FORMULA 1 - 2015

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Vergne: Good chance at Haas seat

Jean-Eric Vergne feels he has a "good chance" of securing a Haas seat for next season as there are just "three" drivers for two places.

Dropped by Toro Rosso at the end of the 2014 season, Vergne signed with Ferrari as a test driver.

His role has seen him focus on developing the car in the team's simulator while he has kept his on-track skills sharp by racing in the Formula E series.

And although he recently signed up for the second season of Formula E, Vergne is hoping he will also be back in Formula 1 with the new Haas team.

"There are three of us, for two seats," Vergne told Motorsport.com. "Let's say there is a rather good chance for me to end up with Haas.

"Then, as far as Formula E is concerned, that's too early to talk about it.

"If F1 comes, there will be two clashes. It's way too early to say how that will go. I hope to have that kind of problem to sort out, that would be a good one to have!

"But today, I am focused on Formula E, and very much as well on my work with Ferrari, which of course pays off to land in the Haas team."

The Frenchman is hoping that his time with Ferrari, who will power Haas' cars in 2016, will help him towards a race-seat while his reckons his past performances against the likes of Daniel Ricciardo have shown what he can do.

"I think this is an advantage. Also, because I have worked with a very big team at Red Bull, at a time they were winning absolutely everything. I was a reserve driver and a simulator driver. I learnt a huge lot with them.

"Then came three years with Toro Rosso, where I proved a lot behind the steering wheel. I can't ignore my performances compared to Ricciardo: I beat him in year one. Year two, it was really tight, and today he wins grands prix.

"At Ferrari, I keep learning about a new philosophy, in the biggest team of all time! That's a new work philosophy and I keep on learning a lot about the car's technicalities.

"Of course, that plays an important role when it comes to Haas. Getting out of the F1 grid but staying in such a team as Ferrari and working all weekends on the simulator – knowing all the set-up changes, everything that goes on and following it first hand from the factory... plus I'm racing [in Formula E] – that sure doesn't take anything away!"

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Kaltenborn would back a tyre war

As Pirelli and Michelin vie to become F1's sole tyre supplier in 2016, Monisha Kaltenborn has raised the question of why not both.

The last time Formula 1 had two suppliers - and a tyre war - was back in 2006 when Michelin and Bridgestone went head-to-head.

Michelin withdrew from the sport at the end of that year with Bridgestone staying on as the sole supplier until 2010 at which time Pirelli stepped in.

Formula 1 is once again on the verge of a potential change as Pirelli's current deal expires at the end of 2016.

And while it is a straight fight between Pirelli and Michelin for the job, Kaltenborn believes F1 would benefit from having both tyre manufacturers and a fresh tyre war.

The Sauber team boss told Auto Bild: "I think we should ask ourselves the question: why not again have two suppliers?

"People always speak negatively about the tyre war but it is something you can mitigate by making appropriate rules.

"For the teams it (the past tyre war) was a good time because we got the tyres for free and even the marketing was paid for."

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Button: Drivers must show some love

Jenson Button says it is up to the drivers to lead the charge in reviving enthusiasm for Formula 1.

Ever since the sport swapped to 1.6-litre V6 engines, F1 has come in for stick from drivers and fans alike.

Too slow, too quiet, too many rules and not enough racing are the general complaints while Mercedes domination isn't helping the situation.

Button, though, says if the drivers want the fans to stick around they have to do their part by showing their love for the sport.

He told Autosport: "It's, for myself first of all, enjoyment of driving because that's a massive part of the sport.

"When you see us [the drivers] loving it more, I think the fans will love it more, too."

But, having said that, the McLaren driver is not blind to the problems facing Formula 1.

The FIA has proposed several changes for next season which will make the cars louder and faster and Button reckons it is looking promising.

"They will be positive changes. The cars will look better on track.

"I don't think the racing is bad now, and making the cars quicker through corners will be a good thing, so long as it is done in a way which doesn't hurt the racing.

"Mechanical grip is massively important, and with downforce, we have to find a way of doing it so it doesn't affect the dirty air of cars and make it more difficult to overtake."

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Alonso keen on tyre flexibility

Giving drivers the freedom to select their tyre options for a grand prix could add more excitement to the sport, according to Fernando Alonso.

Formula 1 is always looking for ways to liven things up and Force India recently suggested drivers and teams be allowed to decide which two compounds they use at different races.

Double World Champion Alonso admits he would be in favour of such a move.

"I think if we had a limited number of sets for the whole season, maybe 20 prime, 20 medium, 20 soft and 20 supersoft, you choose yourself which tyres to bring to each grand prix," the McLaren driver is quoted as saying by Motorsport.com.

"Maybe there are some circuits that you are not in the same area as your competitors – maybe you risk more, or you risk less. I think it could work."

Having a bit more freedom to select tyres won't be something completely new for teams as less than a decade ago Formula 1 had two tyre suppliers with Bridgestone and Michelin while in the 80s there were up to four different suppliers.

"This is not new: with Michelin tyres, I think we all had different compounds," Alonso added. "McLaren had its own compounds, Renault had its own compounds – maybe softer at the front, stiffer at the front, different weight distribution.

"Now we have same camber limitation, same weight distribution limitation, same tyre limitation. It is the way it is right now."

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Australian GP looking to 'grow the numbers'

Despite best efforts, new Australian GP chairman John Harnden says hosting the F1 grand prix will continue to cost about $50 million a year.

Last year Melbourne secured a new Formula 1 deal that will keep the Australian Grand Prix in the city until at least 2020.

Not everyone greated the new contract with enthusiasm as the race costs the government of Victoria about $50 million a year.

But with an increase in spectator numbers at this year's grand prix, Harnden is adamant it is money well spent.

"If we look at all the other great sporting events, in one way or another, they cost money," he told 3AW radio.

"You look at the infrastructure that is built and those sorts of things, they are a cost to the public."

He is, however, determined to ensure that the grand prix costs the state of Victoria as little as possible.

"I don't believe there is any more fat in there," he added.

"We've had growth (in revenue) the last couple of years and I think we really need to push hard to continue to grow the revenue."

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Toro Rosso: Forever batting above their average

The fight for a full-time Formula One seat is as fierce and competitive as it has ever been.

With only 22 seats available from 2016, with the arrival of the American Haas team as a manufacturer, a glowing career in junior single seater racing is not enough to secure a drive in F1.

Personal sponsorship and a slice of fortune are just as important in a successful application as showing your quality within a race car. However, the modern day racing driver’s most vital of hurdles has become a quest to be spotted and signed to a junior programme of one of the sport’s leading outfits.

Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes, Williams, Lotus (through Gravity Sport Management) have all succumbed to the pressure of signing drivers and securing partnerships with other teams to showcase their portfolio of talent.

This pressure has risen from the success of Red Bull’s academy of drivers, with the likes of Sebastian Vettel, Daniel Ricciardo, Daniil Kvyat, Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz Jr all have enjoyed or are being tipped for stardom.

Whilst Red Bull deserve huge credit for discovering some of the finest talent in motorsport, their search for world championships would arguably be in jeopardy if they did not have the services of the sister outfit, Scuderia Toro Rosso.

Since their inception in 2006, Toro Rosso has worked tirelessly to give experience to the long production chain of Red Bull academy drivers. Not all recruits are able to make the big step, Sebastien Buemi, Jean-Eric Vergne & Jaime Alguersuari have all succeeded in other categories but were disposed of swiftly by the Austrian energy drinks company.

However, with testing becoming more limited and the increasing importance of Friday running at a grand prix, Toro Rosso are uniquely able to offer young drivers a platform to showcase their abilities to the bosses of Red Bull in a competitive car.

The first appearance of 'The Finger' came at the 2008 Italian Grand Prix...who knew we'd see it another 40 times!

There is little doubt that Red Bull’s most successful graduate to date has been Vettel, with four World Championships and 41 race wins to his name. Though, even Vettel would admit, the success he has enjoyed is due to the opportunity forwarded to him by Toro Rosso.

Vettel’s first victory came in 2008 with the Toro Rosso team after a composed and exceptional drive in the pouring rain at Monza.

Starting from pole position, the German dominated from start to finish to take an unlikely win with a full 32 second cushion to the closet Red Bull of Mark Webber.

"Unbelievable," Vettel stated after the 2008 Italian GP. "The whole race we had no problems. The car was working fine. It was a fantastic race, a very good strategy but all that was gone when I crossed the finish line.

"The lap back to the pits and the whole podium ceremony was just unbelievable. For sure it is the best day of my life. These pictures, the emotions, I will never forget.

"Who might have thought about this at the beginning of the season? We had a poor start and we got better and better, I am speechless."

The German’s shock at winning in Monza is a testament to Toro Rosso and their hard work to give young driver’s the opportunity to progress in the sport. Their success has raised eyebrows on many occasions, especially when they outpace the marquee Red Bull team.

Fast forward to the 2015 season and heads are yet again beginning to turn and take notice of the the sister team and their two young recruits.

Toro Rosso celebrate Max Verstappen's fourth place in Hungary, their highest finish since the Vettel era.

Verstappen’s entry into the sport had caused controversy at the start of the season, with changes to the FIA Super-License, however the 17-year-old has regularly shown he is more than capable at competing in the sports top series. Sainz Jr, son of World Rally Champion Carlos, has also impressed after a successful Formula Renault 3.5 championship winning campaign last year.

Despite some reliability issues which has affected their positions in the drivers’ standings, both Sainz Jr and Verstappen have caught the attention of Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, who has openly admitted their protégé's have given him a selection headache.

"They've both driven very well this year," Horner told Autosport.

"They've been one of the highlights of the season so far, which just proves that giving young talent a chance pays off."

When questioned whether Verstappen and Sainz Jr have given him problems in selecting driver line-ups, Horner replied: "Very much so.

"The programme has produced some great talent in recent years, and shows we're not short of talent across the two teams."

Sitting seventh in the 2015 Constructors’ championship does little justice to the Toro Rosso team in terms of what they have offered to F1. Their team has offered a home to the young and hungry in a F1 market which is ready to spit out anyone regardless of budget or talent.

Arguably, Red Bull’s success to date could not have been achieved without the support of the Faenza-based sister team.

Who could of predicted that when Red Bull anounced the launch of Scuderia Toro Rosso.

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What Williams do during the summer shutdown

When Formula 1 shuts down for the two-week summer break, the people of Williams have to find other ways to satisfy their competitive urges...

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FORMULA 1 Strategy Group to look at increasing overtaking

Formula 1's Strategy Group has asked technical bosses from each of the teams on the grid to look at ways of increasing overtaking as part of ongoing plans to revamp the sport in 2017.

Those plans centre around increasing the speed of the cars by increasing downforce, introducing wider rear tyres and potentially increasing the power of the engines to 1,000 horse power.

However the proposal hasn't taken into account what impact it could have on overtaking, therefore the Strategy Group has asked that research be conducted on the matter, with a meeting to discuss ideas scheduled for August 18 ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix.

"It's [overtaking] something we've not yet discussed," admitted Force India technical director Andrew Green. "There was supposed to have been a meeting before the summer break, but that was postponed, and it's now the Tuesday before Spa," he told Autosport.

"All I can say is the design we have on the table [for 2017] is not necessarily something that would cover that."

At present the cars struggle to follow one another closely because they're so reliant on the front-wing for downforce, that when the air is disturbed ahead, the car loses overall downforce and it can't keep pace.

One idea which is expected to be tabled is the return of ground effect. The advantage of this is that downforce is created along the entire length of the floor and the car is less reliant on its front-wing, therefore dirty air isn't such a problem.

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Massa’s Williams F1 contract renewal approaches cut-off date

Felipe Massa expects his Formula 1 future with Williams to be settled in a matter of weeks, with the team's option on his contract running out in September.

The Brazilian has resurrected his career at the Grove-based outfit, after being dropped by Ferrari in favour of Kimi Raikkonen for 2014.

But although he does not yet have a firm deal in place for 2016, he sees no reason why Williams will not take up an option it has on him to keep him on board.

Speaking exclusively to Motorsport.com, Massa said: “I hope to announce the renewal quickly.

“There is a clause in the contract that says that the team can renew my contract, and I don't think that this will take too long.

“There is a time-limit in the contract [september] for the team to take this option, so I don't see why they won't do the renewal.”

Rebuilding Williams

Massa finished seventh in last year’s championship, and currently lies sixth in 2015, just three points off his fourth-placed teammate Valtteri Bottas.

He added: “I came to Williams as an important piece in the changes they were making. They were sure about my possibilities to help.

“The plan was to change the technical side with new engineers, the look of the car with new sponsors and the driver line-up with me.

“Right now I am treated as an important part of Williams. I have the respect of the whole team.”

Bottas future unclear

While Massa expects to be racing for Williams next season, he admits that it is not clear yet who his team-mate will be.

Bottas remains linked with Ferrari, although may decide that his future is best served by staying put for now.

Speaking about his Finnish team-mate, Massa said: “We have a good relationship, not only professional but personal.

“For example, I give to him my opinion about his future, saying that today he is in a top team who are trying to beat the team that wants him. But I don't know if we will beat Ferrari.

“But of course that is a chance for him to remain with us. It's difficult to see what and if something will happen.

“He is an important piece in the team, no doubt. You can't forget how important it is to have a strong pair of drivers nowadays.”

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Mercedes in two minds over Red Bull deal

Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff has admitted that he is in two minds about whether it would be a good idea for the German manufacturer to supply Red Bull in the future.

Amid ongoing uncertainty about the future of Red Bull's current partner Renault, the Milton Keynes-based team has been evaluating its engine options for after its current contract ends next year.

Ferrari has made an informal offer – which according to Motorsport.com sources would be for the same specification power unit as the works team – while Red Bull has been hoping to convince Mercedes to ends its long-term resistance to a partnership.

It is widely known that Mercedes management has been strongly resistant to any kind of partnership with Red Bull in the past.

Brand value important

Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, Wolff said on Thursday that there was an argument that there could be benefits of a tie-up in the future – but also equally big drawbacks for the Mercedes team.

When asked about the Red Bull situation, Wolff said: “There is an agreement in place [between Red Bull and Renault] and we do not want to interfere in legal matters between the parties.

“However, if I wear the hat of Mercedes-Benz motorsport and I speak on behalf of Formula 1, I must say that it is an attractive option because it would tie a brand that has appeal among young people with one that is winning.

“But of course, as head of the team, it's not really ideal to strengthen a competitor who knows how to build winning cars.”

Renault is currently evaluating its future options, and is seriously considering a takeover of the Lotus team to create its own works outfit.

In spite of those plans, it intends to honour the engine contracts it has with Red Bull and Toro Rosso for 2016.

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Button: Spa will be a "big test" for McLaren's progress

Jenson Button believes that the Belgian Grand Prix will be a "big test" for McLaren in showing just how much progress it has made with its 2015 car.

Despite a double points finish at the Hungaroring before the summer break, McLaren is well aware that the power and aerodynamic demands coming up at Spa-Francorchamps are much greater – which will expose any deficiencies it has to its rivals.

Honda is planning a new specification engine thanks to the use of some of its development tokens, and McLaren is likely to bring car upgrades too.

More work needed

However, Button knows that the team still has a lot of work to do before it can feel it is at a level it can be satisfied with.

“There is still a long way to go with the car, and every area we need to work on, “ explained Button. “If you look at Red Bull, it was very strong [in Hungary] and was not at the previous races.

“So either they made a good step forward or it showed the power is less important [at the Hungaroring] than other circuits.

“I think Spa is a very good test for us. It is a very good test for many other teams, to compare themselves with the lead cars. It is a fast circuit but it is also a circuit you need good aerodynamics for the high speed corners.

“It is a great circuit to compare yourself and we will have a good step forward on the power unit which is great. And in terms of the car we will see how it works.”

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Renault decides not to adopt Ilmor prototype option

Renault has decided against adopting a prototype design produced by engine guru Mario Illien, but has not ruled out using some of his concepts in its future Formula 1 power units.

The French car manufacturer is evaluating improvements that will help its teams Red Bull and Toro Rosso enjoy a performance boost later on in the campaign.

Part of that push to find more power has involved Renault evaluating on the dyno a single-cylinder prototype provided by Illien's Ilmor company.

Despite initially encouraging results, Renault believes that its own design solutions actually offer a bigger chance of progress.

Renault F1's managing director Cyril Abiteboul said that while he welcomed the help from Illien, his company would not be adopting his design in full.

“I think collaboration is good,” Abiteboul told Motorsport.com. “It is good to work with people outside, because there is no way you can improve inside if you do not put yourself in competition but also in partnership with people that are outside. So first – it is good to get an external look, and support and feedback.

“But right now in our current engine, or the engine that is coming, there is nothing which is coming from Ilmor.

“But that is not to say there won't be anything in the future, or that it has not had a positive influence on what we will be doing at the end of this season.

“On the relationship with Ilmor, I am not saying it has no value. What I am saying is that for the time being, there is nothing proven which will be used in the engine that we will be using.”

Poised for engine token deployment

Renault plans to unleash its remaining engine tokens in one batch later this season when it is convinced it can deliver a good step forward.

Abiteboul said that when his company finally gave the green light for their use, then Renault's teams should expect a proper jump up the grid.

“I want it to be a visible difference, so not just a difference that can be seen with the performance engineer on the laptop looking at the telemetry,” he said. “I want it to be a difference that can be seen in the lap time.

“It is not the type of difference that will allow Red Bull to catch up with Mercedes, let's be frank about that, but it will be a substantial fraction of the deficit we have to Mercedes.”

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Nico Rosberg Takes On The Hill | Goodwood FOS

Mercedes AMG F1 team takes a look back at Nico Rosberg taking on the hill at Goodwood Festival of Speed.

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Ricciardo to demo F1 car at Perth Speed Fest

Daniel Ricciardo will appear at the Perth Speed Fest in his native Australia at the end of the year, it has been confirmed.

Ricciardo will pilot the RB7 at the event, the car that took Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull Racing respectively to the Drivers' and Constructors' titles in 2011.

The Perth Speed Fest will be held at the Kwinana Motorplex, with Ricciardo set to be joined by 1980 Formula 1 World Champion, Alan Jones, as well as MotoGP star, Jack Miller and V8 Supercars pilot, Will Davison. It is slated to take place on December 13 with organisers claiming it will be similar in style to the UK's Goodwood Festival of Speed.

“There's nothing in Australia quite like it,” Perth Speed Fest event producer Emma Stenhouse told communitynews.com.au.

“To see our local hero Daniel Ricciardo in an F1 car racing in Perth, as well as racing and demonstrations of motocross, rallying, bikes, drags and V8s – alongside a huge showcase of historic, classic and majestic cars – will be exciting.”

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THE PROFESSOR NEARLY AN EIGHT TIMES F1 WORLD CHAMPION

Last week FIA published an feature on Alain Prost which is a refreshing submission by the governing body’s lethargic media department.

The feature provides an interesting insight into the man known as The Professor during his 13 years at the pinnacle of the sport and we reproduce it here in the hope that the FIA continue to delve into their archives and illuminate the present with the sport’s illustrious past.

With 12-and-a-half more points, Alain Prost could have been an eight-times Formula 1 World Champion and indisputably, therefore, the most successful driver to have ever walked the Earth.

As it is, he won four world titles; finished second four times, missing out in 1983, 1984, 1988 and 1990 by the tiniest of margins: two points in 1983, half a point in 1984, then three in 1988 – although he out-scored champion Ayrton Senna before having to shed 18 under that year’s ‘best 11’ rule. In 1990 he was a ‘yawning’ seven points off Senna.

By any measure, Prost’s F1 record is remarkable and he remains, 22 years after retirement, the sport’s second most-winning driver, with 51 grand prix victories to Michael Schumacher’s 91.

Yet for all the weight of achievement, the garlanded 13-season narrative of success, the joint lead role in F1’s most storied rivalry, he remains a hushed legend, a champion spoken about with the greatest respect, but not awe.

One whose elegant vitesse would routinely leave rivals floundering, allowing him to vanquish the toughest team-mates (Niki Lauda, Keke Rosberg, Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell), yet who rarely excited with feats of daring-do. That simply was not his style.

And he knows it: “People always liked Keke or Ayrton at the time, drivers who expressed their natural talent more in their driving style, rather than with thinking. But you can have both. Niki was called ‘the computer’ when he was racing. And why not? People forget that you can also be fast.”

“If you look at the statistics, you see that maybe Ayrton was exceptional in qualifying [65 pole positions] but he was really working on that. I worked more on the race set-up, so it makes a big difference. In race conditions with Ayrton I was never much slower than him. It’s just a different approach.”

As comfortable today in his 60-year-old, bean-lean skin as he was in his racing prime (though still with hungrily chewed nails), Prost is manifestly at ease with his canon, untroubled that his legacy was built on method, not madness. Even if that leaves him perhaps under-rated, under-appreciated and forever ‘the other guy’ in that three-season war with Senna.

He’s wryly amused at the notion that F1 should appreciate him more and you sense that while such ideas may once have troubled him, these days he’s well over it.

“I think I cared a little bit in the past,” he says, those somehow sad grey-green eyes looking momentarily distant, “but now it just sounds funny to me, you know. I am happy at least to be asked the question. You always have this kind of question about who was the best, who was the best driver, the best ever, or whatever..”

“Which is ridiculous, honestly, because you cannot compare. If you have driven in Formula One, especially with different cars, different teams, different ambience, you cannot compare the drivers and number of titles. So in a way maybe I prefer things the way they are now, especially as I’m getting older!”

Prost, still actively involved in motor sport though roles as an ambassador for Renault F1 and as a Formula E team owner, has surely earned the right to a little lofty perspective. He raced, after all, through the still-perilous early 1980s and emerged, a generation later, largely unscathed, unlike compatriot Didier Pironi who was seriously injured at Hockenheim in ’82 or friend Gilles Villeneuve who died at Zolder that same year.

“I was very close with Gilles,” Prost recalls, “and I remember him saying to me – it’s hard to believe, yes – ‘In Formula One you cannot hurt yourself.’ He believed this because he had a lot of huge accidents but never had physical pain.

“But me, in only my third grand prix, at Kyalami, I hit the steering on a kerb and I broke my scaphoid [a wrist bone], and I felt pain. And when you feel the pain, it was like ‘oh, ****, you can hurt yourself in F1’. And I realised that I had to be careful.”

Despite enjoying a justified reputation as one of the cleanest, least incident-prone drivers, Prost recalls a number of big accidents during his 1980 rookie year with McLaren. There were “huge shunts” in testing and practice although none of them resulted in serious injury. “I banged my head a few times though,” he smiles.

“In practice at Watkins Glen that year, I had a big one. After that I had almost two weeks at home in bed. No lights… I could not move. I realised then that whenever you lose a front wing or you lose suspension or whatever, you know you really need luck.”

The accidents two seasons later to Villeneuve and especially to Pironi, which happened during a wet German GP qualifying session, once again forced him to reflect on his approach to racing.

Prost, by then racing for Renault having become disillusioned with a pre-Ron Dennis-era McLaren, was the unwitting catalyst for Pironi’s career-ending wreck. Pironi was carrying out tyre evaluation and on a hot lap moved to pass the Williams of Derek Daly.

In doing so, he slammed into the back of Prost’s RE30 – invisible in the track-spray – launching his Ferrari 20 feet into the air. Pironi’s car slammed down and somersaulted, leaving him with multiple leg fractures.

“After that day,” says Prost, “I decided in wet conditions, with no visibility, I would do it the way I want. I said to [team boss] Gerard Larrousse, ‘Okay, you want me to continue, you want me to go back in the car very quickly. Give me 15 minutes.’ I was in the motorhome in Hockenheim for 15 minutes alone and I said: ‘Okay, no problem, I think you’re right, but I can tell you from today, I do what I want when it’s wet.’ People did not know that at the time, but I always did what I thought was reasonable.”

As with Lauda before him, Prost had concluded that certain levels of risk in racing were unacceptable and that his approach to on-track action would always be tempered by that rationale.

“From the outside, maybe you can’t understand. When it’s very wet, it’s only ‘a big heart,’” [Prost thumps his chest with a first, by way of emphasis] “and sometimes, maybe, it’s easier not to think too much. But it’s not only driving skill. When it’s a bit wet and very slippery, then yes. When it’s very wet it’s something different.”

“You choose either to do it or not. It’s not that you are either the master or the king when it’s very wet. Sometimes it’s only big heart that allows you to stay fast. Both Niki and myself were a bit like this. Why take a big risk when you cannot control it? That’s a big question.”

Prost crystallised this mindset even before he partnered with Lauda to form something of a McLaren ‘superteam’ for 1984. A classic pairing of ‘wily old fox’ with ‘young charger’, together at a McLaren re-imagined by Ron Dennis and tech Svengali John Barnard, they would essay a season of dominance: 12 wins from 16 races, five for Niki, seven for Alain, with the title going Lauda’s way. It would be his third and last and was won by a mere half-point.

Speaking to AUTO last year, Lauda recalled having to re-set his approach to the race weekend, faced with the prodigious speed of his ambitious young French team-mate.

“In the beginning I thought, ‘No problem. A Frenchman can’t be better than an Austrian. He will have no chance,’” said Lauda. “But he taught me a lesson, because in qualifying we had this stupid 600 horsepower more and qualifying tyres for one lap and Prost used it much better than I did. I could not catch him on a qualifying lap.”

“So I changed immediately my strategy and said ‘I’m going to work for the race from Friday to Saturday to make sure that my race set-up is better than his.’ And this made me in the end world champion – only because I was thinking how to beat the guy in another way, without just driving quicker.”

Prost studied the master that year and employed a more rounded skill set to take back-to-back titles in 1985-6.

“I learned a lot from Niki’s approach to the race,” he confirms, “particularly his mental condition. In 1984, for example, I thought that I was fighting Nelson Piquet, because most of the time he was on pole or very fast, so I thought my target was Nelson. But I was wrong and I learned a lot from that. For example, it’s better to finish fourth and get points and maybe go on to be world champion.”

The approach would be fundamental to his racing over two McLaren seasons alongside Senna, allowing him to out-fox his combative rival to the ’89 title, having already out-scored him in ’88.

Prost’s rivalry with Senna is probably the most documented in Formula One’s history and we decide, on this occasion, not to dwell on it, preferring instead to talk about their later relationship, which became close.

“Our relationship was really exceptional, you know,” Prost reflects, “especially compared to what we had when I was racing! And I promise you that I am sure relations would be very, very good if Ayrton was still with us. There is no question about that.”

Prost pauses for a moment to remember a peer who came to define his own career so sharply, through the most intense competition, and then continues in a tone of bitter-sweet affection: “It’s funny, maybe one week before the accident [senna’s fatal crash at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix] we were talking on the phone and I said to Ayrton, ‘You know, it would be funny one day if I had a team and you could be my driver. And we were laughing about that. We were talking at the time to buy Ligier already. At the start of 1994. That would have been fantastic, definitely very good.”

A Senna-led Prost Grand Prix team. Imagine the attention that would have attracted. Alas, the events of Imola ’94 prevented it ever coming to pass, although Prost did of course go on to become an F1 team boss, acquiring Ligier early in 1997 and racing that year (and on till the end of 2001) as Prost Grand Prix.

The team never fulfilled its promise, despite a handful of strong results, and Prost, sighing heavily, reveals now that he believes the project was doomed from the start: “Three months after I started the team we had some very good results and we almost won a race. But to my family and close friends I was saying ‘I’m dead’. I knew from the beginning. I knew… I know Formula One too well. I know the country too well. So my biggest mistake…”

“If I made one mistake, it was this. It would have been better not to have done it. I should not have made the decision to do it at the last minute. Two days before I signed the contract I did not want to do it any more. But we had a plan with Peugeot and a contract for five years of free engines with lots of development. Then they came back two days before I signed it and it was only three years and I had to pay for the engine… In the end, I was happy to stop.”

It was an inglorious coda to an otherwise stellar F1 existence, so better, maybe, to recall Prost the driver not Prost the team, and savour a racer who won grands prix with four different teams and titles with two. From all that success, through Renault, McLaren, Ferrari and Williams, which period stands out?

Prost is reluctant to compare teams, preferring instead to talk about his career as “a global picture”, but he can’t stop a smile at the memory of the 1986 Australian Grand Prix, in Adelaide, where he took his second title ahead of the far faster Williams-Hondas of Nelson Piquet and Nigel Mansell, having played a year-long strategic game to perfection.

Who can forget the image of Prost leaping of the ground in joy alongside his McLaren MP4-2C after the unlikeliest of victories? “We won not just as a team that day. It was more like a family,” he recalls.

Even this sublime moment, though, doesn’t represent the peak of Prost’s motor racing happiness. For that, he takes us back to his mid-teens and to mid-France, where an athletically gifted and football-mad kid called Alain Prost was proving to be a star rightwinger for his local club in St Etienne, with dreams of turning pro.

“In a way my biggest memory and something I am even more proud of is the start of my career,” he says. “I was very close to being a professional football player, but one day I went karting with my brother. I wasn’t interested at all. I didn’t want to go! But then it was like a revelation – like seeing a star. And I knew: ‘this thing is for me.’”

Over the next 18 months Prost worked ceaselessly, helping his dad with odd jobs, doing house removals, staying in at night to save cash, until he’d amassed 700 French Francs (around €100) – enough to buy his first go-kart.

“And from there I began,” he says, “just me, without any help from anybody to get in. And that, you know, after all this, is the thing I am very proud about.” A pause, then a final twinkle: “You know I was still playing football for my club when I started in F1? McLaren never knew…”

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No backup engine plan for McLaren

McLaren need to make their new engine partnership with Honda work as there is "no B plan" for the Woking team.

McLaren and Honda revitalised their partnership of old at the start of this season as the Japanese manufacturer returned to Formula 1.

To date, though, it has been a difficult relationship.

Dogged by reliability issues and a lack of pace, McLaren-Honda have scored just 17 points in 10 grands prix.

McLaren, though, are determined to push their engine partner forward as Eric Boullier says Honda is their only option for the future.

"We have no B plan," the Racing Director confirmed to Autosport. "It's up to us to make sure we all work together.

"Like in a marriage, sometimes there is some stress, but we follow the same path.

"The belief comes from the fact they've committed to the long term and the facilities they've built are amazing.

"You need to let them have time to settle, get the knowledge, get the experience, get the process in place and when the machine builds it's going to be massive."

Despite their struggles, Boullier reiterated his belief that teaming up with Honda was the right move for McLaren as they were not willing to settle for a customer role which is what they had with Mercedes.

"It's always easy to analyse afterwards rather than before.

"We have to stick to a few basic rules - the reason why we moved to Honda was clear.

"When Mercedes decided to run their own team, you know you become a customer.

"And as soon as you become a customer, you know you will never become world champion. That's clear.

"The reason why we moved to Honda is because we had the opportunity to become the Honda factory team.

"Then you can question the timing, the way the wedding worked, but this is a long-term commitment."

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Gastaldi urges F1 to retain Spa, Monza

F1 needs to hold onto its old circuits; that's the opinion of Federico Gastaldi who believes they are the "lifeblood" of the sport.

Over the last decade, Formula 1 has moved away from its traditional European circuits, embracing a world view and following the money.

That resulted in some of the best circuits being dropped with Monza the latest track fighting for its place on the calendar.

Lotus' deputy team principal Gastaldi has urged the sport to retain tracks like Monza, Spa and Silverstone, as they are "vital" for the sport.

He explained: "In my opinion it is vital. These tracks are the lifeblood of F1. There wouldn't be a tennis season without Wimbledon or a golf season without the Masters at Augusta.

"These circuits need to be maintained in F1 because the fans identify with them so much and they nearly always create excitement. I think we have a good balance of tracks in F1.

"Some traditional like Spa, Silverstone and Monza, some great street circuits like Monaco and Singapore and then newer F1 markets like Russia, the Middle East and the US.

"F1 should be about variety in every context while at the same time being relevant to partners, fans and teams alike."

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Lotus optimistic for Spa

Romain Grosjean sees no reason why Lotus' E23 won't be the car that goes "really well" next weekend at Spa.

The Frenchman does not have a very good record at the Belgian track, retiring from three of his four starts while his only finish was a P8 in 2013.

Despite that he feels this is the year that he could do well as the circuit should play to his E23's strengths.

He said: "I think the circuit could well play to some of the strengths we have in the car and I'm certainly ready for more points.

"Me and the team will be doing everything we can to go well and get the strongest result possible, after all that's what we’re here to do!"

He added: "It's a great track as there's so much to think about over a lap.

"That's true if you're on a qualifying lap trying to maximise your speed at every point, or in a race where you're either defending or attacking, and maybe both over the course of a lap.

"It's the type of place where the differences between cars can be highlighted and sometimes you see a car go really well here – let's hope that's our car this season!"

It is a sentiment echoed by his team-mate.

Pastor Maldonado said: "I think we have some tracks coming up which suit our car so that's a good positive.

"Certainly, Spa and Monza should be strong for us so good results there will be a great way to reboot our season before we head to all the flyaway races when anything is possible."

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Force India all in at Singapore

Months in the making, Force India will only introduce the "full" kit for their B-spec car at next month's Singapore Grand Prix.

Although the team debuted the B-spec VJM08 at the British Grand Prix, fans have yet to witness the full potential of the revised car.

And that, technical director Andrew Green has revealed, is because the full package has yet to be raced.

"The car you've seen so far is the first step of a series of developments we will be introducing on to it over the next few races," he said to Autosport.

"It's current potential won't be realised until Singapore.

"That's the race we are targeting to have the full kit on the car, the full upgrade.

"The subsequent updates include front and rear wings, floor, diffuser, so quite a big suite of parts coming.

"I would say the car is about 50 per cent of the way there at the moment as far as updates are concerned, and it will be a step-change process over the next few races."

Heading into round 11 of the Championship, Force India are fifth in the Constructors' Championship on 39 points, 57 behind fourth placed Red Bull and four ahead of Lotus.

The team is hoping to keep Lotus at bay with Green confident that the updated car is a "big step" forward.

"It hasn't cured all the problems we had with the car and what the drivers were asking for, but it's taken a big step towards fixing it. It's improved the situation.

"What we have tried to do is balance the car through all the situations, through every type of corner.

"We had a widely-imbalanced car - some corners oversteer, some understeer - so we have tried to bring that balance together to make it one."

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'Experience plays well with Honda'

Eric Boullier has billed Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso's "experience and charisma" as one of the "biggest strengths" in dealing with Honda.

The fledgling partnership, which only began this season, has been hampered by reliability issues which have left McLaren down in eighth place in the Constructors' Championship.

Of late there have been signs of improvement, most recently in Hungary where the team recorded their first double points-haul of the campaign.

Those improvements have been helped a lot by Button and Alonso's relationship with Honda, who Boullier says are more open to listening given the duo's championship-winning experience.

"The biggest strength is obviously their experience and their charisma," he told F1i.com.

"When they speak, they are listened to.

"So their biggest strength is when they speak to the Honda engineers they are very much listened to, maybe more than a junior driver."

Asked whether that meant retaining Kevin Magnussen, who McLaren demoted to test driver in favour of signing Alonso for this season, would have been a 'risk', the Racing Director said: "Not risky, but it would have been a different scenario which we would have handled differently.

"But having both World Champion drivers with such an aura and charisma is driving us faster and putting positive pressure on us."

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Magnussen: No way in hell

Kevin Magnussen is adamant he will not go through another season without racing, saying there is "no way in hell" that will happen.

Dropped from a race-seat at the end of last season, the Dane stayed on at McLaren in a reserve driver role.

And although that meant he did take part in the Australian GP weekend due to Fernando Alonso's testing crash, that has been his only outing.

"There will not be one more year without racing - no way in hell," he said in an interview with Autosport.

"I'll stay for one year like this and then hopefully something will happen [in F1], and if not you'll have to move on and do something else.

"I'm not saying I definitely won't be here as reserve driver.

"If I don't get a [race] drive then I might do something else and if I can be reserve driver as well then that'll be good.

"But I hope that's not going to be it - I hope to be back in Formula 1 next year."

Magnussen could yet replace Jenson Button next season as the Brit has been linked to Williams as well as a role at Top Gear.

But if he doesn't land a F1 seat, the 22-year-old remains open to move to America's IndyCar series.

"I've always loved IndyCar and I think there's something about it which is really cool. I just like old-school racing.

"We had such a short time to find the budget [this year] and then with what happened to Fernando McLaren needed me, and I didn't really have the time to find the budget."

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Pirelli could 'run a team for our budget'

With a budget to rival Formula 1's biggest spenders, Paul Hembery has warned that Pirelli won't remain in Formula 1 at "any cost."

At present the Italian tyre manufacturer is vying against Michelin for the new tyre supplier contract that begins in 2017.

Unlike Michelin, Pirelli have stated that they were willing to do what the teams want, whether that means sticking with today's specs or introducing wider rear tyres.

Added to that, the tyre supplier have said they will also follow the teams' directive on tyre degradation and the number of pitstops they want.

And all Hembery says they want out of it is recognition for a job well done as Pirelli are paying huge amounts to supply Formula 1.

"We're quite happy to go forward with some of the ideas they've got," he told Crash.net. "It's a big decision and very expensive.

"You've got to bear in mind that we're a sponsor as well as a technical supplier and our overall costs are far greater than a normal sponsor – it would be far better for us to go and do some trackside advertising and sit and have a bottle of champagne every weekend! That would probably cost about a third of what it costs now.

"Our costs of being present, net cost because we don't get anything from the commercial rights holder obviously, we're contributing to the commercial rights holder, our net cost is probably greater than [everyone] except the engine manufacturers. We could certainly run an F1 team for our budget.

"The cost is worth it so far but there's also got to be a recognition of your role. If you come along and feel that you're not getting the right recognition for what you're putting into the sport, then you start questioning it. Other people have come and gone in the past for those reasons and I'll know in October what our board thinks.

"I've always said that we won't be in the sport at any cost – it has to work as a business proposition. The sport is still strong historically in South America, Brazil in particular, and Europe but we need it to be stronger in Asia and we need to grow it in North America – we need a bigger audience in those markets.

"We compare F1 with other sponsorship activities, what our competitors do, what the automotive businesses do, other people – not necessarily in our business or area – how they go and spend money... It's not a given that, at any cost, we want to be here but we'll be here if it makes sense for the business – and if the sport wants us to be here. If they don't want to recognise our role and involvement, then we'll do something else..."

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Michelin vs Pirelli: Which tyres are right for F1?

The outcome of a decision which will have a profound effect on the nature of F1 racing between 2017 and 2019 will be made public in the coming weeks.

Pirelli, which has been F1’s official tyre supplier since 2011, and Michelin, which last appeared in F1 in 2006, are vying to become the sole provider of rubber to the world championship after next season.

Michelin’s vision for the future of F1’s tyres is strikingly different from what Pirelli provides today. Which would you prefer to see F1 embrace?

Pirelli: The F1 philosophy

Having successfully bid for the last two tenures as sole F1 tyre supplier from 2011 to 2013, and 2014 to 2016, Pirelli has aligned itself with F1’s current thinking on what sort of tyres are best for the sport and the show.

The 2010 Canadian Grand Prix strongly influenced the brief given to Pirelli when they returned to F1 the following year. The Italian tyre brand were told to produce tyres which would degrade rapidly, and typically require drivers to make two or three pit stops per race.

As well as sticking to this brief, Pirelli has also declared itself content to stick with F1’s antiquated high-profile tyres and tiny 13-inch wheels – a format seldom found on modern road cars.

Michelin: Performance and profile

Michelin has set out two very clear requirements if it is to return to Formula One.

The French manufacturer wants F1 to move away from using tyres which are designed to degrade, and are instead created to allow drivers to drive the car to the limit of its performance for longer.

It also wants F1 to switch to more modern low-profile tyres, trading the current 13-inch wheels for 18-inches or more. This would bring it into line with trends in road car sales, as well as other championships where Michelin supplies tyres, such as the World Endurance Championship and Formula E.

My thoughts:

It seems to me that since the era of ‘designed to degrade’ tyres began in 2011, teams have increasingly mastered the variables Pirelli have thrown at them. It reminds me of what happened when refuelling was reintroduced in 1994: it caught a few teams out during the first years, but it quickly stopped producing surprises.

This leads me to wonder whether the current tyre philosophy is doing F1 more harm than good. It’s taken the drivers a long time to find their voice on the subject, but it seems many of them are unhappy at the lengths they are having to go to nurse the current generation of tyres. It's not racing flat out any more.

Furthermore, Formula 1’s slump in speeds over recent seasons needs addressing, and unlocking more performance from the tyres could be a useful way of doing that without resorting to costly changes in the technical rules.

The question of wheel size is, for me, a purely aesthetic one. The current 13-inch wheels look outdated and I’m sure that if teams had the freedom to pick their wheel sizes they would have already moved to larger wheels for pure performance reasons.

Why not have both manufacturers in the sport and bring back a tyre war? Of course, Pirelli want exclusivity so that remains a hurdle.

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Ayrton Senna features in new Honda advert

Honda has used Ayrton Senna's voice in its latest advertising campaign, which continues to use Formula 1 as a core part of its promotional push.

The new advert, which was revealed for the first time on Friday, is titled 'Ignition' and showcases all of the vehicles in Honda's portfolio.

But as well as featuring motorbikes, road cars, a plane and the current McLaren-Honda, one segment also features Senna's voice.

The three-time world champion, who won all his titles with Honda engines, is heard as an actor holds up an image of a Honda NSX that Senna famously drove and gave input into to help its development.

In the advert he says: “You think you have a limit. As soon as you touch this limit, something happens and you suddenly can go a little bit further.”

Later on, the advert also features Jenson Button as two McLaren cars make up the back of the group of vehicles that are shaped like a rocket.

Igniting brand

Honda's Europe's marketing communications manager Jemma Jones told the Marketing website that the campaign was about celebrating the Japanese company's widening interests.

"With Ignition what we set out to do was to liken the engineering achievements we’ve accomplished and the unparalleled product diversity that Honda and really ignite the brand with a bang,” she said.

"We’ve likened our brand diversity to the biggest feat in mankind – space exploration. It’s about making a massive, bold statement about Honda."

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Nico Rosberg hoping new start rules will give him an edge over Lewis Hamilton

Nico Rosberg believes the new start procedures set to be introduced at the Belgian Grand Prix can give him another weapon in his armoury against title rival Lewis Hamilton.

Starting at the next round at Spa-Francorchamps, drivers will not be able to adjust their clutch bite point after leaving the garage on their way to the grid. Previously drivers were able to use a bite-point finder to optimise their starts after leaving the pits and could also be given information about which settings to choose by the pit wall.

The tighter regulations were introduced in the hope of putting the onus on drivers over engineers and Rosberg is hoping he will be able to use it to his advantage.

"I like it because it gives me the opportunity to try and beat Lewis in that area," he said. "Whereas until now it's difficult because it was not really in the driver's hands.

"It's going to be a challenge, it really is, because up to now it was so controlled by the engineers, who were doing the settings and everything. Now, to be completely on your own, it's a big change, so it will be interesting. It'll be easy to do it, but it will be complex to do it well.

"The procedure is the same but you have to be more reactive because the clutch won't be in the perfect position because it's not been set perfectly - it just gets set and you've got to deal with it. It's going to be quite complicated, for sure."

Following poor starts for Mercedes at both the British and Hungarian Grands Prix, Hamilton is wary that the new procedures could lead to more problems off the start line.

"The fact that we can't change our bite point and then we can't even do a bite point or clutch warm up, that's going to be the interesting thing because the clutch varies a lot in temperature throughout the starts. If it's cold or too hot, it'll make a lot of difference in how much torque goes through the wheels and all these things. It will be interesting to see how different it is for everyone and on our side there's a chance it can be inconsistent even more so."