FORMULA 1 - 2016

[MIKA27]

Goodwood confirms seven F1 teams for Festival of Speed

Seven Formula One teams will attend the Goodwood Festival of Speed next month (June 23-26), it has been announced, with Mercedes leading the way.

Joining Mercedes on the 1.16 mile hillclimb course will be Ferrari, Force India, McLaren, Red Bull, Renault and Williams.

Of the drivers, and already confirmed to appear, are Force India's Nico Hulkenberg, who also took victory in last year's Le Mans 24 Hours with Porsche, and 2009 F1 world champion Jenson Button, with more expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

Also, while no longer an active F1 driver, although he will be in action in an LMP3 Sports car race ahead of this year's Le Mans 24 Hours, Sky Sports F1 commentator Martin Brundle will be in action, taking Button's championship-winning Brawn BGP 001, not seen running since 2009, up the hill.

“There are more top F1 teams here than ever before,” said Lord March, “and I am very pleased to hear that Jenson Button's already confirmed his appearance just before the British Grand Prix with his McLaren-Honda.”

[MIKA27]

Mercedes happy 'so far' with Wehrlein form

Mercedes F1 team boss Toto Wolff says the German manufacturer is happy so far with the way junior driver Pascal Wehrlein has performed in the first four races of his debut season.

The 2015 DTM champion has been given his chance at the pinnacle of the sport this year with Manor, finishing every grand prix, and peaking with a 13th place finish in Bahrain, and while Wolff admits it is still early days, he adds that the early indications are promising.

“He has shown some very strong performances in qualifying and the race, and that is what we were hoping for,” Wolff said after the Russian Grand Prix.

“But you can see today he was quicker than [Rio] Haryanto [his team-mate] but not by a lot so he is getting a good fight for his money, and that is good.

“Pascal has completely different responsibilities in Manor than he had at Mercedes and we like that. We see his development in the team, in his rookie year to be lead driver is a tough thing but so far we are happy.

“It is still early to assess [though], he is still very green.”

Meanwhile, Wehrlein was disappointed with the race in Sochi, but is hoping for better when F1 heads to Spain next weekend.

“It was a disappointing result [in Sochi],” Wehrelin confirmed. “I got a good start and managed to avoid all the problems in the first couple of corners, then the first stint was quite good for me. I had a good fight with the Saubers but after the first pit stop they were in front of me.

“I tried to push hard to overtake one of them again but I couldn't manage it and I destroyed my tyres behind them so I had to box again.

“At the second stop we had a problem with the left-rear which lost us a lot of time but by then I think 18th was the best we could hope for.

"Now we have to focus on heading to Europe and what we can do to improve. My thanks to the team so far for a good first few races and their hard work.”

[MIKA27]

FIRST LIGHT – THE STORY BEHIND THE MCLAREN MP4/1

First Light – The Story Behind The McLaren MP4/1 is a short film that tells the story of one of the most important Formula 1 cars of all time in the words of John Barnard – the lead engineer behind the development of the car.

It’s difficult to overstate the importance of the carbon monocoque developed for the McLaren MP4/1, after its introduction McLaren’s rivals rushed to build their own carbon fibre cars, and it’s remained the basic architecture still in use today – over 35 years later.

If you’d like to read more about the MP4/1 you can click here.

[MIKA27]

HAAS PREVIEW THE SPANISH GRAND PRIX

When preseason testing began in late February at the Circuit de Barcelona – Catalunya, the 4.655-kilometer (2.892-mile), 16-turn circuit was the scene of many firsts for Haas F1 Team.

First car unveil. First lap. First pit stop practice. The list was long.

Now, as the first American Formula One team in 30 years returns to Barcelona for the Spanish Grand Prix on May 15, it gets to enjoy another first: coming to a venue with valuable, pertinent track data.

Everything is new to the newest entrant in the FIA Formula One World Championship. There is no track history. No past strategies. No previous notes.

Despite operating in this brave new world, Haas F1 Team enters the Spanish Grand Prix fifth in the constructor standings, 29 points behind fourth-place Williams and five points ahead of sixth-place Toro Rosso.

Haas F1 Team earned this position by scoring points in three of the four races run this season, starting with the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, continuing in Round 2 at the Bahrain Grand Prix and rebounding in its most recent outing at the Russian Grand Prix after finishing out of the points in Round 3 at the Chinese Grand Prix. These three point-paying finishes are the most of any new team in this millennium. When Jaguar debuted in 2000 and when Toyota came on the scene in 2002, each entity managed only two point-paying finishes in their entire first seasons.

Haas F1 Team has 17 more races to collect additional points, with Barcelona next up on the globe-trotting tour of automotive acumen. It’s an opportunity Haas F1 Team relishes, as the Circuit de Barcelona – Catalunya is the only venue on the 21-race Formula One calendar where its cars have turned competitive laps prior to a race weekend.

Over the course of eight days spread across two weeks in late February and early March, Haas F1 Team logged 474 laps at Barcelona in preseason testing. In the team’s final day of testing – in full sun and in comfortable temperatures – 91 laps were recorded with Romain Grosjean and Esteban Gutiérrez sharing driving duties. It was the organization’s highest single-day lap count of the test.

The knowledge gained from those laps will allow the Spanish Grand Prix to serve as a benchmark for Haas F1 Team. The preseason test doesn’t provide the team with any real advantage over its counterparts, as every team tested and all return with plenty of data. But it does allow Haas F1 Team to see how far it’s come in terms of development, methodology and overall cohesiveness.

As the first European race and the site of all that preseason testing, Barcelona brings a barrage of updates brought forth by teams up and down the pit lane. Haas F1 Team is no different. The new front wing it debuted in Russia continues to be massaged, joined in Spain by a new rear wing. And underneath the bodywork sits the latest Ferrari powerplant, with the prancing horse using three of its engine development tokens to create this upgrade, first used by Scuderia Ferrari at the series’ last race in Russia.

Two months ago at Barcelona, the question facing Haas F1 Team was “Are they going to show up?” After not only showing up, but walking away with enough points to place the organization ahead of six other Formula One teams, the question this time at Barcelona is “How far can you go?”

With Barcelona serving as a barometer of the team’s evolution, it’s back to the future for Haas F1 Team.

Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya

• Circuit Length: 4.655 km (2.892 miles)
• Laps: 66
• Race Distance: 307.104 km (190.826 miles)
• Broadcast: NBCSN – 7 a.m. ET (Pre-Race Show) / 7:30 a.m. ET (Lights Out)

Guenther Steiner, Team Principal

You come back to Barcelona having scored points in three of the four races run thus far. When you first came to Barcelona for preseason testing in February, was the thought of being fifth in the constructor standings with 22 points by the time you returned for the Spanish Grand Prix something that even entered your mind?

GS: “To be honest, no. But we are very happy and we’ll take it.”

Barcelona marks the first and only venue where Haas F1 Team will unload with data secured during preseason testing at the track. How valuable is it to finally have some pertinent track data before arriving at a circuit?

GS: “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. 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.”

As good as it is to have track data from the preseason test, so will all of the other teams. Is there any advantage beyond simply preparing for the Spanish Grand Prix?

GS: “No real advantage. It’s just a reality check. We can check what we’ve done over the last four races.”

It’s been two months since you tested at Barcelona. How do you expect the track to change between then and now?

GS: “It looks to be a hot weekend, so that will be different from testing. The track, for sure, will be different.”

In that same span, Haas F1 Team has learned a lot in a very short period of time. Can you explain the team’s growth since first coming to Barcelona at the end of February?

GS: “The team has made significant steps. In Barcelona, we had people working day and night, and we had a very good start to the test. The second week was not so good. Then we went to Australia and got sixth. The team has developed a lot in these two months from where we were, but it’s normal for a new team. It’s a very good thing that we’re growing and making improvements. We’re a lot better team now than we were two months ago.”

Barcelona marks the first European race on the Formula One schedule. Typically, many teams bring updates to their cars for the Spanish Grand Prix. Does Haas F1 Team have any updates for its cars?

GS: “It’s just about making developments to make the car go faster, and how you do that is everybody’s own secret. We’ve made a few changes to the car. 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. 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.”

You brought a new front wing to China, but didn’t run it much. You utilized it more in the most recent race at Russia. How did it perform?

GS: “We started to run with it in China, but we had some other issues to work out so we decided not to focus on the new front wing. We left the old wing on because we knew that the original wing worked. We re-tested it during FP1 in Russia and both drivers liked it. It makes the car more stable around the track in cornering, so we’ve decided to use the new wing going forward.”

In China and in Russia, the drivers talked about how difficult it was to get their tires into a proper working temperature. Is there a certain sweet spot temperature-wise where each tire compound works the best? If so, how do you get it there?

GS: “Every tire works in a certain window and, in Russia, with the low-grip surface and cold temperature, we had a hard time getting it to work. With the warmer weather in Spain, I hope we don’t have those problems again, but we can’t predict or forecast it.”

For the first time this season, Pirelli is bringing the P Zero Orange hard tire. After four races where only the Red supersofts, Yellow softs and White mediums have been used, how challenging is to understand a new tire compound?

GS: “I don’t think it’s challenging. It’s just a matter of putting them on and seeing how they’re doing. I don’t think we will use the hard compound a lot and we didn’t pick a lot of them. We’ll put them on in FP1 and FP2, go through the motions and see how the tire is doing to decide if this is a tire that will work for us or not.”

Because the surface at Barcelona is abrasive, each driver will have to make at least two pit stops, perhaps even three. Since this race will put a premium on pit stops, how is the team’s pit-stop preparation?

GS: “Since Australia, all of our pit stops have been within a three-second region, which is not too bad for a new team. It’s better to have all of our stops within the three-second region rather than having a 2.5-second stop and then a six-second stop. We just need to stay consistent in a good area.”

One element of practicing pit stops has been simulating a nose replacement. Grosjean had to have a nose replacement in China. Gutiérrez needed a nose replacement in Russia. How have these situations made the team better prepared to make these changes during a race?

GS: “In China, it took us about 40 seconds to change the nose. In Russia, it was under 12 (seconds). We changed how the nose is attached to the car and the guys practiced a lot. I hope we don’t have many more nose changes, because that means you’re at the back of the field and in a very difficult position to score points.”

Rule changes are coming for 2017, but how much needs to be changed considering how competitive the racing has been this year, particularly in the middle of the field?

GS: “In the midfield, it is very tight because it is so competitive. With the new regulations coming in next year with wider cars, I hope that competitiveness moves up to the first, second and third place as well. The aim with the new regulation is to have a level playing field, but it’s very difficult to answer whether it will help or not at this time.”

Romain Grosjean

You come back to Barcelona having scored points in three of the four races run thus far. When you first came to Barcelona for preseason testing in February, was the thought of being seventh in the driver standings with 22 points by the time you returned for the Spanish Grand Prix something that even entered your mind?

RG: “Not really, to be fair. I don’t like to set myself an objective, in terms of position. If I thought about where we could be, what we can do, it’s definitely better than anyone was expecting, and certainly myself. China was a good grand prix to bring us back down to earth and help us to understand a few things. Russia was good, as well. We worked hard to get P8 at the end. We’re beyond expectations, but we’ll take it. We’ve scored points three out of four times. Everyone is improving. There are still a lot of areas where we can be better. Everything has been a great achievement, and we should be able to keep that form.”

Barcelona marks the first and only venue where Haas F1 Team will unload with data secured during preseason testing at the track. How valuable is it to finally have some pertinent track data before arriving at a circuit?

RG: “It’s certainly going to be useful to have data from the winter testing, even though the conditions, the temperature and everything are going to be very different. The tires are different as well – we don’t have the supersofts we used in the winter. But I think it’s still going to be good. I’m not sure it’s going to help us to set up the car initially, but it will help us to double-check everything we have done and to see if we’ve been going in the right direction since the winter testing.”

As good as it is to have track data from the preseason test, so will all of the other teams. Is there any advantage beyond simply preparing for the Spanish Grand Prix?

RG: “The advantage of having data from the winter testing, and going back a few races into the season, is that you can check if you’ve been doing a good job in going in the right direction, in terms of the setup of the car and so on. I’m very much looking forward to getting back to Barcelona and trying the updates we’ve got and the setups we’ve been using. Hopefully, we’ll get more updates and then check that we’re doing the right thing with the car.”

It’s been two months since you tested at Barcelona. How do you expect the track to change between then and now?

RG: “Hotter! Generally, Barcelona has good weather. The track will be the same, as we all know it very well. Just the conditions will be different. Track temperature plays a big role, especially in the last sector in Barcelona where the tires often overheat. Other than that, there’s not much difference.”

In that same span, Haas F1 Team has learned a lot in a very short period of time. Can you explain the team’s growth since first coming to Barcelona at the end of February?

RG: “For everyone, it’s been a nice journey. We’re only four races into the season but what we have done, the way we have been growing up, has been impressive. Everyone is now finding their marks. There are still a few things we can improve and a few things we can certainly do better, but we are having a good run of races. We have a good group of people and the drivers are working well with the engineers. As every team, we have ups and downs but, generally, I think from the first test we were a racing team and now, four races into the season, we have shown we’re a good contender for scoring points often.”

In China and in Russia you talked about how difficult it was to get your tires into a proper working temperature. Is there a certain sweet spot temperature-wise where each tire compound works the best? If so, how do you get them there?

RG: “There are cars that work better with softer tires, others with harder tires. That’s the philosophy behind the suspension and the downforce of the car. Generally, the bigger teams have less problems to get their tires to work because they normally have more downforce. For us, there are still things we can do. That’s what we worked on in Russia very well. I think we went the wrong direction in China. It was positive, in Russia and on a very difficult track, to get it right. The more we go into summer, the more we go to hot races, and the less it’s normally a problem. Still, it’s possible that in Europe, or even Canada, you can get a cold race, and then you need to set up the car accordingly.”

For the first time this season, Pirelli is bringing the P Zero Orange hard tire. After four races where only the Red supersofts, Yellow softs and White mediums have been used, how challenging is to understand a new tire compound?

RG: “It’s a tire I’ve been running for a few years now. I don’t think it’s massively different from the past. To be fair, I don’t think we’re going to use them in Barcelona, unless there’s an unexpected case. I only have two sets of them for the whole weekend.”

With Barcelona’s mix of corners and abrasive surface, how physically demanding is the track in terms of what you have to do behind the wheel?

RG: “It’s a very demanding track because you’ve got some high-speed corners, like the first sector, then you’ve got some very low-speed sections and corners, like the last sector of the track. It’s normally a good judge for the car, showing that you’re capable of having some good downforce at high speed and good mechanical grip in the low-speed turns. It’s going to be interesting for us. We know what we could have improved during the winter testing to get faster in Barcelona. Hopefully, it’s coming for the race. It would be interesting for us to check that we’ve been doing everything right and the updates we’re bringing work as expected.”

Describe a lap around Barcelona.

RG: “Barcelona is probably the track you know best in the world. You can name every part of the layout. There’s a long straight, then the first two corners right and left. You carry quite a good speed into them, and then there’s the famous turn three, which you try to take as flat out as possible. Turn four, there’s usually some front-locking. The hairpin into turn five, going down you don’t see the apex until late, so it’s a tricky corner. Turns seven and eight going up the hill lead to the very high-speed turn nine, which has a new curb on exit. Then you get to the hairpin at turn 10, which is very tricky under braking. Turns 11-15 are almost one corner – as a complex, it’s difficult to get a good flow around those corners. You need to get a good balance there. Turn 16 is the last corner and you want to try to stay as flat-out to prepare for the straight and get a good lap time.”

Esteban Gutierrez

Barcelona marks the first and only venue where Haas F1 Team will unload with data secured during preseason testing at the track. How valuable is it to finally have some pertinent track data before arriving at a circuit?

EG: “I believe that it will be very positive for the team to make a proper comparison from where we started on testing, as we have a pretty good reference from that, and also where we are right now. It will be good to see how far we’ve progressed and it will also allow us to understand the car better. I think that will be a very important step.”

As good as it is to have track data from the preseason test, so will all of the other teams. Is there any advantage beyond simply preparing for the Spanish Grand Prix?

EG: “It makes a good difference because you arrive with certain data, and you can predict a little bit better from that data. Straight away, it puts us in a more knowledgeable position approaching the weekend. It allows us to be better prepared. Other teams have a lot of data from the past years, but for us, everything is new. This is the first time that we will arrive with some proper data so that we can really focus on maximizing and fine tuning the car during the weekend.”

It’s been two months since you tested at Barcelona. How do you expect the track to change between then and now?

EG: “It will be pretty different because the weather conditions will be very different. Preseason testing was a bit on the cold side, a bit like it was at Shanghai and Russia, which didn’t really make things very easy for us. But now that we’re approaching the summer, the weather will be better, a bit warmer, and that will help us to have a bit more consistency. It will take away a little bit of a variable for us to be on the limit of the tire’s working range.”

In that same span, Haas F1 Team has learned a lot in a very short period of time. Can you explain the team’s growth since first coming to Barcelona at the end of February?

EG: “The biggest difference is how the team is working together. Race by race I feel the team is progressing very, very quickly. We’ve taken advantage of the things we’ve done well and when things haven’t gone as well, we’ve adapted and learned quickly.”

In China and in Russia you talked about how difficult it was to get your tires into a proper working temperature. Is there a certain sweet spot temperature-wise where each tire compound works the best? If so, how do you get them there?

EG: “Overall, the tires have a different working range depending upon the compound. Ideally, the setup of your car allows you to get into those proper working ranges quickly and, just as importantly, stay there. When the conditions are a bit colder, it’s harder to get into those working ranges and it exacerbates any little issues you have with your car.”

For the first time this season, Pirelli is bringing the P Zero Orange hard tire. After four races where only the Red supersofts, Yellow softs and White mediums have been used, how challenging is to understand a new tire compound?

EG: “Any tire compound will suit the cars in different ways. The harder the compound, the less grip you have. Each compound has certain characteristics that are crucial to understand in order to make the tire work as it relates to your car’s setup. For us, we’re going with the mediums and the softs. We only have one set of hards.”

With Barcelona’s mix of corners and abrasive surface, how physically demanding is the track in terms of what you have to do behind the wheel?

EG: “I would say the most difficult part is sector one and two, which has long corners and quite a high load in terms of downforce. It puts quite a lot of load on the neck, especially. For the rest, I don’t think it’s going to be a huge challenge. It has been very important to get well prepared and I am feeling very well every race. It’s just a different characteristic. We come from Russia where turn three is a left-hand corner, very long, and now we’re going to Barcelona which has a lot of right-hand corners. It’s very long and very fast, and we’ll feel that mostly in our neck muscles.”

Describe a lap around Barcelona.

EG: “Barcelona is a track we use a lot for testing. It’s probably the track that I have done the most laps in my career. You come into the first section into turn one, focused on the entry speed and also the line, in preparation for turn two and turn three, which is crucial in order to have a good exit out of the famous and fast turn three of Barcelona. Approaching into turn four, you have a very sharp brake to turn in very quickly, carrying the speed into the corner. The exit is very long with a lot of load on the rear tires. You arrive into turn five, it’s a bit downhill, quite a slow corner, on braking you don’t really see the entry well and, at the same time, it is very important not to miss the apex. Turn seven is very sharp. The corner has some banking, which makes it faster than what you can see from outside approaching. Then into turn nine, it’s uphill. You turn in with very small brake, and a short lift on the throttle. The exit is a bit blind, and the car usually is moving around, trying to go on power as quickly as possible and a very, very fast corner. From turn 10 onward, you have the first sector which is usually very challenging because of the tire temperatures. You have the tires heated up from the previous two sectors and it makes it the most important and challenging part of the track because it’s where you can gain or lose a lot of time as it is the most technical part of the track.”

[MIKA27]

Lauda warns against ruining F1’s ‘DNA’

Niki Lauda believes Formula 1 risks ruining its "DNA" if cockpit protection is brought into the sport.

Last time out at the Sochi circuit Red Bull trialled their aeroscreen to mixed reviews.

While most feel it is asthetically better than Ferrari's halo, there are those who believe F1 risks losing what makes it the sport it is.

One such person is Mercedes non-executive director Lauda.

"Whatever we do in the future we need to make sure we don't ruin the DNA of F1," the triple World Champion told Sky Sports F1.

"If we come up with cars where everything is covered, you don't see the drivers and you don't see the helmets, then we have to be careful.

[MIKA27]

VERSTAPPEN MOVE INJECTS MASSIVE INTEREST INTO F1 SEASON

The big talking point heading into the Spanish grand prix will be Red Bull’s shock jump on the 2017 ‘silly season’ while injecting a massive amount of interest as the season begins in Europe.

The energy drink marque has pulled Max Verstappen out of contention for a switch to Ferrari or Mercedes by immediately promoting him from Toro Rosso on a long-term deal with Red Bull Racing.

“Red Bull had to do something, because this is already a lost season for them,” said former F1 driver Christijan Albers, according to the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf.

“They are not going to win races this year so they are putting Max in the team already so that he can integrate properly,” he added.

The result of that unexpected move by Red Bull is that fascinating battles not only at Red Bull but also Toro Rosso have been lit up for the remainder of 2016.

“Kvyat for example will want to prove Red Bull wrong by beating his new teammate Carlos Sainz,” said Jan Lammers, another Dutch former F1 driver.

But yet another former Dutch driver, Giedo van der Garde, warns that Verstappen is facing a tough challenge in his on-form new teammate Daniel Ricciardo.

“For a driver it is not easy to change team mid-season,” he said, “although I do think there are quite a few similarities between the Red Bull and Toro Rosso cars.

“On the other hand, there are major differences in electronics, for example the functions of the steering wheel. And Max will suddenly have to work with a different engineer.

“Of course there are a few risks with this move but it should not be too difficult for him,” van der Garde added.

“If you get a chance like this, you just have to grab it. Especially if you have as much talent as Max Verstappen. Yes, I think podiums this year are very possible,” added the Dutchman.

[MIKA27]

ALARMING & UNFOUNDED REPORTS EMERGE REGARDING SCHUMACHER HEALTH

International publications are repeating alarming news about the deteriorating health of Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher.

Spain’s Diario Sport, Italy’s Corriere dello Sport and La Derniere Heure in Belgium say an American source called ‘Newseveryday’ has quoted an anonymous doctor who was involved in Schumacher’s recovery from serious head injuries.

The original source reportedly said the former Ferrari and Mercedes driver now needs “a miracle to stay alive”, almost 30 months after his skiing fall in late 2013.

Attending the fabled Targa Florio in Sicily, FIA president Jean Todt was asked about his friend Schumacher and said: “Michael is part of automotive history, winning the most grands prix and titles.

“We can only send best wishes to him and his family, who now have a much more important battle,” Todt is quoted by La Gazzetta dello Sport.

[MIKA27]

MERCEDES PREVIEW THE SPANISH GRAND PRIX

The 2016 Formula One World Championship continues this weekend with Round Five, the Spanish Grand Prix, from the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya

• Lewis: “There’s a lot more still to come from us”
• Nico: “I’m connecting really well with the car at the moment”
• Toto: “We are pushing the limits to ensure we remain competitive”
• Paddy: “If you’re quick around Barcelona, you’ll be quick everywhere”

Lewis Hamilton: “It’s been good to have a break after Russia. Over time you reflect on each race weekend and what you might have done differently, so you can learn from each experience and move on. I’m really proud of the guys in the garage: we’ve had a hard time but they’re doing a fantastic job and I’m really happy with how we’ve been working together. Every weekend, we’ve got the car into a great place setup-wise – I just haven’t been fully able to exploit it. So the glass is half full for me. It will be a big challenge but there’s a long way to go with 17 races left and, if the last four are anything to go by, there’s a lot more still to come from us. The team has been on it 24/7 since returning from Russia so I’m confident they’ll get to the bottom of the problems we’ve been having. I know I’m still quick. I’ve known that since day one in testing and, when I’ve had clean air and a damage-free car this season, I’ve shown it on track. I head to Spain confident of a good weekend.”

Nico Rosberg: “It’s not something I could have expected – winning the first four races of the year. It’s been a great start but I’m just enjoying the moment and the form I’m in, doing my best to keep it going and hoping I can carry it through to the end of the season. Sport is all about ups and downs and being mentally prepared to bounce back stronger when they come. With a season this long you have to just take things race by race. There are 425 points still up for grabs – and anything can happen yet. Next up, it’s Barcelona. I got my first pole and win at this circuit last year and I’m connecting really well with the car at the moment, which is great as it gives you this awesome confidence to push the limits. So, I’m excited for the weekend and no doubt a big battle ahead.”

Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: “Assessing our season so far is an interesting task. On the one side, we are leading the Constructors’ Championships by a good margin and our drivers hold the top two positions in the Drivers’ standings. So, realistically speaking, it’s tough to ask for more. However, it has not been plain sailing and we have had problems that we are working hard to solve. We have rivals breathing down our necks who are relentless in their chase. The longer regulations remain stable, the harder it is to find extra performance. We are pushing the limits to ensure we remain competitive – but if you push the limits then at a certain stage you risk stepping over them. The whole team, on both the chassis and Power Unit side, is working flat out to extract every millisecond from our package without compromising reliability. This is a group of great engineers and I have no doubt that they are going to achieve that. We are always learning as a team. In Hungary and Singapore last year, we took a couple of big hits. But we came out of those races stronger and we continue to learn from our struggles. We’re going to see some big upgrades from the different teams and Power Unit suppliers over the next few races, so now is the time we can truly assess the pecking order. Barcelona will be an interesting weekend from that perspective, so we must be prepared.”

Paddy Lowe, Executive Director (Technical): “The first European race on the calendar traditionally marks the beginning of a new phase of the season. Most of our race freight has been away since early March, so it gives us a chance to refresh the parts and equipment as we transfer everything out of the air freight and over to the race trucks – a busy time for the race team! Barcelona itself is a circuit which is very demanding of all aspects of car performance. There’s a common saying in Formula One that if you’re quick around Barcelona, you’ll be quick everywhere. This makes it an important landmark in the season to see where you stand in performance terms, as most teams will be bringing a range of upgrades. Of course, we’ve all been to this circuit already in 2016 during winter testing – but it’s a very different track in May compared to how it was back in March. It will be much warmer and the tyres will behave differently. We have the Hard, Medium and Soft compounds to choose from, which presents some challenges. The Soft will be essential for qualifying but not be a great race tyre, so determining the optimum strategy will be a focal point. Qualifying and race starts will also be important, as it is notoriously difficult to overtake at this circuit. But the highest priority is to come back with our MGU-H problem solved, having had a repeat fault over the past two race weekends. The team has been working day and night to understand it and we’re targeting a clean weekend all round.”

[MIKA27]

MCLAREN PREVIEW THE SPANISH GRAND PRIX

The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has been a permanent fixture on the F1 calendar since 1991. Such is the track’s eclectic mix of corners, it has become F1’s preferred testing venue, but it hasn’t always hosted motorised events. It was one of the many building projects ahead of the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, during which the track hosted the time-trial cycling events.

Fernando Alonso: “It’s notoriously difficult to overtake in Barcelona, so it’s important to get a good start and stay out of trouble on the first lap. After that, it’s a case of getting the strategy right, managing the tyre wear and maximising performance at the right times.

“It’s a fast circuit, so it’s certainly demanding for both the car and driver. The power unit, too, has to work very hard with such high average speeds. As always, reliability is a priority first and foremost, but I hope that the upgrades we’ll test on Friday will see us continue to push race by race, and allow us to keep fighting towards the front alongside our rivals in the midfield.”

“After an eventful few races, and after a good result for us in Russia, I’m looking forward to going ‘home’ to Barcelona and race in my country in front of my home fans. The atmosphere there is always incredible for any Spanish driver, and I have some very special memories from my wins there in 2012 and 2013.

“We’re still learning a lot about our package as we visit each track, so it’s useful that we already have a lot of data from testing there that we can use to understand its characteristics and how our car will react to them. Our performance in qualifying is something we’re working on all the time, to give us the best chance in the race. Getting into Q3 will certainly be difficult at this track, but, with the Spanish fans behind me, that’s got to be our aim.”

Jenson Button: “The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is not a circuit that would traditionally suit us, since it’s fairly hard on both the chassis and the power units, but I feel I have a solid car underneath me, and we’re putting in pretty consistent performances on a variety of circuits, even if our results don’t necessarily reflect all the work that’s going on back at base.

“In Barcelona it’s a long run down to Turn One, so I hope I can get a better start than I did in Sochi and avoid any tangles. For the race, the track surface is very abrasive and tyre wear is high, so it’ll be interesting to see how strategies play out with the softer tyre compounds we’re taking there, and learn to manage them effectively as the weekend progresses.”

“It’s exciting to start the European season off the back of a positive race for the whole team in Sochi. There’s definitely a feeling in the camp that we’re making progress, so I’m hopeful that we can continue this momentum in Barcelona.

“It’s always exciting to come back to Europe for the first race in Spain. The fans are always incredibly enthusiastic, and there’s a very familiar feel at this circuit as we spend so much more time there than in other places. We have some more new parts to test on the car again for this race, so I hope we can see another positive step in our performance over the weekend.”

Eric Boullier, McLaren-Honda Racing Director: “Our double points finish in Sochi was certainly a motivating factor for the whole team back in Woking, Sakura and Milton Keynes, but it’s only just the start of an upward curve that we hope to continue riding for the rest of the season.

“In Russia, there’s no doubt we gained from others’ misfortune in some ways, but both our drivers report positively about the balance of the car, which reassures us that we’ve created a solid foundation, and that we can have faith in the direction in which we’re going.

“We’re always impatient for more, but I’m pleased that the hard work consistently being undertaken behind the scenes was finally rewarded with some valuable points, and we head into the European season hopeful of scoring some more positive results at circuits on which our car should theoretically be slightly stronger. That, coupled with an unrelenting development programme, is exciting and gives us optimism for the next few races ahead.

“It certainly won’t be easy – while we’ll be evaluating upgrades to the car in Barcelona, so will many other teams – but the loyal Spanish fans will be behind Fernando and the team, and we hope to put on a good show for them and carry some positive momentum into the European season.”

Yusuke Hasegawa, Honda R&D Co Ltd Head of F1 Project & Executive Chief Engineer: “The Spanish Grand Prix marks the beginning of a busy European summer season for Formula 1, and after the eventful first four flyaway races and a double points finish in Russia, it’s good to see everyone in such high spirits and enjoying the camaraderie within the team.

“The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is a technical circuit that is less strenuous on the power unit compared to the first four races, but much more stressful on the balance of the car. From a power unit perspective, it is important to have the correct amount of deployment, harvesting and throttle response, so our focus will be to deliver the best balance to suit the needs of our drivers.

“Our power unit development is ongoing and we have not yet confirmed to which races we will bring token updates, but hopefully we can fight for more points during Sunday’s race.”

[MIKA27]

WILLIAMS PREVIEW THE SPANISH GRAND PRIX

The Catalunya circuit on the outskirts of Barcelona is well known to the drivers and teams, following two pre-season tests in February and March where we got an early glimpse of the performance of this year’s cars.

A staple on the calendars of not just Formula One but many other motorsport series, the layout combines long sweeping corners with twisty technical sections – a key reason why Formula One chooses this circuit to give its cars a thorough workout before the season starts.

Williams has managed to secure six wins at the Spanish Grand Prix, including a memorable victory in 2012.

For Barcelona, Pirelli have made available the hard, medium and soft tyres. This will be the debut of the hard tyre this season. In Spain, Williams has chosen to allocate each driver with the same sets of tyres. Felipe and Valtteri will have one set of hard tyres, five sets of medium tyres, and seven sets of soft tyres available throughout the weekend.

Pat Symonds: “The Circuit de Barcelona is a track we know well having completed eight days of pre-season testing at the venue. It is, however, a circuit that is very reactive to climatic conditions, even over the course of a day, therefore the car characteristics we saw in the temperatures of February and March, may not necessarily be indicative of what we will see in May. It is also the first appearance of the Pirelli hard compound tyres, which bares testament to the severity of the circuit. In general, we were happy with the car performance during testing, and hope we can repeat that level of competitiveness, or better, when it matters during the race weekend.”

Valtteri Bottas: “Barcelona is probably the track I’ve driven the most in my life because all of the pre-season testing normally takes place there. I like the track and I like Barcelona as city as well, it is a nice place to stay. The weather is always good around this time of the year. It is a nice event, overall, and there are plenty of fans, so it would be nice to have a good result there, especially because testing looked good for us there.”

Felipe Massa: “Spain is always a track that most of the drivers know 100% because we are always testing there in the winter. So I’d say that everyone pretty much knows the track. It is a circuit that a good car overall normally goes well because you have a little bit of everything; high-speed corners and low-speed corners. If the car works well here, it will work well on most of the tracks. I’m looking forward to having a good race there and hope that we can keep improving race by race, and keep scoring points. To be able to fight for a podium would be great. We know it won’t be easy but we will try everything we can.”

[MIKA27]

TORO ROSSO KEEN TO BE HONDA F1 ENGINE CUSTOMER

Toro Rosso could become the first customer of Honda’s engines in Formula 1, should McLaren not veto a move by the Japanese manufacturer to supply more than one team.

That is the claim of the Finnish newspaper Turun Sanomat, pointed out that Red Bull-owned team’s interest in Honda power actually dates back to 2015.

But it is believed Ron Dennis still intends to fiercely defend an apparent clause in his works contract with the Japanese manufacturer that guarantees exclusivity for McLaren.

That, however, is at odds with a new rule in F1 guaranteeing that teams will not be left without customer deals.

“Last year, as Honda was new, we said they could supply only one team but according to the rules manufacturers must have the ability to supply more teams,” Bernie Ecclestone is quoted as saying.

“Their (Honda’s) problem was the exclusive agreement with McLaren,” he added.

Turun Sanomat correspondent Luis Vasconcelos reports that Toro Rosso chief Franz Tost is now pushing for a three-year Honda deal, for the period 2017-20.

The Faenza based team currently uses 2015-spec Ferrari units. Honda appears open to the idea of supplying customers.

“We don’t have any plans but we have already promised the FIA that we would have the potential to supply a second or third team, so we are preparing that,” said the Japanese marque’s new F1 chief Yusuke Hasegawa.

[MIKA27]

REPORT LINKS KUBICA WITH PIRELLI F1 TESTING ROLE

A respected F1 correspondent says Robert Kubica could get involved in Pirelli’s preparations for the new tyre rules for 2017.

The sport’s official supplier has already started work with a 2014 Ferrari driven by Jean-Eric Vergne at Fiorano.

And a GP2 car driven by Lotus refugee Pastor Maldonado at Mugello and Barcelona has also been in action recently.

Writing in the Finnish newspaper Turun Sanomat, Luis Vasconcelos reports that an invitation to drive “at least for one day” might now go out to Kubica.

Pole Kubica, now 31, rebuilt his motor racing career in rallying in the wake of his serious arm injury in 2011, and has admitted to missing formula one.

[MIKA27]

Force India car will look 'quite different' from the Spanish GP

Force India is pushing ahead with plans to introduce a major overhaul of its car at this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix, which team boss Vijay Mallya says will result in the car looking "quite different".

The Silverstone team tends to introduce major developments in a single package. Last year the team unveiled a B-spec car mid-way through the year which transformed their season, helping the team to finish a record fifth in the standings.

That is again the plan this year, with Mallya confirming a "compehensive" package of updates for the car in Spain.

"It’s on schedule to be fitted to both cars ahead of Friday practice," he said. "It’s pretty comprehensive and the car will look quite different."

Mallya is confident Force India's best is yet to come this season and regardless of the developments, he believes they already have a good car which hasn't yet shown its full potential.

"We’ve yet to see how we perform in a clean, trouble-free race without safety cars, red flags or accidents," he added.

"Despite not realising our potential in Sochi, we took encouragement from our qualifying and race pace: the car is improving and we’ve got a good base on which to build.

"There are 17 races to go and I’m confident the best is yet to come. It’s a marathon, not a sprint."

[MIKA27]

Mercedes working 'day and night' to fix MGU-H problem

Mercedes are working "day and night" to resolve the MGU-H issue which has struck Lewis Hamilton twice in as many races, costing the Briton valuable points as he seeks to close the gap to team-mate Nico Rosberg.

Hamilton was forced to start from the back of the grid in China when the problem first struck during qualifying. The team believed they had identified and cured the problem ahead of the next race, but it struck once again during qualifying in Russia, forcing Hamilton to start tenth.

Mercedes technical boss Paddy Lowe insists fixing the problem is the "highest priority" as they head to the first European event on the calendar this weekend.

"The highest priority is to come back with our MGU-H problem solved, having had a repeat fault over the past two race weekends," Lowe said.

"The team has been working day and night to understand it and we’re targeting a clean weekend all round."

Meanwhile Toto Wolff has described their season so far as mixed, despite leading both championships.

"Assessing our season so far is an interesting task. On the one side, we are leading the Constructors’ Championships by a good margin and our drivers hold the top two positions in the Drivers’ standings," he said.

"So, realistically speaking, it’s tough to ask for more. However, it has not been plain sailing and we have had problems that we are working hard to solve."

[MIKA27]

Spain our first true race as Renault since takeover - Abiteboul

Spain will be the first race of Renault's return to Formula 1, according to managing director Cyril Abiteboul, who described the opening four races as a "recovery" period following the takeover of Lotus.

At the end of the 2015 season, Renault completed a late takeover of the Lotus team, rebranding it Renault Sport F1 over the winter before relaunching in the new year. However much of the time since then has been spent organising the team, rather than developing the car - a task that will only really begin this weekend in Spain.

Whilst the team will introduce several upgrades for the race and the following two-day test - including a new engine - Abiteboul admits scoring points isn't yet a regular target despite the success in Russia last time out.

"Getting points in Russia was a good fillip for the team after the tough race in China," said the Frenchman. "We were reliable and competitive enough to out-race our closest competition and that took a lot of hard work.

"That said, we acknowledge it took a cocktail of circumstances and repeating the result in Spain would be tough."

Abiteboul describes the return to Spain as the first true race as the Renault team since taking over Lotus, and is confident they will begin to make steady progress up the pecking order from this weekend.

"Barcelona is the start of our development program and we will see some new developments coming through in the race, with several others scheduled for the test afterwards," he explained.

"We look at this race as a marker in the sand: the exit point of our recovery from the takeover and the first race as ‘our’ team. It will start small, but I’m confident we will gain momentum as we go forward."

[MIKA27]

British possible EU Exit and Formula 1

Britain is the home to eight of the 11 Formula 1 teams: Force India, Haas, Manor, McLaren, Mercedes, Red Bull racing, Renault and Williams. In addition to this, Scuderia Toro Rosso has significant staff in Britain, working on its aerodynamic and design programmes. Thus, the idea that the country will pull out of the European Union would likely create a lot of problems in F1, not least with such things as transportation, visas, work permits and so on.

It really depends to what extent the British would decide to withdraw, if the vote went in favour of a break with Europe. Having said that, there is no real reason why the Europeans would be helpful in such a situation and thus there are questions about whether there would be tariffs on exports and imports in addition to much more difficult working rules and regulations.

What would the impact be on Formula 1?

Mercedes engines are built in Britain, but the others are built elsewhere, Honda does not seem to have too many problems importing and exporting its engines, it is just a matter of paperwork. This would be the primary difference if there was no single economic unit: things would take longer to do. Perhaps there would be more visas required to travel around the world; perhaps there would be less? Europe, for all of its faults, is quite efficient when it comes to the movement of people and goods.

The vote will take place on June 23 when Britons will answer the question: “Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?” The justification for the referendum is that the British people have not had a say on this question since 1975.

The EU costs the country about 1.4 percent of its total public annual spending, which is less than the budget of the Department of Energy & Climate Change, but some of the campaigners for Britain to leave believe that Britain is being held back by EU rules. They also want Britain to retake full control of its borders and reduce the number of people who come to England to work.

There are 3 million foreign citizens living in the UK and they make up 10.5 percent of the British workforce. A lot of the people working in England in F1 are from aboard. At the same time there are 1.26 million British citizens living in EU countries.

In F1 terms, there are quite a lot at Ferrari, Scuderia Toro Rosso and at Sauber, although the latter is not part of the EU.

There are already problems with Sauber’s location, such as Switzerland’s law regarding the weight of trucks, which requires Sauber to build vehicles that are lighter than their rivals and thus more expensive. However, work permits do not seem to be a problem, once the paperwork has been waded through.

Business in the UK clearly favours staying in the EU and the country’s automotive sector, which contributes $22 billion to the economy and employs 800,000 people, it could suffer if Britain leaves the EU.

Europe accounts for 57.5 percent of the cars exported from the UK, the next biggest market being the US with just 11 percent.

Toyota, one of the biggest car manufacturers in Britain, has warned it will be forced to make significant cutbacks if the country votes to leave the EU, while BMW board member Ian Robertson has said that the Munich company (which builds cars in the UK) believes that Britain would be better off if it remained in the EU. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), which is the lobbying body of the motor industry in the UK, says that three-quarters of its members want to stay in Europe.

It is really rather difficult to predict the changes that will come if Britain does leave, but the one thing that one can say is that if the country does nothing, things will not change. In F1 terms that is probably good enough logic. Why create problems F1 doesn’t need?

However, it is perhaps worth noting that the referendum will be seen as a stroke of genius if the vote is to stay in Europe. It will deal with the problems posed by the right-wing UKIP in such a way as to render the party obsolete once the vote is taken. If Prime Minister David Cameron succeeds in doing this, he will end up as the only major European country that does not have worries about right-wing extremism, which is a quite an achievement in this day and age.

[MIKA27]

Wehrlein hopes updates can lift Manor clear of Sauber

Pascal Wehrlein is hoping that updates to the wings and floor of the Manor cars will be enough to lift the team clear of Sauber at the Spanish Grand Prix.

While the outfit is still focusing on overcoming tyre degradation issues that have impacted on its early season progress, Wehrlein still senses good opportunities from the Barcelona event.

And although the team will not have the luxury of the kind of major update that big money rivals are able to deliver for the start of the European season, Wehrlein still thinks there is scope to improve.

In particular he hopes that aerodynamic tweaks to the front and rear wing, plus floor, can pull Manor away from main rivals Sauber – which will have the benefit of an upgraded Ferrari engine this weekend.

"We'll have a few smaller updates for Barcelona," said Wehrlein, during an appearance at last weekend's DTM race at Hockenheim.

"I really hope we can make a step there and make the tyres work better. In the last couple of races we battled with Sauber. It would be nice to now move ahead of them."

With Renault having finished seventh in the Russian Grand Prix, Manor and Sauber are the only teams not to have scored any points so far this season.

[MIKA27]

Honda holding out for big F1 engine development token spend

Honda wants to use its remaining Formula 1 engine development tokens for a limited number of very substantial upgrades rather than multiple small steps, according to motorsport chief Yusuke Hasegawa.

McLaren's works partner is the only manufacturer to have not spent any of its engine tokens since the 2016 season started.

Renault, which will introduce a major upgrade soon, used one for Bahrain while Mercedes and Ferrari spent two and three respectively for Russia.

"Of course we keep developing, we just have to decide when we can expect to introduce the new technology or tokens," Hasegawa said.

"We have some tokens, but it's still limited and we don't want to use them for tiny steps, from a tactical point of view.

"We'd like to use tokens effectively rather than gradually.

"We need to see the exact result of the development. I hope it is a big step forward.

"I heard some of the items are very promising but before we get it I don't know the exact benefit.

"The ICE [combustion engine] and ERS are being focused on."

The World Motor Sport Council recently ratified new regulations that will mean the token system is abolished at the end of the season.

It is part of a push for power convergence and Hasegawa says Honda is pleased with the decision.

"I'm happy that F1 is removing tokens for 2017 but it will be a major challenge for the engineers," he said.

"We can have more freedom for development, which is good.

"Cost reduction is very tough for every engine manufacturer so we're happy."

Plans to boost the engine noise involve the implementation of a standard power unit exhaust generator.

Hasegawa is unsure whether F1 needs such a device but is in favour if that is what fans want.

"I don't know if we need such a huge noise for Formula 1," he said.

"But if the fans want to introduce it then we'll follow their opinions.

"We have a level of obligation as F1 members to follow what the fans want."

TOKEN SPEND SO FAR THIS SEASON

Ferrari 26 (6 remaining)
Mercedes 21 (11 remaining)
Honda 18 (14 remaining)
Renault 8 (24 remaining)

[MIKA27]

PIRELLI PREVIEW THE SPANISH GRAND PRIX

There is a new nomination for the Spanish Grand Prix, different to the medium-soft-supersoft selection that was chosen for the first four grands prix. For the Circuit de Catalunya, the hard, medium and soft tyres have been nominated, to cope with the large energy loads that the track generates.

Most teams though have kept their hard nominations to a minimum, and focussed on the softer compounds. Pirelli is once more the title sponsor of the Spanish Grand Prix.

The circuit from a tyre point of view:

• This is a high-energy load circuit for tyres, especially in the long Turn 3: a big right-hander.
• Teams have plenty of relevant 2016 data, as this is where pre-season testing took place.
• The surface is quite rough; along with high-speed corners this presents a tough test for tyres.
• Wear and degradation is generally high, so we can expect multiple pit stops.
• The front-left tyre is worked hardest: Barcelona is a front-limited circuit.
• This is a high-downforce track, increasing the vertical load going through the tyres still further.

The three nominated compounds:

• Orange hard: Seen for the first time this year, but no driver has chosen more than one set (then one set of hard was nominated by Pirelli as mandatory for the race).
• White medium: A versatile tyre that is a good compromise between performance and durability.
• Yellow soft: More than a second faster than the White medium in Barcelona, but unlikely to last for long.

How it was a year ago:

• Winner: Rosberg (two stops: started on medium, medium again on lap 15, hard on lap 44).
• Best-placed alternative strategy: Hamilton, second with three stops (just the penultimate stint on the hard tyre).
• A mixture of two and three stop strategies, with most teams adopting a flexible approach.

Paul Hembery, Pirelli Motorsport Director: “Spain always provides a very big test for the tyres due to the high energy loads that the circuit generates, and this year that will especially be the case with most teams having favoured the softer compounds in their selections. Of course they will be able to rely on the data accumulated during pre-season testing, but at this time of year we expect conditions to be much warmer. As a result we should see high wear and degradation leading to several pit stops, which of course opens up a very large number of strategic variables for the grand prix.”

What’s new?

After the grand prix there will be a two-day in season test, which most teams will attend.

The 2017 tyre development programme is underway, with Jean-Eric Vergne testing a modified 2014 Ferrari at Mugello last week.

The GP2 Series and GP3 Series gets underway this weekend, with a strong field in each and some new tyres for GP3, which has an entirely new car for 2016.

Other things of note:

News stories that claim we have appointed a test driver: not true as (until late July or maybe August, when current cars will be used with the first 2017 larger size tyre prototypes) we will be using modified older cars from teams, who will mostly nominate their own drivers to carry out the testing.

Many teams have announced upgrades to their cars, which will be seen in Barcelona.

The Red Bull ‘aeroscreen’ – by 1 July there should be a decision to pursue this or the ‘halo’.

Tyres nominated so far:

[MIKA27]

Opinion: When Bernie Ecclestone goes, who replaces him?

You’ll miss him when he goes. Formula 1’s supremo shows no signs of slowing down yet, despite his haters. Charles Bradley asks what happens in life after Bernie…

He says he “might” stop when he’s 100; Bernie Ecclestone is 85 right now. He commands a position within our sport like no other has done – or probably ever will.

As Chief Executive of the Formula 1 Group he holds the commercial rights to the F1 World Championship – put simply, he holds the keys to the right to stage and promote the events, to sell TV broadcast footage and offer sponsorship and hospitality packages.

This is a multi-billion-dollar business. And he is its core.

And yet, nobody is irreplaceable – we hear whispers in other corridors of power. We’ve heard Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne insist that Ecclestone should be paving the way for the future of F1 without him. In the past week or so we also get wind of FIA president Jean Todt meeting privately with CVC chief Donald MacKenzie…

So, to the big question: even if he does work until he’s 100, or passes away before then (we sincerely hope not), or is the subject of a boardroom coup – who replaces Bernie?

Right now, the answer is no one. In the huge restructuring process that would inevitably follow, it’s far more likely that a group of specialists will take up all the roles that Ecclestone currently oversees himself.

Remember, he has no deputy, no chief operating officer – he makes all the major calls personally. Which is amazing, in this day and age.

Let’s start with how the role might be broken up into key elements…

The figurehead

Ecclestone is F1’s front of house. His scant regard for political correctness means he’s often outspoken to point of outrageous – a real headline generator, which is manna for the daily papers and websites.

But this can have its downsides, too. His comments the other weekend about cockpit canopies – saying the sport should do “nothing” – totally flies in the face of the FIA’s standpoint on safety. And his pre-season comments about F1 being “the worst it’s ever been” certainly ruffled the feathers of its stakeholders.

Yet he still carries huge gravitas. He has personal relationships with royal families, governments, mayors, sporting authorities – his Rolodex is second to none.

To replace this, F1 would need someone of the ilk of former Ferrari boss Luca di Montezemolo or multiple F1 champion Niki Lauda. Individuals who are no stranger to a boardroom but would focus on becoming a spokesman for the sport’s brand – as well as a ‘welcome face’ for the dignitaries on the grid.

Di Montezemolo has a headstart here, he is a non-executive member of F1’s board. He would be my favourite for this role.

Making cold, hard cash

Don’t assume Ecclestone is purely motivated by money – I prefer to think that it’s simply the metric he judges his power and success by. So who steps into his shoes here?

Donald MacKenzie is the co-founder of CVC Capital Partners, which owns F1, and would likely look after this side of the business. You could argue that his firm has made more money out of F1 than even Ecclestone has managed – a reported $4.4 billion, despite only buying into it in 2006. But much of that has been because of Ecclestone.

MacKenzie was quoted recently by The Guardian as saying: “We like owning [F1]; we don’t want to sell it. There are always some people who’d like to buy it, it’s a very good business.”

CVC shelved plans for an IPO on the Singapore Stock Exchange, and since there has been plenty of speculation about CVC selling F1 to new investors. Ecclestone claimed that a deal was close to being done last year, to which MacKenzie told Motorsport.com: “It's unlikely that we'll be here forever, but we're definitely not obliged to sell. Bernie often says things he doesn't mean.”

MacKenzie tends to keep a low profile, but actually has a big personal interest in the sport.

Commercial and broadcast rights

One name that is constantly linked with succeeding Ecclestone is FIA Formula E series founder, and former GP2 team owner, Alejandro Agag.

A skilled politician and businessman, with a huge passion for the sport, he has been described as an “indefatigable dealmaker”.

His F1 involvement began in Spanish TV rights, and his close ties with ex-Benetton and Renault boss Flavio Briatore have given him an amazing grounding in terms of forging deals and relationships. He’s very forward thinking, and has been quick to embrace the digital age to promote his series.

Depending on his own ambitions with FE, if he wanted a slice of the F1 action then the door would certainly be open. He might find that difficult to refuse, given his age (45), ambitious nature – imagine what position he might be able to carve for himself once within the organization?

After all, he just pulled off a coup with a street race in the centre of Paris recently… That will not have escaped the attention of Jean, Bernie et al.

Team and circuit liaison

This role would be tricky, however. Ecclestone has spent years fostering the respect of the teams – and even managing to keep free-thinking giants like Ferrari in line. There would have to be some canny carrot and stick management, as the teams would all see this an opportunity to get a bigger slice of the pie.

One candidate here is Bruno Michel, formerly Briatore’s accountant and general manager at Ligier. He has steered the GP2 (and subsequently GP3) Series since the start. He’s connected in the F1 paddock, already has deals with most of the tracks.

But perhaps this might come under di Montezemolo’s mandate. After all, he founded and ran F1 teams’ association FOTA before it faltered and knows how the teams work. And the tracks would trust him too, just like they have faith in Ecclestone.

Other names in the frame

Global business experience remains a key to F1’s success, and while Ecclestone ploughs his own furrow there are another two heavy hitters who cannot be ignored from the picture.

Former Nestle chairman Peter Brabeck-Letmathe and Sir Martin Sorrell of WPP advertising firm fame are non-executive directors of Delta Topco, the company that ultimately owns F1.

Former Diagio chief Paul Walsh had been tipped for a role at F1’s top table, but along with former Sainsbury’s chief exec Justin King appears to have gone back into the shadows.

Of course, Ecclestone has some excellent staff already working for him, including his legal expert Sacha Woodward-Hill – a trusted aide, as is former TWR lawyer Kate Beavan, who studiously patrols for Ecclestone on the commercial side.

Speaking of commercial matters, sports-marketing guru Zak Brown would surely be called upon for any sponsor-related issues – having pulled off many of the sport’s biggest deals in recent times.

There has long been noises that Christian Horner was being groomed as part of the succession plan, given his close ties with Bernie – but that would almost certainly have to be well timed with what he was doing in the Red Bull scheme of things. In terms of other team principals, Toto Wolff might be a player down the line too.

Conclusion

Add them all together, and you appreciate what a unique talent Ecclestone is to replace.

That small chap who speaks in riddles, seems out of touch with the times and even appears baffled by a revolving door in a Munich courthouse (ah yes, whatever did happen to the German GP last year?) is, in fact, the sharpest knife in the block.

And even for those who constantly call for his head, you’ll miss him when he’s gone.

Bernie made this sport the global giant it is today. How it fares after he’s gone very much depends on the people who replace him – but they do exist.

[davidsan]

The TJI ignition that Merc & Ferrari are using on their combustion engines is some really cool stuff. Looks like Renault will have it from Canada onwards, though no mention of Honda. They reckon somewhere in the region of a 30bhp increase. RBR could definitely use those 3 tenths.

Mark Hughes explains -http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/opinion/f1/revealed-tji-engine-update

[MIKA27]

ALLISON TO REPLACE ARRIVABENE AS FERRARI TEAM CHIEF?

Wild speculation in Italy is mounting and indications are that Ferrari could be set for yet another change at the top of the fabled Maranello based Formula 1 team.

After the ultra-successful Jean Todt era, Ferrari has raced through team principals Stefano Domenicali, Marco Mattiacci and now the charismatic Maurizio Arrivabene.

“Ferrari has made some important steps forward,” Todt, now the FIA president, said at the weekend. “Now they have to win races which is not easy when you face a very professional team (Mercedes) that does a fantastic job.”

Autosprint, an authoritative Italian media source, reports that after Arrivabene failed to deliver a win in the opening four races of 2016, president Sergio Marchionne is now eyeing another change.

The report said Arrivabene could be ousted and replaced by British technical boss James Allison.

It goes on to suggest that, to fill Allison’s current position, Ferrari could re-hire Aldo Costa, its former designer who is now working with roaring success at dominant champions Mercedes.

Autosprint even said an agreement between Ferrari and Mercedes could be reached so that Costa does not need to serve the customary ‘gardening leave’.

The German-language Speed Week said Ferrari and Mercedes did not comment.

[MIKA27]

SYMONDS: DIFFICULT TO KEEP UP WITH TEAMS THAT SPEND TWICE AS MUCH

Williams chief Pat Symonds admits the British team is no longer Formula 1’s third force, as teams have leapfroged them in the pecking order by spending more to get results.

In 2014 and again last year, Williams finished the constructors’ championship in third place, behind Red Bull in 2014 and Ferrari last year as engine supplier Mercedes dominated in the new ‘power unit’ era.

“Either one of them (Red Bull or Ferrari) was in front of us or the other,” said technical boss Symonds, “but at the moment it’s both.”

“When you’ve already come up with lots of clever things, it is incredibly difficult with our budget to keep up with teams that spend twice as much,” he told Auto Motor und Sport.

According to Felipe Massa, the main difference in 2016 is the step forward taken by Red Bull, “In the corners they’ve always been good but now they also have a good top speed.”

And he told Brazil’s Band News FM that he is expecting Red Bull to be even stronger in Barcelona this weekend.

“We know it’s a track where they will be better than in Russia, so we need to keep improving to be in the fight with them,” said Massa.

It was hoped a recent update, including an ultra-short front nose, would give Williams a boost but Massa said the team is still working on perfecting it.

“The aerodynamic engineers claim the parts are better, but we need to learn how to put down on the track what the wind tunnel promises,” he said.

The good news for Williams is that the Grove based team has proved the fastest of all so far this year when it comes to pitstops.

While a good stop last year might have taken the crew 3.3 seconds, Massa smiled: “Now we are talking about a bad stop if it takes 3.1 seconds.

“In Melbourne I even lost a bit of time because I was surprised that the guys had finished so soon, now I’m used to it,” he added.

[MIKA27]

DTM DRIVERS HAVE NO REGRETS NOT RACING IN F1

Two former Formula 1 drivers insist they do not miss the pinnacle of motor racing and are quite content plying their trade in DTM.

In 2013 and 2014, Dani Juncadella tested for the Williams and Force India teams, but now the 25-year-old Spaniard races for Mercedes’ premier DTM outfit.

Asked if he misses F1, he told El Confidencial: “No, because for the long-term it is not positive to just be in formula one at any price and with any team.

“Before I saw F1 from the inside it looked like a dream. Then you realise there are seven or eight very lucky drivers but most are struggling to just survive.

“It takes a bit of fun out of it and it is what is different about DTM — all of the drivers know that at some point, we can demonstrate our potential,” he added.

Timo Glock, an experienced F1 driver who is now established in DTM with BMW, thinks the German touring car series is arguably a tougher challenge than F1.

“Many F1 drivers have a hard time when they come into DTM,” he told Welt newspaper. “Here, every tenth really counts, so one detail can be the difference between first and 15th.

“It’s not like that in F1. Sebastian Vettel lost half his front wing in China but he was still fast enough to easily finish on the podium,” the former Toyota and Marussia driver said.

Juncadella said he is not even a big fan of watching the grands prix.

“From the point of view of a fan, I do not like the racing now as it is too predictable,” he said. “Yes there are entertaining races but you always know that the two Mercedes are going to escape.”

[MIKA27]

Hulkenberg hoping for clean race

Nico Hulkenberg has believes Force India have not shown their true potential yet this season because they have been marred by disruption in each of the races.

After ending the 2015 season in impressive fashion, the Silverstone-based team has failed to follow up on those results, something which Hulkenberg laments.

Ahead of this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix, the German driver also added that despite them having an encouraging pre-season testing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, the team knows that it will be a different situation entirely.

"The things have gone against us for the last few races," the 28-year-old said.

"We know we should have scored more points, but it’s impossible to plan for the bad luck we’ve experienced. I’m looking forward to a weekend where everything goes to plan so that we can show our true potential.

"When you come back for the race everything is different: the cars have evolved, the temperatures are warmer, and you have to work hard to find the right set-up.

"That's why it’s a tricky circuit because confidence counts for a lot and, if you’re not totally comfortable, your lap times really suffer."