FORMULA 1 - 2016

[MIKA27]

Nice thread.

Mercedes FTW!

Welcome to the forum and I like you already being a Mercedes man!

In saying this, I have a soft spot for Williams and Sauber and I really would love to also see Force India do even better this season.

[MIKA27]

Vettel fastest as Pirelli's wet tyre test comes to conclusion

Sebastian Vettel topped the second and final day of Pirelli's wet weather tyre test at France's Paul Ricard circuit on Tuesday.

The German took over from team-mate Kimi Raikkonen, who on day one was also fastest, and finished just under a tenth quicker than Red Bull's Daniil Kvyat, who took over from Daniel Ricciardo on the second day.

McLaren's Stoffel Vandoorne was third, a second down on Vettel's effort, though times from the test are irrelevant as not only are they running 2015-spec cars, they're using prototype tyres under differing conditions.

Despite suffering early troubles, Vandoorne completed 127 laps, bringing the days total between all three drivers to 373 laps compared to 266 on Monday, giving the tyre supplier a total of 639 laps worth of data to analyse.

[MIKA27]

New Italian Grand Prix deal set to be signed in February

Italian Grand Prix officials say a new contract with F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone will be signed by the end of February.

The historic race appeared to be at risk of dropping off the calendar, before a law preventing the Italian Automobile Club from contributing funds was changed.

Angelo Sticchi Damiani, president of the Automobile Club of Italy, has now confirmed that officials are close to securing a deal to secure the event’s future until 2020 or 2023.

"We are on the home stretch to close the deal," he told Autosprint. "We still need to refine some minor details, but the basis of the contract is now decided.

"I hope we can clear the final doubts within a couple of meetings. Let's say, the deal is 80% done. I count on signing by the end of February."

Damiani said discussions reached "a point of no return" at the 2015 Italian GP and claims Ecclestone was "resolute in stopping talks and losing the race from 2017."

He explained: "The people Ecclestone was talking to wouldn't offer the money he wanted, and proposed only renovating works on the track. Then [italian Prime Minister Matteo] Renzi and [italian National Olympic Committee (CONI)- president Giovanni] Malago stepped in.

"They met with Ecclestone and told him Italy wanted to close the deal positively. The government wouldn't have to put a dime in as it would appoint the CONI to find the funds, and so it did: the CONI then authorised the ACI to do the deal."

Ecclestone has reduced his terms from $28 million (£20m) to around $20m (£14m), which Damiani believes is "more or less what the Spanish and Belgian GP organisers pay."

He added: "The deal is almost done, only a few details are missing. [The length of the deal] is one of the points still in discussion. There are two options: for four or seven years.

"In the first case, the race is ensured until 2020, in the other case until 2023."

[MIKA27]

Vettel urges caution over Marchionne's Australian GP ambitions

Sebastian Vettel has played down the importance of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix for his Ferrari team, suggesting that it should not define the entire campaign.

Ahead of a season in which Ferrari will aim to end Mercedes' F1 domination, the Italian team's president Sergio Marchionne noted that the championship will be decided "in the winter" - and that Ferrari must arrive at Melbourne with a winning car.

Vettel, Ferrari's lead driver in 2015, noted that he shares Marchionne's ambitions, but has hinted that a failure to win in Melbourne shouldn't be viewed as a disaster.

"It's natural that we all want to win - the team is quite big, there's a lot of people and if you ask everyone, I think [they all agree] our target is to win," Vettel said during the Pirelli wet-weater tyre test at Paul Ricard.

"But we know it's very ambitious, we know that the gap has been quite big last year. I think we did a good job over the season to come closer.

"This year we have some changes and we will have to see - obviously the testing is crucial to start on the right foot and then we go from there.

"But Australia is one race from 21. If you win there, it's great, if not - you try to finish as close as possible to the top step and collect as many points. And after that it's a long year."

[MIKA27]

Pirelli aiming to provide live tyre information during races

Tyre supplier Pirelli says it is working with Formula 1 bosses to make sure spectators can keep up with tyre strategies during this year's races, following the introduction of new rules.

From the start of this season, all drivers will be able to choose between three different compounds for each grand prix, a move that Pirelli hopes will open the door for more varied strategies.

However, there is the risk that spectators will find it harder to follow the race strategies, which is why Pirelli says it is trying to make sure this year's graphics will be improved to avoid confusion.

"We are working together with FOM to give the information live during the races so every spectator can understand what's going to happen," said Pirelli's racing manager Mario Isola on Tuesday.

"I think it's useful also for the media to know exactly which is the situation and the strategy. With the new regulations they have not only three compounds but the ability to choose 10 sets, so I hope we are going to see different strategies and more interesting races.

"To do that, you obviously need the information and you need to know which tyre each driver has available in the garage - and we are working together with FOM to provide this information."

[MIKA27]

Force India's 2016 car homologated

Force India is on schedule with its new car for the 2016 season after securing the FIA homologation for its VJM09 chassis.

The Silverstone-based squad confirmed to Motorsport.com that the new chassis is now ready to run, having passed the mandatory pre-season tests.

With little change in the regulations, the design team had a bigger task to pass the much tougher cockpit tests for 2016, introduced in a bid to enhance the safety of the drivers.

Force India is yet to announce its official launch date.

Last year, Force India only introduced its VJM08 in the last pre-season test but this year the team looks set to have the car ready in time for the first test of the winter in Barcelona.

The team secured its best-ever Formula 1 result in 2015, finishing fifth in the constructors' standings.

Both Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg were retained for their third season together.

[MIKA27]

Analysis: New F1 crash test a "big job" for teams

Formula 1’s stable regulations may mean that teams can carry over much of their 2015 design concepts for the new season – but there is one area that has delivered a bigger challenge than usual over the winter.

For, what on the outside at first appeared to be a minor change to the rules to improve driver head protection, has actually resulted in a lot of extra legwork for designers – and a much tougher crash test to pass.

Cockpit safety

For 2016, the side protection area around the cockpit has been raised by 20mm to help deliver a bit more coverage of a driver's helmet.

While that dimension change is not much and will be barely noticeable to the naked eye, what has proved to be a hurdle is the fact that the crash test in this area has increased dramatically.

Whereas last year a load of 15kN was applied at a 90-degree angle to ensure this part of the car did not deform, for 2016 a revised rule states that the force has been ramped up to 50kN.

As Article 18.5 of F1’s Technical Regulations states: “Under the load, there must be no structural failure of the inner or outer surfaces of the survival cell.

“This test must be repeated at positions 50mm and 150mm forward of the rear edge of the cockpit opening template longitudinally.”

Significant change

Whereas last year’s big challenge on the crash tests was in getting the short nose concepts to pass, this winter the hurdle has been in passing the tougher cockpit test.

As Mercedes executive director Paddy Lowe explained, it has been a far from straightforward challenge to create the tougher cockpit protection without it being too heavy or impacting on aerodynamic performance.

“It is a very significant increase,” he said in a video released by his Mercedes team. “It is five tonnes of load that the chassis has to take sideways.

“It is intended to significantly increase the protection for the drivers should major pieces of debris, including a whole car, arrive at this point [of the cockpit].”

He added: “It has been a big job for the people concerned with designing chassis, because it is a very significant load increase.

“It is a matter of how you do it with the minimum intrusion to weight or aerodynamic surface. As always, everything is possible – it is how you do it in the best way.”

It is little wonder then that the teams which have already passed the crash test - well-ahead of cars hitting the track at Barcelona on February 22 - are feeling a major sense of relief.

[MIKA27]

Fresh problems for McLaren as F1 test continues

Stoffel Vandoorne faced fresh mechanical trouble in his McLaren-Honda on the second and final day of the Paul Ricard wet weather test on Tuesday.

Having been forced to stop early on Monday following a warning about his 2015 Honda engine, which was a high mileage unit, the Belgian had to drop out of a stint early on Tuesday morning to return to the pits.

McLaren and Honda engineers were seen working on the rear of the car while other teams continued their running, before he was able to rejoin the track action.

High mileage parts

Under the FIA rules of the test, teams and their engine partners are only allowed to use 2015 components, which means that parts being used are at the end of their life.

For McLaren and Honda, it should mean at least that the Vandoorne issues are just a legacy of its difficult campaign last year rather than a precursor to fresh trouble for its revamped 2016 effort.

Vettel in

After Kimi Raikkonen tested for Ferrari on Monday, Sebastian Vettel took over duties on Tuesday , fresh from his run in a 2014 car at Fiorano last week.

The German quickly moved himself to the top of the time sheets, as drivers conducted longer stints than Monday for Pirelli to evaluate more prototype designs.

Daniil Kvyat replaced Daniel Ricciardo at Red Bull.

[Artist]

I hope not - we don't need another snooze fest season like the last two...

Im all up for more competition, but still Mercedes has to do the triple.

I think there is a rule overhaul in 2017..then its up for grabs again..

[MIKA27]

SAINZ: I DON’T THINK WE HAVE A BETTER CAR THAN RED BULL

Carlos Sainz insists he is not running away with the dangerous idea that Toro Rosso could be better than Red Bull Racing in 2016.

When the music of the recent ‘Red Bull engine crisis’ stopped, the senior team was left with its underpowered Renault units while Toro Rosso secured a supply of 2015-specification Ferraris.

It has led some to believe that the junior team could actually beat Red Bull this year — particularly as the 2015 Toro Rosso chassis was arguably one of the best cars on the grid.

“I don’t think we have a better car than Red Bull. It would be a dangerous trap for us to believe that,” said Sainz on Tuesday as he met with Spanish media.

Nonetheless, he is confident, “The data coming from Faenza is good and we should take a step forward.”

“From the aerodynamic point of view there is not much room, but the Ferrari engine is more powerful. We will see in Australia where we are.”

As for beating Red Bull, however, Sainz explained: “We have to remember that our budget is lower and the drivers are younger. You cannot expect us to be in front of them.

“If we are top eight or top 12, we will have to see,” said Sainz, who is scheduled to debut the new Ferrari-powered STR11 in Barcelona on February 22.

[MIKA27]

SAINZ: IF MAX IS THE NEW SENNA AND I BEAT HIM, THEN WHAT AM I?

Carlos Sainz says his goal is to impress his bosses and win a promotion to Red Bull’s senior Formula 1 team.

“I know what I need to do to impress them,” he said on Tuesday in a meeting with the Spanish media. “My goal is still to go to Red Bull and become the best driver and a world champion.”

It seems a difficult task for Sainz, however, given the hype surrounding his fellow rookie and Toro Rosso teammate, Max Verstappen.

“Well,” said Sainz when asked about the Dutch sensation, “Max did only three more overtakes than I did all season. Yet it feels like his were on TV more than mine were.

“But I did many other good and spectacular things that were not on TV but the team saw them. The telemetry, the numbers don’t lie,” he insisted.

So even when Verstappen is called a ‘new Senna’, Sainz says he is not overly worried. “If he is the new Senna and I beat him, then what am I?”

“I don’t think too much about what the press says. When I hear what Horner, Marko, Alonso or Vettel says then I am calm, because the people who know see what I do.”

But the risk remains that Red Bull will want to promote one of its newer stars, like new reserve Pierre Gasly, for 2017, leaving one of the current Toro Rosso drivers out in the cold.

“It is true that the pressure is higher now,” Sainz admitted, “but my career has been like that since 2014. Every year, it is all or nothing.

“Now that I know the best in F1, I know what I have to improve and how,” he added.

[MIKA27]

TOST: ECONOMIC STRUCTURE OF F1 DOES NOT CORRESPOND WITH GLOBAL TRENDS

Toro Rosso took on an 100 additional staff to cope with the challenge of preparing their new car for the 2016 season, leading team principal Franz Tost to question the economics of Formula 1 in prevailing economic times.

The Faenza based team’s schedule was thrown into chaos late last year amid the dispute between parent company Red Bull and Renault.

In the end, Red Bull stayed with Renault power for 2015, but the smaller Toro Rosso outfit was left at the eleventh hour with the task of adapting its 2016 car to a Ferrari engine.

“We have 480 people working at Toro Rosso now,” Tost told Autosprint.

“This is because we have three working shifts to build the car, on which work started late,” he explained. “By March we will reduce the number to 380, including those who work in the UK in the wind tunnel.”

When asked if Toro Rosso will be ready for the 2016 season, Tost answered: “Yes, I would like more time, but our technical department has many experienced staff who optimise the time that we have. Also, the tests begin later this year than they did in 2015. So I am optimistic.”

Carlos Sainz has been assigned the duty of debuting the STR11 at Barcelona on February 22, the opening day of official winter action.

But a further complication for Toro Rosso is that, in no longer having the same engine supplier, there is now less cooperation that Faenza can do with Red Bull.

“Unfortunately yes,” said Tost. “For example, before we worked together on the hydraulics and now we have to do everything ourselves. Our cooperation will be less intense.”

Toro Rosso is also responsible for its own gearbox.

“We can go to the Ferrari ‘box only in 2017,” said Tost. “When we were looking for a new supplier of engines, the work on the gearbox was already under way.

“Let’s see how the situation develops. If the Ferrari gearbox will be more reliable, practical and cheap, we will use it,” he added.

He would prefer, however, that Toro Rosso and Red Bull can once again move more closely together in the future, “Perhaps we will go back to using the same engines, including for reasons of economy.

“Generally, the economic structure of the teams in F1 does not correspond with current (global) trends. Many major automakers are working together, and yet in Formula 1 we spend money in parallel: each team does his own details, has its own wind tunnel.

“We spend huge amounts of money that could be saved through greater cooperation. Not only that, the cars would be closer together and the races more interesting.

“This is the vision of Dietrich Mateschitz, and thankfully he has proved he is able to look long-term. But there are teams with a technical advantage that are opposed to any form of cooperation. As for us, the technical collaboration with Red Bull is crucial for the future,” he added.

What Tost is not worried about, he insists, is that Toro Rosso is having to use the so-called ‘old’ Ferrari engine this year.

“I do not think this engine is so old,” said the Austrian, “as in the last race of last season, it was almost equal to the best.”

[MIKA27]

SAINZ: FOR A DRIVER LIKE ALONSO TO BE AT THE BACK IS NOT LOGICAL

Carlos Sainz has tipped his countryman and mentor Fernando Alonso to have a “better” season with McLaren-Honda.

“I think that after 2015 it can only go better for them,” said the young Toro Rosso driver. “How much better, I don’t know,” added Sainz, as he met with members of the Spanish press on Tuesday.

McLaren-Honda endured a woeful 2015 as Alonso, a former two-time champion, switched to the Anglo-Japanese collaboration from Ferrari.

Sainz said, “I think it’s not good for formula one to see a team like McLaren where they were last year. It would be a good step for them, at the minimum, to be fighting with us, and if they reach Red Bull then in 2017 they could be fighting for the world championship.”

“For a driver like Alonso to be at the back for two years is not logical,” added Sainz.

He explained that McLaren-Honda’s 2015 package left “much room for improvement”, amid reports the Japanese carmaker has found an incredible 200 horse power over the winter.

“It was so poor (in 2015) that they have so much room for improvement in a short space of time, especially if Honda finds the key with the energy recovery,” said Sainz. “McLaren is one of the few teams that can find two seconds, and I hope they do.”

The Spanish sports daily Marca reports that McLaren could also be shaping up for some major sponsor news.

Reserve Stoffel Vandoorne’s overalls at the Paul Ricard test this week included a new prominent black space on the chest, currently featuring images of the moon and stars.

[MIKA27]

PAUL RICARD BOSS SAYS THEY CAN HOST A GRAND PRIX

Paul Ricard chief Stephane Clair is not ruling out hosting the French Grand Prix at the circuit on the Cote D’Azure. in the future.

This week, the track has been hosting three top F1 teams for Pirelli’s wet tyre test, but Clair told AFP that his sights are set even higher, “Everything is possible.”

Paul Ricard, owned by a company controlled by Bernie Ecclestone’s family trust, last hosted F1 testing action in 2008.

That was the same year that Magny Cours held the country’s last grand prix, and so Clair says Paul Ricard is capable of bringing the sport back to France.

“We know we can realistically accommodate up to 50,000 people per day,” he said.

Clair has reportedly already talked about the possibility with Emmanuel Macron, France’s minister of the economy.

He said one possibility is that Magny Cours shares the costs by annually alternating the French grand prix with Paul Ricard.

“It could be this taking turns,” Clair explained. “There are no closed doors. We must find a financial balance.”

[MIKA27]

PIRELLI PLAYS DOWN RAIKKONEN WET TYRE CRITICISM

Pirelli has played down reports that Kimi Raikkonen is unhappy with F1’s new generation of wet weather tyres.

The Finnish driver was at the wheel of last year’s Ferrari when Pirelli began testing at the artificially-watered Paul Ricard track on Monday. Afterwards, he was quoted as saying he preferred the 2015 wets.

“Kimi tested various prototypes,” Pirelli’s racing manager Mario Isola is quoted by Iltalehti. “As far as I know, he was happy. He did not see big differences to the previous tyres, which is of course not a surprise.”

As the Paul Ricard test ended on Tuesday, Isola was also asked by reporters about claims the F1 drivers’ representative body GPDA is pushing for Pirelli to produce dry-weather tyres that corner considerably faster.

He said Pirelli is capable of producing tyres like that, “We have always said that we want to do what F1 asks us to do. If we have to produce tyres with degradation, we focus on that. If we have to produce long-lasting tyres, we focus on that.”

[MIKA27]

ECCLESTONE KEEN TO KEEP AUSTIN ON F1 CALENDAR

Formula 1 chief Bernie Ecclestone has not yet given up on the future of the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas.

Late last year, a dark cloud moved over the popular race when the governor of Texas dramatically slashed funding from $25 million a year to less than $20 million.

“To use a technical term,” promoter Bobby Epstein said at the time, “I think we’re screwed.”

But Ecclestone told Time Inc’s website The Drive: “We have a contract with them, with COTA. They do a good job and I hope it will continue.”

The Circuit of the Americas’ October date on the 2016 F1 calendar is listed as “subject to confirmation”.

[MIKA27]

Haas to launch 2016 car at opening pre-season test

The Haas Formula 1 team has confirmed that it will launch its inaugural F1 car on the opening day of the first pre-season test at Spain's Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

The American outfit, which has a technical partnership with Ferrari, has already confirmed its new chassis has passed the FIA's mandatory crash tests, giving the team the green-light to take part in the first test of the season, which begins on February 22.

A number of teams will likely follow suit by simply rolling their cars out of the garage for a photo opportunity, before taking to track a little later, as has now become tradition for many teams.

McLaren has confirmed a pre-test online launch on February 21, whilst it's expected Ferrari will do something similar. Meanwhile Red Bull will launch its livery on February 17, before unveiling the RB12 in Barcelona. Renault also look set to debut their livery next week during a press conference to discuss the team's return following its takeover of Lotus.

[MIKA27]

Baku: Slow lap, high top speed – and very narrow

The organisers of Azerbaijan’s first F1 race have revealed more details about the Baku City Circuit which will host this year’s European Grand Prix.

At six kilometres the track will be longer than all the other 20 circuits on the 2016 F1 calendar with the exception of Spa-Francorchamps. It will have 20 corners, more than any besides Singapore’s 23 and Yas Marina’s 21.

But the most striking feature of the track may be its slender width in places. The FIA International Sporting Code advises a minimum width for new permanent circuits of 12 metres, plus an extra 3m width at the starting grid. But Baku is a temporary circuit and it will be considerably narrower than this in places.

Baku will be just 7.6 metres wide in places

The circuit will measure just 7.6 metres wide at its narrowest point, Aziz Aliyev Street. At other points it will be over 70% wider, reaching a maximum of 13 metres. F1 cars are 1.8 metres wide and could increase to 2 metres next year. The FIA’s reference width for Hockenheim and Singapore is 9m, though as with most tracks their widths vary over the course of a lap.

The estimated average lap speed of 211kph (131.1mph) indicates a lap time of around 1’42.37. This would put the track towards the slower end of the current F1 calendar, but quicker than most street circuits plus the Circuit of the Americas and Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez:

[MIKA27]

Analysis: Can F1's new turbos break the 1000bhp barrier?

Could the current V6 engines reach the magical 1000bhp many in F1 dream of? It's not out of the question.

Formula 1's latest turbo engines have come in for a fair bit of bashing since their arrival on the grand prix scene in 2014, being lambasted as both too slow and too quiet.

But while the noise complaints were justified – and changes have been made to exhausts for 2016 to address this – on the power stakes, the reality of just how many horses these units are pumping out is quite different to how many have perceived it.

For while the turbos are in the back of cars which are lapping much slower than the speed peaks we saw in the mid-2000s, these engines are producing more power than F1 has witnessed apart from a few qualifying laps in the mid-1980s.

You will not get any of the current manufacturers to give you a definitive figure, but estimates suggest that engines will be delivering more than 900bhp in 2016.

Indeed, it is heavy cars, restricted aerodynamics and narrower tyres that are more to blame for F1's lack of speed than engine performance – which is why those areas are the focus of changes set to come on board for 2017.

Comparing V8/V10 era

With F1's V10s having delivered peaks around 900bhp, and V8s around 750bhp, the best engines are now already clear of both those figures, and sights have been set on the magical 1000bhp figure that is great for headlines.

At a briefing at the end of last season, Mercedes engine chief Andy Cowell was adamant that anyone suggesting the current turbos were lacking in power compared to V8s and V10s was incorrect.

"If I look at today's internal combustion engine (ICE), today's V6 1.6-litre turbo charged engine is approximately the same power as the V8 engine was," explained Cowell.

"Both the V8 and the current V6 ran a hybrid system. If you add the KERS on to the V8 and the ERS on to the V6, and look at maximum power values, then today's V6 with ERS is 10 percent more powerful than we had with V8 and KERS.

"But ERS is available for a majority of the lap, while KERS was only available for 6.6 seconds of the lap – so in terms of lap-time impact, it is significantly greater than we had with V8 and KERS."

More than V10

Going further back to the V10 era – which fans often highlight as a peak for engine performance in F1 – Cowell says the current V6s are outstripping them too.

"If you compare it with the V10, so the last few races of the V10 era – we have more power than we had at the end of the V10 era," he said.

"But if you look at fuel flow rates it was over 190kg an hour – 194kg per hour to be precise. Now we are at 100kg per hour.

"So it is the same power – but about half the fuel flow rate. That is a phenomenal change in terms of efficiency of the power unit."

He added: "There have been incredible improvements in the efficiency, and incredible absolute power levels. But the incredible diminutive ICE is kicking out an awful lot of power."

The 1000bhp target

F1's ultimate peak power was in the mid-1980s when the first generation of turbos were unlimited, and drivers could run with full boost in qualifying.

Some estimates said that engines were pumping out more than 1200bhp on occasion, although how much of that could be used effectively remains open to some debate.

While Cowell is well aware the current turbo V6s are not getting near that power figure yet, what can be said is that what is available to drivers now is there for an entire weekend.

"I don't know how long those engines from the 1.5-litre turbo era lasted at that power level, I don't know how many straights they could do," he said. "But I don't think they were ever at full throttle!

"We are in the position of having four power units per driver per championship, so how does that factor into it too? The V10 era, there were restrictions right at the end, in terms of how long they needed to last – and we now have uncomfortable grid penalties.

"I think it [the current turbo V6) is the most powerful power unit that we [Mercedes] have produced."

They may already then be the most powerful F1 race engines there have been, but there still seems a long way to go before that leap to 1000bhp can be achieved under current restrictions.

However, F1 has always proved to be a great breeding ground for technology and innovation, and with the quality of engineers at teams' disposal, you can never rule anything out in this business.

And that it is even possible to speculate on the 1000bhp figure is enough of a pat on the back for the performance of the current engines, even if they will never be as loud as those old V10 screamers.

[MIKA27]

Paul Ricard - Pirelli wet tyre test: Pirelli turned down Mercedes for wet tyre test

Pirelli says it turned down the offer of Mercedes running its Formula 1 championship-winning machine at Paul Ricard for its wet tyre test and is confident it has a healthy portion of data to digest over the coming weeks.

The Italian tyre manufacturer invited Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren to its two-day wet tyre test at the Paul Ricard circuit and completed a total of 639 laps around the wet testing track at its 3.8km configuration.

Pirelli says it is content with the amount of data logged in the test, finishing both days earlier than scheduled, with Mario Isola explaining that only three cars were selected to keep wet conditions consistent as more cars on track would spray more water off the surface.

Isola has also revealed Mercedes volunteered its world title-winning W06 Hybrid machine for the wet test but were declined by Pirelli who instead opted for the three biggest teams not powered by Mercedes engines.

“We said that we were happy with the number of cars one to three altogether on track,” he said. “With more than three teams we are obliged to split them up because the cars spray out a lot of water from the track. With 10 cars it would be impossible to run a wet test.

“So when Mercedes knew we needed just three cars they said if you need us we are able to come otherwise we will stay at home, not that they were unavailable. With three cars it was okay.”

Pirelli also says Paul Ricard was selected over other circuits as it was the easiest to access for all the teams and had the capability and reliability to produce the conditions required consistently.

“This is the configuration of the circuit which can be all wet, it is something we know very well as we also test with GT cars here,” he added.

[MIKA27]

Resisting Red Bull would be 'great' outcome for F1 2016 - Williams

Claire Williams says fending off Formula 1 rival Red Bull and cutting the gap to Mercedes and Ferrari would represent a real achievement for her team in 2016.

Williams finished third in the F1 constructors' championship for a second successive season last year, despite only having the fifth biggest budget.

"We need to cut the gap down to Mercedes and Ferrari," deputy team principal Williams told Autosport.

"That would be a real achievement for a team like us when our resources aren't as strong as some other teams.

"If we can keep the Red Bulls behind us as well, it'll be an even greater achievement."

The team's last win came in the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix but Williams believes its performance in Britain last year, when Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas ran one-two, proved the team is capable of ending its winless run.

"The ambition at Williams is always to win races and fight for that title," she said.

"We've had two years of finishing third and we have to make performance improvements and take the fight to those at the front.

"We should all remember how amazing it was to see our two cars go into that first corner at Silverstone in the lead after overtaking the Mercedes.

"It was brilliant to see two Williams do that, particularly on home soil and I will never forget that race.

"We proved in that one race alone, in those few laps, that we are back as a team.

"For the team itself, that is a motivation point to remind everyone what it feels like to do well in F1 and to be successful and to lead a race.

"It was very motivational for everyone and it helps a lot."

[MIKA27]

WHITE TO FEATURE PROMINENTLY ON 2016 FERRARI LIVERY

The livery for Ferrari’s 2016 Formula 1 car could include a large dollop of white, harking back to the team’s livery used briefly in the early nineties.

The authoritative La Gazzetta dello Sport said the car, currently codenamed 667, will be revealed to the public via an online launch on January 19.

That is just a couple of days before the start of official winter testing in Barcelona. “There isn’t a lot of time until then,” said Sebastian Vettel.

And according to a website called F1 Analisi Tecnica, Ferrari is planning a novel livery for 2016, with the addition of the colour white around the cockpit area.

The report said the livery design resembles the Ferrari F93, used by Jean Alesi and Gerhard Berger, during the 1993 season which featured a substantial white stripe around the cockpit and engine cover.

[MIKA27]

ECCLESTONE: PIRELLI CAN DELIVER MAXIMUM-ATTACK RACING TYRES

Amid a call by Formula 1 drivers for Pirelli to provide “maximum-attack racing” tyres without having to worry about degradation, Bernie Ecclestone has revealed that the Italian tyre manufacturer will listen and can deliver whatever rubber is required for the sport.

Ecclestone is being quoted by BBC in the wake of comments made by GPDA president Alex Wurz who said recently that drivers were willing to “help and support Pirelli to construct a tyre fit for maximum-attack racing.”

“I have already told Pirelli that,” said Ecclestone. “The bottom line is Pirelli supply the tyres in F1, they are the tyres we should use and the teams and drivers should work with Pirelli to perfect the tyres.”

A meeting is scheduled for 2 February in Milan where F1’s top brass will meet with Pirelli to thrash out a solution which will be mutually acceptable.

Ecclestone is adamant, “Whatever drivers want to turn up can turn up. Whatever teams want to turn up can turn up. It will be the president of Pirelli who is there, not a messenger.”

For the right tyre to be developed Ecclestone is proposing that the top three teams and their drivers do the development work.

“I want someone who can drive on the limit who can come back with an answer. Pirelli agree with me 100%. That’s what they have asked for – a top team with top drivers, not a team that can’t push to the limit and certainly not a driver who can’t,” said Ecclestone.

Pirelli motorsport chief Paul Hembery says his company want a solution that benefits all parties, “We need clear direction. and going forward from there we need to extensively test any solutions.”

Meanwhile Ecclestone poured cold water on suggestions that Michelin could soon return to the F1 paddock and that a deal with Pirelli, beyond the current one, is not yet inked.

The F1 supremo confirmed, “[The deal] has been agreed. I don’t know whether I have signed, or it’s signed. The funny thing with the president of Pirelli and myself, we shake hands on something and that is like a signature as far as I am concerned and as far as he is.”

As for Michelin, Ecclestone said, “They wanted to run F1. They wanted to say exactly how everything should be run”.

[MIKA27]

NO BESPOKE LAUNCH FOR HAAS AND LIVERY STILL A MYSTERY

Haas F1 Team have shelved plans for a launch function, featuring their all new car and driver line-up, in favour of a simple roll-out of their 2016 chassis on the morning of the season opening Formula 1 test in Barcelona on 22 February.

A team spokesperson said, “Our plan is to have a very straightforward, simple launch. We’ve tentatively set 07:50 CET on February 22 for our car to be displayed on the pit lane.”

Romain Grosjean and Esteban Gutiérrez are the team’s two drivers who will be powered by Ferrari engines as part of a technical partnership that is being described as a Ferrari B-team.

Haas is the first United States constructor to submit an entry since the failed US F1 project in 2010, and will be the first American team to compete since the unrelated Haas Lola (owned by Carl Haas and Teddy Meyer) team raced in Formula 1 during the 1985 and 1986 seasons.

Formula 1 2016 test schedule at Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona:

February 22-25

March 1-4

Formula 1 2016 car uncovering:

Red Bull – February 17 (livery)

McLaren – February 21

Williams – February 22

Red Bull – February 22 (car)

Haas F1 – February 22

Although the team’s show car and renderings feature a dark livery, there is still no word on the exact design that will feature on the team’s first car – nevertheless artists have been speculating by posting designs on the internet:

[MIKA27]

GP2 CHIEF VASSEUR SET TO RUN RENAULT TEAM

In the days before the news becomes official in Paris, sources report that Renault’s F1 management team is shaping up.

Following the Lotus takeover, sources say leading directors of Renault Sport F1 will be Jerome Stoll, Cyril Abiteboul, Thierry Bollore and Patrice Ratti.

And it is expected that Frederic Vasseur, who until now has run the GP2 team ART alongside FIA president Jean Todt’s son Nicolas, will be the Enstone team’s racing director.

On the technical side, Bob Bell, Nick Chester, Alan Permane and Remi Taffin will work together, while quadruple world champion Alain Prost will retain his mainly ambassadorial role.