Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2014/09/19/fia-switches-radio-ban-focus-to-driver-coaching/
Saturday, September 20, 2014
Ricciardo happy without Red Bull team orders
Daniel Ricciardo says he is happy for Red Bull to avoid implementing team orders to aid his slim title chances so he can continue to earn victories on merit against Sebastian Vettel
Source: http://en.espnf1.com/redbull/motorsport/story/175617.html?CMP=OTC-RSS
Friday, September 19, 2014
Ricciardo not worried by FP1 issues
Daniel Ricciardo says he is not concerned by the engine issues he suffered in FP1 after recovering to make the top ten by Friday afternoon's session at Monza
Source: http://en.espnf1.com/italy/motorsport/story/173899.html?CMP=OTC-RSS
WTCC: RML upgrades WTCC Chevrolets
RML has introduced a performance upgrade for its Chevrolet Cruze customer teams ahead of the World Touring Car Championship's end of season Asian rounds
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Massa baffled by stewards' leniency with Rosberg
Felipe Massa does not understand why Nico Rosberg was not punished by the stewards at the Belgian Grand Prix for his contact with Lewis Hamilton
Source: http://en.espnf1.com/f1/motorsport/story/173619.html?CMP=OTC-RSS
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Aggressive strategy cost Vettel in battle with Ricciardo
Sebastian Vettel claims that chasing down the McLarens was part of the reason his tyres started to go off towards the end of the Italian Grand Prix when he lost fifth place to team-mate Daniel Ricciardo
Source: http://en.espnf1.com/italy/motorsport/story/174565.html?CMP=OTC-RSS
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
'The point of no confidence is quite near'
 The wreckage of Jochen Rindt's car at Barcelona |
“Colin. I have been racing F1 for 5 years and I have made one mistake (I rammed Chris Amon in Clermont Ferrand) and I had one accident in Zandvoort due to gear selection failure otherwise I managed to stay out of trouble. This situation changed rapidly since I joined your team. “Honestly your cars are so quick that we would still be competitive with a few extra pounds used to make the weakest parts stronger, on top of that I think you ought to spend some time checking what your different employes are doing, I sure the wishbones on the F2 car would have looked different. Please give my suggestions some thought, I can only drive a car in which I have some confidence, and I feel the point of no confidence is quite near.”A little more than a year later Rindt's Lotus suffered mechanical breakdown just before braking into one of the corners. He swerved violently to the left and crashed into a poorly-installed barrier, killing him instantly.
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/09/the_point_of_no_confidence_is.php
US F1 still has 2011 hopes
A company that hired two engineers from the failed 2010 entrant US F1 says the team still wants to race in Formula One
Source: http://en.espnf1.com/teamus/motorsport/story/11408.html?CMP=OTC-RSS
Monday, September 15, 2014
Hamilton makes fast start at Monza in FP1
Lewis Hamilton topped the opening practice session at the Italian Grand Prix as he sets about clawing back some of the 29-point deficit to Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg this weekend
Source: http://en.espnf1.com/italy/motorsport/story/173793.html?CMP=OTC-RSS
F1: Mercedes appoints Wehrlein as reserve
Mercedes has appointed DTM race winner Pascal Wehrlein as its Formula 1 reserve driver.
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Hamilton's tough decision
Since BBC Sport chief analyst Eddie Jordan reported on this website last week that Lewis Hamilton was on the verge of switching to Mercedes from McLaren next year, Formula 1 has been awash with speculation about the 2008 world champion's future.
McLaren did their best at last weekend's Italian Grand Prix to dismiss the story - team boss Martin Whitmarsh even joked: "Any sentence that begins, 'Eddie Jordan understands' is immediately questionable, isn't it?"
But it was noticeable that not only did McLaren not deny the story was true, they said very little to suggest Hamilton was staying with them.
From Whitmarsh, it was: "Lewis and his management have made their position clear to us", "my understanding is we're talking to him" and "I'm pretty convinced we will have a very good, competitive driving line-up next year."
None of which translates as "Hamilton is staying".
Hamilton was triumphant at Monza, but how many more races will he win with McLaren? Photo: Getty
As for the doubts cast on the veracity of the story, the source is strong and credible, and the core information - that Hamilton has agreed terms on a contract with Mercedes for next year - is based in fact.
That does not necessarily mean Hamilton will move but it does mean he is thinking about it seriously. And you can make what you will of his downbeat behaviour throughout the Monza weekend - even after he won the race.
In the paddock, the general view was that a move would be a mistake - but it is a much more complicated decision than that.
Firstly, McLaren have undoubtedly been more competitive than Mercedes in the last three years. Between them, Hamilton and team-mate Jenson Button have won 16 races since the start of 2010; Mercedes only one, with Nico Rosberg in China this season.
Over an extended period, McLaren have a winning pedigree beyond that of any other team. Only Ferrari have won more grands prix, and they have been in F1 for 16 years longer.
Hamilton, who has been nurtured by the team since he was 13, says: "I want to win." On pure performance, there's only one choice, right?
In F1, things are rarely that simple.
Yes, McLaren usually have a good car, but until this year it had been a long time since they had unquestionably the best.
It was close with Ferrari in 2007-8, although hindsight would suggest now that the McLaren was probably not quite as good then. In which case, you probably have to go back to 2005 to find the last time McLaren had conclusively the fastest car in F1.
This is known to have irked Hamilton in 2010-11, and played some part in the cocktail of issues that led to his difficult season last year, when his frustration at the car's inability to compete for the title and problems with his family and his girlfriend led to what he admitted was his worst season in the sport.
That all changed this season. The McLaren is again setting the pace. But a series of operational problems in the opening races badly affected Hamilton, costing him 40 points. Add those points to his current total and he would be leading Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, not trailing him by a win and a fourth place.
Hamilton has done well to disguise his disappointment publicly, but it was around this time that his management started approaching McLaren's rivals about job opportunities.
On top of that, McLaren are entering an uncertain period. For the first time next year, they will have to pay for their Mercedes engines - that's in the region of eight million euros they cannot spend on the performance of the car unless they find it from other sources.
Tied in with this is the question of salary. McLaren have made it clear they cannot afford Hamilton at any price. The word is they have offered him a cut in money for next season, on the basis that they cannot afford anything more. This might be offset by other compromises, such as over PR appearances, flights and so on.
Already on about half of what Alonso earns at Ferrari, one can imagine how that has gone down with Hamilton - especially as McLaren's portfolio of sponsors makes it very difficult for a driver to do personal deals elsewhere to top up his earnings. That's because almost anywhere he looks there's a clash with a company that has links with McLaren.
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Meanwhile, Mercedes are by definition a "works" team with factory engines, have the might of an automotive giant behind them. They can pay Hamilton a lot more than his current salary - believed to be about £13m - if they want to. And at Mercedes there is also a lot more freedom for a driver to do personal sponsorship deals.
The funding for Mercedes' F1 team comes entirely from external sponsors - and the budget is reputedly significantly less than enjoyed by Red Bull and Ferrari. But it is underwritten by the parent company so even if there is a sponsorship shortfall it doesn't affect the team.
Performance-wise, the team that is now Mercedes actually won the world title more recently than McLaren, when they were Brawn in 2009. Ironically, the man who won it was Button. His success - and what he interpreted as the team's ambivalence about him staying - led to him moving to McLaren.
Admittedly, Brawn's success in 2009 was tainted by the row over double-diffusers that clouded that season. Once everyone had them, the car was no longer as competitive as it had been.
Mercedes have certainly been under-performing since then, but that can at least partly be explained by the fact that Brawn, facing serious financial problems, slashed their staff by 40% in 2009. As Mercedes, they have been slowly building levels up again.
The pressure on the team to up their game is massive - hence the huge investment in terms of staffing and resources in the last 18 months or so.
And while they are a long way behind McLaren this season, they are on an upward trend, even if it is significantly slower than either the team or the Mercedes board would like.
Equally, few in F1 would disagree that Hamilton is one of the three best drivers in the world, alongside Alonso and Sebastian Vettel. Mercedes don't have any of them.
It's impossible to know how much faster the car would go in their hands than it has done so far in those of Rosberg and Michael Schumacher. Some might argue not at all. But, that's not how Hamilton, who raced and beat Rosberg in their formative years, will look at it.
Add all that up, and the decision doesn't seem so easy after all.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2012/09/hamiltons_tough_decision.html
FIA inspects US F1 factory
The FIA has sent technical delegate Charlie Whiting to inspect US F1's factory, after reports suggested the Charlotte-based squad is way behind on its chassis build and in financial trouble
Source: http://en.espnf1.com/teamus/motorsport/story/9521.html?CMP=OTC-RSS
Saturday, September 13, 2014
FIA to limit radio transmissions on car performance
Formula One racing's governing body, the FIA, has informed the teams that they must refrain from making pit-to-car radio transmissions relating to the performance of the car or driver.
The move follows recent media scrutiny about the amount of information being given to drivers by their race engineers, particularly in terms of how they can gain lap time
The move follows recent media scrutiny about the amount of information being given to drivers by their race engineers, particularly in terms of how they can gain lap time
Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2014/9/16343.html
Ferrari downplay lack of F1 experience
Ferrari have played down the lack of F1 experience of their new top dogs after Sergio Marchionne was named as di Montezemolo's replacement...
Source: http://www.planetf1.com/driver/3370/9464130/Ferrari-downplay-lack-of-F1-experience
Friday, September 12, 2014
Coulthard slams 'irresponsible' approach to new teams
David Coulthard has added his voice to those expressing concern about the presence of three new Formula One team on the grid this season
Source: http://en.espnf1.com/f1/motorsport/story/10465.html?CMP=OTC-RSS
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Never forget how great Michael Schumacher was
Michael Schumacher was given a round of applause by the assembled media after he finished the prepared statement with which he announced his second retirement from Formula 1 at the Japanese Grand Prix on Thursday.
It was a mark of the respect still held for Schumacher and a reflection of the appreciation for what was clearly an emotional moment for the man whose seven world titles re-wrote the sport's history books.
Schumacher stumbled a couple of times as he read off the paper in front of him and once, as he mentioned the support of his wife Corinna, his voice almost cracked.
Once through the statement and on to a question-and-answer session with the journalists, he was more comfortable, relaxed in a way he has so often been since his comeback, and so rarely was in the first stint of his career.
Schumacher's retirement from the Singapore Grand Prix had a familiar look to it. Photo: Getty
The Schumacher who returned to Formula 1 in 2010 with Mercedes was quite different from the one who finished his first career with Ferrari in 2006.
The new Schumacher was more human, more open and more likeable.
As he put it himself on Thursday: "In the past six years I have learned a lot about myself, for example that you can open yourself without losing focus, that losing can be both more difficult and more instructive than winning. Sometimes I lost this out of sight in the earlier years."
Most importantly, though, the new Schumacher was nowhere near as good.
In every way possible, there is no other way to view his return to F1 than as a failure.
When he announced his comeback back in December 2009, he talked about winning the world title. Instead, he has scored one podium in three years, and in that period as a whole he has been trounced by team-mate Nico Rosberg in terms of raw pace. In their 52 races together, Schumacher has out-qualified his younger compatriot only 15 times.
It is ironic, then, that there have been marked signs of improvement from Schumacher this season. In 14 races so far, he has actually out-qualified Rosberg eight-six.
And although Rosberg has taken the team's only win - in China earlier this year, when he was demonstrably superior all weekend - arguably Schumacher has been the better Mercedes driver this year.
Schumacher has suffered by far the worst of the team's frankly unacceptable reliability record and would almost certainly have been ahead of Rosberg in the championship had that not been the case. And he might even have won in Monaco had not a five-place grid penalty demoted him from pole position.
That penalty, though, was given to Schumacher for an accident he caused at the previous race in Spain, when he rammed into the back of Williams driver Bruno Senna having misjudged his rival's actions.
That was only one of four similar incidents in the last 18 months that have crystallised the impression that the time was approaching where Schumacher should call it a day.
It is unfortunate timing, to say the least, that the last of those incidents happened less than two weeks ago in Singapore, almost as if it was the straw that broke the camel's back.
That was not the case, of course. Schumacher has been vacillating on his future for months and in the end his hand was forced. Mercedes signed Lewis Hamilton and Schumacher was left with the decision of trying to get a drive with a lesser team or quitting. He made the right call.
His struggles since his return have had an unfortunate effect on Schumacher's legacy. People within F1 - people with the highest regard for his achievements - have begun to question what went before.
There have always been question marks over his first title with Benetton in 1994, given the highly controversial nature of that year. Illegal driver aids were found in the car, but Benetton were not punished because governing body the FIA said they could find no proof they had been used.
But since 2010 people have begun to look back at the dominant Ferrari era of the early 2000s, when Schumacher won five titles in a row, and begun to wonder aloud just how much of an advantage he had.
It was the richest team, they had unlimited testing and bespoke tyres. Did this, people have said, mean Schumacher was not as good as he had looked?
If you watched him during his first career, though, you know how ridiculous an assertion this is. Schumacher in his pomp was undoubtedly one of the very greatest racing drivers there has ever been, a man who was routinely, on every lap, able to dance on a limit accessible to almost no-one else.
Sure, the competition in his heyday was not as deep as it is now, but Schumacher performed miracles with a racing car that stands comparison with the greatest drives of any era.
Victories such as his wet-weather domination of Spain in 1996, his incredible fightback in Hungary in 1998, his on-the-limit battle with Mika Hakkinen at Suzuka that clinched his first title in 2000 were tours de force. And there were many more among that astonishing total of 91 victories.
So too, as has been well documented, was there a dark side to Schumacher, and it was never far away through his first career.
Most notoriously, he won his first world title after driving Damon Hill off the road. He failed to pull off a similar stunt in 1997 with Jacques Villeneuve. And perhaps most pernicious of all, he deliberately parked his car in Monaco qualifying in 2006 to stop Fernando Alonso taking pole position from him.
Those were just the most extreme examples of a modus operandi in which Schumacher seemed often to act without morals, a man who was prepared to do literally anything to win, the sporting personification of Machiavelli's prince, for whom the ends justified the means.
Those acts continue to haunt Schumacher today, and even now he still refuses to discuss them, won't entertain the prospect of saying sorry.
"We are all humans and we all make mistakes," he said at Suzuka on Thursday. "And with hindsight you would probably do it differently if you had a second opportunity, but that's life."
He was given a second opportunity at F1, and he took it because in three years he had found nothing to replace it in his life.
His self-belief persuaded him that he could come back as good as he had been when he went away, but he learnt that time stands still for no man.
He has finally been washed aside by the tide of youth that with the arrival of Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen towards the end of his first career already seemed to be replacing one generation with the next.
It seems appropriate in many ways that the agent for that was Hamilton, the man who many regard as the fastest driver of his generation.
That, after all, is what Schumacher was, as well as one of the very greatest there has ever been. And nothing that has happened in the last three years can take that away.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2012/10/never_forget_how_great_schumac.html
Wolff: no question marks over Rosberg's mental strength
Nico Rosberg has the right mentality to recover from the mistakes which cost him a chance of victory in last Sunday's Formula 1 Grand Premio d'Italia 2014, according to Mercedes-Benz's head of motorsport Toto Wolff.
Rosberg twice out-braked himself while leading, with his second error handing a race-winning advantage to team mate and title rival Lewis Hamilton
Rosberg twice out-braked himself while leading, with his second error handing a race-winning advantage to team mate and title rival Lewis Hamilton
Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2014/9/16339.html
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Stefan GP considers US F1 takeover
Serbian businessman Zoran Stefanovic has not abandoned his ambition for his Stefan GP team to race this season, according to a report on Autosport
Source: http://en.espnf1.com/f1/motorsport/story/11874.html?CMP=OTC-RSS
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Team radio ban to cut driver assistance | F1 Fanatic Round-up
In the round-up: Team radio messages to be restricted • Boullier doubts three-car teams will happen • Lotus want to hire team principal soon 
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/f1fanatic/~3/0_xLkV5I3kU/
Monday, September 8, 2014
Ricciardo determined to 'stay grounded'
Daniel Ricciardo insists he is not going to let talk of his championship chances distract him from finishing the season as strongly as possible after victory in the Belgian Grand Prix
Source: http://en.espnf1.com/belgium/motorsport/story/172589.html?CMP=OTC-RSS
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Qualifying - selected team and driver quotes
Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton on ending his pole-position drought; Kevin Magnussen and Jenson Button on McLaren's third-row lockout; and Pastor Maldonado and Romain Grosjean on Lotus's failure to progress beyond Q1. The drivers and senior team personnel report back after a thrilling, high-speed session at Monza
Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2014/9/16310.html
Saturday, September 6, 2014
Qualifying - rapid Hamilton beats Rosberg to pole in Italy
Lewis Hamilton captured his first pole position in eight Grands Prix with a storming performance at Monza on Saturday afternoon, eclipsing Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg by just over two-tenths of a second.
Behind the Silver Arrows, the Williams duo of Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa locked out the second row, while a last-gasp flyer lifted McLaren's Kevin Magnussen into fifth, ahead of team mate Jenson Button
Behind the Silver Arrows, the Williams duo of Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa locked out the second row, while a last-gasp flyer lifted McLaren's Kevin Magnussen into fifth, ahead of team mate Jenson Button
Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2014/9/16309.html
Friday, September 5, 2014
Nico Rosberg Q&A: First Spa-Francorchamps pole special
Nico Rosberg is getting used to pole positions - he has now scored seven this season. But that doesn't mean his latest - at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit on Saturday - wasn't special. And with Mercedes dominating the field, it has set up the prospect of another epic showdown with team mate Lewis Hamilton in Sunday's Belgian race
Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/interviews/2014/8/16248.html
Thursday, September 4, 2014
F1: Vettel: McLaren offer not a priority
Sebastian Vettel insists he is not thinking about an offer to join the McLaren Formula 1 team as getting Red Bull back to championship form is more important
F1: Red Bull and Renault begin revamp
Renault has given the green light for a major overhaul of its relationship with Red Bull in a bid to help them both get back on top in Formula 1
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
Mattiacci would welcome back Brawn
Marco Mattiacci admitted that Ross Brawn would be welcome back at Ferrari, but conceded that the former boss isn't part of their current plans...
Source: http://www.planetf1.com/driver/3370/9453259/Mattiacci-would-welcome-back-Brawn
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Marmorini hits out at Ferrari
Axed Ferrari engine boss Luca Marmorini has hit out the Scuderia, revealing he met Marco Mattiacci twice - once to say hi and then to say bye...
Source: http://www.planetf1.com/driver/3370/9428059/Marmorini-hits-out-at-Ferrari
Monday, September 1, 2014
Sunday, August 31, 2014
Set-up puts Red Bull in strong position - Ricciardo
Daniel Ricciardo expects Red Bull to match the pace of its rivals at the Belgian Grand Prix after opting for a low-downforce set-up geared towards the race rather than qualifying
Source: http://en.espnf1.com/belgium/motorsport/story/172155.html?CMP=OTC-RSS
Saturday, August 30, 2014
Fri: Merc, Ferrari, Williams, McLaren
Lewis Hamilton topped the timesheets in Friday's practice in Belgium, edging ahead of Nico Rosberg and Fernando Alonso...
Source: http://www.planetf1.com/driver/3370/9434612/Fri-Merc-Ferrari-Williams-McLaren
Belgium analysis - the gloves come off in Mercedes title fight
While Daniel Ricciardo was revelling in a third, well deserved win for Red Bull, it was Mercedes drivers Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton who dominated the post-race headlines after their lap-two tussle at Spa-Francorchamps.
Rosberg's seemingly minor error of judgement had major consequences, costing the team a potential one-two, ending Hamilton's victory hopes, and ratcheting up the pair's already tense championship rivalry yet another notch
Rosberg's seemingly minor error of judgement had major consequences, costing the team a potential one-two, ending Hamilton's victory hopes, and ratcheting up the pair's already tense championship rivalry yet another notch
Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/features/2014/8/16262.html
Friday, August 29, 2014
Campaign launched to save Team Lotus
 |
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/11/campaign_launched_to_save_team_1.php
Coulthard slams 'irresponsible' approach to new teams
David Coulthard has added his voice to those expressing concern about the presence of three new Formula One team on the grid this season
Source: http://en.espnf1.com/f1/motorsport/story/10465.html?CMP=OTC-RSS
Thursday, August 28, 2014
Raikkonen: Incident-free race was all I needed
Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen believes having a clean race for the first time in 2014 was fundamental to his season-best finish of fourth at Spa-Francorchamps on Sunday.
Raikkonen briefly led during the first round of pit stops and was in podium contention throughout, running third until the final five laps when Williams' Valtteri Bottas was able to slip by
Raikkonen briefly led during the first round of pit stops and was in podium contention throughout, running third until the final five laps when Williams' Valtteri Bottas was able to slip by
Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2014/8/16261.html
MAG: AUTOSPORT magazine delayed
Due to printing problems some of our readers may have difficulty in finding AUTOSPORT magazine in shops on Thursday morning
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Vote for your 2014 Belgian GP Driver of the Weekend | 2014 Belgian Grand Prix
Who do you think was the best driver during the Belgian Grand Prix weekend? Compare how they did and vote for the best. 
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/f1fanatic/~3/GDvdJwR0WT8/
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
DTM: Kovalainen gets BMW DTM test
Ex-Formula 1 driver Heikki Kovalainen is set to test a DTM car for BMW on Thursday
Monday, August 25, 2014
Nico Rosberg Q&A: First Spa-Francorchamps pole special
Nico Rosberg is getting used to pole positions - he has now scored seven this season. But that doesn't mean his latest - at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit on Saturday - wasn't special. And with Mercedes dominating the field, it has set up the prospect of another epic showdown with team mate Lewis Hamilton in Sunday's Belgian race
Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/interviews/2014/8/16248.html
Sunday, August 24, 2014
Renault could make radical changes for 2015
Remi Taffin says Renault has the capacity to completely revamp its engine for 2015 despite rules regarding what manufacturers can and cannot change for next year
Source: http://en.espnf1.com/f1/motorsport/story/170647.html?CMP=OTC-RSS
Saturday, August 23, 2014
Vettel takes over at the top
As Sebastian Vettel put down his winner’s trophy after holding it up in celebration on the Korean Grand Prix podium, Fernando Alonso tapped him on the back and reached out to shake his hand. It was a symbolic reflection of the championship lead being handed from one to the other.
After three consecutive victories for Vettel and Red Bull, the last two of which have been utterly dominant, it does not look as though Alonso is going to be getting it back.
Alonso will push to the end, of course, and he made all the right noises after the race, talking about Ferrari “moving in the right direction” and only needing “a little step to compete with Red Bull”.
“Four beautiful races to come with good possibilities for us to fight for the championship,” he said, adding: “Now we need to score seven points more than Sebastian. That will be extremely tough but we believe we can do it.”
Sebastian Vettel won the Korean GP by finishing ahead of team-mate Mark Webber and Ferrari's Fernando Alonso (left). Photo: Reuters
Indeed, a couple of hours after the race, Alonso was quoting samurai warrior-philosophy again on his Twitter account, just as he had in Japan a week before.
"I've never been able to win from start to finish,” he wrote. “I only learned not to be left behind in any situation."
Fighting against the seemingly inevitable is his only option. The facts are that the Ferrari has been slower than the Red Bull in terms of outright pace all year, and there is no reason to suspect anything different in the final four races of the season.
Vettel’s victory in Korea was utterly crushing in the manner of so many of his 11 wins in his dominant 2011 season. The Red Bull has moved on to another level since Singapore and Vettel, as he always does in that position, has gone with it.
Up and down the pit lane, people are questioning how Red Bull have done it, and a lot of attention has fallen on the team’s new ‘double DRS’ system.
This takes an idea introduced in different form by Mercedes at the start the season and, typically of Red Bull’s design genius Adrian Newey, applies it in a more elegant and effective way.
It means that when the DRS overtaking aid is activated – and its use is free in practice and qualifying – the car benefits from a greater drag reduction, and therefore more straight-line speed than its rivals.
Vettel has been at pains to emphasise that this does not help Red Bull in the race, when they can only use the DRS in a specified zone when overtaking other cars. But that’s not the whole story.
The greater drag reduction in qualifying means that the team can run the car with more downforce than they would otherwise be able to – because the ‘double DRS’ means they do not suffer the normal straight-line speed deficit of doing so.
That means the car’s overall lap time is quicker, whether in race or qualifying. So although the Red Bull drivers can’t use the ‘double DRS’ as a lap-time aid in the actual grands prix, they are still benefiting from having it on the car.
And they are not at risk on straights in the race because the extra overall pace, from the greater downforce, means they are far enough ahead of their rivals for them not to be able to challenge them, let alone overtake them. As long as they qualify at the front, anyway.
It’s not all down to the ‘double DRS’, though. McLaren technical director Paddy Lowe said in Korea: “They appear to have made a good step on their car. I doubt that is all down to that system. I doubt if a lot of it is down to that system, actually. You’ll probably find it’s just general development.”
BBC F1 technical analyst Gary Anderson will go into more details on this in his column on Monday. Whatever the reasons for it, though, Red Bull’s rediscovered dominant form means Alonso is in trouble.
While Red Bull have been adding great chunks of performance to their car, Ferrari have been fiddling around with rear-wing design, a relatively small factor in overall car performance.
They have admitted they are struggling with inconsistency between the results they are getting in testing new parts in their wind tunnel and their performance on the track, so it is hard to see how they will close the gap on a Red Bull team still working flat out on their own updates.
The Ferrari has proved adaptable and consistent, delivering strong performances at every race since a major upgrade after the first four grands prix of the year.
But the only time Alonso has had definitively the quickest car is when it has been raining. It is in the wet that he took one of his three wins, and both his poles.
But he cannot realistically expect it to rain in the next three races in Delhi, Abu Dhabi and Austin, Texas. And after that only Brazil remains. So Alonso is effectively hoping for Vettel to hit problems, as he more or less admitted himself on Sunday.
How he must be ruing the bad breaks of those first-corner retirements in Belgium and Japan – even if they did effectively only cancel out Vettel’s two alternator failures in Valencia and Monza.
If anyone had reason on Sunday to regret what might have been, though, it was Lewis Hamilton, who has driven fantastically well all season only to be let down by his McLaren team in one way or another.
Hamilton, his title hopes over, wasted no time in pointing out after the race in Korea that the broken anti-roll bar that dropped him from fourth to 10th was the second suspension failure in as many races, and a broken gearbox robbed him of victory at the previous race in Singapore.
Operational problems in the early races of the season also cost him a big chunk of points.
Hamilton wears his heart on his sleeve, and in one off-the-cuff remark to Finnish television after the race, he revealed a great deal about why he has decided to move to Mercedes next year.
“It’s a day to forget,” Hamilton said. “A year to forget as well. I’m looking forward to a fresh start next year.”
In other words, I’ve had enough of four years of not being good enough, for various reasons, and I might as well try my luck elsewhere.
There was another post-race comment from Hamilton, too, that said an awful lot. “I hope Fernando keeps pushing,” he said.
Hamilton did not reply when asked directly whether that meant he wanted Alonso to win the title. But you can be sure that remark is a reflection of Hamilton’s belief that he is better than Vettel, that only Alonso is his equal.
Whether that is a correct interpretation of the standing of the three best drivers in the world, it will take more than this season to tell.
In the meantime, if Alonso and Ferrari are not to be mistaken in their belief that they still have a chance, “keeping pushing” is exactly what they must do. Like never before.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2012/10/as_sebastian_vettel_put_down.html
Friday, August 22, 2014
Stefan GP denied entry
Stefan GP has not been granted an official entry to contest the 2010 world championship, meaning only 12 teams will contest this season
Source: http://en.espnf1.com/f1/motorsport/story/10079.html?CMP=OTC-RSS
Exclusive Franz Tost Q&A: FP1 sessions planned for Verstappen
Toro Rosso unexpectedly hit the headlines earlier this week when they announced that Dutch youngster Max Verstappen - currently just 16 - will be racing for them next year, joining the almost-as-youthful Daniil Kvyat, the Russian rookie currently enjoying a successful first season with the Red Bull-owned squad. We caught up with team principal Franz Tost in Belgium on Thursday to discover more about the unusual decision
Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/interviews/2014/8/16228.html
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Caterham replace Kobayashi with Lotterer for Belgium
German driver Andre Lotterer will make his Formula One race debut at Spa-Francorchamps this weekend after being called up by Caterham to stand in for Kamui Kobayashi in a one-race deal.
Caterham insist Kobayashi remains part of the team, but believe that Lotterer's experience and feedback will help to improve the performance of the CT05
Caterham insist Kobayashi remains part of the team, but believe that Lotterer's experience and feedback will help to improve the performance of the CT05
Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2014/8/16217.html
Sochi circuit ‘ready to host Russian Grand Prix’ | F1 Fanatic Round-up
In the round-up: Sochi track 'ready for F1' • Lotus 'need good engine' - Grosjean • Marko defends Red Bull's young driver programme 
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/f1fanatic/~3/px8jsm_jcTY/
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
US F1 loses sponsor
The beleaguered US F1 outfit has taken another hit after one of its sponsors, Locstein, confirmed it had withdrawn its support
Source: http://en.espnf1.com/f1/motorsport/story/9485.html?CMP=OTC-RSS
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Ricciardo feared early retirement
Daniel Ricciardo says he feared his race was about to come to an end at mid-distance due to engine problems he was suffering
Source: http://en.espnf1.com/hungary/motorsport/story/169723.html?CMP=OTC-RSS
Eau Rouge may not be flat-out any more – Sutil | 2014 Belgian Grand Prix
F1 cars may not be able to take the famous Eau Rouge corner at Spa-Francorchamps at full throttle, according to Adrian Sutil. 
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/f1fanatic/~3/3EBvzLB3vyQ/
Monday, August 18, 2014
Team order rule needs a re-think
 Jean Todt arives for Wednesday's hearing |
“Whether you are for or against team orders, if the FIA could not back up its own rules and nail a competitor in a blatant case such as this the rule really does need reviewing. Perhaps Ferrari’s thinly-veiled threat to take the matter to the civil courts if they were punished too harshly scared the governing body, who as much as admitted the flimsiness of its rule."Paul Weaver, reporting for the Guardian in Monza, was in favour of the ruling which keeps alive Ferrari’s slim chances in an enthralling championship.
“The World Motor Sport Council was right not to ruin a compelling Formula One season by taking away the 25 points Alonso collected in Germany. That would have put him out of the five-man title race. But the council was widely expected to increase the fine and possibly deduct points from the team, as opposed to the individual. In the end, it could be argued that common sense prevailed. But the decision will dismay those who were upset by the way Ferrari handled the situation as much as anything else.”The Daily Mail's Jonathan McEvoy expressed outrage at the FIA tearing up its own rule book by allowing Ferrari to escape unpunished.
"Although the race stewards fined them £65,000 for giving team orders in July, the FIA World Motor Sport Council, to whom the matter was referred, decided not to impose any further punishment. It leaves the sport's rulers open to derision. It was, after all, their rule they undermined. In a statement, the WMSC said the regulation banning team orders 'should be reviewed'."
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/09/team_order_rule_needs_a_rethin_1.php
Sunday, August 17, 2014
Time running out for Alonso
As Sebastian Vettel headed down the pit lane after winning the Indian Grand Prix, team-mate Mark Webber's Red Bull behind gave him a couple of little nudges as they headed to their correct parking places.
"I switched off the car," Vettel said. "I was told to park the car under the podium and I couldn't remember where it was from last year and Mark gave me a little bit of a push."
He added that he thought it was his "only mistake" of the day, which sounds about right.
The victory was his fourth in a row, a new achievement for the German despite his domination on the way to the world championship last year, and he has now led every racing lap since Lewis Hamilton's McLaren retired from the lead of the Singapore Grand Prix four races ago.
It also moves Vettel to one win short of the tally of Sir Jackie Stewart. At this rate, Vettel will not only pass the Scot's number of victories before the end of the year but join him as a three-time world champion as well.
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Vettel is still only 13 points ahead of his only remaining realistic rival, Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, which is less than a driver earns for a third place, but it is the scale of Red Bull's current superiority that has led many to suspect the battle is already effectively over.
Vettel was fastest in every practice session in India and took yet another pole position. After the German's crushing wins in Japan and Korea, the only surprise at the Buddh International Circuit was that Red Bull's margin over the rest of the field was smaller than expected in qualifying.
In the race, though, Vettel was completely untouchable.
In the first 20 laps, he was not that much faster than team-mate Mark Webber in second place, and the Australian was being pretty much matched by Alonso.
But then Vettel cut loose, suddenly lapping 0.5 seconds faster than before. Team boss Christian Horner admitted that, not sure about tyre wear, Vettel had simply been measuring his pace in the opening third of the race.
Ferrari and McLaren both appeared to be in better shape after the single pit stops, more comfortable on the 'hard' tyre than the 'soft', but even then it was clear Vettel was in total control.
For the dispassionate observer wanting to see close racing, Red Bull's current form may be depressing, but it is hard not to admire what they have achieved this season.
For the first time in two years, they started the championship without a dominant car, and although they had strong race pace they were struggling to qualify at the front - the position from which they used to crush their opposition in 2011.
But they have worked away diligently at a series of upgrades aimed at allowing them to run the car as they did last year, and the breakthrough came in Singapore.
Further modifications came on stream in Japan and Korea and now Red Bull have a car that on pure pace is out of reach of their rivals.
It is the qualifying pace that is the key - start at the front and you can run in clear air, dictate the pace of the race, and are not affected by the turbulence of other cars. In this position, Vettel is close to unbeatable.
The start of the season, when there were seven different winners in seven races, seems a very long time ago.
Red Bull are a brilliant team, managed without compromise by Christian Horner and led by a genius designer in Adrian Newey, working in perfect harmony with a great driver. In many ways, it is similar to the way Lotus boss Colin Chapman and Jim Clark dominated the mid-1960s.
How they have done it, BBC F1 technical analyst Gary Anderson has expanded on in his column. For now, the problem for their rivals is what to do about it.
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Alonso was as impressive in India as he has been all season, aggressive and inch perfect in the opening laps as he fought past both McLaren drivers, and relentless in his pursuit of Webber for second place.
The fact that the Spaniard passed the Australian was down to a degree of luck, it has to be said. Webber's Kers power-boost system was working only intermittently, and crucially he got held up behind some backmarkers, allowing Alonso to close to within one second - which meant he was within the margin that allows use of the DRS overtaking aid.
Once there, it took only two laps for Alonso to pass Webber, who without Kers, was defenceless on the long straight against a Ferrari with better straight-line speed anyway, and also employing Kers and DRS.
Nevertheless, to even keep the Red Bulls honest was quite an achievement by Alonso - no-one else was even close.
If there is such a thing as a driver 'deserving' the world title more than another, most people in F1 would say Alonso has been the stand-out competitor of the year.
As Lewis Hamilton put it in India: "Fernando unfortunately doesn't have as quick a car as Sebastian; it's nothing to do with his driving skills, that's for sure."
F1, though, is not purely a drivers' championship - he has to have a car, and at the moment Alonso is fighting an unequal battle with inferior equipment.
And in any case, Alonso himself would undoubtedly say that the driver who ends the season with the most points is the deserving champion.
Red Bull are now virtually certain to clinch a third consecutive constructors' title - indeed they seem likely to do so in Abu Dhabi next weekend.
For all Vettel's recent domination, though, in purely mathematical terms the drivers' championship remains wide open.
Thirteen points sounds a decent amount but the margin between Vettel and Alonso is, in F1's old scoring system abandoned only at the end of 2009, the equivalent of less than four points.
One retirement by Vettel, or a marginal improvement in the performance of Ferrari in the final three races, could tip the balance back in Alonso's favour. Time, though, is running out.
Alonso said on Sunday that the team did have improvements due in the next three races, and there was a hint in some of the other things he said over the weekend that the team expect them to amount to something more substantial than Ferrari have introduced for a while.
McLaren sporting director Sam Michael said on Sunday evening: "The performance can swing from one track to the other by a couple of tenths, and that's all there is in it at the moment - 0.2-0.3secs in terms of qualifying.
"And if you can have that performance, from the front row you have a better chance. So even if no-one upgraded their cars there would still be a reasonable chance that people could have a go at them.
"If Ferrari have a competitive car, then obviously Alonso can still do it."
In the context of the overpowering brilliance of Red Bull, though, that is a big if.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2012/10/time_running_out_for_alonso_in.html
Saturday, August 16, 2014
Exclusive Vijay Mallya Q&A: Force India can catch Williams
Force India have continued their tradition of punching above their weight this season, and head into the summer break lying fifth in the constructors' table on 98 points - 39 up on this time last year.
Although the team failed to score through either Nico Hulkenberg or Sergio Perez for the first time in 2014 in Hungary, team boss Vijay Mallya is confident his Mercedes-powered squad can continue to take the fight to the Formula One frontrunners
Although the team failed to score through either Nico Hulkenberg or Sergio Perez for the first time in 2014 in Hungary, team boss Vijay Mallya is confident his Mercedes-powered squad can continue to take the fight to the Formula One frontrunners
Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/interviews/2014/7/16184.html
F3: Blomqvist dodges rain to set pace
British driver Tom Blomqvist came out on top after a pair of European Formula 3 free practice sessions interrupted by rain and accidents at the Nurburgring
Friday, August 15, 2014
OTHER: Obituary: Martino Finotto 1933-2014
Martino Finotto, who has died at the age of 80 after a long battle with cancer, made his mark in our sport as a driver, a team owner and engine constructor.
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Williams and Red Bull closing the gap to Mercedes | 2014 F1 season
Having begun the season as F1's most dominant team for 16 years, Mercedes find themselves under growing pressure from Williams and Red Bull. 
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/f1fanatic/~3/1NqtV7tPP4I/
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
Alonso “keeping Ferrari alive” – Andretti | F1 Fanatic Round-up
In the round-up: Alonso "maximises everything", says Andretti • Vettel getting to grips with RB10 • Maldonado expected Williams revival in 2014 
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/f1fanatic/~3/15asol34TUE/
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