INDIA in F1

Tag: Formula 1

  • Sahara Force India prepares for the intense mid-field battle: Bahrain GP

    Sahara Force India prepares for the intense mid-field battle: Bahrain GP

    Preview photo by Sahara Force India F1 team.

    Bahrain, April 3: After an unusually poor beginning to the season on the street circuit at Albert Park, Sahara Force India who are now famous for punching above their weight, are preparing for the Bahrain GP.

    Acclaimed Indian racer and rallyist of yesteryears, Harish Samtani of `High Octane’ fame will bring forth his columns live from the Shakir circuit. Watch out for the `High Octane’ logo on the top right-hand corner of the home page.

    In the curtain raiser, team Principal and liquor baron, Vijay Mallya, who is facing a deportation case reiterated from London that the team will continue to work hard and fight for better positions after both the cars finished outside points in the first race of 2018.

    “Melbourne was a clear indicator that the competitiveness of the grid has closed up in 2018. We’ve got to work hard to maintain our fourth place in the championship and there’s going to be an intense development race at the front of the midfield. We are certainly up for the challenge and there are further changes to the car in Bahrain. We are a motivated team, with determined drivers and we will be targeting points this weekend,” said Mallya about the team which got a fighting fourth place for consecutive years by spending budgets that were a fraction of the huge amounts that the top three teams like Ferrari, Mercedes, and Red Bull spend.

    But Chief Operating Officer Otmar Szafnauer retorted saying: “It’s where you end the season that counts.”

    A brief interview with the COO:

    Q: One race down, twenty to go. How is the mood in the camp…
    “Melbourne is always a peculiar race. We came within a whisker of scoring a point with Sergio having caught Carlos Sainz, but overtaking was especially difficult at Albert Park and the tenth place remained out of reach. The race pace was stronger than our qualifying speed, but without track position, we couldn’t really show our true performance. Esteban’s front wing picked up some debris early in the race as well which compromised his pace, especially in the second stint.”

    Sergio Perez says: “Racing in Bahrain is good fun. It’s unusual because you’re in the desert and we also race under the lights. It’s actually one of my favourite tracks of the year and I’ve always gone well there. It’s where I had my first podium with Force India [in 2014] so I have those memories every time we go back there.

    “The Bahrain track often creates good racing. I still remember the battle I had with my old teammate, Jenson Button, in 2013. The layout really allows you to race wheel-to-wheel at times. If you lose a position in turn one, you can fight back through turns two, three and four.

    “It was difficult to overtake in Melbourne, but Bahrain should be a bit easier because it’s a more traditional track. We’ve got to be targeting points this weekend. Melbourne showed just how close all the teams are in the middle of the grid, so it’s especially important to have a clean weekend and maximise every session.

    “The development race will be very intense this year, but I know we have good things coming. We need to do what we have done in the last few years by making improvements to the car at each race. We’ve already made a step forward since pre-season testing so we need to keep working in the same direction.”

    Esteban Ocon, feeling good and ready, says: “When I think about Bahrain I always remember the beautiful paddock, which has so much space and looks amazing at night with all the trees lit up. Every year there’s a barbeque for the paddock and it’s nice that all the teams and media can come together before the racing begins.

    “I love racing at night. It almost feels quicker under the lights and it looks better on television. Hopefully, the fans like it as much as the drivers. The track is good fun and there are a few good overtaking spots, such as turn one and turn four.

    “It’s a track that feels very satisfying when your car is working well. I particularly enjoy turns five, six and seven because they are so quick and then you’re immediately into a big braking zone for turn eight. It’s tricky because you approach at really high speed and it’s easy to make a mistake and run wide.

    “It’s a tough weekend physically because of the heat. The daytime practice sessions are the most difficult, but fortunately, it gets a bit cooler in the evenings for qualifying and the race. You need to drink lots to be hydrated and make sure you don’t lose concentration.”

    Q: What can we expect from the next couple of races in Bahrain and China?
    “It’s business as usual in terms of developing the car. We’ve got a new front wing coming for Bahrain, which will complement the upgrades we introduced in Melbourne. The car we have now is totally different from the spec we used during testing and we’re still on a learning curve. There is huge development potential with this new aerodynamic platform and we have things in the pipeline, which will bring performance steps in the first quarter of the season.”

    Q: How do you see the competitiveness of the 2018 grid? Were there any surprises?
    “Testing showed us that the midfield has closed up considerably, so there were no big shocks in Melbourne. I think the points will be spread among the teams more evenly this year and retaining fourth place is going to be a big task. But we’ve only had one race and things can change very quickly in Formula One. The development race is only just beginning and it’s where you end the season that counts. Last year we out-developed the teams around us and we have to do the same this year. Our goal is to defend our fourth place and we will be fighting hard to get back up there.”

    Q: The pink livery continues to turn heads. It’s surely the most eye-catching car on the grid…
    “The BWT pink identity is even stronger this year. I remember standing in the pit lane in Melbourne and thinking how much better this year’s paint scheme looks. Commercially it’s been another strong winter with Ravenol, DUO and PEMEX coming on board, whilst also developing our existing partnerships with NEC and Hype Energy. It was fantastic to unveil our partnership with Havaianas in Melbourne. The branding on the halo is very powerful and it’s great to see a young lifestyle brand supporting us and recognising the value of F1. We hope to have more news to announce over the coming weeks.”

     

     

  • Stunning win for Vettel; Hamilton overcomes technical glitches to take 2nd: Rolex Aussie GP

    Stunning win for Vettel; Hamilton overcomes technical glitches to take 2nd: Rolex Aussie GP

    Melbourne: Sebastian Vettel took a sensational Rolex

    Vettel celebrates Aussie GP win on Sunday. Photo: Ferrari

    Australian Grand Prix victory, as the Formula One 2018 World Championship began at the traditional street circuit of Albert Park. Taking advantage of a mid-race safety car he beat arch-rival Lewis Hamilton, who suffered soft-ware glitches. The defending champion was forced to settle for second place ahead of the second Ferrari of Kimi “Räikkönen. Local hero Daniel Ricciardo finished fourth.

    Sahara Force India duo of Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon failed to finish in the points, thus ending a successful run of double points finish at the Rolex Australian GP.

    “There could have been no better start for Ferrari in this Championship. Listening to Italy’s national anthem echo around Melbourne was an emotional moment for us all, and for every fan of the Scuderia. It’s the best possible reward for the team, which built a competitive car and used a perfect strategy to take advantage of the way the race evolved. Congratulations to Sebastian and Kimi, both drove a great race. Of course, there’s still a long way to go in the series, with 20 more Grands Prix. So it would be wrong to celebrate too much. We know that we still have a lot of work ahead of us, but the first step has been taken in the right direction,” said Ferrari Chairman  Sergio Marchionne.

    Hamilton led away comfortably at the start, dismissing a brief challenger from Raikkonen as they made their way through the first corners. Vettel held third place but behind Haas’ Kevin Magnussen got the jump on Verstappen who dropped to fifth ahead of Grosjean, Hulkenberg and Ricciardo.

    At the back of the field, Toro Rosso’s Brendon Hartley had a major lock-up into Turn 1 and pitted at the end of lap one. The New Zealander took on soft tyres in a bid to reach the end of the race on the yellow-banded set.

    Ricciardo was soon past Hulkenberg to take P7, but further ahead team-mate Verstappen was struggling to put pressure on Magnussen. The result was a rapidly degrading set of tyres and on lap 10 the Dutchman lost control into Turn 1 and spun. He dropped to eight behind Hulkenberg.

    At the front Hamilton was attempting to build a gap, but both Raikkonen and Vettel were tenaciously hanging on and by the end of lap 15 Hamilton only had three seconds in hand over the Ferraris.

    On lap 22 Magnussen made his first stop of the race, but almost immediately afterward he pulled over at the side of the track. The Dane reported an engine issue but Race Control later stated that the team had possibly released Magnussen unsafely.

    That boosted team-mate Grosjean to fourth but under pressure from Ricciardo and on fading ultrasofts the Frenchman also pitted. Again though, as soon as he rejoined the circuit, he immediately pulled over and stopped in a mirror image of the Magnussen incident, this time with the front left wheel of Grosjean’s car not being properly attached.

    With Grosjean’s car at the trackside on lap 24, the Virtual Safety Car was deployed. Ferrari seized the opportunity and pitted Vettel for soft tyres. Hamilton, though, lost a huge amount of time under the VSC and when Vettel emerged from the pit lane he swept into the lead.

    The VSC was replaced by the real thing as Grosjean’s car was cleared and when racing resumed Vettel held his lead over Hamilton, with Raikkonen third and Ricciardo fourth. McLaren’s Fernando Alonso had vaulted up to fifth place under the SC and was being shadowed by Verstappen who had also recovered from his early woes.

    The second half of the race became a cat and mouse battle between the Ferrari and Mercedes driver, with Hamilton regularly getting to within DRS range of the leader only for Vettel to drag the gap back out to beyond a second.

    Six seconds further back, Raikkonen kept Ricciardo at bay in the same manner, with the Australian getting to within DRS range and the Finn pulling away as he carefully managed his defence of the final podium position.

    Behind them, in the battle for fifth place, a little under two seconds covered three Renault-powered drivers in the closing stage, with Fernando Alonso leading Verstappen and Hulkenberg.

    With 10 laps remaining Hamilton got on the radio to his team saying that he was going to attack for the lead. The attempt came to nothing, however, as the Briton suffered a heavy lock-up at Turn 9, losing almost two seconds to Vettel.

    He clawed half that back over the next two laps and with seven laps remaining was 1.5s behind Vettel. A lap later and the deficit was just one second.

    But there Hamilton’s charge ended. On the next tour, he was 1.3 slower than Vettel and then drifted to 4.4s off the Ferrari, and having been warned about high engine temperatures, Hamilton voted to save the engine on his car and settled for a safe second place.

    A handful of laps later Vettel crossed the line to take his 48th career win ahead of the Briton. Raikkonen clung on to third place ahead of Ricciardo, while Alonso gave McLaren a positive start to life with Renault power by keeping Verstappen at bay to take fifth place. With the Dutchman sixth, Hulkenberg finished seventh ahead of Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas, McLaren’s Stoffel Vandoorne. The final points position went to Renault’s Carlos Sainz, who battled to the finish despite suffering from nausea caused by the fluid in his drinks bottle during the race.

    2018 Australian Grand Prix – Race
    1 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 1h29:33.283
    2 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 5.036
    3 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 6.309
    4 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull 7.069
    5 Fernando Alonso McLaren 27.886
    6 Max Verstappen Red Bull 28.945
    7 Nico Hulkenberg Renault 32.671
    8 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 34.339
    9 Stoffel Vandoorne McLaren 34.921
    10 Carlos Sainz Jr. Renault 45.722
    11 Sergio Perez Force India 46.817
    12 Esteban Ocon Force India 1’00.278
    13 Charles Leclerc Sauber 1’15.759
    14 Lance Stroll Williams 1’18.288
    15 Brendon Hartley Toro Rosso 1 lap
    16 Romain Grosjean Haas 34 laps
    17 Kevin Magnussen Haas 36 laps
    18 Pierre Gasly Toro Rosso 45 laps
    19 Marcus Ericsson Sauber 53 laps
    20 Sergey Sirotkin Williams 54 laps.

    Source: FIA

  • Halo blocks drivers’ vision, starting lights shifted: Season Opener

    Melbourne: “After the winter debates, pro and against the protective device, all focus shifted away from the halo and on to the cars’ performance,” claimed an F1 release.

    But it had to admit: …“the halo still managed to hold on to a bit of the limelight, as the starting lights were shifted under instruction from FIA Formula 1 Race Director Charlie Whiting. This because the drivers
    could not see through the halo to the lights high above them, this problem being worse for the cars on the front row of the grid.”

    Now one can decide if that is a bit of the limelight. Read the High Octane Column by Harish Samtani here: F1 running out of fresh ideas to breathe life back into racing!

    The 2018 season has finally got underway at Melbourne’s Albert Park circuit as the Friday practice sessions were run under a hot sun and blue skies. Mercedes posted the best times across the two sessions, confirming what was seen in the Barcelona tests a few weeks ago. Lewis Hamilton was the fastest in both practices, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen managing to split the Mercedes drivers, pushing Valtteri Bottas into 3rd place in the second free practice. Fourth and 5th were the Ferrari, with Kimi Raikkonen ahead of Sebastian Vettel.

    The Melbourne weekend also witnessed the debut of Brendon Hartley’s social media collaboration with Formula 1 as he takes us on a journey with him on his first full season as one of the top drivers in the world. Follow Toro Rosso’s Kiwi here:

    Also, new this weekend is Brian Tyler’s newly-composed music for the Formula 1 starting sequence. Recorded with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the score reflects the power and the fury of F1 cars as interpreted by one of Hollywood’s most successful film and game music
    composers.

    F1 Release!

  • Formula One running out of fresh ideas to breathe life back into racing

    Yay, it’s 2019 and we are going to get to witness F1 in its new avatar! Idiot! It’s still 2018, I had to remind myself and I wanted to crawl back into bed and continue watching Stranger things on Netflix! Anyway, being a petrol head too, zapped on the telly to watch F1 qualifying in Melbourne today and saw even more Stranger things!
    A new fangled helmet covering a helmet?!!! Hmmm …..From the 70s era to now, the men and racing drivers have become boys in more ways than one! Men crashed and burnt alive during events that were more gladiatorial than it being a sport about ambitious drivers in fast cars. Then, as F1 evolved and Eccelstone, the creator of this magnum opus brought in 30 and 40 million and more as salaries for drivers, the current crop wanted to live a lot longer to enjoy this wealth!
    The changes made in the 70s and 80s simply had to be done because the bloodshed was way too much and turning fans away. But this wussifying the sport by adding further fortification is the giddy limit.
    The two examples of accidental death and disability can be understood from the unfortunate incidents of the two legends – Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher. Ayrton had crashed a wall at close to 200kmph and a simple bolt ejected from the damaged front suspension like a bullet and went through his visor that opened up just that half inch. The result was the same as that of a bullet wound. He died on the spot. Schumi is fighting a losing battle after an innocent skiing accident. Just a day out with the family. Both heroes and both with absolutely no reason to be in that situation.
    So, if F1 thinks that they can save lives randomly and take away the no guts, no glory somewhat, should rethink.
    The qualifying today at the Australian GP did prove that the top four teams will remain there. A Ferrari win will improve the telly viewership substantially. In any case, the results of the first few races will not have too much bearing on the championship.
    With limited testing time in hand, teams will need to sort out their machines under competitive duress. The racing really begins once the circus moves to the traditional racing circuits in Europe.

  • Focus is on racing, not setting records: Hamilton

    Focus is on racing, not setting records: Hamilton

    Drivers Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes, centre), Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari, right) and Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull Racing) at the FIA press conference in Melbourne. Photo: FIA

    Melbourne, March 22: Saying that his thoughts presently were far from breaking or setting any records, reigning champion Lewis Hamilton asserted that he would simply focus on being consistent through the season and race to his potential.

    Excerpts from the FIA press conference here on Thursday, ahead of season opener Australian Grand Prix:

    Let’s start with our world champion and six-time pole sitter here at Albert Park, Lewis Hamilton. Lewis, I think you said over the winter that you felt that last year was the best you’ve driven in your Formula 1 career. Do you anticipate having to go to another level this year in competition these gentlemen?

    Lewis HAMILTON: I plan to. That’s what I’ve been working towards.

    Why did you feel that last year was your best? What had to come together for you?

    Lewis HAMILTON: It was just a combination of things and obviously with the pressure that was on us as drivers, I think it was just the most complete year.

    A simple question for you Sebastian: can you and Ferrari find the speed to beat this guy over a whole season this year?

    Sebastian VETTEL: We don’t have the answer now. We try. It’s a long season. If it was one race it would be a different story, but it is a lot of races.

    To you, Daniel: in the last few years Red Bull have not been competitive at the opening round. This year it looks like you had better winter preparation, so do you think this could be your most effective Australian Grand Prix for a while?

    Daniel RICCIARDO: I believe so. We had a good winter. It’s all there in front of us now. I think we’re still the top three teams – Merc, Ferrari and us. I think we’re still going to be leading the pack for now. So hopefully we’ll be deep in that group and have a chance to stand up on the podium.

    QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

    Q: Lewis, how important is it to you to carry on ahead of Sebastian in terms of stats in your career and end your career ahead of him as well?

    LH: It’s not something I’ve ever really thought about to be honest. I don’t particularly have an opinion towards it. I’m just going to keep working as hard as I can to continue fighting up the front and hopefully with that comes some good results.

    Q: If you won from pole it’s an all-time record, you beat Michael’s record. Something to aim for.

    LH: Ah, OK.

    Q: Lewis, you say you don’t chase stats but you have recognised that you could reach Fangio’s record this season. Have you thought about that some more now that you are at the start of the season?

    LH: I have not, honestly. It’s a long, long season so you don’t really think about those kind of things, you don’t think about what could be in the sense of matching others. In my mind I’m trying to break down new barriers, push the envelope. Trying to see how far I can take, firstly, the opportunity I have and then obviously the ability I have and live to my full potential. I don’t know what that is, and that’s what I’m discovering.

    Q: A question to all of you. As Renault is already considering strategically to have a fourth engine for the year. Assuming you will all stay at that do you put your faith in your team to go on with three. Would consider down the line, in the closing stages of the championship, to go for a fourth engine in order to avoid a DNF and a penalty instead of only a penalty?

    DR: It’s hard to start thinking about that now. I had a few engine penalties last year and we’ve got one less [engine] this year so it’s likely – I don’t want to say it’s definite – but it’s obviously likely that we may encounter something like that or everyone may encounter something like that. I think it depends where you are in the championship. If you try to cut your losses I guess then maybe that’s what you’ll do but it’s for sure too early to start thinking about that. I think we’ll stay optimistic and try to get these three home to Abu Dhabi.

    SV: I’m sure we looked at it. I don’t think it’s the plan but I’m very confident that we’re not using four engines this weekend, so we don’t need to worry now.

    LH: I don’t really have much more to say.

    Q: Daniel, you say the team is the best prepared it’s been in quite a while. Is that more pressure on you? It that more pressure, more fun, less fun? How do you look at it?

    DR: It has to be more fun. Not starting last year wasn’t fun at all. So it has to be more fun. Even little things. Last year we missed the anthem on the grid because I was in the garage trying to get the thing going, or be there for when it got going. I missed a lot of the Sunday build-up, which was not fun. For sure this preparation is going to mean more fun this weekend and we’ll see where that fun takes us?

    Q: Lewis, you said you’re pushing the envelope. Do you think you’ve reached your peak as a driver or are you still learning?

    LH: I hope not.

    Q: Is it a peak age for a driver? Or do you just carry on learning?

    LH: Again I hope not. I’m sure there is a peak when for a driver when their fitness level…. When it gets harder to reach the fitness level that we do today. When your interest starts to decline, when your drive starts to decline, I guess that’s when you’re over your peak. But I definitely don’t feel I’m that. I’m definitely in a good range now and that’s where I need to continue, to extract the most from it.

    Q: How about you two? 

    DR: Not yet, still young.

    SV: I don’t know. I think it’s fine. Lewis is a little bit older and he’s not peaking yet, so I have got plenty to look forward to.

    Q: What is your opinion about the additional DRS zone and is it helpful or not?

    DR: I don’t think it hurts. It’s typically been a pretty hard track to overtake. I think, as well, with the cars, we’re going faster and faster and following a car is getting harder and harder at some circuits, so I think they’ve been proactive and tried to help out a cause here. I don’t know if it will necessarily create overtaking into that corner but it may at least put you into the zone to then have a chance somewhere else.

    LH: I think Daniel answered it well.

    SV: Agree.

    Q: Lewis, one of your former team-mates this week said that inconsistency was your biggest weakness. I’m just wondering whether you think that’s the case. And Seb, what’s your plan to beat Lewis. Have you thought over the winter about the best way to do that?

    LH: I think I proved that’s not the case last year and… yeah… again, I think there’s a lot of people that need to get headlines, and so maybe that’s one way of saying it. No, the goal this year is to be even more consistent that I was last year. I think consistency was the reason that I won the Championship last year.

    Q: Sebastian, do you see any weaknesses in Lewis? How would you describe them, or see them? What are they? If there are any.

    SV: Well, there aren’t many, so I think he’s doing a very, very good job for many years now. So, I think it’s always a bit of a weird question to answer when the person is sitting right next to you. But, as I said, there aren’t many. I’m sure we all have our weaknesses. Maybe some are part of our characters, maybe some are part of our driving – but to be honest I don’t think about those too much. I think about mine quite a lot and try to get better at what I need to improve. But yeah, concerning other people, it’s not in my hands. So, I try to finish my plate.

    LH: I think I share the same weakness with everyone in this room. Everyone loves pancakes. That’s really my only weakness.

    Q: Lewis, are you up for it this year? You seem a little bit jaded here – I don’t know if it’s jetlag or whatnot – but are you up for the fight this year?

    LH: I’m definitely not tired – this is the 12th season of doing the press conference. I’m not the most excited about this section of the season and the race weekend – but I’m looking forward to getting in the car.

    Q: Sebastian, can I take you back to your first answer, you were asked if you could beat Lewis and you said ‘if it was one race it would be a different story but maybe over the season’ or something like that. Does that mean you’re not confident this weekend that Ferrari are…?

    SV: …no but I think the question was whether we… who’s coming out of top, sort of. I think Mercedes is right and I think Lewis is right to be the favourite. But it’s a long season, so I think, you know, obviously, this is one race, Melbourne is particular in many ways. I think we all look forward to kick off the season, to get ready, get in the car and race. I think, you know, we have all the reasons to be confident. Our car is great. There’s stuff to come, so plenty to look forward to, but usually at this point you don’t know where the others are. So, that’s why it’s a bit pointless to come here and say that you’ll blow everyone away. Based on testing, I think we are in good shape. We could be in better shape, but it’s always like that.

    Q: Sebastian, how would it mean for you to go level with Fangio?

    SV: I think it’s a bit of a similar answer to what Lewis gave earlier. Obviously, I’ve had more time to think about it than Lewis had. More than one winter. I’m not setting these things out and planning or looking forward to what could possibly happen. Certainly, if it will happen it would mean a lot – and then I think you start to realise – but now I don’t see the point of thinking ‘what if’. I have a lot on my plate now and I’m happy also to look forward to what’s right in front of me, not what could be at some point in the future. Ideally, it’s less than 12 months away – but it’s a long way. I think we all know how many things need to come together to be able to fight for the championship towards the end of the season. And then to win it. Also, I think nowadays the times are different. I think it’s very different times to when Fangio achieved it, compared to today. So, every era has its own challenges, certainly they were a bit different back then. So yeah, it’s not in my mind now.

    Q: Question for all three drivers: how do you feel about the shift in direction of Formula One since the takeover of Liberty Media?

    LH: I don’t know what to say. I just heard the new anthem. Reminded me of [TV programme] Gladiators. Used to watch that on a Saturday night. We’re going to be the new Gladiators. I think there’s been a lot of good progress over the last year in terms of how we engage with people and how we engage with fans and the openness – but I think it’s still part of a long process of learning where to go. I don’t think anyone in this room knows exactly what is the key to Formula One moving forwards and succeeding. I think it’s a very difficult question to answer but I think they’re doing the best they can and we’re all trying to support them the best way we can.

    DR: I agree with that. I think there’s been some good initiatives as well within the paddock. Especially at a lot of the European races with the fixed team structures. Feels like week-in, week-out you’re just rolling into the same deal and everyone goes straight to their motorhome and that’s kind of it – but there’s generally a lot of friends or fans or VIPs whatever in and amongst the paddock but they’re secluded. They’ve tried to create like a bar and a bit of a common area, got some music going in the paddock, and just create a bit more of an atmosphere. Again, the on-track stuff for us, the racing, that doesn’t change, but at least the fans, spectators for the weekend get a good deal. I think Melbourne’s always done a good job as far as putting things on, as the whole weekend goes, like filling it up with other racing and other activities, so I think they’re learning to adopt some strategies to create more of an event around the race, so everyone’s not just living for that Sunday afternoon: there’s more going on.

    SV: Yeah, from a driving point of view there’s obviously not that much that has changed. The regulations have been set before there was new people taking over. I think it’s great to see and I heard last year continuously around the track people supporting us. There were more things to do, it was a bit more fun, which I think is great. In general, I think I’m a traditionalist and I like to hold on to certain things, so probably there’s a lot of things I’m not a specialist in and I don’t need to understand. So I’m a bit confused why the races start later, a bit sad that there are no more grid girls, but other than that, not many changes yet. I think we need to wait.

    Q: It’s a rare thing in any sport when you have two enduring champions that are both at the peak of their powers so for you, Lewis and Sebastian, how special is it to share your careers in this way and heading into this season where I guess we’re all looking at it as a bit of a decider, how much additionally special does that make it, knowing that the other guy is so good?

    LH: Ultimately it’s a privilege to be in Formula One. It’s a privilege to be racing for the teams that we’re racing for and for me and Mercedes, with the heritage that they have, to be a part of the sport that’s progressing and changing with the times and to be at the forefront of it, competing against the best drivers that you can compete against. I think when you come to the end of your career, you want to know that you competed against the best. There are those that bow out early, there are those that have won championships, maybe that have not been as competitive. The ultimate goal is to be the best. I think you have to go up against the best. It’s been a great experience to be able to race against Sebastian. He’s got the four World titles, the most of any other driver at the time and I think this is an exciting year for Formula One fans, being that we have two four-time World Champions battling it out. But Daniel’s been smiling quite a lot today, so I think you’re going to be surprised this weekend just how competitive Red Bull are. There’s a lot of hype around our team which I think is very difficult to really take much notice of because the last test was a little bit distorted with the track the way it was and everyone was on different fuel loads. So I’m excited to see how we all fare up once we get into practice.

    SV: I agree with Lewis. Obviously first of all it’s a privilege to be able to get a chance to prove yourself in Formula One, then to be able to race in Formula One. Then I think when you get in it’s all about winning. You want to win, you don’t look at anything else. Probably later on, after you’ve won a little bit, you get a bit more perspective and open your horizons as well and then I think it becomes something special to win against the best. In my case, obviously, I think if I look at the people I raced throughout my career. Then I think it’s always been sort of the same people which starting from karting age, even if I didn’t race Lewis in karting, but you were aware. Then you move on. We met a little bit later in Formula Three where he was a lot better than I was and then in Formula One ultimately. But yeah, then you care more about who you race against and what it means to you, it gives you more satisfaction. And now, obviously, I’m searching for the ultimate satisfaction to win with Ferrari which is the greatest team in history, the greatest team in the paddock and that’s my ultimate target now, to win with Ferrari and win against the best which arguably… I’m sure there’s plenty of numbers that you’re all aware of, arguably, and Lewis is one of them.

    Q: Lewis and Sebastian, as Daniel sits here today, he doesn’t have a deal for 2019. What would you like to say to encourage him to join your respective teams next season?

    SV: I don’t know. I’m sure he’ll find a seat. So yeah, I don’t know what he’s up to or what he wants. I don’t know how much he’s asking, but as I said, I’m confident he’ll find a seat. We only shared one year together, I knew him before that and we had one year together which wasn’t great for me, it was great for him. But anyways, I think we get along, so I wouldn’t mind if we get together again in the future. But I don’t know what his plan is. I think he has a couple of options and I don’t think he needs to rush.

    Q: Lewis, do you feel the same way?

    LH: I would just say that an important thing is just really to look at the history of drivers and things that drivers have said in the past and try not to alienate the team that you’re in. It’s all good and while hoping at some stage to experience something new in another team, but there’s a lot of people in our teams and it’s really important to keep them encouraged and focused on you as a driver, to help you achieve your goal and if you look at… there are some drivers of recent years who have made bad decisions in upsetting and rocking the boat and that so yeah, he’s in a great place still. Red Bull, I think, this year can really have a fighting chance to win the championship and the opinion of where you might want to go, if it’s not where he currently is, may shift.

    Q: We have to have your rebuttal  to that, Daniel.

    DR: Well said, well said by both. Yeah, I feel like I’ve answered already so many, like contract talks and we haven’t even got the first race of this year done. So yeah, I’m just going to put all those talks on hold for a while and yes, this year our prep’s been good and I really really hope that Lewis is right that we will have a chance to fight for a title. That will ultimately make me very happy.

    Q: Last year the rules imposed numbers on the car, the name of the driver and so on. And this year, with the halo, it’s even impossible to recognise the helmets of the drivers. Is the drivers’ identification something you care about for the viewers, for the fans, for the TV commentators and do you have any suggestions to improve the situation?

    SV: We should be allowed to design the halo.

    LH: I don’t have a suggestion for it, but I have noticed that it’s almost pointless of us painting the helmets nowadays. So I’m probably going to get rid of my paint on mine. Saves weight, but yeah, I don’t really have a suggestion for it. I’m sure they’ll come up with something.

    FIA transcript

  • Sebastiean Vettel quickest on Day 2; Ocon 9th: Formula 1 Test in Barcelona

    Sebastiean Vettel quickest on Day 2; Ocon 9th: Formula 1 Test in Barcelona

    Vettel quickest on Day 2 of the Formula One Barcelona test on 27 feb 2018. An FIA image

    Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel set the quickest time of day two of the first pre-season Formula 1 test in Barcelona, outpacing Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas by three-tenths of a second. McLaren’s Stoffel Vandoorne finished third on the timesheet a further three tenths back.

    The day began in muted fashion as overnight snow and rain meant conditions were tricky early on and many teams avoided significant running before the halfway point of running. One of those was Red Bull Racing, with the Milton Keynes team being restricted to the garage for most of the morning after a fuel leak resulted in a lengthy delay to Dutchman Max Verstappen’s first real taste of team’s RB14 challenger.

    The track slowly improved across the morning and by midday Bottas was on track and making the running climbing to the top of the order on the soft tyre.

    His time stood until mid-afternoon when Vettel also appeared on the soft tyre. The German chipped away his lap time over the course of the run and eventually nudged his Ferrari to a day’s best time 1:19.673s.

    Bottas wasn’t done, however, and a switch to medium tyres saw him edge close to the Ferrari driver and set a personal best for the day of 1:19976.

    Verstappen’s day began in earnest at around 2 pm and over the following four hours, he posted 67 laps to get to the best time of 1:20.326, set on medium tyres. That was just 0.001s behind third-placed Vandoorne who had set his time on Pirelli’s new hypersoft compound. However, after a decent return from Vandoorne’s morning efforts, McLaren opted out of afternoon running.

    Fifth place on the timesheet went to Renault’s Carlos Sainz, with Toro Rosso’s Pierre Gasly in sixth. It was another solid day for the Italian team as Gasly logged a total 82 laps in the team’s new Honda-powered car.

    Robert Kubica got his first taste of F1’s 2018-spec cars in the afternoon as he fulfilled his testing duties for Williams for the first time. The Pole put in 48 laps for the best time of 1:21.495 to sit over three-tenths of a second clear of Williams race driver Sergey Sirotkin who drove in the morning.

    Over at Alfa-Romeo Sauber, 2017 FIA Formula 2 champion Charles Leclerc made his debut as a Formula 1 driver, with the Monegasque claiming 10th position. Leclerc’s outing wasn’t without mishap as a morning spin into the gravel traps at Turn 4 brought out the red flags for a brief period.

    Formula 1 Pre-season Test 1, Barcelona – Day 2
    1. Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 1:19.673 98
    2. Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 1:19.976 +0.303 94
    3. Stoffel Vandoorne McLaren 1:20.325 +0.652 37
    4. Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:20.326 +0.653 67
    5. Carlos Sainz Renault 1:21.212 +1.539 65
    6. Pierre Gasly Toro Rosso 1:21.318 +1.645 82
    7. Robert Kubica Williams 1:21.495 +1.822 48
    8. Sergey Sirotkin Williams 1:21.822 +2.149 52
    9. Esteban Ocon Force India 1:21.841 +2.168 79
    10. Charles Leclerc Sauber 1:22.721 +3.048 81
    11. Kevin Magnussen Haas 1:22.727 +3.054 36

    eom/FIA release

  • Force India is not for sale, says team statement; Vijay Mallya to miss launch in Barcelona on 26th

    Following recent media reports speculating on the sale of Force India Formula One Team Limited, the Company’s shareholders wish to clarify that there is no offer from potential investors under consideration.

    The Team is focussed on the start of testing next week where the 2018 car will be presented in Barcelona on Monday 26th of February. The team’s drivers, Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon, will pull the covers off the VJM11 and pose for photos in the pit lane at 8:00 am local time.

  • RAVENOL partners with Sahara Force India

    RAVENOL partners with Sahara Force India

    Image courtesy Sahara Force India F1 team
    Sahara Force India is pleased to announce a partnership with RAVENOL, the high-quality lubricants specialists.

    The Ravensberger Schmierstoffvertrieb GmbH based in Werther, Germany, manufactures and markets high-quality lubricants under the brand name “RAVENOL” since 1946. Their Research and Development Department, one of the most technically advanced in the world, is where some of the most innovative lubricants on the market today are developed – not only to meet, but often to exceed the requirements of even the most ambitious vehicle manufacturer and to comply with future regulations. Their high-quality lubricants will be supplied directly to the Force India development center in Silverstone.

    Vijay Mallya, Team Principal and Managing Director of Sahara Force India: “I’m delighted to welcome RAVENOL to the team as we prepare for the start of the 2018 season. Formula One represents a fantastic opportunity for RAVENOL to reach a huge global audience and increase awareness of its high quality products. We look forward to a successful partnership as we work with RAVENOL to achieve their marketing objectives.”

    RAVENOL’s Head of Motorsport, Martin Huning, sees the entry into Formula 1 as the next logical step in further developing a brand already respected in motorsport around the world. “We are committed to reducing fuel consumption and environmental impact by continually utilising the latest developments in lubrication technology to produce some of the most advanced lubricants available. To have been chosen as the Official Lubricants Partner of the Sahara Force India F1 Team serves to underline the quality of our products”.

    The partnership will see RAVENOL branding appear on the bargeboard of the team’s VJM11 car as well as on the drivers’ race suits.
     

    eom/SFI release

  • Grid kids to replace grid girls; Unique op for young racers, karters to watch F1 at close quarters

    The joint initiative will involve the local Grand Prix promoter working alongside ASNs – the FIA-recognised national sporting authorities – who will provide a unique opportunity to youngsters and their families to be part of one of the most exclusive and exciting moments of the whole race weekend.

    The youngsters will be chosen by their motorsport clubs on merit, or by lottery, and will already be competing in karting or junior formulae. The lucky few will then be able to accompany and stand alongside the 20 best drivers in the world on the grid as they prepare for the race.

    FIA President Jean Todt said: “Formula 1 is the pinnacle of motor sport and the dream of every young racer competing the junior series that make up the FIA’s single-seater pyramid, from karting all the way to F1. We are therefore delighted to bring that dream a little closer by giving the future champions of our sport the opportunity to stand alongside their heroes on the grid in the build-up to the race start. For the wider FIA, this is an excellent initiative that provides additional support to our member ASNs in their efforts to grow motorsport worldwide through a unique reward they can make available to youngsters participating in their national series.”

    Sean Bratches, F1 Managing Director of Commercial Operations said: “This will be an extraordinary moment for these youngsters: imagine, standing beside their heroes, watch as they prepare to race, the elite of the elite in motorsport, to be there, alongside them in those precious few minutes just before the start. What an unforgettable experience, for them, and their families. An inspiration to keep driving, training and learning so that they can dream of one day being there themselves. What better way to inspire the next generation of Formula 1 heroes.”

    The Grid Kids will be chosen at every Formula 1 race, and where possible, also for the major feeder series like F2 and GP3. They will be accompanied by their immediate family who will have paddock access for race Sunday.

    ends/F1 /FOM release

  • Nicholas Latifi joins Sahara Force India as reserve and test driver for 2018

    Nicholas Latifi joins Sahara Force India as reserve and test driver for 2018

    Nicholas Latifi, the new test driver for 2018. Photo by Sahara Force India

    Sahara Force India is pleased to welcome Nicholas Latifi as the team’s reserve and test driver for the 2018 season. The 22-year-old Canadian, a race winner and nine-time F2 podium finisher in 2017, will take part in young driver test sessions and participate in a number of Friday practice sessions at Grand Prix events.

    Nicholas Latifi: “I’m really excited about the opportunity. Sahara Force India is a team that has shown constant improvement for the last few years and I’m proud to become a part of one of the success stories of Formula One. I am eager to show the team what I can do and help them as they continue to close the gap to the front of the grid.”

    Vijay Mallya, Team Principal & Managing Director of Sahara Force India: “Nicholas joins us off the back of a strong season in F2 and strengthens our driver development programme. He will support our simulator programme and work with the team during a number of Friday practice sessions next year. We have a long track record of bringing on young talented drivers and Nicholas will learn a huge amount as he gets embedded in the team, and looks forward to a career in Formula One.”