In the round-up: Haas’s variable performance this year leaves Romain Grosjean unsure how competitive they will be over the remaining races.
What they say
Grosjean was asked whether the pace the team showed in Russia had been encouraging:
I think it was a morale booster for everyone and good to have. Is it going to repeat this weekend, next weekend, the next five races? We’ve got no idea.
Russia worked pretty well, I think we did a good job but is it going to be same thing here? I think first we need to go on track and see how the tyres are and then see where we are.
Quotes: Dieter Rencken
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Social media
Notable posts from Twitter, Instagram and more:
A flower left today in tribute to the late Jules Bianchi at the scene of his crash at Suzuka, which happened five years ago. this week #F1 #JapaneseGP pic.twitter.com/cSVGsQHPOt
— RaceFans (@racefansdotnet) October 10, 2019
Naoki completing the jump-out test ✅ 👌
All that’s left to do is get behind the wheel for FP1! 👊 🇯🇵 #f1jp #JapaneseGP pic.twitter.com/yBGVb3w0s6
— Toro Rosso (@ToroRosso) October 10, 2019
This @racefansdotnet report including forthright Raikkonen quotes is interesting. Moreover, the current #F1 tyre spec has erased one of F1’s perennial appeals, namely the joy of watching a #Regenmeister find wet-road grip where others simply can’t. (1/2)https://t.co/sPuMHij57e
— Matt Bishop (@TheBishF1) October 10, 2019
Nine years of Pirelli tyres: a continuing disaster for #F1. Trust Kimi not to mince his words.
— Richard Williams (@rwilliams1947) October 10, 2019
For anyone wondering why @motorsport_net & @autosport face the massive restructure announced this week, these screenshots from the latest filed accounts tell the tale. My info is pre-2017 the company had positive EBIT…full accounts: https://t.co/Q6x3s6Fevt pic.twitter.com/xoXwKiIeRU
— Fritz-Dieter Rencken (@RacingLines) October 10, 2019
Kevin Magnussen is still unhappy about his #RussianGP penalty. #F1 #JapaneseGP pic.twitter.com/JYN02hqy3t
— RaceFans (@racefansdotnet) October 10, 2019
- Find more official F1 accounts to follow in the F1 Twitter Directory
Links
More motor racing links of interest:
Brazil returns to Moto GP calendar in 2022 at all-new Rio Motorpark (Visordown)
"Deodoro in the north west of the city was one of four areas used to construct venues for the Olympic Games, which will now see the Rio Motorpark be constructed alongside. Formula 1 is also believed to have an agreement in place to start racing there from 2022."
Ma to Make Formula E Return with NIO 333 (E-racing365)
"The Chinese driver, who currently races in FIA WTCR in an Alfa Romeo, has been allocated the seat by the BIE entity, the new owner of the NIO operation."
Vandoorne Exploring Endurance Opportunities (Sportscar365)
"The ex-Formula 1 driver, who will be part of Mercedes’ lineup in Formula E this season, is understood to have been exploring drives with teams in both the FIA World Endurance Championship and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship paddocks."
Nyck de Vries' Road to Glory (F2)
"In Baku earlier that season, the laundry bag containing his race suit had been mistakenly put in the bin. His ART F3 counterpart, David Beckmann, kindly offered a spare to De Vries while a new one was produced."
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Comment of the day
@Hobo doesn’t agree with Lewis Hamilton’s analysis of the state of play at Ferrari:
A few things that bother me about these comments by Lewis.
1. I don’t think Ferrari have chosen Leclerc over Vettel at all. Singapore shows that they didn’t favour Leclerc. Sochi may show that they are more open to a race-by-race team leader.
2. While he may have been talking about how Mercedes theoretically allows there to be a race leader rather than a team leader, the quote, “We don’t complain because we have a good philosophy, it works really well here and we don’t plan on changing it any time soon,” could also easily apply to having a number one and number two driver since Bottas joined.
3. Mercedes does have a team leader and the other car moves out of the way for him or slows down for him.
I get that Hamilton is just answering questions, so I don’t hold it against him. But it’s a bit rich for him to say that Mercedes’s system is great without acknowledging that it is great because it benefits him specifically.
@Hobo
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Niefer (@niefer)
11th October 2019, 3:23
When they had the chance to preserve a nice track among an Olympic complex, something Sochi totally lacks, they chose to wipe it out, only to come building another disgusting borefest. Sometimes I just hate these times.
Qeki (@qeki)
11th October 2019, 9:32
Well dropping Sao Paolo is like dropping Suzuka. Even though Interlagos and its surroundings has it’s own problems but like Japan Brazil has its heritage in the sport. Maybe now when Massa has been away couple of years Brazil needs to refresh itself. Like when the race was moved from Jacarepagua back to newly desinged Interlagos
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
11th October 2019, 4:15
I’m like cotd am perplex by Ham’s perception of reality. I can only conclude that being delusional is a pivotal characteristic of top drivers
Pat
11th October 2019, 4:35
I agree with k-mag. I thought this when the words from the driver’s briefing were published too, the writ explicitly talks about “any driver passing completely to the left of the orange sausage kerbs”. Magnussen clearly drove over the orange kerbs thus making the incident not something addressed by the directive. I don’t love the guy but he got screwed.
For the millionth time, either enforce all the track limits or leave it alone. Everyone was going right off the track between turn 2 and 3 but nobody cares. Same with half the corners at the last race. I really hope the reports were true that we’ll be seeing the back of Sochi.
Harrisf1 (@harrisf1)
11th October 2019, 7:08
It’s all mind games to destabilise Ferrari / Seb, people take these things too literally
Jere (@jerejj)
11th October 2019, 8:33
Kev’s got the point there.
ColdFly (@)
11th October 2019, 9:46
That’s what I thought initially, but on reading the instructions it seems that Mag was mistaken. @jerejj
The ‘first element’ runs parallel to the track (after T1), and Mag went completely onto the left side (away from the track).
He thinks that he was safe because he wasn’t on the left of ‘the complete length’ of the element, but that is not what the instructions said.
The only problem I have is that (from memory) there were other drivers who did the same during the race but were not punished.
Jere (@jerejj)
11th October 2019, 9:53
@coldfly The other driver (Gasly) who went off there as well didn’t get a penalty because he rejoined the track the right way.
Shimks (@shimks)
11th October 2019, 13:04
What a shame there isn’t space for Nyck De Vries’ in F1 in 2020. What a waste that he has to go to Formula E.