F1 Madness

Tag: Valtteri Bottas

  • F1 2016: Belgium GP Review – Chaos and Calm of Spa

    F1 2016: Belgium GP Review – Chaos and Calm of Spa

    The 2016 Belgian grand prix may have had a familiar victor at the end of its 44 laps but little else was as predictable as Nico Rosberg on the top step of the podium.

    The German Mercedes driver was in prime position after securing pole while teammate Lewis Hamilton was confined to the back of the grid after accruing several dozen penalties for a litany of power unit changes.

    Rosberg made the most of his starting position to lead into turn one while chaos erupted behind him. The start was going well for Kimi Raikkonen who started third in the Ferrari enabling him to challenge front row starter Max Verstappen for his second place. But it transformed into a shower of carbon fibre moments later as Sebastian Vettel attempted to drive around the outside of both Verstappen and Raikkonen and made contact with his teammate. It was a daft move from the four-time champion, which utterly devastated Ferrari’s afternoon.

    There is an argument that Verstappen was the culprit in this incident as he positioned his car inside of Raikkonen into turn one. But given Raikkonen’s vast experience as exceptional spatial awareness he would’ve recognized the Red Bull on his inside and opened his steering to avoid a coming together. But he was unable to do so with Vettel turning into him from the other side. While Ferrari has experienced several unfortunate and uncontrollable reliability incidents throughout the year their own hand has inexcusably exacerbated it.

    GP BELGIO F1/2016The race had just begun to settle down as Renault’s Kevin Magnussen lost control at the top of Eau Rouge and slammed into the barrier with an enormous impact. The Danish driver exited the cockpit of his car only with a slight limp that was later confirmed as a cut to his ankle. The crash displaced the tyre-wall, which prompted race director Charlie Whiting to red flag the race in for repairs to take place.

    By this stage, and after the carnage of the first few laps, Hamilton had made his way through the field to fifth behind McLaren’s Fernando Alonso in fourth. The red flag meant that Raikkonen and Verstappen’s damaged cars could receive much needed attention in the pitlane and all drivers could made adjustments if so inclined. While Verstappen received a new front-wing Raikkonen’s engineers were frantically trying to fix the plank underneath his car by bonding it with duct tape.

    The race resumed with Rosberg in the lead and Daniel Ricciardo in second. The Red Bull driver was able to keep the Merc honest for the majority of the race but eventually finished second, 14 seconds adrift. Miraculously, Hamilton had worked his way up to third by the time the flag dropped. While Rosberg may have taken the honours on Sunday Hamilton should be over the moon with his performance. Not only does he still hold a 9-point lead in the standings but the Brit now also has the advantage of three new engines for the remainder of the season.

    GP BELGIO F1/2016Nico Hulkenberg completed an impressive day for Force India with fourth while Perez finished fifth ahead of a recovering Sebastian Vettel in sixth. Fernando Alonso ran an impressive race for McLaren to finish seventh ahead of Williams driver Valtteri Bottas in eighth. After being a lap down before the red flag Raikkonen was able to recover to ninth ahead of Felipe Massa in tenth.

    The Formula 1 paddock crosses the Belgian border to Northern Italy for one of the most passionate races on the calendar at Monza. Ferrari’s recent form doesn’t provide much hope for their ardent Tifosi but an engine upgrade for the most power-hungry circuit on the calendar could provide a boost.

  • F1 2016: German Gp Review – Hamilton Surges, Rosberg Falters

    F1 2016: German Gp Review – Hamilton Surges, Rosberg Falters

    After the Saturday qualifying session Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg was on top of the world after delivering a stunning lap, for pole, under extreme pressure.

    But the German’s euphoria on home soil was short lived as teammate Lewis Hamilton rocketed into the lead of the race. Hamilton went on to taste the sweet success of victory at the German grand prix while teammate Rosberg stumbled at home.

    Not only did Rosberg fall behind his teammate but also both Red Bulls of Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen. For several fleeting moments it appeared that Rosberg would have the pace to recover to second place. But the afternoon went horribly pear-shaped for the Merc driver. In an attempt to overtake Verstappen he tried an Austria-esque move, which, again, didn’t pan out. It resulted in a 5-second penalty and despite being in the cockpit of the most dominant car on the grid Rosberg slunk home in fourth place.

    After the Russian grand prix Rosberg had a 43-point lead over Hamilton. But now we’ve seen a 62-point swing in Hamilton’s favour.  There’s only so many times you can accept losing points to a teammate before it becomes awkward. Yes, there is still half a season to go but this dramatic swing in points will do nothing to quell the questions Rosberg’s psychological make-up.

    GP GERMANIA F1/2016Red Bull Racing completed a satisfactory day at the office with their first double podium since the 2015 Hungarian Gp. Ricciardo led home teammate Verstappen and ensured that Red Bull head into the month-long break ahead of Ferrari in the constructors standings.

    With 5th and 6th for Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari have big concerns heading into the summer break and are now behind Red Bull not only on points but also in terms of raw pace.

    Nico Hulkenberg delivered the best Force India could hope for with seventh place while drive of the day belongs to McLaren driver Jenson Button in eighth. The Brit summarily out-performed his highly acclaimed teammate Fernando Alonso who finished twelfth.

    It was easy to discern the great spirit of the two McLaren drivers from the radio comms between them and their pitwall. It hasn’t been easy for these two champions to endure this car but it does reveal a great deal of their passion for racing for still being as spirited as ever behind the wheel.

    Hamilton now leads the driver’s standings by 19 points. There is no doubt that Rosberg is a talented driver but the questions and doubts about his mental strength will be raised once more.

    (All images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport)

  • Nico Rosberg takes German GP practice hat trick

    Nico Rosberg takes German GP practice hat trick

    Nico Rosberg completed a hat trick of the German GP practice sessions, leading the way during the final practice session ahead of this weekend’s race.

    Rosberg posted a time of 1:15.738 on his second super soft run, which was 0.057s clear of Mercedes team mate Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton has been summoned to the stewards for an unsafe releas ahead of Romain Grosjean in the pit lane. Paddy Lowe commented that the pit garage exit is extremely tight and there’s not much room to bring the drivers out.

    Red Bull and Ferrari finished within spitting distance of the Mercedes drivers with Daniel Ricciardo completing his session only 0.099s behind Rosberg’s time. Kimi Raikkonen finished 0.164 behind the German.

    Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen finished 5th and 6th fastest, Vettel completing the session with some damage to his front wing. Verstappen had complained earlier in the session that his battery was not charging.

    Williams drivers Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa were the only other drivers along the grid to lap within a second of Rosberg’s time.

    Fernando Alonso and Nico Hulkenberg rounded out the Top 10.

    Carlos Sainz Jr and Daniil Kvyat posted the 11th and 14th fastest times for Toro Rosso split by the Mexicans – Sergio Perez and Esteban Gutierrez.

    Renault finished 15th and 16th with Kevin Magnussen going a dash faster than team mate Joylen Palmer. Button set the 19th fastest time amid plenty complaints of a loose rear and very low grip. He completed only 6 laps.

    Manor drivers Pascal Wehrlein and Rio Haryanto finished 20th and 21st with Romain Grosjean only managing four laps before spinning out at Turn 3 with gearbox complaints. Grosjean will need to take a gearbox change resulting in a five place drop following qualifying.

    Join us at 14:00 GMT+2 on Twitter @F1_Madness for live commentary and chat from qualifying for the German Grand Prix.

    Nico Rosberg Photo Credit: Mercedes AMG Petronas

  • F1 2016: Hungarian Gp Review – Lewis Hamilton, Hungaro-King

    F1 2016: Hungarian Gp Review – Lewis Hamilton, Hungaro-King

    The Hungarian grand prix marked the theoretical mid point of the 2016 season. Yet, after ten races a singular point was all that divided Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton in the championship fight.

    Throughout the weekend’s practice sessions and qualifying it was Rosberg who looked most comfortable. But it wasn’t long before Hamilton got the drop on his pole-starting teammate and seized the lead of the race. Although it was not as dominant a drive from Hamilton he always maintained a big enough gap to Rosberg to ensure his fifth win around the Hungaroring.

    The Silver Arrows held a distinct pace advantage over the rest and were hardly challenged by third placed Daniel Ricciardo. The Red Bull driver threatened Rosberg’s second place by momentarily closing the gap to 4.5 seconds in the second half of the race but couldn’t make any further impression.

    The embattled Ferrari’s ran better in race trim but still fell short of reaching the podium. Sebastian Vettel, who started fifth, closed to within half a second of Ricciardo as the race drew to its ends but was unable to overtake on the notoriously difficult Hungaroring.

    GP UNGHERIA F1/2016Max Verstappen and Kimi Raikkonen were embroiled in a fight for fifth towards the end of the race. Verstappen managed to hold off Raikkonen who started 14th after a timing error on Saturday. However, the manner in which Verstappen defended his position was questionable, at best. In trying to keep Raikkonen at bay Verstappen changed direction twice which is prohibited under FIA regulations. While stewards saw no cause for investigation the young Red Bull driver’s actions was met with scorn on social media.  Raikkonen eventually brought the Ferrari home in sixth and set the fastest lap of the race.

    Although a fair distance adrift Fernando Alonso scored some points for the McLaren in a legitimate seventh place ahead Carlos Sainz in the Toro Rosso and the Williams of Valterri Bottas. The final point went to a rather anonymous Nico Hulkenberg as the only retirement of the day came in the form of a Jenson Button whose McLaren suffered an oil leak.

    Lewis Hamilton landed a hammer blow as he not only secured a fifth win at the Hungaroring but with it took over the lead in the driver’s championship. By successfully overcoming a 43 point deficit it also strikes a significant psychological blow to Nico Rosberg. Remarkably, the battle for championship glory is far from over and has all the possibility of turning on its head once more as ten races still remain on the 2016 calendar.

    (All images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport)

  • 2016 Formula 1 British Grand Prix: Thursday Press Conference

    2016 Formula 1 British Grand Prix: Thursday Press Conference

    DRIVERS – Lewis HAMILTON (Mercedes), Jenson BUTTON (McLaren), Jolyon PALMER (Renault), Valtteri BOTTAS (Williams), Romain GROSJEAN (Haas), Pascal WEHRLEIN (Manor)

    PRESS CONFERENCE

    Jenson, let’s start with you, 2009 Formula One World Champion? A positive result in Austria showed clear improvement in car pace. Was that circuit and tyre-specific or do you expect that to roll out this weekend and the weekends to come in the best few weeks?

    Jenson BUTTON: First of all, good afternoon. I would say it was weather-dependent rather than tyres. I think the conditions helped us quite a lot. In the wet we were pretty quick and in the drying conditions we made the best of it. Put it P5, and obviously got lifted up to P3 and was running P2 for a bit of the race but were quickly put into our place. But considering that, I don’t think P6 was too bad. The three teams in front of us were a massive amount quicker than us but to beat the cars that we did, we did alright. Coming here I don’t expect to be qualifying fifth, unless we get some really good British weather and have a good downpour, which I’m hoping for, because then I think we do have more of an opportunity. Yeah, we’ll see. Then race is going to be reasonably tricky for us here. The car is very good in low-speed corners. High-speed corners we don’t really know. We do have some upgrades, aero-wise, engine-wise, so it’s moving forward. It’s just never as a quick as you hope is it. But the guys are doing a very good job of bringing something to every race and on the power side it should be a positive step.

    That’s performance, but in nine races McLaren has only managed to get both cars to the finish on three occasions. Is that because you are pushing it so hard in development or is reliability a bit of a concern?
    JB: I don’t think so. If you look at a lot of teams, cars aren’t finishing and yeah, so I don’t think that is an issue. I would rather be pushing things to the limit and getting better results and possibly having some reliability issues. We’re not fighting for a world championship this year, far from it, so it’s important for is to try to maximise what we have, enjoy the weekend and get the best out of what we have on the weekend and I think they are doing a good job of balancing that.

    Thank you. Romain, turning to you, you were back in the points in Austria, your fourth time this year scoring points, the first time since Russia. It was based on a long stint on the tyres. Were you encouraged by what you achieved in Austria?
    Romain GROSJEAN: Yeah, I thin Austria was a good weekend for us. I think qualifying could have been a bit better but then the car felt great for the long run on tyres. We understood a bit better how to use them, so hopefully we can transform that and keep it going here in Silverstone. Then in the race the car felt good. We managed to get the one-stop strategy that we planned working. It’s a shame we didn’t have enough speed to just overtake the McLaren but generally very happy with the result.

    It’s only the first season for the team but performance seems to have fluctuated all season. Do you feel you now understand the strengths and weaknesses of this car, enough to establish a good baseline for next year’s car, for example?
    RG: I think we started very well and then we had some issues, very different every time, that didn’t allow us to score points. I think Baku and Canada we did have the chance to score points but once we had debris in the radiator and the other time we lost the front wing. That cost us a shot at good results. I think we could have been a bit more consistent but it’s a brand new team, first year and things like that you expect that to happen. Hopefully now things are a bit more settled and we can try to score points as much as possible.

    Pascal, turning to you, your first Formula One points last time and the first for Manor under that name as well. It was based on getting the tyres into the right operating window, which has been a bit of a struggle for you and the team this year. Do you think you have learned the magic formula now?
    Pascal WEHRLEIN: I don’t think so. I think the new surface in Austria helped us a lot. It was quicker and so we put more energy into the tyres and it helped us a lot. We were in the working window for qualifying and for the race and we could extend the run in the race. In qualifying, on the first lap the tyres were there and I could do a very good lap with P12 in Q2 and that’s it.

    You’re coming from a track that you knew very well from your previous racing experience to one here at Silverstone that you have never raced on I believe. What are you looking forward to about Silverstone, what’s exciting you?
    PW: I think there are many nice corners, like… I don’t really know the names, but it’s Copse of Hops…

    RG: Maggotts, Becketts, Chapel…

    PW: A bit strange names but still the corners are really nice, really high-speed corners. I like that challenge, basically. With the Manor car it won’t be easy because we are struggling a bit with downforce. In general, I am really looking forward to drive this track tomorrow. I’m always looking forward to new tracks.

    Thanks. Turning to Valtteri Bottas, a podium finisher here a couple of years ago. Of course you know all the corners, you’ve been through them many times in the past, one of your favourite tracks I believe. It’s been a good track for Williams over the past couple of years. This year do you arrive here feeling optimistic you’ll be able to compete on that same level again, because at other circuits this year it seems to have been a bit more of a struggle for you?
    Valtteri BOTTAS: Yeah, definitely. It’s really cool to be in Silverstone, one of my favourite tracks. It’s a home grand prix for Williams so it’s always great. There is a very special atmosphere racing around these high-speed corners. Of course we have high expectations, but we will need to wait and see how the practice goes, because there have been some circuits where it’s been very close… I mean, just a few races ago we had high expectations but we couldn’t execute that. We just need to do everything we can in the practice, find a good set-up with the car and try to get the tyres to work perfectly. That’s been the main issue in Baku and Austria. So yeah, just waiting for quali and race and hopefully we can be high up there.

    Now, I think that I’m right in saying that you’ve had the opportunity to drive some of the great Williams F1 cars from the past around Silverstone in your time in with the team. Tell us about how that felt, any highlights, what the experience was like?
    VB: Yeah, I’ve driven Keke Rosberg’s wining car from ’82 and Damon Hill’s car from the ‘90s. Yeah, it’s been really cool trying out those cars on the same track that I’m driving in nowadays Formula One. Of course they are very different. Completely different behaviour. The technology has gone so much forward nowadays. But I have to say that with the cars we have now it’s a real enjoyment driving here in these corners, so I wouldn’t change that.

    Turning to Jolyon, first British Grand Prix as a Formula One driver. Some 135,000 people are expected here on race day. Everything has built up to this I guess, so what does this weekend mean to you?
    Jolyon PALMER: Well, it’s huge. My first British Grand Prix, a race I’ve been looking forward to since the start of the year really. So a track I know really, really well, I’ve been racing here for a long time. And I love the track as well. The layout is awesome, lot of fast corners. You need a lot of commitment but I really enjoy it. And then the crowd, which is every year fantastic here. Been coming here myself for many years and now to be racing Formula One here is going to be pretty special. So I’m looking forward to it.,

    Now you out-raced Magnussen in Austria, but you haven’t managed to get into Q2 for a while, in fact I think it’s the first race of the season. So is qualifying the clear for you at the moment?
    JP: Yeah, 100% really. For us we have been quite close – Montreal I was only 15,000ths off Romain to get to Q2. It was really close. Austria as well we were OK but then we had a red flag and we struggled to get the last set of tyres on. I think we’re not far away and hopefully this weekend we can find the last bit. I think the track should suit us more than the last few. And then once you’re in Q2, you’re starting a few places higher, you’ve got the pace to start a few places higher and you have more chance of scoring points. I mean they are the two aims: to get into Q2 and then score some points.

    Turning to Lewis, defending world champion of course, a three-time British Grand Prix winner. Just mention to Jolyon there, 135,000 people expected here on race day, so a lot of expectation, but lets’ talk about the championship. Twelve races to go, 11 points behind your team-mate, nearest rival challenger is 50 behind. Do you see this now as a two-horse race and how excited are you about it?
    Lewis HAMILTON: I don’t think it’s a two-horse race. I should take a page out of your book [Jenson], good afternoon everyone. No, I mean, it’s the same as it’s been since the beginning. It’s still a fight. I think Ferrari are still there. Sebastian has had a couple of unfortunate races but they are still a force to be aware of. Every time I look up the cameras go… watch this!

    JB: We need some silent shutters, can we do that?

    LH: We do, we do. It’s definitely a nicer position to be in. I’ve definitely seen worse days and worse times, obviously I was 43 points behind at one point. It’s still behind but it’s not impossible to come back.

    Mercedes bosses met with you and Nico and the team’s issued a statement in the last couple of hours saying “in the last five races there have been three incidents that have cost us over 50 points in the championship. We have therefore strengthened our rules of engagement to include much greater deterrents to contact between the cars. With these in place we will our drivers to manage the situation. Their destiny is in their own hands.” Now clearly, last time out in Austria, the stewards found that the collision was your team-mate’s fault but what’s your comment on the statement today and how will it affect the battle going forward?
    LH: In all honesty, I think our destiny has always been in our hands, so it doesn’t realty change anything. We are still able to race, no team rules or team orders or whatever it’s called, which I think is great for the fans, so I think everyone should be excited.

    And you’re both completely clear on what it all means and what these “much greater deterrents” are?
    LH: Yeah.

    Are they scary deterrents?
    LH: I should say yes.

    You should?
    LH: I guess I should say yes.

    QUESTIONS FROM THE FOOR

    Q: (Dan Knutson – Speedsport Magazine) Two questions for Valtteri. Has the team discovered what went wrong in the last race and going into the second half of the season is Red Bull still a target or are you looking over your shoulder at Force India?
    VB: First of all with Austria, it was a really disappointing race for us. Like Pascal and Jenson said they could really use the conditions to their benefit with the tyres and the temperature and the new asphalt but for us it was completely the opposite, so we really struggled massively. I think there are multiple factors. I’m still yet today to have a better look with the engineers about it. I can say we don’t 100% understand our performance yet. We have some kind of ideas but we are still analysing everything. But the good thing is at least we now to a more normal type of tarmac, not new at least, so hopefully it works out better. With the Red Bull, definitely they are strong and they are getting stronger all the time. But we also have some updates lined up. I am trying out the new front wing that Felipe tried out in Austria. I think we both have and also some other updates lined up for the next few races. With that in mind then if we can get better results than Austria and if we start to understand things better and really use those tracks that are good for us, getting string points for our cars, then it is still possible. I think it is a good target for us to try to put pressure on them, try to beat them in the races and if we can’t make it then at least we should finish ahead of Force India.

    Q: (Sean McGreevy – CSMA) Question for Lewis, you, Jim Clark and Nigel Mansell have all won three races, British Grands Prix at this circuit. If you win on Sunday you’ll be the most successful British driver at Silverstone. Have you thought about that and what would it mean to you if you won?
    LH: Is that true? Nigel has four. [one at Brands Hatch] Ah, I see. No pressure then! I didn’t know that. Ask me if I get there. It doesn’t change anything into the weekend. As Jenson said, it’s a great thing to be able to arrive here and have the incredible support we have. We’ve definitely got the best following of fans here and the Brits turn out regardless of what the weather is, they turn out in their thousands and it’s just a very  proud experience being here and being able to represent all the Brits. I’m still of the mind that… I remember being here when I wasn’t even in Formula One and one day dreaming of driving Formula One, so it’s just crazy to think I’ve had those wins here and I hope that I can continue to, along with the drivers here, raise the flag proudly.

    Q: (Peter Windsor – F1 Racing) Along the same lines Lewis, as time has gone on, this race has grown bigger and bigger for you and for the British sporting public and I wonder if there is a point where you have to be very disciplined about it not affecting your weekend performance and how you approach the weekend to find that balance between what you normally have to do and this massive audience which you find yourself facing?
    LH: Honestly, I personally draw a lot of energy from the fans. There’s races where you have a few and races where you have a lot. You come to Silverstone and that’s when the energy is in abundance. I just absorb that. Seeing people that have saved up there money to come and spend their money here and put all of their energy towards you getting across the finish line first, that’s… pretty much impossible to describe how amazing that feels. And when there’s so many of them, all drivers will talk about it giving you that extra tenth or two on the weekend and I generally find that is the case. So the more and more there is, hopefully there’s more time in it. Don’t know if that’s the case, I hope so! I’d like to believe so.

    Q: (Andrew Benson – BBC Sport) Has Toto given you any guidelines about how you can race with Nico, side-by-side now? For example, could you do what you did in Suzuka or Austin last year under whatever new guidelines there might be?
    LH: Unfortunately Andrew, everything that’s been said is private and confidential so I’m not allowed to… it’s a good question. We’re still able to race, and obviously in those races the stewards deemed me racing, so we… I… will still race like that.

    Q: (Qasim Abdul – Renaissance Foundation) Lewis, my question is in two parts: how can young people get into Formula One first of all. Because it’s not broadcast as much as other sports. Second, when we spoke to you, you were very interested in “Peace”, and right now with all the media that’s going on, how can we spread peace [unclear] Would you like to come with us to the Nobel Peace Prize in Norway?
    LH: That sounds pretty cool. I’ve never been invited. Is it a good gig?
    It’s in Oslo, so it’s really cold, but good…
    LH: Maybe we should chat about that off-line. I’m always up for good events. Peace. For us as a team, fortunately we have people higher-up and obviously we’re adults so we, with our bosses, we work very hard, or they work very hard to try and dilute whatever tensions there are between all the people in the team. Whilst it’s not the easiest thing to come across, it’s something that I think, as men and women, we are able to reach an agreement at that point. So, while at one specific moment you might be angry, there’s always peace on the horizon. The first one, it’s really hard. It’s not like the other sports, like football, tennis, basketball. Not taking away from how hard it is to get into those sports but growing up I could go and buy a basketball and play in my driveway. You could play at school, you could play anywhere you want. Go-karts, you have to go and find a kart track, you can hire a kart but it’s expensive. It’s very expensive, and that’s the issue. But there are people, like Carolyn Hoy who does the karting championship in the UK, who really try to make it manageable for all families. Ultimately there’s going to be a wealthier and those families that have less money – but I think Jenson and I, from what I know of Jenson’s background, we both didn’t have money but we both got here which shows it is possible. There is always a way. Where there’s a will there’s a way and our parents somehow found that way. Jenson’s Dad worked so hard – he even did my engines, at a decent rate as well! He didn’t overcharge us! Our job is really to encourage kids. And it’s not just for motor racing. It really is for whatever it is that they’re into. I guess this is a platform for us to real inspire people in whatever genre or sport or form of work or whatever ambition they have, to fight for it and not give up, even though times do get low. I think the races we have that are good and the races that are bad, hopefully through those experiences we show that.

    Q: (Livio Oricchio – GloboEsporte.com) Lewis, if you were a team principal – let’s suppose – in the circumstances you are facing now with Nico, what would be your reaction? You would let free completely? You would give some orientation? Because you also would answer to the president of the company, for example.
    LH: Me personally, I think I’d be in a better position because I’m a racing driver, so I know what you would do, and what I would do on a race track and what I would not. Our great engineers and generally individuals who don’t race, it’s difficult to understand the decisions we take when we’re racing at 200mph. So I think I’d be in a better position – but I’m not going to tell you what I would or would not do. I would want them to race, that’s for sure, and I wouldn’t bring in team orders ‘cos racing is why I’m here and why I’d want to be there: to see the guys race. I’d probably be more understanding that, when you have cars that are racing first and second, there are going to be times, out of 60 races together… I don’t know if it’s five collisions we’ve had, I don’t know how many collisions we’ve had, but it’s a small amount compared to the amount of successful races we’ve had and 1-2s we’ve had. So, that’s me.

    Q: (Sarah Holt – Channel Four) Just a really simple question for the British drivers: what’s your favourite thing about coming home to race here in Britain? Whether it’s on track or something you do off-track like seeing your families or watching TV or something…
    JB: Watching TV or something! That’s the best question. I’m not taking the mickey, it was a very good question. The best thing about the British Grand Prix. We can say that we love the circuit because I think every driver likes Silverstone. It’s flowing, there’s so much history here, whether your car works here or not, you still enjoy the circuit. As a British driver, it has to be the fans. It has to be the support that you get here. I camp here, as a few of the drivers do, and when you drive from the campsite – motorhome site I’ll call it, glamping I think it’s called – you drive in, see the people coming in, see the Union Jacks, and obviously the different team kits. They don’t just come here to support the British drivers, they come here to support whoever they like and whatever team they like. But if you drive past someone with a Renault hat on, and you’re a British driver, he’s still going to cheer for you. And he’s still going to say good luck for the weekend – or a Mercedes hat – because they’re so supportive of Formula One as a whole, not just individuals. Which is what makes this race so special. I think for everyone a race that stands out because of that. Also, after the race we get to go to the stand, where they have the live bands, and standing up there, whether you’ve had a good race or not – and most of mine haven’t been good here – you stand up there and there’s just a sea of people, different flags, people that are British, people that are from all over the world that come to watch this race, the atmosphere’s electric. It’s a very special feeling. Then you head back to the motorhome and have a Bar-B with your mates. It’s old-school. Like the karting days.

    LH: I’m trying to think what it is because you’ve now taking my answer, so I’ll pass it to Jolyon for a second.

    JP: Not getting onto a plane to get to a race is a bonus. Just an hour up the M40 is quite nice. It’s the same as Jenson, it’s the fans, I think. Home support, friends and family that can come up as well but just generally the fans are pretty awesome here.

    LH: He’s covered then all!

    JP: I’m just going broad so you’ve got no more options!

    You mentioned the fans earlier Lewis, but I wonder also racing here, as Jenson said, it’s old-school. Does it basically just bring back a lot of memories. Does it connect you with your childhood and all those races?
    LH: What I love firstly, is landing here the other day, whether it’s going home, seeing family, driving down the countryside where I grew up, seeing friends who I grew up with. I guess just being around something you’re used to. We’ve been to Baku, for example, and it’s all new: you don’t know the streets, you don’t know the restaurants. Here you can go to your usual favourite restaurants, meet up with your friends, it’s an amazing feeling. Last night I caught up with a couple of friends that I grew up with, that I met 21 years ago. It’s that but most importantly, as Jenson said, it’s when we arrive here. It’s the history, it’s knowing that we’re going to be one of only 22 people in the world that get to be here and one of the relatively small amount of British drivers, compared to the amount of people in the world, who get to come here and represent their country. It’s just an amazing feeling when you get on your home turf. I would imagine it’s similar for football fans in their own stadium with their own fans… the majority of fans are there for them. It’s unbelievable. It’s as powerful as, for me, the energy is as powerful as the sea. Like a wave. It’s unreal. It’s so powerful it’s hard to absorb – but you absorb as much as you can. It’s amazing.

    Q: (Angela Bern – SID) Lewis did the reaction of the crowd last Sunday in Spielberg affect you in any way? They were booing during the victory ceremony. Is that something that affects you, that you are thinking about afterwards?
    LH: Fortunately not at all. I don’t know if you saw my Snapchat but I had an amazing time literally… once we got away from the track, leaving, went to a really beautiful place for the last couple of days and had the best two days of the year. And also, someone mentioned to me that potentially that someone… some of the fans didn’t see exactly everything what happened and also a comment from someone that… someone told me that someone said that I had rammed Nico off. I understand that that was the first reaction and whether some of them still feel the same away, it doesn’t really make a big difference. This weekend, the cheers will make those boos so small which is a good thing.

    Q: (Mikolaj Sokol – Rzeczpospolita)  Lewis, when you’re battling on the track, attacking or defending, what’s the balance between rational thinking, preparation and analysis, and just pure racing instinct and reflex? What goes on in your mind in those split seconds when you have to take a decision the track?
    LH: Can you just tell me that again? I’m just struggling to… So when I’m racing for the championship, the balance…
    Q: (Mikolaj Sokol – Rzeczpospolita)  No, when you’re battling on the track, attacking or defending against any other driver, what’s the proportion between thinking, analysing and preparation, when it comes to every move on the track, and pure racing instinct in those split second decision?
    LH: Well, the more of every single one of those, the more instinct, the more preparation and the more… yeah, you want to have it all. Some of us drivers have more instinct, some of us drivers have better preparation, but we’re all working on our skills throughout the years to be the best at overtaking and analysing manoeuvres, so when I’m trying to make a manoeuvre, for sure it’s analysing the weaknesses of the car ahead, analysing your strengths and then planning and executing and in executing it takes a lot of instinct to know… you know, when you go for a manoeuvre, you basically have a calculation, a percentage of your chance of overtaking. Sometimes it’s 100 percent, sometimes it’s less but as racing  drivers, we even go for the small percentages and that’s what makes us racing drivers and if we don’t then we’re not racing.
    Q: Any others? Valtteri, does it come from experience, how much of it is experience, how much of it is instinct?
    VB: I think it is both really and of course it depends completely on the situation. Sometimes you don’t have time to plan things, if something comes in front of you in the race and you suddenly need to go with your instinct rather than planning. But it is funny, sometimes, when you’re really at your best, really focused and sometimes it feels like there’s plenty of time to think about the situation, what to do and how to make the move and then if you see it in the replay for example, it just looks really quick, completely depends on the situation.
    Q: How about you, Romain, because you had to consider how much risk was appropriate? You went through that process and it made you a better driver.
    RG: I knew that would come to me! I messed up a few times. I think the start, for example, is instinct because you cannot prepare for what’s going to happen in front of you and you cannot think ‘well  these guys are going to turn right and they’re going to go left  and so on’. It’s all at the minute and that’s where you really need to take the right decision and aim for the right objective. And then during the race, there are other times as Valtteri says where you can take your time and you can actually follow another guy for a few laps and for a while and then you know that you’re much faster and I can actually go for it and it feels more natural but it’s well prepared. Another case where a car just comes out of the pits in front of you and in the instinct and decides to go right/left.

    Q: (Graham Harris – Motorsport Monday) Romain, arguably last year you had a pick of where you could go. You could have stayed – if the rumours and the gossips are to be believed – you could have stayed at Lotus. You could have gone to other teams but you chose Haas. Nine races into the new season with a new team, what are your thoughts? Are you happy you’ve made that decision? What do you want to do next year and also tell us a bit about NASCAR.
    RG: Well, I’ll tell you one thing. On the 9th of September last year, I made my decision and I didn’t regret it from there. I like to think before, but when I stick to one plan then I don’t like to regret. I think I’m living a very nice experience in a very good team, very proud to be driving for the US, for a US team. Very proud to have scored a first time ever in Formula One, the first points for Haas so all of that together, it’s a very nice experience and I don’t regret one thing that I’m doing and the more we go, the more we learn, the more the people I work with are really following the same trend so that’s great.
    NASCAR, when I was sitting on my sofa watching the Sonoma race, I wished I was there. It looks good fun, I liked the last lap with Tony Stewart winning the race and pushing Martin Truex a little bit wide but it was great fun. I do need to get a few laps, a few days in the car, do some laps, get some good sensation and then I will come to do a race.

    Q: (Ralf Bach – Autobild Motorsport) Lewis, if in future you will get some team orders – you or Nico, you will get some team orders – would you follow them or would you react as angry, two years ago when your team told you to let Nico past but you didn’t?
    LH: Oooh, buddy, you’re feeling in a certain way, hunh? Hey, you’ve just got to let it go buddy, that was a couple of years ago. I would, that’s my job, that’s what I get paid to do. That’s what we agreed today, that’s what’s in our agreement. If you go back to 2014 and if you listen to the manuscript, you understand I didn’t say no. I just said I won’t get in the way. He didn’t get close so…

    Q: (Peter Windsor – F1 Racing) Just going to back to instinct versus experience, Valtteri I’m just wondering: turn one at Bahrain with Lewis? Was that instinct or was that experience, maybe get some Lewis input here?
    VB: It was both, I think 50-50. For sure coming into the corner I remember seeing a gap there, I was sure I could get inside and try and keep my position. Not sure Lewis maybe saw me and I was also sliding at the same time, slightly drifting off the apex, not a lot but… Yeah. I don’t know how Lewis saw it. I would say that was a 50-50 situation.
    LH: I can tell you, I didn’t see it, I just felt it. I don’t know, it was a racing incident.

    Q: (Frederic Ferret – L’Equipe) Lewis, speaking about you being a team boss. Seeing what Nico did last week, would you understand it as a racing driver?
    LH: Didn’t I just answer that question? I’m pretty sure that I did say that if I was a team boss I would be in a better position to understand the situation because I have driven and know what I would do in that situation. I do believe so. I’m pretty sure I said that before.
    Q: Would you accept from Nico’s point of view, would you be more understanding of Nico’s point of view?
    LH: Any more than I am now? I don’t really understand it, more accepting than what?
    Q: (Frederic Ferret – L’Equipe) As you are a racing driver, seeing it as a racing driver, would you understand what he did?
    LH: Well, I understand it now and I would understand it then. It doesn’t mean it’s right or wrong. I would have to take an opinion, I would have an opinion whether it was right or wrong but I would understand it just as I do now.

    Q: (Casseem Campbell – Renaissance Foundation) On a more positive note…
    LH: It’s all about positive energy, yeah.
    Q: (Casseem Campbell – Renaissance Foundation) To Lewis and Jenson. I’m a big believer in the mental part of any sport as I’m a tennis player as well. Well, not a tennis player, I play tennis. I wanted to know, in terms of Formula One specifically, what are the main nuance qualities you feel that a Formula One driver has to have to be successful?
    LH: Good question. I think… is that for all of us?
    Q: To you and Jenson.
    LH: Go first.
    JB: You’ve started mate, go for it.
    LH: Ah s***. I think it’s very similar to other sports. I watch other sports like tennis and I’m amazed  when – and I always refer to Federer as one of my favourite players – when a player’s up and I understand the positive mental space you’re in when you’re up and then when you make a mistake, how you don’t drop it all or lose it all, how they come back from a couple of sets down, for example and those kind of things. You take a lot of energy, I think I try to take a lot from that because for us it’s kind of similar, you know? We have our ups and downs, you have your good days and your bad days but as a racing driver, for us it’s a long long season, it is about focus, it’s about… the training helps massively. You go out for a run, it helps you really… you have a lot to think about. I think for every single person it’s different but for me, if I go and work out whatever it is, it helps me stay focused. It is about keeping the eye on the prize, it’s about learning through every single experience, whether good or bad. Hopefully you have more… hopefully you learn more through the bad times because that’s how you grow. You learn less in the good times I would say. But if you understand to learn and enjoy from the bad times, then you appreciate the better times. I don’t know if that’s really… I don’t think I’m answering it, I’m leaving you space to answer it. The nuances in the performance…
    JB: I think Formula One is a sport but it’s not as physical as most sports so it has to be mental. A lot of it is about feeling but mentally to have to be in the right place, you really do. Off the back of a good race, you have so much more confidence coming into the weekend. I think we’ve all been through tough times  in our careers and some people, they fall into the tough times and never come out again, and you see that with racing drivers which is a shame because you know the raw talent is there. So it’s not just about being strong enough as an individual because you can only learn that with time and it can be too late by the time you’ve learned that, you are already cast aside for another driver. So you need good people around you to support you, family and obviously close friends but also the people you work with. Formula One is a massive team sport and it’s not just about people doing their job correctly, building the front wing or designing the rear wing or what have you. It’s about making sure that you are in the right frame of mind and everyone working together and making sure there’s a positive attitude, because it’s not just the drivers that have difficult days, it’s the mechanics as well and the engineers who have a bad day if they make the wrong call. They’re told they’ve made the wrong call and it hurts, mentally, a lot. And it’s about you all pulling together in those difficult times and making the difference. It’s a massive mental game, Formula One, and a lot of people don’t realise that.
    LH: Ultimately down to the positive mental attitude. I think that’s the key, as Jenson said

  • F1 2016: Austrian Gp Preview – Quali The Key In Austria

    F1 2016: Austrian Gp Preview – Quali The Key In Austria

    From the medieval city streets of Baku the Formula 1 paddock travels to the crisp countryside of Austria for the eighth round of the 2016 championship.

    A case could never be made that Formula 1 lacks diversity. It swops the mostly tight confines of the Baku City circuit for the mountains and fresh air of Austria’s Red Bull Ring in Spielberg. Located in the picturesque Styrian Mountains the 4.3 kilometer circuit is dotted with only nine turns. The average speed of a lap around the Ring is estimated at 224 kph while 70 percent of the lap is spent at full throttle.

    There are only seven braking zones around a lap but they are big stops from high speeds, which classifies the brake wear rate as high. This no longer appears to be an issue for Mercedes in 2016 but should they not be running in clear air it could rear its head.

    As the shortest lap on the calendar at less than 70 seconds the grid is expected to be tighter, which makes qualifying vital. In 2015 the top three positions in qualifying were covered by four tenths of a second. The circuit’s four long straights mean that there is opportunity for overtaking but getting past a car with a good straight-line speed will be difficult.

    Austrian Grand Prix - Red Bull RingFor this year’s grand prix teams and drivers have selected the yellow-walled soft, red-walled supersoft, and purple-walled ultrasoft tyres. Both Ferrari drivers have selected nine sets of the ultrasoft tyres while Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg have each opted for eight sets of the purple-walled tyres. Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen have chosen seven sets of the softest compound. Tyre wear last year was minimal as Daniel Ricciardo was able to run a fifty lap stint on the soft tyre before needing to pit.

    Ferrari’s tyre choice could be put down to fact that this track surface is a relatively smooth one with normally cool conditions. This combination often presents some struggle in getting tyres to the optimum temperature. As they’ve continually struggled to get the tyres to their optimal working range Ferrari should find it easier to do with the ultrasoft  tyre. This will be a crucial element of Ferrari’s progress and position this weekend.

    GP AUSTRIA F1/2014There is no doubt that Nico Rosberg is sitting pretty. He starts the weekend with a 24 point lead over Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton in the race for the driver’s title. The fickleness of Formula 1 demands that even a gap of 24 points must not be taken for granted. It’s this approach that has been Rosberg’s secret in 2016; to take every race on its individual merit. But the two Merc drivers might have to focus on more than just each other, especially in Saturday qualifying.

    Williams are notoriously good performers at the Austrian grand prix thanks to the Mercedes power unit and Red Bull are no slouches thanks to the stop up they’ve made with the upgraded power unit. But while they are looking at each other all of them are aware of what Mercedes can deliver. On several occasions in 2016 its been shown that the Silver Arrow is not as potent when it runs in dirty air and under pressure. The qualifying session on Saturday will be the critical point for any driver or team to stop a complete Merc domination.

  • F1 2016: European GP Review – Rosberg Rules In Baku

    F1 2016: European GP Review – Rosberg Rules In Baku

    If you’d asked most people to point out Azerbaijan on a map they would probably struggle. If you then told them that its capital city Baku is going to host its first F1 race in 2016 it would possibly have been met with reluctant enthusiasm.

    Nevertheless, on the edge of the Caspian Sea the Azeri organisers plotted a street circuit unlike any other. The combination of the stunningly high-speed section and incredibly tight section around the city’s beautiful medieval architecture merged perfectly to highlight the strengths of Nico Rosberg’s Mercedes. The German driver cleaned house in Baku by taking pole position, fastest lap and the race win in dominant fashion.

    Rosberg led cleanly off the line and was never challenged as he completed the 51-lap race on a one-stop strategy. It yielded his fifth win of the season and a sizeable increase in his lead atop the driver’s table. As faultless as Rosberg’s weekend preceded so the opposite was true for teammate Lewis Hamilton. Seemingly out of sorts, Hamilton stuck his Merc in the wall on Saturday and confined himself to a tenth place starting position. An ERS (energy recovery system) issue disrupted his charge through the field. Thanks to the FIA regulation, which bans certain radio communications, Hamilton was left to figure out the setting himself. The Brit was able to eventually resolve the issue and set two blisteringly quick laptimes before cooking his tyres.

    GP EUROPA F1/2016Behind race leader Rosberg Sebastian Vettel overtook Daniel Ricciardo for second. To cover the Red Bull stop Ferrari called Vettel into the pits. However, the driver overruled the pitwall and stayed out. It paid off ultimately as Vettel finished second without any realistic shot at victory.

    Force India’s Sergio Perez secured third to score his second podium in three races. Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen ran third for nearly the entire race. The Finn stopped early on lap 8 and ran a 43-lap stint on the soft tyre. But a five-second penalty for crossing the pit-entry line and a late ERS issue meant he was unable to keep Perez at bay. Eventually Raikkonen, suffering with a bout of food poisoning, finished fourth. Lewis Hamilton finished a lonely and disappointed fifth ahead of Williams’ Valtteri Bottas in sixth.

    Both Red Bull drivers were forced onto two-stop strategies with overheating rear tyres and faded badly throughout the race. Daniel Ricciardo finished seventh ahead of teammate Max Verstappen in eighth. Nico Hulkenberg brought his Force India home in ninth while Williams’ Felipe Massa scored the final point in tenth.

    GP EUROPA F1/2016All expectations were that the safety car would appear several times throughout the race given the tight confines and close proximity of the walls. But all twenty-two drivers were exceptionally well behaved and there were no major incidents. In fact, only four drivers did not make it to the chequered flag. Toro Rosso has some investigating to do as both their drivers, Daniil Kvyat and Carlos Sainz, were forced to retire with suspension issues. Manor Racing’s Pascal Wehrlein retired with brake failure as Fernando Alonso’s McLaren was pulled into the garage with a gearbox failure.

    Remarkably Rosberg had the same ERS issue as Hamilton but was able to rectify it by changing the right settings. This resounding victory increases Rosberg’s championship lead to 24 points over Hamilton. But given that thirteen races remain on the calendar the race for the 2016 driver’s crown is just warming up.

    (All images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport)

  • Verstappen labels Bottas’ qualifying behaviour ‘dangerous’

    Verstappen labels Bottas’ qualifying behaviour ‘dangerous’

    Max Verstappen was more than a little frustrated with Valtteri Bottas following the first ever qualifying session at the Baku International Circuit on Saturday.

    Red Flags ruined Verstappen’s best qualifying effort for the session and subsequent efforts were also ruined while he fought with Bottas for track position.

    Here’s what young Verstappen had to say to reporters …

    Q: Max, what was that thing going on between you and Valtteri Bottas in qualifying?

    Max Verstappen: I think it was just not clever from him. I was preparing for my timed lap and I understand that he wanted a tow – but there was not one point for him being able to overtake me – and brake – under normal conditions. The result was he ruined my lap and destroyed his lap as well. If that happens once, okay, forget about it – but if you do the same thing again in Q3, that’s not smart.

    Q: Did you see him after qualifying and have a word with him?

    MV: No! Because I don’t need to be the person to go to him – he should come to me!

    Q: Do you expect him to get a penalty?

    MV: I don’t know about a penalty – but it was dangerous what he was doing. It was dangerous and unnecessary – and not clever!

    Q: For you it had pretty grave consequences. Your lap was destroyed and any hope for a good grid position gone…

    MV: Yes. That was the consequence!

    Q: And the incident before, where you went wide in Turn 1?

    MV: Yes, same story…

    Bottas in Verstappen's way - Baku QualifyingQ: You went wide because of him?

    MV: Because he was locking up and I was afraid that he would hit my side so I thought that it is better to go wide. But I’d lost my set (of tyres) – I had to come in and had only one run in Q2. So that was all not really pleasant!

    Q: That all sounds as if the two of you will never be best buddies…

    MV: Ha, in Formula One you can never be best buddies – no matter what. The moment we speak I am over it and hopefully he learns from it.

    Q: You said you have not spoken with him but aren’t you interested what was going through his head?

    MV: My guess is nothing was going through his head that very moment!

    Q: Without all these incidents what would have been your chances?

    MV: If I check all the data before the red flag I could have challenged for P2. So it is a massive frustration, as we know that the speed is there. I know there are chances for overtaking in the race, but I prefer to start from row one than P9 – that is for sure.

    Q: The first GP2 race in Baku was pretty chaotic with a first corner incident taking out four cars. There was also a lot of slipstreaming. Do you expect that to happen also tomorrow?

    MV: I think so. But let’s hope we don’t lose four cars on the first lap. And never forget GP2 cars all have similar engines – and that will be the biggest difference to the F1 race.

    Q: The Bottas incident aside, how would you sum up your driving on this track? Are you satisfied?

    MV: Yes, actually very happy. I built it up very differently to what I did in Monaco – and it worked super well. I was improving with every session. And finally I arrived in Q3 and would have had a good lap. I am satisfied with myself, the car and the team – we all did a great job to improve the car compared to yesterday, so it is really annoying not to have the result that we would have deserved.

    Q: You ran very little downforce…

    MV: …yes, we’ve been slower than our competitors on the straights! You’ve probably seen that our rear wing is pretty tiny. We probably lose a bit of downforce through the low speed corners – but I think we’ve found a good compromise. But there is no magic stick that gives you more horsepower suddenly on the straights! (laughs)

    Q: You been running now for two days on this new track: what is the hairiest part for you?

    MV: I think it is sector two – corners eight to twelve. It is difficult and tricky to get to the limit. If you lock up going into the corner it is game over. In Q1 and Q2 you are trying to build up – to get it right in Q3.

    Q: When you just said that you’ve learned from Monaco – what does that exactly mean?

    MV: Well, it is basically about understanding the car more. We have a great car so there is no need to go on the limit straight away as you have margins to improve. So in Q1 you don’t need to be at one hundred or ninety-nine per cent – you will also make it into Q2 with ninety-two per cent. And then step it up for Q3.

    Q: Isn’t it also a different psychological approach to a race having a car that is eligible for front rows?

    MV: Yes, it is of course – and you probably need some weekends to grow into that!

    Q: After the red flag and only a bit over two minutes left of qualifying all the cars lined up at the pit lane exit. Your teammate Daniel (Ricciardo) was at the front: wouldn’t it also have helped you being more at the front of that queue?

    MV: Maybe. We can speak in the team about it. But in the end that is not the main reason why my qualifying was not as it should have been.

    Photo Credits:

    Max Verstappen – Red Bull Racing

    Verstappen vs Bottas – FIA screengrab

     

  • What do the Drivers Think About the Baku City Circuit?

    What do the Drivers Think About the Baku City Circuit?

    After having at a go at the Baku City Circuit the drivers give their views on the track and the layout.

    Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes: “The track isn’t easy – not because the layout is particularly difficult to learn but because it’s very slippery out there. It’s quite Monaco-esque in terms of braking and how close the barriers are – but you’re arriving at much higher speeds. Otherwise it’s like a mixture of Valencia and Sochi with the smooth track surface and the style of the corners themselves. It’s a real challenge and I think it’s going to be tough for everyone over the weekend. It takes a lot of focus, which is something I like. I’ve enjoyed driving here today.”

    Romain Grosjean, Haas: “Discovering a new track is exciting in some places and pretty tricky in others. It’s not easy to find the right balance”

    Vatteri Bottas, Williams: “It was an interesting day for me, I really like the track. It’s very demanding, it has some high speed corners and some twisty, more technical areas, so it’s definitely one of the most challenging tracks on the calendar, but at the same time it’s a lot of fun.”

    Nico Hulkenberg, Force India: “Coming here to Baku has been great fun and the track is very cool. It’s got a bit of everything, with long straights, big braking zones and some exciting high-speed corners, which all the drivers enjoy. So, overall you have to say they’ve done a really good job with the circuit and it makes a nice change to come here and try something that is so different.”

    Sergio Perez, Force India: “I knew when I walked the track yesterday that it was going to be good fun to drive – and today didn’t disappoint. It’s an amazing circuit: really challenging, no margin for error, and a real pleasure to drive.”

    Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing: “I think the circuit is pretty cool, it’s definitely as tight as it looks and has a lot of corners unlike any others on the calendar. There are a few interesting lines past the castle which adds to the toughness. It’s pretty unique and as I showed this morning some of the corners are pretty challenging and not that easy.”

     

     

    Photo Credit: Red Bull Racing Formula One Team

  • 2016 Formula 1 European Grand Prix: Thursday Press Conference

    2016 Formula 1 European Grand Prix: Thursday Press Conference

    DRIVERS:

    Carlos SAINZ (Toro Rosso)

    Nico HULKENBERG (Force India)

    Rio HARYANTO (Manor)

    Valtteri BOTTAS (Williams)

    Fernando ALONSO (McLaren)

    Sebastian VETTEL (Ferrari)

    PRESS CONFERENCE

    Fernando, you were here earlier in the year in your capacity as an ambassador for this race. How much has changed since then? 

    Fernando ALONSO: Yeah, a few things have changed then. Obviously the circuit now is ready and all the garage, the pit lane, the grandstands and also the weather! It was quite cold in March and I remember to have two jackets walking on the circuit and now it’s quite hot, windy and the race will be different on that aspect. But I think the job they have done is fantastic. Everything is ready. Also the fans are well into F1 and they are very prepared, very enthusiastic for the race on Sunday and everything is ready for a good show.

    In terms of the layout, which bit looks most interesting? 

    FA: A few things that we need to discover in the car. Obviously walking is always different, in the simulator it’s different, so let’s see. Turn 8, 9 and 10, the narrow section on the uphill will be quite interesting to drive there and see how we can maximise the car limits there. The very unique theme on this circuit is probably the straight-line speed, which will be very high, and to be on a street circuit those kind of speeds will be quite unique. We need to check if it’s really flat out from Turn 16 to Turn 1 or if Turn 19 and 20 you need make a lift there. Anyway, it’s quite interesting and will be for some teams a little bit more painful, probably for us, in terms of the distance on the straight. I should have made some modifications when I came here in March to make it a little bit slower, but that’s the way it is and we will see.

    Thank you Fernando. Valtteri, if we could come on to you. Montreal marked your first podium of the year. How much of a sense of relief was there in the Williams team? 

    Valtteri BOTTAS: It definitely makes a difference to the team, having a good race by the team, with the strategy and pit stop and everything, it was a good weekend, especially Sunday was a very strong performance by us. It always does give a lot of confidence to every single guy in the race team but also at the factory to push even harder. So yeah it is overall a good positive feeling in the team. We know we can do good results, so it’s nice to continue from here.

    Was that result track specific or are we witnessing the start of a mid-season resurgence from Williams?

    VB: Montreal definitely was one of the good tracks for our car, really its within the strengths of the car, but there are still plenty of good races to come. I don’t think this is going to be too bad for us and also the next three races after. I’m pretty sure we can still, with a good weekend, if we keep developing the car, we can fight for the podium and that should be the goal for us as a team.

    Thank you. Rio, if we come to you. You’ve been making steady progress this year. You’ve outqualified your highly-rate team-mate three times. Are you feeling comfortable in the car now? Just give us a resume of how you feel it’s gone so far in 2016? 

    Rio HARYANTO: Yes, I have been progress every time, each race. It feels great to be able to be fighting quite close between the team-mates but our goal is still quite a long way, we wanted to really improve and to get the best results we can for the team.

    Just give us a word on how things are back home in Indonesia, the popularity of Formula One there and how it’s growing?

    RH: I think it’s been really good. The popularity has kept increasing and I believe that as they have broadcast the Formula One races on the national channel the popularity is increasing and I think it’s good for Formula One.

    Thank you. Nico, points finishes at the last two races in Monaco and Montreal. Can we expect to see you continue that rich vein of form here in Baku? 

    Nico HULKENBERG: Yeah, I hope so. Obviously it’s a new venue: no data, no knowledge, no previous laps here, so everybody starts from scratch pretty much, which could be interesting. Obviously the track looks quite exciting, as we’ve all seen now. I think we’ve made a massive step since Barcelona with the car. The upgrade there really made a big change to our game. Since then we’ve really been a points scoring contender on every track, so I feel confident that we can keep it up, yeah.

    You say everybody starts from scratch. Just give us a few words on how a driver prepares for a new race like this. Is there much correlation between the simulator and how much will you be relying on those opening laps tomorrow? 

    NH: I think it’s different from team to team. Some teams have a simulator, they have the track already, we don’t, so for us it’s really going to be starting from scratch, those opening laps are going to be very crucial and important – discovering the track, finding the limit, getting the lines etc. Correlation of simulator, sometimes it’s really good, sometimes not so good. I guess at the end we all have to come here, do the real thing, learn and work from there.

    Thanks. Carlos, coming to you, 20th to ninth last weekend in Canada, how satisfying was that result? 

    Carlos SAINZ: It was very satisfying, especially after the disappointment on Saturday, as you can imagine. To manage to recover well and come back from 20th to ninth was an achievement not only for me but also for the team. We had a bit of a scrappy Sunday in Monaco with some issues on the pit box and all that side and we managed to arrive to Canada and we managed to put on a very good race from the back, with perfect strategy, perfect pit stops and it was a also relief in those terms. Yeah, to manage to split the two Force Indias coming from all the way back was a huge achievement and now we need to keep working, because we need to keep this up and keep going for it.

    How difficult is it going to be to keep it up, because other teams are getting a lot of engine upgrades at the minute? How do you rate the competitiveness of the Toro Rosso now with the year-old Ferrari engine? 

    CS: It’s going to be tough. Already you know… you put an example, in Australia we managed to qualify P5 and P7 and now in places like Canada or Azerbaijan we will struggle to get into Q3, so for sure we are going a bit backwards. We haven’t put that many upgrades on the car since Australia, but thanks to the good effort of the team we are not that much falling back, no? And we are still in the game, we are still fighting for P5 in the Constructors’, with the same car as in Australia, which is a huge achievement, even though you take into account how many upgrades Force India and McLaren are bringing and we are still there trying to hold on.

    OK, thank you. Sebastian, thank you for waiting, on to you. Now, this is a coastal location, there is probably going to be a lot of seagulls around, so how do you think that is going to affect your race?

    Sebastian VETTEL: Well, technically I think it’s a lake; it’s not a sea. I think I read some… before I knew we would be coming here, I read some years ago that it is the biggest lake in the world. So I shouldn’t be afraid of any seagulls. There will be some, but hopefully they won’t sit in front of the car.

    Canada was Ferrari’s most competitive showing of the season. Is that the pace that you have been threatening to do all season or did the upgrades make the difference? 

    SV: For sure, upgrades help. I think everything we brought to Canada – there was a lot of talk about the turbo update – did make a difference, so that was good. But I think it was just a clean weekend in particular, because the weekends before were a bit messy, in particular in qualifying we weren’t able to show the pace or release the pace of the car, so in this regard Saturday was strong. I think we qualified where the car belongs and on Sunday we had a trouble-free race. Obviously we were able to put Lewis under a lot of pressure, because simply the speed was. I think you just seem to a nicer and easier Sunday where you can do your thing if Saturday goes well and this has to remains the target. As for here, as we’ve been through, it’s a completely new track, but it looks very, very exciting, so I’m very much looking forward to it.

    Would you say that Canada was Ferrari’s cleanest weekend of the year so far? 

    SV: Well, certainly for me it was. I think it’s also a track where last year we have been fairly competitive. It’s probably right to say the characteristics suit us, but I think we should be strong everywhere to be honest, so yeah, the weekends before weren’t entirely clean.

    QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

    Q: (Christian Nimmervoll – Motorsport-total.com) I realise that this is a hypothetical question but if you put all the drivers in the same car on an average track like Barcelona, what do you think would be the difference between the fast and slowest driver? And Sebastian, after Canada, did you have an offer from the World Wildlife Fund or PETA or similar organisations?

    SV: No. I start on the first question. I don’t think it would be much, a lot less than what we see now, we know that. I think Formula One has always been like that. I don’t know, to give you and idea, I’d probably say half a second.

    Would you agree with that Fernando? If you were all in the same car – half a second? 

    FA: Very difficult question, I don’t know… maybe.

    Q: (Heikki Kulta – Turun Sanomat) Valtteri, how would you rank this latest podium of yours compared to the eight previous ones and how much that meant for you personally? 

    VB: I actually think, yeah, that must have been one of my best ones, because it was one of my best races. I think that was the feeling after the race. I managed to get that long stint to work, with consistent lap times, and you just do feel as a driver when you do a good race compared to some of the other races and I had this feeling after. But it’s difficult to say exactly which one is the best, but of course I’m not too pleased because I want to win races. I’m not 100% satisfied with being third. That’s always the goal. But, of course, it’s been a difficult season for us so that’s a good result for everyone, for me, but we definitely want more.

    Q: (Joe Saward – Auto X) Just a question about this circuit: it’s very, very fast, did the drivers get any input on the design? Because Turn Three, for example, you’re going in there at very high speed and there’s about 50m of run-off area. Do you have any thoughts about the circuit, or were you involved at all?

    FA: No, obviously we don’t get involved in any of the layout or any of the decisions but, yeah, there are some corners that probably we will talk about. Some others that we need to go on the car first and see how they feel. We saw Singapore also making some small modifications to some corners year after year until we find a good compromise. I guess it’s going to be quite similar here. I think next year maybe some tweaks can be done after we go in the car. But yeah, in terms of safety I think FIA, y’know, ran many simulations in terms of how to make the run-off area safe enough. Obviously some of them are more than enough, some of them, maybe they look small but it’s always better than Monaco, for example. It cannot be any worse than that.

    Does anyone have anything else to add. Nico?

    NH: No, perfect answer.

    Q: (Oana Popoiou – Fanzone) Rio, could you tell us how much a driver can learn while racing for a team that struggles in terms of performances?

    RH: I think as a rookie you can certainly learn a lot on your first year with a team like Manor. I think this year they have made huge progress, a huge step compared to last year and certainly in some occasions we’ve been able to race with some other teams as well, like Sauber and Renault – so I don’t think it’s a bad thing.

    Q: (Carlos Miguel – Autohebdo sport) A question for Fernando and for Carlos. Question is very simply: who will be the first Spanish driver in the table at the end of the championship?

    CS: Hopefully me! I don’t know. It looks tough because Honda keeps bringing upgrades, McLaren keep improving and improving so we will not know where they will end up at the end of the year. But obviously I will try to do my best to keep it up there. I think now we are equal? More or less same points. If we’ve been ahead for seven races and he’s still fighting with us – it means it could be a good fight from now on until the end of the year.

    Fernando, will you be ahead?

    FA: We’ll see obviously. I would be happy if Carlos is ahead this year and I’m able to fight for the championship next one. It’s not a huge satisfaction to finish ninth or tenth or whatever. Definitely I will be in front of Carlos at the end of the year anyway! I miss two races this year and we are equal so…

    Q: (Ben Edwards – Channel 4) Question for Sebastian and Fernando: any concerns about the pit entry here because it looks as though it’s a pretty fast approach and then it’s a chicane before you get to the speed limit. Any concerns about that?

    SV: No, actually I don’t understand why this has been the second type of question of the same nature. I walked the track and I was looking on the track, not so much on the runoffs. I think it looks exciting. I’m thrilled to get in the car tomorrow and excited to get out and get a feel. Pit entry looks a challenge – but then again I think that’s why we’re here. And, as I say, I certainly have the plan to stay on track and not use the run-off or the off-track.

    FA: Same. Let’s see in the car, how it is. Similar to Brazil a couple of years ago maybe, and some other pit entries. It was no problem.

    Q: (Silvia Arias – Parabrisas) I would like to know, from all of you, in normal conditions in a new track how many laps do you need in a new track to find the limit?

    VB: Well, to find the absolute limit you won’t be able to build up all those small details until the qualifying really. Normally in qualifying you manage to do the best lap of the weekend – but you get very close to that very quickly, I think, with all the preparation we can do nowadays: simulator etc., In Practice One you already have, after the first run, second run you are already very close to the optimal lap time you can do in those kind of conditions. It’s not that long.

    Nico, you don’t have access to a simulator. How long until you’ll be exploring the limits tomorrow?

    NH: I don’t know. At a guess after ten laps you have a really good idea of the track. You have it in your mind by then. You know what’s coming. From there onwards it’s work-in-progress really. You keep finding little bits here and there. The track will progress as well: there will be more rubber so it will keep moving on and go faster and faster, so you just have to go with that. But, I think, to give you a number, ten laps and you’re at a pretty good level.

    Fernando. Ten laps for you as well?

    FA: Two!

    SV: I do it in one and a half!

    Q: (Livio Oricchio – globoesporte.com) To all drivers. From the exit of bend 12 to the braking of 15 you have bend number 13 & 14 in the middle. Looks like flat-out all the time and wall both sides: like oval in principle but in a straight circuit. Would you comment on that please?

    CS: From the laps I did on the simulator, looks like it could well be flat with some good walls waiting for you. Maybe behind a car with a bit less downforce it becomes more tricky. But the interesting part, I think, comes after those two flat-out corners. That is a good downhill that you brake and turn that is, again, not much run-off area so I remember the simulator being quite tricky there and hopefully it stays the same tomorrow and is a challenging corner. The more challenges at the end you face, the more exciting it is for the driver, the more open to mistakes also for the driver, and maybe the more exciting qualis and races that we have. Looks definitely an interesting point on the track.

    Sebastian?

    SV: Well, again, I’m trying to look at what’s coming rather than what I pass. I think the whole part there looks very exciting, starting from Turn Eight. Basically going around the old town. It’s nice to see, when I walk the track, it’s quite some gradient. It goes up, there should be a blind apex around 10-11, which is a big challenge and then obviously those two corners you mentioned at fairly high speed. In terms of safety standards, I think they’ve done everything they could. I’m a lot happier to have the wall that close to the track rather than have a run-off and then some tyres or something waiting for you. Plus there’s a safer wall which is working well, also in tracks like Brazil. I think in that regard should be fine. And the whole bit leading around the old part of the city looks quite spectacular. Hopefully it feels like that as well.

    Q: (Jose Carlos Carabias – Journal ABC) Question for Fernando. In this moment of the season do you believe in your car or are you thinking in the next year?

    FA: I think a little bit of both. Obviously we want to be fighting for the World Championship. We are not in that position this year and we are making, I think, progress and we are moving in the right direction to achieve that goal in the future but still a long way to go for us. Definitely we need to think on next year’s car, next year’s project and put some focus on there and try to be more competitive next year. At the same time we cannot forget 2016 yet because we are only in June, many races to come, many good possibility to score points, to go a little bit higher on the Constructors’ Championship that will help the team also for next year. And some of the progress and updates we can bring this year will be quite useful for next year as well. Especially on the power unit side. That doesn’t change so much in the regulations. So, still working on both projects and still very motivated to score many points this year and to do a good season.

    Q: (Alex Popov – Match TV) This is to all drivers about the ultrasofts, because we used it for two consecutive races, Monaco and Montreal, so how much did you rate it and will you miss these tyres here? 

    NH: It’s difficult to say without having done a lap here but personally I’m always a fan of the softer compound because they simply give you more grip, especially on one lap in qualifying, so it’s more fun, naturally. I think they performed quite well in Monaco and Montreal. Here we just have to work with what we’re given but we know it’s not here.

    VB: Not a lot to add really. Of course it gives you more grip which is nice but on the other hand it wears more and it’s completely unknown if it would be any use here. I doubt it a little bit, because of the track temperature. It’s difficult to say.

    SV: Well, I think it was working fine, the grip is high, the principal problem that we had in the last Grands Prix to be fair was that it was cooler than we all expected. We raced in Monaco, it was wet and it was only just shy of 20 degrees ambient. We raced in Canada, it was quite cool, again, so I think the tyre will work better when it’s hotter. I think that’s what it’s made for. Here it should be hot, it shouldn’t be wet but given that it’s the first year, the first race here, it’s unknown how the track is and how the stress on the tyres will be, I think you can understand the choice. For sure, as a driver, the softer the tyres, the quicker you go, the more fun you have so in this regard maybe we miss it but it should be fine with the tyres we have.

    Q: (Livio Oricchio – globoEsporte.com) We have a uncommon situation of a straight of 2000 meters. I would like to hear your comment about that, concerning the brake temperature, the tyres and mainly the DRS that you’re going to use in the middle of the straight. 

    FA: Well, I think all the circuits have their own unique features and this one will be the longest straight in the calendar, the longest straight on any circuit in the world, so that will be challenging in terms of set-up of the car and making your preference in terms of downforce and the settings so that will be a good thing, I think, for F1 and yeah, I don’t have any concerns about brakes or anything like that, so I think it’s OK. Definitely Monaco is Monaco, a very unique circuit and a very unique event. Singapore: racing at night and all the things that are unique there. Valencia was a little bit of a unique circuit and with unique features and here in Baku it’s a similar thing. All the street circuits have one thing and the long straight will be this one, I think we will talk about it with Baku.

    VB: I don’t think it’s too bad for us, that kind of straight but of course we need to see. Of course, this track with that long straight it makes it more difficult because for that straight we probably need to run a little bit less downforce so it means that you’re maybe struggling slightly more in the corners but you need to find a good compromise and I’m sure that’s what everyone is going to focus on quite a lot in practice, to find the right set-up in terms of aero.

    Q: Carlos, with that year-old Ferrari power unit, are you going to have to trim the car quite heavily down this long straight? 

    CS: I don’t know, maybe we need to take off the rear wing! It could be a challenge for us, for sure. We will be working a lot on the set-up to try to find a good compromise but you know in Canada we were expecting to be weak and we were not at all weak, we actually had really good pace in the race, so it doesn’t mean that because of that long straight here we cannot compensate with our good car, our good package and be strong. Obviously we are not going to be as fast as in Monaco or Barcelona for sure but hopefully we can still fight the teams that we are fighting now – Force India, McLaren – for those top ten positions.

    Q: (Daniel Johnson – The Telegraph) Question to Seb and Fernando as the most experienced guys here and especially Fernando as an ambassador. I know this is likely to be a slightly unpopular question because you’re here to compete, first and foremost, but the race does take place against the wider backdrop and several respected organisations have been critical of the human rights situation here in Baku. Unlike in Bahrain, I don’t think anyone’s calling for a boycott or anything like that, they just ask leading figures in the sport to offer their views on the situation and whether they would ever criticise the regime here. I just wonder if that’s anything that even enters your head before a race or if that’s something you would ever get involved in? Did you think about politics at all before you agreed to be an ambassador for the race here?

    FA: Well, I think we completely rely on the FIA in terms of the places and the venues we race. On that aspect – at least in my case – I think we never think any further than that. I totally put all my trust and my confidence on the federation and on the decisions that they make. If we are racing here it’s because everything was good for them and so it’s good for us. We are promoting the sport around the world and we are promoting the values of the sport around the world and that will always be welcome in any country.
    SV: Well said, nothing to add.

    Q: (Joe Saward – AutoX) Just to ask each one of you, how many simulated laps have you done of this track so we get an idea of who’s done what? 

    RH: Well yes, I think firstly it’s good for track familiarisation and secondly again, we don’t know much what to expect but it’s good to have a rough idea of the long straights and the corners.

    Q: (Joe Saward – AutoX) Just a number, number of laps? 

    RH: About 80 laps.

    NH: (Indicates none)

    CS: Good question, around 80, 100, it’s quite a long track so you cannot do many.

    VB: I don’t know the exact number but I think more than a race distance, plus a couple of laps running.

    FA: I didn’t make any, zero.

    SV: One this morning and in the simulator, between 50 and 100, I don’t remember. Maybe 70, something like that.

    Q: (Christian Nimmervoll – Motorsport Total.com) Obviously this weekend Le Mans is going on, the 24 hour race and this is a question to Fernando and Nico in particular. Are you going to follow the race and if so, do you have any favourites as to who is going to win it? 

    NH: You ask if I have a favourite or not? Obviously I’m supporting Porsche and my guys from last year. I’ll be quite busy here but I’ll follow it as much as I can and tune in or watch the live ticker and try to follow it a little bit.

    FA: Yeah, same, perfect answer!

    Q: (Daniel Johnson – The Telegraph) Seb, people talk about winning teams, like Mercedes, they get in the groove, they get used to different situations arising and conversely, people talk about a team forgetting how to win. Do you think there’s any merit in that argument whatsoever, people saying that because Ferrari haven’t been winning ten races a year for the last five years they become a bit less agile in dealing with situations at the front? 

    SV: Well, I don’t know about other teams but I disagree when it comes to us. Obviously I joined the team last year and I think it’s a very strong team and I think in the end the mentality is responsible for the fact whether you win or not. Ultimately, obviously, every day you can chose one hundred different reasons. First of all, if you’re competitive enough or not, usually that’s one of the main reasons but in terms of mentality, I see a team full of winning people. I think there’s definitely the desire to win from everyone involved. This is also one of the things that makes me very confident that we will start winning sooner or later. Of course the ambition for anyone involved is always to win, some achieve it and some don’t and there are reasons for that, as I said. If you look at the cars’ performance etc which will help you or not but I think what really makes you a winner is not just the fact that you have a car that’s quick enough, it’s the people that operate the car ultimately and in this regard I think we’re a very very strong team. We can be stronger, so there’s stuff that we can learn and will always have to learn but I haven’t seen a winner yet – a winning team or a winning person – that has learned all the lessons in life or everything there is to learn and in this regard we’re complete. I think naturally if you look at our sport, the way it’s changing, evolving etc, there’s always things that you can learn as a team. There’s definitely things you can learn as a driver, how to drive the car so yeah, I think this never stops but I think it’s the mentality that is most responsible for whether you make it or not.