Latest F1 news in brief – Thursday (Update)
04/24/14
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Even if he wins in court, Bernie may be forced out F1 board admits Ecclestone reign 'over'
- Top two teams hard to chase in 2014 – Lopez
- Hakkinen blasts Vettel for ignoring orders
- One word caused China GP 'flag-gate'
- McLaren plans for future without Fallows
- More changes at Ferrari after Domenicali exit
- Singapore Airlines replaces SingTel as GP sponsor
- Gatorade to supply Sahara Force India
- Kazakhstan calling?
- Mercedes chiefs disagree over team orders New
F1 board admits Ecclestone reign 'over'
(GMM) The criminal trial is only just beginning, but F1's board has already conceded that the Bernie Ecclestone reign is at an end.
The banker he allegedly bribed, Gerhard Gribkowsky, is already in jail for receiving the $44 million, and a UK judge has also declared that the sport's 83-year-old chief executive paid a bribe.
Still, Ecclestone's defense appeared to get a boost this week when it emerged that German prosecutors concede that the diminutive Briton was in fact blackmailed by Gribkowsky.
Writing in Forbes, and quoting from the indictment, F1 business journalist Christian Sylt explained that Gribkowsky was putting "pressure" on Ecclestone by "repeatedly insinuating" that Ecclestone had control of his family trust.
Ecclestone claims he paid the $44 million only because Gribkowsky was 'shaking me down' over his personal tax affairs.
"It seems to be a textbook example of blackmail," Sylt said.
Nonetheless, as the Munich proceedings begin on Thursday, the signs for Ecclestone are worrying.
Writing in the Times, Kevin Eason said Ecclestone could avoid jail by accepting he is guilty and paying more than a staggering $400 million.
Even so, the Ecclestone era is "over", Eason quoted a source close to F1's owners CVC and the board as saying.
The report said the board has been advised by a London law firm not to keep Ecclestone in charge after a judge called him "untruthful and unreliable".
The source explained: "In truth, it (Ecclestone's reign) has been over for a while, but Bernie has been allowed to continue as the face of the sport until this legal advice, which was devastating."
Top two teams hard to chase in 2014 – Lopez
(GMM) Gerard Lopez, the owner of the Lotus team, has conceded that Mercedes is strolling to the 2014 title.
Asked about the championship prospects of the Enstone team, who are still yet to score a single point after a disastrous start, he said: "First of all, we can forget about Mercedes.
"They will continue to do their one-twos," Lopez told Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.
"Red Bull has also made great progress so they will also be difficult (to compete with). But behind them it is interesting," he said.
Indeed, after a disastrous start to 2014 for the Renault-powered team, Lotus is finally beginning to make progress, with Romain Grosjean fighting in the points in China until his retirement.
"Ferrari has good results thanks to Fernando (Alonso)," said Lopez. "Williams' advantage is due to the engine, but Force India has a good car, otherwise they would not be third in the championship.
"Of course there are many factors, but I think we can deal with those teams," he claimed.
Hakkinen blasts Vettel for ignoring orders
(GMM) Fellow world champion Mika Hakkinen has criticized Sebastian Vettel for ignoring team orders.
Although Red Bull and the German driver have claimed Vettel ultimately decided to let teammate Daniel Ricciardo past in China, initially he answered "tough luck" when the radio call came.
Finn Hakkinen, the now-retired 1998 and 1999 title winner, is unimpressed.
"For Vettel it's an unpleasant surprise that Ricciardo is beating him," he said, "but instructions from the team have to be followed.
"Even last year I was surprised by Vettel's behavior towards his team, and now it goes on," Hakkinen, obviously referring to the 'Multi-21' scandal involving Mark Webber in 2013, told Hermes in an interview.
"Behaving like that will, sooner or later, hurt him. Maybe he (Vettel) is planning to change teams, but right now he's not behaving in the right way," he added.
Hakkinen also commented on Ferrari's shock management switch, after Stefano Domenicali was suddenly replaced as team boss by the mainly unknown Marco Mattiacci.
"Stefano is a friend," Hakkinen said, "but sometimes change is necessary.
"It's difficult to say whether Ferrari has made the right decision, but when large companies are not getting results, heads can roll."
When asked about Mattiacci, the former McLaren driver said: "Only time will tell how he will go, but if you don't have much experience in formula one, it will be difficult to get straight down to work."
One word caused China GP 'flag-gate'
(GMM) A single word caused 'flag-gate', it has emerged.
Article 43.2 of the sporting rules dictates that if the checkered flag is waved early, even in error, the race is over.
That is precisely what happened towards the end of the Chinese grand prix, meaning that a last-lap pass by Kamui Kobayashi did not officially count.
Explaining the mishap, Germany's Auto Motor und Sport said that with a couple of laps left to run, the local race director Zhuang Tao asked Charlie Whiting if a white flag should be shown to mark the penultimate lap.
By radio, Zhuang relayed Whiting's answer to the flag man with the words "No flag now", but the Chinese official reportedly did not hear – or misunderstood – the "no".
McLaren plans for future without Fallows
(GMM) McLaren is planning ahead without Dan Fallows.
The British team has threatened to take the matter to court, after Fallows signed to switch to McLaren only to change his mind and return to Red Bull with a promotion.
McLaren supremo Ron Dennis is furious, but team boss Eric Boullier admitted this week that the Woking based outfit needs to plan ahead for a future without the highly-rated aerodynamicist.
"We have to deal without him today so we have to consider all of the scenarios," the Frenchman told reporters.
"We also have to consider the scenario that he will never be back or he will never join us, so we are implementing what we have to do and we have already," Boullier added.
He hinted that the appointment would be made from outside the team, but when asked when an announcement is due, Boullier joked: "When we are sure that they have arrived in the morning!"
Boullier also insisted that, after four races of sponsor-swapping on the 2014 car's sidepods so far this season, negotiations are on track for a full-time title sponsor.
"The plan Ron discussed is happening," he said.
"But until we have signed the final contract, nothing will be announced or changed. As long as we are in that position we will keep going with what we are doing now," added Boullier.
Early in 2014, McLaren looked to have put its competitive crisis of last year in the past, but the team was notably off the pace last time out in China.
Boullier denied that the team is prepared to simply tread water in 2014 before the highly-anticipated arrival of works engine partner Honda.
"2014 should be a benchmark year for us," he insisted. "It should be seen as a year of rebuilding a winning team."
More changes at Ferrari after Domenicali exit
(GMM) Ferrari has been told to "step up a gear" in the wake of team boss Stefano Domenicali's departure.
After a poor start to the season for the fabled Italian marque, the F1-unknown Marco Mattiacci was drafted in to replace team veteran Domenicali, who resigned between the Bahrain and Chinese grands prix.
And according to Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo, the management reshuffle is not the only change behind closed doors at Maranello.
The official Ferrari website said Montezemolo told "Mattiacci and his staff" of the need to "step up a gear in the work of the Gestione Sportiva".
The report added: "These words have been transformed into actions, which have made the decision making process even more immediate, with the aim of optimizing the work and the direction of development taken by the engineers in Maranello in real time."
Montezemolo, who confirmed last week that he is increasing his involvement in the F1 team, "has asked for an immediate overhaul and streamlining of internal processes, eliminating intermediate stages and bureaucracy in order to be more flexible and efficient", Ferrari added.
The report said Ferrari has also made "cutbacks in the number of consultants and admissions aimed at strengthening some key areas to find more performance from the F14 T (car)".
And suppliers to the team have been asked to slash "the turnaround on parts … thus reducing the waiting time for every single component".
German-language Speed Week reports that Ferrari plans to debut a Mercedes-style short front nose at the Spanish grand prix next month.
Singapore Airlines replaces SingTel as GP sponsor
Singapore Airlines is to replace SingTel as the title sponsor of Singapore's Formula One race.
The airline has signed a two-year agreement to sponsor the event, which takes place each September around a floodlit circuit in the Marina Bay district of the city state.
This year's race, on 21st September, will be officially known as the '2014 Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix'. No financial details were revealed but the sponsorship is certain to be worth a multi-million dollar sum.
“We are thrilled to be taking up the title sponsorship of one of the most exciting races on the Formula One calendar, and we are especially pleased to be doing so in the lead-up to Singapore’s 50th birthday next year," said Singapore Airlines chief executive, Goh Choon Phong.
“Singapore Airlines has always supported the development of both sports and tourism. Through our involvement with the world’s first Formula One night race we will be able to enhance both for the benefit of Singaporeans and visitors alike."
Singapore has hosted a Grand Prix each year since 2008, with the evening event quickly becoming one of the sport's most popular races for VIPs and sponsors. Telecoms firm SingTel had sponsored the event up until 2013.
Formula One Group chief executive Bernie Ecclestone added: “We are very happy to have Singapore Airlines join the Formula One family."
Singapore Airlines becomes the fifth airline sponsor in Formula One. Qantas is a longstanding title sponsor of the Australian Grand Prix, Etihad Airways title sponsors the event in Abu Dhabi, Gulf Air supports the Bahrain Grand Prix and Emirates is in its second season of central Formula One sponsorship, which grants it extensive trackside branding at most races.
Gatorade to supply Sahara Force India
Gatorade has become an official supplier to the Sahara Force India team in Formula One.
The PepsiCo-owned sports drinks brand will provide its products to the team's drivers, engineers and mechanics throughout the 2014 season. Branded bottles have been created, while the Gatorade logo will appear on the Sahara Force India website and elsewhere.
"To be successful in Formula One, you have to optimize every area of the team, especially human performance," said Otmar Szafnauer, the Sahara Force India chief operating officer.
"That's why our relationship with Gatorade is an important step for Sahara Force India and we look forward to benefiting from their expertise as a leading sports fuel supplier. Thanks to Gatorade's wide range of products, we can provide all team members with the proper hydration and nutrition to help them perform."
Kazakhstan calling?
Highly rated 22-year old Spaniard Daniel Juncadella secured a reserve driver role this season with Sahara Force India, and his place there is due largely to a toe-in-the-water deal by Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan.
The central Asian company's sovereign wealth fund, Samruk Kazyna, is currently placing several of Astana's sports teams under the Astana Presidential Club banner, as part of a strategy to promote the country.
Juncadella is not part of the project directly but Astana Motorsport, which is, has paid $2.8 million to place him at Force India, after signing a deal to look after his commercial interests.
For now, at least, there is only a small Astana logo visible on the car, but Darkhan Kaletayev, who heads Samruk Kazyna, is in no doubt about the value of Formula One, telling SportsPro: "Our participation in one driver is an investment of the size of $2.8 million and it gives us more PR in the world of sport than investments of $13.8 million in some other projects."
Mercedes chiefs disagree over team orders
(GMM) A debate is raging inside Mercedes.
The dominant German team declared proudly after the Bahrain grand prix that letting Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg go wheel-to-wheel in a thrilling battle was the right decision for the sport.
But on Thursday, boss Toto Wolff has been quoted as saying team orders might soon have to come into play.
The Austrian told the BBC that Bahrain was "a very particular situation", due to Mercedes' dominance.
But "The narrower the margin gets, the more you have to look out," said Wolff.
"Our rule is that the competition is enemy number one, not your teammate, so there might be situations in the race where you have to consider that, but we will see what happens," he added.
Mercedes team chairman Niki Lauda, however, told British television Sky in China last Sunday that he fundamentally disagrees with "Toto and Paddy".
Paddy Lowe is another team boss at the Brackley based team.
Lauda said: "They (Hamilton and Rosberg) are racing drivers. Leave them alone, unless they hit. Which they won't."