FORMULA 1 - 2016

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Targeting points in debut season is not arrogance - Steiner

Haas F1 team principal Gunther Steiner says the American outfit is not being overconfident by aiming to score points in its maiden Formula 1 season.

The new team will debut in F1 at next months’ season opener in Australia, and its first F1 car will be unveiled on the opening morning of winter testing in Barcelona, with a roll-out schedule for February 22.

But while recent new entrants like Caterham and HRT have failed to work out, there has been plenty of interest surrounding Haas F1’s first season thanks to its experienced driver line-up of Romain Grosjean and Esteban Gutierrez and the technical partnership it has with Ferrari.

Steiner believes the target of scoring points in its first F1 season is not arrogant or overambitious, adding that Haas wants to show it is still possible for new teams to do well from the very start.

"We have set ourselves high targets – because you always want to do well," he told Motorsport.com. "I think now people try to talk a little bit that we are over-achieving [in our ambitions]. But I think honestly, we are aiming for points. We have to aim high to get some.

"We don't want to sound arrogant that we are going for points. No. We are aiming for points. But the main thing that we want to do, is that we want to show that even for a new team coming in, it is still possible to do F1 starting from nothing.

"Our biggest thing is: we want to go out there and be respected by doing a good job. If that good job is finishing races, fine, but if we can pull it off and get in to the points then fantastic. I think we don't expect to be on the podium. We have clear expectations."

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Mercedes hit 900bhp and promise more to come in 2016

Mercedes' engine department are still finding "huge gains" in performance despite already leading the field, but those gains are becoming increasingly difficult to find according to engine boss Andy Cowell.

Speaking to ESPN, Cowell revealed that their power unit is already producing more than 900bhp - making it Mercedes' most powerful Formula 1 engine ever - and he promises there is more to come this year.

"It's the most powerful F1 engine [we've made] with over 900bhp," explained Cowell. "It's pretty good going from this little nimble 1.6 litre engine.

"Does it get harder to find big gains? Yes it does, but there are lots of areas where small gains will come. It's a little bit like gold mining when you work bloody hard to get lots of dust and every now and again you get a nice big nugget that makes you smile. We still find those nuggets."

Mercedes are in no way satisfied with their level of performance and Cowell is predicting improvements will continue for some time.

"We have made some huge gains in the last [few] years as we have done the development and we have made good gains with the last two years of racing," he added. "I don't see that stopping and I don't think anybody here thinks we have reached the limit."

MIKA: Hahaha!! Yes!

Just hope reliability doesn't suffer...

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Jean-Eric Vergne's Ferrari role set to change for 2016

Jean-Eric Vergne has revealed that his role with Scuderia Ferrari will change for the 2016 Formula 1 season.

Vergne joined Ferrari as a test and development driver for 2015 after spending three years racing in F1 with Toro Rosso, working alongside the team's main reserve Esteban Gutierrez.

Gutierrez has since moved out of his reserve role to join the new Haas F1 Team by virtue of its techncial partnership with Ferrari. As a result, the official role of reserve driver remains vacant.

Speaking to NBC Sports in Buenos Aires ahead of this weekend's Formula E race, Vergne confirmed that his role with Ferrari will be changing for the new season.

"Things will change a little bit," Vergne said when asked about his role with Ferrari for 2016. "It’ll be announced quite soon."

Vergne was pressed as to whether he would take up Gutierrez's old role, but said: "We’ll see. Maybe."

Vergne also looked ahead to this weekend's Buenos Aires ePrix, saying that he was sceptical of DS Virgin Racing's chances given its ongoing car weight problems.

"We are too heavy and we cannot get any lighter so we’re going to have a big extra weight for the rest of the season, but nevertheless we’re going to [give] our maximum," Vergne said.

"We’re going to make some steps forwards because the guys in the team are extremely good, working really hard, and we’re going make our best and we’ll make some steps forward to try and fight the guys that win in FE all the time."

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Stroll: "Williams better bet for my F1 future than Ferrari"

Having left the Ferrari Driver Academy to take up a development driver role at Williams, Lance Stroll explains why the Grove-based outfit is the better bet for his Formula 1 future in an exclusive interview.

Why make the switch to Williams and leave Ferrari?

“Multiple reasons – first of all, Williams has a great history of believing in young drivers, they’ve given many rookie drivers a chance in Formula 1. That was important for us, because Ferrari has a different approach; they tend to take more veteran drivers to fight for the championship.

“Williams was more what we were looking for, at least in the near future, and they were very welcoming. We were speaking to them as early as July, and we had the feeling that we were at home with Williams.

“We had that also with Ferrari, but Williams offered me a good position as a development driver with time in the simulator. Hopefully I’ll get a couple of days in an older Formula 1 car this year as well, which is very exciting.”

So Ferrari weren’t offering the progression you were looking for?

“It’s a different world. I was in the Ferrari junior programme, which was more basic – a training programme, a lot of gym work and mental work. Williams does that as well, but at the same time I get a lot more time to be closer to the Formula 1 team: more simulator time, more involved at the Grands Prix themselves with the engineers.

“I feel like we can be closer right now with Williams, and I’m working with them rather than just being part of a training camp like at Ferrari. For the future, it’s the right move.”

Was leaving Ferrari tough for you, given your achievements as part of the FDA?

“Yeah, of course – Ferrari is a great team, probably the greatest in all of motorsport. So it wasn’t easy to leave them, but I have a really exciting opportunity at Williams, which is more of a pure race team, a family, with their own great history.”

Was Valtteri Bottas’ progression from tester to racer at Williams a motivation for you? Can you see yourself doing what he did?

“Definitely, that’s our goal at Williams – and their goal with me. That’s why they approached me, we’re both hoping I can fulfil that one day.

“And it’s not only Valtteri, who’s doing a great job today, but in the past Nico Rosberg came through via Williams, Jenson Button as well… many great names who have achieved great success in F1.”

Both Bottas and Felipe Massa are out of contract for 2017. Does this give you an opportunity?

“It depends how this year goes. It would be great to race in Formula 1 – I’m not going to lie, it’s what every young driver wants – and if the opportunity comes, that would be fantastic.

“But my focus isn’t on 2017 right now. I’m focussed on F3 and trying to win the championship, and doing my job as well as possible. I had a good rookie season, but now it’s time to put that experience to use and fight for the championship. Then we’ll see what happens the year after.”

How will you ensure your Williams role isn’t a distraction in F3?

“We have a good plan, in terms of working with Williams and in F3. Williams wants me to do well in F3, they know it’s what I have to do in order to reach the next level. They’ll help me achieve that off the track in every little way they can, so I can move on to bigger and better things.”

You’ll come into this season of F3 as the title favourite – does that give you extra pressure?

“It’s pressure, but good pressure. It’s motivation, a good thing to know you’re considered the favourite. But every year is a new year; there are always drivers you don’t expect to be there; rookies who come in who are very fast, so you never know.

“But to know I’m among the frontrunners from last year is positive, and it’s good to have that experience under my belt. There’s more expectation, but that doesn’t bother me. I’ll just be looking to continue my strong form from the end of last year into the beginning of this year.”

Now Felix Rosenqvist has moved on, will you have the full weight of Prema behind you this year?

“Yeah, but you need that. Any series in motorsport takes a combination of car and driver; you need the best package and then the driver has to do the best job possible, we see it in Formula 1 as well – it takes a package to win, not any one specific thing.

“I have a strong team behind me, but everyone is pushing to beat Prema, so we just need to take it race-by-race.”

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Petrov tips SMP Racing to consider future F1 programme

Russia’s first Formula 1 driver and podium finisher Vitaly Petrov believes that his new team, SMP Racing, could have F1 ambitions in the long term.

Petrov – who drove for Renault and Caterham in his three-year F1 career – will race for SMP in the LMP2 division of the FIA World Endurance Championship this season, piloting the outfit’s BR01 that took pole position for last weekend’s Rolex 24 at Daytona.

The Russian outfit, which has claimed two WEC titles in the last two seasons, now boasts one of the biggest driver development schemes in the sport – and Petrov thinks that could eventually stretch all the way to F1.

“The team has a lot of different programmes planned in future,” Petrov told Motorsport.com. “Maybe we go LMP1, maybe in future we go to F1, nobody knows yet. But they want to be the best team in the world, and this is what I like.

“I will not just be a race driver in the SMP programme, and this is the kind of contract I was waiting for after F1. We have a lot of other drivers and I will be working together with them – and to help the general people in Russia to build up motorsport there.

“It’s already one of the biggest programmes in the world [sMP supports over 50 drivers], and this year it will be bigger than ever. I think you’ll see a lot of changes this year. We need to make racing more popular in Russia.

“We now have a Formula 1 track. It’s very important to have that – and Sochi has been very popular over the two years. We were waiting a long time for this.”

“Big future” in WEC

Petrov – who is returning to full-time racing after a year out following an unsuccessful DTM campaign in 2014 – will spearhead SMP’s LMP2 attack this season.

“I’m really looking forward to racing our Russian prototype, BR01,” said Petrov. “The car is quite good, it took pole for the Daytona 24 Hours, and we need to work hard in testing before the start of the WEC season.

“I can see a big future here; together with a Russian team, Russian people to develop a Russian car – it might take two or three years – we have a lot of work here but it’s a great opportunity.

“This car has a big potential, and we knew this from the test at Daytona – we had some issues with the engine in practice [after taking pole] and then it looked like the replacement engine wasn’t strong enough in the race.

“Of course we can win this year already, because the car looks quick. Now we start to work on the tests, we'll do quite a lot of testing – Le Mans and WEC we'll try to win.”

Return to Le Mans

Petrov, 31, has raced in the Le Mans 24 Hours previously, and has three sportscar starts to his name – which he combined with his 2007 GP2 campaign.

“I already have some experience racing at Le Mans in 2007 [in a Courage-AER LMP2 with Romain Iannetta and Liz Halliday] and an LMP2 race at Valencia [finishing 11th in a Le Mans Series race with Jean-Marc Gounon] and in the Courage LMP1 at Spa [with Gounon and Guillaume Moreau].

“So I more or less know the game here, nothing new. The people with who I will be working, I’ve worked with them before or I’ve been friends with them. The key to this project is to develop the car together, we need to bring the car home and achieve the results together.

“Everybody here understands what we have to do. They have raced at Le Mans for the last few years, they already know what to expect. We need a good testing programme, and then I think we have a good chance of success.

“The most important thing is that this team is very professional. They are working very hard to bring this car to the top level, and the team has already won the WEC in LMP2 in 2014 and GTE Am last year.”

[MIKA27]

115 years of passion for racing

Ready to welcome Renault back as a works team in F1?

Passion, Inspiration, Emotion, Innovation, Performance.

‪#‎LetsRaceTogether

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Eddie Jordan poised for Top Gear - reports

Former F1 team owner and BBC F1 pundit Eddie Jordan is to become the third presenter on the new-look Top Gear television show.

Jordan is expected to link-up alongside Chris Evans and Matt LeBlanc, with the Guardian reporting that 'an insider' had said Evans and Jordan have 'known each other for decades' and that Jordan's 'expert knowledge would be a major asset for the show'. A deal is now said to be 'almost certain to be finalised in the coming days'.

German racing driver Sabine Schmitz and motoring journalist Chris Harris are also set to sign on, it is alleged, as the BBC finalises changes following the exit of Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond.

The BBC has declined to comment on the reports.

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BRIATORE: FORMULA 1 IS NOW PLAYSTATION FOR ENGINEERS

The former Renault chief Flavio Briatore has ruled out returning to Formula 1 for now, as he believes the sport has distanced itself from fans by becoming too technical.

Briatore was ousted amid the ‘crash-gate’ scandal some years ago, but his ban was lifted and the French carmaker is now returning as a full works constructor. So why isn’t Briatore also returning?

“I don’t miss it. I miss the old formula one,” he told Arabian Business.

The flamboyant Italian thinks that, if he had stayed in F1 beyond 2009, the sport would not have changed into its current, controversial guise.

“They (the FIA) weren’t happy because we (Renault) were too powerful at the time. But with that power, I promise you formula one would have stayed like it was before,” said Briatore.

He thinks F1 is now “Playstation for engineers. People forget the fans, forget the show. People don’t find it interesting”.

But there is hope, Briatore argued, as “I think sooner or later it will change, because like this it will go nowhere.”

Briatore was responsible for plucking Michael Schumacher from the Jordan team and relative obscurity, thus kick starting the German legend’s illustrious career in Formula 1. Fernando Alonso is also a Briatore protege, the pair remain good friends.

In the aftermath of the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix crash-gate scandal Briatore left Formula 1, but still remains a figure on the periphery whose opinions of the sport continue to be sought by media.

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NEW FERRARI TO DEBUT ON DAY BEFORE BARCELONA TEST

Ferrari’s 2016 Formula 1 car will make its track debut one day before official winter action kicks off in Spain later this month.

That is the claim of the Ferrari insider Leo Turrini, who reports that the new red car will undergo a so-called ‘filming day’ at Barcelona on February 21.

That is one day before the same Spanish circuit begins hosting F1 teams for the start of eight days of official pre-season testing in February and March.

Turrini said the new Ferrari-powered team Haas could also be running with the works team on the Sunday.

Kimi Raikkonen attended an event in Finland over the weekend, and according to the Iltalehti newspaper he told an insider: “Kimi said that he knows immediately how good his car is when he begins testing.”

“He said as soon as he has a new steering wheel in his hands, he knows what sort of season is coming,” the report added.

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RENAULT EXPECT 50 HORSEPOWER MORE FOR START OF 2016

Although under playing their chances as a ‘new’ team on the block, Renault is expecting to make a big step forward with its Formula 1 power unit in 2016.

Nevertheless the French marque is playing down its chances this year, having just taken over beleaguered Lotus following its near-collapse, but gains made to the ‘power unit’ could be another matter.

Some reports have suggested the Renault leap since the last race of 2015 is about 50 horse power.

“You can talk about the numbers that are published (by the media),” Renault engine chief Remi Taffin told the Spanish sports daily Marca. “I could say that it is 50 horse power more or less, but one thing is to find it and another is to have it on the track.”

“All I can say is that I think we will improve more than our competitors this winter, because our margin (for improvement) is higher,” he added.

And Taffin said Renault is already planning another big jump mid-season. “This winter we have been able to solve many small problems that arose unexpectedly in 2015. We have tried to fix them all and be completely reliable.”

But that doesn’t mean success will be instant, Taffin warned, “We hope to be very close to our rivals at the end of 2017, which was the plan from last year. From there, we want to have good results in 2018.”

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MAGNUSSEN AND GIRLFRIEND VICTIMS OF STALKING

Newly signed Renault driver Kevin Magnussen has been at the centre of a stalking case, the Danish newspaper BT reported.

Just days after the Dane secured his return to F1 this year with Renault, it emerges that Magnussen and his girlfriend Louise have been harassed online for some months.

The harassment reportedly involved threats and the posting on social media of private photos and information – including a phone number and address – of Magnussen and his girlfriend by the stalker.

Copenhagen police would not confirm that an investigation is underway, but a spokesperson said cases typically involve the issuing of restraining orders.

Magnussen, his father Jan and girlfriend Louise did not want to comment.

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ROSSI OPTIMISTIC ABOUT SECURING MANOR RACE SEAT

Alexander Rossi says his chances of securing a Manor race seat for the 2016 Formula 1 season are “looking good”.

Late last season, the Californian rookie replaced the under-funded Roberto Merhi, but for this year it is believed Will Stevens, Rio Haryanto and Pascal Wehrlein are all also in the running for the two seats at the backmarker team.

Manor is the last team to announce its drivers for 2016.

“Things sometimes get pushed out in this sport and it is something I am used to and hopefully it doesn’t go on much longer,” Rossi told Britain’s Sky.

“I think the deadline is really when cars roll in Barcelona in a couple of weeks,” he added. “Things are looking positive and hopefully we get it done very soon.”

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KUBICA LINKED WITH MOVE TO FORMULA E

Speculation is swirling that Robert Kubica’s next career move could be back into single seaters.

Following his near-fatal off-season crash in early 2011, the Pole has rebuilt his motor racing career in world rallying.

But that adventure could now be ending due to a lack of funding, amid rumours he might be eyeing the move into the all-electric series Formula E.

Kubica, now 31, has admitted he might return to circuit racing, but he decided against an F1 test a couple of years ago.

“There was a plan for an F1 test and I was comfortable that I could do it, but the question was: Then what?” he is quoted by UOL. “Then I would not be able to do anything because of my limitations (with his injured arm).”

“I cannot rotate my wrist or forearm. In touring cars or rally, I can make up for it with my shoulder, but the cockpit space in formula one is very tight,” he added.

It means that, since the early testing season of 2011, he has not even set foot in an F1 paddock.

“I could go to the races and have more contact with my friends,” Kubica said, “but I decided to avoid it. Not because it’s unfriendly, but because of what it reminds me of.

“Honestly, seeing a Formula 1 race for me is not easy. Not because I see Lewis and Nico fighting for the championship, but because I miss racing with them,” revealed Kubica.

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MONZA SEEK NEW GRAND PRIX DEAL BEFORE SEASON STARTS

Monza is going all out to secure a new grand prix deal for the future before the start of the 2016 Formula 1 season.

Recently, the risk the historic race could fall off the calendar subsided after a controversial law preventing the Italian automobile club (Aci) from contributing funds was tweaked.

But it then emerged that race organisers and F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone were still negotiating the size of the annual race fee.

However, ACI president Angelo Sticchi Damiani has been quoted by Tuttosport as saying: “In mid-March, before the start of the world championship, we hope to sign the agreement for the extension of the Italian grand prix at Monza.

“I am convinced,” he added at an event in Sicily, “knowing the loyal person who is Bernie Ecclestone, that we will find an agreement.”

But Sticchi Damiani also warned: “It is not just an economic issue, there are still other details to finalise.”

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CATERHAM COLLAPSE INVESTIGATION TAKES A WEIRD TURN

Investigations into the collapse and attempted revival of Caterham Formula 1 team in late 2014 are underway, as mysterious unemployed director emerges.

After founder Tony Fernandes decided to withdraw from F1, the green-coloured backmarker was almost rescued when a mysterious group called Engavest emerged as a buyer.

The group was advised by Colin Kolles but – curiously – it was a factory cleaner by the name of Constantin Cojocar, also a former Romanian football player, who was appointed the sole director and shareholder.

Times newspaper now claims investigations into the collapse by UK as well as Romanian authorities are taking place.

“Government authorities who have initiated investigation know that I was there and I might have problems,” Cojocar said, as he prepared to fly from Romania to London for an interview.

“I have no financial income, only money from my wife, but we are in arrears to the bank for the house we live in and we risk losing this home.

“Because (of the) stress with bank credit, with Caterham and with the Romania investigation and investigation in England now, my diabetes has worsened,” he added.

MIKA: What a load of S**t! I hate it when some scumbag gets caught doing the wrong thing and suddenly they have medical issues or their medical issues somehow should get in the way of not bringing these corrupt bastards to justice. Tony Fernandes needs to be looked into a lot closer IMO.

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Sauber's new Formula 1 car passes FIA crash tests

The Sauber F1 Team has confirmed that its new car, the C35, has passed the mandatory FIA crash tests.

The Swiss outfit is the latest to announce the news, joining Haas, Renault, Manor, Ferrari, Force India, Toro Rosso and Mercedes.

Sauber revealed that its Ferrari-powered 2016 chassis has been give the green light by the FIA in a post on Twitter.

However, the team’s new car will still debut at the second winter test, which takes place at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya from the 1-4 March.

YAY! The #SauberC35 did it! Nose & chassis passed the static & dynamic crash tests!#JoinOurPassion #F1

Sauber will attend the opening pre-season test sessions, from the 22-25 February, running an updated version of last year’s car.

Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr remain at Sauber for a second consecutive season. The team finished eighth in the 2015 constructors’ standings.

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Newey warns no engine tokens could lead to "spending frenzy"

Adrian Newey fears that a move to abandon Formula 1's engine token system could make grand prix racing less competitive.

F1's manufacturers have agreed to lift restrictions on engine development for 2017, after feeling that the limits on what car makers could do was not allowing the field to close up.

But rather than it being good for competition, Red Bull technical chief Newey fears that the gaps between pace-setter Mercedes and the others could actually increase.

He is especially worried that his team's partner Renault which may not be able to match the spending power of its German rival.

"If you look back on the original technical working group meetings and minutes from 2012-13, the agreement at that point was that the engines would be frozen but teams that were behind would still be allowed to keep developing," Newey told Reuters.

"That's not happened.

"So it becomes a spending frenzy...the numbers being spent by the big manufacturers are eye-watering and so I think potentially for companies such as Renault who aren't prepared to spend that sort of money it means actually the gaps get bigger not smaller."

Customer gaps

As well as his worry that big-spending manufacturers will pull clear, he thinks there is a flaw in the rules that allows the works teams to maintain any advantage they want over customer outfits.

"It's very curious to me that we have this set of regulations where the manufacturer has to supply the same hardware to other teams but it's no under no obligation to supply the same software and therefore the same performance," said Newey.

"Nobody is complaining about this because the customer teams can't complain because their contract doesn't allow them to."

Mercedes dominance

Newey thinks that F1 has got it wrong in allowing the engines to be so critical to performance, because of the difficulties there is in understanding where a car maker has an advantage.

"You can't photograph an engine, not the internals anyway. So if you have an advantage, you can lock it in for some time," he said.

"That happened with Ferrari last season where some Mercedes engineers left and joined Ferrari and were able through their knowledge to bring a very considerable jump in the performance of the Ferrari engine," Newey said.

And after Mercedes admitted last week that there was no stopping the improvements it is making to its engine, Newey agrees.

"These engines are still relatively infant technology," he explained. "We have already seen the steps that can be made. There's no reason to suspect they've [Mercedes] suddenly reached a plateau."

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Marko comments fair and Red Bull remains an asset – Taffin

Renault Director of Operations Remi Taffin maintains that having Red Bull remain on board as a customer will strengthen its chances on its return to F1 as a constructor, despite the fractious relationship that developed between them last year.

Renault and Red Bull enjoyed a hugely successful collaboration during the V8 era, notching up four consecutive world titles between 2010 and 2013, but relations soured in 2014 and 2015 as the French manufacturer struggled to get a grasp on the new generation V6 Hybrid power units compared to Mercedes and Ferrari.

With Red Bull actively seeking an alternative engine supplier for this season during the latter half of 2015, Renault opted to revive its full constructor effort through the purchase of the Lotus team. However, after Red Bull couldn't agree terms with a new partner, it will continue to use Renault power in 2016 under TAG Heuer branding.

Even so, Red Bull has already fired a salvo towards Renault, with Dr Helmut Marko saying the manufacturer would be 'clever' to prioritise the Austrian team if it wants success in 2016. Despite this, Taffin plays the comments down, saying he would be saying something similar in Dr Marko's position.

“If I were Dr Marko, that's exactly what I would say,” he said. “Because he has his team and he wants the best for his team and he wants to win. Actually I would have been surprised if he had said the opposite. But this is my own judgment.

“As we want to make Renault win, at one point, we'll have to have a very good engine and if that engine is still fitted into the [Red Bull] chassis, for sure they will have a competitive package. Because we know how capable they are of producing good chassis. That'd make a good battle. I'd be happy to get a fight with Red Bull, eventually winning obviously.”

Indeed, far from there being discord between the two parties, Taffin believes Renault will benefit greatly from working with Red Bull in 2016 as it seeks to develop its underperforming power unit.

“The Red Bull engines are identical to the ones that we'll run in the Renault cars. It's always good to have a competitive customer. It's positive pressure if you take it from an engineering perspective.

“Having said that, the positive is to get a team, not whether or not we have Red Bull as a customer. Since we have a team, we can have different planning, different views on how we develop the engine through the car. It gives you that more freedom. Sometimes, you can actually sit down and look at what's going to be next year or the year after that.

“When you deliver an engine to a customer. He wants to know what he would get next. All in all, this is fair. The short answer is: having our own team will definitely help us develop our engine to make Renault win. Having Red Bull is not going to change our lives.”

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Critics of Mercedes' F1 dominance 'absolutely unfair' - Jean Todt

FIA president Jean Todt believes the criticism of Mercedes' current dominance in Formula 1 is "absolutely unfair", although he feels the team needs a more robust challenge.

Mercedes has won 32 of the 38 grands prix over the last two seasons and claimed back-to-back constructors' and drivers' championships.

Todt is aware of the impact such control can have on F1, having led Ferrari's 2000-04 period of rule.

"I would be more happy if there were different winners for each race, but that will never happen," Todt told Autosport.

"You have to accept domination is part of the sport, and not only in motor racing because you have domination in football, tennis, athletics, rugby.

"It is everywhere, so why should you expect no domination in motor racing?

"The negativity that surrounds it is absolutely unfair, but constructive criticism I can accept.

"Of course, I am not satisfied. I think the challenge could be better, and when we sit behind closed doors we try to address how we can do things better.

"But to punish ourselves, there is no need for that, or at least I am not devious enough to understand it."

It was suggested by numerous entities in F1 last season that the FIA should again become the sole regulatory and governing body, and that an organisation like the Strategy Group should be disbanded given teams' level of self-interest.

While Todt would welcome such a move, he knows it can only happen if new Concorde Agreements were put in place and doubts teams would accept this.

"Over the last few years the FIA has never had so much authority and governance," added Todt.

"Since there is a Concorde Agreement that has been signed, it is a governance, with specific rights to the commercial rights holder, the teams and the governing body, so it's something new.

"Saying that, as president of the FIA, I would have no problem if all the regulatory and legislative authority was given to the FIA.

"But then we would need to sign a different Concorde Agreement. It's as simple as that.

"If everybody is happy with that then I am more than happy to follow that, but I know it is not the case."

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Rob Smedley: Felipe Massa as good as he was in 2008 F1 title battle

Felipe Massa is performing above the level he was when challenging for 2008 Formula 1 drivers' title, according to Williams performance chief Rob Smedley.

Massa finished a point shy of Lewis Hamilton in the world championship just over seven years ago with Ferrari, then missed the second half of the 2009 season through head injuries sustained in Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying.

He could not repeat his 2008 highs after returning for the '10 campaign, but has enjoyed a career resurgence since joining Williams two years ago.

Smedley, who was Massa's long-time race engineer at Ferrari before also moving to Williams, said the 34-year-old had recaptured his best form.

"He's as good as that now. He hasn't lost anything," he told Autosport.

"He's better now because he's got more experience.

"In 2008 the tyres were so much better relatively, and the racing was different in that it was flat-out sprints.

"Over the last two years he's understood how to use the tyres much better.

"We saw both drivers doing massive stints on the medium tyre in Mexico, and Felipe probably degraded a little earlier than Valtteri [bottas] but for them both to do that at that pace is f**king impressive."

Smedley attributed the Brazilian's switch to Williams as a factor in his return to form.

"The biggest revelation for some of the paddock was probably 2014, when he started to get a lot of results again," he said.

"Valtteri is clearly a massive talent for the future and started to deliver, and all of a sudden you've got Felipe absolutely keeping him honest. They're absolutely at the same level.

"Felipe's always been that good, but I think he just finds it comfortable here.

"He's a person that needs respect, he needs to be valued, and he needs to be listened to.

"They are three fairly basic requirements, so the better question is not why we can get the best out of him but why other people couldn't?"

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Analysis: Pressure on Ricciardo and Kvyat's Red Bull F1 team fight

Daniel Ricciardo ended 2014 as Formula 1's new hero, ranked motorsport's driver of the year by Autosport, but ended last season outscored by incoming Red Bull team-mate Daniil Kvyat.

Though Ricciardo won the intra-team qualifying fight with a respectable 12-7 score, the man who effectively saw off four-time champion Sebastian Vettel two years ago begins 2016 aware that he has to reassert himself.

"I'd say he's obviously got natural speed," Ricciardo told Autosport as he assessed Kvyat's strengths.

"I've always really enjoyed high-speed corners and I'd like to say I've got a big ballsack. But he's been pretty close in high-speed stuff.

"I'd like to think that when we're really on it, I'm still the big dog.

"But if he sees me go quicker in a high-speed corner, in the next session he'll pretty much match it.

"He's been pushing me. In qualifying I've most of the time managed to find a little bit.

"But through the practice sessions, he's not shy about getting up to speed quickly.

"It hasn't been easy. But I always feel like if I'm on it and doing everything I need to do, I'll be quicker."

Both drivers had their morale dips in 2015 - Kvyat struggling to establish himself early on and receiving public criticism from Helmut Marko, and Ricciardo's frustration beginning to impinge on his form as he returned to scenes of his '14 highs such as Montreal and found himself unable to even score.

Ricciardo was not surprised to see Kvyat stumble at first given the general angst around Red Bull at the time.

"He was typical of that young generation coming in after me - him, Carlos [sainz Jr], all these guys - they're just flat-out, super-keen," he said.

"The first few races I'd say he was maybe a little bit too excited. He made too many mistakes in qualifying and all that.

"I was expecting too much in terms of results and he was expecting too much of the car.

"It was looking like it was probably going to be a hard season for him, but then he turned it around."

To get the Red Bull chance in the first place, Ricciardo had to come out on top of what amounted to a two-season-long showdown with Jean-Eric Vergne at Toro Rosso, and sees his current battle with Kvyat as similar.

"JEV used to push me a lot, but then I just knew if I put it all down ..." Ricciardo said.

"On my day, I feel like I'm not going to be beaten. I've just got to make sure I'm on my day all the time."

Kvyat reckons Ricciardo's initial superiority in 2015 was largely down to team familiarity.

"He's been around for a while and he knew the team a lot better at the beginning of the season," the Russian told Autosport.

"He had his group around him, which helped him to take the upper hand on us.

"In the middle part the situation changed a bit and he found himself in a bit more of a tricky situation."

But he also acknowledged that he had to raise his game considerably against Ricciardo.

"Going up against a driver like him makes you find a new limit, makes you work harder, makes you learn a few things," Kvyat said.

The coming season will be transitional for Red Bull, grudgingly back in bed with Renault and inevitably disadvantaged by last year's uncertainty.

But the ferocity with which it chased new engine partners showed Red Bull's desperation to be competitive, and it will find a way to ensure it gets back to the front sooner rather than later.

And it is also surely only a matter of time before Max Verstappen is promoted to the senior team - provided Red Bull can fend off rivals' advances for him.

The Dutch teenager's presence on RBR's doorstep adds extra urgency to Ricciardo and Kvyat's situation, though the latter says they remain cordial.

"Once we don't have our helmets on, we manage a good relationship and to keep a positivity around us and the team, which I think in a time like this is very important," said Kvyat.

"But we are still very competitive and every time we are out there we make sure we make each other's lives as difficult as we can."

Ricciardo agrees and underlines his respect for his team-mate, but insists it is Kvyat with the most to prove.

"I think the raw speed is there," he said.

"The next part is does he have that next little bit, that level of maturity and racecraft that will then bring that next point?"

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CAN HAMILTON DOMINATE F1 FOR THE NEXT DECADE?

Lewis Hamilton has dominated the past two Formula 1 seasons, winning the 2015 edition with consummate ease and now his father Anthony believes that there is still more to come from his son… for several more years.

Speaking to Sky Sports Hamilton senior, who famously juggled three jobs at a time to fund Lewis’ karting career, predicted, “Lewis is only going to get better, he is only going to get stronger.”

“He has another seven to ten years left in the sport and he is extremely competitive. He is still young so he has quite a few left in him,” he explained.

The triple world champion grabs as many headlines for his off-track exploits as he does for his on-track achievements, but Anthony is adamant that his son’s eyes are firmly on the ball and does not expect him to get bored and depart the sport to pursue his interest in music for instance.

“You can never say never, but I don’t believe so. Lewis is a competitive soul, he loves motor racing and he loves to win,” said Anthony.

“As long as he has got that spirit he is going to remain in F1. I think he has another seven years minimum left in the business. That is bad news for everyone else.”

As for the dominance, Hamilton senior admitted that junior would prefer to be challenged more vigourously, “If they were all in the same level car it would be fantastic. What Lewis doesn’t want to do is run away with it and just win races because the others cars aren’t up to scratch or the other teams are struggling.”

“He wants everyone to be at the same level and he wants to win on merit. He’s winning on merit because he’s in the best team and is doing the best job, but he would like to see other people compete and have to struggle for a win,” added Hamilton.

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RIVOLA SAYS FERRARI POWER UNIT NOW A MATCH FOR MERCEDES

Ferrari is ready to take on Mercedes in the 2016 F1 world championship, according to the Italian marque’s long-time team manager Massimo Rivola.

For the new season, Rivola is leaving the fabled race team to head Maranello’s driver development academy, but he is nonetheless expecting a good showing from Ferrari.

“We could do some nice results in the past year,” he was quoted as saying at an Italian automobile club event in Sicily, “and the new project seems to have been both healthy.

“Everyone is expecting a great championship from Ferrari,” Rivola added.

“As for the power unit, I am convinced that the team has done a great job and has prepared an engine that has reached the level of performance of Mercedes,” he is quoted by Speed Week.

“With the chassis, we hope we will find the competitiveness that we were missing last year,” said Rivola.

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PROST SAYS F1 WORLD TITLES NOT MANDATORY FOR RENAULT

Quadruple world champion Alain Prost believes it is “not mandatory” that Renault ever adds to its current tally of Formula 1 world championships.

As an engine supplier, the French carmaker has won titles with Williams, Benetton and Red Bull, and as a works constructor with Fernando Alonso last decade.

Now, Renault is returning to F1 as a full works team, but quadruple world champion Prost argues that more world championship success is not compulsory.

“To be world champion is not mandatory for Renault,” he told Auto Motor und Sport. “But we must at some point be able to race at the top of the world championship. So that people around the world feel that Renault is a top team.

“For Mercedes or Audi, winning is much more important, while for us the world title would be a bonus,” Prost added.

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SAUBER’S 2016 CAR WILL BREAK COVER AT SECOND F1 TEST

Sauber is pressing ahead with its plan to begin testing its 2016 car only at the second and final pre-season test next month.

The Swiss team announced on Monday that the C35, which will not be in action when official testing begins in Barcelona later in February, has at least passed the FIA crash tests.

“It is not excluded that we will drive between the first test and the roll-out on a filming day,” a team spokesman said in January.

But when asked if the newly-passed crash test means Sauber has accelerated its programme and will now be up and running this month, a team insider told us: “There are no changes to the original plan.”

It means Felipe Nasr and Marcus Ericsson will only have the 2015 car to drive at the first Barcelona test, albeit in a new livery.

Ericsson told the Swedish newspaper Teknikens Varld: “But we can still get some work done, to gather data from the tyres and also test some new parts and settings.”