FORMULA 1 - 2014

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MCLAREN AND LONG-TIME TEST DRIVER PAFFETT PART WAYS

Gary Paffett is parting company with McLaren, where the 33-year-old has been a test and reserve driver with the British team since 2006.

But he is staying with Mercedes in the German touring car championship DTM, while McLaren is parting company with its long-time engine supplier after Sunday’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to become Honda powered.

McLaren’s new works Honda era kicks off in 2015, and the Japanese carmaker’s first turbo V6 was given its track debut in an interim McLaren at Silverstone last week, with British test driver Oliver Turvey at the wheel. McLaren’s other prominent tester is Stoffel Vandoorne.

“Gary has been an excellent member of the McLaren team for the best part of a decade, and his technical input, on test track and in simulator alike, has been hugely important to us,” acting McLaren CEO Jonathan Neale said. “Just as important, he’s a great guy. We wish him well.”

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Mallya not giving up on P5

Although Vijay Mallya insists Force India will continue to push in the season finale, he concedes it "will not be easy" taking fifth in the Championship.

Force India spent the first half of this season ahead of McLaren in the standings. However, with the Woking team taking strides forward in recent weeks, Force India have come up short.

The Silverstone-based now heads in the season-ending Abu Dhabi GP 34 points behind McLaren but with double points on offer, Mallya is not giving up.

He said: "It will not be easy, but we will give it everything we have and see if that will be enough.

"Whatever happens in Abu Dhabi, we already have sixth place in the championship secured, so there is nothing to lose and everything to gain.

"We are usually competitive in Abu Dhabi and I am really looking forward to it."

He added: "As a big Formula One fan, I am also eager to see the final chapter of the Championship battle between Nico and Lewis - it will be exciting."

Looking back over the 2014 season, the Indian businessman says everyone at his team can hold their heads up high.

"I believe we have a lot to be proud of this season. We took on some huge challenges at the start of a new era of Formula One and we produced a competitive car. We took the fight to the biggest names in the sport; we got back on the podium on merit and did so without compromising on our philosophy.

"I feel that in Nico and Checo we have found a pair of drivers who are capable of pushing each other and the team at every race and this is helping us maximise the good work done by everyone at our headquarters and trackside.

"In 2014 we scored the biggest points total in our history and we want to build on this result to create an even stronger 2015."

MIKA: I've enjoyed watching Force India do so well this season and are one of my favourite teams purely because they are just normal people taking on the big guys at their own sport.

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Rosberg: Not over until that flag drops

His team-mate may be holding all the cards in this year's title race but Nico Rosberg is adamant he still has a chance.

Rosberg and team-mate Lewis Hamilton head to Abu Dhabi for the title showdown with the Brit holding a 17-point advantage over his team-mate.

As such the odds are firmly in Hamilton's faovur.

He only needs to win or finish second to secure his second title although if he is third and Rosberg wins, it is the German who will be crowned World Champion.

Having won the last race in Brazil - his first win since July's German GP - Rosberg is confident he can at least do his part.

He said: "After the disappointment of Austin, Brazil was just the way to bounce back with a great weekend for both me and the team.

"I felt in control from the very beginning and it was a big positive to take the lessons from Texas and put them into action.

"Of course, it wasn't enough to regain the lead in the championship as Lewis drove a strong race to finish just behind me. But the gap is smaller than before and I absolutely believe I still have the chance to take the title in Abu Dhabi.

"It won't be easy, but I'll be full attack - just as I have been all season."

For Rosberg this will be a first attempt at winning a World title and the 29-year-old has thanked the Mercedes team for putting him in a position to fight for the ultimate prize.

"Although this has been my first year fighting for a World Championship, I've never felt more comfortable than I have done this year.

"The team behind us have done an incredible job and it's great that they've given both of us equal opportunity to compete with each other.

"There have been difficult moments just as there have been amazing moments - but this is what Formula One is all about and I hope that everyone watching at home has enjoyed the story of this battle as much as I have.

"Win or lose, double points or no double points, I feel proud of what I have achieved this year and especially proud to have been a part of this fantastic season for the Silver Arrows."

He added: "I go into this race with no fear and with every belief that this can be my title. It's not over until that flag drops!"

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Smaller teams want new talks at Abu Dhabi finale

Force India, Sauber and Lotus concerned about 'Super GP2' possibility.

Disgruntled small teams Force India, Lotus and Sauber have written a letter to express alarm that F1 appears headed in the direction of 'Super GP2'.

After backmarkers Caterham and Marussia entered administration, and the grid threatened to dwindle yet further amid financial pressures, it became clear that one plan to boost numbers in future is three-car teams.

But with the next smallest teams requesting more of the sport's commercial income and even threatening boycott, F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone suddenly axed talks in Brazil and said the solution is simply for the teams to spend less.

"After our meeting in Brazil," a new letter from the three teams to Ecclestone reads, "we clearly see the direction of Formula One towards customer cars/Super GP2."

'Super GP2' is reportedly a plan for small teams to abandon being constructors and instead run single-make chassis that count only towards a separate, lower-tier championship.

"It is equally clear that the Strategy Group has no intention at all to reduce cost," added the letter, written by Force India's deputy boss Bob Fernley.

The three teams are now requesting urgent new talks at the Abu Dhabi season finale this weekend, where a boycott threat if made would have enormous impact given the championship showdown between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg.

The letter was also sent to the FIA, F1's owner CVC, and the other teams.

'Questionable cartel'

It referred to a "questionable cartel" headed by Ecclestone and the biggest and most powerful teams in the sport, who control "both the governance of Formula One and, apparently, the distribution of funds".

The 'cartel' claim indicates the next step that could be taken by the three teams, who it is believed question even the legality of the strategy group and the distribution of funds under European competition law.

Asked if potential legal action is on the cards, Sauber team boss Monisha Kaltenborn - a lawyer by trade - said in Brazil a week ago: "Being a lawyer, you have to be careful with these assessments off the top of your head.

"It all sounds very easy and logical, but you really have to look at the detail," she told Britain's Sky. "What is the criteria, does it apply to us or not?

"But I don't think we should be going to that stage. We are all sensible people in here (the paddock), we all know that whatever (money) we generate here is through all of us -- I'm very sure four teams could not generate this much income."

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CATERHAM STAFF ACCUSE FERNANDES OF SHIRKING RESPONSIBILITY

Caterham employees have endured a torrid six months as their team has teetered on collapse, while management changes have been rife and questionable since Tony Fernandes threw in the towel in July, but staff are pointing a finger at the Malaysian businessman for leaving them in the lurch and shirking responsibility.

BBC quote Jim McManus, a senior analyst for the team, one of over 200 staff made redundant last week, “He’s a wealthy man, an owner of a Premiership football team and I think he’s got a moral responsibility to the employees to do the right thing and take some responsibility for the situation.”

The team, under administration, resorted to Crowdcube to fund their trip to the Abu Dhabi GP season finale, which may have bought the team some time, but McManus revealed, “The way it coincided with all the hoopla surrounding the crowd-funding was unfortunate and insensitive.”

Indeed it was reported in British newspapers that Caterham’s administrators were “burying bad news” by using the apparent, albeit temporary success, of fans’ donations to the crowd funding project as a means to disguise the more serious matter of mass staff redundancies that occurred on the same day.

Administrator Finbarr O’Connell has also been accused by media of basking in the limelight of Caterham’s misfortune, nevertheless he has declared he will be travelling to Abu Dhabi for the grand prix weekend to hold talks with investors who could save the team.

Fernandes – also boss of Queens Park Rangers premiership team – has been tight lipped on the latest developments regarding the F1 team which he launched in 2010 as Lotus Racing (although entered under 1MRT) which then morphed into Caterham in 2012.

He sold the outfit to a little known Swiss-Middle East consortium in early July, but this was an ineffective solution as they abandoned the project in late October.

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Triumph, turmoil and tragedy

With the possibility of a second Rosberg winning the world championship this year, let's look back to Keke Rosberg's title triumph in the tumultuous 1982 season

When Keke Rosberg took the chequered flag at the 1982 Swiss Grand Prix it not only represented his first grand prix victory, it moved him to the verge of world championship glory.

The 1982 Formula One season was as remarkable as it was tragic. A season punctuated by two deaths - Gilles Villeneuve and Riccardo Paletti - a career-ending injury to the championship leader - Didier Pironi - also had a remarkable 11 different winners in 16 races. That Rosberg emerged from tragedy with the championship crown is as much a testimony to his consistency throughout the year as it was these unfortunate circumstances throughout the season.

Two key events occurred in 1982 which denied Ferrari a world championship. First came the death of Villeneuve during practice at Zolder, when he launched off the back of Jochen Mass and was thrown violently from his Ferrari. The flamboyant Villeneuve had earlier vowed never to speak to team-mate Pironi again after the Frenchman ignored a team order to beat him at preceding San Marino Grand Prix. Without F1's most exciting driver, Pironi went on to take a commanding lead in the drivers' championship but disaster struck in Germany when, driving like a "mad man" according to those in attendance, he violently ploughed into the back of Alain Prost's Renault in heavy spray during qualifying. The accident smashed his legs and ended his career. Pironi had already been the unfortunate protagonist in 1982's second fatality, when his stalled Ferrari was struck at speed by Paletti in Canada - leading to the Italian's death.

As well as the tragedy on track, 1982 was dominated by political strife off it. The opener in South Africa was hampered by a strike before the Australian Grand Prix was cancelled altogether. Disqualification for Nelson Piquet and Rosberg in Brazil, prompted by a Ferrari complaint about car weight, led to the boycott of the San Marino race by four of the Formula One Constructors' Association (FOCA) teams, represented by a certain Bernie Ecclestone.

Throughout this time Rosberg - in his fifth F1 season but yet to win a race - had been quietly accumulating points. A year earlier his career had been hanging in the balance after a pointless season and the collapse of his Fittipaldi team. The retirement of 1980 champion Alan Jones proved to be the lifeline the Finn needed, impressing enough in a test of his Williams to earn a drive for the 1982 season. Finally the swashbuckling Finn, renowned as much for his flowing moustache as his aggressive driving style, had the car to match his talent.

Rosberg claimed second in Detroit and Zolder early in the first season but a maiden victory seemed just out of reach, with brake issues costing him victory in the latter. But then Pironi's accident at Hockenheim changed everything, with Rosberg going on to claim his fourth podium of the season. Pironi's nine-point lead over John Watson with four races left meant the title was up for grabs, with Rosberg, Prost and the returning Niki Lauda only separated by three points further back.

Formula 1 lost Gilles Villeneuve in 1982

In Austria Rosberg harried Lotus' Elio de Angelis to the line but, despite a late lunge, lost out by just 0.05s. But second there moved him to within six points of the now inactive Pironi. Pain at his near-miss in Austria turned to joy at the Swiss Grand Prix, bizarrely hosted in France as motor racing was still banned in Switzerland because of the 1955 Le Mans disaster. It was very nearly denied him, however, when officials almost waved the chequered flag two laps early in error, which would have given Renault's Prost a win. It was just as well; Prost was suffering handling problems from an earlier brush with a kerb and put up little resistance to Rosberg's charge at the death.

Retirement in Italy could have derailed his championship bid but Watson could only finish fourth, with Prost's retirement moving him out of title contention. Watson finished second in the season-ending Las Vegas Grand Prix but Rosberg's fifth place was enough to claim the championship. The remarkable part of his achievement was that he stayed in contention in a normally-aspirated car despite many of his rivals using turbo power. He became and remains the only man since Mike Hawthorn in 1958 to claim the title with just one victory.

Pironi, Prost, Watson, Lauda and Rene Arnoux had won two each but in 1982 consistency was king. Rosberg would later remark the field was so competitive he had to drive "every lap absolutely flat out" to compensate. This mentality carried over to the subsequent turbo era and triggered the best years of his career as he won four races in the next three seasons at Williams. But by 1986 this would ultimately be his undoing alongside 'The Professor' Alain Prost at McLaren and, following the death of friend De Angelis in a testing accident, he subsequently retired from the sport. After overseeing the rise of fellow Finn's JJ Lehto and Mika Hakkinen, the consistency he won the world title with has become the hallmark of his third protégé: son Nico, who goes into the 2014 finale hoping to become the second Rosberg on the list of Formula One champions.

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By the skin of his teeth

With Lewis Hamilton one race away from a second world championship, let's look back at the incredible drama behind his maiden triumph at the 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton is on the verge of a second world championship but he, or any other driver for that matter, is unlikely to ever win a title as dramatically as he did six years ago. The phrase "you couldn't script it" is one used too often in sport but, if you wanted to write a screenplay about a dramatic title finale, the final laps of the Brazilian Grand Prix would be as close as you could get to perfect sporting theatre.

Hamilton was seven points ahead of Ferrari's Felipe Massa coming into the Interlagos decider in 2008. All he needed was fifth place or better if the Brazilian won the race. Massa may have been closer had his championship challenge not faltered at two key points; an engine failure while leading during the final laps in Hungary and an unfortunate series of events following Nelson Piquet Jr's infamous crash in Singapore, which would later become known as the Renault race fixing scandal.

In 2007, Hamilton and McLaren had blown the championship in the rain in China and at the finale in Interlagos - where Kimi Raikkonen capitalised to claim his maiden title. A year later, Hamilton returned to Brazil knowing it would take a similar catastrophe to deny Britain its first title since Damon Hill in 1996. But unlike the refined and calm 2014 version we have seen this season, this was the raw and unpolished Hamilton who occasionally seemed to be his own worst enemy. Anything was possible.

On the Saturday Massa claimed a dominant pole, his third in a row in Brazil, with Hamilton qualifying fourth. The stage seemed perfectly set. However, until lap 63 the race had been tense but without major drama. Massa led away from pole and was in control of proceedings. Hamilton was fourth, though the Toro Rosso of Sebastian Vettel - F1's latest wonderkid and race-winner in Italy - had started reeling him in. Then everything changed. It started raining.

At first there was little reaction on the pit walls of McLaren and Ferrari except curiosity at what the other was doing. Hamilton's team-mate Heikki Kovalainen came in for intermediates on lap 65. Massa's team-mate Raikkonen followed suit a lap later. Most of the field pitted the following lap, including Hamilton and Vettel. Hamilton emerged in front of Vettel but crucially had lost fourth position.

In the chaos of it all, Toyota had told Timo Glock and Jarno Trulli to stay out on dry tyres. This elevated Glock from seventh to fourth and meant Hamilton was now desperately holding off Vettel for the points he needed to be champion. And then, disaster. Two laps from the finish he ran deep at Juncao and Vettel snuck by. As it had a year earlier at Interlagos, it looked the title was about to slip through Hamilton's fingers.

The worsening rain now meant Hamilton was no longer chasing Vettel but waiting and hoping for Glock's gamble to backfire. On lap 70 and 71 his lap times were fine in comparison - in fact, at one point he was some five seconds quicker than Trulli. But the rain was falling heavier and on the final lap Toyota's gamble failed. Glock was now struggling just to keep his car on the track but he was still fourth as Massa crossed the line.

Massa, Ferrari and the Brazilian fans celebrated … prematurely. Hamilton, heading up the hill towards Juncao for the final time, moved to the inside to pass a red and white car struggling to stay in a straight line. "Is that… is that Glock, is that Glock going slowly? That's Glock!" was Martin Brundle's immortal call in the ITV commentary box as Hamilton went by.

Later, in the midst of conspiracy theories which originated in the Spanish media, Glock was forced to defend himself: "I had no chance to resist the guys on wet tyres because they were just so much quicker. I had to stay off the racing line because there was so much tyre rubber on it, which becomes incredibly slippery in the wet. I don't know how anyone can think that I just pulled over. If Lewis had not overtaken me in that corner, he would have overtaken me on the following straight because there was no way I could go flat out on the dry tyres."

Hamilton crossed the line fifth, clinching the title by a single point. Cruelly, as he did so, the cameras cut to Massa's family being told what had happened as they celebrated wildly in the Ferrari garage. Joy turned to despair and, for Massa, tears, wiping away his eyes as he pulled into parc ferme. For some 30 seconds he had been world champion. Even Hamilton was unsure as he crossed the line, later saying: "I thought 'do I have it, do I have it?' And when they told me I was ecstatic." At the time the victory made him the youngest champion in the sport's history.

Meanwhile, Massa's attitude in defeat endeared him to Formula One fans. The Brazilian's heart-thumping on the podium and post-race humility embodied sportsmanship. "Unfortunately we missed by one point but that's racing. We need to be proud of our race and our championship. It's one more day of our life when I will learn a lot but, for sure, I'm very emotional." Massa has not won a race since; a cruel reminder of the world championship he won and then lost.

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Bottas targets fourth in F1 drivers’ standings

Valtteri Bottas admits he is targeting fourth place in the drivers' championship at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Williams heads in to the final race of the season with a comfortable lead over Ferrari in the battle for third in the constructors' championship, but with double points available will still have to defend its 44-point advantage. While Bottas knows the main focus is on the team's finishing position he concedes he is aiming for his own personal goal too as three points currently covers himself, Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso in the battle for fourth.

“Abu Dhabi is going to be an exciting race and it could play out one of two ways,” Bottas said. “The double points could be interesting and we will try and play it to our advantage. We have been trying to secure our position in the championship and so continue to focus on this, but I can still finish fourth in the Drivers' Championship [so] I will focus on this as well.”

Head of vehicle performance Rob Smedley said the race will be a tricky one due to the unique challenges of the timing of the weekend's running.

“Abu Dhabi has a great mix of long straights with high straight-line speed, big braking and a tight twisty section at the end of the lap,” Smedley said. “Our main focus is going to be on the third sector and getting the balance right there, which is always difficult due to the changes throughout the weekend with the temperature. You get a large variation in temperature throughout the sessions.

“It's important to focus on the dusk to early evening track as that is the time the race will take place. The track has great facilities and you always get a really good crowd, who will hopefully be behind us. Our ambitions remain the same, to finish with a decent haul of points and finish third in the championship.”

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Michael Schumacher’s website back to mark anniversary of his first Formula One title

MICHAEL Schumacher’s official website was reactivated last Friday to mark the 20th anniversary of his first Formula One title, his manager said, as he recovers from a skiing accident that almost ended his life.

It is hoped the www.michael-schumacher.de site will give fans of the motor-racing star a “home” as they continue to support him in his recovery, manager Sabine Kehm said yesterday.

“November 13, 1994, is a special day in the sporting life of Michael Schumacher — 20 years ago he was the first German to ever win the Formula One world championship title, his first of seven titles,” she said.

“To mark the 20th anniversary of his first world champion title we will reactivate Michael’s homepage.

“We hope to thus give the many fans from all over the world, whose sympathy is still unbroken after his accident, a home.”

Schumacher on the winner's podium at the Monaco Grand Prix in 1994.

Following his accident in the French Alps in December, the website was replaced with a cover page thanking fans for their support.

Schumacher is receiving treatment at his home in Gland, Switzerland, after suffering brain injuries when he slammed his head against a rock.

He has had two operations to remove potentially fatal blood clots and was then put into a medically induced coma, but left hospital in September after being treated first in a hospital in the French city of Grenoble and then in a clinic in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Fans urge the F1 champion to stay strong at the Spanish Grand Prix.

No new information was given about his condition, but the French doctor in charge of his care said in September he was making progress but would need years to recover.

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MERCEDES: WE WANT HAMILTON FOR MANY MORE YEARS

Mercedes can hardly wait for the Abu Dhabi Formula 1 title decider to be over so they can tie Lewis Hamilton down to a long-term contract.

The 29-year-old Briton, who can become a double world champion at Yas Marina, has a year remaining on his current deal but Mercedes are looking well beyond that.

“We want him very much to stay for many more years,” Mercedes motorsport head Toto Wolff told reporters ahead of the season-ending race.

“He’s great for the team, he’s part of the family, the relationship we all enjoy is more than just a professional racing relationship between driver and team. It’s on a different level.”

Hamilton has a 17 point lead over German team mate Nico Rosberg but an unprecedented double points on offer in Abu Dhabi means there is everything to play for.

Rosberg, winner of five races this season to Hamilton’s 10, agreed a multi-year contract extension in July. Wolff said Mercedes had agreed to defer talks with the Briton until after the final race so he could concentrate on his driving.

“We did that very consciously even when the rumours accelerated around other drivers and our team. We sat down again and said should we maybe take those conversations forward? And we decided: No, it’s not the best thing to do.”

“On the Monday or Tuesday after Abu Dhabi we will sit down and discuss and hopefully find a solution quickly,” said Wolff.

Ferrari‘s Fernando Alonso, the double world champion who is set to join McLaren next year when they start a new partnership with Honda, has made little secret of his interest in moving to Mercedes in 2016.

However the Spaniard’s overtures appear destined to be rejected, unless 2008 champion Hamilton decides to go elsewhere. Wolff said Hamilton, who has let a management deal with XIX Entertainment lapse, was perfectly capable of negotiating his own deal.

“Lewis is a very intelligent and mature person now who knows more about Formula One than many other managers out there,” he said. “I think he can represent himself in a good way, he has good support from consultants he needs to have, be it legal or tax or whatever. He knows what he wants and is straight about it.”

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SMALL TEAMS SEEK URGENT TALKS WITH ECCLESTONE

Formula 1’s smaller teams have written to Bernie Ecclestone to press demands for a bigger share of the sport’s considerable revenues.

Force India deputy principal Bob Fernley told Reuters a letter had been sent on Monday to commercial supremo Ecclestone seeking a meeting at this weekend’s season-ending race in Abu Dhabi.

Copies were sent to rights holders CVC, International Automobile Federation (FIA) president Jean Todt and team principals.

“In our common interest and for a sustainable future of the sport, we request you, together with the other stakeholders, to implement a more equitable distribution,” Fernley said in the letter, details of which were leaked to the media.

The letter, sent on behalf of Force India, Sauber and Lotus, comes after the teams failed to make progress in talks with Ecclestone at the last two races.

Force India co-owner Vijay Mallya had told reporters in Brazil that Ecclestone had said he would discuss the situation with CVC’s co-chairman Donald Mackenzie in London.

The Indian said at the time that he would send Ecclestone a “gentle reminder” if he had not heard by the end of last week and Fernley said Monday’s letter should be seen in that context.

Speaking to Reuters, Fernley said there was no intention to cast a shadow over a race which will decide whether Lewis Hamilton or Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg takes the title.

“The focus should be on a wonderful championship finale and it is not our intention to disrupt that,” added Fernley.

However his letter made clear that the smaller teams were concerned plans were afoot to turn Formula One into a two tier sport divided between constructors and those using ‘customer’ chassis or beefed-up ‘Super GP2′ cars.

It spoke of a ‘questionable cartel’ of the rights holder, Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren and Williams who controlled “both the governance of Formula One and, apparently, the distribution of…funds.”

“A two-tier system can only be considered a short-sighted vision,” added the letter. “It is evident that the current developments are dramatically reducing the value of Formula One and massively undermining its reputation as a sport.”

The three teams said the new V6 turbo hybrid power units and installation costs amounted to an average of $43 million for them, or 70-80 percent of revenues received. Two teams have gone into administration this season, with Marussia closing down entirely.

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MCLAREN-HONDA AIMING FOR ABU DHABI TEST

The new McLaren-Honda era is set to begin straight after the season’s final grand Prix in Abu Dhabi, when teams take to the same Yas Marina Circuit for the final test session of 2014.

McLaren said in a statement, “We are now only a few days away from formally commencing our exciting technical partnership with Honda, and, subject to satisfactory final bench-testing, it is currently our intention to run our interim development car, the McLaren MP4-29H/1X1, on the test days that will follow the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.”

“We are working extremely hard to ensure that every element of our competitive package for 2015 and beyond is also specified to the fullest extent. We have spent the past nine months comprehensively recruiting and restructuring within our design and engineering departments.”

“Over the next few days we will be evaluating and trialling a range of aerodynamic upgrades for the forthcoming Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and for the 2015 Formula 1 season,” concluded the statement.

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MCLAREN WON’T ANNOUNCE DRIVERS BEFORE DECEMBER

Although it is widely expected Fernando Alonso will join McLaren for the 2015, the team have announced that they will not be revelaing their driver line-up for next season until December.

McLaren said in a statement ahead of the Abu Dhabi GP: “Selecting the optimal driver line-up for a Formula 1 team is clearly an important process, and it is therefore one that requires precise and prolonged analysis.”

“That being the case, and in order to avoid distracting the race team from its primary objective during the final Grand Prix weekend of the season, which is to secure the best possible on-track results, we have decided to defer our final deliberations relating to our 2015 driver line-up until a date no earlier than Monday December 1st,” the statement concluded.

Should Alonso join the Woking outfit, then either Jenson Button or Kevin Magnussen will be axed.

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CATERHAM IN ABU DHABI SETTING UP FOR GRAND PRIX

Caterham has bucked expectations and arrived in Abu Dhabi for the 2014 finale, setting up in the Yas marina Circuit pit garages.

After a two-race absence and with administrators raising money through crowdfunding, scarcely a soul in the Interlagos paddock truly believed the green team would make the trip to the United Emirates Capital.

Indeed, there was still scepticism mere days ago, when the team announced its comeback and signed up Kamui Kobayashi to race. But on Tuesday at the Yas Marina circuit, Caterham is definitely among the teams busily setting up for the weekend’s racing.

Photos on social media show Caterham staff, although reportedly laid off, arriving through the paddock turnstile. And the Leafield based team posted photos on Twitter confirming its “busy, busy, busy” efforts to set up the garage.

That is despite the team not yet confirming the identity of Japanese Kobayashi’s teammate. Another driver apparently out of the running is the talented Dutchman Robin Frijns, who earlier this year was the team’s reserve driver.

He told the racexpress.nl website: “My manager Timo Gans said that I am not driving in Abu Dhabi, but I can’t say anything about it.”

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ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX: PIRELLI PREVIEW YAS MARINA

The final grand prix of the season will take place in Abu Dhabi, using the soft and supersoft tyre: a step softer than last year’s nomination of medium and soft. Yas Marina is a circuit that Pirelli knows well, having completed some of its private testing there before entering Formula One back in 2011, with Abu Dhabi being a well-known venue for official tests as well. This year is no exception, with the final two-day test of the season taking place straight after the grand prix, from Tuesday to Wednesday.

The track surface is quite smooth, featuring a variety of 90-degree corners. The other defining characteristic of the grand prix is that, like Bahrain, it starts in the late afternoon and ends in the evening – meaning that the track tends to cool down as the race goes on, which affects strategy.

This year double points are on offer, so the stakes are even higher and teams will be concentrating on strategy harder than ever, while prioritising a safe finish.

The weather tends to be warm and dry, with the track well-suited to the supersoft and soft compounds: the fastest tyres in Pirelli’s range.

Paul Hembery, Pirelli motorsport director: “It’s always a pleasure to return to Abu Dhabi and this year’s event will be even more significant than usual, with the drivers’ championship being decided and double points available. The strategy is normally greatly affected by the unusual track evolution, due to the falling temperatures caused by the late afternoon start. This was the case in Bahrain as well, which turned out to be one of the most exciting and unpredictable races of the season earlier this year. As a result, the free practice sessions will be particularly crucial, as the teams try to gather as much information as possible about how the car will perform on both compounds: not just with different fuel loads, but also with different track temperatures. As so many points are on offer, there is a big opportunity for teams that have less to lose to try an unexpected strategy, in order to make some potentially significant gains.”

Jean Alesi, Pirelli consultant: “I’ve never driven a Formula One car in Abu Dhabi but I like the track, especially because of its high levels of safety and the long straight that provides a few overtaking opportunities, thanks also to the use of DRS. As the race starts at 5pm, with ambient and track temperatures gradually dropping, the ability to adapt to a changing situation is essential. These varying conditions affect tyre pressures too. Having said that, the biggest stress for the drivers this year will be the fact that the race counts for double points. Even with his normally qui important point advantage, current Championship leader could see it all taken away from him by just a simple mistake.”

The circuit from a tyre point of view:

• The supersoft tyre is a low working range compound, capable of achieving optimal performance even at a wide range of low temperatures. The soft tyre is a high working range compound. With the two softest compounds in the range and a smooth track surface, warm-up should not be an issue.
• We can expect a certain degree of thermal degradation that could influence the strategies and the setup of the cars. The first and third free practice sessions are usually run in conditions that are not representative for qualifying and race due to much higher temperatures experienced during the day.
• The first part of the circuit effectively consists of a series of non-stop bends, which heats up the tyre compound. The compound then gets a chance to cool down on the long straight, with the cars on full throttle for around 15 seconds, with the equivalent of around 800 kilograms of downforce.
• To help gain maximum traction, the cars are often set up with quite a soft rear end at Abu Dhabi, but this can lead to increased rear tyre wear. If the set-up is too stiff at the back, the opposite problem can occur: excessive wheelspin, which also takes life out of the tyres.
• The winning strategy last year was a two-stopper. Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel started on the soft tyre, pitted for the medium on lap 14, then pitted again for the medium on lap 37 never losing the lead.

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ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX: WILLIAMS PREVIEW YAS MARINA

For the third time in the circuit’s six-year history, Yas Marina hosts the Formula One season finale. This promises to be a race to remember, with double points on offer (50 for a win, instead of 25) and lots of potential movement in the points standings.

The circuit layout contains three distinct sections: some fast corners in sector one, long straights in sector two and tight corners in sector three, reminiscent of a street circuit.

Car set-up is a compromise between straight-line speed and achieving good traction out of the slow corners, and engineers have to be wary of the cooling track temperatures as the sun goes down in what is the only twilight race of the year.

Overtaking should be possible in the two DRS zones, and with so many points at stake this weekend it’s fair to expect plenty of action.

Rob Smedley: “Abu Dhabi has a great mix of long straights with high straight-line speed, big braking and a tight twisty section at the end of the lap. Our main focus is going to be on the third sector and getting the balance right there, which is always difficult due to the changes throughout the weekend with the temperature. You get a large variation in temperature throughout the sessions. It’s important to focus on the dusk to early evening track as that is the time the race will take place. The track has great facilities and you always get a really good crowd, who will hopefully be behind us. Our ambitions remain the same, to finish with a decent haul of points and finish third in the championship.”

Felipe Massa: “The track is like a street-circuit in one sector with slow corners and barriers quite close, and then a traditional circuit in the other with very long straights and flowing corners. We race in the evening but practice during the heat of the day, so to adapt the car towards cooler conditions is important, it can save a lot of time if you get this right. Being the final race of the season and with double points it is a very important race to finish in the top ten.”

Valtteri Bottas: “Abu Dhabi is going to be an exciting race and it could play out one of two ways. The double points could be interesting and we will try and play it to our advantage. We have been trying to secure our position in the championship and so continue to focus on this, but I can still finish fourth in the Drivers’ Championship I will focus on this as well. It’s a nice place to go to, the temperature is warm, the people are friendly and the facilities good so I am looking forward to the race.”

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ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX: MCLAREN PREVIEW YAS MARINA

After nine months of intense racing, the 2014 Formula 1 World Championship draws to a close in Abu Dhabi next weekend. With double points up for grabs for the first time in the sport’s history, it promises to be a thrilling climax to the season.

Yas Marina facts & stats

• The Yas Marina Circuit is one of the most elaborate racetracks in the world. Its unique features include a pitlane exit that passes underneath the track and pit garages that are air conditioned, and its lighting system is more powerful than anything found in a conventional stadium.
• The 5.554km/3.451-mile track was completed just ahead of the inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2009, since when it’s been a permanent fixture on the F1 calendar. This year marks the third occasion that it has staged the season finale.
• The track is located on a man-made island on the eastern side of Abu Dhabi. It was designed by Hermann Tilke, along with seven other tracks on this year’s calendar, and it winds its way around a 400-acre site that has a marina at its heart.
• As is customary with Tilke-designed tracks, the circuit features three distinct sectors. The lap starts off with a couple of fast sweeps; it has two straights in the middle, along which the cars will exceed 300km/h through the two DRS zones, and it ends with a tight and twisty section that snakes past the Viceroy Hotel.
• The track’s 21 corners are predominantly slow and medium-speed turns, which, when combined with the smooth asphalt, allows Pirelli to take their two softest compounds to the race. The Soft (Prime) and Super-soft (Option) are making their sixth combined appearance of the year, having last been used together in Singapore.
• Grip levels fluctuate throughout the race weekend. The asphalt is dusty and slippery to begin with, but it rubbers-in quickly once practice gets underway on Friday. Track temperature also affects grip. This race starts in sunlight at 5:00pm and finishes in the dark, under floodlights; the asphalt can cool by as much as 15 degrees during that time, which can affect the balance of the cars.
• This year’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is an important milestone for McLaren because it marks the team’s final race with engine partner Mercedes-Benz. The partnership began in 1995, since when it has scored 78 victories, three drivers’ titles and one constructors’ title.
• Both McLaren drivers have plenty of experience around Yas Marina Circuit. Jenson Button has raced at the track every year since ’09, finishing on the podium on three occasions, and Kevin Magnussen tested at the track for McLaren in 2012.

Jenson Button: “I really like going to Yas Marina. I’ve been on the podium there three times and it’s a fun, tricky track to drive on. It’s a circuit of a number of almost completely different sections: fast corners and two long straights in Sectors One and Two, and a tight, twisty, slow-speed bit in Sector Three. It means set-up is an interesting challenge, but, as it’s not such a fast circuit, it doesn’t require quite as much downforce as some of the other circuits we’ve been to recently. The result at Interlagos was a great boost for the team. It was the culmination of a lot of hard work by the guys and girls back at the factory and a consistent push to develop the car right up until the last race of the season. I managed the tyres as well as I could and it paid off, so we’ll be aiming for more of the same in Abu Dhabi. Tyre wear isn’t quite co crucial there because the race takes place at dusk as the temperature is dropping, so we’ll try to get as much out of the car’s performance as we can up to the very last lap. Abu Dhabi is a great place and a cool location to host the last race of the season. It should be an exciting race, as everyone will be pushing to finish 2014 on a high. For the whole team our ambition is to fight hard but fair as always, and get the result that is deserving of all the hard work everyone has put in to increase our performance throughout the year. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Kevin Magnussen: “Although I’ve never raced at the Yas Marina circuit before, I drove there in the Young Driver Test in 2012, so it’s great to finish this season by going back to a place with such good memories. It’s another anti-clockwise circuit, too, like Austin and Interlagos, so by now we should definitely be in the swing of things! Jenson’s result in the last race in Brazil was really positive for the whole team, and shows that our car’s performance is definitely improving. For me personally it was a tough weekend as the car definitely had potential, but we didn’t manage to get the most out of it on my side of the garage, so that’s something we’ll really be focusing on in Abu Dhabi. Yas Marina is a great circuit to drive on as it has the best of both worlds: a technical, slower-speed section as well as fast, sweeping corners and long straights, which make it great fun. The atmosphere is fantastic there too, and I’m really excited about racing at dusk for the first time. I really want to finish this season with a decent result for the whole team, who have all worked so hard to keep improving our package race by race.”

Eric Boullier, Racing director, McLaren Mercedes, “Yas Marina is a fantastic place to come to as the 2014 season draws to a close. It’s a very impressive facility and racing at dusk is a wonderfully unique spectacle for F1 fans all around the world to enjoy.

It’s also positive for the sport that the championship will be decided in the final race, so the atmosphere is sure to be electric throughout the entire venue. This year has been a huge challenge for the whole McLaren team, but our definite progress as the season has unfolded has been very encouraging. Our push for development has been relentless and this will only continue into the winter as we prepare for next season. We are still improving the car even for Abu Dhabi, with all of our efforts being channelled into next year’s car and moving McLaren ever closer to where we should be, back towards the front of the grid. The race in Abu Dhabi also marks the end of a very significant era in McLaren’s history, and we’d like to thank Mercedes for our hugely successful and historic partnership over the past 20 seasons. With double points at stake, we are fully focused on securing the best possible finish in order to consolidate our position in the constructors’ standings, and the aim for the whole team is to conclude the season with a positive result. It’s important that we carry strong momentum into the closed season, so it would be great to reward the hard work of everyone at the factory in Woking with some valuable points. At Yas Marina there will be some big winners and big losers as the chequered flag falls, thanks to double points, so, providing we can maintain our recent improved pace, we are aiming to be in the former camp. As usual, we will be pushing from the moment we arrive to configure the optimal set-up on our car, so that we can take as much valuable information into the winter development phase as possible. Here’s to an exciting weekend for both the team and the sport as a whole.”

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HORNER CLAIMS RENAULT IS 75 BHP DOWN ON MERCEDES

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has put an alarming horse power figure on Renault’s deficit to the dominant Mercedes turbo power unit in 2014.

“Our engine has 75 horse power less than the Mercedes,” he declared to Autosprint.

A big argument is taking place at present between struggling Renault – Red Bull’s works supplier – and Formula 1’s other engine marques Ferrari and Mercedes.

Renault and Ferrari are pushing hard for the so-called engine development ‘freeze’ to be relaxed, but Mercedes is understandably resisting.

“If you look at the speed in the corners,” Red Bull chief Horner said, “we are always the best. Unfortunately we don’t have the power that we need. When you are 75 horse power down, it doesn’t really matter what else you have. What can you do? Nothing.”

He thinks it is unfair that when Red Bull was utterly dominant in the past, Formula 1 did not hesitate to clamp down on the team’s aerodynamic advantages.

“I do hope that Renault is able to close the gap for the future, but it’s not easy,” said Horner. “Because if you freeze a new technology so early, it is very difficult to fix all of the problems that you have.

“In the past, always with the aim of slowing down Red Bull, there were no doubts whatsoever about altering the technical regulations when we had all the double diffusers, blown diffusers, flexible parts, engine maps,” he added.

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VETTEL NOT BLAMING ALONSO FOR FERRARI DELAY

Sebastian Vettel has hinted once again that he will be a Ferrari driver in 2015, despite the team not yet confirming the deal amid what is reportedly a contractual impasse with Fernando Alonso.

Recently the departing Red Bull driver has already hinted at move to Maranello by telling Sky he is a “driver for Scuderia Ferrari”.And this week, he has mused openly about becoming his friend Kimi Raikkonen’s next teammate.

Now, in conversation with Auto Motor und Sport, he was asked if he blames Alonso for the hold-up because the Spaniard has not yet officially vacated the Ferrari seat, “I don’t think the fault lies with one person, so I don’t think you can talk about blame.

“It’s just a situation that is not yet entirely clear, which is the way it is in Formula 1 sometimes. It is of course silly if you can’t answer the questions that are being asked of you, so I do hope there will be clarity soon,” Vettel added.

Interestingly, it has not been lost on some that in pairing Vettel with Raikkonen next year, Ferrari is putting together two drivers who notably struggled to match the pace of their respective teammates in 2014.

Asked about Raikkonen and his problems this year, Vettel answered: “We do not need to talk about Kimi’s talent. That is undisputed. Apparently he just hasn’t been able to get from the car what he needs in order to feel comfortable this year.”

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ECCLESTONE TO CLAMP DOWN ON F1 ONLINE MEDIA

Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has vowed to clamp down on the proliferation of internet journalists currently covering the sport.

After controversially rubbishing the power of social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter last week, the Formula 1 supremo is now warning that online publications will find access to the paddock more difficult in the future.

He told Formula 1 business journalist Christian Sylt: “Choose your race for free, enter the paddock, meet the drivers. How do you do it? Set up a website. I’m going to have a good look at the accreditation because it is a bit of a joke.”

Meanwhile, amid Marussia and Caterham’s troubles and with other small teams demanding talks with Ecclestone, the diminutive Briton sounds determined to plough ahead with plans to introduce third cars per team.

“We are talking about all the different options with third cars,” he told City A.M. “The contracts just say they have to run a third car if it drops below the limit. We are talking about what the right way is to go,” Ecclestone added.

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SUTIL MAY HAVE FAILED TO DELIVER ON SAUBER CONTRACT

Adrian Sutil may have breached the terms of his Sauber contract in 2014, according to a media report which has emerged ahead of the season’s final race.

When the struggling Swiss team signed up paying drivers Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr for 2015, it appeared legal trouble could be ahead as Adrian Sutil already had a signed contract for next season.

But team boss Monisha Kaltenborn, who is a lawyer, insisted: “I am very clearly aware of my situation and I know what I’m doing. It is a clear situation.”

Formule1 cites sources in reporting that Sutil did not comply with contractual clauses in 2014 that he would seek and deliver sponsors to Sauber.

It was also believed that Dutchman Giedo van der Garde had already penned a deal to race for Sauber in 2015, but Formule1 says he also failed to deliver on certain promises.

Not only that, Kaltenborn – referring at the time to the sport generally – reportedly said in Austin early this month that “contracts in Formula 1 are worth nothing”.

In light of the Sutil controversy, Formule1 insists Kaltenborn subsequently clarified that she did not mean the remark.

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McLaren ready for Mercedes goodbye

This weekend's Abu Dhabi GP will not only mark the end of the 2014 season, but also McLaren's long relationship with Mercedes.

The Woking squad started their engine partnership with the German manufacturer back in 1995 and they won three Drivers' Championship (Mika Hakkinen in 1998 and 1999, and Lewis Hamilton in 2008) and the 1998 Constructors' title during that time.

However, it will be all change next year as the team will once again link up with Honda.

Racing Director Eric Boullier hopes they can say goodbye to Mercedes with a good result in the United Arab Emirates.

"The race in Abu Dhabi also marks the end of a very significant era in McLaren's history, and we'd like to thank Mercedes for our hugely successful and historic partnership over the past 20 seasons," he said.

McLaren are currently fifth in the Constructors' standings, 34 points ahead of Force India, but they know they can't afford to relax with double points on offer in the UAE.

"With double points at stake, we are fully focused on securing the best possible finish in order to consolidate our position in the Constructors' standings, and the aim for the whole team is to conclude the season with a positive result," Boullier added.

"It's important that we carry strong momentum into the closed season, so it would be great to reward the hard work of everyone at the factory in Woking with some valuable points. At Yas Marina there will be some big winners and big losers as the chequered flag falls, thanks to double points, so, providing we can maintain our recent improved pace, we are aiming to be in the former camp. As usual, we will be pushing from the moment we arrive to configure the optimal set-up on our car, so that we can take as much valuable information into the winter development phase as possible.

"Here's to an exciting weekend for both the team and the sport as a whole."

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Sainz handed Red Bull test drive

Carlos Sainz Jr will get another chance to impress potential suitors after he was handed a Red Bull drive for the season-ending test in Abu Dhabi.

The Formula Renault 3.5 Champion is one of those who are being considered for the second Toro Rosso race seat alongside Max Verstappen, and he has been given a chance to show off his talents.

The 20-year-old will test the RB10 on November 25 at the Yas Marina Circuit with current Red Bull racer Daniel Ricciardo taking over on the second day of action.

Sainz Jr does have experience in a Red Bull car as he also took part in the Young Driver Test at Silverstone in July 2013.

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2014 Brazilian Grand Prix fans’ video gallery #1

Fans at the Brazilian Grand Prix captured the atmosphere as the crowd cheered for home hero Felipe Massa at the end of the race.

The view from the bathroom…

Button breaks down in practice

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2014 Brazilian Grand Prix fans’ video gallery #2

Drivers practice their starts

http://youtu.be/kWEuk0UdI1A

Start: Grid