Latest F1 news in brief

The new Ferrari has been fast, but Mercedes is sandbagging and will blow the Ferrari's doors off when it counts

Lauda puts on red sweater for Ferrari 'surprise'
Jerez sees F1 move up a gear for 2015
Mercedes admits F1 engines louder in 2015
Nasr plays down Sauber's top test pace
F1 to discuss 1,000hp engines on Thursday
Nurburgring 'surprised' by Ecclestone comments
Haas Formula One has begun aerodynamic testing
Capriza joins Lotus F1 Team as Technology Partner

Lauda puts on red sweater for Ferrari 'surprise'
(GMM) Ferrari is emerging from crisis and turmoil to become perhaps Mercedes' biggest threat for the 2015 title.

The beleaguered Italian team has been playing down its prospects amid sweeping personnel changes, but newcomer Sebastian Vettel and the SF15-T car hit the Jerez test track with immediate pace this week.

Continuing Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen got his first turn at the wheel on Tuesday and declared it a "completely different story" compared to 2014.

He said the revolution behind closed doors at Maranello was clearly "for the right reasons".

"You usually know if a car is good or not, and this year is a completely different story than last year as I had a good feeling straight away when I went out," said the normally reticent Finn.

Indeed, the red-colored team is turning heads up and down pitlane.

"We are keeping an eye on the opposition," said Mercedes' Nico Rosberg, "especially Ferrari has been an eye-opener in the last couple of days.

"It will be an interesting year for formula one," he predicted.

Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo, the only non-Mercedes driver to win races last year, also described the test pace of the 2015 Ferrari as "quick".

"Ferrari looks good for now," said the Australian.

Mercedes' team chairman Niki Lauda also admitted Ferrari's apparent return to form is a "surprise".

He told the Swiss newspaper Blick: "I deliberately put on my red sweater on Tuesday to motivate our guys. Ferrari should be our main opponents in 2015."

Pirelli chief Paul Hembery, however, is not so sure.

"If anyone wants to place a bet now, they should wait a bit longer," he is quoted by Brazil's O Estado de S.Paulo.

"It's still early. The Ferrari looks good, but I still see Mercedes as the favorite, based on what they did in 2014."

Jerez sees F1 move up a gear for 2015
(GMM) As the first test of the 2015 pre-season nears its end, more questions have emerged than have been answered.

McLaren, for one, has struggled with its odd-sounding new works Honda V6, but team figures are gushing about the 'size-zero' car for its revolutionary engine.

Fernando Alonso finally managed some consecutive, if uncompetitive laps in the MP4-30 on Tuesday before it once again broke down.

But the Spaniard was quoted by Germany's DPA news agency: "I know that sooner or later we will get where we want to be."

In total contrast, the recently turmoil-struck Ferrari emerged in southern Spain with an apparently fully-competitive SF15-T.

But Germany's Auto Motor und Sport believes the new Red Bull was actually eight tenths quicker on a comparable 'long run'.

And very few paddock dwellers doubt that the team to catch remains Mercedes.

"The frightening thing," said McLaren boss Eric Boullier, "is that on the first day they were already doing pitstop practice.

"That shows how confident they are. They had a big lead in 2014 and I think the rest of us can only hope that we can reduce that gap."

Confident maybe, but Mercedes knows too well that in an environment like formula one, anything is possible.

"Formula one is an unforgivable business," said technical boss Paddy Lowe.

He said the so-called 'engine unfreeze' has given Mercedes' rivals the perfect opportunity to catch up.

"The 32 tokens are a very generous gift," said Lowe.

"If you look at it carefully, you will realize that you are able to basically build a completely new engine."

And not everything has run completely smoothly for Mercedes at Jerez, driver Nico Rosberg revealed.

"The engine is not running as smoothly as last year. We still need to find the right settings," said the German.

Making full use of the 'token' system for 2015 is Red Bull's works supplier, Renault, who have also undergone a management shakeup over the winter.

Checking out progress at Jerez on Tuesday was Dietrich Mateschitz, the usually very low-profile Red Bull team owner.

What he witnessed was a Renault engine problem, but at the same time it is rumored that the French marque is continuing to work hard on the electronic side of the 'power unit'.

And on a parallel project works Mario Illien, the fabled former Mercedes engine guru whose updated Renault combustion engine is slated to debut in time for the European season.

Finally, it is clear that the grid as a whole has taken a big step forward in 2015, with the new Sauber for instance a whopping 8.5 seconds quicker than its predecessor was at Jerez exactly a year ago.

Toro Rosso's pace, meanwhile, has stepped up to the tune of almost 7 seconds, followed by Ferrari (4) Mercedes (2) and Williams (1.5 seconds).

Mercedes admits F1 engines louder in 2015
(GMM) Mercedes chiefs have admitted that F1 unexpectedly turned up the volume for 2015.

Last year, as the turbo 'power units' replaced the screaming normally-aspired engines of the past, the biggest controversy was the loss of volume.

But trackside observers at this week's first 2015 test at Jerez unanimously agree that the new cars have definitely become louder over the winter.

"We have talked about this on the pitwall," Mercedes' engine chief Andy Cowell told Speed Week.

"We haven't properly measured if the engines are really louder, as we only concentrate on making them faster.

"Maybe it's because we haven't heard one for a few months, and maybe it's because of the amphitheatre of Jerez, but to be honest, they do sound louder."

Speaking to Italy's Omnicorse, Mercedes designer Aldo Costa agrees.

"A year ago I could stand in the box without ear protection, but now I'm covering my ears again.

"Of course it's no comparison to the naturally-aspirated V8, but the sound of the new turbos is at least as good as that of the first turbo generation (in F1)," he added.

The 2015 Sauber C34 has been surprisingly quick so far in testing

Nasr plays down Sauber's top test pace
(GMM) Felipe Nasr has played down Sauber's sudden leap from the doldrums of 2014 to the top of the Jerez timesheets.

The new C34, bearing the blue and yellow of Brazilian rookie Nasr's Banco do Brasil backing, has been at or near the ultimate pace ever since the first test of the 2015 pre-season began at Jerez.

But Nasr, while earlier admitting that engine supplier Ferrari has obviously improved its turbo V6, played down Sauber's leap from zero points in 2014 to head-turner in 2015.

"The fastest time means nothing in testing," he is quoted by Globo.

"I know what to expect from a team that went through what Sauber went through last year. We will not be on the front row of the grid."

Nasr, 22, admitted that when he set the fastest laptime of the day on Tuesday, he was equipped with Pirelli's soft tires.

"It is important for me to have experience with everything I will have on the grand prix weekends," he said.

Nasr said he is happy with Sauber's progress so far, but is expecting Mercedes to once again set the pace when it really matters.

"I think maybe Mercedes is hiding a little bit of what they could do," he is quoted by Totalrace.

F1 to discuss 1,000hp engines on Thursday
(GMM) F1 is targeting a return to four-digit horse power.

On Thursday, the sport's powerful strategy group is set to meet in Paris, and the big-ticket item for discussion will be Bernie Ecclestone's desire for 1,000 horse power by 2017.

The F1 supremo has confirmed to Forbes that the so-called new engine 'unfreeze', allowing manufacturers to more freely develop their turbo V6s throughout the season, will not be enough.

"(It's a) good power unit and a wonderful bit of engineering but not designed for formula one," he told F1 business journalist Christian Sylt.

Indeed, a new report by Italy's authoritative La Gazzetta dello Sport reveals that Ecclestone is preparing to propose a move to a 2.2 liter, bi-turbo V8.

Others may argue that the current V6 architecture is fully capable of delivering the kind of horse power punch that Ecclestone is seeking.

Andy Cowell, engine boss at F1 pacesetter and reigning champion Mercedes, told Speed Week: "The maximum power output of the V6 turbos, if we reach 100 per cent thermal efficiency, is 1,630hp.

"That would be perfection, and perfect is what we strive for," he added.

FIA president Jean Todt confirmed that the issue of engines will be discussed at the Paris meeting on Thursday.

"Personally," he is quoted by Russia's f1news.ru, "I am open to any constructive suggestions, but on the condition that we ensure the stability of the technical regulations.

"If it is possible to increase engine power under the current rules, then it can be considered a normal evolution," the Frenchman added.

As AR1 has told you, Bernie is up to his old tricks with this year's German GP

Nurburgring 'surprised' by Ecclestone comments
(GMM) The apparent demise of F1's historic German grand prix is causing a stir in the country.

Although he later diluted his comments, Bernie Ecclestone triggered controversy when he told the Rheine Zeitung newspaper that Germany will not host a race in 2015.

And major dailies including Welt and Bild are reproducing the F1 supremo's subsequent claim that the reason for the uncertainty is due to "lousy" crowds at the Nurburgring and Hockenheim.

A Nurburgring spokesman, meanwhile, said he was "surprised" when Ecclestone declared that there will be no German GP in 2015.

"What I can say," Pietro Nuvoloni told Sport1, "is that we had a conversation with Mr. Ecclestone about two weeks ago and we agreed confidentiality.

"We were a little surprised by what Mr. Ecclestone said, although he did revise it three or four hours later."

At the Jerez test on Tuesday, Mercedes' Niki Lauda and Nico Rosberg said they hoped Ecclestone and German race organizers ultimately resolve their problems.

A Mercedes spokesman, meanwhile, told Welt: "Firstly, the German grand prix is our home race, but on the other hand it is one of the most traditional races on the formula one calendar.

"For us and for F1 it would be a great shame if it did not take place this year, but we are not responsible for the formula one calendar," he added.

FIA president Jean Todt also said the issue is between the German circuits and Ecclestone.

"So far I can only refer to the calendar," he told Russia's f1news.ru, "and if you look at the championship for 2015, you will see the German grand prix.

"If there are any commercial problems, it is not the FIA but rather the commercial rights holder that should comment," Todt added.

Haas Formula One has begun aerodynamic testing
The Haas Formula One team has begun aerodynamic testing, according to a report from racecar-engineering.com.

The racing site says that a 60 percent scale model of the team's 2016 design has already been tested in Ferrari's wind tunnel in Maranello, Italy.

"Our model is in the wind tunnel at Ferrari right now," Haas told the site. "We are working in collaboration with Dallara on that. They are making some parts for the model there in Italy."

Haas F1 is headquartered in North Carolina, but it is currently working on using the former Marussia F1 facility in Banbury, England.

"We took possession of the facility in Banbury a couple of weeks ago," Haas said. "We are reconfiguring that to meet our needs at the moment and we have just finished the place at Kannapolis [N.C.]"

Capriza sponsorship on the Lotus E23. That radical front wing has not been seen in testing yet this week.

Capriza joins Lotus F1 Team as Technology Partner
Disruptive SaaS-based enterprise mobility platform vendor Capriza has joined Lotus F1 Team as a Technology Partner. Capriza's mobile solution will enable Lotus F1 Team to extend critical information systems to mobility and simplify the way personnel processes vital business tasks quickly anytime, anywhere in the world, as the team deploys the E23 Hybrid, its 2015 challenger.

Matthew Carter, CEO, Lotus F1 Team:
"It's very exciting for Lotus F1 Team to work with a dynamic new partner like Capriza who offer a unique proposition in the marketplace and are a superb addition to our existing portfolio of partners, enhancing the technology platform of Enstone to make us even more agile and dynamic, no matter where we are. The Formula 1 season comprises of 20 races taking place around the world, so this solution which enables us to act and react instantly, no matter where we are on the planet, brings tangible value to the team as we fight for results through the year."

Russell Acton, Vice President & General Manager, International, Capriza
"Capriza is excited about the partnership with Lotus F1 Team and working with them on extending their global business to mobile. We have huge momentum; we are growing quickly and now expanding our footprint internationally. Formalizing relationships with fast, dynamic, innovative partners are very strategic for us. For a Formula 1 team, it's all about winning. High performance teams like Lotus F1 Team need technology to work for them, not against them. Today, people demand simplicity in their work – from anywhere. If you can provide the team instant access to information anytime, anywhere, you can develop a huge advantage over your competition. We will deliver this with the same speed and innovation representative of Lotus F1 Team. Capriza disrupts the speed and economics of running a business in a mobile world, and we look forward to helping Lotus F1 Team gain a competitive advantage with greater efficiency, productivity and mobility. We join the team at the start of their 2015 season and will be rapidly deploying our solutions to make a positive impact on the team's productivity and efficiency as they develop their exciting new car for the year ahead."