FORMULA 1 - 2015

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RENAULT HARD AT WORK ON 2016 POWER UNIT

Renault is confident it will take a step forward for 2016, despite a woeful campaign this season thanks to a way below par power unit it has supplied it’s customers.

The French carmaker will soon decide how it will proceed for the future, as the relationship with Red Bull breaks down and talks proceed with Lotus over a team buyout.

But no matter what happens, Renault will be on the grid in one way or another next year, and so the marque is determined to have a much better ‘power unit’.

Indeed, while much of the F1 world took a summer vacation, Renault has continued to work hard on its turbo V6 design throughout August.

“The dynos have run as usual,” confirmed operations chief Remi Taffin, “and we’ve conducted some notable performance work for the rest of the season and also concepts for next year. The results are good.”

Romain Grosjean, frustrated with stalled progress at financially-struggling Lotus, is barracking hard for a Renault takeover.

“It would be good to be part of the factory team,” he told the French magazine Auto Hebdo, “and I’m sure that they will be able to improve the power unit.

“Currently, Mercedes has the best engine, but there is a lot that can be done for next season,” added Grosjean.

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ECCLESTONE GIVES THUMBS UP TO RACE START CLAMPDOWN

Formula 1’s clampdown on assisted race starts is a step in the right direction, according to Bernie Ecclestone.

The F1 supremo, openly no fan of the sport’s current era, has given his approval to the new rules governing race starts that will debut this weekend in Belgium.

“We are making a tiny step backwards technology-wise for the sake of the entertainment,” explained Toto Wolff, the Mercedes team boss.

Some teams, however, have reportedly complained about the mid-season rule change, arguing that the current cars have been designed only for the sophisticated settings and instructions that are now banned.

But Ecclestone said: “It is the fault of the engineers that formula one is now regarded as a series in which you can almost put trained monkeys in remote-controlled cars.

“The new starting procedure is the first step back in the right direction,” he told Germany’s Sport Bild.

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SALO HAILS FERRARI DECISION TO KEEP RAIKKONEN

Ferrari was “sensible and wise” to have re-signed Kimi Raikkonen for 2016 according to Mika Salo, another Finnish driver who once raced for the fabled Maranello team.

“Ferrari has made a sensible and wise decision,” he told the Finnish broadcaster MTV. “There were no better options than Kimi.”

Salo, 48, suggested that the last few weeks must have been filled with intense negotiations between the 2007 world champion and Ferrari, perhaps about salary.

“All I know is that Kimi’s option expired a month ago. We will probably never know more,” he added.

“What we do know is that all this speculation was completely pointless. When a cooperation works, then it will be continued,” said Salo.

Nico Hulkenberg and Romain Grosjean predicted repeatedly that, once Raikkonen’s future is known, the rest of the driver market will fall into place.

But Michael Schmidt, the highly respected correspondent for Auto Motor und Sport, thinks the key to the market now lies elsewhere, “The other drivers will fall into place once Renault decides if it will run a works team or not.”

Schmidt speculated that if Lotus becomes Renault, Pastor Maldonado’s PDVSA sponsorship may no longer be appropriate alongside stronger Renault and Total branding.

He might then move to Force India, while Nico Hulkenberg heads to Haas in order to wait for a full Ferrari works seat for 2017.

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JET ON STANDBY FOR ROSBERG BABY BIRTH

Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg has a private jet on standby as the minutes tick down to fatherhood.

The Mercedes driver’s wife Viviane is set to give birth to their first child any day now — in fact, Bild newspaper reports that the due date actually came and went on Tuesday.

However, Rosberg has now had to travel to Belgium for F1’s return to action, but not without putting in place a plan for a rapid return to Monaco.

“60 kilometres away in Liege, a private jet is waiting,” Bild reports. “So too is a driver, to bring Rosberg quickly to the airport if necessary.”

Rosberg’s boss Toto Wolff commented: “When the baby comes, Nico may fly back immediately.”

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'Merc can't afford to gift rivals'

Following last year's antics, which cost Mercedes dearly, Toto Wolff says his team has to avoid "any" mistakes this weekend at Spa.

Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg head to the Belgian Grand Prix on the back of their first podium miss since the 1.6-litre V6 engines were introduced in 2014.

However, Spa also doesn't hold happy recent memories for the team as last year Rosberg collided with Hamilton, which later resulted in the Brit's retirement.

This year Wolff is determined to avoid any such incidents.

"Any mistake we make is a gift to our rivals and we cannot afford to do that," he told Reuters.

"With 10 races down and nine to go, we enter the second half of the season with a stronger points total than at this stage last year and yet our margin to the competition is actually smaller.

"In F1, there is never a moment you can take your foot off the gas and Hungary proved once again that any slip is an opportunity our rivals can grab with both hands.

"We have all enjoyed a chance to recharge over the summer, but we have also kept our minds focused on what lies ahead. I think we know what is needed and we have to remain relentless."

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MORE DRIVER AIDS RESTRICTIONS PLANNED FOR 2016

Formula 1 is set for a further clampdown on the use of telemetric driver aids next year in the wake of revised rules on clutch settings being introduced for the Belgian Grand Prix.

The planned restrictions were revealed in a note sent by the sport’s ruling body, the International Motoring Federation (FIA), to the teams on Thursday as the F1 circus set up camp again after a month’s break.

The FIA said it was bidding to outlaw telemetry and radio communications that improve performance, a move that will hand more responsibility back to the driver.

The moves have been welcomed by the sport’s long-serving commercial ring-master Bernie Ecclestone who has called for changes that de-clutter the racing and give the drivers more control without so much computerised feedback.

The FIA said: “Methods to limit the telemetry channels sent in real time from the car to the pits will be investigated.

“The objective will be to restrict real-time data flow to signals essential to run the car. Any ‘monitoring’ or non-essential channels should only be logged to on-car memory.”

The FIA identified more than 30 items of information messages that will be allowed in 2016 – including any safety warnings about damage, punctures or car failures that could be dangerous, including reports of problems with a rival team’s car.

Teams will still be allowed to give certain information and instructions relating to making pit stops, marshalling flags, track conditions, lap times and data about gaps between cars during qualifying sessions.

The move is in line with the FIA’s decision to enforce its rules more strictly, notably article 20.1 of the sporting regulations that states “the driver shall drive the car alone and unaided”.

It is widely seen as part of the FIA’s desire to make sure all drivers receive as little assistance as possible from the pit-wall during Grands Prix and to reduce the technological assistance drivers have received in recent seasons.

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ROSBERG: THE BABY SEAT IS IN THE MERCEDES

Nico Rosberg made light of his recent Formula 1 title travails on ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps by focusing instead on a happier case of car trouble.

The German, 21 points adrift of Mercedes team mate and double champion Lewis Hamilton as the season enters its second half, spent the August break at home preparing for the arrival of his first child.

His wife Vivian is due to give birth to a daughter next week and Rosberg said he had the family cars ready for the trip to the hospital.

“Everything’s packed, the car engine was running in the garage,” he smiled during a meeting with reporters in Belgium.

“The baby seat is in the Mercedes ML and it took me two hours to put it in there,” he added. “It was one of the toughest recent experiences.”

The pain of Hungary, a topsy turvy race where at one point Rosberg looked like emerging in the lead of the championship but ended up eighth and further behind Hamilton after a late collision with Australian Daniel Ricciardo, had eased.

“Hungary was very annoying because it was such a great opportunity to close the gap on Lewis,” he said. “It’s also just annoying to lose second place in such a way right at the end there.

“So it was tough but as always in sport it’s not very long lasting, those emotions. I did very much enjoy the summer break.”

Faded also were the memories of last year’s Belgian Grand Prix, where the two Mercedes drivers collided on the second lap of the race in a drama that led Hamilton to accuse then-championship leader Rosberg of doing it deliberately.

“It was a tough time after this race here for everybody but no regrets. I learned a lot. That’s it,” he said.

Hamilton has won five races to Rosberg’s three this season but started nine of 10 from pole position — a reversal of last year where the German was the qualifying king in a battle that went down to the wire.

“I need to keep pushing the way I have,” said Rosberg. “It just needs to be slightly the other way and that’s it. It’s 21 points and at times in the last race I was actually leading the championship.

“It was very close in the first half (of the season) and with sport it can go either way…I need to keep pushing, keep winning races and I believe I can make it happen.”

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RAIKKONEN: CHALLENGE FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP NEXT YEAR

Kimi Raikkonen is confident that he can help Ferrari build a title challenge next season after re-signing for the team for 2016.

The veteran Finn, 36 next month, whose new deal was announced on Wednesday, told a news conference ahead of this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix that he felt at home with Ferrari and optimistic about the future.

The 2007 champion, who is a four-time winner of the classic Belgian race on the sweeping Ardennes circuit, said he was convinced the team was on the right track this season and would be stronger next year.

“We want to do as well as we can and hopefully challenge for the championship next year,” he said. “I am sure we can produce quite a bit better car next year than this year.

“The team is working well together, we all feel very good, but we have to try to do a good second part of the year and maximise what we have, and then prepare for next year.”

He said that his new deal for 2016 had no bearing on his feelings or his approach to this weekend’s contest.

“It doesn’t change anything for me. We still try to do the same at every race. The contract thing is not going to change our approach for the weekend or the end result.

“Hopefully the end result will be good, but we will do the same things in other races. Hopefully we can have a good race with no problems and we will see where we end up.”

Raikkonen said also that he was grateful to his team-mate, four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel, for his support this season.

”I know him well and we have a very good relationship He tells me and I tell him if we do well. There is a good feeling of respect in the team.”

He added that this comfort in the team was important for everyone, “I am pleased to be working here again next year. We are going in the right direction. I think there many happy days ahead in front of us.”

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PEREZ: MY TIME AT MCLAREN DAMAGED MY REPUTATION

Mexican Sergio Perez, a former Ferrari academy driver who is now at Force India after a disappointing 2013 season with McLaren, told reporters ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix weekend that he had been very close to joining Ferrari in 2014.

“For 2013 I had to stay at Sauber for one more year and then I would be going to Ferrari. But then the opportunity with McLaren came,” he said in the wake of the Maranello outfit confirming veteran Kimi Raikkonen for another year with the team.

“It turned out it [McLaren] wasn’t the right team and obviously in hindsight it damaged quite a bit my reputation,” added the Mexican.

“But I believe with my results in the past year and this year, if I can have strong results then the opportunity can come in the near future to go back to a top team.”

“I still have a very good relationship with Ferrari. In the past, I was even very close to getting to drive for them. In Formula 1 you never know what is going to happen in the future,” mused Perez.

“At one point, Stefano [Domenicali] told me to stay one more season in Sauber, then go to Ferrari. But I got the offer from McLaren,” revealed Perez.

Asked if he regrets his ultimately ill-fated switch to McLaren, he said: “No. At the time, McLaren was winning regularly and many drivers dreamed of being with this team.”

“Then the situation reversed. Of course, now I realise that the decision seriously damaged my reputation, especially when you stop with a top team after only one year.

“But now I believe that thanks to the results in the past and also this year, I may get another opportunity to go to a top team in the future,” said Perez who will start his 85th grand prix this weekend in Belgium.

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FERRARI HOPEFULS MOVE ON AFTER RAIKKONEN DECISION

Formula 1 drivers who might have measured themselves up for Kimi Raikkonen’s Ferrari seat shrugged off any disappointment on Thursday after the team’s decision to retain the Finn for next season.

“I could see it coming, so if there’s no expectation there can’t be disappointment,” said Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg as the sport regrouped at the Belgian Grand Prix after the August break.

“Obviously that seat is taken but I think there are still a few good options for me out there,” added the 28-year-old German.

“I’m pretty confident I can put something good together and that I’ll be here next year in a good car.”

Hulkenberg, a Le Mans 24 Hours winner with Porsche this year, had been seen by some as a candidate to replace the 35-year-old Raikkonen despite being snubbed in the past.

However, Ferrari announced on Wednesday that the taciturn Finn, whose contract was due to run out at the end of the year, would be staying as team mate to four times world champion Sebastian Vettel.

Hulkenberg has also been linked to the U.S.-based Haas F1 team, who are due to debut in 2016, and he said he was considering all options.

“This is the time of the year, you talk to everyone and you assess your options. You put things how you like them and make a decision when the time is right,” he said. “At the moment I am working quietly in the background and preparing everything.”

Finland’s Valtteri Bottas, who was considered a frontrunner to replace Raikkonen, refused to confirm what discussions, if any, there had been. He said talks about a new deal with Williams were continuing.

Ricciardo downplayed rumours that had linked him to the drive, “I was very honest with the answers I gave and there was no direct contact.”

He added, “When I say direct, there wasn’t any indirect contact either. It was through the media, that was the only contact I had.”

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FERNANDO: AFTER FIVE YEARS AT FERRARI IT WAS ENOUGH FOR ME

Fernando Alonso wishes he had left Ferrari sooner and, contrary to much speculation, feels he made the right decision to join struggling McLaren’s ‘new project’ with Honda.

The two-time world champion admitted Thursday that he felt “things were getting more and more sad” in his final months with the Italian team – and revealed he should have left them two years earlier.

“The car was not competitive at all and things were getting more and more sad,” he told CNN. “So, probably, one or two years less was the best thing, but you know we tried to do our best and we fought until the end of every single race.

“After five years in Ferrari and being second all the time, I think it was enough for me.”

Asked if he should have departed Maranello sooner instead of enduring the continuing struggles, he said: “Probably, yes ”

“Sometimes, with Ferrari, you win or you lose depending on what the mood of the team in general, of the group in general,” he added. “It’s a very big team, with some good things, some bad things, and as I said it’s good to experience and to live once.

“I didn’t want to give up and I wanted always to keep believing that it was possible and to keep the dream alive,” he said.

“Last year, I realised that with the Mercedes domination it was not possible to win in the short term for Ferrari and a new project was the best idea.

“McLaren is a risky project because they were completely new, but we are one team – we win and we lose together.”

Despite a year of problems and penalties, Alonso has managed to score points twice for McLaren but for him, the focus is more on 2016 than this season as the team build for the future.

Alonso and teammate Jenson Button will suffer more grid penalties this weekend after the team decided to fit new engines.

Honda has been working on upgraded engines to be introduced following the sport’s four-week break following last month’s Hungarian Grand Prix.

Honda motorsport job Yasuhisa Arai said: “Not all of our upgrades will be in place for the Belgium Grand Prix.

“Some parts will be applied for Spa and the rest during the weeks that follow. Our plan is to keep improving race-by-race for the remainder of the season.”

Struggling McLaren have been hit by repeated grid penalties this season as they bid to improve their performance and establish their new partnership with Honda.

Button is expected to be demoted five places on the grid and Alonso 10 when their penalties are announced on Friday after consideration of McLaren’s use of the complex ‘tokens’ system used for the introduction of new parts.

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FORCE INDIA: PROBLEMS SOLVED OUR CAR IS SAFE

Speaking ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix weekend, Sergio Perez told media that he had no concerns about the safety of his Force India VJM08 while team principal Vijay Mallya is adamant the problems have been solved.

In Hungary, both the Mexican and his teammate Nico Hulkenberg suffered catastrophic failures aboard their otherwise more competitive B-spec machines.

Asked about the suspension design following his roll-over crash, Perez told reporters in Belgium: “Yes, I’m sure all the problems are behind us.

“The team is completely ready for the weekend,” he added at Spa-Francorchamps. “The engineers told me in detail what happened. During the race we also had problems with the front wing but, as I said, they are all solved and in the past.”

Immediately after the race in Budapest, Bild newspaper asked Otmar Szafnauer, the team’s sporting director, if Force India has let its safety standards slip in the crucial championship battle.

“We do not play with safety. We showed that on Friday, when we didn’t let Hulkenberg out until we knew exactly what was the reason for Perez’s crash. This must not happen again,” declared Szafnauer.

Hulkenberg said after he crashed into the barriers when the front wing on the VJM06 failed during the race in Hungary, “I didn’t have much warning that there was a problem with the front wing – there was a harsh vibration just before it broke and after that I was heading straight into the barriers.”

“The final impact was not too bad because that part of the track is well protected and it absorbed the energy nicely,” he added.

Team boss Mallya is confident that the issues have been sorted, “The whole team has worked extremely hard to repair the cars and solve the problems that we encountered in Hungary, and we’re ready to bounce back this weekend in Spa.”

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HAMILTON: ANY MISTAKE WE MAKE IS A GIFT TO OUR RIVALS

Four weeks on from a poignant and incident-packed Hungarian Grand Prix, the Formula One circus is back this weekend with defending champion Lewis Hamilton aiming to increase his lead in this year’s title race at the classic Belgian Grand Prix.

The 30-year-old Briton, who has a 21 points advantage over his Mercedes teammate German Nico Rosberg in the drivers’ championship after 10 of this year’s 19 races, wants not only to stay on top, but to erase all memories of last year’s events with a confidence-boosting win.

After the sadness of losing Frenchman Jules Bianchi, who died shortly before last month’s Hungarian race won by resurgent German Sebastian Vettel for Ferrari, Hamilton and the rest have taken a break and returned recharged for the action that lies ahead.

Last year, Hamilton and Rosberg collided in a controversial and spectacular incident that overshadowed the race and led to disciplinary action by the team, a sequence of events that team chief Austrian Toto Wolff is keen not to see repeated.

“Any mistake we make is a gift to our rivals and we cannot afford to do that,” he said. “With 10 races down and nine to go, we enter the second half of the season with a stronger points total than at this stage last year and yet our margin to the competition is actually smaller.”

“In F1, there is never a moment you can take your foot off the gas and Hungary proved once again that any slip is an opportunity our rivals can grab with both hands.”

“We have all enjoyed a chance to recharge over the summer, but we have also kept our minds focused on what lies ahead. I think we know what is needed and we have to remain relentless.”

Hamilton finished sixth last time out in Hungary after a scruffy race littered with mistakes and has been in Barbados and New York during his holidays.

“It’s been good to relax, train and recharge the batteries,” he said. “There’s always that flame in the back of your mind that just wants to get back out there and get on it – especially after a race like Hungary.”

“For me, Spa is a great track to kick off the second part of the season. It’s one of the really great, old-school circuits with so much history. It’s mostly medium to high speed corners, so you’re pretty much pedal-to-the-metal the whole way round, which is a lot of fun.”

Rosberg, who finished eighth after a late collision, said: “Hungary was such a big disappointment and I’ve been itching to get back to racing ever since. When you’re in such a close battle for the championship, any opportunity to gain points is crucial and it’s up to me to take those chances – but also to make them for myself.

“That’s definitely the target for the second half of the year for me. It’s all still to play for.”

Mercedes have won eight of the 10 races to date, but have some concerns about the introduction of rule-changes that reduce the ‘driver aids’ in use at the start of the race and hand greater responsibility to the man in the cockpit.

Williams technical chief Pat Symonds, however, said he believed the changes won’t make much difference at all when the lights go out again on Sunday.

Given that Mercedes were beaten comprehensively at the start at the last two races, it is Wolff who will have most to worry about this time.

He may need to take special note of the form of Finn Kimi Raikkonen who is not only a Spa specialist, but also a driver boosted by being told on Wednesday that he will stay with Ferrari next year.

“What can I say?” he said. “For me, to be able to stay another year it means that the dream goes on. The Scuderia is my family, as I always said, it’s here I want to end my career.”

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DRIVING LICENCE NOT WORRYING VERSTAPPEN

Dutch teenager Max Verstappen will take part in his first ‘home’ race in this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix but admits he is too busy, and still too young, to worry about sitting a normal driving test.

Verstappen, the son of former Benetton driver Jos Verstappen, will be 18 on September 30, but says he has no immediate plans to take lessons and pass his test.

The Belgium-based racer told a news conference on Thursday that he had too much to do while he is racing for the Toro Rosso team with a busy race schedule.

“I’m still not 18, remember, and I don’t have a road car licence yet. I just don’t have time right now so I will have to get it later.”

Verstappen, in his rookie season, finished a career-best fourth in last month’s Hungarian Grand Prix and has carried the same confidence with him into this weekend’s race.

“The first half of this season has gone quite well and, to be honest, I would have signed for it if it was offered to me before the season,” he said. “So I am looking forward to what is my home Grand Prix and I love this track.”

“I hope we can make the best of the car again but I don’t expect fourth this time. Having said that, I am always confident. The only thing I don’t like here at this track is the wasps, so let’s see how it goes.”

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NEW ENGINES FOR ALONSO AND BUTTON AT SPA

It will be a long and tiring Belgian Grand Prix weekend for the McLaren-Honda mechanics.

It was already known that, as Honda has traded in some of its upgrade ‘tokens’, both Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button will have to take grid penalties in order to use the new power unit at Spa-Francorchamps.

But now it emerges that each driver will actually use not one but two new engines each this weekend in Belgium — one on Friday, and then an entirely new one each on Saturday.

“We are increasing our pool of engines that we can use in the next races, as we can only be punished once (here),” team boss Eric Boullier told Auto Motor und Sport.

Indeed, after the farcical situation earlier this year when drivers began serving grid penalties but then also additional mid-race penalties for long-life engine rule infractions, the FIA changed tack.

Now, as Boullier explains: “You cannot start further back (on the grid) than the very back, so why not replace the engine twice?

“We take the punishment on a track that will not hurt us as much as Hungary or Singapore,” he added.

Boullier said that even though the upgrades are debuting this weekend in Belgium, they will better suit the MP4-30 package on forthcoming lower-speed circuits.

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SPA ON F1 CALENDAR UNTIL AT LEAST 2018

Promoter of the Belgian grand prix, Andre Maesis looking forward not only to this weekend’s race, but also more of the same in the future at the legendary and popular Spa-Francorchamps.

“Yes,” he told La Derniere Heure, a Belgian daily, “the Walloon government provided guarantees and we have extended the contract with FOM until 2018.”

A few days ago, Maes also told RTBF, a local broadcaster, that the race had sold 54,000 race-day tickets for 2015 — more than at the very same time a year ago.

“There are two reasons, I think,” he said. “The first thing is that there was no German grand prix this year, and the closest circuit to them is Spa-Francorchamps.

“We also have this young prodigy, Max Verstappen, who while Dutch also has a Belgian identity card at the moment,” Maes explained.

He is therefore barracking for the GP2 series leader Stoffel Vandoorne, another Belgian, to be part of the F1 circus in the near future.

“Hopefully, he will eventually win the GP2 title, and given the new conditions for obtaining a super licence, he is an ideal candidate for a seat next year in F1, whether in McLaren or elsewhere. Then we would get a huge boost in terms of sales,” said Maes.

He said he is expecting a Mercedes versus battle at the front on Sunday, but also has his fingers crossed for McLaren-Honda.

“I am interested to see how McLaren goes,” said Maes. “Honda has used several tokens and will have an updated engine.”

However, the new power units for Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso will carry with them grid penalties, Honda confirmed on Thursday.

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SINGAPORE AIRLINES EXTENDS F1 RACE SPONSORSHIP

Singapore Airlines has extended its title sponsorship of the country’s Formula One grand prix for two more years to 2017, the company announced on Thursday.

The airline, which is also one of the sport’s global partners, has been title sponsor of the floodlit night race since 2014.

Next year’s Singapore Grand Prix is scheduled to be back-to-back with neighbouring Malaysia for the first time, with both races held in September according to a provisional calendar issued in July

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Alonso unfazed by rule changes

Fernando Alonso doesn't believe the changes to the start procedures that will come into effect at Spa will make much of a difference.

As of this weekend's Belgium Grand Prix, the FIA will clamp down on radio communication between drivers and the pitwall and only critical information will be relayed. Teams will also be prevented from changing the clutch bite point once the cars leave the garage ahead of the race.

However, two-time World Champion Alonso isn't expecting any disruption to his usual pre-race strategy.

"It will not be a significant change. I know that there is some talk about this but maybe for next year or the following years will be more different," the Spaniard said.

"What we will have here is just some restrictions in communications with the drivers and the team etc but I think... at least in our team we were not doing any specific communication or strategy during the formation laps etc so it will not change much."

There will be more changes next year as the FIA has issued a technical directive that states engineers will not be able to coach the drivers over the radio on things like tyre degradation and fuel saving.

Although the McLaren driver admits drivers will have to "pay a little more attention", he doesn't think it be a train smash.

"Well, I don't think it will make a huge change because... yeah, we are receiving some information now on the radio about tyres, about fuel or other things on the car but we are perfectly aware of what is happening in the car and what is the best solution for the specific issues that we are facing during the race so if that information is not coming, it will come anyway by instinct and by the reactions of the car," he said.

"So yeah, we will have to pay a little bit more attention to a few things that now we rely a little bit on the radio but it's not a big change and probably it's welcome, all those changes, to have a little bit more to do in the car and feeling a little bit more important."

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Drivers prefer Spa’s old ‘Bus Stop’ chicane

The most recent change to the Spa-Francorchamps track layout is still struggling to find favour with drivers.

The slow chicane at the end of the lap has been criticised by previous drivers since its addition to the track in 2007. And when today’s drivers were asked what part of the track they like least it was brought up again.

“I think I would go back to how the last chicane was,” said Kimi Raikkonen. “Coming into the chicane, it was called the Bus Stop at that time, that was more nicer than what it is now.”

“It was just better, it was kind of more like it should. Now it’s kind of one part that’s a bit different than the others. The new one, it doesn’t feel like it’s fitting exactly there.”

“I think it was a nicer corner. There was a bit more speed and a bit all over the kerbs. I guess not much else has changed really, a little bit the first corner.”

The ‘Bus Stop’ chicane was used between 1983 and 2002. A different version of the chicane was used for two races in 2004 and 2005 before the current, tighter corner was added.

Lewis Hamilton agreed with his fellow Belgian Grand Prix-winner. “But I never drove that circuit,” he said, “I just watched and played it on the computer game.”

“But definitely it was more fun on the computer game so I imagine it would be better in real life.”

For this year’s race, asphalt has been laid on the inside of the approach to the corner. Last year GP3 driver Konstantin Tereschenko was launched into the air by one of the kerbs at the corner after losing control on the grass which was there at the time.

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Rain forecast late on Sunday at Spa

Warm, sunny conditions greeted the teams at Spa-Francorchamps but a cooler, wetter front is heading to the area and could arrive in time for Sunday’s race.

The teams can expect favourable conditions for the first two days of running, with temperatures reaching up to 25C and bursts of sunshine between cloudier spells. But what could happen on Sunday is where things get interesting.

A cooler front is approaching from the west which will bring lower temperatures and rain at the beginning of next week. But exactly when it will arrive could have a major effect on the race. Current predictions indicate it won’t reach the track until late afternoon, well after the chequered flag has fallen.

However that’s still over 72 hours away, and the forecast could change between now and then.

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Button: “Horrible” robbery ordeal is behind me now

Jenson Button says he is heading in to the Belgian Grand Prix with no ill effects from the recent robbery he and wife Jessica Michibata suffered while on holiday.

The pair were staying in St. Tropez in France over the Formula 1 summer break, when thieves broke in to their villa and stole valuable possessions, including Michibata's £250,000 engagement ring.

There were suggestions at the time that sleeping gas may have been used by the robbers.

Although Button did not want to dwell on the events, he said a recent trip to Japan had helped him get over the shock, and he was thankful that he and his wife were unharmed.

“I've been in Japan the last week which has been lovely, with Jessica's family and enjoying Tokyo with friends,” he said.

“It was a lot of fun after the ordeal of the week before, but it is behind us now. We are healthy, well and looking forward to this weekend."

Support boost

Button said he had been especially heartened by the outpouring of well wishes he had received from fans and the F1 community after the incident.

“It has been amazing the support,” he said. “I think probably more support than when I won the world championship. It has been really nice.

“A lot of people go through horrible experiences in life and it is definitely one I would not wish on anyone.

"We are over it now; although obviously it is always in the back of your mind. We are a little bit cautious in certain things we do now, but we are all here, we are all safe and that is the most important thing.”

Preventing repeat

Button also hoped that the publicity surrounding his incident would help people take more precautions to prevent repeat robberies in the future.

“You never want anyone in your house you haven't invited when you are there asleep, but it is what it is,” he said.

“I am sure it is not the last time it is going to happen to someone, but hopefully with all the reports it will make people more aware, so it doesn't happen as often in the future.”

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Vettel backs Ferrari decision to keep Raikkonen

Sebastian Vettel has welcomed Ferrari's decision to keep Kimi Raikkonen alongside him during the 2016 F1 season.

The Finnish driver faced an uncertain future as his contract with the Maranello team was coming to an end, but the Italian outfit announced on Wednesday it had extended its deal with the 2007 world champion.

Although Raikkonen has not been able to match the results achieved by Vettel this year, the German believes the move is good for Ferrari.

"I think he's a very good driver. Other than that, I think it's good for the team," said Vettel on Thursday at Spa.

"I got the same question in Hungary but now it's a bit different, but it doesn't change anything to the answer.

"I have a good relationship with him and it's good to keep stability. The best thing is that we work together, working for the team, doing our best, and for sure everybody wants to race them himself, but I don't think either him nor myself have egos that stand in the way of the team."

He added: "It's not my decision, but for sure I was asked for my opinion and I said I'd love to keep working with Kimi.

"The half season that I've had so far, I think the results are not fair because Kimi had a rougher season than I had. That's how it goes sometimes.

"But in terms of performance I think it has been very, very close. And most importantly I get along with him. Nothing has changed since we became teammates, so I think that's positive for the team."

Title "bloody hard"

Vettel took his second win of the 2015 season in the Hungarian Grand Prix last month, reducing the gap to championship leader Lewis Hamilton to 42 points.

Although the four-time champion insists he is not giving up on the title, he admits it will be very hard to close the gap on Mercedes.

"If you look at the maths, I don't think it takes a genius to see how many points we can still score and how many points we are behind," he said. "But for sure we also know that being realistic that it will be bloody difficult.

"If we have the opportunity to turn things around like in Hungary then we have to go for it. If we have the opportunity and we don't use it then it's down to us and our mistake.

"But if you look at the races so far, we had two opportunities that we used. But the advantage is still there. It just doesn't disappear."

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Felipe Massa hopes Valtteri Bottas partnership continues at Williams in 2016

Felipe Massa sees no reason he and Valtteri Bottas will not continue their partnership at Williams next year after Ferrari extended Kimi Raikkonen's contract for another year.

Raikkonen's seat has been the subject of much intrigue in 2015 so far but Ferrari ended all speculation on Wednesday by confirming a new one-year contract extension for the Finn. Massa's team-mate Bottas was the favourite to replace Raikkonen in 2016 and Italian media reported the team had been negotiating a fee with Williams.

When asked if he was surprised at the Raikkonen decision Massa, who was the Finn's team-mate at Ferrari between 2007 and 2009, said: "No. I think its what they decided to do. They are working forwards with what's best for them. I think Ferrari was working for some months to decide what to do and they decided to keep Kimi, so I'm happy for Kimi."

Ferrari's announcement is likely to limit the changes to the driver line-up for next season and Massa expects to be alongside Bottas again in 2016.

"I think so. I don't see the reason not. I expect yes and I think Valtteri is a good driver and he has shown how he can perform and how good he can be for the team - so yeah, I expect so ... Hopefully we can be another year together, me and Valtteri. We are working well in the team and now we just wait and see if this will happen or not but hopefully it will happen."

Massa also confirmed there has been no progress on his contract extension talks with Williams.

"Not yet but we are still waiting to understand the right time. Nothing has really changed. I don't really see any problem for me to stay here so I think I will be here next year, so I'm really looking forward to that. I'm happy to work with this team and I can say the same for the team."

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Nasr predicts four tenths gain from engine update

Felipe Nasr says he expects a return to the points this weekend as Sauber readies its first Ferrari engine upgrade of 2015 season for the Belgian Grand Prix.

The team has struggled to sustain the form that saw it scoring most of its points during the opening rounds of the season, with better funded rivals overtaking it in the development race.

However, as the season heads into its second-half with the Spa-Francorchamps race, Sauber will attempt to fight back with its first significant upgrade of the year having taken delivery of the latest specification Ferrari engine during the summer break.

Indeed, though Nasr remains fairly cautious about its potential, he says the gain could be up to four tenths of a second per lap.

“We need to wait and see how things play, but if there is an opportunity that might appear, it's going to be here or Monza to come back to the points” said Nasr. “From all I've seen this year, we are competitive on the straight lines and when the temperatures out there are not as hot, I think it plays to the car.”

When asked about the expected gains from the engine upgrades, Nasr said “I hear from Ferrari it is around four tenths, so it's a decent time. At Spa, if you're bringing something new, it is always helpful to have extra power.”

“It can put us back in the game but I will wait and see how things play out there. But from the feeling I have and from the perspective of the team, I think if there's an opportunity, it will be here or Monza, just because the track layout plays in our favour.“

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Sebastian Vettel doesn't 'get the point' of F1 start rule changes

Sebastian Vettel has been left perplexed by Formula 1's decision to change the start procedure rules, believing the teams will soon overcome any potential chaos.

From this Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix a driver will now have to discover his own optimum clutch bite point the moment he leaves the pitlane ahead of the formation lap, rather than being given advice from his team as was previously the case.

Reigning champion Lewis Hamilton, although welcoming of the change, recently suggested the starts would likely be "unpredictable", maybe even "disastrous".

Vettel, who goes into the race at Spa 42 points adrift of Hamilton, is convinced all the drivers on the grid will quickly become accustomed to the change.

"I don't really get the point of what we're trying to achieve," said Vettel.

"I don't think it will change much; maybe it will be a bit chaotic on Sunday - and maybe the next Sunday.

"But look, there are a lot of smart people in Formula 1.

"Drivers are capable of doing a lot of things, so I think two or three races down the line nothing changes."

In stark contrast, Force India's Sergio Perez claims the new rules will represent "a massive change".

Perez added: "In a way, the starts have always been a gamble in F1.

"This can mix things up so it's definitely a step forward for Formula 1."

Williams driver Valtteri Bottas, meanwhile, feels like Vettel the drivers possess enough experience to overcome any possible pitfalls.

"I don't expect any big differences to be honest," said Bottas.

"What we have, the information about the clutch, has been fine-tuning. Now it's up to us to manage it.

"On the formation laps there will be more for us to do, like engine modes, but that is it.

"We have done it so many times, it's quite automatic. You remember what you need to do, so I don't see a problem."

McLaren driver Jenson Button feels next year, when the rules alter again and the drivers will only be allowed to use one of their two clutches, will be more crucial.

Button said: "It's a memory thing, basically being told what to do and trying to remember it for 10 minutes instead of five seconds.

"Next year's starts will be very different, it's completely manual, but this year it's still the same.

"Will it shake things up? Not really."

For Romain Grosjean, the situation reminds him of "going back to school, having to remember a long list of what to do".

Nico Rosberg, who practiced starts in the Mercedes simulator on Tuesday, feels there will be "quite a big difference", notably with how quiet it will be on the way to the grid in future.

Rosberg said: "In the past the radio communication on the parade lap hasn't stopped from when I left the grid to almost the start, and now it's going to be absolute silence.

"I will now have to do the procedures, which I have to remember, so that's going to be more difficult.

"Then the start itself will be more complicated because the clutch setting is fixed, and it will be down to me to do a good start."