FORMULA 1 - 2013

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Hamilton: Since I won my title I’ve never had a car to compete since then

Six months after he left McLaren, it is clear bad blood remains between Lewis Hamilton and the legendary British team as they fire lightly disguised disparaging remarks at each other.

Over the winter, as the 2008 world champion left the Woking based squad that nurtured him from boyhood, strong rumours of a falling out between Hamilton and team ‘supremo’ Ron Dennis swirled.

Those rumours were not silenced this week, when chairman Dennis – although no longer the team boss – hit out at an unnamed former McLaren driver for having lost focus.

“Some people lost sight of what the objective is,” he said.

“When you lost sight of what you are doing, then you lost sight of what it takes to be a world champion,” Dennis charged.

At the same time, 28-year-old Hamilton admitted he decided to leave McLaren because he felt he was “wasting away” his best chances of adding to his tally of a single world title.

“One (title) is less prestigious now because so many people have won a championship,” he is quoted as saying by the Sun newspaper.

“Now the people who have two or three or four, (that is what) makes you special.

“I got to Formula 1 and nearly won in my first year, then I won in my second year but I’ve never had a car to really compete since then.”

“The car makes such a big difference so you’re just wasting away your best years,” added Hamilton.

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Ecclestone reveals he has 2014 contract with Pirelli

Amid the ‘test-gate’ saga and uncertainty about the future of Pirelli in the sport, Bernie Ecclestone has revealed that he has in fact got a contract beyond 2013 with the Italian tyre manufacturer.

Until now, with the Italian marque pushing hard for a new deal but at the same time expressing frustration with its situation in Formula 1, it was thought Pirelli had no contract beyond its original three-year deal covering 2011-2012-2013.

But when asked on Thursday about Pirelli’s situation, chief executive Ecclestone told Formula 1 business journalist Christian Sylt,: “We have got a contract with Pirelli for next year.”

Presumably, Ecclestone was referring to the organisation he leads, Formula 1 Management, who control the sport’s commercial rights separate to the governing FIA.

Ecclestone added: “Pirelli haven’t got an agreement with the FIA (for 2014).”

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Mercedes prepared to forego young driver test as punishment

Mercedes would be willing to miss a Formula 1 young driver test at Silverstone in July if a tribunal decides to punish them for allegedly breaking the testing rules last month, their lawyer said on Thursday.

Paul Harris, representing the British-based team at a hearing in Paris that could impose a range of sanctions including exclusion from the championship itself, said Mercedes should be cleared.

If that was not to be the case, he suggested a reprimand would suffice.

“If there is to be anything more severe…a message can be sent as to sporting sanction but in the circumstances of Mercedes it should be suspended,” he declared.

Harris said that as a last resort, the young driver test could be used to ‘level the playing field’ by barring Mercedes from three days of testing.

“That is a three day test and it’s a car test over which the teams have full control,” he said. “It’s a truly meaningful and beneficial test.

“If…we are in this sort of territory then it is open to the International Tribunal to impose exclusions actual or suspended from events that are under the FIA jurisdiction such as the young driver test.

“If you think there is a need to do that then the young driver test is an apt opportunity to impose a proportionate redress of what on this hypothesis is competitive imbalance,” said the lawyer.

Mercedes are charged with gaining an unfair advantage by making their current car and race drivers available for a 1,000km Pirelli tyre test over three days at the Barcelona circuit in May.

Formula One rules ban teams from track testing during the season with a current car, but Pirelli can undertake private tests and also argue that they are not a competitor subject to the same restrictions as teams.

The tribunal, made up of four judges under British lawyer Edwin Glasgow as president, withdrew to consider the evidence. Glasgow told the hearing that a decision would be produced by Friday.

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Infinity Racing looked at other teams

Mansoor Ijaz, chairman of Infinity Racing and new part owner of the Lotus F1 team, revealed that he spoke with three other teams before opting for Lotus.

Earlier this week, investment group Infinity Racing purchased a 35 per cent stake in the Lotus Formula One team.

However, Lotus wasn't the only team on Infinity's - which comprises private investors from America, Abu Dhabi and an unidentified oil producing nation - radar for a while.

"We have been looking at Formula One for about two years now," Ijaz told Sports Pro Media.

"We looked at three other teams before we decided on Lotus. I won't mention which ones but we had general discussions and in some cases very specific discussions.

"There were two things missing in the other teams we looked at. The first was the element of real team spirit, meaning across the board - vertically as well as horizontally - in terms of the breadth and depth of the team's capacity - its interconnectedness. I just didn't see that in any of the other teams that we looked at.

"The second element was the business brains that run Genii Capital and the business brains that affect the way in which Lotus is managed as a business; these are men cut from the same cloth as I have been throughout my career.

"There was a congruency in the way we thought the business ought to be run. They've done an incredibly good job to bring team harmony back to a team that had been fractured by the problems it had before.

"If Lotus was, on a scale of minus ten to plus ten, at minus eight because of the problems it had before Genii Capital came in and now it's plus five, six or even seven, what we're doing is topping it off to make sure they get to the Championship. That has two key elements: technology and sponsorship revenue and that's basically what we're bringing to the table."

Such is Ijaz's confidence in the team that he proclaimed: "We'll be number one in 12 months. I say it simply, flatly, completely - we'll be number one in 12 months."

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Mercedes acknowledges and accepts the decision of the FIA tribunal

The Mercedes AMG Formula 1 Team acknowledges and accepts the Decision of the FIA International Tribunal published today.

The Decision of the International Tribunal confirmed that the team acted in good faith regarding the Pirelli Tests, never intended to obtain any unfair sporting advantage and had no reason to believe that approval for the Pirelli Tests had not been given.

Mercedes accepts the proportionate penalties of a reprimand and suspension from the forthcoming Young Driver Test that have been decided upon by the Tribunal.

Mercedes would like to once again restate its firm belief in proper due process and commend the FIA for the principle of an independent disciplinary body.

The team would furthermore like to thank the International Tribunal and its President for the fair hearing it received on Friday.

In the best interests of the sport, the team does not intend to avail itself of any right to appeal the Decision.

Mercedes looks forward to working with the FIA and its fellow competitors to establish a more rigorous procedure for testing in the future, particularly to support the appointed tyre supplier.

We now wish to bring this matter to a close and focus on the forthcoming British and German Grands Prix, both of which are important home races for the team.

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Raikkonen: Silverstone was the real base for the start of my racing career

After two race weekends with meagre points pickings, Lotus driver Kimi Raikkonen is eager to get his championship challenge back on track at Silverstone, a venue for which the Iceman has a soft spot, for as it was where his racing career took off.

Your championship potential has taken something of a hit in the last two races; is this a big concern?

Obviously, it’s not been that great and we haven’t got the results we wanted. The last couple of races have been more a question of surviving not attacking and that’s not what anyone wants. That said, Monaco and Montréal are both street circuits; they’re quite different from a lot of tracks we visit and there are quite a lot of variables. You never know how you’re going to go at those two tracks but we do now and at least we got a few points.

Does returning to a permanent race circuit bring any positivity?

Silverstone is a more normal circuit and we’ve been okay at every other permanent circuit so far this year. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t be back to the positions we should be with this package. We just have to be patient, do our very best over the entire weekend and step by step we can start catching the leaders.

How challenging is Silverstone as a race track?

Silverstone is all about long sweeping high-speed corners and high downforce levels. It’s one of the fastest circuits on the calendar; it’s very challenging and the flowing corners are pretty good fun to drive. Hopefully our new parts will help us; particularly in the faster corners. If that’s the case, it could be a good weekend.

Have you always liked Silverstone?

Yes, it’s always such a good feeling going to Silverstone. It’s a great place to race and it has been a good circuit for me since the very beginning of my career. I have a long history there. It was the real base for the start of my international racing career in Formula Renault in 1999 and 2000. Since then I’ve always enjoyed racing at Silverstone. I don’t know why; there must be this nostalgic feeling that I have every time we go there.

You won at Silverstone in 2007 and have been on the podium five times altogether; how does it feelwhen everything goes right there?

When you win in Silverstone, it gives such a good feeling. You have to get everything exactly right. I won there in Formula Renault and then in Formula 1 with Ferrari in 2007. It would be fantastic to win again there, especially with the factory just down the road. I’m sure we would have some fantastic celebrations.

What about the British summer?

It’s always windy at Silverstone. Often it rains too, like we saw last year in qualifying. The track conditions change very quickly, which makes the car more tricky to set-up. Obviously when you are running at the front it’s best to have stable conditions, but I don’t mind really. The weather is just a part of the fun of racing in England. I’ll enjoy the weekend whatever the weather will be.

How’s the feeling from the team?

The team has worked 100% to have a really competitive car for the home race. Silverstone is the closest circuit to the factory so hopefully we can celebrate a good result with all of the factory personnel and their families who bring their support every year.

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Grosjean: Our upgrade package for the E21 should suit Silverstone

After his fightback through the field in Montréal went largely unnoticed thanks to a change to the planned strategy with an extra pit stop, Lotus driver Romain Grosjean looks to Silverstone for redemption.

How do you like Silverstone?

Romain Grosjean: It’s a fantastic track with a lot of high speed corners which should suit the E21; especially with the upgrade package we have for it. It’s a home race for myself and the team so we’re sure to have a lot of support. I won there in the GP2 Series in 2011, so I have to say I quite like it! I also scored points on my Silverstone Formula 1 debut so it’s a run of results I’d like to continue.

Why is Silverstone rated as one of the favourite circuits for many drivers?

RG: Silverstone is challenging, but it has a good feel. It’s one of the quickest tracks of the year, with legendary corners like the Magotts, Becketts, Chapel complex. It’s quite a feeling going through there and I can’t wait to feel that sensation once more. It’s also a special grand prix for the team as the factory is very close to the track. It’s always nice to see not only the race team, but also some of the many people from the factory who come to see us in action. It’s thanks to all their hard work that we’re out on track and they are all doing an amazing job, always working so hard. I will be visiting them after the race and hopefully I will go there with some silverware to show them.

What is difficult about a Silverstone weekend?

RG: Last year there was quite a bit of wet weather over the weekend; not that this was much of a surprise to the Englishmen I’ve spoken to! I live quite near to the track now and my experience of regularly visiting Enstone means that I know the weather can change quite a lot. An English summer’s day is wonderful, but sometimes you have to look hard to find one!

Was there much more that could have been done in Canada?

RG: There’s not really much to tell. The second set of tyres really didn’t work for us in Montréal and if you can’t get them to work then you’re going to have a difficult race. We had a strong strategy planned and the first part of the race worked well. Once we got the medium tyre up to temperature at the start of the race I was able to make some good overtaking moves. This meant we were looking like taking a strong position in the points, which wouldn’t have been bad considering I started at the back of the grid.

However, once we fitted the supersoft tyres it all went wrong. The set we used simply didn’t work for us and the tyres fell away after fewer than ten laps, which was a big surprise. After that, we could either try to fight a losing battle with shot tyres, or change to a new set – of mediums we decided – and see what we could do by pushing like it was qualifying. Even then we couldn’t get the last set working properly either, so it was a frustrating end to the race.

The next five races are all in Europe; does this make a difference?

RG: There’s no jet-lag and you’re more likely to get a good night’s sleep, which is a good thing! The race meetings are shorter too, as you don’t lose the time traveling or getting used to a new time zone. We visit some great destinations over the next few races, with some very knowledgeable and enthusiastic fans. We hope we can put on a good show, with Lotus F1 Team right at the front of the battle.

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Red Bull wanted $100-million fine for Mercedes

The curious outcome of the ‘test-gate’ saga is that, although found guilty of breaking the rules, Mercedes is reacting with relief at the outcome of the international tribunal’ verdict.

Ferrari, though its ascerbic ‘Horse Whisperer’ column, and fellow protester Red Bull, sound like the losers, angry that their German rival is only banned from the forthcoming young drivers’ test.

Indeed, Austrians Niki Lauda – Mercedes chairman – and Red Bull’s Helmut Marko made a bet in the midst of the scandal in which the ‘loser’ would have to pay EUR 50 to the winner.

Lauda sent Marko only a text message.

“Punishment is punishment,” Marko told Bild. “He should put his money in an envelope.”

Marko, however, can actually see the ‘winner’ Lauda’s side of the argument, describing the judges’ verdict as “a joke”.

“We expected a much [harsher] decision,” he said.

In fact, Bild newspaper claims that Red Bull submitted to the tribunal that Mercedes should be fined $100 million – a la the McLaren ‘spygate’ scandal – and docked 150 constructors’ championship points.

As it happens, Mercedes is happy with the outcome.

“It is a relief,” admitted team director and co-owner Toto Wolff, “but we only pop champagne bottles when we win on the track.”

Lauda added: “The decision of the FIA is absolutely correct, and in the spirit of motor racing.”

But he insists that Mercedes also would have accepted a harsher penalty.

“Without doubt we would not have appealed a harsher judgement,” triple world champion Lauda toldWelt am Sonntag newspaper.

“I’ve been in this sport for decades, and what I was concerned about the most was the harmony and mutual respect between the teams.

“In a sport where technology plays such an important role, there will always be misunderstandings and room for interpretation – it’s completely normal.”

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Renault unveil their F1 turbo engine for 2014 and beyond

Renault F1 Sport have distributed photos and details of their 2014 Formula 1 engine. The 1.6-litre V6 turbocharged unit has been named Energy F1-2014,highlighting the added importance of energy recovery systems (ERS) in next year’s Formula 1 regulations governing power units.

In 2014 the current 2.4-litre V8 engines, which rev to a maximum of 18,000rpm, will be replaced by 1.6-litre V6 turbocharged power units revving to a maximum of 15,000rpm.

The new engines will produce around 600bhp, but that will be complemented by a powerful ERS producing around an additional 160bhp and dramatically increasing powertrain efficiency by harvesting energy dissipated as heat in the exhaust or brakes.

Whilst the maximum power of the new units will exceed the output of current V8 engines, fuel efficiency will be radically improved with Renault predicting that the new powerplants will use 35 percent less fuel than their predecessors – important as fuel will be limited to 100kg per race next season.

As expected, the sound of the new unit will also be different to its predecessor as Rob White, Renault’s deputy managing director (technical), explained: “The engines remain high-revving, ultra-high output competition engines. Fundamentally the engine noise will still be loud.

“It will wake you from sleep, and circuit neighbours will still complain. The engine noise is just a turbocharged noise rather than a normally-aspirated noise: you can just hear the turbo when the driver lifts off the throttle and the engine speed drops.

“I am sure some people will be nostalgic for the sound of engines from previous eras, including the preceding V8, but the sound of the new generation power units is just different. It’s like asking whether you like Motorhead or AC/DC. Ultimately it is a matter of personal taste. Both in concert are still pretty loud.”

Renault will continue their world championship-winning relationship with Red Bull next season and the French firm will also replace Ferrari as engine suppliers to Toro Rosso. The two other teams Renault currently supply, Lotus and Caterham, have yet to officially confirm their 2014 engine plans.

Renault Press Release

In 2014 Formula 1 will enter a new era. After three years of planning and development, the most significant technical change to hit the sport in more than two decades is introduced. Engine regulations form the major part of the coming revolution, with the introduction of a new generation of Power Units that combine a 1.6 litre V6 turbocharged engine with energy recovery systems that will dramatically increase efficiency by harvesting energy dissipated as heat in the exhaust or brakes.

The maximum power of the new Power Unit will exceed the output of current V8 F1 engines however fuel efficiency will be radically improved. With only 100kg permitted for the race, the new units will use 35% less fuel than their predecessors.

Alain Prost, Renault ambassador and four-times Formula 1 World Champion, “From 2014 we will bring engines to the fore and redress the balance in F1. An engine is the heart of a car, from next year it returns to the heart of our sport.”

For several years, Renault has used its racing know-how to develop fuel efficient engines for road cars, notably its Energy range.

The objectives are clear: maintain or improve driving pleasure, vitality and acceleration with downsized engines to achieve lower fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

Renault has employed these principles in developing the F1 Power Unit, creating a complete, and genuine, circular development process between road and track.

For these reasons, Renault has named the F1 Power Unit series ‘Energy F1’; clearly illustrating that the F1 Power Unit shares the same DNA as its road-going cousins.

Jean-Michel Jalinier, President of Renault Sport F1: “From next year, one of greatest challenges in F1 will be to maximize energy efficiency and fuel economy while maintaining the power output and performance expected of F1 cars. Renault has pioneered this technology in its road car engine range with the Energy series. Naming the Power Unit Energy F1 creates an unbroken range, from the Clio through to our competition department.”

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Pirelli may sue FIA in aftermath of ‘tyre-gate’ tribunal

The Telegraph newspaper reports that tyre supplier Pirelli, officially reprimanded by the FIA tribunal for their role in the post Spanish GP tyre test with Mercedes, “may yet decide to sue the FIA” for having wrongfully pressed charges and damaging its image.

Mercedes issued a statement saying that it accepts the penalties, while boss Ross Brawn insisted to British Sky television that the marque emerged from the saga with “a blemish-free record”.

Brawn, meanwhile, did not deny that he would have lost his job had the tribunal issued a harsher penalty.

“You never know what might['ve] happen[ed] if the outcome of the tribunal had been different and I’m an employee and member of the team, so things can change,” he said.

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The Big Preview: British Grand Prix at Silverstone

Round eight of the 2013 FIA Formula 1 Championship brings the teams and drivers to Britain and Silverstone, one of the few remaining power circuits on the F1 calendar.

Silverstone hosted the first Formula One race in 1950 and has been a permanent fixture on the calendar since. The circuit has been modified several times, most recently in 2010, but despite the facelifts it has retained its character as a high-speed test of nerve. That much is proved by the fact that seven of its 18 corners are taken at over 250 km/h and that the cars are at full throttle for just over 60 per cent of each lap.

The high-speed corners, swift changes of direction and an abrasive surface do, however, mean that tyres take a beating at Silverstone and to cope with the heavy lateral loads Pirelli is bringing its hard and medium tyres to this weekend’s race.

Having taken his third victory of the season by a comfortable margin three weeks ago at Montreal’s Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, championship leader Sebastian Vettel would appear to be best placed to tackle Silverstone’s demands. However, it’s the German’s Red Bull Racing team-mate, Mark Webber, who has thrived most obviously here in recent years, the Australian racking up wins in 2010 and last year.

However Ferrari cannot be ruled out and 2011 British Grand Prix winner Fernando Alonso will be looking to close the current 36-point gap between himself and Vettel at the top of the Drivers’ Championship.

When it comes to outright single-lap pace, however, few will look further than Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. Four of the seven pole positions so far have gone their way and the Silver Arrows look primed to add another here. Vettel, who has the other three poles to his credit, might have other ideas.

Silverstone Circuit Data

• Length of lap: 5.891km
  
• Lap record: 1:34.661 (Kimi Raikkonen, Lotus, 2012)
  
• Start line/finish line offset: 0.105km
  
• Total number of race laps: 52
  
• Total race distance: 306.198km
  
• Pitlane speed limits: 60km/h during practice. 100km/h during qualifying and the race
  

Changes to the circuit since 2012

• A number of new drains have been installed in verges around the circuit in order to improve drainage in areas where water has accumulated in the past.
  
• The tyre barrier on the driver’s right at the exit of Turn 14 will be extended by 50 metres.
  

DRS Zone

• There will be two DRS zones at Silverstone. The activation point of the first is shortly beforeTurn 3 (Village) and the activation point is after Turn 5 (Aintree) on the Wellington Straight. The second zone’s detection point is after Turn 10 (Maggots) and the activation point will be after Turn 14 (Chapel) on the Hangar Straight.
  

British GP Fast Facts

• This will be the 64th time Formula One has staged a British Grand Prix and Silverstone will stage its 47th British GP this year. The race has also been held at Aintree (alternating yearly with Silverstone from 1955 to 1960 and in 1961 and 1962) and at Brands Hatch (alternating with Silverstone from 1963 until 1986).
  
• Jim Clark and Alain Prost have the most British GP wins with five apiece. One of Clark’s was scored at Aintree (1962) and one at Brands Hatch (1964). All five of Prost’s were at Silverstone (1983, ’85, ’89, ’90, ’93). Prost’s best finish from attempts at Brands Hatch was third in 1986.
  
• In 63 editions the race has been won by a round dozen Britons: Stirling Moss (1955, ’57), Tony Brooks (’57), Peter Collins (’58), Jim Clark (’62-’65 and ’67), Jackie Stewart (’69 and ’71), James Hunt (’77), John Watson (’81), Nigel Mansell (’86, ’87, ’91-’92), Damon Hill (’94), Johnny Herbert(’95), David Coulthard (’99 and 2000) and Lewis Hamilton in 2008.
  
• Ferrari are the most successful team at the British Grand Prix with 16 wins. The Scuderia’s first F1 win was claimed at this event, with José Froilan Gonzalez, who died on June 15 this year aged 90, driving a Ferrari 375 to victory at Silverstone in 1951. The team’s most successful driver in Britain is, unsurprisingly, Michael Schumacher, who claimed all three of his British Grand Prix wins at the wheel of a Ferrari.
  
• McLaren – in their 50th Anniversary year – are just two wins away from Ferrari’s total, while another British constructor, Williams – at Silverstone celebrating their 600th GP – are third on the list of most successful teams at the event with 10 wins. McLaren’s most recent victory came courtesy of Hamilton in 2008, while Williams have not won here since Jacques Villeneuve stood on the top step in his championship-winning year of 1997.
  
• Of the current drivers, the most successful here are Alonso and Mark Webber. Both drivers have two wins to their credit. Alonso won here with Renault in 2006 and with Ferrari in 2011. Both Webber’s victories have been with Red Bull Racing, in 2010 and last year.
  
• Jenson Button has more British GPs under his belt than any other driver on the grid, with 13. Despite the total he’s never appeared on the F1 podium here. The closest he’s come was fourth place in 2004 for BAR and in 2010 for McLaren. His last Silverstone podium appearance was in 1999 when he won round 15 of the British F3 championship.
  
• Pole position isn’t of great benefit. The race has been won from the front of the grid just three times since the turn of the century (Rubens Barrichello ’03, Alonso in ’06 and Sebastian Vettel in ’09).
  
• It certainly doesn’t hurt to be at the sharp end of the grid however. Since 2000 every winner has started from fourth or better. The last time the race was won from further back was in 1995 when Johnny Herbert started fifth. The race has never been won by anyone starting outside the top 10.
  
• British GP
  

Race Stewards Biographies

• Swede Lars Österlind is a highly experienced FIA steward who has officiated at more than 100 grands prix and a similar number of World Rally Championship rounds. A social sciences graduate and lifelong motor sport enthusiast, Österlind was President of the Swedish Rally Commission from 1978-1982, then President of the Swedish Automobile Sport Federation from 1982-1996. He became Honorary President in 1996 and has been a member of the FIA World Council since 1984. Outside motor sport Österlind has specialised in management, working as a consultant and pursuing his own business interests. He is also experienced in local government at city council level.
  
• Paolo Longoni is a steward with more than 20 years’ experience. Milanese Longoni began his stewards’ training at his home circuit – Monza – in 1990 and was immediately ‘bitten by the bug’ of motor sport. While his early stewarding experience was based largely at Monza, since 2006 Longoni has been a national steward, officiating at rounds of the Porsche Supercup, Ferrari Challenge Championship, FIA Historic Championship, ETCC, WTCC, Formula Two and Le Mans Series events.
  
• For the fourth year in succession, Nigel Mansell is the FIA driver steward at the British GP. From 187 grand prix starts Mansell took 32 pole positions, 31 victories and 28 other podium finishes. He raced for Team Lotus, Williams, Ferrari and McLaren, winning the FIA F1 World Champion in 1992 with Williams. The following season Mansell took a sabbatical from F1, racing in the CART championship. He become the first rookie to win that title and the only man to hold the F1 and CART titles simultaneously. Mansell is a four-times winner of the British Grand Prix, with three of those victories at Silverstone.
  

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Hamilton: My mind was clouded, but now I feel good and am really happy

Lewis Hamilton has put trials and tribulations behind him and is raring to make his first British Grand Prix appearance for Mercedes this weekend in a car he says is better than last year’s McLaren.

With McLaren yet to finish higher than fifth this season, after winning seven races in 2012, the 2008 Formula 1 World Champion has no regrets about the move to Mercedes that many were still questioning only months ago.

He heads for Silverstone as one of four British drivers but the one with the best chance of victory, Mercedes already having won in Monaco thanks to Germany’s Nico Rosberg. They have also been on pole four times in seven races.

“I feel like I have a better car this year so I think we should be more competitive than we were last year,” he told reporters at the Mercedes factory, a short drive from Silverstone.

“It is definitely closer [to being able to win] than what I have had for a couple of years, so I am looking forward to seeing what the car can do,” he added. ”I think the car will go really well here.”

Two clouds that hung over Hamilton at the last race in Canada have lifted. One was personal and the other was an international tribunal that could have imposed heavy sanctions on his team for a “secret” tyre test with Pirelli.

Last week’s hearing handed Mercedes a reprimand and ordered them to miss a young driver test in July, but neither punishment will have much impact on Hamilton or Rosberg.

In Montreal Hamilton had seemed abrupt and distant, telling reporters he had “things” on his mind, but on Tuesday he was relaxed again.

“I feel good. I am really happy,” he said. “My mind was a bit clouded [in Canada], [although] it didn’t really affect my weekend in terms of performance and being able to do the job, but I feel good. And I am looking forward to this weekend and just getting on with it.

“I can’t wait until Friday…And I am on the simulator tomorrow so I get to really focus on trying to nail the set-up, so we start on the right foot during the weekend.”

Hamilton, who was at McLaren in 2007 when the Woking team were fined a record $100 million and stripped of all their constructors’ points for a spying controversy, said that he had not allowed the tribunal to unsettle him.

“I tried my best not to give it much thought. [Team principal] Ross [brawn] kept me in the loop and I’d get an email here and there from the lawyer explaining where we were,” he said.

“Of course, when I saw the team at the weekend it was a relief for everyone…that they could get on and start focusing on the next race. And I’m happy as well.”

Hamilton said the team was doing a great job, adding: “We’ve got into a good position so far and if we can get into an even better one that would be fantastic. They have been working so hard to get the results that we’ve had, a negative result was not needed.”

Although Hamilton would not have taken part in the young driver test, he said the lack of it would be a setback.

The test is the sole chance during the season for teams to try out new developments.

“That does suck a little bit,” said the Briton of the team’s exclusion. “It’s important because we had a lot planned, upgrades and stuff, on those three days.

“It’s also vital for the [reserve] drivers who are always on the simulator to test the tyres, and where they are, and come back in here and feed back so they continue working on developments and improving the simulator.

“It definitely puts us back a little bit but we’re going to have to try to figure out a way to recover it elsewhere.”

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Williams celebrates 600 F1 races at the British Grand Prix

The Williams F1 Team is celebrating a landmark achievement this weekend at the British Grand Prix – reaching 600 races in Formula 1.

Founded in 1977 by Frank Williams and Patrick Head, Williams has secured 297 podiums, 114 race wins and 16 World Championship titles over the past 36 years.

Nine of these titles have been won in the Constructors’ Championship, with the remaining seven titles being Drivers’ Championships won with Alan Jones, Keke Rosberg, Nelson Piquet, Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve.

Williams has grown into a significant international business since its inception and its achievements earned founder and team principal Frank Williams a knighthood in the 1999 New Year’s Honours List to augment France’s highest decoration, the legion d’Honneur.

Frank Williams with Alan Jones

The team will publicly celebrate reaching 600 races at its home Grand Prix this weekend – a fitting place to celebrate as Silverstone witnessed the team’s first ever race win in 1979 and its 100th race win in 1997.

The team will officially reach 600 starts in F1 at the German Grand Prix the following weekend, and will mark this milestone by displaying the number 600 on the sidepods of both FW35s.

The livery will also be emblazoned with the names of all 691 Williams employees who work across all divisions of the Williams Group as a tribute to their continued hard work and dedication.

Speaking about reaching 600 starts in F1, Sir Frank Williams said; “For an independent team like Williams to reach 600 races at the pinnacle of motorsport is a remarkable achievement. 78 teams have come and gone or changed ownership since our foundation and our longevity is a testament to the thousands of people who have sacrificed so much to keep us here. It seems only right to mark this milestone at the home of British motorsport alongside our loyal British fans.”

Claire Williams, Deputy Team Principal and Commercial Director, added; “Williams has never been an organisation to dwell on what has gone before, but this weekend we will be rightly celebrating our heritage and reflecting on some of our defining moments over the past 36 years. This is also an opportunity for us to take stock and look ahead to the future, making sure that we have the necessary pieces in place to make our next 600 races just as memorable.”

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Perez: You don’t win races when you’re a second slower than everyone

McLaren must not lose another whole season by bungling the development of its next car, new team driver Sergio Perez has warned, as he and teammate Jenson Button struggle with a car which he claims is “a second off the pace”.

The young Mexican joined the Woking based team this year, just as it launched the uncompetitive MP4-28.

Despite calls that it would be the most sensible solution, McLaren has so far refused to write off the current car in order to focus on the all-new rules of 2014.

Asked how far McLaren is from winning a race in 2013, Perez answered: “I think far away.

“We need to make major improvements; breakthroughs. We are currently one second per lap slower,” he is quoted by Brazil’s Totalrace. ”You don’t win races when you’re a second slower than everyone else.”

Perez suggested the time might be coming when McLaren must draw a line under the MP4-28 and begin to ensure that its 2014 car is not similarly poor.

“We have to give our best for the next couple of months, but at some point we’ll have to focus on the 2014 car,” he said. ”We can’t risk losing another year.”

In terms of his development as an F1 driver, however, Perez admitted that 2013 has not been a totally ‘lost’ year.

“I think I’m happy,” he said, “because I’ve learned a lot, and grown a lot as a driver. Even though I have half the points that I had last year, I’m in a better position as a driver.”

“When I came here with such a different car I realised that, compared to Jenson Button, I was not good enough,” he is quoted by EFE news agency.

“So I had to learn about that and work at it. Now I’m driving very differently to how I was at Sauber.”

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Prost: Turbo era will favour strategic and very calculating drivers

Alain Prost drives the turbo charged Renault RE30 at the 1981 Dutch GP

Renault ambassador and four time Formula 1 World Champion Alain Prost spent a good chunk of his career driving big horse-power turbo engine F1 cars in the ‘first’ turbo era of the sport.

He reflects on those days and looks ahead to the ‘second’ turbo era which begins in 2014.

What was the first turbo era like for the drivers ?

Alain Prost: If you go back to the start of the 1980s, it was all about response time; there was a lag of two to three seconds. We saw turbo engines develop every year, there were improvements between the first turbo engines in 1977 and those at the end, but throughout the period, the driving style was very different. You had to find the right moment to accelerate – and anticipate when the power would come through. Getting the timing right depended on a lot of factors : the type of corner, speed, grip, the type of tyres, how worn they were and how much the turbo had been used. For the drivers, there were corners where you definitely had to brake a bit earlier, so you could accelerate earlier, and therefore be able to have the required power at the right moment. That’s why there could be such big gaps between the cars, as well as drivers becoming tired towards the end of the race. Your brain had to process things differently.

Alain Prost leads teammate Niki Lauda in the McLaren MP4-2B powered by TAG turbo engine

Will the use of turbocharged engines be different next year ?

AP: When you look at the extent to which cars in general, and especially F1 cars, have developed from a technological point of view, there is no doubt that the turbocharged engines of the future will be very different. This is especially true because part of the power is generated electrically. We don’t have precise information about the response times as yet, but it will be very short compared with what we experienced in the 1980s.

Will the drivers have to adapt their approach next year ?

AP: Probably, yes. First of all, there will be a tiny lag, in terms of response time. I imagine it’ll probably be very small next year, but the drivers will nonetheless have to get used to it. But it’s not just a question of the turbocharger : the interaction between the combustion engine and the electric motors will also be very complex. The combustion engine generates around 600 bhp and the electric motors around 160 bhp, so power management will be much more of an issue than with the normally-aspirated engines used currently. The engines, and all the resulting energy use strategies, will be utilised by the engineers and the drivers in a variety of ways. In fact, it’s a return to an era when the driver will need to be strategic and very calculating in how he used his racing car. Being quick will no longer be enough on its own ; you’ll need to be quick and sensitive.

Will engines become more significant again in 2014 ?

AP: As soon as you freeze engine development, the chassis and aerodynamics become more important again. In 2014, the situation will be rebalanced. There’ll be a very interesting technical side to the sport, where greater emphasis will be again placed on engines. Whoever manages to get the various parts to gel most effectively will benefit the most and innovation will stem from good working relationships between the chassis and engine departments. And then the engines, and all the resulting energy use strategies, will be utilised by the engineers and the drivers in a variety of ways. In short, there will be new strategies that will increase the importance of the engines. On paper, it sounds perfect !

Are we about to see the start of a new era in F1 ?

AP: Yes, I think so. Many people watching F1 are disappointed with the racing and the fact there are restrictions this year, even if they are subjective, and the engines are all more or less the same. In the 1980s, you have to say that the turbo engine years generated interest in F1: everyone was interested in this new technical challenge. It was also a bit of an emotional journey, insofar as huge developments were expected at each race.

Many people are worried about the noise of the new turbo engines…what about you ?

AP: I know that it’s an argument against them for some people, but I don’t think it makes sense. You need noise, of course, but there’ll be plenty of it. It’s true that we have had V8s, V10s and V12 engines which have made a terrific racket ; you could even tell the engine just from the noise it made, without having to turn around. Personally speaking, I really like the noise of the turbo engines – they’re not diesel engines, that’s for sure ! There will always be people who say that it was better before, but the noise levels should be perfectly acceptable.

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Michelin not ruling out return to Formula 1

Michelin has not denied reports that it might be shaping up to succeed Formula 1′s increasingly frustrated and somewhat out-of-favour official tyre supplier Pirelli.

Indeed, some reports have even hinted that the French company’s candidature is being championed by FIA president Jean Todt.

But Pascal Couasnon, Michelin’s competition boss, said the marque would not consider returning to F1 simply to rescue the sport amid its Pirelli crisis.

Asked, however, if he can categorically rule out coming back to the pinnacle of motor sport, he told Speed Week: “No.

“We all live in the same world, and it is clear what F1 is in terms of visibility — in this area F1 is a long way ahead.

“Also when it comes to technology, [F1] could be extremely interesting,” added Couasnon.

However, he insisted that Michelin would not simply decide ‘yes’ and push ahead with an F1 foray.

“We would be willing to sit down and make some suggestions,” said Couasnon, indicating that Michelin would like to change some of the rules.

Asked what he meant, he explained: “In terms of the type of tyres in terms of visibility, and what is the right mix for the spectacle and the challenge for tyre manufacturers.

“We might suggest, for example, to change the tyre dimension for F1. Today in Formula 1 there are 13 inch wheels, but that doesn’t interest us. 18 inches is a whole other thing,” he said.

Couasnon also indicated that the current rules do not fit with F1′s moves to become more ‘green’.

“A tyre that lasts only seven laps is difficult to relate to the idea of ‘green’,” he said.

“We would only be interested [in F1] if we are able to have smart regulations in terms of the tyres.

“It is not enough to return as the ‘saviour’ of F1. If there is another way, then we could say ‘why not?” added Couasnon.

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Marussia boss says team not treated fairly

Marussia is not racing on a level playing field in Formula 1, team chief executive Graeme Lowdon has told the Guardian newspaper.

It emerged earlier this year that Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone decided to limit the official prize money to only the top ten teams, explaining why Marussia was not offered a new commercial deal for 2013.

Additionally, an extra $10 million per year paid until now to the new teams Caterham, Marussia and the now-defunct HRT was cancelled.

Lowdon complained: “All we ask for is a level playing field. We are not asking for much.”

He said the lack of income is compounded by the Formula 1 teams’ current business model, with exorbitant spending translating into marginal laptime gains.

“You can buy success, to some extent,” said Lowdon. “Most teams, if they have money, will spend it and, if you spend everything you have and then find out you are not getting it, you have a problem.

“All teams should be treated equally. [However,] for whatever reason, that does not seem to be the case.”

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F1 to introduce new safer side impact system

Formula 1 drivers will have greater protection next season from side impacts at oblique angles, the International Automobile Federation (FIA) said on Monday.

The Paris-based body said in its AUTO journal that a new side impact protection system was the result of a year-long collaboration between teams – McLaren, Mercedes, Marussia and Red Bull – and its own institute.

Research consultant Andy Mellor told the magazine they had gone “back to basics” in looking at the side impact structures, using Robert Kubica’s huge 2007 crash in Montreal as the reference point.

Current systems use crushable tube structures attached to the side of the chassis but these can break off during oblique impacts.

The new version uses carbon fibre tube structures fitted to each side of the car which do not shatter on impact but progressively crush and decelerate the car in a controlled manner.

The FIA said that the teams had agreed to introduce the system next season at a technical working group meeting in May.

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Red Bull denies plot to mimic Mercedes test

Red Bull have been quick to officially deny reports that it is considering breaking Formula 1 rules as a counter-punch to the ‘test-gate’ scandal verdict handed out to Mercedes.

According to The Times, the world champion team is reportedly so furious about Mercedes’ lenient penalties that it is considering boycotting next month’s young drivers test at Silverstone.

In its place, Red Bull – and possibly also Ferrari – would reportedly stage their own private, three-day test, in a directly confrontational move against the FIA, who might be hard pressed to issue penalties beyond the kind of benign ‘reprimand’ dealt to Mercedes.

But Red Bull’s Helmut Marko told Sport Bild on Monday: “Of course we wouldn’t break the rules.”

However, Marko made clear Red Bull’s view that banning Mercedes from the Silverstone test next month is hardly a proportional punishment.

“You can’t really try anything in the young drivers test,” he said.

“The drivers at the wheel are just learning about F1, while Mercedes had three days with their regular drivers.”

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Pic’s future depends on 2014 Caterham-Renault contract

Charles Pic’s Formula 1 future is closely tied to Renault, manager Olivier Panis has admitted and therefore with no contract in place with Caterham there is no certainty about the Frenchman’s future.

23-year-old Pic moved from Marussia to Caterham over the winter, having signed what ex F1 driver Panis describes as a “long term contract”.

But this doesn’t mean that Pic’s future beyond 2013 is signed and sealed.

Panis, 46, refers to Pic’s close relationship with Renault, who are yet to put the final lid on a V6 engine deal with Caterham for 2014.

Asked about Pic’s progress so far at Caterham, Frenchman Panis said: “In my view he has a chance to become a real star of the future.

“At the moment we are with Caterham, and the beginning of the season was not so successful because the car was far from ideal,” he told Russia’s Formula 1news.ru.

“But Charles is doing well, he has a good relationship with the team and he can help them gradually increase the pace of the car.”

Panis suggested that Pic helped Caterham to secure a “major sponsor” in the form of Renault, adding that the French carmaker “is very important for his future”.

“We have a long term contract with Caterham,” said the former Toyota driver, “but now we are waiting for the signing of the contract between the team and Renault for the engine supply.”

Panis also said that it is “nonsense” to write off drivers like Pic as mere ‘pay drivers’, based on the fact they bring sponsorship to a team.

“When I started my career in F1,” he explained, “companies like Elf and Gitanes Blondes paid a lot of money for me [in support].

“By this I mean that in the past everyone in F1 had some kind of sponsorship or another, but no one said anything.

“Of course, back then there were also [some] not-so-good drivers who were in F1 because of money, but if you look at the grid in 2013 it is very strong, despite the fact that virtually everyone has paid something in some way,” added Panis.

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Kubica: Without the prospect of racing in F1, a test doesn’t interest me

Robert Kubica insists that he is not pushing for a Formula 1 test, even though he is “80 per cent ready” to return to the pinnacle of motor sport, unless it is with the view to securing a place on the grid

The former BMW and Renault F1 driver admitted to Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport that he sorely misses F1.

“You do everything to get there and to stay there, then from one day to the next, for reasons that we know, you lose the ability to be there,” said the Pole.

“So it’s logical that I miss F1,” he added.

For now, the 28-year-old insists that he needs to be content with his highly-competitive foray in the second-tier world rally championship with Citroen.

“I still don’t have enough mobility in my right arm [for F1],” admitted Kubica.

“There’s still a long way to go and not everything depends on me. I would not be in perfect physical shape to race in F1,” he added.

He admits, however, that he is now a regular in Mercedes’ F1 simulator at Brackley, while the German team has admitted that he is assisting with car development.

But Kubica said: “In reality, I couldn’t drive on all the circuits. Monte Carlo for example, you have to turn the steering wheel more and I couldn’t do that.

“For sure I could drive the car, I feel as though I’m driving as before on the simulator, but it’s pointless to do a [track] test if I can’t go on all the circuits.”

He is also quoted by Autosprint: “In terms of physical effort, of course the simulator is not able to reproduce the G-force, but the effort behind the wheel and the controls are identical to the real cars.

“Even now I’m using it without any help, but in all honestly I think I would be able to drive only on about 80 per cent of the circuits.”

Kubica repeated his denial that an actual return to an F1 test track is already scheduled.

“Because,” he smiled, “you could not keep that secret from everybody. No, really, without the prospect of racing, a test doesn’t interest me,” he added.

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Maldonado says Williams FW35 suits Bottas' driving style better

Pastor Maldonado believes Valtteri Bottas's driving style is better-suited to the troublesome Williams FW35 than his own.

The Venezuelan has been overshadowed by his team-mate in 2013, with Bottas prevailing in qualifying five times out of seven.

Maldonado puts this down to his more aggressive technique being incompatible with the Williams.

"We have different driving styles, he drives very gently and is very smooth with the car - this is not my way," said Maldonado.

"My way is to put energy into the car and that is how I was very quick last year.

"I feel very slow because I am not in a position to do what I did last year as I am limited by the car."

Maldonado believes the car responds better to a less aggressive driving style and points to the lack of balance between front and rear as he root of his struggles.

"The car is very easy to drive if you go slow, if you don't put energy in the car," he said.

"But for my style, I drive with a big peak of braking and using the car a lot.

"When I try to do it in my way, it's not working.

"The car is predictable, but we have a problem making the front work with the rear.

"We need to close the gap between both parts."

Williams chief race engineer Xevi Pujolar accepts that the car problems did hurt Maldonado more given the "specific" requirements he has.

But he is confident that the team's development direction will benefit both drivers.

"With the problems with the car, we were struggling more with him [Maldonado] than Valtteri," said Pujolar.

"But now, with all the improvements we are making with the car, they are asking to go in the same direction."

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British GP: Lotus set for its biggest upgrade of the year

Kimi Raikkonen's hopes of getting his Formula 1 world championship challenge back on track at the British Grand Prix have been boosted with Lotus planning to run its biggest upgrade of the year.

The Finn has lost ground to points leader Sebastian Vettel in recent races, and a collision with Sergio Perez in Monaco plus disappointing form in Canada have proven extremely costly.

Raikkonen and Lotus are convinced that the return to high-speed tracks like Silverstone will help the team rediscover its form and a major upgrade package is also arriving.

Speaking about the developments, Lotus track operations director Alan Permane said: "We have a tighter, figure-hugging bodywork package which should give some benefit; especially if the weather is quite cool at Silverstone.

"There's a new front wing, suspension profiles and suspension upgrades in addition to various other aero upgrades, which combine to give us what should be our biggest step forward of the year.

"This is a good thing, of course, but we'll be running them in the context of all our rivals probably unveiling significant upgrade packs too."

Raikkonen himself sees no reason why Lotus cannot head to the British GP with a degree of optimism.

"Silverstone is a more normal circuit and we've been OK at every other permanent circuit so far this year," he explained.

"There's no reason why we shouldn't be back to the positions we should be with this package.

We just have to be patient, do our very best over the entire weekend and step by step we can start catching the leaders."

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Alonso has to take the fight to Red Bull starting at Silverstone

The spirit of Ferrari’s pioneering ‘Pampas Bull’ will be with Fernando Alonso when he takes on the Red Bulls at the British Grand Prix this weekend.

Two years ago the Spaniard marked the 60th anniversary of Ferrari’s first Formula One victory by driving winner Jose Froilan Gonzalez’s 1951 car around the same Silverstone circuit where the Argentine had triumphed.

Alonso went on to win the race that day and will try to repeat the feat on Sunday as his team again pay tribute to Gonzalez after his death in Buenos Aires two weeks ago, at the age of 90.

“For me, Alonso’s win at this track in 2011 was one of the greatest of my career,” said team principal Stefano Domenicali.

“It was a special race, because we were going through a difficult season and to win exactly when we were celebrating the 60th anniversary of Ferrari’s first ever F1 [victory] was like a sign of destiny.

“It is very sad that just a few days ago, Froilan Gonzalez, the man who gave Ferrari that first win in 1951, passed away and we will be remembering him during this weekend,” added the Italian.

Alonso needs a win to rein in Red Bull’s triple world champion Sebastian Vettel, now a healthy 36 points clear of the Spaniard, after seven of the season’s 19 races.

Ferrari have won in Britain, home of eight of the current 11 Formula One teams, more times than anyone (16 in all) and Alonso has every chance of adding to that tally.

“I wouldn’t say that Vettel is favourite for this race. I’d say it’s Alonso,” McLaren’s Jenson Button told reporters ahead of a home grand prix that has yet to reward the 2009 champion with a podium finish.

Alonso was on pole last year but Red Bull’s Mark Webber, who also won in 2010, beat the double champion into second place while Vettel – winner at Silverstone in 2009 – was third.

Webber, yet to win this season, could be a bigger threat than Vettel at what amounts to a home race for the pub-owning, countryside-loving Australian whose house is a short drive from the circuit.

“He’s always gone well at the circuit…I think he sees it almost as much of a home grand prix as Albert Park [in Melbourne],” said team principal Christian Horner.

Ferrari and Red Bull will not be the only ones fighting for the top step on Sunday.

Lewis Hamilton, the 2008 champion for McLaren, makes his first home race appearance in Mercedes overalls with every hope of a competitive performance in a team that has had four pole positions so far and a win for Nico Rosberg in Monaco.

The tyres were a big problem in Spain, where the same hard and mediums will be used at Silverstone, but the team – who were reprimanded for a “secret” tyre test with Pirelli since that race – are confident they will be more competitive.

“I think we’ve made some small steps just with tyre cooling and brake cooling, I don’t think we’ve made a huge step but we’ve yet to find out really,” Hamilton told reporters on Tuesday.

“I definitely feel that we’ll be competitive throughout the weekend,” he added.

Lotus can also hope to be in the mix, with Kimi Raikkonen a winner at Silverstone for Ferrari in 2007 and currently third overall in the championship.

McLaren, who last won at home with Hamilton in 2008, has plenty of new bits to try out and hope to have clawed back some of the time they need to make up after a deeply disappointing start to the season.

“It would be great if the guys could get a podium out of it but I think on recent performance that could be quite challenging,” said McLaren managing director Jonathan Neale.

On current form, Force India’s Paul di Resta is Britain’s next best hope after Hamilton while Marussia’s Max Chilton will just be soaking up the atmosphere on his home debut.

Former champions Williams, a long way from their glory days of the late 1980s and mid 1990s, are still searching for their first point of the season, on what will be their 600th race weekend.

1991 British GP winner Nigel Mansell gives Ayrton Senna a lift after the race

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Ecclestone warns Monza that they could be dropped off F1 Calendar

Monza, the historic home of the Italian Grand Prix, could become a victim of Formula 1′s continued push into emerging markets.

That is the warning of F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone, who admitted that even the sport’s longest-standing European races are not secure.

“It is possible that Europe will lose a couple of races in favour of emerging markets,” he told the weekly Italian magazine Panorama.

“If we do move away from Monza – and I say ‘if’, because no decision has been taken yet – it would be only for economic reasons.

“Of course, the quality of the circuit and the organisation could also be better,” added Ecclestone, “but that is not the crucial point.”

Earlier this week, 1996 world champion Damon Hill warned Ecclestone that removing the “cornerstones” of the sport, such as key European races, is a real risk.

“Without European enthusiasm,” he told the London Evening Standard, “if you just took the sport off to China, India or the States, it would die within minutes.

“But I don’t think Bernie’s interested in the sport. He’s interested in the return it gives,” added Hill