Max Verstappen drives a 2011 Red Bull RB7 Formula 1 car on a ski slope in Kitzbuehel, Austria.
Tag: Formula 1
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Pirelli Announces Tyre Choices for Russia
Pirelli have announced the tyre choices for round 4 of the 2016 Formula 1 World Championship which will take place at the Sochi Autodrom in Russia.
Pirelli have nominated the White Medium, Yellow Soft and Red Supersoft tyre for the Russian Grand Prix race weekend. The medium and soft compound tyres are Pirelli’s nominated tyre for the race weekend, of which each driver must have both these sets available for the race and must use at least one of the nominated tyres in the race.
The super soft tyre will be made available during Q3.
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Pirelli Reveals Tyre Choices for China and Bahrain
Pirelli have revealed their tyre nominations for the Chinese and Bahrain Grands Prix.
For both race weekends Pirelli have nominated the White Medium, Yellow Soft, and Red Super soft compound tyres.
Pirelli have selected the White Medium compound and Yellow Soft compound tyres that have to be used at least once in during the race.
“Each driver must have both these sets available for the race, and must use at least one of them,” read the statement from Pirelli.
The super soft tyres will be available during Q3 of which the drivers must keep one set available for Q3. The same set will be given back to Pirelli if a driver qualifies in the top 10. Drivers qualifying outside the top 10 will be able to keep their set of the softest tyre compound.
Picture credit: By courtesy Pirelli
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F1 2015: Year In Review
As the year draws to its conclusion it and the 2015 Formula 1 season will soon be consigned to the history books. As ever the season’s intriguing battles were never solely consigned to the race track.
The engine debate
Engines have been the subject of heated debate for the entire season. From the cost of manufacturing to performance levels to how it affects the sustainability of the sport; all of it has been questioned and picked apart throughout 2015.
After months of wrangling Renault and Red Bull have reached an agreement on power unit supply. The public quarrel between the two ended in what we thought was a messy divorce. However, when neither Ferrari nor Mercedes and not even Honda wanted to supply a potential rival the team had to slink back to Renault. After smoothing over some sizeable differences the Red Bull team will run the French engine but it will branded as TAG Heuer.
Red Bull won’t have Renault’s undivided attention though as the French manufacturer has purchased the Lotus F1 Team. It’s a saving grace for Lotus who has been in financial strife for a number of years. The most public example of this was the failure of the team to pay then driver Kimi Raikkonen’s salary. Venezuelan driver Pastor Maldonado will be partnered by English rookie Jolyon Palmer in 2016.
At McLaren the debacle that was Honda’s season will soon want to be forgotten. In the end Fernando Alonso used twelve engines in the back of his McLaren – that’s three times more than he was allotted. Issue of after issue dogged both drivers throughout the season as Honda, and McLaren fell miserably short of its expectations. The up-side is that 2016 can hardly be any worse than Honda’s first year back in the top echelon of racing.Mighty Mercedes and a Ferrari revival
Early on in the season it was clear that Mercedes had maintained its pace advantage. For anyone it would be too difficult to consistently beat the mighty Silver Arrows. The highly billed duel between Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton never reached the heights or intensity of 2014. This time around Hamilton summarily outperformed Rosberg to the point where when the German driver finally pitched up the championship was already won by his British teammate.
In Texas Lewis Hamilton was crowned a three time world champion and luck had very little to do with it. Three years ago he made a move to Mercedes that was met with a great deal of apprehension. From a team with championship pedigree in McLaren he went to Mercedes who were seemingly condemn to the mid-field. It didn’t suddenly turn around in 2014 either. Rather it was the culmination of years of work put in by those behind the scenes of this team. It is never about one year in isolation and so to winning world titles for any driver is a culmination of years of work and dedication.A complete reshuffle of personnel at Ferrari resulted in a stunning turn-around for the Italian team. Three dazzling victories and slew of podiums resulted as they continue to push towards the front of the grid. The arrival of Sebastian Vettel and the relationship between himself and teammate Kimi Raikkonen brought a harmony to the team. In 2015 Ferrari admitted that this driver-pairing and their ability to work together has been a relief for the team; something that was sorely lacking in 2014.
Rookie sensation
Drivers that enter F1 for the first time hardly make as big a splash as Max Verstappen has. Not even Lewis Hamilton’s first year, back in 2007, was met with such unilateral hype. The teenaged Dutch driver, Verstappen, burst onto the scene with audacious overtaking manoeuvres and a clear-as-day hunger to go racing no matter what he has to driver. Even the staunchest of critics have to submit that Verstappen has huge potential. While one season does not make a driver it is indisputable that if Verstappen can keep it all together we are all in for a quite a ride.There was much more than mentioned here which made up the 2015 season. And in less than 100 days it resumes with dynamism that no other sport in the world can match.
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F1 2015: Sauber Pursuing Aggressive 2016 Car
To move up the field in 2016 the Sauber team is following an aggressive design concept for its new Formula 1 car.
“The car we had this year and last year looked pretty much the same on the concept side but next year we are being a little bit more aggressive,” said Nasr, who scored three-times the number of points of team-mate Marcus Ericsson.”The concept looks very different. We know the areas we have to improve and we have to give it a try. We need to try something.”
Brazilian driver Felipe Nasr doesn’t see this strategy as a risk. “If we keep developing the one we have, it’s little steps. That’s why we’re taking this approach for 2016.”
Sauber scored 36 points in 2015 and finished eighth in the constructors standings.
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F1 2015: Wehrlein And Manor F1
Mercedes F1 reserve driver Pascal Wehrlein will have to wait until 2016 to find out his racing fate.
The 21 year old driver is tipped to join the Manor F1 team in 2016 thanks to an engine supply deal between the team and his current Mercedes employers. However, no deal on his future will be announced this year. The German driver made history in 2015 when he became the youngest ever DTM champion.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff did confirm that talks are being held with Manor F1 and a potential seat for Wehrlein.
“He definitely has the ability to be in Formula 1, to be one of the very successful ones, but it needs to be the right place for the right value,” Wolff told Autosport.
“If we can’t make it happen for ’16, then we’ll give him lots of mileage in an F1 car, be it with us or another team in the form of a testing programme, and then we will see what opens up for 2017.”
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Pirelli Reveals 2016 Australian Grand Prix Tyre Choices
With just 100 days to go for the 2016 Formula 1 Season, Formula 1 tyre supplier Pirelli has revealed its tyre choices for the Australian Grand Prix.
Pirelli have selected the White Medium, Yellow Soft and Red Super Soft compound for the Australian Grand Prix race weekend.
According to the 2016 tyre rules, Pirelli have selected the medium and soft compound tyres which will have to be used at some point in the race. Drivers must have both sets available for the race and must use at least one of the aforementioned compounds.
For Q3 in qualifying a set of the Red Super soft tyre will be available.
“Following on from the 2016 regulations, each driver must save one set of the softest of the three nominated compounds for Q3,” read the statement from Pirelli
“This set will be given back to Pirelli after Q3 for those who qualify in the top 10, but the remaining drivers will keep it for the race – as is the case currently.
“The teams are free to choose the remaining sets; making up 13 sets in total for the weekend.”
Photo by courtesy Pirelli
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F1 2015: Mercedes To Sue Engineer
Mercedes is to institute legal action against an engineer who will be joining the Ferrari team in 2016.
Benjamin Hoyle, the engineer in question, is accused of having stolen confidential data and information. He is scheduled to join the Ferrari team at the beginning of 2016. However, Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains (HPP), where Hoyle was employed in December 2012, is asking that the engineer only be allowed to join the team at the conclusion of the 2016 season.
HPP claims that Hoyle removed hard copy documents containing confidential F1 information and also conducted a computer search for further information which he saved on a laptop. It is believed that amongst the data is files related to the compressor performance of HPP’s F1 engines and detailed reports on engine performance.
It also being alleged that Hoyle also saved the information on his personal mobile phone, a micro SD card, a tablet, and an external hard drive. Further, Hoyle is accused of concealing his action by deleting files. HPP further claims that Hoyle’s action has given both him and Ferrari “an unlawful advantage”.
Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains Ltd has confirmed that legal action is underway.
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Toro Rosso Back To Ferrari Power for 2016
After the announcement that Renault will return to F1 and Red Bull have partnered with TAG Heuer with their power unit, Toro Rosso have confirmed that they will run with Ferrari Power Units in 2016.
The move has been in the works for some months now and after the FIA approved a rule change to allow Ferrari to supply a previous year specification engine to a team, it was all but confirmed that the team would be Toro Rosso.
Toro Rosso will use Ferrari’s 2015 power units which proved to be an enormous step forward from their 2014 unit. The 2015 Power Unit took Ferrari to 2nd in the Constructors Championship and 3rd and 4th in the drivers championship which Toro Rosso say is “a positive situation in which to start Scuderia Toro Rosso’s eleventh year in Formula 1.”
“It’s great to be working with Ferrari again. We had a fruitful relationship in the past and I’m sure it won’t take long for us all to be working together very well again,” said the Team Boss of Toro Rosso, Franz Tost.
“It’s true that time will be very tight for us to be ready for the first test, but we have the right team of people for this and I’m confident that together we will achieve a competitive package for next year – bring on 2016!”.
Toro Rosso have also confirmed that they will retain their current driver line up of Carlos Sainz Jr. and Max Verstappen for 2016.
“We can also count on Carlos and Max who, after being confirmed for the 2016 season, will be able to translate all this year’s learnings and experience into additional valuable feedback throughout the season.”
Photo credit: Scuderia Toro Rosso Formula 1
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Red Bull Confirm Tag Heuer-Renault Power Unit for 2016
The Red Bull Racing Team have confirmed that they will be powered by a TAG Heuer Renault power unit for 2016.
The new partnership with the Swiss watch maker will see TAG Heuer branded engines supplied by Renault. The 2016 RB 12 will be christened the Red Bull Racing-TAG Heuer RB12.
TAG Heuer will also become the Official Timekeeper, Official Watch Partner and Team Performance Partner of the Red Bull Racing team from 2016 in a multi-year partnership.
“TAG Heuer and Red Bull are two transcendent brands which have both a passion for racing and a drive to do things differently, and this unique collaboration is further evidence of that,” said Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner.
“TAG Heuer has been an icon in the world of Formula One for many years and we’re delighted that they’ve chosen to continue their association with the sport by teaming up with us. Our shared values of innovation and a desire to stand out from the crowd make this one of the most exciting partnerships in F1.”
Horner revealed that Ilmor will head up the engine development and alludes to the fact that Mario Illien will be driving the development going forward.
“We are also pleased to see Renault confirm its long-term commitment to F1 and would like to thank them for their contribution to the team since 2007. Their technical partnership with Ilmor gives us confidence, and we look forward to the 2016 season,” he added.
Jean-Claude Biver, CEO of TAG Heuer and President of the LVMH Watch Division, added: “Formula One is deeply-rooted in TAG Heuer’s DNA, and Red Bull Racing is a young, dynamic and driven team, which perfectly fits with our marketing strategy.
“It will give TAG Heuer great visibility and allow us to make our partnership exciting, different and innovative.
“Our motto #DontCrackUnderPressure will be the guiding principle behind all our actions with the support of the Red Bull Racing team and its highly contagious enthusiasm.”
