November 2019 – Page 45

The Italian GP starting grid – including penalties

It’s penalties galore at Monza this weekend with almost one half of the field handed grid drops for various power unit element limit infringements.

It’s therefore useful to have a general view of today’s penalty-shaped starting grid.

McLaren’s Stoffel Vandoorne and Force India’s Sergio Perez, who should have both started in the top ten this afternoon, were the latest drivers to suffer a demotion this morning.

So as a reminder, here are the drivers who have been demoted for today’s race, and their place on the grid.

Fact of the day: only Hamilton and Grosjean – first and last – will start today’s race from the position they qualified in!

P10 – Sergio Perez (5-place grid penalty)

P13 – Max Verstappen (20-place grid penalty)

P14 – Nico Hulkenberg (10-place grid penalty)

P15 – Carlos Sainz (10-place grid penalty)

P16 – Daniel Riccairdo (25-place grid penalty)

P17 – Jolyon Palmer (15-place grid penalty)

P18 – Stoffel Vandoorne (25-place gird penalty)

P19 – Fernando Alonso (35-place grid penalty)

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Marko frustrated with lack of return on Toro Rosso investment

Red Bull motorsport boss Helmut Marko isn’t happy with Toro Rosso, believing the Faenza-based outfit has failed to produce an adequate return on investment.

Red Bull acquired Toro Rosso at the end of 2005, after Paul Stoddart sold his remaining stake in Minardi.

The team has typically served as a training ground for Red Bull’s young talents, and achieved it’s single Grand Prix win with Sebastian Vettel in 2008 at Monza.

“We bought the team because the regulations allowed the use of much the same chassis as another team. Then it was changed,” says Marko.

The plan thereafter to develop Toro Rosso into a traditional F1 team has not quite worked out.

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“A great investment was made in Toro Rosso,” Marko told Brazil’s Globo, “but they cannot materialise that into points.

“The drivers and the team make mistakes, as well as technical failures. The car, the package would be good enough for fifth, but they cannot do it,” he insisted.

Sainz delighted to see Key remain at Toro Rosso

Red Bull has contemplated the possibility of selling its junior squad, but that plan was put on hold after Formula 1’s change of ownership last year.

“I don’t think it is the best time now because Liberty is talking about distributing money better so the smaller teams get more,” Marko adds.

“That could turn out to be a good deal. But it’s also true that at the moment the cost to Red Bull is very high,” he added.

A more pressing issue for Toro Rosso is its drivers, with Carlos Sainz coveted by Renault but under contract to Red Bull for 2018.

Marko admits to be open to a deal which would see the Spanish driver move to the French team, but only if it proves to be worth Red Bull’s while.

“Yes, we have been approached by them,” Marko confirmed.

“Carlos has a contract with us. We will need to find a solution that satisfies us, as we invested heavily in his development.”

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Italian GP: Sunday’s action in pictures

Sunday dawned bright and sunny in Monza, a stark contrast to yesterday’s bleak day.

As for the action, it was frantic and all over the place. Check out our Italian GP race day pictures.

Vettel: ‘plenty of positives’ despite Monza setback

Sebastian Vettel insisted that he isn’t concerned at losing his lead in the world championship standings, following a difficult Italian Grand Prix for Ferrari.

Vettel salvaged third place in the race but was half a minute off the pace of race winner Lewis Hamilton. The Mercedes driver has now taken the lead in the drivers’ title race for the first time in 2017, albeit by just three points

“I’m in a very, very positive mood,” Vettel said after the race. “I am not worried.

“It was a difficult weekend but I know that there is still a long way to go. And we have got the people behind us, so it is a great feeling.

“The support has been amazing and, despite the numbers, the gap, you can name the negatives but I’m very, very positive right now, to be honest.

“I know that people are going into the office tomorrow more committed than before. The spirit is there, we just need to keep it up. It’s a journey, we see where it takes us.

“It’s been a long way that the team has come from three years ago but we are nowhere near satisfied despite maybe having had a good season so far, it’s not good enough.

“Ferrari needs to be at the front and Ferrari needs to be on top of everything.

“So that’s where we want to go. For sure, they [Mercedes] are giving us a very, very hard time, especially at the moment, but we’ll see.”

Vettel salvages third at Monza despite damage

Singapore has been a bogey circuit for Mercedes in the past and may be Ferrari’s best chance to get back in front. But on paper at least, the power circuits of Sepang, Suzuka, Abu Dhabi and Austin lean toward Mercedes.

“I know how to read but I don’t really care what’s written on the paper,” Vettel said dismissively. “They’re all tracks that I like, to be honest, so I’m very much looking forward to them.

“At the moment you can say that Mercedes has an edge,” he admitted. “[But] things are coming. I’m sure they are developing their car, we are developing ours, so I’m not so fussed about what they doing.

“I’m more focused on what’s going on inside us, inside Ferrari,” he added. “It makes me quite positive, what’s coming, so we just need to see.

“Then there’s always the extra element of racing that you can’t predict, that you can’t put down on paper. That’s usually the most exciting bit so I’m very much a fan of that and a fan of the moment and see what we can do.”

“I think we are here to race, so if it’s hard it’s good. Easy is boring. I think that’s what we all want and I’m definitely looking forward to it.

“I think we are strong, we don’t need to hide and there’s plenty of positives,” he summed up.

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Everyone waits for ‘exciting’ Singapore – Grosjean

Like most of his F1 colleagues, Romain Grosjean is a big fan of the Singapore race weekend, but the thrill and enjoyment take nothing away from the venue’s challenges.

Haas negotiated the last two races – held at low-downforce, power hungry tracks – with mixed fortunes.

While the US outfit and Grosjean were top ten finishers at Spa, the team’s pace at Monza appeared to fall off from the outset.

“I think Monza was more just about the drag and the efficiency of the low downforce,” says Grosjean.

“At Spa-Francorchamps, there were a few more corners where we could exploit a bit more of the potential of the car.

“So yes, we struggled a bit more in Italy. The pace looked good on Friday, but over the Grand Prix it was a bit more complicated and difficult.”

Wings shall be angled once again in Singapore but will the higher-downforce Marina Bay track suit Grosjean’s VF-17 better than the high-speed circuits?

“I think it will,” he says. “Every time we run maximum downforce, the car seems to work better.

“We’ve got a better efficiency between drag and downforce, so that’s good. The key for us in Singapore will be to get into the tire window.

“If we do so, we’ll be in a good place. But again, that’s not easy to achieve.”

Steiner: we must stop wasting energy on braking issues!

Singapore will enjoy a decade of F1 this year and despite its young history, the event is a favourite among members of the sport’s community, and Grosjean is no exception.

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“I do like the Singapore Grand Prix, I do like competing in the night,” he admits.

“It’s pretty good fun. It makes some great footage, and clearly Singapore is one of the most beautiful races you can have by night. It’s pretty awesome.

“It’s actually easier at night because the lights never change. The luminosity is always the same. You stick with the same visor, and driving at those speeds in those conditions is absolutely fine.

“It provides something a bit different on the calendar. Everyone loves it, especially the VIPs, who then go partying after the race. It’s a special one, for sure.

“It’s a race everyone waits for. It’s a tricky track, and you’re racing at night downtown when it’s very hot and humid, so there are a lot of factors that make it exciting.

“I’m very much looking forward to it and seeing what we can do there.”

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Ricciardo hints at possible Mercedes move in 2019

Red Bull Racing driver Daniel Ricciardo has prompted speculation that he’s eyeing a possible move to Mercedes in 2019.

He told ESPN this weekend that he would love to be team mates with Lewis Hamilton in the future. Another ambition for the Australian would be to partner Fernando Alonso.

“I’ve said for a long time, Alonso or Lewis would be the guys I’d love to see myself against,” Ricciardo said this weekend.

”Alonso’s getting towards the tail of his career, so Lewis at the moment is more desirable for me to go up against. I would like that.”

On the other hand, a move to Ferrari appears less likely while Sebastian Vettel remains in residence at Maranello.

“Obviously I had the chance with Seb,” he said, referring to their season together at Red Bull in 2014.

“I’ve had it with Max, and I‘m going to have it again with Max for at least one more year,” he continued. “But while Lewis is in his prime I would like to challenge and see.”

Ricciardo was speaking at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas ahead of this weekend’s United States Grand Prix. He said there would be no imminent announcement on his future.

“I think I’ve got time on my side to see how everything shapes up,” he said. “It gives me time to not only focus on the end of this season but also the beginning of next year.”

He’s out of contract at Red Bull at the end of next season. With his current team talking about increasingly building itself around Max Verstappen, it’s no surprise if Ricciardo is feeling a little unloved at Milton Keynes.

Ricciardo unfazed by ‘build the team around Max’ comments

Sky Sports F1 commentator and pundit Martin Brindle suggested this weekend that Mercedes has Ricciardo in its sights for 2019.

“For me, it tells us that [Red Bull] know Ricciardo is off,” Brundle said when asked about the recent pro-Verstappen comments from team boss Christian Horner. “It tells me Ricciardo will be in a Mercedes in 2019.”

Hamilton’s current team mate Valtteri Bottas recently signed a one-year contract extension for 2018. It means his tenure at Brackley expires at the same time that Ricciardo becomes a free agent.

Red Bull will also part with its current engine provider Renault at the end of next year. A replacement is yet to be announced, leaving the team’s future uncertain. But for the time being at least, Ricciardo is staying firmly loyal to Red Bull.

“I like the brand a lot and obviously I like the team a lot,” he insisted. “We’ve always been a good fit for each other. From that side it’s all been really good. But for sure the performance is the number one box to tick.

“If I can be in fast car, if I can be with a top team, that’s the criteria. That would be the biggest thing.

“It’s exactly what [Red Bull] need to be doing,” he added. “It’s all moving in the right direction. Everything is super positive at the moment.

“But it’s been like this before, also last year and towards the end of most seasons,” he cautioned. “We’ve kinda gone up but then for whatever reason we’ve dropped a bit down for the start of following season.”

Asked whether the early season performance of the team’s 2018 chassis could be the deciding factor regarding whether he stays or goes, Ricciardo said: “I think so, yeah.”

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Sainz caught off-guard by news of early switch to Renault

Carlos Sainz says he wasn’t expecting to move to Renault before the end of the season and was made aware of the decision just 30 minutes before it was confirmed.

Renault announced late on Saturday that Carlos Sainz would race for the French outfit at the US Grand Prix in Austin, replacing Jolyon Palmer alongside Nico Hulkenberg.

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There had been speculation of a premature move in Singapore, after the manufacturer announced Sainz’s recruitment for 2018, but with Palmer insisting that his contract would guarantee his presence at Renault until the end of 2017, the rumors were discarded.

Sainz’s farewell to Toro Rosso ends in tatters

“I actually knew about half an hour before the announcement so it was quite unexpected from my side,” Sainz said.

“A big surprise like for you guys! My manager let me know that Cyril [Abiteboul] had told him.”

Sainz admitted that the news didn’t hit him immediately as he was entirely immersed in his race weekend with Toro Rosso. But on Saturday night, it progressively sunk in.

“When I went to bed I was happy because I knew it was a good chance for me to adapt to the car a bit earlier than we expected, to get to know my engineers, the team, the mechanics a bit earlier.

“I liked it, although I was not very emotional or happy because I was so focused on the weekend that it was difficult to take the mind out of that.”

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Max Verstappen gives us the lowdown on Austin and COTA

Max Verstappen put a second career victory and a podium finish under his belt in the last two races, and he’s looking to keep the momentum going with Red Bull Racing in Austin.

The Dutchman gave Mobil 1 The Grid the lowdown on his prospects for the US Grand Prix and the specifics associated with racing at the popular Circuit of the Americas venue.

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Mercedes may exploit new design approach for 2018 car

With the design of its 2018 contender well underway, reports have emerged that Mercedes may have embarked on a completely different concept for next season.

The German outfit is on the verge of clinching its fourth consecutive Constructors’ title, but it hasn’t always been clear sailing for the Silver Arrows this year, with Ferrari giving the team a good run for its money, at least up until the Asian leg of the season.

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While Mercedes’ W08 has been fast, it’s also been inconsistent and subject to performance swings often at high downforce tracks, to the point where the car was labeled a ‘diva ‘ by team boss Toto Wolff.

Where does Hamilton need to finish to win the title in Austin?

Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport is reporting that the team’s deign department headed by James Allison could change its approach for 2018, with a higher-rake concept like the one used to good effect recently by Red Bull.

“It would be a total concept change,” said a Mercedes engineer, quoted by the German publication.

“It requires a completely different floor and diffuser type. And such a change includes the risk of a slow start to development.”

Allison, who took up the tech boss role relinquished by Paddy Lowe earlier this year, confirmed Wolff’s assessment that the 2017 car is difficult.

“It’s not been a bad machine for us,” said the British engineer.

“However, we would like a car that is easier to throw at the race track and guarantee that we get every last little bit from it.

“The changes we have been able to make this year we have, and we hope that next year we make something with a slightly sweeter temperament,” Allison added.

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'Turning Point'? Hong Kong Police Descend on Protest Sites, Targeting Leaders

A mass of Hong Kong police in riot gear swept a major Occupy Central protest site on Wednesday, breaking down barricades and tents and arresting over a hundred people, including some of the more prominent activists in the pro-democracy movement that emerged over the summer.

Among those taken into custody was Joshua Wong, the student leader hailed by TIME in October as “the voice of a generation.”

Hundreds of officers descended on a key protest zone in the busy commercial and residential district of Mong Kok, where organizers with Occupy Central have held operations for months. According to Reuters, the crackdown “could be a turning point in the fight to wrest greater political freedom from Beijing’s control.”

Reuters continues:

Mong Kok has been a flashpoint for clashes between students and mobs intent on breaking up the protests, which have posed one of the biggest challenges to China’s Communist Party leaders since the crushing of student-led pro-democracy demonstrations in Beijing in 1989.

But the move by police was not able to keep protesters from returning directly to the same site as soon as they could.

The New York Times reports:

In a pattern seen again and again during these protests, the police action during the day was countered by a surge of boisterous demonstrators after darkness fell. Hundreds of people shouted “I want true universal suffrage” in Cantonese, with their chants echoing off the tall buildings in the area, amplifying their voices. Several people were seen being arrested by police officers.

“They’ve already cleared the site; I have nowhere else to go,” said Viktor Chu, 26, a leasing officer who was wearing a face mask and safety goggles as he stood with the crowd of protesters on Shantung Street. “I must come out and show my opinion.”

Also on Wednesday, seven Hong Kong officers were arrested for their part in the beating of a peaceful protester, in a violent encounter in October that went viral in the news and on social media after security footage captured the incident.

The officers were arrested on “assault occasioning actual bodily harm,” a police statement said.

Demonstrations in Hong Kong began in September. China announced that it would only allow Hong Kong to vote on a leader for the semi-autonomous region from a list of candidates who have been pre-approved by a council staffed largely by government loyalists. Activists are demanding true suffrage for the upcoming elections, which will take place in 2017.