Formula 1 - 2017


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“WE HAVE 21 RACES, WE SHOULD HAVE 21 SUPER BOWLS” – WHAT F1 CAN LEARN FROM THE NFL

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After its shareholders and the FIA recently approved Liberty Media’s Formula 1 takeover, the championship’s new CEO Chasey Carey stated that he wanted to make the sport “bigger, broader and better”.

One idea Carey suggested to improve F1 was to scale up the entertainment and atmosphere surrounding each race and make every Grand Prix a festival of motorsport.
“We have 21 races,” he said. “We should have 21 Super Bowls. They should be week-long extravaganzas with entertainment and music, events that capture a whole city.”

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Drawing inspiration from America Football’s showpiece event has been suggested before – as recently as December 2016 by McLaren boss Zak Brown and Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton.

So ahead of the 51st Super Bowl, which is scheduled to take place in Houston this weekend with the Atlanta Falcons playing the New England Patriots, JA on F1 takes a look at what else F1 could learn from the NFL.

Super Bowl status

The Falcons and the Patriots jetted off to Houston this week and the teams will go through a week-long festival of mass media coverage, fan events and celebrations, all of which take place before the climatic event of the NFL season: the Super Bowl.

Image result for this could be the best super bowl of all time LI

While F1 does not necessarily always build up to a stand alone winner-takes-all event – all 20 races on the 2017 calendar will have the same number of points on offer – the marketing and promotional opportunities of grand prix events taking place at many venues located near major cities across the world could be aligned in similar ways.

Why not have Hamilton addressing fans from a venue showing off the London skyline, the Shard for example, ahead of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone? Then, in a similar way to the NFL’s Pro Bowl Skills Challenge where superstar players such as Odell Beckham, Ezekiel Elliott and Drew Brees showed off their talents last week, have the triple world champion demonstrating his driving skills in an F1 show car around Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square? F1’s demo event in London in 2004 (below) proved incredibly popular.

Image result for F1 show car around Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square? F1’s demo event in London in 2004

Like the Super Bowl, F1 would become the number one show in town: a festival of motorsport. Carey has spoken of the need to maintain F1’s historic traditions and races – but why not have Fernando Alonso act as the starter of a Formula E race in downtown Barcelona a few hours after qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix?

Liberty Global and Discovery Communications, which are part of the same business group owned by John Malone as Liberty Media, have the largest shareholding in the all-electric series after all.

One caveat to this mass-promotion approach would be that the Super Bowl’s unique finale status enhances and encourages the hype around it, whereas 20, 21 or even more races – as suggested by Liberty’s CEO Greg Maffei – could become too much of a good thing and turn off casual viewers who know they can just tune in for the next event and pick up the story there.

Revenue sharing

One area where F1 falls miles behind the NFL is its approach to revenue sharing. According to an Autosport report last year, F1’s $965m in payments to the teams for 2015 was split via a complicated system of previous championship finishing positions, constructors’ championship bonuses to certain squads and other payments such as Ferrari’s $70m historic payment.

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All of this added up to Ferrari getting $192m, Mercedes $171m and Red Bull $144m, while Sauber received just $54m and the recently closed Manor squad got $47m.

In the NFL, $7.2bn in revenue – boosted by massive TV deals with US networks – is shared out equally. In the financial year of 2014, the records of the publically owned Green Bay Packers showed that every one of the NFL’s 32 teams received $226.4m each.

NFL teams also take up 28 slots on Forbes’ list of most valuable sports teams and the Dallas Cowboys topped it in 2016 with a valuation of $4bn, ahead of soccer giants Real Madrid and Barcelona.

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The even distribution of revenue helps the NFL teams with the worst records stay healthily in business even if they are run badly and therefore perform poorly in competition. The Cleveland Browns won just one game out of 16 regular fixtures in 2016 and will return next year. Manor, which scored one point in last year’s F1 season, will not.

Draft system

The NFL and other popular sports in America use a draft system to pick the new crop of players from universities and colleges. The teams with the worst records go first – Cleveland will get first choice in 2017 followed by the San Francisco 49ers and the Chicago Bears – while the more successful teams will enter the selection process later on.

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Mercedes F1 junior, George Russell

Such a system would be unwieldy in F1 as there far fewer positions available, but if a better revenue distribution system meant more teams on the grid it would lead to more seats at the smaller squads being available for up-and-coming drivers.

 

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VIDEO: MERCEDES FIRE UP THEIR 2017 ENGINE

Mercedes have fired up the 2017 power unit that will be bolted on the back of their W08 which will break cover on 23 February at Silverstone.

The power unit, which will be used by Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas during the forthcoming F1 World Championship, was shown being fired up at the team’s Brackley headquarters.

Williams and Force India will also be using Mercedes power this season.

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LOWE TO GET TOP POST PLUS SHARES AT WILLIAMS

Paddy Lowe Mercedes British GP 2013

Former Mercedes Formula One technical head Paddy Lowe is set to become a shareholder in the Williams team when he joins after a period of ‘gardening leave’, British media are reporting.

Williams, who have yet to confirm that Lowe is joining them, had no comment on the report and the Briton was not immediately available.

The BBC quoted one source close to the team as saying talks were in the final stages while another said the Briton’s arrival was a formality.

Reports suggest that contractual negotiations had delayed Lowe’s arrival but he was tipped to be in place on 1 March, with the season-opening Australian Grand Prix scheduled for 26 March.

It also said that Lowe, who helped Mercedes to three successive drivers’ and constructors’ championships, was understood to have bought a stake in the team.

Lowe, who started his Formula One career at Williams in 1987, left Mercedes on 10 January.

Williams founder and principal Frank Williams has a 52.25 percent stake in the team and co-founder Patrick Head nine percent.

Of the remaining shares, some 20 percent are listed on the Entry Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and about four percent are held by an employee trust, while U.S. businessman Brad Hollinger holds a 14.75 percent stake.

It was not clear at this stage where Lowe’s stake might come from.

Meanwhile Head told BBC Sport that he “couldn’t comment” on any specifics to do with Lowe’s position at Williams.

“Discussions are still ongoing and until a signature is on a bit of paper nothing’s a formality, but it would be good for Williams if they can get him,” added Head, who stepped down from his day-to-day involvement in the management of the team in 2011.

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ABITEBOUL: WE WANT TO FIGHT WITH WILLIAMS AND FORCE INDIA

Jolyon Palmer (GBR) Renault Sport F1 Team RS16.Hungarian Grand Prix, Sunday 24th July 2016. Budapest, Hungary.

Renault have solid targets to strive for in the forthcoming 2017 Formula 1 World Championship season, with team chief Cyril Abiteboul revealing that the year will be about transition but at the same time he is expecting to be in battles with Williams and Force India.

Abiteboul told Auto-Hebdo, “This will be a transition year for Renault, but with a specific target. Our objective is to demonstrate our ability to progress and fight with good teams such as Williams and Force India.”

“We want to be in front of Toro Rosso which will be running the same [Renault] power unit as us. Our goal is fifth or sixth place in the championship.”

Not counting the title laden Fernando Alonso and Michael Schumacher years, this will be the team’s second season as a works outfit having risen from the ashes of the Genii owned Lotus operation that collapsed before Renault stepped in to save the day.

Abiteboul acknowledged, “It will be a bit of a challenge. In 2016, we cut the performance gap to Mercedes in half, from one second off their pace to half a second.”

“For 2017, we want to cut that in half again in order to finish the season approximately 0.25 of a second behind our main rival,” added the Renault F1 team chief.

The French team welcome Nico Hulkenberg to the team, partnering Jolyon Palmer, in 2017.

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Kevin Magnussen's first day at Haas F1

Watch Kevin Magnussen settle into the Haas F1 factory in Kannapolis, North Carolina, on his first day working with his new team.

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F1 teams still discussing share deal with Liberty

F1 teams still discussing share deal with Liberty

McLaren executive director Zak Brown says that F1 teams have not rejected the idea of buying shares in the revamped F1 Group, and are still in discussions with both Liberty Media and each other.

When its deal to buy into the sport was first announced, new F1 owner Liberty said that it would give teams the chance to take a stake in the new company.

It currently has what it terms approximately "19 million FWONK shares retained in treasury for possible sale to the F1 teams," after extending the deadline for a deal to be done.

The teams asked for more time following the initial offer from Liberty, and that was granted.

"We were given a short period of time to review a large investment," Brown told Motorsport.com.

"I think the feedback to Liberty was, 'We need to know more, we want greater visibility.' So they have now extended that window, which is a great thing.

"It's great to see early on they put something out, the teams had comments, and they responded favourably, saying, 'We hear you, we'll give you some more time, so we can have some further conversations.' That will be something that everyone can more thoroughly review and discuss."

Brown insisted that time was the key issue why the deal has not yet happened.

"I don't think it was a case of this is a good deal or a bad deal, it was more we want more time to talk about it, get to know you, and understand where we're going. Because it's a potentially substantial investment, and we just wanted to know more and have more time to talk about this.

"Certainly it was great that they did it, because they said that they would, so they followed through with their promise, and it was great when the feedback they got was we want more time, and they reciprocated by saying they'll give us that time.

"So they are doing all the right things to show that they are going to take a collaborative approach to their relationships with key stake holders."

Brown stressed that the teams have to work with each other over the issue to ensure that they get the best deal for themselves and the sport as a whole.

"I think we as the teams can do a better job of working together. Let's leave our competition on the track, and off the track when it comes to things like sponsors.

"But I think there are times for the teams to collaborate and communicate, because we are all on the same boat, we all want to go in the same direction.

"I think we can do a better job as teams of working together when it makes sense to work together, and compete when it makes sense to compete.

"But on something like the future of the sport I think we all have the same goal. We want to make it bigger and better, so we're all aligned around that."

Last week Chase Carey agreed that there was a bigger picture, telling the BBC: "We initially made a proposal that had too short a timeframe and we have found a way to have discussion that can have an appropriate level of exchange.

"Out of discussions of equity will be discussions of where do we want the sport to be. There is a great deal of interest in the equity but first and foremost it is about trying to create more of an alignment with the teams about the future of the business."

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Brawn the right man to help F1, says Steiner

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Formula 1's new owners Liberty Media pulled off a master-stroke in signing up Ross Brawn to help make the sport better, says Haas team boss Gunther Steiner.

As part of a shake-up of F1 management, which included Bernie Ecclestone being moved aside, Liberty announced last week that Brawn was being brought on board as managing director to help improve the on-track spectacle.

Steiner, whose Haas team is about to enter its second season in F1, believes that Brawn's experience and the fact he has not been recently affiliated to one team makes him the perfect candidate for the role.

"In taking Ross on they made a very good decision in my opinion," said Steiner about the Liberty move. "He is the ideal candidate.

"He knows F1, he has nothing to prove, and he doesn't need to do it, which is always a good point to do a good job. Because if you don't need to do it, you can make decisions or decide not to do it.

"So I think F1 has got a good future, but everyone who has ever worked in F1 is grateful for Bernie to have taken us to where we are now."

Steiner has paid tribute to the work that Ecclestone did to make F1 such a success, and says the sport will have a good future even if Liberty don't make radical changes.

"F1 would not exist like it is now without Bernie," he said. "We have to give the guy a lot of respect for it, because he is now quite old.

"F1 without him? We will miss the character but it will move on. There is always something after everything, and I hope the new shareholders will do a good job – as good or better than Bernie. If they do as good a job as Bernie, it will be a good sport for a long time to come."

Image result for ross brawn steiner

Americanisation

Steiner believes that the likely path that F1 will take over the next few years is one of increased commercialisation, which will likely manifest itself with new partnerships and sponsorship deals.

"I think F1 is pretty commercial right now, I would say, but for sure if Liberty Media should have some experience of something it is to get more, newer technology to transport the sport to more fans and increase the fan base. I hope they do that and they are in a good position to do that.

"They have this experience. Chase Carey comes from that environment, he comes out of a tough business environment to get money, and I hope they can grow the business. What is important for us is that we have a lot of eyeballs on us. That is important for us.

"How do they want to do it? They have started to leak stuff out on how they want to do it and how they plan to do it, but we have not seen a plan.

"There are a lot of ideas floating around and Chase Carey gave an interview lately to one of the big channels here in the States – he gave a little bit of a taste of what he wants to do.

"There is nothing like 'Wow, I didn't think of that one', but they just want to get better and use technology more in the media world, and maybe put a budget cap on."

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Loopholes getting harder to find with 2017 F1 rules - Rob Smedley

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Loopholes in Formula 1's regulations are becoming harder to find, particularly with the 2017 rule change, according to Williams performance chief Rob Smedley.

Aerodynamics have been substantially revised for this season, in the type of major regulation revamp that has often created scope for different interpretations in the past.

Brawn, Williams and Toyota famously exploited the 'double diffuser' loophole when the rules were changed for the 2009 season, for example.

But when asked if there would be similar opportunities for teams in 2017, Smedley told Autosport: "Every time there has been a new set of regulations, at least through my time in F1, those openings have become smaller and smaller.

"The reason for that is that the technical regulations are pretty much written by senior technical people within the teams.

"The senior technical people in the teams are of the mind that we're all looking for a loophole, we are all trying to get the start on our competitors.

"But as these rules get written and because it's a collaborative process and it's written by people who are looking for loopholes, then the loopholes are pretty much closed off in the regulations.

"This set of regulations has been very much at the forefront of that.

"We've tried to close down the loopholes as and when.

"Do loopholes or areas of high exploitation still exist? Of course.

"Have we or other people found them? It remains to be seen."

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TECHNICAL PERSONNEL SHAKE-UP

Williams is undergoing a number of senior personnel changes this winter, with Pat Symonds leaving the chief technical officer role late last year and Mercedes' Paddy Lowe set to be announced as a new recruit soon.

Smedley is hopeful Williams can limit the impact of the shake-up.

"The car that we're going to go racing with in Australia for the first half of the season, let's say, is very much designed," he said.

"We're already making strident in-roads to the mid-season development package as well.

"What we have to ensure is that as the technical team evolves, throughout all the levels, whether that is graduates or people coming in at the top level, we allow them to maximise their potential and work in a way that is the best way to work.

"We need to ensure their work has an impact at the earliest opportunity.

"Whatever changes we make now it will have minimal impact at the minute.

"It's only after six or eight months you start to feel it."

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On 31/01/2017 at 8:09 AM, MIKA27 said:

Hamilton asks fans to design 2017 F1 helmet

Hamilton asks fans to design 2017 F1 helmet

Lewis Hamilton will run an all-new helmet design in 2017, with the livery being picked from a fan competition that he has opened.

The three-time world champion wants fans to create a new helmet for him, and will race with the design during the next F1 season.

Fans wishing to take part in the competition have been asked to download a template design and then log their designs on Instagram. Details of the competition can be found here.

As well as Hamilton using the fan design during the next F1 season, the winner will also pick up a full-sized replica that has been signed by the Mercedes driver.

F1's regulations mean that once Hamilton starts the season with the helmet design he must keep it for the entire campaign, although is allowed to run a one-off special at a race of his choosing.

While drivers in the past have run fan-designed helmets at single grands prix, this is the first time that a driver has elected to race one for an entire season.

They should design a helmet wth a c$&t on it :lol:

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BERGER: VETTEL SHOULD HAVE TAKEN RED BULL PEOPLE TO FERRARI

YEONGAM-GUN, SOUTH KOREA - OCTOBER 14: Red Bull Racing Chief Technical Officer Adrian Newey wears mechanics goggles to protect his eyes as race winner Sebastian Vettel of Germany and Red Bull Racing sprays champagne on the podium following the Korean Formula One Grand Prix at the Korea International Circuit on October 14, 2012 in Yeongam-gun, South Korea. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Sebastian Vettel; Adrian Newey

Former Formula 1 team chief and grand prix winner Gerard Berger believes that Sebastian Vettel erred when he moved to Ferrari by not taking key Red Bull personnel with him to Maranello.

Berger told Motorsport Aktuell, “Sebastian should have made his move to Ferrari as Michael [Schumacher] did by convincing key Red Bull personnel to follow suit.”

“Michael had Benetton people in his luggage,” added Berger who was Vettel’s boss at Toro Rosso when the German powered to his first Formula 1 victory at the 2008 Italian Grand Prix.

Back in 1996, Schumacher joined Ferrari after a very successful spell with Benetton where he worked alongside acknowledged engineering gurus Ross Brawn and Rory Byrne. A year later they were both wearing Ferrari red.

Vettel’s four Formula 1 world titles with Red Bull came, to a great extent, thanks to the genius of Adrian Newey. A clever move by the German would have been to convince Newey to move with him to Maranello.

At the time we reported here>>> that Ferrari made Newey an offer of €20-million for his services, but the bid came to nothing in the end.

At the end of 2017 Vettel’s contract runs out with Ferrari and, as yet, neither party is overly keen to commit beyond that. Ferrari insisting that the four times F1 World Champion “needs to calm down and focus on racing” before they make a decision.

For now their star driver has remained quiet during the off-season, but it is known that Mercedes have Vettel on their list of top drivers they may approach should Valtteri Bottas not deliver as expected for the Silver Arrows.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff told Sport Bild recently, “[In 2018] there will be some well known drivers out of contract. We have to think about drivers like Vettel.”

Meanwhile Berger is not optimistic that the Reds will raise their game in 2017, “I do not see that there will be much change at Ferrari in 2017. Then Vettel has to re-orientate himself.”

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FORMULA 1 DRIVERS VOTE AGAINST HALO DEVICE

Sebastian+Vettel+F1+Grand+Prix+Great+Britain+Vettel+halo

The controversial Formula 1 halo cockpit safety device has been given a thumbs down by drivers who assessed the concept during free practice sessions throughout the course of 2016.

Auto Motor und Sport report that in a survey conducted by the FIA, seven of the 16 drivers canvassed for their opinions, regarding the halo, voted against the device, while five were in favour and four abstained.

FIA had earmarked 2018 as the season to introduce the cockpit protection system, which came to the fore after Manor driver Jules Bianchi succumbed to head injuries he sustained in a crash during the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix.

Since it broke cover a couple for years ago, the halo has divided opinions throughout the paddock, with many believing that the device goes against the ethos of the traditional open cockpit concept in Formula 1.

But FIA chief Jean Todt said, “Formula 1 is currently the safest category in motor sport, but there can always be small improvements that can be made.”

Toro Rosso driver Daniil Kvyat revealed at the end of 2016 that drivers differed in their views of the halo, “It’s not very consistent. Sometimes it seems like most of the drivers are for it, and sometimes some are more neutral, but I haven’t been following the trend too much, it’s not my favourite topic.”

Others who tried the device commented:

Fernando Alonso: “When I tried the halo in Singapore, one of the things I noticed was getting out of the car is a little bit uncomfortable, where you have to put the feet and where you have to jump.”

Lewis Hamilton: “Apart from getting into the car, I didn’t notice much difference. I didn’t really notice it, apart from blocking my mirrors – I couldn’t see the rear wing.”

Nico Rosberg: “It doesn’t disturb me when driving. I could go fast straight away and even set the best time of the session with it this morning so I think that was a success. My opinion is that it represents a big step forward in terms of safety. Following the fatalities we have experienced in recent years in racing that halo would have saved lives, so we absolutely need it.”

Kimi Raikkonen: “First impression on the visibility test is positive. The structure does not hamper [visibility].”

Romain Grosjean: “As drivers we certainly do not want safety to stop improving, but we also cannot delete the DNA of Formula 1.”

Sebastian Vettel:  “It was not great. There is quite a bit of impact in terms of visibility.”

Interestingly Lewis Hamilton was dead against the concept in March last year when he told reporters: “Please no! This is the worst looking mod in Formula 1 history. I appreciate the quest for safety but this is formula 1, and the way it is now is perfectly fine. If it is going to come in I hope we have an option to use it or not because I will not be using it on my car.”

But several months later his opinion had changed considerably: “Apart from getting into the car, I didn’t notice much difference. I didn’t really notice it, apart from blocking my mirrors – I couldn’t see the rear wing. I could run it this weekend if they allowed it.”

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FINGER LICKIN’ GOOD GLIMMER OF HOPE FOR MANOR

JEREZ, 28-31 March 2016; GP2 pre-seasontest 2016 at Circuito Permanente de Jerez. Mitch Evans #07 Jagonya Ayam Campos Racing. Action. © 2016 Sebastiaan Rozendaal / Dutch Photo Agency

The demise of Manor grabbed headlines in recent weeks but now a report has emerged suggesting that there is still a glimmer of hope for the beleaguered Formula 1 team.

Turun Sanomat are reporting that an Indonesian group are considering a last minute bid to buy the bankrupt team and ensure it is on the F1 grid for the season opening Australian Grand Prix, in Melbourne on 26 March.

Ricardo Gelael, father of Indonesian GP2 driver Sean Gelael and boss of Jagonya Ayam who own the KFC franchise in Indonesia, is looking to buy the team.

However the report claims that the deal stumbled when a batch of Manor’s hidden debts surfaced but, despite this setback, the option remains for Gelael to buy the team now at a much reduced cost.

Jagonya Ayam and KFC branding featured prominently on the livery of Gelael junior’s GP2 Series car which was run by Pertamina Campos Racing in 2016.

Pertamina Campos Racing entered the 2016 GP2 Series under an Indonesian racing license, with Pertamina – Jakarta based Indonesian state owned oil and natural gas corporation – being the long time backers of Rio Haryanto.

The possibility of Gelael being joined by Haryanto to spearhead an all Indonesian driver line-up is said to be an option should Pertamina contribute to the financing of the rescue deal.

However a more experienced driver, than Haryanto, may also be in the frame to serve as a mentor for rookie Gelael, if his father has to fork the entire bill.

Campos Racing, owned by Adrian Campos, were involved in the birth of the now defunct Hispania Racing Team (HRT) which had a troubled and brief existence.

The team which made it’s debut at the 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix, was plagued by financial difficulties throughout it’s lifespan, eventually folded after the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix.

MIKA: I don't see this happening...

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Minimum car weight increased for 2017 F1 season

Minimum car weight increased for 2017 F1 season

Formula 1's minimum car weight has been officially increased by another six kilos for 2017, in light of the switch to wider Pirelli tyres.

F1's latest technical regulations were published by the FIA a fortnight ago, and mandated that the weight of the car, without fuel, must not be less than 722kg at all times during a grand prix weekend.

However, a later clause in the rules stated that the limit would be tweaked to take into account the increased bulk of F1's wider 2017 rubber.

Article 4.3 states "The weight limits...will be adjusted up or down according to any differences (rounded up to the nearest 1kg) between the total set and individual axle set weights respectively of the 2016 and 2017 dry-weather tyres."

Motorsport.com has learned that the official weight difference between the 2016 and 2017 tyres has been put at 6kg, so the minimum weight of F1 cars for the season ahead will be 728kg.

It is understood that the front tyres weigh a little more than 1kg more each (so 2kg+ in total) and the rear tyres are just more than 1.5kg more each (so 3kg+ in total).

With the value being rounded up to the nearest kilogramme as the regulations demand, the final value to be added to the 722kg will be 6kg.

The 728kg limit for 2017 is a significant leap over last year's weight limit, which was 702kg.

Much of the extra bulk is because of the wider cars – with F1's 2017 challengers being 20cm wider than last year so there is more bodywork. Furthermore, an increase in the fuel limit to 105kg will mean bigger tanks.

Despite the weight handicap – with 10kg extra costing 0.3 seconds per laps, so a loss of nearly one second in title – the extra downforce and mechanical grip coming is expected to produce cars that are five seconds per lap quicker than they were in 2015.

 

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Vandoorne: Focusing on beating Alonso "would be wrong"

Vandoorne: Focusing on beating Alonso

McLaren's Stoffel Vandoorne thinks it would be a mistake if he focused only on trying to beat Fernando Alonso in Formula 1 this season.

The Belgian is replacing Jenson Button, and starts his first full season amid high expectations after a successful junior career and a point-scoring F1 debut at last year's Bahrain Grand Prix.

But while there will be great interest in how he compares against two-time world champion Alonso, Vandoorne himself insists that the priority for him is not just edging out his Spanish teammate.

"I get on very well with Fernando," Vandoorne said in an exclusive interview with Motorsport.com.

"Of course I have been able to work with him for the past two years, and see how he operates in the team and how he pushes the team forward. I know very much what he is like.

"He is a very competitive driver and everybody knows his capabilities and still thinks he is one of the best around. So I will definitely have a very good benchmark next to me.

"But for me it would be wrong to only focus on Fernando. I think our main target is to get McLaren-Honda back to the front, which we will be focusing on.

"Then for me I just have to make sure that I make the most out of every situation, don't make any silly mistakes, and make sure I do everything right.

"When I do that, I usually manage to have some good results as well, so that for me will be the main focus."

Stoffel Vandoorne, McLaren Test and Reserve driver talks to Jost Capito, McLaren chief executive   McLaren MP4-31 Honda in the garage   Stoffel Vandoorne, McLaren, Jenson Button, McLaren

No extra pressure

Going up against Alonso will inevitably put a big spotlight on Vandoorne's form this season, but he says he is ready for anything, and does not feel that there will be added pressure.

"I guess that is quite normal in F1," he said. "F1 has always been a pressure environment and it has always been a world where you either perform or you don't. I don't see it any different.

"I've been asked to perform in every series I have been driving in, so of course F1 is another step up. Plus you have all the media around every weekend, asking you questions after a bad race or whatever, so it is always going to be like that. But you know you are up for that."

He thinks too he has gained from being able to observe how Alonso and Button worked.

"For me it has been a good position to be in and see both sides of the garage, how they were preparing their weekend, building up to a Sunday race. It is something that I haven't got much experience on myself yet.

"But I have some ideas and expectations on how to do it and, having had the chance to work with them, it gave me some more information to know how they did that."

McLaren targets

Although Vandoorne has shown through title-winning campaigns in GP2 and Formula Renault 2.0 that he is one of the brightest young talents around, he knows his chances during a rookie F1 campaign rest on the competitiveness of his McLaren-Honda car.

Amid uncertainty about the progress that Honda has made with its revamped engine, Vandoorne says that making predictions for the campaign ahead is too hard right now.

"I haven't set any real expectations so far," he said. "It is so difficult for me to know where we will be in terms of performance, and I think for everybody it is a little bit the same – they don't know exactly where we will be.

"Of course we expect the top teams to fight for the top positions and it will always be like that. But we don't know in which order yet.

"For me, I am just focusing on what I have always done – making sure I don't make any mistakes, making sure I am up to date with all the processes and procedures that we have to go to.

"For me, for the most important thing is that I come to Barcelona testing and we can start focusing on performance and not having to go through all the driver bits that I should learn."

Stoffel Vandoorne, third driver, McLaren F1 Team drives the 1989 McLaren MP4/5 of Alain Prost   Stoffel Vandoorne, Dandelion Racing   Podium: race winner Stoffel Vandoorne, Dandelion Racing

Rapid progress

McLaren has undergone a major overhaul of its working practices in recent years, and is upbeat that it now has an infrastructure to make the most of the opportunities given by new regulations this year.

Vandoorne himself says that he has noticed rapid progress from the team in terms of the performance of the car in the simulator – which should bode well for its campaign ahead.

"Especially with new regulations, every week you come in there are new things – and new things we learn about," he said.

"There has been progress over the past weeks and over Christmas, there has been very good progress – but the thing is where do you put that compared to the other teams? We don't know, and that is something we will have to wait until we finally get on track."

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Abiteboul thinks Fridays are pointless

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Renault boss Cyril Abiteboul is hoping for Liberty Media to bring positive to change to Formula 1, starting with scrapping Friday’s practice sessions over a Grand Prix weekend.

However, the Frenchman is not expecting immediate results and understands that it is a long process for the sport’s new owners to be fully intergrated.

Abiteboul, though, warned Liberty Media to back up their words with action.

"Liberty Media should be given a few months to analyse the situation before it can comment on this issue.," he told Auto-Hebdo.

"But generally, the current format of the race weekend has to change.

"Friday practice does not play any role. We need to think about this, because there are ways to make Formula 1 more dynamic without spending money and without affecting the structure of the teams.

"It can't be all words, there must be actions showing the direction in which Formula 1 should go."

MIKA: I agree completely about Fridays.

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The urbanisation of F1

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Liberty Media seems to me to have adopted a thoroughly sensible approach to F1 thus far. The old rock hard approach to rights fees did not help the sport, even if it poured more money into the pockets of the greedy folk at CVC Capital Partners. They did not think to invest to grow the business, they simply took and took and took. Bernie suited their requirements. He did deals for the fun of it, squeezing more money from everyone, as a means of showing who was in charge. That was his thing, and he did it well, but it was an unsustainable long term strategy.

Liberty will be tough, of that I am sure, but I think also they will treat the sport with more respect. They want people to like them and be happy to part with cash voluntarily, rather than feeling that it was screwed out of them. They believe there is much to still develop. I agree and have been banging on about it for some years now…

It is never easy to please everyone, but I am also sure they are right about their plan to take racing to the people, rather than trying to get people to the racing. I think a big part of successful promotion is, as the saying goes, location, location, location. How anyone thought people would go to a marsh in a remote corner of Korea now seems a very strange decision. OK, if one has no worries about a government paying for a race, you can hold them in the forests of Siberia, or in the moving sands of Timbuktu, but what’s the point?

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The current trend, which I see developing further, is to take races into or close to big cities, destination cities, where the racing can form part of a much bigger festival. A big party. The best models for this are (in order of age) Monaco, Montreal, Melbourne, Mexico and Singapore. These cities hum with atmosphere when F1 comes to town. The key to success is finding the right location. Monaco is a tradition and the race is part of the city’s heritage. In Montreal the race is on an island, but it’s close to town by subway. Melbourne is in a public park and you get there on the tram. Mexico is a similar story. Singapore is not quite as good as the track closes city streets and is disruptive, but access is brilliant and it has worked wonders for the city. Shanghai has great access but the city is so big that the race doesn’t seem to make much of an impact.

Others, like Interlagos, Austin, Barcelona, Monza and Hungary are a little more complicated, but still within easy reach of a big population centre, while the older traditional tracks at Spa, Suzuka, Austria, Silverstone and the Nürburgring are more challenging – wonderful though they are.

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It is perhaps worth looking at the trends in racing, in relation to changes in society, to understand this strange mix. At the very beginning of the history of motorsport, the races started and finished in city centres. It made sense. That was where the people were. Then, for obvious reasons, the races moved out of town, to areas of lower population or to purpose-built speedways. The fans travelled by train to attend. And then, as car ownership increased, new circuits sprang up in more remote places, old airfields, or in regions keen to promote their charms. The spread of cities, in the meantime, caused largely by cars, meant that the early speedways were swallowed up. Few survived. Most were buried beneath new housing.

Times have moved on and with television fewer people bothered to struggle out to the legendary tracks, with their muddy fields, meagre infrastructure and high ticket costs. There were other leisure activities emerging and attendances fell. The development of CGI and the drive towards better safety in racing meant that the wow factor of motor racing wowed fewer people. With one or two exceptions, the races which flourished were close to cities – with easy access and public transport. Who wanted long drives and parking hassles?

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Building new speedways became harder because of the costs involved, and the rules and regulations that had to be followed. The environmentalists were also difficult. But then along came silent racing and Formula E was able to go back to places which could never have held Grands Prix. The trouble with Formula E is that it is neither fast nor viscerally exciting. The ground does not shake when a field of Formula E cars take off.

If parkland tracks are the way to go, and F1 can help to make places nicer, or use wasted facilities, as happened in Albert Park and Sochi, for example, where disruption can be limited and to which people can easily travel, there must be opportunities out there. Let’s see F1 going after Long Beach again, let’s see what can be revived in New Jersey, or Floyd Bennett Field. And let’s take a look at places like Amelia Earhart Park in Miami.

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Formula 1 return not on Ford's radar

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American car giant Ford says a return to Formula 1 is not on its agenda, with the huge costs involved in a programme the main deterrent.

The arrival of Liberty Media as F1's new owner has prompted hopes of a brighter future, and that a rise in popularity could help attract more manufacturers.

Furthermore, the FIA is hoping carmarkers not currently involved in F1 can play a part in planned discussions to frame engine rules for 2021 and beyond.

F1's existing manufacturers, Mercedes, Renault, Ferrari and Honda, have agreed with the FIA that the current V6 turbo-hybrid formula will remain in place until at least 2020.

Only Ferrari has powered more drivers to world championships than Ford's 13 in its legendary partnership with Cosworth.

It has not, though, had an F1 presence since powering Jordan in 2004, and Dave Pericak, director of Ford Performance, says that is unlikely to change.

"We're not really looking at F1," he told Autosport.

"I don't see us getting into that any time soon.

"Formula 1 is so expensive. If you look at every series we are in right now there is a relevance to all the goals and objectives we have, in developing our tools, technology and people and translating that into road cars.

"Every series that we're in has an element of that."

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Ford returned to GT racing with a new programme for the World Endurance Championship and IMSA SportsCar Championship in 2016, winning the GTE class of the Le Mans 24 Hours on its debut.

It is also represented in the World Rally Championship by M-Sport, and has a presence in the World Rallycross Championship.

Pericak, who has denied Ford was eyeing a return to IndyCar, emphasised that its focus was on categories with road relevance.

"We use the track to test and improve our technologies, and bring it back into the road cars," he said.

"That's working well, not just on the GT but other products as well.

"To be able to leverage that [racing] programme to polish the Ford oval and to communicate what Ford is about - our engineering prowess - has been really powerful."

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IMPROVING THE LADDER TO F1? GP2 SERIES SET TO BE REBRANDED AS FORMULA 2 IN 2017

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An exciting new prospect for young drivers seems to be opening up as Liberty Media and the FIA begin their working relationship.

Reports are emerging that the GP2 series is set to be rebranded as the FIA’s new Formula 2 championship and complete the governing body’s desired pyramid of progression for young drivers hoping to make it to Formula 1.

According to a report on Autosport.com, GP2 is on course to be renamed as FIA F2 in time for the start of the championship’s 2017 season, which begins with two support races at the Bahrain Grand Prix on 15-16 April.

The FIA has been trying to bring GP2 under its remit for some time – Formula One Management currently controls the series – but Bernie Ecclestone reportedly blocked negotiations last year.

After Ecclestone was removed from his position as FOM’s CEO and replaced by Liberty Media’s Chase Carey, the report suggests that there as been significant progress to move GP2 across to the FIA’s ladder of single seater racing.

If the rebranding of GP2 does take place, it will complete the FIA’s desired path for young drivers, which, after karting, goes from regional Formula 4, to European Formula 3, F2, and then on to F1.

The FIA’s F4 concept was launched in 2014 with a low-cost mentality designed to aid young drivers stepping up to car racing for the first time. There are now 12 national and regional F4 championships taking place around the world in countries including Australia, Britain, Japan, Germany, Italy, China and the USA.

The next step on the FIA ladder is European F3, which was won last year by Williams’ new F1 recruit, Lance Stroll. The governing body recently announced it would move to control costs in the series more tightly from 2017 with staff numbers at races being reduced, additional aerodynamic parts outlawed and windtunnel testing banned.

The FIA has also reduced the entry fee for teams to a maximum of €18,000, stopped drivers testing in any car on a track that is on the F3 calendar, and capped engine running costs at €65,000.

Moves to control costs in F3 are in response to the dominance of well-funded teams that have enjoyed considerable success in the category in recent seasons.

“The playing field is not quite as level as it used to be because people are spending disproportionate amounts of money to do the job, and that’s their privilege,” Trevor Carlin, whose eponymous single seater squad competes in European F3, told JA on F1 last year.

While the rebranding of GP2 to F2 would complete the FIA’s path for junior single seater racing, it remains to be seen what would become of the GP3 championship.

The series, which also runs on the F1 support bill and has been won by the likes of Esteban Gutiérrez, Valtteri Bottas, Daniil Kvyat and Esteban Ocon, is on a similar level to F3, but provides much less track time for drivers.

GP2 was established in 2005 as a replacement for the Formula 3000 championship that had previously been F1’s long-term feeder series. So far in the series’ history, 30 of its drivers have graduated to F1 and it has been won by world champions Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, as well as Timo Glock, Nico Hülkenberg, Pastor Maldonado, Romain Grosjean, Jolyon Palmer and Stoffel Vandoorne.

F2 has a long history in motorsport and even replaced F1 as the world championship for grand prix racing in 1952 and 1953. It was superseded by F3000 in 1985 but was brought back by the FIA between 2009 and 2012 via a new spec series that was run by Jonathan Palmer’s MotorSport Vision organisation, before the governing body announced the latest revival of the F2 moniker in 2015.

 

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MOSLEY: AMERICANS ALWAYS THINK THEY CAN DO EVERYTHING BETTER

Max Mosley

Former FIA president Max Mosley cautioned against too much rapid change in the sport and asks why the ‘Super Bowl’ is so special that it needs to be emulated by F1.

Liberty have spoken about increasing the number of grands prix, particularly in the Americas, changing the weekend format and giving every round of the championship the ‘Super Bowl’ treatment.

American Chase Carey, who has appointed former ESPN executive Sean Bratches to run the commercial side with former Mercedes principal Ross Brawn overseeing motorsport matters, has spoken of F1 being like ’21 Super Bowls’ in a season.

“You’ve always got to be careful, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. But they are fully aware of that,” said Mosley.

“They [Liberty] are serious business people. Whether they can deal with everything better than they could have dealt with it using Bernie [Ecclestone] for the things he’s good at, and then doing the things that they know about, is an open question. We shall see.”

Mosley agreed that Liberty had plenty on their plate in the coming months and might find a few bumps in the road ahead despite their undoubted expertise.

“It always looks easy from the outside,” he warned.

“It’s like if I think I could go and fix horse racing. But if you actually go and try and do it, you find there are a whole mass of problems you never even knew about. But maybe they will be very successful and get the job done.”

With Super Bowl 51 coming up in Houston on Sunday, Mosley was also wary of comparisons between how the National Football League spectacular is presented over the course of a week and grand prix racing.

“I think that’s easy to say, it’s not quite clear to me what that means,” he said of the suggestion that every race could be treated like a Super Bowl, with more razzmatazz and events leading up to it.

“But the Super Bowl… is that so wonderful? I don’t want to be unkind, but Americans always think they can do everything better than anybody else. And they’re not always right as a lot of recent history shows.”

Mosley also believes that Liberty Media erred in not retaining Ecclestone in some capacity.

Ecclestone, 86, was replaced by Carey on last month as chief executive of Formula One and appointed ‘Emeritus Chairman’ – a position without a clearly defined role for the Briton.

Liberty have, however, said they hope Ecclestone will continue to offer advice to the board.

“If it had been me in the case of Liberty, I’d have kept Bernie on to do the things that he’s superbly good at – such as dealing with the promoters and the organisers and all that side of it,” Mosley told Reuters.

The Briton, a close ally of Ecclestone while running the governing body, said Liberty could have concentrated on “doing the things that up to now have not been done” in Formula One such as virtual reality and digital technology.

“But of course they bought a business and are fully entitled to come in and think they can run the whole business better and we’ll just have to see what happens,” added the 76-year-old, speaking at F1’s annual Zoom charity auction on Friday night.

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STROLL: LOOKING FORWARD TO FELIPE BEING A MENTOR

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Formula 1’s newest teenage rookie Lance Stroll is relishing the opportunity of learning from his veteran teammate Felipe Massa at Williams this season.

An experienced teammate was a condition that came with Stroll joining the team, thus when Valtteri Bottas departed for Mercedes, Massa was the logical choice to mentor the 18 year old in his rookie season.

Stroll said in a Twitter video, “I am really looking forward to Felipe being a mentor for me. Of course we are competitors, and we want to beat each other, but at the same time I think he has a lot of respect as a driver and we all know that he’s very well respected throughout the paddock. He’s a really nice guy and he’s a team player.”

“That’s really all you ask for being in a team. You want someone who is a team player and someone who’ll help the team go forward and not create a problem on both sides of the garage.”

“I think it’s really important to have two drivers that want to push the team in the right direction rather than fighting against the other. It’s obviously good to have that competitiveness in the team and an urge to beat the driver next to you.”

“At the same time I think we are going to respect each other, we are going to want the best for the team and we are going to help the team in the best way possible,” added Stroll who will make his Formula 1 debut at the season opening Australian Grand Prix on March 26.

For Massa the race in Melbourne will be his 251st Grand Prix, and he will be excused a case of deja vu as he himself made his F1 debut at the Australian Grand Prix, albeit in 2002 for Sauber.

At the time he was being groomed by Ferrari and had his race seat paid by the Maranello outfit at the time. His mentor then was none other than Michael Schumacher.

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HEIDFELD: FORMULA E CAN BE A STEPPING STONE TO F1

NICK-HEIDFELD

Former Formula 1 driver turned Formula E ace Nick Heidfeld believes that the electric series can provide good grounding for young drivers seeking to make it to the pinnacle of the sport.

Heidfeld said in an interview published on the FIA website, “When we started, I thought Formula E would probably be ideal for a driver with a similar background to mine.”

“But now, given the arrival of talented youngsters, for example my team-mate, Felix Rosenqvist, I think that if it’s not quite a genuine alternative, it is definitely an important outlet for those who, possibly for financial reasons, don’t have a genuine chance of making it in F1.”

“Furthermore, to establish yourself in Formula E, not only do you need to have speed, pure and simple, you also need to be quick thinking, so as to manage the available energy as well as possible.”

“Of course, these skills also make the difference in F1, which indicates that our championship can begin to be also considered as a stepping stone in the development of a career,” mused the 39 year old German.

Asked about his career and where he saw himself in ten years time, Heidfeld said, “Ah, who knows…When I left F1, I began thinking about what I could do to have some fun, maybe doing something completely different, but then I realised that I didn’t want to stop racing and so I stayed in this world. Looking back, I can’t say really if”

“I have any regrets: of course, I’m disappointed not to have won in F1. When I first began there, I thought I’d win races and championships and that was how I felt at the start of each season.”

“Of course it’s easy to say that things could have been different depending on the choices I made, but with hindsight, everything is possible…” added Heidfeld who spent over a decade in F1, competing in 183 grands prix with the likes of Prost, Sauber, Jordan, Williams, BMW Sauber and Renault. He scored 13 podiums but never won an F1 race.

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NEW MCLAREN F1 CAR NAME BREAKS TRADITION

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND - MARCH 02: A McLaren logo is displayed during the Geneva Motor Show 2016 on March 2, 2016 in Geneva, Switzerland. (Photo by Harold Cunningham/Getty Images)

McLaren’s 2017 Formula One car will be a break with the past, and the era of now-departed boss Ron Dennis, the team said on Friday.

“2017 is all about change, and our car name is changing too,” McLaren said on Twitter, announcing the car would no longer have the MP4 prefix that has been carried by every McLaren since 1981.

The prefix alluded to Project Four, a team founded by Dennis in 1976 that merged with McLaren in 1980.

Dennis was forced out as team boss by McLaren shareholders in November, with American Zak Brown coming in as executive director of the former world champions.

McLaren said the new Honda-powered car, which would have been the MP4-32, would now be designated the MCL32. The car is due to be launched at the team’s Woking headquarters on Feb. 24.

Formula One is undergoing major change this year, with Liberty Media taking over as the commercial rights holder and American Chase Carey replacing Bernie Ecclestone as chief executive.

On the track, the cars will have bigger tyres and revamped aerodynamics aimed at making them faster, more aggressive looking and harder to handle.

Image result for mcl32

2017 is all about change, and our car name is changing too. Ladies and gents, get set for the McLaren-Honda MCL32. #MCL32 #ChangeYourName

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WILLIAMS: MASSA WILL BE INSTRUMENTAL THIS YEAR

felipe massa, claire williams

Williams boss Claire Williams is counting on Felipe Massa to be instrumental in the team’s development and progress during the 2017 Formula 1 season which heralds the introduction of several major changes in technical regulations.

Speaking on Twitter, Williams said, “Felipe has obviously done 15 years in Formula 1 and is one of the most experienced drivers on the grid and going into a year when you have a clean-sweep when it comes to technical regulations.”

“Felipe is going to bring an enormous amount to the table this year, particularly from an engineering side. It’s probably going to be a year where you will see a huge amount of development on these cars from when they first take to the track in testing and then going to the first race in Australia,” explained Williams.

Ironically Massa ‘quit’ F1 at the end of 2016, but five days after the season ended Nico Rosberg shocked the sporting world by announcing his retirement and thus freeing up a highly coveted seat at Mercedes.

What transpired was a myriad of back-room negotiations which eventually resulted in Williams driver Valtteri Bottas moving to Mercedes, thus freeing up a seat at Williams which Massa was persuaded to fill for another year. He was only too keen to accept. 

Williams continued, “Someone like Felipe, who is not only great in the car and consistent, will be important when it comes to testing, he will also be able to help with the development process right from the very start. So for us he will be instrumental in driving change and driving performance to the FW40 this year.”

Massa will team up with 18 year old rookie Lance Stroll whose lack of experience means that the the team will depend on the Brazilian veteran to take the team forward during the forthcoming season.

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Ferrari can't commit to Formula 1 if popularity continues to dwindle - Sergio Marchionne

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Ferrari chairman Sergio Marchionne says it's important new Formula 1 owners Liberty Media start improving the entertainment side of the sport as soon as possible to stem the loss of fans, which has been in steady decline over the past few years.

Marchionne has warned that Ferrari cannot keep committing itself to the sport if numbers continue to decline, as the vast sums it spends on Formula 1 are currently offset by the marketing return.

However that might not be the case in the future if the current trend isn't reversed, therefore Marchionne says it's important Liberty Media acts now.

"We cannot keep on committing to a sport that has decreasing audiences for a variety of reasons," he said during an investor call this week. "We need to re-popularise the sport and we need to make it more accessible.

"I would expect Liberty and Chase [Carey, F1 CEO] in particular would have a very clear understanding of the fact that the entertainment side of this needs to come back into play.

"There is a lot of work that needs to be done. We will do our part as the Scuderia in making sure that happens, but that work needs to get underway in earnest now."

However Marchionne does expect things to improve this season with the move to quicker cars and lower degradation tyres, which should allow drivers to push for much longer.

"What I do expect to be honest is the sport itself to do better in 2017. I think there will be a great basis for us to continue and continue our commitment to Formula 1 and to really set the basis for a post-2020 world."

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New regulations will help Valtteri Bottas to settle in at Mercedes - Niki Lauda

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Niki Lauda believes the new-for-2017 regulations will help Valtteri Bottas to settle in at Mercedes as it provides him with a clean sheet going up against three-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.

The Finnish driver replaces current champion Nico Rosberg, whose decision to retire at the end of the 2016 season has left Bottas with little time to settle in at Mercedes before testing begins later this month in Spain.

However Lauda reckons the new rules will aid Bottas in his fight against team-mate Hamilton as both drivers will be racing a brand new car and can therefore work together to develop it to their own requirements.

"He doesn't have much time to settle in," Lauda told Auto Motor und Sport. "Everything is new to him and to us. But Bottas has two advantages; he is coming into a top team – this makes it easier to find your bearings.

"And we are racing this year with completely new cars. They are also new to Lewis. Lewis can not build on a car he already knows. Both of them can therefore work from the very beginning when tuning the car so that it suits them."

Lauda is confident Bottas's arrival can be a positive for the team and expects the former Williams driver to impress.

"A team change can have a positive effect on the work and motivation," he said.

"I think he can be as good as Rosberg and deliver the performances that we expect of him," he added. "He has the right prerequisites. Finns are basically good racing drivers."

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