Latest F1 news in brief

Ecclestone says Monza must pay a min. of 20 million euros per year

Hamilton saga 'cannot be undone' – Hakkinen
Ecclestone eyeing new promoter for Italy GP
FIA clamping down hard in 2015
De Villota investigation 'unfortunate' – father
FIA not banning alcohol advertising in F1 – Todt
New Barcelona mayor says F1 funding 'not priority'
Magnussen 100% determined to get F1 drive

Hamilton saga 'cannot be undone' – Hakkinen
(GMM) Mika Hakkinen has tipped Lewis Hamilton to bounce back from the Monaco grand prix.

Regarding the basic strategy error that cost the world champion a sure victory on the fabled streets, Hakkinen said: "It was a mistake that nobody can change now.

"There are now certainly a few meek colleagues who will have to apologize to Lewis for what happened," added the former McLaren driver and double world champion.

"On the other hand, what is done cannot be undone. It doesn't help to complain about it — only lessons can be learned," Hakkinen told his sponsor Hermes in an interview.

The Finn, however, said Hamilton will surely be feeling bad about the episode at the moment.

But: "If there is something positive for Lewis, it is that it is better to happen now than at the last race of the season, where it could cost him the title," said Hakkinen.

Ecclestone eyeing new promoter for Italy GP
(GMM) Bernie Ecclestone says he is open to working with a new race promoter if it saves the embattled Italian grand prix.

With the F1 supremo warning that Monza must pay more to stay on the calendar beyond 2016, Italian automobile club chief Angelo Sticchi Damiani and Ivan Capelli, representing the promoter Sias, flew to Monaco last weekend for talks.

Afterwards, Ecclestone said the situation remains "at a standstill".

The Italian weekly Autosprint reports that the 84-year-old Briton is offering Monza a new deal along the lines of the Red Bull-promoted Austrian grand prix.

Ecclestone rejects the argument that he is prioritizing money over the most historic and traditional European venues on the calendar, like Monza and Germany.

"The tradition used to be that circuits in Europe paid to host formula one," he insisted, "but now they don't want to pay.

"So it is they who don't want to respect tradition," said Ecclestone.

It is believed that, at the Monaco meeting, Damiani and Capelli made it clear that the EUR 20 million fee reportedly demanded by Ecclestone is too high.

Ecclestone now says: "I wonder if there is a new promoter in Italy who wants to take over the organization of the Italian grand prix.

"The fact is that the Europeans are still at an advantage over those outside of Europe in terms of how much it costs to host F1.

"We are open to anyone who wants to come forward," the 84-year-old added, "but those figures will not go down. I made it clear."

FIA clamping down hard in 2015
(GMM) The FIA is pushing hard for its regulations to be fully respected by F1 teams in 2015.

With the governing body having already clamped down in the area of fuel flow, Auto Motor und Sport reports that the FIA is now targeting engine upgrades that are being introduced for supposedly 'reliability'-based reasons.

Amid the current engine 'freeze', F1's engine makers are able to modify their power units for reliability reasons without dipping into their allocation of upgrade 'tokens'.

But Honda, for instance, appears to have made big steps forward so far in 2015 – reportedly to the tune of 50 horse power – despite not yet spending a single performance 'token'.

The German media report said the FIA issued a technical directive in Monaco, warning that manufacturers will now have to lodge an application for 'reliability' upgrades some 8 days before they are due to be deployed on the track.

The application will have to include explanations, drawings, photos and test bench data to prove the changes really are for reliability, rather than performance through the back door.

Another issue being freshly targeted by the FIA in 2015 is in the well-trodden area of 'flexi wings'.

Spain's El Confidencial reports that a new 50 Newton load test will be applied for front wing flexibility compliance from next weekend's Canadian grand prix.

And media reports in Italy suggest that Ferrari's wind tunnel at Maranello is set to be inspected by the FIA.

It follows rumors after the recent Strategy Group meeting that some rival teams, perhaps Mercedes, questioned Ferrari's activities when it comes to helping the new American entrant Haas prepare for its 2016 debut.

Wind tunnel use in F1 is now tightly controlled, so it is suspected Ferrari may be benefitting from the data being produced in the tunnel to develop the 2016 Haas car.

De Villota investigation 'unfortunate' – father
(GMM) Maria de Villota's father has expressed disappointment with the way an investigation into a 2012 crash was concluded.

Britain's Health and Safety Executive this week announced that "no enforcement action is being taken" against the former Marussia team regarding de Villota's horror crash into a truck loading ramp whilst aerodynamic testing at Duxford.

Spaniard de Villota lost an eye in the crash and died 15 months later at the age of 33.

On Wednesday, her family – including father and former F1 driver Emilio de Villota – said in a statement it was not ruling out taking legal action to "assign civil responsibility" for "negligence".

"To date we are still waiting to know the contents of the report and, consequently, the actual results of the research," the family added.

De Villota's father, Emilio, has now told the Spanish daily Marca: "I would have liked if they had informed the parties with the definitive report, rather than filtering the outcome through the British media.

"It is very sad and unfortunate," he added.

"When we are able to check all the conclusions (of the report), I will be able to say a little more," promised de Villota, who contested 15 grands prix in the 70s and 80s.

Jean Todt

FIA not banning alcohol advertising in F1 – Todt
(GMM) Jean Todt has ruled out banning alcohol sponsorship in formula one.

During the Monaco grand prix weekend, a European alcohol policy group called Eurocare said the amount of alcohol-related exposure in the sport is "extreme".

"We now urge the involved bodies in F1 to move away from alcohol sponsorship," the group declared.

Williams' major sponsor is Martini, a brand of Italian vermouth, while the Force India livery features branding of the United Breweries Group.

Johnnie Walker, meanwhile, backs the McLaren team, and last year it became the 'official whisky' of F1.

But FIA president Todt on Thursday told the Australian broadcaster ABC that he cannot ban alcohol advertising in F1.

"The use of advertising for alcohol is not linked to the FIA," he said at the International Transport Forum in Germany.

"It's linked to each singular country. I'm completely against and advocating against drinking and driving, but each country needs to make his own job," he said.

"You cannot ban alcohol — it is not possible," the FIA president insisted. "You can educate people not to drink and drive.

"And what I'm urging alcohol companies to do is to participate in funding to educate people and discourage people driving when they are drinking," Todt added.

"So we are working very closely on that because we know it is an essential topic to be addressed."

However, Italy's Autosprint claims a sector of the European Union relating to advertising is preparing a dossier proposing to the FIA the abolishment of alcohol branding.

Barcelona's days may be numbered as new mayor says there is no money to subsidize an F1 race

New Barcelona mayor says F1 funding 'not priority'
(GMM) The Spanish grand prix might be losing the backing of the city of Barcelona.

At the Circuit de Catalunya's latest F1 race earlier this month, it was announced that the Spanish grand prix contract has been extended through 2017, 2018 and 2019.

But on Sunday, while F1 cars raced around Monaco, the people of Barcelona went to the polls and elected a new mayor — Ada Colau.

Spanish newspapers now quote her as saying the EUR 4 million annually contributed by the city to the Spanish grand prix might be in doubt.

"In the context of what is happening (in Barcelona), formula one is not the priority," Colau is quoted as saying.

She explained: "It is not a question is being against anything. We are happy to collaborate in all types of sporting events that may occur in Barcelona or in the surrounding area.

"But Barcelona must have clear priorities, and we have ours," Colau insisted.

As an example, she said "the same annual amount" spent by Barcelona on formula one each year could fund some 4,500 scholarships.

Magnussen decided to be a bench warmer rather than drive an IndyCar

Magnussen 100% determined to get F1 drive
Kevin Magnussen confirms that he's pushing hard to return to the F1 grid.

In the latest McLaren-Honda phone-in, the team's third and reserve driver Kevin Magnussen was keen to make it clear that his focus remains determinedly targeted on an F1 drive next year.

"I'm 100% determined to make my way back to an F1 drive," he told journalists. "I'm passionately devoted to succeeding as a racing driver at the highest level."

With the Woking outfit having recruited Fernando Alonso to partner veteran Jenson Button as it rekindles its relationship with Honda, Magnussen found himself back as third and reserve driver.

When it was decided that Alonso should miss the opening race of the season following his Barcelona crash, up to the plate stepped Magnussen despite minimal (39 laps) time in the MP4-30 during pre-season testing.

Unfortunately, a problem on his way to the grid meant the Danish youngster was unable to give the team – and its rivals – an idea of what it was missing out on, far less a repeat of his very impressive debut drive to a podium finish in Melbourne in 2014.

"I've done well in F1," he said. "McLaren believes in me, they know what I can do and what my potential is… I've been on the podium.

"The right thing to do is to stay with McLaren and be part of this team's future, which I believe is going to be big."

Admitting that over the winter he considered partnering his father at Le Mans, whilst also revealing he came close to an IndyCar drive (with Honda-powered Andretti Autosport, our sources inform us), Magnussen is adamant that F1 remains the goal.

"I have itchy feet… I want to go racing," he said, "I'm also very young. I'm 22 years old and I have a lot of time ahead. So I can afford one year to do what I do now, which is learn and gain a bit more experience, and learn different things perhaps I wouldn't learn about if I was racing the car.

"It's actually not a bad thing," he added, "for some things, being on the sidelines watching, because you learn different things."

"I don't want to think about 2017 or anything other than F1 because that's what I want to do. I want to get back to F1, I want to be successful in F1 and I believe I can do that in this team.

"McLaren-Honda is a very powerful team and being one of their drivers is a good thing. I'm talking to Ron and Eric about that all the time." Pitpass