Why McLaren must win in 2018

McLaren made a bold decision to ditch Honda in 2017 in favour of Renault power, in the hope it would jump them up the competitive order. With that Renault engine having won three races last year with Red Bull and McLaren claiming they have the best chassis on the grid, there is no longer anywhere to hide for the Woking team.

This year has been billed as the start of a new era for McLaren. Gone is Honda, in has come Renault. The team is looking to the future, whilst recognising the past with a stunning Papaya orange and blue livery. Fernando Alonso has spoken of his desire to fight amongst the frontrunners once again and Stoffel Vandoorne surely must be looking towards a first podium in 2018. McLaren has not claimed a podium since Australia 2014 and not won since Brazil 2012. A drivers title has not come their way since 2008, and a constructors championship hasn’t been won since 1998.

Ever since the Honda ere begun, the team has claimed to have the best chassis in the field, and very GPS data has suggested it is at least among the top three on the grid. But we have never seen the true potential of the MP4-30, MP4-31 or the MCL32 as they have all been held back by the powerunit. Since the switch to Renault power, the team has a new dynamic and a new feel. You can sense that the racehorse that has been locked up these last few years is finally going to get its chance to run again. A sleeping giant could be about to stir. And it has too.

Renault may not have produced a world beating powerunit since the start of the V6 turbo hybrid era, and indeed it went through 2015 without a single victory, but it has still won races. Red Bull won three times in 2017. The first came from Daniel Ricciardo in the madness of Baku, a lucky but hard earned win as the Australian came from 10th on the grid. The second was from Max Verstappen in Malaysia, overtaking Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes into turn one and dominating the race. Mexico saw Verstappen again take victory, beating Vettel into the lead at the start and again dominating proceedings. The engine had improved and so had the RB13 chassis. A chassis McLaren felt wasn’t as strong as their own MCL32.

And they must prove it this year. They now have a race winning engine in the back of the car, and an engine that seems to have made solid gains over the winter both in terms of performance and reliability. The team can no longer blame the powerunit. Not realistically. Of course, the Renault may still not be quite on the level of the Mercedes, but it’s good enough for consistent podium challenges from Red Bull and the odd win, and perhaps even a title push from the Milton Keynes team this year. If the MCL33 really is better than the Red Bull and as good as the Mercedes or Ferrari, McLaren must do so. Failure to do that will result in them wishing they had never uttered the words “we have the best chassis on the grid”. Many may see a few podiums is enough. But I don’t think so. I honestly believe McLaren need to win races this season. They don’t need to be title contenders instantly, but they must win. They must be qualifying no lower than 6th and to really prove they’re as good as they claim to be, they have to be knocking on the door of P2 on the grid.

If they do not do this, and lose Alonso and potentially even Vandoorne, they only need to look a few garages up the grid to see what may happen. Williams have not won a title of any kind since 1997 and last won in 2012. They made a big step forward in 2014 and ’15, but the team has never truly recaptured the glory days of the 1990’s and ‘80’s, even factoring in the BMW era. If McLaren don’t want to suffer the same fate, then they must prove this year that it was only Honda holding them back. McLaren must win in 2018. And nothing less will suffice.

Forget the aesthetics, safety is paramount in F1

When it was announced that the Halo would be coming to Formula 1 in 2018, it received a mixed response. Many argued that it was vital that F1 pursued the quest for safer cars. A large number though argued that aesthetics are the most important part of the car and that “it wouldn’t be F1 if the Halo is on these cars”. But when it all boils down to it, surely safety outweighs any argument over aesthetics?

I’ll be honest, I do feel that a Formula 1 car should stand out from the crowd and look like the ultimate open wheel racer. The new regulations for 2017 certainly did just that and we had a field of incredible looking machines. So sticking on an 8 kilo or so lump of carbon fibre above the driver does take away from the visual appeal of the car. Looks don’t improve the racing, but if the cars look good whilst doing the business then the fans will be very happy indeed.

But it would be wrong to suggest that “it isn’t Formula 1” with the Halo on the cars. Formula 1 is defined as an open wheel formula of racing, as opposed to open cockpit. Whilst that is indeed the ethos of an open wheel car, it isn’t exactly a mandatory requirement that be open cockpit. And, let’s be honest, the cockpits are still quite open aren’t they? No, it is still very much F1 and will always be F1.

So yes, aesthetics are important. But not as important as the lives of those driving the cars. Now, huge accidents are rare in the sport these days and a lot of those accidents do see drivers walk away. But it would be naïve to expect that to continue and say “we don’t need the halo”. A couple of accidents over the last few years could have been prevented with the device. Henry Surtees died in a race at Brand Hatch back in 2009 after a wheel hit him in the head. Justin Wilson died at Pocono’s IndyCar race in 2015 after debris from the crashed car of Sage Karam hit him on the head. Both these accidents could have saved the lives of the drivers, with 4 time F1 champion Sebastian Vettel agrees.


"There would be at least two drivers in the last four years there I remember that would still be around - Henry Surtees and Justin Wilson - if we had this type of system.

"I think it can be very ugly but nothing justifies not having these two guys around."

Here is one of the best drivers on the grid, agreeing that yes it isn’t pretty, but nothing should come in the way of safety. It isn’t pretty, no, but why should it be? And what more of an endorsement do you need than that of Sebastian Vettel? Safety will always outweigh aesthetics, and we have to get this into our heads.

IndyCar gears up for 2018 with Sebring tests

Teams from the Verizon IndyCar series have been gearing up for the coming season with tests at the Sebring circuit in Florida, as the grid gets to grips with the new universal aerokit that the series has introduced for 2018. Testing for the teams has been going on for the past month or so with Penske being one of the key players after initially taking part in the manufacturer tests on behalf of Chevrolet. Now Andretti, Ganassi and Dale Coyne Racing have got their first chunk of testing under their belts.  A.J. Foyt Racing, SPM and Ed Carpenter Racing have also got their first miles with the new car.

The tests have been a chance for fans to see some of the teams liveries on the new look machines for the very first time, and they do look absolutely stunning, particularly the #28 DHL car of Ryan Hunter-Reay and the #27 NAPA car of Alexander Rossi. The shimmering blue on the Ganassi of Ed Jones also stood out. On track, the cars were a joy to watch as the drivers wrestled with their new steeds. This new aerokit has really made them 'driver cars' again and there has been high praise up and down the grid on the new cars and how the management at IndyCar has got this spot on. Mario Andretti has commented on the car, saying  "This thing is beautiful as it is. It's just going back to what the pure open-wheel, single-seater should be." 

Ed Jones, #10 Ganassi

2017 champion Josef Newgarden also said “The new car is bolder, it's more daring and really, we believe it has improved aerodynamics that are going to help the racing product tremendously, so I'm looking forward to that probably the most. We believe it's going to be faster, we believe it's going to be safer, it's going to provide better racing like we've talked about."

Tony Kanaan, #14 A.J. Foyt Racing

 The promise of better racing has excited fans and teams alike, after 2017 saw one of the most competitive years, if not the most competitive year, that the series has ever seen. It has been enough to entice Carlin and Harding Racing to run full time from this year, with Juncos and Michael Shank Racing running part time programs with the scope for full time operations from 2019 onwards. More testing takes place this week again at Sebring, which will see Takuma Sato make his highly anticipated test debut for the RLL team alongside Graham Rahal, with further testing throughout the next month before the first race of the year in St.Petersburg, Flordia.

F1 2017 - A titanic season of what could have been

The 2017 Formula 1 season saw wider, faster and bigger cars take to the stage as the sport saw its first multiple team title fight since 2013, as Ferrari threatened to end the Mercedes dominance of the last three years. It saw two of the greatest drivers of their generation, Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel, battling out for their fourth and fifth titles respectively. Mercedes v Ferrari, Hamilton v Vettel in the fastest Grand Prix cars we have ever seen. It had everything...on paper. What transpired was a season which promised so much, but failed to deliver on its potential.

The pre-season testing form showed by Ferrari proved to be very much real as opposed to 2016 where it flattered to deceive, and Vettel duly won the first race of the year as Mercedes baulked under the pressure of having another team vying for the top spot. The W08 was incredible in qualifying, as every Mercedes has been, but the SF70H early on looked to be the more poised and consistent race car. A shorter wheelbase and an incredibly efficient chassis meant it was far more predictable than the Mercedes and had a wider operating window than the silver arrows. Coupled with Mercedes having to embed new boy Valtteri Bottas in the team, and Ferrari looked to hold a tiny advantage in the first few races.

Vettel lost out to Hamilton in China but struck back in Bahrain, and then lead the first Ferrari 1-2 in qualifying Russia and heading a 2-3 finish for the team, as Bottas jumped into title contention with an emphatic first career win, holding off Vettel in the dying stages of the race. As these two powerhouse teams fought for supremacy, Red Bull could only dream of doing similar. Expected to be the closest challenger to Mercedes pre-season, poor correlation with the car and factory and a still under powered Renault power unit saw them hoping for a fourth place finish at best, although a brilliant podium by Max Verstappen in China was an early highlight. Meanwhile, Hamilton and Vettel continued to fight it out at the front.

A wheel-to-wheel win in Spain for Hamilton lead to a nightmare weekend in Monaco, qualifying 13th after being caught out by yellow flags in Q2 ended with a seventh place finish in the race as he saw his rival lead a Ferrari 1-2 and open up a very healthy championship lead. But Hamilton fought back again in Montreal as Vettel finished fourth, a result of first corner contact with Verstappen, before the chaos of Baku saw Daniel Ricciardo take an unbelievable win and Williams Lance Stroll took an equally amazing podium finish.

 Bottas took another win from Vettel in Austria as Hamilton finished fourth, the Briton striking back emphatically at Silverstone as both Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen suffered left front punctures. Vettel finished seventh, and the championship lead was down to one point. But he came back strong in Hungary, leading home Raikkonen and Bottas as Hamilton finished fourth. The battle was its hottest point, and it looked set to go all the way to Abu Dhabi.

As the season had gone on, many were asking whether the new rules had actually helped the racing. There was no doubting the speed of the new cars, nor was there any doubt as to the spectacle they put on trackside. But what mattered was the racing, and the number of overtakes had indeed taken hit. This was thanks to the huge increase in aerodynamics on the new 2017 beasts, the dirty air effect being much worse than in 2016. Some races were spectacular, Spain and Baku being the obvious highlights, but many still were not sold on the rule changes and as we look to 2018, they are still not sold. It may sound negative, but they are right to have their concerns...

As Formula 1 returned to action at Spa following the summer break, everyone was eagerly anticipating the continuing duel between Hamilton and Vettel and a flat out race at Spa between the pair of them only added to the hype. Sadly though, things were about to fizzle out for Vettel. Third in Monza was a disappointing result for Ferrari, but Vettel bounced back with a brilliant pole position lap in Singapore as Hamilton languished in fifth place. The Mercedes driver prayed for a miracle...and he got it. In the first ever wet night race, an error of judgement from Vettel caused chaos at turn one as he, Raikkonen, Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso all crashed out of the race. A perhaps certain 25 points for Vettel was gone, as Hamilton opened up a 28 point championship lead in a race he probably shouldn't have won. An issue in qualifying in Malaysia, and another retirement in Japan were the final nails in the championship coffin, as Hamilton went over 60 points clear at the top of the table.

Even a resurgent Max Verstappen winning in Malaysia over Hamilton wasn't enough for Vettel. Verstappen won again in dominant style in Mexico, following contact between Vettel and Hamilton at the start of the race. Vettel may have finished in fourth, but it wasn't enough. Hamilton finished ninth and it was plenty to clinch his fourth world title and end Ferrari and Vettel's dreams. With three rounds to spare, the championship was over. 

Vettel took some redemption in Brazil though, with Hamilton crashing out in Q1 the German beat poleman Bottas at the start to control the race and take his fifth win of the season. Bottas, himself recovering from a poor second half of the year, then took pole and the win in the final race of the year after one of the best drives of his whole career to end 2017 on a high, the year perhaps going out with a bit of a whimper with one of the less entertaining races of the year. 

After such an incredible first half of the year it was a real shame for the championship battle to end so early. It had been such an enthralling and engrossing story line. Two of the best drivers of their generation were going head to head, in the two biggest teams and with controversy and drama every step of the way. But mechanical failures and an accident saw the year fizzle out in the final stages, ending one of the most intense title battles for years. We were all left to wonder what might have been. Vettel could have gone into the final round with a healthy championship lead, and even a distant third in Abu Dhabi could have been enough to secure his fifth title. Alas, it wasn't to be.


Of course there were plenty of fights through the midfield. The almost bitter rivalry between Esteban Ocon and Sergio Perez at Force India was equally as exciting as the team once again finished 4th in the championship. Renault made huge progress to finish 6th in the standings and the exciting pairing of Nico Hulkenburg and Carlos Sainz could really deliver for them come the new season. And of course Max Verstappen went from strength to strength as the Red Bull improved, which will give Ricciardo something to think about this season.

But 2017 will be remembered for the titanic battle between two giants of the sport, before it then suddenly all came to a, literally, crashing halt. The season of red vs silver promised so much throughout the majority of it, but in the end we were left to rue what might have been. Here's hoping 2018 delivers on the promise that 2017 showed.

What the heck is going on at Williams?

Recent reports suggested that the fight for the Williams seat alongside Lance Stroll next year was suddenly won by Russian and Renault reserve Sergey Sirotkin. Rumours stated that his pace turned out to be stronger than Kubica's and that, tied in with his larger financial package, had left the Pole out of the running and that the young Russian was a shoe in for the drive...or had it? Because things have taken a rather interesting turn recently and nobody seems to know what the hell is going on.

An announcement was expected by many today, but reports then came out stating the decision has been delayed until January saying "Sirotkin's contract is understood to be close to being finalised with only minor details still to be ironed out.".

What those details are we don't know, but it is certainly clear there is more to this story than meets the eye. Felipe Massa has said in an interview with "Grande Premio" today that he had gathered that Kubica had a contract ready in Brazil and it was signed following the test in Abu Dhabi after the last race of the year. This was then effectively thrown out the window as Williams couldn't resist the $15 million that Sirotkin brought to the table. This certainly smacks of the Sauber and Giedo Van Der Garde dispute in 2015, when Sauber signed three drivers for their two cars for that season and Van Der Garde took the team to court in Australia. He won the fight, and the teams cars were effectively impounded by bailiffs on the opening day of practice whilst the dispute was sorted. It even got as far as Van Der Garde having a seat fitting as it looked like the team would have to jettison either Felipe Nasr or Marcus Ericsson for at least that weekend.  The dispute was eventually settled and the team proceeded with Nasr and Ericsson, but it shows what can happen if a team messes drivers around.

It then gets more interesting with rumors Kubica was at Williams this week for further negotiations, and former sponsor Lotos is reputedly behind him once again following his rallying days and could well bring even more money to Kubica's $8 million package. These reports are further enhanced by RACER reporting that "While the ongoing delay would suggest Kubica's chances have lessened, making Sirotkin the favorite for the seat, RACER understands there are still opposing views within the team on who should get the seat alongside Stroll."

This clearly suggests that there is a larger number of people in the team who feel Kubica should still be their driver. He impressed them massively with his feedback, knowledge and how well he embedded himself within the team during the test and it felt like he had been there for the whole year and not just a few days. It was similar reasons to this that lead to McLaren dropping Sergio Perez in 2013 and replacing him with Kevin Magnussen for 2014.

Maybe none of this is true, and that it will still be Sirotkin in that car. But I aren't so sure. Something odd is going on, and it could be sometime before we find out who is in that car next year. Because what looks to be a clear cut decision, may well turn out to be anything but that...

Kubica at Williams: Surely that's the only solution?

Robert Kubica and Williams have been in the spotlight for a while now, especially following the Pole's recent test in Abu Dhabi as he aims to make a fairy tale F1 comeback in 2018. Since the test has been completed, it has all gone rather quiet and many are speculating if this means the dream comeback will not happen. But surely this is just a case of Williams crunching the data, because you think about it, look at all the other options and way up each ones pros and cons, Kubica really is Williams only choice to partner Lance Stroll for 2018. And here's why...

As Formula 1 heads into its winter slumber, the Williams seat alongside Stroll is the only one that has yet to be filled, and there are 5 drivers who each have varying chances of securing the seat. They are Pascal Wehrlein, Daniil Kvyat, Paul Di Resta, Sergey Sirotkin and of course, Robert Kubica.  Di Resta and Wehrlein are now looking unlikely to take the seat. Mercedes apparently will not give Williams an engine discount for taking on their promising young German and Di Resta, whilst very impressive in his stand-in race back in Hungary, seems to be viewed much more as a 'great backup' which is perhaps harsh as he very much deserves another shot at Formula 1.

So then you have the remaining trio of Kvyat, Sirotkin and Kubica and all three of course are interesting prospects. Kvyat as we know is now no longer a part of the Red Bull driver scheme, Toro Rosso of course fielding Brendon Hartley and Pierre Gasly from next year as they switch to Honda power. The speed Kvyat posses has not been disputed, and despite being demoted to the Toro Rosso team from the main Red Bull team back in 2016, he has still flown flashes of the speed that got him promoted to the Red Bull drive in the first place over the more experienced (and in hindsight, probably better choice) Jean-Eric Vergne.

But that's where it gets tricky for Kvyat. For despite his speed, he has never recovered mentally from the demotion which saw Max Verstappen win on his debut for the Red Bull team in Spain last year. The decision to demote Kvyat was harsh and you can understand why it affected his mindset, but the problem is he never recovered and is now seen by many as damaged goods. When returning to the team and being partnered with Carlos Sainz, the Spaniard scored 48 points prior to Kvyat's removal this year. Kvyat himself scored 4. And despite a strong final race in Austin this year to take 10th, he was told straight after the race by Helmut Mark that "you're done now, you can go home". A change of scenery may help Kvyat, but is it worth the risk for a driver not quite on the level of a Ricciardo or Verstappen? There is also no guarantee his mental state will improve either.

Sergey Sirotkin became a late contender for the seat in the Abu Dhabi test alongside Kubica, and showed impressive speed and a good attitude towards the team. But as far as I can tell...that's it. Yes he proved he was quick and a solid driver, but Williams don't need "solid". They need more than that, hence why they chased Alonso for a part of the year. But my main concern with a Sirotkin and Stroll lineup is just how utterly weak this will look. You have in effect two rookies in your team, yes one has done a full season but it was patchy at times and young Stroll is still obviously learning the ropes. His end to the season was truly awful, making three stops in Abu Dhabi over everyone elses one stop and the team don't understand what was going on. Sirotkin has had some free practice running with Renault, but not a lot when compared to the likes of Antonio Giovanzzi at Haas or what Jolyon Palmer recieved at Lotus in 2015. His junior record is also a bit patchy, and he made two many mistakes in the fight against Stoffel Vandoorne during the 2016 GP2 season. The preparation has not been there, and Williams risk looking like they are merely after those with the biggest bag of cash. Kubica does bring cash yes but not on the level of Sirotkin, and with much more skill and experience. It would be a huge risk to partner Stroll and Sirotkin, and one the team might come to regret if they do so.

Lastly, we come to the man that almost everyone in Formula 1 wants to see in that car next year. Robert Kubica. The man who no one thought would drive a Formula 1 car again, let alone be in contention for a full time race seat again. But here we are, six years on from that near fatal crash in the Ronde di Andora rally, the man considered to be F1's biggest lost talent is poised to make an incredible comeback against all the odds. And for Williams there are plenty of bonuses. He has experience from his first stint in F1. He's won a race and contested for the championship. He can bring a decent budget to the team and staggeringly, his speed does not appear to have suffered in the years away from open-wheel racing. He would provide the skill and the ability that Williams need to bring their car further up the field. His feedback and knowledge was also unbelievably impressive, the team highly impressed with what he fed back to them and he slotted into the team as if he had been there for years. Exactly what you need.

There is just one nagging doubt though. The Abu Dhabi test revealed that, whilst his race pace was there, his short run pace appeared to be lacking a touch. Mark Hughes reported that his 1min 39.4sec on the hypersoft tyre, on low fuel on the second day of the test was a little bit scrappy. Indeed whilst he was the quickest of the three drivers Williams ran in Abu Dhabi (Stroll also took part) it was only a tenth faster than Stroll had done himself.  But there could have been reasons behind that. Firstly, Kubica appeared to have encountered traffic on his first flying lap of the two he did, the hypersoft may have been too soft for the Yas Marina circuit and his lack of mileage in a 2017 car may not have helped either. Let's not forget, he was reportedly quicker than Sirotkin in the 2012 Lotus that he tested for Renault, on both long and short runs. This was a car not too dissimilar to the R31 and R30 he had driven the previous two years. In contrast, he had just had two days in the 2017 car before his performance run in Abu Dhabi. He was reportedly slower than Paul Di Resta on shorter runs as well in the private test that took place in Hungary with the 2014 FW36. Again though, it is a car that he was unfamiliar with and a massive downgrade from the 2017 Renault he had recently driven. The Mercedes engine in Abu Dhabi was also turned right down due to age in the FW40. So a multitude of reasons could explain the lack of pace, and more mileage in a current car in pre-season testing would probably rectify the issues.

Despite these doubts, I honestly feel that Kubica is the best choice for Williams and really their only logical choice. Of course they may get cold feet and back out, which would be a crying shame as any issues could surely be sorted with more mileage and in a far less restrictive environment than a Pirelli tyre test. Not only would the story of his comeback be utterly incredible, and no doubt a marketing wet dream for Williams, but his return could pay off big time and both parties could enjoy the success they crave and fans around the world will witness the return of a once lost star. A lot of journalists have been going on about "the silence being deafening" around the whole situation. But when there is nothing else to write about of any interest, you have to publish something don't you?  Listen out Williams: you have just one solution to your problem, and his name is Robert Kubica.

Valtteri Bottas bounces back in style

Valtteri Bottas had come under fire throughout the second half the 2017 Formula 1 season. The winner in Russia and Austria had been very much in the shade of teammate Lewis Hamilton following the summer break, but looked to have bounced back in Brazil with a superb pole position. He squandered that at the start and allowed Sebastian Vettel to win the race, but after an incredible lap in qualifying in Abu Dhabi saw him take back to back poles, he followed it up with a flawless win in a straight fight with the new world champion. Valtteri Bottas, is back.

Abu Dhabi was very much an all Mercedes affair, but it was also expected to be the Hamilton show. His crash in qualifying back in Brazil saw Mercedes fit a brand new power unit, and many expected this to give Hamilton a significant advantage at a track that rewards power. Hamilton duly dominated all but FP1, then Q3 saw Bottas pull out perhaps the best lap he ever has done to snatch pole from Hamilton and go against the form book of the previous day. Hamilton admitted Bottas had just done a better job, Vettel hailing it as a "mega" lap and with good reason. Bottas' margin of 0.172 over Hamilton, in the same car with a new power unit was extraordinary. Clearly, he was really overcoming his issues.

There were still doubts in the paddock on whether he could beat Hamilton off the line, let alone in the race. Perhaps unfairly, Hamilton was still tipped as the favorite for the win. At the start though Bottas held onto the lead, and built up a small but handy gap of just over two seconds over Hamilton as the pair pulled away slowly from Vettel. Following the pitstops however, Hamilton closed right up to Bottas and was less than half a second behind at one point, piling the pressure on and very much keeping the Finn on his toes. But despite all that, Bottas did not buckle and in the last few laps, he bolted. He was over five seconds clear of Hamilton as he exited the last corner, slowing down to celebrate with his team members hanging over the pitwall and complete the most impressive performance of his career to date.

Of course we do not know whether Bottas can do this consistently over a season. This performance came at the end of the year and to be fair to Bottas, against not only a very fast driver but one that has been embedded at Mercedes for five seasons in a car designed for Hamilton and Rosberg, not Hamilton and Bottas. With a full winter behind him at Mercedes, his deal to join the team coming very late in January of course, there is every chance that the young Finn will improve massively next year. Inter-team fireworks may yet be set off once again within the Silver Arrows. For now though, Bottas is most certainly back, and with a performance worthy of a world champion. 2018 could be big Valtteri Bottas.