FORMULA 1 - 2013

[MIKA27]

CATERHAM ANNOUNCE HARI ROBERTS AS THEIR NEW HEAD OF AERODYNAMICS:

Caterham have strengthened their technical team by appointing Hari Roberts as the team’s head of aerodynamics.

Roberts, who has worked for Jordan, Renault and Lotus, has aerodynamics, trackside and simulation experience.

Caterham have finished 10^th in the constructors’ championship each year since joining the sport in 2010, and have failed to score a point, however, Roberts’ recruitment is a sign of a continued push to close the gap to the midfield.

Roberts will work closely with technical director Mark Smith, who he worked with at Jordan and Renault, and performance director John Iley.

Smith said: “He gives us more senior leadership in a critical area of the team’s development and it is another sign of our shareholders’ ongoing commitment to our team’s growth that we have appointed someone of Hari’s calibre to the role of head of aerodynamics.

“We have also invested in such core areas as our dedicated model shop at Leafield, the ongoing development of our High Performance Cluster (HPC), which powers our CFD and design functions, and our driver in the loop simulator – all of which give us the tools needed to fight with the most famous names in motorsport in years to come.”

Roberts added that he believes the team have the potential to move up the grid.

He said: “Caterham F1 Team has the potential to grow into a serious force in Formula 1 and I am looking forward to playing an integral role in helping the team fulfil its potential.”

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FERNANDO ALONSO INFORMS RIVALS HE WILL BE EVEN STRONGER THAN LAST YEAR:

Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso has told his rivals that he is better prepared ahead of the new season than last year – and he believes this year will be stronger.

The double world champion led the championship for much of 2012, despite having an inferior car to the Red Bull and McLaren, but missed out to Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel by three points.

But after training hard during the winter and showing good pace in winter testing, setting the second fastest time on the final day in Barcelona, Alonso has high hopes for this season.

“Last year was the best year of my career and I was very happy with the performance, but I think this year will be better,’ said Alonso, who won the title in 2005 and 2006 with Renault.

“We have a better starting point and I have learned from some of the mistakes from last year.

“The trust, confidence and motivation are better than any other year and pit-stop wise, with starts, all these things, we are constantly learning. I have prepared better. I am better than last year.

“You can improve always as a driver. I am more motivated than last year, but I need a better car than last year because we were too far from the leaders.

“I expect the team to have a better car. We don’t ask to be half a second in front of everybody, but two tenths behind is OK.”

Ahead of the season-opening race in Melbourne, Ferrari technical director Pat Fry was cautious about his predictions for the race, suggesting there will be some “shocks” in the race because of the uncertainty of the tyres.

The teams have experienced high levels of degradation during testing due to the cold conditions, leaving teams unsure how they will react in warmer conditions such as in Melbourne.

“There are still going to be a lot of people learning things in Melbourne to be honest,” said Fry. ” [in Barcelona], the tyres, they grain massively, so what you see here is not necessarily going to carry over until Melbourne.

“I think there will be a few surprised people and a few shocked people. I think it is going to be fairly mixed up to be honest. I wouldn’t like to predict where we will be.

“It will be interesting to see if it is 30 degrees [in Melbourne] like it was there a few days ago. Then it will be a different story to [in Barcelona].”

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VETTEL FRUSTRATED BY LACK OF RUNNING AND INCONSISTENT TYRES:

Reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel says the Pirelli tyres lack consistency and admits his disappointment with his Red Bull team’s final days of testing.

The Milton-Keynes based team managed 158 laps over the weekend, compared to the 248 Mercedes managed.

High degradation with Pirelli’s new 2013-spec tyres has been an issue for all the teams so far this year and Vettel, who has won the title for the last three years, said the lack of mileage has meant the team didn’t quite gather all the data they had hoped for with regards the tyres.

“We haven’t been able to tick all the boxes we would have liked to and the last two days weren’t as good as we had expected, but there is a bit of time left until the season starts,” said Vettel who finished eighth fastest on the final day of testing.

“I think we all have been limited by what the tyres can do. It was extremely difficult to read some set-up changes and find a direction with the car as the tyres were simply not good enough.”

However, Vettel said he was still positive ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

“Testing was good for us as a whole but surely we would have loved to have had more consistency,” he said.

“Especially from a tyre point of view, I think all the teams suffered the same kind of problem, therefore it was difficult to really read the changes and the steps that we tried to make but that’s how it is.

“We need to have a good look at the data between now and Melbourne to have a better understanding of what to expect in Australia and the first few races of the season. In my opinion lap times didn’t matter all through the winter tests.”

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VENEZUELAN BACKING TO CONTINUE AFTER CHAVEZ DEATH SAY WILLIAMS:

Williams played down fears that the death of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez could hurt the British team’s connection to the South American country.

Through 2012 Barcelona winner Pastor Maldonado, Oxfordshire based Williams is heavily sponsored by PDVSA, the state-controlled Venezuelan oil company.

The deal has always been closely associated with Chavez, the controversial Venezuelan president who was personally involved in the promotion of Maldonado’s career.

Chavez, 58, died of cancer on Tuesday, and despite winning a sixth presidential term only recently, it is possible his United Socialist party will lose power when new elections are held next month.

Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport estimates Williams’ annual deal with PDVSA at around EUR 30 million.

But “Williams fans need not worry,” correspondent Tobias Gruner wrote on Wednesday.

He quoted a Williams source as saying: “The (PDVSA) contract is watertight and will continue even after the death of Chavez.”

Meanwhile Williams team released an official statement: “In the wake of yesterday’s announcement that Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías, President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, has passed away after a long battle with cancer, the Williams F1 Team sends its deepest condolences to the family of President Chávez and the people of Venezuela.”

[MIKA27]

REDBULL RB9 SLOWEST IN STRAIGHT-LINE SPEED:

The Red Bull RB9 is the slowest of all the 2013 cars in a straight line, according to an analysis by respected German magazine Auto Motor und Sport.

Based on the all-important final two days of Barcelona running last weekend, correspondent Michael Schmidt found that the RB9 (307.7kph) was 12.8kph slower on the long front straight than the quickest, the Marussia.

Behind the Cosworth-powered Marussia, Ferrari-powered Ferrari and Sauber are next best with 316.7kph, equalled by the Mercedes-powered Force India.

McLaren is next, followed by the fastest Renault-powered 2013 single seater, the Lotus, clocking in at 314.9kph.

Even Toro Rosso (Ferrari) and Williams (Renault) were 5kph faster than the Red Bull.

But Schmidt said: “As Red Bull has shown, races are not won on the straight.”

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2013 Formula 1 drivers’ helmets

Here is a collection of the helmets expected to be used by the 22 drivers contesting the 2013 Formula 1 world championship. These are likely to change during the course of the season – Sebastian Vettel is one that has a different helmet design for just about every race, while several have special edition helmets for specific races. We will try keep this page up to date with the F1 driver lids during the course of the season…

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Red Bull expect 'dangerous' Mercedes

Sebastian Vettel believes Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton could be "dangerous" this season after putting in some impressive displays in pre-season testing.

Mercedes came to the fore on the final two days at the Circuit de Catalunya with Hamilton quickest on the penultimate day before his team-mate edged him on the last.

Rosberg clocked a 1:20.130 to set the fastest time of the week, 0.364s ahead of Fernando Alonso while Hamilton finished third overall. Vettel was down in 12th place, over two seconds adrift of Rosberg's best.

Merc's pace at Barcelona has resulted in claims that the Brackley-based squad could pose a threat to the big three this season.

"I finally took the chance to watch some of the other teams for a bit," Vettel told his website as he reflected on the final test.

"Nico had a great final day of testing in his Mercedes, which shows how dangerous he and Lewis will be in the future."

"But," he added, "there are a lot of others to keep in mind as well."

Vettel, though, is not the only person at Red Bull who has highlighted Mercedes as a potential threat.

Team boss Christian Horner was impressed not only impressed with their pace in testing but also believes signing Hamilton was undoubtedly the best play the team could have made.

"Mercedes have recorded some head-turning times with the programme they were operating to," he told the Press Association Sport.

"Their car looks quick, and with Lewis joining the team they will naturally take a step forward.

"Their challenge will be sustaining it over a whole season as they have been quick the last couple of years at the beginning - winning the third race last year in China.

"Lewis, as we all know, is a world-class driver, and he is going to raise their level.

"He is worth lap time, which is why they signed him, and I'm sure they're going to be a factor this season."

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'Ferrari will be in the end battle'

Stefano Domenicali is adamant Ferrari will be one of the last teams standing in this year's Championship fights.

Ferrari headed towards the front of the pack during testing at Barcelona where Fernando Alonso was second quickest overall while his team-mate Felipe Massa was fourth.

But despite the Italian stable showing an impressive turn of pace, team boss Domenicali says no one will have any idea of the true pecking order until next Saturday's qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix.

"To think of drawing conclusions after the first qualifying session in Australia would be premature because it represents only the beginning of a long voyage that ends in November," he said.

"For many reasons, however, it can be considered an important test bench to establish the state of play.

"I expect that the teams who finished in the top positions in Sao Paulo will repeat that in Melbourne, probably with a reduced advantage - that's what we are all hoping for, anyway."

The team boss is convinced that Ferrari have made a step forward from last year, highlighting several aspects.

"The new business structure, the working methods, the modifications to the equipment that we have used to work on this car, the consistency of the results compared with our targets and what we saw in the recent tests - these all seem to tell us that we are on the right path at last compared to the past.

"So, to make an analysis that is purely centred on ourselves, unless someone else has done an exceptional job I'm convinced that Ferrari will be in the battle to the end."

And in order to be in the fight at the end, Domenicali says his team needs to be in the top three come next Sunday.

"A podium in Australia would be a good base on which to build the kind of successes we need.

"What's more, apart from the actual performance of the car, our work in the wind tunnel is an element that gives us faith in the area of aerodynamics, where 90 percent of the performance comes from, so we can work with a certain calmness.

"The stability of the rules is another guarantee that there won't be surprises with any exceptional creative solutions that make a big difference, and I'm especially confident given the changes we made last year."

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WHY MCLAREN WITH HONDA MAKES COMPLETE SENSE:

There has been a lot of speculation in recent days about Honda and McLaren reviving their famous partnership, which brought domination of F1 in the later 1980s and early 1990s.

It began towards the end of last season, but has grown in intensity recently. This is probably due to the fact that attention is now focussing on the major engine changes in 2014 and McLaren has every reason to want to move away from Mercedes, despite having an option to use their new generation hybrid engines in 2014 and 2015.

In the last few years Mercedes has withdrawn as a shareholder and major investor in the McLaren team, poached Lewis Hamilton and has been busy doing the same with technical director Paddy Lowe. That’s not one body blow, it’s a complete pummelling.

To say that there is no love lost between the two would be putting it mildly.

On top of that they will be aware that the 2014 Mercedes engine will be precisely what Mercedes wants it to be from their own chassis design point of view. The customers, like McLaren, will have to make do with what they are given.

For a team with McLaren’s self-esteem, the loss of Hamilton and this customer status is too much; they have to act to restore their pride.

Team principal Martin Whitmarsh did little to dampen the Honda speculation when he told SKY, “There’s a lot of speculation and I’ve heard Porsche, Hyundai, Honda, all those sorts of names. I hope for Formula One that these manufacturers come back – we need them in the sport. In the longer term, who knows what’s going to happen.”

Yesterday at the Geneva Motor Show there was a lot of discussion about this subject. Speaking there to Rolf Ganter, the senior automotive analyst from UBS, he sees the market conditions for Honda to return to F1 as highly favourable,

“Honda is not so well known in Europe; they are focussed on Asia and the US. But F1 engagement could bring them back to the European table,” he said.

“And don’t forget what is happening now with the Japanese producers. Look at the currency; how much the Japanese yen weakened – around 20% versus the dollar and the euro. And that puts these companies on a more competitive situation. This means that they can make more profit on their cars or put in more features or even sell the car cheaper.

“Honda was always famous for having high revving engines and for them it’s a good place to be back in Formula 1. As a stock I like it and as a company I like it and I think it would make sense.”

Another compelling reason to return is that the 1.6 litre hybrid turbo engine is core business for Honda, where 2.4 litre V8s are not.

Few manufacturers are making production V8 engines any more.

However, Honda is well aware that Formula 1 is a cruel business: if you are winning and doing well, it can boost your brand image globally, as it did for Honda in the Senna and Prost era with McLaren.

But if you are doing badly, as Honda did from 2006 to 2008, it can actually damage your brand image. You are then spending millions to damage your brand, as Jaguar did for example, and that makes no sense at all. Honda was not cut out for team ownership, but partnership with a top team like McLaren is different.

Arguably since the Honda team withdrew from F1 it’s model range has lost some of its glamour and sportiness and this would be restored by fighting at the front of F1 again.

History suggests it would be an engagement with a finite time period, Honda doesn’t tend to stick around for more than seven or eight years, but F1′s global footprint these days matches their key markets and supplying engines is much cheaper than running a team.

From a business perspective it makes sense. And as business is usually the driver for all decisions taken around F1, there is likely to be more than a grain of truth in it.

One final note – if a McLaren Honda partnership were lined up, sources say it would not happen before 2015 for logistical reasons.

There would also be variations and changes from the Technical Working Group during the first year and Honda would benefit from observing that.

This would leave Mercedes supplying its engine to McLaren in 2014, knowing that Honda engineers would be crawling all over it from later this year onwards.

No doubt, they would be very uncomfortable about that.

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Sauber announce new technical partner PaucoPlast

PaucoPlast AG, a company specialising in the manufacture of carbon-composite parts, has been a supplier to Sauber since the early days. Indeed, the cooperation between the two parties has continued virtually uninterrupted since 1973.

Now the partnership is set to reach new levels, with PaucoPlast named as a Technical Partner of the Sauber F1 Team. The PaucoPlast logo will be displayed on both the car (on the rear section of the sidepods) and the team’s equipment.

“We have been working very closely with PaucoPlast for many years now,” says Monisha Kaltenborn, Team Principal of the Sauber F1 Team. “For us, PaucoPlast represents a guarantee of production quality and delivery reliability when it comes to complex carbon-fibre parts such as the floor, brake ducts and body elements. The close geographic proximity of the two companies to one another also assists our partnership. I’m delighted that we’re now stepping up our cooperation another notch.”

“The passion and efficiency of the Sauber F1 Team when it comes to a challenge as complex as Formula One excites and inspires us time and again,” says PaucoPlast CEO Philipp Schranz. “It is a philosophy that we apply in every one of our projects. That’s why we’ve been keen to explore a more in-depth partnership.”

PaucoPlast was founded by Paul Pfenninger and Conrad Rapp in Erlenbach on Lake Zurich in 1970. The company produced its first body for the Sauber C3 in 1973. This heralded the start of a close cooperation which has continued through the Sauber-Mercedes sports prototype era to the current Formula One operation. The company has been based in Altendorf on upper Lake Zurich since 1990, and its infrastructure has been consistently updated to reflect the latest developments in carbon/composite technology.

CEO Philipp Schranz and COO Pascal Fazio took over at the helm of PaucoPlast AG in 2011. As well as its work in the motor sport arena, the company is also a supplier to other high-tech sectors such as the aerospace industry and produces components for air defence systems and civilian drones.

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Hulkenberg plays down ongoing Ferrari rumours

Nico Hulkenberg has played down ongoing rumours that he has merely parked at Sauber for a year, before what is likely to be a switch to Ferrari in 2014.

Told that the rumours are still abounding in the paddock, the German driver said: “It doesn’t concern me at all.

“I don’t talk about the contents of my contracts and, anyway, I haven’t even done a single race for Sauber yet,” said the 25-year-old, who has moved from Force India to Ferrari-aligned Sauber for 2013.

He continued: “Of course I hear the speculation, and it’s even a form of recognition, but the whole thing leaves me completely untouched,” Hulkenberg is quoted by the SID news agency.

“I am concentrating completely on the coming season and, first of all, Melbourne.”

Told, however, that a driver of his rising stature and potential must be targeting a future seat at Ferrari, he answered: “But it doesn’t mean I will (go).”

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Lotus and CNBC announce partnership

Lotus F1 Team welcomes CNBC, the world’s leading business and financial news network, as its Official Business Media Partner in a move which cements the team’s position as the number one Formula 1 team for business.

CNBC takes business news to a global audience of 390 million homes around the world. Throughout the 2013 Formula 1 season, this new agreement will allow Lotus F1 Team’s partners to benefit from CNBC’s unmatched reach of affluent and influential business leaders with commercial advertising campaigns airing on its international network. This new relationship builds on the team’s recent partnerships with brands such as Microsoft, Unilever and The Coca-Cola Company.

The partnership will see CNBC branding on the nose of the team’s 2013 car, as well as on driver and pit crew overalls, team uniform, branding around the paddock and on marketing materials.

Eric Boullier, Team Principal, Lotus F1 Team:

“CNBC is a fantastic partner which highlights the growing importance of Lotus F1 Team as a vehicle for the business world. We are working with household brands such as Microsoft, Unilever and The Coca-Cola Company; brands whose actions are watched closely in the business world. Our partnership with CNBC brings us greater exposure in this environment and allows our business-to-business platform to flourish.”

Charlotte Westgate, VP Marketing & Communications, CNBC:

“CNBC’s partnership with Lotus F1 Team is extremely exciting. It’s an innovative marketing solution which provides branding and commercial opportunities for both parties. The Formula 1 audience is complementary to our own influential and affluent viewer base around the world. We look forward to working with Lotus F1 Team and wish them success in the 2013 season”

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Red Bull billionaire says Webber not Vettel’s number two

He might have won the last three Formula 1 world championships on the trot, but Sebastian Vettel is not Red Bull’s number 1 driver affirmed Dietrich Mateschitz, the Austrian billionaire who said Vettel’s veteran teammate Mark Webber will continue to enjoy equal status in 2013.

“When he (Webber) has a strong day, he is a tough opponent for Vettel,” the 68-year-old said during an interview with Salzburger Nachrichten newspaper.

“He has a hard time against Vettel, but the team guarantees him the same material and the same treatment,” added Mateschitz.

“We are pleased to have two number one drivers,” he insisted.

The fact remains, however, that Australian Webber only has a deal in place for this season, while Toro Rosso hopefuls Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne champ at the bit.

Asked if he has a chance of joining the senior team in 2014, Frenchman Vergne told RMC Sport: “It’s too early to tell.

“Nobody is saying that Webber will retire in 2014. Maybe he will win races, maybe even the championship. For now, there are too many ‘ifs’ about 2014,” he added.

Meanwhile, Mateschitz admitted that Mercedes has made progress over the winter, and named Kimi Raikkonen as a possible dark horse for the 2013 title race.

But he told Kleine Zeitung newspaper: “We assume that we (Red Bull) will surely once again be among the top two or three teams.”

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Raikkonen: Our car feels good, so we are well placed for Melbourne

Kimi Raikkonen, is just about everyone’s favourite Formula 1 driver, his no bull attitude has won him a legion of Formula 1 fans and he heads into his second year of his comeback stronger than last year. The Iceman looks back on testing and the Australian Grand Prix season opener.

Albert Park is upon us and testing didn’t quite go to plan for you; how are you feeling at the start of the 2013 Formula 1 season?

Kimi Raikkonen: We had some problems in testing but we still completed quite a few laps. Of course, you always want more laps, but it is what it is. We’re all going racing and then we’ll really see where we’re at. I’m not really concerned about reliability or anything like that as it was the same problem which caused us the biggest problems in testing and we’re on top of that now. You can never be 100% certain of course, but if you look at last season we had problems before the start of the year then we were pretty good when we got to the races. Of course we hope that we can perform better than last year, but let’s see how it goes.

Do you feel better placed to fight for the championship than last year?

Kimi: Hopefully, but it’s so difficult to say from testing. Twenty kilos of fuel can make a big difference to lap time and we don’t know how much fuel people were carrying in Spain. Let’s see what happens in Melbourne. Hopefully we can be fast in the first races and have a good start to the year.

You’ve said the E21 is a nice step forward from the its predecessor; is that across the board and in every area, or is there more you want from a racing car?

Kimi: I think you always want more, but this car is a pretty good starting point and we’ll see; hopefully we’re fast enough. I don’t think there’s any area where it feels worse than last year’s car; so far everything is better. We had good speed last year, but not enough to win the championship. That means we need more speed this year. If we can get just a little more from the car and keep our consistency, with some better results at the beginning of the year, then we should have a much better chance.

It’s your second year with Lotus F1 Team; does that continuity help you and your feeling with the team and does it mean you are working well together?

Kimi: It helps for sure, but if it’s going to make a difference, well I don’t know. The fact that we know each other already will be better – you know each other and what the other driver likes from their car and so on – but if this actually helps to bring better results to the team I don’t really know.

What would you like to achieve in Albert Park?

Kimi: I’d like to start the season strongly and hopefully run the first races better than we did last year. We don’t know exactly what to expect so we’ll try to do the best we can; we should have a reasonable start to the season.

You’ve had some good races in Australia; is it good to be starting the year there?

Kimi: Australia is a nice place even though it’s a long way from Europe. The circuit itself is not the most difficult on the calendar. It was good to score a point on my first time at Albert Park, and the podiums and race win in 2007 obviously made me happy. The circuit hasn’t changed at all so I’m confident I know which way it goes…

Do you think Albert Park could suit the E21?

Kimi: It’s always difficult to say for the first race of the year. It’s not a full time race track so the weekend starts pretty slippery. The weather can be a bit of a surprise sometimes and we’ll also learn how we compare to the other teams. You need a car with good traction and the E21 feels better in this area than the E20 which wasn’t a bad car itself. Strong turn-in and stable braking help too, and those areas also feel good with the car so we are well placed.

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Wolff admits conflict of interest with Mercedes and Williams

Toto Wolff has admitted owning shares in Williams whilst working as Formula 1 rival Mercedes’ director is a “conflict of interest”.

The 41-year-old Austrian changed teams over the winter, relinquishing his active role at Williams and buying into Brackley based Mercedes.

But Wolff, whose wife is the Williams test driver Susie Wolff, still retains part-ownership of the Oxfordshire based team.

“The situation is certainly not the way I want it,” he told Der Standard newspaper.

“I no longer have an operational role (at Williams), but still it’s not ideal.

“I need to deal responsibility with the shares and not just sell to anybody.

“I’ll try to resolve this conflict of interest as soon as possible,” added Wolff.

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Sauber expects Red Bull to deliver nasty surprise

Peter Sauber does not believe Red Bull will struggle to defend its Formula 1 world championships in 2013 and may have a nasty surprise for those thinking this will be a close fought year.

Based on winter testing, some believe the Austrian squad could be outpaced in Melbourne this weekend by Mercedes, Ferrari and Lotus, with McLaren also not far adrift.

Sauber, founder of the Swiss team that bears his name, agrees that Mercedes’ pace at the end of the recent Barcelona test was “a clear exclamation mark”, with Ferrari “not far away”.

However, writing in Sonntagsblick newspaper, 69-year-old Sauber said he does not believe Red Bull is struggling.

“Anyone who concludes that they (Red Bull) are not right at the front are definitely in for a nasty surprise,” he said.

“They have so many resources that they can always respond to difficult situations. You will see,” added Sauber.

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Chilton denies millionaire Dad is buying Marussia

Max Chilton has denied claims he has only made the grade as a Formula 1 driver because his wealthy father is buying the Marussia team.

Chilton’s father Grahame, a leading executive of the insurance giant Aon, owns the Carlin team that Max drove for last year, and is also heavily involved in the touring car career of his other son, the six-years-older Tom.

Max, 21, has stepped up from GP2 for 2013, but some say he is now among the most obvious ‘pay drivers’ on the grid, amid rumours his multi-millionaire father will buy a bigger share of Marussia at the end of each season his son completes.

“I can say straight up that it is not true,” Max Chilton told F1 Racing magazine. ”We’ve set up a scheme where we’ve got 30 individuals and businesses who have invested in me.

“In return, they will get a percentage of my future earnings. They have effectively taken shares in me,” he added.

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Red Bull could re-brand Renault F1 engines

World champion team, Red Bull is not ruling out rebranding its Renault Formula 1 engines in future.

French supplier Renault, although complaining its recent successes have not been well enough recognised, is regarded as Red Bull’s ‘works’ partner.

Brand ambassador Alain Prost admitted one of his goals is to talk up Renault’s contribution.

“How many people out there know that Renault has won the last three world championships?” he rhetorically asked Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport.

“We have to sell ourselves better. People should know what we do and why we do it,” added Prost.

However, Renault could be set to sink further into the background at Red Bull at some point in the future.

Team owner Dietrich Mateschitz has admitted the team’s Renault engines could be rebranded, as the title sponsorship with new title partner Infiniti is further ramped up.

“Yes, at some point there could be a Red Bull-Infiniti,” the Austrian billionaire told Salzburger Nachrichten newspaper.

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Alonso: This is my year

Fernando Alonso says as long as Ferrari give him a car that is able to "win races and podiums", he "will do the rest."

Last season Alonso lost the World title to Sebastian Vettel by just three points as Ferrari struggled to wring pace out of their under-performing F2012. The Spaniard, though, still managed three race victories and an additional 10 podium finishes.

This year, the Italian stable is confident that have corrected the deficits with the F138 showing some promising pace in pre-season testing.

However, as Alonso is quick to point out, testing took place on chilly Spanish tracks while the Formula One season kicks off at a warm Albert Park circuit in Australia.

"Testing has been good for us here in Barcelona but you can never tell as the hotter temperatures in the first three races makes a huge difference to the grip and tyres," he told The Mirror.

"It is going to be anyone's race, it is going to be interesting!"

The 31-year-old, though, believes Ferrari should at the very least be able to fight for a top-three results starting with the Australian Grand Prix.

"This year we should be on the podium and there is no reason to believe that this will not happen in the first race.

"We can't say for sure we are going to be winning races but the car is better than last year and more competitive."

He added: "I feel great, this is my year. I'm excited to get back racing and winning."

But despite how the Spaniard feels, he concedes he cannot do it without a winning car.

"I wish for a competitive car and one that is capable of fighting with the best. One that is able to win races and podiums, give me the car and I will do the rest. We are faster and the base definitely better."

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Button wants to end with McLaren

Jenson Button has no intention of leaving McLaren, saying this is the team where he wants to end his F1 career.

Button joined McLaren in 2010 after winning the Drivers' Championship title with Brawn GP.

And although the Brit has failed to match that achievement during his three years in Woking, he is adamant it is just a matter of time.

"I feel I'd like to end my career at McLaren," Button told the Daily Mail. "It's the right place for me to be for the long term.

"Some people have left because they feel there is another challenge or something missing from their position.

"There is still so much to achieve here.

"When we had the launch of our 2013 car, it was amazing to see cars representing 50 years of McLaren brought out; to look at the team's history and the championships won. We really are a spectacular team.

"I want to add to that history; not just this year, but for the coming years."

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Schumacher rules out pundit role

Michael Schumacher has ruled out returning to Formula One as a pundit, saying "mooching through the paddock" is not his thing.

Schumacher retired from Formula One at the end of last season after a difficult three years with Mercedes.

However, the German has no plans to return to the paddock in any capacity, especially as a "so-called" television expert.

"Being a so-called expert mooching through the paddock would not be my thing," he told Bild am Sonntag.

"First, Formula 1 is so fast that even I am already far away so far that it is often lost in a fog and that's not me.

"And secondly, I would again not be with my family - I might as well be driving and that would be more fun."

The seven-time World Champion also weighed in on the season ahead, saying that "no team really stood out" for him in pre-season testing.

As such the German is expecting a closely-fought campaign that could mimic last year's spate of different winners.

"We had seven different winners in 2012 in the first seven races. And I think that's a trend for this year," he added.

[MIKA27]

'Exhausts could be key'

Ferrari chief designer Nikolas Tombazis believes development of the exhaust systems could be a key factor in this year's title battle.

Last season Formula One banned exhaust blown diffusers and extreme engine mapping, however, that didn't stop teams from finding other ways to regain lost performance.

One such solution is the Coanda exhaust, which directs hot gasses towards the diffuser in order to improve the car's performance.

And with teams always on the look-out for new solutions, Tombazis believes development of the exhaust system could be a key area this season.

"With the exhaust exits we can reckon on updates during the season and while the differences might not be visible, they could offer a significant margin for improvement," he said.

"Of course, we won't be the only ones working on this area, the others will too.

"Bit by bit, as the regulations stay the same for longer, the room for invention decreases, but with the exhausts there is still much that can be done.

"Furthermore, as great improvements in simulation tools come along, this produces better correlation of data and of the methodology of the various configurations that are tested.

"This means that testing new parts and comparing developments over a race weekend will become more complicated, whereas during testing, this can be done more calmly and extensively.

"We need to find a way to do this without compromising other tasks such as set-up work and analysing the behaviour of the tyres."

[Bartolomeo]

Looking forward to this season so bad

Bart

[OZCUBAN]

Looking forward to this season so bad

Bart

As are we all Bart

[MIKA27]

Ricciardo wants to beat Vergne 'convincingly'

The 2013 Formula One season is about to get underway and Daniel Ricciardo has set himself plenty of targets for not only the first race but also the rest of the campaign.

This year will be the Australian's second full season on the grid with Toro Rosso and he will once again partner up with Jean-Eric Vergne.

The duo were neck and neck last year with Vergne finishing 17th in the Drivers' standings after scoring 16 points in his debut season and Ricciardo ending up a place behind his team-mate with 10 points.

It's a new season, though, and Ricciardo knows he can't afford to mess around this year as Mark Webber's race seat at Red Bull could be up for grabs next year.

"I think the best thing I can do this year is obviously try to beat the Frenchman [Vergne] convincingly and if it sets me up for a seat at Red Bull or elsewhere, I think that's just what I have to try to target," he told is quoted as saying by WAToday.

"[The aim] is to then put myself in a position to try to fight for a World Championship in the near future."

Besides driving for Toro Rosso last year, Ricciardo also drove 11 races for HRT during the 2011 campaign and he is determined to make the most of the experience he picked up over the past two seasons.

"I'm definitely pumped up," he said. "I feel more confident coming in to another season and ready for the challenges ahead and ready to take them on. So I wouldn't say I'm nervous, just more excited and hungry to go.

"I'm coming in with more experience, which is something you really can't buy, but definitely more confidence. Even if testing didn't go as well as we expected, everything's still open and we could be really quick this weekend. I genuinely think no one really knows."

He added: "I think [scoring] points is definitely on the cards. Top eight would be a really good start to the year. And then as the season progresses, just consistently get points.

"Obviously, I want to win - I'd love to win - but whether that's going to be possible, we'll soon find out. Last year it wasn't, but maybe things will swing our way this year."