McLaren is not yet ready to roll out a Mercedes-style ‘F-duct’ to complement its highly competitive 2012 car.

Despite Mercedes struggling with tyres in the actual races so far, the W03 is a standout qualifying performer, thanks in part to the so-nicknamed front and rear ‘super-DRS’ system.

Red Bull, Lotus and perhaps even Ferrari are threatening to protest, but until now McLaren – with arguably the dominant package of the 2012 season so far – has stayed out of the argument.

“We don’t have a strong view one way or the other,” technical director Paddy Lowe confirmed during the regular Vodafone media teleconference on Tuesday.

The F-duct will remain a hot topic in China this weekend, with Lotus’ technical boss James Allison believed to be armed with two new arguments against its legality.

It was thought McLaren was quite advanced with its own version of the system.

But Lowe revealed: “Until we’ve got clarity it’s difficult for us to commit a huge about of effort in that direction. So that’s where we are at the moment.”

He steered away from suggestions Mercedes, including boss Ross Brawn, have flouted the “spirit” of the recent F-duct ban.

“There’s no such thing as the spirit of the rules,” insisted Lowe, admitting that if there was a ‘spirit’ of the DRS rule, the Mercedes system is “definitely” in breach.

“The debate around whether they can keep that system on the car is not about whether it is in that spirit or not, it’s about whether the text of the regulations means they can’t,” he explained.

 Senior F1 official David Campbell has left the sport.
Late in 2010, Bernie Ecclestone appointed Campbell – whose most famous achievement was the transformation of London’s O2 Arena – to succeed the retiring Paddy McNally.

McNally headed the lucrative trackside advertising company Allsport and the Paddock Club.

Campbell was therefore tipped as a likely successor for 81-year-old Ecclestone.

But a report in the Independent quoted CVC as confirming Campbell “has left”.

“It didn’t really work out,” said the source. “Bernie wanted to take the business in a different way, and that wasn’t the basis on which we hired David.”

While the smiles in the Lotus pits are obvious at Jerez, the same cannot be said of ‘grandee’ outfits Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull.
Lewis Hamilton had his first try of the MP4-27 on Thursday and said the new McLaren felt “pretty good”.

“My initial feelings are pretty positive,” he added. “The car feels reasonably quick.”

But with every other 2012 car featuring a radical ‘step’ in its front nose, some reports believe McLaren may have missed a trick by opting for a conservative solution.

“It is not a trick or a loophole that we did not spot,” said McLaren’s technical director Paddy Lowe.

“Some people have some interesting ideas around the use of that step, and we are looking with interest at all of that stuff,” he told the Mirror.

Actually, the McLaren was not far off the pace of Sebastian Vettel’s new Red Bull, but the pair were a long way from Romain Grosjean’s impressive Lotus E20, and the 2011 Mercedes driven by Nico Rosberg.

Vettel, also getting his first taste of his 2012 machinery on Thursday, admitted there are “question marks” about all of F1′s regular pacesetters.

Nevertheless, “We are where we want to be,” the reigning world champion smiled. “It feels fine and as we expected.”

Agreed team owner Dietrich Mateschitz on a rare paddock visit: “It looks quite good but anything else would have been a surprise as the car is a development.”

Much more worried is Ferrari, after the aggressive 2012 Ferrari on Thursday looked no more impressive in Fernando Alonso’s hands than it had under Felipe Massa’s control earlier this week.

Britain’s Daily Mail said the F2012 is “ugly in more ways than one”.

“I can only say that it is going to take a lot of analysis to put all the pieces of the jigsaw together,” said Ferrari’s British technical director Pat Fry.

“I am not happy with where we are at the moment.”

Arguably even less happy on Thursday were Force India’s Jules Bianchi and Nico Hulkenberg, after the French test driver crashed the new VJM05 before setting a laptime.

There were not enough parts to repair the car and so Hulkenberg’s scheduled track debut was postponed.

“I’m very sorry,” said Bianchi, “because my mistake has cost the team a lot of time and effort.”

 Amid the European cold snap, Franz Tost admits he was worried Toro Rosso might be late for its own car launch.
The STR7 was unveiled on Monday in the Jerez pitlane, a day ahead of its testing debut.

“When the trucks left Faenza on Saturday night I was worried we would not arrive in time,” La Gazzetta dello Sport quotes the relieved team boss as saying.

Ultimately, it turned out well, although Daniel Ricciardo – one of Toro Rosso’s new Red Bull-backed rookies – was not overly impressed with the car’s looks.

“It’s not exactly beautiful,” said the Australian, referring to the now notorious ‘stepped’ noses on the 2012 cars, “but I’d rather have a quick car than a pretty one.”

Actually, designer Giorgio Ascanelli is worried the STR7′s nose might not be ugly enough.

“I think we could have made it more aggressive,” said the Italian, “but in the end we had to homologate the car before we could test it.”

Arguably more ugly is the nose on Sauber’s new C31, but Japanese driver Kamui Kobayashi isn’t so sure.

“You think it’s ugly?” he told reporters at Jerez. “If everybody has the same style of car then it’s not ugly. Only the McLaren is different, so we will see.”

On McLaren, Kobayashi might have a point.

Of the eight 2012 cars seen so far, all of them have a ‘step’ except the McLaren. And Pedro de la Rosa has hinted that the new HRT will also feature the unattractive solution.

“Like almost everyone one else we have had the idea to have as much area under the car as possible. The regulations force us to do what we have done,” Sauber designer Matt Morris is quoted by Auto Motor und Sport.

Said Telegraph correspondent Tom Cary: “It begs the question — have McLaren got it wrong?

“Were they ‘sandbagging’ – faking – at last week’s launch? Have they got it right and everyone else got it wrong?”

McLaren’s technical director Paddy Lowe is confident: “We have always had a different philosophy than the others for the front of the car,” he is quoted by Blick newspaper.

Two 2012 cars with ‘step’ noses – Lotus and Sauber – made their track debuts on Monday, ahead of official testing which begins on Tuesday.

Lotus’ technical boss James Allison thinks the E20 is the “most beautiful ugly car” seen so far.

“It feels great in first and second gear,” smiled Kimi Raikkonen, referring to the running for ‘filming purposes’.

Agreed Sauber’s Kobayashi: “I obviously can’t make serious judgements on the car because we had just a promotional day and were running only demo tyres.”

The new Williams will be seen for the first time on Tuesday.

Mercedes’ rivals on Friday admitted the Brackley based team is heading into the 2012 season with “a lot” of technical chiefs.
Although they all now have different titles, former technical directors Ross Brawn (Ferrari), Bob Bell (Renault), Aldo Costa (Ferrari) and Geoff Willis (HRT) will all be involved with the design of Mercedes’ next single seater.

Sport Bild journalist Ralf Bach at Suzuka claimed it is a “new formula one record”.

“Yeah, that is a lot,” agreed McLaren’s Paddy Lowe.

Renault’s deputy technical director Naoki Tokunaga added: “Each team has its own approach and I think we have a different approach.”

McLaren has rejected any claims it has fallen behind in the development of its 2011 car.
It had emerged that that the Mercedes powered MP4-26 would not get its maiden run until after an interim 2010 car contests the opening group test at Valencia.

But Paddy Lowe, the British team’s engineering director, said during a teleconference on Thursday that McLaren sees its plans as “optimal”.

“It’s always been in our plans to launch it after the first test,” he said.

“One of the reasons was we wanted to make use of the first test to work with the car as a stable and known platform while we understood the new (Pirelli) tyres,” added Lowe.

“It also gave us a bit more time in the programme for the new car.”

One theory about McLaren’s approach is that the 2011 car features some key innovations that the team either wants to spend more time perfecting or shield from its rivals for as long as possible.

McLaren pioneered the so-called F-duct last year that was ultimately copied by almost every team.

“Yes, there will be some new elements,” team boss Martin Whitmarsh admitted to F1′s official website, “but as you can imagine I’m not prepared to add more detail at the moment!”

F1 is moving to reduce the risk posed by flying wheels.

Last year, GP2 driver Henry Surtees died when a stray wheel from a crashed car struck him on the head.

There was a similar incident during the final practice session at Hockenheim last weekend, with Timo Glock narrowly avoiding a bouncing wheel after Vitantonio Liuzzi’s crash.

“I was lucky that I left a bit of room behind Liuzzi in the Motodrom to warm up my brakes.  Otherwise I would have been right behind him,” the German told Auto Motor und Sport.

A tether on Fernando Alonso’s Ferrari broke in his Monaco crash this year.

F1 introduced wheel tethers in 1998, connecting the wheels to the chassis.  They are made of a special polymer called polybenzoaoxide or Zylon.

But flying wheels continue to pose a risk to drivers as well as to spectators, as seen in Melbourne in 2001 with the death of a marshal behind the spectator fencing, and in 2000 when a marshal was killed at Monza.

“Tethers are of great concern to us,” said McLaren’s engineering director Paddy Lowe.

“We discussed the issue at the Technical Working Group and we have agreed for next year to introduce a second tether on every corner,” he revealed to reporters during a teleconference.

Pirelli is F1′s new tyre supplier for 2011-2013, it was announced on Wednesday.

A raft of other decisions were also announced after a meeting in Geneva of the World Motor Sport Council.

As a response to the spygate and crashgate scandals, it is “under consideration” that staff of F1 teams must hold “specific licenses” from 2011 that can be revoked by the FIA.

And in the wake of the controversy involving Michael Schumacher in Monaco, the FIA has ruled that there will be no overtaking even when the safety car pulls in on the last lap of a race.

Lewis Hamilton’s fine and reprimand after qualifying in Canada has resulted in a new rule requiring drivers to stay below a “maximum time” set by the FIA on in-laps

Next year, the 107 per cent qualifying rule will reappear, and the FIA has also banned F-ducts and approved the debut of the proximity rear wing.

“In the race, you can’t use it (the wing) for the first two laps at all, but after that if you’re within a second of the car in front then you will be able to deploy it,” McLaren’s engineering director Paddy Lowe said on Wednesday.

“So that will be very interesting.  That’s a FOTA initiative to improve the show and I think it’s very exciting.”

And for the return of KERS, the minimum car-plus-driver weight will increase by a further 20kg to 640kg.

Meanwhile, a “four-race probationary super license” has been approved for Renault’s official third driver Ho-Pin Tung.

(GMM)

McLaren on Wednesday confirmed reports a Red Bull-style exhaust layout will debut on the MP4-25 at Silverstone.

Several teams are embarking upon a similar approach, with designers working to install low-mounted exhausts that allow air to flow more efficiently into the double diffuser.

The benefit, with also the fast-moving exhaust fumes channelled through the diffuser, is believed to be up to half a second per lap.

“We’ll be doing trials at an aerodynamic test before Silverstone and hope to have it working on the practice sessions and race it on the Sunday,” engineering director Paddy Lowe told reporters during a teleconference.

He admitted that the biggest challenge is equipping the suspension and bodywork to withstand being “blasted” by hot engine fumes, and rued that Ferrari has managed to have its version ready for this weekend’s Valencia race.

“That is a concern,” answered Lowe when told Ferrari’s step forward could be half a second per lap.

“We’ll have to see how they get on with it.  It’s a shame that some others have been slightly quicker than we were getting it, but we are where we are,” he added.

(GMM)

Red Bull had to modify an element of its rear diffuser during the recent Monaco grand prix weekend.

Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport reports that McLaren identified an element of the dominant RB6′s design that did not conform with the regulations.

The rear of the Adrian Newey-penned car has recently been under intense scrutiny by Red Bull’s competitors, resulting in numerous team mechanics crowding around the gearbox while it sits on the grid.

“Obviously the back of the cars are so sensitive now we try and make it as difficult for others to see as possible,” confirmed team boss Christian Horner.

Reportedly, McLaren’s engineering director Paddy Lowe spotted something on the Barcelona grid that he suspected did not conform to the rules with regards to the “infinite precision” principle.

Red Bull was asked by FIA officials in Monaco to modify the design, but subsequently dominated the famous street event.

“We had to run a version without those (diffuser) wings and found that it was even better than before,” said Horner.

(GMM)