The FIA as well as F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone "have backed Azerbaijan after declaring local fighting is no risk to the inaugural grand prix in Baku next month," according to GMM.
A month ago, the Azerbaijan government "dismissed suggestions fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh, a disputed local region, might jeopardise the safe running of forthcoming sports events." In Sochi for the Russian grand prix, a spokesperson for the FIA "was asked if the ongoing conflict, culminating in the reported death of two Karabakh servicemen this week, still threatened the grand prix." The FIA spokesperson said,
"We are confident that the grand prix of Europe is not in danger."
At Sochi, Ecclestone "was also asked about the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and whether it might threaten Baku's inaugural race." Ecclestone:
"I'm sure it won't. ... We are not involved in it -- we (F1) are not fighting with anybody" (GMM, 5/2).
'BAD WEEKEND': In London, Giles Richards wrote Lewis Hamilton criticized "what he considers are unduly harsh decisions by Formula One race stewards." Hamilton "was given his second reprimand of the season after qualifying and will face a 10-place grid penalty should he receive a third." He said, "I’m just aware there’s most likely going to be one 10-place grid penalty because I’ve got one more reprimand to go. The last one was bloody ridiculous."
Hamilton "was censured in Sochi for going wide at turn two during qualifying and not, as required, heading to the left to go round a bollard, to ensure no time advantage was gained." Hamilton "felt the decisions were unnecessarily harsh." Hamilton: "When I was in karting there was one steward who was just there to make everyone’s weekend a bad weekend. I’m starting to have reminiscent experiences" (GUARDIAN, 5/2).
SPECIAL DELIVERY: CRASH's Ollie Barstow wrote Mercedes Motorsport Dir Toto Wolff revealed Hamilton "could have been forced to start the Russian Grand Prix towards the back of the grid" had Ecclestone not intervened to transport a necessary part from the U.K. to Sochi overnight.
Hamilton suffered a problem with his MGU-H during qualifying, "leaving him a provisional tenth on the grid pending any potential penalties for changing any components outside of the allocated pool."
However, Mercedes' efforts "were complicated by an upgrade made to the fuel system ahead of the race weekend, which meant it was missing certain spare parts to ensure the replacements were like-for-like as dictated by the regulations." Without this, Hamilton "would be have been forced to take a penalty."
As a result, Mercedes "would go to the lengths of chartering a flight" from the U.K. over to Sochi overnight with the parts in question. However, as Wolff reveals, it "was very likely the 'box' would become mired in a time-sapping customs issue had F1 supremo Ecclestone not intervened to get it hurried through" (CRASH, 5/2).
MONZA UNCERTAINTY: GMM reported Ecclestone "suggested the uncertainty over the future of Monza's F1 race could continue to drag."
Reports suggested political and bureaucratic progress "was made in the last couple of weeks over the expiring Italian grand prix deal," but Ecclestone is "not as optimistic." He said, "This year the race is (happening) for sure but for the next few years I don't know. We have talked about it but they are Italian, so we will probably know something on the Thursday before the race" (GRAND PRIX, 5/2).
