In the round-up: Nico Rosberg is reported to have a contract extension at Mercedes.
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Rosberg signs new Mercedes contract (BBC)
“Nico Rosberg is to remain at Mercedes alongside Lewis Hamilton after signing a contract extension for at least two more years.”
Rules and regs have ‘gone too far’ (ESPN)
“Take the example of the tyres. Why are you obliged to stop for the tyres? If you give instead of two, hard and soft, you have another one, so hard, medium and soft. You start the race with the one you qualified with and then it’s open, you leave the freedom. Then you have something different because you have an interest.”
Prost: Merc must calm tensions (Sky)
“If you only have a small detail, a small problem inside the team, or a little bit outside, then it could start very, very quickly. It’s very rare that you have a full friendship until the end [of a driver’s career] especially if you’re fighting very closely, but that can still be possible.”
Being F1’s first black driver is important (Lewis Hamilton)
“When I first started in Formula One, I tried to ignore the fact I was the first black guy ever to race in the sport. But, as I’ve got older, I’ve really started to appreciate the implications.”
Ferrari poised for engine boost (Autosport)
“Although power units are homologated, Ferrari believes that performance gains can be made by running its engines with more aggressive settings now that it is more comfortable with reliability.”
Christian Horner Q&A: Power unit & fuel key to Red Bull recovery (F1)
“The most significant thing will come from Renault’s side and with Total because the fuel seems to be a big thing as well this year.”
Write off Vettel at your peril, says Horner (Reuters)
“It reminds me very much of 2012, which started with us on the back foot and he turned it around and put a run of results together in the second half of the year and then won the championship at the last race.”
One lap with Jacky Ickx in Monaco
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Comment of the day
Lewis Hamilton’s comments about his background making him hungrier for success than team mate Rosberg prompted a lot of responses. This was my favourite:
I don’t know why Hamilton is saying he’s the ‘hungriest’ driver. In my opinion the hungriest drivers are probably Sutil, Hulkenberg, and Vergne.
Keith Campbell (@Keithedin)
From the forum
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday to Pete Walker, Driftin and Mallesh Magdum!
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On this day in F1
The 1994 season witnessed another major crash on this day 20 years ago. Pedro Lamy was fortunate to survive when his Lotus cleared a barrier during a test at Silverstone. Lamy’s rear wing failed as he passed through the flat-out Abbey kink, he hit a barrier and landed in a spectator tunnel on the approach to Bridge corner.
He suffered broken legs, a broken arm and other injuries. Ironically Lamy had been testing alterations made to the Lotus to comply with changes being made to the cars on safety grounds following the Imola and Monte-Carlo accidents.
Image © Daimler/Hoch Zwei
Carlitox (@carlitox)
24th May 2014, 0:10
I regard Hamilton as a very mature racer, yet not a mature person. Bringing up subjects like this one is an example of that.
On another note, loved the Tooned short, just sad they turned it into a commercial exercise. Still, it was real fun.
@HoHum (@hohum)
24th May 2014, 0:18
We’ve talked about what Hamilton said and what he meant ad-infinitum, can we give it a rest please?
Chris (@tophercheese21)
24th May 2014, 0:32
Yes! Thank you!
I couldn’t believe some of the comments I was reading yesterday.
Still shaking my head in disgust.
Dave (@)
24th May 2014, 0:51
And at the bottom of the article it states he was talking to BBC F1 journalist Andrew Benson. Which means Benson asked some questions, and Hamilton responded. That’s what happens in interviews.
JCost (@jcost)
24th May 2014, 11:46
@raceprouk we have “twitter mind” these days, so people don’t bother reading the whole article and jump to comments, @keithcollantine gives us the link but people just skip it…
If you read, you understand it was a good introduction to a very interesting story and the impact he has made to our sport. Many people even didn’t read about his work with Unicef…
DaveW (@dmw)
24th May 2014, 3:03
Subjects like what—is it unspeakable? If you mean his ethnicity, I’m happy to hear him discuss it. It’s real and it has real effects. It’s amazing that if he talks of his biography, he needs to get on with it. If others talk about their degrees and languages, we all pull up a chair and lean in. Good for him. Keep speaking truth and keep kicking tail on the track.
timi (@timi)
24th May 2014, 3:50
@carlitox
Sorry, what? You mean him realising he’s been somewhere no black man has ever been before? Oh yeah, not mature at all. Breaking boundaries, reaching new frontiers for his race etc.. of course that isn’t being mature as a person. Haha seriously, the Hamilton digs get funnier every year.
Surely one of the most mature things a person can do is to acknowledge their pioneering of their own race or culture and t’he immense weight on their shoulders. And to acknowledge and embrace the fact that they’re actually doing something that means a lot more than quite literally every other driver out there.
Gosh that Hamilton guy is immature, representing his race blah blah haha. What next? He wishes for world peace and suddenly that’s an immature thought that’s impossible in the modern age? Give the guy a break already!
BJ (@beejis60)
24th May 2014, 5:49
@timi I disagree. It doesn’t matter if he’s black or half black or his mother’s dog slept in the same room as a cat one night in 1994…
timi (@timi)
24th May 2014, 10:02
@beejis60 It might not matter to you, but I assure you it matters to almost half of the world who now have a representative of sorts in F1. It matters to Bernie and CVC who now have an “in” for a lot more markets than before. It matters to F1 because it shows things like diversity, as well as boosting the sports marketability.
N.B. I would say 95% of what any driver says doesn’t matter. Yet he makes a point about something more important than the usual PR nonsense of “for sure, I’m coming to this weekend in the best condition ever and I’m really going to be pushing”, and that’s an issue? It’s just hilarious really, and if you genuinely think it doesn’t matter if he’s black then you don’t really get the whole cultural fandom thing. Either that or you’re thinking of F1 with respects to you, and only to you. Nevermind the billions of black people in the world who have now tuned into F1.
Mark Wilson (@markgixxer750)
24th May 2014, 7:07
+1
Funkyf1 (@funkyf1)
24th May 2014, 4:41
Many different races and nationalities have won world championships and raced cars before, I don’t see anyone else having issues with this, why is it even a topic?
JCost (@jcost)
24th May 2014, 9:35
I grew up as a minority in Europe and I know the rule “don’t talk about it, just ignore it” that’s why I think Lewis is right in bluntly saying how important this fact is. Too bad Lewis ignored Arthur Ashe and mentioned the Williams sisters only :).
I’ve been to GPs and karting clubs in Europe before Lewis was an F1 star and I’ve been there after Lewis, it’s different and as years go by more black racers enter feeder series and in the future probably it will be silly to talk about it, but now? No way.
HiPn0tIc (@hipn0tic)
24th May 2014, 10:21
Hamilton has the need to put’s himself under the spotlights.
Coincidence or not (of course not) when he’s in a good plan, because things are bad, he tend not to talk a lot to the press. For that i say that he tend to be a person when he’s in a good plan and other when in a bad plan.
@HoHum (@hohum)
24th May 2014, 0:15
Prost is spot-on regarding the tyres . How much longer must we put up with these “designed to fail” garbage tyres stopping the drivers from racing.
Chris (@tophercheese21)
24th May 2014, 0:35
+1
My view is that the tyres are the real culprit behind F1’s problems (on track at least). People point to DRS as the main one, but with durable but grippy tyres, DRS becomes less effective, thus battles can be fought for longer, and at more close quarters.
Robbie (@robbie)
24th May 2014, 0:49
I think an even bigger culprit harming the racing is dependency on aero.
I also believe that the only reason Pirelli is happy to be the sole tire supplier is that they get to make tires that influence the racing. As soon as the tires are stable and grippy and no longer a headache for the teams and drivers then nobody will talk about the tires and Pirelli will feel no marketing impact from being in F1. Then they will either want out of F1 or will be asking for a competing tire maker to come in so we will talk about tires again.
Not sure I entirely understand Prost’s point. Why stop for tires? But there should be a third compound choice?
@HoHum (@hohum)
24th May 2014, 2:59
@robbie, I think the point Prost was making was that the teams should have total control of tyre strategy, whether they wish to 2 stop on soft tyres, one stop on mediums or no stop on hards, or any combination of tyres and stops they think optimal.
Robbie (@robbie)
24th May 2014, 3:29
@hohum Yeah you’re right…I think I just had to re-read his wording a few more times with his French accent in mind.
I’m not actually convinced that would make much of a difference, as I wonder if most teams would gravitate toward 2 same options that are closer together, dictated by their setup and the track(s), rather than skipping the middle one and doing the extreme ends of the spectrum. But of course he knows far far better of what he speaks. And no uquestion, choice is good for variety.
I wonder too if it is a cost thing, or something that just doesn’t mesh with F1’s direction in how they want the tires to affect the racing, whatever their philosophy is or is heading toward. The 2 option thing has been going on a long time, so Prost must be really thinking this would be something very new and helpful to ratings. I haven’t heard if it is something amongst the many things they are talking about within F1.
BasCB (@bascb)
25th May 2014, 8:00
Yes, that was what I took from the article as well @Hohum. And I agree.
Mashiat (@mashiat)
24th May 2014, 7:53
As Top Gear once said, all Pirelli are actually doing is making people go into garages and say “Give me 4 good tyres, just not Pirellis.” Enough said.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
24th May 2014, 21:11
@mashiat They obviously aren’t because Pirelli were sufficiently happy with the exposure they’re getting to renew their contract from this year.
KeeleyObsessed (@keeleyobsessed)
24th May 2014, 0:41
@hohum Not sure where Prost was moaning about the tyres being ‘designed to fail’. He talks about the 2-compound rule, not the Pirelli-spec.
@HoHum (@hohum)
24th May 2014, 0:46
Prost was spot-on about the 2 compound rule. The tyres are crap too. Better?
nietzsche
24th May 2014, 4:59
You only have to stop looking at F1 as a sport and see it as a business to see why the Pirelli/tyres must come into play. Those of you who remember the Goodyear years, when was Goodyear/tyres ever on the headlines? thats right never. Pirelli want their share of exposure, these days its not enough to just have pirelli & p-zero on rubber. Tyres will stay this way whilst a sole supplier is maintained
Patrickl (@patrickl)
24th May 2014, 15:35
Exactly. It’s like the same dumb mistake they made with the grooved tyres.
As was demonstrated before by the overtaking workgroup in the simulator and Massa reiterated this again a few days ago, the cars need to be more dependent on mechanical grip rather than aero. Tyres made from eggshells is not the way to go.
Calum (@calum)
24th May 2014, 0:16
Four wins for Mercedes, umpteen podiums and keeping World Champion team mates honest for consecutive seasons.
I’m sure everyone will agree it’s a deserved contract extension for Rosberg.
Robbie (@robbie)
24th May 2014, 0:25
I know I do.
Sven (@crammond)
24th May 2014, 0:34
Nope. I´ve never been into top-teams extending contracts of team-duell-losers, and I am not now. The whole drivers-market is far to illiquid in the past one-and-a-half decades to me, and this is another example for it.
Dave (@)
24th May 2014, 0:53
Remind me never to employ you as a manager if I ever have the money to set up an F1 team.
AdamRHolt (@adamrholt)
24th May 2014, 1:08
Name a better option for Mercedes? He’s a known quantity, that is very very capable. Why hire Hulkenberg or Alonso, they’re the only possibly available drivers I could imagine being up to (or above) Rosbergs standards, and with some risk attached.
Sven (@crammond)
24th May 2014, 1:30
The “known-quantity” doesn´t really make it good for me, if that known-quantity isn´t the top. I´d really like teams to aim for having the best possible drivers and taking risks in trying to figure out who those are. So yes, Hülkenberg would be an obvious choice.
Alonso, well… I don´t know wether they could get him. But if they could, he would be a known-quantity that is better than Rosberg.
Other drivers, that may be as good as Rosberg, but might turn out to be better (or worse), and you won´t find out unless you try out (which I hope they would rather than taking known-quantities) are Grosjean, Bottas, maybe even Vergne (given how well Ric is doing).
Well, and obviously Button was closer to Ham than Rosberg is, and their team-battle was more interesting (and ended in roughly a draw) than the now Ham-Ros-battle is, it just didn´t happen in a dominating car.
That being said, this is obviously my wish as a fan and spectator. As a team-manager in todays F1, I´d probably extend Ros´ contract as well. The boring, safe way, and not fully based on his speed but rather his getting-along with the team (and representing their sponsors) since years. I´d just not carry him as long as Ferrari carried Massa, I guess.
Robbie (@robbie)
24th May 2014, 1:54
Ok that’s clear @crammond but I do think you are under-rating NR and should give him a chance now that he finally has the car. I also think the last thing Bahrain and Spain were was boring. I also think teams do not have the luxury of just trying different drivers like it is easy to just sign them up ‘just to see how they do’.
matt90 (@matt90)
24th May 2014, 2:02
I’m not sure about that.
Kingshark (@kingshark)
24th May 2014, 3:09
@crammond
Laughable.
The only time Button looked better than Lewis was in the 2nd half of 2011, which was Jenson’s best career form and Lewis’s worst.
In 2010 and 2012, how many times did Button genuinely outpace Hamilton in a race where both cars finished? Jenson was never faster than Lewis in 2010, and in 2012 he was only faster in Australia, Belgium and Japan (3 out of 20 races).
Rosberg can actually outqualy and outrace Hamilton on merits alone without constantly relying on Lewis’s misfortunes.
Also in 2012 Hamilton absolute destroyed Button despite of what the final standings say, it was one of the most one-sided teammate duel of that season.
nietzsche
24th May 2014, 5:07
Hulkenburg, he’s perfect as he can take over from Rosberg’s German-Mercedes PR work. If Rosberg gets comprehensively beaten by Hamilton lets face it, hes best move is out of Mercedes unless he aspires to become Barrichello the second. Rosberg could then go and fill Vettel’s place at RBR, Vettel>Ferrari, Alonso>McLaren, Button>Retired. And Robin Frijns>Force India!!
Robbie (@robbie)
24th May 2014, 1:13
@crammond Not sure I understand your remark but if you are saying NR is the loser in the duel between he and LH, that has yet to be decided. But if he does lose this year I will look forward to seeing him answer to LH next year.
Robbie (@robbie)
24th May 2014, 2:09
@matt90 JB bested LH in 2011, but I too think that in general we can consistently throw a blanket over LH/NR moreso than was ever the case with LH/JB.
Hamilfan (@hamilfan)
24th May 2014, 3:53
Nico is ten times more capable than JB of mounting a fight to LH @robbie .
Hamilfan (@hamilfan)
24th May 2014, 3:52
@crammond I think Ferrari will find you, a great prospect with all the pointless firing going on there.
Robbie (@robbie)
24th May 2014, 4:03
@hamilfan Yeah you won’t catch me arguing that. I do think LH was off his game in 2011, which he admitted to, and which in itself says something about him in terms of loss of focus, but from which I expect he has learned a lot, and I do think NR has had a better car with which to go up against LH than JB had, but I also think you are right nonetheless.
Sven (@crammond)
24th May 2014, 11:35
I´d love to fire LdM ^^
Albert
24th May 2014, 6:52
So, bascally, a team HAS to change drivers every 2-3 years, even if they are successfully getting the best possible results (1-2)? Ridiculous, to say the least.
Chris (@tophercheese21)
24th May 2014, 7:16
I agree Calum.
Rosberg may not be considered one of the “Big 4”, but he’s right on the cusp.
JCost (@jcost)
24th May 2014, 11:48
@calum I think Fernando Alonso’s management does not agree with you…
Chad (@chaddy)
24th May 2014, 0:18
I just noticed red bull has normal style cameras now. Was that voluntary or decreed?
Kingshark (@kingshark)
24th May 2014, 0:20
FIA declared their original camera illegal.
Nick (@npf1)
24th May 2014, 0:21
Requested by the FOM, as they need to be able to have a backwards viewing camera.
Quotation of source.
Max Jacobson (@vettel1)
24th May 2014, 0:30
I’m not too fussed about it – the idea was novel but the nose now looks better as a result without the prominent step and the camera angle is quite spectacular (some of the onboard shots looked brilliant with the low positioning in Monaco).
@HoHum (@hohum)
24th May 2014, 0:42
@chaddy, I believe it was decree, but it got lost in all the noise about the startling revelation that Hamilton wants to beat Rosberg.
Greg-c
24th May 2014, 0:23
Cotd
Classic !
Maybe the Hulk pinched a few canapés at Vijays party and that might be enough to get him through the race .
Jacky in the autounion video was Mega !!!!
The understeer into chicane ,
The rocket like acceleration ,
Sensational !!!!
I can only imagine those being driven in race anger , wow
Toxic (@)
24th May 2014, 3:37
I actually think that Jacky’s video is boring. It looks like someone has played with the image a lot.
It looks like some stunt drive. Anyone know’s where is it from? The margins on the corners are way too big to be it a real racing footage.
Robbie (@robbie)
24th May 2014, 4:18
I thought it was cool but not that it was a rocket going around the track. I’m assuming this was Ickx yesterday or today on a one lap tour around the track in that vintage car as part of the weekend affairs that go on often at races. A treat, an honor, and a blast for Ickx and the crew involved in keeping this car roadworthy, and great and historical eye candy for the crowd.
@HoHum (@hohum)
24th May 2014, 22:30
For goodness sake, Jackie wan’t racing in the era of that car, it was pretty obviously a demonstration lap, and from some time ago.
Hamilfan (@hamilfan)
24th May 2014, 4:05
I disagree. It looks too slow even for that car . I believe Jacky was testing it before a hot lap .
But what amazes me is that the track has not changed a lot . The margins are very close ( the speed has increased a lot though which is evident from the fact that he has time for a few gulps of water through the chicanes ) , Monaco has a steep history and heritage indeed :) .
Robbie (@robbie)
24th May 2014, 4:24
No look at the ads. I think it is from this weekend. Dot com wasn’t around then.
spoutnik (@spoutnik)
24th May 2014, 9:02
it’s the current layout. It’s not an old footage, video definition is way too high, in a 16/9 format. The car runs way too slow, it’s not racing but cruising with a vintage car.
Max Jacobson (@vettel1)
24th May 2014, 0:27
In a way, I am disappointed. Assuming Mercedes retain their advantage for multiple seasons, it would have been fascinating to see Alonso or Vettel in the team alongside Hamilton.
Though I’m still not ruling out the prospect of the latter being a future occurence, as the German association and the success of the driver would be lucrative for Mercedes.
Robbie (@robbie)
24th May 2014, 2:05
Just my opinion of course but a) I wouldn’t assume Merc will dominate for several years as I think Renault will get their act together and Honda will be strong, b) we’ve seen FA/LH and it wasn’t pretty, and c) sure LH/SV would be fascinating and I agree it could happen at some point down the line, but we sure don’t have to take up a collection for them and obviously they don’t feel any need/pressure to have a German driver, so it should be about what the best fit is for them. Also, with Newey committing to RBR for a time yet I think SV should stand pat with the entity he knows, that know him so well, while they’re all still together.
Edvaldo
24th May 2014, 3:58
It would be the best for the sport, but Vettel enjoyed a long period of great cars running alone and making his numbers. If it were to choose a driver to take Rosberg’s place, it shouldn’t be him. It’s to soon for him to comeback.
Hamilfan (@hamilfan)
24th May 2014, 4:09
@vettel1 I would like LH vs SV in the same car . Anyday . But, think of it this way . Rosberg has earned this drive after all the crappy years he had to put up with from 2010 -2012 . So ,maybe a little later in their careers we will have that treat ! But by that time , I believe Lewis would have grown older and Vettel will have the edge .It will still be a great contest though.. Let’s say we talking say 5 years down the line …
AdrianMorse (@adrianmorse)
24th May 2014, 6:35
@vettel1, I agree, from a fan’s point of view it would be nice if teams shake up their driver line-up more often, and I would love to see a Hamilton/Vettel line-up before Hamilton is over his peak.
I can fully understand Mercedes’ decision, though. Rosberg is proving, in my opinion, that he is close enough to Hamilton to be a serious title contender. Also, it would be poor form by Mercedes to reward Rosberg’s current run (which may net him the title) by kicking him out of the team. Similarly, you ‘can’t’ offer a one-year contract, that’s like saying “well, we’ll keep you on until someone better comes along”.
Still, perhaps the Hamilton-Rosberg rivalry will take on Prost-Senna-like proportions over the next few years, so it may be for the best for us too.
zippyone (@zippyone)
24th May 2014, 8:56
Umm, @robbie they already have a German driver – Rosberg! He races as a German, you know?
Robbie (@robbie)
24th May 2014, 11:55
@zippyone Yeah I know but he is not German, whereas I was responding to @vettel1 who claims SV would be good for Merc because he is. But perhaps NR is perceived as ‘German enough’ I don’t know. I guess it remains to be seen if Merc will always want at least a German-ish driver, if not actually German born.
Dave (@)
24th May 2014, 13:52
Rosberg was born in (West) Germany. If that’s not enough to be German, then what is?
zippyone (@zippyone)
24th May 2014, 14:20
@robbie I think Rosberg is kinda more German than Finnish as he can’t even really speak Finnish, I think?
Zain Siddiqui (@powerslidepowerslide)
24th May 2014, 1:17
The comment of the day is pure gold.
JCost (@jcost)
24th May 2014, 12:05
Indeed.
Barry Miller (@bmk1586)
24th May 2014, 6:55
COTD is one of my all time favorites!
Manohar shekhawat (@manohar)
24th May 2014, 8:15
Ferrari engine’s more aggressive setting? i am really confused with the rules which said you cant increase the output from your power unit…can anyone explain how increasing power even if its for reliability thing is legal now?
Dave (@)
24th May 2014, 10:11
Because that’s not the rule. The design is fixed for the year, but the software isn’t.
Manohar shekhawat (@manohar)
24th May 2014, 11:29
yes apart from that they have changed few parts for reliability as well right? so thats change in design..no?
BasCB (@bascb)
25th May 2014, 8:47
Yes, but you can make changes that are for reliability (you send the proposal to the FIA and if the FIA agrees its a reliability thing, they show it to the other engine suppliers to also have their say). But if you are more satisfied of your reliability, then you can push the engine a bit more and that makes you go faster @manohar
HiPn0tIc (@hipn0tic)
24th May 2014, 10:24
Cool tweet from Ricciardo, hope he’ll get a good result
StefMeister (@stefmeister)
24th May 2014, 12:42
The point Prost makes about the tyres is something I have long argued for & thats basically to go back to the way things used to be in the days before refueling came in & messed things up.
The tyre supplier would bring there full range of tyre compounds to every race & the teams/Drivers were completely free to do what they wanted with them in the races. If they felt they could go the full race without making any pit stops they were able to do it, But if they felt that stopping 1-2+ times was faster for them they could also do that & if they wanted to start on one compound but change to another they also had that option.
This opened up far more varied strategies with far more strategy option that what we have today.
There’s the famous example of Leyton House gambling on a No-Stop strategy at the 1990 French Gp while others went for 1-2 stops & they came within 2-3 laps of winning the race with Ivan Capelli.
Another example of how the strategies could work with driver input is Michael Schumacher’s 2nd F1 win at Estoril in 1993, They went into the race on a 2-stop strategy, But Michael felt tyre wear was better than expected so decided to abandon the planned 2nd stop & that won him the race.
@HoHum (@hohum)
24th May 2014, 22:35
+1