FORMULA 1 - 2015

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DENNIS: THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST MCLAREN TEAMS WE HAVE EVER HAD

McLaren supremo Ron Dennis has spoken in depth of the plight of his team which is going through one of the most unsuccessful periods of its illustrious history, but nevertheless he remains optimistic and seems he underestimated the huge challenge that the partnership with Honda would be.

When asked by the Independent exactly how tough things were at Woking, Dennis responded, “Well, one of the things that surprises everybody except for myself, because I’ve seen it before, is that we have made steady and measurable progress.And three or four races ago we knew that we would get to Canada and were going to at best plateau, because of the nature of the circuit.”

“But virtually every step that we’ve taken has moved us forward as predicted by the team, and we’re getting very good correlation with our calculations and our on-track performance, which is promising.”

“Our commitment remains to win the world championship. That requires you to have laser focus on each aspect of the car, and everything has got to be the best of the best. Neither Honda nor ourselves expected the challenge to be quite as difficult as it has been. But they started with a clean piece of paper, not just in terms of the engine but also the research and development facilities, which are completely new.”

“We know this is a very big challenge, but we are making good progress. Honda have made so many engines over the years that I know we will have one of the best, if not the best. But these hybrid powertrains with their energy-recovery systems are very, very complex and it doesn’t matter who drives the cars, it takes you time to master it.”

Honda are a year behind rival engine manufacturers and Dennis points out, “Their mature engines are now relatively well developed because those manufacturers started in 2014 and were allowed to use five, and now in 2015 Honda has to do the same thing as they did but with one engine less. That to me is very unfair. The way to disincentivise any manufacturer is just to make a set of rules like we have.”

With the F1 Strategy Group meeting on the eve of the British Grand Prix, Dennis was quick to question the committee’s role, “I’m shocked at the somewhat cavalier nature of dialogue inside the Strategy Group, especially as we are about to invest all this money.”

“So when this committee decide what I can and can’t have, that is absolutely one thing I am extremely vocal about, anything that’s a rule or regulation that affects my ability to use the company’s facilities to make us more competitive. That tends to be heavily supported by the have-nots. And again, frustrating.”

“I’ve been involved in 17 world championships personally, and I think I understand what it takes to do it. And when you do participate in some of these Strategy Group meetings there is a phenomenal lack of experience in some of the teams.”

“They bring forward things which I know have been tried not just once and failed but tried seven times and failed. But all you can do is voice your opinion at the appropriate time and in the appropriate forum.”

“I get out of bed in the mornings feeling quite militant. The McLaren DNA is strong and I know very well our values. 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.”

“It’s shouldering phenomenal pain, and in any situation like this there are people who will come close to cracking so everybody around them has to hold them up and say: Come on, we’re going to do this.”

“At the same time you know as you’re carrying this burden that you’ve just got to convince the sponsors, the investors, everybody you know, to believe in the team, because we are going to do it.”

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INTERNET IS KEY TO F1’S IPAD GENERATION

A lively debate is raging among Formula 1 insiders as to whether coverage of the pinnacle of motor sport is being left behind in this iPad generation.

It has emerged that the average age of those who participated in the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association fan survey was 37, and “more than half” don’t even watch the races live on television and rather depend on internet for their F1 fix.

Already 45 per cent of fans polled now watch races online which is a worthwhile pointer to Bernie Ecclestone, who is not a fan of new media.

Alex Wurz, the GPDA president, admitted that the sport’s apparent inability to race into the 21st century is a concern.

“It is interesting that we have people who followed F1 for the first time in the 2000s … and they hark back to that era as the best”, he told the BBC. “And there are no new fans to counter-balance their views.”

That could be because Ecclestone has stuck firm to his trusted old approach of keeping formula one utterly exclusive, even more so in recent times as pay-TV deals diminished the audience but revved up revenues.

So not only has the free-to-air audience shrunk, F1 footage on free video services like Youtube is also severely cut off to the young and savvy ‘internet generation’.

But Toto Wolff, Mercedes’ team boss, told Forbes: “Locking down the footage was absolutely the right thing to do. It kept the value of the content high.

“People blame Bernie for not moving into social media. I don’t blame him at all because he can’t monetise it,” Wolff told the F1 business journalist Christian Sylt.

But Damon Hill, the 1996 world champion, worries that one of F1’s biggest problems is that the next generation is being locked out of the sport altogether.

“Amazon or Google originally didn’t have any revenue stream because they were giving everything away for nothing,” he told the British newspaper Express. “And that’s the model I think F1 could adopt.

“Since the internet began, the message it’s giving us is that you give a lot for very little. And so you build a much greater base of the pyramid and, that way, you draw people in,” Hill explained.

“So then (F1 could) have half the people on the planet who can get it and that might just turn them into people who will subscribe to the Sky platform or whatever.”

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RAIKKONEN’S DEPARTURE FROM FERRARI ALMOST CERTAIN

Kimi Raikkonen’s exit from Ferrari and Formula 1 is all but sealed according to influential La Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper.

“Only a sensational breakthrough can avert his farewell” wrote correspondent Luigi Perna ahead of the British grand prix.

That is despite the fact that, as the results of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association’s global fan survey emerged, the ‘Iceman’ and Finn emerged as the most popular driver on the grid.

Next best were Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button, with the polarising Lewis Hamilton not even in the top three.

But while Raikkonen would cost Ferrari much more money than turning to one of the alternatives, David Coulthard said this week: “If I had to choose, I would take one of the younger guys.

“Marketing-wise he [Raikkonen] is valuable, but that’s only one aspect. And the best marketing is victory,” the Scot is quoted by Speed Week.

“Kimi is so popular with the fans, to the point that anyone who criticises him risks being hated. But you have to say that in recent years, he has not performed as expected, whether it was due to bad luck or something else,” Coulthard added.

La Gazzetta claims Raikkonen’s countryman Valtteri Bottas is first in line for Raikkonen’s seat, but the specialist German publication Sport Bild says a deal is unlikely.

That is because Williams may already have triggered the 2016 ‘option’ in Bottas’ contract, while reportedly putting the price of a buyout by Ferrari at a whopping $20 million.

Daniel Ricciardo, meanwhile, has been making overtures of a potential switch from Red Bull, but Dr Helmut Marko insists the smiling Australian is going nowhere.

“I know that Ferrari wants to have him,” Marko said, “but there is no chance. His contract is watertight.”

The third main candidate is Nico Hulkenberg, who admits his recent Le Mans win has put him back in the spotlight.

“I’ve proved that I can win with a top car,” the German said. “People who doubted I could maybe have less doubt about that now.

“But I will have to see what options realistically open up for me in the coming weeks and months,” added Hulkenberg.

F1 legend Gerhard Berger told Sport Bild: “If things go right, he [Hulkenberg] has a chance with Ferrari.”

Meanwhile Raikkonen has been voted the most popular F1 driver in the recent GPDA F1 Fans Survey, ahead of Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button while Ferrari are the number one team.

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SAUBER TEAM MANAGER SLAMS STRATEGY GROUP

Sauber team manager Beat Zehnder has hit out at some of the proposals put forward by the Strategy Group to spice up F1’s future.

He told Speed Week that speeding up the cars by increasing tyre grip and downforce will affect overtaking.

“I don’t think a TV viewer notices if a car is three, four or six seconds faster,” said Zehnder. “Much more important is that the racing is exciting, but how does that work if the drivers cannot overtake?”

He also questioned the very credibility of the decision-making group, arguing that only 10 per cent of what it proposes is ever actually adopted.

“Let’s face it: what have they done so far? Drivers cannot change their helmets. Drivers can keep their race numbers. Double points at the finale in 2014. All of this made the sport better?

“I’ve been in the sport a few years now,” said Zehnder. “The big difference is that the team bosses also used to be the owners, but this is now largely no longer true.

“Today you have a lot of highly paid bosses who need to deliver results in a very short time,” he charged, “and so they’ll do anything for that. How much money is wasted doing it, they don’t care.

“These people have little interest in what is in the long-term best interest of F1,” Zehnder added.

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STRIKE DELAYS SAUBER’S ARRIVAL AT SILVERSTONE

Sauber mechanics are working overtime in the Silverstone pits on Thursday, because, as of 6am, the Swiss team’s trucks carrying the cars for Felipe Nasr and Marcus Ericsson had yet to arrive at the British grand prix venue.

Auto Motor und Sport reports that Sauber left Hinwil on time, but got held up in France during a Eurotunnel strike and blockade.

The transporters diverted, but got caught up in a four kilometre traffic jam, meaning mechanics are now racing against time to prepare the Ferrari-powered cars.

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HAMILTON SAYS THERE ARE TOO MANY KIDS IN THE SPORT NOW

Double Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton has hit out at the lack of gentlemen on a grid increasingly full of kids.

“There are too many kids in the sport now,” the reigning world champion told Sport Bild.

He is obviously referring to the trend for younger and younger race drivers, like 17-year-old Max Verstappen, as he contrasted the F1 today with the Sir Stirling Moss era.

“At that time, the drivers were real gentlemen,” Hamilton said. “Loyalty and friendship still played an important role.

“Today I think there are no gentlemen in Formula 1. Everyone thinks only of himself.”

But that is not all the 30-year-old Briton rues, “I miss the girls in the paddock. There are so many men in there now that it’s not even funny.”

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VERSTAPPEN EYES LE MANS WITH FATHER

Teenage F1 rookie Max Verstappen could be the next Formula 1 driver heading to Le Mans and his father in line to share a cockpit with him.

Nico Hulkenberg breathed new life into his career by winning the fabled endurance race at the first attempt.

And now 17-year-old Verstappen, despite his age and his rookie status in F1, is also casting eyes at Le Mans.

That could be because of speculation in the Dutch media that his famous father Jos is also said to be eyeing the sports car race.

“You could see me racing again next year,” Verstappen senior, who last raced in F1 for Minardi in 2003, is quoted as saying. “I hope to do Le Mans next year but at the moment I can’t say it’s 100 per cent for sure.”

And Max said the idea of teaming up with his dad is certainly interesting, “I would like to do Le Mans with my father. For sure he is still competitive – you don’t lose your speed.

“It’s certainly interesting, but I think it is something for later,” added Max.

MIKA: Gee Jos is really riding on his son Maxs coat tails for the limelight IMO

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Check-up kept Hamilton from testing

Lewis Hamilton has revealed a "very important" doctor's visit was the reason he sat out the post-Austrian GP test.

The Mercedes driver came in for some stick from fans and F1 personalities after he reportedly asked to be excused from the two-day outing.

While Hamilton, who lost to Nico Rosberg on the Sunday at the Red Bull Ring, sat out the test, his team-mate made the most of his track time.

The Brit has now revealed that it was a "very important" doctor's visit that kept him out of the car.

"I had some doctor check-ups that needed to get done, it was very important," he told Sky Sports F1. "It felt more important than the test."

He did, however, keep "in touch with everyone at the test, I got all the information on what was tested."

Added to that, Mercedes looked into the issue behind Hamilton's sluggish start in Austria and were able to resolve the problem.

"Things like the starts, they went through the sequence to find out what happened at the start in the last race.

"They did the same thing in the test and found an issue so they rectified that."

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Kvyat slams 'unfair' engine penalties

Daniil Kvyat has likened the engine penalty rules to a sprinter having to start a race "50 metres further back" that his rivals.

The Renault-powered Red Bull team has already been hit with several engine failures.

This resulted in Kvyat's team-mate Daniel Ricciardo having to take a grid penalty last time out in Austria as he was forced to use his sixth unit.

And with Kvyat on the brink of a penalty himself, the Russian racer says the rule is "ridiculous."

"I always found this rule a bit ridiculous, to be honest," he told ESPN.

"I think Formula One first of all is a sport, and I don't know in any other sport where you get an injury and you have to start even further back.

"Let's say a sprinter gets an injury and then in the 100 metre sprint you have to start 50 metres further back - I don't think that would be really fair."

The Red Bull racer, who is eighth in the Championship on 19 points, is hoping that F1 bosses decide to change the rules ahead of 2016.

He added: "The rules are what they are, and hopefully they will realise that it's not really right and hopefully for next year they will correct this."

MIKA: I got to agree on that, STUPID rule. Let's penalise a driver for a handicap that's out of their control.

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Perez 'very optimistic'

"Very optimistic" but "very realistic" were Sergio Perez's words ahead of the British GP and the debut of Force India's B-spec car.

After months of waiting, the heavily revised VJM08 will take to the track at Silverstone on Friday morning.

And although Perez is confident the car, parts of which were run at the post-Austrian test, is a step in the right direction, he has warned against expecting massive leaps.

"We should see some progress and I am sure about it, it is just that we might [only] close the gap to the cars in front," he said.

"But to be able to fight them at a track like this will already be a big step forward."

The Mexican driver, though, is confident the numbers favour Force India.

"We are all very optimistic when we look at the numbers that it looks quite promising, but at the same time we are very realistic.

"Everyone will say that an upgrade is not just about putting it on the car and getting on with it; it needs some processes and needs some work to understand how to take the maximum out of it.

"Hopefully tomorrow we can have plenty of mileage to see where we are."

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Honda look to turn McLaren's season around

In light of upcoming engine developments, Honda believe that they can help turn McLaren's disastrous season around.

Yasuhisa Arai, the motorsport boss at Honda, says that his team intend to have an upgraded powerplant ready for the second half of 2015.

These upgrades will mean that the Japanese manufacturer will use all seven of their development tokens which remain for 2015.

“We have seven tokens still remaining, so we will apply those in the second half of the season after the summer shutdown,” Arai said in an interview with Motorsport.com.

Arai is convinced that these upgrades will allow McLaren to put in a far better showing once they arrive and are used out on the track.

A number of changes will be made with the intention of providing more horsepower. Currently, McLaren are estimated to lose up to 35km/h on the straights to both Mercedes and Ferrari.

“We will replace many parts to improve the horsepower, so we have good harvest and good systems. And I think we can catch up this season."

Most of the development is focussed on the internal combustion engine (ICE) with many changes mooted.

Arai believes that any extra power gained due to the upgrades, must be used more efficiently.

“Combustion is very important to get the horsepower," he said. “So changing the combustion chamber design, the valve timing and everything for better combustion.

“It is mainly in the ICE, but some areas like the MGU-K and MGU-H, including the turbo charger, are other areas we need to work on to get more horsepower.”

Honda have already used two tokens prior to the Canadian Grand Prix. As they only rejoined Formula 1 in 2015, they were only allowed nine for the season.

In 2016 however, they will be allowed 25 tokens. Arai has revealed that plans are already in place to continue to improve their powerplant.

“We already have a good plan. With the tokens for next year, we already have many ideas," he said.

Although the Honda powerplant has been beset by woes this season, Arai believes they made the right call in terms of the unique configuration of certain components, especially aimed to aid both the aerodynamics and centre of gravity of the MP4-30.

In the long run, Arai feels the Woking based team will reap the benefits.

“A different way is maybe the only way to the podium. It is quite a different layout – for instance the MGU-H and turbo is a very compact package, and also with the power unit itself, everything is very tightly packaged for good influence for the aero package.

“Also the battery and controller is very, very small with a low centre of gravity for the car – so we contributed to that area too.

“We needed some ideas to apply to the combustion layout, and hybrid systems. So we tried very hard and sometimes it is very difficult layout, but we believe that direction is the only way that we can catch up and exceed the top teams.”

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Vandoorne: McLaren will take care of me

Stoffel Vandoorne, part of the McLaren young driver programme, is in continual discussions with both Ron Dennis and Eric Boullier regarding his future.

The young Belgian, who has been part of the Woking based outfit since 2013, believes he is ready for the cut-and-thrust of Formula 1 racing, especially with his dominance of the current GP2 season. He currently leads that championship by 76 points.

His path to Formula 1 however, may be blocked by Kevin Magnussen, another young driver who has aready has a taste of life in the paddock. Magnussen drove for McLaren in 2014 and managed one podium in Australia.

"First of all, I do feel ready for Formula One, in my second season of GP2 I am leading the championship. Still my main focus is winning GP2 in the best way possible. We'll see what happens."

Vandoorne believes that both Dennis and Boullier have his best interests at heart although at this point, it might be a little early to determine his exact career path.

"I still have regular talks with Ron and with Eric about what happens with the opportunity. But it's still too early to conclude something and know what is going to happen," he said.

He feels that McLaren will guide his career in the proper direction, and he has placed his trust in them to do so.

"I've been with McLaren for three years now, they've always fully supported my career. I had the chance after winning Formula Renault to join their young driver programme and up to now I've had no regrets, thanks to them I have been racing in World Series and I have been racing in GP2 as well.

"Without them I wouldn't have even got the chance to drive and prove myself. I trust McLaren. We'll see what happens in the future. I think they will take care of me."

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McLaren granted additional engine for 2015 season

McLaren's Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button have been granted an additional engine each without penalty following a change to the sporting regulations.

During Wednesday's Strategy Group meeting, it was agreed that all new engine manufacturers should be granted an additional engine on top of the standard allocation "for the sake of fairness".

The FIA has allowed the decision to be applied retroactively to McLaren's engine partner Honda, meaning Alonso and Button will be allowed a fifth unit without encurring a penalty.

The pair have already used a fifth unit each in Austria where they faced 25-place grid penalties as a result, but the new unit is now available to them to use from the British Grand Prix if they require it.

In addition, the FIA also stated that the price of engine supply to customer teams would be investigated further along with other aspects such as fuel allowance and development tokens.

It could mean that they will place a cap on the cost of a deal, which for most customer teams is around £15 million ($23m).

"Mandate has been given to the FIA and FOM to propose a comprehensive set of measures for power unit development and cost of supply," the FIA stated.

"This will include full review of the token system, increase in race fuel allowance, limits of the usage of engine dynamometers etc."

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Manor to run revised livery as it secures new sponsor

The Manor Marussia F1 Team will run a revised livery for the remainder of the 2015 season following a new sponsor deal with Hong Kong's Flex Box.

The primarily red and white MR03B will now feature "striking" blue sidepods in addition to Flex Box branding from the British Grand Prix this weekend.

"We are very pleased to welcome Flex Box to the Manor Marussia F1 Team," said team principal John Booth. "We are two very ambitious businesses, aspiring to dramatic growth on the international stage and making a major impact in our respective industries.

"This is our second partnership announcement in just a few weeks, so these are exciting times in our team’s development. It is very rewarding for us to be able to welcome likeminded brands to join us on that journey and assist them in achieving their own global objectives."

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Louder exhaust system gets green-light for 2016

Formula 1 cars will be louder in 2016 with the introduction of a revised exhaust system, the FIA confirmed on Thursday following Wednesday's F1 Strategy Group meeting.

Sound, in particular the volume, was a major talking point during the 2014 season when the new hybrid-turbo V6 engines were introduced. Whilst calls for louder cars has grown quieter this season, some are still unhappy with the noise level.

Therefore a new exhaust specification will be implemented for the 2016 season.

It's likely a second tailpipe will be added specifically to boost engine sound by creating a shorter and more direct route for the exhaust gasses which are diverted by the wastegate.

Another change for 2016 is the proposal to allow teams to choose their own tyre compounds for each race. It's an idea Pirelli warned against, but one the tyre supplier is willing to abide by if it is forced to, which is now the case.

"Increased freedom of choice for tyre compounds has been confirmed and the modalities are being finalised with Pirelli for 2016," confirmed the FIA in a statement.

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Formula 1 bosses agree to change engine penalty system

The engine penalty system, which penalises a driver for exceeding their component allocation, will be tweaked to ensure its not so damaging to a drivers race.

It will also be simplified to ensure fans aren't put off by excessive and overly complicated penalties which can see drivers taking time penalties in the race itself.

Team bosses met on Wednesday to discuss a new system which will now be sent to the World Motor Sport Council to be ratified next week in Mexico and written into the 2016 rules.

"Following the Austrian GP, an overhaul of the power unit penalties has been unanimously agreed and will be submitted to the F1 Commission via an express fax vote."

Whilst no specific information has been released, it's believed team bosses have agreed to drop in-race penalties, meaning the most severe punishment would see a driver start from the back of the grid.

The talks were initiated after McLaren's Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button took on a combined 50-place grid penalty when they were forced to use a fifth engine each in Austria.

Both were hit with in-race penalties as well because they were unable to drop the required 25-places on the grid, leading to calls for change to the "overly harsh and confusing" system.

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Driver aids to be restricted from Belgian GP onwards

The Belgian Grand Prix will see a reduction in driver aids, making race starts in particular "more unpredictable" according to the FIA following a meeting of the F1 Strategy Group on Wednesday.

There will also be an extension to radio communication limits put in place last year, outlawing driver coaching.

It's expected the changes will make race starts a more manual process, therefore creating the opportunity for more mistakes.

Changes will be implemented at round 11 of the championship in Belgium after the summer break after the proposal received unanimous support during a vote.

In a statement, the FIA said the changes would put "the driver in full control of the car, enhancing races excitement and unpredictability."

Further restrictions will also be put in place for the 2016 season to make driving the cars even harder and drivers less reliant on team radio.

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Points gap to Hamilton is "nothing," says Rosberg

Nico Rosberg says teammate Lewis Hamilton's advantage in the standings is "nothing" after his victory in the Austrian Grand Prix.

The German has won three of the last four races to reduce the gap to Hamilton to just 10 points ahead of this weekend's Silverstone race.

Rosberg admits that he is on a roll at the moment, and he wants that to continue as he chases down points leader Hamilton.

"It's important for me to keep closing the gap to him," he said today. "And of course I'm going to try and do it here.

"It's a good period for me in the season now, and I want to try and keep that going. He's still 10 points ahead, and I need to keep digging at that way very quickly.

"Ten points is nothing if you look at the length of the season, so the chances are really good."

Rosberg said that his Austrian GP win was an important step for him.

"It was a great weekend for me, especially because it was one of those that was not so difficult," said Rosberg. "And that was great to see, to really just be quicker in the race all the way through was cool.

"And especially it was great because that was the area where I needed to slightly work on after last year, race craft, and I made a nice step there. That's been important for me to see."

However, Rosberg said he is not been doing anything different relative to the start of the year to generate his recent success.

"Unfortunately nothing, it's just the way sport is. Sport goes in waves, and that's the best explanation I have got it."

He added: "Doubt is always a part of it, but I've learned to always keep believing and push through and overcome the doubt. I think it's very normal to have doubt.

"I think all of you have doubts that you are going to be able to deliver a great story this weekend, but you keep believing, and you push through, and you bang one out anyways, and do better than anybody else."

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Alonso lashes out at "sick" Austrian GP crash theories

Fernando Alonso has labelled as "sick" the conspiracy theorists who suggested he made Kimi Raikkonen lose control of his car before their Austrian Grand Prix accident.

Raikkonen lost control of the rear-end of his Ferrari under acceleration on the opening lap of the Grand Prix, and Alonso was unable to avoid crashing into him, triggering a violent accident into the barrier.

Alonso's McLaren ended up on top of Raikkonen's Ferrari, narrowly missing making contact with Kimi's head and hands.

The Spanish driver insisted the only reason some people still thought he had made contact with Raikkonen's car before the crash was that they are "sick".

"I was 10 meters behind him, and some of the videos I saw – I'm clearly behind him," said Alonso on Thursday at Silverstone.

"Kimi after the race said that he lost the car, and even with that – still 15 days later – we are still talking about the same thing.

"It's just people are sick because if not, I don't understand."

As as result of the crash, Alonso will have to use an old engine in this weekend's British Grand Prix, after the new power unit installed in Austria was damaged.

The Spaniard admitted it was tough losing the new engine.

"The engine is the toughest thing because obviously we put a new engine and we paid the penalty in Austria and then we lost the engine and the gearbox in the accident," he said.

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Hulkenberg evaluating his options amid Ferrari link

Nico Hulkenberg says he would be foolish not to evaluate his options in the driver market, amid mounting suggestions he is on the short list of Ferrari candidates for 2016.

The German, whose profile has been boosted by victory in the Le Mans 24 Hours this year, is believed to be under consideration for a switch to Maranello next year if the outfit decides to replace Kimi Raikkonen.

The situation remains fluid at the moment, though, with Ferrari understood to also be in discussions with Williams about sorting a financial deal that could allow it to get hold of Valtteri Bottas.

Ferrari is also believed to be interested in Daniel Ricciardo, but the Australian has a firm contract with Red Bull for another three years that would make it very difficult to get out of.

Checking options

Hulkenberg insists that he is not getting distracted by the possibility of a Ferrari switch, having come close to such a deal two years ago, but admits that he is looking carefully at what he can do in 2016.

When asked if he was looking to stay at Force India or moving on, Hulkenberg said: "It depends what is on offer…

"Of course, you check the options, you check the market and what is available or what could become available. It would be silly not to do so."

He also knows that, with no final decision made by Ferrari on Raikkonen, and the Bottas situation undecided, some factors that could influence a switch to Maranello are not in his hands.

"I feel comfortable," he said. "I think the most important thing for me is to keep performing, to reach 100 per cent my maximum each weekend. That is the best I can do and the other things will fall into place anyway.

"It is all not fully in my hands and control, there are other things and factors that play into there as well. It is still early days. I am happy and comfortable where I am, I will keep fighting and working away."

Flavour of the month

Hulkenberg is clear that the fresh Ferrari speculation does not alter his mindset.

"It is usual...you do two good races and that is what happens!" he explained. "It doesn't appeal or touch me very much, I've had that before.

"It doesn't say much at the moment. I am focused on the current situation especially now, with this weekend and with this package, we have to focus to get the best out of this."

However, Hulkenberg is aware of the golden opportunity he has for his career right now on the back of Le Mans success.

"It has just been three really good weeks, a lot of positive things that happened," he said. "I had some time after Austria to digest them and had some time to breathe after a race weekend at home.

"It is just positive and I have a good momentum at the moment and will try to keep it up."

Hulkenberg is also understood to be the main target for the new Haas team, which is forming a close technical partnership with Ferrari for next year.

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Analysis: Why the return of sparks has hurt Red Bull

Red Bull has been critical of the Renault engine performance during the 2015 season, but its problems go further than just the lack of power and reliability.

When Red Bull joined other teams in pushing forward with plans to bring sparks back to Formula 1, it probably had no idea at the time that it was opening the way for some unintended consequences.

For it is only in the last few days that the team has confirmed what has been suspected for a while: that the rule change aimed at delivering something spectacular for fans has had a knock-on effect of hurting its own car performance.

Here we look at how the compromises forced on teams through the mandatory use of titanium skid blocks has impacted on Red Bull pace.

Chassis deficit

While Red Bull's troubles in F1 this year have mainly revolved around the engine, it has been evident that its chassis has not been one of the best either.

The fact that sister team Toro Rosso, which has exactly the same Renault power, has been able to outperform it at some races this year has highlighted that Red Bull's confession its car is 20 per cent responsible for its form may have some truth to it.

The reasons for the Red Bull not being as dominant a chassis as it has in the past have been the subject of intense debate, for on the surface there has been no major regulation change: and design genius Adrian Newey was very much hands on with its design.

However, there have been season-long suggestions that one of the factors holding it back related to the return of sparks of F1 – and the hidden motivations behind Red Bull's rivals pushing for them.

Aero concept

Much of Red Bull's success in F1 in recent years was down to a very aggressive aero concept of running a lot of rake on the car.

This meant the front wing and T-tray would be run as low as possible to the floor, with the diffuser high up to maximise the aerodynamics and increase downforce.

The team was able to get the front of the car so low down because they were able to run the underfloor plank right on the ground thanks to the presence of skid blocks made of a dense metallic material. These blocks would prevent the plank wearing away.

For 2015, teams have had to replace this heavy metal with titanium – which rubs away much easier to help produce sparks.

The ease with which the titanium rubs away means that there is now a risk of it not protecting the plank – and if the plank wears away too much, a car could be disqualified.

The knock-on effect is that indirectly those teams that were running very close the floor – like Red Bull – have had to be more conservative with the ride height to ensure the titanium blocks do not wear away too much.

That has compromised its whole aero concept, which has been further hampered by the new nose regulations that have changed how airflow is directed around the front of the car.

Breakthrough in Austria test

Although the suspicions about the impact of the sparks rule have been around for a while, senior team figures were not convinced that it was a valid explanation.

However, all that changed in the post-Austrian Grand Prix test last week when the team conducted a massive aero programme to get to the bottom of the problems.

That is why its car appeared with huge aero evaluation rigs on it – as the team did all it could to seek the answers to its problems.

Asked by Motorsport.com about the test, Ricciardo said: "We pushed a few things further than we normally would.

"Because of the position we are in right now, we are not as competitive as we were, so the test was a way of trying some more, let's say, extreme things – not out of desperation, but because we can."

Red Bull hurt

Having looked in detail at its issues, and especially its aero concept approach, it has been left in no doubt that the new rules on nose and floor have hurt it.

Team principal Christian Horner admitted this week: "I think that we hit a penalty with the change of regulations to front wing and front T-tray over the winter, because our car has been developed around a concept that was particularly hurt [by the new rules]."

The confirmation of the impact of the new regulations has at least delivered some answers – and will now allow the aero team to move forward in working on areas to deliver improvements.

Horner is optimistic that a plan is now in place to recover the lost ground.

"I think the guys are doing a good job of understanding that, and moving in a direction now that is putting the car in to a much happier place," he said.

"So hopefully this weekend and over Hungary as well that should see us achieve a balance that the drivers are a lot happier with, because they've been quite front-limited because of those regulation changes."

[MIKA27]

Jenson Button on 'clumsy' F1, Lewis Hamilton and why Singapore is crucial for McLaren

Ahead of his home race at Silverstone, Jenson Button talked to ESPN about Lewis Hamilton's mentality, "clumsy" F1 cars and why he still believes in Honda

You've seen various teams dominate F1 during your career, is Mercedes dominance any different and will it need rule changes to turn it around?

I think 2004 for Ferrari was a massively dominant year and this feels just like that, but so did last year. I don't think we've ever had one team that has qualified on pole every race for a whole season, which Mercedes has done from Austria last year to Austria now. It is amazing and they are doing a fantastic job. The championship is between two guys, that possibly hurts the sport, but it's not their fault that they are so quick, it's everyone else's for not doing a good enough job. But they are doing a staggering job and fair play to them. I suppose I'm happy for them and I'm happy for the people that I have worked with for many years at that team [as BAR, Honda and Brawn] and it's down to all of us to do a better job to catch them.

How do you think Lewis is getting on this season, a lot of people have been impressed by the way he has bounced back from difficult situations like Monaco this year...

When we were team-mates, he could deal with knock-backs really well, but when he had the knock-backs it really hurt. For example, a lot of races where we were fighting and I won the race he struggled massively with it mentally, but then at the next race he would come out of it and win it. He's always had that mentality where he struggles with it over the weekend when he's being beaten, but he can turn it around very quickly, come out strong and win the next race. I don't think that's changed, but he's probably just not as outspoken as he was about it back then.

What have you made of Fernando so far, he's always been a gritty and determined character on and off the track, have you seen that in him?

He's good to work with. Nothing scares me about Fernando at all. As a team-mate, as a competitor, he's obviously very talented, he's good at development, as I am, and it's a great challenge for both of us to have someone to work with but also race against. Hopefully we can both start near each other [in a race], we've started from the back row because of reliability issues and I've not qualified and he's not qualified, so we haven't really raced against each other that much. It's great having a competitive team-mate, I've always wanted a competitive team-mate and I've always said the team-mate I want to have is Fernando and I'm enjoying it at the moment.

Clumsy F1

Michelin has entered the frame as a potential tyre supplier from 2017, promising long-lasting tyres with minimal degradation, is that something that's appealing from a driver's point of view?

Michelin could also make tyres that degraded, but with them I found the tyres were very easy to understand. You could control the degrading and that was the important thing with them. If you didn't push the tyre on the first few laps, you had better tyres at the end of the stint, whereas now I find it very difficult to understand what to do with the tyres - also we get fed every bit of information about how hard to push and when not to push. Personally, I think Pirelli are in a position where they are told what to do with the tyres and the tyres should degrade and what have you, so they are doing what they are told and doing a good job also.

But personally, I'd love a tyre war. I don't know if Pirelli or Michelin are interested in doing that, but I'd love a tyre war and it pushes both manufacturers. It's a challenge and it's what we're all here to do. When we had that in 2004 it was just phenomenal, the tyres, they gained two seconds over a season and it was great to have. A lot of it was then down to driver fitness as well and whether he could hold his head up through a high-speed corner while pulling 5G for three or four seconds. That for me was the pinnacle of Formula One in any era and I was lucky enough to race in it.

The Strategy Group want to get some of that back, how important is the raw speed for F1 as a product?

It's very important. There is a lot of criticism about the sport right now, but there has always been criticism. I watched races from the 1970s and the commentators are talking about criticism then, so it's always been there. You've got to make sure you are on top of it and listen to the criticism and make a difference. Otherwise it builds up and you lose fans, and you definitely don't want to do that.

I think it's going in the right direction with the ideas for the future: wider rear tyres, wider cars, because now they are so skinny and long the car just snaps and I don't think it looks good on TV. We are not able to control it and we are supposed to be the best drivers in the world - of course, we do control slides and what we do with the car is beyond the imagination of most people - but sometimes it's unpredictable and it's not driver skill. There are a few things that need to change, and they will. I'm guessing it's 2017 and not next year, which is a shame, but I think that everyone understands change is needed and it's going to happen.

Which categories have you driven where it was possible to slide the car and why was that?

Formula One cars in 2004 and 2005 were snappy, but you knew it was coming. You would go into a high-speed corner with massive amounts of G-force and because you've pushed that little bit too much the tyre was on the limit and then it would snap on the exit. Now the issue is that you go into a corner and you get a rolling sensation. The car is more clumsy basically in high-speed corners, you turn in, it rolls over and it just sits there all the way through the corner and then you get the snap that you don't know is coming - it's the same with low-speed traction.

It's easier now for guys to get into a Formula One car from any category because it's not as quick anymore and in the past you felt that the car couldn't go that quick and you had to lift. You needed the balls to give it some, realise the downforce was working and put the car on the limit and that's when it would snap, but it would be controllable snaps. For me that was phenomenal, the way that the cars could change direction in Becketts [at Silverstone], but now they are a lot more clumsy. That's the direction we've gone and everyone realises it has to change and that is hopefully what we are going to see.

More power to come from Honda

McLaren CEO Jonathan Neale said this week that there was no use telling you and Fernando Alonso bulls*** about the team's progress. So, given that you have full transparency on the situation, where is the car now compared to where you expected it to be at this stage?

I didn't have any expectations. Coming into a season with a new engine partner, you've just got to live in the moment and improve every time you jump in the car. In winter testing I jumped in and I thought 'Okay, it is where it is' but then I jumped in the next time and we had moved forward a second in lap time just in terms of drivability and the stuff that you've worked on with the team. I didn't have any expectations for where we would be, I knew we'd have a difficult season - Honda started the development of the engine two years ago from now, so a year and a half before we started racing. This is a test bed this year and the other manufacturers had three years before they started racing their engines, so it's always going to be more tricky.

I've seen what's in the pipeline in terms of development of the engine and obviously you have to take reliability into account, which is always going to be an issue when you start pushing the engine more, but there is a lot of power coming over the next few races, so that's positive. In terms of the car itself, it's a good car but still it's not the best car and it needs work. Aerodynamically, we have improved the car over the last couple of races - we haven't been able to show that because we haven't finished any races and we've had such big penalties - but we are hoping Silverstone will be a nice, clean weekend and we can see where we stand. I think points are on the cards, but nothing more than that. Then we go to Budapest, which is a circuit that should suit us more with the speed of the corners, but also because there aren't any long straights. So I'm hoping for some good points there as well. It's not easy for us, but as you say, there's no bulls*** and it's very straightforward. The team tells us where we are and we understand that there is a lot of work needed and that comes from Fernando and myself as well; we need to give the perfect feedback to develop this car.

You haven't driven the new aero package on track, but the team tested it in Austria, so what was the feedback from within the team?

It's a lot of downforce on the car and we also have some other parts for Silverstone that weren't at the test, which you really need to balance the package out. I've driven it in the simulator - it's always difficult to know how realistic it is - but it's a definite improvement. It's not going to win us races, but it's a good step forward and it's just making sure we also have the right philosophy in terms of aerodynamics and we are going in the right direction, and it does seem to be working correctly so we can keep building on that, which is good for the future.

The team has talked about changing the way it approaches its aerodynamic philosophy to achieve better drivability rather than peak levels of downforce. Is that coming across in the car?

The thing is that the first few tests we were like, 'Oh, my god! Is there a front wing on this car?' There was so much understeer and we were trying to get it so that as you add steering lock you didn't lose front end and didn't get washout, which is a big problem with a single seater. We've been working on that and now we have a lot more front end in the car and there is a lot more to work with. We are playing around with the set-up a lot more and there are areas we can go to that we couldn't before. It's not just in terms of downforce put on the car, but by putting this downforce on we were able to work with the mechanical set-up to improve the car more. We will see what happens in Silverstone, which should be a good test for it to see whether it is really working as we expect or not.

Outside McLaren we've learned more about the way the Honda engine is packaged and it is something quite different to your rivals. You've hinted before at some real potential there but when will we see it?

It's very aggressive, more aggressive than any other engine, which comes with issues of course - reliability issues. But we can't really change the design of the engine over the next couple of years anyway, so they had to go that aggressive and just deal with the reliability issues. Aerodynamically it helps massively because the air flow is so clean around the sidepods and towards the diffuser. So it is good, but then you get the other issues. They are working on them right now in terms of reliability and a lot of work is going into that. We know we have some issues, I'm already on my fifth engine and I think my sixth MGU-K and MGU-H, so we're two over already and we are only eight races in - we know there is work needed to be done.

We want to get some good results this year, but we also understand that it is a testing season for us. It doesn't mean we don't want to get results, we still want to come out and do the best we can towards the end of the year. I think Singapore is going to be the race that is going to be the standout race that we need to give it large and come out with a result. We are very good with slow speed corners, which has been a weakness of McLaren in the past. That's a positive, so it's definitely worked with the direction we've got. So Singapore has to be the race where we gear up and hopefully get the best result.

Eric Boullier said if the problems continue it could have a knock-on for next year, how much of a concern is that for you if you want to be part of a winning team at McLaren?

I think you've got to look at it for any team, if they don't start closing the gap towards the end of the year, next year could be a write-off as well. At the last race we were two seconds down, I don't think we'll be that far off at the next two, but you have to close the gap before the end of the season because you only have a couple of months to develop in the winter. So I think after Budapest and over the summer break we have to look at it and then we can comment on whether it is going to hurt us next year. But the thing is with us is we are very different than most teams because we are having to pull the power back because of reliability. If you were able to sort the reliability out you would gain half a second right there. Other teams don't have that, so we can gain a lot more over the winter, but still we need to start improving and cutting that gap back.

[MIKA27]

GROSJEAN: RETURN OF RENAULT IS SOMETHING PRETTY COOL

Renault has decided to return to full team ownership in Formula 1,according to claims of multiple international media sources, including France’s Autonewsinfo, citing the confirmation of people close to the news.

It appears the French carmaker has struck a deal with the Enstone based team currently known as Lotus, which until 2009 was already Renault’s works outfit.

The reports say Renault is initially buying back 51 per cent of the team from Gerard Lopez’s Genii company, while quadruple world champion Alain Prost is set to play a key role.

It is believed Renault will have to pay a financial penalty for breaching Lotus’ existing engine contract with Mercedes.

And the news will ramp up speculation Renault’s own engine customers, Red Bull and Toro Rosso, will have to revert to Ferrari power or quit the sport.

When asked about the latest Renault reports, current Lotus driver and Frenchman Romain Grosjean admitted the speculation is “exciting”.

“Being a fan of Formula 1, I really want to see a French team, and to hear ‘La Marseillaise’ on the podium,” he told RMC Sport.

“The rumours about the return of Renault is something pretty cool and definitely something that is tempting for me,” Grosjean added.

As for the related rumours about Prost’s F1 return, the 29-year-old continued: “He is a gentleman of motor sport. It would be nice to work with Alain.”

[MIKA27]

HAMILTON: THIS IS A REAL TROPHY, THIS IS CLASS, THIS IS HISTORY

Double world champion Lewis Hamilton was handed one of the sport’s most prestigious trophies on on the eve of the British Grand Prix, only days after moaning about the poor quality of some of Formula One’s podium prizes.

The Mercedes driver received the Hawthorn Memorial Trophy, awarded annually since 1959 to the most successful British or Commonwealth driver in the previous year’s championship, at Silverstone.

A roll call of greats have won the trophy in the past, including Australian Jack Brabham, Stirling Moss, Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart, James Hunt, Nigel Mansell, Jacques Villeneuve and Damon Hill.

Hamilton won 11 races in 2014 on the way to his second championship.

“That’s a real trophy,” he said after collecting the memorial to Britain’s first world champion Mike Hawthorn, who won the title with Ferrari in 1958 and died in a road accident a year later.

“To be amongst all these great names on here, that’s what a real trophy should have — all this history. When I am talking about trophies…this is what I’m talking about. This is class, this is history.

“It’s real silverware. And that’s what I race for. When I finish a race, that’s the best reward you can get. I relate it to Olympians who go out there and get the gold medals. It’s no cheap plastic, it’s real.”

Speaking earlier in the week, Hamilton had questioned the quality of some of the trophies he had been presented with on the podium.

“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,” he had said of the offering he received after finishing second to team mate Nico Rosberg at Spielberg.

Last year he had expressed his dissatisfaction with the ‘plastic’ trophies handed out at Silverstone by race sponsor Santander.

The winner of the British Grand Prix traditionally has his name engraved on the golden Royal Automobile Club (RAC) trophy, first awarded in 1948.

Hamilton will be hoping to get his hands on that one as well on Sunday.

MIKA: No point complaining as Hamilton won't win anyway

[MIKA27]

ROSBERG AND HAMILTON PARK SIDE BY SIDE AT SILVERSTONE

Mercedes team mates Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton have parked their motorhomes side by side in the British Grand Prix campsite and may well line up next to each other at both the start and finish on Sunday.

“I have organised to put up a big fence in between, it’s going up tonight,” Rosberg told reporters on Thursday. “I hope he doesn’t party too loud. I’m turning my loudspeakers that way now.”

Joking aside, only one is likely to be truly happy on Sunday and Rosberg sees no reason why it should not be him. If he wins, instead of home favourite and double world champion Hamilton, those who want the title battle to go down to the wire will also have more to celebrate than most of the expected 140,000-strong crowd.

If the German has had self-doubts, particularly after Hamilton won 11 races to his five last year, they are less evident now.

“I have learnt to always keep believing and push through and overcome the doubts. I think it’s very normal to have doubts,” he said.

“I think all of you have doubts that you’re going to be able to deliver with a great story this weekend, but you keep believing and then you just push through and you bang one out anyways and do better than everybody else. I’ll give you something good to write about.”

Rosberg, who has won three of the last four races and turned 30 last weekend, still has ground to make up, “It’s important for me to keep closing the gap to him and of course I’m going to try and do it here. It’s a good period in the season for me now.”

“He’s 10 points ahead and I need to keep digging away at that very quickly. Ten points is nothing if you look at the length of the season.”

In an interview with the Guardian newspaper, Rosberg also likened himself to Britain’s tennis number one Andy Murray.

“I just need to raise my game a little bit to make it happen. Just like Andy Murray, right? I just have to move up one notch. It’s just up to me to do better,” he said.

“I don’t feel unlucky that Lewis is my team mate. It’s an awesome challenge. That’s why I race. And I know that if I do a good weekend at Silverstone I can beat him.”