FORMULA 1 - 2014

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A Trip Into The Unknown - How The Teams Will Approach The Melbourne Grand Prix:

After a winter in which they have coped with a huge rule change, introducing complex hybrid turbo engines, the F1 teams arrive in Melbourne less well prepared for the first race than at any time in recent memory. Only Mercedes and Williams can be said to have achieved the 5,000km target mileage in the three winter tests, while Ferrari were not far off with 500km less.

Others, like Red Bull (1,700km) and their fellow Renault powered teams including last year’s Melbourne winners Lotus, are underprepared and will find Melbourne a struggle this year.

Reliability of the new 1.6 litre engines with their powerful Energy Recovery Systems is the main concern, even for the Mercedes powered teams and we may well see half the field or more failing to reach the chequered flag.

The ERS will add a new dimension to the race strategy this season, with more options for drivers as they battle for position, in deploying the 160hp boost it gives. This will make the racing more “cat and mouse”, with lots of tactics at play in both overtaking and defending.

Releasing all of the stored energy in ERS in one lap will give a performance gain of around 1.5 seconds compared to not doing that. This is the best mode for a single qualifying lap, but in a race it might give short term gain but the system will need recharging on the next lap, so there is a trade-off.

Although the picture is sketchy, analysis of the lap times from the final test session in Bahrain early this month indicates that Mercedes have an advantage in performance and are therefore the favourites for the first Grand Prix. Williams and Ferrari are expected to compete for a podium finish. Behind them are the other Mercedes powered teams Force India and McLaren and after that it is hard to say who is where in the pecking order.

McLaren has won two of the last five Australian Grands Prix and Jenson Button is a three-time winner. Kimi Raikkonen has won the race twice, including last year. Of the current drivers Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton, and Fernando Alonso have all won once. So all five F1 champions in the field have won this race.

Track characteristics

[Map: FIA. Click to enlarge map]

Albert Park Circuit; 5.303 kilometres.

Race distance: 58 laps = 307.574 kilometres; 16 corners in total, none particularly fast.

Aerodynamic setup – Medium/high downforce.

Top speed 318km/h (with Drag Reduction System on rear wing) – 308km/h without.

Full throttle – 64% of the lap. Total fuel permitted for race distance: 100 kilos.

Time spent braking: 13% of the lap. 8 braking zones.

Brake wear: High.

Time needed for a Pit stop = 23 seconds – Pit lane = 280 metres

Fuel effect (cost in lap time per 10kg of fuel carried): 0.34 seconds

Weather forecast

The forecast for Saturday is for a warm dry day with temperatures around 28 degrees, while Sunday will be cooler with a 60% chance of rain.

Likely tyre performance

Pirelli tyre choice for Melbourne: Soft and Medium.

Although the arrival of the new technology is exciting and adds a new dimension to the tactical side of the racing, the tyres are still the primary consideration when It comes to race strategy planning.

The tyres this season are quite different from last year’s in that they are more durable. This is to deal with the greatly increased torque from the hybrid turbo engines, which causes wheelspin.

Pirelli’s objective was to make all four tyres in the range one step harder than last year. So the choice of soft and medium means that the option tyre (the soft) is two steps harder than Pirelli’s option tyre last year, which was supersoft.

The performance difference between the two compounds this year will be around 1.2 to 1.5 seconds per lap, which will mean that teams will seek to spend as little time on the medium as possible.

The tyres often experience graining at Albert Park. Graining is where the rubber shears away from the top surface, caused by a high level of sliding at high loads, both lateral and longitudinal. Lateral comes from sliding in corners, longitudinal comes from acceleration and braking.

Temperature has a lot to do with it, probably more than any other factor. If the tyres are being used below their operating range the rubber will be less compliant and will shear off more easily.

The track surface at Albert Park is quite old and has low micro and macro roughness, which basically means that the stones in it are small. The result of its age and smoothness is that the surface is very low grip and this means that the tyres grain laterally here because the car slides in the corners.

Number and likely timing of pit stops

As the pitlane in Melbourne is one of the longest of the season at 280 metres and because of the 60km\h limit, it is not desirable to make multiple stops.

Based on this, and all the above considerations, plus tyre performance data from testing, the expectation, before any practice running has been done, is that the teams will intend to make two stops in the race,

The first will be around lap 17 to 20 and the second around lap 40-45. Teams will want to spend as little time as possible on the slower medium compound tyre.

Chance of a safety car

The chance of a safety car at Albert Park is 60%, although there have been safety cars in four of the last six years. The average number of safety car interventions for the race is 1.7 (in 2006 there were four).

Recent start performance of drivers and teams

Starts are a critical part of the race and strategy can be badly compromised by a poor start, while good starts can make strategists change their plans in the hope of a good result.

As this is the first race of the 2014 season – no start data has been established yet.

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New engines are not much quieter than V8s – FIA

The new 1.6-litre V6 turbo engines being used this year are not significantly quieter than the V8s they are replacing, according to the FIA.

The sport’s governing body estimates the maximum volume of the new engines is around 134 decibels, down from 145 last year.

It claims the new engines are louder than the typical noise level at the front row of a rock concert (110 decibels) and above the threshold of pain (130 decibels). At close quarters the difference in volume will hardly be noticeable, it added.

The FIA’s head of powertrain Fabrice Lom pointed out similar capacity engines have been seen in Formula One before:

“In 1988, V6 turbo F1 engines were revving lower and had less capacity. Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost both had fans in those days and the show, as far as we remember, was quite good.”

Concerns have been raised over the reduced volume of the new engines. Marussia team president Graeme Lowdon said: “I hope we don’t lose the magic that happens in the garage when you take the lucky few people into that environment.”

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Bonus testing Clips

http://youtu.be/R346k7uV1N0

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Kehm: We are confident that Michael will pull through and wake up

There are small signs of encouragement in Michael Schumacher’s condition but the most successful former Formula One Champion of all time faces a long fight to recover after suffering severe head injuries in a skiing accident, his agent said on Wednesday.

“We are and remain confident that Michael will pull through and will wake up,” his agent and spokeswoman, Sabine Kehm, said in a written statement.

“There sometimes are small, encouraging signs, but we also know that this is the time to be very patient,” she added.

Schumacher, 45, slammed his head on a rock while skiing off-piste in the French Alps resort of Meribel on 29 December.

The seven-time world champion has been in a “critical but stable” condition since then in a hospital in the eastern French city of Grenoble where doctors started lowering his sedation at the end of January to wake him up from an artificial coma.

“It was clear from the start that this will be a long and hard fight,” Kehm said.

“Michael has suffered severe injuries. It is very hard to comprehend for all of us that Michael, who had overcome a lot of precarious situations in the past, has been hurt so terribly in such a banal situation.”

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2014 F1 Season: Driver helmets

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Button: Losing Dad, it’s a stake through my heart

Jenson Button has for the first time spoken in public about the anguish that he feels having lost his father John in January, and how the loss has torn at him yet at the same time shed fresh light on his father’s generosity.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Button said of his father’s passing, “It’s a stake through my heart. It’s been a pretty strange couple of months…I would say horrific.”

John Button was a popular figure in the paddock where he had been a permanent fixture since his son made his Formula 1 debut at the 2000 Australian Grand Prix.

“In a certain way it has been nice too to hear all the good stories about my father, about how helpful he was to people, including things I didn’t even know about. It’s great seeing how many people he touched,” admitted Button

“Somebody wrote: “Don’t think it will go back to normal, it won’t, but don’t be ashamed of having a joke and a laugh because it is what John would have wanted”.

John was the rock on which Jenson’s racing career was built, and remained so until the final grand prix he attended in Brazil last year. Always in the backgorund, but also always there for his son.

“Like it or not, he was the last person to give me a cuddle and a hug before a race. He always made sure of it,” said Button who called his dad Papa Smurf.

Looking ahead to the Australian Grand Prix, where for the first time since Brazil 2001, his father John will not be present, Button said, “If I make the podium it will be unbelievably emotional and if it is a bad race it will be emotional too because I’ll remember how he would try to lift me in that situation.”

“He would be bright. It was sometimes an odd feeling him trying to look for the positives when things hadn’t gone so well.”

Button travels to Melbourne to take part in his 250th grand prix weekend.

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Marko: If our disastrous state does not change soon, I could not blame Vettel for thinking about a change

Red Bull needs to up its game or risk losing Sebastian Vettel, admits Helmut Marko, as quadruple reigning world champion Vettel prepares to either retire or finish outside the points as the 2014 season kicks off this weekend in Melbourne.

Marko admitted to Bild newspaper: “If our disastrous state does not change soon, I could not blame him for thinking about a change.”

Vettel, 26, sat down with his mechanics in Melbourne on Tuesday for his traditional pre-season dinner, where he named his uncompetitive RB10 car an unspectacular ‘Suzie’.

Marko told Sport Bild magazine: “After the test in Bahrain, we would be happy if we finish in the points in Australia.

“We know that we have a good car,” he added, “but we’ll only know if the engine is good if we get it to work properly. The decisive factor is the new software that our engineers wrote for Renault.”

But for now Vettel is taking the situation in good spirits, saying ahead of Melbourne, “It’s great to be starting the season next week. We didn’t do as much running as we would have liked in testing this year, so we have work to do in Melbourne, but it will be good to get to the first race.”

“It’s hard to know where we are; it’s fair to say that we’re not the favourites to win and we have to catch up with others that have completed more mileage, but we’ll do our best with the great people that we have working for the team.”

“We have achieved a lot together and I know everyone is working flat out as normal,” added the world champion.

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McLaren to feature black streaks on 2014 race livery

McLaren, who have yet to announce a title sponsor, have tweaked the livery of their 2014 Formula 1 cars ahead of the Melbourne season opener.

The Mercedes-powered car launched by the Woking based team and tested throughout the winter was all silver, with ‘MP4-29′ marked on the silver sidepods in the wake of title sponsor Vodafone’s departure.

But spotted in the Albert Park pitlane on Tuesday was revised bodywork for the MP4-29′s sidepods, featuring detailed black livery markings reminiscent of the team’s old ‘West’ era.

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Former Mercedes F1 boss Haug returns as DTM pundit

Norbert Haug is returning to motor racing using his expertise and experience as a pundit.

Having resigned as Mercedes’ motor sport chief, the 61-year-old found a new job at a German company specialising in vehicle mobility for disabled people.

But Bild newspaper now reports that Haug is set to be the new main pundit for the ARD broadcaster, in the German coverage of the DTM touring car series.

Haug would not confirm the news, but Bild claims that the deal was agreed on Tuesday.

Niki Lauda, the Mercedes Chairman who is the face of German broadcaster RTL’s Formula 1 coverage, said: “Norbert, welcome to the club! I am happy for him.

“It is understandable that [Mercedes' DTM rivals] BMW and Audi are not thrilled, but I have never had a problem with being objective. And Norbert will not either,” he insisted.

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Lauda annoyed by constant Schumacher rumours

Niki Lauda has admitted to being annoyed and saddened by the constant, unofficial reports of Michael Schumacher’s medical condition.

While official news is scarce, publications continue to speculate about the great seven time world champion’s health and prospects in the wake of his late December skiing crash and resultant coma.

“Unfortunately, at the moment there is no news,” triple world champion and Mercedes Formula 1 Chairman Lauda told the Austrian broadcaster ORF.

“But the reports are constantly appearing, and it saddens me because every day I wait for some encouraging news that the situation is beginning to improve,” he said.

“Recently it was reported that Michael can breathe on his own, which would be great news but then it turned out to be wrong,” said Lauda, who is still scarred from his near-fatal Nurburgring crash in 1976.

“I am annoyed by these reports,” he admitted. “Nevertheless, we are all waiting for better news.”

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Formula 1 will not boycott Russian GP says Lauda

Niki Lauda has dismissed suggestions that Formula 1 should boycott October’s inaugural Russian Grand Prix.

Amid the escalating crisis in the Crimean peninsula, it has been suggested that part of the sanctions against Russia’s behaviour should be to scrap the new Vladimir Putin-sponsored Formula 1 race in Sochi.

Even after the Ukrainian situation worsened, president Putin met with Bernie Ecclestone in Sochi and said that the Formula 1 race would be “a bright, beautiful addition” hot on the heels of a successful winter olympics.

When asked if Russia’s sanctions should include a boycott of its grand prix, Mercedes’ Formula 1 Chairman Lauda answered: “That is completely pointless.

“All those responsible have decided that we are [going to be] racing there,” he told German television RTL, “so in this case we have an obligation, and that extends to Bernie Ecclestone and the FIA.”

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Berger says new V6 turbo era is pure Formula 1

Gerhard Berger has changed his tune and is no longer critical of Formula 1′s technological revolution which comes into effect at the season opening Australian Grand Prix.

Having counted himself among the ‘purists’ who dislike the complicated energy recovery systems and fuel-saving limitations, the former driver told APA news agency he has now changed his mind.”From my perspective,” he told the Austrian agency, “it is a big step forward.

“Until my visit to the Bahrain test, I was critical,” said 54-year-old Berger, currently recovering from badly breaking his arm in a skiing crash.

“At first I found it too technical, too complicated for the fans,” he explained. “But I need to revise that. This is pure Formula 1.

“The cars are 20 km/h faster on the straights and they also have real power out of the corners.”

10-time grand prix winner Berger, perhaps best known as Formula 1 legend Ayrton Senna’s McLaren teammate, also said he has no problem with the milder tones of the new V6 engines.

“The criticism of the sound is coming mainly from people who have not heard them,” he said.

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New Nurburgring owner to keep affordable grand prix

The future of Formula 1 at the legendary Nurburgring now appears brighter, after the embattled German Grand Prix venue was bought for a reported €100 million.

A week ago, it was reported that Miami-based private equity company HIG Capital was a notable bidder for the fabled venue, having pledged €60-70 million.

But it is now confirmed that the buyer is in fact a Dusseldorf based automotive group called Capricorn.

Company boss Robertino Wild confirmed the news at a press conference, saying that Capricorn is committed to keeping Formula 1 at the Nurburgring “as long as it remains affordable”.

SID news agency said Capricorn is paying €77 million euros, as well as immediately pumping in an additional 25 million to invest in the circuit.

Wild said the Nurburgring will “basically go as it was before”, with the exception of the ‘disastrous’ amusement park, which is to be shut down.

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Caterham and eyewear company announce parnership

Press Release: Modo, the eyewear company based in New York, has today been announced as Official Lifestyle Eyewear supplier to both Caterham F1 Team and Caterham Racing, Caterham’s GP2 team.

Alessandro Lanaro, CEO, Modo Eyewear commented: “Modo is excited to become Official Lifestyle Eyewear supplier to Caterham F1 Team and Caterham Racing in GP2. We feel a great synergy with the technical excellence, innovative use of materials and the design beauty embodied in Caterham’s racing cars – our new Modo sunglasses collection exemplifies these characteristics perfectly. We are looking forward to the Australian GP and, in particular, seeing our Modo logo going the fastest it has ever been! We are sure that every team member in both Caterham F1 Team and Caterham Racing will be great ambassadors for our high performance Modo sunglasses.”

Modo is an eyewear company born in New York as a symbol of individualism. With a vision of luxurious minimalism, Modo is laidback and effortlessly chic. Its philosophy is to constantly innovate through materials, technology and handcrafted details for the perfect fit and finish. Modo is for those who inspire others by expressing themselves. Modo is distributed worldwide with offices in New York, Milan, Stockholm and Hong Kong.

Modo Eyewear active sunglasses feature a “biotechnology” material. Such bio-based polyamide is extremely light, highly flexible and impact resistant and snap-on temples provide an additional safety component. Modo’s High Chromatic Definition (HCD) sun-lenses are manufactured with polycarbonate, polarized, impact resistant, anti-smudge and anti-reflective technology, representing the best in optical quality combined with performance elements, making them ideal for driving and active sports in general.

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Ferrari pair target podium

Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso have set their sights on finishing on the podium at the season opener at Australia.

Ferrari didn't really set the world alight during pre-season testing and, as is always the case when there are major rule changes, it is difficult to know the order of the grid ahead of the Albert Park race.

Raikkonen, who returned to Ferrari this year after spending the past two seasons at Lotus, will be aiming for a top-three finish.

"It is difficult to say [if Ferrari can win]," the Finn is quoted as saying by Autosport. "It is the aim for sure, but there are so many unknowns coming this weekend.

"Maybe we did not have the best test in the last days, but I think we have done most of the things that we were planning to do.

"We have to see how we start, try to do our best and try to be up there, finish the race and hopefully be on the podium at least.

"We can only do our best and see where we end up, and if we do everything right we should be up there."

Team-mate Alonso is also not setting his sights too high as the first race can always through up some interesting results, but he admits getting onto the podium is one of their goals.

"We need to see where we are and how competitive we are," the Spaniard said. "I think we cannot be too pessimistic or too optimistic, because it is probably a blind race for everybody in terms of performance.

"If we do everything right then the points and even the podium is a possibility. If we do a very small mistake, maybe the race is over this year - we need to concentrate 100 per cent."

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FIA confirms Q3 changes to encourage more running

The FIA has confirmed further changes to qualifying ahead of the first race of the season.

Updated Sporting Regulations published by the FIA today include a series of changes intended to encourage drivers who reach the final stage of qualifying to set a time.

Any driver who reaches Q3 must now start the race on the set of tyres which he set his fastest time with in Q2. As before, this only applies if dry weather tyres were used for both Q2 and the start of the race.

Every driver will also be allocated an additional set of “option” compound tyres. Those who reach Q3 may only use it in that part of qualifying, and those who do not reach Q3 may only use them during the race.

This increases the total allocation of dry-weather tyres for each driver this year to 13. This is an increase from 11 last year, including the extra set of “prime” specification tyres for first practice which was previously announced.

The durations of two of the sessions have also been changed. Q3 has been extended by two minutes to 12 and Q1 shortened by a corresponding amount, in order to give drivers more time to set laps in Q3.

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Melbourne grand prix: Remember When Ralf Schumacher took to the air

The 2002 Formula 1 world championship got off to a flying start – quite literally – at the Albert Park Circuit in Australia following a dramatic first corner crash.

Rubens Barrichello had secured pole position for Ferrari on Saturday afternoon, with team-mate Michael Schumacher and the German’s brother Ralf – racing for Williams – rounding out the top three.

The cars assembled on the grid, the lights went out and the season got underway. Barrichello and Ralf Schumacher made strong starts and pulled ever so slightly clear of the field on the run to turn one. With the inside line covered, the Williams driver took to the outside.

However, Barrichello swiftly moved across the track in the braking zone, catching Ralf by surprise. The Williams FW24 made contact with the rear of Barrichello’s Ferrari, sending him into the air and over the Brazilian’s car. Chaos ensued behind as Schumacher took to the gravel trap and Barrichello spun across the track.

Giancarlo Fisichella, Felipe Massa, Nick Heidfeld, Jenson Button, Olivier Panis and Allan McNish all retired from the race after being caught up in the mayhem. With his two nearest competitors failing to finish, the path was cleared for Michael Schumacher to win the opening round of the 2002 championship from Juan Pablo Montoya and Kimi Raikkonen.

Due to the first lap accident, only eight drivers were classified by the chequered flag. Eddie Irvine finished in fourth and Mark Webber – on his debut for Minardi – crossed the line in fifth. Mika Salo, Alex Yoong and Pedro de la Rosa rounded out the finishers.

http://youtu.be/evwB22JqRsU

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Horse Power – Shell & Ferrari’s journey to 2014

Some more bonus material for you, fellow BOTL - Enjoy the beginning of the F1 season!

Shell and Ferrari have a long history together and to help set the stage for the 2014 Formula 1 season, they have created a new video called Horse Power.

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McLaren unveils special one-off Mobil 1 livery

McLaren has revealed that it will run a one-off livery to celebrate its 20-year partnership with oil and fuel supplier Mobil 1.

The ExxonMobil company will be celebrating its 333rd race as a partner of McLaren. As part of a one-off branding deal, the MP4-29 will feature a new black and silver livery with large Mobil 1 branding on its sidepods.

Speaking about the event, McLaren COO Jonathan Neale said: "We are priviledged to have worked closely with ExxonMobil. During 332 races together, we have achieved four world championships, 78 wins, 229 podium finishes and 76 pole positions - a huge testament to our powerful technology partnership.

"Seeing Mobil fuels branding on the MP4-29 is a great recognition of the relationship's contribution to performance over our two decades together."

Artis Brown, Mobil 1's global motorsports manager, added: "To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Mobil 1's relationship with McLaren, we are looking forward to showcasing a special branding scheme during the first race of the 2014 season.

"There is a lot of energy entering this race. Not only are we celebrating our 20th anniversary with McLaren, but we are also welcoming Kevin Magnussen into the team. When you combine these elements with the introduction of the new V6 engine, this should be a very exciting weekend. "We are proud to celebrate our relationship with McLaren this weekend and are looking forward to an exciting season."

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Bonus Insight - Regulation changes explained by Red Bull

Enjoy guys, Day 1 for the 2014 F1 weekend, I can't stop posting these bonus clips.

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Driver weight still a major talking point ahead of 2014 season

Formula 1 drivers who have been skipping dessert and working out throughout the winter ‘holiday’ period, as the much heavier turbo V6 and energy recovery systems debut, are bemoaning the effects of the weight loss.

Bild newspaper said the already-slight Nico Rosberg dropped 3 kilograms since the last race of 2013, while his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton, who had a visibly muscular upper body in the last couple of seasons, has lost even more.

“Unfortunately,” said the Briton who has lost 4 kilos, “getting rid of muscle is harder than getting it. It was the hardest winter of my life.”

Daniel Ricciardo has also lost 4kg, with Red Bull team boss Christian Horner joking: “If it was up to Adrian Newey, our drivers would have lost about 15kg each!”

It is believed most cars are now close to if not slightly over the mandatory minimum car-plus-driver weight of 691kg.

Perhaps the lightest driver in the field is Felipe Massa, who tips the scales at just 58kg.

“I’ve never been as happy as I am now to be small,” the little Brazilian grinned, with Bild reporting that the competitive Williams is below the 691kg limit, crucially allowing engineers to place ballast in the ideal places.

According to former Formula 1 driver Heidfeld, however, even the lightest cars in 2014 are now way too heavy, but the weight limit is being further increased for 2015, to 701kg.

“I don’t like how the cars keep getting heavier,” German Heidfeld, now a Le Mans driver who last raced in Formula 1 in 2011, told T-Online.

“In my day we were at 600kg, soon it will be 700. The higher weight means the cars get slower and slower — 100kg is something like three to four seconds per lap.

“It is also against the spirit of the times, as the trend is exactly the opposite in street cars,” Heidfeld added.

As for the likely pecking order in Melbourne this weekend, 36-year-old Heidfeld agrees that Mercedes looks better prepared than its rivals for 2014.

“How Ferrari will go is very speculative,” he said, “but I want to emphasise that the track in Melbourne is not a good gauge anyway.

“I think we will only see a trend after the first three or four races,” he added.

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Todt says FIA still supports under fire Ecclestone

Even amid the bribery scandal, FIA president Jean Todt continues to support embattled Formula 1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone.

Earlier, a co-owner of the sport, the Norwegian central bank Norges’ Yngve Slyngstad called on the 83-year-old Briton to be “suspended” while he faces criminal charges in Germany.

But Todt told the Telegraph: “At the moment, he (Ecclestone) is not guilty.

“Has he done a good job? He has done an outstanding job. That’s the only thing I concentrate on,” the Frenchman added.

Todt also told Germany’s Welt newspaper this week: “Without him, Formula 1 would not have become the global business that it is today.

“Some day in the future Formula 1 will have to do without him, but that’s the case for all of us.

“Currently, the relationship between the FIA and Bernie Ecclestone is not affected,” he insisted.

And Todt said there is currently no sign that Formula 1′s owners, CVC, have a different view.

“When CVC … want to move him on, they will let me know as president of the FIA,” he told the Daily Mail. “There has been no talk of that with them.”

Where Todt and Ecclestone do differ is on the sport’s all-new and revolutionary look for 2014, with the Briton recently slamming the “farce” of unreliable cars and disliking the milder V6 engine tones.

Todt, however, is unapologetic.

“If we had not gone this way,” he told Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport, “some manufacturers might have gone away.

“I’m not sure if Mercedes would have stayed or whether Honda would have come back,” added Todt.

Meanwhile, as one of the injured Michael Schumacher’s closest friends who visits the great German in hospital almost daily, Todt insisted he still has high hopes of a recovery.

“I can tell you that we still have big hopes for Michael,” he said.

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Hamilton preferred handling and sound of 2013 car

Lewis Hamilton says he preferred the feel of driving last year’s Mercedes compared to his current car.

The new formula for 2014 has provoked different responses from the drivers who have described the cars as offering less grip but enjoying the increase in torque from the new engines.

Acknowledging that his current car has much development still to come, Hamilton said: “Naturally I think – I probably speak for all of us – that last year’s car felt better.”

“Perhaps a little bit nicer to drive, we had lots more downforce. But that was a car that was in its fourth year of evolution so now we’re in a new phase and it’s something that just takes some time to get used to.

“The sound, for example, is not as impressive as we had in that car But it’s still, once you get all the cars on the track on the grid, I’m pretty sure it’ll be impressive for fans still.”

Hamilton added his W05 was little changed from its last appearance in pre-season testing: “There’ll be a couple of things on the car but generally it’s going to look the same”.

[LLC]

Bonus Insight - Regulation changes explained by Red Bull

Enjoy guys, Day 1 for the 2014 F1 weekend, I can't stop posting these bonus clips.

Great video

[OZCUBAN]

Watching free practice one now live

Must admit this years F1 cars sound like **** like a fart in a bottle ,not impressed at all ,think FIA might have made a huge blunder and dropped the ball big time with reg changes for this year

Wouldn't be surprised if fans vote with there feet

Spit session finished LOL