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Max Verstappen – the next Ayrton Senna?

Current rules 'killing' F1 – Warwick
Media ponders reasons for Alonso's Le Mans absence
Audi still not eyeing F1 move
McLaren to develop MP4-30 until final race
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Wolff fears being 'run over' regarding 2017 rules

Current rules 'killing' F1 – Warwick
(GMM) Yet another voice has been added to concerns that formula one must change its rules to stop them "killing" the sport.

The powerful Strategy Group will meet in May and it is expected the headline agenda item will be a sharp change of direction for F1 in 2017.

Smaller teams are struggling to survive, bigger teams are struggling for success in the new 'power unit' era, while fans and promoters are calling for the cars to appear, drive and sound more aggressive.

And now, former F1 driver and current FIA steward, Briton Derek Warwick, says rules like those mandating long-life gearboxes and engines are "killing the sport for TV and spectators".

"Most of them (the drivers) are only doing 10 laps in practice because they are saving something — whether it be engine, power unit, gearboxes," he is quoted by Sportal.

"So they (the rules) are kind of backfiring a little bit, the principle is right but something needs to change to make F1 exciting, to make the drivers look like gladiators."

Instead, Warwick argues, the stars of the show have become little more than "polished PR machines", while the cars allow teenagers like Max Verstappen to leap almost straight from karting to F1 points.

In contrast, the cars of old were "animals", Warwick said.

"We had 1,600 horse power and downforce that made your eyes pop out," said the 60-year-old, who raced throughout the 80s.

"(Today) you see them doing a test and within ten laps they are two tenths off the lead driver. That didn't happen in my day, therefore these cars must be easier to drive," Warwick said.

"We just need to take a step back, have a good look at ourselves before it is too late."

Media ponders reasons for Alonso's Le Mans absence
(GMM) Last year, it seemed clear that Fernando Alonso would be joining Mark Webber and Nico Hulkenberg in a F1 super-team lineup for Porsche at the 2015 Le Mans 24 hours.

The reasons Spaniard Alonso ultimately did not join in have this week been the subject of media speculation.

Finland's Ilta Sanomat claims Alonso, 33, was banned from participating due to a clause in his new McLaren-Honda contract.

The report said McLaren decided to trigger the ban on the grounds of safety, following the horror crash suffered by Australian Webber at the wheel of the Porsche at Interlagos in late November.

Spain's Marca also claims that Alonso had a deal in place with Porsche to – like Hulkenberg – split his time in 2015 between F1 and the key sports car races this year at Spa and Le Mans.

The agreement had "the support of McLaren until the inclusion of the Korean grand prix on the first official calendar for the 2015 season", the sports daily said.

The Korean race, although ultimately dropped, was never taken seriously by the international media, but its May 3 date created a scheduling clash with the world endurance championship's 6-hour Spa race.

"Everything was set in stone until the release on December 3 of the strange official calendar (featuring Korea)," said Marca.

The report added: "Alonso took it as a maneuver by (Bernie Ecclestone's) FOM to put up a barrier, although fictitious, to F1 drivers increasingly interested" in combining Le Mans with their full-time grand prix duties.

Audi still not eyeing F1 move
(GMM) Audi has once again dismissed suggestions it is poised to enter formula one.

Seemingly constant speculation that a Volkswagen Group brand is on the cusp of launching a F1 project was boosted in recent days by the departure of its chief Ferdinand Piech.

It is believed Piech had ruled out F1 while Bernie Ecclestone is at the helm, while his expected successor Martin Winterkorn is reportedly much more open to considering a grand prix foray.

Audi, a flagship VW brand involved in top motor racing, would undoubtedly be in pole position for an F1 project, and new acquisition Stefano Domenicali even conducted a feasibility study late last year.

But even in light of Piech's departure, an Audi spokesman told the BBC: "The current situation is that Audi definitely has no intention to enter F1."

The spokesman said Audi has no capacity at its motor sport facility, given its existing Le Mans and DTM projects.

Interestingly, Audi Sport late last year began moving from its existing facility in Ingolstadt, Germany, to nearby Neuburg.

When asked last year if "new opportunities" would open up for Audi Sport due to the move, chief Wolgang Ullrich said: "We now have adequate grounds and perfect facilities to set ourselves up."

VW's other marques are Porsche, Bentley, Lamborghini, Seat and Skoda.

McLaren to develop MP4-30 until final race
McLaren has vowed to press on with development of its MP4-30 until the final round of the 2015 campaign, as the team attempts to gradually move back up the Formula 1 grid and return to winning ways.

McLaren, powered by Honda engines once more, has endured its worst ever start to a Formula 1 season, failing to record a point over the opening four flyaway races.

But with relatively stable rules between seasons, and no change of engine supplier, McLaren's design chiefs say the progress made this season will roll on to next year.

"The 2016 regulations aren't significantly changing – and we're not going through the process of introducing a new engine, as we've done [with Mercedes and Honda] for the last two years, so we'll keep developing," said Director of Engineering Matt Morris in a joint interview on the official McLaren website.

"A lot of what we learn at the track this year will naturally evolve into next year's car."

Chief Engineer Peter Prodromou, who joined from Red Bull at the end of last season, added: "Next year's car will be an evolution of this year's, so we need to keep developing it right until the final race."

McLaren Racing Director Eric Boullier was also keen to note a fresh approach at the outfit, revealing that updates brought to the track this season have been far more successful than in 2014.

"There's been a huge change in overall culture and philosophy," said Boullier.

"At every level of the company, there is clear leadership. We agree the direction we want to pursue, and we bring people with us.

"The attitude has changed from 'telling' people, to 'asking' people; we've integrated people, and we share opinions and ideas.

"The main outcome of that new approach is that people now have a sense of ownership in the car. And they're more motivated and interested as a result.

"To give you an example, I guess about 50 per cent of the upgrades we brought to the track last year didn't completely work; this year, we've brought that down to about five or 10 per cent."

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Wolff fears being 'run over' regarding 2017 rules
Toto Wolff admits he is worried Mercedes would be "run over" regarding rule changes in 2017 if it doesn't accept new regulations.

The current power unit regulations were only introduced at the start of 2014 and have seen Mercedes dominate the sport since, winning 19 of the 23 races to take place under the new formula. However, Wolff admits the key stakeholders in F1 are working on a "spectacular new formula" for 2017 and he says Mercedes is unable to prevent change happening.

"There's a governance in place and for 2017 it needs a simple majority in the F1 commission to change the rules," Wolff said. "And this is the reality. So if you're being hard line and blocking everything, then you are going to be run over.

"So at least let's stay on the table and discuss in a sensible way what we can do and what is for the benefit of the sport and for the good of the sport. This is what we are trying to do. There is a financial and commercial reality linked to that. If it costs massive additional development or financial costs then clearly we will make that point but I think you need to be open-minded in entering those discussions."

Wolff says reaching the figure of 1000bhp would be easy with a simple tweak of the fuel flow regulations, a change he says Mercedes is willing to embrace if given sufficient warning.

"We are pretty easy on the fuel flow. If you increase the fuel flow because there are arguments in favor of it, more power and more noise, then this is one of the tools you can use but clearly increasing the fuel flow means redesigning crucial and major bits and pieces of the engine. So we need to know earlier than later."