Racetrackmasters

Lando Norris climbed from eighth to fifth place during the French Grand Prix. The overtaking of Pierre Gasly on the twenty-eighth lap was not without controversy. The Brit even called his French colleague an idiot. During the overtake at Le Beausset, Norris was cut off by Gasly with both drivers going off track for a moment. “He forced me off. What is this idiot doing? He went off himself”, Norris complained on the board radio. In the end Norris managed to overtake successfully one lap later. Speaking at the press conference in Austria, Norris revealed that the hatchet has now been buried. “Well, after the race I wasn’t too unhappy. I finished ahead of him, so I was actually quite happy,” the Official website of Formula 1. Although, of course, during the race it wasn’t like that. “My front wing was almost off. It was just not necessary, I thought, the level of aggression he had. But I have nothing against him.” Gasly also looks back on the incident, but he too sees no further problems with Norris. “In the heat of the moment you sometimes say things on the radio. It’s part of racing, hopefully we’ll have more fights this season and I enjoyed it. There was no harm in the action and I wouldn’t mind another fight with him this weekend.” Beyond that, the Frenchman doesn’t really want to mince words. “I think it was a nice, hard race. We always complain that we don’t have any overtakes in Formula 1, so I think you should be happy when there are and that’s about it.”

Sergio Perez is expecting talks with Red Bull over a new contract to happen during some F1 “downtime” and hopes any decision will be made quickly. Perez has impressed in his debut season with Red Bull after switching from Racing Point – now Aston Martin – over the winter, taking victory in Azerbaijan and following that result up with third in France last week. Questioned as to when he would ask Red Bull about a new contract, the Mexican replied: “I think right now we are so busy with the races, three in a row. “There will be some downtime where we can speak about it and hopefully it doesn’t take too long.” While at Racing Point, Perez appeared to have been safe as a driver heading into the Aston Martin era but was eventually ousted in favour of Sebastian Vettel. Recalling that, he added: “I don’t have a good experience when you take that long. “I see it as a natural thing when you are comfortable in the team, working with them and the team working with you, it is something that should happen very smoothly and we should just take it out of the season and focus on the right stuff.”

Aston Martin plans to appoint a new Formula 1 technical director as part of its ongoing process to create what it calls “a more focussed technical management structure with greater strength in depth”. As reported last week, Alfa Romeo chief designer Luca Furbatto will join at the start of next year as engineering director, with Andrew Green promoted from technical director to chief technical officer. This leaves the space for the appointment of a technical director, who is yet to be announced but likely to have been lined up by the team already, who will be announced in due course. The new technical director will be responsible for overseeing the aerodynamics department, overall car design and what Aston Martin calls “the short to mid-term technical strategy”. This is part of the expansion of the team, which now numbers just under 550 people and could expand to as many as 800 and will move into a new purpose-built Silverstone factory next year. They will be one of three senior technical leaders who report to Green, the others being Furbatto, who is responsible for factory engineering support and projects, including structures, reliability and R&D, and Tom McCullough. McCullough, who joined Force India from Sauber ahead of the 2014 season, will continue to be responsible for trackside engineering and performance, but under the new title of performance director. Aston Martin has explained this extends to “all the performance areas within the factory”, defined as aero and vehicle performance, as well as performance simulation and software. “As Andrew Green takes on this important strategic technical role, I am pleased to outline our new structure that will add real strength in depth to our technical operations,” said team principal Otmar Szafnauer. “In Tom, we have an experienced and talented engineer, who will continue to be responsible for trackside performance as well as the many factory-based performance functions. He is a strong leader, who has contributed a huge amount to the team’s success over the last eight years. “With Luca Furbatto adding expertise to factory operations, focussed on the technical support areas, we have brought in another excellent people manager with great expertise in his areas of responsibility. Both men will report to Andrew Green, as will the soon to be appointed new technical director. “Everybody at Aston Martin Cognizant Formula 1 Team aims to win grands prix and world championships, and this new and improved structure we have created mirrors that of the most successful teams in Formula 1 today.”

Max Verstappen is hopeful that his partnership with Sergio Perez will continue, as the Mexican driver is only on a one year contract. After a slow start to his Red Bull career, Perez has found form in recent races and has provided more than adequate backup to Verstappen, and was there to take the victory in Baku when the Dutch driver had a tyre failure towards the end of the race. “Everything is going really well!” Verstappen told members of the media, including RacingNews365 ahead of the Styrian Grand Prix. “Of course, I knew Checo [Perez] before, but not as a teammate so, of course, always a little bit different. But, I think so far, it’s been great. And to be able to now work together upfront, you know, to get the best results for the team is what you want. “So, for sure, I would want that to continue. And yeah, he is a great teammate. And we can have a lot of fun as well. You know, we don’t need to always talk about cars and setups and stuff.” Sitting beside his teammate at the press conference, a smiling Perez replied to Verstappen saying, “It’s probably the wrong question when I’m sitting next to you. Maybe you ask the question when I’m not here!” Perez has recently publicly praised Verstappen for his abilities on-track, as well as his off-track openness, and the mutual respect between the pair appears to be growing. With Red Bull being something of a ‘one car team’ ever since the departure of Daniel Ricciardo at the end of 2018, due to the struggles of Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon, Verstappen said it’s important to be firing on all cylinders. “Before we didn’t have the car to fight them, so you could do what you want,” Verstappen said of Mercedes. “I mean, make a three stop, put the rear tyres on the front, nothing is really gonna change. “So now, we have the car to really fight them. And, of course, then it’s super important to be up there with two cars. And that’s exactly what we have been doing now in Baku and Paul Ricard. So it’s going to be crucial for the constructors as well to keep this up until the end of the year.”

Williams chief executive Jost Capito justified the decision to part ways with ex-team principal Simon Roberts, saying that the former’s “capabilities” didn’t fit within the outfit’s new organizational structure. Roberts took over last year from former deputy-team principal Claire Williams in the wake of Williams’ takeover by US investment firm Dorilton Capital. But earlier this month, Capito announced Robert’s departure as part of an internal restructure that “further streamlines operations as part of the long-term objectives to return Williams to the front of the grid”. The British outfit’s organization now relies more heavily on its new technical director, François-Xavier Demaison, who will supervise all engineering work at Grove and on site on race weekends. “During the first 100 days, I took a huge effort to understand how the teams work,” Capito said. “I talked to more than 80 managers in one-to-one meetings, and I asked them all the same questions. So I got a good overview what we should change, what we should keep. “It became clear that engineering should be all in one hand: track engineering, design, aero, should all be in one hand. “That should be under the technical director, and that should be a technical director who has done all jobs in racing, who has been at a drawing board, who has been a race engineer, who has done R+D, and FX is exactly that person. “You have the technical director in charge of everything that is related to the car, and you have a sporting director who is relating to everything not with the car in the race team, and makes the race team work and function,” added the former VW Motorsport boss. “So the technical people don’t have to bother, they can fully focus on the car and on the performance. “With that, the capabilities that Simon offers didn’t fit in that system. Simon did a fantastic job through the change of ownership, to keep the team together. “I think that’s always a very critical situation for a team, and the team can’t fall apart and get in a dip. He did a fantastic job keeping the team together, and we’re very thankful for that.” Williams has yet to nominate its new sporting director, but Capito said the team has received some “very good applications”, including from individuals with no prior F1 experience. “I think that it’s not necessarily needed,” Capito said. “Sometimes it’s good to have a view from outside. “I think I saw [McLaren team principal] Andreas Seidl’s interview from last week, where he said the reason he can do this job is because he’s been outside of Formula 1!”

Kimi Raikkonen is hoping to provide Alfa Romeo with points as a birthday gift in Austria. The Italian manufacturer celebrates its 111th birthday today [Thursday, June 24] ahead of this weekend’s Styrian Grand Prix, with the F1 team entering the event after failing to score for the first time in three races in France last time out. Hoping for a return to form at the Red Bull Ring, 2007 world champion Raikkonen said: “Our focus is fully on Austria and not on what happened in France. “We have learnt our lessons and we are now determined to do better. Austria is one of those tracks that looks easy but is not. “It’s short and there are only a few corners where time can be gained or lost, which means each of them is crucial for the lap time. “Managing the traffic, both in qualifying and in the race, will also be a key factor but, in the end, that will be the same for everyone. “I hope we get to score points on this weekend, it’d be a nice birthday present for Alfa Romeo. In the end, we need to do a better job than our rivals and then we will have the chance to score points.” Antonio Giovinazzi returns to the circuit that has given him two points finishes in three visits in his F1 career so far. Aiming to add to the solitary point he has scored this season, he added: “Austria is a track I like, one where I have some good memories. “I scored my first point there, in 2019, and in 2020 I brought home ninth place after a quite exciting race. “I am keen to add to these moments and I am looking forward to racing there twice in two weeks. “I find you can really get into a rhythm and build on each session and I feel you can really extract the most from yourself and the car. “We have been doing better in most of the recent races and I can’t wait to get back in the fight for the top 10 on Sunday. “Alfa Romeo’s 111th birthday is the extra bit of motivation we need to do well and we can’t wait to celebrate in style.”

Aston Martin is suing a Swiss car dealer that it says is withholding customer deposits on the upcoming Valkyrie hypercar. In 2016, Switzerland’s Nebula Project agreed to help finance the Aston Martin Valkyrie as well as other mid-engine projects the brand was taking on in return for future royalties from the company which was experiencing financial hardships at the time. Now, though, Aston Martin claims that it is ending its relationship with Nebula due to the withheld payments and will take customer deposits directly without involving a third party. Moreover, it expects to take a £15 million ($20.9 million USD) hit on its profits due to the situation with Nebula, per the BBC. Aston Martin also says that it will no longer have to pay future royalties to the Swiss company, though Reuters reports that Nebula disputes that. “We consider Aston Martin’s alleged unilateral termination of the contractual relationship with Nebula Project AG as illegitimate and unjustified and are prepared to pursue the necessary steps to preserve our rights,” Nebula said in a statement. Regardless, Aston Martin says that the suit will not affect customers’ orders and it will work to ensure that they receive their cars on schedule. Powered by a mid-mounted 6.5-liter V12 engine, the hybrid Valkyrie will have 1,160 hp on tap and will be able to reach an ear-piercing 10,500 rpm. With Formula 1 technology to keep it all under control, the hypercar will also be able to generate more than 1,814 kg (4,000 lbs) of downforce. Production will be limited to just 200 examples, all of which have reportedly been sold.

Christian Horner says he was astounded by Mercedes boss Toto Wolff’s claim that Red Bull owed its straight-line speed advantage in France to “a huge step forward” achieved by Honda’s power unit. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was indeed the fastest car down Paul Ricard’s Mistral straight last weekend, the Dutchman blasting through the speed trap in qualifying at 328.7 mph. However, Red Bull’s superior velocity was in large part due to the low-drag rear wing configuration used last weekend on RB16B. But because Honda had supplied new units all-round to Red Bull and AlphaTauri in France, moving both teams on to their second engines for 2021, Wolff had jumped to a rather surprising conclusion. “They have made a huge step forward with their power unit, the introduction of the second power unit,” said Wolff. “And their race car is good, no doubt about that.” Baffled by the comment, Horner remined Wolff that F1’s regulations prohibit this year the in-season introduction by a manufacturer of a new engine specification. “We’re not allowed to make progress,” Horner said, responding to Mercedes’ claim. “I don’t know what he’s referencing there. “I think that it’s the same specification as the first unit. We’ve run a much smaller rear wing, so that’s why the straight line performance was strong. “I think Honda are doing a great job, but we don’t see a sudden significant increase in power.” Honda F1 technical director Toyoharu Tanabe naturally confirmed the engine specification freeze, insisting that any power unit gains were the result of better energy management. “On the team side we are introducing new parts so that we can evolve every race,” he said. “The power unit is the same [specification] all the time, but we are learning better how to use energy management etc. for every race. “We are looking at the characteristics of each circuit, and I think that such daily developments are connected to the current improvement.”

Toto Wolff has doubled down on his claim that Red Bull has raced ahead of Mercedes due in large part to engine power gains. Honda took fresh engines to Paul Ricard, prompting Mercedes boss Wolff to observe that it explains why Red Bull has now put its nose ahead in 2021. Christian Horner hit back, with the Red Bull chief pointing out that engine development is actually tightly restricted at present. Wolff, though, says Honda has still managed to improve. “You can do that if you increase the durability, then you can perhaps get more performance out of it even if you have almost the same hardware,” he is quoted by Speed Week. “They have clearly made a big leap – bigger than we did. You can see it on the straights already. There is no passing them at the moment.” Another theory is that while Red Bull is charging ahead for the 2021 title with full focus, Wolff has decided developing the all-new 2022 car is even more important. When asked if winning the title in 2021 or the three seasons after that is more important, the Austrian insisted: “They are all equally important to me. “But you have to consider that the 2022 regulations will remain in place for a few years, so the steps we take for that now are enormously stronger than the same effort with the current car,” he admitted. So for the short term at least, beginning at Red Bull’s own circuit in Austria this weekend and next, Wolff admits Mercedes is no longer the favourite. “I have no illusions,” he said. “With the current package that Red Bull has with the power and the good chassis, they are very difficult to beat.”

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen sent a statement in the final practice at Paul Ricard, finishing seven tenths clear at the top of the timesheet in France. The World Championship leader pumped in a 1:31.300 in the final quarter of the session to sit well ahead of nearest rival Valtteri Bottas in P2; a still out-of-sorts Hamilton finished down in P5 with both Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez able to be quicker. Elsewhere, McLaren and Alpine look to be best prepared of the rest as both of their cars finished inside the top 10. With quite a lot of cloud cover hovering above the Paul Ricard circuit, track temperature was some 10 degrees lower than what the drivers were having to face on Friday. However, as the track light went green, there was no immediate rush from anyone to head out there and take full advantage of the cooler conditions. It took all of 11 minutes for the first driver to appear on track and took all of 25 minutes for the track action to properly heat up with the first collection of hot laps. After their first attempts, it was Verstappen who held the early advantage with a 1:32.337 but he was just 0.009 seconds ahead of Bottas. The Dutchman wasn’t particularly happy with his lap, though, calling his first effort “sh*t”. Both drivers kept the same red soft tyres strapped on for a second hot lap attempt and both found improvement. Bottas retook top spot with a 1:32.309 and Verstappen found an extra three tenths on that time – but he exceeded track limits at Turn 6 and had that lap deleted by the FIA. Meanwhile, Hamilton found himself a little cut adrift from the P1 as he found himself 0.358 seconds off the pace with 25 minutes of the session remaining. Some minor repair work was needed to the underside of his car before he headed back out for another push lap. There was minor improvement from Hamilton, but it was nothing to trouble Bottas at the top of the timesheet as there was still a two-tenth gap in play. Bottas, meanwhile scrubbed his latest effort after going off the track at Turn 2. Hamilton began to fall back down the timesheet as both Sainz and Perez managed to sandwich the two Mercedes drivers. However, it wasn’t long before Verstappen was making everyone standing up and take notice as he shot to the top of timesheet by seven tenths. Message sent. Hamilton had zero response to that eye-catching lap from Verstappen, 1.2 seconds slower on his follow-up effort, and neither did anyone else for that matter. Advantage Red Bull it seems, heading into qualifying… FP3 timesheet1 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:31.300 11 laps2 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 0.747s 143 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 0.895s 174 Sergio Perez Red Bull 0.938s 155 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 0.966s 156 Lando Norris McLaren 1.036s 147 Fernando Alonso Alpine 1.324s 158 Esteban Ocon Alpine 1.381s 169 Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri 1.407s 1610 Daniel Ricciardo McLaren 1.459s 1411 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1.520s 1512 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo Racing 1.717s 1713 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 1.751s 1514 Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin 1.900s 1815 Kimi Raikkonen Alfa Romeo Racing 2.028s 1616 George Russell Williams 2.064s 1617 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri 2.124s 1718 Nicholas Latifi Williams 2.284s 1619 Mick Schumacher Haas 2.843s 1420 Nikita Mazepin Haas 3.342s 13

FIA race director Michael Masi has rejected requests from Formula 1 teams to remove the controversial exit kerbs at Turn 2 at the French Grand Prix. Valtteri Bottas, Max Verstappen and Pierre Gasly broke car parts on the yellow ‘sausage kerbs’ that line the outside of the exit kerb at the second corner. They are designed to prevent drivers exceeding track limits on the exit of a high-speed corner where there is time to be gained and were in place at the previous French GP in 2019. “Those yellow rumble strips at Turn 2 have done an awful lot of damage to our car,” Mercedes team manager Ron Meadows reported to Masi during FP1. “They’re just too aggressive.” After being told the kerbs were the same ones in place two years ago at Paul Ricard, Meadows replied: “All I’m telling you is our car’s rooted because we went over them. “And we can’t say ‘you shouldn’t go there’ because that’s tens or hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of damage by going three feet too wide.” Meadows’ Red Bull counterpart Jonathan Wheatley communicated a similar concern after Verstappen broke a front wing endplate on the kerb. Having previously requested to Masi that the part be recovered, Wheatley radioed to report: “We’ve just done a shed-load of damage to our car and pretty sure Max didn’t end up there on purpose. “It just seems to be such a huge penalty for a minor indiscretion on the drivers’ part. “I was wondering whether you would consider, I don’t know, removing half of them. “It just seems the penalty for going wide is about £100,000.” Masi said he would take a look at the issue after Friday practice but has decided not to accept the request to make a change. The kerbs are still in place and in the same design ahead of final practice. As mentioned before, they were not new for this event, and furthermore teams and drivers have been calling for hard methods of policing track limits after various complaints earlier this season. Elsewhere on the circuit, the Turn 6 right-hander that leads onto the back straight has a specific track limits instruction for the rest of the event. Leaving the track there will invalidate a lap in FP3 and qualifying, and will be part of a driver’s tally counted during the race that could lead to a penalty. Exceeding track limits at Turns 1-5, the exit of Turn 6, and the Turn 8-9 chicane on the back straight in the race will be noted and if a driver does it three times, across any combination of those corners, he will be shown a black-and-white flag – with any further track limits abuse referred to the stewards.