Latest F1 news in brief

Carlos Sainz Jr.

Renault 'seems to want to keep me' – Sainz Jr.
Ferrari 'can win' in Barcelona – Vettel
Calderon could get Friday session in 2018
Spanish Tire Tread Depth Change aimed at Preventing Overheating
Mallya Reportedly Loses UK Lawsuit Of Over $1.5 Billion
Wolff expects three-way battle to 'intensify' in Barcelona
F1 bosses want to 'get rid' of grid penalties with 2021 rule changes

Renault 'seems to want to keep me' – Sainz Jr.
(GMM) Carlos Sainz has hinted that he will stay at Renault next year.

Although Cyril Abiteboul has said he is happy with the Spaniard, the Renault team boss is also planning a 'plan B' in the event that Red Bull pulls Sainz back for 2019.

Sainz, however, seems to want to stay.

"Renault has trusted me for a couple of years and want me to do the best," he said at a sponsor event in Madrid.

"Being at Renault, a world champion team, is an honor and a privilege and a step I wanted to take for a long time. Everything is going well," Sainz added.

However, he is still struggling to get up to speed with teammate Nico Hulkenberg, but Abiteboul says Renault will continue to support Sainz.

"Everyone says it's my year of consecration, but I don't see it like that," Sainz said.

"For me it's another year in formula one when I want to give my all."

As for 2019, 23-year-old Sainz answered: "The two parties are happy with the situation and Renault seems to want to continue to count on me.

"But now is not the time to talk about 2019. There have still only been four races."

Ferrari 'can win' in Barcelona – Vettel

Vettel was fastest in preseason testing in Barcelona

(GMM) Sebastian Vettel is confident Ferrari's strong season will continue in Barcelona.

Many pundits believe the Maranello team can finally win its first drivers' title since 2007 this year.

But while Ferrari has been strong so far, Mercedes seemed best in the pre-season tests in Barcelona, which is the scene of this weekend's Spanish grand prix.

"I'm not worried at all," Vettel is quoted by the German broadcaster RTL ahead of Barcelona.

"The most important thing is that we have a good car to work with in qualifying. If we're in front, we can win because our race pace is good," he said.

Vettel said one-lap pace on Saturday is the biggest difference between Ferrari's 2017 and 2018 cars.

"Especially in qualifying we were not competitive enough in previous years," he said.

The German also said Barcelona this weekend will give the F1 world a clear image of the true pecking order in 2018.

"Barcelona is a very good gauge of where everyone really stands," he said.

Calderon could get Friday session in 2018

Tatiana Calderon has to write a big enough check to do a Friday morning track cleaning session

(GMM) Tatiana Calderon is not ruling out her chances of securing some Friday practice outings for Sauber.

When the female Colombian driver was appointed as the Swiss team's 2018 test driver, boss Frederic Vasseur said the 25-year-old will not get Friday outings.

But the GP3 driver says her goal is to race in formula one.

"There are other categories of course, but the first thing is for me to try to be in formula one and I think I can," she told Spain's AS newspaper.

Asked what her actual F1 duties will be this season, Calderon answered: "I will go to several races with them, participate in technical meetings and do simulator work, and I'm preparing for them to put me in the car."

She is not sure when that will be or if it will involve actual Friday practice sessions.

"I'm not here as a reserve driver yet, but last year I was a development driver and this year they want to continue to give me the opportunity and it's in the hand of the team to announce when I'm going to do it.

"My goal is to do very well in GP3 to give them more reasons," Calderon added.

"It's true that in two or three years, if all goes well, I could be in F1."

She said being a woman is not a hurdle she gives too much thought to.

"We have 30 per cent less muscle mass and it's more difficult, but right now because of the physical preparation I am doing, I don't notice it.

"I do many hours of training, for example in the 'torture machine' which works my neck. In a year I've made it 9 centimeters wider," Calderon said.

"Many times I've been told I can't do it because I'm a woman, but that just motivates me more."

Spanish Tire Tread Depth Change aimed at Preventing Overheating

Pirelli F1 tires

Pirelli Motorsport will bring compounds of tire with a reduced tread depth to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya this weekend, the first of three venues where they will do this, to try and counter the risk of the tires overheating.

Mario Isola, Pirelli’s Head of Car Racing, says drivers will not notice any kind of performance or stint length difference with the change, which has been made due to the new asphalt that has been laid down this season.

Although teams have run at the circuit during pre-season testing, temperatures are set to be considerably hotter this weekend, which is why Pirelli has gone this way with the tire tread depth, something that will be repeated at the Circuit Paul Ricard and Silverstone later this year.

“This year, Barcelona isn’t exactly like going to a new circuit for the teams: but the changes to the surface are still significant enough to alter some of the track’s fundamental characteristics," said Isola.

“We too have made a change by reducing the tread depth on the slick tires to reduce the risk of overheating, as we will also do for Paul Ricard and Silverstone, but it’s not a change that any of the drivers will notice in terms of performance or stint length.

“The teams already have some knowledge of the new asphalt from pre-season testing, but the weather is now much warmer, the cars considerably faster and there will also be some ageing of the surface."

Isola also feels the teams will have their work cut out during the Free Practice sessions this weekend in order to learn how to manage the softer compounds Pirelli are bringing to the circuit than in 2017.

“This year, we bring the Supersoft to the Spanish Grand Prix – effectively, two steps softer than the softest nomination in 2017, as all the compounds are a step softer anyway – so the homework done in free practice will be particularly important," said Isola.

Mallya Reportedly Loses UK Lawsuit Of Over $1.5 Billion

Vijay Mallya will be a lot lighter in the wallet soon

Embattled liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya, undergoing an extradition trial in a UK court over fraud and money laundering charges by Indian authorities, on Tuesday, 8 May lost a lawsuit filed by 13 Indian banks in the UK High Court seeking to collect from him more than USD 1.55 billion.

Judge Andrew Henshaw refused to overturn a worldwide order freezing Mallya's assets and upheld an Indian court's ruling that a consortium of 13 Indian banks were entitled to recover funds amounting to nearly USD 1.55 billion (1.145 billion pounds).

The victory for the banks will enable them to enforce the Indian judgment against Mallya's assets in England and Wales.

The worldwide freezing order prevents him from removing any assets from England and Wales up to that value or to in any way dispose of, deal with or diminish the value of his assets in or outside of this jurisdiction, up to the same value.

Paul Gair, from UK law firm TLT which represented the Indian banks in the London court said:

‘Today’s judgment is a very important decision not just for our clients, who want to proceed in this jurisdiction with enforcing the judgment they secured against Dr Mallya in India, but also for Indian and international banks more generally’

"In dismissing Dr Mallya's application, the High Court has demonstrated its willingness to recognize judgments granted by courts in other jurisdictions, giving parties opportunities to enforce their judgments against any assets held here. This case also sets a strong precedent for parties to secure a worldwide freezing order when enforcing judgments against willful defaulters," he said.

Gair, a partner in TLT's banking and financial services litigation team, added that in a weakened global economy, "non-performing loans" present a real challenge for lenders, particularly where customers have assets located around the world.

Wolff expects three-way battle to 'intensify' in Barcelona

Hamilton won in Spain last year

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff expects the battle with Ferrari and Red Bull will continue to "intensify" as Formula One enters the European part of the season.

After the first four flyaway races of 2018, Lewis Hamilton sits four points clear of Sebastian Vettel in the drivers' championship. While Mercedes is in a strong position in both championships, Ferrari has held the upper hand in terms of performance, in particular in qualifying trim.

"The first four races indicate very strongly that we will see the three-way battle continue and — if anything — intensify," Wolff said. "We're hoping that this year's Spanish Grand Prix will be a good race for us, but we know that it will be tough."

"The European season is also the time when teams start introducing bigger upgrades to their cars. It's the first step of the development race that looks like it could run to the very end of the season. It will be interesting to see how much performance the teams can find with their upgrades and what impact those upgrades will have on the team ranking — both at the front and in the midfield."

Unlike in 2017, Mercedes has struggled for one-lap performance comparatively to Ferrari — scoring just one pole position in the opening four rounds — with Ferrari claiming the other three. Wolff has stressed the importance of improving Mercedes' qualifying fortunes due to the difficulties in overtaking at the Circuit de Catalunya.

"Overtaking is difficult in Barcelona and even more so in Monte Carlo, making track position key for a good race result. So, every team will work hard to get every last bit of performance out of the car in qualifying."

F1 bosses want to 'get rid' of grid penalties with 2021 rule changes

Charlie Whiting wants Grid Penalties to go

Formula 1 chiefs are aiming to get rid of grid penalties in all but exceptional circumstances under the 2021 rules.

F1 boss Ross Brawn has long made clear his frustration with the amount of grid penalties drivers currently receive for going over their allocations of engine components and gearboxes, calling the present situation a "farce".

Though some tweaks were implemented to try to simplify the system for 2018, F1 race director Charlie Whiting says the aim is now to use 2021's regulations overhaul as an opportunity for a dramatic reduction in the number of penalties imposed.

"We would like to get rid of all grid penalties, if we could," he told Autosport. "That's what we're working towards."

Asked if there was any intention to change the gearbox rules in the short term, Whiting replied: "There is no need. It is a good system we have.

"If we changed to anything it would be to a pool of gearboxes, like we have a pool of engines.

"So you are only allowed three gearboxes for the year and do what you like with them, but that's all you will have.

"It is one of the things we're thinking for 2021. We are introducing a fairly comprehensive package with a number of changes."