FORMULA 1 - 2015

[MIKA27]

Drivers act like “squares” to please corporate F1 – Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton says it would be better for Formula One if more drivers would reveal their true personalities instead of acting like “squares”.

“I think Formula One needs personality and I think everyone has a personality,” said Hamilton in an interview with TV3 earlier this month. “They’re just too afraid, they’ve been led to believe they have to be this square and I’m sure when they get home they’re not.”

“The more and more us as individuals come out of our shells the better it will be for the sport.”

Hamilton has been criticised by some for his lifestyle away from the track. But he believes he has been performing better because he is more at ease with himself.

“I definitely think being myself has helped me be more successful,” said Hamilton. “Unfortunately in Formula One growing up it’s a very corporate sport, it’s very much been the same for a long, long time. The racing part’s exciting but everything outside is stale.”

“It’s like as a driver you have to be a square to fit in to the sport. That’s what I was led to believe, that you have to be a square to fit in to the sport.”

“I think once I finally got here and I was fully implanted by roots – so you can’t pull this tree out the ground it’s stuck in it for as long as I generally want to go – then I could start to be myself. It’s getting to a point where I don’t really care what people say. This is who I am and if you don’t accept it it doesn’t matter because I’m going to get in the car and I’m going to win.”

“And that’s so empowering to be able to do that. Being denied of who you are is the biggest crime you can do to yourself.”

“I sacrificed my childhood”

McLaren chief Ron Dennis recently said Hamilton would not be allowed the kind of freedoms he enjoys at Mercedes if he was still with his old team. But Hamilton said his first two years with the team in F1 weren’t positive experiences – despite winning the title in his season season.

“2007 and 2008 were two traumatising years,” he said. “It wasn’t good.”

“It sounds amazing winning the championship, which it is. But 2007 I lost it in my first year by one point which was painful in a way that I can’t really explain. And I didn’t know how to deal with it. So you box it up, and you hold it.”

“And then the next year I had it, and I lost it, I had it, and I lost it. And then I came across the line thinking I’d lost it and ten seconds later they told me I’d won it. It was not good. Whilst afterwards you’re smiling a little bit and you go home as the champion it eats so much, it takes so much out of you. And I wasn’t really able to fully embrace it.”

“I think also I was young, I wasn’t prepared to be in front of all those cameras. I was prepared to race and that’s why I was able to do as well as I did but I wasn’t prepared for the surroundings of Formula One. They didn’t put me through a school to learn how to deal with things and say the right things and not be affected by all the negativity that can be surrounded in sport. So it was really hard to deal with.”

“But then over the years there was the ups and downs, growing as a character that helped me. And then when I won last year I was finally able to really enjoy what I had worked for. I was like finally I’m grown inside because I sacrificed all my childhood years racing go-karts so I wasn’t doing the kid stuff normal kids were doing, I was growing in a different way. So I missed that childhood and so maybe I matured later, who knows. But I was able to finally enjoy and this year enjoy it even more.”

[MIKA27]

Nico Rosberg 2015 F1 season review

Nico finished the season in second place and played a huge part in securing the back to back Constructors' Championship. Having finished the year on a massive high find out how he feels the 2015 season went.

[MIKA27]

2017 regulations could result in less overtaking

Planned rule changes for 2017 are likely to make overtaking more difficult, Formula One engineers have warned.

F1 is preparing changes to the regulations to make cars up to five seconds per lap faster in 2017. The plans were put in motion after complaints F1 is no longer as extreme as it once was, with lap times currently slower than they were during the height of the V10 engine era in 2004. The latest draft sees cars use wider tyres, run bigger diffusers and feature a more substantial front wing in order to achieve the five-second target.

"I think that what we were asked to do was to make the cars look more aggressive, make the cars a lot faster -- the fastest F1 cars ever -- and to make them physically more tough to drive, not more difficult, but more physically arduous simply because the G-forces will be higher in the fast corners," Ferrari technical director James Allison told ESPN. "I think the rules will deliver on all three of those, but we will need to make sure we are keeping the level of overtaking in the sport more or less where it is now or at a level which is judged to be correct.

"There are devices to do that. The two main things that top happen are tyre degradation, making sure the tyres are not too uniform in their behaviour through the race, and judging and tuning the size of the DRS correctly so an overtake is possible if you screw your courage up and do a good job."

Williams technical director Pat Symonds also believes overtaking will be more difficult with the addition of more downforce, but is wary of relying too much on degrading tyres and overtaking aids to make racing exciting.

"My belief is that the more downforce you have on a car, the harder it is to follow," Symonds said. "The 2017 car has more downforce, so therefore irrespective of any niceties the Overtaking Working Group may have come up with and irrespective of whether one believes in them or not -- as a member of that group I know the shortcuts that were taken against the true scientific process -- the fact is that if you have got more downforce it is going to be harder to follow. That's a little bit simplistic, but nevertheless quite true."

Pirelli motorsport boss Paul Hembery says a significant amount of the five-second target will be found from the wider tyre dimensions for 2017, but he is also wary of the sport going in the wrong direction by chasing more downforce.

"Just by increasing the current loads with the wider tyres it gives you such a big footprint that you are going to get three seconds a lap without doing much more," he said. "It's not going to take a lot to achieve the five seconds that has been requested.

"I guess there are some people that will question whether it's the right direction to go; will it still be possible to overtake? Will it improve overtaking or make it worse? We can't even get a consensus on that. I hope we are not making a wrong decision that doesn't actually solve what we were trying to solve in the first place."

[MIKA27]

The devil will be in the detail – Arrivabene

The devil will be in the detail – Maurizio Arrivabene says Ferrari will be working on all areas of its car ahead of the 2016 Formula 1 World Championship season, saying the 'devil will be in the detail' if it wants to get the better of Mercedes next year.

Ferrari enjoyed a substantial step forward over the winter to emerge as Mercedes' closest rivals in terms of pure pace, with Sebastian Vettel returning the manufacturer to the winners' circle with successes in Malaysia, Hungary and Singapore.

With big gains coming from the engine package in particular, Arrivabene - who only took charge of the Ferrari team at the start of the year – says Ferrari is now focusing its attention on improving the aero and chassis as well, saying each 'detail' is being reviewed.

“We need to work hard on all of the components on the car, we need to take another step forward with the engine, we need to work on the chassis and also the aero. For us the engine is very important and this year we've had a big improvement.

“The chassis and aero guys were not sleeping so if you want to have the perfect situation, to know the single detail because the devil is in the detail, and to work for 360 degrees. But most importantly making sure all of the guys are working together and are helping each other.”

Reflecting on a successful first season as team principal, Arrivabene says 'passion' for the role remains the defining factor for him.

“You travel the world for many years, and people think that we are visiting nice places and having fun, but what I have to say if you want to do this job you need a lot of passion, and the passion is moving forward."

[MIKA27]

Hamilton will view Rosberg defeats as a ‘blessing’

Lewis Hamilton says he considers losing out to Nico Rosberg in the final rounds of the 2015 Formula 1 World Championship as a 'blessing' since it will ultimately spur him on to greater motivation for 2016.

The Mercedes driver clinched his third F1 world title in the United States with three rounds of the 2015 season, but proceeded to let the intensity dip thereafter with Rosberg winning the final events in Mexico, Brazil and Abu Dhabi in pole position.

Though Hamilton attempted to explain away the loss of momentum at the time as being down to changes made to the Mercedes, it was an excuse that was refuted by team manager Toto Wolff, who suggested his driver simply let his focus drop 'unconsciously'.

However, speaking ahead of this year's annual BBC Sport's Personality of the Year award ceremony, Hamilton says he is determined to use the defeats to his advantage and spur him on over the winter.

“I have started training for next season,” said Hamilton, who wasn't present for the ceremony in Belfast having travelled out to Colorado for winter training “I have got to lose three kilos for next season and absolutely it is my goal [to win a fourth title].

“The last three races in hindsight have been a real blessing because they have given me a lot of motivation. I feel great in the car so I will be working hard with the engineers so I can be as good as I can be.”

Missing out on the chance to become the first ever back-to-back winner of the BBC award after finishing fifth in the tele-vote behind winner Andy Murray, Kevin Sinfield, Jessica Ennis-Hill and Tyson Fury, Hamilton praised the work of his Mercedes team for their efforts en route to second straight F1 title.

“It's been an amazing year, a real blessing. The team has done an amazing job and it's been a great experience to be part of this team. There are so many people working lcosely together to elevate me to that third world championship.

“As with many of the great athletes there tonight it's about staying focused on that one principle and one goal, and that belief and confidence in yourself. It is team work in this sport. There are 1,300 people in my team so it is not just me, I am a small link in that long chain of people, and we must be our best at all times.”

[MIKA27]

Dennis: McLaren has right people now to do job

Ron Dennis says he is convinced McLaren now has “right people to do the job”.

McLaren endured a dismal season in 2015, scoring only 27 points and finishing ninth in the Constructors', ahead of only F1 minnows Manor.

Despite a turbulent year, however, Dennis is adamant the Woking outfit has “one of the best teams of people it has had for a long time” going into 2016.

“First of all, the responsibility for the performance of the car and how they run at the circuit isn't mine,” he replied, when asked if he has started to question his own role.

“What is my responsibility is choosing the people who have that responsibility and I don't do that singularly and on my own. I still have the firm belief that we have one of the best teams of people that we've had for a long time – our engineering group is highly motivated and focused.

"You can't change things quickly and recover quickly but do I believe that we now have the right people to do the job? Yes, I do.”

Dennis did admit, however, that he didn't feel that was the case just 12 months ago: “I didn't feel that a year ago, or the year before that, but we inevitably live in not just a competitive world as regards engines and chassis, but people too,” he explained.

“I think F1 has learned the art of 'lock-up' – if you want a top person, you have to wait a year, and the teams are wealthy enough to sit them on gardening leave for a year. We've done a lot of work to improve our technical group and, as time passes by, you'll see our own efforts to improve the quality of our technical group begin to unfold as people inevitably move around.”

Dennis also said that while McLaren has lost people to other teams, on balance he feels they are definitely ahead going into 2016 and 2017.

“We've lost no real top people [lately]... do we like losing good people? No but, if I had to weigh up who we've got joining the team over the course of the next two years versus who we've lost in the last two years, it balances heavily in favour of the future,” he concluded.

[MIKA27]

HOW DATA FROM CARLOS SAINZ’ 42G ACCIDENT IN SOCHI WILL HELP FORMULA 1 DRIVERS IN FUTURE

The FIA Institute is pushing ahead with expanding understanding of what happens in high speed accidents as it builds up its Accident Database, accessible to all motor sport series around the world. It is part of a fresh push to improve safety in the sport.

The information collected by Carlos Sainz’s ear accelerometer and other data gathering devices, like the Accident Data Recorder (ADR), measured the Spaniard’s enormous accident in Sochi at 42g and will be used as part of the FIA’s World Accident Database research, which records every serious accident to try and reduced the risk of injury to drivers in future incidents.

The sensors are carried in the earpieces of each F1 driver and have been used since the 2014 season, but the new research is aiming to add measurements such as heart-rate, pulse, temperature and even sweat analysis, according to a report in the FIA’s AUTO magazine.

All of the data collected by the ear accelerometers is useful to medical personal immediately after a crash as they automatically detect any movement in the driver’s head during an impact.

In 2016 all F1 cars will carry a high speed camera, pointing at the driver’s head, which will record at a high frame rate, what happens in an impact, to give the FIA team a better understanding of what can be done to better protect the driver.

Luc Argand, the chairman of the Global Institute for Motor Sport Safety, the research partner of the FIA Institute, explained that the new element of the ear accelerometer project was part of a wider push to develop safety technology across all levels of motor sport.

He said: “At the Global Institute we have the duty and the responsibility to further this progress and to cascade down the research to all levels of the sport. I think the Formula One programme is likely to be just the start.”

Andy Mellor, a consultant to the FIA Institute, explained how the ear accelerometers work together with ADRs and assist with the decision making process of medics treating an injured driver.

He said: “There is so much we can learn from a crash if we have the right information. For the last few years we’ve relied on ADRs and these have given us hugely important information after a crash.

“However, they only tell you about the forces acting on the car. So the possibility of tracking the motion of the drivers themselves is a major breakthrough. The information from the accelerometer could give a precise kinematic of the head and the timing of the head movement during an accident.”

The research involved in the original ear accelerometer project adapted off-the-shelf, low-g sensors that are typically found in smartphones, to measure the forces of up to 400g that can occur in a head impact in F1, as well as miniaturising the technology to fit into the ear canal.

[foursite12]

If all we wanted to see is who has the fastest car, run em in a series of three individual three-lap timed runs. Fastest time wins. This ain't a hockey or soccer shoot out. It's the racing we want, whether at 150 or 160 mph I don't freakin' care.

[MatthewB]

Thank You to all contributors of this wonderful, enjoyable and entertaining thread. Mika, another good year, thanks!

Have a great Xmas and New Year break

[MIKA27]

Thank You to all contributors of this wonderful, enjoyable and entertaining thread. Mika, another good year, thanks!

Have a great Xmas and New Year break

Well said and thank you one and all - Merry Christmas

[MIKA27]

BIANCHI: I LOST JULES AND THOSE RESPONSIBLE MUST PAY

Jules Bianchi’s father Philippe says he is determined that those responsible for the death of his son during the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix, on a treacherous day at Suzuka, will be held accountable.

Regarding the controversial circumstances that led to the Marussia driver crashing into a recovery vehicle at Suzuka last year, Frenchman Bianchi’s family engaged a lawyer.

The move came after the FIA presented the findings of its investigation into the incident, in which Frenchman Bianchi – who never woke from a coma and died in hospital in July – was essentially blamed for driving too fast.

“The conclusions shocked me,” Bianchi’s father Philippe told Auto Hebdo, “because the people who did the investigation were the people being investigated. Is there no conflict of interest? Can you be the judge and the jury?

“The investigation is one thing, it gave its views, but good questions to ask and the right answers to give are different.”

“I said it before and I say it again: if there are those responsible then they must pay. One way or another. I am loud and clear. I lost Jules and will never get him back.”

“I have nothing to lose except his memory and the respect that we should have for him. So I will fight for him with all my strength,” Philippe Bianchi added.

Jules contested 34 grands prix and was part of the Ferrari Drivers Academy, with his Marussia drive funded by the Maranello outfit for whom he was being groomed to race for in the future.

[MIKA27]

BOULLIER: WE WILL RECOVER A COUPLE OF SECONDS IN TERMS OF PERFORMANCE

Eric Boullier says it is possible McLaren-Honda’s leap over the winter will amount to multiple seconds per lap, and is adamant that the Woking outfit will take a step forward in 2016.

It was Fernando Alonso who made the original claim that, after a disastrous 2015, finding a whopping 2.5 seconds between now and next season is “realistic”.

Many, however, think the Spaniard was simply issuing a veiled warning to McLaren that unless the team makes big progress next year, he may reconsider his commitment to the struggling Anglo-Japanese collaboration.

When asked about Alonso’s staggering claim about a 2.5 second per lap leap in 2016, boss Boullier told the Czech portal F1 News: “Nothing is for sure or guaranteed. But we know why we were not competitive this year.”

“This new PU (power unit) technology is great, but it needs to mature. When you can’t deploy all your electrical power throughout the lap, you lose seconds rather than tenths.

“So if we can fix this issue plus a few others, we will be able to recover a couple of seconds in terms of performance,” the Frenchman added.

Woking based McLaren made a lot of noise last winter about its self-proclaimed ‘size zero’ car, and Boullier hints that the same ultra-compact philosophy will be kept for 2016.

“I can just tell you that it will be an evolution of the (MP4-)30 and that the car performance is already a step forward,” he said. “For the rest, you will have to wait for the car launch.”

[MIKA27]

VETTEL: I WON’T GO INTO DETAILS AND TELL OUR SECRETS

Ahead of his Christmas break Sebastian Vettel suggested that Ferrari have some tricks up their sleeve for 2016, but along with Ferrari team principal the overwhelming message from within the Maranello camp is to keep expectations in check.

In the wake of statements made by Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne, who earlier this week demanded that his team up their game for next season, Vettel said, “We want to be competitive next year against Mercedes, so I won’t go into details and tell our secrets. The fact is that we have to improve in a lot of areas, aero, engine etc.”

“I think the results of this season have shown that we are on the right path, so now we just have to focus on ourselves,” reflected Vettel, before adding, “I wasn’t expecting such a strong season with Ferrari this year.”

Arrivabene took a leaf out of Vettel’s book by stating, “When it comes to next season, there is no way one should start from the supposition that: we are making a step forward, therefore we will win.”

“That’s partly because we finished second and therefore we need to start from the basis of what the winners will do, how much they will progress, especially as they dominated the past two seasons. And that is our aim.”

As for the new car he revealed, “We are working on it and we are doing so with great professionalism, but above all with respect towards those who have already won.”

Earlier this month Marchionne did not mince his words when he said at the Maranello Christmas lunch, “2015 was a great season. The only regret might be that we could have done even better but for a handful of mistakes.”

Ferrari were second in the 2015 F1 world championship standings, with three wins by Vettel during the course of a season which was thoroughly dominated by Mercedes for a second year in a row.

[MIKA27]

JENSON AND JESSICA SPLIT AFTER A YEAR OF MARRIAGE

Jenson Button has split from his wife Jessica Michibata after one year of marriage.

The couple have often traveled to races together, with model Jessica more often than not at races supporting Button, and images abound of the pair celebrating his successes on the track.

Away from the grand prix circuit the pair have also made headlines for their exploits in triathlons, marathons and attending glittering red carpet functions.

According to reports in UK media, the couple who tied the knot in a lavish ceremony in Hawai a year ago have called time on their marriage but remain on good terms.

A spokesperson for Jenson confirmed to Mail Online: “Jenson and Jessica have decided to go their separate ways and it is very amicable. There is no one else involved.”

Mail Online reports that the 35 year old Button and the fashion model, now 31, first met in 2008 and began dating eight months later. Their relationship experienced ups and downs and they split for a short period in 2011 before the McLaren driver proposed on Valentine’s Day 2014, with a ring worth $370,000.

“We don’t see each other any more than before we were married,’ Button said in an interview with Mail On Sunday earlier this year. “Jessie still works a lot in Japan.”

According to The Sun, Button, who is estimated to be worth $50 million, and Jessica do not have a prenuptial agreement, “Jenson and Jessica did not have any financial arrangement before their marriage. There are ongoing discussions between them about money, but it’s too early to say how it will pan out.”

Jessica was often pictured alongside Button’s late father John Button during grand prix weekends, and she always showed great enthusiasm when celebrating her man’s success.

The pair were last pictured together nearly two months ago, when Jenson uploaded of a snap of them celebrating Jessica’s 31st birthday in Los Angeles, “Hanging with the Birthday girl this am! #HappyBirthdayJessie #SantaMonica.”

The last time they were seen at a grand prix was in Belgium.

This summer the couple were victims of a robbery while on holiday in France in which they were robbed of valuables, and allegedly gassed by the robbers who made off with expensive jewelry and other items of value.

Button admitted recently that he considered quitting Formula 1 as he endured one of his worst seasons ever as McLaren and Honda struggled with their reunification.

“Last year I wasn’t sure If I’d be racing and it wasn’t my choice,” the 35-year-old Briton told Sky Sports television.

“This year it was totally my choice and there was a moment where I thought: I am not sure I want to do this anymore and be where we are. Obviously if we are where we are right now next year [2016] it is not going to be that enjoyable.”

In October the 2009 F1 world champion signed an $18 million extension with McLaren for 2016 which will see him on the Formula 1 grid for the 16th year in a row.

Button has made 284 grand prix starts since his F1 debut at the 2000 Australian Grand Prix, winning 15 times and finsihing on the podium 50 times. His last victory was at the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix.

[MIKA27]

BAKU DATE CLASHES WON’T AFFECT RACE SAY ORGANISERS

Race organisers have dismissed suggestions another political clash could hurt next year’s inaugural race in Azerbaijan – the Grand Prix of Europe – in Baku.

The country, situated between Russia and Iran, is positioning itself as a European country, having recently hosted the European Games and Eurovision.

Now, although the race will take place in the middle of the capital Baku, Azerbaijan’s first grand prix next year will be called the European grand prix.

But the 2016 race was then handed a mid-June date, clashing with the 2016 edition of the famous and increasingly popular Le Mans 24 hours.

Not only that, Baku’s race next year will also clash with the popular quadrennial European football championship, UEFA 2016.

“There is the view that F1 fans for the most part are not big football fans,” Baku race promoter Arif Rahimov told the Russian news agency Izvestia.

“If that’s the case, then I think they will be able to escape from football for a couple of hours to watch Formula 1. For us, I don’t think it’s a big problem,” he added.

[MIKA27]

PIRELLI MUST TEST TO DEVELOP 2017 TYRE SAYS ECCLESTONE

Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone says a dispute between Pirelli and the F1 teams means the sport might not get wider and faster tyres for 2017.

It has been reported that while radical changes to the chassis rules are scheduled to arrive for 2017, a new engine formula might need to wait until 2018.

But Ecclestone told Auto Motor und Sport: “We want the new engines in 2017 as well.”

As well as more power and downforce, some of the slashed laptime for 2017 will also come courtesy of Pirelli, who have agreed to build wider tyres.

But at the moment, F1’s official supplier cannot get the teams to agree a way forward regarding a suitably fast car for tyre testing.

“We want cars that are and look more aggressive,” Ecclestone admitted. “And one of the ingredients is wider tyres.”

“We have asked Pirelli to build these tyres — it was not their idea. But the tests are a matter between the teams and Pirelli. If there is no testing, Pirelli will continue to build the tyres we have now,” he warned.

[MIKA27]

We don't expect fantastic results in 2016 - Renault

Renault are keeping expectations in check for their return to racing in 2016, with interim managing director Cyril Abiteboul warning against expecting big things from the team.

Renault will return to manufacturer status following its takeover of the Lotus F1 Team, and whilst details of their return, such as management and team name won't be released until February, Abiteboul has made it clear that they are setting realistic goals.

"I think we need to be honest," he said of their 2016 prospects. "When you decide to go F1 racing on December 18, there is no way that you can expect to have fantastic results.

"But we are coming here with a clear plan, not only for next year but also years to come.

"We have given a time frame [of three years] in the statement that was communicated by [chairman] Carlos Ghosn, and we need to be pragmatic. We know it is going to take time."

Renault's main aim is to ensure everything is operating as it should, whilst Abiteboul expects progress on the engine side after disappointing results in 2014 and 2015.

"There are many things that we want to do well next year, starting with the structure," he explained.

"How well do we integrate the structure? How do we integrate the people, the organisation? How do we put in place the links between the two entities? The culture, the mindset? How do we start catching up properly on the engine?

"We want an engine that is completely reliable at the start of the season and at the first test. We want to make substantial steps.

"The target for next year, it is not just about scoring points in the championship. If that is your question, we need to be humble in our expectations for next year."

[MIKA27]

Renault has secured budget to become F1 'big boy'

Renault's new Formula 1 team has put together the budget it needs to take on Mercedes and Ferrari in fighting for glory over the next few years, claims the man who has helped push the resurrection of its works team effort.

Renault finally completed the takeover of Lotus earlier this week following months of talks about a new approach for the car manufacturer in F1.

Speaking for the first time since the deal was complete, managing director Cyril Abiteboul said that Renault's board was well aware of the costs involved in taking on F1's current top teams, and was ready to bankroll what it would take to succeed.

When asked by Motorsport.com if he believed Renault had put the right budget in place, Abiteboul said: "I think we have enjoyed a lot of advisers on that aspect, so they know what they are exposed to.

"I think that there is a very good business plan, a very robust business plan, at least for the initial term, in order to do the job that we need to do."

Long-term perspective

Renault chairman Carlos Ghosn has talked of it taking up to three years for the team to be fighting at the front of the grid.

That time-scale is something Abiteboul concurs with, although detailed specifics about its ambitions will not be revealed prior to a press conference in February.

"We have given a time frame [of three years] in the statement that was communicated by Carlos Ghosn, and we need to be pragmatic," he said. "We know it is going to take time.

"But what matters is that the marketing story doesn't wait. I think we have been very successful in F1 with Red Bull.

"We have been successful as a competitive team before, and from a marketing stand point and connection between F1 and the rest of the business, we have never been so strong.

"So what should not wait is the capacity of Renault to turn what we do on the track into tangible marketing value for the group and for the brand.

"That is really important, as that is what will give us the stability so that we have the capacity – the financial capacity and also the time – to become one of the big boys."

Humble 2016 ambitions

While Renault's return was only formally completed this month, Abiteboul is well aware that there is little hope of a dramatic step forward in form for 2016.

He views next season as a transition year, but believes the success of the operation will be judged not by the points it scores on track but how well the organisation gels off it.

"I think we need to be honest," he said about 2016 prospects. "When you decide to go F1 racing on December 18, there is no way that you can expect to have fantastic results.

"But we are coming here with a clear plan, not only for next year but also years to come.

"In my opinion, next year will not only be successful if we are doing well on track. There are many things that we want to do well next year, starting with the structure.

"How well do we integrate the structure? How do we integrate the people, the organisation? How do we put in place the links between the two entities? The culture, the mindset? How do we start catching up properly on the engine?

"We want an engine that is completely reliable at the start of the season, and at the first test. We want to make substantial steps."

He added: "The target for next year, it is not just about scoring points in the championship. We need to be humble in our expectations for next year.

"But there is much more that needs to come next year than just points in the championship."

[MIKA27]

When Niki Lauda met Freddie Hunt

Niki Lauda tells James Hunt's son, Freddie, what it was like racing head-to-head against his father as two of the world's leading F1 drivers in the 1970s.

[MIKA27]

Season Greetings and Merry Christmas from Ferrari: WARNING, uncomfortable to watch

Sebastian Vettel, Kimi Raikkonen, Marc Gene and Esteban Gutierrez wish the Ferrari fans a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

[MIKA27]

Hello guys and gals, I think that's it for the 2015 season, don't really think much in the news department will change leading into 2016.

I'll keep an eye out in case and post but otherwise I shall take a break from posting here.

Many thanks to all for reading and contributing, it's been an interesting season, more political than anything else. New thread for 2016 will be up in the new year.

Merry Christmas to you all and a very Happy New Year - Enjoy some great cigars

Mika

[Lotusguy]

Many thanks for your outstanding coverage! Looking forward to next year

[rckymtn22]

Thanks Mika for all the hard work and taking time to post all the above info!

Merry Christmas!

[MIKA27]

How to buy a $100million F1 team for just one pound

Renault didn't pay much for the Lotus F1 team, but now the investment really has to begin if its to regain its F1 World Championship-winning ways.

So how much does a Formula 1 racing team cost to buy? The answer we got this week is: one English sterling pound, i.e. roughly $1.50. That is exactly how much French car giant Renault paid to buy the Lotus F1 Team.

But how can this be? Running an F1 team, after all, costs between $70million (for the smallest private team) to $300million (for the likes of Ferrari, which builds its own cars and engines).

Somewhere in-between is Lotus, which previously bought its engines from Mercedes for over $10million a year as part of its $100million budget to compete in the world’s premium motorsport series.

The company that owned Lotus was repeatedly in the British High Court this year, with Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (the UK’s IRS) chasing a $4million tax bill.

And this, in part, is the reason why Lotus was de jure sold for a meager golden coin, rather than a fistful of millions.

It wasn't just that, of course - there were also huge corporate debts involved here, with the previous owners retaining a 10% stake in the rebranded Renault F1 team, rather than a majority stake in one that was highly likely to go bust.

It’s not unusual

So is it uncommon for a team that turns over that much cash to be sold for a nominal cash fee? No, not really.

The most recent case was the sale of the Honda team to former Ferrari technical chief Ross Brawn in 2008, who formed the Brawn GP team - the team that then won the following year’s F1 World Championship with Jenson Button.

Honda had spent a fortune getting it wrong, even with Brawn at the helm. But following a last-gasp management buy-out as the Japanese manufacturer exited the sport, Brawn GP flourished in spectacular style after securing a Mercedes engine deal and spotting a loophole in the regulations.

By the end of that super-successful season, Mercedes bought out the company – then turning it into the factory team with which Lewis Hamilton has won the last two world titles.

That deal is probably the quickest multi-million dollar profit any race team proprietor has ever made, and if Mr. Brawn wasn’t rich enough already – he certainly was now...

Adding fizz to Formula 1

A few years before that motorsport miracle, Red Bull bought the ailing Jaguar F1 team from the Ford Motor Company for just one dollar.

Get this: a fizzy drinks firm then turned F1’s biggest-spending underachievers into a four-time F1 World Champion team – and using an off-the-shelf Renault engine to do it.

In its previous 85 races, owned by one of the planet’s biggest car manufacturers, the Jaguar team had led a paltry two laps… Its rebranded successor, Red Bull Racing, has subsequently led 3075 laps!

Part of the deal, of course, was that Red Bull pledged to invest a minimum of £200million over the following three years. It also signed design genius Adrian Newey, and developed star driver Sebastian Vettel from a promising teenager into a grand prix great.

Sure it took a while, but sensible growth and a willingness to reinvest created an F1 giant that even bought a second team, Minardi, just to develop drivers for its A-squad.

In short, it pulled off some smart deals and reaped the benefit.

What lessons can Renault learn?

Renault’s recent years in F1 have been a true rollercoaster. As a manufacturer team, it has scored 35 wins since 1979 – back when it revolutionized the use of turbochargers in the sport.

It has twice claimed the F1 World Championship – with Fernando Alonso in 2005/06 – up against the staunchest of opposition in Michael Schumacher and Ferrari. As an engine manufacturer, Renault has 12 world titles to its name – thanks also to collaborations with Benetton, Williams and Red Bull – eclipsed only by the mighty Ferrari in championship terms.

Its terrible past two seasons with Red Bull, which publicly criticized Renault’s product and efforts to fix it, have led to its return as the master of its own destiny.

The team it has purchased, Lotus, is actually the same Enstone-based outfit that it sold in 2009 (having first bought it in 2000) and won those two titles with. You can trace that operation back to its roots as Toleman, made famous as the great Ayrton Senna’s first F1 team.

And here lies the issue: manufacturers come and go in F1 as it suits them. The costs of competing are enormous, but only they (and sovereign states or billionaires or oligarchs) have the wherewithal to foot those astronomical bills. Until, that is, they don’t get the results on the racetrack, which is when the boardroom questions why they’re in it if they aren’t winning – having forgotten why they were doing it in the first place.

When you think about it, buying an F1 team for a pound or a dollar is actually less ridiculous as spending hundreds of millions on running it, for the costs of competition have escalated to unprecedented heights. Only the super-rich need apply here.

Renault says it is now committed to becoming “one of the big boys” once more in F1; to do that is going to take many more pound coins than it spent on Lotus.

[MIKA27]

WEBER: CORINNA PREVENTS ME FROM HAVING ANY CONTACT WITH MICHAEL.

Michael Schumacher’s former manager has revealed he has been unable to visit the stricken Formula 1 legend in the wake of his 2013 skiing crash.

As the two-year anniversary of the German great’s tragic fall in France now looms, Willi Weber wrote on his Facebook page that Schumacher’s wife Corinna has not allowed him to visit even once.

He confirmed to Bild newspaper: “Unfortunately, it it just as I wrote on Facebook. Corinna prevents me from having any contact with Michael. I’ve tried dozens of times to get permission to visit, each without success.”

Asked what he thinks the reasons are, Weber answered: “I can’t say anything — I don’t know what’s behind it. There are always excuses given.”

However, some of Schumacher’s other friends including Jean Todt and Ross Brawn have said they have visited the former Ferrari champion.

Weber said he doesn’t know why he is no longer in that inner circle, “Before the accident, my relationship with Michael was sensational,. Two weeks before we sat in Stuttgart together and made plans.”

“For me the situation is terrible,” Weber added. “My family is also suffering. For 25 years our families were extremely close, and now no one can understand anymore.”

Bild said Schumacher’s current manager Sabine Kehm could not be reached for comment.