In the round-up: Red Bull motorsport consultant Helmut Marko says the team has not encouraged Sebastian Vettel about the possibility he could return to the team next year.
Links
More motor racing links of interest:
Formel-1-Star Vettel zu Red Bull? Das sagt Marko (Krone Zeitung - German)
Marko pointed out Red Bull have contracts with Max Verstappen and Alexander Albon, and said the team's conversations with ex-driver Vettel have been friendly but did not give him hope about the possibility he could drive for them next year.
2020 Austrian and Styrian grand prixview (AlphaTauri)
"I’ve never had such a long break from racing or from flying, as we’re usually at an airport every few days. Nor have I ever spent two months in one place before, since I was maybe ten years old."
No hurry for decision on US GP says COTA boss (Autosport)
"My interest is to see the sport do well and stay healthy, and we're all united on that. If that means not having a race one year at our venue, then it still accomplishes the long-term goal."
Returning to track – with a difference (Red Bull)
"It’s been quite a process to get the team prepared to go to Austria. The rules are changing all the time, so all teams have been working with the FIA to ensure protocols have been established for a return to racing. As a team we have been working with F1, and internally with our HR and legal departments to ensure they are giving team members the right advice."
"In my first race I’m just going to try and take everything as it comes, step-by-step, and get up to speed quickly. I’m under no illusions though – I’m making my F1 race debut and there’s a lot to learn. The fact that I’ve had to wait a bit longer than planned doesn’t change anything."
'Tidy' driving could help Herta clean up in Indianapolis Grand Prix (IndyCar)
"Hopefully, the setup doesn’t change too much because we had a really good setup. I wouldn’t be surprised if we have to run a little more downforce or change a little to help rear tires not degrade as fast in the heat."
Fox Sports increase F1 grand prix coverage (Auto Action)
"For the first time, the Formula 2 and Formula 3 qualifying sessions will also be broadcast live."
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Social media
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Ferrari will carry a message of support for Alex Zanardi on their cars at this weekend's #AustrianGP. #ForzaAlex will appear beside the roll hoops on the SF1000s. pic.twitter.com/rCXW4Mnby1
— RaceFans (@racefansdotnet) June 30, 2020
“Can you give me an example?”
Former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone challenges John Pienaar to provide evidence of widely reported human-rights abuses in Bahrain. What is your response?
Listen now to Times Radio 🔊 https://t.co/nTwN679B3O@JPonpolitics | @F1 pic.twitter.com/eax1aJY8LP
— Times Radio (@timesradio) June 30, 2020
— iRacing.com (@iRacing) June 30, 2020
Yesterday felt a bit special. We tested in the wind tunnel my last programme in F1 (for now!).
And it was relatively fruitful, so expect some rather "interesting" shapes on the car in the coming weeks! 😉#BelieveInMcLaren
— Ivan Roldan (@ivanlda) June 30, 2020
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Comment of the day
setting hiring quotas and balancing the numbers wouldn’t solve the fundamental issue of why ethnic minorities are under represented in the first place.
Improving diversity requires culture change so that all people are provided the same fair and unbiased opportunity during recruitment (and at all stages that lead up to it, but that’s not necessarily Mercedes problem to tackle).
XMG (@Sparkyamg)
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday to Tom Moloney and Pj!
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On this day in F1
- 20 years ago today Michael Schumacher put his Ferrari on pole position for the French Grand Prix at Magny-Cours
Aussie Rod (@aussierod)
1st July 2020, 0:44
Surely now, after that interview, it is perfectly clear that it is entirely pointless to interview Bernie E on any topic that is socially or politically relevant. He’s living inside a caricature of himself…
David BR (@david-br)
1st July 2020, 1:08
Ecclestone’s cognitive faculties are clearly in heavy decline, he’s struggling to formulate sentences. Even so, his comments are deeply obnoxious, disbelieving people in Bahrain who presented evidence of human rights abuses to him with the absurd claim that ‘even they didn’t believe what they were saying.’ John Pienaar is clearly struggling to believe what he’s hearing. Pure denial. But it’s clear Ecclestone, even when fully compos mentis, explained away these abuses as lies to salve his own conscience. A truly revolting interview.
foggy
1st July 2020, 1:52
Ecclestone did a wonderful job turning F1 into what it is but I lost all respect for him when he openly admitted to admiring Adolf Hitler and Saddam Hussein, his recent comments on BLM and racism left a lot to be desired and this interview shows he has completely lost the plot …. please keep him away from the media.
MEGATRON M12 (@megatron)
1st July 2020, 2:12
Wrong, bernie held back F1 far more than he moved it forward. F1 was far more popular than the nba or nfl when he double crossed his fellow team owners and those two sports leagues quickly caught up a surpassed F1. Bernie was not good for F1, he held it back and robbed it simultaneously.
ColdFly (@)
1st July 2020, 3:33
I think even that is too much credit for him.
He did a good job in initially commercialising the sport a few decades ago. But since then he’s only done well for himself and some investors.
The sport is much smaller than what it should have been. It’s embarrassing that the premier global motorsports series is worth less (combination of series and teams) than many local or continental series in other sports.
A big missed opportunity and Bernie is to blame for that.
Jan (@netm)
1st July 2020, 9:22
I think it would be more correct to say that it is entirely pointless to interview Bernie full stop.
ruliemaulana (@ruliemaulana)
1st July 2020, 4:00
Bahrain, huh? What about millions death worldwide by UK & US wars to plunder oil? It is because they’re Arab?
ColdFly (@)
1st July 2020, 4:34
Suggest you start a radio show, ask Bernie that question, and end up in the round-up.
But hurry, Bernie seems to be less than 100% mentally and he might not believe that you believe yourself.
ruliemaulana (@ruliemaulana)
1st July 2020, 4:56
I did mocking the radio show. I didn’t blame the round-up. Every article with political pieces in it always lively and engaging.
GtisBetter (@)
1st July 2020, 6:15
Can you give examples of these wars and how you get the number of millions?
black (@black)
1st July 2020, 6:46
@passingisoverrated Even if the number isn’t close to a million and it’s say a couple thousands or a couple hundred thousands deaths, then everything is ok? Even if the number is lower than a few hundred innocent people, it’s still a disgrace to say at least…
Mog
1st July 2020, 8:43
I think thay gtis may have been making a joke.
erikje
2nd July 2020, 16:32
It’s always nice if jokes are funny.
Jere (@jerejj)
1st July 2020, 8:10
”Logistics will also be different, with the delivery of parts no longer happening by air but by road. This means the van drivers will also have to provide negative test certificates for COVID-19 in order to get into Austria and the Red Bull Ring.”
– But haven’t the trucks always been in use for European events, though? Or is this merely about parts that might get brought in at the last minute? The cars and other stuff have traditionally been brought to European circuits via road and via air to the rest.
Re Autosport-article: I have low hopes for COTA. I struggle to see any international racing happening on US soil this year.
Alianora La Canta (@alianora-la-canta)
2nd July 2020, 18:15
@jerejj This is, indeed, for last-minute components. Even flyaway events often would have personnel boarding flights with some new component that didn’t quite make it onto the original flight out.
International racing is already happening in the USA, but only for those drivers able to cross the border before any relevant restrictions were brought in. I’m not convinced the EU restriction will be lifted in time, given the managment problems Texas is experiencing.
James Norris
1st July 2020, 8:16
Jeez, my eyeballs fell out trying to read the iRacing statement…
Chaitanya
1st July 2020, 9:30
Didnt think Vettel had burned bridges to this extent.
JohnH (@johnrkh)
1st July 2020, 10:00
Chaitanya Vettel hasn’t burned any bridges he like every other driver is only as valuable as their last race. Four time WDC or not he’s had a ordinary couple of seasons. Add to that the talent he is competing against Verstappen, Ricciardo, Leclerc, Hamilton, Sainze plus the up coming drivers Ocon, Russell, Albon.
Vettel has found himself in a bit of a dilemma timing wise.
kuvemar
1st July 2020, 9:43
No idea why Seb would even want to drive for RB. The guy keeps overestimating himself. Lost against RIC, lost against LEC, surely would lose against VER. Heck, even if Verstappen leaves – I don’t think Seb would be faster than Albon.
Darryn Smith (@darryn)
1st July 2020, 17:19
He barely beat a journeyman driver in Webber. Vettel got lucky to be at RB when he was.
David BR (@david-br)
1st July 2020, 18:03
@darryn I think Vettel was a very good driver up until his Red Bull years, and still is in many aspects, but he stopped developing and didn’t really work on poorer aspects of his driving. Perhaps precisely because he didn’t need to when Red Bull were at their prime. Ricciardo’s arrival should have woken him up, but instead it persuaded him to switch to Ferrari and effectively dodge the issue of how to better DR (something Ricciardo himself would repeat with Verstappen’s arrival weirdly). Then various years of Raikkonen as a team mate made things easy again until the Ferrari was good enough to compete against Hamilton and Mercedes. Ferrari saw the end product and signed Leclerc. But that pattern persists of Vettel not really working to improve his driving. And why bother pushing yourself to an extreme if you can point to 4 championships?
Alianora La Canta (@alianora-la-canta)
2nd July 2020, 18:16
@kuvemar Maybe he wants to try and see if the answer is different this time? Athletes have that sort of curiosity.