FORMULA 1 - 2015

[MIKA27]

HAMILTON: SHOW ME THE GOLD!

Lewis Hamilton likes gold and the double Formula 1 world champion intends to get his hands on a pot of it at Silverstone on Sunday.

The Mercedes driver, who often wears a substantial golden necklace in the paddock, heads to his home British Grand Prix this weekend with every chance of repeating last year’s success.

If he does win the race for a third time, Hamilton expects to be handed something worthy of the occasion when he steps onto the podium.

“Last year they gave me this plastic thing and I’m like, ‘This is not the trophy, it’s like a GP2 trophy not the Formula One trophy’,” the 30-year-old told reporters before a Petronas event at Mercedes-Benz World near the old Brooklands circuit south of London.

Silverstone hosted the first Formula One championship race in 1950 and the winner of the British Grand Prix has his name engraved on the golden Royal Automobile Club (RAC) trophy, first awarded in 1948.

“The gold one, that’s really special,” said Hamilton. “It would be great if each country had a real trophy like that with character that grew over the years because it’s got history.”

“The last one in Austria was wooden, the whole thing was wooden. The base was like lead. I mean, what? It’s supposed to be silver.”

Hamilton has won four of eight races so far this season, after 11 victories last year, and carries a 10 point lead over teammate Nico Rosberg into the weekend with organisers expecting most of the record 140 000 crowd to be backing the Brit.

Whatever the quality of the trophy ultimately on offer on Sunday, Hamilton left no doubt that Silverstone had a special place in his heart.

“I remember back in the day watching (1992 champion) Nigel Mansell holding the Union flag in the car. It is like the Olympics, like a gold medal, having the flag in the car after winning the grand prix,” he said.

“It is the closest thing I can imagine to having a gold medal. I might just get one made for myself. I might see if I can get one made for myself, I have got enough gold,” he joked.

He recognised, however, that the real value lay in winning something money could not buy.

“It is huge,” he said of the race. “I hope that I can go there and make people proud.”

MIKA: First world problems....

[Orion21]

I read on BBC that Daniel Ricciardo is the preferred replacement for Kimi at Ferrari if he doesn't step up. Have you read anything Mika?

[joeskow]

TILKE TO DESIGN BAKU FORMULA 1 STREET TRACK LAYOUT

Once considered a highly unlikely fit for Formula 1, Azerbaijan is racing full steam ahead into its grand prix future.

Bernie Ecclestone has inked a deal for a street race in Baku, the oil-rich former Soviet countrys capital, and asked if it is going ahead, the F1 supremo insisted: Yep. Sure. Its going to be great. People are going to love that place.

And the country may not be content to just host a race, as the sports minister has said the government is willing to back either an Azerbaijan team or sponsorship of an existing F1 outfit.

As for the street layout, F1 circuit builder Hermann Tilke said he is ready to start construction now that the European Games have ended.

Of course they didnt want to have a big construction site in the city during the Games, he told Sports Business Global.

It is believed the inaugural race, to have the title Baku European grand prix, will take place mid next July.

Tilke said: We are doing some unusual things there. We are going around the old city with the track. It will be fantastic.

MIKA: NOOOOOOOO!!

Agreed.. Other then COTA's his designs have been extremely boring and uninspiring. Very forgiving to driver errors, little to no elevation changes and lacking areas for overtaking. Very cookie cutter type designs.

[MIKA27]

I read on BBC that Daniel Ricciardo is the preferred replacement for Kimi at Ferrari if he doesn't step up. Have you read anything Mika?

This is the start of what F1 calls the Silly Season, yes, I've heard the same rumour but I'm also hearing a lot more on Bottas, not so much on Hulkenberg.

Hulkenberg year in year out is always rumoured to be moving up to better pastures, bigger teams but the poor guy can't get a break. Perhaps this season with his Le Mans win, he could just have opened a few doors?

Ricciardo, I have no idea other than to think that he's still pretty new in RBR and despite their woes and provided they don't fold and pack it all in, I'd imagine Daniel will stay at Red Bull, for at least one more season.

[MIKA27]

GPDA SHOWS F1 FANS WANT CHANGE WITHOUT GIMMICKS

Formula 1 fans want change but without gimmicks or knee-jerk reactions to a sport many now describe as expensive and boring, according to a survey carried out with the backing of leading drivers.

The Grand Prix Drivers Association (GPDA) said in a statement on Wednesday that 217,756 fans from 194 countries had responded to the online survey between May 22 and June 8.

“The fans are clear: they don’t want a radical overhaul of grand prix racing that takes it away from its historic roots,” said GPDA chairman Alex Wurz.

“It may sound simple, but the best drivers and teams fighting on track in the most exciting cars is their priority. And we, the drivers, passionately share that view,” added the Austrian.

“They want competitive sport, not just a show, and they think that F1’s business has become too important, jeopardizing our sport.”

In a separate statement to fans, in a summary published at gpda.motorsport.com, Wurz said they did not believe a revolution was required — as Ferrari boss Maurizio Arrivabene has suggested.

Nor did they want “an artificial show with gimmicks introduced to simply make it more entertaining.”

The results came on the day of a strategy meeting in London, ahead of Sunday’s British Grand Prix, grouping the six top teams as well as the commercial rights holder and governing body.

They are considering changes from 2017 to make the cars faster, louder, harder to drive and more aggressive-looking.

Wurz said the GPDA would examine the data and work with key stakeholders “to put fan feedback at the centre of our sport’s future.”

The summary revealed fans wanted louder and more powerful engines, more emphasis on driver skill, a return to re-fuelling and competition between tyre makers.

They were in favour of relaxing technical regulations and introducing budget caps. Worryingly, the top three words used to describe the sport were “expensive”, “technological” and “boring” — in that order.

Respondents had an average age of 37, and three quarters had followed Formula One for more than 10 years. Kimi Raikkonen was the favourite driver and Ferrari the top team.

Some 77 percent felt business interests had become too important and 89 percent said Formula One needed to be more competitive.

In contrast, only 32 percent said Formula One needed to promote increasing fuel efficiency and just 14 percent said it would be better served by fewer teams running more cars.

GPDA F1 Fan Survey 2015 Executive Summary [Download]

[MIKA27]

WEBBER: AFTER MULTI-21 RED BULL RECEIVED LETTER FROM SEB’S LAWYER

It has emerged that Sebastian Vettel threatened to sue Red Bull over the Multi-21 affair which erupted in the aftermath of the Malaysian Grand Prix that year.

That is the explosive revelation in Mark Webber’s newly-published autobiography Aussie Grit.

The Australian this week revealed that the tension between himself and former Red Bull teammate Vettel was so great after the team orders affair of Malaysia that it led directly to his decision to retire.

“(Red Bull) just needed something to change so, you know, I helped that decision for them and left,” he told ABC television.

On Multi-21, meanwhile, Webber had said Vettel was initially contrite after refusing team orders, privately admitting to Webber: “I fuc*ed up so bad”.

“I don’t know who spoke to him between Malaysia and China but we had a discussion in China and it didn’t go well,” Webber continued.

Now, it has emerged that in those intervening days, Vettel got his lawyers involved. In his book, Webber wrote that his manager and partner Ann Neal had asked team boss Christian Horner why Vettel was not reprimanded for ignoring the order in Malaysia.

“He [Horner] admitted that the team had received a two-page letter from Seb’s lawyer a few days after the Malaysian race stating that they were in breach of his contract by giving him an ‘unreasonable instruction-team order’,” Webber wrote.

Webber has said since retiring from F1 that his relationship with Vettel is no longer acidic.

But in his book, the 38-year-old claims it was Vettel’s “arrogance” that contributed to their famously tense relationship as teammates.

“It seemed the thought of me simply being quicker was not one he could entertain,” Webber wrote.

“There always had to be another reason why. Over time, I realised his meltdowns came when he thought he had done enough when in reality he hadn’t.

“To my way of thinking, if you get done fair and square on the day you should take it on the chin, but Seb’s arrogance meant he simply couldn’t comprehend how it had gone wrong and would take it out on the team or rather want the team to do something about it,” he added.

[MIKA27]

IS BOTTAS TO REPLACE RAIKKONEN AT FERRARI A DONE DEAL?

Valtteri Bottas has been singled out as the ideal replacement should his countryman Kimi Raikkonen depart Ferrari.

Multiple Italian media sources agree that, notwithstanding speculation Daniel Ricciardo and Nico Hulkenberg are also in the running, it is Williams’ Bottas who is first in line in the event fellow Finn Raikkonen is ousted.

On the new cover of Autosprint magazine, a ‘photoshopped’ Bottas is even depicted in red overalls (as we have above) with the caption that Raikkonen should “wake up!” if he wants to stop the image becoming a reality in 2016.

Bottas, 25, would be paired with Sebastian Vettel, and team boss Maurizio Arrivabene said Ferrari has no regrets as it looks into the future in the wake of the Fernando Alonso era.

“Fernando will always be a part of the history of Ferrari,” the Italian told France’s Auto Hebdo, “but it was obvious that the time had come to part with him.

“I do not regret anything. I see that Sebastian, like Fernando, is fast and hard-working, he won the title before and wants to become champion again.

“He is well settled into the team. The situation has become calm, warm and the team has begun to believe in itself again. The rest does not interest me.”

Arrivabene is obviously referring to the barbs occasionally fired at Ferrari by the now McLaren-Honda driver Alonso, who has suggested the Maranello team has made no progress since Vettel joined.

“Alonso can say what he wants,” Arrivabene insisted. “He can talk about it for another ten years, but the team is above it. The chapter is closed,” he added.

[MIKA27]

RICCIARDO: THE ONLY THING I REALLY KNEW AS A KID WAS RED CARS

Daniel Ricciardo was a Ferrari fan long before his Red Bull team entered Formula 1 but, despite media speculation, the Australian does not expect to be moving to Maranello anytime soon.

The 25-year-old said on Tuesday, at a Red Bull event ahead of Sunday’s British Grand Prix, that his current contract was long-term and “pretty tight”.

“If I don’t perform well then they [Red Bull] have the ability to let me go. But if I continue to perform well, it’s in their interests to keep the contract as it is,” he told reporters.

The paddock rumour mill has suggested that Ricciardo, winner of three races last year, is high – if not top of – Ferrari’s wish list as a possible replacement for Finland’s Kimi Raikkonen alongside Sebastian Vettel.

Vettel, a four times world champion with Red Bull, was largely eclipsed by Ricciardo when they were team mates last year.

Raikkonen, the 2007 world champion, is 10 years older than Ricciardo and out of contract at the end of the season although Ferrari have an option to keep him.

“I guess I’m not the only name that’s been linked with them. Don’t get me wrong, it’s nice to be talked about and considered… it’s a compliment,” said Ricciardo. “Whether it moves forward or not, it’s all just talk for now.”

Ricciardo said if he were to be in the frame for a move to Ferrari one day, any decision would be driven by results rather than prestige — although his background spoke for itself.

“I do have an Italian passport. I’m not going to say ‘No, I wouldn’t like to (drive for Ferrari)’. That’s not fair,” he said.

“It’s obviously the history. Growing up as a kid, Red Bull wasn’t really around. When I was three or four years old, all the racing tops I had were Ferrari,” continued the Perth-born driver.

“Dad was a massive fan, he was born in Italy and it’s a little bit in his blood, his passion for the brand and the team. The only thing I really knew as a kid was red cars.”

Red Bull principal Christian Horner said Ricciardo was staying.

“He’s on a long-term contract with the team. There’s no option for him not to be at Red Bull next year. They would have to talk to us about it rather than the driver,” he said. “It’s a very straightforward agreement.”

[MIKA27]

MARK SMITH APPOINTED SAUBER TECHNICAL DIRECTOR

The Sauber F1 Team has announced the appointment of Mark Smith as its Technical Director. The 54-year old Briton will start on 13 July at the Sauber F1 Team headquarters in Hinwil. He will fit into the technical committee’s existing structure.

The technical committee, which consists of the heads of car performance, aerodynamics and the design groups, will keep its current structure. The transparent and efficient working function of this form of organisation has proved itself. Mark Smith will fit into this structure. In this position he will also take responsibility for overlapping tasks, as well as leaving members of the technical committee the space to fully focus on their working areas.

“When I saw the facilities for the first time in Hinwil,” said Mark Smith, “I immediately realised the possibilities I would have. The wind tunnel, the supercomputer and the machine shop – everything is on a very high technical level. And not to forget the competence of the team. These facts were compelling reasons and arguments for me changing to Hinwil. The potential of Sauber is enormous, which is not self-evident in a constantly changing Formula One world. The factory in Hinwil has all the requirements to be competitive in Formula One.”

Mark Smith has worked for several Formula One teams as Technical Director: At Caterham F1 Team (2011-2014), at Force India (2010-2011), at Red Bull Racing (2005-2008) at Jordan (2004-2005). Currently he is preparing his relocation from Oxfordshire to “Zürcher Oberland”. Mark is married and has two children.

CEO and Team Principal Monisha Kaltenborn is pleased about the appointment of Mark Smith and stated: “After talks with the technical committee, we have searched for a Technical Director for the Sauber F1 Team – and found Mark. Mark Smith is an engineer with a lot of experience in Formula One. Above all, he knows the environment in which privateer teams must work and the challenges that are there – and how important it is to keep calm and keep things in perspective. With us he finds technical possibilities on a very high level. We wish Mark a good start for which he has our full support.”

[MIKA27]

HILL ADVISES HAMILTON TO FOCUS ON HIS JOB AND LEARN TO LOSE

Reigning F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton must find a way to cope with losing, advises 1996 world champion Damon Hill, who also warned the Mercedes driver to strike a better balance between his professional and private lives.

Hill told Germany’s Kolner Express tabloid that Hamilton, the 2015 championship leader and reigning world champion, does not react well when he is beaten.

“Lewis does not respond well even if he finishes second,” Hill said referring to Hamilton’s surly reaction to being beaten. “I think he has to change that behaviour.”

“Even Michael Schumacher found a way to finish second and still show the result as a kind of victory,” said Hill, referring to his former arch rival.

Hill, who now works as a pundit for British television, also expressed concerns about Hamilton’s off-track lifestyle.

“I’m worried about his lifestyle,” he said. “He’s at boxing matches, fashion shows, concerts, but I’m afraid you have to sacrifice some of that easy-going lifestyle. You can’t have it both ways.”

[MIKA27]

QATAR CONTINUES TO PUSH AND READY FOR F1 RACE

Qatar is still pushing hard to host a Formula 1 race, despite the fact F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone is for now honouring an agreement he made with Bahrain to keep that race exclusive in the Middle East.

“We asked them (Bahrain) about Abu Dhabi and they agreed but they said a third race is probably not the way to go,” said the 84-year-old recently.

But the chief of Qatar’s Motor and Motorcycle Federation says plans are on track for an inaugural race as early as next year.

“Recently, we were very close to signing an agreement to host an F1 race. The entire project is ready. But some things didn’t work out and we need to show a little more patience,” Nasser bin Khalifa Al Attiyah (pictured above) told Doha Stadium Plus.

“All we need is a few more meetings with (F1 supremo) Bernie Ecclestone. We need a little more time, but we’ve the solution. All we need is a few more meetings with Bernie Ecclestone. We need a little more time, but we have the solution,” he added.

Al Attiyah also confirmed that plans were already in place to develop a street circuit at the Losail City, which is being built, “Either we can use the existing circuit or else we’ll go for a new facility in Losail City. We’ve a lot of projects coming up and we’re ready for anything. We want to build a strong motorsport culture in the region.”

Indeed, Qatar’s hopes would get a huge boost if its reported joint bid with the Miami Dolphins owner to buy into F1’s commercial rights is successful.

[MIKA27]

BUTTON WANTS MCLAREN TO PRIORITISE PACE OVER RELIABILITY

Ahead of the British Grand Prix weekend Jenson Button has urged McLaren-Honda to prioritise performance over reliability.

Team boss Eric Boullier said recently that, as works partner Honda’s awkward return to the sport continues, the ongoing troubles will soon begin to affect preparations for the 2016 season.

At a sponsor event this week, Button agrees: “You can’t finish this year two seconds behind Mercedes and expect to challenge them in 2016.”

Much of Honda’s problem in 2015 has been reliability, but the MP4-30 package remains badly off the pace, and the biggest issue is clearly engine power.

“We want to finish races and we want reliability to be good but personally I would rather see the improvement in pace and reliability come second,” said Button.

Amid McLaren’s struggle, it is also a particularly awkward time for Button, who at the age of 35 is on a single-year contract.

At the same time, the team’s impressive juniors including reserve Kevin Magnussen and the dominant GP2 star Stoffel Vandoorne are knocking loudly on the door.

“I have to look later down the line where I want to be in terms of where my future takes me,” Button acknowledged, “but at the moment, even though it is difficult right now, I am enjoying the challenge with Fernando and the team and that is the important bit.”

As for 23-year-old Belgian Vandoorne, he said it is too early to be coveting a race seat like the one currently occupied by Button.

“I have regular talks with the management at McLaren, with Ron (Dennis), with Eric (Boullier), we are discussing things, but it is still too early to know something about my future,” Vandoorne told Sky.

[MIKA27]

OFFICIAL SAYS RUSSIA SHOULD RUN OWN FORMULA 1 TEAM

If Azerbaijan is pushing towards the Formula 1 grid, then so too should Russia.

That is the view of Igor Ermilin, the presidential advisor of the Russian Automobile Federation.

His comments follow reports Azerbaijan, a former Soviet state, is considering starting a F1 team or at least sponsoring one as it joins the sport’s calendar next year with a street race in the capital Baku.

“It is wrong,” Ermilin said, “that Azerbaijan is already building a strategy for a national team and Russia is not.

“The government of Azerbaijan believes that to adequately represent their country, they need to have their own racing team and driver, and Russia should not lag behind,” he is quoted by Russia’s Championat.

“In today’s situation,” Ermilin added, “I see no problem to form a Russian team, with the potential to get into the top five of the best racing teams in the world.

“With our technology, especially in the field of space and military aircraft, with smart and talented people, and the presence of large Russian companies to provide financing, we can show the world our achievements,” he said.

[MIKA27]

Williams eye another podium spot

The mood in the Williams camp is positive after back-to-back podiums and it is no surprise to see they are targeting another top-three spot at the British GP.

After a disastrous Monaco Grand Prix that saw them leave the Principality empty handed, the Grove squad have bounced back magnificently with Valtteri Bottas claiming P3 in Canada and Felipe Massa producing the same result in Austria last time out.

Next up is their home race at Silverstone and they have plenty of good memories from 2014 as Bottas came from 17th on the grid to finish second behind Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes.

"Last year it was an exceptional circuit for us with Valtteri coming from near the back of the grid to second position," head of performance engineer Rob Smedley said.

"Our target is to replicate the result from last year and get our third consecutive podium of the season. One thing we must consider is the weather, as it can be changeable throughout the weekend and will be key in our operations."

A double podium finish is perhaps out of Williams' reach when you consider the form of Mercedes and Ferrari, but Smedley, though, is confident, of another good performance from the team.

"Silverstone should be another circuit, like the last two, that suits the characteristics of our car," he added.

"We have a car that is very strong in a straight line, aided by the Mercedes power unit and the low drag configuration that we tend to run. In addition the car is strong through the high-speed corners."

[MIKA27]

Webber reveals he had Ferrari contract for 2013

Mark Webber almost wore red during the 2013 season after revealing that unsigned contracts had been written up for him to join Ferrari.

The Australian made the revelation in his recently-released book 'Aussie Grit'.

According to Webber, who chose to remain at Red Bull for another season before retiring, talks with Ferrari were at an advanaced stage to the point that contracts had been drawn up for his switch.

"The meeting was with Stefano Domenicali, the Ferrari team principal, on Flavio's boat in the famous Monaco harbour," he wrote.

"There was now a very real chance I would be joining the Prancing Horse team. Flavio, Stefano, and Fernando [Alonso] all wanted it to happen; contracts were sent but they were for one year plus an option, instead of the two years we were pushing for.

"I just wasn't interested in switching to another F1 team for 2013 when in July of that season they might tell me my services wouldn't be required the following year.

"I remember driving to [silverstone] on the Friday morning and chatting with Fernando on the phone. We swapped a few more calls and although he asked me to wait for a bit longer, my gut was telling me Ferrari wasn't right for me."

With Red Bull catching wind of the possible deal, Webber says they began approaching different drivers, with the most notable one being Lewis Hamilton.

"Red Bull were having a bit of fun talking to other drivers too, Lewis in particular, as they had clearly got wind of the Ferrari approach, so there had been no dialogue about extending my contract," he added.

"At Silverstone, however, Christian [Horner] suddenly wanted me to sign a new deal for 2013, which we did a few days later.

"It would have been a change of scenery to go to Ferrari: it was also nice to feel a little bit wanted."

[MIKA27]

Book Review: Mark Webber – Aussie Grit

The much-anticipated tell-all Mark Webber book is finally out, and as you’d expect from the straight-shooting Australian, it’s a cracking read.

There has been a lot of expectation heaped on this book in the build-up to its release. The team must have known that at some point this time would come – according to Webber, Red Bull Racing put a 12-month ‘no books’ clause in his last contract – and now it's here.

And it's pretty spectacular.

Unsurprisingly, Webber doesn’t hold back in his book. He goes into great detail to explain how he slowly, admittedly too slowly, realised that during the RBR days, ‘Team Webber’ as he regularly calls it didn’t have the right people on board. The decision-makers were on Team Seb, he says, and it all came to a head in Malaysia in 2013.

How the f#*k do you get from Queanbeyan to F1?

Save for prologue offering a teaser into the Multi-21 debacle, the book follows a very chronological form. That means there is some interesting insight into the battle that he, his family, and his advisor/partner Ann Neal faced to get a kid from the outskirts of Canberra into a Formula 1 seat.

It’s no secret that Webber made it to F1 the hard way. He had some family money, but nothing like the budget needed to go from national Formula Ford in Australia all the way to Formula 1.

In the book, he describes just how difficult it was. From a tiny shoe box apartment in the UK, he and Neal traipsed backwards and forwards from Europe to Australia looking for money. There were plenty of 11th-hour rescues as well, points where Webber had essentially given up and was packing his bags ready to return to Australia.

The hardships for Webber and Neal weren’t just being felt on the track or in boardrooms looking for sponsorship money, either. The book also details the difficulties the pair faced when their relationship went from professional to romantic, and how Webber’s parents in particular weren’t keen on their son dating a divorcee, 13 years his senior and with a young son.

Broken Relationships

While Webber and Neal ultimately sorted the complications of their personal relationship out, the book does weave a tale of broken relationships between Webber and the teams he drove for.

The first falling out was with Mercedes, the brand who gave Webber his big break with a paid drive as part of its sportscar programme. Things were going well until cars starting flipping over at Le Mans while Webber was driving them. While that was bad enough, Webber says in the book that the team didn’t believe him at first, and even after seeing pictures always blamed the driver, not the car for the spontaneous lift-offs.

The relationship between Webber and Mercedes never really recovered, and ultimately ended in a legal battle over his contract.

Then there was Williams. What Webber hoped would be the fulfilment of a life-long dream to drive for the famous team ended up being what he describes as “the lowest time in my F1 career”.

After just half a season, Webber recalls being called in to see Frank Williams and Patrick Head. They told him they were ‘massively disappointed’, and that “we’ve got you for another year, but if there’s any way we don’t have to have you that would be fine”.

From there the relationship was done. Webber also felt Nick Heidfeld was getting preferential treatment from the engineering staff… and it wouldn’t be the first time he got that impression about a German working across the other side of the garage.

How are we, as a team, in this situation?

Webber doesn’t hold back when it comes to Red Bull Racing. In detail, he describes just how the relationship between he and the team soured over time after Sebastian Vettel’s arrival, and how Christian Horner, who he describes as essentially powerless within Red Bull, did nothing to shut down Vettel and Helmut Marko’s antics.

Blaming the team, rather than Vettel, is an on-going theme in the book. For Webber, Vettel was just a pawn in the game as well, but on the winning side. Even after the German tells Webber he has no respect for him as a person – part of Seb’s massive backflip following Multi-21 – Webber’s assumption is that he’s working as Marko’s mouthpiece, not on his own accord.

Webber even goes as far as to admit that Vettel was a better driver than him.

“I can say with absolute honesty that he is a better all-round F1 driver than I ever was,” writes Webber.

“Seb was just as much a pawn in the game as I had been, and the pressure on him to deliver must have been intense.”

Behind the scenes

Along with the controversial RBR stuff, the book offers some fun insights into Webber’s life as a grand prix driver. Like how he’d only ever wear one pair of boots all season, his famous “look Webber, I f#*cking talking now” conversation with manager Flavio Briatore, Adrian Newey doing burnouts on Christian Horner’s front lawn, tackling Michael Schumacher head on about his Monaco 2006 qualifying ‘crash’, and wild nights out in Tokyo with the likes of Lewis, Nico, and Felipe.

Between that, the team controversies, and those spectacular Le Mans crashes, there’s plenty of good stuff to keep the pages turning.

Is it a one-sided story? Sure. Is it a one-sided story worth reading? Absolutely.

[MIKA27]

No point trying to 'BS' Fernando Alonso - McLaren

McLaren CEO Jonathan Neale says his team is being entirely upfront with its drivers about the problems it is facing this year.

The renewal of the McLaren-Honda partnership has failed to meet expectations so far this season, with twice as many retirements as points notched up in the opening eight rounds. Neale says there is no point in trying to sugar-coat the situation when talking to the two drivers and that Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button will only judge the team on its progress not its promises.

"There's a lot going on and in any partnership or any arrangement, when you're under pressure and you are a team that is not performing on the circuit where any of us would like to be at the moment, the key to getting through that is transparency and moving towards the issues as they emerge," Neale told ESPN. "We're the same with our drivers, the days of being able to put your hand on a driver's shoulder and say 'Trust me, it will be all right' are gone.

"Especially with Fernando and Jenson, they are pretty canny individuals and they know what they are doing, they have been around for a long period of time and you can't really BS them. They believe in what they see and will stay with you as long as you get the results.

"Closing the gap from five seconds to two seconds since the start of the season, which is huge and is what we have done, gives the driver confidence when we tell him what is coming at the next few races. He can measure us against that past improvement because we either did or didn't get the job done.

"I think Fernando in particular said some very positive things in Austria after a pretty torrid Friday and Saturday. He said he watched the guys in the top three press conference after qualifying [Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel] and they didn't look happy, but he was happy even though he was having the mother of all weekends in the car."

Neale is confident Alonso will be patient while Honda gets up to speed.

"He knows that we are a team and what we are about and why Honda is the route to winning a championship and being a customer team isn't. It's hard to imagine [winning a title] if we were to take an engine from Ferrari - if they would sell us one - or Mercedes, or Renault. Unless we are the works team there's going to be that little thing in the back of mind saying 'Are we really getting what it takes?' We can't afford to risk having that margin because we are here to win."

[MIKA27]

F1 British Grand Prix: Rosberg keen to tackle Hamilton on home ground

Nico Rosberg says he is keen to keep up the momentum from his dominant performance in the Austrian Grand Prix as he prepares to challenge Lewis Hamilton on home soil at Silverstone.

The German comes to his Mercedes team-mate and title rival's home event on the back of an almost exemplary weekend at the Red Bull Ring as he notched up a third win of the season that reduces the margin between the pair to 10 points.

However, just as Rosberg has a strong record at the Austrian venue, he comes to Silverstone looking to keep Hamilton honest at a circuit he has won on two occasions previously.

“My week in Austria could not have come together much better,” he said. “Apart from the mistake in quali, I felt right on top of things from the start and it was great to get another win. With the extra day in the car on Wednesday also, helping the team prepare for Silverstone, I feel ready to go full attack at a circuit I really enjoy.

“It should suit our car nicely with the focus on downforce and we learned some useful things during the test, so I'm sure we'll be strong once again. The crowds are really incredible at this race and it's always a great atmosphere. Of course, I know they have their favourite!

“Hopefully we can have a good fight and keep the fans on their feet - especially the guys from our factories who have built such an unbelievable machine! It's great that they have a chance to come and see it in action, so this weekend is all about giving them a great reward.”

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Lotus F1 driver Pastor Maldonado not interested in driver coaches

Lotus's Pastor Maldonado says he has no interest in employing a driver coach or advisor in a bid to improve his Formula 1 form.

The Venezuelan has become renowned for making mistakes throughout his racing career, following his debut in 2011, and has been involved in a number of on-track incidents.

The recent Austrian and Canadian GPs represent only the second time he has scored points in consecutive F1 races, the other in late 2012 with Williams.

In tennis, a number of high-profile players employ ex-Grand Slam champion as coaches, such as Novak Djokovic teaming up with Boris Becker while Andy Murray worked with Ivan Lendl.

And Maldonado's team-mate Romain Grosjean sought advice from three-time world champion Sir Jackie Stewart after his troubled 2012 season.

But when asked if he would consider a similar relationship, Maldonado said: "I don't think so to be honest.

"It's very difficult to have someone who is not driving, who doesn't know the conditions and how the car itself feels.

"It's especially difficult with the tyres we have now to understand, even for us, the feeling in real time.

"It's a bit complicated for someone external to say something.

"I think we are all professionals here, all with a lot of experience.

"We've been driving for many years, we know what to do when dealing with a championship or team strategies.

"I wouldn't choose anyone. It's a single-seater car, not a rally car..."

Grosjean said his conversations with Stewart were more focused on life in Formula 1 but there were some things he could learn in terms of the approach to driving.

"The driving is a bit far away to compare," said Grosjean.

"It was more about life in Formula 1, where you should see yourself in the world and how you can improve. It was very interesting.

"At the end of the day, driving a car as fast as you can is always the same.

"Of course there have been changes around Formula 1 - more communication, more media, maybe more professional somehow.

"But when it gets to closing the visor and driving, it's about the same."

And Grosjean said talking to former drivers will only be useful if the driver himself buys into it.

"It needs to come from you when you want to go and see someone and ask questions, get help or advice," he said.

"I phoned Jackie and said 'can I come to yours?' It was nice."

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Michelin knows it must win Bernie Ecclestone over in F1 return bid

Michelin motorsport director Pascal Couasnon appreciates winning over a sceptical Bernie Ecclestone is key to the French tyre manufacturer's return to Formula 1.

The battle for F1's next tyre-supply contract is a straight fight between Michelin and current incumbent Pirelli, with the FIA to deliver a verdict on the technical merits of both proposals by July 17.

If both are acceptable, then beyond that a decision as to which company will be handed the next deal - to run from 2017-19 - will be made by commercial rights holder Ecclestone.

Speaking to AUTOSPORT, Couasnon said: "There will be a very open and honest discussion and us saying to him 'here is the reason why we deserve to be in F1'.

"The drivers have expressed a wish to be given a new challenge, so we will put our facts on the table, and by the end of the day Bernie will decide, and we will respect his decision."

Ecclestone was highly critical of Michelin to AUTOSPORT in May, underlining the difficulty for Couasnon in convincing the 84-year-old.

"It's always difficult to interpret what has been said previously. What is important for us is to do our job," asserted Couasnon.

"We know what we can deliver in Formula E and in sportscar racing, and it is on these facts we want to negotiate and have a good discussion."

Couasnon has warned Ecclestone, however, Michelin will not get involved in a bidding war with Pirelli for the new contract.

Pirelli contributes a substantial amount of money to F1 via trackside advertising, yet Couasnon said: "We will not do things that don't make sense for us.

"We will go with a proposal, and for sure that will be a package which will be debated.

"We know what we are ready to put on the table, and if [Ecclestone] goes over [with his demands], it's over, and if it's within what is reasonable for us, then it will be in hand."

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Ferrari-supplied Haas Formula 1 team would consider customer cars

The Haas Formula 1 Team says it would be in favour of running a customer car, rather building its own, if it meant the outfit was competitive when it debuts next season.

Haas has a technical partnership and engine supply deal with Ferrari for 2016 while Dallara is responsible for its chassis.

The idea of customer or franchise cars, which could be introduced as early as 2017, is something that has been on the agenda in recent weeks with the big teams unwilling to make concessions to assist the small outfits.

Haas will continue with its current plan while the regulations are still up in the air, but team principal Gunther Steiner said the team will remain flexible about its future approach.

"It is about being competitive," he told AUTOSPORT. "How you get there doesn't matter.

"We haven't got the ego that we need to make the car. As long as we are competitive, we are fine.

"At the moment we have a plan in place but if there is a better plan, we have to do what is the best for us to do.

"Formula 1 is a quick-changing business and you need to adapt. Is it nice? No.

"But if that makes more sense, we will go that way. But it isn't said that it makes more sense, so we go our way, continuing our road as collaborating as technical partner with Ferrari.

"It [customer cars] could happen. We are not too worried about that as we have no influence in making changes.

"We just focus on getting ready for next year."

During the Austrian Grand Prix weekend, Ferrari chairman Sergio Marchionne said he would be happy to supply Red Bull with engines amid its increasingly difficult relationship with Renault.

If Red Bull switched to Ferrari power, and junior team Toro Rosso followed suit, the Scuderia would supply five teams, with Sauber and Manor currently on its books, as well as its works outfit.

Steiner, though, is unconcerned by that prospect.

"It doesn't worry me," he said. "It's up to Ferrari.

"We have our agreement and I trust them in what they promised us they can deliver.

"If they can do it for more people, I have no vote in it.

"As long as they fulfil our agreement, it's fine."

[JohnS]

Formula 1 2015: Grand Prix Drivers Association releases findings from Global Fan Survey

FORMULA 1 fans want exciting racing between skilled drivers in fast cars, but don’t want to see that achieved through the introduction of more artificial gimmicks.

That was the main finding from the Grand Prix Drivers Association’s (GPDA) Global Fan Survey which was completed by over 215,000 supporters from 194 countries.

The survey was designed to quiz fans about their interest in Formula 1, including which teams and drivers they follow, how they watch and engage with the sport and where they see the sport headed in the future.

Alex Wurz, the former driver for the Williams team and Chairman of the GPDA, said the body had received a clear message from Formula 1’s dedicated followers about what needed to be done to secure the sport’s future.

“The results (of the survey) are staggering and the underlying message that has come out of it is clear,” Wurz wrote in his statement accompanying the GPDA’s findings.

“Yes, ‎Formula 1 is facing its challenges and can be improved. But you do not believe it needs a revolution and you do not want it to become an artificial show with gimmicks introduced to simply make it more entertaining.

“Instead, you want the very same thing that us drivers want: pure racing amongst the best men in the best machines.”

The survey found that while fans were happy with the structure of Grand Prix weekends and the Championship as a whole, the sport was in danger of alienating fans due to a perceived disproportionate focus on business interests.

Of concern for the GPDA were the main ‘attributes’ used to describe Formula 1 in 2015, as opposed to the previous circulation of a similar survey in 2010.

Fans in 2015 identified that the sport was “expensive,” “technological” and “boring” — as opposed to “technological,” “competitive,” and “exciting” in 2010.

Respondents also called on drivers to beat the forefront of any changes to the sport, with an emphasis on greater engagement between them and the fans.

Only 45% of fans believed Formula 1 featured the best drivers, despite 88% believing that was vital for the sport’s health and long term growth to do so.

Surprisingly, Kimi Raikkonen was identified as the most popular driver in the sport, ahead of Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button, while Ferrari was the most popular team.

The majority of supporters also called on drivers to be “open and honest with fans” while at the same time playing “an active role in formulating and implementing regulation and sporting changes in F1.”

One issue a number of drivers are already vocal about is that of sound and power output from current Formula 1 engines.

Predictably, this was also raised by the vast majority of fans who called for louder, faster engines, but also requested budget caps to reduce costs and assist struggling teams.

Introducing more technology would not improve the spectacle according to the fans.

Source: http://www.news.com.au/sport/motorsport/formula-1-2015-grand-prix-drivers-association-releases-findings-from-global-fan-survey/story-fnec578q-1227424816617

Download the full results of the GPDA Global Fan Survey here.

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Lewis Hamilton 2015 British Grand Prix Preview, with Allianz

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MASSA: ICEMAN IS FEELING THE HEAT BUT HE NEEDS TO RELAX

Formula 1 fan favourite Kimi Raikkonen is feeling the heat at Ferrari despite his icy reputation and needs to chill out, according to the Finn’s former team mate Felipe Massa.

Raikkonen – famed for his taciturn character and penetrating gaze – has ‘Iceman’ tattooed on his arm but faces a storm of speculation about his future at Formula One’s most glamorous team.

“Everybody says ‘Iceman’, I tell you he’s not really like that,” Brazilian Massa, who partnered Raikkonen at Ferrari from 2007 to 2009 and was replaced by him in 2014, told reporters at the British Grand Prix on Thursday.

“For sure he can suffer as well with the pressure and he shows that as well in some results,” continued the Williams driver. “He just needs to relax and try to do his best because he’s definitely a big talent and can do a lot better than what he’s doing. Everybody knows that.”

Massa said he experienced similar pressure at Ferrari when the rumour mill regularly targeted him with talk of his departure from the sport’s most successful team.

Raikkonen, the 2007 world champion, is out of contract at the end of the season although Ferrari have an option on him.

The Finn crashed on the opening lap in Austria 11 days ago after he lost control of his car. Although he finished second in Bahrain, that was his first podium finish since he was at Lotus in 2013.

Massa said it could be that Ferrari wanted to replace Raikkonen, voted the most popular driver in a global fan survey, but the situation was also fuelled by the media.

“Ferrari is a big company so every day you are in the media for good or for bad. Sometimes this is not helping the driver or even the team,” he said.

“Definitely you have a lot more pressure there than maybe another team. ..I felt a lot of pressure in difficult moments and you need to just relax.

“That’s what I did and I was happy to go to the right place and things changed in the better way for me.”

Raikkonen, appearing in a separate news conference, said he was trying his best, “The last race was a bit difficult but that’s a part of the game. I don’t know anything more than you guys. I will know hopefully at some point what will happen.”

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JORDAN: WHITMARSH NEVER RAN MCLAREN AS BADLY AS DENNIS IS NOW

McLaren’s arrogance is holding the once-great team back according to former F1 team owner and boss Eddie Jordan, as he controversially rubbished Ron Dennis’ message about all being well at Woking.

As team figures including boss Eric Boullier and driver Jenson Button warn that the current troubles could soon carry through to 2016, supremo Dennis insists the McLaren-Honda project is progressing smoothly.

He told the Independent this week that “virtually every step that we’ve taken has moved us forward as predicted by the team”.

Dennis admitted that McLaren and Honda did not expect the challenge to be “quite as difficult as it has been”, but he insists both sides are making “good progress”.

Jordan, however, thinks McLaren is actually “a mess”, arguing that the predicament of 2015 cannot be blamed just on Honda.

“They have been a shadow of their former selves since they arrogantly stated that Lewis Hamilton would rue the day he left McLaren,” said the Irishman, now an outspoken pundit on British television BBC. “That arrogance is still there at the top of McLaren.”

Jordan said McLaren’s road car programme is a fatal distraction but he also hit out at the team’s “current management structure”.

“Ron Dennis sacked Martin Whitmarsh, but Whitmarsh never did the job of running that team as badly as Dennis is doing it now,” he added.

Dennis, however, insists McLaren-Honda will prove its critics wrong, “The people who decry the team just don’t understand or have the roots we have.”

“And it’s so hard for people to get their minds round this statement, but right now we have one of the best grand prix teams that we’ve ever had. It’s a cohesive, focused group,” Dennis added.