FEATURE: How to Master Monaco

FEATURE BY - Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport 

Monaco. The race that everyone wants to win. But what are the key ingredients that a driver and team needs to be successful around the streets of Monte Carlo? 

How important is the driver? 
Very important. The Circuit de Monaco is a driver's track. Its tight layout and close walls mean that there is no margin for error and every mistake is punished. Braking as little as two metres too late can ruin the entire weekend. If you're lucky, you end up on an escape road. If you're unlucky, the car is wrecked. To be successful in Monaco, the driver needs to find a perfect rhythm. 

What can the team do to help the driver get into the rhythm? 
The driver needs to be able to trust the car from the beginning, to then carefully approach the ideal lap. So the team tries to hit the ground running by providing a car that inspires confidence from the moment the driver first leaves the pits on Thursday. At other races, the team might bring new items to be tested on a Friday, but in Monaco every minute of the Free Practice sessions is devoted to finding the ideal car set-up. The way the team approaches the set-up process also differs from other races. The front ride height, for example, is usually a little higher on the first run in Monaco than it would be at other races. This makes it easier for the driver to choose his braking points as it limits the risk of heavy bottoming. The front ride height is then lowered more and more over the course of the sessions as the driver gains confidence once he's found where the bumps in the track are. Making the most out of the practice sessions is particularly important because he can easily complete an entire session and only get a handful of clear laps, where he's not in traffic. It's up to the team to plan accordingly and find a good moment to leave the garage, enabling the driver to get in consistent laps. It also means that the driver needs to manage his position on track on Thursday and Saturday. Four or five seconds to the car in front is usually enough room in Monaco whereas a three-second gap makes the car in front a hindrance. 

What else do the drivers need to be successful in Monaco? 
While finding the rhythm is extremely important in Monte Carlo, it is not the only key to success. Another one is concentration. Monaco sees around 80 significant changes of steering direction and 50 gear changes per lap. When you add the constant throttle and brake paddle inputs, you can see just how hard the drivers are having to work on every one of the race's 78 laps. If one considers wide open throttle (WOT) time as a moment where the driver has a chance to "have a break", then Monaco does not offer a lot of time to rest. WOT time in Monaco is about 24 percent of the entire lap time, compared to over 50 percent in Barcelona. And even those 24 percent aren't actually "time to relax", as for the most part the WOT sections aren't straight in Monte Carlo. So while Monaco has both the shortest lap (3.337 km) and the shortest race distance (260.286 km) on the F1 calendar, it still requires the drivers to be laser-focused the entire time. 

How important is Qualifying in Monaco? 
Track position is everything in Monaco because overtaking is so difficult, making it the most important qualifying session on the calendar. So, the drivers need to get their qualifying lap absolutely perfect. That's no easy feat - but when it does happen, it will be remembered for years to come. 30 years after his legendary drive, Ayrton Senna's 1988 pole lap still brings goose bumps to many Formula One fans. 

Does the track create any specific challenges? 
The track layout is so different from any other Formula One circuit, the teams bring components specifically for Monaco. The famous Fairmont hairpin - you know, the one that everyone, including us, still calls Loews hairpin - is the tightest turn of the year and requires more steering lock than any other corner. Compared to the hairpin corner in Montreal (Turn 10), an extra 40 percent of lock is needed for Loews Hairpin (Turn 6). The team will therefore bring a special front suspension to Monaco, allowing for a bigger road wheel angle. This means that the driver doesn't have to turn the steering wheel multiple times going into the corner. Loews Hairpin is also the slowest corner of the calendar with a minimum speed of 50 km/h. 

The W09 EQ Power+ is the car with the longest wheelbase on the grid. Does that create an additional challenge on a narrow and winding course like Monaco? 
The long wheelbase provides us with more surface area from which to extract downforce and gives the team a good reward throughout an entire season; especially since it is downforce acquired at a very modest drag penalty. At a slower, twistier circuit at the extremes like Monaco the team get the least benefit from a long wheelbase car. You still get all the downforce associated with the extra surface area, but a longer wheelbase car needs more steering angle on the front wheels to get the car turned. For that reason, the team is bringing the special front suspension to Monaco so that the choice of line through Loews Hairpin is not limited. In theory, if one compared two cars, which were identical in all respects apart from their wheelbase, then the shorter wheelbase that is more commonly found on the grid would be a faster around Monaco by less than a tenth of a second. However, this is not a real world comparison, because in practice you would lose downforce if you went from the long wheelbase car to the average of the grid, and the net result would be a slower car even at Monaco. 

Are there any specific aerodynamic challenges? 
Monaco is the first track in 2018 to feature high downforce aero kits. Back in the old days of unrestricted wind tunnel testing, teams would build an aerodynamic package specifically for Monaco. Today, however, they use the maximum downforce package in Hungary and Singapore as well. Monaco is a low-speed circuit with short straights; the team measured a top speed of 295 km/h at the exit of the tunnel before braking into the Nouvelle Chicane (Turn 10) in 2017. Lots of slow speed corners and short straights combine to place a high premium on downforce while being less penalizing than other tracks on the high drag that this downforce generates. The limited speeds create a challenge in another area though, as the air flow over the radiators is also limited, making the cooling of the car tricky. So, the team needs to open up the bodywork for additional cooling, looking for the perfect balance between performance and reliability. 

Monaco is a street circuit. What does that mean for the track surface? 
Historically, Monaco used to be a very bumpy track, made up of a patchwork of tarmac and creating quite a challenge for the ride of the car. But after numerous rounds of resurfacing various bits of the track, undulations are no longer so much of an issue. There's an exception to every rule, however, and bumps like the one on the left-hand side going down to Mirabeau (Turn 5) are best avoided. Monaco is also famously known for being a track that evolves immensely over the course of the weekend - although experts are not quite sure whether that's down to the extra rubber on the ground during the day or the sticky blend of beer and champagne that's poured on the track each evening, especially in sector 3... Between the start of FP1 on Thursday and the end of qualifying on Sunday, the track improved by more than 2.5 seconds in 2017. In previous years, the improvement was even higher, making the track faster by up to four seconds. 

What implications does the track layout have for the tyres? 
Monaco will be the first event to feature the new HyperSoft compound tyre and it will be interesting to see what this adds to the mix. The compound has the potential of becoming a proper "Monaco tyre" - a compound that works perfectly on the very unique layout of the track with its slow corners, many braking zones and short straights in between. Owing to the slow turns, the tyres are subjected to very low cornering energy, meaning that the compounds typically last much longer than they would on any other circuit. And since overtaking is so difficult in Monaco, even a driver under pressure can usually manage his tyres without creating a big risk of being overtaken.  

Johan Kristoffersson: "We have to drive smarter than ever this season.”

PHOTO CREDIT: PSRX Volkswagen Sweden

Johan Kristoffersson started on POLE POSITION for the Belgium RX final. The lights went out and away they went, but it was as if Johan was at a standstill. Loeb, Bakkerud and Solberg clearly ahead on the run to Turn 1. 

Johan had the inside line and was next to his team-mate (Solberg). Moments later, Kristoffersson was up on two wheels leaning on his team-mates PSRX Volkswagen Polo-R. After the Turn 1 melee he fed out in third place just ahead of Solberg. Johan went on to finish in fifth place [now leads the championship by nine points.]
“The last race in Belgium, where I was fifth, that hurt a little bit. It was a bit of a crazy race in the final, with a lot of action in every direction. But that was then. This is now," says Kristoffersson. 

“We have seen just how close the racing is this year. Winning the championships last year was an absolute dream and everybody in the PSRX Volkswagen Sweden team put so much work in, but defending those titles this year is going to be even harder," said Kristoffersson. Every corner is fought over so hard – we saw that in Belgium last time. Hopefully Silverstone will be a little bit more open with some more room to overtake and make some different moves."

Johan Kristoffersson completed 46 laps (5th fastest overall) at the pre-season test in Silverstone. “The track is quite different in nature to the rest of the places we go to, there’s more gravel than we’re used to – more than half of the lap is on the dirt. So, if we get some dry weather, the dust could be a bit of a problem," said Kristoffersson. “But the priority for us has to be to take the points. We have to drive smarter than ever this season.” 

Petter Solberg: "It's nice to be competing in a new place for RX."

PHOTO CREDIT: PSRX Volkswagen Sweden

Petter Solberg claimed back-to-back podiums in Belgium (second place) and the Monster Energy Supercharger Award for the fastest reaction at the start of the final. PSRX Volkswagen Sweden now head to the Speedmachine Festival in Silverstone, the home of British Motorsport leading both championships.

The Silverstone RX circuit presents a new challenge for both the engineers and drivers, but teams were able to obtain data after the second pre-season test earlier this year. 

“Everybody knows how important Silverstone is, it’s one of the oldest and most famous race circuits in the world. It’s nice to be coming here, nice to be competing in a new place for RX and nice to have the infrastructure of a modern track like this," said Solberg. “But I must say, I’m going to miss Lydden. That was a proper, proper rallycross track. I was quite emotional when we drove up the hill and out of there for the last time last year. Finishing at Lydden with me winning and Johan second was a nice way to go. But that’s history now.

Solberg posted the second fastest time in the second pre-season test at Silverstone earlier this year. "We made some good times in testing and we were able to find a nice set-up from the car, even if the rain came down on the second day [of the test]," said Solberg.

“Now we have to look forward and we have to look how to get the best out of the Volkswagen Motorsport Polo R Supercar at this new track," Solberg concluded.

REVIEW: Sebastien Loeb scores second World RX career win in Belgium

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World Rallycross Media

REVIEW BY: FIA World Rallycross

Sebastien Loeb scored an emphatic victory at the wheel of Team Peugeot Total’s Peugeot 208 WRX in the Coyote World RX of Belgium, round three of the FIA World Rallycross Championship.

PSRX Volkswagen Sweden’s Petter Solberg finished as runner-up in his Volkswagen Polo R Supercar, while Timmy Hansen made it a double podium for Team Peugeot Total by taking the third podium spot.

In a dramatic final, EKS Audi Sport’s Mattias Ekstrom finished fourth, taking his joker on the final lap and beating Championship leader Johan Kristoffersson to the line. Sweden’s Kristoffersson was fifth and continues to lead the World RX Drivers’ Championship, nine points ahead of Loeb, who moved up to second with his Belgian victory. PSRX Volkswagen Sweden continues to head the Teams’ Championship.

“It’s just great to win here, it’s been a long time trying. It’s not easy, the battle is always really intense and the level is really high, so it’s a nice achievement,” said Loeb. “I’m really happy for the whole team, it’s a new team this year and to be able to bring them their first victory is really a pleasure. I thought that Mattias [Ekstrom] had already jokered before [in the final], so I was fighting for second and in the last corner he went to the joker and I won. I didn’t expect to win, so it’s even more of an incredible feeling when it’s like that.”

Two-time World RX Drivers’ Champion Solberg finished second, despite being fourth on lap one after a side-by-side moment with team mate Kristoffersson, who’s Polo was sent onto two wheels at the first corner.

“It’s been a very tough weekend. Yesterday went well, we were lucky there, but today, in the rain this morning and the cold conditions you know it’s pretty tricky to get a good start and to get a clean run,” commented Solberg, who won the Monster Energy Super Charge Award for the quickest reaction off the start line. “I don’t know what happened in the first corner [of the final]. I was fourth out of the first corner and then I jokered and, honestly, I went absolutely flat out and took a little bit of risk. It was very close, but still I’m very happy with a podium.”

25-year old Hansen celebrated his first podium of the season. A collision at the start of semi-final two left him last but a strong recovery drive to third allowed him to progress to the final. As high as second after a good start, Hansen ended the event in third place

“I had a massive moment in the final, I thought I was going to roll, when I finally got the car to the apex of the next corner I thought that it was definitely broken, but it was still in one piece and I could continue following Sebastien [Loeb] which was quite interesting because I started sixth and exited the first corner second behind Seb. I was chasing him all final. We jokered together and Petter came out in the middle between us. This victory for Seb and the double podium that we got together, Team Peugeot Total has really earned it,” said Hansen.

EKS Audi Sport’s Andreas Bakkerud rounded out the top six, battling with team mate Ekstrom in the final. Just missing out on a place in the final was GRX Taneco’s Niclas Gronholm and Team STARD’s Janis Baumanis, who were fourth in semi-finals one and two respectively.

All six of the permanent World RX teams were represented in the semi-finals. GC Kompetition’s Guerlain Chicherit finished fifth in semi-final two, but Olsbergs MSE’s Robin Larsson was forced to retire from semi-final one.

Fan favourite Francois Duval raced a Comtoyou Racing Audi S1 RX Supercar in his home round of World RX and just missed a place in the semi-finals. He qualified 13th in the Intermediate Classification.

In the FIA European Rallycross Championship for Supercar, reigning Champion Anton Marklund raced from the second row of the grid to lead the final from the first corner to claim his first win of the season. Round one winner Reinis Nitiss was second and reigning RX2 International Series Champion Cyril Raymond concluded his maiden Euro RX Supercar appearance on the podium in third, having started from pole position.

Norway’s Ben-Philip Gundersen won the opening round of the RX2 International Series presented by Cooper Tires to begin his first campaign in the single-make category in style. Compatriot Sondre Evjen finished second having qualified sixth in the Intermediate Classification, while newcomer Henrik Krogstad made it an all-Norwegian podium in a top-four lock-out for the JC RaceTeknik team. Gundersen took the points lead, three points ahead of Vasiliy Gryazin, who retired after contact in the first corner of the final.

The first round of the FIA European Rallycross Championship for TouringCar was won by Sweden’s Fredrik Salsten, driving his title-winning Citroen DS3 from 2015. He claimed victory through an early joker lap strategy to beat Belgium’s Steve Volders and 2014 TouringCar Champion Daniel Lundh. Volders leads the Championship standings.

Paul Bellamy, World RX Managing Director for IMG, concluded: “The fans in Belgium are some of the most passionate in the world, and the 27,000 that attended Mettet over this weekend were treated to some incredible action. That all three of the manufacturer-backed teams set a fastest time in qualifying and battled for victory in the final shows just how close the competition in World RX is this year, it really is too close to call. Congratulations to Sebastien Loeb and Team Peugeot Total for their first win of the year, it was very well deserved and we can’t wait to see the Championship battle continue at Silverstone in two weeks’ time as part of the Speedmachine Festival on May 25 – 27.”

F1 2018 Spanish Grand Prix: Post-Qualifying Press Conference TRANSCRIPT.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA.com

DRIVERS

1 – Lewis HAMILTON (Mercedes)
2 – Valtteri BOTTAS (Mercedes)
3 – Sebastian VETTEL (Ferrari)

TRACK INTERVIEWS

Conducted by Davide Valsecchi

Q: Lewis Hamilton, what a wonderful lap. How was your drive? Look at the atmosphere. Something incredible today.

Lewis HAMILTON: It’s always a great atmosphere here in Barcelona; we always get a great crowd. There are a lot of British fans here, a lot of Spanish fans here, even, supporting a Brit, so I appreciate everyone. Yeah, very close in qualifying, but very happy. I needed this pole; I’ve not had a pole for a while.

Q: And your middle sector? Record in there, record for the circuit? 
LH: I was trying to go for every sector’s record but anyway; I’ll take the middle one!

Q: Valtteri, first row for you, congratulations. How was it in there? It was tough this qualifying? For almost nothing you were on pole. 

Valtteri BOTTAS: Yeah, it was so close today, like it’s been all weekend. It was good fun. I ruined my first run in Quali 3, so I had really one chance in the last run. I got a decent lap. It’s a shame it’s only four hundredths but the race is tomorrow and for us as a team, perfect result today.

Q: You’re right. The race is tomorrow and maybe you can have a better chance?
VB: Yeah, of course. We will race hard and we’ll try to get the one-two we deserved in Baku.

Q: Sebastian, congratulations, how was your quali? It was tough just at the end. You had such a big improvement on the last lap but maybe you missed just something?

Sebastian VETTEL: No maybe. I was happy with the lap. The first run in Q3 was not so good. I locked a little bit into the first corner. The last lap I was happy. It was feeling good until the end. Then I looked. You know you have the tower there, and I looked up and I saw my name didn’t go to the top, so not entirely happy, but we expected Mercedes to be very strong, so I think tomorrow should be an interesting race.

PRESS CONFERENCE

Q: Lewis, those were scintillating laps from you at the end of Q3 there. Talk us through it. You seem happier with the car here and of recent?

LH: Yeah, definitely. The team have been working so hard, so a huge thank you to everyone back at the factory and here for continuing to try to understand, to be open-minded. It’s easy for us adults to get stuck in our ways ands they have definitely let loose and [stayed] open-minded to think of new ways to try to improve, which is great, and that’s what it takes to be a winning team. It was a very close qualifying; you could see all weekend it was close. The Ferraris were clearly sandbagging, just because they could. They’ve always had a quick car. But it took everything from us to get a result and to get a 1-2 in qualifying is fantastic for the team. I know everyone will be very, very happy. It was very, very close. Valtteri’s been driving exceptionally well. I was just saying they should call him the ‘Flying Finn’; he’s definitely taken that role I think. We’ve got a lot of work to do tomorrow; it’s going to be a tough race, but it’s definitively a good way to start the weekend.

Q: Well done, Lewis, good luck tomorrow Valtteri, coming to you, so close, as Lewis said, in the end there but how much did that mistake on your first run in Q3 cost you, do you think?

VB: It’s difficult to say. I think the last run in Q3 was fine. There were no mistakes or such, but of course if you can always do the lap together you will find a few hundredths. Extremely close all weekend. Lewis had a good qualifying and for us, like he said, it’s the perfect result for tomorrow, so hopefully we can continue like this tomorrow.

Q: Well done. Sebastian, three consecutive pole positions coming into this race, but not this weekend. Just talk us through your session. Interesting to see you on the soft tyre?

SV: Yeah, overall I think it was a smooth session. Q1 was pretty good. The car was fine. We didn’t have to do that much. Obviously we were quite OK this morning and we were trying to find the right direction. But it was straightforward in quali and in Q3 in the first run I locked up a little bit into Turn 1, so the first sector was already slow. I tried to get it back and recover but to really fight for pole I knew it was not enough. I didn’t get a great feeling on that tyre, on that set. I asked to go back and I think it was the right call, we were very quick. I think the tyres this weekend are different because obviously we had the change, it’s for everyone, but I think they are a bit harder. For me it was pretty straightforward as I said, because I was happier with the car with that tyre. If it’s within one tenth, a tenth and a half you always think that maybe, but to be honest I was very happy with the lap until the end. So I think we expected Mercedes to be very strong and so they were. So hat’s off to them and tomorrow I think it will be a close race. Anything can happen really, just like the last couple of races.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Scott Mitchell – Autosport) Lewis, you came into this weekend leading the championship, obviously Baku was the first win of the season for Mercedes. How important is this result, a 1-2 in qualifying, for the team and how much did you need it on a personal level as well?

LH: Well, we’ve had one pole. I don’t think we’ve really had great qualifying sessions after that, so it was important for me to get back into a good position with qualifying, as it’s usually a strength of mine. So definitely important and happy, especially considering I had such a busy week coming into this weekend to have this performance, I’m very happy with that. For the team it’s been a struggle. I’m sure there have been a lot of people with nerves over the past few races, just not really understanding, constantly learning but feeling that we’re not learning quick enough. So to come here and get the 1-2 in qualifying is a true show of all the hard work that everyone is doing.

Q: (Pilar Celebrovsky– Paddock Magazine) My question is for Sebastian. How crucial is it to do a good start to take the lead – considering this circuit is not really easy to overtake?

SV: Well, good memories of last year but I was in the first row. I think it’s the same as always. You need to have a good start to keep your position; you need to have a great start to make positions up. Obviously here’s a long run to Turn One so P3 is not a bad place to be it. It’s not Russia, is it, Valtteri? No. But yeah, it’s still a pretty long run. We’ll see. First focus on the start and then we’ll see. It’s a long race after that. I think the tyres will be a challenge so even if the start doesn’t go in our favour I think we have a strong car after that to keep fighting. So, we’ll see.

I still have nightmares from Russia.

Q: (Christian Menath – Motorsport-Magazin.com) Question for all three of you. It looks pretty strange for us because usually Mercedes has some problems to extract the maximum out of the softest compound tyre, today you were pretty strong on that. Ferrari was quite the opposite. Do you have an explaining for that? Seb mentioned thinner tyres this weekend. Is it related to this or is it special track surface we have here, track layout or…?

LH: I couldn't tell you. I have no idea.

Valtteri?
VB: Going into today, I think we saw that the gaps between the tyres here on this track, with the new tarmac, has been really small, like we saw in testing. We saw the same yesterday but today suddenly we could work the supersoft a bit better, so it felt like a better tyre for us. It’s still marginal, the gain, but… I don’t know.

Seb, you touched on this earlier…
SV: Yeah, I think it’s pretty straightforward. The tyres are different. They are different for everyone so everyone needs to cope with that. I think it was exceptional that Mercedes were struggling in the last events as much as they were – but thinner tread, basically the tyre is harder, so, we still have the same tyres, if you look at the colours, but they are harder than they used to be. Yeah, as I said, it’s the same for all of us.

Q: (Heikki Kulta – Turun Sanomat) Valtteri, your best qualifying result today for the season, how about the best result for the race tomorrow?

VB: Yeah. The qualifying was good. Not perfect but close. So, it was OK and, for us as a team, it’s perfect. And yes, of course, I hope for a good race tomorrow because I have some catching up to do overall in the season if we look at the points. So, like every race, I want to do as well as I can. I feel really good at the moment in the car. I think race pace-wise we will be strong, so hopefully a good result.

Q: (Livio Oricchio – Globoesporte.com) To all drivers. All of you are saying you’re having problems with the tyres. What is it, exactly? Do they not reach the temperature? Go over temperature? Graining? They have blisters? Also Lewis, you used the supersoft at the end of Q2 after registering your time on soft tyres, and also you got the best time on supersoft in Q3. All weekend until now you didn’t have a so-good lap with supersoft.

LH: It’s because it’s a constant learning process – but these tyres, they seem to have the smallest working window. Whether you give us more rubber or less rubber, they appear to be a lot harder than last year. I know they went softer but I think it’s more so because the working range is far narrower than it was last year – and so you give it everything on an out-lap and you still don't have your tyres in the window. And they heat the tyres up in the blanket. This year they’re just too hard. That’s why everyone struggles. I don’t understand why they worked in Australia and haven’t worked ever since and today we have them working. Yeah, let’s hope… I was saying to Valtteri, when we get to Monaco we’re going to just be driving around on cold tyres because it’s not very easy to get your temperatures up there.

Valtteri, do you think the cooler track temperatures today, compared to yesterday, helped Mercedes?

VB: I don’t think so. We were pretty strong yesterday also with the warmer track so I don’t think that helped. It changes always the approach, like Lewis mentioned, the operating window of the tyres is so small you just need to try and hit it, even though the track temp is 10°C less. It’s extremely difficult but I think this weekend so far we’ve done a good job and also finding out how to work the supersoft today. Hopefully we can master them tomorrow as well. We’ll see.

Sebastian, anything you want to add?

SV: No. I like your question but I don’t want to answer!

LH: They have the secret.

SV: Exactly.

Sebastian, would you have preferred a hotter track temperature today?

SV: I don’t know. I think, to be honest, if you think of how much effort goes into the car, performance, engineering, to get everything out of your package, and then, like Lewis said, there’s the element of ‘who knows?’ yeah, I don’t think up to today Mercedes understood in China exactly what went wrong. For us it was working, and then one event to the other, one day to the other it can be a different picture. That’s nothing new, I think we had it for a long time now. That’s how it goes. It’s good if you are on the side that it’s working and not so good if you are on the side that it doesn’t work. Hard to find a true explanation every time. So irrelevant, I think, today the temperatures.

Q: (Ralf Bach – AutoBild Motorsport) Valtteri and Lewis, do you think that Pirelli changed – not the colours but the compounds - to help Mercedes?

LH: When?

VB: I think the compounds are the same, just the tread of the tyre is smaller.

Q: Yes Valtteri, I think you’re correct. Do you have anything to say about Pirelli wanting to help Mercedes?

VB: I don’t think so, why would they want to help us?

LH: That would be nice. That was a stupid question really, so I don’t really have an answer for it.

Q: (Roksana Cwik - Swiatwyscigow.pl) This year we have a new tarmac, can you tell us if it’s easier for you to drive on the track or harder, compared to last year?

SV: Well, I think for us it was not necessary. It is a bit faster but I think it’s not us that asked for it, I think it’s the MotoGP. For us, I think they could have saved the money and put it somewhere else.

Q: Lewis, how did you find the new asphalt; I mean pole position is so much faster than your pole here last year. Did it feel pretty spectacular?

LH: The grip… it’s a strange one because it’s very smooth so a little bit of the character is taken away, being that it’s brand new. It didn’t need to be resurfaced but they obviously had the money to spend and resurface it. It is great that we are faster but it has a different characteristic than we had in the past but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. We drive here a lot in practice and obviously with the rest every year so it is kind of neat that the track gains new characteristics as you go through the years. I don’t really know why every track is different when they resurface it. I don’t know if it’s less expensive tarmac bitumen that they use or expensive stuff or not expensive stuff, I don’t know. It varies from track to track but I guess that’s what makes it exciting.

Q: Similar asphalt here to Paul Ricard and Silverstone this year. Valtteri, how’s the track been rubbering in?

VB: I think pretty standard track improvement during the weekend so nothing special on that, very normal.

Q: (Joe van Burik – Autocar NL) Considering Lewis’s pole time is three seconds quicker than last year, how bad is it in 2019 that the car will be an estimated 1.5s a lap slower?

SV: Is that a fact?

LH: That’s what they said, yeah, something like that.

SV: Really?

LH: I don’t think it’s particularly… I think in the sport and in technology we’re developing and moving forwards all the time to pull us back. I don’t think if that’s a particularly… it’s not going to make any difference if you make it… if you make us three seconds slower or a second and a half slower, it’s not going to make the racing any better and we just want to go faster, we want to improve technology, we want to push the boundaries and the limits. One of the exciting things this year has been that we are breaking records. Sebastian was just saying about the… what year was it?

SV: Well, before they introduced the chicane, I think they were doing high fifteens.

LH: It’s incredible the technology we have and what we’re doing with it. We should be at least as fast as we are this year but just making racing better. In my personal opinion.

SV: Yeah, I agree, I think… I find it a bit comical:  why, in 2009 we went, let’s go less aerodynamics and better racing and so on? In fact I think it didn’t change too much. Then we said the cars are too slow, let’s put more aerodynamics and make them wider, more spectacular. All the drivers’ feedback was thank you very much, spectacular, that’s what we would like, more challenging, you see us more exhausted after the race, and now we want to make them slower again. It’s a bit like cruising to America and changing direction 100 times.

LH: Is it the same people making the decisions every time, the same group, making the decision every time the rules go… not necessarily the best?

Q: It’s with the intention of improving overtaking next year.

SV: I think you should ask us what we need to overtake.

LH: We should make the decisions.

SV: I mean we are drivers, not to say that we know everything, we don’t anything about engineering the car but we know how the cars feel, how to drive the cars. And their limitations to overtake. But we’re not really asked.

How to prepare the Peugeot 208 WRX for Mettet

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World Rallycross

FEATURE BY: Peugeot Sport

Tight turns and a big jump are the main technical challenges of the Mettet rallycross track, which Team Peugeot Total is preparing for this weekend.

Mettet in Belgium is a track like no other! It's got some tight and technical turns as well as an extremely fast section at the end of the lap – not to mention a massive jump.

“To be completely accurate, it’s not really a jump: it’s a drop,” explains Nicolas Gueranger, a design engineer in Peugeot’s World RX programme. “The road falls away from the car and this actually makes a big difference to how we adjust the suspension. This is because there is no compression to load the suspension as the car takes off: instead it just falls. So we have to make sure that the car can cope with this big impact when it hits the road again. We do this by adjusting the stroke of the damper: in other words, the distance that the wheels can travel to absorb impacts.”
        
The longer the suspension travel, the bigger the impact that car can absorb. As the cars land they also have to immediately brake and turn in for the following corner, which comes up in a heartbeat. The drivers have 3 things to instantly think about – landing, braking and turning – while the car has 3 sets of different forces acting on it, all at the same time.  

“This is definitely one of the trickiest places of the year,” explains team manager Kenneth Hansen. “But the whole Mettet circuit is really challenging: especially the fast section at the end.” Kevin Hansen knows only too well how tricky this place can be: last year he got slightly off line in the fast section; the rear of the car slid wide and pitched him into a roll. “That’s a perfect example of what Mettet can do; just a small mistake can have really serious consequences,” adds Kenneth Hansen.

To provide a perfect drive out of all the slow and technical corners, the engine settings of the Peugeot 208 WRX are adjusted to deliver as much of the power as early as possible. “You need a linear and progressive power delivery; nothing sudden,” continues Nicolas Gueranger. “So we adjust the throttle settings for a circuit like this one, to give the drivers the best possible immediate response out of the corners.”

Volkswagen Golf R to power passenger rides at the Speedmachine

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World Rallycross

IMG, the FIA World Rallycross rights holders have announced a new partnership with Volkswagen R to showcase the firm’s flagship R range at the Speedmachine festival at Silverstone on 25-27 May. The collaboration will offer event-goers the unique opportunity to get out onto the iconic track with an adrenaline-pumping Golf R passenger ride experience alongside a professional racing driver.

Volkswagen R is the inspiration for the Polo R Supercar, which will be seen competing at Cooper Tires World RX of Great Britain at Silverstone in the hands of defending champion Johan Kristoffersson and motorsport legend Petter Solberg.

To celebrate the manufacturer’s success in World RX, Volkswagen R will take pride of place at Speedmachine with a display of its models and the opportunity to meet both Kristoffersson and Solberg.

Attendees will also have the chance to get a racer’s eye-view of the famed Silverstone national circuit with a  passenger ride experience in the Golf R, which packs a huge 310PS and 400Nm of torque to reach 0-62mph in just 4.6secs. This is achieved through its use of race-bred technology, including a 7-speed dual-clutch (DSG) gearbox, 4MOTION four-wheel drive and pioneering launch control start. 

“Volkswagen R is excited to be a key partner in the Speedmachine festival,” commented Executive Director for Volkswagen R, Jost Capito. “We look forward to connecting with the fans, showcasing our pro

ducts and offering F1 circuit thrill rides in the iconic Golf R to the festival visitors.” 

World RX Managing Director for IMG, Paul Bellamy said: “Volkswagen R brings the best of the firm’s racing technology and experience – honed through its decades of motorsport success – to the road, which makes Speedmachine the perfect partner to demonstrate its headline range. We’re sure event-goers will be inspired by VW’s rallycross performances to lap up the opportunity of discovering Volkswagen R on the Silverstone Circuit itself.”

In addition to the enthralling action on-track at Silverstone over the World RX of Great Britain weekend, Speedmachine's packed entertainment bill ensures there will be something for each event-goer to enjoy. 

This includes headline live music from the likes of Dizzee Rascal, Lethal Bizzle and Ministry of Sound, Esports, drifting, iconic car displays and the very best street food, not to mention a truly unique opportunity for attendees to get behind the wheel of a performance car and drive the world-famous Silverstone Formula 1 circuit.

Book advanced tickets now and save £20. Weekend, camping and day tickets are available: www.speedmachine.com

2018 Spanish Grand Prix: Team Members Press Conference [Transcript]

TEAM REPRESENTATIVES – Mattia BINOTTO (Ferrari), Andy COWELL (Mercedes), Rémi TAFFIN (Renault), Toyoharu TANABE (Honda)

Gentlemen, before we deal with the here and now, can we kick things off by throwing things forward to 2021 and the new engine regulations. There are various elements to this and Mattia, if I could start with you, the new power unit has to hit the track in about 30 months’ time. How tight is the timescale? Is it enough time? 
Mattia BINOTTO: Is it enough time? It will depending much on how different will be the new power unit compared to the one of today. So, no changes to the regulations, plenty of time. As much as you change it, obviously the more time you need. At the moment, so far, for what we may understand, because we are still discussing – FIA, FOM – what will be the format. We had several meetings in the last days. We have some more in the next days, let’s see where it will go. But 30 months is plenty enough but it would be good to try to reach and agreement on what will be the format in really the next two to three months.

Andy, coming to you, there have been various presentations already, as Mattia has just referred to. Is everyone aligned as to what those regulations are going to be in ’21? 
Andy COWELL: As Mattia says there have been several meetings, starting last summer. Discussions are never 100% aligned. There’s always difference of opinion, but you end up coming up with a compromise and setting off on a direction, hopefully with enough time to do a decent job before the first race.

And have we found that direction now? 
AC: I think those discussions are ongoing. None of us can read a published set of regulations, so the discussions, the debate, the compromises are a work in progress.

Remi, can we just get Renault’s take on the new engine regulations and where you would like to see them go? 
Rémi TAFFIN: I think we wish to go forwards. We are still interested in developing the engine. We think the engine is a big part of Formula 1. As my colleagues have said, we are all discussing this, we want to get this forward. We know we have some work to do. We know we will have some changes compared to today and we have to deal with them. But the most important thing for Renault is that we all work together with the FIA and F1, to get this right and yes, to make sure that the engines keep a good part in Formula 1.

Tanabe-san, what’s Honda’s position on the new rules and specifically the MGU-H?
Toyoharu TANABE: Yes, we will miss the MGU-H. I think we haven’t decided everything yet for 2021. But the direction from the FIA we respect, we respect the other manufacturers’ direction, but we think we will miss the MGU-H, such a high pinnacle of technology for the future and relevant to the production car as well.

Just to clarify: Honda would like the MGU-H to stay? 
TT: Yes, we would like to keep that technology.

Rémi, if I could back to you now and deal with the present. Can you just talk about the progress you’ve made with the power unit in Viry, where have you made the biggest gains this year?
RT: I think the gains that we have for a few months and a few years now is through the ICE, the internal combustion engine that we have lifted the efficiency with and that’s where we are focusing our efforts.

OK. Renault, a while back, gave Red Bull Racing a deadline of May to fix a 2019 partnership. How are those talks going and might that deadline be extended? 
RT: I think from my perspective, obviously I do not deal with contract, I leave it to my boss Cyril, and he has been speaking about that. But if we come back to the technical aspect of that, obviously there are some deadlines, which is simply based on the fact that we have to order parts. So, as a starting point, we know that by the end of this months we would have to start buying some parts to supply as many teams as we would have to for next year. So that is one of our technical deadlines. Then the rest, as I said, is all about having a contract or not with them, which is obviously on their side.

Tanabe-san, coming back to you, we’ve just been talking about Red Bull Racing’s future engine partner, what can you tell us about the talks between Red Bull Racin and Honda? 
TT: As my role, as Technical Director, I am not involved much with contract matters, but as Honda we have studied, discussed and then we had a preliminary conversation in Baku, but it is still under discussion.

Do you have a deadline in mind when Honda needs to know if it’s supplying Red Bull Racing as well as Toro Rosso? 
TT: We will follow the FIA regulation, but at the moment I cannot tell you exactly.

Let’s talk about the performance of the power unit now. You obviously had a great weekend in Bahrain. Where is the power unit improved from 2017? 
TT: Of course we work for the reliability, but not only reliability but performance as well – maybe the same as others. But we focused on the reliability from last year. We learned a lot from the previous years and we applied that type of knowledge or learning point to this year’s power unit.

Thank you. Andy, returning to you, congratulations on that win in Baku last time out. If we’ve learned one thing about Formula 1 on 2018 it’s that it’s very tight at the top and the first question to you is whether we have seen evidence that the power advantage in recent seasons has been eroded?
AC: The last race was very pleasing, the three races before not so. With regard to the power advantage, I think at the moment, in qualifying, then the gentleman to the right of me has a small advantage – well done! – but in racing I suspect we’ve got a small advantage. I think Renault and Honda are very close behind. As we discussed a couple of years ago that if you have regulation stability you do see technical solutions converge and that’s what we’re enjoying at the moment and we’ve all got the pleasure of working hard in the factories and trying to catch each other up and I think it’s going to be a tight battle all the way through this year and next year, and the year after.

You talk about convergence: this is year five of these regulations, so how close are we getting to the limit of what you can get out of these regulations? 
AC: I think that comes down to your belief and understanding of whether there is a limit. I personally don’t believe there is a limit. I think you can always find gains. Every week I have the pleasure to sit in our performance and innovation meeting and listen to bright engineers come up with ways of getting a little bit more efficiency out of the various systems and then enjoying the competition in the factory to turn those ideas in proven experiments, and then prove that they are reliable enough to come racing and compete in this wonderful environment. So, for all four us, we will continue to develop and there is no such thing as a limit.

Mattia, we are talking about limits, would you agree with Andy that there are no limits?
MB: I would agree with Andy, no doubt. When you put engineers together, there will be always innovations, creativity. And for an engineer there are never limits. I think we have seen in the last years, in the last season, how much we improved, year after year and I don’t think we have shown so far that we have reached the limit of the product.

Can we ask you about those gains that Ferrari have made, particularly over the winter coming into this season. How do you quantify those gains: how much is chassis, how much is engine?
MB: I think we have improved in most of the areas and our spirit is really to try to improve first, what were the weaknesses of last year, try to focus, we knew that maybe on top speed we were not our best, in terms of overall efficiency we could have improved, especially on what were the fast circuits. So I think all our engineering focus was to improve the car in all the areas. I don’t think we can say there is a specific area that improved the most and I’m quite pleased to see that in all the areas we made progress.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Dan Knutson – Auto Action and Speedsport) Mattia, what is Ferrari’s position on these recent changes for ’19, especially the less complex front wing?

MB: OK, I think that as a team we have a duty and a task to improve the show, to improve the Formula 1. I think that certainly the regulations may be a good step in that respect. It is a big change, a drastic change to the rules, to the aero. I think each team will be focused on develop what are the new regulations, it’s quite a game changer, but overall I think from an egoistic point of view we could have stuck with what we had at the moment but I think that looking at the show and the good for the sport, it was the right choice.

Q: (Sam Collins – Racecar Engineering) With the growing move to electrification in the Automotive industry, how relevant is the current battery technology in Formula One to production cars and, going forward to 2021, how much freedom would you like in terms of battery technology.

RT: I think we still like, as engineers, to develop batteries but I guess at the beginning we all have different interests in batteries, whether we wish to develop a chemistry ourselves or not, for sale, for example, so it’s really depending on the intent. As far as Renault is concerned, the Group is liking us to develop so I think we eventually wish to have some development in that area. And then, what we’ve got now is not a bad solution. We can do our work, we can make some progress, we can make some differentiation and at the end of the day we wish to keep that freedom. Whether we need to have that complete freedom as we have now, whether we have to proscribe some element of that, it’s another territory that obviously we are discussing these days.

MB: So, how much our battery technology are relevant for our cars, automotive, certainly they are. If we look at LaFerrari GT cars, the technology of the batteries is coming from F1 directly, so certainly it is relevant. Looking at 2021 again, I think as Ferrari it’s important we maintain freedom in developing the key technologies. So we are certainly against any standardisation or big proscriptions on key technologies. Certainly whatever is related to the power unit , which, for Ferrari, is a key element.

AC: I think all the batteries that we’ve got are high-performance road relevant in terms of their power density. I think we’re lagging in terms of the energy density. I think it would be good if the regulations encouraged us to develop higher energy densities – because that is something that’s particularly relevant to mobility. If you think about 2021, then there’s a lot of electric-only cars that are going to be on the market there – but we’re in this. We’re torn. You’re talking to a group of engineers who like to develop new technology, that like to be pushed to drive to the pinnacle of technology. The regulations for 2021 are heading in a downwards step with regards to technology, with the removal of the electrical energy that we get from the MGU-H. Sixty per cent of the electrical energy comes from the MGU-H, we will be going to just a KERS system and therefore the demands on the battery are perhaps a little bit less. I personally, as an engineer, would like to see more on the electrical hybrid side and more of a challenge on the energy density of the battery because I think that would draw more blue-chip companies into this industry. It’s one of the most amazing development platforms on this planet and we’d all like to look after the planet.

TT: I think our hardware itself, it’s not a direct move to the production car area. I think to keep developing the energy management itself and we can learn a lot. And then we can move that technology. Energy management also controls systems. We can improve and that helps our production car areas as well. We can cooperate with production car area. Then keep working on that area is a high technology challenge for us. I’d say it’s important for us as well.

Q: (Scott Mitchell – Autosport) Question for Mattia, Andy and Remi. Honda will miss the MGU-H and would like to keep it. Do you share that view – and why do you think it will no longer be a part of the F1 engine from 2021?
AC: I share the view of Honda. I think the MGU-H has been blamed for the lack of noise, for high complexity. It’s been referred to as a miracle. There are four technology companies that have made it work and get 60 per cent of their electrical energy to then power the K. It contributes 5% of the thermal efficiency of the power unit and to make up the power difference we’re going to have to increase the fuel flow rate, which I think is a backwards step. It’s not progress, so, my view is the H should stay because the development has been done. Removing it removes a lot of energy, which is a lot of car performance. Yeah, it feels like a backwards step when the development work’s been done. We will all now start developing anti-lag systems. The MGU-H is the most marvellous anti-lag system on a turbocharged engine because it gives you speed control. That’s been removed so we’ll now have to come up with various devices and systems and that will probably involve burning some fuel in the exhaust which doesn’t feel like the most honourable thing to do, as an engineer. But, as I’ve said previously, it’s a balance between technology and entertainment. We’ve got to get that balance right.

Mattia, your thoughts.
MB: I think that Andy has already illustrated, certainly the MGU-H is a fantastic, efficient component, for the reason he mentioned. But looking ahead, we know that we know we need to find a compromise. The compromise based on what are the main objectives of 2021: spectacle; noise; simplification; cost. When you are dealing with compromises, there may always be different opinions and I think somehow we may accept the MGU-H to be removed but certainly removing the MGU-H doesn’t mean that we fully need to standardise the power units and the engines. There are still areas in which we believe an engine is a key element, a key technology and important that we still maintain the challenge in these technologies and we try to maintain the engine, or the power unit, as a competitive differentiator between manufacturers – because that’s about the DNA of the sport, and F1.

Rémi?
RT: I think I will have to make the sum-up of what has been said but I think first all three of us have voted to keep the MGU-H, and that was an initial proposal that we have made but there was some alternatives that we’re not taking the way of, and again we’re trying to have good discussions to go forwards for keeping developing this power unit. It may be in a different way, try to keep some more fun for anyway. So, again, at the end of the day, we’re doing the job these days to make sure the power unit in ’21 is where we need to be. And then, yes, we did a lot of work on the MGU-H. We have these things working and it’s a very nice tool, or piece or part – but at the same time I would maybe bounce back on the last question we have, it is not something we will put on the shelf and just forget. As far as Renault is concerned, we have some other projects, we are working on Formula E where battery is also of an interest, so we also work on that front. MGU-H is not directly transferred to Formula E but it’s a very high-speed motor and it’s quite a unique technology and again, we’re not going to put that on the shelf, so it’s all going to be of interest.

Q: (Christian Menath – Motorsport-Magazin.com) Andy mentioned earlier that it’s work in progress and there are discussions and everyone has a different opinion. Obviously you all share the opinion on the MGU-H, but can I please ask each one of you where he personally has problems with the proposal that is on the table yet with the engine regulation for 2021.

TT: I think we have a lot of things to make clear for the detail. So, we generally have a good summary but we don’t have any detail. So, that area we are trying to make clean and this is under discussion. I think many, many ideas.

AC: I’m not sure it’s appropriate to discuss all the details of the ongoing discussion. The MGU-H is a topic that’s already been in the media over the last three years, it’s been blamed for all the evils of Formula One power units, so there’s a lot of commentary out there and so discussing that feels appropriate. Going into others details, it’s probably best if we have a press conference in a month’s time when the regulations are… or whenever the regulations come out.

Andy, I was going to ask you, when you want to see the regulations some out?
AC: I think so long as the regulations come out over the next few months and, as Mattia rightly pointed out, as long as it’s not a complete tear-up of what we currently have, then there’s sufficient time to do a professional job, so we don’t embarrass ourselves at the beginning of 2021.

Mattia, any more thoughts?
MB: No, they summarised. The current discussions are just at the very start so very… let me say ‘green’, or not mature at the moment, with regulations. Very difficult to judge or to comment. As I said, I think as Ferrari, but I’m sure they are joining, it would be a shame to standardise or to limit much, especially compared to what we’ve got today, so reducing some freedom compared to today would be somehow a shame. I believe we should keep up the challenge.

Rémi, anything you’d like to add?
RT: I think maybe the most important is not the proposals, which could be very different to what we see in the last three or four months, but it’s the objectives that we see at the beginning of our discussion. I think as far as the objectives are concerned, we will tackle all of them and we will have, at the end, we will have a proposal that is able to do that – which I guess is the most important for all the parties. FIA, F1, us. That’s what we are working for. It’s also true that we have to make sure, when we work on that proposal, we work out the right change in the right time frame, so that we can do a proper job and be ready for 2021.

Q: (Joe van Burik – Autocar.nl) A question to everyone. Do you think taking out the MGU-H will improve the balance across all four power units in terms of performance and reliability or should we look at completely different solutions? 

RT: No (I don’t think it will even out the performance). As we say, we’ve done the job, we’ve got the MGU-H, which is working where we wish to be. Obviously, it’s a big part of the performance of our power unit but as Andy mentioned it’s part of its efficiency, we’ve worked that out and as we say we still jhave to make sure that every single drop of fuel is burned as efficiently as possible, then it’s the work on the ICE, it’s work on the turbo and obviously if we have to get rid of the ICE and turbo and that’s what we will make the efficiency out of. So, it’s not going to let’s say bring any levelling of any performance or reliability – we’re there.

Mattia, anything to add? 
MB: No, Andy.

AC: I guess one of the things we all wish is that there were 10 of us sat here, that there were 10 manufacturers in the sport – 10 teams, 10 power unit manufacturers. And there is a desire from us and from the FIA and Formula 1 and so removing the H does that help a new entrant come in – quite possibly. We’ve offered to help with technology transfer to help a new entrant. The best way to make it easier for a new entrant is to take some of the systems away, the ones that are perceived to be complex.

Tanabe-san? 
TT: We are working on the future, so it is still under discussion.

Without the H do you think it would help Honda. 
TT: No.

Q: (Michael Schmidt – Auto Motor und Sport) This year we have the rule that you can only use three engines, MGU-K, H and two batteries and I guess at the beginning of the season, every one of you was striving to do the whole season with these three. Now, knowing the balance of power, somebody has to catch up, somebody wants to get an advantage again. Is it worth thinking, now, to introduce maybe a fourth engine in order to have more scope of development, to have another development step in order to get ahead of somebody else or catch up? 

MB: I think that when you’re setting your development programmes, you are not looking at the others but to yourself. As I was saying before, I think that we are looking to our (inaudible) and trying to improve, so we made a programme looking at ourselves and not to the others. We knew that it was three engines per the season, our pack is three engines per season, I don’t think that will change, whatever is the balance, because the best way somehow to achieve or optimise your performance is trying to optimise your own performance and not relative to the others. Again, at this stage of the season, we are in Spain, if you look, no one has introduced, at least, to the second power unit, so I think we are all trying to go longer on the life of the power units and to manage the three engines per season.

RT: I think we knew we had to go to three ICEs and energy store a few months ago, a lot more than that, and as far as I am concerned, we have taken this on board and we have done everything we could to make sure that we stick to that rule because obviously the quicker way, actually, when you are 18 months ahead of going into a season, is to make sure that you keep to the new rules and try to exploit them as much as you could so in terms of reliability, you would try and stick to that. Obviously the closer you get to the points, to go racing with this power unit, you have to have a look at what you’ve got and try to optimise, so maybe the optimisation is a bit different but as far as we are concerned, we are going to the season and we will try and go as quick as possible. If it needs to be three ICEs, then we are ready to do the season on three ICEs. If for some reason, there is an opportunity to get more performance and optimisation we have to get the fourth ICE, then so be it, but I wouldn’t say it’s something that you just throw on the table and follow other plans. The plan is to try and get the rules in and be the best with that rule.

TT: We had a poor start in Melbourne and unfortunately we lost some units already but we stick to the regulations and then also we are developing the performance and the reliability and then when we are comfortable to apply those development items we will update but basically we stick to the Formula One regulations.

Q: What can you tell us about those performance upgrades; when can we expect to see them? 
TT: I don’t mention specific timing now.

AC: I think, as Mattia said, you run your own race, you look at your own situation and you move on and now again you have curved balls come towards you. Some of them are miserable curved balls; if you have a quality issue and a failure. Some of them are happy curved balls: if you discover 10 kilowatts in performance development, you might suddenly to decide to introduce an extra engine towards the end of the year, but I think we all support the rules. The direction has been in place over the last ten years where progressively we’ve reduced the amount of hardware we use in racing because it’s cheaper for the customers, and it actually helps reduce the cost of performance development in the factory, because if you have a power unit that will do 5000 kilometers before it needs rebuilding compared to one that does 2000, you can get a lot more performance development done, so you build less. So I think it’s healthy for the factory, healthy for the industry and maybe we should get together in Abu Dhabi and see where we’ve all ended up.

Q: (Julien Billiotte – AutoHebdo) Mattia, can you explain the concept behind the new rear view mirrors we’ve seen dropping down from the halo of the Ferrari and what sort of gains you are trying to achieve there? 

MB: When developing aerodynamics you are looking at all the opportunities you’ve got which are allowed by the regulations. These mirrors are as well somehow positioned in a better area for the drivers, looking not only behind but ahead as well, front tyres or whatever, so it’s normal development. I think you may judge why a mirror as you’ve done for a wing or a bargeboard or a turning vane, so it’s simple development, coming from the creativity of the engineers.

Q: (Luigi Perna – La Gazzetta dello Sport) There is much speculation around oil burning and the federation confirmed to have improved its controls on this side. Is that technology really useful in Formula One and how much theoretically can it influence the performance, especially in qualifying? 

RT: The short answer from us is that we never experienced this oil burning thing, so I would not give you any effect from that but as a simple thing, we are a fuel flow limited formula so obviously the more combustible you can find and put into the ICE, the more power you will get through, so it’s as simple as that.

MB: First of all, the regulations are discussing about oil consumption and not oil burning and I think we should distinguish what the FIA has done for this season is to reduce the overall oil consumption, the average in the race which has somehow been reduced to 0.6 litres per hundred kilometres. I think that all the manufacturers now simply stick to it. The FIA are certainly controlling it at each session, they’ve got all the data, telemetry and I’m pretty sure that all the manufacturers are simply sticking to the regulations. How much does it affect the performance? It may have a bit of an influence but if you look at the performance of the power units today compared to last year I think they are much equivalent so it’s not overall much influence.

AC: I think in the regulations prior to this year there were some loopholes. I think the FIA have closed down the size of that hole and you know we all work with the FIA to flag issues and then work with them to come up regulations that make sure that the prime focus is on the honourable quest for making the thermal efficiency of the engine better and the efficiency of the hybrid systems better.

TT: We follow FIA regulations, 600cc per hundred kilometres, then we maintain that number and then I don’t know how much, I mean,  the gain, with that system. Just to follow the Formula One regulations.

Q: (Scott Mitchell – Autosport) Andy, just picking up on something you mentioned earlier about offering to help with tech transfer for possible new engine manufacturers; could you just elaborate a little on whether that’s a new position from Mercedes in terms of being willing to help a possible competitor, and to what extent would you go in terms of assisting them technically? 
AC: It’s not a recent thing, it’s something that we’ve always supported. We’ve always been keen to provide our fair share of customer teams and I guess a few years ago, more than our fair share and we’ve always supplied exactly the same performance level there so the topic of a newcomer then… we’re keen to help, so long as the regulations permit us to help, so that’s why that’s been discussed with the FIA and Formula One. And how far would we go? We’d go as far as was required to help the newcomer and I guess that support would then taper out. We really would like more manufacturers to be in to make the sport healthier.

Q: Can I just ask that question to the other manufacturers with customer teams? Mattia, would Ferrari help a newcomer, a new manufacturer to Formula One? 
MB: I think it would be good for the sport, new manufacturers. I think we would help them certainly, through the regulations, as we said, in order to reduce some complexity or not to frighten newcomers as to what is the complexity of our technology at the moment. So we would support it, certainly through regulations. I think that’s the best we can do.

Q: And Remy, would Renault help a new manufacturer coming into Formula One? 
RT: I think we would have to define the frame of that but obviously we are discussing that. We will be looking at this and we will see where we get but we really appreciate to have top competition. We at Renault are already helping teams because we have customer teams so we supply power units. Whether it comes to a part or a fraction of that power unit is a different matter and it’s being discussed.