Charlie Whiting has defended the decision in Spain to move Lewis Hamilton from pole to the very rear of the grid.

Although McLaren was widely criticised for making a grave error, the stewards’ penalty was at the same time described by the world’s press as “draconian”.

“Quite frankly I did not expect the penalty that we received,” said McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh.

Indeed, given that McLaren’s fuel indiscretion occurred only in the decisive Q3, why not simply delete Hamilton’s Q3 laptimes, thereby putting the Briton mid-grid for the race?

“We had no room to move,” Whiting, the FIA’s race director, responded to Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport when told that Hamilton’s penalty seemed too severe.

“If there is a violation, it applies to the whole session, not just part of it,” he insisted. “Qualifying begins with Q1.”

Whiting explained that if Hamilton had only lost his Q3 time, a precedent would have been set tempting teams to risk not being checked for the mandatory 1 litre fuel sample in post-qualifying scrutineering.

Auto Motor und Sport said only one or two fuel samples are actually checked after qualifying at grands prix.

Competitors could, therefore, genuinely “run the risk” of using less fuel than is allowed in Q3, if the penalty for being caught is relatively light, Whiting argued.

He recalled last year’s German grand prix, when Sebastien Buemi was sent to the back of the grid because his fuel sample showed irregularities.

As it was not possible to check if the illegal fuel had also been used in Q1 and Q2, the Toro Rosso driver had to be disqualified from qualifying, Whiting argued.

 Renault is a secret to Red Bull’s recent success in formula one, the French carmaker claims.
The common perception, however, is that the energy drink-owned team has dominated the sport in recent years despite Mercedes-Benz actually supplying a more powerful 2.4 litre V8 engine to Red Bull’s rivals.

“The Mercedes engine is indeed about 15 horse power more powerful than ours,” confirmed Renault Sport F1′s Jean-Francois Caubet.

“But in terms of driveability and fuel economy, it is our engine in front. So when it comes to the bottom line, we are a little bit better than Mercedes,” he claimed to Germany’s Sport Bild magazine.

The most crucial factor, Caubet claimed, is the engine’s fuel economy amid the backdrop of the recent ban on in-race refuelling.

“Because our consumption is lower, Red Bull can start the races with 15 to 18 litres less petrol in the tank than the competition,” he said.

“That makes a big difference.”

Another factor is Sebastian Vettel’s driving, he agreed, with the back to back world champion having a “very fuel efficient” style, and being “extremely interested in the data”.

“They are both key factors when the driver wants to use the engine perfectly,” said Caubet.

Christian Horner on Sunday said he thinks Red Bull will be better next weekend in Hungary.
Championship leader Sebastian Vettel ended his 15-race run of front row berths at the Nurburgring, while pole sitter Mark Webber was the team’s best finisher with third.

“Yes, it’s been interesting,” said team boss Horner, referring to Fernando Alonso’s win at Silverstone two weeks ago, and Lewis Hamilton’s in Germany.

“It’s been Ferrari one race, the next McLaren — and the constant factor is Red Bull. Hopefully now we’ll get a few tracks that should be good for us,” he told German Sky television.

Confirmed Australian Webber: “The car should go ok in Budapest. It should be better than this track for us.”

In post-race news, Sebastien Buemi has been handed a five-place grid penalty for Hungary for his crash with Nick Heidfeld.

But there is also bad news for German Heidfeld, who will have to hand over his Renault to test driver Bruno Senna on Friday morning at the Hungaroring.

Meanwhile, Alonso will keep his second place on Sunday despite fears his stricken Ferrari might not have contained the mandatory one litre of fuel for the scrutineering checks.

And he has also not been penalised for hitching what he described as a “taxi” ride back to parc ferme on his friend Webber’s Red Bull engine cover.

“They are friends and it would have been a long walk back,” grinned Horner.

Dominant team Red Bull stands to lose a chunk of laptime if diffuser exhaust blowing is banned after Sunday’s Canadian grand prix.

The team’s engine supplier Renault argued for a delay of the ban until after Montreal on the grounds that, because of the basic architecture of the engine, it is a reliability issue.

Adrian Newey explained in Monaco that the Renault V8 opens to full throttle when the driver is not pressing on the accelerator due to “exhaust valve cooling”.

Reliability aside, Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport and Autosprint in Italy claim that the driveability of the Renault engine will also be badly affected by the exhaust blowing ban.

The reports say the 2.4 litre Renault was designed specifically to produce an aerodynamic effect off-throttle, while others have struggled to adapt.

“We lost several engines testing this,” confirms Mercedes’ Norbert Haug.

Auto Motor und Sport estimates the total ban of exhaust blowing will cost some Renault and also Ferrari-powered teams as much as eight tenths per lap.

FIA president Jean Todt is resolute: “It (exhaust blowing) is a pointless consumption of fuel.”

Auto Motor und Sport said the Renault engine is designed to be at open throttle when not accelerating, with Ferrari also at risk of reliability and driveability problems in the event of the ban.

Specifically, Ferrari argues that is opens the valves in that situation to reduce pressure in the crankcase, while Mercedes and Cosworth have an entirely different approach to their valve philosophy.

Christian Horner hopes Sebastian Vettel’s engine situation does not further dent his championship chances.

The Red Bull driver retired from the lead of the Korean grand prix last Sunday with a sudden and catastrophic failure of his Renault engine.

The 2.4 litre V8 unit that failed was the eighth he has used in races so far in 2010, but it had successfully completed 1600km of its projected life of 2000km.

But the other engines still available to the German are also quite high on mileage, which explains why Vettel did relatively few laps in practice last weekend.

“It’s obviously not an ideal situation,” team boss Horner said when asked about Vettel’s engine situation going forward.

“Hopefully it will have a negligible effect on him,” he added.

More details about the shape of radical new regulations for 2013 have continued to emerge.

Earlier, it was reported that most teams have essentially agreed that the field will in future be powered by 1.6 litre, 4 cylinder turbo engines, with the cars featuring 80s-style ‘ground effect’ aerodynamics.

Monday’s reports also said drivers will be limited to using just five of the 650 horse power engines in 2013.

The online magazine GPWeek has now revealed some additional details of the new formula.

The publication said the turbo engines will run at about 10,000rpm, and feature an efficient limit on the fuel flow — culminating in a ‘green’ formula that some insiders believe might entice manufacturers back onto the grid.

KERS will also play an increasing role in F1′s future regulations, with additional heat-recovery technology to likely augment the existing hybrid systems.

Additionally, the cars’ sidepods will be moved forwards to increase driver protection, and the size of the wheel rims is expected to increase in future years.

The basis of the 2013 rules are likely to be outlined in more detail after a forthcoming meeting of the World Motor Sport Council.

The outline of F1′s new technical direction for 2013 and beyond has been essentially decided.

According to Autosprint’s Italian-language auto.it, the sport’s cars of the future will feature so-called ‘ground effect’ aerodynamics and be powered by 1.6 litre, four-cylinder turbocharged engines.

The report said the package has been agreed by the majority of the teams.

A working group, featuring a group of engineers from F1 teams, has been in charge of defining the basic outline of the 2013 regulations, Autosprint said.

The four-cylinder turbo engines will reportedly produce 650 horse power, with drivers to be limited to using just five separate units per season.

Ground-effect aerodynamics, meanwhile, could improve overtaking by having the majority of the downforce generated underneath the car, rather than by the wings and top bodywork which greatly disturb the airflow onto following cars.

The technology was pioneered in F1 in the late 70s, but banned shortly afterwards because while producing immense cornering grip, ground effects made the cars unstable at high speed and relied on ‘sliding skirts’ that often broke.

Cosworth has played down reports Williams is set to switch to Renault engine power in 2011.

It has been suggested that Grove based Williams is unhappy with the performance of the 2.4 litre V8, especially its degradation as it ages.

But Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport reports that the British independent engine maker, also the supplier to the three new teams, has commenced a programme to improve the deficiencies.

And Cosworth’s business director Mark Gallagher said: “We have a three year contract with Williams, and there is no evidence they want to end this relationship.”

He also said all of the candidates to be F1′s 13th team in 2011 “with one exception” have been in talks with Cosworth.

Auto Motor und Sport reports that Cosworth is the cheapest engine supplier on the grid, with its engine costing EUR 5.5 million per year compared to the 9m price-tag for Mercedes, Ferrari and Renault power.

The publication said Nicolas Todt’s hopeful ART team wants to be powered by Ferrari.

But Gallagher insists that Cosworth provides a highly reliable product, while the input of Rubens Barrichello has helped the marque to improve the engine’s driveability.

As for the loss of horse power in the middle of the engine’s life, Gallagher revealed: “We have found the cause and brought a solution to the FIA for permission to make the change.”

(GMM)

Jun.18 (GMM)  There could be more Renault-powered cars on next year’s formula one grid than any other engine supplier.

Although the French marque currently supplies its 2.4 litre V8 only to the team that bears its name as well as Red Bull, it is reported that Williams is now close to agreeing a deal for 2011.

There have been reports that the Grove based team is less than fully happy with the returning supplier Cosworth this year, while at the same time Renault has confirmed it is looking to add a team to its customer engine roster.

Also linked with a switch to Renault has been the currently Cosworth-powered new team Lotus, while Cosworth’s business director Mark Gallagher recently said he suspects equipping the sport’s 13th team for 2011 will be “a Cosworth/Renault competition”.

A report by France’s Auto Hebdo said it is likely that eight cars on the 2011 grid will be fitted with Renault engines.

“An agreement with Williams is almost done,” said the magazine.

Jun.13 (GMM)  Norbert Haug has played down reports that Mercedes could be looking to add a fourth team to its F1 engine programme for 2011.

It emerged in recent days that the German marque’s board of directors met and discussed whether it should supply the powerful 2.4 litre V8 to another team.

Mercedes already powers its own Brackley based team as well as McLaren and Force India, but it is known that Red Bull is open to moving from the Renault stable.

But Mercedes GP team principal Ross Brawn was quoted earlier this week as suggesting a fourth engine customer might be too much.

“That is correct.  We also have KERS, possibly, again next year.

“It would be definitely very difficult for us to equip a fourth team, even if there is no decision taken yet,” said Mercedes’ competition director Haug.

Jun.9 (GMM)  Jenson Button has played down claims that McLaren’s risky gamble with its fuel loads was the reason for the near-disaster during the Turkish grand prix.

It has emerged that because Lewis Hamilton and teammate Button chased the Red Bulls so hard at Istanbul Park, the drivers were instructed throughout the race to conserve fuel.

Button’s race engineer at one point described the situation as “critical”, shortly after Hamilton had slowed down too much and triggered their wheel-to-wheel battle for the lead.

Afterwards, Hamilton lamented the poor communication and Button was accused of ignoring veiled team orders, sparking the rejoinder that McLaren could have avoided the entire situation by simply running a less aggressive fuel strategy.

But speaking to the Toronto media on Tuesday, 30-year-old Button said the team is right to run the cars as light on fuel as possible.

“If you’re running with two and a half extra kilos in the car, that’s one tenth a lap, which over the course of the race is five seconds.  So you try to be as close on fuel as possible,” he insisted.

It is believed that Hamilton’s winning car had just one litre of fuel left in the tank after he pulled into parc ferme, while Button’s MP4-25 contained only slightly more.

May 6 (GMM)  One of the innovations on the Mercedes car for the Spanish grand prix is the abolishment of the traditional ‘airbox’.

The airbox – an inlet for the normally-aspirated engines – has traditionally been part of the roll-hoop structure immediately behind and above the drivers’ head.

But the rollover structure of the revised W01 is now sharp as a knife, with air to now be fed to the 2.4 litre V8 engine via two symmetrical inlets on either side of the engine cover.

Also spotted in the Barcelona pitlane on Thursday was Christian Klien, having his moulded seat and settings fitted to the HRT car usually belonging to Karun Chandhok.

The team’s newly-appointed third driver will hand the F110 car back to Indian Chandhok ahead of Friday’s afternoon practice session.

Meanwhile, in the paddock, Virgin’s new double-storey motor home won the race as the most impressive of F1′s three new teams.

Sauber has taken over BMW’s imposing paddock structure of 2009, while Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel walked behind the Circuit de Catalunya pits sporting a new haircut.

Also spotted on Thursday was Joan Villadelprat, who is hoping his Spanish Le Mans outfit Epsilon Euskadi will be given a green light to race in formula one next year.

May 3 (GMM)  Volkswagen is interested in formula one but has no intention of launching a Mercedes-like works team.

That is the latest message given by Hans-Joachim Stuck, a former grand prix driver and now the motor sport representative of the German carmaker giant.

“It is clear that we are looking at formula one,” he is quoted as saying by Sport Bild magazine.

“We are waiting for the FIA’s decision in respect of the use of a world engine for formula one.  If there is (a world engine) we will discuss whether to build it for formula one,” added Stuck.

He clarified that VW would only be an engine supplier and not have “our own team like Mercedes”.

The ‘world engine’ concept – with possible deployment across various motor racing categories – has been touted by the FIA.

But regarding a new engine formula for 2013, the current discussions in F1 are about the likelihood of a 1.5 litre turbocharged 4-cylinder and a powerful KERS.

It is believed that the world engine concept is not popular among F1′s existing manufacturers.

While pushing for smaller engines for 2013, the FIA is also keen to improve the fuel efficiency of the current 2.4 litre V8 designs.

Ferrari’s former engine boss Gilles Simon, now working with the FIA, said in the latest edition of In Motion magazine that F1 should “push forward with fuel efficiency”.

“If, as an engine engineer, I am given a maximum fuel load, I will try to give the driver the maximum horsepower possible, building the most efficient engine I can,” he said.

Simon added that the FIA wants “to try to adapt the rules we have in the run-up to the new engine formula”.

Apr.26 (GMM) Fernando Alonso on Monday declared “false” reports that Ferrari’s engines problems in 2010 have been narrowed down to a general flaw of the pneumatic air system.

We reported late last week that the Italian team might ask the FIA for permission to make changes to its 2.4 litre V8 design on the grounds of reliability.

But when asked about the problems during a sponsor media event near Madrid on Monday, Spanish driver Alonso insisted he is “calm” and “not worried” about the technical problems.

“The car will be good,” said the 28-year-old, referring to next weekend’s Spanish grand prix at Barcelona.

“It was good in the early races and for one reason or another we did not get all the points we wanted, but I think we will have a good car at Montmelo,” added Alonso.

He confirmed that Ferrari has identified the problem that has been causing engine failures this year.

But, according to the Spanish news agency EP, he insisted: “The things written about the valves and the air intake system are false. In Barcelona and all the other races we will try now to run with one hundred per cent reliability.”

Alonso admitted that he does not know if Ferrari has written to the FIA to request legitimate changes to the engine amid the current development freeze.

“What I do know is that the engine technicians are committed to solving the problems, which were not about one thing in particular,” he said.

Apr.26 (GMM)  F1 teams are close to agreeing upon a new engine formula for the six-year period beginning in 2013.

Until then, development of the current 2.4 litre V8s will remain ‘frozen’, to be replaced thereafter by similarly powerful engines that use less fuel, emit less pollution and are affordable for the small teams.

Spain’s El Mundo Deportivo newspaper said an in-principle agreement has been reached for a four cylinder, 1.5 litre engine equipped with a twin-turbo and direct injection.

The new formula would reportedly also involve KERS.

“If F1 has to develop something helpful for real (road) driving conditions, then the best solution is for an engine that is turbocharged and GDI (gasoline direct injection,” Ferrari CEO Amedeo Felisa told Autocar magazine at the Beijing Motor Show.

“That is what we would support,” he said.

Mercedes’ Norbert Haug agrees that smaller engines are likely for reasons of consumption and emissions, but warns that high technology needs to remain a crucial focus.

“If you fly from Europe to Japan on a 747, you would use more fuel than an entire F1 season.  We need to see the whole picture,” he insisted.