FORMULA 1 - 2016

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You've got to be freakin' kidding me! Sebatian is out again!!! I love the aggressive driving, but Kvyat was absolutely reckless. I don't know if hometown pressure was too much, but that move was BS.

Happy for Nico, but Ferrari needs to get a break soon or the season is lost...

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HAS FORMULA 1 EVER PRODUCED A LEICESTER CITY TYPE SUCCESS STORY?

Unquestionably the biggest story in world sport right now is Leicester City’s championship victory in the English Premier League – a result that was almost unthinkable at the beginning of the season. It is being billed as the greatest David and Goliath story in the history of British football.

The new champions were given odds of 5,000-1 to win the title in August 2015, so we thought (with a little encouragement from a JA on F1 reader) we’d take a look back at the most unlikely Formula 1 race wins and championship victories from the history of the category to seek parallels.

So, in no particular order, here are six of F1’s best surprise stories:

Brawn GP’s 2009 triumphs

We start with the only one where a championship was won by a minnow.

The obvious caveat here is that Honda, which had owned the Brackley-based squad in 2008 before pulling out at the end of that year, had invested heavily in the development of this car, even sacrificed most of the 2007 season to produce what would become the BGP 001, but the Japanese manufacturer’s exit rocked F1 and the team was run on a shoestring with only two chassis built.

Ross Brawn himself travelled on Easyjet to European GPs (albeit with Speedy Boarding the only luxury).

Brawn had stepped into rescue the team at the final hour and despite only taking part in the final one of the pre-season tests, the team turned up in Australia and duly delivered a one-two win, with Jenson Button the victor over Rubens Barrichello.

Button won six from the first seven races and the British driver and his team survived a heavily funded Red Bull development fight back to win both world titles, despite Brawn being forced to cut back severely in headcount over the course of the season.

Spain 2012

Renault may have rather unceremoniously dumped Pastor Maldonado out F1 at the start of this season (the irony of his many crashes is not lost on us here), but his win at the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix will live long in the memory.

Maldonado inherited pole position due to Lewis Hamilton’s disqualification from qualifying, but the Venezuelan was forced to chase Fernando Alonso hard as he lost out to the Ferrari driver off the line.

After passing Alonso at the second round of pitstops, Maldonado held on for a famous win and gave Williams it’s first win since the end of 2004.

Japan 2005

Again, bear with us here as a driver who would finish second in the championship with arguably the quickest car of the year winning a race would not ordinarily be a fairy-tale story, but the sheer unlikeness of Kimi Raikkonen’s win at Suzuka means it merits its inclusion on this list.

Raikkonen, Alonso and Michael Schumacher were all forced to start towards the back of the grid because of rain in qualifying, but they came through the pack in probably the greatest demonstration of reverse grid races as we’re ever going to get – although this is not the time or place for that argument…

The 2007 world champion, then driving for McLaren, caught and passed Giancarlo Fisichella on the last lap of the race to steal a sensational victory, which the former Renault driver will still be wondering how he lost.

James Hunt vs Niki Lauda 1976

The Rush movie has immortalised the James Hunt and Niki Lauda’s titanic tussle for the 1976 crown, which ended with the Briton’s first, and only F1 world title.

Hunt had sealed a move to McLaren after spending the early part of his career at Hesketh and won in his fourth race for the British team. But the stewards took away that victory, which came in Spain, as they deemed the McLaren to be too wide.

Lauda was clear at the top of the standings before a shocking crash in the German Grand Prix, which Hunt won, nearly killed him. The Austrian driver miraculously recovered and only missed two races before returning to action.

Hunt’s Spain win was reinstated and his wins in the Netherlands, Canada and the USA meant the championship went down to the wire in Fuji, a race that took place in atrocious weather. Lauda ultimately stopped his Ferrari due to the conditions and Hunt did just enough to seal the crown with third place.

Lauda would go on to win the 1984 title for McLaren and in doing so he claimed his third F1 championship and succeeded in a career comeback after he had briefly retired in 1980.

Jordan GP – Spa 1998

Was this the F1 race that had it all? The first lap featured a 13-car pile up and lengthy red flag, and then Mika Hakkinen was eliminated at the first corner of the restart.

His title rival Michael Schumacher raced through to the front and looked to be heading to a dominant win when he slammed into the back of Hakkinen’s McLaren teammate, David Coulthard.

As Schumacher sought retribution from the Scot in the pitlane, Damon Hill and Ralf Schumacher were busy sealing a one-two win for Jordan – the team’s first ever race win.

Toro Rosso – Monza 2008

To date, Sebastian Vettel’s win in the 2008 Italian Grand Prix remains Toro Rosso’s only visit to the F1 podium.

The German driver, who had scored points on his debut for BMW-Sauber as a 19-year-old in 2007, seized pole and won in soaking conditions across the Monza weekend.

That season’s championship challengers’ were forced to race through from lowly grid spots but Vettel, by then 21, was peerless in taking the first F1 win of his own career and the first ever for the former Minardi team.

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MERCEDES REACTS TO CRITICISM WITH IMPASSIONED LETTER TO F1 FANS

To the fans,

We returned from Russia on Monday with mixed emotions. On the one side, filled with pride at another one-two finish – a rare achievement in the ultra-competitive world of Formula One and something to be savoured but never taken lightly.

On the other, pained by a stressful weekend – both behind the wheel, on the pit wall, in the garage, back at the factories and for all of you watching at home.

We have seen a lot of frustration aired online after the mechanical issues experienced in Sochi. We share those same emotions – but for us, it goes far beyond frustration.

For those watching at home, a Grand Prix weekend starts on a Thursday morning and ends on Sunday night. A bad result might hurt for a few hours afterwards – but then life moves on. For more than one thousand people at Brackley and Brixworth, however, this is our life.

These men and women pour their blood, sweat and tears into racing, day in, day out – often working around the clock and spending weeks at a time away from loved ones. They do so through passion for their work, loyalty to their team-mates and a desire to be the best.

The success we have enjoyed in recent times has not come about by accident. To paraphrase Mr Toto Wolff, we have worked our a**es off to get where we are today – and we have done so as a team. The faces you see at the track are only the tip of the iceberg – but they are a perfect example of just what this represents.

They don’t just perform pit-stops together. They travel, share rooms, eat meals, construct garages, build cars, re-build broken cars, kit spares and pack down tonnes of freight – together.

They sweat, strain, laugh, cry, shout, scream, celebrate, and commiserate – together. And, as one of our own often says, they win and lose – together. We have the best guys and girls in the world, doing an awesome job, week in and week out – and they do it for the team.

Not for one driver or the other – but for each other. There is no ‘A’ or ‘B’ team here. Every single member of the crew has earned their right to be counted among the elite of their trade – and have sacrificed much to do so.

What happened in Sochi showed the world just what a team working in unison is capable of. We were baffled and gutted by the repeat MGU-H failure on Lewis’ car in qualifying. But we kept calm, gathered our thoughts and sprung into action.

It took a monumental effort from a significant number of people back in the UK and in Russia to fly spare parts out to the track, fit them to the spare Power Unit by working through the night and make sure Lewis could start from P10 on Sunday without having broken parc fermé. This made Sunday all the more stressful for each of us. But, in the end, we were relieved just to get both cars to the flag.

Shortly after his pit stop, we saw some alarming behaviour from Nico’s MGU-K. We spent a number of laps reassuring him that he had a good gap over Lewis and could ease off before the FIA gave us the all-clear to tell him to switch to a setting that would control the issue.

At the wheel, Nico wouldn’t have had any inkling of the stress on the pit-wall. When he put in the fastest lap on the penultimate lap of the race, he was still in that ‘safe’ setting – demonstrating just how much pace the car had last weekend.

Not long after Nico’s issue arose, we started to see the water pressure falling on Lewis’ car. At the time, he was pushing hard to catch Nico and pull away from Kimi – posting several purple lap times in the process. Again, we needed to await confirmation from the FIA of what we could tell him via the radio. After several calls asking him to take it easy, the all-clear came to let him know that he was losing water pressure.

With zero – yes, zero! – water pressure remaining for the last 16 laps, the job he did to nurse the car home and still retain second place was truly remarkable. He had to keep the car as cool as possible to avoid damaging the engine whilst also keeping Kimi at a safe distance, which was no mean feat. We genuinely aren’t sure by what miracle the car limped across the line – but we’re certainly not going to complain!

Ultimately, none of this changes the fact that we have not met our own expectations in terms of reliability so far this season. Performance-wise we are right on the money – with a points haul just two shy of what we had managed by the same stage in 2015. But there is work to be done. Our goal is not simply to be fast but bulletproof too.

Not just to manage problems but to understand them, fix them and ensure they are not repeated. We are working tirelessly to do just that and will continue to do so every step of the way. But there are no guarantees. This is a mechanical sport, balancing on the knife edge of performance and endurance. You have to push the boundaries and failures can happen.

And then, there’s the bigger picture. Here we sit, picking apart a weekend of various challenges – both on and off track. But look at the result. We should not simply be grateful to see both cars crossed the line but proud and humbled after a team result which quite literally could not have been stronger, thanks to the amazing efforts of the guys and girls in the factories, in the engineering offices, on the pit wall, in the garage and, of course, in the cockpit.

So, four races down, 17 to go. And, from what we’ve seen so far, it’s going to be one heck of a rollercoaster. There will be highs and lows, good day and bad days, successes and defeats. But, through all of this, we stand united as a team – just as we always have.

To those who stand with us, we thank you. And to the rest – the haters, the naysayers, the conspirators… if we can convince even half of you of what we really stand for, we’ll consider that a battle well won.

#WeAreW07

#WeAreTheSilverArrows

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ALONSO: WHY CAN’T WE FINISH SECOND OR THIRD?

Fernando Alonso says grand prix podium goal might not be too far away for McLaren-Honda in 2016..

The Spaniard opened his points account at Sochi with a strong sixth place, although he admitted the result flattered the true pace of the Anglo-British team’s package.

“We are happy with how things are going and we want to win, but Mercedes is in another league,” Alonso told Spanish radio Cadena Cope this week.

“In 2016 we started slowly but we are always improving in leaps and bounds, race after race, and always with high expectations,” he added.

“Everything we introduce is as expected, but in Russia we were also lucky. It is a circuit that favours us and we also benefited from several accidents in a race that was not normal,” said Alonso.

McLaren-Honda at least had a good weekend when it comes to reliability, with Alonso contrasting a “perfect” Sochi 2016 to “the races last year when more or less we were tossing a coin for things to go wrong”.

The continuing Achilles Heel, however, is the Honda power unit, amid suggestions the Japanese manufacturer will take its time to introduce upgrades this year.

“In the next few races we are going to get very important things in terms of aerodynamics and the chassis,” said Alonso. “It’s not envisaged that there is anything important for the engine in the next races but the goal of having the best chassis on the grid is getting closer.

“In Barcelona we will basically have a new car,” he revealed. “Until we get something for engine power, let’s think about going fast in the corners.”

“Circuits like Barcelona and Monaco are coming where the chassis is important and the engine not so much. Then we have a good chance,” he predicted.

“I think that with more improvements and a little more power, and a race such as Russia where we finished sixth with relative ease, why can’t we finish second or third? There are 17 grands prix remaining and we will not throw in the towel,” he added.

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MERCEDES NOT SURE OF FERRARI’S TRUE PACE

Niki Lauda said Sebastian Vettel’s first-lap retirement at Sochi means Mercedes is still in the dark about Ferrari’s true pace.

On the face of it, notwithstanding worries about reliability, reigning world champions Mercedes utterly dominated in terms of pace in Russia.

Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen finished third on Sunday, while Vettel did not even complete a lap.

“I would have preferred that Kvyat had not taken him out, then we would be able to assess exactly how good Sebastian’s engine update really is and how much closer he has got to Mercedes,” Mercedes team chairman Niki Lauda told the German broadcaster Sky.

“The logic of the race is that Mercedes was three, four tenths quicker in the race than Kimi,” he added.

Lauda said Ferrari team boss Maurizio Arrivabene congratulated him after the Russian grand prix for Mercedes’ latest one-two finish.

“He really is a fair sportsman,” said Lauda, “but I confessed to him at the same time that we were lucky with Lewis’ loss of water, otherwise he (Raikkonen) might have been one place higher.

“But we have a good relationship with Ferrari and I would do exactly the same in reverse,” he added.

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BILLIONAIRE KEEN TO ESTABLISH RUSSIAN F1 TEAM

Russian billionaire Boris Rotenberg has admitted he would like to establish a Russian Formula 1 team.

In February, as former F1 driver Vitaly Petrov signed for the Le Mans LMP2 team SMP Racing, he admitted: “Although nothing is defined yet, we will perhaps one day be in F1.”

SMP Racing is the motor sport arm of SMP Bank, headed by Rotenberg.

He has already entered F1 in the past days by signing up as a sponsor of Renault’s new works team, with Sergey Sirotkin getting a run in Kevin Magnussen’s yellow car on Friday at Sochi.

Rotenberg said on Wednesday: “Of course we want to have a team in formula one. We are doing everything for it, but not everything depends on us. So far, we are learning.”

Another SMP Racing project at the moment is a Formula 4 series in Russia.

“The SMP Racing project is our training ground,” Rotenberg explained. “We are slowly, step by step, preparing for F1.”

There is a famous quip that does the rounds in F1: how do you become a millionaire in F1? Arrive on the scene as a billionaire…

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COULTHARD HAILS RENAULT FOR SAVING MAGNUSSEN CAREER

F1 winner turned pundit David Coulthard has hailed the performance of Kevin Magnussen after the Dane opened Renault’s points account in Russia last weekend.

The occupant of the sister yellow car, Jolyon Palmer, is under pressure to up his game but former F1 driver Coulthard said Magnussen is doing a good job.

“It was a great performance,” said the Scot after Russia, “and exactly why Renault brought him back into formula one.”

Coulthard, now a presenter and commentator for British television, was referring to former McLaren driver Magnussen’s feat of finishing seventh at Sochi at the wheel of the uncompetitive works Renault.

He told Viasat: “He took the opportunity and was humble enough to say that the result was due to exploiting others’ mistakes.”

Coulthard predicts a potentially bright future for the 23-year-old.

“He has the potential to win races,” said the former Red Bull and McLaren driver, “and once you do that, then you are a potential world champion.

“Right now with the car he has he cannot show that potential and the situation he came out of at McLaren was slightly stale, which is how it is sometimes in formula one.

“But he possesses all the necessary skills,” Coulthard added. “I hope he will get the opportunity to show them.”

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COCKPIT SAFETY DEVICE MAY BE DELAYED UNTIL 2018

The introduction of cockpit-mounted head protection for Formula 1 cars may need to wait until 2018, according to a report in Auto Motor und Sport.

That is despite the fact F1 race director Charlie Whiting said in Sochi last weekend that a July 1 deadline had been set for the introduction of either the ‘halo’ or ‘aeroscreen’ devices for next season.

“It would be unreasonable if we didn’t have a clear path by that time,” he said.

The two concepts have been extensively tested and the F1 Commission will shortly be asked to make a decision between one or the other.

But Auto Motor und Sport reports that it is in fact now too late for the F1 Commission to impose the rule change for 2017, unless there is total unanimity.

“F1 Commission decisions after April 30 can be introduced no earlier than 2018,” explained correspondent Michael Schmidt.

Unanimity is not likely, as Bernie Ecclestone has admitted his opposition and Mercedes and Ferrari, the proponents of the halo, are worried Red Bull has gained an aerodynamic advantage by developing the aeroscreen.

The FIA can clear these hurdles by – in Whiting’s words – invoking “the safety card”.

“We are not expecting any teams to object, simply because it is a matter of safety,” he said.

However, there are many outstanding questions about visibility and the cleaning of the shield, while FIA safety chief Andy Mellor is believed to be worried that heavy crashes could result in a driver’s head hitting the aeroscreen structure.

Sergio Marchionne reportedly asked FIA president Jean Todt at the last strategy group meeting if the ‘safety card’ could be used while there are so many outstanding questions.

The Frenchman’s answer was reportedly “no”.

But a source told Auto Motor und Sport: “The teams have voluntarily accepted cockpit protection and the drivers would be up in arms if we had to wait until 2018.”

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Red Bull will win races this season with upgraded Renault engine - Helmut Marko

Red Bull will challenge for race wins this season according to advisor Helmut Marko, who reckons the team will be on a par with Ferrari once they've received Renault's upgraded power unit.

Red Bull sit 19 points adrift of Ferrari in the Constructors' standings, and like the Italian team, they've encountered their fare share of bad luck so far with punctures and crashes keeping them from showing their full potential.

However in China the team managed to do just that, with Daniil Kvyat finishing third and Daniel Ricciardo fourth despite a first lap puncture dropping him down the order.

"China was very special - a bit out of the norm," Marko told the official Formula 1 website.

"Daniel [Ricciardo] had the speed, yes, and in the end we were unlucky because without his puncture he could have finished second. But don’t forget Hamilton had his issues and the two Ferraris collided at the start. That will not happen at every race unfortunately."

The Red Bull pair didn't do so well in Russia, with Daniil Kvyat twice hitting Sebastian Vettel, carnage Ricciardo also got caught up in.

"Looking at the Russian weekend: the engine power is super important there - we saw in qualifying that we had dropped back a bit again. We were again in the region of the Williams," added Marko.

However the team are excited about what could happen later this season when Renault delivers what is expected to be a huge upgrade to its power unit.

"We are pretty optimistic," said the Austrian. "If the figures are right it should put us back in a situation where we can win races again on circuits like Budapest and Singapore - tracks that don’t have long straights.

[Already Red Bull have made] a big step. In fact, we hope to be a threat to Ferrari the rest of the season..."

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Daniil Kvyat or Max Verstappen? Decision time for Red Bull

After Daniil Kvyat’s misjudgement at the start of the Russian Grand Prix, speculation is now rife among fans and members of the paddock alike over the future of the Russian racer.

From a level-headed and entirely neutral perspective, the mistake at Turn 2 in Sochi is in no way indicative of Kvyat’s style of driving.

One comment made on social media post-race slammed Kvyat as Formula 1’s new Pastor Maldonado, which is completely unjustified after just one mistake.

However, the presence of one person has helped to fuel these rumours about Kvyat’s future: Max Verstappen.

Since he made his debut last season with Toro Rosso, Verstappen has taken to the sport like a duck to water, impressing everyone in his path whilst making veteran racers such as Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso look somewhat normal in comparison.

Many were dubious of his immediate success in the sport, with some keen to wait until his second season before labelling him the next Michael Schumacher.

So far this season Verstappen has continued from where he left off last year, completing every racing lap until his mechanical failure in Sochi forced him to retire. It was his first DNF since the British Grand Prix last season.

With such a competitive and fiery attitude at a young age, Red Bull are understandably keen to make sure Verstappen is “promoted” within its family as his talent quickly out-grows the abilities of his Ferrari-powered Toro Rosso.

There’s no denying that if Red Bull do not act quickly, then the Dutchman could well be persuaded away by another team completely, especially with Red Bull still a fair distance off the pace at the front on a regular basis.

If Red Bull were to act quickly and offer Verstappen that promotion in a bid to keep him in the family, then either Daniel Ricciardo or Kvyat will face the chop to make way for the Dutchman’s ascension.

Unfortunately for Kvyat the decision looks automatic from the outside of the team, with Ricciardo essentially ousting Sebastian Vettel during his first season with the outfit in 2014.

The Australian racer has proven himself a race winner for the team, whereas Kvyat only has a small number of visits to the podium.

Admittedly Red Bull has been unable to provide a race winning machine since Kvyat’s arrival at Red Bull, but you can’t seriously expect the team to use such logic when deciding on whether to retain Kvyat or promote unquestionably one of the biggest young talents the sport has seen in decades.

Simply retaining the same line-up at both Red Bull and Toro Rosso for 2017 is practically unthinkable.

If Verstappen somehow wasn’t persuaded to join another outfit, then he could risk falling into the same category as the likes of Sebastien Buemi, Jean-Eric Vergne and Jaime Alguersuari. I don’t think Verstappen has any wishes of becoming a reserve driver or competing in Formula E just yet!

The alternative for Verstappen is jumping ship altogether, just like Vettel. Who would want Verstappen behind the wheel of their car for 2017? Well the answer is very simple - everyone!

Mercedes has shown interest, although signing Verstappen would result in the German marque either dropping Nico Rosberg or Lewis Hamilton, an outcome which would render practically every sports fan in the world utterly speechless.

Ferrari has also shown interest in Verstappen, and the Scuderia has one driver whose contract comes to a conclusion at the end of the season - Kimi Raikkonen.

However, the Finn is currently third in the drivers’ championship and since his retirement at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix has finished in the top five at every race, including a charge to second in Bahrain.

Despite these stats, it is well known Vettel has suffered immense bad luck this season and had it not been for Alonso’s monumental shunt in Australia would probably have powered himself to victory for the Scuderia.

Imagine it: Vettel partnered with Verstappen in a Ferrari team still yet to peak. Whilst Vettel’s knowledge and prowess would offer Ferrari the ability to continue challenging Mercedes at the top, the German could also act as a mentor to Verstappen and smooth over his rough edges.

When you think about it, Verstappen has a lot in common with Gilles Villeneuve. The ambitious French-Canadian started his career in a whirl of screeching tyres, but reading between the lines many - including The Old Man himself - knew that beneath the rough exterior was a driver that could power any team to greatness.

A Vettel/Verstappen partnership would be fearful, especially if the Scuderia managed to produce a chassis and engine capable to thwarting Mercedes on a regular basis.

Such a partnership doesn’t necessarily have to exist though, or at least not for several years. All Red Bull needs to do is act quickly and smartly. It may well upset the applecart, but when you have a driver like Verstappen at your disposal, you’d be ludicrous to keep him in a B-team.

This is certainly not a call for Kvyat to be dropped entirely, the Russian racer also has raw pace, as was evident during his championship winning GP3 Series campaign. But with only two seats available at Red Bull, it seems very likely that he would be forced to make way for Verstappen. Let’s face it - Helmut Marko would be distraught to see both Vettel and Verstappen in red.

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Gallery/Video: Red Bull takes on Jordan's Wadi Rum desert

Red Bull's demo team went to the extreme last week with a show run in Jordan, taking in the Wadi Rum desert, the Greco-Roman ruins and modern Petra. The run across the country produced some truly remarkable photos which can be seen below along with a video at the end.

Wadi Rum: wild and isolated but, given its use in every film from The Martian to Zero Dark Thirty, swiftly becoming as familiar a sight as Monument Valley after John Ford decided to make it the home of the Western.

The team needed to have the RB7 jacked all the way up on its highest suspension setting. It needed outsized brake ducts and more engine cooling than would be the case at even the hottest grand prix. The team also had to deal with a sandstorm of the sort that can quite easily tear a gearbox and engine internals to pieces – but everything worked out in the end.

"Many years ago, when I was a young Formula 3 driver I was lucky enough to meet King Hussein and since then it's always been in my mind that this would be a country I'd love to come and visit. We've literally covered the length and breadth this week and it's been a wonderful experience. I'll cherish the memories for a long, long time," said David Coulthard.

"It's always great to drive the car in areas you wouldn't normally be allowed to drive an F1 car. I've driven on city streets, over bridges, through tunnels... even on helipads – but driving around Petra was definitely something special. It's a remarkable feat of engineering and just makes you stop and stare. The highlight though was meeting the people. This is a peaceful place, very relaxed and very friendly. We've had a fantastic time."

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Small teams really struggling with added 2017 costs - Sauber

Formula 1's smaller teams are really struggling with the additional costs of splitting development between 2016 and 2017 cars, according to Sauber team manager Beat Zehnder.

With an agreement in place to dramatically change the way the cars look with wider tyres, wings and chassis, as well as larger diffusers, teams are having to split resources to ensure they don't slip behind and allow their competitors to get a head start.

That, according to Zehnder, is a huge financial burden for a team which is already struggling.

"We've been in a more comfortable situation," said Zehnder. "We have financial difficulties, it's not a secret, but the good thing is we are still around.

"We're working hard to solve all the problems, but it's not easy," he admitted. "An annual budget this year is a massive one and to cover it by sponsors and the income from Bernie [Ecclestone] is just not sufficient at the moment."

Sauber have already confirmed they will miss the first in-season test of the season and have also confirmed news that employee wages have been delayed more than once, with a sponsor stepping in to cover the shortfall.

"The financial impact [for '17] is massive and for a small team like Sauber it's really difficult," he added.

"It's not only the cars and not being able to carry over parts from one year to the other, it's the list of investments you have to make starting with tyre heating blankets and... and... and...

"We're talking about millions and millions here, so for a smaller team it's really a difficult time."

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Nico Rosberg set fastest lap in Russia in 'safe' mode - Mercedes

Mercedes have revealed that Nico Rosberg set the fastest lap during the Russian Grand Prix in "safe" mode, as he was nursing an MGU-K issue in the latter stages of the race.

The German won the race, leading from start to finish whilst also securing pole position to complete the 'grand slam'.

The fact Rosberg set the fastest lap of the race by six-tenths and on a used set of soft tyres, is made even more impressive given the fact he did so in a setting which meant the power unit was turned down.

"We saw some alarming behaviour from Nico’s MGU-K," said the team in an open letter to its fans. "We spent a number of laps reassuring him that he had a good gap over Lewis and could ease off before the FIA gave us the all-clear to tell him to switch to a setting that would control the issue.

"At the wheel, Nico wouldn’t have had any inkling of the stress on the pit-wall. When he put in the fastest lap on the penultimate lap of the race, he was still in that ‘safe’ setting – demonstrating just how much pace the car had last weekend."

Meanwhile the team also revealed the extent of Lewis Hamilton's water pressure issue, which forced the Briton to back off until it stabilised - though he had to complete the final 16 laps with "zero pressure".

"Not long after Nico’s issue arose, we started to see the water pressure falling on Lewis’ car. At the time, he was pushing hard to catch Nico and pull away from Kimi – posting several purple lap times in the process.

"Again, we needed to await confirmation from the FIA of what we could tell him via the radio. After several calls asking him to take it easy, the all-clear came to let him know that he was losing water pressure. With zero – yes, zero! – water pressure remaining for the last 16 laps, the job he did to nurse the car home and still retain second place was truly remarkable.

"He had to keep the car as cool as possible to avoid damaging the engine whilst also keeping Kimi at a safe distance, which was no mean feat. We genuinely aren’t sure by what miracle the car limped across the line – but we’re certainly not going to complain!"

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Felipe Massa column: Williams now a match for Red Bull

In his second column for Motorsport.com, Felipe Massa reflects on the Russian Grand Prix and his team's battle with Red Bull.

Sochi is one of those places in the world that is not so easy to get to, which is why, two years ago, I organised a charter flight, together with a number of drivers that reside in Monaco.

It's a tradition that continues today, and we've made sure to immortalise our journey together with some group photos.

This year it was left to Nico Rosberg to organise everything, and I have to say that, judging by the outcome of the race, maybe that was his good luck charm.

Hopefully it means he will accept this task happily in the future!

Championship boost

On track, it was a positive Russian Grand Prix for Williams Martini Racing, and in terms of points, it was a very good one for us.

At some points of the weekend, we could even have imagined that we would be going away with a podium finish.

Although that did not happen, to have left Sochi with 22 points in the bag compared to Red Bull getting zero is not bad at all. We recovered a lot of ground in the constructors' championship, and that is really important.

The weekend was good right from the start. Williams does not normally find itself in good positions during FP1 and FP2 practice on Friday, because we prefer to conduct all our work in race trim.

The engineers also like to focus their analysis on tyre degradation, which means a strict programme of long runs, so it rarely happens that myself or Valtteri Bottas end up in the top five on the Friday charts.

But that is exactly what happened in Sochi, where the results were there from the start, and the positions were certainly no fluke. The step we had made was also confirmed on Saturday and Sunday, with Valtteri taking fourth and me fifth.

It is true that Ferrari and Mercedes were not within our reach, but in Sochi we were firmly the third-best team.

Fastest lap chance

My race was pretty straightforward, and I'm glad I found a good rhythm.

In the closing stages, we even decided to make a second pitstop as a precaution, because Valtteri was clear in front of me with a good safety buffer, and behind me I had a big gap to Fernando Alonso, which allowed me to change tyres without risk of losing positions.

I returned to the supersoft compound I had started the race on, and I also knew that, if in the final laps of the race there had been a safety car, then I would have been in an ideal situation!

Even without that, I must confess that I was very optimistic about the possibility of getting the fastest lap of the race as I had the perfect conditions: low fuel and fresh supersoft tyres.

At one point I thought I had succeeded, but Rosberg responded at the end and took the chance away from me. Monstrous! Anyway, everyone saw that the Mercedes in Sochi was unbeatable.

Tyre philosophy

Russia was a race where there was very little tyre wear, and it was something that generated mixed reviews. I think in F1 we often see two different philosophies now, and each of them making different people happy.

From the drivers' point of view, when there is high degradation, I have to say the racing becomes less exciting. You have to focus on so many more other aspects than just fighting other cars, and you end up becoming a bit of an engineer in the car because you have to monitor so many parameters.

I think this is less satisfying for drivers, even though for spectators the show is more exciting like we saw at the Chinese Grand Prix. There, we had many pitstops and a lot of overtaking, which was generated by there being such a variety of different race strategies.

Sochi was a different type of racing because overtaking was so difficult. In the race, we did not see many stops and the strategies were virtually the same for everyone. When it is like that, the drivers can push 100 percent, but paradoxically it means that the show is not as good!

Red Bull battle

For now, our focus is already on the next race in Barcelona, a track the drivers and teams know really well after our pre-season testing there.

The Circuit de Catalunya is a track that rewards a good chassis and good aerodynamics, especially in the third sector. It will not be an easy weekend for us, but we will aim to make as many points up to Red Bull as we can.

We have many good cards still to play, and I want to take this moment to emphasise that over the first part of 2016, Williams has made great strides with its pitstops. At all four races so far we have been the fastest team overall – three times with me and one time with Valtteri.

So I would like to give a round of applause to all the guys in the team for a job well done. Let's go on like this!

[MIKA27]

Russian GP tech round-up: How McLaren is closing the gap

McLaren may have benefited from its rivals' misfortunes in Russia, but its progress is real. In the first part of the Russian GP tech round-up, Giorgio Piola and Matt Somerfield look at how the British team is closing the gap.

McLaren

McLaren made numerous changes to the MP4-31 for Russia, and whilst both drivers capitalised on mistakes ahead of them to take points, it is clear to see the progression made by them this season.

For Sochi, the front wing's main cascade was revised, with an additional control fin found mounted within (large inset). The cascade's primary role is to condition airflow, improving how it moves around and over the front tyre, which intrinsically improves performance downstream.

The addition of the fin simply fine-tunes how the air moves toward the tyre, perhaps something of more importance at Sochi given the relatively high downforce nature of the circuit.

The old specification endplate was raced, but it is worth noting that McLaren tested a new design (small inset) on Friday. The new design features a rounder exit point, changing the way the airflow is shaped as it leaves the wing.

The team also revised the front brake drum layout, adjusting the position, shape and function of the outlets.

Having formally used the tear drop shaped outlets (inset), which sat above the brake disc and dissipated the hot air they generate, they have moved the outlets closer to the drum's shoulder, changing how the heat held within the drum radiates into the wheel and tyre, which should change the performance envelope of the tyre.

A new set of airflow conditioners flanked the car in Sochi, which follow the trend of curving over to meet with the sidepod's shoulder.

In McLaren's case, the vertical element remained largely unchanged in terms of geometry, with a square horizontal blade (see arrow) used to connect it with the vortex generator, which already lay on the sidepod's periphery.

The change will likely improve the overall performance of the sidepod's surface, with the shoulder now more protected from any turbulent airflow shed by the tyre in yaw.

Mercedes

Mercedes is really starting to feel the pressure from Ferrari, and not only had aerodynamic changes available in Sochi, but also spent two more of its power unit development tokens, making improvements to its fuel system to manage the gap to its closest rivals.

Mercedes W07 front endplate, Sochi

A new front wing was available, but wasn't used during the weekend as the team focused primarily on extracting the most from the tyres at a circuit that isn't usually conducive to high wear levels, but can limit performance if they begin to grain.

The new wing, which will reappear in Spain, features a new endplate design, which has two cut-outs just behind where the inboard canard resides.

These cut-outs change the direction and shape of the airflow that is pushed up and around the front tyre, which not only has a direct effect on the aerodynamic performance of the wing, but changes the wake shed by the front tyre too.

Mercedes AMG F1 Team W07 brake duct

The front brake duct has been under intense scrutiny by Mercedes since Australia, as it reacted to an issue faced by Rosberg that nearly culminated in the German's retirement from the race.

A rudimentary change was made in Bahrain, with the inlet extended forward by several centimetres, the usually-eschewed meshing straightened and teflon spray used to both improve aerodynamic efficiency, but also used to limit the chance of debris collecting on or around the inlet and increasing brake temperatures.

In China, a triangular fin was added above the inlet, marginalising any unwanted aerodynamic inefficiencies created by the elongated inlet.

For Russia, the inlet was reduced to a similar size to the original one used in Australia, whilst the meshing was completely revised, extending forward by several centimetres as it tried its best to marry both protection for the brakes with aero efficiency. Meanwhile, the small triangular fin was retained.

Toro Rosso

Toro Rosso had a couple of rear wing specifications at their disposal in Sochi, with varying levels of downforce available to Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz.

Both opted for the low downforce configuration, with a shallower angle of attack and only two louvres placed in the endplate.

The higher downforce configuration features four slots in the endplate (inset), and was likely relegated to the spares pile as both drivers were prepared to have a little less stability for enhanced straight line speed.

[MIKA27]

F1 teams can't bad-mouth manufacturers under FIA engine deal

A closer look at the new F1 engine agreement for next year reveals some fascinating insights, as Adam Cooper explains.

The definitive version of the much vaunted F1 engine agreement for 2017-2020 contains some fascinating insights into the process of how it was achieved, and in particular why it took so long to agree details of how the "obligation to supply" for power unit manufacturers should be framed.

The essence of the agreement is that any team with no ongoing engine contract for the following season can join an FIA process which will see it allocated a supply from the manufacturer that has the fewest number of teams on its books.

If two manufacturers supply only one team, for example, there will be a ballot.

The legal jargon that has been added in an appendix to the 2017 Sporting Regulations shows just how complicated things can become when the FIA in effect acts as a broker between teams and power unit suppliers in what would usually be a commercial agreement between two willing parties.

The prospect of being forced into marriages they might not want clearly concerned the manufacturers, and encouraged them to ask for clauses that cover their backs.

Among them is the remarkable provision that the team concerned has to agree to not criticise the manufacturer in public, and vice versa.

One team principal has jokingly called this the "Red Bull clause," a reference to the management's negative comments about Renault, which did little to encourage any rivals to go into partnership with the team.

It reads as follows: "The New Customer Team and the Power Unit Manufacturer shall not, and will procure its affiliates and/or their respective senior executives, employees, directors and shareholders shall not take any action and/or make any omission, deceptive, misleading or disparaging or negative comments, which directly injures, damages or brings into disrepute the public reputation, goodwill or favourable name or image of the other party to the supply agreement."

How to enforce it

While it would be logical to expect a team that has used the FIA process to gain an engine deal to treat its new partner with an appropriate degree of respect, it remains to be seen quite how the regulations will be enforced if things do get messy.

In a similar vein, there's a clause related to the ownership of teams.

In essence, a manufacturer will not be forced to supply a team whose shareholders or management have a dodgy past, on the basis that it would not be good PR.

"The New Customer Team and/or any senior executives, directors or beneficial shareholders of the New Customer Team should not at any time (i) be listed or included in the official EU and/or US published sanction lists; (ii) have been convicted of any indictable criminal offence; (iii) have been convicted by any government or government agency in connection with fraud, money laundering, racketeering or terrorism activities; and/or (iv) have been declared bankrupt; and/or (v) have committed other identified action which, in the reasonable opinion of the Power Unit Manufacturer, harms the reputation of such Power Unit Manufacturer. This clause shall also reciprocally apply to the Power Unit Manufacturer."

The agreement allows for cases where the customer team runs the engine "under a white label/unbranded way," whether this be at the request of the team itself, or the manufacturer.

However, if the team sells the naming rights of its engine to third party – as Red Bull did with TAG Heuer – then the manufacturer can renegotiate, and in effect get a slice of the action.

Manufacturers also cannot be forced to supply a team that it owned by a rival car maker and, in addition, the customer team is not allowed to carry sponsorship from a car brand, unless the supplier is happy with it - and this could put at risk arrangements like the Red Bull/Aston Martin deal.

Finally, it's worth noting that, under the schedule proposed by the FIA, teams will have to pay for the power unit supply much earlier than is standard practice, something that teams with ongoing cash flow issues may struggle to deal with.

Although the timing can be renegotiated, in theory payment will be made in four installments, as follows:

- 25 percent on the date of signature of the supply contract;

- 25 percent on or before 30 October of the calendar year prior to the year of supply;

- 30 percent before the start of the Championship season; and

- The remaining 20 percent before the fifth Formula 1 Event of the Championship season.

[MIKA27]

Tech analysis: The secrets of the Mercedes steering wheel

Mercedes may have given the appearance from the outside that its four Formula 1 wins from four so far this season have been straightforward, but it has been anything but from inside the cockpit.

Indeed, a modern F1 car is a tough beast to manage, and the technical dramas that the team revealed after last weekend's Russian GP – which required both Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg to manage their cars – has highlighted things are never easy in F1.

Central to what Rosberg and Hamilton have had to do is their steering wheel, whose array of buttons, rotaries and switches that it's bestowed with perhaps has more in common with a fighter pilot's cockpit.

That analogy doesn't end there though, because all these control functions are weapons in his arsenal as he looks to get the best from his machine over the course of the race.

Here, we look in detail at the steering wheel of Rosberg, to understand better its layout and just complicated the control systems are.

Starting in the upper left we find a light blue horizontal thumb rotary that Rosberg uses to fine tune his differential settings.

The orange OT button is for overtake and is pressed when the driver wants full power without the need to make multiple adjustments elsewhere on the wheel. This can be used for either attack or defence but must be used wisely as it can have an affect on energy strategy later in the lap.

The red BB- button is used to control the level of brake balance, in this case reducing the front-rear bias.

The green 'N' button is for neutral

Moving down the left hand side of the wheel we find a light blue vertical rotary marked BMIG, which we believe is the rotary we have heard Rosberg and his engineers relate to as brake magic.

This gives Rosberg the ability to fine-tune the settings in relation to the amount of energy being harvested so as not to disturb the car's balance,

The +10 button is used to quickly navigate through the pages of information available to him on the PCU8D LCD screen.

The dark blue thumb wheel is used to fine tune the differential during high speed corners

The yellow 'MARK' button can be used to place a marker on the drivers' telemetry trace. This can be used for an assortment of reasons but is usually used when they spot a problem with the car, or when returning to the garage, so that they can then pick through the problem with the engineer.

The left hand multi function rotary is used to determine the 'STRAT' or strategy mode currently being deployed. This is a baseline setting that decides energy schemes such as the fuel flow and ERS deployment.

The centre multi function deals with a huge array of details, settings, and sensors. It will include things like the current tyre/compound choice, as this can have an impact on the sensors around the car, given the differing circumferences of the wet/dry tyres.

It can be used to reset sensors that may be showing warnings, or change the bite point settings for the clutch.

The right hand multi function is referred to as the HPP rotary, as it deals exclusively with engine modes and can be used to change a whole host of details, such as fuel mixture and ignition timing.

In the case of Rosberg, he is using the rotary for a secondary function at pitstops, with the yellow numbered positions relating to the wing angle change he would like.

The PC/R button is used to confirm a request from the pitwall without the need to verbally do so. This can be important for the driver as they already require a substantial amount of mental dexterity without having to talk to the pitwall about every decision.

The yellow 'limiter' button is used when in the pitlane so as to observe the speed limit

The red vertical thumb wheel is used to fine tune the differential on corner entry

The +1 button is used to scroll through the pages of information on the LCD screen, one-by-one.

The green vertical rotary marked 'EB' fine tunes the brake balance, more so than just with the +/- buttons at the top of the wheel.

The grey 'radio' button does exactly that, allowing the driver to communicate with the pitwall via radio

The BB+ button makes positive incremental changes to the brake balance

The DRS button activates the movement of the rear wing flap when one second behind another driver at the detection point during the race.

The green horizontal thumb rotary is used to fine tune the mid corner effects of the differential

Rosberg's steering wheel, detailed view

You may have also noticed that on Rosberg's wheel there are several stickers which he uses like cue cards to remember system procedures, such as priming the car for a start or dealing with a pitstop.

So, the left hand sticker (inset) is a reminder about the procedure that must be undertaken before a pitstop. TYRES + FLAP relates to the central and right hand multi function rotaries, with his selections transmitted to the crew, whilst STRAT 6 must be selected to reduce the amount of energy, be it petrochemical or electrical, being used by the car in pitlane.

SETTINGS? is simply a reminder that any additional setting changes must be made last in this order. Think of it like, mirror, signal, manoeuvre: often we do these without mentally calculating their order but if interrupted we can make mistakes.

The sticker placed above the multi-function rotaries is a reminder of the STRAT modes, with 6 used to save fuel under slower conditions, such as the pitlane or behind a safety car, whilst 3 and 4 are for race and qualifying.

The right hand sticker is a reminder of the procedure at the start of the race and is predominately to do with conditioning the brakes and clutch to optimise the start.

Having concentrated on Rosberg's wheel, you could be mistaken for thinking that Hamilton's wheel is entirely different, and whilst they aren't markedly different in terms of their shape, the buttons positions, rotaries, paddles and even colours are all customised to suit each drivers needs.

[MIKA27]

Mallya's malaise and what it means for Force India

Using the Alanis Morrisette definition of the word, it's a little bit ironic that Vijay Mallya's current legal difficulties in India -- all linked to loans used to shore up ailing businesses -- are preventing the former 'King of Good Times' from participating in the active running of one of his more successful ventures: the Formula One team.

Cheering on underdogs never gets old, and the thrill of watching a young (or not so young...) driver for a mid-field team claim their first podium finish is hard to beat. I remember watching Giancarlo Fisichella narrowly miss out on Force India's first potential race win at the 2009 Belgian Grand Prix, where but for the want of a KERS button victory was as good as assured.

While Force India took a few years to hit their stride, since that first podium finish at Spa the Silverstone-based racers have been the little engines that could of Formula One, the team with limited resources but seemingly infinite ingenuity that can take on the big guns from time to time.

There have been negative stories swirling around Force India's future since it was announced in October 2011 that Subrata Roy Sahara's Sahara India Pariwar would be taking a 42.5 percent equity stake in the team for a $100 million investment, but the past five years have shown that negativity to have been somewhat premature. Since Sahara became co-owner, Force India have been on an upwards trajectory in the annual constructors' championship, finishing in seventh, sixth, and fifth places.

But while things have been getting progressively better for the team on track, in the media things have gone from bad to worse, with both Mallya and Subrata Roy Sahara finding themselves subject to consistent negative press coverage following their (separate) involvement in high-profile financial scandals.

Sahara was jailed in 2014 for his part in an investor fraud case surrounding Sahara India Pariwar, and remains in jail to this day. Vijay Mallya's troubles began with the 2012 collapse of Kingfisher Airlines, and what the banks are claiming as $1.4 billion in resulting unpaid loans, some of which they accuse Mallya of having diverted to other business and used to purchase property.

"As professional bankers, they would like to settle and move on but, because of my image as portrayed, they are reluctant to be seen as giving me any discount," Mallya told the Financial Times in an interview published last week. "It will attract huge media criticism and inquiries by vigilance agencies in India."

While it's hard to argue that Mallya has been living the monastic life demanded of him by the Indian public in the wake of the scandal breaking, the former liquor baron is not alone in his opinion that he is being turned into the poster child for a wider problem.

According to CNN Money, more than five percent of India's outstanding bank loans have been classed as non-performing, but that percentage nearly trebles when written-off and restructured loans are taken into account.

"The [bad loans] of Indian banks have risen to alarming levels, as reforms have stalled, projects are moving at a snail's pace, external demand has contracted sharply and domestic demand remains anemic," CNN quoted analysts at Societe Generale as saying earlier this year.

The bad loan crisis has hit the banks hard, and two of India's biggest banks have lost one-third and 45 percent of their value as a consequence. In such an environment, it was inevitable that the government would have to crack down on loan defaulters, auditing the state-owned banks and using high-profile prosecutions to demonstrate the seriousness of the issue.

For Mallya -- who continued to live a public and jet-set lifestyle during the collapse of Kingfisher Airlines, and who was photographed at yacht parties while staff of his failing airline went unpaid for months on end -- winding up in the crosshairs was inevitable.

Mallya's decision to keep the good times rolling has cost him dearly in the court of Indian public opinion, and the businessman is all too aware of that fact. The F1 team owner told the FT that he had offered a settlement of £442 million against the £512 million initially borrowed, adding that his offer was "way, way in excess of the World Bank average for settlement of bad debts".

"We have always been in dialogue with banks saying: 'We wish to settle'," he added. "But we wish to settle at a reasonable number that we can afford and banks can justify on the basis of settlements done before."

The offer was rejected, and an Indian foreign affairs spokesman told the media last week that British authorities had been contacted "requesting the deportation of Vijay Mallya so that his presence can be secured for investigations", although a formal extradition request has not yet been made.

Whatever happens with Mallya's battles with the banks -- he remains in the UK, having had his diplomatic passport revoked and his resignation from Parliament rejected -- it would be a shame if Force India were to be affected.

Mallya has so far managed to insulate Force India from his problems, but rumours of sales and rebranding have been part of the paddock radio chatter for years, most recently with Aston Martin. So far all the chatter has come to naught, but if settlement offers continue to be rejected and the deportation request is successful, Mallya may yet be forced by the banks to offload his ever-improving asset.

[MIKA27]

Honda's Yusuke Hasegawa questions plans to artificially increase F1 noise

Honda has questioned the need to use artificial means to improve and increase the exhaust note of Formula One cars.

Formula One's stakeholders came to an agreement on power units at the end of last month, including a commitment to improving the noise of the engines. This year the introduction of a separate wastegate pipe has increased the noise of the exhaust note, with recordings on the dyno increasing from 124db to about 128db (the V8s were recorded at 129.5db -- it should be noted that decibels are measured on a logarithmic scale).

For future seasons an exhaust sound generator is being considered, but Honda engine boss Yusuke Hasegawa questioned the need for such a system.

"I don't see that we need to introduce some sort of artificial sound machine but if FOM wants to introduce that, we have to follow," he said. "But personally I don't see the benefit of that one.

"I don't personally agree and don't know that we really need such a huge noise for F1," he added. "But we will follow their opinions and we have some degree of obligation as part of the F1 members so, yes, we can follow that."

The sound of the engines is a direct consequence of the improved efficiency achieved under the current V6 turbo hybrid regulations. Although details of the F1 proposal have not been released, similar systems exist on some road cars to improve the sound of the engine for the driver in the cabin and increasingly for the exhaust note outside. McLaren racing director Eric Boullier said F1 needs to find a balance between its technology and the show for the fans.

"I don't think we can mix technology and history," Boullier said. "The technology is there and we are running this hybrid engine which is very high level technology. The consequences of running this technology and this lean combustion engine is the noise and this is something that is out of this technology category, which is the show, and the fans want to have a different noise.

"So we are not talking about technology, we are talking about show and there are some sporting roadcars today that have this kind of device so why not investigate it if it makes the show better for the fans? But it's nothing to do with the technology."

[skalls]

I like the "don't bite the hand that feeds you" role.

Seen articles this morning that Kyvat and Max are switching seats. Not surprised. Max has shown immaturity in there last couple of years but had never driven with reckless abandon that Kyvat has this year.

[davidsan]

Dream week for F1 Journalists & Pundit's with RBR driver swap. I'm really keen to see how Max & Danny Ric compare in the same car. Also how Carlos does against Kyvat.

[MIKA27]

VERSTAPPEN TO REPLACE KVYAT AT RED BULL IMMEDIATELY

Red Bull have confirmed the decision to replace under fire Daniil Kvyat with teenage sensation Max Verstappen with immediate effect, his debut for the team will be at the forthcoming Spanish Grand Prix.

The team announced today,”Red Bull Racing will have a new driver line-up from the Spanish Grand Prix. Max Verstappen will be joining the team to drive alongside Daniel Ricciardo. Daniil Kvyat will continue to drive for Red Bull and will re-join sister team Scuderia Toro Rosso.”

Christian Horner, Team Principal said, “Max has proven to be an outstanding young talent. His performance at Toro Rosso has been impressive so far and we are pleased to give him the opportunity to drive for Red Bull Racing.”

“We are in the unique position to have all four drivers across Red Bull Racing and Toro Rosso under long term contracts with Red Bull, so we have the flexibility to move them between the two teams.”

“Dany will be able to continue his development at Toro Rosso, in a team that he is familiar with, giving him the chance to regain his form and show his potential,” added Horner.

This comes in the wake of Kvyat’s shenanigans during the opening laps of the Russian Grand Prix, where he crashed twice into the Ferrari of Sebastian Vettel and at the same time ruined his and his teammate’s race.

Although he apologised for his actions, the damage was done and it was abundantly clear that the the Russian driver was in hot water with his team.

The sensational move to promote Verstappen to the top tier team of the Red Bull organisation so early in the season comes as a surprise, although he had been earmarked for the drive with them from 2017 and beyond.

With the promotion of Verstappen, Red Bull appear to have negated possible poaching of the teenager by the likes of Mercedes and Ferrari who openly covet the young Dutchman.

After Kvyat’s Sochi debacle Red Bull consultant Helmut Marko was not impressed, “It’s a pity because he did not only ruin Vettel’s race and Ricciardo’s race, but also his own race. He had to do an extra stop. It was a day of disaster for Red Bull.”

“Let’s cool down a bit. During the week we will talk about this,” he added.

The team’s number one driver, Ricciardo, commented after the race, “There’s three cars pretty much taking up the whole track into Turn 1. So I don’t know where Danny was going. It’s not like there was room on the inside.”

“I expect an apology, I’ll put it that way. We’ll hear now what the team thinks,” added the Australian.

Meanwhile Verstappen has already had a seat fitting at the team’s Milton Keynes headquarters.

MIKA: At least Daniil Kvyat still has a drive. Saying this, I think RBR were just looking for an excuse and well, Daniil didn't help himself the last couple races so opportunity presented. This is purely a move by RBR to ****** Verstappen faring Ferrari and Mercedes may get interested.

[MIKA27]

MARKO: KVYAT WAS VERY INCONSISTENT

Red Bull’s driver Helmut Marko consultant has explained the reasoning behind dropping Daniil Kvyat from the energy drinks organisation’s top tier team, back to the Toro Rosso, was to protect the Russian while diffusing the mounting tensions between Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz in the junior team.

Marko said, “It was primarily a measure to take away the pressure on Daniil, which was available this year. He has not nearly the same performance as last year. He was an average of three to five tenths slower than Ricciardo. Last year he was at eye level.”

“But what was much more difficult: He was very inconsistent, had many ups and downs. Sometimes it was good, as was seen in China, but he has put so much pressure on himself that these fluctuations come automatically.”

“The crash in Sochi is a consequence of the internal pressure, which he has built himself, it did not come from us. Our luxury is that we have the ability to set him up at Toro Rosso again. Romain Grosjean was once in a similar situation and had crash after crash. We wanted to avoid that,” explained Marko.

[MIKA27]

KVYAT: FROM HERO TO ZERO WITHIN A WEEKEND

The motor racing world reacted with surprise to the news of Daniil Kvyat’s sudden demotion from Red Bull’s top tier team to their junior Toro Rosso team.

“Really?” said Jenson Button on Twitter, after Red Bull announced the Russian’s return to Toro Rosso.

“One bad race and Kyvat’s dropped, what about the podium in the previous race?” the McLaren-Honda driver added, but not everyone is surprised.

“I see the Red Bull philosophy hasn’t changed,” said Dani Juncadella, a former member of the energy drink company’s junior programme. “From hero to zero within a weekend.”

Others, however, suggested there is more to Kvyat’s demotion, as it takes Max Verstappen out of the running in what is predicted to be a particularly hot ‘silly season’.

“My gut feeling is that (this) is more to do with RBR and the Verstappen camp getting a jump on the 2017 silly season,” said former Caterham driver Karun Chandhok.

The pressure will now be on 18-year-old Dutchman Verstappen to perform alongside Daniel Ricciardo. Kvyat, meanwhile, at least gets a second chance at Toro Rosso.

“Of course I’m sorry this has happened to Kvyat,” Russian rally driver Nikolay Gryazin told Moscow television 360.

“In the races, anything can happen and no one is immune from mistakes. I think Red Bull rushed to conclusions, but it’s their decision. Kvyat will still be able to prove that he is one of the best in F1,” he added.

MIKA: I would love to see Daniil get a podium with Torro Rosso who IMO are doing a great job this season.

[MIKA27]

BIG F1 TEAMS WORKING ON PLAN TO REPLACE ECCLESTONE

Mercedes and Red Bull have joined Ferrari in reportedly deposing Formula 1’s long-time supremo Bernie Ecclestone from his ‘throne’ at the helm of the sport.

Reports recently suggested Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne had proposed that the 85-year-old Briton be replaced by a new, three-pronged leadership team.

When asked about the viability of Ecclestone’s continuing reign, Mercedes chief Toto Wolff told the German news agency DPA: “Some may think they are immortal, and that performance remains the same.

“However, there is a great responsibility to the sport to do what is right for the future,” he added.

Red Bull’s Helmut Marko has a similar view, backing Marchionne’s vision of a three-person leadership team perhaps involving Niki Lauda.

“When I think about the sporting side, then for me Niki Lauda is one of the hottest candidates,” he told Tiroler Tageszeitung newspaper, referring to the F1 legend and Mercedes’ team chairman and co-owner.

As for speculation Wolff might be another candidate, the 44-year-old himself answered: “I have a plan, but it’s too early to talk about it. I enjoy the role I have at Mercedes.

“I have the support of the board, Daimler and the team, so in this respect I have very good conditions to pursue my objectives with Mercedes,” Wolff added.

What is clear, however, is that the anti-Ecclestone rhetoric is heating up amid an intense political climate in F1 at present.

Referring to recent headlines attracted by controversial comments by Ecclestone, Wolff said: “Irrationality and excessive emotion has no place in the job.

“Times change, we live in a digital world and to cause headlines like that every few days without thinking about it is certainly not the right way,” he added.