FORMULA 1 - 2016

[MIKA27]

Another season ends and another will soon begin, where has the year gone!?

Figured I'd get this thread started, will not be posting for the next few days but I shall return.

I'm certainly hoping there will be less politics, less news on Bernie butchering the F1 brand and more exciting racing. For me, 2015 was rather dull overall and that wasn't due to Mercedes dominating, but more so the overall season seemed rather blunt to me. Free to air coverage here in Australia was shared between pay TV and Free To Air.

A MEGA 21 races remain on the calendar, with the brand-new event in Baku, Azerbaijan taking place the week after Canada - one of six back-to-back Grand Prix weekends.

I have a feeling this season will be amazing, Ferrari back at the forefront to give Mercedes a run for their money, perhaps a few surprises ahead from some other teams?

Hope you are all enjoying your much deserved holidays with family and friends and have a great 2016 year and Formula 1 season.

Link to last years season

[MIKA27]

RACE AGAINST TIME TO BUILD NEW PITS FOR CANADIAN GP

The City of Montreal has acknowledged that time is tight to deliver the promised new pit and paddock complex ahead of the 2016 Canadian grand prix.

The race at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is promoted privately by a company called Octane, but a new ten-year contract signed with F1 last year required the City to fund new garages for the teams at the ageing facility.

Montreal promised the delivery of the work by 2017, but the president of the city’s executive committee, Pierre Desrochers, admitted that time is “tight”.

“For sure the schedule is tight, but we have always worked according to this target,” he told the Quebec newspaper La Presse.

“At this stage, it is our goal to do so. We work with partners and the level of discussion is good. We all know that as the days move forward, there are deadlines to meet,” Desrochers added.

Asked if Montreal will have to compensate F1 if the work is not delivered in time, he answered: “We are not there yet.”

Francois Cartier, communications chief for the F1 site venue SPJD, explained: “We are still in the design and implementation phase of the paddocks. Discussions are ongoing with partners about the needs and the ability to meet all of these needs.”

The report speculated that talks with F1 chiefs have revealed a funding deficit, with Montreal having pledged a maximum of $32.6 million for the new complex.

“It is clear that there is an envelope of $32.6 million, but we will see how it will end,” Desrochers said.

Canadian grand prix promoter Octane did not comment.

[MIKA27]

WOLFF WARY OF RULE CHANGES TO REEL IN MERCEDES DOMINANCE

Formula 1 should be careful about tinkering and making knee-jerk rule changes to stop Mercedes’ dominance of tyhe sport.

That is the view of Toto Wolff, Mercedes’ team boss, even though he has freely admitted that the silver team’s perpetual winning is supposedly bad for the sport.

Christian Horner, Wolff’s counterpart at Red Bull, worries that 2016 will once again be easily won by Mercedes.

“I’m not sure what the bookies would offer for a big performance shift next year, but I don’t think the odds would be too good,” he is quoted by The Sun.

However, many are predicting that Ferrari will continue to close the gap to Mercedes over the winter ahead of a real title challenge for 2016.

“I was surprised by Ferrari’s development curve this year,” Wolff admitted to Auto Motor und Sport. “On the other hand it was also surprising to me that Red Bull moved in the other direction.”

“But it is logical that the learning curve of the others is steeper than ours, because we are chasing only small advantages with stable rules.”

Some fear that if the rules remain stable, Mercedes’ advantage will be locked-in for the long haul, particularly given the complexity of the ‘power unit’ era.

That is one reason why the momentum towards a big regulation change for 2017 and 2018, with simpler and more powerful engines and faster cars, is strong.

Horner wants F1’s authorities, led by Bernie Ecclestone and Jean Todt, to overlook the wishes of the teams and think primarily about a better “show” for F1.

“Without them, there is no Formula 1 that ultimately has to be a show, has to be entertainment, and it has to appeal to a broad spectrum of fans and spectators,” he said.

What F1 should do next, however, is controversial.

“Every solution they tried to improve the show just destroyed it even more,” warned 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve, speaking this week to Diariodelweb.it.

“Every time they add something, they make the sport weaker, and at the same time going back becomes impossible,” he added.

Wolff agrees that improving F1 – making it more competitive and compelling – is a divisive subject and a difficult one for F1 to solve, “The question is how we get there.”

“Do we want to curtail someone who has built up a competitive advantage, creating equality in the name of entertainment? This is definitely one way, but it was never done in Formula 1 like that.

“Or do we want to develop the regulations without major controversy in a direction so that performance is adjusted? This takes more time, but it is the more sensible way,” Wolff added.

[MIKA27]

WHY ARE YOUNG DRIVERS DISILLUSIONED ABOUT THE F1 DREAM?

Drivers and managers are in danger of giving up the Formula 1 dream, former grand prix star Stefan Johansson has warned.

The Swede raced in the eighties for Ferrari and McLaren, but today he is involved in the management of his impressive countryman Felix Rosenqvist.

The 24-year-old is the new European F3 champion, and this year he became the first driver in history to win the prestigious Macau grand prix back-to-back.

Rosenqvist tested a GP2 car in Abu Dhabi recently, but the veteran Johansson revealed on his blog that he is not impressed with the F1 feeder series.

The biggest problem, he said, is that – just like in F1 – the Pirelli tyres degrade too quickly, “So all these young drivers who need as much seat time as they can get and need to hone their race craft by racing hard from start to finish are basically cruising around. I spoke to a couple of the current GP2 stars and they all agree.”

“One of them is 20 years old and very promising and he told me he’s sitting there in the middle of a race asking himself if this is really what he was hoping to do when he became a professional driver – cruising around at 80 per cent just to make it to the end of the race,” he added.

The other issue, Johansson explained, is that GP2 is so expensive – at least $2 million a year for a top seat – and yet it is often proving a dead-end for even the most promising drivers.

“It’s a big dilemma,” he said. “I talked to several driver managers and F1 managers while in Abu Dhabi and it seems the general consensus is that most of them have in fact given up on the idea of pushing their drivers all the way to F1.

“Instead people are starting to focus on DTM and sports cars as alternative routes for a career as a professional driver. It’s a sad situation when even the people in F1 admit that the best drivers don’t have a chance to ever drive an F1 car, or at least not race one,” added Johansson.

[MIKA27]

JOHANSSON EXPECTS MCLAREN TO MAKE BIG LEAP IN 2016

Former F1 driver Stefan Johansson has tipped his former team McLaren and their engine partners Honda to make a big leap in 2016.

And the 59-year-old Swede, who raced for the British team in 1987 just before its first and ultra-successful Honda era began, is not alone in thinking McLaren-Honda is now capable of putting its troubles of 2015 quickly in the past.

For example, Fernando Alonso thinks a 2.5 second per lap boost is possible for 2016, and even rival Red Bull’s Adrian Newey said last week that he expects Honda to easily sort its engine problems over the winter.

On his blog, Johansson agreed: “Yes, I think they will make a big leap next year. Their performance has been so bad in 2015 that it’s not going to be difficult for them to make a pretty giant gain.”

“With their combined resources I am sure they will bypass a number of teams to get back to being one of the top five teams easily,” he added.

As for how long it will take to turn a major boost in 2016 into actual winning success, however, Johansson is less certain.

“I think they’ll be regular points-scorers next year but then of course the closer you get to the front, the harder it gets to be a regular winner like they used to be,” he said.

[MIKA27]

JOS VERSTAPPEN TURNS DOWN LE MANS RETURN TO BE WITH MAX

Jos Verstappen will not race at Le Mans next year as he prefers instead to focus on supporting the Formula 1 career of his teenage son Max.

Since his last grand prix in 2003, Jos has contested the fabled 24 hour endurance race a couple of times and was reportedly considering a return for 2016.

But next year, Le Mans is in a controversial scheduling clash with the inaugural European grand prix in Azerbaijan, meaning 2015 winner Nico Hulkenberg cannot defend his title.

And Verstappen, the 43-year-old father of Toro Rosso’s teenage sensation, told BNR Nieuwsradio that he will also be in Baku rather than at Le Mans next June.

That is despite the fact that talks with former Le Mans winner Jan Lammers and Frits van Eerd – owner of personal sponsor Jumbo – had taken place about a potential Le Mans foray for 2016.

“It didn’t fit into the programme this time,” Jos revealed. “At the moment I am concentrating everything on Max. I think it (Le Mans) would be nice of course, and of course I want to race.”

“But I think at this moment, Max is most important. I want him to win races, I want him to be world champion,” Verstappen snr added.

[MIKA27]

SIROTKIN ADMITS MORE THAN ONE OFFER FOR F1 ROLE

Sergey Sirotkin has played down speculation he is definitely set to return to prominence in Formula 1 next year, but admits he may have a test role lined up.

When still a teenager, the Russian leapt into the headlines in 2013 when he was part of a proposed buyout deal at Sauber.

The deal never happened, but in 2015 Sirotkin – now 20 – moved into the F1 feeder series GP2 and finished the championship in a credible third place. He is now tipped to switch to the title-winning ART team for 2016.

“I am glad that I will continue to race in GP2,” he told Russia’s Sportbox. “Regarding ART, there is nothing to announce as negotiations are underway.

“All I can say is that next season my goal is the title,” Sirotkin announced. “After third place there can be nothing else.”

Recently, the former manager of Vitaly Petrov, Oksana Kosachenko, revealed that another Russian will be in the F1 paddock next year, possibly as a test driver.

“We have a definite offer, and not just one,” Sirotkin said when asked about the comments. “But we all understand what it rests upon.

“Therefore, if we find the required financial support, maybe I’ll be a test driver in F1. But most of all I think she (Kosachenko) was talking about someone else.

“But yes, there is an opportunity, and perhaps we’re even closer to this goal than the others,” he added.

[MIKA27]

ROSSI HINTS AT 2016 MANOR DEAL TO BE REVEALED SOON

The 24-year-old Californian Alexander Rossi says his plans for the 2016 Formula 1 season will be revealed soon.

Rossi began his 2015 campaign in GP2, but made his break into Formula 1 towards the end of the season with the backmarker Manor.

It is expected Rossi will stay at the team next year, but also in the running for the two seats are Will Stevens and the Mercedes junior Pascal Wehrlein.

Rossi said on his website: “As I write this, my team and I are working hard on 2016 and we look forward to sharing some exciting news soon.”

He hinted that his adventure with Manor will continue, “I would like to thank (the team) for their continued belief and commitment in me, and for allowing me the opportunity to make the most of my F1 race debut.”

“After our combined efforts in 2014 for my F1 debut a year ago, competing this season for (Manor) was a privilege, and I felt very comfortable over the span of five races and as I now plan and prepare for 2016,” said Rossi.

He also thanked his sponsors, family and management, adding: “I look forward to the opportunity of paying you back with even more results in 2016, while building upon the current momentum and growth of F1 in America.”

[MIKA27]

2016 Sauber will look 'very different' claims Nasr

Sauber have taken a more aggressive approach to their 2016 car in order to make a much needed leap forward, according to driver Felipe Nasr.

The Brazilian contributed 27 points to Sauber's 36 point total in 2015, putting them a distant eighth behind Toro Rosso and just ahead of the struggling McLaren-Honda partnership.

Looking ahead to 2016, Nasr revealed that the team have taken the decision to follow a radical development path, rather than an evolution of the current C34.

"So far they [the team] have been very realistic on the things we are trying to work on and all I can say is the concept looks very different on the car," Nasr is quoted by Motorsport.

"This year's and last year's car look similar on the concept side, but next year we are playing a little bit more aggressive.

"If we kept on developing the car we have now, there's little steps we can make. That's why we are taking this different approach for 2016."

However the 23-year-old doesn't expect massive gains, but a "decent step".

"I think I expect a step forward," he added. "We all understand where the car needs to be improved, we know the areas we have to work on, but it's difficult to turn things upside down and suddenly have a winning car.

"This is not going to happen. I'm confident we are going to make a decent step."

[MIKA27]

Boost for COTA as letter guaranteeing funding discovered

The United States Grand Prix held at the Circuit of the Americas in Texas has received fresh hope that its future could be secured, following the discovery of a letter guaranteeing its state funding.

Just two weeks after the 2015 event, the new government informed circuit bosses that it would cut its contribution from $25 million annually to just $19.5m, creating a massive funding shortfall.

COTA Chairman, Bobby Epstein, admitted they were "screwed" and hinted that they might take legal action against the local government, believing they had a ten-year funding guarantee.

Forbes revealed this week that a letter from former state comptroller Susan Combs has now emerged, which proves that guarantee exists.

"In response to the requirements of the race promotion contract for the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix in Texas, I hereby certify the following: With the understanding that the first Formula 1 United States Grand Prix race will be held in Texas in 2012, full funding of the entire sanction for 2012 will be paid to Formula One World Championship Limited (‘FOWC’) no later than July 31st, 2011," it reads.

"In subsequent years, two through ten, of the race promotion contract, i.e. 2013 through 2021, we will be sending $25 million dollars to FOWC by the end of July 31st of each year preceding the actual race event."

Whilst the government may have changed, a court of law could force them to honour the letter, which would be a huge boost for the event which is currently subject to confirmation on the 2016 calendar.

[MIKA27]

Force India says not cutting development costs key to comeback

Force India says the key to its surprise comeback over the second half of 2015 was down to it never taking the easy option and slashing its development costs.

The Silverstone-based outfit had a difficult build-up to last season, with cash flow problems meaning its new car missed the first two tests of the winter.

But despite the delayed start, the introduction of a B-spec car from the British Grand Prix transformed its campaign and helped it to finish a best-ever fifth place in the constructors' championship.

COO Otmar Szafnauer says that the key factor that helped it overcome the odds was in never stopping its development push, even if it could not afford to make the parts it was working on.

"My philosophy has always been that you can't stop developing, because if you stop developing you'll never gain that time back," he told Motorsport.com.

"So we always developed, and we always put the resources in place so that the wind tunnel was going and the CFD was working, and we are testing parts. But what we couldn't do was realise those parts into a real car.

"So the beginning of the season started with parts from the 2014 car, especially at the front, and the rear was the new car. That configuration was never run in a tunnel – so it was a step in to the dark.

"The first configuration that we ran in the tunnel came for Barcelona and then it all came together at Silverstone – since when we were performing.

"Had we been able to do that at the beginning of the year, who knows where we could have finished? But we struggled at the beginning of the year with performance."

Team spirit important

Szafnauer also thinks that his team has been helped by securing a lot of loyalty from its staff, some of which has been achieved through what he terms 'non-traditional' means.

When asked how Force India was able to keep hold of quality staff, while rivals spent ever bigger bucks, he said: "And they keep taking people from us too!

"We are located in between Red Bull and Mercedes, right in the middle, so it's difficult to keep the right skill set when you've got those types of neighbours.

"So you have to employ strategic and maybe non-traditional techniques to keep them, and that's what we are trying to do.

"You have to make it a good place to work where you are rewarded for your efforts and I think that's something we can do that maybe the others can't."

He added: "If you have 800 people, your slice of the performance becomes smaller than if you have to do a lot.

"And doing a lot, at the end of the day, people feel better about themselves.

"As long as you are moving forward and punching above your weight, everybody feels good. The feel-good factor is what you need in a team.

"I think that's our way of keeping the right skill set as well as extracting the most out of the people we have."

[MIKA27]

Ferrari can push rules more than Mercedes - Wolff

Mercedes could be hampered in its fight against Ferrari because it does not have the historic clout – nor the willingness to push the limit of Formula 1's rules – as its Italian rival, claims motorsport boss Toto Wolff.

Ferrari has made no secret of its ambitions to go for the world championship next year and showed last winter – in challenging the FIA over engine token development rules – that it is ready to do all it can to boost its chances.

This year it has also got embroiled in controversy over its aerodynamic alliance with Haas, even though it was cleared of any wrongdoing by the FIA, and was also the target of fuel flow complaints from rivals earlier in the season.

Ahead of what looks set to be an intense title fight between Mercedes and Ferrari in 2016, Wolff concedes that the fact his company has a corporate culture of operating well within the regulations means it may face a tougher time.

"Because we are Mercedes, we operate in a safe environment – but with a very competitive and dynamic philosophy," Wolff told Motorsport.com.

"We are not Ferrari, and we haven't been in the sport forever. Therefore, sometimes the way that you tackle regulations, or how you interpret regulations, can give you an advantage.

"This is why we believe that this is definitely sometimes a factor that disadvantages us. But that is how it is. That is okay."

Ferrari challenge

With Mercedes coming under political pressure this year amid claims that its dominance is hurting F1, Wolff said a tougher challenge from Ferrari in 2016 would actually be a good thing.

But, he made it clear, it was not something his team could - or should - do anything to help happen.

"Yes, definitely," he said when asked if he would welcome a bigger push from Ferrari. "But this is a sport, and it is not wrestling. You cannot design a script and then act accordingly.

"It is a sport about the stop watch and the stop watch never lies. If you do a good job you are quick, you are winning races, and you are winning championships. If you are not you are not.

"So for the benefit of F1, we can wish for a more close competition – and with Ferrari as our best 'frenemy' – that certainly would spice up F1. But it is not our agenda.

"We are not the commercial rights holder, we are not selling advertising. We are not responsible for the narrative of the television pictures.

"We certainly consider them, but our objective and the reason for us being in our current roles is that we need to win – and win races and win championships."

[MIKA27]

Newey admits LMP1 interest, but remains committed to Red Bull

Formula 1 design guru Adrian Newey says that while the World Endurance Championship's LMP1 category is an attractive future option, he remains fully committed to Red Bull for now.

Newey has been linked with various projects in recent times, including sportscar racing, as he has grown disillusioned with the design limitations of the current Grand Prix rulebook.

He was seen in the Porsche pits during the 6 Hours of Silverstone earlier this year, but he said it was only a friendly visit.

When asked by Motorsport.com if he would consider working on an LMP1 project in the future, the 57-year-old said: "Maybe in the future, it is interesting.

"I think actually LMP1 is really interesting because it has far more technical freedom on the chassis side than F1 does.

"So, from that point, it is attractive. Maybe in the future, yes, but not at the moment," he added.

Newey has already tasted success designing sportscars.

The first car for which he was responsible was the March GTP, which won the IMSA GTP championship in North America.

When asked if he wished to end his F1 career with Red Bull, he said: "We never say never, but I have enjoyed working with Red Bull.

"I have been there more or less from the start and am obviously proud how we have managed to take the team from the ashes of Jaguar to a team with the success it has had."

[MIKA27]

Haas on target for first pre-season test

New Formula One team Haas is on target to hit the track at the first test of 2016 on February 22.

Haas will join the grid next year with a car based around as many Ferrari components as is allowed under the regulations. In the past, new teams have struggled to be ready on time but team principal Gunther Steiner is confident his outfit will be on track during the first day of testing in Barcelona in February.

"We are only 10 weeks away from testing, but all the work is going to plan so we are pretty happy," Steiner told Sky Sports. "Everything seems to come together. Our pit equipment is almost all here now and we've done a garage check so when we set up in Barcelona we will be right.

"Obviously, the car is the last thing you bring in and the production planning is going well and we will start to produce a car in mid-January. We will do the crash test at the beginning of January and then start to put one together to get ready for February 22 in Barcelona."

Steiner confirmed the car would be launched at the first test rather than at a standalone event before.

"[We'll launch] in Barcelona. We have no spare time to do anything before so we will roll it out hopefully the day before the testing starts on the Sunday," he added.

[capitalpg]

Looking forward to an exciting & more competitive season ahead. Strides by Ferrari towards the latter half of the season has me cautiously optimistic. Hoping BOTH drivers (Sebatian & Kimi) continue moving forward. Also expect great challenge by Nico this season.

Exciting times ahead!

[MIKA27]

BRAWN: SCHUMACHER HAD BIG ROLE IN SUCCESS MERCEDES ENJOYS NOW

Michael Schumacher played a major role in the success enjoyed today in Formula 1 by the dominant Mercedes team.

That is the view of Ross Brawn, a long-time close friend and colleague of the beleaguered seven time world champion.

As Mercedes returned to full works status in F1 between 2010 and 2012, Brawn and Schumacher worked together as boss and driver at the Silver Arrows team. At the turn of the century, they rewrote the F1 record books at Ferrari.

Referring to the Mercedes era, however, Brawn said: “We no longer had the success of earlier years, but his dedication was the same.

“Winning was still a part of his DNA,” the Briton said in a documentary by ARD, marking the two-year anniversary of Schumacher’s skiing accident, entitled ‘Zwei Jahre Danach’ (two years later).

Brawn said: “No one should underestimate how much Michael did for the success that the Mercedes team now enjoys.”

Brawn said he looks back on Schumacher’s career and concludes that he is undoubtedly one of the greatest drivers to have ever raced in Formula 1.

“He won races that we should not really have won,” he said of the Ferrari era, “and in my opinion, Michael did that more often than anybody else has.”

Now, Brawn is reportedly one of the very few people who have been allowed to visit Schumacher since the skiing accident.

Brawn defended the family’s decision to fiercely guard the almost 47-year-old’s privacy on the basis that Schumacher was always a private person.

“One Michael Schumacher was for the public and the media, and the other Michael was the private man,” he said. “They are two completely different people.”

However, it means the public has been left almost completely in the dark about Schumacher’s actual health condition today.

As 2015 drew to an end, Italian F1 insider Leo Turrini claimed in Il Giornale newspaper that Schumacher is “technically awake, which means his eyes are open”.

“However, he does not seem to recognise the environment around him or the few people who have the right to meet with him,” he said. “He does not react when F1 is on the television.”

La Gazzetta dello Sport is reporting similarly, claiming unofficially that Schumacher “does not communicate in any way”.

“He weighs more than the 45-48kg that someone claimed, but is unable to move,” the sports daily added.

Schumacher’s family and closest friends like Brawn, however, are not giving up.

“Michael is on a path that few people have trodden before him,” said Brawn, referring to Schumacher’s current predicament. “He is someone who has surprised us so many times before.”

[MIKA27]

MARCHIONNE: ECCLESTONE IS NOT GOING TO BE THERE FOREVER

Ferrari big boss Sergio Marchionne has fired a New Year salvo at Bernie Ecclestone, highlighting the F1 supremo’s age and questioning if the sport is effectively targeting a younger audience.

Marchionne is quoted by various sources saying, “Ecclestone knows that he is not going to be there forever. Maybe this is also connected to the future of FOM. The real challenge for Bernie is to get organized.”

Ecclestone has presided over Formula 1 since the seventies, but during this period has not groomed an heir for his role as chief executive of the Formula One Group which manages the sport – there is no second in charge but rather a band of minions, buzzing around the 85 year old, tending to his whims.

Marchionne advises, “He needs to come up with a system where maybe some responsibilities can be developed differently. We have a responsibility to deliver a certain level of sound management continuity of Formula 1 with FIA and with FOM.”

At the same time the Ferrari chief acknowledges, “So we really need to make the most of Bernie’s ability to develop this sport in the best possible way. Believe me, it is not easy.”

“Bernie is quite a character, but he is a very nice guy and has an incredible strength. I don’t know what I will do when I’m his age. What he has done over the last 10 years is incredible – and he’s still there.”

“Bernie should pave the way to prepare the future of the F1 world. This age issue is there, so we should ask ourselves: are we appealing to young people?”

“This sport has great potential which has not been expressed yet. We need to make it entertaining because if everything is predictable, it gets boring.”

“We should try to deliver more unpredictability, so to speak, so that results are unpredictable,” concluded Marchionne, clearly alluding to Mercedes’ dominance of the sport in recent years.

[MIKA27]

VERSTAPPEN: VETTEL DOES IT PERFECTLY

In the space of a year, teenager Max Verstappen has set himself apart as a future Formula 1 great and he admits his style will be more Sebastian Vettel rather than Lewis Hamilton.

“I myself am surprised by the overtakes he does. He surprises me every time,” father Jos, a former F1 driver and once the great Michael Schumacher’s teammate, said.

For 43-year-old Dutchman Jos, however, victory never came in F1, and now he is determined that his 18-year-old son achieves more.

It is why he has turned down a potential return to sports car racing for 2016, in order to continue to follow Max around the F1 calendar next year as well.

“My role is basically to keep my eyes and ears open and do what I can to help Max keep going up,” Jos told De Limburger newspaper.

“I learned a lot from my mistakes, and am trying to save Max from repeating them. This is all about him now. So that he ends up with a top team.”

In truth, Max impressed so much on debut this year that, although firmly under contract to Red Bull, he probably could have secured a top seat already for 2016.

Jos said Toro Rosso is the right place for now, though, “Max is still young. Another year at Toro Rosso is best for him. It’s better that his career builds up quietly. Another year to learn, then he is ready.”

Indeed, Max did make mistakes this year — the biggest being the crash at Monaco, “When I got out, I thought ‘Quite a strong car’. But it only gave me more confidence.”

It is that burgeoning character, calm and toughness both on and off the track that, whilst still a teenager, is earning Max fans throughout the F1 world and beyond.

He said stepping up to F1 never fazed him, “Behind the wheel you’re still on your own. The only difference is that in karts there is one guy writing about it and now I have to explain everything 300 times.”

Jos also says he witnessed his boy become a man in 2015, as they began the season sharing a hotel room.

“I thought that was normal,” the 18-year-old, who now has a girlfriend and has moved to Monaco, smiled. “I don’t need a driver anymore!” he laughed, referring to his newly-acquired road driving licence.

“But really not much else has changed in our relationship,” said Max, referring to his Dad. “For me it is important that he is there.”

Jos agrees: “If he no longer wants me there anymore, I am sure he will tell me. But I don’t think it will come to that. We have been through so much together.”

Max has already set a target of 100 points and a podium for 2016, but he is willing to push the boundaries even further by eyeing a world title in the future.

“Yeah, and if possible several times,” he said. “I don’t think it will happen soon. But the record is seven, which is ambitious, but you have to have a goal.”

Interestingly, Verstappen also singles out Sebastian Vettel – not the current world champion Lewis Hamilton – as an example of how he wants to achieve his success.

“Fast, clean, private, no scandals, no worries over his head,” Max said, referring to the Ferrari driver and quadruple world champion. It is important to have peace and Vettel does it perfectly.”

“I hope I can keep myself remembering where I came from, happy that I was able to turn my hobby into my job. Relaxed, the right people around me. If not, I’m sure my father will let me know,” Verstappen added.

[MIKA27]

CAN RENAULT TEMPT ALONSO BACK TO LEAD THEIR TEAM?

Well connected Gian Carlo Minardi, a former team owner and boss, believes Renault is making plans to have Fernando Alonso lead the French carmaker’s new works effort in the not too distant future.

Spaniard Alonso, one of the best and highest paid drivers in Formula 1, has failed to win a title since his back-to-back triumphs at Renault a decade ago.

He drifted through stints at McLaren and Ferrari without adding a third championship, and in 2015 returned to the newly Honda-powered McLaren where the team slumped with disastrous performance.

But a driver who knows Alonso well, former McLaren and Ferrari tester Pedro de la Rosa, rejects speculation the 34-year-old is now close to giving up on F1 altogether.

“He is too talented and hungry for that,” countryman de la Rosa told the AS sports daily. “Also, the more difficult a project is, the more motivated Fernando will be. He is always a fighter.”

Currently, Alonso is fighting to build up the McLaren-Honda project, but Minardi revealed that he has heard Renault wants the Spaniard back on board.

The French carmaker has just bought back its old Enstone-based works team, where Alonso won his titles in 2005 and 2006.

“With the purchase of Lotus and returning as a team, Renault has every incentive to be stronger in every department,” Minardi wrote on his website.

“President Carlos Ghosn is working to tear Fernando Alonso from Honda,” he added. In 2001, Alonso made his F1 debut for the team Minardi founded.

Minardi suggested the rumblings about Ghosn and Alonso should make Renault’s contracted drivers for 2016 feel nervous.

“(Pastor) Maldonado can count on his Venezuelan money that is convenient to the team,” he said, “but the situation for (Jolyon) Palmer is more difficult. The information coming from France confirms this, although it is a situation that is not easy to resolve.”

[MIKA27]

SPANISH GP FUNDING SLASHED BY BARCELONA COUNCIL

Barcelona’s city council has slashed funding for the Spanish Grand Prix.

Local reports including by the El Confidencial and Diario Sport newspapers say the council’s contribution towards the annual race at the Circuit de Catalunya has been halved from EUR 4 million per year to just two.

It comes after new mayor Ada Colau warned in the middle of the year that “In the context of what is happening (in Barcelona), formula one is not the priority”.

Her deputy, Gerardo Pisarello, has now confirmed the 50 per cent funding slash, arguing that the amount was not reduced to zero because “an abrupt withdrawal would have damaging consequences”.

Barcelona will therefore continue to contribute in 2016, so “they (race promoters) can do a viability plan” and “this private initiative will be self-sufficient, little by little”.

[MIKA27]

COULTHARD TIPS WURZ FOR A TOP JOB IN MOTORSPORT

Alex Wurz has been tipped for a prominent management role in motor sport for the future.

Although recently announcing his retirement from actual racing, the former Benetton and Williams driver will shortly return to the cockpit in Daytona.

“They (Chip Ganassi) called me on the day I announced I was retiring,” the 41-year-old told Racer. “I said ‘The timing is a little odd, but I would love to do it'”.

On Twitter, Wurz clarified that doing the famous 24 hour race is “cool, but (it’s) not a comeback”.

Indeed, it is widely believed that Wurz, most recently a full-time sports car driver for Toyota, has cleared his calendar in order to focus on his off-track exploits.

He has a company involved in race circuit design and driver training, and is the highly-respected president of the F1 safety-oriented Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA).

“He does this (GPDA) away from the glare of publicity and receives little public recognition,” David Coulthard, an F1 racing contemporary of Wurz’s, wrote in a column for the Telegraph.

Recently, Wurz had talks with Manor about becoming the backmarker team’s new boss following the departure of John Booth and Graeme Lowdon, but he turned it down.

Coulthard added: “He turned down the job of Manor team principal, but it is just a matter of time before big things happen.

“I have no doubt that one day he will find himself in a major role in motor sport. He is a credit to our sport,” the Scot said.

[MIKA27]

Alonso confident McLaren will improve

Former World Champion Fernando Alonso believes McLaren will improve markedly during the 2016 campaign, if some of the strategies the team has developed are implemented correctly.

The team's failed 2015 campaign has been well documented and the popular opinion is that things could only improve this season. Alonso's teammate Jenson Button has already expressed his confidence in some of the team's plans and Alonso is just as confident about the team's prospects.

"If we apply some of the solutions and everything works as expected, the gain of time will be very great," Alonso told Spanish publication El Confidencial this weekend.

Alonso maintains that the improvement for his team would have to be more significant, primarily because of what transpired last year. While the task is enormous, he is confident some of those objectives can be realised.

"There are solutions in place that are logical, quite good and maintain the very high motivation. I think in 2016 the picture will be totally different," added Alonso.

When asked about the gains that the team could possibly make during the next campaign Alonso said: "They may be more than two seconds."

"Everyone improves between half and one second. We, being more than two seconds we have to recover more than that," said Alonso.

"We have more clarity on what the strengths are for the car and we have to follow that direction. We know that the engine has been our limitation, so there will be no radical changes for next year in terms of car design and philosophy," explained Alonso.

[MIKA27]

If a better opportunity comes I would move - Perez

Sergio Perez isn't bound to his current team, Force India, and would make the jump to a rival if a better opportunity presented itself.

The Mexican enjoyed his best season in Formula 1 in 2015, finishing ninth in the championship with 78 points, 20 ahead of his highly-rated team-mate, Nico Hulkenberg.

Whilst admitting it would be good to climb the grid with Force India, he wouldn't rule out a switch if a better opportunity comes along, offering a greater chance of success.

"I am still young, I have hopefully a long career ahead of me, and I'm facing a very important year in my career that hopefully can put me in a great position for the future," he told Motorsport.

"It will be great if we can become a top team and suddenly we are fighting for world championships and for victories - then it will be a great place to stay.

"[it] would be fantastic to move up the grid [together], but if another opportunity comes in the future, it wouldn't be that bad as well."

[MIKA27]

FIA engine consultant promises louder engines in 2016

Magneti Marelli sporting chief Roberto Dalla has promised that Formula 1 cars will be louder in 2016 following changes his company recommended.

The Italian company was hired by the FIA to find a solution to F1's noise problem, which is a result of the sport's complex hybrid engines introduced in 2014.

Modifications to the exhaust system have been written into the 2016 rules, which Dalla is confident will result in a better and louder engine sound.

"We found that we were missing two things," he explained. "Firstly there is the amplitude, secondly there is the high frequency."

The latter issue has been resolved with the mandatory introduction of a two-pipe (or three-pipe, depending on a team's preference) exhaust system that will separate the exhaust outlet from the turbo's wastegate.

"[Now] it is not that far away from the value that we advised," he added.

"The aim is to keep the gas aloof from the turbine, because it works as a filter for the high frequencies," explained Andrea Dappiano, project manager for hybrid systems. "That will result in a higher frequency and in turn more noise."

It's expected further changes will be made in 2017 to combat the problem further, when a major overhaul of the regulations is likely to happen.

"We will support the FIA and continue our investigations," added Dalla.

"What the FIA has to do is to discuss the possibilities with the teams to find the correct balance between the increase of the sound and the loss of performance."

[MIKA27]

Renault has "no chance" of podiums in 2016, says Alesi

Former Grand Prix star Jean Alesi says the newly re-established Renault works team has "no chance" of scoring podiums on its first year back in Formula 1.

The 2011 season was the last time that the Renault name was used as a constructor, after which the Enstone-based outfit was rebranded as Lotus.

But the French manufacturer has chosen to make a comeback as a full works outfit by buying back its former operation, after two seasons of struggling to supply competitive engines to its customers.

Alesi, who raced for the team in 1996 and 1997 when it was known as Benetton, welcomed Renault's return, but warned it would need time to recreate its past successes.

"This is very important for [France], because we used to have in the past Grands Prix," he told Motorsport.com.

"And now with the comeback of Renault, not only for the next year but for the long-term future, it will be very helpful for France."

Asked if he thought Renault could score podiums this season, Alesi said: "No chance in 2016 - they have to re-create the team and it is going to be a transitional period."

Close call between Hamilton and Rosberg

The former Ferrari driver also said, while it would have been great for the fans had the 2015 championship been decided in Abu Dhabi, it was still a good season overall.

He added that both Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg are evenly matched, and that the latter's reliability issues had a big impact on the outcome.

"I think the performance is very close between Hamilton and Rosberg," Alesi said. "Even if Hamilton won the championship, Rosberg was always there.

"And then the reliability problems made a big difference [for Rosberg]. Both of them were really competitive."

While also praising Force India's "consistent" performance, Alesi said the surprise of the year was the emergence of Dutch sensation Max Verstappen.

"For me the surprise was Verstappen," he said. "There was pressure from the press, and at a very young age he performed really well," he said. "To see a young driver doing a good job, it is nice."