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  • Meet Williams’ 2016 Challenger – the FW38

    Meet Williams’ 2016 Challenger – the FW38

    The Williams F1 team have unveiled their 2016 Formula One season challenger, releasing images of their Mercedes-powered FW38, ahead of the first pre-season test in Spain next week.

    The team had promised that the 2016 car would be “significantly different”. The FW38 still sports a very familiar nose and the livery is also mostly unchanged but the sidepods and rear do appear to have had some facelifting. More updates are scheduled to come ahead of the first race in Melbourne with Deputy team principal Claire Williams insisting that the FW38 launched today is “by no means the final product”.

    Valtteri Bottas will debut the car in the pit lane at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya at the pre-season test, before handing over to team-mate Felipe Massa in the second half of the week.

    The FW38 will once again be powered by a Mercedes engine – a significant factor in the team’s two third-place finishes in the Formula One Constructors’ Championship over the last two years. The FW38 will retain its Martini sponsorship. The team are confident that the FW38 can deliver what it takes to challenge the front running teams.

    Williams FW38“Williams has started to cement our position back amongst the front running teams after finishing third in the Championship in the past two seasons,” said Williams Team Principal Sir Frank Williams.

    “This has been a great achievement given the resources of those around us. Staying where we are will be a challenge in itself, but we are determined to keep improving because only winning will ever be good enough.

    “We have a very stable team going into 2016, with Felipe [Massa] and Valtteri [Bottas] teaming up for a third successive season. They work well together and both have the ideal blend of speed and consistency. Our technical team has also remained very consistent which will be to our advantage and we have some of the best engineering minds on the grid at our disposal.

    “We have a busy couple of weeks of testing coming up to learn more about our package and to refine the car ahead of the first race. We will have to wait until Melbourne to find out exactly where we stand in the pecking order but I’m confident that our hard work over the winter will stand us in good stead.”

    Deputy team principal Claire Williams added: “2016 promises to be a very competitive year in Formula One and there will be a number of strong teams who have us in their sights. We are confident that we have made a step forward over the winter and that the FW38 will build on the strengths of the FW37 and address some of its weaknesses. We started design work on the car earlier than normal and hopefully this extra development time will stand us in good stead.

    “The car we are launching today is by no means the final product. We are already planning updates for Melbourne and will be pushing for constant improvements over the course of the season. Williams enters 2016 in a strong place. We have a great team of people and over the past two years we have started to regain our competitive edge. Now we need to build on that and take this team back to where we all want it to be.”

    Photo Credits: FW38 images courtesy of Williams Martini Racing

     

  • Rio Haryanto Lands Manor Drive

    Rio Haryanto Lands Manor Drive

    The new look Manor F1 team completed its line up for the 2016 season by announcing the signing of 23-year old Indonesian driver Rio Haryanto.

    Haryanto competed in many single seater series and most recently in GP2. He will get his first crack at the Manor MRT05 at next weeks first pre-season test.

    “We are delighted to announce Rio as our second race driver for 2016,” said Manor Racing Owner Spehen Fitzpatrick.

    “Rio’s been racing since he first got into a kart at six years old. He’s tenacious on and off the track and made a big impression on last year’s GP2 battle.

    “Rio’s huge following in Indonesia is great for the team and for F1. They are keen to see him on the grid and we’re confident that we’ll see him enjoying some exciting battles in the year ahead.”

    Haryanto had this to say about his signing: “Manor Racing is a team with an exciting vision and ambitious plans. They have produced a great package and I can’t wait to get in the car.

    “Melbourne will be a huge moment for me, my country, supporters and fans and I want to thank everyone who’s been with me since I started in single seaters; 2016 is my chance to reward that faith and represent Asia in F1.”

  • Schumacher update: Manager says he will “hopefully one day be back with us’

    Schumacher update: Manager says he will “hopefully one day be back with us’

    Sabine Kehm, manager of motor racing legend Michael Schumacher has broken the silence and given a rare update on the recovery of the seven-time F1 world champion saying that she hopes “that with continued support and patience he will one day be back with us”.

    Schumacher continues to recover at home after suffering severe head injuries in a skiing accident in December 2013. He was kept in a medically induced coma for several months until September 2014 when he returned to his home in Switzerland and continues to receive specialist treatment.

    Kehm spoke at the opening of an exhibition honouring Schumacher’s career in Marburg, Germany, saying: “He is the most successful driver in history and sometimes, on days like this, it is good to be reminded of it.

    “Of course, Michael is not here and of course we miss him. We know what has happened and cannot change it.

    “We must accept it and hope with everything we have that, with continued support and patience, he will one day be back with us. Racing was his life and no one would have liked to have been here more than him.”

    Michael SchumacherIn November FIA president Jean Todt said that Schumacher was “still fighting” and two weeks ago former Ferrari boss Luca di Montezemolo said the latest news about the 47 year old’s health was “not good” leading to fresh speculation around the champion’s recovery.

    Very little news or updates have come from Kehm or Schumacher’s family and unfortunately this is not quite the news Formula One fans will have wanted to hear, but it is news nonetheless. Unfortunately Kehm’s latest comments are bound to ring in a new round of speculation – something that the Schumacher family really do not need more of and the reason why news updates have been kept to a minimum.

    Read Natalie’s piece, “The Truth about Michael Schumacher”.

    As always our thoughts remain with his family and friends and we do hope too that one day, he will be back with us. #KeepFightingMichael

  • F1 2016: The truth about Michael Schumacher

    F1 2016: The truth about Michael Schumacher

    It has been more than two years since Michael Schumacher sustained severe brain injuries following a skiing accident in the French Alps. The seven times world champion spent several months in an induced coma in Grenoble hospital before being moved to a hospital in Lausanne. In September 2014 he was finally moved to his Switzerland home where he receives round the clock medical attention.

    Since then, by the family’s request, little information has been shared about Schumacher’s condition. While some close friends, such as former Ferrari colleagues Jean Todt and Ross Brawn, have visited Schumacher no definitive report has been released on his recovery or condition. Instead, Todt and Brawn, have made the occasional statement that he “is still fighting.”

    Sabine Kehm, the official spokesperson for the Schumacher family, has repeatedly warned that only official statements, from her, be accepted. Recently, she’s quashed rumours that the former champion is able to walk as “irresponsible and offering false hope.” It’s safe to assume, from the way that she intervened to dismiss these rumours that Schumacher is likely in the same condition and making, at best, slow progress.

    It’s a question that most people ask when the subject is Formula 1 – how is Michael Schumacher? The truth is that only a few people know the answer to this question and they aren’t sharing it. Some feel entitled to news on his condition and it’s not unreasonable that they do. An argument could be made for releasing sporadic statements. Perhaps even one a year could put an end to any speculation on Schumacher’s condition.

    However, not even this is likely to satisfy some circles of the media. The inevitable course of events that would ensue is the likely reason for the family remaining silent. In a society where respect and ethics are rare commodities it will undoubtedly prompt tabloids to analyse every word, hire so-called experts to comment and ultimately prompt more speculation.

    Michael Schumacher still fighting - #KeepFightingMichaelMost recently, a statement by former Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has prompted a fresh batch of speculation. Montezemolo was quoted as saying that he has “no good news” about Michael Schumacher. “I have news of him continuously and it is not good,” he said. It is puzzling why the former Ferrari boss would make such a statement which has given rise to new-found conjecture. He surely knows the family’s position on sharing information.

    Most of the interest in Schumacher’s condition is born from a place of genuine concern and not morbidity. But the best that Michael’s legions of fans can do is to respect the family’s wishes for privacy. And accept that if there was anything to share that they would do so. Until then, keep fighting Michael.

  • F1 engine token system to be scrapped

    F1 engine token system to be scrapped

    Renault Sport F1’s managing director Cyril Abiteboul says that the controversial Formula One engine token system is set to be scrapped in 2017.

    In return for reducing the cost of power units for customer teams by 2017 the engine manufacturers will be allowed more freedom to develop. Drivers would still be limited as far as the number of engines they may use per season and penalties would be enforced for those who exceed that limit which should keep the amount of updates a team introduces during the course of a season down to a reasonable number.

    Abiteboul hopes that the change will make engine regulations easier for fans to understand also also allow other teams to catch up with Mercedes, ending their absolute dominance on the grid.

    “The token system is being removed,” Abiteboul was quoted as saying.

    “One of the reasons we have all agreed to do this is that we all need the performance of the engine to converge. An F1 that is dictated by the performance of the engine is not good for anyone.

    “You see it is not good for Mercedes, it is not good for Renault, Ferrari – we all have interest to change that. We have decided, also for the public, to stop the public being confused between the penalty system, the token system – we have decided to simply remove the token system.”

    The 2016 F1 season however will still engine see manufacturers restricted to 32 development tokens over the course of this season – the same as for the 2015 season.

  • WATCH: Renault F1 2016 Press Conference – Livery Launch

    WATCH: Renault F1 2016 Press Conference – Livery Launch

    Watch as Renault launch their 2016 car and team with Kevin Magnussen alongside Jolyon Palmer. Renault unveiled their black and yellow livery which is set to change for the Australian Grand Prix. The team also confirmed the two new Renault drivers, Kevin Magnussen and Jolyon Palmer.

     

  • Magnussen or Maldonado at Renault?

    Magnussen or Maldonado at Renault?

    With sponsorship payments putting Pastor Maldonado’s seat at Renault in jeopardy, young Kevin Magnussen stands a good chance of getting the Renault drive for 2016.

    Magnussen who was let go by McLaren during the 2015 season has a strong chance of returning to Formula 1 after PDVSA, the Venezuelan energy company behind Maldonado’s sponsorship money, was late on a few payments to Renault.

    Motorsport.com reports that unless Maldonado’s sponsors make a drastic last minute decision, the 2016 Renault drive will go to the young Dane.

    After talks between Renault and PDVSA took place, it is understood that Renault were not given any assurances they were seeking and has moved on the Magnussen option.

  • Pirelli Wet Weather Test Report

    Pirelli Wet Weather Test Report

    Pirelli concluded their two day wet weather tyre test at the Paul Ricard Circuit in the south of France to develop the 2016 Wet tyres.

    More than 650 laps were completed and a total of 2 326km driven between 5 drivers and three teams. The circuit was chosen because of its very sophisticated variable sprinkler system which uses recycled rain water to simulate various wet weather conditions. This allowed the drivers to try out different tyre compounds.

    The test was run over two days with Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren participating in the test. Pirelli had extended the invite to all the teams where the cars from the 2015 season were used. No additional testing of components was allowed.

    Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel drove for Ferrari on Monday and Tuesday respectively while McLaren’s Stoffel Vandoorne drove for both the days. Daniel Ricciardo tested for Red Bull on day one with Daniil Kvyat testing on day 2.

    Over the two days, Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel was the fastest and completed the most laps(134) from all the runners.

    The development of the tyres continues at Pirelli’s headquarters in Milan by analyzing the telemetry from the teams and comparing that with its own data.

    Pictures by courtesy Pirelli

  • F1 2016: Refueling out of the question

    F1 2016: Refueling out of the question

    The issue of re-introducing refueling during Formula 1 race has been shot down again.

    The FIA president, Jean Todt, recently confirmed that the issue would come under discussion at a meeting in Geneva. However, as in 2015, the possibility of bringing back refueling was dismissed by the Strategy Group and the F1 Commission.

    The general feeling from the meetings was that the cost of re-introducing this aspect to the sport would be too costly. Williams technical director told Autosport that the costs of bringing it back into the sport would be “significant.”

    “Freight costs for shipping equipment is £175,000 and it’s probably £200,000-250,000 to buy and service the kit in the first year and ongoing cost of servicing it,” he said. “There is also one dedicated salaried person for looking after it so the costs are very significant.”

     

  • F1 2016: McLaren on the up?

    F1 2016: McLaren on the up?

    McLaren has passed a mandatory crash test for the front-end of its MP4-31.

    The Woking based team reportedly completed and passed a dynamic test of the front of their 2016 car. The nosecone of the McLaren is rumoured to be similar in style to what the Red Bull Racing team ran in 2015. However, the longer nose as seen on the 2015 McLaren has not been ruled out as a viable option.

    McLaren’s MP4-31 will be launched on February 21 in the pitlane of Spain’s Circuit de Catalunya. Rumours have also emerged that team has overcome it’s power unit deficiency. Honda, who struggled throughout the 2015 season, are alleged to have solved the issue surrounding its energy recovery system. Some put the rumoured gains that have been made by the Japanese manufacturer in the region in 223 horsepower.

    If it is the case the the Honda engine should be on par with that of Ferrari and Mercedes however it still doesn’t answer the question of the woeful reliability the team endure throughout their 2015 campaign.

    As the first test of the season draws closer you’d have to expect that rumours of such significant gains will remain pure speculation until the team and its drivers can get out on track and prove it.