Latest F1 news in brief – Sunday (Update)
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Ecclestone ready to tear up contracts Newey says 'all' F1 cars' front wings flexing
- Force India finally confirms Perez for 2015
- Rosberg's mind games reach title zenith on Sunday
- Red Bull still blocking Vettel's Ferrari test
- Magnussen can be Danish 'sporting legend' – Dennis
- Ecclestone ready to 'tear up' income contracts
- Alonso hits back after Mattiacci jibes
- Etihad Airlines renews sponsorship of Abu Dhabi GP
- Caterham Team clarifies driver choice
Newey says 'all' F1 cars' front wings flexing
(GMM) Red Bull cried foul on Saturday after its cars were disqualified from qualifying in Abu Dhabi.
During the session in Abu Dhabi, television replays appeared to show the ends of the front wings flexing significantly towards the ground.
According to Germany's Auto Motor und Sport, FIA inspectors checked all the top teams after qualifying, but only Red Bull emerged with penalties.
"We are disappointed that we have been singled out for a front wing deflection test when it is clear that other teams are interpreting the rules in a similar fashion," Red Bull said in a statement.
"The team accepts the decision of the stewards and will start the race from the back of the grid."
Adrian Newey, in Abu Dhabi for his last race as the team's full-time technical boss, confirmed that the wing used this weekend is an "updated" one.
"Frankly," he told Italy's Autosprint, "if you look at the other cars, you will notice that they are all doing the same thing."
Force India finally confirms Perez for 2015
(GMM) Force India on Saturday finally confirmed that Sergio Perez is staying at the team in 2015.
The Silverstone based team, having already announced Nico Hulkenberg, said Mexican Perez has now agreed a "multi-year contract".
It is believed the delay in confirming the deal was due to negotiations with Perez's backers, including the sponsors Telmex, Telcel and Claro, which will all now appear on the 2015 car.
"He (Perez) has a very bright future in formula one and we will do our utmost to give him the equipment to match his talent," said boss Vijay Mallya.
Rosberg's mind games reach title zenith on Sunday
(GMM) Nico Rosberg has been busily playing the psychological game this weekend as he clings to his world championship chances.
Needing Mercedes teammate and title favorite Lewis Hamilton to finish no higher than third on Sunday, German Rosberg has been firing thinly-veiled barbs at his British rival all weekend at the Abu Dhabi finale.
He then captured pole on Saturday, with a big margin over Hamilton who left the circuit amid his customary body-language of defeat.
"He's made several mistakes lately, and these signs give me hope," said Rosberg.
1996 world champion Damon Hill said it is obvious Rosberg is playing mind games, as a championship showdown like the one in Abu Dhabi is "a total psychological game.
"That's all it is," he is quoted by the Daily Mail.
Rosberg admitted he has been taking advice from his notoriously tough father Keke, who won the championship in 1982.
"We had a discussion about it," the German admitted. "He gave me his advice for this weekend and I try and apply that or take whatever I think would help me."
The objective, Rosberg admitted, is to destabilize Hamilton.
He said after qualifying: "If Lewis feels the pressure and makes a mistake as a result, a bit like today and a bit like Brazil then that's the sort of opportunities that I'm trying to push for."
Briton Hamilton, the 2008 title winner for McLaren, said on Saturday that he is unfazed by Rosberg's tricks.
"I don't pay much attention to that at all," he said. "Take today. If I made a mistake today, it would be the same amount as him — Nico had to do an extra lap on the actual race tires, which hopefully will have an effect.
"My tires are perfect for the race," added Hamilton. "Yes, Nico has won the pole position cup, but I've won the race win cup.
"Nico is sure trying everything possible in his head to come up with some kind of way of dealing with things — that's how he deals with it. Me, I just keep to myself and do the talking on the track."
Red Bull still blocking Vettel's Ferrari test
(GMM) Sebastian Vettel has hit out at Red Bull for blocking him from making his Ferrari test debut next week.
As soon as the German's impending departure from Red Bull was announced, team owner Dietrich Mateschitz said Vettel will only be free to go in the days after the post-race Abu Dhabi test.
Vettel said he understood the decision.
Since then, however, something must have changed, because after qualifying in Abu Dhabi, Vettel was freshly bemoaning the fact he cannot drive Ferrari's 2014 car next week.
"The (Red Bull) engineers suddenly panicked that I will take all these secrets to Ferrari," he is quoted by Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.
"But if I want to do that, I can also do it in January," Vettel added.
Dr Helmut Marko defended Red Bull's defiance: "Why should we give a direct advantage to our competitor?
"If he is able to drive a Ferrari only a few days after the last race, he gives them a direct comparison," he added.
Magnussen can be Danish 'sporting legend' – Dennis
(GMM) A new name "might" have leapt into contention to become Fernando Alonso's teammate at McLaren-Honda next year.
Former team driver Martin Brundle on Saturday told McLaren supremo Ron Dennis that everyone in the paddock knows Alonso has now inked a deal for 2015.
"Which driver are you talking about?" Dennis told the commentator for British television Sky.
In truth, despite Dennis' insistence, the only true question-mark is over the identity of Alonso's teammate.
Conventional Dennis logic would suggest McLaren will put together the best and most experienced drivers it can muster — and that might be Alonso and the 2009 world champion Jenson Button.
But paddock rumors suggest the Woking based team is in fact more likely to keep the in-house rookie Kevin Magnussen on board.
Dennis told Brundle: "You presume that there are three people involved in this choice. But I think you should stretch your imagination to four."
The most logical fourth candidate would be the McLaren-contracted GP2 driver Stoffel Vandoorne, who commandingly won Saturday's Abu Dhabi race from pole.
He will also drive the Honda-powered interim McLaren in next week's post-race Abu Dhabi test.
"'Might' is an interesting word," answered Dennis, when asked if Belgian Vandoorne might be a candidate.
Later, however, team boss Eric Boullier played down the Vandoorne rumors, suggesting the 22-year-old will spend another year in GP2 to try to win the title.
The smart money now is on McLaren fielding an Alonso-Magnussen lineup in 2015.
"I have a strong desire for Denmark to wake up," Dennis told Danish television TV3, "and realize that they have an unique opportunity to support someone who could easily become a sporting legend of the country.
"I hope that one of the multinationals realizes that life is not always about money but also national pride.
"I've done my part," added Dennis, "and I think it's time that Denmark does the same."
Ecclestone ready to 'tear up' income contracts
(GMM) Bernie Ecclestone on Saturday said he is prepared to "tear up" contracts and start again, as the sport's civil war appeared to ease slightly in Abu Dhabi.
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| Bernie apologize? Get real! |
The F1 supremo reportedly even apologized for calling struggling teams Lotus, Sauber and Force India "beggars" as they look for a fairer distribution of the team's almost $1 billion in annual revenues.
Also strongly chided during Ecclestone's meeting on Saturday between the small teams and F1 owner CVC's Donald Mackenzie was Christian Horner, the boss of the powerful Red Bull team.
It is believed that during one recent meeting, Horner laughed and joked about the demise of the backmarkers Caterham and Marussia.
"I hit the limiter on that one," said Lotus owner Gerard Lopez, not referring specifically to Horner.
"It was a complete lack of respect and from someone paid to be here rather than paying to be here."
Suddenly, the tide appears to have turned in favor of the three small teams, perhaps because of the threatened intervention of the European Commission's competition arm.
So after recently ruling out more money for the teams, Ecclestone said on Saturday: "Let's see.
"Personally, I would tear up all of the contracts and discuss the redistribution of money. No problem," he added.
The next major F1 meeting will take place on Sunday, when Ecclestone and Mackenzie get together with Mercedes (Daimler) and Ferrari (Fiat) bigwigs Dieter Zetsche and Sergio Marchionne.
Germany's Auto Motor und Sport said that the chiefs of the F1-involved car manufacturers will discuss cost-cutting, engines, and the distribution of the sport's income.
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| Marco Mattiacci hasn't exactly taken the high road with respect to Ferrari and Fernando Alonso parting ways |
Alonso hits back after Mattiacci jibes
(GMM) Fernando Alonso has lashed back at Marco Mattiacci for questioning his commitment and motivation.
Since confirming that Sebastian Vettel will replace the apparently McLaren-bound Alonso next year, Ferrari boss Mattiacci has referred to the issue of commitment several times.
"In any business," the Italian told German television RTL for instance, "motivation is very important.
"We know that with Sebastian we are getting someone enthusiastic and disciplined and hard-working."
Mattiacci's intimations have infuriated Alonso.
"He's been here a few months," said the Spaniard, "not the five years in which I fought in every single race."
Alonso also accused Mattiacci of hypocrisy, having tried repeatedly to keep him at Maranello as recently as September.
"Even until the last moment there were many phone calls and the emails have all been saved on my computer," Germany's Auto Motor und Sport quoted Alonso as saying.
"At that time, I was obviously not unmotivated," he added.
Also on Saturday, Alonso continued to deny claims he has already signed with McLaren.
"My future is still open," he said. "I have no plans to test after the race in Abu Dhabi. Let's see what happens in the next few weeks, as I am still under contract until the end of the year."
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| James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ President and Chief Executive Officer, and Bernie Ecclestone, Chief Executive Officer of Formula One group, finalize the new contract for the FORMULA 1 ETIHAD AIRWAYS ABU DHABI GR AND PRIX in the A380 Lobby mock-up at the airline’s Innovation Centre in Abu Dhabi. |
Etihad Airlines renews sponsorship of Abu Dhabi GP
Etihad Airways has extended its Title Sponsorship of the FORMULA 1 ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX to become one of the longest title sponsors in F1 history. The airline has been the Title Sponsor of the Middle East's biggest sporting event since the inaugural race in 2009.
The partnership extension was finalized between James Hogan, Etihad Airways' President and Chief Executive Officer, and Bernie Ecclestone, Chief Executive Officer of the Formula One group of companies, at the airline's Innovation Centre in Abu Dhabi.
Mr. Hogan said: "We are delighted to extend our title sponsorship of the FORMULA 1 ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX and to continue our association with an event which showcases the airline and our home of Abu Dhabi to a global audience of more than 500 million people.
"The F1 event is now firmly established as one of the major highlights of the Formula 1® calendar, with Yas Marina Circuit as one of the world's most advanced sporting venues. We look forward to bringing hundreds of thousands of motorsport fans to the UAE's capital over the next seven years and beyond."
The Etihad Airways Innovation Centre was chosen as the venue for the finalization of the agreement as it's where the airline's latest in-flight cabins and products are researched and tested, underlining the synergies with Formula 1.
Mr. Ecclestone said: "We are happy to extend our relationship with Etihad Airways, one of the world's most innovative airlines, and an organization which shares the same passion and commitment to cutting edge technology, team-work and precision engineering as we do in Formula 1.
"Etihad Airways has been one of the most forward-thinking Title Sponsors in Formula 1 history and to secure the airline's extension of its Title Sponsorship is fantastic news for the sport and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix which has made such a huge impact on the F1 season."
The exposure provided by the Formula 1 Title Sponsorship underpins the plans of Etihad Airways and its Abu Dhabi home base, whose strategy is to develop the UAE's capital into one of the world's leading economies, tourist destinations, and air transport hubs.
Abu Dhabi is currently home to many world-leading attractions, including the world's biggest indoor theme park, Ferrari World, and the Guggenheim Museum and the Louvre are both establishing facilities in Abu Dhabi.
Guests travelling on Etihad Airways flights can watch tomorrow's FORMULA 1 ETIHAD AIRWAYS ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX live in-flight on the Sport 24 channel of the Live TV section.
Caterham Team clarifies driver choice
Finbarr O'Connell, CaterhamF1 Team's Team Principle, has sought to clarify the many claims by drivers stating to have been "offered" the CaterhamF1 Team drives this weekend in Abu Dhabi.
Finbarr O'Connell: "The reality is that we were approached by several drivers and their representatives regarding the availability of the seats for this weekend. The level of interest was really very high. But, ideally, we wanted drivers who had experience of the car and working with the team.
"We spoke to both of the drivers who are racing for us very early on in our plans for this weekend. Having already used three of the maximum four race drivers in the season, Will Stevens was offered the remaining seat first due to his experience gained in the tests he had done for the Team and his time working with the engineers in the simulator at Leafield. Clearly, Will had to consider how he wished to be linked to the Team and we are delighted with his belief in and support for it. The British public now have another British flag on the pit wall and another British driver to support. We signed a contract with Will well before this weekend's race and only had to wait for FIA approval for his Super License to announce him.
"We spoke to Kamui, as he was one of the Team's existing drivers, and as soon as it was clear he was available we signed him too as we were keen to capitalize on his experience.
"We are delighted with the performances of our drivers over the weekend so far and that of the Team members, our Human Engine, all of whom have rallied to the Team's cause and demonstrated the Team's fighting spirit and tenacity to continue. Considering where we were a short time ago, it is gratifying to know there was so much interest as regards a seat in a CaterhamF1 car!"