Innehållsförteckning för December 2019 från AUTOSPORT

Lewis Hamilton is traditionally less-than-bothered about statistics. He lacks Sebastian Vettel’s deep knowledge of Formula 1 history, and admits to having poor memory. Hamilton often says he can barely remember his most recent race, let alone recall the precise details of seasons past. The way Lewis absolutely lives ‘in the moment’ is a key part of his enduring success, as this Michael Schumacher-esque run of dominance continues. It feels as though F1 is reliving the early years of the new millennium: records being relentlessly smashed while the opposition flounders. But those post-Mika Häkkinen years were tedious for fans who longed to see Schumacher tested to extremis. When a worthy successor finally came along – in the form of Fernando Alonso and Renault – F1 became more interesting again. With the…

A little touch of blue-sky thinking The weather forecast for Friday in Austin was for blue skies all day, so with that in mind I planned to visit a spot I knew that works well for shooting into the sun late in the afternoon. This is a tricky shot because there’s no hole in the fence here. You have to remove the lens, hold it on the other side of the fence at the right height, then remount it to the camera body through the fence. As I left the press centre before FP2 a huge cloud bank had rolled in, but I set off anyway in the hope that it would clear. It didn’t go away entirely but it did leave some interesting striations. Photographer Glenn Dunbar Where Austin,…

Q1 Esteban Ocon will return to the Formula 1 grid in 2020, but with which team did he make his practice debut in 2014? Q2 Which current driver has two podiums to his name but has yet to lead a single lap of an F1 race? Q3 Which two current circuits on the calendar first held a world championship race in the 1980s? Q4 True or false: Red Bull has won at least one race a year since its first victory in 2009? Q5 Which driver finished 20th and last in the standings in 2018 with a single point? Q6 The Ford Cosworth DFV engine won its first race in 1967, but when and where did it win its last? Q7 At which race did Teo Fabi claim Toleman’s single…

2018-19 Executive vice-president, head of Europe & chief auctioneer for RM Sotheby’s 2017-18 Global managing director, Luxury & Lifestyle division, for Sotheby’s 2015-16 Managing director, Europe & Middle East and North Africa, for Sotheby’s 2007-15 Managing director, North and South America for Sotheby’s) 2002-07 Deputy managing director, Italy. for Sotheby’s) 1999-02 Head of department, Arcade Auctions for Sotheby’s (Netherlands) 1996-99 Operations manager for Sotheby’s (Netherlands)…

Since Formula 1 drivers effectively take to the field of combat in masks, they take great pride in the design of their helmets, which both identify them to the fans and reveal their character. But look beneath the paintwork and there are a surprising number of performance-enhancing features. McLaren’s Carlos Sainz revealed that for the start of the 2017 season he made the switch to a Schuberth helmet from his previous Arai model purely for performance reasons. The principal difference, he says, was weight. “Compared with the previous brand of helmet I used, the Schuberth helmet was 300 grams lighter,” says Sainz. “When we moved into the new regulations for 2017, with bigger cars with more downforce, we were going to experience more G-force in the corners. If you multiply…

ow does an understudy oust the star? When does the Beta know it is time to replace the Alpha? What does a support act need to do to become the main attraction? Look to Charles Leclerc and one may find an all-encompassing answer. After all, he has unwittingly become the perfect Formula 1 subject for such questions. “The way that Charles is growing is very positive, he’s a talent, we knew it, but I think he’s really learning from mistakes, and that’s more important” Mattia Binotto Even if Leclerc wasn’t asking himself these questions in relation to his position within Ferrari at the start of 2019, plenty were asking on his behalf. The ‘what’ seemed a certainty: eventually Leclerc would displace Sebastian Vettel within Ferrari. The ‘when’ was a little…

HONDA WANTED TO SHUT DOWN THE TEAM IMMEDIATELY In late 2008, what had been known as the “credit crunch” went viral and became a worldwide crisis. Banks wilted under the enormity of bad debts, exposed after years of concealment in obscure financial mechanisms. In response they cut back on lending, and among the consequences was a collapse in the new-car market. Honda decided to axe its struggling F1 programme right away, and summoned Fry and team principal Ross Brawn to a meeting in a Heathrow hotel one November morning. Nick Fry: “We knew it was going to be a difficult meeting. We’d done enough homework to cut the budget by about a third. This poor gentleman, Mr Oshima, our boss, was pretty much in tears as he told us that…

YOUR GUIDE TO MONACO The Monaco Grand Prix, considered to be one of the most prestigious motor races in the world, is set in the gorgeous French Riviera, a part of the world rich in culture and made famous by a plethora of artists and writers. The likes of Edith Wharton, Somerset Maugham, Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse all graced this part of the Mediterranean. Monaco is the second smallest and most densely populated country in the world. It is a sovereign city-state with a population of 37,800 and is governed by a constitutional monarchy, with Prince Albert II its current head of state. The country’s impressive economy was developed in the late 19th century with the opening of a casino and a railway connection to Paris. Perched on the…

2021: VETOES AND VESTED INTERESTS… One of Formula 1’s greatest contradictions is that, while it’s a hotbed of technical innovation and continuous change, the people who actually call the shots are change-phobic to an almost hysterical degree. Worse still, since Bernie Ecclestone shortsightedly granted the teams a voice in decision-making, the blunt hand of tawdry self-interest has crushed many new ideas at the embryonic stage. Older readers and trivia whizzes will recall that Elvis died on the toilet. Well, despite an extraordinarily long sitting, and a copious amount of heaving and straining, F1 has managed to pass the 2021 regulations without suffering a heart attack. Sadly, one of the more interesting ideas that could have been implemented, and which was mooted to be trialled next year, has fallen foul of…

MARK GALLAGHER Our columnist has widened his remit to tackle this month's cover feature (p34), analysing Lewis Hamilton's empire JAMES ROBERTS Last heard from missing his connecting flight in Atlanta, our associate ed filed dispatches from Mexico (p60) and Texas (p54). #prayforjimmy STUART CODLING Ten years on from Brawn GP's triumph, 'Codders' shakes down CEO Nick Fry (p86) for the inside story on the team that became Mercedes ANDY HONE A man whose vertiginous barnet is best kept behind the camera, Andy met a NASCAR legend this month (p54)…

Formula 1’s 2021 regulations, which aim to both dramatically improve the spectacle and create a shake-up in the established order, were finally unveiled on 31 October. The new technical, sporting and financial rules were approved by the FIA’s World Motor Sport council on the eve of the US Grand Prix. The threat of a Ferrari veto on the new regulations was avoided when it voted in favour at the FIA meeting. “It’s a major change in how the pinnacle of motor sports will be run,” said the FIA president Jean Todt. “For the first time, we have addressed the technical, sporting and financial aspects all at once. The goal is to have a closer championship and to be more unpredictable on the track.” Reduced aerodynamics aim to improve overtaking, but…

In last month’s column we looked at the need for F1 not just to embrace environmental sustainability but also to promote, using its sheer persuasive power, the path to an ultra-low carbon economy. This month we’ll dig deeper into how we may achieve this, but first we need to expand a little on fuel chemistry. Many fuels are made of combinations of carbon and hydrogen atoms. One of the most simple comes from combining four hydrogen atoms with one of carbon to give CH4 – a gas known as methane. Ethanol, the most common automotive bio-fuel, is made by combining two carbon atoms, six hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom to give C2H5OH. Ethanol has the advantage of being easy to make and therefore cheap, but unfortunately it doesn’t have…

Chassis Steel ladder/spaceframe (1958-onwards) semi-monocoque Suspension Double wishbones, oleopneumatic struts/coil springs and telescopic dampers (f), De Dion axle with transverse leaf spring/coil springs and telescopic dampers (r) Engine BRM 25 inline 4 Engine capacity 2491cc Power 275bhp@8,000 rpm Gearbox Four-speed manual Tyres Dunlop Weight 690kg Notable drivers Peter Collins (non-championship), Mike Hawthorn, Tony Brooks, Ron Flockhart, Roy Salvadori, Jean Behra, Harry Schell, Stirling Moss, Joakim Bonnier, Hans Herrmann, Graham Hill, Maurice Trintignant…

MORE WHEELS ON MY WAGON THE SIX-WHEEL CAR When designer Derek Gardner first apprised Jackie Stewart of the concept of Tyrrell’s six-wheel P34 car, the retired triple world champion nearly choked. Yet the car proved to be a qualified success, winning once and claiming 13 podiums in its two seasons. The logic behind the four 10-inch wheels at the front was two-fold. Firstly, better grip through the corners, even though the wheels were smaller. Secondly, those smaller wheels allowed for a reduced frontal area of the car and less lift. This meant Gardner could dial back on the aerodynamics, which resulted in the equivalent of an extra 40bhp. COME AND JOIN THE DOUBLE DECKERS THE DOUBLE DIFFUSER The main reason a modern F1 car has a diffuser – an underfloor…

FINISHING STRAIGHT 1 Hamilton seals title number six, despite defeat to Bottas Although Lewis Hamilton started an unusually (for him) lowly fifth on the grid for the United States Grand Prix – thanks to a dislodged braking switch cover on his steering wheel – he didn’t need to win this race to claim his sixth world championship. Indeed, a quietly restrained performance in which he held on to fifth would have been sufficient. But that isn’t Hamilton’s way. The British driver is now one title ahead of Juan Manuel Fangio and one short of Michael Schumacher’s all-time record – and, just like those great drivers, he fought for the win every step of the way. Ultimately he finished 4.1 seconds behind his victorious Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas after making the…

CANNES 3-NIGHT TOUR FROM £899PP 22 –25 MAY 2020* Package 1 includes: ★ Option to add Monaco GP ticket or hospitality ★ 4-Star hotel in Cannes with breakfast ★ Return private charter flight from London & airport transfers ★ Option to add circuit transfers by train or coach ★ Informal social drinks and tour merchandise ★ Gullivers representatives ★ Post-race night life on Nikki Beach, Rascasse NICE 3-NIGHT TOUR FROM £959PP 22 –25 MAY 2020* Package 2 includes: ★ Option to add Monaco GP ticket or hospitality ★ 3-Star, 4-Star or 5-Star hotel in Nice with breakfast ★ Return private charter flight from London & airport transfers ★ Option to add circuit transfers by train or coach ★ Informal social drinks and tour merchandise ★ Gullivers representatives ★ Post-race night…

Team principals Editor Ben Anderson President, Motorsport Network James Allen Chief executive officer Yavor Efremov Drivers Group managing editor Stewart Williams Executive editor Stuart Codling Associate editor James Roberts Art editor Frank Foster Pit crew Head photographer Steven Tee Columnists Pat Symonds Mark Gallagher Nigel Roebuck Photo agency Motorsport Images Director, global client success Sunita Davies Production controller Ben Webster Advertising UK sales manager Ben Fullick Subscriptions Digital marketing manager Kaye Benfield…

NO NEED TO GET TWITCHY OVER F1 BROADCASTING Formula 1’s decision to live-stream the Mexican Grand Prix in six countries using online game-streaming platform Twitch took many by surprise. If you thought free-to-air versus pay-TV was the main broadcast battleground, things are more complicated. Twitch was founded in 2007 by four friends, including 24-year old Justin Kan, who attached a camera to his head and live-streamed his life for the next eight months. You read that right. Justin.tv, Twitch’s predecessor, was the result. It gave birth to a multi-channel online platform enabling viewers to enjoy content focused on technology, sport, news and gaming. In no time at all the gaming channels attracted large numbers of viewers rushing to watch those who were brilliant at it – brilliantly good, bad or…

Nutrition is critical for everyone – particularly athletes – because, if you’re not fuelled in the right way, it affects everything from your mood to your concentration and decision making. Nutrition is the glue that holds everything together for human performance, including mental skills development and physical activities too. I’ve noticed, especially through working with junior drivers, how they struggle in the afternoon by having that lull we all experience when blood sugar levels drop and fatigue starts to kick in. There are ways to deal with that, so that’s why we have such a set routine to avoid it. Whether it’s an engineering meeting or a session, I always make sure Nico [Hülkenberg] is in his optimal condition. We have to approach that differently each day to balance his…

How would you rate this title compared with the five before? Has it been easier? No way has it been the easiest. It’s been the hardest year for us as a team. We lost Niki [Lauda] – a real pivotal member of our team. The emotional rollercoaster we’ve been on with losing him, and a race [Mexico] where I didn’t have Bono [race engineer Pete Bonnington] here, just trying to remain focused throughout the year… and this car has not been easy. We started the season honestly going to Melbourne thinking that we were going to be behind. Mid-point of the season we were behind [on pace], and it’s been a real challenge, this second half of the season. It’s been the toughest second half I think we’ve had as…

FEAR AND SELF-LOATHING IN SÃO PAULO Yup. It happens. It really does. I remember my second-to-last race in 2016. Brazil, it was, the penultimate race of the season – the race before Abu Dhabi, at which I was due to retire. It was wet, which should have been perfect conditions for me, and one of those races that I could wring the neck out of and maybe do a little better than expected. I certainly hoped to beat my team-mate at the time, who was Fernando Alonso. Turn one, it hit me. I had a bit of wobble, figuratively and literally. The circuit was treacherous with rain and I was sliding all over the place. This was the race where Max Verstappen really showed his skills in the wet. Well,…

With Williams being a shadow of its once glorious self in Formula 1 right now, it would be easy to overlook the quietly superb performances of George Russell, who has adapted quite brilliantly to the unique demands of grand prix racing during his rookie season at motorsport’s highest level. Racing at the back of the grid means Russell avoids the glare of the spotlight that shines so intently on his 2018 Formula 2 rivals Lando Norris and Alex Albon (who he beat last year, by the way). But spend time in George’s company and it quickly becomes apparent that he’s possessed of a proper champion’s focus, intent and self-belief. Williams is going through probably the toughest period in the team’s history, which doesn’t appear naturally the best environment for a…

Isn’t he great? I believe Lewis Hamilton’s success as an athlete should be considered in the same breath as the achievements of some of the great tennis stars, like Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic. The reason is (despite his advancing years) Hamilton’s pursuit of victory is relentless. He has a competitive thirst to keep improving every aspect of his life – on a daily basis – and that is an incredible trait, which only the very top sportsmen who win multiple titles share. There are some champions who win one title and that’s all they have in their locker. In addition, he doesn’t have a ‘win at all costs’ mentality where he will resort to dirty tactics on-track in the style of Ayrton Senna or Michael Schumacher. He should be…

THE MAIN EVENT The futuristic-looking Yas Marina circuit provides a spectacular backdrop to finish the Formula 1 season. Fittingly, the start of the race coincides with sunset so the final 55 racing laps of the year are held under floodlights. Since the event joined the F1 calendar in 2009, Yas Marina has established itself as the principal venue for the curtain-closer. It’s hosted seven of the last ten season finales. The circuit itself is two-thirds high-speed, characterised by long straights and tricky chicanes, while the final sector of the lap is a slower, more technical challenge for the drivers, as the track winds around – and underneath – the Yas Hotel. Temperatures are still hot during the day at this time of year, but can drop as much as 15ºC…