Latest F1 news in brief – Tuesday (Update)
01/05/16
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Grosjean gave Haas team credibility Grosjean gave Haas credibility to sign staff – boss
- Alfa Romeo debut needs F1 team support – Marchionne
- Arrivabene 'no problem' with Marchionne's title goal
- Boss wants more competitive Raikkonen in 2016
- Verstappen retires in order to focus on son Max
- Red Bull moving on without title backer
- Williams Martini Racing and Wihuri Continue Partnership
- Palmer sure Vandoorne will reach Formula 1
- Lauda not critical inside team – Rosberg New
- 2017 car changes not radical enough – Newey New
Grosjean gave Haas credibility to sign staff – boss
(GMM) Signing Romain Grosjean is helping to attract staff to F1's new American outfit Haas, boss Gunther Steiner says.
Founded by Nascar team co-owner and machine tool magnate and billionaire Gene Haas, Haas is debuting in 2016 with the strong backing and support of Ferrari.
But Steiner told Sky Sports that it is the high-profile signing of French driver Romain Grosjean that is giving Haas credibility when it comes to signing up staff.
He admitted that in F1 at the moment, "it is more difficult to attract people and be credible after a few teams have gone out of business in the last year".
"So that was my biggest challenge to convince people, but the signing of Romain helped a lot to give it credibility as people said 'If Romain Grosjean – one of the best drivers in F1 – joins the team he should know what he is doing as he has been in the business for a long time, so he must have done his due diligence'," Steiner said.
"A lot of good people applied for a job with us after that."
He denied, however, that one of the signings will be someone as high-profile as Rob Smedley, a leading engineer at the British team Williams and formerly with Ferrari.
"Established people (are coming), but no big names," said Steiner. "There is no Adrian Newey for example."
He said Haas is targeting Q2 and a points finish on debut in Australia, having reported just before Christmas that work on the 2016 car is on schedule.
"We will start to produce a car in mid-January, we will do the crash test at the beginning of January and then we will start to put one together," said Steiner.
"We will roll it out hopefully the day before the testing starts."
He added that a decision on the color of the livery is yet to be taken.
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| Marchionne (R) with Ecclestone |
Alfa Romeo debut needs F1 team support – Marchionne
(GMM) Alfa Romeo would need to ally with a team in order to enter formula one, Ferrari and Fiat Chrysler president Sergio Marchionne said on Monday.
Recently, Marchionne suggested that the fabled Italian carmaker, who powered F1's first world champion Giuseppe Farina to the inaugural title in 1950, could return to the pinnacle of motor racing.
And as Ferrari made its debut on the Milan stock exchange on Monday, he declared: "It (Alfa Romeo entering F1) is undoubtedly possible.
"How that is done, we still have to see. It would be difficult for Alfa Romeo to return without the support of another team.
"First, we focus on the introduction of the new Giulia (road car). However, for an association with formula one, that would be ideal," Marchionne added.
Marchionne said that other manufacturers should also think about entering F1.
"I think the Germans (BMW) were wrong to leave in 2008-2009. Personally, I encourage all the manufacturers to enter F1," he said.
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| Marchionne (L) and Maurizio Arrivabene |
Arrivabene 'no problem' with Marchionne's title goal
(GMM) Maurizio Arrivabene says it his job to deliver on the ambitious goal set by Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne for 2016.
Ferrari made its debut on the Milan stock exchange on Monday, and the first day of trading had mixed results.
Marchionne, having spun off the fabled Maranello marque from Fiat Chrysler, played down Ferrari's wobbly financial debut.
"We will only know in a few days where we stand," he said.
He was much more adamant about what Ferrari needs to achieve this year on the race track, declaring that the goal is to beat Mercedes to the world title.
"2016 should be the year for us to return to the top," said Marchionne. "Our investments have not been lacking.
"We want to present ourselves in Australia as the team to beat. We know that our rivals are strong, but we are not afraid of them as we are the most successful team in the history of formula one," he insisted.
Arrivabene, Ferrari's team principal, has been less brash in his own setting of clear objectives for 2016, but he said his boss's targets must be respected.
"The moment we take to the test track, we will understand where we are and whether there is reason to be optimistic," said the Italian.
"But Marchionne is the president and it is right for him to set the goals. I have to achieve them and I have no problem with that," Arrivabene added.
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| Kimi Raikkonen was dominated by Vettel in 2015. Can he improve in 2016? |
Boss wants more competitive Raikkonen in 2016
(GMM) Maurizio Arrivabene has suggested Kimi Raikkonen needs to move closer to the pace of his Ferrari teammate in 2016.
Ferrari toyed with the idea of replacing the 36-year-old Finn this year, but ultimately signed a new one-season contract with the 2007 world champion.
When asked about the drivers during Ferrari's stock market debut in Milan on Monday, team boss Arrivabene said: "(Sebastian) Vettel is a great driver and Ferrari needs him.
"Raikkonen went quite well in the second half of the (2015) season," he added. "What I wish, however, is that there is more competition between them."
Arrivabene said Ferrari's 2016 car is on track to debut at the first winter test in Barcelona.
Germany's Auto Motor und Sport reports that the car, whose official designation and livery is yet to be announced, is set to have a vastly redesigned front suspension layout.
"The name and graphics are already done," confirmed Arrivabene on Monday, "and we will let you know (what they are) at the right time."
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| Jos Verstappen (L) and son Max |
Verstappen retires in order to focus on son Max
(GMM) Jos Verstappen has called time on his motor racing career in order to focus on his son Max.
The former F1 driver, who was once teammate to the great Michael Schumacher in the 90s, revealed last week that he turned down an opportunity to race again later this year at Le Mans.
"It didn't fit into the program this time," Jos, 43, said.
But he has now told the specialist Dutch publication Formule 1 that he is retiring from motor racing altogether, in order to focus completely on Max.
"I want nothing more than that Max is successful," Jos, referring to his 18-year-old son who drives for Toro Rosso, said.
"My career is over.
"There was an idea to do the 24 hours of Le Mans again and at first I thought it would be good. But then I saw that it coincides with formula one (Azerbaijan) and I would not be at ease if Max is racing somewhere else.
"If I'm honest, Max is now number 1. I put everything else aside for him. I want this to be a success story," Verstappen snr added.
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| Infiniti gone from Red Bull Team logo |
Red Bull moving on without title backer
(GMM) Red Bull looks to be moving on in formula one without a title sponsor.
Last month, following the marketing split from Renault and the rebranding of Red Bull's engines for 2016 as Tag-Heuer, the team admitted it will no longer be backed by Infiniti.
It is the luxury road car division of Nissan, which is owned by Renault.
"They became the title sponsor of the team in 2013 when Infiniti enjoyed greater visibility than any other manufacturer in the sport," boss Christian Horner said recently.
"We wish them all the best with their plans for the future."
So on Monday, Red Bull Racing revealed its new logo for 2016, confirming not only the departure of Infiniti but that a replacement title sponsor has apparently not been signed.
The logo reads simply: "Red Bull Racing formula one team".
Horner has said 2016 will be a year of transition for Red Bull as it prepares for the radical new engine and chassis rules of 2017 and beyond.
But Mercedes' Nico Rosberg says the former quadruple world champions should never be ruled out.
"You always have to reckon with Red Bull," he told Germany's motorsport-magazin.com. "They are a very strong team. Up to one and a half years ago, they were absolutely dominant, simply unbeatable.
"They could always make a comeback, so we have to keep an eye on them," Rosberg added.
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| Wihuri will feature on front wing end plates |
Williams Martini Racing and Wihuri Continue Partnership
Williams announced that it has signed a renewed partnership agreement with Wihuri, one of Finland’s most respected business enterprises, for the 2016 Formula One season.
The Wihuri logo will now feature on the front wing endplate of the upcoming Williams Mercedes FW38. The Wihuri logo will also feature on the drivers’ helmets and overalls, as well as team clothing.
Headquartered in Finland, Wihuri is a global industry and trade conglomerate engaged in packaging products, daily goods wholesale operations, technical trade investment products and aviation. Over the past century, Wihuri has grown from a small family business into a diversified global enterprise which operates in 20 countries.
It is still owned by the family that formed the company 110 years ago. Wihuri first became a partner of Williams in May 2012, but their heritage in motorsport sponsorship dates back to the 1970s.
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| Stoffel Vandoorne (C) |
Palmer sure Vandoorne will reach Formula 1
Jolyon Palmer says he fully expects fellow GP2 champion Stoffel Vandoorne to reach the Formula 1 grid in the future, as the latter prepares to spend 2016 as McLaren's reserve driver.
Vandoorne took seven victories and nine further podiums en route to a record GP2 points total last year, but was unable to make the step up to the top echelon due to a lack of seats.
Palmer, GP2 champion in 2014, spent 2015 as Lotus' reserve before sealing a full-time 2016 drive at the team, and reckons Vandoorne's route to Formula 1 will be similar.
"When I went into the 2014 GP2 season, I said to myself, 'right, I can't just win the championship, I need to dominate it'," Palmer explained to GPUpdate.net.
"I won it with record points, and it wasn't enough [for Formula 1].
"Now I think that Stoffel is thinking the same. He had a good year against me already in 2014, and in 2015 he did an incredible job, beating my points total.
"But the problem is: no-one is leaving Formula 1 – everybody is staying on [for 2016]. I could well be the only rookie driver. Trying to find a space is so difficult.
"Stoffel is a very good driver. Hopefully he can take some comfort in seeing what I've done [at Lotus/Renault], finally another GP2 champion coming to Formula 1.
"He can then come to Formula 1 for 2017 – I'm sure he will."
Palmer is the first GP2 champion to graduate to Formula 1 since 2011 title winner Romain Grosjean, with Davide Valsecchi (2012) and Fabio Leimer (2013) also missing out.
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| Niki Lauda a pussy cat |
Lauda not critical inside team – Rosberg
(GMM) Niki Lauda is not as outspoken and brash behind the scenes, according to Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg.
The Munich newspaper TZ asked German Rosberg if it bothers him that Lauda, Mercedes' team chairman who is also a pundit for German TV, is often critical of his performances publicly.
"There are two different sides (to Lauda)," the Mercedes driver answered.
"What he says on television is often completely different to what he says behind closed doors. So the important one for me is what happens internally.
"Toto Wolff and Paddy Lowe run the business," said Rosberg. "Niki plays a supporting role, I guess.
"As a former racer, he understands many things and is often quite successful in being conciliatory and bringing people together in difficult moments," he added.
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| Newey wants bigger changes |
2017 car changes not radical enough – Newey
(GMM) Adrian Newey has admitted he is worried planned rule changes in formula one are not going far enough.
Reportedly frustrated at the restrictive chassis rules and the overly engine-dominated formula of the moment, the Red Bull designer has taken a step back from F1.
"F1 is quite high pressure," he told the UAE newspaper The National. "If you do it year after year, it can be quite exhausting.
"So I just felt I needed a little bit of a break and I have just stepped back a little at the moment," said Newey.
It has been suggested the 57-year-old's interest may be reinvigorated by the new rules for 2017 and 2018, with the cars to become faster and F1 authorities also determined to improve the current engine situation.
The engine situation, Newey said, is the biggest problem.
"On top of that," he said, "if you take the engines built by Mercedes or Ferrari, when they supply those engines to their customer teams, the customers don't get the same engine — not in the software anyway.
"So we are in the position where, at the moment, only a works Mercedes, and possibly a works Ferrari, win championships and races because it is so dominated by the engine," he explained.
Newey's core competency, however, is chassis design and aerodynamics, and the sport has resolved to make big changes to the rules for 2017.
But the Briton fears the new rules will not go far enough.
"Regulation changes give that opportunity to do something different," said Newey. "However, with the regulation changes that are being talked about for 2017, they are actually not that different to what we have now.
"Slightly wider tires. Slightly revised aerodynamics regulations. No really fundamental differences," he warned.