Fuelling fire
SPORT: Toro Rosso and engine provider Renault entered into a war of words at the Brazilian Grand Prix with both the Formula One team’s drivers, including Kiwi Brendon Hartley, set for more grid penalties due to engine problems.
Toro Rosso and engine-provider Renault entered into a war of words at the Brazilian Grand Prix with both the Formula One team’s drivers, including Kiwi Brendon Hartley, set for more grid penalties after continued engine issues.
Hartley qualified 15th yesterday, but will serve a 10-spot grid penalty for engine changes to his car after yet more issues in practice.
The 28-year-old slipped into the second round of qualifying by just 0.053 seconds over Pascal Wehrlein (Sauber).
But his team made a tactical decision not to set a time in the second stage in a bid to save tyres.
‘‘We then didn’t go out to set a time in Q2 in order to save all the tyres and keep all the options available for tomorrow’s race, so we just used the session to do a couple of practice starts – something I needed considering my first two starts in F1, which haven’t been the best,’’ Hartley said.
‘‘Hopefully this pays dividends tomorrow. It’s going to be quite a tough ask to finish in the points, but we’re definitely going to try, do our best and push for that – I’m really looking forward to the race.’’
A rare mistake from Mercedes’s Lewis Hamilton saw the 2017 champion crash out of qualifying on just his second lap.
The Briton spun in the wet on turn seven and made heavy contact with the wall.
Team-mate Valtteri Bottas qualified on pole ahead of Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen and Red Bull duo Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo.
But Ricciardo is set for a grid penalty after his engine issues in Brazil.
The full list of penalties have yet to be confirmed, but Hartley’s team-mate Pierre Gasley, who qualified 17th, will serve a 25-spot grid penalty for similar engine issues. The penalties will be the fifth in three races for Toro Rosso, who will shift from Renault engines to Honda next year.
Renault’s sport racing managing director Cyril Abiteboul pinned the blame for the recent engine issues on Toro Rosso.
He said he had ’’a little bit of a concern about the way that our engine is operated in the Toro Rosso car’’ and suggested the issues were to do with how they had set their cars up.
‘‘There are never coincidences in this sport.’’
But Toro Rosso hit back by issuing a statement defending themselves.
‘‘We would like to clarify that all the MGU-H and Shaft failures Toro Rosso has recently suffered are not associated with how the team is operating or with how the PU is integrated in the chassis,’’ said Toro Rosso in a statement.
They highlighted just two of six Renault-powered cars finishing the Mexican Grand Prix as evidence of the reliability issues.
The statement then suggested the issue had something to do with the positions of the teams in the constructors’ standings.
‘‘We mustn’t forget that they are fighting with Toro Rosso for a better position in the constructors’ championship, as suggested by Mr Abiteboul the situation may not be a coincidence, but it is certainly not due to STR’S car.’’
Meanwhile, Hartley remains in talks for a Formula One deal with Toro Rosso but reports he has signed a three-year extension are ‘‘absolutely not true,’’ his father Bryan says.
The 28-year-old was reported to have signed a one-year deal to race for the team in 2018, which included the possibility for the contract to extend through to 2020. However, Bryan Hartley was quick to pour cold water on those reports.
Hartley, who celebrated his 28th birthday on the racetrack in Brazil this weekend, has been in talks to remain with the team in 2018 and beyond, but at this stage that’s where the situation remains.
‘‘Once we all find out what’s going on and there’s something to be announced, then there will be an official announcement,’’ Bryan Hartley said.