FORMULA 1 - 2014

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Bahrain Test Day 2: Hamilton and Mercedes comfortably tops on final day

Watched by his girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger, Lewis Hamilton went quickest by over a second on the final day of the first in-season test of the year as Ferrari were forced to call an early end to their final day after discovering chassis damage on the F14 T being driven by Fernando Alonso.

The Spaniard was running the chassis raced by Kimi Raikkonen in last weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix and after just 12 laps the team discovered damage to the chassis that forced them them to cease running. The damage was traced back to the Finn’s FP1 accident during the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend when he hit a kerb at Turn Four.

A Ferrari spokesman said that the team had repaired “the local damage during the weekend, but it has now become clear that there was also some consequential damage, unseen over the remainder of the weekend. This damage became only apparent this morning, and we stopped running on a precautionary basis in order to fix the chassis.”

Mercedes spent the day tyre testing for Pirelli and Hamilton’s best time came in the morning session when he posted a lap of 1:36.164. That was good enough to stand for the rest of the day, with Toro Rosso’s Jean-Eric Vergne second with a lap of 1:35.557, posted late in the afternoon. The Frenchman got through 63 laps of the Sakhir circuit. Hamilton, meanwhile, managed a total of 120 laps.

Kevin Magnussen was third fastest for McLaren, despite managing just 26 laps all day. A car problem pitched him into the gravel traps shortly before lunch and the team spent much of the afternoon repairing damage to the chassis.

Bahrain GP podium-finisher Sergio Perez was fourth for Force India with a time of 1:36.586 from his 64 laps.

Red Bull Racing, meanwhile, also encountered problems, with the team’s morning programme disrupted by an electrical issue. In the afternoon Daniel Ricciardo focused on aero mapping work and posted 67 laps for a fifth-fastest time of 1:37.310, though the Australian said the team had not been concerned with performance runs.

“There were no real performance runs, just pure testing,” said Ricciardo. “At the end of the day we got a few medium-length runs in and a few balance changes, like we did yesterday. So, not really a day for the timesheets but one for the people at the factory and the guys behind the laptops.”

Jules Bianchi was sixth fastest, with the French driver also putting in 93 laps for Marussia. Giedo van der Garde took over from teenager Sergey Sirotkin at the wheel of the Sauber C33 and the Dutchman’s best time of 1:37.623 was good enough for seventh spot.

There were problems for the other Renault-powered teams. Caterham got through a productive morning and continued to make progress in the afternoon, but after 66 laps Marcus Ericsson stopped on track at Turn Eight, sidelined by an ERS issue.

Romain Grosjean, though, could only manage 17 laps, Lotus again suffering with Power Unit issues. A grim Grosjean later said that the issues “are just not acceptable”.

Finally, Williams Test Driver Felipe Nasr finished in tenth position as the team devoted its final day to tyre testing for Pirelli.

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Boullier: I agree with Jenson’s analysis we could be the best of the rest after Mercedes

Despite leaving Bahrain without points McLaren are adamant they will close the gap on Mercedes with aggressive development back at the factory in Woking.

Hewly instated McLaren racing director Eric Boullier acknowledges, “It is. It’s true the gap is huge now but a one-second gap is catchable. I know a lot of areas where we can work and improve.”

From the outside, after Bahrain, one could conclude that McLaren are worst off of the Mercedes brigade, but from the gantry Boullier thinks differently.

“If you look at the performance from Jenson [button], we were just about to finish potentially ahead of the Force Indias, so I agree with his analysis we could be the best of the rest after Mercedes,” argued Boullier, despite neither Button or Kevin Magnussen really looking like finishing on the podium at Sakhir.

Boullier mused, “It is very tight for everybody. We are aggressively developing now to make sure we can catch up with them.”

“I don’t know if we will be catching them by European races but definitely we try to close the gap as soon as possible.”

“Last year was a bit of a trauma. Everyone is more than eager to get back to where we should be, but we have to do that not in a rush, not in a chaotic mode. But more in a rational mode,” added the Frenchman who appears to have inherited the role of McLaren spokesperson on just about all matters.

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Ferrari pack up early after chassis defect found during Bahrain test

On the second and final day of testing in Bahrain, Ferrari have had to pack up early after discovering that the F14T which Fernando Alonso was using during the test is defective.

After a mere 12 laps, the team decided that it was pointless to carry on at Sakhir, after a fault was detected on the car used by Kimi Raikkonen during the grand prix weekend at the same venue.

The chassis is thought to have been damaged during Friday Free Practice when Raikkonen rode the kerbs during one of the sessions.

Although Alonso did 69 laps on the opening day of testing, the team discovered the defect overnight and decided to call it quits before midday.

The team said,” Once again, Fernando Alonso took to the Sakhir track at the wheel of the F14 T for the second and final day of this in-season test at the Bahraini circuit.”

“On the job list for today was a series of set-up tests, carried out based on data from yesterday. Unfortunately, testing had to be called to a halt when the chassis was found to be damaged.”

“After the necessary checks were made, the team decided to bring the test to a premature end as a precautionary measure.”

The next time the cars will be on track will be Friday 18 April in free practice for the Chinese Grand Prix.

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Alonso: Montezemolo told me Ferrari is doing 100 percent because no one is happy

In the wake of yet another season where Ferrari start on the back foot, the marque’s President Luca di Montezemolo met with star driver Fernando Alonso in the latter’s hotel room in Bahrain.

Alonso revealed to Italian media, “[Montezemolo] came on Sunday morning and we worked together in my room for ten minutes. We tried to put together everything we found in the first two races and what will be the next steps coming from the performance side and the car, with maximum pushing and maximum dedication from everyone in the team.

In the build-up to Bahrain reports circulated that McLaren supremo Ron Dennis was targeting Fernando Alonso to lead the Woking outfit’s new Honda era which gets underway in 2015.

Alonso added of the impromptu visit by his boss, “He just wanted to pass me this message that Ferrari is doing 100 percent, and on our side as well – the drivers, engineers, mechanics and everyone track-side will work day and night because no one is happy.”

“We are very united in the team and the President can be 100 percent sure that we will do 24 hours starting from Tuesday and Wednesday when we do the test. I will drive both days and we won’t rest until the situation changes.”

Ferrari lag behind Mercedes by a fair margin, some even claiming the deficit to be around two seconds per 100 seconds, and reportedly, their Power Unit is not only overweight, but also down on terminal speed.

Alonso explained, “It’s not good obviously. We would like to have extra speed and be able to battle with everyone. At the moment we are missing that aspect, but we have some strong points and some of the circuits will show those qualities.”

“If at the next grand prix or two we are quicker than Hulkenberg and Williams etc, we can say to them that they are missing some of the speed that Ferrari has in the corners.”

As for the areas that need improvement, Alonso replied frankly, “It depends circuit to circuit, but we need to improve in all areas. On the chassis side, on aerodynamic efficiency, power – there are many things and we need to deliver some good results in the next races.”

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Ecclestone reveals a group of teams seeking to buy stake in F1

Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone on Wednesday revealed that a group of Formula 1 teams are seriously considering buying into the sport.

It was reported in Bahrain that Ecclestone, who owns five percent of Formula 1, was putting the group of teams together in a possible move to buy out the majority shareholder CVC.

Ecclestone is facing trial in Germany later this month on bribery charges, and if convicted, CVC has committed to standing him down.

It is reported that fronting the prospective team shareholders could be a way for him to remain in control no matter the outcome in Munich.

The 83-year-old told the Bloomberg news agency on Wednesday that a group of teams is indeed “having a conversation” about buying into Formula 1.

He would not identify the teams, and insisted that he is not part of the talks.

“We’ll see what the group comes up with,” said Ecclestone. “Maybe they will get enough together to buy shares.”

He added that the talks for now are “just a conversation” and “may not go anywhere”.

Also reported in Bahrain was that Ferrari and Red Bull are the major players in the consortium, having joined with Ecclestone in being highly critical of the new 2014 rules, apparently in a bid to devalue the sport ahead of a takeover bid.

When asked by the British broadcaster Sky in Bahrain if devaluing Formula 1 was his plan, Ecclestone answered “Not really”.

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Marussia: We have consolidated a productive test with some further good running

The second day of running at the Bahrain Test saw Jules Bianchi take over the driving duties in the MR03 (Chassis 02) for his one-day programme.

The Marussia F1 Team continued to accrue valuable mileage and work through its development checklist, with Jules ending the day 6th out of the 11 drivers, with 93 laps under his belt.

Jules Bianchi #17: “It has been a really positive day today and I am pleased that we achieved so much mileage – the second highest lap tally of the teams. What we have learned will be useful for the short and long-term, but I am hopeful that we will see the benefit as soon as China, because we are making small but important steps and we need to keep moving forward like this.”

Dave Greenwood, Chief Engineer: “We have consolidated a productive test with some further good running with Jules today, which rounds off a very positive 10 day trip to Bahrain. It has been very hot here at the Bahrain International Circuit, producing ambient and track conditions that are representative of neither the pre-season test nor last weekend’s night race, so it’s fair to say that we have the full spectrum of information from this circuit! What this has provided us with though is useful baseline data and allowed us time to tune a lot of the systems on the car, which isn’t as easy to complete with the pressures of a race weekend. We’ve achieved some good work in terms of aero evaluation and different set-ups, plus we have made progress with a dedicated brake development programme with Jules today. Reliability has been good on both days and overall we have worked on resolving a lot of small issues which have been present in the first three races. All in all, a good extended visit to Bahrain which, despite being a very tough schedule for the team, has at least rewarded us with some extremely good data.”

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Lotus: The end of very disappointing two days

Romain Grosjean completed a disappointing second and final day of testing at the Bahrain International Circuit with 16 timed laps completed before a Power Unit failure ended running. Romain’s best lap time of 1min 43.732secs, placed him 11th in the day’s classification;

Fast Facts:

Track: Bahrain International Circuit, Bahrain, 5.4 km.

Chassis: E22-02.

Weather: Sunny, ambient 27° C - 35° C, track 32° C - 44° C.

Programme: Aero assessment and evaluation.

Laps Completed: 16.

Classification: P11, 1min 43.732secs.

What’s Next? The team now heads to the Chinese Grand Prix, 18-20 April 2014.

Romain Grosjean: ”We were hoping for a good day’s testing today with a programme based on aerodynamic work. Unfortunately, we struggled with Power Unit issues from the beginning, even when the car was able to run. Fortunately, we did manage some aero work, so we did collect some useful data, however we fell far short of what we wanted to achieve. We will analyse the data collected to help us get a better understanding of the car so we can move forwards in China.”

Alan Permane, Trackside Operations Director: ”The Power Unit failed to work correctly today. We managed to do some very limited running to do some aero mapping work but at about mid-afternoon the PU failed completely which meant the end of today’s running and the end of very disappointing two days. We must now focus on the next race and will work hard towards China.”

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Sauber: We found a couple of things which are quite interesting and helpful

On the second test day in Bahrain, the Sauber F1 Team ran through a shortened test programme with a positive outcome. After having issues with the power unit in the morning, the team was forced to interrupt the session for approximately two hours. The team could not therefore continue with the planned aero measurements. In the afternoon, test and reserve driver Giedo van der Garde continued with testing different set-ups and doing long runs. In total, the Dutchman completed 77 laps.

Circuit: Bahrain International Circuit / 5.412 km

Driver: Giedo van der Garde

Weather: Sunny, air 31-37 °C, track 32-44 °C

Chassis / engine: C33-03 / Ferrari

Laps today: 77 laps, 416.724 km

Fastest lap: 1:37.623

Paul Russell, Test Engineer: “Overall it was a good day. In the morning, we had issues with the power unit, so we lost about two hours solving the problem. However, we had a good afternoon. We worked on the car set-up and also the qualifying settings. Towards the end of the day, we did some long runs during which we were working on the race performance. It was great that Giedo could have more experience with the car. He has started to feel comfortable with all the control panels and also with the team. We found a couple of things today which are quite interesting and helpful.”

Giedo van der Garde: “All in all, it was a positive day. Unfortunately, we could only run a few laps before the lunch break. However, in the afternoon we could start our test programme, and I think we did a lot of work today. For me, it was good to be back in the car. I had the chance to drive the car all day in comparison to the 20 laps I did in FP1 last Friday. I am satisfied with where we are right now. We found something interesting during the long runs in the end. Besides that, I think the performance run was also quite good as it was during the hottest part of the day, so the time was pretty good. All in all, I am happy that I got the chance to drive the C33 again and I am looking forward to being back behind the wheel for FP1 in China.”

What comes next: The Sauber F1 Team will be travelling to the UBS Chinese Grand Prix, the fourth round of the FIA Formula One World Championship, which will take place from the 18th to 20th of April 2014 at the Shanghai International Circuit.

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Williams: We carried out the test programme set down by Pirelli

Williams team and driver report from the second and final day of Bahrain Formula 1 testing at Sakhir.

Driver: Felipe Nasr

Chassis / Engine: FW36-03 / PU106A Hybrid

Location: Bahrain International Circuit, 5.412km

Objectives: Pirelli Tyres evaluation

Weather: Hot & sunny

Maximum air & track temps: 35ºC / 44ºC

Rob Smedley, Head of Vehicle Performance: ”We carried out the test programme set down by Pirelli today so they set us the tasks and we carry them out as required. We had some control issues at the end of the day, but that’s why we go testing, to iron these out. We are content with the day and hope we delivered some good data back to Pirelli.”

Felipe Nasr: “Today was our allocated day for work on next season’s Pirelli tyres. We worked on many new compounds and it was another productive day for me to learn the processes and feeling of driving a Formula One car, and I did quite a few miles. Doing a tyre test means you can test the tyres to the extreme which was a good experience. I also got to experience the differences between different compounds and how they affect the car and the balance. Running a Formula One tyre when it hasn’t been in a blanket was one of the most interesting things as it’s very difficult to get them up to temperature, even in the Bahrain heat, it will be even more of a challenge at tracks such as Silverstone or Spa.”

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Mercedes almost quit over engines

This year's pace-setters Mercedes considered walking away from F1 before the sport opted to swap to turbo hybrid engines.

During the days of 2.4-litre V8 engines, Mercedes were on the fence about their F1 participation. according to Daimler's Thomas Weber, the man in charge of research and development.

"The key challenge for the future is fuel economy and efficiency and with the change in regulations F1 is the spearhead for development," he told BBC Sport.

Pressed as to whether Mercedes would have walked away had F1 not committed to the efficiency formula, he said: "I think so, yeah because we had the discussion.

"We had at different times the challenge to discuss F1 with the (Daimler) supervisory board.

"We had hard discussions. And it was always - and even more so when it came to the later years - harder to explain why we were using naturally aspirated engines.

"Now with these new regulations I can clearly convince the supervisory board that the (F1 team) are doing exactly what we need - downsizing, direct injection, lightweight construction, fuel efficiency on the highest possible level, new technologies and combining a combustion engine with an e-motor hybrid."

Weber also hit back at claims by Ferrari president Luca Di Montezmolo that fans are not enjoying F1's fuel-flow restriction as they cannot understand it.

The Daimler man said it was a "stupid discussion" and that if fans didn't grasp it that was a "communication issue."

As for the debate over engine noise, he said: "We can demonstrate to the public that it is still emotional, even if the noise level is a little bit quieter.

"Of course we can look if there is a little bit more possible. But in the meantime all the road cars are going for turbos, downsizing, so even a Porsche now sounds similar. So people learn it. That's easy."

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HEAD: RED BULL RACING APPOINT NEW HEAD OF AERO AS PRODROMOU GOES ON ‘GARDENING LEAVE’

Red Bull Racing this morning announced that Dan Fallows has been appointed Head of Aerodynamics, with Peter Prodromou going on ‘gardening leave’ in advance of his move to McLaren.

McLaren announced last October they had signed Prodromou but Red Bull Racing insisted that would do their best to hold on to one of their key men, with team boss Christian Horner saying that Prodromou’s contract “runs for quite a while yet”.

With no further news of the aerodynamicist’s departure coming to light over the winter it seemed that the champions had won the battle to keep the highly regarded technician – until today.

He will be replaced at Red Bull Racing by Dan Fallows. Right-hand man to Prodromou, Fallows left the team at the end of last year, with his destination expected to be McLaren and reunion with Prodromou. However, it seems he has been lured back to Milton Keynes by the offer of the more senior post.

Prodromou’s career was forged at McLaren. He joined the Woking squad in 1991 and worked closely with Adrian Newey and when Newey moved to Red Bull Racing at the end of the 2005 season, Prodromou also made the switch. Since then he’s been heavily involved in each of Red Bull’s four championship-winning designs.

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Legal dispute brewing between McLaren, Red Bull

A recent announcement that Dan Fallows will take up the position as head of aerodynamics at Red Bull has angered McLaren who have referred the matter to its legal team.

The Woking squad had believed that Fallows would be heading their way after signing, what they say, is a legally binding employment contract. However, having left Red Bull for a short break last year, the Milton Keynes outfit confirmed on Wednesday morning that he would be returning to take up the position previously held by the outgoing Peter Prodromou - who is also set to join McLaren this year.

Prodromou was one of several new members of staff McLaren announced would be joining the team, a list which included Fallows.

A team spokesperson confirmed the matter was being dealt with by McLaren's lawyers.

"Dan Fallows has a legally binding contract with McLaren, and the matter is now in the hands of our lawyers," read a short statement.

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Coulthard ranks Bahrain as Hamilton's finest win

David Coulthard is of the opinion that Lewis Hamilton's Bahrain Grand Prix victory was probably one of the Briton's "finest".

Whilst Hamilton himself refused to rank the victory amongst his best, former-F1 driver Coulthard believes, for several reasons, that it deserves a place near the top of the list.

"Rosberg still leads the championship, but that win for Hamilton in Bahrain, on top of the drubbing he gave Rosberg in Malaysia the week before, will be starting to really hit home with Nico," wrote Coulthard in his BBC column.

The Scot expects a season-long fight from the pair, but ultimately believes Hamilton, who he considers "the best driver in F1" in his current form, will be the final victor.

"There is a lot of fight left in the German in this world championship but we are getting confirmation of why Mercedes head-hunted Hamilton from McLaren," he added.

"He is in a happy place right now and, when he’s on form like this, Hamilton is arguably the best driver in Formula 1.

"It was an unbelievable achievement by Hamilton to hold on to the lead in the closing laps.

He had the disadvantage of not having access to DRS – which Rosberg did – and he was on worse tyres.

"Rosberg tried and tried. In many ways it is easier for the guy charging and following. Add all that up and it's why this race really stood out as one of Hamilton's finest."

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Tech Talk: Bahrain front wings and the never ending quest for more downforce

With potential developments of the all new V6 turbo Power Units now frozen, generating downforce through aero tweaks for the new era Formula 1 cars is a development battle which will rage all year long and in Bahrain some of the big hitters had some interesting front wing options on offer – tech guru Matt Somerfield dissects it all for us;

Red Bull RB10

We all know of Red Bull’s PU plight, with an unsubstantiated figure of the team being short of 80bhp being touted around. Aerodynamically though the RB10 is a strong contender and follows in a long line of Newey penned cars that take advantage of extremely sculpted bodywork.

Red Bull have therefore arrived in Bahrain looking to skew some of their aerodynamic performance in order to reduce drag, making up for their poor speed trap times, owing to the bhp disadvantage. One of these changes came in the form of a new front wing;

As we can clearly see the team have stripped the RB10′s wing of the upper cascade elements in an effort to counter the changes at the rear of the car. The cascades are used to help shape the wake induced by the front tyres, guiding airflow up and around the front tyre in order to pull the wake away from the outside edge of the floor.

What is important to note however is that Red Bull have made marked changes to RB10′s front wing for 2014 when compared with the RB9.

Red Bull RB9 front wing

Having for a long time (like their rivals) pursued a front wing design with more slotted sections at the wings outer section, the RB10′s wing differs. With the 2014 regulations dictating a front wing 150mm narrower (75mm either side) an effort by all the teams has been made to change the flow characteristics in order to retain the same effect as their predecessors.

Red Bull have decided to abandon the premise of more slots at the outer edge of the wing and instead run 5 full length flaps (three made up from splits in the mainplane) with a slot in the upper most flap running half it’s length making it a 6 tier wing, when compared with last years 7 tier wing (See below for last years cascade-less front wing for Monza).

The upshot of the new front wing’s additional full length flap (now 5 rather than 4, with the 4 flap/cascaded wing used in Australia shown below).

Red Bull RB10 front wing used in Australia

The front wing used in Malaysia feature 5 flaps (but retained the cascades) is likely an even more controlled, precise Y250 vortex, protecting the centralised flow (under the nose) from the wake of the front tyre and increasing the effectiveness of the flow around the sidepods (which in turn increases performance over the rear of the floor and the diffuser).

Whilst the full length flaps work to move air outbound around the tyre (with the assistance of the strakes beneath the wing) the flaps still maintain the proportionate amount of downforce delivery. The loss of the cascades isn’t catastrophic, as not only will there be a marked reduction in drag but this years tyres are markedly more resilient.

Construction wise the tyres deform less when cornering, in order to be more compliant with the additional torque that the new Power Units provide. This means that because they change shape less, controlling the wake has become less challenging and therefore Red Bull obviously believe the cascades to be less important.

Mercedes W05 nose and front wings in Bahrain pitlane

Mercedes WO5

Mercedes have been carrying around and trialing a new Front Wing since Melbourne but this past weekend it got raced for the first time.

As I have previously discussed the new wing features a change in endplate ethos (above: New wing on the bottom) whilst the smaller outer cascade was also replaced by a vertical fin (below). At the last race in Malaysia the team continued to use the same front wing as we had seen them utilise since pre-season testing but allied to this were small Vortex Generators placed on the flaps in order to raise the efficiency of the rear strakes.

Mercedes W05 front wing detail

ercedes utilized the new wing at the start of the Bahrain GP weekend and didn’t look back, they did however learn from the specification used at the last race with Vortex Generators found on top of the flaps in order to assist the rearward strakes (above).

McLaren MP4-29

McLarens upgrades in Malaysia were indicative of a team that is still looking to expose aerodynamic performance from their car whilst also managing the effects of the new power units.

In Bahrain the team have made a relatively small alteration to the main cascade, narrowing it’s width and adding a vertical ‘r’ vane in the centre. The vanes job is to further assist in the movement of airflow outbound around the front tyre.

McLaren MP4-29 front wing detail

Centrally placed it’s ‘r’ shaping allows the airflow to bleed laterally across the cascade in yaw, conditioning the airflow and inevitably creating a vortex that rolls off it’s tip as the pressure gradients meet. The placement and shaping of the vane is therefore designed to mitigate losses associated with the reduction in surface area.

The idea of course is for the smaller cascade to just as good a job as the larger iteration, reducing drag but retaining downforce and flow conditioning. The upshot is that the narrower cascade will also have less influence on the flaps below, further enhancing the wings properties.

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Wolff: Lewis and Nico can fight each other so long as there are no harakiri moves

Mercedes teammates Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg have been told the team rules for their future wheel-to-wheel battles in the wake of their spectacular duel during the Bahrain Grand Prix.

The Silver Arrows pair thrilled the Formula 1 world last Sunday with their battle for victory at Sakhir, despite bosses urging them to “bring both cars home”.

It was reported that the team denied that the drivers ignored team orders for appearance only, and would quietly curb that sort of behaviour behind the scenes ahead of future races.

The fight in Bahrain was also timely for Formula 1′s ‘show’, in the wake of hefty criticism of the controversial new rules.

“I am so happy that the race was so well received by the fans,” said Rosberg, “because the welfare of the sport is very important to me.

“In my eyes, the criticism of the new regulations was very unfair, especially so early on, and the negativity was getting louder and louder.

“For me, there was no better way to silence it than to deliver one of the most exciting races in the history of Formula 1,” he added.

But Team Director Toto Wolff insists that Bahrain was not simply a one-off.

“They can fight against each other,” he told Sport Bild magazine, “so long as there are no harakiri-manoeuvres.

“So you’re not driving with the same aggressiveness against your own teammate as you would against the others,” Wolff explained.

He said that Mercedes’ attitude to ‘team orders’ is important, given that both Hamilton and Rosberg are conferred equal status inside the Brackley based team, whose W05 car is currently utterly dominant.

“We are here to race,” said Wolff, “we have two really good drivers who can win races and deserve to be world champion.”

Christian Danner, a former driver turned commentator, says that Mercedes’ approach will be welcomed by many, Mercedes is very dominant, but in contrast to what we have seen over the years with Ferrari and Red Bull, Rosberg and Hamilton can race freely.

“This is not only a very brave decision, but also the right decision for the sport,” he declared.

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Ecclestone says paid Formula 1 app to be released in June

Formula 1 Chief Executive Bernie Ecclestone has agreed to allow Formula 1 into the digital age.

Early this week, Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali urged Ecclestone to embrace the internet, as the “young generation” does not want “to see an entire race for one and a half hours”.

A report by the Bloomberg news agency said that the official Formula 1 website is only the 39th most popular among rival sports, worryingly outpaced by the likes of Egyptian soccer and American ‘entertainment wrestling’.

The report said that Ecclestone has until now resisted embracing the internet to protect the huge revenue stream of exclusive television rights.

Now, Bloomberg reports that Formula 1′s media strategy will get a modern facelift as quickly as June of this year.

The report said that the sport will have a new website and app that offers subscription-only video options, improving on the current three minute race highlights edit put to music.

“We’re planning a new app; it’s a decent-size project,” Ecclestone confirmed. “It’s something that we are working to get right.”

The 83-year-old warned, however, that television will continue to be the “mainstay” of Formula 1 coverage. And he said fans will be charged for the new app.

“We don’t do things for free,” said Briton Ecclestone.

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Ferrari not stupid - Raikkonen

Kimi Raikkonen admitted that Ferrari are well aware that they need to close the gap to this season's front-runners because they are "not stupid".

Ferrari have endured a poor start to the season, with a pair of fourth places for Fernando Alonso in Australia and Malaysia their best performances so far.

Raikkonen is yet to finish higher than seventh place during his second stint at Scuderia, but during an interview with Autosport this week, the Finn maintained that he remains confident that they can still challenge at the front-end of the grid.

"At least on paper [bahrain] was the hardest track for us but we have some new parts coming and hopefully we improve," Raikkonen told Autosport.

"We know what we have to do. The people are pushing 100 per cent, but it takes time. That's the fact.

"We are not stupid people, we have good things going on.

"Unfortunately right now it's not the prettiest thing when you look at the end of the race, but I have belief in the team that we can turn it around.

"I've been with this team and other teams having a hard time and I'm sure we can get it right."

Despite finishing in 10th place in Bahrain, Rakkonen admitted that he was far more comfortable with the F14 T than he was previously.

"I think we improved the car - it feels nicer," added Raikkonen.

"The feeling is better but obviously the results don't show that.

"We have a lot of work to do and we can only push forward. I'm sure we can be stronger in the next race."

[ethosan]

Thanks MIKA, awesome coverage!

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Montezemolo: To all those jealous people wanting Domenicali’s job they have to fight for it!

La Gazzetta dello Sport, the influential Italian sports daily, speculated on Friday that Ferrari could be poised to make a change at the top.

It has long been reported that Stefano Domenicali, the fabled Maranello team’s chief, might not survive too many more disappointing seasons at the helm.

“ say to all those jealous people wanting this job: they have to fight for it!” Domenicali told Formula 1′s official website last week.

According to Gazzetta, however, 48-year-old Domenicali might finally be losing the support of Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo.

Montezemolo left the Bahrain circuit last Sunday part-way through the Grand Prix, declaring that watching “slow” Ferraris gave him “great pain”.

Now, at an event at the Ferrari museum in Maranello on Friday, Montezemolo reportedly said: “I already know what you want to ask.

“My reply is that we will leave no stone unturned to be where we need to be. We will work day and night to improve and make the decisions that we need to take.”

Wondered Gazzetta correspondent Andrea Tosi: “[Will there be] changes at the top of the Gestione Sportiva?”

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First races have shown Williams weaknesses admits Bottas

Valtteri Bottas has admitted that Williams have yet to display their full potential so far this season.

Despite a horror 2013 season, following its switch to Mercedes power the Grove based team was billed as a contender for wins and even the title this year on the basis of its performance in winter testing.

But although performing solidly in the three races so far, Bottas or Felipe Massa are yet to finish on the podium.

“Sundays have not been a complete success for us,” Finn Bottas told the Finnish broadcaster MTV3. “Certain things, like strategy, have … left [a lot] to be desired.

“But we think really good results are still to happen, hopefully as soon as possible,” he added.

The 24-year-old admitted that the industry-leading Mercedes engine had been an early boost to Williams’ 2014 form.

“Especially in Melbourne we felt that the engine was a definite advantage,” said Bottas.

“But the difference was smaller in Malaysia and Bahrain, as the others are developing all the time.”

At the same time, the FW36 is consistently showing some of the highest overall top speeds at circuits.

Bottas said: “That also reflects the weaknesses of our car. Maybe we have a little less drag than the others, because we also have less downforce.

“Sometimes, what we gain on the straight, we lose in the corners,” he added.

It means that, although a pre-season favourite, Williams are currently the lowest-ranked team with Mercedes power, behind the works team, Force India and McLaren.

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Promoter worried about Canada Grand Prix future

Race promoter Francois Dumontier admits that he is worried about the future of the Canadian Grand Prix.

He told the French-language La Presse newspaper that Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve needs to urgently conclude its talks with Formula 1 authorities about extending the current contract beyond the June race.

“60 days before the 2014 Grand Prix, there is an urgency,” the usually low-profile Dumontier admitted.

“It is true, unfortunately, the sustainability of the Canadian Grand Prix is not yet assured.”

He said that he is in negotiations with Bernie Ecclestone for a new ten-year contract, “covering the period 2015 to 2024″.

But he not only has to conclude the deal with Formula 1, but also with the various levels of federal, provincial and city governments who split up the costs.

“Time has gone past and there are still no signatures at the bottom of the documents,” said Dumontier.

He said he wants the deals to be secured before June’s 2014 race in Montreal.

“Following the grand prix in June, the rights of my business to the race will be non-existent,” Dumontier warned. “We must act now.”

Montreal mayor Denis Coderre, one of the parties who must agree, said that he is “very confident” that the deal will be struck “in the coming weeks”.

“This (delay) is normal when it comes to events in which you sign for ten years,” he said.

“I want there to be a grand prix, but you understand that it must be in a responsible way.”

A spokesman for federal minister Denis Lebel added: “We are working with our partners to see if we can keep this important event in Montreal.

“But the involvement of the federal government will have respect for the ability of the taxpayers [to pay],” he added.

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Title sponsor removed from Force India sidepods

Force India has denied that it is set to split with title sponsor Sahara.

The Indian conglomerate is headed by Subrata Roy, who is currently sitting in jail for failing to pay billions in refunds to investors.

The supreme court on Wednesday refused to release Roy, despite the Sahara Group saying the company is having trouble raising money while he is in jail.

“The intention behind putting him in jail is to raise money,” Indian media quote Sahara’s lawyer as having told the court, “but it is not possible to do so when he is inside.”

At precisely the same time, the prominent ‘Sahara’ branding disappeared from the sidepods of Force India’s car during post-race testing in Bahrain.

But the Silverstone based team insisted that the all-black sidepods were simply due to the testing of “development parts”.

“The Sahara logo will be found in its usual places in China,” the spokesperson is quoted by German-language Speed Week.

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Engine makers to discuss turbo V6 sound in China

Formula 1′s three engine makers will discuss how to turn up the volume of their controversial V6 turbo Power Units ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix.

Germany’s Auto Bild reports that Mercedes, Ferrari and Renault will get together next Thursday ahead of the race in Shanghai.

Although dominant Mercedes has ruled out agreeing to any mid-season rule changes, the German marque is open to discussing ways to make the engines louder to appease disappointed fans.

Auto Bild reports that one proposal made by Mercedes is to simply look into sound amplification.

That is because “Mechanically, [making the engines louder] is not so easy,” insisted Mercedes engine boss Andy Cowell.

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BMW and Ford are reportedly considering Formula 1 return

BMW and Ford could each be considering a return to Formula 1, according to reports.

The BMW report has been triggered by comments made by ex Formula 1 team owner and boss Gian Carlo Minardi, who said that the revolutionary new turbo V6 rules were devised not just by current Formula 1 suppliers Mercedes, Ferrari and Renault.

“Reports in Germany suggest [that] BMW’s board of directors will meet in May to evaluate a return to the top category to be an engine supplier as early as 2015,” Minardi said on his official website.

He said that BMW officials were present during winter testing and the early races of the new V6 rules.

The return of BMW, having withdrawn its works partnership with the Sauber team at the end of 2009, would be good news for Formula 1′s controversial new engine rules, as the Japanese marque Honda is also coming back to the sport in 2015.

However, BMW has repeatedly rejected any suggestion that they are contemplating a return to Formula 1, having successfully entered the German touring car series DTM.

“Our focus has not changed,” spokesman Jorg Kottmeier told Speed Week in the wake of the latest reports.

“Formula 1 is not a topic for us, as we are very happy in production car racing.”

Elsewhere, Racecar Engineering reports that Gene Haas’ new team for 2015 could be powered by Ford-branded Cosworth engines.

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Tyre-warmer ban for 2015 season in doubt

The plan to ban the use of tyre warmers by Formula 1 teams in 2015 is currently in doubt.

This week at the Bahrain test, after Williams test driver Felipe Nasr tried an experimental Pirelli tyre, the Brazilian said it was “very difficult to get them up to temperature, even in the Bahrain heat”.

“It will be even more of a challenge at tracks such as Silverstone or Spa,” he warned.

Pirelli boss Paul Hembery said that the main issue is tyre pressure, as the difference between a cold and a hot tyre is significant.

“At present,” he is quoted by Speed Week, “we believe that it will be difficult to implement the FIA’s plan for 2015.”

Formula 1′s governing body wants to get rid of expensive tyre warmers on cost grounds, but Hembery said safety is a consideration.

“We need to consider how the tyre behaves during, for example, a Safety Car period, when the pressures and temperatures fall,” he said.

Told, however, that other racing series cope without tyre blankets, Hembery responded: “Yes, as in GP2.

“But we are talking about different tyre sizes, and the pressure at the start is much higher.”

One possible solution is that, along with the warmer ban, Formula 1 simultaneously ditches its “old fashioned” tyre design and switches to a low-profile.

“If we had a lower profile tyre with a stiffer sidewall and a lower volume of air cavity, it would certainly be much easier to manage,” said Williams’ Pat Symonds.

But Mercedes’ Paddy Lowe warned: “Introducing the low profile [tyre] is a very non-trivial task in terms of engineering and cost, so not an easy one.”