FORMULA 1 - 2014

[MIKA27]

Grosjean gets penalty points for Sutil clash

Romain Grosjean has been given the first penalty points on his licence following his collision with Adrian Sutil in the Russian Grand Prix.

Grosjean and Sutil made contact at turn two which knocked the Sauber driver into a spin.

The stewards ruled Grosjean “did not leave enough space” for Sutil which caused the collision. They handed him a five-second time penalty for the contact plus two penalty points.

Grosjean said he was already braking as much as he could for the corner when Sutil tried to pass him.

“He was on the softer tyres and had a lot more grip than me going into [turn three],” said Grosjean.

“That corner closes up a bit on exit and he didn’t want to go too much off the racing line. I was already on the maximum for the braking zone and we just touched a little.

“It felt more like a racing incident to me but never mind, we head to Austin and hope for better things.”

[MIKA27]

Jean Todt denies he snubbed Fernando Alonso during Russian GP

FIA president Jean Todt says he is deeply saddened by wild claims he snubbed Fernando Alonso during the pre-race build up to the Russian Grand Prix.

Videos being circulated on social media showed Todt not shaking hands with Alonso as he greeted all the drivers on the grid at Sochi.

The drivers had formed up in a line for the national anthem, before an emotional get-together to show their support for injured driver Jules Bianchi.

Aware of the presence of the video, FIA spokesman Matteo Bonciani said Todt was so upset at suggestions he had ignored Alonso - at a time when their mutual friend Bianchi was critically ill - that he wanted to clear up the situation immediately.

Speaking during a stopover on his return from Russia, Todt told AUTOSPORT: "When a guy is fighting for his life, it is so sad that people can suggest something like this.

"Before the race I had walked from the back of the grid and had already greeted a number of drivers.

"I had hugged Alonso shortly before they lined up, so there was no need to shake his hand.

"I have never been so close to Fernando as in this moment, as we think of our friend in hospital."

[OZCUBAN]

From Russia with love,hardly I must admit it was the most boring F-1 race I have ever watched so much so it put me to sleep,and it wasn't even late here

Cheers

[ptrthgr8]

Agreed... definitely the most boring race of the season. But I absolutely dig the new venue. Hopefully Sochi stays in the F1 rotation for many years to come.

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk

[Lotusguy]

From Russia with love,hardly I must admit it was the most boring F-1 race I have ever watched so much so it put me to sleep,and it wasn't even late here

Cheers

Same here.

That was not a race, it was a procession

Good recovery by Rossberg, though.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[joeskow]

From Russia with love,hardly I must admit it was the most boring F-1 race I have ever watched so much so it put me to sleep,and it wasn't even late here

Cheers

this one was tough to watch.. Pirelli played it safe by bringing the harder compound tires , so not much strategy in a 1 stop race..would have been a little more exciting if we saw a 2 or 3 stop race with the slower pit lane speeds.. beautiful venue though but man we need more circuits with elevation changes.

[MIKA27]

beautiful venue though but man we need more circuits with elevation changes.

Stunning venue and a great turn out by the crowd considering the current crisis we see on the news.

We also not only need elevation changes but the FIA seriously need another track designer as the Herman Tilke designs are rather boring IMO.

One of my favourite tracks however is the up and comming race in Austin Texas, THAT has some amazing elevation changes and is a brilliant example of good design.

[MIKA27]

WOLFF: WE’RE SUDDENLY BAD GUYS BECAUSE WE ADHERE TO RULES

Despite having the 2014 Formula 1 constructors’ title already in the bag, Toto Wolff has admitted Mercedes has inherited the role of “the bad guy” in Formula 1 at present.

That is because, amid the struggles of rival engine makers Ferrari and Renault in the face of Mercedes’ utter dominance, the German marque is refusing to agree to unfreeze development on some aspects of the strict engine homologation rules for 2015.

It meant that Mercedes’ constructors’ title celebrations at Sochi were marred not only by the Jules Bianchi tragedy, but suggestions the team is playing a spoiler role in the political sphere.

Team boss Wolff is quoted by Speed Week: “We do not want to talk about the gap to our opponents or politics today. But this whole discussion about the freezing of engine development and so on – it’s not quite the way it is presented.”

“Already next year everyone can change about 50 per cent of the engine. And our advantage is not only the engine, we also have a very good chassis. That we are suddenly the bad guys because we adhere to the rules is not pretty, but that’s the price we must pay for our success,” Wolff added.

Now all eyes will now turn to the head-to-head battle for the drivers’ crown in the remaining three races between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, as Daniel Ricciardo’s slim hopes for Red Bull faded even more in Russia.

With his fourth win on the trot, Hamilton extended his lead over Rosberg to 17 points with Austin, Brazil and the double points Abu Dhabi finale left to run.

“Mathematically,” former Formula 1 driver Patrick Tambay told France’s RMC, “I think the title will not be decided until the last race. But sportingly and psychologically, Lewis Hamilton has the upper hand. He is 17 points ahead, but it’s not enough yet.”

[MIKA27]

HORNER: IT’S JUST BETWEEN LEWIS AND NICO NOW

According to team boss Christian Horner, Red Bull have decided against boosting Daniel Ricciardo’s slim championship hopes by relegating departing Sebastian Vettel the team number two.

After a difficult weekend in Russia, Australian Ricciardo is now a distant 92 points behind championship leader Lewis Hamilton — with only 100 more on offer over the final three grands prix of 2014.

“Daniel would have to win all three,” Horner is quoted by Auto Motor und Sport, “and the Mercedes drivers not finish. I think it’s just between Lewis and Nico now.”

When running behind the seemingly Ferrari-bound Vettel on Sunday, Ricciardo pleaded over the radio early in the race that he could be driving quicker than his teammate.

It was the obvious request for a team order, “Looking at the championship standings, team orders at this point don’t make much sense.”

Red Bull’s decision to part on the best possible terms with Vettel might be an order right from the top, with team owner Dietrich Mateschitz having groomed the four-time world champion from boyhood.

Billionaire Mateschitz told Salzburger Nachrichten newspaper on Sunday: “Vettel is now excluded from all developments that we are doing for next year’s car.

“But that doesn’t mean that we are going to give him inferior material to Ricciardo. He will be treated identically in all of the remaining races,” he insisted.

Mercedes’ clinching the 2014 Formula 1 constructors’ title brought to an end Red Bull’s remarkable run of four consecutive championships, as well as Vettel’s similar run of drivers’ titles.

[MIKA27]

HAMILTON: I DEDICATE RUSSIAN GP VICTORY TO JULES

The champagne was sprayed on the podium, and celebratory glasses clinked in the Mercedes hospitality, but Russian Grand Prix winner Lewis Hamilton never lost sight of the bigger picture on Sunday.

With French driver Jules Bianchi critically ill in a Japanese hospital after suffering severe brain injuries in a crash at Suzuka only seven days ago, a cloud has hung over Formula One all week.

It was less evident in the Sochi sunshine, with the drivers feeling free to smile and soak each other in the champagne that had stayed in the bottles the previous weekend, but the memory was always there.

“All week there’s just been one person on my mind, and that’s Jules,” Hamilton told reporters after the team photographs were done with Mercedes jubilant at a first constructors’ title.

“Of course there’s excitement and happiness for the team,” continued the Briton, whose victory in Russia’s first race brought him a ninth win of the season and a podium handshake with Russian president Vladimir Putin.

“But without a doubt every time I’ve got in the car this week, coming here, and being here, I’ve been thinking about him and his family and keeping him in my prayers every day.

“Whether it means anything, or whether it does anything, it would be great to be able to dedicate this to him and his family. It will make very small difference to them, for sure. But every bit of positive energy hopefully will help.”

All the 21 race drivers gathered in a silent circle in front of the safety car on the starting grid before the race, and carried the message ‘Tous Avec Jules #17′ (All with Jules) on their helmets.

Bianchi’s car remained in the quiet half of the Marussia garage, race ready but going nowhere, with the 25-year-old’s name over the entrance as if he were present.

Marussia team on the grid at Sochi

Max Chilton was the team’s sole driver, with the Briton lasting just 10 laps before retiring with an undiagnosed mechanical problem.

Hamilton may have had an easy afternoon run to the chequered flag, after a mistake by teammate and title rival Nico Rosberg lifted any pressure, but the moments before the start were difficult for all the drivers.

“In the car you don’t think about anything,” said McLaren‘s Jenson Button. “That was always the thing with my dad (who died earlier this year) as well. Before the race, after the race, national anthems. It’s horrific.

“But when you get in the car and close your helmet and you’re racing, it’s a nice place to be. You go into another world.

“But on the grid it was quite emotional for everyone and we, the drivers, had our little time together. We were there for Jules. Then getting back into the car, that was the trickiest bit,” added the Briton.

[MIKA27]

ROSBERG: THE NEXT THREE RACES ARE MY FAVOURITES

Nico Rosberg admitted he needs to win the final three races of the season if he is to beat Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton to the Formula One world title.

On the day when Hamilton triumphed at the Russian Grand Prix with consummate ease for his 31st career win, Rosberg conceded he locked up during a rush of blood on the opening lap when he misjudged his effort to pass the Englishman at Turn Two in Sunday’s race.

“I was in a battle with Lewis and I messed up,” he said. “It was a bad mistake too. It was my corner – or I thought it was – but it was the first time arriving there at full speed with full fuel. I thought I wouldn’t get into the top 10 after that, but the car was amazing.”

Rosberg’s mistake on lap one forced him to make a pit stop for new tyres and then complete 52 laps on one set of tyres, rising from the back of the field to finish second behind Hamilton.

Their ninth one-two of a remarkable season secured the Mercedes team’s maiden triumph in the constructors’ triumph.

But Rosberg added it was not an easy race for him, “There was one phase when I had a lot of degradation. I got a lot of over-steer and I thought they (tyres) wouldn’t make it to the end of race,” he added.

“I was nursing them a lot. In the end, I could have got more out of them. I was driving the whole race on tyres that they said you cannot do any more than 29 laps on them.

“Now, I need to continue to attack and I need to look to win them all – the next three races are my favourites.

[MIKA27]

WOLFF: THIS TROPHY ALSO BELONGS TO ROSS BRAWN

Newly-crowned champions Mercedes’ team chief Toto Wolff paid a warm tribute to former colleague and team founder Ross Brawn on Sunday in the wake of Lewis Hamilton’s emphatic win in the Russian Grand Prix.

Wolff said Brawn, who re-launched the failed Honda outfit based at Brackley in central England into his eponymous 2009 title-winning outfit before it was taken over by Mercedes, was the original architect of Mercedes’ maiden triumph.

As Mercedes celebrated Hamilton’s victory, Wolff said : “We talked about Ross a lot and he has been so fundamental to the team. He built the foundation of the team. This is his trophy, too. There are several hundred people in Brackley and Stuttgart who have played a part as well.”

The Mercedes team has an extraordinary history dating back to its evolution from Craig Pollock’s purchase of the Tyrrell team to create BAR in 1999 before that team, in turn, transformed into Honda in 2006.

“It means a lot,” said Mercedes non-executive chairman Niki Lauda. “I have to tell you I’m a little emotional. When we started this together – Ross Brawn, Toto Wolff and myself – it was hard work.”

“It’s an emotional moment, but let’s think of the next race already… We will celebrate, but we have to go home. Lewis is flying home with me. Nico (Rosberg) did a very good job after his first lap mistake. I’m happy, I can’t say any more than that. ”

Hamilton, victorious for the fourth consecutive race, said: “There is an incredible synergy within the team, there is huge support from the team and they are real racers.

“They really want to win and this car and this engine are just mind-blowing. I am very happy here and I am very committed as they are with me.

“Let’s get this season out of the way and then we will talk about a new contract. I think longevity with a team is something really special. I had six great years at McLaren and I would love that here with Mercedes.”

Hamilton’s current contract ends next year, “We will all celebrate together and then prepare for the rest of the races,” he said. “There are still three very tough races to go.”

Hamilton, who leads teammate Rosberg by 17 points, added: “I have never won in Brazil so I am really looking forward to that. Nothing changes.

“We still have to attack. Nico is driving phenomenally well and I still have to compete with him.”

Looking back on his win at the Sochi Autodrom, he added: “The circuit is just great and it’s great fun to drive, OK I wasn’t being pressured during the race, but when you lead there is a different kind of pressure.”

Of his scrap with Rosberg on the opening lap, he said: “The last time we were that close, the guy took me out. I was just making sure I didn’t get any punctures and got round the first lap.

“I still thought he would be pushing me, but he did the damage to his tyres. I was so surprised he finished second on the same tyres though. But it’s been an incredible weekend and it’s been an unbelievable job from this team for what they have achieved.”

[MIKA27]

ROSSI SET TO SUBSTITUTE FOR BIANCHI IN AUSTIN

Marussia looks set to revert to running two cars again in the wake of the Russian Grand Prix at Sochi, where Max Chilton went it alone while the seriously injured Jules Bianchi’s sister car unused.

Briton Chilton admitted it had been “an incredibly tough week” for the entire team, while team boss John Booth remained Bianchi’s hospital bedside in Japan, leaving Graeme Lowdon to deny reports that Chilton had retired after just ten laps at Sochi because he was overcome with grief.

Despite Marussia’s contractual obligations, Bernie Ecclestone and the FIA allowed the team to sit Bianchi’s car out in Russia out of respect for the stricken Frenchman.

It was however a risk to not run the second car in Russia, given Marussia’s lucrative ninth place position at present in the crucial constructors’ standings, with their American reserve driver Alexander Rossi the most likely substitute.

“It’s a very important position for us,” agreed Lowdon, “and we’re largely in that position because of Jules.

“We thought that the right thing to do was to come here, take part in the event but as a mark of support to Jules and as a mark of respect to his mum and dad and to Jules’ family we would withdraw the second car,” he added.

It is likely, however, that Marussia will now revert to a two-car operation for the decisive last three grands prix of the season, starting with Austin early next month.

Bianchi’s crash came at the worst possible time for Marussia, with the backmarker team struggling financially.

The Times reports that main investor Andrey Cheglakov, a Russian, was at Sochi for the inaugural race but there is “no word” as to whether he will keep the team alive for another year.

Defending ninth place in the championship from the similarly-struggling Caterham appears to be the team’s best play.

“The best thing we can do for Jules and the family is to really try to protect the position in the championship he gave us,” said Lowdon. “It (Monaco) was a really great drive and that got us something really valuable in sporting terms.”

Chief engineer Dave Greenwood also hinted that Marussia, likely to field Rossi, will be back on track with two cars in Austin and beyond.

“At some stage we will need to look ahead to the remaining races of the season, but for now, we’re pleased to be heading home,” he said on Sunday.

[MIKA27]

MASSA SLAMS DANGEROUS TYRE CHOICE FOR BRAZIL

Formula 1 veteran Wiiliams driver Felipe Massa has criticised Pirelli’s tyre choice selection for the forthcoming Brazilian Grand Prix, saying it may even be dangerous.

Last year’s dominant topic, when drivers regularly complained about the quality and high degradation of Pirelli’s tyres, now seems a distant memory. Indeed, at Interlagos, drivers will be forced to use the hardest tyres in Pirelli’s 2014 range – the ‘medium’ and ‘hard’.

Brazilian Massa told Auto Motor und Sport: “Interlagos has never been a track where you need hard and medium. It would even be possible to drive there with super-soft and soft, or if you’re conservative, maybe soft and medium.”

He thinks Pirelli is playing its selection so safe for Brazil that it could actually pose a danger, “It is completely unacceptable. It could be cold, it could be damp, I think it could even be dangerous on the hard tyres. I don’t understand the decision.”

“This year they have laid new asphalt at Interlagos, and whenever we drive on new asphalt it is much easier for the tyres. So I have no idea why (Pirelli is taking the hardest tyres),” he insisted.

Massa said he even discussed his concerns about Brazil with a Pirelli official, “He said I’m right. I said they need to change it and he just said that he cannot decide. So I asked him to go to someone who does decide! The race is not tomorrow.”

Asked about Massa’s outspoken comments about Brazil, Pirelli chief Paul Hembery said: “Historically, we always take hard tyres there. Now there is new asphalt so we’ll check again. If there are technical reasons to go softer, we’ll talk about it.”

In Russia, Nico Rosberg was able to complete the entire race distance on a single set of tyres after his first-corner brake lockup and subsequent pitstop.

Many have concluded that Formula 1’s official supplier is being far too conservative with its compound choices in 2014, often leading to processional and predictable races, such as the one at Sochi on Sunday.

“For sure the tyres were too hard (in Russia),” Fernando Alonso was quoted by Spain’s El Mundo Deportivo after the race. “But they (Pirelli) didn’t know how the asphalt would be, the temperatures, the track.”

“I think it is more surprising what (tyres) they have chosen for the last few races,” added Alonso, “especially Brazil.”

[MIKA27]

Mattiacci: Ferrari a long way off goals

Marco Mattiacci left Sochi disappointed man after Ferrari picked up only 10 points at the Russian Grand Prix.

After failing to score a single point at Suzuka last time out, the team were hoping to challenge high up the grid at Sochi this but they struggled again with Fernando Alonso finishing sixth and Kimi Raikkonen ninth.

"Once again, we find ourselves confronting a result that is a long way off our goals, but we must congratulate Mercedes who, after five years of hard work, have taken a well deserved Constructors' title," team principal Mattiacci said.

He added: "The back-to-back Japan-Russia trip has been a difficult one for our team, both on and off the track. In both races, we have learned a lot that will be useful for the future, in terms of how to improve on a technical level, but also when it comes to safety. I'm sure the final three races will provide an opportunity to try and get the most out of the team and the car, in order to end the season achieving better results."

Alonso initially looked like he would battle the McLarens for a higher position, but he was let down in the pits with his stop taking seven seconds.

Ferrari engineering director Pat Fry explained what happened during the Spaniard's stop.

"Fernando and Kimi both got away well at the start, but while the former made up two places, the latter had to lift off the throttle, because he was squeezed towards the wall by a Toro Rosso," he said. "From then on, Kimi was stuck in a train of cars for the first half of the race, but after the pit stop he settled into a good pace, matching Fernando's.

"Unfortunately, in his case, we regret that he lost a place to Magnussen, as the front jack collapsed at his pit stop. We had a very similar race pace to Red Bull, while McLaren had a bit extra and it was difficult to attack them, even at the start with the DRS."

[MIKA27]

Fernando Alonso goes from saviour to scapegoat

'The one thing Ferrari didn't need to change was its leading driver. So it will change its leading driver.'

Some of you will recognise these words as being those of Autosport's Pablo Elizalde, summing things up in his inimitable way on Twitter during what was a tumultuous and eventually harrowing last Grand Prix weekend in Japan.

And it indeed sums that precise matter up rather aptly. Ferrari we’re told, not for the first time in its extended existence, is doing something that appears to outsiders rather, erm, individualistic. After years of meagre results, the succession of seemingly irrefutable reports of recent days appear to confirm that it is chasing out the door the man who looked to the rest of us by far the best thing about it in Fernando Alonso. Even it seems his replacement in Sebastian Vettel is all but in position.

If you need evidence to back up the assertion of Fernando doing quite well by Ferrari then you only need a cursory glance at the numbers. Only Alonso has won a race there during his five-year spell in Maranello – indeed he’s won no fewer than 11 of them. In that time almost never has a Ferrari car been the raw pace standard bearer; there have only been two poles won in the dry – both by Alonso natch – and they both were four plus years back. He somehow very nearly won two titles. The Spaniard’s claimed 1162 points, his various team mates’ total is 541. This year, with a fellow world champion stable mate who was supposed to match him – some reckoned would ‘find him out’ even – he’s been even further ahead than usual. All the while, the consensus view was firmed up that he is the number one driver in contemporary F1.

If you think Ferrari’s in bother now then subtract Alonso’s personal contribution and you’ve got bother being something you flashed past a while ago as you are stranded in your runaway handcart.

We knew there were rumblings about that driver-team relationship, that Alonso understandably wasn’t thrilled with yet another year of substandard machinery provided. But the majority view remained that due to a lack of alternative options that were either not risky or already taken, and that the first proper James Allison machine awaited next year, Alonso would however grudgingly stay put for 2015.

Subtly though murmurings have gathered lately – and to some bewilderment – that in fact it was Ferrari that wasn’t happy with him.

We know of course about then Ferrari President Luca Montzemolo’s ‘ear tweak’ of Alonso mid last season, in response to Alonso’s throwaway line to the effect of wanting someone else’s car. But unless one is determined to take offence that could only be considered a gross overreaction. After all, if we’re going to start getting into debates about who out of Alonso and Ferrari had been keeping up their respective ends of the bargain…

But over the Suzuka weekend the matter developed further, with some articles appearing that claimed that the new Ferrari boss Marco Mattiacci wasn’t happy with Alonso’s wandering eye. That he wanted long-term commitment from Alonso to Ferrari’s long-term mapped-out route to recovery. That Alonso’s contract demands were excessive.

Then after the Japanese race we had more, this time in an article from Mark Hughes on Motorsport Magazine’s website, with an apparent inside track of what had gone wrong. But even in here Alonso’s rap sheet remains rather light. Certainly not heinous. Especially not in the context.

Most specifically Alonso is accused in the article of ‘making waves’ within the team. ‘The waves created internally by Alonso’s remarks have frequently made life difficult for the management’ said Hughes. ‘His subtexts, the throwaway lines in public or to favoured journalists became all about how the team had let him down. He was the warrior pulling the team along in his wake – and they were being found wanting.’

The problem here is that even if Alonso did say this sort of thing almost no one would argue with him. See the statistics outlined above, and indeed Hughes himself opines more than once in his article that Alonso has indeed performed minor miracles behind the wheel of a Ferrari and consistently. So essentially his crime was to say something entirely non-contentious in public. Indeed you think he hardly needed to say it. Pass the smelling salt…

Hughes went on: ‘There are those who have worked at Ferrari during Alonso’s time there who swear he is not disruptive, that he makes his points but then withdraws.’ Indeed over the Suzuka weekend Rob Smedley, recently ex of Ferrari of course, was not for the first time gushing in his praise of the Spaniard.

‘There are others’ Hughes continued ‘who say that there was a honeymoon period of about a year where the driver immersed himself in the team and its people, but that his focus switched to himself in the wake of the lost title-decider of Abu Dhabi 2010.’

A little while afterwards I re-read an article on the same website written by Nigel Roebuck, covering similar subjects but with rather different conclusions, published a week or so prior to the Suzuka weekend. And with the benefit of knowing how matters indeed developed when all were gathered in Japan his words hang rather heavy.

‘It is believed, however, that although all the (Ferrari) engineers and technicians devoutly want Alonso to stay, one part of Ferrari – headed by Marco Mattiacci…wants to change direction, and to replace Fernando with Sebastian Vettel. Indeed a well-informed Italian colleague tells me that the word is that Mattiacci is hoping that Fernando will ask to be released for next year – in which event he would reputedly not be obliged to pay the 25 million euros required to buy out his contract.

‘Why, though, would Mattiacci wish to see him leave? Because, according to the Italian grapevine, he knows that Alonso is the de facto leader of the team, and he wants to demonstrate that he is in charge, that his law must be accepted, and he believes that with Vettel that would be easier to achieve – not least because, unlike Alonso, fully conversant both with the language and the mentality at Ferrari, Sebastian doesn’t even speak Italian…’

So on this account, just as happened to Alonso’s sometime ally and sometime nemesis Luca Montezemolo a few weeks beforehand, Alonso it seems is being forced out in a power play.

So between Hughes and Roebuck we have two rather divergent accounts. Both presumably are very well-sourced from within or at least near the Italian team. But my judgment is that Roebuck’s is the one more likely closer to the mark. This is because its fit with what we know, about Alonso’s contribution and about Ferrari modus operandi more broadly, is closer – as outlined the apparent offence at Alonso’s ‘making waves’ and the like seems problematic; rather an overreaction given everything. And if we are to construct a hypothesis that explains the split of opinion it seems possible at least that Hughes’ information was from the ‘one part of Ferrari’ that Roebuck mentions, that wanted Alonso gone, and its airing was intended to help this end. Rather cloaking the power play-inspired exit with more noble justifications, therefore making the transition smoother.

If so it would fit with recent Maranello top brass behaviour, given that as intimated something like this is what plenty think happened with Monzezmolo’s exit. His ousting was down officially to the F1 team’s struggles. Unofficially, and the interpretation made by many close at hand, was that this was an excuse and in fact it reflected FIAT CEO Sergio Marchionne wanting full control in advance of the upcoming FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) Group flotation on the Wall Street stock market, as well as to lower the exclusivity and price of Ferrari road cars.

The curious intra-Ferrari split of opinion on Alonso’s conduct that Hughes reported also would be consistent with the hypothesis. As would Alonso’s public hints in Singapore that elements at Ferrari were putting whispers out with an intention of discrediting him. Indeed, Hughes’ article also outlines a post-Singapore meeting in which Mattiacci said ‘all the things that were guaranteed to rile someone of Alonso’s warrior disposition’, almost as if he was seeking an eruption.

Our hypothesis fits with past behaviour too. On Ferrari’s modus operandi it is worth reflecting that Ferrari has quite a history of building a driver up to revered status, only to later knock them down, and hound them out.

Several names apply. Juan Manuel Fangio left the team after a single unhappy season. John Surtees stormed out in mid-1966 after a series of run-ins with the eccentric team manager Eugenio Dragoni. Niki Lauda fell seriously out of love when the Scuderia, mainly as it lost faith in him both clumsily and egregiously following his fiery Nurburgring accident. Gilles Villeneuve – often cited as the quintessential Ferrari driver – spent the last two weeks of his life utterly disillusioned with the squad for not backing him after being ‘duped’ by team mate Didier Pironi in Imola, and resolved to leave. Alain Prost was chased out amid a time-honoured Maranello meltdown in late 1991. We know the one about him comparing his Ferrari to a truck; less well-remembered is that when he did so he was referring to the car’s handling after the shock absorbers had failed, rather than generally. Even Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari departure was messy. There are other worthy pilots ushered out of the factory gates that could be listed in addition to these.

Indeed, ushering Alonso ever so subtly towards the exit door due a perceived lack of long-term commitment has distinct echoes of Schumacher’s last days at Maranello. Schumi, by then 37 years of age, was cautious about committing and Luca Montezemolo in response snapped up Kimi Raikkonen. One thing led to another and Schumi indeed ‘retired’ at the season’s end, though it was pretty clear to most that he felt he’d been forced out, and ahead of time.

Exploring quite why Ferrari is so insistent on building up drivers to knock them down probably could fill an article on its own. Possibly it is that its environment has often been rather highly strung and overly political and disputatious. Perhaps it goes deeper though, and for this we can turn to The Golden Bough, an 1890 work by James Frazer, which argued that – perhaps similar to Ferrari’s behaviour – most religions and mythologies derived from fertility cults that revolved around the worship and periodic sacrifice of a sacred king.

Comparisons between an F1 team and religion may seem crass, and indeed they almost always are, but Ferrari perhaps if we extend our imaginations briefly has a few more parallels than most. The myths, ritual, mass worshipful following, mysterious creation figure – James Allen earlier this year described Ferrari at its most political as being rather like The Borgias.

And to take us closer to Frazer’s work, the team has its saviours, its messiah figures, who are welcomed as such in the early days, only upon faltering or failure to be condemned to humiliation as well as to exile or execution. They carry the hopes but also the sins of those around them; they are the scapegoat, and their destruction absolves the sinners. And the belief in the old king must be eroded – in exposing them to contempt, revealing them as a false god – before the next one can by anointed.

Assuming I haven’t lost you yet there seems a lot of this with Alonso right now, and with the previous saviour-to-scapegoat journeys at Maranello mentioned. A recurring aspect in Scuderia past is that it often prefers heads on spikes than to address its more fundamental problems. And as outlined it seems that factions at least within Ferrari, and influential ones, have lately been trashing the previous ‘godhead’ so to clear the way for the new one.

Perhaps we shouldn’t be too pessimistic, as there are a few reasons for hope for Ferrari next season and beyond. Mattiacci and Marchionne have both impressed observers so far, and certainly cannot be accused of not recognising that the team needs to change. The team has won vital concessions in thawing the engine freeze, and it is thought that the areas in which it can improve herein are glaring. And Ferrari in the post Newey age probably has the sport’s most admired technical brain in James Allison. Reportedly Mattiacci has given him carte blanche.

But then again as Giancarlo Minardi was quoted by Roebuck predicting: ‘If Ferrari lose Alonso, it will be a disaster for the team, and it will last for years…’ And of the previous oustings mentioned virtually none of them were followed by a spell of success. Indeed most were followed by a period of doldrums, certainly compared with what went before. Possibly unsurprising – not only is a talented driver lost, I’d imagine whatever lingering loyalty remains in the team for the fallen hero doesn’t help either. One hopes for the team’s sake that Ferrari knows what it’s doing on this one.

[Bartolomeo]

Pound for pound, Alonso is the best driver in F1 now.....curious to see what will happen to him next year

[MIKA27]

MERCEDES CELEBRATE WITH ALL STAFF AT BRACKLEY HQ

The past two days have seen celebrations at Brackley and Brixworth as the team commemorated the first ever FIA Formula 1 World Constructors Championship title for Mercedes-Benz in a landmark year for the marque.

Sixty years have passed since the three-pointed star took victory in its first ever Formula One Grand Prix in Reims, and 80 years since the Silver Arrows were born at the 1934 Eifelrennen.

In the year that Mercedes-Benz has celebrated 120 years of motorsport achievement, the 2014 campaign stands as a fitting tribute to the impeccable standards of success established in years gone by.

With 13 wins, 35 podium finishes, 16 pole positions and 14 fastest laps from 16 races, the Mercedes-Benz PU106A Hybrid Power Unit has taken 64% of all available World Championship points thus far in 2014, leading 88% of racing laps in the process.

Meanwhile, the Mercedes-Benz F1 W05 Hybrid has taken 34% of points available, leading 85% of racing laps.

Over the two days, drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg and senior management have visited both factories – addressing the masses, congratulating team members as a group and individually, and joining in with the celebrations:

Niki Lauda, Non-Executive Chairman, Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team: “I’m very happy to stand in front of everybody here today. Many years ago, I was fighting as a racing driver to achieve a World Championship. You win one race, you lose another, you keep going until one day you are World Champion. On the evening I became World Champion I thought I hadn’t done a bad job, as I had driven the car to the title. Standing here today, however, is a totally different experience. Every one of our people can now call themselves a World Champion – and that is because they have all worked together as a winning team. We have three more races and we must keep on pushing to make sure our drivers have an equal chance to win their title. Then, we must push even harder to keep winning year after year – and it will only get tougher. But I believe we have the people to do that. It’s a great achievement.”

Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: “What a moment. When I was driving to the factory after Russia I remembered when I first joined the team, how inspired I was by everybody I met. Not a day has passed since that I don’t walk through the factories and feel the same inspiration. We have such an intelligent, hard-working group of people. Winning the very first Constructors’ Championship for Mercedes-Benz is a moment of immense pride for all of us and this the moment to recognise everybody involved in that team effort – starting with Ross Brawn, who was an inspiring figure at the team and laid the foundations for our current success. I thank each and every one of these great people for their involvement in what we have achieved and raise a toast to their efforts – the best of the best.”

Paddy Lowe, Executive Director (Technical): “Getting a one-two finish in Russia was the perfect way to wrap up what I hope will be the first of many Constructors’ Championships for Mercedes-Benz. It’s fantastic to be a part of this great team and I think we have all the ingredients to continue this success. My congratulations go to everyone at Brackley and Brixworth for the tremendous effort they have put in to achieving this.”

Nico Rosberg: “So this is it – we’re actually standing here now as World Champions! This has been a long time coming. Since I joined at the start of this project back in 2010 I expected this day to come as I’ve had such strong belief in this group of people from right back on day one. To be a part of that and to have finally achieved this Championship in such dominant fashion is a great feeling. I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone for all their hard work. I hope they can really enjoy this moment, that there will be many more great moments to come and that this is just the beginning of a long era of success for the Silver Arrows.”

Lewis Hamilton: “I’m actually speechless at this moment. What an incredible feeling it is to be stood in front of all these incredible people. You almost have to take a step back and just think about what we’ve achieved together. I know it’s been a long road and many of the team have had to work through tough times to lay the foundations for what we’re seeing today am I’m incredibly grateful for all of their hard work. These past two years have been the best of my life – and that’s all down to everybody standing here today. The effort and the synergy here is unlike anything I’ve ever seen and I’m excited for the future.”

World champion Mercedes W05

[MIKA27]

PHILIPPE BIANCHI: JULES DOES NOT GIVE UP, I KNOW HE HEARS ME

F1 drivers pay tribute to Jules Bianchi before the Russian GP

Critically injured French Formula One driver Jules Bianchi will not give up his fight for life but the situation remains desperate, his father Philippe said on Tuesday.

Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper in Yokkaichi, Japan, where the Marussia driver is in intensive care, Bianchi senior said he still had hope he would be able to take his son home one day.

“The situation is desperate. Every time the phone rings we know it could be the hospital to say Jules is dead,” he told the newspaper. But first they said the first 24 hours were crucial, then it became 72 and now we are still here, with Jules who is fighting.”

“I see it, I believe it, I speak to him, I know he hears me. The doctors have said that is already a miracle, that nobody has ever survived such a serious accident. But Jules does not give up.”

Bianchi has been in hospital since he crashed into a recovery tractor in the wet at the Japanese Grand Prix on Oct. 5. He has been in a ‘critical but stable’ condition ever since.

Parents of Marussia driver Jules Bianchi at Mie General Medical Centre in Yokkaichi

The driver’s parents, brother and sister have been at his bedside for the past week while representatives of Ferrari and Marussia have also been on hand.

The Gazzetta said FIA medical commission president Gerard Saillant and Italian professor Alessandro Frati, who flew to Japan after the crash, had returned to Europe after assuring the family that Bianchi was getting the best possible care.

The driver’s father said the family were living a nightmare, in unfamiliar surroundings and without knowing what the future might hold.

“Maybe when Jules is better… we can move him to Tokyo and things will be easier. But who knows when that will happen, if it happens. We have no certainties, we can only wait,” he said.

“One day he seems a little better, another a bit worse. The doctors don’t say, the damage in the impact was great but they don’t know how it will evolve.”

Philippe Bianchi said he took hope from the case of seven times world champion Michael Schumacher, who suffered a severe head injury while skiing in France last year and is now being treated at home.

“Even with Schumacher it took months before he came out of the coma, but I have read that Jean Todt hopes he could have a nearly normal life. One day I hope to be able to say the same.”

He thanked Formula 1 drivers for their support, with all of them standing in a silent circle before last Sunday’s Russian Grand Prix in a mark of respect for their stricken colleague.

“So many people have written to me, I will reply,” he said. “(Jean-Eric) Vergne, (Fernando) Alonso, (Felipe) Massa have had strong thoughts. (Lewis) Hamilton sent a lovely email saying if he could do anything he was there for us.”

Formula 1 officials have prepared a report into the accident and have made safety proposals, including automatic speed limits and possibly equipping the recovery tractors and cranes with ‘skirts’ in future.

Former world champion Alain Prost has been particularly scathing about the use of such recovery vehicles, telling reporters in Russia at the weekend he was furious about what had happened.

“I don’t want to make any polemics with the FIA, because I have a lot of respect for what has been done in terms of safety over the past 20 years,” said the Frenchman.

“It is cars and tracks (that have been made safer) and there was only one thing left: It was this … truck on the track.”

[MIKA27]

MARUSSIA: WE NEED TO DEFEND WHAT JULES GAVE TO US

The Marussia Formula 1 team are determined to defend Jules Bianchi’s legacy once they have picked up the pieces and regrouped after a week from hell.

The British-based team withdrew the Frenchman’s car from Sunday’s inaugural Russian Grand Prix as a mark of respect for their critically injured driver but, with their ninth place in the championship at stake, have decisions to make.

“We’ll come up with a plan for the next race and through to the end of the season, and I’m sure the guys are up for it,” sporting director Graeme Lowdon told reporters at the Sochi circuit.

“We make no comment as far as the driver line-up is concerned because we haven’t had time to sit down properly and have a look at the all options,” he added.

“We’ve a little bit of a gap now, which seems like a luxurious one, so we’ll use that time to work out what the best thing is. It’s never straightforward, so we’ll do whatever is right.”

Jules Bianchi on his way to points in Monaco

There are three races remaining, with double points on offer for the final round in Abu Dhabi, and Marussia need two cars to have the best shot of preventing Sauber and Caterham from overtaking them in the standings.

The next up is Austin, Texas, in three weeks’ time, with American reserve Alexander Rossi looking the obvious candidate to take Bianchi’s place as Max Chilton’s team mate unless financial considerations come into play.

The two points scored by Bianchi in Monaco were the struggling team’s first in Formula One and offer the prospect of a potentially lucrative payday at the end of the season for a team in desperate need of a boost. Even a 10th place with the last roll of the dice in Abu Dhabi for one of their rivals would change everything.

“When you’ve had a serious incident, whether somebody isn’t hurt or not, it’s a major challenge. It’s not just an enormous challenge but it’s an enormous mental challenge as well for everybody involved,” said Lowdon of the past week.

The first day back at the factory, he added, was not going to be easy. The team kept Bianchi’s car, assembled and ready to race, in the garage on Sunday with Chilton taking the start and managing only 10 laps before he retired after reporting problems with the car’s handling.

Bianchi’s accident overshadowed Russia’s inaugural race, with drivers carrying messages of support on their helmets and standing in a silent circle on the grid before the start.

Mercedes‘ race winner and championship leader Lewis Hamilton said he had been thinking about Bianchi all weekend. Lowdon hoped the gestures had been some support for the family, who remain at Bianchi’s bedside in Japan along with team principal John Booth.

“I think the best thing we can do now for Jules and the family is to really try and protect the position in the championship,” he said. “It was a really great drive from Jules (in Monaco) and that got us something really valuable in sporting terms. We owe it to him now to defend that.”

[MIKA27]

HAMILTON STYLES IT WITH ONE KILO GOLD CHAIN

According to the Kolner Express tabloid, Formula 1 legend Niki Lauda raised an eyebrow and gave a chuckle in Russia when he spotted Lewis Hamilton’s latest accessory – an enormous gold chain.

The championship leader reportedly told his Mercedes boss: “It’s all gold and weighs a kilogram!”

Which Express calculated the jewellery cost Hamilton €45,000.

Lauda said with a wry smile: “We have one normal driver, and one who is a bit different.”

MIKA: He forgot to say, "Money doesn't mean you have good taste..."

[MIKA27]

MERCEDES GIFTING TITLE ‘BONUS’ TO STAFF AND F1 WORLD

All 700 staff members at Mercedes’ Brackley headquarters will bank a handsome bonus as a reward for securing the Formula 1 constructors’ world championship in Russia, British newspapers report.

The reports say the bonus is a minimum of 10,000 British pounds, or $16,000, which altogether will cost the German marque over $11 million — not including any higher bonuses due to upper management or the drivers.

But Mercedes can afford it, given that the team is expected to take home over $60 million in official Formula 1 prize-money for topping the title charts in 2014.

The news about bonuses emerged after bosses Toto Wolff and Niki Lauda spoke to their employees at Mercedes’ Brackley headquarters on Monday.

And the team’s gift to the Formula 1 world more widely could be the lifting of any instructions to drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg over the remaining three races of the season in Austin, Brazil and Abu Dhabi.

That is because Red Bull‘s Christian Horner has conceded that Daniel Ricciardo’s already slim hopes of beating either silver-clad driver to the drivers’ title is now even mathematically almost impossible.

“If you look at the points,” agreed Wolff, “we have made a massive step toward the drivers’ title because we are 92 points ahead of Ricciardo with 100 left.

“So we could be coming into a situation which everybody would love of course in being safe to let them race in the way they want to race.”

Wolff insisted Hamilton and Rosberg were already free to race, but they had been slightly reigned in after their clash at Spa four grands prix ago.

“There is still this invisible little leash,” he admitted, “and maybe we can get rid of it completely.”

[MIKA27]

VETTEL SLAMS COMPLETELY STUPID ENGINE RULES

Quadruple Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel has slammed Formula 1’s long-life engine rules.

Already destined to hand over his FIA drivers’ crown to a Mercedes driver at the end of the season, Vettel has also headed into the three-week gap before the US Grand Prix knowing he will sit out qualifying in Austin.

The Red Bull driver has run out of his maximum allocation of five turbo V6 units for 2014, meaning the use of his sixth Renault in Texas will incur a ten-position grid penalty.

He revealed after the Russian Grand Prix that he will start the Austin race from the pitlane, as it makes little sense to put laps on the new engine on Saturday afternoon only to drop towards the back of the grid anyway.

It is also believed Vettel would have preferred to take the penalty at Sochi, but the team did not take the required parts to Russia.

Having already announced his departure from Red Bull at the end of the season, Vettel sounded frustrated when confirming his spoiled qualifying plans for the US race.

He said those pitlane-start plans will only come to fruition “providing we have the necessary parts” on hand in Austin. But according to Auto Motor und Sport, Vettel is also frustrated by the long-life engine rules.

“The rule is of course completely stupid. People are going to turn on their television and see a driver just standing around with nothing to do. Maybe you can suggest a way that I can spend Saturday afternoon in Austin,” he added.

[MIKA27]

Alonso to Mercedes rumours gather pace

Fernando Alonso may have revealed that he won't drive for a Mercedes-powered team next year, but his name is being strongly linked with Merc for 2016.

The two-time World Champion's future remains unclear with reports claiming he has asked Ferrari to terminate his contract as he is not happy with the way the team have operated the past few years.

Ferrari appear to have moved on pretty quickly as it is an open secret that Sebastian Vettel will join them after he confirmed he is leaving Red Bull at the end of the season. Red Bull, in turn, have promoted Daniil Kvyat to partner Daniel Ricciardo next year.

With Red Bull and Ferrari out of the equation, McLaren appeared to be his only option, especially after Mercedes non-executive chairman Niki Lauda said they are not interested in the Spaniard.

Alonso also told NBC Sport in Russia that he won't drive for a Mercedes-powered team next year and his "options are quite clear".

However, the rumours that he could join Merc in 2016 refuse to go away and BBC Sport is now reporting that "Alonso is trying to decide between joining McLaren for 2015 or taking a sabbatical in the hope of joining Mercedes the following year".

It added: "The double champion's only Formula 1 option next year looks to be McLaren.

"McLaren insist they have no signed contract with Alonso. But it is understood a multi-year deal has been agreed and is waiting to be finalised as the Spaniard weighs up what he considers to be the best option for his future."

[MIKA27]

McLaren understands Jenson Button's concerns over F1 future

McLaren racing director Eric Boullier says the team can understand if Jenson Button is unhappy with having to face doubts over his Formula 1 future.

Both Button and Kevin Magnussen are waiting for McLaren to confirm its driver line-up for 2015, amid rumours that Fernando Alonso could be returning to the team from Ferrari.

When asked during a media phone-in on Tuesday if he was concerned that Button was unhappy with the uncertainty, Boullier said: "No.

"Obviously I understand that he may not feel comfortable and he is concerned about his future.

"But, again, I am in charge of McLaren Racing and we have to build the best for our team, and drivers are very important in our discussions.

"Jenson is more than considered to stay with us for long-term, but we are still investigating what we want to do with our driver line-up once we have all the data in our hands."

Boullier dismissed suggestions that Button needs to prove himself to McLaren in the final races of the 2014 season, and he said the team still hopes to announce its decision before the end of the campaign.

"We know the value of Jenson," he added. "He is a world champion, and a world champion-class driver.

"We don't need him to deliver next time on track to - let's say - save his job.

"I hope to sort out our decision on the driver line-up before the end of the season.

"It's true that it's taken a bit more time, but it's still on course to be announced before the end of the season, yes."