FORMULA 1 - 2014

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Marussia confirms they will test new car at Jerez

Marussia have confirmed that they will be present and testing their new car, the MR03, at next week’s pre-season test in Spain.

The team will also unveil their new Ferrari-powered MR03 at Jerez, with Jules Bianchi and Max Chilton expected to be on duty during the four days, starting 28 January.

The news means that Lotus, and possibly McLaren, will not be present at Jerez, although the Woking outfit is more than likely to be present since passing the mandatory FIA crash tests and firing up the MP4-29 yesterday.

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Massa and Smedley won’t be reunited at Williams

The long association between Felipe Massa and race engineer Rob Smedley is done and dusted, as Williams have appointed a new engineer for the Brazilian in 2014.

Williams revealed on Twitter: “Andrew Murdoch will be Race Engineer for @Felipe1Massa in 2014 whilst Jonathan Eddolls will continue with @ValtteriBottas.”

Murdoch was race engineer for departed Pastor Maldonado in 2013.

Massa and Smedley had a high profile relationship during there years together at Maranello, which came close to netting the Formula 1 World Championship in 2008.

At the 2010 German Grand Prix, Smedley infamously relayed the command “Fernando is faster than you. Can you confirm you understand that message?”

Smedley’s radio transmissions to Massa have achieved a certain cult status, with many Ferrari fans putting his messages on their mobile phones as ringtones.

Massa was axed by Ferrari at the end of last season. He has been replaced by Kimi Raikkonen. Williams were quick to sign the Brazilian who has 11 grand prix wins to his credit.

There was speculation that Smedley may have been tempted to follow Massa to Williams, but it appears that he will be staying on at Ferrari, in a yet to be determined role.

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Renault: Grand Prix racing is the pinnacle of human endeavour and technological innovation

Press Release: This year, the FIA Formula One World Championship is set for a raft of radical technical regulation changes. From 2014 onwards, the cars will be powered by avant-garde powertrain technology, with a powerful turbocharged internal combustion engine coupled to sophisticated energy recovery systems.

• FIA Formula One World Championship set to welcome most radical technical changes in the history of the sport in 2014.
  
• Cars will be powered by highly sophisticated power units combining turbocharged internal combustion engines and potent energy recovery systems harvesting energy from exhaust (thermal energy) and braking (mechanical energy).
  
• Over the course of the lap, cars will be powered by both traditional fuel and electrical energy.
  
• Double restrictions on fuel flow and mass will make the power units amongst the most fuel efficient engines in the world.
  
• Renault’s Energy F1-2014 power unit developed at its state of the art facility at Viry-Chattillon, France, is ready for the challenge.
  
• The new generation power unit named Energy F1 to reflect synergies with the pioneering fuel efficient Energy engine range used in Renault road cars, which maintain or improve driving pleasure, vitality and acceleration with downsized engines to achieve lower fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
  

Energy efficiency will reach levels never seen in the sport before, with two types of energy propelling the cars. The internal combustion engine will produce power through consumption of traditional carbon-based fuel, while electrical energy will be harvested from exhaust and braking by two motor generator units. The two systems will work in harmony, with teams and drivers balancing the use of the two types of energy throughout the race.

The advent of this new technology means that the word ‘engine’ is no longer sufficient: instead the sport will refer to ‘Power Units.’

Renault is fully prepared for this technical revolution, with its Energy F1- 2014 Power Unit designed and developed at its Viry-Chattillon HQ in France ready for track testing.

Jean-Michel Jalinier, President of Renault Sport F1, ”Grand Prix racing is a pioneering sport, representing the pinnacle of human endeavour and technological innovation. From the rear mounted engines of the 1930s to the ground effect of the 1980s, F1 technology has always been years ahead of its time. With cutting-edge energy systems and highly advanced turbocharged combustion engines, in 2014 F1 remains true to its DNA. We are absolutely at the vanguard of powertrain technology this year.”

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McLaren fires up new MP4-29 turbo

Hot on the heels of their announcement that all FIA crash tests had been passed, McLaren has also announced that the MP4-29, powered by the all new Mercedes V6 turbo engine has fired up for the first time, at the team’s Woking headquarters.

They announced on Twitter: “Great to hear a McLaren turbo fire up at #MTC.”

Insiders earlier this week revealed that the team is in a race against time to get the new car ready for testing at Jerez, which begins on 28 January, and this latest development may indicate that the team will be on time to test in Spain next week.

On the same day Kevin Magnussen had a seat fitting in the MP4-29.

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Sirotkin remains Sauber reserve despite Van der Garde’s arrival

Teenager Sergey Sirotkin remains a Sauber Test Driver despite the team’s appointment of Giedo van der Garde in a similar role for the Swiss outfit.

A Sauber spokesman stated, “Sergey is test driver for the Sauber F1 Team in 2014. Whether he will get some FP1 opportunities is open at this point in time.”

Sirotkin was confirmed as Sauber test driver just before Christmas, on the same day that the team announced that Esteban Gutierrez would continue with the team alongside newcomer Adrian Sutil.

At the time Sirotkin said, “The contract doesn’t say how often I’ll drive the car on Fridays, but the position of third driver does include visits to the grands prix.”

Asked specifically about the participation in FP1 sessions, he added, “I have no doubt that one of them will be the grand prix in Sochi.”

Team boss Monisha Kaltenborn said, “We will continue to support him, including obtaining his super license. Our goal remains to prepare him for a debut in F1.

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Van der Garde turned down Caterham for Sauber role

Giedo van der Garde believes that his move from Caterham race driver to Sauber reserve is a step sideways which will result in him returning to the grid in 2015, which is why he turned down an offer from his former team.

Van der Garde told Sport1, “Sometimes you have to take a step sideways to make two steps forward. I compare it with Jasper Cillessen. He spent two years ago at NEC, then sat on the bench for a year and is now at Ajax goalkeeper and in the Dutch team.”

Van der Garde had an option to continue with Caterham which he turned down, “I did not do it, because Sauber is a better option. My goal this year is to show what I can do, and then race in 2015 with Sauber.”

“I’m a driver who wants the maximum. I do not want to drive at the back of the F1 field for another year. I want to score points,” mused the 28 year old Dutchman.

“It’s looking good. This year there are more test days and I may also do some Friday Free Practice driving. And if it is necessary, I am ready to step up,” added Van der Garde.

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Teams must act on 'Alien' F1 2014 noses, says Cyril Abiteboul

Formula 1 chiefs may have to get together to discuss ways to get rid of the ugly look of the 2014 noses, reckons Caterham team boss Cyril Abiteboul.

Team bosses and technical staff have openly admitted that the extreme nose solutions this year will make the cars look unattractive.

Abiteboul says the Caterham version reminds him of the main antagonist from the 'Alien' films.

When asked by AUTOSPORT about how the new Caterham will look, he said: "It is going to be ugly.

"I think F1 is still show business and it should still be attractive to people.

"Kids should be dreaming when they see an F1 car - I don't know about the dream or nightmare you will be having when you look at those cars.

"It does remind me of the 'Alien' film with it coming out the mouth."

But beyond the criticisms they will prompt, Abiteboul thinks the look of the noses is so bad that it could turn potential fans away from F1.

"It is a natural consequence of the regulations and the impact structure at the front," he added.

"Maybe we will have to address that as a collective issue of F1, because we need to be selling some dream."

The ugly noses this year have been caused by a quirk in the regulations that demand a high chassis and low nose tip, with no requirement for a large nose tip section.

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Tech insights: what the VJM07 reveals about F1 2014 designs

Force India's 3D rendering of its new VJM07 Formula 1 car, released on Wednesday, sheds some light on 2014 designs while hiding much of the real detail.

AUTOSPORT's technical expert CRAIG SCARBOROUGH analysed what we can learn from the image.

NOSE

We can deduce that Force India has followed the so called 'finger' or 'anteater' nose design.

This is where the new rules demand a low nose tip, so the nosecone ends up with a finger-like extension that reaches down to meet the mandatory 185mm nose tip height.

But the final design appears to be sleeker than expectations, with the finger merged into the wedge-shaped upper nose.

The front wing is also mounted to the finger extension and not the upper nose section.

Despite the sleeker design, the result is still likely to look startling at first. It is worth noting the team has painted the finger extension black to blend into the new black based livery.

STEPPED CHASSIS

Another design feature likely to be common across the grid is the stepped chassis. This is where the rules mount the front bulkhead 10cm lower down to help align with the lower nose tip.

As the aerodynamicists want the chassis as high as possible to send more air to the rear of the car, the bulkhead is down at the lower height, but rises back up 10cm to create a high flat top to the front of the chassis.

The resulting step is cleaned up with a vanity panel.

COOLING

Now fitted with a Mercedes 1.6-litre V6 turbo and enhanced Energy Recovery Systems, the Force India has a far greater cooling demand, although the sidepods from this angle do not look disproportionately large.

Perhaps aiding the size of the sidepods is an additional inlet over the roll hoop. This probably feeds an oil cooler for the gearbox.

FUEL TANK

One detail that is clearly apparent is the size of the fuel tank. With 100kg of fuel for the race the tank only needs to hold two-thirds of last year's capacity.

The split lines on the bodywork around the roll hoop suggest the team has dramatically shortened the length of the monocoque in this area.

EXHAUST

As the 2014 rules demand a single, central exhaust outlet, the sidepods have lost their Coanda exhaust outlets. This makes the coke bottle shape of the bodywork much slimmer.

The exhaust now exits out of the tail of the engine cover, roughly in line with the join in the green and black coloured panels of the tail.

REAR WING

Rear wings are trimmed for 2014 with no beam wing and a slightly shallower top rear wing.

Although none of the wing detail can be seen, the team has added more slots in the vertical leading edge of the endplate, which aids airflow through the rear wing for more downforce.

Another feature not evident in the picture is the means of mounting the rear wing to the chassis.

The loss of the beam wing means the wing can be either mounted to the diffuser or supported on a pylon. The latter option does not appear to be on the this image.

MIKA: True the cars may look ugly but I think back to 2011 and 2012 cars and they were really ugly. Some teams dependent on their livery looked good though such as Sauber who I believe had the best livery with black and white. It kind of took away the ugliness by hiding the nose in black. The new VJM looks pretty good IMO.

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Doctors removed part of Schumacher’s skull to relieve pressure on brain

It has emerged that doctors have removed a part of Michael Schumacher’s skull to relieve life threatening swelling of the brain, after he severely injured his head when he fell while skiing almost four weeks ago, but this may result in negative long term side effects for the Formula 1 legend.

Bloomberg reported: “Seven-time Formula 1 Champion Schumacher, 45, was placed in an induced coma by doctors after his accident. He has since undergone partial skull-removal as a way to relieve dangerous pressure, as well as surgery to remove blood clots in his head. Since the first week of January, the Grenoble University Hospital where he is in an induced coma has declined to update his condition.”

“Aggressive care for head injury can keep some patients alive and maximize the odds of recovery by preventing further damage. Even so, treatment often remains elusive and an invasive, hit-or-miss process that requires months or years of rehabilitation with uncertain results.”

“Doctors rely on a variety of steps to manage brain swelling after a head injury. They monitor brain pressure closely and drain fluid from the brain or use saline solution or a diuretic to draw fluid out of brain tissue.”

“If that doesn’t work, surgeons may remove a chunk of the skull to allow room for the brain to swell, as Schumacher’s doctors did. When possible, surgeons will also remove large clots that press dangerously on the brain,” the report added.

On 17 January, Schumacher was described as stable, by his PA Sabine Kehm, while the family said yesterday in a statement, “We all know: he is a fighter and will not give up! We are deeply moved that there is no let up in the good wishes for Michael from around the world. That gives us strength. Thank you all of you!”

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First images of the new Williams Mercedes FW36

Press Release: Williams today released the first images of its 2014 challenger: the Williams Mercedes FW36. The FW36 is one of the most technologically advanced Formula 1 cars produced by Williams. It is the culmination of more than two years of research and development by the team’s technical departments in Grove and it incorporates the power unit from the team’s new partner, Mercedes-Benz.

“There’s a lot more technology on the cars this year,” says Williams Chief Technical Officer Pat Symonds.

“We’ve had turbo-charged engines in F1 before; what’s different this time is that it is much more than just an engine change, it is a completely different system. We’ve gone from a slightly hybridised normally aspirated engine to a fully integrated hybrid power unit with novel technology at its heart.”

To meet the challenges of the new Power Unit, Williams signed the deal with Mercedes Benz High Performance Powertrains midway through last season. The team received the first CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data for the power unit at the end of May, at which point the detailed design of the FW36 could begin to be finalised.

“This is the first time that Williams has worked with Mercedes in F1 and we’ve been very impressed,” says Symonds.

“Their professionalism and commitment have been notable and we’re as confident as we can be that the PU will be competitive.”

The design phase of the FW36 was completed by mid-September, by which time the team had found solutions to the major challenges presented by the regulations. Cooling, weight, a new gearbox and aerodynamic changes are just some of the areas of focus.

“Overall the cars will need more cooling this year,” says Symonds.

“The demands on water and oil cooling may be slightly diminished, but the ERS system is significantly more powerful and hence needs more cooling. We also have to cool the charge air from the turbocharger compressor which requires a substantial intercooler.”

The FW36′s gearbox ran on the dyno for the first time at the beginning of November, before running with the full power unit several weeks later. It’s the first eight-speed gearbox in Williams’ history.

“We finished the gearbox relatively early,” says Symonds.

“It’s completed a lot of running on the test rig and at Mercedes HPP in Brixworth, but you can’t take reliability for granted. It’s a completely new ‘box and it has to cope with a lot more torque than was the case with the V8.”

The weight of the car, when combined with the FIA’s ever more stringent crash tests, has been another challenge of the 2014 rules. But the FW36 was one of the first cars to pass its crash tests prior to Christmas.

“The build of the new car has gone remarkably smoothly,” says Symonds. “But it’s been a challenge to get the car down to the weight limit. It’s been achievable, but it hasn’t been easy because the new power unit is heavier than the outgoing V8.”

The launch-spec aerodynamic package was finalised in the first week of December, with an upgrade package for Melbourne’s season-opener signed off in early January.

“F1 is still going to be an aerodynamic formula in 2014,” says Symonds.

“There are some significant changes: the nose is lower than last year and the front wing is narrower, which means the end plates are now more shrouded by the front tyre. The rear wing isn’t as deep as last year and the beam wing below it is no longer permitted, and we’ve also lost the ability to use the exhaust to enhance aero performance.”

Until the car begins testing next week the team won’t know how its design solutions will translate onto the track, but Symonds is confident that Williams has done enough to move up the grid after a disappointing 2013 season.

“I’m confident that we’ll be closer to the front aerodynamically than we were last year,” says Symonds.

“Our ambition for the year ahead is to have a strong 2014 season.”

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McLaren confirms Vandoorne as official reserve driver for 2014

Press Release: McLaren Young Driver Stoffel Vandoorne has been officially confirmed as our official Reserve Driver for 2014, and will be combining his duties as a Formula 1 tester with a full competitive season in GP2.

The twin moves take the 21-year-old Belgian a step closer to his ambition of becoming a Formula 1 driver. It’s an aim that’s already been considerably strengthened following last year’s impressive rookie season in the World Series by Renault 3.5 series, in which he was narrowly beaten to the title by no less than Kevin Magnussen – McLaren’s newest Formula 1 driver.

“I’m thrilled and honoured to have been selected by McLaren Mercedes to be the team’s Formula 1 reserve driver for 2014,” said Stoffel. “Equally, I’m really excited to have been selected to race for the ART GP2 team for 2014.

“I’ve been a member of the McLaren Young Driver Programme for almost a year now, and I’ve learned an enormous amount in that time. I visit the McLaren Technology Centre [MTC] at least once a week, sometimes more often than that, and I’ve done a lot of work in the MTC simulator to assist McLaren’s Formula 1 engineers develop the new-for-2014 MP4-29 Formula 1 car.

“Equally, I’ve worked very hard on my physical and mental fitness over the past year, and the McLaren Young Driver Programme has been absolutely fantastic in that respect. The guys at Woking really know how to prepare a driver for Formula 1, and I’ve really enjoyed working with them. I still do.”

Stoffel’s credentials have been underlined by McLaren sporting director Sam Michael.

He said: “Stoffel is a truly excellent young driver – fast, combative, consistent, intelligent and ambitious – and he’s already made an excellent impression on all at McLaren during the year he’s spent as a member of the McLaren Young Driver Programme.

“His technical input is first-class, he’s excellent in our simulator, and he isn’t afraid of hard work. He has a collaborative and engaging manner, and he’s therefore as popular at McLaren as he is helpful.”

Stoffel concluded:

“I plan to take my responsibilities as McLaren Mercedes’ official Formula 1 Reserve Driver very seriously indeed, since I very much enjoy immersing myself in the technical aspects of Formula 1 grand prix weekends. I’ll do whatever I can to help the team’s two Formula 1 race drivers, Jenson Button and Kevin Magnussen, both of whom are great guys and superb drivers, to achieve as much as they possibly can this season.”

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Rosberg: I’m very happy smarter F1 drivers will benefit from the new turbo era

Formula 1 indicated that the new generation V6 turbo powere cars, and the numerous technical changes to regulations, will play into the hands of smarter drivers which is a prospect that Nico Rosberg is relishing.

Asked by Racer how he felt about the possibility that the role of F1 drivers will be more important in future, Rosberg responded, “I’m very happy about that, and I think I can get an advantage out of that, even more so than before.”

“The tires are going to be different, the car aerodynamics are going to be different, the engine is totally different, the way the braking works with the KERS and so on. As drivers, we’re going to have to adapt a lot.”

“In general. It’s not always easy, but all of us do it to a certain extent, because that’s what the sport is about, adapting from one lap to the next. It’s changing all the time. The main difference is obviously the engine, and not having the Coanda exhaust.”

“So you have all that torque, but less grip on corner exits. But it’s like when traction control left: we were all panicking but then it was actually very straightforward,” said the Mercedes driver.

“I’m not very concerned. There will be a lot of work going into fuel consumption and managing your race, and things like that. So I don’t think it’s going to be boring for the fans…” added Rosberg who will again be teammate to Lewis Hamilton in the Silver Arrows team in 2014.

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FIA tweaks 2014 Formula 1 rules but double points set to stay

Formula 1 looks set to go ahead with a controversial decision to award double points for the last race of the season after the governing body announced various rule changes on Thursday but not the one many fans had hoped for.

The International Automobile Federation (FIA) said in a statement its World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) had met in Geneva and approved several amendments to the 2014 sporting regulations.

There was no mention of double points and an FIA spokesman could not say whether the subject was even discussed.

The BBC reported earlier that the proposal was raised at a meeting with team bosses and Formula One’s commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone on Wednesday but no attempt was made to overturn it.

Red Bull’s quadruple champion Sebastian Vettel, who won his fourth successive title last year with three races to spare, has called double points “absurd” while a significant number of fans have derided the idea as a gimmick on social media.

Caterham team owner Tony Fernandes told reporters this week that the change, designed to keep the championship alive for as long as possible, was a “fake fix” for greater problems troubling the sport.

Those include the financial troubles afflicting many competitors, with a number of drivers having to race for free or bring sponsorship to secure a seat, and rising costs.

The FIA has pledged to introduce a cost cap from 2015 and said on Thursday it was determined to “assure a healthy, affordable and spectacular FIA Formula One World Championship for the long-term future”.

Weight limit has been increased by 10kg

It said Wednesday’s F1 Strategy Group meeting, attended by Ecclestone and teams and chaired by FIA President Jean Todt, had agreed unanimously “that cost reduction and cost control regulations will be presented to the WMSC in June 2014 for introduction in January 2015″.

One cost-saving measure announced for 2015 absolved teams from the need to design their own suspension and brake ducts to be considered a constructor.

Other tweaks for 2014 included increasing the minimum weight of the cars, without fuel, by one kilo to take heavier Pirelli tyres into account.

In 2015, the minimum weights will increase by another 10kg to 701kg – a change that will at least bring some relief to the taller and heavier drivers who are at a disadvantage this year to smaller and lighter rivals.

Team personnel working in the pit lane will have to wear helmets during qualifying as well as the race and stewards can now impose a five second time penalty that can be taken before work is carried out on the car in a pit stop.

In a sign of just how problematic teams expect the new turbocharged V6 engines and energy recovery systems to be, each team will this year be allowed six ‘jokers’ to break a ‘curfew’ designed to prevent mechanics working all night.

“This is to allow more flexibility for working on the new engines and cars,” the FIA explained.

In 2013, the last year of the highly reliable and far less complicated V8 engines, teams were allowed only two such exemptions.

The FIA also moved to outlaw tyre warmers from 2015. Previous attempts to ban them foundered due to safety concerns, with drivers worried about racing on cold tyres.

FIA Statement: World Motor Sport Council 2014 – Geneva

An extraordinary meeting of the FIA World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) took place today (23 January) in Geneva, Switzerland. The following decisions were taken:

FIA Formula One World Championship

• The FIA President reaffirmed to members of the WMSC the FIA’s intention to assure a healthy, affordable and spectacular FIA Formula One World Championship for the long-term future. At a meeting of the F1 Strategy Group yesterday, chaired by the FIA President, and attended by Bernie Ecclestone and the teams, it was unanimously agreed that cost reduction and cost control regulations will be presented to the WMSC in June 2014 for introduction in January 2015.
  
• Amendments to the 2014 Sporting Regulations were also approved, but are subject to ratification by the F1 Commission and teams. These include:
  
• The Stewards may now impose a five second time penalty which can be taken before work is carried out on the car in a pit stop
  
• Team personnel must also wear helmets during qualifying, as well as the race
  
• Drivers may not stop on the slowing down lap to save fuel for sampling and subsequent analysis; this will not be considered justifiable reason for stopping
  
• For 2014 only, each team will be allowed six curfew ‘jokers’, previously there were two permitted. This is to allow more flexibility for working on the new engines and cars
  
• Amendments to the 2014 Technical Regulations, subject to agreement of the F1 Commission and teams:
  
• The weight of the car, without fuel, must not be less than 691kg at all times during the Event. The weight limit has increased by 1kg to take into account the difference in weight between the tyres in 2013 and 2014
  
• Amendments to the 2015 Sporting Regulations, subject to agreement of the F1 Commission:
  
• To be considered as a constructor, teams will now not need to design and manufacture suspension and brake ducts
  
• Amendments to the 2015 Technical Regulations, subject to agreement of the F1 Commission:
  
• The car minimum weight has been increased by 10kg, to 701kg, for 2015
  
• All tyre heating devices will be prohibited in 2015
  
• For safety reasons, the front part of the chassis will not be able to climb too steeply rearward of the front of the chassis.
  

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Ducati honours Senna with special edition Panigale

Back in March 1994, Formula 1 Legend Ayrton Senna gave Ducati the final approval to release a special edition superbike, the 916 Senna.

Ducati produced 300 Senna special edition suerbikes. But shortly after Senna gave Ducati the approval to build the superbike with gold frame, black bodywork, and red wheels the three-time F1 Champion was killed, while leading the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola on 1 May 1994.

Thereafter Ducati further honoured Senna with two more special editions – a 916 Senna II in 1997, and a 916 Senna III in 1998.

These Senna models, along with the original 1994 Senna, have since become highly sought after by international collectors.

Fast forward to 2014 and 20 years since his passing, Ducati has decided to once again pay tribute to the Brazilian legend. In collaboration with the Senna Foundation, Ducati will release another tribute model – the 1199 Panigale S Senna.

Only 161 Panigale S Senna superbikes will be produced, honouring the number of grand prix races Senna competed in.

The Senna edition is a Panigale S model bedecked in the the Senna black color scheme, red wheels, racing exhaust and a production number inscribed on the top fork clamp. The Ducati Panigale S Senna will go on sale in June 2014 exclusively in Brazil.

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Williams on brink of announcing Martini title sponsor deal for 2014 and beyond

Word has leaked out that Martini will be the title sponsor of the Williams team for the 2014 season and beyond.

Reports have emerged in Italy linking Martini – through their Martini Racing banner – with Williams, thus marking a return to Formula 1 by the stylish drinks brand, which has previously sponsored Brabham and Lotus in the seventies, and more recently had a minor partnership with Ferrari.

It is expected that Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas will unveil the Martini Williams Mercedes FW36 on the morning of 28 January at Jerez, before the first day of testing gets underway.

Williams has pre-empted the launch by releasing graphic renderings of the FW36, in all blue and only featuring the Williams name on the rear wing and side pods, but devoid of any sponsor logos.

Mario Andretti in the Martini backed Lotus in 1979 – their last year as title sponsor in F1

Martini Racing’s association with Formula 1 began in 1972 with the Italian team Tecno. However, the car was uncompetitive and Martini withdrew at the end of the 1973 season.

Martini returned in 1975, sponsoring Bernie Ecclestone’s Brabham team. The initial colour scheme incorporated the Martini colours atop a white background, on the Cosworth powered Brabham BT44B in 1975.

The Alfa Romeo flat-V12 powered Brabham BT45 and Brabham BT45B were used for the 1976 and 1977 seasons, where the Martini colours appeared on a dark red background.

For the 1979 season, the Martini sponsorship moved to Team Lotus. In spite of having the 1978 Championship winning Lotus 79 and Mario Andretti and Carlos Reutemann as drivers, the Martini Lotus association did not achieve a single win and by the end of the year, and Martini withdrew from F1 once more.

After a long break from F1, the Italian company returned in 2006 by sponsoring Scuderia Ferrari with a minor presence.

Martini Racing’s real success came as a long term sponsor of Porsche and their record breaking Le Mans campaigns, along with Lancia in sportscar racing as well as in rallying.

Martini is a brand of Italian vermouth, named after the Martini & Rossi Distilleria Nazionale di Spirito di Vino, but now owned by Bermuda based Bacardi Limited.

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McLaren announces renewed partnership with Santander

Press Release: McLaren Mercedes today announced that Santander, the largest bank in the eurozone and one of the biggest banks in the world, has renewed its long term corporate partnership with the team.

Since 2007, Santander and McLaren Mercedes have formed one of the most successful partnerships in Formula 1. McLaren has played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Santander brand in the UK and with ground breaking initiatives, such as the 2012 London Grand Prix campaign, the partnership has delivered a consistent, demonstrable impact.

For the past four years Jenson Button has also been a key ambassador for the company, fronting major marketing campaigns, staff engagement initiatives and playing a central role in Santander’s global University’s Scholarship Programme.

Jenson Button will continue to play a significant role in Santander campaigns as the partnership progresses.

Keith Moor, Chief Marketing Officer, Santander said: “Santander and McLaren have formed a long term partnership and together we have set new standards in sports marketing. Our decision to renew that relationship is not something that we have taken lightly, but it is based upon a proven track record of achievement and we are pleased to continue to be in partnership with one of the most iconic brands in global sport.”

Ekrem Sami, Managing Director of McLaren Marketing said: “Once again, a global blue chip brand has chosen to partner with McLaren Mercedes. We are delighted to be able to continue our extremely productive relationship with Santander, a company that has supported us for a number of years and has committed to be part of our exciting future. In such a competitive international sponsorship market, the fact that such a prestigious company has chosen to partner with McLaren Mercedes is a reflection of the strength of our brand, our proven track record of delivery and the power of Formula 1 to reach an avid, affluent and influential audience.”

McLaren Mercedes’ roster of sponsors remains the envy of Formula 1, with some of the longest and most established partnerships in sport. For example, Hugo Boss has been with the team for 33 years, Tag Heuer for 29 years, Mobil 1 for 20 years and SAP for 16 years. These have been joined by leading global corporations including GSK, Johnnie Walker, Hilton and AkzoNobel.

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Formula 1 plans to ban tyre warmers for 2015

Formula 1 is to make another attempt to ban tyre warmers in 2015.

Previous efforts to introduce a ban have been scuppered because of safety concerns, amid worries from drivers about racing on cold tyres.

But as part of a raft of changes proposed for 2015, the FIA announced on Thursday that all forms of tyre heating devices will be outlawed.

Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery said in 2012, when there was last talk of a tyre warmer ban, that if there was enough preparation time then a ban could work.

"What we have found in the past, when we have tried to discuss it, is that the drivers have tended to be worried about such a move, as they feel that it can create a safety issue," he said.

"From our point of view, yes we can do it but we need time to do it - because it changes completely the compounds that you use."

Further changes for 2015 include the fact that teams will no longer need to design and manufacture their own unique suspension and brake ducts, which should help reduce costs.

A wider range of budget controls, and the framework for a cost cap, should be agreed by June this year.

The FIA has also ratified that the minimum weight of cars will increase by 10kg to 701kg in 2015 - which should help alleviate concerns that heavier drivers are put at a disadvantage.

There will also be tweaks to the technical rules to prevent the front part of the chassis climbing too steeply.

[MIKA27]

FIA tightens post-race Formula 1 fuel check rules

Formula 1 drivers are set to be banned from stopping cars on slowing-down laps in a bid to save fuel for post-race checks, the FIA has announced.

With teams and engine manufacturers already admitting that it is going to be tough to complete some races with the 100kg fuel limit, the FIA has provisionally agreed a tweak to the sporting regulations that will make things even tougher.

Following discussions at a meeting of F1's Strategy Group and the World Motor Sport Council this week, it has been decided that drivers will not be able to stop their cars immediately after the chequered flag.

A statement issued by the FIA said: "Drivers may not stop on the slowing down lap to save fuel for sampling and subsequent analysis; this will not be considered justifiable reason for stopping."

Bringing a car to a halt immediately after the chequered flag, as happened several times during 2013, means fuel that may be needed for parc ferme checks is not used up returning the car to the pits.

The new regulation, which still needs approval from the F1 Commission and teams before being put into the regulations, means drivers will have to carry a larger safety buffer of fuel than before.

PENALTIES BEFORE PITSTOPS

The FIA also announced that any of the potential five-second penalties that may be handed out by stewards in 2014 can be taken by drivers shortly before any planned pitstops.

Cars will be allowed to halt in their pit space to serve the 5s penalty, with crews then carrying out the scheduled tyre change or repair, rather than the penalty stop having to be separate.

Ten-second penalties must still be taken as completely separate pit visits.

It has also been agreed that teams will be allowed six 'joker' curfews in 2014, up from the previous two, because of the complications caused by new engines and cars.

F1 team personnel are also going to have to wear helmets in the pits during qualifying.

The weight limit of F1 cars has also been increased by 1kg to 691kg because of the heavier Pirelli tyres that are being introduced.

[MIKA27]

McLaren launches the MP4-29 in a period of unprecedented change for the team

Press Release: A period of unprecedented change – both in Formula 1 and within the team itself – is the backdrop against which McLaren launches its latest grand prix challenger, the all-new MP4-29.

2014: Formula 1 begins its reinvention

Gone are normally aspirated engines – a Formula 1 mainstay for a quarter of a century; in their place come 1.6-litre V6 power-units, which sophisticatedly integrate turbo-charging and turbo-compounding, fuel-flow restrictions, and a powerful energy recovery system.

These new regulations will enable teams to harness both traditional internal combustion and electrical energies. They further underline Formula 1’s relevance as a pioneer of future road car technologies, represent the biggest and most dynamic change to the sport since its inception in 1950, and are duly destined to re-shape grand prix racing.

McLaren, too, faces a period of dynamic change: the organisation has not only embraced the extreme technical and strategic challenges posed by the new regulations, it has simultaneously been growing and developing ahead of even bigger and more exciting future partnerships.

MP4-29: a frozen snapshot of intense development

We have responded to the disappointment of our 2013 season by pragmatically framing our approach to the technical challenge. The new MP4-29, revealed today, is a sensible and calculated response to the new regulations.

But it is very much a frozen snapshot of the design team’s steep development curve, and, as such, a machine that will potentially undergo more technical change throughout a single season than any other car in McLaren’s long and illustrious history.

The challenge for 2014 is to build-in both performance and reliability – something that can no longer be taken for granted given the steep technical challenge ahead.

And that is entirely as it should be: for this season will be Formula 1’s steepest-ever learning curve.

It is also a time of transition. Our final season with our engine partner, Mercedes-Benz, will be our 20th together, before we begin an exciting new journey with Honda from 2015.

McLaren drivers: the perfect blend of styles

Jenson Button, the 2009 Formula 1 World Champion, remains for his fifth season at McLaren. For 2014, his experience, level-headedness and innate ability to read the behaviour of a racing car will be a powerful asset to our engineers, designers and analysts.

Kevin Magnussen arrives in Formula 1 with a stunning record in Renault Word Series 3.5, grand prix racing’s feeder series, and, crucially, no preconceptions. Having already devoted hundreds of hours to refining and developing our 2014 car in the McLaren simulator, his eagerness and commitment will sync perfectly with Jenson’s experience, providing us with a perfectly balanced driver pairing.

Powering the market with world-beating expertise

McLaren is leading the evolution of sports partnerships. The breadth of the McLaren Group’s experience and expertise presents a wealth of opportunities for innovative technical integration with our partners, which can have an impact way beyond the racetrack.

Whether it be extensive engagement with ExxonMobil to develop new lubricant technology, which can help McLaren Mercedes cars on the grand prix circuit, and ultimately improve the efficiency of consumer cars; developing new lightweight coatings with AkzoNobel; or working closely with SAP to develop and implement innovative data analytics techniques, our work with partners goes way beyond what can be described as sports sponsorship.

Our strategic partnership with GSK is now also in its third year and is breaking new ground from manufacturing to pharmaceutical R&D.

Race technology is helping to improve the delivery of experimental trials into new medicines. Working with GSK we are using telemetry systems, which are inspired by the way we monitor our cars, to collect real-time data about the recovery of patients taking part in drug trials. These are at an early stage, but in future it’s hoped that being able to take a constant stream of reliable information about a patient could significantly enhance the already robust process of drug evaluation.

Our commitment to innovation and creativity does not stop with technology projects, but extends to the implementation of marketing campaigns with and on behalf of our partners. Santander recently announced a renewal of their major eight-year partnership with us, and this reflects the continued impact that our creative marketing campaigns can have.

The depth of trust and respect we enjoy with our partners has allowed us to extend record-breaking relationships with the likes of Hugo Boss (33 years), TAG Heuer (29 years), Kenwood (24 years), ExxonMobil and Mercedes-Benz (20 years) and SAP (16 years), Johnnie Walker and Hilton (nine years).

[MIKA27]

Lotus gives glimpse of convention defying E22 with ‘walrus’ style nose

Lotus has followed on from Force India and Williams by releasing a digitally rendered image of their 2014 car, the the E22, before it even turns a wheel.

The Renault powered E22, which will miss Jerez next week and only run in the second pre-season test of the year in Bahrain, features a highly unusual split nose design which is a big departure from the ‘anteater’ style nose seen on other 2014 cars.

The double pronged front wing assembly is reminiscent to the Williams ‘walrus’ style nosecone seen on the Williams FW26 in 2004.

The car will be driven by Romain Grosjean and, newcomer to the team, Pastor Maldonado.

PDVSA, Maldonado’s backers, have prominent positions on the rear wing and on the side of the cockpit area, just behind the driver.

Earlier on Friday, the team announced that Genii boss and Lotus co-chairman Gerard Lopez has become their new Team Principal following the departure of Eric Boullier.

At the same time Lopez announced the advent of a new backer in the form of YotaPhone, a smart mobile phone producer, “We are proud to announce that we have concluded an agreement with YotaPhone and its shareholders. YotaPhone shareholders will become important partners to Genii and YotaPhone a sponsor to the Lotus F1 team this year.”

YotaPhone branding appears on the E22′s front wing end plates.

[MIKA27]

Rosberg drives new Mercedes F1 car at Silverstone

Amid a flurry of ‘leaked’ photos of new Formula 1 cars and the start of the first online reveals of 2014 car launches by teams, Mercedes gave their new car an early shakedown at Silverstone.

Rosberg wrote on Twitter: “Such a great feeling. Just drove my new Silver Arrow for the first time. It looks quick, but I don’t know if it is quick yet!”

The team revealed, “Mercedes AMG Petronas today completed a first day of running with a full 2014 specification Formula 1 car during a filming day at Silverstone.”

“The new F1 W05, powered by the PU106A Hybrid Power Unit, opened a new era of F1 at 14:21 this afternoon when it left the garage for the first time in cold but dry conditions at Silverstone.”

“Driven by Nico Rosberg, the car completed a total of 40 km before dusk at 16:30. The team will now ready the F1 W05 for its public track debut in Jerez on Tuesday 28 January.”

On Twitter the team confirmed the driving schedule for the Jerez test: “We can also confirm the driver line-up for Jerez testing next week: Lewis Day 1, Nico Day 2, Lewis Day 3, Nico Day 4…”

It has also emerged on Twitter that Toro Rosso drivers have also had track time with the new STR9 at Misano: “And now… the track! Today we had a successful filming day @circuitomisano with @JeanEricVergne and @Dany_Kvyat #F1 #STR9 #TOROUNCHAINED.”

[MIKA27]

Michael and Boullier in the running to be new McLaren F1 boss

Martin Whitmarsh will not be present as McLaren’s 2014 car is launched, amid speculation he is out the door of the Woking based outfit with Sam Michael and now Eric Boullier in contention for the role of Team Principal.

The launch absence will effectively confirm Briton Whitmarsh’s demise, following what the Telegraph describes as the “internal coup” that led to McLaren supremo Ron Dennis regaining full control.

Sporting director Sam Michael is being tipped to step into the Team Principal role, after the 42-year-old Australian – and not Whitmarsh – was quoted in the statement announcing Stoffel Vandoorne as 2014 reserve.

“Whitmarsh has not even been in the team’s Woking headquarters since Ron Dennis wrested back overall control of Formula 1 affairs last week,” reports Daily Mail correspondent Jonathan McEvoy.

McEvoy tipped Whitmarsh to be “shuffled to another post within McLaren Group or out of the door altogether after five disappointing years in charge”.

Meanwhile Boullier has leapt into hot contention to be McLaren’s new team boss, after leaving Lotus with immediate effect.

In December, the Frenchman angrily slammed reports that he was set to quit as the Lotus Team Principal, insisting that everything was “quite normal” at the Enstone team.

But that was before Ron Dennis took back full control of the British grandee McLaren, throwing the future of current team boss Martin Whitmarsh into huge doubt.

Lotus confirmed early on Friday that Frenchman Boullier is departing immediately, to be replaced as boss by team owner Gerard Lopez.

“We thank Eric for all his hard work over the past four years and we are confident we can continue to fight as one of the top teams in Formula 1 over the seasons ahead.”

As well as fuelling the strong McLaren reports, Boullier’s Lotus exit casts further doubt on the future of the financially-struggling Enstone team.

But the Lotus statement on Friday said that more new sponsors will be announced when the 2014 car is launched at the Bahrain test, early next month.

“The team management, car and partner portfolio will illustrate the team’s will and desire to continue its quest to become one of the strongest teams in Formula 1 in every sense,” the statement added.

[MIKA27]

Fans decide Ferrari F14T will be the name of Maranello’s 2014 challenger

The car with which Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen will fly the Scuderia Ferrari flag in this year’s Formula 1 World Championship will be called the F14T. Prancing Horse fans from around the globe chose the name in a ballot that ran online from 15 January to midnight last night.

“It’s nice to know the name of the car has been chosen by our fans,” said Stefano Domenicali. “The amazing number of votes shows just how popular Ferrari has always been and this will be, as always, a further impetus for us to do well this year!”

There was a total of 1,123,741 votes and the winning margin was just 19,104 or 1.7%, after a very close fight with F166 Turbo. The other three names on the list fared less well: third was F14 Scuderia (18.8%), followed by F14 Maranello (12.3%) and F616 (4.8%.)

The votes sent to the special new car site really came in from all four corners of the globe, 208 countries to be precise, over the nine days on which it was open. Italy topped the list, followed by Spain, the United States, the United Kingdom and France. Finland showed well in eighth, while among the BRICS nations, Russia came out on top in seventh, ahead of Brazil eleventh, India thirteenth, China fifteenth and South Africa thirty first.

There were some last minute new entries, worth noting the presence of Cuba, Greenland, Palau and Equatorial Guinea. There’s no other way of describing it, the ballot to name the new Ferrari the F14 T has been a smash hit.

[MIKA27]

Button: Everyone here is excited about the challenge of 2014 with Ron in charge

The return of former principal Ron Dennis to a more hands-on role at McLaren will boost the hurting Formula 1 team this season, Jenson Button said on Friday.

Dennis ousted Martin Whitmarsh as group chief executive last week, with the latter now expected to vacate the role of team principal as well before the championship starts in Australia in March.

McLaren presented their new MP4-29 car online on Friday with Whitmarsh conspicuous by his absence. Senior management made clear that Dennis, who ran the team from 1982 to 2009, was again calling the shots and Button said he was excited by the prospect.

“I have spoken to Ron a lot over the last few days… he is very excited about his role and he is very hungry,” said the Briton who won his 2009 title with Brawn GP.

Dennis presided over some of the team’s greatest years, with Brazilian Ayrton Senna and Frenchman Alain Prost, and Button said that history was another strength.

“He’s a true racer, he’s a true fighter and he really has built this team up over the years,” Button told reporters.

“It’s good for the team, it’s good for Ron that he has the chance to really drive this team on again,” he said in his first comments about the changeover.

“Everyone here is excited about the challenge of 2014 with Ron in charge.”

McLaren need to move up a gear after a dismal 2013 without a single podium finish, their worst performance since 1980, that saw the former champions end up fifth overall in the constructors’ standings.

While Dennis has resumed overall control, he is not expected to take on the active role of principal on the pit wall. Frenchman Eric Boullier, who was replaced as Lotus principal on Friday, is now seen as a likely candidate.

Button said he was aware of the rumours but did not know any more about the situation.

Managing director Jonathan Neale, who worked closely with Dennis in the past, said the 66-year-old – a company shareholder whose main focus in recent years has been developing McLaren’s sportscar business – had lost none of his energy.

“For those that know Ron, he is as fired up as he ever has been, probably more passionate now than ever,” he declared.

“If ever there was somebody who had a very strong vision and a sense of true worth and how it is to win in Formula One and why that is important, he has got it in spades,” said Neale. “It’s exciting times.”

Button is still coming to terms with the sudden death of his father John, a constant companion on the circuit, and the loss was still too raw for him to talk about.

He said everything had gone through his mind, including taking time out from Formula One, but he was now looking forward to racing again.

“It is going to be a challenge for us all with the regulations but it is an exciting challenge and there is so much for us to learn still,” Button added.

“So I am looking forward to a year where I am going to put everything into this sport and leave nothing on the table. I am looking forward to getting on with it next week.”

Testing starts at the Jerez circuit in southern Spain on Tuesday, with Button in the car for the first two days.

“I think every single person in Formula One is sitting on the edge of the unknown,” he said of a season that sees major technical changes including the introduction of a new V6 turbocharged engine with energy recovery systems.

“There will be lots of things going through my mind when I settle myself into the cockpit for the first time in Jerez.”

[shlomo]

Mika, do you write these articles? Or do you find and post to share the info?

Clearly you are very passionate about F1!