Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2015 i AUTOSPORT

It doesn’t feel so long since McLaren were regular race winners. It was 2012, for the record: seven victories – four for Lewis, three for Jenson – a tally that equalled Red Bull’s, even if McLaren’s third place in the constructors’ championship trailed both RBR and Ferrari. This was the normal order of things. Teams would come and go, occasionally stealing the limelight, but since the ’60s, McLaren, alongside Ferrari, have always been there or thereabouts. Even during wilderness periods, such as the late ’70s (slow to the ground-effect party) and mid ’90s (engine partner teething problems) there was always a sense they would bounce back. Such was the depth of racing culture in this team, one founded, of course, by a brilliant driver-engineer-entrepreneur, it seemed inconceivable that they wouldn’t…

F1 RACES IN THE USA Q1 Which oval race was officially part of the F1 calendar between 1950 and 1960? Q2 Which Florida venue hosted the first US Grand Prix in 1959? Q3 Who is the only US driver to win a grand prix on home soil? Q4 Who won the sole Formula 1 race held at the Riverside circuit in California in 1960? Q5 Shoreline Drive featured on which US street circuit? Q6 Which driver has led the most laps in the three F1 races held at the Circuit of The Americas? Q7 The Las Vegas GP in 1981 and 1982 was run on a street circuit in the car park of which casino? Q8 Watkins Glen has hosted the United States Grand Prix more times than any other…

WILLIAMS EXHIBITION The Williams F1 team will display their paddock motorhome at Autosport International on 14-17 January 2016. The exhibit at the Birmingham NEC will also feature several of the team’s most successful cars. For more information visit autosportinternational.com. UNDER PRESSURE FIA technical chief Charlie Whiting has issued teams with a revised set of guidelines following controversy over tyre pressures on the Mercedes cars at the Italian GP. The guidelines state when FIA officials can check if each set of tyres meets the minimum pressure stipulated by Pirelli for that event. MOSS’S CAR ON SHOW The Vanwall VW4 in which Stirling Moss became the first British driver to win the British GP in a British car will be displayed at the Classic and Sportscar Show at Alexandra Palace in London…

We can all agree that Daniil Kvyat’s Suzuka shunt was monumental. It was also exciting and entertaining, but only by dint of the fact that he escaped unhurt. There are no small shunts in Suzuka – Prost and Senna’s last corner tangle in 1989 excepted. A year after Jules Bianchi’s accident, no one needed reminding of the dangers of this place. Daniil was punished severely for the misdemeanor of putting a wheel off the track on the corner entry. I did that once at Thruxton in British F3. I never did it again. In today’s world of circuits drawn onto vast expanses of asphalt, perhaps there is less need for pinpoint-precision driving. Maybe Daniil forgot that. He will treat Suzuka with a little more respect next time, I expect. Suzuka…

“That was the idea. We never thought it would be a success, or a great career. Every race was a gift; we took it and at the end I had competitive cars and could drive at my maximum.” “I remember a conversation on the telephone with my father, the night before my first grand prix, for Minardi, in Australia, 2001… it was Saturday night. I remember him saying: ‘Tomorrow you enjoy, start the race, try to do as many laps as possible, maybe finish the race. If you do well, maybe you can continue. If you don’t do good enough, maybe they will change driver, but one day you can say that you drove a Formula 1 car and you raced one Formula 1 grand prix.’ Behind dark-rimmed, opaque-lensed Oakleys,…

Home of the United States Grand Prix for two decades, Watkins Glen established a fine reputation as a challenging and attractive race track set in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of New York State. The permanent circuit, unable to afford the necessary updates to safety and facilities, was dropped from the F1 calendar in 1981. The first post-war road races in the United States were held in 1948 across six miles (9.7 km) of public roads through and around the village of Watkins Glen in New York State. When a car left the road, killing and injuring spectators in 1952, the course was abandoned. In 1956 a 2.3-mile (3.7-km) track was constructed as a community project in the rolling countryside above the town. Since the site was only 200 miles…

Stuart Codling Force India’s newest signing needs to pull his socks up We loaned out Codders to Force India for the Italian GP, so he could get a taste of life as a mechanic (p66). Things started off on the wrong foot. Literally... Jean-Louis Moncet Celebrating a Gallic stalwart of the F1 grid Guy Ligier’s eponymous team proudly upheld French honour in F1. We asked one of France’s top F1 writers for his memories of les Bleus (page 84). Malcolm Griffiths Revealing the hidden beauty of a Merc estate As a frequent contributor to sister mag Autocar, Malcy is used to shooting road cars. But the estate we asked him to snap for p50 was a bit special... Paolo Pellegrini Applying F1 artistry to shots of the sport’s junior class…

1.9.15 Nico Hülkenberg signs a two-year deal to remain at Force India 3.9.15 Ferrari agree contract extension to end of 2018 with technical director James Allison 6.9.15 Jenson Button calls on McLaren to make a quick decision over their 2016 line-up. Racing director Eric Boullier hints both Button and Alonso will be retained 9.9.15 Gene Haas says his new F1 team will field a Ferrari reserve driver for 2016 12.9.15 Melbourne extends deal to host the Australian GP until 2023 15.9.15 Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn confirms his company are re-negotiating their deal with Red Bull, saying their days as an engine supplier “are over” 16.9.15 McLaren reserve Kevin Magnussen falls off his bike and breaks his hand. 20.9.15 Lotus confirm Pastor Maldonado will stay for 2016. His team-mate is yet…

Name InvadersAge Varies wildlyAppearance Unwelcome Ah, The Invaders . I remember that show. Stiff little fingers ‘n’ all. Immolated upon death so the poor protagonist could never convince anyone he wasn’t a raving lunatic, right? Not quite. I speak of a more recent incursion. Oh, I get it! Game of Thrones . Marauding wildlings at the gates. You know nothing, Jon Snow. British thesps suffering death by crossbow while ‘at stool’. I’m down with that… Far be it from me to point out that you watch too much television, but did you not notice the reason for the second Safety Car at the Singapore GP? Vaguely. I was enjoying a second-screen experience on the iPad, via some app or other, while scrolling through Twitter…

What constitutes a good start? A good start is a relative thing, of course, but the main metrics we look at are the distance covered in the first three to four seconds. The 0-100kph (0-62mph) time is also recorded, but distance is more visual, and that gives us track position. With a good start we would expect to have covered around 45 metres in the first three seconds, be in second gear and in control of the wheelspin. Four seconds after launch we would hope to have travelled more than 80 metres and be moving at around 100mph in fourth gear. The 0-100kph time is not particularly spectacular at around 2.7 seconds. Many supercars can do this, but the power and grip of an F1 car don’t come into their…

Nothing better illustrates the challenges posed by the construction of the Formula 1 World Championship calendar than the drawn-out saga surrounding the 2016 edition. It was first leaked to F1 Racing’s sister title Autosport more than a year ahead of the 2016 season opener, since at mid-September various fixtures were still being shifted about – despite the FIA World Motor Sport Council approving the original calendar in June. Yes, it is a complex task: myriad factors, such as time zones, national holidays, weather, transport/logistics, and, in 2016, disruption caused by Rio de Janeiro’s Olympic Games need to be considered before even a draft is prepared, with the gradual creep upwards to next season’s record-setting 21 rounds further complicating matters, particularly as the addition (Baku, Azerbaijan) lies on a transcontinental peninsular.…

“For me it’s about being authentic, and if you can’t win it next time you shouldn’t say you can. There’s nothing worse than travelling on false hope – that’s just not going to get the job done. High-performance teams, even when they’re working well, are not easy places to be: they’re full of highly motivated people – it’s all about outcome. But the reality behind the scenes is that we can’t win it all the time. “We’ve made some big decisions for good reasons, we’ve rebuilt our engineering team, we’ve moved to a different engine. We know that Honda are a high-tech superpower and industrial power in their own right but success won’t come overnight. “Fernando has said: ‘I don’t mind if it’s going to be difficult. I just want…

LARGE MEDICAL BAG Produced by MDD Europe, this fold-out bag contains a wealth of equipment that I consider essential and need to keep immediately to hand. On one side, we keep all the airway kit – from airway adjuncts and tubes to a video laryngoscope (to view inside a patient’s throat). We also have a small portable automatic ventilator and a kit to form a tracheotomy in the event of a compromised airway. In the other side of the bag we keep the circulation kit. We have intravenous gear along with fluids and dressings, and an intraosseous kit to place fluid directly into the cavity of the sternum (breastbone). We also have a pelvic splint, a neck collar and a selection of burns dressings. SUCTION MACHINE If a casualty has…

Pedro Rodíguez was widely acclaimed as one of the most skilful and brave drivers of his era, particularly in the wet. Those two qualities are immortalised in an iconic image where he bangs wheels with his Porsche 917 team-mate Jo Siffert entering the daunting Eau Rouge, at the start of a damp Spa 1,000km in 1970. Pedro raced in F1 from 1963-71, driving for Ferrari, Lotus, Cooper and BRM, and scoring two wins: Kyalami in ‘67 and Spa ‘70. He was prolific in sportscars, the highlight being victory in the 1968 Le Mans 24 Hours. Three years on, he was killed driving a Ferrari at the Norisring. His younger brother Ricardo was also a successful sportscar racer, but managed only five grand prix starts. He was the youngest driver in…

RACE NOTES: SOCHI CAN STILL SHINE IN ITS SECOND SEASON Winding through the spectacular venue of last year’s winter Olympics, this track should prove more impressive this year Last year’s inaugural Russian Grand Prix won’t be remembered as a classic. The paddock was still coming to terms with Jules Bianchi’s terrible accident in Japan the previous weekend, while a circuit that played mainly to the strengths of Mercedes, and a combination of a non-abrasive surface and conservative tyre choice, meant the race was largely processional. But a better race could be on the cards for 2015. With greater track knowledge, Pirelli are likely to use softer, more aggressive tyres, and most drivers actually enjoyed the challenge of the impressive-looking Sochi circuit. Last year, Nico Rosberg’s first-lap error denied spectators a…

RACE NOTES: WELCOME RETURN OF A MUCH-LOVED CIRCUIT Designer Hermann Tilke has tried to maintain this track’s fast and flowing nature. We’ll soon find out whether he succeeded… The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez isn’t strictly a new addition to the calendar, but it might as well be. The last Mexican GP was held here in 1992 – five years before Toro Rosso’s Max Verstappen was born – and the track has been completely revamped. Given that this is essentially a new circuit, it’s hard to know what to expect. Sadly, the revamp doesn’t include the fearsome Peraltada corner, which was unsuitable for this more safety-conscious era of F1 due to its lack of run-off. The circuit has instead been re-routed through an adjacent 30,000-seat baseball stadium. What we can expect is…

Red Bull will most likely use Ferrari engines in 2016 following the collapse of their relationship with Renault. The team’s patience with their current engine partner finally snapped during the summer break and Red Bull sent a letter to Renault giving them notice of termination of their contract on the grounds that they have failed to meet performance clauses. Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz said on his company’s Speedweek website: “The separation from our engine partner takes place at the end of the season by mutual consent. It made no more sense to work together.” As F1 Racing closed for press Renault had not yet confirmed the move, but Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn said that they were “re-negotiating” the Red Bull contract. Red Bull took the decision to end the…

No 6 Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez 1 ESSES MOISÉS SOLANA The chicane, which replaced the circuit’s original high-speed first corner, was named after Moisés Solana Arciniega, a Mexican racer who started eight GPs between 1963 and ’68. He was killed contesting a hillclimb event in Mexico in 1969. 2 EDE DEL LAGO This bend (translation: ‘the lake turn’) is also called the Presidential Curve, because it’s close to the cabin where Adolfo López Mateos (former president of Mexico) would spectate. 3 ESSES This winding sequence has been reprofiled for 2015 and moved slightly to allow for more run-off. To maintain the character of the venue, it remains a rapid series of bends. 4 RECTA DEL OVALO The name – the oval straight – refers to the fact that this is the…

What we’re talking about at F1 Racing Towers WHERE’S BERNIE? The promoters were all there in force. Representatives from Abu Dhabi and Bahrain, Malaysia’s GP boss Razlan Razali, the new Australian GP promoter John Harden and Arif Rahimov, the CEO of Baku Grand Prix Limited. Bernie Ecclestone had invited them all to Singapore to discuss the yet-to-be resolved 2016 Formula 1 calendar. Australia had been pencilled in for 3 April, to coincide with the clocks switching in Europe, and has been promised the opening race. The teams all want a three-week summer break in August and a finish before Christmas. Squeezing 21 races into eight months across every corner of the globe isn’t easy, so Singapore, Japan and Malaysia were due to run as a ‘triple-header’. All this needed sorting…

On the assumption that very little is left of the Red Bull-Renault relationship, which personally I think is very sad given Renault ‘s success over the years, the future in my view is clear: rather than shilly-shallying with Audi, Red Bull should sign immediately with Honda. Do I hear gasps of horror from the back row? Fret not: what you’re seeing of Honda at present is not a true refection of what they can achieve. Although the front-line McLaren men will tell you that their problem is all engine, some in the team are pretty confident that Honda’s deficiencies (on a typical, highdownforce circuit) account for no more than 30 per cent of the gap to the Mercedes factory team. The rest is down to the car – or lack…

FACT FILE Age 35 Place of birth Espoo, Finland Team Ferrari Role Driver 2015 After much deliberation, Ferrari announce he will be retained for 2016 2014 Rejoins Ferrari 2012 Makes his F1 comeback with Lotus and wins two races in his two seasons there 2010 Released from his Ferrari contract a year early, he competes in the World Rally Championship 2007 Switches to Ferrari and wins the world championship at the final grand prix of the year 2002 Moves to McLaren where he finishes as runner-up in the championship in 2003 and 2005 2001 Enters Formula 1 with Sauber. Finishes tenth in championship 2000 Claims Formula Renault UK title, driving for Manor Motorsport 1999 Wins Formula Renault 2000 Winter Championship Your drive for 2016 was confirmed before the Belgian Grand…

What do you do at a grand prix? During the session at races I am one of the four FIA people in Race Control. We are connected by a radio system to the Medical Car, and to the Safety Car. If there is an accident, we decide how to react. This decision is taken mainly by FIA race director Charlie Whiting. It’s not the only the F1 Medical Car at a circuit. There are also between three and five national Medical Cars – ambulances, and two or three extraction vehicles. But the F1 Medical Car is supposed to give support whatever the location on track and to be the first on the scene. F1 Medical Car personnel are there to act directly and coordinate the national people. It’s a specialised…

6 DRIVERS MEXICAN have raced in F1: Sergio Pérez, Esteban Gutiérrez, Héctor Rebaque, Pedro Rodríguez, Ricardo Rodríguez and Moisés Solana FIFTEEN championship GPs have been held in Mexico City 4 WINS Honda-engined cars have had the most success in Mexico, winning four out of 15 grands prix there 33 feet The amount by which Mexico City has sunk over the past 60 years 1 (One) Direction played a concert in the Foro Sol stadium, through which the modified circuit runs, back in 2013 7,500ft The altitude of the circuit, the highest location of any F1 race 3 drivers share the record of two Mexican GP wins: Jim Clark, Alain Prost and Nigel Mansell 21.2 MILLION PEOPLE are estimated (2010 census) to live in the Greater Mexico urban area 300 $…

It’s fair to say that Pastor Maldonado has a certain… reputation. A driver both quick and fearless? Most certainly. But he’s also incident-prone and incapable of sacrificing valour on the altar of discretion. His abundant natural speed took him to the 2010 GP2 title and, in 2012, at the Circuit de Catalunya, to a grand prix victory – his first, and, to date, Williams’ last. Since then? Regular flashes of talent, recurrent off-track excursions, but little in the way of results. Two dreadful cars, the Williams FW35 and the Lotus E22 gave him just one points finish in 2013 and another in 2014, although his hard-charging style remained unchanged, prompting the launch of two websites dedicated to his exploits: www.hasmaldonadocrashedtoday.com and www.maldonadopenaltycounter.com. But isn’t this all a little unfair? Pastor,…

THE GRID *Three-place penalty for impeding another driver **Five-place penalty for additional use of ninth power unit ***Ten-place penalty for first time ninth power unit elements used ****Ten- and 15-place penalties for first time fifth, and sixth and fifth power unit elements used ‡Two 15-place penalties for first time sixth and fifth, and seventh and sixth power unit elements used, and five-place penalty for replacement gearbox ‡‡ Two 25-place penalties first time sixth and fifth, and seventh and sixth power unit elements used ‡‡‡ 20-place penalty for first time seventh and fifth power unit elements used and ten-place penalty for removal of FIA seals without FIA supervision THE RACE…

RACE NOTES: THREE RACES ON, COTA IS ALREADY A CLASSIC Everyone loves the Circuit of The Americas – none more so than Lewis Hamilton, who’ll be looking to add to his win tally here After just three races, the incredibly popular Circuit of The Americas already feels like an essential part of the Formula 1 calendar. It’s a place the paddock and the fans love visiting – and arguably nobody enjoys it more than Lewis Hamilton. The British racer has won here twice, and last year his manoeuvre when he overtook Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg was one of the decisive moments in his championship campaign. That said, Hamilton isn’t the only racer who thrives on the Texas track: Sebastian Vettel won here in 2013, and has set the fastest lap…

I say “welcome back” because Mexico was previously on the F1 calendar for 15 memorable and exciting years, from 1963 to 1970 and then again from 1986 until 1992. Its going to be great to have a ‘new’ historic grand prix where the locals are passionately enthusiastic about Formula 1 and have long yearned for its return, unlike those races at so many current locations where money, as opposed to national motorsport interest, is the motivator. Mexico has a rich F1 history. It’s where the great Jim Clark won a record three times; where John Surtees dramatically achieved his brilliant record of becoming the only motorcycle world champion to win the F1 championship; where America’s Richie Ginther gave Honda their first ever F1 victory in 1965; and where Nigel Mansell,…