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Leclerc gets double penalty for clash, late stop

Leclerc gets double penalty for clash, late stop

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc has been handed two time penalties for his incidents during the Japanese Grand Prix.
Leclerc broke the left front endplate of his car in a second-corner clash with Max Verstappen at Suzuka, and the part dragged along the ground for much of the opening lap.

F1 race director Michael Masi had safety concerns about the part breaking off and, during communication with the team, he was advised that Leclerc would be pitted at the end of the second lap.

But, with Leclerc not losing much time initially, Ferrari kept him out – with the part then breaking off on the second lap.

The flying parts struck Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes, ripping off his right-hand side mirror, and pieces also ended up in the front brake duct of Lando Norris.

Leclerc has received a 15-second time penalty, five seconds for his initial collision with Verstappen and 10 for Ferrari leaving him out with a damaged car.

The penalty drops Leclerc from sixth to seventh, behind Renault's Daniel Ricciardo.

The stewards explained that "by not bringing car 16 into the pits at the end of lap 1, immediately after the incident for a safety inspection when there was damage clearly visible and then by telling the driver to remain out for an additional lap after telling the Race Director otherwise, the team created an unsafe condition on the circuit which only narrowly avoided being a major incident and also increased the likelihood of additional incidents after the one noted."

Asked by Motorsport.com about the Leclerc situation, Masi said: "I was originally advised that they would be pitting the car. They then chose not to and subsequently Ferrari was instructed by me to pit Charles' car, which it did.

"On the second lap, the elements came off and they were still instructed to pit because we could not confirm if there was going to be anything else that was going to come off."

Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto admitted he knew Leclerc would need to stop to change the wing.

However, as well as the stewards' claim that Ferrari was appeased when it saw part of the wing detach, Binotto suggested that the delay in pitting was also a response to Leclerc's pace.

He said that the team was willing to pit as soon as the FIA demanded it.

"What happened is we got the damage and Charles is the one who is driving and can feel the car, and how it behaves," he said. "From outside we saw the wing was broken so it would have needed to be changed at some stage.

"He still had the right pace, stayed out, but then the FIA asked us to come in for safety reasons and we immediately accepted the decision.

"The stewards realised maybe we should have come in earlier and we have been penalised for that as well."

Pushed further on whether or not he was slightly annoyed Ferrari did not pit when he expected them to, Masi said: "More than 'slightly annoyed' from a safety perspective."

McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl said he was upset about what Ferrari had done, especially because the broken front wing parts cost Norris the chances of a good points-scoring finish.

"We obviously strongly disagree with competitors leaving cars out on track with entire front wing endplates hanging down, putting everyone at risk," he said.

"Unfortunately when this endplate then exploded, we were catching in our front right brake duct debris, from Ferrari. Brake temperature went through the roof so we had to box him to clean it. And then the race was over."

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Japanese GP results altered after race was declared early

Japanese GP results altered after race was declared early

The FIA has launched an investigation into why the chequered flag light display panel was shown a lap too soon at Formula 1's Japanese Grand Prix, which meant the race was declared a lap earlier than originally intended.
The Suzuka race was supposed to run to 53 laps, but it is understood the chequered light was displayed on lap 52.

With F1’s regulations being strict that the race is declared as soon as the chequered flag is shown, it means the final result has to be taken at the completion of lap 52 rather than 53.

Article 43.2 of F1's sporting regulations states: "Should for any reason the end‐of‐race signal be given before the leading car completes the scheduled number of laps, or the prescribed time has been completed, the race will be deemed to have finished when the leading car last crossed the Line before the signal was given."

This does not change the results of the leading cars, but it means some shuffling further down the order.

It is good news for Racing Point’s Sergio Perez, who will now be credited with a ninth-place finish. The Mexican had got involved in a tangle with Toro Rosso’s Pierre Gasly on what should have been the final lap and ended up in the barrier.

Nico Hulkenberg gets moved down to 10th place, with Lance Stroll dropping from 10th to 11th.

The FIA is uncertain about why the chequered light panel got illuminated too early, and is currently looking into the details.

It is not the first time in F1 history that the race has been officially declared prematurely, with model Winnie Harlow famously waving the flag two laps early at the 2018 Canadian Grand Prix.

MIKA: The FIA are a Joke...

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Wolff dedicates Mercedes’ sixth straight title to late team mate Niki Lauda

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With Valtteri Bottas winning and Lewis Hamilton third, Mercedes made history at Suzuka on Sunday as they became only the second team in history to win six straight constructors’ titles, while at the same time ensuring that only Hamilton or Bottas can be crowned 2019 drivers’ champion. That means they’re now guaranteed to become the first team ever to secure six straight championship doubles – an achievement Silver Arrows Team Principal Toto Wolff was quick to dedicate to late team member Niki Lauda.

“We want to dedicate this to Niki because he’s just been such an important part from the beginning of the journey and his sheer presence was always so important and the mixture between support and pressure, he was just a very special person,” said Wolff of the three-time world champion who passed away in May, and had served as non-executive chairman of Mercedes throughout this golden period.

“When we embarked on the journey six or seven years ago we wanted to win races more regularly and then fight for a championship. And then six years later it’s the sixth championship in a row.

“I feel so happy for everybody that is involved and lots of hard work behind the scenes, lots of pain, painful moments also but the team was always able to pick themselves up.

Ferrari had previously been the only team to win six straight constructors’ titles, doing so between 1999 and 2004. Matching that, Wolff said, had taken a big toll.

“The pressure’s enormous because you can say ‘ok you’re fighting at the front’ but the truth is you’re setting your own bar very high and your own expectations and then not meeting those expectations is extremely painful, you get used to it, and that’s something we are tackling.

“At the end we are learning from our painful experiences. This team has become so strong I think, because we have really been able to stand up when it didn’t go well – like this morning [in qualifying] – and that is something we need to continue to work on.”

The only question now is when Mercedes will clinch the drivers' title too, with Lewis Hamilton in pole position to do so, holding a 64-point lead over Bottas with four races to go.

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Sainz celebrates ‘perfect day’ in Suzuka after finishing fifth

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Super Sunday in Suzuka was especially super for McLaren’s Carlos Sainz, as he converted seventh place on the grid on Sunday morning into his third P5 race finish of the year, over 30 seconds clear of his nearest ‘midfield’ rival, Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo.

Sainz’s initial getaway off the line was actually bettered by team mate Lando Norris, starting in P8, as both McLarens surged past the Red Bull of Alex Albon. But with Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc tangling into Turn 2, Sainz was able to avoid the carnage and jump up to fifth by the time he got to Dunlop corner.

Although Albon would later make it back past the McLaren driver to take fourth place, Sainz showed impressive pace in the final portion of the race, eking out the medium tyres that he switched onto on Lap 26 to come home fifth, ahead of the recovering Leclerc, who was eventually demoted to seventh following a post-race penalty.

“Honestly it’s been a perfect day,” said a delighted Sainz after the race. “Qualifying lap was clean, the start was clean and then the race, I managed to extend the first stint a lot, and that gave me opportunities to be strong at the end of the race with the medium tyre.

“When Albon and Leclerc pitted, one in front and one behind me, to manage to hold to their pace was probably the nicest surprise of the year, nicest surprise for the team, to manage to have that space, and to manage to match the pace of Leclerc and Albon for those laps was very special.”

While Sainz had managed to neatly dodge Leclerc and Verstappen’s collision at the race start, Norris was forced to get on the anchors to avoid it, before picking up some debris that blocked a brake duct and forced an early pit stop, meaning he only had the pace to recover to P13 by the race end.

“We had to box really early on,” said Norris. “I didn’t have a big enough delta to catch everyone back, make some moves and make the most of a different strategy. It was too early on. It was just in no-man’s land, pretty much, so I did my best to come back through, but it wasn’t enough.”

Sainz’s 10 points for finishing fifth – as Daniel Ricciardo was classified sixth following Leclerc's penalty, and Nico Hulkenberg 10th, meaning a combined score of nine for the Renault pair – meant that McLaren stretched their lead in fourth place in the constructors’ championship to 36 points, with just four races left to run this year.

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Formula 1 to keep three-day track action, revise Friday format

Start of the 2019 Japanese Grand Prix

Formula 1 has confirmed that it will continue to have track action across three days at each grand prix moving forward, though is poised to revise the format for Friday’s running.

Formula 1 chiefs have been evaluating whether to alter the timetable of a grand prix weekend, which currently has practice on Friday (Thursday in Monaco), final practice and qualifying on Saturday, and the race on Sunday.

This is partly due to the expanding nature of the calendar, with a record-breaking 22 events set to be held next year, and the scope for further growth into the early-mid 2020s.

The discussion over the format of events was raised once more at Suzuka in the wake of Typhoon Hagibis, which resulted in Saturday’s action being cancelled, and leaving running taking place across only Friday and Sunday.

Formula 1’s sporting chief Ross Brawn has revealed that Formula 1 has settled in three-day weekends, though it remains unclear if the remodelled Friday format will begin in 2020 or 2021.

“The format is an aspect of the sport we have focused on in some detail as we work towards the rules that will govern Formula 1 over the coming years and we have taken into account the voices of all of the key players – the promoters, the teams and last but not least the fans,” said Brawn.

“I’ll be honest and say that there has been strong consensus, especially among the organisers, for maintaining the three-day format of track activity, although with a different timetable.

“It's true that a day like Sunday in Suzuka offers a great show in just a few hours but it would confine the feeder series races to the previous days.

“After careful analysis we have concluded that the best solution is to keep the event over three days, revising the Friday format but leaving the rest untouched, with qualifying on Saturday and the race on Sunday."

Brawn added that “in order to meet the demands of the teams and in order to slightly increase the number of Grands Prix, which will be at 22 next year, we have given consideration to reorganising the schedule so that teams and drivers can arrive a day later.”

Formula 1 drivers and teams currently arrive at events on Thursdays (Wednesdays in Monaco) in order to carry out media duties, some fan zone appearances, and track walks, though other members of the paddock, such as rigging crews, are at circuits several days in advance.

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'Ideal' start perfect for Japan win – Valtteri Bottas

Valtteri Bottas leads into T1 at Japanese GP

Valtteri Bottas says his “ideal” opening first lap provided the platform for him to take victory at Formula 1’s Japanese Grand Prix, ending his barren spell.

Bottas led the standings following wins earlier in the year in Australia and Azerbaijan, but did not add to his tally thereafter, as his title prospects narrowed.

Bottas qualified third in Japan, ahead of Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton, and swept into the lead before Turn 1, as he overhauled both slow-starting Ferrari drivers.

The Finn went on to control proceedings via a two-stop strategy as he finished comfortably clear of Sebastian Vettel and Hamilton.

“I did have a very good start but for sure it was made to look better as the cars around didn’t have very good starts,” he said.

“My start was quite a good one, and what happened was pretty much ideal.

“We knew that we had a good race car here, really good pace, but you are behind other cars you can’t really use it.

“I was obviously very happy to get the lead because when you are in the lead you can control the pace and on this track, being in free air makes a big difference. I really enjoyed it.”

Bottas added that his only concerns came during the second stint as it was “full of traffic and I was passing backmarkers all the time, so I couldn’t get into a good rhythm during that stint.

“Otherwise, Lewis still hadn’t done his second stop and I was slightly concerned that his tyres could last the distance, because maybe he had managed them well, but he was on the Medium and we struggled massively on that tyre.

“From my side, it was a very good race and on top of that I’m very, very happy for every single team member for winning the sixth constructor title in a row.”

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Victory within reach with better guidance – Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton on Japanese GP podium

Lewis Hamilton believes he could have executed a potential race-winning one-stop strategy with better guidance during Formula 1’s Japanese Grand Prix.

Hamilton held third place after the early drama at Suzuka, behind Valtteri Bottas and Sebastian Vettel, who were both committed to two-stop strategies.

The one-stopping Hamilton pitted five laps later than his team-mate, after which he was informed to push to catch Vettel, as Mercedes accepted a sole stop was unlikely to work.

Hamilton assumed the lead when Vettel, and then Bottas, made their second stops, prompting Bottas to seek clarification that the reigning World Champion would be pitting once more.

Hamilton came in again, dropping to third, and while he reeled in Vettel through the final laps he was unable to find a way past the Ferrari driver.

“With better guidance, I think I probably could have [reached the end],” said Hamilton.

“They [Mercedes] said when they put the tyre on [at the first stop] they would be going to a two-stop because the degradation is higher.

“Just the direction I was given in terms of having to close the gap to Seb, every time I was having to close this gap, I was using the tyres up a lot.

“In how I was utilising them and using them, there was no way I was going to make it [to the end].

“Maybe if I had from the beginning [of the second stint] said to them just eke it out, just see if you can manage it, I could have driven differently to help them to the end.”

Hamilton nonetheless praised the job of race winner Bottas but suggested Mercedes allowed a 1-2 to slip through its grasp.

“Naturally we will go and sit and talk to the engineers and strategists,” said Hamilton.

“I think it could have been better. There have been multiple scenarios during the year where that has been the case but nevertheless Valtteri did a good job.

“I would like to have driven differently in that second stint to stretch it out as far as we could.

“Naturally while I was never going to stay out I thought about staying out but by that time I had already pushed so much to close the gap to Seb.

“We should have at least got a 1-2 today I think but strategy wasn’t optimum.”

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F1 gears up for decisive Paris meeting on 2021 rules

F1 gears up for decisive Paris meeting on 2021 rules

Several aspects of the 2021 Formula 1 regulations remain to be decided ahead of the October 31 deadline, with a key Wednesday meeting in Paris offering stakeholders the last chance to debate the subject face-to-face.
The gathering is the fourth of a series held in recent months specifically to shape the 2021 rules, with representatives of the GPDA invited to join the FIA, Liberty and teams.

Two subsidiary meetings were held at Suzuka this weekend by way of preparation. One saw team managers discuss details of sporting regulations, such as the revised curfew. The other was specifically for strategists, where the results of recent simulations of the impact of potential changes – such as Saturday qualifying races – were analysed.

The big teams have been pushing back on some of the initiatives, especially those related to standard parts.

“Some of the regulations actually just came through on my email this morning,” said McLaren boss Zak Brown on Friday. “We'll have the balance of what the future of F1 is going to look like in our hands next week, and then it should be finalised by the end of October.

“I think F1 does need some radical change. The amount of money we are spending is unnecessary relative to putting on a great show for the fans, which is what motor racing should first and foremost be about.

“If you have a lot of fans around the world you'll have lots of sponsors, lots of promoters selling tickets, lots of manufacturers selling road cars etc. I think the F1 spend is way too much, and clearly we need closer racing and more unpredictability.

“I think Formula 1 is headed on the right path. I think it does need some drastic change and I'm confident that's going to come in 2021.”

Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto agreed that the Paris meeting would be "very important, because that’s the last one, altogether, before the end of the month when there will be a new vote".

“I think there are still a lot of open points and discussions are still ongoing so how will be the conclusion of all these discussions, it is very difficult to say at the moment," Binotto said. "There are various interests between teams, between the teams and F1, and the teams and the FIA.

“But certainly, as Ferrari, we are intending to play our role, we believe as Ferrari because of what Ferrari represents for F1, we’ve got a voice, an important voice in the discussions but no doubt that there’s still a lot of points to be addressed.”

Binotto reiterated that Ferrari was not keen to use its power of veto in 2021 discussions. “That will really be a shame. I don’t think that should be the case at all. I think we’ve got a good and open discussion with the stakeholders at the moment and I’m as well somehow hopeful that we can find the right compromise at the end.”

Racing Point team principal Otmar Szafnauer confirmed that much has still to be agreed ahead of the next meeting.

“There are still a lot of balls in the air,” he said when asked by Motorsport.com. “I think we’ll know a lot more after the 16th when we all meet in Paris. I think there are still serious things up for grabs.

“I think everyone should put their opinions out and come to a conclusion that people are happy with, if we can.

“I think after the 31st you can still make changes, but the objective is to have predominantly what it’s going to look like tied together by then. The World Motor Sport Council has to vote on something on the 31st.”

Szafnauer admitted that some of the original ideas proposed by the FIA and F1 have not come to fruition.

“Things have got diluted a bit. Cost cap, better income distribution, things are happening but not to the same level that some of the small teams wanted. I guess if you look at it it’s probably a compromise. The big teams probably wanted nothing.”

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Vettel: No changes made for Japan breakthrough

Vettel: No changes made for Japan breakthrough

Sebastian Vettel says there are no changes to explain his "step in performance" at the Japanese Grand Prix, where he ended Ferrari Formula 1 teammate Charles Leclerc's qualifying superiority.
Leclerc had qualified on pole for the previous four grands prix, a run that stretched his dominant run over Vettel in qualifying to nine races.

Suzuka marked the first time Vettel had outqualified Leclerc since June's Canadian Grand Prix, which was also the last time Vettel was on pole.

Asked if he had enjoyed a breakthrough during the Japan weekend, Vettel said: "Not really, just a clean [qualifying] session.

"I don't think there was a particular problem. We've been improving the car since Singapore, the update has helped me in areas where maybe I struggled a bit before.

"Overall qualifying sessions on my side didn't go entirely smooth. Maybe that one just went quite smooth – both laps were clean, I had no issues preparing the lap.

"[There is] nothing that has changed. We didn't change the car for here. [There is] nothing that would explain the step in performance."

Vettel has struggled more with the SF90 than Leclerc, who was generally the quicker of the two Ferrari drivers in the first half of the season when the car was more inconsistent.

Since the major aerodynamic upgrade Ferrari brought to Singapore Vettel's form has improved, but Japan was the first time he looked like he had an advantage over Leclerc.

However, Vettel botched the start, which meant he could not capitalise on his qualifying result, although he avoided a penalty and was able to finish second.

"I was doing what I normally do [at the start]," he said. "I had a very poor start because I moved a little bit, stopped, then lost all the momentum.

"So overall I lost compared to a normal start. It was a mistake. [So] there was a reason, but not a great reason!"

Vettel's pole had looked extremely unlikely on Friday, when Leclerc ended practice marginally the faster Ferrari driver but neither was as competitive as the two Mercedes.

By Sunday morning's qualifying session – rescheduled after Typhoon Hagibis caused Saturday to be cancelled – Ferrari's recent qualifying dominance returned, but Vettel's error and inferior race pace allowed Valtteri Bottas to take the win.

"It's always difficult to judge the true performance on Friday," said Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto when asked by Motorsport.com to explain Ferrari's twice-changing fortunes.

"Because we maybe on different programmes, I don't know how they were running.

"But focusing on ourselves we had some car issues on Friday, quite high degradation, and we worked through the set-up for the qualy and the race.

"We dropped the rear wing for qualy and the race, which helped the front balance, and the [drivers said the] car felt better.

"We've got the right pace in qualy but not in the race. We've got degradation, higher at least to our competitors."

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Hamilton: 2019 title doesn't feel as "happy"

Hamilton: 2019 title doesn't feel as "happy"

Lewis Hamilton has admitted that Mercedes' title success this year does not feel as "happy" as its previous ones, following the loss of former team chief Niki Lauda.
Three-time F1 champion Niki Lauda died earlier this year, leaving a hole in the team that he had helped play a role alongside Toto Wolff in guiding to the top of the sport.

But while Mercedes' record-breaking run is something everyone at Mercedes is proud off, Hamilton says the shine has been taken off the 2019 success.

"It definitely feels a little bit different," said Hamilton. "Obviously, I wouldn't say as happy as previously, because naturally we lost Niki this year and it doesn't feel the same without him.

"Naturally I'm very, very proud of the team. Very proud of everyone back at the factory, and I know Niki would be taking off his hat for today's result.

"I think we owe him a huge amount and this win is really for him. I think the whole team and the whole of Mercedes will probably dedicate this to Niki. I definitely do. Very, very proud to be a part of it, and a part of the journey – but it has been a difficult, a tough year for us, you know?

"Every time I walk into the garage I see Niki's headphones and his cap. I sat and I looked at it today before I got in the car.

"As I said, I know he'll be proud, I know his family will be as well. The team should be proud too."

Valtteri Bottas, who has played his role in the last three constructors' championship successes, said being at the centre of the triumph meant it was sometimes a bit difficult to appreciate what had been achieved.

"We're making history and, it's funny with anything you do, if you are getting success, and so on, sometimes it's quite tricky to realise that success," he said.

"Sometimes you have to step outside, a step or two to realise it really. I'm sure we will look back at this afterwards at some point, that wow, we made six and obviously hopefully more. But this moment, yeah, I hope we all can really appreciate it and take the time to enjoy it as well, even though we need to keep pushing.

"It just feels like life goes pretty quickly onwards and it's very important to enjoy those moments and, at least personally for me, I'm really, really proud, really happy for every single team-member.

"I know the amount of work that has gone into achieving it. So very, very happy for everyone and I just hope everyone realises that and enjoys it because it's well-deserved."

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FIA: F1 needs tolerance approach to start system

FIA: F1 needs tolerance approach to start system

Formula 1 race director Michael Masi says that allowing secret tolerances in jump-start rules remains the right thing to do, despite the controversy over Sebastian Vettel's getaway at the Japanese Grand Prix.
Vettel's car moved forward briefly from his pole position slot before the lights had gone out to start the race at Suzuka on Sunday.

That inching forward appeared to be in contravention of the rules which are clear that cars must remain stationary before the start lights have gone out.

Article 36.13a) of F1's Sporting Regulations states a penalty will be given to any driver who "moved before the start signal is given, such judgement being made by an FIA approved and supplied transponder fitted to each car."

The stewards later explained, however, that Vettel was not given a penalty because the movement that was detected by his sensor was within certain tolerances that the FIA allows for.

Motorsport.com understands that some movement before the lights go out has to be allowed for because of the need for drivers to sometimes make adjustments to their clutch in those crucial moments before the start.

This has been accepted practice for more than 20 years, and is fully understand and accepted by all teams and drivers.

But, what the exact tolerances for movement are – whether that is distance moved or time before the lights go out – are kept a closely guarded secret by the governing body.

That is because if teams knew exactly what they could get away with, then they would use that knowledge to try to exploit their getaways in the future.

Masi has admitted that while there may be scope in the future to use new technology to better police the starts, he is happy with the current way it is managed.

"The current system is a system we have had in place for a number of years," he explained. "I think the advent of technology has got better over the years with in-car cameras, the ability to see things better and all that.

"Is there something we can look at for the future? Absolutely. But as we sit here now, it is the determining factor that we have and the one that we use."

Masi explained that the judgement by the FIA is made purely on car sensor movement, and the approach of having some leeway is similar to when Valtteri Bottas was ruled to have done nothing wrong with his speedy getaway at the 2017 Austrian Grand Prix.

"We have effectively the signal from the jump start sensor, and it [Vettel's movement] was within the tolerances.

"Probably the best analogy for everyone would be Valtteri a couple of years ago. It was within that [allowance], and that is why that is the approved method in the regulations for it to be determined if it is or if it isn't [a jump start]."

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Magnussen: Suzuka weekend derailed by "embarrassing" crash

Magnussen: Suzuka weekend derailed by "embarrassing" crash

Haas Formula 1 driver Kevin Magnussen said he "showed everyone what not to do" with his "quite embarrassing" qualifying crash, which preceded a Japanese Grand Prix that "went south".
Magnussen was eliminated early in qualifying on Sunday morning when he lost the rear of his car on the exit of the final chicane and crashed through the kink before the finish line.

Haas repaired his car and fitted a new gearbox in time for the race, which took place just a few hours later because of the unusual schedule at Suzuka enforced by Typhoon Hagibis, but Magnussen finished down in 17th.

Asked by Motorsport.com if the high winds were a factor in his qualifying crash, Magnussen said: “Yeah, I went on the power and had full throttle, and then suddenly I got wheelspin and spun around, which was unfortunate and quite embarrassing really. But s**t happens.”

He added: “It was still an issue [in the race] but at least you know what to expect.

“This was on the first lap and I just didn’t expect to get such a big gust of wind there right in the tail. I showed everyone what not to do.”

When asked by Motorsport.com to talk through the race, Magnussen said he was “fairly happy” to move up from 19th and run as high as 11th.

However, after just two points finishes in 12 races and only four all season, the Dane was left to rue another missed opportunity of a grand prix.

“It just didn’t work out with pitstops and strategy,” said Magnussen, who was among the earliest scheduled stoppers and switched to hard tyres but had to pitting again five laps from the end.

“It wasn’t terrible in terms of tyres and pace, not like previous races where we’ve been hopeless because of whatever.

“If we hooked everything up, and I started where I should have and got as good a start as I did, then I would have been in a much better position and probably with a better pitstop and strategy we could have scored points.

“So, it’s frustrating.”

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Raikkonen 'very confused' after poor Suzuka showing for Alfa Romeo

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Another disappointing race in Suzuka left Kimi Raikkonen scratching his head as his Alfa Romeo delivered a “very confusing” performance.

After both cars failed to score in Russia, Raikkonen called upon Alfa Romeo to find out where their pace had gone since the summer break and deliver a more consistent car.

It appears that work has not yet had the desired results as the team again faded in the race to finish 14th and 16th with Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi respectively in Japan, and the Finn says he was perplexed by changes in the car’s handling throughout the race.

“It was a boring day [for me] that’s for sure,” Raikkonen said. “I don’t know why but in the first two stints we just had no front end in the car and no real grip at all. Once we swapped to soft tyres actually the car was pretty nice and I think I went like three or four seconds faster suddenly. So it’s very confusing.

“Let’s hope we can figure it out. We ran the two cars in different aero packages this weekend and now let’s hope we figure out what is what and get back to where we should be, which is fighting for the points.”

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Giovinazzi scored points in Italy and Singapore but hasn’t been able to finish ahead of Raikkonen in the past two races – and he admits he was struggling with a similar problem to his team mate on Sunday.

“It was the same for me,” Giovinazzi said. “The pace in the race was really slow. I think qualifying was actually better – a lot better – compared to the midfield teams, but in the race we struggled a lot so we need to find a solution for the next four races.

“I’ve not really [got an idea what’s gone wrong], so we need to check with more detail and then we’ll see.”

Alfa Romeo are now 19 points behind Racing Point in seventh place in the constructors’ championship and 24 adrift of Toro Rosso in sixth, with team principal Frederic Vasseur saying they can’t afford such problems during a weekend if they want to score points.

“We got into the race hoping to be in the top 10 but in the end we weren’t able to fight for the points after the opening laps,” Vasseur said. "We showed a much better pace in the closing stages, on the soft tyres, so we will have to review what happened and analyse the data to ensure we can deliver the same level of performance throughout the race.

“In such a tight field, we need to extract the best from our car at all times or the competition will have the upper hand, which is what happened.”

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Glad to see Valteri win.

But man that was about the worst start I've ever seen to a race.  Ferrari was just awful.  And then LeClerc screwed up big and wrecked the race at turn 2.  Why did he think he could drive around with a broken wing?

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Because he doesn’t have enough experience in F1 to know the rules and the limitations of driving. It’s what makes him exciting to watch, and also incredibly frustrating to watch!

Im glad Vettel is pulling it together recently. That start was a colossal screw up, but at least he got it stopped and didn’t have to serve a penalty.

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McLaren clearly has fourth-fastest package, insists boss Andreas Seidl

Lando Norris in action at the Japanese Grand Prix

McLaren’s performance since Formula 1’s summer break has outlined that it is now "clearly" in possession of the fourth-fastest package, according to Team Principal Andreas Seidl.

McLaren endured a difficult 2018 that prompted a managerial restructuring, with Seidl officially joining in May 2019, and it has made strides through the course of this season.

Carlos Sainz Jr. qualified half a second behind the Red Bull drivers in Japan and went on to race to fifth – equalling his and the team’s best 2019 result – as he trailed Alexander Albon by just nine seconds.

It strengthened McLaren’s grip on Renault in the battle for fourth in the Constructors’ Championship, with the two teams now separated by 34 points.

“There are a lot of positives to take away from Japan as it seems that we still keep improving the car and still keep understanding the car also better and better and it was really working well,” said Seidl.

“Also I’m happy with the execution of a different Sunday compared to other race weekends because it’s a change and we all live in this fixed schedule, fixed procedures and so on so it was a bit of a challenge, it’s the same for all but it’s a challenge to have these changes.

“For us, good to again score a few more points compared to Renault.

“So I’m happy we were able to extend the lead again to our competitors and I think we’ve seen now there is a kind of a trend in the last three or four races, we clearly have the fourth strongest car.

“I think we have everything in our hands now to secure this P4 at the end of the season which will be a great achievement for us as a team and at the same time it’s important now to stay flat out for next year’s car, make the next step.”

Sainz Jr.’s result lifted him to sixth in the Drivers’ Championship and Seidl praised the Spaniard’s focus amid a string of difficult races after the summer break.

“He is having a strong season, but from the first race onwards obviously he was [strong],” said Seidl.

“He had three races at the beginning [of the season] and three after the summer break scoring no points which was putting him on the back foot.

“It is a good thing that he didn’t get distracted by that, he just kept his focus up together with his engineering crew also and also they keep improving together as a team.

“[With] Carlos it is great to see what he is pulling off both in the qualifying and in the race.”

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Miami Grand Prix gets approval for 2021 season

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The first ever Miami Grand Prix took a step closer to reality this week as an agreement in principle was signed between Formula 1 and the Hard Rock Stadium.

There were hopes a race could be held along the Miami seafront, but those plans were derailed, leading to an alternative location to be sought.

Last year Stephen Ross, owner of the Miami Dolphins American football team, stepped forward to propose a race be held around the Hard Rock Stadium within the Miami Gardens region, which organisers have been working on making a reality.

Those plans got the green light as the two parties signed an agreement to push ahead with the race, which is set to take place in 2021.

“We are thrilled to announce that Formula 1 and Hard Rock Stadium have reached an agreement in principle to host the first-ever Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix at Hard Rock Stadium,” Dolphins CEO Tom Garfinkel and F1 commercial director Sean Bratches said in a joint statement.

"With an estimated annual impact of more than $400 million and 35,000 room nights, the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix will be an economic juggernaut for South Florida each and every year.

"We are deeply grateful to our fans, elected officials and the local tourism industry for their patience and support throughout this process," Garfinkel added. "We look forward to bringing the greatest racing spectacle on the planet for the first time to one of the world’s most iconic and glamorous regions."

This is a major step forward in realising a second US based race, but it still faces some hurdles with approval required by Miami-Dade County commissioners.

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Lewis Hamilton the greatest racer Britain has produced – Damon Hill

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1996 Formula 1 World Champion Damon Hill says there's no question that Lewis Hamilton is Britain's 'greatest racer'.

Hamilton, a five-time champion, is the second most successful F1 driver in terms of race wins with 82, which is just nine shy of Michael Schumacher's record, however some argue that the various era's of racing make it impossible to compare drivers.

However Hill insists there's no question that Hamilton is Britain's best, having surpassed Sir Jackie Stewart's tally of three titles in 2018.

"It should be self-evident that Lewis is the greatest racer we've ever produced," Hill told the Daily Mail.

"One more to go after this one and he has equalled Schumacher, which was considered to be almost unreachable.

"Year-in and year-out, he has delivered against all comers in all situations and he has got this down to a fine art now, the way he goes about it.

"He has matured in every respect. He is properly formidable as a competitor. He is probably at the height of his powers and he knows it and he is relaxed about it."

Hill believes Hamilton deserves more recognition than he gets, but believes it's an issue with the sport's dwindling popularity, rather than the 34-year-old himself.

"Perhaps he doesn’t get the wider credit he deserves but that is a problem with our sport," he added.

"I don’t think it’s Lewis’s fault. I wonder if it’s the sport itself that has drifted away from the centre of attention.

"The fanbase is still there in the UK but the viewership globally, a lot of people moved away from it when Michael was winning everything."

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Mercedes and Ferrari favour medium tyre for Mexican GP

Pirelli F1 Tyres

Mercedes, Ferrari and Toro Rosso have opted to favour the yellow Medium (C3) compound tyre for the Mexican Grand Prix at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, each selecting just seven of the red Soft (C4) compound.

That's unlike Red Bull which has nine sets of the Soft tyre and just three of the Medium, whereas Lewis Hamilton and both Ferrari drivers have five sets of the middle compound with Valtteri Bottas opting for an additional set of the white Hard (C2) at the expense of the Medium.

The majority of drivers have taken only the one set of the Hard tyre – which is mandatory – with only Bottas, Daniel Ricciardo, the McLaren and Racing Point duo, Kimi Raikkonen, Daniil Kvyat and Robert Kubica taking two sets.

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The full story of why Verstappen switched F1 helmets

Insight: The full story of why Verstappen switched F1 helmets

We visited Schuberth's F1 helmet factory to speak with its bosses about new FIA standards, and discuss just how it came to land a deal with Max Verstappen for the 2019 season.
If you think your job is monotonous, well, you've probably never worked in Formula 1 helmet production. Francesco, a grey-haired Italian of around 60, lays one snippet after the other into a carbon tool. It's cold in the workshop: T1000, one of the most perfect and expensive currently existing composite materials, prefers lower temperatures. A younger colleague and namesake – yes, another Francesco – takes the bits of material from the cooling chamber and fans them into shape, before handing them over to his older comrade.

It's a painstaking process – not allowing for any error of even a few millimetres. When another snippet finds itself within the soon-to-be helmet, Francesco marks the edges with white dots. The next chunks of material will need to touch them but not cover them fully. If something is off, a few steps back will be required. It takes over six hours to put all the carbon snippets, of which there are over 90, into the blank and send it into the autoclave. To produce one F1-standard helmet body is the work of almost an entire work day for several staffers.

Schuberth factory visits

The carbon shells for Schuberth's F1 helmets are put together in a small factory in Bassano del Grappa, near Venice. It is a 600 square metre building housing eight workers. Around 85 percent of its production is helmets for Schuberth customers in F1 and other racing categories, but the company also has clients on the side - some of the racks are filled with carbon parts for road-going supercars.

Schuberth factory visits

Schuberth's Italian department is Teca25, founded by entrepreneur Alberto Dall'Oglio in 2009. The Germans acquired it in 2014 after several years of successful cooperation, but the company still has several other customers. Another Teca25 base is in Schio, further 30 kilometres down the road from Bassano towards Milan. A further seven staffers occupy a small two-story building, which is office for management and the research and development department.

The final assembly, meanwhile, takes place at Schuberth's Magdeburg base, where the helmets are worked on by Sven Krieter and his two colleagues. Krieter is the company's man in the paddock. He began to work in F1 in 2004, back when Schuberth had the Schumacher brothers among its customers, and has not missed a race since. Schuberth's F1 helmets is more or less the output of the company with double-digit employees.

Alberto DallâOglio, Managing Director of Teca25

Taking it to the Max

Even a short tour of the Schio office in the company of Dall'Oglio and Krieter is enough for it to be clear who Schuberth's chief current F1 client is. Replicas of Max Verstappen's helmets are positioned in the most visible spots. Full-size photos of Verstappen – those in which he is wearing the company's helmet – adorn the meeting rooms alongside photos of the company's all-time main client, Michael Schumacher. Max switched to Schuberth at the start of the year – the deal was agreed right before the start of the championship, and around January it wasn't something Dall'Oglio and his colleagues could even dream of.

Getting Verstappen's signature was made possible by a series of circumstances, the first of which was… Felipe Massa's crash in the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying. It was the impetus behind the FIA creating a new helmet standard, which came into force in F1 from the start of the 2019 season.

Felipe Massa, Ferrari F60

The next year after Massa's crash, the Federation ordered the helmet-makers to reinforce the visors with Zylon strips – a material similar to what is used in body armour production. This allowed for the area joining the upper edge of the visor and the helmet's body – which was where the spring from the Brawn F1 car hit Massa's head – to be strengthened. But research continued, and at the start of this year the Zylon strips were gone.

The Ferrari F60 of Felipe Massa is returned to the pits

The new helmets adhering to the 8860:2018 ABP standard are, according to the FIA, from 12 to 22 percent safer and more durable than those used 10 years prior, depending on the size. This was achieved first and foremost due to frontal part of the helmet's body being reinforced.

"If a crash like the one Felipe had happened now, he would've almost certainly escaped injury," Dall'Oglio assures. But to develop such a helmet the FIA and suppliers needed almost 10 years since the Budapest crash.

Setting new standards

The FIA changed the test conditions for the new-standard helmets. Now they have to withstand even higher loads when struck. During the tests, 8860:2018 ABP helmets have to deflect a wedge-shaped projectile weighing 225 grams, launched at 250km/h at the very same area where the spring struck Massa. And it's this test that proved the biggest challenge for manufacturers.

The FIA didn't stop there. A bigger area of the helmet's body is now crash-tested, with the side edge of the test area now moved one centimetre down compared to helmets of the previous standard.

Increased testing area for new F1 standard 8860:2018

Increased testing area for new F1 standard 8860:2018

At the same time, the FIA lowered the maximum peak overload values. If before they had to stay below 300g, now the test is considered failed if the loads are above 275g. Also added was a low velocity test, for hits clocking in at 6 metres per second.

Increased testing area for new F1 standard 8860:2018

New F1 standard 8860:2018 helmet (right) with an increased protection

"Basically we were asked to give protection against ballistic test at 250 kmh, and at the same time have same level of protection at 20 kmh," says Dall'Oglio. "And it’s very complicated. Now you have to be prepared to absorb dramatic impacts at huge speeds, but the way to achieve is 100 percent opposite to what you need for protecting from low velocity impact.

"They are two kind of protections. Low velocity means softness. High velocity means super rigidity. How to combine those together? That was the problem."

Schuberth factory in Bassano del Grappa

To put it in simpler terms, new F1 helmets have to be durable enough to withstand a front strike of 250 km/h, but also elastic enough so that even at 6m/s the full energy of the hit isn't transferred to the drivers' head.

"In Italy we say: you want to get your wife drunk, but keep the bottle full," Dall'Oglio says. "We could have made a metal helmet. It wouldn’t be damaged during FIA tests. But in this case the full energy of the impact goes into your brain."

Passing the hardest test

To pass homologation, manufacturers had to basically redesign their helmets. The final regulations were approved on 5 December 2017, leaving suppliers with around a year to develop models for the new standard – and most of them duly encountered problems.

The task was so difficult that new helmets were barely ready in time for the first car tests in February of this year.

Alberto DallâOglio, Managing Director of Teca25

"We have been fighting a whole year for this," Dall'Oglio explains, while showing off the new SF3. "It took so long for the reason I told you before: we need to have very good strength, but also elasticity. It is a short blanket: you cover your feet, and you have cold in your arms. You cover your arms and you have cold in your feet. You want to be rich, but you don’t want to work. What is the way to achieve it? Probably you need to win a lottery. In the end it feels like we won a lottery, but there was a lot of effort.

Schuberth factory visits

"A lot of trial and error, and a lot of anxiety. Because this was quite a severe period for us. The deadline was reaching, and we were still struggling, because there is no specific science about how to pass those tests. This was trial and error. You had to try: every helmet shape has a different behaviour, and our helmet in particular is also small, because we want our drivers to have as less volume on their head as possible.

"Some other helmets have more room, they are larger. That means theoretically it is easier to pass. Theoretically because with larger helmets you have other problems. But having a small and light one, but also a safe… believe me it is not an easy story to tell."

Alberto DallâOglio, Managing Director of Teca25, helmet designer Jens Munser and Oleg Karpov, Motorsport.com F1 Editor

In 2018 Schuberth supplied more than 150 helmets for crash-testing. Keep in mind that each of them requires more than 10 hours of work, and it's easy to believe that Alberto isn't exaggerating when he speaks of the emotions he's lived through. Especially when you consider that each helmet like this costs around 7000 Euros – it was not only difficult to pass FIA tests, but also incredibly expensive.

"I can’t tell you how many times I thought I saw the light at the end of the tunnel," he says, when asked about failed attempts to pass FIA tests. "You say to yourself 'this time I have it', you take your van full of helmets, you go to the FIA laboratory at 7am in the morning and think, that at 7pm you will go home with the homologation. But instead… you go home with tears in your eyes. I had it many times. Because whenever you touch something and solve one issue, you create a collateral effect. Especially in the front.

"The front was a nightmare, for all constructors. This was the main issue, because it was extremely difficult. You pass the ballistic test, and then you have an acceleration of your brain which is bringing you out of the limit at the other test. You try to pass it next time, but you fail the ballistic test. Finding a compromise between the two, believe me, wasn’t easy."

Schuberth staff working on a helmet at Bassano del Grappa factory

Signing off on production

Schuberth was the second company after Stilo – which works with Lance Stroll and Valtteri Bottas – to get its new helmets homologated. "It was just before Christmas, on 23th of December last year," Alberto says, while showing a mobile phone recording made that day while the final test at the FIA laboratory was being carried out.

"Look at my face," he laughs, pointing to a man who looks like he's watching his best friend have brain surgery. "I have had such a big tension only few times in my life. As soon as we passed, I called Sven. It was the best Christmas gift for both of us."

"We passed all tests in December," adds Krieter. "So we were safe for this one, but there is a lot of paperwork has to be done afterwards, and you can still do some mistakes there, mess up with drawings or something like that. So you officially get the homologation once the paperwork is also finished. But the big part was done, we passed, and also knew that the other two manufacturers didn’t. In the end they just made it before the test."

Max Verstappen and Schuberth's Sven Krieter

Officially Schuberth got the homologation just a week before teams and drivers set out for Barcelona for the first test. Bell and Arai passed homologation even later.

"We knew everyone was struggling," Dall'Oglio recalls. “Both FIA and helmet manufacturers were probably underestimating the complexity of the development of this one. It is correct to develop the highest possible level of safety. What probably wasn’t correct was to count on one year only. Everyone was really under huge pressure. Some of our competitors, brands we respect a lot, could not make it on time. And I fully respect them, because I know it was extremely difficult."

How spares idea led to Verstappen deal

Having won the lottery, Schuberth now had to be clever about making the most of its prize winnings.

For the first test in Barcelona, Schuberth brought a back-up helmet – just in case. "The week before the test I got the homologation, and I said ‘guys, lets go to Barcelona with some spare helmets’. We had the feeling that something will happen," Alberto smiles. "And that’s where the Verstappen part comes..."

Schuberth's Sven Krieter works on the helmet of Max Verstappen

The hunch paid off. On the very first day in Barcelona Dall'Oglio and Kreiter began talks with Verstappen's manager Raymond Vermeulen and his father Jos – carefully, in the Toro Rosso hospitality, at one of the furthest tables from the entrance.

Of all the helmet manufacturers, Arai had encountered the most difficulties. The Japanese managed to pass the crash-testing before the start of pre-season running, but not of all sizes, and in Max's case there was a problem – he felt discomfort in the new helmet, and his management was forced to seek alternatives.

Complicating the situation were Red Bull's contractual ties with Arai, its drivers having exclusively used the company's products – also because they were preferred by Adrian Newey.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Pierre Gasly also felt some discomfort, but not as significant. He also tried another helmet, but in the end was told to go back to Arai. In Max's case, however, Red Bull had to make an exception. What was key was that Verstappen took an immediate liking to Schuberth's SF3, and just a few days later the company formally landed one of the most sought-after clients in the paddock.

"It was about a week after Barcelona. I was finishing my morning jog in the mountains, in Schio, when Raymond called me to let me know they are onboard. All I could say was 'yes, thanks' - maybe because my breath was taken away, maybe because I could scarcely believe it. It was a reward for all the sleepless nights in the year prior."

Like 'luxury watchmakers'

When looking at the scope of production at Schio and Bassano it is difficult to believe that Schuberth is an F1 helmet supplier with the second-most driver clients on the grid behind Bell - which supplies more than half of the drivers in F1, and which has a huge factory in Bahrain, with at least 10 times as many staffers as in Schuberth's Italian department.

Schuberth factory visits

"We're likening ourselves to luxury watchmakers," said Dall'Oglio, and it's hard to argue with him after observing the Bassano and Schio locations. Because every helmet for the 8860:2018 ABP standard for F1 and F2 racers is a handmade piece of art.

"It's hard work," Dall'Oglio says of his Bassano employees. "Because all day you have to basically stare at a black hole, work with maximum accuracy, because at the end it's not only a drivers' comfort and thus performance that depend on you, but their safety as well."

Schuberth factory visits

Nobody at Schuberth is hiding that the Verstappen deal is a huge slice of luck for the company, even though it had worked with world champions before.

"Verstappen and his management are not only important clients, but also great business partners," Dall'Oglio acknowledges.

Schuberth factory in Bassano del Grappa

One of the advantages of working with Max is that all his commercial and marketing activities are carried out by his management, rather than by his team. And that's far from a given in F1 – in fact, for top teams, it is more of an exception.

A deal with a driver like this is a business opportunity for any company.

The benefits of supplying Max

Of course, the helmets themselves – around 15 for the season – are provided to Verstappen free of charge. In fact, in Max's case Schuberth can't even plaster its logo on the most visible spots.

Other F1 clients have the Schuberth logo on the cushions of the interior lining, right next to the driver's eyes. It is always visible when the cameras capture a close-up of the driver sat in their cockpit in front of a monitor with their visor open. It's also one of the most popular types of images among F1 photographers.

In Verstappen's case, however, this ad space is occupied by a glasses manufacturer instead – and the Schuberth logo is only on the back of his helmet. From most angles, you can only tell he's wearing an SF3 by Schuberth's traditionally aggressive cooling slots on the 'jaw'. But that's enough – after all, the whole racing world, which means potential clients, all know that it's Schuberth which protects Verstappen's head.

There are more opportunities, and one of them, for example, is the mini-helmet business. Half-size copies of Max's SF3 helmet, which adorn the shelves of merchandise tents, are also produced by Schuberth, who look to make them as similar to the original as possible. One such copy costs around 150 Euro, and those copied from one-off helmet designs sell particularly well.

This year, Verstappen used those on two occasions – first at Red Bull's home venue in Austria, and then during his almost home race at Spa. On both occasions, Schuberth, in cooperation with Max's management, sold out all the mini-helmets, despite the fact Max only drove for about 500 metres in the Belgian GP. Alberto refuses to provide an exact sales number, but says with a smile: “We speak about thousands."

In modern F1 there's probably no other driver who has a fanbase as numerous and loyal. It is no surprise then that Schuberth are so proud of their partnership with Max – among his peers, only Lewis Hamilton maybe boasts a similar marketing potential, and even that's debatable.

Schuberth office in Schio, Italy

"But, to be honest, that's not the main thing," says Sven Krieter, who will attend his 300th GP next year as a Schuberth man. "You just can't imagine how important this is for employees. For people like Francesco, who with his experience could've long gone to work on a less taxing production for a different company working with composite materials. Yet they work with one of the best drivers in Formula 1, and that in itself is a fantastic motivator. Because racing is also their passion.

"Even if they don't attend races, they feel part of the racing world. They're racers, and like any other racers they want to win. Max gives them this opportunity. And that's what's most important."

Schuberth's F1 customers: Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Schuberth's F1 customers: Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Schuberth's F1 customers: Daniil Kvyat, Toro Rosso

Schuberth's F1 customers: Daniil Kvyat, Toro Rosso

Schuberth's F1 customers: Carlos Sainz Jr., McLaren

Schuberth's F1 customers: Carlos Sainz Jr., McLaren

Schuberth's F1 customers: Nico Hulkenberg, Renault F1 Team

Schuberth's F1 customers: Nico Hulkenberg, Renault F1 Team

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Toro Rosso gets approval for F1 team name change

Toro Rosso gets approval for F1 team name change

The request from Scuderia Toro Rosso to be renamed Scuderia Alpha Tauri from next season has been approved, Motorsport.com has learned.
Red Bull’s junior team has been on the grid since 2006, when the energy drinks company purchased backmarker Minardi so it had somewhere to place its best junior drivers.

Last month it emerged that Red Bull wanted to rebrand the team, which has raced under its current name – an Italian translation of Red Bull – for 15 seasons.

Motorsport.com has learned that an F1 Commission e-vote took place in the week after the Russian Grand Prix and the name change was approved.

F1 had already given its blessing to the change, which means that the team will be named after Red Bull’s emerging fashion brand from next season.

Alpha Tauri, launched two years ago, is named after a star in the Taurus constellation.

AlphaTauri concept

While teams tweak their official entry names on a regular basis to denote title sponsors, it is not common for names to be changed completely without a change of ownership.

However, Sauber was rebranded Alfa Romeo Racing for 2019, in deference to the Italian manufacturer taking its title sponsorship to an unusual level, even though the Swiss operation is still behind the entry.

Force India’s transformation into Racing Point during 2018 is a different case, because it is officially a different entry.

The Silverstone-based team’s owner fell into administration and was taken over by a consortium led by Lawrence Stroll, which had to enter F1 with the ‘new’ team – even though many major elements, including the cars, were the same as before.

Toro Rosso itself underwent a minor name change before it had even started competing, as the Faenza team was originally going to be called Squadra Toro Rosso.

 

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Renault confident big teams won't "hijack" 2021 rules plan

Renault confident big teams won't "hijack" 2021 rules plan

Renault boss Cyril Abiteboul is confident that none of the big teams will try to "hijack" Formula's 2021 rule changes at a crunch meeting in Paris on Wednesday.
F1 team principals plus the FIA and Formula One Management are due to get together to try to finalise new regulations aimed at making grand prix racing closer and more exciting from 2021.

There is hope that an agreement today will pave the way for the FIA's World Motor Sport Council to sign off the rules before an October 31 deadline.

But against the backdrop of resistance from some top teams about the details of new technical regulations, there is a fear that a deal may not be so easy to reach, which could leave the sport with a huge headache in terms of what it does from now on.

While the discussions are likely to be quite fraught with teams split into two camps about what they want, Renault F1 managing director Cyril Abiteboul thinks the time for anyone to block what is happening has long gone.

"I don't think anyone in the current climate, and I am talking about the economic landscape in the automotive industry, can afford just having a go at the process and threatening the process," he told Motorsport.com.

"I don't think you can hijack it, as that could cause so much chaos not just for that one team but for the whole of F1. We are passed that point. Those days are behind and I have trust and belief that common sense will prevail and we will get a comprehensive set of measures for the end of the month."

Red Bull boss Christian Horner believes that a compromise solution can be found, with the looming deadline able to focus minds to ensure that the process moves forward.

"I think the good thing about having fixed deadlines is, and it's a bit like Brexit, it focuses people's minds and attention," he said.

"I think actually it needs focusing for all parties to try to achieve inevitably what will be a compromise. Sometimes true compromises are where both sides feel that they have lost out a bit, and hopefully there is enough desire by all parties to try to get something concluded by the end of this month."

Haas team boss Gunther Steiner has cautioned that the FIA and Liberty have to protect the essential DNA of Formula 1 when the 2021 technical regulations are refined

In recent weeks the teams have split into two groups, with Haas joining engine partner Ferrari and the other top teams Mercedes and Red Bull, while most of the US-owned team's midfield opposition is in another group.

The former wants to stay closer to the current regulations, with more aerodynamic freedom than is currently being proposed, while the latter teams are essentially backing the changes that are planned, which include more standard parts and tight restrictions on aero.

The regulations have extensively tweaked in recent weeks, with the later iteration given to teams last weekend.

"Yeah, there is a split," Steiner told Motorsport.com. "But in the end I think the FIA is considering what each – like you call it – group has to say, and they will come up with a regulation for Wednesday.

"The FIA did some changes out of suggestions of all 10 teams, not only of six, you know. Everybody had a say in it, and they made some adjustments to the regulation, and then on Wednesday we're going to discuss what is going to happen."

He added: "The last thing we should lose is the DNA of F1, which is a certain amount of freedom, and if the cars all look the same, the big teams will still have the biggest advantage. But then we lose interest, because we all then have the same car.

"So I try to be in the middle of this, you know, saying I use my common sense, which lately is not very good anyway!"

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The inside story of how F1 kept the Japanese GP on TV

The inside story of how F1 kept the Japanese GP on TV

For many Formula 1 fans at home, the biggest inconvenience of super typhoon Hagibis was having to set an earlier alarm for the super Sunday Japanese Grand Prix spectacular of qualifying and the race taking place a few hours apart.
But down on the ground at the Suzuka circuit, the impact was much greater – for F1 had to pull off a near miracle to ensure that the event could not only be broadcast, but even go ahead full stop.

It was clear in the build-up to the race weekend that Hagibis was going to disrupt the grand prix at some point, although how much and for how long was not initially clear.

As the situation developed, it became increasingly obvious that there was an unprecedented risk from strong winds and flooding. And that meant the impact going beyond a question of track action – for F1's own broadcast centre was suddenly in the firing line.

While the structure that travels around the world protects the high-tech systems inside from the weather that most venues can throw at it, it is not designed to withstand typhoons.

And this was a big problem because the Media and Technology Centre, as it is officially known, is the nerve centre of an F1 weekend.

Without it, there are no television images being broadcast around the world, and probably no race because many of the systems that are essential for the running of a grand prix (including timing) depend upon it. F1 could not risk the thing blowing away or getting damaged.

F1 Broadcast Centre

F1 Broadcast Centre

Andrew James, the centre's technical director, said: "If there is no TV, there is not a lot of point of having the race. But [the broadcast centre] drives so many other things as well. We do jump start and pit speed detection, on board cameras, timing, everything. That would all have been compromised."

By late Thursday, F1 was facing up to a scenario where it looked like it would have to dismantle the broadcast centre, store all the equipment somewhere safe and then re-assemble it once the weather threat had gone through.

But things changed for the worse on Friday morning when the latest update meeting with track officials made it clear that the typhoon timing meant there was probably not going to be enough of a good weather period for the broadcast centre to be rebuilt.

James said: "We had a meeting with the circuit at 8am and it was very clear to me then that we would not have time to do a rebuild if we did a strip down.

"And I knew we had to protect ourselves from the weather, so the only way to do that was to get indoors. I had to get it into a garage. I knew we could not not deliver, so we had to find a way of making it happen."

James sent an email out making clear the seriousness of the situation, and it kicked off an amazing sequence of events as he and his staff worked with the circuit and the FIA to get things sorted.

His task was to find a house for F1's entire TV operation, which includes 11 technical containers of equipments and positions for 70 people. You are talking about 80 tonnes of equipment in total.

The solution was to move the equipment that is normally housed in the broadcast structure into somewhere more solid – and the most obvious place at the track was a garage.

Initially there did not seem to be anywhere free, but with a bit of shuffling some space was eventually found.

"We had help from the FIA," added James. "They cleared out their garage, and we moved our onboard camera workshop and camera workshop [that was next door]. The circuit helped us take down the partitioning between the two garages."

F1 Broadcast Centre

With the location set, the Herculean task of moving equipment began. It normally takes F1 a day-and-a-half to build up all the equipment in the broadcast centre, and then a further five or six hours to take it all apart again. Those were timescales that were not an option this time around.

"We started stripping everything down from 4pm on Friday and it was all hands on deck," explained James. "We had a fantastic team of people and everybody knew what they were doing.

"We had it dismantled in around two-and-a-half hours. Then we had to move it down into the garage and wire it up. And from when we powered it down at the top, to powered it up in the garage it was eight-and-a-half hours – which was unbelievable. It was all about the people knowing exactly what they needed to do.

"It was very much F1 at its best. When we are up against it. Everybody pulled together to make it happen."

F1 Broadcast Centre

Having originally expected to get everything finished by 10am on Saturday morning, the job was actually completed at 3.30am – and that included the erection of some makeshift air-conditioning units to make sure temperatures inside the garage did not get too hot.

Once F1 knew early on Saturday morning that everything was working, the systems were powered down and the garage sealed for whatever typhoon Hagibis could throw at it.

At 5am on Sunday, the crew returned to power the systems back up, they went through their check procedures at 8am, and were all ready for the start of qualifying at 10am.

Proof of the success of F1's battle against the weather and time was that fans at home didn't notice anything different.

And for James, while the speed of what his team did at Suzuka showed what was possible, it is not something that he wants to become a regular thing.

"I said that to Chase [Carey F1 CEO] on race morning," smiled James "He said: 'Well done.' I said, 'Please don't expect us to do this at every race!'"

 

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Horner respects Norris for response to Albon move

Horner respects Norris for response to Albon move

Red Bull Formula 1 team boss Christian Horner respects McLaren driver Lando Norris for being pleased Alex Albon escaped punishment for ‘forcing him off’ in the Japanese Grand Prix.
Albon dropped behind both McLarens after a poor start and re-passed Norris with an aggressive move into the final chicane that made Norris go off-track to avoid a collision but still resulted in minor wheel-to-wheel contact.

Norris said after the race that Albon, who he has graduated from Formula 2 with this year, “kind of forced me off” but said it was hard racing and that he held no grudges.

“I thought it was firm but fair,” Horner told Motorsport.com. “They touched front wheels but it was totally up the inside.

“It was good, hard racing. It was good to see the stewards make the right decision.”

When Motorsport.com told Horner that Norris shared that view, having said he was pleased Albon was not penalised, Horner said: “Did he feel the same? I think respect to him.

“Whenever there’s contact it’s inevitable there will be an aggrieved party. I think that was good, fair, hard racing and I think that’s what F1’s about.”

Albon went on to pass the other McLaren of Carlos Sainz through superior pace and strategy to finish fourth, his best result in F1.

It gave Red Bull and Honda a silver lining from a difficult weekend at the engine manufacturer’s home grand prix.

Asked if Albon’s best result in F1 was a positive from the weekend, Horner said: “Yeah, absolutely, and I think Honda’s best [at Suzuka] since they’ve come back into Formula 1 with the hybrid era.

“They’re the positives today. Even after a bad start, he drove very well and made it work.”

Albon was Red Bull’s sole finisher in the Japanese GP after Max Verstappen was taken off at the first corner by Charles Leclerc having just passed the Ferrari for third.

Verstappen eventually retired while Albon’s own recovery meant Red Bull was never a factor in the race.

“Alex was in no-man’s land by the time he got into P4 and I think we’ve seen Ferrari and Mercedes particularly in the race have been strong,” said Horner.

“We’ve still got plenty of work to do but we know where we need to work and we’ve got some positive stuff in the pipeline.

“There are quite a few positives to take out of the weekend.”

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