FORMULA 1 - 2013

[MIKA27]

Force India in talks to obtain Ferrari engines

Force India, currently powered by Mercedes Formula One engines, is in negotiations to revert to Ferrari engine power, according to Italy’s La Stampa newspaper.

The talks between the Silverstone based team and Ferrari are “under way”, correspondent Cristiano Chiavegato claims.

Force India is currently powered by Mercedes’ V8 engine, but Vijay Mallya’s team began its F1 efforts with customer power supplied by fabled Ferrari.

Central to the new talks, according to La Stampa, is the Ferrari-linked French driver Jules Bianchi, who was Force India’s reserve in 2012 and is now reportedly first in line for the race seat alongside Paul di Resta this year.

[MIKA27]

Marussia confident of wind tunnel results

Marussia are confident that the work carried out in McLaren's wind tunnel last season and over the winter will pay off in 2013 as they look to gain ground on the midfield.

The outfit struggled in its first two seasons as their design relied solely on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) rather than a mix of CFD and wind tunnel data.

Last season they signed an agreement with McLaren to use one of their two tunnels, which driver Timo Glock believes played a pivotal role in their end of season performance surge which saw them catch rivals Caterham.

"I think the wind tunnel work paid off since we went to McLaren, and that looks very positive for the future," said the German.

"I didn't think that we'd close the gap as we were 1.5 seconds off Caterham, then we closed it very quickly over the second half of the season, which is great."

New team-mate Max Chilton is optimistic for 2013 too, should technical advisor Pat Symonds projections become a reality.

"The car sounds very, very good," Chilton told GPUpdate.net. "With the addition of KERS as well, that’s just free time. There’s no loss of time by installing it. KERS in itself would put us further up the grid and if we’re having the car they say we will then it’s going to be a very promising year. Pat seems to think we’ve found a lot," he added.

[MIKA27]

KEY THEMES TO LOOK OUT FOR IN 2013:

With just over a month to go to the start of F1 testing and 72 days to the first race in Melbourne, let’s look at some of the things which are likely to define the 2013 season.

Close racing

With no significant change to the aero regulations and teams obliged to commit significant resources to their 2014 cars, it’s likely that we will see the field bunched up in the first half of 2013, as the gains become harder to find and massive resources are required to cope with the significant design changes in the 2014 regulations.

However it’s unlikely that we will see eight different winners again as we did in 2012, which happened as the teams came to terms with the loss of the exhaust blown diffusers at the same time as new Pirelli tyres. So chances are this year that the top three or four teams will share the wins between them, with Red Bull, McLaren, Ferrari fighting for the wins with Lotus probably joining in too.

Mercedes will be a major question mark, with the spotlight on the under performers now that Lewis Hamilton has joined. Sebastian Vettel starts the season as the favourite, with Red Bull ending 2012 in strong form.

In the second half of the season the wealthier teams will pull ahead as they will be able to continue developing while the back of the grid teams will have to focus more on 2014 so will drop away gradually, but I predict a very close midfield battle this year and lots of close racing.

The pressure will be on for the rookies in the midfield teams like Esteban Gutierrez and Valtteri Bottas to get regular points as the fight for P5 to P9 in the constructors’ championship will be close this year.

The pressure will also be on journalists to get the right number of “t”s and “r”s when spelling their names!

One area where teams are likely to innovate is the development of passive secondary DRS devices of the kind trialled by Lotus last year, which do not require the functioning of the main DRS switch to operate it (that has been outlawed in the 2013 rules). A fluidic switch which operates at a certain air pressure is one way of making a passive device open.

There will also continue to be a lot of work on getting the exhausts to channel into the diffuser as we saw in 2013, as there are good gains to be had there.

Slower qualifying, more pit stops

The use of DRS has been changed for practice and qualifying and the drivers can only use it in the appointed DRS zone, as on race day. This was done due for safety reasons as it was felt that it was being used in some risky situations in high speed corners.

The DRS was worth a second or more on some circuits, and perhaps half of that will be lost from the new ruling, although the FIA is keen to have two DRS zones where possible, as we saw at some venues in 2012. Although some fans still don’t like it, it has improved the racing without doubt.

Meanwhile Pirelli has promised tyres which will lead to a choice between two and three stops, rather than one or two stops as we saw at the end of 2012. The tyres warm up more quickly for a qualifying lap, which will help drivers with a more gentle style, like Jenson Button.

Better looking cars

The FIA were as keen as anyone to get rid of the ugly stepped noses on the F1 cars and have introduced a rule allowing teams to bridge the step from the top of the monocoque to the nose with a laminate panel. This should improve the look of the cars, which is an important part of the appeal of the sport.

The FIA will also apply tougher front wing flex tests, with loads applied in different areas on the wing. I learned before Christmas that there are some amazingly clever technologies at large from the aerospace industry which can get carbon composite to flex with the introduction of an electrical current. This would achieve the effect of getting the wing tips to dip for extra downforce…but would be illegal in F1.

A busy year off track

There is likely to be a resolution to the question marks hanging over Bernie Ecclestone following the conviction of Gerhard Gribkowsky for corruption in Germany last year. Ecclestone has done two interviews this week on the subject, telling the Sunday Telegraph,

“(CVC, F1′s commercial rights holders) will probably be forced to get rid of me if the Germans come after me. It’s pretty obvious, if I’m locked up”.

But then following that up today with a confident line in an Italian newspaper to the effect that the matter will never come to court.

Either way the matter is likely to be resolved in 2013.

It is worth noting in passing that 2013 has now begun and there has been no confirmation of the signature of the new Concorde Agreement, which binds in all the teams, the FIA and CVC/Ecclestone. The old Concorde Agreement has now expired.

New business coming into the sport

The arrival of Rolex as a partner of F1 just before Christmas was significant as it came despite the uncertainty over Ecclestone’s legal situation.

Another major global company expected to come into F1 this year with the Lotus team is US aviation-to-security giant Honeywell.

F1 Business expert Zak Brown said that there are likely to be more consumer packaged goods brands coming into F1 in the next 12 months, thanks to its strong global media reach.

Europe is still in recession with long term problems to be resolved and this is likely to impact the circuits hosting events, as we have already seen Spain has gone down to one race, there is still no race in France and there is doubt about the Nurburgring.

[MIKA27]

Lauda leaves Air Berlin board to focus on Mercedes F1

Retired triple Formula One champion Niki Lauda has left the board of Air Berlin so that he can devote more time to his new role with the Mercedes Formula One team, the airline said on Thursday.

Austrian Lauda was named as non-executive chairman of the British-based team’s board when 2008 champion Lewis Hamilton was signed from McLaren last September.

Since then, Mercedes have announced the departure of motorsport chief Norbert Haug after more than 20 years in the high-profile job.

Lauda, 63 and a former Jaguar team principal, is expected to play a linking role between the team and Stuttgart car manufacturer.

The Austrian retired from Formula One racing in 1985 to focus on his aviation interests. The low-cost Niki airline he founded in 2003 is now owned by Air Berlin after Lauda sold his stake in 2011.

Air Berlin thanked Lauda in a statement for his “committed, stimulating work for the benefit of the company”.

Mercedes finished last season a disappointing fifth overall, with Hamilton joining this year in place of the now-retired seven-time champion Michael Schumacher.

[MIKA27]

Schumacher not sure he would have won in Vettel’s car

Michael Schumacher’s comeback would have been far more successful at the wheel of a top car, according to F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone.

“If he had had a Red Bull or a Ferrari, Michael would have won again,” the F1 chief executive told Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.

“He should have demanded more guarantees, because it was his [Mercedes] car [to blame] and now his reputation has been tainted,” added Ecclestone.

In a new interview with Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport, Schumacher – who turns 44 on Thursday – didn’t want to say that he would have definitely won races in a Red Bull.

The seven time world champion said: “I would agree that if I was in a car like that, I would be running with those [top] guys.

“Whether I would win races in the current Red Bull or McLaren is a good question,” said Schumacher, who won a record 91 races in his ultra-successful first career.

“You don’t just get in a car and win immediately. Could I go as fast in a custom Vettel car as I could in a custom Schumacher car? Probably not,” he admitted.

[MIKA27]

Marko not expecting Webber to beat Vettel in 2013

There is pressure on Red Bull’s Mark Webber to perform in 2013, insists the team’s driver consultant Helmut Marko.

“Mark knows what we expect of him,” Austrian Marko – the main link between team owner Dietrich Mateschitz and the Christian Horner-led F1 team in Milton-Keynes – told Germany’s Sport Bild.

Australian Webber, who openly admits that Marko is closer to Sebastian Vettel, has only a one-year contract with Red Bull Racing.

Now 36, he has been with Red Bull since 2007.

“For four years Vettel and Webber have driven together in our team,” Marko said. “Sebastian was runner-up once and champion three times.

“The statistic speaks for itself. There is no reason to think the balance of power will change,” he added.

If Webber is not retained beyond 2013, he could retire.

He says finding the right time to go is important.

“I haven’t been there yet but it is going to be a very difficult moment, no question about it,” Webber is quoted by GP International magazine.

“Now I have a lot of wisdom it’s about dropping that into your whole skill set and performing better.

“But there comes a point where even that’s not enough to keep you at the front. And that’s when you need to stop,” he said.

[MIKA27]

Hamilton aims to help Mercedes compete with top teams

With his lucrative new Mercedes contract having now officially begun, Lewis Hamilton says he wants to turn the Brackley based team into a Formula One frontrunner.

After six years with McLaren F1 the 2008 world champion has joined the famous German marque, in legend Michael Schumacher’s place.

“Doing better than Schumi?” his rhetorical question was quoted by the Italian broadcaster Mediaset.

“I don’t look at it that way. He is a legend, unattainable. Looking to the future, I would be very happy if I can help Mercedes to compete with the top teams,” said Hamilton.

The 27-year-old Briton has had an up-and-down F1 career so far: acknowledged as among the very best, but often derailed by his complex personality.

“Each of us has a personality,” said Hamilton, “and so you have to be yourself and ignore what people say.

“The important thing is to be consistent,” he added. “Sometimes you worry, sometimes you don’t. What I’m looking for now is stability in my life.”

As for on-track exploits, Hamilton said: “The pass I like the most is Hakkinen on Schumacher at the end of the straight at Spa [in 2000]. But I’ve also done some that I’m proud of,” he smiled.

[MIKA27]

Newey hints RB9 may face delayed debut

Chief technical officer Adrian Newey has hinted that Red Bull's 2013 challenger, the RB9, may not be ready for the first test of the season.

The 54-year-old designer admits the pressure of developing the RB8 up until the final race of the season, to ensure they secured the drivers' title with Sebastian Vettel - who was locked in an intense fight with Ferrari's Fernando Alonso - has led to some delays in designing its successor.

"We were introducing developments to the car right up to the penultimate race," he told Autosport.

"That has made it difficult to introduce all of those and simultaneously develop the next car."

Whilst he and the team are thankful they did push until the very end, after winning the title by just three points, he concedes it has been a very busy winter trying to catch up.

"If I'm honest, this has compromised the timescales of the new car more than we would have liked," he added.

"It was the right trade at the time, because we managed to get the job done but it means a busy winter trying to catch up again."

The Austrian outfit is yet to confirm its launch date and whether it will be at the first test, but a spokesperson for the team said that an announcement would be made shortly.

[MIKA27]

Sauber C32 launch planned for February 2nd

Sauber have confirmed they will launch their 2013 car, dubbed the C32, on February 2nd at their factory in Hinwil, Switzerland.

The outfit recently confirmed its new chassis had passed the FIA crash tests - the first car to do so - in December and will therefore be present at the first pre-season test in Jerez just three days after the unveiling.

The Ferrari powered team managed four podium finishes in 2012 with Sergio Pérez and Kamui Kobayashi, but will debut an all new line-up this year with Nico Hülkenberg and Esteban Gutiérrez.

McLaren will launch their MP4-28 on January 31st with Force India the following day at Silverstone.

[MatthewB]

Great to see 2013 in action so soon.

True contenders Vettel, Button, Raikenon

To watch Hulkenberg, Perez and Webber (last year before he retires)

Thanks for a great 2012 thread Mika...

[MIKA27]

Great to see 2013 in action so soon.

True contenders Vettel, Button, Raikenon

To watch Hulkenberg, Perez and Webber (last year before he retires)

Thanks for a great 2012 thread Mika...

Thanks for contributing Matt and you're most welcome mate.

Lets hope this season is as great as the last and politics free...

[OZCUBAN]

Great to see the 2013 F-1 thread up and running Michael

The one stop shop for all lovers of F-1

Keep up the good work mate ,would have to be the best non Cigar thread of the last three years

Steve

[Lotusguy]

Thank you very much for going through the effort every season!

[MIKA27]

Dennis: We could have done more

Ron Dennis has revealed that McLaren could have done more to keep Lewis Hamilton in the team, but chose not to.

Dennis, who now serves as the executive chairman of the McLaren Group and McLaren Automotive, says that ultimately the team believes it made the right decision in allowing Hamilton's 14-year association with them to come to an end.

Hamilton, who turns 28 on Monday, this week started in earnest a three-year deal with Mercedes, who are paying him £15million per season.

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh has always stated that Hamilton was offered a salary that he believes would have made the Briton the highest-paid driver in Formula One.

Dennis, meanwhile, says more could have been done "in both directions".

Speaking to CBI magazine Business Voice, he said: "I think it's wrong to portray that Lewis left this team.

"At the end of the day you end up with a situation where you're going to separate if the circumstances aren't right.

"Life isn't about one person deciding anything. It's never that way. It's about circumstances.

"Everybody says 'Am I bitterly this or bitterly that?' What? I'm a realist.

"Did we have the ability to create a situation where we could have stayed together? Categorically, yes. Would that have been the right thing to do? We didn't think so."

Some reports have suggested that Dennis and Hamilton had a falling out over contract negotiations, but Dennis insists he holds no ill will towards Hamilton.

"Whatever people choose to do at the end of a contractual period, the professional thing to do is to be supportive of the other side," he added.

"We don't wish him every success at Mercedes - that's understandable, as he's obviously going to be a competitor - but we don't wish him anything negative.

[MIKA27]

Ferrari expect opening races to decide title

Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali is keen to avoid any pre-season testing troubles to ensure the team gets the best possible start to the 2013 season.

The Italian outfit endured a difficult pre-season last year which saw Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa struggle at the first race where they qualified just 12th and 16th respectively.

However, their rate of development, which lasted until the final race, allowed them to overtake McLaren and catch Red Bull in the constructors'.

Domenicali doesn't believe they'll have the same luxury in 2013 as the drastic regulation changes for 2014 will see development switch earlier, therefore they must start the season with a quick car if they're to challenge for the title.

"What happened to us last year in the Jerez [pre-season] test will not be repeated this year," said the 47-year-old.

"Next season will be decided in the first races. The teams will do their work for 2013 and then move on to the preparations for 2014."

He expects teams to switch development far earlier than usual.

"I think that this switch will happen in July, so you will need to start the year well."

[MIKA27]

Force India teams up with 3D Systems

Sahara Force India Formula One Team is pleased to announce the signing of a technical partnership with 3D Systems Corporation, a leading supplier of 3D content-to-print solutions.

The multi-year deal strengthens the relationship between the two organisations allowing Sahara Force India to fully exploit its existing 3D Systems machinery and reduce the manufacturing time of wind tunnel model components.

Dr Vijay Mallya, Team Principal and Managing Director of Sahara Force India: “We’ve been working with 3D systems as a customer for many years, so we are delighted to forge stronger links with a company that is the market-leader for rapid prototyping technology. We use their technology on a daily basis to manufacture wind tunnel model components and this new relationship will hopefully allow us to get performance to the car faster.”

“We are excited to launch this technical partnership with the first ever Indian Formula One team,” said Kevin McAlea, Senior Vice President and General Manager of 3D Production Printers, 3D Systems. “The opportunity to partner with emerging innovators like Sahara Force India provides tangible customer benefits that extend well beyond motorsports.”

[MIKA27]

Formula One 2012: Top 15 Overtakes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6IVvlXfvfOc

[MIKA27]

Marko wants Hulkenberg to replace Webber in 2014

Mark Webber looks set to struggle again to keep his Red Bull race seat beyond the end of the forthcoming season.

Granted just a one-year contract for his seventh consecutive season with the team, the 36-year-old Australian is already on notice by Red Bull’s tough Dr Helmut Marko.

Now, Austrian Marko has made it clear that Red Bull was not happy with Webber’s driving at the 2012 Interlagos finale, when teammate Sebastian Vettel was fighting for the title against Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso.

Indeed, Flavio Briatore – still involved with the management of Webber’s career – said after Brazil: “The only one who helped Ferrari was Webber.”

Marko’s take: “Mark was not optimally cooperative in Brazil.”

Germany’s Sport Bild reports that while Toro Rosso’s Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne are obvious candidates to succeed Webber, Marko is also keen on Nico Hulkenberg.

German Hulkenberg, 25, has signed just a one-year deal with Sauber for 2013, and has also been linked with a potential 2014 move to Ferrari.

Marko confirmed: “A few years ago he was on the list of candidates for our junior team, but Nico already had a main sponsor [Dekra] from whom he didn’t want to separate.”

[MIKA27]

Sauber capable of winning in 2013 predicts Perez

Sauber is set to reveal its 2013 car, the C32, in the days before it makes its track debut at the start of winter testing, and early reports indicate it could be a winner.

Team founder Peter Sauber had already announced that the new Ferrari-powered single seater will run for the first time at Jerez on February 5.

The Swiss team on Thursday invited the media to an official launch event at its Hinwil headquarters, on 2 February.

Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber’s new driver replacing Sergio Perez, has already had his seat fitted.

The German’s teammate will be the Mexican rookie Esteban Gutierrez.

McLaren-bound Perez, who finished on the podium three times in 2012, is quoted by Swiss magazine Speed Week: “Sauber will be strong again, I am firmly convinced.

“The rules are fairly stable, the team has understood its car well, so why should they be worse than 2012?

“I even think there could be races they are capable of winning.”

Perez continued: “Sauber has done a lot for me, so I want them to do well more than any other team — with the exception of McLaren of course!”

In other pre-season testing news, Reuters correspondent Alan Baldwin wrote on Twitter that he believes Mercedes has booked the Jerez circuit for filming on the day before the first official test begins.

“Wonder who will be first in the car,” said Baldwin, contemplating Mercedes’ 2013 lineup of Lewis Hamilton alongside Nico Rosberg.

[MIKA27]

Analysis: Fight for Force India and Caterham F1 seats nears end

The fight for Formula 1's leading seats may have been over months ago, but the battle for cockpits further down the field remains intense as judgements loom on the final two vacancies.

Force India and Caterham are the only remaining outfits that have yet to finalise their line-ups, but with just one month to go before the start of 2013 testing, decisions are now expected within days.

The increasingly tough economic climate worldwide means that teams at both ends of the grid have had to be more mindful of commercial considerations when it comes to drivers, which is why neither outfit is having an easy time making its choice.

Force India: Bianchi vs Sutil

The Force India vacancy is a plum seat, with Nico Hulkenberg having shown at the Brazilian GP that the team has the capability to fight right at the front.

Although Paul di Resta has not yet been confirmed, his performances last year left the team in no doubt that he justified another opportunity for 2013, so his place is secure.

Towards the end of last season, the list of candidates for the seat alongside di Resta stretched to double figures though, as youngsters like Luiz Razia, out of work men like Jaime Alguersuari and Sebastien Buemi, and current racers like Bruno Senna and Kamui Kobayashi vied to fill Hulkenberg's place.

Although each driver had varying amounts of sponsorship behind him, Force India CEO Otmar Szafnauer said at the end of last season that the decision would ultimately rest on ability rather than backing.

He made it clear his preference was for speed to ultimately win out, because that would be the only way of ensuring both its men performed.

"I am a believer that you need someone like that," he said. "Not everyone does, and it is a subconscious thing.

"You think you are driving the best you can, but there is nothing like competition for us humans to really sharpen our focus, attention and skills in all sort of stuff. If you have competition you end up driving yourself more."

That process has culminated in the selection whittling down now to what appears to be a straightforward decision between veteran Adrian Sutil and rising star Jules Bianchi.

Sutil has the experience and speed to keep things moving forward after Hulkenberg, and would bring some funding from his long-term backers.

Bianchi would be more of a gamble on the driving front - because he has yet to race in F1 – but he has the added attraction of closes ties to Ferrari.

The Frenchman has been retained as part of the Ferrari Driver Academy for 2013, and a long-term deal could tie in to a potential engine partnership for 2014 and beyond.

Ferrari is currently working on sorting out its future customer engine plans, and may need to secure another partner with Scuderia Toro Rosso likely to make the move to Renault after this season.

The final call on Force India's drivers rests with team principal Vijay Mallya, who will need to weigh up both the short-term and long-term benefits of either candidate.

Caterham: Petrov, Senna or van der Garde?

At Caterham, there is an equally tough decision to be made as to who will partner youngster Charles Pic.

The Leafield-based outfit may have secured its 10th place in the constructors' championship at the 11th hour with Vitaly Petrov's result in Brazil, but it remains eager to bolster its commercial situation even more.

Heikki Kovalainen is unlikely to be kept on for another year, with the leading candidates for the role now being Petrov, Bruno Senna and Giedo van der Garde.

Petrov added nearly $10 million to Caterham's coffers with his 11th-place finish at Interlagos that got the team back in the top 10 of the constructors' championship, so there is an obvious reason to retain him.

Furthermore, Petrov has the potential to unlock more sponsorship from Russia with the Sochi Grand Prix looming on the horizon for 2014.

However, Senna has valuable backing behind him right now, and has the kind of profile and attitude that the team would benefit from.

Like the decision facing Mallya, Caterham has candidates who each easily justify their place, but in the end there is only space for one man.

2013 Formula 1 line-up so far:

Red Bull: Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber

Ferrari: Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa

McLaren: Jenson Button and Sergio Perez

Lotus: Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean

Mercedes: Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg

Sauber: Nico Hulkenberg and Esteban Gutierrez

Force India: Paul di Resta and seat still available

Williams: Pastor Maldonado and Valtteri Bottas

Toro Rosso: Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne

Caterham: Charles Pic and seat still available

Marussia: Timo Glock and Max Chilton

[La Suerte]

I like this thread very much...really nice to have someone pick out the relevant aspects of 2013 for me..

My thoughts for this season as it stands, with the newest mod's, have to be with McLaren..the car will suit Mr Button to a 'T' & take the raw edges off young Mr Perez...

we'll see, nothing's concrete in F1..... .

[Bartolomeo]

Still one of my favorite threads here, so thanks again!

Was disappointed NJ didnt get a race slot in 2013 but hope to make it to TX for the race

Bart

[MIKA27]

Turkey or nothing, Bernie confirms

A decision about whether to add a 20th race to the 2013 schedule will be made next week, with Istanbul the favourite to take the place of the postponed race in New Jersey, if a replacement is chosen at all.

The FIA World Motor Sport Council published a revised fixture list during December 2012 that accommodates a 20th race on July 21, a slot between a rescheduled German Grand Prix and Hungarian Grand Prix.

The FIA also confirmed that this race was reserved for a European host, with in Turkey, France and Austria mooted as possible venues.

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone played down the chances of returning to the Red Bull track in Austria's Spielberg mountains, and with François Hollande's recently elected national government's decision to cut public funding in France, Magny-Cours seems an unlikely venue as well.

"At the moment, I'm thinking more about Turkey and a return to Istanbul," Ecclestone earlier.

The proposed Turkish Grand Prix is not without its problems, however.

During December Turkish minister of sport followed the direction of his French counterpart and confirmed that no public funding would be made available to help revive the race that normally took place just outside the country's biggest city.

"Just now, I am thinking we might have only 19 Grands Prix this year," Ecclestone added.

"That would not be a big problem for Formula One. Probably we will be able to reach a decision next week."

[MIKA27]

Schumacher: 'Mercedes can be successful in '13'

Mercedes can be successful in 2013, unlike previous seasons, according to Michael Schumacher who retired from the team and the sport at the end of 2012.

The German believes they now have the required structure and technical team in place to design and continually develop a competitive car - something he says wasn't present during his tenure at the team.

"In the first two years, we definitely did not have the capability to fight on several fronts," he told Auto Motor und Sport. "If there were problems we had to take care of them, so the development process was interrupted.

"Only now is there a structure that enables both," Added Schumacher. "It's a strong structure for 2013 and beyond.

"The car we had last year was built under the old conditions. I'm talking about quantity, not quality. That has always been the reason why development stagnated."

Whilst Mercedes made several management changes for the 2012 season in order to address these issues, Schumacher says it takes time for the results to become noticeable - though he admitted he was surprised things didn't pick up toward the end of the year.

"Why that was still the case last year I do not understand," he said. "We created the basic conditions for [the team] to move forward. Maybe a few cogs in our structure had to mesh before that happens," he explained.

[MIKA27]

WHAT KIND OF MERCEDES CHALLENGE CAN WE EXPECT IN 2013?

It is already clear that we will be hearing a lot about Mercedes in 2013, much of it from in and around the team. But what kind of Mercedes challenge can we expect this year?

Niki Lauda, the new non-executive chairman of the team, said before Christmas that there is a big job to be done to improve the way the Brackley based team operates and noted that, “While everyone else is on (Christmas) vacation, I will use the time to do everything to bring Mercedes to the front again — because that’s where we belong,”

Meanwhile Michael Schumacher, who left the team after three seasons to make way for Hamilton, told Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport that Mercedes’ budget is one of the key reasons why the team lags behind the big spenders like Red Bull,

“It’s a factor,” he said. “Over the years, Red Bull built an infrastructure and has a budget giving them the possibility to respond to anything in the best possible way.

“It is nothing more or less than what we had at Ferrari.”

Mercedes’ F1 team ownership adventure was predicated on the Resource Restriction Agreement being more effective.

When they bought the Brawn team in 2009, for €123 million, the then motorsport director Norbert Haug spoke openly about how the Brackley team was well set for the new-look post credit crunch F1, regulated by an effective cost control mechanism between the teams.

According to Bild, Mercedes-Benz puts €60-80 million into the team annually, roughly half the €150m annual budget.

The problem is that in the intervening period the RRA has not been policed effectively; Red Bull did not want to pay ball with the other teams and they and Ferrari withdrew from the F1 Teams Association a year ago. Some effective RRA controls are in place on wind tunnel and CFD usage, but it’s clear that Red Bull in particular has been spending more. This is one of the reasons why Haug’s vision failed, leading to his dismissal last month.

So where does Mercedes go from here? This is one of the key subjects Lauda will have been assessing over the winter. With Haug out of the way, it will be his job to advise the board of Daimler (Mercedes’ parent company) about what budget level the team will require to succeed.

He may or may not be aligned in his view with the two men running the team, team principal Ross Brawn and CEO Nick Fry, and we will discover more about how aligned they are as the next few months go on.

The sense among experienced observers in Germany is that there are likely to be tensions between the two factions. Lauda has multiple media channels to get his message out, like his friend and opposite number Helmut Marko at Red Bull.

But the disappointment so far isn’t all down to budget; the technical team has not performed effectively to produced a consistent front-running car.

Lewis Hamilton has said that he wants to turn the team into a winning force, while both Brawn and Lauda have called for expectations to be managed. Mercedes is coming from quite a long way back.

That said, they went through quite a few upheavals on the wind tunnel and other infrastructure projects last year, the team now has many state-of-the-art facilities.

Above all, it needs its aerodynamics team to raise its game and design a more competitive car from the outset. Operationally Mercedes are at a good level, if they have the car to work with. If they can prove that, then perhaps a bigger budget will follow.