FORMULA 1 - 2014

[LLC]

F1 2013 vs 2014 sound comparison – Melbourne

YouTube user, krookzeh, has made a terrific video that shows the comparison of the 2013 Formula 1 cars and the 2014 models. The debate continues over the sound of the F1 cars and this is perhaps the best comparison I’ve seen to date. It’s the entire grid passing in anger and you can tangibly feel the difference.

The Melbourne race organizers are not too keen on the sound and even suggest that F1 could be in breach of contract. Australian Grand Prix Corporation CEO Andrew Westacott told local radio:

“Ron spoke to (Ecclestone) after the race and said the fans don’t like it in the venue.

“We pay for a product, we’ve got contracts in place, we are looking at those very, very seriously because we reckon there has probably been some breaches.”

MIKA: Damn I miss that sound!

What a dramatic difference, did not realize it was that different. Doesn't sound like the pinnacle of racing any more.

[MIKA27]

Came across this yesterday.

The glory of the past.

F1 Ghost lap of Senna

WOW - How unique!

Thanks for sharing

[MIKA27]

Inside Line: How Ferrari have transformed Kimi into a man of many words and wise ones at that

Somehow Ferrari, despite having some of the finest Formula 1 brains in their midst, have yet again failed to kick start their season with a pace setting car and again find themselves on the back foot. Now, in the aftermath of a below par Melbourne showing it appears that the team’s media department is (for some reason) going into damage control mode which would suggest that something is brewing in Maranello.

“The two words that spring to mind after the Australian Grand Prix are patience and work. Scuderia Ferrari’s main aim is clearly to make the F14T more competitive,” began Ferrari’s latest press release entitled: Wise words from Raikkonen.

“The feeling is that many teams used this first GP of the season to get a better understanding of the complicated new cars and that raises the hope that, as the races go by, the spectacle will also improve,” added the spin-doctors.

Then they proceeded to quote from the man of very few words, Kimi Raikkonen, who now appears to have transformed into a right old motormouth since he returned to the team he took to their last F1 title back in 2007.

The Iceman ventured: “I think that at the start of a season like this one, with new tyres but more than that, completely new cars, the main aim has to be getting to the chequered flag. We did just that and I was finally able to run a full race distance in this car.”

Kimi was obviously on a roll, “I’ve been in this game for quite a while now and I can say this is definitely not the first time that I’ve gone through a difficult first race weekend. We identified some general problems which we have to tackle in Maranello and there are other aspects linked to the set-up on my car to do with the brake-by-wire system. Getting this device working correctly is definitely something that contributes to the general feeling from the car, because it has a great effect on corner entry.”

(There are more than a few words in there that we have never, ever heard Kimi utter. Remember, he is the one famous for his staccato one-liners, not this kind of flowing oratory – a true transformation, or so Ferrari would have us believe.)

But there was just no stopping Raikkonen, as wise words continued to flow effortlessly from the Finnish wordsmith, “Having said that, the F14T improved right through Friday and Saturday and not getting into Q3 was not down to the competitiveness of the car. First of all, we have to stay calm. The team is united, we know what we have to do and how to go about finding more performance. We also know this development process will not happen overnight.”

“So we must be patient and concentrate hard on our work without watching what the others are doing. However, I’m sure that, if we work in the correct way, then right from the next race in Malaysia, the results can definitely be better,” concluded the Wise One.

Now we were going to carry this piece as news, but I simply could not resist analysing the essence of the piece, because it is a serious case of very naïve spin-doctoring, but at the same time clearly signals that all is not well in the hallowed halls of Maranello.

In this press release alone, which alleges to quote Raikkonen, we have more words from the notoriously tight lipped man from Espoo than he tends to speak in an entire year. And come on guys in red how can you expect us to believe Kimi said: “First of all, we have to stay calm. The team is united, we know what we have to do… blah, blah, blah.”

Kimi does not speak like that, unless he has been force fed some serious narcotics which I doubt he has. But that he even allows his name to be associated with such childish garbage from his team is astounding, and food for thought.

Veteran media man Luca Colajanni, the team’s long standing Head of Motor Sport Communications, departed to join Marussia in February, replaced by relatively inexperienced Renato Bisignani.

This immature press release is likely to have been drafted at his desk, and shows a total lack of knowledge not only about the media, but Formula 1 and Ferrari. But he is a rookie, so mistakes are made.

But orders for such a damage control piece to be concocted and distributed to media, come from high up, probably Stefano Domenicali’s office and this possibility, if true, is seriously alarming.

And as things stand I have to wonder when Luca di Montezemolo will take a leaf out of Ron Dennis’ book and stage a coup d’equipe to get Ferrari back in order.

My guess it is merely a matter of time before likable, but ineffective, Stefano is made redundant. Watch this space.

Meanwhile, right now I cannot make head or tail of what this all means as too many theories gush into mind – hopefully some of you can and will share your insights with us in the comments below.

We of course will monitor this saga and get in touch with all the gelati vendors we have befriended, during our visits to Imola over the years, to dig for some information on exactly what is going on at number 19 Via Abetone Inferiore.

Whatever the case it is an intriguing scenario that is unfolding in Italy, where no doubt the Italian media are sharpening their daggers as their beloved team once again looks set to under deliver. Another year of playing catch-up is going to be hard to stomach.

But, perhaps the most compelling factor of this Maranello soap opera is the sudden urge by our man Kimi – whose return Domenicali championed – to start yapping with such enthusiasm and spewing forth such pearls of wisdom, at this rate the Iceman will have his own talk show!

[MIKA27]

Rosberg: I now know pretty well how Sebastian felt last year winning by 30 seconds

Nico Rosberg has vowed not to get ahead of himself in the wake of his victory in the season opening Australian Grand Prix, but he admits that he likes the taste of Sebastian Vettel style Formula 1 dominance.

Quadruple consecutive world champion Vettel’s eight-month string of race wins finally came to an end in Melbourne, where a new dawn for the sport saw Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg win by half a minute.

Currently holidaying in Bali with his fiancee Vivian, Formula 1′s new winning German said that he is expecting to hang on to that sunny feeling in 2014.

“To know that I can keep going for poles and race wins is cool,” he told Sport Bild. ”I now know pretty well how Sebastian must have felt last year when he was winning by 30 seconds,” said Rosberg.

However, although currently a big step ahead of his likely title rivals like teammate Lewis Hamilton and Vettel, Rosberg insisted that he is not counting any chickens.

“You can never rule out Red Bull,” said the 28-year-old. “I would almost have bet my house after the tests that they would still be in trouble [in Melbourne] but they were stronger than we expected”.

“It shows that we cannot sleep,” Rosberg warned.

Another problem on the horizon is a likely tense in-house battle with his Mercedes teammate, Briton Hamilton.

Their relationship, both personal and competitive, goes back to their boyhoods, with Rosberg admitting: “We are not best friends, but we are fine.

“But I’m also aware that the more success we have, the more complicated our relationship will be.”

[MIKA27]

Honda F1 bosses in Melbourne observing proceedings

Almost unnoticed in the Albert Park paddock, during the Australian Grand Prix weekend, mingling with Formula 1 regulars were two Japanese engineers with very big plans.

Speed Week correspondent Mathias Brunner reports that Yasuhisa Arai, Honda’s new Formula 1 boss, and the Japanese marque’s technical chief Kazuo Sakurahara were on an ‘un-uniformed’ mission to learn and observe as the 2014 season kicked off.

It is not until 2015 that Honda, absent from the paddock since the shock decision in late 2008 to pull its Brackley based works team from Formula 1, will return to the grid as McLaren’s supplier of works turbo V6 engines.

But as Formula 1′s new era began in Australia, “It was the first of many visits this year,” Brunner claimed, as the Honda duo embark upon a meticulous mission to be up to speed against experienced rivals Mercedes, Ferrari and Renault.

Arai is quoted as saying: “At the beginning [of our V6 programme] there were some difficulties, but at the moment we are quite satisfied with our level of development.”

Undoubtedly, Formula 1′s smaller, greener and more relevant engine regulations lured the modern-minded Honda back to the sport, but Arai insists that the ultimate ambition is clear.

“There’s no point in racing unless you win,” he is quoted by Japan Today.

“That’s why we teamed up with a winning team,” Arai added, referring to McLaren, who in 2014 are spending their twentieth and last season with Mercedes power.

[MIKA27]

Ecclestone admits that 2014 season could be last as F1 boss

Bernie Ecclestone has admitted that the 2014 season could be his last at the helm of Formula 1.

However, he insists that is not because of the Gerhard Gribkowsky corruption scandal, that if found guilty would at best see him fired and at worst land him in a German jail.

Until now, the Formula 1 Chief Executive has always said that he has no intention of stepping down.

“As long as I feel I can deliver, and the shareholders are happy for that to happen, I will stay,” the diminutive Briton said in 2012.

But Ecclestone has now admitted that he is thinking about retiring.

“I’m going to be 84 at the end of this year so I am probably going to have to start to think, do I want to go into the 85th year doing what I’ve been doing for goddamn how many years?” he is quoted by the Mirror.

“It’s something I’ll have to give some very serious thought to.”

Ecclestone likened his thoughts about quitting to a sports star at the top of his game.

“The important thing is to know when you should hang the boxing gloves up,” he said, “so you are not going to end up going into the ring and getting a good hiding.”

He claims that the Gribkowsky case, in which he is accused of bribing the now-jailed Gribkowsky to the tune of millions of dollars, has nothing to do with his new retirement thoughts.

“No, that’s nothing. No, no,” Ecclestone insisted. “It’s the way people have to run businesses today compared to how they used to.”

He said he is referring to today’s era of “corporate governance”, involving “different committees, ethics committees and god knows what else boards to report to”.

“I didn’t know about any of these things back then,” said Ecclestone. “Probably, if I had of …, I wouldn’t have lasted as long as I lasted.

“And we will be more restricted as time goes on. That’s how the world is. It’s coming that way. I don’t agree with it.

“What we are slowly but surely managing to do is get rid of entrepreneurs. Getting rid of people who “think outside the box,” he said.

[MIKA27]

New Ferrari V6 turbo power unit too heavy and lacking top speed

One of Ferrari’s immediate problems is that its all-new 2014 Formula 1 V6 turbo engine is “too heavy”, according to Auto Motor und Sport, who said that customers Sauber and Marussia are also struggling with a Power Unit design that is overweight by at least 13 kilograms, which is also slow in a straight line.

Correspondent Michael Schmidt reports that the overweight Ferrari caught even the Maranello based team by surprise, having successfully argued against a further increase in the minimum car-plus-driver weight of 691 kilos for 2014.

Fernando Alonso finished a lacklustre fifth in Melbourne, ”I have 12 points more than Vettel and Hamilton, which is a positive but I was missing 35 seconds to Rosberg. That must give us pause [for thought].”

“The Mercedes engines are another category, when I was behind the Force India it was impossible to pass,” added Alonso.

Indeed, technical boss James Allison admits: “Our competitiveness was not acceptable in Melbourne.”

“While we can take some satisfaction from the reliability shown by the F14T, it is clear that we have our work cut out to improve our car in order to compete on equal terms with the Mercedes team.”

“There is plenty about the F14T that is working very well, but we need to work further on the stability under braking and the speed on the straights,” added Allison

But slimming-down the Ferrari engine might prove difficult, as in the wake of the February ‘freeze’ deadline, changes can only now be made for safety, cost or reliability reasons.

The FIA’s Charlie Whiting revealed that all three Formula 1 engine makers, including troubled Renault but also dominant Mercedes, have already applied to the FIA to make changes.

“Ultimately, it’s for us to decide,” he said.

[MIKA27]

Engine makers must make F1 loud again insists Ecclestone

Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone says it is up to Formula 1′s three engine suppliers to make the sport “loud again”.

“They made them quiet, now they can make them loud again,” the Formula 1 Chief Executive said.

After Melbourne race organisers slammed the new purring tones of the once-screaming sport after the 2014 season-opener, Ecclestone vowed to get to work to fix a problem that could drive promoters, sponsors and fans away.

The 83-year-old put the onus of blame on the turbo V6 suppliers, Mercedes, Ferrari and Renault.

“It’s a technical problem,” Ecclestone told the German newspaper Bild. “They have an obligation to give us Formula 1 with volume.”

He said Melbourne is not the only worried race promoter.

“The organisers of the other races are also afraid now,” said Ecclestone. “They doubt that they are going to sell enough tickets.”

However, one race promoter dismissed the Australians’ suggestion that Formula 1 has breached contract by switching to such quiet engines.

“There are no such clauses about minimum volume,” said the German federation ADAC’s Klaus Klotzner. “Quite the contrary, in fact.”

Ecclestone, however, insisted what was offered up at Albert Park was not true Formula 1.

“Formula 1 — it’s glamour, and people love glamour, right up to the moment when the engines are started. Then the noise begins,” he said.

A source, however, said that the Formula 1 teams are “too busy” to consider the sound of their complex and revolutionary new engines as a priority.

“At the moment, we’ve all got more on our plate than worrying about the noise,” the source told London’s Times newspaper.

[MIKA27]

Tech Talk: Wings of change in Melbourne

With blown diffusers and the elimination of exhaust assisted aero, teams are pushing development to regain downforce in the new V6 turbo era, and with huge torque on tap downforce at low speeds is the Valhalla everyone is aiming for.

During the Australian Grand Prix weekend teams were testing front wing derivatives in this quest for more grip – tech guru Matthew Somerfield gives us the lowdown on what he saw in the Melbourne pitlane.

Mercedes W05 – New Front Wing

Having not only covered extensive mileage during the pre-season tests but also worked on several cooling configurations, Mercedes have arrived in Melbourne with the rest of the field looking at them as the team to beat.

However as previous seasons have proven having the right power unit is not the only concern for a team and they will need to focus heavily on strategy and aerodynamic performance too. The latter is something the team have clearly worked hard on for 2014 with the WO5 featuring not only some exclusive ideas but the convergence of tried and tested solutions run by other teams in previous seasons.

As part of the build up process the team have revealed a new front wing, left laid on the setup trestle the image provides a great way to analyse the new and old configurations back to back.

The new front wing has very few major changes to the actual wing profiles themselves and points to these operating as the team intended. Instead the changes are focused on the major rule change introduced that affects the front wing.

The reduction in it’s width from 1800 mm to 1650 mm (150 mm or 75 mm either side). The largest of the ramifications of this change is the way in which the teams turn the airflow around and over the front tyre. This has a dramatic effect as it will also change the way in which the airflow works behind the tyre and re-engages with the floor.

This has led to a change in two area’s between the wings, the outer Endplate [1] that has followed a similar ethos leading all the way back to the championship winning BGP001. This features a full length section rather than the multiple split endplates used for numerous years, which will undoubtedly refocus the airflow.

Symbiotically, a change in both the large outer cascade [2] and the deletion of the smaller cascade [3] but installation of a vertical turning vane [4] will change the way in which the airflow moves outbound and how it interacts or impinges on the rest of the wing.

(Note: Although this new front wing was tried in Melbourne the team decided not to use it for Qualifying or the race, this is not to say it does not do as it should, but that the team were assessing its performance for another race.)

Red Bull RB10 – New Front Wing

Red Bull Racing arrived in Melbourne on the back foot, problems during the pre-season tests curtailed the mileage covered by the team, scuppering their assessment of aerodynamic solutions.

The team therefore arrived in Australia with several new components, one of which is a new front wing.

The wing itself was not massively different to it’s predecessor (inset) but does feature much more curvature to the mainplane as it meets with the endplate.

Furthermore, the components associated with controlling airflow around and over the tyre have some amendments. Changes in this area will improve the performance of not only the front wing but also the floor and sidepods which are affected by the tyre wake as it tries to make it’s way back into the flow structure.

The main outer cascade now features 3 tiers rather than 2 whilst a vertical strake is mounted centrally within. The strake also features a slot and so will perform more effectively in yaw, whilst the horizontal blade that was affixed to the older specification endplate is deleted.

McLaren MP4-29 – Revised Front Wing

Basking in the opportunity to run significant mileage during pre-season testing, McLaren were in good stead heading to Melbourne. Having made some significant errors with the ’28′ the team are eager to show their worth with the new car.

The team arrived in Melbourne have a revised front wing that is further keyed at extracting performance given the change of width for 2014.

The team have deleted the smaller cascade element used during testing, whilst an additional vane has been added inbound of the endplate [1]. The purpose of this vane is to further control the flow of air around and over the front tyre with the 75mm loss (either side) meaning the teams need to change their approach a little this season.

This is important due to the way in which the tyre wake tries to impinge on the sidepod and floor downstream.

[MIKA27]

Inside Line: Dear Mr Todt why do we need these Ultrasonic Fuel Flow Meters?

Dear FIA President, Mr Jean Todt

As an ardent fan of Formula 1 for over forty years I have never really been bothered by technical aspects of the sport, as long as the cars looked good, made a noise and were very fast, I was happy. My passion for the sport is more for the heroes with the helmets on the out of sight bits that make it all work.

However of late, your organisation has forced me to increasingly pay attention to the technical aspects of the sport, which I have tried to do despite my limited capacity for understanding the under-the-skin complexities of Formula 1.

But this weekend, at the opening grand prix of a brand new era I feel compelled to write this letter to you as an utterly confused and somewhat disillusioned die-hard Formula 1 fan.

I have a list of things that are upsetting such as the lack of beautiful noise, and the ridiculous lack of testing which meant we started a season totally unprepared and much more…

But really these appear to be minor gripes relative to my real concern: which why in the hell have you enforced these Ultrasonic Fuel Flow Meters (UFFM) while you have a 100 kg fuel restriction in place for Formula 1.

Gardena water flow meter

My understanding is: you have set a fuel restriction of 100 kg maximum fuel to be used during the course of a race by each car which to me means that if a driver is ‘on it’ for the entire race he may well run out of fuel, his 100 kg quota gulped down before the race ends – which in itself is at odds with the ethos of Formula 1, but this is an issue for another time.

The ‘run out of fuel because you were going too fast for too long’ concept is simple to understand for fans, and no doubt simple to monitor and police by officials: watch the crew pour in 100 kg of fuel, watch them close the cap, if the car makes it to the finish line the all good, and if it runs out of fuel that’s the team’s problem. Simple, game over.

But instead you decide to complicate matters by forcing teams to add this UFFM gadget (which is eerily similar to the Gardena gear I have hosing my garden) and this thing supposedly measures the amount of fuel flowing through to the engine and the limit should be no more than 100 kg per hour.

Now why do you even need this device? Is running out of fuel not restrictive enough for drivers and teams? Can they not self-impose the amount of fuel they want to use during the course of their race as a part of their strategy?

Because if they go overboard and try push too much they risk running out of fuel – not rocket science, and easy for guys like me to understand, even if we don’t agree with the fuel economy formula.

Thus the need for this UFFM, is in my mind – and apparently a huge majority of fans and even well connected F1 insiders – totally unnecessary. And to add insult to injury the units used for this purpose, supplied by Gill Sensors, are not even 100% accurate!

Maybe we are all stupid but the need for the UFFM has to be explained, particularly to young Daniel Ricciardo who had his biggest day spoilt by your UFFM at work. If he started the race with 100 kg of fuel, and crossed the finish line a couple of hours later then in the minds of many he did no wrong.

In fact we must applaud him if he was burning fuel big time, then reigned in his pace to get to the finish. This is clever, this is strategy, this is good driving, this is racing, this is Formula 1.

Furthermore I question why your stewards in Melbourne took six hours after the race to come to the decision to disqualify Ricciardo while technical delegate Jo Bauer reported: “During the race car number 03 has exceeded consistently the maximum allowed fuel flow of 100 kg/h.”

If this was happening “consistently” during the race why was car number 03 not black flagged? Explanation required.

Charlie Whiting confirmed after the race, “We advised them [Red Bull] twice after qualifying and five laps into the race to take the necessary steps to comply with the regulations.”

For the record – and here believe I write on behalf of millions of F1 fans – we are not alone when I ask for you guys to keep it simple, a certain Bernie Ecclestone appears to agree with us.

“The whole regulation, to me, seems a bit of a joke. If something is controlling the amount of fuel you are using during a race, there is no need to say how much fuel you can have at the start. If you use too much you are going to run out of fuel. It seems to be that simple and if it isn’t, it should be,” says Bernie.

Although there are numerous questions I personally want to pound you with regarding what you are doing to the sport we love, but the most pressing one right now – in the aftermath of Australia – is why an insignificant piece of plastic has been able to have such a significant impact on the first race of the 2014 season, and tarnished your all new turbo era?

Formula 1 races should not be decided in courtrooms. The FIA is accountable for this and we as fans, who are the heartbeat of any sport, deserve an answer to this question. I await your response with anticipation, but won’t hold my breath waiting for your reply.

Best wishes

Paul Velasco

(This letter was emailed to FIA at 09:00 am GMT)

MIKA: My thoughts exactly!

[MIKA27]

Button 'excited' by Magnussen challenge

Jenson Button is relishing this year's intra-team competition at McLaren after his new team-mate Kevin Magnussen fired the first salvo in Australia.

Despite being a rookie, there were no signs of nerves or inexperience on Magnussen's part as he took to the Albert Park circuit last weekend.

Qualifying fourth in the rain, in the dry on Sunday he finished third on the track before being elevated to second when Daniel Ricciardo was disqualified.

It was an impressive showing from the Dane and a sure sign that Button, who finished one place back from his team-mate, won't have it all his own way at McLaren.

The British driver, though, is relishing the challenge.

"The team wouldn't have employed someone they didn't think was going to be good," he said in an interview with Press Association Sport.

"You are always going to have a competitive team-mate, but I've never been scared of a team-mate. It's exciting to have someone that competitive.

"And in the first grand prix of the year, to finish second and third, to have two guys pulling their weight and getting the best out of the car, is fantastic for the team."

Magnussen's 18 points coupled with Button's 15 have put McLaren at the top of the Constructors' Championship after race one, already a vast improvement on last year's fortunes.

"I can't remember the last time a team other than Red Bull were leading the Constructors' Championship.

"Although we know it's not through outright speed, it is through a lot of good team work, and it might only be one race, but it has put a smile on our faces."

But despite leading the Championship, McLaren were no match for Mercedes Down Under as Nico Rosberg claimed a dominant victory while an engine issue robber pole sitter Lewis Hamilton of his chance.

"We have upgrades for the next race," Button added, "but I still don't think it will be enough to challenge them just yet.

"If it can put us into the gap between them and everyone else then that will be a good step forward.

"We just have to keep pushing the team for upgrades, but they have already got their heads down and there is some good stuff coming in the pipeline."

[MIKA27]

'Lotus paying the price for late start'

Remi Taffin believes Lotus' decision to sit out the opening pre-season test is largely responsible for their current woes.

Lotus recorded a double DNF at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix with Pastor Maldonado retiring on lap 29 and Romain Grosjean on lap 44.

That, though, was more laps than the E22 had previously completed.

Sitting out the first test at Jerez, Lotus were always on the back foot in pre-season testing and ran out of time to resolve issues with their car and its Renault engine.

"We lack running with Lotus, so we're lacking experience," Taffin, Renault's head of track operations, told Autosport. "We're lacking knowledge of the car, as simple as that.

"Even on our side we lack experience on how to deal with the power unit and to be completely fair we had so many issues that are sequential.

"We had lateness building the car, we had problems with our power unit and mapping, we had problems with driveability and the clock just keeps on turning.

"We were very safe on everything [with Lotus] because we wanted to do the mileage, but unfortunately we had this failure.

"Nothing else would have prevented the cars finishing very close to the top 10."

He is, however, confident that Lotus will quickly improve as they put more laps on the car.

"The solution is very simple: we get to Sepang, we run with the same sort of set-up we had in the race [in Australia] - we know it's working - and we just want to run," he added.

"We don't want to take the last tenths out of anything, we just want the mileage.

"If we take the mileage the lap time will come. It's just a matter of putting things in the right order."

[MIKA27]

Red Bull confused by Vettel issues

Red Bull Racing remain in the dark as to why Sebastian Vettel suffered several reliability issues during last weekend's Australian GP.

Vettel was unable to challenge at the front during Saturday's qualifying due to an engine software issue and lined up 12th on the grid.

His problems, though, went from bad to worse on Sunday when his Renault engine dropped a cylinder, putting the reigning World Champ out of the race.

But why Vettel's RB10 was the sole Red Bull hit with problems remains a mystery to team boss Christian Horner.

"It looks like it dropped a cylinder for whatever reason, and we need to understand exactly what has caused that - whether that is through electrical or software or whatever," he explained to Autosport.

"From Saturday morning with Seb, the power unit put up a real fight and there was no logical reason for it.

"The settings are the same [as on team-mate Daniel Ricciardo's car], both fresh engines going in.

"But it shows how finely things are poised at the moment."

Horner, though, did reveal that Ricciardo had one minor glitch before the start of Sunday's race but that it was easily resolved.

"We had a drama when he left the garage as the turbo did not work," said Horner.

"We had to get the car back in to reset the power cycle, and it seemed to come back to life.

"So there was a drama as we were going out to the grid, but that fixed itself and didn't reappear."

[MIKA27]

McLaren to 'aggressively develop' MP4-29

McLaren will begin an "aggressive" development programme over the next few races which they hope will allow them to catch up to Mercedes by the Spanish Grand Prix.

McLaren were arguably the third or fourth fastest team in Australia, claiming a double podium finish with Kevin Magnussen in second and Jenson Button third, following the exclusion of Daniel Ricciardo.

Racing director Eric Boullier says it was to be expected that they wouldn't be the quickest from the start, with the team opting to instead focus on reliability, but that will all change from now on according to the Frenchman.

"It's true that Mercedes and Williams have some pace [advantage], maybe between half and three quarters of a second quicker than the rest of the field," he said on Wednesday.

"But as for McLaren, we focused a lot of our winter on building a solid and reliable car, because we believed - and Australia confirmed our strategy - that reliability was key to taking big points at the beginning of the season.

"It is true now that we are pushing very aggressively on performance development - we need to clearly catch up the gap to Mercedes and also some others."

He explained that it was of vital importance to begin developing early as several teams will be competitive once they iron out a few troubles.

"Some other teams have not performed well so far, but clearly once they are delivering full power they will be very fast," he added.

"Our target is to catch up by Barcelona, and build up over the first few races in Europe."

[MIKA27]

Mercedes have 1-second per lap advantage

I’m certainly in no position to guess as to what advantage Mercedes AMG Petronas has over the rest of the field but if you listen to other Formula 1 teams, it could be around one second per lap and that’s huge in F1 terms.

Ferrari know they need to claw back performance via better car drivability for Kimi Raikkonen—especially under braking—and for Alonso on the straights but Red Bull also have issues that team boss Christian Horner says is 90% software related and the rest down to drivability. Horner told AUTOSPORT’s Mr. Noble:

“I would say on average it is about one second per lap, so that is about what we have to find,” Horner said.

“They controlled the race. I am sure they didn’t fully extend themselves and it seems they have at least one second in the pocket at the moment.

“You can see Williams looks very quick too, and I think if they had had a clean race they would have been right there.”

Ultimately Horner suggests that the ERS software issues are a challenge between Renault Sport F1 and Red Bull to get on top of and my hunch is they will but how long will it take and if they do get the software working properly, is it worth a second per lap?

That’s anyone’s guess but certainly Ferrari seem to be in a similar pace deficit as well and they are working diligently to find this elusive “drivability” that all of the teams have put in our 014 Formula 1 lexicon.

As for Williams, as well as other Mercedes-powered teams, it is a case of aerodynamic downforce and how their car is working. A Mercedes power unit doesn’t guarantee success but it certainly gives one a leg up. Can Williams capitalize on the aero, weight, balance and more to make the best use of their new power unit and give the top teams a run for their money?

Force India is a Mercedes-powered team as well and they, like Williams, will find their biggest challenges in 2014 in the in-season development war that usually represents a huge expense—do either team have the resources to keep up with the challenge? If not, I still think their Mercedes advantage will keep them in the hunt and it will be interesting to see how they do in Malaysia.

[MIKA27]

2014 Australian Grand Prix fans’ video gallery #1

The opening race of the season gave Australian fans the chance to hear the new sound of Formula One for the first time.

The challenging nature of the new cars meant we saw much more of the drivers making corrections and adjustments – particularly when the rain came during qualifying

Here’s some of the best footage captured during the 2014 Australian Grand Prix weekend.

FP1: Fans hear the new cars for the first time

http://youtu.be/QawzmBad3FQ

FP1: Raikkonen locks up

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2014 Australian Grand Prix fans’ video gallery #2

Speed comparison featuring V8 Supercars vs DC in F1 car

You can really hear the difference when DC drives the V8 F1 compared to the new V6 Turbos. That is toward the end of the video

Q3: Bottas twitches, Magnussen goes off

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2014 Australian Grand Prix fans’ video gallery #3

Q3: Cheers as Ricciardo takes provisional pole

At 3:02 of the video onward

Start: Kobayashi hits Massa

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2014 Australian Grand Prix fans’ video gallery #4

Lap 1: Grosjean pits

Podium sing-along

[mikec]

So one race in the bag and what does everyone think? Too quiet maybe or is the racing action enough to keep things interesting? My spies within Mercedes tell me that they (Mercedes) turned the motor down significantly on or around lap 14. They have yet to show their hand power wise and have A LOT in hand if they need it. In other words if they had to push it and use all available resources the gap would have been MUCH greater at Melbourne. The other teams say they are a second behind Mercedes but in reality it could be closer to 2 seconds and change. I look for much of the same for all of the fly away races and no catching them until after that. I also predict that Rosberg will prevail as a steady race winner although not out qualifying his buddy Hammy. I would also look to see Williams displacing McLaren on the podium until the mid season break and continuing if they get software updates from Mercedes). Anyway that's just my opinion and I look to Mika for the audience reaction at Adelaide. Hope you had a good one mate and where not too disappointed. I was also disappointed to find out that DTM are going to a similar motor within two years. Oh well we will still have the Aussie V8 Supercars, or will we?

[MIKA27]

So one race in the bag and what does everyone think? Too quiet maybe or is the racing action enough to keep things interesting? My spies within Mercedes tell me that they (Mercedes) turned the motor down significantly on or around lap 14. They have yet to show their hand power wise and have A LOT in hand if they need it. In other words if they had to push it and use all available resources the gap would have been MUCH greater at Melbourne. The other teams say they are a second behind Mercedes but in reality it could be closer to 2 seconds and change. I look for much of the same for all of the fly away races and no catching them until after that. I also predict that Rosberg will prevail as a steady race winner although not out qualifying his buddy Hammy. I would also look to see Williams displacing McLaren on the podium until the mid season break and continuing if they get software updates from Mercedes). Anyway that's just my opinion and I look to Mika for the audience reaction at Adelaide. Hope you had a good one mate and where not too disappointed. I was also disappointed to find out that DTM are going to a similar motor within two years. Oh well we will still have the Aussie V8 Supercars, or will we?

Always great to hear from you Mike!

Unfortunately I missed out going after all as my wife has been unwell of late so I couldn't head out to the GP as I'd have felt too guilty for having all the fun whilst she'd have been stuck at home. I did watch it from home and whilst I love being at the GP in person, looking at it from home and the lack of sound, I feel I'd have lost 50% of the excitement I normally look forward to.

Sound and smell is extremely important to the senses, the smell of carbon brakes and the like would have no doubt been there but that sound (Or lack of) is really depressing for Formula 1. I will always LOVE F1 but they need to seriously bring back the decibels.

I agree with Mercedes Power in that they have a lot more up their sleeve they are yet to reveal but in saying this two thought come to mind...

1) If they crank up the software to deliver more power, won't they run out of fuel and not complete a GP?

2) How would they manage the torque coming out of the corners? More HP would be great on the straights, I imagine they'd crank it up at Canada, Spa and Monza but it will be interesting to see how well they perform under more POWER!

Rosberg will out match Hamilton - He's more level headed and overall a brilliant talent over a race distance. No doubt Hamilton is a brilliant driver, but his attitude the past couple years have made him lose focus comparative to his earlier years in 2008. Hamilton in Qualy is one of the best ever.

Williams will do well this season and no doubt the WDC will be between Mercedes, Williams and McLaren.

DTM have two years to watch F1 fail with the current Turbos, perhaps they'll learn from this? It's never too late to change their ideas. As for Aussie V8's that will never change mate. Aussies are a passionate bunch with motor racing.

[MIKA27]

Briatore: Now we have the drivers forced to behave on the track like accountants

Former team boss Flavio Briatore has slammed the new face of Formula 1 after the first race of the all new V6 turbo era.

The 63-year-old Italian, absent from Formula 1 in the wake of the crashgate scandal, said that he watched the Melbourne race last weekend and thought it was “disrespectful” to the spectators and television audience.

“They (the spectators) do not understand why the drivers do not attack, why and how they’re saving fuel, and why champion drivers refuse even to defend their position.

“This was a strange spectacle, leaving behind the most beautiful sport in the world,” Briatore told Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport.

He said it was wrong to let the car manufacturers succeed in their push for the all-new regulations, featuring ‘greener’ engines that use less fuel.

“They delegated the writing of rules to engineers who do not care about the fans or entertainment,” said Briatore.

“The result is terrible. Of course it is true that the principles of the rules are correct, but we must not forget that Formula 1 must be about the competition between drivers.

“Obliging them to drive slowly is contrary to common sense. It’s like introducing a rule that means Ronaldo can only touch the ball ten times in a match.

“Now we have the stars [drivers] forced to behave on the track like accountants.

“If Formula 1 does not change again in the near future, then the audience will be lost. Look at the comments on the internet, in blogs, on Twitter — they did not like the Australian Grand Prix.

“It was an indecipherable and depressing show.

“This new Formula 1 came too fast with too little testing, so at the very beginning Vettel and Hamilton were missing from the fight. This is unacceptable and now we have chaos.”

Also unhappy with the ‘new’ Formula 1 is the flamboyant MotoGP veteran Valentino Rossi.

“I was expecting something different from the new Formula 1 rules, instead I just found it boring,” the Italian is quoted by Tuttosport.

“I think motorcycles and cars should race with the fuel they need, but what is happening now is just an exercise for the engineers,” added Rossi.

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Hamilton not fazed by Formula 1′s new young guns

Lewis Hamilton has rejected claims that a new guard of young guns is sweeping into power in Formula 1, after the season opening grand prix in Australia.

After the V6 era kicked off in Melbourne, podium debutant Kevin Magnussen was hailed as McLaren’s ‘new Hamilton’, while fellow rookie Daniil Kvyat stood out as the next Red Bull-fuelled talent in the Sebastian Vettel-like mould.

Daniel Ricciardo also stepped into the retired Mark Webber’s shoes with ease at Red Bull, outqualifying and outracing quadruple world champion Vettel and causing many to wonder if a ‘new era’ has dawned.

But 2008 world champion Hamilton, however, doesn’t think so.

“You still have … Vettel, myself, Alonso and Kimi,” Formula 1′s 29-year-old world champion of 2008 said.

“It’s not a new era,” Hamilton insisted. “It’s just a new wave of youngsters coming through.”

Dane Magnussen, in particular, was hailed by none other than Hamilton’s discoverer, former mentor Ron Dennis, as a future champion.

“He has all the ingredients necessary to win a world championship,” Dennis said.

Hamilton may be unconvinced, but he did applaud the 21-year-old’s debut podium in Melbourne — a feat he himself achieved in a McLaren back in 2007.

“Kevin did a fantastic job,” he said. “I’m very impressed with his job. Well done to him.”

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Renault: We know what we can achieve for the next race to close the gap to Mercedes

In the aftermath of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, Renault F1 Sport head of track operations Remi Taffin is adamant that the ‘one second gap’ to Mercedes will be closed and that all is in place at Viry-Chatillon to recover from their dismal pre-season.

Taffin said, “It is a fair assessment to say we’re behind Mercedes on the straights. That’s obvious. Saying it is one second is difficult, but it is not one tenth, it’s closer to a second than a tenth or a hundredth. We know how far we are from Mercedes and we know what we can achieve for the next race to close the gap.”

“In the power unit we are running we already have the necessary components to achieve this recovery, it’s just a matter of optimising everything and using everything to the full power. We have to fix the reliability and fix the way we use all these things together and try to make them work,” explained Taffin.

In pre-season testing Renault powered teams struggled to rack up any meaningful mileage, with Red Bull particularly affected by problems during the 12 days in Jerez and Bahrain.

In Melbourne however, the world champions were starting to look like contenders, with Daniel Ricciardo qualifying on the front row and 24 hours later crossing the line in second place, albeit almost half a minute down on Nico Rosberg in the Mercedes.

Despite the deficit to Mercedes, the performance was a boost for Renault as Taffin pointed out, “It’s like we’ve done four days of testing in one afternoon. We will reflect on that for Sepang and come back better, but all in all I’d say it’s a 50/50, as the number of cars we got to the end of the race.”

He added, “Fifty per cent of them did quite well, but not to the level we expect. We still have a way to go. We can operate our engine but there is a downside obviously with the number of cars we didn’t get to the end due to some problems on our side. But it’s not the sort of problem we cannot fix.”

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De la Rosa wants to step down as GPDA president

Veteran driver Pedro de la Rosa is seeking to step down as president of the Formula 1 drivers’ association, the GPDA.

Speed Week said that the Ferrari Reserve Driver’s decision became clear last weekend in Australia, with a vote on his successor likely to take place next week ahead of the Malaysian Grand Prix.

“Wanted: a driver with experience,” said correspondent Mathias Brunner.

Alongside 43-year-old Spaniard de la Rosa, the other GPDA directors at present are Jenson Button and reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel.

MIKA: That cart probably sounds louder than the current V6 Turbos!