Tag: mercedes

2018 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix: Thursday Press Conference

DRIVERS – Lewis HAMILTON (Mercedes), Sebastian VETTEL (Ferrari), Daniel RICCIARDO (Red Bull Racing)

PRESS CONFERENCE

Let’s start with our world champion and six-time pole sitter here at Albert Park, Lewis Hamilton. Lewis, I think you said over the winter that you felt that last year was the best you’ve driven in your Formula 1 career. Do you anticipate having to go to another level this year in competition these gentlemen?

Lewis HAMILTON: I plan to. That’s what I’ve been working towards.

Why did you feel that last year was your best? What had to come together for you?

Lewis HAMILTON: It was just a combination of things and obviously with the pressure that was on us as drivers, I think it was just the most complete year.

Thank you. A simple question for you Sebastian: can you and Ferrari find the speed to beat this guy over a whole season this year?

Sebastian VETTEL: We don’t have the answer now. We try. It’s a long season. If it was one race it would be a different story, but it is a lot of races.

To you, Daniel: in the last few years Red Bull have not been competitive at the opening round. This year it looks like you had better winter preparation, so do you think this could be your most effective Australian Grand Prix for a while?

Daniel RICCIARDO: I believe so. We had a good winter. It’s all there in front of us now. I think we’re still the top three teams – Merc, Ferrari and us. I think we’re still going to be leading the pack for now. So hopefully we’ll be deep in that group and have a chance to stand up on the podium.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Andrew Benson – BBC Sport) Lewis, how important is it to you to carry on ahead of Sebastian in terms of stats in your career and end your career ahead of him as well?

LH: It’s not something I’ve ever really thought about to be honest. I don’t particularly have an opinion towards it. I’m just going to keep working as hard as I can to continue fighting up the front and hopefully with that comes some good results.

Here’s one for you: if you won from pole it’s an all-time record, you beat Michael’s record. Something to aim for.

LH: Ah, OK.

Q: (Giles Richards – The Guardian) Lewis, you say you don’t chase stats but you have recognised that you could reach Fangio’s record this season. Have you thought about that some more now that you are at the start of the season?

LH: I have not, honestly. It’s a long, long season so you don’t really think about those kind of things, you don’t think about what could be in the sense of matching others. In my mind I’m trying to break down new barriers, push the envelope. Trying to see how far I can take, firstly, the opportunity I have and then obviously the ability I have and live to my full potential. I don’t know what that is, and that’s what I’m discovering.

Q: (Andrew Benson – BBC Sport) Lewis, how important is it to you to carry on ahead of Sebastian in terms of stats in your career and end your career ahead of him as well?

LH: It’s not something I’ve ever really thought about to be honest. I don’t particularly have an opinion towards it. I’m just going to keep working as hard as I can live to my full potential and that’s what I am discovering.

Q: (Leon Alepidis – F1fan) A question to all of you. As Renault is already considering strategically to have a fourth engine for the year. Assuming you will all stay at that do you put your faith in your team to go on with three. Would consider down the line, in the closing stages of the championship, to go for a fourth engine in order to avoid a DNF and a penalty instead of only a penalty?

DR: It’s hard to start thinking about that now. I had a few engine penalties last year and we’ve got one less [engine] this year so it’s likely – I don’t want to say it’s definite – but it’s obviously likely that we may encounter something like that or everyone may encounter something like that. I think it depends where you are in the championship. If you try to cut your losses I guess then maybe that’s what you’ll do but it’s for sure too early to start thinking about that. I think we’ll stay optimistic and try to get these three home to Abu Dhabi.

What about you Sebastian, have you looked at it. Is there a performance gain in using four across the season?

SV: I’m sure we looked at it. I don’t think it’s the plan but I’m very confident that we’re not using four engines this weekend, so we don’t need to worry now.

And Lewis?

LH: I don’t really have much more to say.

Q: (Dan Knutson – Auto Action and Speed Sport) Daniel, you say the team is the best prepared it’s been in quite a while. Is that more pressure on you? It that more pressure, more fun, less fun? How do you look at it?

DR: It has to be more fun. Not starting last year wasn’t fun at all. So it has to be more fun. Even little things. Last year we missed the anthem on the grid because I was in the garage trying to get the thing going, or be there for when it got going. I missed a lot of the Sunday build-up, which was not fun. For sure this preparation is going to mean more fun this weekend and we’ll see where that fun takes us?

Q: (Ian Gordon – The Mirror) Lewis, you said you’re pushing the envelope. Do you think you’ve reached your peak as a driver or are you still learning?

LH: I hope not.

Q: (Ian Gordon – The Mirror) Is it a peak age for a driver? Or do you just carry on learning?

LH: Again I hope not. I’m sure there is a peak when for a driver when their fitness level…. When it gets harder to reach the fitness level that we do today. When your interest starts to decline, when your drive starts to decline, I guess that’s when you’re over your peak. But I definitely don’t feel I’m that. I’m definitely in a good range now and that’s where I need to continue, to extract the most from it.

How about you two? Daniel, are you peaking?

DR: Not yet, still young.

Seb?

SV: I don’t know. I think it’s fine. Lewis is a little bit older and he’s not peaking yet, so I have got plenty to look forward to.

Q: (Andreas Haupt – Auto Motor und Sport) What is your opinion about the additional DRS zone and is it helpful or not?

DR: I don’t think it hurts. It’s typically been a pretty hard track to overtake. I think, as well, with the cars, we’re going faster and faster and following a car is getting harder and harder at some circuits, so I think they’ve been proactive and tried to help out a cause here. I don’t know if it will necessarily create overtaking into that corner but it may at least put you into the zone to then have a chance somewhere else.

LH: I think Daniel answered it well.

SV: Agree.

Q: (Louis Dekker – NOS) Do you think the next world champion is sitting behind the table now, or standing outside speaking Dutch?

DR: Why are you looking at me?

LH: I don’t have answer for you. [Sebastian] do you have a better answer?

SV: I think we hope the one sits here. I think it’s obvious no?

Let’s put it this way, do you think the one outside speaking Dutch is ready to challenge for a world championship?

SV: Who do you mean?

LH: There are a lot of Dutch people here.

SV: Especially for TV and journalists.

Dan?

DR: We’ll add a ninth to this table?

SV: What?

DR: We’ll add a ninth to this table. We’ve got eight between us.

Q: (Phil Duncan – PA) Lewis, one of your former team-mates this week said that inconsistency was your biggest weakness. I’m just wondering whether you think that’s the case. And Seb, what’s your plan to beat Lewis. Have you thought over the winter about the best way to do that?

LH: I think I proved that’s not the case last year and… yeah… again, I think there’s a lot of people that need to get headlines, and so maybe that’s one way of saying it. No, the goal this year is to be even more consistent that I was last year. I think consistency was the reason that I won the Championship last year.

And Seb, do you have a master plan?

QSV: Yeah, all laid out – but it’s not with me, it’s in my room, so, of course, top secret, so I can’t give you any details.

Q: (Jonathan McEvoy – Daily Mail) Sebastian, do you see any weaknesses in Lewis? How would you describe them, or see them? What are they? If there are any.

SV: Well, there aren’t many, so I think he’s doing a very, very good job for many years now. So, I think it’s always a bit of a weird question to answer when the person is sitting right next to you. But, as I said, there aren’t many. I’m sure we all have our weaknesses. Maybe some are part of our characters, maybe some are part of our driving – but to be honest I don’t think about those too much. I think about mine quite a lot and try to get better at what I need to improve. But yeah, concerning other people, it’s not in my hands. So, I try to finish my plate.

LH: I think I share the same weakness with everyone in this room. Everyone loves pancakes. That’s really my only weakness.

What’s yours?

DR: Pancakes again.

Q: (Ben Hunt – The Sun) Lewis, are you up for it this year? You seem a little bit jaded here – I don’t know if it’s jetlag or whatnot – but are you up for the fight this year?

LH: I’m definitely not tired – this is the 12^th season of doing the press conference. I’m not the most excited about this section of the season and the race weekend – but I’m looking forward to getting in the car.

Are you up for the fight?

LH: Of course.

Q: (Heikki Kulta – Turun Sanomat) Sebastian, were you surprised that Kimi started an Instagram – and are you planning to follow the example?

SV: ‘Yes’, and ‘no’ are my answers. Finnish answers. Short.

Q: (Andrew Benson – BBC Sport) Sebastian, can I take you back to your first answer, you were asked if you could beat Lewis and you said ‘if it was one race it would be a different story but maybe over the season’ or something like that. Does that mean you’re not confident this weekend that Ferrari are…?

SV: …no but I think the question was whether we… who’s coming out of top, sort of. I think Mercedes is right and I think Lewis is right to be the favourite, to put for this year – but it’s a long season so I think, y’know, obviously, this is one race, Melbourne is particular in many ways. I think we all look forwards to kick off the season, to get ready, get in the car and race. I think, y’know, we have all the reasons to be confident. Our car is great. There’s stuff to come, so plenty to look forward to – but usually at this point you don’t know where the others are. So, that’s why it’s a bit pointless to come here and say that you’ll blow everyone away. Based on testing I think we are in good shape. We could be in better shape but it’s always like that.

Q: (Jonathan McEvoy – Daily Mail) To Sebastian again, how would it mean for you to go level with Fangio?

SV: I think it’s a bit of a similar answer to what Lewis gave earlier. Obviously, I’ve had more time to think about it than Lewis had. More than one winter. But… yeah… I don’t know. I’m not setting these things out and planning or looking forward to what could possibly happen. Certainly, if it will happen it would mean a lot – and then I think you start to realise – but now I don’t see the point of thinking ‘what if’. I have a lot on my plate now and I’m happy also to look forward to what’s right in front of me, not what could be at some point in the future. Ideally, it’s less than 12 months away – but it’s a long way. I think we all know how many things need to come together to be able to fight for the championship towards the end of the season. And then to win it. Yeah. Also, I think nowadays the times are different. I think it’s very different times to when Fangio achieved it, compared to today. So, every era has its own challenges, certainly they were a bit different back then. So yeah, it’s not in my mind now, let’s say.

(Q: Yianni Mavromoustakos, talkingtorque.com.au) question for all three drivers: how do you feel about the shift in direction of Formula One since the takeover of Liberty Media?

LH: I don’t know what to say. I just heard the new anthem. Reminded me of [TV programme] Gladiators. Do you remember Gladiators in England? Used to watch that on a Saturday night. We’re going to be the new Gladiators. I think there’s been a lot of good progress over the last year in terms of how we engage with people and how we engage with fans and the openness – but I think it’s still part of a long process of learning where to go. I don’t think anyone in this room knows exactly what is the key to Formula One moving forwards and succeeding. I think it’s a very difficult question to answer but I think they’re doing the best they can and we’re all trying to support them the best way we can.

Dan?

DR: I agree with that. I think there’s been some good initiatives as well within the paddock. Especially at a lot of the European races with the fixed team structures. Feels like week-in, week-out you’re just rolling into the same deal and everyone goes straight to their motorhome and that’s kind of it – but there’s generally a lot of friends or fans or VIPs whatever in and amongst the paddock but they’re secluded. They’ve tried to create like a bar and a bit of a common area, got some music going in the paddock, and just create a bit more of an atmosphere. Again, the on-track stuff for us, the racing, that doesn’t change, but at least the fans, spectators for the weekend get a good deal. I think Melbourne’s always done a good job as far as putting things on, as the whole weekend goes, like filling it up with other racing and other activities, so I think they’re learning to adopt some strategies to create more of an event around the race, so everyone’s not just living for that Sunday afternoon: there’s more going on.

How about you Seb? You’ve said you’re not getting any closer to getting into social media – but what do you think of the job that’s being done globally?

LH: …I thought you were on social media!

SV: No.

LH: I think I’m following… someone

SV: Well, to whoever it is, congratulations! It’s not me. What did I want to say now? Yeah, from a driving point of view there’s obviously not that much that has changed. The regulations have been set before there was new people taking over. I think it’s great to see and I heard last year continuously around the track people supporting us. There were more things to do, it was a bit more fun, which I think is great. In general, I think I’m a traditionalist and I like to hold on to certain things, so probably there’s a lot of things I’m not a specialist in and I don’t need to understand – so I’m a bit… yeah, confused why the races start later, a bit sad that there are no more grid girls – but other than that, not many changes yet. I think we need to wait.

Q: (Chip Le Grand – The Australian) It’s a rare thing in any sport when you have two enduring champions that are both at the peak of their powers so for you, Lewis and Sebastian, how special is it to share your careers in this way and heading into this season where I guess we’re all looking at it as a bit of a decider, how much additionally special does that make it, knowing that the other guy is so good?

LH: Ultimately it’s a privilege to be in Formula One, it’s a privilege to be racing for the teams that we’re racing for and for me and Mercedes, with the heritage that they have, to be a part of the sport that’s progressing and changing with the times and to be at the forefront of it, competing against the best drivers that you can compete against, I think that’s… when you come to the end of your career, you want to know that you competed against the best. There are those that bow out early, there are those that have won championships maybe that have not been as competitive and the ultimate goal is to be… to be the best, I think you have to go up against the best. It’s been a great experience to be able to race against Sebastian, he’s got the four World titles, the most of any other driver at the time and I think this is an exciting year for Formula One fans, being that we have two four time World Champions battling it out but Daniel’s been smiling quite a lot today so I think you’re going to be surprised this weekend just how competitive Red Bull are. There’s a lot of hype around our team, for example which I think is very difficult to really take much notice of because the last test was a little bit distorted with the track the way it was and everyone was on different fuel loads so I’m excited to see how we all fare up once we get into practice.

SV: Well, I think if you… I agree with Lewis. Obviously first of all it’s a privilege to be able to get a chance to prove yourself in Formula One, then to be able to race in Formula One. Then I think when you get in it’s all about winning. You want to win, you don’t look at anything else. Probably later on, after you’ve won a little bit, you get a bit more perspective and open your horizons as well and then I think it becomes something special to win against the best. In my case, obviously, I think if I look at the people I raced throughout my career then I think it’s always been sort of the same people which starting from karting age, even if I didn’t race Lewis in karting but you were aware. Then you move on, we met a little bit later in Formula Three where he was a lot better than I was and then in Formula One ultimately but yeah, then you care more about who you race against and what it means to you, it gives you more satisfaction. And now, obviously, I’m searching for the ultimate satisfaction to win with Ferrari which is the greatest team in history, the greatest team in the paddock and that’s my ultimate target now, to win with Ferrari and win against the best which arguably… I’m sure there’s plenty of numbers that you’re all aware of, arguably, and Lewis is one of them.

Q: (Phil Branagan – Auto Action) Lewis and Sebastian, as Daniel sits here today, he doesn’t have a deal for 2019. What would you like to say to encourage him to join your respective teams next season?

SV: I don’t know. I’m sure he’ll find a seat so yeah, I don’t know what he’s up to or what he wants. I don’t know how much he’s asking but as I said… I’m confident he’ll find a seat. We only shared one year together, I knew him before that and we had one year together which wasn’t great for me, it was great for him. But anyways, I think we get along so I wouldn’t mind if we get together again in the future but I don’t know what his plan… I think he has a couple of options and I don’t think he needs to rush.

Q: Lewis, do you feel the same way?

LH: I would just say that an important thing is just really to look at the history of drivers and things that drivers have said in the past and try not to alienate the team that you’re in. It’s all good and while hoping at some stage to experience something new in another team but there’s a lot of people in our teams and it’s really important to keep them encouraged and focused on you as a driver, to help you achieve your goal and if you look at… there are some drivers of recent years who have made bad decisions in upsetting and rocking the boat and that so yeah, he’s in a great place still. Red Bull, I think, this year can really have a fighting chance to win the championship and the opinion of where you might want to go, if it’s not where he currently is, may shift.

Q: We have to have your rebuttal to that, Daniel.

DR: Well said, well said by both. Yeah, I feel like I’ve answered already so many like contract talks and we haven’t even got the first race of this year done so yeah, I’m just going to put all those talks on hold for a while and yes, this is a year which… obviously our prep’s been well, our prep’s been good and I really really hope that Lewis is right that we will have a chance to fight for a title and that will ultimately make me very happy and then we will then… I think, yeah, as Seb said, take my time and then see what happens in… ask me in six months’ time.

Q: (Gaetan Vigneron – RTBF) Last year the rules imposed numbers on the car, the name of the driver and so on. And this year, with the halo, it’s even impossible to recognise the helmets of the drivers. Is the drivers’ identification something you care about for the viewers, for the fans, for the TV commentators and do you have any suggestions to improve the situation?

SV: We should be allowed to design the halo.

LH: I don’t have a suggestion for it but I have noticed that you… it’s almost pointless of us painting the helmets nowadays so I’m probably going to get rid of my paint on mine. Saves weight but yeah, I don’t really have a suggestion for it. I’m sure they’ll come up with something.

Q: Is it important to you, was it important to you as a fan when you saw the drivers’ helmets coming out when you were a kid?

SV: Yeah, yeah, definitely and obviously we can’t negotiate the position of the halo, we can’t put it at the back of the car. I don’t know, maybe it should be up to us to design the halo, I don’t know. That could be an idea, just to add an element to what makes it different from the rest.

DR: Yeah, the only thing I could think of was putting something on the halo to distinguish teammates. I think we… is it the camera or the rollhoop or whatever that sometimes one driver has yellow so you can kind of tell a little bit there so maybe do something between teammates with the halos just to give fans a little bit of an idea who’s behind the wheel because yeah, you don’t really see the helmet now? We are pretty hidden. Yeah, that’s all I can think of for now short term.

March 22, 2018
F1 2018: Australian Gp Preview – Who will it be?

There are few things as sweet as the hope and eagerness that accompanies the week before the start of a new Formula 1 season. Right now every enthusiast’s expectation is sky high. Their optimisms and expectation ready to be encouraged or sunk by the unpretentious but all-powerful stopwatch.

On Friday morning the cars will trundle out of the pitlane and onto Australia’s Albert Park circuit for the first official practice session of the 2018 season. A warm, fuzzy feeling will fill your heart as a smile spreads across your face: F1 2018 is a go.

The famed part-time Albert Park circuit in Melbourne will host the season-opener for the 22^nd time. At 5.3 kilometers in length it remains somewhat of an outlier in terms of layout. As it utilizes public roads, and even part of a car park, it is more akin to a street circuit. These unique characteristics do have the ability to soften a car’s shortcomings as opposed to a track such as Bahrain’s Sakhir International circuit.

Twelve months ago in Australia Sebastian Vettel stepped onto the podium and Ferrari made a clear statement of intentions. Ultimately, 2017 didn’t go the way the Italian team would’ve predicted or wanted but they have learned valuable lessons from it. But Ferrari doesn’t start the 2018 season in quite the same standing as it did last year. A big question mark lingers over the Scuderia and if they have closed the gap to Mercedes or even fallen slightly off the pace. Pre-season testing was difficult to read but still many persist with the opinion that Ferrari is not in Mercedes’ league.

Instead it’s Red Bull who has seemingly made the bigger step forward. But still, despite the dynamite driver pairing of Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen, their biggest Achilles heel remains the Renault engine’s power deficit. However, if the RB14 is what its pre-season form has suggested then they may hit the ground running in Australia.

Meanwhile the midfield looks like it is poised to deliver some close racing as several teams find themselves in close contention. The surprise of this pack may be the American Haas team who appears to have made a step forward in almost all areas. Contrastingly, Williams and Sauber are likely to duke it out at the back of the grid.

For McLaren, who have endured harrowing reliability in pre-season, there will be nowhere to hide. So many of the team’s issues over the last few years were heaped onto Honda’s shoulders. However, despite having a new partnership with Renault the problems persist. Despite this Fernando Alonso and co are optimistic about the season and insist there is nothing to be concerned about.

We may pour over countless points of data and hundred of laptimes from testing and scrutinize every picture taken in the two weeks but the fact remains that the true pace of the 2018 contenders will only be revealed come race day.

March 22, 2018
F1 2018: Testing Diary, Week One

The first pre-season ahead of the 2018 has been one of the most difficult to read anything into. The main reason being the cold, even snowy, weather for much of the first week of testing at the Circuit de Catalunya.

Nevertheless, even though the fuel loads, engine mappings, and run plans are unknown to outside observers there is always something to learn from cars on track.

Mercedes

It is easy enough to assume that Mercedes has built a good car for the 2018 season. With the exception of a suspected oil or fuel pressure issue early in the week, there didn’t appear to be significant issues with the reliability of the W09. Though they hit the track relatively slowly as the week progressed so the car too began to come into its own. What was evident was that both drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, seemed to struggle with oversteer while in the process of heating the tyres. Naturally, it’s still a work in progress but Mercedes would be pleased with their work thus far.

Ferrari

In contrast, Ferrari seemed to start the week on the front-foot with a car that appeared to be an impressive step forward. The SF71H looked stable and showed no reliability issues whatsoever. As the test progressed however Ferrari seemed to stagnate slightly in its performance. There was no real improvement from the car that rolled out of the pitlane on day one. This could very well have been Ferrari’s run plan, which will make their performance in the second test all the most interesting. It is quite clear however that Ferrari and Mercedes maintain an advantage in engine performance.

Red Bull

It was a rather muddled few days for Red Bull. While the first day likely went according to plan much of the rest of the test session was spent fidgeting with aero parts. Similarly, Max Verstappen’s time in the cockpit was affected by fuel leaks and ending up in the kitty litter. The good news is that when it’s on track and running smoothly the Red Bull looks a good car. It may be early days yet but it is quite evident that the Renault engine is still somewhat adrift of the performance of the Mercedes and Ferrari engine.

Renault and McLaren

The Renault works team look to be the leaders of the mid-field after the first few days of testing. The car looks settled in the hands of both Nico Hulkenberg and Carlos Sainz Jr and appears to be a good platform to build from for 2018. While Renault may be topping the mid-field it’s likely only by a slight margin over McLaren. Fernando Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne’s new orange-and-blue liveried car looks quite solid and, most importantly, reliable with the Renault power unit now in the back of the car.

Toro Rosso

The announcement that Toro Rosso was partnering with Honda was a surprise given the Japanese manufacturer’s dire runs with McLaren. However, in stark contrast to 2017 the Honda engine ran with notable reliably. While the Toro Rosso didn’t set any headline grabbing laptimes it seems that the team and Honda are willing to work together which will be vital for their season prospects.

The second pre-season test commences on the 6^th of March ahead of the opening round of the season in Australia on March 25^th.

March 5, 2018
Formula 1 2018 Testing and Car Launch Schedule

As the weeks tick by we get closer to the car launches and pre-season testing.

Here’s the schedule of when the teams are launching their cars and when pre-season testing will take place.

2018 Car Launches

2018 Pre-Season Testing Schedule

February 5, 2018
F1 2018: Drivers Who Need To Perform in 2018

In the lead up to any new Formula 1 season speculations is rampant as to who has designed and built the quicker car. Beyond what the factories can deliver the expectations for drivers to perform are equally demanding and important.

For some drivers the pressure to perform is exponentially more than others. In fact, their F1 careers depend on it. In 2018 especially there are a handful of drivers that will need to up their game if they’re going to take the next step up in the careers or even remain in the sport.

Romain Grosjean

The Frenchman’s first foray into F1, with Renault, was a baptism of fire and he quickly disappeared back to GP2, now F2. He impressed by winning the GP2 title and found his way back into F1. However, while he was quick at the then Lotus team it was marred by several crashes and a subsequent ban from the Italian grand prix.

He bounced back and refined his race craft, which thrust his undoubted speed to the forefront. His time at the Haas F1 team started brilliantly as he took the American team to heights previously unimaginable for a new team. However, his last season was tarnished by brake issues and painted him as a bit of a moaner. Still, there is little doubt that if Haas can deliver the car Grosjean will deliver the speed and the points.

But if Grosjean has an eye on a seat at any of the front-running teams he needs to deliver in the car this season. Should a Lance Stroll or the newly announced Sergey Sirotkin not perform Grosjean would be a perfect fit for the Williams team.

Kevin Magnussen

It’s rather difficult to be sold on whether Magnussen has the potential to be great. His debut season with McLaren was a forgettable one and he hasn’t been setting the world alight in either a Renault or his current Haas.

In fact, he’s so far under the radar his name is never mentioned in relation to the top teams in the sport. The likelihood is that he’ll probably have a driver in 2019 but unless he blows away teammate Grosjean this season it’s highly unlikely that it’ll be at a top team.

Marcus Ericsson

Swedish driver Ericsson has been far from impressive in his F1 career. There is no denying that his presence on the 2018 grid is due to the fact that the Sauber team is now owned by Longbow Finance who count several Swedish investors amongst their ranks.

It remains to be seen how long the investors will keep backing Ericsson who hasn’t done much to show any sort of potential. He’ll be up against rising star Charles le Clerc too in 2018. If he doesn’t summarily outperform the youngster it could be the end of Ericsson’s F1 career.

Nico Hulkenberg

The German driver has been rated for many season in F1 and has won the 24 hours of Le Mans on his first try. Still a top driver eludes Hulkenberg and for good reason. While he is a solid driver his reputation suffered at Force India as he rarely got the better of teammate Sergio Perez.

In 2018, he’s alongside Carlos Sainz Jr, one of the hottest prospects in the sport. Given that he’s been in F1 for a number of years 2018 is an important season for Hulkenberg if he’s ever going to make his mark in the sport.

Stoffel Vandoorne

The Belgian driver has had a tough go of it with a Honda powered McLaren and the fact that he shares a garage with Fernando Alonso, one of the best in the business. While Vandoorne isn’t as pressed for time as a Nico Hulkenberg he does need to show his capabilities sooner rather than later.

There were glimpses in 2018 of his speed and he’s certainly consistent. And out-performing a driver of Alonso’s caliber will guarantee automatic recognition.

January 31, 2018
F1 2018: What F1 will look like in 2018

2018 is here and it brings with it the prospect of a new Formula 1 season. Though there is no great change in regulations the modifications for the 2018 season could still have a significant impact.

Aesthetically there is good news and bad news for the 2018 cars. The good news is that the T-wings and shark-fins will no longer feature thanks to a tweak of the aero rules. Like it or loathe it the halo head protection system is coming in 2018. There’s little doubt that the halo will make a significant visual impact to F1 but it’s not the only impact it will have. The two other factors that will have been giving several designers prolonged headaches is the effect it will have on aero performance and the weight addition. While the FIA has added 6kgs to the overall weight limit of the cars rumours are that the halo comes in at around 15kgs. This will likely force teams into trimming weight in other areas of the car.

One of the more preposterous rules for 2018 is the limiting to three power units for the entire 21-race season. It means that each engine will now have to last seven races. This, in the name of cost saving, means manufactures will need to balance reliability and performance on a knife-edge. With only three engines its likely inevitable that all teams will incur grid penalties at some point, including the frontrunners. The irony of it all is that money wont be saved on power units. Spare engines, gearboxes, turbos, etc. are manufactured and carted around the world anyway which means that no money is being saved. Instead the manner in which teams and drivers, and fans for that matter, pay is with absurd grid penalties.

Toro Rosso in particular will be hoping that Honda has solved its woeful reliability record as it starts its partnership with the Japanese manufacturer in 2018. While Honda’s performance saw a slight upturn with McLaren in the latter half of the 2017 season they still have a long way to go to catch up to Renault let alone Mercedes and Ferrari. The Honda partnership does make Toro Rosso a de facto works team, which means a plethora of perks, including a more than tidy injection of cash.

Elsewhere, McLaren and Fernando Alonso will be hoping that Renault has solved its own reliability issues that marred the end of the 2017 season. There is great expectation that bolting the Renault into the back of the McLaren will push it up the grid. How far they’ll progress remains to be seen. Sauber too are looking to recover from one of the worst season on record. They’ll be doing so with the signing of F2, formerly GP2, champion and Ferrari Academy driver Charles le Clerc. Despite jumping into the high-pressure cauldron of F1 there is high expectations for le Clerc who is considered one of the best young drivers.

Another boost to Sauber’s 2018 bid is a new technical and commercial partnership with Alfa Romeo. While the car will be decked out in Alfa red the link up also means access to Ferrari’s latest power units.

The Williams team has announced Sergey Sirotkin alongside Lance Stroll in their 2018 car. While Robert Kubica returns to F1 as the reserve and development driver for the team. It’s a big year for Williams as Paddy Lowe can begin to make the sort of impact the team needs to move forward. The question remains whether the team’s inexperienced driver line-up will be equal to the task. If not, someone like Romain Grosjean could well be lined up for 2019.

With all of this there are still many more scenarios, issues, permutations, and speculations for the new season. Will Mercedes be able to hold off Ferrari and perhaps even Red Bull? What of the intra-team battle between Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo? How far can McLaren go with Renault power? What impact will Pirelli’s remodeled tyres have on track?

January 22, 2018
OPINION: Going To Malaysia

Late last year I had the privilege of attending the Malaysian grand prix.

By the end of the 2017 season I will have been consumed by and have watched sixteen years worth of Formula 1, and that without missing a single race. This majestic sport called Formula 1 has completely fascinated and captivated me unlike anything else ever has. It has been the most incredibly joyous and exhilarating journey of my life and I am happy in the knowledge and belief that my love and passion for Formula 1 shows no signs of dwindling.

It has, so far, been an epic journey, that has included the creation of countless wonderful memories. From seeing the very first edition of Talking F1 in print, to meeting so many fans of the sport, to starting a broadcasting career, to being humbled and tremendously honoured with recognition for doing what I love.

In all of this time, and before my journalistic career commenced, I had always dreamt about getting see my beloved Formula 1 live. Ironically, there are always two questions that I get asked, without fail. The first is always Why Formula 1? I usually smile and say: Why not? It’s the greatest sport in the world. It has everything you could ever want and I couldn’t imagine my life without it. That, and I genuinely just love sharing things that excite me in the hope that it will do the same for others. The second question I get asked, unfailingly, is how many races I’ve been to. My answer has always been that I haven’t been to any races but that it’s my great dream to do so. The good news is that a few months ago I had the opportunity and privilege to attend the Malaysia grand prix.

Before setting off for Malaysia friends and family had asked of my excitement level and what I thought my reaction would be to finally seeing F1 in the flesh. The truth is I didn’t think much about it. I was eerily calm about the prospect of this finally becoming a reality. But I knew it would be the moment of a lifetime and I knew it was going to blow my mind and induce one of those out-of-body experiences I’d heard so much about. As a topped the stairs at the K1 grandstand and came face-to-face with Turn One I finally, truly, understood what the word surreal really means. There were tears and shaking too, how could there not be? I have, quite literally, lived every second of Formula 1 in the last sixteen years.

What I learned about F1 sitting in that grandstand was that joy and love for the sport was genuinely rampant amongst everyone there. Naturally, I was over the moon in meeting fans from all corners of the globe and to have every conversation be F1-centric. I discussed everything from Ferrari’s future driver line-up with two local Malay gentlemen at Friday lunch, to surmising that Hamilton would probably snatch pole with a lovely couple from Nottingham, to how great the Australian Gp is to attend with huge Danny Ric fans who’d braved a 13 hour flight from Oz to cheer on their favourite driver.

Funnily, I was somehow still working as I was keeping the crowd in my immediate vicinity updated with what was going on with times, and other various issues. I had a good chuckle at the fact that even 13 000 km from home, where no one knew me, I was still working as an F1 correspondent; with great pleasure I might add.

In the flesh the 2017 F1 cars are even more striking and certainly louder than they sound on television. I also experienced that while they’re not winning titles Ferrari is easily the most widely supported team. Amongst the drivers it was Kimi Raikkonen and Max Verstappen who evoked the biggest cheers from the crowd every time they ventured out onto track.

The biggest and most important thing I learned, or had re-established, is that F1 isn’t just a sport that people like to watch or attend every other weekend. Instead, it’s a passion, a religion of sorts that evokes great emotion and completely captures the attention of millions. This is the element that the circuit owner, the FIA, Liberty Media, teams, and fans should never lose sight of. At the end of the day Formula 1 for me, and so many others, is an experience that isn’t only seared into my brain but engraved in my heart.

January 4, 2018
The Year that was F1 2017

From Australia to Abu Dhabi the 2017 F1 season has inscribed moments, memories, celebrations, and lessons that will be well remembered.

Ferrari revival

As the cars rolled out onto the track for testing in early 2017 it was immediately evident that Ferrari had put together something special with its SF70H. It was beautiful, consistent and most importantly, fast right out of the box. Ultimately, Ferrari’s season ended on bittersweet note after often having the quickest car but failing to attain championship glory through mistakes and unreliability.

Specifically, it was the unreliability in Malaysia and Japan coupled with the error in judgment from Vettel in Singapore is what ultimately derailed their chances of taking the title. These incidents also overshadowed a season in which Ferrari had spectacularly resuscitated the prancing horse and made it a genuine championship contender.

It wasn’t solely the work of the engine department, or the designers, or the aerodynamicists, which made the 2017 Ferrari a great car. Rather, it was the combination of all facets of the team, which had undergone major reshuffling, which had made 2017 possible.

There is clearly some work still to be done but Ferrari finally has a plan in place that works. One that if refined could very well deliver titles in 2018.

Mercedes juggernaut

If Ferrari is to be commended for their 2017 season then Mercedes deserves even more praise. They faced a stern test from the Italian team in the first half of the season but showed their sublime class on every level.

Similar to Ferrari there was little doubt that the W08 was a quick car. But it’s the running of the team and the factory that set these teams apart. The most minute of details were considered and covered by the team proving that German efficiency is no myth. Through their microscopic attention to detail Mercedes proved that it takes more to win in F1 than building a quick car and that having the procedures and processes in place is what ultimately ensures victory.

New 2017 cars

New regulations ushered in significant change to the appearance of F1 as wider tyres and cars became the norm. The new look of F1 was an instant win as cars looked far more aggressive and quick than their predecessors.

Naturally, there are some kinks to iron out such as making the T-wing and sharkfin disappear for 2018. While some, read Hamilton, complained about the inability to overtake in these cars the truth is that while the Merc wasn’t conducive to overtaking there were a plethora of overtaking moves that will live on the replay reel for some time to come.

Lap of the year

Given the fact that Lewis Hamilton took the overall record for number of pole position it seemed obvious to pick one of the Brit’s quali laps as the best of the year.

But Kimi Raikkonen’s pole position in Monaco stood out as the best as the sheer commitment of the lap left most, if not all, in awe as he brushed the barriers around the famed streets of Monte Carlo towards one of the most memorable pole positions of his career.

Race of the year

The grand prix in Azerbaijan is likely one of the craziest races of the last few years let alone 2017. Blotted by several crashes and clashes the race neutralized several times by the safety-car. In one of these safety-car periods Vettel took offence to Hamilton’s ‘behaviour’ pulled up alongside the Merc and turned into the side of him. It was as controversial a move that’s been seen for the last decade.

While Hamilton, and some others in the ‘media’, called for a ban Vettel was given a ten second-stop/go penalty. It seemed Hamilton was cut-and-dried at the front until a loose headrest forced him into the pits. Still the order was far from sorted as the race resumed after a red-flag period. An audacious move into turn one on both Williams’ cars by Daniel Ricciardo gave the Aussie the lead and a victory that’ll go down as the one of the most chaotic ever.

Rookie of the year

Though Esteban Ocon had a short stint with Manor in 2016 at the start of this year he was very much a rookie. Most would’ve assumed that he was in at the deep-end with an experienced and quick teammate such as the Mexican Sergio Perez.

The relationship between Ocon and Perez was far from friendly and directly symptomatic of the fact that he’d gotten under the Mexican’s skin with his pace.

He pushed his Mexican teammate so hard that he began to unravel, Canada and Spa being the optimal examples of said Perez’ unraveling. Ocon scored points in all of two races in 2017 and finished eighth in the driver’s standings.

Driver of the year

Four times a world champion Lewis Hamilton is easily the driver of the year. But it isn’t because he picked up a fourth crown but rather how he went about it. While grand prix weekends such as Monaco and Russia show that it wasn’t a perfect season for Hamilton his relentless ability to churn out performances is astounding.

By the time he binned in quali at Brazil the championship had already been won and it was the solitary mistake he’d made all year. In the thick of the championship fight there was a relentlessness to the level of Hamilton’s performances that he’d never shown before. Despite having three titles and a decade of racing under the belt he showed his hunger for success. He’d stepped up yet another level that proved peerless in 2017.

December 13, 2017
F1 2017: Abu Dhabi Gp Review – Bottas Steps Up

In the blink of an eye the 2017 has flown by and the Abu Dhabi grand prix has brought the curtain down on another Formula 1 season.

The 55 laps around the Yas Marina circuit may not have delivered the most exciting race that’s been seen this year. Still, there were several important things to take away from the season finale. Not least of all was the performance of race winner Valtteri Bottas.

It’s nearly twelve months ago now that Bottas was catapulted into the Mercedes team following Nico Rosberg’s surprise retirement from the sport. The Finn started the season well enough but faded, dramatically, from contention in the second half of the year. His issues centered on the tyres the team said but it was evident that mentally he wasn’t on the level of the championship contenders.

Candidly Bottas revealed that he’d finally found ‘something’ in himself that aided his mental preparation during the grand prix weekend. It came together beautifully for him in Abu Dhabi as he first beat Hamilton to pole and then absorbed everything his four-time champion teammate could throw at him. And he did so on merit too. He won’t only take an enormous amount of confidence from this win but also the knowledge that he can beat his teammate in a straight fight. All that remains now is for him to do over an entire season. No pressure Valtteri.

While the two Mercs cruised up front Sebastian Vettel was confined to third some twenty seconds off the pace. It was a rather lackluster performance from Ferrari who never posed any threat to Mercedes in Abu Dhabi. Nevertheless, Vettel finished a remote third and for what it’s worth takes second place in the driver’s championship standings.

Despite Ferrari’s many mistakes and issues in 2017 they seem intent to commit ridiculous strategy calls to the very end. In a move that probably seemed like a good idea at the time a decision was made to under fuel Kimi Raikkonen’s car. Ultimately, it meant the Finn was reduced to fuel saving for almost the entire race. Besides the obvious time and focus Ferrari will have to invest in solving their reliability issues it’s clear that many other aspects of the team need to be, at the very least, rebuilt.

It wasn’t a great day for Red Bull either as the Austrian team’s season ended with a bit of a fizzle. While Daniel Ricciardo was forced into retirement with a hydraulic failure Max Verstappen could only finished fifth. In sixth place Nico Hulkenberg ensured that Renault leapfrogs Toro Rosso to finish sixth in the constructor’s standings. It’s an especially important result considering that Renault will in the region of R170 million for sixth in the standings.

Elsewhere, the two Force India’s of Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon finished seventh and eighth ahead of Fernando Alonso’s McLaren in ninth. In the final race of his F1 career Felipe Massa somehow brought his sluggish Williams home in tenth place. While no points are awarded for eleventh place finisher Romain Grosjean the Haas driver delivered a brilliant drive, which a stunning overtake on Lance Stroll. Sauber’s Pascal Wehrlein was equally impressive in fourteenth.

Although the season may have officially drawn to a close attention immediately turned to 2018 with the unveiling of a new F1 logo. The white and red logo, in use for the last 23 years, has been replaced with a more modern and dynamic design that adds some much needed freshness. Roll on 2018.

All images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport

November 27, 2017
2017 Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Post Race Press Conference

DRIVERS

1 – Valtteri BOTTAS (Mercedes)

2 – Lewis HAMILTON (Mercedes)

3 – Sebastian VETTEL (Ferrari)

PODIUM INTERVIEWS

(Conducted by Martin Brundle and David Coulthard)

MB: Valtteri, your third victory of the season, but surely the most important day in your racing career. In a straight fight you’ve beaten a four-time world champion, same car, same day. Pole position, fantastic start and you absorbed a lot of pressure?

Valtteri BOTTAS: It is a really important win for me after having a pretty difficult start to the second half of the year, working hard on all the issues and getting better and better with everything. This weekend, just, pole and win, couldn’t be happier to end the season like this. Again, congrats to Lewis for the title and congrats to Sebastian for the second place in the championship. I was third this year, hopefully better next year.

MB: Tell us what was going through your mind when Lewis kept closing the gap and then you were just managing it. I saw one tiny error down at the bottom of the hill, but you seemed to have it under control?

VB: You know, I was really managing the race, and that way the race, that was the feeling and that was a nice feeling. I had one bit of a lock-up when I was approaching one of the lapped cars, but otherwise no issues. In the last five laps I started to go a bit quicker and managed to build a gap, and really pleased. The car was so good. Again, for this season: team, thank you very much, I’ve really enjoyed it.

DC: Valtteri, congratulaitons. Lewis, you’re not used to second, but you gave it everything today it looks like?

Lewis HAMILTON: I did. Big, big congratulations to Valtteri, he did an amazing job today to hold me off. But it was a great race. I just gave it everything, every single lap. It’s very, very hard to overtake here, so once you get to last sector I struggled, but I gave it everything. I just want to say a big thank you to the team, both here and back at the factory. What they’ve produced for us this year is just incredible. It’s a real honour to race for them. And then to have this amount of support here, thank you everyone. All the British flags, I love you and appreciate you. Looking forward to coming back strong next year.

MB: Sebastian, you secured second in the world championship but pretty lonely race for you?

Sebastian VETTEL: Yeah, it was. In the beginning I tried very hard and I think I had as good start but then nowhere to go. I locked up a little but and flat-spotted the first set of tyres a tiny bit with that. But then, after three, four, five laps I just couldn’t go any faster and they seemed to pull away and from there onwards it was pretty lonely. But then I have to say, in the second stint I really got into the car, got into the rhythm and I think we had stronger pace in the second part of the race. But not good enough to match those two guys. Congrats to Valtteri, very happy for him, and again, very much congratulations to Lewis on his season. He deserves to win the championship this year, in the end. I hate to say it, he was the better man, so I’m sure we will do our bit over the winter and hopefully come back stronger. Lastly, thanks to all the fans, the support for Ferrari has been incredible, so thank you very much. Forza Ferrari.

DC: Valtteri, you’re quite reserved in showing your emotions but we saw some clips of your family in the pits as you were coming across now, what’s the feeling now, this sets you up for a great winter ahead of next season?

VB: You know, we Finns don’t maybe show emotion but it doesn’t mean we don’t have any. I’m so happy, there’s been so much support from my family and everyone. I can’t show it too much, but I feel good.

PRESS CONFERENCE

Q: Valtteri, think back to this race 12 months and how much your life has changed since, in unexpected ways. You’re a three-time race winner and do you feel now that you know what it takes to fight for a championship in 2018?

VB: Yeah, it is crazy to think that last year I was still here with Williams, knowing as a fact that I’m going to be driving 2017 with Williams, and now I’m here, winning a race with Mercedes. It’s a bit crazy, but life is. It’s been an incredible season for me in terms of how much I have learned with this team, with Lewis. I think every single race I’ve always been able to find something, especially from the tricky ones. Just based on one race win at the end of the year, I can’t say now that I know how to win the title. I’ve never done it before. I just need to go next year race by race but for sure this weekend gives me a lot of confidence. I had a good performance in the qualifying and today was very good. I’m really looking forward to next year and seeing what it brings but I will be working as hard as I can over the winter and I’ll try to have a strong one.

Q: Well done. Lewis, you seem very happy for your team-mate with his pole position and his victory this weekend. I guess there’s another side of the coin, which is you never want a team-mate to feel too strong going into next year’s championship. So is it a case of ‘well done, Valtteri, but in Melbourne next year it will be business as usual from Lewis Hamilton’?

LH: For sure. I think Valtteri did a great job this weekend, and also this year. To come into a new team is always difficult. It’s always a challenge to acclimatize, to get used to new people, new ways of working, so I think he’s done an exceptional job and to finish on a high is great. I think it was great to have the race that we had today as well. He didn’t really make any mistakes. I think we both had one mistake in the whole race. A lock-up for me in 17 and for him in Turn 5 but otherwise pretty much perfect, so and obviously with that pressure he did exceptional. But also for me it feels like a win for all of us. It’s a 1-2 for Mercedes, it’s a very strong win against Ferrari this weekend and we mean to continue next year. Of course going into next season, it’s back to business, but excited for the challenge ahead.

Q: Sebastian, I bet it’s nice for you to have some company after a fairly lonely afternoon for you. At the end, 19 seconds the margin, but pretty much the same pace as the Mercedes when you got onto the supersofts. What does thus result say about you and Ferrari’s challenge as we close the championship?

SV: What do you mean what does it mean?

Q: This isn’t really representative of the way you’re ending this season?

SV: Well, it’s a race. We took it all very seriously, so I think it’s serious. I think we had a strong year overall. Obviously we didn’t win, neither the Drivers’ nor the Constructors’, so we can’t be happy with that, because [it was] what we generally set out to achieve. Overall we were not quick enough. Simple as that. In the end you can break it down to a lot of details and this and that but overall the package wasn’t good enough but I think the positives outweigh the disappointments we had here and there over the year, because you must not forget where we have been 12 months ago and the incredible achievement that’s come together over the winter to set up this year, and throughout the season to keep improving the car, the engine, so a lot of work but overall but we saw today that we got a fair beating and couldn’t touch them in quali and in the race, so obviously there is lots for us to do better.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Heikki Kulta – Turun Sanomat) Congratulations Valtteri for the victory. Finland will be 100 years old in 10 days’ time. Is this some kind of present for your home country?

VB: I don’t have any other presents, so let it be! Let this be the present. Obviously, I’m a very proud Finn, very proud of where I come from. So, now for me it’s a great opportunity for me to say Finland happy 100^th birthday very soon. I always love driving under the Finnish flag and for all the people in Finland supporting me. So yeah, very proud.

LH: [to Heikki] How old are you? You’re one of the first Finns!

[Valtteri then repeats the above in Finnish]

Q: (Luis Vasconcelos – Formula Press) For the two Mercedes drivers. Lewis was faster in sector one and sector two for most of the race and Valtteri, you seemed to have a big advantage to make it all up in sector three and still gain a bit more. Was that a setup thing? And in Lewis’ case, you said you were not very happy with the changes that you made for qualifying. Did that reflect as well in the race, that you couldn’t get close enough and were losing on a sector where, traditionally, you’re very, very strong?

VB: I think, yeah, I could feel that sector three was good for me – but also it’s a track where it’s really difficult to follow in sector three. Once you get close there, I could feel with the lapped cars, how much you lose. I knew that Lewis was always going to be struggling as he got closer to me in sector three. I think Lewis has been strong all weekend in sectors one and two but for sure I think also the slipstreaming can help in the long straights for sector two. But yeah, for me, I could really control the race, everyone knows here it’s not easy to overtake.

LH: Yep, had good pace in the first two, the car was great today, the balance was spot-on and I did feel like I potential had maybe just a little bit more but obviously as Valtteri was saying you do get a bit of a tow down the straights – but once you get to the last sector it’s unfortunately a great, great track but not… it doesn’t suit the cars very well. In the last sector you just can’t follow. I don’t know if it was an exciting race for you guys to watch in terms of overtaking but it’s one of the worst tracks in the sense that you need 1.4s advantage to pass the car in front, and so, we’ve got the same car, we’ve a couple of tenths between us – so I was never going to overtake unless he made a big mistake and went off – and even then they have massive run-off areas and you can still keep it on. So…

Q: (Peter Windsor – F1 Racing) Sebastian, you make the car look great through the first sector, where I was watching the quick corners. I’m just wondering in the first stint where the Mercedes did get away from you. Was it a power thing perhaps, which translates into downforce or sector two, maybe sector three?

SV: Well, the first two laps were pretty good, I was able to follow and I thought, ‘OK, I can stay with them’, and it became apparent that in particular, I would say, the beginning of the second sector, the section around Five, Six, Seven, I think Five and Six they were faster than us all weekend. Straights, I think you benefitted from the tow even if you’re a bit further back to I don’t think it’s fair to say that they gain all the time in the straights. In the last sector they were very strong, so even if Lewis had to follow Valtteri closer than I was to Lewis, he was still faster than me in the last sector. So, I think that’s where it got away. I think in the final stint on the supersoft, overall we were more competitive, I felt happier with the car all around. So yeah, I just couldn’t… I hovered in terms of lap-time it was pretty much the same until the end of that first stint for us – but those two in front, they were able to just go faster with the fuel going down. That’s something I couldn’t do.

Q: (Flavio Vanetti – Corriere della Sera) To Lewis, first of all, which was, by your opinion, the key point of your season? The key aspect. And to Sebastian, with a victory in Singapore maybe you would have had scenario and maybe the story would have been different?

LH: I’d say the key points were… I’d say probably the first half of the season was maybe a little bit up and down in terms of extracting maximum performance out of the car. I think the Ferraris seemed to be a lot more consistent in that respect. I think in the second half the studying and the understanding of the balance, being really able to hit the nail on the head most weekends and get the car where I was able to exploit the car’s potential and my potential on a consistent basis was really a part of it. And of course, with that pressure applied, a bit like today’s race where you know, often in a difficult race like today, you’re applying the pressure, hoping that you can squeeze a little bit of a mistake from the driver ahead. It’s the same, I would say with the team: when teams are pushing right to the limit, you’re pushing, you’re squeezing every drop from the car, yet you’ve got to make it go quite a long distance in terms of life and reliability. I think that’s really where the stamina, I would say, of Ferrari was not the same as Mercedes. Nonetheless I think they had a great car and an incredible season and looking forward to the tough battles that we’re going to have next year. It’s going to be interesting to see what people turn up with on the first race – or the first test. But yeah, the second half of the season was really the turning point for me.

Sebastian?

SV: Yeah, for sure it makes a difference, if you finish a race rather than finishing it in the first lap but overall I think we had a good year. You have to be also fair, in the end Mercedes was better, they were faster – look at the amount of pole positions, of race wins. I think we had our chances, we used them, we had races were we probably got away with a good result even though it was on the edge. I’m thinking about races like Bahrain where we were very close to have a failure. We won the race in Hungary which I don’t think we were supposed to win with the steering failure we had during the race. We finished races that might as well have been, could have been a DNF. On the other hand we had other races where we didn’t finish. It’s obviously bitter because you’re not in the fight. That’s the frustrating bit about those races but they’re part of racing. So, that’s how it does sometimes. In that regard obviously Mercedes has been more consistent. The issues that they had, thinking about gearbox at the beginning of the year were less costly and happened to them on a Saturday or early in the weekend – but that’s how it goes. Overall I think it’s a straight fight and they just did better but again I want to emphasise the positives for us. Really the steps we were able to make. The way the team has grown together. I don’t think you always see the full picture. Maybe we are less vocal about it than other people as well – but in the end we do our job, and that’s what bought us here in the first place. If we keep doing that I’m confident that we can be in a better place next year.

Q: (Dan Knutson – Auto Action, Speedsport) Valtteri, you said you had things under control but was it tense in the cockpit or were you feeling kind of relaxed because as Lewis said, he was keeping the pressure on you?

LH: He’s a Finn. They’re just ice cold the whole time. Of course he’s so super focused.

VB: Of course he was close by all the time. I knew all it needed was one proper mistake and of course he wants to win so then he will take the opportunity. So I just needed to focus on my things really and get my stuff done. Go through the race, corner by corner, lap after lap. There was no panic at any point but of course I knew the facts but you only need one mistake. Like Lewis said, I think we both had one bit of a lock-up which can happen, I guess, but luckily it wasn’t too big a one.

Q: (Angelique Belkopytov – AutoDigest) Question to all three of you: finally on the podium we saw the new F1 logo. What is your opinion about that and do you agree with the change?

VB: I kind of like the old one. I only saw it very quickly.

SV: Just say you don’t like the new one!

VB: What’s wrong with the old one? I don’t know. I think it’s quite cool.

SV: I liked the old one better.

LH: The problem is logos… I think the one that we already had was an iconic logo I think. Just imagine Ferrari changing their logo, or Mercedes changed their logo. I don’t think the new one is as iconic but maybe it will grow on us.

Q: Lennert Wermke – Bild) Niki Lauda just retired as a TV pundit after 21 years with RTL; he just told the people live on air. Can you share some special memories with Niki being a TV expert with RTL?

SV: Well, he’s certainly been straightforward and direct and just himself, I think that’s why he had the job for 21 years you said? I’m sure he will be keen to give some answers also in the future, not worried about that but yeah, obviously he decides for whatever is best for him so… I don’t know. I didn’t hear all the stuff he said about me which maybe is good or sometimes is bad. Yeah, I think we’ve all been praised by him on TV and all been… the opposite of praise by him, live on TV. As I said, I think he’s very much appreciated for the job that he did because he’s outspoken and straightforward.

LH: Yeah, Niki’s… I hope he stays with us in our team but Niki’s been such a big influence or positive within the team and I think it’s great to have someone who is so informed about the sport. He really has a great great mind, the way he still thinks today, similar to how he raced. He’s got a great racing mind so to be able to… the benefit, for example, of him being on our team is having someone who understands what it’s like to be in the heat of battle, to make mistakes, to be on the limit, to push the car to the limit. He’s a real positive in our team. He’s always pushing, we need more time, we need more power or we need more downforce. He’s still pushing as if he was racing which is great. I’ve only ever heard positives from people who have been watching him on TV and the great thing is that he doesn’t beat around the bush like some may. To be honest, for me, he’s the legend in the paddock and he will continue to be.

VB: Yeah, I really agree with Lewis. We are lucky to have him in our team and every team needs at least one person who says things completely as they are and Niki is one of those persons and I think for the TV that can sometimes create some headlines, I think, but yeah, a lot of respect for Niki. I haven’t really focused much on who is working for which TV etc but just happy he’s on our team.

Q: (Heikki Kulta – Turun Sanomat) Lewis, you won your first championship with a Finnish teammate and now this one with Valtteri. How different was the challenge that your teammate presented?

LH: Err, as opposed to the previous time you mean? I mean, Jeez, that was a long long time ago, man. I think he still had grey hair then but… I’m kidding. I’m messing with you. I don’t really remember. I think they’ve both been… I got on really well with Heikki. We both were into golf at the time so we also had a really good relationship and I think it was definitely a transitional time for both of us and maybe a more difficult time in our lives because we were both younger and I would say for Valtteri and I, we are obviously older and wiser and more understanding of who we are and what we’re here to do and about the business and work ethic and all those different things. This has been an enjoyable… what I can say is that Finland always produces fantastic drivers and it will be interesting to see which Finn is coming next but at the moment you’ve got Valtteri at the forefront so I am going to work as hard as I can to keep him behind.

Q: (Darya Panova – F1 Only) How can you describe this season in just one word?

LH: One word… I mean epic? It’s kind of been epic, it’s kind of a boring word though isn’t it? Is there anything else, a better one? Historical? That’s kind of old. Can someone help us out?

SV: Satisfying.

VB: Disappointing.

SV: Really?

Q: (Graham Caygill – The National) Lewis, if you include the three races at the end of 2015 and the two here, you’re now, to coin the American phrase, 0 and 5 in races when you haven’t won after winning the World Championship in what we call dead rubbers. Now it’s not really the worst problem to have in the World…

LH: You’re confusing me now.

Q: What he means is that when you’ve wrapped up the title early, you’ve not gone on to win a race afterwards in that year.

LH: I’ve won a race in every single season.

Q: (Graham Caygill – The National) What I mean is after you’ve won the World Championship, in the races afterwards, because Nico won the last three races of 2015 after you wrapped it and Seb won in Brazil and Valtteri’s won here, so just really, I’m just wondering… because obviously it’s not a big problem but I’m just wondering, was it just circumstances led to that, means you don’t win after you’ve won the championship or do you think maybe your level does drop, maybe sub-consciously?

LH: I think in previous years it probably dropped more than this year. I think this year I’ve tried my hardest to stay more on it but I was doing other things, yeah, celebrating a lot so… I think I still drove relatively well but yeah, I wouldn’t say it was a hundred percent like it was whilst in the season. What can I say? When you’ve won you win, doesn’t matter with two races to go at the end, you’ve got to enjoy it so I do and try and still turn up and do the job. It’s just not so easy.

Q: (Peter Windsor – F1 Racing) Lewis, what was the grip like on your side of the grid?

LH: It was pretty good. I think it was quite equal. It felt like I got a slightly better initial getaway but then I got wheelspin which is always… I think it was just… I was too aggressive on the power or whatever. We were quite close into turn one but that little bit that I lost there I lost… we’ll look obviously, at the end, but I probably lost a good couple of meters. But I think it would… as I said, this is such a great place to have a Grand Prix. It’s such a beautiful place here in Abu Dhabi, everyone has such an amazing time. If there’s any way we can improve this track to enable us to have these battles… you’ve got these long straights where you can’t even get close enough to utilise them. If there’s some way where we can enable us to be able to remain closer in that third sector, I think this will go up in the rankings of a great circuit. I don’t know if they can do it but I know there’s money to do it but I just hope… I have hope for Abu Dhabi to get better.

Q: (Ysef Harding – Xiro Xone News) It’s time for the holidays, it’s time to take a break for a minute. What do you guys have planned during the off-season?

VB: It’s not yet time for holidays. We’re testing here next week, both me and Lewis and we’re going to be pretty busy for two or three weeks after that with different kinds of sponsor commitments and working with the team. I think before Christmas, for sure latest we will get some time off for a few weeks and for sure it will be nice to have some time…

LH: Sorry, there’s a fly on you.

VB: What did I say? Where was I? So it will be nice to have some time without thinking of Formula One, because everyone in this sport… it’s so intense, needs it, so definitely it will be nice to spend time with the family and for sure going to visit Finland.

SV: They call me Mr Miyagi as well. Probably find something to drink tonight and then sober up tomorrow, do the test, after that not much break. Obviously we’ve got work to do so I’m happy for them to go to holidays but we won’t. Certainly around Christmas there will be a bit of time to relax but yeah, I think we want to be in better shape next year so work on that and obviously, as I said, for the team it’s flat out from now, already the last few weeks it’s flat out. I think people are generally mistaken by… I don’t know, I got a weird call the other day at breakfast and here obviously the race happens later so I had breakfast at ten and there was a guy who said ‘I didn’t know that Formula One drivers had such a relaxing life.’ I don’t know what normal people do when they have breakfast, if they are running or exercising, so I don’t know. I didn’t get his point but I think generally if you think that from now until March we sit around questioning ourselves what to do. There will be some time to do some stuff that we’d like to do, follow some hobbies, get time at home with friends, family but yeah, I’m very hungry for next year.

LH: Yeah, I think it’s quite incredible how people might not realise but it is obviously a very long season for all of us, both for a racing driver and for a team. It’s very physical, there’s not really a lot of break. Whilst we’re not racing, you quite quickly have got to start turning around and preparing for the next season. A bit like Valtteri said, I don’t get a… I’m not going to be on my break until I think it’s 18^th, 19^th and then get to have Christmas with family and stuff but again, the cars will be faster next year, training needs to go up, efforts need to be doubled and so then you’ve got the winter testing that comes in, still quite a lot of appearances left to do so yeah, it doesn’t really seem to stop. Obviously we’re testing already for the next season in two days so it’s just crazy, Formula One just doesn’t sleep, it just keeps going, keeps moving on into… immediately now, development on this car’s already stopped probably some weeks ago and they’re already developing next year’s car and it will continue. The guys back in the factory are already 100 percent onto next year’s car. As soon as this day’s done, we are 100 percent focused on doing next year’s so that’s why Formula One… I mean particularly with these long seasons, it’s more and more demanding and harder and harder to do long spans like Felipe has done for example, Michael did. I’m looking forward to next year and like these guys, I know they’re going to be working to be fit and ready so I’ll be doing the same.

November 26, 2017