F1 Today – 22/06/2016
Sainz deal imminent – Tost
Toro Rosso team principal Franz Tost says that confirmation that Carlos Sainz will stay with the Red Bull junior team is imminent. Tost has hinted also the outfit may have a totally unchanged driver line-up.
Sainz has impressed greatly since stepping up to Toro Rosso at the start of 2014. The Spaniard proved to be an even match for Max Verstappen until he was promoted to Red Bull last month and since then has outpaced ne team-mate Daniil Kyvat.
Speaking yesterday at the he FIA Sports Conference in Turin Tost said “I always am talking about a three-year programme. I don’t see any problem there, because it depends always what’s going on at Red Bull Racing, and for next season it is full with Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen.”
“It looks like, and I personally hope that this is the case, that Carlos Sainz will stay with Toro Rosso. I think this will be confirmed soon.” He added next year he hopes Sainz will have a good possibility to show his talent.
However the decision is with Red Bull who could move him up to the senior team which could be unlikely as the team said previously they want to keep Verstappen alongside Ricciardo.
Tost adds he would like Kvyat to stay for 2017 the Russian has been delivering better results in recent races and believes that the Russia deserves another contract for next season.
“The driver line-up at Toro Rosso for next year is not 100 percent decided yet,” explained Tost. “I expect Carlos will stay with us. Personally I would hope that also Daniil Kvyat will stay with us, because he is a really good driver.”
Alonso’s move to McLaren a mistake
The manager of Fernando Alonso and former Renault boss has hinted that his move to McLaren may have been a mistake. Flavio Briatore told Gr Parlamento Rai radio that Alonso does not regret the five years he spent at Ferrari. “I think Ferrari is the team he loved the most,” Briatore said.
Capitio join McLaren in August
The new chief executive Jost Capito has told reporters at the conference in Turin that he will start the role around the Belgian Grand Prix. Capito is joining from Volkswagen it is not known how long he had continued with VW.
He told reporters “Yes, this year It will be the end of August, beginning of September, something around that region.”
He was asked if he had been keeping an eye on McLaren’s progress this year, he replied “I’ve not – the job at VW is such a big job. It’s not only WRC, it’s rallycross in the US, it’s TCR… As long as I’m there, I’m doing a proper job there.”
Capito has previous F1 experience at both Sauber and Ford as an engine manufacturer.
shrugging off radio criticism
Jean Todt the president of the FIA has shrugged off criticism regarding Formula 1’s radio restrictions because he said the rules were requested for unanimously.
Lewis Hamilton says the rules introduced this season prevented him from fighting with his team-mate Nico Rosberg as the team could not instruct him on an engine mode change that would have made his car more competitive.
His Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff and McLaren’s Fernando Alonso added F1 needs to consider adjusting the regulations in light of the events in Baku. Ferrari’s team principal Maurizio Arrivabene said the team were unable to help Kimi Raikkonen when he had an electronics issue midway through the race.
Todt told Autosport “We’ve always believed that we had to remove the so-called driver aids because it’s fine, we can help drivers, we can do it on the road. But this was requested unanimously, it was asked to reduce all aids, all assistance given to drivers for the race and this is part of this approach.”
Hamilton suggested that F1 has become so technical in the modern era, with so many switches and modes controlled from the cockpit which means drivers need more help.
Incredible job by Baku – Ecclestone
Formula One boss Berine Ecclestone says that other promoters should learn “incredible job” Baku did in hosting its first grand prix. When the deal was announced two years ago many drivers, teams and fans had to look it up on a map.
However following last weeks race has seen positive reviews from the media, fans, drivers and teams. Speaking to Sky Sports who asked how satisfied he was with the event, Ecclestone said: “If all the places we go made the effort that these people made here, it would be fantastic. They’ve done an incredible job.”
Ecclestone added “It’s turned out to be a really good circuit. I wanted to go past the old castle whatever happened, to get all these things in shot, which is what we were lucky enough to do.”
Drivers were impressed with what the city had to offer with Lewis Hamilton describing it as a “jewel hidden away somewhere which we didn’t know about.”
But there were teething problems like a drain cover that came loose during P3, damaging Valtteri Bottas’ Williams. Ecclestone, however, accepts these things happen. “Yes, this is a prototype, this is the first race,” he said.
There are reports that Baku might struggle to fulfil its five-year contract to host Formula 1, but Ecclestone’s response to that was short and sweet saying “I wouldn’t worry about that,” he said.
Throwing down the gauntlet to Raikkonen
Ferrari has thrown down the gauntlet to Kimi Raikkonen who is out of contract at the end of the year saying his contract extension are dependent on his current performances.
Raikkonen’s existing deal expires at the end of the year and the Finn, who has previously vowed Ferrari will be his last team in F1, has made clear he would like to stay on. Ferrari’s president Sergio Marchionne told Sky Sports “I would love to keep Kimi and Kimi knows fully well that the decision, which has not been made, will be made on his performance.”
Raikkonen is having a much strong season and is close to his team-mate Sebastian Vettel in the championship compared to last season. Like last season the next four races could be key as they decided during the summer break to keep the Fin.
Were Ferrari to consider dropping Raikkonen, they would not be short of alternatives. Which could most likely be Williams Valtteri Bottas as Red Bul has tied down Daniel Ricciardo by fixing the Australian, whose parents are of Italian decent, to a long-term deal.
But Marchionne would not be drawn on who might be catching the team’s attention. “There are a number of drivers on the circuit who are very, very talented. But let’s not speculate” he said.
Leave a Reply