FORMULA 1 - 2013

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RED BULL To Auction Vettel and Webbers 2013 Helmets For Wings Of Life Charity

Red Bull’s charity partner, Wings For Life, is holding an auction for some very special items worn by Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber, which is to take place at a Bonham Auction in Oxford, next Monday December 9th.

The charity, which conducts research projects and clinical trials in to the cure for spinal cord injury, have selected one helmet from Vettel and two from Webber, now retired from F1.

2013 saw Vettel take his first German Grand Prix victory at the Nurburgring, wearing a suitably topical helmet. The glittering helmet coloured in Germany’s national colours will sit alongside two helmets worn by Webber at this year’s Italian and Belgian Grands Prix.

“This is one of my favourite helmet designs from this season and it goes without saying that this was one of the most special races for me – my first ever home win,” said Vettel of the auction.

“Just as the race meant a lot to me, Wings for Life does too and it’s my pleasure to donate this signed and worn helmet for auction. I hope it raises a lot of money for their vital spinal research projects.”

For more detailed information about the Wings for Life event visit www.wingsforlife.com and click on ‘Latest’. For an overview of how to bid through Bonhams visit ‘How to Buy’ at www.bonhams.com.

This week’s Autosport Awards saw Vettel grab some unusual limelight, as he mimicked Jean Todt and Helmut Marko and joked about his donut celebration fines from the FIA.

And Red Bull have released a YouTube video showing the German having fun scaring people in a car from title-partner Infiniti, which can be seen on the link below.

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McLaren tips Mercedes as 2014 Formula 1 favourite

McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh believes Mercedes will be the team to beat when Formula 1's new regulations begin in 2014.

The German manufacturer and Ferrari will be the only teams racing with engines of their own design, in a season that will mark the return to V6 turbos following the end of F1's V8 era.

Mercedes was Red Bull's main challenger for most of the 2013 season, the team winning three races on its way to second place in the constructors' championship.

Whitmarsh, whose team will end its Mercedes engine partnership after next season as it switches to Honda, reckons the German carmaker has all the ingredients to take advantage of the rule changes and start 2014 as the strongest outfit.

"Anyone who says at any team, even Red Bull, that they are super confident they are going to win the world championship, you cannot be," Whitmarsh told AUTOSPORT.

"My suspicion is that Mercedes will be strongest.

"I am saying it because I am probably a bit biased, but I also have some reasonable knowledge of the budgets of the three companies.

"I think Mercedes has got a good budget, good facilities and good people. I have no real insight and I think nobody has, but I think I have a slightly better insight than most.

"But if you had an absolutely free choice of which one to go for next year, I would say go for Mercedes-Benz next year."

NEW RULES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR MCLAREN

The McLaren boss also reckons the new rules are a good opportunity for his team to getting back to winning after its dismal 2013 season.

"To be honest, do I think we can win next year? Yes," said Whitmarsh.

"Is everything we are doing and everything we are focused on to do that? Yes. So we can do it. Do I know we will? No.

"We like change. I think it is a great opportunity, I see it as an opportunity. It is pretty exciting, very exciting.

"There is always that tingle of what is happening over the winter, but we have really got it this year. When those cars are unveiled, we will all be crawling all over them..."

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Alonso: I hate losing! The aim is to fight to win right to the end

Cinema City in Paris hosted the FIA Gala evening at which the traditional prize giving takes place to honour this year’s World Champions. For the third time in his four seasons with the Scuderia, Fernando Alonso was present as runner-up, a result that had left such a bitter taste in 2010 and 2012, when the title slipped from his grasp at the very last.

This year however, the result was accepted calmly, given the clear superiority of the winners as the Spaniard admitted from the stage.

“I want to congratulate Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull for their fantastic Championships. They had a superb season and deserve these titles. We hoped to make life more difficult for them but they were very good and this is their night.”

Asked to explain how he always manages to be so competitive, Fernando replied in his usual straightforward manner: “I hate losing! At the start of every year, whatever the situation, the aim is to fight to win right to the end. I love winning, and I love motor racing: this year I finished second and there’s no doubt that, being this competitive, I wanted to win – as did the team. However, I am honoured to be here today and I want to thank the team for that: let’s hope we can be first next year.”

Fernando received an ovation when he invited everyone present to applaud two drivers, but more importantly, two friends who were in the room, Mark Webber and Robert Kubica.

“Mark and I have been together in Formula 1 for twelve years and we have shared many fantastic moments and we will miss him next year. Robert is doing truly great things in rallying, but we are waiting for him to return to Formula 1.”

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Lotus: With proper support and team around him, we can do something nice with Pastor

Lotus team boss Eric Boullier believes that in the proper environment their new signing, Pastor Maldonado will, calm down and thrive just as their ‘first lap nutcase’ has done this season.

Romain Grosjean last season earned the label of being a crasher, the wild guy of Formula 1. But with intervention and nurturing from Lotus the Frenchman has turned his career around and became the revelation of the 2013 season.

Speaking to Sky, Boullier said he believes that the same is possbile with Maldonado, “He’s a friendly guy, he’s a fast guy. He won a race in Formula 1 and it was on merit – it was not gained from some lottery. I think we just need to make sure he can keep his focus – actually similar issues we had with Romain last year – keep his focus on track.”

“I’m sure that with the proper support and team around him, we can do something nice with Pastor. Maybe there is still some fine-tuning to do with him. And I think one the most important parts, having talked to him already, is obviously feeling the support of the team behind him,” ventured Boullier.

It is no secret that Maldonado arrives at Lotus with a bag of much needed loot for the team – a sum estimated to be around $30 million provided by Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA – which is no doubt one of the reasons he was chosen ahead of Nico Hulkenberg who was their favoured driver to replace Ferrari bound Kimi Raikkonen.

“Obviously there is a financial support with Pastor, which in these days we may need. And unfortunately, as I said before, timing is an issue. Even if Genii is deeply involved in funding the team, there are some solutions that need to be done. It’s true that Quantum Motorsports is the best one we can have but timing is everything, especially in Formula 1,” explained Boullier.

“We have to deliver a car in less than eight weeks now,” added the Lotus team chief.

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Anthony Hamilton: I never asked Lewis for a penny, thanks was all I needed for 18 years of graft

It emerged in court this week that Lewis Hamilton never paid Anthony Hamilton who, as his father and manager was by his side throughout his junior years, his rookie year in Formula 1 and his 2008 Championship year.

Hamilton senior has been testifying in London as he sues another former charge, Scottish driver Paul di Resta, for wrongful dismissal and loss of earnings.

But arguably the most interesting details were divulged in court on Thursday, when it emerged not only that Mercedes driver Hamilton never paid Anthony as his career-making manager, but that the 28-year-old driver reneged on a $4 million ‘gift’ to his father after they split in 2010.

“I never asked Lewis for a penny,” Anthony Hamilton told the court. ”When he won the World Championship in 2008, he thanked me and that was all I needed for 18 years of graft.”

Hamilton snr, who earned his living through his own IT company and has a mortgage on his home, revealed that his son decided to fire him because he thought, “You know what dad, I am fed up listening to you”.

But the winner of 22 grands prix did promise to make his father a cash gift, believed to be in the amount of between $3 and $4 million, ”Maybe he was feeling guilty and wanted to say thank you to everybody.”

But Hamilton senior admitted that, as their relationship deteriorated to barely speaking terms, his son changed his mind.

Asked why, Anthony said: “I don’t have the answer to that. It just never happened. I am comfortable with it. It’s not my business. If he says he’s going to do something and he doesn’t that’s his loss. It’s not my place to go money-grabbing.”

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Hamilton: When Ron Dennis told me I’d be much slower than Fernando, I thought – he’s wrong

Lewis Hamilton has urged Daniel Ricciardo to ‘attack’ his high-profile and all conquering teammate from the moment the season starts, as he recalls how in his rookie season he was not expected to challenge his highly rated teammate at the time.

As a rookie in 2007, Hamilton was paired at McLaren with the reigning World Champion Fernando Alonso.

But Hamilton got his grand prix career off to a surprising start, overtaking Alonso at the very first corner in Melbourne.

“When Ron [Dennis] told me I would be much slower than Fernando, I thought ‘He’s wrong’,” Hamilton is quoted by Brazil’s TotalRace.

“Attacking from the first race was one of the best things I could have done in Formula 1,” he added.

Although Ricciardo has more experience, Hamilton likens the start of his own career to the Australian’s graduation to Red Bull for 2014, where he will be paired with reigning quadruple World Champion, Sebastian Vettel.

Hamilton says Red Bull’s promotion of Ricciardo “makes sense”, even though the energy drink-owned squad could have picked a higher-profile name.

“It was a surprise to me when it was announced,” Hamilton said, “but as they have a team just for the young guys to gain experience, it is good to see that it is working.

“He will come in with a good car, in a seat that many others would like to have – not me, because I already have a good car,” he insisted.

“So I’m cheering for him and hoping that he can handle the pressure – because it is always very high when a young guy comes into a top team. But I’m sure he will do well.”

Asked how Ricciardo should handle the early part of his career alongside Vettel, Hamilton urged him to attack, saying that he would “love to see” Ricciardo emulate his own feat of 2007 by passing Vettel at the very first corner.

“He does not need to do that, but it would be fantastic for any driver,” said Hamilton. “Hopefully I’ll see it happen in my rear [view] mirror.”

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Todt unanimously re-elected for another term as president of FIA

Jean Todt was unanimously re-elected as president of motorsport’s world governing body by the International Automobile Federation (FIA) general assembly on Friday.

The Frenchman had stood unopposed after British rival David Ward withdrew his candidacy last month.

An FIA spokesman said the 250 delegates had voted without abstention for former Ferrari team principal Todt to serve a second four-year period at the helm of the Paris-based federation.

The FIA is the governing body of Formula 1, as well as world rallying.

Last month, it became clear the Frenchman would not be dethroned, as his only formal challenger, David Ward, pulled out of the race due to a lack of support.

“I would like to offer my congratulations to Jean Todt who will secure a second term uncontested if not unopposed,” Ward said in November.

Todt said during his acceptance speech: ”This unity – the unity of the FIA family – is a precious asset that we must protect. This is a fundamental value that we must respect and defend. It is a duty for all of us and even more so for those who aspire to positions of responsibility within our organisation.

“I have nothing against competition. On the contrary, it has always been at the heart of my professional life. It is legitimate that it is exercised in a democratic election such as that of the FIA. Competition is a good thing because it forces you to give the best of yourself.

“For this reason, I welcome healthy debate. But debate should focus on ideas, not on individuals. It should lift an organisation, not lower it; it should strengthen an organisation, not weaken it. Above all, debate must be based on truth, honesty, and integrity.

“I deeply regret that in the course of these last few weeks we have had unfounded insinuations cast on the FIA’s governance, the transparency of its accounts, and the integrity of its members.”

“Worse, the press was used repeatedly to spread these false claims, where they only harm the image of our FIA family. Faced with this irresponsible attack, we took a decision not to engage in a public fight with the media which would have only been destructive for our organisation.

“Instead we chose to address our clubs directly with the truth. We led a campaign based on honesty and ideas and policies for the future. You fully understood and supported this, and for that I thank you sincerely.”

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Renault commits extra personnel to deal with complex V6 turbo engines

Remi Taffin, Renault’s head of track operations reveals that, due to the complexity of the new Formula 1 V6 turbo engines, the French engine manufacturer will dedicate an extra technician to each of the team’s to which they they will supply power units in 2014.

“The [2014] engines are more complex because there is more going on. Our plan is that we’re going to augment each of our teams with one extra person, in comparison to this year. That’s simply due to the complexity of the power unit,” revealed Taffin.

For the past 24 months Renault have concentrated their efforts on the development of the new V6 turbocharged, direct injection engines that come into play next season but, despite Renault’s vast experience in the field, the learning curve has been steep.

Taffin explained, “There is a challenge in there. Obviously our guys have got plenty of experience with racing engines but they’ve got to relearn the ways working with a turbo-charged unit because for most of us it’s been years since we last worked with one and they are very different to atmospheric (non-turbo) engines.”

“Of course we’re all engineers and we’ve learnt about these things when we were in school – but there’s going to be a lot of learning to do over the winter,” added Taffin.

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Magnussen: It’s a good year to enter F1, I have a lot to learn, but so will everyone else

A Formula 1 team never rests. And although the Brazilian Grand Prix still remains a recent memory, the McLaren Formula 1 team is already powering ahead with preparations for 2014, but for their new driver Kevin Magnussen, it will be a particularly busy period which the youngster is relishing.

The newly crowned World Series by Renault 3.5 Champion is gearing up for his maiden grand prix season by spending the winter preparing with his engineers, mechanics and trainers at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey.

These are the days and hours that could dictate form at the start of the season, and Kevin is leaving no stone unturned in his bid to start 2014 as best prepared as possible.

“McLaren has been part of my life since I was a small kid,” he says. “My dad, Jan, was a test driver here and did one grand prix with the team back in 1995, but I’ve always dreamt about driving for McLaren. It’ll be incredibly special to be in the car as a racing driver – with the Magnussen name on the side.

“Now that I’ve got the race seat, I’m fully focused on the work ahead of me. This winter will be all about preparing myself for the first test in January, and the first race in March. It’s about spending time with the engineers, driving the [simulator], and getting used to everything. It’s a lot of hard work – but I’m really enjoying it.”

Kevin is no stranger to application: a year ago, he set himself some steep goals in order to step up a gear to win the World Series. According to McLaren managing director Jonathan Neale, Kevin has benefited remarkably from his most recent single-seater season.

“During 2013, Kevin really knuckled down,” Jonathan explains. “He started to show all the attributes that, in due course, will make him a great driver. To win in the World Series, you have to be an all-rounder: you have to be able to work well with your engineers, understand the technology, and also be tenacious; be able to go through the inevitable upsets and come out on top.

“In the last few years, Kevin has shown that he has the raw pace and aggression; but, this year, he’s taken control of it – he now knows when to really push, and when it’s better to just bring the car home. That discipline brought him a great Championship victory.”

It won’t have escaped anyone’s attention that Kevin is following in the footsteps of McLaren’s last rookie driver, Lewis Hamilton, whose painstaking preparation enabled him to jump seamlessly into Formula 1 at the start of the 2007 season.

Kevin is undaunted by the comparison, “The fact that Lewis did exactly what I’m doing now is a positive for me,” he admits. “It shows that the team has been there before, and has already prepared a rookie for his grand prix debut. The fact that Lewis was so successful doesn’t raise the pressure for me, it just shows that it can be done, and that you can be successful as a rookie. That’s really encouraging.”

The winter will be equally intense for everyone at McLaren – the far-reaching technical changes mean the sport is virtually re-inventing itself for 2014, so the search for performance – from both the chassis and the powertrain – is as deep as it is wide.

However, Kevin’s arrival will have a positive effect, according to Neale: “We’re very excited about having Kevin on the team. We now want him to come in and work really hard at the basics: he needs to understand that coming into F1 is just the start. He’s 21 – he’s got a lot to learn, we want to shelter him from the inevitable ups and downs of life in motorsport but still unleash the exciting potential that he’s got. You can identify that killer instinct in somebody – Kevin’s very hungry, but also very controlled.”

McLaren sporting director Sam Michael agrees: “Kevin’s arrival is really exciting for the whole team – he represents the future. When you have a rookie come onboard – somebody who’s full of energy, who’s just won his lower-category championship, and who is desperate to prove himself – it creates a buzz within the team; people share his hopes and dreams. From a team point of view, it’s a fantastic move.”

Despite the 2014 regulations’ complexity, Kevin feels the clean sweep ought to give him an easier ride than if he were jumping into Formula 1 during a period of established regulations: “It’ll be a new challenge for everyone, not just for me,” he says. “Everyone’s going to have to learn about the 2014 cars – not just myself.

“It’s a good year to come into F1. The fact that I won’t have as much experience as some of the other drivers actually counts a little bit less – of course, it’s still going to require a lot of hard work – and I’ll have a lot to learn – but so will everyone else, so that’s a positive for me.”

While the debate between youth and experience is always nuanced, McLaren sporting director Sam Michael argues that Kevin shouldn’t be negatively affected by the rule-changes.

He says: “Regarding youth versus experience, you could argue it both ways: in terms of learning how the tyres behave, the powertrain works, and the effect of the new aerodynamic maps, the experienced guy will have a more balanced understanding.

“But this is a brand new formula, so a rookie isn’t as disadvantaged. Even if it doesn’t necessarily give Kevin an advantage, the advantage of all the other drivers is diminished because everyone’s starting from the same benchmark. And it’s much better for Kevin to come in now than any other year.”

Kevin will be more than ably assisted by the most experienced team-mate in the sport, Jenson Button. It’s a partnership that fills Kevin with anticipation: “I’m sure working with Jenson will be beneficial,” he says. “He’s a world champion, he’s the most experienced driver in Formula 1 and I’ll be able to learn from him; I’ll be sat next to him in debriefs at every race next year, listening to what he says and watching him work with the team. He’ll be a great guy from whom to learn.”

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Red Bull confirms Buemi and Da Costa as 2014 reserve drivers

Infiniti Red Bull Racing is pleased to announce that Sébastien Buemi and António Félix da Costa will make up the team’s test and reserve driver line-up in 2014.

For Sébastien, 2014 will represent a third consecutive year in the role of Test and Reserve Driver at the team. The Swiss racer first filled the role in 2008 before graduating to an F1 race seat with Scuderia Toro Rosso in 2009.

In his 55 grands prix with our sister team he scored 29 championship points and completed over 13,000km across more than 2,600 laps of racing.

Since returning to Infiniti Red Bull Racing as test and reserve driver in 2012, he has mixed team duties with sportscar racing, making his Le Mans 24-Hours debut in the same year.

In 2013, an expanded World Endurance Championship programme saw him and his team-mates take victory at the final round in Bahrain and score three other podium finishes, including second place at Le Mans.

António Félix da Costa, meanwhile, already has experience of the Test and Reserve Driver role at the team, having substituted for Sébastien at a few races during the 2013 season.

The Portuguese racer also has extensive experience of Infiniti Red Bull Racing F1 machinery having tested for the team at the 2013 Young Drivers’ Test in Silverstone, the 2012 Young Drivers’ Test in Abu Dhabi and having conducted a number of show car runs for the team during the past year.

In 2013 António raced in the Renault Renault 3.5 series, taking three wins on his way to third place in the Championship. He also backed up his 2012 Macau Grand Prix victory with second place in this year’s edition of the prestigious F3 race.

Confirming the team’s test driver line-up, Infiniti Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner said: “It’s great to be able to announce the signing of Sébastien and António for 2014. Next year sees the biggest change to the Formula 1 regulations for some time and the return of multiple in-season tests. To therefore be able to call on two such capable drivers is of huge benefit to the team.

“In Sébastien we have a great resource, a driver with extensive grand prix experience and that will be invaluable. António, on the other hand, is an up-and-coming talent with whom we already have a good working relationship. I’m sure that his contribution will be just as important during what is sure to be an intensely busy season.”

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Grosjean plays down reports of 2014 Lotus E22 delay

Romain Grosjean has played down concerns that the Lotus E22 – successor to the handy E21 – is way behind schedule, compared to its major rivals, in simulator testing of the 2014 Formula 1 car.

While the Enstone based team’s top rivals including Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren have been computer simulating their new V6-powered cars for months, a different picture has emerged from the Lotus camp.

Although highly competitive in 2013, there have also been reports of financial troubles at Lotus, amid reports the crucial Quantum buy-in has failed.

Indeed, the team’s preferred choice of driver for 2014, Nico Hulkenberg, has signed instead for the less competitive Force India, while Lotus replaces the Ferrari-bound Kimi Raikkonen with the lucratively-sponsored Pastor Maldonado.

And another troubling sign emerged from Lotus’ headquarters this week, when test driver Nicolas Prost tweeted that Monday was the “last day” of simulator testing of the 2013-specification E21.

“Now flat out on 2014 car!” the Frenchman added.

The team’s continuing race driver Romain Grosjean has also admitted that he is yet to drive the 2014 Lotus in the simulator.

“I hope to do this in late December,” he told Brazil’s Totalrace.

Asked why Lotus’ preparations have been so delayed, Grosjean answered: “It is because [the simulator] is a new tool for us.

“We are still working to make it as accurate as possible. When we get this synchronicity between the behaviour of the car on the track and in the simulator, we can change the focus to the car of next year,” he explained.

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McLaren denies Dennis power struggle brewing after worst F1 season in decades

McLaren has denied reports that former team boss Ron Dennis is shaping up to take more control of the Woking based company, and particularly the Formula 1 team which endured one of the worst seasons in its illustrious history.

Amid the British team’s woefully bad 2013 season, there have been rumblings that Martin Whitmarsh’s place as Team Principal might not be secure.

The reports suggested that Dennis, McLaren’s long-time team boss and continuing non-executive chairman of the parent company, was shaping up to wrestle back control of the Formula 1 outfit.

This week, the business reporter for British broadcaster Sky, Mark Kleinman, reported that Dennis was considering upping his power by buying out fellow McLaren co-owner Mansour Ojjeh’s 25 per cent stake.

The owner of 25% of McLaren Group, Dennis is also thought to be interested in buying part of the remaining 50% stake, which is owned by the Bahrain-based sovereign wealth fund, Mumtalakat. In doing so this would give him overall control of the company.

Automotive industry experts predict that acquiring a 25% stake in McLaren Group would cost around €150 million.

“Mr Dennis is said to be distressed at the current performance of the team,” Kleinman wrote, adding that a power struggle with Whitmarsh might ensue.

He added that Dennis might be looking to China to help finance the deal.

The 66-year-old this week joined UK prime minister David Cameron on an official delegation to the world’s most populous country.

“No country is more important to my global vision for McLaren than China,” Dennis said in a statement.

A McLaren spokesperson, however, played down Kleinman’s claims, denying that Ojjeh, who recently had a double lung transplant, has “expressed any desire to sell” his stake.

“It’s business as usual,” the spokesperson is quoted by the Telegraph.

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McLaren excited about Magnussen 'buzz'

McLaren are confident rookie Kevin Magnussen will live up to the hype, saying he has all the attributes to become "a great driver".

The 21-year-old will make the step up to Formula One next season with McLaren opting to partner him with Jenson Button with Sergio Perez making way after just one season at Woking.

It usually is a big ask for a youngster to deliver in his first season in F1, but Lewis Hamilton proved during his debut campaign with McLaren in 2007 that anything is possible.

Managing director Jonathan Neale believes Magnussen has all the right tools to make it at the highest level in motorsport.

"During 2013, Kevin really knuckled down," Neale said. "He started to show all the attributes that, in due course, will make him a great driver. To win in the World Series, you have to be an all-rounder: you have to be able to work well with your engineers, understand the technology, and also be tenacious; be able to go through the inevitable upsets and come out on top.

"In the last few years, Kevin has shown that he has the raw pace and aggression; but, this year, he's taken control of it - he now knows when to really push and when it's better to just bring the car home. That discipline brought him a great Championship victory."

He added: "We're very excited about having Kevin on the team. We now want him to come in and work really hard at the basics: he needs to understand that coming into F1 is just the start.

"He's 21 - he's got a lot to learn, we want to shelter him from the inevitable ups and downs of life in motorsport but still unleash the exciting potential that he's got. You can identify that killer instinct in somebody - Kevin's very hungry, but also very controlled."

McLaren raised a few eyebrows by opting for the Dane, but sporting director Sam Michael says his arrival has created a buzz at Woking.

"Kevin's arrival is really exciting for the whole team - he represents the future," he said. "When you have a rookie come onboard - somebody who's full of energy, who's just won his lower-category Championship, and who is desperate to prove himself - it creates a buzz within the team; people share his hopes and dreams. From a team point of view, it's a fantastic move."

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Pirelli looking to reduce marbles

Formula One drivers have urged Pirelli to reduce the marbles next year and the manufacturer are determined to heed to their calls.

Marbles have become a big problem for drivers in recent years and it was particularly bad at some tracks this season due to the softer compounds that were used.

Pirelli's motorsport boss Paul Hembery admits it's a major concern for drivers and his company will look at coming up with a solution.

"The drivers certainly have commented on it and we can understand it," Hembery is quoted as saying by Autosport. "So it's something that we are trying to do.

"It's one of those things, though. Once you are in a season you can't really do much about it then.

"We know that it's clearly wear-related, it's basically tearing of the tyres in some cases, certainly the super-soft and to an extent the softer tyre have not had the strength that we needed.

"You can see some races where we had almost no marbles when you are using the hard and medium, certain surfaces where it's low abrasion. So we are working to try and improve that. The general comment from the drivers is 'reduce marbles'."

It's unlikely to be an easy job with Hembery revealing there is a fine line between reducing it and actually creating more.

"At the moment we're doing a lot of work on scaling and understanding where we are with the different compounds, we wanted to try and improve things like the tear resistance of the compounds, which has a direct impact on marbles which is something we are trying to reduce for next year," he said.

"With the increased wheelspin, that has a chance of creating more marbles compared to where we are today, so we have to increase the mechanical strength of the compounds.

"If you go too far, then you just end up with more wheelspin because you've got no grip.

"That's the balance that will be hard to find because we don't know the real impact of the aero when we start racing. There's also the risk that there are big differences between teams."

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Hill: Ferrari's 'special status' good for F1

Former World Champion Damon Hill believes the extra power that Ferrari carry in Formula One is "fair enough" due to their longevity.

It is no secret that the Italian stable receives more prize money than other teams while its president Luca di Montezemolo also revealed in recent days that they hold veto power in terms of Bernie Ecclestone's successor.

While Ecclestone is keen to see Red Bull team principal Christian Horner replace him in the future, Di Montezemolo believes it is unlikely to happen.

Many feel it is unfair to have one team with so much power, but Hill accepts the reasoning behind it.

"Ferrari has always been an exception in this sport and there may be good reason for that," Hill told CNN.

"Personally, I don't see how you can have a free sport where one competitor has got a special status but there seems to be some sound marketing reason. Teams that have had longer commitment to the sport have got a greater say in the sport and that is fair enough.

"That is the power Ferrari has always had over the sport."

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Button not thinking about retirement

As Formula One welcomes a new era in 2014, Jenson Button says he wants to be around for the long haul.

The McLaren driver will remain with the team for a fifth season next year having joined the Woking outfit on the back of his 2009 Championship success with Brawn GP.

Next season the sport will look rather different to the one Button has known all these years as the V8 engines make way for 1.6-litre turbocharged V6s.

But rather than be daunted by the change, the Brit is looking forward to it and hopes 2014 won't be his only season with the V6s.

"There are exciting years ahead in terms of 2014 and the new regulations, and with our new engine manufacturer Honda in 2015, so I want to be around for the next couple of years definitely," he told the Daily Mail.

"At the moment I am 33 and I have been in Formula One for 14 years. It sounds crazy long, and when I started as a 20-year-old, I never thought I would be racing into my thirties.

"But I still feel young enough - even though I have got a stupid beard at the moment - and personally I feel that I have still got so much more to achieve in the sport."

McLaren, however, face a big task next season bouncing back from this year's disappointment which saw the Woking team finish the Championship without a single top-three result.

"With having a bad year like this year, we've really learnt a lot from our mistakes and I think if you learn from those mistakes it makes you a stronger team, and it has really pulled us together."

In fact, he even reckons McLaren can take the fight to Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull Racing in 2014.

"Yes," he said when asked. "It is the simple one to answer. Red Bull have done a great job - they really have to win four championships on the trot.

"But the rules haven't really changed much over these four years, and now they will change a lot.

"I go into 2014 as a team thinking we can win,' Button continued. 'But whether we produce the car or not, that is another question."

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Brawn not in favour of mandatory stops

Ross Brawn has urged Formula One not to introduce mandatory pit stops, saying he is not a "great fan" of the idea.

Last month it emerged that F1 was considering implementing mandatory pit stops next season with each driver forced to make two per race.

Added to that there was the idea of limiting the amount of time a driver can spend on any one compound.

Brawn, though, reckons it would ruin the strategy of the sport.

"We could have regulations that say mandatory stops but as soon as you start messing about with the strategy from a management point of view... if you said 'what is wrong with it?', I couldn't tell you but intuitively I don't think it is right to have a regulated number of pit stops," he told Autosport.

"We have to have one at the moment because we have to run both compounds.

"As for regulating a number of pit stops, maybe it will work, maybe we have to try it but I am not a great fan."

The outgoing Mercedes team boss also weighed in on the Pirelli saga as the manufacturer came in for a lot of criticism this season as the tyres suffered high degradation.

"It is such a difficult thing to optimise because how conservative do the tyres need to be to allow the drivers to drive flat out for the whole race?" said Brawn.

"And if they are that conservative do we just one stop all the time?

"Trying to create a tyre where you drive as hard as you want and still have to change twice a race is a very, very difficult task."

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Ferrari believes 2013 Formula 1 campaign went awry from Canadian GP

Ferrari technical chief Pat Fry believes it was the upgrade that the team brought for the Canadian Grand Prix that sent its 2013 Formula 1 title bid off course.

Fernando Alonso had hopes of the championship early in the year after wins in China and Spain, but fell away from the increasingly-dominant Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull through the summer.

Asked by AUTOSPORT what happened when Ferrari started to drop off the pace around June and July, Fry said the issue was more about a particular development derailing the team's programme than the much-discussed windtunnel calibration issues.

"I am not sure that you can say it was down to windtunnel calibration," said Fry.

"I think through the winter we had a reasonable development period and a sensible development gradient.

"The first race upgrade package worked quite well, some bits better than we were expecting, and we understood that a bit later on.

"In reality, there was a different top body we took to Canada that we were unsure of, and then that gave us a few issues trying to understand that.

"If you would ask at what point did our development start rolling over, it was around that time I guess.

"When you are developing, if you have one thing that is not performing 100 per cent as you are expecting, what do you do with it? Because by then the windtunnel model has progressed and moved on and is four to six weeks ahead.

"So when you try to back out of something like that it gives you a load of other problems."

Fry admitted that Pirelli's change of tyre construction for the second half of the year had also been a hindrance, mainly because the original tyres had coincidentally played to Ferrari's strengths.

"[The Ferrari] has been light on tyres and warm up has been a struggle, and if you get a tyre that is overheating that just helps us out so much more," he said.

"That is not a clever bit of design or simulation or anything, that is just the choice of the tyres. And as things changed, we dropped away because of it.

"But it is for us to try to make the car work with what we have got."

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Hamilton urges Ricciardo to attack Vettel

Lewis Hamilton has urged Daniel Ricciardo not to be afraid to attack Sebastian Vettel from the very first race as he did in his first race for McLaren. Ricciardo will become Vettel's team-mate next season after gaining promotion from Toro Rosso.

Whilst Hamilton admitted surprise at the decision, he believes it was the right one. "It was a surprise to me when it was announced,"

Hamilton told TotalRace, adding: "but as they have a team just for the young guys to gain experience, it is good to see that it is working."

Comparing his own career to the Australian's - though Ricciardo has two seasons experience already - Hamilton urged the 24-year-old to push hard from the first corner as he did when he overtook team-mate and double-world champion Fernando Alonso in 2007.

"When Ron [Dennis] told me I would be much slower than Fernando, I thought 'He's wrong'. Attacking from the first race was one of the best things I could have done in F1." Understandably, Hamilton is hoping Ricciardo can challenge Vettel.

"He will come in with a good car, in a seat that many others would like to have – not me, because I already have a good car," he added.

"So I'm cheering for him and hoping that he can handle the pressure – because it is always very high when a young guy comes into a top team. But I'm sure he will do well."

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Honda fear they could be behind by missing 2014

Honda have admitted that missing out on the 2014 season, when the new power unit rules make their debut, could put them on the back foot compared to rivals Renault, Mercedes and Ferrari.

Whilst those three will debut their new engines next year, Honda is waiting until 2015 when its historical partnership with McLaren will reunite.

That, according to Yasuhisa Arai, chief officer of motorsports at Honda, could mean they miss out on a year of learning.

"There are both advantages and disadvantages of participating from 2014," he told the FIA's Auto magazine.

"Many things will happen during the F1 season, and we are in a fortunate situation to be able to observe what will happen.

"However, as we are only able to observe, we cannot physically be at the track to see the problems. Other teams can improve on their problems and progress as the race goes on. How they will progress will be a mystery to us and our engineers must rely on our imaginations."

He does however believe they will benefit from their history with McLaren when they dominated the sport.

"We have had a great history together - 15 wins out of 16 races in 1988. But more important is the mutual respect we have for each other's work ethic and processes. Also, we have the same mentality or feel when we pursue victory and that is very important."

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F1 2013 Highlights: The End Of An Era

http://youtu.be/GhtgOQ6wREk

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Formula 1 drivers pay homage to inspirational Nelson Mandela

Lewis Hamilton met with Nelson Mandela in 2008

Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton posted an Instagram photo of himself shaking hands with Nelson Mandela shortly after the news filtered around the world of the passing of South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, politician, and philanthropist who also served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999.

The caption to the photo – taken when Hamilton met Mandela in 2008 – read: “One of the most special moments in my life was meeting the great Madiba. One of the most inspirational human beings to have lived [and] without a doubt the nicest man I ever met.

I will miss you, we will miss you Madiba. God rest your soul, I love you like a son loves a father.”

More than 25,000 people ‘liked’ the photo and message posted by the 2008 F1 World Champion.

Fernando Alonso paid homage to Nelson Mandela at the FIA awards in Paris, saying, “He’s a role model, someone who fought for what he believed and we owe much, the world we have today, it is still not perfect, is much better because of him.”

Felipe Massa tweeted: “RIP for Nelson Mandela. God rest your soul in peace!!! Greatest human being.”

Former F1 driver turned pundit Martin Brundle: “RIP Nelson Mandela. What an inspiration that man was, and remains.”

Tony Fernandes, Caterham team boss: RIP the greatest man ever. Nelson Mandela. Learn to forgive. We all can learn so much from this man. Many in Malaysia can. We are all the same.”

Mr. Mandela passed away on 5 December 2013.

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FIA introduce big changes including bespoke driver numbers and double points for final round

Following a meeting of the F1 Strategy Group and the Formula One Commission in Paris today, the following items have been unanimously approved by the sport’s governing body:

• Cost cap

The principle of a global cost cap has been adopted. The limit will be applied from January 2015. A working group will be established within the coming days comprising the FIA, representatives of the Commercial Rights Holder and Team representatives. The objective of the working group will be to have regulations approved by the end of June 2014.

• Pirelli Tyre test – Bahrain, 17-19 December, 2013

The F1 Commission agreed to a change to the 2013 Sporting Regulations, on safety grounds, allowing the Formula One tyre supplier to carry out a three-day test in Bahrain from 17-19 December, 2013. All Formula One teams have been invited to take part in the test and six have accepted: Red Bull Racing, Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren, Force India and Toro Rosso.

• Driver numbers

Drivers will be asked to choose their race number, between 2 and 99, for the duration of their career in the FIA Formula One World Championship. Number 1 will be reserved for the current World Champion, should he choose to use it. If more than one driver choses the same number, priority will be given to the driver who finished highest in the previous year’s championship.

• Points for the last race

Double drivers’ and constructors’ points will be awarded at the final race of the Formula One season in order to maximise focus on the Championship until the end of the campaign.

• New penalties

The principle of a five-second penalty for minor infringements was agreed. In what form such a penalty will be applied will be discussed with Formula One’s teams in order that a new regulation be introduced for 2014 season.

These changes are immediately applicable, given the mandate assigned to the FIA President at the last World Motor Sport Council meeting, held on 4 December in Paris.

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Alonso: I hope drivers become more important and engineers have less control

Fernando Alonso hopes that Formula 1 drivers have a bigger role to play next year, as the wave of radical new regulations hits the 2014 grid.

This year, as Pirelli’s heavily degrading tyres set the tone, drivers often had to take a back seat to full throttle as they nursed their cars through race strategies, at the beck and call of engineers’ informed advice.

But Ferrari’s Alonso thinks that the new rules for 2014, featuring the introduction of turbo V6s and fuel limitations, could play in favour of the smartest drivers.

“Let’s see what kind of driving style will be needed,” he told Brazil’s Totalrace.

“I hope that the decisions of the drivers become more important and [that] the engineers have less control,” Alonso added.

World Champion Sebastian Vettel agrees that the drivers will have a big role to play in 2014.

“Imagine having only 100 kilos of fuel available for a race!” he exclaimed to Formula 1′s official website.

“That might require looking for completely different techniques that allow you to go as quick as normal but also save fuel.”

On the other hand, with the formula changing so much, 2014 could be a good season for a rookie to arrive freshly on the scene – like McLaren’s Kevin Magnussen.

“It’ll be a new challenge for everyone, not just for me,” the young Dane said.

“The fact that I won’t have as much experience as some of the other drivers actually counts a little bit less,” he added.

German driver Nico Hulkenberg, however, thinks the actual truth won’t be known until the racing gets underway next year.

“Nobody knows,” German media quote him as saying at the Essen Motor Show. “It’s a new era in Formula 1.

“You would have to say that Red Bull and the other big teams have the money and the resources to still be at the top,” Hulkenberg, who is switching midfield teams from Sauber to Force India for 2014, added.

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Anthony Hamilton: I forgot Lewis paid my company €3.5 million

The second week of the court case where Anthony Hamilton is suing Paul di Resta, for unfair dismissal and loss of earnings after being being fired by the Formula 1 driver, resumed with contradictions again stealing the limelight as Lewis Hamilton’s father admitted that his son had paid him €3.5 million between 2007 and 2012, after last week claiming all he got was a thanks.

Hamilton senior said on Thursday, “Some of us do it so that our kids have better opportunities than we had. For the love of the child. I never asked Lewis for a penny. When he won the World Championship in 2008, he thanked me and that was all I needed for 18 years of graft.”

However on Monday he revealed in court, “I completely forgot there was a service agreement between Lewis’ company and my company [Hamilton Management Group] but I never submitted an invoice in 2007, 2008 or 2009. He paid up after we split in 2010.

He still maintained to pay Hamilton Management Group half a million pounds [€600,000] a year until 2012.”

Di Resta’s counsel Paul Downes QC, accused Hamilton of giving “totally misleading” evidence the previous week.

To which Hamilton replied, “Incorrect. I personally had not been paid, but my company had been paid.”

But Downes insisted, “No. It was a false answer and there is no conceivable way you could have forgotten, I suggest to you.”

Early on in the hearings Di Resta’s counsel accused Hamilton of lies and falsifying evidence through back dated emails.

On Monday Hamilton implied that the court case could have been avoided had Di Resta apologised for his actions, “He should have been decent. Don’t start accusing people of fraudulent behaviour when you can’t prove it. A sorry would have done.”

The trial should end next week, with judgement expected around mid-January.