Latest F1 news in brief

Ferrari's vision for F1

F1 Commission to consider future on Tuesday
Vettel like 'carbon copy' of Schumacher – Arrivabene
Mercedes to decide token strategy before Melbourne
F1 should 'respect' Alonso's Ferrari exit – Campos
Manor pays 2015 fee, FIA leaves door open – report
Ricciardo admits Ferrari looking 'strong'
F1 'appeal' has diminished due to loss of 'scream' – Friesacher
F1 struggles hurt Ferrari brand power – study
Ferrari reveals vision of F1 future
In a perfect world

F1 Commission to consider future on Tuesday
(GMM) F1 will round another corner to the future on Tuesday.

Writing for Brazil's Globo, respected correspondent Livio Oricchio reports that the topic of a dramatic change of regulations will be debated during the F1 Commission meeting in Geneva on Tuesday.

On the table is a 1,000 horse power engine formula and significantly different cars, with bigger tires and 1997-style wider chassis, with Oricchio saying the changes could even be introduced as early as 2016.

He said the proposals are to address waning TV and spectator audiences, giving fans "what they most like to see: really fast and powerful cars making a lot of noise and presenting the drivers as true heroes".

Oricchio said the deadline to introduce the measures in time for 2016 is March 1.

However, it appears more likely that the sport will agree to postpone the rules revolution until 2017.

"If we're going to change formula one," McLaren supremo Ron Dennis told Britain's Sky, "we should change it dramatically and therefore we should change it dramatically for 2017.

"If we dramatically try and change formula one for 2016 the cost implications will be huge."

But Michael Schmidt, the authoritative correspondent for Germany's Auto Motor und Sport, has no faith that F1 can collectively make a worthwhile change even for 2017.

He said recent meetings have passed without any financial or cost-cutting help having been directed to the struggling Force India, Sauber and Lotus.

And he argues that F1's problems run deeper than engine noise.

"The PR teams are largely to blame," said Schmidt.

"Look at these pre-season tests. Drivers and engineers are literally hidden from the media. The press releases and statements issued to journalists do not make for interesting stories.

"And most teams probably do not realize that internet traffic is already significantly higher than those of the TV networks.

"As long as the decisions in formula one are decentralized and democratic," Schmidt warned, "the alarms will never be heard because self-interest is too strong."

Vettel just like Schumacher – Arrivabene

Vettel like 'carbon copy' of Schumacher – Arrivabene
(GMM) The true 2015 pecking order will still not become clear at this week's Barcelona test.

That is the view of new Ferrari boss Maurizio Arrivabene, after the Italian team surprisingly topped the times at the first test of the winter at Jerez.

Now, the sport is setting up at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya, where the final two tests before Melbourne will take place.

"Obviously the most important test will be the last one," Arrivabene told the blog of Ferrari insider Leo Turrini.

"The simple reason is that it is only then that teams must throw away their masks and show their cards for Melbourne," he predicted.

"Mercedes was hiding at Jerez," said Arrivabene, "and you must always expect positive surprises from Honda."

So he said not much can be read into Ferrari's chart-topping Jerez pace.

"No one can sell smoke, even if I have worked in tobacco for a living," the former Marlboro executive laughed.

"I have big dreams but also feet planted in the ground. I say to our fans to believe in the effort we are making, bearing in mind the situation in which we began."

But he said the atmosphere at Maranello is now totally different, due in part to the arrival of Sebastian Vettel from Red Bull.

"I was around in Michael (Schumacher)'s time," said Arrivabene, "and I confess that there are times when I look at Vettel and, in some ways, it really seems like a carbon copy of Schumi!

"There are impressive similarities," he added, "for those who have known both. We all hope that the results are the same as well."

Mercedes has such an advantage leftover from last year, they can save their engine tokens until later in 2015 and still put on a 1-2 parade

Mercedes to decide token strategy before Melbourne
(GMM) A big unknown ahead of the 2015 season is how F1's manufacturers will manage the new engine 'unfreeze'.

Earlier, Mercedes, Ferrari, Renault and newcomer Honda were bound to freeze their respective 2015 specifications by Melbourne, but now they are freer to deploy performance development 'tokens' throughout the season.

It triggered rumors Mercedes, so dominant in 2014, might start this season with its 'old' turbo V6, giving itself significant freedom to develop in 2015.

"I can assure you that we will go into the season with the 2015 engine," engine boss Andy Cowell insisted to Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.

"We have incorporated many new ideas in combustion, internal friction and energy conversion," he said, "and after the 12 days of testing we will decide what we will bring to Melbourne without risk to reliability."

Reports in recent days, however, have suggested engine suppliers are likely to keep several 'tokens' in the luggage this season, partly with a strategic eye to developing the power unit into the 2016 campaign.

"We will decide based on how reliable our engine evolution is," said Cowell.

"The new rule allowing us to develop to the end of the season with the 32 tokens gives us the ability to take more time for critical developments," he agreed.

The full 32 tokens amounts to 48 per cent of the entire turbo V6 power unit, with Cowell predicting that engine suppliers are therefore able to make "an awful lot" of changes this year.

F1 should 'respect' Alonso's Ferrari exit – Campos
(GMM) Ferrari's management situation led to the departure of number 1 driver Fernando Alonso.

That is the view of Adrian Campos, a former F1 driver who in 2010 founded the team that became known as Hispania.

The 54-year-old Spaniard now operates junior teams including a GP2 outfit, and spoke to the sports daily AS about Alonso's controversial switch from Ferrari to McLaren, where he spectacularly clashed in 2007.

"Honestly," Campos told the newspaper, "I think we all have to respect the decision taken by Fernando. Only he had all the information.

"The only thing I can say is that he lived through a bad time at a completely headless Ferrari team, with major problems for Montezemolo who eventually left and bosses who didn't know racing and showed a great inability to form a group of people working in the same direction.

"Unfortunately, Fernando did not have a great boss like (Jean) Todt, or a greatly respected technical figure like Ross Brawn, as was the situation for Schumacher," he explained.

Campos said he therefore understands Alonso's decision to leave, but joins the rest of the F1 world in wondering if McLaren-Honda is the right move.

"The Ferrari-Alonso marriage was broken," he insisted, "while Honda has won many titles although it was true the last project was disastrous.

"But the work Honda is planning now with McLaren, and the budget they will have, is information that is all in the hands of Fernando, and with that he will have made the right decision.

"Everyone else can say what he wants, but I think we should respect his decision and let's see what happens," Campos added.

Manor pays 2015 fee, FIA leaves door open – report
(GMM) Manor, formerly known as Marussia, is plotting its course for a 2015 return.

Earlier, the backmarker appeared doomed, as administrators auctioned equipment and the 2016 entrant Haas moved into its Banbury headquarters.

But last week, there were crucial signs of life.

'Manor F1 Team' emerged on the internet and with official social media profiles featuring the slogan 'Get ready', announcing it is preparing to exit administration.

Rival Force India, however, threw a spanner in the works when a bid for Manor to field the 2014 Marussia car this year was blocked.

The move was slammed by Gian Carlo Minardi, the former owner of a famous F1 backmarker, as "absurd and unsportsmanlike", but Manor insists it is still working on its 2014 and 2015 cars, apparently now at a new base in Dinnington.

Italy's Autosprint, meanwhile, reports that Manor has paid its official entry fee to the FIA for the 2015 season.

"The FIA," added the report, "is keeping the door open for the former Marussia team by not yet finalizing the official entry list.

"According to reliable sources," said Autosprint, "important discussions will be held this week, after which the Federation will decide on Manor's admission."

Daniel Ricciardo

Ricciardo admits Ferrari looking 'strong'
(GMM) Daniel Ricciardo, the only non-Mercedes driver to win races last year, has admitted he might have a new rival in 2015.

After the 2014 season, in which the Australian finished third overall and single-handedly prevented a 100 per cent winning record for Mercedes, the 25-year-old said he was eyeing a full title tilt for 2015.

"If we're in with a crack we'll have a good run at it and leave nothing on the table," he said.

But then came the first test of the winter at Jerez, where the formerly dominant Mercedes put on a masterly display of reliability.

The real eye-opening form, however, belonged to Ferrari, following the fabled team's difficult 2014 campaign marked by management calamity behind the scenes.

"Of course we're aware of what Mercedes did, and the laptime Ferrari put down … it looked good," Red Bull's Ricciardo said this week.

"We expect nothing less of Mercedes to be honest, but Ferrari looked like they came out pretty strong."

As ever, however, Ricciardo warned against reading too much into pre-season test form.

"For now they look good," he said, "but it's one of those things.

"It's still early, and Jerez is a place that A, we don't race at, and B, we never drive in conditions that are 5 to 8 degrees. And the track is really, really abrasive there; the tarmac is a lot more aggressive than any other track."

Ricciardo admitted that the picture regarding Ferrari's form will start to become clearer this week, when Barcelona hosts the second of three pre-Melbourne tests.

"So they look good, but are they going to be the same once we start racing?" he wondered. "I think Barcelona will get us a step closer to that, and then we'll see where we are.

"But I'm not taking anything away from them; I think they've come out in good form."

As for Red Bull, there have been reports of technical trouble for the former world champions, as the new RB11 struggled for laps and ultimate pace at Jerez.

"For us," Ricciardo said, "it was a lot better than last year, but we're still trying to find our feet. But we know we have time on our side, and we're pretty quick at turning it around."

F1 'appeal' has diminished due to loss of 'scream' – Friesacher
(GMM) Former Minardi driver Patrick Friesacher has joined the ranks who argue F1 took a sharp wrong turn.

The Austrian, now 34, drove for the Faenza based backmarker in 2005, qualifying and finishing last at the famous six-car US grand prix.

Speaking to the Servus TV broadcaster, Friesacher admitted that while he retains his "passion" for F1, he thinks the series has a fundamental problem.

"The direction formula one has been developing lately is not right and it should change," he said.

The sport will have another opportunity to pave the road for change – potentially with more powerful and louder engines and wider cars – at Tuesday's meeting of the F1 Commission in Geneva.

"The appeal has gone down a little," Friesacher admitted. "Firstly by the sound of the engine, as the V10 or V12s were really something special.

"And secondly because of the tire and the fuel situation — I think the cars should be driven as fast as they possibly can be."

Today, Friesacher works as a driving instructor at the new Austrian grand prix venue, the Red Bull Ring.

F1 struggles hurt Ferrari brand power – study
(GMM) On-track struggles in formula one have hurt fabled Ferrari's brand power, according to a study by asset valuation company Brand Finance.

Last year, Ferrari retained its post as the most powerful brand in the world, but a newly-published list shows that toy company Lego has made an overtaking move.

"Ferrari has been slipping since the end of the Schumacher era but it's really fallen as the F1 team has done badly" in 2014, said branding expert Robert Haigh, according to the Telegraph.

"They've also ended their cap on the amount of cars they produce so people don't see it as being so exclusive anymore," he added.

Ferrari's vision for F1

Ferrari reveals vision of F1 future
(GMM) Just as the F1 Commission meets in Geneva, Ferrari has outlined its vision of the sport's future.

Earlier in February, the powerful Strategy Group met to discuss plans to spice up F1 with powerful and noisy engines, and more aggressive looking cars.

At that meeting, Red Bull and McLaren reportedly tabled aggressive-looking drawings outlining their vision to significantly improve the shape of the cars with dramatic rule changes in 2016 or 2017.

Now, as the F1 Commission meets on Tuesday to consider the very same matter, Ferrari made public its idea of what grand prix cars might look like in the not-too-distant future.

The computer-generated images, uploaded to a bespoke 'F1 Concept' section of the official Ferrari website, show a futuristic car with a double-decker front wing, a driver helmet integrated with the bodywork, and a sculpted rear wing curling around wide tires on low-profile wheel rims.

Ferrari also created the social media hashtag 'ferrarif1concept', prompting widespread feedback.

The Maranello team's concept car can be seen above.

In a perfect world
Ron Dennis, who seems to be staying on at McLaren, despite no obvious sign that he has found the money to buy out his partners, made headlines last week when he said that it is no longer possible to find title sponsorships in the sport.

He argued that traditionally a title sponsor would provide between 40 and 50 percent of the budget of a team. With budgets now around $350 million, it is clear that no one is going to pay at that kind of level, particularly when one can get a shirt deal with a top Premier League soccer team for around $30 million. It is interesting to note that Dennis sees the answer being to sell smaller deals to raise the same kind of money, rather than finding ways to cut back on the profligate waste that goes on in Formula 1.

Success in F1 in recent years has come from teams spending bigger and bigger sums to get better equipment and better people than the opposition and all attempts to cut back have been insignificant or impossible to agree upon. The FIA might have imposed a spending limit in the rules, if it had had any backbone, but instead it sold its decision-making powers in exchange for cash. One likes to think that the logic in this was that the federation believed that the sport would ultimately collapse and it would start a new championship and retain all the commercial rights, but there is no real indication that there is any strategy beyond the incumbent president remaining in power.

The teams are relying on increased TV revenues to pay their bills and these are going up because more and more of the coverage is switching to pay-per-view. The downside of this short-term strategy is that it is not going to attract new fans, unless there is more promotion and the use of social media to draw in new fans. Only when pay-per-view is fully accepted in a market used to free public TV will things change – and that will probably take a generation. Unless TV companies bundle F1 with other content and offer it at lower rates, hoping to attract more customers. More from Joe Saward