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FIA Gives the Green Light for Liberty Media Take Over of F1

The sale of F1 commercial rights to the Liberty Media Group was given the green light today at an extraordinary meeting of the World Motorsport Council (WMSC) in Geneva on Wednesday 18 January, a day after shareholders gave approval for the media giant to forge ahead with its plans to acquire a controlling interest in F1.

Representatives from Liberty Media presented their strategy for F1 to members of the WMSC who were given an opportunity to ask questions about the acquisition and the future relationship between the FIA and Liberty Media’s plans for the sport.

“Liberty, Formula One Group and the FIA intend to collaborate to create a constructive relationship that will ensure the continued success and the development of the FIA Formula One World Championship in the long term,” said the FIA in a statement released after the meeting.

“The World Motor Sport Council’s decision confirms the FIA’s belief that Liberty, as a renowned media organisation with expertise in both sport and entertainment, is clearly well positioned to ensure the continued development of its pinnacle Championship.

“The FIA holds a one per cent shareholding in Delta Topco. As part of the sale by CVC to Liberty Media Corporation, and in line with the agreements between the FIA and the Formula One Group, the FIA will be dragged along in the sale process under the same conditions as CVC and all the other shareholders.

“The FIA looks forward to working with the new owners of the Formula One Group on further developing the unrivalled global spectacle that is the FIA Formula One World Championship for all stakeholders.”

It seems like Liberty Media is well on it’s way to closing the deal before the end of March with just a few more formalities cross off.

January 18, 2017
Top 10 F1 Overtakes of 2016

Have a look at this great compilation of the Top 10 F1 overtakes of 2016. Some absolutely fantastic overtaking here with Max Verstappen coming out at the top of the pack after fans voted in the official F1 website’s Twitter polls. Interesting to note how Lewis Hamilton must have spent so much time leading races that he doesn’t even feature.

January 18, 2017
Bottas at Mercedes for 2017

The Mercedes F1 Team have finally made things official and have announced Valtteri Bottas will drive for the team from 2017 replacing World Champion Nico Rosberg.

This announcement follows the announcement from Williams that Felipe Massa will come out of retirement to compete for one more season in F1.

The confirmation from Mercedes comes months after reports tipping the Finn to partner alongside Lewis Hamilton for the 2017 Formula 1 World Championship.

“It’s very exciting times for me,” said Bottas.

“I think it’s going to take a while to understand that this is really happening. It’s definitely another dream come true, to race in another team with such great history – especially in the recent years, which have been so impressive.

“I’m really proud to become a part of that and grateful to everyone at Mercedes for trusting my skills and giving me this opportunity.

“I’ve had a really warm welcome so far. Of course, I have a lot more people to meet and new faces to remember. But initially everything has felt very good. I’m really impressed with the facilities and I’m looking forward to getting to know everyone better.

Bottas is under no illusions about the magnitude of the task ahead of him.

“I’m ready to work hard, to prove myself to the team and to prove my skills. It’s going to be a challenging season and joining a new team makes it more work than normal. But I’m 100% ready for that.

“I’m training hard to be at my physical best because it will be much tougher with these new cars. I always set the bar really high, so my target is to perform from the first race. I’m full of energy and ready to get to work for this year and hopefully many more to come with Mercedes.”

Toto Wolff says that Bottas will be a good fit at Mercedes and he has no doubt that the Finn will perform well for the team.

“Sometimes in life, unexpected circumstances provide interesting opportunities. Nico’s decision in December was a big surprise – certainly a challenging situation for the team to handle. But weathering the storm makes you more resilient and we see this as another opportunity for the team to grow,” explained Wolff before announcing Bottas as a Mercedes driver.

“Valtteri is a no-nonsense guy: down to earth, straightforward and very focused. Pretty Finnish, to be honest, and a great fit for us.

“He has an impressive track record in the junior categories and nine podiums in F1. But now it’s time for the next level, to see how he can step up to challenge for race wins and for Championships.

“We know that we are already behind the curve in terms of preparations for the new season, so we’ve got a busy programme to get him integrated into the team. One thing is for sure: as I know Valtteri, he will give it everything.”

Photo credit: Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team

January 16, 2017
Felipe Massa To Replace Bottas at Williams

Felipe Massa will come out of retirement to replace Valtteri Bottas at Williams.

Massa’s announcement was expected following numerous reports that he will return to the Grove based team to fill the gap that will be left by Valtteri Bottas who will now be confirmed at Mercedes for the 2017 season.

Following Nico Rosberg shock retirement announcement, there was an initial scramble for his replacement at Mercedes. Many names were thrown around but the most prudent choice for Mercedes would be Bottas. With Williams using Mercedes engines and Bottas’ Management company owned by Toto Wolff it made the deal somewhat easier to negotiate.

Massa will return for the 2017 season to replace Bottas after a very emotional final few races of 2016.

“Firstly, I am very happy to have an opportunity to return to Williams. I always intended to race somewhere in 2017, but Williams is a team close to my heart and I have respect for everything it is trying to achieve,” said Massa on his return.

Massa, perhaps dropped the biggest clue about Bottas’ 2017 plans when he wished him all the best at Mercedes.

“Valtteri has a great opportunity, given the turn of events over the winter, and I wish him all the best at Mercedes,” added the Brazillian.

“In turn, when I was offered the chance to help Williams with their 2017 Formula One campaign, it felt like the right thing to do. I certainly have not lost any of my enthusiasm for racing and I’m extremely motivated to be coming back to drive the FW40.

“The support from my fans over the last few weeks has been a huge boost and I’m grateful for that.

“I also look forward to working with Lance; I’ve known him for many years and seen his talent develop during that time, so I look forward to seeing what we can achieve together.”

Claire Williams, Deputy Team Principal, said; “I’m delighted that Felipe has agreed to come out of retirement to be a part of our 2017 campaign.

“With Valtteri having a unique opportunity to join the current Constructors’ Champions, we have been working hard to ensure that an agreement could be made with Mercedes to give Valtteri this fantastic opportunity.

“Valtteri has been part of the Williams family since 2010 and in that time has proved a huge talent, securing nine podium finishes.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank him on behalf of the whole team, and wish him a successful season as he joins Mercedes.

“Felipe has always been a much-loved member of the Williams family, and having the opportunity to work with him again is something we all look forward to.

“He was always going to race somewhere in 2017, as he has not lost that competitive spirit, and it was important that we had a strong replacement in order for us to let Valtteri go.

“Felipe re-joining us provides stability, experience and talent to help lead us forward. He is a great asset for us.”

Photo Credit: Williams Martini Racing Formula One Team

January 16, 2017
Williams: Bottas to Mercedes announcement expected this week

Williams’ deputy principal Claire Williams says Valtteri Bottas an announcement regarding the Finn replacing Nico Rosberg at Mercedes is expected this week.

Rosberg retired shortly after winning the F1 world championship title last year, leaving Mercedes looking for a team mate for Lewis Hamilton for the 2017 season.

When Williams was asked whether it was a question of “dotting the Is and crossing the Ts,” she replied: “It is exactly that.”

Williams has been seeking significant remuneration for releasing Bottas from his 2017 contract and it would seem that a deal will be confirmed this week.

“It has been dragging on and I think everyone wants to know, probably more who is going to be Lewis’ teammate next year, and of course when Nico made his announcement we knew the call was probably going to come from Toto,” Williams said. “It is a great opportunity for Valtteri and he has given a lot to Williams. We’ve always said if we can make this happen on terms that are positive for Williams then it is probably the right thing to do.”

Everyone is expecting Felipe Massa to come out of retirement to replace Bottas alongside F1 rookie Lance Stroll but no confirmation has been made yet.

“We are nearly there, we are at the tail end of it and hopefully we’ll be able to make an announcement this coming week,” Williams said at the Autosport International Show.

“But it has to be right for Williams, whatever we do will always be the right decision for Williams no matter what other people’s opinions might be.”

Williams has no doubt about Massa’s motivation to succeed in Formula One and seems pretty certain that the Brazilian is the first (and possibly only) option to fill the gap that Bottas will leave at the Williams team.

“Felipe’s heart has always been in our sport,” she said. “Everyone said that about him when he joined us, ‘surely his time in F1 is over, he petered out at the end of his years at Ferrari’, but he came to Williams and it seemed to be a great culture for him and he was a new driver.

“I don’t think he necessarily wanted to leave the sport and he did say he wanted to continue racing. These guys have been racing since they were six years old and it is in their DNA, that is what they do.”

Williams also refuted claims that any deal to release Bottas was connected to the engine supply from Mercedes. There has been much speculation around Williams seeking significant discounts for their engines in return for releasing Bottas but Williams stated that this was in no way the case.

“Just because we’re a customer of Mercedes, doesn’t mean Toto can pick up the phone to me and I go ‘alright then’,” she said. “Anyone that knows me knows that I don’t just go, ‘alright then,’ just because someone says they want something.

“We pay for our engines,” she continued, “we pay on time and therefore they don’t have any right to come to us and say, ‘you need to release this driver for us’. If I decided not to release Valtteri, then Mercedes would be fine and say ‘no problem, thank you for thinking about it’.”

January 16, 2017
Wehrlein Joins Sauber for 2017

The Sauber F1 Team has completed driver line up by announcing Pascal Wehrlein will partner Marcus Ericsson for the 2017 season.

Wehrlein’s future has been in the balance at the end of the 2016 season. He was in the running for a seat at Force India until Esteban Ocon was announced. A few weeks later Wehrlein’s name was being mentioned with a potential move to Sauber. Mercedes have seen quite a bit of potential in the young German and were keen to keep him in F1. This move to Sauber keeps him in the running for a potential Mercedes drive in the future.

“I am very delighted at being a part of the Sauber F1 Team for the upcoming Formula One Season. It is a new challenge in a new team, and I am really excited and looking forward to this new adventure,” said Wehrlein.

“Our objective is to establish ourselves in the mid-field and to score points on a regular basis. That being said, I will do my best to support Sauber.

“Now I am looking forward to meeting everyone in the team and to tackling the preparations for the 2017 season.

“I want to say a big thank you to Sauber for trusting in me and giving me this great chance. And surely, a huge thanks also goes to Mercedes for the support.”

Monisha Kaltenborn, Team Principal had the following to say about Wehrlein’s move to Sauber:
“We are very pleased to confirm Pascal Wehrlein as our second race driver for the 2017 Formula One World Championship.

“Pascal has shown his talent throughout his career – in single seater racing as well as in the DTM.

“Last year in his rookie Formula One season, he proved his potential by scoring one point in the Austrian GP in Spielberg.

“There is surely more to come from Pascal, and we want to give him the chance to further grow and learn at the pinnacle of motorsport.

“I am confident Marcus and Pascal will form a solid combination for 2017.”

January 16, 2017
Paddy Lowe Leaves Mercedes

After three and a half years at Mercedes, Paddy Lowe is set to leave the Brackley based team just before the start of the 2017 season.

Lowe had joined Mercedes from McLaren during 2013 was instrumental in the runaway success of the Mercedes Formula One Team from the 2014 season when the 1.6 litre hybrid V6 era kicked off in Formula 1.

Under Lowe’s technical leadership Mercedes won three Constructors Championships on the trot and three drivers championships.

He has now begun his period of gardening leave which is mandatory before he takes any position in a rival team.

“The company’s Board wishes Paddy well with his future endeavours and thanks him for his significant contribution to the team’s achievements,” said a statement from Mercedes.

“In the short term, our stable technical organisation will continue to operate under the proven and established leadership of our senior directors Aldo Costa (Engineering Director), Mark Ellis (Performance Director), Rob Thomas (Chief Operating Officer) and Geoff Willis (Technology Director).”

Head of Mercedes Benz Motorsport Toto Wolff commented: “Paddy has played an important part in our success during the past three and a half years and we thank him for his contribution to this significant chapter in Mercedes’ motorsport history.

“Success in Formula One is not about single individuals but about the strength in depth and technical capability of an organisation.

“We have the talent in place to continue our success of recent years and we plan to build upon it in 2017 and beyond.”

There is no word from Mercedes on who Lowe’s successor will be but the former Technical Director of Ferrari, James Allison is widely tipped to take up the position after his period of gardening leave expires.

“I have had a fantastically successful and enjoyable three and a half years at Mercedes working with an incredible team of people,” said Lowe

“I am now looking forward to a new challenge and wish everyone well at Mercedes.”

January 10, 2017
WATCH: Onboard & high speed selfie – Nico Rosberg’s last drive in W07!

Watch as newly crowned F1 World Champion Nico Rosberg takes his winning Mercedes F1 W07 Hybrid car for a final spin just after announcing his retirement from the sport. Naturally, Rosberg wasn’t going to miss the chance to capture a high-speed, onboard selfie while he was at it. Check this guy out!

December 22, 2016
Pat Symonds to Leave Williams

Williams F1 Chief Technical Officer Pat Symonds will leave the Grove based team at the end of the year.

After joining Williams in 2013, the team finished 3rd in the constructors standings in 2014 but have since slipped down to 5th behind Force India.

Williams confirmed on Tuesday that Symonds will officially step down from his role at the end of 2016. This now makes way for Paddy Lowe to join Williams after it has been reported that he is set to leave Mercedes.

“Pat has been a tremendous asset to this team over the past three years,” said Deputy Team Principal Claire Williams in a statement.

“Pat’s appointment was the start of a major restructuring exercise, and he has been pivotal in reshaping Williams into what is a much stronger racing team today.

“I would like to thank him for all of his hard work and commitment during that time. We now look to the future and will be announcing details regarding the team’s technical leadership in due course.”

December 20, 2016
Watch: Team Bosses Like You’ve Never Seen Them

Watch Red Bull’s Christian Horner, Mercedes’ Toto Wolff, Ferrari’s Maurizio Arrivabene and Williams’ Claire Williams talk about stuff completely unrelated to F1

December 15, 2016