In the round-up: Billy Monger, who lost part of both legs in a Formula Four crash last year, says he hasn’t changed his goal of racing in Formula One.
Links
Your daily digest of F1 news, views, features and more from hundreds of sites across the web:
Billy 'Whizz' Monger still dreaming of racing in F1 (Daily Mail)
"It's been my dream to race in F1 since I was eight. I don't see why that should change just because I've changed."
Inside the vital relationship between F1 driver and engineer (ESPN)
Grosjean: "Every single driver probably says that and when they do, it's for the team, it's not for everyone to hear. I know I'm broadcast more than others and it makes it seem like I'm the only guy out there doing it."
Ferrari will help Sauber emulate Force India (Autosport)
"We have to take things the same way (as Force India). We have to be patient. It is a three-to-five year project."
"If I’m scraping the barrel in F3, struggling to finish sixth or seventh next year, then I don’t deserve to be in F1. It’s as black and white as that and any of my sponsors should feel the same."
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Social media
Notable posts from Twitter, Instagram and more:
What a fantastic Valentine's Day, the STR13 and the Honda RA618H finally meet ❤️ pic.twitter.com/vEY14v28Aw
— Toro Rosso (@ToroRosso) February 14, 2018
There is plenty of interest around our fire-up, this FAQ might help a bit 😉 pic.twitter.com/tPTKcMc0zY
— Toro Rosso (@ToroRosso) February 14, 2018
Here it is, my helmet for the 2018 season! We’ve kept quite a few personal elements from the helmets I have used throughout my career. I hope you guys like it as much as I do! #season2018 #VforVerstappen pic.twitter.com/rMOQjLccot
— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) February 14, 2018
- Find more official F1 accounts to follow in the F1 Twitter Directory
Comment of the day
The first new F1 car of 2018 appeared without warning yesterday:
Excited at this first look of the 2018 car. There seems to be a lot of flexibility on areo designs around the sidepods and bargeboard. The back end seems to be more tight and the fin is chopped off. Last year’s hanging winglets on the fins are not there. On the Haas car, it used to flex a lot. Overall a well packaged car, for a relatively less experienced team. But livery is still uninspiring. Let’s hope the mechanical areas are sorted, especially brakes.
@Pinakghosh
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Correction
Acronis has requested that we clarify the nationality of founder Serguei Beloussov, who was born in Russia and is now has Singaporean citizenship. The previous article citing this has been amended.
Vettel fan 17 (@)
15th February 2018, 8:42
I hope Monger does reach F1. An incredible story. It’s amazing that he still has the willpower to race even after the crash.
MattDS (@mattds)
15th February 2018, 9:28
@vettelfan17 he’s certainly showing to have a strong will. I also hope he does reach F1, but only if he outperforms his peers, like we should expect from any driver. He has a huge spotlight on him since his horrible accident.
Truth be told, up until his accident he didn’t look like a world-beater. But still early days and let him prove he belongs in F1!
nase
15th February 2018, 9:32
I struggle to think of a different word than ‘unrealistic’.
Egonovi
15th February 2018, 10:07
The words I’m thinking of is the name ‘Alex Zanardi’.
‘It’s always unexpected when unrealistic knocks on the door of reality.’
nase
15th February 2018, 12:13
Yeah, I think of Alex Zanardi, and how he raced competitively in a series that’s nowhere as competitive, or reliant on manipulating buttons switches or dials every few split seconds, or close to its technical limits.
I admire Alex Zanardi for his achievements, and above all for his disarming positivity. I usually refuse to accept public figures, especially sportspeople, as role models. But he is the closest thing I have to an idol.
As for Billy Monger, he’s a poor young fella who lost his legs after a decent start to his second season in British F4, at almost 18 years of age. That puts him somewhere in the top 200 young drivers to watch out for in the future, but not much higher than that, and that was before the accident. His chances of ever coming close to racing in F1 were already slim.
He’s become a bit of a media darling, and does a great job of keeping the press interested. Maybe he will come back as a serious racing driver, in touring cars or some other series that doesn’t require superhuman perfection of men and machine. I really hope he does, as that’d be another heartwarming story and inspiration for anyone who faces tough challenges in life.
But F1? He’s about as likely to make that happen as is Carmen Jordà. That’s just PR nonsense.
Maybe I shouldn’t have said that it’s ‘unrealistic’. I’d say it’s ‘not going to happen’.
Robbie (@robbie)
15th February 2018, 15:07
@nase But this is about his dream, no matter how slim the odds already were. Yes for any athlete to make it to the pros of any sport it is like getting hit by lightning, the odds are that slim. So all Billy can do is dream. I think by aspiring to make it to F1 he will maximize his chances of success in whatever racing series he will actually drive in on his path to be the best he can be and drive the highest level cars he can possibly make it to.
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
15th February 2018, 20:21
I think his willpower is certainly higher now, nobody wants to say it, but there’s less to his life now.
Egonovi
15th February 2018, 9:05
Or better Ferrari will help Sauber emulate Toro Rosso.
It’s more likely that Ferrari will use Sauber Alfa Romeo as their testing and breeding ground for drivers, some technical idea and maybe even PU developments (they can always batch it an Alfa twinspark PU).
Joao (@johnmilk)
15th February 2018, 9:21
Got to love STR’s FAQ. At least the spirits are up over there
Phylyp (@phylyp)
15th February 2018, 9:24
@johnmilk – agreed, I laughed at that FAQ, and was impressed by the last answer. A smart way of tackling the criticism and comments from many (myself included) that TR would have faced since they aligned themselves to Honda.
BasCB (@bascb)
15th February 2018, 14:32
Yeah, although I was first highly surprised (before watching their video) that it worked well right away. But then I realised that they only say the engine and the car met, not that the car is actually built into the car and it is working there, just that the engine fired up (could still be on a rig).
Todfod (@todfod)
15th February 2018, 16:48
I’d be surprised if they actually managed to fire up without any problems. it just doesn’t seem like Honda’s way of doing things. I’d be equally surprised if they actually managed to fit the engine in the chassis. I would be in absolute awe if they mange to do more than 29 laps without a cloud of smoke.
Jere (@jerejj)
15th February 2018, 9:46
That fire-up video FAQ tweet, though. Kitto toberu sa, on Honda power!
– Regarding the Daily Mail-article: It’d be great if he did reach F1, but still, though, I have my doubts about his chances to achieve that.
Phylyp (@phylyp)
15th February 2018, 10:13
Well, I hope Billy Monger doesn’t end up like Kubica, what with Williams’ statements that Sirotkin was faster than Kubica.
praxis (@praxis)
15th February 2018, 11:13
What do you mean by that?
Phylyp (@phylyp)
15th February 2018, 11:52
Well, there was a lot of passion amongst Kubica’s fans when it seemed he’d return to F1. And then when neither Renault nor Williams confirmed him, speculation arose whether it was funding related or performance related. Finally, when Williams stated that it was a performance difference that sealed the deal, that did dash a lot of hopes (mine included). It wouldn’t be nice for something similar to happen in Billy’s case either – what seems to be a dream comeback being shot down by harsh reality. (Granted, not everyone is 100% on-board with Williams’ assertion that Sirotkin’s sponsorship had nothing to do with it).
Robbie (@robbie)
15th February 2018, 15:49
@phylyp But that’s just natural and unavoidable, no? RK had to try. And he was given the opportunity, which from what I recall him saying was, it seems he hinted at, an achievement on it’s own. And he has gotten somewhere for his tremendous efforts…reserve driver at Williams. Is this not the case for many many athletes in many many sports, severe injuries or not? Opportunities come up, hope skyrockets, and it doesn’t always pan out. But that means they just shouldn’t try then? Aspire then? No, I know you wouldn’t agree with that. Isn’t the cliche (which is also the truth) that is is better to try and fail than to not try at all, and just assume you can’t do it, or not find out for a fact if you can or not? Dashed hopes are always a possibility. Amongst the very healthiest of athletes in any sport, the vast majority of them will not win the big trophy at the end of the season and it’s back to square one the next year.
Phylyp (@phylyp)
15th February 2018, 17:17
Fair points, @robbie
Ben (@scuderia29)
15th February 2018, 10:42
Verstappens helmet design wasn’t even worth showing, blue with the standardised red bull logo on the side
Schudha
15th February 2018, 11:17
Exactly the logo is too big. Red bull really don’t need to brand the drivers to that extent. They’re everywhere with their stickers. The helmet halo is also unbearable. Give free reigns to the drivers to design their whole helmet and express themselves fully.
BasCB (@bascb)
15th February 2018, 14:51
I almost got my hopes up for something good. But then he started pulling it out and I was wondering whether it even has anything personal on there. Pretty sure this one will not be easy to recognize amongst all the other red bull helmets
Joss (@racerjoss)
15th February 2018, 13:31
Good luck to Monger, he’s had a horrific injury and seems to be taking it well, from what the media sees anyway.
Ironically, he might now have a much larger chance of racing an F1 car than if he didn’t have his accident. He’s now famous and the sport will be keen to capitalise on this and create a feel-good story.
Saying that, I doubt he’ll ever have the capacity for top level single seaters, but Zanardi proved everyone wrong with an incredible attitude, so we’ll see where life takes him.
mmertens (@mmertens)
15th February 2018, 18:00
I hate all redbull’s drivers helmets because of the immense logos in them! It’s so soulless and corporate. Please let drivers differentiate themselves.