FORMULA 1 - 2015

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Pirelli presents 2014's vital statistics

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Flux capacitor? Check! Back to the racetrack...

http://youtu.be/obRgDko-IpI

"Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads, but we do need racetracks…"

McLaren-Honda drivers Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button get ready for the 2015 season with an unlikely encounter with something that looks more than a little reminiscent of one of the movie world’s most famous time machines.

Equipped with a shiny silver McLaren 650S, the duo are faced with the ultimate question on the lips of any racing driver: ‘Would I rather have driven in grands prix gone by, or should I cast my eyes to the horizon and aim for the future?”

The answer, they learn, is clearcut – but can they fit the MP4-30 with a flux capacitor…?

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Renault admits it is still behind Mercedes

Red Bull's engine supplier Renault has admitted it might not have closed the performance gap to standard-setting Mercedes over the winter.

Mercedes had a significant power advantage over rivals Renault and Ferrari as they dominated last season.

Renault Sport boss Cyril Abiteboul said: "We believe we have made a very big step in performance.

"We may not have erased all the gaps but we are confident we have gone a long way to making up the deficit."

Renault were believed to have a deficit to Mercedes in the region of 50bhp by the end of last season and insiders say they have made up about that amount over the winter.

But Mercedes are also said to have added at least 50bhp in performance to their engine since 2014.

Unlike last season, manufacturers can make a limited amount of developments to their engine over the course of the season.

Renault Sport, which has been restructured, said in a statement on Wednesday that on the engine "we have made some fundamental changes to gain performance and reliability".

The main changes on the turbo hybrid V6 for 2015, it said, were to the main internal combustion engine, the turbocharger and the battery.

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FERRARI SF15-T BREAKS COVER

The SF15-T the sixty first car built by Ferrari specifically to take part in the Formula 1 World Championship. It is the second car made by Ferrari since the reintroduction of turbo engines in 2014. The first year of these new regulations was extremely challenging for the Scuderia and the lessons learned have been applied vigorously to the SF15-T to create a car that is in every respect a large step forwards with respect to the F14-T.

Chassis

The most striking visual difference between the SF15-T and its predecessor is the lowering of the front end of the car in accordance with the change of regulations for the 2015 season. After a few seasons of rather unappealing aesthetics, the 2015 rules permit the SF15-T an attractive nose shape which also brings excellent aerodynamic performance. Aside from the nose area, the regulations for 2015 are largely unchanged. This has given the Team a stable base on which to engineer a much stronger chassis than the year before:

A casual glance at the back of the car reveals a much more tightly packaged rear end which allows more downforce to be extracted from the critical surfaces around the rear of the car. The rear wing family has been extensively redesigned to deliver stable performance in corners while producing a larger DRS effect on the straights. The front and rear brake ducts have been remodeled to produce more cooling of caliper and brake disk while generating more downforce than their 2014 counterparts. Both front and rear suspension kinematics have been overhauled to present the tyre to the road in a manner that allows better use of the Pirelli rubber.

Integration

As in 2014, the current rules place heavy emphasis on the strong integration of Power Unit and Chassis. Integration is not just about packaging – finding neat homes for all the myriad equipment in the car – it is more about making sure that the PU and Chassis are specified so that the resulting vehicle will have the highest possible performance. A range of carefully chosen design targets ensure that the SF15-T has optimum choice of cooling to provide the best overall downforce and power levels. In addition to carefully designed internal airflow, the SF15-T has a much improved cooler matrix layout that allows several tenths of a second per lap compared to the previous year.

Brakes

2014 was the first year of the so called Brake –by-Wire (BBW); a system permitted by the rules as a way of allowing the maximum amount of electric power to be harvested under braking while maintaining an optimal brake balance. In practice, it proved much easier to obtain the former than the latter with the first versions of this system. The BBW was improved greatly during the 2014 season and the SF15-T is further optimized to produce a braking response that should allow the driver sensitive control while braking at the limit.

Transmission

The broadly stable regulations for 2015 have allowed us to work on the details of our transmission, carrying forward lessons learned in 2014 to make sure that the SF15-T is a step forward in all areas. The choice of 8 forward gear ratios are fixed for the entire season once they are run in the first race, and our experience from last year has allowed us to choose these ratios carefully for best use over the course of the season. The clutch, traditionally a strong point for the Scuderia, has been further improved with a series of detailed changes to make sure that the SF15-T will continue to enjoy strong performance off the start line.

Weight and tyres

The regulations allow the weight of the car to increase by 11kg with respect to the 2014 car. The SF15-T uses this extra allowance in the regulations to buy some additional performance features under the skin of the car while retaining a workable level of ballast to trim the centre of gravity of the car.

The 2015 tyres are little changed from 2014. A new rear casing tested by all the Teams towards the end of last year delivers better rear end grip, especially while loaded in combined conditions of cornering and traction. The range of compounds for the season and the selection of compounds taken to each circuit will be very similar to 2014. However, the performance level of the SF15-T will be much higher than the F14T, and should allow us to exploit all the performance available in the rubber.

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SAUBER PRESENTS THE FERRARI POWERED C34

The Sauber F1 Team will go into the 2015 FIA Formula One Championship with new drivers Marcus Ericsson (SE, 24) and Felipe Nasr (BR, 22). Raffaele Marciello (IT, 20) has signed as test and reserve driver. The roll-out of the new Sauber C34-Ferrari will take place at the first winter test in Jerez de la Frontera (Spain).

With regard to the 2015 season, team principal Monisha Kaltenborn said: “2014 was a very disappointing year. However, this is in the past, and we now focus on what comes next. We have learned our lessons and are confident for the new season.”

The team principal’s prediction for the new season is short and concise: “We have to improve, and be able to fight for championship points.” For the Sauber F1 Team 2015 is its 23rd season in Formula One; it is the fourth oldest of the current brands.

Monisha Kaltenborn is optimistic about the new driver line-up: “I am delighted about our two new drivers who bring a breath of fresh air. Both are young, talented and highly motivated. On their way to Formula 1 both stood out through victories in Formula BMW and Formula 3. Both then finished this career progression off in the GP2-Series. While Marcus looks back to one season in Formula 1, Felipe will have his rookie year in which he comes fully prepared due to his role as test and reserve driver at Williams last year. I feel confident with regard to our drivers.”

Marcus Ericsson also looks into the future with optimism: “I am pleased about being a member of the Sauber F1 Team. After a difficult season, we want to move forward and fight in the mid-field like the team previously did. From a driver’s point of view, I want to continue to learn and establish myself as a Formula One driver. I have the feeling

of being in the perfect environment to do so. In Formula One it is difficult to have precise targets, as it depends on the overall package. It is clear that we want to be fighting for points.”

Felipe Nasr explains: “In my rookie season there is a lot to learn, and especially as I have not yet driven on some circuits yet. In general, I am ready to take on this challenge. In my role as test and reserve driver for Williams last year, I was involved in every race weekend. Furthermore, I also had the chance to drive the car a few times, so I think I have a certain understanding of Formula One. Now I am taking the next step in being a race driver, and I am looking forward to bringing my experience from 2014 as well as to supporting the Sauber F1 Team in getting back into the points.”

Test and reserve driver is Raffaele Marciello who, as well as other series, won the 2013 Formula 3 Championship in an outstanding way. Last year he had two podium finishes and won the main GP 2 race in Spa-Francorchamps. Raffaele will also have the opportunity to participate in some Friday practice sessions during Grands Prix. Monisha Kaltenborn said: “Raffaele’s previous career is impressive. Therefore it is a logical step for us to give him the opportunity to become more familiar with Formula 1. As a team we are pleased to be there with him on his way to the pinnacle of motorsport.”

Raffaele Marciello explained: “I am really pleased to be a member of the Sauber F1 Team, which has a long tradition of building up excellent drivers. I really think that this is the best choice for my future career. I am also happy to compete for one more season in the GP2 Series, which, together with my new F1 role, will give me a very busy 2015 season. I want to thank the people at the Ferrari Driver Academy who are responsible for giving me this important opportunity, and now I really can’t wait to start delivering my best.”

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VETTEL: IT WOULD BE WRONG TO IMMEDIATELY EXPECT A LOT OF US

Sebastian Vettel gave Ferrari’s new Formula One car his seal of approval on Friday while warning fans not to expect too much from a team that made major changes after failing to win anything last year.

“Obviously there is a change in colour for me so it’s a new experience but I think the car looks beautiful,” said the four- times world champion, who has joined from Red Bull, after the SF15-T car was unveiled online.

“There is a lot of change going on, a lot of new people in new positions including myself, and it always takes a bit of time to settle in,” added the German.

“I’m confident that we are going in the right direction but I think it would be wrong to immediately expect a lot of us.”

Ferrari, the most successful and oldest team, finished fourth last year as dominant Mercedes won 16 of the 19 races.

Red Bull’s Australian Daniel Ricciardo took the others and eclipsed Vettel along the way.

“We need to remember we are coming from a 2014 season where there was one team very dominant so it will be difficult to be right there from the beginning,” Vettel said.

“I think for us the main target is to start to really work together, start to make progress and hopefully catch up more and more as the season progresses.

“If the situation is like last year, it will be very difficult to really fight for victories but of course it is our goal and that’s why we’re here.”

Vettel, who has replaced Spaniard Fernando Alonso in the lineup, joins Finland’s 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen at a team that had three team principals during the course of last season.

The latest, Maurizio Arrivabene, took over in November and said last month that he would be happy if Ferrari won two races this year.

“I am just realistic,” he said on Friday. “We are committed at least to win two races.”

The Italian said the new car, with a swooping nose in place of the ‘broken’ 2014 one, certainly looked a winner.

“Enzo Ferrari said a long time ago that the best car is a winning car. Last year we had an ugly car that was a non-winning car. I like this year’s car…I don’t know about the performance but it’s really sexy,” he said.

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APSLEY APPOINTED FORCE INDIA OFFICIAL TAILORS

Sahara Force India is pleased to welcome Apsley Tailors as the team’s supplier of bespoke tailoring. The London-based brand will dress the team’s race drivers and senior management with a range of clothing options including suits, blazers and jackets to be worn throughout the 2015 season.

With a 125-year heritage, Apsley Tailors have built their worldwide reputation on a tradition of quality and comfort. Everything they produce is bespoke and made to measure, which draws immediate parallels with Sahara Force India’s Formula One cars. It is this attention to detail and insistence on design perfection that makes Apsley the ideal brand to dress the team with style and elegance.

Otmar Szafnauer, Chief Operating Officer of Sahara Force India: “Apsley Tailors are known for providing stylish suits and I’m delighted to welcome them to the Sahara Force India family. We want everyone on our team to look their best and we know that Apsley can make this happen. We’ve been very impressed by Apsley’s excellent service and the quality of their garments. We’re looking forward to a stylish and successful partnership this season.”

Arshad Mahmood, Managing Director of Apsley Tailors: “Apsley Tailors are proud of our sporting associations and we are happy to continue our involvement in the racing world by providing bespoke clothing for the Sahara Force India team. We’re excited at the prospect of working with such an innovative team and supporting them as they take on the 2015 season with a dynamic new car and exquisite new suits to match.”

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MERCEDES TO TRAVEL IN STYLE WITH TUMI

The Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team and leading global travel lifestyle brand, Tumi announced a new partnership for the 2015 Formula One season onwards.

Tumi, a global leader in travel lifestyle, are renowned for providing their customers with beautiful and world-class business and travel products designed to uncomplicate and upgrade all aspects of their life on the move; a perfect match for the requirements of Mercedes AMG Petronas as the team follows the global Formula One calendar.

Becoming an Official Team Supplier, Tumiwill be providing the Mercedes AMG Petronas team exclusively with Tumi premium Tegra-Lite and Alpha 2 products.

Jerome Griffith, Chief Executive Officer and President of Tumi: “Tumi is delighted and proud to be a partner of the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team and look forward to evolving our relationship over the coming years. The unity between our two companies embodies the sophistication, creativity and innovative design which characterises both brands. As leaders in our respective fields, Mercedes AMG Petronas and Tumi create a powerful synergy that expresses our shared dedication for outstanding performance. We anticipate with enthusiasm the team’s continued success and a rewarding experience together.”

Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: “We are very pleased to announce our new partnership with Tumi and welcome them to the team as an Official Supplier just as the Formula One track action begins again with the first pre-season test taking place in Spain next week. The demands of travelling around the globe to 20 Grands Prix locations requires a premium travel product, and we are delighted that the team will benefit from Tumi’s expertise in design excellence, innovation and functionality.”

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WILLIAMS CONCLUDES APPAREL DEAL WITH ALPINESTARS

Williams Martini Racing has reached a new agreement with motorsport apparel specialist Alpinestars that will see the company supply its technical performance products to the team for the 2015 Formula One season and beyond.

Founded in Asolo, Italy in 1963, Alpinestars is a global leader in technical, high performance protection for motorcycle and auto racing. The company will supply the suits, under layers, boots and gloves worn by the Williams pit crew and drivers Felipe Massa, Valtteri Bottas, Susie Wolff and Alex Lynn during the 2015 Formula One World Championship. The company’s race suits are made from advanced, ultra-lightweight fabrics that blend the highest safety standards with breathability and comfort and are designed to give both the drivers and crew a vital performance advantage.

Speaking about the new agreement Alpinestars President/CEO, Gabriele Mazzarolo commented: “Our technology development is based upon testing at the pinnacle of world motorsport; Formula 1, NASCAR, WEC, MotoGP, Motocross and every other form of top-level competition. Forming a technical partnership with Williams is a natural continuation of that philosophy given the team’s long and illustrious record of innovation and success. Our technical support will ensure continuous development of product technology to ensure drivers and crew benefit from the highest level of product performance so critical in Formula 1”.

Claire Williams, Deputy Team Principal and Commercial Director of Williams, added: “Alpinestars are known as one of the leading suppliers of high tech performance wear for top level motorsport and we’re delighted to confirm a new multi-year partnership. We will be working together to make sure that our drivers and pit crew have high performing gear that will give our team the edge next season both in terms of style and technology.”

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TORO ROSSO PRESENTS THE NEW STR10 IN JEREZ

The Toro Rosso STR10 was revealed today at the Jerez de la Frontera circuit in southern Spain. As the car’s codename implies, 2015 will be Scuderia Toro Rosso’s tenth year in Formula 1 and CEPSA, who hosted today’s launch, has sponsored the team for the past 4 years.

The team’s rookie drivers Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz whipped the sheets off Scuderia Toro Rosso’s challenger for the 2015 Formula 1 World Championship in the Jerez pit lane, the day before the serious business of testing gets underway with four days of track action.

The STR10 has been produced under the technical directorship of James Key, Chief Designers Paolo Marabini (Chief Designer – Composites & Structures) and Matteo Piraccini (Chief Designer – Mechanical & Systems.) Built by the team in Faenza, Italy, it owes its shape to the efforts of the Wind Tunnel staff in Bicester, UK.

Carlos Sainz, will have the honour of being the first to drive the new car tomorrow, here in his native Spain. The team’s other rookie Max Verstappen will drive on Monday and Wednesday, with Sainz back in on the Tuesday.”

Iñigo Diaz de Espada (CEPSA , Senior Vice President Communication and Institutional Relations): “Its a great honour for CEPSA to present, together with Scuderia Toro Rosso, this new car, something we have now done for the past four years in our role as one of the main sponsors of a team which has a great record of bringing new talent to Formula 1.”

“That’s definitely the case this year, with 17 year old Max Verstappen becoming the youngest driver to race at this level, teamed with Carlos Sainz, a great driver who has demonstrated great ability and skill, in being crowned champion in last year’s Renault World Series. CEPSA has a special link to Carlos, having already supported him during his past three seasons in racing.”

“CEPSA and Toro Rosso share many common values in terms of constantly striving to improve, while maintaining the benefits of team work in a secure environment. CEPSA is a world leader in its field and one of its goals is increased globalization, expanding into new markets and spheres of activity.”

“There is no doubt that our long association with Toro Rosso has helped bring our name to a wider audience and we thank the team for great cooperation over these past years. We are looking forward to the challenge that awaits us in 2015, starting with the very first test here in Jerez tomorrow.”

Franz Tost (Team Principal): “The launch of the new STR10 car today here in Jerez de la Frontera marks the start of a new and hopefully thrilling F1 season. We are delighted that CEPSA has hosted us again and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank them, as well as our other long-term partners, Red Bull, Nova Chemicals and Sapinda, for their continuous collaboration over the years and I’m especially pleased that they are with us again this season as Scuderia Toro Rosso marks a decade in Formula 1. I’m also happy to welcome our new sponsor Estrella Galicia 0,0, who has just joined us today.”

“The 2015 season is a new challenge for all of us. We’ve put a lot of work into the STR10 and we are convinced that we will have a successful year. Our objective is to finish fifth in the constructors championship and we are ready to do our best to achieve it. Our engine partner Renault has also worked very hard to come up with new modifications and I’m sure that our joint effort will give us a package which will certainly be very competitive. All in all, we have a much stronger team as well as a very competitive STR10 and fast drivers; it’s a great combination.”

“Another point that also makes me happy is that we have a very high-skilled young driver pairing which makes this season even more exciting. They both showed fantastic performances throughout their career, winning races and championships, and it’s because of their driving skills that Red Bull has decided to bring them to Scuderia Toro Rosso. I’m really sure that they are very well prepared for this challenge, as is the rest of the team. We are ready for it!”

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TORO ROSSO ROOKIES FIRED UP FOR THE F1 NEW SEASON

Toro Rosso rookie drivers Carlos Sainz and Max Verstappen, along with team principal Franz Tost spoke on the occasion of the launch of the team’s 2015 car, the STR10, at Jerez in southern Spain ahead iof the first preseason test at the venue.

Carlos Sainz (Car number 55 – driving duties: 1st & 3rd February): “I am very happy to be making my first official appearance as a Formula 1 driver here in Spain and I am looking forward to trying the car for the first time tomorrow. I have worked very hard over the winter on my personal fitness, as well as spending time in Faenza to familiarise myself with the team, having also done some days in the simulator. Now we have just 12 days to prepare for Melbourne, so going through all the race weekend procedures will be a priority for me, as well as putting in as many miles as possible behind the wheel.”

Max Verstappen (Car number 33 – driving duties: 2nd & 4th February): “I can’t wait for the season to start and tomorrow will seem like a very long day, watching Carlos in the car! With two days in the 2014 car at the Abu Dhabi test and the Friday mornings I did last season, combined with time spent in the simulator, I feel well prepared and I’m really up for this challenge, which is very exciting. Six days on track here in Spain and then it will be time to head for Australia and my first Grand Prix, something I have been looking forward to ever since I started karting.”

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Dennis: Alonso is not going anywhere

Ron Dennis has put paid to speculation that Fernando Alonso could head to Mercedes in 2016, adamant there is no get-out clause in his contract.

This season the double World Champion is returning to Woking having signed a three-year deal with McLaren-Honda.

There is, however, some speculation that his future could lie with the Mercedes team.

Team boss Toto Wolff recently stated that Alonso would be his first pick should Lewis Hamilton opt not to extend his stay beyond this season.

Dennis, though, insists the Spaniard is not going anywhere.

"No McLaren driver has ever had performance clauses in his contract and that is the case with Alonso," he told BBC Sport.

The McLaren chairman also denied reports that there is a deadline for him to raise the money needed to take a majority shareholding in the McLaren Technology Group.

According to the BBC, 'sources close to McLaren have claimed that if he does not do so by the end of this month, he could be ousted as chairman.'

Dennis, who owns 25 percent of McLaren Technology, has denied this although did reveal that "subject to my raising financial support there could be a restructure of some of the shareholding.

"But all of the shareholders currently in the McLaren Group will remain, possibly in either a diluted form or a different structure."

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Ferrari expects its 2015 F1 car to suit Kimi Raikkonen better

Ferrari technical director James Allison is confident that the team's 2015 Formula 1 car will suit Kimi Raikkonen better than last year's.

Raikkonen struggled throughout 2014 with a lack of confidence under braking and on corner entry, which left him unable to regularly challenge team-mate Fernando Alonso.

But with Ferrari chiefs now having a better understanding of what the Finn needs to be successful, the team has made tweaks to the concept of its 2015 F1 challenger.

Technical director James Allison said after the launch of the new SF15-T on Friday that Raikkonen should be better off this year.

"We will only know for sure once we are running on the track, but I hope that the SF-15T will be much more comfortable for him with both a stronger front end in mid corner and more support from the rear under braking," said Allison.

Raikkonen could also be helped by stronger rear tyres from Pirelli - which will help improve confidence when cornering.

"It will be the rear casing that is the most significant," explained Allison.

"It allows the car better support under combined loading conditions and gives the driver more confidence through the corner as a result."

STIFF CHALLENGE TO WIN

Despite optimism that the new Ferrari has addressed many of the weaknesses of last year's car, Allison admits that it will not be straightforward to deliver the wins that the team is targeting.

"No one ever said Formula 1 was supposed to be easy," he said.

"It will be a very stiff challenge to win races in 2015, but we have made good steps forward over the whole car and we hope that this work will translate into a notable step forward in our fortunes."

Allison also confirmed that Toni Cuquerella, Robert Kubica's former race engineer at BMW, would join the team as chief race engineer.

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Vettel hails 'straightforward' Ferrari F1 team-mate Raikkonen

Sebastian Vettel thinks his relationship with Kimi Raikkonen at Ferrari will be more "straightforward" than most Formula 1 team-mate partnerships.

Raikkonen said when Vettel was announced as his 2015 team-mate that he knew the German better than any of his other F1 rivals and expected it to be a "fun" partnership.

As Ferrari launched its new SF15-T on Friday, Vettel suggested the Finn would be particularly easy to work with by F1 standards.

"I don't expect any problems," said Vettel.

"He will be a difficult team-mate to beat on the track because he's very quick and very talented, but off the track we get on well.

"Usually there are not being words being exchanged, but it's very straightforward - which is something I appreciate in Kimi and it doesn't happen that often in Formula 1."

Team boss Mauricio Arrivabene underlined that he did not want driver dynamics to be hog the limelight this season.

Last year's match-up between Fernando Alonso and Raikkonen was the subject of much pre-season speculation, while in previous years Felipe Massa's number two status to Alonso had proved consistently topical.

"They have to work together as team-mates, they have to work with the team," Arrivabene said of his 2015 drivers.

"I want to be talking about the overall team and not only about the driver.

"Everybody is pushing and working together in the same direction and I am expecting the drivers to do the same."

Raikkonen agreed with Vettel that they should make a harmonious pairing.

"It's the first time working with him but I'm sure we'll have a good understanding of each other and to push the team forward," said the 2007 champion.

"Obviously we'll fight against each other, but in a good way, and we'll push each other to do better things."

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Adrian Newey doesn't expect Red Bull RB11 F1 title bid in 2015

Adrian Newey thinks it too early to expect Renault to have made the progress needed to enable Red Bull to challenge for the Formula 1 world championship this year.

The design genius, who has stepped back from a full-time role at Red Bull's F1 team, is well aware that his squad's hopes of success depend on how Renault performs.

On the back of a disappointing 2014 campaign, Newey believes it unrealistic to expect the French car manufacturer to have fully closed the gap to F1 pace-setter Mercedes.

"I think we should be realistic about our expectations for this year," said Newey in a video interview published by Red Bull ahead of the first pre-season test at Jerez in Spain.

"Mercedes have a very strong power unit, we estimate [with] somewhere around 60 horsepower [advantage] at the end of last season.

"Renault are working away very hard at eliminating that deficit, but it does take time. Power units have a very long lead-time.

"The pace of development, just because of the technology, is slower than we're able to work at on the chassis side.

"They have a challenge ahead, which I'm confident they will meet, but they need time to achieve that.

"This year will really be about continuing to try to move forward and reduce the deficit that we suffered at times last year.

"If we can manage the odd win, as we did last year, then that would be fantastic.

"But we can't count on it. I think it's really a season that will be very much about trying to extract the most we can and build on it for the future."

NEW RED BULL APPROACH

As well as Renault having revamped its F1 programme to try to make progress, Red Bull has also changed how it deals with the French car manufacturer.

The team's chief designer Rob Marshall thinks that Red Bull has helped fast track improvements.

"The process of working with Renault has changed a little bit," he said.

"We've taken on more responsibility to help them with certain areas of the engine package.

"The demarcation zone between engine and chassis is not as clear as it used to be.

"Getting the most out of one of these modern power units requires a lot of integration between the chassis and engine side, so we're working with Renault much more closely.

"We hope to make significant gains. We know it's a bit on both sides - the engine was clearly struggling against the Mercedes.

"We hope to make a reasonable improvement, and close the gap by a tangible amount.

"If we can do enough on the car and get some benefit on the chassis side, then hopefully we can compete and win some more races."

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Fifth in 2015 F1 championship no fantasy target insists Toro Rosso

Toro Rosso team boss Franz Tost reckons finishing fifth in the Formula 1 constructors' championship is a realistic target for the 2015 season, because of aggressive developments over the winter.

The Faenza-based squad finished a distant seventh in the 2014 title race, a massive 125 points adrift of sixth-placed F1 rival Force India.

STR would need to defeat at least one of the four 'works' teams (Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren) or Williams to achieve its target, but Tost insisted ahead of Sunday's first pre-season test at Jerez that his team could do it.

"The target is clearly to finish fifth in the constructors' championship, which means the drivers must be permanently in the points," Tost said.

"The team is getting better and better - we are building up quite a big infrastructure in Faenza.

"In the last two or three years we've [also] built up a strong technical team under James [Key] and this year we will make a big jump forward.

"[With] the package we've got from the car side, the driver side and the financial side, we simply must be in a position for fifth in the championship. I am convinced we can achieve it."

2014 BETTER THAN IT LOOKED

Technical director James Key said Toro Rosso had been much closer to McLaren and Force India with last year's STR9 than the points table suggested.

He reckons this makes the target of fifth in the 2015 title race more realistic than might otherwise be expected.

"Last year we were distant in points but we weren't that distant in performance - we just didn't make the most of it," he said.

"If you look at McLaren and Force India, a lot of the year we qualified with them or ahead of them; we simply didn't make it work in the race, whether through reliability issues, a bit of bad luck, an accident, or something else.

"When you calculate the number of points we genuinely missed, the total is massive. It wouldn't have got us fifth place if you add them up, but it would have got us a hell of a lot closer than the 30 we got."

Key conceded Tost's target was ambitious, but said it would be good for the team to aim high.

"There is nothing wrong with having a bit of ambition; we don't want to be seventh," he added.

"There are no guarantees but you have to set yourself high targets.

"When you think about that sort of target of course you recognise you have to compete against teams that have won world championships in the past.

"Toro Rosso hasn't won a championship, so we have to build up to that."

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Renault F1 teams don't expect repeat of 2014 testing problems

Renault's Formula 1 teams have faith that the French car manufacturer is well set to escape the testing nightmares that it suffered 12 months ago.

At Jerez last year, Renault suffered a hugely disappointing first outing for its new turbo V6 engine, with it being troubled by both poor reliability and a lack of performance.

But after a refocus of Renault's F1 efforts and a overhaul of its power unit this winter, Red Bull and Toro Rosso chitefs say all indications are that the manufacturer is on course to enjoy a much better pre-season.

Toro Rosso team principal Franz Tost said on Saturday: "Renault has done a step forward, this is without any doubt.

"But to do a step forward is one thing: it now depends on what step forwards Mercedes has made.

"But I am quite positive about the work from Renault - because on Wednesday we were the first team out on track, during a filming day, and we did 96km without any problems.

"This was a big step forward and I hope we can do a good test here. We trust in the work of Renault and the rest we will see."

Toro Rosso technical director James Key added: "They [Renault] are certainly in much better shape now than they were last year.

"They went through a tough time last year but they have recovered extremely well, so we will see what we can do."

Red Bull chief designer Rob Marshall also believes that his team will have a calmer time during the build-up to the campaign - having endured a spate of reliability dramas this time last year.

"I'm hoping for a much more ordered pre-season," he said. "There should be less drama.

"The engine's much more known to us, so unless there's some big drama around the corner, I hope we'll have a more sensible time."

[MIKA27]

The real W06 developments are under the skin - Lowe

Whilst the Mercedes W06 looks visually different to its title-winning predecessor, mainly thanks to a reprofiled nose, the vast majority of developments are under the bodywork according to technical boss Paddy Lowe.

The team are hoping to defend their crown this season and head into the year as clear favourites after dominating 2014.

Lowe is confident the W06 will be a step above the W05 with improvements coming in a number of areas.

"There is a lot of novelty on this car, absolutely," he explained to the official F1 website. "We have found performance in a number of areas.

"Overall it is an evolution of last year's car because the rules aren't too different, but here or there we've been able to make minor revolutions."

Apart from the new slimmer nose, Lowe reckons fans will struggle to find major changes elsewhere, with the vast majority of development happening under the bodywork.

"Aside from the nose, which has been one of our big topics for our winter aero programme, people looking at the car won't see enormous differences. Underneath though, there is a lot of change.

"We needed to achieve that because our competitors will have done the same. You only have to look at your old cars to realise how quickly things can age in Formula 1. That's the nature of innovation and development. So you have to keep pushing in every single area - and sometimes we surprise ourselves."

[Baldy]

Renault F1 teams don't expect repeat of 2014 testing problems

Duh! There's no way it could have been worse than last year.

I'm a huge McLaren and Honda fan and hope they get out of the gate well. Having said that I would think they would struggle the most of any of the engine supplier.

Looking forward to the start of the season in a little over a month's time.

[MIKA27]

JEREZ DAY 1: VETTEL FASTEST IN FERRARI TEST DEBUT

Sebastian Vettel tops timesheet for Ferrari but Nico Rosberg posts 157 trouble-free laps to confirm Mercedes are still the team to match.

Sun 01.02.15, 6:06PM

New Ferrari signing Sebastian Vettel topped the timesheets in Jerez as pre-season testing ahead of the 2015 FIA Formula World Championship campaign but it was Mercedes who sent out the strongest message – with 2014 title runner-up Nico Rosberg putting in 157 trouble-free laps on day one, more than double the total of the next most consistent runners.

Meanwhile, McLaren, who were running their new Honda-powered MP4-30 for the first time managed just six laps with the package going through same teething troubles experienced by their rivals at the same time last year, when the sport’s new hybrid, turbocharged power units were first introduced.

Rosberg was quickest throughout the morning with the Mercedes driving logging almost a century of laps by the midway point of running. Top spot was wrested away from the German in the early afternoon, however, as Vettel went for a short run in the new Ferrari SF15-T. That netted the four-time world champion a time of 1:22.958 and top spot on the timesheet. He progressively bettered that benchmark and finished the day with a best time of 1:22.620, set on medium tyres.

Rosberg ended the day in third place with a best time of 1:23.106 but perhaps the relevance of the laptimes was underlined by new Sauber recuit Marcus Ericsson finishing in P2 with a time of 1:22.777, set on soft tyres.

“That was a great start to the winter testing,” said Robserg. “In the beginning it’s all about reliability and we managed to do a lot of mileage today. The guys in the factories built a complete new car and now we come here and it’s working great, so the team did a fantastic job over the winter. I was able to do some good long runs on the first day and that’s really amazing.”

Encouragingly for Sauber, Ericsson did end the day with the second-largest total of laps, 73, a figure matched by Valtteri Bottas in Williams’ FW37.

Williams were slow to start running, with Bottas only completing his first installation lap some two hours after the start of proceedings. His first timed lap came an hour later. Once up and running, however, Bottas enjoyed a trouble-free afternoon and claimed the day’s fifth-fastest time.

Fourth place on the timesheet but at the top of the list in terms of making an opening-day impression were Red Bull Racing.

Lat season’s runners-up rolled out their RB11 car this morning with the new challenger sporting a striking, black and white “dazzle” livery of the sort used by motor manufacturers to disguise prototype cars.

With Daniel Ricciardo at the wheel, the team logged 35 laps on day one and despite calling a halt with a little over an hour remaining due to a technical issue, Head of Race Engineering Guillaume Rocquelin branded the outing a success.

“The day generally went according to plan, starting cautiously, building up the length of the runs and learning all the time,” he said. “We had a small issue with the brake controls system around lunchtime but you’re always going to have little niggles like that on day’s like this. We stopped running late in the afternoon with a technical issue, but it wasn’t too serious. An alarm went off on the engine and at that stage of the day, knowing that an investigation would take time we chose to stop. Aside from that, everything went pretty as we hoped.”

Ricciardo meanwhile admitted that he could feel an improvement from Renault’s upgraded power unit but he declined to say just how much.

“So the first impressions are good,” he said. “We’ll get a few more laps over the next few days but so far everything seems pretty encouraging. I can feel a step forward. I won’t go into too much detail but it’s there. We didn’t do a whole lot of laps but definitely more than last year! In general everything is behaving as it should. Obviously we had a couple of issues but once the car is running it’s all going pretty normally. A good first day, there are some positive signs there.”

Behind Bottas, Toro Rosso debutant Carlos Sainz was sixth fastest. The Spaniard racked up a decent total of 46 laps but brought out the red flags late in the afternoon with the day’s second stoppage. Ericsson had caused a brief halt in the morning with a spin.

That just left McLaren. The MP4-30 finally broke cover after two hours of the session had elapsed, with Fernando Alonso at the wheel. The Spaniard put in three installations laps and then a short three-lap run that included just one timed lap.

Just seven drivers took to the track today. Force India last week pulled out of the trip to the Spanish circuit, while Lotus this morning announced a delay with their arrival at the track, the team’s E23 only landing in Spain at the end of the day. The team later announced that it does not expect to run the new car before Tuesday morning.

2015 Testing Jerez – Day One

1. Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 1:22.620 60 laps
2. Marcus Ericsson Sauber 1:22.777 73 laps
3. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1:23.106 157 laps
4. Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull 1:23.338 35 laps
5. Valtteri Bottas Williams 1:23.906 73 laps
6. Carlos Sainz Jr Toro Rosso 1:25.327 46 laps
7. Fernando Alonso McLaren 1:40.738 6 laps

[MIKA27]

ROSBERG: I’M MASSIVELY MOTIVATED FOR THE REMATCH

Nico Rosberg has had a couple of months to deal with the disappointment of having to play second fiddle to his Mercedes teammate in the 2014 Formula 1 world championship, but the German is now fully recharged and ready to give it another go.

“It’s been a great winter, although it has actually seemed very long to me”, says Nico. “The lucky thing about this sport as a driver is that you get a lot of down time between each season to rest, recharge, spend time with the family and really hit the training hard. But now I am eager to get back to work and go maximum attack for another season.”

“I know the feeling of winning and of fighting for a Championship after last year – but I also know the feeling of not winning in the end and I don’t want to repeat that. It’s an extra boost and it gives me so much motivation for the year ahead.”

“I’m so proud to be in this moment with the team – coming off the back of a fantastic year, putting the Silver Arrows right back at the front where they belong. It will be massively tough to repeat what we achieved in 2014 but we all want to keep that momentum going and to dominate the sport for many years to come.”

“We know the opposition will be right there, so we have to keep pushing flat out to have any chance of doing that. Nothing is for certain but, whatever happens, I know it will be another great battle with Lewis. This year is the rematch for me and I’m massively motivated for it.”

“It’s always a really exciting time around the launch – getting to drive the car for the first time, having our first insight into what’s new, how it feels, how hard we can push straight away. Then getting into what the set-up parameters are doing, making a few changes, getting a feel for how it behaves. I know so much about the new car from my time at the factory – but only on paper.”

“Getting out there and driving it properly in testing will be an awesome feeling. This is where we build our experience and knowledge for the first race and it’s so important to get that baseline right. Melbourne is a long way off but I’m feeling good in myself and confident in this team because, to put it simply, they’re just an awesome group of people to work with.”

[MIKA27]

DESIGN PHILOSOPHY OF THE NEWEY PENNED RED BULL RB11

After an intensely busy off-season, Infiniti Red Bull’s Racing’s 2015 Formula One car, the RB11, has hit the track and begun testing at the Circuito de Jerez in Spain ahead of the new season.

Featuring a striking new test livery, the RB11 features a host of improvements in all areas as the team seeks to improve on its 2014 campaign, when it took the RB10 from a difficult start to second place in the Constructors’ Championship. The most notable shape change to this year’s car is the lower nose box and front of the chassis, which were amended in line with the latest regulations, but beyond that many of the RB11’s updates are under its all–new black and white skin.

Chief Technical Officer Adrian Newey said: “The design of the RB11 has been very much about understanding what we learned from last season, which was a big regulation change as far as the power unit is concerned and the packaging that goes with that and setting about optimising the car from those lessons.”

Chief Engineering Officer Rob Marshall added: “There are some changes that affect the shape of the front of the car but beyond that most of the changes are under the skin. We’ve identified the areas where we can make improvements and we’ve worked hard on these. There won’t be a lot that’s visible to the naked eye but a lot of hard work has gone into the bits that are hidden.”

A large part of that work has involved improvements to Renault Sport’s Energy F1 power unit, updates that have been made in closer collaboration with the team.

“The relationship with Renault is a lot closer now,” says team principal Christian Horner of the team’s technical ties with the French manufacturer. “Red Bull is the only partner for Renault now, through ourselves and Toro Rosso, and that focus from Renault together with a close involvement with our design team is yielding good results and a far closer integration between the power unit and the chassis side. Working in unison with Renault we can really make some big steps forward this year.”

Newey adds that the process of reducing the deficit the team suffered last year will take time. “We have been working very hard with our partners Renault to help them develop the engine,” he says. “What we have to remember is that the internal combustion engine and its very complicated associated items, the ERS and turbocharger, are long lead time items. Those are things where if one team takes an advantage then it takes time to overthrow that or get back on a par with or hopefully ahead.”

Christian Horner commented: “We’ve been pushing to the limit as usual. We had a very tight timescale for the car to be prepared in time for the first test, but that’s normal in this team.

If you’re not on the limit you’re not trying hard enough.”

[MIKA27]

LOTUS EXPECT TO BE ON TRACK AT JEREZ BY TUESDAY

Lotus F1 Team’s 2015 challenger, the E23 Hybrid, arrived in Jerez [on Sunday] after firing-up for the first time at the team’s Enstone base on Saturday. The car is now undergoing its build programme overnight and through Monday, with the first significant running expected for Tuesday, 3 February.

Nick Chester, Lotus F1 Team Technical Director: “We have been pursuing a very tight and aggressive build programme with the E23 Hybrid which is one of the most technically advanced cars to have come out of Enstone. ”

“We will take to the track with this car as soon as we are ready from an engineering perspective. We’ve fired-up the car at Enstone and we’re now putting everything together ahead of the first laps on track.”

“Everyone at Enstone is very positive with what we’ve seen of the E23 Hybrid so far and we’re looking forward to it turning its wheels in anger for the first time later this week,” added Chester

[MIKA27]

MERCEDES DENY USING 2014 ENGINES FOR EARLY 2015

Mercedes has hit back at reports that they might begin the 2015 Formula 1 season with last year’s spec engines for strategic reasons.

It has been suggested the title-defending team, expected to still be wielding a significant advantage this year, might race in Melbourne with the 2014-spec unit and therefore keep all 32 development ‘tokens’ up its sleeve for the championship fight.

But as the W06 was officially unveiled at Jerez on Sunday as the opening winter test began, the German team’s engine boss Andy Cowell insisted: “I can assure you that we have the 2015 engine in the car right from the first test.

“We have incorporated many new ideas in all areas, from internal combustion to energy conversion,” he is quoted by Auto Motor und Sport.

“After the 12 days of testing we will decide what we can bring with reliability to the start of the season in Melbourne. Our goal is to be using the best possible engine as early as possible,” Cowell said.

[MIKA27]

Bottas pleased with FW37's start

Valtteri Bottas was pleased with Williams' progress on the opening day at Jerez after initially making a slow start.

Just minutes after unveiling the FW37, Bottas put the 2015 challenger through its paces but he completed only nine laps in the morning session as Williams wanted to make sure that everything was 100 percent with their new car.

However, things picked up later in the day and he clocked 73 laps in total with a best time of 1:23.906, which was fifth fastest on the opening day.

"The day started off a bit slow, but it ended turned out to be a really good one," the Finn said. "After that initial set-back we didn’t have a single issue with the FW37, which is impressive for the first day with a new car.

"We started off on shorter runs before longer runs later this afternoon, including one run that was significant considering again that it’s only the first day. The car was consistent, so it’s a really good start to the week and we are pleased that it’s still a step up from the car we had at the end of last season.

"We know we have a lot to learn and improve, but we also know where these gains can come from, and have work to do with the car performance and the power unit. There are a lot of strengths in this car and we’ve made good progress in just one day, so I am very pleased."