Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2019 i AUTOSPORT

Sebastian Vettel is closest to Lewis Hamilton in terms of track record, but Max Verstappen is the driver Hamilton has yet to gain a true measure of, the one who looks most likely (depending on how soon Red Bull-Honda and/or Charles Leclerc get their acts together) to challenge Hamilton’s status as Formula 1’s undisputed king. Great teams inevitably gravitate around great drivers, whether it be Lotus and Jim Clark, Tyrrell and Jackie Stewart, Ferrari and Michael Schumacher, Mercedes and Hamilton, or Red Bull and Verstappen. Toto Wolff says Mercedes have “two alpha pilots” in Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, but the reality is two true alphas tend to breed destruction. McLaren found it with Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost; Mercedes had it with Hamilton and Nico Rosberg; and Red Bull went…

EFFICIENCY MUST REMAIN KEY PRIORITY Some people may feel that energy efficiency and motorsport are words that don’t belong in the same sentence. Many who don’t follow our sport think of racing cars as being gas guzzlers – but this belies the fact that success in motorsport has always been driven by efficiency, whether it be in engine design, aerodynamics, or use of resources. You might think the current generation of F1 engines is the embodiment of this, but in fact it’s nothing new. The basic architecture of road car engines of today has much in common with that of racing engines of some decades ago. The production engines of tomorrow will show their heritage in design cues from today’s race engines. The 13th Energy Efficient Motorsport Conference was held…

“The challenge for us is the uncertainty. With any of the scenarios we’ve looked at – two, three years post-Brexit – we’ll be fine. If we go into a no-deal Brexit, if we don’t know how to trade – components coming into the country, cars out of the country, we don’t know how to manage the mobility of talent across, we don’t know what the homologation standards between Europe and the UK are – there’s an interruption to trade which is expensive. “It’s mainly scenario planning at this stage of the game. If we knew the rules, then people could make their decisions based on them. In F1, you design inside the rules. We can probably all work out how to play to the rules, we just don’t know what…

According to popular maxim, it’s the very definition of stupidity to repeat a failed course of action and expect a different outcome. That, and a feeling he didn’t make the most of his limited opportunity, is why Sergey Sirotkin’s backers SMP declined to fund a second year for him at Williams. Sirotkin might lack Lewis Hamilton’s rock star persona and searing turn of pace, and he failed to comprehensively defeat Lance Stroll in 2018, but he applied himself diligently to the task of making himself and the car better. He made mistakes, getting involved in first-lap scrapes and spinning out of Q1 at his home race, for instance, but there were other moments (such as at Monaco) where he over-achieved in a very poor car. You could argue he deserved…

ANDREW BENSON Before he was BBC Sport's chief F1 writer, Benson was the news hound for Autosport. See p24 for his story on cover star Verstappen ALEX KALINAUCKAS It was while covering Formula 2 and GP3 for Autosport that Alex met Toro Rosso new-boy Alex Albon. Read his verdict on page 42 ANDREW FERRARO After criss-crossing the globe covering F1, Ferraro now photographs Formula E. This month he's up at Haas for us (page 44) STUART CODLING For the first time in his career, 'Codders' got the chance to tell an F1 driver about the TV show 'Allo 'Allo. Leclerc's reaction is on page 64…

Q1 Which Finn led more laps in 2018: Kimi Räikkönen or Valtteri Bottas? Q2 How many times did Lotus finish second in the world championship: two, five or seven? Q3 At which circuit were the two Luxembourg GPs, in 1997 and 1998, held? Q4 Which driver started his F1 career with Tyrrell, then drove for Ferrari, Benetton, Prost and Sauber before ending his career at Jordan? Q5 How many races is Lewis Hamilton’s longest winless drought in Formula 1? Q6 What was the highest position a Williams reached during a race in 2018: 7th, 8th or 9th? Q7 Mike Hawthorn, the 1958 world champion, won three world championship GPs. One was France in 1958, but when and where were the other two? Q8 Who was the only driver not from…

DOES IT HELP TO DIVERSIFY? You know the narrative. They are two of F1’s most successful teams – with 17 constructors’ and 19 drivers’ championships between them – yet neither have won the teams’ title this century, and haven’t won a race since 2012. Twenty years ago, McLaren scored their eighth constructors’ title, while Williams had just claimed back-to-back crowns in ’96 and ’97. But the world has changed since then, old certainties have been washed away and new business models required. Both have diversified their businesses, McLaren with their Automotive and Applied Technologies divisions, Williams with Advanced Engineering. But when these teams filled the final four places in qualifying twice last year it only served to magnify a nagging suspicion that eyes were not firmly on the Formula 1…

How will switching to Honda engines affect Red Bull in 2019? For now, it’s all positivity; Red Bull’s relief at ending five years of frustration with Renault in the turbo hybrid formula is palpable. And that is compounded by their belief that Honda’s latest engine is far more potent than Renault’s, with more power to come. Red Bull can compare data from both engines, since junior team Toro Rosso switched to Honda units at the start of 2018, and there are whispers that the engine was as much as 60bhp more powerful than the Renault. Put that to Honda’s F1 technical director Toyoharu Tanabe, though, and he chuckles and says: “60bhp? A little bit too much.” Tanabe raises his hand to head height and says he believes Mercedes and Ferrari…

Those are the words of new Williams recruit George Russell on his 2018 F2 title rival – and fellow ’19 F1 rookie – Alexander Albon. High praise for a rival, which gives considerable insight into the character of Toro Rosso’s latest signing. Albon was a highly rated karter who made a slow-burn transition to cars in 2012, which explains his under-the-radar career status. Things took off in ’16 when he pushed Charles Leclerc hard for the GP3 title. After that near miss, he struggled in F2 the following year before recapturing momentum to claim four wins and three poles (all in succession) on his way to third in 2018. Plenty of highs, and lows, but Albon has had to do things the hard way. He has reached the highest level…

● 4-night hotel stay in Singapore ● 3-day Grandstand ticket to the grand prix including: Friday 20 September 2019 (Practice Day) Saturday 21 September 2019 (Qualifying Day) Sunday 22 September 2019 (Race Day) ● Live music from stadium rockers Muse, DJ legend Fatboy Slim, Jamaican reggae icon Toots and the Maytals and American roots band Linkin Poe – plus more acts to be announced soon ● All Transfers ● All Flights London departure 19 September 2019 – regional flight departures available at a supplement ● Prices from £1499pp Martin Brundle upgrade Why not upgrade your holiday? Include an Exclusive event with Martin Brundle from only £100pp Upgrade Includes Exclusive Martin Brundle event Drinks reception Q&A session ● Bali Hotel upgrade Why not upgrade your holiday further? Include a 7-night hotel…

THEY FIRST MET PROPERLY AT THE OPENING OF THE NEW NÜRBURGRING IN MAY 1984. ALAIN PROST, JUST RETURNED TO MCLAREN FROM RENAULT AND BIDDING FOR HIS FIRST WORLD TITLE, EVEN PICKED UP AYRTON SENNA AT THE AIRPORT, HIS ‘ENTHUSIASTIC’ DRIVING KEEPING THE ROOKIE AMUSED AND ON EDGE ALL THE WAY TO THE TRACK. Conversation was amiable, Prost would later recall, and in different circumstances the two might even have become friends. But that wasn’t the destiny for the two greatest racing drivers of their generation. Not yet. Prost and Senna were headed to the ’Ring to represent the new guard of Formula 1 in a one-make race for Mercedes 190E saloons, featuring a grid packed full of world champions: Niki Lauda, Keke Rosberg, Alan Jones, Jody Scheckter, James Hunt, Jack…

FORMULA 1 CAR BY CAR 1980-89 Author Peter Higham Price £50 evropublishing.com This is the third instalment of the series of books that lists every car from each decade in Formula 1. The format is regimented, focusing on a year at a time with a detailed report on the teams that entered the world championship, enriched with pictures of the different types of model and drivers that raced for them. In line with author Peter Higham’s other works, this is a deeply researched labour of love, which leaves no stone unturned in its quest to report the technical details and nuances of each entrant. This book will find particular affection with enthusiasts who grew up watching and reading about F1 in the 1980s. While many of the stories are familiar…

What’s your favourite part of the track? The Red Bull Grandstand because the party atmosphere there is amazing. The crowd – a sea of orange shirts – are fanatical about Max Verstappen. Be ready to join in with the singing, dancing and chants. And your favourite memory from the race? Last year as Verstappen won after both Mercedes retired. His fans flooded onto the track as he drove past and watching him celebrate with them was truly memorable. The best thing to do away from the track? In Vienna, take a stroll around the Belvedere Palace and Gardens, a two-minute walk from the Lindner Hotel which we offer as part of the package. The Volksgarten next to the Parliament building is also a fantastic sight. Any local food or drink…

01 WHY ARRIVABENE HAD TO GO The failure of Ferrari to win last year’s world championship has triggered the long-expected departure of Maurizio Arrivabene as team principal. While 2018 was Ferrari’s strongest season for a decade, strategy and management mistakes ultimately proved costly in the fight against Mercedes. Former president Sergio Marchionne is believed to have resolved to replace Arrivabene during 2018, but Marchionne’s death last September, from complications following surgery, delayed the process. Rumours had long been circulating of tensions behind the scenes at Maranello between Arrivabene and technical chief Mattia Binotto, who has now been anointed as his successor. Arrivabene’s tenure at Ferrari, after he replaced Marco Mattiacci at the end of 2014, was notable for a significant change of tone. His abrupt and abrasive management style engendered…

IT’S PREMATURE TO WRITE OFF SEB’S FUTURE The twin forces of time and progress are inexorable, even the greatest athlete cannot hold them back forever. As Sebastian Vettel reflects and regroups during the off-season, he will be conscious of their looming presence, made manifest in the form of new Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc. How could he fail to feel the pressure from the 21-year-old standard bearer for the next generation of grand prix drivers who will collectively force Vettel into obsolescence? The question is, when? That’s partly down to Vettel to answer. At 31, he should be in his prime and capable of another five years at least at the top level. He’s leading Formula 1’s most famous team and will likely have the machinery to fight for, and win,…

One company has dominated the business of Formula 1 circuit design and construction over the past 20 years, transforming the architectural tradition of the sport. Where once tracks occupied found spaces or brownfield sites, F1’s expansion eastwards demanded greater scope and scale – as well as a distinctive vision. We catch up with Hermann Tilke’s son to discuss the family business and the new project in Hanoi, Vietnam F1 Racing: Since your father is the renowned Formula 1 track designer Hermann Tilke, you must have been integrated with motor racing all your life… Carsten Tilke: From as early as I can remember, I was going to race tracks with my father and watching racing. Then latterly I’ve been competing in the Porsche Cup and the German ADAC GT Masters…

Age 22 Nationality British-born Thai 2018 Third in Formula 2 with DAMS with four wins. Signs to Toro Rosso F1 team for 2019 after exiting Nissan e.dams Formula E deal 2017 Tenth in Formula 2 with ART GP 2016 Second in GP3 with ART GP with four wins 2015 Seventh in European F3 with Signature. Leaves Lotus junior programme at the end of the year 2014 Third in Formula Renault Eurocup with KTR 2013 Joins Lotus junior team and finishes 16th in Formula Renault Eurocup with KTR 2012 Formula Renault Eurocup with EPIC Racing. Leaves Red Bull junior fold at the end of the year 2006-11 Karting successes include the CIKFIA European Championship (KF3) in 2010. Becomes a Red Bull junior…

“Brrrrrr!” says Charles Leclerc, on a chilly late afternoon in a São Paulo that’s enveloped in grey and pendulous cloud. Cruelly denied a coat by our photographer, Charles hastens from the back of the Sauber garage to the welcoming environs of the team unit as soon as his duties are concluded. Glenn, our snapper, replaces a lens cap and shakes his head ruefully. “You can’t treat ’em like kids,” he says. “Otherwise it starts with you letting them wear a coat and ends with you having to take all the blue M&Ms out of the bowl…” Perhaps in some cases, but Charles Leclerc is emphatically not cut from junior diva cloth. Though F1 star-wrangler Nicolas Todt has steered his career, Leclerc’s talent and singular determination has provided the momentum. There…

SEVEN POINTS. Seven points In their 42-year life, Williams have endured plenty of barren seasons in between periods of utter dominance. But surely none so chronic, so miserable, so hopeless as 2018. You might have thought 1988 – when the only noteworthy achievement by a Williams driver was to trip up Ayrton Senna during the Italian Grand Prix – was pretty grim. But the team finished in the points six times (and that was back when only the top six finishers scored). The 1998 season represented a substantial fall from grace, after back-to-back championship doubles, but Williams finished third in the constructors’ standings then – albeit way behind the leading two. Apart from a strong 2003 season and a fortuitous win for Pastor Maldonado in the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix,…

In 2019 Fernando Alonso will continue to work towards his goal of achieving motorsport’s ‘triple crown’ as he makes his second attempt at adding the Indianapolis 500 to his Le Mans 24 Hours and Monaco Grand Prix successes. To date, only Graham Hill has achieved this feat. Alonso’s entry at the Indy 500 will be an off-shoot McLaren venture, led by former Force India deputy team principal Bob Fernley. But that’s not Alonso’s only planned campaign for the year; he will also continue to drive Toyota’s LMP1 car in the World Endurance Championship super season, which has races in Sebring, Spa and Le Mans left to run. He will also return to the Daytona 24 Hours in January, teaming up with former F1 racer Kamui Kobayashi in a Wayne Taylor…