FORMULA 1 - 2014

[MIKA27]

HORNER SAYS KVYAT HAS RAIKKONEN STYLE MINDSET

Team principal Christian Horner has likened Red Bull‘s new driver for 2015 to one of the most unique drivers in Formula 1 history.

As quadruple world champion Sebastian Vettel departed for Ferrari, Red Bull officials said they took merely “ten minutes” to decide that Russian rookie Daniil Kvyat would be promoted from the junior team Toro Rosso.

That is partly because the energy drink-owned premier team said Daniel Ricciardo, having dominated Vettel in 2014, is now fully ready to step into the leading role.

“In the beginning, although we knew he would be quick, we did have doubts as to whether he (Ricciardo) would be as fast in the races as he is in qualifying,” team boss Horner told Auto Hebdo this week.

“But he has achieved outstanding results this season. Just looking at Daniel, you know he is going to be successful — his smile says a lot.”

So Horner said 20-year-old Kvyat, although just a single year out of GP3, is now ready to step into Ricciardo’s role at the senior team.

“Daniil is a very exciting young talent,” he said. “He’s good, he’s fast, and he doesn’t care what people think of him. He has a similar mindset to Kimi Raikkonen,” Horner revealed.

[MIKA27]

SCHUMACHER MOST GOOGLED FOR SPORTSMAN IN 2014

Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher was the most searched-for sportsman in 2014, according to internet search engine giant Google.

An analysis of the more than two trillion searches on the world’s most popular search engine this year also showed that Schumacher’s skiing crash and recuperation was the ninth most popular internet news story overall.

The Formula 1 legend’s struggle was only out-searched by those seeking news about paralympian Oscar Pistorius’ murder trial and the Malaysia Airlines disasters, with ALS and Ebola topping the list overall.

Despite the high interest in Schumacher’s recovery, however, the Swiss news website Bluewin reports that his personal fashion sponsors Navyboot and Jet Set have terminated their deals with the 45-year-old German.

The news comes after the German mineral water company Rosbacher ended its commercial backing of Schumacher earlier in 2014.

A spokesperson for the Gaydoul group, owner of the Navyboot and Jet Set brands, confirmed that its sponsorship deals with Schumacher have ended. The deals were estimated at $5 million per year.

[MIKA27]

ECCLESTONE THREAT ENDS AS WALSH TURNS DOWN F1 TOP JOB

Paul Walsh is no longer a threat to Bernie Ecclestone’s long reign over Formula 1 according to reports in the Financial Times and The Times newspapers, who reported that former Diageo chief Walsh, hotly tipped to become the sport’s new chairman over the last few days, has now walked away.

Asked last week about claims Walsh intended to “rein in” Ecclestone’s controversial management style, the 84-year-old Formula 1 supremo had fired: “First he’s got to be appointed, hasn’t he?”

A source has now told the London newspaper The Times: “Paul only wanted to take it on if there was complete accountability and authority. There was neither and he did not want to be simply a puppet or figurehead.”

Although CVC did not comment, the news is interpreted as a blow to Formula 1’s major shareholder as Donald Mackenzie had seriously courted Walsh for the role.

The Formula 1 teams may also be disappointed, as backmarkers collapse, disputes over income and engines rage, and sponsorship and audience numbers decline.

An unnamed team boss said: “We are all back where we started and it looks as though nothing is going to change.”

[MIKA27]

STOLEN RED BULL TROPHIES FOUND DUMPED IN LAKE

Grand Prix trophies stolen from the Red Bull Formula 1 factory in Milton Keynes have been found in a lake, police revealed.

Around 20 trophies have been retrieved of the 60 taken when thieves raided the factory 10 days ago, using a vehicle to drive through the front entrance.

The silverware was spotted by a member of the public near the town of Sandhurst, around 95-km from Milton Keynes.

“We estimate about 20 trophies have been recovered but we are liaising with Red Bull to establish the exact number as some of the trophies are damaged,” Thames Valley Police detective constable Chris Oakman told the BBC.

Team principal Christian Horner said at the time that he was puzzled why anyone would want to steal items that had low intrinsic values.

The Austrian outfit entered Formula One in 2005 and team driver Sebastian Vettel won the world title four years in a row from 2010-13. Red Bull also topped the constructors’ standings in each of those years.

[MIKA27]

Bid For A Driving Experience With DC

Are you keen on a driving experience with David Coulthard in a Mercedes SLS AMG? If yes, then why don't you enter a live, online auction, all in the name of charity.

Social enterprise auction platform, CharityStars, is offering the experience of a lifetime for speed junkies that will not only give bidders the opportunity to just watch, but to be in the car with Formula 1 legend Coulthard, in aid of The Laureus Sport for Good Foundation.

The winning bidder will witness first-hand the incredible speed and handling of this supercar as it is tested to its limits by one of the best drivers in the world.

The winner will pick up tips from DC, as they will be attempting to show off their own driving skills after. The Mercedes SLS-AMG epitomises high performance. From its AMG 6.3 litre V8 engine, the SLS AMG, a twenty-first century reincarnation of the legendary 300 SL, is guaranteed to thrill. With a top speed of 197 mph and 0 - 62 in just 3.8 seconds, the driver is guaranteed to experience the drive of their life.

The David Coulthard experience will take place on the 9th of January 2015 at Mercedes-Benz World, a facility at the historic Brooklands motor racing circuit in Weybridge, Surrey.

CharityStars was founded in 2013 and MD Robert Robinson said: "We are absolutely delighted to be bringing CharityStars to the UK, we truly believe the platform will help revolutionise fundraising here. We have been particularly overwhelmed by the support from very high profile individuals who simply want to raise money for fantastic causes."

So head to CharityStars to join the bidding.

[MIKA27]

Why Ferrari Formula 1 team's axe keeps falling

Failing to win the Formula 1 world championship is usually seen as a disaster for Ferrari, so failing to win a race in any given season must be virtually unthinkable.

But that's exactly where the Scuderia found itself in 2014 - enduring its first winless F1 campaign since 1993.

Not traditionally a team known for its patience, Ferrari has acted with a ruthless sweep of its human resources broom. Italian equivalents of the P45 form have flown all over Maranello.

News that engineering director Pat Fry and chief designer Nicolas Tombazis will leave the team is the latest development in a wide-reaching restructure that has encompassed change at the very top of the company.

During this year alone, Ferrari has changed president, team principal (twice), and reshuffled its engine department.

A disappointing season on-track led to un-resolvable tension with star driver Fernando Alonso (since departed for McLaren), and now further heads have rolled in the design office and the engineering department.

Just before taking over from Luca di Montezemolo in the autumn, Sergio Marchionne - the CEO of parent company Fiat - described the Scuderia's 2014 performance as "unacceptable", and it seems Fry and Tombazis are the latest to pay the price for that.

YEAR OF TRANSITION

But 2014 was always likely to be a transitional year for Ferrari. James Allison joined as technical director from Lotus in September 2013, too late to have as significant an influence over the F14 T as he would have liked.

There were some reasons to be optimistic on the chassis side, as the car seemed to be a small step forward aerodynamically compared to recent years.

If that trend continues, it will correct a weakness that has held Ferrari back for the past half-dozen years.

But the engine was the main weakness of the package, not the chassis. There's a tremendous irony in the fact that Ferrari - historically a vocal advocate of the need for engine building to be crucial in F1, rather than the aerodynamic battleground dominating - suffered most from the introduction of 1.6-litre, V6 turbo hybrid power units this year.

Those at Maranello didn't have the hybrid technology of the ERS era in mind when hoping for change. Even so, its power unit package was bitterly disappointing. In terms of peak power, it was in the region of 40bhp down on Mercedes, and that deficit played a major part in Ferrari's struggles on track this year.

Surprisingly, it wasn't just the ERS package that stymied Ferrari, for there were weaknesses in the conventional parts of the power unit that you would not expect from a team that, historically, has prided itself on engine building.

That's why there was so much agitation about lifting the engine freeze - work that Marco Mattiacci undertook with vigour before Maurizio Arrivabene replaced him as team principal at the end of the season.

But, as Fry pointed out to AUTOSPORT before he lost his job, Ferrari needs to make strides in all areas if it is to start challenging for championships again.

"The problems are across all areas," he said. "Our aero compared to Red Bull, you'd say we had a long way to move forward. If you compared our engine to Mercedes, you'd say we had a long way to go."

REASONS FOR OPTIMISM?

This was a season of politics, change and embarrassment for Ferrari.

Fortunately for the Scuderia, there is light at the end of the tunnel. If Allison is able to do things the way he wants on the technical side, and new signing Sebastian Vettel settles in and starts delivering the kinds of performances he did pre-2014, the future will start to look much brighter.

Four-time world champion Alain Prost said earlier this year that old giants like Ferrari and McLaren needed to radically change their thinking, after being out-foxed in recent seasons by newer, slicker teams such as Mercedes and Red Bull.

Both have undertaken massive restructuring as they seek to get back to winning ways. Only time will tell if they have made the correct calls.

[MIKA27]

Well That Didn’t Work: The Crazy Plan to Bring 6-Wheeled Cars to F1

Ronnie Peterson drives the #3 Elf Team Tyrrell Ford P34 six wheeler during practice for the Grand Prix of Monaco on 21 May 1977.

Formula One, the pinnacle of motorsport, is a game where gains are measured in millimeters. Aerodynamacists and engineers, designers and metallurgists pore over every tiny detail, looking for the slightest advantage, all while working within incredibly strict rules that govern what’s allowed and what gets you kicked off the track.

It wasn’t always that way. Back in the 1970s, F1 was chock full of experimental, borderline crazy ideas, and none walked the line as finely as the Tyrrell P34. The idea was simple: Instead of having just four wheels on a race car, designer Derek Gardner thought, six would be way better. It was a strange idea, but Elf Tyrrell Racing was willing to try it. The team’s great success in the early 70s, with Sir Jackie Stewart at the wheel, was behind it, and it was looking for an advantage. It settled on the six-wheeled P34, which made its competitive debut in the 1976 season.

The theory made sense: Having four 10-inch wheels at the front of the car, with two standard F1 tires at the back, would increase the contact patches of rubber on the road, providing greater traction for turning and braking. The smaller wheels also made for better aerodynamics. The P34 wasn’t the only six-wheeled F1 car of the era. Both Ferrari and McLaren experimented with the cars, but Tyrrell’s effort was the only one to actually race, and the other designs aimed to have four drive wheels rather than four wheels solely dedicated to steering. Ferrari actually put four wheels on a single axle, like a dually truck, while McLaren put four smaller wheels at the back to increase traction.

The outlandish design of the P34—it drew gasps from the crowd when it was unveiled—had its share of success. During the 1976 season, it earned 10 podium finishes, and Elf Tyrrell’s two drivers, Jody Scheckter and Patrick Depailler, earned a 1-2 finish at the Swedish Grand Prix. The team took third place in the Constructors’ Championship. Problem was, the P34 wasn’t especially good at finishing races, and in F1, reliability is a big deal.

Those four small tires had their upsides, but they caused a bunch of problems as well. For one, they rotated 1.6 times more than the larger rear tires did over the same distance, so they wore out quickly, significantly hindering performance. The faster spinning wheels also forced the brakes to work harder, which constantly overheated as a result. Throw in some engine and suspension problems, and the P34 notched eight early retirements to go along with its 10 top three finishes.

Things got way worse in 1977, when the team redesigned the P34. Wider and heavier than before thanks to some changes to the body aimed at improving aerodynamics, the car was totally unreliable, and its brake and tire problems hadn’t been solved. On the year, it managed just 4 podium finishes to go with 19 retirements. To make things worse, Goodyear, which at the time supplied tires for the sport, put more research time and dollars into improving the larger tires used by the rest of the field. The 10-inchers didn’t get better with time, so they were soon left behind.

The FIA eventually ruled that all cars competing in Formula One could have no more or fewer than four tires. The sport’s governing body isn’t big on allowing changes that put any one team far ahead of the others, and didn’t seem to like the idea that if the setup worked out its kinks, everyone else would have to adopt it. So that was the end of the six-wheeled racers.

Or so it seemed. A racing enthusiast named Simon Bull took a surviving P34 chassis and updated it to meet contemporary safety standards, adding custom 10-inch tires from Avon as well as brake cooling improvements, making for a significantly improved car. In 2000, he won the Thoroughbred Grand Prix Championship, a race for old F1 cars. Nonetheless, there’s no real hope of seeing the design return to modern racing. That’s too bad, since if its various problems were solved, we could have faster, sleeker, more maneuverable, and—most importantly—awesome looking cars today.

Nevertheless, the P34 remains one of the most recognizable and unique racing cars in all of motorsport history. Derek Gardner, thank you for your unique vision, even if it didn’t quite work.

[ptrthgr8]

I love the P34! That's what F1 is *supposed* to be about... pushing the limits, testing new ideas, thinking outside the box. No... that simply won't do. Today's F1 is all about phony greenyness, stunted competition, and limited innovation. But they tell us the racing is still the best in the world, so I guess that makes everything okay. Bah.

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk

[Lotusguy]

MERCEDES READY TO COMPROMISE TO END F1 ENGINE DISPUTE

Mercedes is reportedly ready to compromise amid the Formula 1 turbo engine regulations dispute which has bubbled throughout the post season.

Backed by struggling Ferrari and Renault, Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone is so concerned about the current turbo V6 rules that at Thursday’s Strategy Group meeting he will vote to repeal them for 2016.

He rails against the noise, the cost and the complexity, but his major issue is that the regulations as they stand could mean Mercedes’ huge competitive advantage is not tracked down even by 2020.

“We can all put our money together and have a wager that Mercedes will win the championship next year which is not really the sort of thing we are looking for,” he told reporters including Forbes’ Christian Sylt in London last week.

The latest situation has arisen after rivals Ferrari and Renault tried to get Mercedes to agree to relaxing the so-called engine development ‘freeze’ for 2015.

Those efforts failed, and so Mercedes is now facing the prospect of having the regulations scrapped completely for 2016 by being out-voted at the Strategy Group.

“Well we [Formula 1 Management] have six [votes] so if we have four teams want to do that, that’s ten. There’s 18 votes so that’s the majority,” said Ecclestone.

According to Sport Bild, the situation is giving Mercedes – who have said a wholesale regulation change could cause them to quit Formula 1 – pause for thought.

The publication said it has learned that Mercedes is contemplating a compromise solution, “Mercedes insiders have already indicated that they would supply their highly-complex and extremely successful hybrid system – without the basic V6 turbo – to the competition.”

“That way, the current regulations could be maintained without the opponents fearing years of Mercedes dominance,” revealed correspondents Ralf Bach and Bianca Garloff.

The report said the proposal of a standard, Mercedes-supplied hybrid system would be not unlike the standard McLaren-supplied electronic control units that are already deployed by every Formula 1 team up and down the grid.

MIKA: You have a team that design a brilliant engine, they are successful where others have failed, they all had the same time to develop their engines yet the likes of Ferrari who had their era winning consecutive world titles, Red Bull winning consecutive world titles, BUT NOW these are the teams complaining about a team dominating a single season... Go figure!

Yeah, the whining sucks - but nowhere near as bad as the new engines suck.

They need to be scrapped and the V8s (better yet, V10s) brought back.

[MIKA27]

I love the P34! That's what F1 is *supposed* to be about... pushing the limits, testing new ideas, thinking outside the box. No... that simply won't do. Today's F1 is all about phony greenyness, stunted competition, and limited innovation. But they tell us the racing is still the best in the world, so I guess that makes everything okay. Bah.

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk

I can partly understand the Green side of Formula 1, unfortunately this is where the world is shifting toward and as much as I wholeheartedly dream of V10's back in Formula 1 along with a tyre war and refuelling, I sadly don't think these will ever return...

Long gone are the days where strategy played an enormous part in a race weekend where there were infinite strategies from fuel percentages and tyre choices to name a couple. IMO, that was what Formula 1 was all about, pushing boundaries WITHIN the rules, finding loop holes.

HOWEVER, why can't the FIA bring back the whole era of innovation, open the channels for teams to use aerodynamics and bring back legends such as Adrian Newey, to use their skills to their full potential!? There is so much F1 can do and still be greener, not necessarily PRIUS Green, but Green enough for Motorsport and still give the fans a REAL race.

I dream about strategies, aerodynamics, refuelling, Tyre Wars and V10 Engines. Even if the Engines are replaced with 8's and they allow the aforementioned to return, we would have one hell of a show that's for sure. The current turbo and Energy recovery systems are horrible. My Dyson is louder!

[MIKA27]

GUTIERREZ’S MEXICAN SPONSORS FOLLOW HIM TO FERRARI

Esteban Gutiérrez’s appointment as Ferrari reserve driver is already paying dividends for the team as the Mexican’s sponsors transfer their allegiance to Maranello’s coffers.

Ferrari announced that “that it has reached a sponsorship agreement with Mexican based America Móvil group, a leading telecommunications company, with presence in Latin America and Europe.”

“The agreement, which assigns to America Móvil the designation of Sponsor of Scuderia Ferrari, extends to its principal brands, including Telmex, Telcel and Claro, all market leaders in their respective countries of origin.”

“Starting from the 2015 Season, the brands’ logos will be visible on the Scuderia cars and on the race suits of its drivers Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen and its test and reserve driver Esteban Gutiérrez.”

[ptrthgr8]

The green argument is a weak argument. Nothing about F1 is green. What's the carbon footprint of moving teams around the globe in a season? It's a silly PC-fueled effort that serves to only bastardize the sport. It would be like the NFL trying to reduce head injuries by moving to touch football. It's completely stupid. This green argument has to stop. I'm pretty sure that volcano in Iceland (I won't even try to spell it. LOL) did more to harm the environment than all of auto racing around the globe has over the last 100 years. Guess what? The planet is still okay. Ditch the false restrictions and let the supposed pinnacle of motorsports get back to being awesome.

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk

[MIKA27]

The green argument is a weak argument. Nothing about F1 is green. What's the carbon footprint of moving teams around the globe in a season? It's a silly PC-fueled effort that serves to only bastardize the sport. It would be like the NFL trying to reduce head injuries by moving to touch football. It's completely stupid. This green argument has to stop. I'm pretty sure that volcano in Iceland (I won't even try to spell it. LOL) did more to harm the environment than all of auto racing around the globe has over the last 100 years. Guess what? The planet is still okay. Ditch the false restrictions and let the supposed pinnacle of motorsports get back to being awesome.

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk

AMEN Greg!!!!

[Baldy]

Besides the sound, I don't mind the new engines. I like the extra torque that are at the driver's foot and drivers are required to be drivers. Instead of encouraging passing via tire degradation I'd rather see better track design that allows the possibility of passing. My biggest issue with F1 is track design and whiny politics. I like the green push as I'm naive enough to believe that some of this technology can and should be transferable to new consumer road cars.

[MIKA27]

Besides the sound, I don't mind the new engines. I like the extra torque that are at the driver's foot and drivers are required to be drivers. Instead of encouraging passing via tire degradation I'd rather see better track design that allows the possibility of passing. My biggest issue with F1 is track design and whiny politics. I like the green push as I'm naive enough to believe that some of this technology can and should be transferable to new consumer road cars.

I've said it 1000 times, be rid of Herman Tilke and give the designing to new generation of people who might actually design a track that can be raced and passed on. Herman Tilke tracks are HUGE, massive run offs, YET, majority of these you can't pass another car!? I'm not a fan.

[MIKA27]

ECCLESTONE TAKES SWIPE AT TRIAL OUTCOME WITH CHRISTMAS CARD

Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has revisited his German bribery trial in a mischievous Christmas card depicting himself handing over $100 million to a masked highwayman pointing a pistol at him.

“This is not a robbery. I am collecting for the Bavarian state,” says the cartoon figure on horseback as Ecclestone holds the sack of money.

In a further greeting inside the card sent to Reuters, Ecclestone adds another tongue-in-cheek comment: “Maybe now we can have a Formula One race in the really nice city of Munich, Germany.”

Ecclestone paid $100 million in August under the terms of a settlement agreement with prosecutors to end the bribery trial in Munich.

The agreement meant Ecclestone, now 84, preserved his innocence and was spared the prospect of a lengthy trial. He had one week to pay the money — $99 million to the state and $1 million to a children’s charity — and did so.

Ecclestone had been accused of channelling cash to jailed BayernLB banker Gerhard Gribkowsky to smooth the sale of a major stake in Formula One to private equity fundCVC, now the largest shareholder in the business.

[MIKA27]

CVC BACKS ECCLESTONE AND APPOINTS MONTEZEMOLO TO F1 BOARD

CVC Capital Partners, the controlling shareholder of the Formula One Group, has announced the appointment of former Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo and former Diageo chief executive Paul Walsh to the board, and confirmed that Bernie Ecclestone will continue as the sport’s chief executive.

CVC made the announcement Thursday following weeks of speculation surrounding the future make-up of the governance of F1. Walsh had been linked to becoming the new chairman of the Formula One Group, an appointment that has been interpreted as one that would weaken Ecclestone’s powerbase.

Recent reports had suggested that Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, who also serves as chairman of confectionary giant Nestle, was planning to step down from his role as Formula One Group chairman following months of medical treatment. However, CVC today said that Brabeck-Letmathe would continue to serve as chairman of the board, with Walsh brought on as a non executive director alongside Di Montezemolo

Paul Walsh appointed to F1 board

Di Montezemolo in September ended speculation over his position at Ferrari by announcing that he would step down from his role at the Formula One team and car company. In announcing his departure, Di Montezemolo, one of the most influential figures in F1, said his decision to bring his 23-year spell at Ferrari to a close was influenced by the flotation plans of the new Fiat Chrysler Automobiles company, which was planned for the New York Stock Exchange in October.

CVC said that Ecclestone had been reappointed to the board and would continue as chief executive of the Formula One Group. The 84-year-old Brit’s position had been called into question since being cleared of bribery and corruption charges after standing trial in Germany earlier this year.

Ecclestone briefly stepped down from the Formula One Group board to concentrate on the bribery case in Germany. He revealed at the end of the 2014 season he would return to the board and confirmed last week that he had no intention of leaving it.

[MIKA27]

LOPEZ: WE OPENED THE DOOR TO FERNANDO

Before signing for McLaren, Lotus really was one of Fernando Alonso’s options for the 2015 Formula 1 season, according to team owner Gerard Lopez.”

As the long saga preceding the Spanish driver’s switch from Ferrari to McLaren played out, many teams in pitlane were linked with the double world champion.

With Mercedes‘ dominant works team all locked up, at the top of the list were the Mercedes-powered customers Williams and Lotus.

“It was a real option,” Lopez confirmed to Spain’s El Mundo newspaper. “We opened the door to Fernando, but it was clear that he had his objectives.”

Instead, Alonso has gone back to his old 2007 team, McLaren, where despite reports of exit clauses he openly admits he is unlikely to be a winning force from “day one”.

Asked if he thinks Alonso can win his long-awaited third title in Woking grey, Lopez answered: “I hope so. He is a driver who deserves to win at least one more championship. We’ll see if McLaren can do what it needs to do.”

“Everything takes time. It’s an adventure, we’ll see what happens,” Lopez added.

Alonso’s McLaren adventure is boosted by a man close to Lopez’s heart, Eric Boullier, the current team boss, “We signed Eric from GP2 and he was with us for four years.”

“He is an engineer and he knows the technical side, which is not always the case with Formula 1 people. It is not a guarantee of anything but it is a good starting point.”

Finally, in the wake of his recent outspokenness about the income crisis facing middle-ranked teams, Lopez was asked if he can imagine joining the list of potential successors to the 84-year-old Bernie Ecclestone.

“I don’t think so,” the Luxembourger answered. “It is actually unthinkable because I have many businesses and could not attend to what Formula 1 needs from a chief executive.”

[MIKA27]

HORNER HAPPY TO HAVE ILLIEN WORKING WITH RENAULT

Christian Horner has confirmed that Red Bull‘s V6 power unit supplier Renault is now working with engine guru Mario Illien.

As the French engine marque faltered at the start of the new ‘power unit’ era, reports Renault had turned to Illien – one of the most famous engine specialists in all of motor sport – and his company Ilmor began to swirl.

Illien was then spotted in the Red Bull garage in Abu Dhabi.

“It is great that Renault are now working with Ilmor,” Horner, boss of Renault’s works team Red Bull, is quoted by the French magazine Auto Hebdo.

“The company has been faced with similar problems in Indycar. Mario comes with a lot of experience and is able to look at the problems with fresh eyes and perspective.”

Horner also said Red Bull is playing an active role in helping Renault to chase down dominant Mercedes.

“I’m talking about modelling, simulation, optimisation of air flow, things like that — areas where we have some experience and we can help,” he revealed.

Mercedes’ rivals are having to simply up their game in the battle against Formula 1’s new power, given that efforts to change the engine rules for 2015 failed.

Lotus, on the other hand, is going from Renault to Mercedes for the 2015 season, with a team engineer revealing the extent of the problem to Auto Motor und Sport by revealing the switch “gives us 85 horse power more and 18 kilograms less”.

It’s an insight into the dilemma facing Mercedes’ rivals, who may be helped by Bernie Ecclestone at Thursday’s meeting of the Strategy Group.

The Formula 1 supremo is trying to scrap altogether the turbo V6 rules for 2016.

“I believe if you got everybody in the room, secret ballot, there would only be one company interested in retaining this engine, and that is Mercedes,” he said.

[MIKA27]

Alonso backs Ferrari to bounce back

Fernando Alonso believes Ferrari have what it takes to turn things around next year and return to winning ways.

The Italian marque are coming off a disastrous campaign as they finished a disappointing fourth in the Constructors' Championship while they also failed to win a race - the first time since 1993 that it has happened.

Alonso, of course, left the team for McLaren at the end of the season, but Ferrari have made several changes in an attempt to return to the front and the two-time World Champion believes it is only a matter of time.

"From the outside now it will be difficult to judge how Ferrari is doing, but they have the talented people, they have the resources, they have the motivation from everybody in the team, so in time they will win," he is quoted as saying by Autosport.

"I think what they missed these five years is just some more performance in the car, and technical resources per se.

"They have not been at the top level sometimes in the aspects of the car, in some of the aerodynamics in the beginning, and some of the power unit now.

"[but with] the budget they have, next year they will be favourites, because every season the favourites at the start will be Ferrari.

"They must be: everyone is expecting Ferrari to win in Formula 1.

"Next year they will be very strong."

[MIKA27]

A year off for Jock Clear

Jock Clear, Hamilton’s senior performance engineer at Mercedes AMG Petronas is to move to Ferrari, to become the head of track engineering. Clear will spend most the next 12 months serving his notice, leaving James Allison to oversee things until then.

Clear started his career in the late 1980s at Lola before he joined Benetton in 1989 to work in composite design. In 1992 moved to Leyton House Racing before moving on to Team Lotus, where he began to work more as a race engineer. When Lotus closed down he ended up at Williams, working with David Coulthard and then Jacques Villeneuve joined Williams. The relationship was rewarded with the World Championship in 1997 and Clear then followed Jacques to British American Racing. He stayed with the team, working with Takuma Sato in 2004-2005, Rubens Barrichello in 2006-2009 and in recent years with Michael Schumacher and then Lewis Hamilton.

MIKA: I had the opportunity to meet Jock Clear back in 2002 at the Melbourne Grand Prix. I was fortunate to sit and have a coffee with him and some of his crew as I was back then dating a girl who had ties with the Paddock Club. A real stand out guy.

[MIKA27]

Force India gunning for Williams next season

Force India are hopeful that the improvements they've already found and will find before the start of the 2015 season will be enough to see them chasing Williams.

The outfit finished sixth in the standings with half Williams' total points tally, but technical director Andrew Green reckons they weren't that far behind over the course of 2014.

"At the beginning of the season there was quite a big group of cars behind us and we looked quite tasty," he explained to Autosport. "What happened over the course of the season was that teams popped into that gap.

"It looks like we've effectively gone backwards in the rankings, but our performance relative to the top guy hasn't really changed that much."

Looking ahead to next year, Green is confident they can close up to Williams with the aerodynamic improvements they've found and the engine upgrades Mercedes will introduce.

"Hopefully we can get up and at least be chasing Williams," he said.

"That should really be where we're at, and I think we can do that with all the things we're putting in place for next year, and the windtunnel testing.

"Mercedes are [also] doing a good job with the engine over the winter," he added. "We're very excited about what they're bringing for next year and what we've learned to add to next year's car.

"I think we should be back where we were at the beginning of the season."

[CQloh]

ECCLESTONE TAKES SWIPE AT TRIAL OUTCOME WITH CHRISTMAS CARD

Paid his way out of bribery and still makes a joke out of it all... ahh Bernie.. thats why motorsports loves you.

Thanks MIKA.. i still find it amazing that i get more F1 news on FOH than i do anywhere else, web, print or otherwise. Keep up the good work!

[MIKA27]

VERGNE REPLACES DE LA ROSA AS FERRARI TEST DRIVER

Frenchman Jean-Eric Vergne has replaced Spaniard Pedro De la Rosa as Ferrari test driver, the Formula One team said on Friday.

Vergne, who raced for the Italy-based Toro Rosso team this year, will focus mainly on car development work in the simulator.

Mexican Esteban Gutiérrez has already been appointed as test and reserve driver, while Spaniard Marc Gene and Italian Davide Rigon will also carry out some testing duties.

“I feel very honored to be joining the Ferrari family and becoming a part of the most prestigious team in the history of Formula One,” said Vergne in a statement.

“The objective is…to help the Scuderia get back to the top step of the podium.”

Ferrari are going through a major overhaul after experiencing their first season without a race win since 1993. Spaniard Fernando Alonso has also left the racing lineup, his place taken by quadruple champion Sebastian Vettel.

Pedro dela Rosa test driver for Ferrari

De la Rosa was appointed Ferrari test driver at the start of the the 2013 F1 season, and did pre-season testing duty for the team. Prior to that he drove for HRT and Sauber. He was also long time test driver for McLaren from 2003 and 2009, for whom he also raced in 2005 and 2006.

Vergne was promoted through the Red Bull young driver programme to Toro Rosso, with whom he competed in 58 grands prix. He was snubbed by Red Bull when Daniel Ricciardo was promoted, forcing Vergne to stay another year with Toro Rosso alongside Russian rookie Daniil Kvyat.

Vergne again missed out on a move to Red Bull as the Russian was given the nod instead. For a while it appeared that the Frenchman would continue for another season to mentor young Max Verstappen, but instead he was axed and replaced by Carlos Sainz in the Toro Rosso team.

On 13 December Vergne made his debut in the FIA Formula E Championship with Andretti Autosport. In Uruguay, he secured pole position at his debut race.

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THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY OF FORMULA 1 IN 2014

Formula 1 entered a brave new world in 2014 but sometimes the glamour sport seemed more cruel than cool, and more determined to alienate than attract new fans.

There was plenty to savour, of course, with dominant Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg taking their wheel-to-wheel duel down to the wire in one of the great rivalries of recent years.

Amid all the flare-ups and frostiness, culminating in the ‘Duel in the Desert’ showdown also known as ‘Abu Double’, Formula One presented a compelling storyline at the start of a new V6 turbo hybrid era.

When Hamilton took his 11th win of the campaign, he became the first ‘Silver Arrows’ driver to take the title since Juan Manuel Fangio in 1955 and the first Briton to become a multiple champion since Jackie Stewart in 1971.

Jules Bianchi is treated at the scene of the accident at Suzuka

If that recalled glories of old, with Hamilton in tears as he celebrated his second crown, the ‘cruel sport’ also revived darker memories.

Only months after marking the 20th anniversary of Brazilian Ayrton Senna’s death at Imola in 1994, Formula One endured its worst moment since that last driver fatality.

Jules Bianchi, racing for the struggling Marussia team, skidded off at a wet Japanese Grand Prix in October and slammed into a recovery tractor. The Frenchman suffered severe brain injuries and remains critical.

The tragedy hung over the next race in Sochi, the first ever held in Russia, and the remainder of a season that had started with Michael Schumacher fighting for his life after a skiing accident.

Double points in Abu Dhabi was unnecessary and unpopular

Formula One also sustained self-inflicted wounds, notably the controversial double points experiment at the Abu Dhabi finale.

Fans saw it as a needless gimmick, introduced after Red Bull‘s Sebastian Vettel won four titles in a row and the last nine races of 2013, and it will not return in 2015.

The man behind it, commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone, was busy on several fronts.

Those who had written off the diminutive 84-year-old billionaire were confounded when he extricated himself from a bribery court case in Germany by paying a $100 million fee.

The Briton was loud in criticising the quiet new engines that replaced the screaming V8s, and made more headlines by snubbing social media and suggesting the sport was more interested in wealthy 70-year-olds than the young.

Bernie Ecclestone grabbing headlines for all the wrong reasons

There was more negativity from those whose power units were no match for Mercedes, winners of a record 16 of 19 races with 18 pole positions and 11 one-two finishes.

By year end, the noise debate had died down but the good news story of cars racing hard and fast while consuming much less fuel was lost in wild talk of potential boycotts and arguments about money.

Marussia folded after missing the last three races while Caterham sat out two but made it to Abu Dhabi in the hope of finding a buyer.

The wrangling over revenues and costs, and fears that other small teams could also collapse, contrasted to the thrills on the track.

There were only three winners in 2014: Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg and Daniel Ricciardo

Hamilton and Rosberg were the main men but grinning Australian Daniel Ricciardo, in his first season with Red Bull, was a revelation as he took his first three wins and eclipsed Vettel.

Vettel shuffled off without a win to Ferrari, who drew a blank for the first time since 1993 and lost Fernando Alonsoas well as two team principals and chairman Luca di Montezemolo.

Alonso will hope for better at McLaren, who start their new Honda partnership seeking a first victory since 2012.

Williams, third overall, enjoyed their best season in more than a decade. Mercedes may have more of a battle next year.