Hulkenberg is favourite to replace Romain Grosjean alongside Magnussen at Haas in 2020, should the US-owned team decide to make a change

Following an incident in the 2017 Hungarian GP, Magnussen famously told Hulkenberg to"suck my balls"after they met in the TV pen after the race.

Hulkenberg and Magnussen's rivalry also formed a key storyline in the Netflix series Drive to Survive, which covered the 2018 season, but Steiner says he's not worried about their history

"We are running into each other even without history!" he said. "We would manage. I don't think about that, it's not about [them], it's about the team. We are all grown-ups, this is a business.

"I'm sure you have colleagues you don't like to work with. It's a business, I see it like this. You need to be practical with this stuff. But that is not a thing which would influence what we are doing. That is their problem, not ours, should it happen."

Hulkenberg indicated that he'd be happy to partner Magnussen, suggesting that teammates don't necessarily have to be friends.

"I'd love to see that," the German said with a smile. "Honestly, the teammate is the teammate. You have to accept them. With some you get on, but you don't have to get on. Maybe it's better, I don't know. I don't think that would be a deal-breaker for me."

Magnussen also downplayed the rivalry, stressing that there had only been one on-track clash.

"It was dramatised massively, getting really tired of this subject," he said. "Between me and Nico there's really been only once incident in Hungary two years ago. It's incredible we are still talking about it.

"I mean, there's not many drivers who are friends off the track. We say 'hi' to each other when we see each other on the drivers' parade, but there's no issue between us."

Magnussen said he wanted to have a competitive teammate, be it current incumbent Grosjean or someone else.

"Obviously there's no decision on that side so far," said the Dane. "But I'm happy either way, I'm happy with the teammate right now, and I'd be happy with anyone really.

"I think when you're in a midfield team you need a strong teammate, someone who is regarded strongly, rated highly, because that's the only way you can show yourself.

"And if you're not winning races, winning championships, you need someone strong alongside you to show what you can do otherwise it's hard to show what you can do without a strong benchmark next to you. But I feel like I have that now already. So I'm not complaining."

The black and white flag is available for use at all levels of motorsport, and the FIA International Sporting Code specifies that it “should be shown once only and is a warning to the driver concerned that he has been reported for unsportsmanlike behaviour.

However, prior to last weekend’s Belgian GP the signal was last used in F1 at the 2010 Malaysian GP when Lewis Hamilton was warned for weaving in front of Vitaly Petrov.

Subsequently it fell out of favour, and former race director Charlie Whiting generally preferred to use radio messages to teams to convey warnings that an offence had been spotted by race control

However, Masi sees the flag as a useful tool, and specifically as a transparent public warning that will be seen by all.

After some discussions with teams it was formally reintroduced at Spa. Drivers were told that it would be used if the timing loop in the run-off at Turn 4 was triggered by them running wide three times, while also being available for conduct such as moving under braking.

In fact, drivers respected the run-off at Turn 4 throughout the weekend, and it was never deployed for that reason.

However the flag – actually displayed on a light panel at the start/finish line – was used to warn Pierre Gasly for moving in the braking area during the race.

“The black and white flag, bad sportsmanship flag, is something that hasn’t been used prior to this since about 2010 apparently,” said Masi when asked by Motorsport.com. “But one of the discussions that has been ongoing with the sporting directors is using it.

“So one of the reasons I haven’t used it to date is trying to find out from as many of them and others as to why it stopped from being used, and no one could come up with a valid reason.

“It is one of the flags that exists in the code, and every single sporting director and every single driver is supportive of the use of it. It is effectively the motorsport version of the yellow card.”

Masi made it clear to the drivers at Spa that a repeated offence after a warning flag would go to the stewards, potentially triggering a penalty.

“Correct, and that was highlighted at the drivers’ meeting on Friday night, that it is your yellow card. If we use the example of this weekend, if a black and white had been issued for exceeding track limits at Turn 4, [due to] setting the loop off three times, and then you got another one for another incident, you wouldn’t get a second black and white, you would be referred to the stewards as a breach.”

The Turn 4 run-off at Spa was a special case, in terms of the high speeds at that point and the potential for an advantage to be gained down the following straight.

Masi says the flag will remain in use for track limits at some venues, as well for as other offences, such as that committed by Gasly.

“Not only was it in the [race director’s] notes to use for the track limits side of it at Turn 4 – and I think we need to put more electronic loops in because it seems to have a force field for them not to go near it – but it can be used for a range of matters, be it squeezing drivers, moving under brakes, all of those types of things that we see it as I said effectively, motorsport’s version of a yellow card, if you had to put it in football terms.”

Red Bull Racing driver Alex Albon welcomed the change of approach.

“I don’t mind it too much, I think it’s a lot better to do that than give penalties,” said the Thai driver. “Let’s say even like the Vettel/Hamilton case in Canada it would have been resolved a lot better if it was just a warning first.

“I think it’s a good idea. We used it a lot in karting and it worked well, so I don’t see why it wouldn’t work in F1.”

Originally Posted by Legend2TL

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/maldona...094022200.html




I needed a good laugh today

Vettel spun at the Ascari chicane early in Ferrari's home race, then rejoined as the chasing pack was filtering through the fast right-hand middle part of the corner

He was fortunate to avoid heavy contact but he did collide with seventh-placed Lance Stroll and sent him into a spin.

In their official report, it was noted that "the stewards considered this to be a dangerous incident"

Vettel was therefore handed a 10-second stop-go penalty for rejoining the track in an unsafe manner, and had three penalty points added to his licence, taking his tally to nine points in a 12-month period.

Three points is the maximum penalty points the stewards can apply to a driver's licence and it is reserved the most serious driving offences.

If a driver accumulate 12 penalty points in a 12-month period, they receive an automatic one-race ban.

Vettel must complete the next three F1 races without accumulating three points or more as he will not lose any of his current penalty points until after the Japanese Grand Prix.

"I lost the rear, couldn't catch it," said Vettel of his mistake to Sky. "As simple as that. I'm obviously not happy and after that the race was obviously gone.

"I struggled a couple of times to get the car going and struggled to get in the right direction so I couldn't see him."

Stroll received a drive-through penalty and two penalty points in his licence for a similar albeit not as severe piece of unsafe rejoining.

After his spin, he was getting going again on the exit of Ascari as Pierre Gasly rounded the corner.

The stewards noted that Stroll "left the track due to the collision" with Vettel but still felt he was responsible for rejoining unsafely and forcing Gasly off the track.

Nico Hulkenberg, Carlos Sainz and Lance Stroll have all been handed reprimands for driving unnecessarily slowly ahead of the final runs in qualifying

A lengthy investigation was launched after the nine remaining cars in Q3 slowed right down to avoid missing out on a tow and those actions resulted in eight drivers failing to start their flying laps before the session ended.

After speaking with Hulkenberg, Sainz and Stroll, the stewards noted in three identical reports that all three drivers had sought to “get a tow” for their final flying laps and therefore conceded to driving “unnecessarily slowly”

All three countered that other drivers were driving slowly as well.

The stewards’ verdict, however, was that Hulkenberg, Sainz and Stroll “played a significant role in the banking up of cars at a critical stage” of qualifying.

As a result, the stewards handed a first reprimand of the season to all three drivers, but their reports also included a line stating that they “strongly recommend that the FIA expedite a solution to this type of situation”.

While the Rich Energy deal was the inspiration behind Haas' current black-and-gold livery, the latest decision will not impact the primary colour scheme of the VF-19, which now simply run without the branding of its now-former title sponsor

The new energy drink company had come on board with Haas before the start of the year, having previously explored opportunities with other teams like Williams, Force India and McLaren.

But the nascent partnership between Rich and Haas was placed in doubt as early as July, when Rich Energy's then-CEO William Storey announced he had "terminated" the deal with the American F1 team due to "poor performance"

The deal was seemingly preserved by shareholders and Rich Energy's branding has remained on the VF-19 in the subsequent races, including last weekend's Italian Grand Prix.

But with team boss Gunther Steiner confirming in late August that Rich would take a final decision on the contract before the upcoming Singapore Grand Prix, a statement from the American outfit has now confirmed an "amicable" end to the partnership.

"Haas F1 team and Rich Energy have amicably agreed to end their partnership together in the FIA Formula One World Championship with immediate effect," the statement read.

"While enjoying substantial brand recognition and significant exposure through its title partnership of Haas F1 Team in 2019, a corporate restructuring process at Rich Energy will see the need for a revised global strategy.

"Subsequently, Haas F1 Team and Rich Energy concluded a termination of the existing partnership was the best way forward for both parties.

"Haas F1 Team would like to express its thanks and best wishes to the stakeholders at Rich Energy."

Hamilton was unable to pass Charles Leclerc in the Italian Grand Prix, during which he complained about not being left a car's width while battling with the Ferrari driver and suggested his rival was being "dangerous" after another move



Drivers have received more leniency since the Austrian Grand Prix, a race in which Leclerc lost victory after being bumped wide by Max Verstappen, as officials seek to allow harder racing to take place without penalties.

Leclerc said he learned from that experience and knew he could be more aggressive while battling Hamilton as a result, whereas last Sunday's battle was Hamilton's time in a wheel-to-wheel fight since officiating became less strict.

Hamilton suggested in the post-race press conference at Monza that the stewards were not being consistent, but when pushed later on what his issue was by Motorsport.com he clarified he wanted to know exactly what was acceptable.

"I don't think there's an issue, if that's how we're able to race then I'll race like it," he said. "As long as we know you're allowed to not leave a car's width, and you don't have to do that now.

"As long as you're not contradicting us, as long as we've got a clear message, that we're allowed to run wide if someone's there and you only get a warning flag.

"Then you only need that once to potentially keep the guy behind you. As long as it's clear, and that's the way going forwards, then it's fine.

"It's just so I know how to go into battle, same for all the drivers."

The FIA has worked with teams to review various incidents from this season and earlier, to establish how it can enforce the rules without being draconian.

It is hoped this will allow more so-called racing incidents to pass without a penalty having to be applied, and one example of this being enforced is the revival of the black/white warning flag.

Leclerc received one of these for moving under braking at the Roggia chicane, where Hamilton ended up being forced onto the run-off.

Hamilton stressed there was "absolutely zero issue" with Leclerc and all he would be interested in should the two drivers speak about their Monza fight would be to establish
Leclerc is "cool" if the positions end up reversed and Hamilton drives in that manner.

"If that's cool, that's how we race," he said. "You're supposed to leave a gap, and now I don't know if that's the case because that's unsure with the rules.

"It's good we're able to race hard. It was a tough battle and that's good."

The team's original black-and-gold colour scheme was adopted at the start of this year because of a new tie-up with energy drinks company Rich Energy



But following a behind-the-scenes battle for control of the business among shareholders, including CEO William Storey, the future of the partnership had been thrown in to doubt.

Last week, however, the matter reached a head when the team agreed with Rich Energy to terminate their sponsorship deal with immediate effect.