Latest F1 news in brief – Tuesday
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Mark Webber trying to sell books Red Bull not commenting on Webber claims
- Todt tells Ecclestone to keep criticism quiet
- Raikkonen says future not in his hands
- De Villota family still considering legal action
- Lombardy says Ferrari to help Monza keep F1
- Formula E means 2016 'not lost year' – Abiteboul
- Toro Rosso shines amid Red Bull-Renault debacle
- Calls for engine rules fix grow louder
- Cavall begins partnership with Sahara Force India
Red Bull not commenting on Webber claims
(GMM) Red Bull declined to comment on Mark Webber's latest claims about his intense rivalry with former teammate Sebastian Vettel.
Earlier this month, quadruple world champion Vettel said he was not concerned amid reports his old Australian rival would 'tell all' in a forthcoming autobiography.
To be published in July, the book will reportedly go into new detail about what happened behind the scenes during their intense relationship as Red Bull teammates.
Webber, now retired from F1 and racing for Porsche at Le Mans, offered a glimpse of what he will reveal on Monday, as he was interviewed by the Australian broadcaster ABC.
The 38-year-old suggested that, after he won two grands prix from pole, it was actually Vettel who began to receive preferential treatment by Red Bull.
"I've just won the previous two grands prix from start to finish and then a new rear wing arrives and goes over to the other side of the garage," said Webber.
"You just think there was a bit of an agenda going on," he told the Australian Story program.
Webber's partner and manager Ann Neal added: "We got the impression that Sebastian wasn't happy with how things were going, this old Aussie was beating him and it wasn't really the way it was supposed to be."
She suggested that in that situation, Red Bull put 'the focus' on its young German star.
"Even if he (Webber) was leading the championship, winning races, the focus would be off Mark trying to get Sebastian back into the battle," said Neal.
Then, Neal recalled, came the duo's infamous crash in Turkey.
"I think 99.9 per cent of the watching population knew that Sebastian was at fault," she said.
"The remainder blamed it on Mark and that included his team, which I was absolutely blown away by."
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| Vettel was just too good for Webber and now it's sour grapes time. |
Vettel, of course, went on to win not only the 2010 world championship but also the titles in 2011 and 2012, before their rivalry spiraled out of control in 2013 in Malaysia at a race now famous for staging the 'Multi-21' affair.
"The team after Multi-21 were disappointed, no question about it, they were shown how toothless they were," Webber said on Monday.
He said Vettel was initially contrite, privately acknowledging that he "fuc*ked up so bad" by ignoring team orders.
"I don't know who spoke to him between Malaysia and China but we had a discussion in China and it didn't go well," Webber continued.
"He just said that he had massive respect for me as a driver but not so much as a person, so that really affected the relationship.
"(Red Bull) just needed something to change so, you know, I helped that decision for them and left," he said, referring to his retirement from F1 at the end of the season.
Vettel claimed earlier in June that time is now healing the wounds, and Webber confirmed that the German has acknowledged their rivalry could have been handled better.
"He (Vettel) said 'Yes, we all look back and say would we do things differently', and he says 'absolutely, yes'," said Webber.
ABC said Red Bull "declined an interview" when approached. "Red Bull declined to comment on matters raised in (the) program," the broadcaster added.
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| Todt (R) tells Ecclestone (L) to sweep F1 problems under the rug |
Todt tells Ecclestone to keep criticism quiet
(GMM) Jean Todt has urged Bernie Ecclestone to keep quiet about formula one's problems.
Ecclestone, the F1 supremo, has been the harshest critic of the sport's new turbo V6 era, calling the technology a "crappy product" in a recent interview.
And now, in a joint interview with teen sensation Max Verstappen posted on the official F1 website, the 84-year-old Briton described the move to power units as "the most stupid thing that could have happened to F1".
FIA president Todt is quoted by the Guardian newspaper: "If he (Ecclestone) has some complaints, which may be right, it's something we should address internally and not make it public.
"All the credit and money he has got, he deserves it, but I would hope he will be more positive about the product," the Frenchman added.
It is often said that, in stark contrast to his former ruling alliance with Max Mosley, Ecclestone does not get along well with the more democratic, low-profile and 'hands off' Todt.
"I know Bernie very well," Todt said. "I know he may tell you I am his best friend then five minutes later to somebody else I am the worst idiot he has met in his life. I live with that.
"If it is not constructive, you should not do it. But it is his style," Todt added. "Do I intend to change him? I don't intend to change him."
Another thing Todt, 69, has no intention of changing is the 'power unit' technology Ecclestone so despises.
He is quoted by Spain's El Mundo Deportivo: "When these engines were first proposed, it was going to be four-cylinder and everyone said that would be a disaster.
"But Le Mans has just been won by Porsche with four-cylinder and I don't think anybody will argue about the value of the victory or Porsche's high technology," Todt added.
He thinks the main problem with F1's hybrid era is "communication", but also acknowledged the units are "too expensive" for the sport's most struggling teams.
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| Raikkonen has been beaten by Vettel more than he was by Alonso. He's toast. |
Raikkonen says future not in his hands
(GMM) Kimi Raikkonen does not agree that his future at Ferrari is in his own hands.
"Raikkonen's fate is in his hands," Italian media have quoted team boss Maurizio Arrivabene as saying, amid swirling speculation about the Finn.
Some sources have reported that Raikkonen, 35, has been given only another couple of races to post the sort of results that show he "deserves" to be retained beyond 2015.
But others believe the Maranello team, now strongly linked with Williams' Valtteri Bottas for 2016, has already decided to move on.
"I think it's time for a change, except if Kimi manages to win the next five or six races," David Coulthard, Raikkonen's former teammate at McLaren, is quoted by Speed Week.
"I am not anti-Kimi," he insisted, "but I know from personal experience how frustrating it is when you realize that you are simply not getting better.
"If I had to choose, I would take one of the younger guys," said Coulthard.
Raikkonen agrees that the only party with a decision to make is Ferrari.
"Things are not always in our hands," he told the British broadcaster Sky at the Goodwood Festival of Speed at the weekend.
"They have a contract (and) it's up to them, either sign it or not sign it," Raikkonen added.
Arrivabene insists that a decision has not yet been taken, but it is believed Ferrari will make a call long before the 2016 contract 'option' formally expires at the end of July.
Until then, the team's new star driver, and Raikkonen's personal friend Sebastian Vettel is making clear he wants the Finn to stay, notwithstanding the criticism.
"I have seen in the latest couple of races there has been an ebb and flow," the German was quoted as saying at a Ferrari event in Budapest at the weekend.
"It is the nature of formula one that heavy criticism follows. I myself had four great years and then one season (2014) in which many things went wrong, including some mistakes from my side.
"And of course, there were immediately critics. But things change quickly in this sport. I think Kimi knows who he is, what he does and what he wants," Vettel added.
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| A publicity stunt gone wrong |
De Villota family still considering legal action
(GMM) Maria de Villota's family is not ruling out legal action after more details of her 2012 Marussia crash emerged.
Last month, Britain's Health and Safety Executive said action would not be taken against the backmarker team even though the 33-year-old Spaniard died 15 months after suffering horror injuries in the crash at Duxford Aerodrome.
"To date we are still waiting to know the contents of the report and, consequently, the actual results of their research," the family, including her father and former F1 driver Emilio de Villota, declared a month ago.
Now, some of the details of the official crash report have been obtained by the BBC, following a Freedom of Information request.
One of the findings was that de Villota, who lost an eye in the crash, had been sent instructions about driving the car but nothing "about stopping the car or which gears should be selected" for that, the BBC said.
The investigation found that the driver locked the wheels when slowing down, but the car began "fighting" de Villota as it automatically maintained revs due to the idle control system.
She was then "pushed" by the car into the unusually-large loading ramp whose position "created the risk of injury", the report added.
It also said "nothing happened" when de Villota tried to unlock the clutch and disengage the gears.
After the BBC details emerged on Monday, the de Villota family revealed in a statement that it received the official investigation report last week.
"The data shows a number of irregularities occurred on that day," Spanish media reports quote the statement as saying.
The family said the irregularities include the "questionable position" of the truck with the open ramp, and the "lack of logistical and technical information" given to de Villota and "absence of basic safety guidelines".
"The report confirms that Marussia F1 Team, in assessing the risks of the test, did not consider its own facilities (including the position of the truck and its ramp) and the car design."
The statement said "family lawyers are analyzing in detail the contents of the report in order to define the next steps, without discarding the commencement of actions for damages".
Marussia, now competing in F1 as Manor, did not comment.
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| Monza likely to keep its F1 race |
Lombardy says Ferrari to help Monza keep F1
(GMM) Ferrari is willing to help Monza keep the Italian grand prix.
That is the claim of regional Lombardy president Roberto Maroni, just a day after he vowed to "to go war" with Bernie Ecclestone over the endangered future of the historic track.
"The right way is to apply pressure, involving public opinion, the Italian government and Ferrari," he said.
"So I would like Ferrari to say 'If there is no longer a grand prix at Monza, Ferrari will no longer participate in formula one'," Maroni added.
Maroni then met with Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne on Monday at the opening of an Alfa Romeo museum, according to Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport.
He said: "I asked Marchionne to support our initiative and he told me he will do whatever needs to be done, as Ferrari, to keep the grand prix at Monza.
"I am very satisfied, and now we go on with our battle to ensure the race continues, because there can be no formula one without Monza," Maroni added.
Formula E means 2016 'not lost year' – Abiteboul
(GMM) Success in Formula E means 2015 will not be a "lost year" for Renault.
That is the view of Cyril Abiteboul, who is managing director of the French carmaker's formula one arm, Renault Sport F1.
Renault is having a nightmare run at the beginning of the sport's 'power unit' era, struggling in 2014 but arguably then making a backwards step for 2015.
The marque's CEO Carlos Ghosn is not even ruling out quitting F1 altogether, amid the constant din of complaints from team partner Red Bull.
In the new all-electric FIA series Formula E, however, things could scarcely have gone better for Renault this year, as the Dams-Renault outfit involving Alain Prost won the inaugural teams' title.
"Renault has a very good position," F1 chief Abiteboul is quoted by Le Figaro, "as we also participated in the creation of this championship technically.
"We will not win in F1 this year but it will not be a lost year because of Formula E," he added.
For Renault's ongoing involvement in F1, on the other hand, the signs are ominous.
Ghosn is not ruling out the formation of a works Renault F1 team, but he said at the London finale of the Formula E calendar that the "only certainty" is Renault's continuing commitment to the burgeoning electric series.
When asked about the uncertainty surrounding Renault's future in formula one, Abiteboul said: "If we are in F1, it is to be there at the highest level.
"We will not be satisfied with the current situation and above all we will return to re-establishing our performance after achieving reliability.
"After that, we have a number of options," said the Frenchman.
"We took the decision in 2009 to leave our (works) team, but not to slam the door on F1. Today, Renault does not have its own team so it needs a top team (partner).
"Red Bull clearly spares no expense when it comes to the chassis, so I continue to believe that there is nothing in theory that precludes the maintenance of the strategic relationship between Red Bull and Renault," Abiteboul added.
"If we are not capable of coming to an agreement and want to stay in F1, one solution is to have our own team, but today it is true that a decision is absolutely yet to be made.
"But if we wished, we would have the means and the expertise," he said.
One of the factors under consideration, Abiteboul admitted, is the balance between the high cost of formula one, and the value it gives to the Renault brand.
"It is that equation that we look at every year — we regularly review how F1 is evolving," he said.
"It's still a sport that continues to attract half a billion viewers and allows us to be present in important markets for us. We see it as a great shortcut to building brand awareness."
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| James Key is key to Toro Rosso's performance |
Toro Rosso shines amid Red Bull-Renault debacle
(GMM) Amid the Red Bull-Renault debacle of 2015, the only winner appears to be the junior team Toro Rosso.
A report in Germany's Auto Motor und Sport claims the James Key-designed STR10 is perhaps among the three best cars on the grid this season.
"With a Mercedes engine we would be at the front," technical boss Key is quoted as saying.
The potential of the car has been obvious on a few occasions so far in 2016, not least during rain-affected practice in Austria, where rookie drivers Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz continued to make their mark on the sport.
Toro Rosso, however, is just eighth in the constructors' standings, ahead only of the disastrous McLaren-Honda debut and struggling backmarkers Manor.
Poor reliability has badly marred the Faenza based team's season so far.
In the area of technical innovation, however, Toro Rosso has impressed, having been at the forefront of the 'short nose' trend right from the beginning.
And the rear suspension layout seen in Austria is also novel, with correspondent Michael Schmidt revealing that Key successfully argued its legality with the FIA in a 21-page dossier.
So while the team shares Red Bull Racing's handicap in the form of Renault power, the carping from the Italian-based camp has been kept to a minimum in 2016.
"You obviously work hard and support your partner," said Key. "In a way it motivates you more because in the short term you have to compensate with the chassis a little bit while you're waiting for the (engine) updates to come."
Calls for engine rules fix grow louder
(GMM) Calls for F1 to revisit the detail of its engine rules are growing stronger.
In Austria, the full extent of the current situation became clear when McLaren's cars were ordered an extraordinary 50 places down the 20-position grid.
"It's ridiculous," said former F1 driver and Britain's lead Sky commentator Martin Brundle.
The situation, with drivers are being penalized not only on the grid but also with drive-throughs during the race, has emerged due to the long-life rules.
Each driver is limited to just four 'power units' for the entire season, but some Renault and Honda-powered runners in particular quickly burned through their allocation before the calendar's mid-point.
"We agreed something in Malaysia to get rid of the four engine rule but that (change) was scuppered," said Red Bull boss Christian Horner.
"It's not a good situation to have big manufacturers like Renault and Honda publically berated in the way that we are.
"We need to have a good look at it," he insisted.
Eric Boullier, Horner's counterpart at McLaren-Honda, agrees, arguing that the extent to the 'freeze' on engine development is also too severe.
"I think we've gone too far with the limitation of development, and consequently the penalty system," he said.
"Racing is a competition, and in any competition you have to be able to develop yourself to be better.
"I think you should be allowed to have free development," said Boullier, "end of story. No debate, no penalties — don't make it complicated, for us but, even more, for the fans," the Frenchman added.
Monisha Kaltenborn, of Sauber, thinks 'free development' would be going too far, but she does think something should be done to help F1's most struggling manufacturers.
"It is something to take seriously," she said, "because the fans will not accept another two years with these (sorts of) races."
But as things stand, the rules are only tightening further for 2016. The use of in-season 'tokens' this year, for instance, was only a loophole that was uncovered at the last minute by Ferrari.
"This formula one has become like alchemy," said Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne, "when it should be racing.
"Nobody understands anything anymore — just look at drivers going 25 places down the grid," he is quoted by Italy's Autosprint. "We must become more humble to try to bring the show back to the circuit."
Cavall begins partnership with Sahara Force India
Sahara Force India is proud to announce the launch of a new partnership with Cavall, producers of premium wine from Mexico. The Cavall logo will be featured on the team's car, the VJM08, appearing prominently on the side view of the drivers' headrests.
The rich soils and idyllic climate of Mexico have allowed Cavall to produce a range of products that can rival some of the most famous wine regions across the world. Under the direction of renowned French oenologist, Stephan Derenoncourt, the state-of-the-art vineyards in Delicias, Chihuahua, boast varieties of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, alongside others such as Zinfandel, Malbec and Cabernet Franc.
Dr Vijay Mallya, Team Principal and Managing Director of Sahara Force India: “It is an absolute pleasure to welcome Cavall to the Sahara Force India family. Like a Formula One team, a premium wine producer operates in a high-quality environment in pursuit of excellence, continuously refining its products to create a unique result. These values and aspirations resonate strongly with those of our team. I thank Cavall for their support and look forward to celebrating a strong second half of the season together."
Jaime Galvan, CEO of Cavall: “Being partners of Sahara Force India Formula One Team is a great honor for our brand. Our mission is to promote wine of the highest quality and to be associated with a Formula One team gives us the ideal platform to take our product around the world. We are excited about being part of the team's journey this year and we are looking forward to plenty of success together."