FORMULA 1 - 2015


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LOPEZ: F1 IS NOT THE CENTRE OF THE UNIVERSE

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When it comes to the last couple of years in Formula 1, Lotus F1 team boss Gerard Lopez admits to a couple of regrets.
The Luxembourger, owner of the Enstone based team, has kept a low profile in the first quarter of the 2015 season, but he says he has simply been busy with his other businesses.
It is not because he was so vocal towards the end of last year about formula one’s inequitable income distribution, even hinting at race boycotts.
In fact, Lopez told El Confidencial: “Last year, in Austin, I was the first one to speak about the financial problems with the sport in general. If I had known that so many were going to hear it, perhaps I would have said it sooner.”
The Strategy Group, which met at Bernie Ecclestone’s Biggin Hill facility last Thursday, has now been tasked with coming up with cost solutions for the sport.
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The other regret Lopez admits to is pushing too hard a couple of years ago, when Kimi Raikkonen began to win races for the Enstone team.
Lotus began to build itself into a much bigger outfit, leading into its competitive collapse of 2014.
“If you have ambition and a slightly competitive character – and for me it is not ‘slightly’, it is a lot – it is hard not to go for it, but you can become your own worst enemy,” he admitted.
“What I would not do again, perhaps, is that when you are fourth or fifth, try to gamble in going for first place, as we did two years ago,” said Lopez.
Arguably to survive, Lotus had to dramatically regroup, but is now rebuilding its slashed workforce and beginning to develop a much better, Mercedes-powered car. But Lopez says he remains concerned about F1’s future.
“First, it is still a great sport,” he said. “But the danger is that in Formula 1, we all believe that it is irreplaceable. We seem to think that it is the centre of the universe, when in reality we have to adapt to what is happening outside.
“The technology that we have here is very strong. We are incredibly advanced,” said Lopez. “But the negative is that, with all of this technology, why do we have so few technological sponsors or investors?”
“Of the ten most actively traded companies in the world, three are not technological, and the other seven are not here,” he noted.
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Another season ahead, will it be better than the last? I'm certainly hoping there will be less politics involved but that's just wishful thinking! Perhaps I will post less on such issues moving forwa

Bernie's really damaging the sport. He's so far behind the times it's impossible to listen to anything he has to say. Just looking at the way other sports leagues have grown over the past 20 years com

ECCLESTONE: RED BULL ARE ABSOLUTELY 100 PER CENT RIGHT Red Bull is right to argue for rule changes after Mercedes utterly dominated the 2015 season opener, Bernie Ecclestone said on Monday. A rep

FERRARI EXPECT UPGRADES TO MORE EFFECTIVE IN MONACO

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After disappointing upgrades for the Spanish Grand Prix, Ferrari have produced another batch of bits which they are confident will be more effective around the streets of Monaco.
The resurgent-in-2015 team had headed to Spain with the significant upgrade and high hopes, only to find that the gap to Mercedes remained the same, if not larger.
“We need to understand if it is related to the (Barcelona) track,” boss Maurizio Arrivabene said, “or if it is related to us.”
Indeed, Ferrari became so lost in Barcelona that Kimi Raikkonen’s weekend was sacrificed as the Finn was tasked with running the old specification alongside Sebastian Vettel’s new.
“That’s a very difficult situation,” Mika Hakkinen, the 1998 and 1999 title winner, told his sponsor Hermes in an interview.
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“Ferrari would certainly have closely analysed things before Monaco, to see if the new parts do bring any real benefit. But I do believe that both drivers will from now on be using the new package,” said the Finn.
At the post-Barcelona test, reserve Esteban Gutierrez was at the wheel as Ferrari conducted that analysis, and media sources confirm that the team was able to verify the expected ‘numbers’ promised by the wind tunnel and simulator.
The Mexican driver confirmed: “We were looking to validate the new aerodynamic package and we managed that.
“It was a case of understanding how to improve the car’s setup to better suit the new solutions we ran in the last race and that’s what we did,” Gutierrez added.
An Italian media source told us: “Both Gutierrez and Raffaele Marciello were able to tell the team not only that the new package is better, but that it is significantly better.”
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ECCLESTONE: THESE ENGINES DO NOT HELP F1 IN ANY WAY

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Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone is continuing his ongoing battle against the sport’s modern-day hybrid turbo engine formula.
The has always been opposed to the turbo V6 ‘power units’, particularly since their mild sound, fuel restrictions and huge cost to struggling small teams became clear.
Alan Kinch, finance director at Williams, told F1 business journalists Christian Sylt and Kate Hewitt this week that moving from V8s to V6s “essentially doubled the costs”, according to The Independent newspaper.
The Strategy Group met at Ecclestone’s Biggin Hill airport facility last Thursday, but the 84-year-old’s push to bring back loud and screaming V8s foundered.
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“I want to change many things,” the diminutive Briton told the latest edition of Autosprint magazine, published on Tuesday.
“Today we have a formula where the engines are the most important thing. I do not think that F1 should have engines that are so complicated.
“A friend of mine, who I will not name but who works for a big manufacturer, told me that the technical solutions on the current F1 hybrids will never be used on road cars.
“These engines do not help formula one in any way,” he continued. “They do not help the show, they do not help the teams to find sponsors and investment. The teams are having to pay much more for them than they did before.
“Of course it is possible to use different engines (in F1) that are cheaper but with the same performance — but the manufacturers don’t want to,” said Ecclestone.
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SAINZ MORE IMPRESSIVE THAN VERSTAPPEN SAY PUNDITS

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Five races into his Formula 1 career, and Toro Rosso rookie Carlos Sainz has made a big impression.
The 20-year-old arrived at Toro Rosso this year as the reigning Formula Renault 3.5 champion, but was totally overshadowed by his teenaged teammate Max Verstappen.
But Sainz has also been quick in 2015, earning the praise this week of Jenson Button, F1’s most experienced current driver.
And now Nigel Roebuck, one of the longest-serving and most respected journalists in the paddock, agrees.
“I am impressed with him,” he told El Confidencial newspaper. “I just told (another renowned journalist) Maurice Hamilton that everyone talks about Verstappen, but in reality, Sainz has even been faster.”
Sainz, who despite being rally legend Carlos Sainz’s son does not like to be called ‘Junior’, says he can now feel the respect of his fellow drivers.
“I do not judge another driver without first measuring myself against them, and I think it’s the same for most drivers,” he said.
“So after five races I think I have earned their respect and positive opinions,” Sainz told Diario Sport.
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MERHI RETAINS MANOR SEAT FOR MONACO

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Manor is heading into the Monaco Grand Prix with an unchanged driver lineup.
There has been speculation that, as Roberto Merhi does not bring significant sponsorship, his race-by-race deal with the former Marussia team could end now.
The 24-year-old rookie remains committed to his Formula Renault 3.5 team Pons, and this weekend in Monaco, the series’ latest race clashes with F1 on the very same famous street circuit.
Marca, the Spanish sports daily, reports that so far in 2015, Manor has given priority to its paying driver Will Stevens when it comes to “parts and strategy”.
Spaniard Merhi, on the other hand, is paid mainly in the form of his airfares and hotels, Marca claimed.
But it has emerged that, ahead of Monaco, Merhi has been offered the F1 seat once again and he will therefore sit out the Formula Renault 3.5 race weekend.
“Roberto Merhi was confirmed as a regular for Manor,” Pons confirmed, “so he won’t be able to compete in both” races this weekend.
“Roberto will join the team for the Spa Francorchamps race,” the Formula Renault 3.5 team added, referring to the May 31 weekend, which does not clash with a grand prix.
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F1 AND LE MANS LIKE APPLES AND PEARS SAYS HULKENBERG

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The difference between Formula 1 and WEC is like apple an pears reveals Nico Hulkenberg of the two cars he is campaigning in the two disciplines.
The German driver is heading into a very busy time in his personal 2015 calendar, as he races in Monaco this weekend, then heads straight to the pre-Le Mans test, then back to his F1 cockpit in Canada, then back to the Porsche prototype for the world’s most famous endurance sports car race.
Hulkenberg, 27, will then return to his Force India in Austria, at the end of the most hectic six-week period for any grand prix driver this year or in recent memory.
In 2015, he committed to the ultra-rare feat of juggling a full-time F1 career with a limited World Endurance Championship programme. But he is slightly reluctant to compare the Force India and Porsche.
“It’s like apples and pears,” Hulkenberg told Auto Motor und Sport.
However, especially at a time when laptimes between F1 and other series like GP2 are being feverishly contrasted, comparisons are inevitable.
At the 2015 Spa race, at which Hulkenberg competed, the best laptimes were in the 1m54 range. Last year, the best F1 laps were just 5 seconds quicker than that.
“There’s not that much difference,” Hulkenberg admits. “In the WEC, Eau Rouge was flat.”
He said the Le Mans cars are also more powerful, and boast all-wheel drive and traction control. And, unlike F1 at present, “There is no cruising around”.
“The (Michelin) tyres are very durable,” said Hulkenberg. “You do not have to constantly think about looking after them.”
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INDIAN GP NOT IN LINE FOR F1 RETURN

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The Indian Grand Prix is not poised to return to the Formula 1 calendar any time soon, according to media reports dong the rounds in the country
After three editions, the New Delhi race was scrapped after 2013 for reportedly financial and bureaucratic reasons.
Officials always said they were hopeful the formerly Jaypee-promoted event might return, but when the provisional 2016 calendar was leaked recently, India was not featured.
“Unless the government steps in, the return of the Indian grand prix is not feasible, let alone in 2016,” the unnamed source told the New Indian Express newspaper.
“While the official line is that negotiations are happening, I don’t think anyone expects the race to come back in the near future,” the source added.
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Force India out to spring a surprise

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The 2015 season hasn't been the greatest so far for Force India, but team principal Vijay Mallya believes they can do "something special again" in Monaco.
With the team late to introduce their VJM08, they have generally struggled to finish in the points with Nico Hulkenberg's P7 in Australia their best finish to date while Sergio Perez was P10 at Albert Park and P8 in Bahrain.
Next up is the Monaco Grand Prix and the Silverstone-based outfit have plenty of good memories of the track as they scored a couple of P5s in 2013 and 2014.
"Although we struggled for outright pace in Barcelona, the unpredictable nature of Monaco could help us spring a surprise," Mallya said. "It's a track where we've been successful in the past and I believe we can do something special again this year.
"The softer tyre compounds suit the VJM08 and we have two drivers who adore racing in Monaco. We must also be ready to make opportunistic strategy calls from the pit wall."
Force India are currently eighth in the standings with 11 points, but they are confident they will move up in the standings once they add some upgrades to their car.
A double points finish for Hulkenberg and Perez will no doubt move them in the right direction.
"Before the Spanish Grand Prix I said the priority was to keep in touch with the midfield teams until we bring more performance to the car," Mallya continued.
"It's encouraging to see that we are just eight points away from fifth place in the standings and hopefully we can add more points to our tally this weekend. One area we need to improve is our qualifying speed so that we can take advantage of our race pace, which has been much more competitive."
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Williams expect 'decent weekend'

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Fresh from a solid display at the Spanish GP, Williams head into the second race of the European season "with a lot of optimism".
Williams left Barcelona with a decent haul of 20 points with Valtteri Bottas holding off Kimi Raikkonen in the Ferrari to finish fourth while his team-mate Felipe Massa was sixth.
Head of vehicle performance Rob Smedley has already promised that the team have "got quite a lot more" upgrades in the pipeline, "including some development items in Monaco".
The team hope to continue the good work around the streets of Monte Carlo this weekend.
"We have come out of the Spanish Grand Prix in a positive position and continue the European leg of the season with a lot of optimism," Smedley said.
"In Barcelona we were quick in the parts of the track that are akin to Monaco, so are hoping for a decent weekend. It's so important to get the drivers in the car and running at a track like Monaco because rhythm is important, so Thursday practice will be important.
"The track isn’t the best suited to our car’s core characteristics, but from what we saw in terms of balance in Spain we are optimistic."
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Toro Rosso debut revised floor slots in Spain

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Toro Rosso's next big update may be coming in Austria but the team did at least wheel out a new floor for Carlos Sainz and Max Verstappen in Barcelona.

The team not only adopted the L-shaped rear-tyre wake slot that can now be seen on almost every car up and down the grid, in one form or another, they also introduced another slot ahead of that (marked in yellow).
This slot is also L-shaped and will assist the rear slot, working in combination with the vertical floor strakes to combat 'tyre squirt'.
WHAT IS TYRE SQUIRT
Tyre squirt is airflow pushed laterally into the diffusers path by the deformation of the rear tyre, reducing downforce.
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Kvyat defends his position after Marko warning

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Daniil Kvyat has defended his position at Red Bull following a recent warning from Helmut Marko that he and Daniel Ricciardo need to look over their shoulders.
The pair were outqualified in Spain by Toro Rosso rookies Carlos Sainz and Max Verstappen as they filled the third row in fifth and sixth.
Whilst Kvyat and Ricciardo eventually finished ahead in the race, Sainz and Verstappen were applauded for their effort, leading to Marko describing them as "exceptional" and warning the Red Bull duo.
"Our established guys need to look out," he told the Kleine Zeitung newspaper. "Paradoxically, the more inexperienced ones did the better job."
Kvyat, who sits below Toro Rosso's drivers in the standings, insists he's giving his all and hinted that the RB11 isn't allowing him to showcase his talent.
"I'm just trying to give the team the most I can from myself," he said. "I know my potential and at the moment it's enough.
"Let's see if I will be able to show it to the world one day as well."
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Honda refute inaccurate 'comments' from engineer

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Honda have accused Spain's Marca of false reporting after supposed comments from engineer Ryo Mukomoto claimed their power unit won't be capable of race wins until 2017.
Whilst the engine manufacturer is well off the pace and recently admitted its weakness is a horsepower deficit to its rivals, their hopes took a further hit when Mukomoto commented that they can rule race wins out this and next year.
"No," he replied when asked. "And next year [wins] will also be difficult. For a new team it is difficult to win its first race when others have worked more time together. In 2016 we will try to win a race, but there are no guarantees in the world of motorsport."
However when Honda were contacted by Pitpass, the Japanese company responded and quickly denied Mukomoto ever made the comments, claiming Marca fabricated them.
"Honda was surprised to see an article on a supposedly reputable Spanish website regarding the young engineer Mr Mukomoto speaking about our Formula 1 project.
"Mr Mukomoto has not worked on our Formula 1 project, nor has he done an interview with the website concerned, or with any other international media."
Honda's spokesperson reported that both the company and Mukomoto have received hate mail as a result of the false comments.
"The quotes that have been erroneously attributed to him are inaccurate, and we regard it as a shame that our engineer has been incorrectly exposed in this way. Moreover, both he and Honda have received angry fan mail, which is regrettable and unfair."
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Start shots: Monaco Grand Prix

Monaco isn’t just the most prestigious race of the year – it’s also the most important qualifying session of the year.

Given how tight and narrow the track is, it’s no surprise that ten of the last eleven winners came from pole position. As recent years have shown, the run to the first corner is so short the pole sitter has to get it badly wrong to lose their advantage.
And for the rest of the field turn one is just a case of staying out of trouble in the first seconds of a gruelling race.
2001
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There was no joy for the pole sitter in 2001. David Coulthard’s McLaren failed to get away on the formation lap in what team boss Ron Dennis memorably described a “brain fade” on Coulthard’s part before learning an electrical fault was responsible. Michael Schumacher therefore took the lead from second on the grid and went on to take Ferrari’s most recent victory at the principality.
2002
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The most recent example of a pole sitter losing the lead at the start was 13 years ago. Having let him down 12 months earlier, Coulthard’s electronics made amends as McLaren’s superb launch control fired him past Juan Pablo Montoya’s Williams. He went on to win, and had the good grace afterwards to admit his start was all down to his superior software.
2003
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Pole sitter Ralf Schumacher kept his advantage in 2003 but behind him team mate Montoya’s move past Kimi Raikkonen into second was decisive: Montoya pitted two laps later than Schumacher and jumped ahead of him, putting him on course for victory.
2004
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Jarno Trulli kept his advantage from pole position in 2004 and was on his way to his sole grand prix victory. Behind him the other fast-starting Renault of Fernando Alonso slipped past Jenson Button for second place, but Alonso later crashed out of the race while pursuing his team mate through the winding Monte-Carlo streets.
2006
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There were no such dramas for Alonso in 2006 – at least not on Sunday. The day before he had been awarded pole position after Michael Schumacher was stripped of the fastest time when the stewards judged he had intentionally stopped his car at Rascasse in an attempt to delay Alonso. Schumacher was sent to the back of the field, but others’ retirements and a timely mid-race Safety Car period helped him to salvage fifth place.
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2007
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Alonso led from pole position again in 2007, though new team mate Lewis Hamilton was unhappy at being fuelled more heavily for qualifying. Further back, Takuma Sato and Spyker duo Christjan Albers and Adrian Sutil cut the first corner but avoided a penalty.
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2009
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The new KERS hybrid was expected to give Raikkonen a boost from second on the grid as neither of the Brawns in front or behind him had it. But it didn’t work out that way: Rubens Barrichello beat Raikkonen to turn one, and Button beat everyone to victory.
2011
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Alosno and Michael Schumacher lined up fourth and fifth in 2011 but came round at the end of lap one separated by five cars – a slick start by Alonso got him past Mark Webber’s Red Bull, while Schumacher got away poorly and was swamped on the run to Sainte Devote.
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2012
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The 2012 start was carnage: Romain Grosjean was pinched between Alonso and Schumacher, sending the Lotus driver spinning into the path of Kamui Kobayashi. Further back Pastor Maldonado ran into the back of Pedro de la Rosa. All four retired, Kobayashi doing so after limping on for five laps.
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2013
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Mercedes have locked out the front row of the grid in Monaco for the last two years, each time with Nico Rosberg taking victory from pole position. In 2013 Hamilton got his nose ahead as they approached Sainte Devote but had to yield to his team mate.
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2014
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The following year Hamilton was riled by his team mate’s hotly-debated incident at Mirabeau during qualifying, where his apparent mistake scuppered Hamilton’s final qualifying run. Rosberg held his advantage at the start, however, and Hamilton had to accept second best for a second year.
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Button is underrated, says Magnussen

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McLaren reserve driver Kevin Magnussen has lauded praise upon his former teammate Jenson Button, describing the Briton as “world class” and “underrated”.

Magnussen was demoted from a race seat to an official third driver role within the Woking-based squad at the end of last season, losing out to Button in the race to join Fernando Alonso in McLaren’s 2015 race line-up.
The Dane paid tribute to the 2009 world champion, labelling him as a “good guy” as well as praising his driving ability.
“Jenson is a world class driver, a world champion,” said Magnussen. “He’s underrated by a lot of people, maybe because of his time with Lewis [Hamilton at McLaren].
“He’s also a very nice person – he isn’t nasty or unfair in any way, he’s just a good guy. I was competing against him, but it was a fair competition and we had the same possibilities.
“I’ve learned so much from him because he was so open and fair.”
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Less pressure on Button
Magnussen explained that he felt part of the reason he was outperformed by his teammate in the run-up to McLaren’s decision to drop him was because there was less pressure on Button.
“Jenson will never struggle again in his life; if he left Formula 1 now he could race anywhere with any team in motorsport,” he said.
“He had no pressure. Maybe he thought he was going to go and that I was going to stay, and so he relaxed.
“I was the opposite; I had everything to lose – if I quit F1 now, I haven’t secured anything else anywhere. So my struggle was bigger.”
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“I need to be ready”
Magnussen also emphasised the need to give his all in his third driver role, in case the opportunity to return to a race drive for 2016 should arise.
“I need to show I deserve to get back and to show everyone in the team that I’m committed and I still want this,” said the 22-year-old.
“If I come out of this and I get a race drive, I’ll look back and think this was good for me. I just need to say strong and fit, and be ready – like an arrow in a bow.”
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Williams test gives Lynn a boost ahead of Monaco

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Williams development driver Alex Lynn spoke to Adam Cooper about his first day of running in the team's Formula 1 car at Barcelona, and his thoughts ahead of his Monaco debut in GP2.

GP2 frontrunner Lynn made a good impression at the Spanish venue last week, and subsequently had the chance to sample Monaco on the Grove team's simulator.
For Lynn, who hopes to use his Williams test role as a springboard to an eventual race seat, the test was a useful boost ahead of his debut on the streets of the principality.
"I think it was a great first day with the team," the Briton told Motorsport.com. "You always go into it quite confident, and I think it went as expected.
"We didn't get a huge amount of laps, because we were limited on engine mileage, but we managed to do some stuff for Monaco and correlation for the upgrades the team brought to Barcelona.
"We got up to speed quite quickly, so the team could get on with their work, and I got used to driving an F1 car a bit more, so it was all-in-all a very successful day."
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Perfecting the simulator
One of the big benefits of the test for Williams was that Lynn does a lot of the team's simulator running, and it was important to let him get a feel for the actual car.
"It's massively useful because Valtteri and Felipe, with their busy schedules, don't get a huge amount of time in the simulator," explained Lynn.
"Giving me some time in the real car it allows us to crack on with the nitty-gritty in the simulator to try and get it as perfect as possible."
Barcelona was the only day of track running on Lynn's schedule, but he says he is not frustrated by that: "It is what it is. I got my opportunity, and I'm glad I gave a good account of myself.
"At the end of the day if I impressed the team, then my next time in the car shouldn't be too far away. But at the moment my attention switches back to performing in GP2. That's my way of impressing."
Getting used to Monaco
Meanwhile, the former Macau GP winner he's determined to get up to speed quickly in his first competitive outing around the streets of Monaco.
"It's going to be a special first lap, and probably an eye-opening one," said Lynn. I feel as prepared as I can be going into the weekend.
"I've done a lot of work with the team to get myself as comfortable as I can, and then it all comes down to not crashing in free practice and learning as much possible.
"I know that last year DAMS had a very good car there, so that's one factor taken out of the equation. And then it will come down to me learning quickly and adapting.
"I'm not underestimating how hard it's going to be, but I do expect to adapt and make progress very quickly. That's the aim."
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Mercedes wary of Ferrari threat in Monaco

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Toto Wolff has warned that Mercedes cannot afford to rest on its laurels in this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix, despite the pace advantage it held over Ferrari at Barcelona.

Spain was Ferrari’s worst showing of the season relative to Mercedes, Sebastian Vettel trailing race winner Nico Rosberg by 45 seconds at the chequered flag.
Following an investigation carried out during post-race testing, Ferrari concluded that is struggles were rooted in a lack of mechanical grip and traction, particularly in the technical final section of the Circuit de Catalunya.
Wolff reckons that the advantage Mercedes held in the last sector bodes well for a strong performance at Monaco, but also believes that the team will need to be on top of its game to keep Ferrari at bay.
“We saw in Spain that our car had a good advantage in the tight third sector, so we head to Monaco with some optimism,” said Wolff.
“But there is no point talking about any gap to the opposition. You have to earn every advantage and it can turn around very quickly if you're not on top of your game - especially in Monaco.
“We will need to be at our best if we want to maintain our good form.”
Williams optimistic
Rob Smedley also reckons that Williams' performance through the third sector in Barcelona is a sign that the Grove-based squad can head to Monaco hopeful of a strong result.
“In Barcelona we were quick in the parts of the track that are akin to Monaco, so are hoping for a decent weekend,” said Smedley.
“The track isn’t the best suited to our car’s core characteristics, but from what we saw in terms of balance in Spain we are optimistic.”
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Monza in bid to secure future at Monaco

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Italian Grand Prix officials are to hold talks with Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone at Monaco this weekend to help try to secure the future of the Monza race.

Monza chiefs are facing a fight to put together a new deal, in the wake of Ecclestone’s demands that the circuit must pay more to keep the race after next year.
Motorsport.com understands that a meeting has now been arranged for the Monte Carlo F1 weekend to try to move talks forward.
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Drivers want it to stay
Doubts about the Monza race have angered fans, and a number of drivers are also worried about its future.
Speaking in Spain, Fernando Alonso was clear about how much he liked the Monza race – but accepted that Germany’s fate this year highlighted how no event could be guaranteed.
“I think it's one of the best races of the year,” he said. “The podium is amazing there with all the fans on the main straight. It's the home of Ferrari – it's very important for Formula 1.
“But also the German Grand Prix is very important and it's not any more this year, so, who knows.”
Ecclestone says race must pay
Ecclestone has said several times recently that all he wants is for Monza to pay the same as other European races.
Speaking to Gazzetto dello Sport last month, Ecclestone said: “It's a very simple situation. Two years ago I made a deal with one of the people who are no longer involved.
"For Monza we applied the same economic conditions of the other European circuits [€20M for every GP]. All done, all good, we shook hands, but after that meeting nothing happened.
"There is a contract for the 2015 race, but not for future seasons. Yes, Monza is a part of F1 history, but they must pay."
The Italian GP did appear on a draft 2016 calendar that emerged recently.
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Home Sweet Home - Sauber F1 Team documentary

Marcus Ericsson Up Close & Personal in his hometown Kumla in Sweden where he visited his old school and met former teachers as well as his best friends Robin and Kristoffer.

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No guarantees on Iran in Formula 1

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The major difference between a Formula One fan and a normal person is sweet innocence.

Those of us who follow this sport have become hardened over the years, burned too often to greet any pronouncement without some degree of cynicism. If so-and-so says x, they must mean y. Unless it's a double-bluff and really they were saying z. You know it, I know it, we all know it.
But to the vast majority of our fellow humans, F1's wheelings and dealings merit absolutely no consideration whatsoever. If they do think of F1, because the sport has popped up towards the front of the newspaper, they take the news at face value, presuming that those in charge mean what they say and say what they mean. Such sweet innocence...
Sadly, this impulse to take things as read is one that has negative consequences on the sport as a whole because it can - and does - give entirely the wrong impression.
Last week's announcement that Iran had plans to build a Formula 1 circuit received little attention in the mainstream media, but gained enough traction that my grand prix-loathing friends picked up on the story, forwarding me details of the Iranian media visa application process and links to hotels on Qeshm Island alongside snarky comments about the ethics of Formula One and wishing me luck at the surely soon-to-be-announced grands prix of Syria, South Sudan, and a host of other countries the FCO advises against travelling to.
But what they - and Iranian vice president and head of cultural heritage, handicrafts, and tourism organisation Masoud Soltanifar - appear to have missed is that Formula One is no Field of Dreams. If you build it, there's no guarantee we will come. Just ask Imola, which was reissued with an FIA Grade 1 circuit license a few years ago, enabling the classic track to hold F1 grands prix once again. Sadly, the odds of F1 returning to Imola are infinitesimal.
But Imola is far from alone. On the most recent list of FIA-licensed circuits - last updated in February 2015 - there are around a dozen former and prospective Grade 1 venues that are unlikely to play host to a future F1 grand prix. Familiar tracks like Estoril, Fuji Speedway, Imola, Indianapolis, Istanbul Park, Korea, Magny-Cours, New Delhi, and Paul Ricard are listed, as are Thailand's Buriram, the Moscow Raceway, Mugello, and Qatar's Losail.
That's 13 circuits - many of which have history in the sport (and others, like Imola and Mugello, real historical significance) - theoretically ready to host a grand prix, yet without a race to call their own. When the cost of building a racetrack - or of improving an existing facility to Grade 1 standard - is taken into account, that list of 13 venues represents hundreds of millions in wasted money for those countries who had hoped to lure and keep Formula One.
If the Iranian government wishes to build an F1-spec race track, there is absolutely nothing to stop it doing so. The prospective site of Qeshm Island could be a spectacular setting for any televised sport - it is the largest island in the Persian Gulf, and it is comprised of forests, deserts, mountains, and beaches, plus the odd salt cave, any of which would make an excellent TV backdrop.
But it is also an island populated largely by fishermen, and surrounded by a variety of reefs, coral formations, and protected forms of wildlife. The biodiversity of Qeshm makes it a key site for the nascent ecotourism industry in the Gulf, and some religious scholars see it as a likely site for the Garden of Eden. It is not a place that is crying out for motorsport or large-scale development of any sort.
That being said, the island is already home to an underground military facility thought to have been built to house submarines, and building a race track would be no more damaging to the local environment than constructing a large-scale high-tech bunker.
What the Iranian government must consider, however, is that a circuit alone is not enough to bring F1 to you. In addition to the race-hosting fees there must also be assurances given regarding the timely progress of team freight both in and out of the country, access to the island itself (a bridge connecting Qeshm to the mainland is planned), ease of securing visas...
Iran may be home to the world's fourth-largest proven oil reserves, but it does not figure on rich lists as defined by GDP per capita. According to the 2013 World Bank figures, the Islamic Republic has a GDP per capita of $4,763.30 compared with $24,689.10 for Bahrain, $43,048.90 for the United Arab Emirates, and $93,714.10 for Qatar, to compare Iran's finances with its fellow GP hosts - current and aspiring - in the Gulf region.
Of all the countries on the 2015 Formula 1 calendar, only China comes close to Iran's GDP, clocking in at $6,807.40, although the Asian economic giant's figures are skewed by its massive population.
Fans know that F1 has nothing to gain from a race in Iran. The region is already heaving with hosts both potential and actual, and through their national airlines Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, and Qatar can all guarantee international connections and familiar ease of passage for the F1 circus and its goods that Iran cannot offer at present. There is no political advantage, either on the global stage or in the corridors of F1 power. And if it comes to a financial arms race for the next Middle Eastern Grand Prix? Qatar has the money to win any hosting fee arms race it chooses to enter, and the influence to sway the appropriate yays or nays in the paddock.
The wider world, however, sees 'Iran to build an F1 track' and thinks the sport has found its spiritual home at last.
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Daniel Ricciardo: Red Bull F1 car 'not strong anywhere' anymore

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Daniel Ricciardo says Red Bull can no longer make up for straightline speed deficiencies with downforce advantages as its Formula 1 car is "not strong anywhere".
Red Bull-Renault was rarely quickest through the speed trap even as it took four F1 titles from 2010-13, but could usually compensate in the corners.
This year the team has been hampered by reliability problems - with both Ricciardo and team-mate Daniil Kvyat on the fourth and final engines of their 2015 allocation already - and a lack of performance.
Ricciardo hinted that it was a combination of the engine and chassis contributing to Red Bull lacking pace.
"We're by no means the quickest in the fast corners so we're not really optimal," said Ricciardo.
"I think last year we lacked power but we were making it up through some high-speed corners and I think we haven't gained at least in some areas.
"Unfortunately we don't have a gain anywhere.
"In some places we're sort of there or thereabouts but we're not strong anywhere at the moment."
RICCIARDO ENJOYING TEAM LEADER ROLE
Despite Red Bull's struggles, Ricciardo has finished every race in the points this year and is 20 points clear of team-mate Kvyat, who is only in his second F1 season.
The Australian said he is enjoying the team leader role, following Sebastian Vettel's move to Ferrari this season, and benefiting from having an extra year with Red Bull over Kvyat.
"Obviously I try and carry a bit more of the weight on me," said Ricciardo.
"Knowing that I have a bit more experience than Daniil and I know the guys a bit better, I'm trying to help out that extra little per cent if I can.
"But if I look back at my approach last year and compare, it's still the same.
"Maybe the extra feedback I'm giving the guys is natural after an extra year with them.
"The results haven't been what we wanted but I'm still enjoying the challenge.
"I think when we do get the performance that we want it will be a very nice feeling."
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Sauber: Young F1 pairing of Nasr and Ericssson 'delivering'

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Sauber team principal Monisha Kaltenborn says its young drivers Felipe Nasr and Marcus Ericsson are "delivering", and playing a role in the Formula 1 squad's recovery from a disastrous 2014.
Little was expected of the duo this campaign in the wake of a 2014 season in which Sauber failed to score a point for the first time in its F1 history.
But Brazilian rookie Nasr and young Swede Ericsson, now in his second season after racing for Caterham last year, got Sauber on the board immediately with fifth and eighth in the opening race in Australia.
Points have been harder to come by since then, but despite that Kaltenborn could not be happier.
"They are absolutely fulfilling the expectations we had for their performance," she told AUTOSPORT.
"You can't have expectation as to points, but you can have expectation as to what they are delivering.
"They've adjusted to a new team, they're working closely with people, they have an understanding of the situation we are in.
"Importantly, they are highly motivated within the team, and the team feels that.
"They are very positive, they learn from their mistakes, are open to listening, are flexible, so I'm very happy with them.
"Of course they're young, they want to race and they want to show the world how good they are, but they're doing a good job.
"That's what they're here for."
Sauber's rise in form has been due in part to be being powered by a more competitive Ferrari power unit.
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As Ferrari has risen to challenge the might of Mercedes at the front of the grid, so to has Sauber been able to exert pressure again on midfield rivals Force India, Toro Rosso and Lotus.
"The power unit is a very important factor in our performance, in what we did over the winter and what the team is showing now," added Kaltenborn.
"It has made the overall package. We are so much more competitive than last year, so I think they (Ferrari) have done a really great job. Hats off to them.
"Through them we are far more competitive.
"What the drivers complained about most was the driveability of the power train, and reliability.
"Both have been improved significantly. We have more power, we can see that, and of course we are now more reliable."
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HAMILTON TO BANK MORE THAN $120 MILLION OVER THREE YEARS

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Two times Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton has agreed a new three-year contract that will keep him at Mercedes until the end of 2018, the team announced on Wednesday.
Although no financial details were given, media reports have suggested the Briton is in line for a bumper pay packet amounting to more than $40 million a year, not counting personal endorsements.
“Mercedes is my home and I couldn’t be happier to be staying here for another three years,” the 30-year-old Briton said in a statement that ended any talk of a move to rivals Ferrari in the near future.
Hamilton, who has a 20-point lead over teammate Nico Rosberg in the current championship after five races, is already one of the highest earners in the sport along with Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel and McLaren’s Fernando Alonso.
German driver Rosberg, who is chasing a third successive Monaco Grand Prix win this weekend, agreed his own multi-year contract extension last July.
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Hamilton’s new deal ends months of uncertainty about the driver’s future, with speculation swirling since the middle of last year and increasing despite repeated assurances that all was on track.
The champion has dispensed with the services of a manager and has been conducting much of the negotiations, and reading through contracts, himself.
The Briton, who won his first title with McLaren in 2008, has been backed by Mercedes since his teenage years and all of his 36 grand prix wins have been with the German manufacturer’s engines.
Fifteen of those victories, including 11 last year, have been for the Mercedes works team.
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“Mercedes-Benz began supporting me in 1998 so I am very proud that this contract means I will mark 20 years with Mercedes in 2018,” he said.
Mercedes motorsport head Toto Wolff said continuity was a key factor in delivering success.
“Lewis enjoyed an historic World Championship season with Mercedes-Benz last year and it was a priority for this season to renew his contract for the next term,” said the Austrian.
“We have taken the right amount of time with the process and not rushed ourselves.
“The result is a strong agreement that will enhance Lewis’ association with the Mercedes-Benz brand, and that recognises and respects the market value of Lewis and of Mercedes in Formula One.
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HAMILTON AIMS TO DENY ROSBERG HAT-TRICK AT MONACO

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Lewis Hamilton hopes to be third time lucky in Monaco this weekend and take revenge on Nico Rosberg by denying his Mercedes teammate a hat-trick of wins in Formula 1’s most glamorous race.
Last year, the pair were barely on speaking terms after a qualifying controversy threw their relationship into the deep freeze.
The frostiness between the title rivals has since thawed but neither will be giving an inch in what constitutes a home race for both and looks set to give Mercedes a third win in a row regardless.
Rosberg is back on form, setting up his triple bid by winning in Spain two weeks ago and checking world champion Hamilton’s dominant start to the season.
While the German will want to continue the momentum, Hamilton is just as hungry to reassert himself and add to his 20 point lead in the standings with a long-overdue triumph in a favourite race.
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“The last two years I have had the car to win,” said the Briton, in his third year with Mercedes and with a lucrative contract extension in place.
“The first year I struggled with it. Last year, I had the pace but other things were up against me and this year, hopefully will be different… third time lucky.”
Pole position will be as crucial as ever on a tight and twisty circuit where overtaking is almost impossible and Hamilton, second a year ago, will be warier this time.
Last year’s drama saw Rosberg take pole after he set the fastest lap and then made a mistake on the entry to Mirabeau, going down the escape road and bringing out yellow warning flags just as Hamilton was about to go faster.
“I should have known that was going to happen,” an angry Hamilton said afterwards, suggesting deliberate intent, but this year, he will simply make sure he gets his fastest lap in first.
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“I will have the choice to go ahead of him so I will make sure I do that,” said Hamilton, whose only Monaco win to date was with McLaren in 2008 on the way to his first title.
If Rosberg were to win again, he will become only the fourth driver after Graham Hill, Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost to take three successive victories in the showcase race and the irony will not be lost on Hamilton.
Senna, who won five times in a row, was the Briton’s boyhood idol whose three championship titles Hamilton can equal this year.
Ferrari, who have not won in Monaco since Michael Schumacher in 2001, should be Mercedes’s closest rivals with Sebastian Vettel a winner with Red Bull in 2011 and Kimi Raikkonen with McLaren in 2005.
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DENNIS: BOULLIER GOT A GOOD KICK IN THE ARSE

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McLaren supremo Ron Dennis shocked employees at the team’s Woking headquarters by launching a morale deflating attack on them and particularly racing director Eric Boullier, amid the team’s high profile struggles with their engine partner Honda.
Daily Mail reports that Dennis, speaking at the team’s post Spanish Grand Prix debrief, told staff of 500 that Boullier got “a good kick in the arse” and at the same time criticised the team’s employees for not working hard enough.
McLaren, second only to Ferrari in terms of Formula 1 success, has a had a couple of dismal seasons and currently are relegated to backmarkers as their engine partners Honda come to grips with the sport’s new engine formula.
A staff member, who requested not to be named, observed on the day of Dennis’ rant that, “Eric seemed to flinch when Ron made his comments but he handled it well. Ron’s whole tone caused some puzzlement.”
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And added, “We are all working our nuts off to improve the team and to hear from Ron that our efforts are not appreciated was not helpful for morale.”
Normally Boullier and the team’s chief operating officer are tasked with the team’s post race debrief sessions, with Dennis seldom in attendance, but the team’s woeful showing in Spain appears to have irked the McLaren chief.
Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button, who were not present at the meeting, have yet to score points this season and have had to toil at the wrong end of the field as Honda grossly underestimated the task of powering McLaren in Formula 1.
It is not the first time that Dennis has criticised those in his own team. Last year he publicly told Button to try harder to keep his place in the team, to which the 2009 world champion retorted, “Ron is practising to be a motivational speaker.”
A McLaren spokesman told media on Wednesday that Dennis’ remarks were “reported out of context” and actually intended to be “humorous”.
“His (Dennis’) rhetoric can sometimes be challenging, but it is always inspirational,” the spokesman said.
“Ron massively appreciates the hard work currently being done by all at Woking and Sakura (Japan), and he and Eric, together, are making the structural and operational changes that will take McLaren-Honda back to the front.”
Heading to round six of the 2015 F1 world championship, it is highly unlikely that the legendary team will add to their record tally of 15 victories at the Monaco Grand Prix.
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WOLFF: BOTTAS IS ON WATCH LIST OF ALL BIG TEAMS

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Every top team are keeping an interested eye on Valtteri Bottas, claims Toto Wolff, who is not only the team boss at world champions Mercedes, but also part of the Finnish driver’s management team.
In the past days and weeks, the Williams driver has been linked with a potential switch to Ferrari.
Asked if the rumours are affecting the 25-year-old, Wolff said: “The answer is very simple. Valtteri has a great future ahead of him.
“If you really look at who are the next generation of the most competitive drivers, you see Valtteri, Daniel Ricciardo and perhaps Daniil Kvyat,” the Austrian told Turun Sanomat. “Those guys are the first ones, and then even younger is Max Verstappen.”
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“It is clear that all the big teams start to look to the future, and I know that Valtteri is on the watch list as a potential candidate for all of them.”
“That is the same as what the Ferrari manager Maurizio Arrivabene said,” Wolff insisted. “Nothing more, nothing less.
“At the moment, Valtteri is at Williams and doing very well there. Anything else is pure speculation.”
Wolff said that, at the moment, Bottas cannot think about switching to Mercedes, “Right now we have two really good drivers in our cars already, so no one else has the opportunity to come here. But who knows what the future will bring.”
“But I point out again that this is just speculation, because Valtteri is with Williams. And if I was a racing driver and I couldn’t drive a Mercedes or a Ferrari, I would want to drive a Williams,” Wolff added.
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