Gary Winfield has said that his Anvil Hire Tag Racing Yamaha team have “proved everyone wrong” in 2017, following the sensational success of BSB returnee, Josh Brookes.
The privateer team, which runs out of Swadlincote in Derbyshire, has had an incredible season, achieving their first ever win in the Superbike class, courtesy of Josh Brookes at Thruxton. As well as that, there has been one other win for the Australian – at Silverstone – and also six other podiums.
“Well this is it, the final round of the season, the last three races of the year and 32 points separates us from the championship lead. It’s going to be a big ask, but that is what everyone said at the start of the year, and look at us now”, began a determined Winfield, who is the team manager of his father’s team.
“The points gap won’t stop us trying, we’ve come this far and we won’t be giving in. We’ll be pushing Leon all the way, giving him a bigger headache each time we head out on track”, he continued.
Winfield continued to state how impressed he is with the whole of his team in 2017. It is easy to forget amidst the success of the outfit this season, that they only scored three points in the whole of 2016.
“I need to put on record how proud I am of everyone involved, this year we’ve proved everyone wrong, and we still can this weekend. I don’t need to say anything about Josh, he’s been a class act all year, he’s going to be fully focussed from the word go at Brands and we hope he’ll bring home the goods come Sunday evening.
“Shaun is ready to fight again, he’s rested up well and is fully fit again for this weekend after the crash he had at Assen. Points is what we expect from him to end his season on a high.”
For those at home wishing to watch the final chapter of the 2017 British Superbike Championship unfold, you can tune into Quest TV (free-to-air) on both Saturday and Sunday.
The Asian leg of Ferrari’s and Sebastian Vettel’s title bid has seen their title challenge hit the buffers somewhat.
After a double-DNF in Singapore when Vettel and teammate Kimi Raikkonen sandwiched the Red Bull of Max Verstappen at the start, Raikkonen failed to make the grid at the Malaysian Grand Prix.
Vettel started last after engine problems in qualifying there and his pace through the race as he rose to fourth suggested all was not lost, despite a 34-
point gap to Lewis Hamilton going into the Japanese Grand Prix.
At Suzuka, a promising start to the weekend once again unravelled. Vettel’s spark plug issues pre-race were solved for all of half a lap before they returned, and neither an out-of-position Raikkonen nor a hard-charging Verstappen could prevent Hamilton’s third win in four races.
Vettel is now 59 points behind Hamilton with just four races, and 100 points, left this season.
This was the season that was meant to finally return silverware to Maranello after nine years without any kind of end-of-season honours for Ferrari.
While the car has shown ultimate pace, particularly around more technical circuits, Mercedes’ knowhow and coolness appears to have seen off the challenge from Italy.
Vettel needs to put together a run not seen since his record-breaking nine-race winning streak in 2013 to have even half a chance of matching Juan Manuel Fangio’s total of five World Championships this season.
Vettel may look to lost points in the British Grand Prix, where from third he lost four places and nine points due to a puncture, or strategy calls in China and Spain that didn’t quite come off.
Quite simply, Mercedes have succeeded where on Hamilton’s car they failed last year, with robotic consistency and bulletproof reliability.
Having a co-operative teammate this time around has certainly helped too.
Steve Etherington / Mercedes-AMG Petronas
Where in 2016 Champion Nico Rosberg there was eventually a man willing to fight his own corner and scrap for every point over his teammate, Valtteri Bottas has certainly followed the rules.
It is that teamwork that has subtly won Hamilton points over the course of this season.
So, there we have it.
It might not be the last-race decider that everyone had predicted, and hoped for, but it has twisted, turned, thrilled and occasionally spilled.
While Mercedes have once again got it right, it is far from the end of the story for Ferrari.
Add Red Bull’s improved form to the mix and 2018 could be something special.
Last year during The Nicky Grist Stages, Chris Wheeler suffered a big accident. He very kindly agreed to have a chat with me about his recovery and the rebuild of himself and his DS3 R3.
Chris looks pretty happy!
Warren
Your accident was last year in June, if my memory serves me correctly?
Chris
My accident was in July last year on Epynt. This year have been a rebuild year, using just small events to get my confidence back while the DS3 has been rebuilt.
Warren
Yes, a good thing to do. Back in your Fiesta. Must have been a bit of a shock, after the high tech DS3?
Chris
The DS3 is a completely different world compared to the Fiesta, it has been enjoyable to drive but it has been a shock to the system. On the Stages it feels like the time is just bleeding away down the straight’s as it is under-powered compared to the DS3, but it has been the ideal way to get back into a rally car & get my pace built up again.
Warren
Yes, it was a good plan indeed. Tell me, did your dad co-drive you when you first started? He’s been alongside you through all the events this year.
Chris
When I first started, I did not have my dad co-drive for me, I had a family friend sit in with me first of all before Yan came along. This has been the first year that my dad has sat with me.
Warren
Ah, that must have been interesting!
Chris
It has been very interesting season, even though it’s been dad’s first season in the car with me he has done a great job getting me through the stages.
Warren
Would you say you’ve got closer because of it, or were you very close anyway?
Chris
We were close anyway before this season as we do work together on a daily basis but if anything it has made us closer together.
Warren
That’s good. Just thinking about the car rebuild then- What did you first think when you first saw the damage to it?
Chris
I first saw the damage when I got lifted out of the car soon after the accident, I got the doctors to turn me round so I could look back at the car, I was devastated once I saw it. My personal opinion was that it would never go again, but luckily, I am proved wrong.
Warren
I think I can imagine that. When did the work start to rebuild the car?
Chris
The work started just one week after the accident, & has been a long & hard journey since then to get the car running again.
Warren
Wow, yes. 15 months? Could you list what was done?
Chris
To list the full, rebuild but would take too long. Here’s a few ideas, Complete new feline end right up to the windscreen. Bumper, bonnet, windscreen, engine, radiator, gearbox, under guard, water pipes, scuttle, the roof had to be done to get them dents out & also the rear quarter of the car.
Warren
Yes, I realised when I asked that one that it might be a long list… Who did the work to get him stage ready?
Chris
All work was done by my dad to get this car ready again, every weekend putting in a lot of hours to get me back out there again.
Warren
Oh, wow. Just to ask, what is the feline end?
Chris
Opps sorry, autocorrect, meant to say front end.
Warren
Ah, hahaha!
Chris
Haha that’s phones for you.
Warren
Definitely! Just thinking back to the beginning, did your dad think the car could be rebuilt?
What a cool car. Ready for the night stages!
Chris
It was touch & go for a while, nothing was ever certain until our first test to see if the car would handle & steer straight. Once we got our testing, it all became worth while, the car is perfect & now ready to go!
Warren
Right, so until you actually drove him, you didn’t really know for definite if was going to be okay?
Chris
No, it was never certain until our first test, we were confident, but never certain.
Warren
Okay. Thinking then about the test, where did you go and did you have a list of things to kind of tick off?
Chris
We tested at Llandow Race Circuit in South Wales. This was just a small track but it was enough to test the car & to get myself confident with the car again. Once we started we could test the steering, brakes, suspension, performance & also the set-up of the car. We did everything possible & it all went to plan. We now will be testing for the build-up of 2018.
Warren
Of, course, it wasn’t just the car that needed rebuilding. You weren’t in a good way either after the accident.
Chris
At the time I had a broken knee, my left knee had a crack the whole way through the knee, also I had torn all my ligaments, had internal bleeding all in the same knee. I had internal bruising across my chest & in my middle to lower back. I was in a huge amount of pain. It took me six weeks to walk. My body took around three months to be semi normal again & I have also been using 2017 to get fit again & let my body rebuild over the course of the year.
Warren
That’s excellent news. Now, when do you plan to have your next test and what’s happening about co-drivers?
Chris
We will hopefully be testing again in November. Late this year/early next year we will be running a test with a few Co-Drivers to see who I get on with in & outside the car & also a test to see how well they do on the notes.
Warren
Good to hear. I guess that you won’t know which event you’ll enter yet, or have you got something in mind?
Chris
We have a few things in mind for 2018, we have a good idea of where we will be heading but we will have it confirmed this side of the Christmas break.
Warren
Ah, okay. Brilliant. Great stuff.
Chris
Should be a big year ahead.
Warren
Now, perhaps you could give a bit of detail as to how different the Fiesta and DS3 are to drive?
Chris
The Fiesta is far easier to drive compared to the DS3. First of all the Fiesta is a H Shift gearbox and the DS3 is paddle shift, with the Fiesta you do have to use to clutch to change gears, but the DS3 is six speed & you can change gears without using a clutch making the gear changes without any loss of time.
The DS3 has a turbo charger too, the power is far more advanced & to top it off has a few different modes on the car which controls which surface you’re on, how much anti lag you’d like & if you’re on a road section or stage.
The Fiesta on the other hand has none of this. It’s a simple get in & go. The other big difference with the DS3, is once the car is started which isn’t easy in itself as there is no key to turn (all done my switches & buttons) the DS has to warm up properly before moving, otherwise it does not like to select gear or even begin to work properly without being up to temperature. There are major differences between the two, even down to set up, tyre choices to use, compound of tyres & suspension set ups. It goes into a huge amount of detail.
Chris Wheeler with his rebuilt Citroen DS3 R3
Warren
Finally, is there anything you’d like to add?
Chris
I’d just like to add a thank you my dad for all his hard work rebuilding the car which we thought was gone for good & also for doing a good job all year on the pacenotes getting me through this Southern Championship.
Warren
Thanks for your time Chris. It’s been a pleasure talking to you.
Here’s a video of Chris testing his rebuilt Citroen DS3
Ever had the feeling that you’re sticking with someone (or something) purely to see if things will get better or not?
I’m in this situation currently, and don’t worry, everything’s rosy in my personal life, but a long time love affair of mine is soon to come to an end it seems. Like the Righteous Brothers, I’ve lost that loving feeling.
I’ll cut to the chase, I’ve been watching Formula One for 15 years, and in those 15 years I’ve staunchly stuck by F1. Even after the US Grand Prix debacle in 2005, when my favourite drivers Michael Schumacher, Jenson Button et al departed. But now I’m struggling to find any enthusiasm for my beloved sport.
Sure this is a tad dramatic and over the top, but I’ve spoken to a few people who’ve suffered the same fate, so I aren’t alone.
I’ve been following the British Touring Car Championship closely this season, article on that to come, and I’ve enjoyed watching that both live and in replays on TV a lot more than I’ve enjoyed F1 in a long time.
I used to religiously watch every session, eyes bolted to the TV, and I’d even watch the highlights a few hours later. But this season I can honestly say I’ve watched two maybe three races live, and even then I’ve struggled to stay enthused. I’d rather see how people are reacting to it on Twitter, because it’s more fun.
What I don’t know is, is why now? I’ve seen some of the worst of F1 in these last few years, the sad deaths of Jules Bianchi and Maria De Villota, scandal after scandal, and dominance aplenty, with Ferrari, Red Bull and Mercedes all enjoying spells during my time with the sport.
I’ve also endured races being built up as the second coming but turning into damp squibs before my eyes. Case in point being the recent Singapore GP. Ferrari were tipped to be stronger and take the fight to Lewis Hamilton. However neither Prancing Horse saw the first corner, and Lewis romped to victory.
I’m not saying this is the end for us, I’ll still watch and keep up with F1. I mean I can name every champion ever In just over a minute (it’s my party trick), and I have so much knowledge about it that to put that to waste would be a shame.
I’ve complained a lot but I’ve seen some magnificent stuff too. May I present the 2011 Canadian Grand Prix? Four hours of F1, resulting in Jenson Button snatching victory from Sebastian Vettel on the very last lap after being sent to the back of the pack twice. Races like that realise how good F1 can be.
I’ll still watch, but I don’t think I’ll be as enthused as I once was, unless like in all classic love stories it does something to make me stay. Again, a tad dramatic but that’s me, all bells and whistles.
I’ll stick to watching archive footage from a time gone by, much like my music taste, I fear I was born at the wrong time. Now I hear you sharpening your anti-millennial pitchforks. “I was born in the wrong generation,” a typical phrase nowadays, but genuinely, I know how lucky I am to be alive now and not then, but it’s hard not to wonder what would have happened if I was.
What I’d have given to watch greats like Graham Hill, Jim Clark, Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, and so on live and in the flesh.
Anyway, that’s enough of this, I have faith in the sport I’ve followed religiously, and I don’t think it’s time to cancel my F1 Racing subscription just yet. Though like Vettel’s 2017 title chances, it’s very much in the last chance saloon.
Running as the main event this weekend in Jerez, Formula 2 seemed determined to offer up drama and madness to the very last lap of the very last race. And if the on track action was not enough, Jerez provided us with the crowning of the series’ first champion, as Charles Leclerc secured the title on Saturday bagging himself back to back GP3 and Formula 2 championships in his bid to earn himself a seat on the 2018 Formula 1 grid.
His qualifying performance on Friday saw him take his eighth pole position of the season, officially equalling Stoffel Vandoorne’s record for the most poles in a season of GP2/F2. Lining up beside him was Russian Time’s Luca Ghiotto, who was looking for a late season surge to seal the Vice-Champion title. And behind them was MP Motorsport’s Sergio Sette Camara, the youngest driver in the field who has hit his form since his win in Belgium. Likely to Leclerc’s relief, his nearest rival Oliver Rowland only managed fourth in qualifying. Knowing that he needed to outscore Leclerc to stay in contention, Rowland had made his job a little harder than it needed to be.
The start of Saturday’s feature race went exactly to plan for Leclerc, who pulled away and began building a gap between himself and the rest of the field almost immediately. With perhaps a hint of desperation, but all the guts and determination worthy of a championship contender, Rowland overtook Sette Camara in the opening laps in an aggressive move that was entirely necessary to keep his title hopes alive. He set about trying to find away past Ghiotto, but while he battled away with the Italian, Leclerc was storming away in front. Eventually he found a way past on lap eleven, with a stunning move coming into turn one, but by this point, Leclerc was several seconds up the road.
Photo: Andrew Ferraro/FIA Formula 2
The first round of pit stops began on lap seven, but the leader did not pit until lap twelve, followed closely by Rowland. While Leclerc was able to inherit the net lead of the race, with only the drivers running the alternate strategy ahead of him, Rowland found himself stuck behind Camara and Albon, both of whom had successfully undercut him. It was around this time, when everyone was completing their first pit stops, that it became apparent that the DRS system was not working correctly after it became disabled for seemingly no reason. Whilst not detrimental to the race, it would turn out to be the first in a sizeable list of malfunctions that would occur over the weekend.
After cutting his way through the field, Leclerc retook the lead of the race on lap twenty-one, with Rowland trying to follow, but struggling due to the greater number of drivers he had to overtake. And despite the Brit setting several blistering lap times in his pursuit of the Ferrari junior driver, he couldn’t quite find the pace to close up the gap fully.
The race almost looked like it would run its course to an untroubled end, with Leclerc taking the title comfortably. That was until there was contact between Santino Ferrucci and Nobuharu Matsushita on lap thirty-two which, after a lap’s delay in which not even a single yellow flag was waved (despite debris on track and Ferrucci’s car beached in the gravel at turn one), the safety car was deployed.
Photo: Zak Mauger/FIA Formula 2
As the field bunched together and Leclerc lost the advantage he had worked so hard to gain, it became apparent that some of the late stoppers might be able to use their fresher tyres to make a last minute dash for the podium positions, and possibly even the win. But the real headache for the front runners was the fact that the lapped cars of Sean Gelael and Louis Deletraz either would not or could not, unlap themselves and found themselves caught in the middle of the battle between Leclerc and Rowland with the championship at stake.
To make matters worse when racing resumed neither car was shown blue flags and began to battle with the frontrunners, making it so much harder for Rowland to catch Leclerc, who had bolted at the restart. Rowland even came under pressure from Leclerc’s teammate Antonio Fuoco who had made a stunning recovery drive from fifteenth on the grid and benefitted massively from the late safety car to eventually finish third.
In the end Charles Leclerc was only 0.2 seconds ahead of Rowland when he crossed the line. But it was enough to take the title with three races to spare, an achievement he duly dedicated to his late father after clinching victory in a tribute helmet modelled after one of his father’s own.
Photo: Andrew Ferraro/FIA Formula 2
Formula 2 debutante Alex Palou, racing for Campos in place of Robert Visoiu, took reverse grid pole for Sunday’s sprint race after completing the impressive feat of scoring points on debut. After a delayed start due to a broken down safety car, the race got underway about fifteen minutes later than planned, with Palou making a perfect start and managing to pull away as the rest of the field formed a train behind him.
The feature race on Saturday had proved that while some teams suited the medium tyres (the compound all drivers start on in sprint races), others, including Prema, found it incredibly difficult to maintain any consistent speed with them, and struggled badly for grip. That led to a series of pit stops, which are ordinarily only taken if unavoidable due to the low number of laps in a sprint race.
Amongst the stoppers were the Prema teammates, who, after making their way up to fourth and fifth, found themselves slipping down the order, and crucially behind the DAMS and Russian Times drivers, who they are now fighting with for the team’s championship. And the switch to the soft tyre proved to be the right one. Both Leclerc and Fuoco were posting lap times that were around three seconds quicker than the cars in front of them.
While the Prema pair tried to work their way back through the field Nicholas Latifi and Markelov had closed the gap to Palou who was also beginning to struggle with his tyres. The ensuing battle between the three of them allowed Rowland, who was running in fourth place, to join the fray.
Photo: Zak Mauger/FIA Formula 2
Though Palou coped well under the enormous pressure being applied by the more experienced drivers he was finally passed by Markelov, who had used his uncanny ability to manage his tyres to kick his pace up a gear with just a handful of laps to go. Palou would eventually fall from the podium places with the DAMS drivers Latifi and Rowland able to score a double podium for their team, and the Spaniard would ultimately finish in eighth place.
Markelov would be able to pull away and win by a stunning margin of eleven seconds earned through pitch perfect strategy and timing. Though both Fuoco and Leclerc did make it back into the points, the overtaking and fighting took it out of their softer tyres, and the best the new champion could do was seventh place, which his teammate leading him home in fifth, with Nyck de Vries sandwiched between them. Despite being run off the track on the first lap and having the fight his way from plumb last, Luca Ghiotto made a single stop strategy work for him as well to make an excellent recovery to finish in fourth place.
Photo: Zak Mauger/FIA Formula 2
It will come as a surprise to few to see Charles Leclerc wrap up the championship so emphatically with a round to spare, but that does not mean there is nothing left to play for when Formula 2 returns in Abu Dhabi for its final two races of 2017. The question of who will take home the title of vice-champion still remains unanswered, and while it may seem like something of a consolation, second and third place in the championship each come with forty super license points – the number required to be eligible for a FIA super license and to be able to compete in Formula 1.
The battle to win the F2 team’s title is also incredibly close, with Prema, DAMS and Russian Time all within six points of each other. It’s anyone’s guess as to who will take home that prize when the chequered flag falls on the sprint race in Abu Dhabi.
Lewis Hamilton’s second place at the Malaysian Grand Prix coupled with Sebastian Vettel’s fourth meant that the Brit extended his lead in the World Drivers’ Championship to 34 points.
But that doesn’t begin to tell the story of this and indeed the previous race in Singapore.
Vettel missed the last ever qualifying at the Sepang International Circuit, despite an attempt at an installation lap, due to a Power Unit issue.
Consequently, he started last while Hamilton started pole. Hamilton himself was meant to be flanked by Vettel’s teammate Kimi Raikkonen.
That never happened as the Finn’s turbo failed and he never even made it to the grid.
Game over?
Well, no.
Red Bull have put themselves back into the reckoning over the previous two races, with Daniel Riccardo close in Singapore and Max Verstappen also back on the pace.
Verstappen was quick all weekend in Malaysia and, once past Hamilton in the early stages of the race, simply disappeared into the distance.
While all this was going on, Vettel was making his way up the order and the off-colour Valtteri Bottas was easily dealt with. A late attack on Ricciardo for third was eventually blunted, but the race was a show of force from Ferrari that still has Hamilton worrying.
Singapore and Malaysia are two completely different circuits, and despite the results, Ferrari have shown themselves to be considerably quicker at both of them.
For Vettel, that form will have to carry on over the last five races, not least because of a possible grid penalty for a potential gearbox change after a bizarre post-race collision with Lance Stroll’s Williams.
As for the title race, don’t count your chickens just yet.
2017 Singapore Grand Prix, Sunday – Wolfgang Wilhelm
Ferrari has ruined their best chance at winning a driver’s title since 2013 and their first constructor’s title since 2008, it was always going to be a bit of a stretch due to Raikkonen being fourth best out of the two teams, he even finds himself behind Ricciardo in the championship.
Since the hybrid era began, Singapore has been a track on which Mercedes had never been able to adapt, other teams were able to be much closer to them than they are at other circuits. Nico Rosberg did break the trend last year, but if the race was slightly longer then Ricciardo may have got him on fresh rubber. It seemed a case of deja vu for the silver arrows team once more with them locking out the third row and Vettel producing probably the best lap of his life to beat the two Red Bulls who had looked mighty around the floodlit streets. Raikkonen was once again in fourth, looking like a rear gunner.
The weather had been temperamental all weekend, with heavy showers duringthe day and even an almighty monsoon during Saturday afternoon. This was officially the first ever wet night race, as the rain came and went in the build-up to the race It was pretty much decided that with 10-15 minutes to go that the track was wet enough for intermediates, some decided to go on full wets, even in the dry this is a track that keeps you on your toes, especially as it continues to have a very high chance of a safety car.
The calm before the storm came as they lined up in their grid positions, the lights went out and away they went. Raikkonen and Hamilton made the best start of the top teams, Vettel and Ricciardo were rather tardy. Raikkonen went down the inside of Verstappen generally the safer route, whilst Hamilton went on the outside. Vettel much like his hero Schumacher decided to close the gap, very risky on a wet track, closing the door to where Verstappen could go. Vettel didn’t see what an amazing start Raikonnen made, so he was actually squeezing two cars which never would have worked. Verstappen was not in a bad position with only some front wing damage, but Raikkonen got damaged and was a passenger as he careered into Verstappen also collecting Alonso, and in the end, retiring the three. Vettel has also managed to continue, but not for long, his car was severely damaged, spewing out its fluids, spinning and hitting the wall. Hamilton must have thought all his Christmas’ had come at once at once, to find himself leading the race and realistically the only challenger forvictory would be Ricciardo. Hamilton was, as always, good in the changing conditions and was easily gaining time on the Aussie, radio messages weren’t broadcast but it seems early on he had a gearbox problem, more woe for Red Bull. He managed to get the car home but all Hamilton had to do was to keep it out of the wall.
Due to three safety car periods, the race lasted two hours rather than the full distance being completed, but full points were awarded. Hamilton won his 60th Grand Prix, and now has his eyes firmly set on a fourth world title, while Vettel still has it all to do. Vettel, Raikkonen and Verstappen were called individually to the stewards to investigate the first corner drama, The stewards could not point the finger at anyone but from the public response, Vettel was the catalyst in the situation. It was placed as a racing incident, many expecting a penalty for Vettel, but losing further points to Hamilton is punishment enough for the German.
Has the Championship already been decided? As the legendary Murray Walker would say ‘Anything can happen in Formula 1 and it usually does!’ Just look at Malaysia last year, Hamilton’s ‘No, No, No’ moment, when he was clear of the field. Singapore was a major turning point but is there one last twist in the 2017 season?
With the Singapore Grand Prix next on the calendar, most fans and pundits are focused on the close Drivers Championship battle between Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel. Discussions abound over which chassis is better suited to the Marina Bay circuit, which drivers will cope better with the heat, possibly tyre strategies, and the like. Underneath all the excitement lies the fact that this may be the last time that the Lion City hosts a Grand Prix. Though the 2018 calendar lists Singapore provisionally on 16 September, the current contract expires this year and hasn’t yet been renewed.
It would be foolish for Liberty Media and Singapore GP Pte Ltd to miss the opportunity to renew. The benefits are too great to both sides, and losing the Singapore Grand Prix would be a blow not only to Formula One, but to Singapore as well.
While there are other city circuits on the calendar, the nighttime schedule brings a wealth of character and spectacle to the race. The Marina Bay circuit is challenging, and popular with television viewers, drivers, the media, advertisers – it seems that everyone loves Singapore.
Singapore benefits greatly from this love. Formula One has a significant halo effect, raising the profile and prestige of Singapore by showcasing the city to a global audience. Tourism obviously benefits, but beyond tourism there are a host of ancillary business and networking opportunities found at a Grand Prix. It’s a glamorous event, and the highly competitive nature of the sport attracts highly competitive individuals from many other sectors. While the global television feed tends to focus on recognizable faces in entertainment and sport, many other powerful and influential figures are to be found in attendance. Significant deals are often begun during the race weekend.
The net economic benefit? A cool $1 billion over 10 years from the race itself, and another $1 billion in increased tourism and investment, even taking into account the lost retail sales, traffic congestion, and other tourism losses during the event.
Singaporeans in turn are glad for the Grand Prix. According to a YouGov poll, close to 70% of Singaporeans think that the Grand Prix has been positive for Singapore, and 57% want to see the race continue. Indeed, many Singaporeans who aren’t Formula One fans recognize these benefits and believe that the race is worth keeping. Even with the disruptions, the Singaporeans who are directly affected feel that as long as the Grand Prix helps raise Singapore’s profile in the region and the world, and as long as it continues to drive tourism and foreign spending, they’ll manage. It doesn’t hurt that around 80% of the spending on the event goes directly into the local economy. Local firms are involved in every aspect of the event, from circuit setup, to security, to transport.
It’s clear that reasons abound for Singapore to press for renewal, but there are compelling reasons for Formula One as well. With Malaysia out of the picture, Singapore is the sole location in Southeast Asia to host a Grand Prix. This is a key growth market for Liberty Media for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the youth factor. This is a young region with a growing middle class, and they’re eager for travel, sport, and entertainment. In the above-mentioned YouGov poll, Hong Kong, Bangkok and Sydney are the three cities Southeast Asian residents would like to see host new races, but as prior expansion efforts have shown it takes some time to develop a new Grand Prix. While Liberty Media works to expand Formula One through Southeast Asia, Singapore represents an invaluable anchor for Formula One in the region. Its loss would do great damage to the sport’s growth.
These same demographics in the region make the Singapore Grand Prix highly valuable to brands and advertisers as well. It will come as little surprise that the YouGov poll reflects that Ferrari takes the top spot in brand recognition, but they’re not the only ones. Red Bull, Shell, and Mercedes also gain valuable brand recognition in the region via the Grand Prix. Marketing returns are key to brand participation in Formula One, and losing regional exposure will hurt these companies. Liberty Media will only benefit by keeping this constituency’s interests in mind.
It’s clear that everyone will benefit from a renewed Singapore Grand Prix. It’s now up to Liberty Media and Singapore GP Pte Ltd to make it possible.
After a dominant Mercedes win on Ferrari’s home turf at Monza that saw Lewis Hamilton gain the Drivers Championship lead by 3 points, the Formula One world packs its bags for the flyaway races that finish out the season. Next up on the calendar is the dramatic night race in Singapore, taking over the center of the Lion City for possibly the final time. Will we see any major upsets? Who or what will intrude on the track this year?
Unsurprisingly, the ultrasoft compound constitutes the majority of the tyres selected for the weekend. Most drivers will have 10 sets of ultrasofts, though there’s a good mix of supersofts as well. Haas is the outlier here, with both Grosjean and Magnussen opting for 4 sets of supersofts, 1 set of softs, and only 8 sets of ultrasofts.
We may as well begin with McLaren, as they’re already on everyone’s minds. Though official confirmation is to come later in the week, it’s an open secret that McLaren and Honda are splitting up, with Toro Rosso picking up the Honda engine supply and McLaren picking up Renault power, and Renault picking up Carlos Sainz in the midst of this engine-based musical chairs. Alonso will stay at McLaren, and everyone’s happy except probably Jolyon Palmer, who will lose his seat barring a miracle.
In actual McLaren RACE news, Alonso expects some points in Singapore. As it’s a lower-speed circuit McLaren may well be able to hold a good position provided they don’t have to tax the Honda power units too much.
Mercedes will be keen to work hard to consolidate Lewis’ hairs-breadth 3-point lead in the Drivers Championship as well as shore up their 62-point lead in the Constructors Championship. Bottas, his race seat secure with Mercedes for 2018, has indicated that if he’s in P2 behind Hamilton he’ll gladly help the team out rather ‘than try something silly’. On the media front, this being Mercedes, Toto Wolff is busily talking up Ferrari and Red Bull’s chances. Niki Lauda’s also sanguine on Ferrari. How much of this is genuine concern and how much is the typical Mercedes under-promising remains to be seen, though Ferrari have mounted a substantial challenge to Mercedes this season, and Red Bull providing some surprises of their own.
Ferrari will certainly be keen to work their magic to take the Drivers Championship lead back and take a nice chunk out of the Sliver Arrows’ Constructors Championship lead. As they’ve done well at low-speed circuits this year and Vettel has won at Singapore twice as many times as Hamilton, Ferrari pose a real threat to Mercedes, though it remains to be seen if Kimi Raikkonen is as keen to be a team player as his fellow Finn Bottas. Though they may stop short of actual team orders, Ferrari would be foolish to not heavily favor Vettel in Singapore.
After strategic grid penalties overshadowing the Bulls’ stellar qualifying performance in the wet at Monza, and an unfortunate early incident putting Max Verstappen on the back foot, the Bulls are optimistic that Singapore presents the best chance of a win at this stage of the season. As they’ve historically done well on lower-speed, higher-downforce circuits, this isn’t a vain hope provided they can avoid further grid penalties. Good results at Singapore won’t hurt their driver morale either, as both Ricciardo and Verstappen desire a winning car.
Coming fresh off a double-points finish that happily featured no on-track fisticuffs between their drivers, Force India brings upgrades to Singapore. They’ll doubtless be keen to keep Perez and Ocon well in hand, and look to extend their 58-point lead over Williams in the Constructors Champtionship, further consolidating their fourth place standing.
Williams, meanwhile, is focusing on a strong finish to the season. Their gap to Force India isn’t insurmountable, but with only 7 races left including Singapore they need to raise their performance game with immediate effect. As they’ve struggled to make the most of the FW40 all season, it’s likely they’ll remain solidly in the middle of the field.
Toro Rosso, only 15 points behind Williams, should turn in a respectable performance at Singapore barring on-track incidents or unforeseen grid penalties.
Haas, meanwhile, are confident that their good aerodynamic efficiency with high-downforce configurations will pay off, so long as they can stay in the tyre window.
Regarding Renault, they’re expecting a better performance in Singapore due to the higher downforce levels at Singapore. Meanwhile, if Nico Hülkenberg doesn’t claim a podium finish he’ll set the unenviable record for most Grand Prix stars without podium finishes. He’s currently tied with Adrian Sutil at 128, and Singapore will make 129. Palmer, meanwhile, desperately needs to find performance, with his F1 future now almost certainly at stake.
Sauber faces what may be their final chance of this season to get ahead of McLaren. They’ve done heroic work with year-old power units and the upsets in management, but it’s a long shot.
Red Bull Ring, Spielberg, Austria. Sunday 09 July 2017. World Copyright: Andy Hone/LAT Images ref: Digital Image _ONY3502
As we head into the the latter end of the 2017 season, one by one at Pit Crew we are looking into each individual team with specific weeks. This we look into the Austrian outfit Red Bull Racing. The drivers continued from the 2016 season with Australian Daniel Ricciardo, who always is a joy to watch with deep braking and has a cracking personality. Dutchman ‘Go big or go home’ Max Verstappen also stays, his first full season in the Red Bull after his halfway season swap with Danil Kyvat in 2016 from Toro Rosso. Many think that Red Bull have the best driving partnership on the grid.
Pre-Season
Everyone was optimistic about Red Bull’s chances for the 2017 season. The regulation changes were based on aerodynamics for the season forthcoming and Red Bull always are known for their grear aerodynamics and chassis. It was hoping with that it would outweigh the deficit that the Renault has in terms of horsepower to Ferrari and Mercedes. In the original release of the Red Bull the car looked very basic unlike its rivals, which raised concern. It did have the unique hole in its nose. This did though made the car launch more popular.
In the pre-season tests pace did look promising as day by day additions were coming in from Milton Keynes to adapt onto their RB13. Their car was building well, but again reliability was something that was out of their control. Much like Renault and Toro Rosso their gearbox and engines had problems, so much so they had to revert to 2016 items for the first few races. These were heavier and less powerful which hindered them. The cars still looked very basic compared to the depth of sidepod changes that Ferrari had between 2016 & 2017. They also did not introduce a T-Wing till later in the season. Adrian Newey at this time was away so did not have his full say in the car’s full design.
Australia, Melbourne
This was where we first saw the order of the pack, and it showed that Red Bull were in No Mans Land, as per 2016, it seems Deja Vu for the Austrian team. They were too far behind to challenge Ferrari & Mercedes, but too far ahead to be challenged by Force India & Williams. Their race pace was promising but just lack outright qualifying speed. Ricciardo had a weekend to forget, in Q3 he ended up in the wall after a rare mistake. His car then failed twice on Sunday, on the way to the grid, missing the start, and then towards the end of the first sector halfway through the race on lap 25. Verstappen qualified 5th and then finished 5th. He ended much closer to Raikonnen than people expected. Seemed to set the trend that as per mentioned the race pace of the RB13 is strong but lacks outright speed on Saturday.
Driver Points: Verstappen 10 – Ricciardo 0
China, Shanghai
The Chinese Grand Prix was hindered significantly in its Friday running, when the weather restricted the medical helicopter to fly. Only 20 mins of practice was raced throughout weekend. Reliability gremlins were still in the Red Bull pit area following on from Austrailia but this time it was Verstappen that struggled. He suffered with power deficit and the Shanghai back straight is one of longest of the season, it resulted in him being knocked out in Q1. Ricciardo was best of the rest, qualifying 5th, very much a role reversal from Austrailia.
The weather had a say in the race on Sunday, the majority of the track was dry, but on the main straight and few areas it was still wet from overnight rain. 19/20 drivers started on intermediates. Verstappen due to penalties started 16th, his start was simply amazing! He was up in the top ten crossing the line into lap 2 through passing at the start and midpack collisions. Verstappen was coy and through use of his skill as per seen in Brazil last year and the early safety car he managed to finish an incredible 3rd. Ricciardo was hot on his heels finishing 4th. Great wheel to wheel action but it was kept clean. A much better weekend for the Austrian outfit with a double points finish. Verstappen moved to 3rd in the drivers championship, whilst Ricciardo scored his first points of the season.
Driver Points: Verstappen 25 – Ricciardo 12
Red Bull Ring, Spielberg, Austria. Sunday 09 July 2017. World Copyright: Zak Mauger/LAT Images ref: Digital Image _54I1370
Bahrain, Sakhir
The form of China carried on into the desert of Bahrain. The team looking closer again to the two in front of them. It was just once again, they couldn’t turn their engine up like them. Mercedes had on average a 2 second difference from their Q1 time to Q3 whilst Red Bull only found a second. They were edging closer though, Ricciardo managed to out qualify Raikonnen’s Ferrari. The car was looking better, new additions around the front end of the car was to blame.
They both started well in the Grand Prix, but then on lap 11 after a pit stop for Verstappen trouble happened, heading to the end of sector 1, the second heavy braking area around the track the car didn’t respond to him, it ground to halt in the gravel. He unfortunately retired due to a brake failure. Carlos Sainz and Lance Stroll had an incident as well which brought out the safety car, Ricciardo was caugh among a controversial move by Hamilton. He ended at the end of the period ahead of the British driver. Hamilton turned up the engine and passed him easily along the main straight on the restart. Kimi Raikonnen also passed him later on, as a result he finished 5th. Verstappen due to his non-finish dropped to 5th in the overall standings.
Driver Points: Verstappen 25 – Ricciardo 22
Russia, Sochi
Sochi was moved for the 2017 season, swapping places with Maylasia. This track unlike Bahrain is much more focused on the power of the car rather than outright grip. Williams were much closer to Red Bull as a result, Ricciardo qualified 1.9 seconds behind the eventual pole sitter Sebastien Vettel. Felipe Massa in the Williams managed to split the Red Bull duo, a shade quicker than Verstappen.
The race start was clean, not much contact had occurred on the first lap so far this point of the season, with wider cars, everyone thought that it would be even more collisions. Ricciardo was challenging Raikonnen for 4th, but got caught in, as a result Verstappen got passed the Williams of Massa and Ricciardo into 5th place. The race was very lacklustre after the first lap, there wasn’t any overtakes, except if it does count when Ricciardo’s brake caught alight. It did end up with the Australian failing to finish, back to back brake failures, and their third mechanical retirement of the season. Verstappen finished 5th, a whole minute behind the winner Bottas, a very lonely race for the Dutchman.
Driver Points: Verstappen 35 – Ricciardo 22
Silverstone, Northamptonshire, UK. Friday 14 July 2017. World Copyright: Zak Mauger/LAT Images ref: Digital Image _56I8274
Spain, Barcelona
Much promise was made of Red Bull, with the supposed RB13B being introduced at Spain. As per mentioned with Russia swapping with Maylasia, Spain for the first time wasn’t the first European race of the season. Barcelona tends to be where the first big set of upgrades are brought. After a disapointing beginning of the season albeit podium places here and there they want to be fighting for the championship. They brought updates, the car looking much less basic than it was back in Australia. Renault importantly also did too, if you look back to this article we wrote earlier in the season about their MGU-K. The Red Bull had a new colour scheme in practice, quite a lot of flowviz paint was used.
The car was much more competitive but once more others could turn the wick on their engine up. It was much better though, Verstappen was only 0.6 seconds slower to the 1.2 seconds they were back in Sochi. Ricciardo didn’t have the best of days on the Saturday, a whopping 0.4 behind Verstappen.
Race day was upon us, Red Bull looked good in terms of matching on certain compounds Ferrari and Mercedes, it was all down to the start. The original launch was good for Verstappen, was making the most of the new settings they follow this year, got up alongside Raikonnen into turn 1, but a bang of wheels plush on resulted in terminal damage for both drivers. This resulting in the iconic small video clip of the boy in the stand crying his eyes out. Ricciardo as a result moved up into 4th following, the two Mercedes and Vettel, but this soon became 3rd as a rare failure on the Mercedes happened as Bottas car pulled to the side with engine failure. Ricciardo finished 75 seconds behind the two championship contagnists, being the only 1 besides them not to be lapped. Ricciardo overtook Verstappen in the championship for the first time this season.
Driver Points: Verstappen 35 – Ricciardo 37
Monaco, Monaco
The unique race amongst the principality of Monaco was round 6 in the 2017 Formula 1 World Championship, much like Barcelona a less demanding power track, much hoped Red Bull could be in with the mix for the victory much like last year if it weren’t for the mishap that Ricciardo had in the race. From the offset they looked competitive with Verstappen 3rd quickest on the Thursday, Ricciardo was there abouts, albeit he didn’t get to do a full on lap in practice 3 due to another brake failure on his car so his true pace wasn’t seen until qualifying.
Qualifying did show a shock with Lewis Hamilton being eliminated in Q2, this did give the Bulls an opportunity to qualify higher than they have done this season. Verstappen was the closest Red Bull got to pole all season, the top four being himself, Bottas and the two Ferrari’s only 0.3 seconds between them. Ricciardo made a mistake on his fast lap, but was best of the rest in 5th.
For the first time since China both drivers finished the race, and much like China one of them ended up on the podium. This was once more Ricciardo, himself and Vettel both used the overcut to effect rather than at any other tracks more than likely the undercut being the best option. Monaco always a tough one to pass around, but through the sole pit stop phase Ricciardo went from behind Verstappen, to passing him and Bottas. A late safety car piled the pressure on Ricciardo from Bottas behind but it was a great drive from him once more. Verstappen not best pleased with the team as he missed out on that opportunity. They outscored the Mercedes team with Hamilton finishing 7th.
Driver Points: Verstappen 43 – Ricciardo 52
Canada, Montreal
Montreal is such a stunning track, the flow of the circuit and scenery that is surrounded by makes it one of the best on the calendar. The track does have many memorable moments, much like Ricciardo’s 2014 victory. Montreal is back to Russia, more a power themed track than out right downforce than the previous two races. Red Bull had a few more new developments here, and their race pace was promising compatable with the speeds of Hamilton and Vettel. They got close to Raikonnen in qualifying, but Hamilton and Vettel were in a league of their own on the Saturday.
Verstappen without a doubt thus far has the best start of the season award, starting on the 3rd row in 5th he managed to climb 3 places, going into the second corner in 2nd place just behind the gearbox of Hamilton. Ricciardo also managed to pass Raikonnen, at the end of the first lap, they were 2nd and 5th. Hamilton couldn’t get away but on to the start of lap 11 and Verstappen suffered another engine electrical failure, amazing from the teenager but once more with nothing to show for it. Ricciardo held onto 3rd, Raikonnen was nowhere in the race, whilst Vettel only finished 0.7 behind the Austrailian. A third podium in a row now for the Australian, he was closing in on 4th in the championship and pulling away from Verstappen.
Driver Points: Verstappen 43 – Ricciardo 67
Red Bull are not where they are wanting to be at this current time. Adrian Newey, the greatest designer in the F1 world was appearing more often at the Grand Prix. His project with Aston Martin and the Americas Cup boat championship has been put aside. A few new boosts to power were showing from Renault and Newey began to adapt his thoughts on the RB13. Our second part of the Red Bull 2017 series will follow shortly, from Azerbaijan to Italy. Will Newey and Renault’s input make way for further success for the Red Bull team?
