Latest F1 news in brief – Tuesday (Update)
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| Ricciardo in the new RB14 before stuffing it in the barriers |
UPDATE Update shown in red below.
02/20/18
- Horner admits Red Bull eyeing title
- Alonso defends 'impossible' 2018 schedule
- Kappa becomes Official Partner of the Alfa Romeo Sauber
- Carrera becomes Premium Partner of the Alfa Romeo Sauber
- Marko fears bigger Mercedes engine advantage in 2018
- Red Bull confirms Ricciardo wadded up the RB14 New
- Video: 2018 Red Bull RB14 hits the track
Horner admits Red Bull eyeing title
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| Horner eyes F1 title, but can they beat the Aldo Costa cars? |
(GMM) Red Bull should be able to take on Mercedes and Ferrari for the 2018 title.
That is the view of team boss Christian Horner, after his colleague Dr Helmut Marko this week played down Red Bull's championship chances.
But as the temporary-liveried RB14 was revealed and shaken down on Monday, Horner said: "If we've learned the lessons of last year, and if reliability improves, then I see no reason why we shouldn't be on par."
Marko said this week that Red Bull's great strength is its drivers, with Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo very closely matched.
Horner said a championship for Dutchman Verstappen is "only a matter of time".
"Sebastian Vettel won four titles for us before he was 30. Lewis did his four and is only 32. For me, Max is a champion.
"You can see which drivers are outstanding and Max is certainly one of them," Horner is quoted by Speed Week.
Alongside Mercedes and Ferrari, Red Bull will have another benchmark in 2018 after McLaren switched to use the same customer Renault engines.
Horner said: "McLaren is a great team and we look forward to racing against them.
"But we made great progress especially in the second half of last season and we hope to take that momentum into 2018.
"The rules are more or less the same, so there are many lessons we can draw from 2017 with the development of our new car."
Alonso defends 'impossible' 2018 schedule
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| Alonso laughs at stupid press questions |
(GMM) Fernando Alonso says he has no concerns about being able to cope with an unprecedentedly busy racing program in 2018.
Alongside F1's longest-ever season of 21 races, the Spaniard will contest the full world endurance championship, including fabled Le Mans.
Asked if at the age of 36 it might be too much, Alonso laughed to Marca sports newspaper: "No, I'm not grey yet.
"Seriously, I'm physically well. Ok, ten years ago facing a challenge like this would have been very difficult or even impossible or a mistake.
"But now I am 100 per cent sure I can face it. With the way I know formula one, other categories like the Indy 500, even the way I need to travel, I'm ready now.
"That's why a program like this has never been done," Alonso explained. "It's almost impossible. Only at certain moments of your sports career, such as where I am now, can it be done, and then not everyone can do it."
Indeed, Alonso was speaking from his latest Toyota LMP1 test, having just been at McLaren's Woking factory to see his new F1 car.
"This year it will be important to have every detail clear," he continued.
"Now, the whole year will have to be designed almost day to day to get to November for the last grand prix in a very strong condition."
Meanwhile, Alonso declined to comment on the account of a former McLaren mechanic, who confirmed that back in 2007, Ron Dennis wanted Lewis Hamilton rather than the Spaniard to win the title.
"One story always comes out and then another follow it," Alonso said.
"It's a long time ago and water under the bridge but we all saw what happened. But when my book comes out at the end of the year, you will read everything."
Kappa becomes Official Partner of the Alfa Romeo Sauber
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We are delighted to announce that Kappa has joined us as Official Partner of the Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team.
The globally recognized sports brand Kappa is part of BasicNet, a company listed in the Italian Stock Exchange since 1999. By joining the Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team, Kappa will bring their outstanding products to the forefront of the pinnacle of motorsport.
Kappa will supply the race team and drivers with the official team gear. The Kappa logo will be featured on the headrest of the two C37, as well as the race overalls of the team’s two drivers.
Frederic Vasseur, Team Principal, Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team:
“We are very pleased to announce our partnership with Kappa as a new Official Partner of the Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team. Collaborating with an internationally acclaimed sports brand such as Kappa is a great pleasure for us, and we look forward to representing their brand in Formula 1 paddocks around the globe."
Lorenzo Boglione, Vice President Sales, BasicNet:
“Kappa, our most sporty brand, is back to Formula 1 alongside a historic F1 team and an iconic Italian car brand famous all over the world for its style and performance, the characteristics that unite us. Style and technology are the common ground between us and the Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team, with whom we are proud to collaborate".
About Kappa:
Kappa is a brand of BasicNet SpA, the Company also owner of Robe di Kappa, Jesus Jeans, K-Way, Superga, Sabelt, Briko and Sebago. BasicNet’s leader brands are present in the sports and leisure apparel, footwear and accessories market. It operates worldwide through an international network of entrepreneurs, licensees of the brands, which produce or distribute the products. BasicNet offers to its network services of research, development, industrialization of the products and global marketing. All the company processes occur only through the Web, making BasicNet a “fully web integrated company". BasicNet, with headquarters in Turin, Italy, is listed at the Italian Stock Exchange since 1999.
Carrera becomes Premium Partner of the Alfa Romeo Sauber
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| Carrera Logo |
We are delighted to announce a new multi-year partnership with Carrera as Premium Partner of the Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team.
Since its creation in 1956, Carrera, the iconic eyewear brand synonymous with pioneering design and outstanding quality, has always followed the passion for sports, with a daring attitude that consistently complements the unique spirit of motor racing.
By joining the Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team as Premium Partner, Carrera brings its distinctive eyewear collections into the world of Formula 1, joining us at the start of a new chapter in our longstanding history in the sport.
Carrera will supply the race team and drivers with sunglasses and optical frames. The Carrera logo will be featured on the sides of the monocoques of the two C37, on the sides of the visor of the two drivers’ race helmets, and on their race overalls.
Frederic Vasseur, Team Principal, Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team:
“We are very pleased to announce our partnership with Carrera as a new Premium Partner of the Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team. Having such an iconic lifestyle brand on board with us is a great pleasure and we look forward to welcoming their eyewear in the paddocks around the world."
Stefano Biondo, Chief Brand Officer, Safilo Group:
“We are truly proud of this outstanding partnership. Carrera and the Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team share common values of passion for sports, innovation, challenges and the daring attitude. The return to the Formula 1 family is a significant step forward for the brand. We look forward to a long and successful partnership."
About Carrera:
Carrera – synonymous with pioneering design and outstanding quality – is a statement brand since 1956 for people who live by their own rules, continuously defying themselves and proudly approaching life standing out of the crowd.
Claro becomes Premium Partner of the Alfa Romeo Sauber
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The Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team is delighted to announce that Claro has joined us as Premium Partner for the 2018 Formula 1 season.
Claro is a subsidiary of America Movil, the largest telecommunications company in Latin America with operations in 16 countries. In the past, Claro has already been part of the Sauber team in form of a partnership that spanned from 2011 until 2014.
Joining the Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team for its first chapter in Formula 1, Claro continues its journey with our team as Premium Partner in 2018. The Claro logo will be featured on the rear wing endplates and the front noses of the two C37.
Frederic Vasseur, Team Principal, Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team:
“We are very pleased to announce our partnership with Claro as a Premium Partner of the Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team. Having Claro join us as a partner, after having successfully collaborated together in the past, is a great pleasure. We are delighted to take our next, exciting step in our journey together, and look forward to working together for the upcoming season in Formula 1."
About Claro:
Claro is a subsidiary of America Movil, the largest telecommunications company in Latin America with operations in 16 countries. Claro operates in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico and Uruguay.
Marko fears bigger Mercedes engine advantage in 2018
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| With the best chassis and most powerful engine, no one stands a chance against Mercedes |
Red Bull motorsport boss Helmut Marko fears Mercedes' engine advantage in Formula 1 could be even bigger this season.
Despite the extra focus on the chassis side, Marko fears Red Bull's newly-launched RB14 may not be enough to challenge for the 2018 championship.
"The [Renault] engine should be more reliable and more powerful this year, and we will have a competitive chassis from the beginning, but Mercedes is building a new engine," Marko told Auto Motor und Sport.
"It might be that their advantage will then be even bigger.
"If the [Renault] engine lives up to the promises that have been made, we should definitely be closer to Mercedes.
"We saw that we always came up to speed in the second half of the season, and the analysis showed that we always finished the car too late.
"It doesn't make any sense if you find a couple of hundredths of a second in the last 14 days.
"It is more important to be well-prepared for the season."
Red Bull confirms Ricciardo wadded up the RB14
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| Ricciardo in the new RB14 before stuffing it in the barriers |
Red Bull has confirmed that Daniel Ricciardo crashed the RB14 on its track debut at Silverstone yesterday.
The Australian went off in the difficult conditions and hit the barriers. Though the accident was at low speed, the RB14 incurred damage to its nose, front wing, floor and suspension.
The Milton Keynes based outfit will now need to work to ensure that the requisite spare parts are ready for when pre-season testing gets underway at Barcelona next Monday.
Despite the off, which brought the filming day to a premature end, Ricciardo was enthusiastic, both about the RB14 and the Halo device.
"It's always hard to tell from a few laps," he admitted, "but the initial feeling is good. It's not doing anything that scares me and I can already feel that the rear of the car feels pretty settled, even in these poor conditions. Those are encouraging early signs.
"I can see fine," he said of the Halo. "Before today I'd only done a couple of installs with it, so it was pretty new – but I really didn't notice it was there.
"Honestly, unless there's (trackside signage) above, I don't see any issues at all on a flat track. It is a bit awkward to jump in and out – I'm probably going to pull an adductor! – but it's OK. A small challenge but we'll get over it.
The pattern of the last few years for Red Bull has been to launch 'aggressively late'. This has allowed the design department the maximum amount of time to add "goodness" to the car before the cut-off point at which the design is frozen and a launch car produced. It's been not uncommon to have the car finished, fired up for the first time and shipped to Spain for the start of testing all on the same day.
It serves a purpose, says the Austrian team, but you wouldn't do it if you didn't have to, and this year it didn't have to.
"It's preferable to finish the car early and deal with any snags now, when the car is on a track a short drive from the factory, rather than use up one of the eight ultra-precious pre-season test days doing the same at the Circuit de Catalunya.
As usual with a brand-new car, the programme was characterised by short runs with plenty of inspection and analysis time between – but the RB14 didn't supply any nasty surprises.
"Obviously, it's been a long day trying to get everything going but a lot better to have that here than in Barcelona," concluded Ricciardo. "Doesn't mean we won't have anything in Barcelona but it's nice to know we've got some of the initial challenges out of the way.
Video: 2018 Red Bull RB14 hits the track
The RB14 made its on-track debut at the Aston Martin Red Bull Racing filming day at Silverstone yesterday. Daniel Ricciardo took the honors behind the wheel, completing a number of laps in damp conditions.
Following his day in the RB14 Daniel commented “It’s always exciting to drive the car for the first time. It sounds a bit different, obviously looks a bit different – actually it looks cool. It’s cold, it’s pretty miserable today at Silverstone but it’s nice to be out there. First cobwebs shaken out and I’m ready to go to Melbourne.
“It’s hard to tell from a couple of laps but the initial feeling in the car is good. I can already feel that the rear feels pretty settled, even in these poor conditions. Those are encouraging early signs. So far I can see fine with the halo. I’d only done a couple of installs with it before so it was pretty new today but I really didn’t notice it was there, which is pretty good. Honestly, unless there’s stuff above, I don’t see any issues at all on a flat track.
“It’s been a long day, trying to get everything going and complete the filming – but a lot better to have that here than in Barcelona."
Max was also in town to see the RB14 take to the track for the first time, commenting: “I think the car looks very aggressive and, actually, the livery I really, really like. It’s always better to drive the car of course, and I can’t wait to drive the RB14 in Barcelona. I’m really looking forward to it and hopefully it will be dry."
Aston Martin Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner was pleased to see the RB14 turn a wheel for the first time, saying: “The special edition livery has made its mark on the 2018 season. Knowing we were running all of our development and processes earlier to meet this early launch, we felt that ‘shift’ had to be reflected in the livery, hence the ‘digital disruption’ you saw on the RB14 at Silverstone. It was good to have got the first few laps of 2018 under our belts and now we look forward to the first test in Barcelona next week."