Category Archives: F1 News

October 16, 2015 · 2:27 pm

Magnussen “deserves to have a Formula 1 career,” says Dennis

McLaren has somewhat belatedly officially confirmed that Kevin Magnussen has been dropped for 2016 via a statement from Ron Dennis.

The Dane’s option with the team came up on September 30 but following the confirmation of Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso insisting that he is not going anywhere else, and Stoffel Vandoorne winning the GP2 title, it was clear that there was no room for him next year. He was told by email on October 5th, his birthday.

Even without Vandoorne’s emergence as the man most likely to replace ALO or BUT Magnussen was always adamant that he would not spend another year as a reserve driver. However, he could yet be on the 2016 grid as he remains in contention for a Lotus/Renault drive.

Speaking on Twitter today he said: “Shame it didn’t work out but I’ll never give up on the dream.”

In confirming Magnussen’s departure, Dennis said: “Kevin has always done a very impressive and professional job for McLaren in the five years since he joined our Young Driver Programme in 2010.

“In 2014 he raced very well alongside Jenson, who is a hugely experienced and very quick World Champion. Kevin’s Grand Prix debut in Melbourne last year was rewarded with a podium that day that he, and we, can be justifiably proud of.

“Kevin has continued to work hard for us in 2015, supporting Fernando and Jenson, although he was understandably frustrated not to be racing. He is extremely keen to return to racing next year, and, in keeping with our tradition with our young drivers, we will not stand in the way of his ability to fulfil his ambition and potential.

“He is a very talented racing driver, and he deserves to have a Formula 1 career, as Jenson has publicly said.

“Evidently, we have no space for him at McLaren-Honda as a race driver next year, but there is no shame in being edged out by two World Champions, Fernando and Jenson. We wish Kevin well, and will do all we can to help him successfully embark on the next chapter of his racing career.”

13 Comments

Filed under F1, F1 News, Grand Prix News

Tagged as

October 16, 2015 · 2:10 pm

Upgraded Mercedes engine too risky for customers, says Wolff

Toto Wolff has defended the decision by Mercedes not to make its development engine available to its three customer teams.

Wolff says that it was too risky to build sufficient new engines to supply all its customers, as it is committed to treating all them equally, and would thus have to provide them with two new units apiece.

Mercedes has always maintained that the engine, first used by the works team in Monza, does not represent a major performance gain, and thus it should not be perceived as an attempt to gain an extra advantage over Williams and the other customers.

“You’ve seen what happened to us in Singapore and Monza and all the other races,” Wolff told this writer. “The decision we took is to do an R&D exercise in order to learn more for next year, and you can’t do this kind of exercise with a customer team, because the risk of DNF’ing is there.

“If you go into a development direction you can’t make eight engines, because it could be the case that it’s the wrong direction we went. It’s as simple as it is. I can assure that there isn’t any miracle in that engine, [it isn’t] a wonder engine. We are well ahead of Williams, but we were well ahead of Williams before.”

Leave a comment

Filed under F1, F1 News, Grand Prix News

Tagged as

October 12, 2015 · 4:04 pm

Raikkonen move “a bit too much,” says Bottas

Valtteri Bottas insists that he didn’t expect that Kimi Raikkonen would try a last lap passing move in Sochi, given how far behind the Ferrari driver was.

After the pair made contact Bottas slid into the barrier and lost his third place, and a penalty for Raikkonen that dropped him from fifth to eighth provided little compensation to the frustrated Williams man.

“I’d just got past Perez and I was approaching Turn 4 and suddenly when I turned into the apex someone hit me from the back,” said Bottas. “That’s it really. It’s disappointing, it ruined my day. I can say that I can happily look in the mirror and say it was not my fault.

“I was not expecting a move like this from him, but now it’s done, zero points, and it’s very disappointing. I was approaching the corner in a normal way, and I saw in Turn 3 he was quite far away, so no way he could pass me there if I do my standard line. I think this was a bit too much. It’s a fine line, but it was a bit too much.

“I don’t know what the thinking was behind it really, doing it there and the last lap, and that far away. It was not too bad a race until then, running third on the last lap. It’s just a shame it ended that way.”

Leave a comment

Filed under F1, F1 News, Grand Prix News

Tagged as , , ,

October 12, 2015 · 3:55 pm

Christian Horner: “In Austin we should be in better shape…”

Christian Horner admits that he was surprised that Daniel Ricciardo was able to show so strongly in Sochi before the Aussie was sidelined by a late mechanical issue.

Like Sergio Perez Ricciardo pitted early under the Grosjean safety car, and thereafter tried to hold position while running a long second stint. Meanwhile his team mate Dany Kvyat took fifth place after starting 11th.

“It was a shame because Daniel had done such a good job on the hard tyre,” Horner told this writer. “The risk with the strategy worked well, and he was doing a great job to keep the faster cars of Bottas and Raikkonen behind. With five laps to go it looks like hr had a suspected rear hub issue. A great shame. I think we need to investigate fully to understand it.

“To be honest to be fighting for a podium today, after the safety car, we didn’t expect that. And for Daniil to pick up a fifth place in his home race is a respectable performance.”

Although most upcoming tracks feature long straights Horner is confident that RBR can still chase some big points.

“Absolutely. Hopefully in Austin we should be in better shape. There are some faster corners than there are here in Sochi. We knew this track was going to be tough for us. Mexico is a little unknown, although it looks like it’s got a very long straight. Brazil will be tough, and Abu Dhabi we’ve always been OK.

Regarding possible engine change penalties he added: “We’re tight but OK at the moment.”

Leave a comment

Filed under F1, F1 News, Grand Prix News

Tagged as , ,

October 12, 2015 · 7:00 am

Throttle problem prompted Rosberg safety concerns

Nico Rosberg admits he had safety concerns when he started experiencing throttle pedal problems early in the Russian GP.

The German was heard asking the team what would happen if the pedal struck open, but shortly afterwards the issue forced him to pit and retire, all but ending his title hopes.

“That was concerning,” he said when asked by this writer how worried he was. “A throttle [problem] is never a nice thing, especially when it was sticking. So I was definitely concerned. So that was why I asked the team what should I do if the throttle sticks, I am full on the brakes. They said there was an automatic fail safe on the car, which removes the throttle in that case when it sees a big overlap, brake and throttle – it will cut the throttle. So that was reassuring at that point.

“I had a throttle stick once in Monaco in a similar way actually, in a Williams in 2006. It brought back some memories of that a little bit.

“The change happened during the safety car already, so right after the start actually, and from then on I couldn’t come off throttle, so I was doing all the corners with throttle on and then eventually it the throttle on was so much that I couldn’t get around the corners any more.

“It was one big step on the safety car already as it came towards me, and just another small one afterwards which meant that it was the end of it. I was trying to take my leg off the pedal, but then the knee would come up and I couldn’t steer any more, and so it was different problems coming in there.”

Rosberg said that recent reliability problems at Mercedes have been frustrating.

“It is a strange one, this year it looked like we were looking so good on reliability. To then have still quite a few issues, it is surprising and it has gone worse and worse now through the season, especially in the last couple of months we had loads more issues and race stoppers and things like that. We must look into that again, and continue to improve that area. It seems we haven’t made as big steps as we thought.”

Rosberg conceded that his title chances are now remote: “You have to be realistic now. It is a lot of points. It doesn’t change my approach. I am still pushing to the maximum, and committed, and going for it mentally. So it doesn’t really change much. Disappointing in that respect today, because I was looking to close the gap today, and then anyways, going to the next race and I want to win there. That is the goal at the moment.

“It is tough. So much go into a weekend like that. The preparation starts at the beginning of the week with being at the factory, discussing everything and coming here, having an awesome weekend, qualifying, race start, first corners and everything really going to plan and then to lose it in such a way is very tough.”

Leave a comment

Filed under F1, F1 News, Grand Prix News

Tagged as , ,

October 11, 2015 · 6:55 pm

Carlos Sainz: “If we had finished, we would have been heroes…”

Carlos Sainz was hugely frustrated after being forced to retire with brake issues after his impressive drive from the back of the field in Sochi.

From 20th Sainz rose as high as seventh and destined to finish even higher when he suffered problems with the front left disc, which led to his retirement with just eight laps to run.

“We did such a great job after only doing 15 laps the whole weekend in the dry,” he said. “To turn up, start 20th and be seventh, with a great rhythm, a great pace. It was looking good for P6 at the end. The whole race saving brakes, saving tyres, saving fuel, and still managing a good pace. I must be pretty happy and thank the team, because without them I wouldn’t have been out there today.

“Mixed feelings, but I’m a positive guy, and I’d like to keep the positives. With only 15 laps we were having a great pace. We were running P7 after starting last, if we had finished, we would have been heroes. It’s a shame.”

Sainz admitted he felt dizzy in the early stages of the race: “I’ll rest for a couple of days for sure. Today was demanding out there, especially the first laps, and mentally also it was quite a demanding weekend as you can imagine. We need a bit more luck to put everything together because the results are nearly coming.”

5 Comments

Filed under F1, F1 News, Grand Prix News

Tagged as ,

October 11, 2015 · 6:17 pm

Kimi Raikkonen: “I don’t think it was something completely stupid…”

Kimi Raikkonen was demoted from fifth to eighth place in the Russian GP results after being penalised for causing a collision with Valtteri Bottas.

The two Finns collided while battling for third on the last lap. Raikkonen managed to crawl across the line in fifth, but was subsequently given a 30 second penalty, and three points on his licence.

His demotion also meant that Ferrari was finally out of mathematical contention for the constructors’ title, leaving Mercedes confirmed as champions.

“I went inside and I think he never realised that I was there,” said Raikkonen. “Obviously at the last point I knew that he was just turning in so I tried to go more inside and I had brake harder to try to avoid it, but I was next to him already, so obviously there was contact.

“I don’t think it was something completely stupid. I want to try, for sure I would have made the corner, but obviously there were two cars. There are many ways of looking at the incident. I was there but obviously he didn’t know that I was there, and then you will have a contact. Unfortunate thing, not just for us for them also. You never want to have accidents, but things happen.”

12 Comments

Filed under F1, F1 News, Grand Prix News

Tagged as , ,

October 11, 2015 · 5:53 pm

Sergio Perez: “I was confident going into the race…”

Sergio Perez was one of the stars of the Russian GP after a bold strategy call by Force India helped the Mexican to an eventual third place.

Perez was the best placed of several drivers who gambled by putting under an early safety car and attempting to get to the flag while others waited and pitted under green.

He held third for many laps only to lose out to Valtteri Bottas and Kimi Raikkonen on the penultimate lap after his tyres finally gave up. However the two Finns then collided, and Perez regained the final podium spot.

“I was confident going into the race, obviously not expecting a podium at all, but the race started quite well,” he said. “Obviously Nico [Hulkenberg] went out quite early, the safety car came out. Then we had a second safety car and we decided to box. We were one of the few cars to box.

“The restart going behind Felipe [Massa] and Nasr, I was just stuck there and couldn’t get them, so I decided to save my tyres together with the team, to look after them at the end of the race, and it worked really well.”

Perez admitted his tyres were finished in the closing laps: “I think we lost a podium one lap before the end, but it was just very difficult to hold them back, to hold Valtteri and Raikkonen back.

“At the stage I couldn’t brake very hard, very late because I was at risk of flat-spotting my tyres and retiring from the race, so there was a certain level of risk that I was able to take and I thought OK, if it’s not a podium, let’s really come back with the points. And then in the last lap they had contact and it was very good to come back and give a second podium to the team.

Perez said he’s excited about the future: “I think we’re going into a great momentum. It’s great news that I’m staying with the team. so we have a lot of momentum going through us and hopefully we can maintain it for the end of the year.

“Definitely I’m going through a great moment in my career. From where we are it’s difficult to realise but people who look at my performance, they can see that I’m at my best moment in my career, and that’s something that makes me confident.”

1 Comment

Filed under F1, F1 News, Grand Prix News

Tagged as ,

October 11, 2015 · 9:34 am

Carlos Sainz: “If I cannot move my neck or something I will stop…”

Carlos Sainz says he feels fine heading into the Russian GP, but admits that he may be forced to stop if he encounters a physical problem such as a sore neck.

The Spaniard has been passed fit by the FIA and the team has rebuilt the car around the original chassis, so he can start from 20th on the grid rather than the pitlane.

“No bruises, just obviously as you can imagine a bit stiff and a bit sore from yesterday, but nothing that a painkiller cannot kill,” he said when asked by this writer. “I will start the race and if I cannot move my neck or something I will stop. I feel perfectly capable of doing the start and participating in the race.”

Sainz insisted that he has no concerns about getting back in the car so soon.

“It’s just one race more. Obviously the accident was a tough one, but it’s already on the back. Obviously Turn 13 on the first lap will be a bit emotional, but from there on it will be all back to normal. I’m more than ready to race and my mind is telling me all the time to race, to race, to race and I think it’s the best thing I can do at the moment. I will remember for sure the first time when I go in Turn 13, but it will be just one time, and I will forget for sure.”

He admitted that the way the car went under the Tecpro barrier will likely be discussed by the drivers and the FIA.

“It will come out for sure in the next drivers’ briefing. It’s something for sure that we need to keep looking at. I was for sure lucky that nothing happened to me. It took a while to get me out, but just to let you know, I was always conscious, I was always knowing what was going on. Obviously my main concern at that point was to let everyone know I was fine. I was even downshifting and putting neutral on the car to let my engineers know I was moving and I was doing everything.

“But just the radio was not working, and I think that’s why everything was so tense and so hectic at that moment. To let you know my main concern at that point was to let my parents know, or all of you guys, that I was completely fine, I had no injuries.

“The first thing I did when I got to the hospital was to look at the crash to see what exactly happened, even though I could remember perfectly what had happened. I remember perfectly changing my brake shape [balance] before Turn 13, and just when hitting the brakes I lost the rear of the car and hit the first barrier, and then the approach to the next barrier. I remember everything perfectly, fortunately or unfortunately!”

Leave a comment

Filed under F1, F1 News

Tagged as ,

October 10, 2015 · 5:43 pm

Sainz out of hospital and keen to race on Sunday

Carlos Sainz could yet start the Russian GP if he is passed fit by the FIA on Sunday morning, and the Toro Rosso management agrees that he is ready to get back in the car.

Sainz was supposed to be spending tonight in hospital as a precaution, but the team says he has now been released. The FIA stewards have already said that the Spaniard will be allowed to start despite not participating in qualifying, and Toro Rosso is building up a car for him.

“As you can see I am fine,” he said in a video sent from hospital. “My back and my neck are just a bit sore from the accident, but I’m totally ready. Hopefully tomorrow I will wake up in a good shape and maybe I can try and race – this is definitely the intention! Obviously we need to be cautious… I’ve always been conscious.

“As soon as the accident happened I tried to talk to the team on the radio, but it wasn’t working and those must have been some scary moments… I’d like to thank everyone for their support, it’s really nice to receive all your messages at a moment like this one! I hope to see you all tomorrow out there!”

Meanwhile team boss Franz Tost explained that the crash may have been caused when Sainz was caught out by a change of brake balance.

“I hope he will have a good night’s sleep and tomorrow morning he will have to go through the FIA medical checks to decide if he will be able to take part in tomorrow’s race. Now, just to clarify what happened, prior to the accident, Carlos had completed a long-run on the Option tyre, before changing to the Prime to do two further laps.

“On Primes the grip level is lower. In addition he had changed the brake [balance] on the steering wheel, which meant he had more braking rearwards. A combination of these two factors might have been the cause of the rears locking, which made the car uncontrollable.”

2 Comments

Filed under F1, F1 News, Grand Prix News

Tagged as