McLaren expects tough development race

McLaren managing director Jonathan Neale expects the strong development race to continue after saying there is little to choose between Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari.

In Germany the top three of Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel and Jenson Button ran closely together throughout the race, with less than seven seconds covering all three at the end of the race before Vettel's retrospective drive-through penalty. With both McLaren drivers well adrift in the drivers' championship Neale was asked if Alonso was the man to beat but he said it would depend on which teams develop their cars the best.

"It depends on development rate," Neale told a Vodafone McLaren Mercedes phone-in. "Whilst it's undeniable that Fernando's driven really well this season, if you look at the points conversion rate of the Red Bull they're very strong and we have to get in amongst that mix but I don't think that Fernando has a clear advantage over Red Bull at this stage I think their development rate looks fine."

Asked for his assessment of the leading three teams at present, Neale said that all three are very closely matched.

"As we head in to this weekend are we expecting to lock out the front row? Expect? No. Hope? Of course. We believe we've got a competitive car; we've been focusing a lot on our race pace because our qualifying pace has been better than our race pace. We believe that both drivers have got a good chance of being very competitive and hopefully one of them can win this weekend. But it's a very close grid as you all know, and notwithstanding whether the teams are able to exploit the conditions and the tyres, the relative upgrades; you don't need to bring very much to suddenly change the competitive order.

"Nobody at this stage in any of the teams is going to be backing out and diverting resources to next year or the year after. So I think we're in for a very challenging race in Hungary and I suspect that the rate of development will be strong throughout August in to the middle of September as well. But I think there's still a lot to go - I don't think it's static and I think the three top teams have got very competitive cars."

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McLaren 'right back in the hunt'

Jenson Button says McLaren is "right back in the hunt" after his second place at the German Grand Prix last weekend.

Having slipped to fourth in the constructors' championship, McLaren's upgrades worked well at Hockenheim to allow Button to finish second behind Fernando Alonso and move the team a point ahead of Lotus in the standings. With the Hungarian Grand Prix following immediately this weekend, Button said it's the perfect timing for McLaren to build on that result.

"The result in Germany puts us right back in the hunt," Button said. "In that situation, there's nothing better than a back-to-back weekender: you return to the cockpit almost before you've unpacked your bags from the previous race, so it's great to carry forward that momentum.

"Of course, Hungary's a very special place for me: I won my first grand prix there back in 2006, I celebrated my 200th grand prix there on the Saturday evening with some of my oldest friends and colleagues in the paddock and I went on to win the grand prix on Sunday. It was the perfect weekend."

Button added that he would need another smooth weekend to be competitive because it's so close at the front of the grid.

"There's every reason to believe we can get another good result this year. Our pace at Hockenheim gives us cause for encouragement - it's just that, as always, we'll need to run flawlessly through qualifying and the race if we're to be in the hunt at the end. That high level of performance shows just how close things currently are at the top in Formula 1. I'm satisfied that we're pushing hard enough to be up at the sharp end, so it would be fantastic to take home a winning result to reward all our recent hard work."

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McLaren stops still need to improve

McLaren sporting director Sam Michael says the team still needs to improve its pit stop performance despite now being the fastest in the pit lane.

Jenson Button's second stop at Hockenheim last weekend was timed at just 2.4 seconds - the quickest so far this season, as McLaren continued to recover from a poor opening few races of the season in terms of stops. Michael, however, insists that the team still has problems and that it was focusing on minimising the reaction times to slow stops.

"We still have issues, the same as any team in the pit lane, but the guys have a really good margin now so that if they do a 3.1s stop it feels incredibly slow - and that's pretty much the stops that everyone else is doing," Michael said. "So they've got enough margin to lose seven or eight tenths and not be the quickest but still very competitive.

"You can still see variants, but our average during the stops, if you take out Lewis's stop for a puncture because that's always going to be slower, would still have been quite low, towards the low 3s. So we've still got lots of work to do and I think it will always happen. You've got so many humans involved in one process that's happening in such a short period of time so what you've got to look at is how you can minimise the recovery time so that when things go wrong they can recover in tenths rather than seconds. That's really what we're focused on now, to get consistency."

With Michael having previously said that a sub two-second stop was possible, he insists that it isn't a targeted time.

"We don't have any target or incentive to break records on pit stop times. They come through default because we work on the equipment to make them consistent and that's why they get the fast times. Then they get the confidence, they relax and they do it properly."

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Ferrari under no illusions

Stefano Domenicali says that Ferrari is not "under any sort of illusion" despite the fact that Fernando Alonso has a clear lead in the drivers' championship.

Alonso is now 34 points clear of Mark Webber in the standings after he secured his third victory of the season at the German Grand Prix. None of the victories have been dominant, however, with Alonso winning in the wet of Malaysia before benefitting from Sebastian Vettel's misfortune in Valencia and edging out Vettel and Jenson Button in Germany.

Domenicali said that while he is pleased with where Ferrari is at present, the competition is too tough for the team to enjoy its lead.

"It's nice to see our fans are happy with that last result, but no one at Maranello is under any sort of illusion," Domenicali told the official Ferrari website. "The fact we are leading the Drivers' championship with Fernando does not lull us into thinking that everything is fine and we're cruising along with the wind in our sails; quite the contrary in fact.

"Red Bull has always been very strong in Budapest these past few years and McLaren showed in Germany that it was back in front running form, after a slight dip at its home race. Then there is also Mercedes, as well as Lotus and other teams, such as Williams and Sauber, who have shown they can, in some circumstances, also be in the fight for the podium. Clearly, the opposition is as numerous as it is strong."

With Luca di Montezemolo having addressed the team following the Hockenheim victory, Domenicali said Ferrari is still fully focused on improving the car.

"As usual, Montezemolo was very clear: feet on the ground and work, work, work. After Budapest, we come up to two very tough races in the shape of Spa and Monza, where we must show that we are competitive on fast tracks too. The performance of the F2012 has improved since the start of the season but until we have the quickest car on track, we cannot claim to be happy. There is still a long road ahead of us, with plenty of obstacles along the way. The first and currently the most dangerous one is to catch this sense of euphoria that comes from the outside. But I'm calm about this because I am immune to these things!"

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McLaren unsure of Red Bull engine map effect

McLaren's managing director Jonathan Neale says that the team doesn't know how effective Red Bull's engine map is after admitting the FIA's reaction in Germany was "unusual".

Red Bull's cars were brought before the stewards ahead of the race on Sunday after the technical delegate Jo Bauer believed an engine map contravened the regulations. His issues were outlined in an FIA press release, but Neale said that he was unsure what had caused such a reaction.

When asked what the effect would be on Red Bull if the map was outlawed Neale told a Vodafone McLaren Mercedes phone-in: "The honest answer is I really don't know.

"None of us really know what it is that antagonised the FIA so much to provoke Jo Bauer in to issuing the note that he did on Sunday morning. It was quite an unusual step, but I don't think the FIA would have referred it to the stewards if they didn't have very serious concerns.

"I've read the press like you have and there are lots of allusions to the fact that there might be some action taken to outlaw it but I haven't seen that, and it's really not for us to know. It's impossible for us to tell exactly what the Renault engine is doing in the Red Bull and therefore how much advantage they get from it on their car as an integrated performance package."

Neale also said that he didn't want to see a repeat of 2011 when off-throttle blown diffusers were banned and then consequently allowed at the following race.

"I know we're not the only ones on the grid who are looking at it very carefully. I think we've all worked really hard through the first six months of this year to work with the FIA and with Charlie to be really clear about what's acceptable and what isn't. And I pledge that support to Charlie Whiting and the FIA. I think they've got a very difficult job there; they did a good job early on.

"I hope that we don't get in to lots of rewriting of the exhaust regulations for the season as we did last year because that provided a reasonable amount of upset and difficulty no matter how entertaining it was for the press at Silverstone last year. In terms of us - the teams - and the sport, I think consistency in regulation is good. I think we just need to put a lot more effort in to enforcing those regulations rather than continually rewriting."

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FIA clamps down on engine maps

The FIA has issued a technical clarification to the teams in the wake of Red Bull's engine mapping investigation.

The two RB8 cars came under scrutiny in Germany for running engine maps that were not delivering a torque output at mid rpm range that was linear to the throttle input. No action was taken at Hockenheim because the stewards said that while they "do not accept all the arguments of the team, they however conclude that as the regulation is written, the map presented does not breach the text of Art. 5.5.3 of the Formula One Technical Regulations".

As a result of the wording of that statement, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner admitted that he was braced for the FIA to make changes after the race, saying: "The regulations are clear, so there could well be further technical directives that are designed to further clarify those regulations."

The issue was flagged because FIA technical delegate Jo Bauer noticed a difference in the torque output at mid rpm range compared to previous events, but Red Bull argued that the regulation did not state that other events would be referenced and that the engine only had to deliver the maximum torque it was programmed to on that day.

It has now been confirmed to ESPNF1 that the teams have been issued with a clarification surrounding the engine maps, and although the contents of the clarification have not been made public, the BBC reports that a reference map from the opening four races must be supplied to the FIA and that the directive states: "Above 6,000rpm, the maximum engine torque may vary by no more than +/- 2% (from the reference map). And the ignition angle may vary by no more than 2.5%."

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Les World Series by Renault séduisent la Russie

Pour la première fois de son histoire, la Russie a accueilli un championnat international sur circuit. Organisé ce week-end sur le nouveau Moscow Raceway – inauguré en présence d'Alain Prost et de l'architecte Hermann Tilke – le meeting de World Series by Renault a réuni 85 000 spectateurs, enthousiasmés par les courses acharnées et l'ambiance festive. Il régnait également un parfum de Formule 1 grâce aux démonstrations de Red Bull Racing et de Caterham F1 Team, avec Daniel Ricciardo et Vitaly Petrov aux commandes. Ce premier rendez-vous a été une grande réussite, saluée par le public, les médias et les concurrents des trois disciplines des World Series by Renault.

Denis Le Vot, directeur général adjoint de Renault Russie : « C'était un honneur pour nous d'être les premiers à organiser un événement d'une telle ampleur en Russie, sur le tout nouveau Moscow Raceway. Je crois que ce premier rendez-vous fera date. Cela a été une grande fête sportive et une belle consécration avec 85 000 personnes recensées. En Russie, Renault est la première marque étrangère sur le premier semestre 2012, avec 100 000 voitures vendues. Nous savions donc par ces chiffres et par notre stratégie commerciale que nous représentons une marque populaire et cet événement le confirme. Nous avons mobilisé nos réseaux de distribution, invités tous nos clients ainsi que nos grands partenaires comme la Mairie de Moscou. La promotion et le plan média ont été mis en place sur plusieurs mois et dans tout le pays. Les World Series by Renault ont donc participé à asseoir notre image alliant sport et technologie. Ce premier rendez-vous a dépassé toutes nos attentes. La porte est donc grande ouverte pour l'avenir ! »

Formula Renault 3.5 Series : Robin Frijns premier vainqueur sur le Moscow Raceway
Le 14 juillet 2012 restera longtemps gravé dans la mémoire de Robin Frijns (Fortec Motorsports). Après avoir effectué son baptême en F1 au volant de la Red Bull-Renault RB6, le Néerlandais devenait le premier pilote à remporter une course internationale sur circuit en Russie, en devançant Jules Bianchi (Tech 1 Racing) et Sam Bird (ISR). « Gagner sur un circuit que tout le monde découvre est un signe fort » expliquait le vainqueur de l'Eurocup Formula Renault 2011. Le lendemain, Arthur Pic venait conquérir son premier succès en Formula Renault 3.5 Series. Tout comme Dams, Arthur Pic attendait une première victoire en Formula Renault 3.5 Series depuis longtemps. C'est désormais chose faite en Russie, au lendemain de la fête nationale française. Walter Grubmüller (P1 Motorsport) et Kevin Korjus (Tech 1 Racing) complétaient ce podium inédit, tandis que les leaders au championnat marquaient le pas. « J'avais déjà eu des opportunités depuis le début de la saison, notamment à Motorland Aragon, mais à chaque fois j'avais pris un mauvais départ », expliquait Pic. « Aujourd'hui, malgré les différents accrochages, mon premier tour a été bon. Ensuite la voiture a été parfaite. Je suis très heureux de ce succès qui est également important pour Dams. »

Course 1 : 1- R.Frijns, NED (Fortec Motorsports), 2- J.Bianchi, FRA (Tech 1 Racing) 3- S.Bird, GBR (ISR)
Course 2 : 1- A.Pic, FRA (Dams), 2- W.Grübmuller, AUT (P1 Motorsport), 3- K.Korjus, EST (Tech 1 Racing)
Classement général : 1- R.Frijns, 111 pts, 2- S.Bird, 101 pts, 3- J.Bianchi, 85 pts…

Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 : Kvyat reprend le pouvoir à domicile
Samedi, grâce à un départ parfait et une course solide, Daniil Kvyat offrait le plus beau des cadeaux à son public en s'imposant sur le Moscow Raceway, devant Stoffel Vandoorne et Oliver Rowland. « Cela a été une course difficile et une bataille de tous les instants » confiait le Russe. Le scénario de la deuxième course ressemblait comme deux gouttes d'eau à celui de la première. Kvyat s'emparait de la tête de la course au départ et tenait bon jusqu'au bout, malgré la pluie et les nombreuses attaques portées par Stoffel Vandoorne. Oliver Rowland pointait de nouveau troisième. Grâce à cette cinquième victoire, Kvyat reprenait à Vandoorne en tête du classement général… pour un point seulement. « Gagner deux fois en Russie, je ne réalise encore pas vraiment ce que cela représente. Le titre va certainement se jouer entre Stoffel et moi. Je n'ai qu'un point d'avance, mais je mène 5-2 au nombre de victoires. Je pense que je suis bien placé » complétait le pilote originaire de Ufa.

Course 1 : 1- D.Kvyat, RUS (Koiranen Motorsport), 2- S.Vandoorne, BEL, (Kaufmann Racing), 3- O.Rowland, GBR (Fortec Motorsports)
Course 2 : 1- D.Kvyat, 2- S.Vandoorne, 3- O.Rowland
Classement général : 1- D.Kvyat, 147 pts, 2- S.Vandoorne, 146 pts, 3- N.Nato, 72 pts…

Eurocup Mégane Trophy : Albert Costa réduit l'écart
Samedi, Fabien Thuner adoptait la stratégie gagnante pour aller remporter son premier succès en Eurocup Mégane Trophy devant Stefano Comini et Niccolo Nalio. « Cela fait longtemps que j'attendais cette victoire, mais je n'ai jamais baissé les bras. C'est super d'être le premier à gagner en berline ici », soulignait le Suisse. Le lendemain, Albert Costa réalisait la bonne opération en remportant de main de maître son deuxième succès en Eurocup Mégane Trophy.
Incontestablement le plus rapide en course, l'Espagnol s'imposait devant Niccolo Nalio et Tom Coronel. Il revient ainsi au classement général sur Bas Schothorst, auteur d'un week-end mitigé. « C'est la deuxième partie de championnat qui débute aujourd'hui, mon retard sur Bas Schothorst est important mais pas impossible à combler », concluait Costa.

Course 1 : 1- F.Thuner, SUI (Oregon Team), 2- S.Comini, SUI (Team Lompech Sport) 3- K.Gilardoni, ITA (Oregon Team)
Course 2 : 1- A.Costa, ESP (Oregon Team), 2- N.Nalio, ITA (Oregon Team), 3- T.Coronel, NED (TDS Racing)
Classement général : 1- Schothorst, 158 pts, 2- A.Costa, 126 pts, 3- N.Nalio, 96 pts…