F1 - 2018 discussion

I saw the haas on Twitter earlier but I never noticed the halo until I saw the Williams and it’s bright white! Nothing special with either of those liveries though, hopefully McLaren will be properly orange this year
 
New mclaren is finally orange! Reminiscent of the Indy car of alonsos from last year

Teamwear looks good this year too, orange setup up shirt is already pre-ordered
 
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No more Martini in F1 after this year.

Williams's Formula 1 sponsorship deal with Martini to end after 2018

Martini will not extend its title sponsorship of Williams when it expires at the end of the season, Autosport has learned.

The brand's famous white, blue and red colour scheme returned to F1 in 2014 when it signed a multi-year Williams deal that resulted in a full rebranding of the car.

Martini's colour scheme had not been seen since the Brabham cars in 1975 and the Williams deal marked its largest F1 involvement whatsoever since it backed Lotus in 1979.

Autosport understands Martini discussed an extension with Williams as well as speaking to other teams about an alternative arrangement.

But it is believed the board of the Bacardi Group, of which Martini belongs, decided to stop diverting resources to F1 entirely as it no longer aligned with its strategic objectives.
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https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/134554/williams-martini-deal-to-end-after-2018
 
Found this today
https://petrolicious.com/articles/h...-were-the-coolest-film-cars-behind-the-camera


Which includes fangio at monoco
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9-BZ0NbriI


And Fangio Testing
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Xg4Fr9SY04


Look how they filmed:

F1_Fangio.jpg
 
I really, REALLY want that GT30... (Guessing it's about 10" chopped off the top!)
 
2018 FORMULA 1 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON

Dun….dun dun dun dun dun dun da dun duuuunnnnn….

The 2018 Formula One World Championship is GO!

Calendar files

https://www.formula1.com/sp/static/f1/2018/calendar/ical.ics

Teams and Drivers

Team
Constructor
Chassis
Power Unit
Drivers

Scuderia Ferrari
Ferrari
SF71H
Ferrari
Germany Sebastian Vettel
Finland Kimi Räikkönen

Sahara Force India F1 Team
Force India-Mercedes
VJM11
Mercedes M09 EQ Power+
Mexico Sergio Pérez
France Esteban Ocon

Haas F1 Team
Haas-Ferrari
VF-18
Ferrari
France Romain Grosjean
Denmark Kevin Magnussen

McLaren F1 Team
McLaren-Renault
MCL33
Renault R.E.18
Belgium Stoffel Vandoorne
Spain Fernando Alonso

Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport
Mercedes
F1 W09 EQ Power+
Mercedes M09 EQ Power+
United Kingdom Lewis Hamilton
Finland Valtteri Bottas

Aston Martin Red Bull Racing
Red Bull Racing-TAG Heuer
RB14
TAG Heuer
Australia Daniel Ricciardo
Netherlands Max Verstappen

Renault Sport Formula One Team
Renault
R.S.18
Renault R.E.18
Germany Nico Hülkenberg
Spain Carlos Sainz Jr.

Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team
Sauber-Ferrari
C37
Ferrari
Sweden Marcus Ericsson
Monaco Charles Leclerc

Red Bull Toro Rosso Honda
Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda
STR13
Honda RA618H
France Pierre Gasly
New Zealand Brendon Hartley

Williams Martini Racing
Williams-Mercedes
FW41
Mercedes M09 EQ Power+
Canada Lance Stroll
Russia Sergey Sirotkin


2018 FIA Formula One World Championship® Race Calendar
1 Australian Grand Prix Australia Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne 25 March
2 Bahrain Grand Prix Bahrain Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir 8 April
3 Chinese Grand Prix China Shanghai International Circuit, Shanghai 15 April
4 Azerbaijan Grand Prix Azerbaijan Baku City Circuit, Baku 29 April
5 Spanish Grand Prix Spain Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Barcelona 13 May
6 Monaco Grand Prix Monaco Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo 27 May
7 Canadian Grand Prix Canada Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal 10 June
8 French Grand Prix France Circuit Paul Ricard, Le Castellet 24 June
9 Austrian Grand Prix Austria Red Bull Ring, Spielberg 1 July
10 British Grand Prix United Kingdom Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone 8 July
11 German Grand Prix Germany Hockenheimring, Hockenheim 22 July
12 Hungarian Grand Prix Hungary Hungaroring, Budapest 29 July
13 Belgian Grand Prix Belgium Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot 26 August
14 Italian Grand Prix Italy Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Monza 2 September
15 Singapore Grand Prix Singapore Marina Bay Street Circuit, Singapore 16 September
16 Russian Grand Prix Russia Sochi Autodrom, Sochi 30 September
17 Japanese Grand Prix Japan Suzuka International Racing Course, Suzuka 7 October
18 US Grand Prix United States Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texas 21 October
19 Mexican Grand Prix Mexico Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Mexico City 28 October
20 Brazilian Grand Prix Brazil Autódromo José Carlos Pace, São Paulo 11 November
21 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix United Arab Emirates Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi 25 November

Tyres

Full Wet - Blue
Intermediate - Green
Super Hard - Orange
Hard - Blue (unlikely to be on track at the same time as the full wet)
Medium - White
Soft - Yellow
Super Soft - Red
Ultra Soft - Purple
Hyper Soft - Pink

PApVMiP.jpg


Tyre supplier Pirelli will provide teams with two new tyre compounds in 2018. Each of the 2017 compounds is scheduled to be made softer, with a new "hypersoft" tyre becoming the softest of the nine and a new "superhard" tyre to be the hardest. The rules dictating which tyres are available were relaxed to allow Pirelli to supply a wider range of compounds. Previously, Pirelli had to provide sequential compounds; for example, ultrasoft, supersoft and soft. In 2018, Pirelli is able to supply compounds with two steps of difference between them; for example, the ultrasoft, supersoft and medium tyres. Pirelli will also be required to manufacture an additional tyre compound that is not intended for competition. This tyre will be supplied to teams for use in demonstration events to prevent teams from using demonstration events as informal—and illegal—testing.

Team Changes

- McLaren terminated their engine partnership with Honda and instead signed a three-year deal for power units supplied by Renault.

- Toro Rosso parted ways with Renault (allowing McLaren to finalise their agreement with Renault) and came to an agreement to use Honda power units in 2018. As part of the deal, Red Bull Racing agreed to loan Toro Rosso driver Carlos Sainz Jr. to Renault's works team.

- Sauber renewed their partnership with Ferrari, upgrading to current-specification power units after having used older-model power units in 2017.

Driver Changes

IN
Pierre Gasly [Toro Rosso]
Brendon Hartley [Toro Rosso]
Charles Leclerc [Sauber]
Sergey Sirotkin [Williams]

OUT
Pascal Wehrlein [Sauber]
Daniil Kvyat [Toro Rosso]
Jolyon Palmer [Renault]]
Philipe Massa [Williams] - Retired

MOVED
Carlos Sainz Jr. [Toro Rosso to Renault]


Technical Regulation Changes

- Engine suppliers will be required to provide all teams using their engines with an identical specification of power unit. The change was introduced to ensure parity after Mercedes' works team was observed to have access to additional performance settings that were not available to their customer teams.

- The quantity of power unit components a driver may use during the season was reduced from four complete power units during the entire season in 2017 to a new system where each of the power unit components is considered separately.Therefore, in 2018, each driver will be permitted to use up to three each of internal combustion engines (ICE), heat motor generator units (MGU-H), and turbochargers (TC); and two each of the kinetic motor generator units (MGU-K), energy stores (ES), and control electronics (CE).

- Restrictions against the practice of oil burning, where engine oils are burned as fuel to boost performance, were also introduced. The practice, which was first used in 2017 saw teams burning as much as 1.2 litres per one hundred kilometres. For the 2018 championship, this figure was revised down to a maximum of 0.6 litres per one hundred kilometres.The rules were further amended to restrict teams to using a single specification of oil, which must be declared before the race. These oils are subject to stricter definitions of what is considered "oil" in order to prevent teams from using exotic blends designed to boost performance. Teams are also required to inform the stewards of the mass of oil in each oil tank before the race.

- Further changes to the technical regulations require the temperature of air in the plenum chamber—adjacent to the turbocharger—to be no more than 10°C above the ambient air temperature. The rule was introduced in a bid to stop teams from artificially heating or cooling air for possible performance gains. Active control valves, which electronically regulate the flow of fluids between power unit components, will also be banned.

- The FIA banned the use of "shark fins". The use of "T-wings", a horizontal secondary wing mounted forward of and above the rear wing, was also banned.

Sporting Regulation Changes

- Following widespread criticism of the grid penalty system in 2017, the FIA introduced a revised set of regulations for 2018. In the event that a driver changes a power unit component, they will still be subject to a five- or ten-place grid penalty depending on the component being changed; however, should they then replace a second component, they will be moved to the back of the starting grid. If multiple drivers are moved to the back of the grid, their starting positions will be determined by the order that components were changed based on the most recent change made by each driver.

- The rules governing starting procedures will be changed for 2018, granting race stewards the power to issue penalties for improper race starts even if a driver's start does not trigger the automated detection system. The changes were introduced following two incidents during 2017; at the Chinese Grand Prix, Sebastian Vettel positioned his car too far across his grid slot to be registered by the detection system; while at the Austrian Grand Prix, Valtteri Bottas's start was called into question for his reaction time despite the detection system recognising it as legal.

- The FIA introduced tighter restrictions on racing licences issued to drivers taking part in free practice sessions. Candidate drivers will be required to complete a minimum number of Formula 2 races or earn twenty-five superlicense points over a three-year period. The changes were introduced to address concerns about drivers who would not be able to meet the standards required to compete in Formula One having access to Formula One cars.

- The schedule of a Grand Prix weekend will change, with the start time of most European races pushed back by one hour in a bid to try and accommodate a larger television audience. All races will start at ten minutes past the hour so as to allow broadcasters the opportunity for pre-race coverage when their broadcast of the race starts on the hour.

Safety Regulation Changes
- Following a series of serious incidents in open-wheel racing in which drivers were struck in the head by debris, the FIA announced plans to introduce additional mandatory cockpit protection with 2018 given as the first year for its introduction. The FIA ultimately settled on the "halo", a wishbone-shaped frame mounted above and around the driver's head and anchored to the monocoque forward of the cockpit. Once introduced, the halo concept is scheduled to be applied to other open-wheel racing categories including Formula 2 and Formula 3. Following criticisms over the aesthetic value of the device, the FIA revealed plans to allow teams some design freedom in the final version of the halo, with the device being incorporated into the chassis design from its inception rather than attached once the design was completed. The mandatory crash tests that each chassis must pass were adjusted to include a new static load test. In order to simulate a serious accident, a tyre was mounted to a hydraulic ram and fired at the crash structure; to pass the test, the chassis and the mounting points for the halo had to remain intact. In order to prevent teams from exploiting the halo for aerodynamic gain and potentially compromising its purpose, the FIA banned teams from developing their own devices and instead required them to purchase pre-fabricated models from approved suppliers.

- Drivers will be required to wear gloves containing biometric sensors which record their vital signs in order to better assist marshals and recovery crews in assessing their condition in the event of an accident.


Betting Odds

Drivers Championship 2018

1.83 Lewis Hamilton
4.50 Sebastian Vettel
7.00 Max Verstappen
11.00 Valtteri Bottas
13.00 Daniel Ricciardo
26.00 Fernando Alonso
41.00 Kimi Raikkonen
101.00 Carlos Sainz Jr
101.00 Nico Hulkenberg
101.00 Stoffel Vandoorne
251.00 Esteban Ocon
251.00 Sergio Perez
501.00 Lance Stroll
751.00 Sergey Sirotkin
1001.00 Brendon Hartley
1001.00 Charles Leclerc
1001.00 Pierre Gasly
1501.00 Kevin Magnussen
1501.00 Marcus Ericsson
1501.00 Romain Grosjean


Constructors Championship 2018

1.44 Mercedes
4.33 Red Bull
5.00 Ferrari
34.00 McLaren
101.00 Renault
151.00 Haas
201.00 Force India
501.00 Toro Rosso
501.00 Williams
1001.00 Sauber


2018 FORMULA 1 ROLEX AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX

EYOkISO.png


Melbourne
Lap data
Lap length 5.303km (3.295 miles)
Race laps 58
Race distance 307.574km (191.118 miles)
Pole position Left-hand side of the track
Lap record* 1’24.125 (226.934 kph) by Michael Schumacher, 2004
Fastest lap 1’23.529 (228.553 kph) by Sebastian Vettel, 2011
Maximum speed 312kph (193.868 mph)
DRS zone/s (race) First and second straight
Distance from grid to turn one 380m
Full throttle 61%
Longest flat-out section 843m
Downforce level High
Fuel use per lap 1.66kg
Time penalty per lap of fuel 0.051s

UK Times
Friday 23rd March 2018
Australian Grand Prix Free Practice 1: 12:00-13:30 (UK time: 1:00-2:30)
Australian Grand Prix Free Practice 2: 16:00-17:30 (UK time: 5:00-6:30)
Saturday 24th March 2018
Australian Grand Prix Free Practice 3: 14:00-15:00 (UK time: 3:00-4:00)
Australian Grand Prix Qualifying: 17:00 (UK time: 6:00)
Sunday 25th March 2018
Australian Grand Prix: 16:10 (UK time: 6:10)

Previous Winners
2017 Germany Sebastian Vettel Ferrari Albert Park
2016 Germany Nico Rosberg Mercedes
2015 United Kingdom Lewis Hamilton Mercedes
2014 Germany Nico Rosberg Mercedes
2013 Finland Kimi Räikkönen Lotus-Renault
2012 United Kingdom Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes
2011 Germany Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault
2010 United Kingdom Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes
2009 United Kingdom Jenson Button Brawn-Mercedes
2008 United Kingdom Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes
2007 Finland Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari
2006 Spain Fernando Alonso Renault
2005 Italy Giancarlo Fisichella Renault
2004 Germany Michael Schumacher Ferrari
2003 United Kingdom David Coulthard McLaren-Mercedes
2002 Germany Michael Schumacher Ferrari
2001 Germany Michael Schumacher Ferrari
2000 Germany Michael Schumacher Ferrari

Videos

Hamilton on board 2017 pole lap
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mtjC9DozXs


2015 vs 2017
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RViaJ-XxYt0



Drivers’ Chosen Tyres
DYKIoehWkAA1Wm7.jpg:large
 
Looks like Williams chasing a mediocre driver with Russian money might just not pay off...

In these sad times when we lament at seeing Williams as once being a top team, acknowledged for their pure racing innovation, knowing the secrets of winning and true year on year championship contenders. Alas, those days have long since passed.
Instead we see Williams requiring an income that comes with drivers who have financial backing and questionable talent. It’s interesting that those two statements are interchangeable in this scenario.

Sirotkin has backing that comes mostly from the Russian bank SMP and with that Williams should very much be paying attention to recent developments in the UK town of Salisbury two weeks ago. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, it’s unlikely to have escaped your attention that the poisoning of an ex Russian spy who had been convicted of working for the UK as a double agent, has set in motion actions that will likely hinder SMP’s financial ability to function outside of Russia.

Already the rhetoric of solidarity against Russia by the West will almost certainly mean a return to sanctions against that country.

The EU’s foreign affairs council said it condemned the “reckless and illegal act” and said it took the UK government’s view “extremely seriously” that it was likely that Russia was responsible.

“The use of chemical weapons by anyone under any circumstances is completely unacceptable and constitutes a security threat to us all,” it said.

“The European Union expresses its unqualified solidarity with the UK and its support, including for the UK’s efforts to bring those responsible for this crime to justice.”

Back in 2014, similar sanctions were placed on Russian businesses after the invasion of the Crimea and the country’s involvement in the Ukrainian crisis. SMP Bank co-owners and friend of Putin, Boris Rotenberg and his brother Arkady being among the 20 Russians handed sanctions by the U.S. State Department. It led to the temporary suspension of Visa and Mastercard payment services to bank holders.

The team’s involvement in the FIA World Endurance Championship, European Le Mans Series, plus supporting dozens of Russian drivers in motorsports worldwide was described at the time as being at the “risk of failure” due to the frozen European accounts. The teams relying on those cheques from SMP were very much on the cusp of collapse.
Click to expand...
https://thejudge13.com/2018/03/19/kubica-could-be-required-to-replace-sirotkin/
 
Almost 2/3rds of a second faster in Q3 - could be an ominous sign for those of us who like to see racing rather than advertising parades.
 
That's not likely to be a real problem after lap 5... The view from the Sauber looks pretty clear, as does the Mercedes camera position.
 
chrism_scotland said:
Anyone been up watching this?
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Nope - I've cancelled sky sports because it was £40 a month... so I'm stuck with Channel 4 coverage or streaming.
I've seen the result - will watch it this afternoon on C4.

Sounds like it's going to be similar to last season?
 
Byker28i said:
Nope - I've cancelled sky sports because it was £40 a month... so I'm stuck with Channel 4 coverage or streaming.
I've seen the result - will watch it this afternoon on C4.

Sounds like it's going to be similar to last season?
Click to expand...

I think you can choose a cheaper sub just to the F1 channel now.
 
The most regulated motorsport, yet the winner can gain 8 secs under a virtual safety car.

Absolutely disgraceful!

Rest of the race showing up how cars can't overtake, when they get too close to each other, just like last year.

Procession time!
 
I hope Vettel invites his helpers in the Hass pit crew(s) for helping him win the race. One might almost think that they deserve a few free engines...
 
Nod said:
I hope Vettel invites his helpers in the Hass pit crew(s) for helping him win the race. One might almost think that they deserve a few free engines...
Click to expand...

I’m no fan of Vettel but do you honestly think haas spent millions of pounds, to get so high up the grid, for l Ferrari to tell them not to attach the wheels on the off chance it gave Vettel a virtual safety car he could capitalise on? I suppose they hacked the Mercedes delta beforehand too as they admitted their timing was out... it’s like saying force India or Williams would crash so Hamilton can get a safety car.

Also, Vettel won the first race last year, it didn’t win him or Ferrari any championships

And lastly, bottas must be eying his seat up at Williams because he is not going to be in a silver arrow next year, ocon will get a go and Perez will be bitter about it
 
I’ve actually touched that car of Sennas ! When it ran out of fuel at Silverstone I was one of the track invaders and it ran out of fuel by where we were stood! [emoji23] I ran past it on our way to the podium
 
Time to change the rules and ban pit stops when the safety car is out - virtual or real.
It was also a very boring race, and the Channel 4 coverage, with extended adverts is total pants.
I am going to stick with MotoGP and the Isle of Man TT from now on.
 
Mikesphotaes said:
The most regulated motorsport, yet the winner can gain 8 secs under a virtual safety car.
Click to expand...
Anyone can do that. Even if the cars all had to go around on the pit lane limiter all the time under the VSC (rather than having target times for each sector), someone pitting under the VSC would still gain an advantage over someone pitting under green. It's obvious why, doesn't even need thinking about.

Pitting under the safety car / VSC has long been a strategy decision. The altermative is to ban pitting under yellow entirely and I would not advocate that - what do you do to someone who pits due to a blowout caused by running over debris from the incident the safety car is out for?
 
onomatopoeia said:
Pitting under the safety car / VSC has long been a strategy decision. The altermative is to ban pitting under yellow entirely and I would not advocate that - what do you do to someone who pits due to a blowout caused by running over debris from the incident the safety car is out for?
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Make it that anyone who pits under the safety car has to wait in the pit lane and only rejoin at the back of the pack?
 
Dave1 said:
Make it that anyone who pits under the safety car has to wait in the pit lane and only rejoin at the back of the pack?
Click to expand...
This is what they do in NASCAR, wait for the field to form up in a line behind the safety car so 40 cars in a line all pit at once and there are no penalties for "unsafe release", but there are occasional collisions and spins on pit lane.

Wouldn't work at all for a VSC as there is no pack.
 
I think now that we've seen such a massive unfair advantage in the VSC pit stopping something has to be done about it. Still feel Hamilton's pace overall was quicker than the Ferrari's, likewise above Bottas will be out of a seat next year I can't help but feel. I always felt he was there not just because he was a good driver but he wouldn't cause Hamilton any issues either.
 
The issue with pitting under the VSC is that the timing delta is not active in the pit lane entrance or exit. Which means when the VSC is active everyone has to drive slowly to a set delta, except when entering or exiting the pit lane they can then nail it to the pit limiter line and nail it out of the pits after the limiter line to the first safety car line.
If they thought of it (and there isn't/wasn't a rule banning it) you could effectively drive through the pits on each VSC lap and overtake several cars while doing so, how can that be correct?
 
PaulF said:
The issue with pitting under the VSC is that the timing delta is not active in the pit lane entrance or exit. Which means when the VSC is active everyone has to drive slowly to a set delta, except when entering or exiting the pit lane they can then nail it to the pit limiter line and nail it out of the pits after the limiter line to the first safety car line.
If they thought of it (and there isn't/wasn't a rule banning it) you could effectively drive through the pits on each VSC lap and overtake several cars while doing so, how can that be correct?
Click to expand...
Even if they apply the arrival times through the pit lane, or make everyone including those on the pit entry and exit roads use the pit lane limiter all the time under the VSC, pitting under the VSC is still an advantage (edit : an advantage vs someone that made the same pitstop under green).

I don't have the F1 rulebook, do they allow you to drive down the pit lane without stopping? I thought the knocked it on the head after Senna went through the pits at Donnington at 160mph in the wet.
 
PaulF said:
The issue with pitting under the VSC is that the timing delta is not active in the pit lane entrance or exit. Which means when the VSC is active everyone has to drive slowly to a set delta, except when entering or exiting the pit lane they can then nail it to the pit limiter line and nail it out of the pits after the limiter line to the first safety car line.
If they thought of it (and there isn't/wasn't a rule banning it) you could effectively drive through the pits on each VSC lap and overtake several cars while doing so, how can that be correct?
Click to expand...

This was my thought, in future everyone just uses the pitlane on a VSC and nails it like vettel. "Oh I was goign to stop but the crew didn't hear my call so weren't ready"

I can't believe vettel made up so much time on the pitlane approach and exit.
 
onomatopoeia said:
Even if they apply the arrival times through the pit lane, or make everyone including those on the pit entry and exit roads use the pit lane limiter all the time under the VSC, pitting under the VSC is still an advantage (edit : an advantage vs someone that made the same pitstop under green).

I don't have the F1 rulebook, do they allow you to drive down the pit lane without stopping? I thought the knocked it on the head after Senna went through the pits at Donnington at 160mph in the wet.
Click to expand...

Yes, it's always an advantage to pit under a safety car VSC due to the relative speed as you say. With a safety car it's luck of the draw where you are on track depending when the leader is picked up by the SC but with the VSC you could gain a larger advantage in every case due to the average speed of everyone instantly being reduced as opposed to when they get to the safety car.

I'm not sure either if there's a rule banning driving through the pits for a laugh, I'd imagine there was though.

Byker28i said:
This was my thought, in future everyone just uses the pitlane on a VSC and nails it like vettel. "Oh I was goign to stop but the crew didn't hear my call so weren't ready"

I can't believe vettel made up so much time on the pitlane approach and exit.
Click to expand...
I know Melbourne's pit lane allows for a shorter lap but I'm sure there are other tracks that would have an ever greater margin for cheeky drive through.
 
40.4 When initiated during a race, no car may enter the pits whilst the VSC procedure is in use
unless it is for the purpose of changing tyres.

40.6 With the exception of the cases listed under a) to d) below, no driver may overtake another
car on the track whilst the VSC procedure is in use.
The exceptions are :
a) When entering the pits a driver may pass another car remaining on the track after he
has reached the first safety car line.
b) When leaving the pits a driver may overtake, or be overtaken by, another car on the
track before he reaches the second safety car line.
c) Whilst in the pit entry, pit lane or pit exit a driver may overtake another car which is also
in one of these three areas.
d) If any car slows with an obvious problem.

So Vettel lucked in, Mercedes fuel saved a little too much or are already thinking of engine saving
 
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Autosport are reporting that Force India and McLaren want the Haas Formula 1 team's technical relationship with Ferrari investigated after its "magic" Australian Grand Prix performance.
https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/135071/rivals-want-magic-haasferrari-investigated

Haas locked out the third row of the grid in qualifying for the season-opener in Melbourne and ran fourth and fifth ahead of Red Bull before pitstop mistakes condemned Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean to retirement.
It triggered fresh questions over Haas's working relationship with Ferrari, which supplies the team with parts it does not need to build itself but also allows Dallara, Haas's chassis partner, to use its windtunnel.


F1's sporting regulations strictly forbid the passing on or receiving of information on parts teams are supposed to produce themselves, a move also designed to stop personnel being rotated between projects.
Force India chief operating officer Otmar Szafnauer wants the application of those restrictions discussed in the next meeting of F1's Strategy Group.
"I don't know how they do it, it's magic," he said. "It's never been done before in Formula 1.
"I just don't know how it can be right that someone who's been in the sport for a couple of years with no resource could produce a car... does it happen by magic?
"If it does, I want the wand."

McLaren driver Fernando Alonso labelled the 2018 Haas a "Ferrari replica" in Melbourne, and his team's executive director Zak Brown told Autosport it was "something that needs to be looked at closely".
Grosjean said the use of Ferrari's front suspension, which the regulations allow, would naturally dictate the major aerodynamic design points because of the way the air flows over the rest of the car.

Brown admitted "I don't have any evidence" to suggest Haas was not operating within the rules, but said: "We all know they have a very close alliance with Ferrari and I think we just need to make sure it's not too close.
"There could be some influence, there's certainly some parts of the car that look very similar to last year's car.
"But that's for the engineers and the FIA to look at more closely."
Brown and Szafnauer both said multiple teams would support a clarification over the Ferrari/Haas arrangement.

Szafnauer said he wanted the FIA to explain the process for ensuring the guidelines were being respected.
"All the aerodynamic surfaces have to be your own," he said. "If they're not, I don't know how you can tell unless you start investigating.
"Scrutineering only tells you that it fits within the boxes of the regulations.
"Is it yours or somebody else's [idea]? That's the real question. And I don't know the answer to that.
"Maybe it is their own, it's just suspect - how can you gain that knowledge without history and the right tools and people?"

Asked by Autosport about the Ferrari comments earlier in the weekend, Steiner said: "We have a team that can be proud of what it is achieving at the moment.
"We are not doing anything we shouldn't be doing or not allowed to do."
 
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