| By Lawrence Barretto | Wednesday, April 15th 2015, 15:35 GMT |
Williams needs to understand why it has struggled to make Formula 1's soft tyre work if it is to challenge Mercedes and Ferrari, says performance chief Rob Smedley
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| By Dieter Rencken and Jonathan Noble | Wednesday, April 15th 2015, 14:43 GMT |
Renault says Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz's threats to quit Formula 1 do not add extra pressure to its troubled 2015 season because it has sufficient recovery plans in place
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| Thursday, April 16th 2015, 09:27 GMT |
Nico Rosberg's complaints about Mercedes Formula 1 team-mate Lewis Hamilton's Chinese Grand Prix put the spotlight back on the pair's rivalry and their team's handling of it
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| By Ben Anderson and Lawrence Barretto | Wednesday, April 15th 2015, 08:55 GMT |
McLaren will begin ramping up performance after showing good reliability in the Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix, according to racing director Eric Boullier
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| By Lawrence Barretto | Wednesday, April 15th 2015, 09:58 GMT |
Reigning GP2 champion Jolyon Palmer says he would consider racing in another series this season alongside his Formula 1 duties with Lotus
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| By Lawrence Barretto and Ben Anderson | Wednesday, April 15th 2015, 11:19 GMT |
Lotus now has the fourth-fastest car on the Formula 1 grid after a strong showing in the Chinese Grand Prix, according to engineering chief Alan Permane
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| By Ben Anderson and Lawrence Barretto | Monday, April 13th 2015, 14:20 GMT |
Red Bull boss Christian Horner says Ferrari's transformation back into a race-winning Formula 1 team is proof his team can turn its fortunes around too
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| By Ben Anderson and Lawrence Barretto | Tuesday, April 14th 2015, 08:56 GMT |
Mercedes Formula 1 team boss Toto Wolff says the team can successfully manage Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg without needing to employ team orders
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| By Lawrence Barretto | Tuesday, April 14th 2015, 09:47 GMT |
Felipe Massa is currently driving better than at any other point in his Formula 1 career and is still improving, according to Williams performance chief Rob Smedley
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| By Lawrence Barretto | Monday, April 13th 2015, 09:00 GMT |
Kimi Raikkonen believes Ferrari will catch the pacesetting Mercedes Formula 1 team this season despite suffering defeat at the Chinese Grand Prix
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| By Lawrence Barretto | Monday, April 13th 2015, 10:58 GMT |
Mercedes non-executive chairman Niki Lauda says Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg are right to take a selfish approach to racing against each other in Formula 1
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| By Lawrence Barretto | Monday, April 13th 2015, 10:59 GMT |
Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas accept that Williams has now fallen back to being Formula 1's third-fastest team
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| By Ben Anderson and Matt Beer | Sunday, April 12th 2015, 10:54 GMT |
The Red Bull Formula 1 team believes the poor start that ruined Daniel Ricciardo's Chinese Grand Prix was the result of a procedure error by the Australian driver
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| Sunday, April 12th 2015, 10:49 GMT |
Chinese GP post-race press conference with Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel
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| By Lawrence Barretto and Jonathan Noble | Sunday, April 12th 2015, 11:33 GMT |
Mercedes Formula 1 team boss Toto Wolff insists Lewis Hamilton did nothing wrong in his Chinese Grand Prix battle with Nico Rosberg and says the tensions have now cooled
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| By Jonathan Noble | Saturday, April 11th 2015, 09:00 GMT |
Sebastian Vettel hopes that saving a set of soft tyres from qualifying will boost Ferrari's chances of properly challenging Mercedes at the Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix
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| By Lawrence Barretto and Jonathan Noble | Saturday, April 11th 2015, 10:01 GMT |
Kimi Raikkonen says he needs to break his "habit" of troubled Formula 1 qualifying sessions as he rued another lost opportunity at the Chinese Grand Prix
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| By Lawrence Barretto and Mitchell Adam | Saturday, April 11th 2015, 10:35 GMT |
Daniel Ricciardo says Red Bull's move back to its 2014 brake specification for the Chinese Grand Prix has cured the consistency issues that plagued its Formula 1 season to date
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| By Lawrence Barretto | Friday, April 10th 2015, 11:07 GMT |
Security has been tightened at the Shanghai Formula 1 track after a spectator ran across the circuit during second Chinese Grand Prix practice
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| By Lawrence Barretto and Dieter Rencken | Friday, April 10th 2015, 11:14 GMT |
Nico Rosberg is unsure whether the Mercedes Formula 1 team's single-lap performance advantage over Ferrari in Chinese Grand Prix practice will translate into race pace
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| By Mitchell Adam | Friday, April 10th 2015, 10:57 GMT |
Jenson Button says the prospect of making Q2 or even Q3 for this weekend's Chinese Grand Prix doesn't excite him, as McLaren-Honda continues to improve its Formula 1 package
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| By Lawrence Barretto | Thursday, April 9th 2015, 11:17 GMT |
Nico Rosberg believes Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari's good form could help rather than hinder him in his Formula 1 world title battle with Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton
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| Thursday, April 9th 2015, 10:47 GMT |
Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix Thursday FIA press conference transcript - Marcus Ericsson, Nico Hulkenberg, Romain Grosjean, Felipe Massa, Sebastian Vettel, Jenson Button
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| By Ben Anderson | Thursday, April 9th 2015, 11:44 GMT |
Fernando Alonso says Sebastian Vettel's first Formula 1 victory for Ferrari does not mean he was wrong to quit the Scuderia for McLaren
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| By Ben Anderson | Wednesday, April 8th 2015, 09:19 GMT |
Sebastian Vettel's shock defeat of Lewis Hamilton in Malaysia helped re-invigorate Formula 1, but the focus now switches to if that momentum can continue
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| By Edd Straw and Lawrence Barretto | Tuesday, April 7th 2015, 15:49 GMT |
Toro Rosso says its target is not to beat Red Bull in the constructors' championship but instead ensure a career-best fifth place in the end-of-season Formula 1 standings
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| By Edd Straw and Lawrence Barretto | Wednesday, April 8th 2015, 11:38 GMT |
Manor sporting director Graeme Lowdon says Ferrari's Formula 1 success in Malaysia will have a knock-on effect on his team when it launches its 2015-spec car later this year
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| By Lawrence Barretto | Monday, April 6th 2015, 11:45 GMT |
Valtteri Bottas is expecting his back to be "100 per cent" fit for the Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix, following the injury he sustained during qualifying in Australia
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| By Ben Anderson and Matt Beer | Monday, April 6th 2015, 09:21 GMT |
Mercedes expects to bring forward some of its 2015 Formula 1 development programme to fend off the emerging threat from Ferrari
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| By Lawrence Barretto and Matt Beer | Tuesday, April 7th 2015, 09:36 GMT |
Ferrari Formula 1 technical director James Allison says his main influence so far has been to end a culture of short-term thinking and ease the pressure on the design team
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| By Matt Beer and Ben Anderson | Monday, April 6th 2015, 09:21 GMT |
Mercedes expects to bring forward some of its 2015 Formula 1 development programme to fend off the emerging threat from Ferrari
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| By Lawrence Barretto and Edd Straw | Sunday, April 5th 2015, 08:59 GMT |
Roberto Merhi's hopes of retaining his seat with Manor in Formula 1 this season have been boosted after sporting director Graeme Lowdon said he was happy with his current driver line-up
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| By Lawrence Barretto | Monday, April 6th 2015, 11:45 GMT |
Valtteri Bottas is expecting his back to be "100 per cent" fit for the Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix, following the injury he sustained during qualifying in Australia
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| By Lawrence Barretto and Edd Straw | Saturday, April 4th 2015, 14:04 GMT |
Renault made a "massive step" forward with its Formula 1 power unit in Malaysia compared to Australia, according to Toro Rosso technical director James Key
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| By Lawrence Barretto | Friday, April 3rd 2015, 15:21 GMT |
Marcus Ericsson has described his Malaysian Grand Prix weekend as a "breakthrough" in Formula 1, despite spinning out of the race
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| By Lawrence Barretto and Edd Straw | Sunday, April 5th 2015, 08:59 GMT |
Roberto Merhi's hopes of retaining his seat with Manor in Formula 1 this season have been boosted after sporting director Graeme Lowdon said he was happy with his current driver line-up
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| By Lawrence Barretto and Ben Anderson | Friday, April 3rd 2015, 13:26 GMT |
Lotus is "still finding our feet a little bit" following a troubled start to the Formula 1 season, according to engineering chief Alan Permane
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| By Lawrence Barretto | Friday, April 3rd 2015, 09:02 GMT |
Valtteri Bottas says the Williams Formula 1 team is missing "quite a big amount" of race pace as it fights to remain one of the sport's frontrunners
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| By Lawrence Barretto | Friday, April 3rd 2015, 15:21 GMT |
Marcus Ericsson has described his Malaysian Grand Prix weekend as a "breakthrough" in Formula 1, despite spinning out of the race
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| By Lawrence Barretto | Thursday, April 2nd 2015, 14:32 GMT |
Williams driver Felipe Massa believes Ferrari's tyre affinity was the biggest factor in its Malaysian Grand Prix success, but admitted the Scuderia has improved more than its Formula 1 rivals
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| By Edd Straw and Lawrence Barretto | Thursday, April 2nd 2015, 10:08 GMT |
Ferrari's Formula 1 car is giving Sebastian Vettel "the feel that he needs" says his former team boss Christian Horner of Red Bull Racing
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| By Lawrence Barretto | Friday, April 3rd 2015, 09:02 GMT |
Valtteri Bottas says the Williams Formula 1 team is missing "quite a big amount" of race pace as it fights to remain one of the sport's frontrunners
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| By Ben Anderson and Matt Beer | Thursday, April 2nd 2015, 09:41 GMT |
McLaren-Honda is already seeing a "massive difference" in its Formula 1 performance across the first month of the season, says the team's racing director Eric Boullier
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| By Lawrence Barretto | Wednesday, April 1st 2015, 16:48 GMT |
Red Bull development driver Pierre Gasly will drive a Formula 1 car for the first time when he gets behind the wheel of a Toro Rosso in Barcelona next month
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| By Edd Straw and Lawrence Barretto | Thursday, April 2nd 2015, 10:08 GMT |
Ferrari's Formula 1 car is giving Sebastian Vettel "the feel that he needs" says his former team boss Christian Horner of Red Bull Racing
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| By Lawrence Barretto | Wednesday, April 1st 2015, 10:02 GMT |
Lewis Hamilton believes Ferrari's "huge step" shows Formula 1 is not just about engine performance as he thinks downforce gains were also pivotal in Sebastian Vettel's Malaysian Grand Prix victory.
Vettel's Sepang win was Ferrari's since the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix, ending a 30-race win drought that was the team's longest in 21 years.
Hamilton, who was in dominant form in Australia, was forced to settle for second, one place ahead of Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg after the reigning world champion team was outperformed by Ferrari.
The result followed rapid improvement from a Ferrari team that ended 2014 in fourth in the constructors' championship with just two podiums, but is now the second quickest team on pure pace.
Though its engine gains were hailed during winter testing, Hamilton reckons Sepang showed the entire Ferrari package has taken a leap forward.
"Ferrari have made a huge step," said Hamilton.
"It's great to see Ferrari making such a big step and it is with both the car and the engine.
"A lot of people talk about engines being fast but ultimately it's the car and the downforce which can make just as big a difference."
Hamilton admitted that he was surprised by the pace of Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen, who recovered from a puncture early on to finish fourth.
"We have to give it to them, they did a fantastic job," said Hamilton. "We were not, and I was not, expecting them to be as quick as they were.
"They did an amazing job and had some good pace.
"We knew that they had made a step, we didn't know how big but they were too fast for us."
| By Lawrence Barretto and Matt Beer | Tuesday, March 31st 2015, 16:34 GMT |
Formula 1 must be wary of reverting to a harsher stance on collision penalties says Force India's Bob Fernley, after both his drivers were penalised at the Malaysian Grand Prix.
Last year the FIA decided to show more lenience over driving standards investigations from the British Grand Prix onwards.
Both Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez were given 10-second penalties in quick succession during last Sunday's Sepang F1 race after tangles with Daniil Kvyat and Romain Grosjean respectively, with both drivers feeling the stewards had been excessive.
While Fernley emphasised that Force India accepted the stewards' ruling, he said the decision appeared to be a throwback to the previous rules position.
"It's difficult because I can't see all the data," Fernley told AUTOSPORT.
"You need to look at all the angles the stewards can look at and I think we have to abide by the decisions of the stewards at the end of the day, because they are operating Formula 1.
"But some time ago we looked at it from the point of view that unless it was a blatant or dangerous manoeuvre, we would try to give the benefit of the doubt to racing incidents.
"I just think we have to be careful we don't go back to where we were.
"But equally, we accept fully the decision of the stewards.
"Let's just not air on the side of caution too much and let them race a bit because that's part of the excitement of racing."
Grosjean strongly criticised Perez's driving over team radio after their contact, which happened as the Lotus completed an outside-line pass on the Force India.
Fernley felt Perez had little option in the situation he was in.
"It's a fast corner, Romain was going around the outside, Checo [Perez] was obviously having difficulties in the corner," said Fernley.
"I'm not sure there were a lot of places for Checo to go. I didn't see it as necessarily dangerous.
"It was a strong move from Grosjean, I don't think Checo had a lot of room and it is what it is."
Perez suggested that he would raise his concerns over his Malaysia penalty with the FIA.
"I think we have to try to do something on that but it won't change anything," he said.
| By Dieter Rencken and Lawrence Barretto | Wednesday, April 1st 2015, 11:09 GMT |
Ferrari team principal Maurizio Arrivabene believes Formula 1 needs to become "a bit more affordable" to safeguard its future, but thinks any proposals for standardised cars are too extreme.
The cost of competing in Formula 1 has been high on the agenda after Caterham and Marussia went into administration towards the end of last season.
Marussia required a last-minute rescue package to survive and now run as Manor, while teams including Force India asked F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone for support with their finances before Australia.
Force India deputy team principal Bob Fernley has repeatedly called for a reduction of costs so that independent teams can survive while making the sport more attractive to new entrants.
And although Ferrari is among the wealthiest teams on the grid, Arrivabene agrees that something needs to be done.
He insists the situation is being looked at with sufficient seriousness.
"We have to do our best to make Formula 1 a bit more affordable," Arrivabene told AUTOSPORT.
"I have to say it is a work in progress at the moment and everybody - they are really committed."
One of the suggestions to reduce costs is for teams to run a standardised car, but Arrivabene believes that is a step too far.
"I think that was one of the proposals on the agenda," he said. "You know, sometimes somebody starts from an extreme, which is something else.
"Standardisation in certain parts of the car could be an interesting cost saving way. Of course, not in all of the parts in the car.
"We are Formula 1, not another series where all the cars look the same and there is no spectacle."
| By Lawrence Barretto and Ben Anderson | Monday, March 30th 2015, 11:29 GMT |
Mercedes Formula 1 boss Toto Wolff says Sebastian Vettel's victory for Ferrari in the Malaysian Grand Prix was a "wake-up call" to his team
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| By Lawrence Barretto | Monday, March 30th 2015, 14:59 GMT |
Williams has to develop the whole car package and improve operations if it is to remain a Formula 1 frontrunner, according to performance chief Rob Smedley
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| By Lawrence Barretto | Tuesday, March 31st 2015, 09:14 GMT |
Ferrari's Formula 1 technical director James Allison says it is unlikely that Sebastian Vettel would have been able to pass Lewis Hamilton on track to win the Malaysian Grand Prix
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| By Mitchell Adam | Monday, March 30th 2015, 09:45 GMT |
Fernando Alonso said the pace of his McLaren-Honda Formula 1 car during the Malaysian Grand Prix was "surprisingly good", as the new package showed promise before engine problems
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| By Lawrence Barretto and Edd Straw | Monday, March 30th 2015, 10:18 GMT |
Ferrari must stay realistic about its goals for the 2015 Formula 1 season despite a shock win in the Malaysian Grand Prix, according to team principal Maurizio Arrivabene
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| By Lawrence Barretto and Ben Anderson | Monday, March 30th 2015, 11:29 GMT |
Mercedes Formula 1 boss Toto Wolff says Sebastian Vettel's victory for Ferrari in the Malaysian Grand Prix was a "wake-up call" to his team
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| By Lawrence Barretto and Andrew van Leeuwen | Sunday, March 29th 2015, 10:31 GMT |
Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg blamed poor strategic choices and balance problems for the Mercedes Formula 1 team's defeat by Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel in the Malaysian Grand Prix
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| By Lawrence Barretto and Jonathan Noble | Sunday, March 29th 2015, 10:31 GMT |
Sebastian Vettel thinks the hot temperatures of the Malaysian Grand Prix were key in helping him and Ferrari beat Mercedes to a shock Formula 1 win
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| By Ben Anderson and Jonathan Noble | Sunday, March 29th 2015, 11:50 GMT |
Mercedes Formula 1 boss Toto Wolff thinks it would be wrong to blame his team's Malaysian Grand Prix defeat on the early stop for new tyres under the safety car
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| By Lawrence Barretto | Saturday, March 28th 2015, 08:46 GMT |
Pirelli says its parent company's change of ownership will not affect its Formula 1 programme
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| By Ben Anderson | Saturday, March 28th 2015, 10:40 GMT |
Lewis Hamilton beat Sebastian Vettel's Ferrari to pole position for the Malaysian Grand Prix by less than a tenth of a second in a rain-affected Formula 1 qualifying session
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| By Jonathan Noble | Saturday, March 28th 2015, 11:59 GMT |
Fernando Alonso has faith that McLaren will not be qualifying at the back of the grid for much longer, despite more frustration at the Malaysian Grand Prix.
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| By Jonathan Noble | Friday, March 27th 2015, 10:25 GMT |
Fernando Alonso believes McLaren has made 'big' progress with its Formula 1 car after he returned to the cockpit in Malaysia on Friday
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| By Lawrence Barretto and Jonathan Noble | Friday, March 27th 2015, 11:14 GMT |
Manor Formula 1 duo Will Stevens and Roberto Merhi are confident their car has the pace to qualify for the Malaysian Grand Prix after its track debut in practice
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| By Lawrence Barretto | Friday, March 27th 2015, 11:38 GMT |
Renault admits it is considering leaving Formula 1, prompting Red Bull to suggest it could do likewise if its engine partner pulled out of the world championship
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| By Edd Straw | Thursday, March 26th 2015, 10:42 GMT |
McLaren-Honda will be quicker during the second event of the Formula 1 season in Malaysia than it was in the Australian Grand Prix two weeks ago, according to Jenson Button
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| By Jonathan Noble and Edd Straw | Thursday, March 26th 2015, 10:33 GMT |
Daniel Ricciardo believes Red Bull needs to be more conservative in chasing gains if it is going to make real progress in Formula 1
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| Thursday, March 26th 2015, 11:18 GMT |
Malaysian Grand Prix Thursday press conference with Carlos Sainz Jr, Felipe Nasr, Daniil Kvyat, Nico Rosberg, Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso
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| By Lawrence Barretto | Tuesday, March 24th 2015, 16:15 GMT |
Lotus Formula 1 driver Pastor Maldonado is pleasantly surprised by how close the pack behind Mercedes is, and by his car's pace relative to those currently fighting for the podium
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| By Lawrence Barretto | Wednesday, March 25th 2015, 10:58 GMT |
Silverstone is hoping to continue pushing down ticket prices for the British Grand Prix as it bids to make hosting Formula 1 sustainable
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| Tuesday, March 24th 2015, 08:14 GMT |
Adderly Fong has joined the Lotus Formula 1 team's roster of development drivers for 2015
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| Monday, March 23rd 2015, 15:13 GMT |
Ferrari protege Raffaele Marciello will make his Formula 1 grand prix weekend debut in Malaysia, when he contests Friday's first practice session with Sauber
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| By Lawrence Barretto and Dieter Rencken | Tuesday, March 24th 2015, 11:21 GMT |
Renault believes its customers Red Bull and Toro Rosso will have to wait until next season at the earliest for the French manufacturer to provide them with a race-winning engine
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| By Lawrence Barretto | Sunday, March 22nd 2015, 11:42 GMT |
Williams is confident it can outdevelop any of its Formula 1 rivals and maintain a consistent challenge throughout the 2015 season, despite falling behind Ferrari in the Australian Grand Prix
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| By Edd Straw | Saturday, March 21st 2015, 12:15 GMT |
Sauber Formula 1 team principal Monisha Kaltenborn has admitted she is surprised by the size of the step Ferrari has made with its 2015 engine
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| By Lawrence Barretto | Monday, March 23rd 2015, 10:35 GMT |
Fernando Alonso is travelling to Malaysia for the second race of the Formula 1 season following a series of medical tests at Cambridge University on Sunday
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| By Edd Straw | Saturday, March 21st 2015, 12:15 GMT |
Sauber Formula 1 team principal Monisha Kaltenborn has admitted she is surprised by the size of the step Ferrari has made with its 2015 engine
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| By Lawrence Barretto | Friday, March 20th 2015, 17:40 GMT |
The German Grand Prix has been officially removed from the 2015 Formula 1 calendar by the sport's governing body, the FIA
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| By Lawrence Barretto | Sunday, March 22nd 2015, 11:42 GMT |
Williams is confident it can outdevelop any of its Formula 1 rivals and maintain a consistent challenge throughout the 2015 season, despite falling behind Ferrari in the Australian Grand Prix
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| Friday, March 20th 2015, 17:06 GMT |
Daniil Kvyat was unable to start last Sunday's Australian Grand Prix because a lack of oil pressure caused the gearbox to overheat, according to the Red Bull Formula 1 team
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| By Lawrence Barretto | Friday, March 20th 2015, 14:55 GMT |
Pirelli says it would be difficult to commit to a contract extension that goes beyond 2016 until it knows Formula 1's plans for a rules revolution the following year.
Discussions have taken place over a rapid overhaul of car regulations that would result in wider cars, bigger tyres, 1000bhp and bodywork revisions for 2017 - but nothing has yet been agreed.
Pirelli, which became F1's sole supplier in 2011, said earlier this year that it would favour increasing tyre size to bring the "wow factor" back.
But with a tyre contract expected to go up for tender later this year for 2017 onwards, Pirelli motorsport chief Paul Hembery said that the Italian manufacturer needs plenty of notice of any changes.
"We want to see what is happening in 2017," said Hembery. "If you're going to have a tender process you want to know what you're signing up to.
"What sort of sport are we talking about?"
When asked if Pirelli would sign up without knowing what the rules will be, Hembery said: "It would be hard to, almost impossible to go to the board if there are changes in the offing.
"If you don't know what those changes are, how can you possibly make decisions costing a substantial amount of money? It would be a bit remiss to do that.
"We've not heard any more. When they do the tender process, which we believe will be in the next three months, then we would want that to include what is selected.
"We are happy to do the right thing for the sport. Do they want 19-inch tyres or do we want to stay with 13-inch?
"It's down to the sport, but it has a big impact in the amount of work involved, we need to know when we can do verification testing.
"If the changes are as they described, with 1000bhp and huge rear wings etc, you'd want to be do running in October and November the previous year."
| By Lawrence Barretto | Friday, March 20th 2015, 17:40 GMT |
The German Grand Prix has been officially removed from the 2015 Formula 1 calendar by the sport's governing body, the FIA
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| By Edd Straw | Friday, March 20th 2015, 10:12 GMT |
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is adamant that Mercedes' current Formula 1 dominance is far greater than his squad ever achieved.
Horner's team won the world championship from 2010-14, taking Sebastian Vettel to a string of drivers' titles in tandem with its constructors' success.
But having called for the FIA to take action to peg back Mercedes, Horner argued that the need for change now was more dramatic than it was during Red Bull's glory period.
Asked if he appreciated the irony of a once-dominant team demanding equivalency, Horner replied: "I can understand, but when we were performing we never had the level of dominance that we are seeing, nowhere near.
"At any point in time that we did show a bit of form, the rules changed and we had to adapt to that.
"We had to adapt from fuelling to no fuelling, bodywork changes, double diffuser, no double diffuser, blown diffuser, engine mapping changes mid-season... you name it.
"Unless there is an intervention [from the FIA] like that, then we are set for a season with quite a broad running order."
Horner accepts that the performance of the Mercedes engine package is "impressive" even though he is calling for it to be restricted.
This comes against a backdrop of Renault struggling desperately both in terms of power and driveability.
The latter characteristic is critical for performance in Melbourne, which partly explains Red Bull's disappointing run to a lapped sixth with its sole Australian Grand Prix starter Daniel Ricciardo.
"I think it is through the whole package," Horner said of the Mercedes power unit's advantage.
"As with all these things, there is never a silver bullet.
"It is integration of the combustion unit, turbo, energy recovery and fuel consumption and how that integrates with drivability that they have [that is] enormously impressive."
Horner does not expect the FIA technical directive issued ahead of the Australian GP forcing teams to monitor fuel pressure at multiple points in the fuel system to make a significant difference to Mercedes.
"I don't think that is enough at the moment," he said.
"It could have a small effect, but it is minimal."
The Red Bull chief added that he did not think that the FIA's move was aimed at Mercedes specifically.
| By Edd Straw | Thursday, March 19th 2015, 15:35 GMT |
The Force India Formula 1 team's morale has been given a boost after a difficult winter by its double points finish in the Australian Grand Prix.
The team's 2015 car did not hit the track until the final three days of pre-season testing, and in the build-up to the race driver Sergio Perez admitted he was anticipating a "painful" start to the season.
But deputy team principal Bob Fernley believes that Nico Hulkenberg's seventh place, backed up by Sergio Perez's 10th, is a bonus - having admitted post-race that it was "unlikely" that Force India could have scored points on pure pace.
"The team have come out after a tough winter and being late into testing but we have had a car that has been incredibly reliable from the minute it was launched," Fernley told AUTOSPORT.
"That gave us the benefit in the race. And we had a good strategy to make the best of what we had.
"The team should be pleased and it's positive to go back to the factory with some points under our belt because it lifts the morale."
The team's focus on reliability, which was key to its double points finish given that its car was the slowest of the midfield group.
Fernley is hopeful that this will allow it to continue to pick up some points in the early races while it awaits car upgrades to boost performance.
"That has to be the policy," said Fernley when asked if the team can continue to score points based on reliability early on.
"The consistency of the team has brought us through and if we can get ourselves picking the points where it's possible until we can get the upgrade through, at that point hopefully we can be in the points on merit rather than opportunity.
"We were expecting a few incidents and casualties in the race, probably not quite as many as there were, but you have to be there to take the opportunity and the team did a good job."
| By Edd Straw and Lawrence Barretto | Friday, March 20th 2015, 10:34 GMT |
Williams chief technical officer Pat Symonds has no doubts that his team has the same-specification engine as the works Mercedes Formula 1 squad.
Comments made by driver Felipe Massa during the Australian Grand Prix weekend had been interpreted as hinting that Williams did not have the same 1.6-litre V6 hybrid turbo engines as the Mercedes, but the team insists that this is not the case.
"We have no doubts over the parity of the engines from Mercedes during the Australian Grand Prix," Symonds told AUTOSPORT.
"We have a great working relationship with all the team at Brixworth and know how hard they pushed things to the limt to bring the best performance to Australia.
"HPP are constantly checking the data and all the power units are exceptionally close in performance.
"Our aim now is to continue developing the car to ensure we can fight Ferrari."
Engine freeze regulations mean that the engine specification supplied to the Mercedes customer teams should be the same - other than at times when upgrades are introduced and the four-power units per entry regulations create an offset.
Bob Fernley, deputy team principal of fellow Mercedes customer Force India, stressed that this is a contractual obligation.
"Yes, and the contract states that," Fernley told AUTOSPORT when asked whether Force India has engine parity.
"All fairness to Mercedes, they have always been straight with us."
Williams remains resolved to take on the works Mercedes team, and despite its quickest car being 1.391 seconds off pole in qualifying, performance chief Rob Smedley believes there is no reason why it will not be able to close the gap.
"It's a big gap, we should make no bones about it," he said.
"Mercedes is the benchmark so that's what we have to do, that's the level of excellence that we have to attain.
"The gap is big, but it's not insurmountable; we showed last year that we could develop the car as well or even better than others and we just have to carry on in that ilk.
"We are moving forward all the time and we just have to hope that we can close that gap down and eventually pass them."
| By Edd Straw | Wednesday, March 18th 2015, 15:02 GMT |
The Williams Formula 1 team is making every effort to ensure Valtteri Bottas can return to the cockpit for the Malaysian Grand Prix, according to deputy team principal Claire Williams
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| Wednesday, March 18th 2015, 14:59 GMT |
The Sauber Formula 1 team has declared itself "surprised" by Giedo van der Garde's account of their contract row, but wants to move on from the affair
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| By Dieter Rencken and Lawrence Barretto | Thursday, March 19th 2015, 10:26 GMT |
Renault has no intention of leaving Formula 1 as it continues to evaluate its strategy in the sport
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| By Jonathan Noble | Tuesday, March 17th 2015, 16:26 GMT |
Fernando Alonso will move a step closer to his Formula 1 return on Wednesday when he drives the McLaren simulator for the first time since his testing crash
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| Wednesday, March 18th 2015, 08:51 GMT |
Giedo van der Garde has reached a settlement to end his Sauber Formula 1 deal, but hit out at the team and called for new measures to protect drivers
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| By Edd Straw | Wednesday, March 18th 2015, 11:22 GMT |
Jenson Button is adamant that McLaren-Honda is the team best able to topple Formula 1 dominator Mercedes in the long term
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| By Edd Straw | Monday, March 16th 2015, 16:52 GMT |
McLaren racing director Eric Boullier has refused to set the timeline for when the Honda-powered team will start to achieve competitive results
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| By Edd Straw | Tuesday, March 17th 2015, 10:47 GMT |
The Manor team is confident of being able to participate fully in the Malaysian Grand Prix weekend after failing to run in Australia
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| Tuesday, March 17th 2015, 10:55 GMT |
Following an Australian Grand Prix where Mercedes' dominance of Formula 1 caused uproar in some quarters, AUTOSPORT's team from the paddock offer their take on the key talking points
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| By Edd Straw | Monday, March 16th 2015, 09:25 GMT |
Sauber's double points finish in the Australian Grand Prix came as a "great relief" after the team was engulfed in legal controversy prior to the 2015 Formula 1 opener
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| By Edd Straw | Monday, March 16th 2015, 09:07 GMT |
Mercedes could be even more dominant in the second race of the Formula 1 season in two weeks't time, according to its motorsport boss Toto Wolff
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| By Edd Straw | Monday, March 16th 2015, 11:21 GMT |
Renault's Formula 1 engine project is in "a bit of a mess", Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has admitted following a difficult Australian Grand Prix
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| By Lawrence Barretto | Sunday, March 15th 2015, 10:17 GMT |
Williams performance chief Rob Smedley said there was nothing strategically different the team could have done to beat Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel in the Formula 1 season-opening Australian Grand Prix
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| By Edd Straw | Sunday, March 15th 2015, 10:18 GMT |
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has called on the FIA to take action to equalise engine performance and close up the Formula 1 field
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| By Edd Straw | Sunday, March 15th 2015, 10:42 GMT |
Red Bull suspects that the gearbox problem that prevented Daniil Kvyat from starting the Australian Grand Prix was caused by vibrations from the engine
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| By Edd Straw | Saturday, March 14th 2015, 11:47 GMT |
McLaren-Honda's poor qualifying performance for the 2015 Formula 1 season-opening Australian Grand Prix was partly down to having to run its engines detuned
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| By Edd Straw and Matt Beer | Saturday, March 14th 2015, 10:36 GMT |
Manor has been summoned to the Formula 1 stewards to explain why it did not attempt to qualify for the Australian Grand Prix
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| By Lawrence Barretto | Saturday, March 14th 2015, 11:29 GMT |
Felipe Nasr says it has been mentally tough to "keep everything together" amid the disruption caused by the Sauber Formula 1 team's legal dispute with Giedo van der Garde
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| By Jonathan Noble | Friday, March 13th 2015, 09:51 GMT |
Kevin Magnussen admitted that he was to blame for crashing his McLaren during second practice for the Australian Grand Prix
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| By Edd Straw | Friday, March 13th 2015, 09:47 GMT |
McLaren has "nothing to hide" over Fernando Alonso's crash during pre-season Formula 1 testing, according to racing director Eric Boullier
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| By Ben Anderson and Jonathan Noble | Friday, March 13th 2015, 10:29 GMT |
Lotus Formula 1 duo Romain Grosjean and Pastor Maldonado were both hampered by pipe problems on the opening day of running at the Australian Grand Prix
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| By Lawrence Barretto | Thursday, March 12th 2015, 08:38 GMT |
Kimi Raikkonen believes his Ferrari Formula 1 team is in a "much stronger position" as it begins 2015 after last year's disappointments
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| By Edd Straw | Thursday, March 12th 2015, 08:32 GMT |
Force India is braced for a "painful" start to the 2015 Formula 1 season, according to Sergio Perez
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| By Edd Straw | Thursday, March 12th 2015, 09:18 GMT |
Williams would be against a ban on windtunnel use in Formula 1, according to its deputy team principal Claire Williams
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| By Lawrence Barretto | Wednesday, March 11th 2015, 02:33 GMT |
An Australian court has ruled Giedo van der Garde has the right to race for Sauber in Sunday's Australian Grand Prix, but the Swiss Formula 1 team has appealed the decision
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| By Ben Anderson and Matt Beer | Tuesday, March 10th 2015, 16:57 GMT |
The rivalry between Mercedes Formula 1 team-mates Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg will become more intense still in 2015, reckons team boss Toto Wolff
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| By Ben Anderson and Matt Beer | Wednesday, March 11th 2015, 11:16 GMT |
Renault hopes Formula 1 refrains from a major rules overhaul for the 2017 season and instead keeps any adjustments within the spirit of the current technical regulations
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| Tuesday, March 10th 2015, 11:47 GMT |
Fernando Alonso says he is "giving everything" to return to Formula 1 with McLaren for the Malaysian Grand Prix after being ruled out of this weekend's race in Australia
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| By Glenn Freeman | Tuesday, March 10th 2015, 00:08 GMT |
Roberto Merhi will race for the Manor Formula 1 team in this weekend's season-opening Australian Grand Prix, partnering fellow Formula Renault 3.5 race winner Will Stevens
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| By Lawrence Barretto | Monday, March 9th 2015, 17:19 GMT |
Williams driver Valtteri Bottas says his strong performance in 2014 has better prepared him to win his first Formula 1 grand prix this year
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| By Ben Anderson | Sunday, March 8th 2015, 12:58 GMT |
Ferrari Formula 1 boss Maurizio Arrivabene believes Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen are the "perfect combination" for the Scuderia this season
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| By Jonathan Noble | Monday, March 9th 2015, 08:32 GMT |
The Australian courts have deferred a decision on whether Sauber must let Giedo van der Garde race its Formula 1 car until Wednesday
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| By Lawrence Barretto | Monday, March 9th 2015, 11:04 GMT |
Force India deputy team principal Bob Fernley has wished Manor well on its return to the Formula 1 grid but remains frustrated with the way the team went about it
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| By Ben Anderson | Friday, March 6th 2015, 17:07 GMT |
The Mercedes Formula 1 team has been impressed with the pace shown by rivals Ferrari and Williams in pre-season testing
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| By Ben Anderson and Matt Beer | Friday, March 6th 2015, 11:32 GMT |
Getting through the 2015 Formula 1 season on just four engines will be "a big challenge" for McLaren-Honda, admits Eric Boullier
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| By Ben Anderson and Matt Beer | Saturday, March 7th 2015, 13:58 GMT |
Williams was caught off-guard by just how far ahead Mercedes was when it unleashed more performance late in winter Formula 1 testing, admits Pat Symonds
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| By Ben Anderson | Friday, March 6th 2015, 17:07 GMT |
The Mercedes Formula 1 team has been impressed with the pace shown by rivals Ferrari and Williams in pre-season testing
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| By Lawrence Barretto | Friday, March 6th 2015, 09:59 GMT |
Sauber says it will "take all necessary steps" to protect the team's interests following Giedo van der Garde's decision to take legal action against the Swiss Formula 1 outfit
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| By Ben Anderson and Matt Beer | Friday, March 6th 2015, 11:32 GMT |
Getting through the 2015 Formula 1 season on just four engines will be "a big challenge" for McLaren-Honda, admits Eric Boullier
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| By Lawrence Barretto | Friday, March 6th 2015, 09:59 GMT |
Sauber says it will "take all necessary steps" to protect the team's interests following Giedo van der Garde's decision to take legal action against the Swiss Formula 1 outfit
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| By Lawrence Barretto | Thursday, March 5th 2015, 17:38 GMT |
Sebastian Vettel says he first contacted Ferrari about a potential move to the team back in 2008 and has since had "secret" meetings in Maranello while racing for Red Bull
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| By Ben Anderson and Matt Beer | Friday, March 6th 2015, 11:32 GMT |
Getting through the 2015 Formula 1 season on just four engines will be "a big challenge" for McLaren-Honda, admits Eric Boullier
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| By Jonathan Noble and Matt Beer | Wednesday, March 4th 2015, 16:43 GMT |
Manor investor Stephen Fitzpatrick says he could not stand to see the former Marussia Formula 1 team disappear after it had finally achieved its breakthrough points in 2014
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| By Jonathan Noble | Wednesday, March 4th 2015, 16:15 GMT |
Manor has confirmed that its Formula 1 car is ready to race at the Australian Grand Prix
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| By Jonathan Noble | Wednesday, March 4th 2015, 17:50 GMT |
Former Sainsbury's boss Justin King insists his focus in Formula 1 is on helping move Manor up the grid rather than chasing a role in running the sport
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| By Ben Anderson | Tuesday, March 3rd 2015, 16:54 GMT |
Williams technical chief Pat Symonds says Formula 1 "needs" teams like Manor GP, which is gearing up for a shock return from the ashes of the defunct Marussia project
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| By Jonathan Noble | Tuesday, March 3rd 2015, 12:16 GMT |
Fernando Alonso has pulled out of the Australian Grand Prix after doctors advised him against getting back in a Formula 1 car just yet
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| By Lawrence Barretto | Wednesday, March 4th 2015, 10:06 GMT |
Williams believes it will be "scrapping" with Ferrari early in the 2015 Formula 1 season and suspects the Italian team is closer than final testing results suggest
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| Tuesday, March 3rd 2015, 09:27 GMT |
Williams has finalised Susie Wolff's Formula 1 programme for 2015, with the Spanish and British Grands Prix selected for her Friday practice outings
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| By Ben Anderson | Monday, March 2nd 2015, 17:04 GMT |
Renault admits it will arrive at the first race of the new Formula 1 season with work still to do to meet its target of closing the gap to Mercedes
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| By Lawrence Barretto | Tuesday, March 3rd 2015, 11:21 GMT |
Mercedes paid Force India to run its reserve driver Pascal Wehrlein at the second Formula 1 test, which made it financially viable for the Silverstone-based team to test at Barcelona
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| By Ben Anderson | Monday, March 2nd 2015, 09:29 GMT |
Ferrari team principal Maurizio Arrivabene says he took to the grandstands during Formula 1 testing at Barcelona as a protest against proposed pass restrictions on teams this season.
Arrivabene was pictured with team personnel, including reserve driver Esteban Gutierrez, sat with F1 fans while watching testing unfold from the stands last Saturday.
The Scuderia boss said he made the move as a "provocation" against plans to increase limits on the number of paddock passes teams can hand out at races this year.
"I heard that in Australia there will be more restriction [for teams] in terms of passes and I think this is not acceptable," Arrivabene explained.
"So I said to the guys 'OK, if we're going to have a situation where the paddock is going to be empty it's better if we start training to go to the people and sit in the grandstands'.
"I have to say it was a good experience, because the people were well educated [about F1], they were respectful, they were asking for pictures. I hope to have other experiences like this.
"If we want to keep the exclusivity of this sport, exclusivity doesn't mean an empty paddock. This is my clear statement.
"I was using the example of golf. Golf is one of the most exclusive sports, but when they play you have thousands of people following the player.
"It's not working against the exclusivity of the sport.
"It was a kind of provocation and I love to do this kind of provocation.
"We need to take Formula 1 to the people. I don't like to see the paddock empty."
When asked to quantify the new limits, and whether he had discussed his concerns with F1 commercial chief Bernie Ecclestone, Arrivabene added: "I am expecting a phone call from him.
"Nothing is decided yet, but we have certain communication that the number will be reduced.
"In Formula 1 it's normal you have some rumours that become reality. I sit in the stand before it becomes reality."
| By Jonathan Noble | Monday, March 2nd 2015, 09:44 GMT |
Red Bull has revealed its revised colour scheme for 2015, having spent the winter using a camouflage livery on its Formula 1 car
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| By Mitchell Adam | Monday, March 2nd 2015, 10:19 GMT |
Only clues about Mercedes' 2015 performance emerged from Formula 1's first two winter tests, as other teams stole the limelight. That all changed in the final test at Barcelona.
The dominant force of 2014 asserted its authority on the final pre-season test and left no one in any doubt that it will be the team to beat this year, if indeed it can even be caught.
Friday afternoon, the 10th day of testing, was the first time a Mercedes driver used Pirelli's soft tyre and Nico Rosberg made it count, lapping 1.2 seconds faster than the Williams of Valtteri Bottas went on the compound 90 minutes earlier.
It was the fastest time of the week and when Hamilton got his chance on the tyre a day later, he lapped faster than Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen had earlier managed around the Circuit de Catalunya on the super-soft.
While Mercedes' pace on the medium and hard rubber was imposing, there were positives for some of its rivals.
Both Williams drivers topped a day, albeit those without Mercedes using the softs, turned plenty of laps and looked sharp, while Ferrari underlined its progress over 2014 with another solid test.
Red Bull focused on race pace but suffered several mechanical dramas, including an ERS problem for Daniel Ricciardo on the final day.
That, though, was nothing compared to McLaren. The team managed just 177 laps over the four days - Felipe Nasr alone turned 159 on Sunday - and if you take out Jenson Button's 101 on Friday, it averaged just 25.3 laps on the other three.
After a hydraulics issue limited it to just seven laps on the opening day, Button's Friday looked to have been a breakthrough, but it proved something of a false dawn, with an oil leak and sensor problem ruining the weekend.
And when the car was running, it was clearly down on engine performance.
Conversely, Force India enjoyed a stunningly reliable debut with its new VJM08, which first appeared just before lunch on the second day. By Sunday night, Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez had turned a combined 365 laps.
Sauber and Toro Rosso completed race simulations and also piled on the laps, as did Lotus until Pastor Maldonado crashed with a brake problem on Sunday.
TEST STATISTICS
FINAL TEST STATS:Combined times:
Pos Driver Car Time Gap Day Tyres 1. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m22.792s 2 S 2. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m23.022s +0.230s 3 S 3. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Mercedes 1m23.063s +0.271s 4 SS 4. Felipe Massa Williams-Mercedes 1m23.262s +0.470s 3 SS 5. Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 1m23.276s +0.484s 3 SS 6. Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 1m23.469s +0.677s 4 SS 7. Felipe Nasr Sauber-Ferrari 1m24.023s +1.231s 4 SS 8. Carlos Sainz Jr Toro Rosso-Renault 1m24.191s +1.399s 3 SS 9. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Mercedes 1m24.200s +1.408s 3 SS 10. Marcus Ericsson Sauber-Ferrari 1m24.276s +1.484s 1 SS 11. Max Verstappen Toro Rosso-Renault 1m24.527s +1.735s 4 SS 12. Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull-Renault 1m24.638s +1.846s 4 S 13. Nico Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes 1m24.939s +2.147s 3 SS 14. Sergio Perez Force India-Mercedes 1m25.113s +2.321s 4 SS 15. Kevin Magnussen McLaren-Honda 1m25.225s +2.433s 3 S 16. Jenson Button McLaren-Honda 1m25.327s +2.535s 4 SS 17. Daniil Kvyat Red Bull-Renault 1m25.947s +3.155s 1 M 18. Pastor Maldonado Lotus-Mercedes 1m26.705s +3.913s 2 S Mileage by driver: Pos Driver Laps Miles 1. Felipe Nasr 300 868 2. Sebastian Vettel 272 787 3. Nico Rosberg 254 735 4. Marcus Ericsson 245 709 5. Nico Hulkenberg 235 680 6. Max Verstappen 224 648 7. Carlos Sainz Jr. 218 630 8. Kimi Raikkonen 216 625 9. Felipe Massa 205 593 10. Daniel Ricciardo 200 578 11. Romain Grosjean 191 552 12. Valtteri Bottas 179 518 13. Pastor Maldonado 176 509 14. Daniil Kvyat 159 460 15. Jenson Button 138 399 16. Sergio Perez 130 376 17. Lewis Hamilton 124 359 18. Kevin Magnussen 39 113 Mileage by team: Pos Team Laps Miles 1. Sauber 545 1576 2. Ferrari 488 1411 3. Toro Rosso 442 1278 4. Williams 384 1111 5. Mercedes 378 1093 6. Lotus 367 1061 7. Force India 365 1056 8. Red Bull 359 1038 9. McLaren 177 512 Mileage by engine: Pos Engine Laps Miles 1. Mercedes 1494 4321 2. Ferrari 1033 2987 3. Renault 801 2316 4. Honda 177 512
COMPLETE 2015 WINTER TESTING MILEAGE: By driver: Pos Driver Miles 1. Nico Rosberg 2151 2. Felipe Nasr 1848 3. Max Verstappen 1760 4. Sebastian Vettel 1719 5. Marcus Ericsson 1697 6. Carlos Sainz Jr 1677 7. Kimi Raikkonen 1649 8. Lewis Hamilton 1512 9. Felipe Massa 1402 10. Valtteri Bottas 1400 11. Daniel Ricciardo 1393 12. Pastor Maldonado 1385 13. Daniil Kvyat 1310 14. Romain Grosjean 1018 15. Sergio Perez 824 16. Nico Hulkenberg 784 17. Jenson Button 641 18. Pascal Wehrlein 465 19. Fernando Alonso 333 20. Susie Wolff 248 21. Jolyon Palmer 222 22. Kevin Magnussen 113 By team: Pos Car Miles 1. Mercedes 3801 2. Sauber 3545 3. Toro Rosso 3437 4. Ferrari 3368 5. Williams 3051 6. Red Bull 2703 7. Lotus 2627 8. McLaren 1087 9. Force India 2015 car 1056 10. Force India 2014 car 878 By engine: Pos Engine Miles 1. Mercedes 11413 2. Ferrari 6913 3. Renault 6139 4. Honda 1087
