FORMULA 1 - 2015

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Williams's Massa driving at his best-ever level in F1 - Smedley

Felipe Massa is currently driving better than at any other point in his Formula 1 career and is still improving, according to Williams performance chief Rob Smedley.

The Brazilian, who made his F1 debut in 2002 with Sauber, finished fifth in the Chinese Grand Prix, one place ahead of team-mate Valtteri Bottas.

After challenging for the title in 2008, ultimately finishing runner-up to Lewis Hamilton, Massa struggled to repeat that form during the next five years with Ferrari, where he worked with Smedley.

But since joining Williams last season, the Brazilian has appeared rejuvenated and his consistency this season sees him sit fourth in the drivers' championship.

Massa described the weekend in China as "fantastic", including a "perfect lap" in qualifying, and Smedley agreed: "I think that he had a very good weekend to be honest. He was right on it.

"I have worked with him for many years and I am still seeing him develop and it's good to see.

"That's a lad with 10 years-plus experience of driving Formula 1 cars, who is still able to develop and get better and better."

Smedley said that Massa seems very comfortable at Williams and has shown impressive skill in working with the tyres.

"I think one of the biggest changes that I have seen in Felipe over the last year-and-a-half is not only where he has got his head to - so he's very comfortable with himself and with his surroundings now - but I think technically how he is managing the tyres is really, really impressive," said Smedley.

"He knows what to do with the tyres, he knows what corrective action to take.

"He knows how to get them working in qualifying and he knows how to make them last in the race as good as any particular car will allow him to do.

"What we are seeing at the minute is definitely the best Felipe Massa that we have seen, definitely as good as 2008."

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ELKANN: THE MOST IMPORTANT CHANGE WAS TO RELEASE MONTEZEMOLO

Fiat chairman John Elkann has hailed the sweeping changes, by removing the old guard at Maranello, made by a resurgent Ferrari ahead of the 2015 Formula 1 world championship season.

New York-born Elkann, Fiat-Chrysler chairman and the grandson of the great patriarch Gianni Agnelli, was quoted by La Gazzetta dello Sport as insisting that the sport’s most successful team needed to react.

“2014 was a disaster,” he said, “and change was inevitable. The most important was the release of Luca di Montezemolo, who had led for over 20 years with great energy and commitment.”

“He was particularly good at preserving the charm and magic of the brand, creating the best cars in the world and until 2008, managing to succeed on the circuit, thanks to the unbeatable Todt and Schumacher,” said Elkann.

“The task of returning to these glories now belongs to Sergio Marchionne, but many other things have been changed at Maranello and we are happy to see that we had a good start to 2015.

“Maurizio Arrivabene has taken the lead of the Scuderia, at the steering wheel are two great champions and the team has risen back to the top step of the podium,” Elkann added.

Like Elkann, Ferrari legend Niki Lauda also thinks the departure of Montezemolo as president was the right move for the fabled Italian marque.

“It was painful for Luca,” the now Mercedes team chairman told La Repubblica, “but it worked.

“I am a friend of Montezemolo, but I have to admit that after 23 years, maybe a cycle was finished. I hope, indeed dream that one day the two of them [Montezemolo and Marchionne] will make peace,” Lauda added.

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CHINA ORGANISERS DEMANDING CHANGES IN F1

Organisers of the Chinese Grand Prix are demanding changes within Formula 1, which according to them is boring and unattractive to sponsors.

The annual Shanghai race is promoted by Juss Event, whose marketing manager Yang Yibin has revealed concerns about the state of the sport.

He said while the local fan base is stable, the overall drawing power of the Chinese grand prix has been in decline.

“There are various reasons,” he told Shanghai Daily, “like one team dominating several seasons (and) smaller teams finding it hard to challenge the bigger constructors, etc. The races are not as brilliant as they were a decade ago.”

Shanghai’s F1 race contract runs until 2017, and Yang said the grand prix is just one of “a lot” of international events in the sprawling city every year.

As for whether the F1 deal will be extended, he insisted: “Changes have to be made to the sport. UBS was the title sponsor of last year’s Chinese GP, but they didn’t extend the contract this year, and there must be a reason for it.

“Maybe we can expect something new when we go into the post-Bernie (Ecclestone) era,” Yang added.

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Ricciardo scoops Laureus award

Daniel Ricciardo has won a major award at the annual Laureus Sports Awards, but Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes missed out.

On the back of winning three grands prix during his debut season with Red Bull last year, Ricciardo was handed the World Breakthrough of the Year Award at the ceremony in Shanghai, China, on Wednesday evening.

The Australian found himself up against US Open winner Marin Cilic of Croatia, Germany's World Cup winner Mario Gotze, Colombian footballer James Rodriquez, American Alpine skiier Mikaela Shiffrin and the Switzerland Davis Cup winning team.

Ricciardo, who was the only non-Mercedes driver to win a race in 2014, wasn't in Shanghai to accept his gong, but expressed his delight via a video.

"2014 is a year I'll remember for a long time - it was definitely a breakthrough in my mind as well," he said.

"Standing on the top step of the podium a few times was icing on the cake."

World Champion Hamilton was in the running for the Sportsman of the Year, but that award went to world number one tennis player Novak Djokovic of Serbia, while German's 2014 Fifa World Cup winning squad were named Team of the Year ahead of the Mercedes F1 outfit.

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Force India want more Bahrain magic

Force India haven't had the best of starts to the 2015 season, but team principal Vijay Mallya hopes the good memories of 2014 will spur them on at Bahrain this weekend.

The Silverstone squad started the new campaign on the back foot following the delayed launch of their VJM08 and although they picked up seven points in Australia, they have struggled at the wrong end of the grid the last two races.

"As we get to the end of this first part of the season, it’s a good moment to reflect on the start of our campaign and the next steps ahead," Mallya said.

"I think it is fair to say that we are not yet where we want to be, but we are conscious of the effort everyone in the team is making to push us up the order. Work continues as we keep introducing upgrades ahead of a significant package coming during the European season."

Next up is the Bahrain GP and Force India have fond memories from last year as Sergio Perez came from fifth on the grid to claim the final step on the podium while Nico Hulkenberg finished P5.

"The memories of last year's Bahrain Grand Prix are still fresh in our minds: it was a great emotion to see our team on the podium," Mallya added.

"Both Sergio and Nico raced admirably there and hopefully this will spur them on to perform some magic once more. Traditionally, Bahrain is a circuit that suits our car, although year-to-year comparisons are not the most reliable way to predict form in Formula One.

"As we approach this last flyaway race in this first part of the season, we expect to continue closing the gap with the teams ahead of us. In terms of both single lap and race pace, we have been getting more performance into our car and we hope this trend will continue this week."

It is no surprise that Perez is excited about returning to the Sakhir circuit.

"Last year's race had all you can ask from it: a lot of action, a great performance and of course finishing on the podium. It's a good track for me; I won there in GP2 and generally always had good races so I feel positive about going there," the Mexican said.

"The track itself is a stop-and-go circuit with long straights, sharp braking zones followed by rapid acceleration: rear tyre degradation is quite high and I expect it to be one of the themes of this race. Grip is always a challenge with all the dust blowing on the track, and the surface evolves a lot during the weekend and the race itself. There are two DRS zones and a few good overtaking opportunities, especially in the first sector: this should make for some good racing.

"The last race in China was interesting for us, as we were able to be much more involved in battles against the other teams. As we keep learning about our car and its set-up, we are closing the gap to our rivals, which is really encouraging. There is still a long way to go but everyone is working hard for it and hopefully we will soon be able to mount a more consistent challenge for regular points."

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HAMILTON UNDER FIRE FOR SQUIRTING PODIUM HOSTESS

Race winner Lewis Hamilton has ruffled feathers for more than one reason during the Chinese Grand Prix weekend.

On Sunday, he enraged Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg for allegedly compromising the German’s race strategy by driving too slowly in the lead.

Then, on the podium, a photographer captured the moment when Briton Hamilton, the reigning world champion, celebrated by squirting champagne in the face of a cringing Chinese grid girl.

“We think Lewis Hamilton should apologise for his actions and think carefully about how he behaves in the future,” Roz Hardie, chief executive of anti-sexism campaigners Object, told the Daily Mail.

“It is unfortunate that a great victory has been marred by what appears to be selfish and inconsiderate behaviour. We would hope people in the industry would be respectful to these women,” added Hardie.

Hamilton was not done offending as he broke protocol by counting himself out of the running for the 2015 Laureus World Sports Award, despite being nominated.

Ahead of the actual ceremony that will take place on Wednesday night, Laureus chairman Edwin Moses – a guest of Laureus sponsor Mercedes – attended the Chinese grand prix and even appeared on the podium.

But Hamilton has already revealed that, among fellow nominees Cristiano Ronaldo, Novak Djokovic, Marc Marquez and others, he is not going to be the winner.

“Unfortunately I’m not too excited,” said the 30-year-old Briton, “because I know I haven’t won it. I’ll keep pushing so that at some stage I do get it.”

This is completely stupid. I am no fan of Hamilton's (can't stand the guy, actually), but this complaint is one of the dumbest things I've read in a long while. Was anyone yapping about this when Vettel was regularly hosing down the ladies during his many, many, many podiums during his championship run?

Like any of this is new. Some people just create excuses to be offended.

Cheers,

Greg

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk

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Lotus the fourth fastest car in race trim - Permane

Lotus believe they have the fourth quickest car on the grid behind Mercedes, Ferrari and Williams according to the team's trackside operations director Alan Permane.

Whilst the team sit just eighth in the championship standings with six points, they have managed to get one car into the top ten during qualifying at each of the three races this season.

Meanwhile Romain Grosjean hailed his seventh place finish in China a "breakthrough result", and had it not been for Pastor Maldonado's spin, he would likely have finished eighth, leading Permane to believe they're ahead of Red Bull in race trim.

"It looks like in the race, we are the fourth quickest car," he told Autosport.

"I think our race pace was significantly better than them [Red Bull] and a little bit better than Toro Rosso and Sauber - enough for us to do a very comfortable race."

The aim now, according to Permane, is to consistently finish in the points in the hope of securing fourth come the end of the season in November.

"I think we were in a little bit of a race on our own, which at the moment, I am very happy with," he added.

"If we can just keep doing that, get some points on and really have a good stab at getting fourth in the championship, I think everyone here will be very, very happy."

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This is completely stupid. I am no fan of Hamilton's (can't stand the guy, actually), but this complaint is one of the dumbest things I've read in a long while. Was anyone yapping about this when Vettel was regularly hosing down the ladies during his many, many, many podiums during his championship run?

Like any of this is new. Some people just create excuses to be offended.

Cheers,

Greg

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk

Mate, EXACTLY my thoughts. No one even whispered each time Sebastian did the same to the hostesses for the 4 years he was on the podium

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Alonso excited to see what McLaren can do in Bahrain

Fernando Alonso says he's excited to see what improvement McLaren-Honda can make in Bahrain following steady progress between each of the three opening races of the season.

The team have gradually closed the gap to the midfield with each passing race weekend and Bahrain offers their best hopes of escaping Q1 for the first time.

In Australia the team were 2.8 seconds off the best time set in Q1; in Malaysia the gap was 2.3s, and in China it was 1.7s. Whilst some of that can be explained by differing track lengths, it shows clear progress.

Heading to the fourth race of the 2015 season, Alonso says he's ready to knuckle down and help maximise the teams potential.

“Now, we go to Bahrain, and our aim is to keep building on this momentum with reliability, and of course to keep pushing for gains in performance, as we have been doing every weekend," he explained.

"In Australia, Malaysia and China we have seen big improvements each weekend, and although these two races are back-to-back, we will arrive in Bahrain and begin working on set-up straight away to maximise our potential at this circuit.

"This will be a challenging track for our car, for sure, but our first aim is to finish the race and take away as much data as possible to prepare ourselves for Barcelona onwards," he added.

"We are certainly seeing progress all the time and the car feels great to drive, so we have a good base to keep developing. I’m looking forward to seeing what this race brings and getting the most from the weekend in every session."

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Tost impressed by Toro Rosso duo

Toro Rosso boss Franz Tost says he continues to be impressed by the form of both Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz so far in the 2015 Formula 1 season.

Verstappen, who became the youngest ever point-scorer in Malaysia, was particularly impressive in China before he retired in the closing laps with an engine problem.

"It was a fantastic race from his side especially regarding the tyre understanding, the tyre usage," Tost told Motorsport.com.

"And also from the car. It's encouraging, but at the end you need a result! Only this counts.

"We are convinced that Red Bull made the right decision with Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz, and the results show this."

Regarding Verstappen's impressive start to the season, he said: "He is a very high skilled driver, and also his commitment and attitude is very positive.

"He's spending a lot of time with our engineers, they analyse everything. He's learning very fast, his gradient on the learning curve is very steep.

"I must say we are more than happy with both drivers because they're doing a really good job.

"Of course we must provide them with the best possible material so that they can show their talent and they can finish the race within the points, and this is possible, under normal circumstances.

"In Sepang we had a fantastic race result. Here we had a bad race result. We think we know the reasons why, and that also belongs to the education process. It forms the character of everybody."

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F1 2015: COVER ART AND NEW PREVIEWS RELEASED

Codemasters have released five new previews of their F1 2015 Official Formula One racing title.

The previews show both wet & dry weather racing as well as giving us a look at the starting grid & the garages.

F1 2015 will be released on June 12 for PC, Playstation 4 & Xbox One, including both the current 2015 Formula One season cars and tracks as well as all 2014-season content.

Using a new version of Codemasters’ EGO engine, F1 2015 will feature not only improved visuals but also come with an improved tire model & force feedback system that will hopefully result in a more realistic driving experience.

Using the Playstation 4’s & Xbox One’s voice-recognition technology, players will also be able to directly talk to their race engineer, requesting information and asking for changes. F1 2015 will also feature a new game mode called “Pro Season”, details on that have yet to be revealed.

Codemasters have revealed some technical details on their upcoming F1 2015 official Formula One title that is due to be released in June.

On next-gen consoles, F1 2015 will run in 1080p resolution on the Playstation 4 while running at 900p on the less-powerful Xbox One, following Project CARS that was recently announced to be on the same specs. In terms of frame rates, Codemasters is gunning for 60fps, even though the title isn’t quite there yet according to Eurogamer.

“On console we’ve had it very, very close to 60fps, certainly on PS4,” F1 2015’s game designer Steven Embling told Eurogamer. “Everyone at the studio is doing a fantastic with the optimisation, and we’re in the final couple of months before release where there’s a big push that we hit that 60fps, and that’s the plan.”

In related news, Codemasters have also revealed the title’s cover art as you can see above.

F1 2015 will be released in June for PC, Playstation 4 & Xbox One, including both the current 2015 Formula One season cars and tracks as well as all 2014-season content.

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RENAULT: WE HAVE MADE IMPROVEMENTS FOR BAHRAIN

Renault say they have done their best to fix the engine problems that blighted last weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix but offered no guarantee on Thursday that Sunday’s race in Bahrain would be trouble free.

“In the short time since the Chinese Grand Prix we have been checking and rechecking systems and procedures to implement fixes for the next race in Bahrain,” said Renault sport F1 managing director Cyril Abiteboul in a statement.

“Due to logistics of the back-to-back races a complete guarantee will be difficult but we have made improvements to prevent the race stoppers we saw in China. Our motivation is as high as ever.”

Former Formula One champions Red Bull scored just two points in Shanghai while their sister team Toro Rosso drew a blank after engine-related retirements.

Daniil Kvyat’s race ended spectacularly with the Russian pulling up with smoke spewing from his Red Bull, while Toro Rosso’s Max Verstappen brought out the safety car three laps from the end when his car halted on the main straight.

Renault have been under fire from Red Bull this season, after a 2014 season dominated by Mercedes, but Abiteboul said Renault had made real progress in performance and driveability since the opening race in Australia.

“It’s frustrating that the reliability issues of Shanghai threw a cover over these,” he said.

“We don’t take the issues we have seen lightly, but we have taken genuine steps forward and need to focus on our continuing programme of improvements while addressing the reliability concerns in parallel.”

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MARKO: VERSTAPPEN IS NOT FOR SALE

Impressive Dutch rookie Max Verstappen is not for sale, Red Bull driver manager Helmut Marko has insisted ahead of the teenager’s fourth F1 race this weekend in Bahrain.

The hype around the 17-year-old sensation is now swirling, particularly after his spectacular drive in China that ended with Renault engine failure.

Unfortunately, Renault cannot rule out more of the same problems at Toro Rosso and Red Bull in Bahrain, given the nature of ‘flyaway back-to-back’ race weekends.

“Due to logistics of the back-to-back races a complete guarantee will be difficult but we have made improvements to prevent the race stoppers we saw in China,” said Cyril Abiteboul.

Marko, in charge of Red Bull’s driver programme, said he was impressed with how Dutchman Verstappen dealt with the setback in China, as he was on course for another points finish.

“Max is doing a great job,” said the Austrian, amid rumours are now firing that Verstappen, despite his young age, is on the fast track to a top team. “We’ll see. He should develop for now in peace.”

But if Toro Rosso is bought by Renault, Verstappen might already be a works driver for the French marque in 2016.

“Toro Rosso is not sold. If anything, there will be a sponsorship,” Marko insisted.

But what if a big team like Mercedes makes an offer for Verstappen? The German marque’s boss Toto Wolff on Thursday had to admit a new contract with Lewis Hamilton beyond 2015 still has not been signed.

The Austrian even had to deny Hamilton is demanding number one status.

“That is not the case,” Wolff told Britain’s Sky, “and he wouldn’t ask for that because it’s not what we do and I think he appreciates how we manage the team, giving both drivers equal status.”

But if Mercedes did come knocking for Verstappen, could Toro Rosso afford to turn it down?

Marko, however, insists Verstappen “has a long-term contract with Red Bull, not Toro Rosso. And he is not for sale.”

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BAHRAIN HEAT EXPECTED TO FAVOUR FERRARI

Eyes will be on the skies on Thursday as the Formula 1 world pushes through the Bahrain paddock gates, temperatures in the upper-thirties celcius are forecast in the island Kingdom, which will be music to the ears of Ferrari and their tifosi.

Mercedes bounced back a week ago with a one-two finish, but that was in chilly China. In the searing Malaysian sun, it was Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel who shone brightest.

“We can certainly do something more in the hotter temperatures,” the German is quoted by SID news agency ahead of Bahrain, a night race.

Mercedes still has the downforce and power edge, but the reigning world champions have more difficulty than Ferrari in managing the tyres once the temperature rises.

An engineer for the German marque told Auto Motor und Sport: “The next two races in Bahrain and Barcelona could be difficult for us again.”

Boss Toto Wolff agrees: “Ferrari will be a danger for us on any circuit where they can use other strategies due to their good tyre management.”

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MERCEDES HIT BACK AT ECCLESTONE ACCUSATIONS

Mercedes has hit back at Bernie Ecclestone’s claim the German car manufacturer is killing Formula 1, after the F1 supremo made comments claiming that as he tries to fix the controversial engine regulations, dominant F1 team is playing a spoiling role.

But Niki Lauda, the Mercedes team chairman, takes issue with Ecclestone’s view, “We agreed to the token rule about developing in the season.”

“We gave the green light so that Honda gets the average number of tokens of the other three (suppliers),” Lauda told Auto Motor und Sport.

“And we would also not be opposed to extending the engine allocation from four to five. That is even though all three measures are against our interests. So I don’t think Bernie can really accuse us of blocking everything,” he insisted.

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'Rosberg must do his talking on track'

Jenson Button says Nico Rosberg should avoid publicly airing his grievances with Lewis Hamilton as it only makes his team-mate "stronger."

Rosberg was unhappy with Hamilton's driving at last Sunday's Chinese GP and accused the World Champ of deliberately slowing him down in order to drop him into Sebastian Vettel's clutches.

Hamilton responded to that by saying if Rosberg wanted to up the pace, he should have overtaken him for the lead. He later stated that he believes this year he is mentally "stronger" than his team-mate.

And, unfortunately for Rosberg, Button says his behaviour in China has gone some towards cementing that.

"Talking in the press about something you are unhappy on only makes Lewis stronger," the McLaren driver told the Mirror newspaper.

"Lewis is a very competitive individual when his head is in the right place. It is about toppling him in other areas.

"Over one lap, I don’t think anyone is quicker, but over a race? Maybe. It is about engineering a way around Lewis to get an edge on him. That is the area where you have to work on.

"You can only rattle him by beating him, and for every race Lewis wins it is going to get worse."

He added: "Nico is unhappy and has a right to be, but where can you point the finger?

"I know what it is like when you are fighting at the front and there is so much pressure, sometimes it hurts you and other times it hurts your team-mate."

Hamilton's former team-mate reckons time is fast running out for Rosberg to fight back as the reigning World Champion has won eight of the last ten races while Rosberg has just one win to his tally.

But whether he can do that this weekend in Bahrain, could depend on whether he outqualifies Hamilton for the first time this season.

"Nico might bounce back in the next race. He was strong in Bahrain last year and he might win this weekend and it is all behind him and if he goes on and wins the next races, he could be on a high.

"It is an emotional rollercoaster and trying to understand what it is like being a racing driver is very hard. The pressure is so high. I don't know what you can compare it to.

"Lewis winning eight out of 10 to Nico's one, that’s big. I don't need to say anything...

"When you are fighting at the front, there are going to be spats because you are both in the same car and you both want to win. There are going to be disagreements.

"It is motor racing - qualify in front, so you don't let it happen. When you are in front, you get the first choice."

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Bernie Ecclestone calls for 1000bhp V8 engines for Formula 1

Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has renewed calls for a return to V8 engines, claiming it is "urgently" needed and that they could be boosted to 1000bhp.

Ecclestone has long been sceptical about the benefits of the new hybrid V6 turbo regulations, and has often spoken out against the noise the new power units make.

Amid ongoing concerns about declining audiences, Ecclestone believes a quick fix to F1's problems would be to introduce revised V8s that produce 1000bhp.

"We need to go back to engines whose costs are more reasonable, and we need to intervene with maximum urgency," Ecclestone said in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport.

When it was suggested that it would be wrong to change engine rules so soon after the introduction of the turbos, Ecclestone replied: "Why? Going back to a Formula 1 with naturally aspirated engines and KERS, while setting precise constraints, would drastically reduce costs and would be convenient for those already in F1 and for those would like to enter it.

"We'd just need to take the old V8 engines and modify them by increasing displacement to bring power output near 1000bhp.

"People would return, the show would return, sponsors would return."

Ecclestone suggests that the move to hybrid engines has contributed to the fall in audiences by creating fan disinterest.

"F1 isn't just technology, but enjoyment too," he said. "We need to think about who buys a ticket, goes in the grandstands and wants to see a great sporting spectacle.

"It's money doing the rounds: the public pays for tickets, the organisers cash in and pay us, who then forward the money to the teams together with TV rights.

"But if TV audiences shrink and the public at GPs do too, then it becomes a problem."

Although previous attempts to get teams to agree to a V8 return have been blocked, Ecclestone has suggested he will take up the matter with Ferrari chairman Sergio Marchionne.

When asked if he had spoken to Marchionne yet, Ecclestone said: "No, but I intend to do it as soon as possible."

Ecclestone has long campaigned against the turbo V6 engines - but to suggest a return to V8s last used in 2013 would save costs is a pretty big leap of faith.

It is not simply a case of brushing off some old V8 engines sat at the back of factories and going off racing again.

Manufacturers would have to recalibrate facilities and retune their manufacturing processes to get V8 engine production going again.

Furthermore, it will be just as expensive as the current rules to work to a set of regulations that will deliver 1000bhp V8s.

With any major engine change unlikely to happen before 2017, engine makers would also be forced to run hugely expensive parallel development programmes for 18 months - pushing on with the V6s while also getting the V8s sorted.

Teams would also be forced to design all-new cars for the return of V8s. The current 100kg fuel limit means tanks are smaller nowadays, and no longer big enough to hold the petrol needed for the old engines to last a whole race.

Ecclestone is clearly facing a tough juggling act relating to the new engine rules.

The power units are causing trouble at the back of the grid for the small teams that have been hurt by the huge increase in supply costs.

At the front there are woes too - because the limited development scope of the complex technology has left Red Bull and Renault contemplating F1 exits.

Ripping up the engine rulebook may appear to be an easy way out of those troubles, but it is not a realistic solution to F1's problems because they run far deeper than simply what is in the back of the cars.

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Kimi Raikkonen says Ferrari F1 environment feels better than ever

Kimi Raikkonen says the current Ferrari team environment is the best he has experienced in Formula 1.

Raikkonen is in his second stint with Ferrari, which he joined from McLaren in 2007 for an initial three-year stint, before returning in 2014 after spells in the World Rally Championship and back in F1 with Lotus.

Ferrari has recently undergone a major restructuring headlined by the arrival of Maurizio Arrivabene, a change that Raikkonen feels is working extremely well.

"I must say, in the past when I was here at Ferrari they were good times and it was a good atmosphere," he said.

"But this year is the best that I have had in any team; how the team works together, how people work together, how the atmosphere is and how things are being run.

"That tells you a lot. I'm very happy."

Raikkonen indicated last summer that he would probably retire from F1 after his current contract expires at the end of this year.

Asked if his improved form this year and his happiness with the current Ferrari regime might make him stay longer, Raikkonen said that choice was not up to him.

"The team has to decide that," he said. "You will have to talk to them.

"Time will tell what will happen. I'm happy with how things are running."

VETTEL: RAIKKONEN CAN CONTROL HIS FUTURE

Raikkonen's team-mate Sebastian Vettel reckons the Finn would have plenty of alternatives if he wanted to change teams.

"I think he's doing a very, very good job," said Vettel of Raikkonen.

"He was in the past. Probably last year it wasn't noticed so much, but inside the team it definitely was.

"I don't know the details of his contract. I think it's in his hands if he wants to carry on in Formula 1.

"There would be plenty of interest in a fast driver like him, with the experience that he has, if he wants to carry on in Formula 1.

"If he doesn't want to then he will quit."

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BAHRAIN FP1: RAIKKONEN AND VETTEL ON TOP

Kimi Raikkonen led a Ferrari one-two in first practice for the Bahrain Grand Prix on Friday while Formula One champions Mercedes lurked well down the timesheets after doing their own thing.

Championship leader Lewis Hamilton was only 16th fastest while Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg was 15th, with Raikkonen and team mate Sebastian Vettel putting in their fastest laps late in the session.

With the action starting amid track temperatures of 53 degrees Celsius, far hotter than will be the case in qualifying and Sunday’s twilight race, Mercedes opted for a different approach and longer runs.

“Don’t expect any stellar jumps up the order before end of session. Our tyres have 15 laps on them where others will be running fresh sets,” the team said on Twitter, before bringing both cars back to the garage nine minutes before the end.

Raikkonen’s quickest lap of 1:37.827 seconds came towards the end after temperatures had dropped to the mid-40s.

Finland’s Valtteri Bottas was third fastest for Williams with Spanish rookie Carlos Sainz fourth in a Toro Rosso, ahead of Red Bull’s Australian Daniel Ricciardo.

McLaren’s Spaniard Fernando Alonso was seventh on the timesheets after briefly filling the top spot for a team struggling for performance at the start of their new Honda partnership.

Team mate Jenson Button, however, failed to record a lap time after spinning and stopping on track in the opening minutes with what appeared to be an engine shutdown.

Mercedes are expected to dominate Sunday’s race, with world champion Hamilton and Rosberg determined to win another duel in the desert after last year’s thriller and a recent spat between the pair in China.

“I think with these tyres and with Ferrari in the mix, I think we could see a real special race here,” Hamilton predicted on Thursday.

“Last year I didn’t qualify on pole here, I’ve never been on pole here so that’s the challenge but as long as it doesn’t get in the way of the challenge of trying to win the race,” added last year’s winner.

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BAHRAIN FP2: ROSBERG FASTEST AS MERCEDES GET GOING

After a very low key afternoon FP1, it was business as usual for Mercedes in the second free practice for the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend as Nico Rosberg topped the timing sheets at the end of the incident sprinkled 90 minutes session ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton.

Rosberg’s best time of 1:34.647 was a tenth up on Hamilton, and half a second up on the best of the rest Kimi Raikkonen who was third fastest, with Ferrari teammate fourth Sebastian Vettel – suggesting the pecking order at the top is set in stone at this stage of the season.

The first of a series of incidents started 15 minutes into the session when Jenson Button parked his McLaren for the second time on the day. Earlier a battery problem curtailed his FP1 session to a short trip down to Turn 1, before the battery packed up on the Honda powered car.

Then with a dozen minutes left in the evening session Vettel got tangled up with Sergio Perez in Turn 1 with the Force India running over the front wing of the Ferrari, which prompted a red flag situation so that some chunks of debris could be removed.

When the lights turned green again, with a mere six minutes to go, Raikkonen and Hamilton rushed down the pitlane and jumped the queue of cars at the exit – both were being investigated by the stewards as a result of their haste to get back on track, as were Perez and Vettel for their coming together but absolved them both of any blame later.

Meanwhile behind the Mercedes and Ferrari quartet, Valtteri Bottas was fifth fastest in the Williams, ahead of best Renault powered driver Daniel Ricciardo in the Red Bull, Pastor Maldonado seventh in the Lotus, and Sauber’s Felipe Nasr in eighth.

Mercedes are favourites for Sunday’s race, with fans hoping to see another duel in the desert between Hamilton and Rosberg after last year’s thriller.

“With these tyres and with Ferrari in the mix, I think we could see a real special race here,” predicted last year’s winner Hamilton.

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Rosberg: Ferrari pace very dangerous

Nico Rosberg reckons Mercedes could have fight on their hands this weekend after Ferrari showed "serious pace" in Friday's practices in Bahrain.

Kimi Raikkonen topped the afternoon session as the sun baked down on the Sakhir circuit while the Scuderia were right up there later that night.

Although Rosberg was quickest under the flood lights, his 1:34.647 a tenth faster than Lewis Hamilton's best, the Ferraris were not far behind.

Raikkonen's best in the cooler conditions was half a second off the pace with Sebastian Vettel a further tenth behind.

However, it was Ferrari's long distance pace that really impressed.

On the same rubber as Rosberg in FP2, there was a stage when the Finn was matching if not bettering the German's lap times.

As such Rosberg reckons Ferrari could be a threat this weekend.

"We learned that it is pointless driving at lunch time because we don't learn much because the race is in the evening and it's such different conditions," said the Mercedes driver.

"After that in the evening we learned that we were very quick on one lap again and the Ferrari is very dangerous to us on the long run because they have serious pace."

He added: "It looks like they are a genuine threat."

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Button: Not a great day

Jenson Button was left frustrated after losing track time in Bahrain on Friday especially as his car was set-up "quite differently" to Fernando Alonso's.

The 2009 World Champion spent most of Friday afternoon's session in the McLaren garage as an electrical problem resulted in a spin on his third lap.

With his mechanics working furiously on the issue, Button also sat out the opening minutes of FP2 but did eventually make it out onto the track.

His running, though, was cut short after three laps when he pulled over when McLaren noticed an anomaly with his car's data.

Again the car was returned to the pits and again his mechanics managed to get him back out onto the circuit.

Button managed 15 laps in total on Friday night with his 1:39.209 leaving him languishing down in 19th place.

"The guys worked really hard, from P1 to P2 they did a great job but we still had our problems in P2," he explained.

"I went out on the soft tyre but had to quickly come back in, and then I went out on low fuel when everyone else was on high fuel, so it was difficult to get in any running. Overall not a great day.

"There was a lot of useful data from the other car, but the frustrating thing is our cars were set-up quite differently to get a lot of useful information about parts, and we weren't able to do that on our car.

"It doesn't help either of us for Saturday but hopefully we've resolved the issues I've had."

Looking ahead to Saturday's qualifying, the Brit expects another trying day for McLaren as those ahead up the power and the pace.

He told Press Association: "I think some teams were on high fuel all day as well, so it's not going to be an easy weekend.

"But we're not kidding ourselves, we know it's going to be a tricky qualifying session and I suppose for us at the moment we're going to qualify near the back.

"In reality it's not such a problem. The race pace is something that is more important."

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Red Bull looking 'pretty good'

Sixth quickest in Friday night's practice in Bahrain, Daniel Ricciardo feels that is "more or less" where Red Bull had expected to finish.

The Aussie had a solid opening day at the Sakhir circuit, fifth fastest in the afternoon's session and sixth quickest under the lights.

Finishing the night with a best time of 1:35.449, Ricciardo was satisfied with his night's work, revealing that the cooler conditions had helped.

He revealed: "I had an alright session, I think we're looking pretty good. We're more or less where we expect to be.

"We're a little bit more competitive in cooler conditions so the night session should be good.

"The tyre degradation is quite high here, it will probably be a two-stop race, but we'll see.

"It’s going to be windy tomorrow so we might have some sand on the track."

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Vettel: The win is possible

Having established a "good platform" on Friday, Sebastian Vettel says overnight improvements to the car could make the Bahrain GP win "possible."

The German, who already has one victory to his tally this season having triumphed in Malaysia, joined the tussle at the front in Friday's practice.

Second to team-mate Kimi Raikkonen in FP1, Vettel finished the day fourth fastest as Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton set the pace.

But despite once again falling short of the Mercedes pairing, Vettel is refusing to rule out winning Sunday's Bahrain GP.

He told Sky Sports News HQ: "It's always possible.

"I think it's most important that we feel good inside the car and then we have a good platform to work from. Obviously now overnight we try and improve and go from there."

Vettel was also encouraged by Ferrari's one-lap pace at the Sakhir circuit.

Although he struggled to get in a clean lap, his best time of 1:35.277 was just 0.630s off Rosberg's P1 time.

"My last lap, my last flying lap, was not perfect. Up to the last corner maybe it was but nevertheless I think it looks pretty close.

"But we know that Mercedes is turning up their engines for qualy so I'm sure they are still a bit ahead. The closer we can get, though, the better it is."

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Vettel, Perez escape sanction

Neither Sebastian Vettel nor Sergio Perez have been penalised for their collision in Friday's FP2 in Bahrain.

Putting in the laps on worn tyres in the latter stage of the night session at the Sakhir circuit, Vettel and Perez collided.

The result was Vettel lost part of his front wing and practice had to be briefly red flagged to allow marshals to safely clear the debris.

Vettel was not happy and although he informed Ferrari that he had a "braking failure", he blamed Perez for the coming together.

He added: "Then Perez took my front wing off. Unbelievable."

The stewards, though, felt neither driver was to blame.

Ruling that no driver was "wholly or predominantly to blame", no further action has been taken against the duo.

Vettel later apologised, saying: "I'm sorry I hit Perez, I had a problem with the car."