Tag: renault

2016 Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix: Wednesday Press Conference

DRIVERS – Jolyon PALMER (Renault), Romain GROSJEAN (Haas), Pascal WEHRLEIN (Manor), Max VERSTAPPEN (Red Bull Racing), Nico ROSBERG (Mercedes), Sebastian VETTEL (Ferrari)

PRESS CONFERENCE
We’ll start without most recent race winner, the youngest ever Formula One race winner at 18, and Holland’s first grand prix winner. What’s the reaction been like and are we now going to see an army of Dutch fans coming to grands prix?
Max VERSTAPPEN: Yeah, it was pretty crazy in Holland. Yeah, so the first Dutch winner I think it’s always very special, so I can call myself now the youngest and the oldest – something I’m the oldest in! Luckily, I didn’t go out too much in Holland on the streets, just enjoying my time a bit with family and friend but of course hopefully we’ll see more fans, that’s for sure.

Renault has a new engine update, which their senior engineer has said should be worth somewhere up to half a second a lap. How did you find it in testing last week and what’s the plan for using that engine this weekend and in the coming grands prix?
MV: I think it was a very positive step. I felt very comfortable with it. It was very positive that we gained so much, because it’s not so easy to find that out of a car. I’m looking forward to using it in Canada.

So it’s Daniel here and you get it for the first time in Canada?
MV: Yeah.

Thank you. Nico, world championship leader, coming to you, you’ve owned this race track for the last three years. Does winning here mean more to you than any other venue?
Nico ROSBERG: Yeah it does, because it’s my home race. I sleep in my apartment, get out the front door… I’ve lived here all my life, so it’s a very special place. Also, if there’s one race to win then it’s Monaco and the combination of all that makes it the most special race.

Obviously in Spain was the first time in your three-year title battle sequence with your team-mate Lewis Hamilton that you’ve taken each other out and both scored no points. Are you in a position now though, personally, with more experience of these tense situations to just put it behind you and focus on winning this weekend?
NR: I don’t know about experience playing into this, but for sure yeah it’s now a thing of the past, not thinking about it anymore. We’ve been through it and now looking forward. Just concentrating on Monaco and I want to try to win here and that’s that.

Romain, coming to you: first race of a double header, if you like, of French-speaking race venues. How excited, though, is the American Haas team about racing in the Monaco Grand Prix?
Romain GROSJEAN: Pretty much excited. It’s one of the races we wanted to do during the year. Of course having the first one… well, coming here for the first time is always a challenge, but on the other hand, it’s as well my home race – almost friends – so it’s great to be here. There’s a lot of support. Doing the track walk this morning was funny, we had cars stopping on the street asking for autographs and it made a mess. But yeah we had good fun and we’re looking forward to driving here.

Well, you had three points scoring results from the first five races, but I understand you’ve got a new chassis after some handling issues. Could you tell us a little bit about that and how you’re feeling about the overall development of your car?
RG: Yeah, to be honest we did a great job even though the results haven’t followed. We changed the chassis after the race in Barcelona because we have a big doubt about it and things felt better in the testing, so hopefully we can go back to a good car here and get the best of all the package.

Thanks you for that. Jolyon, a two-time race winner here in GP2 in Monaco. You’ve been finding some consistency in the last couple of races but you’ve not appeared to be all that happy so far. Is that accurate and if so why?
Jolyon PALMER: I’m pretty happy. I’m enjoying racing in Formula One. I’m happy to be back here as well, at a track that I love. I think I’ve just missed a little bit in qualifying in the last couple, but it’s been hundredths and a couple of tenths in Barcelona, but we had a lot of problems on Friday. Yeah, we had a very bad race in China and I didn’t race in Bahrain, but since then I think we are finding some consistency and it’s all coming together better.

Obviously you’ve got updates on the engine as we were discussing with max a moment ago, but also updates on the chassis as well, based on last week’s test. It seemed to give you a few tenths; do you feel a move a little bit up the grid is imminent?
JP: I think so. I think this track will suit us better already. I think the chassis is not too bad. We’re down on power but obviously Kevin has got the engine upgrade for this weekend, which will help already. The team are working really hard back in the factory to find a few tenths on the car and if we do that and a few tenths on engine then I think we’ll certainly moving up closer to the midfield and looking for points more regularly.

Pascal, coming to you, only driver to do two days of testing last week in Spain, you drove the Mercedes as well as the Manor. Did you pick up anything from that experience that might help you and Manor to progress?
Pascal WEHRLEIN: Of course I could see the differences between the cars. I mean, the day before I just drove the Manor and then the next day the Mercedes. But also last year I drove the Mercedes, so I know the differences between the cars, so that was nothing new for me.

You’re in a battle with the Sauber team, which will have big financial consequences for the team that comes out ahead at the end of the season. How does that battle feel from the inside?
PW: It’s cool. We are at the back at the moment and there is still a small gap to Sauber, but on some race tracks we manage to be quite close to them or even in front of them. That’s the target for this year, just to improve the care, to improve ourselves and manage to finish in front of them.

Coming to you Sebastian, of course a former Monaco Grand Prix winner, but it’s hard to believe that Ferrari hasn’t won Monaco since 2001, 15 year ago. Do you feel a strong desire within the team to put that right?
Sebastian VETTEL: Well, I think you could probably apply the statistics to many places. I think we all know that we want to bring Ferrari back to the top. Obviously the challenge is very difficult but the target is there, so then hopefully very, very soon you start having all these bad-sounding statistics and we rock up with a win from the year before.

You were third in Spain but clearly Red Bull had the pace to match Ferrari in Barcelona, and they have a power unit upgrade as we’ve been hearing. So is Ferrari now in danger of being involved in a battle with Red Bull for second in the Constructors’ rather than the stated aim of challenging Mercedes for the title?
SV: I think our aim is still looking forward and in that regard our aim is Mercedes. I think in Barcelona we had a bad Saturday, which explained the difficult race on Sunday, I terms of raw speed we should have been ahead but we weren’t. I said on the day well done to them and in particular to Max, but we move on. I think we have a strong package. We do have new bits here and there, so I think we obviously as I said want to make progress and want to make sure we close the gap to Mercedes rather than looking at what’s going on behind.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Heikki Kulta – Turun Sanomat)– Nico, how much would it mean to you to win here fourth time in a row, because only Senna has done it and especially after what happened in Barcelona?
NR: I’m aware of the statistics of course, but it’s not something I’m concentrating on or even thinking about, because, as I’ve said even in the past couple of races, what I want to do this weekend is try and win this race, just because it’s Monaco and I love winning here and that’s it. That’s only what I’m thinking about. That’s it.

Q: (Peter Farkas – Auto Moto) Nico, has it become absolutely clear what happened with you at the start in Barcelona, so you simply made a mistake by no putting the switch in the right place, and could you tell us how easy it is to make a mistake in that mental state in which you all are at the start, which is obviously a very nervous moment, and how do you prepare yourself both mentally and technically before a racing start, during the formation lap?
NR: What was the first part?

Q: (Peter Farkas – Auto Moto) Has it become clear that you made a mistake by not putting the switch into the ‘Strat 3’ setting, why were you not in the right engine mode?
NR: Because it was in the wrong position. It’s my job to put it in the right position and that’s it. Pretty simple. Not much more to say with that. In terms of formation lap and start, it’s the same as always. Of course you need to think about what you’re doing. There’s a lot going on and that’s it. You need to come up with ways of making sure that everything is done properly. That’s it.

Q: (Ralf Bach– Auto Bild) Nico, if you were the team principal of Mercedes, what would you tell both your drivers after the incident in Barcelona and before the Monaco race?
NR: When am I going to answer that? I’m not the team principal. That’s not my job to even think about that. I have enough to think about myself to try to win this race, with all respect. I don’t know what I should answer to that. What is your opinion?

MV: I would say keep going.

NR: I’m sure you would! What would you say Ralf?

(inaudible)

Q: (Jerome Pugmire – AP) Question for Max. From the outside you don’t seem to be feeling any pressure. You seem to take everything in your stride. Does the pressure get to you at all – especially now the spotlight’s on you because you’re the youngest winner of a race?
MV: I think every driver has pressure but I turn it into positive pressure. As long as you’re enjoying it and you feel happy then, yeah, I think it’s the most important to have success. At the end I always try to do my best. I think that takes a lot of pressure away as well.

Q: (Jonathan McEvoy – Daily Mail) To Nico. Have you a) spoken to Lewis since the race to discuss the events of Spain and b) when you get out to race this week will there be, from you, an obligation to race absolutely full out, not giving Lewis an inch – and if you need to shut the door on Lewis again, that you would do that?
NR: So, if we’ve spoken or not, as always that needs to be kept internally. What I can say is that, between the two of us, it’s a thing of the past now, we’re moving on with everything and the relationship is the same as before. Now, going out on track, I’m not going to be thinking about Barcelona. I’ll take the same approach as always – flat out and do what’s necessary to try to win this grand prix, which is what I’ve come here to do.

Q: (Leigh Diffey – NBC Sports) Sebastian, you rocked the motorsports world as a 21 year-old, could you share with us your thoughts on Max’s achievements as an 18 year-old.
SV: I was in Formula Three so I can’t possibly share… but, yeah, in both cases probably the circumstances were very new. It wasn’t an expected win, probably little bit less for me at the time – still I think you’re first grand prix win is something… you’re over the moon. Something very difficult to grasp. I’m sure he felt now how it was and he wants to do it again. That’s how I felt back then. It’s up to all the rest of us to ensure it doesn’t happen too often.

Q: (Livio Oricchio – globoesporte.com) To Max. Max, you did a great performance in the last race, no question, but most impressive was the way you controlled the pressure from Kimi and all the pressure from the crowd, from the media also. Did you make a special preparation for that or is it something natural? It’s inside you?
MV: To be honest I didn’t expect that so I didn’t do any special preparation I just put my helmet on, jumped in the car and suddenly I was leading the race. From there on you just try to do the best thing you can from the experiences you had before. The car was performing good as well, otherwise you can’t do those things. We had good traction out of the last chicane and I knew that was a strong point, so I was always trying to get a good exit and that gave me the race win.

Q: (Flavio Vanetti – Corriere della Sera) To Sebastian, is this the toughest place where to show the improvements of Ferrari?
SV: I think it’s one of the places where it’s difficult to read the strength of the car or weakness of the car. I think it’s a place where a driver can make more of a difference, a place where you need to have the confidence, as a driver in order to be able to make the difference, so of course it’s important which car you have, how confident you are but it’s probably more important here, the level of confidence, just going around, the trust in the circuit, because that allows you, compared to other tracks, let’s say, more normal race tracks, to extract a little bit more. So, I think the car is not as important maybe, as it is in Barcelona for example – or a normal race track.

Q: (Daniel Johnson – The Telegraph) Question for Seb. If I can take you back to 2010. You’ve been in a position yourself where you and your team-mate have collided on track and it’s had difficult consequences. Can you give us a bit of an insight into what that was like in the immediate aftermath and any words of advice to Nico on how to deal with it going forwards?
SV: I think everybody needs to decide himself what he wants to do – or not. I had a word with Mark back then, I always found that, yeah, if you collide none of the two is doing it on purpose because especially when your race stops. Yeah, I think it’s for everyone to handle and to decide how to handle. We had a very close fight until the end, we were talking about team orders during that year. Mostly for Mark because he was in a better place looking at the Championship. I was obviously not so keen to move over because I said I still have a chance to win – and then as it turned out obviously it was important – but all these things you never know in advance. I think it was also a different situation going into the last race with four drivers still being able to win the championship. Now it’s race [five]. They’re old and mature enough, Nico and Lewis. Whether they talked about it or not I don’t know, I don’t really care but it’s for them to manage.

Q: (Byron Young – Daily Mirror) Nico, what’s the big secret about whether you and Lewis have even talked? I could understand data being secret or car settings or engine changes – but the fact you guys have talked, that’s open information isn’t it?
NR: Because… of course I’ll try to give you as much information as I can because you’re writing for all of our supporters out there to have a good time and read some cool stuff – but there comes a point where at the same time we’re trying to keep a good spirit in the team and win lots of races. There’s a balance and some things are just better not to share.

Q: inaudible – Byron Young – Daily Mirror???

NR: I didn’t say it’s no comment. I just said it’s better to keep it internal, that part, and then I tried to elaborate on everything else.

Q: (Luigi Perna – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Question for Seb. Comparing this Ferrari to last year’s one, have you got the same level of confidence in the car? I mean the car speaks to you the same way as last year’s one?
SV: Yeah, I think we’ve made a step forwards. It’s what we said from day one. It feels simply more grip, we have increase the downforce, we’ve worked a lot of the kinematics of the car. I think we’ve done a very big step forwards. It is a lot better than last year but equally you need to accept the challenge, that other people have improved their cars as well. I’m sure if we would race with this year’s car last year we could win the Championship by a country mile – but it’s not the case. Equally, everybody else in the pitlane is probably telling you probably the same story. You need to be there when it matters. At the moment we’re still a little bit behind. But, as I said, our target and all of focus, here at the track and back in Maranello, everyone is to make sure we improve our car and we close the gap. That’s it really. Does it suit my driving style? I think so, yes. Does it suit us? I think yes. Are we quick enough yet? Not yet.

Q: (Jonathan McEvoy – Daily Mail) I actually had my hand up to ask before Byron made his remarks and I was going to ask something very similar. Maybe I can go about it another way. Given that it’s a media event – and I understand you normally answer everything very fully – but I don’t understand the reluctance to answer that. If we’re going to ask you things, that you could give us the answer when we’re not delving, I don’t think, into stuff that normally would be off limits. So I was wondering if you’re under instruction or whether you’ve had orders from above not to discuss that? That you’ve been briefed, in other words, not to do that?
NR: As you know, I always try to answer your questions and yes, of course, we’ve spoken together, as a team also. How to we approach these happenings and everything. But actually now, with respect to this exact answer now, no there’s been no discussions at all. I just feel like not discussing that, and that’s it. It’s pretty simple.

Q: (Ralf Bach – Sport Bild Motorsport) Pascal, last Tuesday evening, what did the Mercedes team tell you why you should test the car on Wednesday, what were the reasons?
PW: Because they couldn’t finish their test programme on Tuesday.

Q: (Louis Dekker – NOS) Max, two wins a row, how realistic is that and can you even be happy finishing sixth on Sunday?
MV: I will see. I’m going about it the same way as I did in Barcelona and we’ll see where that ends up. I think at the moment Mercedes still look very strong but we’ll try to find a really good set-up in the car and try to get very comfortable on this track because in the end that’s very important to go fast and we’ll see where it ends up.

Q: (Livio Oricchio – GloboEsporte.com) To all of you, for the first time we have the ultra-soft tyre for this race. What scenario do you predict for the weekend?
RG: It looks nice! I like the colour. I tried them in Barcelona on a test day after the Spanish Grand Prix. They looked alright and I think it’s going to be interesting this year how they perform here. We know Pirelli has been going for harder compounds from the previous years when they came in so we will probably be closer to something we knew back in the past but here again, Monaco is a special track and we really have to see how they behave here and then I guess Canada is going to be a different story again.
JP: We’ve never run them so it’s going to be the first chance for us but I think the supersoft was lasting well here, it’s very easy on the tyres so I expect a good step in grip, more degradation, the usual thing from a softer tyre. Something new for us.
PW: I’m looking forward to driving the ultrasoft here. We drove it in Barcelona in winter testing and I had a lot of degradation so it should be better here and of course, more grip, so I’m looking forward to it.
SV: Well we found out about the tyre in general. I think it’s a bit like asking a rabbit how his first date went, if it went well? Probably he will tell you it was great but didn’t last very long. I think that’s a little bit how the tyre felt in Barcelona which is always great if you have more grip but we will see how long it lasts.
NR: Just excited to have extra grip in qualifying. That’s it.
MV: Yes, I think it’s good to go a bit more aggressive on the tyre choice, especially here for Monaco. I think last year the soft was just too hard so yeah, I’m looking forward to it. Bit more grip, I don’t think it will be as big between the soft and the supersoft but at least you gain a bit more grip. We will see in the race.

Q: (Byron Young – Mirror) Nico, what did you and Lewis talk about? No, I know you can’t go there. Could you tell me the psychological value of a victory here in Monte Carlo because both you and Lewis like this race and you’re ahead in wins at the moment?
NR: It’s a great race to win. That’s it. It always gives a positive boost to win this race, for sure, but like any other race but this is just a little bit extra. I love racing here and I would love to win on Sunday.

Q: (Daniel Johnson – The Telegraph) Jolyon, you had your own teammate coming together in Barcelona. We didn’t really see much of it on the television. Can you talk us through what happened from your point of view and just secondly, are you fairly annoyed not to have been given the new engine here, because that’s going to hamper you quite a bit?
JP: Firstly, the incident was just turn 13 in Barcelona before the chicane and Kevin was coming on fresh soft tyres and he came from a little bit back and lobbed up the inside. It was quite an aggressive move so I ended up being forced off the track, cut the corner and kept the place but we’re fine. He apologised straight afterwards and it’s fine. We went to the stewards but already there was no real need to do anything about it.
And the engine? I would rather have the new engine of course but I didn’t test last week and I’m behind in the championship, so I think it’s normal that Kevin would get it for this one. I’ll get it for next time so I hope it’s good.

Q: (Jerome Pugmire – Associated Press) Nico, just want to ask you what impression Max has made on you as a driver, from your perspective, what you can see, what impression he’s made on you?
NR: I congratulated him on the win of course, it was awesome and a great job, especially coming for the first time in the car. It’s not to be underestimated, with all the things you need to do, and different steering wheels and everything. For sure that wasn’t easy. And great for F1 also of course, lots of news about that.

Q: (Peter Varkas – AutoMotor) Max, I don’t want to suggest that from here it can only get worse as you are 18, but after that spectacular win, what can be your realistic target for this season in particular? And how did you see the situation pace-wise between you and Daniel during the last weekend? In Q1 and Q2 you were quicker. In Q3 he has produced that surprisingly good lap but then in the first two stints you were quite on the same pace with him so how do you see it? Is he quicker than you thought, is he as quick or are you quicker than you thought?
MV: What do you want me to say? I think as a driver you always feel that you are the faster one, no? Daniel is a great driver, you can clearly see that and from my side, I was still getting used to the car, even in the race I was still getting used to the car because it was the first time I was doing a race in the car. We’ll see. I was feeling good. In the test, after the race, I again learned some very important things about the car, how to get it better for me in qualifying terms. But that’s all a process and it will only start to get better. Even here I will learn again and it will take a few races before you are fully comfortable with all the systems. And yeah, about the race, I won the race, we’ll see what happens now in the next few races. I just stay calm, try to do the best I can and from there on we’ll see what position that is. Of course Mercedes is still very strong so it will be difficult to beat them at the moment but we’ll do our best.

May 26, 2016
F1 2016: Monaco GP Preview – Can Merc Be Toppled in Monaco?

In one way or another the famous streets of Monte Carlo have featured in every one of Formula 1’s 66-year history. The scale and prestige of the Monaco grand prix is no less as it hosts the 6^th round of the 2016 season.

Several street tracks have come and gone in Formula 1 and some, like Singapore, has come to be well liked by drivers and fans. But there’s nothing quite as unique as the race on the sun-kissed streets of Monte Carlo.

In truth racing cars having been threading themselves through the tight Monaco streets since 1929. In 1950 the Monaco grand prix became part of the newly formed F1 world championship. Argentine driver Juan Manuel Fangio won his first championship race in an Alfa Romeo and would later become a five-time world champion.

It comes as no surprise that the most prolific winners around the famous streets are also the drivers who brilliantly conquered and defined their eras in the sport. Ayrton Senna leads the pack with seven wins while Michael Schumacher and Graham Hill have each taken five Monaco Gp victories.

Across its 78 laps the 3.337 kilometer Anthony Noghes circuit presents the most extreme challenge of concentration and skill seen at any time during a Formula 1 season. The blind rise up the hill after Ste Devote, Casino Square, Portier and the tunnel. The ultra quick left-right chicane just after Tabac at the entry to the swimming pool – all of it lined by barriers which leaves zero margin for error,” says Red Bull Racing’s Daniel Ricciardo. “I believe street circuits like Monaco bring out the best in a driver. It’s visible to the spectators who is running the fine line between risk and reward.”

Pirelli’s purple side-walled ultrasoft tyre compound will make its debut this weekend. Mercedes and Red Bull have chosen an aggressive strategy by selecting ten sets of the ultrasoft compound for the weekend. Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel have chosen nine sets each of the purple side-walled tyre.

But even the most shrewd tyre strategy could mean nothing as the tight, barrier-lined streets means that overtaking is at an absolute premium. Thus it makes qualifying more critical than at any other race. A mistake or problem in Saturday qualifying carries severe penalty and an unlikely chance of recovery on Sunday.

It is here, in qualifying, that Mercedes still holds a sizeable advantage. However, following the two days of testing at Catalunya, after the Spanish Gp, Sebastian Vettel is convinced that he fight for victory in Monaco where Ferrari last claimed victory in 2001. “I think Monaco should be a strong track for us, last year we were very competitive there,” he said. “Now we have improved the car in the areas you need for that Grand Prix so I think it should help.

But there is more than one team ready to challenge the Ferrari’s. McLaren’s racing director Eric Boullier believes his team has a chance at out-pacing Ferrari around the twisty circuit. While the Honda power unit still lacks power the characteristics of Monaco means it will not be as big a deficit.

A more realistic threat is likely to come from Red Bull. The team ran an ungraded Renault power unit at the two-day Spanish test and the result was positive enough to fast track the introduction of it. Originally scheduled for the Canadian grand prix the power unit will be introduced in Monaco. However, Renault is able to provide only one engine for Red Bull and one for Renault.

Will Ferrari, Red Bull or even McLaren be able to end Mercedes’ domination?

May 25, 2016
F1 2016: Spanish Gp Tyre Strategy

For the 2016 Spanish grand prix Pirelli nominated the hard (orange), medium (white), and soft (yellow) compound tyres.

The circuit de Catalunya in Spain has always dictated that track position is king. It was no different in 2016 as the two stop strategy of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen beat the the three-stopping Ferrari of Sebastian Vettel and the Red Bull of Daniel Ricciardo.

On the face of it, a three-stop strategy appears the quicker option as it allows a driver to keep his pace high without having to be too worried about tyre life. But the off-set of this wasn’t enough to overcome the deficit of having to make an extra stop.

Verstappen and Raikkonen mirrored each other’s strategies and made their final stop, for medium tyres, on lap 34 and 35 respectively. Though there was some concern over the tyre’s ability to last for the duration of the stint both Verstappen and Raikkonen were easily able to reach the chequered flag. Though Raikkonen spent most of the closing laps just half a second behind Verstappen he was unable to overtake the Red Bull.

It was here in 2012 that then Williams driver Pastor Maldonado held of Fernando Alonso to secure his only F1 win. Though Alonso was in the faster car in 2012 as Raikkonen was in 2016 neither were able to overtake.

Sebastian Vettel’s short middle stint on the soft tyre, and subsequent early stop, allowed him to jump Daniel Ricciardo for third. Although Ricciardo pitted later and challenged Vettel for third on fresher tyres he was unable to make it stick. Riccardo was forced into a fourth stop as his left-rear tyre let go with one lap remaining. But such was the pace of the front four that the Australian was able to limp back to the pits, make a stop, and still rejoin ahead of fifth-placed Valtteri Bottas.

Renault’s Jolyon Palmer and Kevin Magnussen were the only two drivers to run the orange-walled hard tyre in the hopes of gaining position while others around them made more stops. Palmer ultimately finished thirteenth while Magnussen followed in fourteenth.

Here is a look at all the driver’s tyre strategies:

May 16, 2016
F1 2014: Spanish GP Review – To The Max!

It’s old and outdated but never has it been more true – to finish first, first you must finish.

The two front-row starting Mercedes’ of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg know this saying well but putting it into practice became entirely too difficult. The teammates dramatic collision in turn four put them both out of the race on lap one.

Rosberg snatched the lead from pole starting Hamilton but had started the race in the wrong engine mode. While he fiddled with his steering wheel Hamilton saw his opportunity to regain the lead of the race and attempted to pass the German going into turn four. Rosberg, down roughly 17kph in his setting, saw the move and moved over crowding Hamilton. The reigning champion took the grass, lost control of his car and slammed into Rosberg.

The incident was investigated after the race but no penalties were forthcoming.

From the camera shots you could say that Rosberg’s move was a tad over-aggressive. But because Hamilton only had his front-wing alongside the rear-wheel of Rosberg’s car the number 6 Merc was within his right to make the defensive move. But come what may this is one of those incidents that will divide opinion and having each driver’s fans blaming the other as the guilty party.

Although this incident was dramatic it blew the race wide open. Between Red Bull and Ferrari it delivered a Spanish Gp that will be remembered for decades. Daniel Ricciardo now led the way from newly promoted teammate Max Verstappen and the fast-starting Toro Rosso of Carlos Sainz.

The Ferrari’s of Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen made relatively quick work of Sainz and were now turning a quicker pace that the two Red Bulls ahead. Ricciardo pitted first on lap 11, Verstappen and Raikkonen a lap later and Vettel on lap 15.

Though Ricciardo and Vettel still led on the road after the first round of pitstops they strangely opted for a three-stop strategy. The Red Bull and Ferrari stopped again on 28 and 29 respectively relegating Ricciardo and Vettel to third and fourth. After their third visit to the pitlane Vettel was able to jump Ricciardo’s Red Bull setting up a great duel between the two for the final step of the podium. The Aussie tried a couple of bold moves to snatch third from Vettel but his left-rear tyre gave up with one lap to go. Such was the frontrunners pace advantage that Ricciardo was able to pit and still finish fourth.

Up ahead Verstappen and Raikkonen successfully ran a two-stop strategy. By now Max Verstappen had already become the youngest driver to lead a race and was now facing severe pressure from Raikkonen for the win. For twenty laps Raikkonen hounded the back of the Red Bull, half a second away from victory. But the 18-year-old soaked up the pressure, never put a wheel wrong and delivered a superbly controlled drive.

Sebastian Vettel made it a double podium for Ferrari in third ahead of Ricciardo. Much further down the road Valtteri Bottas brought his Williams home in fifth ahead of am impressive performance from Carlos Sainz in sixth. Sergio Perez finished seventh in his Force India ahead of Felipe Massa’s Williams in eighth. Jenson Button scored two points for McLaren in ninth while teammate Fernando Alonso was forced into retirement. Dannil Kvyat scored the final point on offer in the Toro Rosso.

The 15^th of May 2016 could’ve been just another day that hosted just another Spanish grand prix. Instead it’s been etched into the history of Formula 1 to be forever remembered as the day that 18-year-old Max Verstappen came of age.

May 16, 2016
F1 2016: Spanish GP Free Practice 1 Report – Vettel Quickest

Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel set the fastest time in the first free practice session ahead of the Spanish grand prix.

The first free practice session got off to a rather quiet start at the Spanish Circuit de Catalunya. The reason for the lack of urgency is likely because teams and drivers are well acquainted with the circuit that it often used a test venue.

As the drivers set about their business the Force India of Sergio Perez was pulled back into the pits with a smoking rear end. Esteban Ocon, subbing for Jolyon Palmer, was unable to set a flying lap in the Renault. The French driver only completed six laps before being confined to the pits with a reliability issue.

Midway through the session Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen set a time of 1:24:089 which is already quicker than the 2015 pole position time. All eyes were on the Red Bull garage as Max Vestappen headed into his first session with the senior team. Verstappen ended the session sixth fastest with a time of 1:25:585. Meanwhile Daniil Kyvat, back in the Toro Rosso, finished twelfth on the timing sheets with a 1:26:583.

Sebastian Vettel’s quickest time of 1:23:951 was set on the yellow walled soft tyre ahead of teammate Kimi Raikkonen on a 1:24:089. Neither Mercedes driver opted to use the soft tyre and persisted with the white-walled medium tyre throughout the session.

Final Free Practice 1 Standings:

May 13, 2016
2016 Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix: Thursday Press Conference

DRIVERS:

Fernando ALONSO (McLaren)

Lewis HAMILTON (Mercedes)

Kevin Magnussen (Renault)

Carlos Sainz (Toro Rosso)

Daniil Kvyat (Toro Rosso)

Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing)

PRESS CONFERENCE

Q: Fernando, a good result last time out in Russia with sixth place. Do you believe you’re closing in on the Williams-Red Bull battle? What development steps can we expect from McLaren-Honda here this weekend?
Fernando ALONSO: Yeah, I think the car is improving and we are getting more and more competitive in the races. I think the next grand prix will be a good one for us, so here in Barcelona, Monaco, even Canada should be a little bit better than what we did in China and in Russia in terms of layout. Yeah, we have some high hopes for us at the moment to keep this momentum and keep growing together to more competitive positions and yeah, I think we have some updates for this race in terms of aerodynamics, most of them. We’ll see how the weekend goes but we are probably much more optimistic than one month ago.

Q: How is the enthusiasm for Formula One here in Spain at the moment – with you and all that you’ve done and obviously now Carlos coming through?
FA: I think it’s still OK. Definitely it’s a little bit lower than 2005-6-7 when we had a 45 minutes queue to come into the circuit. It’s still quite high and I think the people are still loving the sport – but definitely there is a little bit less enthusiasm about the races because with the television not being available for everyone, just with a pay channel etcetera, probably is a little bit less viewers, a little bit less media attention. But I think we have good days and it’s still quite popular.

Q: Lewis, second at the moment in the Drivers’ Championship but in four starts in 2016 you’re yet to finish the opening lap in a front-running position. It’s hard to believe – so is this the weekend when we hit the reset button?
Lewis HAMILTON: That’s the hope, of course! Who knows? We’ll wait and see.

Q: There’s still a long way to go, obviously, in terms of your challenge for a fourth drivers’ title – but in the battle with Ferrari do you feel that, despite whatever upgrades they bring, you’re able to keep them at arms’ length. Is that the way it feels to you?
LH: No, I think Ferrari are constantly improving their car. I think this weekend they’re obviously going to have some upgrades, as you would expect for Barcelona. I think they’ve been very, very close up until now. They’re going to continue to strive. They want to win; they’ve very, very hungry – as are we. I think we do have the power as a team to continue to develop, hopefully at a similar, if not the same rate as they are. So, of course we can always try to keep them at arms’ length but who knows how it’s going to go.

Q: Kevin, breakthrough result in Sochi, 17th to seventh. What’s that done for morale – yours and the team’s?
Kevin MAGNUSSEN: Yeah, for sure it’s made everyone happy to finally get some points on the scoreboard but we’re not fooling ourselves to think that’s our level. It was a little bit lucky with a lot of people having problems on the first laps and one of the Toro Rossos not finishing the race towards the end. So, as I said, we’re not fooling ourselves to think that’s our level. We need to improve quite a bit before that will be our level – but, as I said, it’s nice to get points on the board.

Q: It’s clear to see where your challenge lies. Both Renault’s have been knocked out in Q1 at the last three races in a row. What have you got in the pipeline to address that?
KM: It seems qualifying is our weak point. It looks like people can turn things up for qualifying that we can’t. So that’s one thing to work on. It’s not the only thing. We are behind on a lot of different areas and we just need to improve overall – because the situation we’re in at the moment is that we have a car that hasn’t been developed continuously all last year and we’re picking up on everything now. We need to be patient but at the same time need to work extremely hard because we need to catch up on people who are also improving. I think this last result shows that it is possible to score points and if anything happens like a first-lap incident, we need to be there and ready to take advantage.

Q: Carlos, coming to you. Obviously, despite optimism that you’d have a reliable package this season with which to get consistent finishes and points, you’ve yet to really have a properly clean weekend. Tell us about the start to your season.
Carlos SAINZ: Yeah, it’s been definitely a very tricky start where we definitely had the pace, we definitely had the speed but just because of one thing or another the final result hasn’t come together yet – but I am optimistic that, from now on, from Barcelona we can press also a bit the reset button and start getting the results we deserve because definitely the pace, the speed is there.

Q: There have been some significant changes of personnel obviously on the driving and the engineering side at Toro Rosso. Can you give us your perspective on that?
CS: Yeah, I think there have been many changes in the team but I don’t get to analyse them much because it’s not my job change engineers or to change drivers. I fully trust on what Toro Rosso and Red Bull have decided to do and I think it’s for the best of the team, for the best of the engineers, the personnel in there and already you can see some refreshment in the faces. I’m convinced it will just go on better. To have Daniil we can probably fight now for the P5 in the championship that was the main target since the beginning of the season.

Q: Let’s get into that then. Daniil Kvyat, one of those changes obviously involves your return to Toro Rosso, moving from Red Bull. Daniil, we’ve all seen the statement from Red Bull about why this move was made – but what are you telling yourself about it and where you go from here?
Daniil KVYAT: Well, I think obviously the decision in a way was a bit of a shock also for myself. It is what it is at the moment and I think I’ve always been giving my answers on the track and I think nothing will change. I will try to give as loud an answer as possible on the track. There are 17 races remaining, I’ve come back to Toro Rosso, the team for which I raced in 2104, a team I really like a lot, the team that I’ve felt over the last few days is giving me a very warm welcome, which I’m very grateful for already, now I can feel the atmosphere is very positive in the team. The goals are clear – for the team and for myself – and I’ll be pushing absolute limits on the track and I will be giving my answers there.

Q: Looking back, do you feel you moved to Red Bull too soon?
DK: I don’t think so, I really don’t think so. Like I said, if we look at what happened three weeks ago, or whatever, I was standing on the podium and then suddenly there were a few decisions made around – but like I said, the bosses make them and I have nothing else but to accept them and do my best job possible now in the team I am with – and it is Toro Rosso. It should be OK – but I think I have done everything correctly until now. And nothing will change from my side.

Q: Let’s have the other side of the story. Max Verstappen, obviously you’re replacing Daniil at Red Bull. A racing driver is always going to accept a chance to race closer to the front – but how to you evaluate both the opportunity and the risks involved in this move so early in your career?
Max VERSTAPPEN: To be honest I’m very happy with the chance they have given me. I’m racing for a top team now, so that was always the plan what I wanted to do. And yeah, with the risk, to be honest I think it was a bigger risk to be so young in Formula One but I’ve handled it pretty well. From now on it’s just getting used to a new car, which is not easy in the season, but already with the things I’ve done in the factory, already they’ve given me a lot of confidence. Of course, a lot of procedures to learn again but it will come race-by-race and I’m definitely going to enjoy it.

Q: You now have your new team-mate Daniel Ricciardo as a benchmark – but you can also learn from him. How do you see that relationship evolving?
MV: For sure he’s a great guy. He’s very fast on track and has a lot of experience in the team. I will try to learn a lot from him.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Mike Doodson – Auto Action) Max has been quoted as saying he couldn’t sleep for three nights after he got the news of his promotion. My questions for the two world champions here, can they remember races in their career about which they were particularly apprehensive in the days leading up to them?
LH: It’s hard to remember back, it’s been a long time now, I’m a veteran. For sure the first race, the first race in a new team. Honestly, every season you’re a bit apprehensive: you’re a bit… you have that nervous buzz of a new car, a new beginning, a new opportunity, so for sure I can imagine how the feeling is for him.

Fernando?
FA: Not really. I don’t think that I ever had that kind of stress. Obviously there are some more or less important races and you feel the moment – but normally in my case it would be on Sunday when you do the drivers’ parade, when you jump in the car for the practice start – you know it’s an important race to deliver. But the week before… no big issues.

Q: (Simon Lazenby – Sky Sports) Question for Max and for Dany. We’ve heard the statements as James is saying but what reasons were you given by management for the swap and did you both have prior indication that this might have been an option for 2016?
MV: I think it was pretty clear in the comments they have given to you. From now on, I’m just very happy with the chance they have given to me and I’m going to enjoy this season and from there on we’ll see for the future.

Dany?
DK: There was no real explanation to be honest. I think if the bosses want something to happen, they just make it happen. Simple as that.

Q: (Livio Oricchio – globoesporte.com) Daniil, if you carry out very good work now in Toro Rosso, do you think it’s realistic to believe that Marko and Horner could take you back to Red Bull? And also, if you are putting your focus on developing very good work and thinking in other teams?
DK: Well, obviously first things first. I think now it will be important to first make a good work. These remaining 17 races will be very important and I believe then, let’s just wait and see. To be honest there would be anyway a lot of thinking I think from anyone. First good work and then we see.

Q: (Sacha Roos – Sky Deutschland) Question for Dany. How difficult is it for you now to look in the eyes of Dr Helmut Marko and Christian Horner – because they’re blocking your career.
DK: You know, obviously, first hours after that of course you have been thinking a lot, and then the work started and then I fly to the factory, I see Toro Rosso people, which are very motivated and very hungry. And I’m now extremely hungry, and to be honest I don’t see it as blocking. You have to take the most positive moments now because actually there are a lot more positive moments now than anyone can imagine I think. I take it as a golden opportunity with Toro Rosso. And, like I said, I really like the team, I really enjoyed working with them, most of the people are still the same and I believe we can do a really good job. And then once the good job is done, there are more good opportunities to come. I think you always have an opportunity. I think you always have something to fight for.

Q: (Cristobal Rosaleny – Car & Driver) Carlos, after one year and almost a half with Max with more or less the same performance level, although points have not shown the same, what do you that they have put Max and not you in Red Bull?
CS: I don’t get to evaluate the performance of each driver so easily. That is done by my bosses at Red Bull. Now my time… I appreciate what Red Bull is going quite a lot, that is to put young talent into a Formula One team. As soon as you do a good job they show you the confidence, they give you the chance and now it’s my time to fight more than ever for that. I have, as Dany said, 17 races ahead to give the maximum out of myself, to fight for my chance as much as I can. I’m sure that if I show the same speed I have now with a bit better results my chance can come.

Q: (Jonathan McEvoy – Daily Mail) Daniil, I was wondering what you believe is the real reason why you were dropped? Do you feel they looked for an excuse to drop you or do you feel that there was genuine reason enough to do it? What is your understanding and what explanation was given to you as to the reasons why you were dropped?
DK: First of all, I think the word ‘dropped’ still a bit heavy because I still get quite a good chance from Red Bull with Toro Rosso. So, I think it’s a positive thing. Secondly, like I said, I feel like I’ve done everything for the team. I feel like I’ve been bringing the points, I’ve been bringing all the development work. We’ve been working well together. So, to be honest, I don’t really think so. It’s a question for other people who made the decision. I think they can give a better answer to that. I really don’t see any reason. It’s for them. A question for them.

Q: (Daniel Johnson – Daily Telegraph) Questions to Daniil and Max. Daniil, given what’s happened to you, do you think that Max deserves your old seat and Max, do you think Daniil deserved to lose his seat?
MV: I think that’s not up to me to say who deserved it or not. I’m happy with the chance they’ve given to me and I will try to make the best of it. We’ll see where it ends up.

DK: Well, there’s no point discussing this, especially from my side. I think now what’s ahead, in front of both of us, is a lot of hard work because we’ve both changed the team and I think the people around us will also be able to evaluate how good a job we are both capable of doing in these circumstances. It will be interesting to see who will be able to work better and harder to bring in the results to both teams we are now with. Let’s just wait and see. The season is very long.

Q: (Giorgio Terruzzi – Il Corriere della Sera) Question for Lewis and Fernando. What do you think about the Red Bull decision to change the drivers?
FA: They changed the drivers? [to Lewis] You knew it?
LH: No!
FA: I guess it’s up to them. It’s definitely a surprise after Race Four. They’ve been doing very good job promoting drivers and discovering new talents and giving the opportunity. So, it’s the way they do it, and they’ve been doing a very good job in the past, so we’ll see.

LH: erm… yeah… I think obviously ultimately it’s a good opportunity for one and for the other very unfortunate. Red Bull has done well in bringing young talent forwards but I think they need to be aware that young drivers need time to progress. Mistakes do happen, there’s so much pressure on drivers, particularly at a young age. Especially when you’ve not done a lot of years in the lower classes, you’ve come quite early in, there’s so much to learn. A lot of pressure on the shoulders I think to take a driver out of a role with a team where he’s comfortable and move into another one. It’s a difficult position to be in. Do I agree with it? It doesn’t really matter – but it’s definitely not something I would particularly do.

Q: (Alan Baldwin – Reuters) Carlos, one of the reasons Dr Marko gave for the switch between Max and Daniil was that it also sorted out the relationship in Toro Rosso between you and Max. Could you perhaps give us more details about why that relationship between you and Max wasn’t working?
CS: I think the personal relationship Max and I have is not a big issue honestly. I think we both always maintain the respect off the track and I think we showed it at every moment. I think it’s more a matter of a team perspective of how the team was working and that’s where Franz Tost and Helmut Marko take the decision. But from Max and myself there was always respect, there was always good vibes with each other. Obviously we were fighting a lot on track, we were always very very close to each other and there were always some battles going on but they stayed at the track and out there it was just a matter of engineering, of just not being a comfortable team and that’s why they decided to take this decision internally.
MV: I think we still need to plan when we’re going go-karting together.
CS: We were just talking – before coming in here – about that we were going to go go-karting in one week together so that shows that it really stays on track.

Q: (Sergio Alvarez – One Magazine) Next year’s rules will bring an extra bit of downforce, if it is to be believed. From a physical point of view, have you talked to your trainers about any changes in your respective regimes?
KM: I haven’t spoken to my trainer about it. I don’t think it’s going to change a huge amount – I mean the training bit. I hope the cars will be faster. From my point of view, it will be great to drive a Formula One car three seconds faster so we will see what it does to overtaking and stuff but I’m looking forward to it.
Q: Fernando, obviously you drove the cars plenty in the days when there was much more downforce and faster, so how do you feel this is going to equate next year compared to what you had in the past, physically?
FA: I don’t think it’s going to change too much, probably a little bit more physical to drive the cars but nowhere near what it was in the past, probably, eight or ten seconds faster. I remember we could not even go onto the podium after some races and it was tough for everyone. Now I was ready to race with two broken ribs. You can even race… whatever. Even after winter testing, preparation is not needed normally.
LH: It’s just interesting, listening to… It’s going to be more physical so you just have to train a little bit more. We’re all in the same boat and unfortunately it’s probably not going to make a big difference to the racing but hopefully it will, probably won’t.
MV: I’ve never driven faster cars than I’ve driven now but for sure you always do a lot of work-outs. You just have to adapt to it but I don’t see big issues with that.

Q: (Ralf Bach – Auto Bild Motorsport) Max is it right and the truth to say that after you moved to Red Bull now, you’re safe in the Red Bull family and other teams have to stop talking to you?
MV: Well, I’ve always been very happy with Red Bull and now of course they’ve given me the chance to be in their top team. There is also no reason to change, is there? I’m very happy with them, I think they are very happy with me and we just try to continue like that.

Q: (Andrew Benson – BBC Sport) Daniil, one of the reasons Helmut Marko gave was that you were not handling the pressure from Ricciardo well enough. Do you think that’s fair?
DK: Well, the pressure, talking about pressure. I think I’ve been part of the Red Bull family for seven years and I don’t see it as a big problem of course. I think other people around me also had pressure and I think, talking about myself, no, not really. I don’t think it can be the biggest explanation to be honest.

Q: (Andrew Benson – BBC Sport) Lewis, would it be fair to say you’re worried about the gap to Nico at the moment? And if not, what’s your mindset going forward?
LH: It is what it is, so there’s no point in being concerned, I’ve just got to work hard to move forward. I have less engines than Nico, less than probably a few of the drivers, so I’ve just got to do what I can with what I have and for sure, it’s a steep mountain to climb but I love a challenge, so I’m kind of excited about it.

Q: (Jon McEvoy – Daily Mail) To Max and Daniil: have you spoken much about the switch and if so, what sort of things did you say to each other?
DK: Well, no, we’ve been… obviously we saw each other, I think that’s enough and I think… what can we say? We both have to work hard now, as I said before. I think there’s no point in wishing luck, luck never brought anything, only hard work and that’s all, I think.
MV: Yeah, I think there is not much to say about that to be honest. Now it’s just up to us, we have to work hard, we have to deliver on the track. Not much more to add, to be honest. It’s all pretty clear.
Q: (Jon McEvoy – Daily Mail) Did you speak to each other?
MV: I saw him at lunch, yeah.
DK: And I saw him now.
MV: Sitting next to each other.

Q: (Ben Hunt – The Sun) Daniil, who told you about the demotion, if you like? Who was it who actually broke the news and where were you when you found out?
DK: I was in Moscow, I was lying on the sofa, I was watching a TV series and then the phone call comes. It was “hallo, well, we have some news for you” and I think there was a 20 minute talk about… I wanted and I think I deserved an explanation. I got to know many interesting details, I must say, which I think I will keep to myself for now.
Q: (Ben Hunt – The Sun) Who made the phone call?
DK: Dr Marko called, he made the phone call. We finished the talk and I went back to finish my TV series, that’s all.
Q: (Jon McEvoy – Daily Mail) What was it?
DK: TV series? Game of Thrones.

Q: (Ben Hunt – The Sun) And Lewis, just to ask you about your engineers, new mechanics. Have you spoke to the team about getting the ones that worked on your car last year back on your car for this year?
LH: No, I have no intention or any wish to move around, there’s nothing to do… the issues we’ve had have had nothing to do with the mechanics. They’ve been doing a fantastic job both for Nico and I over the last three and a half years. That is not a concern and that’s not something… I’ve got a hundred percent belief in this team and in those guys. This is really just hoping that I’ve had a bad share of luck, I guess, with the failures, but hoping that will move forward and you will get to see the results of their hard work, because they have worked so hard to integrate with me and vice versa on my side of the garage and we have a huge amount of respect for each other. I’m looking forward to trying to deliver something spectacular for them.

Q: (Li Chun – LeTV) To the three gentlemen in the front row, if the three of you were to fight it out for the World Championship tomorrow, who do you think would have the better chance to come out on top?
CS: Well, it’s a bit of a… It doesn’t make much sense. I think if you ask every driver on the Formula One grid or every professional sportsman, they think they are the best. I think I am the best and I’m sure if you ask these two gentlemen or these three behind me, they will say the same.
DK: Well, I think tomorrow is a good day to start of course, but yeah, let’s see. It’s not going to happen this year, I think, so we will have to wait and see. Driver development is something that happens all the time and there are so many circumstances, so many details that first of all have to happen, that you get to Formula One and then to win the championship is another thing of course. Every person, like Carlos said, every driver is a very confident personality usually and has a strong self-belief and of course I know that to get everything right and the best out of it, I don’t have any doubts really.
MV: One thing, we are not fighting for the World Championship now but the positive thing is that I’m still very young so I have a lot of years ahead of me.

Q: (Livio Oricchio – GloboEsporte.com) Coming back to the subject that Lewis mentioned, that drivers need time to develop themselves, so many things to learn in a top team, do you think you will have time or will it be like Daniil that you don’t have this time properly?
MV: Well, to be honest, I think so far that Red Bull has guided me in a very good way and I’ve felt very comfortable and I think that if you are very comfortable you can perform and if you are very happy you perform even better so a happy person and a comfortable person is always performing better and at the moment I’m like that and I hope to keep it that way. I think at the end, it’s not up to raw speed, it’s more the experience around it, but that’s just by doing every Grand Prix, step by step and that’s getting better all the time.

Q: (Daniel Johnson – The Telegraph) Daniil, you suggested earlier that you didn’t really feel that you got much of an explanation for why the swap had been made with Max. I wonder what you inside think the real reasons are for why you and Max were swapped round?
DK: Obviously, you know, it’s really hard to say, exactly. Like I said, it’s not really a question for me because it wasn’t my decision, first of all. To me I was working, I was giving my best ever race. Yeah, we had another very difficult start of the season. I didn’t even manage to start the Australian race again, two years in a row. There were strange things going on in Bahrain. Well, I believe that since China, really, I picked up a good pace, that it was coming, that it was a little bit similar to last year but it was getting better and better, race to race and qualifying in Sochi was already very competitive and the race pace was also getting better, so to be honest, we know that Formula One is a very general sport, sometimes hard work, sometimes what you do on track is also not enough, so let’s wait and see. Like I said, I learned quite a lot in the last few days, last few weeks and it’s made me very strong and I feel very strong now and I’m looking forward to showing with Toro Rosso now, with a team that supports me and with a team that I feel that we have a lot of unfinished business together and I think we should finish it together.

Q: (Angelique Belokopytov – Autodigest) So Lewis, you were saying a few minutes ago that young drivers have to take time to have some practice. But you started in a big team, a few others started their careers in smaller teams. So I’m asking for your opinion, for a young driver, which is the best way to start? Small or big?
LH: I don’t think there’s a clear answer to that. For me it worked perfectly to go into a big team but I did a lot more years in lower categories than some of the others have, I probably have a few more years than the two ahead of me have but I’m just meaning that it’s really important not to hold a young driver back. They’re going to grow in their own time and some take longer than others. Some are really quick at learning and some take longer, they need to make more mistakes. I remember my first days in the car and I crashed my first day of driving. It was really really difficult, those first processes but of course the team can make a big difference in how they help but I do really just hope for Daniil. We’ve got two fantastic drivers here, I just hope that in this manoeuvre it doesn’t hinder either of their… I hope it doesn’t hinder either of their careers because they’ve got bright futures ahead of them and too much pressure, too much stress, too much expectation too early on can lead the wrong way and that’s what I want to say.
Q: It might be interesting to get a perspective from Fernando on this because obviously you did have that time, didn’t you, you started with a smaller team and then you had a development year with Renault before racing? What’s your thoughts on that?
FA: I didn’t expect any questions. I probably agree with Lewis’s comments. It’s difficult, I don’t think there is a mathematical formula to know exactly what is the best way. You need to benefit from both scenarios. I think if you start in a small team, you can grow up a little bit in a more relaxed environment and try to learn a little bit with less stress and less pressure. If you start with a big opportunity, it’s also good for yourself because you can show your talent immediately and you can make a big impact on the sport and have a better future after that so… the important thing for both of them is today’s topic that both of them race many many years in Formula One because they have the potential talent to be Formula One World Champions one day and I really hope the best for both of them.

Q: (Barna Zsoldos – Nemzeti Sport) Daniil, in Sochi, in the middle of the race, Sebastian went to Christian Horner complaining about you in front of all the TV cameras. What do you think about this spectacular gesture? Do you take it personally and would you act the same, vice versa?
DK: What happened in Sochi has already happened. Of course it was a messy lap one. I spoke with all the people involved and we’ve all had our points of view on that. It’s left behind, between me and Sebastian, there are no problems at all, after that. To be honest, I don’t know how is their relationship so if he went to complain or whatever, I don’t know and to be honest, I’m not too interested in what he said and I think everyone has the right to go and say what he thinks, especially if you know someone quite well enough to talk about it, so I don’t have any strong opinions on that episode really.

Q: (Valenti Fradera – El 9 Esportiu de Catalunya) Having seen the performance of the medium tyre at this track during private testing, do you think we will get to see the hard tyre at all on Sunday?
KM: Don’t now, we will see. I don’t think it’s the most likely tyre to be raced on but we will see in P2 most likely.
LH: As far as I know… I mean I don’t even know what tyres I have to be honest. I doubt it, it’s not the best tyre here, it’s going to be the mediums…
Q: You’ve got one set of hards.
LH: Yeah, it’s not the best tyre for this race. I don’t think anyone’s going to use it.
MV: It’s a very nice colour, isn’t it, the orange, so probably maybe we will have a run on them. I like the colour.
Q: Incidentally, you inherit each other’s tyres, right? That’s the way it works. So you (Max) inherit the tyres that he (Daniil) selected.
MV: But that’s fine.
DK: I think it’s the team’s choice, no? So the team is chosing the tyres, so I get now what he had and I have what he had, but I get to keep the points. I like to keep my points. And the podium.

May 12, 2016
F1 2016: Spanish GP Preview – All eyes on Spain

Traditionally the first European race of the F1 season sees a raft of updates made to the cars. It’s no different in 2016 as teams look to take a crucial step forward at Spain’s Circuit de Catalunya.

Red Bull Racing dropped the bombshell a few days after the Russian grand prix that Dannil Kvyat and Max Verstappen would swop seats. Ostensibly, the move appears to have been made following Kvyat’s attempt at playing bumper cars with Sebastian Vettel in Russia but there’s a fair bit more at play than that.

For one, Russian driver Kvyat hasn’t been that impressive in the Red Bull alongside Daniel Ricciardo. Then, there’s that incident with the Ferrari in Russia. However, neither of these two things are enough to warrant a demotion to the junior team. Drivers go through indifferent patches and make mistakes but they aren’t dropped at the first sign of strife, usually. Romain Grosjean’s troublesome season at Lotus and Pastor Maldonado’s F1 career is testament to the fact that teams usually stick it out. But not in Kvyat’s case.

The incident in Russia is nothing more than an excuse to promote Verstappen from Toro Rosso into the senior team. While the teenaged Dutch driver may be singing Red Bull’s praises and swearing that he’s never looked elsewhere for a drive we know better. Despite being in only his second F1 season it’s obvious that Verstappen has enormous potential. This makes him a hot commodity for other teams and there’s no better way to keep him close than to move him to the senior team. Well played Red Bull.

What a difference twelve months can make. In 2015 Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg arrived at the Spanish grand prix under pressure to perform. This time around he arrives at the fifth round of the season with four race wins under the belt and a dominant lead over teammate Lewis Hamilton in the standings. Now the questions shifts from can Nico do it to can he keep doing it? The German is convinced that Hamilton will hit back soon and he’s likely right. However, it’s also a great mental space Rosberg to operate in – take it one race and one lap at a time and don’t take it for granted.

Besides a bit of brooding on the Russian Gp podium Hamilton has appeared decidedly chilled, even apathetic, to his dreadful run so far in 2016. But don’t be fooled by his supposedly indifferent approach. The reigning champ more than has the skill to hit back hard and just needs to find the sweet-spot for it to be unleashed.

From the Ferrari garage the hope is that the performance deficit in the last race was specific to the circuit. It could’ve been given that the Russian circuit is power dominant. But though they may be closer in Spain it will extremely tough to beat the Silver Arrows around Catalunya.

McLaren, already vastly improved in 2016, is planning to introduce a significant upgrade to their car this weekend. They hope that a new floor, wings, and various bits of other bodywork will be enough to propel them into the top ten in qualifying and a solid points score with both cars.

The Haas F1 Team will run the upgraded Ferrari engine, introduced in Russia, in Spain. The Renault team will run an updated version of their front and rear wings in the hopes of upping their game in a tight mid-field battle.

Seven drivers on the current grid have won the Spanish grand prix and thanks to its status as a test venue everyone knows their way around these parts. But as familiar as they are with the Circuit de Catalunya it doesn’t do anything to lessen the challenge.

May 11, 2016
F1 2016: Russian GP Review – Rosberg Wraps Up Win Number Four

If you were a neutral there wasn’t much to enthuse about in the Russian grand prix. But these days’ neutrals are few and far between. And even a true neutral would have to be impressed with the spellbinding way in which Nico Rosberg has won the Russian grand prix.

While Nico Rosberg led serenely away from pole position and Kimi Raikkonen snatched second from Valtteri Bottas the carnage behind started to unfold. Sebastian Vettel, recovering from a five-place grid penalty, was attempting to pass Daniel Ricciardo’s Red Bull for fifth when Daniil Kvyat rammed into the back of him. As if to compound matters Kvyat rammed into the back of Vettel a second time in turn three. The Ferrari speared off into a wall prompting a colourful tirade over the German’s radio.

Kvyat’s catastrophic exuberance resulted in damage for both Red Bulls and the Force India of Sergio Perez and prompted the deployment of the safety car. Through the shower of carbon fibre and expletives Lewis Hamilton emerged in fifth. The Brit was forced to start tenth after another power unit issue in Saturday qualifying.

At the restart Bottas was able to get the better of Raikkonen and snatched second as Hamilton made his way past the second Williams for fourth. He took advantage of Raikkonen’s poor exit off turn three and quickly made it third place on the track. Bottas held off Hamilton until the first round of stops but was unable to resist as Hamilton took second place with a move up the inside of turn two.

By now Rosberg, untroubled in the lead, had built a near fourteen-second gap. Once in clear air Hamilton reduced the gap to 7.5 seconds before being warned of a water pressure issue. In the end Rosberg’s domination ended in a fourth consecutive victory by 25 seconds over Hamilton. Roughly six seconds down the road Raikkonen completed the top three and rather sedately scored Ferrari’s 700^th podium.

Bottas finished a distant fourth ahead of Williams teammate Felipe Massa in sixth. Fernando Alonso scored his first points of the season with a fine sixth place ahead of Renault’s Kevin Magnussen in seventh. Romain Grosjean salvaged an eighth place finish for Haas ahead of Sergio Perez in ninth. Jenson Button made it a double points score for McLaren by taking the final point in tenth.

It’s difficult to say that the Russian grand prix revealed everyone’s true form. Yes, Mercedes are still clearly the leaders of the pack but in modern Formula 1 several factors conspire to control the pace of a driver. For Kimi Raikkonen it was the necessity to save fuel that stopped him from pushing the Ferrari to its full potential. For Hamilton yet another power unit issue halted his assault on victory. “There wasn’t a doubt in my mind” Hamilton responded when asked if he could’ve won the race.

As it were Hamilton, in the unfamiliar bridesmaid role, sulkily made his way through the podium ceremony without bothering to spray the champagne. While Hamilton’s mood was understandable given his issues so far in 2016 it was unbecoming of F1’s “best ambassador” as he has dubbed himself.

The 1^st of May commemorated the death of the great Ayrton Senna 22 years ago. A driver who when truly tested delivered the very best of himself and his abilities. A driver who typified what a champion ought to be.

The character of a true champion isn’t revealed as he basks in the glory of win after win. True champion character is revealed in how a driver responds in the difficult moments. For two years Nico Rosberg deferred to Hamilton but now he has responded with the sort of tenacity that, if maintained, could carry him all the way to championship glory.

(All images courtesy of Pirelli)

May 2, 2016
F1 2016: Russian GP Free Practice 1 Report – Rosberg On Top

Nico Rosberg set the fastest time for Mercedes in the first free practice session for the 2016 Russian grand prix.

All eyes focused on Red Bull Racing as it trialed the aeroscreen for the first time. The aeroscreen is Red Bull’s offering for head protection to be introduced in 2017. The aeroscreen was run for only one installation lap as team principal admitted that it has a “huge impact” on the car’s cooling.

The two Mercedes of Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton set the early pace in the session. With Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo and Williams’ Valtteri Bottas rounding out the top four early on. Williams teammate Felipe Massa was unable to set a time due to a gearbox issue. The Brazilian did make his way out for an install lap in the second half of the session. Mass eventually ended the session with the fifth quickest time.

Nico Rosberg set the quickest time overall, a 1:38:127 followed by teammate Lewis Hamilton on a 1:38:849. Both drivers used the red-walled supersoft tyre to set their fastest times.

Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel set the third quickest time, a 1:39:175 ahead of the sister Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen who set a 1:39:332. The Ferrari’s quickest times were set on the yellow-walled soft tyre.

Mexican driver Alfonso Celis took control of Nico Huldenberg’s Force India for the practice session. Elsewhere Sergey Sirotkin ran the first free practice session for Renault in place on Kevin Magnussen.

Final Standings for Free Practice 1:

April 29, 2016
F1 2016: Chinese GP – Rosberg Makes Hay In China

For years we’ve been frustratingly calling for Nico Rosberg to up his game. With a third win out of three in 2016 he’s done it.

The German driver effortlessly converted pole position into victory as the chaos unfolded behind his Mercedes. However, it was second-placed starter Daniel Ricciardo who snatched the lead of the race off the line in his Red Bull. Behind this pair the two Ferrari’s of Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel, starting third and fourth, looked set to challenge for the race win until Vettel barged into the side of Raikkonen to avoid the sister Red Bull of Dannil Kvyat on his inside.

Although Vettel recovered to second place in the end it was a sloppy race for the four time champion. The clash with teammate Raikkonen caused damage to his front-wing which was required replacing. But it would be damaged again as he tried to find his way passed the Williams of Valtteri Bottas.

Visibility in F1 car is limited but into such a tight corner Vettel should’ve been aware of Raikkonen on his outside given that he started close to him on the grid. Though the German did his best to shift blame to Dannil Kvyat the Russian driver was well within his rights to place his car alongside Vettel’s Ferrari into turn one. Kvyat eventually finished third and despite a confrontation with Vettel after the race wasn’t unhappy at all to secure only the second podium of his career.

Raikkonen’s front-wing damage and punctured tyre meant into turn one meant he had to crawl around the entire lap to make it back to the pitlane. It dropped him right to the back of the field and onto an alternative strategy which had him running on the white-walled medium tyre in the middle stint of the race. The Finn had shown great pace throughout the weekend was able to resist an attack from Hamilton on quicker tyres. It left the soft, yellow-walled, tyre for the final stint of the race and with it Raikkonen was able to make up enough positions to ultimately finish fifth.

Even Lewis Hamilton was involved in the mess of the opening lap. After starting last following an overnight power unit change the Brit also lost his front-wing and sustained damage to his barge board into turn one.

In the lead of the race Daniel Ricciardo’s hopes evaporated as he picked up a left-rear puncture on lap three. Ricciardo was able to recover to fourth. If it wasn’t clear before why both Mercedes and Ferrari refused to provide the Red Bull team with an engine from their shed it is surely clear now. The 2016 Red Bull car is a great chassis, with two great drivers and all they’re missing is a great engine.

Debris from Ricciardo’s blown tyre prompted the deployment of the safety car and drivers took the opportunity to fit the more durable soft and medium tyres. Behind Raikkonen in fifth Williams’ Felipe Massa was able to hold onto sixth while Hamilton had to settle for seventh. Toro Rosso’s Max Verstappen finished eighth ahead of teammate Carlos Sainz in ninth and the second Williams of Valtteri Bottas rounded out the top ten. Despite numerous incidents throughout the race all twenty-two cars saw the chequered flag at the end of the race.

Since the start of the 2016 season things haven’t been going Lewis Hamilton’s way. Less than ideal starts off the line, unreliability, and damage early in the last two races have severely tested the champion. He’s response has been to remain remarkably cool about it all. However, three victories and a thirty-six point lead in the driver’s championship for a perfect Nico Rosberg is getting to be a bit tight. It’s a good thing Lewis Hamilton likes a fight because he has a big one on his hands now.

(Featured image courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport)

April 18, 2016