FORMULA 1 - 2013

[MIKA27]

'Raikkonen will race on'

Lotus are "confident" Kimi Raikkonen will contest the final two races of this season after reaching a deal over unpaid wages.

The Lotus situation came to a head this past weekend in Abu Dhabi when Raikkonen refused to pitch up for Thursday's media commitments due to the team not paying his salary.

And although he was in attendance on Friday, Raikkonen made it known that he was unhappy with the situation.

The Finn, who is off to Ferrari next season, even threatened to skip the final two races of the Championship unless Lotus paid up.

However, after some wrangling between Mansoor Ijaz, the chairman of Quantum Motorsports who are buying into Lotus, and Raikkonen's manager, the former World Champ is expected to see out the season.

"I met with Kimi's manager Steve Robertson... I've apologised to Steve, we've apologised to Kimi," Ijaz told Reuters.

"We intend to not only make sure that they (the unpaid wages) are made whole, and then some, we are intending to also compensate our employees and management team.

"I am confident that he (Raikkonen) will run the last two races and fulfil his professional obligations to us and us to him."

Team boss Eric Boullier backed up the comments but refused to reveal any details.

"I cannot say anything about what has been agreed because this is confidential between both parties but it is all settled," he said.

Meanwhile, Ijaz added that it is only a matter of time before Lotus' financial woes are over.

"We're going to clear off the debt, and then we're going to bring very high quality sponsors which you'll see very soon," he said.

"Those sponsors will give us the longevity and capacity to compete at the top end of the business for a long time.

"They (the team) are going to pay a lot of bills this week, let's put it that way. We've asked them to make sure things get paid as quickly as possible."

[Bartolomeo]

Poor start by Webber, Vettle dominated......love the track but race was again ho-hum

[ptrthgr8]

Poor start by Webber, Vettle dominated......love the track but race was again ho-hum

Ho-hum? Well, perhaps insofar as the winner was concerned, but there were a lot of great races further back in the field. I'm thoroughly enjoying watching Vettel do his thing (we all should recognize the legend in the making we're seeing) so I'm biased for sure, but I still thought it was a fun one to watch.

Cheers,

Greg

Sent from my DROID RAZR MAXX HD

[MIKA27]

Poor start by Webber, Vettle dominated......love the track but race was again ho-hum

Webber is the King of poor starts. I really feel this is one issue which has hindered past victory opportunities. Especially 2010 which really was his season in the bag up until the last 3 or so races which let him down.

[MIKA27]

McLaren reportedly considering replacing Perez with Magnussen for 2014

Until recently, it was believed that McLaren wass on the verge of confirming that Sergio Perez will continue as Jenson Button’s teammate for 2014, but a report by respected correspondent Tom Cary in the Telegraph newspaper claims that the Mexican rookie could still be ousted after just a single season with the great British team.

Reportedly, Perez would be replaced by another rookie, McLaren-developed youngster Kevin Magnussen, who has just wrapped up the Formula Renault 3.5 series.

The son of former McLaren test driver Jan, the young Magnussen won a GP2 test as a prize for his 2013 title, but according to Cary he “pulled out” of the run at the last minute this week “for unexplained reasons”.

McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh recently described Formula Renault 3.5 as “a much higher quality championship than GP2″, and so the test may have been seen as a threat to Magnussen’s reputation.

Indeed, Formula Renault 3.5 has also housed well-known, Formula 1-linked names like Stoffel Vandoorne, Antonio Felix da Costa, Sergey Sirotkin and Carlos Sainz jr this year.

The newly-crowned 2013 GP2 champion, meanwhile, is Fabio Leimer. For the young Swiss, Formula 1 is “as far away for Leimer as the moon”, according to the veteran correspondent for Blicknewspaper, Roger Benoit.

21-year-old Magnussen, on the other hand, is knocking loudly on the door, but it was expected that he would make his debut for a team like Force India or Marussia.

“For me,” he told Cary in Abu Dhabi, “if I can get a competitive seat in the first year I would prefer that.

“It’s true there is a bigger risk in going to a top team because if you don’t perform then you’re out of Formula 1. But for me, if I get to a top team and don’t perform, then it means I’m not good enough,” added Magnussen.

MIKA: I still can't believe McLaren selected Perez in the first place. He was lucky to have a great car in the Sauber for sure and yes, he did do reasonably well that season but to be selected, almost seemed a bit desperate of McLaren to do so at the time.

This season, McLaren haven't delivered a decent package for either Button or Perez but I do hope they replace Perez as there are more deserving guys on the grid for that post.

[MIKA27]

Media gushing with admiration for ‘perfect, unassailable, invincible’ Vettel

The international media is running out of superlatives to describe Sebastian Vettel’s constant, meteoric rise to Formula 1 greatness.

With memories of podium booing still fresh, the jury had been out on the 26-year-old’s recent successes in Adrian Newey-inked Red Bulls.

But his dominance in the second half of 2013, culminating in his near-unprecedented seventh win on the trot in Abu Dhabi last Sunday, has finally won German Vettel an undoubted wave of respect.

“Like Schumacher, Vettel is insatiable,” said the respected Italian daily La Gazzetta dello Sport. ”Perfect, unassailable, invincible. It’s as though he’s in another category.”

Another major sports daily, Corriere dello Sport, agreed: “Although he has conquered his fourth title, Vettel shows no signs of fatigue or a lack of motivation.”

Italy’s biggest daily, La Repubblica added: “For Vettel, the track seems shorter, the corners smoother – he drives like a prima ballerina dances, with elegance and strength.”

Corriere della Sera continued: “Vettel is a voracious master, using a racetrack created just for him, with an enemy badly under pressure from such a phenomenon.”

Red Bull team owner Dietrich Mateschitz said this week: “Sebastian is [the] talent of the century.

“But the extreme cohesion and outstanding performance of the whole team was also exceptional,” he told Austrian television Servus TV.

[MIKA27]

Mateschitz says cash strapped F1 teams should shape up or ship out

Formula 1 stragglers should consider moving over for the next generation of teams if they cannot afford being in the sport, according to Austrian billionaire Dietrich Mateschitz, who owns two Formula 1 teams including Red Bull Racing, the dominant clean-sweep World Champions since 2010.

It is believed that many teams on the grid are struggling financially at present, most notably Lotus and Sauber.

But Swiss newspaper Blick claims that Force India could be about to lose the crucial backing of the Sahara Group, and if Pastor Maldonado leaves Williams, he could take €40 million in annual backing with him.

Sauber, meanwhile, looked to have solved its crisis recently with a Russian rescue deal and Sergey Sirotkin, but that deal is reported to have collapsed.

Blick correspondent Roger Benoit said the survival of the Swiss team might now rest on reports of backers from Dubai.

Times are tough at Sauber

Years ago, Minardi team owner Paul Stoddart complained loudly about the costs in Formula 1, earning him a stinging rebuke from McLaren’s Ron Dennis.

“This is a tough, competitive sport and, if you can’t take the heat, get out the bloody kitchen,” Dennis said. ”Formula 1 has a place for everybody, but we do not have a soup kitchen.”

Red Bull’s Mateschitz has now issued a similar smack against those pleading with the sport’s authorities about their financial problems.

“If there are financial problems,” he told Welt am Sonntag newspaper, “they can be solved only through financial means.”

The German report said that Mateschitz was referring to private funding and sponsors, rather than cost cuts or restrictive regulations.

“If a team is unable to resolve the problem, they should question their commitment [to Formula 1]. There may be others who are interested in their licence,” he added.

[MIKA27]

Webber: I had to find a balance, something that stimulates and I found it with Porsche

Mark Webber has admitted that fading motivation prompted his decision to retire from Formula 1 while revealing that his deal with Porsche is ideal for the phase of his career that he is in right now.

Austin and Brazil will be the Australian veteran’s last two grands prix in a career spanning more than a decade, netting 9 wins and 40 podiums.

Webber, 37, is switching to Le Mans sports cars, to head Porsche’s new prototype foray.

But he admits he was already starting to think about retirement last year, ”Porsche wanted me for 2013. but I said that I wasn’t ready yet.”

“But during [2012] I started to think about a change. I had already been at Red Bull for a very long time, so you do think about doing something else. That’s human nature,” he explained.

Webber admits that he courted a move to Ferrari, but ultimately decided last Christmas to quit Formula 1.

Another factor was his fitness, ”A lot of people have trained with me, but most are gone after less than two years. I never had to be motivated to keep fit.

“But over the past year the urge went away. So I had to ask myself why. Then it becomes clear – ‘Mark, you’re not 19 anymore!’

He admitted that, increasingly, the desire to do things other than Formula 1 crept in.

“In my case, the reasons are very personal,” said Webber. “I want to spend more time with my family, my partner, my friends. Suddenly there are things on the radar that weren’t there before.

“I had often heard other sportsmen and woman talk about the problem of their motivation going away, but I always thought to myself, ‘What?’ But the fact is that it does go away!” he admitted.

“Also, when you’re 36, you think differently to when you’re 25, and that doesn’t just go for drivers. As an athlete, you put so much into your career.

“I wouldn’t say that we make sacrifices, but if you start thinking that, then maybe it is time to do something else. You have to believe that it’s all worth it.

“I’m enjoying the summer in Australia and then suddenly you have to go to Jerez for winter testing and you think, ‘Hmm…’

“But I also knew that I wouldn’t be happy if I stopped racing completely. You have to find a balance, something that stimulates you and I’ve found that with Porsche.

“I know we have a lot of hard work ahead of us, but it will not be like Formula 1. Next year there will be 20 grands prix again and if you’re in a top team, it’s pretty exhausting,” he said.

“I want a different balance in my life and the timing is right, and [finding the right time to retire] is not easy for an athlete. Look at Roger Federer, look at Valentino Rossi.

“I have the feeling I’m going pretty well at the moment, even if I don’t have the results to prove it, for reasons that we both know,” he told correspondent Mathias Bruner.

[MIKA27]

Alonso: My back is in pain because it was a big hit, but I still have all my teeth

Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso had precautionary checks in hospital after hurting his back on a heavy jolt over the kerbs at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

A team spokesman said that he had been given the all-clear.

“My back is obviously in pain a little bit because it was a big hit,” the Spaniard, who finished fifth in the race, told reporters after the incident which occurred when he ran wide to avoid a collision with Jean-Eric Vergne’s Toro Rosso.

“I still have all my teeth after the impact,” he joked.

Meanwhile mixed messages are emerging from the Ferrari camp, after the incident. Alonso “wore his cap backwards” and attended to his media duties “without any problem”.

“All good,” added the correspondent for the Spanish sports newspaper, Manuel Franco.

But the bump over the kerbs had triggered the FIA impact alarm aboard Alonso’s Ferrari, requiring him to report for a medical checkup.

Auto Motor und Sport, however, said the impact only tipped the scales above the 15G trigger because the sensor was improperly attached to the car.

Indeed, a Ferrari spokesman said the checkup was a mere “precaution”, adding afterwards that Alonso is “fine”.

“The doctors gave the all-clear,” said German correspondent Michael Schmidt.

But Alonso’s manager, Luis Garcia Abad, then alarmed the driver’s millions of fans by tweeting a photo of the 32-year-old in hospital, attached to a spinal board and covered with a space blanket.

Then, on Monday, Alonso told his 1.9 million fans via Twitter: “The night was so-so. I will do more tests this afternoon and try to be 100 per cent as soon as possible.”

Before leaving Abu Dhabi, he said he would “hopefully” be fit for Austin in two weeks.

But after Monday’s follow-up checks for Alonso, which reportedly took place in Spain, a Ferrari spokesman told the BBC: “He’s ok, just some pain and nothing more.

“The checkup was fine,” he added.

Alonso’s manager Abad, however, refused to say if the driver – whose relationship with Ferrari this year has been the subject of high speculation – will be fit for Austin.

“We are not talking about Austin,” he said.

“We need to check everything’s ok. It is nothing more than normal control of the situation,” Abad added.

[MIKA27]

Ricciardo: Pressure is on Vettel, I’m just a young driver so no one expects me to beat him

Red Bull bound Daniel Ricciardo might be forgiven if his excitement is tempered by nerves as the last few races of the 2013 F1 World Championship season play out.

On the one hand, the 24-year-old Australian is about to depart perennial midfielders Toro Rosso to join Formula 1′s dominant team and reigning four time world champions.

But on the other hand, his Red Bull teammate will be none other than Sebastian Vettel, the indomitable German who according to many paddock insiders has raced into Formula 1 greatness this year alongside legends like Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher.

On Saturday in Abu Dhabi, however – the first qualifying session since Vettel wrapped up his fourth title – Vettel was outpaced by his retiring teammate Mark Webber, who started the Abu Dhabi race from pole.

Ricciardo is taking countryman Webber’s place for 2014.

“Something like that,” said Ricciardo, referring to Vettel’s qualifying defeat, “shows that [Vettel] is human.

“Sebastian has always been very strong here, so I think Mark was very happy with that [lap] and it gives me a little hope for the coming year,” he is quoted by Brazil’s Totalrace.

Ricciardo is understandbly spending his last three races with Toro Rosso with a watchful eye over proceedings at the senior team, and his on-form 2014 teammate.

“[Vettel] is in the form of his life,” he admitted to Welt am Sonntag. “I don’t see a single weakness.

“Maybe I should put something in his food,” the Perth-born racer joked, flashing his characteristic grin.

Ricciardo insisted, however, that he does not fear the prospect of going head-to-head with Vettel next year.

“I think that as a four-time World Champion, Sebastian has a lot more pressure than I do,” he said. ”I am just a young driver so no one expects that I will beat him.”

Perhaps, however, he fears becoming a second incarnation of Webber, who after coming close to beating Vettel to the title in 2010 has since been utterly beaten by the successful German.

Some even believe in a ‘conspiracy’ at the energy drink-owned team, with Vettel getting preferential treatment and equipment.

Undoubtedly, the relationship between Vettel and Webber has not been a friendly one.

“Everything that happened between Mark and Sebastian,” Ricciardo insisted, “has nothing to do with me and nothing to do with next year.”

He told Kleine Zeitung newspaper that nothing in his new contract makes him a ‘number 2′ driver.

Indeed, he said both his and Vettel’s deal includes a clause which says that one driver must support the other if out of the fight for the title.

Theoretically, then, Vettel might have to ride shotgun for Ricciardo.

The Australian laughed: “Yes. If that’s the case, it means [that] I’ve had a very nice season! Obviously, I know that is being very optimistic.”

[MIKA27]

Neither Caterham driver has secured race seat for 2014

Neither of Caterham’s current race drivers have been confirmed by the team for the 2014 season.

Giedo van der Garde and Charles Pic, both heavily sponsored, were new to the team this season, but Caterham has struggled at times and so the experienced Heikki Kovalainen is back on the radar for a possible 2014 return.

Widely regarded as the most secure of the pair is Frenchman Pic, who has the solid backing of the Lagardere Group and, it is believed, a longer contract.

But Pic’s manager Olivier Panis admitted to French television Canal Plus that: “You are never 100 per cent sure.

“In any case, stability is important for Charles, but we have been approached by other teams.

“I think that decisions will take longer than last year, so it will not be until the end of the season that we know about Charles in Formula 1 next year,” the ex F1 driver added.

Caterham’s other race driver this year is Dutchman van der Garde.

His manager Jan Paul ten Hoopen told De Telegraaf newspaper: “We have spoken with four teams who have serious interest in Giedo.”

It is believed that those teams are Caterham, Williams, Force India and Sauber, and ten Hoopen said “follow-up appointments” will “definitely” take place.

“I think everyone has seen his development,” ten Hoopen said in Abu Dhabi, “but the musical chairs in Formula 1 is like playing in a casino.”

[MIKA27]

Quantum deal done; Hulk linked

Quantum Motorsports Chief Executive Mansoor Ijaz has confirmed the purchase of a stake in Lotus and believes Nico Hulkenberg is the right man to replace Kimi Raikkonen.

Ijaz revealed to Autosport after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix that the purchase 35 per cent stake in the Genii Capital team has been completed after months of uncertainty.

The team's new investor also urged the Lotus team principal Eric Boullier to secure Hulkenburg's signature as a matter of priority.

"We as incoming owners and shareholders have made it very clear what our preference is," the Quantum chief told Autosport.

"I wish the transition had been smoother between Kimi and the next driver, who we believe will be Nico Hulkenberg, but sometimes in life things don't happen so clearly and as nicely as you would like them to."

Nevertheless, the American financier refused to comment on the exact details of the proposed deal for the Sauber driver.

"That part is not for me to comment on," Ijaz added.

"I can tell you the contract was prepared and ready to go.

"I know Nico is excited about doing this and I think it is a matter of a very short period before that is all finalised.

"Nico is a man well within himself.

"He is an up-and-coming driver; he has fairly long [career] life span ahead of him.

"In every sport the athlete has a fixed life span and if he has five or seven years left in him, that is enough for him to rise the very top of the pack with a good car, good technology and a strong team behind him."

MIKA: I'm getting tired of hearing about this but I truly hope they (LOTUS) hire Hulkenberg over Petrov or Maldonado.

[MIKA27]

Wolff secures ROC berth

Williams development driver Susie Wolff will become the first woman to compete in the Race of Champions (ROC) when she teams up with David Coulthard for the December event.

The Scottish duo will form part of Team GB at Bangkok's Rajamangala Stadium in Thailand on December 14-15, where she will test her mettle against the likes of Michael Schumacher.

Other drivers that will compete in this year's ROC include World Rally Champion Sebastien Ogier, nine-time Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen and four-time V8 Supercar champion Jamie Whincup.

"Any driver would love to be invited to do the Race of Champions," Wolff told the official Formula One website.

"It's an event I have watched as far back as I can remember. What is so exciting is that the cars race head-to-head and you can see how close it is: it always comes down to hundredths. Jumping in and out of the different cars is going to be the real challenge. You need to make sure your car control is as good as it can be because you don't have time to get a proper feeling for the car, you just get in and go.

"Then there's the ROC Nations Cup, where I certainly feel responsibility to make sure we do well as a nation. I know David from our time in DTM and I rate him really highly so to be part of the team alongside him makes me very proud. Of course we'll be up against drivers who are absolutely at the top of their game. So I know it's not going to be easy but I'm relishing the challenge."

The individual Race of Champions title was won by Lotus's Romain Grosjean in 2013, while German duo Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel has won the Nations Cup title every year since 2007.

[MIKA27]

Pirelli: Alonso wasn’t able to win for a number of reasons and not because of tyres

Pirelli chairman Marco Tronchetti Provera has hit back at Fernando Alonso’s criticism of the Italian marque’s Formula 1 tyres in 2013.

Spaniard Alonso, the highest paid and arguably one of the most highly rated and influential drivers on the grid, recently slammed the questionable “quality” of this year’s Pirellis.

The criticism came at an awkward time for Pirelli, who while having agreed with the teams and Bernie Ecclestone to a new deal beyond 2013, are still yet to be offered an actual dotted line to sign on by the governing FIA.

“I have to say that he was very nervous when he said that,” Tronchetti Provera told CNN, referring to Alonso’s recent comments.

“It was not because of tyres – he wasn’t able to win for a number of reasons. If [Ferrari] didn’t use the tyres properly, it’s not our fault.”

He warned that because Formula 1 has asked specifically for tyres that wear out quickly, it is crucial that the teams strictly follow the operating guidelines issued by Pirelli.

“We can do whatever is needed, but with the respect of the rules,” said the 65-year-old. ”It means tyres have to be used within the limits we provide [to] teams.”

Pirelli has been given the green light by the FIA to supply tyres in 2014, but Tronchetti Provera said that a new deal beyond 2015 is also possible.

Some, however, have questioned the wisdom of Pirelli’s Formula 1 foray, particularly when the lifespan of the tyres might be seen to affect the Italian brand’s image.

“We had some damages for a few weeks after Silverstone,” Tronchetti Provera admitted, “but I think today people understand it wasn’t Pirelli’s fault.”

Meanwhile, tyrepress.com reports that Korean tyre marque Kumho tested Formula 1 specification tyres at Spain’s Circuit de Catalunya in September.

Kumho said the purpose of the test was to “validate the technology for future business with Formula 1 and to actually test the technology accumulated through motor sports since the 1990s for Formula 1.”

[MIKA27]

Chilton admits that he is likely to stay with Marussia beyond 2013

Rookie Max Chilton says it is likely that he will stay with the Marussia team in 2014.

The team is known for regularly changing its usually heavily-sponsored drivers, but Briton Chilton thinks he will stay for a second season next year.

Perhaps that is because of his consistency. Auto Motor und Sport points out that, in Abu Dhabi, the 22-year-old beat Tiago Monteiro’s old 2005 record for the most number (17) of consecutive finishes in a season.

Less noticeable in 2013, however, has been Chilton’s speed.

“I may have only outqualifed my teammate Jules [bianchi] once, but I have outraced him at a few races now – especially since the August break,” he told Formula 1′s official website.

“Next year it’s most likely that I will stay with Marussia – but of course I have to get the deal done first,” added Chilton.

[MIKA27]

Is Raikkonen already regretting his decision to return to Ferrari?

Kimi Raikkonen might already be regretting his impending return to Ferrari, according to former F1 driver turned pundit Christian Danner.

The Finn had a particularly bad-tempered weekend in Abu Dhabi, starting with his no-show on Thursday and ending with a rare first-lap crash and rapid return to the airport in flip-flops.

Danner, now a pundit for German television RTL, thinks Raikkonen is not simply annoyed at his situation at Lotus, but also with his impending move to Ferrari.

“Kimi is annoyed that his manager is sending him back to Ferrari,” Danner told the German newspaper Bild. ”He sees that Alonso at the moment is driving for the ‘golden pineapple’ at best – far away from winning.”

Danner thinks that Raikkonen will also not be looking forward to the environment at Ferrari.

“Lotus gave him all the freedom he wants, and at the moment quite clearly a better car as well,” he said.

“What’s he going to do when Luca di Montezemolo tells him he’s going to too many parties?”

Danner’s comments are interesting, but in light of Lotus’ well-document financial problems, returning to Ferrari is probably a good move for Raikkonen – particularly with 2014 tipped to be an engine-dominated Championship.

Reports are also questioning the legitimacy of Lotus’ new backers, Quantum, who promised to buy 35 per cent of the team months ago, but are still yet to deliver a single euro.

Sport Bild also claims that Quantum chief Mansoor Ijaz has often been behind questionable deals that ultimately did not happen.

Livio Oricchio, the correspondent for Brazil’s O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper, said that the Pakistani-American was even in court last year, for not paying back huge loans.

Der Spiegel magazine reports that one possible solution for Raikkonen is that Bernie Ecclestone will direct Lotus’ official prize-money straight to the 2007 World Champion’s account.

Indeed, the reality of Raikkonen’s Ferrari return is that the Finn rightly wants to cash in on his status as one of the best drivers in Formula 1.

Timo Glock was a paid driver for Marussia until the end of 2012, when he lost his seat to a ‘pay-driver’. He is now a paid front-runner in the German touring car series DTM.

When asked about Raikkonen’s threat to strike over his unpaid wages, Glock said: “It shows what really is going on in Formula 1. The sport needs to have a real think in order to keep itself alive.

“Apart from Ferrari and Mercedes, everyone is having difficulties,” Glock continued. “They need to think about whether it’s right that drivers aren’t being paid.”

Ferrari, meanwhile, is happy with its top lineup for 2014, with Alonso alongside another former champion.

“Kimi suddenly and unexpectedly became available in the summer,” team boss Stefano Domenicali told Welt newspaper.

“We had to take the opportunity. It was almost not a conscious choice [that] we had to make,” he added.

[MIKA27]

Fry happy with new windtunnel

The new Ferrari windtunnel is already producing encouraging results, engineering director Pat Fry revealed on Wednesday.

Ferrari shut down its tunnel in Maranello last year in order to fix the correlation problems that were troubling the facility and used Toyota's windtunnel in Cologne for much of the season.

"It's being 100 per cent used now, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the normal thing," Fry told Autosport when he was asked whether the new facility is fully operational.

"We have been back in there for a few weeks.

"It is reasonable although it takes time for you realise how good a tool is.

"We have certainly made some reasonable improvements there.

"Time will tell if we are exactly where we would like to be but the signs are good at the moment."

In order to ensure that the new Maranello tunnel is producing accurate results, Ferrari are conducting a specific set of tests that should produce the same results as where achieved at the Cologne facility.

"There are the normal things of repeatability, so we do a lot more repeats of things," Fry continued.

"Some of the things we've done at Toyota, we are also doing - step changes trying to check it has got the same trends - and so far so good.

"Aero still remains a very dominant factor next year as well.

"It is still going to be very important although the balance towards engines is higher than it currently is, especially as you have to get it right at the start.

"You need your power unit package as good as you can at race one because it's quite difficult to upgrade it in the season."

[MIKA27]

Mercedes considers set-up changes

Mercedes are contemplating changes to the set-up of its cars that would improve race-day performances, but may compromise qualifying pace.

Lewis Hamilton has been visibly frustrated with the W04 car's performances on race day and has complained that the car loses much of its performance when stuck behind another car.

Ross Brawn, the Mercedes team principal, believes the problem is so serious that they are considering changing the set-up of the car to make it more effective at overtaking, even if it compromises their single lap pace.

"I think one of the weaknesses of the car at the moment, which we have identified, is our ability to follow and overtake is poor," Brawn revealed to Autosport.

"Of course, if you get yourself into your position where you need to do that to rebuild your race, then your race goes from bad to worse.

"That is really what happened to Lewis in the last couple of races and that is something we want to think about for Austin and Brazil.

"It could be we need to modify our approach to have a car and a set-up philosophy that puts a bit more emphasis on the ability to race the other cars than the lap time."

Despite Hamilton's struggles of late, Brawn isn't concerned by his poor form when compared to team-mate Nico Rosberg.

"I think there is a natural order that happens with two very, very good drivers," the former Honda boss continued.

"They decide to get the car tuned in, they have a few races where they get the car absolutely right, they race well, and it all comes together.

"But there is no reason for it. They are the natural phases you go through when you have two very good drivers as we have."

[MIKA27]

Rosberg: Red Bull can be caught

Nico Rosberg is confident that Red Bull won't be the dominant outfit they currently are, in 2014.

World champion Sebastian Vettel has triumphed in the last seven races and won in Abu Dhabi this past weekend by more than half a minute from team-mate Mark Webber, with Rosberg in third place another 2.8s adrift.

Despite the narrow margin between in the end between Webber and Rosberg, the Mercedes driver was never really in with a chance to overtake the Australian.

Rosberg, however, is confident that under the new regulations that come into effect in 2014, the proverbial playing field would be leveled.

"I don't think it's two seconds at the moment, I think it's less than that," Rosberg said.

"OK, maybe at times [in Abu Dhabi] but anyway, I'm not worried, no, because it's a great opportunity because it puts everybody back to zero, so on the contrary, it's actually better this way. Everybody starts from zero.

"We have such a strong team now, it's been built up over the last four years, they already did a fantastic job last winter from 1.5s a lap slower. At the beginning of this season we were sometimes the quickest car without a regulation change, so they did an amazing job last winter and I'm confident that they can do it again, for sure.

"And again this year, we had some weaknesses which we've learned from and are trying to continue improving and then I'm very sure we can have a good season."

[MIKA27]

Force India has McLaren in sight

After taking a seemingly decisive advantage over Sauber in the battle for sixth place in the Constructors' Championship, Force India's Bob Fernley is confident of moving further up the points table.

Force India has scored 15 points in the last two races while Sauber hasn't scored any, handing the Silverstone-based outfit a 32-point advantage with only two races remaining this year.

Fernley added that closing the 18-point gap to McLaren in fifth place is their target in the US and Brazil.

"We started to be able to get back on top of things and show a bit more pace in Japan and we've managed to carry it from there," Fernley told Autosport.

"India and Abu Dhabi were very good for us and most importantly, they have not been so good for Sauber, so hopefully we have broken the tow a little bit on that battle.

"Now we turn our attention to McLaren."

After finishing in sixth place in Abu Dhabi, Paul di Resta echoed the deputy team principal's statements, adding that he is confident of scoring more points at the Circuit of The Americas and Interlagos.

"If we execute what we did in Abu Dhabi and in the previous grand prix, which is a perfect race, we can get the points," the Scot said.

"If we are just a little bit off that and other people have a perfect race, we seem to be just off the top 10.

"Credit to everyone in how the momentum has carried from Suzuka so we have the car in a window where it gives you confidence, you can drive it hard and where you can extend stints.

"Right down to the strategy, the engineers, the mechanics, everyone did their job spot on.

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Kimi Raikkonen set to stick with short wheelbase Lotus car

Kimi Raikkonen is set to stick with the short wheelbase Lotus for the remainder of the 2013 Formula 1 season after some encouraging signs from Abu Dhabi.

Although the Finn endured a tough weekend - having threatened to not drive, being forced to start from the back and then crashing out at the first corner - there were still some flashes of promise on track.

His decision to go back to the shorter wheelbase was fuelled by the fact that the longer wheelbase version used since the Korean Grand Prix had not suited his driving style as much.

The switch appeared to pay off, with Raikkonen delivering his best qualifying performance since the German Grand Prix prior to his exclusion.

Lotus team boss Eric Boullier said it was likely that Raikkonen would stick with that configuration from now on.

When asked if Raikkonen was going to fall in line with Romain Grosjean's preference for the longer wheelbase car, Boullier: "I don't think so.

"I may be going too far too fast, but it looks like he prefers the short wheelbase, while Romain likes the long wheelbase."

Raikkonen said in Abu Dhabi that the choice of the car was not circuit dependent, and that he would have to commit to a choice before each race weekend.

"If you go from one configuration to another it is not a very easy thing to do, as it is not easy to change during the weekend," he said.

"So whatever we choose to do, we have to stick with it for that race."

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Ecclestone: I don’t care who the shareholders are and who is on whatever boards, I run the business

Formula 1 Chief Executive Bernie Ecclestone has said that much of the motor sport’s value before the sale of a major stake to private equity group CVC was down to his running of the business.

Defending a damages claim of more than $100 million (62 million pounds) brought by German media firm Constantin Medien over that deal, Ecclestone told London’s High Court on Thursday that he remained a hands-on manager at the age of 83.

Ecclestone has denied being part of a “corrupt bargain” to undervalue Formula 1 in order to remain head of a business he had run for decades when CVC paid German bank BayernLB around $830 million for a 47 percent stake in 2005.

Ecclestone said he did not think that jailed German banker Gerhard Gribkowsky, former chief risk officer at BayernLB, had wanted to remove him from his role prior to the sale.

“He gets rid of me and the company is worth nothing,” Ecclestone told the court. ”I’m sorry if I seem to be taking a very arrogant position but I am just talking about facts.”

The legal fallout from the CVC deal risks ending Ecclestone’s long grip on the glamorous motor sport which generates annual revenues of an estimated $2 billion from its series of high-speed races watched by hundreds of millions.

It has also further complicated and stalled plans to list the business on the Singapore stock exchange.

Gribkowksy has been jailed in Germany for 8 and a half years for a $44 million payment he received from Ecclestone and his family trust after the sale. A German court is due to decide next year if Ecclestone should stand trial for bribery.

Ecclestone has told the London court that he paid Gribkowsky 10 million pounds after the German threatened to make false claims about his tax status that risked costing him close to $2 billion.

Bernie Ecclestone emerged as a power in F1 during the seventies – here he is with Jochen Mass and James Hunt

Giving evidence for a second day in the civil case, Ecclestone said thathe was not concerned about the ownership structure of a business in which he retains a stake of around 5 percent.

“I don’t care who the shareholders are and who is on whatever boards,” he told the court.

“I run the business,” he said, adding that he had spent five hours working on F1 matters on Wednesday evening after a full day in court.

Constantin is a successor to former F1 shareholder EM.TV. The company is arguing that it missed out on a share of the proceeds that it would have been entitled to had the value of the BayernLB stake exceeded $1.05 billion.

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Vettel: It’s a pleasure to come here to the Red Bull F1 factory and say thank you

Four-time Formula One World Champion Sebastian Vettel today brought the celebrations for his title win and the team’s fourth consecutive Constructors’ Championship victory back home, with an emotional visit to Infiniti Red Bull Racing’s factory in Milton Keynes.

Before meeting team employees at a private party at the team’s HQ, Sebastian, along with Team Principal Christian Horner and Chief Technical Officer Adrian Newey, explained at a press conference how important the effort of the whole team had been in securing the latest pair in the team’s sequence of four double championships in a row.

“It’s really nice to come back to the factory to celebrate the achievement with the whole team,” said Sebastian. “Obviously, there are a certain number of people who are at every race, but there are many people behind what happens at the track, who are just as dedicated and passionate about the job we do. It’s a pleasure to come here to the factory and say thank you to them. They put in a lot more hours here than I do, so it’s nice to give a little bit back.”

Team Principal Christian Horner added: “You only have to walk around the factory here to see the determination, the desire and the enjoyment people have in working at this team. We’ve come a long way in a pretty short space of time and there’s tremendous pride in everything we’ve achieved collectively. To have won and defended our title are things we are all enormously proud of. So it is very gratifying to celebrate these latest titles here with Sebastian, who I think has done an outstanding job this year and who has yet again raised the bar.”

“The level he has driven at this year has been absolutely magnificent. It is important for the team to enjoy the moment and to take in what has been achieved. We have a fairly modest facility in comparison with some of our rivals, but what exists within these buildings is a huge amount of desire and passion and it’s those things that have enabled us to achieve the kind of results we have in recent years.”

After meeting the media, Sebastian spent some time meeting competition winners and then rejoined Christian and Adrian for a team celebration in the afternoon. Then, after the applause for the achievements, it was back to work. The next goal? Simple – “The next race,” said Sebastian. “We go to Austin next week and I’m looking forward to it already.”

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Massa: Schumacher was as quick, but in terms of intelligence, Alonso is better

At the end of the year, Felipe Massa and Ferrari will go their separate ways in racing terms, but the affection that links the Brazilian to the team with which he grew up, as a driver and a man, will always be strong and he leaves with unique insight into the recent history of the team.

That is clear from what Felipe had to say in an interview with Andrea Cremonesi for Gazzetta dello Sport, as part of the build up to the 2013 Finali Mondiali, which gets underway today and goes on until Sunday at the Mugello circuit.

The event will also serve as tribute that Ferrari wishes to pay to Felipe, who will always be a Ferrari man.

Felipe Massa celebrates victory at the 2006 Turkish GP with Fernando Alonso (second) and Michael Schumacher (third)

Ten years at Ferrari, a racing life. Only Michael Schumacher wore the red race suit for longer than Felipe Massa, who leaves Maranello at the end of the year.

Wearing that red suit, the Brazilian came within touching distance of taking the world title in 2008, but he also almost lost his life at the 2009 Hungarian GP.

The party in Mugello will feature the final huge Ferrari crowd: how will you feel going to the event in Tuscany?

Felipe Massa: With happiness in my heart, because it will be wonderful to salute the fans to thank them for all the years we have spent together. They have always supported me, even in the most difficult times.

Eight years as race driver: what’s the secret to staying such a long time at Ferrari?

FM: I have always behaved honestly and have given my all in my work on the track, with the engineers and in the factory. I think I have always acted very professionally.

Do you remember your first day?

FM: It was early 2001 and I had come off the back of a season in F. Renault with Cram: I went to meet Jean Todt in a jacket and tie. Very tense and I was shaking.

The best moment of this long adventure in red?

FM: Definitely 2008 when I came that close to the world title, with many wins and poles. But the day that will always stay with me was the one of my first win in Brazil (2006.) For a Brazilian to win at home is like taking the championship. Remember Senna? When he won in Interlagos he was happier than when he won the championship! I learned to race in Interlagos, I grew up there: to win there in a Ferrari wearing a green and yellow suit (not the usual red one, Editor’s note) was the best moment of my life.

How do you explain to a youngster joining the FDA what it means to be a Ferrari driver?

FM: Mm, well first that it’s hard to get in! Because the selection of drivers is a tough process and it’s already a privilege to be part of the reds. And then, driving for this team means always being under the spotlight, you must always push to the maximum without worrying what people will say about you. It’s like being in a National football team, driving for Ferrari is like being in the Italian football team or playing for Selecao. You have to be prepared.

Felipe Massa wheeled to hospital after his crash during qualifying for the 2009 Hungarian GP

After the accident in 2009, did your priorities in life change?

FM: No absolutely not. Only that now I value life more. Because you always think nothing can happen to you and then…

Stefano Domenicali said that he always considered you as a world champion after 2008. Did you sense that?

FM: 100% yes. I deserved the title, taking into account the season and everything that happened…

Sebastian Vettel took his fourth title this year: are those titles more down to him or his team?

FM: It is 100% down to him and his car. Because it’s true he drives the quickest and most consistent car. But then it’s he who manages to extract its potential, who takes pole, who puts 6 tenths over on everyone, including his team-mate! He’s a fantastic driver.

Let’s play at defining the men who have been your bosses, starting with Luca di Montezemolo.

FM: He is a big hearted person, and an able promoter. He knows how to describe and sell the idea of Ferrari. He is the right man for the job of president and I’m not just talking about the racing. He has an enormous aptitude for representing the company.

Jean Todt?

FM: My best teacher. I first knew him when I was 19 and he has been the most important person in my career.

Stefano Domenicali?

FM: Definitely a friend, we have grown up together at Ferrari.

Rob Smedley?

FM: He has played an important role in my career. When I first raced for Ferrari my race engineer was Gabrielle Delli Colli, but things didn’t go as they should have done and so I chose Rob who was there at the start and was with the test team (he came from Jordan, Editor’s note.) He knows me 100%.

You have had many team-mates, which was the strongest?

FM: Fernando. Schumacher was as quick, but in terms of intelligence, Alonso is better because he manages to put everything together perfectly.

Ferrari started 2013 strongly but then it stalled..

FM: At the start of the year, the car was competitive, but the mistake was that we didn’t manage to develop it as we should have done and as others did. The performance difference in this final part of the championship is down to a car that was not developed in the right way.”

Are you already thinking what you will do after F1?

FM: I love racing, it’s part of my life and makes me happy. Maybe after F1 I’ll try my hand at some other category.

Which ones would you like?

FM: DTM or Brazilian Stock Cars.

Webber has decided to race in Prototypes?

FM: I have no experience of endurance racing, however if they managed to get more top teams involved it could become interesting.

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Rosberg: Next year is a great opportunity where everybody starts from scratch

Nico Rosberg says that he is confident that Mercedes can end Red Bull’s dominance of Formula 1, starting with the 2014 season and the advent of the new turbo era.

At first glance, the German’s prediction seems unlikely, given the way Sebastian Vettel is currently winning grands prix with a two-second per lap advantage.

“Well, I don’t think it’s two seconds faster,” Rosberg is quoted by Brazil’s Agencia Estado, “I think it’s less than that.

“Ok, maybe [the advantage] is that sometimes, but – either way – I’m not worried, because next year is a great opportunity where everyone will be put back to zero. Everybody starts from scratch,” he added.

Actually, the claim that all teams will start ‘from scratch’ at the beginning of 2014 might not be completely accurate.

It is believed that, due to the complexity of the radical and all-new turbo V6 and ‘power unit’ regulations, one engine manufacturer might have a clear early advantage.

It is reported that engine marque could be Mercedes. Reliability will also be crucially important.

“Whoever wants to win the 2014 title,” Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali told Die Welt newspaper this week, “must have a reliable unit at the beginning of the season.

“Since fuel consumption will be limited, the engine must be powerful but still efficient,” he added.

“The first races will be the most important next year,” Domenicali claimed. “Whoever has the most wins at an early stage of the season will succeed in the end. I am convinced,” he added.

Rosberg, meanwhile, said that he is convinced that Mercedes – who like Ferrari is the other engine rival for Renault-powered Red Bull – can do a good job ahead of the new era.

“Earlier this season, without the regulation change, we were sometimes the fastest car,” he said. ”We did an amazing job last winter and I am confident [that] we can do it again. Ok, this year we’ve had some weaknesses but we’ve learned from it.”

“I am very sure we can have a good season,” added Rosberg.