Sirotkin gets Williams seat
Williams has announced Sergey Sirotkin will be replacing Felipe Massa as Lance Stroll’s teammate this season. The Polish driver Robert Kubica had been the favourite before the end of season test in Abu Dhabi, but the Russian out performed him.
Since Williams started searching for Massa’s replacement, they have insisted that the decision would be based purely on performance. It is understood that Sirotkin was clearly faster during the post-season test. Autosport understands that the Russian has signed on a multi-year deal.
Talks between the team and Sirotkin took weeks to agree on a contract, and it is believed that he will bring a financial package of fifteen million pounds. However, the decision to go with the Russian leaves Williams with the least experienced lineups this year.
deputy team principal Claire Williams, said “After an extensive driver evaluation process, I am thrilled to have our 2018 line-up finalised, and I’m excited to see what next season brings.”
“We have taken our time to evaluate all the available options, and I’m confident Lance and Sergey can deliver the best results for the team. The Williams philosophy has always been to promote and develop young talent and Sergey fits right into that ethos.”
Chief technical officer Paddy Lowe added: “Sergey impressed the team with his driving pace and talent, technical feedback and work ethic, both at the factory and trackside in Abu Dhabi.”
Sirotkin has spent the last two years as Renault’s test and reserve driver. He took part in six grand prix free practice sessions and two test days with Renault and subsequently tested the Williams for the first time in Abu Dhabi.
“To say I’m happy and proud to join such a famous team like Williams is an understatement. It took a huge amount of work to get where I am, and I’m really happy and thankful to everyone involved.” Said Sirotkin.
Kubica not giving up and handed reserve role
Williams also announced that Robert Kubica will be the team’s reserve driver next season. The polish driver has not raced in Formula One since a rally accident in 2011.
Kubica was outperformed by Sergey Sirotkin in the Abu Dhabi test, with the team choosing him to replace Felipe Massa this season. He will work on development and take part in some practice sessions. Kubica said “My ultimate goal is to race again in F1 and this is another important step in that direction!”
The former BMW Sauber and Renault driver, who won the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix, added “I feel in the best physical shape that I have ever been, but it has taken a lot of work to get to where I am now. So I’d like to thank Williams for the opportunities they have given me so far, and for putting their faith in me with this appointment.”
Kubica took part in three tests for both Renault and Williams last year and was hoping he had done enough to convince Williams to give him a race seat in 2018.
But the team felt that Kubica did not show the required performance level for them to take what they saw as a risk on giving him a full season, especially given his physical limitations.
Deputy team principal Claire Williams said: “All of us at Williams have been immensely impressed at what he has achieved, and it is a great credit to his strength of character and commitment to return to F1.”
Chief technical officer Paddy Lowe said: “First and foremost, we’d like to congratulate Robert on what he has achieved so far. To overcome his injuries, return to fitness, and drive an F1 car again is a remarkable achievement and one that few considered possible.
Liberty to outline vision to promoters
Motorsport.com says it understands Liberty Media will present their vision of the future of Formula One to all current race promotors on Wednesday.
Since taking over last January Liberty have held discussions with teams, promoters and other stakeholders about reshaping the sport. On Wednesday it will reveal the findings of the research and allow them to discuss ideas with regarding improving the grand prix weekend product as a whole.
Is believed this is the first conference of its kind that involves all the promoters meeting with F1 chiefs in a formal setting. With it coming after informal meetings with the majority of the promoters, at the Spanish and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix last year.
Azerbaijan Grand Prix promoter Arif Rahimov told Motorsport.com, “I think it’s great they are doing putting us all in the same room and discussing our ideas and their ideas together.”
“It will work really well, especially if they keep doing it, perhaps meeting on a bi-annual basis. It can everyone informed about their plans and we can give them feedback on what we think. It’s a great idea.”
Concorde renegotiation cannot become “destructive
McLaren executive director Zak Brown has warned the debate around the future of Formula One after 2020 cannot become “destructive”. Each team has individual agreements with Formula One as well as a wider Concorde Agreement which expires in 2020.
Ferrari holds a veto as well as long-standing agreements around bonuses for being the only team which has taken part in every season since 1950. Mercedes, Red Bull, McLaren and Williams also get extra payments, with Renault also having their own agreement.
Talks are on going, with Ferrari’s president Sergio Marchionne have made clear his team will pull out if the championship’s future rules are not in the direction he agrees with. Brown says that the renegotiation of the contracts will be tougher than others.
He told Autosport “I hope, but I’m not confident, that they can negotiate behind the scenes and not too much through the public, which I don’t think’s going to be the case because they already are, and hurt any forward momentum that we’ve now created by giving concern.”
When the last major renegotiation took place in the late 2000’s it took months to renegotiate as the FOTA teams threatened to walk away. However this time, Brown says he believes that there is no chance of a breakaway as that becomes destructive.
When asked if Ferrari’s threat should be taken seriously or if F1 should risk Ferrari or another team leaving, Brown said: “No one wants that, but they [F1] have got to do what’s right for the sport.”
“I think that is what they are going to do. Anytime you are in a negotiation you need to be prepared to walk away.” He says that Liberty is trying to strike a balance and rebalance the sport.
The issue appears to be how you recognise that Ferrari has been the largest contributor to the sport and not damage the sport.
Ferrari poised to appoint Raikkonen’s engineer
Autosport says that they understand that Ferrari is poised to announce that Carlo Santi will replace Dave Greenwood as the Finns race engineer. Greenwood left the team because of personal reasons before Christmas.
Since Greenwood’s departure, Ferrari has been restructuring, but there has not been any official confirmation of Santi’s promotion from data engineer. But if the move is confirmed, it underlines the new approach of technical boss Mattia Binotto of developing its own talent to strengthen the team, rather than chase individuals from elsewhere.
The change of Raikkonen’s engineer is likely to be one of several tweaks to the Ferrari’s operations in 2018 as the team chases the F1 world championship.
It understood that head of track operations Diego Ioverno will be moved to another role with his responsibilities taken by engineering chief Jock Clear and Claudio Albertini – who had previously been in charge of liaison on the customer engine front with Haas and Sauber.
The role of chief mechanic is expected to be handed to Christian Corradini, who has worked at Ferrari for several years. Carlos Sainz’s former race engineer Marco Matassa is being brought in to help to bring through the next generation of young drivers at Maranello.
Rosberg remains hopeful to rekindle Hamilton friendship
Nico Rosberg is still hopeful that his relationship with Lewis Hamilton can be repaired in time. Their relationship deteriorated while they fought for the championship between 2014 and 2016, before that they had been really good friends.
But by the end of Mercedes dominating the sport in 2016, they were barely speaking to each other. Hamilton won the title in 2014 and 2015, Rosberg emerged as world champion in 2016 before announcing his shock retirement at the end of the season.
In a YouTube Q&A session, a follower asked if Hamilton was “as annoying behind the cameras as he is on them?” Rosberg replied, “Look, we were really good friends back in the day and I still have a lot of respect for him and always will have.”
“In private he’s a good guy, so of course it’s always different the way you get perceived on camera and how you are in that big F1 world, but in private I can say he is a really good guy with some good values,” Rosberg says that having Hamilton as his teammate made his title success all the more special.
