BEYOND THE ORDINARY F1 SPECIAL EDITION Saturday, June 20, 2015
LIV E
ED BULL FROM TH E PRIELBERG RINEGDBINULSLETIN.COM R
THE LITTLE PRINCE
NICO ROSBERG GRABS FOR THE AUSTRIAN CROWN AGAIN
FRANZ TOST 路 DANIEL RICCIARDO 路 RACE HOROSCOPE
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BULLEVARD
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ANIMAL MAGIC Bernie reckons Lewis Hamilton is box office and some of his rivals… aren’t. Maybe they’d be more popular if they acquired a pet and made it a star of Twitter. But what kind of pet? You decide B
ROAD RUNNER
FERRARI BOSS Maurizio Arrivabene won’t be winning any FIA Action for Road Safety Awards this year after narrowly avoiding being run down by Felipe Massa’s Williams yesterday. Remember Maurizio, stop, look and listen…
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LE MANSIAC
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BINGE WATCHING. Daniel Ricciardo confessed to spending his weekend watching “about 18 hours” of Le Mans. That’s more than some of the people who were racing in it.
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COMES TRUE
A BOY’S DREAM
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BULLEVARD
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A T T O L E L O H G ON
N I O G N I L E H C S
GAMING. Lewis Hamilton hasn’t had many opportunities to race at the Red Bull Ring, but that hasn’t stopped him naming it his favourite circuit – at least on the PlayStation. The World Champion admitted it was the track he liked driving best when he was younger – before he got his hands on a real F1 car.
Photography: Getty Images, Lukas Gorys
BEAST! COVER-UP. You’re no one in Formula One without a tattoo – and this weekend we’ve had a sneak peak at the sketchbook of Vienna Electric, tattoo artists to the stars. Among the designs is this doodle of a bull covered up by a prancing horse. Wonder who that’s for…?
GERMANY VS. SWEDEN. Germany’s Melanie Leupolz and Sweden’s Lotta Schelin go head-to-head tonight in Ottawa as the last 16 round of the Women’s World Cup kicks off. Form favours Germany, ranked No. 1, having sailed through the group stage with a draw and two wins. Sweden, ranked five, are also unbeaten – but they haven’t won either, scraping through with three draws. Will drivers be watching tonight? No, the game doesn’t kick off until 10pm CET and they’ll be tucked-up in bed.
THE RED BULLETIN 2015 Spielberg Edition, ISSN 1995-8838 Publisher Red Bull Media House GmbH Team Principal Wolfgang Winter Pole Position Boro Petric Chief Constructor Dominik Uhl Photo Finish Markus Kucera Carriage Designer Paul Stuefer Driver at Large Matt Youson Text Engineer Clemens Stachel Roving Reporter Christoph Rietner Managing Editor Lisa Blazek Bull’s Mouth Eric Silbermann Supply Industry Muhamed Beganovic, Magdalena Miedl, Hannah Stadlober, Manon Steiner Time Traveller Justin Hynes Translation Desmond Tumulty Chief Mechanic Nancy James Submarine Engineer Paul Keith Web Racer Kurt Vierthaler (manager), Andrew Swann Senior Illustrator Dietmar Kainrath Funny Girl Nina Ball Cover Revkin/Sascha Vernik Repro Men Clemens Ragotzky (manager), Josef Mühlbacher Master of Chaos Michael Bergmeister Race Simulator Matthias Zimmermann Printer Druckerei Theiss, Am Gewerbepark 14, 9431 St. Stefan im Lavanttal Paper Munken Lynx 100g by Arctic Paper Drink of the Day Spielberg Ice Tea (Vodka with Red Bull Silver Edition) Marketing Lukas Scharmbacher Publisher Franz Renkin Sales Alfred Vrej Minassian International Sales sales@at.redbulletin.com Office Heroines Kristina Krizmanic, Franziska Pfahnl IT Michael Thaler Head Office Red Bull Media House GmbH, Oberst-Lepperdinger-Str. 11–15, A-5071 Wals bei Salzburg, FN 297115i, Landesgericht Salzburg, ATU63611700 Racing stable Heinrich-Collin-Str. 1, A-1140 Vienna Phone +43 1 90221-28800 Contact letters@redbulletin.com Website www.redbulletin.com
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BULLHORN
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Three Commentaries
UP AND DOWN AT THE RED BULL RING By Daniil Kvyat
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the braking zone, so you have to brake harder. Then you get to the bits I really like. The second half of the lap here has some really, really fast stuff. Turn Five is my favourite: it’s a diving, downhill, highspeed left-hander. You carry a lot of speed in and the front of the car tends to get very light. You’re controlling the car on the throttle, which is always fun. It’s a very short straight after that before you slam into another very fast left-hander. You’re really feeling the downforce, which is what F1 is all about. You’re up on the kerbs, which, again, is tricky – but it’s really fast and so really enjoyable. The last two turns are good as well. For Turn Eight, you’re trying to carry as much speed in as you can, and you need really good car control in order not to make a mess of the exit, then you’re dropping down again into the last corner – it flattens out there and you really feel the compression. It’s a great feeling. Last year, driving for Toro Rosso, I was really enjoying myself until a suspension failure put me out of the race. I’m hoping for a better time this year. Obviously the start of the season has been tough for Infiniti Red Bull Racing, but we’re getting to grips with A suggestion from our team psychologist the issues. Of course everyone wants to be winning – but there’s something very enjoyable about the process we’re going through. The fact that everyone is pushing to find the performance makes for a really good atmosphere that’s nice to be part of. Every race we’re understanding more about how to get the most out of the RB11. Renault are working really hard, we’re working really hard. It’s not a one-day fix, we have to hold our nerve and we have to be patient. I think we’ll get stronger as the season goes on – and it’ll taste pretty good when it all comes right.
Illustration: Nina Ball
BEING A RED BULL DRIVER, EVERYONE SEEMS TO EXPECT this will be a busy week for us, but it’s really not the case – it’s actually pretty chilled out. The Red Bull guys do an excellent job to keep things simple for us and allow us to focus on doing our job. It’s a very nice place to do our job, too. I like the circuit because its old-school. I can’t speak for anyone else, but I really enjoy tracks that rise and fall: like Spa, like here. You get a feeling that something is really happening with the car. Of course there’s nothing to say that you can’t have a great flat track – but I think elevation changes give a circuit something extra. The first three corners are all medium-low speed and complicated: the first turn has a difficult exit kerb, the second has a lot going on, with an uphill approach that you can really attack, an elevation change in the middle of the corner, and the risk of wheelspin at the exit. And it’s offcamber. Turn Three goes the other way, it’s downhill into
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BULLHORN
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THE RESURRECTION
By Franz Tost
Illustration: Dietmar Kainrath
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TALENT MATTERS. If there is such a thing as a home track, then I’d have to consider the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg to be mine. This is where I really got started back when this was the Österreichring. After racing in Formula Ford and Formula 3, this became my office. I worked here as an instructor at the Walter Lechner Racing School and then as the team manager – I’d probably be at the track 200-plus days a year. Perhaps I’m biased, but I always thought of it as one of the most exciting circuits in the world. At first glance, the track appears to be much easier than it is in reality – both for the drivers and for the engineers. They have to find a good compromise between aerodynamic downforce and high speed as there are quite long straights, but you must also take into consideration the mechanical grip for braking and traction. There are difficult corners and plenty of character, with one of the special
challenges being the double-left in the middle of the lap where understeer problems have to be sorted out: that hasn’t changed much in 30 years. The best thing about the circuit is that from many vantage points, you can see about 90 per cent of the track spread out in front of you. That’s quite a rare thing in Formula One and a real bonus for spectators. Perhaps it’s one of the reasons why the atmosphere is always so good here. Perhaps people sometimes lose sight of the fact that, to be successful, Formula One needs to entertain its fans above everything else. Last year’s Austrian Grand Prix did that very well for everyone who came to the Red Bull Ring. This year at Toro Rosso we’re doing our bit to entertain. Both of our drivers are very exciting prospects and are doing a good job. There has been a great deal of discussion in the media about their maturity. My view has always been that they are both highly skilled and have the maturity to be
in Formula One. From the start I’ve maintained that their results would show it. Of course they are young and of course they will improve as they gain experience, but the talent is there and this is what matters. Our job is to guide and shape that talent. It’s a task we’re well suited to performing: since Toro Rosso began in 2006, we’ve become accustomed to taking young drivers from the Red Bull Junior Team programme and giving them a chance in Formula One. We now have quite a large alumni group and I’m happy to see so many former Toro Rosso drivers thriving – not just here in Formula One, but around the world of motorsport. As for this race, last year it was very disappointing to have both cars fail to finish with technical problems. I think we’re a much-improved team this year. I don’t know how that will translate at this particular race, but overall I think we are giving Carlos and Max a competitive, consistent car. They will do many good things with it.
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S I H N I DANIEL S D R O OWN W INTERVIEW
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Common consensus is that Daniel Ricciardo never stops smiling. It’s not true: there are plenty of times when smiling is the last thing on Daniel’s mind. Look at the steely gaze whenever he straps into the car for a qualifying run – or the frown after a race that just hasn’t gone well. Last week in Canada was one of the latter: back on the site of his maiden F1 victory, Daniel suffered abject failure. His car never looked like scoring all weekend and he trailed home at the back of the midfield, for the first time in his Infiniti Red Bull Racing career crossing the line outside the top 10. It was then, perhaps not the best time to ask the Australian to fill in our spoof interview. But the thing which endears Daniel to everyone in the team, from his engineers through to the catering squad, is that he doesn’t stay grumpy for long. Egged-on by his crew, but still insistent on it being entirely his own work, F1’s most dazzling smile returned as he filled in the blanks. Here’s Daniel’s interview with himself – it’s not for the faint-hearted! Daniel Ricciardo is a He is an inspiration to He is comfortable with
character
Daniel Ricciardo knew from an early age that he wanted to be a opportunity to fulfil that dream he had to settle for being of Perth, which is the city in the world, and the He was supported in his early years by who helped him by
but without an . Daniel grew up in the city city in Australia.
Daniel’s stand-out feature as a young driver was Armed with this special ability he progressed through Australian racing, until he got his big break and departed the domestic scene, saying “ ” to his former rivals. Daniel’s first international series was Formula BMW Asia. It taught world was
him that the outside
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INTERVIEW
were After this, Europe beckoned. Daniel’s first words when arriving in Italy with the best of them. Quite soon he could pass for a native, being able to But nothing lasts forever and eventually, Daniel had to move to Milton a city he often describes as
Keynes,
Daniel’s big break in F1 came with HRT, a team that could be guaranteed to at every race. Daniel’s performance with HRT was and soon Toro Rosso came calling. Daniel’s abiding memory of Toro Rosso is .
Daniel got the seat at When Mark Webber announced his retirement from F1, . The team were also Red Bull Racing because . impressed with his ability to
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So far it’s going well. Daniel’s motto behind the wheel is “ Simon, his race engineer, thinks it should be “ are ver y supportive after he bri bed them with worried that he’ll
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” though * ”. Da
niel’s crew . Though they are frequently
Daniel’s first year at Red Bull Racing saw him teamed up with Sebastian Vettel, a driver he believes to be . This year he’s up against Daniil Kvyat, who is very, very .
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. But it’s not all work, work, work. To relax after a hard day at the track, Daniel likes to . Most of the time, however, you can Occasionally, if the mood takes him he’ll also . find him with his iPod, listening to
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Photography: Mark Thompson/Getty Images
Today, Daniel lives a life of His most treasured posse ssion is without is
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, spending his time betw een races , though the thing he rea lly can’t live
Daniel’s dream is to – but privately he admits he’d settle for erview, Having completed this int . Daniel Ricciardo is n ever that his talent He is more convinced tha as a writer is
* Censored by The Royal RBR Ministry of Truth
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INTERVIEW
SOLID ROCK STAR
He’s one of the more genial drivers – but don’t let the exterior fool you, Nico Rosberg is as tough as they come
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can tell you a story,” says Nico Rosberg. “It was the end of the 2012 season, at Austin, after we’d had a pretty bad day. Michael [Schumacher] knew he was leaving the team, it was his last race but one. And he stayed in the debrief, asking questions, pushing people, looking to improve, way longer than he needed to. I don’t think the level of professionalism changes when you start winning – because if it does, you’ve been doing something wrong. You need a winning mentality whether you’re finishing P1 or P15, because that is what drives you to improve.
NICO ROSBERG IS SOMETHING OF A CHAMELEON. HE LOOKS COMFORTABLE ON THE RED CARPET AND IN THE GARAGE WITH HIS CREW
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In the past, intensity isn’t really a word that many outsiders would have associated with Nico Rosberg. Committed, certainly – but also genial, and perhaps even comfortable: a talented driver in a decent team racing a good car. Then came F1’s new hybrids. Over the course of a winter, Nico became a talented driver in a winning team racing a championship-pedigree car. It’s been a game-changer for him – enabling the leap from ‘talent’ to ‘contender’. Mercedes sit on top of the F1 world at the moment. The hybrid powertrain they’re created is a truly spectacular feat of engineering and, for anyone seeking simple answers, it’s been the catalyst for success over the past 18 months. But there’s more to it than that. Look to the end of the V8 era and the origins of Mercedes’ rise are clear: a first modern-era win in 2012 was courtesy of Rosberg in China; three more in 2013. Mercedes have been putting in place the building blocks of success for some time – and Nico Rosberg is one of the few senior figures to have been involved from the start. Today, in the sixth year since Mercedes purchased the Brawn GP team, he regards himself as lucky to have witnessed the transformation. “Ever since I came into this team, everyone was very passionate about winning and they all worked very hard to achieve that goal, to become world champions again,” he says. “To see the whole team become even better and evolve over the years was a great experience I feel very fortunate about. Winning the constructors’ championship last year was the result of hundreds of people working many, many hours. To be part of this team from the very beginning and see all the effort pay off at the end of a season is such a great feeling. It’s all very special to me.” Nico Rosberg is something of a chameleon, a driver good for all time zones. He looks comfortable on the red carpet, in the dinner jacket chatting with sponsors and dignitaries, but equally at home in the garage with his crew or, it seems, in his own company. Not one for the big entourage, you’ll often see (or, more likely, overlook) him passing through the airports of the world, veiled in the anonymity of a hoodie and backpack, reading a book or magazine while the world passes by. It’s not something you could say of a Hamilton or an Alonso. His most chameleon-like quality is, of course, skill with languages. Spending his formative years in Monaco conferred certain linguistic advantages on the young Rosberg, so much so he came into F1 the marketing man’s dream: a true polyglot, fluent in four languages and not afraid to have a go in a couple more. In the FIA unilateral press conferences, when asked for ‘a word in your own language’, Nico speaks in German – but he’s happy to admit it isn’t always his first-choice language. There are several others going around in his head. “What language do I think in? Jeez, I don’t know!” he says. “I think it probably depends on the situation. It’s all very variable. I don’t have a number one language. The first language I learned was German, my favourite language is Italian. When I’m pissed-off, I think in Italian. When I’m at work, probably in English.” It’s a handy skill to have in an international sport – but it has led to Rosberg perhaps not being fully embraced as a German sporting hero. For the record, Rosberg has no doubts as to his national identity. “Yeah, I feel German. I think of myself as German. I grew up in Monaco, but I always thought of myself as German. My mum is German, we watched German TV. We speak German to each other, German girlfriend [now wife] y’ know…”
Illustration: Revkin/Sascha Vernik
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It’s tough at the top. There have been times in the last 18 months when Nico hasn’t looked like a man enjoying himself. But in public he’s never lost his cool, never been less than polite
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INTERVIEW
It’s been interesting to watch Rosberg’s progression through the ranks, from his rookie season with Williams in 2006 to this, his 10th year of F1. Originally he was, of course, simply Keke Rosberg’s son, forced to endure the ritual of comparison as all sons of famous fathers are. The blond, tousled Rosberg also acquired the nickname ‘Britney’, credited to teammate and competent, if unsubtle, sports psychologist Mark Webber. Fortunately Sir Frank Williams didn’t see things in quite the same terms. “Very tough lad,” was his typically short assessment. It’s more of a compliment than it sounds: the Williams’ team principal prizes mental toughness above all other character traits, regarding Alan Jones, Williams’ first world champion, as the template against who all who followed are judged. And while Rosberg might not possess the spiky personality of a Nigel Mansell or Jacques Villeneuve, Sir Frank obviously saw some inner steel.
HE’S NOW CHARACTERISING A JOB WELL DONE AS BEING “VERY SATISFYING”, WHERE ONCE – WHEN THERE WAS LESS AT STAKE – HE SPOKE OF THE SIMPLE JOYS OF DRIVING A FAST CAR TO VICTORY It wasn’t however, until Rosberg moved to Mercedes for 2010 that F1 got to really see what he was capable of. After being bested by Webber in his debut year, Rosberg was comfortably on top of teammates Alex Wurz and Kazuki Nakajima in his following three seasons with Williams. He never appeared unduly stretched. Only when teamed with Schumacher did perceptions alter. In three seasons as teammates he out-performed the seven times World Champion. Even then, Rosberg’s ability wasn’t universally acknowledged. How good was the Mercedes? Had the previously retired Schumacher lost his edge? Only when Schumacher was replaced by Lewis Hamilton did Rosberg’s place in the order of things become settled. Statistics say he’s been edged by the Briton so far – but they also say that in two-and-a-half seasons there’s little between the pair in terms of points or lap times. Rosberg comes to Austria trailing by 17 points this season; last year he was leading by 22. There’s little to choose. Asked to reminisce on memories of victory in the 2014 Austrian Grand Prix, Rosberg’s abiding memory – and he shares this with most drivers – was the reaction of the crowd. “The circuit is great – there’s some nice corners and it’s very challenging because of the hills – but I have good memories when it comes to the fans. The atmosphere was very… special. Already on Thursday there were thousands of fans, and out in the fan area the atmosphere was outstanding. It was great to see so many people coming to the track supporting us. There is always a little extra motivation that comes with it.” Rosberg’s 2014 victory at the Red Bull Ring was atypical in so much as any Mercedes victory in 2014 could be considered
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so. With power trumping downforce, the circuit fell into a sweet spot for Williams, Felipe Massa taking the only nonMercedes pole of the season with teammate Valtteri Bottas alongside. With Hamilton fumbling his two Q3 attempts, Rosberg, third on the grid, was the only Silver Arrow able to challenge at the start. Thirteen days earlier, Mercedes run of consecutive victories had been broken, the chasing pack saw the smallest chink in the silver armour – but Rosberg insists he had no doubts. “On Saturday evening we knew that we had a tough race ahead. We had been out-qualified for the first time in the season, after losing our first race in Canada two weeks earlier. So it was an important moment. But I was confident because I knew we had the pace in the car.” At the start, Rosberg briefly got ahead of Bottas, only for the Finn to take the place back on the run up the hill to Turn Two. After a couple of probing laps it became clear that the works Mercedes wasn’t going to out-drag the WilliamsMercedes, so Rosberg settled in, followed the Williams for the first stint and then pulled off a textbook undercut to grab the lead. From there, and despite a late charge from Hamilton, Rosberg always looked like he had the race under control. It’s tough at the top. There have been times in the last 18 months when Nico hasn’t particularly looked like a man enjoying himself. In public he’s never lost his cool, never been less than polite – but occasionally there have been signs that his patience is wearing thin. The odd terse word or exasperated look sneak in when things haven’t gone to plan – but it’s equally noticeable in victory. He’s taken to characterising a job well done as a being “a relief”, or “very satisfying”, where once – when there was less at stake – he spoke of the simple joys of driving a fast car to victory. He disagrees with that assessment: insisting that, pressure-cooker environment of chasing a championship or not, racing in F1 is still, fundamentally, good fun. “Of course it’s fun, we have the best job in the world,” he says. “There’s nothing more exciting than going out on track and putting the car right on the limit. It’s what I love doing.” Rosberg’s younger self still puts in the occasional appearance. Every so often he’ll do his party piece of juggling while riding a unicycle (“great exercises for better eye-hand/ foot co-ordination”), and he still prepares for a Grand Prix using a football for a game of keepy-uppy with Daniel, his physio (“warms up the muscles and gets the heart rate up a bit,”) – but in an increasingly youth-oriented paddock, Rosberg acts his age. In uncertain times for F1, he’s often the one the Press turn to when they want a non-partisan opinion on the future of the sport. It’s a gentle reminder that time moves along and, at 29 with 170-plus Grands Prix behind him, Nico, while not quite the elder statesman, is certainly moving into veteran territory – though he chooses to not see it that way himself: “No I don’t see myself as a veteran at all,” he says, before adding the caveat, “but I know that my experience really helps: I am much better at working with the team and leading the team than I was [as a younger driver].” Whatever the truth of that, he’s certainly progressed a long way. Most amusing is the way that 1982 World Champion Keke is now introduced as ‘Nico Rosberg’s dad’. On a more serious note, Nico’s coming into the prime of his career, with more victories to come, perhaps a championship or two in the future if he can tough it out against Hamilton. That’s no easy task – but then, as Sir Frank says, he’s a very tough lad.
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LAPTIME
TRACK RECORD Max Verstappen is quick. Ridiculously quick. But do the skills he has in the cockpit replicate themselves outside? His challenge today is to answer 20 questions in the time it took Michael Schumacher to set the lap record here in Spielberg. Max is a good guy to interview – still new enough to not to be jaded by the experience – but even he noticeably perks up when told that he has to do this against the clock. It’s not an interview, it’s race. “It’s, what? 1m10s?” He asks. “1:08.337? OK, I can do that.” OK Max, take it away.
7. Guiltiest pleasure? Chocolate.
Photography: Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
6. If I ran F1, the first thing I would change would be…? MORE DOWNFORCE! 5. What was your first car? I don’t have a car!
9. It’s a fancy dress party – you’re going as…? I don’t know! 8. What would your superpower be? Flying.
14. Best hotel you’ve ever stayed in? In Bahrain, for the Grand Prix.
10. If you had been a girl, what name would your parents have given you ? Don’t know that either.
13. What’s your worst habit? Too much sleep.
15. What’s your most treasured possession? Hmmm… don’t know.
12. When were you last rushed to hospital? When I was one year old. I think. 16. You’ve got a time-travelling DeLorean – where do you go? I’d probably just want to use it to cut down the time it takes to get to Australia and America.
17. What will you do after F1? Go-karting! 18. Best concert you’ve ever been to? I haven’t.
4. Favourite driver of all time? Senna. 3. What words or phrases to you overuse? I don’t overuse any words or phrases. Do I?
11. When did you last get into a fight – and why? I’m not a fighter!
19. Celebrity you’d like to have dinner with? Not interested in dinner with celebrities. 2. What song do you wish you had written? None.
1. Favourite film of all time? The Hangover.
20. The last book you read? None!
“DID I MAKE IT? YEAH!!!!”
THEN AND NOW
Photography: motorsportarchiv.at, GEPA pictures/Red Bull Content Pool
1974
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RED, WHITE & RED. Back in the ’70s, Austrian F1 fans packed their swimsuits, assorted sunhats and brightly coloured T-shirts and headed to the races to bask on the hillside. These days, they may be a lot better dressed, but the spectators seem to have forgotten how to stand out from the crowd.
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THEN AND NOW
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LEGENDS
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The racing driver. Niki Lauda first drove in the Austrian GP in 1971 and was on pole here in 1974 and 1975. But he didn’t win the race until August 19, 1984, when he sped to his one and only home victory in the Porsche-engined McLaren MP4/2.
The thinker. The fans loved Lauda for the way he drove, but he was also a master of tactics: winning races in his head before taking victory on the track. He deliberated on the task ahead, made sure he had the right strategy and always considered safety.
Photography: CAMERA PRESS/Eamonn McCabe/picturedesk.com, Rolf Hayo/Interfoto/picturedesk.com, Rainer Schlegelmilch/Getty Images (4)
NIKI LAUDA
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SuperRat足. Niki Lauda competed in the top flight of motorsport from 1971 to 1985 and won three world championships. The only time he secured a home victory at Spielberg was the year he took his third titl足足e in 1984.
LEGENDS
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The tinkerer. Before the start at Spielberg in 1984, Lauda and his mechanic worked on the perfect set-up, which helped him to stay ahead of Nelson Piquet and Michele Alboreto. (Below: Lauda leads Patrick Tambay and Derek Warwick in the Renaults)
World champion by a whisker. McLaren dominated the 1984 season, winning 12 races out of 16 (Lauda: 5, Alain Prost: 7). Lauda ended up taking the world championship title by just half a point, the closest finish in the history of Formula One.
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BULLSKY
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STARRY PROSPECTS
Who will win the 2015 Austrian Grand Prix? Here’s what the stars say
What else is in the stars? Apparently Nico will need to keep an eye on his weight in the future
The 12 signs of the zodiac are in agreement and it’s 12-0 in favour of Mercedes.
LEWIS IN FRONT OF NICO Jupiter, the great God of Luck, is on Lewis’s side. While Mercury, the smaller God of Speed, is with Nico. But as in life, so it is in racing, and what is more important, luck or
speed? Actually, it’s size that matters! Jupiter is 29 times bigger than Mercury, so the odds are 29/1 in Lewis’s favour in the cosmic casino: the lucky one will cross the finish line before the one who’s merely quick.
LEWIS AND NO NICO The really exciting question is whether it will be a convincing win, with Lewis leading from
the start to the flag. Jupiter’s size suggests a free run and a big lead. Lewis won’t see anyone in his rear-view mirror. Will Nico even finish the race? The horoscope is as entertaining as a German cuckoo clock factory: everything will work perfectly, there will be no drama and nothing will happen. Mercury will lap tenaciously. That will be enough for an uneventful podium finish.
LEWIS VERSUS LEWIS What could put Lewis at risk? A crazy mechanic? A computer error? Possibly. The electronics might be a bit troublesome, but they won’t cause a complete breakdown. Lewis might, at worst, push himself too hard, wanting the win too much. But why should someone want more on a day when he has already got everything?
Illustration: Paul Stuefer
LEWIS OR NICO
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BULL HEAD
LOVE PRIX Friends, not foes. A true friendship between drivers is a rare thing these days. But once upon a time, love and loyalty really did exist in F1
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Drivers are now so ultra-competitive that many won’t even share set-up information with a teammate, but back in the day, racers shared cars and girls. Which pair shared a flat? A: Mika Häkkinen and Jacques Villeneuve B: Jim Clark and Sir Jackie Stewart C: R ubens Barrichello and Ayrton Senna
Michael Schumacher’s loyalty to Ferrari sets the bar – he started 179 Grands Prix for the Scuderia. However, just one driver in the history of F1 has raced more than 100 Grands Prix for two teams. A: Rubens Barrichello B: Jenson Button C: Nelson Piquet
One engine manufacturer does have a particular romance with Austria. Is it: A: Ford B: Renault C: Mercedes
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British racing drivers’ love affair with F1 knows no bounds. The country has provided more drivers to the sport than any other. How many exactly? A: 40 B: 80 C: 160
Answer: 3B Frogs and snakes. Answer: 4B Jenson Button. The Briton raced for BAR/Honda 102 times (if you count them as one outfit) plus 17 times for that team’s successor, Brawn, and he has so far raced 103 times for McLaren. Answer: 5B 13. Nick scored five third places and eight seconds in his 183-race career. His eight seconds are also the most ever without a win.
Answer:6C 160. Next up, surprisingly, is the US with 156. Britain has the greatest total of wins with 241. Germany punches above its weight with 153 wins, despite lying fifth in terms or providing drivers. However, 131 of those wins have been provided by just two men: Michael Schumacher (91) and Sebastian Vettel (40).
Photography: Rainer W. Schlegelmilch/Getty Images
Perhaps the ultimate F1 bromance was between Gerhard Berger and Ayrton Senna, though their relationship mostly extended to playing practicaljokes on each other. In one famously reported incident, what did Berger once reputedly fill Senna’s hotel room with? Was it: A: Rotting Fish B: Frogs and snakes C: Ice Cream
Answer: 1B Jim Clark shared a flat with Sir Jackie Stewart in London’s Balfour Place in 1965, the year of Sir Jackie’s F1 debut and Clark’s second title win. Answer: 2A Ford. The manufacturer helped teams to win eight years in a row between 1972 and 1979 (Lotus, Lotus, Brabham, March, Penske, Shadow, Lotus, Williams). Ferrari are obviously the next most successful engine manufacturer with five wins, followed by Mercedes with four.
2.
5.
Can a driver have a love affair with not winning? In the case of Nick Heidfeld, it would seem so. The former Prost, Sauber, Williams, BMW-Sauber and Renault driver holds the record for the most podium finishes without a win. How many times did the German stand on the podium’s lower steps? A: 10 B: 13 C: 18
McLaren’s perfect match. Ayrton Senna and Gerhard Berger
20.06.2015
WEATHER
MORNING
14 °
AFTERNOON
16 °
Spielberg. After a bright start to the day, clouds will form and showers are possible during the afternoon.
NIGHT
8 °
TOMORROW
18 °
Provided by UBIMET. We hope our meteorologists’ predictions are as precise as our astrologer’s. www.ubimet.com
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BULL(F)ART
SATU R DAY, J U N E 20 , 201 5
THE FERRARI AND THE SNAIL
Photography: Christoph Speiser
The fastest motorsport in the world, as photographed by Christoph Speiser, the slowest photographer in the Universe
This picture took 12 months to create. Alonso has since overtaken the snail and is no longer driving a Ferrari. Sebastian Vettel, for his part, has overtaken our photographer and is now driving a Ferrari. You’ll see photographic evidence of the fact in a year, but not before.
SATU R DAY, J U N E 20 , 201 5
BULL(F)ART
W
HAT’S MY CONNECTION to Formula One? I don’t have one, really. I’m not into noise or speed. So I surprised myself more than anyone when I accepted the job of photographing the Grand Prix at Spielberg without a moment’s hesitation. What on Earth was I thinking? When I got there, it wasn’t just the cars, even the people wandering around were moving much too fast for me. I could probably just about keep up with a hedgehog... Although I’d rather it was an old one. I spent the afternoon with my tripod and wide-angle lens photographing the stands, the pit lane and all the corners, and accidentally came across oases for someone looking for the golden ratio. While I was having dinner in the hotel, I heard that Fernando Alonso was playing down his chances of a good finish in the race, despite qualifying fourth, having struggled for race pace during the season so far. As I sat on my balcony later, emptying the contents of the mini-bar, I started thinking of what must go through the drivers’ heads before the start of a race and what they must dream of. And it came to me that night. I saw her before me, the galactic custodian of slowness, an enormous snail who quietly swallowed up Alonso’s Ferrari in her broad trail and made me smile in my sleep.
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20
B U L L’S E Y E
SATU R DAY, J U N E 20 , 201 5
HYSTYRIA! Here in the mountains the air’s a bit thin and tends to do funny things to people. Shame it hasn’t rubbed off on us... Sebastian rolled out his famous Ken Tyrol impersonation How realistic: a grid full of two-dimensional F1 drivers
If you get called to the Thursday FIA press conference with Fernando Alonso, the golden rule is “don’t make eye contact with the Spaniard”
Seven races down and McLaren introduce radical upgrade package in Austria
SATU R DAY, J U N E 20 , 201 5
Every F1 driver learns this handy trick of stroking the chin to appear knowledgeable, while actually not having a bloody clue what they’re looking at. “Radiator, maybe?”
Photography: Lukas Gorys (8), Markus Kucera (2)
Little Felipinho was having a great time, until…
’t The Pirelli technicians couldn ed pos believe it. What were they sup to do with flat-pack tyres?
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B U L L’S E Y E
Bloody hell, thought Antti, maybe getting Seb to lift 4kg weights with his neck two days before the race wasn’t the best idea…
What kind of father steals his son’s ball?
“Could be, there’s one on this side too…”
THE RED BULLETIN 10 YEARS AGO
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OLD BULL
SATU R DAY, J U N E 20 , 201 5
BEST OF SATURDAY Remember 10 years ago? A pope (John Paul II) and a prince (Rainier III) died. The first YouTube clip was uploaded. The Airbus A380 took off for the first time. And The Red
Bulletin, the fastes足t magazine in the world, entered its first season
Collectible. Between 2005 (Spa cover above) and 2008, we produced 258 issues and about 6,200 pages of The Red Bulletin right at the race tracks. Last year, when Formula One returned to Spielberg, we decided to get the old crew together again.
Imperial nod. Bernie himself wrote us a card on the occasion of our birth, and Kainrath, our cartoonist, saw him read it.
SATU R DAY, J U N E 20 , 201 5
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OLD BULL
Unlucky. Ruben Barrichello had finished in the top three at Monza in the four previous years, so we decided to predict a surprise victory with our cover illustration. He finished 12th.
Strike! In Hungary, we put Kimi Räikkönen on the cover. And he won it. An ice-cool decision.
Fuelling the hype. It was Felipe Massa’s last season at Sauber. A few months later, he would join Ferrari. We knew the boy was destined for great things.
Austro-Hungarians. In the gloomy years without a Spielberg Grand Prix, the Austrian Formula Unas headed off to the Hungaroring to put some extra spice in the Goulash.
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BULL & BEARS
SATU R DAY, J U N E 20 , 201 5
SECRET TWINS Nico DiCaprio and Leonardo DiCaprio. AKA the lamb and the wolf. In fact Nico will star in the sequel: Toto Wolf of Wall Street
Adrian Newey and Patrick Stewart. Star Trek and Race Track, X-Men and Grand PriX-Men... Warp speed, Mr Newey? Make it so.
Fernando Montaña De Oro and Adam F Goldberg. When Adam came up with his hit sitcom The Goldbergs, he didn’t even know he had a brother, and yet he must have somehow sensed it because the pilot episode is called: The Circle of Driving.
Sebastian and Justin Bieber. In 2010, Seb became world champion while Justin hit No. 1 in the US Billboard Charts with his debut album My World 2.0. In November 2013, Seb left Red Bull just as Justin released his single Bad Day. Further proof needed?
Lewis “F1” Hamilton and Lewis “MC” Hamilton. One’s a promising racing driver, the other’s a celebrated rapper. “MC” Hamilton has already written a new song for the Pussycat Dolls reunion: I Don’t Need A Woman.
Daniel and Jason Biggs. No wonder Daniel can’t speak Italian. (He can’t even say Ferrari.) While it’s true that his roots go back to Syracuse, it’s the one in New Jersey. Danny will be in Orange Is The New Bull. A chance for him to earn a bit of money at long last.
Photography: Getty Images (11), Markus Kucera (1)
A tragic twist of fate separated them at birth. One twin became famous, popular and successful. The other drove cars and became an outcast on the very edge of society. After years of tireless searching, we’ve managed to reunite these long-lost brothers