FORMULA 1 - 2013

[MIKA27]

Briatore says Mark Webber should have stayed on in F1

Mark Webber should have stayed for another season in Formula 1, reckons his manager Flavio Briatore.

The Australian informed his Red Bull bosses on the eve of the British Grand Prix that he was quitting F1 to join Porsche for its assault on the World Endurance Championship.

Although Briatore understands why Webber no longer wanted to race on in F1, he thinks he should have stayed another season because he would have been assured of the Red Bull seat.

"He [Webber] was already tired at the end of last season," Briatore told Gazzetta dello Sport.

"It is his decision, even if it's wrong in my opinion, because he's still quick as he's shown last Sunday.

"He can still finish third, fourth, fifth and take points away from rivals."

Briatore does not see an obvious candidate to replace Webber, and thinks that there is a lack of decent young talent in the sport.

"I don't see any interesting youngsters," he said. "There is no new [Lewis] Hamilton, [Fernando] Alonso, [sebastian] Vettel and [Kimi] Raikkonen around.

"Had Mark decided to stay for another year, the seat would be his."

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Webber: My dad always says you shouldn’t hit boys

Red Bull’s Mark Webber, retiring from Formula 1 at the end of the season, has admitted that he will not be missing his teammate Sebastian Vettel.

The Australian appeared on the BBC’s highly popular TV programme Top Gear this week, where he admitted that the sport is now “very different” to when he debuted over 200 grands prix ago.

Asked about the era of heavily-degrading Pirelli tyres, Webber told presenter Jeremy Clarkson: “But that’s the way it is.

“We’ve got to learn and get on with it, but you’ve got to be able to push. In Formula 1 it’s about us boys being absolutely on the limit all the time. Or it should be.”

Webber, who turns 37 later this month, also admitted that he will not miss reigning triple consecutive world champion German Vettel, his teammate at Red Bull.

“Um – am I going to miss Seb?” he pondered. “Probably not a huge amount, no. I think in a competitive environment, there’s always going to be a bit of needle; there’s a lot of history between us as well.”

That ‘history’ came to a head in Malaysia this year, when Vettel disobeyed a team order and passed Webber for victory.

Asked by Clarkson if he felt like punching Vettel afterwards, Webber said: “My dad always says you shouldn’t hit boys, mate.”

Revenge on the track is sweeter: Webber did a lap in Top Gear’s famous ‘reasonably priced’ Suzuki Liana, and pipped Vettel’s best time.

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Maldonado: It’s impossible for us to be worse than we have been this year

Venezuelan F1 star Pastor Maldonado insists that the arrival at Williams of Pat Symonds, and the departure of Mike Coughlan, must be good for the under performing British team as things “can hardly get worse”, in his opinion.

2012 appeared to be a turnaround in fortunes for Williams, when Maldonado won the Spanish Grand Prix, but the slump returned with a vengeance in 2013, and after the first half of the season only a solitary point separates Williams from the backmarkers Marussia and Caterham.

So, mid last month, Williams announced that Pat Symonds – formerly of the title-winning Benetton and Renault team until the ‘crashgate’ scandal – is switching from Marussia.

At the same time, Williams’ technical director Coughlan ‘stepped down’.

“Yeah, I think we need some change,” said Maldonado. ”The way we’ve been working, trying to improve our performance, was not the best and for sure any change in a good way is very welcome.”

Teammate Valtteri Bottas agrees that Williams needs “some new ideas and new opinions”.

Maldonado bluntly told Brazil’s Totalrace: “It is practically impossible for us to be worse than … we have been this year.”

“Any change is welcome,” he added. “If it will solve the problem, we don’t know. What I do know is that we work hard, but the way we have been working did not work. Now we have to change something in the team.”

However, he refuses to categorically say whether Coughlan, the former McLaren chief designer who initially left Formula 1 at the centre of the ‘spygate’ scandal, is the reason for Williams’ troubles.

“We cannot speak about one person; we are 500 employees, and I include myself,” said Maldonado. ”We did not do things the right way and so we did not get the results.”

Most worrying, the 28-year-old driver admitted, is that Williams is baffled as to why its performance dipped so badly over the winter period.

“We don’t know why, and this is one of the most serious problems we have,” said Maldonado.

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Remembering Elio de Angelis

Elio de Angelis was an Italian Formula 1 driver who raced between 1979 and 1986, for teams including Shadow, Lotus and Brabham. On 15 May 1986 he was killed during testing at the Paul Ricard circuit at Le Castellet.

De Angelis was a competitive and highly popular presence in F1 during the 1980s, and is sometimes referred to as Formula 1′s “last gentleman player” and was also a concert-standard pianist.

His debut F1 season was in 1979 with Shadow. He finished 7th in his maiden grand prix, in Argentina and closed the championship in 15th,with 3 points. In 1980 he switched to Lotus and – at the age of 21 – nearly became the youngest grand prix winner of all time when he finished a tantalising second at the 1980 Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos. His first victory came in the 1982 Austrian Grand Prix at the Osterreichring, only 0.05 seconds ahead of Keke Rosberg – the closest F1 finish ever recorded.

In 1983 Lotus switched from Cosworth to Renault turbo engines but it was a disappointing season. De Angelis’ best result was a fifth place in the 1983 Italian Grand Prix. In 1984 De Angelis had a much better season, scoring a total of 34 points and finishing third in the standings. His best result was a second place at the Detroit Grand Prix.

De Angelis’ second win came in the 1985 San Marino Grand Prix. He finished 5th in the championship with 33 points but left Lotus at the end of the season when it became clear the team’s efforts were being focused on his talented new team-mate Ayrton Senna. De Angelis’ drive for 1986 was with Brabham as a replacement for two time world champion Nelson Piquet with Riccardo Patrese as team-mate.

The 1986 Brabham-BMW, the BT55, was a radically-designed car, with a very low cross section. However, it was not effective and could not arrest Brabham’s swift decline. It quickly became clear that 1986 would not be the year the team recaptured its glory days of the early 1980s. Nevertheless, de Angelis pushed his hardest to help develop the car.

During tests at the Paul Ricard circuit in France, the rear wing of his BT55 detached at high speed resulting in the car losing downforce over the rear wheels, which instigated a cartwheel over a trackside barrier, causing the car to catch fire. The impact itself did not kill de Angelis but he was unable to extract himself from the car unassisted.

The situation was exacerbated by the lack of track marshals on the circuit who could provide him with emergency assistance. A 30 minute delay ensued before a helicopter arrived and De Angelis died 29 hours later, in a hospital in Marseille from smoke inhalation. His actual crash injuries were only a broken collar bone and light burns on his back.

The tragic circumstances of his death weighed heavily on the sport’s conscience and radical changes were introduced by then President Jean-Marie Balestre in the months following his accident which ultimately brought about the end of the turbo powered era in F1 racing.

Below is a selection of images of Elio de Angelis in F1 sourced from the Sutton archives.

Elio de Angelis drives the Shadow DN9 during the 1979 Dutch GP at Zandvoort,

de Angelis leads Manfred Winkelhock at the 1983 French GP at Paul Ricard

In the Lotus 94T during the 1983 British GP

He finished third in the 1985 Monaco GP

During the 1984 Belgian GP at Zolder

In the Lotus 87 during the 1981 Italian GP at Monza

Elio de Angelis drives the Lotus 91 during the 1982 Monaco GP

With Lotus boss Colin Chapman

1983 Lotus team mates Nigel Mansell and Elio de Angelis

1985 Lotus teammates Ayrton Senna and Elio de Angelis

He won the 1982 Austrian GP at Osterriechring

His final race – the 1986 Monaco GP, at the wheel of the Brabham BT55

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Reports of Lotus cash struggles won’t go away as they try hold on to Raikkonen

Troubling signs of financial weakness are continuing to emerge from Lotus, as the authoritative German website motorsport-total.com reports that, although in the hunt for the 2013 title, the Genii-owned outfit is “struggling to survive” under € 120 million of debt.

For example, although Kimi Raikkonen is second only to Sebastian Vettel in the chase for the drivers’ championship, development of the 2013 car is apparently all but over.

Asked also about rumours of ‘money problems’, leading Lotus engineer Alan Permane admitted toAuto Motor und Sport: “We have not much more in the pipeline for 2013.

“What was planned has already been developed and will be used in the corresponding race,” he added.

It is a worrying sign for a team fighting for a world championship, and pushing to keep lead driver Raikkonen on the books for 2013.

Indeed, amid rumours that Red Bull and Ferrari are bidding to sign the Finn for 2014, Raikkonen admitted mere days ago that he is still waiting to be paid.

“This happened last year, now again so it is not ideal,” said the 33-year-old.

Lotus owner Genii announced in June that a consortium called Infinity Racing has bought 65 per cent of the Enstone based team.

But reports soon followed that the deal is not actually done, with the subsequent delay having left Lotus – and Raikkonen – waiting for the money.

“We are going to reorganise the financial process of the company,” team boss Eric Boullier is quoted by the Finnish broadcaster MTV3.

“We are expecting a large financial investment, which is part of the team’s future plans.

“There may be some delays, but it will be repaired within a few days. It is part of the discussions and we will give Kimi all the answers,” said the Frenchman.

Boullier said he is hopeful that the money issue will not cause Raikkonen to jump ship.

Asked how close a deal is, he insisted: “We are not very far from it. The package that ensures the future of the company is [being] completed slowly, but we’ll get there.”

“He will get all the answers and be able to take a decision within a few weeks.”

[MIKA27]

Calado: I can’t hide that we are having discussions with Force India

Twentyfour year-old Briton James Calado is on the way to becoming the next rookie in Formula 1 as he admits to talks with Force India for whom he tested at the recent Young Drivers Test at Silverstone.

As the sport prepared to enter the August break, Force India driver Adrian Sutil admitted in Hungary that he is not sure whether he will stay with the Silverstone based team in 2014.

“When I’m ready, I will speak first with [team boss Vijay [Mallya],” he was quoted by Auto Motor und Sport.

Sutil’s teammate Paul di Resta has also been linked with moves elsewhere.

At the very same time, rumours were building that James Calado, a frontrunner in the feeder series GP2, is close to filling a vacancy as Force India’s 2013 reserve driver.

The BBC said that there is a chance that the Briton will appear for the team during Friday morning sessions later this year.

A Force India spokesman admitted that there is a “good chance” that the deal will be done.

After that, the next step would be succeeding either Sutil or Paul di Resta as a 2014 race driver.

“I can’t hide that we are having discussions with Force India,” Calado admitted to Britain’s Sky broadcaster.

“My manager Nicolas Todt is talking to them now, and it’s hopefully likely that things will happen in the near future.”

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Renault: By mid-season the 2014 turbo cars will be faster than this year’s cars

Renault SportF1 chief Remi Taffin does not think the next generation of Formula 1 cars will lose much of their speed as the sport moves from V8 to V6 turbo power next year.

“I don’t think we’ll lose so much,” the French marque’s head of track operations told Russia’s Championat.

“F1 is F1, and we want the cars to still be the quickest. And they will be fast,” he said. ”I think that at the beginning of the season they will be slower than the current cars by a second, but after mid-season they could even be faster.”

“It’s always been like that, [like] when we moved from V10 to V8, and when there were big changes in the aerodynamics in 2009,” Taffin added.

What will definitely change dramatically next year, however, is F1′s sound. Recently, Renault released an audio clip of its new turbo power, and now Mercedes has followed suit.

Renault’s Taffin thinks F1 that will be loud enough next year.

“Have you heard the GP3 cars?” he asked. “If you find yourself in the pitlane during their races, you are unlikely to last the whole race without earplugs.

“Yes, the sound of the engines will be quite different in 2014, but it will still be very loud. It will still be F1.”

Finally, Taffin said that there has been progress with 2014 Renault engine deals for existing customers Caterham and Lotus.

“The fact that the contracts are not signed yet does not mean we are not already working with them [for 2014],” he revealed.

“But the signing of the contract is not so simple: we’re talking about technical matters, marketing, finance. We know that the talks will end positively, but some questions still remain to be answered.”

[MIKA27]

Coulthard doubts that Alonso is a real option for Red Bull

Daniel Ricciardo and Kimi Raikkonen are both good options as Red Bull looks to replace the departing Mark Webber for 2014, is the view of former Formula 1 driver David Coulthard, who thinks that reports about Fernando Alonso as yet another option for the world champion team are wide of the mark.

“His manager did what any good manager should do – talk with all of the teams,” the Scot, a Red Bull consultant, told the Dutch magazine Formule 1.

“Fernando is undoubtedly frustrated that he is not winning as often as someone of his ability would expect. But Ferrari is a top team and they will undoubtedly go back to winning grands prix,” Coulthard added.

Much more likely is that Red Bull is simply weighing up between the genuinely available Finn Raikkonen, and the best Red Bull-backed junior, Daniel Ricciardo.

Coulthard, a former teammate of the 2007 world champion, said: “With Kimi, you know what you are getting. His track record speaks for itself.”

He also thinks that Ricciardo, 23, would be a good choice.

“When Sebastian Vettel joined Red Bull,” said Coulthard, “he had won only one race. But there is no doubt that he deserved the chance.

“Daniel Ricciardo has also shown that talent. Red Bull also knows him well, and he would represent the brand very well,” he added.

“It’s not my decision,” said Coulthard, “but if I had to decide, I would do as anyone would do – look at all the data from all the angles and make a judgement based on the overall picture.”

[MIKA27]

Valencia omitted from 2014 Formula 1 calendar

It has emerged that Valencia has again been left off Formula 1′s provisional 2014 grand prix calendar.

Absent from this year’s schedule, the street race was set to return next year according to a new agreement with Barcelona to annually alternate with the Spanish Grand Prix.

But tickets for the 2014 Spanish Grand Prix at Barcelona went on sale in June.

Spain’s El Mundo newspaper now claims that Valencia is absent from the provisional 2014 calendar, which has not officially been published.

Leaks from an unofficial draft of the schedule, however, are doing the rounds.

The Madrid-headquartered newspaper said: “The [barcelona-Valencia] alternation is not signed and Catalunya has been planning its (2014) race for more than a month.”

According to the leaked calendar draft, Barcelona will host the Spanish Grand Prix on May 11 next year.

[MIKA27]

Ecclestone vows to help Brazil’s rising star Felipe Nasr

As one Brazilian driver’s future hangs in the balance, yet another looks set to step onto the 2014 Formula 1 grid.

Livio Oricchio, the respected correspondent for Brazil’s O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper, reported recently that GP2 driver Felipe Nasr is likely to make his debut next year.

The 20-year-old, currently second in the GP2 standings, admitted in June thathe is “not far” from making the big step up to Formula 1.

Now, Brazil’s Globo has quoted F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone as telling Nasr: “I’m here. Anytime you need advice, you can shout. I need a Brazilian driver.”

Indeed, if Felipe Massa – currently F1′s only Brazilian – does not get a new Ferrari contract for 2014, he has not ruled out simply quitting the category.

Ecclestone hinted that some F1 teams are interested in Nasr.

“I have talked to them a few times and people are really impressed with how he has developed over the last few years,” said the 82-year-old Briton.

Nasr, however, warned: “The dream of reaching the top of world motor sport is close, but not easy.

“It depends on good results but also financial support,” he admitted.

[MIKA27]

Pirelli wants to organise another 1000 km F1 team tyre test

Pirelli motorsport boss Paul Hembery has admitted that he would like to organise another 1000 kilometre Formula 1 tyre test, although the last one with Mercedes’ 2013 cars and race drivers was highly controversial.

Indeed, Formula 1′s official supplier and the Brackley based team were officially reprimanded for the Barcelona session.

But if the FIA’s clarified guidelines are followed, Pirelli’s contract with the sport actually permits tyre tests with individual teams, and motor sport boss Hembery recently admitted that he is keen to organise another.

Despite the controversy, and the fact Mercedes was penalised by having to sit out the recent Silverstone test, Hembery called that 1000 km session “the best we’ve ever done”.

“That’s why we want more of it,” he told Auto Bild.

“Maybe we’ll do another 1000km test with a 2011 car,” said Hembery. “At the end of the year we would also like to do one or two tests with a 2013 car — one in Brazil and a rain test at Le Castellet.”

It is yet another clear indication that, although not entirely certain, Pirelli will be staying in Formula 1 beyond the end of its 2013 contract.

But amid the delay in getting a new deal signed, the normal September 1 deadline for revealing the following year’s full tyre specification to the teams will pass.

“We will inform the teams on October 1,” said Hembery, revealing that the deadline has been extended.

Pirelli is tipped to produce wider rears for the high-torque V6 engines next year, but otherwise Hembery has hinted that the construction and compounds will be much more conservative than the controversial 2013 tyres.

He said the scandals and criticism were “too much” this year.

[MIKA27]

Horner: F1 'unimaginable' without Bernie

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner believes Bernie Ecclestone remains the "right guy to be running" F1.

Ecclestone has been head of the Formula One show for more than 40 years, but his leadership is currently under scrutiny as he is facing two separate court cases.

He has been indicted in Germany for bribery in a case related to the sale of a F1 stake to banker Gerhard Gribkowsky of Bayern Landesbank (Bayern LB) eight years ago.

Meanwhile in London, German media group Constantin Medien is claiming damages of US$171million (£111million) as they feel the 47.2 per cent stake in the sport previously owned by bank Bayern LB was sold too cheaply in 2006 to CVC Capital Partners, the current commercial rights holders of the sport.

Despite the pressure from all corners, Horner says the sport would be "unimaginable" without Ecclestone.

"Bernie is a unique individual who has run Formula One tremendously successfully for the last 40 or 45 years," he said.

"The business, as it is today, is because of the way he has run it and operated it. It is unimaginable for him not to be there."

Horner added: "It's obviously very difficult for us to judge the issues (Ecclestone) is currently dealing with, but I'm sure he is fully focused.

"So long as Bernie is able to run the business, then he is absolutely the right guy to be running it. It's as simple as that.

"And he has the full backing of the shareholders of Formula One."

Some have suggested that Horner could replace Ecclestone when he eventually decides to call it a day, but when asked if he had sounded out by the man himself, he replied: "No, not at all. I'm fully focused on what I'm doing.

"Bernie is a remarkable guy, and I doubt he has given much thought to succession to be honest with you because he is focused on the here and now, which is where the issues tend to be.

"I hope he goes on for a long time to come."

[MIKA27]

'Calm' Grosjean impressing Lotus

Lotus have praised Romain Grosjean over his behaviour on and off the track in recent months.

The Frenchman copped a lot of flak from rival drivers and team bosses last season and at the beginning of this campaign as he was involved in one too many first-corner incidents.

However, Grosjean has put his head down and stepped up his on-track performances, finishing on the podium at the German Grand Prix and outqualifying team-mate Kimi Raikkonen in the last three races.

Trackside operations director Alan Permane believes his form may be down to the fact that he is a lot more relaxed these days.

"With Romain, certainly over these last few races, he really has come on a huge amount and most of that is outside of the car," Permane told Autosport.

"He is noticeably more relaxed, more confident, happier out of the car. That translates to his driving."

The 27-year-old finished third in Germany and followed it up with the third best qualifying display at Budapest, and Permane believes things are "boding well" for the second half of the season.

"It's not just Hungary, Nurburgring as well," said Permane. "In the last two races he's done very well.

"He has performed well in and out of the car and has been a bit of a different guy.

"I said to him after Nurburgring, 'I don't know what's going on but keep doing this'. He is working really well.

"He is calm, he is relaxed, he is not panicking about things and is qualifying and racing well.

"If he can keep that up, it really bodes well for the rest of the season."

[MIKA27]

Sutil not looking too far ahead

Adrian Sutil admits he "knows where he wants to go" next year, but feels "it's a bit too early" to start talking about it.

After losing his Force India seat to Nico Hulkenberg in 2012, Sutil returned to Silverstone squad this year and he has done a good job in the first half of the campaign.

He is currently 11th in the standings with 23 points with his best performance to date coming in Monaco when he finished P5.

With F1 on its annual summer break, a lot of attention has turned to next year's driver market and it appears the sport might be in for a merry-go-round.

Sutil, though, feels the time is not quite right to talk about his future.

"I am now half a year in, acclimatised myself to life in F1 again and all the procedures are now perfect, I can go almost 100 per cent on my performance," the German is quoted as saying by Autosport. "Let's see what the future brings, I don't know.

"There are some interesting seats available but it depends on certain drivers moving, and then the carousel turns. It's a bit too early.

"I have my goals, I know where I want to go; I have my plans for the future.

"I won't tell it now of course, it would make things too easy. But I'm a loyal person to this team, and whatever I do I will speak to Vijay first."

Drivers who are competing for seats outside the big teams are struggling to hold onto their places if they don't have big financial backers, and the German admits it's a difficult situation both for drivers and teams.

"It's difficult - in F1 the money is not really there," Sutil said. "The top teams are doing very well, but the teams outside that are struggling to survive.

"They need drivers with sponsorship because they can't get it themselves, so sometimes with rare nationalities it is easier to get sponsors and that's why teams are looking for these kinds of drivers.

"The best package would be a great driver, able to be World Champion, with a big sponsorship; then you have no problems.

"[For a team] this is the best thing that can happen: that's natural."

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Mika Hakkinen working hard to secure F1 future for Bottas

Former world champion Mika Hakkinen says that he is working hard to secure the future of impressive Williams rookie Valtteri Bottas.

Bottas, the 23-year-old Finn, made his debut this year just as the British team’s competitiveness slumped.

Teammate Pastor Maldonado, the strongly PDVSA-backed Venezuelan, has scored Williams’ only 2013 point to date.

And there are rumours that Williams, having partnered with GP2 team Russian Time, could pair Maldonado with a Russian driver next year.

Asked to reveal the details of Bottas’ plans for 2014, double world champion Hakkinen – involved in the young Finn’s management – said: “We are working hard to achieve the best possible situation for Valtteri in many respects.

“I think his performance this season has been amazing. He is in good hands,” the 44-year-old former McLaren driver told Russia’s Championat.

Bottas admits that Williams’ languishing form has made it difficult for him to show his full potential in 2013.

“I think for sure it’s not helping,” he said.

“If you would be consistently fighting in the top ten, everyone would see maybe a bit more of what you can do.

“I think the first half of the season hasn’t been too bad for me,” added Bottas.

[MIKA27]

Vettel and Rosberg defend Ecclestone amid legal controversies

World champion Sebastian Vettel and Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg have jumped to the defence of Formula 1′s embattled chief executive Bernie Ecclestone.

Already under fire by German prosecutors over the Gerhard Gribkowsky bribe affair, Ecclestone’s troubles worsened this week when a London court ordered his bosses at Formula 1 owner CVC to release hundreds of documents about the sale of the sport years ago.

The Financial Times said the documents relate to German media group Constantin Medien’s $171 million lawsuit which claims that Formula 1 was undervalued when it was sold to CVC in 2006.

Most figures in the paddock have been reluctant to comment on Ecclestone’s troubles, which could end the 82-year-old’s four decade reign over F1.

Vettel is quoted by Germany’s Bild newspaper: “The bottom line is that he is the one who brought Formula 1 to such a high level.”

Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg reportedly added: “He has done so much for this sport for so many years.”

According to media speculation, one potential successor for Ecclestone is Christian Horner, currently Vettel’s team boss at Red Bull.

The Briton played down the prospect, insisting “I am fully focused on what I’m doing”.

“I hope [Ecclestone] goes on for a long time to come,” Horner is quoted by the Daily Mail.

“The business, as it is today, is because of the way he has run it and operated it. It is unimaginable for him not to be there.”

[MIKA27]

Button: I haven't lost my enthusiasm

Jenson Button insists he has not lost his enthusiasm for Formula One despite a difficult season with McLaren.

Instead of challenging for race victories and podiums, Button and team-mate Sergio Perez have found themselves up against midfield runners like Force India, Toro Rosso and Sauber.

The Woking squad are currently sixth in the standings - behind Force India - with 57 points and only nine races left.

Button, though, insists their struggles have only made him realise how much he loves the sport, and he's confident McLaren will bounce back.

"The strange thing is, even though this season has been very difficult, I still get very excited about going to a grand prix," he Mobil 1 - The Grid in an interview. "I still think we can do a great job. I haven't lost that enthusiasm even in difficult times and that makes me realise I really do love this sport."

He added: "Years like this do make the good years special. I have had quite a few difficult seasons and I have also had some fantastic seasons. It is normal to have a tough year in your career or a tough few years. At the same time for a team, you can't always be on top. I am experienced to know that this happens. You have just got to work through it and when you come out the other side it does feel very special.

"When we next stand on the podium and especially the top step of the podium, I think the whole team is not only going to be relieved, but also there will be a lot of excitement and a lot of adrenalin and a lot of emotion as well because we have worked so hard together.

While most teams opted to upgrade their 2012 cars, McLaren went for a "revolutionary" MP4-28 and it has backfired as they found themselves well off the pace of the front-runners during the early stages of the season.

They have managed to gain some time of the leaders in recent races and Button hopes that trend will continue during the latter half of the year and possibly result in a race win.

"We made a mistake in terms of the design and development of the car over the winter," the 2009 World Champion.

"But we have changed a lot [of things]. It is amazing how quickly we have been able to adapt and change the aerodynamics of the car, the airflow and so on. But the problem now is we are a long way behind the leaders in terms of development.

"[Overall] It has been a difficult season but we are getting there. I feel that we are still going to have some good results this year. I think you will see us improve over the next few races. I feel we can get a podium over the next few races if all those changes go to plan."

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Massa: Results will determine my future

Felipe Massa knows the only way he will remain at Ferrari next season is if he produces the goods in the latter half of the season.

While team-mate Fernando Alonso lies third in the Drivers' Championship with 133 points on the back of two race wins, Massa has picked up 61 points with only one podium finish.

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo, though, has assured the Brazilian that "he can count on our total confidence in him" and also revealed that the team are in no rush over their 2014 driver line-up.

However, Massa knows he needs to produce the goods if he wants to remain at the Scuderia next year.

"The results will decide whether I stay here or move teams," he said.

"The possibility to stay is there, but the most important thing is the results.

"I'm happy with the way I'm driving in terms of pace - in qualifying and race pace.

"We just need to finish the races in the normal way and get consistency. In doing that, the results will be there."

The 32-year-old faced similar problems during the 2012 season, which also led to speculation that he would lose his Ferrari seat for this campaign.

However, the team offered him a new one-year deal and he admits you are never quite sure how things will pan out.

"Until you sign the contract, you don't know," he added.

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Hulkenberg vows to keep pushing

Nico Hulkenberg is hoping the fact that a lot of teams will be turning their attention to their 2014 cars will play into Sauber's hands.

The Hinwil squad were one of the success stories last year as they regularly challenged for points, but it's been a different story this campaign as they have scored only seven points through Hulkenberg.

Although they are currently a distant eighth in the Constructors' standings, the German is confident they can turn their fortunes around in the second half of the season.

Asked by Autosport if the team will switch focus to next year's car now, he replied: "We're still working on this year's car.

"The team will still work on this year's car after the summer break.

"I think a lot of teams have stopped development on this year's car and focused on next year. Because of that, it can be better [for us]."

There were reports a few months back that Sauber are on the verge of going bankrupt, but they signed sponsorship deals with three Russian companies, and Hulkenberg feels it can only give the team a boost.

"I think it's a good sign," he said.

"Fresh support and strong partners, and especially cash, is very powerful in Formula 1 to go forward and develop."

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Williams: developing current F1 car won't compromise 2014 machine

Williams's push to continue developing its 2013 car is not compromising next year's machine, according to deputy team principal Claire Williams.

The Grove team has endured a disappointing season so far, and only scored its first point of the year in the Hungarian Grand Prix last month.

While Williams reckons it is important to continue working on the FW35 to understand the problems it has, the team must also focus on 2014, when radical new rules come into play.

Williams insists however that she has no worries that its 2013 development could affect next year's progress.

"No, it's bubbling along," she said. "We're lucky at Williams we have 550 people working for us and some of he best resources in the paddock.

"That supports us when we are having some problems with the car that we need to keep focusing on so we can improve it.

"We can't just turn round and say we aren't going to continue developing that car for the next season; we have to make sure that we are clever in the allocation of our resources so that we can maintain both projects.

"The 2014 work is going on behind the scenes and there are no concerns about this."

The team, currently using Renault engines, will switch to Mercedes power units for next year.

Williams is upbeat about the prospect of using the German engines, as she reckons they will be very competitive from the outset when the turbo era returns to F1 next year.

"We have had a great relationship with Renault in the past two seasons that they have been our engine partner, and prior to that.

Everyone knows our history with them," Williams added.

"But we had to make a decision for 2014 and in isolation we decided that the Mercedes engine and that relationship was where we wanted to be going into 2014.

"Time moves quickly in this sport and you never know what can happen down the line so the relationship with Renault will always remain amicable. But our relationship with Mercedes will be hugely important for us.

"Looking at where Mercedes are at the moment, they will have a really competitive package and we are really looking forward to working with them."

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Alex Wurz believes Austrian GP will thrill on 2014 F1 return

Alex Wurz believes the Austrian Grand Prix will produce one of the most spectacular races of the Formula 1 season when the Spielberg track rejoins the calendar in 2014.

The now Red Bull-owned venue announced earlier this week that it had gained a slot on next year's F1 schedule, ending a 10-year absence.

Wurz, the last Austrian to take a podium finish in F1, said that while Spielberg might not be as great a challenge as its Osterreichring predecessor, it ought to be an excellent venue for wheel-to-wheel racing.

"There's always a debate about whether or not this track is super-sexy or not," Wurz said.

"However, for the racing itself, even in the years where overtaking was almost impossible, every year this was the racetrack with the highest amount of overtaking and for that reason it was a cool race for spectators and drivers."

Red Bull chief Dietrich Mateschitz has revealed that he will cover the event's promoters fee himself, while acknowledging that current limits on spectator numbers will have to be renegotiated for the grand prix.

Wurz agreed that there would still be bureaucratic issues.

"There were always discussions on this grand prix track from it being the old Osterreichring about issues with farmers and land surrounding [the track] and what they are allowed to do," he said.

"There have been limitations on what [the race organisers] are allowed to do, there have been restrictions on the numbers of days and spectator numbers - there are still some bureaucratic hurdles to catch us.

"I hope there will be no problem with that, but there could be some fights behind the scenes – which I guess is normal to an extent.

"The main thing is that the Austrian Grand Prix coming back is very important for Austrian motorsport and 99 per cent of the people in the paddock like to come to Austria."

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Mark Webber believes quality of Formula 1 grid is dropping

Mark Webber believes the quality of the Formula 1 grid has dropped since he made his debut in 2002 because of the prevalence of pay drivers.

The Australian believes financial concerns are forcing teams to focus on budget rather than talent, and that some of the most worthy drivers are being overlooked.

In what he labelled a 'sad state', Webber believes that has diluted the quality of the current grid to the extent it is actually weaker than it was 13 years ago when he made a home soil debut with Minardi.

"When I was on the grid at the back with Minardi you had Irvine, Salo - all those guys had been on podiums," Webber said.

"The grid was just packed full of guys who had won in F3000, won a lot of impressive races.

"[Now] there are a lot of talented guys out there, but a lot are slipping through the net unfortunately. That's a sad state.

"[Robin] Frijns for example is a phenomenal young talent, [but] has got no cash."

Webber said he remains focused on ensuring protege Mitch Evans reaches F1, but admitted he is wary of the 19-year-old being promoted too early.

Evans won last year's GP3 championship and has taken four podiums for Arden in his maiden GP2 campaign in 2013.

Asked about the example of Sergey Sirotkin, who is set to race for Sauber next year, Webber said entering the sport so young could present a safety concern.

"Maybe it's a safety worry, we'll see," Webber said of drivers being promoted so early.

"You can drive the car, but for sure it's not the optimal point to enter I don't think.

"My job is to get Mitch there to show what he can do, [but] there's not much testing going on at the moment [so] you have to see what they can do in the period they have.

"Is he [sirotkin] a Kimi or Sebastian? We'll find out."

Australian GP starting grids -

comparing Webber's debut with his final home grand prix

2002 2013

1. Rubens Barrichello 1. Sebastian Vettel

2. Michael Schumacher 2. Mark Webber

3. Ralf Schumacher 3. Lewis Hamilton

4. David Coulthard 4. Felipe Massa

5. Kimi Raikkonen 5. Fernando Alonso

6. Juan Pablo Montoya 6. Nico Rosberg

7. Jarno Trulli 7. Kimi Raikkonen

8. Giancarlo Fisichella 8. Romain Grosjean

9. Felipe Massa 9. Paul di Resta

10. Nick Heidfeld 10. Jenson Button

11. Jenson Button 11. Nico Hulkenberg

12. Olivier Panis 12. Adrian Sutil

13. Jacques Villeneuve 13. Jean-Eric Vergne

14. Mika Salo 14. Daniel Ricciardo

15. Heinz-Harald Frentzen 15. Sergio Perez

16. Allan McNish 16. Valtteri Bottas

17. Enrique Bernoldi 17. Pastor Maldonado

18. Mark Webber 18. Esteban Gutierrez

19. Eddie Irvine 19. Jules Bianchi

20. Pedro de la Rosa 20. Max Chilton

21. Alex Yoong 21. Giedo van der Garde

22. Takuma Sato 22. Charles Pic

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Mercedes admits dilemma; Push for more wins in 2013 or focus on 2014 campaign?

More wins in the remaining races of 2013, or the 2014 Formula 1 World Championship title? Nico Rosberg is in two minds as to how Mercedes should tackle the second half of this season.

The German has won two races in the ever-improving Mercedes so far this year, while his teammate Lewis Hamilton won the most recent grand prix, in Hungary.

But with the sweeping rules changes for 2014 looming, and some teams already turning their full focus to the new cars, Rosberg is unsure how Mercedes should proceed.

Speaking to Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport, he seemed to acknowledge that, Mercedes’ front-running car notwithstanding, the chance of winning the 2013 title is slim.

“We have been able to celebrate some huge successes,” he said. ”Unfortunately, especially due to the tyres, we were not consistent enough.

“The progress we have made, however, is huge,” Rosberg explained. “But our goal is to be where Sebastian (Vettel) is.”

Indeed, with half the season gone, Red Bull’s Vettel has a 38 point lead over Lotus’ Kimi Raikkonen, while the closest Mercedes challenger is Hamilton, who is 48 points adrift.

Rosberg’s gap to the lead, meanwhile, is 88 points.

The 28-year-old acknowledged, therefore, that the 2014 rules revolution is a “huge opportunity” for a works outfit like Mercedes.

So should the Brackley based team throw its full weight behind 2014, or keep developing the current car for more poles and wins?

“That’s a difficult question,” Rosberg said. ”I’m in two minds. On the one hand, I find it so cool to come to a race weekend with the best car, thinking ‘I can put it on pole and win’. It’s a great feeling.”

“On the other hand, half of me thinks that next year is such a huge opportunity, because of all the changes. If we just keep driving what we have now, we can still get some good successes out of this car,” he added.

What Rosberg is implying is that Mercedes might now consider simply switching the full weight of the team’s resources to the 2014 project.

Team boss Ross Brawn admitted that it is a possibility, ”For Spa and Monza we have some great update packages in the works.

Depending on how well things go, we will then decide what to do for the rest of the season.”

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Lotus denies that unpaid F1 staff are threatening to strike

Lotus has played down reports that the Enstone based Formula 1 team is struggling to survive financially amid crippling debts, with the latest crisis reportedly involving unpaid staff.

It was already known that the team’s highest-paid member, lead driver Kimi Raikkonen, is waiting on his latest pay instalment.

Reports in the German press also saidthat other unpaid staff members at Enstone are threatening to lay down their tools, while spare parts are running low because suppliers are also waiting for invoices to be paid.

35 per cent of the Genii-owned team was sold recently to a consortium called Infinity Racing, but it subsequently emerged that the deal is still not actually done.

“There may be some delays,” team boss Eric Boullier admitted this week, “but it will be repaired within a few days.

“The package that ensures the future of the company is [being] completed slowly, but we’ll get there,” he told Finnish broadcaster MTV3.

Meanwhile, the Spanish sports newspaper Marca said that Lotus has officially denied that team members have not been paid and are threatening to strike.

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Sauber claims reports of Russian bailout not worthy of comment

Leading figures involved with Sauber’s high profile Russian rescue deal have played down reports of a delay that means vital money is not yet flowing to the embattled Swiss team and may be on the verge of collapse.

The German newspaper Die Welt claimed this week that Russian president Vladimir Putin is stalling over the final signature.

Sauber could, therefore, still run off the road because Ferrari is reportedly threatening to cut off its supply of customer V8 engines if a € 9 million bill is not paid immediately.

Central to the entire Russian deal is the scheduled debut of teenage Russian driver Sergey Sirotkin, and his manager Nikolay Vetrov confirmed the holdup.

“Yes, we have not had time to implement the whole of the planned ambitious programme,” he told the Formula 1news.ru website, “but otherwise everything is going according to plan.

“I just spoke with (team boss) Mrs (Monisha) Kaltenborn, and she said, literally, that this [Die Welt] article is not even worthy of a comment,” added Vetrov. ”There is no doubting the realism of these plans.”

17-year-old Sirotkin’s father Oleg is also closely involved in the Sauber deal, as director-general of the National Institute of Aviation Technologies.

He also confirmed the delay in the Sauber deal, ”Indeed, we are still in the implementation phase of our agreement of intent. We are preparing all the relevant documents, and it takes quite a long time.

“We have a plan, we’re moving on it, we are somewhat behind in some areas, somewhat ahead in others.

“What I would say is that this procedure is more technical than political. In general, we do not see any big problems, but there will be a slight shift in the timing.

“Of course, I want everything to happen tomorrow, but we need patience on all sides and everything will be fine – that’s my point of view.”

When asked by Blick newspaper about the Die Welt report, Sauber spokesman Hanspeter Brack answered: “There are some articles that are not even worth the denial.”