FORMULA 1 - 2014

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Video - Red Bull RB10 versus Mercedes F1 W05

At last weekend's season opening Grand Prix in Australia it was Mercedes and Red Bull vying for pole position at Albert Park, and the same two teams ended up filling the top two spots on the Melbourne podium - initially at least. However, while their complex 2014 machines have both displayed high levels of performance, this has been achieved with vastly different design philosophies, particularly at the front of the car, as this technical video explains.

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Silverstone and Welsh grand prix circuit developers go to war

British Formula 1 Grand Prix hosts Silverstone have asked Prime Minister David Cameron to confirm that a proposed new circuit in South Wales will not receive government financial support.

Silverstone Circuits Limited, whose own track risks losing the British MotoGP round to the Welsh newcomer, said in a statement on Monday that they had sought clarification over how the Circuit of Wales in Ebbw Vale would be funded.

The BBC reported last week that developers behind the proposed £280 million ($461.85 million) venture wanted government in Wales and Britain to commit up to £50 million towards it.

The Heads of the Valleys Development Company has said it hopes to create 6,000 jobs. Others have criticised the scheme as a ‘white elephant’ that would not live up to its ambitious plans to regenerate a deprived region.

Silverstone said their own application for help, when they had sought support to secure the future of the British F1 race, was denied “on the basis that this would be classed as illegal state aid”.

“In the absence of such aid, Silverstone had to sell off assets to ensure the…British Grand Prix was retained in the UK,” it said.

The statement said it had no objection to competition but the addition of a government-funded circuit would threaten the British motorsport industry.

“It is Silverstone’s view that the Circuit of Wales project is unviable,” it added.

“Motor sport at circuit level is not particularly profitable and is often loss-making. Many UK circuits are under-utilised and struggle for revenue. It is unrealistic to suggest Circuit of Wales will be the exception.”

Statement from Heads of the Valleys Development Company

The Circuit of Wales has been made aware that an employee of Silverstone Circuits Ltd. has written to the Prime Minister to question the legality of public investment in the development.

It is important to note that the Circuit of Wales is located in one of the poorest areas of the country and as such it qualifies for support in encouraging economic activity. Any application for support, once made, will be fully appraised in line with existing policy and procedure.

Michael Carrick CEO of the Heads of the Valleys Development Company, commented: “We are disappointed to have heard of the content of this letter, it sounds like Silverstone is resistant to investment within the automotive sector which is vital to its continued growth and development in the UK. The suggestion of ‘ illegal state aid’ made by Silverstone also highlights they do not understand the basic process of applying for state funding of this nature.”

The government is keenly aware of the value that British technical leadership in motorsport brings to this country – not only in terms of its £9bn annual turnover but also the fact that almost 80% of global automotive research and development is carried out in the UK. At present, however, the sustainability of that industry is being called into question, with migration of key businesses in the sector being linked to an ageing and inefficient infrastructure.

Wales has shown its value as a hub for engineering excellence in relevant sectors such as the global aviation industry, where 160 companies employ 23,000 people and generate an annual turnover of around £5 billion. A significant number of ‘Tier 1′ automotive manufacturers, including Ford and Toyota, and serviced by an established, diverse supply chain – are also based in Wales.

The Welsh government and the local community in Blaenau Gwent understands and supports the Circuit of Wales both as a catalyst for economic growth and as a venue for world-class sporting entertainment.

For the first time since Britain built the world’s first permanent racetrack at Brooklands in 1907, we have the opportunity to create a bespoke venue from the ground up. The Circuit of Wales is a unique investment opportunity: a development designed to meet the public’s expectations of a modern sporting venue and the commercial imperative to deliver a business hub that will sustain and support the British motorsport industry. (Reuters & Press Release)

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Renault: Most issues are fixed and the remaining will be under control by Friday in Sepang

Most of the engine problems suffered by Renault-powered cars at the season-opening Australian Formula One Grand Prix have been resolved, the manufacturer said on Tuesday ahead of this weekend’s race in Malaysia.

Renault supply world champions Red Bull, their sister team Toro Rosso, Lotus and Caterham with the new V6 turbocharged power units.

Of the four teams, only Toro Rosso scored points in Melbourne with Red Bull’s world champion Sebastian Vettel retiring after a handful of laps and his Australian team mate Daniel Ricciardo disqualified from second place for excessive fuel flow.

Neither of the Lotus or Caterham drivers lasted long enough to see the chequered flag.

Renault Sport F1 track operations head Remi Taffin said in a preview for Sunday’s race at Sepang that the manufacturer was optimistic of a better showing two weeks on.

“We had several issues across the cars in Melbourne but we have recreated the problems in the dyno at Viry (the factory in France). Most are fixed and the remaining (ones) will be under control by Friday in Sepang,” the Frenchman said.

“While we anticipate further issues may occur we are much more able to react quickly to minimize their impact.”

Taffin cautioned however that Sepang would be far tougher on the new engines than it had been on the old V8s that were pensioned off last season.

“In the V8 era the circuit sat towards the middle of the table for the challenge it posed for engines but now it will be one of the toughest races of the year,” he said.

“The humidity in Sepang made it a little bit easier on normally aspirated engines since power comes down as the water content in the air increases. This means we were generally able to offset the impact of the two long straights. This year we won’t have this luxury.

“With a turbo engine the air intake is controlled at all times regardless of ambient conditions so those long straights will really start to hurt,” added the engineer.

The straights at Sepang are both more than 1 km long and will see the turbo revving at close to 100,000rpm for more than 10 seconds on each. Pressures within the combustion changer are almost twice as great as the V8.

High air temperatures also make choosing the right cooling level crucial.

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Formula 1 world shows empathy for flight MH370 tragedy

Formula 1 teams and drivers have expressed their sorrow ahead of the weekend’s Malaysian Grand Prix over the loss of the Malaysian Airlines flight MH370.

A spokesman for the Mercedes Formula One team told DPA on Tuesday the team’s two cars will carry a sticker with the the words “TributetoMH370″ for the grand prix weekend at the Sepang International Circuit near Kuala Lumpur.

At the traditional show run in Kuala Lumpur, the team’s cars carried the sticker “#PrayForMH370″.

The German team’s main sponsor is the Malaysian Petronas oil concern.

Both the team’s drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, sent similar messages of condolence via Twitter.

“All my prayers and sympathies go to the friends and families of the passengers on MH370 flight,” Hamilton wrote.

The Malaysian-owned Caterham F1 team also sent the Twitter message: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of those on board MH370.”

Malaysian authorities have concluded that the missing plane crashed in the southern Indian Ocean with the loss of all 239 people on board.

There is no suggestion that Sunday’s race, the second of the Formula One season, will be called off.

However, a concert ahead of the race featuring US star Christina Aguilera has been cancelled.

Petronas, which also sponsors the annual weekend concert, said it called off the show as “a sign of respect to the families and next-of-kin of the crew and passengers of flight MH370″.

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Magnussen: The car feels fantastic to drive and I’m really looking forward to Malaysia

McLaren rookie Kevin Magnussen was one of the stars of the show at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, and signalled his arrival on the big stage with second place in his debut Formula 1 race. He is now looking forward to race two of his career.

Speaking ahead of the Malysian Grand Prix weekend, Magnussen said, “There’s been no chance for a break since our encouraging result in Australia. Jenson and I both went back to Europe and spent a couple of days at the MTC to assess our performance in Melbourne and to work on our preparations for Malaysia. Equally, the designers and engineers have been working hard.”

“We showed in Australia that we can score good points if our car is reliable, and we need to consolidate that over the next few races – and one of the ways to do that is to make sure that we’re bringing new parts to the track as fast as, if not faster, than our chief rivals.”

Magnussen impressed on his debut, driving on a track he had never driven on before in a country he had never visited until the opening weekend of the season. Sepang presents a similar challenge for the young Dane.

“Sepang is a very different type of track from Albert Park. Melbourne was all about slow-speed corners and mechanical balance, whereas Malaysia is a real high-speed circuit, the corners are much faster and there’ll be more of an emphasis on aerodynamic performance.”

“I think it’ll be a tougher test than Australia – the ambient temperatures will make it tougher for the drivers; and the track temperatures will be higher too, which will make it harder on the tyres,” concluded Magnussen.

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Lopez: We got caught on the back-foot, the car is nowhere near where it should be

Lotus Chairman Gerard Lopez has admitted that that his team was caught on the back-foot at the season opening Australian Grand Prix earlier this month, and although he expects difficult times ahead, he also “sees light at the end of the tunnel”.

Speaking to The National during a function in Dubai to announce the extension of the team’s sponsorship deal with property developer Emaar, Lopez said, “We got caught on the back-foot. The first race was like a half-length testing session for us.”

“The car is nowhere near where it should be and yet, even then, had we finished the race with an adequate performance level, we could have been [in the] top 10. That is not catastrophic, but it is also not where we want to be.”

Lotus missed out on the first Formula 1 test of the season, opting to fine tune their radical E22 design instead of going to Jerez. Since then have been playing catch-up to their rivals.

Their plight was not helped by severe early problems with the all new Renault V6 turbo Power Unit which affected affected all teams using the French manufacturer’s F1 engines. In the end a frustrating pre-season for Romain Grosjean and team newcomer Pastor Maldonado who was drafted in to the team to replace Ferrari bound Kimi Raikkonen.

As for the turnaround for the Enstone based team, Lopez has set a deadline for the team, “The big one for everybody is Barcelona. We already have a new rear wing, new front wing and new floor for this weekend’s race in Malaysia, so we are pushing, but we must be cautious too. We don’t want to be left behind. By Barcelona, we must be absolutely performing.”

“Like everyone else, we had a major switch in technology and engines this year,” said Lopez. “At the next two races, we will do everything we can to do a good performance, but we are also very cautious about what to expect.”

“We will first try to finish, then score points, then score podiums. We know the car is competitive, so as soon as the engine is ready we should be back to where we believe we should be.”

“We are definitely still looking to take podiums eventually, but we appreciate that it could take some time,” concluded Lopez.

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Button: We’ve turned a corner and have a racecar we can definitely work with this year

McLaren endured a well below par season in 2013, but after a winter revolution at Woking the second most successful Formula 1 team in history have reversed the downhill trend and are firmly on the rebound, according to driver Jenson Button.

“Australia was a really motivational race for the entire team – even though we still have work to do, it feels like we’ve turned a corner, and that we have a racecar we can definitely work with this year,” said Button on the eve of the Malaysian Grand Prix weekend.

“It’s important that we keep pushing hard on the development front – we brought some useful upgrades to Melbourne, and it was encouraging that they worked straight out of the box, but it’s essential that we keep pushing new items through the development pipeline, especially at these flyaway races, where it’s harder to bring new parts to the circuit.”

Button won the Malaysian Grand Prix during his championship year back in 2009, and he has fond memories of the venue.

“Sepang is a great driver’s circuit, and even if we don’t have the overall downforce we want, we should have the balance and driveability to make the car work. And that’s really encouraging, because it means we go into a race weekend knowing that we can usually get the maximum from the car during the sessions and the race.”

“Even if we don’t yet have the pace to take the fight to the frontrunners, we should have a car that’s decent in every sector, and which we’ll be able to hustle through the race – and that definitely counts for something,” concluded Button who will be looking to add to his 15 grand prix victories, in Malaysia this weekend.

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Vettel: I am in good spirits! I knew that this year would be difficult…

World champion Sebastian Vettel has admitted he was taken by surprise when it emerged that the Red Bull RB10 was immediately competitive as the 2014 season kicked off in Australia earlier this month.

Team boss Christian Horner has this week been quoted as saying that the RB10′s performance was not a shock in Melbourne despite a disastrous winter season.

But Vettel, who saw his new teammate Daniel Ricciardo qualify and then finish second prior to his disqualification, has admitted that he was surprised in Melbourne.

“The result was no great surprise – what was a surprise was to see that the car is fast and that we can compete at the front. The potential is there,” the German told Bild am Sonntag newspaper.

“So it gives us hope and that’s why I’m in a good mood,” added Vettel.

After his four consecutive world championship successes, Bild reporter Nicola Pohl suggested to Vettel that he must be travelling to Malaysia feeling frustrated.

But he insisted: “I am in good spirits! I knew that this year would be difficult, but each season has its ups and downs. As for the car, there is still much to learn but there is no reason to hang the head.”

In Melbourne the quadruple world champion said, It’s obviously a tough step for all the teams, all the drivers, a lot of new things to get used to.”

“We know that obviously we’re not in the best shape yet. There are a lot of things we need to solve. Unfortunately, you can’t solve them overnight.”

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Lauda: I find it absurd that there are people who are upset about this new Formula 1

Mercedes boss and triple world champion Niki Lauda has hit back at the critics who are slamming the revolutionary new V6 turbo Formula 1 era.

Ron Walker, the Australian Grand Prix chief who is a key Bernie Ecclestone ally, is leading the charge by threatening to sue the sport and switch to Indycar racing after hearing the sound of the new turbo V6 engines.

“It would be a drastic change to switch to Indycar but we cannot go on like this,” he told Formula 1 business journalist Christian Sylt in the Independent.

Walker blames the FIA for presiding over the changes in spite of Formula 1 Chief Executive Ecclestone’s opposition.

“We did a survey of the fans and they don’t really care about saving fuel,” he said. “They want to go and see gladiatorial drivers fighting each other and not worry about the fuel that they use.”

But the loss of the normally-aspirated engine scream, Walker argues, is the main problem.

“It is hard enough to sell tickets now but this is arrogance at the worst from Jean Todt,” he said.

Whilst admitting that the engine noise lacks the drama of the past, however, Formula 1 legend Lauda’s view about the all-new Formula 1 era could not be in starker contrast.

He insists that his approval has “nothing to do” with Mercedes’ dominance in Melbourne.

“It was a demonstration of a modern, contemporary Formula 1,” he said of the Albert Park event.

“I just cannot understand and I find it absurd that there are people who are upset about this new Formula 1 after this very good race,” Lauda told the German newspaper Welt.

“This is now a racing category that is totally in tune with the technology trends,” he insisted.

“We now have a new age; new road transport needs, environmental initiatives, the development of hybrid cars and thinking about the quality of life of people in a highly technological world with all of its challenges.

“The old eight-cylinder engines were no longer appropriate,” said Lauda. ”The turbo technology gives us more power with less fuel and less noise and less environmental impact, with reduced carbon emissions.”

“For this reason Honda is coming into Formula 1 next year with Renault, Ferrari-Fiat and Mercedes, and perhaps other manufacturers will follow as well. So I see only advantages,” the Mercedes Team Chairman added.

As for the opponents like Ecclestone, Lauda countered: “I have to clearly contradict Bernie. The Formula 1 attraction is not defined by the noise.

“It is defined by the sporting action and as exciting a competition as possible with highly demanding and contemporary technologies and drivers who know how to handle these cars at the highest level.

“Just talking about the noise is absurd and incomprehensible to me,” he insisted. “We forget that these cars – because of their technology – are faster [on the straights] than the outdated eight-cylinders.

“What noise the exhaust makes has nothing to do with it, and this supposedly important emotional aspect, I cannot see it,” said Lauda.

“The idea to make these cars now artificially loud is the wrong direction and bizarre.

“Formula 1 is completely on the right track,” he added, “and as is the law in Formula 1 we must go as fast as possible forwards, not backwards. Everything else makes no sense to me.”

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Mediapro moves into Americas with major Formula 1 TV deal

In a move which could have repercussions across the South American sports media market, Spanish company Mediapro has acquired the rights to Formula 1 across the continent and plans to launch a channel dedicated to the sport.

Mediapro has secured Formula One rights, covering free-to-air and subscription platforms, from 2015 to 2019 across central and southern America and the Caribbean, areas which have a combined potential viewership of around 400 million.

The deal does not include Brazil, but includes key markets such as Mexico.

Unconfirmed reports suggested that the deal may be worth US$ 100 million to Formula One but the wider context is that it will represent a dramatic entrance by Mediapro into an increasingly competitive South American market, where ESPN and 21st Century Fox have already established themselves as the major sports pay-television players.

Mediapro, which is based in Barcelona, already holds the Spanish broadcast rights to Formula One, renewed its deal for a further two years to cover 2014 and 2015 in October last year.

The company said that sports rights made up around 35 per cent of the group’s overall turnover in 2013.

Meanwhile Bloomberg reports that Mediapro plans to start a regional 24-hour Formula One channel after acquiring the series’ rights for most of Central and South America and the Caribbean.

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Flashback: Heat, rain and good memories for Ferrari in Malaysia

Michael Schumacher celebrates victory in the 2001 Malaysian Grand Prix

This weekend’s race at Sepang will be the sixteenth Malaysian Grand Prix. All of them have been held at the 5.543 kilometre track, which is one of the most interesting on the calendar, notable for its suffocating heat, sudden downpours and high speed corners. Ferrari has won here six times, equivalent to a 40% success rate.

The first race dates back to 1999 and marked Michael Schumacher’s return to the cockpit after his accident at Silverstone. At the time, Eddie Irvine was still in the running for the title and Michael, always a team player, did his best to help him.

Having taken pole, Michael let his team-mate by and then became an insurmountable wall for Mika Hakkinen in the McLaren, thus taking second place for himself and keeping Irvine’s championship chances alive to the very last race.

Michael Schumacher won the 2004 Malaysian Grand Prix

Schumacher won here the following year, when he was already World Champion and again in 2001, when it rained in the race and Ferrari secured a memorable one-two.

Having gone off at turn six Michael and Rubens Barrichello dropped down the order and both came in for Intermediates, confident that the downpour would be brief. It turned out to be the right choice and they worked their way back to first and second.

Michael also won here in 2004, the year of his seventh and final title with the Maranello Scuderia. After a three year absence from the top spot in Malaysia, Kimi Raikkonen secured victory for Ferrari in 2008, with team-mate Felipe Massa following him for 31 laps before going off at half distance.

Fernando Alonso won the 2012 Malaysian Grand Prix

The last win for the Scuderia dates back to 2012 and the trophy bears the name Fernando Alonso, who on a wet track, managed to get the most out of the F2012, fending off the hard charging Sergio Perez in the Sauber.

Malaysia was also the scene of the last race to be red flagged and not restarted, with half points being assigned. That happened back in 2009, when for the first time, the race start was given at 17:00.

Heavy rain went on for much longer than expected, which meant a long wait on the grid, but by the time the rain had eased off enough to make racing possible again, night had fallen on the Sepang track. Jenson Button in the Brawn was declared the winner.

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Marussia hopes Red Bull lose Ricciardo disqualification appeal

Marussia CEO Graeme Lowdon is of the opinion that Red Bull should have accepted Daniel Ricciardo’s disqualification from the Australian Grand Prix.

Instead, the reigning world champions plan to argue in an April 14 appeal that it ignored the FIA-mandated fuel flow sensor in Melbourne because it was inaccurate.

The hearing will not be heard in Paris until after the forthcoming Malaysia-Bahrain double-header, raising the risk of more race exclusions for Red Bull.

“Do they continue their defiance and risk exclusion – and mounting punishments – or do they fall in line like the other teams?” Mirror correspondent Byron Young wonders.

Marussia’s Lowdon admitted that he hopes that the Red Bull appeal fails.

He said that if every team ignored Charlie Whiting’s “opinions” about how to interpret the technical regulations then “every single result would always be decided” after an appeal.

So if Red Bull wins this appeal, Lowdon thinks it would “open the floodgates” for more teams to ignore Whiting’s running guidance.

“It happens on things all the time,” said Lowdon. “It is an opinion [of Whiting's] and if we were just to ignore all of those opinions and constantly test them in a court then the sport would just stutter along endlessly.

“It really is going to be difficult for the sport to operate races in a way that the fans are going to understand if the advice is simply ignored because you can make a car go quicker,” he added.

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Mercedes designer doubts they will dominate season

Mercedes designer Aldo Costa says he doubts that the Silver Arrows will dominate the entire 2014 Formula 1 Championship season.

Lewis Hamilton took pole with the new W05 and Nico Rosberg dominated the season-opening race in Melbourne, with many observers believing the German driver had hidden performance to spare on the Albert Park roads.

But Italian Costa, who joined Mercedes from Ferrari and led the design of the new W05, does not think the German marque will dominate throughout 2014.

“No, I don’t think we can talk about dominance,” he told the Italian magazine Autosprint.

“We have seen the progress that Red Bull made between the Bahrain test and the first race – they were much more competitive than they were in winter testing.

“This gives an indication of how fast progress and the resolution of problems is in Formula 1,” said Costa.

“And it may well be that in a few grands prix many other teams will be at a good level,” he added.

Costa, 52, agrees that the performance of the ‘Power Unit’ is particularly important in Formula 1′s new era, but he doubts that Mercedes is as far ahead of Ferrari and Renault as some currently believe.

Asked if reports of a 50 horse power advantage for Mercedes make sense, he answered: “No, I don’t think they do.

“Let me explain: as teams, we have GPS data, so I think everyone can see that, when it’s running at full power, the Renault engine has remarkable performance.

“So probably their deficit at this time is that they cannot maintain this level of performance throughout a race because of temperature, or fatigue.

“But I think that this is a problem that will gradually be solved,” Costa added.

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Sirotkin continues push for Formula 1 Super License

Russian teenager Sergey Sirotkin will set his Formula 1 ambitions back on track once he obtains a Super License.

Amid Sauber’s financial crisis of 2013, the Swiss team appeared to be rushing the teen to the grid as the jewel in a Russian rescue deal.

But when the 2014 season began without Sirotkin, Sauber team boss Monisha Kaltenborn told the Russian website Formula 1news.ru that “Everything is going according to plan”.

“He has a (Formula Renault 3.5) seat with Fortec, I am sure he can get great results, and then we’ll think about the next step,” she added.

The next step could be an appearance on Friday morning in Sochi later this year, as Sirotkin’s native Russia hosts its inaugural grand prix, in October.

“We will certainly examine this possibility,” Kaltenborn said. ”But for this, first of all he needs a Super License. That’s what we’re working on now – thinking about how we can make this possible.”

According to 18-year-old Sirotkin, he will work on qualifying for the mandatory FIA credential at one of the post season tests, in Bahrain, Barcelona or Silverstone.

“In the coming months there will be the official Formula 1 tests and that’s where we plan to get it,” he told the Russian broadsheet Izvestia.

“I will need to drive about 300 kilometres and be competitive. When we have [the Super License] in our hands, then we will talk about the Fridays,” Sirotkin added.

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HORNER “CONFIDENT” THAT TEAM WILL GET MELBOURNE POINTS BACK AT APPEAL

Christian Horner, boss of the Red Bull Racing team has today explained what their case will be based on at the April 14 appeal hearing into Daniel Ricciardo’s disqualification from the Australian Grand Prix. And he says that the team is very confident it will be able to prove that it didn’t break the rules on fuel flow.

“We are appealing on the grounds that we are extremely confident that we have not broken the rules, that we haven’t exceeded the 100kg/hour of fuel that is permitted to be utilised by the car and the engine,” he said.

“Our whole case is on the fact of which reading is correct. We have a [FIA] sensor that is drifting and isn’t reading correctly versus a fuel rail that we know is calibrated and we know that hasn’t varied throughout the weekend. We haven’t broken the Technical Regulations. That we haven’t exceeded the fuel flow limit and that the sensor, which hopefully we will be able to demonstrate in the appeal, is erroneous.”

Although Technical Directives – the secretive documents issued by the FIA to teams to clarify and update interpretations of rules on complex technical areas – are considered by many F1 teams to supersede the technical regulations, Horner said that his team doesn’t see them that way, that they are more of an “opinion”.

The role of Technical Directives in governing F1 will be tested at the appeal hearing.

However the key point here is that even if Red Bull can demonstrate that its own readings were more accurate than the FIA approved sensor, the FIA will argue that the rules do not allow a competitor to take matters into its own hands when measuring something fundamental to the running of the car. He must follow FIA guidelines, as all the other competitors did in Melbourne.

As the stewards’ statement spelled out in Melbourne, “Although the sensor showed a difference in readings… it remains the homologated and required sensor against which the team is obliged to measure their fuel flow, unless given permission by the FIA to do otherwise….it is not within their discretion to run a different fuel flow measurement method without the permission of the FIA.”

Red Bull’s owner Dietrich Mateschitz has made some vague threats this week to quit F1 over this issue and over his general frustration about the new hybrid power train rules. The company has pumped billions into F1 over the last 15 or so years and the team is committed to the sport until the end of 2020 in a bilateral agreement with FOM.

Mateschitz is using a tactic employed to great effect over the years by Enzo Ferrari, who frequently threatened to leave the sport, even building an Indycar once to add some spice to his threat. The tradition has been continued by current Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo, who faced down Max Mosley at the end of his FIA presidency over Budget Caps – and won.

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Hulkenberg expects more changes

Nico Hulkenberg is of the opinion that the 2014 season will continue to be unpredictable while all the teams get used to the idiosyncrasies of the new regulations in the sport.

In the first race of the V6 turbo era, Hulkenberg finished in sixth place in his Force India car, but not before reigning World Constructors' Champions Red Bull and title favourites Mercedes ran into trouble in Australia.

After Daniel Ricciardo's dismissal the German's team-mate Sergio Perez was promoted to 10th, meaning Force India head to Malaysia in fifth place on the Constructors' standings, a position Hulkenberg is confident they can maintain or even improve upon.

"This year, we'll see bigger jumps and changes in the pecking order during the season," he told crash.net.

"There are still some teams that need to sort out their issues and they will probably become stronger. All teams, including us, will have room for improvement and development is going to be very fast."

Hulkenberg admitted that the strong drives of both Force India drivers - Perez would in all likelihood have finished in a better position had he not been involved in a first lap accident - is a welcome confidence boost ahead of the season's second race this weekend.

"I tried to be open-minded going into the race and, in reality, it was all quite straight forward. It almost felt like a normal race from last year, with no major surprises.

"We had issues with front left graining in the race, which we didn't have all weekend. I think it was due to the cooler temperatures and it cost quite a bit of performance in the first two stints on the soft tyre. On the medium it was pretty good.

"It's a bit slower because of the regulations and you feel the loss of downforce compared with 2013. Overtaking also seemed to be quite difficult, unless you are following a car that is really struggling. For example, you could see that Fernando [Alonso] couldn't really make a move on me.

"There were no concerns for us with the fuel management, which was helped by the extra parade lap and the early safety car, and we ran reliably during all the sessions, which is a big positive to take forward.

"Malaysia is going to be a tough challenge with totally different track characteristics and higher temperatures, which always leads to higher tyre degradation.

"It should be a good test of the new cars because it's much more open than Melbourne, with a nice variation of high and low-speed corners, plus two long straights."

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Bottas predicts Sepang challenge

Valtteri Bottas expects this weekend's Malaysian Grand Prix to be "a real challenge" for each team on the Formula One grid.

Williams performed well during pre-season but had an indifferent weekend at the season-opening race in Australia earlier this month.

Bottas finished fifth but could perhaps have challenged for a higher position had he not suffered a puncture, while Felipe Massa was forced to retire after an incident in the first corner.

Although Williams head to Malaysia this week full of confidence that they can produce better results, Bottas knows that the heat and humidity in Kuala Lumpur will make it extremely difficult for everyone to get their cars performing optimally.

"Malaysia will be a real challenge for us, but also something the other teams will have to deal with too," Bottas told crash.net before this weekend's Malaysian GP.

"Cooling will be a major factor as the temperatures are so high, there is also still a lot to learn about the new power units, so this heat adds to this learning curve.

"It could be the hottest race this season and having it at the start of the season when people are trying to develop what they have isn't the easiest of tasks.

"Physically for the drivers it isn't easy; we have to work hard in the off-season so we are ready for times like this. The track itself is very nice; it has some great high speed sections which are my favourite parts of the circuit."

Massa agreed with his team-mate, adding that tyre degradation could be a key factor in deciding the outcome of the race.

"Malaysia is a nice place to race, it's a hot and humid race which makes it a physically tough one for the drivers," Massa said.

"The heat also has a big effect on the tyres and how quickly degradation happens. These extreme temperatures means Malaysia is less like any other circuit we will race at.

"When you go to Malaysia you can never count out the weather either, there is always the chance of rain, its heavy rain too, and this can happen at the end of nearly every day. All of these factors mean the race is always exciting from a fans point of view but these changes are tough for the drivers. I'm looking forward to having a good race there."

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Vettel named Laureus World Sportsman of the Year

Formula 1 World Champion Sebastian Vettel and American swimming sensation Missy Franklin were named Laureus Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year on Wednesday in a ceremony filled with tributes to those affected by the missing Malaysian Airlines plane.

Nearly all of the seven winners at the lavish awards ceremony in Kuala Lumpur remarked on flight MH370, which went missing 18 days ago with 239 passengers and crew on board after leaving Kuala Lumpur en route to Beijing.

Malaysia Prime Minister Najib Razak opened the ceremony, after a moment’s silence, and talked about the strength his nation could take from the achievements of the nominees. Satellite images have shown possible debris of the missing plane in the southern Indian Ocean, miles off course.

“Sport reflects what is happening in the world,” Razak told the audience. “But for millions of people sport is also an escape, from hardship, from poverty, from conflict. In the hardest times we look for heroic feats to inspire us. For Malaysia this is one such time.

“At this difficult moment we draw strength from individual stories of perseverance, of generosity, and endurance. The nominees here tonight display those values.”

Malaysia had stepped in to host the ceremony – which featured a performance from Grammy-winning singer and actor Jamie Foxx and was hosted by British actor Benedict Cumberbatch – after Rio de Janeiro was dropped amid local reports that the Brazilian state government owed Laureus money.

Franklin, 18, collected the first award of the night in recognition of her stunning efforts in the pool in 2013 as she became the first woman to win six golds at a single world championship event in Barcelona, last August.

The four-time Olympic champion gushed at her surprise at winning the award, presented by compatriot and swimming great Mark Spitz, ahead of five others including American tennis player Serena Williams and Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.

Vettel enjoyed similar dominance of his sport by winning 13 of 19 Formula One races, including the last nine, in 2013 as he took two fourth consecutive world titles – the drivers’s title for himself, and the constructors’ for his team.

The German, in Kuala Lumpur ahead of Sunday’s Malaysian Grand Prix, beat athletes Usain Bolt and Mo Farah, Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, American basketball player LeBron James and tennis player Rafa Nadal to the prize.

“It’s a big honour. It’s one of the most special trophies I have received,” Vettel said after being selected by the Laureus Academy, featuring 46 sporting greats including former world champion Emerson Fittipaldi, who handed him the award.

Spaniard Nadal completed a hat-trick of Laureus awards after he took the Comeback of the Year prize after bouncing back from a seven-month absence to win the 2013 French and U.S. Opens as well as five ATP Masters titles.

“How tough the year before with my injury? I never thought I would have the chance to come back as I did so for that reason this Laureus means more,” he said in a recorded message.

Bayern Munich were named World Team of The Year after the German side completed a treble by winning the Bundesliga, Champions League and German Cup, while MotoGP champion Marc Marquez took the Breakthrough of the Year prize after taking the title in his rookie season.

Marie Bochet, the French paralympic skier, was named sportsperson of the year with a disability, with Jamie Bestwick named World Action Sportsperson of the Year.

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The Big Preview: Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang International Circuit

After a short break, Formula 1 returns this week, with the teams assembling at Sepang for the Malaysian Grand Prix, the second round of the 2014 F1 World Championship.

The Australian Grand Prix provided an excellent appetiser for the season ahead, promoting new stars of the sport while suggesting that the form guide shaped by winter testing was not entirely to be relied upon. Equatorial Sepang, however, provides a very different environment to Albert Park and is likely to see a very different race as machinery and drivers are pushed to their limits.

While Australia provided a relatively gentle introduction for the new Power Units, Sepang will take them to extremes. The Malaysian Grand Prix has the potential to be the hottest race of the year and with around two-thirds of the lap conducted at full throttle cooling performance is expected to play a big part this weekend.

Added to that are the traditional challenges of racing at Sepang. While visually dominated by the long pit and back straights, Sepang has great variety, with a twisting middle sector and several high-speed corners requiring a relatively high level of downforce. It also demands excellent traction, with speed onto the straights being a key factor in setting a good lap time.

It is tyres, however, that have a tendency to dictate performance at the Malaysian Grand Prix. Pirelli, as is now customary, will bring its two hardest compounds to the circuit but wear rates are still expected to be high. Of course in Malaysia the ever-present threat of rain means the Intermediate and Wet tyres could also see some use. The forecast is for thunderstorms across all three days, though recent history suggests that the rain is as likely to bracket the sessions as it is to fall during them.

Sepang International Circuit Data

• Length of lap: 5.543 km
• Lap record: 1:34.223 (Juan-Pablo Montoya, BMW-Williams, 2004)
• Total number of race laps: 56
• Total race distance: 310.408 km
• Pitlane speed limits: 80 km/h in Practice, Qualifying and the Race

Circuit Notes

• The kerb on the exit of Turn Five has been extended further towards the apex of Turn Six.
• Artificial grass has been removed from areas around the outside of Turns One, Five, Seven, Eight and 12.
• A new kerb has been installed on the Turn 15 entry.
• Attention has been paid to levelling the grass verges as bumps were noted during December’s inspection.
• The DRS sectors will be between Turns 14 and 15 and Turns 15 and One. The first zone has detection 54m after Turn 12 and activation 104 m after Turn 14. Zone two has detection 16 m after the Turn 15 apex followed by activation 28 m after Turn 15

Malaysian Grand Prix Fast Facts

• Michael Schumacher (2000, 2001, 2004), Fernando Alonso (2005, 2007, 2012) and Sebastian Vettel (2010, 2011, 2013), each have three victories at Sepang. From 15 Malaysian Grands Prix the other winners are Eddie Irvine (1999), Ralf Schumacher (2002), Kimi Räikkönen (2003, ’08), Giancarlo Fisichella (2006) and Jenson Button (2009). Alonso has the distinction of taking his three victories with three different teams.
• Button’s win in 2009 was the last Formula One race in which half points were awarded. Due to torrential rain, the race was red flagged after 31 laps and a restart was not possible. Button was awarded the victory and the five points that went with it.
• Eight of the 15 grands prix at Sepang have been won from pole. The race has been won from as far down as eighth (Alonso 2012), while podium finishers have come from as far down as tenth (Nick Heidfeld 2005, 2009).
• Of the three 2014 F1 rookie drivers, only Kevin Magnussen lacks significant experience at Sepang. Marcus Ericsson raced in 2012 and 2013, appearing in the GP2 Series on the grand prix undercard. He has two retirements and two 13th place finishes. Daniil Kvyat has raced at Sepang on six occasions across two events in Formula BMW Pacific. He has two victories at the circuit.
• Magnussen’s elevation to second place at the Australia Grand Prix makes his the most successful F1 World Championship debut since Jacques Villeneuve finished second at Albert Park in 1996 (Villeneuve started the race from pole). The only drivers to better this are Giancarlo Baghetti, who won the 1961 French Grand Prix on debut and (statistically) Nino Farina and Johnnie Parson, who won respectively the 1950 British Grand Prix and the 1950 Indy 500 in the first year of the Formula One World Championship.
• With a ninth-place finish in Australia, Toro Rosso’s Kvyat, aged 19 years and 324 days, became Formula One’s youngest points scorer. The record had previously been held by Sebastian Vettel, who was 19 years and 349 days when he finished seventh in his mid-season debut at the 2007 United States Grand Prix, driving for BMW-Sauber.
• After much speculation regarding the reliability of F1’s new hybrid Power Units, 15 cars took the chequered flag in the season-opener. Of the seven that failed to finish in Albert Park, two went out in a first lap, first corner collision. Only five cars retired with issues related to the Power Unit.
• Following the disqualification of Daniel Ricciardo, the revised Australian Grand Prix podium was a clean sweep for Mercedes-powered cars, with Nico Rosberg in the works team car leading home the McLaren-Mercedes of Magnussen and Button. The last Mercedes clean sweep was at the 2012 Chinese Grand Prix where Rosberg took his debut victory ahead of McLaren’s Button and Lewis Hamilton.

Malaysian Grand Prix Reuters Statistics

• Sebastian Vettel’s retirement in Australia ended his record run of nine race wins in a row.
• The German has 39 career wins, Fernando Alonso 32, Lewis Hamilton 22, Raikkonen 20 and Jenson Button 15. Nico Rosberg, winner in Melbourne, has four.
• Vettel needs two more race victories to equal the late Ayrton Senna’s tally of 41. Only Alain Prost (51) and Michael Schumacher (91) have won more.
• Ferrari have won 221 races, McLaren 182, Williams 114 and Red Bull 46.
• With Kevin Magnussen second and Jenson Button third, McLaren returned to the podium in Melbourne for the first time since 2012.
• Button’s podium was his 50th in Formula One.
• Vettel took nine poles last year and now has 45 career poles. Mercedes and Red Bull were the only teams to start on pole in 2013 and that run continued in Australia with Hamilton on pole for Mercedes.
• Hamilton now has 32 poles.
• Ferrari have finished a record 68 successive races with at least one car in the points, a run that dates back to the 2010 German Grand Prix.
• Caterham and Marussia have yet to score a point after four seasons in F1.
• In Australia, Magnussen and Russian Daniil Kvyat became the 60th and 61st drivers to score points on their Formula One debuts.
• After finishing ninth in Australia, Toro Rosso’s Kvyat became Formula One’s youngest points scorer aged 19 years and 324 days.
• Vettel (2010, 2011, 2013) and Alonso (2005, 2007, 2012) are both three-times winners in Malaysia. Raikkonen has won twice (2003 and 2008). Button won in 2009.
• Ferrari have won six of the 15 races held at Sepang to date.
• Eight of the 15 have been won by the driver starting on pole. The lowest grid placing resulting in victory was Alonso’s 2012 win from eighth place.
• Button has competed 14 times in Malaysia, more than any other driver. He took his first F1 podium at Sepang in 2004.
• Mercedes have Petronas as title sponsor while Caterham are Malaysian-owned.

Malaysian Grand Prix Race Stewards Biographies

• Lars Österlind is a highly experienced FIA steward who has officiated at more than 100 grands prix and a similar number of World Rally Championship rounds. A social sciences graduate and lifelong motor sport enthusiast, Österlind was President of the Swedish Rally Commission from 1978-1982, then President of the Swedish Automobile Sport Federation from 1982-1996. He became Honorary President in 1996 and has been a member of the FIA World Council since 1984. Outside motor sport Österlind has specialised in management, working as a consultant and pursuing his own business interests. He is also experienced in local government at city council level.
• Silvia Bellot began marshalling in 2001, when she was 16. She has been a steward in a number of national and international series, including the, European F3 Open, GT Open, BMW Europe, Spanish Endurance Championship, DTM, World Series by Renault and the WRC. In 2009, she took part in the FIA trainee stewards’ program for GP2 and F1. She made her first appearance as an F1 steward at the 2011 Turkish GP and in 2012 was awarded the FIA’s Outstanding Official prize. She is currently a steward in GP2, GP3, WTCC and F1. She is a member of the FIA’s Women in Motorsport Commission and works closely with RACC, the Circuit de Catalunya and the Spanish federation in event organisation.
• Ulsterman Martin Donnelly was a star of junior racing categories in the 1980s before making his grand prix debut with the Arrows team at the 1989 French GP at Paul Ricard, substituting for Derek Warwick. He qualified 14th and raced to a creditable 12th. He was offered a race drive at Lotus alongside Warwick for 1990 and started 12 races, recording a best finish of seventh at the Hungarian GP. However, his time in Formula One was cut short when, later in the season, a suspension failure caused a huge accident in practice for the Spanish GP at Jerez. Despite the serious injuries he suffered, Donnelly recovered sufficiently to race competitively in national events. He now runs Donnelly Track Academy in Norfolk, England and has held a number of racing team management positions

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Eddie Jordan takes delivery of his $52-million superyacht

Ex Formula 1 team owner Eddie Jordan is now the new owner of the first ever Sunseeker 155 Yacht after officially launching his £32-million ($52-million) new superyacht at a function in Poole.

The Jordan Family Trust worked closely with the Sunseeker team throughout the design process and took full advantage of the bespoke element of the yacht.

Jordan who was boss of his eponymous F1 team until 2005, and famously gave Michael Schumacher his F1 debut back in 1991, said, “I dreamed about building racing cars and then Formula 1 cars and that happened. And then I dreamed about this boat and now here it is. This dream is probably seven or eight years old in my head.”

He added, “I am a big fan of Sunseeker. I cannot tell how much of a fan I am. They are just a fabulous brand, fabulous family and a great workforce. This boat has taken Sunseeker as a brand and British shipbuilding in general to a new level, and it gives them a great opportunity now to roll this out and sell it all over the world.”

Daily Mail reports that Jordan now plans to sail the boat, called Blush, to Monaco where he owns a home, in time for the Monaco Grand Prix at the end of May. The boat will be available for hire for an eye-watering one million pounds a month – and is already booked up for three months.

Jordan is currently a Formula 1 pundit for BBC.

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Montagny doubts Lotus will be competitive with 100 less staff

Former F1 driver turned TV pundit Franck Montagny has made a bleak assessment of beleaguered Lotus 2014 prospects, in the aftermath of a huge staff exodus from the Enstone based team.

Lotus’ campaign so far has been nothing short of disastrous as the visually-striking E22 struggles not only for pace, but merely to run.

“It is a really complicated situation for them,” Montagny told Le Figaro.

“They lost Eric Boullier to McLaren, but that’s not the only thing – they are a hundred people less at Enstone after the winter.

“100 people is significant and cannot be easily overcome. Today, I do not see how they can go back to the top of the table.

“They will be able to fight for the points but aiming higher, I would say, seems very difficult,” Montagny added.

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Mateschitz: The alternative to Renault power is to make an engine ourselves

The only missing ingredient in Red Bull’s 2014 world title arsenal is a state-of-the-art engine to enable to compete at the front and mount a serious campaign to claim a fifth successive title.

That is the view of billionaire team owner Dietrich Mateschitz, who told the Austrian news agency APA on Tuesday that Red Bull’s only alternative to struggling supplier Renault would be for the team to build its own engine.

Asked if all of Red Bull’s current problems are in the area of Renault’s new turbo V6 ‘Power Unit’, Mateschitz answered: “Yes. I think our car is once again ‘state of the art’, but in order to prove this, it also needs a perfect Power Unit in terms of hardware and software.”

Even in the midst of the reigning quadruple world champion team’s successes, the relationship between Red Bull and Renault has often been strained.

Given the problems now, Mateschitz was asked by APA if Red Bull sees any alternatives to working with the French marque.

“Probably just to make an engine ourselves,” he answered.

However, Mateschitz said that he is confident that Red Bull can quickly catch Formula 1′s currently dominant team, Mercedes.

“I am confident this process will be fast and we can catch up to Mercedes by the third race,” the 69-year-old said ahead of the second race of 2014, Malaysia. ”There is no reason to think that [winning the 2014 title] is not still our goal.”

Mateschitz even tipped Sebastian Vettel – who has shown signs of frustration in 2014 so far – to ride out the storm with Red Bull.

“For four and a half of his five years with us, Sebastian has had a car with which he can win,” he said. ”He has more than enough character, professionalism and loyalty to overcome this phase together with the team.”

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Walker on warpath over F1 sound but support not unanimous

According to the outspoken Australian Ron Walker, his fellow Formula 1 promoters will speak with an enormous voice next week in Bahrain.

Walker, fiercely critical of the quieter sound of the sport’s new turbo V6 engines, also heads a Formula 1 promoters’ alliance, and he has called a meeting ahead of the forthcoming grand prix in the island kingdom.

According to the Independent newspaper and Formula 1 business journalist Christian Sylt, he tips the promoters to tell “Bernie [Ecclestone], enough is enough. This is not what we bought’.”

However, one of Walker’s fellow promoters is unlikely to be joining the chorus.

Razlan Razali, the boss of the Malaysian Grand Prix venue at Sepang, is not among those who are denouncing the new sound, insisting that Formula 1 remains amazing.

“Even the quieter engines, which goes against what many have been expecting in motor sport previously, might not entirely be a bad thing,” he told the New Straits Times.

“Parents should now be less afraid of bringing their children to races with the reduced noise levels.”

Razali also said that Formula 1′s new technology, producing higher top speeds with less noise and fuel, is impressive.

“You see a small engine still able to produce 750 horse power and clock laptimes almost as fast as the V8s did last year, so it is just amazing how far technology has advanced,” he insisted.

Nonetheless, Ecclestone and even FIA president Jean Todt are reported to be making moves to spice up the sound.

Franck Montagny, an ex Formula 1 driver turned French television pundit, acknowledged the issue.

“For the public, when they go and see the GP2 cars race on the same weekend and they’re louder, it will seem like they are faster as well. So there is something wrong,” he is quoted by Le Figaro.

The Telegraph newspaper reports that the Ecclestone-run Formula 1 Management is already “looking at where they position the microphones” around the tracks “to optimise the sound for television”.

And some actual tweaks to the cars to make the engine note louder are also possible.

But Sam Collins, an editor of the Racecar Engineering magazine, is sceptical.

“The concept of these engines means it’s quite difficult to redesign them to make them louder because you have the turbo sucking all the noise out,” he is quoted by the Guardian.

“So you would have to go for a complete rulebook change and that would take two or three years to introduce and would be hugely expensive and basically teams would stamp their feet and say no,” Collins added.

Montagny disagrees, ”I think there will be a change this season, technically, it is not even very difficult to do so.”

“There are already methods being used to allow electric cars to make more noise in order to avoid incidents with pedestrians.

“You could also intervene by putting in a second exhaust, but there will be no miracles,” he warned. “These engines are 1.6 litres – the era of the V10 and V8 is over.”

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Ricciardo: I first drove at Sepang when I was 16, I drank six litres of fluid a day and still suffered

Daniel Ricciardo returns to Sepang, for the first time as a fully fledged Red Bull driver, fully aware of the challenges he faces at the forthcoming Malaysian Grand Prix thanks to experience gained when he raced at the venue as a 16 year old.

Speaking to The Star, Ricciardo who raced in Formula BMW Asia Series at Sepang in 2006 said, “I first drove at Sepang when I was 16. One thing you have to take into account is the heat. Until you’ve experienced the heat in the cockpit, it isn’t something you can fully appreciate, no matter what people tell you. I was drinking six litres of fluid a day and I still suffered.”

Reflecting on the bittersweet season opener in Australia where he crossed the line second, but was disqualified hours later, the 24 year old said, “Whatever the outcome in Melbourne, I still feel really good about my performance.”

“It would have been nice to get the 18 points but I’m happy that I still stood on the podium and that was a great feeling. I know I did a good job and I can take that with me to the next race in Malaysia,” said the Australian who will make his 52nd grand prix start on Sunday.

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Dennis: Mercedes will be caught

Mercedes' advantage over the other teams will be less apparent at this weekend's Malaysian Grand Prix, according to McLaren Group CEO Ron Dennis.

Nico Rosberg in his Mercedes won the season-opening race in Australia earlier this month by more than 25 seconds, and his winning margin at Albert Park might have been even bigger had the safety car not bunched together the field on two occasions during the race.

McLaren, however, were fairly happy with their results in Australia after Kevin Magnussen and Jenson Button were awarded second and third place respectively.

"The racing was pretty close between everybody other than Mercedes, but it's not the first time one team has had dominant form at the beginning of the season," Dennis told ESPN on Wednesday.

"Clearly it's going to be challenging for all the other teams to catch that sort of performance lead, but it will happen.

"Their pace is only apparent in qualifying and qualifying in Australia is always confusing. It's clear that they have a good 1.5 seconds on anyone else. That is challenging to close, but not impossible."

Earlier, Dennis said that McLaren should be able to close the gap to Mercedes by about 0.5seconds per lap at Sepang this week, and during his interview with ESPN, the McLaren boss added that his target is to get the team back to their winning ways of old.

"We intend to be, as fast as possible, a winning grand prix team. If you're not winning, you are not where you want to be. The question is, is how do we catch up and how fast do we do it and what steps have to be taken. I'm very pleased with the changes that have been made over the last couple of months and the outcome is very positive," Dennis continued.

"We will see where we are in a month or two, because obviously these inter-continental races limit how fast we can develop the car. Nevertheless we will give it our best shot and we are confident we will be 0.5s quicker at the next Grand Prix for a variety of reasons, but of course that is not going to be enough to achieve our goal, but it will keep the pressure on those teams that are chasing us."