Best Buy - Amazon jacked up Black Friday prices, misleading consumers when they were actually paying full price.

Amazon jacked up Prime Day prices, Best Buy used same tactics for Black Friday sale, misleading consumers, says vendor

A Charlotte-based startup says e-commerce king Amazon (AMZN) jacked up their suggested retail price during the company’s annual discount event—Prime Day—to deceive consumers into thinking that they were getting a deal, when in reality, they weren’t.


Jason Jacobs, founder of Remodeez, a small company that specializes in non-toxic foot deodorizers and other odor stoppers, says he had an agreement with Amazon since 2015 on a suggested retail price of $9.99 for his products and was shocked after the tech giant almost doubled that on Prime Day to make it look like people were getting a discount, when they were actually paying full price.

See for yourself one example on Best Buy web site for their Black Friday TV deals:

Sony Web Site manufacturer retail suggested price for the exact same products :

 

“We did two studies that patterned Amazon using bogus prices to create the impression that people were getting a discount when their ‘was’ price never was. Our survey in June examined 1,000 products on the retailer’s website and found more than half (61%), had ‘was’ prices that never were,” John M. Simpson, consumer watchdog privacy project director, tells FOX Business.

Simpson says Amazon, Best Buy are breaking Section 5 (a) of the FTC Act that prohibits "unfair or deceptive acts or practices."

So much for Black Friday madness...

The 2019 Mercedes-Benz CLS World Premiere

The new CLS pioneers the new design idiom of Mercedes-Benz, which is recognizable by its clear contours and reduced lines. Its character is marked by a grille contour that widens towards the base and a forward-slanting front section. Other features include wide, low-set headlights and two-section taillamps. At the same time the design reflects the timeless aura of the first CLS, which founded a new segment and quickly became a design icon. The CLS is equipped with a new inline six-cylinder engine and is the first vehicle in the Mercedes-Benz lineup with 48-volt technology with ISG that offers increased efficiency and comfort. Like its predecessors, the new CLS exudes self-assured sportiness in exemplary style: a highly emotional vehicle offering impressive long-distance and acoustic comfort coupled with thrilling, unrivalled technology. Additionally, the all-new four-door coupe seats 5 passengers for the first time. The 2019 Mercedes-Benz CLS will have its World Premiere at the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show in November, and will go on sale in the U.S. by Fall 2018.

In 2003, with the CLS, Mercedes-Benz created a new vehicle segment that combined the elegance and dynamic feel of a coupe with the comfort and functionality of a sedan for the first time. With the third generation of the CLS, Mercedes-Benz is building more strongly than ever on the aura and unique character of this trendsetting model: the new model has pure CLS genes with its arching waistline, flat side window lines and low greenhouse. At the same time it is another example of the logical evolution of the Sensual Purity design idiom: sharp edges and lines have been significantly reduced. It blends seamlessly into the current Mercedes-Benz coupe family with numerous design features.

The in-line six-cylinder engine in the CLS450 and CLS450 4MATIC is completely new, boasting 362 hp in addition to a 21 hp boost from the integrated starter- generator.

The sporty CLS also has a comfortable side: AIR BODY CONTROL suspension, ENERGIZING Comfort and the very latest infotainment generation with Inductive Wireless Phone Charging with NFC pairing accentuate this.

The standard appointments of the CLS are very extensive: highlights include AMG body styling, newly designed LED headlamps and taillamps, 19-inch light-alloy wheels, a 12.3-inch high-resolution COMAND® display, ambient lighting including illuminated air vents, Car-to-X Communication and Smartphone Integration.

Exterior: Self-assured sportiness in the style of Mercedes-Benz coupes

"The new CLS is a design icon as the archetype of the four-door coupe. In line with our hot & cool design philosophy, we have reduced its DNA to an extremely puristic level while emotionally charging its beauty," says Gorden Wagener, Chief Design Officer Daimler AG.

Striking front-end features include the diamond grille typical of Mercedes-Benz coupes, with a single louver. The silhouette of the radiator grille widens towards the base, resembling the contours of the grille on the Mercedes-AMG GT. The hood is completely surrounded by body surfaces. The very flat and wide headlamps with inward-slanting flanks dynamically follow the contour of the grille.

The side design is characterized by the high, arching waistline and the sporty, low greenhouse with frameless side windows. The forward-slanting front end is reminiscent of a shark's nose, and appears longer thanks to the fully inset hood. The contours follow the design philosophy of sensual purity: lines and edges are greatly reduced, and the surfaces are generously arched.

Also typical of the CLS is the muscular rear shoulder line which blends smoothly into the flat rear end. Characteristic coupe features include the two-section taillamps, reflectors positioned in the rear bumper, location of the license plate in the bumper and the Mercedes star at the center of the trunk lid.

Like the headlamps, the LED taillamps have a crystalline appearance and create a three-dimensional effect. Their low positioning accentuates the width of the vehicle.

Interior consistent color scheme, Widescreen Digital Instrument Cluster

The luxurious interior of the CLS Coupe impresses with its clear basic lines, and echoes the sensual, flowing contours of the exterior. The high-grade choice of materials shows a very high level of finish.

The sporty, width-accentuated cockpit and color combination creates an impression of particularly generous spaciousness. For a flowing overall impression, the wave-like course of the interior design extends from the front to the rear doors, opening up at the B-pillars. As a new highlight of the ambient lighting, the illuminated air vents are reminiscent of jet aircraft turbines. The sporty impression is also reinforced by the hand-finished appearance of the seats.

The CLS450 is equipped with a high-resolution central display with a wide screen diagonal of 12.3 inches, and is optionally available with two 12.3-inch displays that merge to form a wide-screen cockpit beneath a shared, continuous glass cover.
The center console with open-pored or high-gloss wood appears to be free-floating thanks to its surface trim.

In the fully digital cockpit, the driver is able to feely configure the information content according to need and the driving situation. Three different styles can be selected depending on preference, mood or to suit the interior appointments: Classic, Sport or Progressive.

The ambient lighting is individually adjustable in 64 colors, and also includes the air vents. When the temperature setting of the air conditioning system is changed, it briefly changes color to show whether the temperature is being made warmer (red) or cooler (blue).

The seats were also newly designed exclusively for this model series with high- quality piping. The outer seats in the rear have the same appearance as the front seats, creating a sporty single-seat impression, although the CLS Coupe is in fact a five-seater for the first time. When required the backrests can be folded down in a 40/20/40 ratio.

Wellness on long-distance journeys: ENERGIZING Comfort

ENERGIZING Comfort links various comfort systems in the vehicle. It systematically uses the functions of the climate control system (including fragrancing) and the seats (heater, ventilation, massage), the surface and steering wheel heating as well as lighting and musical atmospheres, and allows a specific wellness set-up tailored to the mood and need of the customer. As a result, well-being and performance levels are enhanced.

These six programs can be selected:
Refresh / Freshness
Warmth
Vitality
Joy
Comfort / Well-Being
Training (three training modes – muscle relaxation, muscle activation and balance – each with several exercises).

Intelligent Drive: Technology from the S-Class

The new CLS generation has many things in common with the new S-Class, the automotive flagship of the entire industry. The CLS is equipped with the latest generation of driving assistance systems, with route-based speed adaptation and driver support provided by the Driver Assistance Package.

The range of driver assistance and safety systems features a modular design and as standard includes Active Brake Assist, ATTENTION ASSIST and the occupant protection system PRE-SAFE®. Newly standard as well is PRE-SAFE® Sound (prepares human hearing for the anticipated accident noise when there is a risk of a collision).

The optional Driver Assistance Package consists of Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC, Active Steering Assist, Active Speed Limit Assist, Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function, Evasive Steering Assist, Active Blind Spot Assist, Active Lane Keeping Assist, PRE-SAFE® PLUS and PRE-SAFE® Impulse Side. Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC and Active Steering Assist now provide even more comfortable support for the driver to keep a safe distance and steer. The speed is now adjusted automatically ahead of bends or junctions. Active Lane Change Assist has also been significantly improved.

Thanks to improved camera and radar systems, the new CLS also has an even better view of the surrounding traffic. For the first time it also makes use of map and navigation data to calculate driving behavior.

The "Assistance Graphics" menu of the instrument cluster shows the driver at a glance which assistance functions have been selected, and to what situations the systems are currently responding. Unmistakable icons provide the driver with information on-screen as well as in the head-up display. All functions are now controlled from the steering wheel.

In stop & go traffic on motorways and similar roads, stops of up to 3 seconds are now possible, during which time the CLS starts moving again automatically and follows the traffic.

The LED Intelligent Light System is now optionally available with advanced LED headlamps and Ultra Wide Beam high beams. The Ultra Wide Beams produce light at an increased width for maximum illumination of the road and surround area. For the driver, this means a clear improvement of the already great lighting performance of the LED Intelligent Light System. Adaptive Highbeam Assist is also part of the LED Intelligent Light System and allows drivers to drive with activated main beams without dazzling other road users. When there are oncoming vehicles or vehicles in front, the LEDs of the high beam modules are switched off. The other areas of the road continue to be illuminated with the mainbeam.

Suspension

The new CLS has a four-link front suspension and a five-link rear suspension. A dynamically set-up steel comfort suspension is standard equipment. The optionally available AIR BODY CONTROL air suspension has been improved, adjustable and adaptive damping system. The driver is able to choose vehicle characteristics from comfortable to sporty using the driving mode switch.

New engine: with EQ Boost and 48 volt onboard electrical system

The third generation of the Mercedes-Benz CLS is powered by a completely new in- line six-cylinder engine.

The new, systematically electrified in-line six-cylinder with EQ Boost (integrated starter/generator) and a 48 volt onboard electrical system powers the CLS450 and CLS450 4MATIC. Its performance data: 362 hp and 369 lb-ft plus a further 21 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque available via EQ Boost over short periods. The integrated electric motor known as EQ Boost assists the combustion engine, for example when accelerating, makes driving without the combustion engine possible ("sailing") and supplies the battery with power by means of high-efficiency recuperation. By doing so it makes fuel savings possible that were previously the exclusive domain of high-voltage hybrid technology. All in all, the new in-line six-cylinder engine delivers the performance of an eight-cylinder engine with significantly lower consumption. The CLS450 is equipped with a particulate filter as standard.

CLS450 / CLS450 4MATIC

Number of cylinders/
arrangement                                                         6/in-line

Displacement (cc)                                                2,999

Rated output (hp)                                                 362 hp @ 5,500 – 6,100 rpm

Add. output from EQ Boost (hp)                         21 hp

Rated torque (lb-ft)                                              369 lb-ft @ 1,600 – 4,000 rpm

Add. torque from EQ Boost (lb-ft)                      184 lb-ft

Acceleration 0-60 mph (sec)                                TBA / TBA

RUDY VAN BUREN IS THE WORLD’S FASTEST GAMER

Rudy van Buren, a 25-year-old sales manager from Lelystad in the Netherlands, has beaten more than 30,000 contestants to be crowned the World’s Fastest Gamer – the McLaren Formula 1 team’s ground-breaking esports competition that aims to find the best virtual racing driver on the planet.

In the final round of the contest, an exacting four-hour assessment using McLaren’s state-of-the-art Formula 1 simulator, van Buren beat countryman Freek Schothorst, a 20-year-old science, business and innovation student from Amsterdam.

Van Buren now claims the greatest job in esports – becoming one of the F1 team’s official simulator drivers for the 2018 season.

Van Buren began racing karts aged eight, ultimately winning the Dutch Karting Championship in 2003. However, like many budding talents, he was forced to quit at the age of 16 due to lacking the financial backing needed to progress further.

However, World’s Fastest Gamer, which identifies racing talent through esports, has given van Buren a second chance at his motorsports career.

On quitting racing, van Buren said: “You search for a replacement because you’ve still got that racing feeling inside you. You want to go on but there’s no option or route available. That burn inside to win, doing a lap quicker and quicker, lap after lap, it’s a feeling that you can’t express. Every boy that starts karting dreams about F1, and at a certain point that dream just vanishes. Now by winning World’s Fastest Gamer, I can relive that dream.”

On winning World’s Fastest Gamer, van Buren said: “This has been the most incredible experience and words can’t describe how I feel right now. To think that I came to the McLaren Technology Centre for the very first time last week but am leaving here today as McLaren’s newest employee is mind blowing.
“I can’t thank everyone enough for giving me this amazing opportunity; just being here, meeting the team and competing with some amazing people has been an unforgettable experience. It really has been the toughest job interview I’ve ever faced, but with such an incredible reward at the end of it. Now I can’t wait to get started!”

McLaren Technology Group Executive Director Zak Brown said: “First, my congratulations to Rudy – he really showed the mettle, determination and ability to succeed. This was an outstandingly tough contest, one where we went to great lengths to stretch our contestants beyond their limits, and he’ll be a real asset to the organisation as we develop and refine our 2018 car throughout the next season.”

The World’s Fastest Gamer competition, which began in May 2017, saw gamers from around the world compete for a coveted position in this month’s gruelling finals. After numerous heats across a variety of different games and platforms, 12 grand finalists were invited to McLaren’s Woking headquarters to go head-to-head in one last week of testing.

Finals Week included rigorous tests around some of the racetracks where McLaren has enjoyed its most legendary days of competition, including the world-famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway, home of the Indy 500; Japan’s Suzuka Circuit; Brazilian Grand Prix venue, Interlagos; and the world’s most famous 24-hour race, Le Mans, where finalists were tested over a full day-long race distance.

After the 12 contestants were whittled down from six to three, and then finally two, van Buren went up against Schothorst in the ultimate test – an extensive evaluation behind the wheel of McLaren’s hyper-accurate racing simulator, the exact same kit that’s used by the actual F1 drivers to develop their cars ahead of each grand prix.

To triumph, van Buren not only needed to demonstrate the speed and agility required by all top racing drivers, but also the engineering know-how and mental and physical ability required to develop, refine and engineer an F1 car for the team’s two race drivers, double world champion Fernando Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne.

World’s Fastest Gamer is a partnership between global sports and technology brand McLaren and the founder of virtual motorsport’s GT Academy, Darren Cox, in collaboration with founding partner Logitech G, a global leader in gaming gear, and two further partners – sports media platform GiveMeSport and esport racing innovator Sparco.

How F1 payments work…

by Joe Saward

People often ask who gets paid what in Formula 1. It is a very difficult question because the total is based on the annual earnings of the Formula 1 group (the EBIDTA), but it is not 100 percent clear what is included and excluded in reaching this figure. The basics of how this is divided up are understood, however, with five percent of the money going straight to Ferrari, two and half percent from the teams’ share and two and half percent from the commercial rights holder (CRH). This is justified on the basis that Ferrari is “The Longest Standing Team. There is then the prize fund, which is divided in half to create two smaller funds (known as Columns). Column 1 is divided equally between all the qualifying teams (in order to qualify they must be in the top 10 for two of the three previous seasons), and Column 2 is divided up on the basis of their performance with the World Champions getting 19 percent of the fund, with the other nine teams getting the following percentages: 16-13-11-10-9-7-6-5-4. There are then various bonus schemes, the most importnt one being the Constructor Champions’ Bonus (CCB) scheme, which rewards the three teams that have scored the most race wins in the previous four seasons. Thus 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016. This is an odd way of calculating the cash as Mercedes have won 54 victories, Red Bull 18 and Ferrari five, but the CCB does not take into account the actual number of wins, but rather the position in the hierarchy. The current breakdown is $37 million for Mercedes, $33 million for Red Bull and $30 million for Ferrari. In other words, Mercedes gets $685,000 for each win, Red Bull $1,830,000 per win, but Ferrari get a whopping $6 million per win.

If a team wins two consecutive Constructors’ Championships, it gets a one-off payment per year of $30 million, which has helped Mercedes a great deal in recent seasons, having won three of them (to date). When you add it all up, it is very clear that Ferrari gets a fantastic deal from the sport. And if you add in sponsorship, merchandising. licensing and so on, it is clear that the Italian team is not spending a great deal on F1 – if anything. Thus the suggestion that pulling out of F1 will provide savings for the organisation are wrong, and it will need a pile of money to advertise its products, as the sport is doing that at the moment – and Ferrari has no other marketing, beyond a couple of theme parks and a lot of people walking around wearing Ferrari merchandising…

To help understand the structure, here is a chart showing the flows of money and some estimations of the money being paid out.

ECCLESTONE: TURNING F1 INTO A FAST-FOOD JOINT IS WRONG

Bernie Ecclestone ruled Formula 1 with an iron fist for decades and likened the sport, under his leadership, to a three star Michelin restaurant and warns new owners Liberty Media that changing it to a fast food joint is a mistake.

Ecclestone has been marginalised for the past year, since the takeover of F1 by new owners Liberty Media, but this has not silenced the billionaire who still has piquant views about the direction the sport is heading since his demise.

In a recent swipe at the new owners Ecclestone said of Liberty Media in an interview with Folha de Sao Paulo, earlier this month, “They should wake up. I have nothing against them, I feel sorry for them. It’s more or less like giving a doctor the job of a dentist.”

“I always tried to treat Formula 1 as if it were a three-star Michelin restaurant. I don’t think turning F1 into a fast-food joint is the right way to go, but this is the standard in America, which is much lower than what F1 is about. Everyone who is involved in F1, over the last 40 years, expects higher standards.

Asked if he resents the fact that he was put out to pasture by the new owners, he replied, “These things happen in life. I sold the business, but I’m still in the company, in a ‘higher’ position. I suppose I’m an adviser. Maybe they did not know how to ask me to depart and one way to do that was to give me a ‘superior role’. Chase Carey wanted my position, so I told him: You bought the car, you drive it.”

“I ran the business to produce financial results. They do not seem concerned about making profits. This year, all the contracts that were originally made by me are still valid. As far as I know, there are no new contracts.”

“And they’re treating F1 like a show. Look at the race in the United States, they put girls in shorts and pompoms in front of the audience.”

Asked if he would accept an offer to return to the helm of F1, “After more than 40 years in charge, I would not want to go back having owners telling me what to do. It’s like being a gunslinger. You’re hired to kill someone but you have to ask permission to do what you need to do.”

Amid criticism of his management methods, Ecclestone is unrepentant, “If I had not done a good job with F1, would they have bought the company?”

IS ABITEBOUL THE MAN TO LEAD RENAULT?

Renault have been something of an enigma this season, while Red Bull have managed to win with the TAG Heuer version of the French company’s power units but at the same time reliability has plagued the works team as well as Red Bull themselves and the sister team Toro Rosso.

For 2018 Toro Rosso have opted to change to Honda power, with McLaren joining the Renault ranks as a customer which will up the ante substantially and put the spotlight on what Renault can deliver to dislodge the Woking outfit from the depths they have sunk to in recent years.

Analysing the season so far for drivers powered by the RE17 engine makes for grim reading. Here is an overview of grid penalties and race results of the Renault powered brigade:

Australia
Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull) five-place grid penalties for unscheduled gearbox changes retired with fuel cell issue

China
Daniil Kvyat (Toro Rosso) retired on lap 18 with hydraulics issue

Monaco
Nico Hülkenberg (Renault) retired on lap 15 with a gearbox problem

Canada
Kvyat retired on lap 54 with a power unit failure
Max Verstappen (Red Bull) retired on lap 10 with electrical problems

Baku
Verstappen retired on lap 12 with an oil pressure problem
Kvyat retired on 9 with an electrics issue
Jolyon Palmer (Renault) retired on lap 7 with engine failure

Austria
Carlos Sainz (Toro Rosso) retired on lap 44 with an engine failure

Britain
Ricciardo received a five-place grid penalty for an unscheduled gearbox change and a ten-place grid penalty for use of additional power unit elements.
Palmer retired on the formation lap with a hydraulics problem

Hungary
Hülkenberg received a five-place grid penalty for an unscheduled gearbox change.

Belgium
Kvyat received a twenty-place grid penalty for exceeding his quota of power unit elements.
Palmer received a five-place grid penalty for unscheduled gearbox changes.
Verstappen retired on lap 7 with a power unit issue

Italy
Verstappen received a 20-place grid penalty for exceeding his quota of power unit components.
Ricciardo received a 25-place grid penalty for exceeding his quota of power unit components and an unscheduled gearbox change.
Sainz received a 10-place grid penalty for exceeding his quota of power unit components.
Palmer received a 15-place grid penalty for exceeding his quota of power unit components.
Palmer retired on lap 29 with a transmission problem

Singapore
Hülkenberg retired on lap 48 with an oil leak

Malaysia
Sainz retired on lap 29 with engine failure

Japan
Palmer and Sainz received a 20-place grid penalty, all for exceeding their respective quota of power unit components.

United States
Verstappen received a 15-place grid penalty for exceeding his quota of power unit components.
Hülkenberg received a 20-place grid penalty for exceeding his quota of power unit components
Hartley received a 25-place grid penalty for exceeding his car’s quota of power unit components.
Hülkenberg retired on lap 3 with an engine failure
Ricciardo retired on lap 14 with an engine failure

Mexico
Ricciardo received a 20-place grid penalty for exceeding his quota of power unit components.
Hartley received a 20-place grid penalty for exceeding his quota of power unit components.
Gasly received a 20-place grid penalty for exceeding his quota of power unit components.
Hartley retired on lap 30 with an engine failure
Hülkenberg retired on lap 24 with a power unit problem
Ricciardo retired on lap 5 with a turbo failure

Brazil
Ricciardo received a 10-place grid penalty for exceeding his quota of power unit components.
Hartley received a 10-place grid penalty for exceeding his quota of power unit components.
Gasly received a 25-place grid penalty for exceeding his quota of power unit components.
Hartley retired on lap 40 with an engine failure

This is a catalogue of failings by Renault that only Honda’s pitiful project managed to ‘better’ during the course of the season.

That Red Bull can survive the reliability woes and actually post wins is nothing short of a miracle, a tribute to what is an obviuosly awesome chassis and the resilience of their drivers Ricciardo and Verstappen.

While their main rivals Mercedes and Ferrari have, in the three years of the hybrid turbo era, produced increasingly reliable engines makes one question exactly what Renault are doing.

It’s difficult to point fingers, but in life – be it in the corporate world or sporting environment – the manager in charge is ultimately accountable. If managers in Formula 1 were treated like their counterparts in football, few would still be in the positions they are in as the axe would have swung many times in recent years.

The decision making process within Renault Sport has to be questioned and the fact is we don’t have top look to far to unearth a collection of gaffes made at the highest level within the organisation’s Formula 1 project headed by Cyril Abiteboul.

At the Mexican Grand Prix it was obvious that Renault had given their teams the thumbs up to dial up the wick and as a result Verstappen was only narrowly pipped to pole by Sebastian Vettel, Ricciardo was seventh, Hulkenberg eighth, Sainz ninth and Hartley 13th. Gasly did not complete a lap in the session.

All looked good for the apparently upwardly mobile Renault entourage. Yes, 24 hours later Verstappen powered to a runaway victory, but for rest of the Renault powered clan it was a woeful day at the office. Ricciardo was first to go with a turbo failure, followed shortly after by Hulkenberg and Hartley with power unit related problems.

Credit to Abiteboul for putting his hand up and admitting afterwards, “For its part, the Mexican Grand Prix was particularly difficult with a number of unacceptable mechanical problems. We have the clear intention to take fast and strong measures. Clearly we have not been successful in balancing performance and reliability.”

Now that’s a monster admission which in layman’s terms means that Renault got their maths wrong, told the teams to unleash the horses only to find that it was the wrong call and three engines went up-in-smoke as a result.

In Brazil it leaked out that in the aftermath of the Mexican carnage, Renault spare parts are scarce!

How did they even countenance the decision to up the power on all the Renault units in the field when the spares bin was alarmingly low. Surely at this level someone would be doing a stock take before telling their boss that it was all systems go for full gas high altitude weekend at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Apparently not.

Abiteboul’s post-Mexico modesty was short-lived.

Toro Rosso have had a miserable time in recent races. Poor Hartley has yet to start a race from where he qualified. The WEC World Champion, used to Porsche bullet-proof reliability, has in three races received engine related penalties amounting to 95 grid place drops!

Needless to say the Honda bound outfit have not been happy with the situation, as a customer they have been on the receiving end of atrocious products during the latter half of the season as they are embroiled in a battle for sixth in the constructors championship with… you guessed it Renault!

Of course questions were asked, but Abiteboul blaming Toro Rosso for incorrect assembly of the Renault engine to the chassis was pure provocation. What are the Renault seconded engineers doing at Toro Rosso then? Why was this not a problem early on in the season?

Abiteboul ignited a shit-storm of major proportions with his allegations. And here is where the Renault problem lies: Monsieur Abiteboul.

A big team with big ambitions needs a big boss, unfortunately for the French outfit Abiteboul does not tick the box and his actions speak louder than words.

Opinions garnered from paddock insiders describe Abiteboul as “shrewd, well-connected and intelligent” but at the same time “arrogant, irritable, self-righteous and confrontational.”

One could call the poaching by Renault of Marcin Budkowski as a shrewd move. Indeed the appointment irked the entire paddock as the former FIA technical chief is privy to top secret info on all the major teams. As astute as it might seem the hire Budkowski , the move could also come back and bite Renault. More of that for another time…

Also shrewd at the time was hiring of Frédéric Vasseur as team principal, a man who knows a thing or two about racing and teams. But that was short-lived because Abiteboul neglected to provide Vasseur the power to implement his vision for the team. Frustration festered and soon he was out the door claiming that “too much different vision in the management.”

After which Abiteboul made a not so shrewd declaration when he said, “The team principal role is something unique from team to team.. as far as I am concerned, we will not replace Fred in the capacity of team principal.”

In other words in Abiteboul’s world the role of team principal is obsolete. Strange call because no team has won a Formula 1 world title without the leadership of a team principal.

Problem with approaching people within Formula 1 (team members and media) for any character comment is that no one wants to go on the record when being critical regarding managers, management of teams or drivers for that matter. Too many doors will close and risking one’s livelihood for the sake of a story is hardly an attractive option.

Off the record there are many stories that bury Abiteboul, but few will put their money where their mouth is and thus this remains paddock chit-chat. Fortunately the proof is out there.

An example of how two faced he can be is illustrated by the case of Jolyon Palmer. The above stats show that the Englishman suffered a large lump of Renault’s bad reliability.

In August this year Abiteboul said, “If he manages to turn around the situation, which he did last year, we are completely open to a future between the team and Jo for one more season.”

Less than two months later Palmer was out the door, unceremoniously dumped for Sainz. Why the false hope?

Robert Kubica was also led to believe he was in with a chance with the French team, but was also thwarted by the Sainz development.

Before ditching the Kubica option, Abiteboul said in July, “What I can tell you is that he is still quick, he is still very consistent and more importantly he has this energy and this drive, this enthusiasm that he has always had.”

And added, “We’ve not seen any obvious roadblocks.”

On another front, ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, Red Bull were expecting a major upgrade to their power unit but this did no happen. Then it was believed that the upgrade would be rolled out for Baku. Again it was a no show.

Instead Abiteboul changed the parameters and dropped a bombshell in Montreal when he insisted, “Frankly the next big upgrade will be next year. Then we will have a completely new concept. That will make a difference – but as I said 2018.”

“Red Bull, as always, is making wrong communication about performance development. Frankly, what I want to play down is this sort of focus on the upgrade because the engine is improving every weekend,” declared the Frenchman.

Truth be told the engine did perform better on certain occasions in the latter half of the season, but at the expense of reliability. Did it improve? Good question.

As an engine supplier, to customers who pay big bucks for the service, Renault appear to have have a ‘take-it-or-leave-it’ attitude which has irked Red Bull and clashes between the two organisations a couple of years ago have been well documented. Horner and Abiteboul were reportedly close to blows at one stage. Shouting matches were frequent.

The animosity was such that FIA penned the R’ed Bull Clause’ to the 2017 regulations which states: that “any action and/or make any omission, deceptive, misleading or disparaging or negative comments, which directly injures, damages or brings into disrepute the public reputation, goodwill or favourable name or image of the other party to the supply agreement.”

Since then Red Bull have been notably tight lipped amid numerous engine failures and engine related grid penalties.

Most recently Red Bull management moved swiftly to diffuse flare-up between Abiteboul and Toro Rosso chief Franz Tost. The latter taking exception to the above-mentioned criticism, in Brazil, of the way his team fit Renault power units to their chassis.

The alliance only exists because Red Bull had no alternative but to accept staying with Renault power because Ferrari and Mercedes have no interest in supplying the energy drinks outfit. But the caveat is that Red Bull do not moan too loud in public.

Which brings us to Fernando Alonso…

Had Renault (including Alain Prost in the toothless role of special adviser) been shrewd and serious about becoming a force again they would have broken the bank to lure Alonso to the team. The Spaniard remains one of the best drivers in Formula 1 with at least two or three years in him at the highest level.

He knows what it takes to win championships and has been in big teams for most of his career. Leading Renault, granted completely different team right now, to two titles in 2005 and 2006.

Honestly Nico Hulkenberg has turned from a hot property years ago to a journeyman, while Sainz is a young gun out to prove himself. Neither two are drivers around which they can build a championship challenging team. Alonso is the real deal.

Abiteboul thought differently, “It’s the future that we’re worried about. [Alonso] has his dynamic, I think he has urgency to be in a position to be fighting for championships again. We know that it’s going to take us a bit of time to have a car that can offer that, so clearly the one thing that I would not want is to have a frustrated Fernando in a Renault car, that’s for sure.”

But what Abiteboul wanted to prevent he will get in another guise. Instead the Spaniard remains with McLaren for next year after three miserable years with Honda. But the kicker is that now Alonso will be powered by Renault and, with McLaren management, he has huge expectations. Winning immediately or at least matching Red Bull is clearly on the agenda at Woking.

As things look right now, Renault might not be the plug-and-play Valhalla that Zak Brown and his merry men envisage – this is where it could get real juicy.

A Kvyat, a Palmer, a Hulkenberg, a Hartley bitching about their engines hardly cause any ripples. But if and when Alonso is let down by an engine failure or two or three or more, the fall-out will be huge. Ask Honda F1 chief Yusuke Hasegawa.

Alonso and McLaren will not keep quiet if performance and reliability does not match expectations, imagine the conundrum if Abiteboul dares to throw a spear their way as he did with Toro Rosso.

Thus the McLaren-Renault partnership could well be the placing of the guillotine over Abiteboul’s head.

If it goes well – namely beating Mercedes and Ferrari (easy!) – then everyone will be happy. But if Alonso endures a season of more engine pain, the noise will be deafening and the column inches massive.

There will be no place to hide for Abiteboul and his track record suggests he won’t seek to hide but rather go toe-to-toe with the detractors, which in the end could trigger his demise.

But this is all pure speculation and crystal ball gazing. By all accounts Abiteboul’s saving grace is that he is well connected within the Renault organisation who groomed him since he left university.

He joined Renault at Boulogne-Billancourt in 2001. By 2007 he was Business Development Manager for the Renault F1 team and went on to become Executive Director of Renault Sport F1 in 2010. In 2012 he was appointed as team principal of renault powered Caterham and was at the helm when team owner Tony Fernandes pulled the plug on the operation.

In mid-2014, Renault confirmed Abiteboul’s return as managing director of Renault Sport F1. Clearly someone high up at Renault has a soft spot for Cyril who is obviously homegrown ‘talent’ which must succeed at all costs.

Proper success in Formula 1 requires a special leader: a Ross Brawn, a Jean Todt, a Toto Wolff, a Ron Dennis, even a Christian Horner. Sadly for the French team, with massive Formula 1 pedigree, in Abiteboul they do not have the right man for the role.

Perhaps most alarming is the school of thought in the paddock that he may be the kind of guy who would rather take the whole Renault F1 operation down with him than concede defeat and hand over the reigns to someone capable.

He warned a couple of years ago that Renault would leave “if Formula 1 is that bad for Renault’s reputation, if we see that we struggle with the current formula, if Formula 1 is not delivering the value that it costs to Renault.”

As managing director of Renault F1 Sport he would pack substantial clout in convincing decision makers within the company to ditch Formula 1, if he wanted to or was forced to do so to save face.

Interesting times lie ahead for Renault and their F1 customers.

FORMULA 1 TO HAVE LOUDER AND SIMPLER ENGINE IN 2021

Formula 1 will have simpler, cheaper and noisier engines from 2021 as part of a “road map” for the future presented to teams on Tuesday that could entice new manufacturers to enter the sport.

The Paris presentation was the product of research by experts assembled by former team boss Ross Brawn, now Formula 1’s managing director for sporting matters.

“We’ve carefully listened to what the fans think about the current power unit and what they would like to see in the near future,” Brawn said in a statement.

He said the aim was to come up with regulations which, apart from making engines more affordable and louder, would also make it easier for new manufacturers to come in and for teams to be competitive.

Formula 1 changed owners in January when United States-based Liberty Media took over and ousted former commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone.

Liberty have already made a mark on the race weekend, with more of a show for fans, but long-term contracts mean more substantial changes will take time.

Formula One said it and the FIA had proposed an engine that would be the same 1.6 litre V6 turbo hybrid but without the MGU-H, one of the two motor generator units.

The sound would be improved by having a higher engine running speed of 3,000rpm.

Development costs would be restricted and extreme designs discouraged, there will be a single turbo with dimensional constraints and weight limits and a standard energy store and control electronics.

The MGU-K, the electric motor that recovers and supplies kinetic energy from braking, will be more powerful with a focus on manual deployment along with an option to save up energy over several laps and create a driver-controlled tactical element.

“Work will continue over the next 12 months to define certain elements of the Power Unit,” the Formula One statement said.

“But the design and development of the complete power unit will not be possible until all the information is released at the end of 2018. This aims to ensure that manufacturers continue to work on the current specification power unit.”

The current engine, introduced in 2014 and much quieter than the previous V8s and V10s, ushered in a period of Mercedes dominance with the German manufacturer winning both championships for the past four years.

Other engine makers – Ferrari, Renault and Honda – have been racing to catch up with varying degrees of success.



FIA Statement:

FIA and Formula 1 presented manufacturers with the roadmap and key features of future Power Units

In the presence of FIA President Jean Todt, representatives from the FIA, FIA Formula One World Championship Commercial Rights Holder (F1) and current and potential Formula One manufacturer representatives met today, 31 October, in Paris to discuss regulations for the 2021 Power Unit.

In line with the objectives outlined by the FIA for the future of these regulations, which include a reduction in cost, maintaining road relevance with hybrid technology and improving the sound of the cars and the appeal for the fans, manufacturer representatives were presented with a roadmap for the development of the next generation of regulations.

The proposals shared today have been developed jointly by the FIA and by F1 using data and input from teams, power unit suppliers and outside experts, and the overall framework for the 2021 power unit definition will be in place and published by the FIA at the end of 2017.

In order to uphold the objective of cost reduction, work will continue over the next 12 months to define certain elements of the Power Unit, but the design and development of the complete Power Unit will not be possible until all the information is released at the end of 2018. This aims to ensure that manufacturers continue to work on the current specification Power Unit.

During the remaining part of 2017 and 2018, the FIA and F1 will also work with the teams to establish power unit test and development restrictions as well as other cost containment measures.

Manufacturer representatives were presented with the vision for the key new features of the 2021 Power Unit proposed by the FIA and F1. These are as follows:
1.6 Litre, V6 Turbo Hybrid
3000rpm higher engine running speed range to improve the sound
Prescriptive internal design parameters to restrict development costs and discourage extreme designs and running conditions
Removal of the MGUH
More powerful MGUK with focus on manual driver deployment in race together with option to save up energy over several laps to give a driver controlled tactical element to racing
Single turbo with dimensional constraints and weight limits
Standard energy store and control electronics
High Level of external prescriptive design to give ‘Plug-And-Play’ engine/chassis/transmission swap capability
Intention to investigate tighter fuel regulations and limits on number of fuels used

A series of meetings will now commence with all the interested parties to discuss and develop the proposal in the spirit of the widest possible cooperation.

FIA Secretary-General for Sport, Peter Bayer, said: “Today was a key step in the development of the Power Unit regulations for 2021. The FIA has been working with the Commercial Rights Holder to define a positive step forward for these regulations which maintain Formula One’s place at the pinnacle of motor sport technology whilst addressing the key issues facing the sport such as cost, road relevance and fan experience at the racetrack. We felt it was important to bring the teams into the discussions today and explain the direction we are taking and I’m pleased with the response we have received.”

Formula 1, Managing Director, Motorsports Ross Brawn said: “The 2021 power unit is an example of the future way the FIA as regulators, F1 as commercial right holders, the teams and the manufacturers as stakeholders will work together for the common good of the sport. The proposal presented today was the outcome of a series of meeting which took place during 2017 with the current teams participating in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship and the manufacturers who showed their interest to be part of the pinnacle of motor sport. Also, we’ve carefully listened to what the fans think about the current PU and what they would like to see in the near future with the objective to define a set of regulations which will provide a powertrain that is simpler, cheaper and noisier and will create the conditions to facilitate new manufacturers to enter Formula 1 as powertrain suppliers and to reach a more levelled field in the sport. The new F1 has the target to be the world’s leading global sports competition married to state of the art technology. To excite, engage, and awe fans of all ages but to do so in a sustainable manner. We believe that the future power unit will achieve this.”