INDIA in F1

Tag: F1

  • Hamilton continues to set pace at Sao Paulo

    After dominating opening practice at Interlagos, Lewis Hamilton doubled up by topping the afternoon timesheets at the São Paulo circuit, edging team-mate Valtteri Bottas by just under five hundredths of a second.

    However, whereas Hamilton enjoyed a half second advantage over Ferrari’s third-placed Kimi Räikkönen in the morning session, afternoon practice was tighter, with Red Bull Racing’s Daniel Ricciardo finishing just 0.228 behind four-time champion Hamilton after the drivers had completed their performance runs during the 90-minute session.

    In the morning Hamilton had led the way early in the session on soft tyres and e repeated the process in the afternoon, setting a time of 1:09.742on the yellow-banded tyres.

    Räikkönen was the first to make the move to supersofts but his effort was only good enough to claim third pace behind Hamilton and Bottas. Mercedes’ Finn then bolted on the red-banded compound and he promptly vaulted into top spot.

    Hamilton failed to make the most of his first quick lap on supersofts but on his second run he made no mistakes and climbed back to P1 with a time of 1:09.515. That was slower than his supersoft-shod time of the morning but again quicker than the 2004 circuit record set by Rubens Barrichello.

    Ricciardo got closest to the Mercedes but admitted that the Constructors champions look out of reach.

    “For what we’ve got here we looked competitive. The long runs looked okay but the Mercs looked really strong,” he said. “We can definitely find a little bit more for tomorrow but I don’t think we’re far off and we don’t have to make many changes tonight. I’d like some rain for Qualifying tomorrow and I can try and fight for pole. I know if I get it I won’t start there because of my penalty, but anyway it would be good to start 11th for the race. That’s my target.”

    Sebastian Vettel was the quickest Ferrari, just 0.132 behind Ricciardo, while Max Verstappen was fifth in the second Red Bull, just one hundredth of a second adrift of Vettel.

    Force India’s Esteban Ocon was seventh ahead of hometown hero and Williams driver Felipe Massa. Nico Hulkenberg was ninth for Renault, while McLaren’s Fernando Alonso completed the top 10.

    There was trouble in the session for Sauber’s Marcus Ericsson skidded off in Turn 9, slapping into the barriers at the side of the track. After a difficult morning session in which neither of its cars has much running, Toro Rosso bounced back in the afternoon, Pierre Gasly completing 44 laps to finish in P16 and Brendon Hartley posting a total of 54 laps to finish in 17th place.

    2017 Brazilian Grand Prix – Free Practice 2
    1 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 42 1:09.515
    2 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 45 1:09.563 0.048
    3 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull 37 1:09.743 0.228
    4 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 48 1:09.875 0.360
    5 Max Verstappen Red Bull 38 1:09.886 0.371
    6 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 45 1:10.117 0.602
    7 Esteban Ocon Force India 49 1:10.306 0.791
    8 Felipe Massa Williams 42 1:10.373 0.858
    9 Nico Hulkenberg Renault 39 1:10.396 0.881
    10 Fernando Alonso McLaren 31 1:10.655 1.140
    11 Carlos Sainz Jr. Renault 42 1:10.685 1.170
    12 Sergio Perez Force India 43 1:10.695 1.180
    13 Stoffel Vandoorne McLaren 38 1:10.902 1.387
    14 Lance Stroll Williams 44 1:11.064 1.549
    15 Romain Grosjean Haas 39 1:11.300 1.785
    16 Pierre Gasly Toro Rosso 44 1:11.422 1.907
    17 Brendon Hartley Toro Rosso 54 1:11.821 2.306
    18 Pascal Wehrlein Sauber 43 1:11.857 2.342
    19 Marcus Ericsson Sauber 17 1:11.989 2.474
    20 Antonio Giovinazzi Haas 37 1:12.417 2.902.

    eom/FIA press release

  • We are motivated to make some significant changes to 2018 car: Paddy Lowe

    TEAM REPRESENTATIVES – Yusuke HASEGAWA (Honda), Franz TOST (Toro Rosso), Paddy LOWE (Williams), Frédéric VASSEUR (Sauber)

    Q: Paddy, let’s begin with you. Felipe was in the conference here yesterday with us, saying the team needs to make some changes for next season to its approach to the car and the 2018 car will essentially be your first car, overseeing it. Can you tell us your approach and how much have you allocated resource to it along the way this year?

    Paddy LOWE: I’d like to stress that it’s a team effort. I know the media like to characterise these things as cars of individuals but we have a great team at Grove with some new people we’ve brought in in the last 12 months as well as the existing team. But we are motivated to make some significant change to really move forward, create a step from where we are. So we will see how that plays out. We recognise that we have some strong competition as well and they’ll all be wanting to do the same. But we’re quite optimistic about what we’re doing over the winter.

    Q: At what point did you fully commit to next year’s car?

    PL: It’s never a black and white point in any team in fact, it’s a gradual migration. You never give up on the existing season, really, up until the very end. Even now, we’re testing different ideas within this race weekend  so it’s always a migration, but we are in the high nineties per cent of effort on next year’s car.

    Q: Obviously you’ve announced that Felipe is definitely not continuing with the team next year so you are in the process of evaluating his replacement for next season; what are the next steps in that and when do you target making a final decision?

    PL: We’re very unlikely to make a decision in short order. We have a number of different options and we’ll take our time with that and let you know when we have an answer.

    Q: Hasegawa-san, coming to you, it was obviously a big surprise for everyone when the Honda engine didn’t make a step forward from 2016 to 2017. What steps have you put in place to ensure that you don’t have a repeat of that between now and the start of 2018 and how confident are you feeling?

    Yusuke HASEGAWA: From last year to this year, we have completely changed the configuration concept of the engine. We tried to do a little bit too much, the modification, so that’s why I have decided to keep the concept for next year, so that from a reliability point of view we are pretty much confident. So we need to squeeze more performance from the same concept of the engine, so that’s what we are currently doing.

    Q: And Franz, what have you picked up from the McLaren story this year with Honda that you want to avoid next year in your collaboration with them?

    Franz TOST: I must say that we from the Toro Rosso side have to build the most competitive car. This is what we can do from our side. What happened in other teams and during the collaboration in the past is not our topic and what we will provide Honda with is hopefully a very close and fruitful co-operation on the operational side and once more our target is to come up with a competitive chassis because I’m convinced that Honda knows what they have to do and they are on a good path because we have already had a couple of meetings and I am more than sure that they will improve their performance next year and hopefully we have a good car and then I am sure that we will have a real competitive package.

    Q: Back to you Hasegawa-san, obviously we saw a statement after the engine meeting last week on future direction of Formula One engines after 2020; can you give us Honda’s reaction to that?

    YH: Obviously we have started the discussion with the FIA so I don’t think it’s a good idea to say yes or no in this public situation but we are respecting the FIA’s decision of course, that they are trying to create a good competition for the FIA for the Formula One. But we are thinking there is some room to modify so that we are trying to find the good solution, but obviously the cost reduction is very important and we are welcoming new manufacturers so from that point of view we would like to keep discussing with the FIA.

    Q: Can we get a comment on that statement about the future engines from the two independent teams here, the customer teams? Frederic, why don’t you us your thoughts first on what came out last week?

    Frederic VASSEUR: For the private teams, for sure the regulations are much more on the end of the engine manufacturers. What concerns is that we want to have a fair price and close competition but I think they are the two targets that we have to reach. On the other hand, if we can improve the show a little bit, but that’s coming much more from the fact that it will close up the grid a little bit than something else. It could be the only two targets for a private team.

    Q: And Paddy, your reaction to the statement last week?

    PL: Yeah, I think it’s a first step and we recognise that discussions will continue with the existing manufacturers and potential new manufacturers. It’s a difficult problem to solve, to be honest. There’s a lot of objectives; some of them are contradictory but most of all we need solutions that are cost-effective, but also creating a great show so I think that was an initial step and we will wait to see how that may be refined.

    Q: Back to you Franz: you’ve hinted that you will keep the same driver line-up for 2018 that you have currently; what needs to happen before you make that official?

    FT: It’s a decision from Red Bull, in the end, and if both drivers continue in the way they are working with us, I’m quite convinced that they will be the driver line-up for Toro Rosso in 2018, but once more, this is a decision from Red Bull.

    Just coming back to the power unit discussion; the current power unit, as you all know, is far too complicated, doesn’t contribute anything to the show and it’s far too expensive and therefore I hope that FOM and the FIA will come up with a regulation that will simplify the power unit and to make it much cheaper for private teams like us.

     

    Q: Frederic, back to you: another run for Charles Leclerc this morning; how’s he progressing? When do you hope to confirm whether he will race for the team next season and is it likely to be Ericsson sitting alongside him? What can you tell us?

    FV: We will do the announcement, I hope, in Abu Dhabi. For sure we’ll do it before Melbourne next year and that I won’t postpone it each week. But I think Charles is doing a good job; the situation in FP1 is not an easy one because the first target is to avoid crashing and by the way that he’s consistent and he always shows a strong pace and he’s doing a good job.

     

    Q: You’re going to have a latest specification engine next season – obviously a big change from this year – that’s obviously worth a lot in lap time terms. Can you give us an idea of what kind of step that is? And also, can you expect to make a similar step on the chassis side?

    FV: It’s a couple of tenths – I won’t say more – and on the chassis we will have to do a much bigger step. I think we started the project very late last year due to the financial situation and we are really focused on the 2018 car for a long part of this season and I think we will do a much bigger step on the chassis than on the engine.

    eom/FIA press release

  • I am here to challenge Sergio for sure: Esteban Ocon at Thursday press meet

    PART ONE: DRIVERS – Felipe MASSA (Williams), Lance STROLL (Williams), Marcus ERICSSON (Sauber)

    PRESS CONFERENCE

    Felipe, here we are again, and once again we know this is a swansong. Do you mean it this time?

    Felipe MASSA: Yeah! Actually this is my second retirement race in Brazil, but this time it’s the last one for sure in Formula One, so definitely really looking forward to another amazing feeling to race at home and really enjoying the track that I grew up at here for my last time in a Formula One car. So, really looking forward and really hope that we can have a nice race and a nice result to finish it off.

    What’s been the highlight of this bonus season for you in Formula One and how do you see the Williams team going forward from this point?

    FM: Not amazing highlights to be honest. So the way we started the season it was not the same way we finished the season. Definitely the car was more competitive at the beginning than at the end, so development-wise it was not great, I would say, this year. But I think I definitely enjoyed driving the car after all these rules were changed from last year to this year. I think it’s a lot of fun to drive these cars, a lot more downforce, I definitely enjoyed it a lot. Unfortunately, I was a little bit unlucky in some races that I would have scored massive points but I couldn’t, not because of my fault but because of some issues we had in the car. I expect maybe a season that would have been a little bit more competitive than how we were. But I definitely enjoy, having fun by driving the car. I’m happy that I’ve been able to take the best out of this car when I didn’t have any problem. So it was a season that I definitely enjoyed. It would be nice to remember this season, I mean the way you drive this car, for my career some years in front, nice to come back and remember this way you are driving this car.

    And the second part of the question about where the Williams team goes forward from here?

    FM: I think it’s definitely important to change a little bit some ideas for the car, but I think that’s the way Williams is doing for next year. So having a car that’s a little bit more different – the way they are developing the car, the way they are working the car – so I really hope they can achieve that from next year to the future.

    Thank you very much, Felipe. Lance, in the points at four of the last six grands prix and now into the top 10 in the drivers’ standings. Some great runs, lots of great starts, but would it be fair to say that qualifying is where you are going to be putting the bulk of your effort in preparing for 2018?

    Lance STROLL: Yeah, it’s been a good run. We’ve scored quite a few points in the last few races. I’m really happy about how that’s gone. For sure, qualifying we still need to adjust a few things. It’s mainly been little mistakes here and there and not being able to capitalise on our full potential. But I think with time and experience and analysing bits and pieces we can improve in that and I believe that with the people I’m working with and the team that we can address some of those issues and definitely improve on them in the future. But definitely when it comes to races and the points we’ve scored, I’m extremely proud of the job we’ve done and we’ve just got to keep doing what we’re doing.

    You will have a new team-mate next season. What profile are you looking for: someone young, someone experienced, or should the team take a gamble?

    LS: It’s up to the team at the end of the day. My job is to drive my car. I mean I was hoping for Hamilton, but he’s not really available these days. I’m just kidding. It’s completely up to the team. Like I say, my job is to drive my car and they’ll take care of the rest.

    Marcus, you’ve outqualified your team-mate at the last three grands prix but you’ve yet to get that breakthrough point. It looked like it could be on in Mexico; you were in positions for many laps until the breakdown. This race worked out pretty well for Sauber last year so have you targeted this weekend for the result?

    Marcus ERICSSSON: Yeah, I mean we always go into a weekend aiming to try and score points. I think Mexico was a really good weekend for us and we’ve had quite a few good weekends now in a row. Very unfortunate I think in Mexico with the Safety Car, it came out with absolutely the worst possible timing for us, before that we were running in the points for the whole first part of the race. It was a good feeling and it was a good opportunity for us but we were just unlucky with the safety car. But then we had the breakdown as well. Hopefully here it’s new opportunity that we can take advantage of. This track should not be worse for us than the last two. We’re looking forward to it. We still need to obviously maximise what we have. It’s still a handicap with the old power unit so it’s going to make it more difficult. But as we’ve shown on the last two weekends, if we get everything right on the car side we can still take the fight to some of the midfield cars, so that’s what we need to do again this weekend and then we see here in Brazil everything can happen with the weather. Usually the races here are very eventful and that’s why we need to take the opportunity.

    Well, you mentioned the weather. It looks like we could have some rain again this weekend. One of the talking points is that the organisers have cut some more groves into the surface. So tell us about this place in the wet and what those grooves might do?

    ME: I think it’s a fun track to drive in the wet. Obviously we saw last year that it does get a lot of standing water, so that’s the only problem really. So if that’s helped a bit this year I think it will improve. Like I said, it’s a fun track to drive both in the dry and the wet. I wouldn’t mind a bit of mixed conditions during the weekend, I think that would spice things up

    QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

    Q: (Lucas Santochi – Pole Position) Lance, in this your first year, what you do feel that Formula One has different, that you feel like ‘oh, this is difficult, I have to work on this’, and how you felt about this during the year? And Felipe, if you can say some words about his evolution?

    LS: Formula One is very different in many ways from any other category. There is a lot more activity going on off the track and the car itself is very different to drive, so technically, driving the car, working with the engineers, working with the team, the weekends are a lot more loaded than any other category. There is a lot more going on everywhere, so you have to put your attention on so many little details that in other categories you don’t necessarily do as much. And then, like I said, off the track there are so much more going on, so many media activities and commitments that you have to take part in. So I would say just that the weekends are generally very loaded. But it’s becoming easier and easier every single time. The more experience I have and the more weekends I get under my belt it starts to become second nature more and more every single time. It’s just part of the process of learning and settling into Formula One, but those are the main things – the activity off the track and just driving the car and getting used to these kind of cars to drive. They’re quite a handful in a fun way, in a good way. So I would say those are the main things.

    And Felipe, your comment on how Lance has developed? He’s been a bit like you were to Michael Schumacher when you were together.

    FM: Yeah, I think definitely the way he started until now he had a big development, which is pretty normal. In Formula One everything is different to every other category. You need to learn, you need to understand the car, you need to understand the tyres, when you need to make the perfect lap. Even if we have the sessions on Friday and then on Saturday morning, sometimes it’s not enough because you’re not having new tyres all the time, and then you get to qualifying , you have new tyres and straight away you need to do a very good lap time, otherwise Q1, especially the way you are fighting with three or four teams for a couple of tenths, if you don’t do a lap time straight away maybe you can even not pass into Q2. So that shows the intense battle you have in Formula One. But I think the way he started, the way he is now, he’s just learning and getting better and better and improving. Definitely he understood much quicker the way he needs to drive in the race, because he did many good races and the qualifying for sure is coming. He has a good teacher as well, so… maybe next year he can qualify closer to another driver that he’ll race.

    Q: (Arjan Schouten – AD Sportwereld) Question for Felipe, going on the farewell tour, what’s your view on the future of Brazilian Formula One racing – because it looks like we have a year without for the first time since 1969…

    FM: Yeah. I really hope Formula One stays forever in Brazil. So definitely Brazil is a very important country for Formula One. So many titles, so many drivers, so many Brazilian drivers raced for Formula One since the start, so I really hope Interlagos stays for a very long time in Formula One and anything I can give to help, not racing any more, I can do, so definitely it is a very important race. It is true that we are suffering not an easy moment in Brazil, financially, but I think it’s a very important event for São Paulo, it’s a very important event for Brazil Formula One and y’know, for me it’s very difficult to answer – but I really hope Brazil stays for a very long time in Formula One.

    Q: (Andres Lopez – Motorlat.com) Question for Felipe, this will be your last GP at Brazil as an F1 driver. What is your best memory here in this track?

    FM: I think the best memory is my first victory, in 2006. It was like a dream come true for a Brazilian that was always dreaming to be in Formula One, especially in this track, then you get to Formula One and you manage to win. I won two races here, three pole positions, I think it’s the track I’ve been more times in the podium. So… but I definitely… the victory here 2006, it was like a dream come true, that I will never forget. It was definitely the most incredible day that I had in my career, winning the home grand prix for the first time, 2006

    Q: (Silvia Arias – Parabrisas) Felipe, I would like to know, in the future do you expect to drive in a different category, to compete in a different category – and which one will it be?

    FM: Yes, definitely, it’s part of my expectation to keep driving, to keep having fun on the track, so that’s what I have been doing since I was eight years old, and that is my job since a long time as well. So, I think when you’re driving and you’re competing, you really feel the emotion of doing your job, or for enjoying yourself, so yes, definitely I really hope I can find the category that I have fun, like I had in Formula One for very long. So yeah, I will have enough time to think about it, to understand which is a good category to go, and then we will see.

    Q: (Stephen Wade – AP) Felipe, how do you rate your career? You were very close to being a World Champion at one point; you come from a country with great tradition, how do you rate your career? An eight? A ten? How do you see it?

    FM: I think when you… ten is when you win a championship or maybe even more than that, y’know? So yeah, I would say I had a very successful career. I have a career I thought I never would achieve, when I was a kid, so first of all, Formula One was a dream, and I managed to get to Formula One, I managed to win many races, I managed to fight for the championship until maybe the last metres, and yeah, maybe I was the driver who gets more close to the championship in the history, so I am very proud of my career. If it’s seven, eight, nine, it doesn’t matter. I am very proud for what I achieved, for what I did and I’m so happy for so many things that I learned, so many people that I met, and also really the most important thing is that people respect me and I think that’s the most important thing: have a great relationship with most of the people that I work, and I pass even a few moments together. Definitely I’m so happy for what I achieved, and yeah, still many things to do in life but really finished with my head up, and I think that’s the most important thing.

    Q: (Fabio Aleixo – Folha de São Paulo) Will you do anything different for the public? Because last year after you finished the race… you didn’t finish the race and walked through the pitlane and you could see the people closer. After the race, if you finish, you have anything to do different, maybe walk around the track? Go to the public to say ‘thank you’? Do you have anything in your mind for after the race?

    FM: Well, actually I really hope I can finish in a great position. That’s that most important thing, that it didn’t happen last year, so it happens, another thing that I will never forget. So I think the feeling that I have on the human side, after the race, last year it was something really I never thought I will feel that, I will have that in my career. So, I think what I had last year was definitely more than enough, and the only thing I’m looking forward to now is having a good race, having a good result and I never really planned everything, so if I do this, everything, y’know this will be natural, so we’ll see what we invent to do after what I really hope is a good result.

    Q: (Pedro Enrique Marum – MSN Esportes) Lance, before pre-season you said Felipe would be a mentor to you and then, after pre-season started you said it wasn’t quite like this. Now a season went by, Felipe has mentored you?

    LS: Well, he’s been a great team-mate to have. He has a bunch of experience, he brings a lot of knowledge to the team. I think we’ve understood a lot about the can and how to improve the car throughout the weekends and, for sure, he’s been a great guy to have in the team. I think everyone’s really enjoyed having him at Williams, and he’s had an unbelievable career: many victories, many times on the podium, one point from winning a world championship, so, y’know, definitely an A+ career, that’s for sure.

    PART TWO: DRIVERS – Kimi RÄIKKÖNEN (Ferrari), Esteban OCON (Force India), Brendon HARTLEY (Toro Rosso)

    Q: Brendon, congratulations, World Endurance Champion, once again, for the second time with Porsche. How did it feel jumping back into a WEC car after the Formula One, and how are you rationalising this very unusual life experience that you’re going through at the moment.

    Brendon HARTLEY: Yeah, it was actually surprisingly tricky to jump back into the car. I thought I was going to feel right at home – it’s been my home for the last four years – but it took a couple of laps for it to feel comfortable again. The seating position’s quite different from Formula One, having a roof over your head, different perspective – but yeah, after five laps I felt back at home. In terms of rationalising things, I guess I’ve tried to not overthink it and I’ve just… yeah… even winning the championship hasn’t really sunk in. I haven’t really had time to reflect. It probably helps that I’m just going from one weekend to the next. I think this is my sixth race in a row. It won’t be until I get home at the end of the year after all the racing’s over that I’ll be able to reflect and fully understand what’s just happened to me. I’m well aware that making my grand prix debut and Le Mans victory and World Endurance Championship… I mean they’re all amazing things but at the moment I’m just trying to take one step at a time and try to stay focussed and catch up on as much sleep as I can.

    Q: It sounds like you’re set for a full season of Formula One next year, although obviously not official yet, but now you know a bit more about it, will your experience of working with a major motor manufacture like Porsche, do you think it will help Honda developing with Toro Rosso, taking that whole relationship forward?

    BH: I don’t know. What I do know is, from working with Porsche the last years, it made my transition quite smooth to Formula One because it’s a similar amount of people involved; very similar structure in terms of engineering; pressure – I mean driving at Le Mans for Porsche, there’s a big amount of pressure on your shoulders, so I guess all of those things I’ve learnt to deal with, so that was obviously very helpful going to Austin. Obviously there were a lot of other things to learn in Formula One and I’m well-aware that there’s still a lot to learn but yeah, I think the good thing for me is that I’ve been involved in the past also with other Formula One teams and development and the project at Porsche, I was very heavily involved in the development on every level, so at least I have some experience from that point of view, yeah.

    Q: Esteban, Force India confirmed fourth in the constructors’ championship, it’s your first full season but you’ve obviously played a key part in that. What does it mean for you, given the quality of the opposition you’ve faced this year?

    Esteban OCON: It’s been a great season for us. Of course securing the fourth place, it’s an amazing achievement with two races to go. Thanks to the team, I would like to thank everyone. I can’t thank everyone in here but a few key people: Andy Stevenson, Andrew Green, Tom McCullough, Otmar, I would like to thank everyone there for the great season we’ve had. Hopefully we can finish the last two races very well like we did before and start the next one as high.

    Q: Some interesting numbers about you: you’ve out-qualified Pérez at the last four races in a row; you’re the only non-Mercedes driver to start in the top six for the past four races, and you’ve led Pérez for 137 of the last 138 racing laps. So, is that in line with your expectations of yourself at this stage of the season, and how do you move forward from here in 2018?

    EO: Yeah, I’m here to push. I’m here to challenge Sergio for sure, it’s been a very close season with him, fighting with really little margin, that’s what we have been doing so far this season – but arriving a second time on the tracks where I’ve driven before, with the Manor, helps me a lot with my experience, and also finishing all the races has helped me and I feel much more comfortable now than I’ve been feeling at the beginning of the season, so it’s great.

    Q: Kimi, ten years on – we all remember it very very well from that dramatic day when you won the World Championship here in Brazil, probably the widest smile you’ve had as a sportsman at least. Can you share some special memories of that day?

    Kimi RÄIKKÖNEN: It’s a long time ago. Obviously it was a great day but it wasn’t just about the day, it was the whole year. Obviously it ended on that day but there were some great moments, some not very nice moments but in the end it worked out OK and I was very happy with it but – I don’t know – I haven’t really thought about it too much; obviously after that, yes, but not for a while because it doesn’t really change my life today, thinking about it. I don’t really try and make a big story out of it.

    Q: This year, you’ve had a very good car and kept developing it very effectively so where does it go from here for Ferrari? You’ve talked a lot this season about a few fine details here and there which have been the things that have stopped you but tell us a bit about that, where the team goes forward next year and what your personal ambition is in 2018?

    KR: Obviously I want to be fighting at the front every weekend, to be able to fight for the championship next year. I think we started pretty badly – we were not really where we should have been – a personal feeling on my side – we’re not really happy where the setup was and it took quite a long time to figure it out and then since then it’s been better but then we had too many DNFs for many different reasons but I think, as a team, we’ve come a long way from year to year and also from last year, made a good step, obviously not enough for what we want but as Ferrari we want to win both championships. But I think we had all the tools this year, we just need to tidy up things and not make mistakes nor have issues on any side, not from our side as drivers or from the team side. These are just small things which in the end played a big part this year, who won the championship and which way it went but I think we have all the people, we have the tools and we have a great car. There are still two races to go and even though the championships are done we try to do the same work we always do and try to win races and then, obviously, we start from zero next year so hopefully we will be up there.

    QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

    Q: (Daniel Fideli – GloboEsporte.com) Brendon, you are used to winning races and championships as an endurance driver and you come to Formula One to race in a car that is not so good and mentally for you, how hard is it for you to come to Formula One and you know that you’re not going to be able to win races and just fight for the midfield?

    BH: I think as a driver you try and get the most out of whatever the situation is and I know for this weekend I have a firm goal of scoring my first point in Formula One. That would be celebrated, so I think so far from my experience in my two Grands Prix I had a lot to learn and a lot of small goals along the way and from my point of view it doesn’t change much on how I approach the weekend and the team. I can guarantee every single person in Toro Rosso is working their utmost to get the most out of the weekend, whatever is possible, so that doesn’t really change too much.

    Q: (Gustavo Faldon – ESPN Brasil) Kimi, Felipe Massa is retiring; you were his teammate for quite a while. What can you say about him? How was your relationship and do you feel like he helped you win your title ten years ago?

    KR: He’s retiring again, so let’s see if it actually happens or we will see him in the first race next year. I always had a good relationship with him, great atmosphere when we were at Ferrari together. We won two championships for the team as teammates and I think it was a great time. Obviously it was very fast, very good but I wish him all the best if he ends up (not) racing in F1 any more. We will see what comes in his life in the future.

    Q: (Andrea Lopez – Motorlat.com) Kimi, there are only two races left this season; what is the summary you can make of your season this year?

    KR: I think it’s very simple that we are in the championship, that’s how good or bad it’s been. That’s how it is this year and obviously we need to learn and make better things next year but we all start from zero next year and it depends on many things over the winter and over the testing at the beginning of the year. We will then get some idea of where we are going to be and then we see in the first races what will happen, but obviously the aim is to do better, to fight for wins and championships – that’s, as a team, what we want to do and as a driver I want to do that. This year, for sure, in many ways could have been better but I guess it can always be worse also.

    Q: (Lucas Santochi – Pole Position) Brendon, you talk about how your work with Porsche helped you to approach the Formula One weekend, but what surprised you like ‘this is very difficult, I have to work on this’ and if Esteban can comment about his experience when he came in too last year?

    BH: Sorry, I’m just trying to think what surprised me the most – probably a lot of things. I’d been in the Formula One paddock before, 2008, 2009 – oh, sorry, 2009, 2010, OK. I didn’t make a Grand Prix start but at least I had been in the paddock so there were a few familiar faces already. I guess at Austin, a big shock was the high speed, just in terms of a driving the car, it was quite amazing, these modern Formula One cars, how quick they are in the first sector in Austin, so that was pretty mind-blowing and it took some time to get confident. For the drivers who are driving weekend in and weekend out, they are probably… you always want more grip, you always want more power but coming straight in… that was quite a shock to the system. And other than that, I don’t think there were any huge surprises in terms of difficulties. I knew it was going to be a challenge, I knew putting a Formula One weekend together is tough and I know that the level in Formula One of drivers and teams and everyone – there are some of the highest you can find so I guess in some ways there were no big surprises as I kind of expected that.

    EO: I was very well prepared before arriving in Formula One. I was around in the paddock since 2014 so that has helped me a lot. I have been driving with many different teams in testing and then I went into DTM with Mercedes and I think like Brendon it’s a bit the same way of working, with engineers, sponsors and then going back into the racing. It’s a bit the same level of professionalism. It’s just the specification of the category. I think you have to learn all the details and then be sure you are there when it’s needed.

    Q: (Jens Nagler – Bild) Esteban, there are quite some discussions about the future of Formula One, including a budget cap. Do you think a small team like Force India, assuming you work like you did this year, could have an extra shot at the title with such a budget cap?

    EO: I think that’s a very good question but honestly if everyone had the same budget I think some people would be surprised what Force India can achieve. At the moment, with the budget we have, what we are achieving is amazing, the level of work we are putting in is a lot but at the end the level is there and the performance is on track, so yeah, it would be nice.

    eom/FIA press release

  • Mercedes looking to take the positive momentum into 2018

    Toto Talks Brazil 
    It might be tempting to think that, with both championships now secure, the pressure is off for the two remaining races of 2017. But that couldn’t be further from the truth.

    Inside the team, we are looking at the next two race weekends as the first two Grands Prix of 2018. We have two races that we are determined to win in order to take that positive momentum into the winter. There will be no backing off just because the championship business is now done.

    In fact, these next two races speak to every principle that makes us what we are. We aspire to excellence in everything we do, from the first lap of the winter shakedown in Silverstone to the final lap of the post-season test in Abu Dhabi. And every time we race, we race to win. That is the mind set we take to Sao Paulo.

    Lewis is operating at the peak of his powers right now, and will be determined to add another victory to last year’s success; Valtteri made a promising step forward in Mexico and will aim to build from this at Interlagos.

    As recent rounds have shown, winning Grands Prix is never easy. Red Bull have taken two victories in the past four races and, although we have claimed the other two, Ferrari remain formidable opponents. With the championship now settled, the battle for 2018 has already begun.

    Featured this Week: Getting a Head Start on 2018 
    Two races to go, two World Championship titles in the bag… but are the Silver Arrows slowing down? No chance!

    Teams up and down the pit lane will already have turned their attention to next season. While in a normal year, each team will have more than half of its factory resource dedicated to the new car by the summer break, the 2017-2018 winter sees stable chassis regulations – meaning many teams were running new parts on their car as late as the US Grand Prix.

    The Silver Arrows fly to Brazil and Abu Dhabi aiming to win these final two races. But, with both titles sealed, the balance of risk for the team has changed compared to a normal race weekend. The final two Grands Prix thus present the first two test opportunities ahead of the new season, trialling new and interesting concepts that the competitive landscape on track simply didn’t allow for earlier in the year. And it comes with the added risk of costing track time in Free Practice – or, even worse, retirement on race day – if everything doesn’t go to plan.

    With both titles now destined for Brackley, the team can become a little bolder. Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport will be running a series of experiments over the final two Fridays – with the option for race day, too, if the team feels that the risk connected with any idea is manageable and there is valuable learning for 2018 and beyond.

    These two final weekends are not only an opportunity to test new parts, but also allow experiments for those tasks that the team simply doesn’t have the opportunity to complete during a normal race weekend.

    Remember though, this isn’t a luxury only available to a single team. It’s true for the entire grid – and may well have been an opportunity exploited a handful of races ago for those making the early call to focus on 2018 with a comfortable Championship position in the bag.

    The team will have an intense programme on the next two Fridays in Brazil and Abu Dhabi to make the absolute most of the opportunities that have been afforded by early title success. The team will be running a range of aerodynamic instrumentation devices – for example the aero rakes often seen in testing – with an eye on next year. These devices offer a small weight penalty and the process of running them eats up time on a Friday, so teams would not want to carry these under usual conditions, but are more willing to do so at the end of the season.

    There are various bits of pit-stop equipment that need to be tested in a live pit lane, too. These have already been run through a series of tests in a non-live setting – but Brazil and Abu Dhabi present a chance to use these in anger for the first time under race weekend conditions. Better to try these new techniques and equipment now than in Melbourne for the first time next year…

    And it’s not just the final two races that take on an increased importance ahead of 2018. The final two-day test of the year that follows the season-finale will be crucial for understanding the new Pirelli tyre compound and construction ranges set to be introduced for 2018.

    It’s not an event that draws much attention from the fans. But, the Abu Dhabi test will be the only time the teams get to see how the 2018-spec Pirelli rubber behaves before they make their tyre allocations for the start of next season. Those early tyre allocations have already been signed off by the time the teams go to pre-season testing in Barcelona at the end of February, so the Abu Dhabi test will form the basis for those early selections. With so much at stake, expect to see most teams and their race drivers on track, aiming to glean every bit of information possible from the two days of running.

    It might be almost time to close the curtain on an epic Formula One season – but the fun never really stops. There’s life in 2017 yet – and the team will be making the most of these final two Grands Prix to ensure the W09 emerges blinking into the world early next year in the best possible shape.

    eom/Mercedes AMG Petronas press release

  • George Russell to make practice debut with Sahara Force India

    George Russell to make practice debut with Sahara Force India

    Sahara Force India will give George Russell the opportunity to drive in Friday’s opening practice session ahead of this weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix. The 19-year-old British racer, who was recently crowned GP3 Champion, will also drive the opening practice session of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend later this month.

    George will make his debut in the VJM10 normally driven by Sergio Perez on Friday morning. In Abu Dhabi he will drive the VJM10 of Esteban Ocon.

    George Russell: “I’m extremely excited to be driving in free practice for Sahara Force India in Brazil and Abu Dhabi. 2017 has already been a year full of great opportunities and to top off the season with these two outings feels fantastic. I’ve never driven the VJM10 before or driven at Interlagos, but I’m really looking forward to the challenge. I would like to say a big ‘thank you’ to Sahara Force India for this opportunity and also thank Mercedesfor their continued support.”

    Vijay Mallya, Team Principal and Managing Director: “We are happy to give George this opportunity. He’s an up-and-coming talent and we’ve followed his success in GP3 closely. George has already been in our simulator several times and has worked well with the team. Now that we have secured fourth place in the championship, it’s the ideal time to look to the future and handing George his free practice debut will allow us to evaluate his potential.”

    eom/press release

  • Having won the 4th place in team championship, Sahara Force India looks to experiment

    Indian outfit Sahara Force India is in a strong position after having won the constructor’s 4th place for a second year in a row and look to Brazil, the penultimate round, with a lot more freedom and confidence: A team preview follow…

    Sergio Perez: “I like Interlagos and it’s always one of the special races of the year. The track is tight and challenging, and it almost feels like a karting track. There is a good mix of corners and it’s a track that often creates good racing and some surprises.

    “Rain showers are never too far away at this time of the year. I remember the wet race last year when I nearly finished on the podium. I only missed out with a few laps to go and it was one of those really difficult races because the track was so wet. I would like some more rain this year because it creates more of an opportunity for a big result.

    “I enjoy visiting Brazil because it reminds me of Mexico and I’m always very relaxed there. I feel great support from the fans and the atmosphere in the grandstands gives me lots of energy.”

    Esteban Ocon: “Interlagos is definitely one of my favourite tracks on the calendar. I drove there for the first time last year and had a very strong race in the rain. It’s an old-school track with little margin for error. As a driver, you always get more of a buzz from these types of circuit.

    “As we saw last year, the weather conditions can be very unpredictable. I enjoyed driving in the wet last year and would be happy if it rains again. Whether it’s wet or dry, we will be strong because the car is performing really well and it’s a good chance to score some more points.

    “Away from the track, I’ve always thought Sao Paulo is a cool place. Everybody talks about the food and there are some amazing restaurants. It’s always a good place to eat meat.”

    Vijay Mallya: “To have confirmed fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship for the second consecutive year is a wonderful achievement. I’m incredibly proud of the entire team and delighted we have done so with two races in hand. It’s already been our strongest season yet in terms of points scored and we are just 25 shy of the 200 points mark. It shows how consistent we have been all year.

    “With fourth place secure, we have the freedom to take a new approach into the remaining races – perhaps by trying some different things or different Friday drivers in the car to see what we can learn for next year. We can also be more aggressive with strategies and take more risks. We’re still hungry for strong results and want to end the season on a high note. The race in Brazil this week is an opportunity to continue our run of strong performances at the very least.”

    Sahara Force India’s Chief Race Engineer, Tom McCullough, looks ahead to the Brazilian Grand Prix.

    “The circuit in Interlagos is a proper old-school track that all drivers enjoy. At 4.309km, it’s one of the shortest laps of the season: with fewer corners than in Mexico and the second quickest lap time of the year, the grid tends to be pretty tight and every mistake costs you positions. It’s one of the few anti-clockwise tracks and there are plenty of elevation changes around the lap, including some which make the downhill braking zones particularly challenging. The infield section rewards maximum downforce, but to overtake you need to be quick in a straight line into turns one and four, so finding the right set-up requires a compromise. Though much lower than Mexico, we are still about 800m above sea level, which means the reduced air density results in less downforce and cooling capacity. Add in the rain, which is always a possibility around here, and there are all the elements for a very interesting race.”

    eom/press release

  • Lando Norris is official F1 test, reserve driver for McLaren in 2018

    McLaren is pleased to confirm that Lando Norris will become the team’s official Formula 1 test and reserve driver for the 2018 season.

    Lando has been a member of the McLaren Young Driver programme since the start of 2017, and today’s announcement crowns a hugely impressive 12 months for the 17 year old.

    Last December, he won the prestigious McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver Award, an accolade renowned for putting promising young talent on the motorsport map.

    In August, he impressed hugely on his Formula 1 test debut at the Hungaroring, spending a day developing the MCL32.

    Last month, he won the FIA European Formula 3 Championship, at his very first attempt. Now, he is currently assessing the opportunities and budgets required for a full single-seater racing campaign in 2018.

    As test and reserve driver, Lando will become a fully engaged member of the McLaren race team. He will attend grands prix, working closely with the drivers, engineering and marketing teams as he develops and expands his understanding of the role of a modern Formula 1 driver.

    He will also attend and take part in the team’s test 2018 programme, with active roles both on the track and in the simulator.

    Lando Norris said: 

    “I’m so excited to be joining McLaren as test and reserve driver for 2018. The last 12 months have been an incredible journey for me – I’ve enjoyed every single minute – and this is just an amazing way to bring the year to an end.

    “I’m really looking forward to helping the team, starting next week with the tyre test at Interlagos, and I will work harder than ever to learn and develop across the next year. I have two excellent teachers in Fernando and Stoffel, and I will do my best to help with the team’s efforts to get back to the front.

    “I’m still working hard to finalise my own racing programme for 2018 – we’re close on a number of different fronts, but not quite there yet. I hope to be able to announce something shortly.”

    Zak Brown, McLaren Technology Group Executive Director, said: 

    “Lando is an outstanding young talent. Today’s announcement is thoroughly deserved, and underlines the incredible high regard in which we hold his abilities. By winning last year in Formula Renault, triumphing in the McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver Award, and then showing the speed and consistency needed to win the European F3 championship, he is undoubtedly carving himself a reputation as one of the very best up-and-coming single-seater drivers in the world.

    “His summer test for McLaren was also remarkably impressive, and was further proof that he is ready to step up and take on a role of this size, scope and responsibility.

    “At McLaren, we are all extremely keen to help him achieve his goal of racing in Formula 1.”

    Eric Boullier, McLaren Racing Director, said: 

    “We feel it’s very important to have a fully enrolled test and reserve driver within the team. Lando will attend grands prix and become a fully integrated member of the team.

    “Lando is somebody who arrives with a very high level of ability, ambition and application; it is our job to develop and fine-tune his focus as we increase his understanding of how a Formula 1 team operates and how a modern grand prix car works.

    “There will be plenty of opportunity to observe, learn and participate throughout 2018, and we want to make sure Lando is fully prepared, if needed, to step into Fernando or Stoffel’s shoes at a moment’s notice.”

    eom/McLaren press release

  • Cost reduction, road relevance, hybrid tech…. high on agenda: 2021 F1 Power Unit

    In the presence of FIA President Jean Todt, representatives from the FIA, FIA Formula One World Championship Commercial Rights Holder (F1) and current and potential Formula One manufacturer representatives met on Tuesday, 31 October, in Paris to discuss regulations for the 2021 Power Unit.

    In line with the objectives outlined by the FIA for the future of these regulations, which include a reduction in cost, maintaining road relevance with hybrid technology and improving the sound of the cars and the appeal for the fans, manufacturer representatives were presented with a roadmap for the development of the next generation of regulations.

    The proposals shared today have been developed jointly by the FIA and by F1 using data and input from teams, power unit suppliers and outside experts, and the overall framework for the 2021 power unit definition will be in place and published by the FIA at the end of 2017.

    In order to uphold the objective of cost reduction, work will continue over the next 12 months to define certain elements of the Power Unit, but the design and development of the complete Power Unit will not be possible until all the information is released at the end of 2018. This aims to ensure that manufacturers continue to work on the current specification Power Unit.

    During the remaining part of 2017 and 2018, the FIA and F1 will also work with the teams to establish power unit test and development restrictions as well as other cost containment measures.

    Manufacturer representatives were presented with the vision for the key new features of the 2021 Power Unit proposed by the FIA and F1. These are as follows:

    • 1.6 Litre, V6 Turbo Hybrid
    • 3000rpm higher engine running speed range to improve the sound
    • Prescriptive internal design parameters to restrict development costs and discourage extreme designs and running conditions
    • Removal of the MGUH
    • More powerful MGUK with focus on manual driver deployment in race together with option to save up energy over several laps to give a driver controlled tactical element to racing
    • Single turbo with dimensional constraints and weight limits
    • Standard energy store and control electronics
    • High Level of external prescriptive design to give ‘Plug-And-Play’ engine/chassis/transmission swap capability
    • Intention to investigate tighter fuel regulations and limits on number of fuels used

    A series of meetings will now commence with all the interested parties to discuss and develop the proposal in the spirit of the widest possible cooperation.

    FIA Secretary-General for Sport, Peter Bayer, said: “Today was a key step in the development of the Power Unit regulations for 2021. The FIA has been working with the Commercial Rights Holder to define a positive step forward for these regulations which maintain Formula One’s place at the pinnacle of motor sport technology whilst addressing the key issues facing the sport such as cost, road relevance and fan experience at the racetrack. We felt it was important to bring the teams into the discussions today and explain the direction we are taking and I’m pleased with the response we have received.”

    Formula 1, Managing Director, Motorsports Ross Brawn said: “The 2021 power unit is an example of the future way the FIA as regulators, F1 as commercial right holders, the teams and the manufacturers as stakeholders will work together for the common good of the sport. The proposal presented today was the outcome of a series of meeting which took place during 2017 with the current teams participating in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship and the manufacturers who showed their interest to be part of the pinnacle of motor sport. Also, we’ve carefully listened to what the fans think about the current PU and what they would like to see in the near future with the objective to define a set of regulations which will provide a powertrain that is simpler, cheaper and noisier and will create the conditions to facilitate new manufacturers to enter Formula 1 as powertrain suppliers and to reach a more levelled field in the sport. The new F1 has the target to be the world’s leading global sports competition married to state of the art technology. To excite, engage, and awe fans of all ages but to do so in a sustainable manner. We believe that the future power unit will achieve this.”

    eom/FIA press release

  • Sahara Force India grabs 4th place in Constructor’s world title for 2nd year

    2017 MEXICAN GRAND PRIX
    RACE REPORTSahara Force India scored 16 points in today’s Mexican Grand Prix as the team secured fourth place in the Constructors’ World Championship for a second consecutive year.
    P5 – ESTEBAN OCON – VJM10-04

    Strategy: Used UltraSoft (20 laps) – New Soft (50 laps)

    Esteban: “It’s a great day for the team. Fifth place in the race and securing fourth place in the championship is a fantastic achievement after a strong season. For a while I believed the podium was possible because I was sitting in third place for so long. I made a great start and then I pushed as hard as I could in the free air. Sadly the Virtual Safety Car gave Kimi an advantage during the pit stops and he was able to overtake us. The final few laps of the race with Stroll behind me were not easy. He had fresher tyres and managed to catch me, so I had to give it everything to stay ahead. When you work so hard for a result it feels very satisfying so I look forward to celebrating tonight.”
    P7 – SERGIO PEREZ – VJM10-02

    Strategy: Used UltraSoft (18 laps) – New Soft (32 laps) – Used UltraSoft (20 laps)

    Sergio: “Despite the poor qualifying yesterday, we came back stronger today and managed to have a really good race with competitive pace. It’s just a shame that the Virtual Safety Car happened at the wrong moment because it allowed Stroll to jump ahead of me. Otherwise I think we could have finished in sixth. The main objective of the weekend was to confirm fourth place in the championship so I’m extremely happy that we have done this with two races to spare. It’s been another special weekend with so much support from the fans and I have to say a huge thank you to all of them for the energy they have given me.”
    ROBERT FERNLEY, DEPUTY TEAM PRINCIPAL

    “It’s fantastic to confirm fourth place in the championship with a competitive race in front of so much support from the Mexican fans. For a while the podium looked to be within reach for Esteban until the Virtual Safety Car handed the advantage to Raikkonen and also brought Stroll into play. Esteban had to work hard for the final 20 laps fending off the Williams and did a fantastic job despite being on older tyres. Sergio made a late pit stop for some new ultra-soft tyres and was catching Stroll quickly, but we just ran out of laps. This result is another demonstration of the progress we have made this season and fourth place in the championship for the second year in a row is a wonderful reward for the entire team.”

    eom/Sahara Force India press release
  • Hamilton bags Formula One World Championship; Max Verstappen wins Mexican GP

    Hamilton bags Formula One World Championship; Max Verstappen wins Mexican GP

    Hamilton after winning the 4th World F1 Driver’s title at Mexico on Sunday. Image by FIA

    Lewis Hamilton claimed his fourth FIA Formula One World Drivers’ Championship title with a ninth-placed finish in a Mexican Grand Prix won by Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen.

    Mercedes driver Hamilton had to battle from the back of the field after an opening lap collision with title rival Sebastian Vettel dropped both men to the back of the field. Vettel, whose slim title chances rested on securing victory at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, managed to claw his way back to fourth place. However, with Hamilton slowly progressing to ninth place and too big a gap to overhaul to the drivers ahead, the Ferrari driver’s hopes ended after Verstappen, second-placed Valtteri Bottas of Mercedes and third-placed Kimi Räikkönen crossed the line.

    When the lights went out at the start, Vettel was pressured by Verstappen off the line and at the end of the long run to Turn 1 the Red Bull driver drew alongside the Ferrari driver and muscled his way past in Turn 2 to take the lead.

    There was minor contact between them as they went through, with Vettel losing part of his front wing. More damage was to come for the German, however, as Hamilton went around the outside to steal second.

    In Turn 3 the left side of Vettel’s front wing collided with the rear right of Hamilton’s car. The result was a puncture for the Mercedes man and substantial front wing damage for Vettel. Both limped to the pits for repairs and rejoined at the back of the field.

    At the front, Verstappen began to build a lead and by lap 14 he found himself 5.5 seconds clear of Valtteri Bottas who had inherited second after the Vettel/Hamilton incident. Esteban Ocon was third, the Force India driver having bypassed Kimi Räikkönen in the opening lap.

    Carlos Sainz was the first to make a scheduled stop, the Renault driver pitting on lap two to take on soft tyres, with which he’d try to reach the flag.

    Red Bull Racing’s Daniel Ricciardo was the next into the pit lane on lap five, but for the Australian it was a complete stop. After taking a grid drop in the morning for an engine change, Ricciardo rose from his P16 starting position to P7. But his race was then ended by a suspected turbo failure.

    At the back, Vettel was marching through the order and by lap 25 he was up to 11th place behind McLaren’s Fernando Alonso. Hamilton, though, was struggling, and after being lapped by race leader Verstappen the Briton complained that he couldn’t get near Sainz up ahead in P18.

    Hulkenberg was the next to exit the race. On lap 25 the German being told to stop the car, as it was unsafe. With a suspected ERS issue, Hulkenberg was told to exit down the nosecone and jump off.

    On lap 32 Brendon Hartley pulled over at the side of the track with flames licking at the engine cover of his Toro Rosso. The halt, close to the side of the track, resulted in the Virtual Safety Car being deployed and that resulted in a flurry of pit stops, with Verstappen diving in from the lead to take on supersofts.

    Behind him Räikkönen profited most, the Finn leapfrogging Ocon to claim third place. Behind them William’s Lance Stroll was now firth ahead of Force India’s Sergio Perez and Haas’ Kevin Magnussen.

    Magnussen’s hold on the place would be shortlived. Vettel had taken on ultrasoft tyres during his pit stop and he soon began setting fastest laps. He quickly reeled in the Dane and passed him with ease to claim seventh place.

    There were however, 16 seconds to make up to the next target, Perez. Vettel closed quickly, to 7.5s by lap 45 but with the German needing second place to keep his championship hopes alive if Hamilton finished outside the points, and with almost 54 seconds to make up to second-placed Bottas it looked like the German’s title challenge was done.

    Hamilton, though, was making his own steady progress and on lap 46 he passed Sauber’s Marcus Ericsson for 12th place and began to close the 7.1-second gap to Vandoorne.

    On lap 50, Vettel lunged down the inside into Turn 4 to pass Perez and looked to close the 3.3s gap to Lance Stroll and on lap 54 he eased dismissed the Canadian to take fifth place. Hamilton, meanwhile, had passed Vandoorne under DRS into Turn One to claim P11 and his team were advising him that at the pace he was going he was forecast to finish in P8.

    Hamilton began to make that forecast come true by powering past Williams’ Felipe Massa on lap 57 to claim 10th place and a points finish. Up ahead Vettel passed Ocon to grab fourth but with 24 seconds to make up to get to third placed Räikkönen and a further 26 second gap to close to Bottas the German was fighting a losing battle. Told of the gaps he sighed “oh, mamma mia.”

    Sainz, meanwhile, retired from the race, meaning that four of the six Renault-powered cars in the race had exited by lap 62. Just leader Verstappen and 13th-placed Gasly remained.

    At the front the Dutch driver was in complete command, however, and not experiencing any mechanical concerns. With an 18s gap to Bottas it might have been expected that he would throttle back and control matters but Verstappen wanted more and on lap 64 he set a race record for the circuit with a lap of 1:18.892 and then widened the gap to over 20 seconds by the chequered flag.

    Behind him Bottas held second ahead of Räikkönen, while Vettel’s brave charge ended in fourth place. Esteban Ocon scored his second fifth-placed finish of the year, while Lance Stroll delivered a good result for Williams with sixth place.

    Sergio Pérez was seventh in front his home crowd ahead of Haas’ Kevin Magnussen, while Lewis Hamilton finished ninth, enough to earn the Briton his fourth drivers’ title. The final point on offer went to McLaren’s Fernando Alonso.

    2017 Mexican Grand Prix – Race
    1 Max Verstappen Red Bull TAG 1:36’26.550
    2 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes Mercedes 19.678
    3 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari Ferrari 54.007
    4 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari Ferrari 70.078
    5 Esteban Ocon Force India Mercedes 1 lap
    6 Lance Stroll Williams Mercedes 1 lap
    7 Sergio Perez Force India Mercedes 1 lap
    8 Kevin Magnussen Haas Ferrari 1 lap
    9 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes Mercedes 1 lap
    10 Fernando Alonso McLaren Honda 1 lap
    11 Felipe Massa Williams Mercedes 1 lap
    12 Stoffel Vandoorne McLaren Honda 1 lap
    13 Pierre Gasly Toro Rosso Renault 1 lap
    14 Pascal Wehrlein Sauber Ferrari 2 laps
    15 Romain Grosjean Haas Ferrari 2 laps
    Carlos Sainz Renault Renault
    Marcus Ericsson Sauber Ferrari
    Brendon Hartley Toro Rosso Renault
    Nico Hulkenberg Renault Renault
    Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull TAG.

    eom/FIA press release