FORMULA 1 - 2013

[MIKA27]

Magnussen: I feel ready for Formula 1

Kevin Magnussen completed more laps than any of his peers – 100 in total – on day one of the Young Drivers Test at Silverstone, and in the process topped the timing sheets at the end of the day in the McLaren MP4-28 after which the Dane admitted he is ready for the big time.

“We have to see where we are, I feel ready for Formula 1,” told reporters at Silverstone. “I have a championship to do in World Series by Renault so I’m really focusing on that and when I’m finished in the championship I’ll see where I am.”

The 20 year old, son of former McLaren and Stewart F1 driver Jan Magnussen, has been racing since 2008 when he won the Danish Formula Ford Championship. Since then he has been steadily progressing up the junior ranks, up the well trodden ladder towards Formula 1.

Magnussen revealed that his objectives, “We have a plan that I should try to win [the World Series by Renault championship] this year and then hopefully get a chance in Formula 1 somewhere. We all know it’s not easy and you have to adapt to the circumstances and do the best you can all the time and see then where it takes you.”

Magnussen had his first F1 experience at the wheel of the McLaren MP4-27 at the 2012 Abu Dhabi Young Driver test. He set the quickest time during his stint, impressing the McLaren outfit who have him retained as a development driver.

The youngster was asked if he had improved between the two F1 experiences, “Yes , because I’m working with the team also when I’m not testing, but I am being educated all the time. I learn more and more about the technical side of Formula 1 and that’s very important thing when you’re testing.”

“You have to have knowledge about the car and that’s improving all the time, so of course I feel better this time than last time. That’s natural.”

Magnussen does duty for McLaren in their simulator and part of his programme at Silverstone is to optimise corrolation between the real world MP4-28 and the virtual world version.

“[Track time is] very important for correlation to the simulator and to improve the simulator. That’s also improving all the time and it’s important for the simulator drivers to feel what the real car is like and to compare with the sim.”

“Some things might have changed. I’m confident that we’re going in the right direction but you have to evaluate everything. You have to have a plan but you have to evaluate yourself all the time so we’ll see by the end of the year what chances I have and how we feel,” concluded Magnussen.

[MIKA27]

Silverstone Test Day 2: Ricciardo fastest… and third fastest

Daniel Ricciardo’s name featured twice in the top three, on the timing sheets, at the end of the second day of the Formula 1 Young Drivers Test at Silverstone.

The Australian, who was on duty for Toro Rosso in the morning and after lunch in the cockpit of the Red Bull, ended the day fastest of all with a time of 1:32.972 in the Toro Rosso STR8, ironically faster than his best in the world championship leading Red Bull RB9 in which he was third quickest on the day.

Ricciardo’s stint in the Red Bull got off to an inauspicious start as he ended in the gravel trap after losing control at Luffield, and with it forcing a red flag stoppage as the beached car was retrieved to the pits.

The Australian summed up his day, “It was good today but very busy, so it’s still a bit of a blur. I did quite a few laps this afternoon, so I’m happy with that. I had a small off but otherwise it was a trouble-free day. The off was my mistake, I just lost the rear on the entry. It was a good opportunity to get behind the wheel and experience two different beasts today.”

Splitting the ‘Ricciardos’ was Carlos Sainz Junior who was second fastest in the Toro Rosso which he took over from Ricciardo in the afternoon. If there were a ‘driver of the day’ award it would go to the son of the rally legend Carlos Sainz (of senior variety) who was thoroughly impressive in this his first Formula 1 test. In essence it was a Toro Rosso one-two at the top of the timing screens.

Also on duty for Red Bull, in the morning session, was Antonio Felix da Costa who was seventh fastest after having set the best time 24 hours earlier, on the opening day.

Davide Valsecchi had a radio malfunction early on in the day and was oblivious to pit signals indicating that he should return to the garage. Eventually he did and went on to enjoy his first full day of testing for Lotus, evaluating tyres and aero related tests. He completed 91 laps and set the fourth best time in the process.

Oliver Turvey was fifth fastest int he McLaren, ahead of fellow Briton James Calado who had his second outing in two days in the Force India. He did the morning stint before handing over to Paul di Resta who was 14th fastest at the end of an afternoon spent in race simulation mode with the new Pirelli offerings bolted on to the VJM06.

Davide Rigon completed the second most laps, with 97, on his lap chart for Ferrari.

Williams had regular driver Pastor Maldonado on duty in the morning session evaluating the new Pirelli tyres, with Daniel Juncadella taking over the cockpit in the afternoon. They ended the day 9th and 11th respectively.

Splitting the Williams pair on the final timing sheets in 10th was Sauber regular Nico Hulkenberg who took over the C32 from Robin Frijns who drove during the morning stanza. He was 12th fastest, but blotted his copy book by spinning and losing track time.

Enjoying his first ever Formula 1 test was Will Stevens who took the opportunity to rack up more laps than anyone on the day (98) at the wheel of the Caterham.

Rodolfo Gonzalez had the Marussia all to himself on the second day, but was slowest of all when the chequered flag brought the day to a close, however he did manage 92 laps.

The final day of the test takes place on Friday when world champion Sebastian Vettel is expected to turn out for Red Bull, and Felipe Massa on duty for Ferrari.

[MIKA27]

Williams: It looks interesting from what we have seen so far

Willaims drivers and team report from the second day of the Young Drivers Test at Silverstone.

• Driver: Pastor Maldonado & Daniel Juncadella
  
• Chassis / engine: FW35-04 / RS27-5329/3
  
• Location: Silverstone International Circuit, 5.891 km / 3.66 miles
  
• Objectives: Pirelli tyre testing with Pastor, new tyre runs and long run with Daniel
  
• Weather: Dry and sunny
  
• Air & track temps: 20-27ºC / 28-44ºC
  

Xevi Pujolar, Chief Engineer: This morning we did a tyre test with Pastor following a programme given to us by Pirelli. Ideally we would have liked to have modified the car set-up to better suit the tyres, but we couldn’t do this as part of today’s test so we couldn’t get the most of the performance out of them. We saw some differences compared to the tyres we have been running so far this season but we’ll do more fine tuning in Hungary. It looks interesting from what we have seen so far, so it could make the racing slightly different. We did another 30 laps with Dani this afternoon to complete our programme with him and give him the opportunity to learn more. We did some performance runs and a long run, and again he made no mistakes and coped well in the different conditions. We are really pleased with what we have seen from him over the last two days.

Pastor Maldonado: It was a good day today. We completed all of the planned programme for Pirelli. The tyres feel quite different but we need to see how we compare against other cars on the track with the same compounds. We didn’t get performance from the car with them so we need more time in Hungary as we couldn’t make any set-up changes today. It was good to be back in the car though, in preparation for getting back to racing next week.

Daniel Juncadella: It was nice to be able to have another go in the car today. The conditions were different today with the wind changing direction so I struggled to get used to the balance of the car a bit. However, I think it was good for to have another opportunity in the car and I’ve really enjoyed the experience a lot.

The Williams F1 Team will be back on track tomorrow, Friday 19 July, with Susie Wolff driving for the final day of the test.

[MIKA27]

Sauber: We completed the most important aero tests

The second day of the Young Driver Training Test in Silverstone saw Sauber F1 Team test and reserve driver Robin Frijns on track again in the morning. Frijns coverd 17 laps carrying out aero tests. Unfortunately, a spin into the gravel ended his day slightly earlier than planned. In the afternoon Sauber F1 Team driver, Nico Hülkenberg, took over. Hülkenberg tested the new specification P Zero tyre that will be used from the Hungarian Grand Prix onwards. He added 52 laps to the day’s tally.

• Circuit: Silverstone / 5.891 km
  
• Driver morning: Robin Frijns (NL)
  
• Driver afternoon: Nico Hülkenberg (DE)
  
• Chassis / engine: C32.02 / Ferrari 056
  
• Mileage today: 69 laps
  
• Fastest lap Robin Frijns: 1:34.731 min
  
• Fastest lap Nico Hülkenberg: 1:34.224 min
  

Tom McCullough, Head of Track Engineering: “The initial running was again dedicated to installation laps where we were gathering aero data with test instrumentation fitted to the car. Unfortunately we lost some valuable track time due to some minor car problems, but we completed the most important aero tests in the morning. Shortly after that we started the performance runs, but Robin had a spin into the gravel in turn 7 which limited his number of timed laps. After lunch Nico got his first experience of the 2012 construction tyres with the C32 while conducting a tyre test programme for Pirelli.”

Robin Frijns: “This morning we did a lot of installation laps again. At around 12pm we finally did a performance run. After the first lap we changed the settings on the car. Following that I felt [that] the car wasn’t as balanced as before, so I spun off and that ended my day with just one flying lap.”

Nico Hülkenberg: “I had a good half day on track completing 52 laps in total. That’s not a bad effort in less than three hours. The updates on the car felt quite positive. However, it is difficult to compare that to the race weekend here, because the weather conditions were very different. Today was much hotter, and, of course, the tyres were different. Also the work on the Pirelli tyres was quite successful. I have a good feeling on them. I now I look forward to going to Budapest to see how competitive we are.”

What comes next: Tomorrow Kimiya Sato (24/JPN) will drive for the whole day and get a taste of a Formula 1 car for the very first time.

[MIKA27]

Stevens: Nothing prepares you for the step up in performance

Caterham gave Will Stevens his Formula 1 testing debut on day two of the Young drivers Test at Silverstone. Here is his report.

• Chassis: CT03-05
  
• Total laps: 98
  
• Best lap: 1.36.082
  

Will Stevens: “It’s been a really good day and I want to thank everyone who’s helped make my first run in an F1 car happen. For me the main focus of the day was learning as much as I could. It was obviously my first time driving the F1 car and even though I’d prepared for the test with simulator sessions and time back the factory, nothing really prepares you for the step up in performance compared to what I’ve been racing so far, and the whole track setup.

“However, to be honest, it didn’t take long to start feeling comfortable in the car. In the early runs we were mainly focusing on aero work, so it was all about working to the very precise plan the engineers set, and then, from mid-morning, we started looking at more normal test work – setup options, different bodywork, all the test items the team needed to work through for the races to come.

“We stopped for lunch after nearly 50 laps and I was feeling good, ready to get straight back in and carry on! The afternoon session was much the same – we tried a few different setups and then ended with more aero work.

“Overall it’s been a really good day, one where I think I did just what the team wanted and learned a lot. I’m off straight away to the next World Series round in Austria, but I can’t wait to get back into an F1 car!”

[MIKA27]

Di Resta: We will bounce back

Paul di Resta is confident Force India's poor display in Germany was nothing more than a blip.

Having mixed it with the front-runners in the previous five races, Di Resta and team-mate Adrian Sutil both struggled at the Nurburgring last time out with both finishing outside the top 10.

Some have suggested the reason for the VJM06's lack of pace in Germany was down to Pirelli's decision to revert to the Kevlar belt tyres with teams like McLaren, who are still well off the pace.

But there is good news for Force India on that front as Pirelli will use the new compounds that are being tested at Silverstone this week at the next race in Hungary.

As for the team's hopes of turning their form around, Di Resta said: "I certainly hope so.

"Germany was a bit of a disappointment as we have scored points at every race we have finished this year. We probably got slightly stuck in a bit of traffic which cost us at the end and to be a lap away from scoring was disappointing.

"But we will bounce back - I think we are a team that can react quite quickly. I think our car just didn't suit Germany and I hope that when we get back onto a more normal track we will see the signs of our car which have been strong and I have every faith that we can do that."

Di Resta sampled the new Pirelli tyres at the Young Driver Test on Wednesday, but he's not giving away much.

"They are round, they have the same logos on the side...," he joked.

"We are here to aid Pirelli - they have a big say in our run plans and we need to make sure they are safe enough going forward and making sure they are sufficient enough and it is very restricted for the teams what a race driver can do.

"We are learning what we can but at the same time, it is more about learning for the future of Formula 1. In terms of reference, I think it is better to have us in the car as we had a race here a few weeks ago and we know where the cars limits are and know what the differences are."

[MIKA27]

RoC staying in Bangkok

Bangkok's Rajamangala stadium will once again play host to the annual Race of Champions this year.

The Thai capital has hosted the event, which pits the best from Formula One, the World Rally Championship, MotoGP, Le Mans, MotoGP and IndyCar, for the past six years.

This year's competition will take place on December 14-15 - three weeks after the conclusion of the Formula One season.

"Last year's ROC was Thailand's largest motor sport event ever. It was an enormous success and put Thailand on the map for major sports events," said Kanokphand Chulakasem, governor of the Sports Authority of Thailand.

Lotus driver Romain Grosjean is the defending Champion in the individual competition while Germany - who were represented by the legendary Formula One driver Michael Schumacher and three-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel - took last year's team title.

[MIKA27]

Andretti becomes the latest team to enter Formula E series:

Andretti Autosports, run by former Indycar and F1 racer Michael Andretti, has become the third team to formally enter the new FIA Formula E series, due to start in September 2014.

It joins UK-based Drayson Racing, whose principal, Lord Drayson recently set a new world electric land speed record, together with China Racing, led by Steven Lu.

The Andretti name will be a huge boost to the series in the USA, which is set to host two of the ten city-centre rounds in Los Angeles and Miami.

Andretti’s team has a strong reputation in US motorsports, having won the Indycar series title four times and the Indianapolis 500 twice. The Andretti racing dynasty, started by Michael’s father Mario, is like motorsport royalty in the USA.

This will be the team’s first foray into a global FIA racing series.

Michael Andretti raced in F1 with McLaren in 1993, but the adventure was cut short after he scored a podium in Monza; he was replaced as Ayrton Senna’s team mate by Mika Hakkinen, who went on to win two world championships for McLaren.

Andretti ® with Formula E boss Agag

Formula E promoter Alejandro Agag said, “We are absolutely delighted to welcome Andretti Autosport to the series; a team with an incredible racing pedigree and track record who I have no doubt is going to make a contribution to the FIA Formula E Championship.

“It’s fantastic too for such a highly-established outfit to show its commitment to sustainable motoring and with two US races on the inaugural calendar – Los Angeles and Miami – I’m sure American motorsport fans will have a lot to cheer come race day.

“Today’s announcement now means we have teams from three different continents and we’re looking forward to announcing many more over the coming months.”

To get the series started in 2014, the teams will use the Spark-Renault SRT_01E Formula E car, built by the French-based Spark Racing Technology, together with a consortium which includes McLaren, Williams, Renault and Dallara.

For more on the Formula E series, check out their new website

www.fiaformulae.com

[Bartolomeo]

Electric cars sounded pretty cool, I was surprised

[MIKA27]

Electric cars sounded pretty cool, I was surprised

Apparently the Formula E cars DO NOT have any sound whatsoever so in turn, the sound is artificial.

[Bartolomeo]

Apparently the Formula E cars DO NOT have any sound whatsoever so in turn, the sound is artificial.

http://www.fiaformulae.com/guide/sound

[MIKA27]

http://www.fiaformulae.com/guide/sound

NICE, thanks

[ptrthgr8]

Might just result in the coolest start ever. Or at least the coolest sounding start ever.

Greg

Sent from my DROID RAZR MAXX HD

[MIKA27]

Button: A win in 2013 is going to be difficult

A grand prix drivers’ first grand win is always a special occasion, and for Jenson Button the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix will forever be etched in his memory, as it was there and then that he scored his first of 15 Formula 1 career race wins, but this time around he does not believe he is in with a chance of winning.

Speaking ahead of this year’s edition of the race Button declared, “Of course, a win in 2013 is going to be difficult, but I actually think the team is working very well right now: in Germany, our tyre-usage, strategy and management of the race was as good as it’s ever been.”

The McLaren MP4-28 – one of the worst F1 cars to come out of Woking – was so bad ‘out of the box’ that the team seriously contemplated ditching and bringing back last year’s more effective MP4-27, and the 2009 world champion hints that a slightly more effective of kit to ply his trade with would make a difference.

“It would be good to have a car with a little more pace to enable those calls to have a bit more impact at the front of the pack, but, for the moment, we can be satisfied by doing the best possible job in qualifying and on Sunday afternoon,” said Button.

He went on to recall his maiden grand prix victory in 2006 driving for Honda, “That was one of those days

when everything went right, the car was a dream to drive and I just brought it home. Every victory in Formula 1 is special, but that’s right up there as one of my favourite days in the car.”

Button also won for McLaren two years ago and obviously has a soft spot for the venue in Mogyoród, near Budapest, “Great circuit, great place. I have so many positive memories of racing at the Hungaroring – obviously, I won my first grand prix there back in 2006, which was incredibly emotional – and also feels such a long time ago now! – and I also won my 200th race there back in 2011.”

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Kaltenborn may face axe as Russian era arrives at Sauber

Monisha Kaltenborn could be the big loser when the chips are down after Sauber’s so called Russian rescue deal.

Sonntagszeitung newspaper reports that the ailing Swiss team’s new partners, all linked to the Russian Federation, are planning to inject a staggering $500 million into Hinwil.

According to Schweiz am Sonntag newspaper, that will pay off the team’s crippling $110 million debts and lay the foundation for a sound future, with Russian teen Sergey Sirotkin scheduled to be at the wheel in 2014.

But Blick newspaper reports that Sauber’s new Russian money will not start flowing until at least the end of August.

And the Swiss report said Sauber’s current ownership structure will not be changed in the short term, and nor will the Hinwil headquarters or the famous name.

But a group of Russian engineers are set to start work, and the new major investors may also wield their power in another way.

“Team boss Monisha Kaltenborn’s time seems over,” read the report in Blick newspaper. “When and by whom she will be replaced remains open.”

Sonntagszeitung newspaper said founder and majority team owner Peter Sauber is pushing for a Swiss solution, such as Franke CEO Michael Pieper, Phonak’s Andy Rihs, or Denner’s Philippe Gaydoul.

[MIKA27]

Grosjean: Very keen to maintain the momentum heading to Budapest

After returning to the podium in Germany, Lotus driver Romain Grosjean is keen to maintain momentum heading into the Budapest GP and go into the forthcoming August summer break on a high.

In Germany you were on the podium, in Budapest last year you were on the podium…do these two factors help heading to Hungary?

For sure, they don’t work against you and it’s always great to stand on the podium. I can remember feeling frustrated last year in Budapest as we did have a chance to be fighting for the win before we got held up by a driver who didn’t respect the blue flags, but that’s certainly a better frustration than missing out on the podium or even worse. Taking third in Germany was great so I certainly have a positive feeling heading to Hungary.

How good was it to be back on the podium in Germany?

Really good; it was a great result for the team and we had a very strong race. I was able to push really well in my first stint and thought I had a chance at one stage to challenge for the win, but the Safety Car meant I lost all the advantage I’d built up at that stage of the race. That then decided the strategy for us and ultimately we weren’t fast enough to challenge for the win at the end.

There are a lot of positives to take from Germany so we’re very keen to maintain the momentum from that good result heading to Budapest.

Are you frustrated about not having driven at the Silverstone test?

As a driver, you always want to be in the car getting as much experience as possible; especially when there’s something new like different tyres. The tyres we used at the Nürburgring suited us pretty well, so let’s hope the latest version will also suit us at the Hungaroring.

What’s the key to a good result in Budapest?

It’s a tight and twisty track so you need a good qualifying result. We showed last year that being on the front row certainly helps and it would be fantastic to be back there again this year. We’ve also seen that high temperatures work well for us and it’s usually hot in Budapest, so we’ll be hoping for plenty of sun again.

What do you think of the circuit?

It’s a circuit that I quite like and one where I have had good experiences in the past. I scored my first GP2 Series pole position there in 2008, then finished first and third in 2011 which was a pretty good weekend. In 2012 I had my third podium finish of the year and qualified P2 on the grid which was a great way to end the first half of the season. In terms of driving, it’s not the most physically challenging layout in terms of high speed corners, but the heat you experience in the cockpit can be quite intense. It can also be a difficult circuit early in the weekend as the track is not used very much, meaning it’s quite slippery when you first go out.

Hungary will take the season over the half-way mark and into the summer break; how’s the mid-term report card looking?

There’s certainly good potential, but I think we’ll look at it a little more closely after Budapest before we head into the summer holidays.

[MIKA27]

Chilton hits back after criticism by departing Symonds

Max Chilton has hit back at Pat Symonds who departed his role as Marusia technical chief to join Williams.

Just before announcing his defection to Williams, Symonds compared Marussia’s current drivers with champions like Fernando Alonso, reckoning that the Spaniard is at least half a second quicker.

“Our hands are tied,” Symonds said, “we need to have drivers who also bring money.”

The comment was interpreted as a specific rebuke at Briton Chilton, whose wealthy father has bankrolled his Formula 1 debut.

Chilton has also been shaded this year by his impressive Ferrari-linked teammate Jules Bianchi.

Chilton, however, suggested that Symonds’ assessment is unfair.

“A Formula 1 team isn’t going to accept two drivers who aren’t capable of getting the most out of the car,” he is quoted by the Russian news agency Ria Novosti.

He also disagreed with Symonds’ estimation that the time-gap to a driver like Alonso is half a second.

“I wouldn’t say that there’s that much left in the car,” said Chilton.

“I don’t believe there’s half a second, but I agree that the more experience you’ve got – people like Alonso, like Jenson, like Lewis that have been in here so long – they can get a little bit more out of it.”

[MIKA27]

Mixed reactions to new Pirelli tyres but mood is positive after Silverstone test

After three days of Pirelli tyre evaluations, interspersed with the Formula 1 Young Drivers Test at Silverstone, the consensus from the regular drivers was that the new tyres are more consistent, but to what extent remains debatable and will only be trully revealed at the Hungarian GP weekend.

On the final day, after setting the fastest time of the three day test in his Red Bull RB9, Sebastian Vettel was lukewarm in his assessment of the new offerings from the Italian tyre manufacturer.

“Not that much of a difference,” declared the triple world champion. “We had three days, different drivers in all the different cars and no failures – that’s good – in conditions that were probably worse than at the grand prix, probably even hotter. But no big surprise.

Obviously we weren’t allowed to rebalance the car and try different things.”

Felipe Massa was another of the more experienced campaigners to test on the final day. He was a victim of a blowout on his Ferrari during the British Grand Prix weekend earlier in the month.

“It seems to me these tyres work better, at least compared to what we saw in the race here. Over the three days, no one had any problems and from the safety aspect, this is the most important thing,” said the Brazilian.

“The prototype Hard [compound] seemed maybe too hard to race on. I think that in the coming grands prix we could head towards a choice of the softer compounds, because they can work at lower temperatures and last longer,” explained Massa. “Let’s see what happens in Hungary, where we can expect hotter conditions.”

Also in action on the third day was Adrian Sutil in the Force India, he ended the final day second quickest and summed up his findings, “It was interesting to see how the new tyres react. They are a bit easier to handle so the drop-off won’t be as dramatic as we saw in a few races. Silverstone is a good circuit for testing because it’s tough on the tyres and we’ve been able to get all the information we needed this week.”

Jean-Eric Vergne shared the Toro Rosso cockpit with Russian teenager Daniil Kvyat on the final day and his evaluation was positive, “The new Pirelli tyres, … behaved well over the three days, as indeed we had expected, with none of the problems myself and others experienced at this track, during the British Grand Prix. That is a positive thing for the rest of the season.”

On day two Nico Hulkenberg was on duty for Sauber after which he told media, “The work on the Pirelli tyres was quite successful. I have a good feeling on them. I now I look forward to going to Budapest to see how competitive we are.”

Pastor Maldonado got to grips with the new Pirelli tyres and concluded, “We completed all of the planned programme for Pirelli. The tyres feel quite different but we need to see how we compare against other cars on the track with the same compounds. We didn’t get performance from the car with them so we need more time in Hungary as we couldn’t make any set-up changes.”

Both Caterham drivers, Charles Pic and Giedo van der garde, were on duty on the final day.

Van der Garde ended the day 10 fastest and reported, “The main thing for me was finding out how much more consistent the tyre drop off was on the new sets Pirelli brought to Silverstone. I think that will help everyone a bit as it should mean we can push harder in the races, but until we get to run them in a full race weekend it’s still too early to tell completely how they’re going to behave.”

Pic echoed his teammate, “I was quite pleased with how consistent the [tyre] sets we used today (Friday) have been, the degradation levels are certainly lower than the tyres we’ve used so far this year and that should help us.”

Pirelli motorsport boss Paul Hembery was positive in his assessment of the three days of testing. He said, “We think that everybody achieved their objectives from these three days of running at Silverstone. From our point of view, we made the most of this opportunity to gather data that will help us best meet the needs of the Formula 1 teams in the future.”

“The tyres all ran reliably throughout the three days of the test, although of course you cannot compare the times to those seen in the British Grand Prix because the track conditions and other car parameters were different. The established performance of the 2012 structure, consolidated with the speed of the current compounds, is set to provide an interesting mix of strategies for the races ahead.”

“The teams already have a lot of information about the shape and deformation of this tyre from the previous season, and the three days at Silverstone was useful to assess the effect that this will have on the 2013 cars, with positive results.”

Hembery added, “While modern-day simulation is extremely advanced, there are some things that you can still only find out from running on a track with a representative car, so we would like to thanks all the teams and the governing body for their cooperation in helping us to achieve this.”

Silverstone Testing Facts:

• The teams are usually allocated 100 sets of tyres per year for testing purposes (although an additional 12 sets were granted for Silverstone) with all the compounds in the range available to test. It is up to the teams to choose the number of sets and compounds they would like to evaluate per test.
  
• In addition to this, a new prototype hard compound was available for testing in Silverstone, for use by the current race drivers only. This harder version of the hard compound was tried out during free practice for the Spanish and British Grands Prix.
  

Testing numbers:

Total number of sets brought to Silverstone: 344 sets which equals 1,376 tyres

- of which soft tyres: 29 sets

- of which medium tyres: 105 sets

- of which hard tyres: 139 sets

- of which proto hard tyres: 25 sets

- of which intermediate tyres: 30 sets

- of which wet tyres: 16 sets

Total amount of sets used: 224

- of which soft tyres: 18 sets

- of which medium tyres: 84 sets

- of which hard tyres: 107 sets

- of which prototype hard tyres: 15 sets

- of which intermediate tyres: 0 sets

- of which wet tyres: 0 sets

Longest run: 17 laps on the hard compound

18 laps of the prototype hard compound

16 laps on the medium compound

11 laps on the soft compound

Lowest / highest ambient temperature over three days: 19 °C (Day 2) / 28 °C (Day 1)

Lowest / highest track temperature over three days: 27 °C (Day 2/3) / 45 °C (Day 1/3)

Silverstone Testing Times Summary:

Day 1

1. Kevin Magnussen (McLaren) 1m33.602s Medium New

2. Paul Di Resta (Force India) 1m33.774s Prototype Hard New

3. Antonio Felix Da Costa (Red Bull) 1m33.821s Hard New

Day 2

1. Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso) 1m32.972s Medium Used

2. Carlos Sainz Jr. (Toro Rosso) 1m33.016s Soft New

3. Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull) 1m33.187s Hard New

Day 3

1. Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) 1m32.894s Medium New

2. Adrian Sutil (Force India) 1m33.242s Medium New

3. Nicolas Prost (Lotus) 1m33.256s Medium New

[MIKA27]

Massa: It seems to me these tyres work better

The curtain has come down on the Young Driver Test at Silverstone, which saw ten of the Formula 1 teams entered for the Formula 1 World Constructors’ Championship taking part with a variety of drivers, some young prospects, some older.

For Scuderia Ferrari, Felipe Massa was the race driver in action at the English track, testing the new Pirelli compounds, along with Davide Rigon, a car development driver for the Scuderia since 2011.

The Brazilian did 69 laps, setting the sixth fastest time of the day in 1.33.624. Rigon was back in the Ferrari cockpit in the afternoon, to continue the programme of aerodynamic testing which he had started on Wednesday. He was fifth fastest in a time of 1.33.592, having done 20 laps.

“It seems to me these tyres work better, at least compared to what we saw in the race here” said Felipe Massa at the end of his session. “Over the three days, no one had any problems and from the safety aspect, this is the most important thing. The prototype Hard seemed maybe too hard to race on. I think that in the coming grands prix we could head towards a choice of the softer compounds, because they can work at lower temperatures and last longer. Temperature has a significant effect on our car and here for the race for example, it did not help us, but let’s see what happens in Hungary, where we can expect hotter conditions. You need a lot of aerodynamic downforce there and let’s hope we can find the right solutions to be competitive”.

“The past three days have been positive, as I didn’t make any mistakes and I learned a lot” commented Rigon, at the end of the day. “I hope that all the work will have given the team some useful data, maybe some that can be used to prepare for the upcoming races. Again today, we were not concerned with lap times, nor did we make big changes. Instead, we concentrated on adapting the set-up to the new tyres. Now this information will be passed on to our colleagues at the simulator. I think this test has been very useful for my work and also my personal experience, even though I don’t see it as finite, neither for me nor the car because there are no limits to improvement”.

With the Young Driver Test completed, the Scuderia is now preparing for the Hungarian Grand Prix, the tenth round of the Formula 1 World Championship, which takes place next weekend at the Hungaroring.

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Maldonado plays down switch to Lotus reports

Pastor Maldonado has again dismissed ongoing speculation that he might switch from struggling Williams to Lotus for the 2014 Formula 1 season.

It has been rumoured the Venezuelan, whose major backers PDVSA have sponsored Williams since his F1 debut in 2011, is a leading contender to replace Kimi Raikkonen should the Finn move to Red Bull next year.

Speed Week quoted the 28-year-old as initially dismissing the speculation on Thursday, insisting: “I have other problems to think about than next year.

“We need to be competitive again, and that’s all that matters right now.”

Speed Week claims there are two details that speak against a move to the more-competitive Lotus for Maldonado.

The first is that the PDVSA deal is actually between the Venezuelan oil giant and Williams, rather than between Maldonado and PDVSA.

And the second hurdle is that Lotus is substantially backed by Total, a French oil company that would not share space on the 2014 livery with PDVSA.

Maldonado said: “I will continue [with Williams]. Especially since the fabulous news that Pat Symonds is coming. His achievements speak for themselves. You’ll see, soon Williams will be [competitive] again.”

Maldonado was at the Silverstone test to try Pirelli’s new Hungary-spec tyres, but he sounded critical of the limits put on race drivers this week.

“We couldn’t change anything on the car. Nothing,” he told Brazil’s Agencia Estado. ”Will the new tyres help me go back to my old driving style? I hope so, but we don’t know. Honestly, we have bigger problems [than tyres] with this car.”

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Ecclestone troubles not good for F1 says Kaltenborn

Under fire Bernie Ecclestone insists that CVC, the owners of Formula 1′s commercial rights, are very happy to keep him at the helm of the sport.

That is despite the fact the 82-year-old has been formally charged with bribery by prosecutors in Germany, who allege that he blackmailed the jailed banker Gerhard Gribkowsky to undersell the rights to CVC.

After news of Ecclestone’s indictment broke, CVC issued a terse statement saying it will “monitor” the situation.

“An oath of loyalty sounds different,” the major German newspaper Die Welt opined.

Michael Schmidt, of Auto Motor und Sport, agreed: “[CVC's statement] does not sound like unconditional support.”

Additionally, FIA president Jean Todt is quoted as saying: “[Ecclestone] is employed by CVC, so it’s their decision.

“The responsibility for the future of Formula 1 is more about CVC than about Bernie,” he is also quoted, by Neue Zurcher Zeitung.

Also monitoring the situation is BayernLB, the Munich bank that Gribkowsky was representing when Ecclestone allegedly bribed him.

A spokesman for the bank said: “We are following events closely.”

In the meantime, Ecclestone’s troubles are the big talking point behind closed doors in F1 circles.

Bild newspaper correspondent Helmut Uhl wrote: “Team bosses, sponsors, big companies such as Ferrari, Red Bull and their partners are wondering: is Ecclestone still viable as F1 boss?”

The Daily Telegraph’s Tom Cary said: “In most sports it would be difficult to imagine a chief executive remaining in power with these sorts of charges swirling about. But F1 is not most sports, and Ecclestone is not most men.”

Indeed, Ecclestone insists that he has CVC’s backing.

“I have heard from them and they are very happy as I am for me to continue to run the business,” he is quoted by the Daily Express correspondent Bob McKenzie.

“Nothing has changed. Nothing affects how I look after the best interests of F1. No one has said anything to the contrary,” claimed Ecclestone.

For now, F1′s competing teams are quiet, with the first comment made by Sauber team boss Monisha Kaltenborn, according to Neue Zurcher Zeitung newspaper. ”In general,” she said, “such headlines are not good for F1.”

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Kobayashi crashes F1 Ferrari during Moscow City Racing run

Japanese driver Kamui Kobayashi, known for his exuberant crowd-pleasing style, crashed a 2009 Ferrari F60 in Sunday’s Moscow City Racing event against a backdrop of the Kremlin and St Basil’s Cathedral.

The 26-year-old was caught out on a wet track, however, and smashed the Ferrari into the barriers before skidding down the empty road on three wheels.

“The track was very slippery and there was a marked bump at that point, which is why I hit the barrier. A shame, but I am pleased the team let me out again after a few minutes (in another car),” said Kobayashi.

Earlier Kobasyahi said he is still hoping to get back to Formula 1 despite the lack of openings to drivers without significant sponsorship behind them.

“At the moment, there are many teams who prefer to choose their drivers based on how much money they can bring, rather than on their ability on track,” the former Toyota and Sauber racer told the Ferrari website after an F1 demonstration run for the Italian team in Moscow on Sunday.

“I hope this trend will change, because my aim is to be back there as soon as possible and I am working hard to succeed.”

Kobayashi, Japan’s most successful and most recent F1 driver, is competing for a Ferrari team in the world endurance championship after being dropped by Sauber at the end of last season and then launching a fund-raising campaign to try to secure a seat elsewhere.

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Hulkenberg: Deal good news for Sauber

Nico Hulkenberg sees Sauber's new partnership with a trio of Russian backers as a huge positive for the team.

Sauber announced the deal with three Russian companies earlier this week, a move it hopes will help secure its long-term future in Formula 1.

Hulkenberg has spoken recently of the difficult situations Sauber face on and off the track, admitting that he was openly considering his options for 2014.

But the news of the new backers, along with an upgrade package coming for Hungary that should deliver another step forward in performance, has given him hope that Sauber can weather the current storm.

"I think it is positive news for the team and it was needed," said Hulkenberg.

"I didn't have all the details about what was happening, and it was the management's situation, but I knew that we didn't have the budget like the top teams.

"Beyond that, I was here to do my job and I was concentrating on focusing on getting the best out of the package we have - and making the most of that."

Top-10 finishes at both the British and German Grands Prix has seen Hulkenberg and Sauber end their recent points drought, and along with the raft of updates set to appear at the next race in Hungary, it has lifted the spirits of everyone at the team - even if the jury is still out on just what impact the updates will have.

"It is still a development race and we have these updates coming now for Budapest," added the German.

"We need to wait and see how they impact, how they change the car and if they transform it into a much better car or not. That point is really difficult and hard for me to tell right now."

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Schumacher: Vettel, Alonso, Raikkonen and Hamilton are the best

Seven time world champion Michael Schumacher has singled out a quartet of drivers as the very best in Formula 1 at present.

The great German, who with 91 wins is the most successful driver in the sport’s history, finally called time on his long career at the end of last season.

Now, watching on, the 44-year-old Schumacher said he is most impressed by a group of four.

“Vettel, Alonso, Raikkonen and Hamilton are the best at the moment,” he told the Italian Sky programme I Signori della Formula 1. ”They’re all human, of course, so they all have their weaknesses, but they all work hard to hide them.”

“But that is also the secret to always-better results and to not making mistakes. I am not going to analyse it further – I think the best one wins,” Schumacher smiled.

The former Ferrari and Mercedes driver was also asked to comment on the 2013 season, and unsurprisingly, it didn’t take long before the ‘t’-word was uttered.

“The season is not so much different from the previous one,” he said, “except perhaps when it comes to the problems with the tyres.

“I already said last year after Bahrain that something is not working quite right, that there are problems, but now everyone has noticed.

“On the other hand, as always, the best one wins. And that is rightly so,” added Schumacher.

“The biggest problem for me is that the tyres should be compatible with the majority of the teams, not just a few cars as has happened in these last two years,” he said.

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Lotus: We’re doing everything we can do to keep Kimi in the team

Kimi Raikkonen’s plans for 2014 are the hottest topic in Formula 1 at the moment and while Red Bull flirt with the Finn, Lotus are ‘doing everything they can’ to keep him in the black and gold cockpit for at least another year..

Speaking ahead of the weekend in Hungary team principal Eric Boullier said, “We know there’s been a lot of talk about Kimi’s future.

We all know that Kimi is an individual and he will make his decision in his own time. Naturally, we want him to continue in the sport and continue with Lotus F1 Team so we’re doing everything we can do to make that happen.”

Raikkonen’s decision is central to this year’s silly season, if he decides to stay at Lotus this means that Red Bull will look at either Daniel Ricciardo or Jean Eric Vergne – from Toro Rosso, their junior team – to promote to the world champion outfit.

Should Raikkonen accept the Red Bull offer then another highly desirable seat becomes available, but in this instance with Lotus and Boullier is very aware of this.

“It’s clear that Lotus F1 Team is a desirable place to be,” said the Lotus team principal, in the wakwe of reports that Pastor Maldonado might be in line to replace Raikkonen.

Raikkonen gave Lotus their only race win of the season (so far) when he won the season opener in Melbourne, and he currently lies third in the drivers’ championship standings with five podiums to his credit in the nine races contested to date.

The team are fourth in the constructors’ championship table. Monaco, Canada and Britain were not lucrative for the team in terms of points, but they bounced back in Germany with both drivers on the podium.

Meanwhile Romain Grosjean whose ‘shares’ with the team have fluctuated over the past two seasons, due to numerous incidents, appears to be doing his claim for a race seat in 2014 no harm with improved performances of late.

“Romain did a fantastic job in Germany which showed he is capable of mixing it with the very best in the sport,” declared Boullier.