Renault’s new signing Daniel Ricciardo has said he believes he has become a “more mature person” as a result of the struggles he went through in 2018 when driving for Red Bull.
Speaking at the launch of Renault’s R.S.19, Ricciardo said, “Everything I learnt in 2018 will make me a better version of myself in 2019. The difference will be a more mature person. I have more clarity of where I’m going and I am for that to be shown with good results on track.
“I feel a lot of positive pressure and expectation to do good things, but that’s something I’m looking forward to taking on.”
Ricciardo suffered eight DNFs in 2018 thanks to mechanical failures, but still managed to take two race wins on his way to sixth in the drivers’ championship, two positions behind Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen.
Renault Sport F1 Team
Since their return to F1 as a works team, Renault have only improved, going from ninth in the 2016 constructors’ championship to sixth in 2017 and then to fourth in 2018. Ricciardo, who will be driving alongside Nico Hulkenberg in 2019, expressed his keenness to get on with the job and help elevate the team to the next level.
“Renault has a massive history in motorsport, so to be a part of the next step of their Formula 1 journey is an exciting challenge,” he said. “I’m here to do a job on track and drive as fast as possible, but I would like to bring the team energy. I want to put a spring in everyone’s step because that’s part of my job and also my character.
“I aim to be able to get the team to work that extra bit harder, put in more effort and rally everyone together. I’d like to be a catalyst for positive energy.”
On 11 February 2019, Scuderia Toro Rosso unveiled their 2019 contender, the STR14, in a Tron: Legacy-evoking YouTube video.
For 2019, the Baby Bulls are sticking to their tried-and-true ‘drinks can on wheels’ look featuring prominent Red Bull branding. The logo of Toro Rosso’s new partner, myWorld, joins those of Casio’s Edifice brand and the human resources consultancy, Randstad.
In a press release issued on 8 February, Toro Rosso Principal Franz Tost said,
“Innovation is at the core of Formula 1 and I’m delighted that Toro Rosso will be working with myWorld, a future-oriented organisation that unites different brands under one umbrella to provide innovative fan and customer loyalty programmes to associations and corporations. Through this partnership we will support them in promoting how consumers, and also partners, can benefit from their international Shopping Community.”
“In view of myWorld’s international focus, this collaboration is an important step. Cooperation with Scuderia Toro Rosso is an optimal platform from which to present our group of companies to an international audience.”
This new partnership can only help the squad, which slipped from 7th in the Constructors Championship in 2017 to 9th in 2018.
Side view of the Scuderia Toro Rosso STR14 . Image courtesy of Digital Lighthouse / Red Bull Content Pool
In addition to the myWorld partnership, 2019 brings Daniil Kvyat’s return to fill the seat of Red Bull-bound Pierre Gasly and Alexander Albon’s transition from Formula E’s Nissan e.dams, replacing the ill-starred Brendan Hartley.
Honda returns to power the STR14 with the RA619H for 2019.
Featured Image courtesy of Digital Lighthouse / Red Bull Content Pool
Renault have revealed their 2019 F1 contender, the R.S.19, becoming the fourth team to do so thus far.
The car features largely the same livery as its predecessor, save for a touch more yellow around the rear wing and on the inside of the front wing endplates.
Underneath the similar exterior, however, Renault claim that only the R.S.19’s power steering system bears any resemblance to their 2018 car, with the other components undergoing a radical overhaul in a search for extra performance. The changes visible in the images released online centre around those mandated by the 2019 regulations, and include the larger rear wing and simplified front wing.
Renault Sport F1 Team
Underneath the bodywork, particular focus was paid by Renault to their power unit, building on the promise shown by the C-spec engine used by Red Bull in the tail end of last season, in the hopes that Renault can begin to close the gulf between itself and the ‘big three’ of Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull, and start to challenge for podiums.
2018 was Renault’s most successful season in F1 since their return to the sport as a works team, and it resulted in a fourth-place finish in the constructors’ championship. The team will be hoping that the R.S.19 will continue that momentum, with the signing of Daniel Ricciardo to partner Nico Hulkenberg – who enters his third year with Renault – a real statement of intent.
The announcement of Ricciardo’s move from Red Bull to Renault was one of the biggest stories of last year, and both Ricciardo and Hulkenberg have spoken of relishing the prospect of racing against one another as team-mates. It is a battle that is definitely worth keeping an eye on as the year progresses.
Patricio O’Ward has parted ways from Harding Steinbrenner Racing, with whom he was expected to compete in his rookie IndyCar season this year.
The Mexican driver won the 2018 Indy Lights championship, winning nine out of 17 races. O’Ward then made his IndyCar debut in Sonoma last season with Harding Steinbrenner, reaching the Fast Six in qualifying and finishing the race in ninth place. He was understood to have signed a deal to race for the team on a full-time programme in 2019.
Credit: Joe Skibinski/IndyCar
O’Ward’s Indy Lights championship win was accompanied by a scholarship worth $1 million to be put towards an entry in the IndyCar championship.
However, O’Ward announced today that he had parted ways with the team, releasing the following statement:
“The Harding Steinbrenner Racing team supported my decision to seek a new opportunity by releasing me from my contract and allowing me the opportunity to find a new team before the start of the 2019 season. Now, I am fully focused on finding the right opportunity and how I will use my scholarship from Indy Lights for 2019.”
With the first race of the IndyCar season on March 10, time is running out for O’Ward to secure a new seat, and it is unclear whether he will be able to find a full-time or part-time deal.
Harding Steinbrenner Racing are now expected to contest the season with only one entry, the #88 car, to be driven by 2018 Indy Lights runner-up Colton Herta.
Williams have revealed their all-new livery for their upcoming season and announced telecommunications company ROKiT as their new title sponsor, replacing previous sponsor Martini after their five-year partnership came to an end.
The livery, displayed on a 2018-spec car, features a white, blue and black colour scheme and sports the RoKit logo on the engine cover.
The announcement was made at an event at the team’s factory in Grove, Oxfordshire, ahead of the expected launch of the 2019 car before the start of pre-season testing on Monday.
Speaking at the event, deputy team principal Claire Williams said, “We are delighted to welcome ROKiT to our team as our title partner for the 2019 season and beyond. We share many similar values and aspirations with ROKiT; primarily putting engineering and innovation at the core of everything we do in our pursuit to be the best – the perfect platform from which to start a partnership.
ROKiT is on an exciting journey in their world of telecommunications, as we are at Williams as we build the team for a successful future. Taking that path together will make us both stronger in our endeavours and so I can’t wait to get started.”
Alongside the new livery, for 2019 Williams will also have an all-new driver line-up comprised of Robert Kubica and George Russell. The Australian Grand Prix will be something of a momentous occasion for both drivers – for Russell it will be his first ever start in F1, while for Kubica it will be his first race back in F1 since he suffered severe injuries in a rally crash back in 2011.
It’s time already for round two of this year’s championship! Rally Sweden is super spectacular, with snow and ice covering the stages, and the Michelin tyres being super skinny and fitted with studs to cut through and find the grip! The forests of Varmland will see the crews battle for the victory, and keeping out of trouble will be key!
2017 FIA World Rally Championship Round 02, WRC, Sweden 06-12 February 2017 Atmosphere Day 1 Photographer: Helena El Mokni Worldwide copyright: Hyundai Motorsport GmbH
Opening the road on Friday morning, Seb Ogier will be at a disadvantage, and last year we saw him and Julien finish in eleventh place. This year will see him in the same position, and we’ll have to wait and see how he fares in the Citroen.
Thierry Neuville won last season and with that, took the championship lead. Also, for Hyundai, there is Seb Loeb in the car, competing for the first time since 2013, at which point he and Daniel had taken five podiums including one win, plus Andreas Mikkelsen, who took his only podium in last year’s campaign in Sweden.
The team run by Tommi Makinen is very strong, and they won most of the stages in Monte-Carlo. Ott Tanak has to be favourite, but you can’t discount Jari-Matti who won in 2017, and Kris Meeke, who will almost certainly on the pace, as he becomes more familiar with the Yaris and Seb Marshall next to him.
The M-Sport team will have Elfyn, Teemu and Pontus in three cars. Elfyn will be looking to get a good result there, having picked up two sixth places in 2015 and 2017. It’s also worth mentioning that Scott guided Craig Breen to the second step of the podium last year, giving an extra dimension to the hopes within the team. Finally, there is Marko who guided last year’s WRC2 winner Takamoto Katsuta. What could he and Teemu do this year?
The stages that they face are very fast. Here is what awaits them. Nineteen stages totalling 316km, with just a minor change from 2018 with Rammen replacing Torntop on Saturday.
THURSDAY 14 FEBRUARY
9.00am: Shakedown (Skalla)
8.08pm: SS 1 – Super Special Stage Karlstad 1 (1,90 km)
9.58pm: Parc ferme (Torsby)
FRIDAY 15 FEBRUARY
6.00am: Start day 1 and service A (Torsby – 15 mins)
7.55am: SS 2 – Hof-Finnskog 1 (21,26 km)
9.08am: SS 3 – Svullrya 1 (24,88 km)
9.59am: SS 4 – Röjden 1 (18,10 km)
11.34am: Service B (Torsby – 40 mins)
1.54pm: SS 5 – Hof-Finnskog 2 (21,26 km)
3.17pm: SS 6 – Svullrya 2 (24,88 km)
4.08pm: SS 7 – Röjden 1 (18,10 km)
5.14pm: SS 8 – Torsby 1 (8,93 km)
5.50pm: Flexi service C (Torsby – 45 mins)
SATURDAY 16 FEBRUARY
6.00am: Start day 2 and service D (Torsby – 15 mins)
7.44am: SS 9 – Rämmen 1 (23,13 km)
8.35am: SS 10 – Hagfors 1 (23,40 km)
9.37am: SS 11 – Vargasen 1 (14,21 km)
10.53am: Service E (Torsby – 40 mins)
1.02pm: SS 12 – Rämmen 2 (23,13 km)
1.53pm: SS 13 – Hagfors 2 (23,40 km)
3.08pm: SS 14 – Vargasen 2 (14,21 km)
5.45pm: SS 15 – Super Special Stage Karlstad 2 (1,90 km)
7.30pm: SS 16 – Torsby Sprint (2,80 km)
8.00pm: Flexi service F (Torsby – 45 mins)
SUNDAY 17 FEBRUARY
6.30am: Start day 3 and service G (Torsby – 15 mins)
7.50am: SS 17 – Likenäs 1 (21,19 km)
9.51am: SS 18 – Likenäs 2 (21,19 km)
12.18pm: SS 19 – Torsby 2 Power Stage (8,93 km)
12.38pm: Finish – Torsby, service park
1.00pm: Podium – Torsby, service park
Here’s the thoughts from the drivers.
Citroen Total Racing
Sébastien Ogier
“It’s a rally that I have always really enjoyed. You get a really nice feeling driving the WRCs here. I hope that we have good conditions so we can enjoy ourselves, although I’m aware that running first is very often a significant disadvantage, due to the layer of snow covering the ice. We’ll have to see how the roads evolve for the second passes, but I fear that with the layer of ice currently on the roads, the gravel will start to appear quite quickly. In testing, the feeling gradually improved as we covered more kilometres and as always, we are going to try and do our best.”
Seb and Julien come to Rally Sweden as championship leaders.
Esapekka Lappi
“If the conditions stay the same as those, we had in testing this week, then the layer of ice is so thin that it is likely to leave the gravel exposed pretty quickly, which means we’ll have to manage the studs on the second runs. Whatever happens, we have a good road position. The stages are fast, which I like and I feel that we worked well in testing. I just hope we’ll have a bit of luck on our side this time and our hard work will pay off.”
Hyundai Motorsport
Thierry Neuville
“Monte-Carlo was a good sign of potential for us and we can’t wait to get in the car again in Sweden. It has been a nice event for us in the past. We’ve had some pretty competitive performances in previous years, including our victory last season. It is a rally we enjoy as a crew. Our car has always worked well, allowing us to set fast times on the frozen roads and use the snow banks to push to the limit. We know our rivals will be strong, as they will be at all rallies, so we have to focus on ourselves and do the best job we can.”
2018 FIA World Rally Championship Round 02, Rally Sweden 15-18 February 2018 Thierry Neuville, Nicolas Gilsoul, Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC Photographer: Austral Worldwide copyright: Hyundai Motorsport GmbH
Seb Loeb
“Rallye Monte-Carlo was a solid start in our new relationship with Hyundai Motorsport, particularly with our limited pre-event testing. We were in the fight for the podium all weekend, and we are ready to build from that. Rally Sweden is a very different challenge. It can be the most exciting rally of the season if it’s full ice with good conditions and sun, yet it can be very difficult if the snow is melting with rain – so naturally, we’re hoping to have good conditions.”
Andreas Mikkelsen
“Rally Sweden is a highlight in our calendar as we spend one day in Norway, so it is kind of a home rally for us. It’s the only event that is fully snow on ice. Driving with studded tyres on the stages gives you an incredible feeling, like you are floating. We were disappointed to retire from Monte but we had found a good rhythm with the car and we are confident we can be fighting at the front throughout the season.”
Toyota Gazoo Racing
Ott Tänak
“We are feeling well prepared for Sweden, but it’s always difficult to know exactly what conditions we are going to face during the event. Last year we had a lot of snow and big snow banks, which is usually what you want on a winter rally. It was hard for us to compete with our road position though, because there wasn’t a lot of grip available in the fresh snow. I’m hoping that we’ll have a better chance this year to fight at the front. When the conditions are in your favour, it can be a really fun event with such fast and flowing stages, and we know that our car can be really good there.”
Jari-Matti Latvala
“This year’s Rally Sweden is going to be very special for me. It’s where I became the youngest ever winner of a WRC round, and now I am set to become the most experienced WRC driver, on the same event, just 11 years later. At the moment we have a good amount of snow here in Finland and I am expecting the conditions to be similar in Sweden, so we should have a really nice winter rally. Hopefully we can be fighting for another great result like we had in Sweden in 2017 with the first win for the Yaris WRC. I just need to get the feeling for the driving that I was missing in Monte Carlo.”
Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Antilla took victory in 2017.
Kris Meeke
“Monte Carlo was a positive beginning for me but it doesn’t change my immediate focus, which is on learning the car and enjoying my driving on the three very different events we have to start the season. I had a great three days of testing in Finland last week to prepare for Rally Sweden. It was really nice to experience the car for the first time with a snow setup. I came away with a really good feeling, but I’m keeping in mind that the conditions on the rally could be very different, depending on the temperatures. Hopefully we’ll have nice, consistent conditions and a rally everyone can enjoy.”
M-Sport
Elfyn Evans
“As the only winter rally on the calendar, Rally Sweden is pretty special. We had a good test last week and it was important to get the sensation of driving on snow again. We reach incredible speeds and it’s an amazing feeling – making this one of the most enjoyable events of the year when the conditions are good.
“We’ll certainly be hoping that the conditions work in our favour next week and it will be important to make the most of the advantage if that is the case. We’ll have to wait and see what it’s like when we get there, but we have our fingers crossed for a classic Rally Sweden with plenty of snow.
“Monte didn’t end the way we wanted it to, and we need to remain focused and make good on our potential next week. We know that we have the package to achieve a strong result and both myself and Scott have had strong results at this event in the past.
“If everything works in our favour, there’s no reason why we can’t challenge for the top results and that’s what we’re all working towards delivering.”
FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP 2017 -WRC Sweden (SWE) – WRC 09/02/2017 to 12/02/2017 – PHOTO : @World
Teemu Suninen
“Last week we drove a good test day with more than 200 kilometres in Finland. We actually had a lot more set-up changes to work through this year, and I could feel we’d taken a step forward.
“Our competitiveness in Rally Sweden will of course depend a bit on the weather. There is always a chance to minimise the time loss when someone else is cleaning the road for the drivers behind. The key is to stay on the clean line for as long as possible.
“The speed in Sweden is close to the figures we reach in Rally Finland. Sometimes we may lean on the snowbanks as well, but it is not always intentional.
“We start this rally with the notes I made last year, and I expect the competition to be just as tough as it was in Monte. Everyone wants the top positions, and we will have to work hard to ensure we are also in the hunt.”
Pontus Tidemand
“Rally Sweden is the highlight of my year – the big one that I always look forward to and I feel one hundred percent ready to take on the challenge of my home event. And what makes it even better is that I’m behind the wheel of the most amazing car I’ve ever driven.
“To speed through the snowy forests and see all the fans, the bonfires and the Swedish flags waving is an amazing feeling that beats everything. And to know that I have family, friends and supporters out there really gives me a boost.
“I’m starting to feel very comfortable with the car and I already feel at home in the team. When we came to Monte-Carlo last month, more or less everything was new and it was all about learning. It was an extremely important experience for both me and Ola and it gave us a chance to get used to it all.
“I’ve said all along that Rally Sweden is where I want to be competitive and on top performance. This is my home event, I know it very well and I have a great feeling about it this year. It will still be very demanding and challenging, and we will have to step up our game and quickly find a good rhythm that we can hopefully keep throughout the weekend.”
Also competing for M-Sport are Gus Greensmith and Lukasz Pieniazek in WRC2 Pro.
Gus Greensmith
“It took a while for my first win to sink in and I’ll admit to having to pinch myself a few times after being called a Monte winner! But this sport doesn’t wait for you to savour the moment and my mind quickly turned to Rally Sweden where I hope to go for another strong result.
“I have very little experience of this event and the driving style needed for winter rallying, so our pre-event test will be particularly important for our preparation. We’ve only got one day so we will have to be really focused and productive to try and get everything done.
“The route is pretty similar to last year so I have also spent countless hours studying the onboard videos to make sure that I am as prepared as I can be. I still don’t have a lot of experience on snow, but hopefully that will go some way to making up for it and I am definitely going to give it my all.
“It will be tough against the guys who have grown up on snow, but I have a great team around me and I feel at the top of my game – so we have every chance of continuing to challenge at the top.”
Gus Greensmith and Elliott Edmondson took WRC2 Pro victory at Rallye Monte-Carlo. Photo credit, M-Sport
Łukasz Pieniążek
“This will be my second start in Sweden and only my third with a four-wheel-drive car on snow. I don’t have a lot of experience in these conditions, but I really enjoy them.
“To prepare, we had a good three-day test in Estonia where we completed around 450 kilometres and got a good feeling with the Fiesta and a good understanding of how it handles in these snowy conditions. We’ll have another test with the team on Monday and I’m really looking forward to the rally.
“I really like driving on snow. The studded tyres give great grip but it does take some getting used to which is pretty challenging. Then there are the snowbanks. You don’t want to get stuck in one of them so it’s important to be really precise – especially in the narrow sections.
“My number one goal is to give my best and go as fast as we can. It will be our first rally with the new team and with a new car so let’s see what we can do.
“The recce will be very important to understand the conditions and choose the right setup. If we do that, then I’m sure we’ll have lots of fun on some of the most beautiful stages on the calendar.”
Don’t forget, there’s lots of coverage on WRC+ and BT Sport showing every stage live. Who will win? It’s going to be fun finding out! Enjoy!
MotoGP 2019 testing got underway this week and, as ever, was full of intrigue, with rookies impressing and factories unveiling some interesting innovations, visible and otherwise.
It was Ducati who ended the test on top, with a lockout of the top four on the final day, including a new unofficial track record for Danilo Petrucci with a 1’58.239, over half a second clear of Jorge Lorenzo’s previous track record from the Sepang test last year, and interestingly set without the FUBAR rear brake attachment. That lap from Lorenzo just over one year ago was performed on an early version of the Ducati GP18, the bike from which Pecco Bagnaia’s bike for 2019 is derived (Bagnaia is riding the latest version of the GP18, from the 2018 Valencia GP), and with that bike Bagnaia managed to go just 0.063 seconds shy of Petrucci’s time. Whilst Bagnaia was keen to play himself down, emphasising that he needs to work on his race pace this early speed is surely a positive sign going forward.
Danilo Petrucci & Andrea Dovizioso at Sepang circuit in 2019 preseason testing. Image courtesy of Ducati
Ducati brought out some interesting things on the second two days of the test, with Andrea Dovizioso – who ended up fourth on the final day behind Jack Miller who was third – debuting a handlebar widget on the second day, thought to be a ‘holeshot device’ the compresses the front suspension on starts to decrease wheelie when launching. On the final day we saw Ducati’s new aero fairing, a three-winged affair which was destroyed on his first lap out of the pits by Danilo Petrucci. Dovizioso suffered no similar fate, but Ducati will be after more data, of course, in Qatar in a few days’ time.
Maverick Vinales was the best non-Ducati rider on the final day of the test – 0.4 seconds from Petrucci – after topping day two. Despite his deficit to the headline time, the consensus amongst the riders seems to be that Vinales is one of – if not the – strongest on pace from this test, and this supports his positive view of Yamaha’s winter development.
Valentino Rossi’s report is less extreme but positive nonetheless, the Italian encouraged by the signs he sees from Yamaha itself, sensing that the factory is keen to return to the front on a regular basis this season. But still, The Doctor wants more from Yamaha, he doesn’t feel he has enough to win at the moment.
Valentino Rossi on the YZR-M1 at Sepang preseason testing. Image courtesy of Yamaha Motor Racing Srl
Across both factoy riders and Petronas SRT pilot Franco Morbidelli, the main complaint remains acceleration, with all three feeling they are still losing out on corner exit, especially in comparison with the Ducatis.
Most of the new additions to the M1 in this test were internal, and the riders were mostly reluctant to speak about that which we could not see. One thing which was visible on the M1 in Sepang was a new fairing, which came out of the box on Friday. Like Ducati, Yamaha will be after confirmation on their findings from Sepang in the final preseason test in Qatar, and Rossi confessed it is unlikely there will be anything new to try between now and March 10.
There were only two Hondas in the top ten on the final day in Malaysia, the LCR machines of Cal Crutchlow (6th, +0.541) and Takaaki Nakagami (9th, +0.909), whilst Marc Marquez could only manage 11th, 0.931 seconds off Petrucci.
After topping the first day with alarming speed and consistency, the blistering speed largely deserted Marquez for the remainder of the test, as he tried to evaluate the new items Honda had brought to Sepang despite his weakened physical condition.
It was always set up to be a tough test for Honda with three of their five riders injured, and Jorge Lorenzo to such an extent that he was absent, all of which made the work of Stefan Bradl all the more crucial, as the German test rider focussed largely on long runs. Despite their difficulties, which will largely remain unalleviated in Qatar (both for the test and the race), the feeling is the Honda is ready for winning, and the onus is still very much on the opposition to Marquez to make as much advantage in this period where he is not at 100%.
A twelfth place for Alex Rins on the third day seems initially quite underwhelming, but looking at the average times of all the riders, it is #42 who comes out on top. Suzuki had their engine design confirmed for 2019 before Sepang, so the test in Malaysia was just about the details. The biggest/most obvious additions to the GSX-RR in Sepang were a new aero fairing – essentially a slimmed-down version of what they had last year – and a new, shorter exhaust, designed to give the Suzuki a little more top end.
As well as the impressive pace shown throughout the three days by Rins, Joan Mir ended the test as the second-fastest rookie, in fifteenth place and 1.247 seconds from the top time.
KTM had a decent test, with an impressive time coming from Pol Espargaro on the first day, followed by good progress from both Johann Zarco and Miguel Oliveira on days two and three.
After the first day, Zarco was left wondering how long he might have to wait to receive the parts he felt he needed to allow the RC16 to suit him, and on the final day he was the top KTM in 17th, a tenth clear of Espargaro (18th); 1.4 seconds off the top. This progress will come as a relief to Zarco, who up to the first day in Malaysia looked to be struggling to adapt to the Austrian bike.
A similar thing can be said for Oliveira, who was 19th and three tenths shy of Zarco. On the other hand, Hafizh Syahrin still seems to be struggling to adapt to the KTM after a year on the Yamaha and ended the test as the slowest of the full-time riders and down in 21st place, 2.5 seconds from Petrucci.
Miguel Oliveira KTM RC16 Sepang International Circuit 2019 during preseason testing. Image courtesy of Gold and Goose/KTM
Aprilia decided, that 2018 did not happen when designing the 2019 RSGP, and it was a decision much to the delight of Aleix Espargaro, who was happy with the bike from when he jumped on it in the shakedown test preceding the official MotoGP test. There is still a lot of work to do in Noale for the engineers, but the seventh fastest time for Aleix on the final day shows they are in the right direction.
Unfortunately for Andrea Iannone the test was not as positive, as it was marred by a dental infection for the Italian. Either way the #29 was able to get his hands on the new RSGP for the first time after sampling the Aprilia itself for the first time back in November. He and his team will hope he can be back to full strength in time for the Qatar test in a few days.
This piece began life as a riff on the pedigree of the new Rich Energy livery. I was going to work in a great joke about how their next big news was going to be signing Pastor Maldonado for 2020 or releasing a bespoke line of co-branded e-cigarettes since we’re already ripping off paying homage to Lotus.
Haas F1 MediaAndrew Ferraro/LAT/Pirelli Media
You know, the cheap laughs, good for clicks, and safe for me because I’m in Colorado and likely won’t bump into any of you down the pub.
Grand Prix 1970 van Nederland voor Formule I wagens , Zandvoort; Dan Gurney , kop *21 juni 1970
As I wrote, though, it changed into a meditation on the current state of American participation in Formula One. As an American I feel like I should cheer unreservedly for Gene Haas’ global marketing program Formula One team. After all, apart from a sprinkling of my fellow Americans in positions of influence and authority we’re thin on the ground in motorsport’s pinnacle series. We’ve had a few successful drivers, among them Dan Gurney, Phil Hill, and Mario Andretti (though I suspect the Italians would be glad to claim Andretti as well), but we’ve not produced a significant number of successful teams.
Back in reality, though, Haas F1 Team has mainly been an American team in name and funding. Though headquartered alongside Stewart-Haas Racing in Kannapolis, the staff are based primarily in Marussia’s former Banbury facility and in Varano de’ Melegari, with, y’know, Dallara. Ferrari of course does the engines and whatnot.
While the technical tie-ups with Ferrari and Dallara have sparked a good deal of controversy, the Euro-centric arrangements Gene Haas put in place make a lot of sense given the realities of the sport. Operating primarily from North America would put any team at a significant disadvantage from a purely logistical perspective, to say nothing of the knowledge and infrastructure bases that would have to be built from the ground up. Our home-grown motorsport talent is top notch, but as Honda’s troubled return to the series has shown, Formula One is a whole ‘nother animal. Operating from the UK and Italy just makes sense.
The Rich Energy sponsorship makes it plain that the funding piece is now decidedly less American. I understand this – Formula 1 is an expensive sport the way the ocean is damp. As the old adage goes, it’s a great way to make millionaires out of billionaires.
Emotion, though, doesn’t care quite as much for these facts. While I’ve been a Silver Arrows man since Mercedes took over Brawn GP, and was a staunch Nico Rosberg supporter until his retirement (don’t @ me, I’m of German heritage), I’ve been proud to see Haas on the grid. It hurts to see Rich Energy take pride of place in the branding, despite the large Haas logo on the car.
The cynic in me says that hey, the team was a marketing vehicle for Haas Automation, and it’s clearly fulfilled its goal. This tie-up with Rich Energy looks like a great way for Gene to gently wind up his involvement in Formula One over the course of the next few years.
The very idea that this is might be the strategic plan leaves me feeling sad. Of course teams churn in Formula One – the glamor and history of the series ensure a ready supply of new money to replace the old, and it’s just good sense to buy as much infrastructure and talent as you can. So much the better if you can exit with dignity and pocketbook (mostly) intact.
If we can’t have another AAR, I’d be glad for this Haas to stick around.
Time will tell, I suppose. In the meantime I can’t wait to see the machine on track, driven in anger.
Oh, and the livery? It’s alright, I guess. Lotus wore it well, but I’d have liked to see something new and different from an up and coming energy drinks company.
Check out the latest Mobil 1 The Grid video on how time in the simulator has helped Red Bull’s Pierre Gasly prepare for his debut season with his new team
The Haas F1 team have today unveiled their livery for the forthcoming 2019 season, introducing a fresh design in what they are calling a ‘New Era’ for the team.
In a contrast to last year’s predominantly white car, the new Haas will be black and gold – similar to the Lotus Renault which raced between 2011 and 2015. The reason for the enticing change is Haas’ new title sponsor, Rich Energy, the company that tried to buy out the financially stricken Force India Team before it was rescued by a consortium lead by Lawrence Stroll. The car, unveiled by drivers Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean, is the 2018 car with the new livery and the new front wing design. We will see the complete new 2019 car during winter testing in Barcelona.
William Storey, Rich Energy CEO, described Haas as “the perfect team to try and challenge Red Bull on and off the track”, while French driver Romain Grosjean said the engineers “have been working really hard back at the factory making sure that we have a really good car for the year.” Kevin Magnussen’s typically laid back assessment was that “it looks cool. It looks fast. It looks angry.”
Haas F1 Media
Haas finished last season fifth in the constructors’ standings on 93 points – a 46 point improvement on their performance in 2017 – with Kevin Magnussen scoring 56 points, while an impressive turnaround from a woeful start to the year saw Romain Grosjean end the year on 37 points.
Last year, Haas announced Rich Energy as their title sponsor, and the new livery sees Haas embark on a new partnership and the start of what they hope is a journey to the top of Formula One.
The American team will still have Ferrari as their engine supplier, and will be using the 2019 spec engine.
