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Bottas beats Hamilton for fourth career pole
Bottas after taking Abu Dhabi pole. An FIA image Abu Dhabi: Valtteri Bottas will start the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the final round of the FIA Formula One (F1) World Championship from the front of the grid after the Finn beat Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton by just under two tenths of a second to claim his fourth career pole position. Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel will start third ahead of Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo, who delivered a superb final flying lap to climb from sixth place after the first runs of Q3.
In Q1, four-time champion Hamilton was one of the first on track and he quickly grabbed top spot with a lap of 1:37.473. He was eclipsed, however by Mercedes team-mate Bottas who edged ahead with a lap of 1:37.356 as Hamilton improved marginally in P2. Kimi Räikkönen took third for Ferrari ahead of team-mate Sebastian Vettel with Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo fifth ahead of team-mate Max Verstappen.
Sergio Perez took seventh for Force India ahead of McLaren’s Stoffel Vandoorne and Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg. Behind them Renault’s Carlos Sainz was 10th ahead of the second Force India of Esteban Ocon. As the final runs began the top 11 stayed garage bound.
At the other end of the spectrum, the men in the drop zone ahead of the final runs were Williams’ Lance Stroll in P16 followed by the Saubers of Pascal Wehrlein and Marcus Ericsson and the Toro Rossos of Pierre Gasly and Brendon Hartley.
And following the chequered flag only Stroll managed to escape the cut. The Williams driver’s lap of 1:39.503 elevated him to 15th place with Haas’ Romain Grosjean eliminated by just over a hundredth of a second in P16 ahead of Gasly, Wehrlein, Ericsson and Hartley.
In Q2 it was Hamilton who set the pace. Bottas was the first to cross the line but traffic in Q3 saw the Finn set a time of 1:36.977. Hamilton was following and when he crossed the line he took P1 with a time of 1:36.742. Vettel slotted into P3 ahead of Räikkönen and Ricciardo with Hulkenberg seventh ahead of Verstappen.
In the final runs the top five positions remained the same but Verstappen found an improvement to edge ahead of Hulkenberg, while behind the Dutchman, Perez, Ocon and Williams’ Felipe Massa, contesting his final F1 qualifying session before retirement made it through in 10th place.
The Brazilian’s time of 1:38.565 meant that he slipped through just seven hundredths of a second ahead of former Ferrari team-mate Fernando Alonso who was eliminated in 11th place ahead of Sainz, Vandoorne, Magnussen and Stroll.
While Mercedes clearly had the upper hand, it was not Hamilton who set the pace in the first runs of Q3 but Bottas. The Finn extracted the maximum from himself and his car to post a time of 1:36.231. It was a benchmark Hamilton failed to match in either his first or final run and thus Bottas took his fourth career pole position ahead of the 2017 champion. Vettel took third place, over half a second down on Bottas.
It was Ricciardo, though, who made the biggest improvement in the session. The Australian’s first run left him in sixth place, two hundredths of a second behind team-mate Verstappen and complaining about the tyres he had run on his first flyer.
Ricciardo was the last man out of the garage in the final runs but he made the lap count improving by more than seven tenths of a second to jump to fourth place with a lap of 1:36.959.
Räikkönen was left with fifth place ahead of Verstappen, while Hulkenberg took seventh place for Renault. Perez qualified eighth ahead of team-mate Ocon and Felipe Massa qualified for his final grand prix in 10th place.
2017 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Qualifying
1 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 1:36.231
2 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:36.403 0.172
3 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 1:36.777 0.546
4 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull 1:36.959 0.728
5 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 1:36.985 0.754
6 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:37.328 1.097
7 Nico Hulkenberg Renault 1:38.282 2.051
8 Sergio Perez Force India 1:38.374 2.143
9 Esteban Ocon Force India 1:38.397 2.166
10 Felipe Massa Williams 1:38.550 2.319
11 Fernando Alonso McLaren 1:38.636 2.405
12 Carlos Sainz Jr. Renault 1:38.725 2.494
13 Stoffel Vandoorne McLaren 1:38.808 2.577
14 Kevin Magnussen Haas 1:39.298 3.067
15 Lance Stroll Williams 1:39.646 3.415
16 Romain Grosjean Haas 1:39.516 3.285
17 Pierre Gasly Toro Rosso 1:39.724 3.493
18 Pascal Wehrlein Sauber 1:39.930 3.699
19 Marcus Ericsson Sauber 1:39.994 3.763
20 Brendon Hartley Toro Rosso 1:40.471 4.240
eom/FIA press release -
Valtteri did an exceptional job, so really happy for him: Hamilton on teammate’s pole show
DRIVERS: 1 – Valtteri BOTTAS (Mercedes); 2 – Lewis HAMILTON (Mercedes); 3 – Sebastian VETTEL (Ferrari)
TRACK INTERVIEWS: (Conducted by Mark Webber)
Q: Valtteri, you’re impressive mate, you’ve even turned up with no car. How did you get pole with no car?
Valtteri BOTTAS: I’m a good runner!
Q: You’re a very good runner. Also, I know your wife is here, so did she bring you some luck, because she doesn’t come to too many races, so it’s a special pole, your fourth career pole. To beat Lewis, we know how tough it is, so run us through your session tonight.
VB: Yeah, of course family support is always nice first of all. Today things were really getting better and better for me in the practice session and also in the quali, I just managed to find time here and there and it was all under control, and I just felt very good in the car. The Q3, run one lap was really good and so that was enough for pole and so I’m really happy.
Q: Sensational, mate, really good effort. Lewis, pretty handy lap from him wasn’t it?
Lewis HAMILTON: What a lap. He just had an incredible qualifying and congratulations to him. How you guys doing? You good? We have a great crowd here today. The last qualifying of the year, I gave it everything, but I seem to have lost a little pace going into qualifying, Valtteri did an exceptional job, so really, really happy for him.
Q: Yeah, but it’s easily done here to overcook the last Q3 lap isn’t it? It’s such a Mickey Mouse sort of track, so easy to overcook that rear tyre. We saw you run maybe a bit wide off the back of the straight right?
LH: Yeah, I think just overall it was just little bits here and there. I was up, I think, a tenth and a half out of Turn 1 and then I lost it in Turn 5 and 6. Either way it’s been an incredible year of qualifying and one that I’ve really enjoyed and it’s great to see so many British flags here, so many people here today, so I appreciate it.
Q: Good job, mate. Sebastian, well done, mate. It was a bit of a Mercedes show tonight unfortunately. You’re handy around here, but you couldn’t fight enough for the pole position, right?
Sebastian VETTEL: I was going to say: I’m getting better, you always had the edge here in qualifying. It think it was a good session. Obviously a bit of a shame to be that far back, but tomorrow we see, on race pace I think we can be a bit closer, but they have been very, very strong. Valtteri obviously had a mega lap, so congrats to him. We’ll see. It should be a fun race. Overtaking is not always straightforward but not impossible here, so let’s see.
Q: Good luck, mate, I’m sure you can give them a good crack. We’ll finish with Valtteri, we’ve got to convert this into a win haven’t we. Run us through your emotions about how you’re going to get the job done tomorrow and beat this legend that’s had pretty big season?
VB: Yeah, I was so gutted in Brazil, in the last race, being on pole and missing the win, so I have a clear target for tomorrow and I’m sure you guys will support me, so thank you.
PRESS CONFERENCE
Q: Valtteri, pole number four, your first here in Abu Dhabi, two and a half seconds inside last year’s pole time, and a great fight against your team-mate Lewis Hamilton. Two in a row as well, so tell us about your emotions. You were very excited after the pole in Brazil but I wonder after what happened after the start are you containing your emotions and saving them for this time tomorrow night?
VB: Yeah, thank you, definitely a good feeling. It’s only the fourth for me. It was just a really clean session for me, everything was really seamless. The team did a really good job on the timing, what time to be on the track, and we had to make very minimal changes during the qualifying to any settings really. I could just really focus on the driving itself and finding lap time here and there. I managed to get pretty much everything together in Q3, run one. It was a good lap. In the end that was enough for pole. I know the day is tomorrow and there is no point in getting too excited. Of course, you need to enjoy the good feeling, but it’s only today and tomorrow is the day that counts.
Q: Lewis, it’s been a strong weekend so far, you’ve looked good in all conditions. You were nine one thousandths of a second up on Valtteri’s time going into the final part of the lap. Was it that last exit of the corner where it got away from you? Tell us about that and also how you plan to turn it round tomorrow?
LH: First of all, congratulations to Valtteri, he did an exceptional job through qualifying and it’s great to see to him performing at this level, particularly at the end of the season, which puts him in a great position for next year. For me, I was good through practice and P3 was great and then I made some changes in anticipation of the track cooling and in hindsight it probably wasn’t the right one. But it was nice to experiment, which I hadn’t really done all season long. I experimented and then I struggled a little bit with the balance generally through the laps. I think at the end I was a tenth and a half up out of Turn 1 and then I lost it somewhere else in the rest of the lap. Nonetheless it was fun to be out there challenging, the last qualifying of the year, finally it’s done and we can just get on with the race tomorrow. It’s a very hard track to overtake, there are a couple of opportunities but I’ll give it everything I’ve got that’s for sure.
Q: Sebastian, half a second the margin to Mercedes. Maurizio Arrivabene, on the pit wall, shook his head when he saw the gap. Were you shaking your head as well? Was that a little bit more than you expected in this qualifying session, and can you turn it around in the race?
SV: Overall we tried everything. I think the balance of the car was good all weekend. We trimmed it in the right way. Practice this morning was a bit tricky but qualifying really came together, so I’m quite happy with that. The gap is big but also it’s a long lap, so naturally the gaps are a bit more spread. I think in the race we usually get a little bit closer. Qualifying we’ve seen all year that we’ve never had the car to put half a second between us and somebody else. For the race I’m fairly optimistic. I think yesterday was good, we tried some stuff, so we’ll see how close we get tomorrow. We touched on overtaking – it’s not the easiest one but it’s not impossible, so let’s see what we can do.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Flavio Vanetti – Corriere della Sera) Sebastian tomorrow in your mind you will have the attempt to try to win or the defence of the second place in the championship?
SV: What do you think? I think we’re here to race. Obviously it’s important to seal second place. We are in a better position than Valtteri but he starts the race from a better position than we do. Let’s see. It’s a long race but we’re here to race and the ambition obviously is to win, to get to the podium. We had a bit of a wobble finding our places, Lewis and myself, where’s second, where’s third here in the press conference, so it’s always better to aim for the middle I guess.
Q: (Graham Harris – Motorsport Monday) Another one for Sebastian. Earlier this week you said you were determined to take Ferrari to the top – but it was hard. Just how hard do you think it’s going to be? Is it going to be next year, or the year after?
SV: Well, I don’t know, we haven’t achieved it yet. I think, as a team, we’ve taken some big changes. I think overall it’s heading in the right direction. We have a very competitive car, we’ve had a very strong year. Obviously we would have liked it to be a bit different at the end but yeah, it doesn’t matter now. We look forward. The year is more or less over, we have one more race and we want to finish with dignity. We want to show that we’re here to fight and we want to get Ferrari on the podium and ideally win the race. Let’s see what we can do – but overall it is hard, but everybody involved, you can ask the same question, they’ll give you the same answer. I’m obviously one of the drivers that’s driving the car, that’s my main job but overall I think we’re all seeking to improve and so far I think we’ve done pretty well. If we can do another big step like that, we’re heading in the right way.
Q: (Heikki Kulta – Turun Sanomat) Congratulations Valtteri. Did you need that killer instinct? Or how did you take that pole?
VB: I think I didn’t change my approach from last weekend in any way for the qualifying, and, like I said before, it was really clean, nice and clean session and I just managed to find time run by run from different corners. The car was feeling much better than at any other point this weekend. That allowed me to really work on the details. Found enough details to be on pole.
Q: (Andrea Cremonesi – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Question for Sebastian and a question for Bottas. For Sebastian, it seemed like you lost a lot of time in sector two. There is something lacking in the speed? And for Valtteri, if I don’t make a mistake, you won just once starting from the pole. How important after what happened in Interlagos will it be to start well tomorrow and then keep the position?
SV: I think you’re referring to the time-loss compared to the best overall time in sector two which – I don’t know – maybe Valtteri or Lewis had? I mean, it’s a long sector but there are a lot of straights. I think the corner bit we got it right, I was fighting a little bit throughout qualifying with the sequence of Five, Six, Seven, so I’m looking forward to get back and have a look. Overall I was pretty happy with the car around the lap, in particular, compared to previous years in sector two. But yeah, I saw as well that we’re losing quite a bit of time, so I don’t know. I guess it’s probably on the straights but we need to see.
Valtteri?
VB: Yeah, of course, when you start from the pole, the only target you have anyway… well, if you start from the front row or second row, you still have a realistic chance to fight for the win but pole is the best place to start and a win is obviously the only target. And yeah, I might have won only once from the pole but it’s not so many poles I’ve had and yeah, so, I’m looking forwards to tomorrow, it should be interesting.
Q: (Silvia Arias – Parabrisas) Congratulations Valtteri. You said two days ago that this track is not your favourite one – but do you like it now? A little bit more after this pole? And how much did you enjoy the lap?
VB: Well, I never said I don’t like it. I said for me it’s average. Well, of course, it’s always nicer when you have good memories from a circuit – like a pole position. But yeah, it’s not real the point. The point is to be performing in every single track. So, that’s going to be the goal in the future.
Q: (Peter Windsor – F1 Racing) Lewis, Turns Two, Three and Four looked very impressive from the outside. I wonder if they now come under the heading of ‘easy flat’ or whether they are very demanding corners still and what they’ll be like on a heavy fuel load. Interested to get your input on that. And secondly, your first qualifying lap in the Q3. Watching from the roof it looked like you braked slightly too late at the end of the straight and ran a little bit wide – but I don’t know if that’s an optical illusion from where we were watching, or not.
LH: It’s not like Eau Rouge, where Eau Rouge is a lot straighter, more simple. It’s still, Turn Two and Three, whilst it is flat, you feel that Turn Three is kind of… you feel the rear of the car moving a little bit. When you put heavy fuel on, it actually gets a little easier because you’re just slower in general. So, the car is a lot better through there this year than it was last year, obviously – but they’re still considered corners and they still put a huge amount of heat into the tyres, so you do take a lot of consideration when you enter them. And, you’re talking about Turn 8 or 11. On the first one… I think that’s the place where Valtteri was slower on the way in, quicker on the way out. I was… I’m always late on the brakes and brake as deep as I can into the corners. I think on at least one of the laps I had a small under-rotation into there. Nothing too crazy but it put a bit of understeer into the car. In general, yeah, it was a session of which I had to push a lot. P3 I was much more comfortable with the car, and then yeah, into this session it was not the case and it was like ‘ah, I’ve got a serious fight on my hands here’. I gave it everything I could but it was on the knife-edge and ultimately Valtteri did the better job.
Q: (Graham Cagyill – The National) Question for Sebastian. The last time you were in a championship season when you missed out on the title and you had a chance of winning it was 2009. When you missed out to Jenson and you came to Abu Dhabi for the first time, and you went on to win this race and went on to win the championship the following season – so I was just interested to find out how much that win in 2009 helped you in your confidence for 2010 – and do you think something similar tomorrow could help you for 2018?
SV: Well, I’m a lot older than I was back then for a start. A lot wiser. I think, yeah, 2009 for myself was obviously the first time that I found myself in the front of the field, every now and then, and also for the team back then. I think yes, it did give us huge momentum for the year after, for the winter. I think the whole year gave us confidence. Then 2010. We had an incredible car and it was very close, to win the championship, I think we should have done better – but yeah, I had my mistakes, I think we have some here and there. Bu tin general I think the last race is important. Obviously if you’re not in the fight for the championship, it still is important to set things up for the winter, just give a boost to the whole factory. So let’s see what we do. I don’t believe that the result tomorrow determines next year – but for sure a good result always helps you, gives everyone a boost over the winter, so we try our best.
eom/FIA transcript
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It’s three-way in Friday practice: Abu Dhabi GP
Amol Gokhale from Abu DhabiIt was a three-way battle between top three teams on Friday as Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton topped the first and second practice sessions respectively in the last round of the Formula One World Championship here on Friday. Hamilton has already sealed the title.As the Yas Marina Circuit came to life with the raving of the engines with one eye on 2018 season as the teams experimented with the updates and much talked about driver protection device – Halo installed on the cars.In the first practice session, new world champion Hamilton dominated the pace for the first hour with 1m 39.120s on the ultrasoft Pirelli tyres, comfortably ahead of team-mate Bottas and early pacesetter Raikkonen.Red Bull then joined the act as Dutchman Verstappen posted 1m 39.154s with 32 minutes to go in the session. But it was Vettel who had the final say with 1m 30.006s with 18 minutes left on the clock.Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen pipped his compatriot Valtteri Bottas for the fourth place, while Force India’s Sergio Perez was sixth with Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo off the pace, who was only 10th.Only incidences where drivers went off the track were Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg had a spin, Hass’s Romain Grosjean’s touched the wall and Antonio Giovinazzi, who was testing for Hass, also went off, but session remained mostly incident free.GP3 champion George Russell was another tester in Force India and finished 11th in the timesheet.Hamilton leads the wayThe second session, as the Sun went down over the 5.5kms circuit, Hamilton once again set the early pace with 1m 38.912s, until his team-mate Bottas edged him with a lap of 1m 38.537s as the first hour closed.Vettel then beat the Mercedes duo with 1m 38.026s on the set of ultrasoft tyres, only to see Hamilton respond immediately with 1m 37.877s, the fastest-ever lap of the track.Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo who was off the pace in the first practice, kept his team in the mix with the 1m 38.180s lap.There was a sense of normality as Kimi Raikkonen, Valtteri Bottas and Max Verstappen all completed the top six.Close battle between Force India’sAfter sitting first practice out, Force India’s Esteban Ocon was on the pace straight away as he was eighth fastest mere one-hundredth of a second behind his team-mate, Sergio Perez, hinting at another close battle between the two.Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg and McLaren Honda’s Fernando Alonso completed the top 10.eom/ -
Hamilton tops FP2: Abu Dhabi GP
Lewis Hamilton took top spot in second practice for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, edging out Sebastian Vettel by just under fifteen hundredths of a second. Daniel Ricciardo finished was third, separated from Vettel by almost the same margin.
As with the early afternoon session at the Yas Marina Circuit, it was Mercedes driver Hamilton who set the early pace, holding P1 with a time 0.8s clear of Ricciardo.
The session’s qualifying simulations came early on however, with Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas embarking on his performance run before the half hour mark and his time of 1:38.609s elevated him to the top of the timesheet.
Vettel briefly took over before Hamilton became the only driver to break the 1m38s barrier with his P1 lap of 1:37.877. Vettel was only marginally off that pace, however, with his best effort yielding a time of 1:38.026.
Behind the top three, Kimi Räikkönen finished the 90-minute session in fourth place 0.172s behind Ricciardo and almost two tenths clear of fifth-placed Bottas. Max Verstappen was fourth in the second Red Bull, the Dutchman having a much quieter session than his opening 90 minutes, in which he finished third, just 0.148s behind early afternoon pacesetter Vettel. In the late session Verstappen finished sixth and a full second adrift of Hamilton’s pace and seven tenths behind team-mate Ricciardo.
The Dutchman was followed by the Force Indias of Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon, who were separated by just 0.010s. Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg and McLaren’s Fernando Alonso rounded out the top 10.
2017 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Free Practice 2
1 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes Mercedes 39 1:37.877
2 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 37 1:38.026 0.149
3 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull 34 1:38.180 0.303
4 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 35 1:38.352 0.475
5 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 33 1:38.537 0.660
6 Max Verstappen Red Bull 34 1:38.894 1.017
7 Sergio Perez Force India 33 1:39.323 1.446
8 Esteban Ocon Force India 36 1:39.333 1.456
9 Nico Hulkenberg Renault 41 1:39.529 1.652
10 Fernando Alonso McLaren 28 1:39.559 1.682
11 Felipe Massa Williams 36 1:39.635 1.758
12 Stoffel Vandoorne McLaren 31 1:39.671 1.794
13 Carlos Sainz Jr. Renault 38 1:40.201 2.324
14 Lance Stroll Williams 30 1:40.329 2.452
15 Pierre Gasly Toro Rosso 39 1:40.694 2.817
16 Kevin Magnussen Haas 31 1:41.128 3.251
17 Pascal Wehrlein Sauber 43 1:41.270 3.393
18 Marcus Ericsson Sauber 40 1:41.302 3.425
19 Brendon Hartley Toro Rosso 39 1:41.496 3.619
20 Romain Grosjean Haas 12 1:41.560 3.683.eom/FIA release
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We don’t have an off-season anymore: Team Principals
PART ONE: TEAM REPRESENTATIVES – Maurizio ARRIVABENE (Ferrari), Toto WOLFF (Mercedes), Christian HORNER (Red Bull Racing)
PRESS CONFERENCE
Can I start by asking all of you to pick our personal highlight moment from the 2017 Formula 1 season?
Toto WOLFF: My personal highlight was the birth of my son, this goes beyond anything else. My Formula 1 highlight is probably Hungary, which for me was a very difficult race and very difficult decision-making at the end of the race but somehow was important to reconfirm the values of the team.
Maurizio ARRIVABENE: Hungary, for different reasons. Then I have to say also Monaco. Monaco was a quite good race. But Hungary in my opinion was the best. I have to add also Brazil, because in Brazil, when the championship was gone, I think the team demonstrated character and also they reacted quite well and so, if I have to make a choice, Brazil finally, for the reasons I described before.
Christian HORNER: Well, it’s been a year of births all round, so earlier in the year being able to witness my son born earlier in the year in January. Then, probably Max’s overtake on Lewis, because we haven’t seen it much, to win the Malaysian Grand Prix. Yeah, that was a pretty sweet moment.
OK, thank you. Toto, four consecutive Drivers’ and Constructors’ titles, the same as Christian managed a few years back. So only one question: can you keep it going in 2018, or were the problems that you encountered this year a warning sign that the tide is beginning to turn?
TW: I think the years before were outliers. We managed to have a really good package together, between chassis and power unit, and this year what we have seen on track, the fight between the three teams, is probably becoming more the reality for the years to come. The most important thing is to stay humble, feet on the ground, not take winning for granted but on the contrary, respect the others, respect they job they are doing and if you win in adverse conditions it’s even sweeter. In so far, our expectations for next year are to have a competitive car again, win races again and be in the fight for the championship.
And Christian, Max is the highest points scorer over the past five races, even ahead of Hamilton. Is that a sign of what’s to come in 2018?
CH: Yeah, the problem is that the championship is over 20 races this year so…! The last five have been good for him. Obviously we want to try to take that momentum into 2018 and so, yeah, the recent couple of months have been quite rewarding.
Maurizio, five wins and five poles, that’s more than Ferrari have managed for quite a few seasons now. So is there satisfaction in that or sadness that the title slipped away from you in September and October?
MA: Of course the number of pole positions and so on they are important somehow but the most important is the championship. The good number that we have at the moment is demonstrating the good job of the overall team but the fact that we were not able to win the championship means that it’s not enough, so we have to push forward to next year to do it better.
A final question from me: if you think back 12 months to when we were here in Abu Dhabi and think about how much has changed in the sport since then, and then project forward to November 2018, where do you think Formula 1 will be at that point. Toto?
TQ: Well, 12 months ago Bernie was around. We miss the odd hand grenade flying through the paddock, but this is new times and what we need to do is support the new owners and the management to grow Formula 1. I wouldn’t want to predict what will be in 12 months from now. There are quite some things that have been kicked off, some good, some less so to us, but most importantly we are all stakeholders of this fantastic sport and coming back in 12 months I would like to wish that this sport is growing in audiences, growing in fan appeal and that’s basically it.
Maurizio?
MA: I think we have for sure a good sign of renovation, of commitment, demonstrated by the new commercial rights holder, so for sure we have some positive news. For sure, we are focusing a bit more our attention on the spectators – television and also the spectators at the track. They are quite proactive but the problem is to find the right balance between team needs and commercial needs, talking in general. But I think we have a good sign that they are telling us that the future could be a good future for Formula 1.
And Christian…
CH: I think if you reflect on the last 12 months, as Toto says, many things have changed. This time last year Bernie was still running the show. Obviously in January the business was sold and a new management structure came into place. I think what’s been quite interesting and quite dynamic about that is that there has been a steep learning curve for the new guys involved but they have embraced ideas, concepts; they’ve come with a very fresh, unbiased approach and while they have been going through a learning phase, a building phase over the last nine or ten months, a lot of things that may seem trivial have changed – just how we deal on a day-to-day basis. I think what is going to be fascinating is to see the lessons that been made this year, the infrastructure that’s been put in place, the people that have recruited, how that’s going to affect future years, because it’s not going to be just next year, it’s going to be the next three to five years. I would certainly hope that in 12 months’ time we are sitting here with all of our drivers in contention for a world championship and for it to go right down to the wire. Toto has had it far too easy the last four years and hopefully Ferrari and Red Bull can give a much harder time next year.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Ysef Harding – Xiro Xone News) For all three, we often ask the drivers this at the end of the season, but what do you have planned for the end of the season and what will you look forward to in the short time we’ll have off before next season?
TW: What we have planned? Unfortunately there is not really an off-season anymore. The car build is happening as we speak, trying to put the final developments on the launch spec. There is a part of the factory that is almost 24-7 at the moment. There is no downtime between the end of the season and the start of the season. Probably the only time we have it a little bit easier is between Christmas and New Year, we send the office staff on holiday but everybody else if pretty much flat out during that time as well.
MA: I thought that Toto was giving some information about what they are doing, but he is smart enough and didn’t give us any information, unfortunately. Having said so, I agree that there is not anymore an off-season. We are working all the time, especially when you have to work on the gap that we still have, so you have certain people, the people that they are all year at the track, for example, the guys who are working during the grand prix, they are taking a bit of vacation, not that much, and all the others they are still working on the new car.
And yourselves? Are you going to take some time off, are you going to have a holiday?
MA: I don’t think so. Maybe Christmas but I’m not even sure. But I don’t like to sit for hours at the table, to be obliged to talk to people, to be nice. One day. Fine, I have to do it, but I don’t eventually like it
TW: You’re not into talking.
MA: No.
TW: Well, I’ll pretend to look at the young driver test next week and stay here with my family for two days on the beach and then have two days off. And during Christmas and New Year – as an Austrian you have to go for a ski, hopefully not injure myself this year.
What could possibly go wrong? And Christian, how about you, are you going to take some time off?
CH: Yeah, we’re all going to Toto’s; we’re just debating which hours – the summer house or the winter chalet, where to go. There’s a month between now and Christmas and while the operation side of things comes to a close on Wednesday this week, after the test, back in the factory the design and production side of the business is all running flat chat. So there are commercial things to get tied up between now and the end of the year. So usually you’re flat out right up until just before Christmas. Then you break up for Christmas; then you get ill. Yeah, I’m looking forward to Christmas with the family and yeah, then before you know it it’s new year and away you go.
Q: (Andrea Cremonesi – Las Gazzetta dello Sport) A question for all of you, it’s about what we heard today that there is a McLaren issue about the fin and if you talked to your technician about that and if you are worried for the overall picture of the cars next year?
CH: A month of so ago we had a meeting and I though we all agreed that we were going to leave the fin as it was and stick the number there. And then in usual fashion we left the meeting and things changed and Zak decided he couldn’t see his rear wing – he’s obviously signed a major sponsor for next year and he’s trying to get as much coverage as he can, so McLaren presented another variant. The problem is that the aerodynamicists then looked at it and said “well, that screws up the rear wing, so we don’t want that”. So I’m not quite sure, as we sit here, what we got. I think it goes back to what’s in the regulation, which is no fin and so we have to just work out where to stick the number. Maybe we’ll have another chat and see if we can persuade Zak this weekend to put the fin back.
TW: I personally hate the fin.
CH: You’ve got one driving for you!
TW: True, not all fins! I personally think it ruins the shape of the car. Obviously it has an aerodynamic purpose and some cars benefit more from having the fin and have more stability and more crosswind instability, but overall it’s not the nicest of elements in general.
Maurizio, what about you, you’ve also got a Finn in the car, do you want one on the car?
MA: I’m quite neutral. I’m waiting for a decision. What is quite funny is that Zak said that the fin was interfering with the rear win, and in the meantime he said he would like to have more commercial space. So somehow he is removing the fin and doesn’t have anymore that commercial space, and on top he needs to find space for the number, so I think there is something wrong here.
TW: You see what we talk about in the Strategy Group…
Q: (Arjan Schouten – AS Sportweld) For Christian: Max told us after Brazil that Renault switched the power of the engine into a bit safer mode, with a bit less power. Any signals that it will be a similar case here or will it be last race, risk it all?
CH: I think obviously after the events of Mexico you can understand Renault being a bit nervous in Brazil, which is also a quite high altitude race. But coming here, last race of the year, nothing to gain or lose in the Constructors’ or Drivers’ championship, I think we should go for it with both cars, and hopefully that will be the approach of our engine supplier too.
Q: (Heikki Kulta – Turun Sanomat) Maurizio, talking about the Finns…
MA: You have Bottas too!
Q: (Heikki Kulta – Turun Sanomat) Yes, but do you think Kimi is the unluckiest driver on the grid after 94 races without a single victory?
MA: I don’t trust on luck or not luck, even if I’m Italian. I trust on fact and fact means points. Bad luck or good luck is not influencing this. Sometimes it could be in terms of perception or because maybe other drivers are crashing on his car, the final reality is the points you are scoring and this is what is making a driver good or bad. We are happy about the performance of Kimi, by the way, otherwise we are not confirming him.
Q: (Andrew Benson – BBC Sport) How concerned are the three of you that the overall revenue and team payments appear to have gone down under the new owners – and how confident are you that they’ll go back up again?
CH: Well, inevitably as they’ve invested in an infrastructure their costs have gone up. The model that they have, compared to the previous management, obviously is significant different – but perhaps, in the world that we live in, it’s appropriate for where the commercial rights holder wants to take the sport. So it’s inevitable that they’ve got to invest. At the same time revenues are slightly affected by Malaysia not renewing, etc., but I think the rights holder made a very generous offer to those teams that want to take it to effectively advance monies to ensure that the money next year available to the teams is the same as this year and the latest forecast, on an interest-free basis. They’ve offered to basically fund that bridge for those teams that wish to take it. So, and of course, when you’re building a structure, you’ve got to invest in that. Obviously, they’ve moved premises, they’ve moved offices, they’re running a different ship to how Bernie operated it. Bernie was the salesman, he was a one-man show, which was always going to be unsustainable because there was no individual that could single-handedly replace him. So, I think with the structure that’s been put into place, hopefully dividends and benefit will come – but it’s going to be a little bit further down the road. Probably we’re looking at 2019, 2020 and particularly 2021 before we’re going to see the fruits of their investment.
Do you see it the same way Toto?
TW: The question is where does investment come from. Is it the prize fund or… when you invest, are you raising capital and you make a rights issue and dilute the shareholders, or do you dilute the teams? I don’t know. To be discussed. But as a matter of fact, they are in the first year. I think year number one needs to be a honeymoon period after Bernie. We are maybe also a little bit spoilt, because over the last ten years at least I’ve been around, we had a growing prize fund, every single year we could rely on a per cent or two at worst; at best ten per cent and in so far, we have been also relying and building our structures. You need to support them, because it is our joint platform, and grant them this period and then hopefully see the hockey stick business plan is actually coming to fruition, and this is a dip; a momentary dip that we see, and hopefully it’s going to grow again soon.
Maurizio, your view?
MA: I think for sure they were not investing so much money to have a sport that is falling down. After one year it is not easy to judge. I know that early December they want to present to us their plan for the future. I hope there is going to be at least a three-year plan. So, this year we were a bit together, a bit. We were together with them to support, to work and to try to build up the future but, as Toto mentioned, as Christian mentioned, it was the first year. It’s not easy to judge – yet. We need to sit down with them and see, and to look at their business plan for the next few years and then we can have a judgement of a clear picture of where we want to go. Where Formula One wants to go.
Q: (Dieter Rencken – Racing Lines) Maurizio, given where you ended last season, being contenders for the championship and then losing it, how would you summarise the season and what can you realistically aim for next year?
MA: To summarise the season, if you want to have a quick summary and want to use the example of the glass of water – don’t like wine – mid-season we were thirsty, and end-of-season we were using the water because we take a pill because we have a bit of headache – and that’s the summary of the season. Apart from that I think the team was pushing pushing, really hard. They were working well. We have certain circumstances that they were not in our favour. I have to say congratulations to Mercedes. They won and they deserved the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships. For next year we try to do our best to be better.
Q: (Louis Dekker – NOS.nl) For all three. Do you agree with me that Kimi, Valtteri and Daniel need a victory more than their team-mates? And, to Christian, is it possible for Red Bull to win this race, after today, after today’s test, do you think?
CH: The opposition looked very strong. I think we’ll be stronger on a Sunday than we are on a Saturday – but that’s not unusual this season. Daniel’s already had a victory this year, I’m sure he’d like to add to that but yeah, obviously, we’ll be doing the best we can to finish the season on as high a note as possible.
Toto?
TW: Yeah, certainly Valtteri would want a victory. He had a rough time after the summer break and recovered – but Lewis has been very good today, again. He is in an extremely good place and after Friday it’s difficult to judge. Maurizio normally on Saturday goes up a lot in performance and, as Christian said, they are pretty strong in the race. And when you look at the long runs today, again it’s very close together. It’s a tenth or two, depending who’s in the car.
Maurizio?
MA: Talking about Kimi, if you look today at the long run, he’s in quite good shape – but we know that it depends on how, if Sebastian was pushing at the limit or not. It depends if my friends here, Red Bull and Mercedes, they were pushing or not – but I think, talking about Kimi, Kimi today was in quite good shape.
Q: (Dan Knutson – Auto Action / Speed Sport) A question for Christian: traditionally a Toro Rosso driver has moved up to Red Bull. You have Max for three years, you want Daniel for three years, you have Carlos waiting in the wings, so what is Red Bull’s plans for Pierre and Brendon? Where can they go for three years, or even beyond?
CH: Well they can stay where they are, at Toro Rosso, as things develop there; we can do what we’ve done with Carlos Sainz and make them available to other teams. So I think, for us, it’s all about having options and investing in talent and youth. Red Bull this year has gone as young as investing in kart racing drivers, at 13 and 14 years of age. We have some exciting talent in Formula 4, and it will continue to invest in that young talent. One of our young drivers won the Macao Grand Prix last weekend, so yeah, the Junior Programme’s working well but if there’s not room within Red Bull Racing, which hopefully there won’t be, for at least the next couple of years, then if the drivers have the opportunity to further their careers, we’re not adverse to making them available to other teams.
Q: (Dieter Rencken – Racing Lines) Referring to James’ question earlier on about Liberty, etc., what was the one key standout point that they brought to Formula One this year, in each of your opinions, and also, what is the one major point you’d like to see them bring out next year?
MA: As I said at the beginning, they focus their attention on ‘spectacularisation’, to go nearby the spectator at the track, and also TV spectator. They demonstrate a lot of enthusiasm and commitment. Now, I think, for next year, we have a meeting in December where they’re going to present what they have in mind, and at that stage we can have a conversation with them and eventually a suggestion. I don’t want to suggest anything without knowing what they have in mind – I would like to talk about what, until today, I think they were doing. For sure they’re pushing. It depends on what they want to do in the future. First year, it’s normally easy, because you start from a certain point: you have a lot of expectation and you go up. The second year, you have to prove you are solid and you are looking forward at least for the future. And the future is not one year, it’s at least, normally in the company, it’s a three-year plan.
Toto?
TW: I think what stands out for me is opening up on the social media rights: that is the first thing they did at the beginning of the season and it gave us more possibilities and more visibility. I come from a financial universe. For me, it would be interesting for me to see how the business case, what the vision on the business case is and how the numbers will come together.
CH: I think so many things have opened up, whether it be the digital platform, whether it be access, etcetera, etcetera. I think we’ve all felt that – probably the standout moment for me was the investment that they made in the promotion they did in the UK, in London, the Trafalgar event where they had 19 of the 20 drivers there, all the cars running, a completely free event and pop concert for the fans to come and engage with Formula One. So, I think that was a pretty big thing they put on this year.
Something you’d like to see next year?
CH: It’s going to be very interesting. I think in December we’re going to dit down and hear what their plans are for the next 12 months and the season ahead. So I think it will be with great interest that we sit and listen to what plans they have.
Q: (Andrea Cremonesi – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Question for Maurizio and Toto: I would like to ask you which is the strength about your rival that you want to be in your team? And for Christian, if you are a little bit surprised that Sebastian made some mistakes. I mean Singapore and Mexico.
Toto?
TW: Wasn’t it a question to Maurizio first? I could have two minutes to think about it! Ferrari is a fantastic brand and has been in Formula One forever. There’s lot of passion and emotion around the brand, and you can see the racing team, they’re very passionate but on the other side we are very passionate about it too. So, there isn’t a thing that comes into my mind where I would say ‘this is what I want’. We have great respect for them, I have great respect for Maurizio and what he’s been able to achieve with his team and they are great rivals.
MA: I think, how you tend to respect the team that have won four Constructors’ Championships and four Drivers’ Championships. It’s normal that they are strong. For that I have a lot of respect but it could be even better if we’re able next year to fight with them and finally to win! Having said so, I think one of the strengths of Mercedes, apart from the brand they’re representing, how the team is organised, it’s also their habit to win. Sometimes you are going to have a pole position and it’s becomes an event. Pole position must become a habit and not an event. This is what I mean for a habit to win. It doesn’t have to be perceived as an event, the victory, or the pole position. It must be the natural result of the work that you are doing. In this way, I have a lot of respect for this guy but in this way, we know what we have to do for the future in our side.
And finally, Christian, Sebastian’s starts in Singapore and Mexico. You worked with him for many years, were you surprised by the way that went?
CH: I think they were racing accidents: they just seemed to involve our driver alongside him. It was just coincidence. Sebastian’s a great racer and he’s driven a very strong campaign this year. I can only imagine it might be something to do with a bonus: maybe it’s not as generous at Ferrari as it is at Red Bull for finishing races but no, I think it was racing incidents that happened and just coincidence that Max was there on both occasions.
PART TWO – TEAM REPRESENTATIVES: Zak BROWN (McLaren), Cyril ABITEBOUL (Renault), Mario ISOLA (Pirelli)
Q: Will all three of you pick your personal highlight moment of the 2017 Formula One season. Zak, why don’t you start us off?
Zak BROWN: Highlight of 2017 or specifically the Formula One season? I think it would have to be the Indianapolis 500, was a special moment for McLaren and Fernando and I think the entire racing world. So, I think in 2017, we’ll look back on that Month of May as a pretty exciting moment.
Mario ISOLA: I would say the test in Barcelona because with the new regulations, the new tyres and the new targets, it was not easy, and we had also a big challenge and the famous five seconds, the expected improvement of the tyres, and the cars, of course, and Barcelona was the moment in which we confirmed that everything was OK.
Cyril ABITEBOUL: Well, frankly the 2017 season has really been a rollercoaster so there have been lots of highlights, lots of ups and downs. I guess the best representation of that might be Mexico where it was at the same time a very difficult moment, so you may be a bit surprised by that answer. It’s important to make a favourite moment that matters and a moment that shows you that some things that work and some things that do not work. It was a race where we put a lot of effort to actually be extremely competitive and we could see that we were extremely competitive on Friday but we also see that we were too competitive and that we took too many risks, in particular on the engine side with a lot of retirements, lots of issues and those issues, as they are always very difficult, when it’s in our team or on any customer teams – for us, there is the reputation of Renault, all the work and effort that we put into that. And at the same time, while Mexico was a highlight, it was a win of Max in those circumstances it was a very strange moment and definitely a moment that I will remember.
Q: OK, staying with you, can you tell us what impact Carlos Sainz has had on the team in his short time there? He’s qualified seventh, eighth and eighth, points on debut. How do you evaluate him?
CA: Well, frankly from that summary I think the answer is in the question. It’s a very good assessment. He’s clearly brought lots of energy, he’s brought his motivation, his willingness to continue to progress and to continue to show what he’s capable of outside of the sort of Red Bull environment which is a very good environment but sometimes also a strong environment for a driver to cope with. So he’s done that, he’s also scored some points. We hope he’s going to score more points tomorrow or Sunday but also he’s shown some very useful directions for the development for next year, because he’s coming from a different environment. He was capable of bringing some ideas, suggestions. He’s got a very good understanding of the mechanics of the car, the fundamental of the car and it’s coming at a time when things were not complete for next year so that’s very useful and we are happy to have made that decision.
Q: Well speaking of that, you’ll be hoping, like every team to improve your chassis for next season, but for your engine clients a lot is riding on you improving your power unit so Red Bull and McLaren can get amongst the winners next season. Should we expect to see Renault at the level of Ferrari and Mercedes motors next season? Is that what we should expect?
ZB: Good question, James.
CA: You know I don’t want to make any promises. First thing will be reliability because we’ve seen this season that you need to walk before you run and I think we’ve been on many occasions too aggressive in the way that we were trying to bring performance and extra power to the engine too quickly because of the expectation of all customers including the yellow cars, so I think we need to go step by step: first be reliable then accumulate as many miles as possible during the winter tests – I think it’s important for any chassis organisation. I understand, talking about Red Bull, that they changed their philosophy and are planning for the development of their car but if the engine is not reliable it’s going to be useless. So we need to get that. And if we have that, I am extremely comfortable and confident that we have the sort of technological bricks to bring to the engine in order to make steps and to catch Mercedes.
Q: Zak, you have a lot riding on that from Renault. Will you be satisfied with anything less than podiums in 2018 from your team and the opportunity to win some races?
ZB: Well, that’s certainly our goal. We’re very confident in the Renault engine. They’ve got a great history in the sport and won half the championships in the last ten, fifteen years. And of course it’s a complete package: the drivers, the team, the chassis, the power unit and we’re up for it, we’re excited, we’re well prepared. We think we have the tools that we need so podiums are what we are going to be going for, whether that’s the third, second or first step – hopefully it’s a combination of all the above.
Q: You referenced Fernando’s appearance at Indianapolis in your earlier answer; give us a word on his tests in WEC and also in your Daytona 24 hours team? How competitive was he and what are you learning about his versatility as a racing driver?
ZB: Well, he’s a true racer. I wasn’t at his test in Bahrain so I’ve only spoken to him briefly about it. I think he found the way the cars, with their energy systems and the recovery work, are fascinating. I was at the test in LMP2 and as you would expect he was awesome, very focused and what we saw was the least amount of fall-off over a run that we’ve seen of any racing driver in our cars so he is definitely on the top of his game right now.
Q: And Mario, you unveiled your 2018 tyre line-up yesterday in the paddock here at Abu Dhabi with some new additions. What will they bring to the racing and do you expect to see most races next year featuring all three compounds and more variation in strategy as result?
MI: This is exactly the target to have more compounds. We don’t have more compounds at each race; the system is the same as this year with three compounds selected by Pirelli in agreement with the FIA. But with a wider range we can have the right compounds at each race. This year was a bit tricky because with the hard compound, which was a bit too conservative and the other four compounds available, we have to race on twenty circuits with only limited movement across the compounds so the idea is absolutely not to generate more confusion, it is to keep the same philosophy, different colours immediately recognisable by spectators who also decided the name of the pink (tyre) but all the three compounds useable at each race so different strategies: one stop, two stop or even more.
Q: Just picking up on your first answer in this press conference; this year has obviously been the fastest for Formula One as you mentioned. Can you give us some numbers around that and also how the science of your tyres has evolved to cope with the loads involved and yet you’re still going one step softer for 2018?
MI: When we design a tyre, we have to consider the end of the following year because obviously during the year we have a lot of development on the car and the stress on the tyre is growing at every race, so it was very useful to have all the data from the simulation of the teams and that gave us the possibility to tune our indoor testing in order to test all our prototypes and check that in terms of integrity they were OK, so this was the approach. And then we were expecting these incredible lap times in some cases, because also the speed in the corner considered that in some famous corners like turn three in Barcelona or Copse at Silverstone or at Spa, we had an increase in speed of 30-40kmh on these kind of corners so all of the lap time improvement was in cornering and not, for sure, on the straights where the additional drag from the wider tyre is limiting the top speed.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Dominik Sharaf –motorsport-total.com) Question for Zak and Mario: you decided to cancel your tyre test in Sao Paulo last week, due to safety concerns so how do you feel about sending your mechanics, your engineers to a race in 2018?
ZB: You know we obviously were disappointed not to test. Understood, it was a conversation that we had with Pirelli and for 2018 I think we just need better security in the system. I think each team is responsible for their own individuals. We would never put anyone at risk and yeah, unfortunate incidents but we’re fully prepared to go back to Brazil next year.
MI: Yeah, I obviously have the same opinion. We talked before on Monday morning after what happened on Sunday night and we agreed, together with McLaren, with the FIA that it was better to cancel the test rather than taking any risk with our people. Next year, I’m sure it will be different because you have to learn from what happened, not just to accept that and next year we will be prepared and I’m sure that also the organisers will put additional effort on that.
Q: (Dieter Rencken – Racing Lines) Following up Dominik’s question, it’s not as though the attacks this year were the first ones. If we go back five years, Jenson Button got hi-jacked etc, or attempted hi-jack. There have been continuous attacks so you are saying next year is going to be different. What makes you so confident that next year will be different?
MI: But this year we had quite a big increase in this kind of facts so you are right, when it happened to Jenson I was not involved in Formula One but we know that sometimes it happens. It can happen also in other countries, not only in Brazil but it can happen everywhere and we need to put the best effort to ensure that we are protecting our people in the best possible way. Then, if it happens, it happens.
ZB: It was unacceptable this year. I agree. I think the frequency was greater than in the past but everyone’s discussing it so I fully expect the organisers, the city, the FIA, the teams, everyone to sit down and discuss how we can improve the situation so I don’t think we’re not going to not do anything about it. We are going to take more preventative measures, whatever those may be.
CA: It’s obviously extremely sad what happened but Brazil is a great country, it’s a great group of people with a fantastic culture for Formula One. We don’t want to lose them from the calendar, for sure. There were incidents but my understanding is when the police force was in place, nothing happened so I think it makes sense to make sure that the police forces that were there on site on Saturday and Sunday are also in attendance on Friday and Thursday, if this is what’s needed. Obviously this type of event is shedding a very bad light on the country, whatever is happening, so I’m pretty sure that they will do the necessary in order to avoid that in the future.
Q: (Beatrice Samuner – Motorlat.com) Zak, what is the current situation concerning your title sponsor and are there any American brands in your sights?
ZB: We’re having a good commercial… well, it’s not the off-season yet but we’ve had a good Q4. We have signed two sponsors that we haven’t announced yet. One is US-based so I think people can expect to see more great brands on the McLaren racecar next year.
Q: There was some speculation in the first press conference that it had to do with the rear wing which is why you wanted to get rid of the fins. Can you confirm or deny?
ZB: Well, the rear wing is the very valuable spot on the racecar that with the current engine fin with the tight blocks the rear wing. I don’t think we… I’ve only been in the strategy group meetings for a year now… we don’t think enough commercially about some of the technical regulations that we discuss and so that there, if you look at today’s racecar, front wings are no longer commercially viable. We’ve got bargeboards and aerodynamic devices blocking the chassis side and now we’ve got this big engine fin that blocks the rear wing, so that was really more of a case of starting to free up some commercial locations on the racecar.
Q: (Louis Dekker – NOS) Cyril, do you think – it’s a question about reliability – do you think Daniel and Max will get full Renault power this weekend?
CA: They will get… they will get… but you know, that question, you know it’s the same for any engine manufacturers: Mercedes has more potential in hand that they are giving, making available to their drivers. Actually it was shown in the fact that with Lewis’s engine change his pace was just amazing at the last race and I’m expecting the same from this race. So any engine manufacturer that enters this world, in particular with the very restrictions that we have on the number of units that we can use, has to balance performance, power and reliability. Direct answer to your question? No, there could be more that we could give to the two drivers… to the six drivers that are using a Renault power unit but that would be to the expense of reliability and in order to score points that’s of use but you have to get to the finish line.
Q: (Dieter Rencken – Racing Lines) A lot has happened since we were here twelve months ago with the Liberty takeover, Bernie’s departure etc; what’s been your one stand-out key moment in Liberty’s management of Formula One’s commercial rights this year and what single item would you like to see them introduce next year?
ZB: I think the communication in the paddock is very good, they are very engaged with all the teams. I think their agenda that they’re working on, moving forward for a healthier sport for everyone is the right agenda. You know a year is not very long when they’re learning and a lot of these circuits they’re going to it’s the first time they’ve attended themselves. So I like the direction they’re going in, they’re listening, they’re collaborating, they’re communicating and then, as far as next year, what I would like to see is the rules in place that we’re going to know about for 2021. I would like to not have the negotiations that are currently going on drag out for years.
CA: Yeah, I fully share Zak’s vision. I think that the style, atmosphere, all that has changed, the way that we are capable of opening the paddock to people but also to the world with social media. All of that were quick wins but it was important to do that. I think we are now waiting to see more substantial measures, decisions, directions that Liberty is going to take on some of the important decisions together with obviously the FIA, FOM, all of the stake holders involved in the regulation-making process. I think that’s going to be important to understand the vision that they have for Formula One because so far we’ve had lots of discussions but obviously no decision – not a criticism, it’s just a fact. Decision time is going to come in the next few months and like Zak, I just hope that it’s not going to be too much of a distraction for what matters which is racing and that everything will be done for the interests of the show and the fans that make the sport.
MI: I fully agree with them. We are not in competition with anybody else, we share the same target. One year is not a lot of time and all the processes in Formula One are quite complicated so it takes time to analyse everything, to take the right decisions and not just to decide quickly and make mistakes. So I like the approach, we have a lot of communication now with them and I feel that we can do something very good together.
Q: (Louis Dekker – NOS) Cyril and Zak, do you think McLaren and Renault can chase for victories, like Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull? Can we have a championship with five teams able to win races next year?
CA: Well, clearly the plan is to have… to continue to offer an engine that is capable of winning races. We’ve done that this year. Obviously we need to do more of that and we are working flat out to make that happen, as I said, with the priority being put right now and for the winter on reliability. It seems to me that for competing against these cars that they have a great chassis, so I don’t see why McLaren wouldn’t again have a great chassis next year so yeah, I think it should be a strong package and as far as we are concerned, we hope and believe we will be racing against McLaren and so that should provide an interesting show. Whether it’s part of the mix at the top or not will depend on what we do over the winter but I think it should be an interesting Formula One to watch.
ZB: Yeah, I agree. I would like to think that we are going to have a chance at winning. Renault’s a great team, has won many races before and I think it would be very healthy for the sport to see five teams winning and coming back to the earlier conversation of what we would like to see in 2021 is a more level playing field so when the fans tune in to a Grand Prix they don’t have it narrowed down to two or three drivers that they think are going to win the race, that they’ve got seven, eight or nine they’ve got to chose from. So hopefully next year can be the start of some additional teams winning.
Q: (Dieter Rencken – Racing Lines) Cyril, the upcoming Pirelli tyre test. Sergey Sirotkin is going to be driving not only in different colour overalls but also a different engine to a Renault engine. Could you explain to us exactly what the situation is? Have you released him, is the relationship over, what happens now?
CA: No, the situation is that we still have a binding contract with Sergey. He’s part of the team this weekend, he’s in our colours. It’s a contract that’s going until the end of the year but we will make the necessary in order to allow him to take part in this test. He’s requested that a couple of days ago, so we are in the process of making that available, possible for Williams.
eom/FIA transcript
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It was a great welcome as I walked into the factory: Hamilton
PART ONE: DRIVERS – Lewis HAMILTON (Mercedes), Sebastian VETTEL (Ferrari), Daniel RICCIARDO (Red Bull Racing)
PRESS CONFERENCE
Lewis, four-time champion, amazing scenes at the factory when you went back there to celebrate your third title with Mercedes, clearly it was very emotional as well. What’s made this season special?
Lewis HAMILTON: I think every single individual in the team. Their commitment has never wavered. They’ve been ruthless in how hard they worked throughout the year. Obviously I’ve been there five years, so to see the team grow, to see the individuals that I work with grow in their understanding and in their work ethic. This year being that we were fighting with Ferrari excited everyone and encouraged everyone to another level. To go to both factories and to see everyone… at HPP every single race that I’ve driven has been powered by an engine that they have produced, so it’s been a great journey with them. And then to go to Brackley and see all the guys there. I arrived there and they were standing… I had to walk from the gate, which has never happened before, everyone was standing on the side of the road. It was just great to have that welcome and to be able to celebrate both championships with them.
OK, and Sebastian, your side, what’s the mood at Maranello? Have you and Ferrari improved enough and learned enough during 2017 to believe that you can go one better and become world champions next year?
Sebastian VETTEL: Well, I think if we can do a similar step for next year then… no, don’t get me wrong, it’s a joke and Germans don’t joke so much, then it should be a walk in the park. I think what I want to say is that the step that we have done this year was incredible. The way the team has come out with a competitive car at the beginning, the way we have improved both chassis and engine, on all fronts I think it has been outstanding. We have been close for most of the year, not close enough when it mattered, but that’s what happened. From that we made our conclusions, we learned our lessons. So I believe that those will help us next year. We are completely fired up. Obviously it was bitter but now I actually think it’s a positive that we have a couple of races to approach, to look forward to and look forward to next year. So we’ll see. Obviously everybody will be pushing very hard over the winter. I think we have the right, I think we proved that this year. We have what we need. It all starts again next year, so let’s see.
And we will have a unique situation with two drivers going for a fifth world championship, so that’s something to look forward to. For the two of you then, it’s been a close duel between you for the world championship this year. Can you pick out one particular highlight of you duel this year. Lewis?
SV: Shall we start with Baku?
Yeah, let’s start there.
SV: Break the ice. But he didn’t do much. No, I don’t think we need to touch on that again. I think it’s been a good season, close… More wheel-to-wheel would be nice.
LH: There needs to be more races like Barcelona kind of thing I would say.
SV: That was a bit too straightforward for you to pass, but it always depends on what side you’re looking from. But for sure when you’re chasing down, that’s really intense and really nice. I think Spa was a really intense race. I was trying to push him all race. I probably had sort of a chance but he was very clever defending, up the hill, up Eau Rouge. I think it’s been a fun year. Obviously when you are racing that close, with hardly any mistakes, I think it’s fair to say also that this year Lewis probably made less mistakes and in the end he was just the better man and he deserved to win.
Anything else to say on the subject?
LH: No, I agree with what he said, in the sense that it was great to have those clos battles. Spa was awesome. To be fighting a four-time world champion whom you respect, you expect nothing but the best from them and no mistakes, so when you have races like Spa where it’s really down to one of you making the smallest mistake, and none of us did, I’m looking forward to many more of those races in the future.
Great, so do we all. Daniel, I’m sure you guy want to get in on the act as well. First of all, is that a Movember mo’ you’ve got going on there?
Daniel RICCIARDO: Yeah.
How’s it growing?
DR: It’s going great. Why not?
Indeed. So, slow start for Red Bull and a strong finish once again. What are you doing behind the scenes to make sure that it starts strong and that you are right in the thick of the championship right from the get-go in Melbourne next year?
DR: On a personal level, just make sure that I fill in the blanks I guess. There’s been some great races. Obviously I would love all 20 to be great and not all 20 have been. I think, yeah, for me, just to assess the year once it’s all settled and then just try to understand what I could have improved. I’m sure there’s on-track stuff but also off track. Obviously I give every year a good crack, but give next year a proper crack. I mean between us all we’ve got eight world titles, so it’s pretty good! But, yeah, obviously we want nine. It’s cool, I’ve been pretty pleased with the year. I’ve still go some improvements to make and I’m looking forward to extracting a bit more from myself.
OK, a final question to all three of you: it’s been a year of significant changes, Formula 1 has had a different approach in many areas this season, especially in digital and social. How do you feel things have gone and what have you appreciated and what remains to be done?
LH: I think it’s been a positive. I think it’s been great to be able to drive and push the cars as we have. I think there is still work to be done in lots of different areas. But I think in general, Formula 1 has taken a good step forward, obviously with Liberty coming in. I think they done an exceptional job this year. Being that they have very little experience in Formula 1 I think they have learned a lot and helped move the sport forwards already. So I’m excited to see what they continue to do moving forwards. I’m hoping that there are some changes put in place over the next years with the decision-making process with how they decide what they do with the cars. Obviously it’s a big power struggle with Ferrari and Mercedes, and then those that have perhaps even less say, though it shouldn’t be like that. So I hope there are some improvements there. On the racing side, I hope moving forwards, overtaking gets easier. Not easier, but being able to follow each other is really what the sport needs. The more overtaking the more fun it is for people to watch. That’s what I’m hoping for, but this year has been a positive year and I hope that next year I’m hoping that all three of our teams, and McLaren as well, can be in the mix. I think that would make the championship way more fun that it has been this year.
SV: Well, from a driver’s seat the cars are much more fun to drive again, you can push a lot harder, which is the way I think Lewis and myself we got to know Formula 1 when we joined, more probably for Lewis than me, because I was more on the sidelines at that time. That’s great, that’s what we drivers want. It’s great to see that the cars for faster. They’re never fast enough, because we always complain. I think that’s been great and made the racing better, the races for us more enjoyable. Whether that ends up in a better show and better TV, it depends on the race. But I think on that, wishes for next year is that everybody calms down. Some races are boring, so what? I don’t see the problem in that. I don’t think we need another record, another record every race, to have more overtaking and more overtaking. It’s true that overtaking sometimes, especially if you’re behind and you’re fast and you can’t get past for those reasons, it annoys you. But then again if you make the move there is a massive reward inside the car, sometimes out the car. What I want to say is that overtaking should be an achievement and not handed to you. So there’s a difficult balance but as I said, sometimes just relax and calm down and accept a boring race or a boring two races in a row and then there will be another great race after that and another one. So there are some things we can’t foresee even if it’s a time when we want to control everything, some things are good if they are not in our control.
DR: There have been pros and cons in my opinion. Probably still more pros. Obviously being able to go faster is always nice but it does come at a price when following and that. Some tracks have been kind of transparent compared to last year, you’ve still been able to race hard and follow close but some tracks you need a pretty big speed advantage to get close or to make a move. I think Seb’s right in some ways, that’s just the way it is and that’s the way some tracks are laid out. I think the wider cars and all that look great and they’ve given us more downforce and grip but when they take up more space on the track you have less clean air to try to find so it does make following harder so that one is good and bad. The off-track stuff has been pretty cool. It’s been interesting. It’s certainly opened up a lot of little things. The paddock is one area where there has been room for that to be more exciting for fans. People in the paddock, to have a common area to go to, to get a bit more of an atmosphere in there, whether it’s through some music or they’ve set up the bar. Yeah, they’re experimenting and it’s going in the right direction so it’s been cool to be a part of it.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Adrian Rodriguez Huber – Agencia Efe) The question is for Seb and Lewis. Your next logical step would be to match Juan Manuel Fangio’s five titles. What does the name Juan Manuel Fangio say to you?
SV: Certainly we will never match him in how successful he had been in such a short time and so little races. Obviously back then it was different. Racing was different. I had the pleasure to chat with Stirling, Stirling Moss, and if you ask him about Juan Manuel Fangio then I think you get a much better answer because he knew him and because he knew his skills in a car. I think as a racing driver if you come to a point where you say that… because in a way you always tend to think you are the best, otherwise there’s not much point I guess, but if you reach a point where you say ‘that guy was just better than me’ it says a lot and if you look at Stirling’s record I think it has been incredible, not just in Formula 1 but in all the other categories as well. So he must have been really, really special. And as I said, to have achieved what he did achieve in that time, where a lot of things needed to come together, the cars were not as reliable and all of that, still he managed to be that successful, I think he’s probably the best we’ve ever had in terms of putting it together, in terms of skill, in terms of how brave they were at the time. I think racing at its core remained the same until today but the racing itself has changed massively since the ‘50s to today.
LH: I agree with Seb. Naturally, he’s just a leading icon in motorsport. To have achieved what he achieved in the time, when danger was really at its worst. I think he’s the driver that I think everyone admires most, perhaps being that it was in the most dangerous period of time in motorsport. I think to even be as close as we are, I feel very honoured to be this close to such a great sporting icon. If anything I actually feel like he’s under… I think he should be celebrated more for his success. It’s not really mentioned a huge amount. Often you hear about Ayrton and Prost but I feel he’s the godfather of the sport in terms of the drivers.
Q: (Flavio Vanetti – Corriere Della Sera) To Sebastian: Ferrari proved to be closer to Mercedes this season. Now you need the final step. Do you think it will be a tough one or not?
SV: Yeah, massively tough. The level is very high. Mercedes has been very competitive the last couple of years and again this year, despite a regulation change that obviously helped us to get a bit closer. But for next year it’s the same story – you need to make that step. That final step you’re talking about is always the hardest. But that’s why we’re here. That’s the name of the game. As I said, the team is ready. The people in Maranello are already fired up. I think we have some good projects in the pipeline. Some will take time, some will come soon, but that’s the normal fight.
Q: (Frank Wostenberg – De Telegraaf) For all three, what do you consider the best overtake of the season and can you explain why? Your personal best?
DR: Too many to choose from! The attempts on Valtteri were fun, in Austin. Kimi in Monza in Turn 1 – that was from downtown, so that was pretty fun. Baku was a deciding one. There’s a few.
LH: I admit, I have a very bad memory, so I don’t really remember much past Austin…
SV: Not much to remember, you didn’t have to pass many people this year!
LH: I passed you a couple of times, that was enough! Those were the most exciting ones.
You had a bit on in Brazil as well.
LH: Yeah, Brazil was awesome, starting from the back. Yeah, I think the closer race we had were the ones I enjoyed the most. Obviously the worst ones for me were Monaco and Russia maybe. Other than that I think it was a pretty solid season.
Seb, how’s your memory?
SV: I don’t know. Thanks to Daniel for mentioning…
DR: Don’t say me in China!
SV: That was actually quite good! I completely forgot that, I was about to say Valtteri in Barcelona. But yeah, maybe also the one on Daniel as well.
Q: (Phil Duncan – PA) Lewis and Seb, this is obviously the first year you two have gone toe to toe for the title, well, for most of the year. I was just wondering if you could assess each other’s strengths, if there’s been any surprises along the way, and the weaknesses you may wish to exploit in 2018?
LH: erm… yeah… I think at the end of the year you start to sit down and review those. All I can say is that any weaknesses Sebastian had or feels he had, or doesn’t think he had, he’ll work on those over the winter, as we all do. No-one’s perfect. Even I have things I need to work on, so I have to expect that he’s going to bring… he’s going to raise the bar next year and I have to make sure I do the same, otherwise the result will be different next year. There was a comment earlier that Mercedes were the quickest this year. I think ultimately, overall, obviously we won the Championship, we were more consistent, we didn’t failures, we made less mistakes – but I think Ferrari had a very, very good season. If you look at the beginning of the season, at least half the season, they were in the lead. That wasn’t by sheer luck, that was because they had a fantastic car and did a great job. Obviously when you apply the pressure, things… it’s easy to buckle, and I think towards the end of the year that is what happened. I think next year they’re going to come very, very strong. I anticipate… or rather I hope Renault bring a better power unit next year and I think Red Bull are going to be there with us next year as well. So, I think for us it’s all about raising your game every single opportunity you get. I would expect nothing less from either of these drivers to be raising it next year.
And Seb?
SV: Well it was toe-to-toe did you say, for most of the season, but not for the important part of the season, so in a way I’d love this press conference to be less relaxed but that’s not the case. I think it’s been fun for us, obviously, a massive achievement, a massive step. If you look where we were in 2016, I think we did the biggest step out of all and probably from winter testing we were right there. I think also one thing that hasn’t been our strength as a team, was ‘go with the development’ and I think especially this year, that was probably the most important part to stay in the fight and I think we proved that we did. I think historically we lost out as the season progressed but this year were, in my point of it’s been hardest because there’s so much potential still, so many big steps you can make if you’re doing well, but we managed to do them as well and we stayed in the fight. Obviously we had two or three races that turned out to be very costly, for different reasons and, as Lewis touched on, they’ve been very, very strong all year, very consistent. But yeah, in the end we weren’t good enough to take it to the last race and take the championship. So, I think we know what we need to do. There are lessons that were obvious, some were a bit more hidden but I’m sure we’ll dig deep enough and try to find all of them.
Q: (Heikki Kulta – Turun Sanomat) Sebastian, your team-mate has more than 90 races without a victory. How would you feel yourself with that kind of run of results?
SV: Well, as we just proved, racing drivers don’t have good memories, so I’m pretty sure if you ask Kimi, he’s not aware of that number. So, yeah, I think we generally look forward. The sport is teaching us to look forward too, there’s always the next race, the next update, the next step you’re looking forward to, so I think in a way it teaches you to… not forget but just to focus on what’s coming rather than being occupied with what’s behind you. So I don’t think there’s a big deal. There’s always some sort of numbers that work in your favour and some numbers that don’t work in your favour.
Q: (Louis Dekker – NOS) For Daniel, consider the RB14 will be a winning car, you can hunt for the championship: how do you cope with Max and do you fear the internal relations in the team then? Will you remain friends?
DR: I hope so, keep him on my birthday list. So we’ll see. We said at the start of this year it would be a good problem to have. If we’re both fighting at the front and having some battles. If it’s ultimately deciding a world title we would happily run with that challenge. So, yeah, we’ll see. This year we again had high hopes for that. I believe next year we will close the gap. Is it enough to fight for a title? I think we can certainly get close but we’ll see. I don’t want to predict too early. I’m sure we’ve learned a lot this year and I believe we’re going to put in the right work in the winter to start strong. And then that’ll be exciting. Max improved this year from last year. I think he… I won’t say came a long way because he was always there but he certainly improved and I think next year it’s going to be a lot of fun, so looking forward to that. And hopefully we can add a world title to the eight that we have.
Q: (Aldona Marciniak – Fakt) To all three of you. Many F1 fans refer to this race as a last race of a certain era, because it’s the last race without the Halo. Is it a justified opinion, from your perspective, and will you think about it, stepping into the car this weekend.
SV: I wasn’t aware… I mean I am aware but I wasn’t thinking about that. Yeah, probably they are right. I think the cars will look different next year. Everything I’ve seen so far looks different but on the other hand I think it’s something that we all get used to – but yeah, it’s no doubt that the cars look better the way they are now but I’m sure that, as I say, we’ll get used to it and we’ll work on the aesthetics so it will look fine as well. So, in the end it’s probably less of a big deal.
Lewis?
LH: It’s the last of the era of cars looking good, I think. It’s the last race where the cars will look good. I think from next year it’s all downhill in terms of how it looks – but safety will go up, at least, and… yeah. Maybe start a new flip-flop brand next year and be successful in some way.
Dan?
DR: Not much more to comment, to be honest. We’ll make sure our helmets are polished this weekend, so they look good because they’ll be a bit harder to see next year. It’s fine. I don’t think it’s going to be as dramatic as most people make it out to be so, yeah, should be fine.
Q: (Graham Caygill – The National) Question for Lewis. This might be a bad idea because you’ve just said you’ve got a bad memory, can you just talk through your memories of being at Abu Dhabi. You took pole position in the first year, you’ve won three times here, you won your second world championship here, so you clearly go well here. How well motivated are you to get a fourth win here this weekend?
LH: The first race I was quite determined to win that one because there was a car that Sebastian ended up getting – I actually got the car anyway, so it was OK, but there was a car up for grabs if you won the first race, which I was pretty motivated to get at the time. I was obviously leading and then the rear brakes failed, so Sebastian won it. But yeah, I think we both have three, and so… we have this battle of wanting to get ahead of each other always, so of course I’m extremely driven this weekend to try to finish the season off as strong as particularly, I’ve been in this second half of the season. Obviously, in the last race Sebastian won and I don’t particularly want to give you this one. I’m looking forward to having hopefully at least a good battle with these guys this weekend. Either way I think it’s just about approaching it the same: giving it everything, as if you are still fighting for the championship. Regardless of whether you win or not, as long as you’ve given it everything, you can walk away proudly, knowing that you’ve had a solid season.
Just for the record, what was the car in question?
LH: It was a Mercedes SL Black Series. Do you still have yours? I haven’t managed to get one. How many miles on it?
Q: (Walter Koster – Saarbruecker Zeitung) Lewis, in a few weeks you will receive your champion award but there are still other awards, like for the rookie of the year, personality of the year and the action of the year. And now the Mercedes tyre queue had one for, first time, the first fastest pitstop award. Do you think that there enough awards – or can you image other awards? For example, like an award for Fair Play? For a special friendly action. Or there are no friendly actions in Formula One. What’s your opinion, and the opinion of Sebastian and Ricciardo for this subject.
LH: That’s a good question. I think there’s a lot of awards. Do I feel there should be more? I’m probably not the right person to ask…
SV: I should get move of the year, personality of the year and also, what was the last one, fair play… well, fair play maybe not… but those two for Baku for sure.
LH: I have a friend who plays a golf tournament in England. It’s called the Clown Cup, I think, and if you finish last you get the clown. So, there should be at least something like that. Not for finishing last, but for someone who doesn’t have the fair play thing. You don’t want to over-saturate with awards. They did a great job already, the FIA have quite a lot of awards as it is.
Daniel, what would you add?
DR: Nothing. After how long that question was, imagine there was more awards, imagine how long you’d talk for?
LH: Longest question? There should be ‘journalist of the year’.
SV: Question of the year.
DR: I don’t know what to say. We don’t need a good sportsman or anything like that. I remember at school you’d get a ‘good effort’ sticker and it was just to give you something – but it was meaningless. I think, as Lewis said, I you start just handing them out… there’s one award that all of us want and it’s the world title. The rest doesn’t matter.
PART TWO: DRIVERS – Fernando ALONSO (McLaren), Max VERSTAPPEN (Red Bull), Valtteri BOTTAS (Williams)
Q: Fernando, let’s begin with you. Tests in WEC and more recently Daytona 24 Hours cars. How di they feel and how excited are you about the prospect of what you’re about to do with them?
Fernando ALONSO: They felt OK. They felt great. I’m behind a steering wheel, probably every week with different cars, obviously the last two were public and were probably a little bit bigger series. I was happy, first in Bahrain, I had this opportunity to test the LMP1, obviously different cars, some technologies that we don’t get have yet in F1, or that has been banned recently, like traction control and four wheel drive and things like that, that obviously required a different driving style. So limitations on fuel and things like that that were a little bit more frustrating than what we have here – but overall it has been a good experience. With LMP2 in Spain, testing for Daytona, it was also good fun. Cars again very different. More raw, a little bit and more simple and yeah, good fun and ready for next winter in Daytona, and not to have too much free time.
It’s been an amazing year really. Have you surprised yourself with how versatile you are as a driver or did you expect that, when you jumped into these different things you would be competitive straight away?
FA: No. I mean obviously, you believe in yourself. You believe that you can can adapt very quickly to things, so has been probably one of my strongest points in my career here in Formula One. Maybe I’m not the fastest in qualifying, not the fastest in the race, not the fastest in the wet but I’m quite good in everything – so I was ready to challenge on different series and compete against the best drivers in that particular series or that particular driving style, learning from them, taking all the advice that I can and that’s quite a challenge, so I study some steering wheels.
Q: Final thought. It’s the final race with Honda engines for McLaren, next year with Renault. Does that feel like a kind of a homecoming for you, given your history with them – and how much confidence are you drawing from what they’re telling you about the 2018 power unit?
FA: I think it’s good timing now, to change. I personally had a lot of expectations for the McLaren- Honda project, that was probably the reason I changed from Ferrari because the McLaren-Honda was a very attractive partnership after the success they had in the past, etcetera. We didn’t achieve the results we wanted in the last three years. We didn’t perform as we expected. So now I think it’s time to change for McLaren and join forces with Renault. I’m quite optimistic, seeing what Red Bull is doing right now with a Renault Power Unit. Obviously, it is still missing a little bit on things but overall you fight for podiums, you fight for race wills and that is a very different picture to what we have now in McLaren. So, optimistic for that, no doubts. Your question about Renault, yeah, feeling at home. Coming back a little bit, coming back towards my friends and what I consider my second family, so that will be great and they are a very good company and a very good engine, zero doubts.
Q: Valtteri, coming to you. What’s the balance sheet from the 2017 season for you looking like? You became a grand prix winner, you repeated it, you bagged ten other podiums. Do you take satisfaction from this season?
Valtteri BOTTAS: Yeah, I think the balance sheet is a bit up-and-down for me. There was for sure many good moments, and good performances but many disappointments as well. The main think I think from the this season, for me, is the amount I’ve been able to learn. The amount I’ve been able to grow as a driver and things I can take for the future. That’s what matters, y’know? Lewis won the title, as my team mate, so we had a car to do it and he beat me this year. So, I’ve learnt a lot and that’s why I’m really looking ahead.
Q: Where you’ve had the more difficult days, what’s that been down to, can you give us some ideas – and have you been able to – and have you been able to work with the team to be confident that you’ll be able to avoid that next year?
VB: I honestly think I’ve been through some of those things already quite many times. But you know there are quite many things. This sport is all about details, and yeah, I’ve learnt a lot from those tough races and just need more consistency in different circumstances, different conditions and I know by working hard, I can do it.
Q: Max, two wins and you’re the top scorer in the last five races with 90 points, eight more than Lewis Hamilton’s scored. And a new contract in the bag. Is this feeling like the way Formula One should be for you?
Max VERSTAPPEN: Not fully because I’m not fighting for the championship. But it’s been positive, the last few races. I think Brazil maybe was not perfect but I think we know the reasons for that as well; when you lose performance from the engine as well to keep things alive but hopefully for this weekend we can change that and hopefully we will be a bit closer again. I think if we can be close in qualifying then normally in the race we should be a little bit better so I’m looking forward to that.
Q: Daniel said in the previous press conference that you’ve improved a lot this year. Would you like to give us some ideas of the way you feel that you’ve improved, how you’ve matured as a Grand Prix driver, some areas?
MV: I think I’ve improved but I think in general it’s all about experience and of course if you haven’t really raced a lot in lower categories and you make the jump to Formula One you have to learn it in Formula One and of course a lot more people are watching it but I think in general compared to last year, the speed was already there last year. Just sometimes – like qualifying for example, last year, at the beginning – was a bit more tricky but I think that’s quite normal when you jump into a new car which is not really made around you, or you didn’t really have a lot of time to get used to during the season. And I think this year with the winter tests, that helps a lot, just little details inside the car which makes you feel a bit more comfortable. Yeah, having more experience in qualifying, that helped me to have better starting positions and if you start in a better position, normally your race result is also a bit better, if you have a decent start, so I think all in all that just helps a lot.
Q: And do the dynamics of this 2017-type car – has that played to your strengths, do you feel that has been a good thing for you?
MV: I think in general yes, it’s been a bit more positive because it’s more like a race car. Last year’s was a bit more like a toy car for my feeling, and this year it’s a bit more rough and you know it’s harder to drive but in general it’s also just more enjoyable because you can go a lot faster into the corners without being too worried about locking fronts and stuff and I think that helped me.
Q: Do you both feel the same way, that this type of car suits your driving style more?
VB: It’s difficult to say. I obviously changed teams as well and different teammate to compare with. I can’t say but I’m enjoying it more for sure.
FA: Yeah, definitely it’s more enjoyable.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Beatrice Zamuner – Motorlat.com) Fernando, so this is the closing chapter for McLaren and Honda and amidst many difficulties you certainly had some positives, so what is your best memory of these past three years?
FA: Ummm. I don’t know. Probably on the performance side, in the races, difficult to pick up one race because obviously the performance was never there, even the P5 in Monaco I think last year is still not as fun as it should be. I think what I take from the last three years is the commitment, the spirit in the team which has been amazing. I did have some highs and lows in my career with different teams, with different performance but it was the first time that with the kind of performance we had on Sundays the team was full committed for the next race and the next step and the next aero update. There was not a single person giving up with the performance we had so that was definitely the thing I take in the last three years and the lesson that I will keep for longer.
Q: (Frederic Ferret – L’Equipe) Fernando, what is the most difficult thing you had to adapt to coming from a single seater to an LMP1 car? And were you happy by the first day of testing?
FA: I mean there are many things, you know. It’s a very different environment. You first need to sit in a different position and adapt a little bit and make some compromises for the other two guys who are sitting in the same cockpit, so everything is not perfectly made for you and for your comfort, like in Formula One. You share everything, you share the set-up, so even if you would like to change something in the car to make your speed a little bit quicker, it’s not helping the overall performance of the car in general for the race distance so there are things that you need to be aware of and you need to learn. I think driving styles are completely different, probably more biased to the most efficient way of driving, like they have there, just for the fuel economy, things like that so yeah, things to learn. I was happy with the first day of testing but I think that I need much more practice and I need much more time to get up to total speed with that driving style.
Q: (Adrian Rodriguez Huber – Agencia EFE) Fernando, whichever your decision is for next year’s racing and the competitions in which you’re going to race, Daytona will not be a problem but let’s imagine you start next year’s Formula One World Championship in a very good position. Would that make a change to you or not?
FA: No.
Q: (Angelique Belkopytov – AutoDigest) Valtteri, so he we are, last race of the season, some had some few good moments, others more difficult, so for you what could be your best achievement and your best lessons in 2017?
VB: Well, for sure for me the best achievement was of course my first win. It took for me more than 80 races in Formula One to achieve it so something really unique, something very special that you will remember always but a moment that also makes you more hungry for the future and yeah, I think those difficult races have been the races where I have been able to learn the most so I feel this season in general has given me a lot to work on and that’s always positive. I’m always willing to try to improve and trying to be better person to myself as a driver. That’s why, like I said, I can’t wait for the future.
Q: (Silvia Arias – Revista Parabrisas) Max, you have a lot of fans all over the world, particularly in Argentina. I would love to know in which way, in a good way, does this affect you and which is the message for them for next year?
MV: Yeah, it’s always good to have a lot of fans. I think it brings positive pressure with you and also when you are driving it’s just great to see so many fans next to the track and even off track. I don’t know how many fans I have in Argentina, I’ve never been there but it’s always good to have and to have them on board. And the message? Well, keep supporting and I will try to have some good results for you.
Q: (Dominik Sharaf – Motorsport-total.com) Liberty Media is considering making some changes to race tracks to improve overtaking, maybe changing the layout, changing the surface. Do you have any certain corners, certain sections or certain tracks in mind that should be changed to improve the overtaking?
FA: I don’t have anything.
VB: Well, there are so many tracks, so many corners. Well, of course there are always things that could be changed but it also then completely changes the track. Every track is unique in its own way. You can always modify the tracks or you can try and modify the cars.
MV: Yeah, I think we first have to focus on the cars, not the tracks. I mean some tracks are known for that but I think this year you can already see – compared to last year – that it’s more difficult to follow so I think we first have to address that, then normally overtaking should be less of an issue.
Q: (Andrea Cremonesi – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Fernando, more than a question, it’s a clarification – maybe I lost something in the last few weeks – about the Le Mans project. You have already decided to do that and you have already decided to do that with Toyota?
FA: No, no I didn’t, I didn’t decide yet on that. For sure I will do Le Mans in the future. It’s a race that I feel very attracted to but I don’t know if that’s going to happen next year or the following or in the long term.
Q: (Arjan Schouten – Ad SportWerld) Max, twelve months ago was the period of the year that you received some awards, like Sportsman of the Year in your own country. Do you think this season was also of award-winning quality and why or why not?
MV: Well, I think in general that prize is always very difficult because to be honest, they should give that to a lot of sportsmen and I think especially in Holland, with ice-skating for example – they are very successful – so for me they all deserve that because they work really hard for it, they achieved great things, so for me I am not really into those awards too much. I prefer to win here in Formula One and get that award and at the end of the day of course – or at the end of the season – to win that championship, for me that’s a lot more important than what happens in your own country because there are so many different sports involved. I find it really difficult to judge that anyway. So for me, this year, I honestly don’t really care if I win it. Normally you don’t really win it twice in a row anyway, so I hope it then goes to someone else who really deserves it because at the end of the day I didn’t win a championship. I won two races but it would be better if you win it after a championship.
Q: (Frank Woestenburg – De Telegraaf) Max, you had many overtakes in the season; which one was the best for you and why?
MV: I don’t know. I felt last year was more enjoyable to overtake. I don’t know why. So, no clue, to be honest. They were not as exciting as last year, I think. In general. I think last year was still more enjoyable than those.
Q: (Darya Panova – F1only.ru) Question to all three drivers: in Austin, before the race, Michael Buffer introduced all the drivers. Did you like it and would you like some races starting with the same show? Or is it too much for you?
FA: I didn’t like it. I said that already after the race. For me it was a bad joke, bad imitation of Indianapolis. It was a little bit… makes no sense to be there, waiting for that long and have two drivers in the middle of 18 bodyguards, that we were there just to make sure they were happy. I’m used to having 20 drivers, maybe the trophy and pay tribute to the country you are in, not pay tribute to 20 drivers.
VB: I think… it was in the press conference after the race, I already answered that question and I agree with Fernando that it was an extra thing for us before the race. It’s not like we are not so busy on raceday anyway. We are quite limited with the time we get to ourselves and prepare with the team and being in a right state for the race and focused but it’s part of this sport and I personally liked the fact that there was so much positive feedback from the fans. If fans enjoy it and if they’re happy, that’s always a bonus for this sport and for the future of the sport.
MV: Yeah, I didn’t even think about what Fernando said but yeah, it actually makes sense because at the end of the day there are 20 drivers on the grid and I think you should treat that equally. Maybe for America it works but definitely not for all the Grands Prix so I hope it will not influence too many other Grands Prix and that at the end of the day it’s about what’s happening on track, not before the track or like before you go to the track.
Q: (Louis Dekker – NOS) What result do you need on Sunday to leave this country in a happy state?
MV: First, right?
Q: (Thomas Lund Hansen – Morgenavisen Jyllands-Poste) Max, you had one full season with Daniel. What influence has Daniel had on you personally?
MV: Really bad! He keeps farting. It smells so bad in our hospitality all the time! No, he’s a great guy. Of course, on track you always try to beat each other but off-track we can have a great laugh. I think we really respect each and to be honest, I’ve never really experienced something like that in racing, to have such a good teammate, to really have fun with. So yeah, I hope we can be teammates for a long time.
Q: He was asked in the first conference whether he thought that would last next year, if you were fighting for victories in the championship and he said yes. What do you think?
MV: Well, I think so because we respect each other. For sure when you fight for the World Championship it will get a bit more tense, I think, on the track but at the end of the day, you always come back to where you respect each other and you have to accept if one guy is faster than the other and I think that’s what we can do. And also, when somebody has a good race, we can really say to each other ‘well done’ and ‘you really deserved that’. And I think that’s also very important.
Q: (Abhishek Takle – Mid-day) To all three drivers: a follow-up from an earlier question actually. In the Austin introductions that we spoke about, they were part of something Liberty Media tried and this is the first season that they’ve been in charge. What do you think the changes they’ve made… do you think overall Formula One as a package is in a better place right now? What have you noticed in the differences?
FA: Yeah, I think apart from Austin I think it was good initiatives and a good step forward. I’m happy with the things that they are doing, the things they are thinking of also for the future. I think the fans get a little bit closer to the sport and to the teams, to the fans, you know and they can touch the cars, a little closer, they do the F1 Experience. There are a couple of things that are quite cool so I think it’s going in the right direction.
VB: I agree, I think there’s many positives, especially bringing the fans, in a different way, a bit closer to the sport and having more access. I think that’s always positive and for sure time will still show what kind of direction the sport is actually taking but from what I’ve seen, the best thing, for me, has been seeing so many grandstands full this year, especially the European Grands Prix. They were pretty well all sold out and that’s a good sign.
MV: Yeah, I agree with them. I think it’s always good to get the fans closer to the paddock area instead of just in the grandstand because then they don’t really know what’s going on or they don’t really get the feeling of Formula One in general. I think they are going in a good direction and they keep thinking about new things so let’s see what happens in the next few years.
Q: (Silvia Arias – Revista Parabrisas) For all three: how much do you like this track and in a realistic way, what can you expect for the race on Sunday?
VB: Well, facility-wise it is definitely one of the best. Everything is just perfect, you know: our garages, hospitality. For us, plenty of good hotels around and all that is nice and I like evening races, I like the timetable of the weekend and also how it is on the track with the lights. That’s all nice. As a track, my honest opinion is that it is quite average, it’s not one of my favourites, not one I hate.
MV: Yeah, like Valtteri said, the facilities and everything is amazing, it’s great, the hotels are great. The track itself is actually quite interesting because a lot of corners, they follow up on each other so if you miss one you’re not well positioned for the other one so it’s quite technical in that way. I would have liked it to be a little bit faster, those corners, but it’s a bit like in Mexico, you know, there are quite technical areas where you have to be well positioned for one corner and then the next. But yeah, that’s also, I think you have to master, to hit the apexes all correctly.
Q: Would you go along with that Fernando?
FA: Yup. The same.
eom/FIA press conference transcript
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Pride at stake in Abu Dhabi GP
By Amol S Ghokale
Abu Dhabi: “Lewis, this is Paddy, we need you to pick up the pace, that’s an instruction,” came in a team radio for Lewis Hamilton.
“Right now, I am losing the World Championship, so I don’t really care if I win or lose this race,” was a blunt reply from Hamilton to Mercedes’ then Executive Director Paddy Lowe.
The clear defiance of team orders by Hamilton caused quite a stir in the F1 world as Nico Rosberg celebrated his title and subsequently announced his retirement.
Exactly a year later, the 32-year old Brit, returns to Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi as the Four-time World Champion, as the sun sets on the 2017 Formula One season.
As the things stand, apart from the pride there is hardly anything at stake this weekend, unlike last year, with both driver’s as well as constructors’ championships were sealed in Mexico in October itself.
But still, there is a lot to look forward to when one takes a look back at things.
All eyes will be on champion Lewis Hamilton after he finished fourth, starting from pit lane in the Brazilian GP a fortnight ago. His arch-rival this season, Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, who won a thrilling race at Interlagos, would look to end the season on a high having already lost the championship.
Then comes their team-mates, two Finn’s – Valtteri Bottas and Kimi Raikkonen, having played second fiddle all along, with moments to cherish in between as spotlight remained focused constantly on their team-mates.
Two Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo have had a season to forget in first and second half of season respectively as Red Bull struggled for reliability all along.
The much-awaited divorce from engine supplier Renault did happen eventually as Red Bull are most likely be forced to use Honda engines from 2019 season.
Esteban Ocon signing for Force India was definitely the best signing of the season after Bottas’ move to Mercedes from Williams. The 21-year-old French driver along with seasoned campaigner Sergio Perez secured the fourth spot in constructors’ championship for their team with some margin over their mid-table rivals Williams, Renault, Toro Rosso.
But the success Force India enjoyed this year has come at a cost as drivers’ were put on a leash by the team after repeated collisions in Azerbaijan and Belgium. But with a good weekend at the Yas Marina Circuit, Sergio Perez, on 94 points, can reach the 100 mark. Meanwhile, Ocon, who suffered his first retirement in a single seater after 2014, is on 83 points.
Meanwhile, Williams’ Felipe Massa will race for the ‘one last time’ second time as he finally hangs his boots this year. A possible 10th placed finish in the driver’s standing is on the cards for the icon of the sport if he manages to keep his team-mate Lance Stroll behind; for whom highlight of the season has been a surprise podium finish at the Baku.
A sly dig Hamilton had at Fernando Alonso when the McLaren driver wished for same engines at the beginning of the season in Melbourne, with Hamilton promptly responding, “I hope not the Honda,” and Alonso’s rants on team radio are the proof of trouble McLaren had with Honda.
McLaren were put out of their misery when at the Singapore GP it was announced that McLaren would switch to Renault engine in 2018.
The same period followed a scramble as Toro Rosso sacked Daniil Kvyat for poor show and lost Carlos Sainz to Renault, replacing Jolyon Palmer, as part of their deal. After much speculation, Pierre Gasly and Brendon Hartley would take the seats at Toro Rosso for the final race of the season as well as for the next one.
As the drama unfolded in the paddock for smaller teams, the big guns were fighting their own battles with Mercedes eventually securing the double crown for the fourth time running.
The teams will look to try and put more and more updates on their cars with one eye on 2018 season. Although, Williams has denied that deal for Robert Kubica deal is not done, with Massa seat up for grabs, the Polish driver will test with the team during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
19 out of 20 races are done, and now it has come down to the last one, a unique, twilight race in the desert, where the pride will be at stake with one eye on the future; probably fretting over how the future will look with halo, a protection for driver, installed on their cars, a beast, a diva, whatever they might choose to call it.
eom/from Abu Dhabi
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Force India look to develop next year’s car: Team preview
Abu Dhabi: having already bagged the 4th place in the constructors World championship, Sahara Force India gets ready for this weekend’s season finale, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Both the drivers and the team Principal echo confident feelings.
Sergio Perez: “I enjoy driving at Yas Marina. It’s a track where we’ve been strong for the last few years and I would love to end the year on a high with a strong result. The final race is always a strange feeling because it’s your last opportunity to drive the VJM10 and you don’t know what next year will bring. We don’t have any pressure because fourth place in the championship is confirmed so I can focus on simply enjoying the experience and getting the best result possible.
“There are some interesting corner combinations at Yas Marina and it’s a track that is hard on braking, with a lot of emphasis on traction. There are overtaking opportunities at the end of the long straights so you often find yourself either attacking or defending, especially towards the end of the race.
“As a team we can be satisfied with our season. Finishing fourth is the best we could achieve and, on a personal level, finishing just behind the top six drivers makes me feel proud. We just need to make sure we deliver this weekend and end the season well.”
Esteban: “The Abu Dhabi weekend is always special and racing at night creates such a nice atmosphere. This season went by so quickly – it’s unbelievable to think we’re already at the final race of the season because it feels like yesterday that we were in Australia. It’s been a successful season and I hope we can finish it in style with a big result.
“I have great memories from Yas Marina: this is where I was crowned GP3 champion in 2015 and where I drove my first FP1 session in Formula One. I have done so much testing around there and I like the place. The two long straights are good opportunities to overtake: you can use the first to get really close to the car in front and make the move on the second. There are opportunities to shake the order up so the race can be quite exciting.
“After Abu Dhabi, it’s not really holidays. It’s back to training, back to the mountains for almost two months. I want to be ready for next season, when the cars are likely to go even faster. It’ll be nice to spend some time with family and friends around Christmas and New Year, but other than that, my focus is on getting ready physically and spending time at the factory.”
Vijay Mallya: “Whatever happens in Abu Dhabi this weekend, 2017 has already been our most successful season to date. I can’t stress just how proud I am of our achievements. Claiming fourth place in the World Championship for two consecutive years doesn’t happen by accident and I have to pay tribute to each and every one of the 400 staff who played their part in making it possible.
“With fourth place secure, it’s nice to end the season free from pressure. Of course, the focus is firmly on 2018 and we will continue experimenting with different things on the car this weekend. We will also continue running George Russell in Friday practice. We have usually been competitive in Abu Dhabi and it’s important to end the season well before the start of a busy winter finalising a new car for 2018.”
Meanwhile, Vijay Mallya’s hearing in the deportation case in London is scheduled for Dec 4.
Sahara Force India’s Chief Race Engineer, Tom McCullough, looks ahead to the final race of the season in Yas Marina.
“The final race of the season takes us back to a more standard lap length of 5.554km and to sea level, a change after the high-altitude challenges of Mexico and Brazil. This anti-clockwise track produces one of the slowest lap times of the year, courtesy of the high number of corners – the majority of them being low-speed. The three sectors making up the lap are quite distinct: short sector one tests the medium to high-speed performance of the car, while sector two is dominated by long straights and low-speed corners. At the end of the lap, sector three is an intense series of low-speed corners. The Yas Marina circuit is a challenge for engineers too: it’s very hard on the brakes and the practice sessions take place early in the day, with higher track temperatures than those we experience during qualifying and race at twilight, meaning it’s important to assess the car requirements accurately. As in Brazil, having secured fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship, we will use Friday not only to prepare for the race, but also to help the development of next year’s car.”
eom/press release
Image courtesy Sahara Force India -
Vettel beats Bottas at the start, wins 47th career Grand Prix; Hamilton recovers to 4th
Sebastian Vettel took his 47th career grand prix win in a tight Brazilian Grand Prix that saw him finish just 2.7s ahead of Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas. Ferrari team-mate Kimi Räikkönen took the final podium position after fending off Lewis Hamilton in the closing laps, the Briton having charged through the field after a pitlane start.
At the start, Vettel snatched the lead ahead of Bottas, with the German sneaking through on the inside past the Finn. Further back Haas’s Kevin Magnussen collided with McLaren’s Stoffel Vandoorne, who was in turn pitched into the side of Daniel Ricciardo’s Red Bull. The Dane and the Belgian were forced out of the race but the Australian was able to continue.
There was more drama to come. A few corners later, Haas’ Romain Grosjean tangled with Esteban Ocon, with the result that the Force India driver was forced to retire.
That brought out the safety, which remained on course until the end of lap five. When the action resumed Vettel held his lead ahead of Bottas with Kimi Räikkönen third in the second Ferrari and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen fourth.
Lewis Hamilton, though, was on a march and after starting from the pit lane due to repairs needed after qualifying crash, the Briton was already up to ninth place on lap 10. Ricciardo too was advancing and by the same tour he had made his way from 17th place to 14th, behind Lance Stroll. He was quickly dismissed, along with Sauber’s Marcus Ericson and by lap 12 the Australian was 12th.
Hamilton too was continuing to stride forward and on lap 14 he claimed the scalp of Force India’s Sergio Perez to take seventh place. That put him 15.2s behind race leader Vettel, who was two seconds clear of Bottas and a further two ahead of Räikkönen.
By lap 21 Hamilton had muscled his to way to fifth place, 10 seconds behind Verstappen and was continuing to gain ground as the Dutchman began to complain of rear tyres wear on his starting set of supersofts. At the front, Vettel was losing ground to Bottas, with the Finn now 1.7s seconds behind the German.
Bottas was the first of frontrunners to Pit on lap 27 for soft tyres and he was followed a lap later by Vettel who responded to the undercut attempt. Verstappen and Raikkonen too made their stop for tyres and on lap 31 Hamilton, who had yet to stop, was promoted to the race lead.
Three seconds behind him was Vettel, with the German now enjoying a 2.7s advantage over Bottas. Räikkönen held fourth ahead of the Red Bulls of Verstappen and Ricciardo, who had not yet pitted, Williams’ Felipe Massa and McLaren’s Fernando Alonso.
Hamilton and Ricciardo finally pitted to change their starting supersofts on lap 44, with both taking on supesoft tyres. Vettel was boosted back into the lead, 2.5s ahead of Bottas, with Räikkönen a further two seconds behind. Verstappen was now fourth, 4.1 behind Räikkönen and 7.3s ahead of Hamilton. Massa now found himself sixth ahead of Ricciardo and Alonso.
The question now was how far Hamilton would be able to advance and his race engineer offered a clue by telling the four-time champion that he was battling for a podium place. That meant he would need to pass Verstappen and find the 10s necessary to get him onto third-placed Räikkönen’s gearbox.
He swiftly began to close on Verstappen and by lap 55 he was just 3.0s in arrears to the Dutchman who was complaining that his tyres felt “like rocks”. By lap 59 the gap had been erased almost entirely and though the Red Bull driver defend well in the Senna S at the start of the lap, he couldn’t resist Hamilton’s pace and the Mercedes man swept past on the straight before Turn 4 to claim fourth place. He now targeted Räikkönen who was 4.8s ahead and with five laps remaining he closed to within DRS range of the Ferrari.
Räikkönen though was alive to the threat and he expertly kept Hamilton at bay over the closing laps. Ahead Vettel took his 47th career victory in relative comfort with Bottas second. Räikkönen took his 91st career podium finish ahead of the superb Hamilton, while Verstappen, in fourth, led home team-mate Daniel Ricciardo.
Felipe Massa ended his final Brazilian Grand Prix with an excellent run to seventh place, the hometown hero finishing ahead of Alonso and Perez. The final point on offer went to Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg.
2017 Brazilian Grand Prix – Race
1 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 1’31:26.260
2 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 2.762
3 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 4.600
4 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 5.468
5 Max Verstappen Red Bull 32.940
6 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull 48.691
7 Felipe Massa Williams 68.882
8 Fernando Alonso McLaren 69.363
9 Sergio Perez Force India 69.500
10 Nico Hulkenberg Renault 1 lap
11 Carlos Sainz Renault 1 lap
12 Pierre Gasly Toro Rosso 1 lap
13 Marcus Ericsson Sauber 1 lap
14 Pascal Wehrlein Sauber 1 lap
15 Romain Grosjean Haas 2 laps
16 Lance Stroll Williams 2 laps
Brendon Hartley Toro Rosso
Esteban Ocon Force India
Kevin Magnussen Haas
Stoffel Vandoorne McLaren.eom/FIA press release
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Bottas takes pole; Hamilton crashes out in Q1
Bottas (centre) beats Vettel (left) top Brazilian pole. Raikkonen take p3. An FIA image Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas claimed his third career pole position, beating Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel by just over three hundredths of a second, as newly-crowned four-time champion Lewis Hamilton dramatically crashed out in Q1.
The Briton, who had taken to the track early in a bid to put in a solid time in case of rain, lost control as he exited Turn 6. The back end of his car stepped out and he slid off into the tyre barriers, wrecking the front right side of his Mercedes.
The crash resulted in a brief red flag period as Hamilton’s car was cleared. When the action resumed Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas quickly jumped to the top of the timesheet with a lap of 1:10.053.
He was soon eclipsed by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and then by Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, with the Ferrari driver posting a time of 1:09.796. Bottas responded with a time of 1:09.452 but he was then pipped by Kimi Räikkönen in the second Ferrari with a lap of 1:09.405.
At the bottom of the timesheet, Toro Rosso’s Brendon Hartley was the driver to profit from Hamilton’s exit. With the Briton rooted to the bottom of the timesheet by his crash, there would be just four further eliminations and with a lap of 1:10.625 Hartley managed to take P15, five hundredths of a second ahead of Pascal Wehrlein. The Sauber driver was eliminated ahead of the second Toro Rosso of Pierre Gasly, the Williams of Lance Stroll, the second Sauber of Marcus Ericsson and Hamilton.
Stroll had suffered a mechanical issue in FP3 and was late to the fray in Q1 but the Canadian failed to land a good time with his final flyer. Team-mate Felipe Massa, meanwhile began his final qualifying session in front of his home crowd with an excellent lap of 1:09.789 that earned fourth place in the segment behind Räikkönen, Bottas and Vettel.
Bottas set the pace early in Q2 with a lap of 1:08.901 that left him just over a tenth of a second clear of Vettel and a further tenth up on Räikkönen. The Red Bull pairing of Verstappen and Ricciardo slotted into fourth and fifth places respectively.
Unusually for Q2, which often sees the frontrunners remain in their garages in for the final runs, the top five drivers returned to the track in the final stages of the segment and it was Vettel who found the most time. The German took top spot with a time of 1:08.494, 0.144 ahead of Bottas. Verstappen went through in third place, fourth tenths behind Bottas, with Räikkönen fourth ahead of Ricciardo.
In the drop zone as the final runs began were Haas’ Romain Grosjean in 11th, followed by McLaren’s Stoffel Vandoorne, Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg, the second Haas of Kevin Magnussen and Toro Rosso’s Hartley.
Hulkenberg was the man to profit, the Renault driver jumping to eighth place by the time session ended. As other times flooded in, it meant that Force India’s Esteban Ocon was the man to lose out, the French driver being eliminated in P1 ahead of Grosjean, Vandoorne, Magnussen and Hartley.
Vettel again set the pace in the final Q3 session. Bottas was first on track and set a time of 1:08.442 but Vettel bypassed it by eight hundredths of a second to claim top spot. Räikkönen was third, while Verstappen claimed fourth with his first run just under three tenths of a second ahead of team-mate Ricciardo.
But it was Bottas who made the most of the final runs. As drops of rain began to fall across Interlagos, Vettel failed to find an improvement on his last lap, the German saying that he had not done his best work in the first sector and lost most time there. That opened the door for Bottas and the Finn barged through to claim his third career pole position with a lap of 1:08.322, 0.038s ahead of his Ferrari rival.
Räikkönen took third in the second Ferrari with a time of 1:08.538 and Verstappen improved to be the only other driver inside the 1m09s mark. Ricciardo finished fifth but is set for a grid penalty for the race, while Sergio Perez was sixth. Alonso put in a good performance to claim seventh place ahead of Hulkenberg, Sainz and Massa.
2017 Brazilian Grand Prix – Qualifying
1 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 1:08.322
2 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 1:08.360
3 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 1:08.538
4 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:08.925
5 Sergio Perez Force India 1:09.598
6 Fernando Alonso McLaren 1:09.617
7 Nico Hulkenberg Renault 1:09.703
8 Carlos Sainz Renault 1:09.805
9 Felipe Massa Williams 1:09.841
10 Esteban Ocon Force India 1:09.830
11 Romain Grosjean Haas 1:09.879
12 Stoffel Vandoorne McLaren 1:10.116
13 Kevin Magnussen Haas 1:10.154
14 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull 1:09.330
15 Pascal Wehrlein Sauber 1:10.678
16 Marcus Ericsson Sauber 1:10.875
17 Lance Stroll Williams 1:10.776
18 Brendon Hartley Toro Rosso
19 Pierre Gasly Toro Rosso 1:10.686
20 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes.eom/FIA press release
