Rules of Engagement: Mercedes’ statement regarding its drivers

It was released by the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team this afternoon a statement to the world’s media regarding the state of play over team orders at the team going forward.

On the last lap of the Austrian GP last Sunday, Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton collided on the track which saw Rosberg sustain front wing damage; Hamilton carrying on to win the race and as result of this, many comments have been circulated and debated by teams, drivers and fans regarding the incident.

Here is the full statement released by Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 team regarding team orders as follows:-

“This morning at the headquarters of the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team in Brackley, UK, positive meetings were held between Toto Wolff, Paddy Lowe, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg.

Our drivers were informed that they remain free to race for the World Championship.

We believe this is the essence of Formula One, including between team-mates. As passionate racers, we want to see them racing, and so do the fans of Formula One.

However, this freedom comes with a duty for our drivers to respect the values of the team.

In the past five races, there have been three incidents which have cost us over 50 points in the Constructors’ Championship.

We have therefore strengthened our Rules of Engagement to include much greater deterrents to contact between our cars.

With these in place, we will trust our drivers to manage the situation between them on track. Their destiny is in their own hands.

The drivers were also reminded that we may issue instructions during the race to protect against a potential loss of Constructors’ points, such as we did at this year’s Monaco GP when Nico was instructed to let Lewis pass.

If the drivers do not honour the revised Rules of Engagement, we may impose team orders as a solution of last resort.

Finally, we restated our belief in Lewis and Nico as the best driver pairing in Formula One.

Since 2013, we have won together a total of 43 races and 40 further podium finishes, plus two consecutive World Championships. This record speaks for itself.”

The GPDA issue a statement about the current situation in F1

It was announced in a statement to the media this afternoon that the drivers on the grid F1 have called for an overhaul of the sport’s ‘obsolete’ and ‘ill-structured’ rule-making process, amid frustrations about the direction grand prix racing is heading in.

In the wake of a number of remarks from leading figures in recent weeks – including Sebastian Vettel, Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton – suggesting that F1 is taking a wrong path, the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA) published an open letter on Wednesday making clear that all drivers were unhappy.

Addressing it to F1’s stakeholders, followers and fans, the GPDA chief figures, directors Jenson Button, Vettel and chairman Alexander Wurz said that the time had come for action to be taken and a new governance structure put in place.

Here is the following statement that the GPDA has issued to the media this morning as follows:-

“Dear Formula 1 stakeholders, followers and fans,

“The Grand Prix drivers would like to state our following position: We drivers love our sport! Since childhood, we dreamed of racing the fastest race cars from the top teams on the coolest tracks against the best drivers in the world. We seek competition and love F1 almost unconditionally, which makes us most probably the people with the purest interest for Formula 1, beside our fans.

“Formula 1 is currently challenged by a difficult global economic environment, a swift change in fan and consumer behaviour, and a decisive shift in the TV and media landscape. This makes it fundamental that the sport’s leaders make smart and well considered adjustments.

“We feel that some recent rule changes – on both the sporting and technical side, and including some business directions – are disruptive, do not address the bigger issues our sport is facing and in some cases could jeopardise its future success. We know that among the leaders of the sport – be it the owners, their representatives, the governing body, the teams or other stakeholders – every individual acts with the very best intentions.

“Therefore, the drivers have come to the conclusion that the decision-making process in the sport is obsolete and ill -structured and prevents progress being made. Indeed, it can sometimes lead to just the opposite, a gridlock. This reflects negatively on our sport, prevents it being fit for the next generation of fans and compromises further global growth.

“We would like to request and urge the owners and all stakeholders of Formula 1 to consider restructuring its own governance. The future directions and decisions of F1, be they short or long term, sporting, technical or business orientated should be based on a clear master plan. Such plan should reflect the principles and core values of Formula 1.

“We need to ensure that F1 remains a sport, a closely-fought competition between the best drivers in extraordinary machines on the coolest race tracks. F1 should be home only to the best teams, drivers and circuits, with partners and suppliers fit for such an elite championship.

“Formula 1 has undoubtedly established itself as the pinnacle of motorsport and as such one of the most viewed and popular sports around the world. We drivers stand united, offer our help and support for F1 to keep it as such, and further to make it fit and exciting for many years and generations to come.

“It is important to state that this open letter is intended in the best interests of all and should not be seen as blind and disrespectful attack. Thank you for your attention and granting us the liberty to put our thoughts into words.

“Best regards, Jenson Button, Sebastian Vettel, Alex Wurz, on behalf of the Grand Prix Drivers”

Manor F1 issue a statement regarding the tragic loss of Jules Bianchi

Yesterday, the Manor Marussia F1 Team would like to communicate the following statement from their Team Principal John Booth regarding the tragic news that Jules Bianchi passed away on Friday night. Booth stated the following:-

‘Words cannot describe the enormous sadness within our team this morning, as we come to terms with losing Jules. He has left an indelible mark on all our lives, and will forever be part of everything we have achieved, and everything we will strive for going forward.

‘Jules was a shining talent. He was destined for great things in our sport; success he so richly deserved. He was also a magnificent human being, making a lasting impression on countless people all over the world. They recognised, as did we, that at the same time as being a fiercely motivated racer, he was also an extremely warm, humble and intensely likeable person, who lit up our garage and our lives.

‘We are incredibly grateful that we were able to provide Jules with the opportunity to show the world what he could do in a Formula 1 car. We knew we had a very special driver on our hands from the first time he drove our car in pre-season testing in 2013. It has been an honour to be able to consider him our race driver, our team-mate, and of course our friend.

‘Our thoughts and prayers are with the wonderful Bianchi family, who have remained so strong for Jules throughout the past nine months. In turn, Jules was an absolute credit to them.

‘Finally, we would like to thank everyone who has supported Jules since his accident in Japan last October. Your kindness has been such a source of comfort to his family and to us, his team. We will rely on your continued support over the coming days and months as we race on for Jules.’

Sauber ‘surprised’ with comments made in van der Garde’s statement

Yesterday, Sauber have hit back at Giedo van der Garde and his statement saying they “cannot understand” the reasoning behind their former driver’s statement.

On Wednesday, van der Garde announced that he had eached an agreement with the Swiss team to terminate his deal to race in this year’s championship.

He said he felt “sad and am very disappointed” as he had “hoped at last to be able to show what I am capable of, driving a car for a respected midfield team in the 2015 season.

“This dream has been taken away from me and I know that my future in Formula One is probably over.”

Van der Garde who revealed that his sponsors had made “advanced payments that helped the team survive in 2014” when he signed as the team’s test driver last year, added that he had received “significant compensation” from Sauber for giving up his right to race.

In a statement to the media, van der Garde stated the following about the situation with Sauber as follows;-

‘Sauber’s financial decision-making in this case is bizarre and makes no sense to me. I am not at liberty to discuss details, but Sauber paid significant compensation to avoid honouring the contract they had with me. Only in that respect can I be satisfied that my rights have finally been recognised and that at least some justice has been done.’

Meanwhile, the Sauber team yesterday have hit back with a statment of their own. According to the Swiss team, they were “rather surprised” to read what van der Garde had said and encouraged people to draw their own conclusions.

The statement issued by the Sauber team said the following;-

‘We don’t know about Giedo’s intentions. He may try to present himself as a winner, while we had actually hoped to come to rest after our agreement. Giedo decided to take a different approach – the reasoning behind we cannot understand.

‘We’d have very good answers to the many statements and accusations in Giedo’s post. But to expand on this wouldn’t help our race team nor our fans and partners. It would only encourage a mud fight via the media and we will not lend ourselves to that. The next race in Malaysia is where our focus is and that’s where we will build up on last weekend’s success together with our drivers Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr. All our efforts are drawn to this objective.

‘With this in mind we’d like to encourage you to form your own opinion about what happened, however critical it may be. From our side we herewith close the matter and look already forward to celebrating future achievements at the race track together with you.’

 

Giedo van der Garde confirms settlement with Sauber with a statement on social media

This week saw the Giedo van der Garde-Sauber saga is finally over with the Dutchman confirming they have ended their relationship “by mutual consent”.

The build-up to the season-opening Australian GP was dominated by the off-track events involving the two parties with Van der Garde taking the team to court to force them to hand him a race seat.

The Supreme Court of Victoria ruled in his favour and Sauber also lost their appeal, but Van der Garde later “gave up his legal rights to race” adding that his team would continue discussions with the team.

Those discussions have now come to a conclusion with the 29-year-old confirming in a statement on Facebook that they have reached an agreement. The statement stated the following:-

‘We have reached a settlement with Sauber and my driver contract with the team has been ended by mutual consent. As a passionate race driver, I feel sad and am very disappointed. I have worked very hard my entire career, ever since starting with go-karts at the age of eight, to live my dream and become a successful Formula One driver.

‘I had hoped at last to be able to show what I am capable of, driving a car for a respected midfield team in the 2015 season. This dream has been taken away from me and I know that my future in Formula One is probably over.

‘I had a valid driver contract for the entire 2015 season and enforceable rights to it. I pushed very hard until last Saturday in Melbourne to get the drive that I was entitled to. This legal process started in 2014 and has taken a great deal of effort. It was never a last minute thing, but it only became public in the last week when we tried to force the team to accept the rulings of a succession of legal authorities and courts.

‘I am a race driver and all I want is to race. However, the team principal was adamant not to let me drive, notwithstanding my legal rights to do so and a series of rulings and court orders in my favour and despite my race driving abilities. I will never understand this. I could have persisted, but the team principal had taken a decision contrary to my contract that she would not work with me and this became painfully clear in the paddock in Melbourne.

‘To push on against this determination might have brought down the team, it would most certainly have wrecked the opening Grand Prix in Melbourne because the team´s cars would have been seized by the court, it may have ruined the careers of two young drivers Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr. Possibly the team´s directors would even be taken into custody. I decided I did not want to live with that idea, even though it was only the team’s management that was responsible for the bizarre situation I found myself in.

‘I am very grateful to my fans and many friends in Formula One who have given me a lot of support during the last couple of months. This period has been very difficult for me especially since I could not talk to anybody about the pending proceedings. Last week, many drivers on the grid gave me their support and several of them did so openly in the media as well. The same goes for several leading figures in the paddock who include team bosses and reputable former Formula One drivers. I thank them as well.’

In the latter stages of his statement, van der Garde says he will look to continue his motorsport career in other categories. The statement added the following:-

‘I see this as a new beginning. I will sit down with my management in the coming weeks to discuss my future plans. I would love to take part in the WEC and the Le Mans 24 Hours in an LMP1 car. Former Formula One drivers do very well in this series. We also have our eye on other series such as the DTM in 2016 and beyond.’

 

Sauber will not risk safety despite the van der Garde ruling

In a press statement released after the court case with former driver Gideo van der Garde, Sauber have stated that they will not risk safety of any driver who will race in their cars this weekend at the Australian GP despite the verdict from the legal case with van der Garde today.

On Wednesday morning, the Supreme Court of Victoria has ruled in favour of van der Garde’s case that he has a valid contract to race with the Sauber team this season.

However, the team have argued over the course of this case that running van der Garde in their car at such short notice and without adequate preparation is unsafe.

In a press release issued today by the Sauber team, Team Principal Monisha Kaltenborn has stated the following regarding the verdict of the case as follows:-

‘We are disappointed with the decision and now we need to take some time to understand what it means and the impact it will have on our season.

‘What we cannot do is jeopardise our safety of our team, or any driver on the track, by having an unprepared driver in a car that has been tailored to two other assigned drivers.’

 

Caterham bosses threaten to quit F1

This morning it has been announced that Caterham’s new owners could walk away from F1 and take legal action against Tony Fernandes, claiming he has not transferred his shares.

Prior to this year’s British Grand Prix, Fernandes sold Caterham to a consortium of Swiss and Middle Eastern investors, but despite the new ownership the team has continued to be dogged by reports of financial difficulties.

Earlier this week, Caterham Sports Limited (CSL) went into administration and was told told that the team’s car would not be permitted to leave the factory until “an acceptable agreement” is reached.

With the team’s participation in next weekend’s United States GP in jeopardy, the new owners have pointed the finger firmly at Fernandes.

The team released a statement on the issues currently present saying the following:-

‘The administrators of Caterham Sports Limited have been appointed on behalf of Export-Import Bank of Malaysia Berhad (Exim), a creditor of Mr Fernandes and the Caterham Group. The Buyer has no connection with Exim. Caterham Sports Ltd was a supplier company to the Caterham F1 Team.

‘Very regrettably, the administrators’ appointment has had devastating effects on the F1 Team’s activities. Since their appointment, the administrators have released various press statements which have been severely detrimental to the management of the Caterham F1 team.

‘After three months of operating the Caterham F1 Team in good faith, the Buyer is now forced to explore all its options including the withdrawal of its management team. Lawyers have been instructed by the Buyer to bring all necessary claims against all parties, including Mr Fernandes who, as an owner, will run the F1 operation.’

The statement also added that Fernandes had yet to transfer ownership of the Formula 1 team to the consortium. The team’s statement added the following:-

‘On 29 June 2014, Caterham Enterprises Ltd, Caterham (UK) Ltd and Sheikh Mohamed Nasarudin (Seller) and their shareholders Tony Fernandes and Datuk Kamarudin Bin Meranun entered into a Sale and Purchase Agreement (SPA) with Engavest SA (Buyer) with regards to 1Malaysia Racing Team Sdn Bhd/Caterham F1 Team.

‘Since the date of the Agreement, the Seller has refused to comply with its legal obligations to transfer their shares to the Buyer. The Buyer has been left in the invidious position of funding the team without having legal title to the team it had bought. This is in total contradiction to the Seller’s press release of 3 October 2014 which stated that Mr Fernandes and his Caterham Group had no longer any connection with the Caterham F1 Team.’

From what the Caterham team have issued in their statement this morning, it is clear that there is more to this situation than we realise. It would be expected that there would be issues as the team transferred to new ownership and would be dealt with in the correct way using the right channels. And it would seem that there are still fundamental issues with this legally that are being dealt with at the moment and need to be sorted out as quickly as possible.

I really hope that Caterham using the legal channels do whatever they feel is necessary to sort out the issues within the team. Everyone who works for or who is associated with Caterham will understandably be worried about the situation and how it will progress. But all the new owners of Caterham can do is continue to work behind the scenes as they have been and working alongside the ex-owners to resolve the situation.

But most importantly, they continue working as hard as they can to try and save the future of the team if they can and to remain within Formula One racing as planned. And I really hope that is the case for them and the current issues are resolved within the team using the correct channels.