Latest F1 news in brief

Toto Wolff looks mad as hell at something Monday in Barcelona.

Brexit would give Ferrari an advantage – Wolff
Ferrari 'extremely fast' already – Hulkenberg
Sauber name still involved in F1 – Peter Sauber
Bottas observes 'really shiny' Pirelli tires
Honda packaging 'like a Swiss watch' – Horner
Binotto as boss 'no revolution' – Vettel
Binotto 'number 1' comments surprised Wolff
Drivers still unsure 2019 rule changes will work
2019 Williams car not yet in Barcelona
FIA issues RFP for standard F1 gearbox supplier from 2021
Singha Corporation becomes Official Partner of Alfa Romeo Racing
Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport partners with Konecranes

Brexit would give Ferrari an advantage – Wolff

(GMM) Ferrari could be the big beneficiary if Britain's 'no deal' exit from the European Union occurs at the end of next month.

That is the warning of Toto Wolff, boss of F1's leading British-based team Mercedes.

British politics is currently in disarray, with time running out for a so-called 'Brexit' deal to be put in place before the EU exit on March 29.

Other F1 teams with headquarters in Britain include Red Bull, Renault, McLaren, Racing Point, Haas and Williams.

"If a no-deal Brexit would happen it would have a major impact in terms of our operation in terms of going to the races and getting our car developed," Wolff said as winter testing began in Barcelona.

"Any major disruption with borders or taxes would damage the F1 industry in the UK."

Wolff said Mercedes is currently having to think about "contingencies" including stockpiling parts and materials.

But if Brexit proceeds without a deal, he said: "Everybody at Ferrari and also Alfa Romeo in Switzerland will have a massive advantage over every UK-based team".

Ferrari 'extremely fast' already – Hulkenberg

Sebastian Vettel and the matte-red Ferrari

(GMM) Ferrari's new matte-liveried car for 2019 looks "extremely fast".

That was not just the observation of Renault driver Nico Hulkenberg, but almost everyone else as winter testing kicked off in Barcelona.

"It looks like Sebastian (Vettel) had a good winter," smiled Christian Horner, boss of the Red Bull team.

One journalist even asked Mercedes boss Toto Wolff if Ferrari already looks the big favorite to win the 2019 title.

"How many winter tests have you done?" Wolff hit back, noting how early it is in the season.

But even the Austrian admits he was impressed by Vettel's laptime.

"I saw the time and it's quick. Ferrari is as strong as a bear," said Wolff.

Even Vettel could not contain his happiness, observing that his first real day in the red car "could not have gone better".

But when asked about the title, the German said: "We have one day of testing behind us. But we get closer to our goal each year.

"This year, we want to win a lot of races and then we should be in a position to have a say in the title.

"If I have as much fun as I did today, then I will be very happy," Vettel added.

"It was the best start to a season that I have ever had in formula one," the four-time world champion admitted. "It doesn't mean anything, but it's still nice."

However, most believe Mercedes was not trying to equal Ferrari's laptimes on Monday.

Wolff said when asked about reigning champion Lewis Hamilton: "Have you seen him?

"The weight rules have changed and he has literally come back stronger."

Sauber name still involved in F1 – Peter Sauber

The Sauber names appears very small on the Alfa Romeo

(GMM) Peter Sauber has admitted that the departure of his surname from formula one "hurts".

The 75-year-old Swiss, no longer involved with the Hinwil based team he founded, was on hand in Barcelona as the new 'Alfa Romeo' made its test debut.

"Of course it hurts that the Sauber name disappears after such a long time," he told CH Media.

"But the name is only gone from formula one. The company is 49 years old and will enter its 50th season in 2019."

Indeed, the name Sauber can still be spotted on the Alfa livery, and Switzerland is featured on the rear wing.

"And there's another side to it," Peter Sauber added. "For the team, changing the name to Alfa Romeo is a good thing. Otherwise, the owners would not have done it.

"And what is good for the team is also good from my perspective. I also did many things that were difficult but in the best interests of the team."

Another tribute to Sauber is that the new Alfa Romeo is called the C38, with the 'C' still a reference to Peter Sauber's wife Christiane.

And Peter Sauber noted: "Between 2006 and 2009 we built the F1 cars for BMW. Now it's Alfa Romeo.

"Sauber is also still registered as the manufacturer with the FIA, and neither the ownership or the management will change that," he added.

Bottas observes 'really shiny' Pirelli tires

2019 Pirelli tires

(GMM) Valtteri Bottas says Pirelli's 2019 tires feel similar to their predecessors.

For this year, the color identification of the tires has changed, with only 'hard', 'medium' and 'hard' tires to be marked at each grand prix in the interest of simplicity.

Also the compounds have been tweaked.

But the difference that caught the most attention as winter testing began in Barcelona was that the brand new Pirelli tires had a very shiny appearance.

"I don't know what it is, but they seem to be really shiny," Mercedes driver Bottas told Finland's MTV.

Pirelli later explained that the shine is due to the use of chrome molds.

Bottas said: "They are not more slippery when you go out of the pits, they just look more shiny.

"In truth they are the same as last year. There's really no great difference," the Finn added.

Honda packaging 'like a Swiss watch' – Horner

Red Bull RB15

(GMM) Christian Horner continues to have nothing but praise for Red Bull's new works engine partner.

For others in the pitlane, a big question-mark hangs over the top-three team after switching from customer Renault to works Honda power for 2019.

But Horner, team boss, says Honda is helping Red Bull to "reduce the gap significantly" to Mercedes and Ferrari.

"Of course you never know what the competition has done. If they've found 50 kilowatts more, then we have a big problem," he said.

But he thinks that is unlikely, given how impressed he has been by Honda's winter.

"We've never installed an engine as perfectly as this one," said Horner. "It looks like a Swiss watch under the bodywork.

"We have four fresh and ready-to-use engines in the garage on the first day of a test. We have never had that," he added.

If Honda does have a weakness, it is reliability, but Horner insists that even if Red Bull does need to take a penalty, it is "not that great" on certain circuits.

Until then, he said Red Bull is still in the process of adjusting to its new constellation.

"Everything is new to us. Engine, regulations, drivers. First of all, we have to understand our package — the strengths, the weaknesses.

"But we have not seen anything on the other cars that we have missed," said Horner.

Binotto as boss 'no revolution' – Vettel

Sebastian Vettel answers questions Monday in Barcelona

(GMM) Sebastian Vettel insists there has been no "revolution" at Ferrari over the winter.

On paper, it has been all change at Maranello, with Mattia Binotto installed as the new boss and Charles Leclerc in the sister car.

But after Vettel impressed the Barcelona paddock with his laptime on Monday, the German said: "From the outside the team is different.

"But Mattia was already part of this team, and for a long time. He always did a good job and now he can continue to do so," he added.

"There was a change but not a revolution. We know what to expect from Mattia, we know his approach and things should settle fairly quickly.

"The team that builds the car is the same," Vettel said.

Finally, the superstitious four time world champion was asked what nickname he will give his 2019 car.

"If it was a masculine name, Max could be an idea, but it must be feminine," Vettel joked to Sky Italia. "I'll think about it."

Binotto 'number 1' comments surprised Wolff

Mattia Binotto at testing Monday

(GMM) Toto Wolff has admitted he was surprised to hear Ferrari reassure Sebastian Vettel about his 'number 1' status.

After a winter of speculation that Charles Leclerc could immediately be gunning for the title in 2019, new boss Mattia Binotto said it will in fact still be Vettel with "priority".

"Mattia has a daunting task ahead of him, and I have the impression he wants to do it in his own way," Wolff, the team boss at rival Mercedes, said in Barcelona.

"Team orders is always a controversial topic," he added. "To say such a statement at the beginning of the year is quite something."

However, Wolff says he thinks Binotto will be a good replacement for ousted Ferrari principal Maurizio Arrivabene.

"I have known Mattia for many years, as the engine boss at Ferrari, then as head of the technical department, now as team leader," he said.

"He's a lightning speed guy who knows exactly what he's doing."

Indeed, Vettel impressed with his laptime on day 1, with Mercedes further back. Is Wolff worried that Mercedes' rivals have finally caught and passed the German team?

"I always find regulation changes so exciting because it means these different interpretations," said Wolff.

"For example, we can see on the Ferrari or the Sauber that they are pursuing a different front wing concept compared to their opponents.

"I see a lot of innovation, and clearly we have that on the radar," he added. "On the other hand, we cannot be distracted.

"We always go in the direction of evolution with our cars, and many of our most distinctive changes are hidden.

"We have a good package," Wolff insists, "but where it takes us, nobody can say right now. World championships are no guarantee that you will stay there, and the performance of Ferrari on the first day underscores that."

Drivers still unsure 2019 rule changes will work

Hulkenberg makes an 'I doubt it' face when asked about the new regs

(GMM) F1 drivers remain unconvinced the aerodynamic regulations for 2019 will make overtaking any easier.

The biggest change for this year is the front wing, with the package of changes designed by the FIA and Liberty Media to promote wheel-to-wheel racing.

When asked about the wing, Sebastian Vettel said in Barcelona: "It's pretty ugly.

"It's too wide for me. I don't know why we've done that," said the Ferrari driver.

"A few years ago we made it smaller for overtaking, now it's been made wider for overtaking."

Another change for 2019 is the higher rear wings, and Renault's Nico Hulkenberg said on Monday that it feels like driving with "a parachute" attached.

He also said increased drag makes the cars slower in a straight line.

"This morning it seemed to me that the braking areas are much smaller," said Hulkenberg. "It is not going to be easy to put a nose in front, but we will have to wait for the races to see."

Yet another change this year is to the fuel regulations, with each driver given 5kg of extra fuel per race to stop the fuel-saving practice of so-called 'lift and coast'.

"The question is whether it is enough," Haas driver Kevin Magnussen told BT newspaper.

"I think a lot of the extra fuel will be eaten up by the increased drag of the new wings at the front and the rear. So it will surprise me if we can completely stop the coasting.

"I just hope it's not as bad as last year," the Dane added.

2019 Williams car not yet in Barcelona

Rumors have begun to circulate in the paddock that Paddy Lowe, who rode on Aldo Costa's coattails for years at Mercedes, could be terminated by Williams

(GMM) Williams' 2019 car is not yet in Barcelona.

Dead last in 2018, hopes were high that the once-great British team would begin its recovery this year.

But a filming day scheduled for last Saturday was cancelled, and then Williams announced it would not be joining the other nine teams for the start of official winter testing on Monday.

Claire Williams said the team needs "more time".

Then, she announced that Tuesday's running has been cancelled as well, with Wednesday now being the "earliest" day for the FW42's debut.

A source in Barcelona, where Williams' motor home, team members and even drivers are present, said the most likely reason for the delay is external suppliers.

There are also rumors that a design flaw means several parts need to be redesigned.

Robert Kubica was in the paddock on Monday and later trained on his bike.

"The FW42 is not in Barcelona," our source reported. "The car that is here is last year's, with some new parts including the front and rear wings."

However, it is believed Williams has no plans to actually run that car.

A source said that if Williams' new car does arrive in Barcelona, it will be some time on Wednesday, which could mean a third consecutive affected day of testing.

The team confirmed that test driver Nicholas Latifi, who is the son of new McLaren co-owner Michael Latifi, will no longer test this week in Barcelona.

Williams had planned media activities including interviews with Claire Williams and Paddy Lowe for Monday and Tuesday, but they were also cancelled.

A team member said in Barcelona: "We can't comment."

FIA issues RFP for standard F1 gearbox supplier from 2021

The Haas currently uses a Ferrari gearbox

The FIA has issued Request for Proposal (RFP) for a common F1 gearbox cassette for the 2021-24 seasons.

The governing body wants all competitors to share common internals but have their own "team specific" gearbox casings on which the suspension is hung.

Potential suppliers have until March 15 to make their submissions, while the FIA says a decision will be announced between April 15 and 30.

Gearbox specialist Xtrac has been mentioned in the paddock as a leading candidate for the tender, but there remains a possibility that an F1 team could win the bid and supply the whole field.

The tender, published on Monday reads, "The aim of single source supply is to retain current levels of F1 gear change performance for all cars at a much reduced cost to the competitors while also removing the requirement for teams to design or source their own gearboxes.

"The unit can be carried over between seasons so removing the need for costly continual performance development.

"In order to retain competitor's own freedoms for suspension and for the gearbox aero surfaces, the outer housing will remain team specific (designed and produced by the competitor) with the common, self-contained gearbox cassette mounted inside."

The FIA insists that the new gearboxes will be similar to current models, although there will be a move from the current eight gears to seven.

Singha Corporation becomes Official Partner of Alfa Romeo Racing

Kimi Raikkonen

Alfa Romeo Racing announces that the internationally acclaimed multi-industrial Singha Corporation has joined the team as Official Partner.

The Singha Corporation is a privately held company which has since its founding remained managed by the descendants of its founder, who in 1933 established Thailand’s first brewery. Over more than 85 years, this innovative project has grown to become one of the most recognized corporations around the globe, with the strong Singha brand making its way into various industries, including agriculture, real estate, retail fashion and lifestyle.

With a logo so iconic that it has been awarded a Thai Royal Warrant – the highest honor in Thailand – for its service and commitment to the socioeconomic development of the Kingdom, this partner brings decades of tradition and vast experience in branding to race tracks across the globe, as Alfa Romeo Racing continues to expand its commercial activities in various industries.
The Singha logo will be proudly featured on both race cars in 2019.

Frederic Vasseur, Team Principal Alfa Romeo Racing and CEO Sauber Motorsport AG:
“We are happy to announce that Singha Corporation has joined Alfa Romeo Racing as Official Partner. The vast experience and multi-industrial involvement of the Singha Corporation, combined with the strong presence and recently successful track-record of our team in Formula One, will enhance the commercial activities and create new opportunities for interesting brand activations for both of our companies. We look forward to the collaboration."

Voravud Bhirombhakdi, Board of Directors Singha Corporation:
“Singha Corporation has a long history in motorsports both locally and internationally and has been partners with Formula One teams since 2010. We have shared many success stories with the teams during our partnerships. In 2019 we are excited to be part of Alfa Romeo Racing with a long history in Formula One and together with the 2007 F1 World Champion Kimi Raikkonen and the young promising Antonio Giovinazzi as the drivers. We are certain that this partnership will bring mutual success and brand synergies in these coming years."

About Singha Corporation:
Boon Rawd Brewery (Singha Corporation), Thailand’s first brewery, was founded in 1933 by Phraya Bhirom Bhakdi (Boonrawd Sreshthaputra). For over 80 years, the privately owned company has become a renowned beverage producer, managed by 3rd and 4th generations of the descendants of the founder together with professionals from different fields.

At present, the company produces products under the numerous brand names namely Singha, Leo, Purra, Boonrawd Farm, Pundee and Masita trademarks. The company has expanded and diversified its business interests into manufacturing, packaging, agriculture, real estate, food and restaurants, which comprises of over 50 affiliated companies.

As an integral part of the Thai society, Boon Rawd Brewery is proud of its reputation as a good corporate neighbor. The company actively participates in local environmental support programs, offers scholarship to those attending Thailand’s 25 colleges and universities, as well as provides educational opportunities for the children of the company’s employees. Furthermore, the company also provides medical assistance and disaster relief under the Phraya Bhirombhakdi Foundation.

The Royal Garuda that appears on every bottle of Singha products is a Thai Royal Warrant, the highest honor in Thailand awarded to businesses and organizations, was granted to Boon Rawd Brewery on October 25th, 1939, for its exceptional service and commitment to the economic and social development of the Thai Kingdom.

Today, the Boon Rawd group of companies continues to produce products of the highest quality, and continues to give back to society in many different ways, continuing the legacy of the founder, Phraya Bhirom Bhakdi.
For further information about Singha Corporation, please visit www.boonrawd.co.th.

Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport partners with Konecranes

Lewis Hamilton

Konecranes, a world-leading group of Lifting Businesses, will become an official team supplier

Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport is delighted to announce a partnership with Konecranes which will see the Finnish company become an official supplier to the team. Mercedes uses Konecranes equipment at its technology center in Brackley, UK, and Konecranes has had a successful global marketing partnership with Formula One driver Valtteri Bottas since 2017.

Under the new collaboration, Konecranes will provide Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport with its latest technology including its industry leading TRUCONNECTÂ® Remote Monitoring which connects data, machines and people to enhance safety and productivity.

Existing and potential Konecranes customers will see Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport partnership marketing come to life across a wide span of media channels including web, video and social media, and the Konecranes logo will be present on the sleeve of Valtteri's race suit, in the team's factory in Brackley, and on team trucks, official media communications and the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport website.

Konecranes President and CEO Panu Routila says that the agreement is a logical extension of the existing relationship between Konecranes, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport and Valtteri Bottas.

"I'm pleased that we're shifting gears and taking this next step with Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport. The expanded use of Konecranes' solutions by the clear leader in a sport where technology is critical to success shows our portfolio is second to none," Routila says.

"Our work with Valtteri Bottas already raised our global brand awareness and brought excellent feedback from both customers and employees, so I'm confident that this new agreement will lift the Konecranes brand globally to the next level. I look forward to the upcoming season when Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport targets an unprecedented sixth-straight sweep of the Constructors' and Drivers' titles," adds Routila.

"We're very happy to welcome Konecranes to Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport," says Toto Wolff, Team Principal & CEO. "We already use Konecranes' technology for material handling at our factory in Brackley and we're pleased to expand our relationship to support the growth of their brand and business using the platform of Formula One. Our team has enjoyed a successful winter in terms of new commercial agreements and we are delighted to welcome a world-leading Finnish brand like Konecranes to our family of official partners and suppliers."

About Konecranes
Konecranes is a world-leading group of Lifting Businesses, serving a broad range of customers, including manufacturing and process industries, shipyards, ports and terminals. Konecranes provides productivity enhancing lifting solutions as well as services for lifting equipment of all makes. In 2017, Group sales totaled EUR 3,136 million. The Group has 16,400 employees at 600 locations in 50 countries. Konecranes shares are listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki (symbol: KCR).