FORMULA 1 - 2016

[MIKA27]

Force India's finances improve as team posts £6.8m loss

Force India's latest accounts show the team posted a £6.8 million ($9.8m) loss for the 2015 financial year, a significant improvement on the 2014 when the team's losses stretched to more than double, at £15.2m ($21.9m).

The improves figures were boosted by increased income, from £60m ($86.4m) to £64.2m ($92.7m) - thanks to more sponsorship income - and increased FOM prize money paid to the team on the back of its sixth-placed finish in the championship standings.

With prize money paid in arrears, Force India stands to make even more next year after the team finished a record fifth in the standings, which could see revenues increase by around £12m ($17.3m).

The statements note the team remains a going concern and remains "reliant on the continued support of its parent company Orange India Holdings Sarl, and its shareholders," adding "management are confident that Orange India Holdings Sarl will continue to provide the company with sufficient funds to enable the company to meet its liabilities as they fall due for a period of 12 months from the date of signature of these financial statements."

The team's staffing levels increased by six from 376 to 382 last year, whilst two loans have been settled, that of a £3.8m ($5.6m) from Swiss bank Edmond de Rothschild and a second loan of £472,030 from Mexico's America Movil.

[MIKA27]

Fuel gains lift Honda’s hopes of 2016 progress

Honda may still have some way to go before it is a match for Mercedes in power terms, but progress could come much quicker than some may expect.

For in this modern turbo hybrid era, where performance is as much the responsibility of a fuel supplier as it is an engine manufacturer, McLaren and Honda's partner ExxonMobil think there is scope for some healthy gains in the short term, even without major design tweaks.

Horsepower boost

After a 10-15bhp power lift was delivered with new fuels and lubricants for the final pre-season Barcelona test, there is talk that similar steps are on the cards for 2016.

In an exclusive interview with Motorsport.com, ExxonMobil's motorsport technology manager Bruce Crawley says he senses good opportunities for progress with the relationship with Honda still in its early stages.

"Theoretically there are still some big gains to be had: both in terms of fuel, on the combustion side, and also on the friction side, on the engine as well," he said.

"In the development process we are a little behind because the programme started later than our rivals, so you might expect us to be making more progress. But certainly we are working on it right now.

"We are looking from a friction perspective, improving the efficiency of the engine by taking friction out. We've already identified that there are some gains to be had there: so it is just getting that in to the system."

Working in unison

The new hybrid regulations, which include a fuel flow and 100kg race limit, have meant that engine manufacturers and fuel suppliers have to work closer than ever.

The forges between Shell/Ferrari and Petronas/Mercedes have been key to their development, and the same is true of ExxonMobil and Honda – who both know that success relies on them working together.

"The level of interaction is very, very intensive," added Crawley. "It is a systems engineering approach. It isn't a question of the two companies working in isolation so that we come up with an idea and they come up with an idea. It is really an integrated way of working.

"The combination of the combustion chamber design and the operation of the engine with the fuel chemistry – if you get that right, you can get some significant performance gains."

Canada plan

Crawley says that proof of the kind of leaps that can be made came for the second Barcelona test, when ExxonMobil introduced its current specification of fuel.

"The fuel we are running right now, which went in to the car in Barcelona – at the second test – that was a double digit improvement in horsepower," he said. "It was a significant improvement.

"That is coming from a combination of engine design and combustion system design and fuel. So the programme, really, is to try to get as much performance out of this engine – improve the thermal efficiency of this engine.

"We have ideas about how that should be done from a chemistry point of view and also a design point of view, and so do Honda.

"And I think we have made some really good headway now – you can see it coming through. The performance is coming, the energy recovery side has improved quite significantly.

"If you look at fuel development right now, we are targeting our next fuel upgrade for Montreal – that is our target. Whether that happens or not I don't know, but we expect it. And then there will be another one coming through later. It's continuous improvement."

Low hanging fruit

Crawley says that the partnership has to work both ways, with ExxonMobil not only being able to deliver better products, but Honda providing hardware that allows the fuel scope to shine.

"What we are pushing on the engine side is for them to give us a head room of performance to allow us to improve the fuel within that: so it is sort of an iterative process.

"So for example, we close that area down from a knock point of view, but you need to open that up to give us more room to nibble in to that area."

He added: "If you look at our previous relationship [with Mercedes], that was for nearly 20 years, so you can pick up the phone, you know the person: the level of interaction is far greater, the level of understanding is much greater. We are still in a little bit of a honeymoon period!

"The closer and longer you work with people, the more effective it is. There are gains to be had from that aspect and also the fact that we are at a different stage of our development to others – so low hanging fruit is available at the beginning of the development programme. After that it becomes harder and harder."

New technology

But it is not just with better fuels or design iterations where ExxonMobil and Honda are concentrating, for Crawley suggests they are looking at all-new technologies in the near future too.

Most recently there has been talk of Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition [HCCI] and jet ignition technology changing the battle ground in F1.

"There is some interesting technology around," explains Crawley, without specifying in exactly what areas they are looking. "So, there are definitely different ways of approaching that – and ignition is important.

"There is an awful lot of work going on in this area, and I think there is technology that is already patented, but it has to fit in what you are trying to achieve.

"If you look at the over-arching fundamental target, which is to improve thermal efficiency, then anything that is going to enable you to do that you are going to look at."

The push for improvement is far from its end yet.

[MIKA27]

Rob Smedley: Williams FW38 'not a one-trick pony'

Williams' head of vehicle performance Rob Smedley says the FW38 will be able to score good results at all types of circuits this year.

After three lacklustre results at the start of the season, Williams finished fourth and fifth in Russia to close the gap to third-place Red Bull in the constructors' championship to six points. Sochi's long straights played to Williams' straight-line speed strengths, but Smedley said it would be wrong to assume that was the only reason for the upturn in form.

"Well you've got to remember that we are not a one trick pony, this is not purely about power in Sochi," he said. "There are cars with exactly the same [Mercedes] power unit who we've managed to either move towards or move away from. So it is a little bit about how we are managing the tyres as well or how we are using the tyres over a single timed lap, which has certainly helped us, and managing the tyres in the race."

The next two rounds in Spain and Monaco will see teams run high-downforce setups, but Smedley says Williams does not fear either race, even though it failed to score in Monaco last year.

"I would hope that, yes, characteristic wise they are not the greatest circuits for us but we've just got to go there and take everything that we can from them. Certainly we're not scared of those circuits, we'll go there and do the absolute best and I'm convinced we'll do better than we did, certainly in Monaco than 2015 with all the work that we've done."

[MIKA27]

F1 TECH IN THE OUTSIDE WORLD – HOW WILLIAMS’ PIT PERFECTION IS IMPROVING NEONATAL CARE

We always love a story about how F1 technology is being used in other areas of society and there is a new one from Williams this week.

So far in the 2016 season, Williams has been the undisputed best Formula 1 team when it comes to pitstops and the team has been offering its knowledge of delicate, high-pressure skills to the neonatal unit at the University Hospital of Wales (UHW).

Of the four races completed in 2016, Williams’ 2.10s turnaround of Felipe Massa in China is the fastest seen so far, and the team has collected F1’s Fastest Lap Award from each event.

Staff at the UHW, which is based in Cardiff, felt that the attention to detail used by F1 teams when it comes to pitstops, which have been much faster since mid-race re-fuelling was banned at the end of 2010, could benefit their practices when it came to resuscitating newborn babies.

Some of the Williams squad visited the hospital last year and members of UHW’s neonatal team went to the Williams factory in Grove last week to observe the team’s pitstop practice first hand.

UHW’s neonatal team has already begun to shift its approach to its resuscitation processes and has audited and streamlined its equipment trolley to make locating it quicker. The hospital has also mapped out the floor space in its delivery theatres to clearly show the area its team will work, much like Williams’ pit crew does at each F1 race.

The hospital’s neonatal team is also starting to develop a plan to use an F1-style “radio-check” before a resuscitation takes place, use more hand signals than verbal communications, and implement video analysis and debrief sessions following a resuscitation.

Dr Rachel Hayward, specialist registrar in Neonates at the University Hospital of Wales said of the project: “Resuscitation of a compromised neonate at delivery is time critical, requiring the provision of efficient and effective resuscitation to ensure an optimal outcome.

“Delays in providing effective resuscitative care can have marked consequences on survival or the development of long term complications. There is a growing amount of evidence to support a systematic approach to resuscitative care, which is time-critical and dependent upon optimal team dynamics and clear communication.

“Analogous with the requirements of an effective pitstop we have worked with the Williams team to implement Formula 1 techniques and processes to augment neonatal resuscitative care”.

Claire Williams, Williams’ deputy team principal, added: “When we were approached by the neonatal team at the University Hospital of Wales last year to offer some advice we were delighted to assist.

“Their work is vitally important and the pressure they work under is difficult to comprehend; it’s a matter of life and death every day of the week. If some of the advice we have passed on helps to save a young life then this would have been an extremely worthy endeavour.

“We are increasingly finding that Formula 1 know-how and technology can have benefit to other industries and this is a great example.”

[MIKA27]

INSIGHT: LOTS OF WAYS TO ATTACK THE 2016 SPANISH GRAND PRIX

This weekend sees the return of F1 to Europe and the Spanish Grand Prix and it should also bring a return to the kind of high speed chess-game we enjoyed in the first three races of the season.

We have a new driver in a front running car, with Max Verstappen in the Red Bull, replacing Daniil Kvyat and plenty of taking points in terms of how the race may pan out, because there are many ways for the teams to approach this race.

Russia was a bit of an outlier because the strategy options were reduced, owing to the nature of the circuit. It meant that only two of the three Pirelli tyre compounds were effective in the race and that pushed people into running longer stints on soft tyres.

For Spain, we have a return to variability; the soft, medium and hard tyres are the choices, the latter two being what Pirelli brought in previous seasons. What makes the three tyre rule particularly intriguing this weekend is that the cars will all qualify on the soft, but its not a tyre you would choose to race on. The leading ten cars will have to start on those used soft tyres and they won’t last a long time in the opening stint before they need to be changed.

So we will see many different approaches to the race from there and for the cars starting outside the top ten, this is a great chance to start on a more durable tyre than the cars ahead and pick up positions early in the race. It should really mix things up. We could see a number of cars using all three compounds, while others may opt to make three stops and run fast. The performance difference between the compounds, based on testing in March was:

Soft to Medium – 0.9/1.0 sec

Medium to Hard – 0.5 sec

So you’re looking at 1.5s per lap between the soft and the hard, but the soft degrades more quickly. A pit stop takes 22 seconds, so the soft if you can get a car out into clear air on new softs there is time to be made. Mercedes may explore the possibility of setting their Q2 qualifying lap on the medium tyres in order to be able to start on those, as Rosberg did in China.

It’s a 66 lap race and a new set of medium tyres should last around 22 laps, the hards 26 laps and the softs probably up to 15 laps by the end of the race, which means first pit stops for the top ten within eight to ten laps of the start.

At the front Mercedes will dominate, having finished on top of every timed track session in Barcelona for the past two seasons.

Ferrari brought an extensive upgrade package to Russia, including engine tokens spent, but Mercedes kept the margin around the same, which was demoralising for Ferrari. That said we never really got to see what Sebastian Vettel might have done in the race as he was taken out on the opening lap.

The weather looks set to be unsettled in Barcelona this weekend. Although the race is expected to be dry, showers are predicted to hit the area in time for FP2 on Friday, which could disrupt the teams’ long-run preparations, and qualifying on the Saturday, so there is a chance of a mixed-up grid.

Upgrades to the fore

Although the development race can be considered pretty much constant in F1 these days, the teams still use the Barcelona track as a clear barometer to test the parts they have been working on since the start of the season due to its prominence in the sport’s annual testing programmes.

Several teams have announced that they will be bringing major upgrades to their cars for the Spanish race in an attempt to climb up the pecking order.

Renault is bringing a new rear wing and tweaks for the RS16’s front wing to Barcelona, but the full update package will not be brought into place until the post-race test. These include a B-spec power unit, which is expected to make its race debut in Canada.

Haas F1 will again try the upgraded front wing it brought to Russia, and will bring a new rear wing to the Spanish race.

We can expect to see big chassis changes at Force India after team principal Vijay Mallya described how the car would have a very different look in Barcelona.

He said: “It’s on schedule to be fitted to both cars ahead of Friday practice. It’s pretty comprehensive and the car will look quite different.”

Mercedes’ executive director (technical), Paddy Lowe, explained in a pre-Barcelona preview that solving the MGU-H problems that wrecked Lewis Hamilton’s qualifying chances in Shanghai and Sochi has been the team’s primary concern in recent weeks.

He said: “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.”

Pascal Wehrlein attended the first race of this year’s DTM, which he won for Mercedes in 2015, last weekend and told reporters that his Manor F1 squad was bringing a small development package to Barcelona, which he hopes will help them in their back-of-the-grid fight with Sauber.

He said: “We’ll have a few smaller updates for Barcelona [and] 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.”

Spanish Grand Prix – the key numbers

Qualifying has been the key to success at the Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona throughout the time it has been used for the Spanish Grand Prix, as 23 out of the 25 races to be held at the track have been won from the front row of the grid. That’s a ratio of 92 per cent, the highest of any circuit on the calendar that has held at least ten F1 races.

On the two occasions that a driver did win after starting lower than second at Barcelona, they were both Ferrari victories: Michael Schumacher’s famous first win for the Scuderia in torrential conditions from third on the grid in 1996 and Fernando Alonso’s triumph from fifth in 2013.

The Spanish Grand Prix has at least enjoyed a healthy variability in terms of winning drivers in recent years, as nine different racers have won the last nine events. Felipe Massa, Kimi Raikkonen, Jenson Button, Mark Webber, Sebastian Vettel, Pastor Maldonado, Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg successful have won the race since 2007.

We also head to yet another race with Mercedes on the brink of breaking even more F1 records.

Rosberg can join Alberto Ascari and Sebastian Vettel as the only drivers to win eight consecutive F1 races and equal the record for most wins to start a season (jointly held by Nigel Mansell and Schumacher, who won five races at the start of 1992 and 2004 respectively), if he wins this weekend.

After taking the top two places in Sochi last time out, Rosberg and Hamilton have now notched up 25 1-2 finishes as teammates,

one more than the previous record, which was 24 from Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello for Ferrari between 2000 and 2005.

If either of the Mercedes drivers wins in Barcelona, the team will equal the all-time record for most consecutive F1 wins, which is currently held by McLaren from its all-conquering 1988 season.

After Rosberg secured pole in Russia, cars using Mercedes power have now achieved that feat 140 times, one more than Ford, and the manufacturer is up to third on the all-time list as a result, 73 behind Renault’s ultimate total.

[skalls]

Good weekend for racing. Saturday has the Indy Grand Prix with the infield track at Indianapolis. And then Spanish Grand Prix.

I'm hoping for a McLaren podium for Allonso. Not sure if it's doable unless the first lap shenanigans continue lol.

[MIKA27]

Good weekend for racing. Saturday has the Indy Grand Prix with the infield track at Indianapolis. And then Spanish Grand Prix.

I'm hoping for a McLaren podium for Allonso. Not sure if it's doable unless the first lap shenanigans continue lol.

It would be nice to see Alonso on the podium, even P3 would be great for what McLaren can deliver which isn't much right now, but they're getting there. Id imagine it would be emotional for he and McLaren as a team to get podiums. Can't wait for that day bud.

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Rosberg aiming for five in a row

Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg is hoping to extend his winning streak at the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona this weekend.

Rosberg has enjoyed a perfect start to the 2016 Formula 1 season, winning the first four races of the campaign. Next on the agenda is a trip to Spain, and should Rosberg be triumphant once more he will equal the record of five race wins at the start of the season that is currently held by Nigel Mansell and Michael Schumacher.

The German was victorious in Spain last season, a fact that only boosts his confidence further.

“It’s not something I could have expected – winning the first four races of the year,” Rosberg told reporters.

“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.”

Rosberg currently sits at the summit of the Formula 1 standings with 100 points, while his closest competitor, team-mate Lewis Hamilton, occupies second place with 57 points.

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Changes at Maranello?

There are rumours coming out of Italy suggesting that Ferrari chairman and CEO Sergio Marchionne could axe team principal Maurizio Arrivabene as the managing director of Ferrari Gestione Sportiva, and replace him with James Allison, the team’s technical director. At the moment these are just rumours and so may not be true as such a decision would need to be announced very quickly as Ferrari is now a listed company and changes can affect the share price.

I suppose it is inevitable that there would be rumours about changes in the management of Ferrari in the days after Marchionne was appointed CEO of Ferrari. Prior to his appointment, a few days ago, he was only the chairman and did not have the same executive powers.

Allison was hired by Ferrari back in 2013 by the then team principal Stefano Domenicali, before he departed in April 2014. Allison was able to start work in September 2013 because Lotus had broken his contract by not paying him properly and so there was no requirement for “gardening leave”, although he served six months, apparently as part of a settlement between the two teams. Many engineers today have contracts that specifically require a year between leaving one job and starting with a rival.

It was too late to have any real influence on the 2014 car but Allison went to work to change the mindset at Ferrari, working in much more of a management role. He admitted in 2015 that he had not designed a single part on that year’s car, but instead had directed engineers on the question of what the focus should be. Crucially, Allison was given overall technical control, including the engine department, a position of power that had not been seen at Ferrari since the days of Mauro Forghieri in the early 1980s.

As this was happening, things were moving fast at Ferrari. Marco Mattiacci was appointed team principal in April 2014, ostensibly an appointment made by Luca Montezemolo, the then Ferrari chairman. It was a very quick decision following the unexpected departure of Domenicali, who had realised that the team was not going to be successful in 2014 and decided to step down. Mattiacci looked to be doing a sensible job. He called Fernando Alonso’s bluff and let him go while quietly doing a deal with Sebastian Vettel that left Red Bull scrambling for ideas. He also began arguing for change in F1, notably in dealings with the fans.

When Montezemolo was pushed out of Ferrari by Marchionne in September that year, it might have been expected that Luca’s lieutenants would also be taken out. This seems to have been what happened to Mattiacci, although the Ferrari CEO Amedeo Felisa remained. At the time Marchionne felt the need to explain his decision to dump Mattiacci in favour of Philip Morris man Arrivabene, as this was a very odd appointment. Arrivabene had been around F1 for a long time, as a sponsor representative, but he did not have any experience running a racing team. The answer seems to have lain in the politics, because Arrivabene was close to Bernie Ecclestone and had been a member of the Formula 1 Commission from 2010 onwards, representing the F1 sponsors. Marchionne said that he was keen to maintain Ferrari’s strong position in the governance of F1 and Arrivabene fitted the moment in that respect. Mattiacci, as well as being a Montezemolo man, had had a less than comfortable relationship with Ecclestone.

Since he gained full control of Ferrari, however, Marchionne has played a bigger role in F1 politics, leaving Arrivabene in his shadow, and this may be why another change is now being suggested. While never a team principal Allison, working with Eric Boullier, played an important role in holding the Lotus F1 Team in 2012 and 2013 when the owners failed to deliver the funding that was required. In the end both would leave the team when better offers came along but they fought hard before throwing in their towels.

Running Ferrari is not an easy job because it is still a very Italian company, even if there are many non-Italian team members. Allison, it should be remembered, was there before, between 2000 and 2005, and so integrated easily into the team and the Italian lifestyle. He is a man who inspires team spirit with his hard work, his no-nonsense attitude and his passion for the sport.

Let’s see what happens… if anything.

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Whiting predicts 'fascinating' Baku race following track inspection

FIA race director and safety delegate Charlie Whiting carried out his latest inspection of the new Baku City Circuit on Tuesday morning, with the circuit set to host the European Grand Prix in June.

Whiting was joined by circuit architect Hermann Tilke and executive director of BCC, Arif Rahimov, to evaluate the quality of the track and its surrounding facilities to ensure it will be ready to in time to host Formula 1.

Whiting is confident it will be ready ahead of his final inspection in early-June and predicts a fascinating debut race.

"The circuit will be ready," he declared after his visit. "You can see the quality of all the installations wherever you look.

"My next trip to Baku will be at the beginning of June and I’m expecting to be able to say it will be ready then! It will be a fascinating F1 race. Turns 8 to 12 will probably be the most interesting but so will the run from Turn 12 to 15, where the approach to Turn 15 in particular will be quite spectacular.

"The very long run from Turn 16 to 20, which is going to be flat out, will also be amazing to watch! If I had to compare one circuit to this one, it would be Singapore, but the speed here will be much higher!"

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ROSBERG TARGETING A FAMOUS FIVE IN SPAIN

Nico Rosberg will have Formula One history in his sights in Spain this weekend, even if Dutch teenager Max Verstappen seizes his share of the limelight.

The championship leader has won seven races in a row, including the last three of 2015, and can join fellow-German Michael Schumacher (2004) and Britain’s Nigel Mansell (1992) as the only drivers to start a season with five successive victories.

The chances of that happening looked remote this time last year, when Mercedes team mate Lewis Hamilton had won three of the first four and was heading for a third title, but Rosberg is now 43 points clear of the Briton.

As 18-year-old Verstappen would agree, after his rapid promotion from Toro Rosso in a swap with demoted Russian Daniil Kvyat, Formula One moves fast off the track as well as on it.

“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,” said Rosberg, 11/10 at bookmakers’ William Hill with Hamilton at 5/4.

Another triumph for Mercedes would equal McLaren’s run of 11 in a row from 1988, and that looks more than likely given that the champions have won 36 of the last 42 races.

Rosberg will pick up plenty of good vibes at a circuit where he won from pole last year, his first victory of that season, but he has plenty of rivals for attention.

Hamilton, who went from 10th to second at Sochi after his second successive power unit failure pushed him down the grid, will be even more determined to turn the tide while McLaren’s Fernando Alonso can count on strong home support.

“I’m confident they’ll get to the bottom of the problems we’ve been having. I know I’m still quick,” said Hamilton. “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.”

Barcelona marks the real start of the European season, the sport’s historic heartland, even if Russia preceded Spain this year for the first time.

A circuit where teams test pre-season, it is both predictable and surprising — there have been nine different winners in the last nine years yet all but two of the last 15 pole-setters have won.

The paddock ‘motorhomes’, the palatial hospitality units used only at European races, will gleam in the sunshine with teams bringing major upgrades to the track and hoping for a change of fortunes.

A good result in Spain bodes well for the rest of the year.

“Barcelona is a very good indication of where you are with the car,” said Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, whose team are hoping for a clean weekend to show their real potential after a nightmarish string of mishaps and failures.

Renault, who took their first points of the campaign in Sochi, have said already that Barcelona and the first in-season test that follows will mark the start of their real development programme.

“We look at this race as a marker in the sand: the exit point of our recovery from the takeover (of Lotus) and the first race as ‘our’ team,” said Renault F1 managing director Cyril Abiteboul.

“It will start small but I’m confident we will gain momentum as we go forward.”

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BALDISSERRI: FERRARI TOO SLOW TO REACT TO F1 RULE CHANGES

Luca Baldisserri, a former key manager and engineer at Ferrari, says the Maranello team should work on adapting better to rule changes.

Baldisserri was a key member of the team in the hugely successful Michael Schumacher era, but in recent years he headed Ferrari’s young driver programme and now oversees the careers of Mick Schumacher and Williams’ Lance Stroll.

When asked about Ferrari’s struggle for wins in the new Mercedes-dominated ‘power unit’ era, he said: “I keep in mind one thing, which was also true when I was active.

“In Maranello, we have always had a tendency to focus on the immediate, whilst underestimating the impact of rule changes.

“Recall 2005, when the changing of tyres was prohibited. And 2009, when although the double diffuser was illegal, we were blown away,” he told Ferrari insider Leo Turrini’s blog.

“It seems to me the same thing occurred with 2014 and the return of turbo technology,” said Baldisserri.

“This overwhelming dominance of Mercedes was not expected,” he added. “The numbers are stronger than the Ferrari of Schumacher, Todt, Brawn etc.”

Baldisserri does, however, think Ferrari has got its current driver lineup right, “Alonso on the track is as strong as Vettel. But Alonso is missing all that Vettel does off the track.”

And while Baldisserri is now steering the young Schumacher and Canadian Stroll towards the F1 grid, he insists his days in the garage and pitwall are over.

“I have no nostalgia for the grands prix,” he said. “And if they (Schumacher and Stroll) get to Formula 1, I would watch them on television, as it’s a life that is no longer for me.”

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MARCHIONNE: RED BULL INTERESTED IN ALFA ROMEO F1 ENGINE

Red Bull expressed interest in being powered by Alfa Romeo engines in Formula 1 according to Ferrari and Fiat Chrysler president Sergio Marchionne, who said moves are still afoot to bring the Italian carmaker back to the grid.

“Alfa Romeo may be there one day,” Italian reports quote him as saying at the launch of the new Alfa Romeo Giulia road car this week.

“It will require serious funds — to invest in racing you need to sell a lot of cars, so today we are just at the beginning,” Marchionne added.

“But if Alfa Romeo returns to formula one, it will be as a factory team rather than a supplier of engines,” he continued.

“Red Bull was interested in Alfa Romeo last year, but they needed only an engine and that didn’t make sense for us. We are not Honda,” said Marchionne.

The notoriously demanding Italian-Canadian was also asked about Ferrari’s on-track performance in 2016, amid reports the current team is under pressure having failed to win any of the four grands prix so far.

Marchionne said: “The fate of the title is yet to be solved, and I am very happy with the performance of both drivers.

“This year we have often had bad luck, but there is a chance to win. The season has just begun and I hope that in Barcelona we will fight for first position.

“I am confident and Sunday will be an important day,” he said, referring to the Spanish grand prix. “I am expecting a couple of wins shortly, starting at Montmelo (Barcelona).”

Finally, Marchionne denied being disappointed that Red Bull has scratched Max Verstappen from the driver ‘silly season’ by moving him from Toro Rosso.

“This is an issue for Red Bull,” he said. “I never said that Verstappen interested us.”

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VETTEL: I WILL NOT WRITE OFF THIS YEAR

Sebastian Vettel insists the race for the 2016 Formula 1 world championship is still wide open, despite not finishing two races out of the four thus far.

After Nico Rosberg’s four consecutive wins so far, some insiders are saying the Mercedes driver now has a near-unassailable upper hand over his teammate Lewis Hamilton.

And Ferrari, on the other hand, are in ‘crisis’ according to some sections of the Italian media, having failed to deliver on president Sergio Marchionne’s pre-season target of immediate poles and wins this season.

Indeed, Vettel is already 67 points behind Rosberg in the drivers’ title chase, but the red-clad German insists he is not giving up.

“We’ve only had four out of 21 races,” he told the latest edition of Sport Bild magazine. “I cannot remember someone saying the championship is over after four races. Whether you’re talking about me or Nico Rosberg, it is simply too early.”

In typical Maranello style, Ferrari entered the year amid high expectations and obvious resurgence, but the actual results have been less impressive, triggering the rumours of unrest.

“We may be influenced too much by either positive or negative events,” Vettel said. “It is always a good idea to keep working calmly and following the plan. And analysing exactly where you need to improve.”

In that vein, former quadruple world champion Vettel said he is not disheartened by Ferrari’s state of progress, having joined the team only last year.

“It is normal that it is not easy to get out of a hole that was created by years of failures,” said the 28-year-old. “For that, patience is required.

“And patience is exactly what is most difficult in formula one. So it is extremely important to keep working together as a team,” Vettel insisted.

It took Michael Schumacher five years to help rebuild Ferrari and win his first title in red, so has his successor and former protege Vettel also set a target?

“I don’t have a number,” Vettel said. “Michael didn’t either. The aim is to bring Ferrari forward. Preferably, of course, sooner rather than later.

“I will therefore not write off this year. That would be the wrong approach. The certain thing is that if we do everything right, we will keep getting stronger,” he added.

So with four Red Bull-powered titles already in his pocket, Vettel said he is happy where he is at present.

“This is precisely the challenge I wanted when I moved to Ferrari,” he said. “To build up a new team. There was never the expectation that we would be done within a year.”

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EX-F1 DRIVER SAYS FERRARI NEEDS A SHAKE-UP

Former F1 driver Gabriele Tarquini has backed suggestions Ferrari might now be on the cusp of making some more high-profile personnel changes.

Autosprint claims this week that, with Sergio Marchionne unhappy about the results so far in 2016, Briton James Allison might be in line to take over from Ferrari team boss Maurizio Arrivabene.

The report concludes that Aldo Costa, Mercedes’ engineering chief, might then return to Ferrari, but so far neither team has commented on the speculation.

But Italian Tarquini, a former F1 driver of the eighties and ninties who went on to become a highly successful touring car driver, thinks another shakeup might be just what the Maranello team needs.

“As an Italian, the current results of Ferrari make me sad of course,” the 54-year-old told Germany’s Auto Bild.

“Ferrari really has everything it needs to win. They have no inferior a budget than Mercedes and certainly no less experience.”

Asked what is wrong, then, Tarquini answered: “They probably just don’t have the right people.

“In recent years, they have made many profound changes to the management and the engineers, but the results have not improved. Maybe they should think again about changing a few people,” he added.

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UK TURNS DOWN MALLYA DEPORTATION REQUEST

The UK government has turned down India’s request for Vijay Mallya to be deported back to the sub-continent.

Former billionaire Mallya has been absent from the F1 paddocks this year over his highly-publicised dispute with the Indian government, regarding the collapse of his airline Kingfisher and massive debts.

The 60-year-old is currently holed up at his house formerly owned by Lewis Hamilton’s father in England, amid India’s attempts to have him deported after his passport was revoked.

But a spokesperson for India’s external affairs ministry said the UK has informed the government that Mallya can stay as long as his passport was valid when he entered the country.

“At the same time the UK acknowledges the seriousness of the allegations and is keen to assist (the) government of India,” the spokesperson told The Hindu. “They have asked (the government) to consider requesting mutual legal assistance or extradition.”

Amid the Force India boss and co-owner’s troubles, team chief operating officer Otmar Szafnauer said Mallya’s absence from the grands prix is not badly hurting the team.

“We’re all used to seeing Vijay at the circuits, but he has many business interests and so from that regard, from an operational standpoint, I don’t think it has a big impact on the team,” he said.

“I know he’s working hard with the Indian government to resolve his issues and hopefully soon we’ll see him back at the races,” Szafnauer added.

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Marchionne 'expects' Ferrari victories in 2016 starting in Spain

Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne expects the Italian marque will start to turn the tables on its rival Mercedes, starting with victory at this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix.

Ferrari currently sit second in the championship standings, albeit 81 points adrift of Mercedes, but the team have struggled to match the Brackley-based outfit on pure pace, with Nico Rosberg dominating all but the Australian Grand Prix which Sebastian Vettel had led up until a strategy error cost him a potential victory.

Marchionne believes "bad luck" has cost them this season so far, but believes the Spanish GP will mark a turning point and could see the team win their first race of 2016.

"I am confident," said Marchionne during an Alfa Romeo event in Italy on Tuesday. "Sunday will be an important day. So far, much of it was down to bad luck, but the season has just begun.

"I expect us to win shortly, starting with Spain."

The Italian-Canadian businessman says he's pleased with both his drivers, adding: "I'm very satisfied with both Vettel and Raikkonen. The only thing that hasn't worked well is luck."

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Shell ends F1 trackside, Belgian GP sponsorship deals

Oil giant Shell has confirmed that it will no longer sponsor the Belgian Grand Prix and will also end its trackside sponsor deal with Formula One Management.

Shell has been title sponsor of the Belgian GP since 2011 after signing a five-year contract, but has chosen not to renew the deal, leaving the race without a title sponsor.

Shell has instead chosen to focus its sponsorship efforts on Ferrari, of which it is a fuel partner, which also means the company's branding will disappear from trackside hoardings.

"Shell has decided not to renew its trackside advertising agreement with Formula One Management or to continue its title sponsorship of the Belgian Grand Prix," confirmed Shell global sponsorships manager Kai-Uwe Witterstein.

"It has chosen instead to focus on and strengthen its newly-upgraded Innovation Partnership with Scuderia Ferrari. Running until 2020, this agreement with the most successful team in the sport, acts as proof of Shell’s continued commitment to Formula 1."

It's rumoured that beer-giant Heineken will take up Shell's trackside contract in a deal worth an estimated £105 million ($150m) over a five-year period, as well as linking up with a yet-to-be confirmed team.

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Spanish Grand Prix Preview: No alarms and no surprises

Some Grand Prix host countries, such as Italy, hardly have changed their venue throughout F1's extended history. Others, such as France and the USA, have had several come and go. And the Spanish Grand Prix belongs firmly in the latter camp.

A quarter of a century on that's how matters stay, the Spanish Grand Prix's peripatetic ways at last ending. And, near as it is to the exciting conurbation as well as more latterly attracting a vast and passionate crowd of Fernando Alonso-worshippers, it's one of the more popular stop-offs in some senses.It's right up there in the hit-and-miss stakes. Six different circuits in Spain have hosted its Grand Prix - and you can add a seventh if you include Valencia which run under the 'European Grand Prix' moniker in fairly recent years. Moreover, again like France and the USA, for extended spells the country dropped off the calendar altogether.

In its nomadic existence first we had the attractive Pedralbes track, run through wide open avenues in Barcelona's suburbs, popping up twice in total in the 1950s before the Le Mans disaster and its safety fallout did for it. A couple of decades on there also, briefly, was the undulating, challenging and scenic Barcelona street track at Montjuic, but with its magic it also was fated and its safety arrangements were pitilessly, tragically, revealed as sub-standard in the final 1975 visit. Jarama near Madrid and Jerez in the south of the country came and went in a sporadic fashion too; both suffered from rather torturous layouts and often poor crowds.

While all of this was going on Barcelona still viewed itself as the Spanish Grand Prix's spiritual home, and as the 1980s drew to a close it set about doing something tangible about it by creating finally a permanent home. Money was put in place, as was a site, and come 1991 - although the preparations for the first visit were rather last gasp - Jerez was replaced on the F1 itinerary by a Montmelo track 12 miles up the road from the city.

In some senses. As appropriately given this venue ended the Spanish round's decades of nomadic existence, the on track fare it provides these days also could hardly be more settled.

This one is very much F1's bellwether. The indicator of the pecking order of the competing cars. Demonstrating this 16 of the 25 pole-sitters at this track have gone on to be that year's world champion (if it helps though, only two of the last 10 world champions have bagged pole here that same season).

Why is this? Well as is usually the case it can be attributed to a few things coming together. The circuit features a few long medium-speed corners which require good aerodynamic performance and therefore it isn't a circuit on which an under-performing car can readily be hustled around. If your machine isn't working you have little choice but to sit and wait on it. Underlining as much grids here often have a Noah's Ark two-by-two look; last year indeed the grid was in such formation from eleventh place back.

The Montmelo circuit also is a habitual test venue - it was used for all of the sport's pre-season testing this time - and therefore teams usually have a firm sense of the optimum set-up, which in turn takes away another potential variable.

Other teams whose chassis is thought to be better than their engines, such as McLaren and Toro Rosso, will also be optimistic of being budged a little further up from their usual place in the order this time. Indeed Alonso predicted in pre-season that come this round the Woking squad could have the best chassis out there...In terms of which Merc pilot is likely to win out, it's hard to read much from form at this track. Nico Rosberg triumphed here last year, and while he was aided by Lewis's poor start as mentioned he also took a fine pole position with a lap a quarter of a second under his team mate's. The year before Lewis triumphed, but it was a close fight between him and Nico. It may come as a surprise too to hear that's his only F1 win at this circuit. For what it's worth Nico took the pole here in 2013 also.The track more generally has a 'bit of everything' quality about it - to the point that the now-neutered final sector is considered a good indicator for Monaco pace - which again ensures that cars that perform well in the universal sense are rewarded.

But another common association with the Barcelona track is that its races often are on the tepid side as it's not a track big on overtaking. The sport's perennial 'dirty air' problem makes itself felt in a big way as the cars struggle to follow each other through those long lingering turns. Panic after a Spanish Grand Prix over whether F1 had got 'too boring' (plus ca change...) once was an annual event indeed.

Once again the numbers back this concept up. No fewer than three in every four Grands Prix here have been won by the pole-sitter while only twice has it been won from a start off the front row, and one of those was when it rained. Lewis Hamilton's victory chances were ended off the line last year when he sank behind Sebastian Vettel and stayed there for a long time, two stints indeed, stating repeatedly that he simply could get nowhere near the Ferrari ahead. Indeed he ended up switching from a two to a three-stop strategy in order to get by.

And cementing the sense that surprises can't be expected here, this one should really suit the Mercedes this time. It's the best car generally, particularly on quick-ish turns, and its advantage in qualifying tends to be particularly stark. And toting it all up last year the first non-Merc home in Barcelona (in third place, natch) finished 45 seconds after the victorious silver car, which only represented slight progress on the year before when P3 got home 49 seconds adrift. By this rate someone else will win at Montmelo by, ooh, 2028. And while in Sochi there still was some typical for 2016 obfuscation, qualifying and the race suggested that Mercedes has now got some air between it and Ferrari.

But for all that the Montemelo venue is associated with predictability we have, rather incongruously, in fact had nine different winners here in the last nine visits. Combined with the afore-mentioned stat Barcelona may indeed be losing its bellwether touch... Even so, a tenth different winner this time doesn't look likely.

As for the rest, Red Bull may be worth keeping an eye on. Its fine-handling chassis will be well-suited to this circuit while its relative lack of Renault grunt should harm it less than usual, though even with this it's a bit of a pity that the upgraded Renault unit won't be debuted until the post-race test. While of course we'll have our first glimpse of the fascinating match-up of Daniel Ricciardo with the young whipper-snapper Max Verstappen.

Strategy usually is a choice between two stops and three, with the latter tending to be quicker in theory but with an attendant risk of getting stuck in traffic, what with overtaking being so difficult.

The long turns, particularly turn 3, tax the tyres as indeed does the rather abrasive surface, and reflecting this we'll see the Pirelli hard compound for the first time in 2016. Few have selected many sets of it though - reflecting probably that there was a large pace drop off between it and the medium tyre here last year - instead preferring to go aggressive with plenty of sets of the medium and soft, even though the available compounds last year were the medium and hard. With the above conundrum in mind the softer compounds this year may edge competitors towards aiming for three stops.

This will give Ferrari encouragement at least, given its car is gentle on the tyres and the team is content to run it on softer compounds. The red car really didn't like the hard compound here last year.

But beyond that for Ferrari, and for everyone else, there are few sources of encouragement, for the first two places at least.

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Behind the scenes at Renault's Silverstone filming day

Renault recently completed a filming day at Silverstone with its F1 drivers Kevin Magnussen and Jolyon Palmer. In this video, the team takes us behind the scenes at the British track.

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Pascal Wehrlein misses 'really cool' DTM wheel-to-wheel fights

Manor's Pascal Wehrlein, who made the step up to Formula 1 from DTM for this season, says he misses the "really cool" fights up and down the field which were a common feature of the touring car series, something he isn't getting in F1 as a backmarker.

The German driver became DTM's youngest ever champion in 2015, winning the title at just 20 years of age. Backed by Mercedes, he was promoted to F1 with engine-customer Manor alongside Indonesia's Rio Haryanto.

During a visit to the season-opening DTM round in Hockenheim, Wehrlein said he missed the close battles.

"The fights in the DTM are really cool, proper wheel-to-wheel action with contacts; you can't do that in Formula 1," he said.

"The scraps [in the DTM] were lots of good fun, really great."

Wehrlein also offered some advice to Esteban Ocon, who took Wehrlein's seat at the Mercedes DTM team and is also splitting his time between the series and a F1 test role with Renault.

"This year, he's in a similar situation to the one I found myself in when I joined the DTM," explained Wehrlein.

"You first have to get used to series and to the car, but there are no major problems in making the switch.

"We can all drive a racing car quickly, [but] what makes the difference in the DTM is finding the last tenth of a second, that's tricky. You also need experience with set-up.

"As regards to drivers, the DTM is in no way inferior to Formula 1. The top drivers in both are extremely fast and very hard to beat. Every one of them is a specialist in his field."

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Massa: I want to fight for a podium

Williams driver Felipe Massa has expressed his desire to record a podium finish this season and feels the Spanish Grand Prix could be the perfect place to do it.

Massa and his teammate Valterri Bottas have a 100% record this season with getting their car over the finish line and scoring points in the process.

The Brazilian, though, understands that it will be difficult to crack into the top-three, especially with Ferrari and Mercedes ahead of them in terms pace and strategy.

"I'm looking forward to having a good race in Spain and hope that we can keep improving race by race, and keep scoring points," he told Crash.net.

"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.

"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 at 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."

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Ricciardo aims for podium in Spain

Red Bull Racing driver Daniel Ricciardo is confident that they will get close to a podium at the Spanish Grand Prix this weekend.

As the fifth race of the season approaches, Ricciardo finished fourth in the opening three races while only disappointing in the most recent one in Russia, where he finished 11th.

The Australian explained that their RB12 is well suited for the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya after spending time on the track during pre-season testing.

"We usually go pretty well at the Circuit de Catalunya so I’m looking forward to it," the 26-year-old said.

"I know the track well as we spend quite a lot of time there but there’s always things to learn from the track though so I don't want to say I know it all, but having had a few races in the car it's about putting it all together and having a strong weekend.

"It's a relatively high down force circuit so we can strap most of the things on the car that make it go faster.

"It's quite hard on tyres so we are normally a bit stronger than some other teams in that area. It could provide a good opportunity for us to get close to the podium."

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Leclerc eager for more F1 tests after "dream" Ferrari debut

Ferrari junior Charles Leclerc says making his Formula 1 test debut with the Maranello squad was a "dream come true" for him.

The Monegasque driver was named as a development driver for both Ferrari and Haas earlier this year.

Leclerc, who will race in GP3 with ART in 2016, got behind the wheel of a 2014 Ferrari F1 car at Fiorano earlier this week, completing over 300km of testing.

"It was an amazing day," Leclerc told Motorsport.com. "It was my first time in a Formula 1 car and it was just a dream come true to have my first Formula 1 day in a Ferrari.

"Apart from this, everything went really well during the day.

"I have to say I didn't struggle that much to adapt to the car but the main differences to everything I've tried before is the power of the engine and the power steering."

The 18-year-old said he was not sure when he will get another chance to drive F1 machinery.

"I am ready for it, but nothing is planned for the moment," he added.

"For the moment, as a development driver for Ferrari, I'm doing the simulator work in the factory to help them, but when I'm on the GP3 weekends my focus will remain on GP3 only."

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The Spanish GP with Sebastian Vettel - Scuderia Ferrari 2016

“Barcelona is a very good indication of where you are with the car. We can see a good reference where we stand, therefore it is incredibly important to get all the details right because you know that track so well. It is very important to get everything together to be able to perform high.”

The Spanish GP with Diego Ioverno - Scuderia Ferrari 2016

“The Spanish GP has been the first race in the calendar in which we can move cars and materials on wheels, rather than flying them and this obviously gives us several opportunities. First of all, we can prepare the cars in the factory and we can also use our own facilities at the circuit, such as offices on the track and the hospitality, with all the pros of having known tools and the possibility to give to our guests a better accommodation.”