Sauber Reveals 2017 Car

SAUBER REVEALS C36

    Sauber are taking a “new approach” in this their 25th season competing in Formula One.

    With new finances and new regulations, the team is hoping to establish themselves as solid midfield runners this year, after narrowly avoiding finishing last in the constructors’ championship last season.

    “We clearly have to improve,” said team principal Monisha Kaltenborn. “With the Sauber C36-Ferrari we have a solid basis as well as the resources to further develop with Sauber C36-Ferrari through the season. This will be important to establish in mid-field.”

    A key player in achieving that ambition will be Jorg Zander, Sauber’s new technical director. The team redesigned the car to fit with the new 2017 regulations and, though he believes Sauber will be at a disadvantage due compared to the bigger teams, he hopes the team will have found the best result possible.

    “Basically, big teams also have an advantage when it comes to major changes in the regulations,” he said. “But when the cards are reshuffled new opportunities always present themselves as well. The Sauber C36-Ferrari is wider and lower, with wider tyres making the car look more muscular than last year’s model."

    “Practically just by looking at it, one can tell the speed the new car has increased as a result of more downforce and shorter braking distance – measuring against lap time, not top speed – it is written all over the face.”

    As well as being wider, with bigger tyres, the radiator, sidepods, and bodywork are designed to be as slim as possible, in an attempt to keep both downforce and stability.

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Wehrlein To Miss First Pre-Season Test

WEHRLEIN INJURED, WILL SIT OUT FIRST PRE-SEASON TEST

    Sauber’s Pascal Wehrlein will sit out of the first preseason test on medical grounds.

    

    The German suffered a back injury during a crash with Felipe Massa during the Race of Champions last month.

    

    Sauber commented on initial rumours that Wehrlein would miss the test by saying he was still undergoing medical examinations, but he later confirmed on twitter he would be missing the test.

     

    It’s understood Sauber may have come to a deal with Ferrari to allow Antonio Giovinazzi to run alongside Marcus Ericsson in the test, but the team are yet to confirm. Giovinazzi drove a Formula One car for this first time this month when he ran Ferrari’s 2015 challenger at the Fiorano test track.

    

    Testing begins on the 27th of February. 

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Liberty Media Completes Takeover

LIBERTY MEDIA COMPLETES TAKEOVER 

    Liberty Media has completed its takeover of Formula One, ending Bernie Ecclestone’s four decades in charge of the sport. The American company paid £6 billion for the series and have wasted no time in setting out their plans for the future.

    Chase Carey, who Liberty had already installed as the sport’s chairman, replaces Ecclestone as the chief executive officer, but he isn’t alone at the top of the new management pyramid. After three years away from the sport, Ross Brawn returns to F1 as the new motorsport managing director, whilst Sean Bratches has taken up the role of commercial operations managing director.

    It was rumoured that Ecclestone might be planning a competing series, but Ecclestone has denied the claims, saying he doesn’t want to damage F1. Carey is keen for him to play an advisory role in the future.

    Fresh faces mean fresh ideas and Carey has already started sharing his vision for the future of F1. Most notable is his keenness to make races “events”, similar to the Superbowl in America. He also wants to add at least one more US race to the calendar, whilst strengthening the traditional Western European races like the British and the German GPs.

    The new era of Formula One could also be more friendly for smaller teams. One of the first things Carey did when he became CEO is lay out his plans to change the prize fund system that sees Ferrari get a bonus just for taking part, whilst Brawn has already expressed that he wants to help smaller teams stand on their own two feet.

    Overall there is a general optimism both in the paddock and from the fans about the future of Formula One, but it’s not known when any of these planned changes are set to come into place.

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Trouble For Manor Racing

MORE TROUBLE FOR MANOR RACING IN 2017

    Time is running out for Manor to find a way to the Australian GP, after the administrator failed to find a buyer in the three weeks since the team went into administration.

    There’s still a chance the team could be revived in time for the start of the season, if a buyer is found for the remnants of the team.

    Just Racing Services, which operates Manor, went into administration on the 6th of January and has no ceased trading. Staff have been told they will be made redundant by the close of business on the 31st of January, but will be paid their salaries for this month.

    FRP Advisory said there was “No sustainable operational or financial structure in place to maintain the group as a going concern.”

    Manor’s departure means all three teams that joined Formula One back in 2010 have left the sport. The teams were attracted by the promise of a budget cap being introduced, but the £40 million cap was never put in place. All three teams faced budget problems before being forced to leave the sport.

    There’s still hope for Manor. The team could be revived in time for the start of the season, if a buyer is found for the remnant of the team. The team has come this close to death before, when a buyer was found last minute in 2015, keeping the team alive for another year.

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Massa Ends Retirement, Replaces Bottas At Williams

MASSA CONFIRMED TO REPLACE BOTTAS AT WILLIAMS IN 2017

    Felipe Massa has been confirmed as the replacement for Valtteri Bottas, who will be leaving Williams for Mercedes in 2017.

    Massa, less than three months into his retirement, will return to F1 to partner Lance Stroll at the team he spent the past three years racing for.

    “When I was offered the chance to help Williams with their 2017 Formula One campaign, it felt like the right thing to do,” Massa said. “I certainly have not lost any of my enthusiasm for racing and I’m extremely motivated to be coming back to drive the FW40… I also look forward to working with Lance; I’ve known him for many years and seen his talent develop during that time, so I look forward to seeing what we can achieve together.”

    Though he had been planning to leave F1, Williams believe the Brazilian has not lost his competitive spirt, and will be a good match for rookie Stroll.

    “He was always going to race somewhere in 2017, as he has not lost that competitive spirit, and it was important that we had a strong replacement in order to let Valtteri go,” Claire Williams said.

    “Felipe re-joining us provides stability, experience, and talent to help lead us forward. He is a great asset for us.”

    As well as the stability Massa will provide, it’s understood Williams’ sponsor, Martini, were not keen to have two young drivers at the team, so a more experienced hand was needed to partner Stroll.

    Williams wished Bottas luck as he follows in Rosberg’s footsteps, the German having also started his career at Williams before making the move to Mercedes seven years ago.

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Bottas Confirmed At Mercedes

VALTTERI BOTTAS CONFIRMED AT MERCEDES FOR 2017

    The worst kept secret in Formula One – that Valtteri Bottas was set to replace Nico Rosberg at Mercedes – has finally been confirmed.

    The Finnish driver makes the switch from Williams, where he started his Formula One career, and will join Lewis Hamilton at the constructors’ championship winning team.

    Team boss Toto Wolff described Rosberg’s decision to leave the team as a “challenging situation” but is happy to have Bottas – who he manages – on the team.

    “Nico’s decision in December was a big surprise – certainly a challenging situation for the team to handle,” he said. “But weathering the storm makes you more resilient and we see this as another opportunity for the team to grow."

    “Valtteri is a no-nonsense guy: down to earth, straightforward and very honest… He has an impressive track record in the junior categories and nine podiums in F1. But now it’s time for the next level, to see how he can set up to challenge for race wins and for the Championships.”

    Bottas is, understandably, pleased with the move. Bottas’ best finish for Williams was second in 2014. In the Mercedes, it’s unlikely he’ll be challenging for anything other than wins.

    “It’s definitely another dream come true, to race in another team with such great history, especially in the recent years, which have been so impressive,” he said. “I’m really proud to become a part of that and grateful to everyone at Mercedes for trusting my skills and giving me this opportunity."

    “I know the Power Unit well from the last three years with Williams, but there are a lot of new things to learn with the car and also with how the team operates at the factory, in testing, and at races.”

    Should Manor not continue in Formula One, Bottas will be the last driver confirmed for the 2017 season, as Felipe Massa returns to Williams to take his former teammate’s seat. With the new regulations in place, this could be even more of a hindrance to Mercedes than usual, meaning the team and Bottas have a busy time ahead to get the Finn up to speed.

    Wolff is confident Bottas is up for the challenge though.

    “We have confidence in Valtteri’s ability, and it’s one of the reasons that he is the driver we set our sights on this winter,” he said. “The next weeks will be busy as we work to build relationships so Valtteri understands the team and the car. But that’s an exciting challenge that will bring us fresh energy and a new dynamic between the drivers. And, of course, we’re working hard to give Lewis and Valtteri the car they need to do the job.”

    Nico Rosberg will come back to the team in an ambassadorial role in 2017.

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Sauber Confirms Wehrlein For 2017

WEHRLEIN CONFIRMED AT SAUBER FOR 2017 SEASON

    Pascal Wehrlein faces a new challenge this season as he switches to Sauber for his second year in Formula One.

    The German moves away from Mercedes run Manor, after missing out on the seat at Force India at the end of last year.

    Monisha Kaltenborn, team principal at Sauber, says Wehrlein showed potential throughout his junior career, including second in the Euro F3 series and a win in the DTM in 2015.

    “Pascal has shown his talent throughout his career, in single seater racing as well as in the DTM,” said Kaltenborn. “Last year, in his rookie Formula One season, he proved his potential by scoring one point in the Austrian GP in Spielberg. There is surely more to come from Pascal, and we want to give him the chance to further grow and learn at the pinnacle of motorsport.”

    Wehrlein will partner Marcus Ericsson, who continues at the team for a third consecutive year. Kaltenborn believes the pair will work well together.

    Working with Ericsson, who has scored nine points in his three years in F1, may allow Wehrlein to develop and learn, but it’s a far shout from the Mercedes seat he almost seemed destined for. The German described the upcoming year as a “challenge”.

    “It’s a new challenge in a new team, and I am really excited and looking forward to this new adventure,” he said. “Our objective is to establish ourselves in the mid-field and to score points on a regular basis.

    “That being said, I will do my best to support Sauber. Now I am looking forward to meeting everyone in the team and to tackling the preparations for the 2017 season.”

    Wehrlein also thanked Mercedes for their support.

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Paddy Lowe Leaves Mercedes

LOWE LEAVES MERCEDES

    Mercedes Executive Technical Director Paddy Lowe is now on gardening leave ahead of leaving the team. It’s expected he will move to Williams as part of the deal to secure Valtteri Bottas to replace Nico Rosberg.

    Lowe has been a part of the Mercedes team for three years, and played a key role in the team’s domination in recent years.

    Though Mercedes didn’t name a replacement for the outgoing technical chief – the “stable” organisation will run under its current Engineering, Performance, and Technology directors, and their chief operating officer – it’s expected James Allison will join the team from Ferrari after his own gardening leave.

    “Paddy has played an important part in our success during the past three and a half years and we thank him for his contribution to this significant chapter in Mercedes’ motorsport history,” said Toto Wolff.

    “Success in Formula 1 is not about single individual but about the strength in depth and technical capability of an organisation."

    “We have the talent in place to continue our success of recent years and we plan to build upon it in 2017 and beyond.”

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Symonds Leaves Williams

SYMONDS LEAVES WILLIAMS WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT

    Williams’ chief technical officer Pat Symonds has left the team with immediate effect. The 63 year old has worked with the team since 2013.

    Symonds, who is trained as an aerodynamicist, played a crucial role in the re-birth of Williams in 2014, but the team has seen a recent slow in progress that saw them slip behind Force India in the constructors’ championship last year. He joined the team at the end of 2013 on a three year contract.

    It’s not yet known why Symonds has left the team, but the announcement comes amidst many rumours surrounding the Williams 2017 team line up, including reports that Mercedes’ Paddy Lowe may be moving to the independent team.

    Though his long Formula One career has seen plenty of success, it is tainted by his involvement in the 2008 Singapore crash scandal. Symonds was suspended from Formula 1 due to the incident, but had his ban overturned.

    Claire Williams said in a statement:

    “Pat has been a tremendous asset to this team over the past three years. Pat’s appointment was the start of a major restructuring exercise, and he has been pivotal in reshaping Williams into what is a much stronger racing team today. I would like to thank him for all of his hard work and commitment during that time. We now look to the future and will be announcing details regarding the team’s technical leadership in due course.”

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Nico Rosberg Retires From Formula 1

NICO ROSBERG ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT FROM F1

    Nico Rosberg has announced his retirement from Formula One only a week after winning the World Drivers Championship for the first time.

    Rosberg thanked everybody who “supported me to make that dream happen” after announcing he would be leaving the series, despite having already signed a contract to stay at Mercedes for the 2017 season.

    “This season, I tell you, it was so damn tough. I pushed like crazy in every area after the disappointments of the last two years; they fueled my motivation to levels I had never experienced before,” Rosberg said. “And, of course, that had an impact on the ones I love too – it was a whole family effort of sacrifice, putting everything behind our target.”

     Rosberg told few people about his intentions to retire, making the announcement a shock to most of the motorsports world.

     “When I won the race in Suzuka, from the moment when the destiny of the title was in my own hands, the big pressure started and I bag to think about ending my racing career if I became World Champion,” he said. “On Sunday morning in Abu Dhabi, I knew that it could be my last race and that feeling cleared my head before the start. I wanted to enjoy every part of the experience, knowing it might be the last time."

    Rosberg said he decided on Monday evening, the day after securing the title.

     Team boss Toto Wolff has said the team will start looking for a replacement on Monday. Mercedes junior driver Pascal Wehrlein is thought to be a favourite, but Fernando Alonso is one of a number of drivers also rumoured to be heading to the team.

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