FORMULA 1 - 2015

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SPANIARDS RALLY BEHIND ALONSO AMID HIS STRUGGLES AT MCLAREN

Fernando Alonso’s countrymen have backed the Spaniard to eventually succeed at the wheel of a McLaren-Honda, despite a torrid start to his career with the Woking outfit.

McLaren’s early 2015 struggle, and his Ferrari successor Sebastian Vettel’s Malaysia breakthrough, caused many observers to question Alonso’s decision to switch teams over the winter.

But Roberto Merhi, a Spanish rookie for the Manor team, said it is not fair to surmise that Alonso made a poor choice in leaving Ferrari just as it was about to make a giant leap forwards.

“Nobody was expecting them to make that jump,” the 24-year-old told the Spanish sports daily Marca.

“Those criticisms of Fernando are not justified. Formula one is a very complex sport, and so choosing a team is often a pure lottery,” Merhi said.

“Let’s wait and see what happens by the end of the season or maybe even in a couple of years, because he always said that it was a medium-term commitment.”

Asked if he thinks McLaren-Honda can improve after its woeful start in 2015, Merhi insisted: “They already have. Between Australia and Malaysia they made great progress.”

Meanwhile, the president of Spain’s motor racing federation, Carlos Gracia, also backed Alonso’s decision to leave Ferrari for McLaren.

“The Ferrari story was very complicated,” he told El Confidencial newspaper. “I would have liked to have seen Fernando in this Ferrari, but his prospects now are also very good and we must respect his decision.”

“Honda has not returned to be a spectator, and while we talk about Ferrari, McLaren is also a team of great tradition that will use every means to develop the car.”

“I think by Spain or Monaco he will begin to be in contention, if not for victory then for a podium,” he added.

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FERRARI AND VETTEL LOVE AFFAIR KEEPS ON BLOSSOMING

Ferrari’s love affair with Sebastian Vettel – and vice versa – is in high gear as the German’s shares at Maranello soar in the aftermath of his shock victory in the recent Malaysian Grand Prix, and mutual admiration prevails in the corridors of the sport’s most successful team.

Last week, after a morning at work in the simulator, Vettel met all the staff of the Gestione Sportiva who had assembled together to celebrate the Sepang victory.

Vettel endeared himself even more to them by choosing to address them in Italian, and said, “[Malaysia] was a very emotional moment. I have won many races, but the first one with Ferrari is very, very special.”

“On Sunday night I wanted to celebrate with the mechanics and I said to them, ‘thanks a lot, but I want to be one of you, no more no less. I am part of the team and, even if out on track, I’m alone, I know that really I never am, because I am always with you. I want to thank you for giving me a nice car and I think, in fact I know, that we will experience many more great moments together.”

Team prinicpal Maurizio Arrivabene was also present, passing on greetings from absent Kimi Raikkonen, who according to the team boss had been in touch by phone from Finland, as he is there for his son’s christening.

Arrivabene reminded everyone that this win was only the starting point and that the team had to continue working with the utmost dedication and concentration to progress even further, “I think that, the: forza Ferrari! from Seb over the radio immediately after taking the chequered flag, was not just for the achievement of a childhood dream, but also for memories of the moments spent with another great champion, who won so much for Ferrari, namely Michael and above all there was the joy of being there with all of you.”

“You have been here for such a long time and you deserve it,” added the team boss.

Immediately after the triumph in the heat of Malaysia, Vettel was unrestrained in praise of his new team, “Grande gara, bella macchina! (A great race and a beautiful car). It was amazing to look down from the podium and see the mechanics, the engineers, the whole team and listen to the German and Italian anthems.”

“The atmosphere in the team has always been great, but it’s just getting better and better. For today, the important thing is for all of us to enjoy this moment together and celebrate. I did not swap teams that much in the past, so winning for a new team is always a relief.”

“Since I joined Ferrari I felt incredibly welcome and together we have worked to improve things. The potential, as I always said, is huge, it’s good to see what a step forward we did over the winter.”

“There were a lot of changes in the background which never make things easy, but everyone saw the positives of that,” declared Vettel on the occasion of his 40th grand prix victory which also happened to end a near two year victory drought for Ferrari.

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VAN DER GARDE SHEDS MORE LIGHT ON MELBIOURNE LEGAL SAGA

Giedo van der Garde has revealed the awkwardness of his situation at the 2015 Formula 1 season opener, as he pressed his claim for a race seat against Sauber.

Ultimately, the Swiss team settled its dispute with the Dutch driver with a reportedly multi-million euro payment. But until then, van der Garde argued hard that his valid 2015 race contract should be honoured by the team.

A Melbourne judge ordered that he be granted access to the Sauber garage at Albert Park for a seat fitting, and the 29-year-old now admits: “It felt very strange.

“I find it hard to describe what I really went through – (girlfriend) Denise can confirm that. But I knew that I must remain cool,” van der Garde told the Dutch magazine Formule 1.

“I should have gone to the team and said ‘Hello, I’m here to drive’. But then I went to the motorhome and nobody said anything. All those people I worked with before, ignored me. Nobody looks at you and you think to yourself: What’s going on?”

“I walked to [team manager] Beat [Zehnder] and he shoved me a race suit and shoes and said ‘Here’. I dressed in the garage to have the seat fitting, but the pedals were set up for [Marcus] Ericsson. Nothing could be changed.

“They didn’t adjust the foam — nothing. Just two mechanics [were there], as everyone else was sent away. That was very weird, because normally they would be there, working.

“I don’t know what the team told those guys, but if they are honest, they would acknowledge that they only received their salaries because of our early payment in 2014. And then suddenly we are the enemies, which is of course bullshit,” said van der Garde.

“I understand that they were worried their jobs were in jeopardy, but I think we deserved a little more credit,” he continued.

“Only the engineers behaved normally, saying: If I was treated like that, I too would stand up for my rights. It’s nice when you get respect like that, including from many drivers and team bosses.

“All in all it’s been good,” said van der Garde. “Sure, I’m out of the seat, my dream is gone, but I think it might change F1 now.

“I have spoken to Alexander Wurz, the chairman of the GPDA, and he is adamant that there should be better fairness in Formula 1. I hope he succeeds, because this must never happen again,” he concluded.

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DOMENICALI MAPPING THE FUTURE OF SINGLE SEATER RACING

At last year’s World Motor Sport Council in Doha, one notable order of business was the announcement that from this year former Ferrari Team Principal Stefano Domenicali would take the reins of the FIA’s Single-Seater Commission from outgoing President Gerhard Berger.

In the four years of Berger’s presidency the Federation on am ambitious plan to remodel the route to the top level of racing, creating a clear and simple pathway that would take young racers from karting all the way to Formula One.

The first fruits of that task have been delivered, through the creation of a reinvigorated Formula 3 European Championship and the establishment of the first national F4 championship, the first step beyond karting, in Italy. It is into this evolving landscape that Domenicali, who is combining his commission presidency with a role at automotive giants Audi, arrives, and he’s excited about the challenge.

“You do these things because you love motor sport and motor sport has been part of my life since I was a child,” he says. “My job is to make sure that my experience and vision of motor sport can influence the work of the commission in order to present to the World Motor Sport Council – and to the world of motor sport – ideas to make sure single-seater racing has a well-structured platform that can enable not only drivers but also young engineers and teams to develop a career and their business.

“I am enthusiastic about the task and also about the people working with me in the commission – they are very passionate guys, young professionals with a lot of motivation.”

F3 has, he says, “been a great success,” and the he is convinced the championship established by Berger is on a firm footing. “We have a very good basis with a good organiser and promoters that place the championship alongside regular large-scale events. F3’s place in that is well balanced with the other events and the visibility is good. The platform is solid and [as of February 2015] we’re working on the renewal of this agreement.”

F4, meanwhile, is at an early stage. Last year’s Italian championship was the first of a planned series of championships, run at national level by a country’s ASN, and Domencali is keen to see how the category develops in 2015 as more series are rolled out.

“This year, we will have at least seven championships, in seven nations,” he says, highlighting new championships in the UK, Japan, Australia, Germany, Spain, China and a series in the FIA’s northern European zone.

“It’s a very solid base with a good car. What is fundamental is that over the next three years we make sure that each of these championships, and the ones that follow, are good, well managed, that costs are kept under control, and if we are able to do that, that will be a fantastic starting point.”

He is also targeting the US a territory where he feels F4 might flourish. “I spoke with [uS national motor sport authority] ACCUS to organise a meeting with the company that is working on the basic formula. We need to involve an engine manufacturer and a chassis manufacturer, and that’s really the starting point. That meeting is set to happen soon.”

He is also certain that the role of ASNs and the FIA in these first rungs on the ladder go beyond simple regulation.

“I believe that from a federation point of view what we want to do is make sure we create the right steps so that from an experience point of view, drivers arrive in F1 well prepared,” he says. “We need to make sure that race stewards can be considered not only as regulators but as educators, helping drivers to grow.”

Logically, the final step on the ladder is Formula 2 – the creation of which was approved at the most recent meeting of the World Motor Sport Council in March.

It is a huge project and one Domenicali says must involve as many of the sports existing stakeholders as possible.

“We need to make sure that everyone who is interested in these new projects has the freedom to come and discuss them with us,” he says. “There is no agenda for us beyond building what we believe to be the best, most competitive, affordable series possible to allow drivers to make the final step and to create a clearly understandable path.”

The track ahead is clearly complex but Domenicali remains excited by the task. “We know that the context is not easy but this is what we stand for. So when the FIA President, Jean Todt, asked me I said OK, thank you very much, let’s go. Now I’m starting to work towards presenting something that can be good for the benefit of motor sport.”

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RICCIARDO: WITH THESE TYRES YOU DRIVE THE OUT-LAP LIKE YOUR GRANDMA

In an era of excessive and controlled tyre wear, with the life of the option tyre being measured in corners rather Daniel Ricciardo explains what is required to make sure that he optimised his tyres ahead of a hot lap during qualifying.

Speaking ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix weekend, the Red Bull driver explained how the tyres work, “The fact it comes in straight away is awesome. In qualifying, you drive the out-lap like your grandma, desperately trying to not kill it before the flying lap starts.”

But added, “I still prefer it to the scenario with a tyre that takes three laps to come in.”

Ricciardo is hoping that Red Bull can find some better performance in the RB11, as he has struggled to stay on the pace so far this season – being lapped during the recent Malaysian Grand Prix.

Speaking about Shanghai International Circuit and its famous long main staright, Ricciardo joked, “Yep, it’s long alright. You could drink a can of Red Bull driving down it. I’ve heard quite a few drivers saying it’s pretty boring. Ha! If they think it’s boring in a Formula 1 car, they should have tried coming here in Formula BMW.”

“I drove here as a kid, all massive afro and enthusiasm and, trust me, it was the sort of straight where I’d definitely have been reaching for a book if I’d had one,” he said.

As for the special bits that standout, Ricciardo ventured, “The paddock – it’s enormous! You need to be an athlete just to get around. As for the track itself, I’d call it ‘technical’. Turns One, Two and Three are all very long and technical. I don’t think there’s any other corner like it on the calendar. And it’s very, very aggressive on the front tyres.”

As for the biggest city in the world on the horizon, Ricciardo said, “The city’s pretty cool and the markets in particular are a bit of an eye-opener. They seem to have more technology than I ever thought existed.”

“I stay close to the track, so I’ll only really dip into the city for one day, to do a bit of shopping or go out. I’ve found a few nice restaurants in the last few years, and I do like the local food,” added the big smiling Australian.

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SIR FRANK WILLIAMS: BERNIE CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN

Sir Frank Williams has become a very wealthy man as founder and team principal of the Williams Formula 1 team, but there were times when he traveled to Monaco for a grand prix with a less than a thousand quid for the race weekend, but that was before Bernie Ecclestone arrived on the scene.

Williams told Motor Sport magazine in an interview, “Until [bernie] arrived, F1 was just another European motoring activity, but he was the one who realised that it was seriously under-developed commercially. He saw the opportunity.”

“The team bosses never thought Bernie was getting too big for his boots, because his brilliant negotiating powers were able to secure very good deals for us for each and every Grand Prix.”

“He is hugely clever, which everybody knows, but people on the outside don’t realise that he also has a fantastic sense of humour. Bernie came down from heaven: you can quote me on that,” insisted Williams.

Formula 1 four decades ago was light years away from the multi-billion dollar business it has become today. Williams began his foray into the top tier of the sport when he entered the late Piers Courage for the 1969 Monaco Grand Prix at the wheel of a Brabham.

Williams explained, “Formula 1 was very different then, in those pre-Bernie days. Seven of us went to Monaco: me, three mechanics, the truckie, Piers and his wife Sally. Sally did the timekeeping. I was paid £900 (about €1200) to turn up with one car, and £900 didn’t go very far in Monte Carlo, even then.”

“I had to borrow money from Piers to pay the hotel bill,” recalled Williams who since then has seen his team go on to collect nine Formula 1 constructors’ titles, seven drivers’ titles and win 114 grands prix in the process.

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PIRELLI BOSS WANTS F1 TO SPICE UP THE SHOW BEFORE 2017

Pirelli motorsport boss Paul Hembery has urged Formula 1 to make changes before the company commits to a new contract.

The Italian tyre supplier’s F1 chief told the Guardian newspaper that he fully supports efforts by Bernie Ecclestone to spice up the ‘show’.

Hembery admitted one good change has been the ban on driver helmet livery changes.

“The driver has to become an international superstar, like David Beckham,” said the Briton. “But we’ve got drivers who don’t understand why it’s crap to change a helmet every race, and moan and ***** about it.”

Now, ahead of the next official tender process to be the sport’s official tyre supplier, Hembery said Pirelli wants even more changes.

In Malaysia, Ecclestone talked about all-female F1 races, mixed up grids, mid-race sprinklers and the return of double-points.

Hembery said: “I thought qualifying on Friday night was a good idea, so you can actually win something, and the promoters have something to sell. And maybe a sprint race on the Saturday, an extra product, so Saturday fans actually see a result and podium places.

“It’s not for us to tell people what should change, and how it should change, but change is needed,” he added.

“We’re anxious to understand what’s going to happen in 2017, when we will be looking at a new contract. We’d like to see what the plan is.

“We are in the entertainment business,” said Hembery. “Some people get ruffled by that idea, but if we don’t entertain people don’t watch us, and then the sponsors won’t come, and the cycle continues.

“The current business model is clearly not working for enough people. Change is needed and the current mechanism for change is very cumbersome and very slow. We’ve got too many people with different vested interests.

“Someone has got to put a marker in the ground and say this is it. We can’t spend another year going round in circles trying to find the big compromise,” added Hembery.

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RAIKKONEN INVESTED IN NASR’S CAREER

Felipe Nasr has revealed that Kimi Raikkonen helped to fund his rise to Formula 1.

In the first two grands prix of his career, Brazilian rookie Nasr clashed on track with Ferrari’s Raikkonen.

But the 22-year-old has told the broadcaster Canal Latin America that he is in fact close to Finn Raikkonen.

In 2010, Nasr drove in F3 for the ‘Double R’ team, founded by Raikkonen and his manager Steve Robertson. Robertson is now also Nasr’s manager.

Nasr said: “Kimi is one of the people who put money into my career, when my family could no longer afford it.”

Nasr had a good start to his F1 career, with his fifth place in Melbourne meaning he remains ahead of some grandee rivals like Valtteri Bottas and Daniel Ricciardo.

Nonetheless, his strong backing by the sponsor Banco do Brasil means some still refer to him as a pay driver.

“What is the problem with having a sponsor on my car?” he insists. “What is the difference being supported by Red Bull and they will pay for your drive than having a (different) sponsor that wants to be with you?”

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VERGNE BELIEVES HE HAS CHANCE FOR 2016 F1 RETURN

Former F1 driver Jean-Eric Vergne says he will try to return to the grand prix grid in 2016.

The Frenchman was dropped by Red Bull’s junior team Toro Rosso at the end of last year, and he is now a simulator driver for Ferrari whilst racing in the Formula E series.

He says he is enjoying Formula E, “You know, when you come from formula one but you are not in the best team and you need to beat a teammate who has a weight advantage, the whole of the season, and then you arrive in a car where everybody has the same, no weight disadvantage or these kinds of problems -– it’s extremely easy.”

He said Formula E is more, “In F1, if you touch one wheel or one white line, then you’ve got a drive through penalty or a 10 second penalty,” said Vergne. “I don’t find that it’s really racing so much anymore.”

But Vergne said he does not think his F1 opportunity has passed, “I don’t feel bad. I quit Toro Rosso but I arrived in Ferrari and I still have chance to get back next year. I wouldn’t say you’d get a chance after being away for two years, but after just one year, there’s a chance.”

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WILLIAMS PREVIEW CHINESE GRAND PRIX

Aerodynamic performance is tested at the Chinese Grand Prix thanks to the circuit’s 1km back straight and its combination of sweeping turns.

The back straight is a great place for overtaking, but not the only opportunity on the track, the layout’s demanding corners test the Pirelli tyre whilst fans cheer on their heroes in the 24,000 capacity grandstand.

An addition to the calendar in 2004, the first sequence of corners on the track have been described as one of the hardest in Formula One as fast entry speeds are quickly discarded under heavy breaking due to a tightening track for almost 270° before quickly changing direction.

The Chinese Grand Prix is host to the continuing growing fan base in Asia amongst whom there are many Valtteri Bottas supporting Finns.

Rob Smedley: “On the back of a very hot race in Malaysia, we head to China where we are expecting considerably different conditions. It is often a struggle to get the temperature in to the tyres for qualifying, and you then have to manage front left tyre degradation in the race. That struggle will be even tougher this year with the improved rear Pirelli construction. It’s a challenging circuit, with a tough left hander before one of the longest straights on the calendar. The turn 1, 2, 3 complex is also very interesting and offers a good technical challenge. There are two different techniques here for a quick qualifying lap and a quick race lap, so we will work through these early in the weekend to be prepared. We have a few upgrades coming to the FW37 that we are expecting to deliver an increase in performance. There is always a high probability of rain, so we will also need to be prepared for this possible curveball.”

Felipe Massa: “China is a similar track to Barcelona where we have conducted most of our pre-season testing, so we have a lot of data that can assist us in setting up the car. The track is harsh on the front tyres, often resulting in graining. It’s a good circuit, and you will always see overtaking there due to the long straight, which has the added DRS effect as well.”

Valtteri Bottas: “China is a good fun circuit to drive. The long and high speed corners give it a good character, plus it has a very long back straight which aids overtaking and makes the races more interesting. There is a lot of support for the Finns in China which is great to see and they are passionate about Formula One too.”

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TORO ROSSO DRIVERS PREVIEW CHINESE GRAND PRIX

Toro Rosso drivers preview the Chinese Grand Prix, Round 3 of the 2015 Formula 1 World Championship, at the Shanghai International Circuit.

Carlos Sainz: “China is a circuit that I don’t know at all, in a country that I don’t know very well, so I am looking forward to enjoying a new experience. It’s a very special and unusual circuit according to what the team engineers tell me. Normally, with the Pirelli tyres, the rear end of the car is the most difficult to deal with, but in Shanghai it’s the front axle that requires the most careful attention as you can have some front graining. That means it could be similar to conditions we encountered during winter testing. The track looks challenging, with really long corners taken at high speed, which is something I am looking forward to. When I was a kid, I didn’t like Chinese food, but now I am acquiring a taste for it, so I’m looking forward to experiencing the real thing!”

Max Verstappen: “I’ve been to China a few times already, although I have never been to Shanghai or the circuit there. The track looks nice, especially the long right hander first corner, it seems pretty cool. It’s always exciting to go to a new circuit, so I’m really looking forward to the weekend and meeting some new Chinese fans.”

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MCLAREN PREVIEW CHINESE GRAND PRIX

McLaren drivers and team management preview the Chinese Grand Prix, Round 3 of the 2015 Formula 1 World Championship, at the Shanghai International Circuit.

Fernando Alonso: “I have lots of positive memories of racing in China – I’ve won there twice, and I really enjoy the track. Like Sepang, it’s got a real mix of corners and some interesting fast stuff around the back of the circuit. Despite those similarities, however, I don’t think our car package will be as well suited here as it was in Malaysia, especially if the weather is as cold and windy as it usually is in early springtime in Shanghai. Nonetheless, the steps we took between Australia and Malaysia were extremely impressive: it was a great feeling to be able to mix it with other cars and drivers, and I hope we can do more of the same in China this weekend. That sort of progress really gives the whole team belief and confidence in the path we’re taking, so I hope we can keep moving forwards every time we take to the track.”

Jenson Button: “It’s a pity we didn’t finish the race in Malaysia. We’d made solid progress up until that point in the weekend, and it would have been a fantastic boost to get a car home in amongst some of the cars in the midfield pack. Still, it’s a target to aim for in China, and I hope we can build upon our pace and performance in Malaysia. However, China’s two long straights – each preceded by slow- to medium-speed corners – will place extra emphasis on the power-unit. And there is a feeling that the expected cooler weather will make it harder to generate tyre temperature – which could mean that any progress we make doesn’t necessarily translate to a laptime benefit. But there is definitely progress being made, and it’s great to be able to play a role in helping move the whole team forwards. It’ll be fascinating to see how much change we can effect over the forthcoming races.”

Eric Boullier, racing director: “We came away from the Malaysian Grand Prix weekend feeling optimistic about our state of development and the improvements we’d made relative to our closest rivals. However, we don’t take anything for granted, and are fully aware that the next two races probably won’t show quite the same rate of improvement as we witnessed at Sepang. That’s a natural consequence of the fact that, first, the performance gains we’re finding aren’t linear in fashion – some will be for performance, some for efficiency, and others for reliability; and, second, because the different tracks subtly colour and shade pace in ways that can be hard to read, particularly from the outside looking in. Nonetheless, we’re pushing hard on every front to improve our competitiveness, and our aim is to bring continuous developments to both chassis and power unit to every race, at a rate that enables us to catch and pass the teams ahead of us.”

Yasuhisa Arai, chief officer of motorsport, Honda R&D Co Ltd: “We felt positive heading into last month’s Malaysian Grand Prix, as we’d managed to introduce a successful update to the power unit in the weeks between the first and second rounds of the championship. It was therefore disappointing to see both cars retire at Sepang – Fernando with an ERS cooling issue, and Jenson with a turbo problem. In the next two races we’ll face Shanghai’s two long, full-throttle straights and the high fuel consumption of Bahrain – both will be new challenges for our power unit. At Honda, we’ll work to balance both good energy management and positive reliability in an aim to be more competitive in these upcoming races.”

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FORCE INDIA PREVIEW CHINESE GRAND PRIX

Sahara Force India looks ahead to round three of the 2015 Formula 1 world championship season in Shanghai.

Vijay’s Vision: “The first two races of the season have seen varying fortunes for Sahara Force India. After scoring points in Australia, it was more of a challenge in Malaysia where Nico and Sergio showed their fighting spirit and enjoyed plenty of TV airtime as a result. Both weekends were valuable learning opportunities for us as we work hard to improve the VJM08. Everyone in the team deserves credit for the strong reliability of the VJM08, but there is a long way to go on the development path. We know the areas we need to improve and I’ve been impressed with the attitude of the team. The morale is strong and we will keep fighting hard to score as many points as we can in these early races. The upcoming weekend in China will be an interesting one. We will try and take some steps forward, based on what we have learned in Malaysia, and we will go to Shanghai targeting points. Formula One put on a very good show in Sepang so let’s hope for more close racing this weekend.”

Nico on China: “Shanghai is a cool place. I always stay in the centre of the city and you can feel the buzz of the place. There is so much happening and everybody is very busy all the time. The track has a mix of everything – low, medium and high-speed corners, so it’s quite similar to Sepang with a big emphasis on aero performance. The quick corners are tough on the tyres and high degradation is a big factor in this race. The never-ending turn one also takes the life out of the tyres, especially the front left. It’s a fun track to drive and a challenge to get right. I’m not going there with any big expectations, but we’ve got to believe we can fight for some points. It wasn’t possible in Malaysia, but we certainly put up a good fight and will keep working hard. I think our performance level will be similar this weekend.”

Sergio on China: “I’m looking forward to this weekend and getting back in the car. The first two races have not been the easiest for me, but as a team we’ve been fighting hard and doing all that we can to find more performance. We have lots of areas to improve, but it’s a long season and it feels like we are moving in the right direction. Shanghai has never been the luckiest circuit for me. It was only last year that I scored my first points there. It’s a track that I enjoy because of the unusual characteristics. Turn one is a real challenge, especially in qualifying because you need to carry so much speed into the corner, but it’s easy to run wide and lose a lot of time. The long back straight is also interesting because you get a lot of drag races. It’s where horsepower and top speed are important. Sometimes you see three cars wide and lots over overtaking into the hairpin. It’s definitely the best passing opportunity of the lap.”

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MERCEDES PREVIEW THE CHINESE GRAND PRIX

Mercedes drivers and team management preview the Chinese Grand Prix, Round 3 of the 2015 Formula 1 World Championship, at the Shanghai International Circuit.

Lewis Hamilton: “Malaysia was a tough weekend. It always is with the heat – but with car problems on Friday, rain during qualifying on Saturday and a race which didn’t go to plan on Sunday, this one was particularly challenging. I think ultimately we made the best choices we could – but there is always room for improvement and we’ve been working hard to analyse everything for the next race in China. Shanghai is one of my favourite locations – simply because of the fans. I don’t know how, but from the moment we land at the airport they know we’re there. It really is amazing to see the support we get. The circuit itself is a different challenge to Albert Park and Sepang – but it’s one I really enjoy and it suits my driving style quite well. I won the race last year and have only finished outside of the podium places twice, so the target is definitely to build on that and get back to the front.”

Nico Rosberg: “The last race weekend was not great for me. I didn’t get my lap together in qualifying, then losing time in the pits made it a tough race to fight back and try to catch Lewis. We’ve definitely learned some lessons and it’s time to take that to the track in China. Shanghai is a great circuit for me. It’s where I got my first pole and my first win back in 2012 – my third season with the Silver Arrows. It’s not been a perfect start to my sixth year with the team and I’m determined to turn that around this weekend. Of course, my team-mate will have other ideas – and so will my compatriot in the red car, I’m sure. But this is a track that has always suited me well, so I’m aiming to put in a strong weekend.”

Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: “We left Malaysia with plenty to think about. It may have been a good result for the sport – but for us, it was a wake-up call. This is something you cannot afford to happen often and, although we had two cars on the podium, we have been looking very carefully at every area where we could have performed better. Our opposition has raised its game and we must now raise ours even further; as we have said since Melbourne, we expect a season-long battle for both World Championships and we must maximise every opportunity. China is the next chance to do that – a circuit which has been a good hunting ground for the team. Lewis has a great record here and for Nico, it’s where he made his first step into the winners circle. We have the weapons at our disposal – and we need to make the most of them this weekend.”

Paddy Lowe, Executive Director (Technical): “As with every race, we’ve spent time analysing the weekend in Sepang to identify areas for improvement. The most significant weakness was our tyre management during long runs. Exceptionally high track temperatures – even by Malaysian standards – contributed to this, however it is essential to have a car which performs at all circuits and in all conditions, so there is work to be done on that front. China presents a different challenge. Temperatures can vary dramatically year-on-year, but are generally quite low. It’s also a front-limited circuit – the opposite of Sepang – with a good mix of corners and a long straight, so it will be interesting to see how the different cars perform at yet another circuit characteristic for this new season. It is now clearer than ever that there is serious competition for this World Championship, so we will continue to work flat out for performance gains. We have a range of new aerodynamic developments for Shanghai and are targeting an improved performance from Malaysia.”

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Rosberg laments poor start to 2015

Nico Rosberg is determined to bounce back in Shanghai and produce a "strong weekend" after "learning some lessons" last time out.

The German is the first to admit that "it's not been a perfect start" to the season after he played second fiddle to Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton at the first race in Australia.

In Malaysia he dropped even further behind as he was unable to keep up with the Hamilton-Sebastian Vettel battle at the front.

Rosberg has slipped to third in the standings, 10 points behind pacesetter Hamilton, and he knows he needs to turn things around pretty quickly if he doesn't want to lose further ground.

"It's not been a perfect start to my sixth year with the team and I'm determined to turn that around this weekend," he said.

"Of course, my team-mate will have other ideas - and so will my compatriot in the red car, I'm sure. But this is a track that has always suited me well, so I'm aiming to put in a strong weekend."

The 29-year-old, though, is optimistic about his chances at Shanghai as he claimed his maiden Formula 1 victory at the track back in 2012.

"The last race weekend was not great for me," he said. "I didn't get my lap together in qualifying, then losing time in the pits made it a tough race to fight back and try to catch Lewis.

"We've definitely learned some lessons and it's time to take that to the track in China. Shanghai is a great circuit for me. It's where I got my first pole and my first win back in 2012 - my third season with the Silver Arrows."

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Watson: McLaren title hunt two years away

Former F1 driver John Watson believes McLaren are likely to only be in a position to challenge for the Championship in 2017.

The Woking-based squad's revived relationship with Honda is off to a shaky start with the MP4-30 struggling with reliability issues during pre-season and the first two races of the campaign.

Both Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button have vowed to help the team to return to the right end of the grid so that they can challenge for the title, but former McLaren driver Watson warns it will take a couple of seasons.

"It will take maybe until the end of the year to expose the full potential of what they've got," he told GPUpdate.net.

"In 2016 they will be looking to win races, and to be a serious contender, and 2017, all things being equal, will be when they consider if they are in a position to challenge for a championship.

"But it's going to take this year, next year and the following year for this to come to fruition."

Button finished two laps behind the race winner Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes in Australia, but Fernando Alonso believes they made up about 1.5s between the Melbourne race and the Malaysian GP.

Watson feels the Woking squad will take another step forward in China this weekend.

"It looks as if they've got a decent car, a decent chassis, which probably when an engine comes – in terms of being able to turn it up – is going to be a strong challenger," he said.

"But they're having to go through the pain of doing their development in a very public arena.

"I would hope that between now and China that what's going on at [McLaren's headquarters in] Woking and [Honda's facilities] in Japan will see performance and reliability improvements.

"I would anticipate a much stronger performance than we have seen so far in the first two events."

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Damage limitation for Hulkenberg

Nico Hulkenberg believes the only thing missing for Force India is speed, but it is a case of damage limitation until they upgrade the VJM08.

Force India made a delayed start to the 2015 campaign with their new challenger only unveiled at the final pre-season test in Barcelona at the end of February.

Despite the car's limited running before the start of the season, Hulkenberg finished seventh in the first race in Australia while team-mate Sergio Perez was down in 10th.

However, they struggled in the heat at Malaysia last time out and Hulkenberg admits they need a bit more speed.

"I don't think that [the late car launch] has set us too far back," he told Germany's Auto Motor und Sport. "The package is so reliable. The only thing missing is speed. We have reached the limit of the car pretty quickly."

When asked if he is looking forward to the first upgrade on the VJM08, he replied: "Until then, we need to limit the damage."

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No need for rule changes to catch Mercedes - Renault

Renault are confident they will eventually close the gap to Mercedes without the need for equalisation measures or a change in the regulations.

The French supplier to Red Bull and Toro Rosso has struggled to match the power output Mercedes has achieved, with most estimates putting their unit about 50 horsepower down.

That prompted Red Bull team principal Christian Horner to call on the FIA to step in and equalise things, either by relaxing development rules or by slowing Mercedes.

But Renault Sport F1 managing director Cyril Abiteboul says such measures aren't required as it's only a matter of time before they're evenly matched in the performance department.

"I would never say that we need to change the regulations in order to be assisted to catch up," he told ESPN.

"I think we believe there is absolutely no reason why we could not catch up. I guess the question is just when and the amount of time needed to catch up.

"At some point at time the law of diminishing returns will kick in and it will kick in for Mercedes first and then Ferrari. This law will help us in catching them, although I'm not saying we are waiting for them to be limited.

"Clearly we are behind and need to develop faster and that will be supported by this law. That will happen, we have to be a bit patient but also we have to build a plan so that this delay and period that is difficult for the Red Bull-Renault group is as short as possible."

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James Allison explains Ferrari's nose design

James Allison has explained the reasons behind Ferrari's long nose design this year and revealed that the team is working on shorter versions as a part of future updates.

From launch it was clear Ferrari had adopted a different philosophy to its nose design than most of its main rivals. Unlike the short noses on the Mercedes, Red Bull and Williams for example, the Ferrari design sees the nose tip extend beyond the front edge of the front wing.

The general thinking among Ferrari's rivals is that the shorter the nose the better and Red Bull is believed to have an even shorter nose in the pipeline which has yet to pass the necessary crash tests to make it to the car. Although the Ferrari appears to be the odd one out among the front runners, Allison explained that the design of the front bulkhead means it is unlikely the nose on the SF15-T will get significantly shorter.

"We will keep working on it, is the honest answer," he said when asked if there were plans for a shorter nose. "There's a few physical limitations, the rules for the crash tests are such that you have to absorb a certain energy without going above a certain G level, and that requires your nose to be a minimum length.

"Where our front bulkhead is makes it rather difficult for us to get a nose that is super-duper short and still pass the crash test. We can go shorter than we are now, but we probably can't go as short as some of the others, but that's one of those things."

Allison said the updates would continue to come thick and fast to the Ferrari as the team aims to consistently challenge Mercedes for wins.

"We're not going to stay conservative, we ae going to be shovelling performance onto the car as quickly as we can find it and make it. There is a bag load in the pipeline at the factory at the moment and that will find its way onto the car as soon as we can. There will be more coming after that, but the aero programme is performing strongly and these are still quite young aero rules, so we can expect more from it.

"Ditto the engine, the whole situation with the tokens means it's a very different situation to last year and, notwithstanding the gains we've made to date, we think we can add a lot more during the year."

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A voice to listen to..?

Max Mosley, the FIA President from 1993 to 2009, says that the sport needs to take a serious look at the way money is spent, and the way revenue is distributed. The 74-year-old says that something needs to be done to avoid Formula 1 from collapsing. One might think this is a rebuke of the way that the Commercial Rights Holder takes money out of the sport, but at the same time, it is a smack on the side of the head for the FIA, which is doing nothing to save the sport from the mess it is in.

“Half the teams simply can’t compete because they haven’t got enough money,” Mosley said.

“To me that is wrong. You would not allow one team to run a bigger engine than another and yet if one team has five times as much money, the effect is exactly the same. It’s not fair from the sporting point of view. The only way to deal with it is to get everybody to agree. You can sit all the teams down and say ‘Look, collectively we’ve got a massive problem because some of you have enough money, but most of you don’t and if we go on like this Formula 1 is going to collapse, so I am inviting you all to agree to a change’. Unfortunately, you cannot so it without unanimity.”

The FIA under Jean Todt seems to be fixated on things outside the sport, clearly not understanding that any FIA is judged solely in achievements in the sport, as the rest of the work done receives zero coverage. Given that the federation had been next to useless in recent years in terms of communication about F1, there is no hope that it will have achieved anything outside the sport. The good news do that the in recent days the federation got a new head of communication. He cannot do worse than the last incumbent, so there is hope that something positive will come from the appointment. Having said that Jean Todt is not very good at communication and, it seems, does not listen to advice. It would be wise to listen to Mosley who, despite his faults, did a decent job running the federation.

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Coulthard apologises for Indian flag incident

Former Formula 1 driver David Coulthard had to apologise for an incident with the Indian flag during a Red Bull event on Sunday.

The Scot drove one of Red Bull's old Formula 1 cars as part an the Red Bull Show Run 2015 India in Hyderabad.

During the event, Coulthard dropped an Indian flag on the ground while he was trying to put it inside a car.

The 13-time grand prix winner offered an apology for the incident afterwards.

"I must apologise for dropping the flag," said Coulthard.

"From my point of view we don't have this tradition or rule in our country. So, I would never disrespect the country and I would never disrespect the flag.

"So, I hope you understand that I can only act as to what is normal for me and according to the rules in my country.

"I am really sorry, I cannot know the rules of every country so apologies to your nation.

"I have tremendous respect for India and respect for the flag and the people."

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Toro Rosso 'doesn't care' if it beats Red Bull in 2015 F1 standings

Toro Rosso says its target is not to beat Red Bull in the constructors' championship but instead ensure a career-best fifth place in the end-of-season Formula 1 standings.

Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz Jr's seventh and eighth places in front of Red Bull's Daniil Kvyat and Daniel Ricciardo in the Malaysian Grand Prix moved Toro Rosso past RBR into fifth in the 2015 teams' points.

It marked the first time since the second race of the 2009 season that Toro Rosso - which has never finished a season higher than sixth in the standings - had led Red Bull in the points.

But team boss Franz Tost said he was holding to his pre-season target of fifth in the standings rather than focusing on upstaging the senior team.

"Our target is not to finish ahead of Red Bull," Tost told AUTOSPORT. "Our target is to finish at the end of the season in fifth place in the constructors'.

"Whoever is behind us, I don't care.

"If you don't finish in the points then we cannot achieve our targets."

Toro Rosso's technical chief James Key said the team was now starting to prove to the outside world that its ambitious top-five goal was realistic.

"People had a bit of uncertainty when we said that, but we knew that we had made a decent step over the winter and we weren't taking anything for granted," he said.

"We felt that hopefully we'd done enough to put our car into a competitive enough condition to compete for something like P5.

"The guys around us that we've got to compete with are big teams with a lot of resources, so for us it's not easy, but you've got to have a go at it.

"The good thing is that everyone can believe now that what we've done is a reasonable effort. So psychologically it makes a big difference."

Despite Toro Rosso's relatively small size, Key believes it can hang on as larger teams develop after troubled starts.

"You know you have to look behind too - McLaren obviously have had few issues to recover and improve with their engine partner as the season goes," he admitted.

"The guys around us will all develop pretty well too.

"We haven't forgotten that, we started our European updates back in November and they're OK, so we've got a lot of stuff to come."

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No B-spec Force India 2015 Formula 1 car until Austrian Grand Prix

Force India has pushed back the introduction of its B-spec Formula 1 car until the Austrian Grand Prix in late June, according to deputy team principal Bob Fernley.

The manufacturing of the 2015 chassis was delayed because of an issue with suppliers and a decision to switch windtunnels to Toyota's facility in Cologne.

Fernley admitted in Australia that the early ambition was just to pick up points where possible under a major upgrade arrived.

It had been hoped that the updated car would run at the Monaco GP in May, round six of the world championship, but Fernley said the plan has changed.

"The development is going well, but we won't see that until probably Austria," he told AUTOSPORT.

"It's a major B-spec car as we're looking to introduce a significant upgrade.

"We felt we might as well try and hold with what we can and then hopefully we can bolt on an improvement.

"I'm not saying it will take us ahead but hopefully it will put us back into the pack which is where we need to be."

Fernley said development in the windtunnel is expected to continue until April.

He believes introducing the car in Austria makes more sense than to do so at the preceding European round in Monaco a month earlier.

"Austria is a good place to do it because we've got a test after that so it is an opportunity to hone the car," he said.

"There is more logic in that than trying to rush it and get it to Monaco where it won't be a huge benefit.

"Montreal follows so it makes sense to suffer pain a bit more and hopefully succeed with the programme."

When asked about the reason for pushing the date of introduction back, Fernley said: "We've just been getting the windtunnels operating.

"People don't realise what a big programme it is to move it to Cologne."

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RENAULT LOOK TO BUY LOTUS AND RETURN TO ENSTONE

Lotus F1 Team has reportedly moved into pole position to be taken over by the French manufacturer Renault.

Dissatisfied with its current status as mere supplier to Red Bull, the marque has been in talks with the energy drink company’s junior team Toro Rosso about a buyout.

But Dr Helmut Marko said last week that a sale to Renault is in fact not likely, as Red Bull wants to maintain is “close relationship” with Toro Rosso.

He said the “more likely” scenario is that Toro Rosso simply takes on a “yellow livery to have a better marketing platform” for Renault. “But of course the figures have to correspond.”

It now appears that Renault is looking elsewhere. Writing on his blog Ralf Bach claims Renault has €30 million to spend on buying into a team, with former Mercedes chief Bob Bell put in charge of the discussions.

German correspondent Bach wrote: “The options are Lotus, Force India, Toro Rosso and Sauber.”

In Malaysia, Force India and Lotus played down the Renault rumours, with Lotus chief executive Matthew Carter saying: “Lotus isn’t for sale. We’re not looking for a buyer.

“We’ve just signed a long-term deal with Mercedes-Benz which takes us through to 2020, so any talk of any change of engine or change of ownership is completely off the cards,” he insisted.

However, a source says the Enstone-based team is actually the one now favoured by Renault advisor Bob Bell.

“That’s because Bell’s house is just 15 minutes from the Lotus factory,” the source is quoted as saying.

Indeed, Bell knows Lotus extremely well, having worked at Enstone throughout the Benetton and works Renault period. He was even team boss for a time in 2009 in the wake of the ‘crash-gate’ scandal.

Bach reported that Sauber is “too expensive” for Renault, while the EUR 30 million would not even buy the yellow livery being offered by Toro Rosso.

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HONDA LAGGING BEHIND BY 100BHP ON RIVALS

In Malaysia, McLaren-Honda team figures including champion drivers Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button were adamant that the progress made in the fortnight between the races in Sepang and Melbourne.

Now, according to Auto Motor und Sport, an actual number has been put on the improvement of the burgeoning Honda engine — 25 horse power.

But “We are still over 100hp behind,” a McLaren team member is quoted as saying.

The Woking-based team has also been pressing ahead with car developments that were delayed due to the constant stream of reliability issues.

Auto Motor und Sport said the MP4-30 is now sporting a new nose, ‘S-duct’, floor and sidepods. But McLaren is expecting its progress to be hidden this weekend by Shanghai’s long straights and cold weather.

“I don’t think our package will be as well suited here as it was in Malaysia,” admitted Alonso.

And team boss Eric Boullier said the second race of the forthcoming double-header, in Bahrain, is also unlikely to suit the 2015 package.

“We are fully aware that the next two races probably won’t show quite the same rate of improvement as we witnessed at Sepang,” he said.