Category: Formula One

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Ferrari Review: Sebastian Vettel’s penalty not a talking point if Lewis Hamilton’s headrest had stayed attached

Baku City Circuit, Baku, Azerbaijan.
Sunday 25 June 2017.
World Copyright: Andy Hone/LAT Images
ref: Digital Image _ONY8206 via Pirelli media

Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton’s incident is unquestionably the hot topic of what was a crazy Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

For Ferrari it represents points lost in the Constructors’ Championship as Kimi Raikkonen retired after an eventful evening while Valtteri Bottas produced a comeback worthy of Felipe Massa to finish second behind eventual winner Daniel Ricciardo, after stealing extra points from Lance Stroll on the line.

Ultimately after a race containing more than a few melees Vettel gained on his title rival Hamilton by finishing fourth, a place ahead of the Brit, who had to pit from the lead to address a broken headrest.

So, I might as well get straight to it.

On lap 21 Lewis Hamilton appeared to slow slightly (Not brake) at turn 16 to prepare for the restart of the race after a Safety Car period for debris.

For whatever reason Vettel was wrong-footed and ran into Hamilton, angering the German.

While madly gesticulating in a return to last year’s red mist mayhem at Mexico, Vettel hit Hamilton with his hands off the steering wheel.

I would find it very difficult to believe that Vettel would risk his car in such a way as to deliberately wheel-bang into his rival.

At 50mph it is very easy to break the suspension of both your car and your target if you were to deliberately ram into another car.

What is more logical is that he simply wasn’t looking at his steering angle in his rush to perform hand-gymnastics in the direction of Hamilton.

And then there is the furore over the 10-second stop/go penalty that the stewards dished out on one of their busier days.

That cost Vettel half a minute, and was a fittingly severe penalty for a moment of stupidity from a vastly experienced World Champion.

It doubtlessly cost him the race victory.

The reason I say that is because no amount of F1 dodgems would have caused Hamilton’s headrest to become loose.

Without Hamilton’s strife Vettel would have lost at least 15 points and thus surrendered the lead of the World Drivers’ Championship, and with only himself to blame.

Had Hamilton not hit structural gremlins then precisely nobody would be calling Vettel’s penalty lenient, least of all the frustrated three-time champion – who branded Vettel a “disgrace.”

So yes, Vettel ended the race with upper hand but it had nothing to do with his lovetap of Hamilton’s Mercedes.

The punishment was announced at the same time that Hamilton pitted to fix his headrest, and that means it would have been decided beforehand.

So to then alter the punishment based on Hamilton’s issues would have been mind-bogglingly amateurish. They were rightly chastised with their handling of Daniil Kvyat’s penalty(ies) in Canada for parade lap infringements.

The stewards had to stick with what was the correct punishment.

The incident was at low-speed and because of aforementioned factors it was unclear just how deliberate the contact was bearing in mind Vettel wasn’t looking where he was going (The key shot is the onboard).

There have been far more heinous acts committed in a Formula One car, if not necessarily far more thoughtless ones.

The incident adds fire to what was a peaceful Drivers’ Championship fight. This could turn into a fight as heated as the Rosberg years.

Jack Prentice @JPrentice8

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Baku Quali Review

courtesy of Pirelli Motorsports

Lewis Hamilton secured his 66th career pole and his first around the Baku City Circuit thanks to a blistering 1:40.593 – meaning the title-chaser will start at the front of the grid at Sunday’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

The Brit had struggled for pace throughout all three practice sessions, including finishing down in 10th at the conclusion of FP2 on Friday, however stormed his way to the front of the pack after being able to take 0.4 seconds off teammate Valtteri Bottas in sector two, who will start alongside his fellow Silver Arrow on the front row of the grid.

It looked as if car number 44 was to suffer pain similar to that of Q3 12 months ago as Daniel Ricciardo clipped the exit of turn six in his Red Bull and forced a red flag leaving just over three minutes of the session remaining with everyone’s favourite Austrian Toto Wolff looking on concerned.

With good reason too, as throughout the day it had taken Mercedes at least two warm-up laps to turn on the soft compound tyres due to the low degradation.

However, the Merc boss needn’t have been, as after just one long out-lap Hamilton broke the 1:41 barrier for the first time of the day, snatching pole from his teammate Bottas who had topped the timesheets up until Ricciardo’s crash.

Behind them title rival Sebastian Vettel did not enjoy his afternoon and will start on the second row of the grid in fourth alongside fellow Ferrari Kimi Raikkonen, after a 1:41.841 and a 1:41.693 respectively were not enough to challenge either of the Silver Arrows.

The Italian prancing horse pairing will have to have their wits about them when the lights go green as Friday practice time-topper Max Verstappen will be looking for any small avenue to sneak through sitting in fifth.

The Dutchman was unable to match his great race-pace shown during FP1 and FP2, but may just fancy taking on the struggling Vettel after out-qualifying his teammate for the second race weekend in a row with the Australian starting 10th.

Alongside the youngster from Red Bull sits Force India’s Sergio Perez, but will not take the headlines in the paddock with the pink panther’s teammate Estaban Ococ securing his best ever grid position of P7 behind the Mexican.

Lance Stroll also recorded his best finish in F1 after out-qualifying his partner Felipe Massa by 0.035s, with the Williams duo beginning Sunday’s race P8 and P9 respectively.

Elsewhere McLaren’s Fernando Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne both exited quali during Q1, with the veteran ending up in 16th and the rookie only able to secure P19 after Renault’s Jolyon Palmer not featuring. However, neither really matter, as with the help of a 70-place grid penalty between them, both Honda-powered cars will be starting the race from the back of the grid.

By Joe Owens

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Azerbaijan a chance for Ferrari to atone for Canada

at Formula One World Championship, Rd7, Canadian Grand Prix, Qualifying, Montreal, Canada, Saturday 10 June 2017. Image courtesy of Pirelli Media

 

Canada was not a race that went to plan for Ferrari but in Azerbaijan the Prancing Horse have a chance to right the Montreal wrongs.

Sebastian Vettel had an eventful drive to fourth after losing bodywork and damaging his floor, passing both the Force India drivers Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon to provide spice to the race.

He did lose 13 points to title rival Lewis Hamilton, who won for the sixth time at the Circuit de Gilles Villeneuve.

Kimi Raikkonen was beaten up in the early stages of the race and fell to fifth, where he stayed for most of the race.

A decision to pit followed by braking issues meant he would limp home to seventh on a rare disappointing day for Ferrari.

Azerbaijan represents an opportunity for redemption for both men, as albeit in different cars the team showed solid form around the streets of Baku.

Sebastian Vettel finished a lonely second in the only other staging of the European Grand Prix to take place on the Caspian Coast, while Raikkonen was fourth after eventually losing out to Perez.

Fourth last time out is Vettel’s worst finish of the season and the only time the four-time champion has been off the podium in 2017.

By contrast bad luck and sometimes less pace has meant that Raikkonen remains winless since the Australian Grand Prix of 2013.

But we have seen shades of the old Kimi in recent times.

Pole position in Monaco suggests there is still some life left in the Iceman yet.

Ferrari remain confident that he can back up Vettel’s push for a fifth World Drivers’ Championship. And that starts with regaining form this weekend.

Jack Prentice

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Ricciardo: “lots of opportunities” for Red Bull in Baku

Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool

Daniel Ricciardo has said he believes the narrow, technical sections of Baku City Circuit should give him and teammate Max Verstappen plenty of optimism for this Sunday’s Grand Prix, despite the Azerbaijan track’s emphasis on top speed favouring Red Bull’s rivals.

Speaking ahead of the race, Ricciardo said “[Baku] doesn’t suit our car that much but there are lots of opportunities for things to happen. I think the circuit is definitely as tight as it looks and…there are a few interesting lines past the castle which adds to the toughness. The straight is so long that it gives you time to think, which is nice as the corners are technical and you really need to concentrate.

“Another street circuit is exciting for me as I really enjoy those types of tracks. I’m looking forward to having another go on it.”

Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool

Last year’s race in Baku was something of a mixed bag for Ricciardo: after crashing in first practice the Australian went on to qualify third ahead of both Ferraris, but in the race the RB12 fell behind the Mercedes power of Force India and Williams and Ricciardo could only finish in seventh.

His teammate fared little better, qualifying ninth and improving to just eighth behind Ricciardo after 51 laps, but Verstappen has also expressed his eagerness to return to Azerbaijan despite his struggles last year.

“Baku in my opinion is quite a special street circuit,” the Dutchman said. “It’s really unique in terms of having quite wide sections but also some of the tightest parts of track on the calendar. Sector 2 is tighter than parts of Monaco which has always been regarded as really narrow and challenging.

“When you drive up into the old town and past the castle it is fun and tricky but also amazing to watch as a spectator. That section of the track is my favourite.”

Realistically, Red Bull’s duo should be facing many of the same battles in Azerbaijan this year as in 2016, as the circuit’s long straights lift Williams and Force India up into the frame for the top six. However, thanks to a string of podium finishes from Ricciardo in the last three races, Red Bull currently enjoys a buffer of 41 points back to Force India in fourth, and is almost a hundred clear of Williams in sixth.

James Matthews, Deputy Editor

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“Maturing” Haas to build on consistency in Baku

Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal, Canada.
Saturday 10 June 2017.
World Copyright: Steven Tee/LAT Images
ref: Digital Image _O3I9191 courtesy of Haas F1 Team

The Haas F1 team has set its sights on scoring significant points at the upcoming Azerbaijan Grand Prix, having been buoyed by the increased consistency shown in its sophomore campaign.

So far in 2017, Haas has finished in the top ten in five out of seven races, already equalling its total number of points hauls for the whole of 2016 with thirteen Grands Prix still left to run. And although Haas currently has seven fewer points on the board than it did at this stage last year, it has seen a substantial improvement this season with both cars proven capable of scoring.

Speaking ahead of Baku, Haas team principal Guenther Steiner described the team’s 2017 scoresheet as proof that “the team is maturing”, and added that to build on that start the goal is now “to score more points each event, not just one or two points.”

Romain Grosjean, who has scored ten of the team’s fifteen points in 2017, echoed Steiner’s comments on Haas’ progression from its debut season: “I think from last year we’ve made some big steps forward in all places. We’re more consistent. We’ve been able to score more times than last year, which is good. There are still a lot of areas where we want to improve and we can improve.

“Generally, I’m very pleased with the way the team has been moving forward.”

Grosjean also said the team will be aiming to mirror its general improvement over the season with a step forward in Azerbaijan. The Frenchman finished only thirteenth in last year’s Baku race, but said that Haas ought to do better this year now that it has previous experience to work from: “We’ll look at what we did last year, what our setup was like, and what we could’ve done better in the race. I think we’ve got some ideas and we’ll apply that with the deltas of this year.”

Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal, Canada.
Friday 09 June 2017.
World Copyright: Andy Hone/LAT Images
ref: Digital Image _ONZ0572 courtesy of Haas F1 Team

Kevin Magnussen is also hunting his first points at the City of Winds on Sunday, having finished close behind Grosjean in fourteenth when driving for Renault last year, but says he is not concerned that returning to the track with a whole new generation of cars will present too great a challenge.

“Now I know the track…coming back this year will be easier to adjust,” the Dane said. “A couple of corners might be easy flat now, maybe even Turn 13 will be flat now, which it wasn’t last year. That will be a cool experience.

“It’s going to be fun. We’re going to be a bit slower on the straights [than last year], so I suspect Baku might be one of the tracks where we’re not going to be that much faster than the old cars, but it’s still going to be massively fun and challenging in the corners.”

Haas will enter the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in eighth place in the Constructors’ Championship, just three points behind next-highest Renault and fourteen points adrift of Toro Rosso in fifth.

James Matthews, Deputy Editor

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Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Will Hamilton overtake Vettel in Baku?

 

GP EUROPA F1/2016 – BAKU (AZERBAIJAN) 19/06/2016
© FOTO STUDIO COLOMBO PER PIRELLI MEDIA (© COPYRIGHT FREE)

Azerbaijan and Austria are the two final stops for the teams and Formula 1 drivers before the summer break. Most of the teams have arrived in Baku and setting up their garages for the upcoming race.

Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas secured Mercedes first 1-2, this season, after seven races in Canada and scored crucial points for the championship. Lewis Hamilton remained close to Sebastian Vettel in the drivers’ championship and Mercedes is now leading in constructors’ battle followed by Ferrari.

Baku is the newest circuit in Formula One calendar, it made its debut in 2016 and Nico Rosberg was the driver who took the first chequered flag in the street track.

The track was designed by the German architect Hermann Tilke, one of the most experienced and recognised architects in the Motorsport family. The track combines high speed parts with slow corners, which makes it one of the most fascinating street circuits.

Max Verstappen – “Baku in my opinion is quite a special street circuit, it’s really unique in terms of having quite wide sections but also some of the tightest parts of track on the calendar. Sector 2 is tighter than parts of Monaco which has always been regarded as really narrow and challenging. When you drive up into the old town and past the castle it is fun and tricky but also amazing to watch as a spectator. That section of the track is my favourite, the straight is quick but seems to go on for a long time and gives you a chance to relax a bit. As the hotel is really nice and new as well as being situated right next to the paddock I didn’t manage to get out and have a look around last year. The old town is fun to drive so I think I should try and get up there one evening this year and see what else it has in store.”

Baku City Circuit

Laps: 51

Circuit Length: 6.003 km

Race Length: 306.049 km

Lap Record: 1:46.485 (Nico Rosberg – 2016)

Pirelli announced the tyre compounds for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the teams will be able to use the white (medium), soft (yellow) and supersoft (red) compounds.

Mercedes and Ferrari selected the same sets of tyres, whilst Red Bull decided to have two sets of medium and three sets of soft, one less from the Mercedes and Ferrari.

The two DRS zones are spotted close to each other, the first one is at the starting straight and the second zone is after the first two corners.

Kevin Magnussen – “I never tried the Baku City Circuit in a simulator before actually racing there. It was a cool experience to just go on a track you don’t even have 100 percent idea which way the corners are going. I really had to learn the circuit from scratch. It was a cool experience and the track was really cool. I’m looking forward to going back again. It’s going to be fun. The corners are going to be faster this year because of the increased downforce. We’re going to be a bit slower on the straights, so I suspect Baku might be one of the tracks where we’re not going to be that much faster than the old cars, but it’s still going to be massively fun and challenging in the corners.”

In Monaco Ferrari had an advantage compared to Mercedes, Baku has not the same outline with Monaco but both are street circuits and they have similar characteristics. I am expecting a strong Ferrari and a close battle between Hamilton and Vettel.

Victor Archakis

Follow me on Twitter for more: @FP_Passion

(Images courtesy of Pirelli F1 Media)

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Sainz and Haas in war of words over Canada collision

Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool

Carlos Sainz and Haas team boss Günther Steiner have become engaged in a war of words after the former crashed into Haas driver Romain Grosjean on the opening lap of the Canadian Grand Prix.

The incident eliminated Sainz from the race straight away, as he lost control of his Toro Rosso and collected the Williams of Felipe Massa as well before ending up in the Turn 3 wall himself. Grosjean however was able to continue and finished in tenth place, albeit after pitting for repairs and putting on a fresh set of supersoft tyres for the remaining laps.

After the race, Sainz issued an apology via Twitter to both Grosjean and Massa, saying that “Romain was simply on my blind spot and [I] never got to see him. Glad we are all OK!”

He later clarified his remarks when talking to the media, insisting that the limitations of his rear-view mirrors were partly to blame for the clash:

“We’ve been complaining [about rear-view mirrors] all year. We all know what’s happening this year with the low rear wings, having the mirrors just in front of us doesn’t give you a clear picture of what’s going on around you.”

He also added that he hopes the FIA takes notice and “finds a solution for this kind of thing.”

Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal, Canada.
Sunday 11 June 2017.
World Copyright: Glenn Dunbar/LAT Images
ref: Digital Image _X4I8582 via Haas F1 Team

Steiner, however, dismissed Sainz’ explanation, and countered that “If he knew before [the mirrors] were too small, [Toro Rosso] should have changed them.

“You can’t say, ‘Oh my mirrors are too small and I can’t see, but I keep on using them!’ That is not our problem. If he has got too small mirrors, that is quite a dull excuse.”

The Sainz-Grosjean collision was one half of a generally unhappy race for the Haas team, in which Kevin Magnussen finished a lap down in twelfth position after being penalised for passing Stoffel Vandoorne under Virtual Safety Car conditions.

James Matthews, Deputy Editor

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Red Bull Racing and an abundance of drivers

 

Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool

Daniel Ricciardo. Max Verstappen. Carlos Sainz Jr. Daniil Kvyat. Pierre Gasly.

The number of names on Red Bull’s books is extensive. The Red Bull Junior Team they were all a part of, or are currently part of, has been phenomenally successful, more so than the development program of any other team; particularly in terms of the talent graduating to Formula 1. Its history stretches back longer than the lifespan of Red Bull Racing itself, with the latter entering Formula 1 in 2005 and the junior program being created four years prior. And while many teams would love to have so many promising drivers under their wing, it is proving to be more of a problem for Red Bull than they might originally have hoped.

The obvious problem is that the Red Bull program can only offer their drivers four seats in Formula 1, which admittedly, is two more than most teams can. But only two of these are in a top team, and a competitive race seat is always the ultimate goal of any driver wishing to make it in F1. And here, Red Bull is the one who loses out. They are left with too many drivers and too few seats, with no hope of holding on to all of their prospects.

Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool

As it currently stands Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen look absolutely set in their Red Bull seats, with the Australian’s contract lasting until the end of 2018, and Verstappen rumoured to have signed a long-term deal when he switched to the Austrian team last year. That means that—for next season, at very least—the two of them will stay right where they are.

What 2018 has in store for Toro Rosso’s Daniil Kvyat, Carlos Sainz Jr and Red Bull’s third driver Pierre Gasly is a little more uncertain. Toro Rosso have not declared who will be driving for them next year, and have indicated that they do not plan to do so until after the summer break. While in an ideal world they would probably like to keep Sainz and Kvyat, as both drivers are more than capable of bringing home the results that the team needs and wants, the situation is unfortunately not as simple for the Italian team as renewing their contracts.

After three years at the junior team, it is unlikely that Sainz will be happy staying there for a fourth. A driver who could match Verstappen while the two were teammates, he has both the speed and talent necessary to challenge for race wins at the least and world championships at the most, were he in a top team. Many in the Formula 1 paddock are of the opinion he is wasted at a midfield team like Toro Rosso. The Spaniard has proved to Red Bull again and again that he is ready to move up to the senior team, and whilst they would take him in a heartbeat if there was a free seat, that is precisely the issue.

Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool

Ricciardo and Verstappen are two drivers no team would want to get rid of, no matter how promising the replacement might seem. As much as Red Bull might want to keep him in their stable most would agree that it is too much to ask him to stay at Toro Rosso for a fourth year. The question of where Sainz could move to is very much up in the air. Renault, Ferrari and even Mercedes are all names that have been thrown around, but as of now, it is anyone’s guess which car Carlos Sainz Jr will be driving next year.

The career of Daniil Kvyat is another matter entirely. After being demoted from his seat at Red Bull in 2016, many were not expecting to see him on the grid at all this season. There were some very strong rumours that if Pierre Gasly did manage to win the 2016 GP2 title (which, incidentally, he did) then Kvyat’s seat would be his. But against all odds the Russian managed to regain some form in the second half of the season, and retained his seat at Toro Rosso. It is hard to imagine that Kvyat would want to stay there long term, especially after having a taste of a season and a half in a top team, even if he was thrown in the deep end after Vettel’s departure. And given the year he had being shuffled from team to team, no one would blame him for wanting to start afresh somewhere else.

A driver leaving the Red Bull system for another Formula 1 team is not a simple case of running down their contract and packing their bags. The contracts that drivers sign, often even before reaching adulthood, are notoriously difficult to get out of. Unless drivers have the funds or leverage to negotiate their way out of their contract (à la Sebastian Vettel), they are very much at the mercy of Red Bull, who can let them go if they wish.

Dutch Photo Agency/Red Bull Content Pool

This is part of the problem that faces young Frenchman Pierre Gasly. The 21-year-old, who is currently racing in Super Formula for Team Mugen, at one point looked certain to replace Kvyat for the 2017 at Toro Rosso. But even after battling his way to a closely fought GP2 title in 2016, Gasly found himself without a way into Formula 1, and was sent off to race in Japan, in a situation similar to that of current McLaren driver Stoffel Vandoorne in 2016. Firmly tied into the Red Bull structure, his only real option is Toro Rosso, but only on the proviso that either Sainz or Kvyat leaves. With a strong junior record and a lot of support given to him by Red Bull, Gasly is surely next in line. But playing the waiting game is never easy. By the end of the season it may be that Gasly goes in search of a drive in another category of the top flight of motorsport.

The most likely outcome for 2018 is that Sainz is given the go ahead to move on from Toro Rosso and Gasly takes his place there. But do not discount either Ricciardo or Verstappen leaving to find their first championship title, and Sainz moving up to that top team seat he has been gunning for. Whatever fate has in store for Red Bull and their current crop of drivers, few would bet that they will manage to retain all of them by the end of the year.

Georgia Beith, F2 Correspondent

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Canadian Grand Prix: Ferrari pegged back by resurgent Mercedes

at Formula One World Championship, Rd7, Canadian Grand Prix, Qualifying, Montreal, Canada, Saturday 10 June 2017.

 

If Monaco was the race in which everything went right for Ferrari, the Canadian Grand Prix was the exact opposite.

Arriving in Montreal on a high after a 1-2 in Vettel’s favour with Hamilton only seventh in the principality, the Scuderia were confident that they could repeat their form in North America.

Second and fourth for Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen in qualifying put a damp towel on those expectations, but it was just the start of a frustrating weekend.

At the start, Verstappen’s jet-propelled Red Bull got ahead of and subsequently hit Vettel’s front wing as Sainz and Massa collided to bring the Safety Car out.

Vettel’s front wing was badly damaged with debris hitting his floor also hampering him for the race.

The German elected to pit two laps after the Safety Car period on lap 5, and bolted on the supersoft tyres. He emerged down in 17th position. Meanwhile, Raikkonen ran wide at turn seven and lost out to Perez.

At the front Mercedes were comfortable, Hamilton and Bottas pulling away after the retirement of second placed Max Verstappen with battery failure on lap 11.

This was just the tonic for a poor Monaco Grand Prix.

Vettel’s determined drive earned him fourth place eventually after some masterful overtaking including a move on the inside of Esteban Ocon as he attacked Force India teammate Sergio Perez with five laps to go.

That result represents something of a save, as Hamilton took 13 points out of Vettel as opposed to the 19 Vettel took off the Brit in Monaco.

Raikkonen meanwhile had to limp home to seventh, after his brakes wore out towards the end. The Iceman was a little hot under the collar after an off at the final chicane, but held off the charging Nico Hulkenberg.

Formula One’s second visit to Azerbaijan in two weeks looks set to follow the rest of the season in being on a knife edge.

Jack Prentice

Image Credit: Pirelli Media

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