In addition to having to deal with a furiously fast Ferrari duo, Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas also had a communication failure to contend with in yesterday’s Hungarian GP.

Early on in the race, the Mercedes squad lost much of its radio and data systems, a meltdown which compromised its drivers’ race but was eventually traced to a cracked fiber optic cable.

“It was a local hardware issue,” explained Toto Wolff. “We found a crack in a fibre optic cable, that made us fly blind.”

“Our whole comms and data systems broke down .We didn’t have any communications on the ‘Fantasy Island’ – that is the middle thing we have – and on the pit wall.

“So no radio comms, no data, no TV feed. We somehow managed to get it back occasionally – and that obviously penalised us strongly.

“So there were conversations at times that Lewis heard and then there were conversations he didn’t hear. A difficult one.”

• ‘Heart over mind’ decision leaves Hamilton in conflict

Dealing with the consequences of the sudden IT failure required a concerted effort which included the engineers sitting behind their computers at Mercedes’ base in Brackley.

“It was an incredible team play,” added Wolff.

“We had lots of people in Brackley and in Brixworth who were our redundancy systems, feeding us massive amounts of information over to us on the radio.

“At times there were six or seven different people speaking to James [Vowles, Mercedes strategist] and we were trying to make the right decisions. That was a really great team effort.”

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Paul di Resta knew his unexpected F1 comeback would likely pose a physical challenge, he just didn’t expect it to involve his feet!

The Williams substitute, who filled in for an unwell Felipe Massa at the Hungarian GP, acquitted himself well following Saturday’s last minute call.

Di Resta felt he could handle the procedures but admitted the race on the twisty Hungaroring layout, and behind the wheel of the faster new-spec car, could throw a physical challenge his way.

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If he indeed felt some pain in the upper part of his body at the end of the day, the biggest sting was felt in his feet! 

“It’s been quite hard,” said di Resta after the race.

“I can certainly feel it in my shoulders, but the biggest thing is the feet. The shoes are a bit too small. My feet were killing me.”

• Massa withdraws from Budapest test

A leak prevented the Scot from reaching the checkered flag, but the 31-year-old’s performance did not go unnoticed, and he is hoping his one-off drive will lead to a more permanent opportunity. 

“There’s no secret I want to be in a Formula 1 car, but at the very least I hope I’ve showed I’m a reliable reserve driver kicking around the paddock.

“I tried to approach it in the most professional way I could and gain a lot [of experience] rather than throw away something that wasn’t there [in terms of a potential result].”

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Local government officials of the two biggest cities in the Netherlands have effectively ruled themselves out of hosting a Dutch Grand Prix.

Formula 1’s commercial boss Sean Bratches was recently in the country to talk about the possibility of staging a street race there.

But representatives of both cities have told Motorsport.com that there has been no contact with Bratches of the Formula 1 management team.

“A car race should take place on a circuit, not in an old city centre,” said a spokesperson for Amsterdam’s civic administration.

“Rotterdam has not been approached regarding a Formula 1 event,” said a counterpart for that city. “So there have also been no discussions about this,”

In the case of Rotterdam, the door was left open for longer-term talks about hosting a race.

“In the coming three years this would be unthinkable,” said the spokesperson. They explained that the problem was “due to a renovation of the Maastunnel and a refurbishment of the Coolsingel.”

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• F1 puts a Dutch Grand Prix street race on its agenda!

“This aside, with the City Racing events that were held earlier, there were already many who had their doubts in relation to the environmental impact and noise disturbance.”

The Dutch Grand Prix was traditionally held at Zandvoort until 1985. But the current Formula 1 owners believe that the sport should be brought right into major cities.

“Street races are always fun,” said Red Bull boss Christian Horner earlier this week. “They always have big crowds and big atmospheres.”

It’s the huge popularity of Max Verstappen in his home country that has given Formula 1 bosses the incentive to revive the Dutch Grand Prix.

“The amount of support there is behind Max in Holland at the moment means it would bring the country to a stop,” commented Horner.

But with Amsterdam and Rotterdam both pouring cool if not ice cold water on the prospect for the time being at least, it seems that Zandvoort might turn out to be the best option after all if F1 truly wants to go Dutch.

“In Amsterdam? That’s fine,” tweeted Eric van der Burg, who is in charge of sports affairs for the city’s municipal executive.

“But in Amsterdam Beach [Zandvoort], where they have a beautiful track. Not in the city centre of Amsterdam.”

Zandvoort is currently conducting a study into the feasibility of holding a Formula 1 Grand Prix again in the future. The Assen TT Circuit, which currently hosts the MotoGP, would be another potential candidate.

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As scheduled, the FIA Formula 2 series pulled the covers off its halo-equipped 2018 car at Monza today.

The new car, which complies with the latest F1 safety standards, features architecture typical of a modern F1 car and a 3.4 litre turbo-charged Mecachrome engine, which delivers 620 HP at 8,750 rpm.

The design philosophy was to refresh the car to mirror the latest updates in F1 design, and to maintain a long tradition of wheel to wheel racing. 

The new machine is also the first new car to be revealed featuring the Halo system, which was incorporated at the final stage of the design process. 

• FIA set to impose ‘Halo’ in Formula 2 in 2018

“The unveiling of the 2018 FIA Formula 2 car is an important moment for the FIA as we complete the single-seater pyramid from Karting right through to the pinnacle of motor sport in the FIA Formula One World Championship,” said the FIA’s Charlie Whiting.

“The plan for a more structured junior formula ladder is designed to feature cars that better prepare drivers for the next step.

“For Formula 2, that means we needed a car that will not only educate, but will also allow the drivers that are most ready for Formula One to shine brightest.

“The car has been developed to include improved aesthetics, as well as bringing the safety level up to the highest standards for single-seater cars – and to ultimately bring it closer to a modern Formula One car on both of these points.”

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Romain Grosjean admitted that he was struggling with the handling of his VF17 in Friday practice at the Marina Bay Street Circuit ahead of this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix.

The Haas driver was around four seconds off the pace of Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo in both sessions. He was the first driver to scrape the wall in FP2 and subsequently also went for a spin in turn 7.

“It was a tough day,” Grosjean admitted. “We’ve been struggling all day to get the best out of it.

“I think we’ve made some progress on the rear end of the car, but we still need to get the front end to work.

“Not much feeling with the front end. I’m struggling to get the best out of it.

“That’s something we’ve been struggling with at street circuits like Monaco,” he pointed out. “But we eventually found it in qualifying there.

“I think tonight we’re going to try a few things for tomorrow and hopefully get the right answer,” he added.

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• FP2: Ricciardo stays in charge in Singapore night practice

Grosjean’s team mate Kevin Magnussen sat out FP1 in favour of the team’s development driver Antonio Giovinazzi. In the evening he was half a second faster than Grosjean, but little happier. He also hit the wall late in the session, damaging the wheel rims on his car.

“Obviously, the pace wasn’t great,” Magnussen sighed. “We need to work on that and see if we can find some more pace. Otherwise, it’s going to be difficult for us this weekend.

“I think we have some stuff to work with, it’s just whether it will be enough,” he continued. “But we’ll see. It was good fun to drive here, but our main priority is to be competitive.”

“Other than a bit of damage where Kevin hit a wheel in FP2, we got through the sessions with both cars intact,” said Haas team principal Guenther Steiner, who admitted that it had not been “an easy day today.”

“We’re still trying to find a setup that the drivers like while getting the tires into the window where they work here,” Steiner explained. “I think we’ve got enough data to look at. Hopefully, we can find something for tomorrow.”

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Maurizio Arrivabene’s days at the helm of the Scuderia could be numbered according to reports from German broadcaster Sky F1.

The Italian team manager looks set to become collateral damage following Ferrari’s disastrous performance in Asia, with tech boss Mattia Binotto taking over as the Italian squad’s director.

• Repeat failure at Ferrari ‘completely unacceptable’, says Symonds

After mishaps in Singapore and unacceptable reliability woes in Malaysia, an angry Sergio Marchionne vowed to effect change, mainly by improving Ferrari’s quality control department by promoting Maria Mendoza, an expert in metals and chemicals, from another unit within the Fiat-Chrysler group.

The virtual collapse of Ferrari’s title chances has left Sebastian Vettel 59 points adrift from Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton on the eve of the US Grand Prix, with only four races to go this season.

According to Germany’s Sky F1, Arrivabene could leave Ferrari at the end of the season, with Binotto slotted in at the top.

The 47-year-old engineer headed Ferrari’s engine department in 2015 but was later promoted to technical director following the departure of former tech chief James Allison.

Channel 4 pundit Eddie Jordan also chimed in on the subject of Arrivabene’s future.

“A very reliable source – and I have to believe them – said the decision has been made at Ferrari, a few days ago, and Maurizio Arrivabene may not be with the team next year.”

The usual disclaimer applies when it comes from Jordan: take it with a big grain of salt!

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Stoffel Vandoorne’s joy of heading to his home race with a McLaren contract for 2018 will be tempered by a 35-place grid penalty!

McLaren-Honda’s decision to fit the Japanese manufacturer’s latest-spec 3 unit to the back of the Belgian’s MCL32 for Spa will therefore come at a price unfortunately. 

Both McLaren drivers will have improved units this weekend although Vandoorne’s spec-3.6 engine will enjoy a new ICE element as well as a few upgraded bits centered around reliability.

Fernando Alonso will basically race with his slightly improved 3.5 Hungarian GP engine, but will not take any penalties.

• Brown sees future F1 world champion in Vandoorne

“Both Fernando and Stoffel will be running upgraded power units this weekend,” said Honda F1 chief Yusuke Hasegawa.

“Unfortunately Stoffel will receive a grid penalty at his home grand prix, but it is important for us to introduce updates as soon as they are ready.

“It is positive that we have been able to introduce this next step forward so quickly, and we will continue to introduce updates throughout the remainder of the season.” 

Given the added boost of racing at home, it will be interesting to see how Vandoorne fares against his team mate in qualifying on Saturday with the benefit of a slightly improved engine.

Spa’s layout and multiple overtaking opportunities will also come in handy for the local hero on race day when he starts at the tail end of the Belgian GP grid.

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For the very first time in its 30-year history, the Race of Champions event heads to the Middle East, with its 2017 season finale to be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

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A regular milestone on the International motorsports calendar, the event pits drivers from various categories against each other on a short track, with an elimination process.

Prior to the Race of Champions, eight teams of two drivers compete in the ROC Nations’ Cup using a similar format.

• Usain Bolt to get F1 up to speed in Austin

The ROC was last held at Marlisn park in Miami in January and saw Juan Pablo Montoya crowned Champion of Champions after defeating Tom Kristensen in the final.

This year’s two-day edition will take place in early 2018 at the 75,000-capacity King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh.

“Our organisation is honoured to be working with the President of the General Sports Authority, his Excellency Turki Al-Sheikh, and Sela Sport Chairman, Dr Rakan Hussein, to bring Race Of Champions to the region for the first time in the event’s 30-year history,” said ROC president Frederik Johnsson.

“As motorsport’s most forward-thinking property ROC is an event perfectly suited to Saudi Arabia, which is emerging as a modern sports market on the global stage.

“With women able to drive in Saudi Arabia from 2018, we feel this is an auspicious moment to be bringing a motorsport event to Riyadh.

“Race Of Champions is more than just a race: it is a truly global contest that includes many of the world’s best drivers along with top-quality entertainment for families.”

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