FORMULA 1 - 2012

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Massa: I did everything I could

Although Felipe Massa is still without his first Championship point after finishing P13 in China, he's adamant his race was a step forward.

Starting 12th on the Shanghai grid, Massa was running as high as second at one point thanks to his two-stop strategy.

But as the laps counted down and all the strategies played out, the Brazilian was down in 13th place and once again finishing without a single point.

However, the Brazilian is adamant that Shanghai was a step in the right direction even though he has yet to get off the mark this season.

"I tried to do my best in a very close-fought race," said Massa.

"Sure, 13th place is not something I can be happy about, but I think that as far as my race was concerned, this was a step forward compared to the first two races of the season.

"At least I managed to run a normal race and I know I did everything that I could."

As for the decision to two-stop, Massa said it was "the right one given my position, but maybe, in the light of how the race went, it would have been better to stop at different times: however, that's easy to say now, after the chequered flag.

"Each and every time I found myself in traffic and paid for the lack of top speed, one of the major problems with our car at the moment."

The Brazilian is looking forward to the next race on the calendar, the Bahrain GP, but concedes the Sakhir circuit will not play into Ferrari's hands.

"The Sakhir circuit, for the next round of the Championship, does not look like being very favourable for us, given how things have gone so far.

"For me, it is a race where I have always done well, but I'm not under any illusions. As always, we will try and give it our best shot."

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'Bahrain GP is not a gamble'

BIC circuit chief Zayed Al Zayani is adamant Bahrain is "not Afghanistan, it's not Syria" and that the teams and drivers will be safe at this weekend's grand prix.

On Friday, the FIA confirmed that the controversial Bahrain Grand Prix will go ahead this weekend despite safety concerns in light of the on-going political unrest within the island kingdom.

But, according to motorsport's governing body, the security is "suitable", a sentiment that has been echoed by Al Zayani.

"We wouldn't take a decision on a gamble," he told Reuters.

"I think it's a calculated decision, we've weighed our options and we are committed to the grand prix and to its success.

"I don't think anything drastic will happen. It's not Afghanistan, it's not Syria. I don't see why anything should happen this year that hasn't happened in the previous years."

He added: "You have some stuff going on in villages, but it's nothing that can't be handled.

"I have no doubt at all that Formula One is not a target, not the teams, not the media."

Al Zayani is also adamant that Formula One's arrival will have a "positive" effect on the country.

"The country has gone through a tough year, we are still wounded in some aspects or another and we are on the way to regaining our health, so to speak. I think the race will be positive to the country.

"We need it as a country, we deserve it. I think we have passed the worst of the incidents and we need help to restore the country back on track."

He does, however, admit that demonstrations can be expected as "they (the protesters) will probably look out for the media to try and get their message abroad, which is fine. Let them express their opinion."

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'Bulls to pursue W-duct solution'

With Mercedes' W-duct declared legal and the team winning the Chinese GP, Christian Horner says Red Bull will look into their own device.

When Mercedes introduced the device, which stalls the front and rear wings for added straight-line speed, at the start of the season several rivals questioning its legality.

That matter, though, was put to rest in China on Thursday when Lotus protested the W-duct wing and the FIA rejected it, saying once and for all that the device is legal.

Mercedes' Nico Rosberg went on to put his W-duct to good use, taking pole position and the victory in Shanghai.

"I think there's been a lot said and a lot of fuss about it," Horner told Reuters.

"They've optimised and capitalised on it so inevitably now we'll all pursue our own solutions."

Asked how long it may take for Red Bull to introduce their own W-duct, he said: "I think first of all, like any component, it has to earn a place on the car as a package.

"It's not a given that on everybody's car it's bolt-on lap time."

The Red Bull team boss was also questioned about Sebastian Vettel's call to run the older exhaust configuration in China with reports claiming that the German was unhappy with the more recent layout.

"There are some characteristics about the upgraded car that weren't particularly suited to his style of driving which is to carry a lot of speed into the corner," Horner said.

"But the decision to come here with two different cars was very much (designer) Adrian (Newey) and the technical decision because we want to make sure we get a direction and a clear comparison and we've had that.

"It's been a really useful exercise this weekend... now we've got an awful lot of information through three days of running to settle on a direction moving forward."

MIKA: Glad Vettel had a taste of 'Humble pie'..

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Alonso: Damage limitation in Bahrain

Having struggled this past weekend in China, Fernando Alonso has warned that Ferrari can expect a similar showing at the next race in Bahrain.

The 30-year-old Spaniard qualified P9 for Sunday's Chinese GP and although it appeared as if he was on course for a solid points-haul, a late slump saw him finish ninth, 37s behind race winner Nico Rosberg.

It was just the latest sign that all it not well with Ferrari's F2012 even though Alonso did win the previous race in Malaysia where the wet conditions masked the car's flaws.

But, back on a dry track, it was another tough weekend for Ferrari with Alonso predicting more of the same at the next race in Bahrain.

"We knew this would be a difficult race and that's how it turned out," Alonso admitted.

"Obviously, this does not leave me very optimistic for Bahrain, on a track where traction and speed are vital, exactly the areas where we are weakest.

"Once again next week it will be mainly a case of damage limitation. I don't want to think of the classification because the priority is to improve the performance of the F2012."

But despite Ferrari's poor performance in Shanghai, Alonso is adamant he has not "lost hope, quite the contrary" and pointed to his third place in the Drivers' standings as proof that there is something to hold onto.

Meanwhile, technical director Pat Fry revealed that there are "a number of different issues" that have plagued the team's F2012 since its inception.

And one of those - a lack of straight line speed - was very apparent around the Shanghai circuit.

"Clearly we paid a very heavy price for the lack of a good top speed on a track like this," Fry said in the wake of Sunday's grand prix.

"We lack performance, we know it, but there is no point in beating ourselves up over it. Rather, we need to concentrate all our efforts on improving car performance."

He added: "I don't really want to go into where all the problems are - it's not just a case of us trying to build a quicker car.

"We need to fundamentally be changing the methodologies that we use to select, design and manufacture so that we are competitive long term."

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Hamilton taking nothing for granted

Lewis Hamilton may have snatched the lead in the Championship with his third podium of the season, however, the Brit admits it won't be easy holding onto that P1.

Having recently stated that consistency will be the key to success this season, Hamilton put his words into deeds on Sunday in Shanghai as he finished for the third time in as many grands prix in third place.

His trio of P3s have boosted Hamilton to the top of the Drivers' Championship for the first time since Belgium 2010.

His advantage, though, is by no means colossal as Jenson Button in second place is just two points off Hamilton's 45 while third-placed Fernando Alonso is eight points off the pace.

"It's been a long time since I've lead the Championship," Hamilton told BBC Sport. "It's a nice feeling.

"I won't take it for granted. I'm happy to have moved forward. That was the goal, that was the aim.

"I would have loved to have had more points and maybe a win or two, but we're leading the Constructors' Championship and we're very competitive in the race.

"Now I will take my focus onto (Bahrain) where I hope we can have a good qualifying and another good race."

The 27-year-old is still seeking his first victory of the Championship, which to date has seen three different race winners in Button, Alonso and, on Sunday, Mercedes' Nico Rosberg.

Hamilton, though, is confident that his first win is not far off.

"It's definitely a positive to add the consistency which I want and I think if we keep on working like we have then the wins will come.

"We have to keep on moving forward and obviously Mercedes has taken a step forward and the other guys are just as quick as us, the Red Bulls are just about there and the Ferrari was quick at one stage and also the Saubers.

"So it is providing some great racing for the fans and I hope they are enjoying it as much as we are."

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FRY DELIVERS STARK ASSESSMENT OF FERRARI SHORTCOMINGS:

From the unexpected high of victory in Malaysia, the Chinese Grand Prix brought Ferrari back down to earth with a bump as Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa finished in ninth and 13th places respectively. The Maranello outfit may currently be in the process of accelerating developmental work on the F2012 in a bid to improve the difficult car's competitive as quickly as possible, yet the team's senior technical figure has admitted there are also more deep-rooted problems that need to be resolved if Ferrari is to enjoy sustained long-term success again.

Pat Fry, who took the reigns of Ferrari's technical department last year following the axing of team stalwart Aldo Costa and promptly instigated a more aggressive design focus, in Shanghai delivered what was a frank assessment of what he believes the team's shortcomings are. The Briton feels a fundamental overhaul is required in the 'methodologies', in other words, the fundamentals of the way Maranello designs and develops its F1 cars. It hints at a long term fix, to return the Scuderia to the glory days of the 2000s.

"I don't really want to go into where all the problems are – it's not just a case of us trying to build a quicker car, we need to fundamentally be changing the methodologies that we use to select, design and manufacture so that we are competitive long term," Fry said over the weekend. "There's work on all fronts, not just work going into what we're taking to Barcelona, there's also a huge amount of work in just trying to change the fundamentals of what we do so we can actually take a step forward and be competing with everyone else."

The Italian marque, which last won the drivers' title in 2007 with Kimi Raikkonen, has yet to find a consistent formula for success since the momentum built up from its glory years with Michael Schumacher, Ross Brawn and Jean Todt at the start of the century gradually faded.

Aside from a purple patch with Fernando Alonso in the second half of the 2010 season that took the Spaniard within a strategic mistake of the title, Ferrari has rarely even been the second-fastest team on outright pace since the sport's rules overhaul in 2009 and even a more deliberately aggressive approach for this season has only – a rain-affected Sunday at Sepang aside – seen Ferrari slip into the clutches of the midfield, rather than catapulting them to the head of the field as had been hoped.

Correlation problems with its wind tunnel at the start of last year stymied the team's progress with the 2011 car and Fry admits a stronger aerodynamic programme is top of the team's priorities, along with a complete overall of the "methodologies" currently used in the design process.

"The biggest performance differentiator – as people have mentioned earlier – is aerodynamics. We've got some issues there that we're trying to resolve. The areas you need to be working on is everything from the way you run the wind tunnel, the accuracy of your wind tunnel, the simulation that you use to decide what components to take forward, so we're not leaving any stone unturned," he explained.

"We're actually trying to review and revise our methodologies through the whole process and that carries on into the design office for trying to get weight out of various parts, make other bits more durable, so there's work going on absolutely everywhere within the company, on the basic fundamental methodology as well as just trying to upgrade the car."

After a difficult race in China on Sunday, Fry added that the short-term situation is unlikely to change much in Bahrain with the team's first big upgrade of the year – when a new exhaust layout looks set to be pressed into service – having to wait until Barcelona. "Next week in Bahrain we won't have any particularly significant updates, so we cannot expect a miracle: we must try and squeeze the maximum out of what we have to work with," he added.

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Raikkonen: 'Podium possible in Bahrain'

Kimi Raikkonen is hoping to bounce back from a poor Chinese Grand Prix in which he came so close to a podium, until the closing laps when his tyres gave up on him.

The Finn was in second behind Nico Rosberg at one point, but a two stop strategy meant his tyres had completed several laps more than those involved in the battle behind him. Once Sebastian Vettel got past, it opened the door up to a stampede of cars and Raikkonen dropped from second to his final finishing position of 14th in just 12 laps.

The 2007 world champion has moved past that, and says his focus is to finish on the podium in Bahrain, where the temperatures should better suit his E20.

"We were pretty close to finishing on the podium," said Raikkonen. "We didn't. That's racing."

Speaking about Sakhir, he said: "It's likely to be quite hot and our car didn't like the cold so much when we were in China so maybe the heat will suit us better. The track has a mixture of corners and it's quite fun to race on. There are some opportunities to overtake so let's see what happens."

Of his expectations for the race, he added: "A podium should be possible and I think it has been at all the races we've been at so far," he continued. "We don't know exactly how good the car will be until we get there, but we don't expect any problems."

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Employee fired after refusing to attend Bahrain

A female member of the Williams F1 team has been fired after she refused to attend the Bahrain Grand Prix on moral grounds.

The event was given the go-ahead last week following a meeting between the FIA, Bernie Ecclestone and the teams. None of the parties involved raised any concerns.

Despite this, a member of the teams catering staff has refused to attend which has resulted in the loss of her job. It's believed they came to a mutual agreement as she had signed a contract to cover all 20 races.

The team refused to comment on the matter, but had they allowed her to miss the race and fly home to the UK, it's feared many staff would have done the same to avoid the possible trouble they may encounter.

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Q&A with Williams' Mark Gillan

Q: Mark, congratulations on Williams' first double points finish since Korea in 2010. What sort of a boost will this result give to the team?

Mark Gillan: Getting both cars into the points is a very good result and one that every single person in the team can be proud of, especially given the disappointing 2011 season. The team has been further invigorated by this result to push even harder in what is clearly a very tightly spaced grid, with fierce competition.

Q: Can you sum up the performance of the FW34 around the Shanghai International Circuit?

MG: The car's performance in Shanghai was good in both single lap and in particular race pace, when tyre management was paramount. This race was an interesting one as the track temperatures changed quite a bit throughout the weekend, which made setting the car up to optimise the tyre performance more difficult.

Q: You started the drivers on different tyre compounds, Bruno on primes and Pastor on options. Why was that?

MG: It was a difficult choice to make but we felt that splitting the strategies, with both cars being beside each other on the grid, was the prudent decision to take.

Q: How marginal was a two-stop strategy, given that Shanghai is a high degradation circuit?

MG: It was marginal, especially given the close nature of the racing, but both the drivers and the car managed the tyres well.

Q: Can you sum up the driving performances of Bruno and Pastor over the weekend?

MG: I am very pleased with both of their performances and they fought very hard during the race against stiff competition to secure ten points in total. Their feedback during the event is also excellent which helps us further develop and optimise the car.

Q: Pastor set the fourth fastest lap of the race - quicker than Webber, Hamilton, Vettel and Rosberg. What can be read into such an impressive lap time?

MG: Pastor was very quick in that section of the race and he felt the car to be very strong with a good balance.

Q: The Bahrain Grand Prix comes next. What sort of challenge is the circuit and what should we expect from the Williams FW34 there?

MG: On the back of a good weekend in China we are aiming to get both cars into the points again this week. Bahrain will be a tough race, not least due to the high ambient temperatures which can necessitate opening the engine cover body-work to the maximum.

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Bruno Senna: Improved DRS key to stronger qualifying for Williams

Bruno Senna believes an improved DRS could be key to helping Williams find the qualifying boost it needs to make the most of its race pace.

The Brazilian enjoyed another points-scoring performance in China, but the team's chances in grands prix are being hampered by its struggles to get the most out of its car in qualifying.

Senna thinks, however, that with the midfield pack so tightly grouped together that a small laptime benefit from DRS on Saturdays could be very influential.

"When you look at the qualifying performance it's so close with everybody," Senna told AUTOSPORT. "We are talking about 15 cars in six tenths of a second.

"If you think about it, if you can get three tenths from the DRS effect, which is not impossible, then you are already jumping maybe three or four positions.

"So we are focusing on that, but especially on improving the performance of the bits and pieces of the car. I think we are going in the right direction."

Senna thinks that, until the DRS is improved, he and team-mate Pastor Maldonado may struggle on tracks where the straight-line speed boost is most beneficial.

"We know all the other teams have a bigger effect [from DRS], so on tracks like China with long straights it is hard," he added. "And even Bahrain will be tough for us.

"We are going to try harder, but the important thing is to keep the nose clean in the first lap of the race and then make sure that you have a nice, long race ahead of you."

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Ross Brawn says it's too early to predict repeat wins for Mercedes

Ross Brawn thinks it is too early to say whether Mercedes can deliver more victories this season, despite the nature of Nico Rosberg's dominant performance in the Chinese Grand Prix.

Rosberg was in a class of his own in Shanghai, as he finished well clear of his opposition for his maiden Formula 1 win.

But despite the performance, Mercedes team principal Brawn thinks the uncertainty caused by tyre characteristics this year means he has to be cautious about his outfit's chances going forward.

When asked by AUTOSPORT if he felt the Mercedes W03 had the speed to produce a series of wins in 2012, Brawn said: "It is so difficult to judge because of the sensitivity of the tyres. Did everyone else get it wrong and we got it right? Or did everyone get it right and this is a fair measure of where we are? I don't know.

"The fact that we have been close in qualifying in the first two races gives me encouragement, but it was just a perfect race for us here and I expect it wasn't for others. We have to turn as many races as we can into perfect races."

Mercedes-Benz motorsport boss Norbert Haug added that the team would maintain a realistic approach to the remainder of the season, as he was not sure just how good its car was.

"I will not make an answer that is unrealistic," he said about the possibility of Mercedes adding further wins this season. "We are not favourites but we are not nowhere. Not lots of people would have had us do this after the first two races.

"We have our own expectations, and I think the team can handle that. They won before and hopefully they will win in the future again."

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Button tips Mercs to sustain threat

McLaren driver reckons Rosberg likely to repeat victory soon

Jenson Button believes Nico Rosberg will not have to wait long for his second Formula 1 victory given the competitiveness of his Mercedes team this year.

German driver Rosberg, who made his F1 debut with Williams in 2006, claimed his maiden pole and race victory over the weekend in Shanghai at the 111th time of asking.

Although now a 13-time Grand Prix winner, it took Button himself two more starts than Rosberg - 113 - before he stood on the top step of an F1 podium whereas current rivals like Lewis Hamilton (six races), Michael Schumacher (18), Sebastian Vettel (22) and Fernando Alonso (29) all tasted success relatively early on in their respective careers.

Button feels it is just about being in the right place at the right time.

"We were talking on the podium and yeah, he beat me by two races. I took 113 and he's on 111. It's amazing how, with some people, it can happen very quickly if you can find yourself in the right situation," he said.

"For others it takes a little bit more time. Which way would you chose? We'd all chose to win immediately, I think. I wouldn't chose my career path and the mistakes that I've made and obviously the good things that have happened in my career - it's just different for all of us."

With Mercedes having cast aside two seasons of middling performances to design a front-running car for 2012, Button - who had to wait a further 41 races between his first and second wins - suspects Rosberg could have chances to double his tally very soon.

"I'm sure that this won't be Nico's first and last win," said Button.

"They - the team - seem very competitive this year and Nico obviously hasn't put a foot wrong all weekend. So I think we're going to have a battle on our hands this year which is good to see."

However, Button's assessment is not completely shared by Red Bull rival Mark Webber, who reckons Mercedes need to reproduce the kind of form they showed in China on a more consistent basis first before their arrival at the front is truly confirmed.

"Mercedes had only one point before this race,so we don't want to get carried away about their pace. We finished just behind the McLarens and it was a very close fight," the Australian told his official website.

"Sure, Mercedes did a good job and I'd like to congratulate Nico - a former team-mate of mine - and the team, but it's too early to judge their pace.

"If they win by 20s for three races in a row, then everyone else knows they have problems; until then it's very open."

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WHERE MERCEDES FOUND THE RACE PACE AND WHY SHANGHAI RACE TURNED OUT AS IT DID:

Source: JamesallenonF1.com & UBS

The UBS Chinese Grand Prix was a thrilling race, despite the comfortable winning margin for Nico Rosberg in the Mercedes.

Race strategy was crucial to the outcome and we also learned a lot about how F1 has changed in 2012, with the field closing up on performance, so the top teams can no longer rely on building gaps over the midfield to drop nicely into after pit stops. The leading teams will have to work much harder than last year on creative race strategy and the drivers will have to do a lot more overtaking.

During Friday's Free Practice 2 it was clear that many teams have yet to master the best set up on their cars for both qualifying and the race, going from high fuel to low fuel.

How Mercedes surprised with its race pace:

McLaren appeared to have race pace that was 0.5s a lap faster than Mercedes, but overnight on Friday Ross Brawn's team made some changes to the set up to improve the tyre life and at the end of the Saturday morning session Schumacher ran a handful of laps on high fuel to confirm the changes. This was not noticed by many in the paddock, but proved crucial to Mercedes' victory.

The track temperature was foremost in the minds of the team strategists as they prepared for the race; these 2012 Pirelli tyres are very sensitive to temperature changes and in qualifying it was clear that a drop of a few degrees created a disparity between different cars.

The rough rule of thumb is; Mercedes likes the colder temperature, as does the Sauber, while the Red Bulls, Lotus and McLarens operate better in higher temperatures. This is a trend that is likely to continue all season, so in Bahrain the picture may look different from China.

As with last year's Shanghai race, the key strategy decision was between two pit stops and three and the timing of them. Pre race predictions showed that two stops was faster than three by up to 7 seconds, but the danger was that the two stopping driver would be vulnerable in the last five laps on worn tyres.

Crucially, the decision on which strategy was faster varied from team to team, depending on how fast they could run on the medium tyre. McLaren, for example, found it slower than the soft, while other teams including Mercedes, Lotus and Williams thought differently.

Rosberg vs Button vs Hamilton:

McLaren went for three stops, Mercedes for two; the pattern was set. One of the reasons why Hamilton in particular was obliged to do three stops was because in qualifying he set his fastest time on a set of tyres that had done six laps by the time he started the race. This meant he would struggle to make it to lap 13, which was the window for two stops.

Mercedes knew this and planned to exploit it. Rosberg and Schumacher were instructed to get to at least lap 13, at which point they would switch to a medium tyre and do a middle stint of 21 laps, then a final stint on mediums again. Button was the greater threat to them on his three stop strategy, based on two stints on the soft tyre, but his challenge faded with a botched final pit stop, where the left rear wheel change was delayed by six seconds.

So when he rejoined, instead of being 14 seconds behind Rosberg with 17 laps to go and tyres that were 5 laps newer, he was 20 seconds behind.

The pit stop problem – not the first McLaren have suffered at critical moments this season – had a further knock-on effect in that it brought Button back out into the train of cars led by Massa and Raikkonen, who were two-stopping. Instead of gaining on Rosberg, Button could not take advantage of his new tyres, lost a second per lap to him and the race was over.

Most of Hamilton's race was spent in traffic as well, due to starting down in seventh place after his gearbox change penalty. He could never get clear of the competitive midfield cars and run in clear air, so progress through the field was difficult on the three stop strategy he was obliged to do. A strategy like that requires plenty of opportunity to drive flat out on a clear track.

Another factor that worked against McLaren was that they had to cover Mark Webber, who made extremely early stops. So this caused them to pit earlier than intended and meant that they didn't have the fresh tyre advantage over Rosberg and the two stoppers they wanted and needed to cut through the field.

Intense competition in midfield:

Quite a few cars in the midfield tried the two stop approach, based on two stints on the medium tyre, with mixed results; the key here was being able to extend the middle stint so as not to leave yourself too many laps at the end on the final set of tyres.

Vettel went for it, to try to get himself up from his lowly 11th grid slot, as did Massa from 12th, Senna from 14th and the two Lotus drivers. Raikkonen started 4th and Grosjean 10th.

It is interesting to compare the results these drivers achieved, all trying to do the same thing. The most stark example of it going wrong is Raikkonen – he fell from 2nd place, with just nine laps to go, to 14th at the finish! Partly this was due to worn tyres after a 28 lap final stint, but he also got off line trying too hard to defend his position from Vettel. His tyres got dirty and this allowed other cars to pass him. He got in a vicious circle; as he defended against them the tyres got dirtier still and all hope was lost.

The reason he found himself in this position was because he pitted too early for his second stop on lap 26. His middle stint was only 16 laps long on the medium tyre so he blinked too early on coming in for the second stop.

Conversely, Senna started on the medium tyre, did a middle stint on his new set of soft tyres, pitted for the second time on lap 29 back to the medium and managed to gain places when the three stoppers made their final stop. Senna's drive showed how well balanced and competitive the Williams car is this year. He managed to get an 7th place finish. Vettel went from 11th to 5th at the finish, making the most of the strategy by pulling off a long middle stint on medium tyres.

Grosjean drove well, to collect his first points of the season, but it could have been better. He managed to go four laps longer than team mate Raikkonen in the middle stint and this set him up for a great result in 5th place. He was sitting there with 12 laps to go, but made a mistake when fighting Webber and lost three places. He managed to get two of them back, which shows that he still had life left in his tyres, despite them being only three laps fresher than Raikkonen's.

The UBS Race Strategy Report is written by James Allen with input and data from several F1 team strategists.

RACE HISTORY GRAPH:

The Y axis is the time behind the average laptime line. So, for example, when Rosberg's curve is going down and away from the zero line it means that he's doing laptimes slower than the average, and when his curve is going up and towards the zero line it means he's doing laptimes faster than the average. The coloured lines show the pace of other cars relative to the leader.

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HAMILTON: "EVERYTHING'S BETTER THIS YEAR:

Lewis Hamilton has spoken of his renewed happiness both on and off the race track after a start to the season which has taken him back to the top of the world championship standings for the first time in nearly two years.

The tumultuous nature of Hamilton's 2011 was well-documented with setbacks in both his racing and his private life contributing to his self-described worst year in Formula 1, but a productive winter allowed him the chance to re-focus and piece back together the ingredients he sees as being key to his personal equilibrium.

Speaking to the British media in China following his third successive third place finish on Sunday, he said: "I think just everything's better this year. The team are better, the car is better and I'm a lot better. I've got my Dad here, you know, and that's not fake. That's real, a good bond we've got now and on the up. Things are great with my mum, things are great with my girlfriend, so things are great and that's reflecting in my performances I think."

The appearance of his dad Anthony in the McLaren garage during track sessions in Shanghai underlined the apparent reconciliation that has taken place between father and son over the winter, the pair having split professionally in 2010 when Lewis opted to take control of his own management decisions.

Although Hamilton has yet to take his first victory of 2012 despite claiming pole position for the first two races, the 27-year-old has been keen to focus on the positives of being the only driver to finish on the podium in every round so far. This is already in stark contract to last season when he failed to string back-to-back top-three finishes together at any point of the campaign despite having the second-fastest car.

McLaren's step ahead of Red Bull also means he is likely to have his best chance since his first title in 2008 of winning the world championship again, although with just eight months remaining on his five-year deal with the Woking squad, he is insisting he doesn't plan to rush into agreeing a new deal, even if he "could not be happier" at the team currently. He had said at the launch of its 2012 car in February that "probably after the first couple of races it's something we will probably want to get out of the way", but now appears to be putting a longer timeframe on the process.

He said: "I don't need persuading. When I need to, which can be within any time frame I want so long as it is before next year, then I will decide about my future. But the team are doing fantastic. I could not be happier in the team."

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Lotus assessing W-duct advantages

Lotus are looking into incorporating the Mercedes W-duct wing onto their own E20 after their protest in China failed.

Lotus and Red Bull led the calls for the FIA outlaw the Mercedes W-duct wing with the former even launching a formal protest ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix week.

The protest, though, was rejected, sparking a race for Mercedes' rivals to introduce the device onto the own cars.

"We are at the point of making estimates of how big the gain might be and assessing the difficulty in actually realising that gain," said tech director James Allison.

"It's anyone's guess how powerful any existing system is, but that's not the issue; it's how powerful we think we can make any system which we can develop now we know how the rules can be interpreted.

"There are systems like Mercedes has, but the interpretation allows other permutations too. So it could be an interesting time for developments in this area."

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Williams chasing Bahrain double

Having secured their first double points-haul of the campaign in China, Williams are seeking a repeat performance at the upcoming Bahrain race.

After 56 laps of intense racing and a few worrying moments for those on the pit wall, Bruno Senna and Pastor Maldonado brought their cars home in seventh and eighth places on Sunday.

It was Williams first double points-haul of the season and, in that one race, they scored the double the points they did the entire 2011 campaign.

"Getting both cars into the points is a very good result and one that every single person in the team can be proud of, especially given the disappointing 2011 season," said Chief Operations Engineer Mark Gillan.

"The team has been further invigorated by this result to push even harder in what is clearly a very tightly spaced grid, with fierce competition."

As for his drivers, Gillan said: "I am very pleased with both of their performances and they fought very hard during the race against stiff competition to secure ten points in total.

"Their feedback during the event is also excellent which helps us further develop and optimise the car."

Williams are now hoping for an equally strong Bahrain result, although Gillan admits it won't be easy.

"On the back of a good weekend in China we are aiming to get both cars into the points again this week. Bahrain will be a tough race, not least due to the high ambient temperatures which can necessitate opening the engine cover body-work to the maximum."

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Hamilton in no rush to re-sign

Lewis Hamilton says he's not yet ready to re-sign with McLaren but hopes to "still be here in the coming years in Formula One".

Hamilton's five-year McLaren contract expires at the end of this year, leaving the 2008 World Champion free to sign with any team he wants.

Over the last year the 27-year-old has been linked to a move to Red Bull or Ferrari while more recently there are rumours that he could be off to Mercedes as Michael Schumacher's replacement.

But, for now at least, Hamilton is keeping his own council on where his future may rest, although insists he is happy right where he is.

"I have no plans either way," Hamilton told The Telegraph. "I don't need persuading.

"When I need to, which can be within any time frame I want so long as it is before next year, then I will decide about my future.

"But the team are doing fantastic. I could not be happier in the team."

Pressed as to whether he would find it difficult to leave a team 'who have nurtured him since he was 13' Hamilton said: "Yeah. I don't feel like walking away.

"I've not sat down and thought about my future. I have just sat down and thought about this year.

"Hopefully, I will still be here in the coming years in Formula One, which is what I want now.

"Everything is better this year. The team is better. The car is better. I am a lot better. I have got my dad here; we have a real, real good bond now. We are on the up.

"Things are great and that's reflected in my performances."

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FIA opts for single DRS-zone on Bahrain debut

The FIA has opted for a single drag reduction zone for the Bahrain Grand Prix, which will use the system for the first time following its cancellation in 2011.The activation point will be just before turn 14 which is a medium speed corner leading on to the main start/finish straight, which is where the activation point will be located.

Drivers can open their rear-wings 270 metres after turn 15, giving them 650 or so metres to use the system before the slow first turn approaches.

[riazp]

Would be a shame if Hamilton left McLaren...I love the fact that a british team has two british drivers. Mika you know when mclaren will leave mercedes for their own mclaren engines?

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Williams preview the Bahrain GP

Mark Gillan, Chief Operations Engineer: Having held the race on the longer endurance course layout in 2010, the 2012 race has now reverted back to the 5.412km long, 57 lap Grand Prix layout. One of the main problems imposed by this circuit is the very hot local ambient conditions of typically 35°C and track temperature rising into the high 40°C's. These conditions force teams to open up the engine cooling bodywork which in turn can adversely affect the aerodynamic efficiency.

The layout of the circuit means the likelihood of a safety car is very low. The DRS zone detection point is just before the penultimate corner and the activation point is along the main straight. Pirelli have brought the same tyre compounds as used in both Australia and China, namely the Prime medium and Option soft tyre, and tyre management will once again be the main priority. Having got both cars home in the points in China the whole team is eager to repeat this result in Bahrain this coming weekend.

Pastor Maldonado: I like the circuit layout, and it should suit our car because of the hot conditions. It is also a challenging circuit for tyre degradation so we need to prepare for that. It was satisfying to score my first points of the season in China and hopefully I can pick up some more points in Bahrain.

Bruno Senna: Bahrain is a challenging track with a number of long straights followed by big braking areas so the car has to be set up differently to many other circuits. Cars with a big DRS effect will have an advantage so it will be interesting to see how teams will perform. We have good momentum from the first three races of the season and hopefully we can carry that into this race.

Rémi Taffin, Head of Renault Sport F1 Track Operations: Sakhir is relatively similar in characteristic to Shanghai, so we will re-use the China engines again on both cars. Around 50% of the lap is spent at full throttle, but there are fewer slow corners so we work towards delivering driveability through the higher end of the rev range. We will target another trouble-free weekend to allow the team to capitalise on its China results and we are all very positive about the performance of the chassis-engine package so far this year.

Paul Hembery, Pirelli Motorsport Director: Once more we have nominated the soft and the medium tyre for Bahrain but these tyres will face a very different challenge to what we saw in China. Temperatures are expected to be very warm, and sand is often seen on the track in Bahrain from the surrounding desert which can affect grip, particularly at the beginning of each session. Traction and braking is very important at the circuit, which we tested at twice as we were preparing to return to Formula One, so we do have some data even though we are racing there for the first time.

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Would be a shame if Hamilton left McLaren...I love the fact that a british team has two british drivers. Mika you know when mclaren will leave mercedes for their own mclaren engines?

McLaren still committed to Mercedes engines until 2015

McLaren insists it is committed to staying with its engine supplier Mercedes during the switch from V8 power units to turbo-charged V6s in 2014, despite its closest rivals having their own factory engine deals.

Red Bull recently announced a five-year extension of its deal with Renault Sport, which team principal Christian Horner described as a "factory" deal, while Ferrari has its own in-house engine department at Maranello and Mercedes has its engine base in Brixworth. The integration between engine and chassis will be important in 2014 as capacity decreases from 2.4 litres to 1.6 litres and extra energy recovery systems are added. Red Bull, for example, has already talked up the significance of its "premium" partnership with Renault Sport and will work closely in the development of the engine over the next two years.

McLaren currently has a contract with Mercedes until 2015 but there has been speculation that it might look elsewhere ahead of 2014 or set up its own department to promote its road car division, which uses an in-house powertrain designed and developed with engine specialists Ricardo. However, managing director Jonathan Neale said the team is completely committed to Mercedes.

"I'm not going to discuss the contractual terms within that, but I can give a cast-iron guarantee that it is our intention to stay with Mercedes-Benz and these engines as we transition between here to the next generation of engines," he told the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes phone-in. "They are our engine partner, we very much like working with them and want to do so for many years to come."

He also batted away suggestions that Mercedes' engine department would be inclined to work more closely with its factory team.

"The assumption that we're not working as closely with Mercedes is incorrect," Neale added. "We've had a long relationship with Mercedes-Benz High-Performance Engines at Brixworth, we know the guys up there very well and we're a good team together. I think certainly we expect, and we are, working very closely with them ahead of 2014. Our job, as theirs is, is to make sure Mercedes-Benz has the best engine on the grid and is best prepared and most ready [for 2014]. I don't feel in any way that we are being disadvantaged or held at arm's length.

"I think sometimes when people look at the McLaren Group as a whole and look at the way the road car platform is developing, then I think in that domain of course there are lots of what-ifs and maybes and how its powertrain is going to develop there going forward. But we shouldn't confuse that with what's going on with the engine programme [at the F1 team]. Our focus is very much around our engine partners Mercedes-Benz, who do a first-class job for us and we expect to be an intimate and high-performance partner with them."

Asked if McLaren had been given guarantees that it will receive equal treatment alongside the Mercedes GP team, Neale said: "That's not a concern or an issue for us at all. I think there is one thing that ourselves Mercedes GP and Mercedes-Benz High-Performance Engines want, which is for Mercedes to have the best engine in 2014. The fact that they can draw on technical contributions and know-how from partners such as ourselves and Mercedes should only make them stronger."

[riazp]

wow didnt take long lol. thanks for the info mate

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F1: Ecclestone questions New York race for 2013

Bernie Ecclestone has cast doubt on whether New York will feature on next year's calendar.

The street race in New Jersey, amid the Manhattan skyline, was scheduled to join the 2013 calendar, and it emerged recently that construction of the main pit building is well underway.But F1's chief executive said on Tuesday: "Maybe the New York race will be 2013.

"It's a when," Ecclestone told the BBC. "2013 or 2014."

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wow didnt take long lol. thanks for the info mate

For you guys, I do my best.

Also - I agree about McLaren having an all British line up. It makes it a unique team and a really well balanced team with both Lewis and Button being similar in midset although Jense a little more mature.

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Vettel must race 'Webber-spec' exhaust in Bahrain

Sebastian Vettel's 2012 struggle looks set to continue for now.

It has emerged that, despite the reigning back-to-back champion preferring the launch version of the RB8, Red Bull has decided that Vettel will drive the latest specification of the car's exhaust layout in Bahrain this weekend.

In China, the team allowed Vettel to go back to the previous spec, while Mark Webber qualified better and finished higher with Adrian Newey's latest developments.

"He can't get the confidence he needs with the car," admitted Dr Helmut Marko on Austrian Servus TV, "and this makes him make uncharacteristic mistakes."

Nonetheless, Red Bull has decided that the 'Webber-specification' exhaust is the right way forward.

"We will go on with the Mark Webber car," Marko confirmed.

As for why the team's Australian driver feels more comfortable in the updated car, Marko surmised: "Mark is less sensitive to the (car's) behaviour.

"He just needs four wheels, but it's different for Vettel," he said.