F1 Today – 31/07/2019
Ferrari eager for a return to winning ways
Sebastian Vettel says Ferrari are eager to get back to winning ways as quickly as possible but has called for “patience” in the teams search for its first win of the season.
Despite several opportunities for Ferrari to take victory this season, the Italian manufacturer has been beaten to victory nine times by Mercedes and twice, including Sundays German Grand Prix, by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
Ferrari had appeared to have the fastest car in the dry at Hockenheim, but Leclerc and Vettel qualified tenth and twentieth respectively after separate car problems struck the SF90. In the wet race, Leclerc crashed out when running second, but Vettel salvaged a commendable second-place finish from the back row.
The Scuderia hasn’t won a race since Austin in October last year, with Vettel’s last win almost a year ago at Spa. The German admitted to Sky Sports, “It’s certainly a tough time for us as Ferrari with days like [Saturday] because it shows that we have things that we need to sort out, we have things that we need to do better but I think in this period it’s very important that we keep the morale, we keep supporting the team.”
“From the inside that is happening, from the outside, I hope it’s happening as well. I know the Tifosi are behind us but sometimes the headlines can shift in either way so it’s important that we keep the support because I think things are moving.”
Vettel says that the team is pushing very, very hard and believes they are putting a lot of passion, effort and hours in because the people are very determined.
He admits he as impatient as the rest of the team to get the results for the team which they are working for but called for patience and time.
Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, was apologetic for his costly error when he slipped off and crashed into the barriers at the SudKurve, in the wet. He added “The mistake at first I did it myself and I’m very sorry for the team and all the people who have been supporting us. It was a shame and a great opportunity”
That ended the Monegasques run of four consecutive podium, and that first win remains elusive, but he remains confident the gap is closing.
No worries about Verstappen’s future
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner says he is “totally relaxed” about Max Verstappen’s future with the team, despite worries about losing the Dutchman earlier this year.
While Verstappen contract runs until the end of next year, there are performance clauses that would allow him to leave earlier if certain targets are not reached. But the exact details of those performance marks have not been revealed, but it is likely that it relates to Verstappen being in a set position in the drivers’ championship by the summer break.
Even if Verstappen has still a theoretical way out, Horner says with the Dutchman taking his second win in Germany last weekend he has no worries about 2020.
That is a much more confident stance than the outfit had prior to Verstappen’s win in Austria when Red Bull’s motorsport advisor Helmut Marko confessed to being ‘worried’ that the youngster would leave.
Asked by Motorsport.com, if he was now convinced Verstappen would stay for next season, he said “I think the thing is I’m totally relaxed about it. Max is enjoying driving in the team. He sees the progress we are making.”
There was a rumour around in late May and June, that Red Bull had to win at least one race by the summer break to avoid Verstappen using the clause. While it was agreed there was nowhere better for him to go, unless something unexpected happened
Horner added, “I don’t see any risk with that and I think we just have got to keep focusing on getting performance from the car at the halfway stage of the championship now.”
Kvyat ready for Red Bull return
Toro Rosso team principal Franz Tost believes that Daniil Kvyat is ready to the main Red Bull outfit, but hopes the under-pressure Pierre Gasly is given more time.
Following the Russians first podium since china 2016 and the teams first since Monza 2008, the case for his return to the senior team alongside Max Verstappen has strengthened. Kvyat had previously raced for the team for just over a season but was demoted to Toro Rosso to make way for Verstappen.
He was axed from the Red Bull programme entirely in 2017, only to return after a year as Ferrari’s development driver. Asked by Motorsport.com whether Kvyat is now ready for another shot with Red Bull, Tost said: “Yes because there is such a long period now gone.”
“He is much more experienced now, he knows now what to do, how to handle everything – he is another step forward. This is the reason I always say I need drivers for three years to educate the driver, and then he is ready to go to Red Bull. Because Red Bull is another level.”
He was another driver then and only was promoted when Sebastian Vettel went to Ferrari. Kvyat also joined Ferrari as the simulator driver where the wide consensus is that he has matured and learned a lot.
Tost says Kvyat throughout his career has been a skilled driver with natural high speed, from Formula Renault and into F1.
Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has ruled out dropping Gasly for Kvyat mid-season but agreed that the Russian’s Hockenheim podium piled more pressure on the Frenchman.
While next years line up remains up to Red Bull, Tost looks keen to retain his current line-up of Kvyat and Alexander Albon.
“I hope that the driver line-up at Red Bull will stay like it is and I would also like to continue with our drivers because we have a driver line-up one of the strongest we ever had.”
Norris not facing engine penalties
Lando Norris should not be facing further power unit penalties at this weekends Hungarian Grand Prix, following an investigation by McLaren and engine supplier Renault found the source of his retirement in Germany.
Norris was forced to retire from Sunday’s race after suffering a loss of power from the combustion engine immediately after a pitstop. The investigation has concluded that there was no issue with the power unit with the failure caused by an ancillary, which is being modified for the Budapest race.
A McLaren spokesperson told Motorsport.com, “Lando’s PU suffered an ancillary failure that forced us to stop the engine. We will fit a new design in Hungary. The PU has not been damaged and will be reused in Hungary.”
Although no more details were given, it is understood that the part concerned was a Renault design.
The Bristolian took a power unit grid penalty for the race at Hockenheim, after he had a battery issue in qualifying meant he had to take a new energy store, control electronics and MGU-K.
He still has scope to take a third MGU-H without penalty, but any other new elements he takes from now on will trigger further penalties.
Teammate Carlos Sainz, who has already used four V6s, turbos and MGU-Hs, is on the bubble for all six elements. McLaren team boss Andreas Seidl admitted that the prospect of further penalties was frustrating.
Seidl added, “Of course it’s a concern, taking all these penalties at the moment, that early in the season. But again we appreciate the ongoing development that Renault is doing in making steps.”
“Of course it’s not the target to get all these penalties, but that’s the situation that we’re in at the moment. Hopefully, together with Renault, we can improve this situation.”
Mercedes appoint Lauda’s successor
Mercedes have appointed Ola Kallenius to be the F1 non-executive chairman succeeding three-time champion Niki Lauda. Earlier this year Kallenius was also appointed as the chairman of parent company Daimler earlier this year.
Markus Schafer, head of Daimler’s Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars Development, has been nominated as the non-executive chairman after serving as a non-executive director at the team since March.
While Frank Markus Weber, Vice President Corporate Development of Daimler AG, has joined as a non-executive director following the departures of Kallenius and Bodo Uebber.
The board will now be made up of Schafer, Weber, Britta Seeger head of cars, marketing and sales, motorsport director, CEO of Mercedes Motorsport and F1 team principal Toto Wolff with Rene Berger joining in March as managing director. Andy Cowell remains as managing director of engine performance.
Wolff said “The commitment of our parent company has been fundamental to the team’s success and will continue to be so in the years ahead.
“This support for Formula One has always been reflected in our team’s board, with strong representation from Daimler’s senior leadership, and it continues through the appointments of Markus and Frank Markus for the years ahead.”
Schafer added “Mercedes-Benz is a driving force in the transformation to emission-free mobility. To maintain personal mobility, cutting-edge technology is required to push boundaries and redefine standards, and this can only be achieved by focusing on a shared goal and through fantastic team spirit.”
Schumacher not giving up on recovery – Todt
FIA president Jean Todt has told Radio Monte Carlo Michael Schumacher has not given up on his path to recovery and is watching Formula One on television.
The seven-time champion has not been seen in public following a serve head injury following a near-fatal skiing accident near the French resort of Grenoble. Todt told the media network the German “keeps fighting.”
The Frenchman who spent several years working with the seven-time champion at Ferrari told the radio station how he regularly visits his friend at his family home in Geneva, Switzerland.
Despite the frequent visits, Todt, who is not often forthcoming with updates, said: “I’m always careful with such statements, but it’s true. I saw the race together with Michael Schumacher at his home in Switzerland. Michael is in the best hands and is well looked after in his house. He does not give up and keeps fighting.”
Todt and F1 chairman emeritus Bernie Ecclestone, two who know the situation, are reluctant to give updates on Schumacher’s health is in line with the family’s aim to ensure the star’s privacy.
The last official statement in January said “You can be sure that he is in the very best of hands and that we are doing everything humanly possible to help him. Please understand if we are following Michael’s wishes and keeping such a sensitive subject as health, as it has always been, in privacy.”
Perez takes responsibility for “stupid mistake”
Sergio Perez has taken responsibility for his “stupid mistake” which caused him to crash out of the German Grand Prix. The Racing Point driver qualified eighth with the team’s upgrades, however, the team failed to capitalise on the chaotic race.
Perez has out-qualified his teammate Lance Stroll at seven race this season, but Stroll managed to finish fourth after starting fifteenth at Hockenheim. While Perez crashed out of the race.
The Mexican told F1.com, “We lost a great opportunity to score good points for the team, so big apologies to everyone at the track and back in the factory because we’ve done an incredible step.”
Although Perez failed to score, Stroll finished the race sixth which has helped the team to move within eight points of sixth-place Renault in the constructors’ standings.
Racing Point is set to bring another set of upgrades to the Hungaroring as they target one final push before the summer break.
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