Sports Mole rounds up all of the latest news regarding Formula 1 on Thursday, August 20.
Thursday morning's Formula 1 news roundup:
Black suit not reason for hot Bottas - Wolff
© Reuters
Toto Wolff has played down Valtteri Bottas' comments about his black racing suit for 2020.
As the Finn admitted in Barcelona that his championship hopes are "drifting away", he complained that he lost 3kg during the Spanish GP because his overalls are "f*****g hot".
Mercedes switched its car livery and driver suits to black for 2020 in deference to Lewis Hamilton's support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
But team boss Wolff denied that the colour change is Bottas' problem.
"We just have a new material," he told motorsport-total.com.
"Maybe we have to look again to see if we can find a compromise on how we can get it a little thinner."
Indeed, Bottas confirmed that more than just the racing suit's colour has changed for this season.
"There's a new homologation this year for the overalls, so they are thicker, and the underwear is thicker, so I don't know how much effect that has," he said.
FIA looking into legality of energy recovery systems
© Reuters
Formula 1 is looking into the legality of the engine manufacturers' 2020-spec energy recovery systems, according to Auto Motor und Sport.
The development follows the shock news in Barcelona last week that 'party mode' engine settings will be banned from Spa-Francorchamps, even though the precise wording of the technical directive is not yet known.
"What is certain is that all four engine manufacturers will have to upload detailed information about their ERS systems to the FIA server by August 21," said correspondent Michael Schmidt.
It is widely believed that Mercedes will lose the most because of the 'party mode' ban, but another manufacturer with strong engine usage settings in 2020 is Renault.
"There are several things connected with this ban," Renault boss Cyril Abiteboul admitted to Canal Plus.
"The FIA has more and more difficulties in this game of cat and mouse between the Federation and the teams. Anyone who enforces the rules must have enough data to be sure that everything is in compliance with the regulations," he added.
More news from Formula 1:
Kubica admits slow DTM pace 'not normal'
Robert Kubica has admitted his pace since switching from Formula 1 to DTM for 2020 is "not normal". Read more.
Wolff warns F1 rivals over data sharing accusations
Toto Wolff has slammed as "complete nonsense" claims that Mercedes is in the wrong over the 'pink Mercedes' affair. Read more.
Red Bull has 'enough time' to catch Mercedes - boss
Red Bull bosses believe the team has enough time to challenge Mercedes for the 2020 world championship. Read more.
Enzo Ferrari would have treated Vettel better - Forghieri
Legendary Ferrari figure Mauro Forghieri has critiqued Mattia Binotto's management of the struggling Italian team's drivers. Read more.
Wolff 'frustrated' by Concorde Agreement disunity
The first three teams have signed up for the 2021-2025 Concorde Agreement - but one of them is not Mercedes. Read more.
Renault CEO 'reassuring' about F1 future - Abiteboul
The French carmaker Renault's new group CEO had "reassuring messages" for the Formula 1 team when he visited the paddock in Barcelona last weekend. Read more.
Alonso admits Indy 500 win 'difficult'
Fernando Alonso has admitted he is unlikely to complete his target of securing the 'triple crown' this weekend. Read more.
Ferrari's 'first win of 2020' is Concorde deal
Every team has signed up to the 2021-2025 Concorde Agreement, finally ending a long period of uncertainty for Formula 1. Read more.
All 10 Formula One teams sign up to new Concorde Agreement
The agreement aims to produce a more equitable split in prize money. Read more.
Portimao planning for F1 spectators
The trend for 'ghost races' on Formula 1's amended 2020 calendar looks set to gradually ease. Read more.
