FORMULA 1 - 2013

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Williams announces new recruits from Red Bull and Lotus

The Williams F1 Team is pleased to announce a strengthened aerodynamics line-up as it gears up for the 2014 Formula One World Championship season.

As part of the on-going work to improve key areas of the business, Williams is pleased to announce that Dave Wheater will join from the Lotus F1 Team to become Head of Aerodynamic Performance, reporting to existing Head of Aerodynamics Jason Somerville.

Also supporting Jason as we move forward will be Shaun Whitehead, previously of Red Bull Racing, who joins as Head of Aerodynamic Process.

Commenting on the new appointments, Jason Somerville said: “I’m very pleased to have secured the first class talents of Dave and Shaun, both of whom have enviable track records within F1. With the exciting challenges ahead for 2014, I am confident they will both add strength and experience to the team here at Grove.”

Pat Symonds, Williams F1 Team Chief Technical Officer, added: “These two appointments show our commitment to both improving the process of aerodynamic development while focussing on the application of that development to true on-track performance. Dave and Shaun bring a wealth of experience to our team and I welcome them both to Grove and fully expect them to make significant contributions to the renewed competitiveness that we are all working so hard to achieve. With Dave and Shaun on board, and under Jason’s stewardship, we will be well positioned to make gains in this important area and support the continuing task of developing the FW36 in what promises to be an exciting year for the sport in 2014.”

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Alonso behaviour triggered Raikkonen signing believes Andretti

Fernando Alonso’s frustration during the 2013 season is what triggered Ferrari’s push for Kimi Raikkonen, according to the Italian team’s famous Italian-American driver, Mario Andretti.

“In my opinion, Alonso became frustrated this season, and what he said offended Ferrari,” the 1978 World Champion told Spanish sports newspaper Marca.

Andretti is referring to the arguably disparaging comments made by the Spanish driver, after which Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo revealed that he “tweaked” Alonso’s ear.

“Otherwise,” Andretti added, “they never would have hired someone who could challenge him and even beat him.”

After four years alongside the often underperforming Felipe Massa, Alonso’s new teammate for 2014 is the former team champion Kimi Raikkonen.

“You have to know how to behave,” Andretti, still referring to Alonso’s attitude in 2013. ”He always had a proper behaviour, but that 1 per cent… we saw what was Montezemolo’s reaction.”

“It will be interesting to see what happens next,” he added, “because Kimi is not arriving to help; he is going to try to win. It will be a great battle that will be fun to watch.”

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Vettel preferential treatment contributed to Webber’s quit decision

Mark Webber has admitted that Red Bull management’s desire to please his former teammate Sebastian Vettel contributed to his decision to quit Formula 1.

The pair shared a fractious relationship at the team, where they duelled for the 2010 title before German Vettel began his four-title winning streak.

This year, after the ‘Multi-21′ team orders affair, 37-year-old Australian Webber decided to leave Formula 1 and join Porsche’s new Le Mans foray for 2014, despite interest from other grand prix teams.

“Teams like Lotus and Ferrari – and even Red Bull to a degree, once they couldn’t get Kimi [Raikkonen] – were on the radar so to speak,” Webber told BT Sport.

But he admits that the Vettel factor ultimately coloured his decision to quit altogether.

“The future has been Sebastian, they want to keep him happy as much as they can, and things come onto the radar and you think ‘this is probably not how I would like it’, so it does go into the decision,” said Webber.

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Wolff: Merc exceeded expectations

Mercedes executive director Toto Wolff has hailed his team's achievement this season, saying it's been "quite rewarding".

Having finished a distant fifth in the Constructors' Championship last year, not too much was expected from the Brackley-based squad this season.

However, they proved their critics wrong as Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton won three races between them and helped the team to finish second behind runaway winners Red Bull in the standings.

Although they fell well short of matching Red Bull and Sebastian Vettel in the end, Wolff is pleased with the progress they made this campaign.

"Finishing last year where we were, you couldn't have expected to be fighting for second place in the Championship, so that is above expectations," he told ESPNF1. "That has been quite rewarding."

Mercedes have made major changes to their personnel in recent years and Wolff believes outgoing team principal Ross Brawn should take most of the credit.

"I think Ross initiated the change process a year ago, getting in some good people and changing the structure a little bit," he said.

"When we came in we just added another bit; it was about getting the right resources from Daimler, keeping Ross and the other guys' bags free from politics, getting the right environment.

"Be it from Germany, be it around the races - the relationship with the commercial rights holder was not perfect - I think the funds weren't there that you needed to compete at the top level and these are the kind of things that I added."

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Pastor: 2013 was my best year in F1

Picking up just a single point and being beaten by your rookie team-mate can't be considered a successful season, but Pastor Maldonado rates it as his best one in Formula One to date.

Having picked up 45 points in 2012 on the back of his maiden F1 race win at the Spanish Grand Prix, Maldonado and Williams were hoping to push on this year. However, it was another disappointing campaign for both as they struggled at the wrong end of the field.

The Venezuelan's only point this season was at the Hungarian GP while the less experienced Valtteri Bottas picked up four and also outqualified him 12-7.

Maldonado, though, is moving on next year as he has signed a contract with Lotus and he believes his 2013 season was his best as he proved he can learn from his mistakes.

"Thinking about the results and thinking about what I experienced in F1 for the past three years, I think this is my best year, even though the results are not there," he told Autosport.

"I learned a lot from all the mistakes, especially from a technical point of view, and I think I will help the team where I will be [Lotus] not to make the same mistakes. I feel experienced, I feel ready.

"I had so many good races this year with good pace, no penalties. I was in a good learning process.

"The speed was always there because even in my first year I was quicker than Rubens [barrichello], who was very quick and very experienced. Still the speed is there, you don't get stupid overnight!

"I just need to have a good car, good support from the team and try to improve myself in every way."

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Three-car teams would be detrimental for F1 - Marussia

Marussia sporting director Graeme Lowdon believes three-car teams would be detrimental for Formula 1, as he reckons smaller outfits are vital for the sport.

Earlier this year fears emerged that the bigger teams were secretly pushing to drive smaller squads out of business in order to introduce customer cars in the future.

Ferrari has been one of the main supporters of three-car teams in recent years, claiming that it would make the field more competitive.

Lowdon, whose team entered Formula 1 in 2010 and is yet to score a point, reckons the sport's fans would not like to see a reduced number of teams even if grid sizes remain unchanged.

"I certainly think F1's future would be richer and brighter for the fans if there is a diversity of teams," Lowdon told AUTOSPORT.

"And a smaller number of teams, or very small number running more cars - without any question I am convinced that would not be such a valuable proposition.

"In terms of the show the fans would lose out.

"It is a team sport, the drivers are the heroes, but it is a team game and [when] you reduce the number of teams you reduce the competition - it is as simple as that.

"It is good to have diversity that we have got. Maybe plus or minus a team or two, but [we] never want to see it go much smaller than it is."

Marussia is known to have held talks with rival Caterham about a possible merger in the past, but the idea never materialised.

Lowdon's squad secured 10th place in the constructors' championship for the first time this year, an achievement that could mean a significant financial boost for 2015.

Lowdon, who says his team has the smallest budget in F1, reckons that beating Caterham shows teams can succeed despite its financial limitations.

"It is comfortable that this season we would have had by far the lowest budget in F1," he said.

"My guess is next year we would have had almost the same again. That is something I have to point out.

"The competition towards the back has been tight and exciting.

"Maybe I haven't really paid that much attention to everything that is happening at the front, but there does seem to be a huge speed disparity [there] and I don't think that necessarily contributes to the level of excitement that there should be.

"Maybe there are lessons that can be learned from mid-grid or front-grid and skill gets rewarded more than financial strength.

"I think we have the lowest budget in F1 and we are not the lowest-placed team now so it shows that you can move forward."

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Lotus counting on ideas not resources for F1 2014 campaign

Lotus boss Eric Boullier is confident his team's lack of resources relative to the biggest teams has not hampered its preparations for Formula 1's major 2014 rule changes.

All F1 squads faced a balancing act between keeping their 2013 cars competitive while devoting time to the extremely different '14 machines with their turbocharged engines.

Lotus operates on a lower budget than its peers at the front of the field, but Boullier said the team had been able to work around this disadvantage.

"When you don't have the resources, you need to have ideas," he told AUTOSPORT.

"We started to work on 2014 two years ago because we could not afford to put more resources in for it."

The rule change offers an opportunity for F1's competitive order to change dramatically.

Boullier said there was little chance of Lotus suddenly thrusting itself to the front of the field, but expects his team to stand its ground among the leaders.

"Nobody knows where we will be next year but with our resources we are definitely not in a position to be dominating, but things are looking quite good," he said.

"It's very realistic for next year that we can be a strong contender for podiums again."

He is also relaxed about the loss of former Lotus technical chief James Allison to Ferrari.

"Because of the system we have, to hurt us, you would need to take 15 people at the same time because we spread the responsibility over a lot of heads," said Boullier.

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Anger as FIA announce double points for Abu Dhabi season finale to spice up show

Formula 1 is to award double points for the last race of the season in a controversial attempt to keep championships undecided to the very end after four years of Red Bull domination.

The novelty, immediately dismissed by some angry fans as a needless gimmick, was the most eye-catching of several rule changes announced by the governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) on Monday.

The FIA said double points would ‘maximise focus on the championship until the end of the campaign’ and had been unanimously approved at a meeting in Paris of teams in the F1 Strategy Group and Formula 1 Commission.

Next year’s season-ender is the day-to-night race in Abu Dhabi on 23 November.

With the points haul on offer, that often processional event becomes worth twice as much as Monza or Monaco to teams and drivers - the glamour highlight of the season – and the same in scoring terms as classics like Spa and Suzuka combined.

Lewis Hamilton would not have been champion if the new double points finale system was in place then in 2008

Fans were quick to express dismay and anger on social media, while others pointed out that bad luck in the final race would have a far greater impact on the title outcome than at any other point in the season.

International publications have described the highly controversial decision to award double-points in the 2014 season finale as “strange” (Bild) and “crazy” (La Gazzetta dello Sport).

Writing in the Daily Mail, correspondent Jonathan McEvoy said Formula 1′s decision-makers have “undermined the sport with a gimmick that should have been filed away with sprinklers and reversed grids in the file of batty ideas”.

France’s L’Equipe points out that, if the system had already been in place, Felipe Massa (not Lewis Hamilton) would be the 2008 champion, and Fernando Alonso would have beaten Sebastian Vettel to the 2012 crown.

“Why should a single race be worth more?” the Brazilian correspondent for Globo, Rafael Lopes, said. ”It’s a very artificial way to keep the championship alive until the last Grand Prix.”

“Why should an average driver with an unreliable car have the same chance just because of the scoring system? And that’s not to mention that Abu Dhabi, to date, has hosted almost no good races on a pretty boring track,” he added.

Vettel, 26, won the last nine races and wrapped up his fourth title in a row with three rounds to spare this year but he would not have been champion in 2012 had double points been awarded in the last race.

Neither would Britain’s Lewis Hamilton have been champion with McLaren in 2008 nor Michael Schumacher for Ferrari in 2003, when Brazilian Felipe Massa and Finland’s Kimi Raikkonen would have taken the title instead.

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Hulkenberg: In the long term I want to be in a car with which I can win races

Nico Hulkenberg insists he is having to be patient as he waits for a front-running car, after the highly rated German was almost signed by Ferrari for 2014 but instead will return to perennial midfielders Force India.

Told by the Kolner Express newspaper that he might have been Fernando Alonso’s teammate had Kimi Raikkonen not “lost patience” with Lotus, he answered: “It was a shame. Of course in the long term I want to be in a car with which I can win races.”

“But there are many examples of drivers who had to wait years for that. Let’s see what the future holds for me.”

After Ferrari, Hulkenberg’s next-best option for 2014 appeared to be Lotus, but ultimately the financially-struggling team signed the lucratively-sponsored Pastor Maldonado. However team boss Eric Boullier admits Lotus is struggling.

“Nobody knows where they are going to be next season,” the Frenchman, referring to the radically new 2014 rules, is quoted by L’Equipe, “but given our budget, we are clearly not in a position to dominate.”

Although Lotus are struggling, some have described Hulkenberg’s move from the also-struggling Sauber to Force India for 2014 as a “backwards step”, particularly as he only left the Silverstone based team a year ago.

“Everyone will have his own opinion,” the 26-year-old said. You have to look at the overall situation. There are many teams that have financial problems, so the options are very limited.”

“On the other you have to see this is only my fourth year in Formula 1,” Hulkenberg added.

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McLaren and Force India opt out of Pirelli test in Bahrain next week

McLaren and Force India have turned down an opportunity to attend the Pirelli test scheduled for 17-19 December in Bahrain, where the Italian tyre manufacturer is set to test prototype 2014 tyres.

A McLaren spokesperson explained, “We’re not testing in Bahrain next week. We took part in a Pirelli tyre test in Italy last month. Our focus now is on our 2014 car development”

When contacted with regards to the driver line-up for the test, the Force India spokesperson said, “Given the short notice of this test taking place and the time frames involved in delivering a car, the team will not be attending the test.”

On Monday the FIA released the following statement, “The F1 Commission agreed to a change to the 2013 Sporting Regulations, on safety grounds, allowing the Formula 1 tyre supplier to carry out a three-day test in Bahrain from 17-19 December, 2013.”

“All Formula 1 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.”

Mercedes, appear to be attending but, have yet to announce their driver line-up for the test at Sakhir, the spokesperson said “our drivers are not confirmed yet” but should be by the end of the week.

Neither Red Bull or Toro Rosso have responded to requests for driver line-ups expected to be on duty in Bahrain.

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Vettel: Double points is absurd and punishes those who worked hard for a whole season

Quadruple Formula 1 World Champion Sebastian Vettel is the first driver to question the thinking behind the decision to award double points at the final race of the season, joining a chorus of protests that has erupted among fans.

“This is absurd and punishes those who have worked hard for a whole season,” Vettel told Bild. ”Imagine me, on the last Bundesliga [football] match there would suddenly double points.”

Vettel added, ”I value the old traditions in Formula 1 and do not understand this new rule. Drivers, fans and experts are horrified.”

“At first it was planned to be awarded double points for the last four races,” revealed Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko, which would have meant that races Russia, the United States, Brazil and Abu Dhabi would be double points events. But this has not transpired.

Abu Dhabi – already dubbed Abu Double – is the final round of the 2014 F1 World Championship season and where the double points score will come into effect for the first time.

It has also been reported that Abu Dhabi organisers have forked out a size-able fee for being shifted to the final race of the season. Traditionally, in recent times, the Brazilian Grand Prix has been the season finale.

If the double points for the finale system had already been in place previously, then Felipe Massa (not Lewis Hamilton) would be the 2008 F1 World Champion, and Fernando Alonso would have beaten Sebastian Vettel to the 2012 crown.

Only three times in the last two decades would the identity of Formula 1′s World Champion have been different had double points been allocated for the final grand prix of the season.

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World champion Vettel to become a father

Quadruple World Champion Sebastian Vettel is set to celebrate his meteoric Formula 1 success with the ultimate prize – fatherhood.

Multiple authoritative German media sources on Tuesday, including the Bild-Zeitung newspaper and the Bunte magazine, report that the Red Bull World Champion’s long-time girlfriend Hanna Prater is pregnant with their first child.

Red Bull driver Vettel, 26, guards his privacy very closely, but his spokeswoman confirmed the happy news: “Yes, it’s true.”

Vettel was quoted as saying: “Of course we are very happy about it, and want to enjoy this time in peace.”

Vettel and Prater have been a couple since they graduated from high school in Heppenheim.

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Vettel helmet fetches record price at Wings for Life charity auction

The helmet used by quadruple F1 World Champion Sebastian Vettel during this year’s German Grand Prix raised a record breaking €86,200 at a Bonhams auction, with the proceeds going to the Wings for Life charity.

Vettel said, “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. 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.”

Also during the auction, two of Mark Webber’s helmets, used by the Australian at the Belgian Grand Prix and Italian Grand Prix raised €30,000.

The previous record for a F1 driver’s helmet sale was set last year, when an Ayrton Senna helmet sold for €85,000.

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Two mandatory pitstops idea gets thumbs down from F1 teams

Formula 1 teams have voted down a proposal to force drivers to make a minimum of two pitstops per grand prix in 2014.

Pirelli reportedly pushed for the rule after its calamitous and image-damaging 2013 season, where in trying to build aggressively-degrading tyres, the quality and safety of its products was called into doubt.

But despite Pirelli’s problems this year, Bernie Ecclestone insists the Italian marque has done a good job.

“Pirelli did a wonderful job for us,” he wrote in the foreword to the official Formula 1 season review.

“I told them we don’t want tyres that last the race, we want tyres that nobody knows how they are going to last. We’ve got that too with the new engines next year,” the Formula 1 chief executive added.

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Formula 1 teams block moves to increase car weight limit for 2014

Formula 1 teams this week blocked moves to raise the minimum weight limit for the 2014 season.

Drivers like Daniel Ricciardo are hurriedly trimming muscle ahead of the next world championship, as the new turbo V6 and ERS regulations add crucial weight to the single seaters.

A proposal to simply lift the mandatory weight limit further was discussed at the strategy group and Formula 1 Commission meeting in Paris on Monday, but rejected, according to the BBC.

Because the proposal was to raise the limit for 2014, it needed an unanimous vote, but correspondent Andrew Benson said Ferrari, Mercedes and Lotus all declined.

“It would be unfair to change something in the rules this late,” Mexican driver Sergio Perez is quoted this week by Brazil’s Totalrace.

“If something could be changed, it would be the weight limit. But even that would be unfair, and some teams are against it because they have worked well and have been able to make a car lighter than the others,” he added.

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Ricciardo: I'll deliver with right car

Daniel Ricciardo is confident he will back up his qualifying performances with good results on race day next year.

The 24-year-old produced some stunning one-lap displays for Toro Rosso this year, including a career-high P5 at the British Grand Prix. However, that often failed to translate into points on Sundays as the STR car was unable to match the front-runners.

Next year will be different though as he will be in the cockpit of a Red Bull and will be expected to challenge for podiums and race victories.

"I think the races this year where we have had the race car to back up our qualifying speed, which unfortunately hasn't been always but we had a few times like Silverstone, China and a few other places, I have delivered and lived up to the speed of the car," he told Autosport.

"Next year if I get given the right car and I put it on the front row I am confident I can race there."

Asked if he felt he had sometimes outperformed the STR, but then found his machinery was unable to match that on a Sunday, Ricciardo replied: "The way you described it is polite, but I would also agree with that."

He will also be up against a different kettle of fish at Red Bull though as four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel already has 40 pole positions to his name.

"We both, particularly last year, have been very strong in qualifying in comparison to our team-mates so it could be a nice battle," the Australian said.

"I think if I show the speed, particularly early on, then that is going to go down well.

"The races will come but I think they have come on anyway in the last six months to a year."

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DiCaprio enters Formula E team

Leonardo DiCaprio has entered a team into the Formula E Championship as part of a joint venture with Venturi Automobiles.

The Hollywood star, a staunch environmental activist, is the co-founder of the Venturi Grand Prix Formula E Team that will compete in the inaugural series in 2014.

"The future of our planet depends on our ability to embrace fuel-efficient, clean-energy vehicles," the actor said. "Venturi Grand Prix has shown tremendous foresight in their decision to create an environmentally friendly racing team, and I am happy to be a part of this effort."

The series, which is exclusively for electric cars, is the 10th and final entrant for the open-wheel Championship that is set to debut in September 2014 and continue until June 2015.

Formula E CEO Alejandro Agag said: "I want to give a very special welcome to our Championship to Leonardo DiCaprio.

"Very few environmental leaders have helped more than him to spread the message of sustainability around the world. Having people like him and Richard Branson - global ambassadors for the environment - is a privilege for our Championship and will greatly help us to spread the use of electric cars in cities around the planet."

Other teams who have entered the series are IndyCar's Andretti Autosport and Dragon Racing, former F1 team Super Aguri, Audi-backed ABT, Richard Branson's Virgin, Drayson Racing, e-Dams, China Racing and Mahindra Racing.

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Whitmarsh fears controlling F1 costs may prove impossible

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh fears it could prove impossible for Formula 1 to ever introduce effective cost controls.

The FIA announced a budget cap will be introduced from the start of 2015 following a meeting of the F1 Strategy Group and the F1 Commission in Paris on Monday.

The need to take action and cut costs has become increasingly urgent in recent years, with the majority of teams struggling financially.

Speaking before the announcement of a 2015 budget cap however, Whitmarsh warned that F1 teams' collective self-interest would always threaten to undermine or even derail attempts to restrict costs.

"If we want to do it [introduce a budget cap] we have got a way of doing it, but a minority will always be opportunistic or try to frustrate it," Whitmarsh told AUTOSPORT.

"There have always been and will always be 'haves' and 'have nots', [and] the problem is that the 'haves' never want to deal with it.

"It is so easy to have unforeseen consequences and changes in a finely balanced situation.

"I think it can be done, but if there is not a big enough will..."

Whitmarsh admitted there was cause to implement a budget cap, but said his own efforts at mediating spending had proved dispiritingly futile.

He also pointed to the shortcoming of the Resource Restriction Agreement as evidence of just how difficult a budget cap will be to enforce.

"The RRA achieved certain things and it could have achieved a lot more," Whitmarsh said.

"It was a proper professional process. This idea that we are going to sit in a room for half an hour and solve all the problems is not realistic.

"There isn't a silver bullet.

"Ultimately teams cannot carry on spending more than they get coming in.

"To be frank I spent too much time trying to be the good citizen in the sport, and no one is ever going to thank you for it. I probably ought to concentrate on other things these days.

"The sport works better in crisis; that is just the way it is I am afraid."

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Valtteri Bottas says new F1 rules an opportunity, not a concern

Valtteri Bottas says he has no concerns about having to adapt to the 2014 regulations despite his lack of Formula 1 experience.

The Finn made his grand prix debut with the Williams team this year, and went on to outshine his more experienced team-mate Pastor Maldonado regularly.

The former GP3 champion will stay on with Williams next year alongside Felipe Massa.

Although Bottas has competed in just 19 races, he feels the 2014 changes are actually a good opportunity for him because every driver will need to adapt.

"The positive thing next year is that there are so many changes, [so] even [for] drivers with a lot of experience there will be a lot more new things for them," said Bottas.

"In the end, I see it as a good thing.

"For me, and especially for the team, it's a good thing to catch up.

"We have a lot to think about, especially at the beginning of the season, getting comfortable with everything, and I do look forward to that. It will also be interesting to feel the turbo engines and how they behave.

"It's very interesting, especially for a driver. There are a lot of new things."

The Finn is confident he has the ability to adapt quickly to any new situations which may arise.

"I'm sure myself that I will be quite adaptable and be able to adapt quickly to different kinds of cars and different set-ups," he added.

"When we've tried something radical with the car, it has never been a problem to adapt to it - the same with new tracks.

"I don't see myself being in any problems when there's something new to adapt to."

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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.

That double points rule is the most asinine rule change yet. I can't even facepalm enough.

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That double points rule is the most asinine rule change yet. I can't even facepalm enough.

Every year the FIA tweak and change rules and the like, I can't recall a year in recent memory where I have thought they made a good call on any rule for the better of the sport.

The FIA started this entire annual rule tweaking at the height of Schumachers dominance where they continually tweaked things about hoping to allow another to beat him and Ferrari. Now what? We have a Quadruple world champion and they will start this rubbish again.

Isn't that what any sport is about? Being the best and trying to win.

I'm not a huge Vettel fan but I admire his skill and team so why shouldn't vettel and RBR be world champions. If other teams can't handle such dominance, they should do something about it and if not, they should get out rather than complain to the FIA and Bernie Ecclestone in the hope of asking for rule changes to somehow alter their chances of pulling off a win or two, cross their fingers RBR falter somewhere in order to catch up.

Bring back tyre wars and bring back re-fueling!!!

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Ecclestone’s troubles mount as German state bank seeks €290 million in damages

Germany’s BayernLB bank is seeking damages from Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone in connection with an F1 share sale to investor CVC. It claims that Ecclestone bribed a senior bank manager to acquire the package cheaply.

BayernLB was preparing a lawsuit against Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone for €290 million in damages, a spokesperson for the German state-owned lender told the DPA news agancy.

The lawsuit would be filed with the High Court in London presumably in January, she told the German news agency, and followed the sentencing of a former BayernLB manager, who admitted that he had accepted a bribe from Ecclestone.

In 2012, a court in Munich jailed BayernLB’s former chief risk officer Gerhard Gribkowsky for eight and a half years. Gribkowsky said he paid Ecclestone a commission in the region of €48 million, of which about €32 million was kicked back to Gribkowsky.

BayernLB said it was demanding that Ecclestone should return the commission in addition to other sums lost by the bank in connection with the sale of a controlling F1 share package to private equity firm CVC.

In 2006, the German lender, which is based in Munich, was the majority shareholder in Formula 1, but sold a controlling stake in the motor racing company to the US-based investor.

BayernLB claims that Gribkowsky sold the stake below its true value because of the graft deal with Ecclestone. CVC allegedly promised to keep Ecclestone on in his role as the sport’s commercial front.

Currently, CVC owns a 35.5-percent stake in F1′s commercial rights, after selling down its holding from 63 percent last year. In November, the firm’s co-Chairman Donald Mackenzie said that plans for a stock market floatation of F1 would be postponed until damage claims against Ecclestone were resolved.

Mackenzie also said that Ecclestone would be fired if he was found to have committed a crime in his dealings with Gribkowsky.

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No Raikkonen or Alonso in Bahrain as Ferrari opt for De La Rosa and Bianchi

Ferrari 2014 drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso will not be present at the forthcoming Pirelli test in Bahrain, instead the Italian team have nominated their test driver Pedro de la Rosa and Marussia’s Jules Bianchi to drive at the test which takes place from 17 to 19 December.

Apart from Ferrari, Mercedes, champions Red Bull and sister team Toro Rosso will also be on track. While the data management and the daily schedule will be defined by Pirelli, De La Rosa’s work at the wheel of the F138 over the first two days will be important in terms of defining the continuation of the simulator development work begun by the Spaniard in 2013.

As for Bianchi, he drives on the final day and with a nod to the fruits of the young driver development undertaken by the Ferrari Driver Academy, it will be an opportunity to demonstrate the progress he has made this year in Formula 1.

The test has been added to the calendar after consultation between the teams, following a request from the tyre supplier to test next year’s tyres using the 2013 cars. The test has been approved by the FIA, which has therefore applied a waver to the current regulations.

[MIKA27]

Lotus requests 1 week delay of first 2014 Formula 1 test at Jerez

Lotus has requested that the first official test of the 2014 preseason, at Jerez late in January, be postponed for a week.

Speed Week correspondent, Mathias Brunner, reports that the financially-struggling Enstone based team asked for the postponement early this week at the Formula 1 Commission meeting in Paris.

It was already known that, despite every team being invited to test next year’s Pirelli tyres with 2013 cars next week in Bahrain, Lotus was not among those who took up the offer.

Now, it has emerged that the black and gold-liveried team is struggling to be ready for the start of official 2014 testing, when the turbo V6 engines are set to run for the very first time.

Brunner quoted an unnamed team boss as saying: “Everyone knew the date for Jerez, and everyone made their plans accordingly. If someone is not ready, that is not anyone else’s problem.”

Speed Week said that another team figure rated the chance of a postponement at Lotus’ request at just 30 per cent.

Meanwhile, although the FIA said this week that Red Bull, Mercedes, Ferrari, Toro Rosso, Force India and McLaren will all test Pirelli’s 2014 tyres next week, it appears that the latter two teams will in fact not be in Bahrain.

A McLaren spokesperson confirmed the news.

[MIKA27]

McLaren experiment with Magnussen could fail warns Kovalainen

Former McLaren driver Heikki Kovalainen says that there is no guarantee that Kevin Magnussen will thrive at the Woking based quad, and warns that 2014 could make or break the Danish rookie’s Formula 1 career.

The famous British team, for whom Finn Kovalainen drove alongside Lewis Hamilton in 2008 and 2009 before losing his seat, recently made the surprise decision to oust Sergio Perez in favour of the 21-year-old Magnussen.

“I’m still surprised by the team’s decision,” Mexican Perez, whom it is believed will switch to Force India for 2014, told Brazil’s Totalrace this week.

“I didn’t know the news was coming and, in fact, my contract was already signed. So I was surprised.

“Time will tell if it was the right decision,” added Perez, referring to McLaren’s signing of new Formula Renault 3.5 champion Magnussen over him.

Finn Kovalainen, who is also hoping to find a race seat for 2014, told the Finnish newspaper Turun Sanomat that he also cannot be sure whether McLaren’s gamble on Magnussen will pay off.

“There are two possibilities: Kevin will do well, or he will do badly,” said the 32-year-old, who despite his experience struggled late in 2013 when he replaced Kimi Raikkonen in the competitive Lotus cockpit.

“It is difficult to say which one of the possibilities is the most likely,” added Kovalainen, referring again to Magnussen’s chances. ”McLaren seems to really believe in him, but I don’t really know him, other than knowing that he is fast and a good driver.”

McLaren is hoping that Magnussen can emulate the feats of its impressive 2007 rookie Lewis Hamilton, but Kovalainen warned that the team’s most recent experiment with a new driver – Perez – appeared not to pay off.

“Hamilton was able to fight for the podium from the first race, but in the past season Sergio Perez …did … not meet expectations,” he explained.

“They were expecting [that] they could polish the diamond, but it didn’t turn out like that. In any case, McLaren is a very strong team with excellent facilities and vast resources, so at least in theory they can create the conditions to solve all of a driver’s problems.”

“There is no guarantee that Magnussen will succeed, but at least he will have a great chance,” added Kovalainen.