FORMULA 1 - 2013

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Ecclestone wants three ‘double points’ races

The days of the highly controversial new double points rule for the season finale appear numbered, and will probably only be in effect for the 2014 season.

Many fans and drivers have made clear that they are not happy with the change, designed to keep the title alive right to the end by offering twice as many points in Abu Dhabi next November.

“I think it’s wrong,” Toro Rosso driver Jean-Eric Vergne told Italy’s Corriere dello Sport, “because it devalues the work a driver has done throughout the whole season.

“As drivers we are not excited about it,” added the Frenchman.

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo, who has the power to veto key decisions in Formula 1, has also emerged as an opponent of the rule.

“I would not be surprised if the rule is soon abolished,” said the Italian.

To discuss this and other matters, Montezemolo has invited chiefs of the other Formula 1 teams to a meeting at Maranello next month.

“There should be more dialogue between the teams when it comes to discussing the problems affecting Formula 1,” he said.

The latest development is that Formula 1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone is also re-thinking the double points idea.

“It may well be that the rule is cancelled altogether at the next [strategy group] meeting in January,” he revealed to the Telegraph newspaper.

But Ecclestone said that his preference is actually for the concept to be extended, with not just Abu Dhabi but also the preceding two grands prix attracting twice as many points for a thrilling end of season battle.

“I think it should be the final three races or nothing,” he said.

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A Quick-and-Dirty Primer on Formula 1 in 2014

http://youtu.be/WgtU6VykSwA

Next year’s Formula One cars will boast new engines, new aerodynamics, and a new energy recovery system. It’s enough to make your head spin at 18,000 rpm. So rather than pore through the rule books or have your friend attempt to explain things between pints, here are two quick videos to get you up to speed.

The first comes from Ferrari, and it’s the best explainer we’ve seen on the engine changes and new energy recovery system (ERS). The big news for 2014 is the switch from a naturally aspirated 2.4-liter V8 to a turbocharged 1.6-liter V6. But just as important is the new ERS setup that doles out twice the power and has 10 times the energy storage — enough to boost output with another 160 electric horsepower for over 30 seconds.

The BBC steps up to discuss the new front wings, nose, chassis height, and rear spoiler, along with changes to the exhaust that will make it trickier to keep cars stuck to the tarmac. It’s a lot to unpack — and that’s before the teams find microscopic loopholes to give them an edge — but these videos are a good place to start.

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Ferrari preparing for life with Alonso and Raikkonen in the stable

It will be Kimi Raikkonen, not the Ferrari incumbent Fernando Alonso, who will get the first on-track experience of the team’s 2014 challenger, as the Maranello outfit begins life with the task of managing the sport’s two biggest and most experienced characters.

Italian media sources including La Gazzetta dello Sport, report that Finn Raikkonen will debut the new red single seater on the first two test days of the test at Jerez, in late January.

Spaniard Alonso, who until now has been regarded as Ferrari’s clear number one driver, will make his debut in the 2014 car later in the same test, completing the four-day session.

Raikkonen, arriving from Lotus, has recently been recovering from back surgery which meant that he missed the final two races of the 2013 season.

“He is returning to us because we have new technical regulations next year and we need an experienced driver next to Alonso,” Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo is quoted by Weltnewspaper.

“I am convinced that Kimi Raikkonen will meet our requirements better than Felipe Massa. Some people are calling it a big risk,” he added, “but I have been here since the early 70s and I know that risk is something you have to live with in Formula 1.”

Montezemolo is referring to suggestions that, while Alonso / Massa was a harmonious pairing, adding 2007 World Champion Raikkonen to the lineup might only further antagonise the already frustrated Alonso.

Spaniard Alonso, however, has played down claims that he is already stamping his feet about having to take on Raikkonen.

“I’m excited to work with him,” Brazil’s Agencia Estado quotes him, “because he has an extraordinary talent and he is Ferrari’s [previous] Champion. I can learn a lot from him.”

He said it is wrong to say that Ferrari’s new driver lineup will be too explosive.

In 2009 Kimi Raikkonen made way for Fernando Alonso at Ferrari

“I cannot comment,” he is quoted by Spain’s El Pais, “because I don’t know him, I haven’t worked on a team with him or shared more than 10 minutes with him.”

Some days ago, Alonso suggested that Ferrari will miss Massa’s devoted efforts and open personality, which was interpreted by some as an early slight against Raikkonen.

“I’m not at all worried about such things,” Montezemolo is quoted by Finland’s Turun Sanomat. ”Kimi will be Kimi, the same driver he has always been. If he spoke a lot, he would not be Kimi.”

“I can see he is very motivated to be with Ferrari again, after he had to pause for a while after his last period with Ferrari,”

Montezemolo explained.

”That was very important for him, as he came back very hungry for success.”

He insisted that Raikkonen will even be happy to work in Ferrari’s new driver simulator, despite earlier reports which said that the Finn is no fan of the technology.

“We now have a pretty good simulator at our disposal, and I think Raikkonen is happy to work with it,” said Montezemolo.

He stopped short of saying that Alonso remains the number 1, but he did allude to a hierarchy: “I think Fernando is the strongest racing driver in the world. He has a highly motivated new teammate. I look forward to both drivers getting a lot of points, so that we can fight back in the Constructors’ Championship.”

2001 F1 Rookies: Kimi Raikkonen, Juan Pablo Montoya, Fernando Alonso and Enrique Bernoldi

He is not expecting fireworks between the pair of superstars, who he expects will work for the collective good of the team.

“[Team boss Stefano] Domenicali has been very clear with them,” Montezemolo is quoted by France’s autohebdo.fr.

“They have the honour and responsibility to drive for Ferrari. If drivers want to drive for themselves, they can make their own team or they can move somewhere else. But at Ferrari, there are very clear rules,” he insisted.

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Button: Lewis is the worst possible teammate to have because he is so fast

Jenson Button has admitted that Lewis Hamilton is the fastest teammate he has been up against in his long career in Formula 1.

Button spent three years as Hamilton’s teammate at McLaren and said, “Lewis is the fastest team-mate I’ve been up against.”

“Rubens Barrichello (Button’s teammate at Brawn GP) could sometimes pull it out of the bag in qualifying and be quick over one lap, but Lewis does that pretty much every qualifying session and he’s also very competitive during the race.”

“A lot of drivers would say that Lewis is the worst possible team-mate to have because he is so fast, but I find that exciting, it pushes me forwards,” added Button.

Button was beaten by Hamilton in the Championship by two points in 2012, their last season as teammates, but during the course of their three seasons together Button outscored Hamilton 672 to 657.

Hamilton moved to Mercedes at the end of 2012, while Button remained at McLaren and signed for an extra year which will see him drive for the team at least until the end of 2014.

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Kovalainen facing Christmas with uncertain future

Heikki Kovalainen will be eating Christmas lunch this year without knowing if he has a Formula 1 seat for 2014.

Throughout this year, the experienced Finn has been considered a favourite to return to the grid next season with Caterham.

But as the 2013 season ended, and 32-year-old Kovalainen struggled while replacing the hurriedly-departed Kimi Raikkonen at Lotus, Caterham looked increasingly likely to field a pair of sponsored drivers, such as Giedo van der Garde and rookie Marcus Ericsson, in 2014.

Kovalainen has travelled from his home in Switzerland to his native Finland for Christmas. He is already planning ahead for 2014.

“I have been maintaining my training programme for Formula 1 as much as possible,” the Finn is quoted by the broadcaster MTV3. “I will have a normal Formula 1 driver’s winter.

“The only difference to previous years is that I do not currently have a contract for next season.

“But this has happened more than once in my career, when I didn’t know what awaited me for the future but eventually I had something.

“The most serious negotiations are with Caterham,” revealed Kovalainen. “But all the different factors need to come together.

“In any case, it should be clarified by the end of January, when the tests begin. But I am not going to end my career,” he insisted.

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Toro Rosso kept Vergne to rise up the F1 pecking order

Toro Rosso has tweaked its approach to Formula 1 because it wants to take a step up the pecking order, claims driver Jean-Eric Vergne, who after missing out on the Red Bull vacancy for 2014 has been retained by the Faenza based team.

That surprised many in the paddock, who have seen drivers like Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari perform solidly, but nonetheless lose their places as team owner Red Bull pushes a new generation of youngsters into the seats.

The latest energy drink-sponsored youngster to get his chance is the Russian teen Daniil Kvyat, but for Frenchman Vergne, 2014 will be his third consecutive season with Toro Rosso.

“The picture with Toro Rosso is that it was a team that has drivers for a year or two but then they have to move on, so it’s like a stepping stone team,” Vergne, 23, told the Spanish sports daily Marca.

“But I think the philosophy has changed lately because Toro Rosso wants to go a step higher.

“Now, the feeling is that you can spend more time with them, developing for some years together. So I think that if I’m still with them, it’s because they believe [that] I can give them something that other drivers cannot,” said Vergne.

Meanwhile, Vergne said [that] he believes [that] Red Bull remains the favourite for the 2014 season, despite some tipping an advantage for Ferrari and Mercedes in the new turbo V6 era.

“Aerodynamics is always the key. I think Red Bull is still the favourite. They’ve been working on the new car for a while and I think it will be very strong, but it will be an interesting year,” added Vergne.

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Montezemolo says that Allison is best technical boss since Brawn

James Allison is Ferrari’s best Technical Director since Ross Brawn according to team president Luca di Montezemolo, after a subtle reshuffle of responsibilities took place recently at Maranello.

Until then, Briton Pat Fry was Ferrari’s leading technical name, having joined from McLaren in 2010.

But Lotus chief James Allison arrived from Lotus late this year, and is now being openly referred to by Ferrari as the Technical Director.

Fry is still in a prominent technical and engineering role, but Montezemolo is quoted by Finland’sTurun Sanomat: “Since Ross Brawn left us, Ferrari did not have a really good Technical Director.

“Now we have one,” he added. “Allison is very good,” said Montezemolo.

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DC: Alonso was looking around

BBC F1 commentator David Coulthard feels Fernando Alonso's management company's decision to shop around earlier this year showed that his Ferrari "marriage" is not a "happy" one.

Double World Champion Alonso was initially mentioned as a possible replacement for Mark Webber at Red Bull, but nothing came of it with Sebastian Vettel admitting that he would prefer to have Kimi Raikkonen as a team-mate instead of Alonso.

Red Bull opted to sign Daniel Ricciardo while Ferrari confirmed a few months later that Felipe Massa would move on and then re-signed Raikkonen.

That led to speculation that Alonso wasn't happy with the decision and he was then linked with a move back to McLaren with the Woking squad's team principal Martin Whitmarsh admitting he would love to re-sign the Spaniard, if not for 2014 then maybe for the 2015 campaign.

Although Alonso denied the reports that he was looking to leave Ferrari, former Red Bull driver Coulthard feels there is no smoke without a fire.

"Red Bull's success destabilised Ferrari and led to a sticky period in relations between the team and Fernando Alonso," he wrote in his year-end review for the BBC.

"I can't know for sure but I do believe there is substance to the reports that his management were looking around other teams in the summer. Whether that's because it's the right thing to do or out of a genuine desire to move, it doesn't show a happy marriage."

Despite suggestions that Ferrari could have problems by pairing Alonso and Raikkonen in 2014, Coulthard feels both parties will benefit.

"Some people have suggested that signing Kimi Raikkonen alongside Alonso simply adds pressure to an already potentially volatile situation, but I see it differently," he continued.

"Raikkonen has been at Ferrari before so there is no new-boy-at school uncertainty and he is also pretty comfortable in his own skin. Ferrari know what to expect from him, which is that he will take the most out of any situation.

"Does he have time on his side and all the youthful energy that he might have had first time around? It remains to be seen.

"But the key point is Raikkonen is non-political. He won't try to be anything other than himself with Alonso. He won't be outwardly annoyed if he is slower; he won't be high-fiving his mechanics in the back of the garage and trying to rub it in if he is quicker."

"I believe that, over a season, Alonso will have too much for Raikkonen.

"As for how Alonso will respond on the occasions Raikkonen is quicker, well, there were times when he was out-qualified by Massa and he was fine with it.

"It might be that he had the comfort zone of knowing he was a better racer, but there were some races in which the team could have moved Massa out of the way sooner, but didn't. And there were races when they didn't move him out of the way at all."

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Kvyat ready for F1 challenge

Rookie Daniil Kvyat is hoping the major regulation changes in 2014 will help to make his introduction into F1 a smooth one.

With Formula One moving away from the 1.8l engines and using the 1.6l turbo power units as well as the electronic recovery systems next year, it is expected that everyone will start the 2014 campaign on level footing.

Although he knows it will be no easy ride, Toro Rosso youngster Kvyat believes the new rules will help him at the start of the season.

"There are a few things that are starting from the beginning again, but of course Formula 1 is still Formula 1 and it is still a very powerful and fast car," he told Sky Sports News.

"So I would say it is a bit helpful from one side, but a Formula 1 car is still a Formula 1 car and it will never change.

"There are a lot of new regulations next year, but you have to learn as quickly as possible and I don't think it is going to be a big problem. We just need to find a solution better than the others and hopefully we will be there. It is all about that."

The 19-year-old had a taste of the action at the backend of the 2013 campaign as he was handed Practice One driving duties in the United States and Brazil.

"It was good to finish only two tenths off Daniel [Ricciardo] as he is a really experienced guy with a lot of speed in himself and it is good news and nice to know that I could end up quite close to him and from the data I was able to learn many things," he added.

"Then in Brazil we had a really good run and it was very encouraging - I didn't do too many laps but still ended up P8, so it is looking really promising so far."

The Russian is no doubt excited about his impending debut, but he knows it won't be easy.

"I wouldn't say I am counting down the days - that would be the wrong approach, you cannot do that," he concluded.

"You have to take every race as one race, you cannot just be thinking about one race. I see this as a long thing, it is a great challenge and I am really looking forward to it."

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McLaren could test new 2014 car with orange livery

McLaren could launch its 2014 car with their traditional orange livery, according to an Italian media report.

Omnicorse claims that the famous British team will publicly reveal its new car, the MP4-29, on 25 January.

The news is not yet official, but McLaren has reportedly informed its rival teams of its plans, in order to avoid a potential clash of dates in the days leading into official testing.

With title sponsor Vodafone now departing, and McLaren having not yet announced a replacement, the report said that the Woking based team is considering launching its last Mercedes-powered car in the orange pale historically associated with the marque.

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McLaren 50 Years in numbers

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Mercedes is in F1 to show they can build the best engine

Mercedes has ruled out cooperating with Renault in the development of its all-new turbo V6 engines for Formula 1, and have warned that a ‘common engine’ for F1 would signal their departure as they are in the sport to prove that they can build the best engine.

On the road-car side, however, Mercedes and Renault-Nissan do cooperate, and it is expected the alliance will only be expanded further in the months to come.

Henry Foy, a correspondent for the Financial Times, said that the cooperation comes as “all global carmakers explore partnerships and joint ventures to reduce costs and grow in new markets”.

“The moves are designed to cope with the worst European car market in two decades and unprecedented pressure to innovate into new areas, such as more fuel-efficient cars,” he added.

But Dieter Zetsche, the chairman of Mercedes and its parent Daimler, said the alliance with Renault does not mean the two Formula 1 engine suppliers will work together in developing their engines for Grand Prix racing.

“No,” he insisted during an interview with Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport. ”While we do cooperate, we do not do any common advertising campaigns. And part of our marketing is motor sport.

“We have also said that if the ‘common engine’ was introduced in Formula 1, that would be our signal to leave,” explained Zetsche.

“Engines are a core competency for us and we want to show that we can build the best one,” he added.

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Salo defends Pirelli in aftermath of Rosberg blowout

Ex Formula 1 driver Mika Salo has come out in defence of the sport’s official tyre supplier Pirelli, after the latest round of negativity surrounding the company’s F1 tyres.

After its tumultuous 2013 season, including a barrage of criticism and questions about the quality of its tyres, Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg suffered a high-speed blowout during testing of a 2014 prototype tyre recently in Bahrain.

The news triggered another round of speculation about Pirelli’s place in Formula 1, moving the Milan company to officially declare that the “safety of its tyres for 2014 is not in question”.

Former Ferrari, Toyota and Sauber driver Salo said that the latest criticism was not justified.

“The drivers were testing prototype tyres,” he told the Finnish broadcaster MTV3. “They knew what they were doing.

“It’s right that they fall apart in the testing rather than in the grands prix,” added Salo.

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Ferrari downplay Alonso exit rumours

Luca di Montezemolo believes Fernando Alonso is committed to the Ferrari cause, despite ongoing reports linking the Spaniard with a return to McLaren.

The two-time World Champion's future has been the subject of much speculation recently after a public reprimand by the Ferrari President after Alonso criticised Ferrari's development efforts during 2013.

Since then, it has become public knowledge that Alonso's management team contacted both Red Bull and Lotus about their future driver line-ups, while McLaren boss Michael Whitmarsh admitted that he is hopeful of bringing the 32-year-old back to Woking.

Alonso spent one season at McLaren in 2007, and while he finished level on points with team-mate Lewis Hamilton - one point behind Drivers' Championship winner Kimi Raikkonen - but joined Ferrari the following season after a dispute over his stature at the Woking outfit.

Despite the interest in Alonso from elsewhere, the Ferrari boss insisted that he has no concerns about Alonso's commitment to Maranello, at least until the end of his contract in 2016.

"This [the speculation about Alonso's future] is something good for the press, sometimes good for the public," Di Montezemolo revealed to Austosport.

"I am very pleased with Fernando. He has a contract with us until the end of 2016.

"My only concern is to give him a better car.

"I have a lot of problems but the number one driver is not a problem. We will talk in two years time."

Di Montezemolo added that he understands Alonso's frustration, but maintains that for Ferrari to succeed he needs his lead driver to perform at the best of his capabilities.

"I understand, I share, I told Fernando that he arrived second this year, thanks to his capability rather than thanks to the car," the Italian continued.

"On the other hand I want a driver that even in the difficult moments he gives outside and inside stays very, very close to the team.

"This is the effort that I asked of him in the middle of the season. But I am very happy to have him on the team."

MIKA: Contracts mean nothing in Formula 1....

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Horner expects Ricciardo surprises

Daniel Ricciardo will provide Sebastian Vettel with plenty of competition, according to Red Bull boss Christian Horner.

Ricciardo was promoted from Torro Rosso after his Australian counterpart Mark Webber retired from the sport at the end of the 2013 season, and Horner is confident that his new recruit will be a handful in a better car.

"I think he could be a bit of a surprise because he is very quick," said Horner.

"He is going to have a lot to learn but I think he will surprise quite a few people with the pace he has.

"He has dragged massive qualifying performances out of the Toro Rosso, which obviously is sub-standard, and he has continued to impress us with how he has raced, how he has delivered and performed with the tools at his disposal.

"If you look at the pressure points with him, even if his weekend doesn't get off to a great start he recovers it.

"He seems to have the ability not to panic, but to put it together when it counts.

"Sometimes he's had difficult Fridays, or even Saturday mornings, but when qualifying starts, nine times out of 10 he is there.

"It is probably the right time in many respects.

"It's a change in so many aspects that now is the time to change the driver.

"Of course, he is pretty well known to us anyway so it's not like introducing a complete stranger."

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Bernie seeks New Jersey partners

According to reports in the US, Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone is seeking a new partner after becoming disillusioned by of current organisers of the New Jersey Grand Prix, Leo Hindery and Port Imperial Racing Associates (PIRA).

According to Christian Sylt of Formula Money, Ecclestone is looking for a new partner to organise the on-off New Jersey race because PIRA is in breach of contract of their 2011 agreement, citing non-payment as the main reason.

After originally being scheduled to take place in 2013, the New Jersey Grand Prix has been removed from the 2014 calendar, although it is becoming more and more doubtful if the race will go ahead at all.

"I've kept it going because somebody might come up and there has been two or three people who are interested and are looking into it," Ecclestone is quoted as saying byFormula Money.

"If anyone comes in today, they can have it.

"All it needs is somebody serious to come up and say we will get behind this and make it happen. I have given Hindery too much leeway. I wanted to believe that he would do it."

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Sutil expects 2014 shocks

Adrian Sutil believes the new Formula One regulations will give teams at the back of the grid an opportunity to shock the sport's big spenders at the start of the 2014 season.

Amidst several aerodynamic regulation changes and a move away from V8 engines means all the teams are furiously developing their cars for the 2014 season ahead of the start of winter testing at the end of January.

"2014 will be a different season to what we are used to - new engines, very different tyres, and the car in general will be different to drive," the new Sauber recruit said during video interview released by the Zurich-based team.

"It's a new era in Formula One. For us drivers it's interesting to have something new, to have changes in the sport so it never gets boring.

"There are chances at the first few races to get it right or maybe mess it up.

"I see big chances for smaller teams to reach exceptional results at the early races.

"Maybe a podium is in reach, you never know."

The 30-year-old Sutil was a member of the Force India squad that moved up the F1 pecking order during the previous set of rules changes in 2009, and the German believes 2014 will provide a similar opportunity for the teams at the back end of the grid.

"At the moment we have the normal teams at the front and the others in the back so it's all pretty well-sorted," he added.

"I think a rule change is good to mix the field up again. There will be a mix of teams [at the front], probably some that didn't expect to be there.

"I'm looking forward to it. It will be very exciting."

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McLaren needed 'kick up the pants'

Martin Whitmarsh admitted that McLaren needed a reality check at the end of the 2013 season in order to prepare better for next year.

McLaren endured arguably their worst season since 1980 when they failed to record even a single podium finish in 2013 and finished fifth in the Constructors' Championship with less than half the amount of points as fourth placed Lotus.

The Woking squad has made several changes ahead of the 2014 season, however.

Former Sauber chief designer Matt Morris was recruited, while Red Bull aerodynamics expert Peter Orodromou will join McLaren in 2015 when they will partner with Honda.

Mexican driver Sergio Perez was also replaced after one season, with

Formula Renault 3.5 champion Kevin Magnussen given the opportunity to partner Jenson Button.

"Failure is a painful thing but a kick up the pants sometimes you need it personally and the organisation needs it," Whitmarsh told Autosport.

"I am an optimistic type of fellow, so I come out of it and say, 'I didn't like that much', but looking to the future it has made us make some decisions that would have been difficult to make last winter because, until Australia, we thought we were as good as anybody.

"The majority cannot sit there and say we don't need to change or we have done a good enough job, because we haven't.

"Change in this environment is quite a lot easier, and change is essential in any organisation whether it is on top of its game or not.

"It is just more difficult to implement when it perceives itself to be on top of its game.

"The fact is if the wheel falls off, it is my fault. If the car is not good enough, it is my fault. If the driver makes a mistake, it is my fault.

"People talk about the pressure, but most of the pressure is internal."

Although a dramatic improvement in form in just one season is unlikely, Whitmarsh is confident that the partnership with Honda will bring more titles to McLaren.

"With the Honda deal, we know we are going to be here as a top team in 10 years," he added.

"We have secured that, and there are not that many teams that have got a secure commercial future in the way that we have."

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Lopez: Lotus deserves more respect

Lotus owner Gerard Lopez believes his team deserves some respect for their efforts in Formula One in 2013.

The Enstone outfit finished in fourth place in the Constructors' Championship this year, behind Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari, although they had a chance of finishing as high as second until the final race in Brazil.

Lotus also had to cope without Kimi Raikkonen during the final two races after the Finn decided to have surgery on his back ahead of his move to Ferrari, following a pay dispute between the team and the driver.

He has since been replaced by 'pay driver' Pastor Maldonado, who brings substantial investment from the Venezeulan oil company PDVSA with him to the team.

"We were fighting for third place but the reality is that F1 being what it is, we are not being treated that way financially speaking. And what is true for us is true for other teams," Lopez told Autosport.

"We are running the 100 metres, but we actually start at the 200 metre mark.

"We find it a bit disrespectful when people start writing about our woes, or when other people comment on them.

"If I got the same amount of money [as the other top teams] I would just shut my mouth and focus on my job, I wouldn't comment on it. That is the part we find a bit ridiculous.

"I am looking for people to have respect and realise this is not corporate money being spent. We are beating people who have way more money and get way more money. To have a bit of respect is fair - not for us [the owners], [but] certainly for the people at the team.

"We want to live and succeed in F1. If it is just about surviving I don't know if our motivation is the same.

"That is the only reason why we opened up discussions to investors. We know we have probably one of the best teams in F1, and we know for sure we have pound-for-pound the best team in F1.

"We are trying to preserve that."

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Russian GP organisers hire Abu Dhabi CEO

The organisers of the inaugural Russian Grand Prix, which is set to take place in 2014, have hired Yas Marina circuit chief executive Richard Cregan to oversee their preparations.

The former Toyota F1 team manager has been in charge of running the Abu Dhabi GP since it joined the calendar in 2009 and Oleg Zabara, promoter for the Sochi event, is counting on Cregan's experience to ensure the first Russian race goes just as well.

"The combined, impressive experience that the international consultants (Cregan Rasgaira Consultancy) have, their understanding of the Formula 1 world, and the desire to do the F1 Russian Grand Prix at the highest level guarantee a good result of our teamwork," said Zabara.

"The knowledge and experience which we will get in the course of this co-operation will ensure not only the hosting of a world-class grand prix, but also effective use of the autodrome in Sochi all year round."

Cregan confirmed he would remain involved with the Abu Dhabi event in an advisory role, admitting it was a difficult decision to focus his efforts elsewhere. "Moving on from Abu Dhabi was a tough decision for me but I have always enjoyed a new challenge and remain an advisor to the chairman and management there," he said.

"I am convinced that the F1 Russian Grand Prix will become one of the iconic events in the Formula 1 calendar and we will be able to build a very successful business by utilising the amazing assets and the passion of the team here in Sochi."

The Russian GP will debut on October 12th as the 16th round.

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Could the Honda-McLaren partnership lead to road cars?

Following the much vaunted return to Formula One by Honda as an engine supplier to McLaren in the 2015 season, speculation has been building about the partnership extending further.

McLaren team principal, Martin Whitmarsh, announced from Tokyo in May that the new venture would mean that the racing team would be rebranded as McLaren-Honda in the coming year.

McLaren and Honda have an enviable track record in grand prix, having won 44 races in partnership and no less than eight world championships.

Honda’s president and CEO, Takanobu Ito, said that the new F1 regulations focused more closely on environmental factors which fitted in with his company’s ethos and engine development programmes, prompting the return to high-level racing.

This has led some to speculate on whether Honda and McLaren may cooperate with the future high performance production cars, too. Indeed, since the announcement has been reported Whitmarsh was quoted as saying that the company’s road car strategy has no other automotive partner at the moment and that Honda would be a good firm to collaborate with.

“If you take a look at our current car range, the 12C is running and will go on for a few more years,” he said.

“The P1 has just been launched and the following model is relatively well developed.”

This leaves the intriguing possibility that Honda’s engine development expertise could play a part in any later McLaren road cars.

The development of a better engine was something that all Japanese manufacturers sought through the 1970s and 1980s. For Honda, this really came about in 1989 when the firm announced the introduction of its pioneering the V-Tec engine. Capable of variable valve control, the engines’ sync valves were able to really increase the power output at high revs whilst offering much better fuel consumption when the revs were lower.

These days, Honda road car engine parts are sold inclusive of the labour required to fit them, something that cannot be said of McLaren - for the moment at least.

Currently, the Japanese car maker is involved in smart engine research and safety improvement systems which are two areas where McLaren could potentially benefit from its race partner. While the relationship between the two car makers is still new, it is hard to tell how it will pan out.

The May agreement was too late in the day for McLaren to have any influence or development input into Honda's Acura NSX, for instance. Nonetheless, many view Honda as the ideal partner for the British based manufacturer which has already said that it wants a car in its range to compete with the Porsche 911.

The McLaren-Honda F1 team will start racing at the beginning of the 2015 season, with their all new 1.6 litre turbo V6. Honda will also construct the Energy Recovery System for the McLaren F1 cars, a technology that was introduced into the sport in 2009.

These systems harness otherwise wasted energy in a process that is something like you find in hybrid road cars. This is another area that – potentially at least – may be of interest to McLaren.

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Schumacher airlifted to hospital after skiing accident

Retired seven-time Formula 1 World Champion Michael Schumacher suffered a head injury in a fall while skiing off-piste in the French Alps resort of Meribel on Sunday, an official has announced.

The 44-year-old German was wearing a helmet and was conscious while being transported to a local hospital in Moutiers, the resort director, Christophe Gernigon-Lecomte, told Reuters.

While suggesting that Schumacher was less seriously injured than initial reports had indicated, the director said that the former driver had been transferred subsequently to a better-equipped medical unit in Grenoble for further examinations.

Schumacher’s spokeswoman Sabine Kehm was unable to give any further information about his condition but confirmed he was on a private ski trip and had not been alone.

Gernigon-Lecomte said that Schumacher, who has a vacation home in Meribel, had been skiing off piste.

“He fell around 11:00 am and hit a rock with his head,” he added. ”It seems that he has suffered a head trauma, but I would not say how serious it is. He was conscious but very agitated while being taken to hospital.”

Schumacher, whose birthday is on Jan 3, is the most successful Formula 1 driver of all time with a record 91 victories among his achievements. He won his titles with Benetton and Ferrari.

He left the sport last year after a three-year comeback with Mercedes following an earlier retirement from Ferrari at the end of 2006.

The German lives in Switzerland with his wife and two children.

Schumacher said in an interview in November, “I have arrived in my new life and that is very nice. Even if you go back after the first time I retired I didn’t really miss it because I have so many other pleasureful things to do, so it is a good life.”

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Sahara Force India welcomes technical partnership with Motegi

Sahara Force India is delighted to announce the beginning of a new technical partnership with Motegi Racing, the high performance wheel brand.

The new partnership will see the team’s 2014 car fitted with wheels carrying the iconic Motegi Racing brand. Sahara Force India will also benefit from Motegi Racing’s knowledge in wheel technology to help drive forward performance.

Otmar Szafnauer, Chief Operating Officer: “I’m very happy to announce our partnership with Motegi Racing. 2014 is a landmark year for Formula 1 with so many changes to the regulations and in order to be competitive we have to focus on developing all areas of the car. It gives me great confidence to have the expertise and experience of Motegi Racing supporting us at such an important time. Our technical team will be working very closely with them to enhance the performance of our wheels.”

Jody Groce, President Wheel Pros LLC: “We are very excited about the partnership with Sahara Force India as part of our growth at the highest level of global motorsports. This is a milestone achievement for our company as we prepare to supply our Motegi Racing wheels to compete at the pinnacle of racing technology in F1. It’s an interesting time to be involved in F1 and we are honoured to become Sahara Force India’s technical wheel partner as the sport prepares for one of the most significant technical transformations in its history. This program provides the perfect technical platform to communicate the continuous evolution of the Motegi Racing brand. Motorsport is a proving ground for our technology to hone the performance authenticity of our brand.”

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Crisis? What Crisis? F1 in denial as many teams will struggle to survive in new era

Glamorous, high-tech and hugely profitable: With the lure of races from Monaco to Singapore, Formula 1 just keeps on giving – as far as the money men controlling the motor sport are concerned.

The business, in which private equity firm CVC is the largest shareholder, had turnover of $1.35 billion in 2012 and generated an operating profit of $426 million once payments to its 11 teams had been deducted.

That might suggest unconstrained happiness up and down the paddock but appearances are deceptive. Behind the luxury brands, the celebrity guests and the lavish hospitality suites, many of the smaller teams are battling to survive.

It is bleak news as the sport heads into a brand new era – with hugely expensive technology coming into effect – with expenditure at an all time high. To sabotage a cliche: while Rome burns some watch the fiddlers play as they chomp on canapé’s in VIP hospitality, apparently ignoring that the sport is in crisis.

“I don’t THINK there is one. There IS one,” AirAsia airline entrepreneur and Caterham team owner Tony Fernandes told Reuters last week when asked whether the sport faced a cost crisis.

“You hear about people not having been paid, suppliers taking a long time to be paid. These are certainly not happy days,” added the Malaysian, whose team finished last in 2013 and has yet to score a point in four years of trying.

Tony Fernandes warns that crisis is already taking place

Four teams – Champions Red Bull, runners-up Mercedes, Fiat-owned Ferrari, and McLaren – have annual budgets of $200 million or more and benefit most from the division of revenues overseen by Formula 1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone, long the dominant figure in the sport.

Ecclestone, who is facing a series of legal battles linked to the deal that brought CVC on board eight years ago, has built a unique business model that controls broadcasting rights, race hosting fees, sponsorship and licensing.

The teams shared around $750 million of the income last year but are questioning a structure that takes so much money out of a sport with a high cost base for teams flying around the world to 19 annual races.

The division between the rich and the also-rans is evident on the track, where Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel ended the season winning the last nine races and his fourth title in a row, with such predictability testing the patience of many fans.

“At the end of the day there may be only five Formula 1 teams if it carries on the way it is,” said Fernandes.

HRT were the last F1 team to go bust – their demise came at the end of the 2012 season

Teams come and go, more than 100 of them down the decades with Spanish-owned HRT the most recent to exit at the end of 2012, but this year has been more unsettling than usual.

When 2007 World Champion Kimi Raikkonen told reporters that Lotus, winners of the season-opener in Australia and regular contenders, had not paid his wages all season he confirmed widespread concerns about the health of the sport.

The talk now is of the urgency of taking costs in hand, with the governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) announcing this month that teams will have a cost cap from 2015 with the precise rules to be drawn up by mid-2014.

The FIA has also sought expressions of interest from would-be teams wanting to come in from 2015, a move variously interpreted as a sign that they fear losing a current competitor or that they already have a potential entrant waiting in the wings.

Previous attempts to curb spending have fallen apart, with companies such as Austrian soft drinks firm Red Bull prepared to bankroll a winning team to build their brand.

Red Bull Red Bull Energy Station running costs are akin to the budget of a lesser F1 team

“It’s a straightforward statement of fact that teams are under financial pressure,” said Marussia chief executive Graeme Lowdon, whose team has one of the smallest budgets on the grid at around 65 million pounds ($106 million) and has also never scored a point.

“There is a large disparity in the distribution of money and the controls on cost don’t appear to be as effective as they could be. It’s not good for the sport and it’s not good for the fans. Without them there is no commercial model.”

The teams are facing an engine bill twice as big as the current rate next year, when a new and more complicated turbocharged V6 with energy recovery systems is introduced, and fear the gulf between rich and poor is becoming unbridgeable.

Even McLaren, one of the bigger teams, is yet to unveil a new title sponsor for next season after Vodafone ended a partnership dating back to 2007.

Swiss-based Sauber, the fourth-longest serving team, and Lotus – previously known as the title-winning Renault and Benetton outfits – have both hit trouble this year.

“There is something terribly flawed in the system,” Sauber principal Monisha Kaltenborn, whose team has struggled to pay suppliers, told reporters in Abu Dhabi in November.

“This is a competition and the best win. But if the best are simply defined by the financial resources you have, then something is not right.”

Lotus finished fourth overall but raced against a backdrop of constant speculation.

The team’s Luxembourg-based owners Genii announced in June they had sold a 35 percent stake to a consortium of private investors, but then subsequently had to admit that the deal was not done.

The shadowy would-be investors changed their name from Infinity to Quantum but month after month went by with no sign of any money despite regular assurances it was coming. Raikkonen meanwhile opted to rejoin Ferrari.

“Of course it’s not a good sign, drivers not being paid and suppliers or employees not being paid. It’s not what we want to hear or see,” said Mercedes motorsport head Toto Wolff, whose team is backed by German car giant Daimler.

Hard times in F1 attract shady would be investors

“The whole world is in bad shape, the whole environment is in bad shape and we have to all look at how we finance our operations and the same applies to us. You can’t overspend.”

Formula 1 might be self-financing in an ideal world but past threats of rival series have come to nothing, with teams lacking the resolve, and the resources, to make the break from the business built by the 83-year-old Ecclestone.

“I have been an awful long time in Formula 1 and owned and ran a team for 18 years,” said Ecclestone, who has been in the sport since the 1950s as both poacher and gamekeeper.

“Ever since I have been in F1, there have been the haves and have nots. Whatever sport there is, people will spend what they think they have to spend in order to win,” the British billionaire told Reuters.

“What we are going to try to do is set a cap on the amount a team can spend. We’re going to try to save them from themselves.”

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F1 senior citizens support double points rule

Not everyone in Formula 1 is opposed to the sport’s new and controversial ‘double points’ innovation which comes into effect in 2014 at the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

In fact, even the president of Formula 1′s governing FIA is not sure what all the fuss is about, as speculation increases that the rule could even be repealed.

“Well, so much is said, but really it’s not such a dramatic change,” Jean Todt told the Spanish sports daily AS.

“For me, the introduction of the new 1.6 litre engine with a 40 per cent fuel reduction is much more important. And our priority is to reduce costs.

“I think the change of points in one race is not a revolution,” the Frenchman insisted. “It’s a small change and nothing more.”

And even Mercedes’ powerful duo, chairman Niki Lauda and sporting boss Toto Wolff, are not opposed to the rule that aims to keep the title alive by awarding double points in the Abu Dhabi finale.

Triple World Champion Lauda even told Speed Week that he backs Bernie Ecclestone’s idea to expand the double points beyond the 2014 finale.

“More bonus points should be given in the last third of the season,” he said.

Wolff agreed: “A [higher] distribution [of points] for regions or continents would make sense.”

Meanwhile, Wolff revealed that Lewis Hamilton has applied to the FIA to race his lucky number 44 for the rest of his Formula 1 career.