F1 TODAY – 30/04/2015

News & Analysis

2016 Calendar leaked

FOM has confirmed that the 2016 leaked provisional calendar is the official drafted version. In a statement FOM says “It would appear that the proposed 2016 calendar has been leaked. This calendar has not yet been approved.”

The calendar was published by the magazine Autosport last night. Australia will host the season opener with Abu Dahbi holding the season finale on November 27. The British Grand Prix will be held on last weekend in June and the Russian Grand Prix will be moved to the first day in May.

While AZerbaijan will hold its first race under the title the ‘Grand Prix of Europe’ on July 17 and the Malaysia Grand Prix will be moved to follow the Singapore Grand Prix in September.

Australian GP organisers announced earlier this week that their Melbourne event would be staged in the first week of April.

<Full details here>

 

Sauber backs budget cap

Sauber say they back former FIA  Max Mosleys plan to give free rein on designing their cars if they signed up to a budget cap.

Mosley told Autosport on Tuesday that teams could be given total free rein on car design if they operated under a limited budget. He believes it would be a way of both controlling costs and allowing technical innovation to thrive in F1.

Today the teams Principal Monisha Keltenborn told the magazine “As a team we have always said that a budget cap is the only sensible way ahead. It brings you into a healthy region of how much you should be spending.”

She added that Mosley “has expressed an interesting and good idea here – and you need visions today in F1. You need some kind of French Revolution in the sport, because that was at the time also about freedom and equality.”

 

Hamilton feeling like Vettel?

Lewis Hamilton has issued a warning to his rivals saying he feels like Sebastian Vettel felt when he took his first title in 2010. The double world champion has won three of the four races so far this season.

“I want the third title,” he told Wednesday’s Sport Bild, “like (Ayrton) Senna.” Hamilton has a 27 point lead in the drivers’ championship over team-mate Nico Rosberg and Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel is a further point behind.

In 2010 Vettel went wheel to wheel with his Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber before Webber began to slip away from Vettel in following years. Hamilton added “I was thinking more likely it’s going to go the other way. but I have almost surprised myself — how I have been driving, how I have been adapting to things.”

 

Alonso hints of retirement I understand – Piquet Jr

Fernando Alonso’s former team-mate Nelson Piquet Jr says that the Spaniard’s “frustrations” at McLaren might be a reason the double world champion is hinting at retirement.

Alonso has not scored yet this season and said earlier this month said he was thinking about “different priorities in life”. Piqet told BBC News “It’s frustrating – you’re the best but driving ninth, 10th. I’d understand if he wants to retire. I wouldn’t discount him doing that for a year or two, then returning.”

However, there have been suggestions the relationship between Alonso and the team has already become strained.

 

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