FIA hands profits to Syrian government
An investigation by ITV News has uncovered that Formula One profits are being handed to the Syrian government. Over the last the past three years, the sports governing body the FIA has handed the Syria\n Automobile Club.
The FIA has one hundred and forty-three motoring and motorsport clubs across 143 countries. They all wield power because under the FIA statutes only one motorsport club, known as an Autorité Sportive Nationale (ASN), in each country can vote at its annual general meeting. It means that small countries have the same say as far larger ones.
In 2014, the FIA launched a grant programme with formula one fees, these grants are aimed as “a new source of funding for National Sporting Authorities” and state that the fund “is dedicated to developing motor sport and helping to strengthen ASNs.”
Applications are open to all FIA clubs and the Syrian Automobile Club (SAC) has taken full advantage of this by successfully applying for a grant in each of the past three years. The Syrian grant was to build a “fully functioning intensive care unit ambulance to be available for its sporting events, as well as the future rescue training programmes that the organisation would be involved in.”
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McLaren considers own engine
McLaren could consider building its own power unit if the new power units which are due to be introduced in 2021 make it an affordable alternative to being a works team.
After three years of the current V6 turbo hybrids, Formula One is already looking at the next set of regulations. The broad principles louder noise, simpler engines and reducing cost, of the new engines have been agreed but final agreement on the detail hasn’t been reached.
McLaren has struggled the most under the current regulations, which has strained their relationship with Honda to breaking point.
The team is currently looking at negotiating a deal with Renault, with executive director Zak Brown saying the team would look at its long-term options afresh when the 2021 engine regulations are confirmed. Brown told ESPN “doing our own engine, whether other people would come in under new rules. I think right now we’ve got to focus on the next three years and as soon as we get that figured out, we’ve got to look out [longer term].
“But I think the landscape in Formula One is going to change in a very positive way from 2021 onwards with budget caps and revenue redistribution and new engine rules.” McLaren isn’t planning an in house build as it’s not seen as a viable option for the team.
Brown believes that the sport needs regulations which encourage independent engine manufacturers such as Cosworth and Ilmor to return to the sport on a competitive level.
Hamilton does 114 laps in tyre test
Mercedes Lewis Hamilton completed 114 laps at Paul Ricciard today during a tyre test for Pirelli. Hamilton’s first test outing since March was aimed to help the tyre manufacturer work towards finalising next years tyre compounds
The test will not directly help Mercedes in their preparations for next weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix but was a rare outing outside a Grand Prix for the Englishman who said he ‘volunteered’ to do the test.
Pirelli works carefully to ensure that teams do not gain advantages from doing the tests. However, that hasn’t stopped the speculation that Sebastian Vettel’s work with the 2017 tyre prototypes helped Ferrari at the start of the season.
Hamilton’s team-mate Valtteri Bottas takes over the car on Friday for the second and final day of running. Bottas has already done a tyre test for Pirelli in Budapest last month.
Later this season Force India will have (two days) and Sauber (three days) staying on after October’s Mexican GP and McLaren (two days) running at Interlagos after the Brazilian GP a fortnight later.
Perez “very close” to Force India deal
Force India’s chief operating officer Otmar Szafnuauer says that the team is “very close” to completing a deal to retain Sergio Perez for 2018. The Mexican had hoped that he could have clarified the situation with his sponsors over the summer, but the commercial deals are yet to be signed.
Perez is in his fourth season with the team, and it is understood that he is on the radar of two other teams. Asked by Autosport when Force India expected to be able to confirm who will partner Esteban Ocon next year, Szafnauer said: “We’re very close with Checo. [The delay is] nothing to do with him.”
“It’s no secret he has had support from some of his Mexican backers ever since he’s been in the sport. The difficulty with Checo is you have to almost do two contracts at the same time.” Szafnauer says he is hoping that the team can retain the same line up next season
Though there was no repeat of recent on-track clashes between Ocon and Perez at Monza, Szafnauer said Force India had no plans to adjust its revised rules of engagement and let them race again.
Big struggle to make testing
Force India’s technical director Andrew Green, says that teams are facing a “big struggle” to make testing because of the FIA’s late decision to introduce the halo next season.
In July, the sports governing body the FIA announced the Halo rather than the Shield would be the mandatory cockpit protection device next season. Last Month, Green said that the team’s design work is weeks behind schedule and thinks there is a big chance some teams will be absent from the Barcelona tests.
He told Sky Sports “It is going to be a big struggle to get to winter testing. It’s a big risk teams won’t make it. We got some information over the break which has allowed us to progress slightly.”
“We are still waiting for some critical information though, which is effectively holding up the chassis design.” Green says while they have the general layout of the car installation and racing installation they are missing all the configuration for the chassis testing.
While Force India say their schedule has slipped, Williams remains optimistic they will be ready for testing. Chief technical officer Paddy Lowe said “There is quite a bit of work to do but we think it will be manageable. There are still a few uncertainties there but we’ll manage it.”
Force India are planning to run the halo on their present car in a practice session before the end of the season, most probably at the Malaysia GP.
Green thinks the introduction of the Halo will have a limited effect on the aerodynamic performance of the 2018 cars. “With the new regulations, it would appear that the lower rear wing really helps mitigate the [aerodynamic] problem with the Halo” he said.
Only four or five promoters promote – Bratches
Formula One Managing Director of Commercial Operations Sean Bratches, says that only “four or five” race promoters are dedicated to the task of hosting races to the proper standard.
At last weekends Italian Grand Prix allegedly drew a record crowd of 185,000 across practice, qualifying and race day. Following a reported three-day figure of 265,000 spectators at the Belgian Grand Prix, a year-on-year increase of 11.8% that F1 claimed meant “an outright record for a championship race” at Spa-Francorchamps.
Monza has the benefit of Ferrari, but Bratches says that the majority of promoters could do more. He told Autosport “our intention is to create an overlay for our promoters, to help them activate. By definition, a promoter should be promoting, and I think we have to encourage more of that.”
“We have 20 promoters, but only four or five are truly promoters – the rest are car enthusiast groups or governments. We’re trying to bring everybody up to a standard, and Monza is something that should be looked at in a favourable light.”
