FORMULA 1 - 2016

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DENNIS: I WOULD SUE THE FIA OVER THE NEW RULE

McLaren chief Ron Dennis has reportedly warned that he will not accept a new FIA regulation regarding the supply of Formula 1 engines to customer teams.

In reaction to the Red Bull saga of late 2015, a new rule has been published in the 2017 rules whereby the FIA has the power to enforce deals between the engine manufacturers and teams struggling to secure a customer contract.

As an example, the regulation says that according to a new equation, it is possible that “each manufacturer must, if called upon to do so by the FIA, supply at least 3 teams”.

However, McLaren supremo Dennis reportedly disputes the legality of the clause, insisting it clashes with his contract with Honda that guarantees exclusivity for the British team.

Auto Motor und Sport quoted Dennis as telling Red Bull’s Christian Horner at the most recent strategy group meeting: “You will never get an engine from Honda. Rather, I would sue the FIA over the new rule.”

Finally, the newly-published 2017 rules contain something that cheeky insiders are calling the ‘Red Bull clause’, following the dispute between the former champions and Renault last year.

It said customer teams will not be allowed to make “deceptive, misleading or disparaging or negative comments” about their engine suppliers.

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VERSTAPPEN AND SAINZ UNREST PLAYED ROLE IN KVYAT SWAP

Increasing tensions within Toro Rosso between Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz was a contributing factor to promoting the teenage Dutchman to the senior team in place of under performing Daniil Kvyat.

Marko said in the aftermath of the headline grabbing news, “There was considerable unrest at Toro Rosso between Verstappen and Sainz.”

“Thus we have internally resolved several problems and we have not removed Kvyat, but he is still with us in the squad.”

“Toro Rosso is a good midfield team which has the potential, both on the car and driver side, which it must finally implement to be constantly in the points,” added Marko.

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RAIKKONEN IN HOT WATER OVER MOTOCROSS TRACK

Kimi Raikkonen is under fire for building a motocross circuit on his land in Finland without obtaining the necessary permits.

Yle, the Finnish broadcaster, reports that local residents have complained to authorities about the noise made by those using the circuit in Kirkkonummi, in the south of Finland.

Raikkonen, pictured above, is a keen motocross rider.

One resident said: “As I see it, Raikkonen’s motocross track was built against the provisions of the Acts.”

A local official commented: “We have requested that the landowner gives us an account of the facility. When we get it we can decide whether permission is needed.”

Yle said an agent representing Raikkonen, the 2007 world champion who drives for Ferrari, declined to comment to the media.

[skalls]

RBR didn't want to lose Max to Ferrari. Can't say that I'm surprised that they didn't use this as an excuse for an extended interview.

Kyvat isn't going to lose his seat bc unlike Maldonado, he's actually a decent driver (when his aggresiveness is toned down a notch).

Really looking forward to Barcelona next week.

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FERRARI BOSS WORRIED ABOUT VETTEL’S GEARBOX

Ferrari boss Maurizio Arrivabene left Russia concerned that Sebastian Vettel’s crashes with Daniil Kvyat might have caused damage to the gearbox.

According to Speed Week, an investigation showed that there was damage, and so a new gearbox will be installed for the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona. The German driver will not suffer a penalty.

As for the current Mercedes versus Ferrari pecking order, Toto Wolff warned that not too much should be read into Sochi.

“Our conclusion is that, if our lead was bigger at Sochi, then primarily it was due to the circuit characteristics,” said the Mercedes team boss.

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RBR didn't want to lose Max to Ferrari. Can't say that I'm surprised that they didn't use this as an excuse for an extended interview.

Kyvat isn't going to lose his seat bc unlike Maldonado, he's actually a decent driver (when his aggresiveness is toned down a notch).

Really looking forward to Barcelona next week.

The way I look at it, look back to 2013, Romain Grosjean was crashing often, year later he was getting podiums. Everyone deserves redemption especially when you're unlike Maldonado who was always reckless versus someone like Daniil who made only one mistake. The race prior to last was more Vettels fault versus Daniil's IMO.

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Toro Rosso race engineer Xevi Pujolar confirms departure

Max Verstappen's former race engineer at Toro Rosso, Xevi Pujolar, has confirmed he will leave the team.

Pujolar broke the news on the same day it was announced that Verstappen would take up Daniil Kvyat's seat at Red Bull, but it isn't thought that Pujolar will follow the Dutch driver to Milton Keynes as Verstappen will come under race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase.

It's believed the former Jaguar, Hispania and Williams engineer had a falling out with team principal Franz Tost during the Russian Grand Prix weekend. That, combined with reports of tension between Carlos Sainz and Verstappen, has led to a reshuffle of Toro Rosso's engineering department which could see further losses.

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Williams: Mercedes engine hasn’t given us problems yet

According to Williams' head of performance, Rob Smedley, his team's Mercedes-powered car has not given them any headaches in terms of reliability this season.

While Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton started from the back of the grid in China and in P10 at the Russian Grand Prix due to MGU-H problems, Williams have managed to get both their drivers across the finish line in all four races thus far, and have suffered no engine issues.

Even Championship leader Nico Rosberg, who has won all four grand prixs this season, suffered minor reliability scares in Australia and Russia.

However, when quizzed whether or not Williams are having similar problems as the Silver Arrows, Smedley revealed that they have been fortunate enough to avoid such issues, despite running the same engine.

"So far not, I know that HPP [Mercedes High Performance Powertrains] are investigating the two Hamilton failures, trying to understand what the problem is," he explained.

"We are taking all the precaution that we can but obviously we have to be guided by HPP.

"They're currently trying to get to the bottom of that problem and we’ll just follow their lead on it really, whatever they ask us to do."

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Button eyes Williams

Jenson Button was reportedly on the verge of joining Williams ahead of the 2016 season, and could join the Grove-based outfit in 2017.

The Briton’s future at McLaren was the subject of much speculation, with a new deal only agreed in October. Button penned a one-year deal, and so will once again have to negotiate new terms with McLaren or look for a move elsewhere.

With the contract of Williams’ Felipe Massa set to expire at the end of the season, and Valtteri Bottas tipped to move to one of the front-running teams, Button could once again consider a switch to Williams, according to Sky Sports pundit David Croft.

“Jenson very nearly joined Williams at the back end of last year,” Croft told Sky Sports.

“You could speculate that that was the case, that Williams kept their options open and didn’t take Valtteri’s [option] up. It wasn’t until Jenson was announced as a McLaren driver that Valtteri was then announced as a Williams driver.

“He’s out of contract, Felipe Massa’s out of contract and Williams will be looking at their driver line up.”

Should Button move to Williams, it will mark a return to the 36-year-old’s roots, with the 2009 World Champion having begun his F1 career with Williams in 2000.

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Haas F1 team to switch to Ferrari's new spec engine from Spanish GP

The Haas Formula 1 team has decided to run the new-spec Ferrari engine at next weekend's Spanish Grand Prix, Autosport has learned.

Ferrari used three of its engine development tokens as part of an upgrade that it introduced for its works team at the Russian GP.

Haas team principal Gunther Steiner said at Sochi that the American outfit was unsure whether it would use the new spec at Barcelona.

But following discussions at its factory, it has now chosen to introduce the upgraded engine from Spain as it fits in with its schedule for the rest of the season.

Haas follows fellow Ferrari customer Sauber, which has chosen to run the same spec at Barcelona.

Romain Grosjean scored points for the third time in four races with eighth in Russia and believes the upgrades due on both the car and engine in Spain will be a further boost.

"I'm very much looking forward to going back to Barcelona now," he told Autosport at Sochi.

"We should have updates on the car as well and a new engine. It's all looking good. I'm pretty optimistic."

Grosjean revealed that Haas thinks it has got to the bottom of a problem he had encountered over the course of the Russian GP weekend.

"Something is not going quite right on the car," he said. "On Saturday night, we put the finger on what could be going wrong.

"So I'm very much looking forward to changing those parts and going to Barcelona and a track we know."

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ECCLESTONE: LEWIS IS GOING TO WIN THIS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Bernie Ecclestone has told reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton to stop “moaning” and get on with winning the title, which the F1 chief believes he will win again.

Although the Mercedes driver has been generally more cheerful in 2016, the F1 supremo was apparently referring to Hamilton saying recent stewards decisions remind him of an “arsehole” karting official in his past.

“I told him to get on with it because there are 17 races left,” Ecclestone told London’s Times newspaper.

“It is not the end of the world. He wasn’t moaning when he was winning, was he? Lewis has to learn,” the 85-year-old Briton added. “He is still going to win this world championship. I absolutely believe that.”

1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve, however, is not so sure, arguing that Nico Rosberg currently looks strong enough to stay ahead of Hamilton.

“This year he is more hungry for success than Lewis is,” the Canadian told Russia’s Championat. “I think that makes a difference in their results at the moment.

“Of course Hamilton still wants to win, but my feeling is that success is no longer as important to him as before, for some reason.

“But I’m sure he will wake up at some point,” Villeneuve added. “He will start to be criticised and will lose fans, which he won’t like.”

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F1 analysis: Why Red Bull's Verstappen shuffle is good for Sainz

Look at the Max Verstappen/Daniil Kvyat Red Bull driver swap at face value and it doesn't seem great for Toro Rosso's other driver, Carlos Sainz Jr.

Usually, if one driver gets a promotion to Red Bull's top team, it means the other is just counting down his days to heading for the F1 scrap heap. But that doesn't need to be the case this time.

While Red Bull has clearly been very keen on Verstappen since it snatched him up during his rookie car racing season in 2014, it's also well aware of Sainz's ability, and the misfortune that has struck him during his time alongside the teenager so far in his F1 career.

The understandable excitement around Verstappen - both inside and outside of Red Bull - has created a circus-like atmosphere at times, but now all that fuss moves along the pitlane to the big team's garage.

Sainz can get back to focusing on his job and his own career progression, and perhaps his achievements and performances can be judged in isolation rather than in the shadow of what Verstappen is up to.

In Kvyat he has a useful measuring stick, but one he must surpass if he is to turn this apparent snub into an opportunity.

Toro Rosso will be a calmer place without the Verstappen/Sainz dynamic to manage, and there is no reason Sainz can't flourish alongside the likeable Kvyat, and assert himself in a way that might have been difficult to achieve with Verstappen's camp on the other side of the garage.

While that is going on, Verstappen will be taking on the biggest bull in the yard in Daniel Ricciardo, who is going to be no walkover.

If either one of those two dominates the other over the course of this year, an opening could appear for Sainz to seize, providing he continues to perform in the junior team.

Red Bull still has faith in Sainz, and it just wants him to get on with his job. He has a better opportunity to do that now the landscape around him has been shaken up.

WHAT HAPPENED TO TORO ROSSO'S DRIVERS?

Sainz is Toro Rosso's 11th driver since the team's debut in 2006. Here's how the other 10 have fared over the last decade:

Vitantonio Liuzzi

After a four-race stint with Red Bull in 2005, Liuzzi joined STR for its debut season the following year, competing in two campaigns before making way at the end of '07. He joined Force India late in '09, moving on to HRT in '11.

Scott Speed

Stepped up to Toro Rosso in '06 after a year as Red Bull test driver in '05, but was axed midway through his second season in '07 for Sebastian Vettel. Failed to return to F1, with the bulk of his career since spent in America.

Sebastian Vettel

After replacing Speed, Vettel went on to score Toro Rosso's only win in Italy in 2008, leading to promotion to Red Bull the following year. Four world titles followed, and then a move to Ferrari ahead of the '15 season.

Sebastien Bourdais (Remember him!? Anyone?)

The four-time Champ Car champion from replaced Liuzzi in '08, and like Speed was given just a season and a half before being released after scoring just six points from 27 races.

Jaime Alguersuari

Prior to Max Verstappen, Alguersuari held the honour as the youngest driver to compete in F1 when he made his debut in 2009 as replacement for Bourdais. He spent two and a half seasons with Toro Rosso prior to his departure. Alguersuari became Pirelli test driver and had a season in FE before retiring from motorsport in October last year.

Sebastien Buemi

Spent three seasons with Toro Rosso, and despite enjoying his best year in the last of those in 2011 was ultimately released. Has since competed in WEC, becoming champion with Toyota in '14, and was second in the inaugural FE season.

Daniel Ricciardo

The Australian became the second junior driver after Vettel to make the step up to Red Bull in 2014 after two year with Toro Rosso, winning three races in his first season with RBR.

Jean-Eric Vergne

Like Buemi, enjoyed the longest spell of any driver with Toro Rosso of three seasons, but was let go at the end of 2014. Also like Buemi, Vergne moved across to FE, finishing seventh in last year's standings, and he is now a Ferrari F1 test driver.

Daniil Kvyat

Received the fastest promotion of any Toro Rosso driver as he completed one full season only before replacing Vettel at Red Bull, and is the first to be demoted back to Toro Rosso to make way for Max Verstappen's rise.

Max Verstappen

The youngest driver in F1 history only has 23 races under his belt, but he is now with Red Bull after following in the footsteps of Vettel, Ricciardo and Kvyat in being promoted from Toro Rosso.

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Russian GP inside story: Mercedes F1's most stressful 1-2 finish ever

In this week's Silver Arrows Show Toto Wolff explains just what went on during the Russian Grand Prix - qualifying drama, power unit and water pressure issues and an awesome 1-2 finish! We took a taxi ride with Lewis Hamilton to the Sochi Autodrom and the team's Head of Composite Design shares his podium story.

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Pirelli reveals F1 tyre compounds for 2016 British Grand Prix

Pirelli has announced its Formula 1 tyre compound choices for July's British Grand Prix, with the hard tyre to make its second appearance of the season.

The Italian supplier will bring the soft, medium and hard to Silverstone, matching the choice made for next weekend's Spanish Grand Prix.

One set of the hard or medium must be used at some stage during the 52-lap race.

Pirelli has nominated one set of the soft tyre to be used in the final part of qualifying.

Under rules introduced for this season, teams are free to choose the remaining 10 sets for use during the weekend.

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DRIVERS PUZZLED BY KVYAT’S HARSH DEMOTION

Daniil Kvyat’s demotion is not the end of the world for the young Russian, who returns to Toro Rosso after a season and four races with the Red Bull senior team.

That is the view of Pascal Wehrlein, the reigning DTM champion who with Mercedes’ strong backing stepped up to formula one this year.

But it is Red Bull’s decision to demote Kvyat, swapping his seat with Max Verstappen who steps up from Toro Rosso, that is the buzz of the racing world this weekend.

At Spa for the world endurance championship round, former Red Bull driver Mark Webber said Helmut Marko’s call was “harsh”.

“Helmut doesn’t see that,” the Australian, who never saw eye-to-eye with Marko, said. “He just wants performance. He wants the fastest guys in the best scenario as quick as possible.”

Webber also thinks Marko has got the jump on the 2017 driver market, but elsewhere heads are being scratched.

“Honestly I can’t really understand it,” Wehrlein, who is a year younger than Kvyat and at the back of the grid with Manor, was quoted by Speed Week at Hockenheim for the 2016 DTM season opener.

“I think this has always been the philosophy of Red Bull but he was on the podium in the race before,” he added.

“Maybe this takes away the pressure and maybe he did not cope well in the first four races, but he was still on the podium in China. So I don’t quite understand it.”

Wehrlein also said Kvyat should not be too down about his demotion.

“I think he is not going down so much with Toro Rosso,” said the German. “They are still very competitive and extremely strong this year.

“For sure not as strong as Red Bull but on some tracks last year Toro Rosso was better. So I don’t think it’s too bad a place for him.

“He (Kvyat) also needs to do a good job now, because who knows what else will happen at the end of the season,” Wehrlein added.

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REMEMBERING IMOLA

Imola used to be one of the nicest Grand Prix events. Much more laid back than Monza and usually the start of the European Grand Prix season. Great circuit, friendly environment and of course for Italy, fantastic food in the very understated trattorias.

That all changed in 1994. It is hard to comprehend that this was twenty two years ago.

Roland Ratzenberger was a great guy. Affable, friendly with a great sense of humour, which hid a steely determination. Roland rose through the ranks the hard way, with very little finance behind him, he got into Formula One reliant on his ability. True he was driving for the new Simtek team at the back of the grid, but he was in Formula One, treading a similar path to many other drivers who worked their way through the teams to the top.

It was his name that first caught my attention. On UK television there was a puppet character called Roland Rat so you had to take notice of this Austrian with a similar sounding name who won the Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch in 1986. In those days the Festival was very much one of the best motorsport events for the enthusiast, attracting some of the best international young talent in a knock out format with heats, quarter finals, semi finals and the grand final.

Winners who went onto Formula One included Johnny Herbert, Eddie Irvine, Jan Magnussen (Kevin’s father), Mark Webber and Jenson Button. So as a winner, Roland was in good company.

I actually met Roland a year later in his native Austria in the ski season. When I joined McLaren I thought that I had landed my dream job of working in Formula One. But Ron Dennis had other ideas for me. My first project was actually putting together a sponsorship proposal for Professor Sid Watkins daughter to compete in eventing on her horse, but that’s another story.

At that time TAG had recently bought the watch company Heuer and one of the ways to promote the brand was through the Downhill Skiing World Championship. Their full time involvement with Formula One was to come later. The TAG Heuer skiing team consisted of Harti Weirather, Helmut Hofleher, Marc Giradelli and was managed by the same management team as Roland. Being Austrian, they all had a mischievous sense of fun and humour and whenever I saw Roland there was always a ready smile and a joke.

Roland had spells in British Formula Three and touring cars and moved to Japan in 1990. He enjoyed moderate success in the Formula 3000 Championship but did enough to earn a five-year contract with the Simtek Formula One team in 1994. He failed to qualify for the Brazilian Grand Prix but finished 11th in Japan before arriving at the Imola circuit in Italy.

The 1994 San Marino Grand Prix was a most bizarre and ultimately tragic weekend. There had not been death at a Grand Prix for 12 years since Riccardo Paletti was killed at the Canadian Grand Prix. At Imola that weekend it almost felt that the previous 12 years was compounded into a bubbling cauldron of bad luck set to explode.

Firstly we had a sponsor who fell ill and had to be admitted to hospital. On Friday Rubens Barrichello literally flew off the track in his Jordan having been launched from a kerb at the Variante Bassa corner at 140 mph (225 km/h). He hit the top of the tyre barrier, and was knocked unconscious.

Having been transferred to Maggiore Hospital in Bologna by helicopter for routine tests and observation, he returned to the track the next day, with a broken nose and a plaster cast on his arm, which forced him to sit out the rest of the race weekend.

On Saturday it was twenty minutes into the final qualifying session when Roland Ratzenberger failed to negotiate the Villeneuve Curva in his Simtek and hit the opposing concrete barrier wall almost head on. After the impact the engine cut out and there was an eerie silence as the car came to a halt with poor Roland fatally slumped in the cockpit.

The Formula One paddock went silent in a state of shock. Ayrton Senna was deeply effected by the tragedy. In his memoirs Professor Sid Watkins recalled Senna’s reaction to the news, saying that “Ayrton broke down and cried on my shoulder.”

Sid tried to persuade Ayrton not to race the following day, asking “What else do you need to do? You have been World Champion three times, you are obviously the quickest driver. Give it up and let’s go fishing.” Senna replied, “Sid, there are certain things over which we have no control. I cannot quit, I have to go on.”

The season so far had not gone to plan for Ayrton. His dream drive with Williams was proving a challenge. Active ride and traction control had been banned at the end of 1993 which stripped Williams of some of the advantages they had from their previous two World Championships.

In addition Ayrton was struggling to understand how the Benetton of Michael Schumacher was so competitive against the Williams and there were rumours of a hidden traction control on the Benetton hidden in the depths of a software programme. The pressure was on and Ayrton knew he had to deliver.

For those of us who had been in the red and white colours of Marlboro McLaren for the years of Ayrton’s championships, it was strange seeing him now in the blue and white colours of Rothmans Williams. The styles of the two teams were rather different.

Whilst both had a family feeling within, McLaren went out of its way to cosset their drivers, whilst Williams left them more to get on with it and at this stage of the relations with his new team Ayrton must have felt it. In fact at the first Grand Prix of the year in Brazil he seemed to spend quite a bit of time in his old team’s garage!

The McLaren team stayed at the Hotel Castello in Castel San Pietro Terme, which was a twenty minute drive from Imola. We were always looked after very well, and once Ayrton had left the team he persuaded Williams to move there as well. I remember on the Saturday night, when we all were in a numbed state of shock, looking out of the window and saw Ayrton arriving back in the hotel from the track in his Renault Espace, and he looked very shaken and then stayed quite a while in Frank Williams room talking.

Ayrton had a routine of behaviour over a Grand Prix weekend. On Thursday when we arrived he was usually open and friendly. I used to have to sit down with him to go through the sponsor promotional schedule with him for appearances and dinners he was to attend. This was covered in some detail, how long they would take, when he had to be collected and what he had to do.

Once agreed, the schedule was fixed and there was to be no deviation, you couldn’t slip in anything else and wow betide you if you messed up! However that didn’t work both ways, especially when you heard those terrifying words, “I know that I am obligated but ….!”

As the weekend progressed, he would become more and more focussed and single minded, to the point that he would be sitting in the car on the grid, with his helmet on, total concentration and almost oblivious to the crowds around him.

In 1994 it was different. If you watch the movie Senna, you see him on the grid, helmet off and visibly distracted. There have been all sorts of theories about his behaviour and I am not going to go into that, but he was deeply effected by Roland’s death plus he knew he had to push hard from the start to win.

At the start, the Benetton of J.J. Lehto stalled on the grid. Pedro Lamy, who started further back had his view of the stationary Benetton blocked by other cars and slammed into the back of Lehto’s car. Such was the impact that parts of the car and a wheel were launched over the safety fencing into the startline grandstand injuring a number of spectators.

This brought out the safety car. Unlike the high powered Mercedes sports cars used today, this was a saloon car which could not be driven that fast and as a result of travelling at slower speeds, the tyre temperatures on the F1 cars fell. In fact onboard footage from Ayrton’s car shows him almost overtaking the safety car in an attempt to make the safety car driver go faster.

Once the track at the startline was cleared of debris, the safety car was withdrawn and the race restarted with Ayrton leading Michael Schumacher. On the second lap after the restart, with Ayrton pushing hard, his car unexplainably veered off the track at Tamburello and hit the barrier and came to a stop.

With debris lying on the track and the sad sight of seeing Ayrton lying motionless in the cockpit, the race was red flagged and stopped. The medical team led by Sid Watkins lifted him from the car and after on-site medical attention, he was airlifted directly to Maggiore Hospital in Bologna.

Interestingly in Italy it is seldom that a driver ever has been known to have died at the track, mainly for the legal reason that if that happened then the race would have to be abandoned. It was at 6:40 pm local time, it was officially announced that Ayrton Senna had died.

The autopsy recorded the cause of death as head injuries, likely caused by an impact from a piece of suspension that pierced his helmet. It has been said that if the impact on the helmet had been a few inches either side then he may well have survived, as otherwise there was scarcely a bruise on his body.

A sense of shock engulfed the circuit. In the McLaren hospitality area, the test driver Jonathan Palmer, who also qualified as a doctor, carefully explained the procedures to the assembled guests, but a sense of numbness prevailed. For the teams, many, almost on pre programmed remote control, got ready for the restart of the race which Michael Schumacher won ahead of Nicola Larini in a Ferrari and Mika Häkkinen in a McLaren.

However the second restart was not without further drama. On lap 48, when Michele Alboreto pitted, the rear-right wheel of his Minardi came loose as he left the pit lane, striking two Ferrari and two Lotus mechanics who had to have hospital treatment.

The paddock was a sombre place and we couldn’t wait to leave. I went with Jo Ramirez the McLaren Team Co-ordinator, my colleague Peter Stayner and Nigel Geach one of the team’s sponsors. We were early for the flight so we found a little restaurant where we had a much needed couple of glasses of wine, to reflect on a very sad and tragic weekend. We all knew Ayrton in various ways and it was impossible to believe that he was no more.

Many of the teams were on a charter flight that night from Bologna Airport to Gatwick. Both the McLaren and Williams teams were positioned at the front of the plane and the team management were conscious that there might be the media waiting for us when we landed, but this was expertly managed by the teams press officers.

So bad had been the outbreak of serious events that we even wondered whether the plane would safely make the flight home. In fact what we didn’t know at the time was that the Pacific F1 team’s race transporter carrying the cars caught fire on its way back to the UK when going through the Mont Blanc Tunnel!

It was the most bizarre and tragic weekend, but actually it didn’t end there.

Two weeks later it was the Monaco Grand Prix and during the first practice session a deadly hush descended over the track as Karl Wendlinger had a serious accident as exited the tunnel and lost control of his car under braking for the Nouvelle Chicane. His Sauber hit the wall sideways with considerable force.

Wendlinger’s head struck a water-filled barrier within the metal crash barrier. He remained in a coma for several weeks and did not drive in a race for the rest of the year, although thankfully he recovered.

It really did feel that the previous 12 years without fatal incident had had its revenge!

Inside Line by Peter Burns

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MARCHIONNE: WE DESERVE THE F1 DRIVERS’ TITLE

Ferrari big boss Sergio Marchionne says that the Maranello squad “deserves” to keep challenging for the 2016 Formula 1 world championship.

That is despite the fact Sebastian Vettel, widely regarded as Maranello’s lead driver, is already a whopping 67 points behind Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg.

Ferrari and Fiat president Marchionne famously set Ferrari the target of winning immediately in 2016, but all four races so far have been won by Rosberg.

“The drivers’ title? I think we deserve it,” the Italian, at the launch of the 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, is quoted by La Repubblica. “Not because we are smarter, but simply as a reflection of the work we did in 2015.”

“The most important thing now is to keep working,” he said. “So far we have shown in at least three of the four races that we have the ability to be winners.”

“Unfortunately due to mistakes, misfortune or other things, we did not succeed. But we have had four grands prix, and 17 remain. It’s still open,” Marchionne insisted.

“Sochi was the most difficult for us. We needed an engine really at maximum power. If we had got out in front of Mercedes they would have had a hard time to pass us, especially if it had been Vettel at the front,” he said.

Finally, Marchionne was asked about Red Bull’s decision to demote Daniil Kvyat, after two consecutive run-ins with Vettel in China and Sochi.

“I don’t want to judge the decisions of one of our competitors,” he said. “It (Sochi) was an unfortunate accident and I think Kvyat apologised to Seb. For me the issue is closed.”

“If he will have consequences in terms of the regulations, it is up to the FIA to decide,” added Marchionne.

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RENAULT BOSS HAPPY WITH PALMER

Renault has dismissed speculation that rookie Jolyon Palmer is in danger of losing his race seat.

In the same week that Red Bull demoted Daniil Kvyat, rumours continued to circulate that Palmer, the 2014 GP2 champion, was in danger of losing his Renault seat to a young team charger like Sergey Sirotkin or Esteban Ocon.

Frenchman Ocon, the reigning GP3 champion and 2014 European F3 title winner, will even drive Briton Palmer’s yellow car in Friday practice next week in Spain.

But team boss Frederic Vasseur – Ocon’s team boss in GP3 last year – insisted: “We have a strong lineup and one we’re happy with and committed to.

“Kevin (Magnussen) has performed very well in his return to formula one and Jolyon is approaching his rookie season in a clear and methodical manner.

“It’s true that Jolyon had a couple of races where he didn’t deliver as he wanted, equally this is natural in a driver’s first season,” Vasseur said.

“He’s learning and making strong progress.”

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RUSSIAN BACKER SHOWS CONFIDENCE IN KVYAT

A Russian backer is more than happy with Daniil Kvyat’s controversial demotion to Toro Rosso ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix.

Moscow-based online newspaper Lenta reports that, mere days after Red Bull decided to demote 22-year-old Kvyat, Russian businessman Sergey Belousov signed on the dotted line of a sponsorship deal with the Faenza based team.

“We have been familiar with Daniil Kvyat for a long time and discussed a possible partnership with Toro Rosso before his move to Red Bull,” Belousov, an IT entrepreneur and venture capitalist, said. “We also have a huge respect for the head of Toro Rosso, Franz Tost.”

According to Lenta, Belousov’s financial and technological support for Toro Rosso will be long-term, but only if Tost and Kvyat are at the team.

He said he thinks Toro Rosso is a better place for Kvyat, “Red Bull is focused on the commercial side as well but Toro Rosso is pure racing. I am not an expert in formula one. but in my opinion Kvyat is more comfortable at Toro Rosso.”

“Of course, Verstappen is also a first-class driver, but I think Kvyat was able to show his strength already at the start of this season.”

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No plans for major Spanish upgrade package at Haas - Steiner

The Haas Formula 1 team has no plans to introduce a major upgrade package at the first European Grand Prix of the season, according to team principal Guenther Steiner.

The Spanish GP marks the return to Europe for the first time since pre-season testing and it's often where teams will debut major developments, as they strive to climb the pecking order.

Haas will not however be following suit, with Steiner confirming it will bring small race-by-race updates when it sees fit, starting with a new rear-wing in Spain following the introduction of a new front-wing at the last race in Russia.

"We’ve made a few changes to the car," he said. "We’ve got a new front-wing that we tested for the first time in Russia, and we’ve got a new rear-wing that we’ll race for the first time in Barcelona.

"We won’t have big changes on a set schedule," added Steiner. "We’ll introduce new parts when we feel we’ve made enough gains. New parts from our development will trickle in every few races, just like every other team does."

Meanwhile, Steiner is looking forward to returning to a circuit Haas knows well and has plenty of data to compare against from pre-season testing.

"It’s one of the things we look forward to because we can compare what we’ve got now with what we started off with," he explained. "We finally have something to compare ourselves to.

"On all the other tracks, we’ve got no data at all, and we’ll have no data at all until we come back next year. So, it’s quite nice to go to Barcelona."

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Button: 'A competitive car next year will keep me in Formula 1'

Jenson Button is eyeing a competitive seat next season - not necessarily at McLaren - which will enable him to "fight for good results", otherwise he would consider quitting Formula 1.

The Briton's current deal with McLaren comes to an end this year, with Stoffel Vandoorne the likely candidate to take over his seat.

However Button is keen to remain in the sport should a competitive seat - be that at McLaren or elsewhere - present itself.

"I want to be in a position where I can be competitive and fight for good results - at least be in the mix - and that’s what will keep me in the sport," Button told F1i.

"My mind is to be competitive next year and to race and enjoy racing," he added. "And to be able to see the front at least! I’d love to do that here and I hope this team is in that situation."

When it was put to him that Mercedes could have an opening next season - with championship leader Nico Rosberg yet to sign a new deal - Button said: "Any human being that likes racing cars would say yes [to Mercedes] - they would do that because it’s the quickest car by a second.

"So any driver whether he’s in love with Ferrari or hates Mercedes cars, he will still drive that car because he has the best chance of being world champion."

The 2009 champion has been linked with a move to Williams next season - a deal which was supposedly agreed for 2015 before he re-signed with McLaren.

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Alonso: McLaren chassis up there with the best

Fernando Alonso believes McLaren's chassis is "up there" with the best after claiming his first points of this season in Russia.

It has been a trying start to the campaign for the double World Champion, who was unable to make the most of McLaren's improvements having suffered a huge crash at the opening grand prix in Melbourne.

He suffered a pneumothorax and fractured ribs in the crash, which meant he was not able to take to the grid at the Bahrain GP and had to watch from the sidelines as Stoffel Vandoorne claimed McLaren's first point of the championship.

Two races later, though, both the Spaniard and his team-mate Jenson Button were in the points, finishing P6 and P10 respectively in Russia.

It was, Alonso reckons, an indication that McLaren are moving in the "right direction" and have a chassis that is "up there" with the best in the field.

He told Crash.net: "We are up there with the top teams. Red Bull has a little bit of an advantage right now but after that there is a group of cars that can include McLaren.

"Everyone is working hard. We know the situation, we struggled last year and we had a difficult season, but we learned a lot of things and we are putting those things into the car now.

"Finally we are seeing the first progress that we can touch with our hands and I am enjoying my racing. We are definitely going in the right direction and I think good times are coming, quite soon."

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Whiting: Longer cockpit exit times a "small price" for F1 head protection

Formula 1 race director Charlie Whiting says drivers taking a few extra seconds to get out of their cars because of better head protection will be a small price to pay for the huge added safety benefit.

As efforts continue to try to introduce either the Halo or the Aeroscreen for 2017, Whiting says that the priority has to be in saving lives, even if other compromises have to be made.

While extraction of a driver for medical crews remains an important consideration, Whiting thinks that both designs put forward at the moment offer offer similar access – and he sees no dramas.

“Looking at the actual opening, I can’t see any difference between the two,” explained Whiting.

“They are both mounted at more or less the same height. The top rim, the actual opening, is extremely similar and the height of the top of the Aeroscreen and the Halo looks similar.”

Jump out test

Whiting has revealed that as part of the Aeroscreen evaluation, Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo completed a cockpit exit test in Russia, which he passed as he would normally.

“We did a jump out test on Daniel on Thursday to make sure he was okay,” added Whiting. “He was only doing one lap, but you never know what might happen.

“We wanted the comfort of knowing that he was able to get out of the car in the required time. He was, and that will only get better.

“Teams will develop systems to make it easier for drivers to get out. But if we eventually needed to add a couple of seconds to the time required to get out, I think that would be a small price to pay for the added protection for the driver’s head.”

Crash test brush

Whiting has also said that the FIA had no concerns about a tyre just brushing the top of a helmet in a crash test of the Aeroscreen.

“The helmet is not fixed in those tests - it’s basically sat on a couple of pegs which locate it,” he said. “The contact with the driver’s head in that particular incident was absolutely minimal.

"But no safety device is going to cover every accident. We know that. That’s a fact of life.

“You keep on adding things to try and make it safer and safer and safer. The wheel tethers have gone up in their strength over the years, yet wheels still come off under extreme circumstances.

“It’s just you’re minimising the chances of it happening and that is what every safety device does.”

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New floor, wings and bodywork for McLaren at Spanish GP

McLaren will introduce a new floor, wings and bodywork as part of a major update for the Spanish Grand Prix, one that it hopes will boost its chances of getting in to Q3.

The Woking-based outfit has been encouraged by progress it has made so far this season on the engine and chassis front – and missed out on a top-ten qualifying shootout place by less than one tenth of a second last time out in Russia.

Now, ahead of the start of the European season, the team is planning an aggressive development push to continue moving forward.

Reality check

However, McLaren racing director Eric Boullier is cautious about building up false hopes of a big lift in form, especially after the team had eyed a Q3 slot in Russia.

“I don't know how it [the update] will go for Barcelona, and I don't want to create any expectation,” he told Motorsport.

“But Monaco afterwards should suit us, although that race can also be very unpredictable.”

When asked if the updates plus Barcelona not being much of a power track had lifted confidence of McLaren challenging for Q3, Boullier said: “No. No confidence at all yet.

“You know the problem is, we thought we could do it in Russia but for one tenth we didn't. The good news is we were close to Red Bull, which is one of the references in terms of the car, but it was still disappointing to not be there.”

Strong pace

McLaren did come away from the power-dependent Russian Grand Prix with a double points finish, which Boullier thinks is evidence that the team is improving.

“It means the package is starting to work,” he said. “Obviously we need more straightline speed, we need more efficiency because fuel saving is another issue.

“As you saw at the end of the race [in Russia], Fernando [Alonso] was putting in a few laps without fuel saving and we were one second faster – so if we wanted, we could have closed with the other guys.

“But it is coming up, and it is good. We keep bringing every race some developments, so the team is putting a lot of effort in – both McLaren and Honda – so good to see little by little we are closing.”

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Nicholas Latifi testing the Renault F1 car at Silverstone