Latest F1 news in brief

Alonso says China podium belongs to Domenicali
'Focused' Hamilton on charge for title – Lauda
Raikkonen denies struggle due to lagging motivation
Ricciardo beating Vettel 'surprise of the season'
McLaren feeling Whitmarsh effect – Lauda

Alonso says China podium belongs to Domenicali
(GMM) Fernando Alonso has suggested Ferrari's new boss cannot take the credit for his breakthrough podium in China.

After a difficult start to F1's new era for the Italian team, Spaniard Alonso on Sunday said the Shanghai race reminded him of 2012, arguably his very best season in the sport.

"In Bahrain, we were one minute behind the leaders, ninth and tenth and today we are on the podium, seven seconds behind Nico (Rosberg)," he said.

China was the very first race under the new reign of Marco Mattiacci, who was drafted in just last week to replace the suddenly-departed Stefano Domenicali.

But Alonso dedicated his result to Domenicali.

"I think this podium should be dedicated to Stefano, as everything we do up to July will also be the result of his efforts," he said.

Despite the podium, it was undoubtedly a tough weekend overall for Mattiacci, so tired after the surprising Maranello shakeup that he was seldom seen in the paddock without sunglasses.

He faces an uphill battle not only to earn the trust of Alonso, but also his new rivals.

When asked about the former Ferrari North America chief in Shanghai, Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said: "I'd never heard of him before."

'Focused' Hamilton on charge for title – Lauda
(GMM) Niki Lauda couldn't resist a jibe at rivals Ferrari on Sunday after the botched checkered flag incident near the end of the Chinese grand prix.

Because an official waved the checkered flag a lap early, the results of the Shanghai race had to be re-jigged.

The big victim was Kamui Kobayashi, whose last-lap pass on Jules Bianchi was stricken entirely from the record.

"I was thinking 'am I seeing things?' said winner Lewis Hamilton, recalling the early checker.

Mercedes chairman Lauda couldn't resist a dig at Ferrari.

"We had discussions in Bahrain and the red team wanted the races to be shorter," he grinned on German television RTL. "So this was the test," Lauda joked.

More seriously, the great Austrian added: "It's ridiculous and shouldn't have happened. The Chinese people should know how to count the laps properly."

It was among the only minor glitches in Lewis Hamilton's first-ever F1 hat-trick, as his tally of 25 victories drew even with the great Lauda's.

Lauda said the Briton is on course for his second world title in 2014.

"The only thing he has perhaps sometimes neglected in the past was the full focus," Lauda said in Shanghai.

"He was bringing the dogs to the track, he had a whole entourage of people. When the dogs were there I told him to just focus on himself, drop the baggage and concentrate 120 per cent.

"Now he is doing the performance you expect from him. If he had not failed in Melbourne, he probably could have won there as well," Lauda added.

Melbourne was, of course, won by Hamilton's teammate Nico Rosberg, who still leads the world championship by a few points.

"There is still a lot of races to go," said former F1 driver turned commentator Patrick Tambay.

"With the equal status at Mercedes, Nico has shown to be lacking a little bit compared to Hamilton, but the season is long," he told France's RMC.

"Before, we saw this very jovial, very smiling Nico, but now it feels a little more tense," Tambay noted.

The circus now breaks for three weeks before re-emerging in Europe for the Spanish grand prix.

"Barcelona is a good guide (to form)," Lauda said. "It has a bit of everything.

"All the teams will bring updates. When you have opponents like Alonso, and Red Bull as well, you cannot sit back. Adrian Newey was not here, he was sitting determined at home, working hard to catch up," he concluded.

Raikkonen denies struggle due to lagging motivation
(GMM) Kimi Raikkonen on Sunday lashed out at suggestions his struggle at Ferrari so far in 2014 might be due to flagging motivation.

While teammate Fernando Alonso raced to the Italian team's first podium of the season, Finn Raikkonen struggled all weekend in China in the sister F14-T.

Spaniard Alonso couldn't help labeling Raikkonen's deficit at the checkered flag as "a minute", even though the true gap was just over 50 seconds.

But no matter the gap, the self-described 'iceman' did not appreciate being asked if a dip in motivation, three years into his F1 comeback, might help explain his troubles.

"I don't know why this comes up again and again," Raikkonen hit back, according to German-language reports.

"If I was not motivated, I wouldn't be here and I definitely wouldn't be answering your questions," he bristled.

"I've been around long enough to know that sometimes it is just like this."

Raikkonen admitted, however, that he is not quite sure why he is struggling so much.

"In the race I was just too slow," he said, "but there is not one big problem that we have found."

Raikkonen was using a different chassis in China, but he thinks the issue is "probably something to do with my driving style and the track and the temperatures".

Ricciardo beating Vettel 'surprise of the season'
(GMM) Upping the power of the RB10's Renault 'power unit' is no longer the only problem at Red Bull.

The reigning world champion team is now contemplating how to get its quadruple consecutive title winner back up to speed.

Sebastian Vettel has struggled to match new teammate Daniel Ricciardo's pace in the new turbo V6 era, and in China the German's mood appeared to hit a new low when he responded to a team order with the words "tough luck".

Team boss Christian Horner insists Vettel is simply yet to find the right "feel".

"We know Seb is very sensitive with the car and how it enters into a corner," he explained.

Dr Helmut Marko, the champion of Vettel's career since boyhood, is refusing to rush to judgment.

"We cannot judge where Daniel and Sebastian are at the moment in terms of their duel," he said. "It's too early.

"We need to find the setup for Vettel so that he can be the 'tire whisperer' again," Marko is quoted by Der Spiegel.

At the same time, Vettel's struggle is reflecting brilliantly on Ricciardo's reputation, having failed to completely prove his worth when he stepped up from Toro Rosso.

"For me he has been the surprise of the season," said former F1 driver Jean Alesi.

1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve agrees: "Ricciardo was always a good qualifier but not as quick in the race. But now he's also a strong racer."

And former Mercedes chief Norbert Haug said: "Going one-up against Vettel is one of the most difficult tasks any driver can do."

Vettel's specific struggle aside, Marko admitted that the trend since Red Bull's calamitous winter season has been generally upwards.

"A podium today was in the realm of possibility," the Austrian said, referring to Ricciardo's fourth place, a few seconds behind Fernando Alonso.

"But we also see that Ferrari has made significant progress."

Marko thinks part of the secret of Ferrari's success in China was a new blend of Shell fuel.

"We are also hoping to soon get a fuel that is more efficient," he said, amid reports Red Bull's current Total fuel may be damaging the mandatory fuel flow sensors.

Haug warned: "Certainly, Mercedes will not stand still and just watch the others get closer."

McLaren feeling Whitmarsh effect – Lauda
(GMM) McLaren is going through a 'Whitmarsh' effect, according to F1 legend Niki Lauda.

Just two weeks ago in Bahrain, Jenson Button said the only quicker car in the field was the dominant Mercedes.

But in China, both the 2009 world champion and Kevin Magnussen were non points-scoring midfielders.

Button sounded particularly frustrated.

"I don't think (other) people brought that much (new parts) here, so I don't know what we're doing really," he said.

"Hopefully back at the factory they can stay positive and update the car because at the moment this isn't good enough."

McLaren's new boss in 2014, Eric Boullier, said he sat with Button and Magnussen after the race in China, because "they are both frustrated".

"But I can promise you that if you look at the data, you can see that McLaren are coming back, and that's what is most important," he is quoted by the Mirror.

Lauda, who is Mercedes' F1 chairman, thinks that after the depths of McLaren's 2013 crisis, the British team is now struggling for form in the wake of recent management reshuffles.

"You have to say that last year the McLaren was also not a top car," said the great Austrian.

"So you have to overcome this bad performance from last year and the new formula. If you have the new ingredients, you can be lucky.

"But if you don't have them and there is a big change with (Martin) Whitmarsh going and Ron (Dennis) coming back, these things take time to change. They don't happen overnight," Lauda explained.