FORMULA 1

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BOTTAS: ABU DHABI WIN WILL MAKE WINTER BREAK A BIT NICER

Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas had hoped victory in Abu Dhabi a year ago would set him up for a season of success but, 20 races on and despite his team again scooping both Formula 1 titles this season, it remains his last win.

The 29-year-old Finn has one last chance to avoid a season’s blank, a rarity when driving a title-winning car, and travels to the Yas Marina circuit next week ready to start over with 2019 in mind.

“It is possible,” he told Reuters, at a factory celebration of Mercedes’ fifth successive title double and teammate Lewis Hamilton’s fifth drivers’ crown, when asked whether he could repeat last year’s triple of pole, win and fastest lap.

“Last year I had a strong weekend there, so definitely it is possible. Obviously, the field is now closer than last year but my only target for the weekend is going to be pole and win so I am going to be trying everything I can to do that. It will make the winter break a bit nicer.”

Hamilton had to settle for second in Abu Dhabi last year, denied his 10th win of the campaign but with the title already secure.

This time he has already won 10 times in 2018 — his average over the past five seasons — and clinched the title early again.

Bottas meanwhile has been unlucky and loyal, denied by a puncture three laps from the end while leading in Azerbaijan last April and obeying team orders in Russia in September to let Hamilton past after starting on pole.

He is not expecting any special favours now, even with the titles won.

“He deserves a win, but he’s got to go and win it,” said Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff. “He has the capability to do so.”

Bottas said he accepted the early season setbacks as part of the sport, “I know that I have it in me and the last few races have been tough. I’ve been definitely missing those successful moments.”

“I miss that feeling, and I know that once I get some good results under me again then it’s going to go in a better direction. So I’m really looking forward to next year.”

The nightmare of Baku, he said, had been consigned to the recesses of his mind, “Now I can laugh about it, honestly. But at that point it was a pretty tough moment.”

The last team mate of a champion to go through a whole season without winning a race was Australian Mark Webber, alongside Sebastian Vettel at Red Bull in 2013 — before the start of the V6 turbo hybrid era.

Before that, the same happened to Brazilian Rubens Barrichello at Ferrari alongside Michael Schumacher in 2001 while the great German’s several team mates at Benetton in 1994 also drew a blank.

Gerhard Berger suffered the same fate against triple champion Ayrton Senna at McLaren in 1990, and Keke Rosberg alongside Alain Prost at the same team in 1986.

Hamilton said after winning his title in Mexico last month that he and Bottas were “the greatest partnership in terms of respect and teamwork from drivers that has ever existed in Formula One probably.”

Bottas smiled at the suggestion: “It’s quite a big statement. I only know a couple of teammates I’ve had before but I’ve never had this kind of dynamic team.”

“I feel we’ve been able to work as a team really well and we’ve been trying to really maximise the points for the team in every single race. I think we succeeded in that,” added the driver of the #77 Silver Arrow

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VERSTAPPEN: THE FIRST SIX RACES I BASICALLY F@CKED UP

Max Verstappen has inadvertently (or not) agreed with critics that his performances at the start of the season were below par, despite denying this and refusals to change his style the Dutchman has been a transformed chap in the final half of the season.

Speaking after his headline-grabbing adventures in Brazil, Verstappen acknowledged, “This year, the first six races I basically f@cked up. Afterwards, we did a much better job.”

But insisted, “It’s not really changing my approach to how I’m racing. I’m still the same person. I’m always going for the gap, you could see that in Mexico as well, I was there to win and not be second.”

With his father Jos Verstappen’s experience to tap into, it is clear his son seeks his council, “I just wanted it too much initially. Sometimes my dad told me: when I’m going slow, I’m still going fast enough.’

“I got that approach back after Monaco, and it seemed to make me faster than I was before, but without mistakes,” added the Red Bull driver.

Not the first time he has admitted BTW:

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Fernando Alonso will add 'many more' events to 2019 diary

Fernando Alonso says he will add “many more” events to his already-confirmed 2019 schedule, as he prepares to step away from Formula 1.

Alonso has contested Formula 1 and World Endurance Championship events this year – along with a handful of outings in karting – but will step away from the former after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

On Saturday it was announced that Alonso will return to the Indianapolis 500 with McLaren, though as it stands has no confirmed programme beyond the conclusion of the 2018/19 WEC season next June.

“I will do many more, but you will know step-by-step,” said Alonso.

“Aside of the WEC races, I think there are four tests with those, so if you add the three weekends of racing and four weeks of testing, that's already seven until June, plus the test of IndyCar and two weeks of the 500.

“If you see the calendar until June, maybe there are two or three weeks off, so even if it seems there are not too many races, there are a lot of preparations into those races and I'm looking forward to it, it's good to be back in Indy.”

Looking ahead to his Indianapolis 500 return, Alonso said: “This race is completely unpredictable until the last 20 laps of the race, so the whole is game is about spending the first 180 laps to be in a position to compete in the last 20.

“There are all the practice sessions and the qualifyings and the small details you need to fine-tune on the setup of the car at those speeds.

“With 300,000 watching at the same place on the same day, it's something that has no comparison with any other race in motorsport.

“I witnessed that in 2017, so it's still on my mind, even this year when I was in Monaco, I finished the race and switched on my computer and watched the full 500, next year this opportunity comes again and I cannot wait to be in Indianapolis.”

It was announced on Wednesday that Alonso's FA Racing team will compete the Formula Renault Eurocup in 2019, adding to its F4, karting and eSports efforts.

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Ross Brawn: 2019 simulations show 'tangible' overtaking gains

Formula 1 director of motorsport Ross Brawn has revealed that initial simulations based on the 2019 technical regulations, which have been designed to boost overtaking, have shown tangible gains in allowing cars to follow more closely.

The new rules mandate simplified front and rear-wings and changes to the brake ducts and bargeboards. The aim is to reduce the amount of dirty air and turbulence that comes off a car, allowing the following car to get closer without losing downforce which, in theory, should make it easier to overtake.

The rules are a precursor to more radical changes coming for 2021, when the cars are expected to look dramatically different.

Brawn revealed that the initial data showed positive gains had been made, but warned the true picture will only be known once the 2019 cars hit the track in Australia in March.

"Once again we saw in Brazil that when the performance level of two cars are more or less the same, then overtaking is almost impossible," said Brawn. "That raises the question as to how to make it easier to make a move on the car in front.

"During 2018, we have made significant progress in defining next year’s technical regulations, especially regarding they key area that is the front-wing and in the last few weeks, we have worked out the fine details.

"Our simulation work and from what the teams with which we have worked closely on this tell us, the effects are tangible, even though we are well aware that the real proof will only come next March in the Australian Grand Prix.

"The changes introduced are a first important step, but not necessarily an exhaustive one, towards defining the new technical and sporting regulations that will shape the long-term future of Formula 1.

"It’s a foretaste of what we are defining for 2021 and we are pleased with what we have already achieved for 2019, but clearly we have high hopes, even in the short term."

He added: "This year, Formula 1 produced some really exciting racing, I’m thinking immediately of Baku, Shanghai, Silverstone and Mexico City and there is every sign that there will be more of the same next year."

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F1 still hopeful over new 2021 manufacturer

Formula 1 Chairman Chase Carey believes the sport can still attract new manufacturers despite initial proposals to overhaul engine regulations for 2021 having been reined in.

Formula 1 currently features four engine suppliers, with Honda joining existing entrants Mercedes, Ferrari and Renault in 2015.

No new manufacturers have signalled their intent to join Formula 1 in the period since, with 2021 regulations set to be more transitional than initially proposed.

Carey, though, still reckons a new manufacturer could commit to the sport, having been “encouraged” by tentative discussions with parties.

“What we really came to an agreement with [was that] everyone got persuaded by the stabilising [of the regulations],” he said.

“When you have a new engine it’s [a case of] everybody starts over and there’s always unintended consequences out of a new engine.

“The intent of this [the 2021 regulations] was not just to develop a path for existing [entrants] but develop a path we think is enticing and interesting for new [entrants].

“We clearly have technology that is miles beyond anything else out there at any level. The efficiency of these engines, you know one of the things that hasn’t been told well enough is the hybrid engine that came out a few years ago… the incredible performance it gets today with a much more fuel efficient basis than prior engines.

“We wanted to continue to make sure we had a hybrid engine that was road relevant today, but at the top of the pyramid in terms of technology that in many ways is at the forefront of what’s going on in the world.

“Part of that is what attracts the right new engine manufacturers into it as well.

“I do think [with] the path we’re on, we have had some discussions with potential new entrants, we're encouraged.

“I think there’s broad agreement the path we’ve landed on for going forward is the right path for everybody, again existing and new.”

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Sauber launches young driver programme

Sauber Motorsport has partnered with junior single-seater team Charouz Racing System to form a young driver development programme.
Sauber has not previously had a defined junior operation but has established close ties to Ferrari, having handed Charles Leclerc his Formula 1 debut this season.

Charouz entered Formula 2 in 2018, having moved over from the Formula V8 3.5 series, and next year will participate in Formula 3, which replaces GP3 on the Formula 1 support bill.

Charouz also competes in ADAC and Italian Formula 4 championships.

Under the new agreement, Sauber Junior Team drivers are set to compete in the respective junior categories, providing youngsters with a path through towards Formula 1.

The programme will be run out of Charouz's base in the Czech Republic.

"Racing is a vital part of Sauber Motorsport's DNA and the Sauber Junior Team marks an important milestone in the company history," said Sauber boss Frederic Vasseur.

"Sauber has a long tradition of helping drivers reach their full potential, having worked with the likes of Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel and upcoming star Charles Leclerc.

"With this project, Sauber further extends its racing platform with a complete and dedicated programme from the junior series to the pinnacle of motorsport.

"We are delighted to partner with Charouz Racing System, a highly professional team that operates with success in all the series."

Sauber, which will field Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi in 2019, currently has only Tatiana Calderon under its wing as a test driver, while Charouz fields Louis Deletraz and long-term Ferrari junior Antonio Fuoco in Formula 2.

 

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Ex-Porsche LMP1 boss to get top F1 team role

Porsche's former World Endurance Championship LMP1 team boss Andreas Seidl is set to move into Formula 1 in a senior role at a team.
Although his departure from Porsche has not been confirmed and it is not yet known which F1 team he is heading for, 42-year-old Seidl has an extremely strong CV that would make him well-qualified for a team principal role.

He made his name working for the BMW Sauber F1 team until 2009, then led BMW's return to the DTM as head of operations.

That programme resulted in title victory for Bruno Spengler at the first attempt in 2012.

He subsequently joined Porsche, heading up the LMP1 programme from its first season in 2014, and overseeing three WEC championship doubles in 2015-17 as well as Le Mans 24 Hours successes in all three seasons.

Porsche publicity material described how it viewed Seidl: "as an engineer with a perfectionist streak responsible for the technical performance of the cars; as race manager he's responsible for the organisational aspects of a world championship race.

"To the squad of LMP1 drivers he is akin to a national coach; he heads up business relations as a manager and ambassador; and as chief of strategy he makes crucial decisions together with the race engineers."

After the closing of the Porsche LMP1 programme at the end of 2017 Seidl was given the role of setting up the Formula E operation.

But with Porsche unable to make a commitment to return to F1 – despite being represented in meetings about future engine rules – he has clearly decided to move on.

There are no obvious current high-level vacancies at F1 teams.

One suggestion is that Seidl could have a future at Ferrari, and he knows its driver Sebastian Vettel well from their time together at BMW Sauber - where Vettel was a junior driver and made his F1 debut.

But a Ferrari spokesperson denied that any team management changes are in the pipeline.

Williams and McLaren are both in the process of rebuilding, but neither has an opening at the top level.

Wherever Seidl goes there remains the possibility that having gained valuable F1 experience he could one day return to Porsche should it ever decide to return to grand prix racing.

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‘It’s too late now’ – Haas concede fourth place to Renault

Well they had a good crack at it – but heading into the season finale in Abu Dhabi, Haas team boss Guenther Steiner has admitted that 'it's too late now' to take fourth place in the constructors’ championship off Renault, believing the 24-point gap between the two teams to be insurmountable in the final round of the year.

He’s probably got a point. Even if Haas were to repeat their season-best performance from the 2018 Austrian Grand Prix, where Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen finished fourth and fifth, the 22 points they’d score would still leave them two shy. Third and fourth would do the trick if Renault failed to score – but that result would mark only the second time a driver from outside one of the top three teams had stood on the podium this year.

Despite chucking in the towel, Steiner maintained that he was nonetheless proud of the achievements of his team this season – especially impressive given that Haas only joined Formula 1 in 2016. But F1 people are competitive beasts, and when asked whether it was frustrating not to clinch fourth, Steiner couldn’t help admitting: ‘It is somehow… It’s always frustrating a little bit because you always think you can do better – but that’s racing. You always want to do better when you do it.

“But on the other side, don’t forget that we are only in our third year and it’s still quite a big achievement. In theory we should have beaten Renault without some mistakes from us, without their protest. You know, some fights you win, some you lose. But in the end, for the whole team, it’s still a good result to finish fifth, which we should now unless something magical happens in Abu Dhabi. We can be happy with that.”

As Steiner mentions, Renault’s protest against Haas ended up costing the team eight points when Romain Grosjean was disqualified from his sixth place at the Italian Grand Prix owing to irregularities with his floor. But while that didn’t help matters, Haas’ pit issues in Australia – which saw both cars drop out of strong points positions after failing to have their wheels fitted correctly – as well as Romain Grosjean’s point-less first eight races of the season and particularly difficult Grands Prix for the team in Monaco, Singapore and Mexico, all played their part too.

Despite that, it was Haas’ strong run into F1’s summer break – including taking 32 points to Renault’s 14 during F1’s first ever triple-header in France, Austria and Great Britain – which created the launch pad to allow them to have a tilt at Renault in the constructors’.

“I think we had a very strong run into the mid-season break,” said Steiner. “Then after the mid-season break, we didn’t have a few strong races, then we had the protests. One thing to another. Mexico we had a very bad race. I don’t think it was lost because of any [one] of the reasons. I think if you said fourth place was lost in Australia more than anything else – 22 points lost… [But] we are grown up. We can live with that and still be proud.”

So if Steiner is to be believed, this intriguing battle for the valuable fourth place in the constructors’ standings is now at an end – but to borrow from legendary commentator Murray Walker, anything can happen in Formula 1, and it usually does, so make sure you keep your eyes peeled on the midfield at Yas Marina...

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SAINZ: HOW CAN THESE GUYS NOT BE WINNING?

When Niki Lauda arrived from BRM at Maranello in 1974 he declared that with the resources and facilities at Ferrari the Italian team should win every grand prix they entered, now over four decades later Carlos Sainz walked into Woking and asked: why McLaren are not a winning force.

Like Lauda, Sainz will arrive at a mighty organisation which has fallen on lousy times, if he can achieve a fraction of what Lauda did with Ferrari he will have achieved a great deal.

The great Austrian, now Mercedes F1 chairman, went on to win the Formula 1 World Championship twice (1975 and 1977) while racking up 15 grand prix victories in the process.

Speaking on Beyond The Grid podcast, Sainz recalled his visit to McLaren’s headquarters, “It’s unbelievable. The first time I went there and saw it, the first thing that came to my mind was: How can these guys not be winning? That’s why I’m a strong believer that McLaren, in the future, is going to make it back.”

Sainz, snubbed by long-time backers Red Bull, will now lead rookie Lando Norris in the orange cars next season and, like Lauda years ago, the 24-year-old Spaniard arrives at a team on its knees, winless since 2012 and stepping into the shoes of his hero Fernando Alonso.

During the podcast, Sainz junior also explained how he just might have had the racing gene in his DNA, in other words born with it rather than acquired.

He recalled, “Apparently, when I was two years old, my Dad was rallying all the time and when he came back from rallying, he saw me on a little battery car, doing a lot of Scandinavian flicks entering the corners and doing a lot of donuts, and he was asking: Who the hell has taught this guy to do that? – and no-one had taught me! But I had it in my blood and eventually I ended up being a racing driver.”

In an episode straight out of Batman and Robin, Sainz leaves Renault at the end of this season to replace the legend that led him to follow the tarmac route to Formula 1, rather than take the dirt path of his great rally legend father and namesake Carlos Sainz senior.

“When I turned nine, 10 years old, there was this Spaniard called Fernando Alonso starting to win races in Formula 1. I met him in 2005 at the Spanish Grand Prix at Barcelona, and when I met him, I went back home and I told my Dad: Dad, I want to be like Fernando Alonso one day,” explained Sainz junior.

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Rob Smedley 'in talks' to continue in F1 following Williams exit

Williams Head of Performance Engineering Rob Smedley says he isn't turning his back on Formula 1 following confirmation of his resignation.

Smedley announced last week that he would be leaving Williams following the conclusion of the 2018 season, having spent five years with the British outfit, witnessing its resurgence and its recent decline.

The Briton said the decision was partly motivated by the desire to spend more time with his family, leading some to suggest he could exit the sport, but Smedley insisted that isn't the case and he's very much looking forward to the next chapter in his F1 career.

"I definitely want to stay in Formula 1," he said. "Formula 1 is my passion. It has been all my working life that I’ve been in Formula 1 and it’s still the pinnacle of motorsport.

"There are other series that are snapping at its heels but it’s still got a lot to offer. We’re working on it all the time, it’s not the complete package. It has so much more potential than what you actually see. So yeah, I do want to stay in Formula 1 on the technical side."

Smedley confirmed that he is already in talks to continue in the sport, but will likely need to complete a lengthy period of gardening leave before joining a rival team.

"I’m lucky, because I’m already talking to people and that’s a fortunate position to be in and we’ll just see where everything takes us."

The 44-year-old's F1 career began in 2001 when he joined Jordan Grand Prix as a data acquisition engineer before being promoted to track engineer. In 2004 he joined Scuderia Ferrari as a test team engineer, which, after two years led to him moving up to the race team to become Felipe Massa's race engineer.

The pair became good friends and spent eight years together before Massa announced a switch to Williams for the 2014 season. Smedley followed the Brazilian and remained at Williams when Massa retired at the end of the 2017 season.

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Bob Fernley to head up McLaren's 2019 Indy 500 team

McLaren Racing has announced that former Force India Formula 1 deputy team principal Bob Fernley will head up its IndyCar effort in 2019.

McLaren recently confirmed it would set up a new racing department separate to its F1 activities to compete in the 103rd Indianapolis 500 with Fernando Alonso, which will be led by Fernley.

Fernley was formerly deputy team principal of the Force India F1 team before it entered administration in late July this year and was later bought out by Lawrence Stroll and partners, with Otmar Szafnauer moving up to replace Fernley.

The Briton, who is a widely experienced and respected figure within the world of motorsport, will report directly to McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown and will "evaluate the feasibility of a longer-term McLaren involvement in IndyCar".

"Bob is a fantastic operator and someone I respect greatly," commented Brown. "His experience and leadership will be essential for us on this project. He is particularly talented at putting effective teams together and extracting maximum performance with finite resources. The Indy 500 is no easy race and Bob’s is a key role, so I’m delighted he’s on board."

Fernley added: "Heading back to The Brickyard will be a very special experience for me and I am proud to be leading this McLaren project and team. The 500 is a hell of a challenge and we have incredibly strong competitors to overcome if we’re to be successful. We will need to prepare well for the month of May and that work starts now."

McLaren confirmed that further details on its 2019 Indy 500 project will be shared in due course.

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Thierry Koskas appointed President of Renault Sport Racing

Thierry Koskas will take over as President of Renault Sport Racing from Jérôme Stoll on January 1 2019.

The Frenchman joined Renault in 1997 and has since headed up different divisions of the French marque around the world, most recently Executive Vice President of sales and marketing.

Koskas will report directly to Renault Chairman and CEO Carlos Ghosn and will continue to work closely with the team's Managing Director Cyril Abiteboul.

Stoll was appointed President in March 2016 as Renault made its foray back into Formula 1 as a works team, having previously left at the end of 2010.

Having purchased its former F1 base in Enstone from the struggling Lotus team, Renault has continually improved their form and invested heavily in their UK base as well as its power unit development base in Viry-Châtillon.

The French outfit looks set to finish fourth in the 2018 Constructors' Championship, its best in the three years since returning to F1.

Daniel Ricciardo will drive alongside Nico Hulkenberg in the team's driver line-up for the 2019 F1 season.

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Steiner: Haas F1 signed Fittipaldi for ability, not his surname

Pietro Fittipaldi’s test deal with Haas F1 was reached due to his ability, not for commercial or publicity reasons, says team principal Gunther Steiner – and joked he could have signed his grandfather Emerson if he’d wanted to.

Twenty-two-year-old Fittipaldi, whose grandfather Emmo is a two-time F1 world champion, was named Haas’s F1 test driver during the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend. He will make his F1 debut in the Haas VF-18 in the upcoming Pirelli tyre test at Abu Dhabi later this month. 

Steiner stated that Fittipaldi will play a key role in its testing plans and upgraded simulator programme in 2019, saying “on [F1 weekend] Fridays we can test set-ups and with aero developments we put them in first with Pietro. This is part of getting better and it takes time.

“You cannot do it all in the first year. Pietro wants to do this to get into F1, he needs to do testing for the correlation between the car and simulator, so it’s a genuine test role.”

The Haas team boss said he was introduced to Fittipaldi by former F1 racer Max Papis (Pietro’s uncle), who lives near Steiner’s house in North Carolina, USA.

“[Max] came along once with Pietro, when he was driving in Formula Renault 3.5 and so we said ‘when you win a championship you can come back’ – and he came back! 

“Does the last name help? For sure it doesn't hurt, but it also puts pressure on to him. I don't try to get anything for the team because of his grandfather.

“If he is called Fittipaldi or, I don't know, Sanchez or whatever – I don't really care at this moment. He needs to add something us, an element to get the team better, and not us do better marketing-wise. 

“It’s not about publicity, you know. Because, if I wanted that, I could have asked Emerson to do something for us – we can employ Emerson, he is available!” he quipped.

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Lewis Hamilton could face Abu Dhabi engine penalty

Lewis Hamilton could be set to take on a grid penalty for the final race of the 2018 Formula 1 season in Abu Dhabi next weekend after Mercedes admitted his engine "sustained some level of damage" during the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Hamilton was forced to nurse his car to the chequered flag at Interlagos – a race he eventually won after leader Max Verstappen was involved in a crash with a backmarker – after Mercedes spotted a "significant problem" with his power unit.

James Vowles, Mercedes' chief strategist, explained that the problem was managed by the team who made a "huge number" of changes in the final laps of the race to ensure Hamilton saw the finish – believing a failure was imminent.

"If we just go back a little bit and look at what happened in the race, after the first pit stop with Lewis we noticed quite a significant problem, which required a huge amount of input from a number of sources," explained Vowles.

"We have a team back in the UK at Brixworth who work alongside us on the intercom, and we have a huge team trackside working together diligently to understand what we can change on the engine to get to the end of the race.

"They did a fantastic job. It wasn't one change - it was a huge number of changes across a 40 - 50 lap period, where they were working with Lewis to adjust various componentry and get that Power Unit to the end of the race. They did a fantastic job."

However it might come at a cost as Hamilton could face a grid drop at the final race of the season if the damage is beyond repair, with the Briton on his third and final permitted power unit this season.

Mercedes still need to complete a final assessment to determine the extent of the damage and could choose to revert to an older unit to avoid a penalty, although this brings with it a higher risk of failure given each unit has reached its life expectancy. 

"The engine has sustained some level of damage - but we don't yet understand what," added Vowles. "It has to be inspected and understood before we can make any decision going forward to Abu Dhabi."

Mercedes has enjoyed strong reliability this season with Hamilton yet to face a grid drop through an engine related issue all year, whereas Valtteri Bottas has suffered only one engine related penalty at the Belgian GP.

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SETTING THE STAGE FOR ABU DHABI

After Mercedes finished first and fifth in Brazil, there’s not much left to decide as the 2018 F1 season enters the final race in Abu Dhabi (November 25th).

Hamilton, the victor at Sau Paolo, had already clinched his second straight Drivers Championship (and fourth in five years) and now Mercedes has wrapped up its fifth Constructors Championship in a row, as well.

Ferrari had a disappointing day in Brazil, on the whole, even though Kimi Raikkonen finished on the podium. Despite qualifying second, Sebastian Vettel finished a distant and disappointing sixth. By the time the drivers take the grid in Abu Dhabi, it will have been nearly three months since the German last won a race (the Belgian GP). In seven races since then, he’s only finished in the top-two once (Mexican GP).

Yet, while sites online will show that there is no clear consensus of who has better odds, it is noted that the top two favorites are none other than Hamilton and Vettel. With that said, find a book from this list of betting sites from mytopsportsbooks.com that favors your pick before you make your bet. Some list Hamilton as the favorite at +150 and Vettel close behind at +350 while others list both are favorites at +150. Betting on Hamilton seems to be the safe and predictable choice but choosing Vettel might give you more value if he does win.

Not only do this season’s recent results favor the Brit, so does the recent history at Abu Dhabi, itself.

Mercedes has won four straight in the Emirates, including wins by Hamilton in 2014 and 2016, plus another chequered flag for ex-teammate Nico Rosberg in 2015 and current teammate Valtteri Bottas last year.

Vettel does have three wins in Abu Dhabi on his resume, but those are ancient history now. He won the first two editions in 2009 and 2010, and then another in 2013. All three of those came when he was still driving a then-unparalleled Red Bull.

After making grand pronouncements about the state of the Ferrari ahead of Brazil, he failed to deliver. While the third-place performance from the outgoing Raikkonen does bode well for Vettel’s car, the Ferrari will also have to hold off the Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo, who finished 2nd and 4th respectively in Brazil.

The Red Bull was running faster than even Hamilton’s Mercedes in Brazil, and Verstappen (who won in Mexico, don’t forget) would have made it two victories in a row if not for a disastrous collision with a lapped Esteban Ocon. Verstappen has been trending up ever since Hungary and now has six top-three finishes in the last eight races. Apart from Hamilton, he’s been the second-best driver on the grid in the last half of the season.

The Dutchman, however, isn’t even in the top three of the initial odds lists, sitting at 15/2 (+750), behind Bottas at 13/2 (+650). Whether the 21-year-old can prove odds-makers wrong and claim his sixth career win has become one of the more intriguing storylines in Abu Dhabi with the championships decided.

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ALONSO: WE KNOW WHY WE WERE [RUBBISH] THIS YEAR

Fernando Alonso will turn his back on Formula 1 at the end of this season, but the Spaniard is adamant that next year McLaren will have a far better package as they know what went wrong this year while continuing to insist that last season they had a superb chassis.

Alonso told Motorsport-Total, ” I think the car will definitely be more competitive next year. We learned our lessons. I’m optimistic and happy for them.”

McLaren has fallen on hard times, once a mighty power in Formula 1, but these days even with a driver of Alonso’s calibre they have produced a lemon of a car which has done them no favours.

Th 37-year-old explained how focus on 2019 began months ago, “We’ve been experimenting with parts for next year since July. The team has a lot of optimism about the direction the car has taken in recent months, and we’ve understood our problems.”

“It’s an internal thing in the team, and in this project, we went in directions with unexpected results. We made some compromises on the car, hoping for an improvement in performance, but it did not come to us,” lamented the two times F1 World Champion.

Last year with Honda power bolted to the back of the McLaren’s the team claimed they had the best chassis, at least on par with Red Bull and promptly ditched their lucrative Honda deal for a customer Renault deal which they believed would put them back at the front.

How wrong they were, instead they are arguably worse off, but Alonso continues to insist that the MCL32 of 2017 was the business, “We know the car was very competitive on the chassis side last year.”

“We have the GPS data and our cornering speeds. It was in certain areas definitely very competitive. Unfortunately, we lost that level this year, but we understand why that is,” revealed Alonso who, along with ‘fired’ Stoffel Vandoorne, will make way for Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz at McLaren in 2019.

 

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HORNER: FORMULA 1 DRIVERS AREN’T ROBOTS

In the wake of Max Verstappen’s shoving episode with Esteban Ocon, Red Bull chief has again come out in defence of drivers pointing out the fact that they are human beings with passions and emotions.

Tempers flared after the Brazilian Grand Prix, earlier Ocon had punted Verstappen out of the lead when being lapped triggered some harmless argy-bargy in the drivers’ weigh-in area. As a result Dutchman has been handed a ‘community service’ fine, whatever that means…

Reflecting on the widely reported incident, Horner said, “Drivers aren’t robots at the end of the day, nor should they be. We see in other sports that there is interaction between players and it’s down to the referee obviously to step in and manage that.”

“I don’t think it got out of hand. I don’t know what words were exchanged between the two of them and while violence in any way shape or form shouldn’t be condoned, emotions run high and occasionally boil over.”

“There’s a lot of history between those two drivers which goes right back to karting and what we don’t know is what words were exchanged between them, how he was antagonized.”

“You have to also understand emotions — you just have had a backmarker take a grand prix victory away from you, it’s inevitable that they’re running high,” added Horner.

Charlie Whiting has also taken a laissez-faire attitude to the incident, “Let’s be realistic, it’s happened a number of times in the past, we all know that. In terms of the actual incident, it didn’t look that serious, but any physical contact I don’t think can be condoned.”

“[Sebastian Vettel] lost his cool a little bit, and paid the price for it … It’s just the way it goes. I don’t think they’re at all linked, I don’t think there’s an ‘outbreak of violence’ because of those incidents.”

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RENAULT CHAIRMAN GHOSN ARRESTED FOR ALLEGED FRAUD

Nissan Motor Chairman Carlos Ghosn was arrested on Monday for alleged financial misconduct and will be fired from the board this week, a dramatic fall for a charismatic leader hailed for rescuing the Japanese carmaker from close to bankruptcy.

Ghosn is also chairman and chief executive of Nissan’s French partner Renault and one of the best-known figures in the global car industry, and his departure will raise questions about the future of the alliance.

Nissan said that an internal investigation, triggered by a tip-off from a whistleblower revealed Ghosn engaged in wrongdoing including personal use of company money and under-reporting for years how much he had was earning.

Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa said too much power had been concentrated on Ghosn, a rare foreign executive who enjoyed corporate superstar status in Japan for reviving the ailing Japanese brand.

“Looking back, the concentration of power was something we need to deeply reflect on,” he said, confirming the arrest of Ghosn in Japan.

Saikawa said he could not give specifics on the personal use of company money, but said that the wrongdoing was serious and unacceptable and had gone on for years. Ghosn could not be reached for comment.

“To have so greatly violated the trust of many, I feel full of disappointment and regret,” Saikawa told a news conference.

“It is very difficult to express this…. It’s not just disappointment, but a stronger feeling of outrage, and for me, despondency.”

French President Emmanuel Macron said the government, the French carmaker’s top shareholder, will be vigilant about Renault and its alliance with Nissan.

Saikawa said he would propose at a board meeting on Thursday to remove Ghosn and Representative Director Greg Kelly, who could also not be reached for comment.

Renault shares tumbled 11 percent in Paris to be among the worst performing stocks in Europe . Nissan’s German-listed securities 7201.TG plunged 10 percent.

Known as “Le Cost Killer” for overseeing turnarounds including cuts at Renault, Ghosn has remained popular in Japan despite the massive job cuts that he brought and recent controversy over his lucrative pay package.

Japanese media reported that Ghosn had reported around 10 billion yen worth of annual compensation as around 5 billion yen for several years.

Ousting Ghosn, 64, is bound to raise questions about an alliance that he personally shaped and had pledged to consolidate with a deeper tie-up, before eventually stepping back from its operational leadership.

“The initial share price reaction shows how pivotal he is,” Citi analyst Raghav Gupta-Chaudhary said on Monday.

The current alliance structure has long undervalued Nissan shares held indirectly by Renault investors, he added, “Ghosn is viewed as critical for value unlock.”

Renault owns 43.4 percent of Nissan, while Nissan owns 15 percent of Renault, with no voting rights in a partnership that began in 1999. Since 2016, Nissan has held a 34 percent controlling stake in its smaller Japanese rival, Mitsubishi.

The news is likely to raise questions about Nissan’s accountability at a time when Japan has been pushing companies for better governance.

“The problem of governance was significant,” Saikawa said.

The Asahi newspaper reported on its website that prosecutors had begun searching the offices of Nissan’s headquarters and other locations on Monday evening.

Spokesmen for Renault and the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Motors (7211.T) alliance did not immediately return calls and messages seeking comment on the arrest reports.

Brazilian-born, of Lebanese descent and a French citizen, Ghosn began his career at Michelin in France, moving on to Renault. He joined Nissan in 1999 after Renault bought a controlling stake and became its CEO in 2001. Ghosn remained in that post till last year.

In June, Renault shareholders approved Ghosn’s 7.4 million euro ($8.45 million) compensation for 2017. In addition to this, he received 9.2 million euros in his final year as Nissan chief executive.

Ghosn was a big supporter of Renault’s F1 programme and instrumental in returning the marque to the top ter as a works team and earlier this year said, “We are preparing for our return to the top of the podium by 2020. The goal is to win under responsible economic conditions.”

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THE MAX FACTOR COULD MAKE DUTCH GRAND PRIX A REALITY

Formula 1 is hoping to bring back the Dutch Grand Prix and build on the wave of popularity surrounding Red Bull’s young superstar Max Verstappen.

“We are very interested in racing in Holland,” Sean Bratches, the sport’s commercial managing director, told Reuters at the weekend when asked about a possible return to the Zandvoort circuit that hosted 30 races from 1952 to 1985.

“We are having productive conversations there and I am cautiously optimistic we can do something to surprise and delight fans in that territory and take advantage of the Max factor,” he added.

Local media reports have suggested a deal for 2020 could be on the table.

Verstappen, 21 and seen as a future world champion, has a huge national following as the country’s most successful Formula One driver.

The youngest race winner ever now has five victories to his name, including two this season with Red Bull — with some 20,000 Dutch fans travelling to the team’s home race in Austria, which he won.

The Jumbo Racing Days event at Zandvoort in May, which featured Verstappen and other Red Bull drivers doing demonstration runs, attracted more than 110,000 people.

The circuit, located in sand dunes on the Dutch North Sea coast, first hosted a Formula One championship race in 1952 and has been refurbished since 1985 when Austrian Niki Lauda won the last grand prix there.

The return of Zandvoort would alleviate fears about the sport distancing itself from its European past, with other ‘heritage circuits’ facing an uncertain future.

Formula One, whose commercial rights are owned by U.S.-based Liberty Media, recently announced Vietnam will host a grand prix in Hanoi for the first time in 2020 and is aiming to expand the calendar beyond the current 21 races.

At the same time, historic but financially-challenged venues like Britain’s Silverstone, Italy’s Monza and Germany’s Hockenheim have contracts expiring next year with concern about their futures.

Those were put into sharper focus when Formula One chairman Chase Carey told a Liberty Media investor meeting last week that “we expect to replace a few existing races where we inherited unattractive agreements, with new events or agreements that are better for racing and provide more value.”

Bratches said discussions were ongoing with a number of current and potential promoters and saw plenty of interest.

“We’re in an extraordinary favourable position I think, in the pole position if you will, in terms of Formula 1 being an attractive product for countries around the world,” he said, speaking at Formula One’s esports series.

“From a brand standpoint, from a history standpoint our intention is to renew the heritage circuits,” he added. “We think it’s an important part of Formula One.

“But at the same time we’re a publicly traded company, we’re a business, we have obligations to our partners and the teams to maximise the investment that they are making into the sport and we’re going to try to balance that with the complexities of some of these negotiations.”

Silverstone, which hosted the first championship grand prix in 1950, last year activated a break clause in the circuit’s contract for financial reasons in the hope of negotiating a better deal.

Bratches has suggested previously that the British Grand Prix does not have to be at Silverstone, although he said that remained the favoured option.

“We’ve said time and again our intention is to race in Silverstone for the next 68 years,” said Bratches.

“But at the same time we are running a business and we are going to make prudent decisions as it relates to running the business and that includes keeping a keen eye on fans’ views and perspectives.”

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FIA PROMISES PROBE INTO MACAU F3 CRASH

FIA President Jean Todt has promised the governing will investigate Sunday’s horrific airborne crash at the Macau Formula Three Grand Prix which left 17-year-old German driver Sophia Floersch with a spinal fracture.

Floersch was catapulted off the track into a photographers’ bunker after hitting the back of one car and shunted over another while travelling at more than 275 kilometres per hour (171 mph) on the tight street circuit.

The teenager was conscious when taken to hospital in the former Portuguese colony from where she tweeted that she was “fine” and would undergo surgery on Monday.

“After the serious incident today in Macau the FIA is mobilized to help those involved and analyse what happened,” International Motorsport Federation (FIA) president Todt tweeted.

“We will monitor the situation and make the necessary conclusions.”

Japanese driver Sho Tsuboi, who Floersch hit after the initial impact, was also taken to hospital complaining of back pain but the Macau Grand Prix Organising Committee said in a statement said he had been discharged after treatment.

Chief Medical Officer of the Macau Grand Prix, Dr. Chan Wai Sin, said two photographers and one track marshal were also injured in the crash and taken to hospital for treatment.

Crashes are frequent at the Macau Grand Prix which this year, in its 65th edition, hosted six car and motorcycle races on the 6.2-km Guia Circuit around the streets of the island.

Last year, British motorcyclist Daniel Hegarty died after hitting the safety barrier during a race, the eighth rider to have lost his life on the circuit since 1973.

Three motorcyclists were taken to hospital after crashes at the circuit this week with Britain Andrew Dudgeon requiring a metal rod to be inserted in his spine after a crash in practice.

Dudgeon comes from Britain’s Isle of Man where 270 motorcyclists have been killed in competition on the island’s TT circuits over the last 120 years.

 

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Kevin Magnussen: Missed chances shows Haas' potential

Kevin Magnussen says Haas’ missed chances in 2018 provide it with lessons as to where it can improve moving forward.

Haas is set to finish fifth in this year’s World Championship, an improvement of three places compared to the eighth spot it obtained across both 2016 and 2017.

Haas has achieved the feat despite several setbacks in which it missed out on points, most notably at Australia’s season-opener, where botched pit stops cost it a potential 22-point haul.

Magnussen has scored 55 of Haas’ 90 points this year, equalling his own personal record, but reckons there remains areas where the sport’s newest team can make gains.

“I think 55 points is good for a midfield team, but I still think there was potential for more this year,” he said.

“That’s both a positive and a negative. Positive, because we’ve showed we have great potential in the team to do more, but of course, it’s always disappointing not to get everything out of it as you could.

“We’re learning as a team and next year we’ll have even more experience. We’ll have learned a lot from this year and, hopefully, we can do a bit more next year.

“As a team, we’re doing better and better. We’re learning as we go.

“For us, we’re such a new team, performing at such a high level already, sometimes we’re a bit short of experience for the performance levels being achieved.

“We’re fighting big, experienced teams like Renault, McLaren, Williams and, as a new team, sometimes it’s hard to avoid mistakes because of a lack of experience.

“I’d rather be in an inexperienced team overperforming than in an experienced team underperforming.”

Magnussen has scored points in half of this year’s 20 Grands Prix – though was on course for a haul prior to rainfall in Germany, and was excluded post-race in the US.

“It’s hard to point your finger at one thing,” said Magnussen on the setbacks.

“I don’t feel like it’s one issue that’s been reoccurring. I think we’ve just faced a lot of different challenges. That’s been a theme for the year.

“A lot of things that could go wrong, did go wrong. We haven’t had the margins on our side this year. A lot of things just tipped over to the wrong side to our disadvantage. Sometimes you have seasons like that.

“Generally, though, we’ve been strong all year. We’ve just had some missed opportunities.”

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Renault making 'strong progress' with 2019 F1 car

Renault technical chief Nick Chester says the manufacturer has already made “strong progress” with development of its 2019 car, as it strives to move up Formula 1’s pecking order.

Next year will be the fourth season since Renault acquired the ailing Lotus squad and returned as a works team, and is poised to finish fourth in this year’s standings.

It marks another year-on-year improvement, having placed ninth in 2016 and sixth last season.

Renault nonetheless still faces a chasm to Formula 1’s top three teams, having failed to score a podium this season, during which it has been regularly challenged by Haas and Force India.

“There’s a lot going on with the 2019 car and we’re well advanced in making the first chassis,” said Chester.

“We’ve got the gearbox, which will be tested soon.

“We’re finishing design work for parts such as the cooling, suspension and the bodywork.

“It’s flat out at this time of the year as we have to get through a lot of drawings to get the car made. “It’s been busy and we’re making strong progress.”

Managing Director Cyril Abiteboul has challenged Renault to finish its campaign on a high, having struggled for pace at the preceding round in Brazil, and hopes McLaren-bound Carlos Sainz Jr. can depart on a positive note.

“We head to Abu Dhabi on the back of a disappointing performance in Brazil, especially after our solid races in the United States and Mexico,” he said.

“As always, we picked ourselves up and dusted ourselves down and we’re fully focused on the task that lies ahead. This final race of the season is very important for the team.

“There’s still a job to do in Abu Dhabi and we expect to finish the season as we started it in Australia; with both cars competitive and inside the top ten.

“Of course, Abu Dhabi will be Carlos’ final race with us. His contribution to Renault’s journey in Formula 1 over these 14 months has been very positive and we are extremely thankful for what he has achieved.

“Carlos is as good outside of the race seat as he is behind the wheel and he’s been a credit to the team. After the race we will wish him every success for his future.”

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Valtteri Bottas would have had title shot without Baku loss - Wolff

Mercedes chief Toto Wolff believes Valtteri Bottas' season would have been very different had he not lost out on victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Bottas has failed to win a race during the 2018 season but came very close in Azerbaijan and Russia. Whilst the latter was a team decision to swap driver positions with team-mate Lewis Hamilton in title contention and Bottas not, Baku was a victory lost in the closing laps through an unfortunate puncture.

Had Bottas won the race, he would have been just one point shy of then championship leader Sebastian Vettel and Wolff reckons the Finn's season would have been dramatically different as a result of the confidence boost.

"It would have been 25 points more for Valtteri that one race," said Wolff. "I think we would have gotten the Constructors’ Championship [sooner] but he would have been within a shot of the championship [this year]."

Wolff says he's had to play 'phychologist' to a degree this season to manage his drivers and the team, but applauded the atmosphere, particularly between Hamilton and Bottas which he described as night and day compared to that of Hamilton and Nico Rosberg who famously fell out on several occasions.

"I think I became a phychologist more than anything else in these last years because it’s about how you extract the best from your people.

“This is Alice in Wonderland compared to what we had before [with Rosberg]. They [Hamilton and Bottas] are yin and yang, all the talking happens on the track, there is nothing in the debrief, there is no politics. 

"I’m not saying that in a negative way, every driver has his own way of trying to achieve success but Valtteri is an absolutely cool Finn. I don’t think he even realises if something is being manipulated. It’s a great relationship between the two."

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RED BULL DRIVERS PREVIEW THE ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX

Red Bull drivers preview the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend, Round 21 of the 2018 Formula 1 World Championship, at Yas Marina Circuit in the United Arab Emirates.

Daniel Ricciardo: “Abu Dhabi has always been a pretty good track for me and I enjoy going there. I’m yet to get an Abu Dhabi podium, but that would be a pretty awesome way to end my stint with Red Bull and to end the season. Having a twilight race is always cool, the weather is good, so there’s not much not to like about the place. I love the third sector, it’s my favourite part of the track for sure, through the hotel and all that is good fun. Abu Dhabi marks the end of five years with the Team and ten years with Red Bull itself. I’m sure it’s going to be emotional afterwards, especially when I cross the line for the last time with the Team. But I’m going there guns a blazing, showing a lot of love. Hopefully, the love shows me back and I can spray some fake champagne on Sunday, which would be a fitting farewell.”

Max Verstappen: “Apart from being the last race of the year, Abu Dhabi is always a special one due to the atmosphere. The crowds are big and noisy, and being a sunset race adds to the unique feeling. After a busy few races, I think everyone looks forward to getting to Abu Dhabi. The nice weather and a more relaxed feel in the paddock means everyone is smiling. The track itself is fun to drive, passing the yachts in the final sector has a similar feel to Monaco, but it’s not as tight. There are some long straights that do not really play to our strong points but we will try to make up for this in the twisty sectors. Once the race is done the team can relax a bit, and have some well-earned downtime. We, of course, have testing shortly after but I will definitely try to chill out and get some sun on the Monday. Before we know it, we’ll be testing and working hard towards 2019 throughout the winter, which is very exciting.”

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RENAULT PREVIEW THE ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX

Renault Sport Formula One Team previews the twenty-first and final race weekend of the 2018 Formula 1 season, the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Drivers Nico Hülkenberg and Carlos Sainz share their thoughts on the challenges of the Yas Marina Circuit, while Cyril Abiteboul and Nick Chester give the latest on the team and on the Renault R.S.18-R.E.18 package.

Cyril Abiteboul, Managing Director, Renault Sport Racing: “We head to Abu Dhabi on the back of a disappointing performance in Brazil, especially after our solid races in the United States and Mexico. As always, we picked ourselves up and dusted ourselves down and we’re fully focused on the task that lies ahead. This final race of the season is very important for the team. There’s still a job to do in Abu Dhabi and we expect to finish the season as we started it in Australia; with both cars competitive and inside the top ten.”

Nico Hülkenberg: “Abu Dhabi has been the scene of the season finale for the last couple of years and it’s definitely a good venue to round off the year. There’s a lot at stake for the team in the Constructors’ Championship. Last year it went down to the wire and, while this season we have more of a points cushion, we go there knowing there’s a job to do and anything can happen.”