FORMULA 1 - 2015

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MERCEDES TO DECIDE TOKEN STRATEGY BEFORE MELBOURNE

A big unknown ahead of the 2015 world championship season is how Formula 1’s manufacturers will manage the new engine unfreeze.

Earlier, Mercedes, Ferrari, Renault and newcomer Honda were bound to freeze their respective 2015 specifications by Melbourne, but now they are freer to deploy performance development ‘tokens’ throughout the season.

It triggered rumours Mercedes, so dominant in 2014, might start this season with its ‘old’ turbo V6, giving itself significant freedom to develop in 2015.

“I can assure you that we will go into the season with the 2015 engine,” engine boss Andy Cowell insisted to Auto Motor und Sport.

“We have incorporated many new ideas in combustion, internal friction and energy conversion,” he said, “and after the 12 days of testing we will decide what we will bring to Melbourne without risk to reliability.”

Reports in recent days, however, have suggested engine suppliers are likely to keep several ‘tokens’ in the luggage this season, partly with a strategic eye to developing the power unit into the 2016 campaign.

“We will decide based on how reliable our engine evolution is,” said Cowell.

“The new rule allowing us to develop to the end of the season with the 32 tokens gives us the ability to take more time for critical developments,” he agreed.

The full 32 tokens amounts to 48 per cent of the entire turbo V6 power unit, with Cowell predicting that engine suppliers are therefore able to make “an awful lot” of changes this year.

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Renault keeping cards up the sleeve

Renault is confident their engines levels will be 100 percent when the season gets underway next month, but insist they will "keep some cards up their sleeves" for the remainder of the campaign.

Having been well off the pace of Mercedes last year, the French manufacturer has been working hard during the off season to catch up and provide customers Red Bull and Toro Rosso with a solid platform.

Things, though, didn't get off to the smoothest of starts in the first pre-season test at Jerez as Red Bull completed just 164 laps over four days.

However, Renault Sport F1's Remi Taffin is confident they will hit their stride soon and vowed to continue to improve during the season.

"We've definitely taken a step forward, but it remains difficult to know where we stand compared to our rivals who have also progressed, hopefully not as much as us," he told f1i.com during an exclusive interview.

"The situation will be clearer in Australia. Right now, we are not running the specifications we’ll use in Melbourne. We’re only at 80 or 90 per cent and will gradually pick up the pace and gain momentum to reach 100% by the season opener.

"Most developments will have been brought in the early stages of the season, but we’ll keep some cards up our sleeves to improve the overall package during the year."

In an attempt to catch up to Mercedes, Renault confirmed that they have made major changes.

"We’ve wiped the slate clean this year and start off on a new, solid footing," he said. "We’ve changed our methods and trackside organisation by adding a support leader in each team. The person will oversee the overall engine performance while two other technicians will run the cars.

"In order to close the gap, we had to be uncompromising, review everything that had not worked last year, and make sure to reach better efficiency in 2015. In terms of design, we’ve focused our efforts on the V6 internal combustion engine to make it more efficient, as well as the ERS to strengthen reliability. We’d already improved our level of performance at the end of last year, so our 2015 power unit is more an evolution than a revolution. Indeed, performance gains can mainly be found in the details."

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Susie Wolff to test Williams at Barcelona

Williams test driver Susie Wolff will sample the team’s new FW37 on the first day of this week’s test at the Circuit de Catalunya.

Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa will each get a day and a half in the new car over the following three days of running.

Bottas will drive the car on Friday before handing over to Massa on Saturday, and the pair will share the final day.

Wolff was named the team’s test driver after driving for them in two practice sessions last year.

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Why wider F1 cars doesn’t mean less overtaking

The prospect of Formula 1 switching back to two-metre-wide cars of the type last seen in 1997 provoked a mixed response from readers on various forums.

One similar observation came up several times from those who expressed doubts about the plan: a concern that wider cars would be more difficult to overtake, and so we will see less exciting racing if the plan happens.

But the reality is probably a lot less straightforward than this, and there’s plenty of data which can give us some perspective on it. First of all, will how much harder will it be for drivers in wider cars to overtake each other?

As the current cars measure 1,800mm wide, if that is increased by 200mm then an extra 400mm of track width will be required when two cars go side-by-side. (For a rough comparison, the first image is of a 2,000mm wide car and the second shows a 1,800mm wide car, and both have the same front and rear wing widths).

Are the track wide enough to accommodate this extra width? Appendix O to the International Sporting Regulations specifies the requirements for circuits which hold Formula One races. Track designers get some leeway when it comes to width, particularly in the case of street circuits where brief sections may be very narrow (such as Singapore’s Andersen Bridge).

However the recommended minimum track width is pretty generous:

When planning new permanent circuits, the track width foreseen should be at least 12m. Where the track width changes, the transition should be made as gradually as possible, at a rate not greater than 1m in 20m total width.

The width of the starting grid should be at least 15m; this width must be maintained through to the exit of the first corner (as indicated by the racing line).

Appendix O to the International Sporting Code

In practice, tracks are often considerably wider than this, especially at key overtaking places. Bahrain’s grand prix circuit, for example, is up to 22 metres wide at points – enough to get 11 cars side-by-side (although they would all be touching). Even the new temporary street circuit at Sochi, used for the first time last year, is no narrower than 13 metres wide at any point.

Older circuits tend to be narrower than the newer ones. Most of the latter were built since the narrow-track cars were introduced in 1998. However even comparatively cramped tracks such as Monza are still able to accommodate at least three two-metre-wide cars running side-by-side with a reasonable amount of space between them.

Monaco is the perennial exception when it comes to F1 track design. But realistically, we already see very little passing there with 1.8m wide cars, and it’s doubtful adding a few extra centimetres in width is going to make a considerable amount of difference.

For further proof of the possibility of racing with wider cars, consider that in 1997, when cars last measured two metres wide, F1 raced on the old Hockenheimring which is far narrower than most current circuits. Yet fabulous side-by-side (and DRS-free) racing was still possible:

It’s also worth remembering the rules on defensive driving are more clearly defined now than they were then, making it easier for a driver to make a pass.

But there are other, more subtle ways that having wider cars and the proposed wider tyres could influence the quality of racing and the difficulty of overtaking. It’s hard to make a clear-cut case for whether it would make life harder or easier for the drivers.

The mooted widening of the rear tyres from 325mm to 400mm could have a very significant effect. The turbulent air produced by tyres is a major challenge for aerodynamicists. They would prefer to shroud the tyres in bodywork to reduce drag, but the rules forbid it.

Therefore a potential 23% increase in the width of the tyres would significantly increase the disturbed air coming off the back of an F1 car. As every racing fan knows this has both positive and negative effects when it comes to encouraging overtaking: a chasing car is robbed of downforce in a corner and therefore loses grip, whereas on a straight the car in front provides a slipstream effect which allows the pursuer to catch up.

Assuming the increase in car width extends to its wings and bodywork, designers would have greater scope to increase the amount of downforce a car produces. The FIA has been wary of allowing speeds to escalate in this way, however, so it should not be taken for granted that this would happen. And then there’s the question of what they might do with DRS.

While 2,000mm F1 cars will not be drastically more difficult to pass by dint of being wider, exactly what effect the move will have on the quality of the racing will depend on the detail of the regulations.

However it is likely that another major change in the car regulations would force costs up at a time when teams are already struggling. The question therefore becomes whether Formula 1 can afford the change, whether the positives outweigh the negatives, and whether the aesthetic improvements will be appreciated by everyone. That is all up for debate.

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FIA PROHIBIT HELMET DESIGN CHANGES DURING SEASON

Formula 1 drivers are to be barred from changing helmet designs during the course of a season in a ruling aimed at helping fans identify their heroes and also pleasing traditionalists.

It will be less well received by those drivers who like to change the look of their lids with some frequency.

The decision was taken by the governing FIA’s Formula One Commission, which met on Tuesday, one of those present confirmed to Reuters. It has yet to be ratified by the World Motor Sport Council.

“The FIA is keen to have stability so people can identify who is in the car,” said the source. “The new phenomenon of drivers changing helmet every few races isn’t helping.”

The news received a mixed response on social media, with sportscar racer and former F1 driver Alexander Wurz one of those critical of the decision.

“I hear F1 banned drivers to change helmet design during season. I am a fan of consistency. BUT SERIOUSLY! What’s next? Rules on haircut?,” said the Austrian on Twitter.

Australian Mark Webber, who left Formula One at the end of 2013 and now races for Porsche in sportscars, suggested there were “bigger issues than this” for the sport to address.

Others pointed out that one-off helmets, such as the special design worn by Jenson Button in 2011 and auctioned off to raise funds for victims of a Japanese earthquake and tsunami, would not be allowed.

Nor would tribute helmets, such as the James Hunt one worn by Kimi Raikkonen in 2013.

Four times world champion Sebastian Vettel has used some 60 different designs since his debut in 2007 — although he said recently he was likely to stick with one now he was at Ferrari.

The frequent changes have rankled with more traditionally-minded fans, who yearn for the days when drivers were easily recognisable by helmet colours and when cars also had much bigger numbers on their sides.

Britain’s two times champion Graham Hill famously raced with the colours of the London Rowing Club, dark blue with white tabs, in the 1960s and 70s with son and 1996 champion Damon following the tradition.

The most distinctive helmet of all belonged to the late Brazilian triple world champion Ayrton Senna, who was always associated with his country’s yellow and green colours.

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TRIO OF F1 WORLD CHAMPIONS FIRE UP BARCELONA TEST

A trio of Formula 1 world champions will kick start track action in Barcelona on Thursday, venue for the second preseason tests.

Reigning title winner Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen and 2009 world champion Jenson Button will be among those in action on day one, as the second of just three pre-Melbourne winter tests begins in Barcelona.

Red Bull, Williams, Toro Rosso, Lotus, Sauber and even the absent-in-Jerez Force India are also busily setting up at the Circuit de Catalunya.

With its 2015 car delayed, Force India will be running with last year’s VJM07, which is expected to be driven not only by Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez but also engine supplier Mercedes’ reserve driver Pascal Wehrlein.

German Wehrlein, 20, is expected to make his F1 test debut by opening and closing the four-day test for Force India, with Hulkenberg and Perez driving on Friday and Saturday respectively.

Close eyes will also be on the competitive Williams team, as female test driver Susie Wolff gets her first taste of the new FW37 on Thursday.

And Lotus is expected to give its new 2015 reserve, the reigning GP2 champion Jolyon Palmer, son of former F1 driver Jonathan, his first action of 2015 in the newly Mercedes-powered E23.

Rookie Felipe Nasr will open proceedings for Sauber, but the prominent colours of his backer Banco do Brasil on the new blue and yellow C34 might look slightly different in Barcelona.

On its Twitter account, the Swiss team posted a video with the caption ‘What if the C34 turned up in Barcelona like this?’, before the car with new yellow flashes on the nose was revealed.

Red Bull’s Daniil Kvyat is heading to Barcelona direct from Italy, where Autosprint reports the Russian has been testing the new Tony Kart machine at the Lonato circuit.

“I sometimes like to do some karting for some training,” he is quoted as saying.

“I would love to have stayed for the race on Sunday, but I am testing in Barcelona and soon after that I will be in Australia,” Kvyat added.

Also gearing up for Barcelona is the high-profile F1 rookie Max Verstappen, who will open Toro Rosso’s four-day test.

According to the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, he is playing down expectations for the Barcelona session, insisting that although “expectations are great, only in Melbourne must I be quick”.

“If I am seventh or eighth there, it will feel like a victory,” the 17-year-old predicted.

Barcelona F1 test driver line-ups:

Williams test driver Susie Wolff will drive the the Williams FW37, at Barcelona on the opening day of Formula 1’s second pre-season test which gets underway on Thursday.

The 32-year-old, wife of Meredes boss Toto Wolff, has been handed an expanded role at Williams after impressing in the the two Friday practice sessions she participated in last year.

Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa will then take over the car respectively over the following two days and then will share driving duties on the final of four days.

Wolff is also earmarked to take part in two more FP1 sessions during the season.

Day One

Mercedes: Lewis Hamilton

Red Bull: Daniel Ricciardo

Williams: Susie Wolff

Ferrari: Kimi Raikkonen*

McLaren: Jenson Button

Force India: TBA

Toro Rosso: Max Verstappen*

Lotus: TBA

Sauber: Felipe Nasr

Day Two

Mercedes: Nico Rosberg

Red Bull: Daniel Ricciardo

Williams: Felipe Massa

Ferrari: Kimi Raikkonen*

McLaren: Jenson Button

Force India: TBA

Toro Rosso: Carlos Sainz*

Lotus: TBA

Sauber: Marcus Ericsson

Day Three

Mercedes: Lewis Hamilton

Red Bull: Daniil Kvyat

Williams: Valtteri Bottas

Ferrari: Sebastian Vettel*

McLaren: Fernando Alonso

Force India: TBA

Toro Rosso: Max Verstappen*

Lotus: TBA

Sauber: Marcus Ericsson

Day Four

Mercedes: Nico Rosberg

Red Bull: Daniil Kvyat

Williams: Felipe Masssa and Valtteri Bottas

Ferrari: Sebastian Vettel*

McLaren: Fernando Alonso

Force India: TBA

Toro Rosso: Carlos Sainz*

Lotus: TBA

Sauber: Felipe Nasr

*To be confirmed

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FORMULA 1 RULES REVOLUTION GETS THUMBS DOWN IN GENEVA

Formula 1’s next rules revolution will have to wait until at least 2017 after a meeting in Geneva on Tuesday voted against significant technical change before then.

Although there was no formal statement issued, sources said the FIA’s Formula One Commission had rejected a proposal to change the regulations and allow cars with wider tyres and different bodywork for the 2016 season.

The 2016 rules can be changed on a majority vote up until March 1, after which unanimous approval — a rarity in Formula One with teams having so many vested interests — is required.

The sport underwent a major upheaval last year with the introduction of a new V6 turbo hybrid power unit, replacing the old and much louder V8 engines that some in the sport would still prefer.

While calls for a return to the V8s have fallen away, there are talks about tweaking the regulations for 2017 so that the V6 turbo engines can be increased to 1,000 bhp.

Teams have been considering ways of improving cars, and creating more excitement for spectators, without increasing already excessive costs.

Ferrari principal Maurizio Arrivabene, whose team failed to win a race last year for the first time since 1993, said last month that Formula One needed “a real revolution” with faster cars producing more power and noise.

“By 2017, I would like to see cars that win over the fans, with cars that they can get closer to and that are aesthetically more appealing, maybe even producing a noise that gets your hair standing on end, like that produced by a heavy metal band,” the Italian said then.

“It is up to us to provide something better and to download a new format for Formula One as soon as possible.”

As part of that process, Ferrari published images on their website before Tuesday’s meeting showing a new ‘better looking’ concept for a Formula One car of the future.

“Would it be possible to come up with an F1 car which not only is technologically advanced, but also captivating to the eye and aggressive-looking?,” the Italian manufacturer asked viewers.

“And could this be made without having to overturn the current technical rules? At Ferrari, we believe so,” it added, seeking feedback on the concept drawn up by their design studio and aerodynamics department.

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Lego takes top spot from Ferrari

Ferrari have not only lost their place as the world's most powerful brand but dropped to ninth with Lego taking over at the top.

Consultancy company Brand Finance has carried out their yearly study of the world's leading brands, which takes into account brand strength, royalty rate range and revenues.

This year Lego, on the back of the successful Lego movie, came in first replacing Ferrari as the world's most powerful brand.

Ferrari, though, did not just lose the number one spot, they dropped to ninth, tied with Coca-Cola.

In the study Brand Finance said of Ferrari: "It remains one of the world's most powerful and retains its AAA brand strength rating. However, the brand's power has been ever so slightly blunted.

"Ferrari's racing team brand, Scuderia Ferrari, has now gone several years without an F1 title and last season struggled even to mount a challenge. The sheen of glory from its 1990s golden era is wearing slightly thin."

Added to that, a change in strategy at the road car division in the wake of Luca di Montezemolo's departure saw chairman Sergio Marchionne relax the policy of exclusivity in favour of boosting revenues.

Second on the list went to pwc while energy drink company, Red Bull, who own Formula 1 team Red Bull Racing, ranked third.

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Lego takes top spot from Ferrari

FORMULA 1 RULES REVOLUTION GETS THUMBS DOWN IN GENEVA

Thank goodness the Formula 1 team bosses have had the good sense to step away from doing something really stupid and have voted not to make their lives more difficult with significant technical rule changes in 2016.

Formula 1 is struggling to keep up with itself and more change would have simply added to the problem. The idea that change is a good idea to rebuild a crumbling Formula 1 audience is one that I believe is fundamentally flawed. Change for the sake of change is plain stupid. There is nothing wrong with the sport that some good promotion will not fix. Of course that would require the promoter to actually promote, and as the owners of the business do not understand the concept of investing for the future there is little chance of that happening.

If you want evidence of this you need only to look at the other “big” story of the day in F1 circles: the toppling of Ferrari by Lego as the world’s most powerful brand. Admittedly, this is pretty vague, designed as a way to promote Brand Finance plc, a company that values brands. Founded in 1996, the firm calculates a list of “brand strength” by determining the value that a company would be willing to pay to license its brand if it did not own it. This involves a murky methodology of future revenue estimates and calculations of imagined royalty fees.

In any case, it makes headlines for some reason and the conclusion is that Lego is a stronger brand than Ferrari, which has tumbled to Ninth on the list, behind such brands as PwC, Red Bull, McKinsey, Unilever and L’Oréal. The survey even suggests Rolex is bigger than Ferrari these days. I am not quite sure what has happened to giants such as Coca-Cola, Apple and McDonalds but “strength” is not the same as value IMO.

Explaining the result, the company points to the importance of The Lego Movie, an animated feature film which came out last year, featuring talking Lego “people” which encouraged back-to-basics creativity. This may be entertainment, but it is also promotion and evidence that Ferrari and Formula 1 should do more to encourage interest at the box office. Formula 1 has a habit of producing stupidly high fees whenever anyone with a cinematic idea comes along.

According to Brand Finance, Ferrari’s drop is due in part to its poor performance on the race track and the plan to relax the production cap to sell more cars. Brand Finance’s communications director Robert Haigh rather impertinently says that “people don’t see it as being so exclusive anymore.”

He’s clearly not living in the real world…

I firmly believe that the Formula 1 product is great, but that it lacks promotion and its avoidance of social media is just plain Ludicrous. Kids still love racing cars (I know my son does) and only drift away from them when access to the Internet takes them off into virtual galaxies where Formula 1 is utterly invisible. If you want evidence to back that up, look at the financial bonanza that the Cars franchise has become.

Formula 1’s gaming efforts are pathetic when compared to products such as Forza Motorsport, Grand Turismo and Need for Speed to name a few, and its engagement with future customers is worse than zero. Its focus on profit at any cost is deeply unattractive. The problems are more fundamental than bodywork and horsepower. The FIA seems to understand this but has sold its power and so has little real voice, and what it does do is poorly orchestrated from a PR perspective.

For me the most interesting story of the day was that the federation engaged McKinsey to study how Formula 1 costs can be cut without the sport being materially affected. The conclusion was that half the cost could evaporate without any drama.

The consulting firm studied the finances of the nine Formula 1 teams and proposed cost-cutting measures that could help the small teams to survive on TV money alone, without the need for sponsors or pay-drivers. The study reportedly shows that a 25 percentage reduction in budget is possible even with engine fees being astronomical. It also concludes that 35 percent could be saved in the design and production process, 15 percent could be cut from racing activities and 20 percent from testing.

This has only come to light thanks to a leak to a friendly news outlet, rather than being out into the public eye in a more forceful manner – by means of an FIA press release. It hardly seems worth the McKinsey fees to have so little actual coverage from such a useful exercise, but it is sadly typical of the bunker-like thinking in FIA circles.

Perhaps it would have been smart to have asked McKinsey to compare the promoter’s share of the profits to other sports and the damage that has been done by the outflow of money that the sport should be using to keep its customers happy.

The structural problems in Formula 1 are what drives away business. Fans don’t like being fleeced to go to races, nor to watch the sport on TV. They don’t like the fact that no one seems to care about them, beyond some token gestures now and then. And they don’t like the financial structures that make F1 an unfair playing field. Fix those problems and fans will watch any shape of car, with any kind of engine (Except electric) Just saying.

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BARCELONA DAY 1: MALDONADO PUTS LOTUS BACK ON TOP

Pastor Maldonado set the pace as Formula One’s second pre-season got underway in Barcelona, the Lotus driver setting a time of 1:25.011 to finish 0.156s ahead of Kimi Raikkonen.

However, the Venezuelan had to bolt on a set of soft tyres to eclipse the Ferrari driver’s best effort set on medium compound rubber. Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, was forced to quit the test after just 11 laps because of illness.

Maldonado had an eventful outing at the Circuit de Catalunya, the Lotus driver twice bringing out the red flags in the morning. He ran more consistently in the afternoon, however, and when he bolted on a set of soft tyres with an hour left in the session he shot to the top of the timesheet where he would remain.

Raikkonen’s time of 1:25.167, set on softs, confirmed that the pace Ferrari showed at the opening test in Jerez has translated to the more representative Barcelona circuit and while Ferrari conducted few long runs in Jerez, Raikkonen today worked through some medium length double-digit runs to show that Ferrari have indeed taken a step forward over the winter.

Over at champions Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton began the day brightly but after an hour and a half of running the team reported that would not be driving for the rest of the day, as he “felt unwell”.

With Nico Rosberg present but under advice of doctors not to drive due an inflamed nerve in his neck, Mercedes were forced to recall reserve driver Pascal Wehrlein from Force India, where the DTM racer was driving the Silverstone outfit’s 2014 car.

Wehrlein completed 32 laps for Force India before slotting into Mercedes’ WO5 for a first outing shortly before the lunch break. He would eventually set the day’s eighth and ninth fastest time for Force India and Mercedes respectively.

Sergio Perez, meanwhile, was readying himself to take over Force India’s afternoon running. Perez would eventually claim the day’s fourth fastest time in last year’s VJM07, with a lap of 1:26.636.

Another driver whose morning running was restricted was Red Bull Racing’s Daniel Ricciardo. The Australian completed just eight untimed laps in the first three hours of the session as the team struggled to fine-tune updates to its Renault power unit.

Ricciardo’s first timed lap came soon after midday local time but he was then quickly into the lap time mix, if not the battle for lap total. By the end of the day the Red Bull driver had completed 59 laps, mostly made up of short runs, the best of which yielded a time of 1:25.547, set on soft tyres, for third place on the day’s timesheet.

McLaren’s running was also brief. Jenson Button began in positive style, working through 21 trouble-free laps in the Honda-powered MP4-30, with his best lap less than a second off the morning’s best times.

However, an issue with the seal on the MGU-K then forced the Briton back to the McLaren garage and after a lengthy investigation the team confirmed that because repairs would require the replacement of the power unit Button would not run again.

The problems worsened, however, when Honda’s F1 chief Yasuhisa Arai revealed that the manufacturer will need to redesign the component won’t be available until Saturday, meaning that Fernando Alonso could encounter a similar problem tomorrow.

“We’ll need to run a re-designed component to avoid a potential repeat of the problem,” said Arai. “Unfortunately, we won’t be in possession of that updated part until Saturday, which means that we may face the same problem when we run again tomorrow.”

The morning’s lap total award went to Williams’ Susie Wolff, the Scottish driver racking up 77 trouble-free laps by the time the lunch break arrived.

However, after her successful morning, Wolff’s running was interrupted shortly after the lunch break, with 83 laps on the board. The Williams driver and Sauber’s Felipe Nasr collided on the entry to Turn 5 with both being pitched into the gravel traps. It appeared that the Brazilian drive clipped the front left wheel of the Williams as Wolff worked her way round the circuit on a slow lap.

Nasr was able to return to the fray despite his Sauber shipping heavy damage, losing a rear wheel and the rear wing. After extensive repairs he return to track action with half an hour left on the clock though he was unable to improve on his best time of 1m27.307s, which left him fifth on the timesheet. He then had a late technical problem which brought out the red flags in the closing moments of the session.

Wolff, meanwhile, was also able to rejoin the action, though with just 12 minutes remaining in the session.

However, while she managed an impressive 86 laps over the course of the two sessions the time lost due to Wolff’s collision meant that the day’s lap total award went to Toro Rosso’s Max Verstappen. The 17-year-old put in 94 laps and finished sixth on the timesheet showing that the power unit issues affecting Red Bull Racing do not seem to be hindering its sister team.

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MCLAREN-HONDA GREMLINS CONTINUE BUT PACE IMPROVES

McLaren’s Formula 1 testing gremlins followed them from Jerez to Barcelona with Jenson Button sidelined after 21 laps on day one of testing at Circuit de Catalunya, but the team will be buoyed by the fact that they have made a leap in pace.

The team said a faulty seal on the car’s MGU-K energy recovery unit had caused a problem that required the power unit to be replaced, bringing an early end to their first day of the second test in Spain.

Although the former champions hoped for “a productive day of running” with Spaniard Fernando Alonso now due in the car on Friday, Honda’s Yasuhisa Arai sounded less positive.

“We’ll need to run a redesigned component to avoid a potential repeat of the problem,” he told reporters.

“Unfortunately, we won’t be in possession of that updated part until Saturday, which means that we may face the same problem when we run again tomorrow.”

Button’s 21 laps before lunchtime took McLaren’s entire pre-season tally to exactly 100 laps from five days so far — way off the 157 that Nico Rosberg did on day one in Jerez for champions Mercedes.

Both Alonso and Button managed only six laps each on their first days in Jerez, before the Spaniard did 32 on day three and the Briton 35 on day four.

McLaren and Honda are renewing a partnership that saw them celebrate multiple titles when they were last together from 1988 to 1992.

The Woking-based team have not won a race since 2012 and finished fifth overall last year. They have, however, undergone a thorough overhaul with double world champion Alonso joining from Ferrari.

“You don’t expect to be at the top of the mountain the day you start climbing. It takes time and you also have to prepare well,” group head Ron Dennis said last week.

“It’s going to be a challenging climb but it’s a climb that both Honda and McLaren have made several times together.”

One glimmer of hope was the fact that Button’s best time of 1:28.182 was only three seconds off the pace, and seventh best ahead of Mercedes and Williams – a drastic improvement in pace when compared to their Jerez debut.

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HAMILTON SICK ON DAY ONE OF BARCELONA F1 TEST

Mercedes recalled German reserve Pascal Wehrlein from Force India testing duties, on the opening day of Formula 1 testing in Barcelona, after double Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton was taken ill.

Hamilton completed 11 laps on the first day of the second pre-season test in Barcelona before the team said he was too unwell to continue.

Wehrlein, 20, was already on track at the Circuit de Catalunya as part of a deal to test for Mercedes-powered Force India, who are running their 2014 car because the new one is not yet finished.

“An unplanned stoppage keeping us off track at the moment. Lewis Hamilton is unwell and not able to continue driving today,” Mercedes said on their Twitter feed.

“So we’re adjusting the car for Pascal Wehrlein to take to the track this afternoon #musicalchairs.”

Force India are attending their first test of the year, after skipping Jerez, and Wehrlein is also due to test for them on Saturday with regular drivers Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg in the car on Friday and Sunday respectively.

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FORCE INDIA FINALLY GET THEIR SEASON GOING

Force India finally began its winter programme at the Circuit de Catalunya, but only with the 2014 car and Mercedes reserve Pascal Wehrlein at the wheel before he was summoned to Mercedes to replace ill Lewis Hamilton and Sergio Perez taking over the cockpit of the VJM07.

But it appears the really important action was apparently occurring behind the scenes,as Auto Motor und Sport reports that the Silverstone based team “passed all the crash tests” with its delayed 2015 car, the VJM08.

Correspondent Michael Schmidt added: “The second chassis has been completed and approved by the FIA.

“All the dynamic and static crash tests have been passed,” he revealed, dispelling any lingering fears that Force India might be missing in action in Melbourne.

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ROSBERG MAY MISS BARCELONA TEST DUE TO NECK INJURY

Both of Mercedes’ race drivers are out of action at present as world champion Lewis Hamilton kicked off the team’s four-day test at Barcelona early on Thursday, but had to retire after a handful of laps, reportedly with a fever.

Curiously, he was replaced not by his teammate Nico Rosberg, but by reserve driver Pascal Wehrlein, who at the time was happily circulating for the customer team Force India.

Auto Motor und Sport knows why: Rosberg is also out of action as he suffers from an inflamed nerve in his neck.

Correspondent Michael Schmidt said the 29-year-old has been “advised by doctors to completely recover from the inflammation, lest the problem recurs”.

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MANOR BOOKS FIA CRASH TESTS FOR EARLY MARCH

While Barcelona echoed to the sound of Formula 1 turbo V6 engines on Thursday, behind-the-scenes developments were also happening in the former Marussia now Manor F1 Team camp.

Auto Motor und Sport reports: “Marussia has arranged a crash test for early March with a car complying with the 2015 rules.”

But that doesn’t mean the reborn Manor team’s troubles are over. Reportedly, Ferrari has told the backmarker team that it will only deliver its turbo V6 engines to Dinnington once a €10 million deposit is paid.

Schmidt continued: “And Marussia cannot miss any more races. The agreement with the rights holders is that a team can miss a maximum of three races through 2020.”

Marussia sat out of the final three races of 2014, at Austin, Brazil and Abu Dhabi, so it technically must return in Melbourne in under a month’s time.

“Experts believe that is impossible,” said Schmidt.

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AUDI F1 PROJECT REPORTS EMERGE ONCE AGAIN

Reports are once again doing the rounds that the Volkswagen Group is eyeing a place on the Formula 1 grid, despite ongoing denials.

But according to respected Auto Motor und Sport, this time the speculation has a twist — and former world champions Red Bull may be playing a role.

Now, the VW brand strongly linked with formula one is Audi, whose recent recruit, the former Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali, was reportedly tasked with conducting a feasibility study into entering the sport.

On Thursday, however, authoritative correspondent Michael Schmidt explained that the latest rumours involve Red Bull’s works engine supplier Renault potentially going it alone again in F1.

Tensions between Red Bull and Renault have run high, particularly since the French marque so obviously struggled at the start of the new turbo V6 era.

But there might be more to it even than that. Auto Motor und Sport reports that Red Bull might actually be looking to scale back its involvement as a mere participant, in order to buy into the commercial rights and “rebuild the premier series according to its own ideas”.

Audi might be an interested buyer for Red Bull. Journalist Schmidt claims that Domenicali’s feasibility study late last year attracted a “positive” response when he presented it to the board of directors.

The biggest hurdle, however, could be the reportedly poisonous relationship between F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone and Ferdinand Piech, his top counterpart at Volkswagen.

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Pastor hails Lotus' reliability

Pastor Maldonado believes Lotus have taken a "huge step forward" in terms of reliability after an excellent day one in Barcelona.

The Enstone squad didn't have the best of seasons last year and they also made a slow start to the 2015 campaign as their E23 arrived a day late at the first pre-season test at Jerez.

Maldonado must've thought "here we go again" as he caused two red flags in the morning session at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on Thursday, but it turned into a very good day as he topped the timesheets with a 1:25.011, finishing ahead of the Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen.

However, more impressive was the fact that he managed to complete 69 laps.

"We had some sensor problems, [but] from my point of view in terms of reliability it's a huge step forwards from last year, we saw that in Jerez, [the] new car [was] running immediately, it's positive," he is quoted as saying by GPUpdate.net.

"The day was good, [i'm] happy, but it's not enough so we need to try and improve."

Maldonado's P1 will no doubt raise a few eyebrows, but the Venezuelan insists Lotus are just focusing on their own programme.

"We don't know [what] the other teams [are doing], the level of fuel, what we know is we've been always doing long runs, around 10-12 lap runs," he said.

"We had fuel enough to do some different tests and some good laps, after the laps even to do some long runs, to check temperatures and many things, so we still are checking things in the car. It seems like we are understanding the car and improving step by step."

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Nasr refutes blame for Wolff crash: ‘she didn’t see me coming’

Brazilian Sauber driver has his say on testing collision at Barcelona’s Turn 5.

Sauber’s Felipe Nasr has denied he was solely to blame for the collision with Williams test driver Susie Wolff at Barcelona today that heavily damaged both cars.

Nasr was on a flying lap when he made contact with Wolff under braking at Turn 5.

“Actually I was opening a push lap, and I could see her leaving the pits at that time,” said Nasr.

“She was driving quite slow in front of me. I caught up with her at Turn 4, and I did see her moving to the right, so I thought that she knew I was coming. Because she was on a slow lap.

“Then I committed myself to the braking on the inside at Turn 5. When I was doing the braking I just felt a big hit on my rear suspension. So I think she never saw me coming.

“[After the crash] I asked her if she saw me and she said no, she didn’t see me coming.

"I can’t blame her for not seeing my car, but the teams give information about what cars are around you, and maybe this is information she didn’t get. I don’t know.”

Frustration at loss of test time

When asked how annoying the loss of track time was, he replied: “It is frustrating, because if you look at the number of laps we did in the morning, it was good, we could have done more than 100 laps today, that was the plan.

"A lot of things got compromised. It does feel like we missed some of the programme.”

MIKA: Women drivers....

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Ricciardo says too early to get frustrated

Daniel Ricciardo says it is too early to be frustrated by the problems his Red Bull team is having with the Renault Formula One power unit.

Red Bull had a difficult first test at Jerez earlier this month, the team not showing the kind of pace needed to match Mercedes or Ferrari.

Ricciardo had a slow start to the Barcelona test today, not setting a laptime until the final hour of the morning session.

He went on to finish as third fastest, however, and said Renault is making progress with its power unit despite the glitches seen so far.

"It's still too early to get frustrated. I'm not frustrated," Ricciardo told reporters after the session.

"Testing is a bit frustrating in general. I just want to go racing.

"I think by Melbourne we'll be there. And then if in the first few races we are not there then maybe it gets a bit frustrating, but it's definitely too early to be pessimistic."

Big problems 'seem to be solved'

The Australian covered 59 laps today, and insisted things will get better once the team and Renault can get everything out of the power unit.

"I think the bigger problems seem to be solved today, now it's just sort of fine-tuning and get it a bit more driveable, get the power down when we need it, etc," he said.

"But in terms of global problems it was okay. For sure we didn't do 100 laps, but we didn't have to go through any engine changes or anything like Jerez. We are definitely making progress.

"I feel there is more power there to be used. Now we are just trying to mold it to a point where we can use it in the right places."

He added: "I think for sure we are still fine-tuning. We are not were we want to be yet with the engine and driveability and all that, but at the same time we didn't really expect to be there yet.

"I think we knew it would take a bit of time. I think we are where we thought we would be. I think maybe some others are a fit further up for now, but I think come Melbourne we'll be there."

[riazp]

Why wider F1 cars doesn’t mean less overtaking

The prospect of Formula 1 switching back to two-metre-wide cars of the type last seen in 1997 provoked a mixed response from readers on various forums.

One similar observation came up several times from those who expressed doubts about the plan: a concern that wider cars would be more difficult to overtake, and so we will see less exciting racing if the plan happens.

But the reality is probably a lot less straightforward than this, and there’s plenty of data which can give us some perspective on it. First of all, will how much harder will it be for drivers in wider cars to overtake each other?

As the current cars measure 1,800mm wide, if that is increased by 200mm then an extra 400mm of track width will be required when two cars go side-by-side. (For a rough comparison, the first image is of a 2,000mm wide car and the second shows a 1,800mm wide car, and both have the same front and rear wing widths).

Are the track wide enough to accommodate this extra width? Appendix O to the International Sporting Regulations specifies the requirements for circuits which hold Formula One races. Track designers get some leeway when it comes to width, particularly in the case of street circuits where brief sections may be very narrow (such as Singapore’s Andersen Bridge).

However the recommended minimum track width is pretty generous:

When planning new permanent circuits, the track width foreseen should be at least 12m. Where the track width changes, the transition should be made as gradually as possible, at a rate not greater than 1m in 20m total width.

The width of the starting grid should be at least 15m; this width must be maintained through to the exit of the first corner (as indicated by the racing line).

Appendix O to the International Sporting Code

In practice, tracks are often considerably wider than this, especially at key overtaking places. Bahrain’s grand prix circuit, for example, is up to 22 metres wide at points – enough to get 11 cars side-by-side (although they would all be touching). Even the new temporary street circuit at Sochi, used for the first time last year, is no narrower than 13 metres wide at any point.

Older circuits tend to be narrower than the newer ones. Most of the latter were built since the narrow-track cars were introduced in 1998. However even comparatively cramped tracks such as Monza are still able to accommodate at least three two-metre-wide cars running side-by-side with a reasonable amount of space between them.

Monaco is the perennial exception when it comes to F1 track design. But realistically, we already see very little passing there with 1.8m wide cars, and it’s doubtful adding a few extra centimetres in width is going to make a considerable amount of difference.

For further proof of the possibility of racing with wider cars, consider that in 1997, when cars last measured two metres wide, F1 raced on the old Hockenheimring which is far narrower than most current circuits. Yet fabulous side-by-side (and DRS-free) racing was still possible:

It’s also worth remembering the rules on defensive driving are more clearly defined now than they were then, making it easier for a driver to make a pass.

But there are other, more subtle ways that having wider cars and the proposed wider tyres could influence the quality of racing and the difficulty of overtaking. It’s hard to make a clear-cut case for whether it would make life harder or easier for the drivers.

The mooted widening of the rear tyres from 325mm to 400mm could have a very significant effect. The turbulent air produced by tyres is a major challenge for aerodynamicists. They would prefer to shroud the tyres in bodywork to reduce drag, but the rules forbid it.

Therefore a potential 23% increase in the width of the tyres would significantly increase the disturbed air coming off the back of an F1 car. As every racing fan knows this has both positive and negative effects when it comes to encouraging overtaking: a chasing car is robbed of downforce in a corner and therefore loses grip, whereas on a straight the car in front provides a slipstream effect which allows the pursuer to catch up.

Assuming the increase in car width extends to its wings and bodywork, designers would have greater scope to increase the amount of downforce a car produces. The FIA has been wary of allowing speeds to escalate in this way, however, so it should not be taken for granted that this would happen. And then there’s the question of what they might do with DRS.

While 2,000mm F1 cars will not be drastically more difficult to pass by dint of being wider, exactly what effect the move will have on the quality of the racing will depend on the detail of the regulations.

However it is likely that another major change in the car regulations would force costs up at a time when teams are already struggling. The question therefore becomes whether Formula 1 can afford the change, whether the positives outweigh the negatives, and whether the aesthetic improvements will be appreciated by everyone. That is all up for debate.

God i miss the sound of those engines.

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How is GA at Albert Park? Will be going this year. Can you get decent viewing without buying grandstand tickets?

Mate they've started setting up the track a few weeks ago.

I drive past Albert Park every morning.

You can get decent viewing spots without buying Grand Stand tickets, no problem. Just have to get in somewhat early if you wish to get a good place.

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ARRIVABENE: IF FERRARI WIN FOUR I WILL RUN BAREFOOT IN MARANELLO HILLS

Ferrari Formula One team principal Maurizio Arrivabene has pledged to run for the hills barefoot if his drivers win four races this season but he does not expect that to happen despite promising signs in testing.

“Winning two races will be fine. Three will be perfect. Four and I will run barefoot on the hills of Maranello,” the BBC quoted him as saying on the second day of testing at the Circuit de Catalunya on Friday.

Arrivabene, who took over as Ferrari boss in November, said the team had made progress but fighting for the title and beating champions Mercedes remained a tall order.

Ferrari were top in three of the four days in Jerez and second fastest on both days in Barcelona although times at this stage are less important than consistency and getting in plenty of laps.

Australian Daniel Ricciardo was fastest for Red Bull on Friday but only 0.010 quicker than Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen. While Ricciardo did 143 laps, Raikkonen completed 90.

Arrivabene stold media at the end of day two in barcelona, “My job is to rebuild the team, to create a calm environment and to ensure that the great determination I have seen in every member of the team is rewarded with results.”

“I have never believed in such a thing as a winter championship: we have our feet on the ground. We have two fantastic drivers and they are also great friends and that can only benefit the whole team.”

“I wish to underline yet again that the most important thing is for us all to pull together, with common goals and with the determination I saw in the eyes of those who were even at work on 24 and 31 December, in the Mechanical or Composites departments, to the backdrop of the sound of the engines rather than Jingle Bells.”

“I have seen that there are exceptional people in Maranello and each one of them is making a contribution. However, it’s clear the car does not belong to any one person, it belongs to Ferrari and its people,” concluded Arrivabene.

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BARCELONA DAY 3: MALDONADO AND LOTUS ON TOP AGAIN

Lotus’ Pastor Maldonado grabbed the limelight on the penultimate day of this week’s Barcelona test, the Venezuelan topping the timesheet with a lap of 1:24.348 set on Pirelli’s supersoft tyre compound.

Maldonado’s best time, set midway through the afternoon session, put him three tenths clear of Toro Rosso rookie Max Verstappen, who also had used the supersoft compound in the morning session to seize P1.

Both Verstappen and Maldonado enjoyed largely trouble-free runs, though Toro Rosso’s Dutch teenager did bring out the red flags in the final 20 minutes of the session stopping at the pit exit with a late clutch problem. Despite the setback the 17-year-old completed 129 laps of the Circuit de Catalunya – the day’s largest total – while Maldonado too broke century barrier, logging 104 laps.

The same could not be said for troubled McLaren. On Thursday, the team was forced to abandon running due to a seal failure on the MGU-K of its MP4-20 and the team subsequently revealed it did not have access to a redesigned part until the start of the day. The setback didn’t appear to hamper Fernando Alonso on day two, as the Spaniard got through 59 laps.

However, despite installing the errant part, Jenson Button’s running was interrupted for a long spell when the new seal failed. The team later stated: “After the morning session, we found similar issues to Thursday. We will resume testing this afternoon with limited power to the MGU-K. A new, re-engineered seal is scheduled to arrive and will be applied later this evening.”

Button completed just 12 laps in the morning and then only managed another nine in the afternoon before he had another stoppage at the end of the pit lane with 20 minutes left in the session.

With Maldonado first and Verstappen second, third place on the timesheet went to Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton. The champions had another low-key outing in Barcelona as they worked through long runs, but Hamilton’s pace throughout signals once again that the chasing pack may still have considerable ground to make up this season.

Fourth on the timesheet was Sauber’s Marcus Ericsson. The Swiss team has a difficult morning as it worked to solve the gearbox issues that had caused it problems 24 hours earlier but once Ericsson took to the track the team had a solid outing, with the Swede putting 53 laps on the board for a best time of 1:26.340 – some 1.9s adrift of Maldonado’s showboating supersoft time.

Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel finished the day in fifth place. The four-time champion was the first to bring out the red flags this morning, spinning into the gravel as he struggled for grip in the cold early morning conditions. Once back out Vettel worked through an unshowy programme of medium and long runs and eventually cracked the century mark to post 105 laps for the day.

Red Bull Racing enjoyed another successful outing, with Daniil Kyvat working through a similar programme to that conducted by team-mate Daniel Ricciardo a day earlier. That meant a morning split into a sequence of untimed runs and pit stop practice, followed by short runs. Those laps in the run-up to the lunch break netted the Russian a best time of 1:26.589.

In the afternoon Kvyat switched over to long runs and a full race simulation. That resulted in his morning time being his best of the day and it earned him sixth spot on the timesheet. He completed 111 laps.

Williams had another inscrutable day. The team split driving duties, with Felipe Massa getting through 55 laps in the morning and Valtteri Bottas taking over in the afternoon. The Finn spent the bulk of his 49-lap afternoon running untimed laps and diving for the pit lane for pit stop practice.

He eventually set a time shortly before chequered flag but it was only good enough for ninth place. Massa finished seventh just ahead of Pascal Wehrlein in the Force India.

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RICCIARDO: ENCOURAGING SEEING RED BULL ON TOP

Infiniti Red Bull Racing’s pre-season preparations went well on day two of the second test of 2015, as Daniel Ricciardo completed 142 laps of the Circuit de Catalunya at the wheel of the RB11.

The morning session was given over to a mix of short runs and pit stop practice and shortly before the lunch break Ricciardo recorded the day’s quickest lap with an outing on Pirelli’s soft tyres that netted a time of 1:24.574s. In the afternoon the team switched to medium and long runs and more tyre evaluation.

“It was good. We wanted to get a day with a 100-plus laps on the board and we did that and more today. It was very solid,” said Ricciardo afterwards. “We also got through some pit stop practice and some good long runs, which is very positive.”

“I know it’s just testing but it is encouraging seeing us on top or at least in that front group. Obviously you have no idea what everyone is doing, but it is encouraging.”

“The car feels good. It has similar characteristics to RB10 in terms of how the chassis feels but that’s a good thing, as I think we had a pretty good car last year. All in all a really good day’s work.”

Head of Race Engineering Guillaume Rocquelin said: “A good day for the whole team today and a very satisfying follow-up to yesterday. Day one was all about tuning the new elements we had brought here and it was always going to be a bit stop-start but by the end of yesterday we were on top of that and running well and today was the reward for all that hard work.”

“We had a small issue on Daniel’s installation lap, again caused by a software gremlin, but that was quickly sorted and we could get to work on the programme we had in place. In the morning that meant a lot of pit stop practice first thing, giving way to some tyre work in advance of our afternoon programme.”

“We switched over to long runs in the afternoon and by the close of play we’d got through everything we wanted to on the day.”

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BOULLIER: MCLAREN ARE 50 PER CENT BEHIND

For some of Formula 1’s top teams, 2015 is a case of putting the troublesome first year of the new turbo V6 era in the past and setting sights on closing the big gap to Mercedes.

It is bad news for McLaren, the British grandee who struggled last year and relished the prospect of kicking off a new works collaboration with Honda in 2015.

That has now begun, but the fledgling McLaren-Honda project is struggling with its innovative MP4-30 car as returning Japanese engineers discover the full complexity of the sport’s new ‘power unit’ era.

Team boss Eric Boullier admitted in Barcelona on Friday that, with exactly half of the 12 days of winter testing now over, “We are 50 per cent behind”.

Friday, however, was a better day, as star driver Fernando Alonso managed almost 60 laps and was only 1.4 seconds off the ultimate test pace.

“For the first time,” he told reporters, “we got a glimpse of the potential of the car and it feels good.”

It was a much-needed boost for McLaren, who had expected to struggle on Friday after Honda discovered a faulty part as the second winter test began.

“After Jenson (Button’s) failure,” Alonso admitted, “I was a little pessimistic. But today we have shown that we are on the right track.”

At the same time, Alonso is also being realistic about McLaren’s situation, “Honestly, I was hoping we would make this step, as there are now only six (test) days until Melbourne and we are behind. Our opponents have a year and 19 races more experience than us.”

“We are about as prepared for Melbourne as Red Bull was last year. If we had one wish,” Alonso is quoted by Auto Motor und Sport, “we would move the first race to June!

“But under the circumstances, (the laptime) 1:25.9 is very good. At the grand prix last year, the fastest McLaren lap was 1:27.3, so I can say that today was a good day for us,” he added.

There is also bad news. Alonso pointed out that, of the 9 teams testing on Friday, none did fewer laps than McLaren. “We need to raise our game and learn as fast as we can,” he said.

Boss Boullier, having admitted that McLaren has lost half of its testing programme to delays already, agrees that Australia is approaching too fast.

“If we had 12 days to be ready and we missed half of the 12 days, we will not be 100 per cent ready,” the Frenchman confessed.

“But what we can say is that the car behaves quite differently than last year’s, and the drivers are happy, especially Jenson, who knows the old car well. Fernando is also not dissatisfied, which is a good sign,” Boullier added.