FORMULA 1 - 2016

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McLaren was right to pursue "size zero" concept - Boullier

McLaren-Honda's decision to go aggressive with its "size zero" concept was the right thing to do, claims racing director Eric Boullier, despite the troubles the team has faced this season.

The Woking-based outfit endured a difficult time as engine partner Honda struggled on its return to Formula 1, and the team got to grips with a new aerodynamic philosophy.

Its troubles came after McLaren elected to go ultra-aggressive with its packaging of both the engine and bodywork - in a move that some have suggested may have been too ambitious for the first year of its renewed Honda partnership.

But Boullier says that being conservative was not an option for the team, because the only way it will beat Mercedes in the future is if it pushes everything to the limit.

When asked if "size zero" had been too much too soon, Boullier said: “We will see. Don't forget, during the season we could not change everything we wanted to [on the engine].

“One of the basic elements involving recovery [of energy] from the engine was not delivering what was expected, and that did hurt us a lot – because it costs seconds per lap during the race.

“But in principle – if you want to beat Mercedes, you have to do something better. So the way we decided to design and work was to go another path. Over ambitious? I think it is too early to say it is. We have to wait.”

Boullier is also adamant that McLaren's desire for tight packaging at the rear of the car did not lead Honda to make any compromises with the design of its power unit.

“It never impacted on the engine at all,” he said. “We told them we wanted the tightest car as possible. But we never imposed on them in terms of size of whatever.”

Gain from pain

Although the relationship between McLaren and Honda became strained at time, Boullier thinks that the partnership has come through its difficulties in better shape.

“Maybe in the pain you build a stronger relationship with your partner,” he said. “With Honda, we have a much more mature relationship.

“The positive as well is that Honda understood the commitment they need to be winning one day. They have readjusted a little bit their resources level, which is good, so there are some positives out of this.

“As for the company itself, McLaren, we have regrouped together and we have changed what we needed to change in the way we operate.

“If you look at the performance over the season, we have caught up on the top guys. We caught up with restricted regulations, so there are some positives in some way.

“But we have had to take the pain together and we will come out of this mess much stronger, and much more efficient as a one-team act.”

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Rosberg: You always have to reckon with Red Bull

Nico Rosberg says Mercedes will need to keep an eye on Red Bull this year as they are a “strong team” and could “always make a comeback”.

Red Bull slipped to fourth in the Constructors' Championship in 2015 and for the first time since 2008 failed to win a single race.

The team's relationship with Renault also reached a new low and originally it sought to end its agreement with the French manufacturer due to performance and reliability issues. However, after it was blocked from securing a deal with any of the other three engine manufacturers - Ferrari, Mercedes and Honda, it negotiated a new deal that will see it continue to use the Renault power unit, albeit run under the TAG-Heuer RB12 moniker and with the development taken in house with assistance from Ilmor.

“You always have to reckon with Red Bull,” Rosberg said in an interview with Motorsport-Magazin.com. “They are a very strong team. Up to one and a half years ago, they were absolutely dominant, simply unbeatable. They could always make a comeback, so we have to keep an eye on them.”

Rosberg also believes - just like Mercedes head of motorsport Toto Wolff - that Ferrari could take another step forward this winter, just like it did twelve months ago.

“We definitely see Ferrari as a threat,” Rosberg continued. “They've been making great progress and will be very strong next season.

“They beat us at Sepang and have been competitive ever since.”

“But we have consistently been getting better [too]. I'm pleased about that - our team has had a really good development rate,” he added.

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Lynn admits 2016 is key year for career

Regardless of whether he gets to fulfil his F1 dream, Alex Lynn is all too well aware that he needs to deliver in 2016.

Not that the Briton had a bad 2015, graduating at GP3 Series champion and winning races in GP2 as well as signing on as a Williams F1 reserve, but he is conscious that it doesn't take long for the door to the top flight to open to someone else while maybe slamming shut on his own hopes.

“I have had really positive feedback and built up positive relationships with key members of the team,” Essex native Lynn told the local Daily Gazette newspaper, “I think I contributed a fair amount to the team's success last year and I'd love the opportunity to continue that."

With few openings in F1 for 2016 – at present only the restructuring Manor team has yet to complete its line-up - Lynn will make a second assault on the GP2 title, but insists that he needs to make the season count after what he still regards as a frustrating debut campaign in the feeder series.

“I believe it is the key year for me,” the 22-year old claimed, “No matter what motorsport arena I'm in, whether it's F1 or anything, next year will be the one to put myself in the shop window to prove that I'm able to deliver. Every year is the big one, but that really is the case for me this year – it is the big one.”

Still hoping to convert his back-up role into a full-time F1 ride, at Williams or elsewhere, in 2017 – and notably with the former's veteran Felipe Massa nearing the end of his career – Lynn is hoping to build on his first brush with GP2 as he enjoys continuity this season.

“I'm focused on GP2 to put myself in the shop window and I'll see what things open up for me - there's pressure with that, but I like it to be honest as it makes me feel quite confident,” he acknowledged, “I'm back with [DAMS] for a second year and that is a big confidence boost.

“Staying with DAMS will be a big thing for me as we can continue the relationship and I really think that's worth a lot of lap time, so it's a real positive for me. The experience of having had a year in the team gives me a lot of confidence and that is what we will try to build on. Experience is huge in GP2 and it really is true that no matter how fast you are, you have to have everything under control to be able to win races.

“You take energy from other people and a winning mentality is something that [DAMS] have got. I think we feed off each other [and], if we focus on the process, then I firmly believe that we'll be hard to beat.”

Lynn will lead DAMS into 2016 as he is partnered by sometime GP2 runner Nicolas Latifi, who transfers over from FR3.5.

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Sauber F1 drivers 'not best buddies' after rivalry in GP2

Marcus Ericsson concedes he and Sauber Formula 1 team-mate Felipe Nasr are not "best buddies" but he does not see a reason for them to be.

The duo were rivals in GP2 during the 2012 and 2013 seasons before being paired together at Sauber for 2015, where both will remain this year.

Ericsson said he was unsure how the two would get on together but he believes they have developed a good working relationship.

"Going into this season it was into the unknown because me and Felipe had a bit of a history in GP2," Ericsson told Autosport.

"We had some tough battles and we were maybe not best friends there but to be honest, we've been working well together.

"We're not best buddies, but I don't think there is any reason to be that as team-mates.

"But what we do well is that we can discuss things and we usually do that for every session.

"That is important especially in a small team where we don't have the resources to throw things on the car."

Ericsson and Nasr collided in the United States Grand Prix at Austin but they sat down and cleared the air afterwards.

"In Austin, we had a bit of a disagreement there but after the race we had a chat about it and then we moved on and it was 100 per cent fine," he said.

"That is a strength, too. I'm happy he is staying and we can continue working together this season."

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Red Bull believes it will be treading water in F1 in 2016

Red Bull will "have to tread water" early in the 2016 Formula 1 season, admits Christian Horner, but he thinks it will rise again because it has kept its key staff.

The team's 2015 F1 campaign was dominated by rows over its engine supply, as it tried to jettison long-time partner Renault for Mercedes, and then turned to Ferrari and Honda in vain when that plan fell through, with its future in the championship in doubt throughout that period.

Red Bull eventually ended up back with Renault in a restructured deal involving reduced support and the engines being badged by TAG Heuer.

Horner - a vociferous critic of Renault this year - doubts there will be an imminent engine performance upturn early in 2016.

"[2015 was] a different challenge and we haven't lost any major team members," he said.

"The team have done a tremendous job of getting their head down and focusing on the chassis.

"And the chassis was developed and developed through the year, and I believe we've got a very strong chassis.

"We're just going to have to tread water for a moment until we get ourselves back onto the front foot and our time will come again."

He believes the Red Bull team grew stronger through its "year in adversity" in 2015.

"Sometimes it brings a group closer together and I feel the team is tighter and closer than it's ever been," said Horner.

"So actually I don't, from a team perspective, think it was a bad year.

"We've been very strong on strategy, our pitstops have been the best in the pitlane.

"We've outdeveloped others chassis-wise, we've had a tremendous car.

"We've grabbed the three opportunities that might be available to us in Monaco, Hungary and Singapore.

"Two out of the three, we got on the second step of the podium.

"As a team, when you actually drill down and look into how we performed, we've actually done a very strong job.

"Certain things, which are beyond our responsibility, we can't control.

"You can only worry about the things that you can control."

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RAIKKONEN: END OF THE DAY THEY ARE ALWAYS TILKE CORNERS

Kimi Raikkonen has admitted he is a fan of Formula 1’s older circuits, amid the new era of ultra-modern tracks penned mainly by Hermann Tilke.

In recent years, many of the sport’s European hosts have been replaced by venues in mostly Asian and Middle Eastern markets.

“We have to go where people can afford to pay,” declared F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone unapologetically.

But that doesn’t mean Raikkonen, the popular and famously taciturn Finn, has to like it.

“It’s just that the new places are all quite similar,” he said, “designed by the same guy. I’m not saying they’re not good but they are more the same.”

One Tilke exception, Raikkonen told Turun Sanomat, was Turkey’s Istanbul Park, which is no longer on the calendar.

“I like Magny Cours a lot. The track surface was nice, the track was different and the area around was not much hassle.

“Imola was one of the best. There was always a great atmosphere and it was quite a challenge. Also the Nurburgring,” the Ferrari driver added.

On the other hand, he said places like Abu Dhabi – “in the desert” – are lacking in true character. The worst, he explained, was the remotely-located Korea.

“Basically, when we go to a new place, we already know what to expect,” said Raikkonen. “They look kind of all the same.

“Everything is made so that it is always like somewhere else. And around there are no trees or anything like in Imola or Magny Cours, not to mention Spa which is in the middle of a forest.

“Of course, each (new) track is always a little bit different,” the Finn continued, “and each corner is a bit different, but at the end of the day they are always Tilke corners.”

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TORO ROSSO SET TO LOSE MAJOR SPONSOR CEPSA

Cepsa, a major sponsor of the Toro Rosso team, could announce its departure from Formula 1 “in the coming days”.

That is the claim of the Marca daily sports newspaper, reporting that the Spanish oil company is tipped to concentrate its sponsorship activities on the Real Madrid football team from 2016.

It is said that Antonio Albacete, a heavily Cepsa-branded truck racing driver, has already been told that the company is withdrawing its support. And now, Toro Rosso and its Spanish driver Carlos Sainz could be next.

A newly-published article at the Cepsa website entitled ‘Objetivo Cumplido’ (Mission Accomplished) declared: “At Cepsa we are very proud to have helped Carlos reach his goal of Formula 1”.

Indeed, Cepsa – a Toro Rosso sponsor since 2011 – backed Sainz throughout his formative campaigns in British and European F3 and Formula Renault 3.5.

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VETTEL: IT IS STILL MUCH TOO EARLY TO MAKE FORECASTS

Sebastian Vettel has urged caution as Ferrari heads into the 2016 Formula 1 world championship season as a potential title candidate and their bosses talking up a big fight before a wheel has even turned

Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne this week issued a bold target of nothing less than overall victory in 2016, beginning with the race win in Australia in March.

Vettel, Ferrari’s lead driver and the only competitor in 2015 able to win races against dominant Mercedes, agrees that the Maranello team made big progress last year.

“Ferrari and myself were prepared at the beginning for a difficult year,” he wrote in a column for the Munich newspaper TZ. “No one expected three victories. But almost more important is the consistency that we had, showing that we are on the right track.

“Nevertheless, there is still much to do and we must not forget where we began. But things that were a little rough in the beginning have now become smoother. I think that, slowly and step by step, everything is coming together,” Vettel added.

“Of course,” the quadruple F1 world champion continued, “the temptation to now think big for next year is very high, but we must not forget all the little steps on the way.”

“Last winter there was a big upheaval in the team with a lot of new people and many changing their position as well, so it is a process that takes time. Hopefully we will have a better year in 2016, but it is still much too early to make forecasts,” Vettel concluded.

Marchionne said earlier in the week, “2016 should be the year for us to return to the top. Our investments have not been lacking.”

“We want to present ourselves in Australia as the team to beat. We know that our rivals are strong, but we are not afraid of them as we are the most successful team in the history of Formula 1,” added the Ferrari chief.

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ILLIEN: CATCHING MERCEDES AND FERRARI WILL TAKE LONGER THAN A YEAR

Engine guru Mario Illien thinks Renault may begin to show clear progress with its Formula 1 power unit early in 2016, but believes that reeling in pace setters Mercedes and Ferrari is unlikely to happen this season.

The Swiss, and his company Ilmor, have been drafted in after the French carmaker struggled in the first two years of the new ‘power unit’ era.

However, Renault only decided to stay in F1 for this year in December, leaving precious little time to immediately improve the engine for its new works team and customer Red Bull.

“With the 32 tokens you can change quite a lot,” Illien told Auto Motor und Sport, “but time will not allow it. We need to see, together with Renault, what is possible in the limited time.”

Asked, however, if Renault and Ilmor basically need to start from scratch due to the poor showings in 2014 and 2015, Illien insisted: “No, it’s not that bad. We will improve gradually. I hope that already early in the season we will be showing progress.”

But Illien admitted that catching Mercedes and Ferrari this year might be a step too far, “That will probably take a little longer than a year. The others, of course, will also make progress.”

At the same time as helping Renault, Ilmor has put up its hand to be F1’s new low-cost independent supplier, even though the idea has been sidelined for now.

“We have to wait until there is a decision,” said Illien. “It depends how the meetings go in January.”

But he played down Bernie Ecclestone and Christian Horner’s views that engine regulation changes in F1 might be ready to roll out in time for 2017.

“I think it is already too late for that,” said Illien. “I consider 2018 to be realistic.”

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SAINZ WANTS LESS TEAM ORDERS AT TORO ROSSO

Carlos Sainz has urged his bosses at Toro Rosso to let him and teammate Max Verstappen race more freely this season than they did last year in their rookie year.

Last year, as the young duo made their impressive F1 debuts, team engineers were often heard instructing the Spaniard and Dutchman to let the other pass.

“It was common to hear the message ‘Let him past’ when the other is getting close,” Sainz told Auto Motor und Sport.

At one stage during the season, Verstappen memorably screamed “No!” when instructed to let his teammate go ahead.

Sainz said: “I think it would be fun if we could fight more often against each other. We have good respect for each other and it would be an exciting show because our pace is very similar.”

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SCHUMI JUNIOR CLOSE TO DEAL WITH FERRARI-LINKED PREMA

Mick Schumacher, the 16-year-old son of Formula 1 legend Michael, looks set to sign a deal with a Ferrari-linked Italian junior team.

Amid great fanfare, Mick made his single-seater debut in the German F4 series last year, driving for the Dutch team Van Amersfoort.

But Kolner Express newspaper reports that with Schumacher wanting to also contest the Italian series next year, his manager Sabine Kehm is in talks with Prema.

Prema is a Ferrari-linked Italian junior outfit, whose founder Angelo Rosin said: “We will meet in early January.”

The report said young Schumacher could also race for Prema in the German series this year, but he is apparently also in talks with Van Amersfoort as well as the new outfit co-owned by his uncle Ralf.

Van Amersfoort said: “I’m waiting for Sabine Kehm’s decision.”

Michael Schumacher, who turned 47 three days ago, won five consecutive world championships for Ferrari between 2000 and 2004.

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ROSBERG SAYS LAUDA DIFFERENT IN PRIVATE TO PUBLIC

Niki Lauda is not as outspoken and brash behind the scenes in his role as Mercedes F1 chairman, according to Silver Arrows driver Nico Rosberg.

Munich newspaper TZ asked Rosberg if it bothers him that Lauda, Mercedes’ team chairman who is also a pundit for German TV, is often critical of his performances publicly.

“There are two different sides (to Lauda),” the Mercedes driver answered. “What he says on television is often completely different to what he says behind closed doors. So the important one for me is what happens internally.

“Toto Wolff and Paddy Lowe run the business,” said Rosberg. “Niki plays a supporting role, I guess. As a former racer, he understands many things and is often quite successful in being conciliatory and bringing people together in difficult moments.”

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Ferrari delayed work on its 2016 F1 car for 2015 push

Ferrari delayed work on its 2016 Formula 1 car to allow it to fully develop the race-winning SF15-T last season.

The Italian team bounced back from a winless 2014 campaign to emerge as Mercedes' closest challenger and finish second in the constructors' championship, with Sebastian Vettel taking three wins.

Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne is confident the delay will not have an impact on it providing a stern challenge to world champion team Mercedes next term.

"Maurizio [Arrivabene, team principal] will tell you we delayed some things to allow for the 2015 car to be finished," said Marchionne.

"Hopefully he will not ***** about this. We pushed the start of some of the work on the '16 cars on the chassis, delayed it a bit.

"But we have had adequate time and adequate financial resources to do the right thing given the rules.

"So I'm confident we will give Mercedes a run for their money.

"We approached the 16 car with a very clear idea and very clear interpretation.

"It is incredibly unlikely that the car will not offer Mercedes a proper challenge.

"For me to determine whether it will win or not would be very gutsy.

"I have no excuses to give you this year, in the sense that we started developing the car at the proper time."

Mercedes won 16 of the 19 races in 2015 as it won the constructors' championship with four races to spare, while Hamilton defended his title with three races left.

Marchionne concedes Mercedes is still a team to be "afraid of" but he believes the outfit has developed a greater respect for Ferrari following its challenge in 2015.

"They are competitors to be afraid of because Mercedes is a company which the suitable financial resources to properly manage the races of 2016," he said.

"They have a high level of know-how so they are not to be underestimated.

"They made huge progress in 2015, so I'm certain their car will be enormously improved for 2016.

"We respect them, they are competitors, but we are not afraid of the battle on the race track.

"I remember at the start with [Mercedes boss Dieter] Zetsche, in spite the fact we are friends, he had a bit of arrogance about Ferrari.

"They lost a bit of that but not too much because they won the championship.

"If you talk to him now, I think he now respects Ferrari a little bit more

"The only way to get respect is to gain it on the track with results."

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Verstappen tips Toro Rosso F1 gains, even with 2015 Ferrari engine

Max Verstappen believes Toro Rosso can make a big step forward in 2016 using Ferrari power units, even with last year's specification.

Toro Rosso's 2015 form was heavily influenced by Renault's poor reliability and performance deficit.

The new deal gives the team access to Ferrari's 2015-spec power unit - compared to the latest versions for fellow customers Sauber and Haas - but Verstappen is not concerned by that fact.

"I think we will make a bigger step compared to other teams who already have Ferrari or Mercedes power," Verstappen told Autosport.

"I don't think they will find that much in the engine, compared to what we will gain in the engine.

"It will be a bit better for us and it's definitely going to help us.

"Hopefully our car is good again - but it's always about waiting and we will only see in the first race weekend.

"I'm really looking forward to next season.

"It gives you an extra motivation again to work hard in the winter time and get physically even better."

Verstappen's team-mate Carlos Sainz Jr said he was looking forward to having "an even more Italian team" in 2016.

"When everyone just flies past you it's very desperate," he said of 2015 with the Renault power unit.

"It can only get better and I have full trust that Toro Rosso will do a step forward in terms of reliability, pitstops, and more grip.

"We have a good chance."

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Ferrari's delayed work on 2016 F1 car won't affect Haas team

Haas F1 team principal Gunther Steiner says the delays Ferrari encountered on its 2016 car will not impact his outfit's preparations for its debut season.

The American outfit will become the grid's 11th team with Romain Grosjean joining from Lotus to race alongside Esteban Gutierrez.

Haas has a technical partnership and engine supply deal with Ferrari for 2016, with the American team receiving all non-listed parts from the Scuderia.

Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne admitted Ferrari delayed work on its 2016 challenger to allow it to fully develop the race-winning SF15-T last season.

Those delays could have impacted on Haas, but Autosport understands there has been no delay in the team receiving its parts.

Steiner is certain Haas will have a car ready in time for the first pre-season test in Barcelona, which starts on February 22.

"Whatever Ferrari's schedule is in regard to its 2016 car has no bearing on Haas F1 Team's car," Steiner told Autosport.

"We are not involved in the development of Ferrari's car.

"Our only focus is on our car, and we remain on schedule to fully participate in the first pre-season test at Barcelona."

Team owner Gene Haas has said the outfit has had too much time on its hands, having deferred its entry by a year to 2016.

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Force India would allow Nico Hulkenberg to leave for bigger F1 team

Force India would not stand in Nico Hulkenberg's way if an offer from one of Formula 1's major players materialised.

The team handed Hulkenberg a two-year contract last September, keeping him on board to the end of the 2017 F1 season.

That was a break from Force India's usual practice of one-year deals with options for second seasons.

Despite securing a longer-term agreement, deputy team principal Bob Fernley insisted Hulkenberg would be afforded every courtesy to further his career should a bigger team come calling.

"Nico signing for another two years was all about continuity from our side, to be able to keep a team together that is obviously now a successful partnership," Fernley told Autosport.

"That's where we want to stay with it, but does that mean if an offer came through from a championship-winning team it wouldn't be considered?

"I'm sure Vijay [Mallya, team principal] would use the same foresight and vision as he did for the Le Mans decision."

Mallya chose not to block Hulkenberg's request to drive for Porsche in the renowned 24-hour sportscar event, where he secured a memorable win in partnership with team-mates Earl Bamber and Nick Tandy.

While Hulkenberg achieved that result without Force India, Fernley sees the Le Mans win as a significant moment in the F1 team's season - and a vindication for Mallya.

"Clearly the podium from Sergio [Perez] was the high point of 2015," added Fernley.

"But I also think we should take into consideration Nico's win in Le Mans as a high point as well. What a great achievement for him.

"I also think he brought recognition to Vijay for having the vision and strength to go against the trend and allow Nico to run."

Fernley believes it would be unjust if Hulkenberg never had the chance to add a victory in F1 to his Le Mans achievement.

"It would be nice for Nico to be able to progress to what I think his talent deserves and I think a lot of people in the paddock believe that, too," said Fernley.

"But as we know in Formula 1 the opportunities are very limited, so let's just hope one of those opportunities comes for him."

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Manor F1 team will race for John Booth and Graeme Lowdon in 2016

Manor will head into the new Formula 1 season racing in part for its former chiefs John Booth and Graeme Lowdon, according to technical director John McQuilliam.

Booth and Lowdon resigned from their positions as team principal and sporting director at the end of last season after starting up the marque in 2010.

"I was very sorry to see them go," McQuilliam told Autosport.

"This was very much their team, and those guys effectively gave me my job with the initial Manor/Virgin project.

"I used to work at Wirth Research and designed and built the car.

"When it became Marussia and we amalgamated, again they took me on.

"At the beginning of last year, after the team emerged from administration, they picked up the phone and said 'John, come and do this for us'.

"In many ways I absolutely owe them this position I have got within the sport.

"The important thing is for us to carry on bigger and better than ever, for them, because they never gave up.

"They did a lot of work over the years to create this team, last winter in particular, and we can never thank them enough for that."

McQuilliam felt once the team entered into administration in late 2014 that its days were numbered, only for Booth and Lowdon to stage a rescue act.

"It was at the beginning of February that Graeme and John basically said this could really happen, and they needed me on board to make sure it did," added McQuilliam.

"Initially I thought it was impossible, and I don't give up easily.

"I thought if a rescue deal came any time before Christmas we would be able to do what was necessary and get the car ready.

"But as January went by and there was no deal on the table, I assumed it was beyond us to do it.

"So come the beginning of February, when the news first came though, I thought 'that is only a few weeks after my cut-off date. Let's see if it is possible'.

"Although we faced a couple of hurdles in Australia that were just too difficult to overcome, when the car raced in Malaysia, it was one of the best things we had ever seen."

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KEY: SURPRISING WHAT YOU CAN DO WHEN FACED WITH UNCERTAINTY

Toro Rosso were a revelation in 2015, not only did they have two impressive rookies in their fold but they also had the STR10 chassis, penned by technical chief James Key and his team, which was more often than not at the sharp end of proceedings.

This year, after a seson of uncertainty over power units and the future of the team amid Red Bull’s pull out threats, they have an all new Ferrari power unit to bolt on to the back of the STR11. These factors have conspired to compromise the 2016 season for the Faenza based outfit.

When asked about if this was the case, Key told Sky Sport, “Yes and no, because when you’ve got a tricky engine situation it’s always a compromise.”

“There is a compromise because you’ve really got to be optimising your car around what is an incredibly complicated installation of these power units. Back in March is when you’re really getting to grips with what you’re trying to do.

“So it does compromise from a technical viewpoint. In terms of what the team is doing, I don’t think it makes the slightest bit of difference. You simply shuffle plans around accordingly.”

“We’ve got various stages of planning, there are some really good guys to work on all this stuff, so we’ve got a lot of very competent production guys and designers who are working hard to make sure that we’re in the best shape possible.”

“You’d never want it because it is a massive distraction and it does compromise your car, but it’s surprising what you can do when you’re faced with uncertainty.”

Sensational rookie duo Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz were the best driver pairing the team had since they unearthed Sebastian Vettel in 2008, and Key remains confident that the team will continue to be upwardly mobile in the future.

“For sure we can build because we learnt a massive amount and made a huge step [with the STR10] from the STR9. Most of it we understand why. But there are areas that perhaps surprised us a bit too and we made a bigger step than expected,” admits Key.

“So you build on that. In some cars it’s reinventing stuff to release more of the potential, in other cases it’s taking a philosophy that seems sound and pushing it to the next step where you need a redesign to do that, because in-season it’s not possible.”

“There’s a lot of filtering to do, but if you look at medium and high-speed corner apex speeds, we’re right up there with all the guys ahead of us. In fact, in Barcelona where we qualified fifth and sixth we were second to only one of the Mercedes’ in the high-speed corners. So that gives a good indication of how much aero we’ve got,” recalled Key.

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WORLD CHAMPION TIPS ROSBERG TO WIN F1 TITLE

Nico Rosberg is still in the game when it comes to winning Formula 1 world championships according to two-time title winner Mika Hakkinen, who insisted the German driver cannot be written off after back-to-back defeats.

For the past two years, Mercedes has been dominant in F1 but it has been Rosberg’s teammate Lewis Hamilton who swept up the drivers’ crowns.

“For the drivers it’s a tough game,” Hakkinen told Germany’s Sport Bild, “because only one of them can win. And so far it has been only Lewis.

“But that does not mean the game is over. The most important thing for someone in Nico’s position is not to give up and start living with the fact that you are second.

“You have to fight, even if in the end only one of them can win,” the back-to-back world champion of 1998 and 1999 added.

Hakkinen said a positive for Rosberg, and a potential ***** in the armour for the otherwise dominant Hamilton, is the fact that Rosberg completed his 2015 campaign with a hat-trick of wins from pole.

“Lewis was able to sit back in the end,” the 47-year-old former McLaren driver and Finn continued. “But once someone else starts winning, that can have a psychological effect for the next season.”

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HAKKINEN SAYS MODERN F1 IS TOO COMPLICATED

Formula 1 should have two priorities in order to improve the sport, and one of them is making it less complicated to understand

That is the view of Mika Hakkinen, as the former double world champion was asked about moves to make changes and re-engage a dwindling audience.

“Technically,” he told Sport Bild, “it is too complicated. People like simple things — our lives are complicated enough.”

47-year-old Hakkinen, who retired after the 2001 season with twenty wins to his name, also argued: “F1 also has to use social media to connect to the fans.

“The fans don’t want to just see what happens, they want to feel like they are there,” added the former McLaren driver.

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NURBURGRING NOT RULING OUT 2017 GRAND PRIX

The Nurburgring is not ruling out returning to the Formula 1 world championship calendar in 2017.

The circuit’s financial and ownership troubles were the reason for the absence from the calendar of a German grand prix last year.

Germany is returning to the calendar in 2016, thanks to the annually alternating contract with Hockenheim, but F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone admitted just before Christmas that he is not confident about the race’s future.

“I think we can say for sure that there will not be a race (in 2017),” he told the German-language website motorsport-magazin.com.

“Next year (2016) is fine, because we have a contract. Not a very good one, but there is one,” Ecclestone added.

However, motorsport-magazin.com now reports that the new owners and operators – a company called Capricorn – have turned an undisclosed profit for the Nurburgring.

Regarding the prospect of the grand prix being held at the track in 2017, Capricorn’s Carsten Schumacher said: “I can imagine nothing better than accommodating formula one, but the financial risk needs to be manageable.”

More generally, he sounds confident about the future of the Nurburgring.

“In an international comparison of race tracks we have a very high utilisation, and also for 2016,” said Schumacher.

“This is a strong sign for our partners, our clients and also for the region, the Eifel, which depends to a large extent on the events at the Nurburgring.”

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INDYCAR CHAMP CALLS FOR MORE F1 RACES IN THE USA

Indycar champion and Indy 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay says Formula 1 needs more races in the United States to crack the North American market.

Several venues have hosted the United States Grand Prix in the past, including the hallowed Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and now Circuit of the Americas is home to the F1 grand prix, but that is not enough to excite fans claims Hunter-Reay.

“It is so hard to crack the sporting market in the United States because it is so saturated. We have football, basketball, baseball – there are so many options you have to capture the fans’ attention,” Hunter-Reay told Sky Sports.

“I think Formula 1 racing in general can do it, but it is going to take more of a presence in the United States other than just a team that calls itself ‘USF1’ [or Haas F1 which makes its debut in 2016] even though it is based in the UK, which it has to be I think.”

“Hopefully we can get some more races over there, I’m not sure what the solution is, but I’m a fan of any success of motorsport in the United States.”

Recent F1 proposals have included a project in New Jersey and even a return to Long Beach – both have fizzled out.

In terms of career choice for professional drivers, Hunter-Reay says there are two paths a young driver can choose.

“I think it is really about a fork in the road very early in your career. If you want to be in Formula 1 you have to come up through the Formula 1 ladder which is in Europe and if you want to be an IndyCar driver you come up through the American ladder and that is just the way it is,” said the 2014 Indy 500 winner.

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Pirelli should have trusted F1 teams more, Williams's Symonds feels

Formula 1's 2016 tyre rule tweaks became a missed opportunity because Pirelli did not sufficiently trust the teams, reckons Williams's chief technical officer Pat Symonds.

Pirelli is introducing a fifth compound - the ultrasoft - and allowing teams to choose between three tyre types at grands prix this season, but will stipulate use of particular compounds for some of the 13 tyre sets each driver will get.

Symonds believes the original suggestion that teams choose what they wanted from the entire compound range at every race would have produced much better action.

"I can't say I'm wildly excited about the change to the tyre rules," he told Autosport.

"I do like things that add a little bit of chaos.

"Initially, when the new tyre proposals were put together by the teams, I think that there was a real chance that it could introduce a bit of chaos, because there were definitely a number of ways to approach the problem.

"Pirelli weren't happy with the teams choosing the tyres everywhere, which is a bit strange.

"We're quite responsible adults and I actually quite like getting points in races and trying to win them.

"We could turn the engines right up and blow them apart in the first race but we don't. We could design cars that really aren't strong enough, but we don't.

"We are quite good at what we do. I think it's a little bit disingenuous to suggest that [teams would have made dangerous tyre choices]."

Symonds fears the final regulations will quickly be mastered by teams, removing any potential unpredictability.

"We're quite clever in Formula 1 and if there's a correct solution, we find it quite quickly. And then you've lost everything," he said.

"I'm not against it, I like to see a bit of change, but I think it had the potential to be better."

PARALLELS WITH 2003

Symonds suspects a similar situation to the 2003 season, when teams first had to qualify with the fuel load for the first stint of the race.

Renault, Symonds' team at the time, ran light in qualifying at the second grand prix of the season in Malaysia and swept the front row with Fernando Alonso and Jarno Trulli.

Alonso turned pole into a third-place finish and the top teams then adopted similar tactics.

"We analysed it and decided that what we had to do is think of qualifying as being the first lap of the race," Symonds recalled.

"I remember in Australia, we didn't have a particularly good qualifying session, we didn't quite prove our point and nobody really noticed what we'd done.

"But in Malaysia, we had both cars on the front row.

"I remember all of the wise guys like Ron Dennis saying 'oh, they're just showboating',

"At the next race, most of them were into it and down the line, everyone's doing it and then it's gone.

"It doesn't take long for people to figure out what to do."

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Force India targeting top four in 2017 with new F1 regulations

Force India believes the new-for-2017 regulations will give the team a major opportunity to break into Formula 1's top four.

The team stepped up a gear over the second half of 2015 upon the introduction of its B-spec car, with drivers Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg scoring a raft of points to secure its best F1 constructors' championship finish of fifth.

When the new regulations come into effect next year, deputy team principal Bob Fernley sees no reason why Force India cannot do even more and challenge the likes of Mercedes, Ferrari, Williams and Red Bull on a more regular basis.

"With the new rules for 2017 it is a very exciting opportunity because given now our aero assets are on a par with the top teams, why can't we produce an even better '17 car, and then make that next step?" he told Autosport.

"The B-spec gave us the ability to demonstrate we're capable of running at that end.

"Everybody's going to have a clean sheet of paper, and we don't have to play catch up.

"We'll actually be on the same level to start with. '17 is a whole new ball game."

Between now and then, Fernley says Force India will aim to cement its 2015 position this year, before its concerted effort to capitalise on the new regulations.

"It's about consolidation for '16 and giving ourselves, as an independent team, the best platform to be able to produce a competitive '17 car," Fernley added.

"Consolidating our position is key, and then trying to provide the opportunity out of the '17 car to take the next step.

"From a personal point of view, I think you need to put the minimum amount of effort into the '16 car to consolidate, and the maximum amount of effort into the '17 car to progress."

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Ricciardo doffs his hat to Kvyat

Daniel Ricciardo admits he was impressed by the way Daniil Kvyat turned things around last season, adding "there is room for improvement".

Kvyat was thrown in at the deep end as he was promoted to a Red Bull race seat just one season after making his Formula 1 debut with sister squad Toro Rosso.

And he initially appeared to struggle as Ricciardo outscored him comfortably during the early stages of the campaign while Red Bull's problems with engine partner Renault also didn't help.

However, he grew into the job as the season progressed, claiming a career-best P2 in Hungary

"He [Kvyat] has shown speed, I can't say he is not quick," Ricciardo is quoted as saying by crash.net. "He has some good qualifying and races, so throughout the season he is showing some signs.

"I think what was probably surprising or good from him was the first four or five races, it seemed he wasn't quite up to speed, whether it was with a bigger team or the new car, it looked like he would either learn quick or it would be a disaster of a season for him. He turned it around quickly."

Kvyat ended up two points better off than his team-mate in the standings and Ricciardo believes there is more to come from the Russian.

"He has maintained a pretty good level of performances. We can work who had DNFs [laughs], but he has done well," he said.

"I think he has adapted well, picked himself up when he had to and he is still young so there is room for improvement and growth. I think he is more comfortable with the world of F1."