Friday, 4 August 2017

Motorsport in August

MyF1World

Motorsport in August: What's on in the UK during F1's summer break?

There's still plenty of top motorsport to satisfy the petrol head

By William Esler

Last Updated: 04/08/17 2:53pm

F1 may be on its summer break, but there is still plenty of top motorsport across Britain to scratch that petrol-head itch in August.

In the British Touring Car Championship, British GT, British Superbikes and British F3, the United Kingdom has some of the strongest domestic series in the world.

British GT and British F3 will both be at Brands Hatch on August 6, while fans of two-wheels can see British Superbikes in action at Thruxton - the fastest track in the country. Donington Park will stage its Classic Motorcycle Festival that same weekend.

The BTCC will head to Scotland on August 13 for three races at Knockhill, with the support race package featuring British F4, giving you the chance to see some feature F1 stars.

The following weekend, August 20, the British Superbikes are on track again at Cadwell Park.

Then the Formula 1 season resumes with the Belgian GP, with every session live on Sky Sports F1.

August Motorsport in the UK
August 6 - British GT, Brands Hatch
August 6 - British F3, Brands Hatch
August 6 - British Superbikes, Thruxton
August 6 - Classic Motorcycle Festival, Donington Park
August 6 - Croft Nostalgia Festival, Croft

August 12 - BRSCC Club Car Championships, Oulton Park

August 13 - BTCC, Knockhill
August 13 - Festival Italia, Brands Hatch
August 13 - MSVR Club Car Championships, Snetterton

August 19 - Oulton Park Mini Festival, Oulton Park

August 19-20 - Citroen 2CV 24 Hour Race, Snetterton

August 20 - British Superbikes, Cadwell Park
August 20 - Dukeries Rally, Donington Park
August 20 - Deutsche Fest, Brands Hatch
August 20 - Battle of Britain Race Meeting, Croft
August 20 - 750 Motor Club, Silverstone

Don't miss the Belgian GP live on Sky Sports F1 on August 27 - lights out for the race is at 1pm. Check out all the ways to watch F1 on Sky Sports for subscribers and non-subscribers - including a NOW TV day pass for £6.99!

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Read the full story at SkySports | News

Neale: We will do everything we can to keep Alonso

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Jonathan Neale, Fernando Alonso

Fernando Alonso set a deadline of September to have a winning car at his disposal, if not a McLaren then anything else and the Woking outfit are more than keen to keep the Spaniard on their books despite the fact that they cannot fulfill his conditions.

McLaren CEO Jonathan Neale makes no secret of who he wants racing in orange next year, “I’d love to have Fernando in this team. I know we will do everything we can to keep him in this team but I recognise he will have choices – nothing is a given. I think he’s a great guy, he’s one of the best drivers I have ever worked with and I’d love to have him for longer.”

In Hungary, Alonso was in full swing in a no holds barred battle with Toro Rosso’ Carlos Sainz, after which he went on to end the race in sixth – his best finish of the season and lifting McLaren off the bottom of the constructors’ championship table.

Neale recalled, “If you look at how hard it is to overtake around in Hungary generally and then look at the move he made on Sainz – that was great. He tried a move the first time, he didn’t quite make it stick but he got it the next time round. To do that safely and cleanly as he did is a great demonstration of his skill and fighting spirit.”

From Alonso’s perspective, every weekend he puts in a massive effort for little reward and almost certain disappointment. McLaren may have a strong chassis but the engine is woefully under-powered and lacking reliability. He also makes it clear on a regular basis that he wants to be racing for victory, not picking up single digit points.

Adding to Alonso’s predicament is the uncertainty that prevails in the McLaren garage. Will they ditch Honda? Will they become a Renault customer? Why don’t Mercedes and Ferrari want to supply the team with engines?

Despite the team’s worst season in their illustrious history, Neale remains optimistic, “I’m encouraged about McLaren’s future. A lot has happened over the last 12 months. We’re ready to take that next step for McLaren. Our thoughts are starting to turn to next year’s car and what that is going to look like.”

“Of course the engine stuff is in that mix. We need to land all of that in and before the September timescale so our drivers know who we are going to be and what their plans are going to be.”

“No firm decisions have been made. We’re in lots of dialogue with Honda. We’re keeping the FIA and FOM close to what is going on. We are trying to do the right thing for F1 but also try to do the right thing for McLaren.”

“McLaren is a team we have a duty to put back at the front. The sport wants us back at the front. We want Fernando back at the front in the mix,” declared Neale.

Big Question: Does McLaren need to hang on to Fernando?


Read the full story at GRAND PRIX 247

Mercedes needs to 'back a horse' in F1 title race - Red Bull boss

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Red Bull Formula 1 team boss Christian Horner believes Mercedes will soon have to decide to support one of its drivers over the other in the 2017 title race.

Valtteri Bottas's two grand prix wins over the first half of the season have kept him within striking distance of Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton and world championship leader Sebastian Vettel.

But while Vettel's title bid appears to have the full support of Ferrari, with Kimi Raikkonen seemingly not in contention, Mercedes is supporting both of its drivers equally, evidenced by Hamilton letting Bottas through for third place in the Hungarian GP after the Finn had moved aside earlier to attack the Ferraris.

GP ANALYSIS: Hamilton's act of self-harm will delight Ferrari

Horner believes that approach cannot last, and he expects Hamilton to be the driver that will take the fight to Vettel.

"The dilemma that Mercedes have got is that Hamilton is their lead driver and at some point you have to back a horse," said Horner.

"Ultimately it will probably come down to those two guys [Hamilton and Vettel], and Ferrari's position with Kimi was far clearer."

Horner added that he was impressed with Hamilton's commitment to giving the place back to Bottas, despite the fact the second Mercedes had fallen nearly eight seconds adrift by the start of the final lap.

Asked if he was surprised Mercedes swapped places at the end, Horner said: "On the one hand yes, but on the other hand, it would have been harsh on Valtteri, because you are effectively telling him you are out of the championship the moment you did that.

"I was impressed Lewis gave it back, because you are just giving away more points to your biggest rival.

"We did it in Monaco two years ago [with Daniil Kvyat and Daniel Ricciardo] but it is slightly different when you haven't got a driver competing for the world championship."

Leading drivers' standings

Pos Driver Points
1 Sebastian Vettel 202
2 Lewis Hamilton 188
3 Valtteri Bottas 169
4 Daniel Ricciardo 117
5 Kimi Raikkonen 116



Read the full story at Formula 1 news - Autosport

Sainz did not like feeling 'against' Red Bull chiefs over F1 future

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Carlos Sainz Jr says he did not enjoy feeling "against" Red Bull chiefs Christian Horner and Helmut Marko during the recent confusion over his future in Formula 1.

Sainz said ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix - Red Bull's home race - that he did not expect to stay at Toro Rosso for a fourth year, which prompted Marko to suggest the Spaniard should not "bite the hand that feeds you".

Horner subsequently revealed Red Bull had decided to take up its contractual option on Sainz for 2018, keeping him at its second team, and Sainz quickly cleared the air with his bosses to move on from the incident.

However, speaking to Formula 1.com heading into F1's summer break, Sainz said his initial comments were a simple case of "sheer ambition".

"I have my opinion and I said it in that very moment," he said. "Maybe I could have used a different wording.

"It is not something that I enjoyed, seeing Helmut and Christian going against me, but it sometimes happens in a Formula 1 career.

"From my side there is nothing else than sheer ambition, and sometimes in the heat of ambition you say things.

"But that is me. I have targets and objectives. It should be over - so turn the page."

While Horner has declared current Red Bull Racing drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen off limits to enquiries from other teams, he said if a "significant" offer was made for Sainz while he was under contract, it would be considered.

However, Sainz says his sole focus remains trying to get a promotion to Red Bull's senior team.

"It is my one and only target to be a Red Bull driver in the future," he added.

"That is what I want, and that is what I have said a hundred times before.

"And if one answer said in the heat of the moment is spinning out of control - that is just modern times."


Read the full story at Formula 1 news - Autosport

McLaren 'will do everything' to keep Fernando Alonso for F1 2018

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McLaren "will do everything" it can to ensure it keeps Fernando Alonso for the 2018 Formula 1 season, says its chief operating officer Jonathan Neale.

Double world champion Alonso has yet to finish on the podium since rejoining McLaren in 2015 and his current contract expires at the end of the year.

Alonso has said he will make a call on his future by September and the decision will almost certainly be influenced by McLaren's engine plans.

It is evaluating its options amid Honda's problems, but Ferrari and Mercedes have made it clear they will not supply engines to McLaren for next year.

"If I put my personal colours to the mast, I'd love to have Fernando in this team," Neale told Autosport.

"I know we'll do everything we can to keep him in this team but I recognise he will have choices - nothing is a given.

"I think he's a great guy, he's one of the best drivers I have ever worked with and I'd love to have him for longer."

Alonso scored the team's best finish of the season in last weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix with sixth, with his battle with Carlos Sainz Jr one of the highlights of the race.

Asked if he felt Alonso was driving as well as ever, Neale replied: "I do. If you look at how hard it is to overtake in Hungary generally and then look at the move he made on Sainz - that was great.

"He tried a move the first time, he didn't quite make it stick but he got it the next time round.

"To do that safely and cleanly as he did is a great demonstration of his skill and fighting spirit."

No firm decision on 2018 engine yet

Despite the uncertainty over its engine plans and driver line-up for 2018, Neale said he was "encouraged" about McLaren's future.

"A lot has happened over the last 12 months," he said.

"We're ready to take that next step for McLaren.

"Our thoughts are starting to turn to next year's car and what that is going to look like.

"Of course the engine stuff is in that mix. We need to land all of that in and before the September timescale so our drivers know who we are going to be and what their plans are going to be.

"No firm decisions have been made. We're in lots of dialogue with Honda. We're keeping the FIA and FOM close to what is going on.

"We are trying to do the right thing for F1 but also try to do the right thing for McLaren.

"McLaren is a team we have a duty to put back at the front.

"The sport wants us back at the front. We want Fernando back at the front in the mix."


Read the full story at Formula 1 news - Autosport

Lowe: We are very open minded about next year

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Paul Di Resta

Super-sub Paul di Resta impressed so much during his last minute stand-in for Felipe Massa at the Hungarian Grand Prix, that he has made a great case for himself to return to Formula 1 and be signed on as a full time driver next year.

Williams technical boss Paddy Lowe said after Di Resta’s return, “I think he’s done his reputation no end of good this weekend. I think in the circumstances, Paul did an absolutely terrific job, as I think everyone recognised.”

“For him to get a very reasonable lap time out of the car from only four timed laps from these cars which are the fastest cars in the history of the sport at a very technical track.”

“He did a great job in qualifying, and he continued that form in the race with the procedures like race starts and tyre warm up procedures and so on. He did a respectable job, stayed out of trouble, drove consistently and gave good feedback at the end of the race.”

“The real shame is that we didn’t give him a car capable of getting to the end, something we’re still trying to diagnose,” explained Lowe.

So impressive was Di Resta’s performance that talk about drafting in the Scot full-time for 2018 has inevitably arisen and Lowe acknowledged, “We’re very open-minded about what we’re going to do for next year anyway. Being open-minded, we’ll consider all options.”

For 2018 Lance Stroll is virtually certain to stay with the Grove outfit, while Felipe Massa has made no secret that he would like to continue with the team for at least another year.

Thus, in the end, despite the feel good nature of the Di Resta comeback story, the opportunity could well be one of those that promised much but delivered little.

Lowe points to the crowded driver market as the biggest obstacle facing Di Resta’s return, “We’ve got a bit of a problem on the horizon with a lack of destinations for drivers that don’t quite make it into Formula 1.”

“We have unfortunately got the prospect of less destinations for accomplished drivers in the future with the position of LMP1 and DTM, which are really two of the next tier motorsports for conscious Formula 1 drivers.”

Should an F1 team not come calling next year, Di Resta has one more year with DTM before his Mercedes team pull the plug on their DTM programme and focus on a Formula E campaign, in which case Di Resta is sure to be a candidate for a race seat.

Di Resta made his Formula 1 debut at the 2011 Australian Grand Prix and since then started 59 races in which he scored 121 points for Force India. His last race in F1, before the Williams call-up, was at the 2013 Brazilian Grand Prix.

Big Question: Does Paul deserve another crack at Formula 1?


Read the full story at GRAND PRIX 247

F1 2017: Half-term report

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Read the full story at SkySports | News