FORMULA 1 - 2015

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Ron Dennis pushing for major off-track changes at McLaren F1 team

Ron Dennis is in the process of making major off-track changes he hopes will allow McLaren to compete with Formula 1 rivals Mercedes and Ferrari.

Although Dennis has refused to divulge details, Autosport understands the 67-year-old has been working on attracting additional investment into the company.

At present McLaren Technology Group CEO Dennis has a 25 per cent shareholding, along with Mansour Ojjeh, while the Bahrain sovereign wealth fund, Mumtalakat, holds the remaining 50 per cent.

In an effort to revitalise the business, Dennis has been in discussions with potential investors in recent months, notably from China.

Asked about the current shareholding, Dennis said: "There has always been movements in equity over the history of McLaren, and there is nothing particularly unusual about that.

"Our objective as shareholders is always to think about growth.

"The process we are going through at the moment is with regard to how we can be bigger, stronger, to build the organisation to match the resources some of the other players have because it's not easy to race against Mercedes or Ferrari."

The McLaren group's diversification - into areas such as roadcars, medical, financial, research, analytics - means its F1 team now accounts for just over a third of the business.

To bring the team back to its former glories, Dennis recognises further off-track efforts are needed, hence his pursuit of other avenues.

"The [F1] business model is not attractive in the long term, not least because 110 F1 teams have come and gone since 1966, and we don't want to be one of those," said Dennis.

"The way to avoid it is you build a broader base that supports a Formula 1 team, which is an important part of the business.

"It reflects badly when we are not succeeding, but it is part of our brand and part of our business.

"You can achieve growth in two ways in a private company - you take the money you call profit and you invest it in the future.

"Or, if you want to move faster than that, you have to find a completely different approach, and that's been focusing my mind for four months at least, which has been the primary reason why you've not seen me at the grands prix.

"But complex things take time, and as and when we get there, and if we get there, then we'll take this giant step for McLaren, and I'll share it with you."

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ARE PASTOR MALDONADO AND JOLYON PALMER IN RENAULT’S LONG TERM FORMULA 1 PLANS?

Renault’s return to Formula 1 as a works outfit has increased the attractiveness of team Enstone to drivers hoping to land a manufacturer’s seat and raises questions about its long-term race line up.

Last week Renault finally confirmed that it would buy back the Lotus squad that it previously owned between 2002 and 2010 and it is expected to honour the contracts signed by Pastor Maldonado and Jolyon Palmer for the 2016 season.

Maldonado was re-signed for a third successive year by the Enstone-based team shortly after the Singapore Grand Prix, while Palmer’s deal was confirmed at the US Grand Prix, as Lotus needed to secure the financial backing to see out 2015.

With those two drivers already signed for next season, 2017 looks likely to become a key year for the driver market, as Renault’s return to F1 brings a further opportunity for racers to find those highly-prized works seats.

Former Renault team boss Flavio Briatore has suggested that Renault needs to bring in new engineers and drivers if it wants to be successful, although he ruled out a third Enstone stint for Fernando Alonso, whom he represents.

Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, Briatore said: “Three years is a lot of time. F1 is on the edge, and it needs a strong Renault before the end of three years.

“It’s also true that Renault must rebuild everything, including the technical team. Enstone lost some great engineers, and Viry Chatillon also. It will be not easy.

“If you want to win, you must change the drivers as well. Fernando in Renault for a third time? No, not at this moment. He’s got a contract with Honda.”

In a wide-ranging briefing at the recent Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, McLaren boss Ron Dennis, reiterated his belief that Alonso would finish his career with the Woking outfit, despite then suggesting he could take a sabbatical in 2016.

Dennis said: “[Alonso] will definitely finish his career at McLaren. I have an open mind to anything – and some of the ideas have involved those sorts of considerations, sabbatical years, etc.”

Alonso himself confirmed that he would be driving for McLaren next year, but did not rule out another switch once his contract with the team expires, although that would not be until the end of the 2017 season.

He said: “Let’s see what happens in one-and-a-half years and what the situation is, what are the targets we have met and we hadn’t met and what the motivations are to keep going on in Formula 1.”

Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez could also be considered contenders for a move to Renault in the future. Although Hulkenberg signed a two-year deal to remain at Force India back in the summer, the German driver has long been linked with seat at a works outfit and a switch to Renault could be a lifeline for those ambitions.

Perez was known to have held talks with Lotus about making a move to the Enstone squad for next year, before he also opted to re-sign with Force India. However, the Mexican, who had a strong finish to 2015 that included a memorable third place at the Russian Grand Prix, only signed a one-year deal, which raises the possibility of a drive at Renault in 2017.

Two drivers not currently on the F1 grid could also be on Renault’s radar after 2016: Jean-Eric Vergne and Kevin Magnussen.

Vergne has been racing in the all-electric championship, Formula E; since he lost his drive at Toro Rosso a year ago and the Frenchman possess speed as well as home appeal for Renault.

McLaren recently dropped Magnussen, who drove for the team in 2014 before being sidelined by Alonso’s arrival at Woking. Since then he has tested Porsche’s World Endurance Championship LMP1 car and a Mercedes DTM machine as he evaluates is career options. At 23, the Dane has time on his side and was heavily linked with Renault earlier this season.

One driver who probably won’t be in contention for a Renault seat in the coming years is the man who has just left Enstone:

Romain Grosjean. The Frenchman opted not to re-sign with Lotus and headed to Haas F1 despite the imminent prospect of Renault’s F1 return.

Speaking after he was announced as a Haas driver, Grosjean, who hopes his deal with the new team will lead to a Ferrari drive in 2017, explained that he could not afford to wait for Renault to become competitive.

He said: “At Renault they need at least three years to get back to the top and I’m almost 30. Let’s say I have ahead of me a maximum of five or six seasons left in F1. I can’t wait any longer and this option could open other opportunities for me.”

But Renault could yet stick with Maldonado and Palmer, who was the squad’s reserve driver this year and is yet to make his race debut.

2017 will be the second year of its return to F1. That season will also be the first year of the new regulations that could shake-up the sport’s competitive order and the continuity provided by Maldonado and Palmer could well be required at Enstone.

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VILLENEUVE: HAMILTON SHOWED THAT HE CANNOT BE HUMBLE

Jacques Villeneuve has slammed Lewis Hamilton for his behaviour since winning the world championship in October.After wrapping up the title, Hamilton’s earlier-dominant form mysteriously slumped just as teammate Nico Rosberg’s surged.

Also obviously slumping was the Briton’s mood, former Williams driver and 1997 F1 world champion turned television pundit Villeneuve claims.

“Maybe losing the world championship to Lewis in the United States GP changed him [Rosberg] psychologically,” Villeneuve told Motorsport-Magazin.

“I don’t know. But after that he was a killer. And Lewis reacted really badly and revealed a very negative side of his character. He showed that he cannot be humble.

“He has won three world championships but he could not be happy, behaving like a spoiled child who lost his toy. He has not behaved like a great champion,” the French-Canadian charged.

Also unimpressed with Hamilton late this year are former British F1 drivers Martin Brundle and Derek Warwick, who think the 30-year-old should have attended an awards ceremony in London.

Reports suggest Hamilton was instead in Canada to watch an NBA basketball game.

Brundle wrote on Twitter that Hamilton snubbing the ceremony was “sad”, as it only would have taken “20 minutes to at least thrill/motivate young drivers he once was. Unwritten obligation,” the Sky commentator said.

Warwick, who like Brundle also raced in the 80s and 90s, agreed: “100 per cent right mate. Very disappointing and lost a lot of respect (for Hamilton) last night”.

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BUTTON: MCLAREN STAFF HAD LESSONS IN JAPANESE CULTURE

McLaren staff have had lessons in Japanese culture as the struggling team gets up to speed with works Honda power.

The Anglo-Japanese collaboration endured an abysmal 2015 campaign, with the bulk of the blame falling to Honda as it grapples with F1’s complex ‘power unit’ era.

But another problem, champion driver Jenson Button thinks, is the teething period in terms of re-acquainting Woking-based McLaren with the very Japanese way of doing things.

“A lot of the team have had lessons in trying to understand Japanese culture,” he is quoted by the Sun newspaper.

“They had proper lessons, not speaking Japanese, but to understand the culture, and that’s a very important thing to do,” added Button, whose wife Jessica is a Japanese model.

“There’s now a very good understanding between the Japanese engine engineers, who have never worked with Westerners before,” he said.

McLaren-Honda is hoping for a big step forward for 2016, but Button suggested it would be better if the team could have finished the race season and immediately got stuck into track testing.

“I’d prefer to keep on racing as there is more room for improvement but the regulations stop us,” he said.

“This season, it hasn’t gone wrong. It just hasn’t gone right. You hope for a lot but we’ve not achieved a lot. But the partnership between McLaren and Honda is now a lot stronger than it was to start with,” Button added.

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HORNER EXPECTS MORE MERCEDES DOMINANCE IN 2016

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has predicted another year on top for Mercedes in 2016, despite believing that the actual RB11 chassis produced by his team is perhaps a match for the silver machine.

“We can see the wing settings and the cornering speeds and we are quite competitive compared to them,” Horner said.

The only problem, according to Red Bull, is the engine. The team tried for months to secure a better one for 2016, but ultimately the only change will be the re-branding of the Renault power unit as ‘Tag Heuer’ for Red Bull.

“It’s their own fault,” 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve told Motorsport-Magazin. “Why would any manufacturer want to work with them if they know they’re going to get criticised so much?”

Red Bull is hoping for better next year as Renault gets fully serious again in formula one with a works team effort and Mercedes-like budget.

“I would love to go racing next weekend but at the same time I’m happy the season is over and optimistic that next year will be better,” said driver Daniel Ricciardo.

“I think we ended the season with a lot more feeling and confidence in the chassis,” he added. “This season has made us stronger as a unit and I’m happy to move forward with these guys to be better next year.”

Horner, however, thinks 2016 will be yet another silver-coloured year, “The regulations are pretty stable again and Mercedes’ gap is big enough that they should continue their dominance.”

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TORO ROSSO BOSSES BACK SAINZ AMID VERSTAPPEN COMPARISONS

Toro Rosso team chief Franz Tost says it is not fair to judge Carlos Sainz’s Formula 1 debut season simply by looking at his points tally.

Indeed, while many agree that the 21-year-old had a good first season in 2015, he ended the year with much less than half the points scored by his teammate Max Verstappen, who has been showered with awards and plaudits.

But when asked about Sainz’s 18 points compared to Verstappen’s almost 50, their Toro Rosso chief Tost told El Pais: “The explanation is simple. Carlos had very bad luck with the car, preventing him from finishing seven grands prix.”

Sainz, who like Verstappen is staying with the Faenza based team in 2016, said that sort of support from Tost is important.

“I’m very calm about it,” he said, “because the team knows I’m fast. Every time something happened to the car, they were the first to be angry and supporting me.”

Tost continues: “Most of the problems have been the car, not Carlos. He has done everything very well and so he doesn’t have to worry. He has demonstrated his speed always, both on Saturdays and Sundays — and he and Max were much closer in qualifying.”

Team technical boss James Key confirmed: “Max got the headlines because of his age, but in everything else they are on par.”

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CANADA GP PROMOTER ADMITS FINANCIAL WOES

The promoter of the popular Canadian grand prix has fallen behind in payments to suppliers, according to the Quebec newspaper La Presse.

“It’s true. I confirm it,” said Francois Dumontier, the president and sole shareholder of the race promoter Octane Racing Group.

Dumontier secured the future of the Montreal race, held at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, in 2009, but a new 10-year-old contract through 2024 began last year.

“It was difficult this year despite a growth in ticket and corporate sales,” he admits.

La Presse claims that, six months after the 2015 race, Octane still owes a six-digit sum to some key suppliers.

“This is not unusual nor the first time it has happened,” Dumontier insists. “These are people with whom we have done business for a long time. 99 per cent of them are still there and still wanting to do the grand prix.”

So he said the race’s financial situation is not dire, declaring that he is “much less worried than two or three years ago”.

But in the past, when the race was promoted by Normand Legault, suppliers were always paid, La Presse said.

“These are two different worlds,” Dumontier argued. “I am a ‘mom and pop shop’, an entrepreneur who took a chance with the grand prix in 2009. Unfortunately I have no fortune.

“Like any private contractor, when things are going well, everyone is super happy. When things go less well, an entrepreneur is required to work with his partners and suppliers.”

He also claimed that the current financial environment and the terms of the contract with Bernie Ecclestone’s Formula One Management are not ideally matched.

“Structurally, the contract is clearly not optimal,” said Dumontier. “I am very sure that Mr Ecclestone is a fine negotiator.”

He said things would be much easier if the Canadian grand prix could secure a title sponsor, and had hoped to sign something up by Christmas, “I am obliged to put my patience to the test. I think it will come to fruition after the course of the Christmas holidays.”

Dumontier also said his door is “wide open” for talks with potential new shareholders in Octane.

“I think when an owner like the one in Austin (for the US GP), with a lot more financial resources than me, may lose his grand prix because it is not profitable, it shows it is a business where you can no longer be a ‘mom and pop shop’ like me,” he declared.

Dumontier is also cheering on the Montreal-born driver Lance Stroll, who despite his tender age of 17 has just signed up as a test driver with Williams.

“The Jacques Villeneuve years were certainly very good years for the grand prix,” he said.

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FERRARI DENY HOYLE IS JOINING AS NEW ‘SPYGATE’ ERUPTS

A Mercedes engineer who has been accused by the Formula One world champions of data theft will not be joining Ferrari and never had a contract with them, the Italian team said on Wednesday.

“There were talks but nothing led to a formal contract. He’s not even going to join us in the foreseeable future,” a spokesman said.

“It’s not true that he was on the verge of joining us. What he did concerns only him and the company he was working for,” he added. “We are not involved in this.”

Mercedes, the dominant team in Formula One for the past two seasons, confirmed on Tuesday that they were taking action against a senior engineer who had taken confidential technical information from them.

Court documents indicated Benjamin Hoyle was intending to join Ferrari.

“A legal action is underway involving Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains (HPP) Limited and an employee who is due to leave the company at the end of the year,” a Mercedes team spokesman had said.

“The company has taken the appropriate legal steps to protect its intellectual property.”

HPP design, build and supply the team’s power units.

Ferrari are Mercedes’s closest rivals after making big improvements to their power unit and performance following a dismal 2014 season in which they failed to win a race.

Key figures in Formula One teams who have had access to sensitive information are usually put on lengthy ‘gardening leave’ when they hand in their notice to ensure they are far removed from any current data.

Teams have always kept a close eye on rivals in the highly secretive sport, with mechanics often shielding sensitive aerodynamic parts from photographers, and regularly try to poach star employees.

Formula One was rocked by a major spying controversy in 2007 when a 780-page dossier of Ferrari technical information was found in the possession of then-McLaren chief designer Mike Coughlan.

Coughlan was sacked by McLaren while Ferrari dismissed Nigel Stepney, the engineer accused of passing the information to him.

McLaren were subsequently handed a record $100 million fine, although they ultimately paid less, with the loss of all their constructors’ points.

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Sauber boss confident of advance

Sauber Team Principal Monisha Kaltenborn said she was confident the team would receive an advance on its Formula Championship payment, given that this had already been done with other teams in the past.

Kaltenborn said a refusal to approve an advance would put her team in a precarious position as her rivals would have somewhat of an advantage. She feels that Sauber has no choice but to do the same.

"We saw some of our competitors had done that and that can give you a direct competitive advantage," Kaltenborn told Autosport.

"So we felt that when our competitors had done it, it would definitely make our life easier, so that's why we did it," added the Sauber boss.

"If you can make your liquidity easier, of course it helps the company. We are not in a position where you can say it doesn't matter at all."

"We're approaching a time which is very cost-intensive and where there is no income coming from FOM, which is a major source of income for teams," added Kaltenborn.

"I don't see why anybody would be against it considering other teams have got it. It would not be a nice thing among teams if suddenly one team says no for no reason."

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Teams must submit Australia tyre choice by Friday

Formula 1 teams have until Friday to submit their tyre choice for the season opening Australian Grand Prix under new rules for the 2016 season.

As part of a push to create more varying strategies during grands prix, the FIA has agreed to let teams choose one of the compounds they will use at each of the races next season.

The rules stipulate that Pirelli will nominate three compound choices for each event - one more than in previous seasons - out of a possible five (ultrasoft, supersoft, soft, medium and hard).

The teams will be allocated 13 sets of tyres, with Pirelli nominating which compound two of those sets will be, out of the three compounds it has chosen for the event.

The teams will then elect which compounds it would like for the remaining 11 sets, and this must be done 14 weeks in advance of each international race and eight for European events.

However with the season ending just days ago, Pirelli has given a week's grace for the season opening Australian GP, meaning teams will have until Friday to select their choices.

It's understood that Pirelli has nominated the supersoft, soft and medium for Melbourne. The supersoft hasn't previously been used at Albert Park and therefore selecting it offers somewhat of an unknown for the teams.

It's likely most will take a conservative approach for the first few races as they are yet to test their cars, and therefore are unaware of how they might handle the tyres.

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DNA test proves Espinosa is the son of Fangio

Juan Manuel Fangio had at least one son, according to a recent DNA test, which was ordered by an Argentine judge following a claim by Oscar Espinosa.

The body of the five-time world champion was exhumed in August in order to obtain DNA to complete a test to determine whether Espinosa's claim was true.

Fangio never married and never claimed to have had any children. He did however have a long-term relationship with Andrea Berruet, Espinosa's mother.

This week, Judge Rodrigo Cataldo of Mar del Plata, announced that the 77-year-old is in fact the biological son of the legendary F1 driver.

A second claimant, Ruben Vazquez, also claims to be the son of Fangio. Confirmation of their relationship status is expected in the coming days.

The former Mercedes driver, who died in 1995 aged 84, left his estate to a foundation and a museum which bears his name.

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F1 needs to "get its act together", says Stuck

Former grand prix driver Hans-Joachim Stuck says Formula 1 is in need a total rules overhaul if it is going to turn around declining audiences.

Stuck, who took two F1 podiums for Brabham in 1977, as well as two wins at the Le Mans 24 Hours later in his career for Porsche, told Motorsport.com that F1 must do more to level the playing field.

"When I speak frankly, Formula 1 is the pinnacle of motorsport - but they have to get their act together to make it technically what it was in the past," he said.

When asked what can be done to turn things around, the German jested: "How much time do I have to answer this question?

"Let’s put it this way. I don’t see it’s good that it takes 20 cars around the world for a championship and only four cars can win.

"So what do we have to do? We have to find new regulations, technical regulations, that gives also smaller teams the possibility to be up front.

"Maybe not winning, but further up front. That gives more chance for people to be competitive.”

He added: "Another important thing is cost. Costs are just too high. You see how much money drivers have to bring to able to drive in F1."

Driver focus

Stuck also believes that F1 has become obsessed with complicated rules, and has forgotten that it should be about driving talent.

"Another important thing is to take off these funny electronic gimmicks," continued the 64-year-old. "How can you adjust the brake balance during the race?

"Plus this funny Drag Reduction System [DRS] – the guy who is behind opens the wing and passes.

"F1 has to come back to its raw roots: to become a sport where the driver becomes more important.”

Stuck however voiced his support for the independent engine idea being championed by Bernie Ecclestone and FIA President Jean Todt despite stiff opposition from leading teams.

“What Ecclestone and Todt are doing together, bringing in a new system, I would say they are doing the right thing,” he said.

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Analysis: Mercedes vs. Ben Hoyle – a new Spygate?

This week's revelation that Mercedes is taking legal action against an outgoing employee has reignited memories of the famous McLaren/Ferrari 'Spygate' scandal from 2007.

But while the departing Mercedes power unit engineer at the centre of the latest 'spy' allegations may not be joining Ferrari after all, the ongoing legal case has put a sharp focus on the age old problem of how F1 teams and engine manufacturers protect their intellectual property.

Everything changed, of course, with 'Spygate', which resulted in $100m fine for the British team.

That investigation served to show just how much forensic computer experts could find out when they went trawling through a team's servers, and it taught everyone in the sport that if they misbehaved with confidential information, it wasn't easy to cover their tracks. Eventually, they would get caught.

The current situation serves as a wake-up call for both employers and employees, and the court documents submitted by Mercedes make for a fascinating case study.

Plus, as an added twist, it has now emerged that Hoyle might not be joining Ferrari anyway.

A Ferrari source told Motorsport.com that, while there had been discussions between the team and Hoyle, no agreement had been reached about him joining Maranello.

"There was some contact, but it was very informal," said the source. "It was with us and presumably with other teams. But there is no contract between Ferrari and Mr. Hoyle."

Highly rated

Hoyle is a well respected figure in the industry, as testimonies from former colleagues on his Linkedin page suggest. He worked for Prodrive from September 2001 to September 2008, latterly as Senior Engine Development Engineer on the Subaru rally team. After a spell at Pi Research, he moved to Cosworth in 2010, where he worked as Principal Formula 1 Engine Calibration Engineer.

In May 2012, he joined Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains as one of four Performance Application Team Leaders. He signed his current contract in December that year.

The court documents indicate, in great detail, what Hoyle's contractual obligations were in terms of confidentiality and so on, and outlined what would happen should he decide that he was going elsewhere.

In a document liberally laced with legal jargon, the well-known phrase “garden leave” is officially used to describe that process.

Mercedes also details its “USB Storage Pen Device Usage Policy,” which says that: “the devices provided by HPP will be the only devices for use under HPP IT security compliance and encryption requirements. The use of any USB devices other than those provided by HPP is strictly prohibited.”

In other words, everyone is told that you can't save data to any old memory stick, thus, in theory blocking the easiest way for someone to smuggle out information.

On May 21, 2014, Hoyle told his bosses that he would resign as of December 31, 2015. The court documents say that “sometime shortly after May 24, 2014, HPP became aware that Mr Hoyle intended to join Ferrari after leaving HPP.”

Despite the knowledge that he would be leaving to join a key rival, it was business as usual for almost 11 months, and Hoyle carried on with his usual F1 duties. It was only on April 16 this year that the picture changed.

Moved away from F1

On that day, Hoyle met with Owen Jones, his line manager and HPP's Head of Performance Engineering, and Michael Nash, the Head of Human Resources.

At the meeting Hoyle was told that he had now been assigned to duties unrelated to F1, essentially on the basis that his move to Ferrari was getting closer. He was due to work out the remaining 37 weeks of his contract with no ongoing involvement with the F1 project and, crucially, no access to past data.

Mercedes says that Hoyle was informed that he “should not view or try to access information relating to F1 projects,” and that “the purpose of placing him on alternative duties was to protect HPP's intellectual property, and prevent him being put under pressure to disclose technical information to Ferrari.”

On the same day, Hoyle was sent a letter confirming that HPP “wished to manage the intellectual property that you are exposed to,” and that doing other projects would ensure that he would be “simply unaware of our latest technical development.”

Thus, from April 17 Hoyle was assigned to road car and DTM projects.

This is standard stuff, the sort of thing that happens all over the racing business. Anyone changing teams knows that at some stage they will be cut off from the flow of current information, and any future employer knows that their new man will be going through that sort of process.

Some people are completely cast adrift; Hoyle, at least had a job to go to, and something to do with his time.

Mercedes reveals some fascinating details about extra steps that it takes in such situations.

Hoyle had to hand over his original HPP laptop, and he was given a replacement that had been “rebuilt” so there was no data remaining from its previous user.

His factory swipe card no longer gave him physical access to the F1 department at Brixworth. He was even assigned a new company email address, so that he didn't receive any F1 information by accident, and new log-in details, so that he couldn't access “the F1 restricted areas of HPP's computer network.”

However, Mercedes alleges that Hoyle did not comply with those restrictions, and broke the company rules even before he was moved away from the F1 project, by improperly taking or downloading data.

Mercedes appears to have first discovered that there was an issue on September 23. On that day, he was apparently caught reading a report on the Hungarian GP, to which he should not have had access.

The court documents say: “Mr Hoyle opened on his laptop screen the Hungarian Grand Prix race report.

"When Mr Hoyle's former line manager, Owen Jones, approached Mr Hoyle's desk where the race report was visible on Mr Hoyle's laptop, Mr Hoyle disconnected the cable supplying power to the laptop, thereby shutting down the laptop. Mr Hoyle did this in an attempt to conceal his wrongdoing.”

This incident triggered a major investigation that ultimately involved 167 man hours of HPP personnel time, as well as input from two forensic computer analysis firms, Stroz Freidberg and CCL.

Their conclusions are set out in detail, and it's not just about computers. It's claimed that Hoyle “removed from HPP's premises the hardcopy documents listed in Schedule A [the list is not in the public domain], each of which contains confidential F1 information.”

The main allegations concern documents that Hoyle is said to have saved to his new company laptop after April 17, including the following, although the implication is that more were involved:

• A race report from the Hungary 2015 Grand Prix which took place on 26 July 2015.

• Mileage and damage data relating to HPP's F1 engines in the 2015 F1 season until 14 September 2015.

• Files containing the code required to decrypt the raw data files.

• Files relating to the compressor performance of HPP's F1 engines.

• Encrypted raw data files, containing very detailed data about engine performance, used to produce the race reports.

Mercedes names another list of confidential F1 documents, 'Schedule B,' which has not been detailed.

In addition, there's a third list, 'Schedule C', which Hoyle is alleged to have downloaded to his mobile phone. As noted, employees are only allowed to use approved USB devices.

Mercedes also alleges that Hoyle downloaded files to other devices he personally owned, including a Toshiba laptop, an Acer tablet, two different micro SD cards, and a Kingston USB external hard drive.

In March 2015, when he was still on F1 duty, he is also said to have uploaded a Microsoft Excel file to an external website.

Mercedes adds that Hoyle was well aware of the restrictions under which he was supposed to be working, and that he took “anti-forensic steps to conceal the fact that he had saved to the laptop confidential information,” including deleting files, running a disc fragmenter programme, and “copying large numbers of innocuous files to 'fill' the hard drive of the laptop, overwriting the deleted material.”

In legal terms the main thrust of the case is the damage potentially caused to Mercedes, who say that “unless restrained from misusing HPP confidential F1 information, Mr Hoyle may continue to misuse, including by reviewing, such confidential F1 information, causing HPP to suffer loss and damage, in that its competitiveness will be impaired, with negative consequences on its profitability.”

Unlawful advantage

Although the matter now appears to be academic, the court documents make it clear that Mercedes had serious concerns about Ferrari getting a direct benefit, saying: “By reason of his unlawful conduct... Mr Hoyle and potentially Ferrari have gained an unlawful advantage.”

Mercedes makes it clear that Hoyle was supposed to be kept away from information “such as analysis of the performance of, and refinements to, HPP's F1 engine during the 2015 season,” and he had “defeated or undermined the said purpose.”

They say he had “refreshed his knowledge and/or memory of confidential information that pre-dated April 16….”

In other words, he had more F1 information in his head than he should have done at that stage had he not continued to have access to it.

And this is the crucial bit. The document states: “If Mr Hoyle joins or commences working for or otherwise assists Ferrari in January 2016, he will be able to make use of the said information, whether inevitably, inadvertently, or intentionally.

"Such use will be to Mr Hoyle's advantage, in the performance of his duties on behalf of Ferrari, and thereby to Ferrari's advantage.”

New goalposts

The key point Mercedes makes is that while it was prepared to let Hoyle join Ferrari in January 2016 once he had seen out his contract over 37 weeks without any F1 involvement, the goalposts had moved, and it wanted that garden leave reinstated.

It has requested what is legally termed “springboard relief,” which would keep Hoyle away from Ferrari (or anyone else) until the end of the 2016 season next November, or at the very least, until 37 weeks after the legal proceedings kicked off, which would be in July.

There's also a separate question of damages, compensation, and costs (specifically the expense of the investigation), although for Mercedes it's not about money, and documents suggest a maximum figure of £100,000.

New tensions

It's a messy situation for all concerned, and it has come to light shortly after Mercedes formally queried the Ferrari/Haas relationship by submitting questions to the FIA, albeit without specifically naming the teams that prompted its enquiry.

By coincidence that matter also involved gardening leave, in that Mercedes wanted to know what the FIA considered to be an appropriate break for anyone moving between teams. Of course, that was all about teams willingly sharing data, whereas this one is very different.

The remarkable thing is that despite the 2007 Spygate case serving as a warning for all, and despite the improvements in IT security in the intervening years, this case indicates that a key employee was potentially able to flout the company rules.

The concern for Mercedes is that the matter only came to light by chance – when someone happened to see what was on his colleague's laptop screen.

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Nico Rosberg after dark!

Find out what Nico Rosberg gets up to when he's not out on track on a race weekend in this exclusive evening diary. From Tumi to a Starwood event, Nico is one busy man!

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Paddock Predictor: who predicted the 2015 Formula 1 season correctly?

Look away now, Christian Horner... It's time to see how the paddock got on with their 2015 predictions.

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How Ferrari returned to the front: The outlook for 2016

In the final part, let's look at Ferrari's 2015 season, we analyse the Italian team's chances of taking the fight to Mercedes in 2016.

Now the dust has settled on the final round of the season, Formula One's attention has shifted to 2016. In truth, the teams' factories have been focused on next season for several months, but with the on-track action over for another year, the news agenda is finally catching up. The main talking point is clear: will Ferrari be able to take the challenge to Mercedes in 2016?

It's rare that two rival teams will agree on anything in F1, but at the end of this season both Mercedes and Ferrari estimated they were level pegging on power. Both sides analyse GPS data and top speeds to measure each other's progress, so the fact they came to the same conclusion suggests their power outputs are as close as they have ever been since the start of the V6 turbo era in 2014.

"Sadly you never have the luxury of putting your power unit and their power unit on the same dyno and having a dyno-off to find out who's got the most and the way you judge the opposition's power is a little more imprecise than that," Ferrari technical director James Allison explained to ESPN. "You could see from space last year we were nowhere, but with the sort of methods you can use to analyse, you can see that in the battle of Mercedes versus Ferrari we are there or thereabouts this year.

"But it doesn't mean we are resting on our laurels they are not going to stay still and there is much more to be done. But the power unit team and technical partners of the power unit team have had a remarkable 12 months to drag Ferrari up by its bootstraps to get to where we are today."

Mercedes' power output has not stood still this year, so not only has Ferrari closed a gap of roughly 50 bhp that existed in 2014, it has also matched the moving target of Mercedes' own development. After two years of domination in 2014 and 2015, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff admits his team is increasingly worried by the growing amount of red in its rear-view mirrors.

"Ferrari has made a big step from 2014 and considering the results we think that could well be the case for 2016. We take the Ferrari competition and threat very seriously. Competition is good and important for F1 for there to be more going on at the front. Ferrari is our best frenemy."

Many of the technical improvements Ferrari made this year were relatively low-hanging fruit. The mistakes of 2014 were easy to identify once testing got underway, but due to the FIA's freeze on engine development they could only be rectified for the start of 2015. Reproducing a similar step in performance over the coming winter will not be so easy.

What's more, the early signs suggest Mercedes will make a big step of its own in 2016. Rather than chase out-and-out horsepower in a season it had already sewn up, Mercedes' big in-season upgrade at the Italian Grand Prix was targeted at creating a prototype engine for 2016. The upgrade still brought performance, but its full force will not be felt until the opening round in Australia next March.

In order just to remain in touch next year, Ferrari must make sure the wave of development that carried it back to winning ways in 2015 continues to offer performance in 2016. Allison is confident there is still enough unlocked potential in the regulations to do that, but admits it will be tougher than last year.

"I think the regulations are still relatively young, the power units are already really impressive things, but the regulations are young and there is more to be had," he explained. "I think it was more straightforward last year because once we had figured out where the gain was at, it was easier for us to correct our error, but us, Mercedes, Renault and Honda are all working with a young set of regulations where there is opportunity.

"Our competition is certainly not going to be resting and I hope that we are not either. I hope that we can make steps next year, not only in our own absolute power -- that much is guaranteed -- but also in the hunger and skill of our people that will be enough to stick our noses in front."

Although the first test is still over two months away, Ferrari has made its targets for 2016 clear. Team principal Maurizio Arrivabene did not hold back in a recent press briefing, telling reporters "If you want my honest expectation, it is not to be closer to Mercedes but to be in front of them". Race driver Kimi Raikkonen says the early numbers from the factory look promising, but is not willing to read too much into them until the car hits the track.

"If you think what we have done from last year to this year, then we are going to make another step next year," he says. "I have 100% trust in everybody and we can see the numbers, but until we put the car on the circuit we will not really see where we are.

"And even if we are really happy and everything is like we expect, we don't know what the other side has done. Of course we are going to be stronger next year, but will it be good enough? Only time will tell."

But to focus too much on the engine would be a mistake. Ferrari may have matched Mercedes for power this year, but Raikkonen was still 0.814s off Nico Rosberg in the final qualifying session of the season in Abu Dhabi. Most of that gap appears to come from the chassis and aerodynamics. Allison says one of the biggest misconceptions around the current regulations is that Formula One has become an "engine formula".

"It's not an engine formula. You can say with absolute certainty it's more of an engine formula than it was at the end of the V8 era, because with frozen engines what could you do? But this formula that we enjoy today is much more like F1 used to be.

"Mercedes are not beating the other teams just because they have got some rocket ship engine, they have got a very good car. Ferrari has got the challenge of having to improve on all levels to beat them. The power unit is going to be a key part in that, but the chassis is also going to be a key part in that."

At this early stage Allison is not willing to give any more away about Ferrari's plans for 2016. Just like its rivals, the rest of us will have to wait until pre-season testing to see if all that hard work pays off.

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Pirelli to get up to 12 days of 2016 testing

Pirelli could get up to 12 days of testing over the course of the 2016 season following amendments to the sporting regulations put in place by the FIA.

The tyre manufacturer, which in October secured an extension to supply tyres in F1 until 2019, has been campaigning for more days of in-season testing, particularly ahead of the 2017 change in technical regulations which are looking to increase the speed and spectacle of the cars.

Indeed, with a substantial amount of a forecast 'five second per lap' gain set to come from the tyres, Pirelli had threatened to leave F1 if it couldn't be given more time to test tyres in 2016.

The FIA has now confirmed it holds the right to arrange up to 12 days of testing – six tests over two days – in 2016 with the 'sole purpose' of testing tyres.

“In consultation with the teams and the appointed tyre supplier, the FIA reserves the right to organise up to six two day tests for the sole purpose of providing the Supplier with the chance to test improvements to the design of their tyres.”

Pirelli has repeatedly expressed a desire to increase its testing time, with the FIA allowing it to arrange a 12 hour test at Abu Dhabi following the season finale at Yas Marina, while it will also hold a wet tyre test at Paul Ricard in Janaury.

The sporting regulations also laid out the selection process for the 'free choice' in tyres, saying the compounds must be chosen between eight and 14 weeks before an event, just a week after the FIA informs them of the compounds available.

"Competitors must then inform the FIA, no less than eight weeks before the start of each Event held in Europe and fourteen weeks before the start of each Event held outside Europe, which specifications of dry-weather tyres they wish to use for each of their drivers at the Event. From the thirteen sets of dry-weather tyres available to each driver."

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Williams hitting 2016 F1 aero targets says Rob Smedley

Williams is hitting all its targets in the windtunnel with its "significantly" different car for the 2016 Formula 1 season, according to performance chief Rob Smedley.

The Grove-based team secured third in the constructors' championship for the second successive year this term, allowing it to stop developing the 2015 machine and focus on both '16 and '17, when the rules are set for an overhaul.

Regarding his expectations for next season, Smedley is encouraged by results coming out of the factory.

"Of course, it's all relative," he said. "We could have a stellar development and Ferrari and Red Bull could have an even more stellar one.

"But everything we are seeing at the minute is good, we are hitting targets.

"We are always looking not just at headline numbers but in other areas of aero development, other important areas.

"It's all ongoing, it's a process of getting us back towards the front and at the minute we're reasonably happy with what we're seeing."

With the rules remaining relatively stable into next season, the cars are expected to be an evolution, with Fernando Alonso saying in Abu Dhabi that half the parts on his McLaren have been built for its 2016 car.

But when asked if Williams had done something similar in the final few races, Smedley said: "No.

"The car we have in the windtunnel for 2016 and the 2015 car we have now are significantly different so we couldn't do anything from an aerodynamic point of view.

"Other parts of R&D and mechanical design, yes we are trialling things all the time.

"Usually you need a package of upgrades with a mechanical car to see any significant laptime improvement.

"All of our significant laptime improvement is back in the windtunnel at Grove."

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“I’M A BETTER FORMULA 1 DRIVER THAN I WAS” – HOW SERGIO PEREZ TURNED IT AROUND IN 2015

Sergio Perez believes that he is now a better driver than he was in 2012, when he scored three podiums for Sauber, after making a breakthrough in the set-up of the B-spec Force India car that turned his 2015 Formula One season around.

The Mexican driver had only finished in the points on four occasions, with a best of seventh in Monaco, before Force India introduced its updated chassis at the British Grand Prix. He went on to be one of the highest scorers in the second half of the season, outside of the Mercedes, Ferrari and Williams drivers.

But, as Perez explained in an interview with Auto Motor und Sport, it took until the Belgian Grand Prix two races later for him to find the best way to set up the VJM08B. That discovery led to his run of seven top-ten finishes in the final nine races of 2015, which included third place at the Russian Grand Prix.

He said: “I had trouble finding the right setup. We had experimented a lot, [and got] bogged down. The turning point was the third practice in Spa. I had had to change everything on the car, and suddenly worked it.”

Perez highlighted the Sochi race as his result of the year, but reckons he is now driving better and more consistently than he did in 2012, when he scored three podiums – and a near win in the Malaysian race – in just his second season in F1.

He said: “[in] 2012 I stood on the podium three times, that was special. [but] on the other hand, this year I was much more consistant than three years ago and I’m a better driver than I was then.”

“[sochi was the best] not because I finished third there, [because] getting there was special. I changed tyres early and then had to hold the tyres until the very end of their life.”

Perez also described his unease at the first winter test of the season, when his early laps in the initial 2015 car felt worse than Force India’s 2014 challenger.

He said: “That was a big shock The car was even worse than we had thought, but the team never gave up. Nico [Hulkenberg] was seventh in Melbourne, and I was tenth. That gave us courage.”

Perez, who raced in front of his home crowd for the first time as the Mexican Grand Prix returned to the F1 calendar last month, said Force India’s ability to move up to fifth place in the championship even before it had produced its updated car encouraged him to re-sign with the team for 2016.

He said: “We were fifth [in the constructors’ championship] even before the debut of the B-version, although Lotus as yet had a better car than we did. That we achieved this strengthened my confidence in the team. [so at] that time I decided to stay with Force India.”

Force India was able to secure fifth place in the teams’ championship at the end of the season, the best result in its eight-year F1 history. Perez hopes the squad can do even better in 2016, but acknowledges it will be hard pressed to achieve that aim.

He said: “We want to raise [our result]. This is a huge task fora small team like us [and] I expect more than this season from some of our opponents next year.

“McLaren, for example, and Toro Rosso. We must also not underestimate Haas F1 [as] this is not really a new team with their connection to Ferrari. That will be a challenge from the start.”

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BUTTON: I THOUGHT I AM NOT SURE I WANT TO DO THIS ANYMORE

Jenson Button considered leaving Formula One this year as McLaren endured their worst season but said he decided to continue after talks with boss Ron Dennis and other key people at the team.

“Last year I wasn’t sure If I’d be racing and it wasn’t my choice,” the 35-year-old Briton told Sky Sports television.

“This year it was totally my choice and there was a moment where I thought ‘I am not sure I want to do this anymore and be where we are’. Obviously if we are where we are right now next year it is not going to be that enjoyable.”

McLaren, the second most successful team after Ferrari in Formula One in terms of race wins, finished ninth of 10 this season.

They have not won a race since 2012, with 2009 champion Button the last to do so, and their new partnership with Honda has been plagued by unreliability and a lack of performance that has seen the Briton and Spanish team mate Fernando Alonso languishing near the back.

There was considerable speculation earlier in the year that Button would announce his retirement but instead the most experienced driver on the starting grid, who made his debut in 2000, signed up for another season.

“I spent a lot of time with the engineers and the aerodynamicists and I spoke more with Ron in the two months when I was trying to decide what to do next year than I have in my whole time at McLaren,” said Button.

“So that got me excited, that got me pumped for next year knowing that there are big improvements on the horizon, and we need them.”

Alonso has two more years on his contract but Dennis told reporters last month that a possible sabbatical had been discussed if the car remained uncompetitive. The Spaniard subsequently ruled that out.

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HAMILTON: THERE’S ONLY ROOM FOR ONE NUMBER 1 IN THE TEAM

Even though Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has warned his drivers to stop bickering, Nico Rosberg has hit back at teammate Lewis Hamilton’s latest verbal jibe while the world champion stirred up things with his own provocative comments.

Hamilton told ITV his relationship with Rosberg has “definitely not” hit rock bottom, insisting most of the tension is because “There’s only room for one number 1 in the team”.

Indeed, Rosberg finished the season with a trio of wins from pole, with Hamilton returning fire as the season ended by insisting he has no plans to send his former childhood friend even a Christmas card.

Hamilton backtracked slightly on the British television programme This Morning by saying: “I’m happy to say Merry Christmas to Nico and to all your family. God bless you guys. I look forward to racing you next year.”

Hamilton’s latest taunt is that he thinks Rosberg so often complains because of his sheltered and opulent childhood in Monaco, in contrast to a more modest upbringing for the Briton.

“That seems to have become his favourite argument,” Rosberg hit back this week in the pages of Sport Bild. “He mentions my background every few months. The best response I can give is on the track. And I have shown I have a huge hunger to win.”

Team chief Wolff has said no less than twice since the end of the duo’s often bitter 2015 battle that Mercedes will have to re-think the lineup if the feuding does not stop.

And former Manor team boss Graeme Lowdon thinks Wolff’s recent comments were little more than “a gentle reminder” to the Mercedes driver pair, “It’s Toto’s job to remind everyone what their job is and l don’t think there is any menace there.”

Rosberg, meanwhile, said he is ready to do battle again in 2016, having “already digested” his defeat of this year, “I wanted to be world champion and I only finished second but fortunately the sport moves very quickly.”

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ECCLESTONE: THE MAJOR F1 SHAREHOLDER DOESN’T WANT TO SELL

According to F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone, a change in the future ownership of Formula 1 might not be as imminent as some in the paddock might have expected.

There has been takeover talk for months and he was quoted recently by German daily Handelsblatt as saying controlling shareholders CVC Capital partners were likely to decide by March.

However he told Sky that CVC, whose co-chairman Donald Mackenzie has been a regular presence at races, would take some persuading, “The bottom line is simple: in the end, the major shareholder really doesn’t want to sell. That’s really the truth of things.”

“People keep tempting him. And one day maybe…at the moment, there’s people that may be doing a little more than in the past. But I think it will be difficult to get him to say yes.”

Asked whether he might seek to increase his own five percent stake, Ecclestone did not rule it out.

He was also asked about comments made by Mercedes motorsport head Toto Wolff suggesting the dominant team could change their driver line-up if the relationship between triple champion Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg deteriorated further.

Ecclestone saw no threat to Hamilton who recently signed a new three-year deal, “He’s got a contract so he can hardly be set aside. And I can’t imagine a team would want to get rid of one of their best assets.”

Commenting on Red Bull’s problems with securing an engine for 2016, and Renault’s deliberations about their future, Ecclestone was relieved both had decided to stay, “If I’d have been (Red Bull owner Dietrich) Mateschitz, I’d have stopped. And I’m pleased that he didn’t.”

Renault, he added, were “more or less on the edge of leaving” before announcing this month that they were buying Lotus and returning as a full constructor.

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BOULLIER: OUR 2016 CAR IS ALREADY BETTER THAN THE 2015 ONE

McLaren says it will have a significantly different car for the 2016 season, after a disastrous year in which they renewed their partnership with Honda.

Clearly, the Woking outfit’s biggest problem this year has been its works Honda engine as it slumped to ninth in the constructors’ championship. But Jenson Button says the chassis was not perfect either.

“Hopefully next year we will be much higher on the grid because the whole package has improved,” he is quoted by Spain’s AS newspaper.

“I think we need to improve the ICE (engine) and the deployment (energy recovery) but we also need to improve the car in general,” the Briton added. “It was not the fastest (chassis) on the grid.”

Team boss Eric Boullier said next year’s McLaren will be significantly different, “Almost everything will change except the philosophy. Right now, our new car for next year is already better than this (2015) one.”

Honda’s Yasuhisa Arai confirmed: “As Eric says, our concept and philosophy remains but a completely new engine is being developed.”

2015 was annus horribilis for McLaren Honda, the team finished ninth – only better than perennial backmarkers Manor – in the constructors standings, thus marking McLaren’s worst points finish since 1980.

McLaren and Honda enjoyed a dominant period from 1988 to 1992, with Brazilian triple champion Ayrton Senna and French four-times champion Alain Prost winning 15 of 16 races in 1988.

The team won 44 grands prix, from 80 starts, during that five-year partnership.

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US GRAND PRIX WILL HAPPEN FOR SURE SAYS ECCLESTONE

Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone expects next year’s U.S. Grand Prix in Austin to go ahead, despite lingering doubts about state funding, but is less certain about the sport finding new owners in the near future.

“It will be (on), for sure, they will sort their finances out,” the 85-year-old said in a wide-ranging post-season interview with Sky Sports television.

The 23 October race in Texas, the only round in the United States and important for teams and sponsors, is on the 2016 calendar with an asterisk against it as subject to agreement with the commercial rights holder.

Ecclestone expressed concern last month after media reports that Texas state subsidies were being reduced by more than 20 percent to around $19.5 million. Bad weather this year also hit revenues significantly.

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NEW RULES COULD INSPIRE NEWEY TO REFOCUS ON F1

Looming Formula 1 rule changes could re-fire Adrian Newey’s motivation to continue work at the pinnacle of the sport.

With Red Bull’s famous but disgruntled car designer having lifted the throttle on F1 in order to concentrate on other projects, he was recently linked with a role at the F3 team Van Amersfoort to support his teenage son Harrison.

However Red Bull official Helmut Marko denied that to Auto Motor und Sport, “That has been clarified already. The Van Amersfoort team has denied it.”

Newey is, however, definitely already working with renowned sailor Ben Ainslie on his America’s Cup project.

“We have a gliding contract with him,” Marko explained. “Depending on requirements, he devotes his time to Formula 1 or to other activities. At the moment it’s about 50-50.”

But he said that percentage could change now that the sport has acknowledged the need to introduce significantly faster and more aggressive cars and engines for 2017 or 2018.

“Adrian worked a lot on the car this year,” Marko insisted, “but not with the same 100 per cent bite as before – he knew that we would not win, no matter what he did. But now with the new chassis rules, he has tasted blood once again.”