Formula 1's Latest Rumours, Talk: Daniel Ricciardo, Haas' Driver Search and More
The smile hasn't quite been wiped off his face just yet, but Daniel Ricciardo's 2015 season has failed to live up to expectations.
The Australian established himself as one of the leading drivers on the Formula One grid last year, not only because of his three beautifully executed grand prix victories but also his creativity and bravery on the track.
A driver who had only shown occasional flashes of potential in his two full seasons with Scuderia Toro Rosso was suddenly at home at the front of the grid, outperforming and, most impressively, outsmarting world champions of the quality of Sebastian Vettel, Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton.
Red Bull Racing's fall down the competitive order has been one of the biggest disappointments of 2015, preventing Ricciardo from building upon his first year with the team.
And the 26-year-old has explained his difficulties in accepting he no longer has access to race-winning machinery, revealing his pay rise hasn't made up for his shortage of podium finishes.
Elsewhere, the new Haas outfit are close to making their first driver signing ahead of their arrival on the grid in 2016, with the team's owner, Gene Haas, admitting how a deal with Esteban Gutierrez would suit everyone involved.
As a brand-new operation, the possibilities will seem endless for Haas when they start their first race in Australia next April, but Honda know how quickly the power of dreams can turn into the stuff of nightmares.
The Japanese manufacturer's return to F1 with McLaren has been thoroughly underwhelming thus far, but Honda's F1 chief, Yasuhisa Arai, is convinced the team's lack of results will not see him lose his job.
Closing this week's roundup is the news of potential changes to Formula One, regarding entertainment and safety.
The dreaded Strategy Group are due to meet again as they move closer to finalising the proposed 2017 regulation changes, while one former grand prix driver has advised F1 to listen to its head, not its heart, as far as closed cockpits are concerned.
Daniel Ricciardo Frustrated by Red Bull's 2015 Struggles
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Daniel Ricciardo has confessed to being frustrated by Red Bull Racing's fall from grace in 2015, claiming the team's difficulties have reminded the Australian how much winning means to him.
Ricciardo established himself as one of the elite drivers on the grid in 2014, claiming a total of eight podium finishes, including wins in Canada, Hungary and Belgium, en route to a comfortable third-place finish in the drivers' standings.
However, Red Bull's difficulties adapting to a new aerodynamic philosophy, as well as Renault's ongoing troubles with their power unit, have seen the four-time world champions endure their worst start to a season since 2008.
Ricciardo and new team-mate Daniil Kvyat secured the team's first podium finishes of the season in July's Hungarian Grand Prix, yet the drivers remain seventh and eighth respectively in the championship, with Red Bull 55 points adrift of third-placed Williams in the constructors' standings.
And Ricciardo has revealed this season has taught him a valuable lesson, claiming an increased salary cannot compensate for a lack his results.
He told Autosport's Lawrence Barretto and Ian Parkes:
"It's highlighted to me this year how much I love winning, and how much I love the success of the sport.
It hurts when you can't fight for the wins, so I'm actually really glad to see that.
Last year was easy in a way because nearly every race we could fight for a podium. You sort of got into a rhythm.
This year I got a little bit of a pay rise, which is nice, but I'm a lot less happier than last year because of the results.
Even though I make a bit more money, it means nothing to me now.
"
Ricciardo added how his experiences in 2015 have "toughened [him] up a little bit," suggesting he will "appreciate" success even more when he does return to winning ways.
Gene Haas Hints at Esteban Gutierrez Return for 2016
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Gene Haas has dropped the biggest hint yet that Esteban Gutierrez will be part of his team ahead of their 2016 debut.
Haas were granted an entry to Formula One in April 2014 and have since been putting plans in place for their arrival on the grid, announcing a technical agreement with Ferrari last September.
As noted recently, the American outfit have the potential to become a major participant in this year's transfer market as drivers scramble to secure their places for 2016.
And it seems as though Haas are closing in on their first signing, with the team owner telling Motorsport.com's Charles Bradley of his interest in Ferrari reserve driver Gutierrez, who completed 38 grands prix for Sauber between 2013 and 2014.
Mr Haas, who has revealed five drivers are in contention for two race seats, told the same source: "He's a Ferrari reserve driver, so Ferrari would be interested in seeing how he does and it kind of helps both parties. We get a driver Ferrari thinks has a lot of potential and we can see how he does too."
Haas also claimed the team hope to finalise their lineup within "the next four weeks or so" but admitted he is willing to wait until existing teams decide their plans before concluding his own.
Haas has made no secret of his desire to land Nico Hulkenberg, the Force India driver and Le Mans 24 Hours victor, telling Fox Sports how he would be keen to work with the German should he become "available."
Honda's Yasuhisa Arai Comfortable Under Pressure Despite McLaren Struggles
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Yasuhisa Arai, the head of Honda's Formula One operation, has admitted he is working under pressure after the Japanese manufacturer's disappointing return to the sport.
Honda replaced Mercedes as McLaren engine partner for 2015, reforming one of the most iconic and dominant partnerships in F1 history.
The team, however, have not replicated the success of Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna in the 1980s and '90s, with McLaren scoring just 17 points in the opening 10 races of the campaign after Honda's V6 turbo engine proved unreliable, inefficient and lacking in power.
Fernando Alonso's surprise fifth-place finish in the Hungarian Grand Prix offered some welcome respite, moving the team to within five points of eighth-placed Sauber in the constructors' standings.
Yet the 2015 campaign will, no matter what the team go on to achieve in the final nine races, be one to forget.
Despite the lack of good results, Arai is adamant his role will not come under threat, claiming he remains the right man to lead the projects and that he retains the faith of the Honda board.
He told ESPN F1's Laurence Edmondson:
"I think Honda's development method is very different to Formula One and McLaren. Of course I have big pressure on my shoulders—especially from the fans, the Honda board and my colleagues, but this is completely normal.
I think that I have what it takes to drive this project, but I can't decide my own future, neither can the media or McLaren board members. I hope to continue driving this project and I believe that our board members trust me emphatically.
"
In a separate ESPN article, Arai told Edmondson how McLaren-Honda expect to make strong strides in the second half of the season, with the team planning to introduce a heavily upgraded power unit in time for the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps.
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F1 Strategy Group Keen to Produce More Overtaking
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The Formula One Strategy Group has turned its attention to increasing overtaking as it looks to finalise its proposed regulation changes for 2017.
In May, the organisation released details of its plans to overhaul the sport for 2017, vowing to make cars "five to six" seconds faster through changes to the aerodynamics and weight of the cars, wider tyres and more powerful engines.
This was followed by a second statement on the eve of July's British Grand Prix, with the Strategy Group elaborating on those plans as well as submitting ideas regarding race-start procedural changes and potential alterations to "the qualifying and race weekend formats."
While the changes should make the cars look prettier—see this comparison video from Motor Sport Magazine's YouTube channel—it is unclear whether they would actually improve the standard of the racing.
But the bigwigs are set to discuss the possibility of enhancing overtaking in the coming weeks, with Andrew Green, the Force India technical director, telling Autosport's Lawrence Barretto and Ian Parkes the Strategy Group will hold its next meeting on August 18, five days ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix.
Green told the same source the proposed regulation changes, in their current form, would "not necessarily" lead to more overtaking but admitted that chassis design must be revolutionised to produce closer racing. He added:
"At the moment we're still very dependent on the front of the car generating downforce for the whole car.
The effect of that is as a car approaches the one in front it doesn't just lose downforce from the front of the car, but the whole of the car, so maybe that's something we will be looking at in the next meeting.
Is that something we can do something about, or is that a function of the cars as they are? That's what I expect to be discussing.
"
It is typical of the Strategy Group to announce several bold, innovative changes in a bid to increase F1's popularity but seemingly overlook the key ingredient that encourages fans to dedicate their Sunday afternoons to grand prix racing.
And we wonder why this sport is in the doldrums.
Rubens Barrichello Insists Science Must Lead the Way in Closed-Cockpit Debate
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The death of Jules Bianchi, nine months after the Frenchman collided with a recovery vehicle in the Japanese Grand Prix, has reopened the debate regarding cockpit safety in Formula One.
While it is widely accepted that further improvements must be made in order to protect drivers in the event of an accident, the issue of closed cockpits is an emotive one, with many of the belief the sight of a helmet popping out of the monocoque is an integral part of F1's appeal.
But Rubens Barrichello, the most experienced driver in the sport's history with 322 starts to his name, is adamant that only science should dictate the route F1 takes when it comes to cockpit safety.
The Brazilian was fortunate to escape relatively unharmed from a ferocious crash in qualifying for the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, a weekend that saw Roland Ratzenberger and three-time world champion Ayrton Senna lose their lives in consecutive days.
Having had his own brush with danger, and witnessed many other drivers suffer frightening accidents over the course of his 19 years in F1, the 11-time grand prix winner believes the results of crash tests—not history, heritage and aesthetics—must decide whether F1 perseveres with open cockpits or introduces canopies.
Barrichello told Motorsport.com's Charles Bradley:
"Only science can show us what is right and what is wrong. Formula 1 always had open cockpits, and we'll have people complaining and people thinking that it's fine to continue.
Actually, motorsport will never be safe. But if we had a recovery vehicle on the track, you can have a cockpit made with whatever—you’re still gonna hurt yourself.
But if you crash where cars are supposed to crash, with the new race tracks there is a lot of safety. But only crash tests and science can prove one thing or another.
"
As a direct result of Bianchi's crash, the virtual safety car procedure was implemented for 2015, forcing drivers to dramatically ease their pace in the aftermath of an on-track incident.
Yet it is surely a matter of time before significant changes to the cockpits themselves are introduced.
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