FORMULA 1 - 2015

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Red Bull can fight Williams at Silverstone - Ricciardo

Daniel Ricciardo has high hopes for Red Bull's British Grand Prix prospects, with the Australian predicting they'll be fighting with Williams for best of the rest behind Ferrari and Mercedes.

The Renault-powered team will introduce another upgrade package at Silverstone, which it hopes will significantly close the gap to those ahead, though Ricciardo admits the two leading teams remain out of touch.

"Looking at the [test] times isn’t really relevant for us; we weren't pushing for qualifying runs, but looking at the work we did it was a good day," he said of his eighth quickest time on Wednesday.

The 25-year-old explained that the team instead focussed on trying to find new set-up paths for the British GP in a weeks time to ensure it can secure the best result possible.

"We made some more extreme set-up changes that we wouldn't normally do in a race weekend, to explore the limits of the car and try to extract some more potential out of the car.

"We know our weaknesses here with the long straights, but there are a few more corners at Silverstone, which suits our car better, and we have some aerodynamic updates that will help us," he added.

"I don't think we'll be able to fight with Mercedes or Ferrari yet but hopefully we can be close to Williams."

MIKA: Looking at the picture.... Red Bulls Aero package without Adrian Newey?

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25 years ago today: Prost wins from 13th, Mansell stuns Berger and Senna hits 100

The 1990 Mexican Grand Prix, held 25 years ago today, was an intense race made famous by a breathtaking move by Nigel Mansell.

But while Mansell’s daring pass on Gerhard Berger stole the show, it was his Ferrari team mate Alain Prost who won the race.

Ayrton Senna’s one hundredth grand prix celebrations were spoiled by a puncture – and Prost’s win meant the championship fight between the pair was very much on.

No pole for Senna, Prost struggles to 13th

Senna had begun almost half of his preceding 99 starts from pole position – but for race number 100 he wasn’t even on the front row. McLaren team mate Berger had beaten him to the top spot for the second time in their six races together.

The number 27 McLaren of Senna wasn’t even to be found on the front row – late in qualifying he was bumped down to third by Riccardo Patrese’s Williams.

The peculiar demands of the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez – which will return to the calendar later this year – was having its usual effect. Built on a lake bed, much of its surface was very bumpy, although the organisers had resurfaced the fearsome 180-Peraltada corner at the end of the lap. And the high altitude – Mexico City is over 2,200m above sea level – meant thinner air, depriving engines of power, affecting some more than others.

Among those struggling the most to adapt was Ferrari, who found Goodyear’s special qualifying tyres particularly difficult to master. A late charge by Mansell netted him fourth on the grid, despite briefly being held up by traffic.

But reigning world champion Prost posted his worst qualifying position in six years. He could only manage 13th, due in part to being caught out by a new rule introduced for the race weekend. Prost spun his car during Friday’s qualifying session and stalled, and under the new directive he could not be given a push start. Even so he struggled to make any further progress during Saturday’s second qualifying session.

The Pirelli runners were enjoying a day in the sun as the Italian rubber was finding good purchase on the low-grip surface. Jean Alesi’s Tyrrell and Pierluigi Martini’s Minardi led a clutch of Ford-Cosworth runners. Stefano Modena’s Judd-powered Brabham also made it into the top ten at the expense of the V12 Lamborghini-powered Lotuses.

Places at the rear of the grid were fought over just as intensely as those near the front as 35 cars were competing to fill the 26-car grid. Thursday pre-qualifying session, held on a damp but drying track, eliminated the first five.

These included a few comically uncompetitive entries. The hopeless Life entry pedalled by Bruno Giacomelli broke down as usual. The Eurobrun of Claudio Langes only made a cursory ‘attempt’ at qualifying due to financial problems. Bertrand Gachot’s Coloni, with its overweight Motori Moderni-built Subaru flat-12 engine, at least came within a second and a half of making the cut.

Both Lola drivers made it through pre-qualifying, despite Aguri Suzuki crashing heavily and having to use the team’s spare car, and went on to secure a place on the final grid. And so did another pre-qualifying runner – temporarily, at least.

Roberto Moreno dragged many unworthy F1 cars to places they didn’t deserve to reach, and had already got Walter Brun’s ER189B onto the grid on two occasions. He did so in Mexico as well, only to be excluded. The reason? He had been given a push start, and his team manager had neglected to inform him of a certain new rule…

Before the race Senna marked his impending 100th start with a cake made by Ada Elena, sister of team co-ordinator Jo Ramirez, who then had a portion of the cake liberally applied to his head by Senna.

There were no Mexican drivers in the field, and hopes that a Mexican team might soon arrived were dashed on race day. A demonstration of a Mexican-financed Formula One car project dubbed GLAS, powered by Lamborghini, had been due to take place, but local backer Fernando Gonzalez Luna had mysteriously disappeared.

Senna streaks ahead

Berger had jumped the start two weeks earlier in Canada, and was handed a swingeing one-minute penalty for the transgression. He made no such mistake this time, but was out-dragged by Patrese, and Senna came down the inside of him as they reached turn one.

Little of this was seen by those watching on television, as the local director chose to show much of the lap from the onboard camera of 15th-placed Michele Alboreto, perhaps confusing the red-and-white Arrows for one of the McLarens.

As lap two began Honda power overwhelmed Renault: first Senna, then Berger demoted Patrese to third place. The Williams driver quickly regretted the choice of harder ‘B’ compound Goodyears instead of the ‘C’s favoured by most of his rivals. Thierry Boutsen and Nelson Piquet came by on lap two.

Mansell had lost two places at the start and the V12 Ferrari was surprisingly humbled by Alesi’s V8-powered Tyrrell on the second lap. Mansell reclaimed the place on the eighth tour, and by lap 25 had picked off the Williams drivers as well.

But a few laps later he had his team mate in his rear view mirrors. Prost had made steady progress from 13th on the grid, running slightly less downforce than his team mate to aid overtaking on the long straight.

By lap 31 the order was Senna, Piquet, Mansell and Prost. Berger, who had started the race with higher tyre pressures than his team mate, had made for the pits as early as lap 13 having trashed his Goodyears.

The front runners intended to complete the race without pitting, but Piquet’s tyres began to fade and by lap 42 the Ferrari drivers had ejected him from the podium positions. He made for the pits sooner afterwards.

Prost had made up ten places to hold third, and was now stalking his team mate. As lap 55 began Mansell was held up by Alboreto Arrows in the Peraltada, and Prost slipstreamed past him for second place.

This was a significant move, as up ahead Senna was having difficulties. From the low 1’19s his lap times suddenly rose by around a second on lap 44. Meanwhile Prost was lapping in the high 1’18s, and the McLaren ahead was growing ever larger in his vision.

Senna suspected he had a problem with his tyres, but was having trouble with his radio communication with the pits. Once he got through to team principal Ron Dennis, around ten laps from the end of the race, the call was made for him to stay out. Dennis reasoned that pitting would drop him further down the order than if he remained on track and was passed by the Ferraris.

Ten laps of drama

But Senna’s problem wasn’t tyre wear – it was a slow puncture. And Prost was flying – on lap 58 he lowered the fastest lap to a 1’17.958, and two laps later he took a look at Senna at the inside of the Peraltada, but had to back off.

Prost continued to swarm over the rear of his rival as Mansell closed on the pair of them. As lap 61 began they were separated by half a second – and Prost went through at the first corner. Next time by Mansell duplicated the move to take second with eight laps to go.

But the drama was only just beginning. Lap 64 began with Mansell spinning off at turn two as he tried to catch Prost. He had barely got going again when Senna’s right-rear tyre finally failed. That promoted Berger into third place, and with Mansell cruising he now had a shot at second.

With three laps to go he threw his car down the inside of Mansell at turn one, barging the Ferrari aside to take second place. But Mansell wasn’t having any of it – he was straight onto the tail of the McLaren, forcing Berger to defend left and right as he struggled to apply the power on his Ferrari.

Approaching the Peraltada for the penultimate time Mansell was bobbing from side to side in Berger’s mirrors. Heading into one of the quickest corners on the calendar at the time, where the Ferraris had registered forces of 4.7G during practice, Mansell launched to the outside of Berger and flashed past to take second place.

“I closed my eyes,” he joked when asked about the pass afterwards.

That daring pass sealed a one-two finish for Ferrari. Alessandro Nannini nursed the tyres on his Benetton to take fourth ahead of Boutsen and Piquet.

Senna rued his decision not to overrule the call to stay out. Prost’s win cut his championship lead to eight points, and victories for the Ferrari driver in the next two races would put him ahead in the standings.

Senna was classified 20th despite having retired in the pits. Ahead of him Alesi lost the final points place to the recovering Piquet with two laps to go, while Martin Donnelly’s eighth place was the first time all year Lotus had finished on the lead lap.

Despite having got both their cars on the grid, the two Lolas were out by lap 12 – Suzuki having tangled with the only other Japanese driver in the race, Satoru Nakajima. David Brabham retired around the same time with electrical problems, and was almost hit at the pit exit by Philippe Alliot after stopping at a flickering exit light.

Newey fired

Two cars which did not figure at all in the Mexican Grand Prix were nonetheless closely related to one of the most significant developments in Formula One over the coming years. Neither of the turquoise Leyton House CG901s made it onto the grid, a development which cost the team’s technical director his job.

The sudden availability of Adrian Newey on the job market was of particular interest to Williams technical chief Patrick Head. Newey was quickly summoned by telephone, and within a few months helped create some of the most crushingly dominant racing cars of all time.

The Leyton House found smooth surfaces much more to its liking. Just two weeks after failing to make the grid at all in Mexico, Ivan Capelli came within three laps and a faulty oil pump of winning the French Grand Prix.

Two years later, Mansell won the last Mexican Grand Prix in a Williams-Renault FW14B designed by Head and Newey. The Mexican bumps which had proved beyond Newey’s CG901Bs were defeated by computer-controlled active suspension.

Mexico held Formula 1 races in the sixties, seventies, eighties and nineties, and is finally set to return following a 23-year absence. Every corner on the circuit is being revised but the track’s enviable location in the heart of one of the world’s largest cities remains unchanged.

Formula One is also a very different prospect these days, and in November we will discover how modern grand prix racing, a much smaller field and a somewhat tamer track compares to the Mexican Grand Prix of old.

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Analysis: Why 2017 F1 cars will be better for racing

A future of faster cars that can follow each other closely is very good news for Formula 1 fans.

Formula 1 has been under fire this season for a lack of close racing at the front - with cars seemingly unable to follow each other close enough to have a chance to overtake.

It is one of the reasons that teams are working on regulations to make cars much faster and more challenging in 2017, although those moves have prompted fears that it could actually make the situation worse.

The common thinking seems to go that the more you ramp up downforce, the less chance there is for overtaking because cars will not be able to track each other closely enough.

But like most things in F1, things are not quite as simple as they first seem, and in fact the moves being planed for two years time should actually improve matters.

Wind tunnel research

F1 teams have long known that there can sometimes be a disconnect between making the cars better and improving the spectacle.

Ahead of the 2009 season, an Overtaking Working Group was set up to try to get a better understanding of what elements of car design could help boost the spectacle by making it easier to overtake.

Overseen by Pat Symonds, Paddy Lowe and Rory Byrne throughout 2007 and 2008, it delivered a much greater understanding of the elements that are important for allowing cars to follow each other closely

However, as Symonds explained, much of its work was negated by the decision of F1 to introduce DRS in 2011, which has made overtaking artificially much easier.

"We used a little wind tunnel in Italy which wasn't massively sophisticated," explained Symonds about the OWG work.

"We used a 50 per cent model and we had very little time in there to try to understand a little bit about overtaking.

"So, we did the best we could to produce a set of regulations that would mitigate some of the general problems.

"In reality, I am not sure how successful we were and it became to some extent irrelevant when you accept things like DRS, because it was way more powerful.

"It was totally off our scope, we were not allowed to do that and actually, the funny thing is we did discuss it – but it was an absolute no-no."

Lessons learned

While DRS meant the OWG's recommendations were not so essential, there are still some key findings that are very relevant as cars are pushed to lose weight and have more downforce for 2017.

Mercedes executive director Paddy Lowe said: "We have still got some confidence in the generic lessons that came from the OWG study.

"Although the cars we have got at this moment are somewhat different to what was envisaged, some of the fundamental aspects in my view remain unchanged.

"It is especially true that the principal loss in the wake starts from the front end loss of performance in the front wing.

"This causes understeer, which means you can't stick with the guy in front at the corner exit to get him down the straight."

Wake flow details

The OWG study found that the area of the front wing that degrades first is the central section – which means if you can make that part neutral in terms of delivering downforce then it will ensure cars do not lose performance when following another car.

So if the current plan for a wider car comes to fruition – a wider neutral section of front wing would actually ensure that there is less performance loss than the current design when in another car's wake.

That will be especially true if the teams can ensure that the wake generated by the rear wing end plates is not allowed to disrupt the airflow either.

When asked whether there is any reason to suspect that the cars will be less able to follow each other from 2017, Lowe said: "I think there is some evidence to suggest that they may be actually better.

"Although I am not an aerodynamicist but based on aerodynamic experience and judgement, one of the features of the current cars is the front wing is used not only to create downforce at the front.

"It also is used to create important flow structures through the car, particularly to drive performance to the floor. Its function also is to counteract the losses that follow the front tyres.

"If a car is in the wake, then that function will also be disturbed as well as the loss of front downforce causing understeer.

"If we move to wider track and you widen the front wing, and also widen the tires and move them outboard, then the reliance on the front wing for not just downforce but also flow conditioning downstream, is much reduced.

"Therefore you would maintain floor performance much better in the wake as well.

"So the expectation, without having tested it, is that some of this direction should actually improve the following car's performance even if the absolute performance has gone up."

For F1 fans, faster cars that can follow each other better, is very good news.

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Revised Force India is “mega – really quick” claims Ocon

Force India’s Esteban Ocon believes a revised version of the team’s car represents a big step forward for the team after testing it in Austria.

The team’s B-spec car ran for the first time in the first day of testing at the Red Bull Ring on Tuesday, with the most noticeable outward difference being a new nose that appeared on the car for a single lap (see main picture).

Ocon logged the second fastest time of the day with the revised VJM08, just under two tenths of a second away from Pascal Wehrlein’s benchmark from Mercedes.

The Frenchman – who races in GP3 after winning last years FIA Formula 3 European title – described the new package as a major step forward from its predecessor.

“[Development] is going in a good way,” Ocon told Motorsport.com.

“The car was just mega today, really quick. Let’s wait and see at Silverstone but it will probably be a really fast car. The guys are working hard and I think it will pay off.”

Future hopes pinned on B-spec chassis

Force India has largely pinned its hopes for the year on the introduction of the B-spec car, which was originally set to debut in the Austrian GP before being pushed back to the team’s home race at Silverstone.

“It's front wing, nose, rear wing pillar – a few key areas,” team principal Bob Fernley explained to Motorsport.com.

“The final package includes a new floor and nose and a change of the design of the monocoque to accommodate everything. We did the all the crash testing weeks ago."

Chief engineer Tom McCullough had also previously indicated that many aspects of the revised package would be trialled on-track for the first time in the post-Austrian GP test.

"We’re really looking forward to getting the new package," he said. "It is quite different; there are a lot of parts changing between now and the Silverstone race, and we’re evaluating quite a few of those at the test here.

“We’re pretty encouraged from what we see on the numbers side of things."

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BAKU GEARS UP FOR FORMULA 1 DEBUT

The inaugural European Games has established Baku on the sporting map but the Azeri capital is already gearing up for a far bigger spectacle next year – a Formula 1 race through its stunning streets.

Azerbaijan’s Formula 1 debut was originally penciled in for 2015, but a contract was signed last year for a 2016 Grand Prix of Europe and work has since been underway in Baku to prepare for its highest-profile sporting event yet.

“Baku is on track,” Chingiz Mehdiyev, head of operations for the Baku Grand Prix, told Reuters on Wednesday, standing on what will be the race’s start grid, adjacent to the iconic Azadliq Square.

“We are working on the project, we have almost completed the project, now we are going through some stages of homologation and after that stage we can already start working on actually building.

“There are some civil works that need to be done, because our race is within the city and we are going to start ordering the fencing, so it will be prepared in advance and before the race we will be totally ready.”

A 6.007 km track has been confirmed, taking in the stunning architecture of the old city, multi-million dollar developments in the city centre and the glittering Caspian seashore.

The 20-corner track will be lapped 51 times with cars reaching speeds of 340 km per hour, which, according to Mehdiyev, is the fastest single speed at any race currently on the Formula One calendar.

“Actually, because it is within the city I think the race will be just fantastic,” he said. “The race will go along the seaside and also it is a unique part of the track.

“It will go all around the old city, which is a UNESCO heritage area, which involves very stiff turns, inclines, declines. So I think it will be a challenge for the drivers.”

The first race, scheduled for July 2016, will be during the day but, beyond next season, Mehdiyev said the possibility of staging the event at night was very plausible and “exciting”.

Azerbaijan only has a short history of staging sporting events but the race will place the country, with a young population providing a potentially lucrative new market, in the sporting spotlight.

“It’s very important to put us on the sporting map, positioning the country on the map of the world and, of course, to excite the young people,” Azad Rahimov, the country’s minister for youth and sport, told Reuters.

“It’s very interesting actually, we are a very sporty country. We have a very young population in our country; 66 percent of the people living in Azerbaijan are under 55 years old.

“For the young people, apart from the concerts of megastars, celebrating the sports event in Baku is number two.”

Baku is currently hosting the inaugural European multi-sport games and Rahimov said the Formula One race represents just one event in the country’s ambitious sporting plans.

In 2020 it will host matches in soccer’s European Championship, while in 2016 it will also host the 42nd Chess Olympiad and soccer’s under-17 European Championship but it is Formula One which is garnering immediate interest.

When asked where Baku would rank on the Formula One calendar after the chequered flag is brought down on next year’s race, Mehdiyev was optimistic, “As one of the best races in the world.”

MIKA: This will be great as it's not a Herman Tilke designed track!

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FERRARI MAKES BID TO SIGN BOTTAS FROM WILLIAMS

Ferrari has launched a bid to secure the services of Williams driver Valtteri Bottas, according to reports emerging in Germany, making an official offer to release the highly rated Finn from the Grove outfit.

Amid heightening speculation about Kimi Raikkonen’s future at the Italian team, the report said Ferrari has made “an offer” not only to Finn Bottas, but also his current team Williams.

That is because the British team has a firm contractual ‘option’ on Bottas’ services for 2016, and is determined to keep the highly-rated 25-year-old.

“It would be a pity if he leaves the team,” said Williams’ experienced technical boss Pat Symonds. “I know he feels very comfortable here, and he is an important part of the team.”

Bild claims that Ferrari is offering to pay Williams €4 million to release the young Finn, “but deputy boss Claire Williams is demanding much more”.

The report believes Williams’ counter-offer could be as much as EUR €15 million, which has been initially rejected by Ferrari’s Maurizio Arrivabene.

But Bild said that if Bottas ultimately does go to Ferrari, the main contender to fill his place at Williams would be the team’s driver of 2010, Nico Hulkenberg.

The report said Hulkenberg is not in the running at Ferrari because the Italian team would not want to pair Sebastian Vettel with a second German driver.

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BOULLIER: NEXT YEAR WE WANT TO FIGHT FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP

McLaren-Honda’s continuing struggles might soon begin to also affect the 2016 campaign, but reveals that the target is to be fighting for the championship next year.

That is the blunt admission of Eric Boullier, following yet another disastrous weekend for the new Anglo-Japanese collaboration in Austria.

“I would not say that our difficulties have already impacted the coming season,” he is quoted in international media reports including Speed Week (Germany) and Marca (Spain).

“But sooner or later that may be the case. We are lacking mileage, not only in the winter testing but also in the race weekends,” the McLaren team boss added.

McLaren has, however, had a more positive outing in the post-Austrian grand prix test this weekend, with Fernando Alonso putting crucial laps on the new ‘short nose’ package.

It is often said the Spaniard must be getting close to letting his frustration show, but he continues to insist he is looking into the future with optimism.

That is despite the fact he is expecting to serve “more penalties” in the next few grands prix, having already run through his season allocation of engines.

“Then from Singapore, it should be better for us,” he is quoted by France’s Le Figaro.

“We want to try to score points and get closer to the podium before the end of the season,” said Alonso, “because next year we want to fight for the championship. “It’s probably a bit too optimistic a goal but the level of our dream must be high.”

He insists he has no regrets about leaving Ferrari to join McLaren-Honda for the future, “If you want to win the championship and beat Mercedes, you have to do something different.”

“And I felt that McLaren-Honda saw things differently and was the best chance for me. It will take time, but we will be the only ones who can stop Mercedes,” he insisted.

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WILLIAMS AND BOTTAS QUIET ON FERRARI MOVE REPORTS

Williams and Valtteri Bottas are quiet in the face of mounting speculation about the Finn’s future, which many believe is linked to Maranello.

Bild newspaper reported this week that Ferrari is offering Williams €4 million to buy Bottas out of his 2016 contract with the British team.

Contacted by Brazil’s Globo, Grove based Williams said it “never” comments on the contractual situation of its drivers, and therefore will not comment on the Bild story.

And Bottas himself told the Finnish newspaper Turun Sanomat as he tested in Austria on Wednesday: “There are always a lot of rumours in F1.

“Nothing has changed for me. I am concentrating on this season, which is the best thing for me and the team. We will know later on what will happen,” the 25-year-old added.

The speculation has ramped up amid the difficulties faced by Kimi Raikkonen, the current occupant of the second Ferrari seat.

Even Esteban Gutierrez, the Italian team’s test driver, admitted he would like to fill the struggling Finn’s place.

“That would be great. That’s all I can say!” the Mexican said whilst testing the Ferrari on the final day of testing at Red Bull Ring.

Mika Hakkinen, involved in Bottas’ management, emphasised the difficult situation currently facing Raikkonen, “Once things begin to not work out for you, then the situation can often keep getting worse.

“I have personally experienced similar situations in my formula one career where for some reason nothing seemed to work,” Hakkinen said in his latest interview with Hermes.

But according to Pino Allievi, a veteran and authoritative writer for Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport, Raikkonen still has a slim chance of staying in 2016.

But “The team is insisting on results now,” he said. “It has been waiting for almost two years, Ferrari has offered loyalty, help and everything Kimi needs, but I think the situation is still the same as it was last year when he was with Fernando Alonso.”

“What is certain is that with results such as in Austria, it is impossible that Kimi stays next year with Ferrari. But at the moment, the team is just waiting. The only priority at the moment is the car, and catching up with Mercedes as soon as possible.”

If Kimi gets back to the level we know he is capable of, then he will stay alongside (Sebastian) Vettel. But as we all know, Ferrari requires results from both of its drivers,” Allievi added.

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RENAULT-LOTUS BUYOUT REPORTS BACK ON THE BOIL

Speculation has surfaced once again suggesting that Renault is close to buying back the Enstone based Formula 1 team they once owned.

The possibility is being reported by Bild newspaper, which claims the French carmaker is set to make a “concrete offer” to the team now called Lotus “in the coming weeks”.

Bild said quadruple world champion and Renault ambassador Alain Prost is playing a role. It follows Prost having told the French broadcaster Canal Plus after the Austrian grand prix that a return to a management role in F1 is “not impossible”.

“Lotus owner Gerard Lopez could not be reached” for comment, Bild said.

It could be a case of many current rumours all coming together. Renault currently supplies engines to Red Bull, who have been notably vocal in their discontent in 2015.

Suddenly, however, there are reports boss Christian Horner could be about to lose his job.

“Unfortunately in formula one there are always rumours,” Briton Horner said on Wednesday, “and this (one) is total rubbish. I’m fully committed to Red Bull and I love what I do.”

Also rumoured recently is that, if Renault and Red Bull do split, the energy drink-owned team might turn to customer Ferrari power.

Horner, however, ruled it out on the basis that the Italian outfit would supply Red Bull with inferior equipment.

“Horner saying he doesn’t want a Ferrari B-engine, for me, is a smokescreen,” said former F1 driver and now broadcaster Marc Surer.

“The engines are homologated and so the manufacturers are not supplying inferior equipment to their customers,” he is quoted by the Berliner Kurier.

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ROSBERG CAN BEAT HAMILTON TO TITLE SAYS COULTHARD

Nico Rosberg is right back in the running for the 2015 Formula World Championship title, according to former F1 driver turned broadcaster David Coulthard, following the German driver’s emphatic win in Austria.

“I did not doubt for one second that Nico can beat Lewis (Hamilton),” he told Sport Bild.

Hamilton, the reigning world champion, earlier looked to have established a clear hierarchy at Mercedes this year, but Coulthard insisted of Rosberg: “He is not a number two and will not be.

“I can tell, because I was in a similar situation,” the Scot said, referring to his days alongside Mika Hakkinen at McLaren.

Coulthard said that while Rosberg is “super fast and extremely professional”, often people simply take more notice of Hamilton because he is more controversial and brash, wearing diamond earrings and “gold chains”.

The differences between the pair, however, is mere “details”, Coulthard added.

Team boss Toto Wolff agrees that Rosberg is definitely world championship material, and in 2015 is “In a good mood, positive, balanced, calm — like someone who has been waiting for his chance.

“When Nico has a perfect day, he is hard to beat,” he said, explaining that Hamilton has often had the edge in 2015 because Rosberg does not enjoy the car’s tendency to “oversteer”.

And, with just ten points separating them after eight races, Wolff promises that Mercedes will not “intervene” in their title battle.

“The (Mercedes) brand would suffer from that, and formula one too,” he said.

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Todt: A headache, not cancer

FIA President Jean Todt says likened F1's problems to a "headache", adamant the sport is not having to "cure a cancer."

Formula 1's troubles have continued to make headlines over the last few months as smaller teams complain the costs, bigger teams about the engine rules and fans about the lack of excitement.

And the latter turning off their televisions and not buying tickets to the grands prix, the powers-that-be acknowledge that something needs to be done.

However, Todt insists it is not as dire as some are making it out to be.

"I don't think we are facing a cancer," said the Frenchman.

"We are facing a headache. So we need to find a prescription for the headache.

"I disagree that we have to cure a cancer. And in a way, the headache is on the way to be cured.

"We don't need big changes. I don't think F1 needs big changes."

He also voiced his frustrations over the complaints made by smaller team in recent months, saying they signed the deal, now they need to accept it.

"If people expect the FIA to change the distribution of the commercial rights, then it's true that I give up," said Todt.

"It would be completely irrelevant for me to say 'I'm going to speak to them' because those are the rules.

"How should I allow myself to claim something that is not within our responsibility?

"Where I feel frustrated is [those] who are complaining who did not take the best deal - why did they accept?"

As for customer cars being touted as a solution to all Formula 1's problems, Todt says he hates the very idea.

"I hate customer cars," he stated. "I think the fascination of F1 that you have the firm ground that everyone participates on. Group A, Group B is fine, but in different categories.

"Saying that, if we can find a way to facilitate access to certain technologies and development, I am not absolutely against that. But I am against a [two-tier] system.

"For me, it is fine to have Group A, and Group B. But it must be in different categories. F1, F2, League A, League B, that is fine. Inside of a category to have, by name, a difference? I would be against it."

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Max amused by Pastor criticism

Max Verstappen feels it is "quite funny" that Pastor Maldonado, who has a reputation out on track, had a go at him in the wake of the Austrian GP.

The duo battled for position in the closing laps at the Red Bull Ring, at times racing wheel-to-wheel.

Verstappen's final move, though, saw him run off the track and from there he was unable to close up and finished P8 to Maldonado's P7.

Following the race the Lotus driver had a go at Verstappen for his driving.

He said: "He was a bit... let's say not aggressive, but he wasn't really respecting the rules. You must leave some space for the other car and he was not respecting that."

The 17-year-old found it all rather amusing.

He told Autosport: "It's quite funny that Pastor said that. It's the only thing I say about it, it's quite funny."

He added that he's going to take the criticism "too seriously.

"I'm enjoying myself, trying to defend my position and he [Pastor] would do exactly the same."

[MIKA27]

Palmer: Too early for 2016 talks

Jolyon Palmer is keen to step up into a race-seat for 2016 but has revealed he has yet to enter talks as it is "really early days".

The British racer got his break into Formula 1 this season with the Lotus team, signed as their official reserve and test driver.

That role has not only meant Palmer has driven the E23 during test sessions but, unlike many other reserve drivers, he's also taken part in several FP1 sessions.

But while he admits he is enjoying life with Lotus, his next goal is to ensure that he's racing in 2016.

"I'm pleased with my role here," F1i.com quotes Palmer as having said.

"I always say it's important to get as much track time as possible. The team is giving quite a lot at the moment, which is really good to me. This was I need to do to learn and improve.

"I don't want to be a third driver next year. I want to be racing. But for now, at least I'm happy that of all the third drivers out there I'm getting the most running."

Palmer, though, added that it is still too early in the year to start speaking with other teams about the possibility of a 2016 race-seat.

"Obviously I'm talking to Lotus because I want to race with Lotus. But I'm talking with them because I'm working with them all the time. It's really early days.

"I think over the next few months, people will start talking about next year, but it's normally after the summer break really.

"For now, I'm just trying to do the best job I can. There is a long way to go really, but just trying to impress everyone I can."

[MIKA27]

Rosberg: Lewis will also benefit

The only Mercedes race driver present at the Austrian test, Nico Rosberg says he's done the work for both himself and team-mate Lewis Hamilton.

Rosberg replaced test driver Pascal Wehrlein in the W06 on Wednesday; the second of two days of testing.

The German set the pace with a 1:09.113 as he conducted a test programme focused on aero and set-up evaluation.

"It definitely helps me being in the car today, but Lewis is going to take the same set-up, so it's just that I've done the job for both of us in the sense," Rosberg said.

"It's the team that learns the most out of the day, but of course I learn a few bits and small things which is always useful."

Although Rosberg's running was brought to a temporary halt in the morning with a gearbox issue after 34 laps, he later returned to the track to bring his day's tally up to 117 laps.

"I had a gearbox issue but it didn't cost us any time because there was time to fix it over lunch.

"It was an intense programme, but we got through everything and we learned a lot of things."

As for the work done for the upcoming British Grand Prix, Rosberg reckons Mercedes were able to obtain "good information" ahead of his team-mate's home race.

"We prepared for Silverstone so drove a stiff car to specifically prepare for that race, so that was good information.

"Other than that, the programme just involved trying some mechanical things.

"I'm looking forward to Silverstone. The car is going to be great as fast corners are the specialty of this car."

[MIKA27]

Wittmann hails 'amazing' experience

Marco Wittmann was "surprised" by the power of a Formula 1 having made his first taste of the sport thanks to Toro Rosso.

Winning the DTM title last season with BMW, Wittmann was handed the test as part of his reward.

He replaced Max Verstappen in the STR10 at the Red Bull Ring on Wednesday and covered 158 laps, the most of any driver.

His best time was a 1:10.163, which put him 0.990s short of pace-setter Nico Rosberg.

"This has been an amazing experience for me," Wittmann said.

"I was surprised at the power of the car; if I compare it to DTM, it's got quite a lot more power!

"I enjoyed the whole day, which was trouble free, so I was able to do a lot of laps. I'm happy with my day, I hope the team is too.

"I would like to thank Red Bull, Scuderia Toro Rosso and BMW for giving me this great opportunity."

[MIKA27]

FIA to impose engine cost cap to help small teams

FIA president Jean Todt has finally admitted that engine costs in Formula 1 are far too high following the switch from V8 engines to hybrid turbo-V6 power units.

The Frenchman has remained relatively quiet on the matter, despite several of the smaller teams expressing great concern that the cost of being an engine customer is far too high.

Prior to the switch to the new power units, a team would be expected to pay around £4 million (€5.6m, $6.3m) annually for a years worth of engines, which equated to 16 units plus an additional eight for testing purposes between two cars.

Now teams are expected to pay around £15m (€21m, $23m) for just eight race engines and roughly six to eight test engines.

That's around £1m per engine, compared to £160,000 for a V8.

Todt is therefore looking to implement a cost cap to ensure customer teams are only paying a fair amount.

"I do agree that it's too expensive," he said. "Here, I take the responsibility of probably not having secured a maximum cost to the customers.

"It's something we are going to address; it's better late than never."

The president wouldn't elaborate on exactly how he planned to put a cost cap in place as many of the teams have already signed long-term deals which would tie them into an already agreed price for many years.

"We are going to discuss it," he added. "I am a realist, so I want to make sure that what we do can be done.

"I need good advisors so that we can go through with the challenge."

[MIKA27]

Red Bull quit threat: Not the first, wont be the last

Every toy within the Red Bull pram has been thrown out since the start of the 2015 Formula 1 season. The Milton-Keynes based squad, who languish fourth in the constructors’ championship, a full 74 points behind Williams, have (or rather Renault) failed to adapt to the turbo-hybrid regulation changes which have led to threats of quitting the sport.

Whilst many would be forgiven for accusing Red Bull of a "cant win, wont play" mentality, unfortunately threats to pull out of F1 due to being uncompetitive are not uncommon.

Ferrari’s team boss Maurizio Arrivabene was the latest critic of the Austrian energy drink company, stating: "It is easy to be happy when you win four championships and easy to complain when you are not winning.

"You have to accept when something goes wrong and when it goes right."

Whilst the Italian’s comments may be true, his team’s privileged position in the sport as number one challengers to the pace setting Mercedes have helped eradicate the memories of their woes prior to the 2015 season.

Ferrari’s former president Luca di Montezemolo threatened to quit the sport on a number of occasions during their difficult spell between 2011 and 2014.

Di Montezemolo even suggested back in 2011 that a breakaway series could be formed in the aftermath of Pirelli’s entry into the sport and their production of quick to degrade tyres.

"We have gone too far with artificial elements," the Italian stated.

"It's like, if I push footballers to wear tennis shoes in the rain. To have so many pit stops - listen, I want to see competition, I want to see cars on the track. I don't want to see competition in the pits.

"In the last race there were 80 pitstops. Come on, it's too much. And the people don't understand anymore because when you come out of the pits you don't know what position you're in.

"I think we have gone too far with the machines, too many buttons. The driver is focalizing [focusing on] the buttons, when you have the authorization to overtake. We have gone too far.

"Ferrari will push a lot with the authority - with the respect that we have to the federation and the other teams - to avoid going too far with F1. Because I think it can create problems for the television people and on the racetrack."

The sport’s most successfull teams are not the only constructors to quit Formula 1. Some of the globe's biggest car manufacturers have entered and swiftly exited the sport after failing to establish themselves as regular title contenders.

BMW, who held a full works team from 2006 until 2009, were making real gains in F1 which included an unlikely victory at the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix with Robert Kubica.

However, with heavy investment in the flawed 2009 KERS system, the German marquee pulled out of the sport all together.

"Of course, this was a difficult decision for us, but it's a resolute step in view of our company's strategic realignment," Dr Norbert Reithofer, the CEO of BMW, stated in 2009.

"Premium will be increasingly defined in terms of sustainability and environmental compatibility. This is an area in which we want to remain in the lead.

"We are continually reviewing all projects and initiatives to check them for future viability and sustainability."

Japanese giants Toyota, who brought a huge budget with them when they entered F1 in 2002, followed suit that same year, however their exit was aided by their worst financial year in company history.

"It was a tough decision because we are betraying the expectations of fans," Akio Toyoda, grandson of Toyota's founder, added.

"I apologise to our fans from the bottom of my heart. I made the decision myself."

Red Bull's current engine supplier Renault pulled out as a full manufacturer back in 2010 even after claiming two world titles with Fernando Alonso in 2005 and 2006. The French car manufacturer stayed in the sport as an engine supplier and still enjoyed incredible success, taking four consecutive world titles with Red Bull.

However, on the back of a disappointing 2014 and difficulties with the current 2015 power train, Renault are once again on the brink of pulling out of the sport all together.

Renault’s Cyril Abiteboul confirmed earlier this year that the French marquee was considering their options after a wave of criticism from Red Bull.

"I can confirm that we are looking at a lot of options, including getting out of Formula 1," Abiteboul said in April.

"Honestly, if Formula 1 is that bad for Renault's reputation, if we see that we struggle with the current formula; if Formula 1 is not delivering the value it costs to Renault – bearing in mind that when you have an engine supplier, you have no incentive to fund engine development – this is what we’re looking at."

Whilst Red Bull’s current wave of threats may amuse most observers, taking into account their unprecedented success from 2010, the sport has a history of teams leaving after baron victory spells.

Whilst Dietrich Mateschitz, co-founder of Red Bull, may pull the carpet from underneath his team’s feet, F1 will always continue to thrive at the pinnacle of motorsport. Perhaps the Austrian firm should consider that they are not the first team to leave and they certainly will not be the last.

[MIKA27]

It's time for Ecclestone to quit running F1 - Jordan

Bernie Ecclestone should hand the job of running Formula 1 over to somebody else who can "really shake it up", according to former team owner Eddie Jordan.

The Irishman, who is now a pundit on the BBC's F1 coverage, believes the time is right for Ecclestone to step down and allow someone else to control the sport.

"I think he's done a remarkable job but time has played its role and he should go," Jordan told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"We need to leave it for the next generation in a better state. He has to keep asking himself that and where the timeframe is for him to leave. I think it's now."

The 84-year-old has run the sport since the late-1970's when he formed the Formula One Constructors Association and helped negotiate television rights, before eventually taking complete control.

He has therefore made F1 what it is today, but Jordan believes there is a point in which someone with different ideas must take over to ensure F1 is as popular in the future.

"The man is a legend. He has taken the sport from absolutely nowhere but, at the end of the day, he's not immortal. He may think he is but he's not," he added.

"There are times you have to say 'look, I've done everything that I can do'.

"It does need somebody radical in there who is going to really shake it all about and go back to basics."

[MIKA27]

Jean Todt: I hate customer cars

FIA president Jean Todt has spoken out against the idea of having customer cars in Formula 1.

Despite the major teams pushing forward with their idea for a 'franchise' system should current grid numbers fall, Todt says he thinks such a move would be wrong for the sport.

"I hate customer cars," he said. "I think the fascination of F1 is that you have the solid foundations of everyone that participates.

"Saying that, if we can find a way to facilitate access to certain technologies and development, I am not absolutely against that. But I am against a [two-tier] system.

"For me, it is fine to have Group A, and Group B. But it must be in different categories. F1, F2, League A, League B, that is fine.

Inside of a category to have, by name, a difference? I would be against it."

Haas move 'smart'

Todt believes that the way the new Haas team is approaching F1, by buying as many parts as possible from Ferrari, is a clever way of coming in to grand prix racing.

"I think they have been smart – that is the only thing I can say. Both sides have been smart.

"The thing is it is an interpretation of the regulations, but as long as you follow the regulations [it is fine]."

Hopeful on future

Todt said he hoped that the financial problems some outfits are currently facing would not be too much to stop them continuing to be a part of F1.

But he reckoned there was little he could do to help their financial situation because the commercial arrangements with teams were decided by Bernie Ecclestone.

"It's not in my hands," he said. "This is why we were so much supportive of Manor to stay, I hate to see somebody leave.

"For me it was a disappointment to see Caterham leaving. Maybe they underestimated what was F1. People think 'let's go, we have money to do this', it's not true.

"The competition is very difficult, very tough and to get to be competitive is very difficult. When you are competitive, to stay competitive is difficult.

"That is why it is unfair when people say it is so easy for Mercedes. They do a great job, and it is the only thing you can say.

"I really hope that Lotus, Force India, Renault, Manor can stay, but it is not in my hands.

"What is unfair that they say, they know it is F1, they knew when they accepted a deal that was not as favourable to them as some others, what the cost is of F1, so maybe they underestimated the sponsors. It is very difficult."

Reacting to quit threats from some bigger teams, Todt added: "I think it is unfair to take, I would say 'fake reasons' to explain why you are not happy, why you want to go, why you cannot stay.

"They may be reasons, but at least we should really say 'I want to win… I cannot win, I am going to leave'."

[MIKA27]

Mercedes worried Ferrari on verge of F1 breakthrough

Mercedes has admitted that it is 'worried' rival Ferrari is on the verge of a Formula 1 breakthrough that could derail its current dominance.

Although Ferrari has been unable to repeat the kind of form that helped Sebastian Vettel win in Malaysia, it has been pushing hard to close the gap to the front.

And that is why Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff says his outfit is paranoid that its advantage could suddenly be wiped away, as he fears Ferrari could make the kind of leap his team made after 2013.

"We can't afford ourselves to be complacent and neglectful, because if you are there is a big chance you don't develop your car and your team so can't follow this winning way," explained Wolff.

"That's why you have to keep same pressure in the system. When you have Ferrari [as a competitor] with all of the resources they have, the day when we would not be able to win any more can come very soon.

"This cannot happen from today to tomorrow, but this can happen slowly if you are complacent."

He added: "We see every now and then glimpses of performance from Ferrari which shows that they develop.

"We see their performance during sessions; we saw their long runs on Friday and on Saturday morning when their pace was better than ours. And this disappeared in qualifying.

"I can see parallels with 2013 when we also had sessions like this or races where we showed good performance, but just couldn't maintain this.

"And because of that as well, when I see this kind of performance of Ferrari, I'm always worried."

[MIKA27]

Hamilton and Stewart: Different strokes for different folks

An interesting article posted last week on ESPN F1

With the very greatest respect to Lewis Hamilton, in the likely event (It didn't happen folks) of him this weekend matching Sir Jackie Stewart's record of leading 17 consecutive grands prix, there's an important point in the Scotsman's favour - even after 45 years.

Hamilton has made the most of two superior machines from Mercedes AMG F1 - and good luck to him. Stewart, however, stretched his success across three seasons while driving for Ken Tyrrell with three very different cars, one of which was an absolute dog. The only race that car should have led was the one to the scrapyard. And yet Stewart actually won a grand prix with what he described in one of his more charitable moments as a "bucking bronco". Or, at least, I think that's what he said.

Stewart's record began in 1968. And that's another thing. This was Tyrrell's first season as an entrant in F1, having stepped up from F3 and F2. Even allowing for times being different then, Tyrrell was the equivalent of Manor, but from an even more modest background operating out of a wood yard in deepest Surrey.

Ken Tyrrell's trick had been to approach Matra and ask the French aerospace firm to build him an F1 chassis based on the taut little Matra F2 car Stewart had enjoyed racing. Then Ken lashed out £7,500 he didn't have on a Ford-Cosworth DFV and had Matra put it in the back. The resulting MS10 won fourth time out and actually had Stewart in with a shout of the 1968 championship as he started this 17-race run at the front.

If the MS10 was good then the 1969 car, the MS80, was brilliant, Stewart recalling this as the best chassis he ever experienced in F1. As well he might while leading every grand prix, winning six of them and his first championship. But it couldn't last.

Matra was about to be taken over by Simca, whose parent company, Chrysler, made it clear that a Ford engine in 'their' car would be about as welcome as a can of Monster in the Red Bull Energy Station 40 years later. Stewart and Tyrrell agreed the Matra V12 sounded lovely, but they didn't rate its chances of pulling the car out of the Monaco pit lane, never mind up the hill to Casino. And, would you believe, no one else - Brabham, Lotus, whomever - felt an urgent need to sell a car to the world champions and their quick wee Scottish driver.

Enter Max Mosley, former barrister, driver and now a race car salesman extraordinaire. He would be delighted to furnish Tyrrell with a March 701 manufactured by the new company Max and three mates had founded in Bicester.

As things would turn out, the best bit of the March was the DFV in the back. That and the fact that the 701 was quick enough to allow Stewart and Tyrrell to run at the front while the competition got their acts together. Not only did Stewart lead in South Africa, Spain, Monaco and Belgium, he also took pole at Kyalami and was the first of just five finishers at Jarama.

The narrative inbetween the lines, however, made uncomfortable reading. Stewart's diary for the first few months of 1970 was an exercise in desperately trying to remain optimistic while quickly discovering that the March chassis was lacking in just about every department.

While Stewart and Tyrrell maintained tactful on the subject, it was left to Chris Amon - having, of all things, moved from Ferrari to become a works driver for March - to express everyone's feelings. By the time the season had reached half-distance at Brands Hatch, Amon's endless patience had been exhausted, the normally placid New Zealander climbing from his car after qualifying 17th and declaring to anyone who cared to listen: "The bloody car's useless. It's just a heap of s***!" And Stewart had won a grand prix with this...racing car.

So, yes, he did lead 17 consecutive grands prix but, inbetween, he also won the non-championship Gold Cup at Oulton Park in 1968, followed by the Race of Champions at Brands Hatch in 1969. And here's the thing: he also won the Race of Champions in March 1970 - driving that heap of you-know-what.

No disrespect whatsoever, Lewis. But what is it they say about lies, damned lies and statistics?

MIKA: I don't know why but perhaps records shouldn't be benchmarked against different eras of Formula 1 purely because the cars are so much different compared to the days of past. They are far easier to drive, so many aided controls versus the beasts of the past that really did require more skill.

Adding to this, Formula 1 has a record for so many things, sometimes I kind of laugh to myself at how people can actually keep track of these records. Sure, fastest lap, most wins, pole positions should all stay, but I'm surprised F1 hasn't a record of the amount of times a driver farts. LOL!

[MIKA27]

TODT: ROSS BRAWN SHOULD WRITE THE F1 RULES

Jean Todt has accused big team bosses of being two faced in their call for the sport’s governing body and Bernie Ecclestone’s FOM to rewrite the Formula 1 rules, instead the FIA President suggests that Ross Brawn should be mandated to devise the specification for a a future F1 car.

“Maybe you need an independent, someone that isn’t currently involved, somebody like a Ross Brawn, who understands the business and understands the challenges to write the specification for what a [F1] car should be,” Todt told reporters recently.

“I am quite happy to sit with Bernie [Ecclestone] and to decide what could be good for the sport, but again we need to be sure that it is good for the sport. But believe me; those who claim that they should be involved and that it should be FIA and the commercial rights holder to decide, they will be the first to shout and saying: they are not following the right governance [procedures]. They did not consult us.”

“If they keep saying that it should be us to decide, then I should ask for an official mandate. I will have that in writing. So okay, if they want it, give us an official mandate and then we will see how they react. It is a lot of talking.”

“The Strategy Group at the moment is fairly inept and I keep saying it needs the commercial rights holder and the governing body to decide what they want Formula 1 to be and then put it on the table to the teams and say: this is what we want the product to be, these are the rules, there is the entry form.”

“If somebody says to me that a good prescription is to get rid of these engines, I don’t agree. I agree that they’re too expensive, but it was the right thing to have these engines. You will remember the first proposal, which I accepted, was for four cylinders, was a big mess [which they said] we don’t want four cylinders.”

“Who won Le Mans? Porsche. What engine did they have? Four cylinders. Nobody could argue Porsche is not a good brand or not a sports brand. I think we should communicate more about that. Here, we all have a responsibility to inform: my people, myself, the competitors, the media. We should all work as a team because motorsport is not only the teams, it’s all of you,” declared the Frenchman.

“I think the engine is a great evolution, but too expensive. Now, everybody says: we don’t like the racing because it’s fuel consumption, it’s brakes and it is tyres.”

“The first year I was the boss of a team in F1 was 1993 and we had problems with brakes, we had the problem of tyre wear and the problem of being careful with the fuel. So it’s not something that has just come in, but does it mean we should not consider it?”

“If the answer was [to] give an allocation of 5kg more fuel, I don’t have any problem. But at the moment, if you ask some bitter drivers if they are happy, they will say no. If you have a sincere discussion, why is that guy not happy, it’s because he is not winning,” concluded Todt.

[MIKA27]

FORCE INDIA DRIVERS CAUTIOUS AHEAD OF B-CAR DEBUT

Force India’ drivers are playing down expectations ahead of the long-awaited debut of their B-car at Silverstone.

Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez have been impatiently waiting for the upgraded car all season so far, after the team’s troubled winter left them at the wheel of the compromised 2015 machine.

Armed with the Mercedes engine, however, Force India is a highly credible fifth in the constructors’ table, sandwiched between Red Bull and Lotus.

“That’s incredible,” Mexican Perez told Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport. “With this car. It shows how strong the team is, making the most of our opportunities.”

And now, expectations are sky-high for the much-vaunted ‘B’ car, which will finally be debuted at the British grand prix next weekend.

Many of the new parts were debuted in the post-Austrian grand prix test this week, but only by testers Pascal Wehrlein as well as Esteban Ocon, a highly rated GP3 driver.

El Confidencial quoted the 18-year-old Ocon as saying the ‘B’ machine was “fantastic — mega fast!”

“Let’s see what happens at Silverstone, but it will probably be a really fast car,” Ocon enthused.

Perez and Hulkenberg, however, are more circumspect.

When asked about the ‘B’ car, Perez said: “The data looks good. But we must be careful. Perhaps we should not expect too much in the beginning. We must get to know the new car first.”

German Hulkenberg qualified fifth and finished sixth with the much-maligned old car in Austria, and some insiders are saying the ‘B’ car – with its radical new ‘nostriled’ nose – could be up to a second per lap faster.

“About the upgrades,” the Le Mans winner said, “often you promise everything under the sun and it doesn’t quite turn out that way.

“I want to wait and see and feel the car under me before I make a judgement,” Hulkenberg added. “Nevertheless, I am optimistic that we will take a step forward.”

[MIKA27]

Why the FIA investigated Mercedes/Ferrari F1 oil systems

The FIA believes Mercedes and Ferrari are not running trick oil systems on their Formula 1 cars, following analysis of samples taken during the Canadian Grand Prix earlier this month.

In the latter stages of last season, F1's governing body was alerted to rumours (No doubt by RBR) of the possibility of some teams potentially boosting engine performance by using auxiliary oil tanks to add extra performance-boosting components to the combustion process.

After the speculation died down, the FIA waited for F1 to head to a power-sensitive track, such as Montreal, this season before performing checks to explore the validity of the rumours.

Oil samples were taken from the main and auxiliary oil tanks of Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes and Sebastian Vettel's Ferrari after the second free practice session on Friday, and again after qualifying in Montreal.

Detailed analysis of the viscosity and consistency of the samples showed no abnormalities between samples from the different tanks on each car, while further laboratory checks on the samples showed the make-up of the oil was consistent between different tanks on both cars.

A special test designed to separate various chemicals in the oil samples revealed that fuel was mixing only with the main tank oil and not with the auxiliary oil, which would be expected under normal conditions.

An FIA statement said: "From these results it can be concluded that the auxiliary oil tank is not being used to add performance-boosting components, either to the main oil tank or to the combustion chamber, via the sump breather into the air intake."

[mash]

Got to meet one of my heroes this week.
A really nice, laid back guy.