{"id":5954,"date":"2018-10-16T19:12:46","date_gmt":"2018-10-16T18:12:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/f1vault.co.uk\/?p=5954"},"modified":"2018-10-16T19:12:46","modified_gmt":"2018-10-16T18:12:46","slug":"f1-today-16102018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.f1vault.co.uk\/index\/f1-today-16102018\/","title":{"rendered":"F1 Today \u2013 16\/10\/2018"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ferrari \u201cchallenging the impossible\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ferrari isn\u2019t giving up and wanting to give up on \u201cchallenging the impossible\u201d as they look to pull back momentum in the drivers\u2019 championship.<\/p>\n

Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari\u2019s lead driver, is sixty-seven points behind Mercedes Lewis Hamilton in the driver’s championship, while Ferrari trail Mercedes by seventy-eight points. With four races to go, there is a maximum of a hundred points to play for.<\/p>\n

However, team principal Maurizio Arrivabene has been insisting once again, that Ferrari won\u2019t give up. Speaking to Sky Sports, the Italian said \u201cI know that the situation looks impossible but our job sometimes is to challenge the impossible. This is what we’re going to try to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ferrari has had a difficult few races, going into the summer break the team had appeared to struggle while Mercedes and Hamilton have won every race since Ferrari\u2019s last win at Spa in August. There have been strategic and driver errors in that time, while Mercedes also appear to have taken a step with their car, but Arrivabene refused to point the finger at any of his staff.<\/p>\n

Vettel has lost fifty points, equal to two wins, in the last four races, as Ferrari has struggled to match the speed and consistency which Hamilton has shown in recent races. The German, however, has also hailed Ferrari’s “inspirational” team spirit and believes they have nothing to lose during the rest of the season.<\/p>\n

Vettel added \u201cIt’s not been an easy couple of weeks but the spirit in the team, considering how tough the last weeks have been, is unbroken. I know how difficult it is considering where we are but what do we have to lose? We will give.\u201d<\/p>\n

He says it hasn\u2019t been an easy couple of weeks, but the spirit remains unbroken.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ferrari\u2019s pressure to win derailed championship \u2013 Massa<\/strong><\/p>\n

Former Ferrari driver Felipe Massa believes his former teams’ title challenge has been derailed by the team’s ever-increasing pressure to win championships again.<\/p>\n

The Scuderia has pushed Mercedes hard during the first part of the season, however, errors from both Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari\u2019s strategy has effectively handed the title to Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes. Hamilton could wrap his fifth title up in Austin on Sunday, if he wins the race and Vettel is no higher than third.<\/p>\n

Massa, who missed out on the title by a point to Hamilton in 2008, believes that expectation on the team to end its F1 title drought is playing a role in ramping up stress levels. Speaking exclusively to Motorsport.com, Massa said \u201cWe won the championship in 2007, and then after 2008, Ferrari started to have some issues \u2013 they never won again Maybe when I left Ferrari in 2013 the feeling is similar to what they have now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPressure to win, and they are struggling to keep the pressure down. They are struggling to do their job in an efficient way. I think definitely this year \u2013 although I am not saying they have lost the championship yet – but maybe they lost the battle at the end because of some mistakes.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Brazilian says that because Mercedes has won for the last four years the title is in their hands. He also says that the only way Ferrari can hope to turn things around is by strong management that keeps the team shielded from the external pressures.<\/p>\n

F1 managing director motorsport and technical director, Ferrari\u2019s former technical director Ross Brawn, says he believed the team was struggling to remain cohesive after the death of chairman Sergio Marchionne.<\/p>\n

“There is no doubt the shock of the sudden death of its leader, Sergio Marchionne, who had been such a strong reference in the team, will have a major impact, and that is totally understandable,” he said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Force India nears paying off debts<\/strong><\/p>\n

The new Force India team has nearly completed the task off paying off the creditors under its previous owners. In an unusual move, Lawrence Stroll\u2019s consortium paid \u00a390m for the assets of the old team before creating a new company and lodging a new entry with the FIA, under the Racing Point name.<\/p>\n

Because the original company is under administration usually that \u00a390m would be locked into a legal process that could take months or even years before the funds are divided up and used to pay the creditors, which are led by Mercedes and Sergio Perez.<\/p>\n

The cash figure is more than enough to allow all the creditors to be paid the full amount they are owed. Stroll took the unusual step of taking over those debts himself and ensuring that the creditors were paid immediately, rather than having to wait for the legal process to unfold.<\/p>\n

When that process is finally completed, Stroll will get his money back. Speaking to Autosport, Szafnauer said \u201cIt’s important to note that the current shareholders have taken all the risk for the creditors.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHave put it in extra money such that the creditors can be paid off immediately, and not at some future date, post-administration. That can take one or two years sometimes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLawrence wanted to do what’s right by the suppliers that have supported us, and a lot of them are industry suppliers who don’t just supply us, but other teams in the paddock.\u201d He says that all the creditors will be paid in a timely fashion.<\/p>\n

He says that this not the usual way of exiting administration, but it takes that worry completely away. Szafnauer suggested that the process could be completed by the end of the week and he will be repaid the extra money.<\/p>\n

Speaking about Stroll, Szafnauer says that he was a motivator and has high expectations. Adding \u201cThe nice thing about Lawrence is he tells you exactly what he’s thinking, and he’s straightforward about it. The nice thing is that you can have a debate with him, and he’ll listen, and you’ll come to a conclusion.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Russell has faith despite the \u201cbizarre\u201d Ocon saga<\/strong><\/p>\n

George Russell says that he has faith that he could earn his grand prix debut next season amid fellow Mercedes protege Esteban Ocon’s “very bizarre situation”. Last week, Russell was announced as a Williams driver next season.<\/p>\n

The Englishman who will be looking to seal the Formula Two championship at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, says he trusted his own success would be rewarded with an F1 chance, even though Ocon lost multiple opportunities.<\/p>\n

Ocon will be looking at a year out next season, as it is believed that Lance Stroll will replace him following his father\u2019s purchase of the team. Russell told Motorsport.com \u201cI thought the whole Esteban situation wasn\u2019t a normal situation. Usually, if you perform those opportunities will be there. I think it was out of his and Mercedes\u2019 control what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMercedes and Toto [Wolff, team boss] were absolutely clear that if I performed the opportunity would come. That impressed in my mind. It might sound a bit silly saying that off the back of Esteban\u2019s predicament, but that was a very bizarre situation, a very unfortunate situation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Russell moved into F2 this season after winning the GP3 title, he will be looking to follow Charles Leclerc by taking back to back titles. The Englishman has won six more races and scored more poles than any other driver, and leads Alexander Albon by thirty-seven points with forty-six up for grabs at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.<\/p>\n

He also believes defeating Lando Norris in F2, when his fellow Briton had landed a McLaren drive for 2019, was an important factor.<\/p>\n

Saying \u201cI saw it as a massive positive when Lando got his opportunity with McLaren. We\u2019re both rookies, McLaren believes he is capable of taking a race seat for them [so] that must bode very well for myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Albon a favourite for Toro Rosso<\/strong><\/p>\n

Alexander Albon has emerged has the favourite to drive alongside Daniil Kvyat, replacing Brendon Hartley at Toro Rosso next season. The British-Thai driver, however, will need to get out of his Nissan Formula E contract.<\/p>\n

Motorsport.com says that it understands that Red Bull\u2019s motorsport advisor Helmut Marko is negotiating with Nissan for the release of the 22-year-old, and that it will become clear in the next few days whether he has been successful.<\/p>\n

Nissan is understood to be extremely frustrated with potentially losing a driver to whom it had made an early commitment, and it remains to be seen how the discussions will unfold. The Thai driver was due to test in Valencia for Nissan today.<\/p>\n

Albon made the decision to take up the Formula E route around the time of the Hungarian GP when it appeared that no F1 opportunities would be forthcoming. He signed a multi-year deal with Nissan, whose Formula E team is run by DAMS – the squad for which he has won four F2 races in 2018.<\/p>\n

However, the chain reaction to Daniel Ricciardo to move Renault, Carlos Sainz\u2019s move to McLaren and Piere Gasly move to Red Bull, has left Red Bull with limited options to fill its Toro Rosso seats.<\/p>\n

Albon was backed by Red Bull in karting and Formula Renault but was dropped after 2012. However, since then the Anglo-Thai racer – who finished runner-up to Charles Leclerc in GP3 in 2016 – has been rehabilitated in the eyes of Marko.<\/p>\n

If talks are successful and the move to F1 is completed, Albon will join F2 drivers George Russell and Lando Norris in stepping straight into F1 race seats. While Hartley, who was brought back into the Red Bull fold midway through 2017, will be left without a drive.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Blistering makes Bottas feel as he\u2019s \u201ccruising round\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Valtteri Bottas says that the tyre blistering at a number of races this season has made him feel like they are \u201ccompletely cruising round.\u201d<\/p>\n

Blistering is caused when an area of the tyre overheats, causing the rubber to soften and break apart creating marbles. Although not a new phenomenon in F1 it has been particularly problematic at several races this season.<\/p>\n

Tyre supplier Pirelli introduced softer compounds for this season as well as adding the new hypersoft tyre, and Bottas is hoping that experiments Pirelli has undertaken in its 2019 development work will improve matters next year.<\/p>\n

Speaking to Autosport, Bottas said \u201cWe had to do a lot of management at pretty much every race this season and especially at the last few there have been issues with the blistering.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce we are getting to a certain temperature, we know it’s going to happen at some point, so then we’re just not pushing to go over those temperatures and trying to manage.\u201d He explained that there is so much potential in the cars and one thing stopping drivers pushing to the limits is tyre life.<\/p>\n

Pirelli designed a thinner-gauge tyre to use at three races where it feared blistering would be problematic.<\/p>\n

Teams reported this special design was much better when used at Barcelona, Paul Ricard and Silverstone, but have struggled at several other circuits where it has not been present.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ferrari \u201cchallenging the impossible\u201d Ferrari isn\u2019t giving up and wanting to give up on \u201cchallenging the impossible\u201d as they look to pull back momentum in the drivers\u2019 championship. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari\u2019s lead driver, is sixty-seven points behind Mercedes Lewis Hamilton in the driver’s championship, while Ferrari trail Mercedes by seventy-eight points. With four races to<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[44,110,344,664,675,699,709,741,742,754,795,814,1131,1143,1280,1298,1479,1553,1791,1843,2025,2026,2059,2062,2149,2152],"class_list":["post-5954","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news-analysis","tag-44","tag-alexander-albon","tag-business","tag-f1","tag-f1-today","tag-felipe-massa","tag-ferrari","tag-force-india","tag-force-india-mercedes","tag-formula-one","tag-frp-advisory","tag-george-russell","tag-lando-norris","tag-lawrence-stroll","tag-maurizio-arrivabene","tag-mercedes","tag-otmar-szafnauer","tag-pirelli","tag-sebastian-vettel","tag-lewis-hamilton","tag-toro-rosso","tag-toro-rosso-honda","tag-tyre-managment","tag-tyres","tag-williams","tag-williams-mercedes"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.f1vault.co.uk\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5954","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.f1vault.co.uk\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.f1vault.co.uk\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.f1vault.co.uk\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.f1vault.co.uk\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5954"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.f1vault.co.uk\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5954\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.f1vault.co.uk\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5954"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.f1vault.co.uk\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5954"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.f1vault.co.uk\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5954"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}