FORMULA 1 - 2015

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RAIKKONEN: I DON’T CARE WHAT PEOPLE THINK

Formula 1 veteran Kimi Raikkonen says he is not bothered that many are beginning to regard him as the number two at Ferrari.

At the team’s Finale Mondiali event at Mugello, the Finn insisted that the Maranello team no longer operates a policy of driver inequality.

Nonetheless, German Vettel is now regarded by many as the de-facto lead driver, but Raikkonen is unperturbed and told Auto Bild, “I don’t care what people think. It’s only important that I know what I’m doing.”

“Sebastian and I have similar ideas about how to work together and improve the car, and that’s more important than what people say.”

And according to El Confidencial, Raikkonen is not even concerned that, based on his performances, there has been criticism that Ferrari re-signed him for 2016.

“I’m doing well, otherwise I would not be in F1 – there is no charity here,” the 36-year-old said.

“Yes, I’m disappointed because many things have not gone well for me, but it has been better for me than last year was and I am sure we can improve more next year,” Raikkonen added.

Raikkonen’s 2015 record has been somewhat disappointing with only two podiums, no wins and 123 points coupled to five DNFs of which at least three were of his own doing. His teammate Vettel has won three races thus far this season.

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MCLAREN PAY $15 MILLION COMPENSATION TO WHITMARSH

A $15 million pay-out to former team principal Martin Whitmarsh contributed to the financial loss recorded by McLaren last year.

Writing for Forbes, F1 business journalist Christian Sylt said the latest financial statements for 2014 showed McLaren paid “compensation for (the) loss of office of a director”, which surely must be Whitmarsh.

Overall, McLaren turned a $19 million net profit for 2013 into an almost $25 million loss in 2014, with Sylt saying it is mainly due to the British team’s performance dip.

Whitmarsh joined McLaren as Head of Operations in 1989. In 1997, Whitmarsh was promoted to Managing Director, where he was responsible for managing the F1 operation and its partners and sponsors.

This allowed Team Principal Ron Dennis to concentrate on other aspects of the McLaren Group. In April 2004, he was again promoted, this time to the position of CEO of the company’s F1 operation.

In 2009 Ron Dennis stepped down as head of McLaren Racing and Whitmarsh became team principal as a result.

Having started 2009 with an uncompetitive car, McLaren improved as the year progressed, scoring more points than any other team in the second half of the season, to beat Ferrari to third in Constructors’ championship by a single point.

But McLaren did not win a world championship with Whitmarsh as Team Principal and following an uncompetitive 2013 season, he was ousted from his position as CEO of McLaren Racing and McLaren Group, replaced by his predecessor Ron Dennis in January 2014.

He formally parted ways with McLaren in August 2014 after 24 years with the organisation.

Another major cost was a $54 million fee paid to Daimler, after the Woking outfit switching from customer Mercedes power to works Honda support for 2015.

Revenue also dropped, with chief executive Jonathan Neale saying that was “predominantly due to decreased prize monies and sponsorship”.

And even though McLaren’s performance, and expected sponsorship and prize money losses, have continued to dramatically slide this year, chairman Ron Dennis insists that “we expect the McLaren Technology Group to return to profit in 2015”.

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HAKKINEN HOPES ASTON MARTIN REPORTS ARE TRUE

Former F1 world champion Mika Hakkinen is crossing his fingers reports that Force India is set to become ‘Aston Martin’ are true.

Ahead of the recent Mexican grand prix, Force India supremo Vijay Mallya confirmed reports he is in talks with the British luxury carmaker.

It is suggested a naming sponsorship deal, also involving the current McLaren sponsor Johnnie Walker, could see the Silverstone based team switching to a blue and gold livery.

Mallya says he has no intention of leaving F1.

“Absolutely. I’m not going anywhere,” he told the BBC. “But it’s just too premature for me to say anything further.”

When asked about the speculation, former two-time world champion Hakkinen told his sponsor Hermes in an interview: “I know that it has been spoken about for some time.

“I don’t think it’s impossible that it will happen,” added the Finn.

Interestingly, Hakkinen is a long-time ambassador for Mercedes, whose parent Daimler owns 5 per cent of Aston Martin. Force India is also powered by Mercedes engines, triggering rumours the carmaker might want to set up a ‘B team’.

Hakkinen continued: “The Aston Martin brand fits very well with formula one. So I hope this actually does happen.”

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McLAREN PREVIEW THE BRAZILIAN GRAND PRIX

The Autódromo José Carlos Pace is one of the oldest and best-loved tracks on the Formula 1 calendar. It was built in 1938 on marshland deemed unsuitable for housing, and it first welcomed the World Championship in 1973.

The track is named after Brazilian F1 driver Carlos Pace, who won his home grand prix in 1975, but it’s better known as Interlagos after the suburb of São Paulo in which it’s located. It’s an undulating anti-clockwise layout and it’s been the permanent home of the Brazilian Grand Prix since 1990.

The circuit has several characteristics that set it apart from other F1 circuits, most notably its bumps and its altitude. The track was resurfaced prior to last year’s race, making it smoother, but the unstable marshland on which it’s built creates fresh bumps on an annual basis, particularly in Sector Two.

Altitude is another factor that the teams have to consider. The track is situated 800m (2,625 feet) above sea level and the thinner air has a bearing on all areas of car performance, particularly aerodynamics and cooling. Power unit losses are minimal, due to the turbo and the ERS.

As was the case last year, Pirelli will take their Soft (Option) and Medium (Prime) tyre compounds to the race. It’s the ninth time that this combination has been used this season and, should the weather conditions prove favourable, fast lap times are expected.

McLaren has an enviable record at the Brazilian Grand Prix, having won the race 12 times and taken 11 pole positions. Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button have good memories of the track, having clinched all of their world titles there (in 2005, ’06 and ’09 respectively).

Brazil facts & stats

Technical words of wisdom from Jonathan Neale, chief operating officer and acting CEO

“Interlagos is one of the most historic and famous circuits on the calendar; it’s a race that’s enjoyed by drivers and team personnel alike.

“The circuit is situated in a bowl, so there’s quite a lot of angle and camber change. It’s an interesting technical challenge because set-up is a difficult compromise between straight-line speed and slow-corner grip.

“The race is notorious for changeable weather conditions at the time of year in which we go racing, and despite the best efforts of the organisers and regular re-surfacing work, the moment you get rain you get rivers across the circuit and it becomes very difficult to drive. But it’s an always an exciting race and there’s a passionate crowd, which makes it great fun for the drivers. It’s a real test of car and driver.”

Our most memorable Brazilian Grand Prix: 1991

Ayrton Senna led from pole position, much to the delight of his adoring fans. He quickly built up a lead of 3.0s over second-placed Nigel Mansell, but the tables turned quickly when Mansell closed the gap to less than a second.

Ayrton’s plight was helped when Mansell had a disastrous pitstop on lap 26, losing him 14.0s. When Ayrton emerged from his stop, Mansell was 7.0s behind and closing quickly. But more misfortune befell Mansell, this time in the form of a puncture, and his race eventually ended in retirement.

However, all was not well with Ayrton’s car. The gearbox on his MP4-6 began to fail with 10 laps remaining and he was forced to drive the last few laps stuck in sixth gear, with the Williams of Riccardo Patrese bearing down on him. When rain began to fall the challenge became even greater, but Ayrton still won by 2.9s. Gerhard Berger, in the second McLaren, finished third.

Fernando Alonso: “The last couple of races have been frustrating on my side of the garage, as we’ve had some bad luck with reliability issues. It’s something we’re always working hard on and we’ll be looking especially closely at in the lead up to the Brazilian Grand Prix, so we can make sure we get the most track time possible over the course of the weekend.

“We knew Mexico would be tough, and many of Interlagos’ characteristics are similar, with its steep sections and long straights. However, the circuit is incredible to drive and always a lot of fun, so I’m looking forward to the weekend. We are still seeing progress in our pace and small improvements in every area race by race, so we know it’s important to keep our heads down and keep pushing towards the end of the season. Every race counts and the more we can learn and gather data at every track, the more information we will have at our disposal over the winter and for the development of our package.

“After the incredible fan support we received in Mexico, I know we’ll receive another warm welcome in Brazil. The atmosphere is always fantastic and the Brazilian fans are just as passionate. It’s a very special place and we always see unpredictable racing there, so let’s hope we can have some fun this weekend.”

Jenson Button: “Interlagos has got to be up there with the all-time great circuits in Formula 1. There’s so much history there, so many legends have raced on that circuit, and the fans are always so enthusiastic that you can’t help but love going back there each year.

“For me personally, the track is very special. It’s a tough circuit on the cars as it’s so bumpy, but really fun to drive with its off-camber sections and technical mix of corners. Although we found it tough in Mexico – especially with the altitude – our pace in the corners was positive, so I’m looking forward to seeing how our car performs in those areas in Brazil.

“The weather is usually unpredictable too, which has made for some chaotic races in the past. It’s great for the fans and always produces some really interesting results, so hopefully we can put ourselves in a position to take advantage if anything happens. Unlike the last couple of races, I hope we can get some solid dry running done initially so that we can really focus on set-up and reliability, and get as much time on track as possible from Friday onwards – then we’ll see what we can do from there.”

Eric Boullier, Racing director, McLaren-Honda: “After the drama of Austin and spectacle of Mexico, it’s great to move to another hugely popular circuit in the Americas, and a track that holds great memories for the McLaren-Honda team. We’ve enjoyed numerous nail-biting finishes, stunning victories and tense championship battles there, and Interlagos is a venue universally loved by the whole Formula 1 community.

“Over its incredible 78-year history, its charm is as strong as ever, and the fans are just as animated. Interlagos has an incredible heritage and it’s great to see its legacy continue. It’s a fantastic driver’s track with lots of uniquely challenging features that the drivers love, and the fans love to watch. Although no longer the season finale, there’s always a great sense of anticipation before every Brazilian Grand Prix, and this year is no different.

“For McLaren-Honda, after a challenging couple of races, we are looking forward to arriving at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace and pushing hard with our development for the next two grands prix. Although the end of the season is in sight, we are still working flat-out to bring new parts to the car and maximise our learning and development until the last possible moment. We are focussing on both reliability and performance, and hope for a more positive weekend at this legendary circuit.”

Yasuhisa Arai, Honda R&D senior managing officer – chief officer of motorsport: “Following on from the Mexican Grand Prix, Brazil will be another atmospheric race weekend for fans of Formula 1.

“Interlagos is a mixture of fast flowing corners, with a technical slow section and multiple undulating turns. The tightness of the layout will hopefully make for an exciting race, with close competition and overtaking.

“The car and the power unit will both be busy there, changing direction and speed with every turn, which makes throttle response and car balance important.

“We predict that the altitude of the circuit, albeit not as high as Mexico City, will slightly affect the performance of the car, so we will fine-tune the driveability and deployment of the power unit accordingly.”

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FORCE INDIA PREVIEW THE BRAZILIAN GRAND PRIX

Force India preview the Brazilian Grand Prix, Round 18 of the 2015 Formula 1 World championship, at Interlagos in Sao Paulo.

Vijay’s Vision

Team Principal, Dr Vijay Mallya, previews the race in Brazil as the championship nears its conclusion.

VJM: “We travel to Brazil off the back of a memorable and successful weekend in Mexico. Everybody I spoke to said how much they enjoyed the event and the warm welcome we received. It was a race where we maximised our opportunities to bring both cars home well inside the points and edge closer to securing fifth place in the championship.

“The Brazilian Grand Prix is another great event. It’s an historic venue where the fans always create a special atmosphere – much like Mexico. The Interlagos circuit always seems to deliver an exciting race because it’s an old school track with several good overtaking opportunities. The weather is also unpredictable and that often adds to the drama.

“With just two races to go, we must keep our focus and make sure we don’t let our guard down so close to the finish line. If we score well in Brazil, we can clinch fifth place in the championship and that’s the priority. I’m confident we can do it and getting both cars home in the points would be a great way to celebrate our best season ever.”

Sergio Perez looks forward to racing at Interlagos.

Sergio: “Racing in my home Grand Prix last week was a dream come true. The support from the fans was incredible and I have so many memories that will stay with me forever. I was happy with my performance over the weekend and I think it was one of my best races of the season. You can always look back and say, ‘what if the safety car hadn’t come out’, but we made the best of it and I was happy to score points in my home race.

“Brazil is another venue where you can feel the energy of the fans. The track is brilliant: it’s a proper racer’s circuit with some amazing corners. The first sector is fantastic: you can take different lines through turn one and you can end up in a battle for position that lasts until turn six. The lap is very technical and there are a lot of places where you can easily make a mistake, but the feeling when you get a perfect lap together is amazing.

“In the last few races we’ve had a really good run of results. I feel I’m driving at my best and the team is doing a fantastic job. We want to finish this season on a high and I think we still have some big results in us, so I am confident ahead of the race.”

Nico Hülkenberg looks forward to returning to the scene of one of his best races

Nico: “I really love Brazil as a country and Sao Paulo as a city. The track is very traditional and there is always a special atmosphere around the place. There are some fun corners – the Senna Esses are really cool as turns one, two and three make up a nice combination. The lap is quite short but there are a lot of elevation changes and banked corners, which create a very challenging lap. It’s a track where I really enjoy driving.

“Interlagos has been quite good to me: I had a pole position in 2010, led the race in 2012 and I’ve always finished in the points. I seem to have good chemistry there and I feel comfortable on and off the track. I can really identify with the Brazilian lifestyle and the people. I think we will be competitive so I hope I can add another strong result to the list.”

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MERCEDES PREVIEW THE BRAZILIAN GRAND PRIX

The 2015 Formula One World Championship season continues with Round Eighteen, the Brazilian Grand Prix, from São Paulo

Lewis Hamilton: “Interlagos is one of the real classics – quite short, tough on tyres, with variable weather and a really tricky start to the lap that always seems to bring drama. Then there’s the fans. The Brazilian people are so passionate, fun and outgoing. It’s a vibrant country, full of colour, and somewhere that’s quite special to me. This was the home race for Ayrton, so it was a dream of mine to race in São Paulo when I was younger and I always feel his presence when I’m there. He was such a huge hero in Brazil and it’s humbling that I always get such a warm response there. It’s amazing to think that it took Ayrton eight attempts to win this race and it’s one of the few I haven’t yet won myself. If I can change that this weekend it would be a salute to him and another highlight to add to this amazing year, so I’ll be going all out to make that happen.”

Nico Rosberg: “I’m really pumped to get to São Paulo and get back out on track after a great weekend in Mexico. For a start, Interlagos is one of the classic races on the calendar. It’s a tricky circuit that’s a really good challenge for a driver, with plenty of overtaking opportunities and crazy weather that always makes for an action-packed race. I have good memories from Brazil, too. I’ve usually been pretty quick there and last year was a good battle with Lewis, when I came out on top. Standing on the top step after a hard-earned win, following in the footsteps of so many great drivers who have won there and with the passionate Brazilian crowd cheering on – that was a great feeling. I’d love to experience that again, so the aim is to put on another good show for the fans and to carry my form from Mexico into this race. It’s always a great feeling to head into a weekend on the back of a win, so I’m confident of a strong performance.”

Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: “We came away from Mexico with many positives. On track, our boys delivered strong drives to claim an emphatic one-two for the team. In the garage and on the pit wall, the crew were faultless – fast pit stops, a good race strategy and two cars which performed well at a new venue with unique challenges. And for the sport, we saw a fantastic event which brought Formula One back to Mexico in style. We now have two races remaining to watch an intense and entertaining battle continue. The rivalry like we have between Lewis and Nico is great for the sport, great for the team and great for the drivers themselves. They are pushing each other harder and harder, pushing the team forward with them and providing a fascinating story. Of course, they are never without pressure from rivals further afield. Ferrari had a bad weekend in Mexico but they will no doubt be a threat in Brazil – as will Williams after another podium finish last time out. This is a race which often brings surprises and never fails to entertain. I, for one, am looking forward to seeing what’s in store for us at Interlagos.”

Paddy Lowe, Executive Director (Technical): “Interlagos is another historic circuit with some great features – most notably the long climb through the final corner, across the start / finish straight and back down into the first corner. The weather can be quite unpredictable in São Paulo too – often leading to dramatic and spectacular races. Furthermore, the tyres were right on the edge at this circuit last year, so if it does remain dry this may be another issue to contend with across the weekend. However, while the high-altitude location of the circuit has been a talking point in the past, this is insignificant compared to what we experienced at the last race. Likewise, it will be difficult to match the atmosphere in Mexico City which was absolutely fantastic. But the Brazilian crowd has traditionally been one of the most enthusiastic of the year, so I’m sure they’ll be up for the challenge! So, we look forward to another exciting and entertaining weekend in São Paulo. This was, of course, where Lewis clinched his first World Championship title – but surprisingly he has never won at Interlagos. We saw a fascinating duel between our two drivers there last year, with Nico emerging on top after a fantastic drive. So hopefully we’ll be treated to another good battle at the penultimate race of this season.”

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Ferrari: Red Bull deal remains an option

Ferrari are open to supplying Red Bull with engines for 2016 but it won’t be the same unit that the Scuderia race.

Red Bull are still without a power unit for next year’s championship after parting ways with long-term supplier Renault.

The four-time World Champions had hoped to switch to Mercedes engines but the Brackley squad said no while earlier reports state that Ferrari also refused.

However, the Scuderia’s president Sergio Marchionne has now opened the door on a possible deal.

He says he would be willing to supply Red Bull but not with an engine that is “equivalent” to what Ferrari race.

“The possibility of cooperating with Red Bull regarding the development of a power unit remains an option but not in the context of Ferrari equipping Red Bull with an engine equivalent to what Ferrari race,” the president told Gazzetta dello Sport.

“There is a willingness on the part of the company to provide engineering and production services for an engine in a separate project for Red Bull, where Ferrari can commit to provide all its best in terms of engineering and give the chance to Red Bull and other manufacturers to have these engines.

But he again added they “cannot be the same Ferrari engines that race on our cars.”

Marchionne also spoke of his goals for the future, insisting that beating Mercedes is not his only “dream.”

Rather he said, “My dream is to make Ferrari what it is capable of being and then to begin to share those things that are an essential part of the company’s DNA and give it at a price to others.”

He continued: “I am willing to make our resources available but not with regard to sharing the engines that we race.”

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Hamilton plans to retire at ’37’

Lewis Hamilton reckons at "about 37" he'll retire from Formula 1 racing as he doesn't want to be the stumbling block for the next generation.

Last month, in Hamilton's ninth season in the sport, he wrapped up his third World title as he took the chequered flag in Austin in what his 10th win of the campaign.

And although three titles was always Hamilton's ambition as it equals Ayrton Senna's tally, the 30-year-old could still add several more as he intends being in F1 for another seven years.

However, hanging around beyond his 37th birthday is not a thought that the the Mercedes driver is willing to entertain as he feels that would be the right time to step aside to make space for a young driver wanting to book his place on the grid.

"When I think about what year I would probably end up stopping, it'd be about 37 maybe," Hamilton told 1992 World Champion Nigel Mansell during an interview for Sky Sports F1.

"I remember watching Michael [schumacher]. He'd won everything and dominated everyone by a million miles and he kept going and going because he loved it.

"But I'm conscious that there's only 20 of us, 20 seats, and knowing just how it went when I got to Formula 1… [Juan Pablo] Montoya pretty much got fired, he left, there was a seat available and that was one more opportunity for another youngster to come in.

"I want to enjoy my period of time because I think I've earned it here, but I don't want to overstay my welcome because I know that every year that I stay there's one young kid who may have had a chance to come through, but because I stayed his chance may have been missed.

"So at one point I'm going to be conscious of that."

But while he remains in Formula 1, the Brit will continue to build brand 'Hamilton' as his foundation for the future.

"In the period of time now I'm trying to build a foundation for beyond Formula 1," he said.

"A lot of the drivers are still involved in F1 when they get past [driving], but you see the likes of Niki [Lauda] did the airline, even Keke [Rosberg] did some business outside. Eddie Irvine did something outside.

"They created some kind of longevity elsewhere and that's what I want to have because I love doing stuff outside of the sport."

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Ferrari defends use of its veto over engine cost cap

Ferrari has defended its decision to veto the FIA's proposal to cap the cost of customer engine supply deals, branding the idea an "obscene concept".

The governing body chose to publicly 'out' Ferrari for using its veto powers - something Bernie Ecclestone granted the Italian outfit due to their historical status - a step many inside the paddock considered unusual.

However Ferrari chairman Sergio Marchionne took the time to explain the reason behind their decision whilst talking to reporters on Monday, during Ferrari's Finali Mondiali event.

"Thinking that the FIA and FOM can pass to the engine manufacturer the obligation and the financial responsibility to finance their engines to other teams, I consider it an obscene concept," he said.

"I believe Jean Todt is looking for a solution but I think that Ferrari cannot be considered incoherent regarding the development of their power unit. This has to be resolved with Ecclestone and the others.

"It is not a Ferrari problem and the idea that we could have a moral obligation to provide the engines, it's on the limit. And the same goes for imposing price limits on those power units.

"If somebody would know the costs involved in the development, the prices we talk about don't even cover spark plugs. This is outside any industrial and corporate logic."

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Lotus "very confident" Renault deal will happen

Lotus F1 team CEO Matthew Carter says he remains highly confident that the Renault takeover deal will happen despite the continued delays.

The French manufacturer announced it had signed a letter of intent to buy Lotus at the end of September, after weeks of speculation about the future of the team.

But despite no further news about when the deal will be completed, Carter insists everything is progressing well.

"Renault issued a letter of intent, so behind the scenes the Renault and Lotus senior management are working flat out to make sure that we get the deal done," Carter told Formula1.com.

"Things are progressing, but these things take time. I am confident that the deal is going to happen, but as I said, it needs time to get it across.

"We know that in business anything can happen and, as long as there are no signatures on the documents, the deal is not concluded - but confidence is very high!"

Carter said the Lotus name will disappear from Formula 1 if the Renault deal goes ahead, as the French car maker will run as a manufacturer team.

"If the deal with Renault goes through, then yes," he added. "Then the team will not be called Lotus - then the name will fall out of Formula One.

"Right now we have a license to use the name Lotus - and that license will be terminated. So someone else could go for that name!

"They would run the team as a manufacturer's team, like Ferrari and Mercedes are doing at the moment."

Carter added that Lotus is designing its 2016 car for both the Renault and Mercedes engines in case the deal with the French marque does not go through as expected.

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Video: Exclusive interview with Kimi Raikkonen

In an exclusive interview for Motorsport.com at the Ferrari Finali Mondiali at Mugello, Kimi Raikkonen shares his thoughts about his season so far and his relationship with the ever-passionate Tifosi. And can he score a win in the final races?

Video: Exclusive interview with Sebastian Vettel

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Hulkenberg and Perez in Sky Sports F1's mini Mexican GP challenge

Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg host Sky Sports F1's Simon Lazenby and Johnny Herbert in a crazy, wacky mini Mexican Grand Prix.

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F1 Brazilian Grand Prix: Wolff anticipating renewed Ferrari, Williams threat

Mercedes may have continued its rampage through the 2015 F1 season as the series returned to the Mexico City for the first time since 1992, but team boss Toto Wolff refuses to count its rivals out at this weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix.

Sebastian Vettel appeared the only realistic threat to the Silver Arrows ahead of the race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, but the Ferrari driver suffered a rare nightmare weekend that eventually led to retirement after a first lap clash and two subsequent spins. With Nico Rosberg winning the race at the head of a Mercedes 1-2, Vettel's hold on second place in the standings was erased to the tune of 21 points, but Wolff expects the fight to continue to Brazil and, maybe, beyond.

“We have two races remaining to watch an intense and entertaining battle continue,” he noted, “The rivalry like we have between Lewis and Nico is great for the sport, great for the team and great for the drivers themselves. They are pushing each other harder and harder, pushing the team forward with them and providing a fascinating story.

“But, of course, they are never without pressure from rivals further afield. Ferrari had a bad weekend in Mexico, but they will no doubt be a threat in Brazil - as will Williams after another podium finish last time out. This is a race which often brings surprises and never fails to entertain. I, for one, am looking forward to seeing what's in store for us at Interlagos.”

Despite building up the opposition, Wolff knows that round 17 was another fine display from his own team – something he'd like to see carry over to Brazil as Mercedes seeks a 15th race win.

“We came away from Mexico with many positives,” he said, “For the sport, we saw a fantastic event which brought F1 back to Mexico in style. On track, our boys delivered strong drives to claim an emphatic one-two for the team and, in the garage and on the pit wall, the crew were faultless - fast pit-stops, a good race strategy and two cars which performed well at a new venue with unique challenges.”

After the redesigned Hermanos Autodromo Rodriguez, Interlagos presents another classic F1 challenge, although technical director Paddy Lowe insists that the Sao Paulo venue no longer presents quite the same engineering headache as it once did.

“Interlagos is another historic circuit with some great features - most notably the long climb through the final corner, across the start-finish straight and back down into the first corner,” he explained, “The weather can be quite unpredictable in Sao Paulo too - often leading to dramatic and spectacular races. The tyres were right on the edge at this circuit last year so, if it does remain dry, this may be another issue to contend with.

“However, while the high-altitude location of the circuit has been a talking point in the past, this is insignificant compared to what we experienced at the last race. Likewise, it will be difficult to match the atmosphere in Mexico City, which was absolutely fantastic. But the Brazilian crowd has traditionally been one of the most enthusiastic of the year, so I'm sure they'll be up for the challenge!”

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F1 Brazilian Grand Prix: Button: This one is always special...

Jenson Button is looking forward to F1's annual visit to the Autodromo Jose Carlos pace, hoping to more positive news for the McLaren team at a venue that means a lot to him personally.

Button's season continued in disappointing fashion as F1 returned to Mexico for the first time since 1992, the Briton coming home 14th after a weekend he described as 'painful' following repeated engine problems that scuppered his practice and qualifying sessions. With team-mate Fernando Alonso completing a token lap 'for the fans', there was little to cheer for the Woking team, but Button remains optimistic as he returns to the scene of his greatest triumph – the 2009 world championship title.

“Interlagos has got to be up there with the all-time great circuits in F1,” the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix winner insisted, “There's so much history there, so many legends have raced on that circuit, and the fans are always so enthusiastic that you can't help but love going back there each year.

“For me personally, the track is very special. It's a tough circuit on the cars as it's so bumpy, but really fun to drive with its off-camber sections and technical mix of corners.

“Although we found it tough in Mexico – especially with the altitude – our pace in the corners was positive, so I'm looking forward to seeing how our car performs in those areas in Brazil.”

The 35-year old, who has already been confirmed as a McLaren-Honda driver for next season, will contest his 283rd grand prix this weekend, but wants little more, initially at least, than the chance to get some meaningful practice laps under his belt.

“Unlike the last couple of races, I hope we can get some solid dry running done so that we can really focus on set-up and reliability, and get as much time on track as possible from Friday onwards – then we'll see what we can do from there,” he explained, “However, the weather is usually unpredictable, which has made for some chaotic races in the past. It's great for the fans and always produces some really interesting results, so hopefully we can put ourselves in a position to take advantage if anything happens.”

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F1 2015 has been a rollercoaster, says Kvyat

Daniil Kvyat says this year has “not left him with so many positive emotions” and has probably been the most “up and down” of his life.

The young Russian made the step up to Red Bull's senior team this season, and he has had mixed fortunes in his second year in the top flight.

Despite some difficult races, however, he has finished in the points in 12 of the 17 events so far, including taking fourth in Mexico last weekend, a result that increased his F1 2015 points tally to 88, 4 more than team-mate, Daniel Ricciardo.

“It's been very up and down, the most up and down season of my life,” Kvyat replied when asked about the year, “it's been a roller coaster.

“I know from a result point of view, it's not looking so bad and I'm very happy generally. We have found ourselves in a tough situation and I think we should give ourselves a break from how we drove out of this situation. The season so far, however, has not left me so many positive emotions.”

Asked how he feels he has developed this year, he added: “Coming to the team after the regulations haven't changes so much, you find the package is what it is. You have to get used to it, hopefully soon I'll be able to make some tweaks to my own liking, to my own feelings and hopefully it will make the situation a bit more favourable in terms of my feeling with the car. As a driver you always want to feel what's going on with the car.”

Meanwhile, looking to 2016, Kvyat revealed he still hasn't been given any assurances about his future.

“Nothing is clear. I have no idea. I would like to know as soon as possible what is happening. As a driver you always want to know these things,” he continued.

Pressed on if he is worried it is late, he noted: “I'd like to know, the team knows better when it is late or when it is not late. I'm just coming to the race track [at the moment] and doing my job. It's not like I can't sleep during the nights.

“It's a matter of patience.”

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F1 Mexican Grand Prix: Ricciardo admits 'Interlagos doesn’t do it for me'

Daniel Ricciardo admits that the Autodromo Carlos Pace is not one of his favourites, even if the atmosphere of the Brazilian Grand Prix crowd goes some way toward making up for the frustration and disappointment.

The Red Bull driver heads to Sao Paulo fresh from a welcome fifth place in Mexico, but confesses that Interlagos is not a venue he looks forward to visiting. He has only one scoring finish – tenth place with Toro Rosso in 2013 – from four visits to the circuit, but that is not the real reason for his lack of enthusiasm.

“What gave it away?” he laughed, “Brazil's a wonderful grand prix, with a great atmosphere in an exciting city, but the track doesn't really do it for me. There's just not a corner that gives you any real satisfaction. I don't want to make it sound dull, because it isn't but, like Russia, there isn't a corner that makes you go 'woooo-hoooo!'.

“It needs a few more corners and something really high speed. There's a couple that look good on paper but, because of the cambers, you never really have the grip to go barrelling in. The crowd really gets your heart-rate up before the sessions, so you want to be really on it but, instead, you have to be very patient.

“What I've learned is that you shouldn't think ahead too much. You have to take it corner-by-corner and concentrate on the one you're in. There's not many that you string together - there's not many corners full stop!

Coming so soon after the return to Mexico, the carnival atmosphere at Interlagos won't be a surprise to the drivers and that, at least, is something that fun-loving Ricciardo can look forward to.

“Brazilians are cool - lots of noise, lots of airhorns, trumpets, drums,” he smiled, “Like Mexico, it's the crowd you want for a grand prix. The start-finish straight is very narrow, so if your grid slot is on the outside, you're about two metres away from the grandstand - but you better hope they like you because, if not, you're a pretty easy target when you're pulling your helmet on!”

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Felipe Massa backs calls to shorten F1 weekends to two days

Felipe Massa has backed calls for a switch to a two-day Formula 1 weekend format by removing Friday from the current schedule.

Last month, the United States Grand Prix weekend was compressed following heavy rain on Friday and Saturday, with qualifying being run on Sunday morning before the race.

Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen said after the race he was in favour of fitting everything into two days, potentially with all three practice sessions on Saturday and qualifying and the race on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Nico Hulkenberg has suggested previously there is too much time set aside practice in F1.

But while Massa believes a compressed format is a realistic goal, he wants to find a way to allow teams to complete more mileage during the weekend.

"I have no problem taking out Friday," said the Williams driver. "I would not have any problem with that at all.

"On Friday, nothing happens, especially if you have bad weather.

"I think it would be nicer to have more cars running all the time.

"You can do the practice sessions on Saturday morning and qualifying on Saturday afternoon.

"Or you can do everything on Saturday, the practice sessions and qualifying, and just the race on Sunday.

"Then if you have a big water problem on Saturday, you can move qualifying to Sunday.

"But that would happen very few times, if it happens."

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Esteban Gutierrez's Ferrari insight vital says Haas F1 team

Haas team boss Gunther Steiner believes Esteban Gutierrez's inside knowledge on Ferrari will prove invaluable ahead of the squad's Formula 1 debut in 2016.

Gutierrez was recently unveiled as second driver with F1 newcomer Haas, with the Mexican partnering Romain Grosjean, who will be leaving Lotus at the end of this season.

Given the technical partnership Haas has entered into with Ferrari, the American team feels Gutierrez - who has been the Scuderia's reserve driver this past year - will be in a position to impart crucial advice.

"His knowledge of Ferrari helps us a lot," Steiner told Autosport.

"As everybody knows we are new, so we need to bring over the processes and procedures from Ferrari, and we need a good team to establish that.

"Working with somebody who has been in the simulator at Ferrari, who knows their processes and how the software works - which he is used to as he has used their car, with the software to map our car very similar - that can only be good for us."

Although Gutierrez started his F1 career with two difficult seasons driving for Sauber, Steiner feels it is the year with Ferrari that has been the most beneficial for the 24-year-old.

"He drove for two years in F1, spent one year with Ferrari - maybe he was a bit too young when he first entered F1," added Steiner.

"But we said 'Hey, he is still young, but he knows Ferrari and has driven in F1'. He fitted what we wanted.

"To be honest we looked at a lot of people, but in the end we decided 'let's get him'.

"He can be quick. He was quick in GP3 en route to winning the championship, and at Sauber, it's difficult to assess, in looking back, as to how quick he was. I don't know, but he wasn't slow.

"So he knows F1, he knows Ferrari, he has matured a lot, and I think he can bring a lot to us.

"When he was with Ferrari he learned how to talk to the engineers, but at Sauber he didn't know that because it was new and he was young.

"But now he's done it, now he can look back at how the good people do it, and I hope he makes his own way, and he takes us along with it."

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BRAZILIAN GRAND PRIX PREVIEW: WILL FORMULA 1 RECORDS FALL IN INTERLAGOS?

This weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix could well be a record-breaking Formula 1 event, as the sport heads into the penultimate race of the 2015 season.

Most of the lap-records on the current F1 calendar are held by drivers who raced in 2004, when the V10 engine era built to a crescendo before being restrained by tyres built to last an entire race in 2005 and then the switch to V8 power in 2006.

But as was the case last time out in Mexico, the V6 turbo engines F1 uses now are less affected by high altitude than normally aspirated power units. At the 2014 Brazilian Grand Prix, which is 765m above sea level, Nico Rosberg claimed pole position with a time just 0.201s slower than Rubens Barrichello’s 1m09.822s record set at Interlagos 11 years ago.

With the progress made to the V6 engines over the last 12 months, there is a very real chance we could see a long-standing F1 record broken this weekend.

Rosberg, who topped every session at Interlagos in 2014 before winning the race, is looking to build on his form from Mexico and score his second win in succession.

He said: “I’m really pumped to get to São Paulo and get back out on track after a great weekend in Mexico. For a start, Interlagos is one of the classic races on the calendar. It’s a tricky circuit that’s a really good challenge for a driver, with plenty of overtaking opportunities and crazy weather that always makes for an action-packed race.

“I have good memories from Brazil, too. I’ve usually been pretty quick there and last year was a good battle with Lewis, when I came out on top. Standing on the top step after a hard-earned win, following in the footsteps of so many great drivers who have won there and with the passionate Brazilian crowd cheering on – that was a great feeling.

“I’d love to experience that again, so the aim is to put on another good show for the fans and to carry my form from Mexico into this race. It’s always a great feeling to head into a weekend on the back of a win, so I’m confident of a strong performance.”

On the other hand, Lewis Hamilton arrives in Brazil having never won at Interlagos, the home race of his F1 idol, Ayrton Senna.

Hamilton is also still seeking his 50th career pole position, as he has been beaten to the top spot in qualifying by Rosberg in the last four races and Sebastian Vettel before that in Singapore.

Hamilton’s defeat to Rosberg in qualifying in Mexico did not sit well with the three-times world champion, but he explained that visiting Senna’s home race would give him extra motivation to put that right this weekend.

He said: “This was the home race for Ayrton, so it was a dream of mine to race in São Paulo when I was younger and I always feel his presence when I’m there. He was such a huge hero in Brazil and it’s humbling that I always get such a warm response there.

“It’s amazing to think that it took Ayrton eight attempts to win this race and it’s one of the few I haven’t yet won myself. If I can change that this weekend it would be a salute to him and another highlight to add to this amazing year, so I’ll be going all out to make that happen.”

Pirelli has announced that it will bring the soft and medium compound tyres to Interlagos as a response to the new asphalt laid at the track in time for the 2014 race, which altered the pattern of tyre behaviour over a stint.

Despite having a short lap, Pirelli’s motorsport boss, Paul Hembery, reckons teams will opt for a two or three-stop race strategy thanks to the demanding nature of the Autódromo José Carlos Pace.

He said: “Traditionally, Interlagos is quite a high-energy circuit for tyres, so we would expect to see two or three pit stops for the majority of competitors. As always though, we will only have an accurate picture of the real situation after the opening free practice sessions on Friday.”

The track also features a new pit complex this season, which was built in response to Bernie Ecclestone’s call for the circuit to improve its facilities or risk losing the race.

Although the pitlane itself will not be totally revamped until 2016, Ecclestone is clearly impressed with the work done on the pit and paddock buildings so far.

He said: “The teams will be over the moon with the facilities here. In the past I was very sad with the criticism of the teams about the structure, it was worse the other tracks. I appreciate the effort.”

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LOTUS BOSS ADMITS NAME WILL ‘DISAPPEAR’ FROM F1 WHEN RENAULT DEAL GOES THROUGH

Lotus F1 team CEO Matthew Carter has confirmed that when the deal is finalised for the takeover of the Enstone based team for next season, it will no longer be called Lotus, but will become Renault.

The deal, which has been pending for some weeks now, is due to be finalised imminently, but speaking to the official F1 site, Carter confirmed that suggestions that the team may continue under the Lotus banner for 2016 were wide of the mark,

“If the deal with Renault goes through, then yes. Then the team will not be called Lotus – then the name will fall out of Formula One. Right now we have a license to use the name Lotus – and that license will be terminated. So someone else could go for that name!”

The “if” at the start of that sentence is interesting, as there are various stories out there at the moment about the state of readiness of this transaction. French sources insist that Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn has not yet signed off, but other sources suggest that it should be finalised in time to be announced at the end of the month. Carter’s intervention today on the official F1 site is interesting in terms of timing.

What is clear is that Gerard Lopez, Eric Lux and minority shareholder Andrew Ruhan will be selling the team to Renault, but maintaining a minority shareholding, with Renault taking a controlling interest. This was confirmed in the letter of intent signed and announced last month.

Beyond that, the hold up is clearly over money. It seems likely to be entwined in the ongoing saga over Red Bull engine supply, as F1 commercial boss Bernie Ecclestone has some wriggle room on the prize money he pays to Renault for its historic involvement in the sport and there has been some exploration there. Red Bull seem very negative on the idea of a continuation with its long time French supplier, but there were suggestions in Austin and Mexico that one avenue being explored was for Red Bull to develop its own hybrid system to sit on top of a Renault Internal Combustion Engine, but without the unit being badged as a Renault.

Carter says that his team has been working on two chassis designs for 2016, “We have two options for an engine next year: either we go with Mercedes or Renault. We are progressing along that route. We’ve got two designs for next year’s car and we are pushing forward with both options.

“But that is a rather unlikely option that we will go into the 2016 season with a Mercedes engine. And if we were to, yes, that would mean that the Renault deal felt flat. But my strong guess is that it will be a Renault engine next year.”

Lotus’ supply of Mercedes engines has already been allocated to Manor for next season, so the manufacturer would have to work some logistical miracles to supply a fifth team in the time scale.

Carter’s colleague Federico Gastaldi has confirmed separately that Renault personnel are now back in the Enstone factory, working. Carter admitted that with all the upheaval at the team, 2016 is likely to be a fairly uncompetitive season, “The team that we’ve got in Enstone is brilliant. They have worked this year on a very small budget – and we’ve still managed to get a podium. We are a great team.

“We are trying to build a lot of the car in-house. We build our own gearbox, our own rear-end suspension in-house. A team like Force India uses the Mercedes engine and the Mercedes gearbox and rear-end suspension. We build all that by ourselves, so going from a Renault engine to a Mercedes engine was a huge step – but we did it and we are reasonably successful this season. So doing the job backwards, in the opposite direction: yes, we’ve done it before and, yes, we can do it (again). It will be tight because of the timing, but I think everything will be fine for the first test.

“I agree that next year will be difficult with the settling down of the new structure of the team. 2017 will see massive rule changes, so that could also mean a huge chance. We are already designing the car for 2017. So I think in 2017 we should be reasonably successful.”

Former Renault F1 boss Bob Bell is back in the fold at Enstone, ready to become the technical boss, while ART GP boss Frederic Vasseur is tipped for the team principal’s role alongside him, but nothing has been confirmed.

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CHEAPER CUSTOMER ENGINE DIVIDES OPINIONS OF F1 INSIDERS

The proposal to make Formula 1 a two-tier engine formula has divided opinions among the sport’s insiders.

Bernie Ecclestone and Jean Todt are reportedly hand-in-hand on the plan, which was triggered when Ferrari exercised its controversial veto against the idea of a price cap for customer engines.

So the new plan is to push through a parallel set of regulations, with an independent supplier like Ilmor or Cosworth going head-to-head with the existing ‘power units’ but with a more affordable, Indycar-like twin-turbo V6.

Ilmor chief Mario Illien, however, has warned that to ensure the new engines can compete with the state-of-the-art ‘power units’, they will actually have to be more powerful as they will not have all of the periphery energy recovery systems.

Ensuring parity between the two tiers, then, could be problematic.

“It’s quite a can of worms,” Lotus technical boss Nick Chester said on Tuesday. “A two-tier championship would be very difficult to operate.

“There would be so many different challenges for equalisation and this would be exceedingly difficult with engines of different characteristics,” he warned.

Former F1 driver Stefan Johansson, however, is more enthused, telling his own website this week that because of the sport’s political situation, it is a good option.

“If they could find a formula that provided reasonable parity I think it’s absolutely the way to go,” said the former McLaren and Ferrari driver. “There has to be a cheaper alternative for smaller teams to be able to compete.”

Red Bull’s Helmut Marko also likes the sound of the idea, even if it means the different engines produce power in different ways and even consume different amounts of fuel.

“The races would be exciting as the cars will be in different conditions at various stages of the race,” he told Auto Motor und Sport.

But another former driver, Marc Surer who now works as a German-language F1 pundit, suspects that the ‘client engine’ idea is in fact little more than a ploy.

“Basically, the whole discussion is playing out as a power struggle,” he is quoted by Speed Week.

“I think the FIA and Bernie have been clear that the manufacturers have gained too much power.

“I can well imagine that the announced introduction of an alternative engine is just a means of pressure to achieve what everyone actually wants — a formula one with only one type of engine, but with more favourable conditions,” Surer added.

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BOTTAS: I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE HOW FAST MASSA IS

Williams driver Valtteri Bottas admits he has been surprised with teammate Felipe Massa’s pace since his arrival in the team.

Brazilian Massa joined the British team after an eight-year stint at Ferrari, where in later seasons he was comprehensively outshone by Fernando Alonso.

But the 34-year-old argues he was simply unhappy and unloved at the Maranello team during the Alonso era, leading into his resurgence at Williams.

There, at the Grove based team, Massa has been paired with the much younger Finn, Bottas. The 26-year-old was tipped for a move to Ferrari for 2016, but the Italian marque may have been perturbed by Bottas’ pace relative to Massa.

“I was a little surprised to see how fast he is,” Bottas also admits to UOL Esporte. “Of course you never quite know what to expect when someone goes somewhere (else), but he has proved to be very good,” the Finn added.

But that does not mean the pair don’t get along, with Bottas admitting he enjoys sharing the British team with Massa.

“He’s a nice guy and I like working with him,” he said. “He’s also a guy who likes to compete so he doesn’t like to be slower than me and is always trying.

“This is a good thing because we are always very close to each other and this forces each other to push even more. He’s a good teammate,” Bottas added.

He also said Massa’s experience, with his eleven additional years on the grid on top of Bottas’ three-year F1 career so far, is another bonus.

“I can’t point to anything in particular, but of course there are some things I can learn from him, just because he has been here (in F1) longer than me.

“Small things like particular lines that I can see. But I’m also the type of guy who likes to go his own way and learn by myself,” Bottas added.

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FORMER F1 DRIVER WURZ ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT

Former Formula 1 driver Alex Wurz has announced his retirement as a racing driver.

The 41-year-old Austrian made his grand prix debut in 1997 for Benetton, but was also a highly-regarded McLaren test driver.

Wurz, also a two-time Le Mans winner, completed his F1 career at Williams in 2007 but most recently has raced for Toyota in the world endurance championship.

He is currently the president of F1’s safety-oriented Grand Prix Drivers’ Association.

“I’ve enjoyed half of my lifetime competing at the top of motor sport and another quarter of it working my way up there, so I feel the time is right to call it a day and bring my career as a professional racing driver to a close,” he said on Tuesday.

Wurz said his decision to quit racing was prompted by last year’s Le Mans, where a 15-hour race lead ultimately ended in retirement.

“I’d put so much effort into 2014 and into the race preparation that I found it very difficult to move on,” he explained. “This was the moment I knew that my time at the sharp end was coming to a natural end.”

Wurz’s final race will be the 6 hour sports car race in Bahrain later this month.

“My future will still evolve around racing, it’s in my blood after all,” he added. “You will still see me around, just without the overalls.”

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VANDOORNE CONFIRMS MCLAREN RESERVE ROLE FOR 2016

Stoffel Vandoorne has confirmed reports he will officially replace the ousted Kevin Magnussen as McLaren reserve driver next year.

Actually, we learned the news almost three weeks ago, after asking a source close to the British team if the 23-year-old Belgian and new GP2 champion would replace Magnussen in 2016.

“Yup,” the source said in late October.

Since then, it has emerged that the McLaren junior, who as champion cannot simply stay in GP2 next year, might split his time in 2016 between attending grands prix and racing in the Japanese open-wheel series Super Formula.

“There’s definitely some options and we’re talking about them,” Vandoorne said on Tuesday.

“I’m going to be test and reserve driver at McLaren anyway, which is a good position to be in. And if you stay sharp, fit and focused, then if any opportunity arises in F1 you’re 100 per cent ready to jump in,” he added.

Vandoorne has confirmed that he will shortly travel to Japan for a Super Formula test, almost certainly with a Honda-powered team.

“I want to keep racing alongside that (the McLaren reserve role), and I think Super Formula is one of the options, but it’s not decided yet whether I’m going to do it or not.

“Ok, (in Super Formula) you don’t have that much horse power, but the cornering speeds are very impressive indeed. For sure they’re quicker around the corners than F1 cars nowadays,” he added.

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WILLIAMS PREVIEW THE BRAZILIAN GRAND PRIX

It may be one of the shortest tracks on the Formula One calendar, but the 4.3km José Carlos Pace Circuit presents a number of challenges to teams. It combines a long sweeping start/finish straight with a tricky infield section so choosing the right setup compromise is paramount.

The high altitude (800m) leaves the power units feeling breathless, and the bumps and undulations keep the drivers on their toes. The Brazilian crowd always give their countrymen a raucous reception and Felipe secured a podium last season that sent the José Carlos Pace Circuit into a memorable frenzy.

Rob Smedley: “We head to Brazil after a good result for the team in Mexico. We are in good spirits, with our main target of securing third position in the Constructors’ Championship still firmly on track. It means we are going to be racing extremely hard to make that happen. Equally as important will be beating the cars that we have been racing against all season. Brazil should be a good circuit for our cars – it was certainly good for us last year with Felipe on the podium at his home race, and we will look to repeat that. The layout is power and drag sensitive so the efficiency should work in our favour. The hard part will be getting the car to perform well in sector two. We want to get a good result and find ourselves in a position to celebrate securing third position on Sunday evening.”

Valtteri Bottas: “I haven’t had the best races in Brazil in the past, but I’m looking forward to fixing that. It’s a very nice circuit to drive, it has a good combination of different types of corners, and it’s good for racing with good possibilities for overtaking. The fans are very passionate and obviously with Felipe being Brazilian there is a lot of support for Williams Martini Racing. Hopefully this time around I can have a good result. We will be looking to fight with Ferrari and Red Bull for an opportunity to be on the podium. That will be the target.”

Felipe Massa: “Your home Grand Prix is always the most important race for a driver. For me to race at home where I started my career – first on the other side of the wall at the kart track, then onto the race track – there is always a big expectation to perform in front of your home crowd. I love the track, it’s one of the best tracks for me and I’ve always had good results there. I’m really looking forward to hopefully achieving another amazing result this year. Last year we managed to finish on the podium. It was a race with so many things happening – I had a five-second penalty and even stopped in the wrong garage – but we still managed to have an amazing race so it’s important to look back on what we did last year to try to repeat it and have a very strong weekend once again. The passion from the fans is amazing. The emotion they have and how close they are to me as a driver, it’s really an amazing feeling to race at home. The experience is difficult to explain.”