to do something different with the strategy, tried to pit behind the safety car, and unfortunately that didn’t really pay off. The race, in general, was quite boring for everyone. There were not many overtakes and for us no miracles,” lamented the Belgian.

After the race at Spa-Francorchamps, his new boss Gil de Ferran appeared to sympathise with his drivers’ complaints, “With Stoffel, we soldiered on as best we could, but we were unable to overcome our pace deficit.”

Nevertheless, speculation is rife that Vandoorne will lose his seat before the season ends, with the team’s up-and-coming youngster Lando Norris a candidate to replace him.

The Formula 2 driver was given an FP1 outing at Spa and impressed enough to get another go on Friday morning at Monza.

De Ferran gave feedback on Norris’ 90-minutes in the car last Friday at Spa, “He did a great job. I didn’t have much exposure to him prior to this year. I certainly knew about his results but not much else.”

“One thing he certainly has is he adapts himself very quickly to new situations. I’ve seen that in the tests he’s had and the same thing happened here.”

“As part of his development we wanted to bring him here with a lower downforce level, a lot more cars on track, a lot of track evolution, we wanted to give him that experience.”

“It was the same thing, he came up to speed very quickly and did a fine job for us, didn’t make any mistakes, he was absolutely fine. He will be in at Monza in FP1 as we continue to help him develop his skills,” added de Ferran.

Meanwhile, on another front, Force India’s team ownership change has revved up the Silly Season as talk of Esteban Ocon making way for Lance Stroll in the team now owned by the Racing Point consortium led by his billionaire father Lawrence Stroll.

Should this happen there is a chance Ocon may find refuge with McLaren at the expense of Vandoorne, although the sensible thing – should the need to have Stroll in pink be so urgent – would be to swap Ocon with Stroll, but sensible and Formula 1 politics tend to be poles apart.

Vandoorne’s days with McLaren appear to be numbered, but his manager Alunni Bravi insists, “I give him a 100 percent chance to be in Formula 1 next year.”

If there is to be salvation for Vandoorne’s F1 career it is most likely to come from Sauber chief Frederic Vasseur who managed the Belgian through the junior ranks including the 2015 GP2 championship title and rates the 26-year-old very highly.

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WOLFF: FERRARI HAVE THE POWER ADVANTAGE

Toto Wolff tends to wear his heart on his sleeve, after the being trounced by Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari at the Belgian Grand Prix the Mercedes chief acknowledged that his team are lagging in the development race which has given the red cars an edge over the Silver Arrows.

After watching Lewis Hamilton chase Vettel all afternoon at Spa-Francorchamps, with a car that simply did not have the legs on their rivals, Wolff explained, “You can see the deficits. It is the slow speed and it is the traction. This is what I would summarise as the main weaknesses at the moment.”

“[At Spa] we were clearly – compared to the Ferraris and the Red Bulls and the Force Indias – the car that was cooking the tyres the most.”

After finishing second, Hamilton was quick to point out that it was not a contest between his car and the Ferrari in the top speed stakes, the championship leader suggesting “trick things” as the advantage the Italian team currently have in hand.

The World Champion said, “I did everything I could but he drove past me like I wasn’t even there, He sailed past me on the straight.”

Wolff agreed with his star driver, “They have a power advantage. We have seen that in Qualifying. On various parts of the straight you can see that, even if the exits are not worse than ours, their engine keeps pulling”

“Then, you add that to our weaknesses out of Turn 1 especially and that causes the double whammy. If you aren’t very good on traction and you are being outperformed slightly on power, then lap one happens.”

“The last one where we have been quickest in pure pace was Silverstone. We have been really good in France and in Austria and since then Ferrari has been quicker. Budapest it was no surprise and Spa was always a bit of a tricky one for us in the past as well.”

“I am very curious to see how it is going to go at Monza. Last year, we were very much in control of the whole weekend and Ferrari had their worst weekend of the season performance-wise.”

“We will have some tracks that suit us, or that should suit us more. And then there will be tracks where we are definitely the challenger, like Singapore and maybe Mexico.”

“Nevertheless, there are eight more races to go, many points to score and now is the time to really outperform and answer some of the questions,” added Wolff

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SILLY SEASON: STROLL TO FORCE INDIA, KUBICA TO WILLIAMS FOR MONZA?

This is arguably the craziest Silly Season in Formula 1 history, mounting speculation suggests that Lance Stroll will be fast-tracked into Force India – the team saved by a consortium led by his billionaire father Lawrence Stroll – and hence the teenager could be in pink when he drives out of the Monza pitlane on Friday morning or by Singapore at the latest.

Word is that a flurry of negotiations taking place behind-the-scenes which could end with teenager Stroll departing Williams for Esteban Ocon’s seat at Force India as early as this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix.

Stroll junior told RaceFans, “I’m on standby at the moment. Right now I’m going into Monza the same mentality as always. I assume to be driving for Williams.”

Suggesting that there is something in the pipeline and if all else fails he will toil around in the hapless Williams for yet another race.

In the wake of Force India being saved by the Racing Point consortium, and before the Belgian Grand Prix, newly promoted team principal Otmar Szafnauer told reporters, “For the short-term, it’s the same two.”

“What happens thereafter, it’s not impossible to change that’s for sure, but a lot of agreements would have to happen. So I don’t know, it’s hard for me to predict that in the future.”

Wisely Szafnauer left the door open by using the words “short-term” as this could mean one race or several… but we are sure to know soon enough according to multiple sources.

Ocon gave the impression at Spa that he felt he would be without a drive at the team owned by Stroll’s who would want his son in their cars at some point, while Sergio Perez has sponsors and experience that his younger teammate does not have.

Meanwhile, Kubica is up for it should Williams give him the call-up for Monza, “I feel ready because otherwise, I would not sign a contract with Williams for this year. It’s on my desk that: “You have to keep being ready and in case something happens, you have to step up.”

“Of course, it is not easy when you have to drive against the top drivers in the middle of the season. Although I have some opportunities to drive the car, you still lack experience, but you have to do it.

“Sometimes you have to be in the right place in the right moment with a bit of luck and have people who are believing in you,” added Kubica.

The only handbrake to the driver changes happening at Monza is the lack of time to clear all the complex contractual obstacles, but by Singapore it is

Should matters transpire as detailed above, then Esteban Ocon is likely to be pushed out of Force India with little options to keep his impressive F1 career uninterrupted.

However, word is Mercedes have sounded out McLaren to have Ocon replace Vandoorne should the Frenchman make way for Stroll in coming races, which would amount to the biggest mid-season F1 driver line-up change in memory.

This story could blossom at any time, so watch this space!

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Pierre Gasly: Spa result shows Honda’s 2018 progress

Pierre Gasly believes that Toro Rosso’s performance at the Belgian Grand Prix demonstrates the progress engine supplier Honda has made in 2018.

Honda was frequently left exposed along Spa-Francorchamps’ full-throttle sections during its partnership with McLaren, enduring a dismal time 12 months ago.

Toro Rosso duo Gasly and Brendon Hartley finished Q2 in 11th and 12th respectively, from where the Frenchman went on to record ninth in the race.

“It’s been a really positive race and weekend for us because on such a track with such a long straights we knew we would struggle compared to the others,” said Gasly.

“To be just outside the top 10 in qualifying and finishing ninth in the race was over our expectations

“We know with the Ferrari and the new upgraded engine they have they are pretty fast down the straights.

“So all the first and last sector we are lacking compared to them, but on the other side drivability and reliability have been really strong all weekend and Honda is coming with some upgrades for the rest of the season.

“So looking at the positives if we are able to finish in the top 10 at such a track it means we have done some progress since the beginning of the year, so I am pretty happy with it.”

Ferrari-powered Sauber rival Marcus Ericsson ran behind Gasly for much of the race and briefly battled with Hartley through the pit stop phase.

Ericsson passed Hartley into La Source but the positions swapped along the next straight before Ericsson eventually cemented his authority over the New Zealander.

Ericsson, whose Sauber team was initially set to switch to Honda power for 2018, was taken aback by the progress.

“I think I took a few laps, I didn’t expect him to be able to pull past with the DRS but the Honda is better than many people think!,” he said.

“I was in the DRS of Gasly at the beginning of the first stint but I couldn’t overtake him. I couldn't even get close to him with DRS, so I think that shows quite a lot that Honda has made great steps forward.

“I still believe that Mercedes and Ferrari are the two strongest power units but then Honda is a lot stronger than they get credit for I think.

“That was confirmation of that when I was racing them. Like I said I couldn't overtake Gasly even with the DRS and Hartley could overtake us, so I think that’s a fact.”

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Haas still unsure if new upgrade worked

Haas is still chasing an answer on whether a floor upgrade it delivered at the Belgian Grand Prix is better than its older version.
Despite a double points scoring finish in Belgium, it still does not know if the floor tweaks it trialled were a success.

And, with the team locked in an increasingly tight fight with Renault for fourth in the constructors' championship, with just six points now separating them, finding an answer on the upgrade is essential to help its cause.

After a difficult Friday practice in Belgium, Romain Grosjean reverted to the older version for qualifying and the race, while Kevin Magnussen stuck with the new parts.

Although Grosjean qualified and finished ahead, team boss Gunther Steiner said that there had been no clues from either driver feedback or car data to pinpoint which version was better.

Asked if the race pace had delivered an answer, Steiner said: "No. We need to look at the data. I think none of the two is wrong. We have to see which gives us the better data, but we haven't done that yet."

Haas is hoping it can find the answer imminently, with the next race taking place in Italy this weekend.

With Renault struggling for straightline speed and Haas's Ferrari engine setting the benchmark in F1, this weekend's Italian Grand Prix will deliver a good chance in the American-owned team's fight with Renault.

Asked by Motorsport.com if he felt Monza was a good opportunity, Steiner said: "I know it is an opportunity, I don't know if it is a good one. I tell you that one after Monza!

"There are a lot of things to be done until we do it, but for sure we try as I always say. Renault, they are a good team. They will fight for it. They will not hand us over the fourth position.

"They had a downer here [in Spa] like we will have a downer until we get to the end of the season, so they could be strong at Monza like they are normally are. So it will be a harder battle.

"But I don't know how Monza is for us. You just know your own car with low downforce, I don't know what the other ones cooked up for there. We will see on Saturday."

The Haas updates in detail

The Haas updates were focused around a new floor, which featured changes in numerous places that all work together to form a more cohesive unit.

This daisy chain effect started on the bargeboard's footplate, where the slots which cut into their surface were reorientated (white arrow).

Just behind this, the splitter extension featured two additional fully enclosed and outwardly angled holes (red arrow).

Meanwhile, on the edge of the floor the team added two elongated floor gills, much like we've seen deployed elsewhere up and down the grid in the opening part of the season.

The Belgian GP was not just the chance to introduce general car updates, because Haas had to focus some of its development programme on track-specific elements too.

The disparate requirement of low drag for sector one and high downforce for sector two and three at Spa-Francorchamps mean that compromise must be sought, with most teams often bringing wings that try to cater for both options.

In the case of Haas this came in the form a bow-tie shaped wing, with a more slender central section (for downforce and drag reduction) and broader outer section (for balance and downforce).

This was in contrast to the rest of the grid, which pursued 'spoon' shaped rear wings for this scenario. The move suggested Haas felt that overall car balance was more important than out-and-out straightline speed.

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Upgraded Renault engine worth 0.3s at Monza

Renault believes its upgraded Formula 1 engine should be worth 0.3seconds around Monza, but it still does not plan to use the new specification at this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix.
As first reported by Motorsport.com, the French manufacturer has reliability fears over its 'Spec C' engine and is not willing to risk introducing it yet.

Red Bull will give the new spec its debut as Daniel Ricciardo is due a grid penalty because he is out-of-sequence on engine usage following failures earlier in the season.

Renault's engine technical director Remi Taffin has confirmed its other customer team McLaren will follow the works outfit's lead by avoiding the upgrade.

"The C Spec is an evolution of the current B Spec engine," Taffin explained. "It's significantly more powerful.

"Conversely, it's possibly not as reliable as the current generation, hence the different choices made by each team.

"Depending on fuel used, the power gain is in the order of 0.3s per lap in qualifying on a circuit like Monza, which is a substantial step forward."

Taffin said Red Bull is able to use the new engine because it is "in a position to prioritise performance without having to worry about those behind them in the championship".

Red Bull is a lonely third-best this season, while Renault has been caught by Haas in the fight for fourth in the constructors' contest and McLaren is under pressure to retain sixth.

However, Taffin said Renault can still attack at Monza as it can give Nico Hulkenberg a fresh Spec B engine because the German has a grid penalty after triggering the first-corner crash in Belgium, while Carlos Sainz started that race with a fresh unit.

He said: "We will have a very low-mileage power unit and will be able to get the most from it with the most aggressive modes we currently have for qualifying."

Taffin also elaborated on why Renault's customer teams continue to avoid the upgraded MGU-K that was finally introduced earlier this season.

Max Verstappen suffered a high-profile failure of the older spec MGU-K in Hungary that led to an expletive-laden rant, but is still avoiding the new component.

Taffin said Renault has "developed an evolution of the version used by our two customers to reinforce its sturdiness" since that problem.

"Today only the Renault team uses this version," said Taffin. "McLaren and Red Bull Racing did not want to make the needed changes for its integration.

"They have opted to take and assume this clearly identified reliability risk."

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Force India defends preferential treatment

Force India has defended its preferential treatment in being allowed to immediately earn Formula 1 prize money – even though some rival teams are unhappy about the situation.
In the wake of the Force India outfit being granted a new entry ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, it had been expected that, while the team could keep its historic commercial rights income, it would have to wait to earn new Column 1 earnings.

However, it subsequently emerged that the plan is for it to continue getting all income as before – although such a move still requires approval from other teams.

Unanimous support on the Column 1 issue has not been forthcoming yet, with the Haas team in particular seeking clarification on why it missed out on tens of millions of dollars of income by having to wait two years for its first extra payments after its entry in 2016.

Force India team principal Otmar Szafnauer has said he understands the frustrations that have been expressed by rivals, but thinks that it is correct that F1 chiefs treat his outfit differently.

"I understand why a new entrant needs to finish in the top 10 for two years in a row, to start getting Column 1," he told Motorsport.com.

"In the past when teams would enter, not really have the resources to enter and then they would be in for a bit and out, and in, Bernie [Ecclestone] didn't want that.

"He wanted 10 solid teams. So, Bernie thought, right, if you can survive for two years without money from me, then the third year you do get money from me then there is no question that you can survive. That is why he did it for new entrants.

"This team has been racing for 25 years. It is not a new entrant. There is no question of survival going forward. So that bit of it doesn't really apply - not to mention 25 years ago when it entered it probably had to do that. So why do it twice?

"If you look at the purpose of not receiving column 1 twice, this team doesn't apply for that purpose, that objective."

Asked whether or not he was concerned the Force India's privileges could open a can of worms in the future if other outfits try to do the same thing, Szafnauer said: "I don't think so. This has happened once in our lifetime.

"It ain't like a precedent that next year the same thing can happen. It ain't going to happen."

Not cheap

Force India owner Lawrence Stroll held several meetings with teams over the Belgian GP to explain his involvement in the takeover, plus offer clarity on the commercial elements.

Szafnauer said the initial feedback had been encouraging because many rumours had been floating around about a cut price deal having been pulled off.

"I think [the meetings were] positive," he explained. "A lot of teams didn't have the intimate knowledge of what happened, as you only get to know either what you learn in the pitlane or read.

"So I think it was important for Lawrence to explain the process he went through and some of the costs, which were really high – exorbitant. Some of the teams were saying the consortium got this team really cheap, but not so.

"So I think it was important to get the facts across, so it was not guessing and conjecture and hypothesise."

F1 managing director of motorsport Ross Brawn thinks that the saving of Force India was an important moment for the sport.

"It was very important that this story had a positive outcome, thanks to the efforts of all those involved, including the FIA and the other nine teams entered in the championship," he said.

"It was significant for the good of the sport, for its credibility inwardly and in the eyes of the outside world, and above all for the hundreds of the team's employees and their families who were worried about job security."

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Leclerc drove 2018 Ferrari in July Monza run

Ferrari has already run at Monza this year after using a filming day that gave Charles Leclerc his first on-track experience of its 2018 Formula 1 car.
It has emerged in the build-up to this weekend's Italian Grand Prix that Ferrari completed 100km of running, the maximum allowed at so-called 'promotional events', at Monza in July with its SF71H.

Current Sauber driver and Ferrari protege Leclerc, who has been linked to a promotion to a race seat in 2019, drove the car.

Ferrari's first of two allowed filming days was used at Barcelona, before pre-season testing.

Though such days are done for marketing or promotional purposes, they can still be useful for teams as they can gain data from aerodynamic and engine parts.

Ferrari's run will also have been beneficial for small real-world assistance, such as a first experience of the resurfaced start-finish straight – changed to eliminate what FIA race director Charlie Whiting called a "significant" bump – and further chance for Leclerc to sample the car's functions behind the wheel and not just in the simulator.

The FIA has strict rules in place to govern procedure during these tests to prevent teams from gaining a competitive advantage.

Teams can only use one car, are restricted to 100km of running and Pirelli manufactures special demonstration tyres.

They must notify the FIA at least 72 hours before the test begins, informing them of the specification of the car, the driver, the nature of the test, the date and intended duration and the purpose.

Proper testing opportunities have been limited for some as part of a push to lower costs and minimise the advantage of bigger teams.

Two pre-season tests, capped at eight days, take place at the start of the year while in-season running is limited to a pair of two-day tests.

Teams must make sure that at least two of those four days are completed by drivers who have not competed in more than two F1 races races during their career.

There are further opportunities to test by assisting tyre supplier Pirelli's development programme, for which 25 days are allowed over the course of the year.

Back in 2013, Mercedes was banned from taking part a young driver test and given a reprimand for using a 2013 car during Pirelli testing, as using current machines was not allowed at the time.

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F1 to raise rear wings to improve visibility in 2019

Formula 1's rear wings are set to be raised higher next year and the position of mirrors changed as part of a raft of measures that have been agreed to help improve driver visibility, Motorsport.com has learned.
The FIA has been looking into the rearwards vision problems caused by the current generation of cars since the start of the year.

Its work accelerated after a near miss involving Carlos Sainz and Sebastian Vettel in qualifying for the Austrian GP.

An initial push to impose changes for the Singapore GP was abandoned, but discussions with teams in technical regulations meetings (TRM) have now resulted in a raft of tweaks to the rules.

These changes still need approving at F1's next Strategy Group meeting and at the FIA's World Motor Sport Council before being put in the rules, but this is likely to be a formality.

The new rules will include the raising of the rear wing by 50mm in order to create a bigger window of visibility between the lower surface of the main plane and the top surface of the sidepod.

Furthermore, a more prescriptive mirror position will be laid out in the rules – with them being lower and more outboard to ensure they are situated in a better place for the drivers.

There will also be more stricter rules on mirror mountings to try to ensure teams do not put performance gains over safety matters.

The debate about the need for a change in the mirror rules resurfaced at the Belgian GP when during final free practice an unsighted Stoffel Vandoorne was accidentally pushed off the track by Valtteri Bottas, who said he could not see the fast-approaching McLaren driver.

When asked by Motorsport.com about how bad the current mirrors are, Bottas said: "For me, I think it is a bit more difficult than it has been.

"The main thing is the position of the rear wing, the size of the rear wing, and visibility for the mirrors. The wing is blocking part of the visibility directly back."

The planned raising of the rear wing will come at a time when F1 is already introducing a package of changes to help overtaking – with the rear already already set to be wider and deeper to make DRS more effective.

 

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Why there was more to Ferrari's Spa dominance than power

After Sunday’s race in Belgium, Lewis Hamilton was quick to talk, somewhat glumly, of Ferrari’s power advantage and how race winner and title rival Sebastian Vettel had driven past him “like he wasn’t there” on the opening lap to take the lead. But as our tech team of Mark Hughes and Giorgio Piola outline, there was more to their victory than a simple horsepower advantage…
One of the key talking points post-race at Spa was how much Sebastian Vettel’s victory over Lewis Hamilton was to do with superior engine power of the Ferrari. Certainly, the Scuderia’s updated power unit appeared to be working exceptionally well, but Vettel afterwards touched on the other key factor: “To me it feels pretty straightforward,” he said. “We ran a little less wing, were faster in sector one, sector three and a bit slower in sector two.”

The layout of the Spa-Francorchamps circuit makes it something of an aerodynamic outlier. The extended flat-out sections of sectors one and three give heavy lap time reward for straight-line speed (pushing teams towards minimal rear wings), but sector two is comprised mainly of fast curves and accounts for a significant 43% of the lap’s duration. That middle sector discourages teams going to the tiniest wings which are reserved for Monza, where minimising the drag gives the most powerful lap time effect of all the circuits. But Spa is a distant second and ahead even of the other two low-downforce tracks, Baku and Montreal.  

The choice at Spa is typically between a Baku-style rear wing or something even skinnier. Typically, that choice is less than clear-cut – something that was emphasised by Ferrari running a back-to-back comparison on Friday morning when Kimi Raikkonen used the Baku-spec rear wing and Vettel an all-new lower downforce wing (see comparison images above). From FP2 and for the rest of the weekend, both cars ran only with the lower downforce wing, seen in detail below.

Ferrari's low-downforce rear wing, used to great effect in Belgium.

By contrast, Mercedes ran a Baku-style rear wing for the whole weekend (pictured below). This – like the Ferrari wing Raikkonen tried on Friday morning – featured a spoon-shaped main plane, thin in section at the more draggy outboard ends and with a more generous deeper profile in the more efficient central part. The wing Ferrari used had a skinny main plane across the full width. The Baku-style wing will give more downforce and will be the main reason Hamilton’s Mercedes was quicker than Vettel’s Ferrari through sector two. But it will also create more drag – helping Vettel to those prodigious straight-line speeds in the long flat-out sections.   

In contrast to Ferrari, Mercedes ran a Baku-style rear wing all weekend which gives more downforce at the expense of ultimate speed.

Why would Mercedes have made a different choice of wing level to Ferrari? Typically, there are many factors driving this choice, but one of them is rear tyre performance. The Ferrari’s high-rake concept helps give it particularly powerful rear-end downforce from the underfloor. The Mercedes’ low-rake concept, while aerodynamically efficient and creating less drag than a high-rake car for a given level of downforce, tends not to have such strong rear-end downforce. Keeping the rear end nailed, not allowing it to slide, helps protect the rear tyres which at Spa were very susceptible to blistering. If the Ferrari was naturally generating more rear end downforce, it could be that it did not need as much rear wing as the Mercedes to protect its tyres.

Mercedes' Baku-style wing in detail. Note the spoon-shaped main plane.

Another reason a team might be reluctant to trim too much rear wing would be a traction shortfall. Traction out of the La Source hairpin is crucial to the speed carried all the way down through Eau Rouge and up the long climb to Les Combes. Even with the bigger rear wing, the Mercedes lacked the Ferrari’s traction out of La Source – and that’s what helped Vettel get a crucial gap on Hamilton at the Safety Car re-start, even though his initial jump was, in his own words, poor.

The extra slot in Mercedes' front wing. Was this a Spa-specific update? 

Mercedes also added a second slotted vertical fin on their front wing (as shown above). It’s not yet clear if this was a separate development part or whether it was part of the Spa package, diverting the airflow in such a way as to better match the traits of the Baku-style rear wing, to retain a good aero balance.

Red Bull's ultra skinny Spa rear wing - a move aimed at helping to mitigate their horsepower shortfall at the expense of downforce.

Another factor driving wing level at any circuit is horsepower. The more power you have, the bigger wing you can carry before the extra drag begins to hurt lap time rather than benefit it. Red Bull, with significantly less power than either Ferrari or Mercedes, ran with an almost Monza-skinny rear wing at Spa. This carried less main plane area than even their Baku wing.

Haas's Spa rear wing, with its contoured trailing edge.

Other solutions to the Spa conundrum included Haas, who contoured the trailing edge of their rear wing's upper flap to give a slightly reduced area at the draggy outer ends.

With Monza up next, expect the teams to again arrive at quite different solutions. Last year, Ferrari’s Monza package was uncompetitive. With their current title challenge and the impetus of their Spa victory, they will be particularly anxious not to repeat that stumble…   

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Italy preview quotes – the teams and drivers on Monza

After taking on one legendary Formula 1 circuit in Belgium last weekend, here’s what the teams and drivers had to say ahead of tackling another one just seven days later...

Williams

Lance Stroll

“Last year, Monza was a big turning point in my career, it really impacted on it. I have incredible memories of my front-row start and I will remember it forever. Qualifying was crazy in the rain, but I took to it like a fish to water! The atmosphere there is incredible and the passion of the tifosi is amazing. You can't ignore the history of the place and the importance of Ferrari. I am really looking forward to getting back there.”

Sergey Sirotkin

“I have very good memories racing at Monza, as I raced there a lot in my junior categories. I like the spirit of the track and the challenges that the high-speed, low-downforce corners create for the drivers. The track will throw some challenges at the car which will be nice to evaluate. It’s the last European race so we will have to enjoy it as much as we can.”

Paddy Lowe, Chief Technical Officer

“Straight on from Belgium we go to Italy for the final European race of the season. Monza always has a great atmosphere as the fans come out in their droves to support Formula One. It’s another iconic track within a unique park setting inside the city. The circuit is one of the fastest of the year, but despite the high-speed sections, it still has some challenging corners with big braking events to manage. We look forward to ending the European section of the calendar there before heading into the final flyaway races of the year.”

Haas

Guenther Steiner, Team Principal

“The history of Monza and the passion of the tifosi give the Italian Grand Prix a great atmosphere, and with it being close to both of our technical partners, we want to do our best. We still want to go for a better position in the championship, which is fourth. We’ll still try hard on that one, as we’ve done a lot of work on the engineering side of things. Nevertheless, everybody on the design and aero teams are working on the 2019 car. I don’t think our performance will drop off. Everybody is still bringing stuff to the racetrack – stuff that was designed and developed months ago. We are doing the same. We will not stop here. We’ll bring some smaller upgrades.”

Romain Grosjean

“The good thing with Monza is there’s lots of overtaking opportunities. There’s turn one, three, eight and then the Parabolica. It’s more or less every single braking event.

“The atmosphere is crazy in Monza. The tifosi, the fans – they’re just great. The track is in the middle of a park. It’s like nowhere else. There are so many people coming and watching, cheering for the drivers and, of course, for Ferrari. The atmosphere is electric. I love it.”

Kevin Magnussen

“Monza is all about the atmosphere. It’s got so much history and the Italian fans are really into it and they’re extremely passionate. It’s always a fantastic experience racing there. Monza is probably the best track for overtaking on the calendar. It’s always exciting racing there.”

Sauber

Marcus Ericsson

“The race in Monza is always a very special one, and one of the most historic Grands Prix on the calendar. There are usually many fans there, giving the weekend a unique atmosphere. The track itself is different from most of the others, with the low downforce levels making it tricky but fun to drive. There are good opportunities for overtaking, which is quite a different challenge to most other races of the year. Apart from that, it will be an important race for our team because it is our Title Sponsor’s home race. I look forward to meeting many Alfa Romeo fans throughout the weekend, and we will do everything we can to give them a good show.”

Charles Leclerc

“It is good to be back on track straight after Spa, as we can move on from the retirement in the last race and look forward to racing again. Monza is going to be a special destination for the whole team as ambassadors of the iconic Italian brand, Alfa Romeo. It will be like a home race for us. It is also special for me to race in Italy, as I have always had close ties to the country – first racing in karts there during my childhood, and later being part of the Ferrari Driver Academy. I can’t wait to be there and meet all the Italian fans. The track is an iconic one and should be a good challenge – I look forward to racing there.”

Red Bull

Daniel Ricciardo

“Monza is full of crazy Italian fans. I love them all and it’s nice to get a bit of extra love from them with my Italian roots. Monza has the best pizzeria in the world, but I’m not going to tell you the name as I still want to be able to go there without queuing out of the door! The track is beautiful, high speed and awesome. I’ve done some of my best overtaking moves there and I plan on doing plenty more this week as it looks likely that I will be taking some engine penalties. It’s obviously not ideal but Monza is a power track and one that we haven’t been hugely strong at in recent years, it does mean plenty of action and fun for me in the race though. Last year I finished fourth from 16th on the grid, so it won’t be boring if I have to do the same again this year. The drivers’ parade in Monza is really special, the atmosphere is electric and the fans are definitely some of the most passionate in the world.”

Max Verstappen 

“Monza is fast, very fast. This makes it great fun but at the same time not ideal for us and our car. It is an old school track, one of the few left, so racing somewhere with such history is quite special and I always look forward to going back there. The highlights of the circuit for me are the last chicane, Ascari, and the final corner, Curva Parabolica. To nail the last corner is not easy but when you do it feels really nice. I have been to Milan a few times but only for business so I haven’t had the chance to look around, but it goes without saying that the food is some of the best. The Italian fans will be out in force as always supporting Ferrari, they are very passionate and really good to see. Hopefully the orange crowd will rival the red this year.”

Renault

Nico Hulkenberg

"In terms of the actual track, it’s obviously very high-speed throughout; it’s called the Temple of Speed for a reason! It means a low-downforce setting on the car to suit high, straight line speed. Low downforce can mean the car feels light and uncomfortable, and that’s something we’ll be adjusting to in the Friday practice sessions."

Carlos Sainz

"The Italian Grand Prix weekend is always an enjoyable one. My birthday falls over that weekend – this year it’s the Saturday – so I’ll be targeting a good birthday present in qualifying! I might excuse myself and have a pizza at some point over the weekend, but we’re here to race and the nice Italian food will have to be put on hold."

Cyril Abiteboul, Managing Director, Renault Sport Racing

"The Italian Grand Prix is the final European race of the season and it’s an important time for the team as it marks the end of a cycle. We’re getting ready for a challenging weekend given the characteristics of this track and the penalty for Nico, but we’re still motivated to seize any opportunity, especially to take advantage of this reference circuit to get a clearer look on the engine side."

McLaren

Fernando Alonso

“Monza is a very special circuit for me and I have a lot of very happy memories there. It has a different feeling to many tracks – maybe because of the heritage or the fans, I’m not sure, but the emotions you feel when the fans invade the track after the race is like nowhere else in the world – there’s so much passion there.

“For us we know this weekend will be difficult, like in Spa. Better tracks are coming for us, that’s for sure, but Monza has all the characteristics that expose the weaknesses of our package. We just have to work as hard as possible and see what we can get out of it.

“After the accident in Spa last Sunday I know the team has been working very hard to make sure we have enough parts for this back-to-back race. I’m very grateful for their efforts and I’ll still be giving it maximum attack even if it will be a challenging weekend.”

Stoffel Vandoorne

“Obviously Monza will be a challenge for us, as we experienced in Belgium. Our car struggles on tracks that are high-speed and low downforce and this is probably the most extreme version of this.

“Despite this, the team is working as hard as ever to make the best of what we have each race weekend. I am as determined as they are to produce the best possible results given the limitations of our package.

“I really enjoy driving around Monza – it’s an incredible track with a huge amount of history. I think every Formula 1 driver appreciates the reputation it holds as one of the most famous and exciting tracks on the calendar.”

Gil De Ferran, Sporting Director

“The whole team loves returning to Italy each year – the location is legendary, the fans are incredible and as racers at heart, we appreciate just how special this Grand Prix is on the calendar.

“Once again, we will be giving Lando further experience behind the wheel of the MCL33 on Friday in the first free practice session. This is another opportunity to continue his development, this time in Stoffel’s car, and build on the positive work he completed for the team in Belgium.

“As everyone saw, last weekend was a difficult one for us, where we learned some important lessons. Now we’re focusing all our efforts on preparing ourselves in the best way possible for the Italian Grand Prix.”

Toro Rosso

Pierre Gasly 

“I got to Italy at the start of the week, visiting the Toro Rosso factory and I can’t wait to arrive in Monza, even if it is likely to be a complicated weekend for us. Spa was also meant to be a difficult weekend, but by fighting hard we managed to make the most of every opportunity to finish in the points again. I have good memories of the Monza track as I was on pole for my last two races there, even if it’s going to be a whole new challenge this year in a Formula 1 car.

"It will be something new to experience the top speeds in an F1 car at what is the fastest track of the year: the engineers tell me that with DRS and slipstreaming we should be doing over 360 km/h. It’s going to be an incredible feeling rushing down the straights and then coming to the very heavy braking areas. You really have a sensation of speed and that’s one of the things that make this circuit special. We will have a low downforce aero package compared to normal and that means we will be sliding a bit more, which is fine, as the key at Monza is to be fast down the straights. You spend almost 80% of the lap flat out so it’s important not to lose speed through the chicanes, which means doing a good job of riding the kerbs and then having good traction out of the corners. I’m looking forward to our last race of the year in Europe and hope we can go well at what is the home race for our team, with so many of them coming from the factory to the circuit to support us over the weekend.” 
 
Brendon Hartley 

“I’ve had some success at Monza in the past, I won a race there in Formula Renault 2.0 on my way to the European Championship, I had podium finishes there in Formula 3 and I remember testing there in LMP1 but we never raced. Monza has huge history, which means you can feel a special atmosphere as soon as you get there, and I’m really looking forward to driving a Formula 1 car there for the first time.
 
"Monza is famous for the speeds you reach and, as a Formula 1 driver, you definitely become numb over time to these speeds, because we are going that quick a lot of the time. Damping and suspension are so good now that the cars are quite stable, which also makes the high speeds less obvious. But I think that at Monza, the Ascari Chicane, the Parabolica and hitting the brakes at more than 350kph is going to be a great experience, running with as low downforce as we can get away with, given that all the teams bring a Monza-specific aero package. So, the cars will be different to drive for everyone. Maybe it will create even better racing actually, because we have less downforce to lose when we’re following other cars and slipstreaming them. Usually, we have so much downforce and grip, all the corrections we’re doing, the amount of sliding, is not always visible to the spectators, even if it feels like a lot when you are in the car. So, at a track like Monza with lower downforce, I guess those issues are more obvious.

"Braking distances will be longer with less downforce, which creates more overtaking opportunities, especially as it’s easier to lock the front brakes. I guess in a way it will be a little bit more challenging for us and it will be enjoyable for sure. Racecraft is always at play there and the weather can also sometimes be a factor. It’s a track I’m looking forward to. It’s going to be a home race for us at Toro Rosso and so I’m expecting to see many Tricolore flags amongst the other ones.” 

Pirelli

Mario Isola, Head of Car Racing

"At Monza we have the same nomination as Belgium the weekend before: another rapid and historic Formula 1 venue. Monza is all about longitudinal rather than lateral forces though, where engine power also plays an important part. The latest generation of cars means that speeds will be generally even higher, while the compound nomination is effectively one step softer this season. It’s going to be interesting to see which effect this has, at a race that has always been won with a one-stopper over the past few years.

"Although qualifying well at Monza is historically important, Daniel Ricciardo’s impressive performance last year showed how strategy can make a vital difference. We’ve already seen plenty of variation in the tyres that the teams have selected for the weekend, which demonstrates some different schools of thought when it comes to tyre strategy."

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VETTEL PRANGS HIS RACE FERRARI AT F1 MILAN FESTIVAL

Sebastian Vettel was left red-faced after pranging his Belgian Grand Prix winning Ferrari during a street demo run as part of the Milan F1 Festival ahead of this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix at nearby Monza.

Following runs through streets by Ferrari teammate Kimi Räikkönen and Sauber’s Marcus Ericsson, Vettel came around at speed, misjudged his braking, locked-up and the Ferrari slithered slowly into the plastic barriers lining the streets. Damage was not severe and appeared limited to the front wing.

The F1 Milan Festival is happening in parallel to the Italian Grand Prix weekend with the aim of taking “the excitement and passion of an F1 Grand Prix event into the very heart of the city” running from Wednesday, August 29th to Saturday, September 1st.

The event is free for all to attend in the Darsena area (literally ‘the dock’), center of Milan’s ancient, and now restored, Navigli water canals.

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ALONSO VERSUS HORNER SPAT RAGES ON AHEAD OF MONZA

The high-profile war of words between Fernando Alonso and Christian Horner continues unabated, with the McLaren driver all but calling the Red Bull chief a liar for denying the Spaniard was targeted by the energy drinks outfit to replace Renault bound Daniel Ricciardo.

The spat between the pair has played out in the media since Horner said that his team would not consider Alonso because he tends to cause chaos wherever he goes and because the 37-year-old did not fit in with their philosophy of promoting from within the Red Bull junior ranks.

In response, Alonso went on the record citing a number of occasions that he was allegedly approached by the energy drinks outfit, including most recently when according to the double F1 World Champion they offered him Daniel Ricciardo’s seat.

Horner retaliated by categorically denying that there was contact from Red Bull with Alonso with regards to him replacing Ricciardo.

However, he did concede that he received a call from FOM and Alonso’s longtime manager/associate/confidante Flavio Briatore. Red Bulls stuck to their driver policy and decided to promote Pierre Gasly to the senior team alongside Max Verstappen next year.

The suggestion from within the Bull-pen is that turning down FOM’s request to accommodate Alonso in the team next year and Briatore’s overtures irked the Spaniard who has been on the warpath since he took offence with Horner’s remarks.

Now, in an interview with Sky, Alonso has fired another salvo, “The truth is there – I know he said he only offered me a contract in 2007.”

“But last year he did an interview with Red Bull TV saying he had offered me a seat to drive on a couple of occasions and if I had accepted in 2009, or 2010, or 2013, I’d probably be a four-time world champion.”

“But apparently he only offered it to me in 2007! So he seems to know the truth already,” added Alonso sarcastically.

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STROLL: FOR ESTEBAN THAT MIGHT NOT BE GREAT OR FAIR

Lance Stroll is reportedly on the move to Force India if not by Monza this weekend then almost certainly by the Singapore Grand Prix, the 19-year-old has already visited the team’s factory which his father’s Racing Point consortium of fellow billionaire mates have bought.

It makes sense that Lawrence Stroll wants his son to switch from Williams to Force India when legally possible, which would entail Esteban Ocon stepping out of the team.

While Stroll junior sympathises with Ocon’s plight, he also believes he is in Formula 1 on merit and not only because of his father’s funding.

In an interview with The Telegraph, Stroll said, “Potentially, my father buying this team can make it a much better team, much more competitive. It’s not, in my eyes, a big negative.”

“From Esteban’s point of view, it’s triggered towards me, because my father is involved in Force India. Drivers from certain backgrounds will have their view on how things should be. Drivers with financial backing will think otherwise.”

“If he takes me to Force India, that’s his choice, and I understand for Esteban that might not be great or fair. But I think that I deserve to be recognised more for the results I’ve achieved.”

I wanted to get that off my chest,” added Stroll who was 2014 Italian Fla 4 Champion and 2016 European F3 Champion, before skipping F2 and moving straight into Formula 1 with Williams last year.

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MARKO: I’D RATHER HAVE FERRARI WIN NOT MERCEDES

Red Bull consultant Helmut Marko is backing his former protege Sebastian Vettel to beat Lewis Hamilton in the 2018 Formula 1 World Championship title race, as the pair slug it out in the final eight races of the season.

For the second year running the championship is between Hamilton and Vettel, the pair have slugged it out with the pendulum swinging either way. Neither Mercedes or Ferrari capable of giving their drivers the edge for a sustained run of races – that’s how close it has been.

Speaking on Servus TV, Marko revealed his preference in the title duel in which his Red Bull drivers are not involved, “I’d rather have Ferrari win not Mercedes again. Sebastian is currently stronger mentally and he has the better car.”

Marko had first-hand experience on how to win four back-to-back F1 world titles when the German was at Red Bull and the Austrian recalled how Vettel was capable of a big fight back when required.

“I can remember a season when we were 50 points behind Fernando Alonso,” recollected Marko. “Sebastian made up for that because he delivered incredibly precise races late in the season. I hope he can reactivate that.”

Vettel and Ferrari, to a certain extent, have been architects of their own misery, the German Grand Prix giveaway will haunt them forever while some dubious strategy calls during some races have cost them too.

Asked why Vettel was accident prone at this point of his career, Marko ventured, “Maybe the pressure on him and Ferrari is so great… He did not make these mistakes with us.”

Vettel returned from the summer break and fired up his campaign with a commanding victory at the Belgian Grand Prix with Hamilton second, Ferrari finally enjoying a discernible edge over their silver rivals.

The result reduced the championship gap, with Vettel now trailing by 17 points as they head to Ferrari’s home race – the Italian Grand Prix – at Monza with the momentum firmly with the Reds.

After the demolition job that Ferrari did on Mercedes at Spa last weekend, expect a full house at the temple of speed as the Tifosi can surely smell blood.

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ABITEBOUL: RICCIARDO ACCEPTING CAME AS A SURPRISE

Cyril Abiteboul delivered the biggest driver coup in recent memory when his team quietly engineered Daniel Ricciardo’s headline-grabbing defection from Red Bull to the French outfit, the Australian’s decision even catching his soon to be team chief by surprise.

It has emerged that quietly the two parties had been flirting for some time, but last October when Red Bull signed Max Verstappen to a three-year deal, Ricciardo is said to have snapped and although he came desperately close to renewing with Red Bull he did not sign as expected.

Instead, the Australian called Abiteboul to accept the deal and will be a Renault driver from next year, the rest is now history.

Asked about the remarkable scoop, Abiteboul recalled when he got the acceptance call from Ricciardo, “It came both as a surprise but also as a relief, because it’s positive news.”

“It’s great news for Renault, for the team – but it’s also news that’s carrying not just emotions but also responsibility and some obligation to deliver. To deliver cars that are in line with his expectations, with his talent.”

“We were already obliged to our shareholders, to our sponsors, to our fans, towards the legacy of Renault. Now we are also obliged towards him, and we want this charismatic driver to find what he’s come to find and to look for with our organization. So, we just have a bit more pressure – but it’s healthy pressure.”

Abiteboul was asked if signing Ricciardo put a dent in his team’s budget, he replied, “First, in my opinion, Renault can afford pretty much anything. Renault is the largest car maker involved in Formula 1. So we can afford anything as long as it makes sense.”

“Then it’s just a question of value for money and whether it makes sense to spend that given where we are in the development of our team.”

“Second, I don’t think we were the highest bidder in obtaining Daniel, without going into details. He bought into the project not necessarily because of the money. I don’t think it would be great to put this sort of light on Daniel.”

“And lastly, it would not make any sense to bring a driver by having to make some concession on our capacity to finance the development of the engine or the chassis. So, in shorthand, obviously it means an increase in our budget,” explained Abiteboul.

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Pierre Gasly is braced for a 'very difficult' weekend in Monza

Pierre Gasly has cautioned that it will be “very, very difficult” for Toro Rosso to score points at its home event in Italy this weekend, despite its encouraging run in Belgium.

The Honda-powered Toro Rosso squad was braced for a challenging time at Spa-Francorchamps but Gasly raced to ninth spot, having qualified just outside of the top 10.

A buoyant Gasly hailed Honda’s progress since the start of the year while rival Marcus Ericsson admitted his surprise at the STR13’s speed, having battled both Toro Rosso drivers in the race.

Gasly, though, has warned that the high-speed nature of the Monza circuit means the team is poised for a tricky display on home ground.

“Honestly Monza will be very, very, very difficult to score points,” he said.

“We don’t expect a great performance there. We still need to find more performance in a straight line but nevertheless, we never know what can happen.

“Turn 1 [in Belgium], many cars crashed, and if we have the opportunity we will take it as usual.

“I don’t want to be a pessimist but on paper, it doesn’t look like the track in our favour but we’ll give it everything we have and see where we are.”

Toro Rosso moved up to seventh in the Constructors’ Championship in Belgium courtesy of Force India’s exclusion and re-entry into the sport.

However, Force India has already scooped up 18 points to hold ninth overall, with Sauber and Toro Rosso – which has amassed 32 points – within its sights.

“Looking at how many points they scored I think it will be tough,” Gasly said on the prospect of staying ahead of Force India.

“If they do the same in Monza they’re going to overtake us already after two races. Clearly, it will be important for the team to keep them behind.

“I think once we pass Monza the coming tracks after that will suit our car a bit better so probably we will be able to fight with them a bit more, but it will be important to try and keep them behind.

“In Monza, they’re going to score points obviously if everything goes well, so after that will be important to keep them behind on the coming tracks.”

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Sauber: Vandoorne not in the frame for 2019 drive

Sauber Formula 1 boss Fred Vasseur says that McLaren's Stoffel Vandoorne is not in contention for a 2019 drive with the Hinwil outfit.
The Belgian is fighting to keep his place at the Woking-based team alongside new recruit Carlos Sainz, but Sauber was viewed as an obvious potential alternative should he lose his McLaren drive.

Vandoorne won the GP2 title for the Vasseur-founded ART team in 2015 and, along with Robert Kubica, is managed by Alessandro Alunni Bravi, who is also a director of the company that is behind the Swiss team.

However, Vasseur denies that Vandoorne is in the frame at Sauber for 2019.

"He's not in the discussions," the Frenchman told Motorsport.com.

Vasseur says that he is in no hurry to finalise next year's line-up: "Honestly we are in the middle of the season.

"And even if everybody is a bit upset and a bit nervous on the drivers' market, if you compare with previous years, I think everybody is much earlier. So we stay calm."

One Sauber seat is reserved for a Ferrari/Alfa Romeo-nominated driver, and if Charles Leclerc moves either to the works team or to Haas, Antonio Giovinazzi is expected to receive a call-up.

The deadline for a decision on that seat is understood to be October 15.

Ericsson, meanwhile, is backed by the same Swedish investment group that owns Sauber, and thus it's widely assumed that his seat is guaranteed.

However, the owners have given Vasseur the responsibility for driver choice, and stressed that the bigger picture of the team project has priority.

Ericsson continues to state his case, having placed 10th at Spa last weekend for his third points finish in five races.

"He's doing a good job. He was one hundredth behind Charles in qualy, with an engine issue. In the race he had a strong pace from the beginning, the strategy was the opposite to the guy in front of us. Marcus did well.

"The best way to keep the position and the place for every single driver in the paddock is to do a good job, and he's doing it."

Ericsson admits that he has to keep performing to keep Vasseur onside.

"It's very important and this time of year it's going to be critical," he said at Spa. "In the last five races I've scored points in three of them and double my teammate. I think that's the sort of statistic that's important for me to show to Fred that I'm making a difference.

"I need to continue that form because I think it's going to be critical for me getting a contract next year.

"Now the team is getting better and better, and I know the competition for the seats is a lot higher than the last two seasons here, because it is a competitive environment, and I know there are a lot of drivers interested. I need to continue to score points and make good performances."

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Hamilton hails "brave" Ricciardo for "risky" Renault move

Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton has praised Daniel Ricciardo for being "brave" and taking the "risk" of changing teams, saying it is similar to his own switch to Mercedes.
Ricciardo will leave Red Bull for Renault next season, which means moving from a race-winning team to one yet to score a podium since rejoining the grid in 2016.

Red Bull has supported Ricciardo for 10 years, which has led to comparisons between the Australian's departure and Hamilton's decision to leave his long-term backer McLaren for Mercedes in 2013.

Hamilton said he suspects "there are probably similarities" between Ricciardo's reasoning and his own.

"I'm really happy for him," said Hamilton. "It's always brave to make a decision that's out of the norm, knowing that people are going to have opinions about it, and still halfway through a season not knowing how the next year's going to go.

"It's an exciting period for him. A lot of people in life are scared of change, of what's different, and therefore get stuck in a space that's not their happiest space but they get by.

"It's cool to see that Daniel, similar to me, is wanting to elevate himself, wanting to try something new, and learn from it – good or bad, and take the risk."

Outgoing Renault chief technical officer Bob Bell was at Mercedes when Hamilton was tempted away from McLaren.

He said there "is a comparison to be made" between Hamilton and Ricciardo, but said the big engine rules change in 2014 gave Hamilton a very big short-term hit.

"It's not the same situation because of course when Lewis made the jump, there was the change in engine regulations," said Bell when asked by Motorsport.com about the two drivers' moves.

"Let's face it, that had a massive impact on Mercedes' success that Lewis was able to reap the reward of.

"I think it will be much harder for Daniel, but ultimately, the end story will be similar, that he'll feel he did the right thing."

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ITALIAN GRAND PRIX: TECHNICAL PREVIEW, FACTS & STATS

Monza has hosted Formula 1 since 1950, with this year’s Italian Grand Prix serving as the venue’s 68th grand prix, Round 13 of the 2018 Formula 1 World Championship.

The average winning speed in the first Italian Grand Prix was 176.55 kph (109.7 mph). Last year’s was 243.627 kph (151.383 mph). As Formula One technology has advanced, its display of speed has been most impressive at Monza, where the track has earned the moniker, Temple of Speed.

Despite today’s Formula 1  cars being outfitted with turbocharged 1.6-liter V6 engines, engineers have wrung considerable power from these tightly packaged units. And thanks to an aerodynamic and tire package introduced last year that has increased downforce and corner speeds, lap times have dropped substantially.

Case in point: the fastest lap in last year’s Italian Grand Prix – a 1:23.361 at 250.174 kph (155.451 mph) set by Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo – was more than two seconds better than the fastest lap from the 2016 Italian Grand Prix.

The rub, however, is that these current-generation Formula 1 cars are not as fast in a straight line, as their increased downforce creates increased drag. It’s in the corners where these cars shine.

Monza has 11 turns, which means that despite its long straights, there is speed to be found. Can Montoya’s 14-year-old mark survive this inevitable evolution of Formula 1? Time will literally tell.

The Essentials

• Focus points Straight-line speed. More than 75 per cent of the lap is spent on full throttle – the highest percentage of the season – and the cars exceed 300km/h (186mph) on four occasions around the lap. Hence Monza is known colloquially as the Temple of Speed.
• Unique difficulty The pit-lane. Traditionally, there are more speeding offences in the Monza pit-lane than at any other racetrack. The reason given by the drivers is the speed differential between the 80km/h (50mph) pitlane and the 350km/h (217mph) start-finish straight makes it difficult for them to judge their braking point for the pit-lane entrance.
• Biggest challenge Braking. There are only six braking zones on the lap, but each of them is severe, which makes Monza one of the hardest of the season on brakes. The average deceleration is 5.5g, with the hardest braking zone being Turn One, where the cars slow from 350km/h (217mph) to 70km/h (43mph) in just 2.8s.

Engineer’s Lowdown

• Braking Heavy. This is a tough race for brakes, with an average of 9.7s per lap spent braking and an average deceleration of 5.5g per corner.
• Power The cars use 1.8kg of fuel per lap, which is average, but this is a tough race for ERS because there are only six braking events at which to harvest energy.
• Aero Low downforce. In 2016, the most recent dry qualifying session, pole position was set at an average speed of 257km/h (159mph). That makes Monza the fastest lap of the season and, as a consequence, the lowest downforce track. With less aerodynamic grip, the cars are more skittish to drive than normal, particularly under braking.

Statistics for Sunday’s Italian Formula 1 Grand Prix at Monza:

• Lap distance: 5.793 km. Total distance: 306.720 km (53 laps)
• 2017 pole: Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes one minute 35.554 seconds.
• 2017 winner: Hamilton
• Race lap record: Rubens Barrichello (Brazil), Ferrari. One minute 21.046 seconds (2004).
• Start time: 1310 GMT (1510 local)

Italian Grand Prix

• Hamilton has won at Monza four times in the past six years and can equal Michael Schumacher’s record of five.
• The Briton has been on pole for the past four years at ‘La Pista Magica’ and five of the last six.
• A win by Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel on Sunday would make him only the second driver, and first since Britain’s Stirling Moss in the 1950s, to win at Monza with three different teams. Moss won with Maserati, Vanwall and Cooper.
• Vettel has done so previously with Toro Rosso (2008) and Red Bull (2011 and 2013).
• The Italian and British Grands Prix are the only ones to have featured every year since the championship started in 1950.
• The Italian race has been staged at Monza every year except 1980 when it was at Imola.
• The race has been won from pole position 10 times in the last 13 years, and 14 of the last 19.
• Ferrari have won 18 times at Monza, more than anyone else.

Race Victories

• Hamilton and Vettel both have five wins this season. Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo has two and Max Verstappen one.
• Hamilton has 67 victories from 221 races and is second in the all-time list behind seven-times world champion Schumacher (91). Vettel, now third on the all-time list, has 52, Ricciardo seven.
• Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen has now gone 107 races since his last win, in Australia in 2013.
• Ferrari have won 234 races since 1950, McLaren 182, Williams 114, Mercedes 81 and Red Bull 58. Former champions McLaren and Williams have not won since 2012.

Pole Position

• Hamilton has a record 78 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 aged 21 years and 72 days.
• Verstappen’s birthday is on 30 September

Podium

• Hamilton has 127 career podiums and is second on the all-time list behind Schumacher (155). Vettel has 107, Raikkonen 99.
• Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas has had five second-place finishes in 13 races.
• Retirement in Spa ended Raikkonen’s run of five successive podium places.

Championship Points

• Hamilton leads Vettel by 17 points.
• Mercedes are 15 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

Raikkonen can take his 100th career podium finish.

Hamilton has 39 fastest laps and can become only the fourth driver to reach 40. The others are Schumacher (77), Raikkonen (46) and Alain Prost (41). Vettel is on 34.

Technical Preview by Iman Hansra

As with Spa, Monza is a one-off track, with a layout dissimilar from the rest of the circuits. A significant proportion of the lap is taken at full throttle, including the 1.6 km pit straight, so top speed is critical to lap time. Maximising this is dependent both on power unit performance and aerodynamic drag, with the latter resulting in the lowest angle of attack rear wings seen all year.

Downforce vs Drag

• Sacrificing downforce for lower drag is a must in Italy, despite the losses seen in the middle and final sectors in the corners.
• Cars with an efficient underfloor-diffuser package will go well at Monza as they can still produce significant downforce for the medium-high speed corners in the second and third sectors, despite the low wing angles.
• Much of practice will be spent fine-tuning the optimum set-up, ensuring a balanced car by trimming the front and rear wings in tandem.

Car Strengths Needed

• Primarily, a strong power unit, both in terms of outright power but also reliability and Energy management.
• Strong traction from the first two chicanes, particularly the first one, to propel the car down the ensuing straight.
• Strong car balance – the very low rear downforce level must be complemented by the same at the front to allow drivers to push confidently in the Lesmos, the Ascari chicane and Parabolica.

Key Corners

• Turns 4 and 5 – this medium-speed chicane requires many critical car attributes for good performance: quick change of direction, ability to ride the kerbs and strong traction. Traditionally, drivers struggle on the exit of the chicane, dipping a wheel into the gravel trap, which can cost time and position during the race.
• Turn 11 – the Parabolica is crucial for cars attempting a passing maneourvre on the main straight (assisted by the DRS zone), especially given its high-speed nature where cars are more affected by turbulence, harming following of other cars.

Tyres

• Pirelli has brought the same three compound names as last year to Monza, so effectively they are a step softer than before with the softer 2018 compounds.
• In 2017, a comfortable one-stop using the SuperSoft and Soft tyres (the 2018 Soft and Medium compounds) was the strategy of choice.
• Given the improved tyre management capabilities of the teams for 2018, it should be possible to visit the pits just once using the two softest compounds again, although in the case of higher wear than expected, or an early strategy gamble, the Medium tyre should be very durable as a back-up.
• Multiple cars may take power unit related penalties this weekend, so it may be the case that these teams will opt for more aggressive strategy options in terms of timing, or the number of stops, in order to make up for lost ground.

Overtaking/DRS

• Overtaking is more difficult than would be expected given the number of straights on the circuit. This is due to all teams running lower drag set-ups, reducing the slipstream effect.
• In addition, the DRS zones, along the main straight and between Turns 7 and 8, are less effective with all rear wings already featuring a low angle of attack anyway, lessening the DRS overspeed effect for the car behind.

Weather

• All three days are forecast to be warm, although not as hot as usual in Italy, favouring a one-stop even more.
• There is a strong possibility of thunderstorms on Friday, potentially limiting dry running prior to a dry qualifying/race, making for more unpredictability.

Form Guide

• The form guide should be fairly similar to that from Spa, except that those with Mercedes and Ferrari power units will most likely be more competitive relative to other teams.
• Renault and Honda powered teams will most likely struggle for points, with the exception of Red Bull, for whom Ricciardo will take grid penalties in order to fit Renault’s C-spec power unit, featuring a significant performance boost at the expense of reliability.
• McLaren, in particular, could find this race very challenging given the high drag characteristics of their MCL33.

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Kimi Raikkonen's Virtual Hot Lap Of Monza | Italian Grand Prix

 

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VETTEL: I FEEL FERRARI

Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari have the momentum heading to this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix after victory in Belgium last Sunday, after which their Mercedes rivals admitted they are lagging behind the Reds but the German driver is taking nothing for granted.

Speaking to reporters during the drivers’ press conference at Monza, Vettel said, “Well, first of all, I find it quite nice that we get put in this position.”

“I think people forget that maybe for the last five years, Mercedes has been absolutely dominant, especially in terms of power unit, and obviously, it’s nice from them to put us in that position because it means they believe they are not the strongest any more.”

“So, it’s good to be up there with them and be a match but I don’t think we can take anything for granted. I don’t think we are anywhere near in the place they have been in the last years.”

“So, I think we have to work hard to make things happen, and we are determined to work hard this weekend to put ourselves in the same position again, that we have a great pace in the weekend and especially in the race on Sunday.”

“I don’t feel anything related to Mercedes. I feel Ferrari, and especially this weekend – and that’s what I want to enjoy. I don’t know in which state or mind they are. I think, y’know, we are obviously up against the best if you fight for the front positions.”

“And Mercedes have proven to be the best over the last years. I think they have been for many reasons. What we want to do, obviously, is to beat them – so we need to be better than them. I think that’s what we need to focus on. In which shape they are, and so on, I think it’s more for them to answer.”

“As I said, this weekend, I don’t feel anything with Mercedes, I feel Ferrari – so looking forward to that,” added Vettel who trails Lewis Hamilton in the championship standings by 17 points with eight rounds remaining.