FORMULA 1 - 2014

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Drivers urged not to discuss Bianchi crash

Formula 1 drivers have been urged not to discuss the Jules Bianchi accident in public by Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA) chairman Alex Wurz.

Marussia driver Bianchi remains in a critical but stable condition in the Mie University Hospital after he collided with a recovery vehicle that was busy removing Adrian Sutil's stricken Sauber at Turn 7 at Suzuka.

Sutil gave an eyewitness account of events in the aftermath of the race, saying Bianchi hit the tractor side-on and amateur footage has since emerged about the incident.

Jenson Button was one of the few other drivers who commented on the issue, saying "the FIA did the best job possible", but unfortunately "big accidents happen".

New GPDA chairman Wurz, though, warned drivers not to comment on the incident.

"We would rather not debate this accident until we have all information collected," he is quoted as saying by Autosport.

"Most certainly, I recommend to all the drivers to refrain from a public discussion.

"Any such discussions and the pursuit of solutions shall be done in a closed circle to ensure respect and privacy for Jules's family, but equally to ensure this analytical process can be done in its best way.

"We need to give the experts time to analyse everything and, of course, we offer our full support to whichever authorities may be involved in this process.

"But foremost, we want to support the family and friends of Jules.

"We do this in the best way, not by inflaming knee-jerk conclusions.

"Our thoughts are with Jules and his family."

Wurz also cautioned against jumping to conclusions until the FIA and those involved get to the bottom of what happened.

"Obviously, such a terrible accident throws up a lot of questions and opinions," he added.

"By nature, we all like to have answers, conclusions and solutions as soon as possible.

"All of us drivers understand and also feel the need to investigate and discuss this matter.

"But we shall not jump to conclusions without having all evidence and information, and also having the chance to hear other parties' point of view."

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Azerbaijan street circuit layout for 2016 European Grand Prix revealed

The street circuit which will host Azerbaijan’s first grand prix in the 2016 F1 season has been revealed.

The track in the Azeribaijani capital Baku was designed by Hermann Tilke. The race will have the title of European Grand Prix.

Baku’s seaside promenade and government buildings will provide the backdrop to the race in a city which is home to 2.1 million people.

Tilke told the official Formula One website the track will have some “unique features” incorporated into its design.

“For example, there will be an extremely narrow uphill section at the old town wall that will reward pinpoint accuracy and courage,” he said.

“And we have an acceleration section of almost 2.2 kilometres along the promenade which will see the cars running flat out at very high top speeds – something that will create an incredible spectacle for the race fans on track and the viewers at home.”

The city is hosting a GT race for the second time this year in November on a different circuit to the south of the proposed Formula One track.

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Lotus F1 team close to finalising Mercedes engine switch for 2015

Lotus says only final paperwork issues with Renault are preventing it from confirming its switch to Mercedes-Benz Formula 1 engines for 2015.

Lotus had agreed terms to switch power units next season after a difficult campaign with Renault.

But since then there has been no official word about the change - even though it is understood that technical preparations are already under way with the German car manufacturer.

Lotus's deputy technical director Federico Gastaldi insisted in Japan that the delay in announcing its engine plans is not a sign of trouble, and that things should be completed imminently.

"We are hoping to do that as soon as possible," he told AUTOSPORT.

"We are still working on it, but we haven't done it because it is not finished. We are working in that direction.

"It is paperwork with Renault more than anything. We need to respect the contract with them - and whenever they are ready we will be ready."

When asked if there were any doubts about the Mercedes deal, Gastaldi replied: "There is no doubt. It is just a reality: at the moment we are trying to find the way to put things together to make an announcement."

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ALONSO IN TOUGH NEGOTIATIONS WITH MCLAREN

Fernando Alonso is locked in tough negotiations with McLaren and Honda, according to reports in the Formula 1 paddock.

Although the Spanish driver insists Sebastian Vettel’s switch to Ferrari is a mere symptom of his own plans for the future, there are sections of the media who think the German actually caught Alonso off guard.

Some well-placed Spanish correspondents, for instance, think Alonso expected to be replaced at Ferrari by Lewis Hamilton, therefore opening up the prime seat at dominant Mercedes.

That suspicion would tie in with the fact that, like the rest of Formula 1, even Red Bull was apparently caught off guard by Vettel’s news, which was revealed to the team mere hours before it was made globally public.

But when Red Bull made it official, the energy drink company simultaneously closed the door to Alonso, saying the junior Daniil Kvyat will be promoted instead.

“This is a better solution than to have a star in the final years of his career,” Helmut Marko insisted to Austrian broadcaster Servus TV on Monday.

Luis Vasconcelos, reporting for the Finnish newspaper Turun Sanomat, said Red Bull’s Marko “told Kvyat the good news just half an hour before it was officially announced”.

Arguably the best driver in Formula 1 but also perhaps the most temperamental, the dramatic turn of events may have left Alonso with only two choices for the 2015 season.

Vasconcelos claims that taking a sabbatical next year, just as Alain Prost had to do when he left Ferrari acrimoniously in 1991, is now a very real possibility for Alonso.

His only other option appears to be McLaren-Honda. But those negotiations, Vasconcelos claims, are “tough”. Indeed, a McLaren source told us “no one” currently knows how the situation with the Woking team’s 2015 driver lineup will ultimately turn out.

“The Spanish star wants only a one-year contract, while McLaren is insisting on a commitment of at least two years,” said Vasconcelos.

A one-year deal would leave Alonso theoretically free to leave McLaren after earning up to an incredible €40 million in 2015, and then jump into Hamilton’s plum seat at Mercedes for 2016.

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CRASH AND CRISIS OVERSHADOW RUSSIA’S FORMULA 1 DEBUT

Formula 1 debut in Winter Olympic city Sochi this weekend with the sport in no mood to party even without the political clouds that hang heavy over the race.

Dominant Mercedes could clinch the constructors’ title for the first time, while Britain’s Lewis Hamilton is aiming for a ninth win of the season to add to his 10-point lead over German team mate Nico Rosberg but sport will not make all the headlines.

Unthinkable in the communist era, when a Ferrari on the streets of Moscow was as rare as a Zil limousine in Las Vegas, the grand prix arrives at a time when many in the west find it unpalatable.

The crisis in Ukraine, with condemnation of Moscow and sanctions imposed by the west, the seizure of Crimea and the downing of a Malaysian airliner near Donetsk in July have all added to criticism of the race going ahead.

Britain’s deputy prime minister Nick Clegg said back in July that Russia should not be allowed to host the grand prix.

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone has shrugged off the critics and President Vladimir Putin, for whom the grand prix is a showcase legacy of the record $51 billion spent on the Winter Games, is expected to attend after celebrating his 62nd birthday on Tuesday.

Pit garage of Jules Bianchi at Sochi

The street race will run around the Black Sea resort’s Olympic Park, against a backdrop of some of the venues familiar to television viewers worldwide from last February.

“We are happy, the sponsors appear to be happy, so we carry on,” Ecclestone told the Times this week. “No one has spoken to me about this race or told me that we cannot go. The sanctions do not affect us and what we are doing is not illegal.

“The Russian people asked us to come here and that is what we are doing. We are putting on a grand prix – this is nothing to do with politics,” added the 83-year-old, who first mooted a race in Russia back in the 1980s.

Formula One, a regular visitor to Bahrain despite civil unrest in the Gulf kingdom, is no stranger to controversy but Sunday’s race on the streets of Sochi has also been clouded by sadness inside the tightly-knit paddock.

Marussia’s French driver Jules Bianchi, a popular member of the only Russian-registered team in the sport, remains in a critical condition in a Japanese hospital after suffering a brain injury in a crash at Suzuka last Sunday.

The accident is the most serious since Brazilian Felipe Massa suffered a life-threatening head injury in Hungary in 2009 and images of the latest crash, not broadcast publicly but circulated on the internet, have proved truly shocking.

Bianchi was also a test driver for Ferrari, the Italian glamour team that for many fans embodies Formula One, and his accident has hit the paddock hard.

“If you’ve got a situation like that, especially in our sport, it’s totally understandable that people would be in a very pensive and subdued mood,” Richard Cregan, who is acting as a consultant to the Sochi organisers, told Reuters.

“When we get a situation like this, it just hits us hard. Especially with a driver like Jules, who is such a nice guy.”

Teams were busy setting up their garages at the circuit on Wednesday, with freight being unpacked and the cars put together after the flight from Japan, where a typhoon delayed some departures.

The name of Russian rookie Daniil Kvyat was over the Toro Rosso garage, with the 20-year-old at the centre of local attention after champions Red Bull announced he would be driving for them next year following Sebastian Vettel’s departure.

Sochi is the only new circuit on the calendar this season, with Ecclestone in Baku on Tuesday to promote another new addition for 2016 with Azerbaijan coming in.

Organisers expect a crowd of about 55,000 on Sunday, most of them from within Russia.

British bookmakers William Hill have Hamilton as race favourite at 4/6 with Rosberg at 2/1 and Red Bull’s Australian Daniel Ricciardo at 12/1.

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MERCEDES PREVIEW RUSSIAN GRAND PRIX

Round 16 of the 2014 Formula One World Championship brings us to Sochi for the inaugural Russian Grand Prix, held at the Sochi Circuit.

Lewis Hamilton: “It’s difficult to know what to say after a weekend like the one in Japan. As I crossed the line, obviously I was pleased to have finally won at Suzuka – but as soon as we got back to the pits and heard what happened to Jules it suddenly didn’t seem relevant anymore. My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family. This weekend is a new experience for Formula One as we head to Russia for the first time. I like a challenge and a new circuit always provides that. Of course, we’ve run through plenty of laps on the simulator – but you never really know what it will be like until you get out there and feel your way into the track. I’m looking forward to seeing what it’s really like and how our car performs there. It felt great in the race in Japan and I’m sure it will be strong again in Sochi, so I’m hoping to keep up this run of results that we’ve built in the last few races.”

Nico Rosberg: “My first thoughts at the moment are always with Jules Bianchi and I really wish him, his family and his colleagues all the very best at this difficult time. The weekend in Japan brought a good result for the team but we came away from the race with only one thing on our minds – the well-being of our colleague Jules. Looking ahead to this weekend, it’s exciting to be going to the first ever Russian Grand Prix. Formula One has never raced in Russia before, of course. But we did actually do a demo in Moscow a couple of years ago where I drove round the Kremlin, which was really cool. Everybody was really into it – all the Russian fans – so I think there will be a lot of people coming to watch us. It’s a new circuit, so we’ve spent a lot of time in the simulator practising it to learn all the lines and the gears as best we can before going there, which will be important when we first hit the track. I’m looking forward to what I’m sure will be a great first year for Formula One in Russia.”

Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: “I think the whole paddock left Japan feeling numb after what happened at the end of the race on Sunday. I know I speak on behalf of everyone at Brackley, Brixworth and Stuttgart when I say our thoughts are with Jules and his loved ones. As we head to Russia for the first time, what should have been the excitement of exploring new territories for the sport has been overshadowed by the events of Suzuka. The new circuit in Sochi looks impressive and, if we think back to the Winter Olympics, I am sure we will see an event the country can be proud of, with many new fans turning out to see our sport’s debut race in Russia.”

Paddy Lowe, Executive Director (Technical): “First of all, both my thoughts and I’m sure those of the entire team are with Jules Bianchi, his family and our colleagues at Marussia. Suzuka may have seen a strong performance for us, but really that pales into insignificance in the wake of Sunday’s events. We all hope for some positive news soon. Now, we head to the inaugural Russian Grand Prix which is an exciting prospect for the sport as a whole. Coming to a new circuit such as Sochi provides an interesting challenge for every team. Although we conduct extensive work in the simulator to prepare as best we can, the weekend will undoubtedly be a steep learning curve for everyone involved. Track evolution will be a big factor, as demonstrated most recently at another brand new venue in Austin two seasons ago. This is part of the challenge of Formula One – and one we all relish. It will be fascinating to see how the relative performance of both the cars and drivers evolve across the weekend and we could be set for a highly entertaining race. We certainly hope that this is the case and that we can put on a good show for the Russian fans at their first home Grand Prix.”

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RENAULT PREVIEW RUSSIAN GRAND PRIX

Sochi is the third longest lap on the calendar after Spa and Silverstone. At over 5.8km fuel consumption per lap will be high, but with plenty of tight corners and short bursts of power the high rate will be balanced out by energy recovery via the MGU-K and MGU-H, so we do not expect to be on the 100kg fuel limit permitted for the race.

To prepare for the race, engineers have conducted work on the transient dyno to simulate a full lap of the track and the performance dyno for certain performance items we think will be of particular use in Sochi.

The weather in Sochi is similar to Europe at this time of year, with maximum ambient temperatures averaging 20°C during the day. It can however be very cold in the morning and evening.

With the race starting at 15:00hrs local time it is therefore likely that the ambient temperatures will be colder at the end of the race than at the start. This will affect tyre performance and is something strategists will have to factor in, particularly if the race is very tight.

As a new race on the calendar, the biggest challenge will be correlating the simulations to the track performance. The novelty of the track will make preparations intense and the workload will be busy over the course of the weekend. Most teams will be conservative on Friday as they scope out the track and conditions, getting progressively more aggressive as the weekend progresses.

Remi Taffin, Renault Sport F1 head of track operations: “Sochi is a brand new track on the calendar this year, but the characteristics are very similar to other circuits we have visited in the past or this season. It is actually most like Singapore or the street track in Valencia we visited from 2008 to 2012 – a high-speed, street track with tight corners. From our simulations we see that the average speed will be 200kph, with approximately 56% of the lap spent at wide open throttle, well above the ‘traditional’ street average.”

The long lap opens with a short burst of wide open throttle. The pit straight blends into a right hand curve where the driver will keep the speed until the braking point for Turn 2, giving a total burst of speed for some 14 seconds. The ICE and turbo will therefore be put under pressure, but there is only one other period of duress round the lap for these parts; the curve from Turn 10 to 13 at the back of the track.

Sector two is much more point-squirt, with right-angled turns that give the MGU-K plenty of chance to recover energy. The two corners that round the Olympic building, Turns 2 and 4, are the hardest stops and see the car speed drop to 100kph, with each braking event around 2.5 seconds. The back of the circuit has similar corners, such as Turn 13 where the speed drops to 85kph, making it quite tricky for the drivers to judge, but providing several overtaking opportunities.

While a new race requires a lot more preparation before we go, we have been able to work quite efficiently by using data from other circuits with similar traits. It helps, for example, that we visited Singapore relatively recently, which has the same blend of tight corners linked by intense straights. In this respect we believe the Power Unit will perform well here since this type of track suits the characteristics of the Energy F1-2014 quite well. As we saw in Singapore the gap between the cars at the front is likely to be very small so we should be in for a good race.

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F1 GRADE CIRCUIT OPENS IN THAILAND

The path was cleared for Thailand to host a Formula One Grand Prix in the future when a round of the Japanese Super GT series opened the country’s first FIA Grade One circuit in Buriram at the weekend.

Plans for Thailand to host a Formula One race in 2015 foundered last year when a law was introduced banning racing in the historic area of Bangkok, scuppering the projected night race on the streets of the capital.

Thai authorities had reached an agreement in principle with Formula One’s commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone in 2012 and the opening of the Chang International Circuit at the weekend means they now have a race-hosting facility.

More than 130 000 fans descended on the Hermann Tilke-designed track some 400km northeast of Bangkok for three days of racing and organisers said work would soon be undertaken to make it suitable for top class motorcycle racing.

“The Thai team has done an amazing job in an incredibly short space of time and their first event was a great success,” Mark Hughes of Mrk1 Consulting, who helped with the development of the circuit, said in a news release.

“Being the first Grade 1 track in Thailand and only 25th globally, there is the inevitable speculation regarding F1 and Mr Ecclestone is fully aware of the track as are DORNA (organisers of MotoGP and World Superbikes).” Thailand’s neighbour Malaysia already hosts Formula One and MotoGP rounds at the Sepang circuit near Kuala Lumpur, while Singapore has held a night Formula One race on the streets of the city-state since 2008.

The Chang International Circuit is already scheduled to host Asian Road Racing Championship, Asian LeMans Series and Touring Car Asia events.

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LOTUS PREVIEW RUSSIAN GRAND PRIX

Deputy Team Principal Federico Gastaldi looks ahead to the 2014 Russian Grand Prix

Sochi has plenty of unknowns for the drivers and teams. What are you looking forward to this weekend?

Everything! It is a brand new adventure for F1 and an exciting one. F1 is a global spectacle and to be at the first race in Russia will be a great experience for us all. Most important will be to meet and engage with the fans and to ensure they take F1 to their hearts. We have a very good Russian Formula 1 driver in the sport with Daniil Kvyat and at Enstone we had the first ever Russian F1 driver – our friend Vitaly Petrov. It will be nice to see him again and to get his thoughts on how his fellow countrymen will embrace our sport more.

Do you see Russia as an important market for F1 in the future?

Absolutely. We should be racing in the world’s biggest country. We have seen over the last 20 years or so, since the change from the Soviet Union, that the opportunities there are huge. The rapid expansion of the economy and the many big sporting events that are being held here over the next decade will make for great momentum in commercial opportunities. At Lotus F1 Team we are always investigating new markets and looking to expand the F1 experience for new audiences. We are racing around an Olympic venue this weekend. F1 and the Olympics are two of the world’s biggest sporting attractions.

Do you think there could be more events like this?

Well, for sure there are parallels, in that the occasions are massive and attract huge companies and brands. That can only be healthy for F1. It is something that the sport as a whole and the teams involved need to maximise all the time. There is so much in F1 that is attractive to big brands. The technology and efficiency of the cars this year is genuinely exciting for the future of the sport, so we need to promote it as far and as wide as possible. Ultimately though, I think F1 has been strong in having a good relationship with the Olympic philosophy because we have a race at Montreal where the Olympic rowing was held in 1976 and also the Barcelona track was built just before the 1992 Olympics, so there is a nice legacy there.

How do you summarise the Suzuka weekend?

Of course it was difficult for everyone because of the freak incident that befell Jules. It leaves a big cloud over everything. As a team we really wish him all the best for the coming days and weeks and we all hope for a positive outcome. Before that, it was difficult to draw real conclusions because of the difficult conditions. I must say that both drivers did very well, especially as visibility from the spray was so bad. On another day we could have got points, but we got another double finish and after the circumstances of the race this was something positive.

How do you judge the FIA’s calls on safety cars and red flags during the race?

It is a hugely difficult job to have and anyone can be an expert with the benefit of hindsight. I must say I thought they got it right in the way the safety cars and the race suspension played out. Initially it was obvious that it was just too wet but they did the sensible thing to have a good number of laps behind the safety car. Later when the rain returned it was starting to get bad again and then obviously it was completely the correct decision to red flag it when the serious incident occurred. As a sport we will always look for lessons to be learnt, especially after there has been a serious incident, but overall I think they did a good job under very demanding and stressful conditions.

Are the building blocks for 2015 continuing to fall in to place for the team?

Yes, there is plenty going on behind the scenes which are positive for 2015. I keep saying that we still have opportunities for more points this season which we must focus on but at the same time we are pushing hard for next season. It looks exciting and we are working toward re-gaining our position further up the grid. Everyone at Enstone is massively concentrated and motivated on making this happen.

Romain Grosjean looks forward to the 2014 Russian Grand Prix

Japan was a difficult weekend for many reasons…

Yes and we all wish Jules the very best recovery. We know he is in the best hands so all we can do now is hope and pray. It was such difficult conditions and it looked like a freak occurrence.

How was your performance on track?

It was certainly a race where you had to really concentrate and focus for every moment. It was right that we should start behind the safety car, but it was right that the race was red flagged once it became clear the conditions were too difficult. Once the rain stopped, the restart was good. We quickly moved from full wets to intermediate tyres and that gives a good gauge of how wet it was. As a team we didn’t always make the correct decision with strategy, but it’s hard to say if anyone does in changeable conditions like that.

Tell us what you know about Sochi…

I’ve been driving the Sochi circuit on the simulator. It didn’t look very sexy from the outside but it actually seems to be really good fun. There’s a great mix of corners and some good high speed areas too. The setting looks to be pretty impressive with a new facility and one where there are mountains not far away as well as being right next to the Black Sea. For me, it’s also quite special to race at the site of and Olympic Games. I’m a huge fan of the Olympics and especially the Winter Olympics, because my grandfather competed in skiing events at the 1948 and 1952 events. Hopefully that will bring me some luck! It’s good to go to Russia as well. It’s such a big country. When you fly to Japan most of the time you seem to be just flying over Russia! I’ve been to Sochi once before in 2009 for a team event and I’m looking forward to seeing more of it.

If you were not a Formula One driver and had to pick an Olympic discipline, which would you most like to do?

I would probably go for skiing or bobsleigh. Like Formula 1, both events are about high speed and picking a racing line. It’s all part of my DNA. I actually started my career in skiing before I went into racing so that would probably be the discipline I would choose.

How about driving an F1 car on studded tyres in the snow?

I would love to give it a go! It has been done before, by Lotus F1 Team in Dubai in 2009, but that was indoors so let’s try a full outdoor ski slope! I’ve done a few car races on ice so I’d be happy to try an F1 car in the snow.

How quickly do you learn a new circuit?

Even without a simulator you get a basic idea of the track pretty quickly. What the simulator does is let you speed up this process and make initial decisions about car set-up and so on. What the simulator can’t do for a new circuit is give a precise idea of the grip levels you will find as it’s a surface we’ve never raced on before. With any new surface, we’d expect the grip levels to change over the course of the weekend, so that will be part of the challenge.

Does a new circuit afford you any greater opportunities?

We all face the same challenge, but there is an element of how good the driver and team are at quickly getting a handle on the track. Hopefully Sochi is a circuit which suits our car. We won’t know the answer to that till we get there!

Pastor Maldonado looks forward to the 2014 Russian Grand Prix

How have you been able to prepare for Sochi?

We’ve been preparing on the simulator, where the track looks very interesting. It’s a long lap with some unusual corners. From the simulator work we should know more or less what the racing lines will be and when we arrive on Thursday we will double check as many things as we can. It’s good. I’m happy to go there. I’m happy every time Formula 1 opens the door to new countries. I saw some of the Winter Olympics but I’ve never been to Russia before, so it will be my first time.

Would you say that grip levels and track evolution are the biggest unknowns?

Everything is new and especially in terms of the surface there is no way for us to know how the track will develop during the weekend. In the past we saw situations like in Austin where the track was super slippery at the beginning and then session after session we were making improvements of two or three seconds. It’s vital to stay on top of everything because parts of the set-up that were working well might hold you back when you go five or six seconds a lap quicker. You can’t take anything for granted and it will be important to keep an open mind throughout the weekend.

Have you ever been to Russia before?

For me it will be an all-new experience, and one I’m looking forward to a lot. I’ve met many Russians and I know it’s a very big country which has changed a lot over the past decades so it will be very interesting to experience it for myself.

The Japanese Grand Prix was a difficult weekend, what are your thoughts looking back on it?

Firstly, all our thoughts are with Jules, his team and his family. Even though we all know the danger of motorsport, no-one wants an accident like that to happen. We hope he makes a full recovery. For me, it was a solid weekend in the car. We showed some good potential on the Friday, but then we weren’t able to show that in qualifying. In the race, which was held under very difficult conditions, we were able to put in some good lap times, even when the grip levels were very poor. It’s a big challenge for a racing driver racing when the weather is like that.

What’s your aim for the final four races of the season?

We are keeping focused and we still want to get the very best results possible. Even though it’s been a tough year, there are still improvements being made to the E22, so there’s still potential to get more points before the season ends. We’re also as a team starting to focus on 2015 in terms of some of our evaluations at the tracks so we can get as early a start as possible in terms of information for next year’s car.

How frustrating has this year been for you?

We all want to get good results so of course this has not been the year that me or the team has wanted. But there have been and there are many positives. Seeing how the team has reacted to all the problems we have faced has shown me many strengths. We have a very clear development path for next season as we have learnt many lessons about this latest generation of car. We have four races left this year, so there’s still time for some improved results and more lessons to be learnt.

Lotus F1 Team Technical Director Nick Chester looks to the all-new circuit that is the Sochi Autodrom.

What would you describe as the main challenges of Sochi Autodrom?

We will of course only properly identify the challenges once we are actually in Sochi however we already have initial feedback from both Romain and Pastor who have been in the simulator. Turn 3 is a long and quite high speed corner that will present a good challenge. Braking down into Turn 13 will be very severe and you come out of the kink before you brake so it will be a difficult corner to get right. Overall, the whole track looks quite technical, so it certainly will be a challenging one for the drivers.

What type of car set-up and downforce levels do we expect for Sochi?

It looks like a high downforce circuit as most corner speeds are between 80 and 140kph. I would say that setup will probably be similar to Singapore although there are a couple of straights that are longer in Sochi so downforce levels will be between Singapore and Suzuka.

The circuit seems to have little in the way of run off; what challenges does that throw up for the team?

The main challenges really on these types of circuits are for the drivers. They will have to learn the track pretty rapidly to feel comfortable with its configuration and concentrate at all times during the lap. We all know the penalties of a short run-off when it’s a new track with uncertain grip levels.

Are there any climate challenges?

The information we have is that the weather can be quite unusual in Sochi as you have the mountains on one side and the sea on the other. We can expect mild temperatures of about 20°C during the day and 12°C at night, the average in that region in October. Early forecast indicates that there are reasonable chances of rain. Pastor and Romain have both previewed the circuit in our simulator.

How useful was it for them to have had a first taste of the new track?

The simulator is a valuable asset and one which enables the drivers to be very quickly up to speed when they take to the track for the first time. They will know how one corner flows into another, which line to take and have an initial idea about braking points. It might mean that they get their lap times down three or four laps earlier than they normally would. Overall it gives them a head start in FP1.

What type of preparations does the team do before visiting a new circuit? How useful is it to do preparation work in the simulator?

Before we had a simulator, when we had a new circuit like this we would estimate the racing line through the corner to do initial simulations. With a simulator, once the driver has completed a few laps you have a more accurate racing line, which enables us to create a far more accurate simulation model. This assists the trackside engineers to prepare an initial baseline set-up which once again saves time at the track.

How did we prepare to take the team to a new venue?

It’s important to have a good environment for everyone to be able to perform on track, so we liaise with the organisers and our partners to ensure we have suitable office space and telecommunications links back to Enstone. It’s amazing the amount of data which is processed over the course of a race weekend, so we have to be able to house all of the team as well as all the equipment involved. There’s a lot of forward planning behind the scenes to ensure the smooth running of any event, and especially if it’s a new one.

What were the performance considerations for the team in Suzuka?

It was an usual weekend in terms of performance. We looked to have good potential on the Friday, then we couldn’t match our goals on Saturday. Then in the very difficult conditions of race day we put in some pretty respectable laps over the course of the race. It was a tough event in terms of strategy, but both drivers we able to get some good stints and make good gains. It was another race weekend where we learnt a lot.

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MCLAREN PREVIEW RUSSIAN GRAND PRIX

History will be made this weekend when the inaugural Russian Grand Prix takes place at the Sochi Autodrom. The 5.853km/3.637-mile track is located in the heart of the Black Sea resort and it weaves its way around the infrastructure originally installed for the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Sochi Autodrom facts & stats

Despite plans for a Russian Grand Prix being mooted as far back as 1983, the Sochi Autodrom is the first purpose-built Formula 1 facility in the country. The track was given the green light in October 2010 – since then, acclaimed architect Hermann Tilke has designed and built a challenging 18-corner layout that is the third longest track on the 2014 calendar.

Construction of the circuit began in 2011, but the finishing touches could only be applied after the closing ceremony of the 22nd Winter Olympics in February 2014. The final layer of asphalt was laid just 70 days ahead of the race and the circuit was officially opened at the end of September.

The track is ostensibly a street circuit, but it has an interesting mix of permanent and temporary sections. The infrastructure around the paddock and pitlane is permanent, having originally been erected for the Winter Olympics, but the track itself is temporary. It’s lined by walls, it has little run-off and it will punish driving mistakes.

However, the presence of two straights – the longest of which is 650 metres – pushes speeds higher than many permanent circuits on the calendar. Simulations carried out by McLaren predict an average speed of 215km/h, placing the track on a par with Albert Park in Melbourne and making it quicker than Monaco, Montreal and Singapore.

The 18-corner layout contains several of Tilke’s signature design features. The two longest straights are book-ended by slow corners in an effort to help overtaking, and there’s a multi-apex left-hander towards the start of the lap that is reminiscent of Turn Eight in Istanbul – albeit with a much slower entry speed.

The asphalt is quite abrasive because it contains a special polymer that gives the surface extra grip, but such is the predominance of slow corners around the lap that Pirelli are able to take relatively soft compounds to the race. The combination of Soft (Option) and Medium (Prime) tyre compounds was last used at the Belgian Grand Prix, and will provide the drivers with plenty of mechanical grip.

Jenson Button: “It’s always interesting to visit new circuits – it’s fun to get out and explore the contours of the track, the kerbs, the run-offs, the camber – all the things that you don’t really fully experience until you’re on-site and able to see the track for the very first time. That’ll be my priority on Thursday. From what I’ve seen of the place, it’s sort of a mix between the tracks we raced on in Valencia and Korea – plenty of long, fast straights hemmed in by concrete walls and high barriers, and a selection of medium-speed corners that seem to have been designed to test the abilities of a car. As with all these new venues, they only really begin to unlock themselves once you get out on the track for the first time. I’ve lost none of my enthusiasm for going to new places, so I’ll be keen to get out there on Friday morning and get a feel for the place.”

Kevin Magnussen: “The layout sort of looks a little bit like Abu Dhabi – it has the curving straights into very precise, tight corners, which will really require a lot from the car because it’ll be trying to snap away mid-turn. Like Yas Marina, it looks pretty flat, too. It’s hard to see a key place for overtaking – there are no particularly big stops or opportunities where you can really place your car up the inside. Turn 11, which is the right-hander at the end of the back straight, might be a good possibility. Turn 13 could be an option, too. A new track is always an interesting test. As a rookie, I’m looking forward to the opportunity to compare myself to the other drivers on more of an equal footing. It should be an interesting weekend.”

Eric Boullier, racing director, McLaren Mercedes: “The arrival of the Russian Grand Prix marks a significant moment in Formula 1’s ongoing expansion into new global territories. While that’s significant for the sport, it’s equally important that the event proves able to deliver sporting spectacle and excitement for the fans. In terms of facilities, the circuit looks first-class: the track threads its way around some of the architectural landmarks that were erected for this year’s Winter Olympics. It also feels a little bit like a street circuit – it features a plentiful array of 90-degree corners, many of which look likely to be taken at around the same speed. It’ll be interesting to measure the popularity of the race; McLaren has long participated at the Mobil 1-backed Moscow City Racing summer festival, which regularly sees huge crowds, and it would be nice if Sochi could replicate the appeal of that event. I hope it’s a successful weekend – for the sport and for McLaren.”

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FORCE INDIA PREVIEW RUSSIAN GRAND PRIX

Force India drivers and management preview the Russian Grand Prix, Round 16 of the 2014 Formula 1 World Championship, at Sochi Autdrom.

Vijay’s Vision

Points for both cars in Japan, but the race was overshadowed by other events…

“Everybody at Sahara Force India continues to send support to Jules and the Marussia team. We know Jules well having worked with him during 2012. His recovery is the main priority at the moment.”

Four races remain and the team is still sitting in fifth place in the championship…

“We are hanging on in there and we know we face a big task in the final four races to maintain this advantage. We are certainly motivated and will do all we can to add performance to the car and score points. In Formula One, anything can happen – we’ve seen it over and over again – and with double points on offer in Abu Dhabi there is all to play for.”

The sports heads to a new venue this week – what are you expecting from Sochi?

“It is an important race for us and for the global expansion of the sport. Russia is an emerging market for Formula One and it’s big enough and important enough for everyone in the sport to look forward to going there. These huge markets are the kinds of places that we should be concentrating on, which is why I continue to push for India to be back on the calendar as well. We need to embrace these huge audiences where there is great potential to increase the popularity of our sport.”

Driver’s View

Nico Hülkenberg: “It’s always fun to explore a new place and this will be my first visit to Russia. So far I’ve only seen a few photos of the paddock and the track layout so I will arrive there with a very open mind about what to expect. However, I do have high expectations because I know that the organisers have made a big effort to make the race a success. It’s hard to look at a track on paper and really get an understanding of how it will feel to drive. I prefer to go there and experience things before I make judgements and talk about track characteristics. So in that sense it’s too early for me to compare it with another circuit. What is clear is that there are some really quick sections and a lot of right-angled corners. It’s fun to learn a new track and I look forward to the first few laps of free practice. I would say that after about 10 laps you’ve done your learning and start to feel comfortable. After that, you can focus more on improving the car’s performance.”

Sergio Perez: “I’m really looking forward to the race in Sochi. It’s a country that will be totally new for me and so it’s exciting to go there for the first time. I will feel like a tourist looking around the city. The location of the track inside the Olympic park is very unusual. If I get the opportunity I will definitely explore a bit. From the photographs I’ve seen it looks to be a very impressive facility. There are some long straights, some tight corners, and I think it will feel like a street circuit because the walls are close to the track in a lot of areas. To prepare for a new track I normally walk the track and cycle it a few times. Normally you need about 10 laps before you can really start doing performance runs. Nobody knows the track so it will be the same situation for all of us. We all start from zero.”

[MIKA27]

FERRARI BURN RUBBER IN JERUSALEM

Tuesday marked the end of the second running of the Jerusalem Formula Road Show, an event which featured an appearance from Scuderia Ferrari and Giancarlo Fisichella, who put on a show against the unique backdrop of Jerusalem, one of the oldest cities in the world.

The Scuderia was invited by Ferrari sponsor Kaspersky Lab and ran an F60, the same car that Fisichella actually raced in the second part of the 2009 season, on a circuit that ran around the walls of the old city.

Once again this year, the Jerusalem Formula Road Show was a great success, with a crowd of 50,000 lining the track yesterday and today. The audience was very excited at seeing a Formula 1 car run and the spectators were amazed to see Giancarlo pull off burn-outs before accelerating flat out in the F60.

For many of the crowd, this was their first taste of Formula 1, getting to see the action in this Street demo from even closer up than at the race tracks used for the world championship. As usual, for those seeing a Ferrari Formula 1 car for the first time, one aspect stands out more than any other and that’s the noise from the engine, in this case the legendary 056 V8 and its beautiful ear-splitting roar, a synonym for its power, speed and the passion and challenge of racing.

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Hamilton: I feel very happy at Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton insists he is not ready to quit Mercedes, saying he is loving life at one of the "coolest brands in the world".

The 2008 World Champion joined the Brackley-based squad ahead of the 2013 season with his initial contract running until the end of the 2015 campaign.

Mercedes, though, handed his team-mate Nico Rosberg a new multi-year contract earlier this year and they have confirmed they are in negotiations with Hamilton about extending his stay.

Things haven't been straightforward in recent months though with tension between Hamilton and Rosberg reaching boiling point as they go head-to-head for the World title.

There have even been suggestions that Mercedes prefer Rosberg due to the fact that he is German and might cut Hamilton loose, but the 29-year-old is having none of it, telling Sport Bild: "We have always been treated 100 percent fairly.

"I have never had any of those thoughts. Mercedes is one of the coolest and most traditional brands in the world.

"I still have a contract for next year. I feel very happy here, for me it is like a family. The team and I have a positive feeling that we should stay together beyond next year."

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Tyre choices for final races revealed

Pirelli has announced the tyre compounds that will be used during the final three races of the 2014 season.

After this weekend's race in Russia, Formula 1 will head west to the Circuit of the Americas in Austin for the United States Grand Prix and the yellow-marked soft and white-marked medium rubber will be used.

"This has been the most frequent nomination this year, and is well suited to circuits with a wide-ranging series of demands, such as Austin with its combination of fast corners and more technical sections," Pirelli said in a statement.

The penultimate race of the season, the Brazilian GP, takes place at Interlagos with the medium and orange-striped hard compounds on offer while the season-ending Abu Dhabi GP at the Yas Marina Street Circuit will feature the soft and red-marked supersofts.

"The two hardest compounds in the range have been nominated for Brazil," the statement added.

"While Interlagos is the shortest lap of the year, the energy demands are high as the anti-clockwise track essentially consists of a series of non-stop corners, with a high level of asphalt roughness.

"By contrast, Abu Dhabi is one of the smoothest tracks of the year, and well-known territory for Pirelli with a lot of the company's testing carried out there prior to its arrival in Formula 1.

"The race takes place into the evening, with ambient and track temperatures dropping, [so] the most suitable tyre choice is the soft and supersoft, which will put the accent on strategy."

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Two independent DRS zones at Sochi

The Sochi Autodrom will have two DRS zones for the inaugural Russian Grand Prix.

The two zones will be on opposite sides of the 5.8 kilometre track and have their own detection points.

The first DRS zone will be on the run to the first braking zone, and the other will be on the next-longest flat-out stretch which curves right and left as it leads into turn 13.

That corner is expected to be one of the hardest braking points on the circuit. “Braking down into turn 13 will be very severe,” said Lotus technical director Nick Chester. “You come out of the kink before you brake so it will be a difficult corner to get right.”

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Ferrari’s record points streak comes to an end

Ferrari’s difficult season continued in Japan where they failed to score a point for the first time since the 2010 British Grand Prix.

In that time they had scored points in 81 consecutive races, beating McLaren’s previous record of 64 which was set last year.

None of Ferrari’s engine customers finished in the top ten either, meaning there were no Ferrari-powered points scorers, which last happened at the 2009 Singapore Grand Prix.

Mercedes now have the longest running points-scoring streak for a team: 35 races, which began at the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix, the race before Lewis Hamilton joined them.

The W05s were in their usual imperious form at Suzuka: they locked out the front row of the grid and finished one-two, both for the eighth time this year. If they continue to finish one-two in all of the four remaining races, Nico Rosberg must win at least three of them including the double points finale to beat Hamilton to the drivers’ championship.

Mercedes’ one-two finish would have clinched the constructors’ championship had the Red Bulls finished further down. That didn’t happen, but Mercedes have a much stronger chance of wrapping up the title in Russia this weekend.

Hamilton’s eighth victory of the season means he now has twice as many wins as his team mate, and Rosberg cannot end the season with more wins than him. It was the 30th win of Hamilton’s career – one more will see him tie with Nigel Mansell as the most successful British driver in terms of race wins.

Rosberg took pole position for the eighth time this year. With Hamilton on six, if Rosberg wins two more he will become the inaugural winner of the FIA’s pole position trophy, which was introduced this year. It was the 12th pole of Rosberg’s career, putting him level with Gerhard Berger and David Coulthard.

Hamilton’s sixth fastest lap gives him one more than Rosberg so far this season, and moves him on to 19 for his career so far. That puts him level with childhood hero Ayrton Senna, as well as Stirling Moss, Damon Hill and Mark Webber.

Rosberg led his 400th lap of the season – but the next time by Hamilton took the lead off him. By the end of the race, however, Hamilton had still led fewer laps this season than his team mate – 362.

Vettel, Alonso and Bottas are out of title race:

Third place for Sebastian Vettel means he has still never failed to appear on the podium in six visits to Suzuka. However he is no longer able to retain the championship crown he won for the last four seasons.

Team mate Daniel Ricciardo is now the only person who can stop one of the Mercedes drivers from winning this year’s championship. This may have a bearing on team orders at Red Bull, but with Vettel having already announced he is leaving the team at the end of the season, he wouldn’t have much incentive to follow them.

Valtteri Bottas and Fernando Alonso are also officially out of the championship hunt. The latter had his second retirement due to a mechanical fault in three races, having had no such failures in the preceding 86 races.

However the Japanese Grand Prix will not be remembered for any of these milestones, but for the terrible crash suffered by Jules Bianchi which brought the race to an early end. It’s poignant to note that on lap 13 he crossed the start/finish line in fourth place – the highest position ever officially occupied by a Marussia.

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Williams F1 team: McLaren's superior wet Japanese GP pace a concern

The Williams Formula 1 team will focus on working out why Jenson Button's McLaren was so quick in the wet, after finishing behind him in the Japanese Grand Prix.

Williams F1 drivers Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa qualified third and fourth in the dry, but slumped to sixth and seventh in Sunday's wet Suzuka race, behind the Red Bulls of Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo, and Button's fifth placed McLaren.

Williams has tended to be less competitive in wet conditions than in dry with this year's FW36, and the team's performance chief Rob Smedley said while losing out to Red Bull was no surprise, defeat to Button would require serious examination.

"Red Bull were much quicker than us; they were able to generate so much more grip from the tyres," Smedley explained.

"If you put them in a street circuit like Monaco or Singapore, they're just much quicker than us.

"When you have so much water on the track and the corners become so much longer and the straights so much shorter, they're bound to have a better car.

"From a performance point of view, what we have to think about is the McLaren, because they were certainly very quick, and that's not the case when we go to street circuits.

"My main focus will be to look at what they did and understand why they were quite a bit quicker than us."

Smedley reckons Williams has resolved the problems that caused its wet weather struggles earlier in the season, and that Japan could have highlighted different factors.

"It's certainly not the same problem we had in Malaysia," he said.

"That was a problem of trying to get temperature in the tyres, and perhaps we didn't understand how best to generate it.

"We've gone away and understood that very well. If anything I would say we maybe had a little bit too much temperature [in Japan], but it wasn't enough to cause the deficit [to Red Bull] - I think we've just seen a better car in the wet."

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Russian Grand Prix bosses want night F1 race in 2015

Russian Grand Prix bosses want next year's Formula 1 event to be a night race, AUTOSPORT has learned.

Ahead of its inaugural appearance on the F1 calendar at Sochi this weekend, race promoters have revealed that plans are well advanced for a twilight grand prix in 2015.

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone is fully behind the idea and, with track chiefs having already ensured the lighting systems can be ready in time, it is now just waiting for the official green light.

Richard Cregan, Russian GP consultant, told AUTOSPORT: "That kind of thing could happen quite quickly - from next year.

"The infrastructure is there to supply the power for the lighting system, and that has already been checked.

"It is only a matter of decisions being made. If you see how quickly the likes of Bahrain implemented the system, it can happen [at Sochi] for next year."

Cregan, who was drafted in by Sochi organisers to assist in putting on the Russian GP following his success in Abu Dhabi, believes the backdrop of the Olympic park makes it a no-brainer to run the race after dark.

However, he accepts one of the issues that will need resolving is sorting out the ideal time to run it because there is a greater period of twilight here than in Abu Dhabi.

"The facilities that surround the track are amazing - they are the most modern systems in terms of lighting," he said. "When you see it at night time, it is beautiful.

"But we have to be watching our sunset. It is different to somewhere like Singapore or Abu Dhabi or Bahrain, where you are close to the equator and it is quickly light or dark and twilight is short.

"So we would want to start in low light conditions and finish completely in the dark.

"But it is definitely is on the cards, and has been discussed quite a bit. I think it is just the matter of the right conversation and it will happen."

MAY DATE SWITCH CONSIDERED

Although the 2015 Russian GP has been handed an October date, Cregan admitted that he would be open to moving the event to May.

"There has been discussion about having the race in May, because May is a big holiday time here," he said.

"With races being added we will have to see how the calendar works out and what opportunities present themselves.

"But we have to be realistic, we are a new race and we will fill in whatever slot we are given basically.

"Ideal for us here is May, and the ideal for Abu Dhabi is the end of the year."

[MIKA27]

Kimi Raikkonen says set-up problems are back on his Ferrari F1 car

Kimi Raikkonen suspects "something isn't right" with his Ferrari Formula 1 car, after struggling for speed throughout the Japanese Grand Prix weekend.

The 2007 F1 world champion felt he had made a breakthrough with the set-up of his F14 T during the previous race in Singapore, where he was matching team-mate Fernando Alonso in qualifying before his session was spoiled by a software glitch on his Ferrari engine.

But Raikkonen qualified eight tenths adrift of Alonso at Suzuka and also struggled in the wet in Sunday's race, finishing a lapped 12th as Alonso retired on the opening lap with an electrical issue.

When questioned by AUTOSPORT, Raikkonen said he could not understand why his difficulties handling the Ferrari had returned.

"The whole weekend we struggled with the front like crazy. Dry, wet. It's just completely different than before," explained Raikkonen, who said he "couldn't understand" this given the specification of the car had not changed since Singapore.

"Hopefully we will find something that will explain what was going on.

"In the dry in the first part of the lap with the new tyres it [the car] was just pushing, pushing [into understeer]. Very odd.

"For two laps intermediates worked and then just grained and I had no front end. Then again [it's the] same story.

"For me something isn't right, but until we see what's the issue I don't have an explanation.

"It just felt very different to any other races. Let's hope we get that fixed. It was a disappointing weekend."

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F1 must reconsider enclosed cockpits - Williams

Enclosed cockpits must be considered for Formula 1 cars if they can help protect a driver's head according to Claire Williams, deputy team principal of the Williams F1 Team.

With the argument for cockpits having flared up once again following Jules Bianchi's Japanese Grand Prix accident, F1 bosses have come under pressure to look at the concept again after recently shelving the idea because it would look ugly. Williams though says the idea needs to be discussed internally in more depth to see whether it could have helped in this and future situations.

"It's something we have to look at," she is quoted as saying by the Associated Press.

"If it can improve safety then of course it has to be on the agenda as a conversation to have. Enclosed cockpits aren't easy technically for us to integrate into a Formula One car and of course they change the very nature of what a Formula One car looks like.

"We have to look at all the options available to us whether it's an enclosed cockpit or not, but those conversations need to go on behind the scenes."

The 38-year-old added that safety is more important than looks.

"We have to find ways to ensure our drivers are as protected as possible. The aesthetics of a Formula One car — yes they are important, they are the very fiber and DNA of Formula One and what cars look like is important — but safety has to be paramount."

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Kobayashi retains Caterham seat for Russian GP

Kamui Kobayashi will continue to race for Caterham at the Russian Grand Prix this weekend as his future at the team continues to hang in the balance. The Japanese driver almost lost his seat in Belgium, but was reinstated at the last minute. He has then been confirmed on a race-by-race basis since.

The team has confirmed he will once again be in the car for the weekend, but Roberto Merhi will take part in the first practice session.

"Kamui didn't have the best of luck at his home race, but at a new circuit like Sochi, where all drivers start the weekend on a level playing field as it's a new track, he could definitely make the difference," said team principal Manfredi Ravetto.

Kobayashi added: "It's always extremely exciting to race at a new circuit – I had a chance to do a few laps of this new Russian circuit in Sochi with the Codemasters 2014 F1 Game in Suzuka last week and, even though it was a video game, it seemed like an interesting circuit because of its mix of corners, some of them very tight, and high speed sections.

"I am looking forward to driving there in real life. It will be an interesting challenge for us all and we will do our best. Our thoughts are also with Jules and his family at this difficult time."

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MCLAREN TARGETED BY RUMOURS, BUT IS THERE ANYTHING BEHIND IT?

They say that things come in threes and today’s rumour that Lewis Hamilton has signed for McLaren for 2015 is the third rumour in recent times which the team has described as “baseless” and “without foundation”.

It follows the suggestion that Ron Dennis is to be ousted and replaced by Gerhard Berger as Group CEO of McLaren, with the blessing of the shareholders, the Bahrainis and Mansoor Ojjeh and a story a few days ago that Canadian fashion tycoon Laurence Stroll is looking to buy some shares in the team.

So why is it happening?

It’s hard to say, but there would appear to be some attempted destabilisation of McLaren going on at a delicate moment in their history. This is not uncommon in F1, but the pattern here is unusual.

McLaren are about to start a new relationship with Honda and they desperately need to get out of the technical rut they have now been in for two years, with not a sniff of a victory. Last year was very poor by their standards and led to the departure of Martin Whitmarsh as CEO, but this year is arguably more embarrassing as they have had the best power unit in the field and yet have been outclassed by Williams, who had their worst season in 2013 and yet have turned it around spectacularly this year.

While that is going on, the position of Dennis is in question as he has an option to buy shares from the Bahrainis by the end of 2014 but he needs to find fresh investment to do so. So far he hasn’t managed to find it. What happens next if he does not find it is open to debate. Some say he may find the Bahrainis and Ojjeh replacing him, others say that if the option expires, they just negotiate a new one. Time will tell.

Stroll, meanwhile, is looking at investing some of his millions – from the flotations of the Tommy Hilfiger and Michael Kors fashion brands – in F1 and has been linked with Sauber, but that was denied. Stroll’s son is a member of the Ferrari young driver academy and an up and coming racer.

At the same time as all of the above, Fernando Alonso, who was double shuffled by Ferrari’s move for Vettel last week, has been negotiating a contract with McLaren for some time. Some sources say that it is signed, others say it’s not yet signed but it is close.

Honda is desperate to get Alonso, but there are some suggestions that he is looking for a short commitment to keep his options open should Lewis Hamilton leave Mercedes either next year or for 2016.

There is certainly plenty of action on this dynamic behind the scenes at the moment. And in this feverish environment, we are seeing these rumours coming out.

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LOTUS TO RACE WITH MERCEDES POWER FROM 2015

Lotus F1 Team and Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains are pleased to announce a long-term supply agreement which will see Lotus F1 Team utilizing the Mercedes-Benz Power Unit from the start of the 2015 season until the end of the current Power Unit generation.

Under the terms of the agreement, Lotus F1 Team will be supplied with Mercedes-Benz Power Units by Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains (HPP) based in Brixworth, UK. The Power Unit will use Fluid Technology Solutions developed by Petronas, the technology partner of Mercedes-Benz.

Lotus F1 Team will continue to design and manufacture its own transmission at its Enstone base where work is already underway on the team’s 2015 challenger, the E23 Hybrid.

Matthew Carter, CEO, Lotus F1 Team: “We are pleased to have been chosen by Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains in a significant long term deal. We intend to return to the front of the field with the goals of winning Grands Prix and being a strong championship contender once more and we see this new agreement as one step towards this aim. The Mercedes-Benz Power Unit has shown good performance on track and it is our goal to marry this motive force to Enstone’s chassis expertise. It is our desire that the E23 Hybrid, powered by Mercedes-Benz, heralds a new era of success for Enstone. At this juncture we would also like to thank Renault, who have been so closely associated with the team over its history and for the joint success we have achieved together.”

Renault had a long and successful association with Enstone

Andy Cowell, Managing Director of Mercedes AMG HPP: “We are delighted to welcome Lotus F1 Team as a customer of Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains from the 2015 season. Lotus F1 Team is a strong technical group with excellent facilities and I am confident that together we will deliver a step forward in track performance next year. In 2014, the organisation at Brixworth has demonstrated that it can support three customer teams to the high standards expected of Mercedes-Benz, in addition to our focus on the works Silver Arrows. We are very pleased to have the opportunity to continuing doing so from 2015, as we seek to make further gains in both performance and reliability.”

Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: “It was strategically important for Mercedes-Benz to continue to supply three customers throughout this generation of Power Unit, in addition to the primary focus on our Silver Arrows works team, and it was therefore clear that we would be looking for a new customer from 2015. Lotus F1 Team is an impressive organisation that has delivered competitive on-track performances in recent seasons. We are pleased to welcome them to the Mercedes-Benz family and look forward to building a productive and performant working relationship in the years ahead.”

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SILLY SEASON LATEST: ALONSO AND VETTEL TO MCLAREN

A week ago, the Silly Season seemed much clearer as Sebastian Vettel announced his shock departure from Red Bull, and everyone – including his current employer – simply assumed he would be heading to Ferrari.

Ferrari, however, has been completely silent on the issue ever since, despite deafening speculation it is replacing Fernando Alonso with Vettel. But nothing has been announced. Again, on Thursday in the shiny new Sochi paddock, Ferrari is saying nothing.

And neither is reigning world champion Vettel. “I have nothing new to say, but I hope to announce something soon. When the thing is out, you are probably clever enough to understand why I had to wait.”

Since Japan Fernando Alonso has also played his cards close to his chest with some observers suspecting that Vettel’s announcement was premature and caught to Maranello outfit off guard.

Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso during the Russian GP drivers’ press conference

Vettel’s comments follow the latest round of sensational silly season reports in the wake of the developments of last week.

McLaren rejected claims Mercedes‘ and their protege Hamilton visited Woking to sign a contract, but also reported is that Vettel might not be Ferrari-bound after all. One report suggested McLaren’s next driver lineup might be Alonso alongside Vettel.

Fascinatingly, when he was asked about the Ferrari reports at Suzuka exactly one week ago, Vettel answered: “I think there has always been reports over the last couple of years, especially around this time of the season.”

“I think probably more for Jenson. He already has 17 teammates for next year. I have been one of them a couple of weeks ago, maybe next week I will be again.”

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ROSSI SET TO SUBSTITUTE FOR BIANCHI AT RUSSIAN GP

Marussia have entered Alexander Rossi to replace critically injured French driver Jules Bianchi in Sunday’s inaugural Russian Formula One Grand Prix but the American is still not certain to race.

The official list of cars and drivers published by stewards on Thursday named Rossi and Britain’s Max Chilton as Marussia’s entrants.

There was no official statement from Marussia but sources made clear a decision had yet to be taken about how to proceed out of respect for Bianchi’s family and a desire to ‘do the right thing’ for their stricken team mate.

Bianchi suffered a brain injury and remains ‘critical but stable’ in a Japanese hospital after his horrific crash at Suzuka last Sunday.

There have been no medical updates since Tuesday. The popular Frenchman’s car aquaplaned off a wet circuit, in fading light, and into a tractor that was recovering a crashed Sauber.

Alexander Rossi during FP1 at Spa

Marussia, a small and financially struggling team who have punched above their weight this year thanks to Bianchi, are expected to wait until Friday morning to confirm how they plan to proceed.

Putting down Rossi’s name fulfills the regulations but there is a strong chance Chilton will be their only race entrant in what should have been a big moment for the sport’s only Russian-registered team on Russia’s F1 debut.

Although the rules stipulate that a constructor must ‘participate’ in every event as a team, the act of entering two cars for official scrutineering has satisfied that already. Marussia can also count on the full support of the powers that be for whatever they decide to do.

The team, whose current standing of ninth in the championship is due to Bianchi’s points finish in Monaco in May, have been overwhelmed by a groundswell of support from the rest of the paddock and wider world.

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone has kept in regular touch, offering whatever support may be needed, while FIA president Jean Todt is in close contact through his son Nicolas, Bianchi’s manager.

Ferrari, for whom Bianchi was a test driver being groomed for a stellar future, arranged for a leading Italian neurosurgeon to fly to Japan along with the French professor who attended to seven times world champion Michael Schumacher after the German’s skiing accident last year.

Alexander Rossi with Jules Bianchi and Max Chilton

Bianchi’s name was alongside Chilton’s above the team’s garage on Thursday, and is set to stay there, with mechanics going through the normal procedures of setting up both cars in the bays.

However the team’s British principal John Booth has stayed behind in Japan to be with Bianchi’s family at the Yokkaichi hospital and is not travelling to Sochi.

The shock of the crash hung heavy over the paddock, with drivers still stunned by what had happened and expressing support for their colleague.

All will race on Sunday with stickers saying ‘Tous avec Jules #17′ (All with Jules), a reference to the 25-year-old’s driver number, on their helmets.

“Obviously all of our thoughts are with Jules. All of our minds are there,” said Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso. “Emotionally very difficult. Ready to race, to race for him, being as professional as we can but definitely our minds, or my mind, is with him in this moment, praying for him.”