Latest F1 news in brief

Is that special paint on the Ferrari?

Ecclestone tells F1 chiefs German GP not dead yet
Qatar now close to F1 race deal – official
Vettel back to 'naughty' old self – Marko
Photographer notices new Ferrari paint for 2015
Mercedes power to dominate again in 2015 – Briatore
Bottas (With superior Mercedes power) plays down Ferrari's headline test times
Good Lotus (now with superior Mercedes power) puts smile back on Grosjean
Van der Garde to test GP2 car on Monday
Minardi: F1 needs minnow teams
Mercedes and DB Schenker link up for new logistics partnership

Mercedes will help the German GP survive so they can show off another 1-2 in front of their home fans

Ecclestone tells F1 chiefs German GP not dead yet
(GMM) The 2015 German grand prix is not dead yet.

One week ago, Bernie Ecclestone told a German correspondent that the country will fall off this year's schedule.

He quickly backtracked, but it is true that neither the embattled Nurburgring nor Hockenheim currently have a deal in place to host the July race.

"I hope this is all just saber-rattling," Mercedes team chairman Niki Lauda said.

Indeed, it now emerges that none of the three key parties – F1 supremo Ecclestone nor the two German circuits – have given up.

According to Auto Motor und Sport, Ecclestone informed the powerful strategy group at its meeting in Paris last Thursday that while time is running out, negotiations are still taking place.

"Ecclestone also made clear that there is no substitute race in the event of a cancellation. Then there would only be 19 grands prix on the calendar," wrote correspondent Michael Schmidt.

Sport Bild claims that one savior could be Mercedes, for whom Germany is its key home race.

The publication claims that it is possible the German giant and reigning world champions will fund the difference between Ecclestone's race fee demands and Hockenheim's projected loss.

And Nurburgring spokesman Carsten Schumacher is quoted by DPA news agency: "In the interest of motor sport fans and the region, we are willing to accept a reasonable loss."

Lauda, meanwhile, said he is baffled as to why German promoters cannot afford to keep F1 in the country.

"Actually, it should be easy this year," said the F1 legend. "On one hand you have Vettel in a Ferrari, while on the other you have the duel between the Mercedes drivers.

"If Austria, Singapore, Austin and Silverstone are able to fill their houses, Hockenheim should be able to as well," Lauda added.

Qatar now close to F1 race deal – official
(GMM) Qatar claims it is about to join the F1 calendar.

Earlier, F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone said that despite the oil-rich Arab state's interest, Qatar's grand prix aspirations were being blocked by Bahrain.

"They (Bahrain) said to me would I give them a guarantee I wouldn't stage another race in the Gulf, and I said yes," Ecclestone revealed recently.

"Now this other race (Qatar) has been proposed, I put the people together and said can you sort this out between you? They haven't managed to do it."

Notwithstanding that, the highest-ranking Qatari motor racing official Nasser bin Khalifa Al Attiyah, who is also an FIA vice-present, claims that a deal is now close to being agreed for a 2016 or 2017 debut.

"We are about to sign contracts to organize a formula one race," he is quoted by AFP news agency.

"We have completed all the steps and there are only a few details before the official signature."

Vettel happy to be rid of those 'lemon' Renault engines

Vettel back to 'naughty' old self – Marko
(GMM) Sebastian Vettel is back to his old self, Red Bull official Dr Helmut Marko has admitted.

Recently, Red Bull team boss Christian Horner claimed that amid Vettel's struggle to keep up with the new F1 rules and teammate Daniel Ricciardo last year, the quadruple world champion contemplated quitting the sport.

Ultimately, he switched to Ferrari, where his motivation appears to have been rekindled.

Vettel, 27, has been taking Italian lessons over the winter, while in Jerez, where Ferrari set the testing pace, he was observed with an ever-present black notebook, dutifully scribbling down details as he embarks on his new challenge.

"He's in a good mood," claims Austrian Marko, Vettel's now former boss.

"He is again writing me naughty and funny text messages," he admitted to the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag. "He is back to the old Sebastian."

German broadcaster Christian Danner says Vettel's team change appears to have done him the world of good.

"A change of scenery can be a miracle cure," he said. "Especially when it's the most emotional of all the teams, Ferrari."

Another former F1 driver, David Coulthard, likened Vettel's Ferrari move to that of his arch F1 rival and contemporary Michael Schumacher's in 1996.

"Why shouldn't Sebastian Vettel succeed there as well?" the Scot told the German newspaper Welt.

"In my eyes, it is much more difficult to build Red Bull, with no history and no experience in formula one, into a top team.

"And yet he managed to win four world titles with them — a huge achievement," Coulthard added.

Photographer notices new Ferrari paint for 2015
(GMM) Ferrari has reportedly added a coat of new paint to its formula one car for 2015.

After a dire 2014, the fabled Maranello team underwent a radical personnel shakeup and emerged at the opening winter test at Jerez apparently much more competitive.

But that pace is not what caught photographer Alex Galli's eye at Jerez, according to the Italian publication Omnicorse.

"The color (of the SF15-T) is very nice because it does not reflect," he explained.

"I think it is a solution designed for the sponsor names to be read in any environment. But what really amazed me was when the rain stopped and the sun came out.

"In those conditions all the other cars had a mirror effect, while on the SF15-T that did not happen.

"Also, the drops of water on the bodywork create many reflections, but on the Ferrari they seemed to just slide away," said Galli.

Mercedes power to dominate again in 2015 – Briatore
(GMM) Flavio Briatore does not think any F1 rivals are ready to challenge Mercedes' dominance in 2015.

Ferrari set the pace at the Jerez test last week, while Red Bull and Williams are expected to have taken steps forward since 2014.

But former Renault chief Briatore insisted: "The one constant in formula one at the moment is the superiority of Mercedes over all the other teams.

"Mercedes will dominate this world championship just as they did the last," the flamboyant Italian is quoted by the Italian news source Adnkronos.

He does not, therefore, join those who think Ferrari's Jerez form is already indicative of a potentially title-winning bid in 2015.

"After the difficulties, we all hope to see a competitive Ferrari this year, that would be great," said Briatore.

"The positive thing is that Ferrari did many more laps than a year ago. But I would be very cautious about making further judgments about these first tests because they do not give points for the championship.

"I do think we will understand some more after the next test," he added.

As for Fernando Alonso, Renault's champion of 2005 and 2006 who is still linked managerially to Briatore, the 64-year-old Italian said he is not alarmed that McLaren-Honda endured a tough first test with its new MP4-30.

"I spoke with Fernando and he is not at all concerned," said Briatore.

"It is normal to have problems at the beginning. It is better to stop now than in Melbourne and, anyway, these tests are for understanding and solving problems."

Bottas knows that the Ferraris will be no match for the Mercedes power under his bonnet.

Bottas (with Mercedes power) plays down Ferrari's headline test times
(GMM) Valtteri Bottas is not ruling out racing to his first-ever grand prix win in 2015.

The Finn was a standout of last season and is now being linked with a potential move to Mercedes or Ferrari.

But before that, he will race again with the resurgent Williams team in 2015.

The independent British outfit is expected to be among Mercedes' main challengers this year, but Williams kept a low profile at the Jerez test with its new FW37.

It was Ferrari, in fact, who posted the headline times at Jerez.

"I seem to recall a year ago," 25-year-old Bottas told the Finnish newspaper Turun Sanomat, "where Ferrari was also the fastest at Jerez.

"Once the season started, the picture changed dramatically," he said.

"As for Williams, our new car has very good handling but at this stage of the season it does not make sense to go into details.

"The real speed of the cars will not be judged until the final test in Barcelona," Bottas added.

He is not ruling out, therefore, that Williams will emerge then as among the fastest of 2015, allowing Bottas to join the coveted ranks of grand prix winners.

"That's what I'm after," Bottas is quoted by the broadcaster MTV3.

"I am not a fortune teller, but I believe very much that it may be possible."

Rid of the 'lemon' Renault engines, Grosjean is happy with Mercedes power behind him

Good Lotus (now with Mercedes power) puts smile back on Grosjean
(GMM) Romain Grosjean is once again wearing his customary smile.

Having emerged from his personal 'crash-kid' crisis of 2012, the Frenchman's F1 career gathered momentum in 2013 before he spent last season racing the woeful black and gold Lotus.

Now, as the Enstone team looks to get back on track, Grosjean has confirmed that at Jerez, he rediscovered the pure joys of driving a formula one car.

Asked what has changed between 2014 and 2015, he told France's RMC: "A lot of things.

"The engine has changed and we are once again in the right direction.

"Above all it is now a car that is much more fun to drive. In the laps I have done I am enjoying myself, which has not happened for a while," Grosjean added.

Again comparing the old Lotus with its successor, he explained: "It's like bouncing a rugby ball and then bouncing a basketball.

"We have not got 100 per cent performance from the car yet and we do not know exactly where we are on the grid. But what I can say is that it is healthy and fun to drive, which in general is a good start," said Grosjean.

As for how Lotus is shaping up versus the other teams this year, he answered: "We are beginning to get an idea, but do not ask me now who is the favorite.

"Last year, we realized very quickly that it would be a very difficult one for us.

"We will get some more information about the car at the next test in Barcelona, and then the first qualifying of the year in Melbourne will clearly give the current order," he added.

Giedo van der Garde

Van der Garde to test GP2 car on Monday
(GMM) Giedo van der Garde will return to the cockpit of a GP2 car this week.

The Dutchman, who debuted for Caterham in 2013, spent last year as Sauber's reserve and was disappointed not to secure a race seat with the Swiss team for 2015.

Now, the Dutch daily De Telegraaf is reporting that the 29-year-old will test a GP2 car for the Campos team at Valencia on Monday.

Then called Addax, van der Garde drove for the team in 2010 and 2011, when his teammates were Sergio Perez and Charles Pic respectively.

He last raced in the F1 feeder series in 2012, for Caterham.

Ahead of his return to a GP2 car on Monday, van der Garde said: "I am pleased to have been invited.

"For me, this is the best way to get fit and stay in the driving rhythm.

"But my ambition is and continues to be driving in formula one," he insisted.

Minardi: F1 needs minnow teams
Team founder Gian Carlo Minardi has leapt to the defense of Manor, insisting that the sport needs its little teams.

For many, no matter what team or driver they supported, the little Faenza-based outfit, which contested 340 Grands Prix between 1985 and 2005, was their second team. Totally outclassed in terms of budget, and therefore the ability to succeed, it more than made up it for in terms of passion and heart. Along the way Minardi also introduced a number of excellent drivers to the sport, not least Fernando Alonso.

Although, under Paul Stoddart, who bought the outfit in 2001, it became a lot more political, involved in more battles off the track than on, the passion remained.

As the furor over the Strategy Group's decision to block Manor's (Marussia) return to the grid continues, Gian Carlo Minardi has called on the sport not to forget its roots, not to forget that it is the little teams that make F1 what it is. He also claims that losing the little teams will eventually impact the midfielders.

Describing the decision to block Manor, and the possible sharing out of its prize money, as "absurd and unsportsmanlike behavior", he continues:

"(The) opposing, small teams hope to share the money due to Marussia, but perhaps they did not count to ten," he says on his website. "Get rid of the two Cinderellas, Marussia and Caterham, and it decreases the size of the grid.

"Consequently, (the) last row of the grid would be occupied by teams with far greater budgets and ambitions, such as Force India itself, Sauber and Lotus, teams for whom the commercial consequences of being on the back row would have greater consequences.

"This situation reminds me of the '96-'97 seasons," he continues, "when I defended very strongly the importance of small teams. I argued that without teams participating with great passion but limited means – hoping, who knows, to find the right funds for the future – on the back row there would inevitably be big manufacturers. This situation repeatedly occurred in the 2000s.

"The manufacturers will not wait years to grow and achieve positive results," he warned, "they have short-term objectives in terms of the commercial and image side of things and the consequence of the choices in those years, was that year after year we lost almost all of them.

"I hope that it is not the final decision and that there is room for reasoning," he said of the decision to block Manor. "Now as then, this sport needs those who laboriously take part still hoping to find the means for a more glorious future."

Mercedes and DB Schenker link up for new logistics partnership.
The MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team today confirmed a new four-year logistics partnership with German-based global transportation and logistics provider, DB Schenker.

From the 2015 season onwards, DB Schenker will provide logistics services for all European Grands Prix, tests and promotional events, including the transportation of the team's F1 W06 Hybrid racing cars, garage equipment and motorhome.

Earlier this month, DB Schenker took delivery of their new team fleet from the Mercedes-Benz truck production plant in Worth, Germany, including the five brilliant silver Mercedes-Benz Actros 1845 LS tractor units with Giga Space Cab that will transport the Silver Arrows race cars.

The vehicles feature a wealth of comfort and safety equipment such as auxiliary air conditioning, the 'Economy Package' and also the extensive 'Top Safety Package'. This safety package includes the emergency braking system Active Brake Assist 3, a lane departure warning system, Stability Control Assist, Proximity Control Assist with stop-and-go function plus further safety systems.

Exceptionally low fuel consumption and maximum vehicle economy are assured by the Predictive Powertrain Control which, thanks to the linking of GPS data, the cruise control and the automated Mercedes PowerShift transmission, is able to detect the topography ahead and thus operate at optimum fuel consumption.

Jochen Muller, Schenker Deutschland AG Board Member
"The MERCEDES AMG Formula One Team relies on top performance, not only in motorsport but also in terms of logistics. This is why for us, as a sports logistics expert, it is a great honor that the team has placed its trust in DB Schenker as its logistics partner."

Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport
"The highest degree of professionalism and precision is indispensable in Formula One, a consideration which also applies to our logistics services. We are pleased to welcome DB Schenker to the team as our new logistics partner and we have no doubt that they will provide excellent service and be able to respond to changing circumstances with the necessary flexibility and speed required in Formula One."