Renault faces tough decision over 2017 F1 focus

Renault faces its "most difficult decision" over when to stop developing its underperforming 2016 Formula 1 car and plough its resources into 2017, according to team ambassador Alain Prost.

Six grands prix into its return as a works outfit in F1, Renault has so far managed to get just one car into the top 10, lying ninth in the constructors' title race with only point-less Sauber and Manor below it.
Prior to the start of the season Renault top brass made clear this year would be a struggle, but with Red Bull showing the competitiveness of the French firm's improved engine, the works team's deficiencies lie in the chassis.

The question for the likes of managing director Cyril Abiteboul and technical director Bob Bell is at what point to give up on trying to upgrade the chassis, and instead fully focus on the major regulation changes for 2017.

Asked by Autosport where the team should place its resources, four-time F1 champion Prost said: "I think that may be the most difficult decision to take.

"Given where they are in terms of the chassis, which is obviously not very good, you have a good reason to say 'OK, we stop development and we go to '17'.

Six F1 races coming up over the next eight weeks

Formula 1 is poised to begin one of the most intense periods in its history with six races to be staged over the next eight weeks, starting with next Sunday's Canadian GP.

The Montreal event will be followed immediately by the inaugural European GP at Baku, with the teams given just four days to cross back over the Atlantic, return to Europe and arrive in the capital of Azerbaijan.

The FIA has introduced a regulation preventing drivers..

The FIA has introduced a regulation preventing drivers from discarding visor tear-offs at will so as not to litter the track with debris that can cause car troubles.

The tear-offs are a thin plastic film on helmets that competitors throw away during the race once they become dirty, allowing them to see clearly. However, cars have been forced to retire in previous races after loose tear-offs get stuck in brake ducts.

Now that Lewis Hamilton, Daniel Ricciardo and co can’t just chuck the strips away as they please, they’ll have to find a place to store them — most likely somewhere in the car’s cockpit.

It’s a good thing newly promoted Red Bull driver Max Verstappen finally turned 18, because Fernando Alonso said finding an appropriate place to stash the tear-offs could require a healthy dose of imagination.

“Let’s say it’s a strange rule, because we never had this kind of rule, but it’s also not a problem to keep the tear-offs inside the cockpit, so it’s OK,” Alonso said.

“We have different solutions that we will find tomorrow. We keep trying, we tried a couple, and tomorrow we will find a place. Some of these places I cannot tell now, because it’s an 18-plus thing.”

Former world champion Jenson Button said the rule change would prove a tough adjustment for everyone.

FIA press conference schedule - Monaco

F1 rookies Jolyon Palmer and Pascal Wehrlein are among those facing the media in Monte Carlo on Wednesday, while on Thursday it is the turn of team bosses including McLaren's Eric Boullier and Mercedes' Paddy Lowe. The line-ups in full... 

 

Wednesday, May 25, 1500 hours local time (1300 GMT)
Romain Grosjean (Haas), Jolyon Palmer (Renault), Nico Rosberg (Mercedes), Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari), Max Verstappen (Red Bull), Pascal Wehrlein (Manor).

Thursday, May 26, 1600 hours local time (1400 GMT)
Eric Boullier (McLaren), Nick Chester (Renault), Monisha Kaltenborn (Sauber), James Key (Toro Rosso), Paddy Lowe (Mercedes), Paul Monaghan (Red Bull).
The qualifying and post-race conferences with the top three drivers will take place immediately after the respective sessions.

By the way you can follow the FIA official guide on here

Why would he go to Ferrari ... he would always be second'

Why would he go to Ferrari ... he would always be second'

Niki Lauda has played down rumors Nico Rosberg might be contemplating a switch to Ferrari for 2017.

 

After the Spanish Grand Prix, the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera claimed Rosberg was "flirting with Ferrari" as his current Mercedes contract expires.

 

"As long as he is not flirting with me," Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel, who has made clear he would prefer Kimi Raikkonen to stay, joked last week in Barcelona.

 

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff, however, thinks the fact there is speculation about Ferrari's interest in Rosberg should be no surprise.

 

"From their view, it would make sense," he is quoted by Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.

 

But Mercedes team chairman Niki Lauda insisted, "We have everything under control.

 

"Why would Rosberg go to Ferrari when Vettel has been there already for two years and knows everything about the team? In that case he would always be second," the F1 legend added.

F1's midfield fighters keep the updates coming

Haas has made an unprecedented start to its F1 career, unfortunately Esteban Gutierrez has had some bad luck but he can take solace in Romain Grosjean's solid performances in the opening rounds.

However, China and Russia proved more challenging, not only because the mandated tyre pressures issued by Pirelli took its toll but set-up choices made to chase performance at the front-limited Shanghai circuit also sent them down a difficult cul-de-sac.

Undeterred by these issues, changes made to the VF16's front wing in the last few races have been matched at the rear of the car in Barcelona.

   

At the base of the endplate the strakes which are used to assist the diffuser have been amended too, with three small strakes (highlighted in green) added at the front of the endplate to enhance the performance of those after them.

Red Bull team upgrade to new engine!

CHRISTMAS has come early for Red Bull with a long-awaited upgraded engine set to be delivered by Renault for the Monaco Grand Prix.

Renault says it’s worth half a second per lap. Red Bull believe it will put them ahead of Ferrari and make them Mercedes’ chief rival for victories.

Except there’s one slight problem — and it’s going to force Red Bull into making an awkward decision.
They’re only going to get one engine for Monaco, which means it must choose between Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen.

F1 Heineken deal tipped to be 'game-changer' for fans

Formula 1 is expected to announce a major new sponsorship deal with Heineken at the Canadian Grand Prix that will be a 'game-changer' for fans, sources with good knowledge of the situation have suggested.

 

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has called a press conference for the Thursday before the Canadian Grand Prix to announce the conclusion of a deal with a new 'Formula One Global Partner.'

Although there is no confirmation on who this partner is, speculation in the paddock has pointed towards Ecclestone putting together a deal with brewery giant Heineken that could be worth as much as $250 million over seven years.

The Netherlands is the centre of the Formula One universe this week

The Netherlands is the centre of the Formula One universe this week. 

First, there was Dutch driver Max Verstappen's astonishing win in Spain, and now there are rumours that brewing giant Heineken are set to announce a new sponsorship deal with the racing series.

 

The agreement is said to be worth $150 million over five years, according to a report in Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf (h/t the Guardian's Paul Weaver).

This is great news for Formula One Management (FOM), the sport's commercial rights holder, coming on the back of Shell's recent withdrawal as a series sponsor (though their relationship with Ferrari continues), per German website Motorsport-Total.com

It is not necessarily great news for F1's teams, though.

That is because FOM, a privately held company, takes a cut of the revenue from series sponsors (as opposed to the teams' individual sponsors) before distributing the rest to the teams through annual prize money disbursements. FOM's cut is approximately 35 percent, according to Autosport's Dieter Rencken and Lawrence Barretto.

Bernie Ecclestone drives GP cash grab

FORMULA One supremo Bernie Ecclestone has no respect. 

The outspoken Grand Prix boss has taken his massive fee and run off at the mouth against the very people who pay him. 

Victorian taxpayers paid $52 million for the rights to stage this year’s race.


Read more on: Heraldsun.com.au