F1 Madness

Tag: helmut marko

  • Vettel slams double points rule as “absurd”

    Vettel slams double points rule as “absurd”

    Four time Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel has criticised FIA plans to award double points for the final race of the season from 2014.

    Under the new double points rule, the winning driver of the final race in Abu Dhabi next season, will score 50 points instead of 25 under the proposed rule change.

    The FIA has set out a number of rule changes for next season and beyond, including a global cost cap in 2015, changes to penalties for minor infringements and permanent driver numbers. The new double points rule however, is the one that will raise the most eyebrows.

    The decision to award double points, towards the drivers’ and constructors’ championships, at the final race of the season was made “to maximise focus on the championship until the end of the campaign”, according to a statement released by the FIA.

    Vettel would still have won this year’s title in India but would have lost the 2012 title to Fernando Alonso if the double points rule had been in place at the time and the German driver is far from happy.

    “This is absurd and punishes those who have worked hard for a whole season,” said the Vettel, who won the final nine races of the 2013 season.

    “Drivers, fans and experts are horrified,” he told German newspaper, Sports Bild.

    “I value the old traditions in Formula 1 and do not understand this new rule,” he continued. “Imagine, in the last Bundesliga match of the season there was suddenly double points.”

    His new Red Bull team-mate, Daniel Ricciardo, also appeared to be against the proposed double points rule change.

    “Seems to be pretty bizarre. Not sure who came up with that one..,” Ricciardo posted on Twitter.

    Interestingly, Red Bull is one of the teams who sit on F1′s strategy group, which contributed to the new regulations being passed. The FIA and Formula One Management also vote on the changes.

    But Red Bull’s Helmut Marko said that the team was opposed to the changes and revealed that the original plan was for the final four races of the year to carry double points.

    “We were against it,” he said. “But our team boss Christian Horner was overruled.”

    “At first it was planned to be awarded double points for the last four races,” he continued. “Then the world championship up to that point would have been almost useless.”

     

  • Daniil Kvyat to Drive for Toro Rosso in 2014

    Daniil Kvyat to Drive for Toro Rosso in 2014

    Russian Formula 3 driver Daniil Kvyat(19) has been given the nod to drive for Toro Rosso for 2014.

    In what came as a very surprising move for the Faenza based team, it was announced yesterday on Red Bulls Servus TV Channel, that Kvyat will drive alongside Jean-Eric Vergne at Toro Rosso.

    Kvyat who is currently second in this season’s GP3 championship has impressed Red Bull’s Motorsport Advisor, Dr Helmut Marko, with his race win in Formula 3 and his strong performance in GP3. “Whenever we put him in a car his efforts were remarkable,” said Marko.

    Many expected Antonio Felix da Costa, who is also part of Red Bull’s Young Driver Program and who competes in Formula Renault 3.5 to get the seat at Toro Rosso. But this was not meant to be for him. He’s had a very frustrating season this year. Despite the frustrations, he finished third in the Formula Renault 3.5 series championship, which makes the promotion of Kvyat very intriguing.

    We wish Daniil all the best for the 2014 Formula 1 season and hope to see some very interesting racing from him.

    Good Luck Daniil!

  • Red Bull to confirm Daniel Ricciardo at Spa

    Red Bull to confirm Daniel Ricciardo at Spa

    Daniel Ricciardo is set to partner Sebastian Vettel at Red Bull according to a report in Germany’s, Sport Bild.

    The tabloid’s correspondents Bianca Garloff and Ralf Bach said that the news will be announced at next weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix. The paper quoted Red Bull’s Dr Helmut Marko as saying, “Unfortunately, I cannot say any more than that we will make an announcement at Spa.”

    There has been no further official confirmation from Red Bull, Toro Rosso or any of the drivers.

    Daniel Ricciardo told Sport Bild that he expects to get along with the reigning world champion should he be selected to race for the Red Bull team, “I know Seb quite well,” he said, “as I was the reserve driver in 2010. I was out for dinner with him a few times and we get on really well.”

    Both Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso have also been linked to Mark Webber’s Red Bull seat, so we’ll only really know once an official announcement has been made.

    If Alonso does move to Red Bull, Kimi Raikkonen’s rumoured move back to the Ferrari team does seem a little more likely than the Finn joining the team to play second fiddle to Alonso.

    Photo by Red Bull Racing Twitter Team.

  • Dr. Helmut Marko calls for further tyre changes

    Dr. Helmut Marko calls for further tyre changes

    Red Bull Racing advisor, Dr Helmut Marko, has reiterated his dissatisfaction with the current F1 tyre situation and has called for further tyre changes from Pirelli.

    Despite ongoing pressure from Red Bull and other teams, Pirelli has stood their ground and announced that they will only be making a minor tweak to the ‘hard’ compound tyre for next month’s Spanish Grand Prix, and beyond.

    Marko told a group of journalists at the Red Bull Ring in Austria, “We want a tyre that does not restrict our potential.”

    “It should be that you are able to get the maximum out of your car. Currently it is a compromise, the car has to be adjusted to minimise pit-stops.”

    Marko went on to argue that the Pirelli tyres are punishing the best of the cars on the grid – like Red Bull’s RB9.

    He went on to say that the team had two top drivers, “which is not cheap.”

    “To tell your drivers that they are not allowed to drive some corners properly is not easy,” he added. “This distorts competition.”

    Despite their complaints, Red Bull hold a 16 point lead in the Constructors’ World Championship – ahead of their nearest rivals, the Lotus F1 team.

    Photo: By Morio (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons