FORMULA 1 - 2014

[MIKA27]

Wolff wants Brawn back at Mercedes

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has revealed that he is trying to lure departed chief Ross Brawn back into the team’s Formula 1 garage, and says that he consults the former team boss when the need arises.

Brawn, 59, stepped down at the end of last year but, during his first year of retirement, he has already been linked with a return to Ferrari, having even visited the fabled Italian team’s base recently.

Wolff has now told the Telegraph that Briton Brawn can take some of the credit for Mercedes’ current dominance of Formula 1, insisting that he still would have a valuable contribution to make.

Austrian Wolff said it was Brawn who “realised” what Mercedes needed to do in order to succeed in the wake of Mercedes’ 2010 takeover.

“Ross Brawn realised in 2012 that it was not getting any better – he started to recruit and to add some of the people to the organisation in key areas,” he said.

Wolff also hailed Brawn’s input in other key areas, “If there is a heated situation on a race weekend, I …try to imagine what Ross would have done.”

“If needed, I give him a call, but I can well see us missing Ross’s calmness and experience in the heat of races, or in the heat of the championship. Ross has a considerable part in the success of this year. It’s a big shame that he’s not here,” said Wolff.

“ with Ross regularly, and we are trying to get him to one of the next races to have a look at the team.

“He was so important in building the base, and setting in place some of the structures, and we would like him to be part of the team and see what’s happening this year. He’s going to come eventually – he’s promised to,” Wolff added.

[MIKA27]

Alonso: I don’t think we can challenge Mercedes at Monaco

Fernando Alonso may hold few hopes of winning this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix for Ferrari, but he does believe that champions Red Bull can mount a challenge to runaway leaders Mercedes.

“This year,” he said, after the recent Spanish Grand Prix, “I think Monte Carlo will be one of the few possibilities to challenge Mercedes – especially for Red Bull. It is a chance, but not I think for us.”

The 32-year-old Spaniard has not won in the principality since the second of his two successive victories in 2007, in a race that ended amid controversy as he led his then-Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton home.

Hamilton, then a rookie, claimed he should have won because he was faster than Alonso, but was told to obey instructions and hold position. A post-race inquiry vindicated the team’s position in controlling their drivers as they claimed a crushing one-two victory.

Since he joined Ferrari in 2010, Alonso has finished twice on the Monte Carlo podium but the top step has eluded him while Ferrari last scored a victory, at the world’s most prestigious race, back in 2001 with Michael Schumacher. Prior to that the Maranello outfit had won the race eight times since 1952 – the occasion of their first F1 victory in Monte Carlo.

This time around, Hamilton arrives in Monaco not as a new boy, but as the in-form championship leader following four straight wins for the ‘silver arrows’ – and intent on adding another triumph to that he claimed with McLaren, following Alonso’s abrupt departure, in 2008.

And, after clocking the fastest times in qualifying for the last two years, Mercedes know they should be confident of securing another pole position, perhaps a front-row lockout and turning the traditional 78-laps contest into a private in-house duel.

But, contrary to expectations, there is an air of nervous concern in the Mercedes camp as German Nico Rosberg, last year’s winner and Hamilton’s main rival, bids to halt the Englishman’s streak of successes.

Team chief Toto Wolff explained that, perversely, it is the near-perfection of the team’s car performance that may undermine their qualifying supremacy of recent years on the famous Mediterranean street circuit.

That was achieved, by Rosberg last year, and compatriot Michael Schumacher in 2012 (before he was penalised for a misdemeanour at the previous race) thanks to their car’s characteristic of over-heating the tyres, a negative issue for anywhere else, but perfect for peak performance one-lap blasts in Monaco.

“In the past, on a low-grip circuit like Monaco, we have been able to keep the tyres alive easily, but over-working the tyres is not a problem for us anymore,” said Wolff.

And that, plus the tight, twisty and punishing nature of the 3.34-km circuit means that Mercedes’ power advantage this year may also be reduced, according to Alonso, who believes Red Bull have the performance characteristics to mount a challenge.

“In the corners, they (Red Bull) are very fast, but on the straights they seem to lose a lot of lap time,” explained to Spaniard. But in Monte Carlo, there are no straights. So, Red Bull could challenge Mercedes there.”

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Horner: We want to beat Mercedes fair and square

Red Bull arrive in Monte Carlo upbeat, knowing that at the Monaco Grand Prix they have their best chance to halt Mercedes’ dominance, of the 2014 Formula 1 world championship, with their RB10 which by all accounts is a pretty handy chassis, only lacking an effective power unit to do the business.

Ahead of the most prestigious race weekend on the Formula 1 calendar, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner told PA, “We know we have a very good chassis, we can see that. It is a matter of working with Renault to get the most out of the engine because at the end of the day the car has to work as a package. So we are supporting as much as we can to ensure the engine moves closer to Mercedes.”

The Silver Arrows team have won all five races thus far, and the title battle has turned into a two horse race between their drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg.

Despite this the world champion team boss is not giving up hope, “Mercedes have got themselves into a very strong position, but nobody is unbeatable. We have a great team, great strength in depth, and everybody is up for the challenge. It is a probably a bigger one than we would have liked, but everyone is up for it.”

After four years of dominance, Red Bull are now in unfamilir territory of doing the chasing after so many years of taking winning for granted.

Horner said of their current situation, “It has really motivated the team, galvanised them and said: Okay, we have something to chase. It is the difference from being the hunted to the hunter. There is a real sense of determination in the team to close this gap down.”

With Hamilton and Rosberg slugging it out in the championship, Horner is not expecting the increasingly hostile battle between the Mercedes pair to do his drivers, Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo, any favours – in fact he wants quite the opposite.

“Nobody wants [Rosberg and Hamilton to trip each other up]. If we want to close the gap on track we will do it in a racing way. We want to try to beat them, and beat them fair and square,” insisted Horner whose team has won three of the last four grands prix at the principality.

[MIKA27]

Venezuelan government funding may end for Maldonado

The Formula 1 party may soon be over for Pastor Maldonado as political changes in his home country may well dry up the substantial financial support that has underwritten much of his career so far.

Until now, the 29-year-old Venezuelan’s Formula 1 career has been powered by state millions, through the oil company PDVSA and the personal backing of president Hugo Chavez.

Chavez, however, died last year, preceding a period of intense political turmoil, and at the same time PDVSA’s ploughing of state millions into Williams and later Lotus was already highly controversial within Venezuela.

Now, Venezuela has a new sports minister, Antonio Alvarez, who has indicated this week that motor racing is being totally cut from the country’s list of priorities.

“I know I’m going to win a lot of enemies,” he is quoted by Venezuela’s Ultimas Noticias.

“But there will be not one more dollar for motor racing. Venezuelan sport has other priorities, and it would be unfair to use state resources for disciplines that are not in line with the development of the country,” said Alvarez.

[MIKA27]

Sainz next in line to step up to F1 with Toro Rosso

Highly rated young Spaniard Carlos Sainz jr is the next driver in line at Toro Rosso, Red Bull’s Formula 1 junior team where Daniel Ricciardo and Sebastian Vettel made thir respective marks.

This year, Russian 20-year-old Daniil Kvyat has impressed despite stepping straight into Formula 1 as the reigning GP3 champion.

Only a few months younger than Kvyat is Carlos Sainz jr, whose father and namesake is the well-known two-time world rally champion.

Sainz of junior variety has concentrated on single seaters, and so far in 2014 his Formula 1 aspirations are on course as he is leading the highly-rated Formula Renault 3.5 series. He is undoubtedly the next in line for a Red Bull-powered future in Formula 1.

“He is on the right track,” confirmed Toro Rosso team boss Franz Tost, referring to Sainz’s winning season so far in 2014. “The season has just started and there are a couple of good drivers in the world series and we want to see how they develop during the season.”

“But Carlos is doing a good job,” Tost told Spain’s El Confidencial. “If it continues I am sure he will sit in a Toro Rosso in a test or on a Friday. It really depends on the driver,” he continued. “He is the one who steps on the gas. I always tell the drivers ‘It is you who decides your future, not us’.

“Last year at this point I was sure that Antonio Felix da Costa would be driving for us – I would not have bet that [Daniil] Kvyat would be instead.”

Tost also hailed Daniel Ricciardo’s progress in 2014 after stepping up from Toro Rosso. But, unlike Red Bull figures Christian Horner, Dietrich Mateschitz and Helmut Marko, the Austrian said he that has not been “surprised” by Ricciardo’s pace at Red Bull.

“I expected him to be very competitive and comfortable in a very short time,” said Tost, “so it has not been a surprise to me. Ricciardo gives very clear and detailed technical feedback, and so maybe he has just adapted to the circumstances more quickly than Vettel [did].”

This season Sainz entered Formula Renault 3.5 Series, in the first four races he has won twice and finished second on the two other occasions. His objective is to win the title.

Before the start of the season Sainz promised: “This year I want to fight for the [Formula Renault 3.5] Championship, I think I have to focus on this and demonstrate to Red Bull that I am ready for Formula 1.”

Last year Sainz got his first taste of a Formula 1 at the Silverstone Young Drivers Test, where he finished second fastest in the Red Bull RB9 and declared that the experience “was the best day of my life”

[Bartolomeo]

Big weekend for racing, I am stoked!

[MIKA27]

Big weekend for racing, I am stoked!

Likewise my friend! I love Monaco!

[MIKA27]

Formula 1 talks the torque ahead of Monaco weekend

Ayrton Senna crashed into the barriers while leading the 1988 Monaco GP also the final year of the first turbo era

Racing a Formula 1 car around Monaco’s sinuous circuit is a big challenge at the best of times but Sunday’s Grand Prix could be even more demanding – and spectacular – for teams and drivers.

Some, such as Brazilian veteran Felipe Massa, say the glamour highlight could also turn out to be the toughest race of the season.

The new V6 turbo hybrid power units which have replaced the old V8 engines are less thirsty but have made the cars heavier, while reduced downforce and more engine torque makes them more of a handful.

On a circuit like Monaco, where cars skim the unforgiving barriers lining the track as they climb up through Casino square and down through the tunnel before blasting past the moored yachts along the harbourside, every error carries a heavy price.

“I think it’s going to be more challenging this weekend, the cars are heavier so braking distances are a little bit different,” said championship leader Lewis Hamilton, winner of the last four races for Mercedes.

“The new braking system we have – the brake by wire – is more efficient and we have more power so it’s a different beast we’re trying to throw around,” the 2008 race winner told reporters. “I don’t know how it’s going to play out but I do anticipate it’s going to be harder.”

Massa, who will be starting his 12th Monaco Grand Prix and was twice on the podium for Ferrari in the principality, expected to be kept busy.

“The torque we have from the engine is maybe double what we had last year, and the grip from the tyre is not very high, so Monaco will be a very easy race to crash,” he told reporters last week. “I think it will be the toughest race of the season.”

Mexican Sergio Perez, who had a heavy crash in qualifying in 2011 and missed that year’s race, was also expecting a different challenge.

“It will be difficult. It will be very interesting for everyone, the fans, the media and the drivers. It will be just a new Monaco,” said the Force India driver.

McLaren’s Jenson Button, a winner in the principality with Brawn in 2009, said new asphalt laid through the tunnel could also be tricky while wet conditions would make it hard to get heat into the tyres.

However, Red Bull’s quadruple world champion Sebastian Vettel, who has not won since the end of last year, sounded a lot less concerned, “I think it doesn’t really make a difference, we will just end up going slower than in past years.”

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Domenicali: I called Alonso, Raikkonen and Vettel after I quit

Stefano Domenicali, who kept a low profile since his departure from Ferrari, has finally spoken out about his departure from Maranello and revealing that world champion Sebastian Vettel was one of three drivers he called on the day he stepped down as team boss.

Until now, Domenicali has been silent since leaving his post at Maranello due to the fabled Italian team’s poor results, but an interview was posted by none other than the respected Ferrari source Leo Turrini, on his reputable and highly regarded Quotidiano blog.

Domenicali reportedly said that when he quit, he made three phone calls: “In alphabetical order, to Alonso, Raikkonen and Vettel,” he said. “Fernando and Kimi are true friends to me. I regret the results. I did not put them together to make them fight for sixth place, but unfortunately that’s how it went.”

He sidestepped the issue of Ferrari’s highly controversial pit strategy in Barcelona, claiming he did not even watch the Spanish Grand Prix on television, “Maybe I will not even watch Monte Carlo.”

When it comes to Monaco, he recalls 2001, Michael Schumacher’s fifth win in the Principality, “I remember that night we were all confident that soon Michael would beat Senna’s record of six wins, but unfortunately it never happened.”

As the conversation turned to Schumacher’s skiing fall and coma, Domenicali admitted: “Sometimes I think that if we [Ferrari] would have had him between 2008 and 2013, I would have had at least one title. But do not misunderstand me: I think Alonso deserved to be champion in both 2010 and 2012.”

As for the third driver he called on the day he stepped down, Domenicali was less forthcoming, “Why I called Seb? You’ll have to find out the answer for yourself, sorry.”

On his own future in Formula 1, Domenicali ruled out returning with another team, “I have never excluded staying in racing, but I have always excluded working for another team, whether it is Caterham or McLaren or whoever.”

“It would not work when I go to the wall and cheer for Alonso and Raikkonen. But in a different area? Why not,” he said. “I am receiving a lot of proposals, even from different areas, but honestly I have no hurry to decide. I realize that I am a privileged one when looking at the situation in Italy and in Europe today.”

Domenicali declined, meanwhile, to talk publicly about his successor, the inexperienced Marco Mattiacci but did point out, “Mattiacci did not ask me anything,” he admitted. “It’s a good thing to see that he did not need advice.”

Meanwhile German correspondent for Sport Bild, Bianca Garloff, claimed on Wednesday that the interview posted on Turrini’s blog was in fact a fake.

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Alonso: We have more than one problem at the moment

From the tone of questioning from the F1 media, as they quizzed Fernando Alonso in the team hospitality alongside the Monaco harbour this afternoon, it is clear that it’s not only the tifosi who would like to see Scuderia Ferrari return to winning ways soon.

The press seemed keen to know if the fact this is a driver’s circuit could see the Spaniard do well this weekend, with or without good traction from the Ferrari F14T.

“We have more than one problem at the moment, but it would be nice to have good traction here,” was Fernando’s honest response.

“Even without the best traction in recent years, we have still managed to do well in Monaco including a couple of podium finishes,” he continued.

“Hopefully this weekend, we can be competitive enough to be at the front and score some good points. Traction will be a question mark for everybody this weekend. The cars have been quite tricky to drive so far this year and now we arrive at a very special circuit with a unique layout that features some risky places.”

“We must wait and see which team is able to better adapt their car to this circuit. As I have said before, having an update which maybe gives you a couple of tenths of a second, is less important at this track than finding a good set-up that allows you to have confidence in the car.”

“Monaco definitely offers a difference scenario and is a little bit more open than in the other races where we have seen Mercedes dominate, but they are still the biggest favourites. Even if car performance is not as important here, the car is still the biggest factor. But this is definitely a circuit that can bring some action.”

Of course, driver ability alone is not enough in Formula 1 and Alonso knows there is still work to be done.

“We definitely have the potential to improve the car and if we do it in the areas where there is a big margin, then we can hope to have good races and good results,” concluded the Spaniard who won at Monaco in 2006 and 2007.

[MIKA27]

Monaco is where rivals can halt Mercedes winning streak

After dominating the first five races of the Formula 1 season, with four successive one-two finishes, Mercedes duo Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg may not have it all their own way on the streets of Monaco on Sunday.

If the sound of Mercedes’ rivals clutching at straws has become more audible, unlike the cars, a flutter on a different winner could still be a better bet than many placed at the imposing casino this weekend.

“I think Monte Carlo will be one of the few opportunities to challenge Mercedes, especially for Red Bull,” Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso told reporters after Spain where Hamilton chalked up his fourth win in a row for the German manufacturer with team mate Rosberg second.

“On the corners [Red Bull] are very fast and on the straights they seem to lose a lot of lap time. In Monte Carlo there are no straights so maybe Red Bull could challenge Mercedes there. We’ll see,” said Alonso.

Alonso has won twice in Monaco, once for Renault and once for McLaren, and would become the first driver to win the most glamorous race on the calendar with three separate teams.

Monaco, with its narrow streets ringed by unforgiving metal fences, may be a processional race with little overtaking but it can never be predictable. The fickle weather, and the ever-present risk of Safety Cars and collisions, sees to that.

However Ferrari, the most glamorous team, have not threaded their way to victory in the calendar’s most alluring race since Michael Schumacher’s triumph in 2001.

Red Bull, with Australian Daniel Ricciardo and quadruple champion Sebastian Vettel third and fourth at the previous race in Spain, look to be picking up speed.

“They are still the benchmark,” recognised Mercedes motorsport head Toto Wolff. “The power unit [in Monaco] is not so important. Monaco is always different and I guess there is a team that has clearly an advantage at the moment and probably on a street circuit like Monaco everything can be different.”

History backs that up: On the last three occasions that a team has started a season with five straight wins – Ferrari in 2004 and Williams in 1996 and 1992 – the run has bust in Monaco.

This year, it may just be Hamilton’s rather than Mercedes’ winning streak that comes to an end as the championship-leading Briton chases his fifth in a row. Rosberg won from pole last year and grew up in the principality.

The German knows every kerb and corner, every turn and twist, from his boyhood journey from home to school and is determined to use that familiarity to good effect after falling three points behind his team mate in Spain.

“To re-gain the advantage at my home race would be fantastic, so I’ll be pushing harder than ever to make that happen,” he said.

It is also a favourite of the Briton, now also a Monaco resident and winner with McLaren in 2008 when he took the championship.

“I honestly never expected that I’d win four consecutive grands prix in my career and I’d love to continue that run here,” said Hamilton.

Red Bull have won Monaco three times in four years, twice with now departed Australian Mark Webber whose successor and compatriot Daniel Ricciardo is raring to go.

If racing around Monaco is, as Brazilian triple champion Nelson Piquet once observed, like cycling around your living room then Ricciardo is up for it.

“When I was a kid I used to love riding my little bike around inside the house. It was more fun, there were more obstacles and a bit more danger. That really is what this is like,” he said.

The new V6 turbo hybrid engines, with more torque and wheelspin, also threaten to liven things up with drivers likely to be more on the ragged edge than ever.

“I think Monaco will be a very, very difficult race,” commented Brazilian Felipe Massa. “We drive with the car a lot more sideways.”

“The torque we have from the engine is maybe double what we had last year, and the grip from the tyre is not very high, so Monaco will be a very easy race to crash. I think it will be the toughest race of the season,” added the Williams driver.

Monaco Grand Prix Facts & Statistics

• Mercedes have won all five races so far this season. The last team to start a season with five wins was Ferrari in 2004. That run ended in Monaco, when Italian Jarno Trulli won for Renault.
• Williams also won the first five races in 1996 and 1992, with both those runs also ending in Monaco.
• The last team to win the first six races of a season was McLaren, who won 11 in a row in 1988.
• Red Bull’s quadruple world champion Sebastian Vettel has 39 career wins, Alonso 32, Lewis Hamilton 26, Raikkonen 20 and Jenson Button 15. Rosberg 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.
• Hamilton’s win for Mercedes in Spain was his fourth in a row. No driver has ever won four races in a row without taking the title the same year.
• Red Bull have not gone six races without a win since their first victory in China in 2009.
• Mercedes – with Hamilton (Australia/Malaysia/China/Spain) and Rosberg (Bahrain) – have started every race on pole.
• The last team to start the first six races of a season on pole was Red Bull in 2011.
• Vettel took nine poles last year, and now has 45 for his F1 career, but has not been on pole in 2014.
• Hamilton now has 35 poles, more than any other British driver in the history of Formula One.
• Ferrari’s last pole position was in Germany with Fernando Alonso in 2012.
• Ferrari have finished a record 72 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.
• Toro Rosso’s Daniil Kvyat is Formula One’s youngest point scorer – aged 19 years and 324 days.
• Red Bull have won three of the last four Monaco Grands Prix.
• Ferrari have not won in Monaco since 2001, with Schumacher. They have, however, set the fastest lap in five of the last 10 races.
• The driver on pole has won nine of the last 13 races in Monaco. In 1996, Frenchman Olivier Panis won from 14th on the starting grid – the lowest winning start position to date.
• Since 1950, only 10 times has the race been won by a driver starting lower than third.
• Six former Monaco winners will be on Sunday’s grid: Rosberg (2013), Vettel (2011), Button (2009), Hamilton (2008), Alonso (2006 and 2007), Raikkonen (2005).
• If Alonso wins on Sunday, he will become the first driver to win Monaco for three different teams. His previous wins were with Renault and McLaren.
• This year marks the 30th anniversary of McLaren’s first Monaco win, with Alain Prost finishing ahead of Ayrton Senna’s Toleman in a rain-shortened race with half points awarded.

[MIKA27]

The Ferrari F14T is as fast as an SUV

Honestly, I set out to try and write nice, positive things about Ferrari ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix weekend, as I have many friends and even family that count themselves as tifosi – but alas I am struggling to see any light at the end of the [wind] tunnel for Italy’s finest Formula 1 team – and I am not alone it appears.

I scoured the most credible blogs and websites of experts in all things Maranello and came up with nothing positive to write about, the crisis that now sits heavy over Formula 1′s most celebrated team who seem to have their head in the sand.

In fact Leo Turrini, respected and often hilarious Ferrari stalker declared that “the F14T is as fast as an SUV” and he wasn’t joking apparently.

And I am not going to argue with him as it does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that apart from a pretty average V6 turbo power unit at their disposal, the sport’s most formidable duo Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen have been given knives to use in a gunfight - again the brains trust at Maranello have under delivered massively.

Solution to the problem: cut off the head of course. Hence the firing of nice guy Stefano Domenicali which was perhaps the step in the right direction but is he wholly to blame for the malice that has inflicted the team.

What about Pat Fry and his inept minions? Why does he still remain as the problems over the past few years have been technical. Sure the power unit this year has been well beaten by Mercedes and soon by Renault. But that does not explain the chassis defects that have plagued this current car and its predecessor.

In football when a top team under-performs the manager is sent packing, and along with him his hand picked staff follows out the door. But in Formula 1, with teams employing hundreds of people including a legion of managers, the team principal gets the boot but everyone else hangs on to their job – in this instance is it really Stefano’s fault that the F14T has hardly any grip thanks to woeful aero?

So Stefano carried the can. Then what does a legendary team do? Well of course such a team puts in place a manager with absolutely no Formula 1 experience whatsoever to motivate the members, vastly experienced individuals in most cases, and lead them out of the doldrums.

That’s has been the recovery plan of bella figura Luca di Montezemolo, who full of bluster and pomp declared that Marco Mattiacci is as inexperienced as Jean Todt was when the Frenchman joined the team, before leading them to the glory years in the new millennium.

The Ferrari cap di tutti capi conveniently forgot that Todt prior, to his Ferrari tenure, led Peugeot’s formidable motorsport activities for a decade overseeing numerous victories at Le Mans, in the World Rally Championships and at the Paris-Dakar along the way.

Mattiacci? A frequent guest at polo events and Ferrari related feel good affairs, who appears to be the chosen one of Montezemolo. And with that comes fast track to the top gun seat in the Ferrari team.

From where I stand this all looks doomed to fail…and I have hardly gotten started, because we can go on about the old wind tunnel, dead wood within the organisation, bad management across the board, the usual cries to stay calm (on the surface) while in the corridors of Maranello uncertainty looms large and panic spreads.

Going to Monaco where one would expect there to be a glimmer of hope for the Reds, the mood is bleak for the team that is now over a year without a Formula 1 victory…think about that. And not a win at Monaco since Michael Schumacher’s triumph in 2001.

Heading to this year’s edition of the world’s most prestigious race neither Fernando or Kimi seem confident about their chances on the Cote D’Azure.

The Spaniard predicted: “I think Monte Carlo will be one of the few possibilities to challenge Mercedes – especially for Red Bull. It is a chance, but not I think, for us.”

And the Finn was covering his bases: “The Monaco race is very complicated right from Thursday morning.”

Okay enough bad news!

Perhaps the only glimmer of hope as the situation stands right now – taking out of the equation the talk of Adrian Newey and Ross Brawn – is James Allison whose impact will only be felt when the next Ferrari is pushed out of the garage for testing next year.

Until then the pain is sure to remain for the tifosi as they watch their SUV trundle along from race to race – a tedious, sad season is on the cards for die-hard Ferrari fans. Sorry Ferrari fans – but I tried hard to find something positive to say about your team…

[MIKA27]

Michael we can’t wait to see you back on this grass next year!

Formula 1 drivers and sports stars have paid tribute to their stricken former rival and their team’s football captain Michael Schumacher.

For years ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix, seven time world champion Schumacher captained the Formula 1 drivers’ football team as they annually took on Prince Albert’s all-stars at the Stade Louis.

But in 2014, the Formula 1 legend was missing on Tuesday, as he continues to fight in France amid a long coma in the wake of his late December skiing fall.

According to the major German daily Bild, the Formula 1 drivers’ team – now captained by Fernando Alonso – made it clear that they missed Schumacher as they went against all-stars like top tennis player Novak Djokovic on Tuesday night.

On the electronic advertising hoardings circling the ground, a message repeatedly read: “Michael, we miss you! We can’t wait to see you back on this grass next year.”

Among those on the grass on Tuesday was Schumacher’s former teammate Felipe Massa, Sergio Perez and impressive Russian teen rookie Daniil Kvyat, who scored a goal. The match ended 3-2 to the F1 drivers squad.

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Zetsche: Alonso is perhaps the best driver on the grid

Dieter Zetsche celebrates with Lewis Hamilton after victory in Spain

Fernando Alonso is perhaps the best driver in Formula 1, claims Dieter Zetsche, chairman of Daimler the parent company of Mercedes, whose Brackley based Formula 1 team is utterly dominating in 2014.

It has been reported recently that Mercedes could be interested in reviving McLaren’s fiery 2007 duo, by ousting Nico Rosberg and pairing current championship leader Lewis Hamilton with Spaniard Alonso next year.

Alonso is reportedly frustrated with Ferrari’s continued lack of championship-winning potential, and eyeing a 2015 move to Mercedes or perhaps McLaren.

Mercedes figures including Niki Lauda and Toto Wolff have denied the speculation. But Zetsche said on Tuesday: “Alonso is perhaps the best driver on the grid, demonstrating it even in a slightly less competitive car.”

And he is quoted by Spain’s EFE news agency as saying that driver skill is “more important than ever”, after the move to the new breed of turbo-powered cars.

“Drivers with the new hybrid power must be very good,” said Zetsche, “because the cars are no longer the ‘trams’ that we have seen before.

“Today’s cars are exciting; it doesn’t bore me that the same team has won every race so far,” he smiled. “It is the job of the other teams to equal the performance of Mercedes, even if we also have a lot that we can improve.”

Zetsche, an occasional visitor to grand prix race days, was seen embracing and celebrating with Hamilton after the Briton powererd to the team’s fifth consecutive victory of the season at the Spanish Grand Prix.

After which Hamilton said, “Every time Dr Zetsche came last year, we generally had a bad race, so it was really important to get a good result for him to get rid of that negative bug, or bad luck that I guess he thought he was bringing.”

[MIKA27]

McLaren to run special Johnnie Walker livery at Monaco

McLaren Mercedes has unveiled a unique livery for the 2014 Monaco Grand Prix. To celebrate its special relationship with McLaren Mercedes, Johnnie Walker will feature prominently on the car, along with on the driver overalls and helmets.

The Monaco Grand Prix is a jewel in Formula 1’s crown and has come to symbolise quality, style and sophistication, as well as sporting endeavour. Johnnie Walker and McLaren Mercedes began their partnership in 2005 and Monaco is the ideal place to celebrate the success they have achieved during 160 Grand Prix races together.

The partnership between McLaren Mercedes and Johnnie Walker is successful because they share the same pioneering, innovative and progressive approach. The partnership is the perfect blend, with Johnnie Walker and McLaren Mercedes inspiring each other to pursue excellence.

The Monaco Grand Prix is also an ideal opportunity to reflect on the ground breaking activity undertaken by Johnnie Walker and McLaren Mercedes to promote responsible drinking through the Join the Pact campaign. To date, over one million people have pledged to the cause committing to never drink and drive. Consumers can make their commitment by visiting JoinThePact.com and using the hashtag #ImNOTdriving.

[MIKA27]

Mallya denies money scandals hurting Force India image

Vijay Mallya has distanced Force India from the bad publicity generated by the Silverstone based team’s co-owners and his own struggling airline, Kingfisher grounded and in massive debt.

“My airline is a corporation,” Mallya insisted on Wednesday. “I know of no company in the world in which the director or a shareholder is held responsible for the entire group.

“In addition to the airline I have many other companies, and my main business is the sale of alcoholic beverages. This is growing continuously and not at all affected by the problems of the airline,” he told Auto Motor und Sport.

Force India’s other main shareholder, meanwhile, is Indian businessman Subrata Roy, heading the title sponsor Sahara. At the present moment, Roy is in jail, reportedly after failing to pay back billions to investors.

“Sahara’s problems have nothing to do with Formula 1,” Mallya said. “Two of his companies have collected money from investors, which is being examined and challenged. But Sahara’s investment in our team is completely independent of that.”

Mallya also played down suggestions the issues of debt, failure and jail are bad for Force India’s image.

“That is an academic question,” he insisted. “So far, not a single sponsor has run away. Our team is evaluated for its performance on the race track, and the benefits that derive from that.”

[MIKA27]

Hamilton is richest British sports star

Lewis Hamilton has topped The Times’ 2014 rich list of British sporting stars, being worth a staggering £68-million.

Formula 1 tops the table with Jenson Button’s £63-million in second while Wayne Rooney’s worth of £60-million puts him third on the list.

Of the top 29 earners, 15 were from the world of football, eight from golf, three from basketball, two from F1 and one from tennis, with all worth in excess of £17-million.

Rio Ferdinand (£44-million), Steven Gerrard (£37-million), Frank Lampard (£37-million) and Ryan Giggs (£36-million) join Rooney in the top five wealthiest British footballers.

Andy Murray is the sole tennis star in the top 30 and the reigning Wimbledon champion has a worth of £40-million.

LA Lakers’ player Steve Nash, who has a Canadian/British nationality, is in fourth with his estimated fortune of £56-million while fellow NBA star Luol Deng completes the top ten with his £36-million.

Chelsea is a common theme throughout the list with seven current or former players who have benefitted from Roman Abramovich’s investment.

Stars from the golfing world also feature heavily on the list. Padraig Harrington and Colin Montgomerie top the richest golfers with Luke Donald, Lee Westwood and Rory McIlroy not far behind.

Exchange rate: £1 = €1.26 = $1.69

Here’s the full run down of Britain’s top sporting earners…

1. Lewis Hamilton – £68-million

2. Jenson Button – £63-million

3. Wayne Rooney – £60-million

4. Steve Nash – £56-million

5. Rio Ferdinand – £44-million

6. Andy Murray – £40-million

7. Steven Gerrard – £37-million

7. Frank Lampard – £37-million

9. Luol Deng – £36-million

9. Ryan Giggs – £36-million

9. Padraig Harrington – £36-million

12. Colin Montgomerie – £32-million

[MIKA27]

Raikkonen laments lack of opportunities

Kimi Raikkonen has admitted that he would relish the opportunity to take part in other forms of motor racing if it was possible to do so while he was a Formula One driver.

The Finn is one of few current Formula One drivers that has experience of racing in multiple formats.

He took a two-year break from F1 after the 2009 season and took part in the World Rally Championship as well as NASCAR Trucks.

Raikkonen also tested the Koiranen GP GP3 car in August last year.

Following the passing of three-time World Champion Sir Jack Brabham this week, Raikkonen revealed that he feels the drivers of today are missing out on the freedom the competitors of yesteryear had when it comes to racing outside of F1.

"Obviously I read and it was sad to hear that he passed away," Raikkonen said during Wednesday's FIA Press Conference when asked about Brabham's passing.

"Obviously these days are different than the days that they used to race and they could do different categories, different races. I think it would be very nice if we would be able to do different things at the same time and different races and try different things.

"But the problem is everything just gets so much more expensive these days and obviously people are more scared that you get hurt and they try to limit everything what you do.

"So it's a shame because I think it would be more fun for everybody and the other sports would also benefit from it, and F1. It would be nice to do stuff like that."

[MIKA27]

Massa calls for better balance

Felipe Massa believes the best way to guarantee exciting racing is to ensure that a better balance exists between mechanical and aerodynamic grip.

Under the 2014 rules changes, the levels of downforce in the cars this season is significantly less than in previous years.

Massa, though, believes Formula One should revert back to the wider tyres that were used in the past to encourage overtaking.

"Formula 1 is very aerodynamic, so in my opinion we need to make a study to improve the mechanical grip, more than the aerodynamic grip," Massa told Autosport.

"The tyre is something we can improve a lot - softer, but not for just one lap, a consistent tyre.

"It's possible. In the past we had massive tyres. We don't need tyres like that now, but increasing a bit [would be a good thing].

"The problem is they changed the rules to reduce the aerodynamic grip [for this season], but they keep the mechanical grip the same so nothing [has] changed.

"We're still struggling to be behind somebody."

[MIKA27]

Lotus: Grosjean a wanted man

Lotus owner Gerard Lopez believes the Enstone team will struggle to keep Romain Grosjean past this season.

Grosjean endured a difficult 2012 season, during which he was involved in several crashes, which ultimately led to him serving a one-race ban.

Since then, though, the Frenchman has been much more circumspect without losing the natural pace he has always had.

He has also risen to the challenge of being the team's lead driver this season after Kimi Raikkonen's departure for Ferrari.

Speaking to Sportinglife.com before this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix, Lopez admitted that, in all likelihood, he will face as fight to keep Grosjean's suitors at bay.

"We don't have the budget of some of the other teams, so there is a point up until which we will fight," Lopez told Sportinglife.

"But Romain is really happy here, he is part of the family, and I don't think he is planning on going anywhere.

"His drives last year meant there were a couple of teams knocking on the door to find out what he was doing, and now we've the same this year.

"I'm not saying Romain is going, but what I am saying is that here is a driver who was criticised, and now suddenly people are saying he is a driver who could pretty much drive for any team."

Lopez added that he sees a lot of similarities between Grosjean and his Lotus team-mate Pastor Maldonado, who is renowned for his indifferent performances and temper tantrums.

"It's a case of working with him to make sure he is comfortable," added Lopez.

"He had an easy weekend (in Spain) until qualifying, and he would easily have been in Q3.

"When I say 'easy', he pushed but didn't really have to push until he probably decided he had to push more in qualifying when it probably wasn't required.

"He's a driver who needs to understand that in certain circumstances, with his speed, then 95, 96, 97 per cent should get him to where he wants to be, and then once in Q3 give it 100, 105.

"We've lived partially the same thing with Romain, and people wrote him off, but now, as I say, we've people knocking on our door to see if he can be in their team.

"We will take a long-term view on things, so we're not particularly worried. We'll get the best out of Pastor.

"We think we can do the same with him, as we did with Romain, to ensure he is at his best every race weekend, and consistently throughout the weekend. I have a lot of faith in him."

[MIKA27]

Some Small Talk..

So, here we are in the days before Monaco, and there is still whining going on about the noise that the F1 cars make. The latest folderol is from the race promoters, who are going around saying that they are going to try to get the sound of the engines changed after a meeting in Spain.

Why? These people are not even capable of sticking together to force the Formula One group to be reasonable about the fees it demands, so why would anyone listen to them on the ethereal subject of engine noise? It’s so daft a concept that one is left wondering what in the world they think they will achieve by dressing up in blue and white sailor suits and warbling from the same song sheet.

They are obviously afraid that they will have to drop their prices if the public doesn’t like the noise… But is there any real evidence that this is happening?

The Australian GP in Melbourne had its largest four-day attendance figure in 2004 when it pulled in 360,885, with the race day audience being 121,500. That fell to under 300,000 in 2009 and 2011 but went up again to 323,000 in 2013, with 103,000 on race day. This year the four-day figure was 314,900 with 100,500 on race day. Not a bad result for what is a very mature event.

What did happen in Albert Park is that a few drunken fans shouted abuse at Ron Walker and threw their earplugs at his car one evening when he was leaving. This seems to have made an impression on sensitive old Ron.

The race in Malaysia did suffer a serious drop in spectator numbers with the crowd around 25 percent down, but as the Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak pointed out, the smaller crowd was due to the locals being in a state of shock as a result of the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, which put a damper on the whole event. There were also questions about the switch of date influencing the numbers because it meant that it was no longer a holiday in some primary markets, notably Singapore.

In Bahrain the crowd increased from 28,000 to 31,000, probably because the race was moved to the evening so that those working in Bahrain, where Sunday is a weekday, could attend and thanks perhaps to it being cooler when the sun goes down… The fact that the race was out of the political spotlight may also have helped.

China had a huge crowd. According to the organisers, the three-day event attracted 180,000 spectators, which was around the same as in previous years, the breakthrough having come in around 2012 when ticket prices were reduced.

The Spanish Grand Prix drew more than 205,000 spectators, including 91,480 on race day. This was down on 2013 when 218,331 turned up over the three-days. Having said that, back when Fernando Alonso was winning more the race day figure went as high as 140,000.

The local economy is also important in Spain because in 2011 the race day figure was just 78,000. Given that Catalonia has an unemployment rate of 22.26 percent and Spain as a whole has 26.03 percent, it is impossible to say whether the small drop this year was due to the noise of the engines, the troubled economy or Ferrari’s failings which made it impossible for Alonso to win.

Overall, therefore, there is no clear evidence that the sound of the cars has made any real difference to the ticket sales at races… We will be able to analyse more as the season goes on, but it seems somewhat contradictory for the promoters to be talking down their own events when there is nothing to support their theory…

[MIKA27]

Vettel on Mercedes: We were never this dominant

Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel took some time to chat about Mercedes and their comprehensive domination of the sport so far in 2014. Recalling his 9-win streak in the latter part of 2014, Vettel says that it was domination but nothing like what we are seeing from Mercedes this year.

“It is a different situation but I think we have never really been in that kind of position,” explained Vettel ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix.

“Obviously it is easy to look back and say that we have dominated everything, and it was easy. But the way I remember it was a bit different to that.

“And now we are five races into the season, I don’t think we ever started the season with five wins as a team.

“Obviously we had a very, very different and strong finish last year. But if you look at the races and the results and the gaps, I think it is a different story.

“Then again, we have been at the top the last couple of years; we know how it feels and what sort of things you have to deal with. And now, they are in a similar position and it is fair to say that they deserve to be there because they do the best job.”

This will most likely be met with cheers and jeers but if I’m honest, I agree with him. Red Bull wasn’t clawing 1.2 seconds per lap and finishing nearly a full minute ahead of its closest rival. That could be the circuit and circumstances so I’ll reserve judgment until later this year but something tells me that Seb is more right than wrong on this issue.

How do you see it? Do you feel Red Bull have had this kind of utter domination? Remember that two of the four title they hold were won by a single point or two. The other two were more dominating but at the rate Mercedes is going, they could win everything.

If there is hope, Red Bull could find it in Monaco and Hungary but we’ll have to wait and see about that.

[ptrthgr8]

McLaren to run special Johnnie Walker livery at Monaco

The partnership between McLaren Mercedes and Johnnie Walker is successful because they share the same pioneering, innovative and progressive approach. The partnership is the perfect blend, with Johnnie Walker and McLaren Mercedes inspiring each other to pursue excellence.

The Monaco Grand Prix is also an ideal opportunity to reflect on the ground breaking activity undertaken by Johnnie Walker and McLaren Mercedes to promote responsible drinking through the Join the Pact campaign. To date, over one million people have pledged to the cause committing to never drink and drive. Consumers can make their commitment by visiting JoinThePact.com and using the hashtag #ImNOTdriving.

Johnnie Walker. Pphhhpppt. Blended scotch is for babies.

[MIKA27]

Maldonado arrives in Monaco

Lotus driver Pastor Maldonado is keeping his sense of humour as internet jokes abound about his driving after a string of Formula 1 crashes and collisions this season.

Pictures of beached or capsized yachts, accompanied by ‘Maldonado arrives in Monaco’ captions, have rippled out across Twitter this week ahead of the glamour race in the Mediterranean principality.

The Lotus driver, whose previous appearances around Monaco’s tight and twisty streets have kept the race stewards busy, has yet to score a championship point in five starts this season.

He has, however, picked up four penalty points, more than any other driver. Under Formula One’s new driving licence style system, 12 points in a calendar year brings a one-race suspension.

Asked about the jokes, Maldonado smiled wearily, “It’s OK…I’ve always been used to a lot of criticisms. It’s normal. It’s normal when you come from South America, when you have a country pushing very hard…when they are used to seeing you always at the top in the lower categories and here in Formula One you are not any more competitive just because of all the conditions.”

“We are living in a free world so everyone can say whatever. It’s funny. At least someone is talking (about me).”

Maldonado won the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix with Williams, his only success to date, but moved to hard-up Lotus at the end of last year along with long-term backers PDVSA, the Venezuelan state-owned oil giant.

He has yet to finish higher than 14th for his new team, whose sole points this year were provided by Frenchman Romain Grosjean when he finished eighth in Spain.

Maldonado was handed three penalty points in Bahrain for a collision with Sauber’s Mexican Esteban Gutierrez.

The Venezuelan crashed in qualifying in Spain and collected another penalty point in the race for colliding with Caterham’s Marcus Ericsson.

In Friday practice in China, Maldonado crashed at the pit entry after an earlier spin on the track while adjusting settings.

The driver attributed his eventful start to the year as a combination of things, with Lotus missing the first pre-season test and struggling with the new Renault V6 power unit when the car was ready.

Most of the incidents occurred after he had left or was on his way back to the pits and Maldonado was asked how much he was wrestling with the controls and new systems.

“Could be, could be,” he replied. “Maybe trying too hard, and at the same time we were not 100 percent with the car, so the car was not doing what I wanted.

“Maybe even because I want to do very well, more than I can (with the car’s performance), I’m doing some mistakes. It’s quite busy in the car with all the switches and buttons, setting changes,” he added.

“Maybe this is affecting a little bit but it’s the same for everyone so I don’t think it’s the key.”

[MIKA27]

Monaco Practice 2: Alonso puts Ferrari on top

Fernando Alonso put Ferrari on top of the afternoon practice timesheets at the Monaco Grand Prix on Thursday but Formula One championship leader Lewis Hamilton was still fastest overall for Mercedes.

The Briton, who will be chasing his fifth win in a row on Sunday, lapped the Mediterranean street circuit with a best time of one minute 18.271 seconds on an overcast morning in the principality.

Alonso, who has not won a race in more than a year, then set the fastest lap of 1:18.482 in a damp afternoon session with Hamilton second in 1:18.901.

A heavy downpour between the sessions left the track soaked and slippery, with the top drivers leaving it late to set any meaningful times.

Nico Rosberg, winner from pole position last year, was a mere 0.032 slower than his Mercedes team mate in the morning but his times after lunch were unrepresentative and he was only 20th.

Daniel Ricciardo was best of the rest for champions Red Bull in third place in the morning and team mate Sebastian Vettel, the quadruple world champion, filled that slot in the afternoon.

Hamilton leads Rosberg by three points in the standings after four successive one-two finishes. Mercedes have won every race and started them all from pole.

Alonso, a past winner in Monaco with Renault and McLaren, had been boosted before the session by a statement from Ferrari president Luca Di Montezemolo assuring him of the team’s complete support.

Ferrari have been struggling to match the pace of the Mercedes this season and have not won in Monaco since Michael Schumacher in 2001.

The only casualty of the morning was German driver Adrian Sutil, who made contact with the barriers at Mirabeau. Marussia’s Max Chilton also stopped on the track.

Sweden’s Marcus Ericsson nudged the wall in the afternoon, without major damage to his Caterham.

The opening session was closely watched for signs of how the new cars, with their heavier V6 turbo hybrid power units, would handle the layout with more torque and less downforce.

Some drivers have warned that Monaco could be the toughest test of the season, with the cars slipping and sliding more around the tight corners on a track where any mistake can be costly.

Even if Mercedes still look quick, champions Red Bull and Ferrari have sensed a chance to break their dominant streak.

“Mercedes have been quite strong here over the last couple of years but it’s an opportunity,” Red Bull principal Christian Horner said before the session started. “We’ve got a bit of funny weather this weekend and we’ll do everything we can.”

The noise, or lack of it, was also much discussed with the new cars sounding far more muted even in the bowl-like surroundings of the harbour.

The loudspeakers blaring out live commentary around the track were far more deafening close up than anything coming from the muted V6 turbo hybrid power units that have replaced the screaming V8s.