INDIA in F1

Author: David Bodapati

  • Ferrari as a partner, we benefit clearly from the engine: Ben Agathangelour of Haas

    Monza 31 Aug 2018: The following team representatives attended the FIA Friday press conference during the Formula One World Championship weekend at Monza:  Ben Agathangelour (Haas), Mattia Binotto (Ferrari), Aldo Costa (Mercedes), Simone Resta (Sauber)

    Ben, if we could start with you, great to have you with us. Very rainy and wet this morning. We know you were running your new floor because Romain Grosjean told us yesterday. Were you able to get to grips with it?

    Ben Agathangelour: I think things were clear already by the end of Spa to be honest, so here in the wet we’re not going to gain that much more this morning, so we’re taking it as a given that things are behaving as we saw by the end of Spa on one car.

    Tell us too about the relationship you have with Ferrari. Big upgrades to the power unit this year and you really seem to have benefited in many ways from Ferrari?

    BA: Obviously it’s an enormous strength to have Ferrari as a partner and we benefit clearly from the engine. The engine has made a huge step this year and I think we have been able to use it, maybe not so much so in the past. We’ve done a fair amount of our own development, the company is growing, so we’ve managed to extract from all parts of the budget.

    Q: Thank you Ben. Mattia, moving on to you: great victory for you and the team at Spa last weekend. Where do you think your advantage over Mercedes lay?

    Mattia Binotto: Difficult to answer. I’m always more keen to look at the whole package and not try to split it into different factors. I think the difference to Mercedes overall was very small at the end. They have been on pole in quali, so they have been the fastest car, as a matter of fact, and I think that in the race our pace was very similar. So to try to distinguish if there is a little difference, where it’s coming from, is a very difficult exercise. Our package is working well as a whole, from the aero, from the chassis, mechanicals and the power unit and I think that as well in terms of development we are all focused on all the areas.

    Q: Now it was this stage last year that Mercedes started to stretch its legs in the championship fight. Is Ferrari in a better position now than it was 12 months ago?

    MB: Certainly we are in a better position compared to ourselves, to start with, and if I consider Spa last year, for example, we were not as competitive as we have been this year. I think that since the very start of this season, since the launch of the car, we mentioned and we said that we focused our development in terms of efficiency and to make sure that our car could compete on medium-fast circuit types and I think that somehow we have achieved it. On circuits where efficiency is important, like Silverstone, like Spa, we got good results and I think that is a good base for the rest of the season. So again, compared to last year, I think we can count on a car, which is certainly better in efficiency today. There are still eight races to go, so it’s still long and it will be a long and difficult battle.

    Q: Thank you Mattia and good luck this weekend. Aldo, we’ve heard about the Ferrari challenge, how do you and Mercedes assess what Ferrari have done this year? Do you feel they are much closer to you than in the past?

    Aldo Costa: As Mattia was saying, the two cars are very, very close. Yeah, we would say closer than in the past. You mentioned about the last part of the season last year, where we stretched our legs; obviously we hope to stretch our legs again. But we have to see if Ferrari will allow us to do that. It’s a very close fight. Development on development, each race, and we will carry on introducing new performance elements and we will carry on developing the performance of the car as much as we can up to the last race really.

    Q: You have announced that you are stepping down as engineering director from the team at the end of this season, but you are going to remain as an advisor. What does that role entail, and how involved will you be with the racing team going forward?

    AC: It was, as you can imagine, something that was discussed a long time ago. After having enjoyed an unbelievable amount the experience in Mercedes in the current role – seven years in the UK, really, really fantastic – I did ask the team to start being not in the same position, having a bit more time for myself, for the family, back to Italy and we found together, discussing together, again an opportunity for other people to grow up, to develop the team, so this is what I’m doing, as well as the current role – developing the organisation, developing people, team, mentoring, and by the end of the year my main new function will be, as you said, technical advisor of the team. I will work for James, I will work for my current direct report that will grow up in terms of responsibility and I will carry on mentoring and I will carry on collaborating with the team, developing capability, developing process, but a bit less involved from the timing point of view. In my opinion after 31 years of Formula 1 it is the best compromise for me to carry on being very fully engaged but as well, on the personal, finding better equilibrium.

    And more time, as well, to indulge in your passion for driving Formula 1 cars?

    AC: Yeah, yeah! That’s a growing passion. I’m part of the Mercedes senior driver programme! It’s important to have a group of driver for the third age of the future, because of the world population, the average age is growing. Joking apart, I’m enjoying a lot driving cars. Mercedes gave me a big opportunity and a friend of mine, who you know very well, Paolo Barilla, gave me another opportunity to test a lot of cars, so yeah, it’s a very nice moment, a nice experience.

    Q: You are never too old, Aldo, so good luck with all of that. Simone, so, technical director of Sauber since the beginning of July. How’s it going? How’s life in Hinwil?

    Simone Resta: Well, how’s it going? I think it’s going pretty well. I’m happy with this new journey that just started at the beginning of July. I apologise if I show a lot of emotion, but new job, technical director here in Monza, in our country, is just a lot! With a lot of friends, with Aldo, who was my first boss at Ferrari, with Mattia, who has been a great colleague and a boss recently and also with Ben. It’s a lot, but I feel very happy with that and I think my experience in the Sauber-Alfa Romeo team that started at the beginning of July, I find it very interesting, a new challenge in a different role, there is a lot to learn but it is a good step for me, for my career.

    Q: The team is making a lot of progress this season. How competitive do you think you are going to be in the upcoming races?

    SR: If I was able to read the future probably I would do something different. Joking apart, the trend so far has been good. I think it’s fair to say that we are slowing down our development rate for the time being, and we are concentrating mostly on next year’s car, which is a big challenge but also a big opportunity for us to close even further the gap to the big ones. I hope we will be progressing a little bit in the next races and that we will be closer and closer to Q3 with both cars.

    QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

    Q: (Scott Mitchell – Autosport) Mattia, earlier this year we had the FIA’s side of things when they were going through the Ferrari engine checks, just to make sure everything was OK. They had all their understanding of the energy recovery system, that sort of thing. Could you just give us your explanation of how complicated it was to satisfy everything the FIA wanted – and are you happy that you have now ticked every box you need to and you’re OK for the rest of the season?

    MB: Obviously, the power unit is a complex element and it has been since 2014. FIA is fully aware of our components and it is our duty as well each time FIA is not fully, let me say, convinced that there is something right or wrong for them to inspect, to understand better. I think it’s simply what happens at the time there is some questions: we answer; we explain and I think that’s what happens. That’s it. FIA certainly is happy, declaring our car legal at every single race, and on our side, honestly, fully happy at seeing the point is completely closed by them.

    Q: (Edd Straw – Autosport) Another question for Mattia. When you took over your current role, Ferrari was having a difficult season in 2016 – but we’ve seen huge progress since then. Can you just explain, in brief, how Ferrari has managed to turn around from that difficult position into its current position. This upward trajectory. And just explain a bit of your philosophy of how you issue technical leadership to the team to get that result.

    MB: Initially, I think it’s fair to say that our team, in terms of individuals, is very strong. We’ve got very high skills; it’s a fantastic team in that respect, whatever are the areas. And from the power unit to the chassis and to the aero. I think what we’re benefitting the last seasons is certainly stability in terms of the organisation, which in F1 is very important, because through the stability somehow you may start to set down a way of working, improve your procedures, your internal process. I think, relative to myself, I’m certainly not an expert in all the areas. 25 years of experience in F1; great time with Ferrari at the race track in the time of Michael Schumacher but always as a power unit man. When I grew up in that final role I think what for me what was important for me was to set the objectives but to make sure that the people were comfortable in their role, understood the internal process and work better not only as individuals but as a team. And where we’ve focussed all the effort is, I think, to make sure that the team was working properly as a team, and forgetting about the individuals. And that’s why, again, I think we are thinking about the car as a fully package, and not try to split down in terms of different components or units because we are a team and what is running is not a power unit or a wing but a full car. So, again, all the effort was to build the team as a team and set the right objectives, deal with them, try to be ambitious. I think that’s somehow what happened in the last two years.

    Q: (Dieter Rencken – Racing Lines, Racefans.net) Gentleman, this morning Michelin confirmed that they will not be tendering for the tyre supplier contract, and they gave as one of the reasons the fact that targeted deterioration goes against their objectives for a sustainable and well-engineers tyre. As engineers, how do you feel about that comment. All of you.

    BA: OK. I think we can see that the nature of the tyre that we currently run, everyone can see the nature in which racing is governed by the characteristics that we inherit. Obviously, it’s been a massive evolution in the sport over the last four or five years with respect to understanding and managing how we make use, and strategic use of the tyre behaviours that we find. I think ultimately I can’t speak for Michelin’s motivations: they’re a great company, I’ve certainly worked with them in the past and they were more than capable of delivering what their set objectives were – more than that I can’t speak on their behalf. Certainly, we’re just in the business of making best use of what we’re given.

    MB: Very difficult to judge and to comment. I know that the FIA is dealing with the tender; they are doing it by themselves and have started the process and are setting the targets. We have not been involved in the matter. So, without being involved, difficult to really to give a judgement, but I think as Ben meant. So, it was just mentioned that if Michelin does, somehow, make their choice, certainly they have gone, for them, what is the best choice.

    AC: My thought is that we are in front of this usual discussion between what is the best for the show and what is the best for the performance. Of course, for the performance, specifically of tyres, and the current situation is not the best, but for the show, according to the work that has been done, the discussions that we have done for many many years, this was the trend that the strategy group and the F1 community wanted to go. So then I think we need to define the objectives, the objectives need to be defined by the government or at the end by the people that are part of the strategy group and if for the good of the show, the good of the sport, we have to take a certain direction, the single tyre manufacturer has to follow. There are no other chances, really.

    SR: We just learn it now. All I can say is that we’ve got a lot of respect for Michelin history, for their story, for their technology and also for their decision. And if their strategy is not (inaudible) with the F1 business model, with the direction we’re trying to develop, I feel sorry for that but it’s one of the times that two roads cannot meet each other at some point.

    Q: (Sam Collins – RaceCar Engineering) There’s been talk in the media about the 2019 technical regulations having an even higher rear wing than was originally proposed in the draft regulations which have been amongst all of you so far. Is it a bit late to make changes like that and how would it affect the balance of your car?

    SR: I think it doesn’t look to be a dramatic change. Of course, having the rules defined as early as possible helps all of us to just lay down the (inaudible)  of the car and work developing it but ultimately I think everyone has got a big engineering group behind us and we can adapt to it and follow it. And especially in a case like that where it’s done for the purpose of safety, so to improve the safety of the driver.

    AC: Yeah, the changes that we are seeing for 2019, I think they were quite last minute changes but we are capable to develop a car in such a time frame so it’s not a big problem per se but the issue may come from the fact that if they will be effectively helping what is the aim, which means improving overtaking and improving the capability of the car to follow, we will have to see if the direction that we wanted to take is exactly what we will reach.

    MB: Relative to your question, is it too late or not for such a change, first we need to be honest: you cannot change the regulations if there is not unanimity from all the teams. Indeed the team have accepted it means that somehow we are able to manage and to (inaudible) the change so it’s not something that is imposed, it’s something that we are discussing through the technical working groups and we are all agreeing through our vote, so it has been accepted so whatever change, accepted or not, means we are accepting, we are able to (inaudible).

    BA: I think that particular example is just one of many in the way that exchanges happen between the teams and the FIA and actually, with respect to the rear wing in particular, although it was quite late, there was a fair amount of discussion that preceded it that indeed investigated alternative ways of increasing visibility, like reducing the rear wing box height. There was a general consensus that because development had been under way, we were dealing with a wing that fit a particular box and the fact that it shoots up by 50mm isn’t a game-changer, so the maturity, if you like, that precedes a decision is fair and we’re all familiar with that, we’re all party to that.

    Q: (Dominik Sharaf – Motorsport-Total.com) Mattia and Aldo: Liberty Media said that the 2021 engine regulations could be delayed because there is not enough interest by new manufacturers but we know that Porsche, for example, is waiting for a final decision and a final version of the regulations, to decide on their Formula One project. So who do you think should commit first: is it Formula One or new engine manufacturers?

    MB: Obviously having new manufacturers is always a good thing so if we are many and more manufacturers there’s more fighting in the championship which is something which is good. By 2020 the Concorde Agreement is finished and by 2021 we have the opportunity to have a new set of regulations on which we are working, together with the FIA and F1 Management. I think that obviously it’s not a matter of delaying or not, it’s a matter of setting something for 2021 which is necessary. Discussions are on-going, we’ve got regular meetings and I think that at the moment we are somehow close to define what we believe is the best compromise or the best solution for 2021.

    AC: So my thought: what we have got at the moment I think is a great power unit, it’s a very very efficient system, very modern in terms of layout, quite innovative. So really making something better, ruling something better is not that easy. There has been quite a lot of conversation about it and going in a direction and then coming back. It will take time to define something better for the sport and unfortunately if new manufacturers want to come, they are very very welcome but there is nothing else than competing with the current rules if the rules will stay the same or still waiting for more time for the new formula. There’s no other possibility.

    Q: (Christian Menath – Motorsport-Magazin.com) Aldo, it looked like Mercedes started with the stronger car at the beginning of the season but I think it’s fair to say that the last races, even for the results didn’t always show it, Ferrari had the better car. In which areas do you think Mercedes was out-developed by Ferrari?

    AC: Yeah, between race to race, there is always a variability of performance that is related to many many aspects: type of circuit, tyre management, key performance element of the car itself. So there is for sure… when two cars are very very close in terms of overall package, you will see anyway a variability. So we think we are very very close. We do not think we were particularly faster and we do not think we are particularly slower. As I said, it’s just a matter of variability of races. We see that Ferrari has done big progress in the power unit and we see that we have got two cars that are quite similar, both very competitive and as I said before, it will be a matter of introducing more development, solving more issues and being at the end the best car, not making mistakes, having good reliability will be key because not many results can we lose without impacting the final result, really.

    Q: (Dieter Rencken – Racing Lines, Racefans.net) Aldo, talking about your decision about becoming an advisor to the team, I know that you’re wearing a white shirt but when you wore a red shirt, Rory Byrne did something very very similar where he moved out, became an advisor. Is that your blueprint for this, where you will effectively take on a Rory Byrne-type role for Mercedes?

    AC: In terms of formal arrangement, maybe yes, yeah, such a type of arrangement but myself and Rory have two different experiences, we’ve got different areas of influence so we are different but more or less something like that.

     

  • Sette Camara heads Monza Free Practice; Arjun Maini 8th fastest

    Monza, 31 Aug 2018: Sergio Sette Camara secured the fastest time in the FIA Formula 2 Championship Free Practice session at Monza, Italy, clocking in a 1:33.810 during the final stages as the wet circuit began to dry over the course of the allotted running. The Carlin driver beat RUSSIAN TIME’s Artem Markelov to the top of the timesheets by 0.048s, as the Russian driver brought out a yellow flag at the end of the session. DAMS’ Alexander Albon completed practice in third place.
    Following heavy downpours earlier in the day, the session began under wet track conditions, and home hero Luca Ghiotto was first on the road with a set of wet tyres – accosted by BWT Arden pairing Maximilian Günther and Nirei Fukuzumi. After the first exploratory laps, a dry line showed signs of appearing as Sean Gelael set the first timed lap in the 1m45s before Markelov shunted him off of top spot.
    Markelov’s teammate Tadasuke Makino was first to try a lap on the medium-compound slicks, leading a series of reconnaissance efforts as the field looked to make a switch to the dry tyre. Eventually, Louis Delétraz and Arjun Maini decided to bite the bullet and commenced a series of timed laps on slicks – Delétraz dipping below the 1m40s to beat Markelov’s benchmark by over four seconds, then hacking a further two seconds out of his time.
    Makino and MP Motorsport’s Dorian Boccolacci then emerged on the road, and the Frenchman elevated himself into first with a 1:36.781 before the Japanese ace went a second and a half faster. Boccolacci then returned to the top, but was quickly displaced by Lando Norris until Ghiotto beat the British driver – who had participated in Formula 1’s morning practice session for McLaren – by fractions of a second.
    Returning to the top, Markelov beat Ghiotto by 0.03s and was then able to extend his advantage by almost a second as the circuit continued to improve with the increased running. However, he was beaten to the punch by Sergio Sette Camara, who found a smidgen of time over his rival to clinch control of the session. Any hopes of further improvement throughout the session were ended by Markelov, who spun at the first chicane and became beached on the sausage kerb, bringing out a yellow flag at the opening sector.
    Albon fired his way up to third before the chequered flag, beating Makino’s time while Ghiotto was fifth in front of his home crowd. The Campos Vexatec Racing driver’s compatriot Antonio Fuoco was sixth, while championship leader George Russell claimed the seventh best time ahead of Maini. Norris and Boccolacci completed the top 10 runners.
    2018 FIA Formula 2 Championship Round 10 – Monza, Italy – Free Practice Classification
    DRIVER
    TEAM
    LAPTIME
    LAPS
    1
    Sergio Sette Camara
    Carlin
    1:33.810
    11
    2
    Artem Markelov
    RUSSIAN TIME
    1:33.858
    13
    3
    Alexander Albon
    DAMS
    1:34.287
    13
    4
    Tadasuke Makino
    RUSSIAN TIME
    1:34.646
    11
    5
    Luca Ghiotto
    Campos Vexatec Racing
    1:34.677
    12
    6
    Antonio Fuoco
    Charouz Racing System
    1:34.793
    11
    7
    George Russell
    ART Grand Prix
    1:34.812
    11
    8
    Arjun Maini
    Trident
    1:34.817
    13
    9
    Lando Norris
    Carlin
    1:34.828
    11
    10
    Dorian Boccolacci
    MP Motorsport
    1:34.848
    15
    11
    Jack Aitken
    ART Grand Prix
    1:34.932
    11
    12
    Ralph Boschung
    MP Motorsport
    1:34.958
    14
    13
    Louis Delétraz
    Charouz Racing System
    1:35.216
    18
    14
    Nicholas Latifi
    DAMS
    1:35.461
    13
    15
    Roy Nissany
    Campos Vexatec Racing
    1:35.480
    15
    16
    Sean Gelael
    PERTAMINA PREMA Theodore Racing
    1:35.568
    12
    17
    Nirei Fukuzumi
    BWT Arden
    1:35.677
    11
    18
    Maximilian Günther
    BWT Arden
    1:35.954
    12
    19
    Alessio Lorandi
    Trident
    1:36.559
    12
    20
    Nyck de Vries
    PERTAMINA PREMA Theodore Racing
  • F4 South-East Championship debuts in India

    F4 South-East Championship debuts in India

    • Caterham Asia cars have first run at MMRT
    Formula 4 car in action at MMRT on Friday. Photo by Anand Philar

    Chennai, 31 Aug 2018: The Formula 4 South-East Asia Championship made its debut in India as the FIA-homologated cars had the first feel of the MMRT circuit here on Friday with the drivers enjoying the experience of racing on the “very difficult and technical track”.

    Also making its India debut was the Caterham Asia championship whose cars went through a couple of test sessions in the afternoon with the track again receiving the thumbs up from the drivers.

    Two rounds of the F4 SEA Championship at the MMRT will be run over two weekends of September 1-2 and September 8-9. Each round comprises three races. The Caterham Asia Championship will be run concurrently on both the weekends with two races in each round.

    Testing run of the Caterham championship in progress at MMRT on Friday. Photo by Rahul Reghu

    The only Indian in Caterham Championship is former FMSCI president Vicky Chandhok who is participating as a guest driver. “I am getting into a proper racing car for the first time since 1993 on invitation from Campbell (Tupling), the CEO of Caterham Asia. It is also the first time I am getting into a Caterham car,” said 62-year old Chandhok who, incidentally, was the second quickest in both the test sessions today.

    Campbell said: “It is fabulous to have Vicky Chandhok racing with us. He seems to be enjoying himself.

    “This is the first time that Caterham cars have ever raced in India. We all are quite excited. The facilities here at the MMRT are first class, whether it is the pits or the hospitality or the control room. The track is very difficult and technical and our drivers seem to love racing on this track. There are two more days left and we are looking forward to the weekend. As for returning to India next year, it all depends on the drivers.”

  • MMSC to host first-ever FIA-homologated Cars event in Chennai over two weekends

    MMSC to host first-ever FIA-homologated Cars event in Chennai over two weekends

    • Formula 4 South-East Asia Championship to debut at MMRT
    • Caterham cars add colour and class to the proceedings
    File photo courtesy F4 SEA championship

    Chennai, 30 August 2018: More exciting times ahead at the iconic MMRT with the Madras Motor Sports Club hosting two rounds of the FIA Formula 4 South East Asia Championship and the Caterham Motorsport Championship (Asia) over back-to-back weekends of August 31-September 2 and September 7-9. You can get your basic cars customized to your favourite F1 cars at Jeep Dealership

    The Formula 4 SEA Championship, now in the third season, is part of the global series. The overall champion at the end of the 24 races spread over eight rounds in Malaysia, Thailand and India, earns 12 FIA Super License points.

    The Caterham Championship (Asia) is a by-product of the UK series and aims to provide access to drivers in the region. It is open to anyone with a National C or higher licence and offers arrive-and-drive package for those looking for an introduction to motorsport. The Caterham lightweight (530 kg) race-proven Series V factory-built race car is the most raced car in the world and gives drivers of any age and skill the most exciting and affordable racing in Asia.

    The F4 SEA championship, which will see a total of six races over two weekends, boasts of drivers from Asia, Europe and Canada with a grid of 12 to 14 cars while four races have been scheduled for the Caterham event, comprising of two classes – 420R and Supersport – with nine drivers in the fray.

    MMSC president Ajit Thomas said: “We welcome the F4 SEA and Caterham Motorsport fraternity to India and it is a special occasion for MMSC. These races are further evidence of MMSC’s vision of taking motorsport to the next level and parallelly help promote it at the grass-root level. I am sure that the two race weekends will witness some absolutely heart-stopping action.”

    Chairman of the Meet Vicky Chandhok said: “Meritus, the promoter of the F4 SEA Championship, and MMSC go back a long way, and we have been in talks over the past few months about bringing the championship to India. The event is also in sync with our efforts to widen our racing horizons by presenting different international racing events in our country without compromising on our primary objective of promoting the sport at all levels.

    “The MMSC is very keen to associate itself with all the racing series in the region. We have invited the Malaysians for ongoing talks and inspection of the MMRT to explore the possibility of adding to the menu card of international events organised by the MMSC. Next on the cards would be teams from Korea and other countries as well.”

    Peter Thompson, F4 SEA Promoter, said: “We are looking forward to our first F4 SEA race in India with a double-header at the Madras Motor Race Track in Chennai. MERITUS.GP (the exclusive F4 SEA race engineering supplier) started their Asian adventure in 1996 with Narain Karthikeyan at this very track. Narain is the first of eight F1 graduates from the Meritus GP team.”

    F4 SEA organiser, the Automobile Association of Malaysia, is highly vested in making the 2018 Season an outstanding success.

    “It is our great honour and privilege to usher in the third season of the Formula 4 SEA Championship. F4 is the FIA’s gold standard of junior driver development. The Formula 4 SEA Championship is truly dedicated to the success and future of Asian autosport and I am proud of the fact that we have helped introduce and train 47 new FIA licence-holders, some of whom have already gone on to win races in higher categories. With the past success of our promoter, it is our goal to have one of our graduates join F1 in the next 5-10 years,” said Yang Mulia Tunku Datuk Mudzaffar Tunku Mustapha, the Chairman of the FIA Affiliate in Malaysia (AAM).

    The Specifications

    Formula 4 SEA car – Engine: Renault F4R 2-litre FIA-homologated naturally-aspirated 4-cylinder engine with 160bhp.

    Chassis: FIA-homologated Mygale carbon-fibre monocoque chassis.

    Tyres: Hankook.

    Caterham Motorsport – Engine: 2.0 litre, dry-sumped engine with 210bhp (420R class) and 1.6 litre Caterham Motorsport engine @ 140bhp (Supersport class)

    Tyres: Hankook.

    For More details visit: – https://formula4.asia/  and http://www.caterhammalaysia.com/

  • Sergio Perez happy with the outcome for Force India

    PRESS CONFERENCE

    Q: Romain, welcome to Monza, but I would like to take back to last weekend in Spa where you scored for the fourth time in the last five races. It seems that you’re getting some momentum now in that Haas car, so I just wanted to ask what has changed and why are you happier with it now?

    Romain GROSJEAN: Good afternoon. I think the car has been quick since Melbourne to be fair. In the first part of the season I made some mistake that I shouldn’t have done and I got some bad luck as well – there were plenty of times where we could have been in the points. Recently the run is going well and I’m hoping that continues, but to be fair the car has been fast since race one. I think the first races were up and down and they shouldn’t have been that way.

    Q: Thank you. Sergio, if we could come to you now, please. You were instrumental in saving Force India, so tell us what the result at Spa last weekend meant to you and how it will likely impact on your future with the team?

    Sergio PÉREZ: It was great to see everyone so happy after the tension that we had, not knowing what was going on with all the jobs, including mine and so on. So it was great to get that kind of result for the team. It just shows the potential my team has and I was very proud of that performance. In terms of my position it doesn’t change. I’ve got a contract and I keep performing and I keep delivering at my best. I try to score as many points as possible for the team, to try to get us further up on the grid. It doesn’t change from that perspective.

    Q: Thank you and good luck for the weekend. Kimi, coming to you, a man who is seeking his 100th podium in Formula 1 this weekend. A lot of the tifosi here at Monza will be wondering what you’re doing next year, so the inevitable question: when will know more about your future?

    Kimi RÄIKKÖNEN: I don’t know. At some point, that’s for sure. Probably you can expect anything in here, that’s what I’ve learned over the past, so yeah, we’ll see, I don’t know.

    Q: Do you want to come back for more, Kimi? Are you still enjoying the challenge of Formula 1?

    KR: I enjoy the racing; I don’t think that’s a secret. The rest not, but that’s part of the job. Do I want to race? Yes, otherwise I wouldn’t be here today. I don’t see that’s suddenly going to disappear. Who know, it might be, but I doubt it. Like I said, I don’t know, so we’ll see what happens.

    Q: Thank you Kimi, good luck this weekend. Sebastian, thanks for waiting, coming to you now. Spa was a dominant performance by you and Ferrari last weekend. Do you think that pace will translate to Monza this weekend, given the high-speed nature of the track?

    Sebastian VETTEL: I don’t know. I think in the end it was less dominant than you might think. In the end, we did well, and it’s good to see that we are able to improve our car. We had some bits and a new engine. So we’ll see. Monza in many ways is a bit similar to Spa, but then again obviously if you look at the track and the actual corners, not just the straights, it’s quite a bit different. We see in the past, I remember some good races here with great podiums but for sure we want more than a podium, but I think we will see what we get starting tomorrow and getting into the rhythm for the weekend.

     

    QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

    Q: (Frédéric Ferret – l’Equipe) A question for Kimi and Sebastian. Can you tell us the feeling to be a Ferrari driver at Monza. And another question for Seb, what is the feeling when you win in Monza, even not for Ferrari?

    KR: Obviously the driving doesn’t change. It’s our home grand prix, so it’s more busy. We have a lot, a lot of support, a lot of tifosi here, so that obviously makes it a lot different. But if you purely talk pure driving, racing, it’s the same job than any other place. It just happens to be our home race. Obviously it’s an important race for us, for the team, as any race, but it’s for sure special. You feel it straight away when you come here, today or yesterday, in the show in Milan, it’s great. Hopefully we get a strong result from the team not just for us but for all the fans and tifosi.

    Sebastian winning here at Monza? Of course it’s 10 years since your first ever F1 victory?

    SV: Yeah, it depends which colour, or which engine you have in the back. I mean the first win was overwhelming in many regards. I didn’t realise at the time that I was obviously racing for an Italian team and had a Ferrari engine in the back, so I guess it was sort of OK for the crowd and they were happy too. I thought they were happy because it was me and it was a good race. But then two or three years after I won again in a different colour, they weren’t very happy, so I was wondering a bit what’s going on, because I hadn’t done anything wrong, quite the opposite. The story of Monza is in the heart of Italy and where all the tifosi are. I think the last podiums I had, in the right colour, were quite amazing and obviously it’s definitely something I want to achieve, to win here with Ferrari. Others have done it before me and I want to join them.

    Q: (Scott Mitchell – Autosport) Romain, Guenther told us earlier that both you guys will have the new floor, after changing last weekend. Can you just explain what the difference was last weekend between then and how you came to the decision to have it on your car here?

    RG: Yeah, so last weekend we both had the update on the car and we were not very competitive on Friday, so on Friday night we decided to revert one car to the old spec, just to see the difference and to try to understand and gather a lot of data, which we did. The guys went to the factory and discussed with the aerodynamic department and it was clear that the new package is a good step in a good direction and that we should run it. It does require a bit of adjusting in the set-up, which Kevin did over the weekend using it and which now we know, so I think now we are going to use that new package which should be more competitive.

    Q: (Adrian Rodriguez Huber – Agencia EFE) A question for Checo. After all this emotional rollercoaster, what do you expect this weekend here?

    SP: Yeah, I think we have a competitive car, we proved that in Belgium. We are coming to a similar track in terms of what you run around here, so I think we should be quite competitive, and the aim is still the same – to try to be the best of the rest and I think we have a good chance of doing that again.

    Q: (Heikki Kulta – Turun Sanomat) Kimi, your greatest feeling here, is it pole in 2006, as you have not won here?

    KR: Hard to say. I don’t think it’s been very good over the years, but I always enjoy coming here. First of all, it’s a nice, great circuit, it has a lot of history. It’s close by from home, so easy to come. I had some good races here for sure, not perfect. I’ve been on the podium with Ferrari once or twice. That’s been good. Not exactly what we wanted but important, so yeah…

    Q: (Dieter Rencken – Racing Lines, Racefans.net) Kimi, you’ve always struck us, over the last 18 years or whatever you’ve been in F1, as a very private individual, yet you recently authorized a biography. I’ve read some excerpts that have been translated and it seems to be fairly open about your lifestyle etc. Why are you willing to open yourself to the world like that?

    KR: Probably you had a wrong translation. What about that? No, how is it secret, because I lived through it and there have been an awful lot of stories about it, a lot of things. I don’t know how you think it’s such a secret. I don’t think… it’s something that I decided to do. It’s just a short story until now, it’s not such a big thing in my view. Like I said, I lived through it and it just happens to be now it’s in a book. Probably most of the things a lot of people know, maybe not all, but I don’t feel that there is something different in my view, but obviously probably for you guys it is different

    Q: (Daniel Horvath – Racingline.hu) Kimi, as the oldest driver on the grid, what’s your personal feeling, how long can you perform at this level?

    KR: Hard to know. I don’t feel that I drive any differently than 10 years ago. I think I drive pretty well, in my books at least, and that’s enough for me. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t feel I can drive as well as I feel that I should. That my tool to measure and decide when it’s enough. Who knows. I don’t know. Maybe I wake up one morning and I just don’t know how to go fast any more. I don’t think there is a time. It’s more feelings and how do you feel yourself doing it – good or bad. People always say that the speed will disappear but until this day I feel that it hasn’t disappeared for me. But maybe there is a morning you wake up and it’s just not there anymore. It could be like that but I don’t think you just put a date, you just turn this old or that and it’s just not there. If you have it, you have it and if not… that’s it.

    Q: (Phil Duncan – PA) Seb, do you feel any greater pressure performing in front of the Ferrari fans and how important do you think a win here would be in terms of your championship chances and the momentum that a victory in front of the Ferrari fans would bring?

    SV: I don’t know. If you win you score more points than others, that always helps. You don’t have to be a genius to make that out. Obviously here for us it’s a different story, so I think it’s a bit isolated from the rest of the year in terms of how special it is for the whole team. There are a lot of friends, a lot of family from all the guys here. We are in Italy, in the home country of Ferrari and I think everybody, not just us drivers, not only the Ferrari drivers, everybody can feel and sense that there is something special going on and I think we have probably the two most special seats this weekend but there are a lot of seats and there will be a lot of people, so to be honesty, looking forward to it. Yesterday was a great way to start the weekend, with the event we had in the city and there were a lot of people and to see how excited they are is definitely different than any other race where I thought people were already excited, but they’re more excited here. So looking forward to getting out in the car and just to look for the same sort of satisfaction and feeling we had last weekend. The car is performing so we hope it stays that way and to make it even better.

    Q: (Fulvio Solms – Corriere dello Sport) A question for Sebastian. Why after your victory in Belgian nobody in your team, neither you nor anybody else, remembers so big a figure like Sergio Marchionne?

    SV: I don’t think that’s fair from you to say. One is the comments we give in the press but we are aware just how big he has been, not just for our team, but for the whole group behind and obviously knowing him he was a big supporter of Ferrari, of racing, and he was interested in going ahead and at some point you have to let things rest and look forward and I think that’s probably the way he wanted it to be and it’s probably a sign of respect, that you’re not trying to dig something up and especially in times like now, let things rest.

    Q: (Alessandro Sala – Tercer Equipo) Question for the men in red, the first one to Sebastian. If this year you should be World Champion, we should read next year ‘my five titles’ biography? And for Kimi, both Ferraris first row, at the beginning of the first variante, which should be your move if you are side-by-side with Sebastian?
    SV:     I’m not planning to write a book. I’m not sure I can compete with Kimi. I haven’t read it because it’s in Finnish but… yeah… I mean. If that would be an idea for the headline, obviously that would be great if it happens to be like that but there’s a lot of would and should and could. So, not interested at that point. Yeah, as I said, I don’t think my book is as exciting. Maybe need to wait more years.
    KR: I don’t know. We’ll see. Obviously our aim is to be with both cars in the front and then see how it plays out – but obviously we know what we can do. We can race each other and we always try to beat each other but to be fair at the same time. I don’t see anything different on that

    Q: (Giles Richards – The Guardian) Sebastian, given the advantage you enjoyed at Spa, is it something you think Mercedes can come back from – or do you think you’re going to hold that power advantage to the end of the season?
    SV:     Well, first of all, I find it quite nice that we get put in this position. I think people forget that maybe for the last five years, Mercedes has been absolutely dominant, especially in terms of power unit, and obviously, it’s nice from them to put us in that position because it means they believe they are not the strongest any more. So, it’s good to be up there with them and be a match but I don’t think we can take anything for granted. I don’t think we are anywhere near in the place they have been in the last years. So, I think we have to work hard to make things happen, and we are determined to work hard this weekend to put ourselves in the same position again, that we have a great pace in the weekend and especially in the race on Sunday.

    Q: (Livio Oricchio – Globoesporte.com) To Sebastian and Kimi, it’s more or less in the line of your last answer, Maurizio Arrivabene said that it’s very important for Ferrari to push Mercedes, they are not used to it over the last four years at least – but it’s also true that many people believe you have the best car, and many Italians say Ferrari has a great chance of being World Champion this year. If you go outside you hear this from many Italians. You feel this pressure that will exist?

    SV: Not really. We know our car best and I think we have a lot of people on board telling us how good our car is on which point of the track, at which point of the year, similar to other teams. I think we know what’s going on. We know we have a great car. I think we have a good car that seems to have worked so far on more or less every track. Some better, some a little but worse but I think we are aware we have a good package but we cannot rest on that. I think we need to make it happen. Kimi and myself in the car, all the engineering crew at the track, everybody back in Maranello to try to put everything together. So, I don’t think you can compare to maybe the position other people have been in years ago. It doesn’t matter, I’m also not keen to compare because we’re looking forwards and we want to do our thing. As I said, looking forward to getting in the car. It’s a great feeling when you step inside the car and you know that you can fight for first position, for the podium, for victory on Sunday. That’s what you want as a driver but for the rest I think it’s healthy not to overthink.

    KR: I don’t think there’s any more pressure. I think all the pressure is that we want to do well: ourselves; our team. So that’s normal pressure that we put unto ourselves and something that we want to achieve. So, I don’t know. Is our package best? One weekend yes, next might not be. It’s that close that small differences will dictate who’s fastest over that weekend or the race on Sundays. If you don’t get everything right, you might not win. So, it’s very close. Certain conditions; certain circuits, one is a bit better for one team and the next one for the other team. We’re talking small differences in the end result. So, we can only do our best and see what happens, where we end up on Sunday.

    Q: (Scott Mitchell – Autosport) Question for the two Ferrari drivers. Everyone’s talking about the engine improvement this year but it has been a collective growth from the team. Maybe not necessarily from last year but especially if you look back to 2016 when there wasn’t the progression from ’15 to ’16. So if you look at the work from 2016, how much has the team changed? Is it as much down to the way the team has reworked its structure as well as obviously improvements on the engine side.

    SV: Well, I think 2016 was a key year for us. Obviously it wasn’t great in terms of performance, especially after ’15, we finished second in the Constructors’, you naturally want to be closer, a lot closer and we were not. We lost a place. But I think in terms of setting ourselves up for the future ’16 was the most important year so far – at least since I’m with the team. Obviously ’17 we had a rule change that helped us to use that restructuring in general that’s been going on. I think we, since then, have been able to improve on all fronts. Whether it’s the car, the development throughout the season to keep the pace up; whether it’s engine power and its components. So, I think things are going in the right direction but I think the opponent that we had years ago was very , very strong, still is very, very strong but y’know it’s good to see we are getting stronger and, in some areas, maybe caught up. In some other areas maybe have a little bit of an edge. In the end that’s where we want to be – and beyond that. I think that’s our ambition: to be up there and to be at least on the level so we can fight for it and to keep that level throughout the year, and if there’s a gap then to increase that gap. I think that things are looking in the right way but saying that, we still have a lot of things that we can improve, and still have potential that can be unleashed, a lot of processes that I think can be improved, so we have to work and focus on those and go step-by-step.

    Kimi anything to add?

    KR: No.

    Q: (Jonathan McEvoy – Daily Mail) To Seb. Lewis made some remarks after the last race about that he couldn’t explain how fast your … how fast you were. Would you… I mean presumably you take this opportunity to say that everything in the Ferrari is above board and legal and b) does that give us a glimpse into Lewis’ mindset that he’s not quite sure how to deal with the Ferrari and the strength of it at the moment?

    SV: I don’t know. I think you need to ask him but I think he said in the press conference something with tricks – but then I think he said quite many times as well that he doesn’t want it to be interpreted in the wrong way and I think – maybe he did – I’m not so sure but  for all us, in terms of is the car legal or not, there’s the FIA responsible for it and I think we have several checks throughout the weekend to prove that. So as long as I don’t hear anything from that front then I believe it’s fine. Same for the others. So, as I said, maybe it’s more a question for him. And for us, it’s to keep out head down. If there’s something like momentum, then to use that momentum to make sure we go forwards.

    Q: (Ian Parkes – New York Times) Question to Seb and Kimi. Given the performance in Belgium from Ferrari, and given the comments that emanated from both Mercedes and Lewis post-race, do you think you have Mercedes worried for the first time in five seasons, for the rest of this season. And, if so, how can you play on that and make it to your advantage.

    SV: To be very honest with you, I don’t feel anything related to Mercedes. I feel Ferrari, and especially this weekend – and that’s what I want to enjoy. I don’t know in which state or mind they are. I think, y’know, we are obviously up against the best if you fight for the front positions. And Mercedes have proven to be the best over the last years. I think they have been for many reasons. What we want to do, obviously, is to beat them – so we need to be better than them. I think that’s what we need to focus on. In which shape they are, and so on, I think it’s more for them to answer. As I said, this weekend, I don’t feel anything with Mercedes. I feel Ferrari – so looking forwards to that.

    Kimi, anything to add?

    KR: No.

    Do you feel you’ve got Mercedes rattled?

    KR: I don’t know. You need to talk to them. Obviously, I don’t know. I’m not really interested in what their thoughts are. We do our stuff and try to do the best that we can and obviously improve and go forwards.

    Q: (Alessandro Bucci – ItaliaRacing.net) A question for each driver. Which is, or which are, your favourite Italian Grands Prix during your career.

    RG: I haven’t had really any good ones here! I try to remind… 2009: no. Where did we end up in ’12 and ’13? ’12 I didn’t race. ’13 I can’t remember. We were not very fast on low downforce. ’14 I’m not talking about… no, nothing outstanding here.

    SP: For me it was a great race 2012. Making it into the podium. Into the last laps, beating both Ferraris to the podium was a great race that I definitely remember well. Obviously the podium here is very special. It’s a nice experience. The atmosphere from the tifosi was very special, definitely. My biggest memory was 2012.

    KR: I enjoyed going to Imola also. Good racing. I don’t know. I’ve never had very good races at either places but that was a really nice circuit to race. It’s close by. I call it an Italian Grand Prix. Here, not one that would probably be better than the others. Some decent, let’s say.

    Seb, how about you?

    SV: Personal one, obviously 2008. I don’t think that… well, we’ll see, maybe there is a chance that something better comes up but when it comes to my racing here, I think 2008, the first win ever, it always stands out to be something special. The way it happened as well. Then in memory, or what I’ve heard about I think the ’88 Grand Prix will never be beaten in terms of importance for this country, for the tifosi, for racing here. And I remember, was there a race with three cars finishing close to each other? Was it the tightest finish? Five cars? That must have been a great race. I wasn’t there, obviously. By a long way! None of us what – but I think that must have been a great race to watch and follow. And then, as I said, the ’88, what it meant, obviously for Ferrari.

    Q: (Barbara Premoli – Motorinolimits.com) Question for Kimi. I know you won’t answer me –but I need only to see your expression. In Monza, we have always had a big announcement. So, we have to expect something? Lift the cap! Look at me.

    KR: Better glasses maybe? You need to talk to the team. It’s not up to me. That’s about it. Not my decision in the end.

    PART TWO: DRIVERS – Nico HULKENBERG (Renault) , Charles LECLERC (Alfa Romeo Sauber), Esteban OCON (Racing Point Force India), Sergey SIROTKIN (Williams)

    Q: Nico, can we start with you please and take a look back at last weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix and what happened at the start, specifically talking about the halo because opinion was divided about that prior to the start of the season, even among the drivers? Has your accident with Charles Leclerc changed your mind about the halo?

    Nico HULKENBERG: For sure. I think it’s proven pretty useful and a good device. Obviously we can only speculate what would have happened without it but it looked pretty clear from the point that the tyre marks were obviously all over the halo and from that point of view it’s done a very good job, to keep the head safe.

    Q: And looking ahead to this weekend, Nico, you’re carrying a ten place grid penalty but what do you think you can do in the Renault?

    NH: Yeah, it’s obviously not going to be an easy weekend, carrying that penalty. Monza, perhaps a difficult track for us but it is what it is. We approach this weekend open-minded and want to deliver a good weekend and specially have a good race on Sunday, regardless of where we start or how difficult it seems. It’s always fun to race around here so just look forward to getting back in the car tomorrow and start this weekend.

    Q: Charles, what was your over-riding emotion after the race on Sunday?

    Charles LECLERC: The frustration to have not finished the race, to be honest. I was just very frustrated because obviously in the last few races we have been quite unlucky. Then looking back at the images (of the accident) we can’t know what will have happened without it (the halo) but obviously I was quite happy to have it over my head and as Nico said, I think it deserves to be in Formula One now, whether it looks good or bad, I don’t think that matters any more.

    Q: And we’re at Monza, last European race of the year. There’s quite a lot of talk about next season. Just wondering if there’s any movement on what you’ll be doing in 2019?

    CL: For now, not really. For now, I didn’t have any information so I’m just waiting and hopefully I’ll be able to say soon.

    Q: Esteban, a lot of chat about 2019 this afternoon, so Spa last weekend was a spectacular result for you. Just talk us through your emotions after the race and how you feel it’s going to impact on your job prospects going forward?

    Esteban OCON: Well, thank you very much, first of all. Of course it was a fantastic weekend and a fantastic qualifying, obviously. After tough time, we are back in a great way. It brings joy to everyone in the team, the mechanics, the engineers, everybody was pushing hard and had tough times but that’s totally behind, everyone’s happy now and of course then the cherry on the cake, the fifth and sixth in the race. A good start from me as well and a good result in the end with 18 points and we couldn’t come back in a better way and start in a better way.

    Q: Sergey, if there are changes at Force India in 2019, there’s a chance they might affect Williams as well so what can you tell us about your job prospects going forward?

    Sergey SIROTKIN: Obviously I can follow on the changes that could probably happen. I’m afraid I don’t know much more than what I can read on the websites but in terms of myself, I think – I’ve said this a couple of times already – I think I quite clearly really know my position in the team. I think I’m quite happy with the job I’m doing for them. They know my position, they know what they can get from me so if you want a concrete answer I’m afraid not right now,  right here, but if I have any worries, I’m afraid (inaudible)

    Q: But it felt good to run in the points for the first time last weekend though?

    SS: It’s been good to run in the points but the best thing is that finally we have the pace to be fighting, not just me running there because of whatever happened, but because we had the pace for it. It has been a very good weekend. I think we can take a lot of positives from there.

     

    QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

    Q: (Dieter Rencken – Racing Lines, RaceFans.net) Nico, if we go back to Spa last year you are quoted as saying that you are totally anti the halo, not only because it looks stupid but the likelihood is minimal that an accident will happen in which a halo is actually helpful. Do you still agree with that statement?

    NH: I think… whilst I am still not a big fan of halo and the device, I have to see the facts and admit that it does bring something to Formula One, especially the safety that we appreciate in the car. Yeah, divided, mixed feelings about it still but it’s not down to me anyway. It is what it is.

    Q: (Scott Mitchell – Autosport) Esteban, the result last weekend, the performance in qualifying and the race, did that do anything for you in terms of settling you down for your short term future or are you now more confident about what’s going to happen to you between now and the end of this season, let alone 2019?

    EO: Well, I hope it does definitely help. As a driver, the only talk you can do is on the track anyway, so that’s what I’m trying to do at the moment but yeah, still no news, only rumours and talk so as soon as I know more, I will let you know.

    Q: (Daniel Majer – Origo.hu) Obviously Monza is all about speed and you were not racing under the V10 regulations but at that time, speed records were broken here. If you would chose just for this particular Grand Prix to switch to cars that are much faster in a straightline, would you do that or are the current ones OK?

    SS: Honestly, I didn’t know the cars and how they’ve been in those times but I think this year’s cars are quite quick in a straightline. Obviously they’re missing a lot of engine sound but from the pure speed-wise I don’t think they’re any slower than what they’ve been in whatever year you say with the V10s. So yeah, I wish I could try them a couple of times, but if I would swap them for the weekend I’m not sure.

    EO: For sure, the sound was amazing back in the days of the V10s, V12s, also V8s were very nice but the cars we are running now, they are breaking all the track records so I think they’re quick enough, 1000 horsepower, amazing speed, so yeah, it’s quite enough.

    CL: I think in the same way as Esteban. I think a bit more sound would be nice but again, I’m extremely happy about driving these cars. As you said, we’ve broken quite a lot of records this year; I think it’s one of the fastest cars – probably the fastest car – in F1’s history so very happy to be in this.

    NH: Yeah, nothing more to add. Mid-2000s, V10s?

    Q: (Frederic Ferret – L’Equipe) Charles, as an Alfa Romeo driver and member of the Ferrari Academy, what is your feeling driving in Monza this weekend?

    CL: It’s absolutely amazing. Also in the past few years, Monza has always been a track where I’ve always had a lot of support, first being part of the Ferrari Academy  of course and yeah, also this year arriving at the track this morning, you can really see that with the return of Alfa Romeo, an Italian brand, that there’s a lot of interest in us and a lot of people are here for us which is great to see. I actually had more support this morning here than I had the Thursday in Monaco so it feels a little bit like a home race and it definitely gives a big boost to the whole team.

    Q: (Fulvio Solms – Corriera dello Sport) Charles, you have a strong Italian side and spent so much time in this country. So which are your best and your worst memories of your Italian period?

    CL: My best memory, it’s probably my first ever car win that I’ve had in Italy, in Monza actually, here, in 2014. I can remember I had quite tough first races in car racing and finally I could manage to win my first race here in Monza, so that’s probably my best memory. My worst memory? I don’t have much, to be honest. Probably when my tyre went flat on the motorway next to Maranello, that wasn’t a great memory.

    Q: (Joe van Burik – Autocar NL) Charles, following the halo debate that’s gone on after Spa, I was wondering to get your thoughts if you’re more aware of driver safety in F1 following the accident of your friend Jules Bianchi?

    CL: Obviously it has been a big shock when I… when we all lost Jules. It was very sudden. I don’t really get the question. Can you repeat it? What do you want me to…?

    Q: (Joe van Burik – Autocar NL) Just wondering if you’re more aware of safety maybe added by the halo device, following that accident?

    CL: Speaking for Jules, it wouldn’t have helped anything because the cause was not… it was just a shock and the shock was too big. Then I believe that in certain circumstances it can help. If it helped or not at Spa I have no idea but in some circumstances it can help so I think it’s a good thing to have.

    Q: (Daniel Horvath – Racingline.hu) Charles, what about your future, when can we expect some news?

    CL: I have no news for now. As I said earlier I’m just waiting for some information and as soon as I know, I will let you know but for now I don’t know.

    Q: (Alex Roos – L’Equipe) Esteban, can you explain why Monza is a special GP and how it’s different from the other ones?

    EO: I think for a few reasons it’s the temple of speed so the speeds we are achieving are massive. Racing is good because of the long straight, the slipstream. We run low downforce and yeah, it makes great racing overall so that’s the technical part. And then the atmosphere is just very much different to anywhere and the tifosi are amazing fans and they give us a lot of support and they are here, then they are massively here, waiting for us when we arrive at the entrance. It’s such a happy and joyous… everyone’s happy to be here and you don’t live those moments at a Grand Prix everywhere like that and it’s very special.

    Q: (Barbara Premoli – Motorinolimits.com) Charles, can you explain to normal people like us how your body and mind reacts to a big shunt like the one we saw in Spa last week?

    CL: To be honest, I think it looked a lot bigger on TV than it actually was. I felt, obviously, Fernando going over me but it was not like it was a big big shock. So yeah, the only thing I had in my mind is that I was just hoping for some miracle that the car was not damaged enough to go back to the pits but obviously when I looked in the mirrors again I saw that everything was gone so I couldn’t… I just found a way to stop the car and that’s it. But yeah, the images look very spectacular but from inside the car it was not such a big shunt.

  • Force India quotes ahead of Monza race: F1

    Monza, 29 Aug 2018: Sahara Force India in its new avatar as Racing Point Force India began their debut with a stunning double point finish at the top and despite losing all the previous points made a stunning beginning to garner a healthy score in Belgium. As they move to the tricky but fastest circuit in Monza we have here the Drivers’ Eye:

    Sergio Perez: “I’m feeling really positive after such a strong weekend in Spa. The points we scored are very important and our performance across the entire weekend shows what a great group of people we have in this team. The car was quick and I was happy with our race pace. I think we came away with our maximum result all things considered.

    “I’m really motivated for the final eight races as well. I know we have new parts coming to the car and there is a feeling of excitement in the team. It’s going to be interesting to see how competitive we can be in Monza and whether we can continue with the speed we showed in Spa.

    “Monza is always special and I love the old-school track. It’s high-speed and narrow, and it’s important that we keep coming back to these classic circuits. I’ve had good results in Monza in the past and I just love the energy and passion of the crowd. It’s always a really special race.”

    Esteban Ocon: “I spent a lot of time in Italy when I was younger and I just love the country. I made a lot of friends so it’s always nice to see everybody again. Racing in Monza is something special because you can feel the huge love the locals have for motorsport. The atmosphere from the Tifosi is incredible – for all the drivers.

    “The track is only made up of 11 corners, but there are a lot of places that can catch you out. Parabolica is a really quick corner and it’s very difficult to get it just right. The same is true of the Lesmo corners. With the modern F1 cars, the Variante Ascari is also very nice to drive – you are almost flat out and need to be very precise.

    “We achieve some incredible speeds along the straights and I think the layout is going to suit our package. Last year I had a special race there: I was third on the grid and finished sixth, so I hope we can be in the points again this year.”

    Otmar Szafnauer said: “The last few weeks have been a period of transition for the team, but with the support of the Commercial Rights Holder, the FIA, and our fellow competitors we returned to competition in Spa. Getting some points on the board was the priority and to come away with fifth and sixth places was a wonderful reward for the entire team.

    “The new ownership gives us a welcome injection of stability and investment. We retain a wonderful group of people working back at base and trackside, and with the off-track distractions now behind us we can concentrate on doing what we do best – building cars and going racing. Our performance level in Spa was a real credit to the entire team. The sight of Esteban and Sergio challenging for the lead on lap one is an image that we will cherish.

    “We head to Monza determined to deliver more points. We need to keep up the momentum from Spa. Monza is all about top speed and stability on the brakes, and I think it will play to our strengths. Looking further ahead, we have more performance to introduce to the car over the next few events, hopefully starting from Singapore.”

  • FIA Formula 4 to be held along with bike Nationals from Friday

    FIA Formula 4 to be held along with bike Nationals from Friday

    File photo from the Bike Nationals 2018 in Chennai. Photo by Anand Philar

    Chennai, 29 Aug 2018: The Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship organised by Madras Motor Sports Club (MMSC) resumes after a seven-week break with the fourth round at the MMRT track at Irungattukottai, near here from Friday. The bike races will be run concurrently with Formula 4 South-East Asia Championship, the only FIA event being held in India after Formula One left in 2013.

    In another welcome move which takes two-wheeler racing in the country to the next level, National championship sponsors MRF have decided to issue slick tyres to the Pro-Stock (165cc) category in addition to Super Sport Indian (165cc) class and the Pro-Stock 301-400cc category competitors who used these tyres in the previous round.

    The MRF slick tyres have been received well by the competitors whose performance graph moved upwards after changing from the normal tyres to slicks which afforded far better grip leading to higher cornering speed which in turn reflected in the lap timings.

    The premier Super Sport Indian (165cc) class will yet again be the main focus with Idemitsu Honda Ten10 Racing and TVS Racing riders locked in a titanic battle. Young Rajiv Sethu (Honda) heads the leaderboard with 70 points following a brilliant double in the previous round, ahead of TVS Racing’s defending champion Jagan Kumar (62) and his team-mate KY Ahamed (58).

    Gusto Racing riders, Amarnath Menon (72) and Satyanarayana Raju (61) are sitting pretty in the Pro-Stock 301-400cc class, having won between them three of the four races so far while Bengaluru-based Anish D Shetty (Idemitsu Honda Ten10 Racing), with three wins in four starts, heads the Pro-Stock (165cc) category with 93 points, well clear of second-placed Kevin Kannan (60) of Rockers Racing.

    In the Novice class (Stock 165cc), which has again attracted over 50 entries, Sparks Racing’s Aditya Rao Immeneni and Karthik Mateti tied on 43 points with one win apiece while in the Girls (165cc) category, it has been an Ann Jennifer show with the Chennai-based Sparks Racing rider winning both the races so far to be firmly in front.

    The weekend will also see races for Novice riders in the Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup 2018 (CBR 150) organised by MMSC and the TVS One-Make Championship (Apache RTR 200) categories.

  • Racing Point Force India smashes fundraising target for Breast Cancer Care

    Since partnering in May 2017, Racing Point Force India F1 Team has surpassed their halfway fundraising target by raising over £165,000 for UK-wide specialist-support charity Breast Cancer Care. They are on track to double this figure by the end of 2020.

    The innovative partnership between Racing Point Force India and Breast Cancer Care has forged a global platform for breast cancer by raising awareness of the disease within the Formula One arena for the first time. The partnership has inspired Formula One, fans and teams to increase awareness of breast cancer and to raise much-needed funds for Breast Cancer Care.

    Racing Point Force India aims to go further in their efforts by raising £250,000 for Breast Cancer Care by 2020. The most recent fundraising activities took place during the British leg of the Grand Prix at Silverstone. These ranged from auctions, raffles, car washes and collections, to water bottle donations in collaboration with their partner, the Best Water Technology Group.

    The partnership is raising vital awareness of breast cancer within the Formula One community by sharing inspiring stories of people affected by the disease. Four people’s names will be printed on the Racing Point Force India cars at various races throughout the season to raise awareness of the impact a diagnosis of breast cancer can have on an individual and their loved ones. The first two names were unveiled at the British Grand Prix: Carter Baldock-Hubbard and Stuart Weaver. Carter’s mother, Tina Baldock, was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was 14 weeks pregnant and gave birth to Carter just one week after finishing chemotherapy. Stuart Weaver, who is living with incurable secondary breast cancer, was delighted at the opportunity to raise awareness of breast cancer in men. The further two names will be revealed at the US Grand Prix in October.

    Steve Curnow, Commercial Director of Racing Point Force India: “We are immensely proud of what we have achieved so far in partnership with Breast Cancer Care. Their work is making a real difference for all those affected by breast cancer and we are doing our part to increase awareness not only of Breast Cancer Care’s contribution, but also of the personal stories of the individuals who have been touched by this disease. We will be renewing our efforts to raise funds for the charity, with our target of a quarter of a million pounds edging closer by the day, and we are looking forward to seeing the pink ribbon on our cars again soon.”

    Steve Lucas, Director of Fundraising and Marketing at Breast Cancer Care: “We are incredibly grateful to Racing Point Force India for going above and beyond with their support – not just with their fantastic fundraising but by honouring Tina, Carter and Stuart with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It was a special day to remember for all involved that put people affected by breast cancer at the heart of the Formula One community. The £165,000 that Racing Point Force India have raised to date will help Breast Cancer Care to meet the increasing demand on our specialist-support services and bring us closer to being able to support the 619,000 currently living in the UK following a breast cancer diagnosis”.

    For more information about Breast Cancer Care, visit breastcancercare.org.uk

    About Breast Cancer Care 

    Breast Cancer Care is the only specialist UK wide charity providing support for women, men, family and friends affected by breast cancer. We’ve been caring for them, supporting them, and campaigning on their behalf since 1973.

    Today, we continue to offer a unique range of support including reliable information, one-to-one support over the phone and online from nurses and people who’ve been there. We also offer local group support across the UK.

    From the moment someone notices something isn’t right, through to their treatment and beyond, we’re there to help people affected by breast cancer feel more in control. breastcancercare.org.uk

    About Force India and Breast Cancer Care

    Force India and Breast Cancer Care’s three year partnership kicked off in May 2017 and is on track to achieve and even surpass its £250,000 fundraising target for Breast Cancer Care by 2020, with £120,000 already raised to support people affected by breast cancer.

    The innovative partnership has brought breast cancer into the Formula One arena and in front of a global audience for the first time. The aim is to continue uniting partners, fans and teams to raise awareness of breast cancer, as well as funds to support the increasing number of men, women and families affected by breast cancer.
    ends

  • British Grand Prix at Silverstone cancelled due to bad weather conditions: MotoGP

    British Grand Prix at Silverstone cancelled due to bad weather conditions: MotoGP

    Jorge Lorenzo before the British GP race was abandoned on Sunday. A MotoGP image

    Silverstone, 26 Aug 2018: The British Grand Prix, round 12 of the MotoGP World Championship, which was due to be held Sunday, was cancelled due to bad weather conditions at the Silverstone circuit. MotoGP will now head for the next round is the San Marino and Riviera di Rimini Grand Prix, which will be held at the Misano World Circuit ‘Marco Simoncelli’ from September 7 to 9.

    After it rained heavily on Saturday and track conditions caused delays, the decision was taken to change the schedule for Sunday and the MotoGP race was rescheduled for 5 pm (IST) (11:30 local time, GMT +1), with the hour chosen according to the latest weather reports available at that time.

    On Sunday, Warm Up sessions began at 9:00, with MotoGP out first, and the weather began to steadily worsen. By the time riders were on the grid awaiting lights out for the race at 11:30, they were worse still and the decision was taken to delay the start.

    That began a long day of delays, with conditions continually monitored, until a decision was reached: conditions were not safe to race in and the track surface was too dangerous in the rain.

    Managing Director of Silverstone, Stuart Pringle, apologised to the fans after the announcement – and says they will get in touch with each of them in the coming days to explain what action will be taken in the wake of the cancellation.

    Race Director Mike Webb: “It was obvious the track conditions weren’t safe. After a consultation with the riders, we delayed the start to see if conditions would improve. We have reached the point where even though the rain is getting less, the circuit is still not in a condition where we can safely run races. So, we’ve taken the very difficult and regrettable decision to cancel.

    “We’ve had a number of years here in very wet conditions recently with the old surface and been able to run races. This year, with the new surface, it’s the first time we’ve encountered quite so much standing water in critical places on the track. Yes, it’s a direct result of the track surface, I must say from the circuit point of view, the staff have done an unbelievable effort over the whole weekend, not just today, but an enormous effort to make the track safe. Until the last minute that was still working but unfortunately, we couldn’t battle nature.

    “The climate of the area means we’ve got to expect rain and the surface has to be able to handle it. They’ve done an enormous job over this weekend to try and improve things, which they have, but the nature of the surface means we’ve reached this point.”

    Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda #93)

    “It has been a long, unusual, tiring day that we hope won’t happen again. The Safety Commission analysed the situation and I think the Race Direction has to be thanked; they listened, and in the end, safety was everybody’s main consideration—one of us riders is in the hospital already. During the day, I watched the screen and saw all the fans in the grandstands patiently waiting; it would have been good to reward them, but in the end, sometimes we must keep a cool head and think.”

    Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team #99)
    “Yesterday’s weather forecast turned out to be right and it rained all day today. We only managed to do the warm-up in dry conditions and then it didn’t stop raining and the track was in a bad condition. This confirmed that the asphalt wasn’t draining well and as time went by the situation didn’t improve. When it was late, the riders met with the Race Direction and we decided to cancel the race because the track didn’t offer the right conditions to race in safety.”

    Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04)
    “It was a real pity not to be able to do the race because we were very competitive, especially in the dry. A weekend that was going well for us turned into an unacceptable situation, and so now it will be necessary to understand exactly what happened. We’ll talk about it in the Safety Commission at the next race, because to resurface a track and then find out it has more bumps than before, together with a problem of drainage, is just not good enough for a championship of this level.”

     

  • Nicholas Latifi takes lights-to-flag victory; Arjun Maini 8th: F2 Sprint race

    Canadian driver scores first win of 2018 in Belgium

    Nicholas Latifi led from lights to flag for victory in the FIA Formula 2 Championship Sprint Race at Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium, converting a reverse-grid pole into his first win of 2018. Disappearing into the distance in the opening laps, Latifi was well ahead of a final-lap battle for second place, which was ultimately won by Carlin’s Lando Norris who was able to hold off Latifi’s DAMS teammate Alexander Albon – who joined the duo on the podium.

    In cold, sunny conditions, Latifi enjoyed a strong getaway at the start as Feature Race winner Nyck de Vries rocketed off the line to swoop from eighth to third by the first corner. Meanwhile, Norris briefly surged ahead of Artem Markelov for fourth before dropping behind the Russian as Albon drew closer, as continued battles down the field made for a frenetic first lap. At the opening of the next lap, Latifi’s lead over second-placed Luca Ghiotto stood at 1.2s.

    Norris was all over Markelov once more by the end of lap 2, and attempted to fire past on the Kemmel Straight – although the RUSSIAN TIME driver was resolute in his defence. The British driver kept pushing, and his persistence was rewarded two laps later as he found his way past on the back straight with DRS, while de Vries cannoned past Ghiotto ahead of them.

    Although de Vries was quick, Latifi was able to extend his lead to 3.1s, while Ghiotto fell into the clutches of Norris and Markelov – both passing the Italian ahead of the race’s midpoint. Albon was next to challenge the Campos driver, having overcome the threat of championship leader George Russell earlier on in the race. A wide moment at Raidillon for Ghiotto on the tenth lap was all Albon needed to charge past, allowing the Thai driver to chase after Markelov.

    Latifi seemed untouchable at the front, and despite de Vries’ best efforts, the Canadian was able to keep his lead completely intact, before beginning to build it up even further in the final five laps. Further down the field, the action raged on; BWT Arden’s Maximilian Gunther had seemingly started to struggle with tyre wear and was easy pickings for the trio of Tadasuke Makino, Louis Delétraz and Arjun Maini before retreating to the pitlane.

    With three laps remaining, de Vries had fallen five seconds behind Latifi and was beginning to drop back towards the chasing Norris. Albon, meanwhile, had passed Markelov to begin his pursuit of Norris – bringing the Russian in tow to set up a thrilling final-lap showdown for the second position. De Vries was in an uncomfortable position as the three cars behind him hunted him down with DRS, and the Prema driver lost places to both Norris and Albon into Les Combes.

    Albon wasn’t quite done and was immediately looking to cruise past Norris into the downhill run to Bruxelles. However, he had to concede defeat as Norris was inch perfect in keeping Albon at bay, and the pair crossed the line 10 seconds behind Latifi. De Vries managed to hang on from the advances of Markelov on the final lap, while Ghiotto was a further 8.7s behind the pair. Russell was seventh, beating Maini who had masterminded a late surge to eighth to dispatch Sergio Sette Camara late on.

    In the Drivers’ Championship, Russell’s lead to Norris has been slashed to just five points, with the leader sitting on 188 points. Albon remains third with 161 points. Carlin continue to lead the Teams’ Championship with 307 points, with ART Grand Prix second on 249. DAMS are third with 216. The next round will take place at Monza, Italy next weekend from the 31 August – 2 September.