FORMULA 1 - 2015

[MIKA27]

Teams say 2017 changes will get ‘back to roots of F1’

Team bosses have expressed their excitement at proposals being considered for the 2017 Formula 1 World Championship, saying the revised regulations will take the sport 'back to its roots'.

Broad discussions regarding the direction of F1 have been ongoing for months as organisers and teams attempt to address the criticisms of the current era from fans and drivers without dampening this generation's move towards greater efficiency and frugality.

Significantly, form 2017 the look of the cars will change with a view to introducing more aggressive designs and the plan is to make the cars as much as six seconds per lap faster. Format changes – including discussions about a two-race format – have also been mooted.

Though the framework is still being refined, leading figures have expressed their excitement for some of the plans and are eagerly awaiting their introduction, with McLaren's Eric Boullier teasing that it will bring F1 back to its basics.

“I'm excited because it is back to the roots of Formula One,” he told Crash.net. “It's like Formula One is in constant evolution, and it's good sometimes to just do a reset and come back to the basics.

“You need to have the drivers happier. You need to been seen as the main racing attraction in the world, where every driver in the world is dreaming to be. That's the first thing. If we do this, we attract the best driver and this will make the show very good. And making the show very good, makes your racing better.”

With Bernie Ecclestone expressing his desire to see a return for 1000bhp V8 engines, Boullier dismisses the notion that moving away from V6's would make a difference, saying F1 is about the perception of speed, rather than figures.

“People will get used to these V6 and we need to stay with V6 in F1 to keep the interest and money from the manufacturers. What we definitely need to do is make the cars faster.

“I remember when I was 20, the first time I saw Formula One and I was absolutely blown away by the acceleration and braking. Visually, you could see the car and not understand how it could accelerate so fast or how they could stop so fast as well.

“This is what we miss – the perception of speed for fans. We miss downforce, grip and more cornering speed, nothing else.

Though discussions about race format changes haven't been publically detailed as yet, Williams deputy team principal Claire Williams teases 'interesting concepts' being considered.

“There is work going on behind the scenes in the various working groups but until we meet again, there is nothing to report on. I think the whole concept was really interesting and I'm really looking forward to how it develops and when it comes out.”

[MIKA27]

Ricciardo: Back row to eighth felt like a podium

Daniel Ricciardo says his eighth place finish at Monza felt like a podium to his Red Bull team after starting from the back due to his 50-place grid penalty.

The Australian suffered a complete engine blow out after just five laps into FP3 in Italy and consequently received a 50-place grid penalty for a total power unit change.

Despite starting 19th on the grid, the Red Bull driver enjoyed a strong race to cut through the field and finish eighth after passing Sauber's Marcus Ericsson on the final lap.

Ricciardo says getting past Ericsson was a nice bonus at the end of a productive race and felt like celebrating his points finish in Italy in a similar fashion to his podium in the Hungarian Grand Prix.

“It was cool, it was a bit like last year we had pace at the end and we were able to go longer,” Ricciardo said. “We were able to attack and it was good to get Ericsson on the last corner, I'm sure he isn't pleased but it made my race sweeter.

“We knew we'd struggle along the straights and it was always going to be hard to get into the top ten here with our package but the chassis itself I was really happy with. At the start of the weekend I said to get into the top eight will feel like a podium for us.”

With a satisfying end to a difficult race weekend in Italy Ricciardo is now looking ahead to the street circuit in Singapore which traditionally suits the Red Bull machine and has eyes on a return to the rostrum in two weeks time.

“I don't want to get too excited but we can go to Singapore with some confidence,” he said. “The car has got better and better over the last few races and Singapore will hopefully bring our car to life and challenge Ferrari for a podium.

“I'm really happy with the work the team has done over the past few months, the last three races in particular have felt a lot better.”

[MIKA27]

Sainz upbeat with first finish since Canada

Carlos Sainz Jr says he was unfortunate to miss out on the points but was happy to finish his first Formula 1 Grand Prix after four consecutive failures.

The Toro Rosso driver looked set for a late charge with Daniil Kvyat for the final points position at Monza following Nico Rosberg's retirement two laps from the finish. However, he just missed out after also being hampered by a five-second time penalty for cutting the first chicane and gaining an advantage.

Despite a difficult race weekend Sainz opted to focus on the positives of reaching the chequered flag for the first time since June in the Canadian Grand Prix.

“I'm pretty happy with today's race, especially with our pace,” Sainz said. “We were quick and towards the end of the race I was getting closer and closer to the ones ahead and, even though I didn't manage to catch them, it felt good to know that we were faster.

“There are many positives to take from today: we finally finished a race after four retirements in a row, something I really needed, and enjoyed some good fights.

“It's a shame we didn't get that final point that I think we deserved, but the five-second penalty I had to complete at the beginning of the race wasn't ideal.”

[MIKA27]

Gaming helping overtaking in F1, says Toro Rosso's Verstappen

Toro Rosso Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen says practising overtaking moves on a computer game is helping his attack on track.

Verstappen joined simracing team Redline at the beginning of the summer and practised Spa and Monza before contesting the circuits' F1 grands prix.

During the Italian Grand Prix, the Dutchman, running soft tyres, passed Sauber's Felipe Nasr, who was on the mediums, around the outside at the first chicane.

It followed an impressive move on Nasr around the outside of Blanchimont at Spa a fortnight earlier.

Verstappen revealed he had completed both those exact moves on the racing game a week ahead of the respective races.

"It's always good because you know how much space you have," he said.

"Also on simracing, sometimes you go a bit too far and you know that you can't do it.

"I think it helps me. I mean I did it for Spa and I did it again for Monza and two times it worked on the real track.

"The overtake I did on Nasr, I did exactly the same in the sim again."

HAMILTON PREFERS SPONTANEOUS MOVES

When told about Verstappen's sim training, Lewis Hamilton said he preferred not to practice his overtaking moves and instead react in the moment.

"I'm more of an edge of my seat kind of driver," he said. "I like freestyling when I'm out there.

"None of my overtaking manoeuvres are the same as the others.

"I love the spontaneity of an overtake.

"You never know when it's going to happen, you can try and plan ahead but it wont happen that lap, it might happen at different points.

"I don't like planning things or preparing, 'this is going to be a corner I'm going be overtaking here and so I'm going to practice, practice, practice and then do it'.

"I like arriving and not knowing where I'm going to do it.

"I think that makes it more exciting for me, if I only wait to do it in that one spot it's not so exciting for me.

"There's a new generation. Maybe, there's a new way that they do it."

[Bartolomeo]

ECCLESTONE: LEWIS HAS GONE TOO FAR IN RECENT MONTHS

Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone is no longer so sure about Lewis Hamilton’s high profile and extravagant lifestyle.

Earlier this season, Ecclestnehailed the Mercedes driver as the ideal world champion as he is constantly in the spotlight.

But a few days ago, Ecclestone said he thinks Hamilton might now be going “over the top”.

“Maybe he’s gone too far in recent months,” the 84-year-old now tells Bild am Sonntag newspaper.

Indeed, in recent weeks and months, Hamilton has been ‘twerking’ topless with Rihanna, smoking cigars, cavorting with rappers, constantly traveling and at Monza he turned up with blonde hair and a new eagle tattoo on his neck.

He then caused outrage on Twitter on Sunday when he wore a cap and headphones during the minute’s silence for the death of Justin Wilson.

“I honestly hadn’t realised it was a minute of silence,” Hamilton said. “My sincere apologies.”

When asked about Hamilton’s latest exploits, Ecclestone answered: “I don’t know if it’s good for him.”

Earlier, Ecclestone had criticised the fiercely private Sebastian Vettel.

But he now says: “People are beginning to respect Sebastian that he is the way he is. I don’t want everybody to be like Lewis. Perhaps it was unfair to criticise Sebastian. Actually he’s a bit like me.”

“We don’t want the limelight. I want to do my work, and if there is no drama then I’ll see if I can make one! But the big show, I’ll leave that to the others,” added Ecclestone.

Thats what F1 drivers are suppose to be, Playboys off the track and Mavericks on it......Bernie just has old Whiteman's syndrome

[MIKA27]

Thats what F1 drivers are suppose to be, Playboys off the track and Mavericks on it......Bernie just has old Whiteman's syndrome

.....to name one of many syndromes

[MIKA27]

SILLY SEASON FIZZLING OUT AS 2016 GRID TAKES SHAPE

With several Formula 1 drivers confirmed by their teams (or on the verge of being confirmed) for the 2016 season over the past few weeks, the Silly Season is fizzling out rapidly.

With Kimi Raikkonen all signed up again, Ferrari will field an unchanged lineup next year, as will Mercedes, Sauber and probably the two Red Bull teams.

Fernando Alonso is contractually locked in at McLaren-Honda, and sources report that the Honda-powered team also wants to keep Jenson Button, but perhaps only if he lowers his retainer.

When asked at Monza about the threat posed by McLaren juniors Kevin Magnussen and Stoffel Vandoorne, Button shut down the discussion immediately, insisting “I have nothing to say.”

Earlier, Valtteri Bottas had appeared a shoo-in for a Ferrari seat, but Williams ultimately refused to sell his 2016 deal to the Maranello team.

“I don’t think you can put a price on someone like Valtteri,” said Claire Williams on Thursday, after the Grove team also announced that Felipe Massa is staying.

Bottas, however, may become available again for 2017 and joked with MTV when asked about the length of his new deal with Williams, “It’s maybe one year or two. Or five or ten. It will become clear at some point.”

Mika Salo, a former F1 driver, surmised that when the Ferrari door closed, Bottas essentially had nowhere else to go. Lotus, for example, could become the Renault works team for 2016, but it appears Romain Grosjean is keeping his seat there, while Pastor Maldonado has a firm contract.

If it is deemed that Maldonado’s PDVSA millions do not mesh with the presumably Total-sponsored Renault, he may be in the running to switch to Force India.

The Silverstone based team has already locked down Nico Hulkenberg for the next two years, even though he had been linked with the new Ferrari-linked Haas team.

“Why should he have taken the risk with a new team if he already sits in a good car?” former driver Marc Surer, now a pundit for German television Sky, said on Thursday.

“Force India has made progress and should be good here at Monza, so I think Hulkenberg has made a good decision,” he added.

The other seat at Force India, however, remains unconfirmed, even though Sergio Perez’s Mexican backers reportedly take EUR 20 million to the team per year.

Maldonado’s backing, on the other hand, is estimated at $50 million a year. But Perez said at Monza that his Force India deal could be all wrapped up by Singapore, telling reporters: “As you know, I have a group of sponsors and we’re trying to make the announcement all together. So from that respect it’s all clear.”

Maldonado, therefore, is expecting to stay at Enstone, whether the cars are coloured black or yellow — and even though it is rumoured Lotus’ serious financial strife has been made even worse by PDVSA holding back a payment.

“That’s totally false,” he said at Monza. “We (the driver and his sponsors) have a contract until the end of next season so it should be ok whether Renault comes or not.”

[MIKA27]

HAMILTON SCOOPS GQ SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD

Lewis Hamilton has received the 2015 GQ Sportsman of the Year Award at a function held in the wake of his Italian Grand Prix victory.

GC Reported on their website: “Two-time Formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton is unquestionably one of the leading sportsmen of his generation. His unforgettable debut season of 2007, in which Hamilton looked destined to win the championship only to lose it at the last hurdle, announced the arrival of a new sporting superstar.”

“He won the world title in 2008, on the final corner of the final lap of the final race, and looked set to dominate for years to come. However, bad luck and car troubles meant Hamilton was forced to watch as Sebastian Vettel reeled off four straight championship victories.”

“Was Hamilton destined to be a one-title wonder like compatriots James Hunt and, as seems likely, Jenson Button?”

“Not a chance. A move to Mercedes proved inspired and last year Hamilton triumphed over teammate Nico Rosberg in a classic title duel. His good looks, celebrity girlfriends – most notably Nicole Scherzinger – and outspoken nature means Hamilton will always be the marquee name on the grid. But at last driving success has returned as well.”

“At the time of writing, Hamilton leads the 2015 championship by 53 points. The third title is most definitely on.”

Lewis Hamilton was presented with his award by Chiwetel Ejiofor.

[MIKA27]

It's D Day for Lotus Formula 1 Team

This morning in London Mr Justice Birss will listen to a case in Court 11 at the Royal Courts of Justice, to decide whether or not to put Lotus Formula 1 Team Ltd into administration. The case, between the team and the Commissioners for HMRC (the British tax authorities) will either lead to an administration order or to a stay of a week or so if someone turns up offering money to solve the problems.

Renault is poised to try to take over the team, but they do not appear to have the cash to do it – buying F1 teams is not considered such a smart idea by big publicly-owned car companies, with advisory boards and institutional investors, and I am hearing that the plan to use historical payments from the Formula One group to fund the takeover may have fallen apart over the Monza weekend. There is still a chance that money might come from Red Bull as it continues to try to get out of its 2016 Renault deals, but that would take weeks to sort out.

The word in Monza was that CVC Capital Partners, which owns the Formula One group, does not want to meet the requests/demands of Renault in the matter of historical payments. This is a problem because we have a number of celebrated hardball players all playing super hardball together.

This situation has arisen because there is no official scale of how these payments work, and from what we can gather from the outside they are negotiated individually. Ferrari gets a s**t-load of money, but several other teams managed to get themselves a slice of the pie and CVC is now getting tired of more and more people holding out their hands and expecting money. They only have themselves to blame because they have allowed F1 to get into this state. They don’t want to move because it is affecting their take.

We shouldn't weep for them because they have taken plenty, but it seems that Renault’s attitude is fairly robust. If the French don’t get what they consider to be a fair share from the pot then they may be stamping their feet and saying they will walk away. That is the negotiating position anyway. Would they really do that? Hmmm… I’m not sure it would be good for Carlos Ghosn to tell the Renault board that half a billion in research and development into F1 has been wasted, but Ghosn is no shrinking violet when it comes to negotiations.

Interesting times ahead..

What is key for the real people of F1 is that the folk at Enstone should be treated fairly and not be left in the dark about their futures. If the team gets into administration things will be complicated to sort out, but it is not the end of the road, unless the team is deemed to have been insolvent at any point. The definition of that is complicated, as was seen last winter with Marussia.

More news on this later...

[MIKA27]

HOW FERRARI USED RAIKKONEN TO PROTECT VETTEL AND OTHER TALES FROM MONZA

On the face of it, an Italian Grand Prix based on predominantly one-stop strategies is fairly straight-forward to analyse, but there were some interesting decisions made on Sunday, which affected the result and the outcomes for several drivers, including great recovery drives by Kimi Raikkonen and Daniel Ricciardo.

There was also an intriguing play by Ferrari to give Kimi Raikkonen a sub-optimal strategy to protect Sebastian Vettel at a key moment in the race.

Pre race considerations

With the choice of soft and medium tyres this year for the first time (instead of medium and hard) Pirelli was hoping to increase the strategy options beyond the normal one-stop plan. But teams were well prepared for it and – as a stop at Monza costs a massive 22-24 seconds – they were highly motivated to do the race in one-stop.

It was achieved, albeit several cars were on the limit at the end of each stint on tyre performance.

After the tyre failures in Spa, the subject of tyre pressures was central to the story in Monza. Teams were given a raised minimum pressure to apply to the tyres and this meant more sliding and less grip out of slow corners and higher degradation.

The Great Recovery #1: Raikkonen goes from second to 22nd to 5th

Starting on the front row of the grid for the first time since 2013, Kimi Raikkonen had a chance to win the Italian Grand Prix for Ferrari, if he could have got ahead of Lewis Hamilton at the start. Although Hamilton had half a second a lap pace advantage over the Ferrari, that might not have been enough to pass Raikkonen if the Ferrari man got ahead.

Sadly for the Finn, he did not get away off the line cleanly and was passed by the entire field into Turn 1. His drive to finish fifth was impressive and owed a lot to good recovery strategy by Ferrari. The optimum strategy was to pit off the soft tyres on Lap 26 and then do 27 laps on mediums to the end. Ferrari deliberately did not do this, pitting Raikkonen two laps later on L28, which was a sub-optimal strategy as it meant that he came out behind Ericsson and Hulkenberg and then had to re-pass them on the track. If he had come in on Lap 26 he had a gap to them and would have come out of the pits ahead.

So why did they do this?

The answer is because they were using Raikkonen as a foil against the challenge of Rosberg on their best-placed driver, Sebastian Vettel.

Rosberg at this stage was on eight lap-old medium tyres and was two seconds per lap faster than Raikkonen. Vettel meanwhile had pitted on Lap 25 and was just two seconds ahead of Raikkonen at the start of Lap 26.

By staying out those two extra laps Raikkonen gave Vettel both immediate protection from Rosberg and helped his teammate build a cushion of five seconds, as Rosberg lost time behind the Finn. It was clever and perfectly legal and showed great composure on the pit wall at a tense moment in the race.

Ferrari did a good job in Monza, a race where it was vital for them to do so. The upgraded engine gave them an extra 10hp in qualifying mode and the car had impressive corner speeds.

The only interesting point to note was that Vettel had high tyre degradation at the end of both stints.

The Great Recovery #2: Ricciardo makes a reverse strategy work for points from the back row of the grid

Three years ago Sergio Perez pulled off a contra strategy, starting on the harder tyre and trying to pass cars later in the race on the faster tyre.

It didn’t work last year for those who tried it, but this year Daniel Ricciardo did an excellent job to get an 8th place finish in a not particularly fast Red Bull car, having started 19th on the grid on new medium tyres.

As in Spa, Ricciardo made an excellent start; he gained six places on the opening lap, placing him 13th in the early stages. He picked off the McLarens of Alonso and Button and the Toro Rosso of Carlos Sainz, putting him 10th before the main field did their pit stops.

By running the medium tyre for a longer first stint, he made it to Lap 30, at which point he was in seventh place. His target was to get ahead of Nico Hulkenberg and Marcus Ericsson, who again showed good pace in the Sauber.

Red Bull held him out a couple of laps longer than appeared ideal, as his lap times dropped into the 1m 30s, but it meant he had good pace at the end of the race, when Ericsson was struggling on 35 lap old Mediums.

What is interesting about this is the balance the strategist has to strike between losing time at the end of a stint by doing a lap or two too many against having strong pace at the end of the race. Ricciardo caught and passed Ericsson before the end but ran out of time to get Hulkenberg.

In hindsight stopping a lap earlier would have given him another 1.5 to 2 seconds, which might have made the difference in passing Hulkenberg for 7th. But it’s very hard to judge that at the time you are making the decision.

Could Williams have played it smarter against the undercut by Rosberg’s Mercedes?

The final note is on the classic undercut, pulled off by Mercedes and Nico Rosberg on the Williams drivers Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas. Had Rosberg’s engine not failed at the end, it would have been a podium-winning move.

Rosberg lost position to the Williams drivers at the start, as he had to steer around the stationary Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen.

As they approached the first round of stops, Rosberg closed up to the Williams pair, running together as they so often do with Massa ahead. Williams knew what was coming – the undercut. Rosberg pitted on Lap 18, came out on new medium tyres and when Williams reacted pitting Massa, both drivers lost position.

So could Williams have done anything differently to counter this and why didn’t they? Clearly if Massa had pitted on Lap 18 he would have pre-empted the undercut; if Rosberg followed him into the pits, Massa would have retained position. Of course Mercedes would not have done that; they would have run Rosberg longer, but it would have made life much more difficult for Rosberg and Bottas could have played a team game to help it work.

Williams must have felt that Lap 18 was too early for them to pit and make it to the end competitively on the medium tyres.

Once they saw Rosberg had pitted and looked at the first sector of his out lap, they knew from the data that they’d lost the position, so the better strategy would have been to stay out and try to get an offset for later in the race. By pitting Massa to cover him, they gave the place away. This was made even easier by a slow pit-stop from Williams.

What is interesting is that, by not pre-empting the undercut it looked like they considered that they weren’t really racing Rosberg.

But on the other hand, by reacting to his stop, their move showed that they thought they were.

It is all part of Williams’ development operationally and strategically.

[MIKA27]

BERNIE ECCLESTONE CALMS FEARS OF DECEMBER RACE IN 2016

Abu Dhabi will remain Formula One’s season-ending race next year but Bernie Ecclestone has calmed fears the calendar could extend into December to create a bigger gap between Singapore and Malaysia.

“I think we can escape going into December, otherwise it’s getting a bit too near Christmas,” the sport’s 84-year-old commercial supremo told Reuters, confirming the finale would still be at the Yas Marina circuit.

The 2016 calendar remains very much a work in progress, with the 21-race draft version published in July sure to see some changes before being cast in stone later in the year.

Ecclestone confirmed Malaysia was set for a new slot, yet to be decided.

“I’m going to move that a little bit,” the Briton said. “I don’t know (where), I’m having a look now.”

Malaysia, the second round of the 2015 season, had been pencilled in as the 13th round of 2016 with a Sept. 25 date, the weekend after Singapore’s night grand prix.

While the Sepang circuit organisers had no qualms about being back-to-back with their neighbours’ more glamorous race, paddock reports suggested the Singaporeans were less enthusiastic.

Ecclestone had suggested last week that the season, due to end in Abu Dhabi on Nov. 27, could be stretched into December to keep the Southeast Asian races apart.

The calendar has already proved contentious in other areas, with the traditional August shutdown significantly eroded with Hungary on Aug. 7 and Belgium on Aug. 28 while pre-season testing has been reduced.

The championship is also more condensed and will have its latest start since 1988, with the opener in Australia scheduled for April 3.

Williams deputy team principal Claire Williams told reporters the sport’s core Strategy Group would discuss the calendar, and the reduced break, at their next meeting.

“It does worry us and it’s something that we’ll be putting on the agenda,” she said.

“Not having that shutdown is a concern. It’s so important for everybody that works within the team and Formula One that they have that break…so we’ll be lobbying to have it reinstated.”

“I still think Mr E is in conversations with various promoters around some of those races on the calendar which may enable a little bit of flexibility,” said Williams.

Azerbaijan is due to make its debut next year while Germany returns after a year’s absence. Promoters of both said both grands prix were sure to happen.

[MIKA27]

MARCHIONNE: AT MONZA WE SAW THAT MERCEDES IS FRAGILE

According to Ferrari uber-boss Sergio Marchionne, Monza was proof that Mercedes’ stroll to the 2015 F1 world championship title might not be as easy as some are now expecting.

Red Bull boss Christian Horner has been quoted as saying the engine performance upgrade brought to the Italian grand prix by Mercedes was “scary”.

But the new unit used initially by Nico Rosberg had to be removed after a problem, and then the German driver retired from the race with yet another engine-related issue.

At the same time, Ferrari also introduced an improved engine for Monza and with both cars managed to split the Silver Arrows in qualifying at the high speed venue.

As he scythed through the field following the botched start, Kimi Raikkonen told Auto Motor und Sport: “We are going in the right direction with the engine.

“Force India are quick on the straights but I was a little surprised at how I managed to get past them,” he added.

Ferrari president Marchionne agreed, telling La Repubblica: “It was a great comeback from him [Raikkonen] and just a shame that he made a mistake at the start.

“Is Hamilton impregnable? If Kimi had stayed at the front, I’m not sure what the result would have been. We also saw that Mercedes is fragile,” he added, referring to Rosberg’s reliability problems.

Finally, Ferrari team boss Maurizio Arrivabene would not respond to Fernando Alonso’s latest comments, after the Spaniard suggested not much has changed at the Maranello team since his departure.

“I do not want to talk about Fernando,” said the Italian. “I knew him in another job and we have a great relationship, but I do not want to talk about it. I will only talk about my drivers and I’m perfectly fine with them.”

[MIKA27]

GASTALDI: WE ARE WAITING FOR FINAL APPROVAL FROM RENAULT

Lotus deputy chief Federico Gastaldi says he is still waiting for Renault to make a decision about buying the Enstone team.

It is a harrowing time for the financially-crippled black and gold-coloured team, who have faced off recently against angry unpaid suppliers and even the British tax authorities.

But Gastaldi said the fight with former reserve driver Charles Pic, resulting in team equipment being seized by court bailiffs at Spa, is at least now over.

Asked if bailiffs will be visiting the paddock at any forthcoming races, he told Bild newspaper: “No, that’s all settled.

“There was a dispute and both sides exchanged legal documents and now the issue is settled. I spoke to Charles on Sunday, and he apologised for what happened. He was wrong to behave like this, but now it is behind us,” Gastaldi added.

What is now immediately in front of Lotus is next weekend’s Singapore grand prix, with some believing that if Renault’s decision is not made quickly, the embattled team might be absent.

And the delay might also be affecting Lotus’ current drivers, as La Gazzetta dello Sport says the new entrant Haas is now closing on pairing Romain Grosjean with Ferrari’s Esteban Gutierrez for 2016.

There are also rumours that Pastor Maldonado’s crucial backers at PDVSA are holding back a due payment to Lotus amid the uncertainty.

Gastaldi said: “We are in talks with Renault and waiting for the final approval. We cannot put pressure on a global corporation like Renault, but we have already worked with them – we know each other.”

“One thing is clear: we would of course like to work with them as soon as possible. So we can develop the car for next year.”

As for Singapore, he insisted: “We will go there and do the race and hopefully it will be better than Monza.”

MIKA: I love this team, hope it all works out

[MIKA27]

MCLAREN BOSS SAYS BUTTON DECISION DUE SOON

McLaren have admitted that they will take a quick decision over the future of Jenson Button, hence their driver line-up for 2016 season.

Last year, the 2009 world champion faced a long and ignominious wait for news about his fate for 2015, declaring at Monza last weekend that he has told Ron Dennis an earlier decision should be made for next season.

“There is obviously a date for the option on Jenson and we know that we will not wait for the end of the year this time,” team boss Eric Boullier told F1’s official website.

It is believed the 2016 ‘option’ runs out at the end of September. Earlier, at Monza, Boullier was asked if Honda will have a say in who Fernando Alonso’s 2016 teammate will be.

Last year, it was believed the McLaren-Honda camp was split down the middle over retaining Button or giving the other seat to either Kevin Magnussen or fellow young charger Stoffel Vandoorne.

“We will discuss it with Honda of course,” Boullier said, “but in the end McLaren will decide.”

Mark Webber, the F1 veteran who now enjoys the world of Le Mans prototype racing, thinks 35-year-old Button should consider a change of scene.

“To know he’s going into a race and has no chance is mentally very difficult,” the popular Australian told BBC radio.

“I’d love to see him try something different, try sports cars. I get frustrated watching his situation. I want to see him in a competitive car but is that going to happen next year? Unlikely.

“JB, the type of guy he is, gutsy and a dark horse, he would love the environment where it’s a little less tense,” added Webber.

MIKA: Maybe Jensens contract clause will ask that Yasuhisa Arai be removed from the team and give someone else a chance to get this team up and running. If it were Ferrari, he'd have been kicked to the curb already.

[MIKA27]

BERGER NOT SURPRISED RED BULL AND RENAULT SET TO SPLIT

Mounting reports that Red Bull and Renault are definitely splitting is no big surprise to Gerhard Berger.

It is believed Red Bull has now triggered the end of the agreement with a full year still to run, citing a clause that Renault must supply state-of-the-art technology.

Reports suggest Renault has now verbally accepted the end-of-season split.

Indeed, Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport said Red Bull is so determined to take a new direction that it is prepared to forego the EUR 88 million brought by Renault-linked sponsors Infiniti and Total.

“I can understand that Red Bull is very unhappy about the last two years,” Berger, famously close to Red Bull’s Dietrich Mateschitz, told Austrian Servus TV.

“In its development, Renault has gone more backwards than forwards and Red Bull has seen that the train has departed.”

The big rumour now is that, with Mercedes reportedly ruling out working with Red Bull, the next best option for the energy drink-owned stable is a deal with Ferrari.

“With its place in F1, Red Bull is configured only to win, but today that is possible only with the Mercedes engine,” said Igor Ermilin, a top Russian motor racing official.

“Ferrari is close to that top level now, and there is a chance that they will catch up completely,” he told Izvestia news agency.

“The only other option is Honda, but when and how they will be in a position to go for championships again is a big question.

“So I think Red Bull’s first priority for talks was with Mercedes, then with Ferrari and finally Honda,” Ermilin added.

[MIKA27]

OFFICIAL SLAMS STUPID F1 PENALTY SYSTEM

A leading Russian motor racing official has hit out at “stupid” penalties that are affecting Formula 1 drivers at today’s grands prix.

The spate of penalties up and down pitlane hit an embarrassing zenith at Monza last weekend, as drivers ran out of their allocation of four engines for the season and teams reacted tactically.

Igor Ermilin, an official of the Russian grand prix and a presidential advisor, said of the penalty system: “I have no civil words to say about it.

“It is artificial and completely against the interest of the sport. And that’s the nicest way I can put it. It is the most stupid thing I think the FIA could ever do.

“I also resent the absurd requirement of a certain number of engines that can be used during the season. It is beyond common sense,” Ermilin told the Russian news agency Izvestia.

[MIKA27]

TYRE PRESSURES RISKS ALWAYS PART OF F1 CLAIMS HAKKINEN

Formula 1 double world champion Mika Hakkinen has weighed into the Monza tyre pressure saga by saying that in his experience teams often took “risks”.

The Italian grand prix was the first time a tyre manufacturer’s usage guidelines were strictly enforced, after Pirelli increased the recommended minimum pressure in the wake of high-speed blowouts at Spa.

After the chequered flag at Monza, Lewis Hamilton’s victory was in doubt while the stewards and Mercedes had a lengthy post-race hearing because his pressures were found to have been too low on the grid.

Ultimately, the world championship leader kept his win, as the FIA conceded that the protocols for checking the pressures need to be improved.

“It was interesting,” former two-time world champion Hakkinen, a long-time Mercedes-powered McLaren driver, told the Finnish newspaper Ilta Sanomat.

“At Monza the pressures were forcibly raised, because of the tyre explosions of the last race at Spa. I remember from my F1 career how radical decisions were sometimes made with the tyre pressures,” the Finn revealed.

“The team wanted to improve performance, so we took risks even if the tyre company had a strong view about it. Safety should always be above everything else,” Hakkinen added.

[MIKA27]

WEHRLEIN IN LINE FOR MANOR SEAT IN 2016

Highly rated Pascal Wehrlein has not denied speculation he is in the running for a Manor seat on the grid for 2016.

Currently with Mercedes in the German touring car championship DTM, the highly-rated 20-year-old is also the Brackley team’s official F1 reserve.

But the German is now being linked with Manor amid rumours the former Marussia team could form an alliance with Mercedes next year, along the lines of Haas’ ‘B-team’ technical partnership with Ferrari.

Wehrlein is quoted by Germany’s Sport1: “I cannot influence anything beyond doing my best in DTM, and so far it is going very well and I can fight for the championship.”

Indeed, driving for Mercedes’ top HWA squad, Wehrlein is running a close second place in DTM this season with three rounds to go.

He said he does not have time to think about what might be coming in the future.

“At the moment I have a tight schedule where every weekend I am either in formula one or DTM. Especially now, fighting for the championship, it is not the right time to give thought to what I will do after the season,” added Wehrlein.

[MIKA27]

SAUBER EXTEND DEAL WITH THOMANN NUTZFAHRZEUGE AG

Press Release: The Sauber F1 Team is pleased to announce the extension of its partnership with Thomann Nutzfahrzeuge AG.

Since 2010 the Swiss family-owned company has provided the Sauber F1 Team with semi-trailer tractors, trucks and transporters as Official Partner. After five years of a successful collaboration, the partnership will continue for another three years.

After the last Formula One race on European soil, which took place last weekend in Monza, the majority of the 25 vehicles (13 trucks and eight vans) will go into the “winter break”. The remaining vehicles will be used for transport within Switzerland.

Since the beginning of the partnership, the vehicles provided by Thomann have covered more than 1.8 million kilometres on European roads. Every racing season some members of the race team travel reliably and safely for approximately 300,000 kilometres through Europe.

Monisha Kaltenborn, Team Principal, Sauber F1 Team: “As the logistical requirements are highly complex in the world of Formula One, we need to count on the reliability and quality of our partners. Our transport fleet provided by Thomann Nutzfahrzeuge AG has satisfactorily proved to have these attributes over the last five years. Because of this, we are pleased to continue our cooperation with the Swiss family-owned company for another three years.“

Luzi Thomann, CEO, Thomann Nutzfahrzeuge AG: “We are pleased to continue our partnership with the Sauber F1 Team, which is based on mutual values. Two Swiss family-owned companies, two SMEs, two entrepreneurial thinking owners – this all contributes to a cooperation that functions perfectly. Moreover both companies have the culture of finding the best way to achieve things, which is also important for the relationship between us.“

Related pictures of the extention of the partnership between the Thomann Nutzfahrzeuge AG and the Sauber F1 Team are available in our media portal.

[MIKA27]

Option to allow year old engines under discussion

Teams may be able to run year old engines as part of an initiative to save costs, like the Manor-Marussia team have done this year, according to Autosport.

Marussia found a loophole in the regulations which allowed them to run 2014 Ferrari engines this season in an effort to alleviate its financial troubles. That loophole has now been closed, meaning Manor will have to run 2016 engines next season.

However there are talks behind the scenes to openly allow teams the option of running year old engines, which will be known as 'Current -1', at a reduced rate of around £10 million, almost half the current average bill.

"Fundamentally it's the same as Marussia are doing this year, running a '14 engine in '15," explained Force India's Bob Fernley.

"It would be a similar type of thing. It's a discussion point [in the strategy group]," he added.

Meanwhile such a rule change would allow Red Bull to run Ferrari engines which are slightly less powerful, meaning they're less of a threat to the works team and would have to make gains on the chassis side if they're to beat Ferrari.

[MIKA27]

Maldonado among several who don't deserve seat - Webber

Mark Webber has hit out at a select group of drivers who he doesn't believe deserve to be in Formula 1, claiming the current pool of drivers aren't as talented as they once were.

The former Red Bull driver and nine-time race winner, who now competes in the World Endurance Championship, claims the influx of pay drivers has lowered the overall quality of the grid.

"We know we've got quality at the front, but I just still think there's the swing of the financial [pay] drivers, who are coming to basically decide what teams they want to go to, and also if they're going to stay there," he told Sky Sports F1.

"There have always been commercially-driven drivers on the grid in F1, don't get me wrong, but in 2002 when I started, or 2010, even mid-90s, I just think there was a sniff more depth in there because there were more chances for the guys who have got the runs on the board [in the junior categories] to get in there purely on results and not with a government behind you supporting you.

When asked if he was referring to the PDVSA backed Maldonado as a driver who doesn't deserve to be in F1, Webber replied: "Yeah. Quite a few [other too].

"They need to be treating the sport with more gusto, more professionalism and more purpose of why they're there and not trivialising [by saying] 'oh, I'll just come up the next race and have another go'.

"We used Pastor as an example - there's a few of them who shouldn't be there.

"There are a few of them who are like that and it shouldn't be like that," Webber added. "There just has to be the hunger. You want to see the best guys who are driven, focused, professional, hungry and it means a lot to them."

[MIKA27]

Marko wants Mercedes to regret not giving Red Bull engines

Red Bull motorsport adviser Helmut Marko says he hopes Mercedes comes to regret not supplying his team with Formula 1 engines.

Mercedes' senior management last weekend elected to turn down the prospect of a tie-up with Red Bull, which is evaluating its options ahead of an imminent split with Renault.

Although Red Bull is disappointed that its bid to secure F1's benchmark power unit did not come off, Marko says that it just means Mercedes will face greater pain if it is beaten by his team in the future.

"The talks with Mercedes came to an end even before we went into details," Marko told the Speedweek website in an interview published on Wednesday.

"There were specific requirements but we did not reach a point at which we would have been able to discuss them in detail. Now let's see what engine we will use.

"Perhaps we will be able to beat them (Mercedes) with the new package. Then it will be much more unpleasant than if we had managed to do that with a Mercedes engine."

Renault meeting

Marko has revealed that Red Bull and Renault's management are aiming to get together before the Singapore Grand Prix to discuss terminating their deal.

"We can say that there will be a meeting with Renault at Singapore or before that," he said. "It has not yet been decided when the meeting will take place.

"But at this meeting we will discuss all these matters and will try to bring about a solution."

When asked if that meant ending the contract at the end of this year or next, Marko said: "I can say more about that after our meeting."

Time pressure

With work on Red Bull's 2016 car having already started, Marko is aware that knowing which engine it will have is important, but not time critical just yet.

"No, because Red Bull Racing has very high technical standards," he said. "We are not under such big pressure as, for example, Toro Rosso is.

"This is because they are a much smaller team. But one thing is sure: The earlier we make a decision, the better it will be."

Although Ferrari now looks like Red Bull's only short-term option, Marko has suggested that other possibilities could open up in future years.

"For us this could be a first step to finally have a competitive engine again," he said about a Ferrari deal. "This way we would not be handicapped from the start.

"We will start to think what could happen after that only when we have a competitive engine again."

[MIKA27]

The real differences: Hamilton vs Senna vs Schumacher vs Alonso

Brake supplier Brembo has revealed a fascinating insight into the way many of grand prix racing's superstars like Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher or Lewis Hamilton approach dealing with the braking aspects of cars.

Formula 1 drivers are boring. F1 drivers no longer show us their personality. F1 drivers never say anything. F1 cars are too slow and easy to drive. F1's tyres mean drivers can no longer push to the limit.

Criticisms like that being thrown at grand prix racing over the past few years have become deafening. And, although there are moves to make things better, there is no easy solution to address all the issues that have become part of a regular assault on F1.

But equally, such critiques are a tad unfair because, as a sport, it is always chasing the impossible: the need to deliver constant excitement without it becoming pure entertainment like world wrestling.

After all, things that are desired are often contradictory. We all dream of grids where there are just a few tenths of a second separating the front and the back; and yet we also want cars where there is a big enough speed differential between them to allow overtaking. It's called having your cake and eating it.,

Also too, the personalities and fascinating differences between the superstars, that many complain are no longer there, do exist. They sadly all get tarred with the same brush, but if you look a bit deeper than headline-grabbing quotes, there are some fascinating traits that come to the surface.

That rang true for me the day after the Italian Grand Prix, on a day spent with F1 brake supplier Brembo, at the small Franciacorta circuit, as part of the celebrations for its 40th anniversary in motorsport.

In a book Brembo has published to mark its time in F1 – with the clever title 'Unstoppable' – it revealed some brilliant background on the way that many of grand prix racing's superstars approach dealing with the braking aspects of cars. And there are some fascinating differences between the great.

There is no better way of getting this across than simply letting you judge the words of the Brembo engineers themselves.

Here then is what really goes on inside the footwell of cars driven by the likes of Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso...

Ayrton Senna

To date, Brembo cannot remember a driver who has used such a high hydraulic ratio as the one used by Ayrton Senna. He was a truly sensational champion and one of the first drivers to understand the importance of the technological evolution of the brakes.

The Brazilian adored using smaller master cylinders for improved performance and increased system efficiency. Moreover he was one of the few, if not the only one, who personally tested technological development of systems – from calipers with four pads to aluminium alloys that ensured increased stiffness (and power) of the system.

Michael Schumacher

The German has been the most mentally organised racer Brembo technicians have worked with over the years: determined and consistent in his lap times. He demanded the braking system matched his performance.

Schumacher opted for a short and very responsive brake pedal. Although not a giant he was able to exert significant force on the pedal. The search for perfection was one of Schumi's greatest qualities: he wanted the brakes to work continuously without any sign of fading for the duration of the GP race.

Gilles Villeneuve

The aggressive and extreme driving of the former snowmobile racer had its impact on the braking system fitted on the Ferraris he used to drive…

The oldest Brembo technicians still remember – as a sort of nightmare – how Villeneuve knew how to abuse his brakes properly, with his extremely aggressive style.

Alain Prost

Alain Prost, one of Ayrton Senna's biggest rivals, had a very different driving and braking style compared to Senna's. He was less aggressive towards his single seater and the braking system.

His accuracy and clean style meant he did not stress the pedal. That's why the Frenchman didn't have any particular requests for Brembo engineers. He didn't want short nor particularly sturdy pedals, neither did he ever bring the system to extreme levels.

This doesn't mean Alain wasn't concerned about brakes: he would continuously ask the engineers to prepare perfect configurations and a system that would be reliable under every condition.

Sebastian Vettel

According to the Brembo technicians who worked with him to configure the braking system, Vettel is a junior Schumi because he significantly contributes towards vehicle development.

Moreover he is able to pick up the subtlest differences in friction material: currently he is the only driver competing in Formula 1 who can prefer one particular set of brakes over another due to different types of carbon.

He loves starting qualifying laps with a new set of brakes to achieve that extra grip he is able to exploit while attempting the best time for a single lap. He works in perfect harmony with his tyres and opts for a short and extremely reactive pedal. Despite not being particularly heavy built, he is able to apply significant force on the brake pedal.

Fernando Alonso

Alonso, like other champions, is extremely meticulous when it comes to finding the perfect feeling with the braking system. His explosive strength meant he can apply maximum force on the pedal with impressive response times.

His power in terms of physical strength contrasts with his very clean braking technique; he often reaches the limit without exceeding it in a wide range of grip conditions.

It is as if Alonso has been able to create a kind of natural ABS – fully exploiting tyre grip to achieve greater speeds while turning without locking the wheels.

Lewis Hamilton

The British Mercedes driver enjoys an entirely unique feeling with his car; he wants it to focus entirely on the front axle. His aggressive driving style means he often locks the wheels.

Lewis is extremely reactive when he starts to brake; he then often exceeds tyre grip limits and only then, after exerting peak pressure on the pedal, begins to control the action of the braking system.

The English driver wants perfect control when entering a corner, often releasing the throttle once in the turn. In fact, the first part of braking ends upon entering the corner, thus reducing the footprint and increasing the likelihood of the inside front wheel locking.

The only limit that Hamilton knows, according to the engineers he works with, is the maximum temperature of brakes. However, it is his way of driving beyond any physical limit that ensures a truly spectacular and result-producing racing style.

All different, all fascinating and all with their unique quirks. No one can ever say again that F1 drivers are all the same - or are anything but brilliant.

[MIKA27]

Red Bull's Infiniti deal in doubt

Red Bull Racing's future plans could be impacted by the prospect of losing title sponsor Infiniti to a Renault works team, a move that would cost the team some significant outside funding.

Red Bull has a contract with Infiniti that runs to 2016, and which in theory is independent of the Renault engine deal, in that the team is not actually obliged to use Renault engines.

A Red Bull insider insisted that the contract is solid.

However, other sources have indicated that in fact the contract states that if Red Bull does not use Renault power units then Infiniti is not obliged to stay on should it not wish to do so.

In other words, Infiniti has a get-out clause which would allow it to leave if Red Bull changes engine supply.

In the past Infiniti insiders indicated that they would rather actually be aligned with Mercedes engines at Red Bull, since Renault is regarded as a mainstream manufacturer, whereas Mercedes is a premium brand.

Infiniti and Mercedes are already partners in road car projects, such as engine supply.

However, Infiniti's management has changed since the Red Bull deal was first done, and sympathies now lie more with Renault.

Sources suggest that Carlos Ghosn could insist that Infiniti leaves Red Bull and instead contributes its funding to a Renault works team, thus keeping the sponsorship deal within the Renault Alliance family.

In addition it would much harder to make a Red Bull/Ferrari deal work with Infiniti branding than Red Bull/Mercedes, given that the latter is now looking less likely to happen.

Aside from commercial considerations there is also the simple fact that the Red Bull/Renault divorce is likely to be so messy that no Renault Alliance company could be seen to maintain links with the team.

If Infiniti does defect it could leave a huge hole in Red Bull's budget, especially given that Total would automatically follow Renault anyway.

Although the team receives substantial funding from its owners and FOM, the loss of the outside sponsorship would still be a huge blow.

[MIKA27]

Mercedes decision on Red Bull narrows Aston Martin options

Mercedes' decision not to supply Red Bull with Formula 1 engines next year has left Williams and Force India alone in trying to convince Aston Martin to sponsor them instead.

Aston Martin has been evaluating an involvement in Formula 1, with Red Bull boss Christian Horner having proposed the idea to CEO Andy Palmer and director of marketing communications Simon Sproule of a tie-up with his outfit earlier this year.

Horner had hoped a branding exercise, like he did with the pair when they worked at Infiniti, would clear the way for Mercedes engines, with the German car manufacturer holding a 5 per cent stake in the luxury British sportscar manufacturer.

But, after Motorsport.com revealed on Monday that Mercedes has decided against a tie-up with Red Bull, it means that the team will instead have to close a deal with Ferrari which, as one of Aston Martin's main competitors, would make a partnership impossible.

Evaluating F1 programme

The closure of the Red Bull opportunity means that Mercedes' other teams – Williams and Force India – now have a much better chance of pulling off a deal if Aston Martin wishes to push on with an F1 involvement.

However, much will depend on how keen Aston Martin is to invest the kind of money needed to have a strong presence in F1.

Speaking earlier this year, Palmer had said that while interested in F1, there were financial factors that made such a move 'improbable'.

"The bottom line is that it would be very difficult for us. We as a company don't have the kind of money to go into Formula 1 and make a decent job of it," Palmer said.

"Unless I thought we could be challenging Ferrari in some way, shape or form I just wouldn't contemplate doing it."

Good brand

Williams deputy team principal Claire Williams says that a link with Aston Martin would be a good one for her outfit though.

"As a team you always have to look at your options and Aston Martin is a great brand, it is a great British brand," she said. "I think a partnership with them would work well.

"As everyone knows, they are talking to Force India and as everyone knows we have a long-term partnership with Mercedes, and we are really happy with that partnership at the moment. And why wouldn't you be, when it is the best power unit on the grid?"

When asked about the possibility of having both Aston Martin branding with Mercedes engines, Williams added: "We haven't had that conversation at all. But we are pleased having that partnership with the Mercedes brand.

"It is as powerful to us as potentially an Aston Martin badging exercise would be. So we are happy."

Funding boost

Although Williams already has a title sponsor with Martini, the team is open that any chance of further boosting its coffers with fresh deals would be grabbed.

Claire Williams added: "Every team operates in a different way commercially and we have been very fortunate to attract some great brands to the team over the past couple of years.

"One of our greatest assets is that because we are an independent team we can be really, really flexible with our partnerships. I am a firm believer in the adage that beggars cannot be choosers

"If someone wants to come along and sponsor our team and give us £10 million, I will bite your hand off for it and I will give you the assets I want to give you. But I will not oversell and give you too many assets.

"I want that £10 million. I won't say no to it just because I want £40m – I need to keep my racing team going."