FORMULA 1 - 2012

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SAUBER: THIS IS THE BEST EVER F1 CAR WE'VE EVER PRODUCED:

After scoring a second podium in seven races, Peter Sauber has hailed the C31 as the best car to have been produced by the technicians at his Hinwil factory. Given that in its BMW days the team won a race and finished 2nd in the constructors’ championship of 2007 (after McLaren’s disqualification) that is some claim.

Sauber now lie sixth in the championship with 58 points, just 11 behind Mercedes.

“For me, this result is more valuable than the second place in Malaysia,” he said after the third place finish in Montreal. “Canada was a completely normal race – no rain, no safety car, and the only retirement (affecting Perez result) was Schumacher. Hinwil has built the best car we have had since entering formula one in 1993. 75 per cent of the success is solely in the area of aerodynamics, and we are now the envy of most of our opponents.”

Another area where Sauber feels his rivals envy him is in Perez himself. The young Mexican caught the eye with his debut performance in Australia last year where he managed to get to the finish with only one stop, getting a points result (although the car was later thrown out for a wing irregularity).

Perez did a supeb job in Malaysia to finish second in the rain and could have won the race with bolder strategy work from the team. In Canada he started 15th and finished third. He was helped by strategy mistakes from Ferrari and Red Bull, but his pace on a long run on the supersoft tyre impressed everyone in F1. It is clearly something he has brought into F1 with him, rather than learned in his 18 months in the sport.

With Felipe Massa hanging on by a thread at Ferrari, speculation has again arisen about the Scuderia drafting in Perez next year. But Sauber told Roger Benoit of the Swiss paper Blick that Perez will find it “difficult” to leave Sauber, without giving any details as to why.

Sauber’s anointed successor CEO Monisha Kaltenborn had said that improving the car’s qualifying performance would be the key to more successes. Like Lotus, Sauber has found a way to maintain strong performance whilst preserving the tyres in race conditions, but it clearly has something to do with the set up being gentle on the tyres and this holds them back when it comes to one lap pace,

“It is our clear target to improve on the qualifying because if we can manage to get the car further in front on the grid, we can be far quicker and show even more the potential of this car, so this is really going to be our target to get further in front,” Kaltenborn said.

However, she made it clear that the team must find a solution that does not compromise its strong race form.

“That is a difficult one,” she said. “I think that has also a lot to do with how we ourselves prepare ourselves in qualifying, and there are enough areas that we have to improve as a team and if we can manage to get the qualifying session better together then we can really show these better kind of results.”

Like Lotus, Sauber will feel they have a chance of getting another great result in Valencia next week. Their ability to run one less pit stop than the opposition on a track where it’s hard to overtake means that there is scope to one-stop in that race and get ahead of rivals forced to do two. With overtaking so difficult, unlike Canada, track position in the final stint will be everything.

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WHATS HAPPENED TO JENSON BUTTON'S FORM?

One of the most stark stories of recent weeks has been the decline in form of Jenson Button, who won the first race of the season but has now fallen to eighth in the driver’s standings, 43 points adrift of championship leader Lewis Hamilton.

With seven different race winners and no-one running away with the championship, it’s by no means a disaster. But the McLaren driver knows he needs to get on top of his set up issues and get back onto the podium as soon as possible to keep himself in contention.

The problem, as always in F1, is not one thing. Button has struggled recently with this generation of Pirelli tyres to get heat into the front tyres, especially for qualifying. He has lost the “feeling”. McLaren runs its car very stiff at the front for aerodynamic reasons. Button has tried on several occasions using different brake materials, partly to generate more temperature from inside the wheel, as he did again in Montreal. But in trying to solve this front grip issue, his set up has moved away from the planted rear end of the car which his driving style requires.

Last year’s cars, with their exhaust blown diffusers, generated huge amounts of rear end downforce which gave Button the stable rear end he needs. This year’s F1 cars, without the EBD, move around a lot at the back, which Hamilton can live with but Button can’t. The McLaren seemed in winter testing and in the opening races to be reasonably strong at the rear relative to the others in this area, certainly enough for Button to feel good with it in February and March. But perhaps the development of the car since then has taken it away from what works for him. In Montreal he was particularly unlucky that some new directions he was trying out, including in rear suspension didn’t get the long run testing they needed on Friday as he lost most of the day with a drawn-out oil leak and gearbox change saga. So his problem with heavy tyre usage didn’t really show itself until race day, where he suffered high degradation.

“I haven’t got a clue what to do at the moment and every time we have good ideas we don’t seem to make any progress,” he said after the race. “I love driving an F1 car so I am confident every time I jump in and then after two laps there is no grip anywhere. Obviously the car with a certain set-up is very quick but what I was driving was not a winning car.

“It’s been the same for the last couple of races and I don’t know why because it is normally something I am pretty good at. I’m driving round 1.5 seconds slower than the leaders and one is my team-mate but I can’t go any quicker.”

Button’s post Canada debrief will have analysed why he had the problems with tyre degradation and will then look at solutions for Valencia which he can then try out in McLaren’s high-tech simulator at Woking before travelling out to Spain.

Button confirmed that the start point for this effort will be to work from Lewis Hamilton’s set up and then evolve from there, “The fist thing you do is set the car up like the other one and that’s how we’ll do it initially,” he said. “I won’t be as quick as him on those settings but then we can work from there and find a set up that works for me.”

It’s still early days in the championship, with 13 races still to go. A win or podium would put him right back into the hunt. He certainly can’t afford to languish in the doldrums for long.

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FERRARI YOUNG DRIVER MENTOR: PEREZ CAN BE TOO AGGRESSIVE:

The head of the Ferrari Driver Academy, former Ferrari F1 engineer Luca Baldisserri, has put out an interesting status report on the young drivers in his programme.

The lead focus is on Sergio Perez, who got a podium in Montreal at the weekend for Sauber. But Baldisserri makes an interesting comment on the Mexican, which clearly shows how closely he is being monitored by the Scuderia, who regard him as one of their own, but at the same time is designed to shoot down speculation that they are soon to make a move on Perez. Instead it shows that they feel he still has a long way to go before being ready for a possible promotion to Ferrari.

“After Monaco, we had a discussion with Sergio,” Baldisserri says on the Ferrari.com website today. “We wanted to find out why recent results had not lived up to expectations after the Malaysian Grand Prix.

“Perez is undoubtedly talented, but he often lets himself down by being too aggressive which, especially in Formula 1, does not deliver results.

“The Montreal race was a great response, a race in which Sergio not only ran at a great pace, but also managed his race very well, managing to stay on track for fifty laps on the same set of tyres.”

The FDA is also developing Brandon Maisano, in Italian Formula 3, Raffaele Marciello in the European Formula 3 series and Canadian schoolboy Lance Stroll in karting. They also have Force India test driver Jules Bianchi, who is racing in Formula Renault 3.5 this season.

Bianchi’s career isn’t evolving as it should be doing. He didn’t make the breakthough after two seasons in GP2 and has gone back to Formula Renault 3.5, alongside regular Friday morning outings for Force India. But unlike Paul di Resta in 2010 and Nico Hulkenberg in 2011, you don’t get the feeling that this is leading towards a race seat for 2013 for the Frenchman.

Bianchi is managed by Nicolas Todt, who also has Pastor Maldonado and Felipe Massa on his books.

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BUTTON AND WURZ BECOME ONLINE DRIVER TUTORS FOR THE NEXT GENERATION:

Up-and-coming racing drivers are to benefit from the experience and insight of Jenson Button and Alex Wurz after the pair became the first Formula 1 drivers to sign up to an online coaching website.

The SAFEisFAST website, run by the American Road Racing Drivers Club, launched the ground-breaking online initiative earlier this year and signed up a host of American racing stars including Dario Franchitti to provide expert advice to aspiring drivers, who were given the opportunity to submit questions to the famous racing names.

The scheme, which is funded via a grant from the FIA Institute, provides advice on all aspects of a top driver’s skillset including mental skills, fitness and race craft and 2009 world champion Button will be the first up with young drivers able to post questions via the website to him from June 23 to June 29. The McLaren driver’s answers will then be published in British GP week from Monday July 2 to Friday 6th.

Former Benetton and Williams driver Wurz has already stepped into the nascent world of F1 driver coaching having been hired as a mentor for the latter team’s drivers this season. The Austrian will follow Button in providing advice for the next generation of drivers on both open-wheeled racing and sportscars from July 7 to July 20.

Since the website was launched the RRDC says the videos have received over 100,000 views and the body’s president the president Bobby Rahal believes the addition of Button and Wurz will provide an additional boost.

“We are delighted to have two of the leading drivers in world motor sport to participate in this programme,” the former Jaguar F1 chief said. “Their advice and instruction will be invaluable for young drivers everywhere and we are particularly pleased to offer a platform for them to provide this through SAFEisFast.com.”

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Minardi: Pirelli deciding the Championship

Former F1 team boss Giancarlo Minardi says Pirelli are having too great a say in this year's Championship.

While Formula One's spate of 2012 winners was applauded after a handful of grands prix, seven races into the season it has come in for a great deal of criticism.

With seven different winners in seven events, many are fearing that Formula One is now becoming too unpredictable.

Pirelli have been cited as the main reason for the topsy-turvy campaign with Minardi saying that one only has to look at McLaren's Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button to see how much of an influence the Italian tyre manufacturer has had this season.

"This Championship is deeply conditioned by tyres, and only the driver who has the best understanding of them will succeed," Minardi told crash.net.

"We have (had) the seventh different winner inside seven different grands prix and running races is getting more and more difficult, (but) what catches our eyes are the big differences inside the same team.

"Let's take Hamilton and Button as an example. The difference between them is huge. We almost cannot explain it. There is something unusual, so it's getting more and more difficult to judge.

"There could be either technical problems or mental ones. As the Championship goes by, the differences between the performances of two drivers belonging to the same team are getting bigger and bigger.

"Hamilton's weekend was super. McLaren has improved set-up and tyres, which didn't bear weather changes. Surely Jenson is not having a good period.

"From a technical point of view, in the last three grands prix, soft tyres have been used. On the contrary, he made a good race using hard tyres, which usually are the hardest to reach a right temperature."

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Lotus 'need to work' on qualifying

Lotus need to improve their qualifying if they want to achieve their first race win of the season, that's according to director of trackside operations Alan Permane.

Between Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean Lotus already have four podium finishes for this season, the most recent coming at last Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix when Grosjean bought his E20 home in second place.

It was a great result for the Frenchman, who started seventh and opted for a one-stop strategy that included a run of 49 laps on the soft Pirelli tyres.

However, if he wants to take the next step up, Permane says the team, including Grosjean, will need to improve their one-lap pace.

"In qualifying, we were struggling a bit, and we have been struggling in qualifying; that is where we need to work," Permane told SPEED.com.

"I think some of that is driver, and some of that is car, and I think Romain would acknowledge himself that he's not 100 percent comfortable with things in qualifying, but stick some fuel in it and get into a nice rhythm, and it's fine."

Permane, though, added that Lotus' success with the one-stop strategy was largely due to the car more than the driver.

"I don't want to take anything away from the drivers, but a lot of it is the car. It's no accident that two drivers can make a one-stop work in this car, and two drivers in the Ferrari can't make it work.

"Fernando (Alonso) is a fantastic driver, and if anyone can make a one-stop work, he can. So that's down to the car, but the drivers are then doing their bit to make that work, for sure."

As for Raikkonen, the 2007 World Champion raced from 12th to eighth, meaning he has now scored points in all but one grand prix.

"You can't expect a great deal more than that on a track with low degradation and where it's very difficult to make up places at the start," Permane said of the Finn's result.

"I think if we would have started on the option with him, we would have just been matching what everybody else did, but we'll have a look."

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Rosberg: A difficult language to learn

Nico Rosberg says he has "no idea" which way the Championship is heading but reckons the Pirelli tyres will have a big say in the outcome.

Seven grands prix into the season, Formula One has seen seven different race winners in what is proving to be the most unpredictable campaign ever.

"I have no idea," Rosberg told the official F1 website when asked whether the Championship is 'heading.'

"I just know that it is fantastic for the fans - and a big chance for us.

"We have to understand the tyres better, although we do understand quite a lot by now. It is an interesting topic - one that I would say is key to this year's championship.

"But if you take those seven different winners then all the others are also trying to get acquainted with the tyres not just us.

"It is a very difficult language to learn!"

Rosberg is one of those seven winners having taken his maiden F1 triumph at the Chinese GP.

Since then, though, the 26-year-old has achieved just one podium finish having claimed second place at the Monaco GP.

"Everybody is really close out there. Take Monaco. We had the best car there whereas here (Canada) it wasn't the case. So it is bit up and down from track to track.

"I think in the end it is just important to be as consistent as possible and then there will come a track where you again have the fastest car. And then there you will win again. Hopefully!"

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Renault want 'open' engine market

Renault Sport will decide before the end of this season as to how many customers they are willing to take on when Formula One switches to V6 turbo engines in 2014.

In recent weeks, concerns about the costs of the new smaller turbo-charged engines have been with the BBC reporting that "teams not directly supported by engine manufacturers have not yet been told how much the new engines will cost, and fear it will be much more than the five million euros they currently pay annually."

These claims were backed up by Mercedes motorsport boss Norbert Haug who said that while it is "premature to give a figure" the engines will "cost more in the beginning."

But despite the debate, Renault Sport, who supply engines to reigning Champions Red Bull, are pressing ahead with their plans and will conduct a dyno test for the first time this week.

"Today we have four customers. I think we will keep four next year as there is no way to change," Renault Sport F1's managing director Jean-Francois Caubet told Autosport.

"The problem we have is that we need to choose what will be our strategy for 2014. We have two kinds of options: to focus on two teams or to choose a bigger figure. In any case, the decision will be taken in September this year because we need to decide what we do.

"What we first want to understand is what will be the position of the World Council about how many teams. That will be discussed next week.

"We are quite clear with Jean (Todt) and we talked with Bernie that we need to have an open market because under old rules it was right (to limit the number of teams) when there was Ferrari, us, Cosworth, Mercedes, Honda and BMW and Toyota.

"We told Jean that now, though, we need to have an open market, with no limitations for 2014."

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Kimi: Not too bad in the end

Kimi Raikkonen has lamented the traffic that cost him valuable time in Canada but concedes it is part of racing.

The Finn started Sunday's grand prix 12th on the grid and, adopting a one-stop strategy, worked his way up to eighth. It was Raikkonen's sixth top-ten result in seven grands prix.

"The result was not too bad in the end," he told his team's website.

"We improved a few places from our starting position - including one on the first lap - but we could have been a few positions higher up if things had gone differently for us.

"I got stuck behind slower cars for quite a long time and unfortunately when we made the pit stop we couldn't quite get the jump on them. It's a shame but that's racing."

Raikkonen's efforts were also hampered by a hydraulic issue in qualifying, which meant the 2007 World Champion failed to break into the top ten, which was why he encountered traffic on the Sunday.

"A bit frustrating overall as I think we could have achieved more from the weekend. Still, we've gained more points for the championship which is the most important thing, so we'll move on and try to do better next time."

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Report: McLaren using brakes to heat tyres

McLaren are reportedly able to adjust the temperature of their tyres through an adjustable opening on the wheel hub.

Such a system would be useful this season given the difference a degree or two can make to the operational window of the sensitive Pirelli tyres.

The clever yet simple system allows a mechanic, through a hole on the sidepod, to adjust a clamp on the brake hub during qualifying and the race to allow a controlled amount of hot air from the brakes to heat the tyres.

If the track temperature drops, the mechanics, one either side, would open the slot wider to allow more hot air to pass through the tyre to ensure it remains at its optimal operating temperature.

The opposite can be done when the track temperature rises.

Such a system is legal because it can only be adjusted during the pit-stops and cannot be adjusted during parc ferme after qualifying or before the race, nor can the driver make changes - much like the wing angle which is often changed during a race.

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Top teams to get middle garages at British GP

Formula One Management, which decides how the teams are allocated garages at each race, has decided upon an unusual layout for the British Grand Prix.

The new pit complex introduced in 2011 sees the last few garages disappear behind a retaining wall due to the slight incline of the track as it heads towards turn one.

These 'hidden' garages were allocated to Red Bull, McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes last year which disappointed fans in the grandstands opposite, with them unable to see the action taking place.

This season however, rather than reversing the allocation, with the top teams at the entrance rather than the exit, FOM has decided to put the top teams in the middle with the 'smaller' teams either side.

The order is unusual because it is usually decided by the constructors' championship standings from the previous season.

"We're more or less in the middle," McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh told Adam Cooper about the allocation for this years race.

"No one's explained exactly why! I imagine the desire is to put us in front of the grandstand, which is a good thing. If I was a grandstand ticket buyer and I got there and I couldn't see my favourite teams, I'd be a bit non-plussed by it."

The change will also please Red Bull who were positioned last and were therefore at a disadvantage because their cars were unable to reach the pit lane speed limit before crossing the white line at the end.

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FIA president Jean Todt determined to ensure costs remain under control in F1

FIA president Jean Todt says the governing body is intent on ensuring that costs are kept under control in Formula 1, amid concerns from some teams about a ramp up in expenditure for 2014.

With outfits bracing themselves for a likely increase in the money needed for customer engine deals for the new V6 turbos from 2014, there have been some suggestions that the less well-financed outfits may struggle to find more money amid the current worldwide financial turmoil.

Adding his voice to the worries earlier this week, Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo called for urgent action to help save F1 from the economic situation in Europe.

Now, ahead of a meeting of the FIA's World Motor Sport Council on Friday, Todt has confirmed that the governing body is keen to undertake a co-operative stance with teams and engine manufacturers to try and help the situation.

"It is true that the [2014] package will be more expensive, but it is also true that the FIA has been in consultation with the engine suppliers in order to reduce the cost increase," he told AUTOSPORT in an exclusive interview.

"For example we have already agreed to a reduction in the number of power units. From eight per driver per season in 2012, we will reduce this to five per driver in 2014 and to four per driver per season in 2015."

Todt called a meeting with F1 teams on the Monday after the Monaco GP to address the general costs situation in the sport, and has said that efforts to finalise the implementation of a Resource Restriction Agreement are ongoing behind closed doors.

"We are discussing this as we have been asked by 10 of our 12 teams to control costs," he said.

"The FIA's Chief Administrative Officer Damien Clermont is talking to the financial heads of all the 12 teams in F1 concerning the chassis costs and with all engine manufacturer for the engine costs. This follows the meeting with all the teams I called on the Monday after the Monaco GP."

One rule change that has been suggested by Renault to help reduce engine costs for 2014 is to free up the limit of supply deals that manufacturers are allowed to provide.

Currently, no manufacturer can provide more than three teams without express permission of the FIA - while Renault believes fallowing it to increase the number of its partners could help make deals cheaper.

Todt has indicated he is reluctant to embrace such a move, however, but would not rule it out if it was decided that it would be best for the sport.

"At the moment the plan is to continue to apply the existing rules, but of course if we need to adapt to a specific situation, we will look into it," he said. "It is up to the President of the FIA to make a proposal to the WMSC."

One thing Todt has ruled out completely is to make any imposition of radical rule changes without having gone through the normal channels of approval by the F1 Commission prior to any WMSC vote.

When asked if he believed the lack of a Concorde Agreement for 2014 meant the FIA was free to implement cost-saving rule changes that had the support of a majority of teams, Todt said: "In the first place, the FIA is responsible for the safety, and for all sporting and technical matters relating to the FIA F1 Championship.

"As such, the federation is in discussions regarding the conditions of a new Concorde Agreement with the Commercial Right Holders and the teams, and this will define the F1 Commission.

"As these talks are ongoing, and until they are resolved, any changes to the 2013 Championship Regulations should comply with the relevant provisions of the International Sporting Code."

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Those damn Canadians!!

No it's those damn French Canadians, completely different animal there boys!

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No it's those damn French Canadians, completely different animal there boys!

Do explain!

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Sauber: Anything is possible

With a second and a third-placed finish to their tally, Peter Sauber sees no reason why his Sauber team cannot go on to win a grand prix this season.

Sauber has yet to win a Formula One race as an independent team with the outfit's sole triumph coming at the 2008 Canadian GP when Robert Kubica crossed the line in a BMW-Sauber.

However, this season has seen the team edge towards the top step with Sergio Perez finishing second in a wet Malaysian GP and third in last Sunday's Canadian GP.

And Sauber reckons the next step could be a victory.

"Before the season I don't suppose anyone would have put that question to me," he said when asked if he thought a 'win would be on the cards?' "But now, after seven races with seven different winners, so much seems possible.

"In Malaysia, we came very close to winning.

"Further podium places certainly seem a realistic prospect. The prerequisite, of course, is that our drivers go into the race from good grid positions."

But while Sauber are relishing the unpredictability of this season, which has opened it up for midfield teams to win grands prix, he acknowledges that not everyone in Formula One is enjoying the moment.

"As far as I can see, it's just a handful of people in the paddock who can't get used to not knowing by Friday who's going to win on Sunday.

"I think the fans see it in a completely different light. They're delighted with the unpredictability, the sheer variety and the unbelievably close competition.

"I've been in Formula 1 for 20 years now and for me it's never been better or more exciting. That's partly down to Pirelli, who are supplying the tyres for this show."

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Grosjean 'still on a high'

Days after his runner-up result in Canada, Romain Grosjean says he's still relishing the joy of his second podium result in Formula One.

The Lotus driver put his one-stop strategy to great use, working his way up from seventh on the grid to finish in second place behind Lewis Hamilton.

It was the Frenchman's second top-three result and moved him up to seventh in the Drivers' Championship, 35 points behind Hamilton and only two adrift of his World Champion team-mate Kimi Raikkonen.

"To be honest, I'm still on a high!" Grosjean said.

"It's great to be here at Enstone and to see how positive and motivated the whole team is after a good result at the weekend.

"You can really see how hard everyone is working to push the car forward, and hopefully the performances we've had so far are giving the guys even more confidence in what we can achieve as a team."

Asked to pick his favourite moment from Sunday's grand prix, the Frenchman highlighted several including the moment when he overtook double World Champion Fernando Alonso.

"There were so many it's hard to say! Two laps before then end when I passed Fernando and saw the gap stretching was a great feeling. Then it was crossing the line and having that warm down lap to allow it all to sink in and think about a great race.

"Of course, standing on the podium is pretty special too... but celebrating with the team was the real highlight for me. Getting out of the car and running over to the mechanics, seeing Ayao (Komatsu) my engineer and Eric (Boullier) in the paddock, the team photo later that evening... it was all a fantastic feeling.

"It all happens so quickly; one minute you're in the car, the next thing you know hours have gone past and it's time to hurry away for a quick shower before jumping on the plane home!"

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Teams pushing for Silverstone test

Ross Brawn is hoping the post-British GP Young Driver test will go ahead despite concerns that Silverstone isn't available for all three days.

Nine of the 12 Formula One teams had planned to run at Silverstone in the week after the British Grand Prix with only Red Bull, McLaren and Toro Rosso signed up for the Abu Dhabi edition.

However, last week the test was put in jeopardy after Silverstone informed FOTA that the circuit would not be available for all three days as it was contracted to Formula One Management in the wake of the British GP.

The teams, though, are still hoping that a solution can be found to allow them to run.

"I think we have got more discussions going on," Brawn told Autosport.

"We are hopeful the Silverstone test will go ahead and therefore we will not have to address that.

"But I think if Silverstone cannot go ahead we have to sit down and see if we can find a good solution for all the teams."

Meanwhile, Eric Boullier said if Silverstone did not take place, it would be a better option to join the Abu Dhabi outing rather than test in Europe after the season.

"Jerez testing in December would be a lot of money," said the Lotus team boss.

"It would not be perfect timing in terms of weather and it would be another burden for the staff."

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Schumi: Roll up the sleeves and focus

Michael Schumacher is determined to put his recent run of bad luck behind him as he concentrates on securing a solid result at the upcoming European GP.

Schumacher's grand prix weekends has been largely undone by reliability issues and mistakes, the latest coming at the Canadian GP where he was forced to retire after his DRS wing became stuck in the open position.

It was the German's fifth retirement of the season and left him with just two points to his credit.

Schumacher, though, is refusing to let his bad run get to him.

"Our entire focus is now on the race in Valencia, and I am sure that everybody's motivation is even stronger because the weekend in Canada didn't go as well as we had hoped," said Schumacher.

"Our motto in the last few days has been to roll our sleeves up and focus on the job in hand; everybody in the team has taken that approach to heart, so we can travel to Valencia in an optimistic mood.

"The harbour area is particularly nice and, given its location, the circuit is also really interesting, so let's see how we can perform there. You can still feel some of the atmosphere from the America's Cup in Valencia, which makes this race a special event that we always enjoy taking part in."

Meanwhile, team boss Ross Brawn concedes steps must be taken to resolve the issues that have dogged the team, especially Schumacher, this campaign.

"The performance of our car and our tyre management were generally good in Canada, however our competitiveness was compromised by reliability problems and mistakes.

"This is a disappointment that is deeply felt by everyone in our team, and we have been working hard to ensure we understand the reasons and deal with them.

"Achieving zero-defect reliability is our highest priority. The opportunities available if we can give both drivers a reliable car and a clean weekend are clear."

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FIA sets deadline to implement cost-controls

The FIA has confirmed it is actively seeking to implement cost-control measures for the 2013 season in a bid to see all 12 teams competing on a more level field.

The governing body met on Friday morning at the World Motor Sport Council in Paris to discuss the measures and confirmed in a statement that any regulation changes to control costs would be confirmed before June 30th following consultation with the teams.

"At their request, the FIA is having active discussions with teams regarding cost control and any amendments to the technical regulations resulting from a further limit on expenditure on the chassis will be submitted to the WMSC via a fax vote before 30 June," it read.

"The intention is to help all teams participate in the championship in a fair and equal manner."

The deadline for cost measures comes on the same day when the technical and sporting regulations must be finalised for the 2013 season.

The FIA has also delayed the deadline in which teams must confirm their participation in the championship for the following year because of the current uncertainty over costs and the Concorde Agreement.

"Constructive Concorde Agreement discussions are on-going between the FIA and the Commercial Rights Holder, with the intention of finalising an agreement in the coming weeks," it added. "It was also decided that the deadline for the closing of entries be deferred to 30 September."

If a decision cannot be made before June 30th, then the FIA must seek agreement from all 12 teams before changes can be made - which is unlikely given Red Bull and Toro Rosso's opposition to cost control measures enforced by the FIA.

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McLaren preview the European GP

Jenson Button: "Canada was just one of those weekends where things didn't come together - after some difficult races, I really needed the track time on Friday to find a clearer direction with the set-up, and, unfortunately, that didn't happen due to a number of technical issues.

"And I think that set the tone for the rest of the weekend: we lacked the data we needed to tackle the race and we struggled. Still, there were important lessons to be learned from those issues, and we addressed everything back at MTC once we'd returned from Canada in a bid to get a clearer direction for Valencia next weekend. A day like that is enormously productive and I think we covered a lot of ground.

"The last few races haven't delivered the results I'd like, but there are still 13 races to go. We've had seven different winners and no clear championship leader has emerged, so I'll be looking to get a decent result under my belt next weekend in order to get my title bid back on track.

"I know just how strong Vodafone McLaren Mercedes can be. Valencia is a track I really enjoy; I've already won on a street circuit this year so I'm definitely optimistic about having a great weekend and picking up the momentum again in the title fight."

Lewis Hamilton: "My win in Montreal was obviously an extremely satisfying moment for me – but, actually, it does very little to alter things in the world championship.

"Firstly, while it's always pleasing to be leading the championship, I'm only two points ahead of Fernando [Alonso] – which is nothing, particularly when there are a handful of really strong drivers all separated by a couple of points, so there's still everything to play for.

"Secondly, the intensity of this year's championship means there's so little breathing space – we may have won in Canada, but there's an enormous amount of pressure to keep racking up good results at every grand prix. I think that consistency, rather than individual strong results, will be the key to winning this world championship, so we need to back it up in Valencia with another strong result.

"The circuit is quite tough – it's a very technical track, with lots of slow- to medium-speed corners that require good traction and set-up as well as lots of precision. Towards the end of the lap, the track gathers speed and opens up, the sweepers leading to the pits are actually incredibly fast, and they're all about correct placement of the car to ensure you're well placed for the following corner. That's probably the most satisfying part of the lap.

"People are always asking me to predict what will happen at the next race and I always tell them it's really difficult to make an accurate prediction – but I'll be heading to Valencia feeling super-motivated to get another strong result and maintain my momentum before we head into Silverstone and the Santander British Grand Prix."

Martin Whitmarsh - Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes:

"Victory in Montreal last weekend was extremely satisfying, and, while you're only as good as your last result in F1, it's done nothing to quell our determination ahead of next weekend's European Grand Prix – which has traditionally been an extremely tough event. The city itself is an exciting edgy blend of the classical and the ultra-contemporary, and, as such, a perfect locale for one of Formula 1's newest races.

"Given that the delta between ourselves, Ferrari, Mercedes-AMG and Red Bull Racing is so narrow, we'll once again be pushing hard on both our operational and technical fronts to ensure we stay at the front. As always, we aim to bring at least an additional one-tenth [of a second] laptime benefit to each race, and we're pushing hard to ensure we can over-deliver on that on as regular a basis as possible. It may sound like a negligible increment, but it could prove to be the difference between winning and losing the world championship.

"It's certainly feasible that this year's title could be won by a driver who scores only two or three grand prix wins, but who reinforces those victories with the most consistently solid approach. So, whereas in previous years, there was an emphasis on the 'big' results, this year it seems that minor points placings could provide a decisive edge in the title battle."

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Red Bull preview the European GP

Sebastian Vettel: "In Valencia, we drive an average of more than 200kph, which means it's one of the fastest street circuits in Formula One. Overtaking is possible, but only with some risk. The reason is that the air turbulence created by cars driving closely behind each other doesn't disappear as it normally would due to the high walls around the track; you lose grip and, in some extreme cases, you have to lift the throttle. The start-finish straight in Valencia is special because it's not very long, it turns into a fast right corner which we take at 290kph."

Mark Webber: "Obviously it's very difficult to predict how we might go in Valencia, as we've clearly seen with seven winners and plenty of different podiums. Our main goal is to improve our positions in both championships, so personally for me in the Drivers' Championship and of course the team is looking to keep a good margin in the Constructors'. I know everyone in Milton Keynes has been working incredibly hard in between the two races."

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Maldonado says Williams' form better than results in last two races suggest

Pastor Maldonado believes Williams' form since its Spanish Grand Prix victory has not been as bad as its poor results suggest.

Williams has scored just a single point in the two races since Barcelona, with neither Maldonado nor Bruno Senna making it in to Q3 at either Monaco or Canada.

But although that form is a disappointment after the highs of Spain, Maldonado thinks that things are not as bad as they appear - and the poor results are more down to things just not clicking together rather than any inherent weakness with the car.

When asked by AUTOSPORT why he believed Williams was so strong in Barcelona but had not been that quick since, Maldonado said: "I think we've been good as well. We've been good in Monaco because we were always there, top five. In Canada as well; I just missed the qualifying but I think it was a consequence because I got traffic.

"I did my best in only one lap I had. I just try, and I just missed, which can happen. From our point of view I think we've been competitive; but we didn't get any luck. The car is there; my pace is there; I'm always quick. We just need to try to improve. We are not the quickest on the track but we are not that far away."

Maldonado thinks that if the team can get on top of the challenges of each venue as well as it did in Spain then there is little reason not to think that more success is possible.

"We need to work hard, especially with the car, to try to improve qualifying and the race," he said. "We need to try to get the balance, and the best compromise, between qualifying and race.

"I think we are not that far off, we just need to put everything together. The last couple of races, it was quite difficult to put everything together, but we are competitive. We need to just concentrate on our pace and everything."

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CVC SELLS ANOTHER STAKE IN F1:

CVC, the private equity firm that has owned the Formula 1 business since 2006, has sold a further stake to investors, reducing its stake in the sport down to 35%, from the 63% it originally held.

It takes the total received this year by the company from this round of share sales to $2.1 billion. The deals are based on the enterprise valuation of the F1 business at $9.1 billion.

City sources suggest that if and when CVC makes its exit from the F1 business at this valuation, it would be one of the most successful private equity investments ever.

CVC purchased its stake in the sport in 2006 for $1.7 billion from the banks which were left with it on their books after the collapse of media group Kirsch. And it has already refinanced it twice, recovering 1.4 times its original investment and adding more debt to the series to pay for a dividend.

The company had been planning to float the business on the Singapore Stock Exchange this summer in a $3 billion listing, but has now had to put the plans on hold.

CVC sold a 21% stake earlier this year to three cornerstone investors; Waddell and Reid, Blackstone and Norges Bank Investment Management, all three regarded as blue chip funds by the City. A statement yesterday confirmed that a further stake had been sold,

“CVC Capital Partners is pleased to announce that several funds managed by Waddell & Reed Investment Management Company and Ivy Investment Management Company have today agreed to invest a further $500m in a private placement in Formula One at $9.1bn enterprise value, increasing their aggregate stake to 20.9 percent.”

Bernie Ecclestone still controls a 5% stake in the business, which took on a new chairman, Nestle’s Peter Brabeck last month.

The business is based on the exclusive right to exploit the commercial rights to F1 until the end of 2110, a 100 year deal which gave the FIA $313.6 million when it was made, plus a further annual regulatory fee of $7.7 million. CVC and Ecclestone are currently in negotiations with the FIA over their part in the the next 8 year Concorde Agreement, due to start in 2013, with FIA president Jean Todt already having suggested on several occasions that he wants more money for the FIA. It will be important to have the Concorde Agreement signed by all parties before any flotation takes place.

F1 is otherwise in pretty good shape; it has deals in place to 2020 with teams (excluding Mercedes currently) and contracted revenues from TV contracts, circuit licences etc of $5.26 billion to 2016 and $6.5 billion to 2020.

The last 10 years has been a period of great expansion of the business; F1′s revenues have doubled since 2003 from $604 million a year to $1.22 billion while payments made to the teams have gone from $543 million in 2009 to $698 million last year.

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Brawn: All part of modern F1

This year's Formula One World Championship will not be blighted by technical rows, according to Merc's Ross Brawn.

At the last two race weekends, Red Bull have seen their RB8 brought into question on two occasions.

The first was in Monaco when rivals questioned a hole found in the RB8's floor while the second was in Canada regarding the legality of their wheel hubs.

In both instances Red Bull's devices were banned, although the team did not lose any points as at no time did their rivals formally protest.

And with this year's battle being so closely fought, there are concerns that a technical war could erupt.

Brawn, though, has ruled this out saying technical questions and the ensuing clarifications are all "part of modern" Formula One.

"There has always been a lot of diligence between the teams of what others are doing; it is almost the self policing nature of F1," he told Autosport.

"If you think back to any of the innovations, like the double diffuser, it was brought to the attention of the FIA and challenged, and it has always been the case in F1.

"We have just had a couple of incidents come together and it looks intense, but there have always been lots of things going on and lots of teams inspecting each other's cars.

"The advent of the digital camera with a long lens means we all have a good insight into what other people's cars look like.

"It is all part of modern F1: making sure you are not missing interesting innovation because of interpretations or regulations. And, if you don't agree with it, getting a clarification and trying to understand it."

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F1 pundit Davidson in hospital after Le Mans crash

F1 television pundit Anthony Davidson is in hospital after a huge airborne crash during the fabled Le Mans 24 hour race.

The 33-year-old former Super Aguri driver, whilst at the wheel of a Toyota hybrid prototype sports car late on Saturday, was taken to the medical centre after the incident involving a GT runner that was being lapped.

Briton Davidson's car became airborne before it smashed into the barrier at the high-speed Mulsanne corner, at the end of the famous Mulsanne straight where cars reach over 330kph.

"Doctors at the circuit have confirmed that Anthony is suffering from shock and back pain, however there are no signs of any injuries and he is walking and talking with no problems," Toyota said in a statement.

But Davidson, who is a pundit for British Sky television at grands prix and also still a development driver for Mercedes GP, was later taken to hospital for checks.

Toyota said he was visited by his teammate Sebastien Buemi, Red Bull's F1 reserve and a former Toro Rosso driver.

"He (Davidson) will stay in hospital until Monday," the Japanese marque added.