Formula 1

On Monday reports surfaced that Toto Wolff and Lawrence Stroll had been investigated for insider trading. Both men don’t seem to have to fear a penalty, as it seems that there is not enough evidence. For Wolff and Stroll Sr. it’s all good. Wolff invested 30 million in Aston Martin shares and by coincidence, Tobias Meurs, then CEO of Mercedes-AMG, suddenly became the most senior man at Aston Martin. Another six months later, Mercedes also invested around 200 million. Aston Martin’s share price skyrocketed and one share is now worth 60 percent more than it was before Wolff stepped in. The Financial Times writes: “Financial regulators have looked into suspicions of insider trading in shares of Daimler and Aston Martin, including the purchase of a stake in the British luxury car maker by Toto Wolff, Mercedes’ Formula One boss.” There has indeed been an investigation, because of course it is a coincidence, but the British International Business Journal states that reports of asymmetric information have proved unfounded. “BaFin, the German market regulator, said it had investigated trading at Daimler and had also passed information to its colleagues at the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) about trading in Aston Martin shares. BaFin said it had found no evidence to proceed with an investigation. A person familiar with the matter said the FCA had not launched an investigation.” Wolff not only has a stake of just over one percent in Aston Martin. The Austrian is also a major shareholder in Mercedes’ Formula One team. He holds 33 percent of the shares, alongside Daimler and British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

Earlier on Wednesday it was announced that Valtteri Bottas and George Russell will ‘fight each other’ in Thursday’s press conference. It has now also been announced that Max Verstappen will be competing with Charles Leclerc. The Dutchman has not sat alongside his Ferrari rival at a Thursday press event before this season. Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez will speak to the media at the same time as Lewis Hamilton. Perez, like Bottas and Russell, will also be asked which team he thinks he will drive for in 2022. Lando Norris, as current number three in the world championship, will be asked about his expectations of the Belgian Grand Prix weekend. He will see generation rival Nicholas Latifi alongside him. The press conference starts at 12:30hrs. Belgian GP press conference line up

Toto Wolff says his Mercedes squad is eager to resume at Spa its title battle with rival Red Bull, which he insists is “far from over”. Mercedes regained the upper hand in the Constructors’ championship before F1’s summer break, having outscored Red Bull at Silverstone and at the Hungaroring, albeit with circumstances and luck lending a helping hand. Lewis Hamilton leads Max Verstappen by just 8 points in the Driver’s standings, while Mercedes’ advantage over Red Bull stands at 12 points, despite the Milton Keynes-based outfit scoring more wins this season than its opponent, or six victories versus four for Mercedes. “This has definitely been one of the most intense F1 seasons that I can remember, so far,” said Wolff in the Brackley team’s Belgian Grand Prix preview. “The battle is far from over and after a few weeks away from the track, we’re all really excited to get back to work. “The shutdown is such an important time for the entire team. The chance to relax and recharge is invaluable, especially with such a busy second half of the season coming up, and the fight we have ahead of us. “We’re all racers at heart though, so while we enjoyed the well-deserved time off, we’re also eager to get back to doing what we love: racing!” Since the start of the hybrid era in F1, Mercedes has won four times at Spa, while Red Bull’s last win on the Ardennes track dates back to Daniel Ricciardo’s triumph in 2014. Regardless of which team or driver prevails next weekend at Spa, Wolff insists its still a long road to Abu Dhabi. “We head to Spa-Francorchamps in a good position,” said the Austrian. “We lead both Championships and the W12 feels in a better place, after the upgrades introduced at Silverstone and an encouraging showing in Hungary. “But we know there is a long road ahead and so much can still happen in this season of ups and downs. “Spa is a track that we all know and love, one of the true F1 classics with its iconic corners, long-flat out sections and beautiful scenery. “It’s a hugely challenging track for both the drivers and the cars, with the longest lap of the season, lots of elevation change and some very high g-forces. “The weather is also notoriously unpredictable at Spa and always throws a curveball our way. With the Belgian Grand Prix always producing exciting and fun racing, it’s the perfect place to start the second half of the season. Bring it on!”

Formula One announced a new sponsored award on Tuesday for the driver who completes the most overtakes during the course of a season. The award, carrying the name of cryptocurrency partner crypto.com, lines up alongside those offered for the fastest lap and fastest pitstop. Formula One said in a statement that it was “designed to celebrate the bravery exhibited by drivers who make bold moves in pursuit of success.” Some social media critics suggested it could also be a reward for poor qualifying, with top drivers who started out of position more likely to make a significant number of overtakes during the race. Formula One said Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel had completed the most overtakes so far, as the championship comes out of its August break in Belgium this weekend, but gave no figures. New broadcast graphics will appear live during races to highlight overtaking possibilities and to keep fans up to date with the standings. The winner will be presented with a trophy at the end of the year.

Before the start of this season it was no secret that the lines of communication between Wolff and the Verstappen family were very small. The Mercedes team boss was charmed by the young Dutchman, but Max Verstappen was committed to Red Bull Racing. Wolff repeatedly said he would consider the Dutchman if a seat became available at the successful team. Of course, after everything that has happened this season, that remains to be seen. In any case, Wolff thinks Verstappen is fine at Red Bull, and so he says in conversation with Soymotor.com: “I think Verstappen and his entourage are very happy with the position they are in. Red Bull is their team and their home, so why not keep it that way? I think we have our plans with our drivers, Ferrari has a great line-up, Lando Norris at McLaren seems pretty settled, so I think the trajectory is set.” Although Mercedes has not yet made a decision, Wolff gives the impression that they are only looking within their own ranks for a driver for 2022: “We are not looking for a driver.” The Mercedes team boss is still hinting at the summer break to tie the knot: “We want to make the decision in the summer break. There are different opinions within the team and the Daimler management. We just have to get together and say, ‘Okay, what do we think?’”

Honda are in the thick of the World Championship fight in 2021. Max Verstappen and Red Bull are making it a memorable season for the Japanese manufacturer, who won’t rule out an F1 return in the future. Although Honda are preparing to leave F1 following the conclusion of the 2021 season, the Japanese manufacturer could return to the sport in the future if it aligns with the company’s vision. Honda currently supply Red Bull and AlphaTauri with engines, but they are departing in order to focus on carbon neutral technology. However, Director of Motorsport, Masaya, Nagai says the door isn’t closed on a return to F1. “The power source is changing [in 2025 or 2026],” Nagai told Motorsport.com. “The way of racing can also change through carbon neutral development. If that suits us, we may consider participating again by then. “That moment can always come, but it’s not an issue at the moment.” Honda are in the thick of the World Championship fight thanks to the efforts of Red Bull and Max Verstappen, however Nagai says the manufacturer aren’t reconsidering their decision to leave F1. “Our ideas haven’t changed, so we won’t reconsider our withdrawal,” Nagai added. “That is why everyone is very excited about this season, and I think that is why we have been able to achieve the results we have. “Besides, the season isn’t over yet. We want to race without regrets, that’s the main thing.” Red Bull will take on the running of Honda’s power units from January 2022 when F1 introduces a freeze on power unit development for three years.

At its heart Formula 1 is about gadgetry. The fastest car usually wins, not the quickest driver. But even now, when more than ever winning and losing comes down to minute mathematical increments of tiny technical tweaks, nothing still sells F1 like some good old-fashioned personal needle. Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen don’t seem to like each other much. Competing for the world drivers’ championship means an edge in relations is inevitable. You don’t get to the top of a multi-billion euro sport and industry by not squaring shoulders against your closest rival. But this appears more than that. A considerable whiff of “feeling” lingers from last month’s British Grand Prix when in the midst of a thrilling duel for the lead Verstappen decided to go for an ambitious lunge up Hamilton’s inner only to get the door firmly and spectacularly shut in his face. The Dutch prodigy ended up slamming into a tyre wall at high speed. Verstappen and his Red Bull team cried foul. Hamilton shrugged a response that basically boiled down to “fortunes of war”. And overjoyed F1 bosses quietly hugged themselves at having a real grudge match on their hands. Not everyone gets motor-racing’s technical jargon. Anyone can get two guys who’ve got the hump with each other. It’s no coincidence that F1 really catches the popular imagination when the whole bloated “Brmm Brmm” business gets boiled down to two people going toe to toe. Devotees might be able to recall what horsepower was generated by the McLarens both Senna and Prost sat in back in the day. But no engineering qualifications were necessary to recognise a pair of competitors so maddened with fear the other might win that it felt reasonable to deliberately plough into them. Schumacher did the same with Hill. Mansell and Piquet always looked on the verge of a punch-up. Hunt and Lauda actually got on pretty well but the clash of styles and personality was gold for a mass audience. Apparently Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen are great mates too, bonding over an unlikely love of badminton. But no one ever makes movies about the admirably reasonable. So as the Grand Prix circus resumes after a summer break in Belgium this Sunday it finds itself a lot more relevant to a lot more people. Even the most casual armchair viewers ghoulishly watching the start and the first corner for crashes are likely to pay attention for longer, which is gold for those flogging F1 through all sorts of media. In many ways it’s a classic tale. Hamilton has been top dog for a long time. If he wins the drivers’ championship again this year it will a record eighth. He has already won more Grand Prix than anyone ever. Victory in Belgium will be a scarcely believable 100th race win. He is a statistical phenomenon in terms of pole positions and podium finishes, and might really be the best ever. Verstappen is the young pretender, brash and full of a swagger that is perhaps inevitable when you’re 23, unfamiliar with financial pressure, and assured of never wanting for company. Just the thought of Hamilton in the mirror was enough for other drivers to fold; Verstappen is cocksure enough to assume the chequered flag is unfurled just for him. Since Silverstone he has pointedly referenced Hamilton’s supposed celebrity lifestyle, saying he would never hang out with people just for his profile. Instead he painted himself as a much more down to earth figure, one that perhaps his 1.9 million Twitter followers can relate to more readily than a sometimes painfully earnest world champion reportedly worth over €300 million. Except this is no straightforward story of some young rebel taking on the establishment figure. Verstappen is from a racing family. His father is an ex-F1 driver. Once Verstappen Jnr started showing talent in karting there was little difficulty in presenting the peak of the sport as an attainable goal. It is in stark contrast with Hamilton’s unlikely and pioneering rise to stardom from an under-privileged background in England and becoming the first black driver in F1. Crucially, though, and unlike golf with its coldly cynical Player Impact Programme for boosting publicity through social media, there doesn’t appear to be anything ersatz about Hamilton versus Verstappen. It’s no Ali-Frazier rivalry. But there’s enough differences between the two men to make it both believable and box office. That’s good news for F1. Halfway through the season, and with as many as a dozen races still to go, the potential exists for a championship duel to rank with any that have gone before. Hamilton has a tiny eight-point lead – basically a single sixth-place finish – that is principally a result of that already notorious Silverstone shunt. So Verstappen is essentially level and armed with a grudge. Vital to everything is the unlikely coincidence of the two best drivers ending up in two cars that appear to be as quick as each other. Motor-racing wonks have been contemplating whether a budget cap introduced this year due to the pandemic has left teams relying on their 2020 cars and so inadvertently provoked a competitive beano between Mercedes and Red Bull. Technological development is in many ways the point of F1. It’s ironic then that hitting the brakes on that could pay off in increased public interest. Considering the budget cap for teams on the grid means they have “only” $150 million each to spend there’s no escaping the sport’s overwhelming corporate nature. So any future new normal will still be principally about the science and engineering necessary for making one car go faster than the rest. But there’s a certain reassurance in how all the high-tech bells and whistles still can’t provoke public curiosity quite like a lightning fast feud.

How good Mick Schumacher really is, is difficult to assess because of the considerable gap the Haas team has with the other teams. The German has consistently beaten his teammate Nikita Mazepin, but even that says very little so far. It is a learning year for the talented son of the legendary Michael Schumacher. Speaking to The Race Mick’s race engineer Gary Gannon commented on how he feels his protégé is performing and how Haas is coping with having constantly learning rookies: “Mick is absorbing information, he’s a really good, fast learner, but we’re running into scenarios in the race that he hasn’t run into before and he doesn’t know what to expect. Afterwards, you think ‘ah, if I had told him that, it would have gone better,’ because sometimes you only have this moment to take advantage of a situation.” Still, Gannon is impressed with Schumacher: “Generally, when we prepare Mick for something he’s really good. Like all his race management details, he was already really aware of what needed to be done, but he just learns a new management scenario every race. We have to ask him less and less for things like the tasks he has to do in the car. They all become automatic for him, which is great.” Gannon, for his part, nevertheless thinks it’s hard to put a label on how fast the Haas drivers actually are: “We can’t really judge the speed of the drivers because the car is difficult to drive,” he says.

This year’s Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix, due to be held in October, has been cancelled amid rising Covid-19 case numbers in the country. It is the fifth race to be cancelled this season in Formula 1 and the second year in a row that the Japanese Grand Prix has been axed. “The decision has been taken by the Japanese government to cancel the race this season due to ongoing complexities of the pandemic,” said Formula 1. “Formula 1 is working on the details of the revised calendar and will announce the final details in the coming weeks.” The season has already had to deal with the obstacles of the Australia, Canada, Singapore and China legs of the circuit being called off. The Japanese Grand Prix was due to take place on 10 October and be the 17th race of the 23 race season. It is the second year in a row that the Japanese Grand Prix has been cancelled owing to the pandemic. The 2019 edition of the race was disrupted by Typhoon Hagibis. It is a blow to F1 organisers, who would have watched the Olympic Games with great hope that its event could also be held. The Paralympics are due to start next week in Tokyo without fans, as with the Olympics only a matter of weeks ago. “Formula 1 has proven this year, and in 2020, that we can adapt and find solutions to the ongoing uncertainties and is excited by the level of interest in locations to host Formula 1 events this year and beyond,” added Formula 1.

Spa Francorchamps CEO and her lesbian mistress were shot to death after her hubby found the pair together in bed. Cops say he then turned the gun on himself. According to authorities, Belgian Formula 1 auto racing chief Nathalie Maillet, 61, was found dead alongside Ann Lawrence Durviaux, 53, in her mansion in Gouvy, Belgium, on Sunday. Police believe the lovers were murdered by Maillet’s husband, Franz Dubois. Before turning the gun on himself, he called the cops and unburdened himself. “At 00:10, the bodies of two women and one man were discovered by the police in a house in Gouvy, all three presenting gunshot wounds,” the public prosecution service said in a statement. “According to our information, the male individual voluntarily used his firearm to kill both women, including his wife, before killing himself.” Sports newspaper DH Sport reported Maillet’s bisexuality was an open secret in the racing world and her husband was aware. The Daily Mail said her colleagues raised the alarm after Maillet failed to show for the final day of the Ypres Rally. She had been CEO of the Spa-Francorchamps F1 circuit since 2016. Her husband was also well-known in Formula 1 circles. Both were former drivers and had been married 17 years. She was more successful. The grisly deaths triggered shock and sadness in the racing world. “My thoughts are with Nathalie’s family, her parents, her relatives but also her teams,” said Melchior Wathelet, chairman of the board of directors of the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. “I know how this news will upset her staff and I wish on behalf of the entire board of directors to offer my sincere condolences to the entire Circuit team. Today we are losing a very great lady, a motorsports lover and enthusiast, a true leader who will be sorely missed,” his statement said. “Nathalie had become the face of the circuit, she embodied this passion for racing that we all share.” The investigation continues. Police say they are not hunting any other suspects.

Nathalie Maillet, Chief Executive Officer of the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium, has been murdered in her Gouvy, Luxembourg home by her husband, RTL reports. Maillet was expected to show up to the Ypres Rally event of the World Rally Championship on Sunday, August 15. When she didn’t arrive, authorities began looking for her. They found Maillet and another woman killed in Maillet’s home; initial reports posited that Maillet’s husband killed them both before committing suicide. Melchior Wathelet, president of the Spa-Francorchamps, confirmed the news “We are upset, obviously. All our thoughts first of all to Nathalie’s family, to her relatives. For those who know her, the circuit is an integral part of her family. This is where she likes to be, this is where she likes to spend time and it is true that today, life for the teams, despite the beautiful WRC party, it’s hard. It’s a difficult day, a painful day and we are all in pain today for what happened. It is true that an event like that, without Nathalie, it is hardly possible and unfortunately, it is the case today. It must have been a beautiful party and yet, we really took a blow.” “She was someone who really had car racing in her veins. Her DNA was car racing, projects, ambition for the circuit. And she wanted this circuit, which is the most beautiful world, be even more. And she had projects. We spoke with the team, we spoke with the lovers of the circuit and we must continue to make her live here. She is there, she has embodied in the circuit, she is committed to the circuit. We must continue to make it live as she would have liked. She had beautiful projects, we must bring them to fruition. There will always be this little part of Nathalie at the within the circuit. It’s a hard day.” Maillet has been running Spa for five years, since June of 2016. Current reports are unclear, but the other woman in the house was either a friend or a mistress, though this remains clear. We do know that Maillet’s husband, Franz Dubois, found both women together and murdered them before turning a gun on himself.

Ferrari F1 officials are apparently no hurry to speed up Mick Schumacher’s learning curve by moving him to a different team. Italian media is reporting that the Formula 1 constructor is in talks with the Haas F1 Team about keeping Mick Schumacher at the American team for 2022. There have been rumors suggesting the 22-year-old rookie, and son of seven-time F1 champion Michael Schumacher, could be heading to another Ferrari-powered team for 2022 at Alfa Romeo. However, Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has sounded confident about keeping the young German on board, and Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto is now delivering a similar message. “This year has been more difficult for the Ferrari driver academy, but we have to give the kids time to grow,” Binotto told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “Mick Schumacher’s first season is about learning without pressure, and we are currently discussing with Haas to confirm him there.” Schumacher’s Alfa Romeo move could have been at the expense of another Ferrari junior, Antonio Giovinazzi. But Binotto indicates that Ferrari is also still happy with the 27-year-old Giovinazzi. “Giovinazzi remains our reserve driver, the first alternative to our (Ferrari) drivers,” Binotto said. “He is showing growth every year and I hope that he can stay at Alfa because he deserves it.” Giovinazzi entered the summer break 18th in the F1 standings with 1 point that he earned with a 10th-place finish at Monaco. Schumacher is scoreless and in 19th place. His best finish was a modest 12th at Hungary.

Organisers of the Dutch Grand Prix have confirmed Formula 1’s race at Zandvoort will go ahead as planned, albeit with a slightly reduced crowd. F1 was meant to return to the Netherlands for the first time since 1985 in 2020, but it had to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The good news for Max Verstappen fans is the race will go ahead as scheduled in September, forming the final leg of a triple-header after the Belgian and Italian Grands Prix. With Verstappen just eight points behind Lewis Hamilton in the race for this year’s title, it’s likely to be a carnival atmosphere. Sporting Director of the event Jan Lammers said: “For me the glass is two thirds full. We’re just going to do it. The three companies behind the Dutch Grand Prix, Circuit Zandvoort, SportVibes and TIG Sports, have decided to invest in the future of F1 in the Netherlands. “The belief in the ambition to organise the biggest Ultimate Race Festival in the world remains the primary goal for the coming years. This year, admittedly in a smaller form, the battle for the world championship will be fought in a beautiful orange ambiance in the stands.” Around 70,000 fans will be allowed into Zandvoort on each day across the weekend. Organisers confirmed that ticket holders will be contacted via email by August 18 as to whether they will be able to attend the race this year. For the fans that miss out this year, they will be able to use their tickets for next year’s Dutch GP in 2022 or they can request a refund.

Valtteri Bottas has maintained Toto Wolff’s suggestions that both of Mercedes’ Formula E drivers deserve F1 seats are “not really my concern”. The Finn is out of contract with Mercedes at the end of the current season with Williams driver George Russell heavily linked with a move to the Silver Arrows as his replacement. Mercedes currently races in all-electric championship Formula E with former F2 champion Nyck de Vries and former McLaren F1 driver Stoffel Vandoorne its drivers. Team principal Wolff was recently quoted as saying: “Both drivers have the talent and the work ethic and the intelligence to be in Formula 1. “They both deserve to be Formula 1 and I would very much hope they can find their way back.” Should Russell complete a move to Mercedes, de Vries has been linked with the Williams seat the Briton would leave vacant which would rule out a straight swap with Bottas. When asked for his thoughts on Wolff’s comments Bottas said: “I am not aware of those sayings. “I don’t really read F1 related media reports so it is the first time I hear anything like that. “Of course, you will always try to praise your drivers, whether it is in different categories and they are very good drivers. “There are not many seats in F1 but it is not really my concern at the moment and is nothing that is on my mind.”

With just three points on the board, Fred Vasseur feels while Alfa Romeo have taken a step forward in “pure performance”, they’ve “failed” when it comes to points. Alfa Romeo headed in the summer break on the back of a points-scoring race at the Hungarian Grand Prix with Kimi Raikkonen bringing his C41 home in tenth place. That, however, wasn’t enough to hold onto eighth place with the team overhauled by Williams, who managed a double points-haul. Scoring just three points in the first half of this campaign, Alfa Romeo trail the Grove team by seven points and, it has to be said, with little sign that they can make up the deficit. It has been a disappointing haul for team principal Fred Vasseur, who believes the C41 is a marked improvement on last year’s car, they are just not getting the points. “It’s really a mixed feeling,” he said, “but I think we have made a good step forward in terms of pure performance, probably the best on the grid. “If you take the gap to pole position I think we have the best improvement between the 10 teams, and this is for different reasons, with Ferrari doing a good job on the PU side. On the chassis, we also did a good development, and it’s paying off. “Now I have a mixed feeling because the target is not to do a good percentage, it’s to score points, and we have failed. I would like to have many more points in the championship.” Raikkonen and his team-mate Antonio Giovinazzi have missed out on four occasions, P11 in Bahrain, Monaco, Baku and France. “I think that if you have a look we could have done [scored more], but for different reasons we haven’t, and one of the reasons is that we have so many cars now finishing races, so many cars at the end,” Vasseur added. “When you are P12 or P13 in qualy, then you will finish P12 or 13 and you won’t score points “If I want to be positive, as I’ve said before, what is most important for the future of the company is that we’ve made a good step for the first time in a while. The last two seasons were tough seasons, last year, due to external circumstances, I would say. “But we stayed focused on the targets and we continued to improve and to do the job and in the end, it’s a good step forward for the team.”