FORMULA 1 - 2014

[MIKA27]

Engineer says Ferrari shakeup 'impressive'

To some, the 'restructuring' at Maranello in recent days and weeks has resembled Italian chaos.

Luca Furbatto, a prominent F1 designer who has moved from Toro Rosso to McLaren for 2015, says the moves by new Ferrari boss Maurizio Arrivabene so far have actually appeared "impressive".

One of those decisions was to sign up ousted Toro Rosso driver Jean-Eric Vergne as tester - a move that surprised most F1 insiders.

Furbatto told Ferrari insider Leo Turrini's blog: "Jev is fast and he's a fighter. In the race he never gives up.

Inexperienced youth

"I know some are wondering why Ferrari didn't offer the opportunity to (Davide) Rigon or (Raffaele) Marciello, but I think there is a very sensible explanation.

"Today, unfortunately, the rules do not allow track testing, so the very young or the absolute beginners are objectively disadvantaged.

"Vergne has three seasons of experience and in the simulator he has worked a lot with (engineer Riccardo) Adami, who has now gone to Maranello with Vettel," Furbatto added.

The revolution

"From a distance," he continued, "I have the impression that Arrivabene has understood very well what Ferrari needs. The revolution taking place at the level of the racing department is impressive.

"From my point of view it is good to have at the helm someone like (James) Allison: one of the best in the business, one who speaks Italian so that he is understood.

"It seems to me that Arrivabene is shaping a team according to a pyramid structure, with clear roles and responsibilities. This is encouraging, as with clarity, results will come.

"It may seem strange from someone working for McLaren but I hope for this (Ferrari's success) with all my heart," Furbatto concluded.

[MIKA27]

Ferrari aiming for minimum of two race wins in 2015

Ferrari haven't set their goals particularly high for the 2015 season with new team principal Maurizio Arrivabene saying "two or three" race wins would satisfy him.

He made the comments during a Christmas lunch with Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne on Monday in Maranello.

The pair both stressed that the results of Ferrari's recent restructure won't be felt in their entirety until at least the 2016 season when they will set their sights much higher.

"Two or three wins," replied Arrivabene when asked what would be a satisfactory outcome next year, before adding: "If we win four, we will go to heaven."

The team failed to win a single race in 2014 - the first time Ferrari has gone a full season without a victory since 1993 - which led to a massive company-wide restructure in the hope of getting them back to the front by 2016.

"In my conversations with [Mercedes bosses] Toto Wolff and Dieter Zetsche, the process of allowing them to have the outstanding year they had this year was a decision that was taken a couple of years ago," explained Marchionne.

"It took a good two years to mature in terms of the technical solution. Ferrari can probably get to the same place by the end of 2016," he added.

[MIKA27]

Honda reliability a concern, not performance - Dennis

McLaren aren't concerned by the performance of Honda's new hybrid-V6 engine, but they are about the reliability of the unit which is currently an unknown.

Chairman Ron Dennis was coy when asked about the power output, but described it as "impressive" despite rumours to the contrary and said Honda's biggest challenge was to design a reliable engine.

"The challenge for our partner Honda is hitting dates and reliability," said the Briton. "The performance is pretty impressive but of course I can't share [the figures] with you."

The team tested the power unit during a filming day at Silverstone and then again a few weeks later in Abu Dhabi where they completed just five laps.

The issues related to an electrical problem according to racing director Eric Boullier, rather than an inherent design flaw.

Honda motorsport boss Yasuhisa Arai is however confident they will resolve the problems and challenge for wins from the very first race next year.

"The new regulation package is very very complex," he said. "In Abu Dhabi we did a test and got much data and in that we were already one team as McLaren-Honda.

"I have a strong confidence with our partnership we will win next year [starting] in Melbourne and start a new era together."

[CQloh]

FERNANO ALONSO SAYS F1 DRIVER BRIEFINGS ACCOMPLISH LITTLE

Double world champion Fernando Alonso claims Formula 1 drivers stay deliberately quiet in pre-race briefings chaired by Charlie Whiting.

New drivers have often expressed surprise at the contrast between fiery driver briefings in lower categories, and the almost silent exchange between officials and racers in the Formula 1 equivalent.

In a feature covering his final race with Ferrari last month in Abu Dhabi, Spaniard Alonso said the Formula 1 briefing is usually little more than a “chat between friends (drivers)”.

“I usually stay out of all discussions and quarrels,” he told the La Sexta programme, “because in my years of racing, I have found that the briefing is a formality. If you say something, sometimes all you achieve is the race director becoming angry.”

“And if you upset him, and then you are involved in something… instead I sit down, relax, think and listen. It has become fairly routine,” the Spaniard explained. “I’m there just as a spectator.”

I'm glad Alonso had the brass to voice this out...

I've attended driver briefings in F1 support categories over the years, almost always conducted by Hervy Blash. i have to say the FIA does have an air of dictatorship in any event. Its always better just to shut up and get on with it.

Its become a formality.. nothing more

[Baldy]

I'm glad Alonso had the brass to voice this out...

I've attended driver briefings in F1 support categories over the years, almost always conducted by Hervy Blash. i have to say the FIA does have an air of dictatorship in any event. Its always better just to shut up and get on with it.

Its become a formality.. nothing more

Just like everything else in F1, it's still an aristrocratic monarchy. Alonso is smart in not pissing off the man who is his judge, jury and executioner.

[MIKA27]

MONTEZEMOLO: I DO NOT INTEND TO RESPOND TO PROVOCATIONS

Luca di Montezemolo has reacted with disappointment to suggestions his reign at the helm of Ferrari was responsible for the legendary team’s decline, but has refused to go on record by responding to what he calls ‘provocations’ from the new guard at Maranello.

New chiefs Sergio Marchionne and Maurizio Arrivabene addressed the media earlier this week and admitted that Maranello’s 2015 project will not be a title winner.

“We are now coming from behind because of choices made by other people,” said Marchionne, who ousted long-time president Montezemolo earlier this year.

Marchionne also admitted that he was opposed in principle to Montezemolo’s candidature as the new chairman of the Formula 1 Group.

Montezemolo reacted by telling the Italian news agency Ansa that, regarding Marchionne’s comments, “I promised myself not to make polemics for the deep love that I have for Ferrari”.

“For the respect it deserves to those who work there today and who have worked on projects that won on the race track,” the 67-year-old Italian added.

“In recent weeks I have witnessed repeated utterances that in some cases do not correspond to reality,” Montezemolo added. “I do not intend to respond to these provocations.”

“The sporting success, greater than that achieved by any other team, the strength and prestige of the brand in the world and the financial results critical to the FCA (Fiat Chrysler) group that this year will be the best in the history of the company, all speak for themselves.”

[MIKA27]

ZETSCHE IMPRESSED BY ROSBERG’S SPIRIT IN DEFEAT

Nico Rosberg’s attitude and sportsmanship as he raced to Formula 1 world title defeat in Abu Dhabi perfectly encapsulated the Mercedes spirit.

That was the view of Daimler supremo Dieter Zetsche as he wrote an internal Christmas letter to employees, which has been revealed by Sport Bild.

The letter comes at the end of a stunningly successful season for the German marque, having utterly dominated the 2014 world championship.

Lewis Hamilton won the drivers’ crown, but it was Rosberg’s attitude as he battled with his failing Mercedes that truly impressed Zetsche.

He recalls how Rosberg was called into the pits to retire his dying car, but the 29-year-old asked to be allowed to push on to the chequered flag.

“It was not just about the chequered flag,” wrote Zetsche, “it was a matter of principle. Don’t give up.”This attitude is the same as our colleagues who worked for these achievements step by step in recent years.”

[MIKA27]

ABITEBOUL UPBEAT ABOUT RENAULT AND ILLMOR COLLABORATION

Renault’s Formula 1 chief Cyril Abiteboul has hailed the new collaboration with Illmor headed by engine guru Mario Illien.

“It is great that Renault are now working with Ilmor,” said Christian Horner, the boss of Renault’s works team Red Bull, who in 2014 failed to win the title for the first time since 2009.

Renault faltered badly at the start of the all-new turbo V6 era in 2014, as Mercedes utterly dominated.

So it was significant that, as the 2014 season ended in Abu Dhabi recently, a notable VIP in the Red Bull garage was the multiple title-winning former Mercedes Formula 1 designer Illien.

“Ilmor is a strong company with extensive experience with simular engines used in other series,” Abiteboul told Auto Hebdo.

He confirmed that Illien’s UK based company is now “performing some tasks” on behalf of the Renault Formula 1 project.

“This is very useful in situations where it is necessary to analyse a set of solutions,” Abiteboul added.

Another key reason for the Illien alliance, he admitted, is that it is “not so easy to create such a very complex hybrid system in the centre of France”.

“We are not in the English ‘Motorsport Valley’, where in pubs every evening engineers from all over meet over a beer,” he added.

[MIKA27]

FERRARI TO LAUNCH 2015 F1 CAR IN LATE JANUARY

Ferrari will launch their 2015 car on the internet in late January, team boss Maurizio Arrivabene confirmed to reporters earlier this week that the new project, codenamed 666, has passed all of its mandatory FIA crash tests.

It looks set to be debuted on schedule at the first official winter test at Jerez on February 1. Before that, Arrivabene told Omnicorse, “It will be shown on the web at the end of January. The date is not yet specified.

“The reason is very simple,” he explained. “The engineers have told me that, to prepare for a presentation as in the past years, it takes three days.

“That is too much in a phase that I prefer work is dedicated to the development of the car,” Arrivabene added.

[MIKA27]

FERRARI NO LONGER SUPPORT EXTENDED F1 TESTING

Ferrari has done an about face and changed its tune regarding the issue of increased Formula 1 testing.

Historically, since the sport drastically cut down on the allowed amount of private and official testing on cost grounds, Ferrari has argued stridently against the new era.

But Maranello is now run by a new president, Fiat-Chrysler’s Sergio Marchionne, alongside the former Marlboro executive and new team boss Maurizio Arrivabene.

On Monday as they sat with reporters, it became clear Ferrari’s stance about testing has dramatically changed.

“We have talked about it,” Marchionne said, “but the tests on the track will not be reintroduced.”

Ferrari’s new stance might be related to vast investments the team has made since the dawning of the ‘no testing’ era, for example in the realm of state-of-the-art simulators.. And an all-new facility at Maranello will be opened in mid-January, Sport Bild revealed.

But Marchionne explained: “The costs associated with this (allowing more free testing) would be detrimental to the already stretched budgets of more than one team.”

“Having this kind of activity would only increase the scope of what is already a very serious situation for a number of teams,” he added, “in what is a less than encouraging global situation.”

[MIKA27]

Sauber: Not only Ferrari to blame

While it certainly didn't help, Monisha Kaltenborn has admitted that Sauber's poor season in 2014 can not solely be blamed on their Ferrari engines.

Sauber failed to score a point for the first time in 22 seasons in F1, but the reasons for this were not solely down to the Ferrari power unit.

"After the season we had, we have to be very blunt and simple about this; we never expected it would end up like this," Kaltenborn told Autosport.

"The overall package was just not good enough and we have to learn from this and go ahead.

"There are many factors that have led to this.

"On the chassis side, we have made better cars.

"The car is not as bad as it looks but we have definitely done a better job before and that is where we need to get back again.

"We have the tools for it, we need the funding for it and we are working on that.

"If you make mistakes on top of [the engine] it doesn't end up well."

Kaltenborn is confident that next year will see a significant improvement on the last, with Ferrari's engine expected to perform better, though she still expects Mercedes to have the edge.

"Definitely, the power train has dominated this season and I am very confident that our engine supplier is going to make a step," she said.

"They also cannot do miracles; we still probably will see the dominance of one engine supplier, but I have confidence that the gap will be smaller."

[MIKA27]

Massa: Williams feels like a new team

Felipe Massa reckons there is still a lot of hard work ahead at Williams in order to adjust to the sheer number of changes that have been implemented.

Williams enjoyed a stellar season in 2014 by their recent standards, improving from ninth overall in the constructors' standings the previous year to third, and much of that was down to the addition of big-name recruits like Pat Symonds and Rob Smedley in what was a major restructuring behind the scenes.

Coming from Ferrari, Massa was one of the main beneficiaries of those dramatic changes this year, but that doesn't mean the Brazilian doesn't see room for improvement.

In fact, compared to Ferrari, there are many areas where Williams can still better themselves.

"In my opinion, the biggest difference, on a negative point, is that Williams' organisation is less complete," he told Autosport.

"In Ferrari it wasn't complete, but was perhaps more organised as a big team.

"Williams is like a new team with so many new people and they are doing many different things this year than they were before and it's also a change of mentality.

"This is something where Williams was still behind, not just Ferrari but some other big teams as well."

Technically, however, Williams does not have to stand back to Ferrari - in fact, Massa says his new outfit's aerodynamics department was "definitely" stronger.

"I think the good thing is that Williams is working so well in the windtunnel," he said.

"The car improved the most from the first to the last race during the season - their rate of improvement was probably more than any other team.

"I think that was a fantastic job from the windtunnel, on the chassis, the set-up, the technical side, so many areas.

"It's something that did not work for so many years at Ferrari, so that was positive for the team.

"We still need to make some of the organisation better and that's something that's not going to change from one day to the other."

[MIKA27]

Horner: Vettel to come back stronger

Red Bull boss Christian Horner has backed Sebastian Vettel to emerge from the 2014 season a better driver than he was before.

The four-time Formula 1 world champion endured his worst-ever season in the sport this year, failing to win a race for the first time since he became a full-time driver in 2008.

The German also had to suffer the ignominy of being outpaced and outscored by his Red Bull team-mate, newcomer Daniel Ricciardo.

The past season would not have been how either Horner or Vettel wanted their wildly successful association to end, yet Vettel is leaving the Milton Keynes squad and will resume his F1 career by stepping into the void left by Fernando Alonso's departure from Ferrari.

Nevertheless, Horner feels the struggles Vettel had to endure in trying to adjust to the RB10 will ultimately be a positive thing and will stand the 27-year-old in good stead as he prepares to take on a dramatic new challenge with Ferrari.

"I think it was a very difficult year for him - a character building year, in many respects," Horner told Autosport.

"He's had a lot of bad luck and things didn't go his way more often than not.

"On top of that, he was not happy in the car with the regulation changes from 2013 into 2014.

"He's a tremendously talented guy and I think it's the first time he's had a team-mate who has challenged him as well.

"Again, that is a different dynamic that he's had to deal with [because] he's always had team-mates covered in the past.

"It's been a difficult year, but not once has he let his chin drop or kicked the team.

"I think ultimately he'll take away a lot of valuable lessons from this year."

As for Red Bull, Vettel's departure would be keenly felt, Horner added, though he has faith that in Ricciardo and the incoming Daniil Kvyat they have two emerging stars who will be able to fill the void.

Whether either of those two can emulate Vettel's incredible Red Bull success, which saw him win 38 times in 113 starts, remains to be seen, but Horner is optimistic.

"Obviously a driver of his calibre and the amount of success that we have enjoyed together; it will be a real shame to see Sebastian leave," Horner added.

"But we can be hopefully comfortable in the knowledge that Ricciardo - he is a fantastic talent and we've seen how he has performed head-to-head with Sebastian this year - with an exciting new talent in Kvyat means the future is very bright for us."

[MIKA27]

Romain Grosjean says Renault 'messed up' during 2014 F1 season

Romain Grosjean reckons engine supplier Renault "messed up" during the 2014 Formula 1 season, but he expects the French company to improve next year.

Renault had a difficult start to the year after a pre-season full of problems, and its power unit was rarely a match to the dominant Mercedes throughout the year.

Grosjean, whose Lotus team used Renault power this year before switching to Mercedes for 2015, says the French manufacturer's issues made hard work of an already tough season.

"They will improve. They have always been able to make good engines. They messed up this year," said Grosjean.

"The engine was off at the start of the year, but they improved as much as they could.

"That made it hard work, but Mercedes has done a really amazing job this year, although they have room to improve and people will continue chasing them as they will still be ahead."

Grosjean, who extended his contract with Lotus earlier this year, admits avoiding the kind of troubled start to testing the team had this year will be key to having a better season.

"I think mainly in the first test we need to understand everything we understood by August this year," he said.

"We need to know what the car is doing and its characteristics and straightaway know where we can improve, unlike this year where we didn't know where we could improve in testing.

"Then we knew our cooling was bad and we spent a lot of time on it, and then the windtunnel was not showing the problems we were having...

"We know we can understand the car much quicker now and know which areas we can focus on straightaway."

[MIKA27]

Well, the news for Formula 1 is pretty much at a trickle, mostly all repetition.

I think I'll end the 2014 season and thread here, thank you all for reading and contributing throughout the year.

Have a safe and Happy New year.

Mika

[OZCUBAN]

Thanks Michael for taking the time to keep this thread alive all the motor sport /F1 fans are appreciative of the time and effort involved

Cheers my friend

[Bartolomeo]

Thanks for doing this again!!

[LLC]

Always enjoyable and a great source for F1 news. Thanks.

[CQloh]

[joeskow]

[Baldy]