FORMULA 1 - 2013

[Lotusguy]

Please expand about the Ferrari part

See a few posts below yours - even Ferrari is saying that.

They qualified horribly and were not in a podium position until things started blowing up - literally (tires and a gearbox).

[MIKA27]

Mark Webber: F1's 'proper bloke' will be sorely missed

Mark Webber's decision to leave Formula 1 at the end of the season puts an already endangered species on the critical list. He is a top grand prix driver who is prepared to say what he thinks.

As Lewis Hamilton puts it: "What I like about Mark is he says a lot of things that are true and he's very blunt and he says it regardless."

F1 is also losing a man who is "super-quick, one of the quickest guys on the grid", a tribute paid by McLaren sporting director Sam Michael, who worked with Webber at Williams and has since had experience of, among others, Hamilton.

Webber's combination of race-winning pace and forthright manner has made him a central figure in F1 over the last decade and, particularly, the last few years.

The 36-year-old Australian is what is known in his home country as "a proper bloke".

He makes time for journalists he respects, yet happily admits to an impatience with PR work in general.

He is a proud and committed Aussie who lives in the English home counties, eschewing various tax havens, because it has come to feel like home.

And he sees top-level sport in simple terms - as a medium for the best in the world to test themselves against each other, competing with respect, determination, integrity and total commitment.

The respect goes both ways. That is clear in his relationship with Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, who Webber considers the best driver in the world, and in the trust they have put in each other in any number of on-the-limit racing situations over the years, most notably Webber's breathtaking pass of the Ferrari driver at Spa's Eau Rouge in 2011.

Webber has won nine grands prix and is particularly proud of the four victories shared equally between Monaco and Silverstone, among F1's classic venues.

But perhaps the best of all was his first, winning the 2009 German Grand Prix despite a drive-through penalty for causing a collision at the start.

The pace he showed that day in making up the lost time, pushing to the limit throughout, is what he misses about F1 in the current Pirelli/DRS era, in which he believes rapidly degrading tyres and the artificiality of some of the overtaking moves have diluted the sport's purity.

This partly explains his decision to spearhead Porsche's return to closed-wheel sportscar racing next season, with the particular target of winning Le Mans. Despite the longer races, the drivers can push hard pretty much throughout.

Webber got his hands on front-running machinery only late in his career, at Red Bull in 2009, when he was already 32. The seven years leading up to that were a battle in a succession of uncompetitive cars from Minardi, Jaguar, Williams and, initially, at Red Bull too.

It was remarkable he even got that far. Webber was raised the son of a motorcycle dealer in Queanbeyan near Canberra in New South Wales.

"We grew up in the same area," says Sam Michael. "He's quite a lot younger than me, so I didn't know him in Australia, but I do know how difficult it would have been just to get to Europe to be a driver. That's a huge deal in Australia.

"He didn't grow up on the karting tracks of Europe, pounding around since he was four years old competing against the cutting edge of everyone. You can't do that in Australia.

"So to get into sportscars, Formula 3000 and then the bottom rung of F1 and work your way up the grid to win grands prix is a phenomenal effort."

The road to F1 was arduous. Via two horrendous aerial crashes at Le Mans in 1999, he made it finally at the age of 25 in 2002, driving a lowly Minardi for team boss Paul Stoddart, a fellow Australian, for whom Webber had driven in Formula 3000.

Mark Webber poses with Ferrari's Michael Schumacher ahead of his Minardi F1 debut in 2002

Like Alonso in the same team the previous year, Webber did enough in a back-of-the-grid car to convince he had potential.

A three-year deal with Jaguar was wasted by the team's appalling underachievement and he then made what turned out to be a terrible decision to join Williams rather than Renault in 2005.

It made sense at the time. Williams were BMW's partner and had been one of the closest challengers to dominant Ferrari for the previous three years. And Webber was attracted by the chance to drive for a once-great team and perhaps revive their glory days.

But Renault were heading into two years at the very top, both of which their lead driver Alonso ended as world champion. Williams were on the decline, and Webber did not win a race.

Although Webber's two years at Williams were frustrating, they did give him the chance to shine on a few occasions. Among them was being a victory contender at Monaco in 2006 against Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen's McLaren before a wiring loom burnt out.

Webber moved to Red Bull in the hope of benefiting when their feted designer Adrian Newey came good. So it was his bad luck to be joined at the team by a phenomenon - Vettel - just as that happened.

Undoubtedly, Vettel has emerged as the superior driver, but the margins have generally been small and it says a lot for Webber's single-mindedness and mental fortitude that he has been able to continually keep the pressure on the German - and sometimes beat him fair and square - despite knowing exactly where the team's priorities lie.

It is generally in the slow corners where Vettel ekes out his advantage, a unique technique making superb use of the unconventional aerodynamics of the cars that have raced since 2011. In the fast corners, Webber often has the edge.

Webber and Vettel have done little to hide the tension between them and the series of flashpoints in their relationship has formed a central part of the F1 narrative over the last few years. None of them would have happened had Webber not been such a strong and determined competitor.

Despite fame and fortune, he has remained true to himself. He is unimpressed with the trappings of F1 and its supposed glamour. And his willingness to follow his own mind is intact.

One of the best examples was in China in 2012, when F1 was a week away from going back to Bahrain after the previous year's race had been cancelled following civil unrest.

Nearly all the drivers fell back on bland statements about trusting the authorities, about only being here to race and so on.

Not Webber. His views on Bahrain were well known so his pre-race media briefing was packed with journalists expecting he would say something interesting.

The Red Bull press officers suspected what might be coming, and had said to him beforehand that he should stick to the party line and not talk in depth about Bahrain.

Webber walked in, looked at the assembled throng, and said: "So. Bahrain?"

Over the next 15 minutes, he talked about nothing else. Judging the situation perfectly, he picked his words with care, making it clear he was uncomfortable about the position the sport and himself were in and why, but not saying a single thing that could be construed as offensive or overtly critical.

It was a profoundly impressive moment - and he went on to produce one of his best races, out-qualifying Vettel on a tough weekend for the team and passing him for fourth place between the penultimate and final corners of the last lap.

In the car and out of it, F1 is going to miss him.

[OZCUBAN]

Mark Webber: F1's 'proper bloke' will be sorely missed

Mark Webber's decision to leave Formula 1 at the end of the season puts an already endangered species on the critical list. He is a top grand prix driver who is prepared to say what he thinks.

As Lewis Hamilton puts it: "What I like about Mark is he says a lot of things that are true and he's very blunt and he says it regardless."

F1 is also losing a man who is "super-quick, one of the quickest guys on the grid", a tribute paid by McLaren sporting director Sam Michael, who worked with Webber at Williams and has since had experience of, among others, Hamilton.

Webber's combination of race-winning pace and forthright manner has made him a central figure in F1 over the last decade and, particularly, the last few years.

The 36-year-old Australian is what is known in his home country as "a proper bloke".

He makes time for journalists he respects, yet happily admits to an impatience with PR work in general.

He is a proud and committed Aussie who lives in the English home counties, eschewing various tax havens, because it has come to feel like home.

And he sees top-level sport in simple terms - as a medium for the best in the world to test themselves against each other, competing with respect, determination, integrity and total commitment.

The respect goes both ways. That is clear in his relationship with Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, who Webber considers the best driver in the world, and in the trust they have put in each other in any number of on-the-limit racing situations over the years, most notably Webber's breathtaking pass of the Ferrari driver at Spa's Eau Rouge in 2011.

Webber has won nine grands prix and is particularly proud of the four victories shared equally between Monaco and Silverstone, among F1's classic venues.

But perhaps the best of all was his first, winning the 2009 German Grand Prix despite a drive-through penalty for causing a collision at the start.

The pace he showed that day in making up the lost time, pushing to the limit throughout, is what he misses about F1 in the current Pirelli/DRS era, in which he believes rapidly degrading tyres and the artificiality of some of the overtaking moves have diluted the sport's purity.

This partly explains his decision to spearhead Porsche's return to closed-wheel sportscar racing next season, with the particular target of winning Le Mans. Despite the longer races, the drivers can push hard pretty much throughout.

Webber got his hands on front-running machinery only late in his career, at Red Bull in 2009, when he was already 32. The seven years leading up to that were a battle in a succession of uncompetitive cars from Minardi, Jaguar, Williams and, initially, at Red Bull too.

It was remarkable he even got that far. Webber was raised the son of a motorcycle dealer in Queanbeyan near Canberra in New South Wales.

"We grew up in the same area," says Sam Michael. "He's quite a lot younger than me, so I didn't know him in Australia, but I do know how difficult it would have been just to get to Europe to be a driver. That's a huge deal in Australia.

"He didn't grow up on the karting tracks of Europe, pounding around since he was four years old competing against the cutting edge of everyone. You can't do that in Australia.

"So to get into sportscars, Formula 3000 and then the bottom rung of F1 and work your way up the grid to win grands prix is a phenomenal effort."

The road to F1 was arduous. Via two horrendous aerial crashes at Le Mans in 1999, he made it finally at the age of 25 in 2002, driving a lowly Minardi for team boss Paul Stoddart, a fellow Australian, for whom Webber had driven in Formula 3000.

Mark Webber poses with Ferrari's Michael Schumacher ahead of his Minardi F1 debut in 2002

Like Alonso in the same team the previous year, Webber did enough in a back-of-the-grid car to convince he had potential.

A three-year deal with Jaguar was wasted by the team's appalling underachievement and he then made what turned out to be a terrible decision to join Williams rather than Renault in 2005.

It made sense at the time. Williams were BMW's partner and had been one of the closest challengers to dominant Ferrari for the previous three years. And Webber was attracted by the chance to drive for a once-great team and perhaps revive their glory days.

But Renault were heading into two years at the very top, both of which their lead driver Alonso ended as world champion. Williams were on the decline, and Webber did not win a race.

Although Webber's two years at Williams were frustrating, they did give him the chance to shine on a few occasions. Among them was being a victory contender at Monaco in 2006 against Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen's McLaren before a wiring loom burnt out.

Webber moved to Red Bull in the hope of benefiting when their feted designer Adrian Newey came good. So it was his bad luck to be joined at the team by a phenomenon - Vettel - just as that happened.

Undoubtedly, Vettel has emerged as the superior driver, but the margins have generally been small and it says a lot for Webber's single-mindedness and mental fortitude that he has been able to continually keep the pressure on the German - and sometimes beat him fair and square - despite knowing exactly where the team's priorities lie.

It is generally in the slow corners where Vettel ekes out his advantage, a unique technique making superb use of the unconventional aerodynamics of the cars that have raced since 2011. In the fast corners, Webber often has the edge.

Webber and Vettel have done little to hide the tension between them and the series of flashpoints in their relationship has formed a central part of the F1 narrative over the last few years. None of them would have happened had Webber not been such a strong and determined competitor.

Despite fame and fortune, he has remained true to himself. He is unimpressed with the trappings of F1 and its supposed glamour. And his willingness to follow his own mind is intact.

One of the best examples was in China in 2012, when F1 was a week away from going back to Bahrain after the previous year's race had been cancelled following civil unrest.

Nearly all the drivers fell back on bland statements about trusting the authorities, about only being here to race and so on.

Not Webber. His views on Bahrain were well known so his pre-race media briefing was packed with journalists expecting he would say something interesting.

The Red Bull press officers suspected what might be coming, and had said to him beforehand that he should stick to the party line and not talk in depth about Bahrain.

Webber walked in, looked at the assembled throng, and said: "So. Bahrain?"

Over the next 15 minutes, he talked about nothing else. Judging the situation perfectly, he picked his words with care, making it clear he was uncomfortable about the position the sport and himself were in and why, but not saying a single thing that could be construed as offensive or overtly critical.

It was a profoundly impressive moment - and he went on to produce one of his best races, out-qualifying Vettel on a tough weekend for the team and passing him for fourth place between the penultimate and final corners of the last lap.

In the car and out of it, F1 is going to miss him.

Great article he will be missed ,that's what F-1 needs people who shoot from the hip and call a spade a spade ,it's the Aussie way .

Still I would have loved to see him paired with Alonso next year at Ferrari ,and wipe the floor with that little German punk Vettels arse

[westg]

Great article he will be missed ,that's what F-1 needs people who shoot from the hip and call a spade a spade ,it's the Aussie way .

Still I would have loved to see him paired with Alonso next year at Ferrari ,and wipe the floor with that little German punk Vettels arse

Ha, me to. I don't like the hacked off little .....you know what either.

[MIKA27]

Ferrari expect reliability to be an issue for new 2014 turbo engines

Ferrari believe that reliability will be a major factor next year, particularly during the early phase of the season, when Formula 1 changes to new V6 turbo engines.

Ferrari’s head of engines, Luca Marmorini predicts, “We have to develop the power train in a short space of time and this means that reliability will be the factor that will decide the races in the early part of the season.”

He explained, “In most cases people will locate their turbos in the central rear part of the engine and therefore near the electronics and the temperatures can reach a thousand degrees and that won’t be an easy matter to deal with. Managing temperatures will be one of the main areas we will have to work on.”

2014 is the dawn of a new era for the sport, instead of the current 2.4 litre naturally aspirated V8s, next year the engines will be 1.6 litre turbocharged with an energy recovery system built in.

The energy recovery system will be powered off the exhaust and will deliver around an extra 160 horsepower for over 30 seconds each lap. The engines will have a rev limit of 15000 rpm and have to last for around 5000 kilometres as opposed to the current 2000.

Speaking during the British GP weekend Marmorini said, “There is no one single aspect of the new project that is more critical than the next.I’d say it’s difficult in all 360 degrees. For example, the turbo is a new type which runs to 25,000 rpm and is definitely something absolutely new.”

“Also the very complex electronics and management systems are a very big step forward, which means that engine management will be a very difficult challenge,” he added.

With Mercedes and Renault already showing off their 2014 power units, the Ferrari man revealed, “We already had a prototype running on the test bench towards the end of last year, while we are completing the one that will run in the actual car at the moment.

“We have a very challenging plan to be ready in March. We can’t afford any hiccup today and I am confident that we will be ready.

We have been working for some time to have this car ready but it’s a challenging task. Only at the first race next year will we see if we have done a good job,” concluded Marmorini.

[MIKA27]

Hamilton split with former Pussycat Doll explains his moody disposition

Lewis Hamilton is a character who wears his heart on his sleeve, and in Monaco and Montreal something was clearly bugging the Mercedes driver, thus it has come as no surprise that around that time he split up (again) with former Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger.

It has emerged that the 2008 world champion was in the throes of the separation, which so affected his demeanour. When asked in Montreal what the problem was he gave a hint when replying, “What I’m projecting is not disappointment, I’ve just got stuff on my mind.”

In contrast, ahead of his home race at Silverstone, Hamilton declared, “I feel good. I am really happy. My mind was a bit clouded, [although] it didn’t really affect my weekend [Canada] in terms of performance and being able to do the job, but I feel good. And I am looking forward to this weekend [british GP] and just getting on with it.”

Meanwhile The Sun reports a ‘friend’ saying, “Nicole is heartbroken about the split. She thought he was ‘the one’ but it didn’t work out. She and Lewis broke up around a month ago and have been keeping it quiet since then.”

“Only a few close friends and family knew and they’ve been comforting both of them. They’re both very busy people and have been forced to spend a lot of time apart. Who knows whether things might change in a year’s time. They do still love each other, but they are not together as it stands.”

“It’s so hard to keep up a relationship when they’re barely in the same country as each other. Both have supported each other in their careers and will continue to do so. But the nature of their work ultimately cost their relationship,” the report added.

Hamilton and Scherzinger started dating after meeting at the MTV Awards in 2007. They first split up in January 2010 but were back together four months later. The most recent split reportedly took place around the first week of June.

[MIKA27]

Force India targets beating McLaren in constructors’ title race

Force India are starting to believe that they are able to finish the Formula 1 season ahead of McLaren after adding more points to their tally at Sunday’s British Grand Prix.

The Silverstone-based team, who operate on a far smaller budget than the sport’s second most successful team in terms of race wins, now have 59 points to McLaren’s 37 after eight of the season’s 19 races.

Force India had both their cars in the points at a controversial Silverstone race punctuated by tyre failures, with German driver Adrian Sutil seventh and Britain’s Paul Di Resta ninth, while McLaren drew a blank for the second race in a row.

“We have a gap of 22 points…all they need is one race win and that will wipe out the entire deficit,” Mallya told reporters.

“So I am going to be cautiously optimistic while saying that I want to remain ahead of McLaren and hang on to fifth place in the constructors’ championship.

“If we keep scoring points and they don’t come up with something dramatic like a race win, we should be able to keep our nose ahead of them,” added the Indian liquor and aviation baron.

McLaren have not finished higher than fifth so far this season and are struggling to get their car up to speed despite ending last year with Jenson Button winning in Brazil.

With major rule changes and a new V6 engine coming next year, McLaren have already started switching resources to making sure that their 2014 car is competitive from the outset.

“We are at a point where we’ve got to ensure that we are in a competitive situation next year so we are also now earlier than usual putting a lot more resource and effort on to next year’s programme,” McLaren principal Martin Whitmarsh said at the weekend.

McLaren’s Jenson Button, the 2009 world champion, backed the approach.

“We will still be developing the car but I think it’s great that we’ve got more people working on next year’s car,” he told reporters.

“Our main aim is to win the world championship and that is something we cannot do this year…so I think it’s a good idea that we are concentrating a little but more on next year.”

Mallya said that change of focus could play to Force India’s advantage.

“If McLaren [is] not focusing on developing this car further, and we are doing what we are doing and continue to do, then there is no reason why we should not keep our nose ahead.

“If they want to focus on the 2014 car then that gives everybody a chance.”

[MIKA27]

Pirelli brand and image take a hammering with exploding tyres saga

“Take the F1 performance to your car,” runs a slogan on the website of Italian tyre maker Pirelli that risks alarming motorists after a weekend of high-speed blowouts during the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

Pirelli, which supplies all 11 teams in F1 motor racing, suffered the downside of supporting high profile sport on Monday after images of its shredded tyres were beamed to millions of TV viewers around the world.

“Terror tyres” was the headline on the back page of Britain’s Daily Mail, while The Times said “Road to hell as tyre chaos almost halts grand prix.”

The case has echoes of the PR meltdown suffered by Britain’s G4S last year when it failed to supply enough security guards for the London Olympics, forcing organisers to draft in soldiers and exposing the company to ridicule.

Pirelli’s motor sports specialists were urgently trying to discover what caused the five tyre failures during the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, whether it was something to do with their product or whether the track was to blame.

The sport’s millionaire drivers raised the spectre of boycotting next weekend’s German grand prix if changes were not made, fearing for their safety. Brazilian Ayrton Senna in 1994 was the last driver to be killed in a race.

F1′s complex rules, internal politics and team rivalries have all complicated Pirelli’s efforts to produce a good racing tyre this season but those subtleties were lost on most viewers.

“A lot of these things are beyond their control,” said Joel Seymour-Hyde of sports marketing agency Octagon.

“The bottom line is [that their] product is a tyre. It goes around [a track] on a fast car and it failed spectacularly,” he added.

The British race was the eighth stop of 19 on the F1 calendar this season and was the first time that tyre blowouts have been quite such a problem.

The Pirelli tyres had been the centre of controversy all season, with drivers complaining they had to cut their speed to prevent them wearing out after only a few laps.

One possible solution to the crisis would be to revert back to last year’s tyres, leading team Red Bull suggested.

Shares in Pirelli edged lower on Monday when news also broke that Italian prosecutors were seeking to jail company chairman Marco Tronchetti Provera for two years in a case related to his time as head of Telecom Italia.

Pirelli, the world’s fifth biggest tyre maker, has been the sole supplier to Formula One since 2011 under a contract that expires at the end of this season.

The 11 teams make a cash payment to Pirelli for the tyres and also carry branding for the company. The teams have complained that the value of the advertising they supply far outweighs the cost of the tyres.

Sponsors and suppliers use major sporting series and events like the Olympics to show their ability to deliver under the most exacting circumstances.

“F1 is Pirelli’s attempt to shout louder than anyone else, to get noticed,” said Simon Chadwick, professor of sports marketing at Coventry University in central England.

Chadwick said that few viewers would have decided never to buy a Pirelli tyre on the basis of Sunday’s blowouts. However, the risk was that the brand would develop negative associations – the exact opposite of what sponsors are trying to achieve.

“You normally associate F1 tyres with safety and security. It’s about reliability,” he said. “Its brand to a greater or lesser extent will have been affected.”

Pirelli must now decide whether to remain in the sport and repair its image or cut its losses and quit. It has already committed to contracts for trackside advertising for next season so a withdrawal would be a surprise.

The company declined to comment on Monday. Paul Hembery, its motorsport director, said on Sunday that the company was urgently analysing the failures.

One by-product of Sunday’s chaotic race, won by German Nico Rosberg in a Mercedes, was that it put the sport back in the news on a weekend when it was competing with Wimbledon tennis and the British and Irish Lions rugby tour to Australia.

[MIKA27]

Van der Garde plays down Kovalainen reports

Giedo van der Garde has dismissed reports that he could be set to lose his 2013 Caterham seat to former team driver Heikki Kovalainen.

We reported at the weekend that it was possible Finn Kovalainen, back in the paddock at Silverstone as a reserve driver, could now return to Caterham’s race lineup, at Dutchman van der Garde’s expense.

“Nothing has been agreed, so do not try to guess,” Kovalainen told Finland’s Turun Sanomatnewspaper at Silverstone.

But 28-year-old van der Garde dismissed the speculation, in conversation with the Dutch newspaperDe Telegraaf.

“There are always rumours,” he said. ”I know where they are coming from, but I also know that I have a watertight contract for the rest of this season.”

De Telegraaf acknowledged, however, that in the wake of van der Garde’s dismal race in Canada, where he was penalised by the FIA for collisions, Caterham team owner Tony Fernandes was in contact with Kovalainen.

[MIKA27]

Pirelli modified tyres without consent at Silverstone

Formula 1′s tyre scandal looks set to deepen even further, as a Spanish sports newspaper claims that Pirelli – already under reprimand for their role in ‘test-gate’ – blatantly broke the rules by modifying the tyres used at Silverstone.

Marca correspondent Marco Canseco reports that, prior to the tyre-explosive British Grand Prix, Formula 1′s official supplier changed the construction of its 2013 tyre without the knowledge or the consent of the FIA or the teams.

“At worst, it jeopardised the lives of the drivers,” Canseco said, referring to the spate of spectacular tyre failures at the British Grand Prix that has thrown the sport into crisis.

Marca said that the tyres used at Silverstone had a completely new structure, with a layer of kevlar included in the internal steel-belt.

Earlier, teams including Lotus, Force India and Ferrari vetoed the introduction of the purely kevlar-belted tyres, under the rule requiring unanimity for mid-season changes.

Canseco said that he discovered Pirelli’s breach when Sauber and McLaren sent team personnel out to the scene of Sunday’s tyre explosions, only to discover kevlar shards among the debris.

Pirelli’s Paul Hembery denies the charge, ”I can assure you that the tyres [at Silverstone] were [of] the same construction as the ones used in Barcelona.”

Reacting to Formula 1′s new tyre crisis, the FIA has agreed to open up the forthcoming three-day young driver test at Silverstone to include the use of race drivers for tyre development.

“The test may also be extended by one day,” read a statement issued by the Paris federation.

Mercedes, however, remains banned from the test, even though team director Toto Wolff expressed concerns about what the other teams will be allowed to do.

“If it is a pure tyre test, I’m all for it,” he is quoted by Germany’s Sport Bild.

The FIA also said that it will seek the World Motor Sport Council’s consent to allow Pirelli to introduce new specifications during the season without the need for unanimity.

“In the meantime,” the governing body added, “the FIA has asked Pirelli for an assurance that there will be no repetition of the tyre problems at this weekend’s German Grand Prix or at subsequent grands prix.”

If that guarantee is not forthcoming, it is possible, if highly unlikely that drivers will boycott the Nurburgring.

“I don’t think that will happen,” Bernie Ecclestone told the BBC.

But McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh insists: “There is that danger [of a boycott], if it is not certain that it is safe. But this is not what we want for Formula 1. We had these problems in Indianapolis [in 2005] and it was terrible for the sport.”

“This is not the time to blame anyone,” he is quoted by Auto Hebdo, “we need to work together and find a solution.”

The Telegraph reports that Pirelli will “almost certainly” use its safer kevlar tyres this weekend.

“We would support this,” Lotus boss Eric Boullier, who previously blocked the introduction of the kevlar tyres on sporting grounds, is quoted by AFP news agency. ”Safety is the primary concern.”

F1 chief executive Ecclestone confirmed: “[Pirelli can change [the tyres].

“[FIA president] Jean [Todt] agreed with that and I told Pirelli.”

Influential French sports daily L’Equipe headlined that the sport is “in tatters” after Silverstone, but the most damage has been to Pirelli’s image.

“Fortunately [Pirelli] don’t make condoms,” joked German tennis legend Boris Becker, according toWelt newspaper.

Ferrari’s Stefano Domenicali thinks the Nurburgring will be a “less stressful” circuit for tyres than high-speed Silverstone.

[MIKA27]

Red Bull blew the whistle on Rosberg at Silverstone

It was Red Bull who alerted the FIA to a rules breach that could have cost Nico Rosberg his British Grand Prix victory at Silverstone.

We have reported that, in the wake of the bitter ‘test-gate’ scandal, the tension between world champions Red Bull and Mercedes remains high.

So just after Rosberg’s champagne-soaked celebrations on Sunday, it emerged that the German driver and his team were summoned by the stewards to explain his alleged failure to slow for yellow flags.

The officials decided simply to reprimand Rosberg. Bild newspaper reports on Tuesday that it was Red Bull who alerted the FIA to Rosberg’s breach, which if punished with a time penalty could have cost him the win.

Helmut Marko defended Red Bull’s actions, ”We did not attack Mercedes, but only pointed out that Rosberg was too fast under a yellow flag.”

“If it had been us [committing the breach], the other teams would also immediately tell the FIA. It’s a totally normal thing,” the Austrian insisted.

[MIKA27]

Paddy Lowe to focus on 2013 Mercedes car development

Mercedes has instructed new recruit Paddy Lowe to focus his efforts on improving the team's 2013 Formula 1 car as it steps up its push for the world championship.

On the back of its second victory in three races, and indications that it has made a big step forward in understanding the tyres,

Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn has revealed that Lowe's priority in his role as executive director (technical) is to drive forward the development of the W04.

"There may be a point where we say it is not better to put our efforts into next year, but at the moment we are putting the maximum into this season," said Brawn when asked by AUTOSPORT about Mercedes' title prospects.

"One of the things I have said to Paddy is focus most of your attention on this car.

"Obviously [he must] know what is going on with the other car which is progressing well under Aldo Costa, but let's push this one. That is an easy thing for Paddy to step in to.

"We will juggle our resources over the next six months to see what comes, but Silverstone was a pretty good step."

Lowe joined the team at the start of last month, after a deal was reached for him to be released from his McLaren contract early.

Mercedes' focus so far this year has been in curing its poor tyre degradation, but the way its drivers were able to match the pace of Red Bull at Silverstone has suggested it is now on top of the situation.

Brawn was encouraged by that performance, but equally knows that the team cannot get complacent.

"We took the race to them [Red Bull] this weekend, but we have to take another step because we were a little bit defensive," he said.

"We made quite a lot of changes to the car for here that we think are significant, but we have to wait and see."

[Lotusguy]

Great article he will be missed ,that's what F-1 needs people who shoot from the hip and call a spade a spade ,it's the Aussie way .

Still I would have loved to see him paired with Alonso next year at Ferrari ,and wipe the floor with that little German punk Vettels arse

Weber would have had to learn how to properly start first

[Bartolomeo]

Weber would have had to learn how to properly start first

Exactly

Like him a lot because of his frankness but his starts are the worst, sad to see him go

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Exactly

Like him a lot because of his frankness but his starts are the worst, sad to see him go

I agree. I'd have loved to have seen him win a WDC as he certainly has the talent to do so, 2010 season was his, in the bag but his inconsistency at starts really let him down in the last 5 races or so. But, he is a constant shadow to the front runners, almost ominous really which is what I love about him. He doesn't give up. Look at Silverstone, I hadn't a clue he would come second yet he did.

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German Grand Prix: Red Bull preview Nurburgring

Red Bull drivers look ahead to the German Grand Prix, Round 9 of the 2013 Formula 1 world championship, at Nurburgring.

Sebastian Vettel:

It’s one of the longer tracks, and one I know very well from when I was racing in the junior series in Formula BMW and Formula 3. I’ve always had a lot of fun on this track. In 2009, I made it to the podium for the first time in Formula One, when we got a one-two, and it was a fantastic experience thanks to the German fans. Driving out of the Mercedes-Arena and into the Müllenbach loop is good, then down towards the Dunlop hairpin, you have to put it in third or fourth gear there. Then onto the Schumacher-S into the Warsteiner bend and back down towards the ADVAN arch. If you are looking for action, you should go for sections where overtaking is possible, so at the first corner. The fast corners are exciting as well: the Müllenbach loop, the Michael Schumacher-S, and the section following the ADVAN arch, shortly before the chicane.

Mark Webber: My first Formula 1 win was at Nurburgring in 2009. That’s got to be my best memory from that circuit by far and one of the best of my whole career. It was such a special day and to win it in the style that we did that day was incredible. I prefer the Nürburgring to Hockenheim; it’s got a bit of character about it, with some old school camber changes and old kerbs. The best part is Turns 5 and 6, the fast left which goes into the tight right.

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German Grand Prix: McLaren preview Nurburgring

The Nurburgring is one of the most iconic circuits in motorsport. Situated deep in the Eifel mountains, the modern grand prix track lies adjacent to the original 14-mile Nordschleife that was a regular fixture on the Formula 1 calendar between 1951 and ’76.

The circuit – nicknamed the ‘green hell’ by drivers – was eventually deemed too dangerous for F1 and today’s ’Ring was built in time for the European Grand Prix of 1984.

Since 2008, the German Grand Prix has been shared between the Nurburgring and Hockenheim, 100 miles to the south. Each circuit hosts the race in alternate years, the Nurburgring last hosting the event in 2011, when Lewis Hamilton dominated proceedings to give McLaren its eighth German GP win.

The Nurburgring’s modern layout has remained largely unchanged since ’84. The first sector was tweaked in ’02 to promote overtaking into Turn 1, but the track has retained its technical challenge and is quick to highlight any weaknesses in car or driver.

The predominance of slow and medium-speed corners encourages the cars to run with maximum downforce and the smooth track surface allows Pirelli to use its Medium and Soft rubber compounds in an effort to maximise mechanical grip.

As is the norm this season, there are two DRS zones at the Nurburgring. One is on the start-finish straight and the other on the approach to the chicane, Turn 13. On both occasions the cars are expected to exceed 300km/h, which should provide good slipstreaming opportunities during the race.

• Race distance:60 laps (308.623km/191.778 miles)
  
• Start time: 14:00 (local)/12:00 (GMT)
  
• Circuit length: 5.148km/3.199 miles
  
• 2011 winner: Lewis Hamilton (McLaren MP4-26) 60 laps in 1hr37m30.334s (189.911km/h)
  
• 2011 pole: Mark Webber (Red Bull RB7) 1m30.079s (205.739km/h)
  
• Lap record: Michael Schumacher (Ferrari F2004) 1m29.468s (207.144km/h)
  

McLaren at the German Grand Prix

• Wins: 8 (1976, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1998, 2008, 2011)
  
• Poles: 12 (1976, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2005, 2006, 2008)
  
• Fastest laps: 7 (1984, 1985, 1989, 1998, 1999, 2004, 2005)
  

Jenson Button:

“Of course, the Silverstone result wasn’t where we want to be, but there were some reasons to be encouraged by last weekend. Our car is now better balanced and more driveable, so we’re hoping for a rain-free practice day in order to further develop the set-up during Friday’s two free practice sessions.

“The Nurburgring is a track that seems to encourage close racing and plenty of overtaking. The combination of low- and medium-speed corners tend to allow cars to run quite closely, and there are a couple of big braking zones, where it’s quite easy to get alongside and steal the inside line. However, it’s got some nicely designed sections, which mean – equally – that you can lose out on the entry and yet still regain position if you have better traction and track position on the exit.”

Sergio Perez:

“I’ve already put the disappointment of Silverstone behind me. In fact, I was more encouraged by the positives: I demonstrated strong pace all weekend, was having a good race and looked set to finish in the points, until my tyre failure in the closing laps.

“Naturally, these setbacks happen in motor racing, so it’ll be good to get back in the car just a few days after Silverstone and get back to business.

“I started my single-seater career in Germany, so it’s a place with lots of positive memories for me. I enjoy racing at the Nurburgring, it’s a place where you need to attack to get the best from the lap, so I think it’s well suited to my style. Of course, I’d have loved to have raced on the old track, the Nordschleife, that must have been an incredible place for a grand prix, but I’ll be happy with a positive result on the new circuit.”

Martin Whitmarsh Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

“After a difficult weekend at Silverstone, it’s a motivation for the whole team to return to the track just a week later for the German Grand Prix at the Nurburgring. It’s a very difficult technical challenge to the flat-out sweeps of Silverstone, requiring a higher downforce set-up to get the most from the twisting infield sections and high-traction corner exits from which much of the laptime is derived.

“Our aim for Germany will be to get our cars into the points after two successive failures to finish inside the top 10. Despite those disappointments, both Jenson and Checo have driven faultlessly, and both are relentlessly positive and upbeat. They have been a strong unifying force for the team as we continue to address the issues we’ve encountered with this year’s MP4-28.

“With more, uninterrupted mileage, we will be better placed to add performance to the car, so we’ll be hoping for good weather and the opportunity to learn as much as we can.”

A McLaren 50 moment

Santander German Grand Prix, 24 July 2011

• Lewis Hamilton is in stunning form all weekend. He qualifies on the front row of the grid, just 0.055s behind pole-sitter Mark Webber, and drives a determined race to come home 3.9s ahead of Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso.
  
• The MP4-26 arrives at the Nurburgring – race 10 of the season – with a host of aerodynamic upgrades and they prove effective from the outset. Lewis is immediately on the pace during practice and he drives arguably his best qualifying lap of the whole season to start on the front row, setting a time 1.5s faster than team-mate Jenson Button.
  
• Lewis then makes a great start to beat Webber into Turn One, but he’s unable to pull a gap to Webber and Alonso during the early stages of the race. Little more than a couple of seconds separates the top three and they all complete laps in the lead during the pitstop sequence. But whenever Lewis finds himself on the back foot, he muscles his way back to the front with some audacious overtaking manoeuvres.
  
• It’s a sublime performance by Lewis, for whom this is win number 16 of his career. Perhaps it’s best summed up by third-placed Webber after the race: “Lewis was unbeatable today.”
  

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German Grand Prix: Williams previews Nurburgring

Williams team preview the German Grand Prix, Round 9 of the 2013 Formula 1 World Championship, at Nurburgring.

Mike Coughlan, Technical Director: Nürburgring is quite a technical track with lots of challenging corner sequences and camber changes. There can also be variable weather which adds another element into the mix, although we don’t see many safety cars, with only two being deployed in the last ten races. It is a slower speed circuit with a below average top speed and the average corner speed is similar to what we see in Barcelona. The circuit is about 600 metres above sea level so engine power is low and downforce is reduced. We’ll reach our 600th race as a team at the German Grand Prix and we will be looking to mark this milestone with a strong finish this weekend.

Pastor Maldonado: Although the Nürburgring layout has changed recently and lost some of its old character, it’s still a pretty fast and flowing track which I tend to like and offers some good overtaking opportunities. It’s one of the most technical circuits on the calendar and we have been working hard to improve our cars balance in slow, technical corners. Tyre degradation is likely to be high as well, but in the last couple of races we have shown that we can control this quite well so that should give us a boost. The weather is often cold and can change throughout the weekend which is a challenge for all teams, but variable conditions would suit us. I just missed out on a points finish at Silverstone and will be looking to go a step better in this race.

Valtteri Bottas: The Nürburgring is a very challenging track as it has a broad mixture of corners which makes car set-up difficult. I really like the hi-speed sections in particular, especially the fast left and right corners leading to the back straight. The weather is often changeable so we will be preparing for the possibility of a wet weekend. I’ve always enjoyed driving in tricky conditions though and our car is currently performing better in the wet/damp conditions so I will be hoping that we do see some showers. With tyre management being so important, and teams not having raced here last season, we will be trying to get as much data from the practice sessions as possible to make sure that we are racing on Sunday with the optimum strategy. The team will be continuing our 600th race celebrations in Germany and we will be looking to score some points to give the people back at the factory an extra boost.

Rémi Taffin, Renault Sport F1 Head of Track Operations: The Nürburgring is a medium speed track with an average of around 190 km/h. The four long straights are balanced out by a mix of low speed corners, such as turns 1 and 7 where the cars will run between 75 and 95 km/h. As a result the engine has to be driveable through the lower revs but also offer responsiveness and top end power. In particular Renault Sport F1 will work carefully on the selection of the top gear ratios since seventh gear will be engaged four times a lap, a higher than average usage. The high altitude of the track means the atmospheric pressure is lower so the demands on the engine are less severe, so we will tend to use an engine on the third race of its life.

Paul Hembery, Pirelli Motorsport Director: We’re bringing the P Zero White medium and P Zero Yellow soft tyres to the Nurburgring, which is a circuit that we’re racing on for the first time since 2011 of course. This is actually the same nomination as we had in 2011, but of course the compounds are now a lot softer and faster, so in theory we should see a quicker race with slightly more pit stops. Germany is the third of a series of races, following Canada and Great Britain, where the weather is traditionally uncertain. So ambient temperature will have a noticeable effect on wear and degradation. However, the Nurburgring is generally a smooth and flowing track where tyre life tends to be quite extensive. We are not expecting a massive performance gap between the two compounds either. From past information, this also seems to be a race where it’s going to be reasonably likely to see the Cinturato Green intermediate and Cinturato Blue full wet in action at some point over the weekend. If this is the case, it will obviously have a profound effect on race strategy.

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German Grand Prix: Caterham previews Nurburgring

Caterham drivers preview the German Grand Prix, Round 9 of the 2013 Formula 1 World Championship, at Nurburgring.

Charles Pic: “After quali in Silverstone Giedo, Cyril, Heikki and I went back to Leafield for a great staff and family event at the factory. They’d had a barbecue and then we took part in a q&a session with everyone who’d gone and one of the questions I was asked was what’s my favourite track to race on. The answer is Nurburgring and I explained that I don’t really know why it’s my favourite, it’s just the feeling I have racing there – it’s very special! I won there in Formula Renault 3.5 and I was on the podium in GP2 so it has a lot of happy memories for me and there’s just something about getting a lap right there that feels very good.

“In terms of the atmosphere it’s a bit like Silverstone. It’s always very busy, the stands are full and when you come into the stadium section it’s a bit like racing into a football arena. The fans can see a lot of the track so they have a great view and they really know about motorsport. I’ve not raced in F1 there yet – last year we were at Hockenheim, but I’m sure it’ll be a great weekend.

“I think the track should also suit us quite well. We made some progress in Silverstone, in quali when I put together the best qualifying lap of my season so far and in the race where we had better pace than we’d had for a couple of races, and we added a few new parts to the car, mainly around the floor. We’ll have a couple more small updates for Germany and it’ll be good to continue the positive trend we’ve [started] since last week in the UK. We have a bit of a gap after Germany before Hungary so it’ll be good to leave the Nurburgring after a positive race, having got ourselves back to the performance levels we’ve targeted for this season.”

Giedo van der Garde: “Germany is going to be a great race, partly because the track is relatively near home for me so there will be a lot of Dutch support there, and because it’s a track I’ve always gone well at. Throughout my career I’ve won races there in all categories – I know that’s not going to happen this year but, as a rookie, when you go to a track you know really well it means you’re on it right from the first lap and that helps us maximise the time we have in every session, as long as the weather stays dry which it looks like it should!

“It’ll be the first time for me around the Nurburgring in an F1 car but I last raced there in a GP2 car back in 2011 so I know quite a lot of what to expect. Like Spa the weather can change very quickly so we have to pay very close attention to the forecasts and, even though the track is used a lot outside F1 weekends, the grip levels still improve quite a bit over the weekend so the long run work we’ll do on Friday will be very important for the race. The track itself is mostly made up of low to medium speed corners – apart from T5 there’s not a lot of really high speed stuff but despite that it’s still a very good track to drive on. You can build up a good rhythm and that’s one of the keys to a good lap.”

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German Grand Prix: Sauber previews Nurburgring

After an eventful race in Silverstone, the Sauber F1 Team makes its way east to the Nürburgring for the German Grand Prix, which takes place from 5th to 7th July.

It will be a Formula 1 debut for both Sauber F1 Team drivers. Despite driving in his third season, Nico Hülkenberg is looking forward to finally driving a Formula 1 car around the track adjacent to the Nordschleife in front of a home crowd.

Esteban Gutiérrez has fond memories of the track in the German Eifel and is looking forward to a good weekend.

Nico Hülkenberg: “I know the Nürburgring very well. Since 2005 I have driven numerous races in several categories there, and, as far as I can remember, I won a race in every category there. I like the Eifel, and the Nürburgring is another traditional track with a lot of changes in altitude and good combinations, which makes it a lot of fun to drive. Of course, the fans will play a big part and I am looking forward to taking to the track in front of a home crowd. Although this is my third season, I have never raced at the Nürburgring in a Formula 1 car, so this is a first for me. Overall, however, I know what to expect. I guess, everything will be a bit faster and I might perceive things a little differently but I know the track well and I am looking forward to a nice weekend.“

Esteban Gutiérrez: ”I used the days between the races in Silverstone and the Nürburgring to relax and do some good fitness training in order to recharge before the German GP. With back-to-back races there is less time to analyse the previous weekend and the focus changes pretty quickly, so you take the momentum and move on. On the other hand, back-to-back races are really nice, because you only have a couple of days until you are back in the car again. I have great memories of the Nürburgring. In 2009, I raced there for the first time in Formula 3, and had a podium with my former team mates Jules Bianchi and Valtteri Bottas. It’s a traditional track – the GP circuit is part of the famous Nordschleife and I enjoy it a lot. It’s interesting to drive there with the fast corners, and the weather can be a challenge too. It’s exciting to come to Germany and feel the racing atmosphere. There is not that much to do around the area, so it’s all about pure racing.“

Tom McCullough, Head of Track Engineering: “The Nürburgring is one of the most technically challenging circuits for the drivers and engineers. There is a good mix of low, medium and high-speed corners with the added challenge of several sections requiring many set-up and driver compromises. There are also some off camber corners, which always make it harder to get the ideal set-up. Pirelli has selected the medium and soft compounds for our return to the Nürburgring. Located within the Eifel mountain range there is often a chance of poor weather which can often add another element to the mix. We take encouragement from our race pace in Silverstone, but it is clear we still have some work to do in order to qualify stronger. As we did in Silverstone our aim will be to add to our points tally.”

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Pirelli confirm Kevlar switch

Pirelli confirmed on Tuesday that the tyres that will be used for the German Grand Prix will be strengthened in an attempt to prevent a repeat of the multiple blow-outs that occurred at Silverstone.

At this weekend's race at the Nurburgring, the rear tyres on all the cars will features an internal belt made out of Kevlar rather than steel, as was the case at the British Grand Prix. The fronts will remain the same as they have been the entire season.

At the Hungarian Grand Prix at the end of this month, Pirelli will then revert back to the compounds used in 2012.

The change has been made in an attempt to make the tyres more resistant to punctures and cuts.

Speaking after Sunday's race, Pirelli boss Paul Hembery said that an investigation to find the cause of the tyre failures was ongoing and that they hope to find the root of the problem "as soon as possible ahead of the next Grand Prix".

Kevlar is a type of reinforced, flexible fibre that is particularly resistant to punctures, while the operating temperature of the tyre is reduced by about 10C, which could affect competitiveness between cars.

Previously, three teams objected to the use of Kevlar after Pirelli revealed that they wanted to make use of it during the Canadian and British Grands Prix.

However after a rules change that allowed the FIA to make changes to the Technical Regulations during the season without the unanimous agreement of competing teams, Pirelli was allowed to switch to Kevlar regardless of the protests.

Although the tyres that will be used at the Hungaroring and beyond also make use of Kevlar in the carcass, they are of a different design.

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Brawn: Merc now title contenders

Mercedes boss Ross Brawn believes his team is capable of winning the 2013 World Championship, despite struggling with tires at the beginning of the season.

"I don't see why not," Brawn told adamcooperf1.com when asked if his team is capable of winning the title this year.

"Red Bull last year had a great middle of the season. We've got two drivers on top form, the team is really gelling now, and why not?

We're certainly going to try.

"Getting back to racing was just great, and getting back to racing with the result we had is obviously very special. It was partly frustrating because Lewis had a great weekend, just one event took it away from him, but that can happen. We're greatly encouraged for the rest of the season."

Despite Rosberg's victory and Hamilton's recovery, Brawn acknowledged that it is impossible to predict what would have happened if Sebastian Vettel didn't have reliability issues and Hamilton didn't suffer a tyre blow-up while leading the race.

"We were keeping in touch, Nico managed to keep in touch the whole time. Lewis had got the gap we'd asked him to get, and he was holding that. It would have been close. I think we were competitive."

Nevertheless, Brawn admitted that it remains to be seen how the Silver Arrows fare on the Pirelli tyres to be used in Germany, Hungary and beyond.

"I think we've got to look at the information. They were fairly conservative compounds, so how we'll fare on some more delicate compounds is still to be proven. But there were some encouraging signs," he continued.

"I think the key thing is that we all put to one side any competitive considerations we've got. We've demonstrated that in these circumstances we can be competitive, and if the solution is to make some changes to the tires, then we'll accept it.

"I think the reversion to 2012 spec that Pirelli wanted to do earlier in the year that was blocked by some teams, I'm not saying that is the solution, but whatever the solution is F1 has got to come together and accept that we've got to do what's right for the sport. We don't want a repeat of Silverstone."

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Ferrari says maximising engine life key to success in 2014

Ferrari engine chief Luca Marmorini believes that maximising engine life will be one of the keys to success in Formula 1 next year.

The new 1.6-litre turbocharged V6 power units will be introduced in 2014, with each driver limited to just five for the season.

By comparison, each driver is permitted to use eight of the current well-proven 2.4-litre V8 powerplants during a year.

Marmorini suspects that all three engine manufactures will struggle to avoid penalties next year while they work through the teething troubles of the new power units.

"Next year, whoever is able to handle the engine in a good way and be reliable will have a good result at the end of the season," he said.

"I guess that everyone in the second half of the season will be having a big problem as it will be very difficult to end the season without issues.

"Consider that we are speaking about 4-5000kms per power unit, so it's almost double what we are doing right now."

The 2014 regulations divide the power units into a six modules, with drivers allowed to mix and match their allowance for five of each one.

A 10-place grid penalty will be applied if a sixth example of any of the modules is introduced, while the replacement of a complete engine will put a car to the back.

"The target is to have four power units per driver, per season, the five power units was set for the first year just to allow for some problems," said Marmorini when asked about the penalty system.

"The idea is to split the engine into six units, so you will have five turbocompressors, five internal combustion engines, five power unit electronics and you can swap them.

"The first time you use the sixth turbocompressor or engine, you will have a 10 grid position penalty and if you change the whole unit you start from the back.

"To prevent you strategically changing the complete power unit if you are at the back of the grid after qualifying, if the sum of the penalty exceeds the last position, you will transfer the penalty to the race after."

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Red Bull upbeat over long-run tyre management progress

Red Bull is upbeat that it has made good progress with its long-run tyre management, but it believes it faces a big fight for the world championship.

The Milton Keynes-based outfit had struggled on high-speed front-limited tracks prior to the British Grand Prix, so its near-miss on victory at Silverstone was a huge encouragement.

Team principal Christian Horner says his outfit has taken heart from the leap in form displayed at the British GP, but knows that the pressure is on with Mercedes breathing down its neck.

"We have learned a bit and we probably ran a better set-up at the weekend," he explained.

"We looked competitive on the long runs so we take encouragement from that.

"Certainly at Barcelona we were nowhere near Ferrari's pace, but here [at Silverstone] we had them covered and we were on the same pace as Mercedes by the looks of things."

Red Bull had appeared to have the out-and-out fastest car in the early stages of the campaign, but Mercedes' growing form now points towards the Brackley-based team having the edge.

Horner has no doubts that the title battle that appeared to be narrowing down to a straight head-to-head with Ferrari is now opening up.

When asked if he felt Mercedes could be a genuine threat, he said: "For sure. I think they are a good team; they have a quick car, they have good drivers.

"They will for sure be a contender from now until the end of the year.

"But so are Ferrari, and so are Lotus. There is still a long way to go in this championship."

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Technical - Latest Updates:

Lotus E21 - revised 'double DRS' system

Lotus unveiled their 'double DRS' device (see larger drawing) at last year's German round and continued to evaluate it during Friday sessions throughout the rest of 2012. Although the team did use the system during pre-season tests, it hadn't appeared at a 2013 race until last weekend's Silverstone round.

Installed on Kimi Raikkonen's car for qualifying and the race, the device is completely passive as the rules dictate. The vertical pipe is no longer connected to the rear wing's main profile (see smaller drawing) but only blows air on to the profile when the car hits certain speeds. This reduces the downforce level and increases the car's top speed.

Mercedes F1 W04 - integrated thermic tyre sensor

On the upper flap of the F1 W04's front wing at Silverstone, Mercedes have integrated a thermic sensor (red arrow) to monitor the car's tyres for the entirety of the weekend. Previously, the device was simply attached to the car with cables during the practice sessions before the team removed it for qualifying and the race.

Ferrari F138 - new rear wing

Ferrari have debuted a new rear wing at the high-speed Silverstone circuit, the major change being the vertical slot (left arrow) in the front, lower section of the endplate, as originally introduced by Williams and since used by several other teams. Meanwhile, the area where the end of the flap section meets the endplate is quite similar to the solution used by the Scuderia at the last round in Canada.

Lotus E21 - FIA suspension clarification

After Silverstone, Lotus are expected to make a minor modification to the E21's suspension for the next round in Germany after a rule clarification from the FIA, who were asked by a rival team to confirm the Lotus set-up's legality. Article 10.5.2 of the technical regulations states: "The loads from the suspension members and wheel bearings must individually and entirely be carried by the suspension upright. Exceptionally up to three suspension members may be connected together by titanium, aluminium alloy or steel components before their load is passed into the upright." As can be seen here, the Lotus would seem to have four rather than the maximum three members connected together for the upright: the lower wishbone (two arms), the pushrod link and the steering rod. Lotus are expected to change the layout, which has been in use for some time, by separating the steering pick-up point. It is not expected to have a significant impact on performance.