In the round-up: Esteban Gutierrez says the problems he has experienced at Haas is making it hard to appreciate how well he is driving.
Links
Your daily digest of F1 news, views, features and more from hundreds of sites across the web:
Esteban Gutierrez: Haas issues making me look very bad (ESPN)
"All the f---ing great job I'm doing on the inside is not really perceived by the outside."
Hamilton: The Mercedes feels different... (Crash)
"They put more pressure in these tyres than we had in the winter so I'm sure that's not helping. It just gives us lots of homework to do, a lot of pressure on the engineers to analyse what's going on with the car and for me to do the background work and trying to figure out what I can do to make it better."
Ferrari drivers back team principal Arrivabene (Reuters)
"I know there have been some rumours...but I am very, very happy he is with us and not with someone else."
'Pretty bad day' for Button in practice (Autosport)
"It's going to be a tough weekend, I don't think it's going to be our easiest race to score points, but we'll do our best."
Hulkenberg: Qualifying will be true judge of upgrades (F1)
"With all our new parts we could rather easily keep the pace with the so-called front-runners."
Perez: 'Weak' front wing was hurting Force India (Motorsport)
"We had a very weak front wing that wasn't working properly,
On the subject of power (Current E)
Alejandro Agag: "Finance has become a very big part of going into Formula 1. With Formula E, it’s different. If you show talent in the junior series, particularly GP2 and others, you could come to Formula E."
Michael Schumacher's 'strength' can help him recover, says ex-Ferrari chief (CNN)
"I'm sure that thanks to his determination - which will be crucial - he will come out from this very, very difficult situation... And I really hope."
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Social media
Notable posts from Twitter, Instagram and more:
Hamilton onto fourth turbo and MGU-H. Ten-place penalty when he reaches six. Updated list. #F1 #SpanishGP pic.twitter.com/aoBLCtCux1
— F1 Fanatic (@f1fanatic_co_uk) May 13, 2016
Are FOM ever going to fix these amateurish virtual ads or, better yet, get rid of the wretched things? pic.twitter.com/PpiGyiRsCp #F1
— F1 Fanatic (@f1fanatic_co_uk) May 13, 2016
LOL kyvat jinked towards the RBR pit on his inlap
— Craig Scarborough (@ScarbsTech) May 13, 2016
Radio excerpt from Kev's side of the garage:
"So Kev – Jo's just headed out, we'll be going shortly."
…
"It's Esteban in the car today."— Renault Sport F1 (@RenaultSportF1) May 13, 2016
In today's "strange story from the internet", someone has turned Grand Prix 4 into @StarWars: https://t.co/XigNgyUDVR (yes, this is a thing)
— F1 Broadcasting (@f1broadcasting) May 13, 2016
Bit shocked at how few in the press room had bothered reading 2017 tech regs.
— Racecar Engineering (@RacecarEngineer) May 13, 2016
I wish good luck to you @Max33Verstappen , well deserve drive after only one year in F1. Good guy and fast driver!! pic.twitter.com/3GoG9w7Ik3
— Jean-Eric Vergne (@JeanEricVergne) May 13, 2016
- Find more official F1 accounts to follow in the F1 Twitter Directory
Comment of the day
Does Lewis Hamilton ‘put on’ a particular kind of persona? Do any of the drivers? I appreciated this sensible view from @Mike:
I am not a Hamilton fan really, but I don’t think it’s put on at all. He is just a very complex, sometimes conflicted individual who is very intelligent but sometimes gets undone rationally by emotion.
No one ever does or says things for no reason, for everything he does that makes me cringe, there is another side to that story that none of us – but especially people who don’t know him – don’t get to see. The entirety of what we see is what comes through the media, which, as good as it can be, can never really convey the people we are watching as they really are.
This is why I love when drivers go live on Facebook or why watching the press conferences are so interesting. Because sometimes we do actually get to see the real person. And when you do that, it is impossible not to like them all at least a little bit.
@Mike
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday to Hyoko and Jen Campbell!
If you want a birthday shout-out tell us when yours is via the contact form or adding to the list here.
On this day in F1
Fernando Alonso became the first Spanish driver to win his home race on this day ten years ago.
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
14th May 2016, 0:16
The virtual ads devalue F1 and the brands promoted in them, not only because of the poor execution but also, the concept of forcing you to look at something, it’s demeaning. It’s curious to see that we’ll often notice these ads better as they get worse over time. CGi is not the real thing nor are tarmac run-offs.
juan fanger (@juan-fanger)
14th May 2016, 2:38
Yes and those popup ads that cover the screen when you visit F1 websites are, if anything, even more annoying.
Unicron (@unicron2002)
14th May 2016, 7:51
@juan-fanger, if you don’t want them you have the option for an ad-free service here. Without making some money Keith can’t give you this website. However, I’m sure Bernie and the anonymous financiers at CVC could probably cope without CGI Rolex ads plastered over run-off areas.
BasCB (@bascb)
14th May 2016, 11:34
The worst part of the advertising in F1 is that a lot of the TV viewing angles get adapted to best show the sponsor messages instead of giving us the most exciting shot of cars going fast. To me that is a huge factor that hurts being excited by F1 during the races, because you just don’t really get to see these cars go fast with wide panning shots.
Alex de Brito (@corix)
14th May 2016, 1:01
On CotD: I hated Alonso with a passion for some time around 2010. But then that feeling has gone away at some point around 2012. Today I really enjoy when we get to see things like what he did in Brazil last year or in the last Press Conference where he said he didn’t knew about the Red Bull/Toro Rosso diver swap.
lockup (@)
14th May 2016, 9:34
The drivers are a pretty likeable bunch on the whole aren’t they @corix. Alonso was a baddie for me around 2007 but I’ve come to like him now. He’s clever and interesting and humorous. I thought @mike‘s COTD was a lot more reasonable than the post he was replying to deserved, with its risible fabrication from someone desperate for a category of people with less than his own minimal status.
I think it’s true Lewis has broken some ground btw, looking at how little attention has been paid to Pascal Wehrlein’s mixed race.
Dr. Jekyll (@dr-jekyll)
14th May 2016, 10:44
@lockup
the drivers are soon the only aspect of F1 I’m enjoying
The only real negative feelings I have towards any driver (mostly Hamilton these days) comes directly from the outspoken fans or heretics, the whole “conspiracy”-conspiracy even further soured my feelings toward the entire F1 fanbase.
So now I don’t like the fanbase, and I don’t like the governing body, I barely like any team or people in charge of the teams, that leaves only the drivers
lockup (@)
14th May 2016, 11:23
F1 is a very sociable world @dr-jekyll, I find most of them likeable, engineers and everyone, though there is a dramatic necessity to have some ‘bad guys’ of course!
Yes secretly I respect Horner and Helmut :)
I roll my eyes when someone disparages ‘Hamilton fans’. Or disparages any driver because of a tiny bonkers minority of his fans, which every successful driver accumulates. I remember a few Mansell fans hanging an effigy of Senna – disgusting, but it was like 3 among 140,000. How blinkered do you have to be, not to be able to distinguish one from the other; either decent racing fans or the driver himself? It’s a pretext IMO, just a sneaky kind of denigration.
BNKracing (@bnkracing)
14th May 2016, 1:04
Esteban is delusional. I’m surprised Haas picked him up given how poor he was at Sauber. Although the Sauber was particularly horrible that year 2013? Or maybe Romain is just performing exceptional so far this season.
BasCB (@bascb)
14th May 2016, 11:39
Hm, well, I do think that Guttierez has a fair point that issues in most of the weekends have kept him from making the best out of the car. Then in the race in Australia Alonso hit him too, further limiting the scope to see whether he has improved since we last saw him @bnkracing. And so far this weekend he has again felt the reliability holding him back.
And I do think that Grosjean is the real deal nowadays making it a bit of a steep hill to climb.
On the other hand, I didn’t see anything apart from himself making a mistake that ended his race in Sochi. I think we should wait a couple of races before we judge him, to give him a chance to show what he has got in him currently.
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
14th May 2016, 1:08
I don’t think Gutierrez is anything special. Don’t know why they gave him a second chance, he didn’t deserve it IMO, after two very average years at Sauber (to say the least… he didn’t even beat Sutil!)
One day the car will be okay and he’ll still be very far behind Grosjean.
nickpkr251
14th May 2016, 2:41
that’s exactly his point, doesn’t get a break to proof you wrong !
BasCB (@bascb)
14th May 2016, 11:42
He has had ties with Ferrari for some time now, he has driven a Sauber with a Ferrari engine and he has done simulator runs for Ferrari as well. And there is mexican money to support him too @fer-no65.
But back to the first point, I think that Ferrari know what he can do so it really helps them get a gauge of both the Haas car as well as his teammate because they can compare them against a well known factor.
Arahones
14th May 2016, 12:07
And brings in some money for the Ferrari family with Telcel and Claro. Basicly he is just a pay driver, with the exeption his sponsors aren’t on his own car, but on the mother Ferrari car.
I wouldn’t be surprised Sergio Perez will take his spot next year. Ferrari happy, sponsors happy, Haas happy.
OEL F1 (@oel-f1)
14th May 2016, 1:12
Now Verstappen has joined Red Bull, I wonder what they will say if they need to use team orders. Multi 333 might be confusing…
pcxmac (@xsavior)
14th May 2016, 1:42
All I have to say is I think Danil K. has a better head on his shoulders than does Helmut Marko. Would have like to hear Kvyat expound on the Game of Thrones episode he was watching :) RBR are interesting because they are not just another engine manufacturer, but the way RBR treats their #2 drivers is pretty horrible IMO, even the ones at TR.
pcxmac (@xsavior)
14th May 2016, 1:42
*Daniil
BasCB (@bascb)
14th May 2016, 11:43
I think Team orders would be quite easy to discern @oel-f1. Verstappen is not going to follow any of them anyway, so you only need to try for Ricciardo. But I doubt he would just get out of the way either.
faulty (@faulty)
14th May 2016, 2:40
Just checking in to say that the RBR overalls are ******* amazing!!
Mike (@mike)
14th May 2016, 2:47
I have an irk!
f—ing.
Everyone knows what it means. Surely the bit that is rude or offensive to some is the meaning, not the letters. Right?
Seriously… This, really annoys me. You could say it really f—ing annoys me.
ColdFly F1 (@)
14th May 2016, 7:44
dito here, @mike.
I think all drivers should use the official FIA lingo: “All the censored by FIA great job I’m doing” or “he censored by FIA hit me!”
Meander (@meander)
14th May 2016, 8:53
Look up “Tim Minchin Censorship” on YouTube.
Mike (@mike)
15th May 2016, 4:08
@meander I have been caught for the thieving swine that I am!
Tim is brilliant, it may have been where that idea came from. :D
dragoll (@dragoll)
14th May 2016, 3:27
It sounds like GUT is feeling the pressure a little. There is definitely tension starting to mount inside the team, they had a great first 2 races, but have hit reality since. I think they need to reset their targets back to their pre-2016 mindset, right now they’re all frustrated in the team and if the mood stays the same, the tensions will spill over…
faulty (@faulty)
14th May 2016, 4:21
I don’t think so. They’ve said that [thanks to Australia] they’ve stopped on development for this year’s car. So I’d guess that they’d be working on that Ferrari contract, again.
Jackal
14th May 2016, 3:40
Sorry to say it but Gutierrez looks well out of his depth in F1.
Todfod (@todfod)
14th May 2016, 8:40
Yeah. Fortunately for him Haas’ problems have masked his even poorer performances.
The guy’s been nothing but rubbish ever since he’s entered F1, and I don’t see why he’s trying to justify his ‘great’ performances and incredible pace that no one has witnessed to date. Also really unprofessional of him to push the blame on the team.
faulty (@faulty)
14th May 2016, 4:15
As a bonafide GUT fan, I’m pinning my hopes on Monaco.
ColdFly F1 (@)
14th May 2016, 7:50
so there are deceitful GUT fans as well?
sorry @faulty, had to reply ;-)
I actually applaud you for supporting a less obvious choice.
Pyon (@pyon)
14th May 2016, 10:26
Same here, if it wasn’t for Leicester sorry I would have said this is foolish as the guy wont do anything outstanding :)
faulty (@faulty)
14th May 2016, 11:57
I feel that If I have to support a Mexican out of national pride, it sure won’t be that pest that is Checo.
BasCB (@bascb)
14th May 2016, 11:47
I must say that I certainly would love to see Guttierez find his way in F1 and give us a smashing few drives this year @faulty. Afterall he did show great skill in GP3, and when he got into GP2 I had higher hopes of him than of Perez, but in the two years at Sauber he looked to be less than well adapted.
It would be lovely to have him develop into another good driver in F1 and not have to settle for “yeah, he showed promise, some speed but in the end it was money that kept him in F1”.
mfreire
14th May 2016, 5:50
This isn’t F1 related- but I had to say this:
IndyCar has found a replacement for the Boston street circuit.
WATKINS GLEN LONG COURSE!!!!!!
NewVerstappenFan (@jureo)
14th May 2016, 6:19
Yaay. Allmighty course that.
Unicron (@unicron2002)
14th May 2016, 7:55
Great news, such a shame we’re not celebrating F1 going there too! Yes I know it would need to be upgraded for safety but I like to dream…. I reckon F1 needs a historic track in the US to be successful and only Watkins Glen and Long Beach really fit the bill.
mfreire
14th May 2016, 19:48
Road America, the Daytona road course and maybe Sonoma fit the bill as well (even though they have never hosted GP’s before).
Euro Brun (@eurobrun)
14th May 2016, 10:25
I just cross my fingers for a great race and not an anti climax. I love the Glen.
Btw, last nights Indy Lights race at Indy GP was mega.
BasCB (@bascb)
14th May 2016, 11:49
That is awesome news mfreire!
Todfod (@todfod)
14th May 2016, 8:46
The difference in attitude between the Mclaren drivers is really visible. Fernando saying improvements are happening, they are regular point scorers now, and they have a shot at Q3 and points this weekend, while Jenson says they aren’t point scorers yet and will struggle to get points this weekend.
Might be that Jenson is getting in to his late 2009 or mid 2012 form, where his teammate gets to grips with the car, while he struggles way below the car’s punching weight for a patch of races and complains about understeer, oversteer, balance and grip.
Hairs_
14th May 2016, 9:04
Jenson tends to be a bit more honest about the state of the team than his teammates. He’s also usually pretty honest about when he hasn’t done a good job relative to his teammate. I would be very surprised if the McLaren is any good at all around this track.
Almon
14th May 2016, 9:08
Surely Gutierrez’ reliability problems compared to his team mate must mean the team is sabotaging him. They just don’t want a Mexican to do well in an American team.
Strontium (@strontium)
14th May 2016, 9:13
I feel sorry for Kvyat. With everybody praising and congratulating Verstappen, and wishing him good luck, it must be rubbing it in even more for Kvyat.
Furthermore I saw a comment on here yesterday which was completely right. If Verstappen doesn’t perform immediately people will be (rightly) okay with that because he needs time. I fear that the same is the case for Kvyat, but people will immediately assume (because it is a slower car), that he shouldn’t need time to adjust and that will reflect badly on him.
BasCB (@bascb)
14th May 2016, 11:52
Well, after beating Ricciardo in FP3 this morning, I think we can forgive people for getting back into the Verstappen hype @strontium. On the other hand, Kvyat was also up on Sainz this morning, showing that he is getting the car under control and getting on with the job.
I must say that from the way Kvyat has kept himself and his answers in the press conference he has certainly gained a huge amount of respect and goodwill for me, I would love it if he can actually manage to beat a red bull ASAP, he would be my driver of the weekend for it :-)
Luca Nuvolari (@nuvolari71)
14th May 2016, 9:36
Gutierrez… big mouth. I think he has just signed his career end in F1. Cannot talk like this.
Solo (@solo)
17th July 2016, 18:24
I agree. What the hell was he thinking talking like that.
Cyberaxiom (@dave-m)
14th May 2016, 10:31
With those virtual ads from FOM, I’d say it’s far more likely that they’ll control the blurring issue by impose a rule forbidding any team from having a yellow or green livery …
Daz
14th May 2016, 11:49
Welcome to Alonso’s would Mr Guttierez.