United States Grand Prix Friday Report - Pirelli

(Pirelli Motorsport Media)

This weekend Formula One is at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin Texas for the United States Grand Prix. The first of three Grand Prix coming up in the run in to this years championship with both Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg firmly in the driving seat at the top of the championship standings.

This weekend Pirelli have brought the white walled Medium and the yellow walled Soft compound tyre's with the performance gap 1.3s between the two compounds. 

Over the course of the day 54 sets of the Medium and just 19 sets of the Soft compound tyre were used. The highest number of consecutive laps completed on the Medium tyre was 28 while 24 laps were completed on a single set of the Soft compound.

Mercedes AMG PETRONAS F1 Team's Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time in FP1 of 1m 39.941s on a brand new set of white walled Medium compound while his time in FP2 of 1m 39.085s was completed using a brand new set of the P-Zero yellow walled Soft tyre, 

Speaking following the session, Pirelli Motorsport Director Paul Hembrey statedL

'In the three years that we have been racing at Austin, the track has definitely evolved to provide more grip – and we saw further track evolution during the course of today, exacerbated by the wide variety of temperatures that we were running in. 

We’re expecting a similar variation in temperatures for the rest of the weekend, including conditions that might be a lot cooler for qualifying tomorrow. From what we can see so far a two-stop strategy looks to be the most likely, but also with the potential for some mixed strategies going down the grid, depending on track position.'

© Ben Johnston 2014

Renault Sport F1 Friday report United States Grand Prix - Circuit of the Americas Austin

(Renault Sport F1)

Renault Sport F1's teams had a mixed opening day at the Circuit of the Americas on Friday as the on track action got underway ahead of Sunday's United States Grand Prix. In the opening session Toro Rosso's Daniil Kvyat completed 33 laps on his way to fourth place in the time-sheets while reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel was 7th fastest. His team mate Daniel Ricciardo had an Energy Recovery System issue and ended the first session in 17th place having completed just 5 laps.

The Lotus F1 Team endured a difficult day. In the first session Romain Grosjean finished the session in 18th place while Pastor Maldonado finished the session in 13th place while in the second session Romain Grosjean was 12th fastest while Pastor Maldonado finished the session in 15th place.

Over the course of Friday, Renault powered teams completed 299 laps over the course of Free Practice 1 and Free Practice 2.

Speaking following today's running head of track operations at Renault Sport F1 Remi Taffin stated:

'Today went reasonably well even if we had a few problems to contend with. Getting enough mileage under your belt is really important for validating the pre-GP simulation data, so having both Red Bull drivers miss chunks of FP1 and FP2 wasn’t ideal. In the morning we elected to change Daniel Ricciardo’s MGU-K with one eye on the afternoon, and that certainly proved the correct decision. Not only did he rack up plenty of laps but he was also quick. Sebastian Vettel is using his sixth PU here and will start Sunday’s race from the pit-lane. 

He’d therefore chosen to focus on race strategy but was compromised by a gearbox problem. We have work to do overnight, but Daniel’s data will certainly help a lot.

Toro Rosso again look in good shape this weekend and had no problems at all with their PUs. That meant they could complete plenty of laps and optimise their set-up. Daniil Kvyat repeated his Sochi practice form by getting into the top-10 in both sessions, which is important here as a number of big names could go out in the first part of a revised qualifying format.

There were also encouraging signs for Lotus, with Romain Grosjean finishing FP2 12th and just a couple of seconds off the overall pace. If one or both of those cars makes it into Q2 tomorrow I think they’ll have done a decent job.'

© Ben Johnston 2014

The minimum budget needed to run in Formula One has killed two teams - Lopez

(Andrew Ferraro Lotus F1 Team)

Lotus F1 Team chairman Gerard Lopez has hit out at the way Formula One is funded saying:

'The minimum budget need to run in Formula One has killed two teams'.

Lopez was speaking at the FIA Team principals press conference in Austin on Friday. Lopez said that he has recently discovered that it costs in the region of £4 million to run a GP2 team while a top Formula One team will spend £300 million.

Lopez also feels that the price of a power unit supply is too high and that he knows that a considerable proportion of the Caterham F1 Team's budget was spent on a supply of Renault power units.

The Lotus boss also spoke about the sponsorship deals in the sport:

'In the past 24 months we haven't seen major sponsors enter Formula One.'

The Lotus F1 Team will use a supply of Mercedes power units from next season which the outfit hopes will help them to move forward following a difficult 2014 season which has seen the team score just eight points.

© Ben Johnston 2014

Frank Williams hospitalized

The BBC are reporting that Sir Frank Williams, team principal of the Williams Martini Racing Team has been hospitalized with a pressure sore on his back.

The quadriplegic is said to be undergoing routine treatment and is responding well. As a result deputy team principal Claire Williams did not travel to Austin for this weekend's United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas.

Williams had been scheduled to take part in today's FIA Team Principal press conference but was unable to attend. The matter has been referred to the race stewards in Austin.

© Ben Johnston 2014

Hamilton leads the way once again as Mercedes complete another 1-2 at the Circuit of the Americas

(Mercedes AMG PETRONAS F1 Team)

Mercedes AMG PETRONAS F1 Team's Lewis Hamilton lead the way once again in Free Practice 2 ahead of Sunday's United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin Texas. Hamilton, who currently leads the championship by 17 points set a fastest time of 1m 39.085s just 0.003s ahead of team mate Nico Rosberg. Hamilton's session was cut short with a suspected hydraulic issue.

Speaking following the session, Lewis Hamilton stated:

'The car felt good today and we were able to improve consistently over the two sessions. I only got a couple of laps of my long run which was unfortunate as we lost a bit of track time but Nico got the data for the team so we should be ok. I’m not sure exactly what the problem was and we had to stop as a precaution but I’m sure they will identify and fix it overnight. These small glitches happen and I’m confident that we won’t have problems moving forward. 

It’s better that it happened today rather than later in the weekend, of course. It looks very close with Nico out there and I’m expecting a very tough battle this weekend. I love being here and it’s great to see so many fans around the circuit already, so I’m excited for the rest of the weekend and feeling ready to put on a show for them.'

Nico Rosberg stated:

'Our Silver Arrow feels very quick around this circuit which is very impressive to see. Between Lewis and myself, the times were very tight as usual. But it was worrying to see that Lewis had a problem with his car as it shows that our car is still not 100% robust at the moment. We need to work on that but overall I’m really looking forward to the weekend. 

It looks like it will be a close battle between my teammate and I, so let’s hope we can put on a great show for the fans here in Texas.'

Mercedes Executive Director (Business) Toto Wolff stated:

'While it is positive to see strong pace from our car, the main focus must be on ensuring bulletproof reliability. Of course, it is better to have these problems on a Friday than on a Sunday and we will be working hard overnight to ensure that this is not the case. It is great to be back in Austin and to see Formula One growing in stature here in the United States. It is a key market for the sport, so to see the reception we have had already this week is a big positive.'

Mercedes Executive Director (Technical) Paddy Lowe said:

'We’ve shown good pace here today and both drivers are happy with the performance of the car. Unfortunately, however, Lewis had his afternoon cut short by a hydraulic problem. We spotted something in the data and decided to call Lewis in to play it safe. That aside, we ran to our scheduled programme throughout the day. 

The tyre compounds nominated for this race – medium and soft – are a step softer overall than those seen last year. As such, they are coming into their window quite quickly and we are seeing a reasonable amount of degradation on the long runs – both on the prime and option. This should lead to a notably different race from a strategic perspective to that in previous visits to this circuit – or indeed at the last race in Sochi.'

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso was best of the rest in third place with a time of 1m 40.189s with the Spaniard ending the session just ahead of Infiniti Red Bull Racing's Daniel Ricciardo. Speaking following today's running the Australian stated:

'It was tricky out there today, the wind makes it difficult; it’s quite an open circuit, so any form of cross wind or tail wind upsets the car a lot – we saw a few spins in FP2 from a few guys. 

We got the car in a good window to work with and hopefully tomorrow we can find a bit more speed. We didn’t run much this morning but in FP2 we ended up in the top five and the long run looked reasonable, so I think we had a pretty good afternoon.'

The Williams Martini Racing Team's Felipe Massa was fifth fastest in the FW36 with a time of 1m 40.457s to finish the session just ahead of former team mate Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen. Speaking following the session Massa stated:

'I always enjoy driving this track and we’ve had a productive day and completed what we set out to do. It was very windy in the afternoon which made it difficult to really judge the car balance and the car was feeling different from the morning to the afternoon because of this, although the wind is likely to change for Saturday and Sunday which may result in us having to adapt our set-up slightly. I’m happy with how the car is feeling and we’re looking on the pace going into the weekend. '

Toro Rosso's Daniil Kvyat had another great session as he finished in 7th place just ahead of the McLaren duo of Kevin Magnussen and Jenson Button.

Sahara Force India's Nico Hulkenberg rounded out the top ten 1.715s behind Hamilton's fastest time of the day. Speaking following the day of running the German stated:

'I think we can be reasonably happy with our Friday. We did all the work we set out to do at the start of the day and it's always good fun to practice on a track like this. 

There was a big shift in conditions between the morning and the afternoon - it was much hotter and there was a very strong wind which was challenging. 

All in all it was a good day: we will have the usual amount of fine-tuning to do on the set-up and we will need to look at the tyre data to understand how the compounds work, but that's all standard stuff on a trouble-free Friday. It's Halloween tonight, so hopefully we'll get more treats than tricks for tomorrow's qualifying!'

Valtteri Bottas finished the session in 11th place. Speaking following the session, the Finn stated:

'We gained a lot of information about temperatures and the tyres in FP2 and seem to have found ways to get more performance out of them. 

The car was not particularly easy to drive today because of the very windy conditions and it was not easy to find the optimum balance, so we have a lot of work to do tonight to understand the car and its true performance at this track. Personally I still think I can find a bit more lap time out there so FP3 will be a chance to push the limits more. '

The team's test and reserve driver Felipe Nasr drove in this morning's opening session and stated following his run saying:

'This was my first time in the FW36 since Barcelona so I had to get back up to speed quickly and this is also a new circuit for me. 

The track is very fun to drive and has a good flow to it, especially the first sector which has a lot of fast and exhilarating corners. The car has improved a lot since I last drove it with improved grip in all areas and it’s easier to drive. It was a very positive session for me and we managed to cover some good mileage.'

Williams Martini Racing's Head of Performance Engineering Rob Smedley commented by saying:

'On the whole a good day for us – we completed our programme and looked strong on both high and low fuel runs which is encouraging. 

Having said that we can expect different conditions over the weekend because the track always evolves the more running we do and we’re also expecting different wind strengths and directions alongside slightly cooler conditions. I think we have a competitive package so a prime target is to make sure that we stay on top of the track evolution. '

The Lotus F1 Team's Romain Grosjean was 12th fastest on a good afternoon for the Enstone based outfit despite a number of spins for both the Frenchman and his team Pastor Maldonado. Speaking following the session, the Frenchman stated:

'It was a bit of a rodeo ride out there at times and we’re still working on finding the best set-up for the car today. Certainly the wind in the afternoon didn’t help us with trying to get the car easier to drive although our position on the timesheets at the end of the day wasn’t as bad as we’ve seen on occasion this season! There are a few areas we know we can change which should make an improvement so there is progress to be made.'


(Lotus F1 Team)

The Lotus F1 Team's Trackside Operations Director Alan Permane stated:

'It was a solid day for us with a good number of laps completed and some interesting evaluations undertaken for the rest of this weekend as well as for the development of next year’s car. 

Romain ran in the morning with a front nose concept relevant for our 2015 car whilst Pastor evaluated the latest iteration of the 2014 nose. Both cars ran reliably so it’s now the usual trawl through the data to determine the best set-ups for qualifying tomorrow and the race on Sunday.'

Jean Eric Vergne was 13th fastest in the second Toro Rosso finishing the session just ahead of Sergio Perez in the second Sahara Force India VJM07. Following the session the Mexican stated:

'It was definitely not a bad start for the weekend. We had some upgrades on the car and our main target was to do as much running as possible to assess their effectiveness. We were able to do some good progress on the balance between the two sessions so I am feeling quite positive for the rest of the weekend. 

There's still plenty to look at tonight, especially in regard to the two different compounds, to try and squeeze out more performance ahead of tomorrow. 

I am quite optimistic even if today's times don't really show where we stand, but the points are given out on Sunday and that is what my focus is on.'

The Sahara Force India F1 Team head into this weekend's United States Grand Prix 20 points behind McLaren Mercedes. Team principal and managing director Dr Vijay Mallya stated:

'It was a very windy day, which makes it hard to assess the balance of the car as the conditions change continuously, but it was the same for everybody so we just have to carry on with our work. 

We had a very busy day, testing upgrades and collecting lots of data: this is very important as a lot of it will feed directly into our designs for next season. 

In FP2 we achieved a pretty good balance with our car and we were able to switch our attention to the long runs. Overall it was a very good Friday and we're looking forward to tomorrow.'

Pastor Maldonado was 15th fastest in the second Lotus. The Venezuelan finished the session just ahead of the Sauber F1 Team duo of Adrian Sutil and Esteban Gutierrez. Speaking following the session Maldonado stated:

'It was great to be out on track again in Austin at the Circuit of the Americas as it really is a fantastic facility. We worked through our usual Friday programmes and learnt a reasonable amount. The car was a little tricky at the limit as myself and Romain both found, but we expect that to improve tomorrow. '

The Sauber F1 Team's Esteban Gutierrez stated:

'It was quite a tricky day, but it was positive that we completed our programme well. On the other hand, I had some issues which we are trying to solve. The car’s balance is overall reasonable, as we were experimenting with the set-up in order to find a suitable one. The conditions were not easy today, because it was very windy. 

We need to consider this for tomorrow. In general, the tyres were working well. The soft compound is degrading more than the medium tyre. It looks like both compounds are a good choice for this track.'

Adrian Sutil commented by saying:

'It was a normal Friday. We went through our planned programme without having any issues. We tested several set-ups on the car, as well as the soft and medium tyres. Tomorrow we will try to get more out of what we have.'

The Sauber F1 Team's Head of Track Engineering Giampaolo Dall'Ara commented by saying:

'It was a smooth day on the operational side. We were able to fulfill the programme and gained knowledge for the weekend. We are pleasantly surprised by the usability of the tyres, as we were expecting to struggle a bit more, but they seem to fit the track. They were degrading during the long runs, so there will be more options for different strategies.'

Reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel completed the runners in 18th place 5.352s behind Lewis Hamilton however it is likely that the German was running high fuel levels as he will start the race from the pit-lane.

Speaking following the session the German stated:

'It was a different practice today, as we focused on Sunday preparation. We had an issue with the gearbox this morning so we lost some time, but overall it was okay. 

It’s not great knowing that you can’t go out and fully go for it in qualifying tomorrow, but we knew it from the start of this weekend, so we focus on the race and hopefully we will have a good come back from the pit lane on Sunday.'

© Ben Johnston 2014

FIA confirm Vettel will start from the pit-lane

(Florent Gooden DPPI for Renault Sport F1)

The FIA have confirmed that reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel will start Sunday's United States Grand Prix from the pit-lane as the German will use a sixth power unit for the season which contravenes the technical regulations. 

Vettel will take part in part of qualifying on Saturday but will start the race from the pit-lane.

© Ben Johnston 2014

Caterham have two weeks to find a buyer

(Frederic Le Floc'h DPPI for Renault Sport F1)

Henry Shinners, one of the administrators appointed to look after the sale of the Caterham F1 Team has confirmed that the team have two weeks to find a buyer and if one is not found by then the team will be wound down.

Speaking at the team HQ in Leafield  Mr Shinners confirmed that they are in discussions with several parties interested in purchasing the team but that of yet no agreement has been reached.

Finbarr O'Connell the other administrator dealing with the Caterham sale is in Austin this weekend for discussions with the FIA and Bernie Ecclestone (the commercial rights holder). Mr Shinner confirmed that the 200 employees at the factory in Leafield who work for 1MRT the company that holds the licence to race in F1 have had no contact with the Malaysian company and are in the dark about the situation.

In Austin on Friday it was denied that the Sauber F1 Team and Caterham had been in discussions about the possibility of a merger.

© Ben Johnston 2014

First strike to Hamilton and Mercedes in Free Practice in Austin as Button shows good pace for McLarenfor

(Mercedes AMG PETRONAS F1 Team)

Mercedes AMG PETRONAS F1 Team's Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time in the opening practice session of the weekend on Friday morning in Free Practice 1 with a time of 1m 39.941s ending the session just 0.292s ahead of team mate and championship rival Nico Rosberg. 

McLaren Mercedes Jenson Button was third fastest for the Woking based outfit on a great morning for the team. Button ended the session just 0.378s behind former team mate Hamilton. Dannil Kvyat put in a fantastic job for the Toro Rosso team as he set the fourth fastest time. McLaren's Kevin Magnussen was fifth fastest in the second MP4-29.

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso was sixth fastest finishing just ahead of reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel in his Red Bull RB10. 

Williams Martini Racing Team's test and reserve driver Felipe Nasr did a fantastic job for the Grove based outfit driving in place of Valtteri Bottas as the Brazilian finished the session ahead of regular driver Felipe Massa. Nasr finished the session in eight place in the FW36.

Sahara Force India's Nico Hulkenberg was in 9th place while Max Verstappen who was making his second outing for the team as he prepares for his debut season in Formula One finished the session in 10th place. 

Felipe Massa finished the session in eleventh place just ahead of ex Ferrari team mate Kimi Raikkonen. 

The Lotus F1 Team's Pastor Maldonado was 14th fastest for the Enstone outfit finishing the session in 13th place just ahead of the Sauber F1 Team's Adrian Sutil. Sergio Perez was 14th fastest in the second Force India.

Esteban Gutierrez was 16th fastest in the second Sauber just ahead of Infiniti Red Bull Racing's Daniel Ricciardo who suffered an Energy Recovery System failure on his RB10 early in the session. The Australian finished the session just ahead of Romain Grosjean in the second Lotus who trialed the team's new experimental 2015 spec front wing. 

The second session gets underway at 7PM LIVE on Sky Sports F1 HD.

© Ben Johnston 2014

Vettel will take part in Q1 at least

(Eric Vargiolu DPPI for Renault Sport F1)

Infiniti Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner has confirmed to BBC Radio Five Live that reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel will take part in at least Q1 on Saturday amid reports that he would sit out the entire session at the Circuit of the Americas in order to save components in his Renault power unit.

Meanwhile his team mate Daniel Ricciardo has been forced to sit out the remainder of Free Practice One due to a power unit issue of his own.

© Ben Johnston 2014

Ericsson concentrating on F1 future and didn't see the demise of Caterham coming

(Eric Vargiolu DPPI for Renault Sport F1)

Sweden's Marcus Ericsson has stated that he is focusing on remaining in Formula One in 2015. Speaking to Sky Sports News HQ ahead of this weekend's United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas Ericsson stated:

'It's been a difficult week because really, we didn't see this coming.'

Ericsson went on to say that he he had been preparing as he normally does for what was meant to be a normal race weekend. The Swede confirmed that the day before it was announced that the team had entered administration he had been discussing set-up options for practice at the Circuit of the Americas.

Ericsson who is attending the United States Grand Prix has stated that his aim is to remain in Formula One next season with his manager confirming that they are in discussions with three teams in relation to a race seat for 2015.

© Ben Johnston 2014

Special feature - Formula One needs to do something fast to react to the financial problems facing the sport

(Sahara Force India Formula One Team)

Formula One is facing an uncertain future following the news in the last week that both the Caterham and Marussia F1 Teams have entered administration. It was not a surprise to see the two teams forced into this situation as they have struggled to compete since they entered Formula One in 2010.

Formula One welcomed three new teams into the sport in 2010, with Virgin Racing, the Hispania Racing Team and what was then the Lotus Racing team. The Hispania Racing Team were the first team to after folding following the conclusion of the 2012 Formula One season.

In 2012, the Lotus Renault team was renamed the Caterham F1 Team as team founder Tony Fernandes bought the Caterham car company and renamed the team.

After initial funding from Richard Branson’s Virgin Group the Banbury based team was sold to the Russian car company Marussia and was rebranded the Marussia F1 Team in 2012. Following the collapse of the Marussia car company in April 2014, the Formula One team which was a separate entity to the car company continued to trade and compete in Formula One.

In the last five seasons of Formula One four teams have collapsed with Super Aguri Honda, the Hispania Racing Team, Marussia and Caterham all forced out of the sport due to the mounting costs involved in running a team.

Super Aguri entered Formula One in 2006 running what was effectively a Honda B team as they were racing with the 2005 Honda chassis and were receiving a Honda engine.

This season as a result of winning the Constructors championship the Mercedes AMG PETRONAS F1 Team can expect to receive in the region of £100 million compared to the Marussia F1 Team who if they retain 9^th place in the championship can expect to receive in the region of £40 million.

It is about time that Formula One embraced a system similar to the financial fair play system in operation in Football.

The Sport already has a Research Restriction Agreement in place amongst the teams and it would be very easy for a budget cap to be put in place of say between £60 - £80 million which if a team were to go over that during a season they could receive a sporting penalty or a a reduced share of the team rights money.

Formula One generates an annual revenue of over £! Billion a year from global ticket sales and TV rights however the money is not divided equally among the teams in the sport. 

There is a three level system in place in the sport at the moment where in 2014 you have the top teams of

Mercedes

Infiniti Red Bull Racing

Williams Martini Racing

Ferrari

Then there are the midfield teams of

McLaren Mercedes

Sahara Force India

Lotus

Toro Rosso

While you have Sauber, Caterham and Marussia at the back. However it is now just nine teams on the grid with Caterham and Marussia missing from the field this weekend. 

We very nearly had the Sahara Force India Formula One team on the side-lines for the United States Grand Prix in Austin as they had problems with power unit supplier Mercedes in relation to money however that was sorted out at the last minute and the team are in Austin this weekend.

The Lotus F1 Team and the Sauber F1 Team have also struggled financially in recent times and where a number of years ago they would have been able to attract big money sponsors this is no longer the case.

The last major sponsorship deals to be concluded in Formula were earlier this season when the Williams team announced a new long term title sponsorship agreement with Martini which has seen the Grove based outfit renamed Williams Martini Racing.

While the Sahara Force India Formula One team concluded a sponsorship deal with Smirnoff. The Silverstone based outfit have also just this week announced a digital partnership with Accelerate which will build and maintain a brand new website for the team.

It is time for Formula One and the governing body to unite and come up with a solution to the financial problems facing the sport before we lose another team. Formula One in its current form is unsustainable.

© Ben Johnston 2014

Todt to determine what action to take against Marussia and Caterham after they are found to be in breach of the regulations

(Clement Marin DPPI for Renault Sport F1)

FIA president Jean Todt has stated stated what sanctions will be taken against both the Caterham and Marussia F1 Teams as they have been found to be in breach of the FIA Sporting Regulations for not attending the United States Grand Prix this weekend at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin Texas.

Despite the regulation breach the race stewards at the Circuit of the Americas have decided against sanctioning the teams however they have now passed the matter on to FIA president Jean Todt. 

Caterham and Marussia were given special dispensation to miss the United States and Brazilian Grand Prix both races take place within a week of each other.

In the last week both the Caterham and Marussia F1 Team's entered administration with the Marussia F1 Team the more likely outfit to remain on the grid in 2015 as the administrators are currently considering a number of offers for the team.

British-Indian brothers Bajinder Sohi and Sonny Kaushal have put a bid of £55 million to rescue the team.

© Ben Johnston 2014

Virtual safety car to be trialed in Austin this weekend

(Mercedes AMG PETRONAS F1 Team)

The FIA have confirmed that they will trial a 'virtual safety car' during Free Practice 1 and 2 on Friday in Texas. The idea is that a 'slow zone' will be introduced in the event of an accident where drivers passing the incident will have to slow to a predetermined speed set by race control.

Drivers will have to go at a speed that is 35 percent slower then racing speeds on a dry lap and if they exceed the speed limit they will face a range of penalties.

The idea was mooted as a result of Jules Bianchi's accident at the Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka last month, 

The system, if it proves to be successful during the test on Friday will then be introduced and used from the 2015 season onwards. The key thing that the FIA want to achieve by introducing this system is to limit the risk of their being a repeat of the horrific accident that Jules Bianchi suffered in Japan in future,

© Ben Johnston 2014

Lotus E22 undergoes nose job

(Alastair Staley LAT for the Lotus F1 Team)

The Lotus F1 Team's E22 has undergone some cosmetic surgery ahead of tomorrow's opening day of on track action at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin Texas. 

The team have endured an extremely difficult 2014 campaign which has yielded just eight points so far this season. The experimental wedge shaped nose will be tested on Friday in Austin as the team evaluate its on track performance compared to what has shown in data read outs from the Enstone squads wind-tunnel.

Lotus have used a tusk style nose and win assembly this season which will be made illegal from next season and it is planned that if the team are happy with the on track performance of the new wing it will be produced for the 2015 E23 chassis which will be powered by Mercedes.

The new wing and nose assembly will allow the car to generate greater down force which could result in better results for the team.

© Ben Johnston 2014

Jenson enjoying racing and is happy

(McLaren Mercedes)

McLaren Mercedes Jenson Button has confirmed that he is enjoying his racing and is happy racing following his fourth place finish last time out at the Russian Grand Prix in Sochi amid continuing uncertainty about his Formula One future.

However speaking in Austin, Button's manager Richard Goddard stated that Button is 'a wanted man.' With three races remaining in 2014, Goddard said that he is in regular phone contact with McLaren Chairman Ron Dennis who has told Goddard that:

'I'm in regular contact with Ron and there is nothing new. He speaks to me and says 'I'm really sorry, but we're still in a holding pattern. I know perhaps we shouldn't be, but we are.'.

For his part Button has always expressed his desire to remain with the Woking based outfit next season as they embark on their new partnership with the Honda Motor Company. 

Button stated:

'Anything is possible in life if you have the right circumstances or the right situation, but that has to be there to make it happen.'

© Ben Johnston 2014

Raikkonen happy to be at Ferrari

(Scuderia Ferrari SpA via Twitter)

Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen met the media in the paddock at the Circuit of the Americas on Thursday at the Circuit of the Americas ahead of Sunday's United States Grand Prix in Austin. The Iceman stated:

'Hopefully we can have a nice clean weekend, starting with getting everything sorted in practice and then be as strong as possible.'

The Finn heads into the race weekend in 12th place in the championship on 47 points equal with the Sahara Force India Formula One Team's Sergio Perez. Raikkonen finished the race last time out in Russia at the Sochi circuit in 9th place.

Speaking about the 2015 season and the progress of the new car, Raikkonen stated:

'I have a hundred percent trust in the people who run the team and build the cars, I am sure we can have a good package: will it be good enough? Only time will tell. We have a lot of work to do and we have learned a lot from this year. 

We don’t expect to suddenly jump to the front and be winning the races, but we can make a big leap and be up there fighting. Until we put it on track and do those first laps at the first test we won’t know. We know where the issues are and our people are smart enough to fix them. According to the rules, there are limits to what we can do but we will improve.'

Raikkonen has endured a difficult return to Ferrari where he spent three years and was responsible for the team's last drivers world championship which he won in his first season with the team in 2007. Raikkonen made a successful return to Formula One in 2013 with the Lotus F1 Team and replaced Felipe Massa ahead of this season.

Raikkonen has also stated that when he it came to returning to Ferrari:

'For sure I made a hundred percent the right decision to return to Ferrari.'The results have not been the ones I wanted or the team wanted, but that’s how it goes. 

We have made progress from where we started, but it’s not easy to get things exactly as you want. But I am happy to be here. I’d rather be with Ferrari than with any other team. So I’m sure I made the right decision coming here.'

The Finn was asked about double points regulation that will be in place for the final race in Abu Dhabi next month. He stated:

'That’s how the rules are now and if we like it or not, it makes no difference as we drivers do not decide the rules,” “Obviously, whoever has the most points at the end of the year, whether he has won ten races or one race wil won and I’m sure whoever it is will deserve it.'

© Ben Johnston 2014

                   

FIA make changes to qualifying format for this weekend's United States Grand Prix

(Sauber F1 Team)

Following the news that the Caterham and Marussia F1 Team's have entered administration this week the FIA has confirmed that format changes to qualifying starting at this weekend's United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin Texas.

The FIA race stewards have confirmed that four cars will be eliminated in Q1 while another four cars will be eliminated in Q2 while there will be the usual top ten shoot-out in Q3.

© Ben Johnston 2014

Button confirms he takes a five place gird penalty into this weekend's United States Grand Prix

(McLaren Mercedes)

McLaren Mercedes Jenson Button has confirmed that he will have a five place grid penalty for this weekend's United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin Texas as a result of an unscheduled gearbox change.

Button heads into this weekend's race waiting to hear about his Formula One future as the team have confirmed that they will not make an announcement regarding their 2015 driver  line-up until the season finale in Abu Dhabi next month.

Button and team mate Kevin Magnussen head into this weekend's race in Austin having scored a fourth and fifth place finish last time out at the Russian Grand Prix at the Sochi circuit.

© Ben Johnston 2014

FIA statement regarding Caterham and Marussia

(Francois Flamand DPPI for Renault Sport F1)

The FIA have released a statement in response to this week's event in Formula One which has seen both the Caterham and Marussia F1 Team's enter administration. The statement read:

'Notification regarding Caterham F1 and Marussia F1 Teams

'The FIA has been informed of the financial difficulties of the CATERHAM F1 and MARUSSIA F1 Teams and of the considerable uncertainty surrounding their participation in the final races of the 2014 championship.

'It is the responsibility of the FIA Stewards to determine whether or not a team has failed to fulfil its regulatory obligation to take part in all events on the calendar and to take whatever action they deem appropriate. However, we have every confidence that the Stewards are fully aware of the financial situation of the teams concerned and these matters are always assessed with extreme care and due regard for the circumstances involved.

'Looking beyond the end of the 2014 season, these failings once again acutely raise the question of the economic balance of the FIA Formula One Championship and justify the position, expressed many times by the FIA, in favour of any initiative that will help reduce costs in order to ensure the survival of the existing grid or attract potential new entrants.

'As such, the FIA, in close cooperation with FOM and the different stakeholders in F1, will continue to work towards maintaining the attraction of the championship and the equitable participation of the teams in it in the years to come.'

© Ben Johnston 2014

Mercedes want to stick with Hamilton/Rosberg partnership beyond 2015

(Mercedes AMG PETRONAS F1 Team)

Mercedes Executive Director (Business) Toto Wolff has reiterated that the team will wait to sit down with Lewis Hamilton to discuss a new contract until the conclusion of the 2014 season. He has reassured the 2008 world champion that the team are not considering anyone else for the seat along Nico Rosberg.

Hamilton goes into this weekend's United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin Texas with a 17 point advantage at the top of the championship standings over team mate Nico Rosberg with just three Grand Prix remaining this season.

Hamilton will be hoping to continue his incredible run of victories this weekend having won every race since the Italian Grand Prix in Monza at the start of September.

Hamilton has taken nine victories this season compared to four for Rosberg. Wolff also addressed speculation linking Fernando Alonso with a move to the Silver Arrows in 2016 saying that the Brackley based outfit will only look elsewhere if negotiations with Lewis Hamilton break down.

Wolff has also confirmed that he feels the reason why the Brackley based outfit has progressed is because he and the management team have been left to get on with job by the board at Mercedes Benz but that they welcome input from Stuttgart.

Mercedes wrapped up the Constructors championship last time out at the inaugural Russian Grand Prix at the Sochi circuit on their way to their ninth 1-2 finish of the season.

The team can now switch their focus to the drivers championship with both of their drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg leading the way.

© Ben Johnston 2014 

A statement from the Marussia F1 Team on behalf of Jules Bianchi's family

The Marussia F1 Team have issued the following statement on behalf of Jules Bianchi with an update on the medical condition of the Frenchman.

'It will be four weeks this coming Sunday since Jules’ accident and he remains in the Mie General Medical Center in Yokkaichi. His condition continues to be classified by the medical professionals here as critical but stable. Although we have no new information to give, we recognise that there are a huge number of people all around the world who are supporting Jules and willing him on in his fight. We owe it to his many fans to acknowledge the continued outpouring of messages, and to provide some information, however brief it may be.

“Jules does indeed continue to fight. Although there have been some reports suggestive of plans for Jules’ treatment, at this time his fight will continue here in Yokkaichi. We are taking things step by step.

“Once again, we would like to offer our sincere appreciation for the patience and understanding being shown towards our family at this very difficult time. We also continue to be comforted by the knowledge that Jules is receiving the best possible care at the Mie General Medical Center, with the doctors here remaining in constant contact with the neurosurgeons at the University La Sapienza of Rome, and Professor Gerard Saillant, President of the FIA Medical Commission.

“We will provide a further update when it is appropriate to do so. In the meantime, thank you to everyone who continues to keep Jules in their thoughts and prayers.”

© Ben Johnston 2014

Warwick named as Austin driver steward

(Mercedes AMG PETRONAS F1 Team)

The FIA have confirmed that Derek Warwick has been appointed as driver steward for this weekend's United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin Texas. Warwick is no stranger to this role having been driver steward for the Bahrain, Monaco and the Italian Grand Prix earlier this season.

Warwick drove in Formula One from 1981-1993 and participating in 147 Grand Prix securing four podium finishes.

© Ben Johnston 2014

Vettel 'likely' to sit out Austin qualifying

(Florent Gooden DPPI for Renault Sport F1)

Reigning world champion Infiniti Red Bull Racing's Sebastian Vettel has confirmed that it is 'likely' that he will seat out Saturday's qualifying session for the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin Texas although the team have yet make a decision on situation.

It is understood that the German will sit out the session in order for the Milton Keynes based outfit to make a full power unit change which if it were to happen would result in the four time world champion starting the event from the pit-lane. Speaking to reporters as he and team mate Daniel Ricciardo drove in downtown Austin on Wednesday Vettel said:

'I think it is to be confirmed, but, yes, we have to get an extra engine at some stage this year and very likely at this event here. Obviously we had quite a bad first half of the season in terms of reliability, with a lot of things happening, and that put us in that position.'

Vettel confirmed that the team will definitely run in practice on Friday saying;

'Obviously we had quite a bad first half of the season in terms of reliability, with a lot of things happening, and that put us in that position.'

Vettel has had an extremely difficult season in which he has secured just four podium finishes and has yet to secure a victory while team mate Daniel Ricciardo has secured three victories in Canada, Hungary and Belgium.

Vettel is currently in fifth place in the championship on 143 points while Daniel Ricciardo is in third place on 199 points.

© Ben Johnston 2014

Forza Rossa given green light to enter Formula One in 2015 or 2016

(Mercedes AMG PETRONAS F1 Team)

The Formula One grid is set to get two more cars from the 2015 or more likely the 2016 season with the new that Romanian team Forza Rossa has been given a the green light to enter the sport after receiving a letter of intent from the FIA. 

A report in the UK's Independent newspaper states that the new team entrant is lead by former Romanian health minister Ion Bazac and former Romanian football play Consatantin Cojocar. The newspaper revealed that in early 2014 Mr Cojocar had purchased Caterham Sports Limited and that the plan had been for Caterham Sports Limited to design and build Formula One cars for the Caterham F1 Team and the new Forza Rossa team.

However a statement from Mr Cojocar stated that similar to what happened to the Lotus F1 Team last season investment that had been promised to him had failed to materialize in Romania. 

'Early in 2014, a Romanian team called FRR Formula 1 Team [Forza Rossa] formed the intention of entering Formula 1. The project is led by a Mr Ion Bazac, a former Romanian health minister. 

In June 2014, Forza Rossa received a letter of intent from the FIA [the governing body for the sport], allowing it to enter Formula 1 in the next two years. Forza Rossa hopes to race in the 2015 season, but time to prepare is running short.'

Mr Cojocar went on to say:

'Unfortunately, the money promised to me by my backers has not arrived, I understand that Forza Rossa is looking at other possible arrangements for 2015 and I have found it very difficult to contact my backers in Romania.'

In Forza Rossa make it onto the grid in 2016 they will fellow Formula One newcomers the Haas  F1 Team who are scheduled to make their Formula One debut in 2016. Haas are making huge steps in their Formula One preparations after appointing former Anheuer-Busch sports marketer Adam Jacobs as the team's new Chief Marketing Officer.

© Ben Johnston 2014

Rossi hopes to see Marussia back on the grid

(Marussia F1 Team via Twitter)

American Formula One driver Alexander Rossi is hopeful that the Marussia F1 Team will be back on the grid in 2015. The Californian who is in Texas this weekend for the United States Grand Prix in Austin had been tipped to drive alongside Max Chilton in place of Jules Bianchi who is continuing to receive treatment in a Japanese hospital for the injuries he suffered following his accident at the Japanese Grand Prix.

Although Rossi was hoping to drive this weekend he will not be in a position to as it was confirmed on Monday that the Marussia F1 Team who he is official test and reserve driver for had entered administration. 

Rossi was taking part in Twitter Q&A session with the Circuit of the Americas on a range of topics when he was asked if he felt the team would be on the grid this season to which he replied

'I certainly hope so'.

Rossi was asked if he could pick any old American circuit to return to the Formula One calendar which one would it be to which he replied:

'Long Beach. I'm biased as a Californian'.

The former Caterham driver has been linked with a Formula One seat with the new American Haas F1 Team when they make their Formula One debut in 2016 however he has stated that their main focus now is on building the team and not on who their drivers will be.

He admitted however that 'there is always a chance' that he may be on the grid next season.

In relation to the track in Austin, Rossi was asked: 'What is your favourite section of the Austin circuit?'

He replied: 'Sector 1, Turns 1 through 7. It brings fast and flowing back to modern day circuits'. 

© Ben Johnston 2014

United States Grand Prix FIA press conference schedule

(Mercedes AMG PETRONAS F1 Team)

Fresh from his appearance on the Today Show in New York City on Wednesday championship leader Lewis Hamilton will take centre stage at Thursday's FIA driver press conference at the Circuit of the Americas as he looks to extend his championship lead over team mate Nico Rosberg on Sunday.

The Mercedes driver will be joined in the press conference by the Williams Martini Racing Team's in form Finn Valtteri Bottas who is aiming to score another podium this weekend following his third place finish lat time out at the Russian Grand Prix in Sochi three weeks ago, a result which has given the Grove based team a 28 point cushion over Ferrari in the Constructors championship with just three Grand Prix remaining this season.

The Lotus F1 Team's Romain Grosjean who is close to announcing a new contract with the Enstone outfit returns to the circuit where he finished on the podium in second place last season will also be in attendance at the press conference. 

It is a very important race weekend for the Sauber F1 Team and their driver Esteban Gutierrez as the race in Austin is effectively a home event for the Mexican while the Swiss based outfit are desperate to score their first points of the season. Gutierrez will also face the media on Thursday.

Sahara Force India's Sergio Perez will also be at the press conference as it is also an extremely important event for the Silverstone based outfit as they look to close the gap to McLaren Mercedes who currently hold a 20 point advantage in the race for fifth place in the Constructors championship with just three race's remaining this season.

Infiniti Red Bull Racing's Daniel Ricciardo heads into this weekend's US Grand Prix in third place in the championship with a 54 point advantage over the Williams Martini Racing Team's Valtteri Bottas. The Australian completes the line-up for the drivers press conference.

The drivers press conference will be live on Sky Sports F1 HD from 4PM on Thursday afternoon.

The FIA Team Principals press conference takes place on Friday with McLaren Mercedes Racing Director Eric Boullier being joined by Sauber's Monisha Keltenborn. The talk will more then likely be focused on the financial situation in Formula One with both the Caterham and Marussia F1 Team's going into administration this week.

They will be joined at the press conference by the Lotus F1 Team's Gerard Lopez. The Enstone based outfit are expected to announce a permanent team boss within the next few weeks. Williams Martini Racing's deputy team principal Claire Williams will also be in attendance as will Sahara Force India's team principal and managing director Dr Vijay Mallya.

The FIA Team Principals press conference will also be shown live on Sky Sports F1 HD at 4PM on Friday afternoon.

© Ben Johnston 2014

Ferrari head to Austin with experimental 2015 parts

(Scuderia Ferrari SpA via Twitter)

The Ferrari Formula One team are set to evaluate parts for their 2015 car at this weekend's United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin Texas. Ferrari head to Austin hoping to close the 28 point deficit they have to the Williams Martini Racing Team following what has been an extremely difficult season for the Italian team which has yielded just two podium finishes. 

Last time out at the Russian Grand Prix at the Sochi circuit three weeks ago Fernando Alonso finished the race in 6th place having started the race from 7th on the grid while Kimi Raikkonen finished the race in ninth place having started the race in 8th place. Speaking ahead of this weekend's race Ferrari technical director Pat Fry told their official website:

'After the back-to-back races in Japan and Sochi, we’ve had three weeks to prepare for these next back-to-backs in the States and Brazil. The extra week has given us more time to get ready and also to prepare some specific test items. They are all aimed at learning about car performance and trying to improve, but at this stage of the year, it’s more with an eye to 2015.'

Kimi Raikkonen will be hoping for a strong result this weekend having sat out last years event as he under went back surgery. 

The Iceman who spent Wednesday trying out Ferrari logistics partner UPS' flight simulator is currently in 12th place in the championship on 47 points equal on points with the Sahara Force India F1 Team's Sergio Perez.

Raikkonen last outing in Austin with the Lotus F1 Team ended in a sixth place finish having started the race from 4th place on the grid. 

The Finn's best result so far this season is a fourth place finish which came at the Belgian Grand Prix in August. Raikkonen is already looking towards the 2015 F1 season and has been encouraged by what he has seen in the wind-tunnel in relation to the new Ferrari.

With the situation regarding Fernando Alonso's Formula One future still to be resolved but with him expected to leave Ferrari at the end of the season it is likely that it will be Raikkonen who will test the 2015 development parts this weekend.

© Ben Johnston 2014

Formula One needs to take a long hard look at itself

(Florent Gooden DPPI for Renault Sport F1)

Tony Fernandes, the founder and former owner of the Caterham F1 Team believes that Formula One needs examine what it is doing following the collapse of his old team. Fernandes sold the Leafield base outfit in June so that he could concentrate on his chairmanship of QPR Football club. However it was confirmed last Friday that despite having a new owner in the form of Engavest a Swiss/Middle Eastern consortium the team had entered administration and would miss the next two Grand Prix starting with Austin this weekend.

It was then confirmed on Monday that the Marussia Formula One team has also entered administration and will also miss both the United States and Brazilian Grand Prix. It is not all bad news for the Marussia F1 Team however as British-Indian brothers Bajinder Sohi and Sonny Kaushal who have made an offer of £55 million to the administrators to take over the team.

Caterham and Marussia are not the only teams experiencing difficulties this season with the Sahara Force India Formula One team having made the final installment of their payment to Mercedes for their supply of power units. 

However the team are now fully up to date on all payments and confirmed a new digital partner for next season.

The Sauber F1 Team have also struggled this season however team principal Monisha Keltenborn stated earlier this season that she was confident that the Swiss based outfit will see out the remainder of the season. They have had a miserable season and are yet to score a world championship point with three Grand Prix left this season.

Speaking to Sky Sports News HQ Tony Fernandes said:

'People can blame whoever, but the big teams are as much at fault as anyone. The gap has become way too big and it is [all about] money. And so I thought, 'Well, I can't compete'. "So rather than continue something that I thought, one, I was not able to give it as much time as possible, two, I thought we were on a beating to none anyway, you have got to be brave and say 'Look, we screwed up. You cannot compete; you thought you could and [it is] time to leave'.

Fernandes who entered Formula One in 2010 under the Lotus banner renaming the team Caterham F1 in 2012 after purchasing the Caterham car company and following a dispute with the Group Lotus.

Fernandes went on to say:

'The sport has to examine itself as well.'

He is hopeful that a buyer will be found for the Caterham F1 Team saying:

'There are people that want to go racing for different reasons and Caterham has everything there to do it,'

For Fernandes however racing is over for him.

© Ben Johnston 2014

Williams Martini Racing team United States Grand Prix Preview - Austin Texas

(Williams Martini Racing Team)

The Williams Martini Racing Team head to the United States Grand Prix t the Circuit of the Americas in Austin Texas with Valtterri Bottas having secured the teams sixth podium finish of the season as the Finn ended the race in third place behind the Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. It was a disappointing race for Felipe Massa as the Brazilian finished the race just outside the points in eleventh place.

The Grove based outfit have done an incredible job this season and following the result at the inaugural Russian Grand Prix in Sochi last time out the team have now moved 28 points clear of Ferrari who are in fourth place with just three Grand Prix remaining this season.

The Circuit of the Americas has a number of similar characteristics to both Silverstone and Hockenheim, circuits where Williams scored back to back second place finishes with Valtterri Bottas. The high speed nature of the circuit should also suit the FW36 which has proven to have great pace with the Circuit of the Americas having a great mix of sweeping corners like the Maggots and Becketts style corners From T3 to T9.

The circuit is a favourite among many of the drivers with the various elevations changes adding to the challenge of the circuit. Speaking ahead of this weekend's race Valtteri Bottas stated:

'Austin is a really cool track, one of the best on the calendar. The city is nice, the fans and atmosphere are great, so it’s one of the best places of the season to go to. 

I have good memories from there as I got my first points in Formula 1 in Austin last season. We are definitely targeting to be on the podium again and extend the advantage we have on Ferrari in the Constructors’ points. Everyone is feeling positive about Texas, so it should be fun.'

Felipe Massa will hoping that he will be able to rerun to the podium for the first time since the Italian Grand Prix last month where he finished in third place. Massa is currently in ninth place in the championship on 71 points. Speaking ahead of the race in Austin Massa stated:

'The track in Austin is great as there is a real mix of high and low speed corners with some very technical areas. 

Sector one is very quick, similar to Suzuka, with a long straight which gives us the chance for overtaking. It’s a fun track to drive and one where we can have a good result. Austin is also a really great place with such enthusiasm for Formula One so let’s hope for a good weekend.'

Williams Martini Racing Team's Head of Vehicle Performance Rob Smedley stated:

'Austin is always a challenge and a really good circuit. It comprises of a good layout including a nice high speed section at the start. 

A well balanced car is important to make you quick in the first sector. Depending on the tyre compound, the slower sections can have an effect on graining so we have to monitor that. 

It’s a good track to test all aspects of the car. The weather always plays a part as it can be quite cool, but sometimes also very hot. The track improves a lot throughout the race weekend, which means we have to react quickly to these changes. Once again we are aiming for both cars in the points at the end of the race.'

The team will be hoping to consolidate their position in third place in the Constructors championship this weekend as there are just three Grand Prix remaining this season in the USA, Brazil and Abu Dhabi which should all suit the Williams FW36.

© Ben Johnston 2014