FORMULA 1 - 2010

[MIKA27]

Alonso's Ferrari frustrations grow

Reports suggest that Fernando Alonso is becoming more and more disillusioned by Ferrari's failure to compete at the front of the field.

After a fast start to the season in which Alonso won the season-opening Bahrain GP, Ferrari have tailed off of late, with the team forced to settle for eight and ninth spot in Turkey, a race that was supposed to be a celebration of their 800th race in the sport.

Reports now suggest that Alonso is becoming highly frustrated with the teams' lack of progress.

"I'm told that Fernando Alonso is very frustrated by Ferrari's rate of development. Compared to his time at McLaren in 2007, when the British team had updates for every race, Ferrari's flow of new parts this season has been very slow, with no more than little tweaks here and there so far," explained BBC commentator Jonathan Legard.

"The result is that the car that started the season right on Red Bull's heels is now, in Alonso's words, 'the fifth quickest'.

"It seems Ferrari have a major upgrade for the European GP at the end of June - a copy of Red Bull's downforce-producing exhaust system, and a new diffuser. But the fear is that it will not leapfrog Ferrari back up the grid because their rivals will have at least kept pace. The team are also puzzled as to why the car is competitive on softer tyres but well off the pace on the harder compound," he added.

Legard's remarks have been solidified by Alonso's admission that even with their planned upgrades, the Italian team will not be at the front of the field.

"We know that McLaren and Red Bull are very far away and we don't know if that's enough. We have to work hard," said Alonso.

"We don't know how long it is going to take, but the truth is that we are almost eight tenths from Red Bull and 6 or 7 tenths from McLaren, and these developments [for Valencia] are not going to give us that much."

Having earlier in the week said that Ferrari could not cope with the developments of the 'bigger teams', team boss Stefano Domenicali remains confident that there is still time for Ferrari to mount a title challenge.

"We are not going to stop developing this car - we are not throwing away these races so far," he said.

"We will continue working on the F10 until the end of the season. The championship is still open and we have seen that anything can happen in the races. We will not give up," he added.

MIKA: Oh no...Look out!!

Alonso's nose is crinkling, bottom lip is trembling..he's gonna.... SPIT THE DUMMY!

I told you so, this was going to happen. It happened at Renault, happened at McLaren and now at Ferrari.

[MIKA27]

Force India suing Lotus over car design

Force India are reportedly suing Lotus after claims that the Malaysian owned team copied the Silverstone based teams VJM03 wind tunnel model.

Legal action has, according to Motorsport Total, already begun in the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.

Force India are questioning pre-season wind tunnel designs which they left at the Aerolab wind-tunnel, also used by the Lotus team. Earlier this year, Lotus released images of their pre-production scaled model, which it's believed, closely resembles Force India's own.

Interestingly, Lotus's current Chief Technical Officer is Mike Gascoyne, who previously worked with Force India in the same position but left in late 2008 when team owner, Vijay Mallya, took-over the role.

Force India's legal attorney, Mark Buckley, suggests there is 'significant evidence' supporting FI's claims. The damages are reportedly worth in the region of £25 million (€30m, $36m).

MIKA: This is really stupid....Perhaps all teams should start suing each other seeing that many copy aero packages yearly from all teams.

Where do we start!?

Ferrari were the first to introduce the rear wing on an F1 car as well as introducing a split second wing later on and then rear wing endplates.

Ferrari were the first team to introduce barge boards in F1, I think in 1993.

McLaren were first to introduce the brake cooling intakes along with suspension member aerofoil covers.

Mclaren introduced the F-Duct this season and thus far, several teams have developed their own versions.

I can go on about this kind of stuff, but why would Force India wish to sue little old Lotus who are way behind them?

[MIKA27]

Williams confirms new wings for Canada

The Williams team has confirmed that it will use the next evolution of its front wing in the Canadian Grand Prix.

Both Rubens Barrichello and Nico Hulkenberg were forced to revert to an older spec for Turkey after their crashes in the Monaco race.

Technical director Sam Michael has confirmed the updated wing, which he reckons is worth a tenth of a second, will be ready again for Canada.

"Running the old front wing cost us approximately one tenth per lap, but it worked well in the high-speed corners," said Michael on Tuesday.

"We will have the next evolution of the front wing on both cars in Montreal next week."

Michael also said the team is investigating the cars' clutches following Barrichello's problem at the start in Istanbul.

"The clutch bite on Rubens' car was stronger than we had anticipated taking into account the data from the practice starts undertaken earlier in the weekend. We have the clutches from both cars under investigation in the factory now to see what the problem was."

[MIKA27]

Renault looking to topple Mercedes GP

Renault are optimistic that they can force their way ahead of Merc GP in the battle for fourth spot in the Constructor's Championship.

The French outfit are currently 27 points adrift of Mercedes, but with Robert Kubica continuing to perform well above expectations and Vitaly Petrov improving with every race, the team are confident they can match the Brackley-based team.

"Our performance in Turkey suggests that our race pace is better than Mercedes, but they are just ahead of us on qualifying pace, and the same was true in Barcelona," said chief engineer Alan Permane.

"When I spoke to Robert after the race he felt that Rosberg was holding him up and that he could have gone quite a bit quicker. So it's down to us to make sure we do a better job in qualifying so that we can get ahead of them and exploit the full potential of our car," he added.

Permane believes that key to Renault success this season has been the consistency of their upgrades, with new parts implemented in Turkey and others ready for the upcoming Canadian GP.

"Our strategy of bringing updates to every race so far this season has been one of our strengths and is a testament to all the effort that is going on back at the factory," explained Permane.

"In fact we already have another version of the front wing in the pipeline, which will be available in a few races time and should give us another step forward on downforce.

"We expect to continue our current level of competitiveness in Canada where we will have further upgrades to the car. We also have good upgrade packages planned for Valencia and Silverstone, which will hopefully allow us to move ahead of Mercedes," he concluded.

[MIKA27]

Raikkonen rumours resurface - again

With signs of discontent in the Red Bull camp, former World Champion Kimi Raikkonen has once again been linked with a move back to F1.

Raikkonen is currently taking part in the World Rally Championship for the Red Bull-backed Citroen team but even before the rally season started he was linked with a move back to Formula One as a replacement for Mark Webber.

While neither Red Bull nor Raikkonen have ruled out the possibility of forming a partnership in F1, team principal Christian Horner recently remarked that he did not think the Finn was looking to return to F1 yet.

"Kimi has committed himself to rallying and he seems to be enjoying that environment," Horner told The Guardian.

However, following the Milton Keynes-based outfit's failure to support Webber after his much publicised coming together with team-mate Sebastian Vettel, like clockwork Raikkonen has once again been suggested as a replacement for Webber should he decided to leave the team.

When contacted regarding his client's future, Raikkonen's manager Steve Robertson was non-committal.

"We have not had any discussions in any direction for next season," he told Turun Sanomat

"There will be a time when Kimi will think about what he wants to do."

Asked whether Raikkonen could return to F1, Robertson replied: "Never say never."

MIKA: I think Raikkonen will return to F1 however am unsure when exactly as Webber seems to be doing a splendid job at RBR. What if Webber wins the WDC this season, will RBR remove him from the team?

[MIKA27]

Williams look for Montreal improvement

Williams technical director Sam Michael is confident that his team will put in an improved showing in Montreal.

Having endured difficult weekends in Monaco and Turkey, the Williams squad is under pressure to up their performance, with the likes of Force India consistently out-shining them.

The team were hindered in Istanbul by the fact that they were forced to run with old front wings after both drivers crashed in Monaco, with the factory unable to re-create the part in time for the next GP.

"Running the old front wing cost us approximately one tenth per lap, but it worked well in the high speed corners," explained Michael.

"We will have the next evolution of the front wing on both cars in Montreal next week."

But it is not only the front wings that the Grove-based outfit struggled with; on Friday Nico Hulkenberg suffered a hydraulic leak during during practice and then on race day Rubens Barrichello lost five places at the start due to a clutch problem while Hulkenberg was forced to pit on the first lap due to a puncture.

After what was a frustrating weekend Michael is confident things can only improve. Asked how he thought the team would perform in Canada, Michael simply replied: "Better than in Istanbul."

"We will have some more aero parts for the cars which should improve our performance, as well as a couple of mechanical upgrades. We will also have the medium drag rear wings specific to this race," he added.

[MIKA27]

Alonso: 'Without doubt the worst race so far'

Fernando Alonso has given a damning verdict on his Turkish GP performance, which saw the Spaniard duelling in the mid-field after failing to make the third round in qualifying.

"The Turkish Grand Prix was without doubt the worst event of the season," he said in his blog. "Our performance level was simply not competitive compared to McLaren and Red Bull and in qualifying, we even struggled against teams that up until now, were behind us. I wasn’t able to get to Q3 and so that compromised my race: when you start from twelfth, there is not much you can do.

"I managed to get ahead of some cars thanks to a good pit stop strategy. Then came the most boring part of the race. I was at the back of a train made up of the two Mercedes, the two Renaults and the two Ferraris."

Alonso had a narrow escape after coming together with Vitaly Petrov, who sustained a puncture, in the closing few laps of the race. The contact resulted in Alonso damaging a wheel-rim which could have easily deflated his tyre.

"I damaged a wheel rim, but luckily I was able to finish the race without any problems, bringing home at least a few points. I am sorry I was not able to celebrate Ferrari’s eight hundredth Grand Prix in a fitting way," said Alonso.

The Spaniard is pushing the Italian outfit to make a strong comeback at the Canadian GP where he reckons the F10 will be better suited.

"In Istanbul we were not quick enough and we have to react immediately," he explained. "The championship is still wide open with everything to play for. I am fourth in the classification, fourteen points off the leader and if the old points system still applied, the difference would be just four.

"However, it’s clear we need to make a jump forward in terms of developing the car. Over the first four races, we matched the pace of our main rivals, but since we have been back in Europe, that is no longer the case.

"When I was racing against Ferrari, I admired its ability to react, producing probably the best development during the season. The people are the same now, so there is no reason why the same thing cannot happen this year: I trust our team and, above all, I trust in the will to win that every last one of us shares.

"For Valencia, we will have a major update package which should see us make a good step forward, but I believe that already in Canada, we will have a different situation. The Montreal circuit will be better suited to the characteristics of the F10 and I think we will definitely be more competitive."

[MIKA27]

Button at Buckingham Palace to pick-up MBE

Jenson Button has been awarded an MBE (Most Excellent Order of the British Empire), by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday.

The award comes after he secured the 2009 world championship, an honour his team mate, Lewis Hamilton, received after he won the 2008 championship.

Button described the recognition by the Queen and the British public was one of the greatest honours and a significant milestone in his life.

"The last 18 months have been an incredible period in my life," Jenson commented. "Starting last year facing almost impossible odds, I achieved my childhood dream of winning the Formula 1 World Championship and I'm now driving for one of the greatest teams in the sport.

"To also be recognised by Her Majesty the Queen and the British people is the greatest honour I could possibly imagine.

"My whole life in motorsport has been an incredible journey. When I started karting as an 8-year-old boy, I could only dream of racing in Formula 1 or becoming World Champion. Even now, those dreams still feel unbelievable and fantastic to me.

"To visit Buckingham Palace today is another huge step along that journey. To be awarded the MBE by Her Majesty the Queen is a very great honour for me and a significant milestone in my life. Today makes me incredibly proud to be British and to be able represent my country on the world's stage.

"Being Formula 1 World Champion, and receiving the MBE today, carries with it great responsibility that I am proud to take on and uphold."

[MIKA27]

Lotus recruits Force India tech staff

Lotus has recruited Force India’s design chief Mark Smith as its technical director.

The Norfolk-based team, which has been the most impressive of the three new entrants so far this season, said Smith would take up his post once he has served his notice period with his current employer.

Smith will report to Lotus’s chief technical officer Mike Gascoyne, with whom he has worked at three other teams.

Two other Force India technical staff, Lewis Butler and Marianne Hinson, are also making the switch to Lotus, having been appointed as chief designer and head of aerodynamics respectively.

Gascoyne said: “I’m exceptionally pleased to welcome Marianne and Lewis to Lotus Racing, and I’m very excited to once again be teaming up with Mark Smith who I have previously worked with at Jordan, Renault and Force India.

“Lewis and I were together at Force India, and Lewis also worked with Mark Smith at Red Bull, and Marianne and I have known each other since 1999 when I gave her her first job in F1 at Jordan, so we all know each other very well.

“Mark Smith and I were first at Jordan together where our first car was the 199, Jordan’s most successful F1 entrant, and then he came with me to Renault where we helped put them back on the top step of the podium, and put in place the team that went on to win two world championships.

“Most recently we were together at Force India, and I’m delighted he sees the potential we have here, and has seized the opportunity to work with me, [team principal] Tony [Fernandes] and the whole team on helping Lotus Racing reach the front of the grid.”

Gascoyne is confident the new appointments will significantly bolster Lotus’s technical team.

“For me, it’s not just about the proven technical ability of the team we now have in place, it’s also the fact we’ve all worked together before, know how to achieve the goals we’ve set out, and know how to have fun together,” he explained.

“We all work together extremely well, and that gives us the perfect base from which to build for long-term success.”

Fernandes said the fact that Lotus had been able to attract established senior technical figures was a vote of confidence in his team’s progress and potential.

“I am honoured that these fantastic talents have put their careers and their faith in Lotus Racing, and see the very bright future we all have together here,” he said.

“Formula 1 is a small world and the fact that they are coming to our team shows what we have already achieved in a very short period.

“Nothing will stop us from bringing in the best people we can, and we will give them the best working environment, and create the perfect atmosphere for them to fulfil their own potential, and help us in our quest to reach the top.”

[OZCUBAN]

MIKA: I think Raikkonen will return to F1 however am unsure when exactly as Webber seems to be doing a splendid job at RBR. What if Webber wins the WDC this season, will RBR remove him from the team?

I hope he wins the WDC and they get rid of the arrogant F#%k Vettel (sorry but as talented as he is i just can't stand him)

I hope Mark sticks it right up him

[MIKA27]

MIKA: I think Raikkonen will return to F1 however am unsure when exactly as Webber seems to be doing a splendid job at RBR. What if Webber wins the WDC this season, will RBR remove him from the team?

I hope he wins the WDC and they get rid of the arrogant F#%k Vettel (sorry but as talented as he is i just can't stand him)

I hope Mark sticks it right up him

I agree 100% OZ.

I used to think well of Vettel until of late where he has had 'Alonso syndrome' and seems to be complaining about a great many things and has this huge chip on his shoulder where he thinks he's the number 1 of the team.

RBR have gone on record to say both drivers are equal and can race against each other.

Since Webber has been doing so well, it seems Seb is becomming more and more 'cut' at Marks success. I really dont know why because SV has so much more going for him as far as future prospects and race development whereas Webber is nearing his career. Perhaps now, Webber will stick around a little longer? Hope so.

[OZCUBAN]

Mika

I honestly think this will fire webber up even more i think we have not seen the absolute best from MW yet.

Also on the subject of Alonso if ferrari continues to slump you watch FA implode (its a pattern of behaviour )

Cheers Oz

[MIKA27]

Mika

I honestly think this will fire webber up even more i think we have not seen the absolute best from MW yet.

Also on the subject of Alonso if ferrari continues to slump you watch FA implode (its a pattern of behaviour )

Cheers Oz

You know.... There previously were talks that Kubica replacing Massa, but if FA doesn't perform, we may just see Kubica replace Alonso in 2012.

From what I hear, Massa is safe for one more year and Kubica isn't interested in Ferrari, BUT, either FA gets outed or he'll quit Ferrari as is his 'Pattern of behaviour' and make room for Kubica?

[Aficionado]

I am surprised your opinion about Sebastian.

He wanted to fight and not go in the caravan.

Unfortunately, accidents sometimes do happen.

McLaren drivers, so close,but had more luck.

Kubica should be go from Reno.

[MIKA27]

Brawn: Teams will need to test new tyres

With F1 set to swap tyre suppliers in time for next season, Ross Brawn believes teams will be allowed to test the new rubber later this season.

With Bridgestone stepping away from F1, Pirelli and Michelin are the favourites to take over the role of tyre supplier to the Formula One teams.

As such, Brawn is hoping that the teams will be allowed to try out the new rubber before the end of this season despite F1 having implemented an in-season test ban.

"There has got to be some testing with the new tyre supplier, whoever it is, so I think late summer and early winter there will be some tests organised with the new tyre supplier," the Mercedes GP boss told Autosport.

"But again, we must try and accommodate that within the teams we have. We can't afford to go out and start rebuilding test teams again."

But despite having a new as-yet-unnamed tyre supplier on board, Brawn reckons next year's tyres will be very similar to this year's Bridgestones.

"The teams have together produced a technical specification of the tyre we want," he said.

"So there is a document that we have all contributed to which is a broad spec of the sort of tyre that we want which means there is a single directive to the new tyre supplier of the type of tyre that is needed.

"That means we can continue with the development of our cars. Our cars are being designed around the current tyres because we have no other information.

"So I think everybody wants a tyre to come in that has similar construction characteristics to the current tyre, whether the compounds are quite the same is another matter."

For now, though, the teams are still waiting to secure a deal with a supplier, which Peter Sauber is hoping will be signed and sealed next week in Canada.

"I hope we have a solution before Canada," the Sauber team boss said.

"It is not an easy situation this tyre situation, but it is important we have a tyre supplier for the next season and I think it is important to have a sole supplier tyre."

[MIKA27]

Silverstone's new paddock complex underway

Silverstone have unveiled the latest images of their new pit and paddock development which is scheduled for completion next year.

The new area between Club and Abbey will be the latest update in the circuit's re-development, adding to the already completed Arena section opened in May.

"These new facilities, and the redevelopment of Silverstone at large, will provide a venue where all forms of automotive and motor sport events can be celebrated in style," Silverstone's managing director Richard Phillips said.

"The state-of-the-art Stowe Complex will further enhance our offering to manufacturers, corporations and brands involved in motor sport, while the Pit and Paddock Complex will deliver a new mix of facilities that will bring Silverstone into the 21st Century. Our intention is to transform the venue into a world leading centre for education, business, leisure and technology.

"It is vital that we continue to diversify as a business to make sure that the UK remains at the forefront of the motor sport industry."

[MIKA27]

Red Bull looks to extend Vettel contract

Red Bull Racing is making moves to secure Sebastian Vettel's future at the team until the end of 2015, AUTOSPORT has learned, in a bid to head off interest from rival teams.

Vettel's current deal run until the end of 2012, but despite there still being two years to run, team insiders have revealed that the outfit hopes to conclude a three-year extension as soon as possible.

It is understood that talks have already opened between the driver and the team about the idea of committing him to the team until 2015, although no deal has yet been finalised.

Hopes of keeping Vettel on board have been boosted by the fact that the team's technical chief Adrian Newey has indicated that he is now likely to stay at the outfit for the long-term, after agreeing to a rolling contract.

Team principal Christian Horner told AUTOSPORT about the Newey situation: "The relationship is open-ended. He is enjoying what he is doing, he enjoys the environment at Red Bull and he is still relatively young.

"It is not like he is an old timer, so I don't think he has any plans to retire at the moment. He will certainly be here for the foreseeable future."

While the team hopes to build its longer-term plans around Vettel, insiders suggest that Mark Webber will be kept on single-year contracts rather than also being put on a multi-season deal.

Despite the controversy caused by his collision with Vettel in Turkey last weekend, it is expected that Webber's new contract for 2011 will be sorted out before the British Grand Prix.

[MIKA27]

Kobayashi: Turkey point just a start

Kamui Kobayashi says his Sauber team should not be satisfied with its performance so far this year despite having scored its first point in Turkey.

The Swiss squad has endured a difficult start to the season, but Kobayashi finally ended its point-less streak with a 10th-place finish in Istanbul.

It was also the first race where both Kobayashi and team-mate Pedro de la Rosa saw the chequered flag.

But Kobayashi says the first point of the season is just a start.

"The team did a really good job that weekend," he said. "We had some very difficult situations in the previous races, so it was really nice to bring both cars home in Istanbul and get this point.

"But it is only a single point, and that is not something we should be satisfied with. It can only be the first step."

Kobayashi is adamant, however, that Sauber is on the right track to continue making progress throughout the season.

"In general I feel we are now on the right path," Kobayashi added. "The way we work together and are attuned to each other has improved, and it was so nice to see the mechanics in Istanbul smiling for the first time after the race!

"Until then I had only seen disappointed faces on Sunday nights. With this positive feeling, that everybody will now pick up on, and our improvements to the car, I'm sure we will be doing better in the future."

[MIKA27]

'Kubica to Ferrari more wishes than facts'

Robert Kubica's manager has admitted the rumours of the Polish drivers move to Ferrari are more the desire of some than actual facts.

Kubica has been linked to a possible move to the Italian stable for next year's Championship as Felipe Massa's replacement. However, Ferrari have stated that they are looking to re-sign the Brazilian while Kubica's manager admits there is not much truth to the matter.

"It appears it is rather a desire of some journalists than actual news," his manager Daniele Morelli told Finland's Turun Sanomat.

"It seems that many would like to see Robert with Fernando Alonso at Ferrari."

Kubica, who joined Renault from BMW at the start of this year, has had a stellar start to his campaign, scoring points in six of seven grands prix to claim to sixth place in the Drivers' Championship.

"Robert does not make mistakes and the results he's achieved have been the best that he as able to in a car that isn't capable of winning," added Morelli.

"Right now we do not need any interest in Robert expect the interest from his own team so that the car can be developed to become more competitive."

MIKA: Looking at the picture, it sure looks as though Kubica is getting a little 'too' friendly with a member of the Ferrari team....

[MIKA27]

Rossi: Ferrari need Vettel - and me

Valentino Rossi reckons if Ferrari want success, they need to sign Sebastian Vettel as Fernando Alonso's team-mate - and put Rossi in a third car.

The MotoGP legend has long been linked to a move to Formula One, even taking part in a few tests with Ferrari. But each season he has instead opted to remain on two wheels.

Rossi, though, has once again reignited rumours of a possible switch, laying down his criteria for the perfect Ferrari team.

"For Ferrari to make a team as strong as the Yamaha team, it should hire Sebastian Vettel alongside (Fernando) Alonso," Rossi told Italy's Gazzetta dello Sport.

"And, if (Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo is) currently looking for the opportunity third car, he should give it to me."

MIKA: That will never happen.

Luca at Ferrari is dreaming if he thinks 3 cars per team will be on the grid.

[MIKA27]

Ralf: Big brother is on the up and up

Ralf Schumacher believes big brother Michael is heading in the right direction after a "bit of a difficult" start to his comeback season.

After three years away from F1, seven-time World Champ Michael made his return with Mercedes GP this season, however, he has failed to set the stage alight.

Seven races into the Championship, Michael has yet to take to the podium never mind the top step while he trails team-mate Nico Rosberg by 32 points in the Drivers' standings.

But despite his slow start, Ralf is confident that his big brother's results are moving in the right direction after he achieved two P4s in the past three events.

"He had a bit of a difficult beginning but lately he seems to have improved. I'm pretty convinced that the new package introduced in Barcelona helped him get a better performance," he told 422race.com.

Asked for his thoughts on Michael's slow start, Ralf put it down to his big brother's three years away from the sport as well as the difference between the 2006 cars and this year's machines.

"First of all, yes, the cars have changed but Michael has been away from the car for a while. So I think there are two elements: first of all he's had to change his driving style a bit and secondly he has had to adapt to the new cars."

As for rumours that Ralf was planning a return with the Stefan GP team if they had made this year's grid, he said: "No. They are just rumours."

[MIKA27]

Paffett still chasing F1 race-seat

McLaren test driver Gary Paffett is still hoping that one day he will be given the opportunity to compete in Formula One.

Paffett, who has been with McLaren for five years as their test driver, has keep his racing alive in the German DTM series, finishing second in last year's Championship.

The British driver, though, admits that it is Formula One that he wants and he's biding his time until such an opportunity arises.

"It's difficult to say," he told motor racing magazine. "There is no recipe on how to get a F1 drive.

"You have seen that young drivers and old drivers have the same opportunities.

"You have to take the chance when it comes. I am doing that at the moment: I'm waiting for the opportunity.

"But I enjoy my work. I've been here for five years and am very involved with the team's efforts."

[MIKA27]

Horner: Red Bull may swap engines in 2011

Christian Horner has revealed that Red Bull will only stick with Renault engines next season if they are brought up to par with the rivals' power units.

Despite being granted permission by the FIA to make some changes to their engines based on "cost and reliability reasons", Renault were only allowed to improve the reliability of their engines, not the actual power.

As such, the French manufacturer's units are believed to down on power by roughly 30BHP compared to the likes of Mercedes. And unless motorsport's governing body allows them to reach a par with their rivals, Red Bull may opt to switch supplies next season.

"Renault as a partner are an excellent partner to work with, we have absolutely parity with the Enstone team," Horner told Autosport.

"The problem is, as it always has been, that under the current regulations, the way that the freeze currently is, you freeze in advantages and disadvantages, and you might think it is ironic that I sit here talking about an engine disadvantage despite having six pole positions and three wins.

"But I think it demonstrates the job the guys are doing with the chassis, they are doing a phenomenal job at the moment because we probably are 20-30bhp down on the class of the field.

"While we enjoy a chassis advantage at the moment, that might not be the case in two or three races times, and then the engine becomes a determining factor, and once you have frozen a product to freeze an advantage or a disadvantage for a three or four years period is unfair.

"The manufacturers need to get together among themselves and agree a formula to move forward."

[MIKA27]

'Merc's F-duct not yet working properly'

Ross Brawn has revealed that Mercedes GP still have some way to go on their F-duct system, admitting they are not getting the "full benefit" from it.

Mercedes GP first used the system, which was introduced into Formula One by McLaren giving the Woking team a clear straightline speed advantage, at the Chinese GP.

Since then they have continued to develop it in the hope of closing the gap to McLaren, however, Brawn admits they are still lacking in speed as they are getting too much drag down the straights.

"I think when you get the F-duct working properly you have both," the Mercedes GP team boss told Autosport.

"You have the downforce in the corners and then turn drag off on the straight. At the moment we are not turning off enough drag on the straight.

"As we said before, McLaren were clever enough to come up with the concept and have a lot more experience of it.

"You are seeing certain teams abandoned in Turkey and when it works properly it is a very, very powerful tool - and we are persevering with it.

"It works in a certain way with it, but not giving us the full benefit yet. We have the right compromise with what we have.

"We will be a little bit vulnerable with straightline speed but best compromise for that time and consistency on tyres."

[MIKA27]

Schumi: It's all about top speed in Canada

Although Michael Schumacher is hoping for a solid showing in Canada, the Merc GP driver admits the team could fall short based on speed.

The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, home to the Canadian GP, is making its return to Formula One this season and Schumacher is just one of the drivers who has welcomed its return.

"Canada is definitely one of the places on the Formula One calendar which everyone is keen to visit, myself included of course. I have always had nice weekends in Montreal," he said.

"I am sure that once I enter the paddock, I will very much be looking forward to starting the race weekend."

However, the race may prove to be a step too far for Mercedes GP after team boss Ross Brawn admitted they are still not getting the maximum out of their F-duct system, which means their top speed is lacking compared to the likes of McLaren.

And Schumacher is determined to achieve a good result next weekend, the former Canadian GP winner admits speed could be his team's downfall.

"The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is all about top speed so we have worked very hard on this, especially as we know that we are not right at the top in that area. However I am convinced that we will be able to get the best out of our package."

His team-mate Nico Rosberg, though, is slightly more optimistic, believing a "great result" could be on the cards.

"The circuit is technically challenging and fun to drive with the very long straight combined with short and slow corners," said the younger German.

"Our Mercedes-Benz engine will certainly be a big help on the main straight. We will have some further upgrades for the race weekend and the fact that the circuit characteristics are quite different from Istanbul Park makes me go there with high hopes.

"I think we might just put in a great result."