Formula 1: Recapping the past week’s news

By May 18, 2018, 9:00 AM EDT
Photo: Getty Images
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Despite being an off week, in that there is no race this weekend, the week in between the Spanish Grand Prix and the Monaco Grand Prix has been quite busy for the FIA Formula 1 World Championship, with more testing following the Spanish Grand Prix and a couple teams and drivers experiencing fallout from last weekend’s race.

A recap of news from this past week is below.

Bottas Tops Final Day of Testing in Barcelona

MONTMELO, SPAIN – MAY 12: Valtteri Bottas driving the (77) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes WO9 on track during final practice for the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix at Circuit de Catalunya on May 12, 2018 in Montmelo, Spain. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

While Max Verstappen topped the first day of testing on Tuesday, it was Valterri Bottas who led the way in Day 2 on Wednesday.

However, Day 2 also featured a number of F1 hopefuls, as a result of a rule stating that two in-season test days must feature drivers with fewer than three Grand Prix starts.

For example, Antonio Giovinazzi – who had two starts with Alfa Romeo Sauber last year – was second fastest for Scuderia Ferrari, and Lando Norris was third fastest for McLaren F1 Team.

Nikita Mazepin and Nicholas Latifi (Sahara Force India), Jack Aitken (Renault Sport F1 Team), Jake Dennis (Red Bull Racing), and Sean Geleal (Scuderia Toro Ross) were other F1 hopefuls to take part.

Results from Wednesday’s test are below.

FIA Bans Ferrari’s Halo Mirrors

MONTMELO, SPAIN – MAY 13: Sebastian Vettel of Germany driving the (5) Scuderia Ferrari SF71H on track during the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix at Circuit de Catalunya on May 13, 2018 in Montmelo, Spain. (Photo by Charles Coates/Getty Images)

Scuderia Ferrari made waves at the Spanish Grand Prix by putting mirrors on the Halo that surrounds the driver’s head.

However, while they were within their right to do so – the FIA declared such a move legal ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix – the FIA banned their mirror design, disapproving of the way they manipulated the aerodyamics.

The FIA has since subsequently clarified its stance on Halo-mounted mirrors.

“Whilst the FIA accepts that teams will legitimately design the mirrors, housings and mountings to minimise any negative aerodynamic effects they may cause, we believe that any aerodynamic benefits should be incidental, or at least minimal,” the organization declared in a statement.

They further detailed specifics about how mirrors should be mounted if placed on the Halo – specifically noting they should be placed on the “lower and/or inboard surface(s) of the mirror housing” – and asserted that the impact they should have on the overall aerodynamics of the chassis should be minimal.

Grosjean Gets Grid Penalty for Monaco

MONTMELO, SPAIN – MAY 11: Romain Grosjean of France and Haas F1 climbs from his car after spinning during practice for the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix at Circuit de Catalunya on May 11, 2018 in Montmelo, Spain. (Photo by Charles Coates/Getty Images)

For his role in the Lap 1 crash that also took out Nico Hulkenberg and Pierre Gasly, Romain Grosjean will be penalized three places on the starting grid at the Monaco Grand Prix.

An investigation, the results of which are detailed in an article on BBC Sport’s website, revealed that Grosjean knowingly allowed his spinning VF-18 chassis to spin back across the track rather than lock down the brakes to keep it off line.

The verdict is quoted as detailing, “The stewards found that while it is speculation as to where the driver’s car would have ended up had he chosen other alternatives, it is certain that while crossing the track in front of the following pack of cars, which he chose to do, that a collision occurred.”

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Ford unveils a new Mustang for 2024 Le Mans in motorsports ‘lifestyle brand’ retooling

Associated PressJun 9, 2023, 7:00 PM EDT
Ford Mustang Le Mans
Ford Performance
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LE MANS, France — Ford has planned a return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans with its iconic Mustang muscle car next year under a massive rebranding of Ford Performance aimed at bringing the automotive manufacturer “into the racing business.”

The Friday unveil of the new Mustang Dark Horse-based race car follows Ford’s announcement in February (and a ballyhooed test at Sebring in March) that it will return to Formula One in 2026 in partnership with reigning world champion Red Bull.

The Mustang will enter the GT3 category next year with at least two cars in both IMSA and the World Endurance Championship, and is hopeful to earn an invitation to next year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. The IMSA entries will be a factory Ford Performance program run by Multimatic, and a customer program in WEC with Proton Competition.

Ford CEO Jim Farley, also an amateur sports car racer, told The Associated Press the Mustang will be available to compete in various GT3 series across the globe to customer teams. But more important, Farley said, is the overall rebranding of Ford Performance – done by renowned motorsports designer Troy Lee – that is aimed at making Ford a lifestyle brand with a sporting mindset.

“It’s kind of like the company finding its own, and rediscovering its icons, and doubling down on them,” Farley told the AP. “And then this motorsports activity is getting serious about connecting enthusiast customers with those rediscovered icons. It’s a big switch for the company – this is really about building strong, iconic vehicles with enthusiasts at the center of our marketing.”

Ford last competed in sports car racing in 2019 as part of a three-year program with Chip Ganassi Racing. The team scored the class win at Le Mans in 2016 in a targeted performance aimed to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Ford snapping Ferrari’s six-year winning streak.

Ford on Friday displayed a Mustang with a Lee-designed livery that showcased the cleaner, simplified look that will soon be featured on all its racing vehicles. The traditional blue oval with Ford Performance in white lettering underneath will now be branded simply FP.

The new mark will be used across car liveries, merchandise and apparel, display assets, parts and accessories and in advertising.

Farley cited Porsche as an automaker that has successfully figured out how to sell cars to consumers and race cars in various series around the world while creating a culture of brand enthusiasts. He believes Ford’s new direction will help the company sell street cars, race cars, boost interest in driving schools, and create a merchandise line that convinces consumers that a stalwart of American automakers is a hip, cool brand.

“We’re going to build a global motorsports business off road and on road,” Farley told the AP, adding that the design of the Mustang is “unapologetically American.”

He lauded the work of Lee, who is considered the top helmet designer among race car drivers.

“We’re in the first inning of a nine inning game, and going to Le Mans is really important,” Farley said. “But for customer cars, getting the graphics right, designing race cars that win at all different levels, and then designing a racing brand for Ford Performance that gets rebranded and elevated is super important.”

He said he’s kept a close eye on how Porsche and Aston Martin have built their motorsports businesses and said Ford will be better.

“We’re going in the exact same direction. We just want to be better than them, that’s all,” Farley said. “Second is the first loser.”

Farley, an avid amateur racer himself, did not travel to Le Mans for the announcement. The race that begins Saturday features an entry from NASCAR, and Ford is the reigning Cup Series champion with Joey Logano and Team Penske.

The NASCAR “Garage 56” entry is a collaboration between Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet and Goodyear, and is being widely celebrated throughout the industry. Farley did feel left out of the party in France – a sentiment NASCAR tried to avoid by inviting many of its partners to attend the race so that it wouldn’t seem like a Chevrolet-only celebration.

“They’re going right and I’m going left – that NASCAR thing is a one-year deal, right? It’s Garage 56 and they can have their NASCAR party, but that’s a one-year party,” Farley said. “We won Le Mans outright four times, we won in the GT class, and we’re coming back with Mustang and it’s not a one-year deal.

“So they can get all excited about Garage 56. I almost see that as a marketing exercise for NASCAR, but for me, that’s a science project,” Farley continued. “I don’t live in a world of science projects. I live in the world of building a vital company that everyone is excited about. To do that, we’re not going to do a Garage 56 – I’ve got to beat Porsche and Aston Martin and Ferrari year after year after year.”

Ford’s announcement comes on the heels of General Motors changing its GT3 strategy next season and ending its factory Corvette program. GM, which unlike Ford competes in the IMSA Grand Touring Prototype division (with its Cadillac brand), will shift fully to a customer model for Corvettes in 2024 (with some factory support in the IMSA GTD Pro category).